by WebPost | Oct 22, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Current, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host two different Reading Between the Lines sessions: the first on Saturday, October 31 from Noon-1 pm and the second at our usual time of 9-10 am on Sunday, November 1. (We are trying to come up with a time that people who regularly attend the 9:30 Meeting for Worship can make.)
Both sessions will be through Zoom; the facilitator will send the links through the Newslist a few days before the sessions. On Oct. 31, we’ll discuss Luke 14: 1, 7-11: the words “taking a place,” “honor,” “exalt,” “abase,” “humble.” What happens after you’ve lost your preferred or perceived place in a community? How do you—if you have the choice to do so–work out what happened? On Nov. 1, we’ll discuss John 6: 37-40: to imagine living in a community where there is no “casting out.”
You are welcome to participate in both sessions if you’d like.
by WebPost | Oct 18, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, Current, Indigenous Affairs
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee invites Friends to enjoy the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, November 18 – 22. Festival passes are $40, or $30 for members of either museum. ASE will provide scholarships for anyone who needs assistance.
We’re planning a group outing to see Powwow People at 2:15 pm on Sunday, November 22. Afterward, we’ll gather at Lee Bloxom’s house in the Museum District—an easy walk from the film—to share our impressions and discuss the films we’ve seen.
Come for the films, stay for the conversation! Please contact Bronwyn Hughes if you’d like more information or to request a scholarship. The full schedule is available at https://pocahontasreframed.com/.
by WebPost | Sep 21, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, Clearing, Current, FCNL
The Adult Spiritual Education committee is excited to welcome Lauren Brownlee, member of Bethesda Friends Meeting, as our speaker for the RFM Fall Retreat to be held at The Clearing on Saturday October 24. Lauren is co-author of the Pendle Hill Pamphlet #495, “Patterns of Racial Wounding and Racial Justice in Quaker Communities.” Lauren, a Black Quaker, works at FCNL where she serves as Deputy General Secretary and leader of FCNL’s Community & Culture team. She is an inspiring and engaging speaker and educator, and is excited to share important aspects of her anti-racism work with us.
The day will begin with morning refreshments at 9 am, with worship and the program starting at 9:30. We will share a simple lunch starting at 11:30, and our afternoon session will begin at 1 pm. We hope to see you there!
by WebPost | Sep 21, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Education Committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench) on Sunday, October 4, from 9-10 am through Zoom. We will see (facilitator will screen-share) three different readings about: 1) being given everything you need to create and to live in community, but misusing what you’re given; 2) failing to recognize that you are part of the problem; 3) being commended for small acts of generosity and courage and acknowledgment—actions that do lead to expressing affection and joy (and using resources wisely, justly, and humanely). Isaiah 5: 1-7; Matthew 21: 33-43; Philippians 4: 6-9. Facilitator will send the zoom link through the Newslist several days before the discussion.
by WebPost | Aug 23, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Spiritual Formation
2026-27 Spiritual Formation Program
We are all pilgrims on a journey, taking different routes to the same destination. We are all seekers on a quest, searching for that which is greater, and our relationship to it, hoping to arrive at the Ground of Our Being. Along the way, we encounter other pilgrims and share the experience in moments of sacred intersection that feed our spirit, deepen our experience, strengthen our resolve, and build community. This is the BYM Spiritual Formation Program, personalized for individual monthly meetings. We invite you to journey with us.
Richmond Friend Meeting’s Spiritual Formation program runs October through May with monthly small group opportunities to build spiritual friendships offering mutual support and encouragement. The deadline to submit an interest form to join the 26-27 Spiritual Formation program is September 27, 2026.
There will be an information / interest table at the September 27 potluck. You can also contact ASE members Margaret Porter-Daniel or Lee Bloxom for additional information.
by WebPost | Aug 18, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench) on First Day, September 6, from 9-10 am, through Zoom. We’ll discuss both Romans 12: 19-21 (“When you are wronged, do not seek revenge. Instead, leave room for the judgement of God…”) and Matthew 18, 15-20: What is a respectful way to handle conflict between two people in a community? How do we resist the temptation of making false assumptions? The facilitator will send the zoom link through the Newslist several days before our meeting.
by WebPost | Jul 23, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly Bible Workbench) on First Day, August 2, from 9-10 am on Zoom. We’ll discuss the endings of two stories—Matthew 14:1-12 (the murder of Jesus’s cousin John the Baptist: “His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus”) and Matthew 14: 13-21: potential scarcity ending in overflow: “And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full”). The facilitator will send the zoom link through the Newslist a few days before the session.
by WebPost | Jun 23, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench) on Sunday, July 5, from 9-10 a.m. on Zoom. We’ll discuss Matthew 11: 25-30: what does it take to be free of burdens imposed on us by someone else’s inaccurate perceptions, unjust systems, our own unhealed wounds? What is it to rest from burdens we consciously say “yes” to, and want to keep committing to? What about burdens caused by illness, natural disaster, things that happen to people we love? How do we start to become aware of unnecessary burdens we place on others? . . . The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist a few days before the meeting.
by WebPost | May 19, 2026 | Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench) will not meet in June.
by WebPost | Apr 20, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (Bible Workbench) on Sunday, May 3, from 9-10 am through Zoom. We’ll discuss John 14:1-14: A few chapters before Jesus tells his friends and disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” he says, “Now my heart is troubled.” What happened—between his own acknowledgement of feeling troubled and his being able to say, in soundness and clarity to others, “Do not let your hearts be troubled?” What internal work did he do? How was that enacted in his life? The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist a few days before the meeting.
by WebPost | Apr 19, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Outreach, Quakerism
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee is hosting an introduction to Quakerism, “Quaker Curious?” on Saturday, June 6, from 11:00 am to Noon.
If you have friends or neighbors interested in learning more about Quakers, please encourage them to join us. For more information or questions, contact Bronwyn Hughes or any member of ASE.
by WebPost | Mar 16, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly Bible Workbench) 9-10 am (through Zoom) on First Day, April 5. We’ll discuss a few different accounts of the stories of Easter morning: who showed up at Jesus’s tomb, what they found, who they told, who they touched—or didn’t touch, how each of them was recognized—“met” in their grief. We’ll continue discussion on what it is to “enter” into different kinds of darkness—including darkness that is “nourishing” (Hirsh). The facilitator will screen-share the texts and send the zoom link through the Newslist (as well as the contact list for “regulars”) a few days before our session.
by WebPost | Mar 13, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Friends General Conference, Scholarship
Friends General Conference (FGC) The Gathering of Friends will be at the University of Vermont, July 7-12, 2026. The theme is “A Window and a Door: A Prayer.” Enjoy worship, fellowship, workshops, reflection, rejuvenation, and fun! Go to FGCQuaker.org/the-gathering for more info. Adult Spiritual Education (ASE) Committee has scholarships available for anyone who would like to attend. Please contact a member of ASE for more information.
by WebPost | Feb 15, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee is hosting an in-person introduction to the ongoing Reading Between the Lines scripture study from 9:15 to 10:30 am on Sunday, March 1, in the community room. Facilitator Leslie Shiel will give a short introduction and explanation; then participants will discuss John 3:1-17 (the story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus in the night).
You do not have to be Christian to appreciate and be moved by these (often) subversive and wildly shaped texts; this method of study uses metaphor and story to explore scripture. Leslie will provide print copies of the text, including parts from the original Aramaic (from Neil Doublas-Klotz’s book Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus). Newcomers who are curious and regulars who want a refresher - all are welcome. Nursery care will be provided.
by WebPost | Jan 18, 2026 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines—through Zoom—on First Day, Feb. 1, from 9-10 am. We will discuss—along with single lines from Micah, Psalm 15, and 1 Corinthians 1, the Beatitudes—found In Matthew 5:1-12. As part of our conversation, we’ll see the translation offered by Neil Douglas-Klotz in his book Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus. Words like “ripening,” “dissolving,” “extra unhealthy holdings,” going beyond who we thought we were, “darkness” as meaning “what’s unknown,” and more—will help us as we consider—with new eyes and ears—a text that may now seem too familiar to us. We’ll consider a progression of steps rather than a set of formulas. The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist a few days before the discussion.
by WebPost | Dec 21, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Reading between the Lines
Reading Between the Lines will return on February 1 after taking a break in January.
by WebPost | Dec 20, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education
The Adult Spiritual Education committee invites you to participate in a program of worship-sharing with music that speaks to us spiritually. The relaxed, candlelit evening session is scheduled for Sunday, January 11, starting at 4:30 in the community room.
If you would like to include a song or piece of music that is meaningful to you, email Lee Bloxom with the subject line “songs of the soul.” The music can range from ancient to current, be recorded or live, instrumental or with lyrics. In the body of the email, include the title of the selection and the name of the artist. If you’re not planning to perform your song live, include either a digital recording (.mp3, .mp4, or .wav file formats) or a link to it on YouTube or Spotify.
We’ll have time for reflection and worship sharing after each selection.
The deadline for song submissions is Monday, Jan. 5
We look forward to soul sharing through music on a mid-January eve: January 11, 4:30 to 6 pm.
by WebPost | Nov 22, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly known as Bible Workbench) on First Day, Dec. 7, from 9-10 on Zoom. We’ll discuss Matthew 3:1-12: the link between the verbs “crying out,” “preparing,” and “making” when a “new thing is being made.” The facilitator will send the zoom link through the Newslist a few days before the session.
by WebPost | Aug 20, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee invites you to attend Fall Retreat from 9:00 - 4:00, Saturday, September 27 at The Clearing. The theme of this year’s retreat is "Spirit-Led Action". Join us for an experiential workshop led by members of the ASE Committee, with opportunities to reflect on and share spirit-led action in small groups. We hope you will join us for an inspiring day led by members of the ASE Committee. Bagels and coffee, and lunch will be provided by the Ministry and Worship Committee.
by WebPost | Aug 20, 2025 | Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, Bible Study
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will hold a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly known as Bible Workbench) on Sunday, September 7, through Zoom, from 9-10 am. We will discuss Philemon 1-21: the power of a personal letter clearing the way for a person to be accepted into a beloved community. The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist several days before our session.
by WebPost | Jul 22, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly Bible Workbench) on First Day, August 3, from 9-10 am on Zoom. We will discuss Luke 10: 25-37: receiving help when one is hurt, sometimes from unlikely sources. We will discuss mercy, storytelling, being tested—and getting to the deeper issues under our surface questions and motives. The facilitator will send the link through the Newslist a few days before our meeting.
by WebPost | Apr 20, 2025 | Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education Committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly known as Bible Workbench) on May 4, 2025, from 9-10 am through Zoom. We will discuss John 19: 1-14: moorings during mourning; eventual recognitions of new forms; casting nets in new directions; unforeseen abundances; the intimacy and tenderness of sharing a meal, especially after great change. The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist a couple of days before our conversation.
by WebPost | Mar 18, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly called Bible Workbench) on Sunday, April 6, from 9-10 a.m. on Zoom. We will discuss John 12:20-33: A troubled soul. The meaning of “glory.” What is required in times when we are aware “this hour has come.” What choices may be available during “this hour.” What to let go of, what to hold onto. How to hear possible affirmation. The facilitator will send the zoom link through the news list a few days
before the session.
by WebPost | Feb 17, 2025 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Vocal Ministry
All of us have struggled with whether to stand up and give a message during Meeting for Worship. The Adult Spiritual Education (ASE) Committee is sponsoring a workshop to help us think about this struggle, by using the pamphlet, "On Vocal Ministry" by Barry Crossno and J. Brent Bell, which is available free to anybody who wants one. Here are two paragraphs to get you started:
Vocal ministry is a spiritual practice. That’s fortunate because, as with any practice, there is a body of knowledge and experience to turn to. In this pamphlet, we’ll lay out some principles found in that body of knowledge which can guide Friends in giving vital vocal ministry. By “vital vocal ministry” we mean messages that take the community of faith deeper into what is helpful, loving, challenging, and timeless. As George Fox said, “Friends, meet together and know one another in that which is eternal, which as before the world was.”
Meeting for worship is at the heart of Quaker faith and practice. Although our personal direct experience of the Divine is central to our individual spiritual lives, it is in communal worship that we gather together to hear the Voice that has spoken through the generations and still speaks today.
Copies of the Pendle Hill Pamphlet #460 are available in the RFM worship room foyers.
To reach as many people as possible, we are offering two similar workshop sessions:
- In person in the community room, Sunday, March 30, 9:30 am - 10:45 am
- On Zoom, Saturday, April 5, 10 am - 11:15 am
During both sessions we will be discussing the same questions which can be found at the end of the pamphlet, "On Vocal Ministry". Childcare is available on Sunday, March 30th at 9:15 am. Contact Monica Shaw with questions or concerns.
by WebPost | Feb 17, 2025 | Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines (formerly Bible Workbench) on First Day (Sunday), March 2, through Zoom, from 9-10 am. We will discuss Mark 9: 2-9: when what we think we know becomes a question; when our perceptions are challenged; when what we have now experienced has to make a difference; when we try to “pin down”—too early—new vision; when we try to make “small dwellings” for a “larger life” (paraphrased from The Education Center, Charlotte, NC). The facilitator will send the Zoom link through the Newslist several days before the meeting.
by WebPost | Jan 19, 2025 | Adult Spiritual Education, Bible Study, Reading between the Lines
The Adult Spiritual Education committee will host a one-hour Reading Between the Lines, on
Zoom, starting at 9 am, on Feb. 2, 2025. We will discuss John 1: 43-51: recognitions beyond
surfaces; the witness of one person leading to another “unlikely” person; the unlikely parts of us
that have something valuable to say… The facilitator will send out the zoom link through the
Newlist a few days before the meeting.
by WebPost | Dec 13, 2024 | Adult Spiritual Education, AFSC, Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Earthcare, FCNL, Quaker House
The Fourth and final session of Quakerism 101 will be held at the Meetinghouse on January 26 at 9:30 am.
Topic --"Quakers in the Wider World."
Kelly Kennedy will facilitate beginning with a PowerPoint including maps of Quakers in Virginia, the nation, and worldwide. With the help of three Friends with deep experience in organizations such as Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Friends General Conference, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Friends in Unity with Nature, we'll look at how Quaker values drive their work and their outcomes.
Bring your coffee and join us Sunday January 26, at 9:30 in the Community Room. Childcare will be provided at 9:15.
by WebPost | Jul 21, 2024 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement
Join us on Sunday, September 22, in person from 9:15-10:30 am in the Community room. In this session we'll be exploring Quaker Process. Friends make decisions about how to tend to Spirit, how to care for each other, how to nourish ourselves and our families, how to contribute to the wider communities of city, nation, all nations, and the earth. We make these decisions without the ease of hierarchy, majority vote, and, for unprogrammed friends, without clergy or paid staff. In this session, we'll explore the process we use in moving forward.
The program will focus on two practices fundamental to Friends in making spirit-lead choices and for acting: Committees and Business Meeting. As part of this session, we'll focus on terminology that may not be familiar to newcomers.
It's our hope that longtime Friends will be refreshed and refocused in Quaker process and that new attenders will come to feel comfortable in the Society of Friends and Richmond Friends Meeting.
by WebPost | May 18, 2024 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, History - Quaker, History - RFM
Adult Spiritual Education invites all members and attenders, those new to Quakerism as well as seasoned Friends, to learn more about our history. Mark your calendars and plan on joining us on Saturday, June 22 at 9:30. Our topic will be Quaker History: Evolution and Revolution. Kelly Kennedy will get us started with a Zoom-easy introductory activity. Dan Shaw will cover early history from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and Scott Selby will address Virginia and Richmond history.
While no reading in advance is needed, some may want to brush up on Quaker history in preparation. Attached is an excerpt from Faith and Practice focusing on Quaker history. Feel free to read all, part, or none of it.
This session is ALL on Zoom. Please look for the link in the coming days as well as the day before June 22. We look forward to seeing many of you on the morning of June 22nd!
by WebPost | Apr 10, 2024 | Activity, Adult Spiritual Education, Announcement, History - Quaker
Quakerism 101, a four-session introduction to Quakerism, its history, writings, values, and beliefs held its first session on Sunday, April 28, at 9:30 am with more than 30 friends attending. This session addressed “The Light Within: What Quakers Believe" with a panel discussion from Howard Garner, Steve Humphrey, and Rita Willett. Three other sessions that are planned for later this year:
• Quaker History: Revolution and Evolution on June 22, 9:30 am on Zoom.
• What do Committees Do? RFM Organization, Business Meeting, and Terminology, date TBD
• Living in the Light: Quaker Organizations in the US and Around the World; How Quakers Live in the World Today, date TBD