Gunpowder

This year we tried a new process. We condensed the queries we had been working with previously into six categories. We devoted a Forum to sharing responses to these queries and then each member of Ministry and Counsel wrote a paragraph on one of the six topics. After sharing the responses to these in our committee, we presented a draft proposal to the Meeting and received more suggestions.

Meeting for Worship.

Meeting for worship is a joy. It is enlivened by young families and children as well as by new attenders. Gunpowder has been an accepting community, making all feel a part of the worship atmosphere. With so many present in the worship gathering, problems seem to drop away. Ours is a growing Meeting, with maybe 40 or more on any given First Day. Many feel that sharing joys and sorrows at the end of meeting has been a particularly effective way for holding each other in the Light. Others feel that directed response should not be part of Quaker worship. However, both views are respected in a loving and inclusive way. Some members feel that Gunpowder has less vocal ministry when compared to other unprogrammed meetings, but the sense is that the frequency of vocal ministry is more of a style than a problem.

Gatherings and First Day School.

Our gatherings and our First Day School program bring forth much growth to our religious community. The adult forums, Bible study, and Quakerism class help us to prepare our minds and hearts for worship. The gatherings seem to attract people from other Meetings. When Friends share each other’s spiritual journeys it enriches everyone. Quiet Saturdays, the spiritual autobiography group and the spiritual formation group all contribute to the sharing of everyone’s insights and prayerful thoughts which helps us to grow collaboratively. The First Day School continues to flourish with the attendance of many children, and devoted teachers, and parents. The children interviewed our seasoned Friends about their thoughts on the many Quaker values and testimonies this past fall. The Christmas pageant was held, of course, which always brings a simple joy during such a commercialized season. Our Meeting demonstrates a love of one another which Friends feel is due to all that we offer in the way of adult religious education activities and the strongly supported education for our children.

Committees and Meetings for Business.

Our spirituality at Gunpowder comes to fullness during Meeting for Business and in committee work. Worship inspires our Meetings for Business and leads us to action. This year during Meeting for Business, members began speaking more—perhaps because our sense of trust is growing. This has enabled us to share more openly about issues rather than keeping our thoughts hidden or in committee. One member expressed hope that we remain good listeners and value all opinions as this trust grows. In committee we frequently solve problems and make decisions, which requires cooperation and discernment. In the process each committee member gains wisdom—for what one may not have thought of, another does. This process also builds community, so members consider it a privilege to serve on a committee. Although committee work and Meeting for Business are related, they are separate processes. We need to respect the output of committees and not do committee work during Meeting for Business. The entire community is grateful to the nominating committee for its demanding work of filling positions on committees—particularly its efforts to include new members.

Relationships in the Community.

We minister to each other in our Quakerism, Bible study, Spiritual Formation, Knitting/Handiwork, and other groups where we share one on one about our spiritual lives. The First Day school parents are a strong and supportive community for each other. Many of us take on the roles of ministering in times of sickness and death by visiting, phoning, emailing, and writing cards and letters.

There are a variety of ways that we address our differences and try to resolve our conflicts – sometimes they fade away, are shoved under the rug, or brought before a committee and dealt with in a healthy manner. It is healthy to deal with issues whenever possible, which is part of the depth of love in our Meeting. Sometimes we agree to disagree, putting the issues on the table so our responses can be seasoned. We are saddened when people stop coming due to conflicts. We need to be sensitive to their concerns, and we hope to learn from them.

We reach out with our newsletter and our annual Christmas letter, which included a beautiful photograph of all of us. We hosted both Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting and Interim Meeting in the spring of 2007.

Outreach.

We are mindful of the phrase, “Let your life speak”. There are many ways in which we strengthen our witness on behalf of Friends’ testimonies to the world. Many of these are individual leadings. Some examples of our outreach to the wider world include keeping the Meeting abreast of FCNL issues, taking part in peace vigils in Baltimore on a weekly basis, working with UCAN (United Churches Assistance Network), funding a cabin at Catoctin Quaker Camp, leading an ongoing Quakerism inquirers group and caroling at Broadmead (a nearby retirement community), attracting new young families to our First Day School, writing letters to the editor, fostering a spirit of environmental stewardship, contributing to the regional Crop Walk, working with a local Indian Affairs committee, taking a leadership position in world wide Quaker youth gatherings, and attending a variety of Friends’ conferences.

Looking Ahead.

Friends at Gunpowder continue to feel that there is a solid, deep, and broad spirituality underpinning our Meeting, which leads us to experience Meeting for Worship as a worshipful presence of souls. This power of the Spirit experienced in the Meeting community opens us to acceptance of one another and of our selves as we are or as we are becoming. It is transformational and is sensed as the heart and strength of the Meeting.

At Gunpowder, we’re delighted by the growing presence of children in our Meeting community. The children provide a constant witness to the importance of joy and spontaneity in our spiritual journeys. On any given First Day, we have nearly 15 children under the age of ten who look forward to sharing with the older folks what they are learning. In the fall, the children studied the Old Testament. This spring, the children are learning about the lives of early Friends. Lucretia Mott visited their classroom to speak about the abolition and women’s suffrage movements. Other visitors this spring will include Levi Coffin, John Woolman, and George Fox. Gunpowder’s grown-ups are enjoying the chance to don a costume and play the role of one of these early Friends, thereby learning along with our children about our common heritage as Quakers. What joy our little Friends bring to us all!

Submitted by Ann H. Heaton

Gunpowder Friends invite you to join us for our monthly silent retreat days at the Meetinghouse each second Seventh Day (Saturday). We gather at 9 o’clock and generally settle into a brief opening worship around 9:30. At noon we gather for a shared—always delicious—meal that has been prepared by one of the participants. The day concludes around 2:30 with another period of worship, which often allows time for reflection and sharing on the day. The days afford those of us who gather time to read, write, meditate, walk the beautiful “Quaker Valley” countryside, or simply “be” in the silence. We do hope you’ll join us. For more information, you can email aschmaljohn@friendsbalt.org. It is helpful if you can let us know that you are coming so that we can plan accordingly.

Several years ago Gunpowder Friends culled out their book collections and we held our first book sale. It was such a success that we have continued it and last year we added other items for sale. This year we are holding our now Annual Book Sale/Flea Market on Saturday, November 11 from 9:00 to 2:00 at the Meetinghouse. For information or directions contact Ann Heaton at ahheaton@aol.com or 410-666-0833.

There have been many joys and challenges this past year at Gunpowder Meeting, our spiritual home. The spirit of our Meeting sustains and strengthens us as we face the challenges of everyday life. Our Meeting is a place of safety and deep rest. We are full of extraordinary people possessing such great love for one another. The Spiritual Formation group, Quakerism 101, Bible Study, and monthly quiet days (silent retreat days) are examples of how we educate and nurture ourselves spiritually. All of these venues, including Meeting for Worship and Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business, encourage Friends to courageously and honestly look at our responses to subjects such as same sex unions and “what think you of Jesus?” Personal sharing of our spiritual discernments and insights is a healthy sign we cherish each other even though we are not lead to unity on every occasion. We listen to each other and try to handle issues with sensitivity, hard work, and treat each other gently during our discernment process.

Our historic Meetinghouse and tranquil grounds are described as having a special illumination. There are an “embarrassment of riches” offered here. We share deep intergenerational friendships. Our attenders and members range from infants to elders in their 90s. The children, with their willingness to open their hearts to us, and the presence of those who live at Broadmead, provide us with an accumulated wisdom.

The Overseers committee evolved from the Ministry and Counsel committee this past year. The care and attention the overseers give to their work is crucial to the life of the Meeting. The Overseers continue to wrestle with the meaning of membership. How can we reach out to Friends who are members but do not attend regularly? How do we call on those Friends who have not been with us recently and whose absence we feel? How do we connect with those Friends who have deep historical ties to our Meeting?

Other significant developments include our “up and running” Trustees and the development of the child safety policy. These were considered with great care and in good order--a model of how Friends can cope with the bureaucratic aspects in our own lives.

As in any family, we experienced many struggles and challenges this year. We discussed the need to become more comfortable with one another so we can share our concerns openly. Friends appreciate the patience of others, exhibited by allowing one another to cope with change by taking “small bites” of the growing opportunities available at our Meeting. We must continue to respect both the Meeting’s growth and the Meeting’s traditions. We would like to become more sensitive to those who have concerns with the increasing structure of our Meeting, structure that may sap the energy from our focus on how to nurture a loving community. We welcome the vocal ministry from an array of Friends and want to see this ministry grow; however, the quality of our current spoken ministry quenches our spiritual thirst.

We discussed how we might better carry our witness of Quaker Testimonies into our world. How do we take the love we have been given in this Meeting and forward it into the world? We continue to discern on the addition of a Peace and Social Order committee. Concern has emerged in our Meeting for Worship for Business to give more corporate attention to building a more peaceful world. We have asked ourselves: Can we do more corporately to get the attention of our elected representatives? Are we well enough informed? We can make announcements, post on the bulletin board suggestions, but is this enough? Those who are active in our Meeting in this manner have been encouraged and welcomed when they share their concerns.

There is a deep appreciation of how our First Day School has evolved and the profound way the teachers lead our children to encounter their world. This year the First Day School children were asked to consider what Meeting means to them, their favorite parts of Meeting, and had some very prayer-filled ideas of what this past year has meant to them. When we listen to their experiences and their feelings about Meeting, we can learn about how we are affecting their spiritual lives. The children mentioned learning about peace, honesty, community, diversity, sharing their toys, their First Day mornings together and experiencing “peace and quiet” with one another. The children love music as do other Friends. Many talked about learning new songs and the annual Christmas pageant.

The children also discussed how prayer is a part of their lives. Some of the children stated that “we can pray anywhere"--at home, outside, in stores, at the playground, in restaurants, and during Meeting for Worship. During one First Day the children used prayer words to make up their own prayers about their experiences at Meeting. Here are some of their prayers:

I believe in God. Quakers give happiness. I like to talk to God. You can hear love. I believe in other people. It is ok to be afraid. God says, “I love you”.

Pray as Friends Friends love everyone. God is in everyone. You can hear God. My prayers are everywhere. We give thanks to God. Love God.

The children expressed their love for Benjamin Huxtable and how much they miss him. The First Day School this past year made a memory garden in honor of Benjamin and other beloved Friends that have parted from our secular world. The children strongly agree that we cannot have a report on the Meeting without mentioning our loss of Ben and how we cope together during our grief. Losing Benjamin transformed our Meeting. There has always been a sense of community within our Meeting, but when Ben died our community shone as bright as a star. We allowed ourselves to grieve openly with one another. When you ask the children what it means to hold someone in the Light, they will tell you that it means that we are holding a person in our arms. The children know that their Friends and God are available in times of sadness and in times of happiness.

It cannot be too strongly urged that a Quaker Meeting is not a public forum. It is an effort to discern the spiritual sources from which all secular activity should flow. The Quaker Ministry is not judged by its oratory or by its facile delivery, but by its spiritual depth, truth and sincerity, however briefly or haltingly expressed. It should search the heart and incite to virtue. William Wistar Comfort Just Among Friends: A Quaker Life, 1968

Trust, Joy and the Quality of Silence-three themes which emerged as we gathered to discuss and examine the spiritual state of our monthly meeting on 9th First Month, 2005. Our discussion was guided by queries prepared by the committee for Ministry and Counsel.

Trust is experienced in numerous ways, from a willingness to wrestle with differences among us to a strong sense of God's spirit moving in our midst. We trust that together we can discern the truth that will guide us as a community and as individuals to deal with the reality of the world. As one seasoned Friend put it, "we are in a place where we trust that we can know more about God's will collectively than we can individually." Another remarked, "we have a healthy ability to listen to one another" and that listening happens in many formats, certainly meetings for worship and business, but also Bible Study, Quakerism, Adult Forum, various committees, Spiritual Formation, and monthly Quiet Saturdays. These events and activities are like "strong sinews" which run through the meeting to strengthen and invigorate our community. These also provide us the opportunities to deepen our knowledge and love for one another, which brings us to the second theme.

Joy is an abundant theme of our life together. Many expressed great joy in the growth of our First Day School-more specifically in the presence of the growing number of young Friends in worship. Their noises and movement during the first few minutes of Meeting for Worship are celebrated, often inspiring vocal ministry of the adults. Joy is also seen in the way members and attenders are getting to know one another deeply. One Friend noted that where openness and love prevail, honesty is possible, "we are like a family, with mutuality of love and differences of perspective." In that context of knowing one another deeply, ministering to one another can be, and is, done with compassion and integrity.

Finally, all of the above supports what one member called the creation of a kind of "spiritual kindling temperature" which is evidenced in the quality of silence that we experience in Meeting for Worship, and all the other gatherings of the Spirit that begin our various activities. As this Friend noted, "by ministering to ourselves-by such activities as preparing for worship and engaging in spiritual disciplines-we are better able to minister to others" and witness to the truth revealed by the Spirit in our midst. Another Friend expressed thankfulness for those who are able to make such preparations for it creates a kind of "spiritual ballast," for those weeks that do not allow such deep preparation.

This quality of silence also supports the vocal ministry we are experiencing in meeting. Some years ago concerns were raised about the lack of vocal ministry. Now there seems to be a good balance. Friends characterized vocal ministry as "regular and deep," "inspired and speak[ing] to the divine presence in our worship." Another Friend felt that it is a sign of health that newcomers generally settle in for a long while before they give vocal ministry, e.g. Meeting for Worship is experienced as deeply spiritual, not an opportunity to air an "agenda." However, we also spoke of the need to be proactive in informing newcomers about vocal ministry, its source and expression. Clearly this quality of silence has fostered deep listening.

One concern raised by several Friends relates to how we attend to issues of social justice. Some feel that we need a Social Order committee to focus our attention on these issues. Some see the work being carried by individuals and by the Meeting in various areas as evidence that we are engaging "the reality of the world."

Gunpowder hosted Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting Sunday, Sept 12, 2004 with Margaret Fraser, Executive Secretary of the FWCC providing the program “What Unites Us as Friends Today”?

Silent Retreats are held at the Meeting House on the second Saturday of each month, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. with a light lunch served.

There will be a used book sale at the Meeting House on November l3th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Deaths: Alice Powell on January 27, 2004; Cecil Smith on February 6, 2004; Margaret Hartley on April 8, 2004; Marriage/Ceremonies of Commitment: Gilbert Ames Bliss and Denise Lee Kuhn on June 26, 2004

We have had forums discussing Same Gender Unions, the Role of Committees and their relationship to the Monthly Meeting, and the Spiritual State of Meeting.

At Christmas we were delighted by a program presented by all nine of the children in our First-Day School and their excellent teachers. We also brought caroling and homemade cookies to our home-bound members.

At the pot-luck supper to welcome new members on January 10 th , there was fine food, fellowship, and singing— all by candlelight because the electricity went out soon after we began serving. It turned out to be a very special evening.

Announcement:

Marriages/Ceremonies of Commitment: Barbara Gumbinger & Wayne Bien, 10/10/2003; Amy Marie Yerkes & Alan Lee Schmaljohn, 10/18/2003

Deaths: Dorothy “Mimi” Moore, 11/14/2003; Alice Powell, 1/27/2004

Spiritual State of the Meeting Report - 2003

The Meeting is committed to centering in silence in meeting for worship, in monthly meetings for business, and as we meet together for other activities. We recognize that newcomers to the Meeting are enriching our community, and that both members and attenders are spending time getting to know each other while also struggling with some matters as we grow together. The Meeting is very welcoming and there is conversation and shared concern among all, whether they are long-time members, new attenders, chronologically older or younger, "empty nesters" or young families.

All are invited to participate in spiritual community through such activities as the annual Spiritual Formation Program, Bible study, and Quakerism classes. We hold a silent retreat day one Saturday a month for those who desire an extended period of silence. Participants in all programs include both long-term and new members and attenders. The variety of activities encourages greater participation and attendance overall. Recent growth of the meeting has included individuals, couples and families who wish to experience the deep silence. The meeting is especially pleased with the growing number of children who attend.

An active ministry exists among the members and attenders in our meeting. The Spiritual Formation Program, for example, has nurtured a personal ministry among individuals. The meeting as a whole provides support for children and adults during times of illness or death, stays in contact with members who live at a distance, and provides gifts, cards and visits to local Friends who are not able to attend meetings for worship or business. Within the past year, three couples were married under the care of the Meeting.

There is a lack of unity within the Meeting over various issues, from support for same gender unions to how to preserve the historical integrity of our meeting room. We have approached these and other differences by holding forums and worship sharing, and by collecting and distributing educational material, especially on the issue of same gender unions.

Each First Day finds about 35 to 40 attenders at meeting for worship. Many, whether new or established in the Meeting community, often say they have a sense of the deepness of the gathered silence. The content and quality of spoken ministry is of a high standard, and one respected member has called it "rich and deep." We have elected to read the query of the month at the beginning of one meeting for worship each month.

Meetings for business are well attended. The range of concerns considered is broad, and important items receive appropriate time and worshipful consideration, largely through the loving discernment of our clerk and how she sets each agenda. We need to encourage more reticent Friends to participate vocally in meetings for business.

The Ministry and Oversight Committee recommended that their duties be split between two committees, one concentrated on ministry and one concentrating on oversight. The Meeting approved this plan for a one-year trial.

Several individuals are quite involved in a wide array of peace and social order work and invite everyone within the Meeting to join them. The Meeting participates actively in these kinds of issues. The Meeting continues to make contributions to the work of the United Churches' Assistance Network and a variety of other organizations and individuals.

This year our long time First Day School teacher stepped down and several parents and non-parents quickly assumed responsibility for children's religious education. They have approached this work with enthusiasm and energy. The Meeting has a concern, however, that those who work in children's religious education need to miss meeting for worship in order to be with the children. We hope to broaden the number of members and attenders willing to assist with the children's program on First Day. We continue to include all the children in the first fifteen minutes of meeting for worship. As one Friend has reminded us, "The Meeting's children are not just the future of the Religious Society of Friends; they are also the present."