As Way Opens
Back before the pandemic entered our lives, Sue, my parents, and I attended a special talk being given by the author/pastor Rob Bell in Indy. I wasn’t sure what to expect because it was new material and the title was somewhat bland, An Introduction to Joy. So, after finding our seats at the Fountain Square Theatre among a sold out crowd, Rob entered and opened by addressing my curiosity about his topic. He acknowledged that with a title like An Introduction to Joy we would be requiring a subtitle. Immediately, on the screen appeared what he said was a terse and short subtitle:
How To Be Less Cynical And
More Honest About the Subversive
Truth That Lurks Just Below the
Surface of Pretty Much Everything.
That set the tone for the next hour and a half. That night, I laughed harder than I have laughed in a long time, I came to tears a couple of times, and finally, I left realizing that I had been introduced to a joy I was missing. The world was already rather “heavy” back in September when we heard Rob speak, but in many ways, I found it a preparation for the times we are in now. If there is one thing that is missing in our world currently it is joy.
A few weeks ago, Rob Bell announced that he was going to post, for free, his talk, An Introduction to Joy on YouTube for us all to enjoy. On my day off as I was preparing for Yearly Meeting, I sat down and listened again to Rob’s talk. I laughed again, shed more tears, and once again was introduced to a joy I was missing. I immediately shared the video on Facebook and encouraged others to tune-in. One friend who watched, mentioned how his words almost seemed prophetic – and I think they were.
I want to challenge you this week, take an hour and a half alone or with someone who lives within your home, find a comfy chair, and watch, An Introduction to Joy. Here is the YouTube Video:
You can thank me later. ENJOY!
Grace and peace,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading had a great meeting in July! It is a joy that meetings can continue safely online (left). If you’re interested in joining the group, find more info on their next meeting later in this newsletter!
A tree in memory of Dan R has been planted by Dan’s family in our meditational woods (right). All are invited to visit the woods, with safe social distancing, see the new tree, and pay their respects to our beloved Friend Dan.
Joyce B came through her surgery well and will be recovering in the hospital for several days.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
First Friends Reopening Committee, August 2020
Dear Friends,
Here’s an update on where we stand.
Any budding optimism for a staged opening of the Meetinghouse that might have been implied by my former open letter to the Meeting has been.. tempered, to speak succinctly. We currently have no plans for opening the Meeting House to gatherings of any kind, sanctioned or unsanctioned. We are meeting regularly and holding in the light the many facets of needs of Friends, attenders, and outside groups (who rely on our building for their ministries) in balance with health and community safety.
Currently, we’ve agreed to allow small gatherings in the Meditational Woods, requiring attenders to adhere to current state and local guidelines regarding social distancing, face mask wearing, avoiding personal contact, and limiting gathering size.
Access to the outdoor grounds has been and will continue to be considered on a case by case basis. Individuals interested in hosting a small group may reach out to Rebecca to initiate a request. We’ve been able to accommodate group requests efficiently to date. Aside from the meditational woods, our property offers other useful and magnificent outdoor spaces - opportunities for gathering - and we’d like to open those to hosts and their groups who feel led to use them.
To better meet the needs of this potentially expanded use of the outdoor space at First Friends, we have decided to create a protocol for bathroom use as well as a plan for emergency building access.
The designated host of small groups approved to use the property will be given a key card for building access. We have recently asked the trustees to consider replacing the current locks with a digital numeric code system, incidentally an overdue security upgrade, but for now we will continue to use key cards.
The following requirements will be clearly posted at any points of entry:
Face masks required
No more than 2 persons are allowed in the building at any time
Access to the building is for bathroom and emergency use only
Small group host is accountable and responsible for key access and ensuring compliance with all individuals in the group
Hand sanitizer prior to building access is required (stations - [table, hand sanitizer, face masks] be set up by meeting host prior to gathering with materials provided by First Friends; meeting host is required to coordinate)
-Reopening Committee
Help for Indiana Homeowners ~ Gregory W. Porter, Indiana State Representative, recently announced details about Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund, a federally funded program that provides mortgage payment assistance to eligible Hoosier homeowners. If you or someone you know are an Indiana homeowner who has fallen behind on your mortgage payments or is unable to make future payments due to an involuntary financial hardship, the Hardest Hit Fund could help you stay in your home. For more information, click here.
Personal Finance Education ~ Join Samantha R and her sister Jillian R for Personal Finance education! We have three upcoming sessions on Debt & Credit- August 6th at 6 pm, Insurance & Savings August 20th at 6 pm, and Home Buying & Renting August 27th at 6 pm. Any questions? Reach out to the office at office@indyfriends.org.
This Thursday, August 6th we'll be gathering for free over Zoom and would love for you all to join us to learn more about debt! Now buckle up, this is NOT your run of the mill lesson on how to improve your credit score and good credit vs. bad credit! Credit cards, loans companies, car payments, and more debt are ways to keep you behind financially. Creditors are predators and when you free yourself from debt then you can start winning with money! Are you ready?! What have you got to lose? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/113935321614
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world to discuss Becoming by Michelle Obama. In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same. (goodreads)
Nancy S will be leading the discussion in via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. Please contact the office for Zoom information.
Voter Information for the General Election ~ Are you determined to vote in the general election this fall, but a little confused (or nervous!) about what the pandemic might mean for Indiana's election process? Vote.org is a reliable, easy to use, non-partisan voter information resource that can be used to check deadline dates, confirm your voter registration status, find out the location of your polling place, and/or apply for an absentee ballot if you want to vote by mail. Vote.org is national in scope, with links to individual states. Just follow the link to Indiana, which will lead you through the process on the IN.gov website for registering or for making an application to get an absentee ballot. There are strict time deadlines, and the volume of voting by mail this election is forecast to be very high, so it would be best to act soon! Thank you for voting this year.
Indy Winds Flute Choir presents a summer pop-up concert! All are invited to join the Indy Winds Flute Choir on Sunday, August 9 at 6:30pm for a concert at the Riverwood Park shelter, 7201 Crittenden Ave in Indianapolis. Both our own Lynda S and Carl B are a part of this choir group. Bring a chair, a cooler, or a picnic, and enjoy a concert of light music programmed to help you relax and enjoy the fresh air! Admission is free. See the flyer here: https://bit.ly/2DDIjng.
Community Garden Refuge ~ The Community Garden is a fun place to meet up with friends and neighbors. One can find solace and peace in this magnificent retreat. The fruits and veggies we harvest make some mighty good feasts. A tabletop bouquet is a sweet added bonus.
WYM Session Recordings & Feedback ~ Western Yearly Meeting is currently in the process of processing and uploading videos of some of the sessions. As they become available, you will find them on WYM’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX47NfqZHgEtvbbPK06pVew. Their channel already includes a powerful Quaker Lecture by Colin Saxton which (hint hint!) Pastor Bob will be referencing in his sermon this upcoming Sunday.
In addition, WYM is asking for feedback on their annual sessions. You can take the survey electronically by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GK8VFFT, or by printing a paper copy here and sending it in, or you may request a print copy mailed to you by calling 317-839-2789.
Local Compost Service Available ~ Ben W’s non-profit organization Full Circle has created a compost service available to anyone located on or near the north side of Indianapolis. The service is $15 a month for bi-weekly pickup. Buckets are provided and switched out bi-weekly. Contact ben@fullcircleinitiative.org if you would like to sign up. This is an important practice for the community. The food waste collected will be turned into rich soil for community gardens in Indianapolis. The money generated from the service will likely be used to buy a truck to facilitate soil transport for community gardens.
Queries for the Week
(From online service)
How am I tapping this Power and Divine Energy in my daily life?
What “hard things” do I need God to help me through, currently?
How might I be bold and bring life into my world this week?
(From self-led guide)
How am I tapping this Power and Divine Energy in my daily life?
What “hard things” do I need God to help me through, currently?
How might I be bold and bring life into my world this week?