Wednesday and Thursday
Warm weather and clear skies welcomed Friends from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana to the University of Montana campus in Missoula on Wednesday. Coordinating Committee and other standing committees of the Yearly Meeting met in the afternoon, and Friends were free to get settled in their rooms, sing, play board games and reunite. This is the first year NPYM is trying the addition of Wednesday to the Annual Session schedule; the extra leisure time was well-used by many.
Thursday morning began brisk and early for a small cadre of dedicated river swimmers, while more sensible folk joined in early morning worship, hiked up the steep pitch of the M trail, or enjoyed conversation over breakfast. Friends then joined together for the first plenary in a ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on darting swifts and the velvety brown hills encircling Missoula.
Following introductions, Friend in Residence John Calvi spoke to the Annual Session theme, “Experiencing Light in Hard Times: How Do We Stay Faithful in Times of Trouble?” John spoke deeply and movingly from his decades of experience as a Quaker healer, incorporating gentle humor and stories into his talk. He encouraged Friends to face pain and fear with two questions: how much are you freaking out? And how big is your anchor? John also emphasized the importance of striving to maintain a connection to the Divine in the face of endangerment—and of faith as an important aspect of our response to trouble.
Much of John’s talk dealt directly with emotional and physical pain. John asked Friends to consider their responses to pain, and spoke of the tendency to think of God as “a grouchy landlord” whom we beseech for intervention in times of trouble. This conflicts with our mystical experience of the Divine as a connecting force–something beyond words. How do we remain connected to, or reawaken ourselves to, that mystical experience we treasure when we are not in the midst of a crisis? And yet that pain has a learning function in our lives—and if there is no learning going on around the pain and conflict in our lives, then we are missing out on an opportunity, and the pain and conflict will continue. He concluded by suggesting one of the best things we can each hope for it to come to a place where we witness the most beautiful and most horrific aspects of life, and can be in awe and grateful for it all. (The full text of his talk will be in the October issue of Western Friend.)
Many Friends were moved by John’s talk. After a brief period for questions and some silence, Friends adjourned to their worship sharing groups. These took an array of forms: worship walking, worship singing, intergenerational worship discussion, and regular worship sharing. Friends considered two quotes, and chose from several queries about personal experiences in hard times, the presence of God in their lives during hard times, and how we all cope with difficulties.
After lunch, Friends were free to join in a wealth of interest groups, including avoiding burnout, radical inclusiveness of different beliefs among friends, and a discussion of University Friends Meeting’s corporate Year of Discernment. John Calvi then led an all-ages workshop giving Friends some brief training in hands-on healing.
A leisurely dinner was followed by singing and a plenary introducing next year’s budget, and the nomination slate. A tender and weighty discussion of a minute on Torture that has been seasoning throughout the Yearly Meeting this past year followed.The full text of the proposed minute is available at http://npym.org/.
As the last rays of sun raked across the hill, the band started up in the ballroom next door, and Friends of all ages contra danced the night away to the melodic ministrations of the Sleeping Child String Band.