Gunpowder Friends Meeting
Spiritual State of the Meeting Report for 2009

To sustain spiritual life, we need one another’s eyes and hearts as surely as we need help creating food and shelter. This reflection and encouragement is no small thing. As Adrienne Rich says, "Truthfulness, honor, is not something that springs ablaze of itself, it has to be created between people." - Jack Kornfield, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

Our report represents a rich mosaic of voices representing the breadth of experience within the Meeting community and the depth of our listening to the living Presence in our midst. First gathered from a worship sharing experience, thoughts were edited into topic paragraphs by the Ministry and Counsel committee and perfected in Meeting for Business.

Meeting for Worship

God’s presence is often deeply felt in Meeting for Worship. However, a few find Meeting dry and hope that those who participate in activities such as spiritual formation, Bible study, Quakerism, etc. will share more from those experiences to strengthen the spirit of the Meeting. Although there has been concern that intense sharing in activities and gatherings might draw energy away from the Meeting for Worship, a number of Friends sense that these experiences strengthen the community and enhance Meeting for Worship. Yet, it is regrettable that not all Members have been able to take part in some activities that have been particularly bonding, especially when this intensity is not experienced in Meeting for Worship. The relationship between Meeting for Worship and other activities needs to be better understood

Meeting for Worship is where the loving community brushes the edge of the Divine mystery when we collectively hold the expectation that it will happen. Meeting for Worship is often seen as a time set apart to wait for and utter only what is divinely inspired. Could there be too high an expectation regarding discernment of that which is divine and that which is not? Yet, we are reminded that every word matters and carries weight in all settings, such that our words should always be intentional and divinely inspired, and that we let out lives speak. Worship is deepened when we are facing one another, when we are caring for each other, and when each individual is intentionally calling on the Spirit in each of us. The process of changing the Meeting for Worship time from 11:00 to 10:00 AM began with a worship sharing session and testifies to the trust shared by the community. The act of driving to the Meeting House is a preparatory spiritual practice for at least one member. The area around the Meeting House draws members to connect with and draw spiritual sustenance from nature. It is wonderful to see the Meeting experience nature collectively and individually, both in summer meeting for worship on the porch and in other activities.

First Day School

Our Meeting feels fortunate to have such a strong first day school program. Friends have been struck at how children have shared during first day school lessons, during a memorial Meeting for Mary Mills, and during the end of year picnic meeting for worship. The first day school committee takes the time for careful planning with the intention to create a worthwhile program for the children. Friends continue to think of ways to keep our children involved and, in turn, realize we need to be prepared to tolerate different perspectives and different ways of being in the life of the Meeting. Friends feel that if our pre-teens are given responsibilities critical to the life of the Meeting, they will want to stay involved with Meeting. Our older children wrote an insightful book on their experiences with the Quaker testimonies and gave copies of the book to F/friends as gifts to enjoy. The relationships between our young friends and all other Friends continue to grow under the care of our Meeting.

Activities and Gatherings

The diversity of the Meeting’s activities mirrors the multifaceted nature of spirituality. The varieties of sharing and experiences that these activities offer have helped to foster the trust we have in one another. Trust and depth of relationships both stand as the great strengths we derive from our community because they allow us to share deep spiritual feelings and to recognize that we are all on a journey together and have a variety of beliefs about and experiences of the Divine. As we share with one another, we discover where others are in their spiritual journeys and receive encouragement in our own. Trust has divine importance.

Energy is brought into the meeting by such collective experiences as camping. We could use more experiences of pure joy, such as singing together. The intergenerational game night is a step in that direction. In addition to the social bonding that occurs during the monthly coffee hour, Friends of all ages have begun writing letters to politicians under the guidance of information from FCNL. Among other things, such activities involve the intellect. Regular monthly activities include:

• Adult forum
• Coffee hour
• Saturday silent retreat
• Quakerism discussion
• Spiritual formation
• Spiritual literacy (added this past year)
• Bible study
• Handcraft and worship night
• Quaker parenting group (also added this year)

Other activities and gatherings this year have included:

• Annual Meeting picnic
• First Day School camping trip at the Schmaljohn’s
• First Day School worship and fellowship day at the Lane’s farm
• Intergenerational game night
• Spiritual Formation retreats

Friends have also gathered formally and informally with one another in numbers great and small, fostering relationships in our own and the broader Quaker Community.

Meeting for Business and Committees

Since our change in time for Meeting for Worship, the spirit of worship flows helpfully into Meeting for Business. The time change also enables more parents of young children to participate in business meeting and in committee work. With the involvement of more Friends in committees, we share the workload. This shared sense of work allows Friends to participate in other areas or to take a well-deserved break.

Relationships in the Community

One of the strongest characteristics of our Meeting is our caring for one another in many different ways. Our young families have done a particularly good job of this. Our older members continue to be a source of strength for the Meeting community, many of whom look out for each other on a regular basis. All ages help out in First Day School and participate in intergenerational activities. We joyfully welcome new members with small social gatherings in our homes. We hope to continue to reach out to those who feel on the periphery of the Meeting community, those who don’t attend regularly, and those who don’t participate fully. As we continue the process of discernment about same-gender marriage, we want to support those members who celebrate their lives in same-gender relationships. Joys and sorrows shared in the closing minutes of Meeting for Worship have been very helpful in bringing needs forward, and this time of personal sharing and holding each others’ concerns in the Light has brought us closer to each other. The word ‘trust’ kept coming up in our reflections on our past year, trust as a kind of “love in action.”

Outreach

The strong trust within our community leads us to reach outward. From our solid Meeting community we go into the world, strengthened as individuals to reach out in many directions. We report about our experiences as Quakers, as much by questions as by answers or statements—questions that we live as well as speak. Some may feel that religious beliefs are private and may be reluctant to speak. Yet one Friend takes every opportunity to say she’s a Quaker, shattering stereotypes and emphasizing that Quakers are regular people. Letter writing sessions during coffee hour have improved our outreach. In the fall we began a major redesigning of our website.

Looking Ahead

As the Meeting looks forward to the coming year, two particular issues will garner our attention. One is the completion and implementation of the Gunpowder website that was begun so ably by Mary Mills. The meeting has committed to this work, and its fruition remains a high priority. The second issue is the positioning of benches within the meeting room. Many Friends have expressed a preference for a ‘square’ rather than a ‘front-back’ arrangement, and we will need to determine the sense of the Meeting, one way or the other.

In general we are enthusiastic and optimistic about 2010. The Meeting has many areas that are functioning well and many opportunities to strengthen the community.

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Interchange, Fall 2009

We have adapted well to the change in time for Meeting for Worship that began July 5th. As committee meetings and other activities resume in the fall, we will need to make further adjustments. Hopefully, all will run smoothly. The First Day School had a very successful overnight camping experience at the Schmaljohn’s home on August 29-30. The children met for worship just like the adults at the Meeting.

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Interchange - Spring 2009

The proposal to change the starting time of Meeting for Worship from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. will be brought forward again at our Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business at our April meeting for final approval. The proposal is for this change to take effect beginning in July, 2009. There is wide-spread support for this proposed change. To confirm our decision you may call the Gunpowder Meeting telephone number: 410-472-4583.

We had the pleasure and honor to host 20 Buddhists monks, nuns and fellow hikers who were marching from the Peace Pagoda in Leveritt, MA to Washington D.C. They were marching to protest against nuclear armaments and nuclear power and for peace and social justice, and to further the idea of the renunciation all armaments and military might that is a part of the Constitution of Japan.

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Spiritual State of the Meeting Report - 2008

“When you are met together in the light, listen to it so that you may sense the power of God in every one of you. In doing this you will find your ear being tuned to hear the counsel of the Lord God, and your eye being opened to see the Lord Jesus Christ among you”. (George Fox).

Gunpowder Friends gathered in worship sharing to reflect on queries that helped us to discern the Spiritual State of our Meeting. Each member of our Ministry and Counsel committee then gathered the voices on a single topic into a paragraph. The multiplicity of voices in our report is, therefore, by design: we sought to reflect the rich mosaic of voices that represent the breadth of our experience of community and the depth of our listening to the living Presence in our midst.

Meeting for Worship.

First Day School.

Activities and Gatherings.

We have many activities and gatherings (Adult forum, First Day School, Bible Study, Quiet Saturdays, Quakerism class, Spiritual Formation program, Spiritual Autobiography group, Spiritual Literacy group, handwork group, local camping experiences for children and families) which are helpful in building a background and richness to our spiritual lives and to our Meeting for Worship. They draw us closer together at a deeper level and help strengthen our spiritual community. We have several pot lucks throughout the year, usually in conjunction with an intergenerational program. We cherish these opportunities and we look for more ways for intergenerational connections. A number of our members and attenders are active in Quarterly and Yearly Meeting activities, as well as Indian Affairs, biweekly Peace vigils, FGC, FUM Triennial, FWCC, FCNL, and FLGBTQC gatherings, and attendance and service at Pendle Hill.

Meeting for Business and Committees.

This year Gunpowder chose to have co-clerks. This works to facilitate the transition from one clerk to the next. We feel very fortunate to have had clerks with exceptional clerking skills. Our Meetings for Business are conducted in a very worshipful way. They are conducted in a deliberative manner in which we can reflect on issues. In the fall we began having a very brief meeting of committee clerks the week before Meeting for Business to help set the agenda. This has also helped our committee clerks to interact more effectively with one another. More people, especially younger members and attenders, are getting involved in the work of the Meeting. There is a sense of shared purpose and effort. For a relatively small Meeting we have many committees. We like that the work of committees is supported and generally approved by Meeting for Business rather than trying to re-do committee work. The decision to have Peace and Social Concerns issues addressed by the Meeting as a whole, rather than a committee, is felt as a definite drawback by some, including one Friend who faithfully keeps us abreast of FCNL and other peace related matters.

Relationships in the Community.

It is a great gift to be reminded of our need for one another in times of both celebration and challenge, and to recall, as Sandra Cronk noted, that it is in the Meeting Community that we practice the art of love. This year we were called to help one another through traumatic injury and recovery, job loss, and death and grieving. One Friend who coordinated a holiday food and gift drive for several families was “overwhelmed at the response and generosity” of our Meeting community. Another Friend acknowledged that when one of us asks for help, all of us grow spiritually: we all need to recognize our interdependence and learn the humility of asking for help. We extend this care to one another through the work of our Care and Oversight Committee; more importantly, however, are the webs of attentiveness that exist across the Meeting. Our First Day School families attend lovingly to one another, and our Broadmead “seniors” draw us to the ministry of cards and visits when some of us are low or unwell. Even as we recognize these examples of the strengths of our relationships, we see opportunities to deepen our practice of love. One Friend asked “how do I form spiritual relationships with Friends I do not see at the activities in which I participate?” Another Friend reminded us that we have experienced the consequences of “unmet needs” when we feel the pain of someone who leaves our community because their needs were not being met. We need to make sure we are paying attention. As we grow together in love, we pray for this attentiveness, for the humility to ask one another for help, and for the grace to help one another sense the Light.

Outreach.

Our Meeting reaches out to the wider community by participating in the Crop Walk, being a member of the United Churches Assistance Network (UCAN), conducting our Book Sale with the proceeds going to UCAN, and through financial support of other organizations which meet the needs of others on a broader spectrum. Friends agree that we need to persevere in our outreach locally and nationally. Our First Day School parents and children have taken the lead in many of these activities, especially the Crop Walk and the collecting and distributing of food and assistance to those in need. Quaker outreach has two goals; one being to get the message out for people who are looking for a spiritual community and secondly to clarify what Quakerism is and is not so people can make an informed decision about whether or not the Society of Friends would meet one’s spiritual needs. Our outreach is not a means to an end for convincement, but yet a way to provide witness to our testimonies and alternative ways of being in our world. Gunpowder Friends Meeting seems to possess a special way of welcoming new attenders to our Meeting so as to encourage those on their spiritual journey.

Looking Ahead.

Friends experience life in our Meeting as serene, healing, welcoming, supportive, spiritually nourishing, and sometimes challenging. It provides opportunities that balance silence and stillness with sharing and activity. As we seek ways to sustain this richness, Friends suggest that we consider the following questions: How can we prepare ourselves for the challenge of keeping teenagers involved in the life of the Meeting? How can we foster more intergenerational activity? In particular, how can we help those without children get involved? How can we assure that the intense sharing during various activities doesn’t draw the spiritual energy away from Meeting for Worship? How can we encourage cultural diversity in our Meeting? How can we better discern needs of our members? Would an extended time for sharing following Meeting for Worship offer needed opportunities? Could Quaker Quest help us reach out to the wider community? In what practical ways can we develop our spiritual connection to nature and thus enrich our spiritual lives? How could music enhance the life of our Meeting? Should we change the starting time of Meeting for Worship to address some of the families’ needs in relation to scheduled activities on First Day?

We hold all these questions in the Light as we continue our journey together as a spiritual community.

 

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Interchange - Fall 2008

Our First Day School families celebrated the close of summer and the opening of the school year with their third annual camping trip a few miles north of Gunpowder Meeting House. Young campers ranging in age from ten months to twelve years--together with their parents--enjoyed the fellowship of hikes through woods and stream, a campfire on Saturday evening, and woodland Meeting for Worship on Sunday morning. Such activities help to knit our young families together and nurture the spirits of the rising generations of Gunpowder Friends.

Another activity more literally “knits” us together: the monthly meditative handwork group. Beginning two years ago as a gathering of knitters, the handwork group now includes Friends who draw or paint as well as those who engage in various forms of needlework. Friends gather in one another’s homes for a shared meal and then settle into a period of meditative work. Yet another group has begun its year in the BYM Spiritual Formation program, with a small group attending the retreat at Priestfield in West Virginia and a larger group gathering for monthly potluck suppers and sharing at the Meeting House. We are all blessed by how these annual and monthly activities attend to the spiritual nurture of our entire community.

 

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Interchange - Summer 2008

Last winter, Gunpowder Friends engaged in an extended conversation about the meaning of membership in a Quaker Meeting. We reflected and commented on the proposed voices, advices, and queries by the BYM Faith and Practice Revision Committee; we held a pot-luck supper and forum on the subject of membership; we approved a new name for our "Care and Oversight" committee and commended their careful work in attending to the needs of our members and attenders. One result of our focus on membership has been requests for (and approvals of) membership from three of our families with young children. Our spiritual center continues to be nurtured by these families, and we are deeply grateful for their presence.

Other diverse activities continue to sustain the spiritual vitality of the Meeting: we have a large and engaged Spiritual Formation program, with nearly twenty Friends from Gunpowder, Homewood and Stony Run Meetings participating monthly; quiet retreat days continue on the second Saturday of each month; Bible Study and Quakerism study groups meet monthly; this winter, twelve of us gathered for a ten-week workshop on writing our spiritual autobiography; currently another group is meeting weekly to focus on how we are called to live the testimony of simplicity.

As we come to know one another through these opportunities for sharing, we learn how God is at work in all of our lives and build the trust necessary to deal with all opportunities and issues that require our loving attention. We have labored carefully and lovingly over the relationship between BYM and FUM and continue to hold the entire Yearly Meeting in the light as we seek God's guidance on this issue.

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Spiritual State of the Meeting Report - 2007

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."