Dear Friends,

Martin Luther King Jr. gave a sermon called “Shattered Dreams.”  It was near the end of his life, and many hurdles had still yet to be overcome.  There were and are obstacles everywhere to peace.  One story he tells can help us find hope in this time of war and violence.  The paragraph reads

“I first flew from New York to London in a propeller type airplane that required nine and a half hours for a flight now made in six hours by jet. When returning from London to the States, I was told that the flying time would be twelve and half hours.  The distance was the same. Why an additional three hours? When the pilot entered the cabin to greet the passengers, I asked him to explain the difference in flight time.   “You must understand something about the winds,” he said. “When we leave New York, a strong tail wind is in our favor, but when we return, a strong head wind is against us.”  Then he added, “Don’t worry these four engines are capable of battling winds.”  At times in our lives, tail winds of joy, triumph and fulfillment favor us, and at times winds of disappointment, sorrow, and tragedy beat unrelentingly against us.  Shall we permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across life’s mighty Atlantic, or will our inner spiritual engines sustain us in spite of the winds? Our refusal to be stopped, our “courage to be,” our determination to go on “in spite of” reveal the divine image within us.  The [hu]man who has made this discovery knows that no burden can overwhelm him [or her] and no wind of adversity can blow hope away.  He [or she] can stand anything that can happen to him.”

Friends, this has been a week of strong headwinds battling us as people.  People seem to be getting more vicious, particularly in places of religion and schools.  We are also at war on a national level, with the imagined threats to the homeland showing signs of fear and protectionism.  We struggle with facing these winds, knowing that inside of all of us lies the force that created this world, that made the flower, that calms the seas.  In us is the determination to continue to be vessels of love in the face of hate, grace in the face of vengeance, and hope in times of distress. We can rely on our faith to be there for us. The Light that is in us can sustain us no matter the burden of what is going on  in the world.  Let us hold each other and this nation in the Light as we are all facing the same headwinds.

We are really busy here at Klamath Falls Friends Church.  This Saturday is a church clean up. All are invited.  It will be from 9:00 until probably 10:00.

But the theme of rejuvenation picks up again the following Saturday. We are gathering for a candlelight vigil at 6:00.  It will be short with a focus on helping restore energy for this journey toward peace.  There is so much to be in silence and think on.  Everyday seems to bring us more.  We need each other, and we need to collectively stand together to show what many candles (lights) can look like.  At about 6:15 we will be learning some of the Singing Resistance songs that were born in Minneapolis and are focused on encouragement, peace and unity.  Please come to the vigil on Saturday March 21 at 6:00 PM.  There won’t be any spoken service, just silence then singing resistance songs.  The goal is to rejuvenate all of us.

Here are a few other announcements:

Co-treasurer needed

We are so very sorry to report that Maureen is retiring from the role as Co-Treasurer after fourteen years of faithfully helping us keep track of the financial aspects of the meeting.  She is willing to train a replacement.  It will take approximately 4-6 hours a month. Please pray about this and come forward if you feel led.

·       March 15 – 9:00 – Peace and Social Concerns

·       March 21 – 11:30 – Music Committee (There is a sign up for a music committee on the entry table)

·       March 21 – 6:00 – Candlelight Vigil and Singing Resistance Songs

·       March 22 – 11:00 Circle of Friends

The three questions we will be answering as a group are:

1) Are there things that are going well that you’d like KFFC to continue or things we should let go of or do differently in the future?

2) What is most important to you at KFFC as we move in 2026 and beyond?

3) Envision a thriving KFFC in 5 years.  What kinds of actions do we need to take now in order to have that happen?

·       March 22 – 2:00 Singing Resistance Gathering

·       March 23 – 5:30  Admin

·       March 24 – 5:00 – 7:00 Food Pantry – Call Linda if you want to volunteer – 541-281-5535

·       March 29 – 11:00 Meeting for worship with attention to business

·       March 31 –5:00- 7:00 – Food Pantry – Call Linda if you want to volunteer – 541-281-5535

Leigh will be out of the office March 23-28 visiting her daughter with Jay during his Spring Break.

The Pastors will be at a SCYMF Pastors Retreat (April 27-29) and will be staying an extra two days (April 30 & May 1) in Troutdale to see the Portland area.

We are in need of a used-but-working-well vacuum cleaner for the church.

Don’t forget to mail in or bring in your pledge forms for 2026.

Hope to see you soon.

In Peace,

Leigh