Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light (quoted in God's Message for Each Day, p 364) Resident Friend: Eric Moon,

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1 Redwood Forest Friends Meeting Newsletter JANUARY 2018 Address: P. O. Box 1831, Santa Rosa, CA (707) Resident Friend: Eric Moon, Clerk Treasurer Newsletter Editor Susan Swanstrom Hubert Morel-Seytoux Barbara Moulton 1964 Evelyn Dr 684 Benicia Dr Apt Yulupa Ave Apt H Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa, CA REDWOOD FOREST FRIENDS MEETING FOR WORSHIP Sunday 10:00 AM at Quaker Meetinghouse, 1647 Guerneville Rd. Santa Rosa, CA Healing circle and snacks follow worship. Potluck on third Sunday each month. All are welcome! First Day School, childcare provided for infants and children, Reminder: Please do not wear scented products as some of us are chemically sensitive. See page 3 for Meetings Under Our Care and Other Meetings in the Area. Religious Education Committee will present the third in a series of "Quaker Topics: Times and Places: Quaker Testimonies as Lenses to Survey our History, Wednesday evening, January 17, at 7:00 pm in the residence. Eric Moon will facilitate discussion of the origins and evolution of Quaker testimonies, as cultural markers and as witness to the world. How have testimonies functioned, in your life? Followed by round of worship-sharing... The word Christian means different things to different people. To one person it means a stiff, uptight, inflexible way of life, colorless and unbending. To another it means a risky, surprise-filled venture, lived tiptoe at the edge of expectation... There are numberless illustrations for either position in congregations all over the world. But if we restrict ourselves to biblical evidence, only the second image can be supported: the image of the person living zestfully, exploring every experience--pain and joy, enigma and insight, fulfillment and frustration--as a dimension of human freedom, searching through each for sense and grace. Eugene Peterson, Traveling Light (quoted in God's Message for Each Day, p 364)

2 2 JANUARY CALENDAR 07 SUN Committee Meetings (some -- check with your committee clerk) NBOP Joint Task Forces (Education Justice; Tenant Protections; 08 MON Transit Riders United) - First Congregational United Church of Christ, 2000 Humboldt Street - Santa Rosa. 6:00-7:30 pm. Contact David Hoffman for details (707) dhoffman@sonic.net 10 WED Women s Group 5:30 8:00 PM, starting with potluck, Residence. All women welcome. 14 SUN Meeting for Business after worship & snacks 17 WED 20 SAT 21 SUN 24 WED 28 SUN Quaker Topics: "Times and Places: Quaker Testimonies as Lenses to Survey our History " 7 pm in the Residence -- questions? call Eric Moon (510) College Park Quarterly Meeting 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, San Francisco Monthly Mtg, 65 9th Street, San Francisco Potluck following worship Long Term recovery: 12:30 in Meeting Room Shannon Kimball-Auth to help us understand how to help our community recover from the Santa Rosa firestorm. Memorial Meeting for Mary Davenport, 4 pm at the Meetinghouse Women s Group 5:30 8:00 PM, starting with potluck, Residence. All women welcome. Working Group on Racism, 9:00 am in the teen room 2nd Hour: EVERY SUNDAY: First Day School 10:00-10:45 am. Volunteering twice a year in 1st Day School is a responsibility of all active adults. Sign up sheet is in the Residence. DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAYS Silent Meditation Group 7:00 7:30 AM, Friends House Library. DAILY: Online morning worship from 7:30-8 AM. Log onto the Quaker Center web site and under the News from Quaker Center click on the link that says on-line meeting for worship TUESDAY AFTERNOON YOGA Contact Susan Gore for more information. Tiny Houses for Humanity Block Party Fundraiser at RFFM Saturday, January 27th from Please mark the date and come for all or part of the day, rain or shine. There will be tiny houses on display in the parking lot, food, music, speakers, a children's area, workshops, and possibly an opportunity for hands-on building. Look for more announcements to come on the list and at Meeting for Worship. Please plan to have your friends and family join us for a whopping good time and spread the word!

3 3 ADVICES AND QUERIES From PYM Faith and Practice Peace 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. 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? Do I confront violence wherever it occurs, even when my personal relationships are involved? 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 destruction of the planet, and to bring about lasting peace? Do we reach out to all parties in a conflict with courage and love? Meetings Under Our Care Friends House Worship Group Sunday 10 AM, Friends House Library, 684 Benicia Dr, Santa Rosa. Lake County Worship Group Sunday 11:30 AM at a member's home. Call Barbara and Edwin Christwitz, (707) Ukiah Worship Group Sunday 10:30 AM, Plowshares Peace & Justice Center, 1346 S. State St, Ukiah. Call for information and directions. Other Meetings In the Area Apple Seed Friends Meeting Sunday 10:00 AM, Many Rivers Book and Tea, 130 S. Main St. Sebastopol. Call for information. Mendocino Friends Meeting Sunday 10 am, Jewish Community Shul, Caspar Rd, Caspar. Napa-Sonoma Friends Meeting Sunday 10 am, Aldea Inc, 1801 Oak St (corner of Oak and Jefferson), Napa. Benj Thomas, a member of this Meeting who was part of the Ukiah Worship Group, died on November 14. The WG will keep us informed about memorial arrangements.

4 4 RFFM MINUTES OF MEETING FOR BUSINESS 12/10/17 The meeting opened at noon with Worship, Susan Swanstrom, Clerk, presiding. Clerk s Remarks Susan expressed thanks that she has been lifted up by the Meeting Community during the sorrowful time following her mother s death. She read from the North Pacific YM advices and queries: Being part of a community requires us to practice compassion and patience. As members of a community, we pay attention to each other and rely on each other; we consciously nurture our interdependence. It s not always easy. It s nevertheless vital to our shared spiritual journey. QUERIES: -- How do we foster love, truth, and harmony within our meeting community? -- Is our community a shelter where we can grow in the Spirit? -- How can our community provide the best combination of safety and challenge to encourage spiritual growth? -- How do we as individuals support the spiritual health of the meeting? A worshipful community is a healing community in which we reveal ourselves without fear, trusting our vulnerability to that Spirit which alone knows our hearts. There is the dialogue of soul with Spirit and the sharing of that with each other. In these ways we lift each other up tenderly. Shirley Ruth Parks Tweed, 1982 Advices and Queries on Personal Relationships In the circle, we answered: How do I as an individual support the spiritual health of each person in the meeting? MINUTE : Minutes of the November Meeting are approved. Oversight Committee -- Ruth Witchey announced the memorial meeting for Mary Davenport to be held on January 21 st at 4 pm. There will also be a gathering in Ukiah in January to celebrate the life of Benj Thomas. An evening gathering for Friends to regain our balance following the wildfires is being considered. Peace and Social Witness Committee Dinah Bachrach reported that the Committee recommends co-sponsoring a Fundraising Block Party for the Tiny Houses for Humanity group at our meetinghouse on Saturday January 27. Sponsorship is to benefit the group in its public outreach to other religious congregations. The event will include some tiny houses on display; a possible workshop where people can help build a Tiny House; Speakers; Music; a Play Area for children; and Food. Net proceeds will go to the non-profit Peace and Justice Center for their Tiny Houses for Humanity fund. The Meeting is insured for such events; we are making arrangements for parking, and it is not expected to incur any financial responsibility. MINUTE : Meeting agrees to co-sponsor the Tiny Homes for Humanity Block Party at no cost to the Meeting. Worship and Ministry Committee Jackie Thresh reported that the Committee is looking for comments and suggestions about the Mailchimp announcement system. Paul

5 5 Harris and Clarke Dixon-Moses will be working on website development and all ideas are welcome. Six newcomers and six seasoned Friends enjoyed the Newcomers Brunch; it is suggested that such an event should be held about twice a year. A Sacred Stories event will be scheduled as a joint project between W&M and Religious Education Committees. For Sunday, December 24 th, carol singing with cookie baking during second hour is planned. With the departure of Mike Dively, Advices and Queries will be read by Cody Kirkham, Keith Bridges or Gary Melrose. Correspondence/Announcements Many thank you letters and appeals for charitable contributions by the Meeting have been received. Friends are invited to participate in discussion sessions of Parker Palmer s book, Healing the Heart of Democracy, Looking Back/Looking Forward starting sometime in January. Joys/Concerns -- Joy for vacation time, our newsletter, connections to Friends elsewhere, a moving memorial at Friends House, thanks for the advices & queries from North Pacific Yearly Meeting, and concern about tensions and criticisms in our meeting. Closing Worship ended at 1:10 pm. Ring Out, Wild Bells * * * Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. - Alfred Lord Tennyson

6 6 News from Quaker Center Join Stephen Angell to examine the lives of Quaker Abolitionists: Levi Coffin and Lucretia Mott from January 26-28, We will explore the spirituality, and activism of these Quaker human rights radicals, nearly contemporaneous in their long lives, and consider their contributions both to America and to Quakers. We'll also look at the theological ideas that inspired them and that they in turn used to inspire others. Get more information and register early at Get inspired by Diane Randall from Friends Committee on National Legislation from February 23-25, 2018 to explore What Cans't Thou Say? Finding our Quaker Voice in Public Life. At this time of dramatic changes in our nation's political life and in federal public policy, we'll look at how our inward experience of Spirit can be manifested in our outward public witness, even in political activity. We'll also consider ways in which our spiritual conditions move us to engage in public or political action. Learn more and register early at Come to experiment with Awakening to the Presence from March 19-24, During this 5-day program, Bob Runyan, Janet Leslie, Jim Anderson and Kathy Runyan will facilitate experiences of individual worship, the gathered meeting, reading and listening to the ways that Spirit has been at work in the lives of others, and the witness of the work of Spirit within each of us. Find out more and register online at JOB OPENING: Quaker Center is now accepting applications for the position of Maintenance Technician. The Maintenance Technician is responsible for performing routine and periodic maintenance tasks, making improvements to Quaker Center's buildings and grounds, working with campers, as well as the organization and implementation of the preventive maintenance program. This is a full-time residential position. Please see for more information and to apply. News from Woolman! There is a lot happening here on these precious 236 acres in the Sierra foothills. The restoration of Madrone Hall is nearing completion and will soon house the offices, labs and classrooms for the Sierra Streams Institute. We are excited about collaborating with Sierra Streams, the local Nisenan tribe and others as we plan and pilot The Woolman Outdoor School. Another new program, the Jorgensen School for Nonviolence, is in the planning stages and will support both budding and experienced activists in carrying out nonviolent direct action campaigns. We have already begun working on Camp Woolman 2018, and eagerly anticipate the campers, ages 9-16, who will come and backpack under the stars this summer.

7 7 Our Annual Report was released last month. With all of the changes that have happened here, we are sensing that we are entering a new era of vitality. Your generosity helps us to take care of this land, bring kids to camp, and design new programs. We are deeply grateful to the many Friends, near and far, old and new, who are reaching out to support this work. Thank you! Amy Cooke, Director, and the board and staff of Woolman at Sierra Friends Center AVP for Young Adults, January Many members of our Meeting are involved with the Alternatives to Violence Project which brings workshops on violence prevention and conflict management to prisons and communities. The North Bay Council of AVP has recently received some grant funding from Santa Rosa's Community Activities Board to conduct a pilot project offering youth workshops in Santa Rosa. Youth Connecting Positively is the name of the project, and is announcing their first workshop for young adults. If you know of young adults who might be interested, please share this information. Come to a dynamic, interactive workshop to connect with others and make new friends, to learn new ways to deal more peacefully with conflicts, to explore how you and others are affected by injustice and community pressures, to find ways to take action, and to understand yourself better and improve communication. What: Level 1, Introductory Workshop Who: Young adults aged 18 and older When: January 13-14, 2018 from 9am to 6pm both days (open at 8:30 for morning snacks) Where: Amarosa Academy, 3261 Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa Cost: Free for Santa Rosa residents aged For folks who are slightly older or who live outside the area, there is a sliding scale of $45-$150. No one turned away for inability to pay. All materials, snacks, and lunch are included. To register: Call Barbara Babin at or avp_barb@yahoo.com. Registration is open until Wednesday, January 10, Tax-deductible contributions to support this project can be made by sending a check to the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County, 467 Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa, CA Be sure to put "Youth Connecting Positively" on the memo line.

8 8 College Park Quarterly Meeting, Winter Gathering, January 20, :30 am to 4:30pm at San Francisco Monthly Meeting 65 9th Street San Francisco,CA No pre-registration required. $25.00 for adults older than 25; $10.00 for those younger than 25 Please plan to join us. DEADLINE FOR FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER IS JANUARY 18th Send submissions to