As Way Opens
On Sunday, we joined together for worship within our Meetinghouse for the first time in over a year. Not only was it a joyous occasion to simply be together, but it was also an opportunity to acknowledge all that we have been through and have learned during this pandemic.
During my message, I spoke about a time of reorienting our lives by utilizing Sabbath Rest - one of the two subjects we will be looking at as we enter the summer months at First Friends.
As I mentioned on Sunday, reorienting through rest begins by making time to look at our self, our relationship with the Divine, and our interactions with one another, once again. This reorientation also involves seeking a balance between two mental modes of our lives:
doing — completing tasks towards a predetermined goal, and
being — allowing oneself to experience the present moment.
Kelsey Sorum in the article, Doing vs. Being: A Mindshift for Quarantine and Beyond provides the following chart to help you begin to explore the differences between these two modes.
I sense the pandemic has hyper-focused us on the Driven-Doing Mode and sent us out of balance with our Being Mode. Finding time for reorienting through Sabbath rest is how we as people of faith return the balance within our being and help us focus on celebrating and experiencing life in this moment right NOW!
My hope is that as we continue to emerge from the pandemic, you and I will find ways to embrace our being once again and come together and celebrate all that we are as individuals and as the body of Christ together!
Grace and peace,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
Many thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers! Christie M; Rik L; Tom F; David B; Brenda R; Mara S; Penny P; Phil G; Barbara O; Ruth K; Corrine I; and Carol and Jim D. Those who worked outside had to contend with rainy weather but helped out 27 needy families.
Please pray for Beth H and her family. After Beth finished her Affirmation Class this morning she received news of her brother, Dave Euler, passing away. He had had some health issues as of late, but passed away in his sleep. Dave lived in Plymouth, MN. This was Beth’s last living sibling. Please take a moment to lift Beth and her family in your prayers and shower her with love and Light.
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
Quaker Voluntary Service Annual Supporters’ Briefing ~ You’re welcome to join QVS’s annual supporters’ briefing, whether you’re a(n) alum, supporter, past or current spiritual nurturer, or Friend who’s curious to learn more about QVS. Quaker Voluntary Service is a fellowship program dedicated to equipping young adults for whole lives rooted in Spirit-led social change. The virtual event will take place on Thursday, June 17, 2020, at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT. There will be interactive opportunities to connect with one another, so we hope you can join us on the day-of.
This event will center on storytelling. We’ll hear stories of impact from QVS Fellows, alumni, and partnered Friends. Meanwhile, QVS board members and staff will share about the numbers that make up QVS and what those numbers mean! You will leave with a deeper understanding of our 2020 milestones, about the 2021 vision ahead, and how you can get involved. For registration, questions, or to ask for a recording, click here.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Kids Tennis Lessons! Are your kids interested in tennis? There will be kids’ tennis lessons near 96th and Keystone Ave. They will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:45PM in June (weather permitting). First lesson starts today Wednesday, June 9. Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application will be June 15, 2021. Find the application here. Please send the completed application and related material to the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Fellowship Hour: Now at 11:30 ~ Please make note that virtual Fellowship Hour will now take place at 11:30am each Sunday. This is to allow for the extra time that in-person worship takes. So please, remember to join us on Zoom at https://bit.ly/FF-FellowshipHour at 11:30 from now on. Look forward to seeing you there!
Pair of Binoculars found! A pair of binoculars were found on the property recently, along with another personal item. If they’re yours, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 to reclaim them! We’d like to get these items back to their owner!
Free Plants Available for Community Gardeners ~ This spring is a challenge with late frost, heat, humidity and torrential rain. Most gardeners have plants in their plots and others will soon follow. Remember that new, rich soil provides nourishment and is key to success of an organic garden. There are still a few free plants available to community gardeners. They are in trays between the cistern and garage. Their roots are aching for freedom to spread out in a new home, free of the confines of a pot. Save a plant today!
JUNE JUBILEE - The Connections Team would like to invite you to a fun outdoor gathering on SATURDAY, JUNE 19, from 4pm to 7pm, in the north parking lot of the Meeting House. Let's celebrate our reopening this month with campfires, hot dogs, s'mores, cornhole, volleyball, basketball, and other surprises. Bring your own food and drinks and masks as we follow social distancing protocol. If the weather is nasty, check your email or the First Friends Facebook page for an announcement about postponement. Hope to see you there!
Calling all ice cream lovers! First Friends will be working at the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, August 7th all day. This is a major yearly fundraiser for our youth program! We plan to have two shifts, 9:30am-3:30pm, and 3:30-10:00pm. It is fast paced but lots of fun! Volunteers will receive a free ticket to the State Fair for that day, as well as unlimited ice cream, shakes and cheese sandwiches. Please let Beth H know if you’re interested in volunteering!
Volunteers Needed for VBS! We can’t believe summer is already approaching, but we sure are looking forward to Vacation Bible School this year! We will hold VBS in person July 18th-22nd. The Sunday session will be held after Meeting for Worship and Monday-Thursday will be held in the evenings. We will need group leaders, station leaders and folks to prepare a snack for a night. For more information, here is the link for the intro for the VBS program: https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/childrens-ministry/vbs/treasured.do. This year’s theme is “Treasured: Discovering You’re Priceless to God.” If you’d like to help with VBS, please contact Beth Henricks at Beth.Henricks@indyfriends.org or the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Your Talent is Needed! ~ As we reopen our Sunday Meeting for Worship, we are looking for vocalists or instrumentalists who would like to perform during Meeting for Worship over the summer. Simply pick a Sunday in June-August and let the office know which day you would like to perform. Eric is available for accompaniment and to help you with whatever your performance needs are. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 with the date you had in mind. Or, use the sign-up sheet in the office hallway. We look forward to hearing from you!
Words from the Woods ~ We are enjoying a beautiful June here in the woods. The north part of the woods is purposefully wild to create a safe nesting place for our wildlife neighbors, but will keep the south side of the path tamer! We are hoping to have a new path installed to the Peace Pole soon, weather permitting. Next year we hope to celebrate our 20th anniversary in the Woods to celebrate an acre of grass transformed into an abundant habitat!
Today we will have a visit with Dawn Slack, from The Nature Conservancy to perform a follow up survey on our invasive removal program.
In the courtyard, the Little Henry itea, dwarf oakleaf hydrangea and evening primroses are in bloom. Soon our butterfly milkweed (Asclepius tuberosa) will be blooming and attract our hungry monarch butterflies. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
I like to highlight what local groups are doing in the community. Here is a partial update from the Carmel Green group in Hamilton County and the MCSWD.
What Can You Do to Help our Common Home? We should do all we can to flatten the curve of climate change. One of the easiest things Hoosier can do is to turn things off when you’re not using them because electricity is the largest single source of carbon emissions in Indiana. Save energy, save money and reduce your footprint! (Do you remember when your grandmother used to tell you that?)
Learn about Solar - Going solar is the cleanest energy you can get! And you can still take advantage of net metering and the 26% federal tax credit this year which make solar more affordable. Join us for a free solar webinar to figure out if solar is right for you! RSVP for Thursday, June 24, 6:30 p.m.
Heat Preparedness - On Wed. June 9, Noon, join IU ERI for a free webinar on how to use an equitable approach to prepare for extreme heat events. Think back to the super-hot summer of 2012 when the Morse Reservoir dried up and Indy issued a watering ban. According to the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, if we continue dumping carbon pollution into the atmosphere, every summer will be hotter than it was in 2012. We should do all we can to avoid this scenario, but since there is already some warming baked into the system, we need to start thinking about heat preparedness. Read more.
Climate Change & Invasives - On June 10, 11 a.m. join the MIPN for a free webinar on how climate change is affecting plants. You will learn which invasive plants might be expanding northward into the Midwest as the climate warms and which species might undergo range contraction. Register here.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Conference - On June 12-13, join Citizens’ Climate Lobby for the virtual conference on The Push for a Price on Carbon. An economy-wide carbon price is the single most powerful tool we have to reduce America’s carbon pollution to net zero by 2050. We’re asking Congress to enact that powerful tool this year! You’ll get updates on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and you’ll learn about actions you can take to push for a price on carbon. Read more and sign-up.
Eco-Film: KISS THE GROUND - Join us on Thurs. Jun 17, 7:30 p.m. for the screening of Kiss the Ground on the outdoor screen at Midtown Plaza by the Monon. Kiss The Ground is an uplifting documentary about climate solutions involving Regenerative Agriculture, a holistic approach to food production that’s good for your health and the environment. The screening is free and open to the public. Read more.
From the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District:
Workshops for a Cleaner Waterway - Our district is teaming up with ROW (Reconnecting to Our Waterways), Kheprw Institute and The City League to offer Rain Garden and Rain Barrel Build workshops this summer! Made possible by our Clean Water Indiana grant through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, space for these outdoor workshops is limited to 25 Marion County residents and COVID-19 precautions will be followed. Here are the workshop details:
Fall Creek: Rain Garden Workshop, Thursday, June 24 from 6:30-7:45 PM at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Residents living along Fall Creek will be able to learn about the benefits of and how to build their own rain garden in their yard with step-by-step instructions and will even take home several native plants from Indy Urban Acres to get it started. Register here.
Pogue’s Run: Rain Barrel Build Workshop, Thursday, July 29 from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Boner Fitness & Learning Center. As part of The City League’s basketball tournament, residents living along Pogue’s Run will be able to build their own rain barrel to capture stormwater off of their home downspouts. Thank you to the Kheprw Institute (KI) and their ‘Express Yourself Rain Barrels’ program for providing both the knowledge and materials needed for this workshop. Register here.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for June
Great Crested Flycatcher – Summer Riddle
Here is your riddle:
Who weeps every day, all day long, but never sheds a tear?
The answer is Great Crested Flycatcher!
This is a bird that I almost always hear before I see. It says, “Breeeep, breeeeep, weep, weep, weep.”
He or she may arrive as early as late April, and will be somewhere in the neighborhood throughout the summer. Indeed, I have heard or seen this bird in the Meditational Woods in May, June, and July, and as recently as this past week. It is often not very high up in a tree, affording us great looks, while it quietly sits waiting for an insect to fly by. The flycatcher does not just feed on flies, but will go for bigger insects such as dragonflies. How about periodic cicadas this year? Yum, yum!!
Let’s talk about the name. Many birds have hyphenated names. With ruby-throated hummingbird, white-eyed vireo, and red-winged blackbird, the descriptor is connected to the body part being described. It is usually a color, but not always (as in long-billed dowitcher). In the case of our June bird, however, there is no hyphen. The word “Great” therefore is NOT describing the crest (which is noticeable), but is instead describing the entire bird, as in Great Blue Heron or Great Horned Owl. It is true that the Great Crested is by far the largest of our Indiana flycatchers.
It “weeps,” but it does not cry. ~Brad J
No Meeting for Business in June ~ Friends, please note there will be no Monthly Meeting for Business in June. Please enjoy this summer “sabbath” and we look forward to seeing you all in a future Monthly Meeting.
First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks your support in moving toward a vibrant new phase. As we begin to resume in-person worship and other activities, our expenses rise, yet our donations remain at a low level, strained by the difficulties of 2020.
Please give prayerful consideration to how you could help. While we were able to manage last year’s financial loss, we will need to increase donations in order to stem further losses. To assist, please visit indyfriends.org/support/#givenow.
Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly at any time of year. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.orgor 317-255-2485.
Reopening Task Force Report. First Friends resumed indoors meeting for worship on June 6. The reopening plan, approved at Monthly Meeting on May 16, addresses specifics including social distancing, mask-wearing, ventilation and accommodations for children. The plan also details outdoors meeting for worship and future Monthly Meetings. Click to read the re-entry plan.
Trustees arranged for an air quality assessment during the June 6 meeting for worship and determined that CO2 levels were considerably better than CDC recommendations for inside air quality. The Reopening Task Force will be reviewing this data and other factors to determine next steps in the reopening process.
Note – in the meantime, until further notice:
· The re-entry plan continues to include a mask-wearing requirement, despite recent new directive of the CDC. The issue of mask-wearing can be revisited as appropriate in the near future, mindful of children’s ability to be fully vaccinated. Extra face masks will be provided for those who need them.
· Virtual worship services will continue to be offered each Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Online worship is to continue as a permanent alternative to in-person worship to ensure availability of worship options.
Currently, the Meetinghouse is open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. A recent development is that, for groups of 10 or fewer, participants may remove face coverings if all have been fully vaccinated. 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, larger groups of up to 30 people may meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups, including mask-wearing. 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.
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.
Queries for the Week
• Amid the chaos of transitioning back from the pandemic, am I rediscovering ways to reorient my relationship with the Divine?
• Are any of my doubts fed by the notion that my worth comes solely from my productivity rather than my identity as a child of God?
• In relation to others, do I recognize and validate the worth and need for rest in others? How might I help someone this week find some needed rest.