Living into Prophetic Quakerism
A Series of Three Spiritual Nurture Working Group Retreats at Powell House
Spirit calls us as Quakers to become beacons of economic, ecological, social justice that will allow all people and the planet to thrive in these turbulent times. As we participate in our collective spiritual evolution, key aspects of Quakerism continue to guide our faithfulness.
Direct experiences of Spirit provide sustenance and guidance as we build skills of deep listening and practice building authentic community. Continuing revelation moves us beyond form into a living Quakerism. Our embodied faith tradition calls us to care for our physical bodies, our communities (bodies of people) and the Earth (the body we are an interdependent part of).
In each of the retreats in this series, we will be listening for our personal and collective truth and leadings.
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Nov 22-24, 2024
Continuing Revelation is a key aspect of our faith. It depends on our being attuned to how Spirit is speaking and moving in us individually and collectively.
In this retreat we will make space to hear what we are experiencing as Quakers and what we sense is needed. We will look at Quaker forms that have life and evolutionary potential. What must we carry forward? What supports a sustainable faith? What should we leave behind?
We will listen to how Spirit is calling us to reinvent and reinvigorate our faith.
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Feb 14-16, 2025
Time after time, early Friends returned to meeting for worship because of their direct experiences of transformation and the loving support of their community. Their spiritual transformation led them to order their lives, listening to Spirit’s direction.
As we listen together for Spirit’s guidance, we will practice building authentic community. We will build on our skills of supporting one another, addressing harm, and spiritually navigating conflict to hear our collective truth and leadings.
A living Quakerism includes the spirituality of our interdependence upon one another and upon the Earth. Through exploring care of community, we will weave how right relationship with all of Creation is a part of how we tend ourselves and our faithfulness.
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Apr 25-27, 2025
In this retreat we will explore our call today to live in ways that demonstrate justice, integrity, inclusion, equality and wholeness. We will deepen our understanding of individual and systemic barriers to faithfulness.
Prophetic messages call us individually and collectively to turn back to the Truth and move into new patterns of being. The prophetic experience of early Friends led to and committed them to building a new social order based in truth, equality, and justice. We will explore ways in which our faithfulness can be supported by our communities today.
Anne Pomeroy, member of New Paltz Monthly Meeting, is a seasoned retreat facilitator and elder. Anne is a spiritual director and mentor for many people. Anne supports individuals and communities in deep listening to Spirit to facilitate their faithfulness. Anne is deeply committed to continuing revelation as a key aspect of our faith. Anne travels widely among Friends, ministering to people in monthly meetings, yearly meetings and beyond. Anne helped establish the NYYM mentorship program, serving as a mentor and as part of the Mentorship Advisory Committee since the program’s inception. Additionally Anne serves FGC as clerk of the Development Committee, and as a NYYM representative to the FGC Central Committee. Anne’s ministry focuses around living into a broadly welcoming and inclusive faith community which can be called ‘care of community’. Anne brings their passion and joy to this ministry.
Lu Harper (Rochester) has served NYYM as a recording clerk for Ministry and Witness Coordinating Committees, as well as the yearly meeting body in sessions. She is called to spiritual accompaniment of individuals and groups, and has served as elder/co-facilitator of retreats within and outside of NYYM. She is currently drafting a book, Opening Eyes and Ears, Journeying out of Ancestral American Colonialism and Privilege, reflecting on the ways her ancestors contributed to colonial genocide, enslavement, and displacement of indigenous peoples as settlers moved westward, and how she is called to help repair the harm for generations to come.
