Quaker

Last week, I lost a job I'd had for less than a month when the venture collapsed under its own weight. Less than ten minutes later, I got a call from a good friend based in D.C. who said, Sara, we need you here and we need you here now. Swing Semester needs you. We are not only placing students into swing states for the election-cycle and providing them with good Friendly hosts families, we are creating an intergenerational experience, a syllabus for both host families and the students,

Sensing no stops and the abundance of opportunities to change the lives of young people and the course of my country, I said yes, and three days later I was packing my bags, kissing my sweetheart farewell and flying from San Francisco to Washington DC.

On the plane, I thought of Spirit. What does it mean to do political and spiritual work simultaneously? How do we know we are being led by the Spirit? I thought of how fast it all is, making a decision in less than 48 hours to move across the country. Not exactly typical Quaker process. Yet that is what we are asking people to do, to decide, quickly, to go from interest to action. To stop just reading papers and talking to class mates about politics and to go out there and do something. To let their lives speak for what they believe. I am asking young people to do what I did.

It was 2004 and I was ending a glorious year at Quaker Center in California. I was floating and a bit lost as to where to go next. So when a friend recommended Swing Semester, I said, wow! Great!

Flying into Cleveland, Ohio, joining a host family and meeting my house-mate, a wonderful Unitarian, I had no idea what I was in for. Later, we moved into the large Cleveland Meeting House. It was there that I found my sanctuary, and began to understand some of the complexities of faith, politics, American life and my personal daily salvation that I never could have learned through books or if I had stayed in California. Outsiders may not always be particularly welcomed, but being one teaches you things in a way nothing else can.

I pounded on the doors of hundreds of Midwestern Americans of all colors, backgrounds and social classes. I had doors slammed in my face and dogs growl at me. Four years later I still remember the apathy I saw in the eyes peering out from behind the half-cracked door, an apathy that angered me and fueled my entry into journalism and later despair and empowerment work and my over-riding interest in human spiritual development at the communal level.

I also had people welcome me in. I still remember one woman inviting me into her small dining room, giving me a cup of tea and freshly baked cookie, to sit and discuss the ins and outs of voting and these particular candidates. It was delightful.

And then there was the team. There are no bonds like election team bonds. The thrill of elections, the potential to make a difference and to run a good hard clean race can be addicting.

But I suspect my greatest growth came at the meeting house, in the long discussions my housemate and I had about our lives. What was progress, and what was faith, and what was politics? Where were the churches? Where was the community? Why were people not fighting for justice, and a fair economy? Now I ask, why are we not in the streets fighting for a green economy? I sat in silence a lot, pouring over my Faith and Practice, looking for answers in a way I never had before, because never before had I so felt the fate of a nation resting on the work that I, and many others, were doing. I was never as upset that Kerry lost as many of friends back home. I had, after all, acted.

In the end, I realized I was most disturbed by the spiritual questions: why was there so much apathy and so much despair? These are Americans, in the richest country in the world (especially four years ago). Why did they not feel that their voice, their vote, mattered?

And I saw that, on some level, true political development and true human and spiritual development were not separate subjects. Our ability to work together for a common cause and to create the rules, regulations and declarations that will determine our mutual destiny is a key part of our spiritual practice as Quakers, and it is one much needed on a national and international level. We are as we relate, and politics is the realm of relationships.

I also decided that door-to-door canvassing right before an election was not going to change the underlying problems in this country.

So why am I supporting Swing Semester again? Partly because Way Opened. But more than that, Swing semester 2008, unlike 2004, has a syllabus for young people to look deeply into these questions together with their host families and that will lead to greater human development.

And I know there is nothing like going door-to-door far from home to teach you about America. And I believe we are obligated to engage in politics, especially at a time like this, when the very future of life itself hinges on our collective actions.

I remember on the train home, through the glories of mid-November between Chicago and California, the moment that I realized that I am, indeed, a patriot. I love our country. It is not always an easy love.

But we have the potential to create a clean'n'green economy, to facilitate international conversations about climate change and security, to bring cutting edge ideas to the fore in every field, to learn from one another, to be not the best country but a strong and wise country, to have interfaith communities - to hold one another accountable , to pursue truth, freedom, and happiness.

If you would like to participate in Swing Semester, then I humbly invite you to do so. If you know of young people (age 18-26) who might be interested, then I invite you to call them and ask them. It is an adventure - and a service to our country. And may all that we do be of service to God.

www.swingsemester.org

Today we are approaching one of the most exciting and important elections in American history.  This September, Swing Semester is supporting passionate young people in venturing out to swing states for intensive progressive work through the election cycle.  At present, Swing Semester is the sole organization parachuting young people to swing states, where every day will make a difference.
Further, we connect participants with host families to engage in this vital election, provide a leading edge syllabus to incorporate practice with theory, secure participants paying jobs, and link them with like-minded young people (age 18-26).

When we did this in 2004, past participants told us that this program 'changed their life' and 2004 hosts are eager to host again. Join us today to take a stand for the direction of your country.

From interest to action sara...@gmail.org, 510 529 1503

It’s amazing to see so many young adults being kindled by the spark/fire of our Quaker tradition. Let’s bring the flame back to our home meetings and churches and let our beacons blaze! –Jeffrey Hipp

This was a good starting point: we learned to love each other so we can begin building the coalition we so desire. –Zachary Dutton

I felt overwhelmed by the presence of the Spirit and awed at the many forms in which all of us have lived its testimony. I see so much more breadth to God that I am humbled to have thought I understood so much about the Divine. –Stephanie Speicher

I felt this weekend was an important journey for myself and others. I was challenged, but held, I made mistakes, but was forgiven, and most vitally, I was held accountable to respond to God’s call for me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. –Stephen Dotson

I heard and felt the presence of God speaking into my heart. I was dismantled, and told to go rebuild myself, to be ready to respond with spiritual ability when I am called. –Gavin White

This conference was a gathering of Friends of all types, all branches and it was very encouraging to witness the coming together of Friends, who have been separated for so long. –Benjamin Pressley

It was full of vitality, yearning, loving, urgency and unity. –Cassie Wright

We are a gathered people, covered, held, fragile and whole, “rising up” good and imperfect. –Blake Lipsett

During this meaningful time together it has been reaffirming for me that the Spirit guides us on our path throughout all seasons of the year. –Lilia Fick

It is incredible to feel Spirit with this community, and I feel my horizons of Quakerism feel so much wider and richer, and I am excited to continue this exploration together. –Jane Broadbent

The conference nourished a deep spiritual hunger in me. I didn’t realize how deep this hunger was until I began to taste of the meal shared by all who were present. –Andrew Banks

An opportunity to be challenged to deepen my faith. –Laura Goren

If Friends are faithful to the spirit they found here, if we act that faith out in our lives, there shouldn’t be any fear that Friends’ love and ministry won’t continue for a long, long time. –Cara Curtis

A covered gathering is the result of intentional expectancy of all participants. I felt that here this weekend. –Kate Newlin

I expected to be refocused. I didn’t expect to be transformed. We are called. –Anonymous

We need to be doing this as much as possible to provide enough space and time for all prophetic witness and communion and growth. We are learning how to be free and Truthful and loving…isn’t that awesome?!?! –Greg Elliot

The energy among all those gathered was so uplifting and infectious I felt almost dizzy from the experience. It was amazing. –Anonymous

The opportunity for self discovery was overwhelming. –Kelly Ackerman

It was a great atmosphere for connecting with others personally and spiritually- there was more of a feel of openness than at Burlington. –Joseph Mendoza

It was great to come together and lay aside some of our fears to play, worship, and learn together. –Jonathan Goff

Liberal unprogrammed. Evangelical. Christ centered. Conservative. We all have ideas and stereotypes about what these titles mean, but at this conference the most important thing we learned is that NO ONE fits neatly into a box. –Ruth Lowe

I truly feel like I am living in the Light when we gather here. –John Lavin

An excellent opportunity to build relationships with Friends from all branches, from around the country. –Johanna R

This is a truly awesome experience for any young adult Friend looking for fellowship, support and fun! –Jennifer Bowman

This conference and what happened here was an answer to my prayers. To be able to meet and speak with Friends about community, our faith, and how we are living and how we desire to live our lives, to practice caring for one another and lifting up our concerns and gifts within a gathered and loving group is what I have hoped for myself, for young people, and for the Religious Society of Friends as a while. I pray we will being this energy, Spirit, Love and Knowing back to our communities, religious and secular alike and set the world alight with this life we have found here. We are finding together. –Carly Fritner

I feel continued gatherings like this are so important to our future, as individuals, and a collective society to continue to build community amongst ourselves and work to grow our faith and live faithfully in the world. –Carly Fritner

The YAF conference was one of the most challenging and formative ways for me to connect with the Spirit across the diversity of our faith. One can feel a visceral sense of purpose and Spirit urgently awaiting realization in our generation. –Anonymous

Good work in beginning young adult exploration of trust, fun and interfaith dialogue. –Anonymous

A transformational experience- it exceeded my expectations and failed to meet my fears. –Seth Barch

The conference allowed me to feel and to experience how God’s love is flowing through all of us, and gave me hope about further dialogue and friendships between all of us. –Anonymous

It was a deeply spiritual and transformational experience of fellowship with bright and faithful friends. –Newell Pledger-Shinn

Young Friends are alive and well. –Anonymous

The YAF conference encouraged me to be open to the similarities and diversities among Friends and helped me to really sit with what I believe and why I hold those beliefs. –Katie Terrell

I think YAF’s are a force to be reckoned with, meaning we have a ministry that will die if it is not nurtured. Sorry to be so fatalistic but that’s what I feel. –Tai Amri Spann-Wilson

Through worship and fellowship, I began to see all the work we have ahead of us as a Society, all the work I have ahead in me as a seeker, how difficult that work will be, and how joyous it can become. –Elias Sanchez-Eppler

This is the future of our society, and it’s good. –Nathan Sebens

Young Adult Friends need this. Friends need this. And we are only beginning. -Noah Baker Merrill

Personally challenging and overwhelming, but amazing to see a society growing and lifting each other up. –Becca Ivanoff

A moving experience which challenged me to grow within and reminded us all to live the unity of our family. –Ravi Joshi

If only young people around the globe felt communion with each other such as this, the world would know peace. –Anonymous

I loved every minute of it. –Mac Lemann

Caroline Anderson(This entry was originally posted on the Friends Committee for National Legislation Intern Blog, Of Peace and Politics, and with Caroline's permission is also posted below.)

 

At our staff meeting last Monday folks were understandably upset about some of the shenanigans Congress has gotten into lately. Some of the elder staffers were waxing nostalgic for protest movements set to folk tunes, and I could see visions of Bob Dylan and marches on Washington dancing in their heads.

I didn't want to seem flip about the need to oppose current disastrous policies promoted by Congress and the President, but I also wanted to say (in the most respectful way possible) - snap out of it!

How can we get the message to Congress that what they're doing isn't right? By using the methods of the past? Perhaps. But it's going to be awfully hard to find people who are willing to do it.

Who has the time to protest? Not professionals who are the responsible heads of organizations and companies. They can't be spared for enough time to trek to Washington, or devote hours and hours to protesting outside the district offices of their members of Congress. They simply don't have the time. It is instead the youth that must protest, must take the time to park themselves in front of offices and government buildings, and then follow up that demonstration of opinions by actually voting.

But for the large part, my generation doesn't seem to have the will to take time out of their lives and protest. Why? The country is in an even worse mess than we were in 1968, mired in a war and a slumping economy at the same time. And yet we sit at our desks, or go to class, not taking advantage of our right to assemble and protest this awfulness.

Is it that we don't have opinions on these issues?

No, but we have been taught over the past eight years (when most of us were learning about government and first exercising our right to vote) that what we think doesn't matter. That when we want something to change, it won't. That even when we protest, nothing will change. I was on one of the 6 buses that traveled down to Washington from Bryn Mawr in the spring of 2004 to join the March for Women's Lives. That march seemed full of hope and promise, and I felt that we were going to be listened to, to make a difference. And yet, in the years that followed, almost everything we were protesting against that day happened. It gets a girl a bit discouraged.

I remember that after the 2004 election one of the college freshwomen I was advising reported to me that she reacted to the results of the elections in this manner:

"Caroline, first I cried, then I threw up, and then I cried some more."

This is not the reaction of someone who is apathetic toward the issues. What it is is the reaction of someone who feels helpless, who feels that all she can do is cry and get sick, because her vote and her actions won't make any difference.

As we moved out of college and into the real world, the economy tanked. I think this pushed us even more firmly into offices and safe jobs and away from mass marches. If we turned our backs on employment and steady income to protest or organize we would fall behind, not find another job, be consumed by the tidal waves of the failing economy. The closest I ever came to organizing was canvassing for New Jersey PIRG and the Sierra Club, a job which I took and threw all my energy into for the paycheck as much as for the satisfaction of protecting the environment. We also know that we're pretty much on our own for retirement. We can't count on Social Security or a pension to protect us there.

We also feel deeply angry that the generation who caused global warming is not doing anything to stop it (We mean you President Bush, the House of Representative, and the Senate), leaving us with a problem that threatens our and our children's future.

Ultimately, we're mad as hell, but afraid to do anything about it. When the environment is failing, the military gets more money than education or healthcare and is still over extended, and there's little hope for the economy, the first instinct is to protect ourselves. And that's what we're doing.

Clearly I'm not presenting any solutions here, and my parents' might think that I'm whining about my situation. But darn it. How do you expect young people to work up the will to protest when we are mired in a malaise that seemingly has no end? Also, we can't afford the gas to come to Washington and the national train system is too slow and expensive to do the job.

Query for Friends: How do you witness or protest in your life?

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to let Friends know about an awesome new pamphlet that the Youth Ministries Committee was involved in publishing. It’s called Coming into Friendship as a Gift: the Journey of a Young Adult Friend, and it’s written by a YAF from Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association. It’s a beautiful account of her journey to Quakerism, and everyone who helped her along the way. She also acknowledges that many YAFs have not had experiences like her own, and that we need to work together as a religious society to create a truly intergenerational, whole spiritual community. At the end of the pamphlet, she gives a number of different examples and suggestions of how monthly meetings can support younger Friends, and how we can all engage with one another. It also includes queries and a resource list. I highly recommend it!

From the back cover, “By naming the gifts she has received from her meetings, Christina Van Regenmorter offers a resource both for younger Friends and for meetings striving to welcome, support and nurture the young people in their midst. Christina notes:

It can be tempting to look at the absence of young faces in our meeting houses and blame it on the ‘digital age’ or on young people needing ‘something more lively.’ However, I would like to hold up the possibility that people coming into Quaker meetings are not looking for a certain prevailing skin phenotype or age presence, but for the Spirit to be evident in the lives of the Friends who are there. I believe that they, like me, ache to have a spiritual community where they feel truly seen, truly held, and deeply challenged.”

Deborah Shaw, the Assistant Director of Friends Center and Campus Ministry at Guilford College writes “If Friends desire their meeting to be a spiritual community where love is the first motion and a place where young Friends feel welcomed, nurtured and supported, prayerful engagement with this text would be a fruitful place to begin.”

Angelina Conti, a Philadelphia YAF says of this book, "As a relatively active young adult Friend I am often asked where all the other young adult Friends are -- what meetings can do to be open, welcoming faith communities where teenagers and young adults feel seen, nurtured, and needed. I am so thankful for this book, its author, and the Youth Ministries Committee for making this story and its accompanying queries and suggestions available. Christina Van Regenmorter's experience is as teachable as it is inspiring, and provides a powerful model for meetings under the weight of youth concerns (while also offering several good tools for young adults themselves). Our meetings are not whole when they lack the presence and ministry of young people, and this pamphlet offers a powerful place to begin to work towards wholeness."

Check it out at http://www.quakerbooks.org/coming_into_friendship_as_a_gift.php

Happy reading! In peace, Emily

YAF Conference 2008: Taken by Ruth Murray

 

For a bigger shot, go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/quakeryouth/pool/

 

Hey Friends, This is the awesome skit that Maya Wright wrote for the YAF Conference. Author’s Note: Anyone is welcome and encouraged to re-perform this skit, with or without alterations. Please tell me about it if you do! Directions for downloading the skit. Click on the highlighted blue word "attachment" below. It will take you to another page. On that page the attachment will be listed as Quakerism in 10 pts Skit.doc. Just click the document and it should open in Word. Let me know if you have any problems. emi...@fgcquaker.org Peace to all, Emily