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Dear Reader Last weekend, I joined a group of young Friends at William Penn House in Washington, D.C., studying the Quaker peace testimony. Somewhere along the way, the discussion provoked a non-Quaker teen to ask, "Do Friends believe in the afterlife?" No one can say what all Friends believe about anything, but, praise to God, most Friends throughout time and space have had the assurance that this world is not all there is. The Apostle wrote, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died." (NRS 1 Corinthians 15:19-20) For us, this is no dry dogma but a living experience refreshed through amazing numinous experiences of the Presence in the midst in worship and daily life. Linda Selleck writes of this, page 16. Two other articles connect death and resurrection. Beginning on page 12, Tom Mullen inaugurates a little series of articles on things Friends do well. His topic is the Quaker memorial service. On page 15, Peggy Senger Parsons tells the remarkable story of a rural community shattered by violence and the Easter hope that came to them. In our news pages, we report on the recent retreat of FUM's General Board. Our outside facilitator summarized her perception of Friends in the phrase, "A simple faith, a radical witness" and challenged us with her conviction that Friends have something the world is hungry for. The unsophisticated "knowing" about the reality of the resurrection in these articles and Phil Gulley's story (page 18) is at the heart of who we are. We know One who was willing to suffer on our behalf-and yet who Lives! Let the Light stream in! Happy Easter! Ben Richmond

Cover Stories 12 When Friends Say Goodbye Tom Mullen What do Friends do well? The Quaker memorial service provides a unique setting for honest grief, community support, and the experience of God's grace in the face of death. (Next month: Quaker worship.) 15 I Saw Heaven Answer Hell Peggy Senger Parsons When Laura and her three girls were shotgunned to death, their rural community and its struggling Friends church were devastated. How did resurrection come to Scotts Mills Friends? 16 The Word of God is Like a Seed Linda B. Selleck Whatever the style of our worship, we experience only deadness unless there is an inward experience of the resurrected One. 18 The Shroud of Harmony Phil Gulley "Magnificence" may not be the first word that Friends Meetings bring to mind. In this humorous story, the pastor finds something pretty magnificent for his Easter message in the fictional Harmony Friends Meeting. 22 Kenyans Voice Hopes for Change Richard Kinyangi and Elizabeth Edaya Boaz Two Kenyan Friends carry on the discussion started in the March issue about the state of the Friends church in Kenya. Features 2 Viewpoints 4 Commitments: Change or Crisis? Johan Maurer 4 News from Friends United Meeting 8 News 11 Salt and Light: Group Discernment Bruce Bishop 20 Passages 24 Review Mustard Seed Versus McWorld: Reinventing Life and Faith for the Future byTom Sine 27 Bible Study: Get Up, Child Jan Hodson 28 Classifieds 30 Meeting Directory 35 The Back Bench: Quaker Companies "R" Us Stan Banker