THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF THE MEETING REPORT BALTIMORE Y EARLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS REPORTED TO A NNUAL SESSION AT HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA 3, 8TH MONTH, 2006 Baltimore Yearly Meeting is a consolidated Yearly Meeting. We are two sides of a family who have noted our similarities and differences and have agreed that we are more alike than not, and so can live, work, and fellowship under the same tent. Possibly because of our own diversity, which allows each of us to find a place at the table, we are a growing Yearly Meeting. Our Meetings are enriched by a range of theological perspectives and spiritual vocabularies. We meet on the common ground of openness to God, the leading of the Spirit, and our need to listen and learn from each other. We find ourselves placed in a world filled with tension and violence; a world that God calls us to improve. From Meetings situated in bucolic settings, and Meet- ings surrounded by the noise and busyness of urban scapes, we hear a fervent desire for peace, justice, harmony, and love. A myriad of local and global issues call us to respond. There is motion along these lines. From vigils to conferences and active involvements, the Meetings of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends continually discern where their energies and resources can be directed for the betterment of all God’s children and this Earth on which we dwell. Within some of our Meetings, we witness sporadic attendance at Meetings for Worship and, often, meager attention to Meetings for Worship with a Concern for Business. The presence and love of seasoned Friends, who were once the life-giving energies of our Meetings, are deeply missed; some have been called away by desires for much needed rest, some by illness or death, and others by relocations to distant regions. Among those we deeply miss is Frank Massey, our general secretary who faithfully served the Yearly Meeting for seventeen years. Frank and Beth have removed to North Carolina to pursue new chal- lenges. Memories of their love and tender care will linger with us forever. Whatever the nature of the departures, we, those left behind, must ask ourselves if we are fully prepared to pick up the vacated mantles and willingly, and joyfully, carry on the labors that enrich and nurture our communities. Page 1 2006Yearbook Many Meetings are giving much attention to youth safety concerns. Studying these issues has led us to seek new understandings of how we protect and care for the dignity and well being of all members of our communities. We continue to seek way forward in our relationship with Friends United Meet- ing (FUM). We struggle with the rightness of giving financially to this Friends organization that enforces a policy that excludes our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters from positions of service. At the same time, we recognize the value of the many FUM programs around the world that improve the quality of life for others. Friends are certain that we must stay in communion with our brethren who do not share our truth. We pray for open ears, minds, and hearts to lead us out of this impasse. The kidnapping and murder of our beloved Friend, Tom Fox, brought us face to face with the reality of thousands of people around the world. We have had a taste of their experience and their sorrow. Our grief extends to all who suffer and die every day. We know that when someone is removed from Spirit-led work, the work contin- ues, and it is our responsibility to pick up the concern and carry it on. As a Yearly Meeting, we are committed to keeping Tom’s Light shining as we continue his unfinished labors on behalf of Iraqi detainees. What may appear at first notice to be trouble and tribulations among us are indeed gifts of the Spirit that challenge us to go deeper into the understanding of the Eternal. We have been highly sensitized this past year to our own and the sufferings of others, whether from natural disasters or human injustice and cru- elty and death. All that we have experienced has deepened our sense of con- nectedness to each other and to the Light. Though we are a consolidated people, we are ultimately and truly unified, one with another, by the Love and Grace of God. Prepared by Ministry and Pastoral Care Committee Page 2 Yearly Meeting Epistles BALTIMORE Y EARLY MEETING EPISTLE Eighth Month 6, 2006 O God guide us strengthen us and support us help us live in harmony with thy will. Greetings to Friends everywhere: Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends gathered for its 335th annual session from Seventh Month 31 to Eighth Month 6, 2006 on the green – but hot – campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Vir- ginia. Our theme was Living in Harmony: With One Another and All Creation. This year marks the 350th anniversary of the arrival of Friend Elizabeth Harris in the Chesapeake Bay area, leading to the establishment of the first Quaker Meet- ings in America. We seek among us the same courage and harmony with God’s will that brought her to our area so long ago. An opening retreat led by Jean-Marie Prestwidge-Barch encouraged us to ex- perience diversity within the Religious Society of Friends and included a wonder- ful jazz concert, a parable of harmony. Young Adult Friend Rachel Stacy gave an impassioned talk about Friends and transformation, the Light shining through her as she strode about the platform, leading us into deep worship. Our beloved Friend Tom Fox, a Christian Peacemaker Team member, was kid- napped in Iraq on Eleventh Month 26, 2005, then shot and killed on Third Month 9, 2006. Our grief, especially our campers’ and Young Friends’ grief, is profound. A moving memorial meeting, an evening panel of heartfelt sharing and other activities helped us understand that Tom’s ministry and death are a witness to the whole world and a legacy for the future. Our Young Friends and Young Adult Friends honor Tom’s memory by moving forward in Tom’s playful spirit and humor. Throughout the week, in business sessions, over meals, and during worship and activities, the love working within our vibrant community comforted us in our grief. We celebrated the presence among us of our Junior Yearly Meeting and Young Friends who encircled our business session with love and song. Page 3 2006Yearbook The Young Friends in Ramallah Program participants brought us messages of desires for peace and justice for the troubled Middle East. Their experiences and reflections on the fifteen days of listening, service, and learning in Palestine and Israel will be helpful resources for understanding the situation in that region. We joyfully welcomed our new General Secretary Robert H. Robinson, Jr. (known to all of us as Riley), and expressed appreciation for the hard work of our con- tinuing staff and of Howard Fullerton, who served as Interim General Secretary after the resignation of Frank Massey, our General Secretary for the past 17 years. Our Camping Program staff shared with us its goal of providing campers with attainable challenges, situations that put campers in a zone between comfort and panic, a place of stretching where they most feel the Spirit working and where they grow. We continue to labor with whether we can financially support Friends United Meeting while its personnel policy effectively discriminates against gays, lesbi- ans, and others. Though our connection to FUM and its work is important to us, can we, in good conscience, fund a policy we find hurtful and wrong? This challenge has taken us out of the comfort zone into the place of spiritual growth through continued intervisitation with other FUM Friends and continued seeking for discernment. Our intervisitations have built bonds of affection, and we wel- come invitations for future visits. The presence of many visitors enriched our session. Marshall Massey, of Omaha Monthly Meeting, Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative), who carries a deep con- cern for a common environmental testimony among Friends, walked much of the way to our session from Nebraska. In the Carey Memorial Lecture, Marshall called on Friends to approach environmental concerns in the same way that the earliest Friends changed the world: by keeping under the dictates of God and by speaking to the spiritual condition of others. There is no need for despair. We should dream big dreams, and pursue them as a community. Yours in the Light, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Page 4 Yearly Meeting Epistles YOUNG A DULT FRIENDS EPISTLE Greetings, Friends. Last year, the Young Adult Friends were joyous as we sent out the news of our community’s revitalization. We brought forth our new community’s first epistle; we ran a fishbowl and several social events; and our focus on identity produced a Minute of Purpose outlining our foundation and long-term goals. We come to this Annual Session with a new reason to be joyous. We’ve achieved many of the goals we set for ourselves last year; new Young Adult Friends are contribut- ing to our ongoing vitality and growth; and we’ve formed new goals for our continued development as a community. In keeping with our Minute of Purpose, Young Adult Friends held two gatherings this year. The first, held during Ninth Month at Alexandria Friends Meeting, focused on long-term planning. The second, held at Adelphi Friends Meeting during Twelfth Month, gave Friends a chance to witness through service by participating in a food drive.