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?
October 31, November 1 & 2, Friday evening through Sunday morning At Pali Retreat Center, 30778 Highway 18 Running Springs CA 92382
Our theme for the weekend will be “Healing our Community and Using our Community for Personal Healing.”We will present mini-workshops with exercises selected to concentrate on community-building, conflict resolution and forgiveness. As always, our underlying theme is enjoying each other’s fellowship and meeting friends from across the Quarter while resting in a natural setting.
You’ll notice we are not gathering at Temescal Canyon. They’re still recovering from the firestorm, and expect to be available next year. Meantime, Pali Retreat, while a longer commute for most of us, offers accommodations that meet our needs. We hope to see a full gathering of Friends for this weekend.
The weekend includes both Hallowe’en and Día de Muertos. If you would like to help with plans for that, please contact Kindred Gottlieb (kindredg@gmail.com) and/or Louse Sherikar (louise.sherikar@gmail.com).
If you would like to host an interest session or an affinity group, please let me, Dan Strickland (danstrickland2001@yahoo.com), know so we can include you in our schedule planning.
Meals will be provided as part of our contract with Pali Retreat, with all options available.
On Sunday, August 24th from 12:30-2PM, we will be hosting a free screening of the film No Other Land. This film, which was producted by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of activists, shows the destruction of a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank. It was named Best Documentary Feature Film at the March 2025 Academy Awards.
Visitors are welcome.
We will be having a potluch lunch before the screening, so feel free to bring a dish to share.
Annual Session will be held at Whittier College and online July 11-16th. This year’s theme is “Find Your Balance, Heart Reaching Forward.”
Click on the button below to register or to find more information about the schedule, program activities, fees, and financial assistance. All are welcome!
Common folk, not statesmen, nor generals, nor great men of affairs, but just simple men and women, if they devote themselves . . . can do something to build a better peaceful world.
Henry Cadbury 1947 Pacific Yearly Meeting, Faith & Practice 2001
Find Your Balance, Heart Reaching Forward
Call to the Pacific Yearly Meeting 2025 Annual Session
Last year my life got difficult–fractiousness at Meeting, family drama, health concerns, and other heavy loads. One night while participating in a pre-recorded yoga class, I toppled over. Sitting there, I thought, “I can’t do this.” Just then the teacher’s voice said, “Find your balance, heart reaching forward.” That invitation/prayer resonated with
me immediately and sustained me through the following months of rapprochement at my meeting, healing of my body and soul, and renewal within my family.
With daily political and social blows, with outrage, fear, and anger leading the headlines, our society has become self-righteously polarized and isolated. How can we maintain our equanimity and reach out with generosity? How can we say to Friends and our neighbors, “You are my beloved community; you are safe here,” and make it so?
We can find balance by standing up carefully, planting our feet firmly, maintaining flexibility and responsiveness, and reaching out for a railing, wall, cane, or a friend’s arm. Can we help each other balance? We can reach forward with our hearts by returning again and again to the seed of our faith, in worship, prayer, devotion, and trust in the divine and each other. Can we be trustworthy?
Our plenary speakers, “common folk” and “devoted” will share their experiences and discoveries in finding balance and moving forward: John Pixley (Claremont), Aaron Terry (Honolulu), Amy Cooke (Grass Valley).
Please join us for Annual Session onsite or online, July 11-16 at Whittier College, California, for worship, fellowship, work, and play. Registration opens in May.
Love and blessings, Robin DuRant, Clerk, Pacific Yearly Meeting
Additional Encouragement from Faith & Practice 2001
If but one man or woman were raised up by His power to stand and live in the same spirit that the Apostles and Prophets were in, who gave forth the Scriptures, that man or woman should shake all the country in their profession for ten miles round.
George Fox
One of my final observations. … has to be about the extraordinary ordinariness of many of these women. They wanted their mundane daily lives to be impregnated with the experience of the Spirit and its fruits of love and peace and harmony. They went out into the streets, faced physical abuse and cried their message over paying opposition, then they went home to check the household accounts and feed and comfort their children. They foresaw the millennium, wrote letters to the King and served beef and beer at supper.
Christine Trevett Women’s Speaking Justified: And Other Seventeenth Century Quaker Writings About Women (1991)
