As Way Opens
I am reading the book After Jesus Before Christianity, a historical exploration of the first two centuries of Jesus Movements by Erin Vearncombe, Brandon Scott and Hal Taussig. It’s really interesting to take a closer examination and deeper study of this period of time that has been foundational to our current beliefs as Christians. For many years I thought the gospels and all of the New Testament told the story of Jesus and early Christianity and that the words we read in the Bible describe Jesus ministry and the church. The discovery of a number of early Jesus movement writings at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945 shook the world of theologians and religious educators. These writings showed a diverse community with lots of tensions, challenges and no unified understanding of beliefs in this movement.
One of the big tensions of this era was around gender. Jesus challenged gender culture in his time. According to these authors, gender is very much of a social concept with how we identify, how we structure, how we define roles and responsibilities and how we position gender in our societies. Jesus confronted the accepted position of women in his culture and welcomed women into his ministry, His relationship with Mary was one of a disciple (without explicitly being named a disciple) and from the writings in our gospels, I believe she understands Jesus teachings in a deeper way then any of the male disciples.
Based on the discovery of these documents in Egypt, it is clear that this Jesus community saw new spaces for women to imagine visibility, agency and leadership. They were testing gender boundaries. It is interesting to compare The Gospel of Mary (found at Nag Hammandi) and I Timothy to illustrate the tensions of the early movement and also the possibilities. In the Gospel of Mary there is an interesting confrontation with Peter, Mary and other disciples. Mary shares a vision she had of the Savior and his teaching. Peter thinks the teachings strange and says “Did the Savior really speak with a woman without our knowing about it? Are we turn around and all listen to her? Did he choose her over us? Mary weeps over these comments and the disciple Levi stands up for her. He says Peter, you have always been an angry person. Now I see you contending against the woman like adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you, then to reject her? Surely the Savior’s knowledge of her is trustworthy. That is why he loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed. We should clothe ourselves with the perfect Human, acquire it for ourselves as he commanded us, and proclaim the good news, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said (10:7-13).
Compare this to I Timothy that has been attributed to Paul but probably written by a later writer. This writing tells women how to dress, learn in silence with full submission, not teach and to keep silent. Paul had a complicated relationship with women based on some of his writing (not sure he wrote all of this according to scholars) but it is clear that women were a part of his leadership team.
So how do we reconcile these different teachings. It would not be possible to answer this question in terms of yes or no. Obviously the early “Church” was not unified in their positions and there were different views among all. “Women of the early communities of the Anointed test the social fabric, probe its weak spots, and thereby imagine alternative warps and wefts.” How exhilarating to think of the possibilities. I think it's similar to some of the tension among beliefs and understandings today. We need to embrace the idea of discovery, reflection, new insights and reject the idea that all belief is settled for Christians. I am thankful that Quakers rejected that idea from the very beginning and embrace women as prophets, leaders and teachers as inspired by the Spirit.
Beth
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
IMPORTANT NOTICE: January Meeting for Worship ~ Clerks council has decided to suspend in-person programmed Sunday worship services. Unprogrammed services will still happen via Zoom, except for Sunday Unprogrammed which will also happen in-person at 9am Sundays January 23 & 30. For the official statement, click here.
Office Notice ~ Please note that our Office Administrator Rebecca will be gone until January 31. During this time Bob and Beth will answer calls and emails and cover office duties. If you are in need of something, please bear with the office during that time!
Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Please note that there will be no Men’s Threshing Together meeting for January. We plan to pick it back up in February. Please see the schedule here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11F_3lXxX3ZNRAW1yoowKrA2H2iDDLqvP/view
You’re Invited to Alhuda Mosque Tour- POSTPONED ~ Our trip to Alhuda Mosque in Fishers has been postponed to Saturday, February 12th at 10:00am. We will have a tour and a time for questions and answers. Please let Beth know if you would like to join us—there is still time to sign up!
Adult Quaker Affirmation POSTPONED ~ Please note that our adult Quaker Affirmation class series start date has been postponed to begin on Sunday, February 6th, from 11:30-1:00. This is an 8-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. Spots are still open! If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org
Save the Date – Mark your calendar for Saturday May 7th for a day retreat called the Linda Lee spirituality gathering where we will examine and experience a mystical life in a practical way. The retreat will run from 10:00 – 4:00 at the Benedictine Center. Linda Lee’s books will be available. Retreat cost is $30. More information will follow.
Illuminate Bible Study - You are cordially invited to the First Friends Bible study beginning February 10 and running for 13 weeks, on the book “James, 1 and 2 Peter: Practical Christian Living.“ The book is available at http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/ILLUMINATE/Illuminate-James-1-2-Peter-2011.html.
There also is a leader’s guide. Be sure not to confuse it with the participant book. The group meets by Zoom every Thursday from 7:30 pm to about 8:40 pm. It uses the Illuminate series published by Barclay Press. All are welcome. Feel free to visit, drop in, and/or drop out as you are led. Contact the First Friends office for the Zoom link. In God’s Love, Amy
Afghan Family Resettling into Their New Home
First Friends is wasting no time in turning a house into a home for our co-sponsored family from Afghanistan. In the last week, project teams delivered a welcoming meal, installed a washer and dryer, and provided household needs from warm bedding and rugs to kitchen appliances, and sewing machine, and cleaning supplies. This week, furniture, including dressers and desks, was delivered. The children are enrolled in school. Kathy R and Paula K. are the newest Coordinating Committee members guiding the collaboration. Please continue to pray for and bless this strong, determined family that has survived so much and is determined to keep going forward.
FCNL: Setting Quaker Lobbying Priorities for the 118th Congress ~ Every two years, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) asks Friends around the country for help in setting the focus of our advocacy work. Starting now until mid-April, you and your community of Friends can participate in this discernment process to influence the priorities that we at FCNL will advocate for during the next Congress starting in 2023. Join us for our January Quaker Changemaker event to get inspiration from Friends’ experiences bringing Friends together through this process and get ready to engage your community to do the same.
Register to join the conversation on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. EST.
Current Field Committee clerk Deb Hejl and former Policy Committee clerk Alex Stark will discuss the FCNL priorities process with moderator Bobby Trice. Learn what engaging in this process can look like, and then bring this knowledge to your Quaker communities to inform FCNL’s legislative agenda.
To register and for more information, visit https://www.fcnl.org/events/setting-quaker-lobbying-priorities-118th-congress.
Scholarship Opportunity – Noblesville Friends is offering six $500 scholarships in different areas of study for undergraduates and graduate studies. Applications should be submitted between January 15th and March 30th. Go to www.noblesvillefriends.org/scholarship.php for application and recommendation form.
Now is the time to begin planning for spring events. What to plant or nurture in your yard or property this year. Here are a few events that you may wish to check out.
February 15, 2022. 4:00-5:30 PM The Marion County SWCD is having is annual meeting and featuring a panel of local urban farmers who will share their perspectives on soil health principles in their food growing operations. The urban agriculture panel and interactive Q&A will be preceded by the annual business meeting with staff updates and highlights from 2021. Register today here! https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-2prDkuGdAn0_ru1lqMFW5OpwFpVNdk
January 27 from 6-7 PM on Zoom for an online, interactive In the Know with ROW: Planning the Future of Indy's Waterways. Members of our Strategic Planning Subcommittee will lead attendees in an interactive planning session to understand YOUR waterway priorities. What opportunities exist to improve and enhance the waterway nearest you? Learn more and RSVP today on Eventbrite
Want to become a Marion County master gardener? Contact Carey Grable: 317-275-9305 https://extension.purdue.edu/marion/pages/l.aspx?intLabelID=12 Marion County will be a host site for the Spring 2022 Purdue EMG Statewide Virtual Basic Training, Tuesdays, February 1 through May 3, 2022, from 6:30-8:30 PM ET / 5:30-7:30 PM CT via live webinars.
For more information contact Carey Grable: cagrable@purdue.edu
Surrounding counties have master gardener programs as well.
Free Lead Screening Kits Now Available! IUPUI's Center for Urban Health is teaming up with community organizations to distribute free, anonymous lead screening kits for Indianapolis residents living in homes built prior to 1974. These are available at Indianapolis Public Libraries. The goal of this project is to provide residents with the tools they need to understand the risks of household lead contamination. Each screening kit comes with materials to test the air, water, and soil quality for lead contamination. The kits can be identified by a sticker on the box, keeping the samples anonymous. The kits data will also contribute to anonymous public health data on Map My Environment
Queries for the Week
Queries from Victoria Loorz’s book “Church of the Wild” (Chapter 6):
· What would a Wild Christ – a Conversation who is the intermediary of love between all things…evoke in our world?
· Is it possible to imagine the worldview of kingdoms and empires transforming into a wordview of kin-dom and compassion?
· How might Christianity be different if it could become a place for sacred conversation: a place to explore possibilities and express doubts and disagree, and encourage voices on the edges?