As Way Opens
I was so grateful to our parents last week for dressing up their kiddos and recording them to share the Christmas story of Jesus’s birth from Luke and Matthew. The simplicity and yet complexity of this story is beautifully portrayed by the innocence of our children. My mother loved Christmas Eve (it’s the evening of the year that I miss her the most) and made an annual trip to the manger to remind herself of the gift of God’s love and light given in the darkness. How does that manger change us? I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther - “There are some of us who think to ourselves, if I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have gone with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger! Why don’t we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbor.” And when we think about it, who is our neighbor? Is not every person, friend, foe, family, enemy potentially our neighbor?
I love Dr King’s sermon on Loving Your Enemies and share part of it here.
"When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. . . .
Probably no admonition of Jesus has been more difficult to follow than the command to “love your enemies.” Some people have sincerely felt that its actual practice is not possible. It is easy, they say, to love those who love you, but how can one love those who openly and insidiously seek to defeat you? . . .
This command of Jesus challenges us with new urgency. Upheaval after upheaval has reminded us that modern humanity is traveling along a road called hate, in a journey that will bring us to destruction. . . . Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, the command to love one’s enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist: he is the practical realist.
I am certain that Jesus understood the difficulty inherent in the act of loving one’s enemy. He never joined the ranks of those who talk glibly about the easiness of the moral life. He realized that every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God. So when Jesus said “Love your enemy,” he was not unmindful of its stringent qualities. Yet he meant every word of it. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out in our daily lives. . . .
When Jesus bids us to love our enemies, he is speaking of neither eros[romantic love] nor philia [reciprocal love of friends]; he is speaking of agape, understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all people. Only by following this way and responding with this type of love are we able to be children of our Father who is in Heaven."
Friends, this is the time of year for each of us to take our trip to the manger whatever that means for each of us and reflect on the fierce love of this child and how we are called to live this out in our lives. How do we give a total and consistent surrender to God and love our neighbor like this baby showed us and taught us?
Have a blessed Christmas.
Beth
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
IFCL -- Announcing the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission ~ IFCL is one of 25 members of the All IN for Democracy coalition hoping to influence redistricting, the legislative map-drawing in 2021 that will determine Indiana's voting districts for the next decade. IFCL recently participated in a coalition press conference announcing the formation of the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, part of a project for citizens to take part in redistricting. At the press conference, remarks were made on behalf of IFCL speaking to Quaker reasons for supporting this effort. http://bit.ly/2Kr5YLg.
Friends are encouraged to apply for service on the Commission or urge others to apply. Note, this is neither a Republican nor a Democrat effort. It's a citizens' effort, and anyone of any party affiliation--or no political affiliation at all--is welcome to apply. Below is information from Julia Vaughn of Common Cause Indiana (another coalition member) explaining the criteria for selection to the Commission, and a link to the application. The deadline for application is January 4, 2021. If you have questions, please contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com; 317-790-9054). Thank you.
From Common Cause Indiana:
There will be hundreds of issues debated when the Indiana General Assembly reconvenes in 2021, but the upcoming session really boils down to one thing: redistricting.
Next session the legislature will draw new district maps for Congress and themselves, and those maps will play an outsized role in who gets elected to represent us for the next decade. A fair, politically balanced and transparent redistricting process is more important now than ever.
Unfortunately, despite efforts from 2012 to 2020 to pass redistricting reform legislation through the State House, legislators failed to act.
It’s clear that if we want a better way to draw maps in 2021, we have to do it ourselves. And you can be part of the solution by signing up for our Citizens Redistricting Commission today!
I'LL SIGN UP!
Common Cause Indiana, through the All IN for Democracy coalition, is organizing the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC), a diverse and representative group of nine Hoosiers who will lead a public discussion about what criteria should direct redistricting in Indiana and identify important communities of interest throughout the state.
This information will be compiled and delivered to legislators with the request that they follow its recommendations as they embark on their map-drawing efforts.
ICRC members will also serve as judges for a public mapping competition which will invite Hoosiers to get directly involved in redistricting by drawing Congressional and state legislative maps themselves using open source software and public data.
Many of you would be great candidates for a seat on the ICRC because you understand that the future of democracy requires politically engaged people putting aside partisanship for the public interest. Thank you.
Joys and Concerns
MANY Thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers: Linda and Rik L, Penny P, Phil G, Brad J, Barbara O, Ruth K, Kathy and Bill F, Corinne I, Virginia and Derek S, Christie M, and Carol and Jim D. The snow on Wednesday did not hold back our First Friends volunteers!
Some interesting facts for the pantry for the 2020 year:
Mid North Food Pantry neighbors served January - November, 2020
Families: 10,393
Individuals: 33,341
Children: 13,269
Veterans: 1,997
Homeless: 282
Thanks to all at First Friends who help the Mid North Food Pantry through their financial contributions, their volunteer efforts and their prayers.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Christmas Virtual Sing-A-Long! Warm up your voices and break out the percussion. THE VIRTUAL SING-A-LONG is back! Join Jim and the band for a virtual Christmas sing-a-long TONIGHT, DECEMBER 23, 7:00-7:30 pm. The video will premiere live but will be available to watch any time after that. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/gS5wmYyc2BY. We hope you will join us!
Christmas Eve Service ~ We hope you will join us for our annual Christmas Eve Service on YouTube on December 24th at 5:00pm. This year’s service will be “The Light Always Comes: A Readers Theater Christmas Service.” The service will premiere at https://youtu.be/65P9tCKIoPk. We hope you will join us for this annual tradition!
Join us for Unprogrammed worship on Sunday, December 27th. We will be holding unprogrammed worship on the Sunday after Christmas at 10:15am. After about an hour of worship, anyone is welcomed to stay afterward for a time of fellowship. Thank you to Bill H for hosting this Zoom call. We hope you will join us that day!
Sunday School Notice: Friends, please note that on Sunday, December 27th, there will be no adult Sunday School classes. Children’s classes will meet at their normal times. Also please note that Seeking Friends will be taking an additional 2 week hiatus and will return January 17th, 2021. We hope you stay happy and healthy this holiday season!
The First Friends Bible study will study the Psalms for 13 weeks starting Thursday, January 7. The current group chose the Psalms because they felt we all need something uplifting in these times. The study meets by Zoom at 7:30 pm every Thursday. It will use this Barclay Press booklet: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/ILLUMINATE/illuminate-psalms-2011.html. If you'd like to participate in this study, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org. Visitors, drop-ins, observers, auditors welcome!
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea The definitive Mexican-American immigrant story, a sprawling and deeply felt portrait of a Mexican-American family occasioned by the impending loss of its patriarch, from one of the country's most beloved authors. Prizewinning and bestselling writer Luis Urrea has written his Mexican coming-to-America story and his masterpiece. Destined to sit alongside other classic immigrant novels, The House of Broken Angels is a sprawling and epic family saga helmed by patriarch Big Angel. The novel gathers together the entire De La Cruz clan, as they meet for the final birthday party Big Angel is throwing for himself, at home in San Diego, as he nears the end of his struggle with cancer and reflects on his long and full life. But when Big Angel's mother, Mama America, approaching one hundred, dies herself as the party nears, he must plan her funeral as well. There will be two family affairs in one weekend: a farewell double-header. Among the attendants is his half-brother and namesake, Little Angel, who comes face to face with the siblings with whom he shared a father but not, as the weekend proceeds to remind him, a life. The discussion will be via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, December 29, 2020.
Retired Ministers Fund Update and Information ~ The WYM Retired Ministers Fund provides a modest retirement benefit to 23 retired ministers and their spouses. These Friends have served in pastoral ministry in WYM Meetings, on the WYM staff and with Friends United Meeting missions/ministries.
Meetings (and individual Friends) of Western Yearly Meeting are encouraged to make an end-of-year contribution to the WYM Retired Ministers Fund to continue to thank and support the Friends who have offered themselves in ministry over many decades.
Click here to read about Keith and Judy Kendall and how they continue to serve in ministry during their retirement. The list of all Friends receiving the retired ministers’ benefit is included.
Check contributions to the Retired Ministers Fund can be made out to WYM Retired Ministers Fund and sent to WYM, PO Box 70, Plainfield IN 46168. (Please be sure to send this as a separate check from Benevolence or Assessments, since these contributions need to be deposited to a separate checking account.)
SEND US YOUR PICTURES! We are looking for photos of you and your family. Let us see how you are doing, and what you’ve been up to during these times! Let us see your smiling faces. We will put these photos into future slideshows during virtual meeting for worship on Sundays. Just email your pictures to office@indyfriends.org or post them here. Thank you in advance!
First Friends Financial Update: The meeting seeks your financial support, both in closing out 2020 and in planning ahead for 2021. For 2020, we currently are facing a deficit at year-end, but your financial support at this time can help us to end the year in the black. To assist, please click on indyfriends.org/support/#givenow and scroll down to the Give Now section.
For 2021, recently a request for pledges was emailed to the meeting. If you need to have the email resent, or if you would like for a pledge card to be mailed to you, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.
While some aspects of First Friends activity are on hold due to the pandemic, the need for financial support continues, as major fixed expenses remain in place. We thank you for your support.
Reopening Task Force Report
At this time, the Reopening Task Force does not yet feel comfortable recommending reopening the Meetinghouse for worship, due to current trends and upcoming holidays. The issue will be revisited in the new year. Detailed reports from the Reopening Task Force are to be emailed to full membership prior to each Monthly Meeting.
In the meantime, please be reminded that Meetinghouse is currently open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. Participants assume personal responsibility for risk of COVID-19 exposure. Several small groups offer Zoom options for those who prefer not to attend in person. To check on availability of small groups, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December: White-breasted Nuthatch
An Upside-Down Bird to End 2020
This year has been a strange one in almost every way. Instead of giving a list of unusual events, allow me to call it simply topsy-turvy or upside down. Yes, that’s it: Upside down in almost every category. What better way to end this year of Birds of the Meditational Woods, than to select a bird, found here in every month, but especially in December, that fits the upside-down moniker?
The white-breasted nuthatch is our only resident bird which can regularly move on the bark of a tree in an upside-down orientation. Several species crawl up the trunk, looking for insects, spiders, and the eggs of each, but when you see one moving upwards, and then suddenly change direction into a head-down posture, it is this guy. Its smaller cousin, the red-breasted nuthatch, shares the upside-down ability, but is found in Central Indiana only from October through April, and I have yet to see one of that species in our woods.
The white-breasted is bluish-gray on the back and white underneath. It has patches of brownish-orange on each flank. Notice the bill shape and size, and the short tail. If the cap is bluish-gray, the individual is a female. If black, as shown here, it is a male. I almost always hear the “yank, yank” call before I see the bird, and always enjoy adding this sometimes upside-down bird to my day’s list from the Meditational Woods. ~Brad J
Remember to save your holiday stamps! As you receive Christmas cards this season, remember to save your stamps for Right Sharing! Of course, all stamps are welcomed. Just bring or mail them to the meetinghouse anytime. Stamping is still going on, even through this pandemic! Happy Holidays!
Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf book club titles for 2021!
January 26 ~ The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
February 23 ~ Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
March 30 ~ My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
April 27 ~ The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
May 25 ~ A Promised Land by Barack Obama
June 29 ~ The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
July 27 ~ The Soul of America by Jon Meacham
August 31 ~ Still Life by Louise Penny
September 28 ~ The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
October 26 ~ The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
November 30 ~ Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
December 28 ~ Heartland by Sarah Smarsh
The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
The Joys and Sorrow of Zoom~ How do you feel about zoom? What are your positive experiences? What are your complaints? Are you kept away by a lack of technology? Do you loathe zoom? Perhaps by examining the nature of your discontent, improvements could be discovered. We invite you to share your thoughts and preferences about meeting via Zoom to office@indyfriends.org. Here are some comments. Please send us yours.
Amy P says she likes having less driving, not having to buy gas so often, and having more time at home with her husband. In addition to Monday Meditational Worship and Fellowship time, she can also visit the Arizona Native Plant Society. Arizona desert retreats have been an important part of her spiritual journey.
"I don’t know how Zoom worship works. Maybe that is of the Spirit…What I do know is that I often have the sense of a gathered Meeting for Worship and this nourishes me." -Catherine S
Queries for the Week
(From virtual worship)
· What are the things we need to release into the grace of God? Things we can’t control?
· During this advent season, what pregnant possibilities are we waiting for?
· How might we understand the destiny of our personhood within dark days?
(From self-led guide)
· Am I experiencing the holiday season with all of my senses?
· Where has shalom been disrupted in my life?
· How am I anticipating the coming of Christ this Christmas?