As Way Opens
I am amazed every year that I have lived in my home in the Canterbury neighborhood with this rhododendron bush outside my front door. It bursts forth for about six days each spring and every year I forget how magnificent it stands. I stand in awe of the beauty of creation as I look at this bush morning, noon and night. If you look closely you will also see this amazing bumble bee sucking the nectar out of a blossom here.
As I think about this month that we honor the earth, we need to reflect on the presence of creation in this very moment. It means that we honor and value the moment and everything that we are experiencing. Of course, this can be taken to an extreme as I have seen in relationships in my family where living in the moment and not being concerned about the future means destructive behavior today. We all have to balance living in the moment and appreciating how to be present today with a need to plan and be responsible for our future.
My late husband Jerry (who will have been gone five years this Sunday) helped me a lot with this in the last few years of his life. Some of our best times were sitting on our deck listening to the birds. Because he could only appreciate the moment, he would bring me out of my worry for the future to the current beauty in the trees, the birds, the flowers, the sky. This was a gift and a blessing to steady my life in appreciating the beauty in the here and now.
I like this Mary Oliver poem:
Swan
Did you too see it, drifting, all night on the black river?
Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air, an armful of white blossoms, a perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned into the bondage of its wings: a snowbank, a bank of lilies, biting the air with its black beak?
Did you hear it, fluting and whistling
a shrill dark music, like the rain pelting the trees, like a waterfall knifing down the black ledges?
And did you see it, finally just under the clouds- a white cross streaming across the sky, its feet like black leaves, its wings like the stretching light of the river?
And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?
And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?
And have you changed your life?
Beth
Joys & Concerns
MANY THANKS to our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers: Linda and Rik Lineback; Phil Goodchild; Penny Paraskevas; David Beatty; Mara Snyder; Virginia and Derek Snell; Christie Moulton; Kathy and Bill Farris; Barbara Oberreich; Ruth Kelly; Corrine Imboden; and Carol and Jim Donahue. We finally had a sunny and warm day at the pantry! Thanks to our First Friends volunteers and all who have contributed to the Mid North Food Pantry fundraiser to serve those in need. There is one more week to make your donation for the benefit of the Mid North Food Pantry. You can send a check to First Friends with “food pantry” noted in the memo section—no later than April 18. Or, you can also donate online on our secure website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support and choose the “Mid-North Food Pantry” fund. Or you can donate via text by texting PANTRY to 317-768-0303. We will present one large check to the pantry on behalf of First Friends at an upcoming volunteer day.
We sadly share the news of the passing of Joyce Flight. Joyce was the Christian Education Director at First Friends for a number of years a few decades ago. Her obituary can be found at: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=joyce-gladys-flight&pid=198175663&fhid=14502. Please keep her family in your prayers.
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
IFCL -- Redistricting Commission Hearing Finale April 22
The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) will hold its last scheduled hearing on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30pm. A link to register for this virtual event is here. Webinar Registration - Zoom
This will be a chance for people across the state (not just in their own Congressional District) to learn the Commission's conclusions from what they heard from citizens about redistricting at the nine Congressional District hearings to date. The ICRC will be reporting on their findings to the Indiana legislature ahead of redistricting this fall, so this hearing is both a finale and a preview. Plus, attendees will be able to speak up with any comments or questions they might have. A great opportunity for those who attended one of the previous hearings, and for those who missed out the first time. Please feel welcome to attend, whether you know anything about legislative redistricting or not. Contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) with questions. Thanks.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
First Friends Bible Study ~ A new session of the First Friends Bible study will kick off on Thursday, April 15 at 7:30 pm. We'll study the 13-lesson book Christ as Present Teacher: Learning to Love, in the Barclay Press Illuminate series. The class meets by Zoom. All are welcome to join or drop in to see what the class is like. If you have questions, or are interested, contact the First Friends office: office@indyfriends.org.
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.
College Care packages - It is time to send care packages to our college students as they prepare for their exams at school. This time, rather than having you drop off your donations at the meetinghouse, we are asking for financial contributions. The First Friends office will use the funds to fill boxes for the students with goodies like candy, cookies, cards, and other treats. There are a number of ways to send your support—you can mail a donation to the office with the notation “college packages”; donate via our secure giving portal at https://www.indyfriends.org/support and choose the “college care packages” fund; or text COLLEGE to 317-768-0303. Please get donations in by Friday, April 16. Thank you for your support!
Gardeners and Wannabe Gardeners: Plots Available. Get Ready, Set, Go! ~ Spring is here! If you want to reclaim or claim a raised bed in the Community Garden in the north lot, please contact Samantha at sam.kg.ryan@gmail.com or Nancy S.
Bread for the World Zoom Event ~ On Tuesday, April 20, Bread for the World will host a Zoom event, Feeding Our Economy: Food Security. Good for Business. This zoom will feature four speakers: Dr. Heather Eicher-Miller from Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, Eric Halvorson from Kroger Corporation, Michelle Hummel, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant and former WIC staff member, and Senator Mike Braun, to address food security/hunger issues.
Hunger affects us all, either directly or indirectly. Children who are hungry can’t focus or reach their potential. Workers are less productive. Combined, our overall economy is threatened. More importantly, there is enough food for everyone; we just need to get it to those who are hungry because this is what caring people do for each other.
Bread for the World (https://www.bread.org/) is “a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decisions makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Moved by God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we advocate for a world without hunger.” Keeping informed about national legislation that involves hunger-related issues, BFW members contact members of Congress to advocate for the hungry among us and worldwide. This Zoom event, with the goal of 350 people participating, will educate us about food issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and will demonstrate our commitment to finding solutions.
There is a strong contingent of workers from First Friends who volunteer weekly at the Mid-North food pantry. These people know the fine line that so many people tread to have food to sustain them. With hundreds of pantries like Mid-North in Indiana and nationwide along with the legislative work that BFW advocates, hunger can be eliminated.
Please consider attending this free Zoom event and register at this link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feeding-our-economy-tickets-141487076655
If you have any questions regarding the event or about Bread for the World, you can contact Corinne Imboden, cimboden@sbcglobal.net.
Join Norma for a Wildflower Walk on Earth Day! Connections invites you to a walk through Holliday Park to look at the beautifully blooming wildflowers. It will be held on Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!) from 1-3pm at Holliday Park (6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, 46260). We’ll meet in front of the Nature center for the walk which begins at 1pm. Our guide will be our own Norma Bangel Wallman, author of Wildflowers of Holliday Park. If you’re interested you must contact the office at office@indyfriends.org to RSVP, as spaces will be limited. Norma will also have copies of her book available for sale that day. The event will still go on in the event of light rain, but anything harder and we’ll reschedule to the following Thursday. Stay tuned for other programs organized by Connections, including a bird watching event!
Gloria Gaither’s Songwriting Intensive ~ You’re invited to a songwriting intensive hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University and led by Gloria Gaither—a celebrated songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. Dive into the art of songwriting as a means of storytelling with award-winning and seasoned songwriters. You will be enriched by participants from around the world in a weekend of classes and collaboration. The event will take place from June 17-20, 2021. For more information, to see the other clinicians, and to register, visit https://www.indwes.edu/undergraduate/division-of-music/songwriting-intensive.
Write with Friends: New Activity Beginning Monday April 19th ~ Friends are invited to a small writing group where participants may write whatever they want to write—stories, memoirs, journaling, poems, etc. 10:00 AM immediately before Monday Meditation. Two prompts to get you started will be offered, but what is offered need not be accepted.
This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.
It is not necessary to stay for the Meditation which begins at 11:15 and finishes at noon. Although we have a practice of sharing our meditational experiences afterwards. Meditation participants do not require that you stop writing.
10:00 to 11:00 AM this coming Monday, the 19th, skipping April 26, then May 3, 10, May 17, June 7, 21, 23.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for April
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Eyes Are the Key!
In November of 2019 I introduced the reader to the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This month we meet its cousin, the Golden-crowned Kinglet. Both species can be seen this month, but will leave in a few weeks for their northern nesting locales. As the names suggest, one difference is the color atop the head. Male ruby-crowns have a red spot, while the females have none. Female golden-crowns have a yellow patch surrounded by black, and so do the males, but the latter also have an orange-red patch in the middle of the yellow!! If one googles images of these two species, it will become clear. Let’s complicate matters. These are just about the smallest birds around here with the exception of hummingbirds, and kinglets are constantly in motion. Once a birder locates the spot on the branch where the bird is, it isn’t there anymore. It moves from branch to branch and leaf to leaf, constantly flicking its wings. So you know it is a kinglet, but which of the two? Getting a good look at the head patch is difficult. I have found that it is easier to look at the eyes. The eyes of the ruby-crowned are black, and set in a small oval patch of white, while in the golden-crowned, the black eye lies in a black stripe! So the “eyes” have it, although I do enjoy seeing the crown color. In our woods to really get to know the bird, one should look into its eyes.
I know people like that. They hurry and scurry, accomplishing much, but are difficult to get to know in the midst of activity. With a little patience, and, given a chance to really look them in the eye, true “Friend-ship” can result!! -Brad J
Reopening Task Force Report. 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.
Other updates:
· Larger groups of up to 30 people may meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups. Groups using Fellowship Hall will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and reclose/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.
· Three listening sessions for the full meeting to discuss issues related to reopening have taken place. Non-pastoral members of the Reopening Task Force were not in attendance, but have received a follow-up report, available by clicking here. The Reopening Task Force met on April 8 to address listening session results and will be presenting a detailed report at the April 18 Monthly Meeting.
Ventilation:
· As reported in March 2021, the Trustees have shared the following messaging with the Reopening Task Force: “Trustees established fresh air ventilation is abundant in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. First Friends was built without central air conditioning. Ventilation was an important consideration during construction planning. We are blessed with an excellent ventilation system in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. There are fans and switches in both locations. When fans are running and windows and doors are opened, there is an abundance of fresh air available in each of those rooms. Any group requesting use of Fellowship Hall is required to use the ventilation system in place while meeting.”
· As a review, the Trustees presented a report in November 2020 on the ventilation at the First Friends building, based on assessment including: the HVAC system and filters, attic and exhaust; a 1950s report created by the First Friends Construction Committee; and measurements taken using a CO2 detector. Among the findings:
- In the Meeting Room, there are four windows that open, plus four ventilation fans in the ceiling. With windows opened, the fans can draw air through the Meeting Room to meet the CDC guidelines of six fresh air exchanges per hour.
- In Fellowship Hall, a fan on the west wall and an exhaust fan in the kitchen draw air outside. A fan near the entrance brings fresh air inside, heats and circulates it. There are 11 windows that open and two new air conditioning fans.
Notes from the Woods ~ Go out and enjoy the Woods and any place that speaks to you about nature and the power of rebirth! Delight in the sights and smells and plants emerging from their winter rest.
Then consider some of Bob's queries about how each one of us can be better stewards of the earth.
Some actions to consider:
Plant native shrubs and trees.
Reduce your lawn size and plant more native plants for our bees, butterflies and birds.Indiana Wildlife Federation, Hamilton County Soil and Water and Cool Creek Park have plant sales of natives. https://indianawildlife.org/take-action/native-plant-sale/ https://www.hamiltonswcd.org/store/c4/Native_Plant_Kits.html Indiana Native Plant Society has its annual plant sale.https://indiananativeplants.org/native-plant-auction-2021/
Pay attention to your electricity use- where can you draw down your energy use?
How much garbage do you produce as a household? How can you reduce your household waste?
Mount an anti-litter campaign in your neighborhood.. KIB offers support for neighborhood cleanups! https://www.kibi.org/
Carmel Green is putting out the word on residential solar
Hamilton Southeastern Schools is hosting a fun family outdoor event including tours of the school’s solar system this Sat. April 17, 10-1 p.m. Great way to celebrate Earth Day!
Solar webinars are scheduled April through September.
Get the details and RSVP here (scroll down).
The 26% federal tax credit was extended and net metering is still available. So folks interested in going solar can still get a good deal this year.
Happy Spring!
Queries for the Week
(From virtual worship)
From the book "Practicing Peace" by Friend Catherine Whitmire.
· What have I learned from listening to God in the earth, rocks, trees, water, and animals? How has this learning affected or changed my life?
· In what ways does my daily life exemplify, reflect, or belie my respect for the oneness of Creation and my care for the environment?
· Am I willing to change the way I live and make sacrifices in my lifestyle in order to preserve the earth, air, and water for future generations? What changes am I willing to make now?
(From self-led guide)
· What does the life and ministry of Jesus mean to me, today?
· How may I continue to make visible the life and ministry of Jesus by utilizing my own gifting and life?
· What am I giving thanks for as I continue to celebrate the Resurrection?