Thursday, November 21, 2013
Bayard Rustin awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
National Black Justice Coalition has a page honoring Bayard Rustin, who was just awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
First Day School Soup this Sunday
This First Day (the 24th) the kids would like to invite everyone to join us after worship for a soup lunch and book sale. We will have a pot of broth cooking in the kitchen - please bring something to add to the pot or to accompany the soup. Also bring your unwanted books. We will display the books for sale. Proceeds will go toward the next First Day School project, and leftover books will be incorporated into the Friends library or donated to another worthy cause. Thanks!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
LEYM Peace Committee: event in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Friends Meeting will host Josh Ruebner, author of the new book Shattered Hopes, during its First Hour discussion on Sunday, November 24, 9:30–10:20 am.
He will also speak at Western Michigan University the evening before, on Saturday, November 23, 7:00 pm., in Room 211 of the Bernhard Center.
All Friends are welcome and encouraged to attend this event and become part of the conversation.
He will also speak at Western Michigan University the evening before, on Saturday, November 23, 7:00 pm., in Room 211 of the Bernhard Center.
All Friends are welcome and encouraged to attend this event and become part of the conversation.
Memorial service for Kalamazoo Friend Richard Mehl
Richard C. Mehl died October 31, 2013 at age 73. Richard was born December 13, 1939, in Akron, Ohio, son of Dr. L.B. and Marjorie Mehl. He was a gifted thinker, starting before high school to develop the interests and knowledge of a scholar. He studied mathematics, science, literature, music, philosophy, politics and history. He later extended his interests into psychology and religion.
The passions of his life were social justice and life-long learning. By high school, he had become a socialist who valued individual freedom. He opposed violence and was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, serving his alternative service as a research assistant at Western Reserve Medical Center in Cleveland. He greatly respected Eugene Debs and Martin Luther King, Jr. for their social conscience and activism. Always searching for an antidote to human cruelty, in his later years he found great meaning in the writings of American polymath Ernest Becker, and he became an active donor to the Ernest Becker Society.
He loved the arts as an expression of human spiritual achievement, especially classical music, which he felt was the pinnacle of human aesthetic expression. He put his appreciation into practice by playing the recorder in a Kalamazoo group "Wind Forest."
He met the love of his life in the Kalamazoo Friends Meeting in 1971 and they were married on September 25, 1976. He shared with Paula Allred his love of nature, music, social justice, cats, and entrepreneurial adventures. Richard's interest in the outdoor world of forest, flowers, trees, and astronomy connected with Paula's interests in walking in the woods, camping, bicycling, kayaking. Richard had many practical skills which included woodworking, gardening, and excellent financial management. Many evenings were spent listening to classical music or dancing to favorite 60's oldies, reading poetry, discussing films, laughing at "The Simpsons". He had a clever sense of humor. Throughout these activities of life they were both involved in the human struggle to learn and understand about each other and themselves and spent much time talking together.
In his later years, he worked as a library assistant at Western Michigan University, which gave him ready access to the varied ideas in the books that he so voraciously devoured. In science and philosophy, he valued reason and clarity above all, including the demand for evidence before belief. On the other hand, he was well aware of the influence of unconscious emotion and motivation (Freud) and false consciousness (Karl Marx). In religion, he subscribed to the social gospel of Jesus and its modern pragmatic expression by Tolstoy, and rejected the dogma of official Pauline Christianity and the seductive appeal of mysticism as expressed in Japanese Zen philosophy. He rejected a judgmental "parent-in-the-sky" deity who presides over heaven and hell and an imaginary afterlife. He considered himself an atheist since high school; yet he was fully sensitive to, and appreciative of, the transcendent mystery and majesty of the world. He was always looking for connections - between ideas and between people. He always valued commonalities more than differences.
He is survived by his wife Paula Allred, his sister Nancy J. Morgan, his brother Carter D. Mehl, his sister-in-law Anitra Balzer Mehl, and his three nieces Amanda, Ursula and Sophia Mehl.
A memorial to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2013 at Kalamazoo Friend's Meeting -508 Denner Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. 3:30 PM.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49009-6309 or Hospice of Southwest Michigan 222 N Kalamazoo Mall #100 Kalamazoo, MI 49007 or West Michigan Cancer Center, 200 North Park Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007.
Rich and Paula felt very thankful for having each other and for the kind and loving friends and family that have enriched their life together.
"Let flow your tears, You may find woven into your grief an undersong of terrible holy joy."
-Unknown
(from the online version of the Kalamazoo Gazette). See more at: http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/kalamazoo/obituary.aspx?n=richard-mehl&pid=167812149#sthash.dpxU2Y60.dpuf
The passions of his life were social justice and life-long learning. By high school, he had become a socialist who valued individual freedom. He opposed violence and was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, serving his alternative service as a research assistant at Western Reserve Medical Center in Cleveland. He greatly respected Eugene Debs and Martin Luther King, Jr. for their social conscience and activism. Always searching for an antidote to human cruelty, in his later years he found great meaning in the writings of American polymath Ernest Becker, and he became an active donor to the Ernest Becker Society.
He loved the arts as an expression of human spiritual achievement, especially classical music, which he felt was the pinnacle of human aesthetic expression. He put his appreciation into practice by playing the recorder in a Kalamazoo group "Wind Forest."
He met the love of his life in the Kalamazoo Friends Meeting in 1971 and they were married on September 25, 1976. He shared with Paula Allred his love of nature, music, social justice, cats, and entrepreneurial adventures. Richard's interest in the outdoor world of forest, flowers, trees, and astronomy connected with Paula's interests in walking in the woods, camping, bicycling, kayaking. Richard had many practical skills which included woodworking, gardening, and excellent financial management. Many evenings were spent listening to classical music or dancing to favorite 60's oldies, reading poetry, discussing films, laughing at "The Simpsons". He had a clever sense of humor. Throughout these activities of life they were both involved in the human struggle to learn and understand about each other and themselves and spent much time talking together.
In his later years, he worked as a library assistant at Western Michigan University, which gave him ready access to the varied ideas in the books that he so voraciously devoured. In science and philosophy, he valued reason and clarity above all, including the demand for evidence before belief. On the other hand, he was well aware of the influence of unconscious emotion and motivation (Freud) and false consciousness (Karl Marx). In religion, he subscribed to the social gospel of Jesus and its modern pragmatic expression by Tolstoy, and rejected the dogma of official Pauline Christianity and the seductive appeal of mysticism as expressed in Japanese Zen philosophy. He rejected a judgmental "parent-in-the-sky" deity who presides over heaven and hell and an imaginary afterlife. He considered himself an atheist since high school; yet he was fully sensitive to, and appreciative of, the transcendent mystery and majesty of the world. He was always looking for connections - between ideas and between people. He always valued commonalities more than differences.
He is survived by his wife Paula Allred, his sister Nancy J. Morgan, his brother Carter D. Mehl, his sister-in-law Anitra Balzer Mehl, and his three nieces Amanda, Ursula and Sophia Mehl.
A memorial to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, November 9th, 2013 at Kalamazoo Friend's Meeting -508 Denner Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. 3:30 PM.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49009-6309 or Hospice of Southwest Michigan 222 N Kalamazoo Mall #100 Kalamazoo, MI 49007 or West Michigan Cancer Center, 200 North Park Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007.
Rich and Paula felt very thankful for having each other and for the kind and loving friends and family that have enriched their life together.
"Let flow your tears, You may find woven into your grief an undersong of terrible holy joy."
-Unknown
(from the online version of the Kalamazoo Gazette). See more at: http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/kalamazoo/obituary.aspx?n=richard-mehl&pid=167812149#sthash.dpxU2Y60.dpuf
Thursday, October 24, 2013
LEYM Teen Fall Retreat, 2013
The Teen Fall Retreat for Lake Erie Yearly Meeting will take place November 15–17 (Friday–Sunday) at the Athens Friends Meeting, 22 Birge Drive, Chauncey, Ohio 45719.
The cost per teen at this event will be $20. We do not want costs to be a barrier preventing teens from attending, so please contact Robb at one of the contacts below if you need financial assistance. Monthly Meetings are encouraged to help teens attend, so ask your Meeting for their help first and contact Robb if you still need help.
Weekend activities include: Worship, Farmers Market, Service Project, Thrifting, Out Trip, Business Meeting and Worship
The weekend workshop will be facilitated by Merry Stanford and Peter Wood titled: 'Speak Up. Listen Down.'
Workshop Description: There are always times, even with friends and Friends, when you can feel uncomfortable with something that's going on around you. Should you say something? And if you do, what? And what if someone says something uncomfortable to you? How do you respond? This workshop is about learning to speak what is on your mind in such a way that others can hear you. You will also learn to listen in a way that helps you understand, maybe even deeply, where another person is coming from. These are skills that help any relationship thrive, whether with a friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a parent, a sibling, a teacher. ... or each other.
During First Day School on Sunday a member of Athens Meeting has offered to speak to our teens on the draft/military service and conscientious objection.
Click here to register.
Or send an email to: leymteenretreats@gmail.com or to: rlyurisko@gmail.com or call 614-286-4829 with any questions about the weekend, registration or transportation.
The cost per teen at this event will be $20. We do not want costs to be a barrier preventing teens from attending, so please contact Robb at one of the contacts below if you need financial assistance. Monthly Meetings are encouraged to help teens attend, so ask your Meeting for their help first and contact Robb if you still need help.
Weekend activities include: Worship, Farmers Market, Service Project, Thrifting, Out Trip, Business Meeting and Worship
The weekend workshop will be facilitated by Merry Stanford and Peter Wood titled: 'Speak Up. Listen Down.'
Workshop Description: There are always times, even with friends and Friends, when you can feel uncomfortable with something that's going on around you. Should you say something? And if you do, what? And what if someone says something uncomfortable to you? How do you respond? This workshop is about learning to speak what is on your mind in such a way that others can hear you. You will also learn to listen in a way that helps you understand, maybe even deeply, where another person is coming from. These are skills that help any relationship thrive, whether with a friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a parent, a sibling, a teacher. ... or each other.
During First Day School on Sunday a member of Athens Meeting has offered to speak to our teens on the draft/military service and conscientious objection.
Click here to register.
Or send an email to: leymteenretreats@gmail.com or to: rlyurisko@gmail.com or call 614-286-4829 with any questions about the weekend, registration or transportation.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
October 2013 Newsletter
LEYM ADVICES AND QUERIES: SELF-DISCIPLINE
Do we seek to attain the highest standards of personal conduct? Do we refrain from habits, activities, and words likely to cause harm? Do I avoid undue attachment to substances and possessions? How am I dealing with addictions in myself and others? Do I refrain from membership in organizations whose purposes and methods compromise our testimonies? How does the Meeting support Friends struggling with these issues?
How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work? In following my vocation, what are my contributions to the well-being of the larger community? Do I have respect for all honest work, paid or unpaid, whether at home or in the community? Do I keep a right balance between my work and other aspects of my life such as worship, play, and other healthy activities?
LEYM’s Advices & Queries, for Use by Individual Friends, Meetings, and Worship Groups is available online.
October—November Greeters (subject to change)
October 6: Marston
October 13: Holadays
October 20: Rangers
October 27: Holadays
November 3: Akkerhuis / Buchman
November 10: Marston
November 17: [VOLUNTEER NEEDED]
November 24: Rangers
On the Calendar
Oct. 13: Worship in the manner of Friends at the Bradley Indian Mission at 6:00 p.m. Potluck dinner follows. 695 128th Ave Shelbyville, MI 49344. For more information call Scot and Jenn at 269-792-9183.
News and Notes
Sandhill CSA is raising pastured poultry turkeys for seasonal dinners. Those who donate $100 to IGE (Institute for Global Education) will receive a turkey from Sandhill CSA. Talk to Scot and Jenn (269-792-9183) for more information.
Grand Rapids will host an eminent scholar of early Christianity October 15 during the 2013 West Michigan Consortium Conference at Calvin Theological Seminary. This year’s topic is Religious Polemics and Religious Fairness. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Margaret Mitchell, dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School and a literary historian of ancient Christianity. Her research and teaching span a range of topics in New Testament and early Christian writings up through the end of the 4th century, with a special interest in the Pauline letters, the poetics and politics of ancient biblical interpretation, and the intersection of text, image, and artifact in the fashioning of early Christian culture. More information is available here.
Please pass the popcorn. Several Friends have discussed the idea of a Quaker-themed movie night. If you’d like to help plan this, or have ideas for movies to watch together, contact Walt Marston or Scot Miller.
That no-one speak evil of another, neither judge one against another; but rather judge this, that none put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brother’s way.—Epistle from the Elders at Balby, 1656.
Friends, whatever ye are addicted to, the tempter will come in that thing; and when he can trouble you, then he gets advantage over you, and then you are gone. Stand still in that which is pure.—George Fox, Epistle 10, 1652.In our daily lives, do we endeavor to express the spirit and teachings of Jesus? When speaking about other people, do our words reflect respect? Do we express our opinions with courage, yet with love and humility, mindful of the Divine spirit in everyone and open to the opportunity to learn from others? Are we willing to admit that we may be wrong?
Do we seek to attain the highest standards of personal conduct? Do we refrain from habits, activities, and words likely to cause harm? Do I avoid undue attachment to substances and possessions? How am I dealing with addictions in myself and others? Do I refrain from membership in organizations whose purposes and methods compromise our testimonies? How does the Meeting support Friends struggling with these issues?
How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work? In following my vocation, what are my contributions to the well-being of the larger community? Do I have respect for all honest work, paid or unpaid, whether at home or in the community? Do I keep a right balance between my work and other aspects of my life such as worship, play, and other healthy activities?
LEYM’s Advices & Queries, for Use by Individual Friends, Meetings, and Worship Groups is available online.
October—November Greeters (subject to change)
October 6: Marston
October 13: Holadays
October 20: Rangers
October 27: Holadays
November 3: Akkerhuis / Buchman
November 10: Marston
November 17: [VOLUNTEER NEEDED]
November 24: Rangers
On the Calendar
Oct. 13: Worship in the manner of Friends at the Bradley Indian Mission at 6:00 p.m. Potluck dinner follows. 695 128th Ave Shelbyville, MI 49344. For more information call Scot and Jenn at 269-792-9183.
News and Notes
Sandhill CSA is raising pastured poultry turkeys for seasonal dinners. Those who donate $100 to IGE (Institute for Global Education) will receive a turkey from Sandhill CSA. Talk to Scot and Jenn (269-792-9183) for more information.
Grand Rapids will host an eminent scholar of early Christianity October 15 during the 2013 West Michigan Consortium Conference at Calvin Theological Seminary. This year’s topic is Religious Polemics and Religious Fairness. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Margaret Mitchell, dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School and a literary historian of ancient Christianity. Her research and teaching span a range of topics in New Testament and early Christian writings up through the end of the 4th century, with a special interest in the Pauline letters, the poetics and politics of ancient biblical interpretation, and the intersection of text, image, and artifact in the fashioning of early Christian culture. More information is available here.
Please pass the popcorn. Several Friends have discussed the idea of a Quaker-themed movie night. If you’d like to help plan this, or have ideas for movies to watch together, contact Walt Marston or Scot Miller.
Testing 1-2-3
Dear Friends, Our devoted blogger, K. Ranger, has finally been persuaded to give this up in favor of other work. A. Ranger and others will attempt to carry on for the meantime.
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