As Way Opens
Every Christmas season I take time to read through the classic Howard Thurman book The Mood of Christmas. Every year I am so moved by his writing and his reflection on the stories of Christmas. I share an excerpt from The Singing of the Angels.
“There must be always remaining in every man’s life some place for the singing of angels - some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and by an inherent prerogative throwing all the rest of life into a new and created relatedness. Something that gathers up in itself all the freshets of experience from drab and commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright white light of penetrating beauty and meaning - then passes. The commonplace is shot through now with new glory - old burdens become lighter, deep and ancient wounds lose much of their old, old hurting. A crown is placed over our heads that for the rest of our lives we are trying to grow tall enough to wear. Despite all of the crassness of life, despite all of the hardness of life, despite all of the harsh discords of life, life is saved by the singing of angels.”
I felt this experience Sunday evening during our beautiful Vespers program. When we turn the lights off and each of our individual candles pierces the darkness and we sing together Silent Night, I feel a sense of connectedness and joy and listen and watch the power of light coming together through each of our unique beings. I hear the singing of angels.
Beth
Joys & Concerns
We’d like to give a sincere thanks to Leslie K and Barbara D. Leslie did a wonderful job decorating the Meetinghouse for the holiday season. And Barbara also decorated the organ quite beautifully. Thank you to these wonderful ladies for helping us feel festive as we kick off the season!
Many thanks to everyone who donated gifts for our sponsored Christmas family. Each year we partner with Easterseals Crossroads of Indianapolis to help provide families in our community presents for the holidays. We thank the people of First Friends for their kind donations and for supporting this great collaboration.
This past Sunday, December 5th was Erin T’s birthday. The choir sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Erin would like to send everyone her thanks and appreciation for making her birthday special. Happy Birthday, Erin!
This past Sunday was our annual Vespers service. We had a wonderful time gathering, singing, and kicking off the Christmas Season. Thank you to those who performed and those who joined us!
Youth Christmas Party 2021~ Always a great time to celebrate together. Thanks to our youth leaders Aaron and Michelle Thornburg and Beth Henricks for putting this annual event together! Merry Christmas!
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
IMPORTANT COVID NOTICE
This past Sunday, December 5 was a very eventful and celebratory day for all of us at Indianapolis First Friends. We had a wonderful turn out for our morning in-person Meeting for Worship, as well as our Annual Christmas Vespers and Dinner in the evening.
We were informed that Eric B, our Music Director, woke today with symptoms and then tested positive for Covid-19. In consultation with our medical experts and CDC guidelines, those who have had contact with Eric, yesterday, may have potentially been exposed to Covid-19. (It is with Eric’s permission that we share his name with you.)
In the case that you believe you have been exposed; the CDC suggests those fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine (unless you have symptoms) but should be screened in 5-7 days.
For those who are unvaccinated and exposed you should quarantine. You should also be screened immediately and then screened for a second time in 5-7 days. The CDC Guidelines will identify definitions of exposure and contact so you can make the best decision for your situation.
Also, if you had brought a friend or family member to First Friends yesterday, please share this notice with them so they can also act accordingly.
If you come down with Covid, we ask that you please notify the office and let us know which service(s) you attended and where you sat. This will be kept strictly confidential. If you prefer, you can notify the office anonymously by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/6P76Ajp1JDTQr8Qz9. This is all for the purpose of continuing to refine our Meeting’s defenses against COVID.
We are sorry for this unfortunate turn of events as we have worked diligently to keep our Meetinghouse and our attenders as safe as possible during the pandemic.
Again, we thank you for understanding and look forward to safely continuing this Holiday Season. Please join us in holding Eric in the Light and pray he will make a full recovery.
Thank you. ~First Friends Office
NOTICE: DATE CHANGE for Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please note that the annual Christmas tea date has changed to December 19th immediately after worship. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. (For health and safety, cookies will be served rather than grab-your-own.) You can drop off cookies on December 18th from 10am-12pm or in the morning of the 19th before Meeting for Worship. Happy holidays!
You’re Invited to a Piano and Organ Concert! Plainfield Friends Meeting will host a Christmas piano and pipe organ concert Tuesday, December 14, at 6:30 p.m in the Western Yearly Meetingroom. Marilyn T, organist at Plainfield Friends, and Cathy H, pianist and pastor, will provide the music for the last of Plainfield’s community forums for 2021.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Friends, we ask that you all help contribute to the health and safety of the meeting and review the Trustee policy on how to safely prepare the building for use. The Meetingroom and Fellowship Hall are the safest rooms to meet in, as they have the best air circulation—but only when windows are opened and fans are turned on. These procedures have been outlined in this document the Trustees recently released. Please take some time to read and understand the procedures, so we can all contribute to the health and safety of the Meeting and all the people within! Thank you.
‘Tis the season to receive mail with postage stamps on it! This is an ideal time to begin trimming stamps off packages and cards that you receive. Trim them with 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch around them and drop them in the box on the bench by the east door of First Friends. They will be sold and the proceeds given to Right Sharing of World Resources. This will benefit communities in Kenya, Sierra Leone, and India.
CHRISTMAS SINGALONG ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17 - Jim, Jesse, and Luke will lead a Christmas singalong on this date in Fellowship Hall from 7:00-8:15 PM. Bring your favorite percussion if you wish. Come and make some joyful holiday noise with us!!
You’re invited to a free flute concert! You’re invited to a holiday flute concert by Indy Winds Flute Choir. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of this group. Their holiday concert will be held at 3:00 PM on December 19th at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Carmel, 4780 E 126th St. The concert is free. All are welcome!
Update on Afghan Co-Sponsorship
First Friends is co-sponsoring the resettlement of a family of Afghan evacuees together with Exodus Refugee. The official commitment form is signed and First Friends will soon be matched with a family once housing is available for them.
The co-sponsorship was approved by Monthly Meeting for Business after Nancy S presented her vision and told of her leading, testing of it among Friends, and the research into a means to follow it through by establishing a partnership with Exodus Refugee. Witness and Service agreed to support this endeavor and appointed David B to serve as liaison to what eventually became a vetted* team and its unvetted helpers/volunteers.
The Afghan Project Coordinating Committee (Brian D, Ed M, Barbara O and Nancy S) is announcing a minimum of 12 Activities they have committed themselves to address. Individual volunteers make up 12 Activity Groups. Each Group has an assigned Point Person who is the contact for Project administration when the Afghan family wants to accomplish an Activity. Together, members of an individual Group decide how to proceed when the family selects their particular Activity. These are the Activities:
1. Set up housing/furnishings
2. Prepare a culturally appropriate meal, ready to eat
3. Help with public benefits application, cash assistance and SNAP
4. School enrollment
5. Social Security card application
6. Transportation assistance
7. Enrollment in an English language program
8. Create a budget
9. Selective Service registration
10. Provide a sufficient food supply
11. English language tutoring
12. Set up a bank account
Exodus Refugee, sub-contracted by the U. S. Government, requires that First Friends raise $5,000 to assist the resettlement of Afghan evacuees. Jim D is heading the fundraising effort. We hope to achieve most of this goal yet this year but will also accept donations in January 2022. Checks should be written and sent to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” If you plan to make a contribution in 2022, we would appreciate that you send a note to First Friends with the amount that you intend to contribute in 2022.
Rebecca, Office Administrator, put forth an extraordinary effort to develop an organizational spreadsheet and has helped with distributing communications. She is cooperating with Brian D who is working to make the data accessible through a second platform. Samantha R and Becki H are First Friends private Facebook communication dispatchers of Afghan information. Pastor Bob Henry, Associate Pastor Beth Henricks and outgoing Clerk of the Meeting, Jeff G, have assisted in birthing this Project while acting in their own special “midwifery“ roles.
Here is another cultural reference guide, this one from Exodus Refugee, that you might find helpful! This can be used in conjunction with the last guide we sent out from Riley.
*First Friends Afghan Project volunteers must complete a vetting process if they want to work directly with the Afghans or have access to confidential information such as addresses. This requires going through a process with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones and Exodus at exodusrefugee.org. Candidates complete an approximately $25 background check, sign a witnessed confidentiality agreement, fill out an application and go through training. The latter requirement can be achieved by watching the latest online video training. Those wanting to be vetted should tell Exodus they are associated with First Friends.
First Friends Financial Update: You are invited to spread holiday cheer by making a pledge to First Friends Meeting for 2022. Your pledge is extremely helpful in making a budget for the new year. Click to make a pledge online, or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485, for a pledge card to be mailed to you. Kindly submit your pledge by Dec. 19.
The Meeting also seeks support in closing out 2021, as we currently are experiencing a deficit. Donate online at indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303. Other means of support are through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December
Canada Goose: A Reputation Altered
The Canada Goose is a species that can be seen flying over the meeting house property in any month of the year, as it moves from on body of water to another, usually in pairs or small flocks. This species only occasionally stops here, not in the woods, but in the front yard of the church building, or, more likely, in the grassy yard north of the parking lot, garage, and garden.
When I was young, adults told me that the sight of flocks of Canada Geese flying southward in the fall was a sure sign that fall was nearly over, and winter was approaching. Likewise in the spring, the northbound Vs of geese assured us that spring was here, and summer on its way. Folks looked forward to this twice-annual viewing of the cycle of nature, and appreciated its regularity.
Geese nesting in Central Indiana was pretty much unknown. Then, over the years something changed: Canada Geese appeared to be hanging around, year ‘round. Yes, it is true!! The reported cause was the invention, proliferation, and prominence of apartments and office parks with their ponds. Geese apparently said to each other, “Why fly all the way north to Michigan and beyond, when we can stop right here where all our needs are easily met?” There you have it, but that is not the end of the story. Many of you readers have witnessed the negatives. Besides the droppings cluttering sidewalks, the stubborn, slow-moving geese and automobiles are a poor match. In addition, the birds often choose to nest in unfortunate places. In Fishers a pair nested near the entrance of a large box store, and, nearby, another pair hatched chicks in one of the drive-up lanes of a drug store. In both cases, the male of the pair defended the nest area, chasing away customers, managers, and pets on leashes!!
I am not here to be a negative blame assigner. I appreciate geese, and sympathize with their plight. I believe there is a lesson here somewhere. ~ Brad J
Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2021!
January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah
May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks
September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
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.
Please check out Jeff Rasley’s new book, A Pickleball Soap Opera: Love, Murder, and Pickleball at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MJ3TKX3. The book is a romping good story about a romance that develops within a pickleball group, a mysterious murderer stalking the group, and an ageing athlete learning how to play the game. Mixed into the story are the serious issues of coping with the loss of a loved one, finding meaning after retirement, domestic abuse, and how soldiers suffering from PTSD are treated. The characters include a heroic Air Force pilot, a CIA spy, a US Marines sergeant, FBI agents, British Special Forces, Al-Qaeda jihadists, and Taliban fighters. How will they cope with the drama that is about to change, or end, their lives?
This Week’s Queries
How am I preparing for the awakening happening in my life this Holiday Season?
Who around me is being neglected or treated poorly? Who is in need of a little respect or a blessing of love during this season? Who needs an awakening?