Friend to Friend December 4, 2019

December 4, 2019

As Way Opens

For several weeks now, Selah – a created pause for reflection, contemplation, rest, meditation and prayer – has been the focus of our Meetings for Worship. As Ed Morris said to our Ministry & Council this week in an email, “It seems like a good way to begin the Christmas season; to slow down, get centered, go inward and listen.” Each year, I try to do this during the weeks leading up to Christmas. While growing up in more liturgical churches, we had a name for this time of the year – Advent. It was a set-apart time for preparing for the birth of Jesus. Most of the time my family would participate in some type of Advent devotional which we would read together while lighting the candles of our Advent wreath. Today, I still keep up the practice of reading an Advent devotional. On Sunday morning, as I was preparing for worship, I read the first devotional by Elder Nancy G. Maxwell, titled, “Lighting the Way to . . . Unfamiliar Peace.” In the devotional Maxwell notes that “Jesus created space for himself to find a personal peace.” Even Jesus modeled the need for this time of Selah or what Maxwell calls an “unfamiliar peace.” Here is the full devotional to read and ponder as you prepare this holiday season.

Isaiah 2:3b-5a

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Holy One from Jerusalem. The Holy One shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Israel, come, let us walk in the light of the Holy One!
How we long, like Israel before us, for a great peacemaker. The prophet Isaiah gives us such a hopeful image – an arbitrator of the people – one who will have the ability to rule so that countries would no longer use weapons against one other, and nations “shall learn war no more.” Several verses later in Isaiah we read the words memorialized in Handel’s Messiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The Jews in Jesus’ time needed that kind of liberator, one who would cast out the Roman tyranny. It was a time when a Roman soldier could randomly kill a Jew on the street without fearing any consequence. It is no wonder many Jews desperately hoped the Messiah would be a Warrior King, who could drive out the enemy and restore peace in Israel.
But the Prince of Peace was not the Warrior King the Jews deeply desired. He came out of the wildness, an unknown, an itinerant preacher, who had little to say about the Roman occupation. Instead he challenged the Jews who were in complicity with the oppressors – those who protected their high station in the midst of their people’s misery. He challenged the religious authorities who applied the Jewish law with rigidity and lacking compassion for their people living with the daily oppression of foreign rule.
Jesus, the transgressive teacher, went out to the margins of Jewish society – he even spoke to the people the Jews had reviled for centuries – the “half-breed” Samaritans and the Phoenicians. He spoke directly to women, a scandalous action for a Jewish man during Jesus’ day. There was nothing particularly peaceful about his lifestyle of deliberately and strategically disregarding Jewish religious law. His disruption of the status quo brought him to the attention of the religious authorities, whose response was to devise a way to eliminate this disruptive element in their midst. Even the Roman ruler in Jerusalem found Jesus innocent of any wrongdoing. It was Jesus’ own people who declared Jesus’ death sentence, shouting in the public square.
But he was, nonetheless, the Prince of Peace – an unfamiliar peace. It is that unfamiliar peace we are called to embrace this Advent season. Jesus created space for himself to find a personal peace. It was a peace found in being still to hear the whisperings of the Holy, of engaging in open-hearted contemplation before taking action, and in finding compassion and similarities in those most unlike himself.
May we travel this Advent season, modeling Jesus’ unfamiliar peace. May we create personal space, seeking shelter within ourselves. And in that embrace, we will come home to ourselves, steadying ourselves for taking on Jesus’ role of working in the margins of our world today.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Amen.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Kian continues to be in rehab at Riley Children's Hospital. Most mornings he has a full schedule of therapies. His voice is still very quiet, but he is communicating through words. Some exciting news is that Kian will be going on a field trip with two other boys from rehab this Thursday. Naomi was able to make it to Meeting for Worship on Sunday and she enjoyed being with all of us. Many thanks to anyone who has contributed to help Naomi during this time. We continue our prayers for Kian and surround him and his family in love and Light.

We’d like to extend a big thank you to Leslie K for decorating the Meeting so beautifully for Christmas! She did a wonderful job.

On Tuesday, November 26 we hosted the Shalom Zone Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. We had a wonderful time with our Shalom Zone friends and the combined choir had a great performance. Thank you to all who came!

Please pray for Larry S, who will be undergoing a quadruple bypass surgery tomorrow. Let us hold him and his family in the Light as we all pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery for Larry.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Earlham School of Religion holiday gathering! You are invited to gather with ESR alumni and current students here at First Friends on Tuesday, December 10 from 6:30-8:30pm! The gathering will be led by Brent Walsh, Director of Student & Alumni Engagement at Earlham School of Religion, and hosted by Beth H, currently an ESR student. The time will include visiting and fellowship over dinner and dessert, as well as a time of music, stories and fun. There is no cost for this holiday gathering. You are invited to attend the whole time or come for what best fits your schedule. Please RSVP here: https://esr.earlham.edu/IndyHolidayGathering. For more information contact Brent Walsh at walshbr@earlham.edu.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Serenity Now December 5 Meeting Reminder ~ Serenity Now, the First Friends support group for those experiencing family and relationship challenges, will meet from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the parlor on the first Thursday of each month. We will discuss chapters 3 and 4 of The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz and share our personal experiences. If you would like to try out the group without buying the book, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and Jan will arrange to get you a copy of the reading. Sharing is confidential and all are welcome.

Vespers Annual Concert~ This Sunday, December 8th at 5:30pm we invite you to attend our annual Vespers concert, this year themed, “Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Light!” Our performers have been practicing hard for this concert, and it should be quite a delight. Following the concert there will be a complimentary light dinner, hosted by our Fellowship Committee. Please plan to join us for the evening!

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 due to the holidays it will be held on Thursday, December 12 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday December 14, 5:30 - 9:30. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us on December 15th immediately after worship in the Parlor for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. If you can donate two dozen cookies, they can be dropped off the morning of Sunday, December 16th in the parlor. Due to allergies, please DO NOT bring any cookies containing peanuts, peanut butter or any peanut product. For more information or if you need to schedule a different dropoff time, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.. Happy holidays!

The Green Team wants to let the Meeting know about two opportunities to support conservation legislation. Find out who your representative is at www.house.gov. Call him/her and ask them to cosponsor HR3742. This is the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA). Indiana would receive $18 million a year from this Act. Call your representative AND your senator (www.senate.gov) about the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Ask them to support HR3195 and S1081. These bills would provide millions for LWCF which will affect funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, and state and local parks.

Used Toys Needed ~ Linwood Christian Church, a lower income church on the eastside of Indianapolis, is in need of used toys/books for their Christmas sale for their families. Any used toys/books that you have would be appreciated. Please put them in the box at the meetinghouse.

More info about Linwood Christian Church: Linwood Christian on East Michigan has a small, older congregation. Their food pantry is open to individuals living in the area from Washington St to 21st and Emerson to Rural and once a week serves about 120 people. They also have a Rummage Room open 4 mornings a week. Proceeds go to a Benevolence Fund for special needs. At Christmas time they focus on getting age-appropriate gifts for the children of the Food Pantry clients, gently used toys, books, games, etc.

Indy Winds Flute Choir will have their winter concert on Sunday, December 15th at 3:00 at Roberts Park United Methodist Church and we encourage folks to attend. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of the flute choir.

Join First Friends for Caroling! ~ If you’d like to join us for caroling to some of our dear Friends and neighbors, meet us on Sunday, December 15 at 3:30 at The Stratford (visiting Tom and Pat P). We will also travel to Ursula R’s house (91st and Meridian area), then to Kathy F’s father’s house (Solana near Keystone and 77th) and end at American Village. We should be done by 6:00 p.m. and then will gather for dinner at Some Guys Pizza on Allisonvile and 62nd. If you’d like to carpool, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org and meet us at the Meetinghouse at 2:50 that day. We hope you will join us!

Youth Christmas Party! ~ All our youth (6th - 12th grade) are invited to our annual Youth Christmas Party on Friday, December 20th at 6:15 pm (please note the date has been CHANGED). We will have a gift exchange, great Mexican food, and games. If you are interested in signing up your youth, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org

Experiment with Light! ~ Friends, our monthly Experiment with the Light (EWL) is Tuesday, December 17, at 7 pm in the parlor. You may hear some call it, Mind the Light (MTL). The names are interchangeable.

All are welcome, whether this is your first time or you’re a regular. For those who are new or need a refresher, let me explain what happens:

We begin with a 45-minute guided meditation. This is the time to let anything on your heart come forward and call on the Spirit to help us, with Her comfort or insight
In the next 15 minutes, we capture our experience through art or writing. Like a dream, it may flit away if we don’t record it.
Then we share for 15 minutes in small groups of 4 or 5. In a safe, sacred space, we share our experience. Of course, anything shared is strictly confidential.
We end back in the large group for 15 minutes of more sharing and to wrap up.

Attenders find it a remarkable experience. Please join us. We begin promptly at 7 pm and end at 8:30. ~Peace and love, Mary Ellen L

Christmas Sing Along with Jim, Jesse and Luke! We will be singing familiar Christmas Carols on December 20th, third Friday in the Parlor. Jim and the band will lead us in a selection of traditional carols, plus other songs Jim has chosen, as well as opportunity for requests. We will be using the burgundy hymnals, since that one has the most familiar words. Please join us from 7:00 to 8:30 PM!

Children’s Pageant ~ Join us during our Meeting for Worship on Sunday, December 22 as our children depict and read the story of Jesus' birth. As well, the congregation will join in with singing hymns together. This is an annual tradition that you do not want to miss!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading’s pick for the month of December is The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone! The discussion will be on MONDAY December 30th at 7 pm at Kathy R’s home. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/15/books/tell-us-5-things-woman-who-smashed-codes-jason-fagone.html NPR: https://www.npr.org/2017/09/30/548666129/from-dinner-parties-to-spy-rings-the-woman-who-smashed-codes-bursts-with-detail Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you’d like to receive email updates and/or for directions for this month’s discussion.

Please Help Us with Memorials! We are still in need of volunteers to write memorials for some of our dearly departed Friends. Like an obituary, but more personal, we keep record of our Friends lives and their role in the Meeting in a memorial book in our library so that they may always be remembered. If you are willing to help, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485. Thank you for helping to honor our departed Friends!

People still needing memorials: Alice Thatcher, Janet Stimson, Bonnie Hollingsworth, Mark Kishego, Bob Davis, Duffy Fankboner, Ed Thomas, Hugh Grimes, Bob Coffin. Example: http://bit.ly/34RqLg4.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December: Cedar Waxwing

Party Time in the Woods

There was a party going on in our Meditational Woods, and I had to crash it. I had heard the racket the moment I got out of my car. I assumed it was the robins eating berries in the nearby bushes, and thought I had disturbed them. But no, the sound was coming from deeper in the woods, and it was not the robins’ “tewk-tewk” sound of alarm; it was the sound of…pleasure. Yes, the same sound as when birds find a feeder full of food. As I walked down the paved path toward the fountain waterfall, I saw more birds there than ever before: ten American Robins, eight Cedar Waxwings, and four Carolina Chickadees. The robins were bathing in the top and middle pools, while several waxwings at a time were drinking at the bottom. Communal bathing and public drinking within sight of the meetinghouse?? It was most unQuakerly to my way of thinking. There were a few squabbles between the one robin at the top that did not want to share the bath space, and others that wanted a turn. The chickadees seemed to just be hanging out, watching the action. Shortly thereafter, I left the party to do my normal walking route around the property. A flock of House Finches were having their own gathering, getting something from the sweet gum balls (not gumballs) in the tree in the patio courtyard. The already cool temperature seemed to drop ten degrees in the next half hour, and the mist turned into a rain. The weather did not break up the party, as I could hear it still going on as I came inside the meetinghouse.

I have pictured a Cedar Waxwing in one of the conifers overlooking the waterfall, waiting for a turn to drink. The genders are identical, with overall colors of tan and gray, and noticeable head crest, black mask, yellow tail tip, and the small red projections from the back of the inner wing, that together look like a drip of sealing wax. From that apparent wax drip, the bird gets its name. ~Brad J

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Friend to Friend November 27, 2019

November 27, 2019

As Way Opens

Last week I joined our "seasoned friends” over a delicious lunch provided by Kathy Farris and others and heard a talk from Bill Henry, a lifelong Quaker about his spiritual journey. He mentioned that two of the most important books of his life were by Thomas Kelly - Testament of Devotion and The Eternal Promise. I have read Testament of Devotion numerous times and it’s one of my favorites. I read The Eternal Promise a number of years ago but had not revisited it for some time. I pulled out my copy this week and went through it and it is as profound as Testament of Devotion. I share a couple of paragraphs with you here:

“We are men and women of double personalities. We have slumbering demons within us. We all have also a dimly-formed Christ within us. We’ve been too ready to say that the demonic man/woman within us is the natural man/woman and that the Christ man/woman within us is the unnatural and unreal self. But the case is that our surface potentialities are for selfishness and greed, for tooth and claw. But deep within, in the whispers of the heart, is the surging call of the Eternal Christ, hidden within us all. By an inner isthmus we are connected with the mainland of the Eternal Love. Surface living has brought on the world’s tragedy. Deeper living leads us to the Eternal Christ, hidden in us all. Absolute loyalty to this inner Christ is the only hope of a new humanity. In the clamor and din of the day, the press of Eternity’s warm love still whispers in each of us, as our deepest selves, as our truest selves.

“The spring of hope is this: We simple, humble men and women can bear the seed of hope. No religious dictator will save the world; no giant figure of heroic size will stalk across the stage of history today, as a new Messiah. But in simple, humble imperfect men and women like you and me wells up the spring of hope. We have this treasure of the seed in the earthen vessels - very earthen vessels….. these demonstrations of love and goodwill are being carried on by just such earthen vessels. These tasks shine like tiny candles in the darkness - deeds done in the midst of suffering, through which shines the light of the Living Christ.”

I have been reading a lot of philosophers for my class in the past few weeks and have been contemplating who and what is God. One of them suggested that God cannot be God without

humans. The more I think about that the more it resonates with me. God needs humans to demonstrate love, grace, charity, goodwill…… to impact the world.

I pray that we will live into this seed of Christ and become God’s earthly vessels to allow God to be God in this world. I also hope we will spend time this week reflecting on the blessings of relationships and communities that support our lives.

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving!

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Let’s give a big thank-you to our food pantry volunteers! Linda L, Kathy R, Kathy and Bill F, Phil G, Mara S, Dan H, Beth F, Carol and Jim D. We needed all of these volunteers as we served a new record number of clients, 139. We are always looking for additional volunteers. First Friends staffs the food pantry the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 10 am until 1:30 pm. If you are interested in helping (even for part of the time), please contact one of the listed volunteers for information. Thank you!

Nancy S had successful knew surgery last week and is now at home recuperating. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

Kian was moved yesterday to inpatient rehab. He is more on a school schedule, and will actually do some academic testing next Monday. They do about 3 hours of PT, OT and ST every day. He is being seen by an ENT doc today, because his voice has not come back past a whisper.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Quaker Earthcare Witness & QuakerSpeak ~ We’re excited to share Quaker Earthcare Witness' collaboration with QuakerSpeak, a project of Friends Journal. Their newest video features Shelley and Hayley (QEW staff), Beverly Ward (Southeastern Yearly Meeting’s Field Secretary for Earthcare and Representative to QEW) and Barb Adams (Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Representative to QEW). You can watch the new video here: https://quakerspeak.com/the-work-of-quaker-earthcare/

Help Support Nikki Holland ~ Nikki Holland and her family are in Belize because of the generosity of Friends who have committed to this ministry. If you would like to help support the work of Belize Friends Ministries, please visit: https://donorbox.org/nikkiholland to make a safe and secure online donation. You can read Nikki’s testimony at: https://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/journal/ministering-as-a-young-mother.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Youth Christmas Party! ~ All our youth (6th - 12th grade) are invited to our annual Youth Christmas Party on Friday, December 6th from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. We will have a gift exchange, great Mexican food, and games. If you are interested in signing up your youth, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Christmas Sing Along with Jim, Jesse and Luke! We will be singing familiar Christmas Carols on December 20th, third Friday in the Parlor. Jim and the band will lead us in a selection of traditional carols, plus others Jim has chosen, as well as opportunity for requests. We will be using the burgundy hymnals, since that one has the most familiar words. 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

New in our Library~ Conversation with Christ: Quaker Meditations on the Gospel of John by Douglas Gwyn

Douglas Gwyn has published at least seven books of his own and more in collaboration. He shares many insights about how early Quakers interpreted the Gospel of John and they behaved as they did. I quote from Stephanie Ford, Earlham School of Religion:

“Doug Qwyn takes a novel, creative approach to key conversations….Using guided meditation, Gwyn invites the reader to engage in her or his own conversation with the living Christ. Insights from biblical scholarship, Gwyn’s own meditation and early Quaker seekers provide a rich backdrop for the reader’s own journey.” ~Linda L

Please Help Us with Memorials! Memorials are articles written for our Memorial Book about a passed away member of the Meeting and are often written by members or attenders of the meeting. A memorial is like an obituary, but more personal and is signed by the writer. it should contain some information about the person’s roles or participation within the meeting (committees served on, member of the choir, care of grounds, etc.) Recently we have had a number of people pass away that we do not have memorials for—see below for a list of names. We need help catching up on these. Please review these names and see if there is one you would like to volunteer to write a memorial for. Below you will find a link that will give you a general idea of what a memorial would look like. If you are willing to do one, let the office know at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485. Thank you for helping to honor our departed Friends!

People needing memorials: Alice Thatcher, Janet Stimson, Bonnie Hollingsworth, Mark Kishego, Bob Davis, Duffy Fankboner, Ed Thomas, Hugh Grimes, Bob Coffin. Example: http://bit.ly/34RqLg4.

Directory Feedback Requested! We are asking all members and attenders of the meeting to fill out a short survey regarding the First Friends pictorial directory. Whether you participated in the photoshoots or not, we are hoping you will take a couple of moments to answer a few questions. This will greatly help the office in future directory endeavors, as well as give you a chance to voice your thoughts! Find the survey here: https://forms.gle/brcxacSzhA7RwNp76. Thank you for your time!

Queries for the Week

Am I looking for that of God in those around the Thanksgiving table?
Where do I need to “lay aside the immaturity and seek to walk in the way of insight” this Thanksgiving?
How am I being extravagantly generous and loving this Thanksgiving?

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Friend to Friend, November 20 2019

November 20, 2019

As Way Opens

This past week I traveled to Portland Oregon for the Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS) board meeting and a visit to Jon and Ruthie Tippin's home in Kalama Washington. It was so good to catch up with Jon and Ruthie and hear about their new life out west. The QVS board meeting was intense and inspiring as the board provides oversight and direction for the organization’s mission of providing young people a transformative year of service, intentional community and deepening spiritual practices. The whole trip was a whirlwind including trying to get adjusted to the 3 hour time difference (and then leaving to come home after finally getting my sleep clock on west coast time). I took an Uber ride to the airport early Sunday morning. The prior couple of days had been damp, dreary, cloudy and cool (some might say typical Oregon weather). It was still cloudy and cool when I hopped into the Uber driver’s Prius. During the short ride to the airport I had my head down in my phone trying to catch up on emails. Just before arriving at the airport, the driver told me to look up and there in the cloudy sky was an amazing breakthrough of Light. It was not a sunrise but just magnificent beams of Light breaking through the clouds. I had an overwhelming sense of hope and peace staring at the flash of Light. I felt God’s spirit speaking in that Light saying that even when things seem dark, uncertain and troubling, the Light is there and will break through.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that Light in the sky and the sense of assurance and calm I felt that morning. It does feel like we are living in some dark times, but the Light is there and we have to be looking for it. I almost tragically missed it because my head was down and I was focused on the busyness of daily life and responsibilities. I pray that we all keep our head up looking for this Light today.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Was this a joy or concern? Our first snowfall of the season and Brad J beautifully captures the moment in our meditational woods.

Greetings from Jon and Ruthie T in Kalama Washington. Beth H traveled to Portland for the Quaker Voluntary Service board meeting this past weekend and got to spend a couple of days with Jon and Ruthie.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Seasoned Friends invites you! All Friends of retirement age are invited to our next Seasoned Friends luncheon and wiener roast which will be Thursday, November 21 at 11:30am here at First Friends. If you are able to bring a dessert to share, please do so. After our luncheon we will hear from guest speaker Bill Henry who will tell about the history of Quakerism. Bill Henry is a graduate of Earlham College and a life-long Quaker who has been active in the FGC for over 50 years. He has served as the Mayor of Marion from 2000-2004. He started his Quaker journey as a member of First Friends Church in Marion, Indiana. If you would like to come, please RSVP with the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Indy Winds Flute Choir will have their winter concert on Sunday, December 15th at 3:00 at Roberts Park United Methodist Church and we encourage folks to attend. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of the flute choir.

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 meeting Thursday, November 21 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

College Care packages - It is time to send care packages to our college students as they prepare for their exams at school. We are asking that everyone help fill the boxes with goodies like candy, cookies, cards, and other treats. Please bring enough for all 4 of our college students. Don’t have time to shop? We will gladly accept monetary donations—and we will do the shopping for you! Just leave your check in the offering plate on Sunday with the notation “college packages” or send your donation to the office. Please make sure all donations are in by Sunday, November 24. Thank you for your support!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading’s 6th Annual Lasagna Dinner will be this Tuesday night. It will be hosted by Ruth K in her home on November 26th at 6:30 pm. We will be discussing Educated by Tara Westover led by Carrie Sample. Please bring a covered dish (see below) and a book for our 6th Annual Holiday Book Swap. If your name ends with the letters: A-L Salads/Covered Dishes and M-Z Fruit Dishes/Desserts. Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org by Sunday, November 24th. Hope to see everyone there, feel free to bring a friend if you’d like! The deadline to vote for 2020 Oak Leaf book titles is Thursday the 21st at noon. Please click here today to VOTE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XTL5Z

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at First Friends! On Tuesday, November 26th at 7pm, First Friends will be hosting the Shalom Zone Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service. Join us for a night of giving thanks, singing, and sharing! Pastors from Allisonville Christian, St. Pius X, and Cross & Crown will be participating in the service, as well a combined choir from all of our churches led by Eric Baker. An offering will be taken and all proceeds will benefit the School on Wheels. Afterward we will enjoy fellowship time and some light snacks. This is always a wonderful event for our community to give thanks together!

People needing memorials: Alice Thatcher, Janet Stimson, Bonnie Hollingsworth, Mark Kishego, Phyllis Hurley, Charles Johnson, Bob Davis, Duffy Fankboner, Ed Thomas, Hugh Grimes, Bob Coffin. Example: http://bit.ly/34RqLg4.

Meditational Woods Bird-of-the-Month for November
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: The Busy Friend

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Recently I met a Friend (of the Quaker variety) who had a noticeable quality. She spoke quickly, moved quickly, and got things done. Hustle and bustle. I’m not objecting; in fact, I think every organization needs at least one of these people to keep things moving. However, sometimes I am worn out by the constant movement!!

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet visits our woods in April and May on its way northward, and again in October and the first bit of November while returning to the south. This tiny bird is constantly on the move. By the time I have my binoculars on its location, the kinglet has moved nearby. The motion is continuous, and, in addition, as it inches its way across the branch, the bird gives its wings a flick with each inch. The ruby-crowned has one of most impressive songs, especially for its size. All I heard last week, however, was the call, “gee-dit”.

I have pictured a male, with its tiny, hard-to-see red crown patch. The female lacks this mark. Its cousin, the golden-crowned kinglet, has a different eye pattern and crown patch, but has the same movement.

I admire the energy of these Friends, both human and avian, but whew!! Take a moment to rest!! ~ Brad J

Community Garden Update

Thank you to Ben for one last weed eating session around the Community Garden plots timed for the season’s close. Thanks to Dan M. and Ed K. for help in starting the Monarch garden. Thanks to Ed M., Linda, Ed K., Jackie, Sam and Nancy for working to clear and fertilize extra plots. Thanks to all the hardworking gardeners who made this season a success!

Thanks to Paula K, we have one more requested recipe from the Harvest Pitch-In that you might want to use for Thanksgiving. According to Paula, “It is easy to adapt as needed/desired and seems to be a hit!”

Three Bean Salad Makes 6-8 servings

1 1-pound can cut green beans 1 1-pound can cut wax beans

1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans ½ C. chopped green pepper

¼ C. onion, finely chopped

*************

½ C. sugar 2/3 C. vinegar

1/3 C. salad oil ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Make the salad a day in advance. Keep refrigerated in a covered container until time to serve, except for the several times you will remove it from the frig to stir it.

Drain green beans, wax beans, and kidney beans. Thoroughly rinse then drain the kidney beans or any other vegetables that are canned in a thick liquid. As they are draining, mix the sugar, vinegar, salad oil, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Combine the beans, green pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Pour the contents of the saucepan over the vegetables. Stir gently but thoroughly.

Notes: I will freely substitute for the yellow beans or kidney beans if they are not available. I have used cans of corn, carrots, chickpeas, or black beans as whimsy or need indicates. The green pepper I used in the harvest meal pitch-in was from the Meeting’s garden.

Queries for the Week

When have I experienced a Life Selah? How did I respond?
How might I develop a better discipline of rest in my life?
How might we encourage opportunities for rest at First Friends?

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Friend to Friend November 13, 2019

November 14, 2019

As Way Opens

Maybe you have noticed, our Meeting has a wealth of current and retired public school teachers. That may be partly due to our Quaker history. The first Quaker school in America, the William Penn Charter School, was originally opened in 1689 as a public school, opening its doors to all students of all socioeconomic means. In fact, Penn Charter was one of the first schools to offer financial aid for its students, as well as teach females and students of all racial backgrounds. It is also known that many early Quaker schools transitioned to make way for public education in our country, because Quakers saw equality and community a priority. Next week, throughout Indiana, teachers have asked for a day off to make their voices known at the Indiana Statehouse. I have asked my wife, Sue, an experienced teacher at a public school here in Indy to share her perspective as I believe it reflects the values of our early Quaker foundations in Public Education.

As I ponder the gathering of educators at our Indiana Statehouse next Tuesday (Nov. 19th), I sensed a need to write out my thoughts. Please note: These thoughts are mine, not those of people I work with or for, just the observations of an Indiana Public School Educator who has 25 years of experience in private, parochial, and for the past decade or so, public schools.

You may be seeing people comment on teacher pay. Yes. That is an issue. An even larger and more worrisome issue I am seeing in Indiana is that there is less and less funding for public education. Indiana teachers are graded on our students’ learning outcomes from tests that encompass one small part of the whole learning experience. These tests take days and days of teaching time to accomplish. We are told to do this, teach that way, show this in our classrooms and use that new curriculum, but sadly are also told that there is no money to fund the supplies needed to teach this way. And frankly, that’s because the money has been taken from public funding and given to private entities at the hands of our state legislators. So, we go out and buy our own supplies, if we can afford it. And if we can’t, our “grade” and our students’ opportunity to learn, suffers.

Just think about it, in what other profession are professionals told to buy their own supplies? For example, I do not see doctors supplying gloves and surgical tools, but I am supplying my own notebooks, plastic covers, baggies, storage bins, cleaning supplies, coats for students who have none, backpacks for those that break, books for my classroom library (needed to teach the new curriculum)....and the list goes on. I am sure my school district would provide these things and has in the past for teachers, but sadly their funding is being given to our religious and private counter parts – using tax monies in a land that boasts religious freedom, to fund their schools. The reality is that we have more and more needs in our public schools and less and less monies to help educate every student.

Also, these schools who are taking the public education funds are not allowing all students in regardless of needs and are not meeting the needs of all students. When they can’t meet student needs, those children are sent back to the public system. Which no longer has the funding to provide for all the needs we’re expected to, yet we are still “graded” the same.

So, yes, teacher pay is important. But it would seem less so, if we did not have to spend part of that pay to finance our own classrooms just to barely get by and give all students the education every person deserves and is every person’s right.

I chose to move into teaching in the city at this stage of my career. My eyes have been opened wide to the differences in education our state is willing to provide for our underprivileged communities who deserve the same education as our privileged communities. Without change in policies, we will continue to grossly underserve populations who have the same right to free education as every other child. We need to ask, How can we be voices for these students and all students who deserve better from our state government and education system?

When I was a child, it was a choice and privilege for people who could afford it to go to private and religious schools. I know. My parents paid for them and I went to them. They and I knew that. And when my small-farmer dad lost the ability to afford to farm without also working in a factory when I was in high school, we applied for financial aid because that type of education was important to my parents. It was a sacrifice, but it was a chosen sacrifice and we understood that it was not a basic right. We could have chosen to go to public schools, and frankly, maybe should have. My children do. But, why now, has that become a right for everyone? And why now are we taking public monies to finance educations that are filled with religious and privatized propaganda? I mean, there are schools taking monies from our state who will not let certain types of people teach there or attend there. This is not nor should it have ever been the case in public schools. If we want specialized education in those forms, I believe we should sacrifice and pay for it like past generations have. Either way, there should still be a public education system available for those who can’t or don’t choose their specialized way. We are taking freedoms away from children who cannot advocate for themselves who need and have a right to an education, and we are closing our eyes to this fact because we don’t want to see it. Too often, we have become focused on only our own needs and have lost sight of the similar needs of our neighbors.

I love my school district! I truly believe that those running it want the very best for every child and family that walks through our schools’ doors. I truly believe their hands have been tied and are becoming more tied because the funds are now dwindling. The level of education that my district has sought to provide over the years is remaining high because of the professional and dedicated teaching and support staff members who are employed by and also volunteer in our schools. By and large most people have chosen to work in our schools to give the best education possible to the children and families we serve. And we have striven to do that even when funds are less, and we have to supplement our classrooms and student needs more and more.

Personally, I arrive at work at least a half hour before the contracted time and most days leave an hour and often 2 hours or more after the contracted time. I bring work home and try to add little things to our required curriculum that will enhance the learning experience of our students. I want them to have the most amazing school experience possible, and at the very least, I want each student that walks through my classroom door to know that s/he is loved, that s/he is capable of learning, and that s/he can dream all the dreams and that whatever s/he aspires to be professionally as a grown up is within range. With hard work and much effort and learning, we can all grow up to work toward accomplishing those dreams.

Friends, I go to the statehouse next Tuesday to stand with and for my own children, the children I serve in my classroom this year, all the children I’ve taught through the years, and those children who will come to school in the future. I go to stand with and for all of the amazing support staff who serve beside teachers in schools and on buses every day. I go to advocate for a living wage and benefits for these support staff who go above and beyond for our children on a daily basis, whose loads are also overflowing because funding is decreasing but the number of children who need to learn is not.

And together we go to the statehouse for the students who cannot advocate for themselves, for the bus drivers, for the instructional assistants, for the social workers, school psychologists, behavior coaches, office staff, maintenance staff, media center staff, technology staff, crossing guards, food service staff, school nurses, special area “teachers” who teach whole schools and often get paid an hourly wage with no benefits, and we go for anyone who works with children in public schools who needs a voice.

I tell my own children to be assertive and stand up for what is right in the world. I teach my students that if someone needs help we need to help them or try to find someone who can. So, I now stand with all those who are fighting for the right to get back to the business of giving every child the best education possible, as is and has always been a basic right in this free country, whatever that takes. Thank you for listening and supporting public school teachers in Indiana.

~Sue Henry, Kindergarten Teacher

Joys & Concerns

Let’s thank our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers! Last Wednesday we had a great group of volunteers at the food pantry! Dan H, Kathy and Bill F, Linda L, Rosita M and Cletus T, David B, Kathy R, Beth F, Christie M, Carol and Jim D. We served 131 families—the most we have ever served! Thanks to everyone for helping during this most busy day.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- Redistricting Reform Events ~ Want to be heard at the Indiana Statehouse but not sure how? Want fairer elections and a more transparent process for determining future legislative districts? IFCL has answers, just in time for the approaching legislative session! On Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3:00 p.m., First Friends will host a free training session put on by All IN 4 Democracy, the coalition IFCL works with. Come join us in Fellowship Hall to learn how to talk about redistricting with legislators and your relatives at Thanksgiving dinner. Then on Tuesday, November 19 at noon, rally with us for redistricting reform on the Statehouse steps (Capitol Avenue side) as our legislators arrive for the 2020 session. Contact Phil G or Ed M for further information.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Reclaiming Our Democracy: One Dinner Table at a Time ~ The Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center invites you to come play politics! The Center is designing a game aimed at giving us a conversational, problem-solving “booster shot.” Conversation is a skill that involves more than just speaking. It requires meaningful and intentional listening. We need to practice it more often if we are to move beyond the tribalistic bunker-mentalities that threaten to overwhelm us. Based on conversations around a family dinner table, each participant will play a role as we tackle some of the thorny issues we face moving into this critical election year. It will be held on Wednesday, November 13th, 7:00-8:30 pm in the dining room at the Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd St. There is ample off-street parking. Like all Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center events, this is free and open to all. But since we need to prepare materials, we ask that you RSVP: 317-288-0408 or 2.john.clark@gmail.com.

SING ALONG With JIM and the BAND! We will meet on our regular third Friday, November 15. Come at 7:00 to the parlor for 1 1/2 hours of fun. Song sheets in large print are provided. May you be led from within to participate in the joy of making music together.

Experiment with Light! Friends, all are invited as we start our own program. This is a continuation of the lovely meditation experiment presented by Jaime Mudd in June. We will be gathering at the Meeting House on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Our next meeting date is November 19, 7:00-8:30 pm. It's an amazing opportunity to grow both individually and as a community. Hope you join us.

People needing memorials: Alice T, Janet S, Bonnie H, Mark K, Phyllis H, Charles J, Bob D, Duffy F, Ed T, Hugh G, Bob C. Example: http://bit.ly/34RqLg4.

Meditational Woods Bird-of-the-Month for November
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: The Busy Friend

I admire the energy of these Friends, both human and avian, but whew!! Take a moment to rest!! ~ Brad Jackson

Garden Committee ~ We are offering more requested recipes from the Community Garden Pitch-In. The gardeners have worked hard to bed down their plots, digging in leaves and planting oats to return nutrients to the soil.We do have some cold crops like kale and collards. Garlic starts have been planted as well. Dan dug and rototilled a butterfly-shaped space where he planted Ed K.’s donated milkweed seeds. We hope to see the beginnings of our Monarch garden in the spring. Monarchs lay their eggs ONLY on milkweed plants. Thank you everyone for a fine season!

Ben & Jill’s Cheesy Jalapeno Corn Casserole

Ingredients

1 (11-ounce) can corn, drained well

*Dan is creating our potential monarch garden where the Boy Scout fire ring used to be.*

1 (14.75-ounce) can creamed corn

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 small onion, finely chopped

1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (7.5-oz) package corn muffin mix, I use Martha White

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. (or you can use a smaller one but you will have to cook it longer.)

In a large bowl stir together corn, sour cream, and egg.

Mix in onion, jalapenos, garlic powder, paprika, salt, melted butter, corn muffin mix, and 1 cup cheddar cheese.

Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and continue to cook until set in the middle, about 15 to 20 more minutes. It is done when there is only a slight jiggle in the middle when you shake the dish.

Recipe shared by Ben & Jill. Source: https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/cheesy-jalapeno-corn-casserole/.

Nancy’s Meatlover’s Chili

1# lean grassfed ground beef

*Jackie is holding cold weather crops--kale and collards.*

1# organic ground pork

1 1/2 c. chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic

26 oz. chopped organic tomatoes

16 oz. can kidney beans

16 oz. can black beans

30 oz. organic tomato sauce

2 T. chili powder (more if you prefer spicy hot or add chili pepper)

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook meat, garlic and onion in skillet over medium heat 15 minutes or until brown. Drain. Mix meat and other ingredients. Cover and cook in large crockpot over low heat for ten hours. Sprinkle with pepper jack cheese and serve with tortilla chips. You may add a little lime juice to each bowl of chili.

For a unique flair you may prefer to add some cinnamon or allspice.

Seasoned Friends invites you! All Friends of retirement age are invited to our next Seasoned Friends luncheon and wiener roast which will be Thursday, November 21 at 11:30am here at First Friends. If you are able to bring a dessert to share, please do so. After our luncheon we will hear from guest speaker Bill Henry who will tell about the history of Quakerism. Bill Henry is a graduate of Earlham College and a life-long Quaker who has been active in the FGC for over 50 years. He has served as the Mayor of Marion from 2000-2004 and is currently a candidate for Mayor of Marion as an Independent candidate. He started his Quaker journey as a member of First Friends Church in Marion, Indiana. If you would like to come, please RSVP with the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

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 meeting tomorrow, Thursday, November 21 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

College Care packages - It is time to send care packages to our college students as they prepare for their exams at school. We will put out boxes starting this Sunday, November 10. We are asking that everyone help fill the boxes with goodies like candy, cookies, cards, and other treats. Please bring enough for all 4 of our college students. Don’t have time to shop? We will gladly accept monetary donations—and we will do the shopping for you! Just leave your check in the offering plate on Sunday with the notation “college packages” or send your donation to the office. Please make sure all donations are in by Sunday, November 24. Thank you for your support!

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading’s 6th Annual Lasagna Dinner hosted by Ruth K in her home on Tuesday, November 26th at 6:30 pm. We will be discussing Educated by Tara Westover led by Carrie Sample. Please bring a covered dish (see below) and a book for our Annual Holiday Book Swap. If your name ends with the letters: A-L Salads/Covered Dishes and M-Z Fruit Dishes/Desserts. Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you need directions. Hope to see everyone there, feel free to bring a friend if you’d like!

Jeff Rasley has a new book! Jeff Rasley has just released a new book titled You Have to Get Lost Before You Can Be Found: A Memoir of Suffering, Grit, and Love of the Himalayas and Basa Village. It's about changing direction in life after finding new meaning in middle age working with a remote village in the Nepal Himalayas. It's also an adventure travelogue through the Himalayan region of Southeast Asia. First Friends' involvement in helping to establish the Basa Village Foundation is part of the story. There are more pictures in the e-book, and they are all color photos. You can find the book on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Lost-Before-Found/dp/1696951860. For more information visit www.jeffreyrasley.com.

This Week’s Queries

Where do I need to stop and listen or take a needed pause in my life?
What is being stirred in my heart?
What is rubbing me the wrong way? And why?
In what way am I being led to respond?

Comment

Friend to Friend November 6, 2019

November 6, 2019

As Way Opens

This past Sunday was a very special day at First Friends. I missed most of the service as I was leading children’s worship (what a great time we had talking about the authors of the Bible and how it was written) but listened to it online and was so moved by the Spirit that was flowing. From the children’s message, the choir, Bob’s message of Selah, Eric’s singing and the sharing out of the silence - it all touched my heart and had me reflecting on my own need to pause and be still and know God. And then to head into fellowship hall for an “end of harvest” pitch-in that our community garden folks hosted with fall decorations, great food shared by everyone and discussion about our gardens made me smile and brought joy to my heart. And then another group headed into the parlor to brainstorm and talk about ways we could participate in offering alternatives to payday lending. A small group has had this concern on their heart and scheduled this gathering thinking that 8-10 people would show up. There were 25 people in the parlor with great interest and energy about this topic. And everyone stepped up to do research on alternatives that are currently in place. What a sight to see Quakers engaging in helping make positive changes in our community.

I went home that afternoon feeling full and thankful for this community of First Friends. I had this feeling that what we experienced on Sunday would be a modern-day version of the gathering of Friends from long ago. A place where we worship together, listen for God’s voice of calling, feed each other and work together for change. This is what church should be about.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Fun, Food and A Festive Spirit Reign at Last Sunday’s Community Garden Pitch-In ~ Many can attest to the success of Sunday’s Community Garden Harvest Pitch-In. We are sharing pictures and featuring two of the recipes. One could use them for Thanksgiving! Thanks to all who helped bring this feast to fruition! (Photo credits: Bob Henry and Nancy Scott) If you’d like to see more pictures, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/indyfriends!

Here are some Fall recipes for you have your own harvest picnic!

Heather’s Pumpkin Pecan Dump Cake

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (yellow, white, or spice cake are all good)

3/4 cup melted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 29oz can pumpkin puree

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup honey

1. Mix the pumpkin, milk, eggs, spice, salt, vanilla, and honey together.

2. Pour into the bottom of the greased casserole dish.

3. Sprinkle the cake mix on top of the pumpkin filling.

4. Scatter the chopped pecans over the cake mix.

5. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the cake mix & pecans.

6. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes or until the top of golden brown and the pecans are toasted.

— Heather

Susan’s Pumpkin Muffins

1 box of carrot cake mix , 1 can of pumpkin , enough water to make it mixable. Best with electric mixer. Place in muffin papers . Cook time about what recommended for cupcakes on cake box. — Susan

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485. We are also asking women to please fill out this survey regarding future women’s meetings and activities! https://forms.gle/rb1CRhKVJjogYKUo8

SING ALONG With JIM and the BAND! In October we are back to our regular third Friday, November 15. Come at 7:00 to the parlor for 1 1/2 hours of fun. Song sheets in large print are provided. May you be led from within to participate in the joy of making music together.

Seasoned Friends invites you! All Friends of retirement age are invited to our next Seasoned Friends luncheon and wiener roast which will be Thursday, November 21 at 11:30am here at First Friends. If you are able to bring a dessert to share, please do so. After our luncheon we will hear from guest speaker Bill Henry who will tell about the history of Quakerism. Bill Henry is a graduate of Earlham College and a life-long Quaker who has been active in the FGC for over 50 years. He has served as the Mayor of Marion from 2000-2004 and is currently a candidate for Mayor of Marion as an Independent candidate. He started his Quaker journey as a member of First Friends Church in Marion, Indiana. If you would like to come, please RSVP with the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

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 meeting tomorrow, Thursday, November 21 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading’s 6th Annual Lasagna Dinner hosted by Ruth Kelly in her home on Tuesday, November 26th at 6:30 pm. We will be discussing Educated by Tara Westover led by Carrie Sample. Please bring a covered dish (see below) and a book for our Annual Holiday Book Swap. If your name ends with the letters: A-L Salads/Covered Dishes and M-Z Fruit Dishes/Desserts. Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you need directions. Hope to see everyone there, feel free to bring a friend if you’d like!

Christmas at First Friends 2019

Nov. 26 Shalom Zone Combined Thanksgiving Service at First Friends 7:00pm

Dec. 1 Blue Christmas Meeting for Worship 10:15am

Dec. 8 Christmas Vespers 5:30pm

Dec. 15 Christmas Tea (following Meeting for Worship) 11:30am & Christmas Caroling 3:30pm

Dec. 22 Children’s Christmas Pageant 10:15am

Dec. 24 Special Christmas Eve Meeting for Worship 5:30pm

Dec. 29 All-Meeting Unprogrammed Worship 10:15am

This Week’s Queries

Where do I need to stop and listen or take a needed pause in my life?
What is being stirred in my heart?
What is rubbing me the wrong way? And why?
In what way am I being led to respond?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 30, 2019

October 31, 2019

As Way Opens

We welcomed several individuals from Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) this past Sunday - Lotan and Samson from Kenya and Sara Northrop who administers all of the grants for the organization. It was a wonderful day of discussion of the transforming work of RSWR in Kenya as well as in India and Sierra Leone. Samson delivered a powerful message of sharing out of our abundance and the ripple effect of giving during Meeting for Worship. We gathered in fellowship hall for a simple meal of soup, salad, bread and fruit and raised $384 in contributions from the meal and the sale of fair-trade chocolate and coffee. Thank you for your continued generosity and support of this effective and impactful organization.

I am in my 7th and final year of board service at RSWR and next April will be my last board meeting. Serving this organization has been important to me especially during the last few years of my husband Jerry’s life (he passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2016). Anyone who has lived through a degenerative disease of a spouse or loved one knows how small one’s world can become in caring for the needs of their loved one. The world can get down to basic needs, limited conversations and guidance and support in all aspects of life. Every time I was able to attend a RSWR board meeting I felt my world opened up a bit and that I could have a small impact on something big - impacting women around the world. It gave me hope, joy and gratitude to contribute in a very small way to this work.

I hope we can all find places where we can expand our reach beyond our immediate community and touch others beyond our small circle. Discussions like the one occurring this Sunday on the possibility of alternatives to payday lending or how we can participate in encouraging Indiana lawmakers to set up fair and impartial methods to determine voting districts are examples of how we can participate in the ripple of connection and impact for bettering our world and living out the gospel of Jesus.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Maple Seeds Preschool Coop (MSPC) held their annual Fall Fest this past Saturday and it was a great time! We had a wonderful turn out even with the rain. Firemen brought their truck for ‘touch a truck’ and it was definitely a highlight! They handed out fire hats to the kids. What a fun day!

Quaker-Related Organizations

IFCL Meeting this Saturday, Nov. 2 ~ Any and all are invited to the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) meeting in the parlor this Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9-11:00 a.m. when we will discuss priorities for the 2020 Indiana General Assembly.

This summer and autumn, IFCL has had opportunities to research and interact with others to learn more about some specific issues: redistricting reform initiatives, lending options for financially challenged Hoosiers, education assessment and funding, environmental/health concerns, and expansion of 5G technology. All will be on the agenda this Saturday, plus others you may want to suggest at the meeting.

We are encouraged by other groups that ask IFCL to be members of coalitions, and by legislators who are willing to listen to our concerns. In case you missed the recent news linked below, check out the initiative of Indiana Senator Mike Braun to reach across the aisle to work with Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) for the Senate's first-ever bipartisan caucus dedicated to climate solutions.

https://indianapolisstar-in.newsmemory.com/?token=19b8bdac7d8c0d2167fab96ca89aaf8c&cnum=3434687&fod=1111111STD-0&selDate=20191029&licenseType=paid_subscriber&

We will try to show the Channel 6 video (linked below) at our meeting this Saturday, but if you cannot attend, this provides important information about the 5G expansion issue.

https://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/carmel-homeowners-raise-concerns-over-5g-small-cell-towers

Please contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) or Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) with any questions. Thank you for your support helping IFCL help Hoosiers.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am this Sunday, so don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed, or you may show up to church an hour early on Sunday!

Did you know we have a special place available for parents with young children to worship with us? If you have a baby, you are welcome to use our specially-equipped balcony room. Head up either staircase in the foyer and enter the door to find a rocking chair and a diaper changing station. With the door open you can hear everything from the Meeting room. This space is open and available to all parents and families, as they wish to use it.

Serenity Now, Book-Based Support Group!

Next Meeting: The second meeting of the newly formed First Friends book-based support group will be at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, in the meetinghouse parlor. Coffee and bagels will be provided. This confidential group of five participants (so far) is for those experiencing family and relationship challenges. Our first book selection is The Mastery of Love, a Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. This meeting, we will discuss the intro and first chapter of this small and easy-to-read book. If you would like to try out the group and need a copy of the reading, please email janicehise@yahoo.com. Feel free to call or text Jan at 317-443-6458 if you have questions. We expect to publish a schedule for the rest of 2019 after this meeting.

More About the Group: Subsequent books may focus on particular types of relationship challenges, interpersonal skills or barriers to healthy functioning (according to the needs of participants). It is expected that members may float in and out of the group based on the focus of the books chosen. Group members seek to support one another through reading, sharing our experiences and self-awareness, and listening without judgement as we navigate challenging situations. Please note: This group is a self-help group, NOT a therapy group, and is NOT facilitated by a licensed therapist. We have chosen the group name, Serenity Now, as a reminder to seek—moment by moment—release from our futile attempts to change what is not ours to change, the courage to change what we legitimately must, the wisdom to know the difference, and the humor to laugh at ourselves when we inevitably blunder.

Eco-Film: Reinventing Indy Power ~ You’re cordially invited to November’s Eco-Film themed, Reinventing Indy Power. Please bring your favorite foods and learn more about the Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign here in Indiana. It will be held on Friday, November 1 from 7-9pm at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, 5233 E 79th St. (Please notice this Eco-Film is on the first Friday in November.) Just recently, USA Today and the Weather Channel featured Indianapolis Power and Light’s (IPL) Petersburg coal plant, where some of our electricity is generated, as one of the nation’s 22 “Super Polluters”. Super Polluters are the worst toxic and climate polluters in the nation. The IPL Petersburg coal plant is one of four super polluters located near Evansville, IN. The Petersburg coal plant is contributing to climate change, and premature death for residents near the plant. In 2019, Indianapolis Power and Light will create an energy plan for the next 20 years. Community discussion will follow the film. Snacks are provided! This is our chance to have a say in how our utility generates electricity for our community. Together, we can make a difference for our communities’ future. We hope you will join us.

Join us for a Harvest Pitch-In! All are invited after Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 3rd to participate in a harvest pitch-in. This event is being put on by the Community Garden committee as a harvest celebration after a season of hard work. It will be held after Meeting for Worship in Fellowship Hall—although if the weather is nice we may have a picnic outside. We are asking everyone to share a dish: Last names A-L bring sides & salads; M-Z bring desserts.

PREDATORY LENDING: NOT THE QUAKER WAY? On Sunday, November 3, you are invited to gather in the parlor after Meeting for Worship to become familiar with the Indiana laws governing short-term "payday" loans and their implications for borrowers.

Suppose that your full-time minimum-wage job allows you to pay rent on your apartment and feed your children--but just barely. An attack of appendicitis keeps you from work for nearly two weeks, and rent is due. You can borrow the money rather quickly and easily, but at usurious interest rates. How can you pay it back? And what if you cannot pay it back?

The purpose of the meeting on Nov. 3 is to open an inquiry:

Have any other organization or faith communities served the unbanked by creating alternatives to predatory payday loans?
If so, might we participate with them in this work?
If not, might we create one ourselves?
What might we as Friends do to help alleviate the plight of our disadvantaged brothers and sisters?

Please join us in the parlor, immediately following Meeting for Worship. A light lunch will be provided. If you have questions, please contact Barbara O or Phil G.

West Central Area Meeting Program and Dinner- You’re invited! All Friends are cordially invited to join us for the West Central Area Meeting program and dinner on Sunday November 3 at Valley Mills Friends. There will be a short business meeting, which should conclude by 3:30 PM or so, and the area meeting will follow. Craig Overmeyer will present a program on 'productive conflict.' He's an Indiana consultant and author with Quaker roots. His new book on this topic will be out in December. At 5:00 PM there will be a pitch-in dinner. For more information see the flyer here: http://bit.ly/31SwmAL. Please consider attending!

Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat a couple of weeks ago. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Meditational Woods Bird-of-the-Month for October
Pileated Woodpecker: The Infrequent Attender

In Quakerism we have attenders, both frequent attenders and those who are more infrequent. Similarly, in the bird world of the Meditational Woods, there are “infrequent attenders.” Today’s bird is one that is always in the area, but only visits once in a while.

Usually the bird announces its presence with a raucous “kek-kek-kek” call, especially while in flight. Twice in recent months, including early October, a pileated woodpecker flew to a telephone pole just east of the parking lot. The crow-sized bird landed at the top of the pole in such a way as to allow him to look over it, and in all directions. For a full twenty minutes he remained immobile and vigilant. For what was he looking? Was he watching me, or looking for another woodpecker? Perhaps food? Pileateds frequent tree stumps, searching for large ants to eat. They nest in woodlands or in neighborhoods with large trees.

Notice that I refer to this individual as “he.” In both cases of recent telephone pole sitting, the bird was a male. The red mark from the base of the bill across the cheek indicates that this is, indeed, a male. If it were a female, that mark would be black.

As with our other, human, infrequent attenders, I hope the Pileated Woodpecker is welcome at First Friends anytime!! ~Brad J

Comment

Friend to Friend October 23, 2019

October 24, 2019

As Way Opens

I serve as the clerk of the Right Sharing of World Resources board and we had our semiannual meeting last weekend at the Benedictine Center in Beech Grove. This is an amazing and effective organization that provides seed money to women in Sierra Leone, Kenya and India to start their small business and change their lives, their children’s lives and their standing in the community. The Board covered the usual stewardship responsibilities and then heard from our in-country representatives that traveled to the United States for a first-time-ever consultation with all of us. Their sharing with us on the impact of our grants to the women in their countries was powerful. We all felt the significance of God’s hand in this work. We had an amazing activity Friday night where we threw yarn to each other and had to answer one of 18 questions provided. We learned about each other in some deep ways and created a web of connection. We created this web and didn’t want to let go as we knew that this would never be the same again. I was thinking about this as I drove to the Meeting today. The color of the leaves was incredible today on Kessler. I knew that we only have a couple of days until this magnificent color display is gone. I think about how our web might only last for an evening but impacts all of us for years. This organization has brought us into a web of connection with thousands of women in India, Kenya and Sierra Leone. This gathering showed us how we can connect with women that we don’t personally know or will never meet but we are deeply gathered together in Spirit.

We have several folks from Kenya here this Sunday that will speak about our work in Kenya (we are sponsoring a project in honor of our beloved Ann P). I hope many of your will join us to hear about this amazing work. Samson and Lotan will share about the specific work in Kenya during our combined Sunday School hour. Samson will give the message on Sunday and we will have a light lunch after Meeting for Worship to hear more about our work in Kenya. I hope you can join us and share in this continued web.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Let’s give a big thank-you to our food pantry volunteers from last week: Phil G, Dan H, Linda and Rik L, Mara S, and Carol and Jim D. We were kept busy as we served 101 families!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Fall Festival! ~ Maple Seeds Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 26th from 4-6pm. It will be held here at First Friends—All MSPC and First Friends families are welcome to come and be a part of this fun evening. There will be face painting, pumpkin decorating, a bounce house, a chili cook-off, a raffle, and more! Costumes are welcome! We hope you will join us!

Join us for a Special Sunday! This coming Sunday, October 27, we are taking a break from our Fall Sermon Series to welcome Right Sharing of World Resources Field Representatives, Ababu Samson and Lotan Migaliza from Kenya. Things will start on Sunday in our parlor at 9am with a combined Sunday School gathering to hear more about their work. (We will still hold unprogrammed worship at 9am; it will be held in Seeking Friends during this time.) At 10:15am Samson will be bringing the message during our Meeting for Worship. Samson and Lotan will both be available after worship for our fellowship hour where we will be providing a Simple Meal. Please plan to join us this Sunday! Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) is an independent Quaker not-for-profit organization sharing the abundance of God’s love by working for equity through partnerships around the world. For more check out: https://www.rswr.org/. Together as a Meeting, thanks to the generous efforts of our congregation, we have been sponsoring a project through RSWR—find our last update in the September 18, 2019 issue of Friend to Friend (which can be found here: https://www.indyfriends.org/blog?offset=1569434958578). Beth will also be in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for worship, selling coffee, tea, and chocolates for RSWR.

Ababu Samson is the RSWR Field Representative. He seeks out new groups that could benefit from RSWR funding and introduces Right Sharing to them. He oversees all the programming, assessing the needs of each group and arranging and attending all trainings. Additionally, he keeps on touch with all the past funded groups.

Lotan Migaliza conducts the in-depth Business Management training for newly funded groups. Although he is very strict and emphasizes rules and procedures, his manner is funny and engaging, and the groups love his training.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading is this coming Tuesday night! Sue H will be leading The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu on the 29th of October at 7 pm in the Parlor. Click link for the New York Journal of Books Review: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/book-joy-lasting-happiness-changing-world All are welcome!

Shalom Zone’s 5th Tuesday Event: Bread for the World ~ Join your Shalom Zone neighbors and learn about Bread for the World, an organization with an international, national and local presence. It will be held on Tuesday, October 29 from 7:00-8:30pm at Allisonville Christian Church, 7701 Allisonville Rd. Bread for the World provides a collective Christian voice urging our state and our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Our presenter will be Mark Lynch, and following the presentation, a letter writing exercise will provide an opportunity to send letters to your congressional representatives. Please consider joining us for this event.

Do you have a new baby or young child you would like to have dedicated? We are seeking out families who are interested in having their child (children) dedicated to God during an upcoming Meeting for Worship. For those who may be unfamiliar with Baby/Child Dedications, they are intended to be a public testimony by the parents/family that they will train their children in the Quaker faith. The Meeting will also be asked to affirm that they, as a faith community, will seek to encourage and support the parents in bringing up the child in the Quaker faith. Quakers believe a direct experience with God is open to people of all ages. Our hope is that this dedication will set your child on a path to experience their Inner Light and the Spirit’s leading. The idea of dedicating a child to God can certainly be found in the Bible. Hannah was a barren wife who promised to dedicate her child to God if He would give her a son (I Samuel 1:11). And in Luke 2:22 you will read the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple after forty days in order to dedicate Him to God. If you would like to have your child dedicated, please contact Rebecca at the Meeting Office (office@indyfriends.org). We hope to have multiple dedications during a Meeting for Worship in November.

Meditational Woods Bird-of-the-Month for October
Pileated Woodpecker: The Infrequent Attender

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As with our other, human, infrequent attenders, I hope the Pileated Woodpecker is welcome at First Friends anytime!! ~ Brad J

Jeff Rasley has a new book! Jeff Rasley has just released a new book titled You Have to Get Lost Before You Can Be Found: A Memoir of Suffering, Grit, and Love of the Himalayas and Basa Village. It's about changing direction in life after finding new meaning in middle age working with a remote village in the Nepal Himalayas. It's also an adventure travelogue through the Himalayan region of Southeast Asia. There are many photos of the Himalayas, mountain climbing, local people and indigenous cultures. First Friends' involvement in helping to establish the Basa Village Foundation is part of the story. There are more pictures in the e-book, and they are all color photos. The cost of printing so many color photos in a paperback was too great, so there are fewer photos and they are black and white in the printed version. You can find the book on amazon at https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Lost-Before-Found/dp/1696951860. Fore more information visit www.jeffreyrasley.com.

Serenity Now, Book-Based Support Group!

Next Meeting: The second meeting of the newly formed First Friends book-based support group will be at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, in the meetinghouse parlor. Coffee and bagels will be provided. This confidential group of five participants (so far) is for those experiencing family and relationship challenges. Our first book selection is The Mastery of Love, a Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. This meeting, we will discuss the intro and first chapter of this small and easy-to-read book. If you would like to try out the group and need a copy of the reading, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org. We expect to publish a schedule for the rest of 2019 after this meeting.

More About the Group: Subsequent books may focus on particular types of relationship challenges, interpersonal skills or barriers to healthy functioning (according to the needs of participants). It is expected that members may float in and out of the group based on the focus of the books chosen. Group members seek to support one another through reading, sharing our experiences and self-awareness, and listening without judgement as we navigate challenging situations. Please note: This group is a self-help group, NOT a therapy group, and is NOT facilitated by a licensed therapist. We have chosen the group name, Serenity Now, as a reminder to seek—moment by moment—release from our futile attempts to change what is not ours to change, the courage to change what we legitimately must, the wisdom to know the difference, and the humor to laugh at ourselves when we inevitably blunder.

Join us for a Harvest Pitch-In! All are invited after Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 3rd to participate in a harvest pitch-in. This event is put on by the Community Garden committee. It will be held during fellowship hour in Fellowship Hall—although if the weather is nice we may have a picnic outside. We will be asking everyone to share a dish. Keep an eye out for more information next week!

The purpose of the meeting on Nov. 3 is to open an inquiry:

Have any other organization or faith communities served the unbanked by creating alternatives to predatory payday loans?

If so, might we participate with them in this work?
If not, might we create one ourselves?
What might we as Friends do to help alleviate the plight of our disadvantaged brothers and sisters?

Please join us in the parlor, immediately following Meeting for Worship. A light lunch will be provided. If you have questions, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat a couple of weeks ago. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

This Week’s Queries

Who deep down do I want to dominate? Who do I want to exercise control over? Who don’t I mind belittling, shaming, or making feel less-than for my own benefit or desires?
Who experiences my fierce anger the easiest? Do they deserve it? Have I tried to understand him/her, and have I taken the time to look inside myself at the root of my own wrath?
Who undeservedly receives my violent responses, or who do I wish them upon? How often have I wished someone removed from my life (even dead), or wanted to physically hurt someone to make myself feel better?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 16, 2019

October 16, 2019

As Way Opens

On Sunday after Meeting for Worship, Sue, Sam, and I traveled to Chicago for our second round of college visits. As we arrived in downtown, we quickly found many of the roads blocked by snowplows and extra police, especially around the Magnificent Mile. As well, there seemed to be more people than usual walking in every direction. In our day and age, this site can be rather alarming. As we waited in the traffic jams, it seemed more like a regular weekday in downtown than a Sunday evening. It wasn’t long until we noticed many of the people passing in front of our car were wearing prize medals around their necks. With a quick search on our smart phones, we concluded that earlier that day, the running of the Chicago Marathon took place and we were arriving during clean-up.

At breakfast the next morning, Chicago was hopping with people from all over the world who had come to run in the marathon. We waited longer than usual for a table. Yet as we waited, it was hard not noticing how many people were visibly in agony, having difficulty walking, actually groaning, and even hobbling or limping along. Most of them were still proudly displaying their medal around their neck as they winced in pain over their first sips of coffee. We watched one woman walk to the restroom as if she was preparing to mount a horse and another man who hobbled with his hand on his back like he was 30 years his senior.

Personally, I have never been a runner, nor do I plan to take it up anytime soon. And as I looked around the restaurant, I wasn’t being encouraged by what I was seeing. That is when our son who has spent some time learning about running said, “This just shows that many of these people do not know how to run. Maybe they are doing it because it is a fad. They probably ran with bad posture, the wrong shoes, without enough or the proper training, and their body was clearly letting them know what it thinks.”

Well, my son’s words sent me pondering. I sense this is how many people see their faith. The focus is about getting the “medal” or “prize,” instead of learning to run well or with endurance (Heb. 12:1). Every once and a while, we all need some adjustment in our worship “posture” and a reminder of the resources within our community for training. Because when we get too focused on the “prize” and forget about our “training” or when we run through the motions just because it makes us feel good or because everyone is doing it, the Body of Christ can suffer and feel the pain. I am happy that we have many opportunities at First Friends to do spiritual “training,” whether that is in small groups, Sunday school classes, Experiment with Light groups, Shalom Zone activities, youth group, serving at the food pantry, and the list goes on.

I challenge you this week to take some time to “train,” to try on a “new pair of shoes,” and to learn to “run” well this way of faith rooted in love!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

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 meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

SING ALONG With JIM and the BAND! In October we are back to our regular third Friday, October 18th. A few of the songs on this month’s menu are: Put Your Hand in the Hand, Penny Lane, Standing in the Need of Prayer, Take me Home Country Roads. Come at 7:00 to the parlor for 1 1/2 hours of fun. Song sheets in large print are provided.

Calling all handbell lovers! If you want to try playing handbells but aren’t sure what all it involves, please join us on Sunday October 20th after Meeting for Worship to give it a try. We’ll have the handbells out and will teach you how to play; and then try a couple of songs. Meet us in the meetingroom right after Meeting for Worship. Plan to spend 40-45 minutes with us. Questions? Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Book Discussion Invitation ~ Pat Engel, diaconal minister at Epworth, will lead a book discussion on Mondays, beginning on October 21st from 5:30-6:30pm (note the new time!). They will be reading the book by Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation To Solitude And Silence, which “provides wonderful spiritual companionship on the quest for intimacy with God” which seems to have some overlap with our own Quaker beliefs. These sessions will run for 6 weeks, lasting for an hour each. It will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd, 46220. If you have questions, please contact Epworth at (317)251-1481.

Community Garden ~ Hear from some of our gardeners:

“For me the garden is really cool because we have been trying to grow new plants like arugula and watermelons. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but it’s fun to take them home and use them to cook meals that we’ve never made before.” —Chelsea, Girl Scout Gold Star Candidate and Community Garden Project Volunteer

“I enjoy working in the garden because it’s fun to watch our plants grow. Having a garden plot has let me connect with nature and fellow gardeners.” –Kendal

Come Meet Right Sharing Representatives! We will welcome to our Meeting Samson Ababu and Lotan Migaliza, field representatives for Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) in Kenya on Sunday October 27th.Samson and Lotan will share about the work in Kenya as well as information about the project we are sponsoring during the Sunday School hour on October 27th in the parlor (we will have a combined Sunday School class). Samson and Lotan will share about their personal spiritual connection to this workduring the first part of our worship service that Sunday.And Samson and Lotan will be available during fellowship hour to talk more about the projects, the work, the women and the communities. Please mark your calendars for this special opportunity to meet these individuals and hear more about RSWR. Beth will also be in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for worship, selling coffee, tea, and chocolates for RSWR.

Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat a couple of weeks ago. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

This Week’s Queries

What lately has caused my eyes to be wide open?
Do I carry a “genocide card” in my pocket?
What atrocities are we facing, today, and how might the Church help instead of
hinder? What might be First Friend’s role in addressing these atrocities?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 9, 2019

October 9, 2019

As Way Opens

I traveled to Ferdinand Indiana this past weekend to spend a couple of days with the Sisters of St Benedict. This beautiful monastery was built in the mid 1800’s and used to house over 600 nuns (in the 1950’s overcrowding was such a problem that the sisters built the Benedictine facility in Beech Grove). They have less than 100 nuns there now and continue to figure out how to repurpose the facilities and grounds. The sisters recently completed a renovation of their rooms for individuals to come and stay with them for retreats. They have 11 lovely rooms with private baths that they don’t charge fees for but encourage a donation to the sisters of $65 a night (a bargain).

I have visited this place several times before and every time I step onto the grounds, I feel a sense of grace and peace. It was quiet, serene and the weather last Friday and Saturday was picture perfect. I watched the sisters engage with us over meals and discussions and I could feel their love of God and humanity through their words and actions. These sisters have been chaplains, nurses, teachers, principals, social workers etc. They are wonderful examples of how to live a faithful and devoted life to God in the world. I drove home Saturday afternoon feeling recharged and refreshed from my time with these sisters in their home. I feel inspired to continue finding my ways to live out my faith in the world. And I recognized my need to take a few days like this and spend time in prayer, reflection and contemplation. May we all take the time for contemplation and reflection and prayerfully consider how we live out our faith in each of our communities.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Thank you to everyone who volunteered at Mid-North Food Pantry last week! We had a great group of volunteers that served about 100 families: Christie M, Rik & Linda L, Phil G, Kathy & Bill F, Tom F, Mara S, David B, Kathy R, Beth F, and Carol & Jim D.

Many thanks to all who supported Buddy Bags! Also thanks to Jody L and Kathy and Bill F who packed 30 buddy bags and Kathy delivered them to Allisonville Elementary School. The principal was thrilled and thanked all at First Friends who made this donation possible.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Shalom Zone Eco Film Series: BAG IT: Is Your Life Too Plastic? ~ All are invited to join us on Friday, October 11 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm for our Eco film series. This time we will watch Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?, a 2010 American documentary film exposing the effects of plastic bags and other plastic consumer merchandise, and its effects on land ecosystems, the marine environment and the human body. The film concludes with a review of recycling labels and shows ways that average citizens and consumers can minimize the harmful impact of plastic by reducing use. It will be held in the Matthew Mark Conference Rooms at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Dr, 46240. Contact Mary Gault at maryhgault@gmail.com for more information.

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 12 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances.

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 meeting on Thursday, October 17 at 7:00pm. See locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2019.

Community Garden ~ Hear from some of our gardeners:

“The First Friends Community Garden has been an unexpected joy this year. My kids and I have been tending a couple of plots, and helped with the shared food pantry plot too. Many weeks I stop by the meeting on my way home from work to weed & water for a few minutes, which is a nice break from the fast pace of a typical weekday. We look forward to raiding the garden for fresh tomatoes on Sunday mornings. Several weeks we’ve been able to enjoy pasta with freshly made tomato sauce on Sunday evenings, when Nolan & Jill manage not to eat them all before we get home 😊” ~ Ben F

“This was my first year attempting to garden, ever. I cannot express enough how much of a joy it has been! I was nervous to sign up for a plot due to having no experience growing anything, but after the time I have spent in the community garden I realized that gardening is not only about producing physical items. Gardening has provided me with a way to eliminate stress from my daily life activities and more importantly bond with my 4-year-old daughter. The community garden gave me a place to decompress after stressful days during the week. It also allowed my daughter and I to have a free and enjoyable activity to keep us occupied on the days when we thought there was nothing to do. There was nothing more enjoyable then watching my daughter help to water, plant, and harvest the tomatoes, cilantro, etc that we grew. She made sure to show love to everything no matter how big, small, or green it came out! Joining the community garden was definitely a very special and positive decision I made, and I look forward to continuing to do it in the future.” -Zoe

Come Meet Right Sharing Representatives! We will welcome to our Meeting Samson Ababu and Lotan Migaliza, field representatives for Right Sharing of World Resources in Kenya on Sunday October 27th.Samson and Lotan will share about the work in Kenya as well as information about the project we are sponsoring during the Sunday School hour on October 27th in the parlor (we will have a combined Sunday School class). Samson and Lotan will share about their personal spiritual connection to this workduring the first part of our worship service that Sunday.And Samson and Lotan will be available during fellowship hour to talk more about the projects, the work, the women and the communities. Please mark your calendars for this special opportunity to meet these individuals and hear more about RSWR.

Help out our visiting friends! ~ As mentioned above, representatives from the Field Teams from Right Sharing of World Resources will be coming to visit the USA (two of which will be stopping here at First Friends). As many of these people live in warm climates, Right Sharing is asking for temporary donations of warm clothing, especially, sweaters, fleeces, jackets, warm coats, etc, (things that can be put on over their own clothes) to be lent to these visitors during their stay. These clothes will be returned to you after the representatives leave the US. If you are able to help, please bring your clothing to the meeting office by Wednesday, October 16th. If possible, please add your name to the clothing tag or include some kind of marking so we know who the clothing belongs to. If you’d simply like to donate the clothing and do not need it back, that is ok too. Thank you for helping out our Right Sharing friends!

Do you have a new baby or young child you would like to have dedicated? We are seeking out families who are interested in having their child (children) dedicated to God during an upcoming Meeting for Worship. For those who may be unfamiliar with Baby/Child Dedications, they are intended to be a public testimony by the parents/family that they will train their children in the Quaker faith. The Meeting will also be asked to affirm that they, as a faith community, will seek to encourage and support the parents in bringing up the child in the Quaker faith. Quakers believe a direct experience with God is open to people of all ages. Our hope is that this dedication will set your child on a path to experience their Inner Light and the Spirit’s leading. The idea of dedicating a child to God can certainly be found in the Bible. Hannah was a barren wife who promised to dedicate her child to God if He would give her a son (I Samuel 1:11). And in Luke 2:22 you will read the account of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple after forty days in order to dedicate Him to God. If you would like to have your child dedicated, please contact the Meeting Office (office@indyfriends.org). We hope to have multiple dedications during a Meeting for Worship in November.

New in the library at First Friends Indy (written by Linda L) ~

Primitive Quakerism REVIVED: Living as Friends in the Twenty-First Century by Paul Buckley.

I checked this book out of our library intending to take a quick look and make a quick note. But I read the whole thing. Buckley is a Quaker historian and theologian. He has wisdom and depth in his own comments and in his selections of quotes mostly from the founders and the famous of our faith while also including some contemporary Friends.

Buckley examines traditional behaviors and terminology, explaining the reasons for them. He suggests which ought to be put in storage. He encourages us to reinvigorate the fundamentals of Quakerism in ways that support and could guide what we at First Friends Indianapolis are creatively manifesting.

Greetings to all the women of our meeting! Please join us in the parlor on November 10th for a meal to further discuss the Enneagram test that we found out about during the Women's retreat a couple of weeks ago. We would like to discuss how it affected you and what we want to do from now on to sustain this group. If you would like some more information or would like to take the test for free, please go to Enneagram Tests: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test. During this meeting, we will also discuss reviving the Women at the Well but in a different way. We are going to meet right after worship so please RSVP to office so we can plan on the correct amount of food - office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Fall Festival! ~ Maple Seeds Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 26th from 4-6pm. It is held here at First Friends—All MSPC and First Friends families are welcome to come and be a part of this fun evening. There will be face painting, pumpkin decorating, a bounce house, a chili cook-off, a raffle, and more! Costumes are welcome! We hope you will join us!

A Call for Recycling! The Green Team at FF would like to make a plug for the recycling of cardboard — think of all those Amazon boxes! For every ton of cardboard recycled, 17 trees are saved. One semi-trailer load of baled cardboard weighs about 20 tons! That’s a lot of trees saved. Additionally, every ton of cardboard that is recycled saves 7,000 gallons of water. (Adapted from Recover Recycling Solutions)

This Week’s Queries

Do we know that we are loved? Who is letting us know?
In what ways are we discriminatory with our love?
Where do I sense fear in not being loved?
In what ways does/should First Friends produce love-motivated, love-directed, love-driven, and love guided Friends?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 2, 2019

October 3, 2019

As Way Opens

Last Sunday afternoon, Sue and I had the honor of joining our neighbors as they celebrated their new home with friends and community. Ram, Priya and their two children are from India and practice the Hindu faith. In Hinduism, when someone moves into a new home a traditional ceremony is preformed to bring peace and good fortune to their home and family.

Sue, Lewis, and I had helped Priya with some of the preparations. We mowed their yard and set up tents in their backyard as they were expecting about 100 guests from the Hindu community. While helping, Priya invited us to come in their home and see the altar she proudly painted and the decorations she was preparing for the ceremony. Even though void of all furniture, the altar room was rich with symbolism. Priya was excited that inside the front door on a small table stood an ornate and well adorned wood carving of Ganesh to welcome the guests. We learned that Ganesh is not only one of the best known and loved deities in the Hindu pantheon of gods, he is one of the most recognized deities outside of India due to his elephant-like appearance. Ganesh is considered the Lord of Good Fortune who provides prosperity, fortune and success, the Lord of Beginnings, and the Remover of Obstacles of both material and spiritual kinds. A friend from the Hindu community brought this deity for Ram and Priya to display for their special day.

When we arrived late Sunday afternoon for the festivities, another Hindu neighbor from our street welcomed and invited us to sample the varieties of food they had prepared. They offered several vegetarian dishes made from potatoes, tofu, mangos, cashews and a variety of wonderful spices. The dishes were accompanied by rice and a glass of rose milk to help calm the spiciness of the food. The aromas and tastes were another wonderful experience, as were the conversations while partaking of the food.

Soon we were asked to remove our shoes and join the guests in the altar room to experience the Hindu rituals. Unlike the men who wore typical casual dress attire, the women wore ornate saris made of brightly colored materials and a variety of ornaments including anklets with bells that chimed as they walked. Sue and I watched as each guest received a mark on the forehead with the traditional Tilaka, a red fragrant paste used as a welcome and expression of honor when guests arrive.

Hanging from the walls around and over the altar were brightly colored faux marigold garlands. We learned that the marigold is widely cultivated in India and is used for decorations at Hindu weddings, festivals, and religious events. Sue and I sat cross-legged in silence on the floor as several people offered silent prayers before the three gods and goddesses depicted in icons on the altar. There was a reverence but also a sense of familial community as each person acknowledged the deities and each other within Ram and Priya’s home.

Sue and I were so glad we made time to celebrate and learn from our new neighbors. We couldn’t help but be reminded of Phil Gulley’s words in Living the Quaker Way, “…when we listen only to a like-minded few, our regard for others diminishes, our love for them wanes, and with that our commitment to their equality and well-being lessens.” This week, I challenge us to listen, experience, and participate with those different than us, and may it broaden our understandings and build deeper relationships rooted in love.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Underneath it All ~ Thank you to all who donated to Underneath It All! School children served by the J. H. Boner Center will very much appreciate your generosity.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Praying Friends ~ Did you know that we have an active prayer ministry? It is called Praying Friends. This is a small group where we share prayer requests and pray for each other. To request prayer, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Photos are Ready! We recently had a Lifetouch photography event. If you elected to have your complimentary 8x10 sent back to the church for pick up, the photographs are now located in the office hallway for you. If your portrait is not in the current shipment, it means it will be coming in a future shipment.

Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 30 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 2nd. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable entrees, chicken salad with crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. If you do not want to purchase food, cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so we can do it again this year! Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org with any questions.

Support Group, Anyone? ~ Jan H would like to start a book-based support group at the meeting for those experiencing family or relationship challenges (even if that challenging relationship is with yourself). In harmony with the ideas that relationship difficulties are nearly always a two-way street, healthy relationships begin with healthy communication, and that our personal histories shape our present relationships, here are a few books to consider:

1. “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz

2. “The Mastery of Love” by Don Miguel Ruiz

3. “The Dance of Intimacy” by Harriet Lerner

4. “The Dance of Anger” by Harriet Lerner

5. “The Dance of Connection” by Harriet Lerner

6. “How to Hug a Porcupine” by John Lund

You are also welcomed to invite other friends to participate in the group. If you might be interested in such a group, please follow this link to complete the brief interest and scheduling survey and recommend other book titles to consider: https://forms.gle/Mj7axyhnvJYbGXncA. If you cannot access the survey, please call, text, or email Jan at 317-443-6458 or janicehise@yahoo.com.

Experiment with Light! Friends, all are invited as we start our own program. This is a continuation of the lovely meditation experiment presented by Jaime Mudd in June.

We will be gathering at the Meeting House on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, starting October 15, at 7:00 pm for 90 minutes. To register, please contact the office at 317-255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org. Please register by October 8th. If you have any questions, please contact the office. They'll send your questions to one of the facilitators. Facilitators: Jill F, Ed M, Mary Ellen L and Sam R. For those who expressed interest before, it would be great if you would confirm your interest with the office. That will help us properly set up the room, prepare materials, and so forth. It's an amazing opportunity to grow both individually and as a community. Hope you join us.

Community Garden ~ Hear from our gardeners:

"The garden is a refuge for me. I live in an apartment and miss having a yard and walking barefoot on the grass. I feel at peace when I come to water or tend to my garden. I have also been known to lie on the ground on occasion . I’m always very grateful to the Friends Meeting to give me the space to use and feel closer to God and his community." ~Jennifer

“Linda and I enjoyed having a plot in the FF Community Garden for a few years before I had my cancer surgery. We grew chard, kale, okra and tomatoes mostly. This year we decided to have a mini mini garden consisting of ONE plant! A cherry tomato plant of a variety that we had really good luck with before. We have had fairly good luck with our hearty little plant but not the profusion we had originally. But it is a great feeling to bring home food and be able to say ‘I grew this. My own produce! These tomatoes are actually sweeter than the ones I buy at the store!’” ~Ed M.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for September:

Swainson’s Thrush: The Quiet Friend

We Quakers are known for our moments of silence, particularly during worship. Hopefully we will speak up when the time is right, and we are ready! When Swainson’s Thrushes migrate through our woods in May, they are numerous, and the song of the males indicates their presence: “Pur-reer reer ree ree ree” (flute-like, and rising in pitch). By mid-May they are gone from here on their way north.

In September and October Swainson’s are on their way back south and often quiet. Recently I was about halfway down the walk towrd the fountain, when I stopped to scan the small trees on the south side. I was startled to see, just a few feet from me, a Swainson’s Thrush sitting silently, having seen me long before I saw her/him. Yes, the genders look alike, and the species is recognized by the thrush (robin) shape but smaller, olive color on the back, and a buffy cheek. The eye rings are connected by a pale stripe over the bill: known by birders as “spectacles”.

Warning: Your next walk in the Meditational Woods may be monitored by a “quiet friend”!! ~Brad J

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading pick for the month of October is The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu! The discussion will be led by Sue H on Tuesday October 29th at 7 pm in the Parlor. New York Journal of Books Review: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/book-joy-lasting-happiness-changing-world Contact Kathy R at kathyrichelle@icloud.com if you’d like to receive email updates.

This Week’s Queries

Where am I being called to speak up and share my passions for service in the meeting, the community, or world?
Where have I found it easier to exclude than to live out of love?
What religious bubbles might I need to pop to experience a fuller life?

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