As Way Opens
I was excited that Ed M and Mary B wanted to start a class to study early Christian writings this fall. I have been fascinated ever since I started seminary to explore how the books of the New Testament came about as our Bible. For many years of my life I accepted the books of the New Testament as the “real" books that constituted our New Testament. I thought early Christianity was united in their beliefs and that our modern Christian movement should go back to the early Christians for the example of belief, community and worship. And then there was this discovery of manuscripts in the caves of Nag Hammadi by an Arab peasant in 1945 that discovered many of the so called gnostic gospels such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel to the Egyptians, the Secret book of James, the Apocalypse of Paul, the Apocalypse of Peter and other writings. As scholars have studied these texts over the last 75 years, it is clear there were a lot of different opinions of theology and belief among the early Christians. So how did our canon come to being? Why were none of these books included?
I have been reading Elaine Pagels book, the Gnostic Gospels and she explores the idea that there were many Christian Gnostics that Orthodox Christians declared heretics. The Orthodox Christians felt that Peter was the disciple that Jesus christened as his successor and the 12 disciples (they added Mathias after Judas committed suicide) were the authorized individuals to declare the gospel message as they were with Jesus during his ministry. This helped create the hierarchy of the Church that we still wrestle with today. These manuscripts show us there was a movement of many early Christians to embrace a more mystical religion. This view wanted individuals to experience the living Christ now. The very definition about the idea of gnostic or knowing had one gnostic teacher write “Yet to know oneself, at the deepest level, is simultaneously to know God.” Another gnostic teacher wrote, “Abandon the search for God and the creation and other matters of a similar sort. Look for him by taking yourself as the starting point. Learn who it is within you who makes everything his own and says, My God, my mind, my thought, my soul, my body. Learn the sources of sorrow, joy, love, hate. If you carefully investigate these matters you will find him in yourself.” This seems to resonate with the description in Genesis that we are created in God’s image. How can we be depraved with original sin when we are told that since our inception we are the image of God?
This sounds very Quakerly to me. I am anxious to go deep into these Gnostic gospels and invite anyone to join us in this study. We will meet November 18th and December 16th with other dates to be determined in 2022.
The more I study the more I embrace a God that is beyond anything that we can be contained in human writings. For me, that is the mystical revelation of God - beyond our understanding and yet found within ourselves.
Beth
Joys & Concerns
Rain Drives Gardeners’ Harvest Fest Indoors; Fun and Food Win the Day
Who says Harvest Fests can’t bring fun indoors? Not First Friends! We tried having a grill and a little fire in the courtyard but the rain put them out. That didn’t stop the conversations, games, darts, door prizes, Jim Kartholl’s fall trivia questions, videos and food. We had snacks, oranges, apples, hot dogs, donuts and individually-wrapped sandwiches. People took the s’more kits home for use on drier days. We had cider, cocoa and coffee. There were bulletin boards with photos of past Fests, gardens, people and insects. Tiny pumpkins surrounded the centerpiece mums. Gourds and floating Mexican sunflowers were part of the decor. The little pumpkins were provided for children to draw on with markers. Some lucky people went home with colorful potted mums.
Dan M did a makeover on the scarecrows. Heads rolled and they ended up with Jack-o-lantern heads. Standing beside straw bales and pumpkins they became a photo backdrop.
Gardener Jennifer D showed two videos she made. They pictured scenes from past Harvest Fests; garden scenes with people, crops and flowers; and pollinators and pests. She spoke of difficult times in the garden when crops were less than beautiful but the garden still provided for pollinators like butterflies. They of course end up helping to provide food for people. Jennifer expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to have plots at First Friends. Her video had Biblical passages she chose including:
The Lord supplies to the sower and will multiply your seed for sowing. —II Corinthians 9:10
Gardener Jackie F showed a unique serrated soil knife made in Japan. It marks depth of soil and is useful in digging, scooping, pulling weeds and excavating plants. It even comes with a handy wearable sheath for the busy gardener moving from task to task. The Japanese call it a hori hori.
Many people helped to make the Fest possible. It was a joint effort by Community Gardeners, Connections, Fellowship and FF staff. Thank you to all those who gave of themselves that we could have fun and fellowship despite rain and the pandemic.
Youth Group had a blast this past weekend at Stuckey Farms! It was chilly Fall weather as we enjoyed their Harvest Festival, including a corn maze, pedal cars and more!
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
First Friends Bible Study ~ You are cordially invited to study the life of Jesus via the gospel of Matthew in a 13-week series beginning tomorrow, October 28 (please note the corrected date), with the First Friends Bible study. The group meets by Zoom at 7:30 pm on Thursdays. You can drop in any time; you can join any time. You can order the book from Barclay Press using the supplied link. The study guide also is available instantly as an eBook. To receive the Zoom link, contact the Meeting office.
Illuminate: Matthew (barclaypressbookstore.com
Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice next Monday Nov 1st at 4:00 pm in the Parlor. It will last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. Yoga will also be held on Mondays Dec 6th and Jan 3rd. Hope to see you there!
VOCE Centennial Celebration ~ VOCE, a semi-professional group that Carolyn T sings with will be performing a free concert at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4217 Central Avenue on Sunday November 7th at 3PM in celebration of their Centennial year. The concert will feature the World Premier of the “Mass for St. Joan of Art” by Joseph Burrows. We hope you will attend!
IMPORTANT: Changes in Exodus Partnership; Meeting to Determine Way Forward
Meeting to Help Decide Next Steps
Anyone wanting to work with First Friends and Exodus to help Afghan evacuees or other refugees should attend an in-person MEETING AT FIRST FRIENDS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, AT 2 P. M. where Exodus Volunteer Coordinator, Jericho J will appear virtually and answer our questions. Those attending will make decisions about how the partnership will work. We may linger afterward, depending on time, to discuss next steps. The meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend. To Zoom use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83620948786?pwd=UU9RTU5ZWFNRZ1R3R25nUi9tVFllUT09
Co-Sponsor or Welcome Team?/Afghan Evacuees or Other Refugees??
Originally we were creating a Welcome Team but Exodus’ parent company, Church World Service, has changed guidelines to better align with the unique situation of the high-need Afghan evacuees who are given the status of “parolees” by the U. S. government since they have less support and assistance than other refugees in the U. S.
Since our team is affiliated with a larger organization, First Friends Meeting, we are considered a CO-SPONSOR if we help an Afghan family and we must commit to 10 activities. If we cannot, we may take on a non-Afghan family and agree to do fewer activities. Here are the activities from which we must choose 10 if we are to take on an Afghan family.
Book Up Before Meeting
Review training video link which has some information not included in our original in-person training.
Review training PDF.
Review Exodus website at exodusrefugee.org.
To Volunteer
To work directly with volunteers
Fill out application (Applications are not available at this time due to an influx of volunteers, but we will keep everyone updated when applications reopen.)
Complete background check for a cost of approximately $25.
Fill out confidentiality form
To help out without being vetted
There are many opportunities to help evacuees and refugees by doing work where one is not in direct contact. Use links, website and PDF or attend the meeting to find out more.
A New Issue of the Stamping Newsletter Is Available! The Right Sharing of World Resources Stamping team here at First Friends has released a new issue of their newsletter, Stamping for Dollars. To view the newsletter, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pCBxbIGapSUdf8CgSPqRlKSSS0NzqRoj/view?usp=sharing
First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a considerably larger deficit than in past years, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to: indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.
Other means of helping are available through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.
Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.
View our Bloopers! The staff has been working hard throughout the pandemic to put forth a nice, polished video service each Sunday. But did you know that it took a lot of time and tries to get things just right? We put together a short blooper reel to share! View it on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/kiQbJKtHyMs. If people like it, there may be more in the future!
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for October
Great Blue Heron: The Awkward Stranger
“She was standing, alone, in the narrow part of the parking lot beyond the last car. Was she there for First-Day Worship? To me she was a stranger, as I did not know her personally; perhaps a first-time visitor. Then I noticed her awkward appearance! She was tall with skinny legs and knobby knees. Her overly-long neck seemed to hang in a curve due to gravity. Her black cap looked like a lady’s old-fashioned Sunday hat, and sat atop a face accented by a huge beak!! I tried to put her rather unusual appearance aside, as I moved closer to welcome her to our meeting. Alas, as sometimes happens, my enthusiasm to greet a visitor was too off-putting, and she started moving away. Suddenly, literally jumping into the air, she stretched out her long wings and took flight, perhaps to go on to a different worship setting. Once again I was amazed by her appearance, but in the opposite way! Her flight was graceful, with her legs extending beyond her tail, showing great toe point. Her neck formed a perfect S curve. The elegant wing motion was like the oars in a rowboat, with wingtips gently dipping with each beat. She was not awkward at all!! I had sorely misjudged her, based on my pre-conceived notions. Beware of first impressions!!”
Great Blue Herons nest at Fort Harrison State Park, and can often be seen flying over Binford Boulevard and Allisonville Road, as they move between Geist, White River, and the many ponds in our area. This one, in early October, had stopped by our parking lot after a rainy week to look at the neighbor’s flooded backyard, hoping for a meal of a crawdad or a last-of-the-season frog. Brad J
Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to “Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.
We’d like to write a friendly reminder to everyone regarding the East door. The door is having issues latching and when someone enters or exits, often the door will not latch which means it is slightly ajar, and therefore unlocked. We’re reminding everyone to please be mindful and check that the door has latched after you enter/exit. You’ll want to either pull/push the door closed until you hear a “click.” We are working on a long-term solution for the door, but we will all have to be mindful in the meantime. Thank you.
Celebrating Shawn P ~ Please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 14th when we will gather in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship to have a goodbye celebration for Shawn! We will have food and an opportunity to give Shawn a card, note or gift to thank him for his years of ministry. We hope you’ll join us!
Queries for the Week
· Where have I bought into the “cult of comfort” in my worship at First Friends?
· How am I cultivating flexibility in my spiritual life for the benefit of our worshipping community?