NYYM Epistle

To Friends Everywhere!

The 307th Session of New York Yearly Meeting convened with 444 adults and 156 youth in attendance.

This year's summer sessions gathered under the theme "Conflict as an Opportunity for Spiritual Growth." In our opening worship young Friends led us in a song about getting through life's difficulties "With a Little Help from My Friends." They gave us an updated dramatization of the parable of the Good Samaritan. A Friend reminded us that this week's community is a special space for practicing peacemaking, and that in such a school young and old are students together. We are aware that networking is a valuable process in effective peacemaking.

Friends heard memorial minutes for five members of our Yearly Meeting. We shared our memories of them, our sense of loss, and our joy for their lives and their lessons.

The attacks that occurred last September in New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania, and the widespread national support for our government's undeclared, so-called "war on terrorism" continue to cause us anguish. Our grief brings us closer to each other in our spiritual community, and we ask ourselves "What is God calling us to do?" As Friends we reaffirm our peace testimony:

We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world.

We are grateful for Friends' many expressions of sorrow and concern that followed the attacks. As we read your epistles and messages from around the world we are heartened that God's spirit is working among us all.

Yours in the Light,

Linda B. Chidsey, Clerk