Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, January 17, 2016

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Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends, January 17, 2016

Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, January 17, 2016 with eleven people present. Because Clerk Sarah Sprogell was not available, Nancy Marstaller clerked the meeting. Nancy read queries from the section on Personal Spiritual Condition from the Interim Faith and Practice of New England Yearly Meeting..

  1. Clarabel Marstaller brought the report from Ministry and Counsel.

a) They recommend that Cynthia Muench become a member of Durham Friends Meeting, transferring her membership from Acton Friends Meeting in Massachusetts.

b) The State of Society Report (attached) was read and approved with gratitude. It is beautifully written, and shows what a vibrant meeting we are.

2. The Meeting approved Cynthia Muench’s request for transfer of her membership into Durham Meeting from Acton Friends.

3. Douglas Gwyn brought the pastor’s report.

The Gospel of John study at the Adult Sunday Study group is continuing well, with the addition of personal journey stories occurring on fourth Sundays.

4. Jo-an Jacobus brought the Nominating Committee report.

The meeting approved continuing the appointments for a second term for Margaret Wentworth (Trustees); Susan Rice (Finance); Jo-an Jacobus and Angie Reed (Library). Newly coming onto committees are Jo-an Jacobus and Kristna Evans (Website). It was agreed that there would be further conversation regarding Special Events.

5. Christian Education will bring the children’s story in February.

6. A request was brought from Woman’s Society to have a book sharing/purchasing table for recycling good, meaningful books.   Any donations that are given for books would go for the library funds. This was approved.

7. The Trustees Annual Report (attached) was brought by Margaret Wentworth.   It was a busy and exciting year for the trustees. In addition to routine maintenance and decisions, there were many projects large and small. The report was approved with great appreciation and admiration for all that Trustees did this year.

8. Doug Gwyn was appointed as our representative to Falmouth Quarterly Meeting on January 23 in Portland.

9. The minutes of Monthly Meeting were approved during the meeting.

The meeting adjourned in the Spirit at 1:10.

 Sukie Rice, Recording Clerk

State of Society — Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends — 2015

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Over the past year Durham Friends Meeting is pleased and blessed that seven individuals became full members: some new and others by transfer. The statements and letters of these new members were an inspiration to all members. We also joyfully recognize the participation of 15 Young Friends; five will graduate from high school this year. We are inspired by the social concerns of our youth. Our average Meeting attendance is 40.

We appreciate our pastor Doug Gwyn: his Sunday messages, leadership style, listening skills, scholarship, optimistic manner, observations, and sense of humor. Under the care of Ministry and Counsel, Doug has organized and coordinates a Pastoral Care Committee.   Midweek worship, Sunday Adult Education, writing group and Woman’s Society help keep us connected and grounded. Hand-made baby quilts are given to families. There is an appreciation of being a part of the Society of Friends with its history and challenges.

We continue to be blessed with our creative and adaptable youth pastor and Christian Education Committee. Wendy Schlotterbeck’s leadership of the teen trip to the Southeast was a fine example. The group visited Quaker centers in North Carolina and had queries for each place they explored. There are two Sunday School classes for children and youth, the younger one using Godly Play. The facilitators and their work with our children is soulful and appreciated widely. Our need is for more children to be involved in Meeting for Worship and Sunday School and for more adults to be continually learning about our faith and our history.

We are making thoughtful choices about financial resources, facilities, and programs. We installed a metal roof for the parsonage and replaced our old outhouse with an insulated wall. A cell tower on our woodlot land is in process. We have welcomed community groups such as Twelve Steps and 350.org, and hosted a transgender meeting. Two workshops on Black Lives Matter were very much appreciated.   Some are active in Quarterly Meeting and New England Yearly Meeting.

We have a choir that sings at Easter and Christmas times, led by a fine musician. Our Christmas program took the form of a Latin American inspired Posada. This focused attention on migration and the experience of being “other” in our society. We each are learning, growing, assisting as able, and grateful to be part of this evolving spiritual community. The urgent worldwide and local human needs we see call us to educate ourselves and those nearby, as well as provide aid locally.

Each year the loss of elder Friends reminds us of their valuable contributions to Meeting and how important it is to honor and respect life. We remember with gratitude two members who were a valuable part of the Meeting who have died in the past year.

Approved at Monthly Meeting for Business on January 17, 2016, Sarah Sprogell, Presiding Clerk

State of Society — Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends — 2014

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2014 has been a year of transition for Durham Meeting.  The physical change was re-arranging the benches in the Meeting room into a rectangle.  Changes in pastoral leadership went from the end of one pastor’s regular service to her working with a former pastor to serve, then a new pastor arrived to serve us one-half time.  We have been blessed by their contributions to our Meeting’s community. Several people contribute vocally in Meeting for Worship, in addition to prepared messages.  We continue to be a semi-programmed meeting with hymn singing and an enthusiastic choral group which performs at various times.

During this transition period, four well attended vision sessions were held to consider our present and future needs, resulting in the bench rearrangement, and several aspirations.

Under the care of our Youth Minister we have a Sunday School program and a Youth Group.  Several new attenders with children have added to the growth of the Meeting.  The Youth Group has worked for some time to raise funds and plan a trip, scheduled to take place in February 2015.  The Youth support a boy at the Kakamega, Kenya, Orphan Care Center.

Some adults participate in a Sunday School class, a weekday evening Contemplative Prayer Group, and a Writing Group.  An active Woman’s Society, affiliated with United Society of Friends Women International, meets for inspiration, education, business, and socializing.  It prepared a meal once a month for a homeless shelter and supports financially projects in Belize, Ramallah, Kenya, Kickapoo Native American Center, and locally.  The Meeting has individuals who are active in the area food and clothing bank program.  Others are active in environmental issues.

One of our young adults served as a Meeting summer intern helping with visitation and other pastoral duties, and left in August to serve as a teacher at the Ramallah Friends School, a two-year commitment.

Trustees have paid diligent attention to property upkeep and improvement, harvesting trees on the property and the sale of land on Lunt Road.

Some in our Meeting community are active in New England Yearly Meeting of Friends, with Friends Camp, sessions, committees, and retreats.

We are thankful for Friends who live lives of commitment to God in their homes, Meeting community, workplace, local community, and with a concern for the world.

Approved by Monthly Meeting for Business, March 15, 2015, Sarah Sprogell, presiding clerk

‘Service is our sacrament’

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By Mimi Marstaller

One of the phrases from June’s Friends United Meeting Triennial that sticks with me is “As Quakers, service is our sacrament.” The man who spoke these words is named Ross and he works with the Quaker Voluntary Service program (www.quakervoluntaryservice.org). I heard these words after having had a few conversations with Friends about the existence and practice of sacraments in Quaker Meetings and appreciated Ross’s concise summary.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says a sacrament is sign of grace, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer calls a sacrament an outward sign of an inward grace given unto us, through which we also receive grace. Each definition contains the same two movements: We receive God’s grace, and by performing a sacrament receive another dose of the healing power and life of the Spirit.
I can easily see service in this construction. I am able to help a neighbor because of the life energy, skills and awareness that God gave me by grace. When I help that neighbor — watching her children while she does an errand, bringing in the recycle bin from the sidewalk, offering a joyful greeting in the morning, inviting her to a backyard barbeque — I feel closer to divine life.

In a QuakerSpeak video called “Form without Substance,” Michael Birkel explains that Early Quakers took issue with the formal nature of sacraments that could be performed without much attention being paid. Service, as I see Quakers perform it, solves this problem by reversing it. Opportunities for service — opportunities to experience divine life— present themselves without form, spontaneously through our days. And because acts of service are our own work, they are substantive: Service springs from our hearts and exists within our
daily living experience, rather than in a book or a church building.

As summer arrives and schedules become changeable, we might seek spiritual nourishment less in the formal activities of the school year, and more in the substantive but spontaneous sacrament of service.

Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, June 15, 2014

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Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, June 15, 2014, at 12:30 p.m. with 12 people present. Clerk Sarah Sprogell read a passage on Welcoming Change from the June issue of The New England Friend.

1.) Quakerism 101 will be a six-week “course” that begins June 22 at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

2.) The Clerk read the Youth Pastor’s report. Durham Young Friends made $1,200 at the Yard and Plant Sale and give many thanks to all who helped out. The Family Gathering will be held at Betsy Muench’s summer home Friday, June 20 – Sunday, June 22. Young Friends will be working to improve the interior of the horse shed. They wrote letters to Cornelius, their sponsee with the Kakamega Orphans Project.

3.) Daphne Clement gave her pastor’s report. She and Amelia (Mimi) Marstaller have been making visits together. Daphne has had eye surgery, which has been a great help to her. Daphne expressed deep gratitude that we have among us such a seasoned minister in Peter Crysdale and is very grateful for the spiritual depths and experience he brings to this Meeting.

4.) Peter Crysdale reported that Ministry and Counsel requests the Meeting to grant up to $400 for travel for Theresa Oleksiw to go to the Russian Orthodox Seminary in Pennsylvania in early July for training in Russian Orthodox liturgical music.

5.) The Meeting recognizes this as a spiritual leading for Theresa Oleksiw and approved up to $400 for her travel. It was decided that it would come out of the Pastor Travel Reimbursement line item in the budget. We would like a report back after her return.

6). Peter Crysdale gave his pastor’s report. He expressed his great appreciation for Margaret Wentworth who eldered him many years ago saying, “Quakerism didn’t abolish the ministry. Quakerism abolished the laity.” He has done many visits, especially with new people. Sitting and listening to people has been very rewarding. Peter, under the direction of M&C, is looking for new ways for people to bring messages of faith from their heart.

7.) Susan (Sukie) Rice brought the Finance Report for May. Our income for the month was $3,366 and our expenses were $2,087. The bank balance for the General Operating Fund is $9,342. The Capital Fund, with income from the sale of wood and the sale of the Lunt Road property, is now $26,000. The report was accepted with gratitude.

8.) Susan Wood has organized and submitted the minutes and attachments from meeting for business for Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends for years 2006 – 2011. She has submitted these documents to a bookbinder in Portland, who will make three copies. The cost will be approximately $800. One copy will be kept at the meetinghouse, and the other copies will be forwarded to the Maine Historical Society and New England Yearly Meeting.

9.) The meeting approved to have this be an item included in our budget under Meeting Expenses. Finance Committee should be cognizant that this will be an expense we should budget for in future years.

10.) Margaret Wentworth reported for Trustees. Building repairs have been evaluated and contractors have been found. All this work has to be done and if we don’t do it now it will be much more expensive in the future.

  1. a)  The Youth Group will paint the interior of the horse shed.
  2. b)  Gravel will be put down on the floor of the horse shed for drainage.

c) Don Goodrich will complete repairs on the meetinghouse and horse shed roofs, paint and repair gutters, trim and repair any rot that is found. Don will also scrape and paint the portions of the wooden addition that require attention.

d) A local “tree man” will fell and remove 23 trees around the meetinghouse, outhouse and horse shed that are effecting the foundations and roofs of these buildings. The estimate for this work is $100 per tree.

Estimates for all of the above work, including the trees, total $15,000.

The trustees are also looking into cleaning the chimneys for the meetinghouse and the parsonage. The trustees are continuing to explore the possibility of removing the outhouse rather than repairing it.

11.) The meeting approved the above expenses to come from the Capital Account.

12.) Trustees recommend that the meeting pre-pay Durham Oil for the coming heating year. Last year we used 932 gallons of oil. The pre-pay rate would be $3.49 per gallon. Trustees have been happy with Durham Oil in that they have come right away when needed and their prices are competitive.

13.) It was recommended that Daphne Clement sit with Trustees about alternative methods of heating the meetinghouse. If no other method of heating is determined as acceptable to Trustees, the meeting gives approval for a one-year pre-payment contract with Durham Oil.

14.) The auditor expressed deep appreciation to Margaret Wentworth for the work she is doing to enable the auditor to give an opinion on the Trustees’ accounts.

15.) The meeting approved the following representatives to New England Yearly Meeting (NEYM): Sarah Sprogell, Mimi Marstaller, Betsy Muench, Nancy Marstaller and Daphne Clement.

16.) The Meeting approved Daphne Clement to be our representative to NEYM Ministry and Counsel. No names have come forward for NEYM Nominating Committee. We give the clerk authority to name someone for this position if someone feels a leading to fill this position.

17.) The minutes of Monthly Meeting were approved during the meeting. The meeting adjourned in the Spirit at 2:10 p.m.

Susan Rice, Recording Clerk

Woman’s Society Meeting June 16, 2014

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By Patti-Ann Douglas

Fourteen women met at the home of Dorothy and Ed Hinshaw in Sumner. The women were served a lovely “High Tea” by Ed and grandson Chris that included delicious sandwiches, fruit and sweets.

Sally Skillman presented devotions and shared excerpts from a book of poetry, “On the Pulse of the Morning,” by Maya Angelou. Jo-an Jacobus presented the program from Blueprints on the topic of courage. She encouraged the women to share their own examples of when they observed others showing courage or how they themselves found the courage to move forward in difficult times.

We signed cards for numerous Friends here and not so close to home. Prayers were requested for Dale Graves in Belize.

Theresa Oleksiw presided over the business meeting. The minutes of the last meeting were read and accepted, as was the treasurer’s report. Jo-an presented suggestions for new books for the 2014 Adult Reading Program. It was recommended that we not purchase new children’s book this year, readership is down and there are plenty of wonderful books in the library to circulate. Sally suggested that someone at meeting make a regular announcement about the reading course. It might be helpful to have a separate table for these books.

Nominating committee report is as follows: Angie has agreed to be secretary again and Margaret has agreed to be treasurer. Dorothy Curtis agrees to be vice-president. Kitsie was not present tonight; Dorothy will ask her if she is willing to be president again. The program committee needs new members. There was no report on the last Tedford meal. The annual August “Eat-Out” will be on Aug.18 at Petrillo’s in Freeport. Sarah Sprogell will notify the restaurant and get more details. Clarabel Marstaller brought forward a concern that Marian Baker and Ann Armstrong need help putting out the New USFW newsletter. If interested please talk with Clarabel. Next month’s meeting will be held on July 21 at Helen Clarkson’s home. Theresa has devotions and the program. A suggested topic for next month was a discussion of the future of Women’s Society Meetings at Durham Meeting. Sally suggested that the annual financial report for Women’s society might use a “pie” format which is simpler for some to understand.

Theresa closed the meeting reading from Psalm 100, reminding us of many beloved members who have died in the past few years.

Yard and Plant Sale a success

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This year the Durham Friends Meeting’s annual Plant and Yard Sale was organized and staffed by our youths, with guidance from our Youth Minister Wendy Schlotterbeck and advice from members of the Woman’s Society, which had run the yard sale in previous years. They raised $1,200.

State of Society — Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends — 2013

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 Our journey as a spiritual community seeking God’s will among us was rich with the continuation of many beloved traditions and our commitment to a number of inner and outer concerns that we hold dear.  We continued to be sustained by our traditions. Our Pastor’s spirit-led messages gathered and deepened our Worship. Music was an important part of each Meeting.  Our Youth Minister and Christian Education Committee offered a vibrant and engaging program for the young people and children of the Meeting.  Adult study remained an inspiring and sustaining practice for many. The Woman’s Society continued to be a strong and important part of our vitality.  Through this group we constructed numerous baby quilts, held the annual yard and plant sale, provided a reading program for all ages, and offered financial support to many community and wider Quaker concerns.  Peace and Social Concerns engaged with environmental concerns.  Our library continued to provide a rich resource to the Meeting.

Our spirits were nourished in additional ways.  The contemplative prayer group was a powerful means of centering and deepening for those who participated.  Community dinners and fundraisers, such as those for Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO) and Kakamega, Kenya, Orphan Care Center, served to strengthen our friendships and build strong bridges among us. Ministry to those needing special attention provided a mutual benefit to all and served to deepen our relationships to one another.  We were delighted to receive a number of traveling friends from Bolivia and Cuba this year.

Care of worship was especially important this year, particularly when we received the news that our pastor, Daphne Clement, would be retiring in October.  This drew us together to arrange an interim plan, and further deepened a movement toward exploring and visioning the emerging needs of the meeting. While we know our spirit is strong, we recognize that our numbers have diminished. We know that each of us carries the power of ministry, and we are drawn to find new ways to develop and share these gifts more fully.  We desire that our corporate Light would shine more brightly in the larger community, encouraging others to more easily find us.

As the year came to an end, we found ourselves on the cusp of new growth, bringing both a feeling of excitement and exhilaration and also a sense of caution and confusion about a future that will bring some form of change.  We seek wisdom and strength for our journey, and so we call upon the One Who Knows All to watch over us, and we say:  Divine Creator and Guide, help us to deepen our practice, awaken our insights, and remain true to Your Way, so that we might expand our vitality and feel Your Presence among us.  Keep us steady and trusting of Your Wisdom.  Greet us with patience each day, as we learn to listen and grow in love for You and for one another.

“A New Smell” – Peter Crysdale

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Slowly, silently the molten core bursts

Turning everything up side down.

Leaving radical amazement- smoke and ash.

There are streams of Concern at the heart of existence-

bursting forth in places like Bethlehem and Lisbon Falls.

Creation is infused with Divine Concern-

so the Prophets say.

Rouses some of us from sleep –

waking into the Life and Power.

Christ is not Jesus’ last name.

Christ is the Divine Concern-

the Boundless-Source and Center-

Mustard Seed- the Question?

Early Quakers let let their lives speak the answer-

“We live in the same Life and Power as the Prophets and the Apostles.”

Isaiah 43 [19] Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. — Peter Crysdale, Dec. 18, 2013

Durham Monthly Meeting Minutes, December 15, 2013

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Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013, at 12:05 p.m. with 10 present. Clerk Sarah Sprogell read a portion of the 2013 New England Yearly Meeting of Friends gathering epistle. Dorothy Hinshaw volunteered to be Recording Clerk for the day.
1.) The 2014 budget and 2013 Treasurer’s report will be presented at the January Monthly Meeting for approval.
2.) Edwin Hinshaw reported that the Nominating Committee will have a completed report in January. Most committees are full.
3.) Margaret Wentworth suggested that we meet for Meeting for Worship in the Vestry during the winter to save fuel.
4.) We approved that we meet in the Vestry in January, and at January monthly meeting revisit this decision.
5.) Edwin Hinshaw reported on behalf of an ad-hoc committee of Peter Crysdale, Nancy Marstaller and Edwin Hinshaw appointed by Ministry and Council. The committee was instructed to seek professional leadership from Craig Freshly, director of Good Group Decisions, to lead two Vision Sessions. The committee met with Craig and recommends the following: that the Vision Sessions be held Jan. 12 and Jan. 26, and that Craig be appointed as the facilitator of these meetings. He will prepare an invitation to members and attenders to participate in the Vision Sessions, and record themes, conclusions, etc. to be shared with the meeting. “The purpose of the sessions is for Durham Friends Meeting to develop clear vision regarding how we define ourselves as a meeting, what characteristics we seek in a new pastor, and how to handle compensation for the new pastor.”
6.) The meeting approved Craig Freshley as facilitator for the two Vision Sessions.
7.) The meeting approved the estimated fee for Craig’s services be taken from money budgeted for the Pastoral Search Committee.
8.) The Christian Education Committee reported that they recommend Wendy Schlotterbeck as our Youth Minister for 2014. The committee expressed appreciation for her dedication to the youth, as reflected in the many positive responses to the evaluation questionnaire.
9.) We approved continuation of Wendy Schlotterbeck as Youth Minister, January to December 2014.
Peter Crysdale encouraged all to hold this transition period in prayer. Sarah Sprogell re-read a portion of the New England Yearly Meeting epistle.
The meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.
— Dorothy Hinshaw, substitute Recording Clerk

Woman’s Society Festive December Meeting

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Untitled-Dec 2013 Women's ScietyBy Angie Reed
Woman’s Society met Dec. 16 at Angie Reed’s home. Twelve women attended. The Program and Devotions were offered by Daphne Clement from the Blueprint program written by Martha Hinshaw Sheldon, “Courage Takes Many Forms.” We all chose and read papers that had various courageous acts written on them, such as “The courage to be patient,” “the courage to tell someone you really like them,” and “the courage to speak up when your views are different from the majority.”
The secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were read and approved. We agreed to send $100 to Kickapoo and for December’s Adopt-a-Nurse. Woman’s Society funds are low and we decided we need to do a fund-raiser. We will have a silent auction at our February Meeting at the Meetinghouse at 6:30 p.m. with the meeting taking place at 7 p.m.
The annual Yard Sale and other fund-raisers were discussed. Kitsie Hildebrandt and Nancy Marstaller said that they would no longer be organizing the Yard Sale and it was agreed that Woman’s Society would not sponsor it this year. We have offered this event to other groups in the Meeting and there has been interest expressed by the Youth Group to take over sponsorship. Woman’s Society members are still available to help with portions of this sale, especially the book sale portion that funds Meetinghouse Library purchases each year. We also discussed sponsoring a spring bean supper or another type of dinner to fund Woman’s Society Projects.
The Tedford meal for December did not happen and the January Meal is to be done by Kitsie’s team. The Card Ministry was completed and Daphne Clement graciously offered to fill the vacancy as the organizer of this ministry.

Prayers were asked for Zadock Malesi, who is Education Secretary for African Friends United Meeting and has been doing good work educating local schools on a curriculum of non-violence.
As this was our annual Christmas Meeting, gift bags were prepared and dispersed and the mitten tree donations were inventoried and packed to be transported to the agency that will do the dispersal. We enjoyed a wonderful gift exchange with Abby Fortune acting as gift elf, and enjoyed refreshments provided by Angie.
The next meeting will be on Jan. 20 at 7pm at Sue and Daphne’s home. All are welcome.

Visioning meetings with Craig Freshly

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By Margaret Wentworth
The first step in seeking a new pastor is to decide what sort of person we want and what we would expect him or her to do. So on January 12 and 26, we will hold two visioning meetings, facilitated by Craig Freshly. We will start with a potluck right after meeting, and hold the discussions from 1:00 to 2:30. This is an opportunity to help the Meeting decide what our needs are, and how we can go about fulfilling them. Please plan to come!

“T’was First Day Before Christmas” – Leslie Manning

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Created by Leslie Manning and presented at the Christmas Program, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013
T’was First Day before Christmas and all through the Meetinghouse

Not a creature was stirring, not even the Meeting mouse.

The Mitten Tree was hung by the doorway with care,

In hopes that each knitter would donate a pair.

Worshipers were nestled all snug on their benches,

Musing on Quakers from Foxes to Denches.

Nancy and Clarabel were planning to groove,

While Sukie and Choir would get us to move.

When out in the parking lot there arose such a clatter,

Some sprang from their seats to see what was the matter.

And there, on a blanket of new fallen snow,

Two weighty Friends were going at it, toe to toe.

Oh, No! “We ought not have a program,

A tree in the Meeting Room! We don’t have a liturgy,

that’s gone – Just like Naylor’s groom.”

“But, Friend, can’t you see we are all kinds of Quakers!

If we don’t adapt, we’ll be gone – like the Shakers!”

Right into that fray jumped a jolly old elf,

Our own fount of wisdom, Margaret Wentworth, herself.

“Christmas”, she said, “is more than the day.

Christ’s birth is lived as a path, as a Way

For all homeless parents to find room in our hearts,

Whether out at a manger Or working at WalMarts.

We are called to feed all of God’s children,

Bellies and souls, so shall we fill them;

To treat each other with love and respect,

To offer to ease the weight of neglect.

We don’t need a star to show us the Light,

We know in our hearts to do what is right.

So, friends, let us gather, As we do every week,

And honor the meaning of

“Let your life speak.”

Recipe for Caramel-apple Pudding

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This recipe comes from Margaret Wentworth. She hosted the November Woman’s Society meeting at her apartment and served this creation. There were many requests for her to share the recipe.

Caramel-apple Pudding

Dough:

1 ¼ C brown sugar

1/3 C shortening

¾ C milk

2 C flour

4 tsp baking powder

A little salt

Syrup:

1 1/3 C brown sugar

3 C water

1/3 C butter

Boil for 2 minutes Mix dough ingredients together. Put 1 ½ C apples (or more) into a baking dish. Pour the batter over the apples and pour the syrup on top. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for about an hour. The baking dish should be no more than half full, as it rises about double while cooking. The dough will rise to the top and the syrup will make a very sweet gravy below it.

Contributions for Kickapoo Friends Indian Center

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By Clarabel Marstaller

During the month of November we will have the opportunity to contribute to the Kickapoo Friends Indian Center in McCloud, Oklahoma. Friends work with the Kickapoo tribe began in 1883 when a school was started and farming took place on the Center’s property to educate the Kickapoo in raising crops.
For a while the Kickapoos lived for the summer season in Oklahoma and went to northern Mexico for the winter. In Oklahoma their homes were wicki-ups, created of tree limbs and bark. For many years now their homes have been of modern construction.
Directors of the Kickapoo Center are Brad and Christine Wood. Christine is a Kickapoo. They lead a Friends Meeting with an active youth group, and sponsor several other activities.
Durham Meeting’s interest has focused on work with the Kickapoos due to the service of Isaiah and Affie Douglas and several of their children, who went to the Kickapoo Center in the first decade of the 20th century. Isaiah was the farmer.
Our contributions will go to the Kickapoo Center. During November there will be containers on the refreshment table for contributions. Thank you!

“Advent 2013” – Peter Crysdale

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Advent 2013

By Peter Crysdale

Come with me to a little town in the mountains in Austria. The year is 1816. There’s a little church in the town called St. Nicholas. The story goes that the organ was broken. It was Christmas Eve. The pastor Joseph Mohr had written a poem a year or two earlier. He gave it to his friend Franz Gruber and asked him to compose some music — simple music that could be played on the guitar. The music and the words for ready in time for midnight mass. “Silent Night” was born, perhaps the most wonderful Christmas carol of all.

Silent night holy night,

All is calm all is bright.

Round yon Virgin mother and child,

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. ———————-

Come with me, we will leave Austria and go to Spain, the year is somewhere in the middle of the 1500s. We’re off to visit a Carmelite monk named John; here are some of his words. They are best read aloud.

One dark night filled with love’s urgent longings –

Ah, the sheer grace. I went out unseen— everything was still—

there was no other light or guide – than the one that burned in my heart.

This guided me more surely than the light of the moon to where He was waiting.

Him who I knew so well.

Oh guiding night more lovely than the dawn oh, night that has united the the lover and his beloved

I went out from myself I left my cares forgotten among the lilies.

Now come with me to Washington, D.C., and meet a man named Gerald May, a psychiatrist who wrote several important books on the spiritual life. In 1995 he was diagnosed with cancer and began a heavy-duty course of chemotherapy. The cancer was put into remission. However his heart was damaged by the chemo and he spent the last few years of his life waiting for a heart transplant. He wrote a book on the dark night of the soul. Then he died. He had discovered the monk named John, the Spanish Carmelite monk — John of the Cross. The dark night of the soul has a kind of morbid reputation in Christian circles. However Gerald May discovered it to be profoundly beneficial. He described it as a process of the Spirit freeing us from the deceptions and attachments that keep us from knowing our true selves.

Silent Night Holy Night The darkness is not sinister Just have to sing Silent Night to experience that. A freeing is going on beneath what we can put into words. Silent night bestows hints of a deeper Divine activity. From the obscure (the dark night) a guidance rises and moves gently through our lived experience – comforting, and steadying through all and sundry. I expect you’ve been there while you were singing or listening to that carol. it brings a deep stirring and awareness of our longing hearts. Advent is the season of the longing heart.

Silent night, holy night,

Shepherds quake at the site.

Glories stream from heaven afar.

Heavenly hosts sing alleluia.

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night holy night,

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord at thy birth, Jesus Lord at thy birth.

Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends

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November 17, 2013
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, November 17, 2013, at 12:40 p.m. with 13 people present. Clerk Sarah Sprogell read from the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends Faith and Practice (page 102): “Group Worship Differs from Private Devotion — Those who persevere in group worship know that is differs from private devotion, as the music of an orchestra differs from the music of a single player.”
1.) Susan Rice brought a preliminary budget for 2014 as prepared by Finance Committee. This draft raises a number of questions, which we will continue to discuss in December. At this time we look toward adopting the 12-month interim pastor budget option, with the understanding that it will be modified when we come to clarity on the permanent arrangement. It was suggested that we separate out the annual appeal from monthly contributions in our income projections.
2.) Betsy Muench reported that the Finance Committee brings the question “What percentage of full-time ministry can we afford given the past three years’ history of our income flows?” 3.) Sarah Sprogell is talking with potential members for the pastoral search committee, but the committee has not been filled yet. Names will be brought to the December meeting.
Friends have suggested that before we begin the search process that we take time to discern what we hope for the future of the meeting, for a new minister, where we see ourselves going as a meeting, what kind of financial remuneration can we offer, and other questions. This is a moment of opportunity for the meeting as a whole to help guide us forward with our visions and dreams. It was decided that we ask Ministry and Counsel to formulate a process and shepherd us through this discernment.
4.) Nancy Marstaller reported for Ministry and Counsel.
a. A new telephone tree is available.
b. Isaac Wood has requested to be removed as a junior member
5.) It was approved that Isaac Wood be removed as a junior member.
6.) Daphne Clement gave her pastoral report. (Her move from the parsonage to her new home in Brunswick is complete.) Everyone she has been visiting is doing well.
7.) David Marstaller reported for Trustees.
a. The loggers plan to be finished in the woods by the end of November.
b. One of the abutters to the Lunt Road property is very interested in purchasing the land.
Negotiations are in process for a sale of the land for $31,500.
8.) The meeting approved the recommendation made by Christian Education Committee that the Christmas Program be held in the evening of Sunday, December 22, with a pot-luck (time to be decided). It was further approved that the offering taken at the Program be given to Ramallah Friends School. Monday, December 23, will be the storm date.
9.) Edwin Hinshaw made a preliminary report for Nominating Committee.
10.) The appointment of David Marstaller to the Nominating Committee to begin in 2014 was approved.
11.) Clarabel Marstaller reported that Durham Meeting’s three representatives to Quarterly Meeting were in attendance there. A more complete report will be in the newsletter.
12.) The minutes of Monthly Meeting were approved during the meeting.
The meeting adjourned in the Spirit at 2:45 p.m.
— Susan Rice, Recording Clerk

Durham Friends Woman’s Society Meeting

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November 18, 2013
By Angie Reed
Twelve women met at Margaret Wentworth’s apartment for our monthly meeting. Jo-an Jacobus offered the devotions and program from this year’s Blueprints. It was titled “Listening for the Voice of God” and was written by Mary Glen Hadley about a time when God gave her courage. We were asked to share times when we needed to look to God for courage in our lives.
In business, we approved last month’s minutes and the treasurer’s report. The Tedford Meal for November was ham steaks, baked beans, pasta salad, green beans, corn bread and a desert. We have two new members for Tedford teams who have lost members, but we could use more help! If any Durham Friends attendees or members would like to join a team, please speak with Kitsie Hildebrandt or another Woman’s Society member.
Prayers were asked for the Barber family in Belize, who have had many trials and tribulations in their family and the students they serve. A few women at the meeting also asked the group to pray for others they knew who are in need of prayers. The card ministry was done. Our member who leads the card ministry is moving to another state and Woman’s Society is looking for another member to take on this role and coordinate the card ministry. It was confirmed that Woman’s Society will sponsor Christmas Bags for up to 10 individuals or families. We will also request donations of mittens, hats, scarfs and gloves to be hung on the mitten tree so these items may be donated to local organizations that serve populations in need. We all agreed we will have a homemade Christmas gift exchange at our next meeting. Fudge is encouraged.
The Meeting ended with a closing poem by Kitsie Hildebrandt. We adjourned to refreshments of caramel apple pudding, grapes, mixed nuts, crackers and tea provided by Margaret.
The next Meeting will be our annual Christmas Party, which will be held on December 16 at Angie Reed’s home at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Falmouth Quarterly Meeting held October 26 at Windham

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By Clarabel Marstaller

Falmouth Quarterly Meeting met Saturday, October 26, at Windham Friends Meetinghouse. Three representatives from Durham Monthly Meeting attended, plus others of our Meeting.
Brian Drayton of Weare, N.H., Meeting led the program on “Recording Gifts of Ministry.” Brian traced the history of recording; most individuals have been recorded in recognition of their spoken ministry, acknowledging that the person is endorsed by his/her monthly meeting and then by the quarterly meeting. Several recorded ministers of Falmouth Quarterly meeting were present and spoke of their experiences as recorded ministers. Three of these were from Durham Meeting.
In the business meeting, first approval was given to laying down Oxford Hills Monthly Meeting, which has only two or three members, no property, and few assets (already distributed). The Quarterly meeting adopted a budget of $675 for the year. Income is from constituent monthly meetings and from offerings at the business meetings.
The meetinghouse in Casco, Maine, which is under the care of Windham Meeting, will be a feature of the celebration of the town of Casco, “Casco Days,” in 2014. Friends of the Quarter will be involved in the July 4 parade and gather for a picnic afterward.

AFTER MEETING REFRESHMENTS SCHEDULE

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December 2013 to February 2014
Thank you for being willing to prepare refreshments!
Please switch if needed.
Directions are posted in the kitchen. Supplies need to be donated- check what is already available in the kitchen. “Basic” refreshments are coffee, milk and/or half & half, tea, juice, and crackers. People appreciate having cheese, sweets, veggies, or fruit, but it can be as simple as you like. The Woman’s Society makes this schedule with people who come to Meeting regularly and have been willing to prepare refreshments in the past. We have not checked with each person regarding dates. If you would like to be added to or taken off this list, see Nancy Marstaller. Thanks!

December

1 Kathy & Harmony Brown
8 Jeannie Baker Stinson & family
15 Linda Muller & Jim McCarthy
22 Eileen Babcock, Mildred Alexander
29 Nancy Marstaller, Jo-an Jacobus
January

5 Margaret Wentworth, David Dexter
12 Dorothy & Ed Hinshaw
19 Brenda Masse, Wayne Hollingworth
26 Kitsie Hildebrandt, Sarah Sprogell
February

2 Sukie Rice, Don Goodrich
9 Dotty DeLoach, Susan Wood
16 Angie & David Reed
22 Dorothy Curtis, Daphne Clement

New Address

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Friends, as of Dec. 14, I will have a new address:

Phyllis Wetherell Apt. 206, Friends Fellowship Community 2030 Chester Blvd., Richmond, IN 47374

It is difficult to think of leaving this terrific Meeting and all you nifty folk but sometimes one doesn’t have another choice. I am having more and more difficulty walking and even standing so need to be someplace where I can have help. Friends Fellowship is a retirement place of 300 folk, some of whom I already know from the 20 years I lived in Richmond. Part of my heart will always be with Durham Meeting but I know how fortunate I am to be able to start this new venture. With much love and much good cheer to all, Phyllis

Christmas Gift Bags

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By Angie Reed

Please bring in notepads, pens, pencils, calendars, hygiene items, various small gift items and candies to help the Woman’s Society fill its Christmas Gift Bags. This will help continue the tradition of providing a package stuffed with goodies to people in our meeting community who are unable to share in the holiday festivities at the Meetinghouse. If you have someone in mind that may benefit from a bag, please let a Woman’s Society member know and we will try to honor the request. Donations for the bags will be accepted from now until Sunday, December 15. Thank you for your help!

Christmas Offering To Go to Ramallah

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By Clarabel Marstaller

The offering taken at our Christmas program, December 22, will go to Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine. The Girls School was started first, the result of a girl in Ramallah asking Eli Jones (visiting from South China, Maine, in 1869) if he would open a school for girls in Ramallah (a small school for boys existed in Ramallah at that time). Schools were started in homes and in 1882 a building was completed — which was the start of the Friends Girls School. Meanwhile, a boys’ school was held in a home in Ramallah. In 1914 a building was in place. However, it was used as a hospital during World War I, first by the Central Powers and, as England prevailed, by English troops. In 1918 it began serving its original purpose. Today the girls’ school is the Lower School and the boys’ school the Upper School, both coed. New England Friends were very much involved in the early years of the schools. Joyce Ajlouny, director of Ramallah Friends School, visited our Meeting a few years ago. The schools are very up-to-date in their academic and technological life, thanks to their value in the Mideast. Our offering will help them meet the challenges they face.

Swap Before You Shop on Dec. 1

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By Brenda Masse

Special Events will be hosting the Durham Friends annual Re-Gifting Swap on Sunday, December 1, during refreshment time after Meeting for Worship. Please bring GENTLY used items to swap and get a jump-start on your holiday shopping! It is a great way to save the earth and your wallet! See Brenda Masse for further details.

Mitten Tree

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By Angie Reed

Please bring in any homemade or purchased mittens, hats and scarves and pin them to the Christmas Tree Banner in the vestry of the Meetinghouse. After the Woman’s Society’s December meeting the gathered items will be donated to local groups whose clients are in need. Donations will be accepted from now until December 15. Let’s warm those fingers and ears!

Christmas Potluck and Program

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By Dorothy Hinshaw

The Christian Education Committee would like to announce that the Christmas Potluck and program will be held on Dec. 22, Sunday evening, at 5:30 p.m. The Christmas tree 2013snow date will be the next day, Monday. Supper starts at 5:30 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m.

Reminders

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Contemplative Prayer Group will be meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at 24 Cedar St., Brunswick. There will be a Christmas Eve worship service at 7 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends

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October 20, 2013
Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends convened in worship on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, at 12:20 p.m. with 14 people present. Clerk Susan Wood read “Living Fellowship Needs Fresh Forms” by Anna Thomas and E.B. Emmet from the Meeting as a Caring Community section of the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends Faith and Practice (page 121).
1.) Wendy Schlotterbeck gave the Youth Pastor Report. Durham Young Friends gatherings have begun for the new school year. They meet on the third Friday night of each month, and started it off with a campfire and harvest party. Almost all the young people in the group will be going to the NEYM Youth Retreat in November in Portland.
2.) Susan Rice brought the Finance Report for September. It was noted that there was a transfer of $6000 from the Bernice Douglas Fund to the General Fund, as approved by Monthly Meeting to keep us from overdrawing the account. There was also a transfer of $1,750 from the Student Loan Fund into the General Fund, as approved by Monthly Meeting. Income for September was $4,319 and expenses were $4,838. The end of the month balance for September was $3,009.
a.) Finance Committee will bring a draft budget for 2014 to the November Monthly Meeting. It was requested that all committees let members of Finance Committee know their needs for 2014.
b.) We plan to review our expenditures for all paid ministry to discern what we believe we can afford in 2014.
3.) It was confirmed that the Meeting will pay all our budgeted obligations for 2013.
4.) It was approved that we spend up to $190 to print and distribute the annual appeal. This is in addition to the current budget.
5.) Nancy Marstaller reported for Ministry and Counsel.
a.) A welcoming letter has been written to send to visitors with a lovely drawing of the Meetinghouse created by Ketura (Ketty) Stinson.
b.) The Maine Council of Churches is encouraging all churches to hold prayer meetings for civility in public discourse on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., a few days before the election. It was approved that we hold one here at the Meetinghouse at that time.
6.) Margaret Wentworth reported for Trustees.
a.) Trustees recommend that Jeff Goodman and his wife Christie be invited to come to live at the parsonage during an interim period. They would pay for electricity, heat and propane, including the current pellet bill. They would be asked to make a contribution to the meeting of a minimum of $100 a month.
b.) The septic system needs to be pumped. This will be a capital expense.
c.) The water has been tested for drinking at both the parsonage and the Meetinghouse (through the filters). Although the water is safe to drink in both places, there are many tiny black flecks in the water at the parsonage. It was recommended that Trustees ask Eric Oransky to evaluate this problem.
7.) It was approved that Jeff and Christie Goodman be invited to live in the parsonage as recommended.
8.) It was approved that the septic system be pumped.
9.) It was approved that the Treasurer be authorized to pay the water test bill from the Capital Account.
10.) It was reported that the Sept. 26 Pig Roast Harvest Dinner netted $740 for the LACO Food Pantry.
11.) A Search Committee for a new pastor of up to six people needs to be created. Possible names were suggested and those people will be asked by our clerks.
12.) Quarterly Meeting will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, at Windham Meeting. Representatives will be Margaret Wentworth, Daphne Clement and Clarabel Marstaller.
13.) It was approved that there be an opportunity for contributions to be made in November for the Kickapoo Friends Indian Center in McCloud, Oklahoma.
14. The minutes of Monthly Meeting were approved during the meeting.
The meeting adjourned in the Spirit at 2:10 p.m.
— Susan Rice, Recording Clerk