STATE OF THE SOCIETY REPORT 2005

Summary of Monthly Meeting Reports Introduction

The State of the Society Report is drawn from the State of the Meeting reports prepared by 53 (out of a possible 86) monthly meetings, preparative meetings, summer meetings and worship groups within New York Yearly Meeting.

Faith & Practice gives this guideline to meetings:

The state of the meeting report should be a searching self-examination by the meeting and its members of their spiritual strengths and weaknesses and of the efforts made to foster growth in the spiritual life. Reports may cover the full range of interests and concerns but should emphasize those indicative of the spiritual health of the meeting.

The Coordinating Committee for Ministry and Counsel provided the following query for reflection: "In what ways does your meeting for worship reflect the Spirit working in your lives?"

All responses were heartfelt and revealing.

As in the past, quotations are included without attribution to specific monthly meetings.

Overview
New York Yearly Meeting is a work-in-process. One meeting wrote:

"As we look to the past and the future we recognize that we are a very different meeting than we were 10 years ago and we continue to evolve. We are comfortable with this reality."

For some meetings, the past year was hard: "... we recognize that we are struggling to define ourselves as a Meeting. We find that we have more work to do than people to do it and that we struggle with differences among ourselves in terms of the future of our Meeting..." and "... 2005 was a difficult year. The continued war, the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, and the devastating earthquake in Pakistan all weigh on souls. We see so much injustice in our world and in our local communities and can feel how difficult it is for young people growing up today."

Overall, however, there is the impression of joy, renewal, and growth as we open ourselves to the work of the Spirit. We uphold our gifts with new excitement and awe, and we bring our work in the world to be strengthened through worship and community.

Renewal and growth
Friends spoke to the joy they experienced as they came together in deep worship or on energizing projects.

"[The meeting] is flourishing. This past year we have continued to grow and attract new attenders, many with children of all ages. Often, [our worship space] is filled to the brim. The First Day classrooms are overflowing with three lively groups."

"Outreach to members was a focus this year. …. As a result of these efforts, we have seen new members in meeting along with a return of some of our long-time members. There is also a renewed interest in monthly meeting, Northeastern Regional Meeting, and the annual meeting at Silver Bay."

"With continued effort, it no longer appears that the meeting will be laid down. We are very thankful to continue the longtime Quaker presence in this area."

"While we could do much more to be fully present and faithful to the spiritual leading of God, we feel that we have made progress this year, which is reflected in a growing membership...."

"We rejoiced this year in three new members who joined the monthly meeting, and in three new regular attenders at one of the worship groups."

The meeting "is living and rejoicing in the vibrant spirit of life which God has granted us. During the past year attendance at meeting for worship and meeting for business has grown, as has participation in activities such as adult classes, First Day school, and other activities which rise from our practice and worship as Friends. We are blessed to enjoy regular worship that is rich in meditative silence and enriched with vocal ministry as God inspires us to give needed messages. Following worship we invite afterthoughts and the First Day school shares their lesson with us, drawing us together even more."

"New life and new energy also presents new opportunities. It challenges us to deepen our spiritual relationships and to examine ourselves as a welcoming meeting, to look at how we recognize and hold up each other's gifts."

Meeting for worship
Meeting for worship is clearly central to the life of our meetings. It plays the key role in nurturing and bringing together the community.

"Worship is the common thread of each First Day and each work session. It unifies the colorful threads of our separate lives and brings us together as a community."

"We find that the meeting for worship draws us together and forms the core of our community, providing the heart to all of our other activities. We feel that meeting for worship gives us an opportunity to discern where the spirit is in the rest of our lives, beyond ego and self-interest."

"In the Meeting for Worship, through the eyes of our hearts, we see and understand the workings of the Spirit. The form of worship of Friends, with its leading to follow the Light within, is a privilege and an oasis. We find that attending meeting gives us a reservoir of patience. It takes the desperation out of life and makes us more tolerant of difficulties and disappointments."

However, one Friend reported: "Meeting for worship is not a haven for me, but rather a challenge. It is a reminder of what we are being called to do and perhaps not responding quite adequately to."

Concern was expressed for those who could not be present in worship due to illness or some other infirmity. Gratitude was expressed for those that travel to visit such Friends. Efforts are being made to create a more inviting physical environment to those with limited mobility and hearing.

Some Friends are experimenting with ways to create a more fulfilling experience in meeting for worship. One meeting has a monthly programmed half hour that leads into worship. Other meetings have hymn singing or shared readings, or are exploring the use of worship sharing prior to settling into worship.

Discerning the call to vocal ministry, when and when not to speak, weighs on many Friends.

"More recently, we addressed vocal ministry, as our small weekly meetings tend not to be very vocal. We recognize that speaking to enliven the silence is not appropriate, nor is frequent vocal ministry necessarily a sign of spiritual health. In our discussions for this report, we sensed a resolution to this seeming dichotomy: The choice is not between vocal ministry and silence, but between active participation in worship and passivity. We strive to foster an active silence…."

" The regular companionship in silent worship deepens my connection to my inner self, to others and life. Somehow, in that subtle deepening of connection is Love and the presence."

Friends also spoke movingly about the time immediately following worship.

"We share afterthoughts, joys and concerns, reports from First Day school and announcements. We learn from each other about personal challenges, affirming experiences, the creativity of the children's learning and opportunities to support wider community efforts to bring peace & justice."

Meeting for worship with a concern for business
Only a few meetings report on the conduct of their meeting for worship with a concern for business.

"Meeting for worship with a concern for business appears to be more worshipful and less angry than it has been in years past. We treat each other with greater tenderness."

"We feel the presence of Spirit reflected in our meeting for worship with a concern for business. One person even said she was ?falling in love with the way Quakers do business meeting.' Our clerk gently reminds us to stay in the Spirit, to work in ?good order,' to keep to the issue at hand, yet all different opinions are heard. We take the time to read each minute back to the meeting to make sure our words are a true report. We spent a good deal of time and effort, including several retreats, on revising the way our meeting's committees operate."

The process of dealing inclusively and caringly with property matters, whether through established or ad hoc committees, can deepen the monthly business meeting and is also reported to have a positive impact on the regular meeting for worship.

Conflict in Meeting
While conflict is rarely pleasant, Friends seem to be coming to the realization of how vital and, at times, necessary a role it plays within the meeting.

"Several Friends observed that the Meeting has a long history of avoiding or denying conflict. One stated that conflict is a part of life and we need learn to work through it. Another urged that we try to be more open in the future to honest dialogue about perceived slights or offenses and try to center our lives more deeply in Love and in the Spirit."

"Friends' insights included those of strengthening our spiritual lives, spiritual growth, and learning to labor with one another to handle our differences, as well as the knowledge that our actions and interactions have sometimes been unfortunate or have had led to irreconcilable differences. Some members/attenders have stopped coming, having had unpleasant interactional experiences, and/or having been led to withdraw while the meeting moved towards a more disciplined approach and away from their inclinations towards broader or other-defined kinds of faith. Friends mourn the loss of these individuals and believe there is a need for lines of communication to remain open not only to new attenders and members, who need nurturing, but also to those who are not worshiping with us but are kindred spirits."

Caring for each other ("inreach")
If we build a deep sense of community in our meeting, we shall be trusting enough of each other to serve the needs of members and handle, on a timely basis, the seeds of disaffection. This means fostering strong listening skills and good communications. Retreats can play an important part in this.

"… we invited a facilitator from Friends General Conference to lead us [in a retreat] at the meetinghouse. Friends were drawn together by love, ?there was trust,' ?a sacred experience,' and ?soul searching.' We felt that our facilitator was clearly led by the Spirit, and was skillful at creating a safe space where people could express their hurts and conflicts with others, and be heard. She enabled light and sparkling energy to flow, which seemed to revitalize us and encourage us to think about the future in a more energetic way. For one Friend, the retreat awakened some old resentment, yet along with her discomfort, she felt that a new culture of communication was born. A desire was expressed for more of this kind of open communication on deeper issues."

"Last March, we held a weekend retreat at the home of a Meeting family. This retreat, under the care of Friends General Conference's Traveling Ministries Program, was facilitated by Jean-Marie Prestwidge Barch with Miyo Moriuchi as her traveling companion. The exercises facilitated by Jean-Marie led us to a sense of richer spiritual connectedness. With the disciplined use of I-statements, we created a safe space where many felt easy to share their personal beliefs without fear of being misunderstood or offending others. The promises that each of us made to the Meeting in the last session helped to remind us of our personal growth into the future. The retreat was well attended, and was a positive experience, and seemed to provide a burst of energy to the Meeting."

Meetings noted the importance of staying connected to the youth of the Meeting who are moving out into the world.

"High school graduates of the meeting were honored in June. Care packages were mailed to our college students prior to exam week. The meeting offered support and prayers for Jennifer Pronto, who undertook a trip to Costa Rica to study the role of organic farming methods in that country."

"Inreach" includes calling out the gifts in others. The need to nurture these gifts in various Friends is recognized as being vital to our growth.

Caring for the world at large ("witness")
The anguish of the world continues to trouble Friends. "The ongoing war continues to challenge us, so that any answer to ?What are Quakers doing for peace?' seems inadequate." Nevertheless, many meetings spoke to the involvement, both individually and corporately, in the greater community. This includes work with Quaker affiliated programs as well as with programs that have no connection with Friends. From individual leadings to group projects, the notion that we need to take our witness to the wider community is clear and being acknowledged through our combined efforts. Friends also spoke of the various groups that make use of meeting house space.

"Many Friends are engaged in activities that reach out to the wider world. These activities include support for Viva La Casa, weekly peace vigils in Alfred and Olean, prison work, Alternatives to Violence workshops, trips to the School of the Americas, and the Quaker Missions stamp-collection project. The Meeting and the Alfred community support recovery work in Aceh, Indonesia. Nadine Hoover regularly travels to Indonesia, maintaining a personal connection, sending personal greetings, and distributing funds collected from people and organizations located throughout western and central New York."

"This February we start building another Habitat home in Nassau County, Long Island. Not only do we support Habitat for Humanity financially, but also with sweat equity!"

"As always, Peace and Social Concerns did a wonderful job of giving to those in need over the holidays. 70 turkeys were delivered to the INN Soup Kitchen in Glen Cove for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, 110 bags of toys for all ages were given to the INN. Our meeting continues to prepare weekly dinners for the North Shore Sheltering Program." Friends also have spoken to their peace witness, within the meeting as well as in the community.

"Our Peace and Social Action Committee continued to be very active. Each month, we hosted a Peace Potluck for the community with a topic for each one. We sent a letter to the editors of several newspapers about issues relating to the government spying on Quakers—and we sent a letter to all of our law enforcement agencies calling on them to not spy on religious groups. Counterrecruitment continues in one local high school with plans to reach out to other schools as well. We approved and forwarded to the Region a minute calling on Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting to set up a war tax escrow account and have been facilitating meetings in the region on the topic. Friends have contributed to a local radio program. We participated extensively when Eyes Wide Open came to Ithaca and provided support for the St. Patrick's Day Four [a group of local war resisters who participated in civil disobedience]."

Prison worship groups
Five prison worship groups (and one preparative meeting) prepared reports. Each was a joyful voice. In these reports they express their appreciation for the love and support of Friends on the outside. They are particularly grateful for the visits from Friends who are not regular visitors to their groups.

"It is important to note that although our outside members are extraordinary role models for us, we are all equal and learn from one another. All of us realize how fortunate we are to have each other and it inspires us to keep coming back. We are truly blessed to have people in our lives that are willing to sacrifice to join us here."

"We were blessed with a visit from a member of the Prisons Committee as well as the general secretary, Christopher Sammond. We spoke about restorative-justice and parole issues. We were made to feel that our opinions mattered and we appreciate that very much."

"During the preceding year, our worship group has been blessed with the addition of three or four new attenders. Though we believe that the Spirit of Truth moves even among the smallest number of gathered Friends, we also believe that our small growth in ?the expansion of our Quaker testimonies' is a nurturing Light to persons in the wider prison population...."

The following remarks can resonate in all of us:

"During our 30-plus years as an established worship group, prison policies have alternated from left to right; civilian and residential Friends have come and gone; with the advent of newer worship groups, our membership has dwindled; the increasing accommodation of religion to the secular world, within and without this closed society, appears to threaten spiritual endeavor with irrelevance. Yet to our enduring worship group, the Quaker testimonies of Community, Equality, Integrity, Peace, and Simplicity remain a guiding Light to our efforts to nurture hope and faith in this alien setting. We pray that, to the degree that we succeed in this endeavor, will future worshipers here be inspired to use life's adversities as an opportunity to make Friends."

In a sense, we are all prisoners in an "alien setting." Only the Spirit can free us.

The reports received speak to the strength of the Spirit working in New York Yearly Meeting. Established meetings are embracing change and growth. Fragile new life is springing up in many places. However, if our religious society is being called to some great new effort of witness or service, that call is generally not clearly articulated by our monthly meetings. Reading these reports, we become clear that it is up to each of us, in community, to deepen our connection to the Spirit, to nurture and protect the new life that is given to us, and to discover how we are being called, as individuals and as a body, to heal a broken world.