As Way Opens
Last Sunday afternoon, Sue and I had the honor of joining our neighbors as they celebrated their new home with friends and community. Ram, Priya and their two children are from India and practice the Hindu faith. In Hinduism, when someone moves into a new home a traditional ceremony is preformed to bring peace and good fortune to their home and family.
Sue, Lewis, and I had helped Priya with some of the preparations. We mowed their yard and set up tents in their backyard as they were expecting about 100 guests from the Hindu community. While helping, Priya invited us to come in their home and see the altar she proudly painted and the decorations she was preparing for the ceremony. Even though void of all furniture, the altar room was rich with symbolism. Priya was excited that inside the front door on a small table stood an ornate and well adorned wood carving of Ganesh to welcome the guests. We learned that Ganesh is not only one of the best known and loved deities in the Hindu pantheon of gods, he is one of the most recognized deities outside of India due to his elephant-like appearance. Ganesh is considered the Lord of Good Fortune who provides prosperity, fortune and success, the Lord of Beginnings, and the Remover of Obstacles of both material and spiritual kinds. A friend from the Hindu community brought this deity for Ram and Priya to display for their special day.
When we arrived late Sunday afternoon for the festivities, another Hindu neighbor from our street welcomed and invited us to sample the varieties of food they had prepared. They offered several vegetarian dishes made from potatoes, tofu, mangos, cashews and a variety of wonderful spices. The dishes were accompanied by rice and a glass of rose milk to help calm the spiciness of the food. The aromas and tastes were another wonderful experience, as were the conversations while partaking of the food.
Soon we were asked to remove our shoes and join the guests in the altar room to experience the Hindu rituals. Unlike the men who wore typical casual dress attire, the women wore ornate saris made of brightly colored materials and a variety of ornaments including anklets with bells that chimed as they walked. Sue and I watched as each guest received a mark on the forehead with the traditional Tilaka, a red fragrant paste used as a welcome and expression of honor when guests arrive.
Hanging from the walls around and over the altar were brightly colored faux marigold garlands. We learned that the marigold is widely cultivated in India and is used for decorations at Hindu weddings, festivals, and religious events. Sue and I sat cross-legged in silence on the floor as several people offered silent prayers before the three gods and goddesses depicted in icons on the altar. There was a reverence but also a sense of familial community as each person acknowledged the deities and each other within Ram and Priya’s home.
Sue and I were so glad we made time to celebrate and learn from our new neighbors. We couldn’t help but be reminded of Phil Gulley’s words in Living the Quaker Way, “…when we listen only to a like-minded few, our regard for others diminishes, our love for them wanes, and with that our commitment to their equality and well-being lessens.” This week, I challenge us to listen, experience, and participate with those different than us, and may it broaden our understandings and build deeper relationships rooted in love.
Grace and peace,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
Underneath it All ~ Thank you to all who donated to Underneath It All! School children served by the J. H. Boner Center will very much appreciate your generosity.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Praying Friends ~ Did you know that we have an active prayer ministry? It is called Praying Friends. This is a small group where we share prayer requests and pray for each other. To request prayer, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Photos are Ready! We recently had a Lifetouch photography event. If you elected to have your complimentary 8x10 sent back to the church for pick up, the photographs are now located in the office hallway for you. If your portrait is not in the current shipment, it means it will be coming in a future shipment.
A Call for Recycling! The Green Team at FF would like to make a plug for the recycling of cardboard — think of all those Amazon boxes! For every ton of cardboard recycled, 17 trees are saved. One semi-trailer load of baled cardboard weighs about 20 tons! That’s a lot of trees saved. Additionally, every ton of cardboard that is recycled saves 7,000 gallons of water. (Adapted from Recover Recycling Solutions)
Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 30 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 2nd. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable entrees, chicken salad with crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. If you do not want to purchase food, cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so we can do it again this year! Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org with any questions.
Support Group, Anyone? ~ Jan H would like to start a book-based support group at the meeting for those experiencing family or relationship challenges (even if that challenging relationship is with yourself). In harmony with the ideas that relationship difficulties are nearly always a two-way street, healthy relationships begin with healthy communication, and that our personal histories shape our present relationships, here are a few books to consider:
1. “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz
2. “The Mastery of Love” by Don Miguel Ruiz
3. “The Dance of Intimacy” by Harriet Lerner
4. “The Dance of Anger” by Harriet Lerner
5. “The Dance of Connection” by Harriet Lerner
6. “How to Hug a Porcupine” by John Lund
You are also welcomed to invite other friends to participate in the group. If you might be interested in such a group, please follow this link to complete the brief interest and scheduling survey and recommend other book titles to consider: https://forms.gle/Mj7axyhnvJYbGXncA. If you cannot access the survey, please call, text, or email Jan at 317-443-6458 or janicehise@yahoo.com.
Experiment with Light! Friends, all are invited as we start our own program. This is a continuation of the lovely meditation experiment presented by Jaime Mudd in June.
We will be gathering at the Meeting House on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, starting October 15, at 7:00 pm for 90 minutes. To register, please contact the office at 317-255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org. Please register by October 8th. If you have any questions, please contact the office. They'll send your questions to one of the facilitators. Facilitators: Jill F, Ed M, Mary Ellen L and Sam R. For those who expressed interest before, it would be great if you would confirm your interest with the office. That will help us properly set up the room, prepare materials, and so forth. It's an amazing opportunity to grow both individually and as a community. Hope you join us.
Community Garden ~ Hear from our gardeners:
"The garden is a refuge for me. I live in an apartment and miss having a yard and walking barefoot on the grass. I feel at peace when I come to water or tend to my garden. I have also been known to lie on the ground on occasion . I’m always very grateful to the Friends Meeting to give me the space to use and feel closer to God and his community." ~Jennifer
“Linda and I enjoyed having a plot in the FF Community Garden for a few years before I had my cancer surgery. We grew chard, kale, okra and tomatoes mostly. This year we decided to have a mini mini garden consisting of ONE plant! A cherry tomato plant of a variety that we had really good luck with before. We have had fairly good luck with our hearty little plant but not the profusion we had originally. But it is a great feeling to bring home food and be able to say ‘I grew this. My own produce! These tomatoes are actually sweeter than the ones I buy at the store!’” ~Ed M.
Shalom Zone Eco Film Series: BAG IT: Is Your Life Too Plastic? ~ All are invited to join us on Friday, October 11 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm for our Eco film series. This time we will watch Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?, a 2010 American documentary film exposing the effects of plastic bags and other plastic consumer merchandise, and its effects on land ecosystems, the marine environment and the human body. The film concludes with a review of recycling labels and shows ways that average citizens and consumers can minimize the harmful impact of plastic by reducing use. It will be held in the Matthew Mark Conference Rooms at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Dr, 46240. Contact Mary Gault at maryhgault@gmail.com for more information.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for September:
Swainson’s Thrush: The Quiet Friend
We Quakers are known for our moments of silence, particularly during worship. Hopefully we will speak up when the time is right, and we are ready! When Swainson’s Thrushes migrate through our woods in May, they are numerous, and the song of the males indicates their presence: “Pur-reer reer ree ree ree” (flute-like, and rising in pitch). By mid-May they are gone from here on their way north.
In September and October Swainson’s are on their way back south and often quiet. Recently I was about halfway down the walk towrd the fountain, when I stopped to scan the small trees on the south side. I was startled to see, just a few feet from me, a Swainson’s Thrush sitting silently, having seen me long before I saw her/him. Yes, the genders look alike, and the species is recognized by the thrush (robin) shape but smaller, olive color on the back, and a buffy cheek. The eye rings are connected by a pale stripe over the bill: known by birders as “spectacles”.
Warning: Your next walk in the Meditational Woods may be monitored by a “quiet friend”!! ~Brad J
Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 12 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances.
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading pick for the month of October is The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu! The discussion will be led by Sue H on Tuesday October 29th at 7 pm in the Parlor. New York Journal of Books Review: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/book-joy-lasting-happiness-changing-world Contact Kathy R at kathyrichelle@icloud.com if you’d like to receive email updates.
This Week’s Queries
Where am I being called to speak up and share my passions for service in the meeting, the community, or world?
Where have I found it easier to exclude than to live out of love?
What religious bubbles might I need to pop to experience a fuller life?