As Way Opens
A couple of months ago, Penny Paraskevas shared with Circle of Care her love for specialty license plates during one of our meetings. Since she shared, I have been noticing a lot more specialty plates while driving around Indianapolis.
The other day on my way to have lunch with our Superintendent, Shawn McConaughey, I came to a traffic light and noticed the car’s license plate in front of me read, “BEWHO UR.” At first glance, I didn’t get it. But then as the car sped off, I read it slowly, “be who you are.”
As I continued down the street, this sighting reminded me of a children’s book that I read to the Maple Seeds Preschool Cooperative (which meets in our Meeting) by the same title. The book, Be Who You Are is the companion to bestselling author, Todd Parr’s classic, It’s OK to Be Different. Two great books to read to your kids, grandkids, or your neighbor’s kids for that matter.
In Be Who You Are, Todd says,
Be who you are!
Be proud of where you’re from.
Be a different color. Speak your language.
Wear everything you need to be you.
Todd Parr reminds kids and adults alike, that their unique traits are what make them so special.
A big part of empathy, which we are talking about in our fall sermon series, is acceptance – the ability to see that others have a right to be their own unique persons. To be empathetic people we need to work on accepting people for who they are and letting go of our desires to change them. When we do this, we let them be different and think differently from us – uniquely the way God made them.
Remember to be who you are this week, and let others be who they are, too!
Grace and peace,
Bob
Joys & Concerns
You never know where Friends from our Meeting will show up. If you watch this video from the Broad Ripple Parks carefully you may see some familiar faces!
We had a great turnout for Sunday Funday and loved the amazing bounce house that was set up in fellowship hall. The kids (and a few adults) had so much fun bouncing and climbing the wall to slide down the other side. It was pretty cool to have this massive bounce house inside and thankful we could finally have something for the kids. We might do this again in the winter!
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
2022 First Friends Women’s Retreat: Kaleidoscope - The Magic of a Subtle Shift ~ Ladies, you’re invited to the 2022 First Friends Women’s Retreat! It will be Friday September 23rd beginning at 5:00 p.m. through 11:00 on Sunday Sept 25th. Rachel Doll O’Mahoney, the new pastor at Valley Mill Friends will be our retreat leader. We will gather at the Benedictine Center in Beech Grove and the Center will provide rooms and meals. We will gather together to talk about our lives the past 2 years and how our experiences are shaping our future. We will have workshops, free time, meals together and some fun activities. We invite you to reserve your spot by contacting the office. Registration is due by TOMORROW, September 15th! The following is the pricing for 2 nights stay, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts and one lunch:
Single room with common bath - $158
Double room with common bath - $117
(Please note that only rooms with common baths are left.) We will have scholarships available to ensure anyone can attend if they want to. Our previous retreats have been a rich time of connection and community. This is a retreat that is trans inclusive/LGBTQ supportive.
SAWS Ramp Build ~ The Shalom Zone is planning another SAWS ramp build on the morning of Saturday, October 1st. SAWS is an organization that designs and builds ramps for folks who need a wheelchair and cannot afford a wheelchair ramp on their own. No experience is necessary...if you can carry some lumber and pound in a nail, then you qualify! The build usually begins at around 8 am and concludes around noon. Further details about time and location will be provided at a later date. The Shalom Zone needs to get its list of volunteers together no later than September 20. If you would like to volunteer or need more information, please contact the office.. First time volunteers must complete the volunteer form before their first build. This form can be found on the SAWS website: www.sawsramps.org. Thank you.
Fall Migration is Underway and our bird friends may stop in our Woods ~ Each fall, billions of birds take flight, streaming through the air on their far-flung journeys. Cornell Ornithology hosts its annual Migration Celebration to celebrate and marvel at this amazing natural spectacle. Join them for a festival of free, online events from September 12–22. You can enjoy two weeks of webinars and family-friendly programs with ideas and resources for your own migration activities. For more information, visit the Cornell website.
Want to learn more about native goldenrods? Here is a post by Alyssa Nyberg, restoration ecologist at Kankakee Sands Nature Preserve.
Are you interested in learning more about being engaged in protecting God’s earth? The annual Hoosier Environmental Council “Greening the Statehouse” is October 15, 2022: https://www.hecweb.org/gts/.
Confront the Climate Crisis: Confront the Climate Crisis (CTCC), in preparation for advocating for SB 255 again for the 2023 Sessions, is hosting a conference to bring a diverse set of stakeholders to the table and have an in-depth conversation about potential climate solutions for Indiana. For more information, view the flyer here.
National Drive Electric Week Carmel EV Ride and Drive - Carmel, IN Oct 01, 2022 - https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=3141
Please bring your unneeded footwear of ALL types to the Donation Station in Fellowship Hall. Changing Footprints is on track to provide 50,000 pairs this year from our North Indy location alone. Demand for footwear is increasing, and our supply is dwindling! In addition to many Indiana nonprofits, we recently have been supplying shoes for people affected by the Kentucky floods. This summer we have provided footwear to organizations in Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thanks for your support!
Selling a Car? Help Someone in Need! One of our attenders, Rosita Moore is seeking a reliable and affordable used vehicle. If you have one, or know of someone who may have one for sale, please contact the office. Thank you!
First Friends Financial Update: Members and attenders are reminded that the Meeting seeks and welcomes financial support, as we currently are experiencing a dip in donations. To donate online, visit indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303. Other means of support include automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For assistance in donating, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485.
The Stamp Program is Still as Active as Ever! The stamp program is still in full swing! The program collects and resells stamps to raise money for Right Sharing of World Resources, a nonprofit organization that provides grants to female-owned businesses in Sierra Leone, India and Kenya. So be sure to save your stamps, and leave or mail your donations to the Meetinghouse. Another issue of the program’s newsletter, $tamping 4 Dollar$ is available! View it here.
Men’s Threshing Together ~ Again this month, we are moving Threshing Together to the 4th Thursday of the month, September 22 at 7pm. Please see the Fall Schedule for locations. If you are interested in gathering with 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! This group is trans inclusive/LGBTQ supportive.
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 1 more student who needs to be sponsored! If you’d like to participate, take a student off the posterboard in the Meetinghouse. Please consider connecting with our students this year!
Are You Interested In Gleaning? ~ The Shalom Zone is trying to find out whether there are folks in our Shalom Zone churches who have an interest in gleaning crops. Gleaning is the process of walking through a farmer’s field and picking up produce left behind by machines that harvest the crops. The “gleaned produce” can then be donated to a food pantry or other organization who can use it. Notice of a gleaning event is typically short...a few days to perhaps a week. The farms are usually located in counties adjacent to Marion County. We would anticipate that we would meet at First Friends and ride together to the gleaning location. If you would be interested in helping with gleaning, please notify either the First Friends office. Our thought is to develop an email list of interested folks to use when gleaning opportunities arise. Notice can then quickly be sent out to determine whether there are folks who are able to help for a particular gleaning event that arises. Think of this opportunity as something that can not only provide food for the needy, but great exercise! Thanks for your consideration.
Indianapolis Festival of Faiths! Friends, the Festival of Faiths is coming around again and this time in person at White River State Park September 18th, 1:00 to 5:00pm! You can meet people of many different faiths, get "turbin-ized" by the Sikhs as Bob Henry did one year, join a drumming circle and maybe witness a Jewish wedding complete with the smashing of the wine glass. And of course, you can hang out with the Quakers and learn more about the Quaker Testimonies.
As in the past we expect to work with Fairfield Friends and perhaps another couple of local meetings. As always, we are looking for people to help us at the Quaker booth. Any amount of time is helpful but helping set up and take down are the times when we definitely need a minimum of two people.
If you would be willing to help with the booth, contact the office.
Seasoned Friends Is Back! Seasoned Friends will gather again for the first time in a few years since the pandemic on Thursday, Sept 29th at 11:30. We will have a soup and salad lunch together and talk about the things we would like to experience together as a group over the next few months. This has been a wonderful gathering in the past for anyone over 50 that appreciates gathering for food, fellowship and interesting activities. We welcome anyone that considers themselves a Seasoned Friend to join us. If you’re interested, please RSVP to the Meeting Office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for September
Chipping Sparrow: As Common As Dirt?
The Chipping Sparrow does not get much respect in the world of birders. The feeling is not negative as with a House Sparrow or the European Starling. Every year in the spring we watch newly-arrived migrants, and make daily notes of species found. Unlike the oohs and aahs brought on by the sightings of Baltimore Orioles or Black-throated Blue Warblers, the first views of Chipping Sparrows are greeted by a matter-of-factness. They have a rusty-red cap, black-and-white stripes on the face, and white wingbars on a brown upper body. The song is a rapid-burst series of chips, from which it gets its name. So what is the issue? I believe it is simply “commonness”.
Yes, Chippies are everywhere! While found in most natural habitats, they have adapted well to suburban neighborhoods, baseball fields, cemeteries, and churchyards, even our own. So to a birder, it would be as if the pastor has announced a surprise performer, and you are watching and listening for the Beatles, Elvis, or even John Denver, and what you get is a pew-neighbor member of congregation singing “Kum-bah-yah”…again.
HOWEVER: The point is that our meeting welcomes special guests, and we learn much from them, but we also depend on our COMMON pew-neighbor members whose frequent well-done renditions of “Kum-bah-yah” keep us going each day.
- Story and photos by Brad J
FWCC Midwest Regional Gathering ~ You’re invited to the Friends World Committee for Consultation’s (FWCC) regional gathering. Friends from the Midwest Region (Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois) will meet in Plainfield at the Western Yearly Meeting site on Saturday, September 24 from 12:00 - 4:30pm. Come and meet Friends from the Midwest and hear from Shawn McConaughey (Superintendent of Western Yearly Meeting) and Robin Mohr (General Secretary of FWCC, Section of the Americas). For more information and to register, click here.
Adult Quaker Affirmation Coming Soon ~ We are glad to offer an adult Quaker Affirmation class series which will begin on Sunday, October 2, 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. Anyone is welcome! If you’re interested, please contact the office.
This Week’s Queries
· Do I only give empathy when it is convenient to me?
· When other people offend me or make a mistake, do I withhold empathy?
· Do I look for opportunities to “educate” the other people in a conversation?
· Do I try to fix the problem instead of listening intently for how the person feels?
· Do I turn someone else’s vulnerability into an opportunity to draw attention to myself?
· Am I not willing to challenge my own beliefs, assumptions, or convictions in hearing another’s story?