Friend to Friend
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Concerns, Announcements and Devotional Thought
A Weekly Ministry of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting
As Way Opens
I recently attended a “Wine and Canvas” event at an art studio in downtown Carmel that was really a promotional event for a brand new assisted living facility. (As I review potential assisted living/memory care facilities, I am amazed at the different ways these companies try to convince one to move there.) My friend Sally encouraged me to attend so I could hear about this place. I hate doing art things because I am so bad at them. My creative outlets are definitely not arts and crafts. As my mother told me, I have “two left thumbs” so I reluctantly agreed to attend. A very nice and professional artist had painted a beautiful fall scene in an impressionist style and he proceeded to show us how to paint this canvas. He broke it down into simple steps and I tried to follow his instructions carefully. (While not creative I am diligent in following directions.) There were about 20 of us in the room and we spent 90 minutes creating our version of this fall scene. When done, I sat looking at my painting; it didn’t look like the artist’s version and it didn’t look very good at all. I asked the artist to come over and see what he could do to help - he put a few strokes of paint on the canvas to create more definition but it still looked pretty bad. Getting ready to leave the studio, I went to the back of the room to get my coat and looked across the room at 20 canvases just painted. And I spotted mine among the paintings and from 30 feet away it looked good! I did a double take to be sure that was what I just painted. From a distance it looked like a real fall scene.
Isn’t this just like how we see people? From a distance they look great and we wonder why we can’t be like them. But when we get close and personal, they are flawed and have deficits just like us. Yet God loves every single one of us just the way that we are. We are all beloved children of God. It is through God’s Love and Light filling our heart, soul and mind that we can work on our deficits and shadows and see changes for a life more centered, more loving and more forgiving to both ourselves and our neighbors. I rejoice in this Love today.
Considering the Query:
“In worship we enter with reverence into communion with God and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Come to meeting for worship with heart and mind prepared. Yield yourself and all your outward concerns to God’s guidance so that you may find ‘the evil weakening in you and the good raised up’.”
From Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015
Joys & Concerns
Please remember Jan Gildner in your thoughts and prayers this week. Two persons dear to Jan - her cousin, Mary Lou Krusinski, and a dear friend, Marietta Meredith - both died this past Friday, October 30th. Jan will be traveling this week to attend their funerals. If you would like to send a card, Jan’s address is …. 2064 Oldfields Cir Indy 46228
Brenda Rodeheffer’s father, Bob Franklin, has had heart valve replacement surgery this week. We rejoice that the surgery went well and that he should be feeling much better very, very soon. Please hold Bob in your thoughts and prayers, as he recovers from this major surgery, and resumes normal life. If you’d like to send Bob a card, his address is … 2521 E 57th St Indy 46220
One of our members, Sara Binns, is slated for thyroid surgery this Thursday. Would you please hold her in your heart and prayers? Sara is more concerned about her cousin Kathleen Cox, than she is about herself! Kathleen (Kay) has just completed four months of radiation and chemotherapy treatment for stomach cancer and Sara would appreciate our prayers as Kay becomes stronger in remission. If you’d like to send a card to Sara, her new address is 5589 Liberty Blvd Place, Indy 46220. She recently moved to American Village.
Thank you Fellowship Committee! What a fun ‘All [Quaker] Saints Day’ spread you treated us with this past Sunday during Fellowship Hour! Such delightful goodies, and warm hospitality… not to mention the cider! Hooray and thanks to Susan Rains, Kristyn Buckner, Dan Lee, Beth Kay, Debbie Goold, Kathy Farris, Ruth Kelly, Bill Farris, and Bob Goold!
Eric Baker helps open new School of Rock in Fishers. Eric is the Musical Director of the School of Rock in Carmel, and now in Fishers.
Last Saturday was the grand opening of the new location at 11740 Olio Rd. Check out the website - http://locations.schoolofrock.com/fishers
Congratulations Eric!
Doug and Jennifer Kinser celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 8th. They were married at New Castle Friends by Tom Mullen. They reside in Florida now and we sure miss them here at First Friends. Their address is 2063 Xanadu Loop, The Villages FL 32163.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Community Soup and a Movie! Join us this Friday, November 6th at 5:30 for soups and cinema! Delicious soups and breads, and wonderful company promise to make this a wonderful evening. The movie, Gerrymandering is a 2010 documentary feature film written and directed by Jeff Reichert. The film explores the history and the ethical, moral and racial problems raised by redistricting, i.e., the drawing of boundaries of electoral districts in the United States. Feel free to stay after the meal for the movie.
Meditational Woods Work Day: Saturday, November 7th Everyone is welcome to help put the woods to bed for the winter!
Young Friends Youth Group (YFYG) meets this Sunday at 11:30. This upcoming Sunday is our second meeting for Youth Group! We had such great conversation and fun at the last one, we are hoping that due to scheduling, more people will be able to come to this one!! Food is provided this Sunday by Beth Henricks, so please RSVP to this event so we can know how much food to bring. Our lesson is called "Rebellion" and is about Cain and Abel. Can't wait to see everybody on Sunday! Also, mark your calendars for Cosmic Bowling on Saturday November 14th in the evening. Contact Hayley for details (hayley.adams@indyfriends.org)
-Hayley Marie Adams
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.
Thanksgiving with Mid North Food Pantry Witness & Service is sponsoring a food awareness drive at First Friends during the month of November. 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 for the children at First Friends to continue to contribute food items. Boxes for food are in the children’s classrooms. Thermometers on the bulletin board will track the cash contributions and the amount of food collected. We hope that everyone at First Friends will work together to share their blessings during the month of November. Checks should be written to First Friends with a notation for Mid North. Thanks for your help.
Eco-Film Series: ‘DamNation’, Friday, Nov 13, 7:00 pm at All Souls Unitarian Church (5605 E 56th Street) The change in our national attitude regarding big dams is explored in this documentary. It has transformed from having pride in them as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers
Coffee and Queries for 20somethings… people in their 20’s who are curious
Tuesday, November 17th, 7:45 to 9:00, in the basement at First Friends
With Ruthie
Come
Edward Alley, an accomplished poet and a friend of Linda Lee, will present a program entitled "Musings and Meanderings" on Tuesday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. in the Parlor
Food Bank Lunch: November 20thWitness & Service is sponsoring a luncheon for the volunteers at Midwest Food Bank on Friday, Nov-20. We will meet at First Friends at 9:45 am and ride together to Midwest Food Bank. We will serve lunch to 40-50 volunteers. Mid West Food Bank is a “mini Gleaners” and provides food to many food pantries, including the Mid North Food Pantry. If you would like to help with the luncheon, please see Jim Donahue for more info
Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation presents An Evening of storytelling with Quaker Author Phil Gulley – Friday, November 20, from 7:00 to 8:30pm at First Friends Meeting 3030 Kessler Boulevard East Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46220. Purchase and signing for Phil’s new book will be held after the reading. . A freewill offering will be taken to support the advocacy work of IFCL.
Tuesday Evening, November 24th at 7:00 pm at First Friends
Five pastors will share readings. A mass choir from five different churches will be singing under the direction of Shawn Porter. Handbells, organ, congregational singing, special music, with praise and thanksgiving to God from various congregations in our Kessler-Allisonville Road neighborhood. Come, join us in Thanksgiving! An offering will be taken for School on Wheels, a literacy program for homeless children in Indianapolis.
First Friends, Epworth UMC, Allisonville Christian, Cross and Crown Lutheran, St. Piux X
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.
“Friends Of Nature Kids” ~ Stretch and Touch: On a clear bit of ground or on the grass, lie down, close your eyes and stretch out your arms and legs. Reach out around you and try to identify ten different things that you can touch. Open your eyes and see if you guessed all of the things correctly. .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