Please be aware that Quaker Explorations will not be held on Sunday, March 31st, so that the facilitatiors can spend Easter morning with their families. QE will resume on the following Sunday, April 7th with a discussion on the Advices and Queries for the Fourth Month: Stewardship and Vocation.
No Quaker Explorations on Sunday, March 3, 2024
Please be aware that Quaker Explorations will not be held this coming Sunday, March 24, 2024. Instead, immediately after the end of Meeting for Worship, we will be holding a “talking meeting” in preparation for our State of the Meeting report
TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL FRIENDS’ SILENT RETREAT
Where: Prince of Peace Abbey, Oceanside, CA
WHEN: Friday March 15-Sunday March 17, 2024
Optional Extended Retreat, Monday March 18, 2024
Embracing Life
AS IT IS
As we gathered to plan the silent retreat, we checked in with each other. All of us had experienced unwelcome health news, the death of a dear friend, or job loss or uncertainties. All of us had someone close who was facing the breakup of a relationship, financial fraud fallout, or emotional or psychological trauma. We also reported blessings, silver linings, hope, and important moments of gratitude. In other words, we were all experiencing LIFE.
What does it mean to embrace life fully, to celebrate the good things, to manage the bad things, and to navigate the events between? We don’t want to dwell on our diminishments and challenges, but we also don’t want to trivialize them. We want to celebrate our accomplishments and successes, but we also don’t want them to distract us from smelling the roses or experiencing the joy of meandering conversations with friends.
What makes us human may be opposing thumbs or a sense of humor. What makes us humane are the relationships that define us. We gather together to practice mutual care in our relationships with family, self, community and Spirit/God/Ancestors/Universe.
Come contemplate and explore among Friends what it means to embrace all of your life. As it is, now. With grace, with courage, with hope, with acceptance, with grief, and with celebration.
Fees
Early Registration
by February 23rd
| double room | $275 per person |
| private room | $300 |
Late Registration
by March 1st
| double room | $300 per person |
| private room | $325 |
For Registration Information, contact judyleshefka@gmail.com
Family Work Camp
Family Work Camp at Quaker Center!
August 1-6, 2023
Family Work Camp will be held at the Ben Lomond Quaker Center on August 1 to 6, 2023.
First time at FWC? Family Work Camp is a joyous celebration of community, collective labor, Spirit and fun. After gathering for dinner on Tuesday, August 1st, we’ll spend the next four days divided into work crews. We’ll work on various projects for three-hour shifts between breakfast and lunch, and then spend the afternoons and evenings doing other things together, such as hiking, singing, resting, visiting the San Lorenzo River or a nearby Friends’ pool, or doing nothing at all.
What kind of work will we do? There will be a number of options to choose from, which will include both heavy and light work, and outdoor and indoor projects. Experience is welcome but absolutely not necessary to attend and participate. There will be a trail maintenance crew, a wood-splitting crew, a letter-writing crew and a playground improvement crew, and as always there will be a few surprises.
“Do I have to be in a family to attend?” As with all Quaker Center programs, all are welcome at Family Work Camp. Parents come with their children and their parents, grandparents with their grandchildren, and those who come without family members.
I’m a teen and I want to come but my parents can’t bring me this year. Can I come without my parents? Family Work Camp is a beloved annual gathering for teens and young adults. If you want to come and your parent(s) or guardian aren’t able to bring you, you may be able to come with a responsible adult sponsor over 25 years old. If you’re a teen that fits this description, or an adult who might be willing to sponsor a young person, get in touch with us at (831) 336-8333.
How much does Family Work Camp cost? We don’t want finances to prevent anyone from attending, and like all our programs, FWC will use a Pay-As-Led fee structure. We ask you to consider how much you can comfortably contribute towards this week of service and fun. Housing with be in Quaker Center’s Orchard and Redwood Lodges, and campsites will be available. Meals will be prepared by Tod Nysether.
Questions? Send an email to mail@quakercenter.org or give us a call at (831) 336-8333.
Advices and Queries for the Second Month*
Spiritual Life
Advices
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?
- What steps am I taking to center my life and to stay open to continuing revelation?
- 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?