As Way Opens
I traveled to Ferdinand Indiana this past weekend to spend a couple of days with the Sisters of St Benedict. This beautiful monastery was built in the mid 1800’s and used to house over 600 nuns (in the 1950’s overcrowding was such a problem that the sisters built the Benedictine facility in Beech Grove). They have less than 100 nuns there now and continue to figure out how to repurpose the facilities and grounds. The sisters recently completed a renovation of their rooms for individuals to come and stay with them for retreats. They have 11 lovely rooms with private baths that they don’t charge fees for but encourage a donation to the sisters of $65 a night (a bargain).
I have visited this place several times before and every time I step onto the grounds, I feel a sense of grace and peace. It was quiet, serene and the weather last Friday and Saturday was picture perfect. I watched the sisters engage with us over meals and discussions and I could feel their love of God and humanity through their words and actions. These sisters have been chaplains, nurses, teachers, principals, social workers etc. They are wonderful examples of how to live a faithful and devoted life to God in the world. I drove home Saturday afternoon feeling recharged and refreshed from my time with these sisters in their home. I feel inspired to continue finding my ways to live out my faith in the world. And I recognized my need to take a few days like this and spend time in prayer, reflection and contemplation. May we all take the time for contemplation and reflection and prayerfully consider how we live out our faith in each of our communities.
Beth
Joys & Concerns
Thank you to everyone who volunteered at Mid-North Food Pantry last week! We had a great group of volunteers that served about 100 families: Christie M, Rik & Linda L, Phil G, Kathy & Bill F, Tom F, Mara S, David B, Kathy R, Beth F, and Carol & Jim D.
Many thanks to all who supported Buddy Bags! Also thanks to Jody L and Kathy and Bill F who packed 30 buddy bags and Kathy delivered them to Allisonville Elementary School. The principal was thrilled and thanked all at First Friends who made this donation possible.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
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.
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.
Calling all handbell lovers! If you want to try playing handbells but aren’t sure what all it involves, please join us on Sunday October 20th after Meeting for Worship to give it a try. We’ll have the handbells out and will teach you how to play; and then try a couple of songs. Meet us in the meetingroom right after Meeting for Worship. Plan to spend 40-45 minutes with us. Questions? Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, October 17 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.
SING ALONG With JIM and the BAND! In October we are back to our regular third Friday, October 18th. A few of the songs on this month’s menu are: Put Your Hand in the Hand, Penny Lane, Standing in the Need of Prayer, Take me Home Country Roads. Come at 7:00 to the parlor for 1 1/2 hours of fun. Song sheets in large print are provided.
Community Garden ~ Hear from some of our gardeners:
“The First Friends Community Garden has been an unexpected joy this year. My kids and I have been tending a couple of plots, and helped with the shared food pantry plot too. Many weeks I stop by the meeting on my way home from work to weed & water for a few minutes, which is a nice break from the fast pace of a typical weekday. We look forward to raiding the garden for fresh tomatoes on Sunday mornings. Several weeks we’ve been able to enjoy pasta with freshly made tomato sauce on Sunday evenings, when Nolan & Jill manage not to eat them all before we get home 😊” ~ Ben F
“This was my first year attempting to garden, ever. I cannot express enough how much of a joy it has been! I was nervous to sign up for a plot due to having no experience growing anything, but after the time I have spent in the community garden I realized that gardening is not only about producing physical items. Gardening has provided me with a way to eliminate stress from my daily life activities and more importantly bond with my 4-year-old daughter. The community garden gave me a place to decompress after stressful days during the week. It also allowed my daughter and I to have a free and enjoyable activity to keep us occupied on the days when we thought there was nothing to do. There was nothing more enjoyable then watching my daughter help to water, plant, and harvest the tomatoes, cilantro, etc that we grew. She made sure to show love to everything no matter how big, small, or green it came out! Joining the community garden was definitely a very special and positive decision I made, and I look forward to continuing to do it in the future.” -Zoe
Come Meet Right Sharing Representatives! We will welcome to our Meeting Samson Ababu and Lotan Migaliza, field representatives for Right Sharing of World Resources in Kenya on Sunday October 27th.Samson and Lotan will share about the work in Kenya as well as information about the project we are sponsoring during the Sunday School hour on October 27th in the parlor (we will have a combined Sunday School class). Samson and Lotan will share about their personal spiritual connection to this workduring the first part of our worship service that Sunday.And Samson and Lotan will be available during fellowship hour to talk more about the projects, the work, the women and the communities. Please mark your calendars for this special opportunity to meet these individuals and hear more about RSWR.
Help out our visiting friends! ~ As mentioned above, representatives from the Field Teams from Right Sharing of World Resources will be coming to visit the USA (two of which will be stopping here at First Friends). As many of these people live in warm climates, Right Sharing is asking for temporary donations of warm clothing, especially, sweaters, fleeces, jackets, warm coats, etc, (things that can be put on over their own clothes) to be lent to these visitors during their stay. These clothes will be returned to you after the representatives leave the US. If you are able to help, please bring your clothing to the meeting office by Wednesday, October 16th. If possible, please add your name to the clothing tag or include some kind of marking so we know who the clothing belongs to. If you’d simply like to donate the clothing and do not need it back, that is ok too. Thank you for helping out our Right Sharing friends!
Do you have a new baby or young child you would like to have dedicated? We are seeking out families who are interested in having their child (children) dedicated to God during an upcoming Meeting for Worship. For those who may be unfamiliar with Baby/Child Dedications, they are intended to be a public testimony by the parents/family that they will train their children in the Quaker faith. The Meeting will also be asked to affirm that they, as a faith community, will seek to encourage and support the parents in bringing up the child in the Quaker faith. Quakers believe a direct experience with God is open to people of all ages. Our hope is that this dedication will set your child on a path to experience their Inner Light and the Spirit’s leading. The idea of dedicating a child to God can certainly be found in the Bible. Hannah was a barren wife who promised to dedicate her child to God if He would give her a son (I Samuel 1:11). And in Luke 2:22 you will read the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple after forty days in order to dedicate Him to God. If you would like to have your child dedicated, please contact the Meeting Office (office@indyfriends.org). We hope to have multiple dedications during a Meeting for Worship in November.
New in the library at First Friends Indy (written by Linda L) ~
Primitive Quakerism REVIVED: Living as Friends in the Twenty-First Century by Paul Buckley.
I checked this book out of our library intending to take a quick look and make a quick note. But I read the whole thing. Buckley is a Quaker historian and theologian. He has wisdom and depth in his own comments and in his selections of quotes mostly from the founders and the famous of our faith while also including some contemporary Friends.
Buckley examines traditional behaviors and terminology, explaining the reasons for them. He suggests which ought to be put in storage. He encourages us to reinvigorate the fundamentals of Quakerism in ways that support and could guide what we at First Friends Indianapolis are creatively manifesting.
Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat a couple of weeks ago. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.
Fall Festival! ~ Maple Seeds Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 26th from 4-6pm. It is held here at First Friends—All MSPC and First Friends families are welcome to come and be a part of this fun evening. There will be face painting, pumpkin decorating, a bounce house, a chili cook-off, a raffle, and more! Costumes are welcome! We hope you will join us!
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)
This Week’s Queries
Do we know that we are loved? Who is letting us know?
In what ways are we discriminatory with our love?
Where do I sense fear in not being loved?
In what ways does/should First Friends produce love-motivated, love-directed, love-driven, and love guided Friends?