Continuing Sessions Rewind
Last weekend, Friends from across the four states of our PYM footprint came together for Spring Continuing Sessions. We learned, listened and felt the joyous presence of Spirit in community while we explored the 2024 Sessions theme, “Called to Healing.” Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business was held on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and minutes from business sessions will be on the website in coming days. Because the Annual Sessions schedule is shorter this summer (July 6-7), our times for business at Continuing Sessions weekends are being extended.
Friday evening Sessions opened with worship and a panel discussion on Zoom moderated by Lilia Fick. Friends Clinton Pettus, Lisa Bellet Collins and Amy Kietzman each shared reflections on how we are calling to healing from the perspective of their ministries of healing in the world. Listening, forgiveness, openness to Spirit, and trust were common themes that threaded through the reflections.
Saturday: Morning Business and Afternoon Program
For the second year in a row, Saturday took place in a regional model; five local meetings opened their doors for hybrid meeting for business and an in-person afternoon program. Local meeting hosts included Princeton, Millville, Lancaster, Camden (DE), and Arch Street Meeting House. An online group was the sixth place Friends gathered that afternoon.
The afternoon program began with a question: How are Quakers – past and present – active in this year’s Sessions theme, “Called to Healing?” Friends participated in an intergenerational and engaging afternoon of “reader’s theater” to find out! Each regional location and Friends on Zoom worked with short plays from the book Quaker Plays for First Days by Thomas Leverett.
Participants had the chance to act out the lives of Lucretia Mott, John Bartram, and Vietnam-era anti-war activists. There were costumes! There were props! But most importantly, there was time to explore what these stories mean to us today and how we each answer the call to healing in our own lives.
Intervisitation
One of the greatest joys Friends experience at Sessions is the chance to come together across meetings and quarters, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. During Spring Continuing Sessions, regional host sites become hubs for intervisitation between meetings, and we love to see it! Every site welcomed Friends from at least one other meeting:
- Mickleton Friends went to Princeton Meeting
- Harrisburg Friends went to Lancaster Meeting
- Third Haven and Chester River went to Camden (DE) Meeting
- State College Friends went to Millville Meeting
Stories from Regional Host Meetings
PYM Staff journeyed to the regional sites and joined online to help facilitate the program with Sessions Coordinating Committee members and have shared snapshots of the time together —
Princeton
A small group of Friends braved a torrential downpour to gather at Princeton Meeting. And began the afternoon with a delicious pasta and meatball lunch. Then they sat in an intimate circle to read and reflect on the play ‘Bartram’s Flower: The Life and Times of John Bartram, Colonial Botanist’ by Thomas Leverett. A child participant gave a fiery performance as a redcoat! Friends admired John Bartram’s faith in the value of his work, despite adversity and fearful doubt in the community. Bartram’s courage resonated deeply with the group. There was rich discussion about how Friends do not always agree but strive to come to peaceful resolution and unity. It was certainly a ‘call to healing’ to share experiences of the hard road it can be to find peace! The day ended with Worship, hugs, and hope to see each other again soon.
Millville
At Millville Meeting, the northernmost regional site, Friends participated in PYM meeting for business over Zoom, had a delicious lunch including homemade soup, and spent the afternoon program exploring the life and times of John Bartram, colonial botanist. A reader’s theater experience of the play about Bartram led to conversation about following leadings and also how fear, distrust of the “other,” and generational trauma can impact community and inclusion. There were also wonderful connections to the play made by Friends present! Hearing the subject, someone exclaimed that John Bartram is a hero of theirs and shared that they planted in their yard at home the rare tree Bartram helped rescue from extinction! The play also describes Anne Bartram “having her eye” on John as a prospective spouse, and a meeting member remembered with tenderness the story of a now-deceased couple in the meeting having a similar story that led to their marriage. The afternoon ended with worship and a deep sense of connection.
Lancaster
A dozen Friends gathered at Lancaster despite the deluge of rain to meet for Business, before joining together in fellowship over potluck lunch of pizza, chili and homemade bread. After lunch, Friends discussed what it means to them to be “called to healing,” how many issues today reflect the issues of the 1870’s and read through a play depicting the life of Lucretia Mott. Friends connected to her story and were able to see themselves reflected in her life. Everyone went home being appreciative of being together and able to connect with others from surrounding meetings.
Camden (DE)
Friends from four meetings gathered for the day at Camden Friends Meeting in Camden, DE. Some Friends participated in morning business via Zoom, and others arrived later for a delicious potluck lunch and fellowship. Following lunch, the group gathered to read, act out, and discuss “The Life and Times of Lucretia Coffin Mott.” There was a role for everyone, and after a spirited read-through of the play, the group settled into a deeper discussion about Lucretia Mott and how her life speaks to us now. The sharing focused on new things that we learned, ways that Friends feel connected to Lucretia, how her story can inform our call to healing, and ways that we can look to her life to help us with current difficulties. The warm and friendly gathering closed with some time for quiet worship.
Arch Street
An intergenerational group of Friends gathered at Arch Street on Saturday. It was a joy to look around the room and see children, young adults, second-thirds and older Friends well-represented. We broke into three groups, each exploring one of the three plays. Many felt joy seeing an eight-year-old performing “young Lucretia” in the Lucretia Mott play. And we were delighted by former presiding Clerk Frank Barch’s portrayal of John Bartram! The group that explored the Vietnam War protest play went to powerful depths together, and tears were shed as Friends reflected on personal experiences of loss and grief about the current state of war in the world. In our closing reflections, Friends shared gratitude for the opportunity to blend play and seriousness, and to connect personal experiences with these stories. We closed with worship and gratitude.
And Online!
Friends joining from home also experienced the power of these Quaker plays. Like at Arch Street, three breakout rooms offered space to explore each of the three plays – all of which were great hits! Reflection and sharing were felt deeply.
Sunday: All Together Worship
Sunday afternoon’s business session was preceded by All Together Worship in the morning. Friends joined from meetinghouses and living rooms in our Sessions tradition of gathering for worship online, across the Yearly Meeting. The intergenerational, semi-programmed worship opened this time with communal chants shared by Paulette Meier (Community Friends Meeting, Ohio Valley YM), whose music is known to many Friends. Paulette described: “We will sing chants composed of Quaker quotations that I initially set to melody as a way to remember and embody their profound spiritual wisdom. Chanting inspirational words has been part of contemplative traditions throughout time; the practice moves us out of our heads and into our hearts and bodies till the words become part of us in a much deeper way.” Friends on screen could be seen joining in from home, before we settled into waiting worship together for the rest of the time.
Called to Hosting?
Would your meeting like to be a host for Spring Continuing Sessions March 8, 2025? Reach out to Sessions & Events Coordinator, Tara Rubinstein, to start a conversation: Trubinstein@pym.org
