Friend to Friend December 1, 2021

December 2, 2021

As Way Opens

One of the hymns I grew up singing at this time of the year was The Advent of our God. One of the verses went like this:

The Advent of our God

Shall be our theme for prayer;
Come, let us meet him on the road
And place for him prepare.

I remember singing this as a child and thinking, “This is definitely speaking of a time for prayer and preparation, but why would we meet Jesus out on the road? What is he doing out there?”

You see, the church my family attended throughout my grade school years was just down a hill from the historic Lincoln Highway in New Haven, Indiana. So, whenever we sang that hymn, I imagined myself climbing that hill and meeting Jesus on the side of the road.

Maybe his car had broken down. Maybe he was hitchhiking as many people did on that highway. Or maybe he was thrown out of a passing car and left for dead by a gang of thugs.

Obviously, my imagination ran deep at the age of ten (and I REALLY liked the A-Team.)
It didn’t hit me until many years later that the metaphor in the song was about joining Jesus on his journey or what some might call his earthly pilgrimage.

Today, I think I may need to go back and embrace some of those early memories of Jesus and not just spiritualize them or create word pictures to sing. Maybe we all need to meet Jesus on the road again. Just maybe, we need to seek Jesus out on the byways, highways, side streets, and dirt roads.

Jesus is the drifter going down city alleyways in search of food. Jesus is the broken-down biker trying to figure out where life went wrong. Jesus is the bearded man in rags standing with a cardboard sign that reads “Will Work for Food.” Jesus is one of 20 individuals crammed in the back of a van trying to cross the border. Jesus is the businesswoman on her cellphone in rush hour traffic. Jesus is one of the kids playing a pick-up game of basketball on the cul-de-sac in your neighborhood.

The question is do we see him out there and are we willing to meet him out on the road?” As we take a walk or run, or as we ride our bike or drive our car out on the roads this Holiday Season, let each journey be an opportunity to meet Jesus on the road.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

We are very proud of Sam W, son of Laura and Marlin W, who is currently serving under Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS). Sam recently wrote an article for his site placement's blog earlier this month, about lead poison and education equity. If you’d like to give it a read, you can find it here: https://www.southerneducation.org/resources/blog/featured/lead-poisoning-is-an-education-equity-issue/. Great article, Sam! If you’d like to find out more about QVS and/or support their efforts, visit their website at quakervoluntaryservice.org.

Alpha and Omega in the Community Garden ~ Some gardeners just finished bedding down their plots for the season. These are the before and after photos. Great job! Now reader, you tell me, is the after photo in the Community Garden the beginning or the end??! -Nancy

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Please note: Monday Worship Change of Time ~ Please note that Meditational Worship on Mondays is being permanently rescheduled to 12pm starting this Monday, November 29. Worship will conclude at 12:45pm.

See our old Meetinghouse on a holiday church tour! The old First Friends meetinghouse downtown will be on a self-guided walking tour sponsored by Indiana Landmarks this Saturday, December 4th. For more information and how to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.indianalandmarks.org/event/indianapolis-holiday-church-tour/

Vespers Annual Concert~ On Sunday, December 5th at 5:30pm we invite you to attend our annual Vespers concert, this year themed, “A Season to Celebrate!” The choir and a variety of our performers will be performing and it should be quite a delight. Following the concert there will be a complimentary catered dinner of Olive Garden, hosted by our Fellowship Committee. To help with planning, please RSVP here! We hope you plan to join us for the evening!

Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice next Monday December 6th at 4:00 pm in the Parlor. It will last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. Yoga will also be held on Monday Jan 3rd. Hope to see you there!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Friends, we ask that you all help contribute to the health and safety of the meeting and review the Trustee policy on how to safely prepare the building for use. The Meetingroom and Fellowship Hall are the safest rooms to meet in, as they have the best air circulation—but only when windows are opened and fans are turned on. These procedures have been outlined in this document the Trustees recently released. Please take some time to read and understand the procedures, so we can all contribute to the health and safety of the Meeting and all the people within! Thank you.

Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us on December 12th immediately after worship for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. (For health and safety, cookies will be served rather than grab-your-own.) If you can donate cookies, they can be dropped off on December 11th from 10am-12pm, or on the morning of Sunday, December 12th. For more information, contact the office. Happy holidays!

First Friends Financial Update: You are invited to spread holiday cheer by making a pledge to First Friends Meeting for 2022. Your pledge is extremely helpful in making a budget for the new year. Click to make a pledge online, or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485, for a pledge card to be mailed to you. Kindly submit your pledge by Dec. 19.

The Meeting also seeks support in closing out 2021, as we currently are experiencing a deficit. Donate online at indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303. Other means of support are through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office.

You’re invited to a free flute concert! You’re invited to a holiday flute concert by Indy Winds Flute Choir. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of this group. Their holiday concert will be held at 3:00 PM on December 19th at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Carmel, 4780 E 126th St. The concert is free. All are welcome!

Afghan Family Assistance ~ First Friends recently approved becoming a co-sponsor of an Afghan family that is resettling in Indianapolis. As you are likely aware, the Afghans who resettle in the United States are folks who have assisted the United States in its longstanding effort to bring stability to Afghanistan. Most of these folks have come to the U.S. with nothing but the clothes on their backs and perhaps a small suitcase. We anticipate that a family will be assigned to First Friends very soon. Your help is needed for this “Whole Meeting” project. In addition to providing assistance in setting up an apartment; employment; English tutoring; registration for school and selective service; banking and finance; transportation and other activities, First Friends needs to raise funds to support this effort. Our goal is $5,000. We hope to achieve most of this goal yet this year but will also accept donations in January 2022. Checks should be written and sent to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” If you plan to make a contribution in 2022, we would appreciate that you send a note to First Friends with the amount that you intend to contribute in 2022. Time is running short in 2021 so your prompt response is appreciated. Quakers and other churches have always been eager to assist folks who have been victims through no fault of their own. Our time is now. Please help as you are led and are able. Thank you.

Brush Up on Afghan Culture ~ As First Friends Monthly Meeting approved the request to fully commit and back a family of Afghan evacuees with Exodus Refugee, we thought it’d be helpful to send this useful guide of Afghan culture tips, from Riley hospital! It might be beneficial to brush up on these tips, whether you plan on assisting these evacuees, or if they perhaps someday visit! Something else you can do for fun is try an Afghan recipe! Here’s a link to a recipe for Afghan eggs and tomato, courtesy of afghancooks.com.

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Friend to Friend November 24, 2021

November 24, 2021

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Let our hearts be full of both, thanks and giving.

From all of us at First Friends, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

With Thanksgiving approaching, Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) offers a way for us to think about all we have that we so often take for granted. This "gratitude calendar," available in both adult and children's versions (see links below), lists one item a day for each day of November. For each item earning a "thank you," participants are invited to give a small donation to Right Sharing. A way of giving to Right Sharing while becoming more aware of the many things we have to be grateful for…

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Office Hours & Friend to Friend Next Week ~ Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the office is closed both today and tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

NOTICE: Monday Worship Change of Time ~ Please note that Meditational Worship on Mondays is being permanently rescheduled to 12pm starting this Monday, November 29. Worship will conclude at 12:45pm.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship this Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

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 12 of our college students. Don’t have time to shop? We will gladly accept monetary donations! Just leave your check in the offering plate on Sunday with the notation “college packages” or donate online at www.indyfriends.org/support and choose “College care packages”. Please make sure all donations are in by Monday, November 29. Thank you for your support!

LAST CHANCE to Order Poinsettias! You can order red or white Poinsettias in 6-inch pots for $8.00 each. All orders must be submitted to the office by THIS SUNDAY, November 28th. Order forms are available each Sunday, or you can place an order at https://forms.gle/fEm2tdEMhKUYg1jr6. You can pay by sending a check to the office with the notation of "poinsettias"; or visit https://www.indyfriends.org/support to pay electronically. Under funds choose "Flower Order.” Happy Holidays!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

Growing up in Alabama, Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents--her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father--and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child's transition to caregiver.

And here, braided into the overall narrative, Renkl offers observations on the world surrounding her suburban Nashville home. Ringing with rapture and heartache, these essays convey the dignity of bluebirds and rat snakes, monarch butterflies and native bees. As these two threads haunt and harmonize with each other, Renkl suggests that there is astonishment to be found in common things: in what seems ordinary, in what we all share. For in both worlds--the natural one and our own--"the shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love's own twin."

Illustrated by the author's brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 led by Sue H.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a significant deficit, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to: indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Other means of helping are available through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

First Friends Commits to Co-sponsor an Afghan Family with Exodus Refugee ~

Congratulations First Friends for making a 90-day commitment to co-sponsor a family of Afghan evacuees with Exodus Refugee. Monthly Meeting approved the request from a core group of vetted volunteers and helpers who have been preparing the way for weeks. The whole Monthly Meeting is now supporting this effort.

First Friends will help set up a household and assist the Afghans to become acclimated to a whole new way of life in Indianapolis. Monthly Meeting is agreeing to raise $5,000 to support this effort.

The following write-up is shared by a seasoned volunteer.

Thanksgiving

When you sign up to help an immigrant family, maybe you would rather not because you are already so busy. But you tell yourself, "It's just a couple hours, and someone should help those people." When you meet the family, you may find them bitter or depressed. Fearful and dependent. Or demanding, asking, for too much. You may feel the family is like a stranger whose true persona is a mystery. You may struggle to make simple conversation when there are so few common words among you.

But one day you may find that enough words do come, and you may realize that someone who was a stranger has the driest, funniest sense of humor, is artistic and playful and hopeful and has born more sorrow and violation than you can ever imagine.

Eventually your own busy life may seem more expendable, so you may be inconvenienced because old cars always break down when the weather is worst. Sometimes, you may find yourself making seven trips to the license branch because if anything can go wrong for an immigrant, it most certainly will at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Or you may decide to sit with a family member at the emergency room for six hours, begging the doctor to pull strings at Medicaid to get the right medicine. You may even find yourself jumping on trampoline with the kids, the arcade's music blasting your eardrums numb because the parents have spent months cooped up with their children in a shelter, 24/7, and they need some time off.

When you decide to help an immigrant family, you may have to say, no, I can't help with that today. Or why don't you talk to your caseworker about that. But if your official or unofficial capacity permits it, you also may have to accept gifts from the family for the sake of their dignity: The snacks they receive from the food pantry that your husband is fond of. A homemade meal of goat meat, greens and rice. A blouse that the family thinks would look beautiful on you, purchased with a voucher they were supposed to spend on themselves.

Then one day you may realize that the people you think you have signed up to help, have actually been helping you all along. You may find that you have grown a heart, awakened to your blessings and allowed yourself to love and be loved in return. You may feel that the strangers from a strange land have somehow become family, and their great faith in God and in you has restored your faith in the world and yourself. For all this you may fall on your knees, thankful to a depth you have never felt before.

WYM Looking for Associate Superintendent ~ Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (WYM) has an executive-level position open for Associate Superintendent. This newly-created position assists in providing support and leadership to WYM and reports directly to the General Superintendent. WYM consists of 33 meetings in Western and Southern Indiana and the Chicago area. Click here to view the position description. Applications, including a resume and three references, are due to scottmwym@att.net by December 10, 2021. Beginning date for successful applicant will be March 2022.

Queries for the Week

· As you center down, take a moment to thank whatever you name the Divine in your life for the blessings you have.

· Keep your ears and hearts open to the nudging of the Spirit - what is the Spirit asking of you this morning?

· And then take a moment to look around and sense your fellow Friends (the blessed company and holy fellowship) around you. How are they a sacrament to you in this silence?

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Friend to Friend November 17, 2021

November 17, 2021

As Way Open

As I was doing my morning meditation the other day, I came across this thought-provoking quote by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Edith Wharton. I think you will agree, it seems a very Quakerly quote.

“There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Basically, we have a choice each day, we can be the light or the darkness in other people’s lives. And as Wharton states, we can be the candle or the mirror that reflects that light.

As Quakers, we talk a great deal about the Light and believe it is something that both illuminates and reveals. Sometimes Light reveals our flaws, and casts shadows where it is obstructed. It can also be a beacon to those seeking guidance. For many, the Light changes us in significant ways.

Due to us all bearing this Light, the metaphor of being a candle or a mirror seems to fit us well. Since as Quakers each of us are ministers in the lives of our neighbors and among our Meeting, we might find ourselves at different times being called to be a candle or a mirror.

Often, we help our neighbors and fellow Friends discover, expand, and even give off our “light” in the form of providing a vision, values, gifts, and talents. It is in these moments we are acting as the candle.

At other times, we find ourselves being mirrors reflecting the light of our neighbors and fellow Friends around us. This reflected “light” supports and encourages those acting as the candle to enhance their influence, focus and effectiveness.

This week, let’s consider the Spirit’s nudging and seek where we can be a candle or a mirror in the lives of our neighbors and at First Friends?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Joys & Concerns

We had a wonderful celebration for Shawn Porter’s 25 years of music ministry with First Friends. As he retires and moves on at the end of the year, we wish him the best and send him Light and Love.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Office Hours & Friend to Friend Next Week ~ Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the office will be closed on Wednesday, November 24 and Thursday November 25. Additionally, next week’s edition of Friend to Friend will be slightly abbreviated. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Gnostic Gospel Group ~ Everyone is invited to join us tomorrow, November 18 from 6-8pm for a group study on the non-canonical/Gnostic Gospels. This time we will study the Book of Thomas. A light supper will also be served. The group will also be meeting on Thursday, December 16 to continue studies on the Gnostic Gospels. If you are interested, email, call/text Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net, 317-691-5542) or contact the meeting office (office@indyfriends.org, 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 in-person meeting Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2021 here.

Music for this Sunday ~ Preludes: I Need Thee Every Hour & March of Triumph

The reason the organ is called the “King of Instruments” is because it can simulate so many different sounds, including the voice, whose organ stop would be called Vox Humana. While our Casavant organ does not have this particular stop, we do have three stops that we are featuring this week:

• Strings – string instruments – these tend to be softer

• Principals – the basic organ sound: no particular instrument is trying to be imitated and is the most characteristic sound on the pipe organ.

• Mixtures – contain multiple ranks of pipes and at least one mutation stop. It is designed to be used with a combination of stops that forms a complete chorus (for example, principals of 8’ 4’ and 2’ pitches, for those of you who enjoy physics/musical acoustics). Mutation stops are pipes sounding higher (e.g., by five notes) rather than in unison with them. Mutation stops add an incisive quality to the sound.

The “March of Triumph” includes a well-known Thanksgiving hymn in the middle of the piece.

First Friends Group Seeks Monthly Meeting Backing to Co-Sponsor Afghan Family

This Sunday Monthly Meeting for Business will discuss a request by a group of Friends to co-sponsor a family of Afghan evacuees resettling in Indianapolis. The group has been working with Exodus Refugee, exodusrefugee.org.

Co-sponsorship is a minimum commitment of three months and the F.F Co-Sponsor team plans to work on 10 specific activities that may be tweaked following a recent survey:

English tutoring
Airport pickup
School enrollment
Enrollment in ESL
Create a budget
Participate in a second home visit
Help set up furnishings
Prepare a culturally appropriate meal
Supply sufficient clothing for each family member
Provide ongoing financial support (Goal of $5,000 including in-kind donations).

Survey Distributed to Active Parties to Determine Group Activity Commitment and to Create Task Groups

Group activity commitments are currently being finalized as task groups are formed according to individual interests collected from a recent survey. Jim Donahue has agreed to coordinate fundraising. David Beatty is Witness and Service Liaison. W&S will support and assist in the co-sponsorship, but will not take a leadership role.

Ways to Help an Afghan Family

• Volunteer to assist the vetted team. It is helpful to watch the training video on the Exodus website, exodusrefugee.org.

• Help haul, move and set up household.

Donations

Clothing is NOT needed since Exodus will provide culturally appropriate clothing.

Furnishings and household supplies can be saved and given directly to our assigned family as in-kind donations that will count towards our fundraising goal of $5,000. Save receipts for any new items purchased!!

Housing

Please share housing connections directly with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones at jjones@exodusrefugee.org.

Monthly Meeting for Business has not yet met and approved a co-sponsorship of an Afghan family with Exodus. If approved we expect a rapid match and we want to be prepared.

Let’s Play “What has Tom Made, Now?” – Answer!

Last week we asked everyone what they think Tom P had constructed in this picture. We had a number of people guess it was an antenna—which is close, but not quite. It is actually a modified potato gun. Tom constructed this “gun” to shoot ham radio antennas high into the trees, to get a better signal. He attached an antenna to a potato and shot it up—reaching around 250ft high! He had to use an electric pump to put enough air pressure into it to reach high enough—but he succeeded! What ingenuity!

Thanks Tom for always making us wonder and for sharing your creative ventures!

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

From the Woods ~

On Saturday November 13, the Indiana Plant Society held its annual meeting by Zoom.

We learned about Charlie Deam, the Hoosier druggist who became a skilled botanist and forester while cataloguing the native flora of our state. Following Dr. Rothrock’s presentation were two talks about many Indiana nature preserves in the northern and southern parts of the states. I’m inspired to get out and visit some of these precious protected areas. Here’s a link to a list in Indiana to explore: https://www.in.gov/dnr/nature-preserves/nature-preserve/

The final speaker was Jim McCormac . “I am a lifelong Ohioan who has made a study of natural history since the age of eight or so - longer than I can remember! A fascination with birds has grown into an amazement with all of nature, and an insatiable curiosity to learn more. One of my major ambitions is to get more people interested in nature. The more of us who care, the more likely that our natural world will survive.”

Jim gave a fascinating talk about the importance of moths in our landscape and encouraged us to plant for the critters, not just for ourselves. We can have a balance of beauty and native plants. There is a greater diversity of moths than butterflies and they are essential to nourish our bird population when birds are feeding their young. Some moths are entirely dependent on one source of native plant. In addition to this stress on their population, caterpillars suffer a 99% mortality before reaching adulthood and reproduction. He encouraged the audience to leave your leaves on the ground to protect moths and butterfly habitat. In July 2022, Jim is anticipating the release from Ohio State University Press of a new book called, Gardening for Moths in the Midwest. https://jimmccormac.blogspot.com

There are two big ways to ensure that we have enough moths to support birds and other creatures: plant native species AND leave your leaf litter on your garden beds and under your trees. Insects burrow and hide in the leaf litter and it also keeps the ground soft so that larvae can get into the earth to mature until spring (or in 17 years, if you’re Brood X cicadas).
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/05/raking-leaves-fall-stop-now-keep-leaves-lawn-mulch-them/3853468002/

~Mary B, woods co-clerk

Poinsettias are available for order! You can order red or white Poinsettias in 6-inch pots for $8.00 each. All orders must be submitted to the office by Sunday, November 28th. Order forms are available each Sunday, or you can place an order at https://forms.gle/fEm2tdEMhKUYg1jr6. You can pay by sending a check to the office with the notation of "poinsettias"; or visit https://www.indyfriends.org/support to pay electronically. Under funds choose "Flower Order.” Happy Holidays!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November

Mourning Dove: Not So Sad After All

It isn’t really sad, in spite of its name. We humans tend to view animals and their behaviors through the lens of our own experiences. In this case it is more “hearing” than “viewing.” The mourning dove song is a plaintive, yes…sad-like, “Who – you, hoo, hoo, hoo.” The you is at a higher pitch than the who, and the three final hoos are all on the same lower pitch.

Back to the sadness: As in other bird species, it is the male that is singing this song, with the expectation of attracting and securing a mate. A male is very persistent in the chasing of a chosen female, who may show no interest at all in the flirtations of courtship by the male. If his courting behavior IS successful, he certainly will not be sad. He will be glad!! Perhaps their behavior is not so far from humans after all!

Mourning doves are year-round residents of our meetinghouse grounds. They are most easily seen on one of the overhead powerline wires, often in pairs or groups. Watch for the small head on a robin-sized body, but with a long pointed tail. It is often, however, that when walking in our woods, I have scared up a group of doves in the pines behind the waterfall feature. Their explosive take-off and whistling wings can be quite startling.

Be happy! ~Brad J

Queries for the Week

· How does music move you?

· What memories come up for you as you listen to various music?

· In what ways do you experience God through music?

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Friend to Friend November 10, 2021

November 11, 2021

As Way Opens

This fall I became worried about how we would experience the fall season (my favorite season of the year). It remained warm and wet and the leaves stayed green for many weeks beyond what I remembered before in prior years. Usually by the night of Halloween most leaves are on the ground. Not this year. I wondered maybe we wouldn’t have fall this year? I get anxious when things don’t happen as I expect or have experienced before. I think we all feel this as the ground beneath us keeps changing. But God doesn’t change and sure enough the leaves have changed color and in my neighborhood I was not disappointed with the majesty of trees turning red, orange and yellow. My next door neighbor’s tree has been a joy for me each year. I thought it might just move from green to brown this year. But this tree did not disappoint me and here it was in all of creations glory.

The Divine is so present every season - but for me I feel it the most in the fall. It’s such a unique time to remember that leaves drop and feed the soil for new birth. I love Carrie Newcomer’s song about fall leaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c4mW9MRe-k

The truth I knew when I was eight
My dad swam the length of Spirit Lake
It must have been a million miles
This I knew was true

My mother sang while hangin' clothes
Her notes weren't perfect heaven knows
But heaven opened anyway
And this I knew was true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

I left her with some groceries,
Said, "Check the oil and call me please."
She said "Hey, ma I'll be just fine."
This I knew was true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

I've traveled through my history,
From certainty to mystery
God speaks in rhyme in paradox
This I know is true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

And finally when life is through,
I'm what I am not what I do
It comes down to you and your next breath,
And this I know is true

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

We Are the Change We’ve Been Waiting For ~ Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center is delighted to invite you to their November 10 Speakers Event, which is part of the 2021 Spirit & Place Festival. We will learn from four local activists how to respond to critical social justice issues in our communities. The panel includes:

· Our own Bob Henry, who will speak about Quakerism's long history of social activism

· Brandon D. Cosby, Director of Flanner House, will discuss their Food Justice Program

· Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana who will discuss barriers to home ownership, especially in communities of color

· Elizabeth Wallin, Founder and Director of Project Lia, helping women transition from incarceration back to their communities;

After their presentations, there will be time for questions, answers, and conversations. It will be held today, November 10 from 6:30-8:30. Light refreshments will be served. This is a free event. It will be held at the Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd Street. (Enter through the main entrance for the lower level, Dining Room). There is ample free parking. For more information and to register, visit the Spirit and Place website.

Madge Oberholtzer, the woman who brought down DC Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan ~ At 2 PM on Saturday, November 13, in Fellowship Hall, First Friends of Indianapolis is pleased to welcome Charlotte Ottinger to speak on her recently published book Madge: The Life and Times of Madge Oberholtzer. Her talk will effectively build on a recent First Friends event which explored the downfall of KKK leader D.C. Stevenson; Ms. Ottinger's book and presentation focuses on Madge Overholtzer's life--and her death at the hand of Stevenson.

We welcome all who are interested to join us in Fellowship Hall of the Fist Friends Meeting House at 3030 Kessler Blvd, East Drive, at 2 PM, Saturday, November 13.

Madge is available from the Irvington Historical Society, the book's publisher.

Celebrating Shawn P ~ Please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 14th when we will gather in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship to have a goodbye celebration for Shawn! We will have food and an opportunity to give Shawn a card, note or gift to thank him for his years of ministry. We hope you’ll join us!

Music for this Sunday’s Meeting for Worship from Shawn P ~ Sunday’s Patriotic Medley is in honor and memory of veterans who have been a part of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting.

Veterans Day is Thursday, Nov. 11. I am reminded of our veterans all across this nation, and in particular, those veterans who have been part of First Friends Meeting. First Friends has always had veterans in our midst who have greatly enriched our Meeting. I am reminded of three that would tell me stories of their days in military service. I fondly remember Hilda “Pete” and Lowell Renshaw and Fred Davis.

I am sure there are many others whom I do not know, and even though Quakers have a testimony of peace, there are those in our midst who have served and do serve and I am thankful for their presence. ~Shawn Porter

Let’s Play “What has Tom Made, Now?”

This week, the pastoral team visited Tom P. Tom is a long-time member of First Friends, who lives here in Indianapolis. He is looking forward to joining us again at Meeting in the coming weeks. Until then, Tom has many projects he is working on, in and around his home. In explaining one of his latest projects to our pastors, he proceeded to lead them outside to his garage to show them this contraption which he made (see photo).

Take a good look. What do you think it is? Any guesses?

Remember, Tom comes from a long line of Quakers, so even though it might look like some type of a weapon, we guarantee it is not (well, unless used for the wrong reasons, then maybe). Here is a little hint to help you make a better guess. Tom is a Ham Radio Operator and built this device to assist him in making a better connection. That is all we are going to say for now. If you have a guess of what you think Tom is holding, email your answer to office@indyfriends.org and next week if you have guessed correctly, we will publish your name along with the answer in Friend to Friend.

Thanks Tom for always making us wonder and for sharing your creative ventures!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana is seeking volunteer Bigs. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and they can be matched with children from 8 to 18. Currently, 1,285 matches are being served in our area (Marion, Hamilton, and Johnson Counties). But, over a thousand boys & girls are still on the BBBS match waitlist. Please let the office know if you or another are interested in becoming a Big (office@indyfriends.org)

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed in the last couple of years. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

Woods Words

As we wander through the Woods in autumn, consider speaking this excerpt from Psalm 96 in your heart in praise of God’s amazing creation.

Psalm 96: 1, 11-12

1 Sing a new song to the Eternal;
sing in one voice to the Eternal, all the earth.

11 And so, let the heavens resound in gladness!
Let joy be the earth’s rhythm as the sea and all its creatures roar.
12 Let the fields grow in triumph, a grand jubilee for all that live there.
Let all the trees of the forest dig in and reach high with songs of joy before the Eternal

We at the Wood’s team are ever mindful of two things: How can we balance supporting native wildlife and keeping maintenance manageable?

With Amy Perry’s inspiration, we are revising the entry plaque area. While the switchgrass is a gorgeous winter backdrop, cutting it back every year and managing the enthusiasm of the native coneflowers is time consuming, so we will be replacing the plantings with lower growing, less aggressive natives. We will transplant prairie drop seed, blue eyed grass, butterfly milkweed and wild petunia around the plaque. These will bloom at different times and be better “behaved” in a smaller planting.

We also hired an ecological restoration company, EcoLogic to do the heavy lifting of invasive removals in the eastern segment of the Woods allowing more native species to thrive.

Something to consider in your home landscape. Oaks provide habitat for over 511 insect species that nourish our birds while they feed their young. With small urban lots, an oak to consider is Quercus prinoides or dwarf chinkapin or chinquapin oak. It usually grows to 20 feet and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions. https://unlgardens.unl.edu/quercus-prinoides-dwarf-chinquapin-oak

Upcoming Events:

November 13: 9 AM Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation. From clerk, Diana Hadley: “Friends, The 2022 legislative session is near, so IFCL will meet by Zoom Saturday, November 13, at 9:00 a.m. to discuss issues and possibilities to serve Hoosier challenges legislatively as Quakers.

Thanks to everyone who worked for redistricting reform through contacts with legislators, attendance at hearings/news conferences and letters/columns in the media. You can review the IFCL effort on our website (www.quakerifcl.org)

under the "News" button. Although new maps have been adopted, the goal for changing the process will continue and be described at the November 13 meeting.” I monitor environmental issues for IFCL.

November 13: 1-5 PM Indiana Native Plant Society Annual Conference, by Zoom. $25 registration fee.

https://indiananativeplants.org/wild-indiana-wilding-indiana-gardens/

November 19 & 20, 2021 Greening the Statehouse: HEC annual gathering by Zoom

https://www.hecweb.org/gts/ $35, $25/students

As always, think about how you can reduce energy waste and promote the circular economy. For ideas, go to https://weather.com/science/environment/news/carbon-footprint-climate-change

Mary B, co-clerk of the Woods Committee

https://homegrownnationalpark.org/about-us We are on the map!

First Friends Afghan Evacuee Group Moves Forward with Goal to Become Co-Sponsor

Core Group to Ask Monthly Meeting for Business to Approve Co-Sponsorship

A group at First Friends decided to ask the First Friends Monthly Meeting for Business to approve a request to become a Co-Sponsor, along with Exodus Refugee, of an Afghan evacuee family. The meeting date is Sunday, Nov. 21.

Sponsorship is a minimum commitment of three months and the F.F Co-Sponsor team plans to work on 10 specific activities that may be tweaked following a recent survey:

English tutoring
Airport pickup
School enrollment
Enrollment in ESL
Create a budget
Participate in a second home visit
Help set up furnishings
Prepare a culturally appropriate meal
Supply sufficient clothing for each family member
Provide ongoing financial support (Goal of $5,000 including in-kind donations).

Expectations Clarified in Wednesday Meeting with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator

Fifteen attended a Question and Answer session with Jericho Jones, Exodus Volunteer Coordinator, who appeared virtually to clarify recent changes in sponsorship guidelines. Resettlement agencies are swamped with a backlog of evacuees and the urgency of the situation prompted Exodus’ guideline changes. Last Wednesday’s meeting was both in-person and open to virtual attendees.

Representative from Shalom Mennonite Participated to Glean Information

Becky Wigginton attended as an invited guest representing Shalom Mennonite Church. Neither Friends nor Mennonites knew what to expect in terms of sponsorship responsibilities and in lieu of recent changes. The idea of an exploratory partnership or simply a chance for Mennonites to gather information resulted in Becky’s attendance.

Survey Distributed to Active Parties to Determine Group Activity Commitment and to Create Task Groups

Group activity commitments are currently being finalized as task groups are formed according to individual interests collected from a survey distributed Monday. Jim Donahue has agreed to coordinate fundraising. David Beatty is Witness and Service Liaison. W&S will support and assist in the co-sponsorship, but will not take a leadership role.

Preparing the Way for Afghan Evacuees – Other Ways to Help

Team Volunteers

Those wanting to have ANY direct contact with Afghan evacuees, even if little involvement is desired, should (1) watch the recorded video training, (2) complete a background check for a fee of approximately $25 and (3) complete a confidentiality form for Exodus Refugee. This makes logistics easier when we need drivers.

Donations

Clothing is NOT needed since Exodus will provide culturally appropriate clothing.

Housing

Please share housing connections directly with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones at jjones@exodusrefugee.org.

Monthly Meeting for Business has not yet met and approved a co-sponsorship of an Afghan family with Exodus. If approved we expect a rapid match and we want to be prepared.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November

Mourning Dove: Not So Sad After All

Be happy! ~Brad J

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to “Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

WYM Looking for Associate Superintendent ~ Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (WYM) has an executive-level position open for Associate Superintendent. This newly-created position assists in providing support and leadership to WYM and reports directly to the General Superintendent. WYM consists of 33 meetings in Western and Southern Indiana and the Chicago, Illinois area. Based from the WYM office in Plainfield, Indiana, the Associate Superintendent will spend their time on tasks such as youth events, spiritual formation activities, young adult programs, and other Board on Christian Education activities. Click here to view the position description. Applications, including a resume and three references, are due to scottmwym@att.net by December 10, 2021. Beginning date for successful applicant will be March 1, 2022.

Queries for the Week

· What are my misconceptions and attitudes about Quaker Business?

· What leadings of the Spirit have I had during worship that I need to bring forward to the corporate body for discernment and support?

· How am I assisting my fellow Friends in deepening our spiritual life through Quaker Business?

Comment

Friend to Friend November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

As Way Opens

Last week I had the opportunity to travel down memory lane. My parents asked if I would like to go to Fort Wayne with them to possibly retrieve some of my late grandfather’s artwork. Since moving back to Indiana, I have only been to Fort Wayne a couple of times – and then came the pandemic. I believe it has been nearly two years since I traveled up I-69 to the place where I grew up.

As we drove around town, I noticed how much things have changed. The familiarity of the streets, the home I lived in during high school, and the places I frequented brought back a variety of emotions and remembrances both good and bad. We passed the empty lot where the grocery store I worked at used to stand. Our favorite Chinese restaurant (as the sign read, “Under New Management”) had recently reopened but now has a Dairy Queen in its parking lot. I saw my high school campus and my parking spot down by the St. Joe River where I parked when getting to school early to work in the art room (even though I lived a block and a half from school).

When we turned down River Forest Drive, the street with the grass median where my dad taught me to drive a “stick,” the memories really began to flood back. There sat the home where I spent countless weekends hanging out with friends in the basement and where my wife, Sue, ended up living for a year before we were married, while I finished school in Chicago. Where I would sit and laugh around the table with my grandfather one last time before his cancer came back and took his life. Where Sue and I celebrated with family after getting engaged at Franke Park just outside the entrance to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. Where we came the day following our wedding to open presents with friends and then pack our moving truck to leave for Orlando, Florida to begin our life together.

As we turned to leave the area and head back across town for dinner, I could not help but think how much my life has changed since those days. I am not the same person today that I was back then. Actually, I probably would not even hang out with the Bob Henry that lived on River Forest Drive for so many reasons. Yet there is an importance to remembering where you have come from, how it has shaped your story, and how the Spirit may continue to use it to shape your present. Fredrick Buechner in A Room Called Remember says,

One way or another, we are always remembering…there is no escaping it even if we want to, or at least no escaping it for long, though God knows there are times when we try to, don’t want to remember. In one sense the past is dead and gone, never to be repeated, over and done with, but in another sense, it is of course not done with at all or at least not done with us…

I don’t think these memories are done with me quite yet, I just need to be open to how they will shape me in my current phase of life. Is it time you took a trip down memory lane? I wonder what the Spirit will reveal to you?

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

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!

VOCE Centennial Celebration ~ VOCE, a semi-professional group that Carolyn T sings with will be performing a free concert at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4217 Central Avenue on Sunday November 7th at 3PM in celebration of their Centennial year. The concert will feature the World Premier of the “Mass for St. Joan of Art” by Joseph Burrows. We hope you will attend!

We welcome all who are interested to join us in Fellowship Hall of the Fist Friends Meeting House at 3030 Kessler Blvd, East Drive, at 2 PM, Saturday, November 13.

Madge is available from the Irvington Historical Society, the book's publisher.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a considerably larger deficit than in past years, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed in the last couple of years. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

Illustrated by the author's brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 led by Sue H.

Queries for the Week

· How am I embracing a “both/and” outlook of worship and activism?

· In what ways do I need to “reconnect to the whole” and be proactive in creating a supportive community at First Friends, that encourages those led by the Spirit to act?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 27, 2021

October 27, 2021

As Way Opens

I was excited that Ed M and Mary B wanted to start a class to study early Christian writings this fall. I have been fascinated ever since I started seminary to explore how the books of the New Testament came about as our Bible. For many years of my life I accepted the books of the New Testament as the “real" books that constituted our New Testament. I thought early Christianity was united in their beliefs and that our modern Christian movement should go back to the early Christians for the example of belief, community and worship. And then there was this discovery of manuscripts in the caves of Nag Hammadi by an Arab peasant in 1945 that discovered many of the so called gnostic gospels such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel to the Egyptians, the Secret book of James, the Apocalypse of Paul, the Apocalypse of Peter and other writings. As scholars have studied these texts over the last 75 years, it is clear there were a lot of different opinions of theology and belief among the early Christians. So how did our canon come to being? Why were none of these books included?

I have been reading Elaine Pagels book, the Gnostic Gospels and she explores the idea that there were many Christian Gnostics that Orthodox Christians declared heretics. The Orthodox Christians felt that Peter was the disciple that Jesus christened as his successor and the 12 disciples (they added Mathias after Judas committed suicide) were the authorized individuals to declare the gospel message as they were with Jesus during his ministry. This helped create the hierarchy of the Church that we still wrestle with today. These manuscripts show us there was a movement of many early Christians to embrace a more mystical religion. This view wanted individuals to experience the living Christ now. The very definition about the idea of gnostic or knowing had one gnostic teacher write “Yet to know oneself, at the deepest level, is simultaneously to know God.” Another gnostic teacher wrote, “Abandon the search for God and the creation and other matters of a similar sort. Look for him by taking yourself as the starting point. Learn who it is within you who makes everything his own and says, My God, my mind, my thought, my soul, my body. Learn the sources of sorrow, joy, love, hate. If you carefully investigate these matters you will find him in yourself.” This seems to resonate with the description in Genesis that we are created in God’s image. How can we be depraved with original sin when we are told that since our inception we are the image of God?

This sounds very Quakerly to me. I am anxious to go deep into these Gnostic gospels and invite anyone to join us in this study. We will meet November 18th and December 16th with other dates to be determined in 2022.

The more I study the more I embrace a God that is beyond anything that we can be contained in human writings. For me, that is the mystical revelation of God - beyond our understanding and yet found within ourselves.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Rain Drives Gardeners’ Harvest Fest Indoors; Fun and Food Win the Day

Who says Harvest Fests can’t bring fun indoors? Not First Friends! We tried having a grill and a little fire in the courtyard but the rain put them out. That didn’t stop the conversations, games, darts, door prizes, Jim Kartholl’s fall trivia questions, videos and food. We had snacks, oranges, apples, hot dogs, donuts and individually-wrapped sandwiches. People took the s’more kits home for use on drier days. We had cider, cocoa and coffee. There were bulletin boards with photos of past Fests, gardens, people and insects. Tiny pumpkins surrounded the centerpiece mums. Gourds and floating Mexican sunflowers were part of the decor. The little pumpkins were provided for children to draw on with markers. Some lucky people went home with colorful potted mums.

Dan M did a makeover on the scarecrows. Heads rolled and they ended up with Jack-o-lantern heads. Standing beside straw bales and pumpkins they became a photo backdrop.

Gardener Jennifer D showed two videos she made. They pictured scenes from past Harvest Fests; garden scenes with people, crops and flowers; and pollinators and pests. She spoke of difficult times in the garden when crops were less than beautiful but the garden still provided for pollinators like butterflies. They of course end up helping to provide food for people. Jennifer expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to have plots at First Friends. Her video had Biblical passages she chose including:

The Lord supplies to the sower and will multiply your seed for sowing. —II Corinthians 9:10

Gardener Jackie F showed a unique serrated soil knife made in Japan. It marks depth of soil and is useful in digging, scooping, pulling weeds and excavating plants. It even comes with a handy wearable sheath for the busy gardener moving from task to task. The Japanese call it a hori hori.

Many people helped to make the Fest possible. It was a joint effort by Community Gardeners, Connections, Fellowship and FF staff. Thank you to all those who gave of themselves that we could have fun and fellowship despite rain and the pandemic.

Youth Group had a blast this past weekend at Stuckey Farms! It was chilly Fall weather as we enjoyed their Harvest Festival, including a corn maze, pedal cars and more!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

First Friends Bible Study ~ You are cordially invited to study the life of Jesus via the gospel of Matthew in a 13-week series beginning tomorrow, October 28 (please note the corrected date), with the First Friends Bible study. The group meets by Zoom at 7:30 pm on Thursdays. You can drop in any time; you can join any time. You can order the book from Barclay Press using the supplied link. The study guide also is available instantly as an eBook. To receive the Zoom link, contact the Meeting office.

Illuminate: Matthew (barclaypressbookstore.com

Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice next Monday Nov 1st at 4:00 pm in the Parlor. It will last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. Yoga will also be held on Mondays Dec 6th and Jan 3rd. Hope to see you there!

IMPORTANT: Changes in Exodus Partnership; Meeting to Determine Way Forward

Meeting to Help Decide Next Steps

Anyone wanting to work with First Friends and Exodus to help Afghan evacuees or other refugees should attend an in-person MEETING AT FIRST FRIENDS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, AT 2 P. M. where Exodus Volunteer Coordinator, Jericho J will appear virtually and answer our questions. Those attending will make decisions about how the partnership will work. We may linger afterward, depending on time, to discuss next steps. The meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend. To Zoom use this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83620948786?pwd=UU9RTU5ZWFNRZ1R3R25nUi9tVFllUT09

Co-Sponsor or Welcome Team?/Afghan Evacuees or Other Refugees??

Originally we were creating a Welcome Team but Exodus’ parent company, Church World Service, has changed guidelines to better align with the unique situation of the high-need Afghan evacuees who are given the status of “parolees” by the U. S. government since they have less support and assistance than other refugees in the U. S.

Since our team is affiliated with a larger organization, First Friends Meeting, we are considered a CO-SPONSOR if we help an Afghan family and we must commit to 10 activities. If we cannot, we may take on a non-Afghan family and agree to do fewer activities. Here are the activities from which we must choose 10 if we are to take on an Afghan family.

Book Up Before Meeting

Review training video link which has some information not included in our original in-person training.
Review training PDF.
Review Exodus website at exodusrefugee.org.

To Volunteer

To work directly with volunteers

Fill out application (Applications are not available at this time due to an influx of volunteers, but we will keep everyone updated when applications reopen.)
Complete background check for a cost of approximately $25.
Fill out confidentiality form

To help out without being vetted

There are many opportunities to help evacuees and refugees by doing work where one is not in direct contact. Use links, website and PDF or attend the meeting to find out more.

A New Issue of the Stamping Newsletter Is Available! The Right Sharing of World Resources Stamping team here at First Friends has released a new issue of their newsletter, Stamping for Dollars. To view the newsletter, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pCBxbIGapSUdf8CgSPqRlKSSS0NzqRoj/view?usp=sharing

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a considerably larger deficit than in past years, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to: indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

View our Bloopers! The staff has been working hard throughout the pandemic to put forth a nice, polished video service each Sunday. But did you know that it took a lot of time and tries to get things just right? We put together a short blooper reel to share! View it on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/kiQbJKtHyMs. If people like it, there may be more in the future!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for October
Great Blue Heron: The Awkward Stranger

“She was standing, alone, in the narrow part of the parking lot beyond the last car. Was she there for First-Day Worship? To me she was a stranger, as I did not know her personally; perhaps a first-time visitor. Then I noticed her awkward appearance! She was tall with skinny legs and knobby knees. Her overly-long neck seemed to hang in a curve due to gravity. Her black cap looked like a lady’s old-fashioned Sunday hat, and sat atop a face accented by a huge beak!! I tried to put her rather unusual appearance aside, as I moved closer to welcome her to our meeting. Alas, as sometimes happens, my enthusiasm to greet a visitor was too off-putting, and she started moving away. Suddenly, literally jumping into the air, she stretched out her long wings and took flight, perhaps to go on to a different worship setting. Once again I was amazed by her appearance, but in the opposite way! Her flight was graceful, with her legs extending beyond her tail, showing great toe point. Her neck formed a perfect S curve. The elegant wing motion was like the oars in a rowboat, with wingtips gently dipping with each beat. She was not awkward at all!! I had sorely misjudged her, based on my pre-conceived notions. Beware of first impressions!!”

Great Blue Herons nest at Fort Harrison State Park, and can often be seen flying over Binford Boulevard and Allisonville Road, as they move between Geist, White River, and the many ponds in our area. This one, in early October, had stopped by our parking lot after a rainy week to look at the neighbor’s flooded backyard, hoping for a meal of a crawdad or a last-of-the-season frog. Brad J

We’d like to write a friendly reminder to everyone regarding the East door. The door is having issues latching and when someone enters or exits, often the door will not latch which means it is slightly ajar, and therefore unlocked. We’re reminding everyone to please be mindful and check that the door has latched after you enter/exit. You’ll want to either pull/push the door closed until you hear a “click.” We are working on a long-term solution for the door, but we will all have to be mindful in the meantime. Thank you.

Queries for the Week

· Where have I bought into the “cult of comfort” in my worship at First Friends?

· How am I cultivating flexibility in my spiritual life for the benefit of our worshipping community?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 20, 2021

October 20, 2021

As Way Opens

During Sue’s Fall Break last week, we took a day road trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum. It was a beautiful day to take in the beauty of this wonderful and free museum. About half-way through our visit, we came across Charles T. Webber’s 4x6 ft. 1893 oil painting, “The Underground Railroad.”

As the museum label for the painting reads,

This dramatic painting shows a group of fugitive slaves arriving at a country farm on a blustery winter morning. The farm is a stop on the Underground Railroad, the secret system by which slaves made the long journey North to freedom. On the border of the slave-owning South and a free state, Cincinnati was a major stop. The scene is from the 1850’s, before the abolition of slavery. The artist Charles T. Webber included three famous Cincinnati abolitionists in the painting: Levi Coffin, the reputed “President” of the Underground Railroad (at right on the cart), and his wife Catharine (standing at center), as well as Hannah Haydock (far at left). The site could be the Coffin farm, which was located between Avondale and Walnut Hills.

What is amazing is that Webber painted “The Underground Railroad” in 1893, only 28 years after the end of the Civil War. Over time, it has become one of the most iconic paintings in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection. It seems appropriate to be in Cincinnati, the home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which our Quaker Youth Affirmation class visited a couple of years ago.

Even though Webber was known for befriending, supporting, visiting in-person, and painting portraits of Quaker abolitionists of the day, this painting would be a much bigger statement. When the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition was announced, the Chicago World’s Fair scheduled to celebrate Columbus’s arrival in the New World. Webber instead chose to catch the attention of critics and the media with his bold subject, “The Underground Railroad.” It would be displayed alongside works by renowned artists like Frank Duveneck, T.C. Steele, Douglas Volk, Henry Farny, and others. Even though Webber’s work stood out and was even published in a Chicago newspaper, it was never purchased, most likely due to the subject.

When the painting was finally purchased and given to the Cincinnati Art Museum, it was quickly withdrawn and put on loan at Woodward High School where it would hopefully be forgotten. Historians considered the subject of the painting not worthy of the art museum in 1930. It would be 31 years later when the painting would return to the museum, yet it still would not be displayed. Not until the 1970’s when it was rediscovered and fully restored would it finally find its historic value and recognition in the Cincinnati art community. Today, it is considered a beacon of hope in dark times.

I am grateful that Charles T. Webber was willing to make such a bold statement with his art, especially as the Jim Crow Era was making its rise in our country. As we in the United States face the dark realities of the ongoing impact of the Jim Crow Era on our black friends and neighbors, how might we, like Charles T. Webber, use our God-given talents and gifts to be a lasting Light to our world?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Welcome to the world, baby Lana R V! Sam & Gabe are thrilled, exhausted, and amazed to welcome their new baby to their family. She came into the world on October 16, 2021 at 12:49 am weighing 6lbs 12.3 oz., and the family is all healthy and well.

FGC Clerks Introduction ~ The Gathering clerks for FGC's Gathering of 2022 introduce themselves in a YouTube video you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF6j_vCzJk0

Artful Meditation, Part II participants are happy with treasures reaped from Shawn Haymaker’s Saturday workshop. They shared meditational intentions they wrote down at the beginning of the workshop and discussed their insights and compositions afterward. They shared technical discoveries and collaborated in the making of the art. They compared the process to life experiences. Shawn shared helpful tips and enlightening ideas. It was a relaxing and fun-filled morning of laughter and sharing. Some people left their creations behind so Sunday worshippers could view them after Meeting for Worship.

The workshop was encouraged through Connections. If you have ideas for activities, please share them with Clerk Jim K or Connections Program Meeting members. (Thank you to Nancy S for the photos.)

We had a great time at our first Singalong back in person last Friday! It was great to be able to join together in person again (with masks and social distancing). We had a wonderful time! Thanks to Jim and Jesse for this event! (Photos submitted by Nancy S).

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 in-person meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 21 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2021 here.

USFW Dedication Celebration ~ United Society of Friends Women (USFW) is planning to hold a dedication celebration of their new Midwest Region of USFW virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, October 26 at Sycamore Friends Meeting in Greentown, Indiana. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by a program. Because the Midwest Region is comprised of women from all around Indiana, eastern Ohio, and western Illinois, part of the program will include a time of getting acquainted. They will also hear an update on the Pad Project that women have been participating in for a number of years and see the video of Katrina McConaughey handing out the completed pads to girls in Africa. The business will include approving the creation of this new group and of the officers put forth by the nominating committee. This will be followed by an installation of the officers. Even if you haven’t been active in the “old” USFW, please plan to attend and help us make the new one a vital ministry. Please RSVP to midwestregionusfw@gmail.com by tomorrow, October 21st if you can come.

Fall Festival! ~ Maple Seeds Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival this Saturday October 23rd 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 a make-n-take art experience, a fairy dance party, and mindful kiddo exercises. There will be a food truck (RSVP via Rallyhood to order your meal), hot coffee, and goodie bags for the kids to take home. Kiddos can come in costume! Masks are mandatory. View the flyer here.

Community Gardeners’ Harvest Festival ~ Get ready for the 2021 Community Gardeners’ Harvest Festival immediately following worship on Sunday, October 24. There will be games, contests, food, door prizes and fun—pandemic style. Bring your own lawn chair. Individually packaged sandwiches and snacks will be available. S’more kits will be provided for those wanting to roast them over fire pits. Bring your own hot dogs if you want to roast them. Drinks will include coffee, cocoa and cider. Participants may engage in basketball games, badminton, and corn hole. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided.

Connections Program Meeting is helping to put on this event. In case of rain people will move indoors and events and games will continue in a socially distanced manner. Come one, come all!

Hold Me Tight: Class for Couples ~ All are invited to a group experience that helps create lasting positive change in your relationship. The class meets weekly for 8 weeks from Tuesday, October 26 through November 30, 2021. Class is free to couples already in therapy at the Christian Theological Seminary (there is not a requirement to be enrolled in the CTS counseling program to participate). All meetings are held online through telehealth. You can view the flyer here. If interested please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

The New York Times and USA Today bestseller!

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.

The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

Inspired by the true and historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek showcases a bold and unique tale of the Packhorse Librarians in literary novels—a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 led by Ruth K.

First Friends Bible Study ~ You are cordially invited to study the life of Jesus via the gospel of Matthew in a 13-week series beginning October 28 (please note the corrected date), with the First Friends Bible study. The group meets by Zoom at 7:30 pm on Thursdays. You can drop in any time; you can join any time. You can order the book from Barclay Press using the supplied link. The study guide also is available instantly as an ebook. To receive the Zoom link, contact the Meeting office.

Illuminate: Matthew (barclaypressbookstore.com

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a considerably larger deficit than in past years, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to: indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for October
Great Blue Heron: The Awkward Stranger

Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice on Mondays Nov 1st, Dec 6th and Jan 3rd at 4:00 pm and last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. Hope to see you in the parlor.

We’d like to write a friendly reminder to everyone regarding the East door. The door is having issues latching and when someone enters or exits, often the door will not latch which means it is slightly ajar, and therefore unlocked. It has even gone unlocked like this overnight. We’re reminding everyone to please be mindful and check that the door has latched after you enter/exit. You’ll want to either pull/push the door closed until you hear a “click.” We are working on a long-term solution for the door, but we will all have to be mindful in the meantime. Thank you.

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

First Friends is working with Exodus Refugee to create a Welcome Team and sponsor an Afghan family. There was a zoom training last Wednesday that Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones wants all volunteers to watch if they did not participate. He suggested people who attended the in-person training review it. If you missed it there is a link to the recording listed below as well as some other links for volunteers. Only people wanting direct contact with refugees need to fill out applications and have background checks.

1. Background check Link
2. Confidentiality Agreement Form
3. PDF
4. Session Recording

If you have questions contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Volunteer Opportunity with Easterseals! Indianapolis First Friends has partnered with Easterseals Crossroads to support community needs several times over the last few years. The support received from First Friends has impacted neighborhood lives in tangible ways. The pandemic has significantly affected the Respite program through which we offer free childcare for families who have a child with a disability or diagnosis. We are actively seeking new staff as well as volunteers for our Respite events which are held on Friday evenings four times a month from 6-9pm and twice a month on Saturdays from 10am-2pm at our main location at 52nd and Keystone. Volunteers join staff for a meal and instruction before each event. If you know of someone who would be interested in volunteering (or joining our Respite team) please have them contact Kristyn Greenawald at kgreenawald@eastersealscrossroads.org or by calling 317-409-2116 (cell). Thanks for your consideration!

Celebrating Shawn P ~ Please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 14th when we will gather in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship to have a goodbye celebration for Shawn! We will have food and an opportunity to give Shawn a card, note or gift to thank him for his years of ministry. We hope you’ll join us!

Queries for the Week

· Are we like the Ninevites, ready to listen to God’s word and change our ways?

· Or are we like Jonah, demanding justice for others even as we plead for mercy for ourselves.

· What prophecy is God calling to you today?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 13, 2021

October 15, 2021

As Way Opens

I have been reading Thomas Merton’s book New Seeds of Contemplation and his thoughts and words have touched my heart. For Merton,

“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the soil of freedom, spontaneity and love.”

"God’s inscrutable love seeks our awakening. It is God’s love that warms me in the sun and God’s love that sends the cold rain. God breathes on me with light winds off the river and the breezes out of the woods.”

The question we need to ask all of ourselves is if our minds and wills are ready to receive these seeds or will they be lost on us? How am I preparing the soil of my heart so these seeds will flourish? Am I doing the work of spiritual practice, empathy and openness to receive the seeds and live into God’s love and will?

Beth

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

WYM Office Manager Position Open ~ Are you a self-starter? Good with details? Flexible? Delight in working with fellow staff and the public? If so, the following job just might have your name on it. Western Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church (WYM) is looking for an Office Manager. Reporting to the General Superintendent, this position is responsible for the operations of the WYM Office in Plainfield, Indiana. This is a part-time Monday-Friday position @ $20 per hour, approximately 30 hours per week. Requires a valid Indiana Driver’s License. Find the full job description here. The Application deadline is today, October 13, 2021. To apply, send a resume and three references to westernyearlymeeting@gmail.com.

FRIDAY SINGALONG IS BACK! - Come join Jim and Jesse for a singalong in Fellowship Hall on Friday, October 15, at 7:00 pm. We will mask up (not Halloween!) and keep safe, social distance. Warm up your voices and bring your favorite percussion instrument if you wish. Hope to see you there.

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 16 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 TVs 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. For more information, view the flyer here: https://bit.ly/3nC7go3.

Gnostic Gospel Group by Ed M ~ Hello Friends! Lately I have been reading the Gospels with a mind to read ALL of them. By all of them I mean the non-canonical or Gnostic Gospels as well as the common ones we usually think of. There are some very interesting facts about the so-called Gnostic writers. One is that generally they recognized the feminine aspect of the Divine much more than Catholic fathers.

We have gathered a study group together to study the Gospels with an emphasis on the Gnostic or newly discovered texts that we now have available. Would you like to join us? The dates will be Thursdays, October 21, November 18 and December 16 from 6:00-7:30pm. A light supper will be provided. If you are interested in this possibility, contact the meeting office (office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485). ~Ed Morris

USFW Dedication Celebration ~ United Society of Friends Women (USFW) is planning to hold a dedication celebration of their new Midwest Region of USFW in person on Tuesday, October 26 at Sycamore Friends Meeting in Greentown, Indiana. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by a program, and lunch ($13). Because the Midwest Region is comprised of women from all around Indiana, eastern Ohio, and western Illinois, part of the program will include a time of getting acquainted. They will also hear an update on the Pad Project that women have been participating in for a number of years and see the video of Katrina McConaughey handing out the completed pads to girls in Africa. The business will include approving the creation of this new group and of the officers put forth by the nominating committee. This will be followed by an installation of the officers. Lunch will be catered by a group from Greentown. Even if you haven’t been active in the “old” USFW, please plan to attend and help us make the new one a vital ministry. Please RSVP to midwestregionusfw@gmail.com by October 21st if you can come.

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

Community Gardeners’ Harvest Festival ~ Get ready for the 2021 Community Gardeners’ Harvest Festival immediately following worship on Sunday, October 24. There will be games, contests, food, door prizes and fun—pandemic style. Bring your own lawn chair. Individually packaged sandwiches and snacks will be available. S’more kits will be provided for those wanting to roast them over fire pits. Bring your own hot dogs if you want to roast them. Drinks will include coffee, cocoa and cider. Participants may engage in basketball games, badminton, and corn hole. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided.

Connections Program Meeting and Fellowship Committee is helping to put on this event. In case of rain people will move indoors and events and games will continue in a socially distanced manner. Come one, come all!

Garden Update - Monarchs and Mexican Sunflowers are a successful match in the Community Garden. Many Monarchs are attracted to the flowers on their migration route South. Both the Community Garden and the Meditational Woods are working to attract and feed this beautiful species. The plant varieties chosen seem to be helping the Monarchs and other butterflies and pollinators survive as habitat and wetlands are more difficult for them to find. Milkweeds attract Monarchs to our First Friends grounds as well since Monarchs only lay eggs on Milkweed and their caterpillars need it to eat and thrive. It is exciting to see so many butterflies fluttering throughout our gardens.

Shawn P’s Organ Preludes ~ Last week we heard the Toccata from Boellman’s Gothic Suite. (Toccata comes from Italian toccare, literally, "to touch", with "toccata" being the action of touching)and is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers.

This Sunday we will hear one of the most well-recognized toccatas by one of the organ’s greatest composers ever to have lived, J.S. Bach. Today’s selection is the Toccata from Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor, an often requested song by FF listeners.

Allegretto was written by Henry Purcell, a composer of Baroque music, and he is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers. Today this song will feature the ranks of flute stops, all the way from the high 2’ flute stop to the very deep sounding16’ flute stop.

Celebrating Shawn P~ Please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 14th when we will gather in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship to have a goodbye celebration for Shawn! We will have food and an opportunity to give Shawn a card, note or gift to thank him for his years of ministry. We hope you’ll join us!

Queries for the Week

• Am I paying attention?

• Am I extending myself?

• Am I choosing to commit myself to a higher way?

•Am I aware of my attitudes, attention, and need for personal adjustments?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 6, 2021

October 7, 2021

As Way Opens

Richard Rohr, one of my favorite authors and theologians, has offered a conference for the last 10 years called “Conspire” at his retreat center in New Mexico. I have heard about this retreat for years and always wanted to attend. Richard is suffering with pancreatic cancer and I know his time is limited with us in an earthly way. This year’s conference was completely by zoom and I immediately signed up for it wishing I could go to New Mexico yet grateful for this opportunity.

The retreat lived up to my anticipation. I am still in the glow of this inspiring and life-giving spiritual gathering. There were so many beautiful nuggets of wisdom that Richard and the other presenters shared that I wrote down in my journal and now share with you.

Richard talked about the Latin definition of the word conspire. Most of us have a negative connotation of this word that we hear often in terms of conspiracy. The Latin definition of the word is to breathe together. Conspiring together is about breathing together, being in community and supporting one another. I really like this definition.

Richard is always talking about the expansive nature of God. Our human mind can’t grasp the eternal or the infinite so we pull God down to be like us. How we limit our understanding of God! How we are sometimes afraid of God. Yet the shape of God is the shape of everything.

Evil succeeds when it disguises itself as good. Evil can be disguised in religiousness! We keep darkness hidden and it lives on forever. It only becomes apparent when exposed to the light.

We are all perfectly imperfect. All of us have a dark side and it is only dangerous when we deny it. We are all wounded and yet we don’t want others to see this. Darkness is what teaches us that we are powerless. We come to God by doing it wrong. We become completely vulnerable, childlike, with a realization that we are alone together and can’t run from the aloneness, a realization that we know nothing and within the silence we understand that we are dying and that is what allows us to be born again. As Jesus’ mother Mary said, we must have a willingness to allow God to love us in our nothingness.

The best ally of God is reality - nothing is as we want it to be and we have to have a tolerance for ambiguity. Our need for contemplation is to consider that I don’t need to understand.

How are we invincibly vulnerable?

I pray that we will all consider these nuggets from Richard and others this week.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

We’re very grateful for volunteers who helped at the SAWs ramp build last Saturday! This is a great opportunity to help our neighbors in the community. Many thanks to David B, Kathy and Bill F, Derek S, Jim C, and Jim D, who all helped with the ramp build!

Linda L would like to thank everyone for their kindness after the passing of her mother. Your thoughts, prayers and cards were greatly appreciated.

Our own Breanna C attended the event First Friends hosted recently for Joe Roberts to speak about his father, Justin Roberts, who was involved in one of the biggest legal cases in Indiana history: the criminal trial of David “D.C.” Stephenson. Breanna wrote an article about this story for the Indianapolis Recorder! You can read it online here: https://indianapolisrecorder.com/the-klan-ran-indiana/. Breanna, thank you for shedding light on this story!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Artful Meditation, Part II ~ Shawn H will lead a second Artful Meditation workshop using alcohol inks that bleed and run in surprising ways. All ages are welcome to attend at the Meetinghouse in Fellowship Hall on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. Non-staining watercolors will be available for children to use.

Attendees loved the first workshop. No artistic talent is required and participants will still have lovely creations to take home or give away. Don’t miss Part II!

Hooking Show with Shirley P Exhibit ~ All are invited to an Autumn Fiber Show at Revival's Fiber Arts (328 N Meridian, Greentown IN) on Saturday, October 9 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It will be an outdoor event (weather permitting). Puckihuddlers Traditional Rug Hooking Guild will be providing demonstrations of Rug Hooking. There will be an Exhibit in Memoriam of Shirley P's Hooked Rugs and other items, in addition to exhibits of local rug hooking artists. Come for opportunities to sign up for upcoming classes as well. There will also be wool and quilt fabrics, books, tools, and more available for purchase. Open to everyone - come join us!

This Sunday’s music from Shawn:

Prelude: Gothic Suite by Leon Boellmann
IV Toccata
III Priere a Notre-Dame

My last prelude was by an English Composer, John Bull. This week, we will cross the English Channel to France, where Leon Boellmann wrote his “Suite Gothique” for organ. This work contains 4 movements, of which you will hear the 3rd and 4th movements. I will be play these in reverse order as the “Toccata” will feature almost all of the stops on the organ, a true “pull out all of the stops” piece, where the melody is in the pedal.

The third movement, “Priere a Notre-Dame” is a more meditative and contemplative work, which features the softer stops/sounds on the organ.

WYM Office Manager Position Open ~ Are you a self-starter? Good with details? Flexible? Delight in working with fellow staff and the public? If so, the following job just might have your name on it. Western Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church (WYM) is looking for an Office Manager. Reporting to the General Superintendent, this position is responsible for the operations of the WYM Office in Plainfield, Indiana. This is a part-time Monday-Friday position @ $20 per hour, approximately 30 hours per week. Requires a valid Indiana Driver’s License. Find the full job description here. The Application deadline is October 13, 2021. To apply, send a resume and three references to westernyearlymeeting@gmail.com.

First Friends Afghan Welcome Team Update ~ First Friends is creating a Welcome Team and is partnering with Exodus Refugee to sponsor an Afghan family. A core group has gone through training with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator, Jericho Jones. It is difficult to know when we will be matched with one of the families that is currently residing and being processed at Camp Atterbury. The families can be released to resettlement agencies suddenly and Exodus must be prepared.

Those ALREADY INVOLVED or WANTING TO PARTICIPATE should:

Read the Exodus website, exodusrefugee.org, including their newsletter.
Complete the online Refugee 101 Training. It will be held Wednesday, October 13th at 12pm. To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtdeqorj0rHtC1R3DObKmIdC4Um6w6sVan Registering via the above link will be the best way to ensure that you are connected to a session and move seamlessly through the volunteer process. If you are unavailable for this session, the recording of the session will be made available to you, as this will be the final Refugee 101 session until Exodus re-evaluates their volunteer needs starting early November. Jericho asks those who completed the in-person training to REVIEW the online training (either by registering above or viewing the supplemental training presentation info here) since he believes it will be beneficial.

In addition to the above steps, ONLY those wanting to work DIRECTLY with the Afghan family must:

Fill out the volunteer application. Currently there is a freeze on volunteers since Exodus has reached their manageable number. However, First Friends volunteers are already on their radar. The Exodus newsletter will announce when online applications will be resumed. Applications must be completed and reviewed before volunteers can work with families.
Complete the background check and pay the $25 fee. https://secure.safehiringsolutions.com/app.cfm?id=2CE1B74A-9635-40F9-B312-81C730914D30
Be able to prove full vaccination status against Covid-19.

Gnostic Gospel Group by Ed M~ Hello Friends! Lately I have been reading the Gospels with a mind to read ALL of them. By all of them I mean the non-canonical or Gnostic Gospels as well as the common ones we usually think of. There are some very interesting facts about the so-called Gnostic writers. One is that generally they recognized the feminine aspect of the Divine much more than Catholic fathers.

Way of the Spirit—"What's yours to do?" ~ What helps you sort Holy guidance, your unique giftedness, and the clamor of urgent needs around us? The Quaker-based Way of the Spirit program invites prayer and learning for living Spirit-led every day. SCYMF member from North Seattle Friends Church, Jan Wood, is co-facilitating Way of the Spirit mini-courses on spiritual giftedness. She’s been exploring giftedness with Quaker communities for decades. It’s a great opportunity to learn more with a master teacher. https://goodnewsassociates.org/spirit/. Apply now for online offerings:

· Oct 13, Nov 10, etc, Monthly Reflection Group, online second Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30. Supportive, gently-guided small group processes to nurture awareness of the presence and guidance of the Spirit in your everyday life, 6-12 month commitment.

· Nov 6 & 20, Dec 4—Tending Your Spiritual Giftedness (online)
To answer, "What's yours to do?" in our fractured and hurting world, it's more important than ever to discern and tend your unique spiritual giftedness. Additional mini-courses in 2022 will explore obstacles to giftedness, creating a cultures of giftedness in meetings and churches, and passing it on to children and youth.

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

Mark Your Calendars: 2021 Harvest Festival! ~ The 2021 Community Gardeners’ Harvest Festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 24 immediately after Meeting for Worship. Put it on your calendar. More details to come.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

The New York Times and USA Today bestseller!

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 led by Ruth K. Contact the office for Zoom info.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting continues to seek financial support throughout the year, as we are experiencing a deficit. To explore ways to assist, click on indyfriends.org/support/#givenow and scroll down to the Give Now section. Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Shawn P’s Last Performances ~ As we say goodbye to Shawn as our organist at the end of this calendar year, we would like to share the dates that Shawn will be playing the organ at the Meetinghouse, in case you’d like to be there for some of his last days on the bench! Look for Shawn during Meeting for Worship on Oct 10, 17; Nov 14, 21; Dec 5, 12, & 19.

Queries for the Week

· How do you understand resilience and hope? Is this different from your Quaker neighbor?

· What elements of your Quaker faith enable you to have resilience and hope?

· How does being part of an international Quaker community help provide you with strength?

Comment

Friend to Friend September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021

As Way Opens

For the past week and a half, I have been suffering from the Shingles. Yes, I am still a couple years away from being able to get the Shingles vaccine, but I know getting that vaccine will be a priority in a couple years after the last twelve days. With the constant itching, lack of sleep, and moments of intense pain, Shingles can be rather like a slow suffering. I know many who have had much worse cases, so I am grateful that my case is already starting to clear up.

The night I realized I was coming down with Shingles, my son Sam texted me to share some insights he had from his History of Buddhism class readings. Sam mentioned that his text was an excellent overview of Buddhism that was helping him make sense of his Quaker faith. As Sam explained, I sensed what he was saying was familiar, only to find out that he was reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching - a book that I have read. As we continued to talk, I told Sam I was introduced to the book after coming across another of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books which had a huge impact on my life, Living Buddha, Living Christ. [Ironically, I discovered the book at the Half Price Books on 86th over ten years ago on a trip with my family to Indy].

My conversation with Sam, had me dusting off my copy of The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching and returning to its wisdom. I immediately found the subtitle speaking to my condition, Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation. As I flipped through the pages, I was drawn to the first quote I had underlined:

The ocean of suffering is immense, but if you turn around, you can see the land. The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. When one tree in the garden is sick, you have to care for it. But don’t overlook all the healthy trees. Even while you have pain in your heart, you can enjoy the many wonders of life – the beautiful sunset, the smile of a child, the many flowers and trees. To suffer is not enough. Please don’t be imprisoned by your sufferings.

There was so much wisdom in this one paragraph. Whether it is suffering through Shingles or a suffering much worse in this world, our sufferings demand our attention, care, and awareness to not become trapped by them. Numerous times this week, I have felt my Shingles were winning the battle, but then was reminded to center down and allow myself to enjoy the cooler weather, the beautiful sunsets, and embrace my need to just take a break.

Where in suffering do you need to allow yourself to be happy and enjoy the wonders of life?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to everyone who helped clear out the garage this past weekend! The space looks absolutely superb now! We’ve already heard it’s much easier to navigate now. Thank you to those who coordinated the cleanup and those who showed up to help!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Quaker Studies Weekly Program ~ Western Yearly Meeting is putting on a Quaker Studies program called First Things to build connections across the yearly meeting. The program is entirely virtual and over the platform called discord. It's a spiritual discussion group meant to build relationships. The plan is to watch videos or listen to speakers for 15 minutes once per week then discuss them. The entire program will last 8 weeks starting around mid-October. The sign up is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uAZXpEAosua6l03Ch66PmLbaegUDEq8IPq6AUWDSnUI or email David Hanson at david.keith.hanson@gmail.com.

SAWS Ramp Build ~ The Shalom Zone is planning another SAWS (Servants at Work) ramp build for the morning of Saturday, October 2. If you would like to volunteer please contact the office asap as we are trying to identify all volunteers (10 – 12 are needed) from the Shalom Zone as soon as possible. Volunteers must complete the volunteer registration form before their first build. Indicate that you are with the Shalom Zone on your registration. This form can be found on the SAWS website: sawsramps.org. If you should have any questions or need further information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Thanks for your willingness to be part of the SAWS group.

WYM Office Manager Position Open ~ Are you a self-starter? Good with details? Flexible? Delight in working with fellow staff and the public? If so, the following job just might have your name on it. Western Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church (WYM) is looking for an Office Manager. Reporting to the General Superintendent, this position is responsible for the operations of the WYM Office in Plainfield, Indiana. This is a part-time Monday-Friday position @ $20 per hour, approximately 30 hours per week. Requires a valid Indiana Driver’s License. Find the full job description here. The Application deadline is October 13, 2021. To apply, send a resume and three references to westernyearlymeeting@gmail.com.

· Oct 2—10-11am Pacific Time, Information Session, free. Please RSVP here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkdO6uqTMpH9SgZcO4SlAyMK6DVz3p_mgl

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

First Friends Partnering with Exodus Refugee to Welcome Afghan Evacuees to Indiana and the U. S. ~ Join the sixteen Friends planning to help Afghan refugees by partnering with Exodus Refugee, a local organization under Church World Service, the same organization that holds the CROP walk to help reduce hunger. Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones conducted a Refugee 101 training session Tuesday in the Meeting Room.

Those wanting to volunteer should:

Visit the Exodus website at www.exodusrefugee.org.
Attend a Refugee 101 training session. A pdf is available from Exodus and First Friends has the videotape of our training.
If still interested, pay $25 and complete a background check as directed via the Exodus website. (Note that you will not have to complete this if you do. not intend to directly work with refugees.)

Volunteers can volunteer individually or in teams. To be part of the First Friends Welcome Team, one must make a minimum 90-day team commitment and someone on the team must meet with the Afghan family a minimum of once a week.

After a reasonable number of Friends have completed the training and passed their background checks, the F. F. Welcome Team will be matched with an Afghan family and overseen by Jericho Jones. Stay tuned for more information.

Many Afghans will soon be living in our midst. Whether volunteering with Exodus or not, you can help by being welcoming to refugees and by helping other Hoosiers understand the new arrivals.

Queries for the Week

What ideas or attributes of God have not been helpful in my faith journey?
How might embracing God or the Divine as Love help me both worship and respond to my world?
How will I pay compassionate attention to myself and others this week?

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