An afterthought for and about Pardee Lowe.
Pardee, it was wonderful to see you today. You likely won't remember me. (I
was a member at LHFM in the late 80's-early '90s and have recently moved
back to the area.) From those days, I remember keenly your messages that
often came in the form of a short poem, often inspired by the natural
world. At the time, I frequently found myself wanting you to say more. I
wanted you to explain your poem, but I came to understand that that was not
your way.
I left LHFM to pursue my career in higher ed. One of the great blessings of
teaching at small liberal arts colleges is that, say, economists get the
opportunity to interact with philosophers, physicists, and poets, just as
they have the opportunity to connect with scholars closer to their ways of
thinking. My conversations with poets always reminded me of you, Pardee.
I learned, for example, that poets attend to the "music" of a poem. I
learned that I could hear the "music" better when poets read their work
aloud. In those readings, I thought of you, Pardee.
And I remember a pointed conversation in which a poet--frustrated with
colleagues who dismissed poetry as less important than other, presumably,
"more serious" disciplines--said, "If cultivating sharpness of mind is our
priority, poetry rivals advanced theoretical physics in its requirements
for precision and concision. The poet's mind," she said, "does not seek
flourishes. The poet's mind is on a mission to find exactly the right word,
wasting none, to cut a straight line to the truth." Struck by her
passionate defense of the poet's craft, again, I thought of you, Pardee.
Thinking of the desire I had had those many years earlier, I realized that
had I been listening more carefully, I would not have needed further
explanation. In every message you were, with precision and concision,
cutting a straight line to the truth, as revealed to you in the waiting for
the Spirit.
It is wonderful to be connected to you again, Pardee. Holding you in the
Light on your journey back to health.
Emily
On Sun, Apr 12, 2020 at 2:24 PM Tim Hunt <tghunt2@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Friends,
Happy Easter! It was good to see or hear many of you this morning at
meeting for worship with over 50 friends truly gathered as messages
remarked.
So next Sunday, we will start worship at 10 AM but please join the meeting
10-15 minutes early to be greeted so we can settle into worship soon after
the hour. I will start by reading a query (which is on the agenda) as is
our practice. I will break meeting around 9:30 and quickly transition to
our Meeting for Business Held in the Spirit of Worship. The zoom (no
password) and phone info is below.
Here are the documents you should review in advance, or print, or have on
your screen in the order we will consider. To help with the flow of our
business, I will ask people that have something to offer to "raise their
hand" under the "participants" button at the bottom of your screen. If you
are joining just by phone, you will just need to unmute yourself and say
you have something to say. I will do my best to keep track of who would
like to share but also remember if someone else has said what you were led
to say, we don't necessarily need to hear it again. Be patient with me and
hold our Business Meeting in the Light.
1. Agenda
2. Spiritual State of Meeting Report
3. Building Use minute with report (may get revised)
4. Peace & International Outreach Biennial Report
5. March 8 draft minutes
Topic: Langley Hill Zoom (and call) Meeting for Worship followed by
Business Meeting
Time: Apr 19, 2020 09:45 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) until noon
https://zoom.us/j/2976596260
Meeting ID: 297 659 6260
Phone only number: 301 715 8592
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Have a safe
week.
In the Light,
--
Tim Hunt
Clerk, LHFM
