| Baltimore Yearly Meeting | 301/774-7663 |
| of the Religious Society of Friends | 800/962-4766 |
| 17100 Quaker Lane | Fax: 301/774-7087 |
| Sandy Spring, Maryland 20860-1296 | bym@bym-rsf.org |
| | http://www.bym-rsf.org |
7 August 2005
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7
Greetings to Friends everywhere:
Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends gathered in Harrisonburg, Virginia from 1 Eighth Month to 7 Eighth Month, 2005, for the 334th Annual Session, with the theme "Called to be Merciful." We met in unity and in love with the Divine Light that we see everywhere in this hurting world. We came eager to inspire others to take up witness and put their faith into action, with love and mercy for our world. Presiding Clerk Lauri Perman conducted the Meetings for Worship with a concern for Business with grace, humor and tactful efficiency. Her spiritual presence guided the community through the difficult discernments we labored over throughout the week. We met in friendship to listen to how Truth prospers among us, hopeful that wisdom, understanding, and faithfulness would flow through us all.
As Friends gathered for the retreat preceding the Annual Session, we sought deeper understanding of what Gospel Order means to our lives. From our exploration of the spiritual order of our lives and our relationship to Gospel Order, we came to a greater awareness of the Power dwelling deeply within our community. A Wellspring that is always present, this Power refreshes our sense of right relationship, good order, and the desire to better the world in which we live. The experience of the opening retreat set a tone of prayerfulness, spiritual expectation and loving-kindness as we moved forward to our Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business.
Worship sharing each day, on the Annual Session theme "Called to be Merciful," continually brought our spirits into the flow of Divine Love that creates Gospel Order. In responding to Queries such as: How have we experienced mercy in our own lives? How have we been merciful? What are the roots of mercy? How has being merciful to others helped us to feel the presence of God in our lives? Our spirits flowed together as we shared deeply of ourselves.
Throughout the week we were joined in love and friendship by many Friends from across our own country. Many of these Friends felt a call to be with us and journeyed from Friends United Meeting (FUM) and several different yearly meetings. Cecile Nyiramana from Rwanda, Edith and Samson Wekesa from Kenya, and visitors from the Middle Atlantic Region Office of the American Friends
Service Committee, including the new director Clinton Pettus, joined us as well. We were enriched by Friends who offered workshops on a wide variety of topics, including Michael Gibson, from Woodbury Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and Friends General Conference Religious Education Committee. We received and read minutes from Friends far and wide, including a letter from Ramallah Monthly Meeting, which declared, "...it is a privilege and a blessing to affirm all that is possible when we link hands and hearts and ministries."
In our Meetings for Worship with a Concern for Business, we found ourselves not just "Called to be Merciful," but called to take action as well. We were challenged to consider the deep need that our world has for communities and individuals to be willing to walk their principles into practice. We heard how important the need is, for each of us to look inward to discern our leadings, and then to turn outward to put our faith into movement. Reflecting that movement, in our first session we approved a Minute on the Torture and Abuse of Prisoners (attached), endorsing the call for a Quaker Conference to seek ways that Friends can work actively for an end to torture everywhere. Challenged by a Friend, we worshipped communally to renew our commitment to be a "People of Peace," rather than just groups of individuals with beliefs about peace.
In the opening lecture, Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, director of the Office on Crime and Justice of Mennonite Central Committee, spoke to us about her work with Restorative Justice, an approach to the reconciliation of survivors of harm with those who have harmed them. An image emerged of the way in which the healing springs of this important work flow into the broad rivers of the criminal justice system, bringing new life to these often stagnant waters. Later in the week, Friend Cecile Nyiramana, a Tutsu survivor of the Rwanda genocide, presented her witness and testimony of restorative justice which brings together the wives of those who are suspected of participating in the genocide with the wives of the victims. Within the Session, examples of this flow of transformation emerged everywhere and often.
David Kaczynski, another of the guest speakers of this year's Annual Session, shared with us the way in which he was challenged by his deeply personal experiences to move outward into action against the death penalty. David's talk reinforced in us the importance of being a faith community of action, as well as of principle. Taking action in this way, under the guidance of God's Grace, we will not then find ourselves in the regrettable situation of having had the opportunity of preventing violence, but having done nothing. We can attest that now is the time to step forward for peace, living our witness as a merciful, loving and peaceful people, and thus encouraging others across the globe who are living in the futility of violence and war, to join us in this witness.
Samson and Edith Wekesa from East Africa Yearly Meeting Church, provided us with a valuable, heartfelt and courageous account of the status of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (GLBTQ) Friends in Kenyan culture, adding that the cultural truths they described apply to the cultures of all African countries. They noted that these issues must presently be afforded less importance than such life threatening issues as the devastation of AIDS and the difficulties of providing adequate care and resources for many of their country's people. Samson added at the end, "Please do not hate those of us who disagree with you on these issues" - yet another eloquent call for us all to be merciful to one other.
Vicki Cooley of New York Yearly Meeting shared her work with the Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP) both with our adult community during this year's Carey Memorial Lecture, and with our Young Friends in workshops during their program. Vicki called us to be merciful to ourselves as well as to others. She asked "Does walking in the Light reveal to us the goodness in ourselves?" Vicki shared with us deeply in her presentation of her work, teaching us that the uninhibited laughter of play "makes us available to Transforming Power."
The theme "Called to be Merciful" wove itself into and among our hearts and minds, and was reflected in every report of the programs and committees shared in our business sessions. One Friend spoke of a great witness among us, of the love and community which produces the beautiful children and young people that dwell in our presence. As we heard reports from the camp directors of our camping programs we came to see how each camp is an individual stream of love and friendship flowing into one program. Campers learned how to move from their differences into harmony, and to unite together to face challenges and celebrate friendships.
Junior Young Friends here at our Session discussed the Bible story about Jacob, Esau, and Isaac's blessing, while some adult Friends met daily with Friends Stan and Karen Bauer, Iowa (FUM) to grapple with parables from the Gospel of Matthew. We struggled to discern the presence of mercy and love within these stories.
Parent-child relationships delighted and enlightened us throughout our sessions, both in stories and in interactions among our members, reflecting back to us yet again the living waters of Divine Love that nourish our community. Our Friend Tom Fox traveled back from his work in Iraq working with Christian Peacemaker Teams to lead workshops for our community and to work with our Young Friends. Our Friends from Rwanda and Kenya shared stories of their experiences with their families during times of celebration as well as times of horror. We prayed over those still suffering, and rejoiced over small moments of mercy such as those a mother bestows on a child.
We were called to be merciful to our Quaker family. We heard from the representatives to the FUM Triennial as they described both the smoothness and roughness of the uneasy waters that divide us but at the same time provide a way for us to cross the divisive gulf. Their personal testaments helped us to see the places where they felt the waters flowed smoothly, as well as the places where the waters were rough and the journey uneasy. While we are aware that unity on the personnel policies of FUM may lie far ahead us, we step into action with our planned intervisitation program with other FUM meetings. We experienced in our delegates' stories how we must ever remember to turn inward from our outward actions, seeking the One who mediates all differences, before we turn outward yet again to action.
Perhaps one of the most difficult yet most moving hours of the week was a Meeting for Listening on the topic of convicted sexual offenders and Friends Meetings. We listened as two Friends shared information and experiences to help us all engage in worship over this difficult issue. We felt new hope as this difficult problem was brought further into the Light. We continue to labor over both policies and right order, while we attend to the wounds felt by many. It is our hope that as we grow in understanding, we may be a resource to all of you, as many of you have been to us. We experienced the mercy of God's grace in the faithfulness of one Friend who traveled to be with us, following a mysterious leading, who found she had valuable knowledge to share with us around this issue.
Throughout our Annual Sessions, the power and presence of God's grace and mercy were affirmed to us. We needed only open our hearts to receive it. We will leave these sessions refreshed and infused with the energy and renewed resolve to act on our testimonies as a "People of Peace." We send this message to you in that spirit.
Yours in the Light,
Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Minute on Torture
Approved August 2005
Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Annual Session
Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends abhors the abuse of prisoners of any classification, in any place. We call upon all governments and combatants both to declare their rejection of abuse and torture and to adhere strictly to the conventions for the humane treatment of all detainees.
We are also deeply dismayed by reports that our own government in recent years has acted in ways that legitimate such practices and make of them an example to others.
We are grateful for the prophetic voices that have called for an end to these practices, and we regret that there are not many more. We urge Friends everywhere to find ways to take up such a witness, by public education and organized effort. In particular, we join Friends World Committee for Consultation and other meetings in endorsing the call by Friend John Calvi of New England Yearly Meeting for a Quaker conference to seek ways that Friends can work actively for an end to torture everywhere.
