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Midyear Meeting 2001, April 28-29Once again Bear Creek Meetinghouse near Earlham, Iowa was the scene of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Midyear Meeting held April 28-29. Those attending from Penn Valley Meeting were Kent, Barb, Mary Pat and Marcy Luetke-Stahlman; Jim and Ginger Kenney; Rachel and Matthew MacNair; Cathy Gardner; Ruth and Matt Maulsby; and John and Reva Griffith. The weather was near perfect, not even a hint of the usual snow.Because of schedule conflicts, attendance was less than sometimes. There were activities for Junior Yearly Meeting age children, and child care was provided for infants during the hours of adult activities. High school and college age youth attended the sessions or found fellowship in their own activities. Resource person Paul Lacey presented three sessions on the topic "Inviting the Inward Teacher." Paul, a retiring Professor of English at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, was able to engage Friends in the topic from the first session where he spoke of "Developing the Moral Imagination" using John Woolman as a source. In the second session, small groups gathered to focus around an excerpt from a Pendle Hill pamphlet written by Mildred Binns Young as we considered our own witnesses. In the final session Sunday morning, Paul led the group in considering reflections on opening ourselves as we worship together. The three sessions furnished the group with opportunities for thought, expression and spiritual refreshment laced with appropriate humor. The AFSC sale was a whopping success, netting over $800 for the Iowa and Kansas City AFSC projects. As usual, the food was excellent and the hospitality outstanding. Most of all, this time for reentering one another's lives was precious. -Reva Griffith, reporting |