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Britannica

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."



Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020)

An American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the

Supreme Court of the United States.

Faith S. is asking for prayers for her granddaughter Tabitha who had a heart attack and as of last weekend was still in the hospital.

I am doing quite well and I apologize for not keeping more in touch as I continue to navigate life’s challenges. The Dublin weather is quite beautiful right now. It is now sixty degrees some days and here in Ireland we can see the blue sky at last! Quite the privilege as a tour guide at Trinity – where I get to be outside every day. By the time you read this, St. Patrick’s day will have long passed – the formal beginning of the tourism season here in Ireland. Here at Trinity, more and more people are showing up for my tours – I now give three to four a day.

Unfortunately, I have not been very diligent about attending a fellowship here in Dublin. Being more introverted with a very extroverted job, I find it difficult during the weekends to get myself to show up for events. Similarly, despite being from the comfort of my own apartment, I have found it difficult of late to prioritize zoom fellowship (as you may notice). One of the challenges of coming to terms with myself is of course prioritizing fellowship. Instead, I have plowed my energies into other spiritual pursuits including yoga and meditation, and now after some thought, I have decided to sit with a Zen ‘dojo’ or center here in central Dublin. During weekends, I tend to ‘veg’ in my room and work on computer projects (like preparing myself for a career in public policy).

A few Saturdays ago, I had the opportunity to do a five hour yoga retreat which was intensely fruitful for me. It offered me the opportunity to seriously slow down my mind, taking greater notice of the environment around me. This ‘mini-retreat’ also allowed me the opportunity to grieve and work through some very tough emotions – especially after I exited a short romantic relationship.

Nonetheless, I come out of these past weeks feeling more rejuvenated and feeling a greater degree of silence. The job search is at times frustrating; especially as I struggle with distractions. For a change of pace, I was able to recently do an M. Phil oriented workshop – and sharpen my job-searching skills. Today, however, as I write this I feel unusually relaxed. I do hope to see you by zoom next week.

To Review before this Sunday's Business Meeting:

• 2025-03-09_CMM_Minutes [2].
• CMM StateOfSociety2024 [3]

2025 Greater Concord Interfaith Council Lenten Luncheon Series

Good food, good company, and inspiring presentations

Thursdays from 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm, Ticket Price: $7.00 per luncheon (proceeds will be donated to area nonprofit organizations).

The Greater Concord Interfaith Council invites you to attend its 66th Lenten Luncheon series.  This series offers an opportunity to share a meal, fellowship, and to hear a different speaker each week.  Speakers share how faith has impacted their work, volunteer activities or other aspects of their lives.

• April 10, Bow Mills United Methodist Church, Cy Sherman, a member of South Congregational Church, UCC in Concord, NH will share her experience of missionary work in India.

[4]

I am happy to announce that the AFSC NH program will be able to visit us the fourth Sunday in April after potluck.  They will give us all the news about the many areas of their work in New Hampshire some of which are so new you might not be familiar with them.  It will be a great time to get to know them and hear about their work in immigration, faith and labor organizing, and transitioning women from incarceration to being part of the wider community.  We will also be having a conversation time with Grace Kindeke on a different date TBD.

"This is the most damage I’ve seen in my 41 years at Pendle Hill" said Lloyd Guindon, director of facilities and grounds, this morning in the aftermath of a devastating storm.

Dear Friends, 

I write to share some distressing news with you about Pendle Hill’s campus. At approximately 4:00 this morning, a severe thunderstorm with hail and winds over 50 miles per hour struck Pendle Hill at full force. Over 25 trees have fallen, blocking roads and trails across the property, and causing significant damage to 6of our historic buildings. Miraculously, each of the over 30 staff, resident students, and guests on campus were safe and uninjured. A crew of staff and volunteers immediately began clearing access roads while others activated the portable generator in Main House so people could gather and comfort each other, even as power remained out across the area. We are still assessing the damage, and there is an incredible amount of work ahead of us. 

For now, we want everyone to know these announcements: 

• Campus is open with limited access only for residents, essential staff, and registered guests. The walking trails are closed until further notice. Power remains unavailable in many buildings, including the Barn and Firbank. 
• Morning Worship Service will be open in person only until power is fully restored. We are sorry that online worship will be on pause until Monday when we can restore access.  
• Guests and groups scheduled to arrive today and over this weekend are still welcome and have been contacted with updated arrival information. 

I also want you to know that the community spirit of hospitality is still shining brightly at Pendle Hill. By noon, the kitchen team had found a way to make a lunch of rice and beans for everyone on campus. Candles were helping light the way in the dish room. Guest services coordinated adjustments for all the guests arriving later today to still have rooms and working spaces ready. Even as work continued into the afternoon, birds were singing to each other and to us as they perched in the branches of Mama Beech, who stood resolute throughout the storm. 

The grounds of Pendle Hill – recently certified as a level II arboretum – support, feed, and shelter so many living beings. We are as motivated as ever to restore this place in the most loving and sustainable way that we can, knowing that there may be areas across campus that remain closed for some time. The reality is that it will take significant work and financial support to make the grounds safe and welcoming again.  

Please consider making a gift to our recovery fund now to help.

The wind and the hail may have devastated the grounds, but no storm can darken the Pendle Hill spirit. Please continue to hold Pendle Hill and all the living creatures here in the Light. 

Join us for a 90-minute interactive online workshop which is an opportunity to try a creative approach to personal discernment.

Discernment requires an emotionally safe environment to build trust, informed by deep listening. Once safe, we can take on the important discernment questions by using Virginia Swain’s mentor, Friend/elder Elise Boulding‘s imaging process, a way to use our imagination for discerning the answers to our life’s questions.

Imaging plays a key role in our lives because we cannot reconcile a challenge at the level it was created. Participants are asked to bring a discernment question with them as well as art supplies such as paper, markers, colored pencils. 

Facilitated by Virginia Swain (Friends Meeting at Cambridge). More information about Virginia's ministry can be found on her website https://virginiaswain.com/ [7]. Click or tap to follow the link.">here.

This workshop is offered free of charge.

You are invited to register for our Spring Retreat. The theme will be "Nurturing Creative & Spiritual Practices."

​Young Friends retreats are special opportunities for high schoolers in New England to take a deeper dive into building community and exploring the Quaker way together. Join Young Friends for a weekend at Framingham Friends Meeting where we will explore art, music, worship, and other practices that give meaning to our personal and communal lives. 

​About staying at Framingham Friends Meeting

When staying at meeting houses everyone is expected to bring a pillow, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad in order to sleep on the floor. If this poses a challenge for you or your child please reach out to Collee (collee [at] neym [dot] org)

​Payment​

Pricing for the retreat is pay-as-led sliding scale. $50 is great for families with a limited budget, $150 covers direct costs, $250 covers all costs.

Registration will close on April 28^th, 2025. Register https://neym.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9d926a263c32aba63d418859... [12]. Click or tap to follow the link.">here today.

The vigil for a ceasefire in Gaza continues every Thursday from Noon-1 p.m.  The vigil meets at (the northwest corner of) North Main Street and Park Street in Concord) [13] on the plaza in front of the State House.  Make your own sign, use one provided, or just stand in silent witness beside others.  This is coordinated by NH Peace Action.  We suggest that people make signs that convey something about justice for Israel and Palestine.

There are other online Meetings for Worship that are generally available to Quakers, unlimited by geography, if that would be of interest. Some of those are listed here.