Meeting for Grief and Hope
University Friends Meeting Worship Room
Saturday, July 30 1pm to 4pm,
Worship 1:30 to 2:30
Please come join us Saturday, July 30 for a Meeting for Grief and Hope to worship in the manner of Friends (silent worship), sharing our sorrow at the violence and deaths in Norway and our hope for a peaceful, multi-cultural future. This meeting for worship feels particularly needed because the victims in Norway were targeted because of their commitment to working toward a peaceful, multi-cultural world.
Let us gather to seek what love would have us do.
The title “Meeting for Grief and Hope” comes from the many gatherings held in the last few days in Norway as Norwegians deal with what has happened in their country. Jamal Rahman, a Muslim Sufi minister at the Interfaith Community Church in Seattle will worship with us.
Noon to 1:00pm – Come early and help set up
1:00pm – Gathering begins
1:30pm-2:30pm – Silent worship in the Worship Room
2:30pm-4:00pm – Social gathering outside
4:00pm-5:00pm – Clean Up
Because our social hall is under construction, hospitality will be
limited to finger foods and drinks outside in the Quaker House backyard.
If you would like to help put on this event, and do not already know how to contact the clerk of Worship and Ministry, leave a comment and RantWoman will route directly.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Most Recent Draft of the Overconsumption / Overpopulation Minute
Okay, okay, RantWoman wants EVERYTHING. RantWoman wants not only the most recent version of the overconsumption / overpopulation minute, she also wants notes from the minutes of the plenary.
RantWoman is also humble about her own limited capacity to interact with so many words on short notice during the Annual Session Business process. RantWoman is meditating about what to do about that including perhaps brutal editing. In the meantime, the version of this minute presented at the plenary July 15.
REVISED MINUTE ON POPULATION STABILIZATION
OUR VISION of an earth restored includes all creation thriving long into the future. It appears that our species is currently exceeding or on its way to exceeding the carrying capacity of the Earth. Current technological practices and consumption patterns waste precious resources and disrupt natural life and mineral cycles. As Americans, we recognize that in order to maintain our standard of living, we and other wealthy nations and peoples have been exploiting the resources of others around the globe, contributing to poverty and increased pressure on local resources.
.
In addition, world population has been growing at over 75 million persons per year, over 200,000 persons per day, over 8,500 per hour. Previously, world food production managed to keep up with increases in human population. Now we are reaching or have exceeded the limits of arable land, ocean fish populations, fresh underground water, fossil fuels, and other resources, and are crowding out the spaces and resources essential to other species. To accommodate the pressure of growing human population and consumption, forests are being cut down at the rate of 5,000 acres per hour, water tables are being drawn down at alarming rates, and wastes and poisons are polluting the air, water, and land at an increasing pace. Population growth is also a factor in persistent public health problems, poverty, crime, and wars.
In order to realize our Quaker vision of a peaceful, just society, we must seek ways to stabilize human population and consumption at levels that are sustainable for humans as well as all creation. As Friends in the United States, we realize that action begins with us as well as with others, seeking to live more lightly on the earth, seeing God in each person, and practicing what love can do. We also recognize that the reasons for population growth are greatly varied, and we encourage the development of deeper understandings of these complex issues.
We call for efforts to end the structural inequalities that perpetuate poverty and contribute to high birth rates, as well as voluntary measures to promote appropriate family size and reduced consumption, including (1) access to family planning services worldwide, (2) raising the status of women, and better access to education for women and men, both of which are key elements in reducing population, (3) support for those who choose adoption, shared childrearing, or to live childless, while honoring biological parenthood for those who choose that, (4) simpler lifestyles in high-consuming nations such as the United States, including fewer possessions, greater sharing, and more responsible choices in what we eat such as reduced consumption of meat, and (5) increased research on sustainable methods of food production, energy production, and other ways to meet human needs throughout the world without sacrificing the health of natural systems or the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
We believe that these and other voluntary approaches should be vigorously pursued now to avoid the inevitability of more coercive measures by societies in the future to maintain a needed balance of resources between present and future generations of humans and other species.
We urge Friends and others everywhere to join us in pursuing these and other population stabilization measures in our personal lives and in our local communities, states, and nations.
7/15/11
RantWoman is also humble about her own limited capacity to interact with so many words on short notice during the Annual Session Business process. RantWoman is meditating about what to do about that including perhaps brutal editing. In the meantime, the version of this minute presented at the plenary July 15.
REVISED MINUTE ON POPULATION STABILIZATION
OUR VISION of an earth restored includes all creation thriving long into the future. It appears that our species is currently exceeding or on its way to exceeding the carrying capacity of the Earth. Current technological practices and consumption patterns waste precious resources and disrupt natural life and mineral cycles. As Americans, we recognize that in order to maintain our standard of living, we and other wealthy nations and peoples have been exploiting the resources of others around the globe, contributing to poverty and increased pressure on local resources.
.
In addition, world population has been growing at over 75 million persons per year, over 200,000 persons per day, over 8,500 per hour. Previously, world food production managed to keep up with increases in human population. Now we are reaching or have exceeded the limits of arable land, ocean fish populations, fresh underground water, fossil fuels, and other resources, and are crowding out the spaces and resources essential to other species. To accommodate the pressure of growing human population and consumption, forests are being cut down at the rate of 5,000 acres per hour, water tables are being drawn down at alarming rates, and wastes and poisons are polluting the air, water, and land at an increasing pace. Population growth is also a factor in persistent public health problems, poverty, crime, and wars.
In order to realize our Quaker vision of a peaceful, just society, we must seek ways to stabilize human population and consumption at levels that are sustainable for humans as well as all creation. As Friends in the United States, we realize that action begins with us as well as with others, seeking to live more lightly on the earth, seeing God in each person, and practicing what love can do. We also recognize that the reasons for population growth are greatly varied, and we encourage the development of deeper understandings of these complex issues.
We call for efforts to end the structural inequalities that perpetuate poverty and contribute to high birth rates, as well as voluntary measures to promote appropriate family size and reduced consumption, including (1) access to family planning services worldwide, (2) raising the status of women, and better access to education for women and men, both of which are key elements in reducing population, (3) support for those who choose adoption, shared childrearing, or to live childless, while honoring biological parenthood for those who choose that, (4) simpler lifestyles in high-consuming nations such as the United States, including fewer possessions, greater sharing, and more responsible choices in what we eat such as reduced consumption of meat, and (5) increased research on sustainable methods of food production, energy production, and other ways to meet human needs throughout the world without sacrificing the health of natural systems or the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
We believe that these and other voluntary approaches should be vigorously pursued now to avoid the inevitability of more coercive measures by societies in the future to maintain a needed balance of resources between present and future generations of humans and other species.
We urge Friends and others everywhere to join us in pursuing these and other population stabilization measures in our personal lives and in our local communities, states, and nations.
7/15/11
Population / overconsumption / Climate Change
RantWoman returned from Quaker summer camp, aka NPYM Annual Session with her mind overflowing with inclinations to froth at the keyboard. RantWoman is unclear that her time available to froth will measure up to these inclinations but does want to note a couple links while they are fresh in her consciousness:
Contains the first draft of the "overpopulation" minute presented by NPYM Peace and Social Concerns at one of the early plenaries.
http://westernfriend.org/2011/06/north-paficic-yearly-meeting-annual-session-days-one-two/
RantWoman uses the drafters' term: population / overpopulation even though what emerged from multiple rounds of discussion at Annual Session is more about overconsumption!
A draft petition RantWoman received in the same time interval about climate change which specifically calls out the problem of which countries are currently the leading emitters of greenhouse gases. RantWoman includes it here in light of the directions the seasoning took during Business Meeting.
http://climateethicscampaign.org/statement
Further notes in the not-prettied-up, RantWoman tends to tell too much of the truth vein for which RantWoman is all too famous.
RantWoman spoke to a Friend from the Meeting where the proposed minute originated. That Friend said she was most definitely not at unity with the minute when it went forward.
Friends at the plenary mentioned in the link referenced above were not at unity with the minute the first time it came up. RantWoman is unclear whether the plenary minutes will get posted so Friends can evaluate the issues themselves.
The second time the minute came up, some changes had been made but Friends still assuredly were NOT at unity. Words like racism and overconsumption in the developed world were spoken repeatedly. There was vocal ministry of various sorts, including RantWoman's firm leading to ask for language about seeking Divine Light as we all learn to live in really changed circumstances.
And the minute was returned to Peace and Social Concerns to be worked over again this coming year. A strong suggestion was made that those seasoning the next iteration of this minute take into account what might be shared of responses gathered at the upcoming World Gathering of Friends to FWCC's queries about Global Change.
RantWoman thinks that, even though those bringing the minute are getting very strong messages only very slowly, the entire exercise is extremely valuable because the minute touches topics that affect our whole entire community and very rich discussion is progressing. RantWoman felt especially called to underscore the point about getting the entire community to carry the concern. For one thing, the Friend from the Meeting where the minute originated was still feeling both responsible and heartily sick of how long it is taking others to get her message. RantWoman can see her point about Quaker time!
La Times article
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-harte-population-20110721,0,715317.story
Contains the first draft of the "overpopulation" minute presented by NPYM Peace and Social Concerns at one of the early plenaries.
http://westernfriend.org/2011/06/north-paficic-yearly-meeting-annual-session-days-one-two/
RantWoman uses the drafters' term: population / overpopulation even though what emerged from multiple rounds of discussion at Annual Session is more about overconsumption!
A draft petition RantWoman received in the same time interval about climate change which specifically calls out the problem of which countries are currently the leading emitters of greenhouse gases. RantWoman includes it here in light of the directions the seasoning took during Business Meeting.
http://climateethicscampaign.org/statement
Further notes in the not-prettied-up, RantWoman tends to tell too much of the truth vein for which RantWoman is all too famous.
RantWoman spoke to a Friend from the Meeting where the proposed minute originated. That Friend said she was most definitely not at unity with the minute when it went forward.
Friends at the plenary mentioned in the link referenced above were not at unity with the minute the first time it came up. RantWoman is unclear whether the plenary minutes will get posted so Friends can evaluate the issues themselves.
The second time the minute came up, some changes had been made but Friends still assuredly were NOT at unity. Words like racism and overconsumption in the developed world were spoken repeatedly. There was vocal ministry of various sorts, including RantWoman's firm leading to ask for language about seeking Divine Light as we all learn to live in really changed circumstances.
And the minute was returned to Peace and Social Concerns to be worked over again this coming year. A strong suggestion was made that those seasoning the next iteration of this minute take into account what might be shared of responses gathered at the upcoming World Gathering of Friends to FWCC's queries about Global Change.
RantWoman thinks that, even though those bringing the minute are getting very strong messages only very slowly, the entire exercise is extremely valuable because the minute touches topics that affect our whole entire community and very rich discussion is progressing. RantWoman felt especially called to underscore the point about getting the entire community to carry the concern. For one thing, the Friend from the Meeting where the minute originated was still feeling both responsible and heartily sick of how long it is taking others to get her message. RantWoman can see her point about Quaker time!
La Times article
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-harte-population-20110721,0,715317.story
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Service Animals
RantWoman is digesting many circumstances from her recent journey to Quaker summer camp, the Annual Session of North Pacific Yearly Meeting. One event that RantWoman finds it very easy to write up quickly and with deep gratitude is the continuing evolution of the service animal concern RantWoman was called to raise over the last year in connection with Quarterly Meeting.
Annual Session always includes plenty of meetings which are convenient because those involved are already assembled in one place. One example is the quarterly meeting of representatives from Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups in Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting. RantWoman does not currently have any reason to go to this meeting except to follow up on her concerns about service dogs.
The recent meeting featured:
--thoughtful detailed research by our registrar.
--clear guidance as to the law.
--clear recognition by Friends that service dogs, people with allergies, and a host of other difficulties are to be accommodated in our gatherings.
RantWoman in addition notes particular gratitude and appreciation for:
--the many gifts and steadfast service of our registrar.
--space to discuss the question without either the hurt of past incidents or any specific current situations.
--the presence of the right combination of people in the room. RantWoman learned during a ministry of car ride moment that service dogs had in fact come up previously at this body. Everyone there thought "why should there be any problem." RantWoman is humble because she had not spelled out the previous past incident at the point of the meeting in February. Other people able to speak to other points also were not present previously. RantWoman is so grateful all the needed people and information lined up this time around!
RantWoman is SO GRATEFUL to share this burden. RantWoman feels very humble about the extent to which her saying "make it so" was picked up by others who could be calmer and interact more incisively than RantWoman could.
Finally, in case RantWoman's readers think they are going to make it through an entire post without engaging RantWoman's ranting proclivities at least once, RantWoman presents a real live apparent service animal moment from the Annual Session dining experience.
Ambassador Thwack was made to work once in the cafeteria but he was unhelpful as to the main vexations of that realm and RantWoman opted just to indulge his bent toward indolence. For RantWoman's trouble she got to be grateful several times to avoid a small though thankfully well-behaved dog on a leash which RantWoman can only assume is some kind of a service dog. Of course according to the law there is no way to ask. RantWoman darn well HOPES it's some kind of service dog because if she ever trips over the hound and breaks her face.... (Okay, easy, breathe, center...be glad the aggravation level is merely about average.)
Annual Session always includes plenty of meetings which are convenient because those involved are already assembled in one place. One example is the quarterly meeting of representatives from Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups in Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting. RantWoman does not currently have any reason to go to this meeting except to follow up on her concerns about service dogs.
The recent meeting featured:
--thoughtful detailed research by our registrar.
--clear guidance as to the law.
--clear recognition by Friends that service dogs, people with allergies, and a host of other difficulties are to be accommodated in our gatherings.
RantWoman in addition notes particular gratitude and appreciation for:
--the many gifts and steadfast service of our registrar.
--space to discuss the question without either the hurt of past incidents or any specific current situations.
--the presence of the right combination of people in the room. RantWoman learned during a ministry of car ride moment that service dogs had in fact come up previously at this body. Everyone there thought "why should there be any problem." RantWoman is humble because she had not spelled out the previous past incident at the point of the meeting in February. Other people able to speak to other points also were not present previously. RantWoman is so grateful all the needed people and information lined up this time around!
RantWoman is SO GRATEFUL to share this burden. RantWoman feels very humble about the extent to which her saying "make it so" was picked up by others who could be calmer and interact more incisively than RantWoman could.
Finally, in case RantWoman's readers think they are going to make it through an entire post without engaging RantWoman's ranting proclivities at least once, RantWoman presents a real live apparent service animal moment from the Annual Session dining experience.
Ambassador Thwack was made to work once in the cafeteria but he was unhelpful as to the main vexations of that realm and RantWoman opted just to indulge his bent toward indolence. For RantWoman's trouble she got to be grateful several times to avoid a small though thankfully well-behaved dog on a leash which RantWoman can only assume is some kind of a service dog. Of course according to the law there is no way to ask. RantWoman darn well HOPES it's some kind of service dog because if she ever trips over the hound and breaks her face.... (Okay, easy, breathe, center...be glad the aggravation level is merely about average.)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Quaker audio items for filing cabinet
One of RantWoman's goals in the blog as filing cabinet model of electronic raggedness is just to be able to find resources of specific categories sometimes without casting about among the turbulent waves of internet information floods. To that end, some links that do not necessarily always get you directly to audio but do get closer faster...
http://www.pym.org/blogs/sadie-forsythe/friend-speaks-my-mind-quaker-audio-experiment
look here for the composting quakerism podcast which RantWoman still has not interacted very much with.
http://gatheringinlight.com/
Peterson Toscano:
http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/
http://gatheringinlight.com/
http://www.pym.org/blogs/sadie-forsythe/friend-speaks-my-mind-quaker-audio-experiment
look here for the composting quakerism podcast which RantWoman still has not interacted very much with.
http://gatheringinlight.com/
Peterson Toscano:
http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/
http://gatheringinlight.com/
Monday, July 11, 2011
NPYM Annual Session Daily Bulletin Decrees of the Editor
Dear Friends,
I am writing as your Daily Bulletin editor. Here are some tips to help get our daily bulletin out on time and in forms that Friends can enjoy and use during NPYM Annual Session.
Daily Bulletins will be published Thursday July 14-Sunday July 17 of NPYM Annual Session.
Deadline for submissions is 7 pm sharp the night before each edition. Submissions may be made by posting a comment here, equivalent to emailing RantWoman, on paper in the designated box in the Annual Session office, or by phone / voice mail (number available in other fora) . If you make submissions on paper, it would be helpful to have a way to contact you in case of questions. If you make submissions by phone, please spell names of people and places. I am happy to receive submissions for the Thursday edition in advance by email.
Submissions should be brief and may be edited for clarity, space, and other considerations.
In consideration of NPYM minutes on earth care and resource conservation, only a limited number will be printed; if you would like to receive your Daily Bulletin by email, please either post a comment here or send a request directly to the posted email address.
In consultation with the Presiding Clerk and the Clerk of the NPYM IT committee, we suggest using the Twitter hashtag #11npym to help people find topical Tweets. This is an experiment. Please DO NOT submit Daily Bulletin announcemetns by Twitter because they may not be read!
I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Annual Session.
In the Light.
(RantWoman)
PS In case you think RantWoman has only bureaucratic interest in Annual Session, RantWoman highly recommends a preliminary peek at the queries for 4 days of Worship Sharing:
http://theredelectric.blogspot.com/2011/07/practically-spiritual.html
I am writing as your Daily Bulletin editor. Here are some tips to help get our daily bulletin out on time and in forms that Friends can enjoy and use during NPYM Annual Session.
Daily Bulletins will be published Thursday July 14-Sunday July 17 of NPYM Annual Session.
Deadline for submissions is 7 pm sharp the night before each edition. Submissions may be made by posting a comment here, equivalent to emailing RantWoman, on paper in the designated box in the Annual Session office, or by phone / voice mail (number available in other fora) . If you make submissions on paper, it would be helpful to have a way to contact you in case of questions. If you make submissions by phone, please spell names of people and places. I am happy to receive submissions for the Thursday edition in advance by email.
Submissions should be brief and may be edited for clarity, space, and other considerations.
In consideration of NPYM minutes on earth care and resource conservation, only a limited number will be printed; if you would like to receive your Daily Bulletin by email, please either post a comment here or send a request directly to the posted email address.
In consultation with the Presiding Clerk and the Clerk of the NPYM IT committee, we suggest using the Twitter hashtag #11npym to help people find topical Tweets. This is an experiment. Please DO NOT submit Daily Bulletin announcemetns by Twitter because they may not be read!
I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Annual Session.
In the Light.
(RantWoman)
PS In case you think RantWoman has only bureaucratic interest in Annual Session, RantWoman highly recommends a preliminary peek at the queries for 4 days of Worship Sharing:
http://theredelectric.blogspot.com/2011/07/practically-spiritual.html
Vocal Ministry Stats
Warning: the following is only part of RantWoman's spiritual excursion during Meeting for Worship this week. Only part of this got shared and only by phone.
RantWoman of late has been compiling a mental list of frequent flyer Friends, Friends who seem rather often to feel called to offer vocal ministry. Some of the ministry turns out to be weighty. Some of the time RantWoman finds herself wishing that Frequent Flyer Friends would subject their leadings to particularly fierce scrutiny. In particular, should these Friends take care, sit in expectant waiting rather longer than usual to see whether their message gets delivered from others' lips?
RantWoman admits to a certain flair for the quantitative. Inspired by the world of baseball where RantWoman wanders only rarely, RantWoman even found herself formulating a numerical frequent flyer index, the percentage of a Friend's messages that RantWoman wishes would wait to emerge from others' mouths.
Bear in mind, RantWoman is judgmental and opinionated, but even RantWoman would never permit herself to assign a frequent flyer index of 1, the suggestion that 100% of a Friend's messages should be forced to wait to be delivered through others' mouths. Meeting for Worship, after all is an act of faith. Messages meaningless to one are sometimes deeply moving to others. Friends who can muster absolutely no faith or forebearance for the Light as it arrives to their neighbors, either those who speak or those who listen, should at least face stern eldering. This most definitely includes RantWoman.
Nor would RantWoman make more than rare exceptions and assign a frequent flyer index of 2, equivalent to batting 500 in baseball. Okay, okay, in the case of one Frequent Flyer, RantWoman gets simply to be grateful that the Friend moved away before RantWoman got around to deciding what index to apply.
Today's worship featured Hold Friend in the Light Traumatic circumstance Pastoral Concern Definitely Due Friend flanked on either side by two Friends, Friends RantWoman respects and esteems but to whom RantWoman would still assign Frequent Flyer indexes somewhere between 5 and 6, Poetic Friend and Call Me Up and I will Figure it out For you Friend.
Lately Poetic Friend's messages have all been short, Heminwayesque. RantWoman appreciates brevity but herself tends to favor more florid word flow. RantWoman persists in her frequent flyer rating even though there is a great risk that Poetic Friend's messages would emerge more verbose and muddled if the Holy Spirit gave them to someone else. RantWoman is aware of many circumstances calling her voice to vexation around Poetic Friend so RantWoman feels especially called to check whether others assign Poetic Friend any kind of Frequent Flyer index at all.
Call Me Up Friend's messages run longer and frequently more judgmental and tied to specific circumstances than those of Poetic Friend. Today's offering came right at the end of worship. It was a "Thank you so much; maybe someone else will share on this difficult theme" message. RantWoman would SO like it if that Friend had exercised restraint RantWoman's gripe with today's offering: RantWoman had ALMOST gotten her mental broom closet lined up well enough to do exactly that, but Call Me Up Friend sucked away the last of the time and someone closed worship rather directly. So now, is RantWoman actually going to call up Call Me up Friend and say this...?
OR...
Is RantWoman going to call up Call Me Up ... Friend and talk about her beloved baseball, say fantasy baseball teams? See, RantWoman thinks just MAYBE Call Me Up ... Friend would relate to a long passed away gay friend of RantWoman's who compiled fantasy baseball teams based not on the statistics some fantasy baseball team compilers rely on but on long passed away friend's ratings of players' physical appearance.
Here RantWoman must acknowledge a problem, a full-on testimony on equality problem in the realm of gender equality: RantWoman would unquestionably consider long-deceased friend's ogling practices sexist if he directed them at women. RantWoman does not think it terrible if men also experience frank ogling, either by Call Me Up ... Friend or by long-deceased friend. Either way, though, RantWoman finds it all just a bit much but she is amused to get from frequent flyer vocal ministry to fantasy baseball to questions of gender equality around the Religious society of Friends
http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/gender-equality-and-the-religious-society-of-friends/
Just imagine where RantWoman could get with a real travel budget.
RantWoman of late has been compiling a mental list of frequent flyer Friends, Friends who seem rather often to feel called to offer vocal ministry. Some of the ministry turns out to be weighty. Some of the time RantWoman finds herself wishing that Frequent Flyer Friends would subject their leadings to particularly fierce scrutiny. In particular, should these Friends take care, sit in expectant waiting rather longer than usual to see whether their message gets delivered from others' lips?
RantWoman admits to a certain flair for the quantitative. Inspired by the world of baseball where RantWoman wanders only rarely, RantWoman even found herself formulating a numerical frequent flyer index, the percentage of a Friend's messages that RantWoman wishes would wait to emerge from others' mouths.
Bear in mind, RantWoman is judgmental and opinionated, but even RantWoman would never permit herself to assign a frequent flyer index of 1, the suggestion that 100% of a Friend's messages should be forced to wait to be delivered through others' mouths. Meeting for Worship, after all is an act of faith. Messages meaningless to one are sometimes deeply moving to others. Friends who can muster absolutely no faith or forebearance for the Light as it arrives to their neighbors, either those who speak or those who listen, should at least face stern eldering. This most definitely includes RantWoman.
Nor would RantWoman make more than rare exceptions and assign a frequent flyer index of 2, equivalent to batting 500 in baseball. Okay, okay, in the case of one Frequent Flyer, RantWoman gets simply to be grateful that the Friend moved away before RantWoman got around to deciding what index to apply.
Today's worship featured Hold Friend in the Light Traumatic circumstance Pastoral Concern Definitely Due Friend flanked on either side by two Friends, Friends RantWoman respects and esteems but to whom RantWoman would still assign Frequent Flyer indexes somewhere between 5 and 6, Poetic Friend and Call Me Up and I will Figure it out For you Friend.
Lately Poetic Friend's messages have all been short, Heminwayesque. RantWoman appreciates brevity but herself tends to favor more florid word flow. RantWoman persists in her frequent flyer rating even though there is a great risk that Poetic Friend's messages would emerge more verbose and muddled if the Holy Spirit gave them to someone else. RantWoman is aware of many circumstances calling her voice to vexation around Poetic Friend so RantWoman feels especially called to check whether others assign Poetic Friend any kind of Frequent Flyer index at all.
Call Me Up Friend's messages run longer and frequently more judgmental and tied to specific circumstances than those of Poetic Friend. Today's offering came right at the end of worship. It was a "Thank you so much; maybe someone else will share on this difficult theme" message. RantWoman would SO like it if that Friend had exercised restraint RantWoman's gripe with today's offering: RantWoman had ALMOST gotten her mental broom closet lined up well enough to do exactly that, but Call Me Up Friend sucked away the last of the time and someone closed worship rather directly. So now, is RantWoman actually going to call up Call Me up Friend and say this...?
OR...
Is RantWoman going to call up Call Me Up ... Friend and talk about her beloved baseball, say fantasy baseball teams? See, RantWoman thinks just MAYBE Call Me Up ... Friend would relate to a long passed away gay friend of RantWoman's who compiled fantasy baseball teams based not on the statistics some fantasy baseball team compilers rely on but on long passed away friend's ratings of players' physical appearance.
Here RantWoman must acknowledge a problem, a full-on testimony on equality problem in the realm of gender equality: RantWoman would unquestionably consider long-deceased friend's ogling practices sexist if he directed them at women. RantWoman does not think it terrible if men also experience frank ogling, either by Call Me Up ... Friend or by long-deceased friend. Either way, though, RantWoman finds it all just a bit much but she is amused to get from frequent flyer vocal ministry to fantasy baseball to questions of gender equality around the Religious society of Friends
http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/gender-equality-and-the-religious-society-of-friends/
Just imagine where RantWoman could get with a real travel budget.
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