Greetings:
Pennsdale Friends meeting continues to serve as a spiritual seekers haven, despite the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.
In the past year we re-affirmed our support of Friend Barry Bishop’s chaplaincy among the women inmates at SCI-Muncy. The pandemic during the early part of the year effectively shut down much of his direct contact with the women participants in Quaker and Buddhist worship groups. He used this time to write newsletters for the women in which he explored the lives of several early Quaker influencers.
The meeting also went on record as supporting the volunteer work of Friend Juanita Bishop at SCI Muncy.
Making ourselves known as a living, spiritual community was the focus of our use of a website. Friend Karen Frock has been a stalwart leader in educating us on web domain issues. While we are still exploring how best to use the website, we felt it lets seekers know we are not just caretakers of our historic building.
And yet we are caretakers of this 1799 meetinghouse, with all the projects that entails, from dealing with insect infestations to securing professional help for the trees with which we share this land.
Friends also continue addressing burial ground issues. Many of the markers, some dating to the 18th century, are weathered and time worn. We plan to continue documenting the stones and their inscriptions using safe conservation methods and developing a comprehensive map of burial sites using current technology and reconciling discrepancies between various records. This has historical importance, as well as for the families who contact us or visit to seek relatives’ burial sites.
The meeting has also tentatively approved a minute on gun violence. It says, in part, “we do not oppose hunting but we do oppose the deliberate killing of other human beings.” We are urging governments to “remove from our midst the means for individuals to wage personal war against unsuspecting and unprotected citizens.”
Recipients of charitable support were Friends General Conference, United Churches of Lycoming County, American Friends Service Committee, Alternatives to Violence, plus Upper Susquehanna Quarter and our covenant to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
Lycoming College relaxed their Covid restrictions and the TKE fraternity was again allowed to join us for our annual leaf rake in October. The weather did not co-operate, but it was gratifying to resume the feeling of normalcy, sharing a brief worship, a noon meal and welcome conversation.
Sadly, for the second year in a row we cancelled our community Christmas carol sing. We believe that, given the state of the pandemic, such a large, indoor gathering, with singing, posed too great a risk.
And yet we abide in joyful communion as faithful witnesses to the power of the Inner Light to shine in dark, uncertain times. This particular area is one important outcome from prayerful consideration of the Spiritual State of the Meeting reports.
