by WebPost | Jul 9, 2020 | Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, Archive, COVID-19
N ADULT SPIRITUAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
This Saturday, July 11, 2020
Beginning promptly at 9:30 am on Zoom
Log-in will be open at 9:15
Led by Howard Garner and Barbara Hulburt
In this time of stressful isolation, we participated in a 40-day mindfulness meditation course online. The sessions were only ten to twelve minutes long and provided an opportunity to practice relaxing, breathing, and being present. We valued these experiences and have continued to practice almost daily.
Our experiences with mindfulness meditation led us into meaningful discussions that explored two big questions that we invite you to consider on Saturday:
Is mindfulness meditation a spiritual practice?
And if it is, how does it differ from Quaker worship?
During this session, we will provide an opportunity for you to experience a short mindfulness meditation led by Tara Brach (who was one of the teachers in the course we took). You can learn more about mindfulness practice and Tara by going to her website tarabrach.org. This is not required reading.
Following the mindfulness meditation you will be given an opportunity to discuss your experience with others. We will also share our answers to the questions.
The link to the Zoom session will be sent to you on Friday. We are waiting until then so it won’t get buried in your email. We hope you will join us.
by WebPost | Jul 8, 2020 | Activity, Announcement, Archive, Clearing, COVID-19, Threshing
All are invited to a threshing session on First Day, July 12 from 7 to 8:30 PM.
We will gather online to consider our meeting's "re-opening" - how we might envision and plan for an eventual return to in-person gatherings and the use of buildings & grounds at both the Meetinghouse and the Clearing.
This is a time to share perspectives, concerns, and hopes. We will have time to share individually and we will hear brief reports from committees.This is a time for listening and sharing - no decisions will be made. Please join this community session on Sunday evening if you are able to attend.
Zoom link will be emailed.
by WebPost | Jun 24, 2020 | Announcement, Archive, COVID-19, Ministry and Worship, Minuted Decisions
Richmond Friends Meeting Solidarity Minute in Response to the Murder of George Floyd
Approved June 21, 2020
Richmond Friends Meeting (Virginia) mourns the death of George Floyd who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis as he begged for his life. In keeping with our peace tradition, we oppose all violence and support ardent and peaceful protest in response to his death.
The killings of Marcus-David Peters, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks are among many atrocities that have occurred in our country. Over 400 people have been killed by police across the U.S. this year, continuing the trend of about 1,000 police-involved deaths annually since 2015. These deaths fit into a broader pattern of state-sanctioned violence that disproportionally impacts African-Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color.
The insidious nature of racism in America impacts every aspect of our society, including health care, education, employment, wealth, and environmental protection. A current tragic example is disproportionate infection and death by COVID-19 in African-American and Native American communities. The reality of systemic racism calls for legal, structural, social, and cultural change.
As Quakers we are committed to challenging white supremacy in ourselves, our Religious Society of Friends and in society around us. With this as a foundation, we join in the march towards racial justice. We stand in solidarity with victims of racism. We will continue to work actively with others in our community to further racial equality and justice. We call for an end to oppression, whether perpetrated by private citizens or public bodies.
As a community, we endorse the following statement from Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends:
“We Friends are of many skin colors, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, stages of life, and socially constructed racial identities. We are all seeking the Spirit’s presence in our lives and in our life together. We recognize that some of us have experienced oppression and marginalization in ways that others have not. We aspire to live as members of the blessed community, which is one of liberation, equity, and great diversity across all differences.”
by WebPost | Jun 17, 2020 | Activity, Announcement, Archive, COVID-19
Please join us Saturday, June 20, at 9:30 am for a virtual presentation from Julie Courtwright called "This is your brain on quarantine". Julie Courtwright attends Woodlawn Meeting in Alexandria, Virginia where she's been a convinced Friend since 2009.
She has a Master's degree in biopsychology but currently, she spends her time making fiber art and caring for way too many critters. She wants you to know that even though everything is uncertain and overwhelming, you are doing a good job.
Invitations with links for the program will be sent on Friday, June 19.
by WebPost | May 20, 2020 | Activity, Announcement, Archive, Care and Counsel, COVID-19
The Care & Counsel Committee is offering a new opportunity to build connections with Meeting members and attenders during this time of social distancing. Starting in the week of May 24, anyone who signs up will be randomly paired with another participant for the purpose of sharing a phone call once a week for two weeks. At the end of the first two-week session, the names will be reshuffled and new pairings will be set up. This will continue in two-week intervals until late July. You can drop out or join at each of the two-week intervals.
We hope this will be a great way to connect with current friends or meet new ones. If you’d like to participate, please email Margaret Edds and give her your preferred telephone number for a call. The first pairing of names will be done next Sunday afternoon (May 24). You’ll get an email with your first partner by Monday, May 25.