Assorted people
Like brightly colored fall leaves
Settle into place.
Who Is My Neighbor When Black Lives Matter?
Winter solstice 2020. It’s always dark near Christmas but that year all seemed especially bleak. A covid vaccine was on the horizon, but even those of us designated as elderly would have to wait for months before our turn to be inoculated. Fear of disease, hospitalization, and death crippled our connections and made us afraid to be close to each other during our most joyous season.
The Walk of Abraham
In 2005, in an effort to reach out to the community and to become better known in an era of Islamophobia, Faith leaders from many traditions and the community at large was invited to break the fast together with MPAC providing a celebratory meal. All was free, though donations of food and money were suggested.
Love Community Action (LCA) to support Racial Justice Corporate Witness
Recently LCA had a meeting with Ministry and Council where we proposed the Buffalo Friends make a commitment to Corporate Witness to stand for Racial Justice in our community. Corporate Witness is important because it supports us developing and maintaining projects together, it supports learning across the meeting, and can support a more unified and robust presence and impact in our community. Corporate Witness can also bring the awareness and support of the Buffalo Friends meeting behind individual efforts of individual friends who have followed leadings.
Friends Committee on National Legislation
You may have heard or read about the efforts of the Friends Committee on National Legislation to form teams of Friends (including non-Friends who sympathize with our peace testimony) in as many states as possible to lobby our representatives in Congress to foster peace with their votes rather than further “defense” spending.
A few of us in the Rochester meeting undertook developing an advocacy team in Monroe County, and this is what I learned.
FCNL Teams in New York Advocate for Investing in Peace
New York Quakers from Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL) Advocacy Groups in New York met with Senator Gillibrand’s staff, Ben Lebowitz, Legislative Aide for Defense, Foreign Policy, and Homeland Security, on June 29, 2023. It was a short meeting, only 15 minutes, but it seemed to make an impression.
No Fault Marriage
Last month was Mess-Up Month for my husband and me: There was the overdrawn checking account; the flight one of us erroneously cancelled, having to last-minute book at twice the price; a flight reserved with a layover, when it could have been direct — and for less; the credit card one of us “lost,” then cancelled, only later to be found under some papers.
Assisting in the garden at LMUMC
Buffalo Quakers have been providing help all summer with the Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church garden which produces a variety of vegetables and herbs in 22 raised beds. Spirit animates Nature to grow, grow, grow in this most abundant of seasons, and the garden now is overflowing with produce.
Broadening Your Quaker Horizons
Envisioning a Moral Economy
Tom Head is a Quaker economist who believes we must help “bring a moral vision to economic life.” Relying on the discipline of formal economics, he says, is not the answer because it rarely sees itself as connected to morality and religion. If we want to build an economic system that benefits all, answers to questions about what is the “morally right thing to do?” must come from beyond the discipline of economics. We need economists to take that step beyond and envision how things ought to be. For example, “What might a good economy look like?”
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is Growing in Buffalo
The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is growing in Buffalo, and those of us in Buffalo Monthly Meeting involved are excited to join other members of the local community in building a more just and peaceful Western New York by establishing a regular schedule of community AVP workshops in Buffalo.
Letter of Solidarity with Lincoln Memorial Methodist Church
2022 State of Society survey
Every year, New York Yearly Meeting prepares a “State of the Society Report.” This is a report that is intended to get an overall picture of the spiritual life of Quaker meetings in New York State. It enables NYYM to see trends, new ideas, and what support and resources they can offer. As part of the process, each meeting is asked to prepare their own “state of society” report. Ministry and Counsel of Buffalo Friends Meeting is currently working on this report -- but we can only do that with the input of members and attenders. That’s why we are asking you to take a few minutes to respond to these queries.
Immediate need for food for those impacted by the blizzard
Feed Buffalo is requesting donations to help feed those impacted by the recent blizzard. Nadine is coordinating the efforts of Buffalo Friends for this request. We are currently taking pledges and purchases will be made on the basis of those pledges. If you would like to make a pledge, please use the form below.
Canandaigua Treaty Commemoration 2022
Holiday In-Person Meeting for Worship survey
Given that both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day land on Sundays this coming holiday season, we need to decide whether or not to hold in-person Meeting for Worship on those holidays. Would you please send your plans to either attend or be absent to in-person Meeting for Worship.
Life Story and Faith Journey of Sue Tannehill
Our Stewardship Committee is producing videos of the life story and faith journey of our older members. The second of these videos featuring Sue Tanehill has been completed and can be viewed below.
Would you like to talk?
Members of Ministry and Counsel (Dana, Anne H., Derek, Janice, Mary, and Rodney) are available to talk and listen to any concerns you may have in your life, or life of the Spirit. You can contact the committee by sending an email to info@buffaloquakers.org. Our responsibility is for the spiritual care and nurture of the Meeting, and we would be pleased to be of service. So, please be in touch!