As Way Opens
Coronavirus Update 3 from First Friends (March 31, 2020)
Cancellations: With Governor Holcomb’s order to close all schools through the end of April and the increasing spread of Covid-19, First Friends has decided to CLOSE the Meetinghouse through the end of April – this will include all Meetings for Worship, Unprogrammed and Meditational Worship, all groups, committees, and activities that would normally take place in our facility. Again, if you are in charge of any of these activities, we ask that you contact those needing to know of the cancellations. Closer to the end of April we will reevaluate our situation and give another update.
Meeting Office: Solely to keep the business of the church functioning, the First Friends office is only open on Wednesdays 8am-3pm and by appointment with Rebecca. We ask that the physical office be used for only official business. Our priority is to use the office as an information hub to help keep everyone safe and following the governor’s orders to the best of their ability.
Visitations: With strict regulations for hospitals, nursing and health facility visitors, pastors/Friends are not allowed to make visitations. If you have an emergency or are in the hospital, we ask that you let the office or one of our pastors know and we will respond accordingly.
Needing Assistance: If you or a loved one needs assistance (shopping, pick-up, prescriptions, etc.) while at home, we ask that you contact the Meeting Office by phone (317) 255-2485 or email office@indyfriends.org - we have several people who are willing to run errands, make shopping trips, and do drop-offs. We will coordinate the help as best as we are able.
Material Aid: One of our greatest collective assets as Friends is our kindness and concern for the wellbeing of those inside and outside our Meetings. It is therefore unsurprising and encouraging to see a number of inquiries about how we can help others in this time of need. Please be aware that our Meeting has set aside resources—interpersonal and financial—to provide assistance in times of duress; however, they may be tested as this situation continues to unfold. If you would like to make a contribution to these special efforts, please denote “Material Aid” on the memo line or enclosed note so that we can earmark your additional gift for this purpose. It will be held in the Material Aid Fund (managed by Witness & Service), which in turn will allocate it in appropriate amounts and formats to individuals experiencing hardship. The majority of these funds will be managed by Witness & Service to help address member and attender needs—and the remainder will be managed by our Pastors to help tend to those outside the Meeting experiencing urgent difficulties. The allocations will be reported at future Monthly Meetings for Business.
Worship: This coming Sunday (April 5), we will begin offering two forms of worship online. Due to the popularity of our Self-Led Worship Guides, we are going to continue those, as well as, offer a video recorded Meeting for Worship through the YouTube platform. Links to both will be sent out before Sunday, so you are able to join us from the comfort of our own homes. We miss worshiping together, but are doing all we are able to have us join together from a distance.
In the Spirit,
The Leadership of First Friends
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Join us for Unprogrammed Worship by Zoom this evening (Wed. April 1) at 6:45pm. Kathy R is hosting this worship. To join the Zoom worship click this link https://zoom.us/j/641511035 (Meeting ID is: 641 511 035).
Join us for Coffee Hour at 11am this Sunday by Zoom. Our host will be Bill H. Here is the link to join: https://zoom.us/j/244225089?pwd=YWYrTlFHbkh0THQvcWxyZEZoMjFVQT09, (Meeting ID: 244 225 089 and Password: 225490).
Latest Coronavirus news for Indiana ~ All of our decisions on the status of the Meetinghouse are in light of recommendations and orders given by state and health officials. If you’d like to keep track of the latest news regarding COVID-19 specific to Indiana, please visit the State of Indiana’s official Coronavirus homepage at https://www.in.gov/coronavirus/. This page contains the latest news and responses from the Governor, as well as current totals of infected and tested individuals in our state.
Join us Each Day at Noon!
Dear First Friends Family,
I have been having several conversations about offering a set time each day for us to come together, from wherever we are, to meditate and pray for 5-15 minutes for the healing of our globe.
My friends at the Fishers Multi-Faith Community for Compassion and St. Luke’s Healing Partners have come together for this same purpose and have invited us to join with them.
I believe that as Quakers we know how important it is to take time to enter silence, center down, expectantly wait, and send God’s light, love, and healing to our world. So I am asking you, and your families, to join with us each day at noon (wherever you are) as we collectively meditate and pray.
This may be a good break from all the technology, e-learning, and binge TV and movie watching taking place. Mindfulness exercises of this nature are so important for adults and children alike, so make sure to invite your kids (if you have them) to participate.
To help you in centering down, we are offering this very simple prayer that people of all faiths can join together in praying:
We pray for love over fear,
faith over doubt,
empowerment over victim hood.
We pray for all humanity as well as all creation.
Our plan right now is to join together in meditation and prayer for one month. Remember, it is amazing the power of even 5 minutes of mindful meditation and prayer. I look forward to joining together each day at noon.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob Henry
Calling all sewing Friends! Deb S who works at IU North said they are in need of masks. If you are able and willing, please make some that we can get to Deb. You can drop them by the Meeting office on Wednesdays. We are providing a link for one guide for making masks, but there are many out there if you Google them: https://www.madeeveryday.com/fabric-face-mask-free-pattern/ Thanks for your help.
Mid-North Food Pantry Annual Fundraiser ~ This is the time when Witness & Service was to begin its annual fundraiser for the Mid North Food Pantry. A luncheon was planned to “kick off” the fundraiser but it has been postponed due to the coronavirus situation. You can continue to help by sending a check to the First Friends office with “food pantry” noted in the memo section. Some folks need help now more than ever. Your support will certainly be appreciated. Thanks for your consideration.
Help Support First Friends During this Time ~ Friends, we appreciate everyone making contributions during this time—your donations are needed to support the Meeting now perhaps more than ever. The Meetinghouse is still receiving mail, so feel free to mail contributions to the office. It’s not too late to make a pledge, either—Friends can still make their 2020 pledge by visiting https://forms.gle/n8VkmusABS7bkNya6 or by simply contacting the office.
Friends may also consider setting up automatic payments for your donations. This is a safe and easy way to send out checks without ever having to leave your home. The steps to do this varies between financial institutions. If your bank offers online automatic payments/bill pay, simply log into your online account and set up First Friends as a recipient/payee. You will need to enter our address: 3030 Kessler Blvd E Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46220. You can specify how much you’d like to send us, and how often. Your bank will then automatically send us a check as you specified—no need to leave your home! (If you’re not sure if your bank offers automatic payments, or if you need help setting it up, please contact your financial institution.) Thank you for supporting First Friends!
The Rise Up Sing-along is Happening! All are invited to join our first ever virtual sing-along! We will join by Zoom for a time of much-needed fellowship and song. It will be held on Friday, April 3 at 7pm. You can join via computer (even if you don’t have a webcam) by visiting https://zoom.us/j/522883222, or by phone 312-626-6799. Meeting ID is 522 883 222. For a walkthrough of how to join a Zoom meeting, visit https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting for a helpful video.
What You Can Do to Stay Connected at a Distance: Second Helpings ~ Second Helpings is desperately in need of financial support as they face the front lines of food scarcity in our local communities. They are working closely with local government and an enormous network of agencies to bring nutritious meals to vulnerable Hoosiers. The demand for Second Helpings meals will continue to go up as many seniors and families living with limited resources either cannot stock their own shelves or are living in shelters for domestic violence, human trafficking and homelessness. Continued financial support during these uncertain times will ensure that Second Helpings can continue to share meals with our neighbors in need. https://www.secondhelpings.org/donate/
Things are changing so quickly right now, for all of us. Second Helpings CEO, Jennifer Vigran, is keeping the community updated through regularly blogging on our website. Read and share to hear how Second Helpings and others are responding to current events Please visit: https://www.secondhelpings.org/news/. Follow their social media to ensure you don’t miss our current blog posts.
Weekly Lenten Reflections – Week 6 - Pandemic, Peace and Renewal
Job 12: 7 – 10 “ ….ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
In the traditional Christian calendar Lent is a time of reflection, contemplation and prayer leading up to Easter. Typically people will give up some habit or thing of preference as an act of discipline. But more positively and actively perhaps are commitments of action or focus that lead us to contemplate God’s incarnate presence among us. A commitment to do something good for ourselves or others. Some spiritual or behavioral discipline. Now, as Quakers we don’t officially practice a Lenten observance since we consider all days to be holy (and so indeed they are!) but we can use this time to get closer to God.
Lent comes as spring is renewing the earth and we are reminded of our need for spiritual resurrection and rebirth. A somber time leading to a time of joy and celebration.
But this Lenten season is especially dark and somber as we struggle with a literal plague among us known as COVID19. Most of us are self-isolating, holed up in our houses, and taking extreme caution to avoid possible infection, especially those of us who are at high risk of serious complications if we get infected. How to avoid getting caught up in the fear and depression?
One thing that Linda and I have done is to go outside for a walk every day unless the weather is absolutely prohibitive. This has become for me a physical and sort of spiritual discipline. We can do this without endangering ourselves or others especially in parks where it is not hard to keep the “six feet away” rule. Even a strict interpretation of the isolation rule should allow you to get outside for a while. Take in some of the natural world.
Today we went to the Meditational Woods and then over to the Monon trail and the Art Center gardens. Here are some of the things we saw: River Birches, Beeches, Red Oak, Shag Bark Hickory and White Pines. Also, Daffodils, Narcissus, and Lenten Rose and some teeny tiny very delicate white flowers. A bush with yellow buds all over it. On the lake behind our home we saw Ring Neck Ducks, Loons and a whole flock of Mergansers.
When we do these walks I can remember that even with sickness and death encroaching on me God is bringing life and beauty into the world and I can experience the life giving Light Within on this Lenten day…..and any other day if I am spiritually attuned. ~ Ed M
Need Ink? The office is in possession of 6 ink cartridges (a mix of black and color) for a printer that takes HP 61XL cartridges. If your printer takes this kind of ink, and you are in need of more, the office is giving these away (thanks to Joyce B). If you are interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Mid-North Food Pantry: Still Open! It goes without saying that all Witness & Service events at the First Friends meetinghouse are cancelled through the end of the month. But First Friends folks, as of now, are still assisting at the Mid North Food Pantry on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Just as most people need grocery stores to remain open, so too does a segment of our community need food pantries to remain open. And volunteers are needed to run the pantries. The Mid North Food Pantry has made a number of changes in its operations to protect its volunteers. For instance, as of now, the pantry has volunteers fill bags of food inside the pantry building and they are then taken outside and provided to those who come to the pantry for food. No pantry customers are currently allowed inside the pantry. There is a conscious effort to keep customers at an acceptable distance from volunteers and from touching items that the volunteers may touch. We will keep the First Friends pantry volunteers up to speed on any future changes to the pantry routine. Thanks to our dedicated group of pantry volunteers.
Queries for the Week
How am I working on having compassion for my sisters and brothers and not just showing pity?
What are those who are suffering in our world teaching me about my own suffering?
Even though distanced from others, how am I responding with compassion to my neighbors, friends, family, and loved ones?