Simplicity * Peace * Integrity * Community * Equality * Stewardship

OAK PARK FRIENDS

NEWS
November, 2014

Oak Park Friends Meeting Religious Society of Friends

720 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60303
708-445-8201
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.oakparkfriends.org

Meeting for Worship each Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Clerk Judith Erickson
Recording Clerk Sarah Shirk
Treasurer Valerie Lester
Newsletter Editors Pamela Timme and Bob Southworth
(mailto:ptimme@hotmail.com)
Submission deadline 25th day of the month

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to Wyatt Vernon Ksander, Cossy & Will Ksander s grandson (see photo
below)
Parents Natalie Ruttan-Stack and Dave
Ksander report that Wyatt was born October
24, 2014, weighing in at 6lbs., 1 oz. His likes
are eating and sticking his finger in his eyes.
His dislikes are diaper changes and sleeping
at night.

Christina Timme is available for babysitting, cleaning projects, etc. If interested,

please contact her at 708-927-4940.
Third Sunday Sing-alongs - Join Friends every third Sunday of the month at OPAL at
9:40 am for fellowship through song
The Ministry and Care Committee want you to be aware that there is a suffering fund
for those that need. Contact a committee member for details.
OPFM welcomes donations for the needs of the meeting which include the meeting
space, activities and charitable giving. Donations can be mailed to Oak Park Friends
Meeting, PO Box 3245, Oak Park, IL 60303.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Please see the meeting website at www.oakparkfriends.org for further information.
November 8 & 9, Fall Work Weekend at ILYM, McNabb, IL
November 20-23, Friends Committee on National Legislation Annual Meeting,
Washington, DC. Lobby on Capitol Hill, Speakers, Workshops, Help decide the
direction of FCNL. More info at http://fcnl.org/events/annual_meeting/am14/
November 23, 7:00 pm, Community of Congregations Interfaith Thanksgiving
Service, hosted by Rabbi Robin Damsky, West Suburban Temple Har Zion, 1040 N.
Harlem Ave, River Forest
January 4, 2015, Adult Religious Education Program on Equality Testimony John
Woolman and the Abolition of Slavery.
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PEACE AND JUSTICE - FCNL ACTION ALERTS

The Newsletter has a new monthly feature which we hope will assist Friends in their
commitment to peace and justice. The following link will take to you the website of
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), where you can find out about and
participate in advocacy for peace, for environmental restoration, and for social justice.
http://www.fcnl.org/action/alert.htm
This item can also be found on the OPFM website, www.oakparkfriends.org.
Novembers Action Alert from FCNL (This remains unchanged from October)
This months action alert focuses on the new war in the Middle East, the actions
taken against the Islamic State. The President has committed the US to military
action, but there are signs that Congress is resistant to a long-term war. Congress
has stated that aid to Syrian rebel groups does not mean authorization of
additional military strikes. FCNL believes that Congress can be persuaded to
pursue nonviolent actions, if they hear support for this from their constituents.
Please contact your legislator today to urge nonviolent alternatives to this
situation.

Direction of the Meeting

Friends met at OPAL on November 5th to share stories and discuss how the meeting
can better meet the needs of its members. A detailed report will be shared at the next
Business Meeting, November 9th

Washington State Votes to Close Gun Control Loophole

Voters in November 4ths election in Washington State passed Initiative 594, and
defeated initiative 591, actions that will tighten gun control in that state. Initiative 594
will extend background checks to gun shows, online sales and transfers. Initiative
591, a counterpart to initiative 594, would have banned background checks if no
federal standard exists. Initiative 594 was more popular in the urban west of the sate
than the rural east. Initiative 594 also received much better funding for advertising,
with contributors like Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Gun control
advocates are targeting the states of Nevada, Arizona and Maine next, where the
process of ballot initiatives is available.
Source: Aljazeera America

Business Meeting Highlights

October 12, 2014
The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi from India and
Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan "for their struggle against the suppression of children
and young people and for the right of all children to education."
Helen will continue to read the monthly queries aloud during worship and occasionally
others will read. On the 3rd first day, a copy will be left out for possible discussion
during lunch.
!

QUERY QUOTATIONS
Rooted in the history of Friends, queries reflect the Quaker way of life, reminding
Friends of the ideals we seek to attain. We approach queries as a guide, using them
not as an outward set of rules, but as a framework within which we assess our
convictions and examine prayerfully the direction of our lives and the life of the
community. Here are a few selections from Faith and Practice, published in 1997 by
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends:
Stewardship of Resources
Does our Meeting serve social and economic justice in its uses of property and money?
How does our Meeting engage its members in the support of the Meeting's work, its
ministry, and the upkeep of its property?
How does our Meeting engage its members in the support of the quarterly and yearly
meetings and other Quaker organizations?
To what extent does our Meeting rely on current members for financial support, and
what role does endowment income serve? Does the Meeting consider carefully the
appropriate role of invested funds?
Am I clear that I am the steward, not the owner, of property in my care?
Do I simplify my needs, making choices that balance self-sufficiency (to avoid
unnecessary dependence on others) and fair sharing of resources? Do I make choices
as a consumer that support the equitable distribution of income?
Do my employment and other activities allow for use of time and energy in spiritual
growth and in service to the Religious Society of Friends?
Do I contribute generously within my means to the funding of the work of Friends in
my Meeting, in the yearly meeting, and in the wider world of Friends?

AND IN CONCLUSION
I find that to be a fool as to worldly wisdom, and to commit my cause to God, not fearing to
offend men, who take offence at the simplicity of truth, is the only way to remain unmoved at
the sentiments of others
~John Woolman
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