Prayers for NWYM Annual Session July 19-24

Wilt thou go....

...to annual session at Northwest Yearly Meeting...?

RantWoman has been having enough trouble getting her brain back home after the Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology conference without one of the voices from the conference showing up after Meeting for Worship at RantWoman's Meeting. The voice repeated a call RantWoman heard at the conference, a call to go prayerfully to the Annual Session of Northwest Yearly Meeting.

RantWoman is well aware that the agenda for this year's annual session includes discussion of same-gender relationships. RantWoman assumes those assembled may also find themselves called to opine about the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby ruling as now played out in the Department of Education granting George Fox Evangelical University a waiver from some policy in order to bar a transgender student from residing in university dormitories. RantWoman is woefully underinformed about the key threads of community conversation about these topics. RantWoman's instinct is to hold the entire assembly in prayer.

As for appearing in person, RantWoman's first reaction "Oh, no, no, no, no. No God. You are joking..." The last time RantWoman attended even part of the NWYM Annual Session, RantWoman was part of the planning committee for the Pacific Northwest Quaker Women's Theology conference. RantWoman's brief visit happened to coincide with reports from the mission committee about visits to four countries to which NWYM was considering sending missionaries.

RantWoman, whose insights about women and spiritual presence is informed more by suffragists and Gloria Steinem than by Margaret Fell stood up and eldered the entire assembly about how it would have been appropriate to include at least one woman in the travel party. Then RantWoman left the next day and did not stick around to notice whether her comments caused any consternation or needed further laboring about.

This summer, RantWoman is a little afraid she would might blurt out some of the women meet across sexuality stories from the Women's Theology Conference and in RantWoman form: the next iteration of  "oh my gosh, I was in home group with Three Lesbians and Lived to tell about it." Or RantWoman might launch into harangues about how countries like Russia or Uganda try to pump themselves up by wrapping themselves in religion and pick on their gay people. If everyone were REALLY lucky, RantWoman would summon only the story about one Friend coming to see the face of Jesus in an outspoken--and very centered--weighty Friend. Unfortunately, RantWoman thinks this summer's agenda may need more listening and less plainspokenness than RantWoman would likely deliver.

If RantWoman has a sense that her own Light may splutter and flicker about live appearance at the NWYM Annual Session, what about the Captain Picard "Make it So" school of leadings on others' behalf? After all, RantWoman is on a roll.

--This year RantWoman had a leading to help cause the Women's Theology Conference epistle to occur; RantWoman did not particularly have a leading to do the writing herself and was blessed to cheerlead for the work of a wonderful committee.

--RantWoman LOVES fractals. RantWoman might find calling to go on and on about fractals and God. But at the Women's Theology Conference, RantWoman stumbled onto a spot on a facing bench for the message at closing worship. A message about fractals was given to a Friend who unquestionably can deliver the God part of the fractals and God message WAY better than RantWoman.
So in terms of "Make it so," some of the people on whose behalf RantWoman MIGHT discern leadings to attend in person:
--One or more lesbian couples raising children among Seattle Friends.
--One or more other lesbian couples.
--Assorted other LGBTQ Friends and their admirers, groupies, hangers-on and other entourage.
--Any number of thoughtful straight people who find that honesty about the varieties of blessed couples interferes not a whit with these Friends ability to hear and experience the Divine.
Okay, so RantWoman is discerning and discerning. It's a little like an auction: don't move or RantWoman may discern a leading on your behalf.
Or, if, like RantWoman, you also have other time and location constraints, check out http://nwfriends.org/ym-sessions/   Consider attending to whatever you can via live stream or by following looking for social media options....
Send Prayers regardless.