Report from Quarter, 1-25-25 Gathering
On January 25, 2025, Friends from Brunswick, Durham and Portland and one visitor gathered in person at Portland Friends Meeting and on zoom.
Those present shared news of and celebrated our community as meetings and as the community Friends in Southern Maine. We gathered with bagels, coffee and tea, and had lunch together.
The bulk of the morning was an exploration of what is required of us in these times. The facilitators noted that three themes informed the planning of the morning activity. These were i.) that all of us are impacted by what is happening in our country, ii.) that we need each other – that we are stronger together, and iii.) that in considering what is required of us, the language from Micah 6:8 “[What is required is] to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” is more relevant than language of “callings” or “leadings”.
There were moments of discomfort as we named our economic class which is one variable which impacts how we are affected, and moments of celebration as we recognized all the ways we are already doing service. We concluded with an exercise of finding our path by gathering into four groups drawn from an article by Daniel Hunter which had been shared in advance. The groups were “Protecting People”, “Defending Civic Institutions”, “Disrupt and Disobey.”, and “Building Alternatives”.
The full article can be read here: link
Before Lunch Andy Granell shared that in his work for a book about the history of Quakers in Maine he had been reading the collected archives of Falmouth Quarter. There is an almost complete record of the quarter since it’s inception in the 1700’s.
After lunch we regathered to participate in a facilitated Visioning Session to provide our input on the future planning of NEYM Annual Sessions. The invitation was to engage in a conversation about how our Yearly Meeting’s practice of corporate discernment, our relationships with other Quakers, and our use of limited resources can most meaningfully contribute to the spiritual thriving of Friends across New England.”
Using materials provided by the NEYM Sessions Visioning Group and facilitated by Leslie Manning of Durham, a former clerk of the Sessions Committee, and Marian Dalton, Brunswick, the current Yearly Meeting treasurer, those present shared their experiences of sessions, and their hopes and desires going forward. Notes were taken and will be shared with the quarter separately. The notes will also be sent to the NEYM staff to incorporate into their work.
A theme that was present throughout the day was that these times are unprecedented and challenging and will require a deeply faithful response individually and corporately.
Fritz Weiss, Wendy Schlotterbeck, Mimi Marstaller and Leslie Manning
