As Way Opens
Every Christmas season I pull out Howard Thurman’s book The Mood of Christmas to re-read. I share his introduction that capture this time of year in a beautiful way:
“Christmas is a mood, a quality, a symbol. It is never merely a fact. As a fact it is a date on the calendar - to the believer it is the anniversary of an event in human history. An individual may relate himself meaningfully to the fact or the event, but that would not be Christmas.
The mood of Christmas - what is it? it is a quickening of the presence of other human beings into whose lives a precious part of one’s own has been released. It is a memory of other days when into one’s path an angel appeared spreading a halo over an ordinary moment or a commonplace event. It is an iridescence of sheer delight that bathes one’s whole being with something more wonderful than words can ever tell. Of such is the mood of Christmas.
The quality of Christmas - what is it? It is the fullness with which fruit ripens, blossoms unfold into flowers, and live coals glow in the darkness. It is the richness of vibrant colors - the calm purple of grapes, the exciting redness of tomatoes, the shimmering light on the noiseless stirring of a lake or sunset. It is the sense of plateau with a large rock behind which one may take temporary respite from winds that chill. Of such is the quality of Christmas.
The symbol of Christmas - what is it? It is the rainbow arched over the roof of the sky when the clouds are heavy with foreboding. It is the cry of life in the newborn babe when, forced from its mothers’ nest, it claims its right to live. It is the brooding Presence of the Eternal
Spirit making crooked paths straight, rough places smooth, tired hears refreshed, dead hopes stir with newness of life. It is the promise of tomorrow at the close of every day, the movement of life in defiance of death, and the assurance that love is sturdier than hate, that right is more confident than wrong, that good is more permanent than evil.”
My prayer for us all is to step back from the commercial aspect of this season that bombards us with ads and emails to buy more and more stuff. My prayer is that we think about the mood, quality and symbol of Christmas and live into this not just on December 25th but through every season of our lives.
Beth
Joys & Concerns
This past Sunday night we held our annual Vespers concert. It was a time filled with joy, singing, and peace. Thank you to all who made Vespers possible this year—Eric B (piano and choir director), Shawn P (organ), Lynda S (handbell director), Jim & Leslie K (special music) Ed M and Jed K (ushers), and the choir. Also many thanks to the Fellowship committee, who held a wonderful reception in Fellowship Hall afterward. Thank you all for another wonderful year!
Thank you to everyone who donated gifts to families in need with our Easterseals Christmas gift drive. Easterseals picked up the presents today and were thrilled! Thank you to all who made this possible!
Many thanks to our food pantry volunteers last week! Kathy and Bill F, Phil G, Linda L, David B, Christie M, Beth F, Mara S, Dan H and his daughter Statia B, and Carol and Jim D. A great volunteer group served 90 families. Thanks to all!
Update on Kian from Bob Henry:
Last week, I had the privilege of spending a lunch hour with Kian and Naomi in the Outpatient Rehab Unit at Riley Children’s Hospital. As I entered Kian’s room, I was moved literally to tears finding him sitting up, fully dressed in his new Dunder Mifflin Inc. Ugly Christmas Sweater, writing out his menu for the next day. The only visible evidence of his hospital stay was the feeding tube in his nose (now only used for hydration at night). The shock of this beautiful site has not worn off. Immediately, Kian engaged in conversation on just about any topic. We talked as he worked a couple of wooden puzzle games and even a Lego set of a race car. He told me about many things including his love for only Apple Juice, how he took a walk outside yesterday for the first time the day before, and how he was going to go on a field trip that afternoon to the Incrediplex. He also told me how he had been playing video games, that he was going to start watching his new Harry Potter Blu-Rays, and that he enjoyed drawing (one of his recent drawings was hanging on the wall of his room - which amazed me). Most mornings Kian is in multiple therapies to help him regain his abilities. Most of his bones are healing really well, they are still being cautious with his collar bone. I was amazed at his cognitive connecting and memory. He knew who I was and he remembered my sons when we talked about them, and he even talked about our Meeting. At one point I told him that many people were praying for him from our Meeting and several other churches. Immediately he asked, “How many?” Currently, Kian has an affinity for the number 5000 and words starting with the letter “d"- part of his brain reorganizing. So we joked about it definitely being about 5000 people (which it very likely might be). Kian has fond memories of this past Thanksgiving for it was on Thanksgiving morning that a “switch” flipped on in his brain and he started to remember and communicate more productively (talk about something to give thanks for.) As I left Kian and Naomi, I watched as Kian put on his coat and gathered with a couple of the other rehab kids to go enjoy his first time outside of Riley Hospital since the accident. Today, Kian took a step closer to having normal liquids after a swallow study that allowed him to have semi-thick liquids. Each step he has taken is progress toward full healing. Thank you for your continued prayers and for sending love and light to Kian, Naomi, Cora, and their family. -Pastor Bob
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
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! Please note that due to the holidays it will be held tomorrow, Thursday, December 12 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall19.
Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening this Saturday December 14, 5:30 - 9:30. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!
Thank you for your pledges! First Friends would like to sincerely thank all Friends in support of our ministries. We are grateful to everyone who’s turned in a pledge for 2020 and/or have turned on automatic donations through their bank. This helps us plan a budget for the new year and plan wonderful Ministry & Fellowship activities such as Vespers. If you’d like to make a pledge for 2020, you can fill out a card at the Meetinghouse, fill out our online form at https://forms.gle/Nb1r1ctRrfgAPigY8 or simply contact the office. As we close out 2019, we hope you will consider including First Friends in your year-end giving.
Sunday School Notice: This Sunday, December 15 will be our last day of Sunday School this year. There will be no Sunday school on either Sunday, December 22nd or 29th. Happy Holidays!
This Sunday Beth will be selling cookies-in-a-jar and soup-in-a-jar. She will also be selling coffee, chocolate and oil. These make great last-minute Christmas gifts so be sure to bring cash or your checkbook if you’re interested! All proceeds benefit Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS). QVS is an 11-month experiment, living at the intersection of transformational spirituality and activism. Young adults work full-time in professional positions at community-based organizations addressing a wide range of issues, while living in a cooperative house and worshiping with, and being mentored by, local Quakers.
Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us on December 15th immediately after worship in the Parlor for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. If you can donate two dozen cookies, they can be dropped off the morning of Sunday, December 16th in the parlor or on Saturday, December 15th between 10-11am. Due to allergies, please DO NOT bring any cookies containing peanuts, peanut butter or any peanut product. For more information or if you need to schedule a different dropoff time, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Happy holidays!
Indy Winds Flute Choir will have their winter concert on Sunday, December 15th at 3:00 at Roberts Park United Methodist Church and we encourage folks to attend. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of the flute choir.
Help for Right Sharing! Stamping for dollars can earn 10¢ for each cancelled stamp on the Christmas cards you receive. Place in the box at the donation station in Fellowship Hall. Recent/new stamps are wanted by a Canadian dealer. Please remember to bring in your stamps!
Join First Friends for Caroling! ~ If you’d like to join us for caroling to some of our dear Friends and neighbors, meet us on Sunday, December 15 at 3:30 at The Stratford (visiting Tom and Pat Price). Meet in the main lobby. We will also travel to Ursula Roberts house (91st and Meridian area), then to Kathy Farris’s father’s house (Solana near Keystone and 77th) and end at American Village. We should be done by 6:00 p.m. and then will gather for dinner at Some Guys Pizza on Allisonville and 62nd. If you’d like to carpool, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org and meet us at the Meetinghouse at 2:50 that day. We hope you will join us!
Experiment with Light! ~ Friends, our monthly Experiment with the Light (EWL) is Tuesday, December 17, at 7 pm in the parlor. You may hear some call it, Mind the Light (MTL). The names are interchangeable.
All are welcome, whether this is your first time or you’re a regular. For those who are new or need a refresher, let me explain what happens:
We begin with a 45-minute guided meditation. This is the time to let anything on your heart come forward and call on the Spirit to help us, with Her comfort or insight
In the next 15 minutes, we capture our experience through art or writing. Like a dream, it may flit away if we don’t record it.
Then we share for 15 minutes in small groups of 4 or 5. In a safe, sacred space, we share our experience. Of course, anything shared is strictly confidential.
We end back in the large group for 15 minutes of more sharing and to wrap up.
Attenders find it a remarkable experience. Please join us. We begin promptly at 7 pm and end at 8:30. ~Peace and love, Mary Ellen L
The Green Team wants to let the Meeting know about two opportunities to support conservation legislation. Find out who your representative is at www.house.gov. Call him/her and ask them to cosponsor HR3742. This is the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA). Indiana would receive $18 million a year from this Act. Call your representative AND your senator (www.senate.gov) about the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Ask them to support HR3195 and S1081. These bills would provide millions for LWCF which will affect funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, and state and local parks.
Youth Christmas Party! ~ All our youth (6th - 12th grade) are invited to our annual Youth Christmas Party on Friday, December 20th at 6:15 pm (please note the date has been CHANGED). We will have a gift exchange, great Mexican food, and games. If you are interested in signing up your youth, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Used Toys Needed ~ Linwood Christian Church, a lower income church on the eastside of Indianapolis, is in need of used toys/books for their Christmas sale for their families. Any used toys/books that you have would be appreciated. Please put them in the box at the meetinghouse.
More info about Linwood Christian Church: Linwood Christian on East Michigan has a small, older congregation. Their food pantry is open to individuals living in the area from Washington St to 21st and Emerson to Rural and once a week serves about 120 people. They also have a Rummage Room open 4 mornings a week. Proceeds go to a Benevolence Fund for special needs. At Christmas time they focus on getting age-appropriate gifts for the children of the Food Pantry clients, gently used toys, books, games, etc.
Christmas Sing Along with Jim, Jesse and Luke! We will be singing familiar Christmas Carols on December 20th, third Friday in the Parlor. Jim and the band will lead us in a selection of traditional carols, plus other songs Jim has chosen, as well as opportunity for requests. We will be using the burgundy hymnals, since that one has the most familiar words. Please join us from 7:00 to 8:30 PM!
Children’s Pageant ~ Join us during our Meeting for Worship on Sunday, December 22 as our children depict and read the story of Jesus' birth. As well, the congregation will join in with singing hymns together. This is an annual tradition that you do not want to miss!
Please note, due to the holidays the office will be closed on Wednesday, December 25 and Wednesday, January 1st. On these days there will also be no Friend to Friend. Also, there will be no Wednesday Unprogrammed Worship on December 25th. We hope you have a wonderful time with your family and loved ones during these weeks. Happy holidays!!
Unprogrammed worship on Sunday, December 29 – Please note that due to the holidays we will be holding unprogrammed worship in the parlor on December 29th at our usual time of 10:15. This is a nice quiet time for us to worship in the traditional Quaker manner. Thank you to Mary Blackburn, who will be leading us in worship that day. We hope you will join us if you can. Happy holidays!
Western Yearly Meeting – New Vision! At the November 16, 2019 meeting of WYM Administrative Council a two year visioning process was approved which will result in a new Strategic Plan for Western Yearly Meeting. It is hoped to have this plan developed and approved by meetings/churches within WYM by September 2020 and by the WYM Administrative Council by December 2020. One result of this visioning process will be the selection of new leadership for WYM at the 2021 WYM Yearly Meeting. A more detailed time frame for this process will be announced shortly.
As a part of the visioning process a listening meeting will be held at Indianapolis First Friends on Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. in the Parlor. The meeting will be conducted by Margaret Fraser the consultant hired by WYM. More information about this important meeting will be forthcoming.
Save the Date: Martin Luther King Jr Service! All are invited to this Shalom Zone celebration service and community luncheon honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It will be held on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Monday, January 20, 2020 at 11:00am at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, 5233 East 79th St, 46250. Our guest preacher will be Rev. Dr. Charlestonfontaine Macon, Sr Pastor of Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. Everyone is welcome to this free event. For more information, find the flyer at http://bit.ly/2rlcBFU. We hope you will join us!
Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf book club titles for 2020! If you’d like to be on the email list for the group, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org
January 28 ~ The Overstory by Richard Powers
February 25 ~ Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
March 31 ~ Beartown by Fredrik Backman
April 28 ~ Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
May 26 ~ A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
June 30 ~ Doing Justice by Preet Bharara
July 28 ~ Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
August 25 ~ Becoming by Michelle Obama
September 29 ~ Never Home Alone by Rob Dunn
October 27 ~ The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
November 24 ~ Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels
December 29 ~ The House of Broken Angels by Luis Urrea
The group meets at 7pm in the Parlor. All are invited!
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December: Cedar Waxwing
Party Time in the Woods
There was a party going on in our Meditational Woods, and I had to crash it. I had heard the racket the moment I got out of my car. I assumed it was the robins eating berries in the nearby bushes, and thought I had disturbed them. But no, the sound was coming from deeper in the woods, and it was not the robins’ “tewk-tewk” sound of alarm; it was the sound of…pleasure. Yes, the same sound as when birds find a feeder full of food. As I walked down the paved path toward the fountain waterfall, I saw more birds there than ever before: ten American Robins, eight Cedar Waxwings, and four Carolina Chickadees. The robins were bathing in the top and middle pools, while several waxwings at a time were drinking at the bottom. Communal bathing and public drinking within sight of the meetinghouse?? It was most unQuakerly to my way of thinking. There were a few squabbles between the one robin at the top that did not want to share the bath space, and others that wanted a turn. The chickadees seemed to just be hanging out, watching the action. Shortly thereafter, I left the party to do my normal walking route around the property. A flock of House Finches were having their own gathering, getting something from the sweet gum balls (not gumballs) in the tree in the patio courtyard. The already cool temperature seemed to drop ten degrees in the next half hour, and the mist turned into a rain. The weather did not break up the party, as I could hear it still going on as I came inside the meetinghouse.
I have pictured a Cedar Waxwing in one of the conifers overlooking the waterfall, waiting for a turn to drink. The genders are identical, with overall colors of tan and gray, and noticeable head crest, black mask, yellow tail tip, and the small red projections from the back of the inner wing, that together look like a drip of sealing wax. From that apparent wax drip, the bird gets its name. ~Brad Jackson
Please Help Us with Memorials! We are still in need of volunteers to write memorials for some of our dearly departed Friends. Like an obituary, but more personal, we keep record of our Friends lives and their role in the Meeting in a memorial book in our library so that they may always be remembered. If you are willing to help, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485. Thank you for helping to honor our departed Friends!
People still needing memorials: Alice Thatcher, Janet Stimson, Bonnie Hollingsworth, Mark Kishego, Bob Davis, Duffy Fankboner, Ed Thomas, Hugh Grimes, Bob Coffin. Example: http://bit.ly/34RqLg4.
This Week’s Queries
What are the things in life (the noise, trouble, the hard things) that are causing me to not have peace?
What may I need to reconcile to see peace in my life?
What is God birthing inside of me this Christmas season that will help bring peace to my world?