As Way Opens
As we continue to honor important women in our history during Women’s History Month, I want to highlight another spiritual hero of mine, Saint Teresa of Avila. I had heard her name before seminary but spent some time studying her life and reading her classic book, The Interior Castle. She was part of an important movement throughout the Universal or Catholic Church’s history, the voice of reform from monastic groups. Throughout the Church history, there has been a tension with tradition and an established organization versus a voice of reform and reimagining. Usually, the voice for reform comes from within the Church as individuals and groups become disillusioned with the deadness of the life of the Church and its leaning to those in power to determine its direction and mission. The monastic groups are one group that removed themselves from the established Church and gathered in monasteries, convents and small groups to pray, live a devoted life of simplicity and community and seek the direct experience of Christ.
Saint Teresa of Avila is an example of one such voice. She was a mystic, reformer and became a religious leader all while working within the patriarchal system of the time as well as the shadow of the violence of the Inquisition. She and John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul) founded convents and monasteries throughout Spain, dedicated to the uncompromising spiritual principles of their reform. Just before her death her order the Discalced Carmelites were finally sanctioned as an official Order of the Catholic Church. She made contributions to the Church through her writings. She was a great example of how to live a life of devotion to God. She experienced the embodiment and incarnation of Christ and wrote about the experience in The Interior Castle. The book outlines the seven mansions that she moved through introducing us to a prayer practice to bring us into the intimacy of God. Her writings challenged the lack of passion and the stale nature of Catholic worship as well as a lack of devotion in the life of the Church and its impact on society during the 1500’s during which she lived (1515 to 1582). In the introduction of the translation of this book by Mirabai Starr, she describes this process of prayer and intimacy as a process to “Put away the incense and forget the incantations they taught you. Ask no permission from the authorities. Slip away. Close your eyes and follow your breath to the still place that leads to the invisible path that leads you home. Listen. Softly, softly, the One you love is calling.”
This sounds pretty Quakerly to me. I encourage you to check out this book and learn about Saint Teresa of Avila. And that we take time this week to follow our breath to the still place that brings us into communion with Christ.
Beth
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
Update on Redistricting Meetings
Virtual public meetings by the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Committee continue this week and through the end of March. The ICRC is a model redistricting body established by the All IN for Democracy coalition, of which the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation is a member. At public hearings around the state, it is listening to what citizens have to say about how to make redistricting by the Indiana legislature fairer and more reflective of our state’s electorate. The public input will be the basis of a report the ICRC will present to the legislature, advocating for a more open and transparent map-drawing process.
Want your vote to count for the next decade? Register for at least one of the remaining meetings. If you can’t attend the meeting scheduled for your congressional district, feel free to register for another. Upcoming meetings are:
March 18, 6-8 p.m. (Central Time) -- Congressional District 8
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_euCRCwNkR8Kb2V_vmXxkEQ
March 23, 7-9 p.m. -- Congressional District 4
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1_Tn9F59Rj2zT5TBPXEu0Q
March 30, 7-9 p.m. – Congressional District 2
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5VQihioMQw2Mysl3HyK6kg
Hundreds of Hoosiers have already spoken up by attending the first three ICRC meetings earlier this month. Join them in letting your legislators know you expect a fairer process and better maps this year.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Ministry & Counsel Minute of Love and Appreciation ~ Friends, please click here to read a recent minute from Ministry & Counsel, rejoicing in the presence of all within our Meeting community!
Reopening Task Force Report. The Reopening Task Force March report as of March 16 is available here, to be presented at Monthly Meeting on Sunday. Currently, the Meetinghouse is open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. Participants assume responsibility for risk of COVID-19 exposure. To check on availability of small groups, including Zoom options, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485. Additionally, the Ministry and Counsel Committee is working on plans for outdoors Meeting for Worship to take place Easter Sunday, April 4.
New developments:
· Groups of up to 30 people may now meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups. For ventilation purposes, groups using Fellowship Hall will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and close/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.
· Listening sessions for the full meeting to discuss issues related to reopening are being planned, as detailed below. So that participants will feel comfortable speaking their views, non-pastoral members of the Reopening Task Force will not be in attendance, but are to receive a follow-up report.
Reopening Listening Sessions
Friends, as you may know, we have a Reopening Task Force that has been working diligently and considering many factors, including the recommendations of the CDC and infectious disease experts, to make an informed recommendation to Monthly Meeting for Business about when and how to reopen First Friends for in-person worship and activities. Before the Task Force makes its recommendation on this important decision, it wants to hear from, and take into account, the thoughts of our Friends.
To that end, various members of the Reopening Task Force, Connections Committee, and Ministry and Counsel met and decided to host three Listening Sessions, open to any interested Friends, during which we will ask for your thoughts on four queries. The Listening Sessions will be facilitated by Carl Butler and recorded by Beth Henricks. Carl and Beth will listen, consolidate your feedback, and provide it to the Reopening Task Force.
The four queries will be:
1. What would make you feel safe in order to return to the Meetinghouse for worship and activities?
2. We see from the listening demographics of our streaming worship services that there is interest in First Friends beyond the Indianapolis area. After the pandemic, should we consider ways to continue providing our worship services virtually, in addition to in person?
3. After the pandemic, to what extent, if any, should we invest in technology that would make it convenient for Friends to attend virtual meetings and activities that take place at the Meetinghouse?
4. What have we learned during this pandemic that might help First Friends be better prepared for any future situation where we are unable to, for an extended period of time, meet in person?
These sessions are not designed to debate these queries or make decisions; rather, they will provide opportunities for you to be heard and to listen to your fellow Friends in an open and safe forum. We have scheduled the following dates and times:
Thursday March 25, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Sunday March 28, from 11:00 am-Noon (replacing normal fellowship hour)
Sunday March 28, from 5:00-6:00 pm
To make sure everyone has an opportunity to be heard, we are limiting these Listening Sessions to these particular queries, but, if you have other thoughts, please do not hesitate to communicate them to the office. We will make sure they are brought to the Reopening Task Force as well.
If you would like to participate in one of these Listening Sessions, please contact the office with your name, email address, and preferred time. Before your chosen session, the office will send you a link to the Zoom conference. We encourage you all to participate in one of these sessions and look forward to seeing you there!
First Friends Friday Singalong!! Warm up your voices and break out your tambourines because it's time for another virtual singalong with your hosts Jim, Jesse, and Matthew. Watch the premiere on Friday, March 19, 7:00-7:30pm. Of course, if you miss us at 7, you can watch the video at any time immediately afterward. We hope you will join us on Youtube! https://youtu.be/AzjNHIYHMf0
Silent Meeting for Worship Now Also in the Parlor ~ Starting Monday, March 22nd, Friends will return to meeting in the parlor for Silent Worship, Meditation and Un-Programmed Worship. Appropriate social distancing and face covering is required. A laptop with the zoom will be available simultaneously to interact with Friends from home. The option to worship via Zoom is still available; those on Zoom will join those in the Parlor virtually. Please contact the office if you would like to join on Zoom, or feel free to stop by the building at the start time if you want to join us in person!
FWCC, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas (from Canada to South America) will hold a Section Meeting virtually from March 12th through March 21st. FWCC’s purpose is to bring Friends together from all styles of worship and diverse theological perspectives. Two session will be open to all, not just yearly meeting representatives. Saturday, March 13 starting at 6pm there is an open program led by the FWCC Traveling Ministry Corps and on Sunday, March 21 at noon there will be a worship service. The links are not yet available but you can go to FWCCamericas.org to find out more about FWCC and the 2021 Section Meeting.
Creation Care Update ~ Spring is getting ready to spring forth! The more birds are singing in the early morning hours and a lot of activity is taking in the treetops and below ground.
We are blessed to have several beautiful specimens of our state tree, the Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera. The tulip tree is fast growing and has been called a pioneer tree, as it grows rapidly in open areas and is intolerant of shade. A new factoid I learned is that the woodland indigenous people used the tulip tree for dugout canoes.
While the tree generally blooms in May, sometimes it is hard to see their beautiful flowers way up in the canopy, so keep your eyes open for them on the ground after a gusty day.
Volunteers for Woods maintenance are invited to join our merry crew on Thursday mornings from 10am-12 noon starting March 25th.
Interested in Native Plants? Check out the Indiana Native Plant Society webpage (https://indiananativeplants.org and look for GrowNatives!
IFCL Environmental Care legislation relies on expert opinion from the Hoosier Environmental Council, Indiana Conservation Alliance, White River Alliance and others. For updates on legislation being followed by the Hoosier Environmental Council, please click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M4YW4kyOzcOgiizils8o_vObR0s_m1zd/view?usp=sharing
Mark Your Calendars – We are excited to share that we will be holding an outdoor service at the Meetinghouse grounds on Easter Sunday, April 4th at 10:15! Keep an eye out for more information, coming soon!
Youth Group Meetup ~ Youth Group will be meeting in person at the Meetinghouse grounds on Sunday, April 11th for an outdoor picnic and games. Please mark your calendars, and contact the office if you’re interested in joining! office@indyfriends.org
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for March
Brown Creeper – Quiet and Dependable
Every Saturday morning my wife and I go grocery shopping. We arrive at the same hour each visit, and, half-way through, notice the same woman filling the spice rack. We always say, “Good morning,” to her, and she always returns the greeting in her quiet way. We may or may not buy cinnamon or Old Bay, but it will be there, if needed, because she does her job. You may know someone at First Friends like that…quiet and dependable.
This month’s selection, the Brown Creeper, is so inconspicuous that most folks would walk right past it. You might see one in our woods anytime from October through April, but March is especially good. It is known for its whisper-like “see-it” call, and its song, “see-did-uh see-you” is infrequently heard during migration. Dependable? Yes! This month go into a woods with mature trees, and watch for a chickadee-sized bird creeping up the side of a tree. It may go straight up, or spiral up. When it gets to the crown, it will likely fly down to the bottom of a nearby tree and begin creeping up that one. On its vertical trip, it is looking in the grooves of the bark for insect eggs and spider eggs or perhaps small caterpillars hidden for the winter. Our cottonwood, hackberry, and black cherry trees are favorite food sources for the creeper.
If you are lucky enough to find a nest (perhaps at Ft. Harrison State Park or further north), it will be inside a curl of bark that has come loose from the tree, but is still attached.
So take a silent, long look for a Brown Creeper this month. One will be there, you can depend on it! ~Brad J
All are invited to an upcoming Spirit & Place online event! The Spirit & Place Festival holds dozens of "never-seen-before" programs. Artists and authors, entrepreneurs and neighborhood organizers, storytellers and scholars come together with singles and couples, families and friends in a true community conversation. You’re invited to their online event, Living Stories: An Evening with Dr. Elaine Pagels on April 16 at 6:30pm. Dr. Pagels will be helping Spirit & Place bridge its past and current themes -- Origins & Change -- by joining Dr. Maria Hamilton Abegunde in conversation that explores how nothing about religion, its meaning, or purpose is static. With every generation, the stories, traditions, and practices held dear by many, change in some way. New discoveries, questions, and perspectives open a world of possibility on how we understand the nature of religion. Religious studies scholar and best-selling author Dr. Elaine Pagels has spent her career examining not only the origins of (Western) religious traditions and how they shape our understanding of ourselves, but also the necessity of re-interpreting these sacred stories so that they might continue to help us in challenging times. Find more information on Spirit and Place’s 2021 festival here: https://spiritandplace.org/Festival.aspx?access=Year. If you’re interested in this event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-stories-an-evening-with-elaine-pagels-presented-by-spirit-place-tickets-136829886875.
Adult Quaker Affirmation Coming Soon ~ We are glad to offer an adult Quaker Affirmation class series which will begin on Sunday, April 18, tentatively to be held on Sundays from noon-1:30 (times may be adjusted in accordance with participants’ availability). This is a 9-week study of what it means to be a Quaker. It will cover Quaker history, theology, and what Quakers are doing in the world today. There are only a few spots left, so if you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Coronavirus Vaccine Age Limit Now 45! The Indiana State Department of Health has now lowered the age threshold for Covid vaccines to 45 and up. If you’d like to sign up, please visit https://vaccine.coronavirus.in.gov/.
Queries for the Week
(These queries are in response to Parker Palmer’s writings as discussed in last Sunday’s sermon. To find the context for the queries, watch the sermon on YouTube or find the text version on our website.)
• What words or phrases grab my attention or speak to my condition?
• What surprises me?
• What causes me to have an emotional response?
• Do these words cause me to want to make any changes, reconcile, or make amends?
• What is God teaching me about the need for peace and bearing one another’s burdens in this text?
(From self-led guide)
Where do I recognize and experience violence (lack of peace) in my life?
How have I been desensitized to the violence around me?
In what areas do I have influence and the ability to help bring true peace?