Upcoming Potlucks & Dialogues

  • The Stewardship of Quaker Education
    Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm
    Tom Farquhar

    "The Quaker belief that there is 'that of God' in each of us shapes everything we do at Sidwell Friends School  It inspires us to show kindness and respect toward one another.  It motivates us to recognize and nurture each person's unique gifts.  It teaches us to apply our talents in service to others and to work courageously for peace.  We draw strength from silence - and from the power of an individual and collective reflection.  We cultivate in all members of our community high personal expectations and integrity, respect for consensus, and an understanding of how diversity enriches us, why stewardship of the natural world matters and why service to others enhances life. Above all, we seek to be a school that nurtures a genuine love of learning and teaches student 'to let their lives speak.'"

    These are the words of our March presenter, Tom Farquhar.  Tom is the Head of School at Sidwell Friends School and an active member of Sandy Spring Friends Meeting.  During his career as an educator among Friends, he has taught at Sandy Spring Friends School and, prior to his accepting the position at Sidwell Friends, he was Head of School at Westtown Friends School.  

    Potluck starts at 6:30, and presentation at 7:30.  All are welcome.  

     

  • Buddha's Brain
    Sunday, April 1, 2012 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm
    Joe Izzo

    Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and other great teachers were all born with a brain built essentially like anyone else’s. Then they used their minds to change their brains in ways that changed history.

    With the new breakthroughs in neuroscience, combined with insights from thousands of years of contemplative practice, you, too, can shape your own brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.
    Written with neurologist Richard Mendius, M.D., and with a Foreword by Daniel Siegel, M.D. and a Preface by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom joins modern science with ancient teachings to show you how to have greater emotional balance in turbulent times, as well as healthier relationships, more effective actions, and greater peace of mind.

    Joe Izzo is a member of the Friends Meeting of Washington and a therapist at Whitman-Walker Health Center. Joe brings his religious and psychological training to guide us in the discussion of this Universalist study of our religious founders. Using examples in the book, Joe will present a guided meditation.

  • "I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters"
    Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm
    Michael Long

    2012 is the centennial of the birth of Bayard Rustin, often called the "lost prophet" of the civil rights movement. A master strategist and tireless activist, he is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the U.S. He brought Gandhi's protest techniques to the American civil rights movement and played a deeply influential role in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., helping to mold him into an international symbol of nonviolence. 

    Join us for a special evening with Michael Long, editor of the book "I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters" being released in March, 2012  This book opens with Rustin's letter to 15th Street (NY) Monthly Meeting elaborating on his interpretation of the Peace Testimony. 

    Mr. Long is an associate professor of religious studies and peace and conflict studies at Elizabethtown College and is the author or editor of several books on civil rights, religion, and politics in mid-century America, including Marshalling Justice: The Early Civil Rights Letters of Thurgood Marshall and First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson. He holds a Ph.D. from Emory University in Atlanta and resides in Highland Park, Pennsylvania.

    Copies of this book will be available for purchase after the potluck.