Quakerism This Month (November-January)

Before looking at Quakerism this month, I need to do a little bit of catch-up . . .

In November and December, our focus was on the testimony of Simplicity. This theme was chosen specifically because the holidays can be a challenging time to maintain simplicity in our lives. During worship sharing, students pondered this query: "What is a simple gift that you could give?" As a lead-up, classes read an excerpt from "Christmas Day in the Morning," by Pearl S. Buck, a story about a fifteen year old boy who lives on a farm and wakes up extra early on Christmas morning to milk the cows alone - giving his father a special and simple gift. During Meeting for Singing, just before we began the holiday vacation, T. John treated us to a rendition of "Christmas in the Trenches," by John McCutcheon, which tells the true story of a truce on Christmas Eve, 1914, when Germans and Brits celebrated together.

Now, in the month of January, we are focusing on Service. This Thursday, students will work together in pairs to create posters illustrated their thoughts about service and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These posters will be displayed for our Hickman neighbors to enjoy. When we gather in the meeting house for silent worship, we will also sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and "We Shall Overcome." This is often a very moving experience for me, as the entire school encircles the meeting room holding hands.

This coming Monday, school will be closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. It is also the Martin Luther King Day of Service. If your family is interested in finding a service activity to join over the weekend or on Monday, try the Find a Volunteer Opportunity page on the Day of Service site.