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Simply Speaking Jamestown Friends Meeting – 509 Guilford Rd – PO Box 2163 – Jamestown NC 27282
August 2020
Silence. We say that silence is God’s first language, but how does one find silence? The clam-or in today’s society is deafening. The news is al-ways blaring, even when we have the television turned off, because if you are like me, your mind is asking what is going on in the world. And when we are listening to or reading the news there are so many choices, so many stations, so many publications to choose from to obtain the news. When I’m out and about, cars, trucks, and motorcycles come roaring by, many with their favorite music blasting out through their open windows, oftentimes vibrating so that even my vehicle picks up those vibrations. Our lives, our bodies, our spirits need silence. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1) Yes, we long for the silence where we find our God and our Savior. For in times of trouble, in dark times when all hope seems lost, we turn, we race, we pant toward the security of our relationship, our friend-ship with the Living God. I search high and low to find that place, that time where I can quiet my body, my mind, my spirit and be alone with God, to sit in
Light Workers
courage and endurance, to live the life of the spirit, true to the teachings of Jesus and guidance from our tradition. May we all find the time and place where we can still the turmoil, and in silence gather ourselves into the Living God. In the Spirit, Frank Massey pastoral minister 336.454.3813
Proverbs 21:23
[The one] who guards [their] mouth and [their] tongue, Guards [their] soul from troubles. Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/How-Silence-Is-Wise
“The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace.” ~ Proverb
“Silence is sometimes the best answer.” ~ Dalai Lama
Psalm 07282020
In this dark morning hour
I rise early
To meet Thee, my Lord
My Savior in times of trial.
In these dark times
I turn to You
For strength And Light.
You are my fortress
You are my Lighthouse
My refuge
In this dark hour.
Go before me, open the way
Guide my steps
That I may
Survive this dark night.
Music Notes By Beth Massey
The pandemic rages on, and it seems to come closer to home every day! The time when we en-joyed safely singing together in spaces close enough to actually hear one another seem farther and farther in the past. Videos of group singing with live audi-ences interacting with performers bring nostalgia, and apprehension, and grief . . . How long before we can do this again?
For now we must live in the question, in so many questions . . . One wisdom we might glean from this time on Earth is that we don’t know every-thing! In fact, the more we know, the more we learn that we don’t know! When we must make decisions with incomplete information, we realize that part of that decision-making process by necessity relies on processes that are not totally intellectual, and not total-ly emotional. We must integrate our whole being to move forward in faith, trusting that we have done the best we can, and the rest is beyond our control! We must trust that a Higher Power of Love and Light is working in us, and in others, in ways we cannot know. We can only pray and trust.
The reason this is part of a “Music Notes” arti-cle is because singing helps us human beings integrate our whole being—our mind, our body, our emotions, our spirit. This is a very important reason to keep singing through this time of crisis. Especially when the crisis is exacerbating emotions swirling around so many other issues that have been subdued for so long. When we sing together, we improve our own holistic well-being. When we sing together, we im-prove the holistic well-being of our communi-ty. When we sing together, we improve the holistic well-being of our neighbors. When we sing together, we improve our understanding of people and situa-tions different from our own—we improve our ability to empathize. All these are so important to our ability to problem-solve and deal creatively and constructive-ly with new and challenging situations. I encourage you to do an internet search for the “health benefits of singing” and be prepared to get lost in links to TED talks, scientific journals, . . . Rise up and Sing (the writings of Annie Patterson and Peter Blood)* . . . So many reasons to COME SING WITH US! -- not to 509 Guilford Road just yet, but each week to our ZOOM gatherings. Our choir has been enjoying our Wednesday night ZOOM meetings for singing so much that we decided to continue them through the summer. We’ve even decided to share the joy by inviting all our meeting community to join us once a month for mid-week singing.
Financial Statement
Reported by Ronnie Hicks
(Through June 2020)
Contributions/Revenues (actual) $31,302
Contributions/Revenues (budget) $37,302
Expenses (actual) $33,821
Expenses (budget) $34,243
So, on the third Wednesday of August (19th) look in your morning email for an invita-tion to that evening’s choir ZOOM, from 6-7:00 pm. We usually open the ZOOM at 5:45, and close by 7:15 to give time for catch up and follow up with each other. We look forward to increasing our joy as we share an evening of singing with you!
*Remember, hymnals are available for check-out from the meeting house. Just let us know when you want to pick up a set to use at home until we return to singing together in the meeting room.
**Three of the MANY resources available online to learn about the health benefits of singing:
• From Annie Patterson and Peter Blood: https://www.riseupandsing.org/singing/health-benefits
• From the University of Oxford:
“Choir singing improves health, happiness -- and is the perfect icebreaker.”
https://theconversation.com/choir-singing-improves-health-happiness-and-is-the-perfect-icebreaker-47619
• From Lifehack.com: 21 Incredible Benefits of Singing That Will Impress You:
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/21-incredible-benefits-singing-that-will-impress-you.html
Did You Know? By Kathy Adams
During these days of physical isolation, it is chal-
lenging to enjoy travel. However, Mark and Virginia Sills
have found a way! They purchased a small, pop-up camp-
er designed to be pulled by a motorcycle. It is easily
pulled by their car. They have enjoyed a camping trip to a
NC beach and they are currently visiting their daughter in
Michigan. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Chester
and Brenda Haworth enjoyed their annual family vacation
to Kiawah Island, SC. Frank and Beth Massey are plan-
ning a family beach trip in August.
Ron and Pam Hicks were excited to welcome
Lora home from South Africa. Lora returned July 18th
after a 23-hour reparation flight. She had to go through
Frankfurt, Germany and Atlanta., Georgia. She is doing
well, although she’s still a little jet lagged.
We offer our sincere sympathy to Wallace Sills
on the deaths of his aunt Marceil Sills and his brother
Wardell Sills. Please remember to hold Wallace in the
Light. We also offer our sincere sympathy to the family
of Bob Medford who died on July 27, 2020. Bob was a
resident of Friends Homes Guilford. He was proud of his
role in encouraging the establishment of Jamestown
Friends Meeting. Bob was chairperson of the NC Yearly
Meeting Church Extension Committee during that era.
Rudy and Carla Padron have had a difficult few
weeks as both have been battling the symptoms of
COVID-19. Carla spent a week in the hospital while
Rudy stayed at the office to avoid spreading the virus to
other family members. Dee Dee Cortinas took care of the
family in their absence. Let’s continue to hold them in the
Light.
And now you know!
Allow
By Danna Faulds
There is no controlling life.
Try corralling a lightning bolt,
containing a tornado. Dam a
stream and it will create a new
channel. Resist, and the tide
will sweep you off your feet.
Allow, and grace will carry
you to higher ground. The only
safety lies in letting it all in –
the wild and the weak; fear,
fantasies, failures and success.
When loss rips off the doors of
the heart, or sadness veils your
vision with despair, practice
becomes simply bearing the truth.
In the choice to let go of your
known way of being, the whole
world is revealed to your new eyes.
Retrieved from: https://www.oceanrobbins.com/allow-a-poem-by-danna-faulds/
NC Fellowship of Friends
Annual Gathering
NCFF will have its annual gathering on Au-
gust 15 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Zoom. Con-
tact Frank Massey at jamestownfriendsmeet-
[email protected] for more information.
Name That Quaker
By Linda Willard
In 1893, we traded in our horses and buggies for a more modern mode of transportation. Who were we and what was the more modern mode of
transportation?
(Answer on a different page.)
USFW Annual Gathering Offering
Friends Center: Guilford College
Special project (Campus Ministry)
If you would like to contribute, mark your check for
USFW.
Quaker Lake Update
From Heather Varner
This spring, due to COVID-19, Quaker Lake
Camp missed out on the opportunity to hold Spring Camp
or the Flashlight Egg Hunt, plus the camp lost thousands
of dollars in rental revenue from numerous cancelled
events. Summer camp was also cancelled. Quaker Lake is
counting on you and others who love QLC to help sustain
it through this difficult time. Staff have worked hard to
pare down the budget to the minimum needed to maintain
facilities and sustain operations through the end of the
year. Contributions are needed to help minimize the reve-
nue shortfall and ensure there are funds available to pro-
vide ministry opportunities when it is safe to do so.
Gifts can be made by mail (payable to QLC Foun-
dation and mailed to 1503 N.C. Highway 62 East, Climax,
NC 27233) or online at www.quakerlakecamp.org/qlc-
foundation.
You are invited to a
Virtual Baby Shower!
Join us on Zoom for a virtual baby shower for
Olivia Tibbs on Sunday, August 16 at 1:30 PM. Olivia
will be at the meetinghouse to open gifts while Friends
and family watch on Zoom in order to keep Olivia and
little Zayden Takoda Hunter Tibbs safe from the corona-
virus. Look for a Zoom link in your email so that you can
join the virtual shower. Olivia is registered at Target.
Opportunities for Service
Lynne Gray will pick up nonperishable food
items at the meetinghouse on Friday, August 14 by noon.
Please place items in the yellow classroom or in the crate
under the drive-through. Thanks, Lynne, for your faithful
service in helping to keep folks in Guilford County fed!
JFM will prepare a meal for the Open Door Shel-
ter on August 22. If you would like to help, contact Frank
Massey. These items are needed: turkey, roast beef, or
pimiento cheese sandwiches, Cole slaw, green beans,
oatmeal cookies, canned/bottled sodas or water, and
homemade desserts.
August Birthdays
August 1 Seth Huffstetler
August 3 Eliza Huffstetler
August 3 Luke Huffstetler
August 4 Jesse Harris
August 6 Bobby Yount
August 9 Keith Charles
August 9 Linda Willard
August 12 Antonella Padron
August 14 Courtney Hazen
August 17 Heather Harris
August 27 Robbie Patterson
August 31
Simply Speaking is published monthly for
Jamestown Friends Meeting
509 Guilford Road, PO Box 2163
Jamestown NC 27282
Phone: (336) 454 3813
E-mail: [email protected]
Editor: Kathy Adams; Managing Editor: Wallace Sills
Columnists: Frank Massey, pastor; Beth Massey
According to Susan...Bulla, that is
Points to Ponder...
• Why do we say something is out of whack ? What's a
whack?
• Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
• Why if we are not supposed to have midnight
snacks, is there a light in the refrigerator?
• Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitos?
Answer to “Name That Quaker”
We were Dr. D.A. Stanton and Dr. J.J. Cox. We traded our horses and buggies for bicy-
cles.