As Way Opens
Many of you know that Fridays are my day off and I am religious about having this down time. What you may not know is that on Fridays, I try and do things that lift my spirits, allow me to relax, and let me engage my creative side. Sometime this takes the shape of organizing a closet or doing yard work, but this past Friday, my heart was heavy watching the news out of Ukraine.
After getting up, working out, and having breakfast, I decided to go read in my studio. As I sat to continue my reading, I noticed the last blank canvas on my easel. It was almost calling out to me. I returned the book to the shelf next to my chair, grabbed the canvas, and pondered what I would paint.
I did not have a plan or even an idea, but as I stared at that blank canvas, the people of Ukraine that I had seen on the news that morning were running through my mind. I was moved by their heroism, their desire to stand up for themselves, and to stand against their enemy. I was also moved by the sacrifice of many who were fighting a war that they never prompted.
Knowing that the Ukrainian National Flower is the sunflower, I decided to start there. I sensed a darkened theme for the background and muted colors, but also the beauty of a fragile glass vase holding them together. I had set the flowers and vase off center to show the disequilibrium of war. Then in the space to the side, I painted fallen petals to represent those who had lost their lives. In the background appeared a subtle Ukrainian flag.
Throughout the entire experience, I sensed my painting was a form of visual prayer. Each brush stroke was another cry to the Divine for protection, peaceful negotiations, and a quick resolution. Sometimes I believe our prayers cannot be expressed in words. Please continue to hold the people of Ukraine in the Light and pray that peace will prevail.
Grace and peace,
Bob
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
You’re invited to USFW’s Spring Gathering! The United Society of Friends Women Midwest Region invites you to their Spring Gathering on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. It will be held at Fairfield Friends Meeting, 10441 East County Rd 700 South, Camby, IN 46113. Registration starts at 9am and then the gathering kicks off with Meeting led by Jamie Lyon of Russiaville Friends, and then a time of business. A $10 lunch will be served (reservations required). For more information, please view their flyer here.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Men’s Threshing Together- DATE CHANGE ~ 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 the date has changed for this month to avoid the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. We will now meet on Thursday, March 24 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2022 here.
Help Ukrainians in Need ~ Aaron Thornburg’s friend and classmate, Vladyslav is from Ukraine. He is currently attending Indiana University and is trying to help his family back home in Ukraine. Aaron has set up a Gofundme to raise funds to help Vladyslav’s family get out of Ukraine and find a safe place abroad to settle down until the conflict is over.
Vladyslav’s family lives in Uzhhorod - a tiny city on the southwest side of Ukraine surrounded by a breathtaking mountain chain called the Carpathian Mountains. Right now, the city is actively preparing for any possible attack that it may have to encounter in the next few weeks. Russians have managed to capture some of the territories on the way to the capital, but the Ukrainian army right now is fighting to defend the citizens and their freedom.
The raised money will support and help Vladyslav’s mother and sister to get to a safe place abroad and settle down there until the conflict in my country is resolved. She already got directions from friends abroad as to where she can drive to, but the main concern is the financial support to establish herself somewhere for a while.
Time is of great urgency; please consider giving on Gofundme if you’re able. For questions, contact Aaron at aaronthornburg@indyfriends.org.
An Easter Garden at First Friends Meeting! ~ In celebration of Easter, we invite you to become a part of it through the gift of a garden of flowers for our Meetingroom on Easter Sunday. If you would like to order flowers, there will be order forms available in the bulletin each Sunday morning for the next 3 weeks. Simply fill out the form and drop it in the offering plate or send it to the Meetinghouse along with your payment. Or send your order to office@indyfriends.org.
Mysticism in Our Ordinary Life – Registration Open! ~ Mark your calendar for Saturday May 7th for the Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat where we will examine and experience a mystical life in a practical way. The retreat will be a time of gathering together for teaching and small groups, as well as choices of individual experiences inside and outside the retreat center for reflection and contemplation. The retreat will be led by Carole Spencer, former Professor at Earlham School of Religion; Kathi Gatlin, Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary; and Lynn Clouser Holt, Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary. The retreat will run from 10:00 – 4:00 at the Benedictine Center. Linda Lee’s books will be available. Retreat cost is $30. If you’d like to register, please visit https://forms.gle/S2iBVunJVq3bpTHw6. Feel free to share our flyer for the event for anyone who may be interested.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for March
Red-winged Blackbird: The Scout
My friend Steve had been in the process of moving to the area for several months. One day he told me he had been scouting around for a church. After visiting several, he had found one that was a good fit for his family. It was quite unlike our Quaker experience, with a top-down creed and rather narrow belief system, but it was good for Steve. He reported back to his family, and, having arrived, they now have become members.
Steve’s scouting reminded me of Red-winged Blackbirds and our meetinghouse property. During the last week of February and the first week of March I heard red-wings not only as single birds overhead, but also as one stopped to check out the fringe areas of the Meditational Woods and the vegetation along the powerline. These are scouts ahead of the main flocks, looking for suitable habitat for nesting territories. Unlike Steve, these males do not go back to the main flocks of blackbirds farther south to announce their findings. They simply find those areas, set up a territory, and when the newly-arrived blackbirds hear the pioneer scouts singing, they join them with nearby nesting sites.
Alas, however, the Meditational Woods and the field to the north are not prime real estate for red-wings. They hunger for shrubby stubble, and especially wet areas with cattail growth. So while we at Indy First Friends hear both the scouts checking us out in late February and all of March, and large flocks overhead all during the rest of spring, by June the only red-winged blackbirds we will hear are a few that may have found a place in the weedy powerline right-of-way south of Kessler.
The lesson here is that the Quaker path is wide, but may not be for everyone. At Indianapolis First Friends we certainly welcome at all times scouts looking for a home. Perhaps they will find that we are the “wetland cattails” of meaningful experiences, and decide to stay.
- Brad J
Quaker Haven Camp ~ It’s time to think about your kids attending Quaker Haven Camp in Syracuse, IN. If you are not familiar with Quaker Haven, check out their website (www.quakerhaven.com). Our kids have been going there for many years and have enjoyed it. First Friends will pay for half of the cost of camp – ask the meeting office for a code you can use at checkout for 50% off. If you need additional assistance, please contact the office. Here are the dates:
· June 5th - 10th Senior high camp (9th - 12)
· June 12th - 17th Junior high camp (7th - 8th grade)
· June 17th - 19th Beginner’s camp (kindergarten - 2nd grade with an adult)
· June 19th - 24th Adventure camp (5th - 6th grade)
· June 26th - July 1st Senior high camp (9th - 12th grade)
· July 10th - 13th Little Friends camp (2nd - 4th grade)
· July 17th - 21st Pioneer camp (3rd - 5th grade)
Queries for the Week
Do I see myself in relation to the world, answerable not only to God but also to humanity and to history?
Who are the poor and oppressed in my life that I need to reach out to this week?
How at First Friends might we lean more into that second description of church from Phil Gulley?