Goose Creek Friends

Newsletter September 2017

Goose Creek Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Lincoln, Virginia

Queries for Ninth Month: Peace

How does my life reflect the virtue of that life and power which takes away the occasion for war?
Where there are hatred, division, and strife, how are we instruments of reconciliation and love?
How do our lives illustrate our understanding of the basis of our peace testimony?
As we work for peace, are we nourished by peace within and among ourselves?
How do we regard those we believe have harmed us or others?
How does this affect our spiritual lives?

Monthly Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business,

Eighth Month:
The Clerk read a letter from the Mid-Columbia Friends Worship Group of Kennewick, Washington, asking us
to welcome Meghan Goldman, her husband, Collins Conover, and their two young sons, Andrew and Matthew.
The family has moved to Waterford.
Baltimore Yearly Meeting Young Friends will meet at Goose Creek the last weekend in September.
The annual report of the Ministry and Oversight Committee was read and approved with thanks.
Friends approved a donation to the Harping For Harmony Foundation to fund five scholarships during the
coming year. In July a Harping for Harmony musician gave a lovely concert after the rise of Meeting one First
Day morning.

Monthly Meeting for Worship with a Concern for Business:

Ninth Month
The annual report of the Library Committee was read and approved with thanks.
Meeting discussed whether we want to install internet service in the Meeting House. Several committee clerks
and other Friends have spoken with the Property Committee about how internet access could help them in their
work. It was decided to lay over this issue, and the Property Committee was asked to provide more details
about the cost. Friends approved purchasing a projector for the Meeting.
Meeting approved the purchase of a sponsors table at the Loudoun County NAACP banquet to be held on
September 23 at the River Creek Country Club. Annie Carlson plans to attend the event and will recruit other
Friends to go with her.
A minute from the Peace and Social Concerns Committee regarding the situation on the Korean peninsula
was read. Friends expressed their concern about the issue, and paused to hold it in the Light. Peace and Social
Concerns was asked to return to next months business meeting with their minute.

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Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | September 2017 | Page 2
Quakerism Sessions beginning
on September 10
Friends are invited to the first in a series of monthly
sessions on Quakerism, to be held on September 10
after the rise of Meeting. Our first two gatherings will
focus on Meeting for Worship and vocal ministry.
Subsequent sessions will be held on the second First
Day of each month.
We will follow the format and orientation of Douglas
Gwyns book A Sustainable Life: Quaker Faith and
Practice in the Renewal of Creation. There are a
number of copies in the Meeting library. According
to Gwyn, throughout its history Quakerism has
emphasized love for God, for ones neighbor, and for
the created order. Examining early Quaker history,
Friends manner of worship, and the testimonies, we
will explore together ways to create sustainable lives
of spiritual practice and service. Sessions will include
opportunities for discussion and personal responses.
Reading Gwyns book is not required, though
familiarity with it will enrich readers as well as our
discussions. You may attend some sessions without
committing to be present every month. We hope you
will plan to participate.
News from Baltimore Yearly
Meetings Annual Session,
August 2017:
The Unity with Nature Committee caused a stir at
BYM Annual Session by creating a Plastic Bag
Monster who roamed the campus for several days.
They showed two movies,Bag It and Addicted
to Plastic, and created a skit about our addiction to
plastic. After the skit, BYM approved a request to
refrain from accepting single-use plastic bags at retail
stores of all kinds, not just grocery stores. Plastic
bags accumulate as permanent, non-biodegradable
plastic film waste, enable a throwaway, consumptive
culture, and support the continued extraction of fossil
fuels.BYM embraced the proposal as a means for
Friends to demonstrate, by individual action, respect
for nature and encouragement of others to join actions
that promote a harmonious relationship with nature.
Stay tuned to more from the Goose Creek Unity with
Nature committee.
The Peace and Social Concerns Committee brought
forward a minute, later approved, to urge continued
diplomacy and economic sanctions instead of military
strikes against North Korea. The minute also includes
the action of contacting the White House, State
Department and US Senate to oppose military action.
The Friends Committee on National Legislation has
links with numbers to call.
BYM approved a new working group on refugees,
immigrants, and sanctuary. This group will have a list
serve, a webpage, and blog. If you would like to sign
up to receive email or other notifications, contact Phil
Caroom at pcaroom@gmail.com.
A Faith and Practice update committee has been
approved, but not yet named.
Debbi Sudduth
From Baltimore Yearly Meeting:
Family Camp Weekend at BYM Camps
Come to camp for a day or for the weekend! There
will be planned activities for the whole family, as well
as work projects for people with all different kinds of
skills. Savor meals together and spend time around
a campfire in the evening. Participants are asked to
contribute according to their ability to pay, $25-50 per
person for the weekend. For additional information
or to register please contact David Hunter, Camp
Property Manager. (301-774-7663 or davidhunter@
bym-rsf.org) For more information, see the BYM
Camps web-site at bymcamps.org/programs/family-
camp-weekends/.
At Shiloh Quaker Camp (Hood, VA):
September 22-24
At Catoctin Quaker Camp (Thurmont, MD):
October 20-22
At Opequon Quaker Camp (Brucetown, VA):
October 27-29
Catoctin Quaker Camps 60th Anniversary!
September 29-October 1. Check the BYM website
for more information to come.
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 Goose Creek Friends Newsletter | September 2017 | Page 3

October 14 Tenth Month Interim Meeting The SPICES Peace

Homewood Friends Meeting (Baltimore, MD) Troupe Returns
Get to know Yearly Meeting Committees and from a Successful
Friends from other Meetings! Be a part of important Workshop at BYM
decision making. Join Friends for morning committee Annual Session
meetings and the afternoons Interim Business At right, Seed
Meeting. Homewood Friends Meeting will host the Balloon Man
Tenth Month Interim Meeting. Friends will begin ponders the
gathering at 10:00am. Committee meetings will begin Troupes next
at 10:30. Check the Yearly Meeting website for more adventure.
information. Check the Yearly Meeting website for
more information.

Join us to Celebrate the Bicentennial of our Meeting House

Saturday, October 21, 10am 3pm
Two hundred years ago, Goose Creek Friends began building our brick Meeting House.
The Bicentennial Committee has been planning a day of family-friendly activities to celebrate
the Meeting Houses bicentenary, and the legacy of Goose Creek and Friends presence here in
this part of Loudoun County. We invite past, present, and future members and attenders,
families, and the greater community to help us celebrate.
In the morning, 10:00 until noon, there will be stations with activities featuring the Meeting House
itself, the stewardship of our old trees, Goose Creek peacemakers, a Goose Creek timeline made by our
First Day School children, Oakdale School, Hannah Janney's stone, and the burying grounds. Lunch
will be served 11:30-1:00. A program with highlights of our history will last from about 1:30-2:30.
Plan to come for the whole day or for part of the day. We open our doors to all our
Friends and friends. We ask that Goose Creek folk bring a side dish to enhance the
lunchtime main dish and beverages that Meeting will provide.
Please RSVP to Sara Brown: SaraBrown8@aol.com or (540) 338-7628.
Page 4 | September 2017 | Goose Creek Friends Newsletter

Sundays Facing Bench

Meeting for worship at 9:45 a.m. SEPTEMBER
First Day School at 10:00 a.m. Catherine Cox
Fellowship at 10:45 a.m.
First Day
Calendar School
SEPTEMBER 09/03/17
9.10 Sunday 11 am Quakerism discussion Youth Led Discussion
9.24 Sunday 11 am Ministry and Oversight Committee Meeting 09/10/17
OCTOBER Bicenntennial Timeline
10.1 Sunday 11 am Meeting for Worship with a Concern 09/17/17
for Business Bicenntennial Timeline
10.8 Sunday 11 am Quakerism discussion 09/24/17
10.15 Sunday 11 am Soup lunch: Come and talk with Sheila and No First Day School Today
Suellen about their experiences at the FGC Child care will be provided
Annual Gathering
10.21 Saturday 10-3 Bicentennial Celebration
10.29 Sunday 11 am Ministry and Oversight Committee Meeting

First Day School, September 2017

09/03/17 We will have an open discussion with the children to speak about
what has happen as of a result from Hurricane Harvey. We would like the
children to think of ways that we can help other children their age. This is
also a great time to speak to our children about what to do in an emergency.
NEWSLETTER
09/10/17 Bicentennial Timeline Project The Goose Creek Friends Newsletter
is published monthly by the
09/17/17 Bicentennial Timeline Project Goose Creek Friends Meeting,
18204 Lincoln Road, P.O. Box 105,
09/24/17 No First Day School Today Watermelon Park Fest Holiday! Child Lincoln, VA 20160.
care will be provided. CLERK
Debbi Sudduth, 540.338.3363
TEEN DISCUSSION GROUP dfsud@comcast.net
If three or more teens (ages 13-17) are present, they are welcome to go to ASSISTANT CLERK
Patricia Barber, 301.432.5706
Allens shop next door for a youth-led discussion group. Students and FAPs patloubar@gmail.com
are encouraged to make sure the conversation stays related to Quakerism. TREASURER
Annie Carlson
goose.creek.treasurer@gmail.com
We will host BYM Young Friends here at Goose Creek the last weekend
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
in September. Its always a joy to have Young Friends with us! Catherine Cox, 301-471-5330
blycox@comcast.net
WEBSITE & FACEBOOK
www.goosecreekfriends.org
There is but a little thing (like a grain of mustard-seed), a weak https://www.facebook.com/
thing, a foolish thing, even that which is not (to mans eye), to Goose-Creek-Friends-Meeting-
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overcome all this; and yet in this is the power. And here is the great
DONATIONS
deceit of man; he looks for a great, manifest power in or upon him Please direct donations for
to begin with, and doth not see how the power is in the little weak Goose Creek Friends Meeting to
Annie Carlson, P.O. Box 105
stirrings of life in the heart Isaac Penington, 1661 Lincoln, Virginia 20160