As Way Opens

Last week we had worship in the Meditational Woods. The weather was mild, sunlight dappled through the trees as a gentle breeze passed through. Bob talked to us about a way to strengthen our relationship with God through thoughtful relaxed prayer and meditation. We then spent some time individually in silent worship in The Woods. For me, the location of the Meditational Woods was a perfect place to be in connection with God as I often see God in nature.

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One of the things that Linda and I had in common was our love of nature. We loved to camp, hike, go bird watching, canoeing, picnicking, fishing… just about anything that would get us outside. We even took off on a 10 month RV trip around the country in 2004 where we were able to visit many national and state parks around the country.

So when I want to feel a closeness to God, coming to The Meditational Woods is a natural for me. Since Linda’s passing, I have gone to the Woods several times to pray and meditate. One day about two weeks ago I went to the Woods to do just that. I went back by the fountain and sat on a bench there. It had just rained and everything was sparkling in the sunlight. I sat there and marveled at the beauty of the sight. I was emotionally moved and felt opened up to the Divine presence.

I slowly walked back toward the parking lot until I reached the two trees that stand at the entrance of The Woods. These trees are covered with berries on each limb and the rain had formed little round balls hanging from each one of the hundreds of berries. Each droplet appeared as a shinning crystal in the sunlight. It was spectacular! At that moment I said to myself “Linda would write a poem about this.” As I stood there contemplating this, another thought entered my mind: “This IS a poem. Sent to me from Linda through God.” I was deeply moved. It would be so much like Linda to be present in this wonderful little piece of nature that we have.

I will go back the Woods again soon seeking the presence of the living God in the living, growing and evolving life of the planet – right in our own little piece of nature. A good place to be alone, sit down, relax, observe… and communicate.

Blessings,

Ed M

Joys & Concerns

Funday Sunday 2021 was a great time of worshipping through PLAY! We enjoyed connecting with nature and having a lot of fun! (Photos submitted by Nancy S & Bob H--see more on our Facebook page!)

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Friends, please see the below message from our own Shawn P:

Dear First Friends family:

It is with mixed emotions that I share with you I will be leaving First Friends at the end of this December, thus completing a very fulfilling 25 year music ministry at First Friends. First Friends has been my church home and there are so many dear, lifelong friends that I hold and will hold close to my heart as I journey into my next segment of life and ministry. It has been my joy to be able to have shared so much music, laughter and life journeys with you. Psalm 150 3-6 (KJV) states: “Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbre and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

Our mighty Casavant organ here is an incredible instrument of God to proclaim His glory and can reach so many different styles of worshippers. I am sure its voice will continue to be heard whether playing the soft flute or the majestic Trumpet stops, the soft strings or the great Mixtures.

I will be playing 2 Sundays a month through November and will be here to joyously celebrate all of the Christmas season at First Friends. I look forward to the sharing of life, music, laughter and love with you this coming Fall and Christmas season.

Shawn


Artful Meditation a Success ~ Shawn Haymaker, art therapist, is a cheerful and empathic workshop leader. He is able to create a fun, open space for those willing to take a chance on a new experience. Under his direction a happy grouping of adults and children worked with alcohol inks and watercolors last Saturday. They were not doing art therapy since therapy is a more personal and private process and this event was designed to help people in a group setting express themselves while in a meditative mode. People shared personal thoughts they wanted to meditate on and then, at the completion of the workshop, showed how their ideas materialized within their finished paintings. Satisfied workshop participants took home many colorful creations.

Alcohol ink has a mind of its own as it spreads and bleeds, so no one knows exactly how a finished piece might look. Shawn said no one needed to be an artist to take part in this experience and he readily put everyone at ease. He interacted with individuals and groups at separate tables, sharing cost-cutting tips and useful hacks and ideas he had developed. He brought a paper cutter and envelopes so participants could custom cut their own paper. He showed how people could make bookmarks or personalized envelopes by gluing design pieces onto them.

The group appreciated Shawn’s planning. It served to make the painting process easy for everyone. He devised a watercolor method similar to the alcohol ink undertaking, but it did not stain and was more appropriate for youngsters. Thank you to Shawn and wife Carrie for stocking and delivering many boxes of supplies. Connections Program Meeting sponsored Artful Meditation.

Shawn is willing to create more art workshops with other mediums and techniques. He is willing to collaborate with others wanting to lead similar projects or classes.

Saturday’s participants loved these ideas and indicated they want more such opportunities. If you are interested, please contact the office.

~Nancy on behalf of Connections Program Committee (Photos submitted by Nancy S—see more on our Facebook page!)

We had a wonderful service in celebration of the life of Dan R on August 21st. If you would like a recorded copy of Dan R’s memorial service, please contact Larry M.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities


Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they feel connected. We still have nine students who need sponsored: Sam A, Ally H, Sam M, Eli S, Isaiah S, Chelsea T, Kendal T, and Sam W. If you’d like to participate, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org or see the posterboard in the Meetinghouse. Please consider connecting with our students this year!



No Monday Meditational Worship on Labor Day ~ Please note that on Monday, September 6th (Labor Day) there will not be Meditational Worship in the Parlor. Are you interested in receiving email reminders for unprogrammed worship? Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.



Joe Roberts to Speak on D. C. Stephenson of the KKK and the Indiana Trial that Helped Bring Down the Klan in the 1920s ~ Joe Roberts, retired attorney and Quaker from Noblesville Friends Church, will speak about the notorious D. C. Stephenson, former Indiana Grand Dragon, and the Ku Klux Klan, a notorious white supremacist hate group. He will speak on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a. m. at First Friends in Indianapolis. His father, Justin Roberts, was Hamilton County Prosecutor at the time of the famous trial that convicted Stevenson of the abduction, rape and murder of a young state education official, Madge Oberholtzer. The aftermath of the trial helped rid Indiana of many corrupt politicians and aided in drastically reducing Klan membership by tens of thousands across the country. This is a fascinating personal story, told from a Quaker perspective, about local history that impacted the nation in the 1920s when Indiana was a stronghold of the KKK, a hate group which still exists today.



Words from the Woods~ Remember that Purdue Extension is offering classes in building a raingarden.

With the more intense rains, you may have more flooding on your property. Your yard could benefit from installing a raingarden, that controls runoff and improves water quality.

https://extension.purdue.edu/rainscaping/

With the high heat and humidity, it’s been hard to enjoy the outdoors. Did you know that tree shade can lower temperatures by 10-20 degrees? Be sure and water your trees well once a week during these hot days.

There are a few things that we can do to lower the temperature around here: plant trees, use less electricity, drive less, walk and bike more and urge our legislators to decrease the amount of coal for power in our state. Our legislature has been supportive of coal powered electricity for various reasons and discouraging the use of solar and net metering to help private citizens contribute back to the power grid.

When I was at IKEA the other week, I was curious to know how a business has worked to reduce its electricity needs and make a positive contribution with its roof solar panels and waste reduction practices. A helpful associate showed me this (pictured left).

Leslie Webb (webb@indy.rr.com) from Carmel Green sent out this email:

“I just wanted to make sure you know the Energy Task Force is covering distributed energy resources, customer-owned solar and net metering at their next meeting on Sept 8 which can be viewed live, online.

We would hope to get recommendations for a fair net metering bill out of this process, but it won’t be easy because the co-chairs were complicit in SB309.(The bill that limited net metering) Rep. Soliday was a co-sponsor of the bill and Sen. Koch was Chair of the Utilities Committee that pushed it through the general assembly. They have a history of advancing legislation that favors utilities, and blocked all three net metering bills last session. They have both also received substantial campaign contributions from coal and utility interests.”

If we want to keep our earth from further warming, consider what actions you and your family can take.

https://quakerearthcare.org

https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/

~Mary B

2021 Fall Kickoff! ~ We are excited for this year’s fall kickoff which will begin on Sunday,  September 12th. Everyone is invited to wear your favorite sports team gear that day!

  • Seeking Friends will meet in person and by Zoom at 9:00am. We will pick up where we left off in “Everything is Sacred” by Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland. If you would like the Zoom link, and/or to request a book on scholarship, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

  • We will have two children’s worship classes (older and younger kids) who will meet during the service and will be back in our kids rooms.

  • At this time, there will be no Sunday school for children or youth.

  • Youth Group will meet that day after Meeting for Worship with Aaron and Michelle and will have lunch and games starting at 11:30.

We hope to see everyone that day in their sports outfits! Please join us.

 

IndyGo Hosts Free Pop-Up Vaccination Clinic ~ Get a COVID-19 vaccine, receive free access to IndyGo for an entire month. It’s an exciting incentive provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield available to everyone who takes advantage of the upcoming vaccination clinic Friday, Sept. 3, from 8 a.m. – noon and 2 – 6 p.m. at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center (CTC), located at 201 E. Washington St. This is the second time for the event. The first pop-up clinic in July was so successful vaccinating more than 60 people in just four hours, the decision was made to expand the hours of operation. All participants will receive a free 31-day IndyGo paper pass at the clinic immediately following their vaccination. The Moderna vaccine will be offered and is available to anyone 18 years of age and older.

Additionally, the health department will host pop-up vaccination clinics at the CTC every Wednesday in September – Sept. 8-29, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. All three vaccines will be available, including the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines for anyone 18 years and older, and the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 years and older.

 

Unprogrammed Worship~ We are happy to now offer email reminders for unprogrammed worship services each Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday morning! Zoom links will be included if applicable. If you’d like to sign up for these reminders, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Queries for the Week

Six Suggestions to Deepen My Connection with God

1.     Make a commitment 

2.     Create time alone 

3.     Find a good place 

4.     Sit down

5.     Relax and Observe

6.     Communicate 

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