Spiritual Dimensions of Aging and Dying

Led by Patti Nesbitt, co-author of the forthcoming book A Tender Time: Quaker Voices on the End of Life, expected March, 2024.

September & October Sessions: This book describes the lived experiences of Friends across the ages in a very personal and direct style. The voices of many Friends illustrate how we have made decisions reflecting our Quaker values and testimonies. Patti will share what they discovered while writing and touch on the book’s various themes – aging, dying, planning ahead, caregiving, supporting the dying person and family, and the Meetings’ role in pastoral care at the end of life.  

November Session: What is your Quaker Voice? We will consider queries from the book and review the Sandy Spring document: Completing the Circle of Life: Preparing for the End of One’s Life--A Practical Guide.

Each session will have time for personal reflection and sharing. 

Excerpt from the introduction of the book:

“We all eventually face that tender time when we come to grips with mortality. Why do we call it tender? The end of life is a time when you are exposed and newly vulnerable—as a green shoot is tender; but given forthright, gentle handling, you can open to growth. This is a time when you can feel wounded and sensitive to touch—as a surgical site is tender; but given enough Light, your spirit heals. And this is a time that tests and confirms personal and corporate resolve to love one another tenderly, to become tenders of one another. 

Tender comes from a root that means “to stretch,” and this final stretch of life will surely stretch you. Whether mortality creeps up in slow aging or rips the rug out from under you, this time calls for steady faith and loving accompaniment. 

In the language of early Friends, to be tender meant to be open and receptive to spiritual reality. ….“Tender was one of George Fox’s characteristic words, and he looked for tender people, especially during his seeking years, whenever he came into a new place.”