As Way Opens
This Sunday is Easter and Quakers and Christians throughout the world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, often considered the centerpiece of our faith. But over the years I have come to realize that Easter is more than just a day or a miraculous event. I want to challenge you this week to think about what happens when we consider resurrection a verb. When we do, the resurrection becomes a spiritual practice in our daily life.
Religious writer, Megan McKenna, saw it this way once when leading a study. She shares the following vignette in her book, Not Counting Women and Children: Neglected Stories from the Bible.
Once in a parish mission when I was studying this scripture (Luke 7: 11-17) with a large group, someone called out harshly, “Have you ever brought someone back from the dead?”
I had been saying that life happens when we are interrupted, and that some of the most powerful acts of resurrection happen to the least likely people; that we are the people of resurrection and hope, called to live passionately and compassionately with others, to defy death, to forgive, and to bring others back into the community, to do something that is life-giving, that fights death and needless suffering. And then this challenge from the back of the church.
My response was, “Yes.” I went on to say, “Every time I bring hope into a situation, every time I bring joy that shatters despair, every time I forgive others and give them back dignity and the possibility of a future with me and others in the community, every time I listen to others and affirm them and their life, every time I speak the truth in public, every time I confront injustice — YES — I bring people back from the dead."
My hope is that this Easter we would take time to consider Megan’s query, “Am I a person of resurrection and hope, called to live passionately and compassionately with others? This is the resurrection our world needs.
Easter blessings,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
We had a wonderful Palm Sunday here at First Friends! We were able to resume our yearly tradition with our kids marching in with palms as we sang Hosanna! We also enjoyed hearing our special guest Phil Gulley speak. We hope to see you next Sunday for our special Easter celebration! (See photos on our FaceBook page!)
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Welcome Wolff! We’d like to officially welcome Wolff as our new permanent organist! You’ve heard Wolff perform if you’ve heard the organ at any of our Sunday services the last few months. He is a wonderful organist and we are happy to have him on board!
No Seeking Friends/Monthly Meeting ~ Friends, please note, there will be no Seeking Friends Adult Sunday School or Monthly Meeting this Easter Sunday, April 17. We hope you will join us for our special Easter Celebration.
Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice on Monday April 25th at 4:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. It will last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. If you have any questions, reach out to Kristyn at her cellular number 317-409-2116 by text or call. Hope to see you there!
Words from the Woods ~ Thanks to our hearty volunteers who collected many bags of trash along Kessler Blvd and in the Woods. They also weeded the courtyard and helped transplant some prairie dropseed and blue-eyed grass to the Memorial Plaque mound. More plants will arrive in April and May.
If you walk in the Woods, notice the wildflowers peeping up. Can you identify the blood root, trillium, Jacob’s ladder, spring beauties, columbine and others?
We’ve already seen some early butterflies busy at work. ~Mary B
“Please say,‘ NO!’ To Mosquito Joe and similar mosquito services. The insecticides are indiscriminate in their action. They kill helpful insects as well as mosquitoes. Use mosquito repellent, long sleeves. Save a monarch or a firefly. https://blog.nwf.org/2020/09/what-you-need-to-know-before-spraying-for-mosquitoes/
Update on the Bobuskyi family from Ukraine ~ We have an update on the Bobuskyi family, Aaron T’s friend’s family from Ukraine. Recently we shared their GoFundMe to help them get out of the country. Last week, they shared this update:
Great news Vlad’s mother Natali Bobuska and younger sister Arine have made it safely to Olomouc, Czech Republic! They have some distant relatives there that have received them and are helping them get acclimated. Natali is currently looking for housing in the city. These basic needs of food, shelter, and travel to safety, are a direct result of your action thank you all so much! Now begins the hard work of being a refugee in a foreign land, finding work and learning to speak the language. Please continue to hold Vlad’s family in the light.
Indy Creation Fest ~ You’re invited to Indy Creation Fest, Saturday, April 23, 2022, 11am-3pm at Christ’s Community Church, 13097 Allisonville Road, Fishers, Indiana. Come join the Evangelical Environmental Network at the first annual Indy Creation Fest! Indy Creation Fest is an open-house-style celebration of our role as stewards of God’s earth. Learn about beekeeping and composting, sample vegan cooking and ethical chocolate and meet some adorable animals from local rescues. Discover what the Bible says about conservation and sustainability and find out how others in your community are caring for Creation as an expression of their faith. The festival includes activities for all ages, so bring the whole family for an unforgettable afternoon of fun and learning! For more information visit https://drivecleanindiana.org/event/april-23-2022-indy-creation-fest/
Vote for a Green Indiana ~ If climate change and sustainability are important policies when you vote, we encourage you to check out Voters for a Green Indiana who have prepared a digest of the environmental views of candidates for office in Central and NW Indiana. Voters for a Green Indiana is a non-partisan, independent advocacy group of volunteer citizens for urgent action on climate mitigation.
Opportunities to Worship and Pray for Ukraine ~ All are invited to join us for a virtual Meeting for Worship to pray for Ukraine and to pray for peace. People from all over the world will be joining via Zoom in solidarity for peace. Friends in the US are invited to join Kyiv Friends each Sunday for their late meeting, which happens at 1pm Eastern time. Please contact the office for the Zoom info.
Friends House Moscow (FHM) sponsors a Daily International Meeting for Worship for Peace. We hold in the Light all those affected by the events in Ukraine. Friends House Moscow is every day from12-1pm Eastern time. Please contact the office for the Zoom info.
Nonviolence Training – We believe that Dr. King's vision for a Beloved Community is possible. We will achieve this by growing and living a culture of Nonviolence. You’re invited to a twelve-hour personal and professional development opportunity that will increase your knowledge, expand your perspective, and help you take action to build the Beloved Community with us. This is how we ensure our society and economy benefit everyone. This event is sponsored by the Indianapolis Martin Luther King Center. It will be held Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23, 10am-4pm at Common Ground Church at 46th & Illinois. For more information, please visit https://mlkcenterindy.org/nonviolence/
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! Join us for our next in-person meeting on Thursday, April 21 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2022 here. (Please note the corrected dates!)
Get ready for Community Gardening! It’s that time of year! Start thinking about if you’d like to keep your plot or get a new plot in our community garden. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Afghan Family Celebrates Ramadan
Our Afghan family is celebrating Ramadan right now. If you’re interested in learning more about it, please keep reading! (Thank you to Monteze S for this research.)
Ramadan, Arabic Ramaḍān, in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle. ….
Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan, on the “Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr)— commemorated on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, usually the 27th night—that God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad the Qurʾān, Islam’s holy book, “as a guidance for the people.” For Muslims, Ramadan is a period of introspection, communal prayer (ṣalāt) in the mosque, and reading of the Qurʾān. God forgives the past sins of those who observe the holy month with fasting, prayer, and faithful intention.
Ramadan, however, is less a period of atonement than it is a time for Muslims to practice self restraint, in keeping with ṣawm (Arabic: “to refrain”), one of the pillars of Islam (the five basic tenets of the Muslim religion). Although ṣawm is most commonly understood as the obligation to fast during Ramadan, it is more broadly interpreted as the obligation to refrain between dawn and dusk from food, drink, sexual activity, and all forms of immoral behavior, including impure or unkind thoughts. Thus, false words or bad deeds or intentions are as destructive of a fast as is eating or drinking.
After the sunset prayer, Muslims gather in their homes or mosques to break their fast with a meal called ifṭār that is often shared with friends and extended family. The ifṭār usually begins with dates, as was the custom of Muhammad, or apricots and water or sweetened milk. There are additional prayers offered at night called the tawarīḥ prayers, preferably performed in congregation at the mosque. During these prayers, the entire Qurʾān may be recited over the course of the month of Ramadan. To accommodate such acts of worship in the evening, work hours are adjusted during the day and sometimes reduced in some Muslim-majority countries. The Qurʾān indicates that eating and drinking are permissible only until the “white thread of light becomes distinguishable from the dark thread of night at dawn.” Thus, Muslims in some communities sound drums or ring bells in the predawn hours to remind others that it is time for the meal before dawn, called the suḥūr.
Ṣawm can be invalidated by eating or drinking at the wrong time, but the lost day can be made up with an extra day of fasting. For anyone who becomes ill during the month or for whom travel is required, extra fasting days may be substituted after Ramadan ends. Volunteering, performing righteous works, or feeding the poor can be substituted for fasting if necessary. Able-bodied adults and older children fast during the daylight hours from dawn to dusk. Pregnant or nursing women, children, the old, the weak, travelers on long journeys, and the mentally ill are all exempt from the requirement of fasting.
Source: Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (Invalid Date). Ramadan. Encyclopedia (accessed March 11, 2022)
Flood the Phones, Not Our Homes ~ Together we can make this month a turning point in our fight for health, climate, and God’s creation. From now until Friday, April 22, the Evangelical Environmental Network is hosting “Flood the Phones, Not Our Homes,” an opportunity for you to contact your Senators and urge them to act now by investing in crucial climate action.
Participating is easy! Simply call 1-866-531-4003 and enter your ZIP code. Use this sample message or feel free to personalize as you see fit!
This is a critical decade for climate change, and we must continue to act boldly and swiftly to address this pressing crisis. From extreme weather and fires to the poor health of our children and grandchildren, the harms of climate change are felt right now, across the country. This April, join us by calling your Senator and urging them to get bold climate investments across the finish line! Let’s flood the phones, not our homes.
Call Now: 1-866-531-4003 (To call both senators, simply redial the number, and you will be connected with your second state senator.)
Ending Hunger: What’s God Got to Do with It? You’re invited to a workshop on the theological underpinnings of advocacy to change public policy, led by Rev. Dr. Richard L. Hamm and sponsored by Bread for the World. The workshop is designed to help clergy and lay leaders alike consider the call on faithful Christians to speak up for those who face food insecurity. As you know, churches often address hunger through food pantries and the like. But research shows only 15% of the need around us is met by all the charitable sources combined. Most folks don’t want to be 15% Christians. So, we are working to understand the root causes of hunger, and how to change the systems that allow hunger to flourish in the first place. This workshop begins to name what our faith has to do with advocacy. It’s a great way to introduce your congregation to this kind of public witness. The workshop will be held Tues., April 26, 7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. It will be at Second Presbyterian Church’s Common Room (2nd floor) at 7700 N. Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN. Registration is free, but required. For more information and to register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ending-hunger-whats-god-got-to-do-with-it-tickets-315575694397. The presentation will be available both in person and via Zoom.
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 April
Yellow-throated Warbler
Last month I described a bird that reminded us that spring was right around the corner. This month’s selection, the Yellow-throated Warbler, arrives in early to mid-April, and signifies that spring has arrived indeed. In college days I remember going on bird expeditions to Southern Indiana over spring break, and oftentimes this species was the first spring-arriving warbler we found. We always heard it before we saw it. The song is, “too-weet, too-weet, too-weet, too-weet, too, too, TUHWEET. The first part goes down in pitch, while the very last goes up. The bird, which favors sycamores and pine trees, may be a challenge to spot, but the song is loud, and with practice, unmistakable!!
As our Meditational Woods has both sycamores and pines, this bird is a good bet for visiting in the next couple of weeks. It will likely move on to a nesting habitat with a stream or river, but while it is here, let’s enjoy its angel-like herald of newly arrived springtime!
-Brad J
Queries for the Week
Will difficult times reduce me to my worst or raise me to my best?