Call to the 2026 Annual Session of Pacific Yearly Meeting
Experiment!
Dear Friends,
The past year has thrown a lot at us—social and political violence, moral and value-based challenges, use and abuse of natural, financial and personal resources—to name a very few. When our outward social and political structures fail, we need to turn to our spiritual communities and inward light, seed, oneness–the source of our solace and strength.
Many of our Monthly Meetings are experiencing shrinking pains or growing pains. Many of our committees—including nominating committees—are limping along with not enough members to do their work. Our financial resources don’t match the financial costs we have in conducting our business (which is a form of worship). And finally, how do we share news, important information, requests for help, or successful ideas with each other?
So, I suggest experimenting. We’ve been talking at annual sessions for at least six years about the challenges we face. Let’s try some new things, move off center, take some risks. But not without acknowledging that experimentation has a process.
My first experiment is an idea map as the call to Annual Session: I invite you to interact with these ideas and bring your own.
Lisa Graustein, a member of New England Yearly Meeting, who has traveled widely among Friends in the US and globally, carries a ministry focused on addressing the underlying dynamics of white supremacy, colonization, and climate change. She will be speaking to us about how our faith and practice inform each other.
I look forward to seeing you July 17-22, 2026, at CSU Monterey Bay in Seaside, California, or online via Zoom.
Southern California Quarterly Meeting will gather at Santa Monica Friends Meeting on Saturday, April 25th (and via Zoom (from 9 AM until about 3:30 PM)).
You are also invited to a dialogue with members of our Peace & Social Concerns on Friday, April 24th at 6:30 PM. We will share about recent and planned peace and justice actions from our SoCal Quaker community and our work to protect and support members of our communities, especially those impacted by our government’s aggressive and violent immigration enforcement actions, and advocate for peace and humanitarian aid to those devastated by the war in Gaza.
A detailed schedule and other information will be provided to everyone who signed up.
A simple lunch and refreshments will be provided on Saturday for onsite
attenders. We are planning to provide childcare as needed for friends attending with children.
If your monthly meeting has not yet considered the queries for the state of the meeting reports, here those very queries are:
How do we appreciate and include those who have joined our Meetings in the last few years? How can we honor and encourage their commitment to the community without presenting a burden of rules and expectations?
How do we accommodate the views of those seeing a need for change, having a new idea, and those who value tradition and wish to season any changes.
How do the structures and practices of our Quaker meetings appeal to the spiritual journey of the meeting?
How can our Meeting find joy in service, in the ministry of small things?
Please send your State of the Meeting reports to me post-haste (or thereabouts) at danstrickland2001@yahoo.com .
In my past calls to gatherings, I’ve mulled over the losses we’ve all had to bear in the last year or so, and how to move past that. I’m seeing people in my neighborhood community still spending energy placing blame for the firestorms, and while I understand the impulse, it’s wearying. I was thinking of talking about how one can move past loss and focus on rebuilding, letting go of the blame. This, however, feels clichéd, lacking in empathy. I feel strongly that progress, change, recovery happens when we focus on repairs and rebuilding and letting blame fade, but the more I think about it, the more that feels like a position of privilege. This is what is working for me, but as in all, it’s not what works for many.
There are changes in our Meetings, more than usual. The Society of Friends, as in the Viet Nam War era, is being seen as a place of refuge for frightened, vulnerable people to gather and find support. This is what stimulated my thinking when forming the Queries to aid Monthly Meetings with state of the meeting reports. Entering into this is the Pacific Yearly Meeting theme of “Experiment”. You’re all familiar with the old description of the Society of Friends as an experiential or experimental religion. PacYM Ministry feels it’s time for us to try doing things differently, see what works, what doesn’t, and what of our current practice is no longer useful. This will likely be divisive.
There’s an old definition of conservative and liberal that I like: liberals exist to test new ideas, advocate for change to existing structure, while conservatives test the need for that change against the value of institutional practice. So a query could be framed along the lines of how do we accommodate the views of those seeing a need for change, having a new idea, and those who value tradition. Think of the yin/yang symbol, where both are included in one circle, with a part of each in the other.
Another need I see is to appreciate and include those who have joined our Meetings in the last few years. How can we honor and encourage their commitment to the community without presenting a burden of rules and expectations. Can we help our Meetings to willingness to experiment? I see the value of our not-quite-Quarterly gatherings in this: we can hear how other Meetings are doing, what changes are happening across the Quarter, and talk with old and new friends about how best to find love and unity among us.
John Woolman said, “As Christians all we possess are the gifts of God… To turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of Universal Love becomes the business of our lives.” The principle of stewardship applies to all we have and are. As individuals, we are called to use our time, our various abilities, our strength, our money, and our material possessions with care, managing them wisely and sharing them generously.
From the indwelling Seed of God, we discover our particular gifts and discern the service to which we are called. In making choices about occupation or education, consider the way that offers the fullest opportunity to develop your individual abilities and contribute to the world community while providing for yourself and your family. In daily work, manifest a spirit of justice and understanding, and thus give a living witness to the truth.
Be ready to limit engagements, to withdraw for a time, or even to retire from an activity that inhibits your ability to follow a higher call. Try to discern the right moment to accept new responsibilities as well as to relinquish responsibility that can pass to others. Be open to your calling in different stages of life. Meetings need the strength and vigor of young people as well as the experience and wisdom of elders. Although they may not be able to contribute great financial support, their energy and insight invigorate the community. As people begin careers and families, they may need the spiritual and experienced help of the Meeting. Later, when families are growing up and careers are established, greater participation in the Meeting and greater financial support may become possible. Welcome the approach of old age, your own and others’, as an opportunity for wisdom and greater attachment to the Light. Meetings should be ready with material and spiritual support for those suffering from unemployment or facing difficult vocational decisions.
Queries
How have I been faithful to the leadings of the Spirit in choosing work or vocation?
What am I doing with my talents, time, money and possessions?
Am I sharing them according to the Light I am given?
Is my conduct at the workplace consistent with my life as a Friend?
How does my daily work enhance my spiritual life?
How does the Meeting help and support members who are in job transitions?
Southern California Quarterly Meeting Religious Society of Friends
SPRING GATHERING
WHEN: Friday evening, April 24th (Zoom only) & 9AM to 3PM, Saturday April 25th (Zoom and onsite) WHERE: Santa Monica Friends Meetinghouse, 1440 Harvard St, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Please join Friends from throughout SCQM, in person and via zoom, to hear about the Spiritual State of the Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups in our Quarter.
Snacks, coffee/tea, and lunch will be provided for a donation, and there will be activities for children.
We will provide a zoom link for all sessions.
Please register at the link below by Midnight, Tuesday April 22, 2026.
Come to Meeting with hearts and minds prepared to be open and faithful to the leadings of the Spirit. Then the conduct of business will lead to truth, unity, and love.
When a matter is before the Meeting for Business, each person present contributes to the corporate search for a decision that accords with the will of God. Inaction is a form of action. Silent worship in the Meeting for Business contributes to the process of achieving unity.
Listen attentively to others’ words and use the silence between messages to reflect carefully on what you might contribute. When you are clear, speak simply what is in your heart, without repeating what has already been offered. While making your insights clear, lay aside personal opinions and attend to what God requires.
Queries
Do I attend Meeting for Business regularly?
Do I speak in Meeting for Business only when I am led to speak?
Is the Meeting for Business held as a Meeting for Worship in which we seek divine guidance for our actions?
Are we tender and considerate of different views, coming to a decision only when we have found unity?
Do we give prayerful support for our clerks that they may be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit among us?
The life of the spirit gains depth and vigor through devotional practices, prayer, study and meditation. Take time regularly for individual and family worship, discussions. Readings from sacred texts and other spiritual refreshment in order to live a more centered life and to bring a deeper presence to the Meeting for Worship. Friends believe that the spiritual path is best found in community. Create opportunities in your Meetings for people of all ages to explore and express their evolving relationship with the Divine, their spiritual highs and their doubts. If different metaphors and language interfere with communication, listen more deeply, honoring the Spirit in which the thought and words have their beginnings.
Queries
Do I live in thankful awareness of God’s constant presence in my life?
Am I sensitive and obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit?
When do I take time for contemplation and spiritual refreshment?
Do we share our spiritual lives with others in the Meeting, seeking to know one another in that which is eternal?
Does the Meeting provide religious education including study of the Bible and Friends’ history and practices?
Earthquake, Wind, or Fire: Attending to the Still Small Voice
Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy balm; Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm!
(John Greenleaf Whittier, The Brewing of Soma)
“The poem references 1 Kings 19:11-12, in which the prophet Elijah is confronted by God in the wilderness. Elijah faced tumultuous times in his prophetic task of speaking truth to power. Whittier, a Quaker abolitionist, similarly dealt with seismic issues in his commitment to the cause of anti-slavery and social reform.”
(Max Carter: Stephen G. Cary Memorial lecture, Pendle Hill 2025)
For some of us, this retreat comes after literal fires, winds, and rains. Surely, we have all experienced political and social storms. We have grief; we have confusion, bewilderment, anger and overwhelm. We long for peace in the chaos, despite the external turmoil.
What if we bring our fear, discouragement, anger and grief, and lay them at the foot of the mountain? What might we hear if we surrender our desires and the limitations of our mind and body and sit and listen to the Still Small Voice? Maybe strength and new purpose, maybe permission to change direction. Maybe a perspective on what part of Spirit’s work is ours and what is for others.
The silent retreat offers a sanctuary for us to listen deeply, whether walking the beautiful grounds, participating in optional activities or sitting quietly in our rooms.
Registration Information
COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks will be optional. We kindly ask participants not to come if they are having any symptoms.
REGISTRATION: The retreat is open to members of Friends’ Meetings and to attenders of at least three months. Please register by clicking here:
Registration by February 20th: Double room, $325 per person Private room, $350 per person Financial Aid is available**
Late registration until February 27th: Double room, $350 per person Private room, $375 per person Financial Aid is available**
The Abbey has raised their fees and we had to raise ours accordingly. Our actual per-person costs are about $350. Those who are able to pay more than $350 will help subsidize others who need financial aid. Fees include program, lodging, and six meals. We can’t accept registrations submitted after Friday, February 27th. Cancellations received by Friday, February 20th will receive a full refund. After that date, a $30 cancellation fee will be deducted.
**FINANCIAL AID: No one is turned away because of lack of funds. We have financial aid available and many meetings offer scholarship grants. Please contact our registrar, Judy Leshefka, for details about financial support options (judyleshefka@gmail.com).
Venmo or Zelle: Make your payment to Sarah Crompton, Treasurer for the Silent Retreat: cromptonclark@gmail.com (310) 963-6319.
Check:
Make a check out to our treasurer Sarah Crompton and put Silent Retreat in the memo line.
Mail your check to: 440 N. Broadmoor Blvd. Springfield, Ohio 45504.
After registration, you will receive a confirmation letter with more information about the retreat and directions to the Abbey. If you will be using public transportation (bus, train) and need a ride to the Abbey, contact Judy Leshefka by Monday, March 9th.
ARRANGEMENTS: Please plan to arrive between 3 pm and 5:30 pm on Friday, March 13th to check-in and get your room key. Dinner will be at 6 pm. We’ll gather at 7 pm for a brief tour of the grounds, followed by an orientation and preparing to enter into the silence, which will last until late Sunday morning. The retreat will end after lunch on Sunday. Please plan to be present for the entire retreat. The spiritual richness of our gathering is enhanced by each participant, and it can be disruptive to have people arriving or leaving at odd times.
(Questions or concerns: contact Judy Leshefka at 858 652-1406 or email: judyleshefka@gmail.com
EXTENDED RETREAT DAY OPPORTUNITY
March 15-16, 2026
Participants may choose this opportunity to stay an extra day for deeper reflection. They can continue their silence during Sunday lunch and throughout the afternoon or join in conversations.
At 3:45 PM, we will meet for a brief worship and set our intentions for the remainder of the retreat. We will then re-enter into silence. On Monday morning, a writing exercise will be offered as an optional activity. We will all meet at 10:30 AM for worship and worship-sharing. The retreat will end after lunch.
If you wish to stay over, please indicate your intention on the registration form. We must know by February 27th so we can inform the Abbey. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any scholarships for this opportunity. The cost will be $150, the Abbey’s
Meetings for Worship and Business are the center of our spiritual community. There, as we come to know each other in the Spirit, we build the “beloved community.”
Mutual respect and care in the Meeting form the foundation from which we can test, support, and exercise leadings of the Spirit. At its best, the Meeting community provides a framework for us to learn and practice mutual care, which strengthens us as we act in the world.
All members of the Meeting community should share in the care of one another. While respecting privacy, we must be aware of and sensitive to each other’s needs. We must also be willing to ask for assistance when we are in need.
Queries
Do I strive to be inclusive in my relationships within the Meeting?
Do I care for the reputation of others, refraining from gossip or disparaging remarks?
Am I committed to the difficult work of forgiveness, and affirming God’s love for the whole community?
How are love and unity maintained among us?
Do we practice the art of listening, even beyond words?
How have we been sensitive to the personal needs and difficulties of members and attenders, young and old?
Do we visit one another in our homes and keep in touch with distant members?
Friends oppose all war as inconsistent with God’s will. As every person is a child of God, we recognize God’s Light also in our adversaries. Violence and injustice deny this reality and violate the teachings of Jesus and other prophets.
Friends challenge their governments and take personal risks in the cause of peace. We urge one another to refuse to participate in war as soldiers, or as arms manufacturers. We seek ways to support those who refrain from paying taxes that support war. We work to end violence within our own borders, our homes, our streets, and our communities. We support international order, justice, and understanding.
Become an instrument of peace. At every opportunity, be peacemakers in your homes, workplaces and communities. Steep yourself in the power of the universal Spirit. Examine your actions for the seeds of violence, degradation and destructiveness. Overcome the emotions that lie at the root of violence and nurture instead a spirit of reconciliation and love. Come to know the oneness of all creation and oppose the destruction of the natural world.
Queries
Do I live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?
How do I nourish peace within myself as I work for peace in the world?
Where there is distrust, injustice, or hatred, how am I an instrument of reconciliation and love?
What are we doing to remove the causes of war and destructions of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace?
Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love?
In daily relationships with others, both inside and outside the home, our lives as Friends speak immediately and lastingly. In these relationships, our faith may also be severely tested. We are called to respond to that of God in everyone: we are all children of God.
Friends celebrate any union that is dedicated to mutual love and respect, regardless of the unique make-up of the family. We strive to create homes where the Spirit of the Divine resides at the center and where the individual genius of each member is respected and nurtured.
Human sexuality is a divine gift, forming part of the complex union of body, mind and spirit that is our humanity. In a loving adult relationship in a context of mutual responsibility, sexuality brings delight, fulfillment and celebration.
The presence of children carries a special blessing as well as responsibility. Children bring unique spiritual gifts — wonder, resiliency, playfulness and more. Recognize and honor the Divine Light within children and treat them with the dignity and respect that is due to all people. Listen to and learn from children; share with them those values and practices that are central to our own lives. Special care must be given to resolving problems between adults and children in a manner that gives equal weight to the feelings and needs of both children and adults. Tender parenting is one of the critically important peace vocations in our society. Make every effort to offer all parents the personal and institutional support that this challenging work requires.
Take a strong stand against any form of abuse, whether that abuse is minor or severe, and whether it is emotional, physical or sexual in nature. The terrible impact of abuse on the most vulnerable members of our families creates lifelong suffering for its victims and is a major source of violence in our society. Perpetrators are themselves usually victims of similar violence and should be approached with compassion as well as firmness.
Queries
Do I make my home a place of friendliness, joy and peace where residents and visitors feel God’s presence?
Are my sexual practices consistent with my spiritual beliefs, and free of manipulation and exploitation?
What barriers keep me from responding openly and lovingly to each person?
Do we open our thoughts, beliefs and deep understandings to our children and others who share our lives and our hospitality?
Do we provide our children and young adults with a framework for active, ongoing participation in meeting?
