Dear Friends,

There is a lot I have to say “good-bye” to in  order to live a more plain and simple life.  But plain and simple is what we aspire to, a goal in living in as minimalistic a way as possible. We sing a song here on Sundays called “Sanctuary.”  In it we are all asked to make our internal sanctuaries a place to welcome communion with God.

When I think of the word sanctuary, I think of the very old sanctuary in the Quaker church where Joe and I pastored for over a decade before coming here three years ago. Being an old Quaker church, it was designed with simplicity in mind.  The church house was a salt-box shaped worship room with five windows and three doors spaced equally around the perimeter. The shell was as plain on the outside as inside.  There was hand-laid brick on the exterior adorned only with batten-board, usable shutters and the window panes shimmered from their original casting.  The yard was plain except for a couple of trees that were planted in different people’s memory and a sign that bragged on the history of the church being the first in the area in 1803.  Even the parking lot was free of anything that even whispered of decoration. 

Indoors it was the same.  The white ceilings were very high, held up by pale blue walls which had a calming effect.    A ridge went across the ceiling where there used to be a divider between the women and men in the early 1800’s. An ornate podium was a hand-carved gift from one of the founders’ family members who “didn’t understand Quakerism.”  Two pictures hung on either side of the facing chairs that sat on a platform.  The platform was new in comparison to everything else, added after a large split in the church about whether to pay a pastor or not was had throughout all of Quakerdom in the mid 1800’s before the Civil War.  The church seated 400 people at its highest number and could seat 200 easily for funerals or special events. On the walls in the entire church house were three pictures.  Most of the walls were blank.  It was thought that the fewer the distractions the more easily and deeper someone could go into silent worship.

The famous line from “Eat, Pray Love” that “the meditation room is within.”  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGgOimJaqT4) In my mind, that plain sanctuary is what my internal sanctuary needs to be decorated similarly to. It needs to be basic and simple, easy to center down, few distractions, having only what is necessary laying around.  They say your house is a representation of how you keep your soul.  I don’t know if it is true, but if it is, I have a very long way to go in minimalizing my life.  Pretty much every wall has a picture with some kind of story behind it. Stacks of books are on almost every table with a lamp and whatever was in someone’s hand the moment before they left the chair: a tea glass, a pair of glasses, mail. I have been working on getting this under control, but on busy weeks, it gets no priority, and I have to admit that my internal and my external do indeed match as I leave parts of myself all over the place, stacking books instead of reading them, and losing my vision of what is important during the rush.

We are getting ready to leave for the weekend to go to the Quarterly Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting’s gathering. Empty suitcases are in the living room for ease when it is time for packing. Clothes are in the washer with some drying on the table in the dining room.  I have a Friends Journal  I want to read on the road trip laid out. Things I might forget like the phone charger are not put away on purpose so that I will see them and know to pack them.  The landlord called Wednesday morning to say that he is coming to inspect the house on Thursday, and I must work Wednesday from early until late that day.  My mother-in-law provided us with new family pictures for Christmas presents, and I have to find a place to hang them without it looking even more distracting.  You get the picture.  My life is like everyone else’s – twenty-four hours a day and at least one should be used for prayer or meditation with a hopeful nine hours sleep a night.  I still am determined to create a sanctuary by letting go of all of the things I place on myself.  Deep breaths.  Deep, deep breaths. And peace.  Finding that peace and sense of inner calm makes me know that I am on the way to a much better place in life where I can center down more easily and distractions are fewer and farther between.

I also know that I am not alone in this quest. If I allow God to bring peace to my internal, I’ll get some help with decluttering my life.  There is no Cinderella story of a kitchen cleaned by helpful cartoons. It isn’t magic.  I will have to work at it, and relax with it, and let it be.

So how is it going for you about creating a sanctuary in your life?  Are there times for prayer?  Are you working to declutter?  Does God have a place?  Just space?  What would a sanctuary look like for you?

This is a serious time not to just put our houses in order, but to have guaranteed times of solemn meditation planned regularly.  Our country is again at war.  And our struggles here within the United States might make one think that having a time to just reflect and a life where reflection is welcomed is a luxury.  But as they say – meditate one hour a day, and if rushed, two.  It is important to create a space to make ready for times of reflection, especially when times are as fraught with stressors as our world is today.  Your soul is important.  Being able to respond from a peaceful center is necessary, not a luxury.  We have to become the peace we seek in this world in many ways, this one in particular.

Surround yourself with people who love you. Take advantage of special times of community and support. This is very important. There is a vigil just to pray set aside time for reflection at 6:00 on Saturday, March 21 here at the meeting house.  It should be a wonderful night not to just reflect on our world, but to lift it up as a prayer for peace.  Please come join us for a candlelight vigil from 6:00-6:30.  We will follow it with learning and singing some “Singing Resistance” songs that have come out of the conflicts in Minnesota – songs of peace, community, and unity.  It should be a time of refreshment.

Have fun. If you want to learn the songs before March 21, or to practice them, please come to the church house on this Sunday afternoon at 2:00.  Griffin will be leading us in learning Singing Resistance songs, and we have a lot of fun!  The songs will be the same as we will be singing on March 21.  They came out of Minnesota but have spread around the globe. They are simple to learn and fun to sing.

Seek peace through listening. There is a question in Klamath Falls that creates a lot of conflict.  It is noticeable online in the public forums.  It even dictates where we sit in places of entertainment.  The question is “Can big cities understand rural communities?” That is the question at the center of a listening opportunity coming to us on March 14 from 1-3 PM at Klamath Community College, Rm 4.  It is being brought to awareness and organized by Braver Angels Oregon Rural/Urban Project,  There will be a professional facilitator and also an opportunity to attend via zoom.   For more information contact https://bit.ly/4rr7OLh.

We can also listen to each other in a Circle of Friends that will be taking place on March 22 at 11:00 here at the church.  There are many things we as a group can do and be in this community and with each other.  We are small but mighty.  But it is still important to have a clear understanding of what is wanted and who feels led to do different things in different ways.

Don’t forget that there is so much that is in our control in this time of chaos in our nation.  If you are wanting particular things to do to speak out on the war, please go to AFSC.org (American Friends Service Committee) or FCNL.org (Friends Committee on National Legislation), and there are ways as a Quaker you can make your voice heard and matter.

Blessings dear Friends as we seek peace together.

Leigh