Friend to Friend
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Concerns, Announcements and Devotional Thought
A Weekly Ministry of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting
As Way Opens
I was driving to the Meeting the other day and the color of the trees and brush was so breathtaking at that moment that I had to pull my car over and stop to take it in. I couldn’t just keep driving and not take the time to really notice and implant this magnificent image of nature and God’s revelation in my heart and mind knowing that this beauty would soon be gone as the leaves let go to the wind and rain . I was thinking that right here in my little corner of the universe, I can see the redemption of God through the cycle of the trees. These leaves will soon be gone to us, trampled into the ground but transformed into the material needed for the new life to come next spring.
Being Trees in Autumn
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
These trees in Buddhist saffron robes, renouncing everything,
becoming naked without fear,
in wind that is a part of them,
disclose a beauty in this death,
become new shapes, interior.
To live they cannot hoard;
this losing, too, is growth.
New shapes emerge, new vision clears.
Surrender strengthens in the soul another song.
This emptying is confidence in spring, but more—
a faithing in the growth that’s come before, a counting of the gifts
and then releasing one by one,
so as to give again,
knowing growth is not a season,
but is in the root of things.
This is no losing,
but a becoming.
Coveting such openness
of limb and heart and hand,
such bareness in the singing, I only now discover that I want
this wind, blowing where it will,
Considering the Query: ‘Worship is our response to an awareness of God. We can worship alone, but when we join with others in expectant waiting we may discover a deeper sense of God’s presence. We seek a gathered stillness in our meetings for worship so that all may feel the power of God’s love drawing us together and leading us.’ From Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015
Joys & Concerns
More than 260 people have died, mostly in Pakistan, after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake hit north-eastern Afghanistan. The death toll is expected to rise as aid reaches outlying areas. Let us hold this region of the world in prayer for mercy and care for survivors and families.
Nancy Pennington’s son Mark will have shoulder surgery this Thursday. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, for the surgery and the therapy and recovery afterward. Thank you. Mark’s address is 1434 Alimingo Drive, Indianapolis, 46260.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Set your clocks back Saturday night, October 31st. Mark your calendar now!
Central Area Meeting, this Sunday, Nov 2nd at 2:00 p.m. Valley Mills Friends Meeting, 6737 West Thompson Road 46241; First Friends is part of Western Yearly Meeting, which divides up all its Meetings into various ‘areas’. Worship, fellowship and service opportunities are offered through Area Meeting gatherings. The goal is to build a network of mutual support among monthly meetings. Decisions are made that are sent on to our Yearly Meeting. We are part of Central Area Meeting that includes Valley Mills, First Friends, and West Newton. Please mark your calendars and join us!
Community Soup and a Movie! Join us Friday, November 6th at 5:30 for soups and cinema! It’s always fun to see what variety of soups show up… and what variety of people come, too! Join us!
Meditational Woods Work Day: Saturday, November 7th Everyone is welcome to help put the woods to bed for the winter!
“Friendly Visitors Luncheon”; Sunday, November 8th, 11:45 in the Parlor
The Visiting Ministry of First Friends has long been a valued part of our outreach. The Circle of Care Committee wants to thank those who have been visiting folk from our Meeting who are homebound, lonely, or otherwise distanced from us. We also hope to welcome those who might be interested in joining this ministry of visitation. If you are interested and able to come, please RSVP to the Meeting Office at office@indyfriends.org or 255-2485.
Young Friends Youth Fellowship (YFYF) - We had 13 junior and senior high kids attend youth group last Saturday evening, visiting a Haunted House and having a bonfire afterwards at First Friends. It was a great time for all. We are so thankful for Hayley’s leadership in getting our youth group going and setting up some fun and meaningful experiences. We are blessed to have her in our faith community! YFYG will meet on Sunday November 8th for their Echo series of Bible reflections and also Saturday November 14th for a fun event outside of Meeting. Mark your calendars!
Fundraiser for Daud Abdur-Rahman’s Mosque - Nur-Allah Islamic Center will be hosting a fundraising dinner (with plans to build a new mosque) on Sunday November 8th at 4:00 p.m. at the Sterrett Center at 8950 Otis Avenue in Indianapolis. Dr. David Carlson from Franklin College and Sis.Kalimah Azeez from Memphis, TN will be speaking. Tickets are $40 for adults, $75 for a couple, $35 for seniors 62 and older, and $25 for college students and children under 13. Please contact Beth Henricks (henricksbeth2@gmail.com) if you would like a ticket. This will be a great time of inter faith dialogue as well as showing our support for Daud’s congregation.
Thanksgiving with Mid North Food Pantry: We hope you enjoyed the treats provided by the Witness & Service Committee (“W&S”) last Sunday. This served as a “kick-off” to a food awareness drive at First Friends during the month of November. On Sunday (Nov-1), W&S will begin to solicit contributions from adults and food items from children for the Mid North Food Pantry. Let’s consider November as a month of Thanksgiving for all that has been provided to us. This year W&S is soliciting cash contributions rather than food items from adults since Mid North is able to purchase from Gleaners Food Bank more than 10 times the amount of food that an individual is able to purchase, for the same amount of money, at a grocery store. We think it is beneficial to the children at First Friends to continue to contribute food items. We hope that everyone at First Friends will work together to share their blessings during the month of November. Thanks for your help.
WYM and FUM OUTREACH MISSION PROJECTS for 2015: Donations can still be sent in to support WYM projects in Kenya: biosand water filters, Lindi Friends School, Lugulu Hospital; and the FUM Amari Play Center project in Ramallah, Palestine. If you’d like to contribute, checks may be written to “First Friends” with a notation of “WYM Outreach Project and/or “Amari Play Center.” Thank you. Your support is appreciated.
First Friends Parents: Gently Used Toys (NOT new) are requested as Christmas presents for the children of MidNorth Food Pantry recipients. If you are clearing out old toys in preparation for influx of new toys at Christmas, please keep us in mind. They can be dropped off at the food donation station in Fellowship Hall or Kathy Farris (842-5844) will pick up.
First Friends Pictorial Directory! Contact Sue Mills for an appt: 431-2900 Pictures will be taken by Lifetouch Directories at the Meeting House on Wed., Nov. 4 – Sat., Nov. 7. Finished pictures will arrive in time for Christmas cards. This is a great chance to have a professional picture taken of you and/or your family. Having everyone participate enables the directory to be as useful as possible to facilitate our knowing one another, and in putting names and faces together. We only do this every 4 years, so hopefully everyone will be able to participate.
In Quaker Silence: Reflections on QEW's Recent Week in Washington: “In Quaker silence, do I hear our humanitarian ancestors, our abolitionist ancestors, our pacifist ancestors, crying out to us to pursue full sustainability for ourselves and our children and all folks yet to come…while there is time?
Perhaps an all-for-peace Manhattan project could be organized around a Full Sustainability Commission? Perhaps nothing less can bring together the scientists and other visionaries needed to very carefully, very sensitively usher in a new age?” Read more.
http://www.quakerearthcare.org/article/quaker-silence-reflections-qews-recent-week-washington-dc
“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Scary and Nice: Can you think of things in nature that are scary? What makes some things in nature pretty? What makes some things boring or interesting? What are the things that you like the most? Start a shoebox collection of little things you have found in nature that you like. From ‘52 Nature Activities for Kids’ by Lynn Gordon
Indianapolis First Friends Meeting
Compassionate v Christian v Quaker
3030 Kessler Blvd. E. Dr. Indianapolis,
317-255-2485 office@indyfriends.org