On the Friday before our June 17 picnic with Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, when a half dozen of us assembled to set the scene, it was less a chore and more like magic. During the week, while I organized and prepared lists, my planning buddy, Linda Daigle, picked up supplies. Kristin Lally, our trusty office manager, created and managed our sign-up sheets well in advance. They filled in nicely with offers of help, food, and financial donations. Everyone I asked to perform a specific task said yes—without hesitation.

There was a flow, you could say. And some very magical moments:

• Heidi Bright arrived early to help set up and unveiled her Springerle “Jesus” cookies. She’d improvised a piece of art as a mold, shaping intricate, large, and tasty confections.
• The three musketeers—Jim Newby, Bob Miller, and Earl Wittrock—worked the grill, tirelessly churning out burgers and hot dogs for a hungry crowd.
• Jeff Arnold agreed to step in to talk about Quakerism when our historian, Sabrina Darnowsky, was ill. You’d never have known it was last-minute. He held the audience spellbound.
• Beulah Pastor John Ivey and his wife Deborah shared the eve of their golden wedding anniversary with us.
• Debbie Overmyer whipped up hydrangea centerpieces on-the-fly that brightened the tables while Liz Newby ensured that the little things, including making Beulah guests feel at home, weren’t missed.
• Carole Barnhart headed out from the tent with nature lovers following behind, eager to learn from the certified volunteer naturalist.
• Trustees purchased and erected a tent that volunteers quickly transformed into an inviting space with tables, chairs, checked tablecloths, flowers, and garlands.
• Paul Leasure meticulously dissected the grill, cleaned each part, and put it back together.
• Someone ingeniously dragged our three rockers out onto the lawn. They were occupied the entire afternoon.
• Pastor Ivey joined Beulah Choir Director Wayne Davis and choir members with impromptu, rousing gospel music.
• Dick Patterson, Mary Wittrock, and Debbie Miller welcomed Beulah members into their circle of rockers.
• Lynn Davis, Beulah’s Director of Women’s and Children’s Ministries, offered a planting activity in honor of Junetheen and the importance of agriculture in Black history and culture.
• Bill Williams, his son Bill Williams III, and his daughter Leslie Williams transformed the worship room into a foot-stomping folk music venue. It had been four years since they’d performed together, but no one noticed.
• Kathy Stewart and Teresa Caligaris met guests as they arrived and warmly welcomed them.
•  Joe Henry patiently handed me each piece of the long welcome sign—some more than once—as I pinned up each pennant. He took the balloons and found a secure spot out front so Beulah guests would find us.
• Karen Rahe and Linda Daigle made sure serving tables were constantly filled with food. They made it look effortless, though it wasn’t. They found a moment to play Jenga with Arian.
• Michael Ramos made a point to play ball with a young Beulah guest Jacob, antsy to move.
• Guests arrived early and lingered, eager to continue the fellowship we’d begun in February when Beulah hosted us for a meal and lively round of Jeopardy. Eric Jarmen from Beulah was the first to arrive and the last to leave, helpful to the very end.
• The set-up team teased me Friday night about the multi-page list I kept, but by Saturday the teasing stopped because the list had guided us so well. No list was needed to clean up and tear down as many hands knew what to do.

Our beloved community ensured that the almost 60 picnickers, slightly more than half from Cincinnati Friends Meeting, experienced rich fellowship, nourishing food, and engaging activities. The theme was “Freedom and Friendship” as we included a celebration of Juneteenth, when Union troops delivered the news of freedom to those still enslaved in Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Then, after so much magic, everyone pitched in to return the meetinghouse and grounds to good order. The flow of Spirit was evident.

What’s your picnic story of magic?

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