Hands

RantWoman’s Google calendar recently reminded her of the birthday of Retired Church Musician Friend. Retired Church Musician Friend earned his nom de blog from his previous profession, including both a Challenging Personality and a life path that had previously crossed that of the RantFamily. Retired Church Musician Friend found Quakers late in life, at somewhere around age 75. He found Quakers in that enthusiasm of I will sign up to do anything whether it is reasonable or not.  Subsequently, Retired Church Musician Friend also earned big points at his memorial for saying Hi faithfully to other younger Friends who arrived at the same time he did.

 

At the time of his signing up, there were only two people on Facilities committee plus him. RantWoman looked at the combination of names on the roster and thought “this could be interesting.” RantWoman had been thinking of offering service on Facilities committee but realized that she had extensive interactions with Retired Church Musician Friend in another part of life and that RantWoman should not overdo…  Without elaborating on adventures and misadventures, RantWoman definitely thinks care of our campus can be a joy for younger hands.

 

RantWoman has a similar twitch about anyone who thinks they are called to clerk THREE committees. Who else might be out there? RantWoman will be glad any time to offer lessons in saying “I am wearing too many hats. Some of my hats need to find new heads.”

 

RantWoman has been thinking about these two concerns alongside the information that Business Meeting last month drew more people than average. Many were in great pain and felt much freer to speak without RantWoman. Okayyy. Others just were unfamiliar with circumstances.

 

The first thing RantWoman wants to say is THANK YOU for showing up! THANK YOU for caring! RantWoman is deeply sorry for everyone’s pain. RantWoman hears lots of repetitive  issues which she is sitting with carefully. RantWoman wants to help make things better and RantWoman is not doing well about secondhand vagueness. While her heart is full and full of attention to the voice of RantWoman (Uggh) RantWoman is not clear even where to start about communication.  

 

RantWoman IS clear about one thread that keeps coming up: “We need time to heal (implying a break from RantWoman)” Look Friends, RantWoman does not get a break from disability. We all need time to learn and grieve, and we need to keep trying together.

 

RantWoman deeply loves this Meeting but RantWoman is no one’s fairy godmother. Meeting has not had any “God has no hands but ours” messages in awhile. RantWoman will try to work on that one, but RantWoman’s hands by themselves are nowhere near enough. Or there is always another call to be the official meeting bogeyman, and to do so with gusto. What reaching can help all around?

 

In Light and Faithfulness

 

RantWoman

Ministry Seasoned with Pizza?

Warning: this post is tangled. RantWoman is completely sober and the post is still tangled. Perhaps RantWoman and everyone mentioned just need to be held in the Light.

 

 

New Material at the bottom of the weekly bulletin with our material about sex offenders.

 

(RantWoman is omitting the material specifically about sex offenders. RantWoman deeply appreciates the person willing to be a phone contact for people with personal concerns but would slightly prefer that a person willing to be a phone contact list professional credentials. [RantWoman has a very able mental health professional whom she sees as often as she can afford; RantWoman is not clear that phoning the Meeting contact person will be helpful for what is on her mind about Meeting] Here though, what is on RantWoman’s mind, RantWoman thinks may cause enough consternation just by reporting data about following the instructions in the invitation below.)

 

Invitation?

“University Friends Meeting is also a place where individual behavior may not always live up to the ideals of community and peace that are at the heart of Quaker life. You may experience individuals whose comments, ministry or other communication appears aggressive, harsh, or rambling.

[ Excerpt from a Care and Counsel committee member email awhile ago comes to mind: “Please take good and gentle care of yourself. This is going to be painful and I do not even want to hear until after Business Meeting…”]  

Some in our community may misuse Quaker process, speaking their minds without the full light of the Spirit.

[Does anyone on Care and Counsel maybe MAYBE have challenges in this regard TOO?]

We are committed to engaging with these Friends from a place of love and spiritual discernment.

[If there were no love involved, RantWoman should have run away screaming a LONG time ago. PS How about matters of lawand administrative practicality on Planet Capitalism, single standard of Truth for Friends where awareness of the ADA and or really welcoming diversity and inclusion statements are part of their work lives and Meeting is a glorious learning opportunity?]

We are also resolved to hold these Friends accountable for their words and actions in the interest of protecting the integrity and spirit of our meeting. If you experience or witness harassment, either in person or online, please notify Care and Counsel Committee. [Who does RantWoman contact if the word silencing leaps out from…; can we maybe possibly just think “Opportunity to Grow. Oh Goody! Opportunity to Grow?”]

 

“If you have questions or concerns about how University Friends Meeting creates a safe and welcoming environment, please feel free to speak with the individual closing meeting for worship. […University Friends Meeting creates… How about movements of the Holy Spirit? Any room for that?] You may also bring questions or concerns to a member of the Care and Counsel or Worship and Ministry Committees. The co-clerks are …(Friend who usually embodies other nicer noms de blog than the email above and Friend whose Nom de blog RantWoman is trying NOT to reconsider.”

 

 

RantWoman offers the following data.

Vocal Ministry from Couples Counseling Friend

Recently Couples Counseling Friend offered vocal ministry. Couples Counseling Friend frequently does drama presentation well. This was true this time too but parts of her ministry just creeped RantWoman out.

 

Couples Counseling Friend, a member of Care and Counsel, acquired her nom de blog because she is attached in RantWoman’s mind with terminological landmines related to a conflict resolution effort already freighted with  vexed elements.  RantWoman one of these days will just write a Giant I FORGIVE you characterizing a number of circumstances, but that is neither here nor there for the ministry (ministries?) discussed here.

 

 

The ministry as RantWoman heard it, after children had entered worship.

First a bit about Benjamin Lay and whether he was difficult on purpose. RantWoman has no basis for knowing but would consider the possibility that Benjamin Lay lived in a cave because that was what he could afford. RantWoman also imagines, since Benjamin Lay was a person of short stature, that his cave might not have been large enough for people of normal height to stand up in but that it probably was a much-needed refuge from the ableism of people around him. Well RantWoman imagines.

 

The next part of the message mentioned Couples Counseling Friend’s former professional work with many children who have been sexually abused. The first part of the message was about something wonderful coming with something terrible.  RantWoman is not unfamiliar with the concept of unexpected blessing.  Something though about the delivery together with Couples Counseling Friend’s refusal to respond by email to a simple email inquiry “Do you remember what you said?” Do you remember what you intended?” somehow gave that part of the ministry a creepy edge.

 

Pizza?

 

Couples Counseling Friend, as RantWoman heard it, next talked about asking her young clients what they wanted on a pizza so they could forget the bad things forever.

 

Huh??? What kind of treatment modality is that? How does that work neurologically? Does the pizza also whack things one wants to hold or only bad stuff? It’s not one RantWoman remembers from her stint as a behavioral health bean counter. How does that work? Is God just showing off some weird sense of humor showing up with this message?

 

More to the point, eat a lot of pizza (or whatever) and just try to forget… pretty well encapsulates the emotional atmosphere a good bit of the time in the RantFamily household. That eat and forget and never mind emotional nuances or skills atmosphere also contributed  to between 0 and 2 threads of sexual assault per kid among the 3 RantChildren. RantWoman is the 0 which still leaves plenty of work for a mental health professional and plenty to keep washing away in the well of good spiritual practice. . Pizza and /or the possibility that no one has figured out the kid is violently allergic to pizza, is its own digression. Expectations about forgetting are, on Planet RantWoman completely unrealistic and also a little beside the point: If expectations of forgetting are to be part of the therapy, should one just run screaming from the room, even if it has been a lot of trouble to get into the room in the first place? If one is not going to forget, understandings and healing “I see you” conversations can evolve over time.

 

That is where RantWoman has gotten to while seasoning her creeped out reaction. By seasoning, RantWoman means a group email including Couples Counseling Friend and others who were present or not. Besides the inquiry above to Couples Counseling Friend, RantWoman also asked others what if any elements they remembered. RantWoman did not have high expectations, but now simply notes data collected.

 

Couples Counseling Friend repeated a frequent request of RantWoman, basically not to email her except regarding matters related to Couples Counseling Friend also being Recording Clerk.

 

Helpful? Uhh, today the Benjamin Lay reference has sent RantWoman’s recollections of many matters to do with disability and Minutes so guess what, RantWoman in her role as serial recording clerk to many Quaker bodies invited Couples Counseling Friend back into the picture. [RantWoman also notes at least two batches of minutes where Couples Counseling Friend either ignored RantWoman’s words entirely or seemed quite at sea with what RantWoman was trying to present. In the second case others were at sea and conversations continue.]

 

Friend Whose Nom De Blog RantWoman is trying not to Reconsider generously told the entire recipient list they do not need to respond to RantWoman’s honest questions. RantWoman’s excessively plain English to Quakerese language filter may yet melt over this Friend’s presumption to know more about the intent of RantWoman’s choice of recipients than RantWoman does. People are adults. They can take responsibility for managing their email. This Friend also offered an opinion about inquiries as to the meaning of Vocal ministry that RantWoman is having trouble squaring with the invitation listed in the bulletin.

 

RantWoman then wrote back that often for her inquiries as to something about her ministry are often very welcome and deepening; Madame Clerk also wrote back even more movingly than RantWoman AND expressed unspecified disquiet with the previous Friend’s response. Another Friend wrote back also noting disquiet and expressing various strands of blessing.

 

Back in Worship

RantWoman returns to the Meeting for Worship in question.

 

RantWoman offered the ministry summarized here.

https://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2019/01/benjamin-lay-comes-to-worship-and.html

 

 

Than another Friend offered the ministry from Corinthians about “love is kind, patient…”  And Meeting closed AND RantWoman needed to ask in person to be held in the Light.

 

Sure. Now what?

 

In Light and Faithfulness

 

RantWoman

 

 

 

First Draft?

Oh Dear.






The Excessively Plain English to Quakerese filter is not doing so well. Breme Brown has this concept of the "Shitty First Draft" or SFD.  Usually the SFD does not get shared. RantWOman needs the whole dang internet to hold evolution in the Light.






I am sorry I hurt your feelings.




And I forgive you for what looks to RantWoman like a bunch of privileged inconsiderate ableist Bullshit. If you do not think any of those words apply, please feel free to sweep under their umbrella any other blechy feelings toward RantWoman you do not know what to do with.






Now what can we do to get to a better place between us?

Black Lives Matter School Board Mobilization




Black Lives Matter at School
School Board Mobilization Weds February 6

Director Search: Ben Lomand Quaker Center

RantWoman is unclear that the current torrents pouring through Planet RantWoman will necessarily resonate with the kind of readers RantWoman might hope will apply for the positions described below. Nevertheless, since the postings have come in RantWoman's email streams, RantWoman is trusting her Light about posting. For detailed job descriptions see the Ben Lomand Employment Opportunities




From: Ben Lomond Quaker Center
Date: Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Subject: Quaker Center Director search continues

Dear Friends,

... I'm writing to request your help in spreading the word about
the search for an individual Director for Quaker Center, as well as the
search for an Associate Director. Our board did not find a couple to
replace Bob and me, so our Personnel Committee has divided the Co-Directors
job description into two individual positions. Do you have a way of helping
us get the word out through your network of Friends?

Here are some blurbs and links from the Quaker Center website (
http://www.quakercenter.org/about-us/employment-opportunities/):
Quaker Center is now accepting applications for a Director to begin work
during the summer of 2019 providing spiritual leadership to Friends in the
west, developing workshops; managing staff, finances and facilities;
fundraising; and working closely with spirit-led Board in support of Quaker
Center’s mission. Compensation includes: salary, benefits and housing in
the glorious California coastal redwoods. Please see the job description
here. The application deadline is March 31, 2019. Send resume and cover
letter to search@quakercenter.org

We are also seeking applications for the position of Associate Director.
This individual will support the BLQC Director to maintain a vital,
spirit-led organization, which speaks to the spiritual condition of Friends
and others. Compensation includes: salary, benefits and housing. This
position will remain open until filled; applications received by March 31st
may be prioritized. Please see the job description here. Send resume and
cover letter to search@quakercenter.org.

Thanks!

Kathy

Sightseeing regarding Electronic Quakerism

Tonight’s unsolicited journey to Planet RantWoman, or at least the more uplifting sightseeing options.

 

Advertise all our attributes

Here is the page from Meeting’s website about accessibility.

http://ufmseattle.org/home/accessibility/

 

What do Friends see that they like? What do Friends wish were here?

Can anyone besides RantWoman identify a piece of information that might also be appropriate on the Rentals page below? Hint: it’s apiece of information that Friends might want to advertise in specific places. RantWoman THINKS she has emailed Finance Committee with a suggestion, but…

 

 

Yeah alt text

Lest RantWoman ever complain that Meeting has been completely unresponsive and scored worse than medium horrible on #DisabilityInChurch issues, RantWoman presents the page about rentals from the Meeting website. Diabolical blindness awareness point: there is information in the alt text for the pictures that is not available anywhere else on the site. RantWoman thanks the webmaster for responsiveness about her suggestions.

http://ufmseattle.org/home/accommodations/meeting-house-rental/

 

Next step: matters of electronic library

RantWoman again directs Friends’ attention to her appreciation of measures of technological helpfulness.

https://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2018/11/discomfort-delivered-via-gigantic.html

 

RantWoman still needs to troubleshoot one aspect of her interaction with the electronic edition of Western Friend, but it is probably not a Western Friend problem. RantWoman also needs to reiterate the most important reasonable accommodations request she ever made: we can do it. We need to keep trying. And by Keep Trying, RantWoman now needs some conversations about electronic materials and the word Library. RantWoman realized this would be appropriate recently in a discussion of options for reading Western Friend electronically in preparation for an Adult Religious Education session. (Leave a comment if you want to request that RantWoman share her electronic copy.)

 

This time RantWoman has the access. Neah-hah! RantWoman does not have to interact with unevenness in Friends’ willingness to provide electronic copies of handouts. (Look, some of the time it is not the end of the world.) However if RantWoman is deluged with requests for electronic copies of the issue in question, RantWoman will work harder to have electronic library conversations.

 

Benjamin Lay Comes to Worship and Brings Agnes Wanda McClintock

RantWoman LOVES hearing new voices in worship. At the same time, RantWoman finds herself needing to be faithful to a call to speak. RantWoman maintains a mental frequent flyer list of people whose messages she wishes might sometimes make it out of others’ mouths. RantWoman is on this frequent flyer list.  Hold these two threads in the Light.

Here RantWoman needs to leave traces of what was on her mind while she ATTEMPTS to solicit help about one piece of ministry she has become extremely STUCK about.

Meeting for Worship Sunday featured ministry by a former member of Abington Friends about noted 18^th Century abolitionist and provocateur Benjamin Lay who at the time was read out of several Meetings and lately in the last year or so has been posthumously readmitted to membership at Abington Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania.
 
Dang. Another week where RantWoman was called to deliver multiple seemingly disparate messages right at the end of worship, after the children joined us for cripe’s sake.

1. It is a triumph for the whole country that Congress pass and The Orange One signed legislation reopening the government.
    
2. IToday is the 75^th Anniversary of the end of the Siege of Leningrad, with BRIEF commentary of what that refers to. RantWoman definitely left out the part about survival cannibalism for one thing because RantWoman had already reached her limit of both hearing and offering weird food ministry.
    
3. (Nutrition / food allergy issue related to previous ministry RantWoman will untangle separately about Benjamin Lay and pizza; reference to Benjamin Lay being a dwarf) It is all very nice that Abington Friends reinstated the membership of Benjamin Lay 200 years after reading him out of Meeting. Now it would be really nice if Abington Friends would restore the membership of Agnes Wanda McClintock who was recently read out of meeting for being faithful to her call to honor the memory of her enslaved ancestors buried on the grounds of the Meeting.

Isn't RantWoman just a BARREL of fun to be around!