Upcoming Local Worshiping Communities Events

In response to police shootings, to #BlackLivesMatter, and to the 2015 murders at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church, historian Susan Strasser seeks to provide historical perspective to people grappling with contemporary issues of race and racism. This is the second of a series of illustrated talks, “A White Historian Reads Black History,” sponsored by Bethesda Friends Meeting. The talk will be followed by poet Marcia Cole (www.historyworthwhile.com) reading her powerful “A Bitter Suite,” winner of the 2010 College Language Association Creative Writing Contest first prize in poetry. Dr. Strasser, Richards Professor of American History Emerita at the University of Delaware, is a prize-winning historian, praised by the New Yorker for “retrieving what history discards: the taken-for-granted minutiae of everyday life.” For more about her, see susanstrasser.net. Many scholars and activists remind us that every image of a tormented black body has power in our culture. This presentation will include some disturbing images, offered as stark evidence of our shared history and in memory of those whose murder and torture they represent.

The Quaker Women’s A Capella Choir invites you to a Friendly Sing on Saturday, April 8th from 10am to 3pm in the Richmond Meeting House. F/friends from all over BYM are invited to join singing leader, Ruth Fitz, for a day of singing. We will break at noon for a meal so please bring a bag lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided. Please let us know if you need childcare by emailing the names and ages of your children to Diane Bowden at bowden.diane@gmail.com by Wednesday, April 5th. Strong and shy singers are welcome to join this circle of F/friends singing rounds, sacred chants, spirituals, peace songs, hymns, and fun songs. We will sing together to energize our bodies and nurture our souls, with music that affirms our diversity, reflects our beauty, and celebrates our unity. No singing or music reading experience is necessary to participate, just a willing spirit and a desire to sing.

Come and enjoy an evening of Scottish music 7:30pm. Doors open at 7. Katrine Anderson will be singing songs from her native Scotland, many of which she learned growing up in a very musical family there. She will be joined by an outstanding group of Celtic musicians: Zan McCleod, playing guitar and bouzouki; Robert Spates playing fiddle; and Tina Chancey playing viol de gamba and fiddle. The cost is $15 for adults, $10 for students. The concert is sponsored by Annapolis Friends Meeting and the proceeds will benefit various endeavors. For more information, see annapolis.quaker.org.

The ad hoc Faith and Practice Process Clarification Committee seeks your input on the guidance that should be given to a new Faith and Practice Committee. Join Friends at Bethesda Friends Meeting from 1-3pm. The Process Clarification Committee reported on its progress at Interim Meeting on March 18. The committee has scheduled this listening session, and your participation will help us provide necessary guidance to the new Faith and Practice Committee. See the committee’s report at https://t.e2ma.net/click/wfj56e/0e1p7t/k2wl2cc. Contact the Process Clarification committee at fandp@bym-rsf.org for more details. There will be two more listening sessions during the Apportionment Meetings on April 22 and 29.

Come find out more about the money that your Meeting sends to BYM! You’ll hear about how other Meetings are handling their finances and about how the Yearly Meeting is doing. The Stewardship and Finance Committee hosts this annual meeting to consider issues of apportionment – that is, financial support of BYM. New this year will be our holding the event on two Saturdays, one toward the north and one to the south. Friends will gather beginning at 9:30am for coffee and snacks. The Apportionment Meeting will begin at 10:00 and is expected to conclude by 2:30pm. In the morning, the Stewardship and Finance Committee will present a rough draft of the 2018 Yearly Meeting Budget, as well as a first proposal of Monthly Meeting Apportionments for 2018. For documents that explain the apportionment process, go to www.bym-rsf.org/what_we_do/committees/sandf. Please register for your preferred meeting location so that our hosts may know how many Friends to expect. (http://www.bym-rsf.org/events/ymevents/apportionreg.html)

Since 2002, men from Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Stony Run have gathered early in the spring to build connections among Friends at one of BYM’s magnificent camps. In recent years, male Friends from other Meetings have participated in the weekend. This year, all men Friends in BYM are invited to register and gather at Catoctin for dinner sixth day through lunch first day - or any portion thereof. The retreat is very loosely programmed and includes time to relax, work cooperatively, hike (or nap), talk, tell stories, play, and have fun. For more information, including the registration form, contact Blaine Keener. (443-414-9103 or blkomg@hotmail.com)

Join FCNL lobbyist Emily Wirzba for a 90-minute training on how to effectively engage and build a relationship with your members of Congress on climate change. Learn how to request a visit, how to structure a lobby visit, and how to find a group of people willing to lobby with you. Hear why persistent citizen lobbying from a place of faith is so important and can transform the national dialogue on climate change. The training in preparation for the People’s Climate March being held on Saturday will begin at 4:30pm. There will be a potluck open to all Friends at 6:00 and Meeting for Worship at 7:00.

Come find out more about the money that your Meeting sends to BYM! You’ll hear about how other Meetings are handling their finances and about how the Yearly Meeting is doing. The Stewardship and Finance Committee hosts this annual meeting to consider issues of apportionment – that is, financial support of BYM. New this year will be our holding the event on two Saturdays, one toward the north and one to the south. Friends will gather beginning at 9:30am for coffee and snacks. The Apportionment Meeting will begin at 10:00 and is expected to conclude by 2:30pm. In the morning, the Stewardship and Finance Committee will present a rough draft of the 2018 Yearly Meeting Budget, as well as a first proposal of Monthly Meeting Apportionments for 2018. For documents that explain the apportionment process, go to www.bym-rsf.org/what_we_do/committees/sandf. Please register for your preferred meeting location so that our hosts may know how many Friends to expect. (http://www.bym-rsf.org/events/ymevents/apportionreg.html)

Empowering Women: The Link to Population: How will the new federal administration affect family planning clinics? How do increasing population and consumption patterns affect declining environmental quality? How does family planning affect population numbers? How do these fit with Quaker values? What can Friends do locally? Presentations by Roanoke Planned Parenthood and Ruah Swennerfelt, a founding member of Quaker Earthcare Witness. Meeting for Worship will begin at 10:30am. There will be a potluck lunch at noon. Child care will be provided. If possible, please call in advance so that we will have an idea of how many children or for more information: Tony Martin 540-874-4212.