As Way Opens
Unexpected…now, there is a word I use more frequently these days.
Just the other day, I was reminiscing about all the major changes coming to our family in 2020 and the many milestones we would be celebrating as summer approached, only to end it with…“but then came the unexpected.” I am sure you have utilized that phrase on numerous occasions over the last couple of months.
Not only are we living in unprecedented times, we are experiencing the unexpected. If someone would have predicted back in January that we were going to be enduring a global pandemic, wrestling nationally with racial unrest, not having sports, concerts, or even Fourth of July celebrations, being isolated in our homes, washing off our groceries, wondering if there would be enough toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and wearing face masks, I would have probably thought you were from another planet. But ironically, what has taken place is the exact definition of unexpected.
The dictionary says the word unexpected means not regarded as likely to happen.
So far during this pandemic, Sue and I have carefully watched our emails only to receive update upon update explaining the likeliness of things not happening this summer. Our expectations of how things would play out slowly fell apart and it has been rather disappointing.
Then, this week, I was reading an article that quoted the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron and the following quote caught my attention and spoke to my condition. She said,
“Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
Personally, I did not have room for all that has already happened in the world – and if I am honest, I probably still don’t. So much has been unexpected. So much has fallen apart, come together, and fallen apart again. And as we see another spike in the Covid-19 cases across our nation, I have to ask myself, am I making room in my life for the unexpected to test me, to heal me, and to allow me a place to grieve, find relief, and joy? It has me again asking those words of James in the Bible, “…yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life (James 4:14a)”
Is our life simply about our expectations, our passing the test, our overcoming the problems and finding solutions? Or since we can’t always control what life is going to bring, are we focusing on making room for the unexpected to happen so with God’s help we can find relief and true joy in this world? Take a moment this week and allow yourself to ponder these thoughts and hopefully you will find room for some relief and joy during these difficult times.
Grace and peace,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
Thank you to all who volunteered at the food pantry last Wednesday, July 1: Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Phil G; Derek, Virginia and Melanie S; David B; Carol and Jim D. 63 families were served. Thank you for your service!
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
We recently received a note from the Secretary of Keyo Friends Women Group in Kenya thanking Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) for the food aid which was recently sent. This is the group that together with your support, First Friends was able to sponsor through RSWR. To see the note in full, click here.
Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) is a fellowship opportunity for young adults excited by the intersection of justice and Quaker spiritual deepening. This year, 36 Fellows are participating in this experiment, working at nonprofits in one of our five program cities, living in community together, and considering how their spirituality is integrally connected with community and justice. Fellows work with those experiencing homelessness, engage with climate change issues, support individuals in navigating the immigration system, teach in classrooms, work at neighborhood health centers, and so much more. Meanwhile, Fellows meet monthly with a Spiritual Nurturer and worship with Quaker communities. The current focus on the racial justice movement, global health pandemic, and economic crisis brings into even sharper relief QVS’s call to provide Spirit-grounded service opportunities for young adults.
This summer, QVS will celebrate the end of the eighth program year and the nearly complete four-year fundraising campaign to raise an additional $2.2 million to deepen the program offerings and seed an endowment. We have just $55,000 left to raise!
We welcome contributions from you as you consider how you are led to steward your financial resources. There is so much need in our local communities, in this country, and in the world right now. QVS is an opportunity to make change in all of these levels. Young adult Fellows work at local nonprofits before continuing into whole lives dedicated to spiritually grounded social change. If you are able to make a financial offering, please visit the QVS website for ways to give. This is truly the best way you can help QVS Fellows and the vulnerable communities they serve right now. Beth serves on the QVS board and thinks this is an amazing organization for our young people!
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions! All are invited to join the WYM annual sessions this July 24-26. This year our own Bob Henry will be recorded! Try as we might to stay in our comfort zone, this year’s annual sessions must be a drastic contrast to what we are used to. What are the elements we will miss the most? The face-to-face conversations we cherish with our spiritual friends. The comradery we feel when we come together as a body of believers. And, the strength we gain when we journey together.
With the way to our Yearly Meeting sessions are planned using technology join us, there is little we can do to make up for those missing elements. However, most events that will be offered on Zoom will have a “fellowship” time 15 minutes prior to starting the event during which we invite you to sign on and chat with others. In the printed schedule you will see a gray area that indicates time for gathering and socializing. We hope it is an acceptable substitute for greetings and maybe even hugs for the time being what it is. And we look forward to seeing you in those safe and protective little boxes on the screen. Here find the updated draft schedule as we have it. There will be adjustments yet to come in the next versions. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions, you can contact Western Yearly Meeting westernym@sbcglobal.net.
Interested in our men’s small group? Last Spring Kent F helped start a men’s book club small group at First Friends. In the last year we’ve covered “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl (Biography), "Let Your Life Speak" (self-help) by Parker Palmer, “Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemmingway, “Billy Budd” by Herman Melville, “Shane” (a Western) by Jack Schaefer, and “Freedom’s Forge” (History), and we are currently finishing up “Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work” by Alex Pattakos. The group is currently meeting on alternating Thursday nights at the home of Derek Snell to take advantage of great weather and have space to spread out, with the garage and Zoom being our backups. Our plan is to return to the Meeting House when it reopens. If you would like to help us choose our next book and/or join us for the next group of discussions, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. We’ll begin sharing the next book on July 23rd.
Raising Perennial Herbs
Perennial herbs live more than two years and are usually flowering plants. They grow and bloom over spring and summer, die back every autumn and winter, and then return in the spring from their rootstock. They can be used as decoration, borders, topiaries, food, garnishes and even lawn beds or no-mow grass. [Some plant types recommended for lawns are violet, plantain, yarrow, clover, Roman chamomile, purslane, lamb’s quarters, oregano, creeping thyme and several species of mint.] Perennials grow fast and can be raised in beds or containers. It is possible to dine on them year-round if raised indoors or if they are hardy. They can be served fresh or dried and stored for later use. Some perennials are tall, some are shrubby and others creep on the ground. They can be sown from seed, grown from cuttings or bought in pots. Evergreen types like bay and rosemary may need pruning and can grow all year, depending on the hardiness zone where they are located. Usually herbs need no fertilizer but they should be planted in a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil. They need to be well-watered and if the gardener wants them bushy, flowers and tips need to be pinched off so they do not bolt and leaves can be harvested longer. Scissors or a sharp knife should be used to harvest them and they should be harvested often during the growing season. Place slug pellets or eggshells around perennials to stave off pests.
Drying Herbs
Perennial herbs can be dried for use throughout the winter. Short stems like thyme and marjoram can be laid out on wire racks for 24-48 hours and then stored away from light in sealed containers. Longer stems can be cut, bunched and hung upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place.
Bay leaves grow on the laurel tree. These aromatic evergreen leaves can be trained into standards and used as topiaries. The plant can be large and may need pruning. It cannot survive Indiana winters outdoors. In cooking, the leaf can be used whole or dried and ground. The leaves are not generally eaten but are usually simmered or used in a braising liquid and then removed after cooking since they do not soften and since they have sharp edges that could even slice the digestive tract or choke a person. Bay leaves are good for digestion and rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium.* They are commonly used in stews, soups, rubs, pickling brines, stuffing and when braising meat.
Perennial Herb Varieties (Part 1)
Chives have a mild flavor and are from the onion family. The pretty purple flowers and green leaves or stems can be used in many dishes such as scrambled eggs, soups, dips and sauces. They can be mixed into butter and pesto. They may be pureed with oil, heated a couple minutes and strained through a coffee filter before being refrigerated as a bright green infusion. This can be stored in a squirt bottle and splashed over grilled or poached fish and poultry. It can top roasted potatoes, pasta or creamy soups as a fancy surprise for the diner. What about harvesting? Individual leaves can be cut as needed. The plant seeds itself once it is established. If the gardener wants to limit its spread it can be grown in containers.
Fennel is another perennial that seeds itself once established. It is decorative and often used for ornamental borders. A member of the carrot family, this plant is indigenous to the Mediterranean region but now grows in areas around the world. It has lovely yellow flowers and a sweet scent. Its taste is similar to anise or liquorice and is a primary ingredient of absinthe. Almost all parts of the plant have a culinary use. Its bulb-like stem base is used as a vegetable and can be eaten raw, stewed, sautéed, braised or grilled. Its young shoots can be eaten like crunchy celery. The dried fruit is used as a spice. The feathery leaves can be used as a garnish; as a salad or in salad; to flavor puddings, sweet desserts and sauces; and in soup. Fennel pairs nicely with eggs, fish, chicory and avocado. It is a component of Italian sausage and can be used as a pickling agent, sometimes for eggplant. Fennel tea can be used to aid digestion.*
Tune in next week for Perennial Herb Varieties – Part 2!
Enjoy spicing up your veggies and foods with some of the delicious perennials spotlighted above!
~Nancy
*I cannot guarantee medical and ritualistic claims mentioned in this article. The piece does contain practical information, but it is also for fun and recreation and is not necessarily backed up by scientific findings. Some herbs can be detrimental to health given certain medical conditions and if quantities an-re extreme. Please do your research.
Sources for this article include webmd.com, thespruceeats.com, mydeliciousblog.com, en.m.wikipedia.org, almanac.com, healthline.com, foodal.com, medicalnewstoday.com, masterclass.com, cookinglight.com, BBC.uk.food.com, and Small Plot; Big Harvest by Lucy Halsall.
Join us from virtually anywhere in the world as the Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading discusses Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink (558 pages)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17704902-five-days-at-memorial?from_search=true
In the tradition of the best investigative journalism, physician and reporter Sheri Fink reconstructs 5 days at Memorial Medical Center and draws the reader into the lives of those who struggled mightily to survive and to maintain life amid chaos.
After Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed, and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients with drugs to hasten their deaths.
Five Days at Memorial, the culmination of six years of reporting, unspools the mystery of what happened in those days, bringing the reader into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care rationing.
In a voice at once involving and fair, masterful and intimate, Fink exposes the hidden dilemmas of end-of-life care and reveals just how ill-prepared we are in America for the impact of large-scale disasters—and how we can do better. A remarkable book, engrossing from start to finish, Five Days at Memorial radically transforms your understanding of human nature in crisis. (goodreads.com).
Amy S will be leading the discussion in via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, July 28, 2020.
To join the Zoom meeting, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Did you miss the premiere of our past Sunday Service? This week we had a special Prayer Service of Lament for Race & Injustice. Watch it ANYTIME at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L80HSQ4RARE. Did you hear the birds chirping throughout the service? Brad Jackson identified all the calls for us! Here’s what you’ll hear through the service:
Announcements: Carolina Wren
Prayer: House Sparrow, Northern Cardinal (snapping), Carolina Chickadee
Scripture: House Sparrow, Carolina Chickadee
Message: Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, House Wren, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Carolina Wren (heard throughout), Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker
Benediction: Northern Cardinal (song), Carolina Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Song Sparrow.
We hope you had a wonderful and safe Sunday! Keep an eye out in your email for details soon on the coming Sunday’s virtual service!
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for July
Northern Parula
Just Visiting, and Why?
When visitors are introduced at worship here at First Friends, I try to listen carefully to their words, and think of a connection, perhaps something about where they are from, perhaps a Quaker tie, or even a family connection. I want to have something to say if I see them after worship. It is sometimes tricky to find a balance between being friendly and “smothering.” I wouldn’t want to “scare” the visitor away. Without a connection, I’ll be sure to smile and say hello, and let the Friend know that I can help with questions or directions.
Similarly, in the natural world, we want to enjoy seeing a bird without scaring it away. One such avian visitor was singing in the Meditational Woods on June 17th. Although Northern Parulas do nest in the area, they prefer streamside woodlands, and so can be found at Holliday Park or any of the woods along Fall Creek. The closest habitat we have to that here is the muddy soil in the brushy northeast corner of the woods. So the male I found there in mid-June was not likely to stay. He was searching for insects and spiders in the sycamores and cottonwoods.
This beautiful warbler is a bold blue on the head, wings, and tail, with a strange mossy-colored triangular patch on his back. Most notable is the yellow chin and breast, with a black-on-chestnut necklace. Note the broken white eye ring. He is a stunning jewel to see. His song is a rising “ziziziziziziziziZIP”. If one hears that “ZIP” hook at the end, the identification is secure.
I wanted to ask him what he was doing at First Friends. Why was he here? What were his intentions? Would I see him every time I visited the woods? Did he have a female and a nest elsewhere? But alas, these are not questions to be asked aloud of this visitor. Anything outside of a silent welcome might frighten him away. I welcomed him with a smile, being glad he was here, in the Meditational Woods, on that day. ~Brad J
Join the Peace Church Conversation ~ After a deep discussion with other area Peace Churches we have decided to grow the conversation as we work together for "Positive Peace.” Please join our Friends group today—within the Peace Church Alliance—by clicking here. The introductory page is available at www.peacechurches.org but please use the longer link above to sign up because it will connect you directly to our First Friends group. Thanks again for your support, participation, and action at this critical and sensitive time!
Join us for Silent Worship on Zoom!
On Mondays, join us at the noon hour for Monday Meditation at 12:15 pm.
On Wednesdays, we typically spend 15 minutes before the hour to share joys and concerns starting around 6:45 pm, then begin Unprogrammed Worship at 7 pm. Friends are welcome to log in and out anytime during Zoom, as it will not disrupt the silence because microphones are turned off during worship.
For the Zoom link for worship, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Queries for the Week
(From online service)
How am I coming alive in this world, today?
In what area do I need rescued, liberated, or saved?
Who do I know who is living oppressed and needing rescued – that I am being called to join God in helping?
(From self-led guide)
How hard is it for me to simply sit in the presence of the Divine? What in my life or the world distracts me from doing this?
When have I wanted to give up on or been impatient with God?
In what areas am I needing to “self-empty” and rely on God’s love working through me?