Happy Pascha! Decorating eggs, which symbolize new life, dates back to the prehistory of Ukraine, but in the 13th century, when the church forbid eating eggs during Holy Week, it became a tradition to decorate eggs in preparation for Easter.
With Easter here and spring-time blossoming, we are reminded of the season of rebirth and renewal. We share these reflections and queries from Debbie Pryor, adapted from Wellesley Friends Meeting and made available through NEYM.
On this Trans Day of Visibility, we hold our trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse Friends in the Light and we reaffirm our commitment to being an inclusive, affirming, and welcoming community for all.
Join us for Easter Meeting for Worship at 9:30 or 11:00 AM! Our annual Easter Egg Hunt for younger members of our community takes place at 12 Noon.
An important editorial from @nytimes.com: "The attacks against Islam and Muslims from Mr. Trump and other Republicans are shameful."
"They are filled with lies. They deserve denunciation from all Americans, regardless of politics or religion."
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today we lift up how Patrick forgave others, returning to Ireland after fleeing imprisonment, and how his practice of integrating Christian teachings with Irish beliefs created a faith that was unique not only in its time in the post-Roman era but until the modern day.
Join us for a Forum discussion of the Pendle Hill pamphlet "Patterns of Racial Wounding & Racial Healing in Quaker Communities" this Sunday 3/8. Gather in the Dining room at 9am for coffee and the forum at 9:15.
Please take a moment to send a letter to DHS through Action Network to comment on its plans to open a detention center in a warehouse in Williamsport, Maryland (just outside of Hagerstown). Comments are due by tomorrow, March 5.
actionnetwork.org/letters/emer...
green shoots push through mulch and dirt while some snow lingers behind
As cold & ice recede, the earth keeps moving on its cycle. Even though the day is gray, there is new growth emerging this morning at the Meetinghouse. The earth gives us gentle reminders that when it feels nothing is happening and change is impossible, that which is hidden & growing can burst forth!
A Black hand on a keyboard. Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash.
How do we make room for people who have been shaped by their experiences as racial minorities? Have our practices been formed by White culture? What assumptions do we have that we can't see? When our Friends of Color point out these blind spots, do we adapt and change?
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Is there a difference between peace & justice? What role does justice play in our testimonies? Is it time for Friends to move beyond the SPICES into something more complex?
If you are not already following the BlackQuaker Project, you can read more at www.theblackquakerproject.org/post/the-bla...
There is about 6" of snow on the ground, and it is still coming down. If you can walk here, the building is open, but please stay safe. Most of our activities are canceled or moving to Zoom.
Join us for hybrid Meeting for Worship at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.
Enjoy the wintry weather and stay warm and safe!
Make this MLK Day one of service - find a volunteer opportunity in your community to honor the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is What are you doing for others?”
Maryland State House view from College Avenue.
We hold the Maryland General Assembly in the Light as they begin their 449th Legislative session. May their deliberations and actions be led by the Spirit.
To connect with a Quaker perspective on the workings of the General Assembly, follow Quaker Voice of Maryland at www.quakervoicemd.org
Join Sara Workeneh, a trained movement therapist, every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10am for an hour of gentle movement using a diversity of seated and standing stretching methods, incorporating elements of Qigong, yoga, and T’aiChi. Sessions are free, though donations are welcome as led.
"In whatever sense this year is a new year for you, may the moment find you eager and unafraid, ready to take it by the hand with joy and gratitude." - Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart
Howard Thurman - I will light candles this Christmas
Looking for a way to celebrate the Christmas season with your family? You are welcome in front of our fire! Join us Christmas Eve at 5:30 for an informal gathering with stories, songs, and cookies.
The Infinite a sudden Guest
Has been assumed to be —
But how can that stupendous come
Which never went away?
- Emily Dickinson
ERICA’s Shakera Rahimi & Daniel Jacoby join us to share personal experiences and programs providing critical support to immigrants to the US. We'll be gathering at 9:00 am in the Dining room and hope you can be there!
Epithalamia
Joan Naviyuk Kane
Butane, propane
and lungful of diesel.
I did not stand a chance.
...
Everything in exchange,
rain in a frozen season.
Our roof, roofs strung
with hot wire. Our love,
what was, an impression
of light, gaunt: there is
nothing to get.
"PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At the Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia’s Old City, more and more young people are seeking respite from a clamorous technological age in the silent worship of a centuries-old faith."
The article continues at apnews.com/article/quak...
We support UniFIED Efforts' programs - would you? This golf fundraiser is coming up, as is an end-or-the-year event here at Stony Run on November 23.
Find out more about how UniFIED Efforts is changing children's lives (and the lives of their families!) in West Baltimore at unifiedefforts.org/home.
The Jazz Concert is this Saturday! We hope to see you here for some great jazz - and admission is free!
Find more information at stonyrunfriends.org/jazz-concert/
This day commemorates the histories, traditions, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples and their ancestors who inhabited America before European explorers came. We honor the Piscataway and Susquehannock nations and our contemporary neighbors, the Lumbee tribe.
image credit: Ermineskin Cree Nation
As we continue to strive for justice and peace in our country, the Supreme Court remains a decisive arena, and our eyes are on the Court as they begin to hear arguments on cases that will shape our future. This guide from Democracy Forward can help us learn more:
democracyforward.org/peoples-guid...
Shedding
by Rumi
The tender-hearted
cry out
as the millstone
of sky grinder crushes
and transforms.
Love-making crushes
a thorn
into a rose.
The ground
grows emerald silk
for the feet.
A dervish sheds
personalities
like a snake
its old skin.
Join us tomorrow for World Quaker Day - we have a lot going on, including a Forum with BYM staff at 9:30am and a global food potluck after the later Meeting for Worship. We look forward to seeing you!
Have a blessed and holy Yom Kippur!