Friends Center Blog

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 25

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by yue su on Unsplash

Mindful Moment

By Hildegard of Bingen

“I am the one whose praise echoes on high.
I adorn all the earth.
I am the breeze that nurtures all things green.
I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits.
I am led by the spirit to feed the purest streams.
I am the rain coming from the dew
that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.
I am the yearning for good.”

This meditation by Hildegard of Bingen brings together the natural and the supernatural, the creation and the creator, all into one divine existence marked by “the yearning for good.” The query: Where do I witness the divine? I invite us to not only look outward, but also to look inward in our search.

This Mindful Moment provided by Jacob Perkins

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday3.31.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.31.20211:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Dr. Jill PeterfesoFriends Center
Wednesday3.31.20215:00 PMGCM Weekly Fellowship on Founders Hall LawnGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday4.2.20211:00 PMVigil in Honor of Asian & Asian-American Individuals and CommunitiesFriends Center
Monday4.5.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Tuesday4.6.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday4.7.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday4.7.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Join us for a Vigil in Honor of Asian & Asian-American Individuals and Communities

Please join us this Friday as we join together as a community for a vigil honoring Asian and Asian-American Individuals and Communities impacted by ongoing racism and violence. We join together in rejecting hate and white supremacy in all of its forms and uplift those suffering the most from all acts of racism.

Friday, April 2 from 1-1:30pm (EST)

Zoom Information
https://guilford.zoom.us/j/96726495075?pwd=VkhGRmNuUFJSNkNycHNGY05xMW1LUT09

Meeting ID: 967 2649 5075
Passcode: 806966

Friends Center in partnership with the President’s Office, DEI, International Student Club, Counseling Center, Student Affairs, and more.

Click here for more info and to register!
The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love at 7:00pm weekly on Tuesdays. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Join us for a Vigil in Honor of Asian & Asian-American Individuals and Communities

Posted on by danielscw

Friends,

Please join us this Friday as we join together as a community for a vigil honoring Asian and Asian-American Individuals and Communities impacted by ongoing racism and violence. We join together in rejecting hate and white supremacy in all of its forms and uplift those suffering the most from all acts of racism.

Friday, April 2 from 1-1:30pm (EST)

Zoom Information
https://guilford.zoom.us/j/96726495075?pwd=VkhGRmNuUFJSNkNycHNGY05xMW1LUT09

Meeting ID: 967 2649 5075
Passcode: 806966

Friends Center in partnership with the President’s Office, DEI, International Student Club, Counseling Center, Student Affairs, and more.

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 24

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash

Mindful Moment: “Mother Earth’s Spring Dress”

Told by Edna Chekelelee

“And this time of year
      our Mother Earth has worked all winter long
      in making her dress,
      beautiful dress,
      but it’s green.
‘Bout the early spring she adds some flowers to it.
And whenever she gets ready
      she drops her skirt down the mountainside,
      you can see it across the mountain
      downhill,
      all her skirt is full
      with all the flowers-
      dogwood flowers, azaleas,
      and all kinds of flowers.
That’s our Mother’s skirt
      that she had worked on all winter long.
So rejoice in it
      and try to keep it clean-
      This is our Mother Earth that we walk on.”

This story, told by Cherokee storyteller, mother, and teacher Edna Chekelelee in Living Stories of the Cherokee (Edited by Barbara Duncan, a Professor of Cherokee at UNC Asheville), is a pleasure to read and dwell upon as we continue to push into spring. This story brings together the beauty and process of the emergence of spring with our environmental responsibility to keep the Earth clean – to keep our Mother Earth clean as we exist upon it. The query: How do I help to keep the Earth clean? What relationship do I have with the rest of the planet? What relationship do I have with the rest of humanity? Are these relationships connected?

This Mindful Moment provided by Jacob Perkins

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday3.24.20215:00 PMGCM Weekly Fellowship on Founders Hall LawnGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday3.26.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
3.27.2021 – 4.4.2021PassoverChavurah/Hillel
Monday3.29.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Tuesday3.30.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday3.31.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.31.20211:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Dr. Jill PeterfesoFriends Center
Wednesday3.31.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Click here for more info and to register!
The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love at 7:00pm weekly on Tuesdays. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 23

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by Jacob Perkins

Mindful Moment: “Walking Outside” by Thich Nhat Hanh

“When we open the door and go out into the fresh air, we can be immediately in touch with the air and the Earth and all the elements around us. When we walk, we know we’re not stepping on something inanimate. The ground we’re walking on is not inert matter. Understanding the Earth in this way, we can walk on the planet with as much respect and reverence as we would walk when in a house of worship or in any sacred space. We can bring our full awareness to each step. Steps like these have the power to save our lives.”

As we transition into spring, spending time outdoors becomes more accessible for more people. Doing something as simple as spending some time outside daily can have a positive impact on us; physically, mentally, spiritually. Many of us are separated physically from the communities we were/are part of prior to the pandemic. For some, it may be useful to approach the Earth itself as a sacred space. For me, it has been useful to recognize my existence as part of a larger, more complex ecosystem and community with the rest of the Earth – beyond just humanity or even what we consider to be “living” things. The query: What communities do you miss or have you been separated from? Can you approach the outdoors in a way to ease this pain? How can we move forward with a better understanding of the Earth and our relationship with it?

This Mindful Moment provided by Jacob Perkins

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday3.17.20215:00 PMGCM Weekly Fellowship on Founders Hall LawnGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday3.19.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday3.22.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Monday3.22.20212:00 – 2:30 PMCommunity Memorial and Time of Silence (on the Quad, with masks and social distancing)Friends Center
Tuesday3.23.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday3.24.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.24.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Wednesday3.31.20211:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Dr. Jill PeterfesoFriends Center
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Click here for more info and to register!
The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love at 7:00pm weekly on Tuesdays. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 22

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by Maia Dery

Mindful Moment: Speak for Yourself

These past 2 years has been one of the hardest times that our world has seen. Our lives have changed in ways we cannot explain. I want to give you a word of encouragement. What can we do now?

What will we do to change our circumstances now, (Sow your seed) so that when life is back to normal you can reap the benefit? (Galatians 6:7-9) What will we have to show for this time? What will we tell others about the time that the world stopped? 

Did you keep going? Did you write that book, or read all the books you want to read? Did you record that video on Youtube? Did you reorganize your home because clutter makes you unproductive? Did you do the small things everyday to make life worth living? When I speak to you, I speak to myself. I know you are tired, and ready to return to a normal life. What will we do now to stay grateful, productive and at peace? I know you are sad, but Speak for yourself… Speak for you when this is done. What will you have done for yourself, and others? If nothing yet, there’s always time. Always time to find our passions, and they are waiting to find us. I’ll share a song (link) that has really touched me in this difficult time. It reminds me that life is worth living and worth conquering and moving forward. (Romans 8:37). Make sure you rise like the day and rise unafraid. High like the waves, and in spite of the ache. And do it a thousand times again. (Isaiah 40:31) 

This Mindful Moment provided by Whitney K. Smith, MAT

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday3.10.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.10.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday3.12.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Saturday3.13.20217:00 PMTriad Hillel HavdalahChavurah/Hillel
Monday3.15.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Tuesday3.16.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday3.17.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.17.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Wednesday3.31.20211:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Dr. Jill PeterfesoFriends Center
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform
Click here for more info and to register!
The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love at 7:00pm weekly on Tuesdays. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 21

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash

Wild Geese

By Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair; yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.  

Query: How can we befriend the parts of ourselves we cannot change?

This Mindful Moment provided by Hannah Grace MacLean

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday3.3.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.3.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday3.5.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday3.8.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Tuesday3.9.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday3.10.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.10.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Opportunity that may interest some students: New Garden Friends Meeting is searching for a Young Friends leader for the 2020-2021 academic year. This position is for a leader who will work with both Middle School and High School students. The leader will collaborate with another Young Friends leader as well as the New Garden Friends Meeting Religious Education Coordinator. At present, all programming is virtual due to the pandemic but will transition to in-person activities when conditions allow. Applicants should have a background in Quakerism and experience working with pre-teens and teenagers.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and a resume to Sharon Burton at (office@ngfm.org). 

The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love at 7:00pm weekly on Tuesdays. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform
Click here for more info and to register!

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 20

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash

Mindful Moment

Excerpt from “A Great Wagon
By Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

Query: How do we get to this field?

This Mindful Moment provided by: Garret Collins

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday2.24.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.24.20211:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Michelle WardFriends Center
Wednesday2.24.2021All DayDay of Testimonies
Wednesday2.24.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Thursday-Sunday2.25-28.21Various TimesPurim Shabbaton 2021 (read more below)Chavurah/NC Hillel
Friday2.26.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday3.1.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Tuesday3.2.20217:00 PMThe Way of Love: Lenten Series (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday3.3.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday3.3.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

The Way of Love Lenten Series: Join us for “The Way of Love,” our presentation and discussion online series following the Way of Love, beginning February 23 at 7:00pm. We’ll have some prayer, some discussion, and ideas for reflection on what it means to be committed to a holy life. No shaving of heads, wearing funny clothes, or chanting required (but you can if you want to!). You can still have chocolate.
The theme for the first week is Turn. We’re going to focus on turning towards positive things, not away from negative ones. All are joyfully welcomed as you are. Join us on Zoom. https://zoom.us/j/7768363985

Opportunity that may interest some students: New Garden Friends Meeting is searching for a Young Friends leader for the 2020-2021 academic year. This position is for a leader who will work with both Middle School and High School students. The leader will collaborate with another Young Friends leader as well as the New Garden Friends Meeting Religious Education Coordinator. At present, all programming is virtual due to the pandemic but will transition to in-person activities when conditions allow. Applicants should have a background in Quakerism and experience working with pre-teens and teenagers.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and a resume to Sharon Burton at (office@ngfm.org). 

This weekend! Check out our schedule at  www.nchillel.org/purim-2021. You don’t need to attend everything, just what you think you’ll like. There’s everything from mixology to Late Night Megillah reading to a Purim Drag Show and more. There are synchronous and asynchronous activities through the Shabbaton. Be sure to register at bit.ly/nchillelpurimparty
Click here for more info and to register!
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4OJFROR7H7b7dwlDTx-ffPDrvwcwno9HxTfoJLDGkpSHDBA/viewform

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 19

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This artwork created by Teagan Gilliam, Guilford College. Read the Mindful Moment below for Teagan’s commentary and query!

Mindful Moment

This piece I drew with markers is inspired by Genesis 15:5 “He took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He added, “So shall your offspring be.”” The text to the left actually has that verse written in cursive Hebrew. What does it mean to have numerous offspring? To me, as a person going into education it means I will be a figure in the lives of children and I need to be cautious of my actions and the impacts they may have on the future leaders of the world. It is a blessing to me to be able to pursue this field, and I am thankful everyday for the opportunities I’ve been given.

This Mindful Moment provided by: Teagan Gilliam

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday2.17.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.17.20217:00 PMVirtual Ash Wednesday Service (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday2.17.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday2.19.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday2.22.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.24.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.24.20211:00 – 2:00 PMConnecting Conversations with Michelle WardFriends Center
Wednesday2.24.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Virtual Ash Wednesday: The most significant part of Ash Wednesday is not actually the ashes! It is the beginning of Lent, a period when Christians traditionally spend time in reflection on our lives and seek to improve them. But…., if you want ashes, you can make them. From last year’s palms, ideally, or any substance really (do this outside!) And join us for a virtual service on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00pm (with or without ashes!) via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/7768363985) or watch on Facebook  (www.facebook.com/smhgreensboro). 

Opportunity that may interest some students: New Garden Friends Meeting is searching for a Young Friends leader for the 2020-2021 academic year. This position is for a leader who will work with both Middle School and High School students. The leader will collaborate with another Young Friends leader as well as the New Garden Friends Meeting Religious Education Coordinator. At present, all programming is virtual due to the pandemic but will transition to in-person activities when conditions allow. Applicants should have a background in Quakerism and experience working with pre-teens and teenagers.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and a resume to Sharon Burton at (office@ngfm.org). 

Click here for more info and to register!

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 18

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo provided by Jacob Perkins, Guilford College.

Mindful Moment

Evidence, Part 2
By Mary Oliver

There are many ways to perish, or to flourish.
How old pain, for example, can stall us at the threshold of function.
Memory: a golden bowl or a basement without light.
For which reason the nightmare comes with its painful story and says: ​you need to know this.
Some memories I would give anything to forget. Others, I would not trade upon the point of death, they are the bright hawks of my life.
Still, friends, consider stone, that is without the fret of gravity, and water that is without anxiety.
And the pine trees that never forget their recipe for renewal.
And the female wood duck who is looking this way and that way for her children. And the snapping turtle who is looking this way and that way also. This is the world.
And consider always, every day, the determination of the grass to grow despite the unending obstacles.

Query:

Celebrating your breath being slower today than it was yesterday is not a waste of time.

This Mindful Moment provided by: Hannah Grace MacLean

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday2.10.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.10.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Wednesday2.10.20218:00 PMHillel Speed-FriendingChavurah/Hillel
Friday2.12.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday2.15.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.17.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.17.20217:00 PMVirtual Ash Wednesday Service (read more below)St. Mary’s House
Wednesday2.17.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Wednesday2.24.20211:00 – 2:00 PMConnecting Conversations: Michelle WardFriends Center
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Virtual Ash Wednesday: The most significant part of Ash Wednesday is not actually the ashes! It is the beginning of Lent, a period when Christians traditionally spend time in reflection on our lives and seek to improve them. But…., if you want ashes, you can make them. From last year’s palms, ideally, or any substance really (do this outside!) And join us for a virtual service on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00pm (with or without ashes!) via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/7768363985) or watch on Facebook  (www.facebook.com/smhgreensboro). 

Opportunity that may interest some students: New Garden Friends Meeting is searching for a Young Friends leader for the 2020-2021 academic year. This position is for a leader who will work with both Middle School and High School students. The leader will collaborate with another Young Friends leader as well as the New Garden Friends Meeting Religious Education Coordinator. At present, all programming is virtual due to the pandemic but will transition to in-person activities when conditions allow. Applicants should have a background in Quakerism and experience working with pre-teens and teenagers.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and a resume to Sharon Burton at (office@ngfm.org). 

Sign up here
Click here for more info and to register!

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized

Tidings from Friends: Issue No. 17

Posted on by perkinsja1

Tidings from Friends

The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center

Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.

Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Artwork
This photo provided by Zhihong Chen, Guilford College.

Mindful Moment

Poem of the Atoms
By Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (1207-1273)  

O day, arise! The atoms are dancing.
Thanks to Him the universe is dancing.
The souls are dancing, overcome with ecstasy.
I’ll whisper in your ear where their dance is taking them.
All the atoms in the air and in the desert know well, they seem insane.
Every single atom, happy or miserable,
Becomes enamoured of the sun, of which nothing can be said. 

[Composer Armand Amar rendered this poem into music in the film Bab’Aziz – The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (2005). Sang by Salar Aghili and Haroun Teboul. It is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H272focq0Cw] 

This Mindful Moment provided by: Zhihong Chen.

Upcoming Events

DayDateTimeEventOrganization
Wednesday2.3.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.3.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Friday2.5.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (open to all)Friends Center
Monday2.8.20211:00 PMMeeting for Centering Silence (student focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.10.20218:30 AMMeeting for Centering Silence (staff/faculty focus)Friends Center
Wednesday2.10.20217:24 PMGCM Weekly FellowshipGuilford Christian Ministry
Wednesday2.24.20211:00 – 2:00 PMConnecting Conversations: Michelle WardFriends Center
To find more information about these events, please click on the event. This will direct you to the event registration if required, or directly to a zoom link. If you notice events missing here, please let us know.
If you are reading in email, formatting may be better if you read in browser.

Opportunity that may interest some students:

New Garden Friends Meeting is searching for a Young Friends leader for the 2020-2021 academic year. This position is for a leader who will work with both Middle School and High School students. The leader will collaborate with another Young Friends leader as well as the New Garden Friends Meeting Religious Education Coordinator. At present, all programming is virtual due to the pandemic but will transition to in-person activities when conditions allow. Applicants should have a background in Quakerism and experience working with pre-teens and teenagers.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and a resume to Sharon Burton at (office@ngfm.org). 

Click here for more info and to register!
For the safety of our students, a registration is required for this virtual event.

Resources

To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.

The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.

To contact Friends Center Director, email danielscw@guilford.edu.

For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.

To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.

About Friends Center:

Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.

Click here to subscribe!

Posted in Uncategorized