Concerns, Announcements and Devotional Thought
A Weekly Ministry of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting
As Way Opens by Ruthie Tippin
Yesterday, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, honoring the patron saint of Ireland. Tomorrow, many people will celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, in honor of the husband of Mary. Catholics honor St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. “Most saints and holy people have specially designated feast days. On those days we remember these holy men and women in a special way. Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint.” (www.americancatholic.org)
Who are the Quaker saints? Who do we consider to be saints among us? Rufus Jones gives us a wonderful answer, and Dan Lee shared it with us this past Sunday as he shared Rufus’ life with us in Meeting: A little Quaker girl asked a simple question… ‘What is a saint?’ The girl had visited a Catholic church with her aunt that had beautiful stained glass windows depicting saints, so different from the ordinary glass windows in her Meeting House. The little girl finally figured out the answer to her own question… a saint is someone who lets the light shine through.
Let the Light shine through! Today and every day of the year! ‘In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify God in heaven.’
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Join us to see our talented Friends perform here at First Friends this Saturday, March 21st at 7:00 pm in the Talent Show! The show is free to attend and refreshments will be provided. Jim and Leslie Kartholl will be premiering a song that Leslie has written, the Mighty Fearless Friends: Side by Side will be singing and dancing, several of our kids will be performing, Eric and Carolyn Tinsley will be reviving the act they performed 15 years ago, plus many others....
Mark your calendars for ‘A Friend from Guatemala’ on Saturday, March 28th at 7:00 pm. Iglesia Amigos of Indianapolis will be hosting a concert right here at First Friends with Pianist Jonatan Pinto. Jonatan was taught a love of God and music from his parents, Samuel Pinto and Alma Castañeda de Pinto, who are both pastors of Guatemala Yearly Meeting of Friends. He is the director and founder of “Centro Musical Base” in Chiquimula, Guatemala, which is an Academy of Music with more than a hundred students.
Easter is right around the corner! The order forms for Easter flowers will be available this Sunday. We’ll be offering a variety of flowers, including Easter Lilies, Daffodils, Hydrangeas and more. We need to place the order by Wednesday, March 25th, so please turn them in as soon as you can!
Goodies are needed for the Easter Egg hunt! Please bring in goodies to fill the eggs! All candy must be individually wrapped, but we’d love to fill the eggs with other items as well, erasers, stickers, etc. There will be a basket in the hallway to put donations. All donations are appreciated!
“Beliefs divide us. Values unite us.” You are invited to a book talk and signing with Jeff Rasley, author of Godless – Living a Valuable Life Beyond Beliefs at Butler University on Monday, March 23 at 7:00 pm in the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall. Snacks will be provided and copies of the book will be available.
Adult Sunday School Classes: Did you know that Quakers are talking about Quakers? Two or our three adults classes are discussing Quakers, and you’re invited to join in! Quakerism Class is discussing the life and writings of Rufus Jones, and meets in the Parlor. Seeking Friends is moving through “Quakers in America” by Thomas Hamm. And of course, Quakers are discussing current events with ‘Wired Word’ in Coffee Circle. Great stuff, with great people! Join in!
41,000 Stamps! West Newton Friends waited ‘til after Christmas, and then sent a HUGE box of stamps to Right Sharing of World Resources! Each of those old stamps we throw away mean life giving support for people around the world. Please bring them to First Friends for Right Sharing. There is a collection area in Fellowship Hall.
Do you have any furniture that you are hoping to unload, but have been unable to bring it to First Friends for the Rummage Sale on April 18th? The Preschool Co-Op will has 1 more furniture pick-up day where they will come to you on April 11th - between 11am-1pm. Please email to Ashli Pettibone (ashli.pettibone@gmail.com) the item(s) you are needing picked up, the preferred day, and your approximate location/side of town. We will get a schedule together and let you know a more specific time of pick-up closer to the date.
Good news for Gardeners! This year’s garden advisor will be the Master Gardeners Help Line. See a bug? See fungus or blight? Take a sample of the offender to a Master Gardener at the State Fair Grounds and find out what to do. Linda Lee needs to know from last year’s community gardeners if they want to keep their plots. Each plot owner will be held accountable for their own weeds and for notifying the coordinator if advice or assistance is needed. Please post your name prominently at your site so we know that site is wanted and not to be assigned to a new gardener. There will be some paint available to mark the wooden frames. This year, as a group we need to finish cleaning up all the debris from last year’s blight and then plant only blight resistant tomatoes in a different place. Garden clean up should begin now, and early planting of peas, kale, soon followed by arugula, radishes, lettuce can begin soon.. New gardeners, let Linda Lee know ASAP. Her goal as organizer is happy gardeners proud of their healthy, well-tended, productive garden. We will need a schedule of people responsible for mowing between the raised beds. If we want a community section, then we need a schedule of gardeners responsible for hoeing, weeding, watering, disease monitoring and harvesting that garden on a regular basis. Contact Linda Lee at 317-465-0628 or email parapluie@ameritech.net.
Women’s Self Defense Course. A colleague of Anna Riley’s teaches a 2 hour Women’s Self Defense course and would be glad to teach a group of us on a Sunday or Saturday in April. Cost $10. Please contact Anna Riley if interested by phone or email, 317-506-4970 or biscuitmila@gmail.com and provide dates and times that you are available. Teenagers welcome if accompanied by their mothers.
Ladies! Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading will be discussing Ian McEwan’s The Children Act on Tuesday March, the 31st, at 7 pm in the Parlor. If you would like to be on the email list or need a copy of the book list for 2015, please contact Kathy Rhyne at kathyrichelle@yahoo.com. A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson is our upcoming book for April 28th.