9-20-20 - Embracing a Spiritual Autumn

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

September 20, 2020

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (English Standard Version)  

“So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

In just a couple days (actually this Tuesday, September 22) we will be celebrating the autumnal equinox.

As I studied the science of this changing to the season of autumn or fall, I learned that on September 22, the sun will rest above the equator, meaning that there is an equal balance of light and dark, day and night.

I loved how poetic Presbyterian Minister, Lou Ann Karabel described this in a post I read this week, she said,

Nature pauses on the equinox, poised between leaving behind the extravagant productivity of summer, and taking a deep breath, slowing down for the coming transformation of fall.

It's as if the natural world has been at a big, long, noisy, colorful party for three months! And now it's time to say good-bye and settle down into the serious business of fall - the letting go that, for many living things, leads to death. 

Wow, in some ways, I find it almost ironic that we choose this time of the year to have our kick-off.

But as I have said many times, this is the season we get a front row seat to watch the process of resurrection begin in and around us. 

I remember when Sue and I lived in Florida, we found it unusual not experiencing the changing of the seasons. As Midwesterners, I am pretty sure we have autumn built into us. 

So much so, memes are made about the flannel shirts, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, and Friday night football games!   

As well, throughout history, this season is also been known as the time of the great harvest. If you haven’t noticed, the farmers are now harvesting the many crops here in Indiana.

I love at this time of year to drive the back roads and see the activity in the fields and watch the chaff fly in the air as hay bales are created, corn is combined, and tomatoes are put in baskets and flung into large trucks and driven across the state. 

There is a beauty, but also a bittersweetness to this season. Yes, very soon, the air will become cold, the trees will drop all their leaves, and the migrating birds will all fly away, leaving us with still quiet mornings.  

I will miss the many yellow and red finches and hummingbirds that shared my mornings as I caught up on emails and wrote sermons on my back porch with a good cup of coffee in hand. 

The reality is that the fall season leads to winter and death. The colors turn to grays, the warmth turns to cold, and the creation around us goes dormant as we move inside for the winter months.

But we must remember the bigger picture. These are multiple stages, which are parts of a larger thing going on. Or as Thomas Merton once said,

"There is, in all visible things... a hidden wholeness."

Yes, there is a “hidden wholeness” that we need so much to embrace to understand our condition, currently.

As I have referenced often during the past 28 weeks of this pandemic, we are not in normal times. For many we started this “season of change” way back in March. 

We each personally entered a season of autumn months before the creation or natural world around us did.  The pandemic created an autumn-like season for our world – change, death, hibernation and preparation.

As summer approached, we were still making many changes, we already had entered a “hibernated state” called isolation and social distancing.

Whether we liked it or not, we began to harvest our jobs, our families, our daily experiences - gathering them in to prepare for the long haul of the winter-like pandemic.

In the post by Lou Ann Karabel that I mentioned earlier, she helped focus my attention on this spiritual autumn and pointed out three things that happen to our spiritual lives during this season…

I found they also show what many of us have been struggling with during this autumn-like season of the pandemic.  She says during this spiritual autumn,  

We may recognize and learn to accept both the light and the darkness within us (what others might call self-awareness).

As Quakers we are really good at focusing on our Inner Light, but often we ignore the Inner Darkness. If the pandemic has done anything good for us spiritually, it has forced us to wrestle with ourselves and the Light and/or Darkness we are projecting.

I also find it interesting that during this autumn season we will find ourselves facing the Light and Darkness of our world from the Climate Crises happening throughout the country, to the upcoming political election, to the numerous commentaries on social media – we are being inundated with having to wrestle with the Light and Darkness around us and how our own Light and Darkness within us will respond.   

Much like we learned this past year in the final installment of Star Wars – Light and Darkness are not as well defined as we used to think.  It is not just a simple balance or learning to rid ourselves of the dark – it is always about learning how to manage the Light and Darkness in ourselves. 

Second Lou Ann says that during this spiritual autumn…

• We may let go of anything that is in the way of our relationship with God.

Fall implies “Letting Go!” Like the leaves on the trees there are things we      need to take seriously and find a way to let go.

Some of you are probably saying….“Good Grief – how much more do I need to let go. This pandemic has robbed me of so much already.”

But this “letting go” is a freedom not a burden. 

The man who is coming soon to trim the trees at our home pointed out that the trees in our yard are letting go of their leaves, but if you look closely enough, they are already preparing for the return of Spring.

He pulled back the leaves and showed me the small buds protruding that are a sign of hope that our trees will thrive during the winter season.  These are signs of resurrection. 

When we “let go” of the things in our life that get in the way of our relationship with God (and our neighbors), are we looking for the buds and signs of resurrection?  

Let’s be honest, it may be a spiritual balancing exercise that helps you grow and thrive during this time.  

Thirdly, Lou Anne says that during this spiritual autumn,

• We may acknowledge the impermanence of all things.

I know most of us have wrestled with the permanence of the pandemic and wish it would end, and at some point, it will – but I continue to wonder what it may be teaching us.   

Even though we often state that change is hard for Quakers or the church in general, this is such an important part of our spiritual lives.

• We cannot have resurrection without death.

• We cannot have a spiritual spring without a spiritual autumn.

• We need change in life to bring new life.

If the pandemic has helped us see one thing, it is definitely our impermanence.  It has reminded us that we all will die, that life is fragile, but also that change comes sometimes unexpected.

When we realize that things in life are not permanent – how flexible is our    soul to change in these times?

Lately, I have found myself reading Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians - returning especially to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 again and again.

I have even preached on this scripture of Paul to the people of Corinth before during this pandemic.

To me, this is one of the most Quakerly passages in scripture and it seems to speak directly to our current condition.

I may even go as far as to say this scripture is the “theme verse” for our extended spiritual autumn and pandemic.

There is definitely a sense that Paul has decided to say exactly what he is feeling to the Corinthians – he is almost unfiltered compared to his other letters.

One can assume he is responding to the reactions he received from his first letter to the people of Corinth in which he laid out correct understandings of “little” subjects like the Body of Christ and the Resurrection. 

Throughout the second letter he pours out his distressed soul – his hopes, fears, anger, resentment, and joy. Hal Taussig even states that Paul may have written this letter over a series of bad days making Paul uncensored and wildly emotional.

Wow, I wonder what Paul would have written to the church of the United States, after 28 weeks of the pandemic, all the political and racial unrest, and the mounting climate crises with fires, hurricanes, tornados, currently?  

We may not be as focused on being persecuted for our faith as Paul was, but I believe we are in a state of being able to hear the likes of Paul who definitely understood difficult times.   

So, when I re-read these words this week, my heart was lifted knowing Paul had been “through the ringer” (as we say) and could still give this encouragement from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18;    

“So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  

Now, I have to explain something in these verses.  Paul was always trying to propose that “resurrection” and what we have called, “eternal life” was a participation of the followers of Christ in the present moment, not for just some later time.  

Especially, in this scripture, he points out even though we are dying on the outside, something is happening on the inside – a resurrection or renewal of sorts. 

The “light affliction” we are going through is preparing us for the ongoing “weight of glory” –which could be described as the ongoing suffering and joy that comes from truly living in this world. 

He then ends by saying the things that we see around us (the pandemic, the racial unrest, the political elections, the climate crises, etc.) are all transient, but what is unseen – the struggle of the light and dark within our hearts is ongoing in the present moment. 

Paul is saying – don’t lose heart, rather focus on connecting inwardly with the Divine and embracing the struggle because that is how we are able to bring Light into our present moment and help others see resurrection and ongoing life in this spiritual autumn.

This is how we prepare the buds of new life for our spiritual spring.

So, as we celebrate this unique Kick-Off this morning, I encourage you, as you wrestle with your afflictions and struggles to seek ways to engage your inner lives.

Like Paul, I want to remind you to “not lose heart,” but to find ways to engage your inner life (maybe that will be by joining a small group, hosting a fellowship opportunity, becoming an activist, or simply finding ways on your own to explore the light and dark places within your soul. 

We hope your relationship with the Divine will develop and that you will respond to the Divine’s inner leanings in a way that will be ongoing in the present moment and bring new life and renewal that will be for the benefit of the greater community.

Now, as we enter waiting worship, I ask that you ponder the following queries…

1. What might I need to learn about managing my inner Light and Darkness during this spiritual autumn? 

2. As I learn to “let go” of the things that get in the way of my relationship with God (and my neighbors), am I also looking for the buds and signs of resurrection in my life? 

3. When I realize that things in life are not permanent – how flexible is my soul to embrace that change?

9-13-20 - One Day Among Quakers (Shorts)

One Day Among Quakers (Shorts)

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

September 13, 2020

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (MSG)

7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

Good morning, Friends!  It is good to be with you in the comfort of your own homes, today.  I pray this finds you safe and well. 

Alright, it is confession time.  Now, that may seem rather alarming coming from a Quaker minister (especially one that used to be an Anglican Priest).  Yet, in all seriousness, I am the one confessing, today.

I need to confess that one of my guilty pleasures during the pandemic has been  watching Disney+. 

Let me explain…when I find I have some down time (which isn’t that often), I can’t seem to get enough of the documentaries and story driven series on Disney+.  

Most people (and especially kids) probably just skip over them to watch the blockbuster movies and cartoons (even though I have watched some of those as well).   

Since a very young child, I have been enamored, curious and all about exploring behind the scenes how things came about, and the stories of those whose creativity made the magic possible. 

Now, before this becomes a full-on commercial for Disney+, I have to say, there are two docu-series that have had me completely absorbed - Imagineering and One Day at Disney.

Since my first trip to Disney World back when I was in 1st grade (well, unless you count when I went in my pregnant mother’s belly the first year Disney World in Florida opened), I have always dreamed of being an Imagineer and working in the research, development, and creative arm at Disney.

So, to have an entire docu-series that explores and unveils what’s happening “behind the curtain” seemed beyond my wildest dreams. 

Well, this past holiday weekend, it was the “One Day at Disney (Shorts)” that had my attention. 

If you are not familiar with “One Day at Disney” it is a docu-series which highlights the diverse group of people behind some of Disney’s most magical stories.  It introduces you to the people who spend each day bringing magic to life in their unique and exciting ways, and how they help create heartwarming moments for people around the world.

One Day at Disney is both a full-length documentary and an accompanying book, but the “One Day at Disney (Shorts)” introduce you, in a 4-7min. video, to a cast member and their passions.  So far there are 40 of these shorts and Disney’s plan is for, I believe about, 52.

So, now that I have you all wanting to change your channel and jump over to Disney+ or start a subscription, let me explain why I confessed to this and shared this with you.

Today in this sermon, I want to do something a bit different.  I guess Disney inspired me (it has that effect on people).

This morning, I want to present to you a kind of “One Day Among Quakers (Shorts).”

Being the site-project liaison for our Associate Pastor, Beth’s Supervised Ministry with First Friends where I have the opportunity to help guide her in developing a version of our Quaker Affirmation Program for adults, has had my mind full of ideas and possibilities.

Also, for many years, I have been trying to figure out some new way to introduce some known and unknown Quakers and their stories to a new generation of people. 

Since Disney has taught us that most people only have a 4-7 minute attention span, the “One Day at Disney” model may be workable. 

So, this morning, with Friend Catherine Whitmire’s brief introductions of Quakers and their stories from her book, “Practicing Peace”, I want to introduce you to three diverse and unique Quakers from our past. 

You may have heard of these Friends, or you may not have. Their stories and lives speak not only to our foundations and ongoing testimony, but also to our condition. My hope is that they will inspire and empower you in having a passion for making a difference in our world, today!

Let me begin our first “One Day Among Quakers (Short)” by introducing you to a weighty and well-known Friend, Lucretia Mott.

Lucretia Mott grew up during the 1800s in a close Quaker community on Nantucket Island where she watched fishermen, farmers, shopkeepers, and housewives – people with no extraordinary power – working to overcome the evils of slavery, violence, and warfare. 

And through observing her community’s efforts, she saw that ordinary people can resist and overcome evil through prayer, speaking out, and direct action.

The lessons Lucretia learned as a child about using everyday means to confront evil inspired her later work as an abolitionist.  In 1851 she and a group of women from the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society

came to the aid of a group that included thirty-eight blacks and three whites, many unfairly arrested and imprisoned for resisting arrest as part of a complicated case involving runaway slaves. 

Lucretia and her friends not only allied to provide the prisoners with warm clothing and moral support, they also developed an imaginative plan to get them acquitted.

The prosecution in the trial had to positively identify the defendants as those who had resisted arrest.  On the day of the trial the defendants entered the courtroom for the first time, dressed alike and wearing red, white, and blue scarves around their necks.   

Lucretia and the women from the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society sat in the courtroom visitor’s gallery, knitting furiously, and “they did not so much as glance at their protégés, but it was clear to the reporters that they were responsible for the appearance of the prisoners.”

Since the defendants were wearing identical clothes, the witnesses for the prosecution could not positively identify any particular man, and the jury found them not guilty. 

The disgruntled judge claimed the jury’s not guilty decision was the fault of “meddlesome abolitionists” and “itinerant female agitators.” 

Lucretia Mott and her friends overcame evil with good by using their imaginations and their knitting needles. We, too, can resist evil and affirm our humanity through resourceful, everyday means. 

We can learn the language and culture of those with whom our country is at war, express our concerns for peace in song and theatre, surprise our critics with expressions of love and acceptance, and organize innovative ways to call public attention to homelessness and racism in our local communities.

Since no good is ever wasted, any imaginative, loving expressions we offer the world, no matter how small, will make a difference in overcoming evil and building the Commonwealth of God on Earth.

Our Next “One Day Among Quakers (Shorts)” highlights Hazel and Al Starr and their grandson, Cerrone Hemingway. 

In 1998, Emma Hazel Harrison and Al Starr chose to forego vengeance when their vibrant fifteen-year-old grandson,

Cerrone Hemingway, was killed by a bullet in a backyard in Boston while witnessing an argument over a gold chain.

Shortly after Cerrone’s memorial service, Hazel attended another funeral where she happened to fall into conversation about her grandson’s death with a woman she met after the service.  The woman listened attentively, asked Hazel for details, and then quietly said; “I don’t know how to tell you this, but my son has been arrested for your grandson’s murder.” When the impact of this stunning revelation sank in, instead of feeling repulsed that they had each lost loved ones to the same tragedy, one to death and one to prison.  They cried, hugged one another and began what has become an ongoing relationship of mutual support. 

Al, Cerrone’s Quaker grandfather, directed his energies toward helping people afflicted by other kinds of trama.  Al reflects that their experience made “an automatic connection for us with those who suffer from violence and injustice everywhere, whether it be fellow survivors of murdered children in Boston, or victims of bombings in Iraq or Kosovo.” 

He says that as a direct consequence of Cerrone’s death, during the 1999 war in Kosovo, he had an undeniable leaning, “where it was as though God was pointing directly at me, saying, You!...You help these people!” Al then helped bring a traumatized three-generation family of seven from Kosovo and supported them as they began a new life in Boston. 

Hazel and Al could have reacted to Cerrone’s death by demanding vengeance.  Instead, they responded to their deep loss with compassionate activism.  Their activism, however, has not erased the pain of their grandson’s death. 

As Hazel says, “You never get over something like that; it is always with you.” Hazel became even more active in her grandchildren’s lives in an effort to help them avoid what happened to Cerrone.  She also became involved in the Living After Murder Program, which once named her Activist of the Year.

Because vengeance is such a powerful and destructive emotion, the Bible cautions that only God, not humankind, can assume responsibility for carrying it out: “Vengeance is mine: I will repay, says the Lord.” But when we forgo vengeance, like Emma Hazel Harrison and Al Starr, we can end a cycle of violence, heal some part of ourselves, and help restore the world to wholeness and peace.

For our third and final “One Day Among Quakers (Shorts)” let me introduce you to Emily Green Balch.  

When the winds of nationalism swept across the country during World War I, college professor Emily Green Balch was among those who paid a significant price for remaining faithful to her pacifist religious convictions. 

A dedicated economics professor at Wellesley College, Emily did not believe that dissent equaled disloyalty, so she actively supported the anti-war efforts of her students, helped organize marches against the war, and gave lectures on peace. 

When the college demanded that she give up her antiwar activities, she refused on grounds of faith, and the college terminated her contract.  In response to her firing, Emily wrote to the Wellesley Board of Trustees:

“I find it so impossible to reconcile war with the truths of Jesus’ teaching, that even now I am obliged to give up the happiness of full and unquestioned cooperation where the responsibility of choice is mine.” 

Emily spent the rest of her life working to create international peace-building opportunities for women.  She helped organize the International Congress of Women,

which convened at the Hague in 1915 and collaborated in assembling other forums that brought thousands of women into international politics for the first time. 

She also encouraged women to form communities where they could support one another in their peacemaking activities, because she knew from personal experience of nationalistic conformity. 

Emily became one of the founders of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, which dedicated itself to building pathways to peacemaking that are still followed today. 

She was the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedoms’ secretary from 1919 to 1922, became its honorary president in 1937, and for her visionary work was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946.

Emily Green Balch dedicated her life creating openings and organizations for practicing peace.  As part of her visionary work, she encouraged people to look for God’s universal and uniting truths that transcend nationalistic identities. She wrote:

“Friends, let us not forget as far as we can, those things which divide us . . . There are no superior races.  There are no inferior races.  Let us learn to think of ourselves as members of that great race which is the human race.  Wherever we pass upon the earth, let us be at home.”

So, I hope you have enjoyed our first three “One Day Among Quakers (Shorts).”  I hope they have inspired and even empowered you during these difficult times to see what God may be asking of your ordinary life.

As Beth read today in our scriptures,

We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives…Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

Let us, the ordinary, arise and be the change, the voice, the risk-takers – let us allow our Inner Christ to shine brightly in all of our endeavors, and may we make our world a better place for everyone! It is now our turn to be Living Testimonies in our own unique and exciting way! 

As we enter waiting worship, I ask you to ponder some queries as to what God may be saying to you, today.

1. What imaginative, loving expressions may I offer to make a difference in overcoming the evil in the world?

2. What vengeances must I forego to help end the cycle of violence, bring healing, and restore the world to wholeness and peace?

3. Where will I look for God’s universal and uniting truths that transcend nationalistic identities? 

9-6-20 - Our Diamond Essence at the Heart of Us All

The Diamond Essence at the Heart of Us All

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

September 6, 2020

Ephesians 3:16-19 The Message

14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

It seems almost ironic that just before the pandemic I penned a set of devotions on the biblical concepts of “Selah” (which, if you remember, means to stop and listen or take a needed pause).

They were a devotional version of the sermon series I gave at First Friends last year. Barclay Press chose to publish them in Fruit of the Vine this past week not knowing what the state of affairs in our world would be at the end of August. I found that rather timely considering all that is going on.    

Unbeknownst to me, a pastor in North Carolina had asked for permission from Barclay Press to send out the devotionals by email to the people of his Quaker Meeting since they were not able to go out during the pandemic!

From the responses I have received, it seems the devotionals were distributed much more widely, because I have begun to hear from several people about the applicability of the devotionals for this time. 

I have heard similar comments regarding our Physically Distanced Meetings for Worship, Self-Led Worship Guides, Unprogrammed Worship, Vacation Bible School experience, and our Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading.

It continues to amaze me the widespread impact First Friends is having during these challenging times. The conversations that Beth and I are now having are not just among or within our Meeting, but they are happening across our country and world.

If you haven’t been to Fellowship Hour the last couple of weeks, you have missed people joining us from Africa and New York.

This should be exciting for us all!  It is a sign that there is still a hunger for Quakerism and all Friends have to offer, today.

Especially if we are willing to make those connections and empower and inspire a new generation of people willing to Speak Truth to Power and embrace a relevant Quakerism for today. 

In one of the conversations I had this week, a person shared how the topic of my devotionals reminded them of a teaching from Thomas Merton.  As one who has studied and appreciated the work of Thomas Merton, I appreciated the connection.  

Later during the week, as I was contemplating my own condition and the many things I was facing, I decided to return again to Thomas Merton for some insight.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with Thomas Merton let me give you a brief biographical sketch. 

Thomas Merton was an American Trappist Monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist, and scholar of comparative religion. 

He wrote over 50 books in 27 years mostly on spirituality, social justice, and quiet pacifism.  You may have heard or even read his famous autobiography, “The Seven Storey Mountain.” I highly recommend it – but be warned you may want to be a monk after reading it. 

Thomas Merton was born in France to Owen Merton, a New Zealand painter and Ruth Jenkins (and this is where it gets interesting) an American Quaker artist. 

I always wondered why I was drawn to Thomas Merton, but as I have learned more about his story and the influences in his life – it all makes sense.

Even though Merton’s mother died of stomach cancer when he was only 6 yrs old just after they fled World War I by moving to the United States – she had already instilled in him a Quaker spirituality, a love of silence, and a desire to seek one’s inner light as the heart or essence of life.

Much of Merton’s later writings and teaching strongly reflect the Quaker foundations his mother instilled in him.

So, as I returned to Merton this week, I was drawn to something he wrote in regard to having what he called, “a contemplative orientation to life.”

I think this spoke to my condition because I have become so tired of the reactiveness and lack of reflection and contemplation in our world these days.    

To understand what this contemplative orientation to life meant, we have to understand that Merton believed that we are to seek a balance in our lives between being and doing or between what he labeled inner awareness and outward engagement. 

Like I said, you can see in his terminology alone that he was very much influenced by Quaker spirituality.

What emerged from Merton’s contemplative teachings was what John Phillip Newell and others have described as Merton’s threefold pattern.

Just listen to how Quakerly they are as I describe them:

The first is his belief that spiritual practice (what we may call the spiritual disciplines) is about remembering our “diamond essence.”

Let me stop right there.  I love the descriptor “diamond essence.”  This is the term Merton used to remind us that what is deepest in us is of God. 

The diamond essence is what we Quakers call our Inner Light – that in the human soul is implanted a certain element of God’s own Spirit and divine energy.  

When we spiritually practice or discipline our lives to seek that “diamond essence,” it is as Quaker Richard Foster noted, we are “exploring the inner caverns of the spiritual realm.”

The second is Merton’s conviction that spiritual practice is about remembering that the diamond essence is at the heart of each of us and of all things.

Again, this should sound quite familiar to us as Quakers. This is the concept that Geroge Fox taught to seek “That of God” in ALL people.

Many later Quakers, and other spiritual seekers including Merton, expanded those thoughts to seeing that of God in ALL of Creation, not just in humanity. 

It reminds me of how the mystic artist and poet Kahlil Gibran spoke of this in his bestselling book, The Prophet,

“And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.

Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.

And look into space: you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightening and descending in rain.

You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in the trees.”

Folks, this is a beautiful example of what it means to embrace that of God in ALL of creation.

The Third aspect of Merton’s pattern is his belief that we will find true strength for the holy work of transformation in the world only by digging deep into the foundations of our being.  Enduring strength will be found not in our ego but in our essence. 

Again, this is very Quakerly as it means we identify ourselves not in terms of social status, race, religion, or sexual orientation, but by our truest identity. In the very ground of our being – the Diamond Essence.

Now, I share these insights from Merton because not only have they been speaking to my condition, they have also led me to some deeper insight.

Within the pandemic and the constant unrest in our world around so many issues, I find myself pondering and reflecting more than usual.

It almost seems the pandemic has afforded me the opportunity or given me permission to embrace a more contemplative orientation to life.  

I have found that without many of the distractions, the fast-paced daily grind, the ability to keep myself busy just to fill my day, I have begun to hear again from my “diamond essence” – that deep voice inside me of the Divine.  

To be honest, something I have been struggling to hear. 

I have also had time to observe and perceive my neighbors and those around me from a new perspective and it is beginning to change and affect me more and more deeply. No longer can I ignore them or simply let them pass by.    

I have also been able to visually see transformation taking place both in my own life and the lives of others in ways I would have never been able to see if I had not been given this time to slow down, assess, and become aware.

Now, please understand, this continues to be a personal discovery for me and I am still unpacking it in my own life, but part of the unpacking has had me reflecting on Merton’s words.

The other day I began to wonder if what he was describing needs to be applied much more broadly.  That what Merton is getting at and what Quakers have tried to emphasize from the beginning is that we begin by seeking first our own awareness and then continue to a greater awareness that gets us out of ourselves and our own myopic thinking.

It made me wonder…what if the universe is forcing our world or even more specifically, our nation, to embrace this threefold pattern and to return once again to our “Diamond Essence”?

It seems lately, the conversations I am having are transcending the social issues, the unrest, the politics and news.  They have evolved to a much more contemplative and even painstaking process of asking what is behind all of this?

We are beginning to dig down deep to the essence of racial issues, policing issues, violence issues, political issues, often knocking us completely out of our comfort zones.

More and more people are beginning to discuss the importance of morals, values, character, empathy and love – issues that spring from our “diamond essence.”    

What if this is a call for us to remember our “diamond essence” for something greater than our own spirituality?   

What if the unrest and violence we are experiencing is a symptom of a people wrestling to find their core again?  To find what binds us all together – that of God in each of us?

Thomas Merton said that people should search not only their own hearts: but they also should plunge deep into the heart of the world of which they remain a part although they seem to have “left it.”

When we begin to contemplate or discipline ourselves it causes us to not only move to the diamond center of our own being, but it also plunges us deep into the heart of the world. 

John Philip Newell in his book, “The Rebirthing of God” retells an inspiring moment in Thomas Merton’s life where his diamond essence had him plunging deep in to the heart of the world.

[Thomas] had been in Louisville, Kentucky, meeting with his publisher.  Afterward, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets [where today, there is an historic marker placed],

as he walked through the shopping district of the city, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the realization that he loved everyone around him, “that they were mine and I was theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness.”

He saw “the secret beauty of their heart.” It was as if they were all walking around shining like the sun. “If only we could see each other that way all the time,” he wrote. “There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed…I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other.”

And I sense that what Merton was saying in the end was that we would actually see “that of God in our neighbor” so much that we would begin to worship instead of hate or hurt our neighbor.   

As I have taken time to listen and pause this week, I have sensed Thomas Merton speaking clearly to my and our condition.

My prayer right now is that, like Thomas Merton, the people of our nation would be overwhelmed by the realization that they love everyone around them. That they are not alien to one another. That they are awaking from a dream of separateness.

I also pray that we all would discover that we are most free when we do not lift ourselves up over one another, but when we remember that our true Center is at the heart of one another.

Let us now enter a time of waiting worship – I have prepared some queries for us to ponder.

1. What spiritual practice or discipline might I need to embrace to help me connect to my “Diamond Essence” this week?

2. Am I being overwhelmed by the presence of “that of God” in my neighbors and the creation around me?

3. What bondage might I need to be freed from in lifting myself above others?

8-30-20 The Demoniac and the Gerasene People: Facing our Demons Within and Without

The Demoniac and the Gerasene People

Facing Our Demons Within and Without

Mark 5:1-20 

“My Name is Legion” The Story and Soul of the Gerasene Demoniac

By Michael Willett Newheart

Quotes and themes from this book

I spent two intense weeks recently in a class on Quakers and the Bible and we dove deeply into Scripture and the readings of early Friends and their embrace of, knowledge of and inspiration for the Bible.  We also read a book by  Quaker Michael Willett Newheart who is a biblical scholar and professor of New Testament language and literature at the Howard University School of Divinity.  The entire book was a reflection on the story of Legion, the Gerasene Demoniac that Mark wrote about in Mark 5:1-20 that Bob just read for us.  This brief chapter in Mark had a lot to say to me over the last few weeks.

Maybe some of you have never heard of this story?  I remember reading this  in various studies of the Bible that I have participated in over the years, but it never had much impact on me.  I always chalked this story up as one of Jesus miracles of expelling demons from individuals and in this exorcism the demons went into a herd of pigs that fell off a cliff into the ocean.  Isn’t that the just the kind of behavior that demons do?  I took the story as just one of many stories in the Bible that showed Jesus power in overcoming Satan in a cosmic way. 

Going deep into this story has been a  powerful experience for me as I examined this story in a personal way as well as what the story says about the community and society.  Are there still demons and unclean spirits today or did this just happen in ancient times?  What kind of healing did Jesus really give this man?  Where am I in this story and the description of the Gerasene community?

Before we delve into the story, we need to consider the themes in the book of Mark and its entire narrative. Mark’s gospel never mentions Jesus birth or youth and begins with  John the Baptist and Jesus being baptized.  This book is full of action, moves swiftly from episode to episode and focused on Jesus miracles and suffering.  This Gospel is jammed packed full of miracles particularly with demons.  Mark’s gospel identified Jesus as the Son of God very early on and feels an urgency to share the news of Jesus death and resurrection.  

This story begins as Jesus and the disciples crossed the sea (which if we read right before this chapter we learn that there had been a magnificent storm the night before that terrified the disciples while Jesus slept and ultimately the disciples wake Jesus fearful for their lives and Jesus calmed the wind and sea).  Jesus disciples, his chosen ones really did not understand who Jesus was lacked the faith to understand and this knowledge seemed to be hidden from them for a long time.  This journey across the sea of Galilee means that Jesus is leaving the Jewish territory and is crossing into Gentile territory.  When they reach the “other side” Jesus got out of the boat without the disciples (they may have been too traumatized by what they experienced on the sea to get out of the boat with Jesus).  Jesus immediately encountered a man possessed by an unclean spirit.  Mark described this man as “living among the tombs and no one could restrain him anymore, even with a chain.” (Mark 5:3 NRSV Bible)  Living in the tombs meant living among the dead - having lost one’s humanity.   This demoniac had roamed the countryside and engaged in self-mutilation and was completely isolated and uncontrollable.  The Gerasene community had rejected him and shamed him and had tried to chain and bind him but he was too strong.   The man is not only in conflict with his townspeople, but also with himself.” 

 This man came to Jesus, bowed down before him and called him the Son of God recognizing Jesus power and he asked that Jesus not torture him.  This is a fascinating point to consider as Jesus own disciples do not recognize Jesus in this way,  only the demons. 

After asking the unclean spirit to come out of this man, Jesus asked him his name.  Isn’t that just like Jesus – he wants to acknowledge and know this man who has been rejected by society.  The man replied,  “My name is Legion; for we are many.” (Mark 5:9 NRSV Bible) So it sounds like there are many demons within this man not just one.  There is also something symbolic with this name as legion is a term for a division of Roman soldiers of about 6,000 men.  The Roman Empire had occupied this land for a long time as they occupied most of the Mediterranean world and this community was living under the oppression of the Roman rule. 

The unclean spirit begs Jesus to not torture him and asked to be sent into a herd of pigs (which is an unclean animal).  The unclean spirit entered them, and the 2,000 pigs ran down a steep bank into the sea and drowned (Mark 5:13 NRSV Bible).

Those tending the pigs ran into the community to share what they had seen, and all came out to see Jesus and this demoniac.  This man that had been unable to control was “sitting there, clothed and in his right mind…and they were afraid.” (Mark 5:15 NRSV Bible ).  They asked Jesus to leave.  Why in the world would the citizens of Gerasene be more afraid of Jesus healing  than the terror of this man that they rejected and ousted from their community.  Have they been able to put all their anger and frustration from their oppression with Rome into this demoniac and set him out alone into the mountainside?  Was he their scapegoat of anger and shame?  Had they decided that this is how they must live and survive in their occupation by Rome?  Did they really want healing?   Things aren’t great right now, but they could be worse and at least I am not a demoniac living in isolation.  Were the Gerasene people afraid of this positive change to this man because  they were like the disciples in the boat who had little faith?  Jesus is offering transformation and transformation is scary.  Maybe it’s just better to stay in the boat, and not come out at all.  Better to just live with the way things are.  Do I really want to risk what I know for the change that Jesus is offering me? 

At first, I felt repelled by the demoniac and did not identify with him or feel I had anything in common with him, but as I reflect on these passages, I see that I have many things in common.  How many times in my life have I been unsettled, anxious, feeling out of control or rejected?  Where are the shadows in my own soul that gnaw at me and make me feel unworthy?  While this man seems terrifying to me, maybe that is because I don’t want to recognize and consider my shadows which we all have as they are part of our conscious.  Maybe we should read this story as the wild man within us.  We are good and decent folks, yet we all have our shadows that this story identifies.  We are compelled by the violence of the passage.

I  began to feel sympathy for this man and the struggles going on within him and the rejection of his community.   I think Jesus healed this man by recognizing him and offering him love.  The Son of God showed compassion to the craziest among us and that gave the man the opportunity to love himself.    “Self-love will lead to healing and freedom.  This man’s healing, his liberation, involved compassion that the Lord had on him which doubtlessly enabled him to have compassion on himself.”   This man was  someone who had to carry the violence of his people,  yet Jesus delivered him from the violence.”

There are societal issues to consider with this story.  In his book, Newheart invites us to consider the story in terms of  a scapegoat theory as well as a decolonization view.  The Gerasene’s and the demoniac are caught up in a kind of “cyclical pathology” in which the people repeatedly go out to bind the demoniac, even though he always breaks the bonds.  They are participating in ritual , behaving “like sick men whose every action fosters rather than decreases the disease. (74)  When the demon is cast into the pigs and they die, the Gerasene people don’t want this cycle to be broken.  They are part and parcel of the demons within this man.  “The miracle that Jesus performs reverses the universal schema of violence fundamental to all societies of the world. So, the exorcism of the demoniac and the drowning of the demons threaten the system in which the Gerasene’s have grown comfortable.”   The demoniac is the scapegoat of the Gerasene society.  They need a way to act out their violence.

Another way to consider the story from a societal perspective is  that when faced with oppression and colonization by an Empire,  “belief in demons helped enable the people to persist in their way of life.  For Israel specifically, blaming superhuman evil forces for their sufferings, they could avoid blaming themselves as well as God.”  Otherwise, where is God in this oppression?  Why is God not taking action?

A point that Newheart brought out that speaks strongly to me, is that this story suggests violence as a way to stop violence.  Drowning all of the pigs was a violent act - are we saying that God is violent?  “We can be non-violent because God is ultimately violent.  God does our dirty work for us.  God accepts our rage and vents it on our scapegoats.  How healthy is that?”

However, Jesus, this Son of God shows a different way than violence. “Jesus disrupted the social stability of the Gerasene’s situation by offering social healing not just to the one possessed, but also to the Gerasene’s.  They, however, rejected it and asked Jesus to take his social healing elsewhere.”

Are we ready for the kind of healing that Jesus offers to both ourselves and our society?  We all have legions inside of us.  For years I would look at others and think that they have their life so together.  The values that our culture uphold like success,  status, money, perfect family can be created in an outward form that projects an image that we want to project.  But as I have matured and experienced relationships and stories with others, I know that we all have legions, shadows, insecurities no matter how we appear on the outside.  Our challenge is to recognize them and take the risk for Jesus to transform us, to feel Jesus love and in turn to embrace that love of ourselves.  Real healing can take place, but it is hard work.  But this self-love turns into love for our neighbors, for our enemies and for the pursuit of justice and rightness for all.  This will be the difference between wholeness and disunity within ourselves and our communities and our country.

As we enter into our unprogrammed worship time, listening for the voice of God, I ask you to consider four queries:

• Who is the Gerasene in you?

• Where does your story intersect with his?

• In what ways have I been ‘“living in the tombs”?

• How can I embrace God’s healing for me?

8-23-20 - The Grace of Simplicity

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

August 23, 2002

Proverbs 13:7-17 (MSG)

7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
    a plain and simple life is a full life.

8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,
    but the poor are free of such threats.

9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;
    the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.

10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,
    but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.

11 Easy come, easy go,
    but steady diligence pays off.

12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,
    but a sudden good break can turn life around.

13 Ignore the Word and suffer;
    honor God’s commands and grow rich.

14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
    so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
    but liars walk a rough road.

16 A commonsense person lives good sense;
    fools litter the country with silliness.

17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,
    but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

Last week, I talked about finding gratitude in those “priceless moments” and honing-in on our priorities during this ongoing pandemic.  As I allowed my own words to speak to my condition this week, I found myself being drawn back to our Quaker S.P.I.C.E.S.

Since many of the distractions and selfish ambitions have taken a back seat during the pandemic, I believe more of the essentials have been allowed to arise and retake their prominence in our lives.  Suddenly, we are seeing the importance of empathy, character, integrity, and morals in our world, again.

Yet, one subject that I have been noticing more and more taking center stage very quietly and almost unnoticed is simplicity. Something we as Quakers consider one of our distinctives.

Now, some may think the pandemic has forced us into a more-simple life – but this just may be for the better. 

In my preparation for this sermon, I found a plethora of instances where people were talking about the importance of simplicity during this ironically complex time. 

One article stated that it would be in simplicity that we would “find some sort of salve, some kind of security as the crisis rages on.” 

For me personally, one of the first things that drew me to be among Friends was its counter-cultural appeal. It was Quaker Richard Foster’s book, “Freedom of Simplicity” that caught my attention early on.

Please note, it was not the early Friends dedication to plain dress or speech that caught my attention, which has almost completely become a historical artifact in our day, but rather the “grace of simplicity” that Foster described that drew me in.  Foster wrote,

“People need the truth. It does them no good to remain ignorant. They need the freedom that comes through the grace of simplicity. And if we are to bring the whole counsel of God, we must give attention to these issues that enslave people so savagely.”

Simplicity is both a counter-cultural and grace-filled response to our comfortable lifestyles that have removed us from being able to see our neighbors, creation, and often the Divine in our lives. 

The “salve and security” that simplicity brings is not just for me, personally – but when I embrace simplicity – it impacts my enslavement and that of my neighbor.     

Foster says this is a call for prophetic simplicity in our day. He says, 

“We need voices of dissent that point to another way, creative models that take exception to the givens of society.”

And why…because…

“Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village.”

When you and I embrace a simpler life, it begins to affect the world around us, because we begin to remove our selfish ways and personal naval gazing and embrace the empathy and concern for the needs and deficiencies of our neighbors and creation. 

If we want to truly build God’s beloved community here on earth, we must embrace simplicity, admitting that our excess, and the continued pursuit of it, continues to divide us from each other, from our planet, and from our spiritual lives.

A simple life is one that can focus on what is truly important. Or as American Friends Service Committee points out…

In contemporary terms, Friends try to live lives in which activities and possessions do not get in the way of open and unencumbered communication with others and with one’s own spirituality. Clearing away the clutter makes it easier to hear the “still small voice” within.

Richard Foster urges this clearing so we can better hear – he says,

“And so I urge you to still every motion that is not rooted in the Kingdom. Become quiet, hushed, motionless until you are finally centered. Strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the Kingdom of God. Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core.”

Richard Foster may again be prophetic for our time. He has just described what I sense we are experiencing or beginning to experience during this pandemic.  The pandemic is causing the excess baggage and nonessential trappings to expose our core.

Now, this may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but just like when I clean out my garage – it is not the doing that is the hard part – but rather it is getting started.   

So, to help us start this process of considering the impact of simplicity in our lives, let me return to an earlier point. I mentioned that the pandemic has forced simplicity on us.

Nathanael Yellis makes an important comparison. He says, 

“Being forced to live a calm lifestyle could be frustrating;

CHOOSING to live simply is freeing.”

Yellis then gives us some practical queries and categories to consider when trying to choose or embrace a more calm and simple lifestyle. He points out 5 major categories to consider: Environment, Time, Money, Parenting, and the Arts with a few queries to get you thinking.

I know I have found these very helpful as I have been pondering my own simplicity and its impact during this pandemic.  

Let’s begin with regarding your ENVIRONMENT: value what’s local.

Ask yourself…

• Where do I live or want to live?

• How can we live most of life near that place?

• What kind of commute is sustainable?

Second, consider your TIME: value presence.

Ask yourself…

• With whom do I spend time? Why?

• How much extra time do my commitments cost?

• What could I insource?

• What kind of job allows the time I need elsewhere?

• Am I on devices too much, and if so, would a digital disconnect help?

(yes - even during a pandemic where this is our main communication, it may be a needed aspect of simplicity for you and others).

Third, consider your MONEY: value generosity.

Ask yourself…

• How can I make my resources available to others?

• How can I keep spending low?

• Which investments now will pay off later?

• Does my spending reflect my overall priorities? 

Four, for those PARENTING: value slow growth.

Ask yourself…

• What’s the right amount of unstructured time for my kids?

• How can I keep commitments light to preserve the calm they need for open-ended exploring and curious learning?

• Where does all the technology distract from what’s good?

Fifth, consider the importance of the ARTS: value mastery.

Ask yourself…

• What tasks completely immerse us (where do we experience flow)?

• Outside of work, what could I create or produce?

• Do my leisure time reflect my values?

• Where do I achieve quality?

Please note, while there aren’t “right” answers to those questions, there are certainly wrong ones.

Our answers need to support our Quaker values and our commitments need to enact those values.

As with any forced prioritization, the stuff you say no to may be the most indicative. The energy comes from answering these kinds of questions overtly, rather than by assumption.

To close, I want to end with the final thought from San Francisco Friends School. I feel it sums up nicely what I have been saying.

Simplicity is a balm to contemporary anxiety,

allowing all of us to engage in the joys

and challenges of the present moment.

Now we will enter a time of waiting worship where we will put up the queries that I shared from Nathanael Yellis for you to ponder.

8-16-20 - The Priceless Life-Giving Way

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

August 16, 2020

Scripture: 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Last week on Wednesday, Jan Gildner and her husband, Jim, stopped by the office.  It was good to see them from a distance, but as we talked briefly, it was something Jan said that has kind of lodged itself in my mind this week.  She said, “During this crazy time of the pandemic, I have been working on gratitude.” 

Now, knowing Jan, that made complete sense for she exudes gratitude, but for many in the midst of these difficult times the virtue of gratitude has disappeared or been forgotten – and for many that seems just fine.  

I know for me, as I tried hard to seek “new perspectives” this week, I began realizing just how much I have taken for granted - my health, my travel, my socializing, my ability to simply have a cup of coffee with a friend.  I admit, for too long, I have taken a great deal for granted that the pandemic has brought back into reality. 

Ironically, it is when these things are stripped away that we start to appreciate the things that we do have.

I sense these past 23 weeks have begun to change us. Things that we used to think of as insignificant are now much more important and even necessary.  

The freedoms we once had have slowly eroded and we have been left with very little physical contact, very little social interaction, and in its place has been put a screen, whether on our phone, our computer, or through your TV.  

Let’s be honest…sometimes a hug would be nice rather than people waving their hands furiously trying to tell you that you need to unmute on Zoom. 

Two years ago, in August, I was working, as I am currently on the fall sermon series and plans for the upcoming holiday season.  That August I was planning to kick off September looking at what it means to be a “Slow Church.”  And we spent the entire fall, learning to slow down. 

Learning to slow down has been a key to survival during this time – especially as so much has come to a halt or been canceled.  The pandemic has literally forced us to embrace a much slower and intentional life, whether we like it or not. 

This forced slow down, as Christopher Lamb says, “is an antidote to rampant consumerism and a transactional culture where everything can be bought and sold.”

He concludes that our culture is being exposed for believing everything has a price, but not everything has value.

It is almost like we are living (in real time) one of those Mastercard Commercials from the late 90’s.  Remember, they listed off several items you can buy giving the prices (tickets to the big game $65, two hot dogs and a large drink $35, and a baseball with his favorite player’s autograph $50) and then concluded with some social interaction that could not be bought (the conversation with my son during the game – priceless).

I guess what I am trying to say is that what I am learning during this pandemic is that the “priceless” things should have been the ordinary and normal things all along. 

Yet because of our privilege, because of our means, because of our consumeristic lifestyles, we have simply bought our experiences for way too long.  And I sense the emotions those Mastercard Commercials invoked are becoming a daily reality during this pandemic.

• Waiting and watching that flower bloom in your garden – priceless!

• Cuddling your child on the couch while watching a movie – priceless!

• Watching the stars appear in the night sky from your backyard while holding your partner’s hand – priceless!   

Folks, we have the opportunity to live the “priceless” now – but are we taking it for granted?

And when we experience those priceless experiences, a gratitude begins to arise again in our hearts.  A gratitude for all the people we miss seeing and interacting with, for those we love and care for, for those special moments.

No longer can we obsess about buying things, going to certain places, even “keeping up with the Jones’” to make us happy. 

I love what the popular spiritual writer, Timothy Radcliffe says about gratitude. He says,

“We may think that gratitude is a feeling. It is much more than that. It is simply living in the real world, in which everything is a gift from God, ‘the giver of all good things’,” he tells me. “Someone who thinks of things as fundamentally to be bought and sold and owned is living an illusion."

If you think about it, when we stop seeing everything as a gift from God, and simply relying on the idea that everything can be bought, sold, or owned, life simply becomes a transaction,  people become objects, and life becomes anything but priceless.     

It is said that our trials often come to show us a deeper truth about ourselves and help us be a gift to our neighbor.  Or as our scripture for today says,

“He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardships of life so that we may draw from his comfort and share it with others in their struggles.”   

Folks, I know this may seem an interesting connection, but I don’t think it is an irony that we are in a pandemic and also having racial unrest in our country.  The pandemic is exposing our illusions (which some may refer to as the “American Dream”) where we have believed for far too long that everything can be bought, sold, or owned for a price.

It has exposed our narcissistic nature and our willingness - and even desire - to buy our fame, fortune, love and even friendship.

And let’s be real honest, the pandemic has exposed the “illusion baggage” we have been carrying in this country from years - believing that actual human beings could be bought, sold, or owned for a price – instead of being gifts from God and equal to all. 

Just maybe, Covid 19 is not the travesty we first thought, but rather a reality check of our values and morals - especially the issues we have continued to sweep under the rug and refuse to address like racism, our consumeristic and narcissistic desires, and our buying into a an American Dream that is both selfish and unbiblical.    

This week, a friend posted the following on Facebook. It is a quote from Indian author Arundhati Roy, who said,

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different.  It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. 

We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us.  Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it. 

What Roy is trying to emphasize is that, for us, the pandemic is causing people to finally assess what is important, to count their blessings, to become aware of what they believe, the issues they stand for and against, and the baggage they carry -- because let’s be honest -- in all reality the pandemic pays no respect to wealth or status or the American Dream.   

Even though in Paul’s day he was not dealing with a Pandemic, he was dealing with a culture that was very similar to ours.  He too addressed the need to break from our past, name and address our deeper issues, and turn to a better way.

Paul said it rather straight forward and did not “sugar coat” it for those reading his letter to the Galatians. I believe he gives us a picture of what it looks like when we are unwilling to give our values and morals the priority they should have in our lives.

Just listen to how Euguene Peterson translated Paul’s words for us from Galatians 5:19-21…

19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

Now, if we just stopped there – we could say Paul just exposed both the Galatians in his day as well as describing, extremely well, the world we live in today.  Yet, Paul was not finished…he gave a warning…

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

It seems Paul has been warning the Galatians for some time, just as many prophets in our day have been sounding warnings of what this all could lead to as many simply ignore.

But as any good teacher, Paul doesn’t just condemn and point a finger, but also provides an alternative - a much more hopeful picture.  A picture we need today.  Paul says…   

22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.

We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.

We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

What Paul just described is an embracing of the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Folks, this isn’t easy, especially with all that our world is throwing at us currently, but if we are willing to take this prolonged pandemic and

• embrace a slower pace,

• take time to become aware of our condition,

• cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit,

• and find opportunities for gratitude in our midst,

we will endure, we will begin to see the gifts we are being given, and the counter-cultural nature of God’s life-giving way will expose the death-producing ways of our world. 

Now, as we enter a time of waiting worship, here are some queries to ponder this week:

1.     What is something that I thought insignificant before the pandemic, but realize is very important to my life, now?

2.     What has the pandemic exposed in me that I need to work on this week?

3.     How am I embracing God’s life-giving way and not the death-producing ways of our world?

8-9-20 - Seeking New Perspectives

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

August 09, 2020

Romans 12:2

Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.

Good morning, Friends. It is so good to be with you again in the comfort of your own homes. I hope this finds you well and staying safe.   

As the pandemic has held on and the summer has so quickly come to a close, I have found myself struggling with perspective. 

It seems for the past 22 weeks (yes, 22 weeks – can you believe that?) we have been forced (for lack of a better word) into a rut. For me it is kind of like the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray’s character Phil Conners, finds himself re-living the same day over and over. 

Yet for me, it is not just a day, but seems more like reliving a week over and over.  My house, my yard, my computer screen, even my neighborhood walking paths have become unchanging aspects of my life. 

It is almost like I need to rearrange the furniture, hang different paintings on the walls, close the computer, and drive to different neighborhoods to take my walk. 

As Robin Roberts said on Good Morning America the other morning, we have been doing this for so long now – its “Happy Blurs Day” – each day blurs into the next.

I know many of you are feeling the same way, because this is our current reality.

Well, this week, our son, Sam, asked if we could go to Newfields.  Just his prompting had me excited about the possibilities of both new scenery and new perspectives.

Knowing that I had not had a chance to interact with their latest exhibit, “Edward Hopper and the American Hotel” (which I had been looking forward to) I picked up and began to read Gail Levin’s detailed biography, “Edward Hopper an Intimate Biography.”

In the biography, Levin dedicates a chapter to Hopper’s time studying in Paris when he was twenty-four years old.  I sense in his own words, Edward was a bit homesick, engaged with his art but desperately needing a new perspective.

Levin makes a point to show how Hopper sought these new perspectives.  He was known to sit in lobbies of hotels, street cafes, wine shoppes, as well as, the many museums Paris offered sketching for days at a time. 

Yet instead of speaking of these beautiful places and experiences in a letter back to his mother in Nyack, NY, he described  ascending to the roof tops of buildings and being almost obsessed by the roof lines, hundreds of pipes, the chimney pots, and the colors he saw from above.

He also shared about spending time at the ends of streets and under overpasses. 

I began to realize that the reason Edward Hopper’s paintings have had such appeal over time – even though their subjects are of very ordinary scenes – is because Edward was willing to give us a different perspective than most artists of his day.

He wasn’t willing to live in a rut, to live from one perspective or view, to stop seeking that new angle. It was his curiosity. It was his passion. It was his way of helping us see what he wanted us to see.

Well, after fellowship hour last Sunday, Sue, Sam, and I ventured out with our masks on to Newfields (btw: they do a great job of social distancing and cleaning their space) and we experienced the Edward Hopper exhibit up close.  It was evident in the many pieces we encountered that Hopper sought these new perspectives.

One specific painting caught my attention.

Interestingly enough, while at the exhibit, I did not take a photo of it because I found it one of the most unusual and uninteresting pieces. But for some reason (I believe because I am reading his biography) it has been burnt into my memory and I cannot get it out of my mind. I may have to go back and look again.

In 1935, Hopper named the piece “House at Dusk”.  Here is stock photo of the painting.

If you notice, it is one of those views from the rooftop that Hopper sought. The more I have studied it the more I have learned about who Hopper was, how and what he saw, and his ability to focus on details that most people would never find alluring.  

So, why am I sharing this little art lesson with you this morning?

I guess it began during our most recent yearly meeting sessions when Colin Saxton presented the Friday evening Quaker Lecture.

In this important lecture (that I believe everyone in our meeting should hear – and thus have posted it on our Facebook pages for you), he shared about the Greek word, paroikoi in which we get our word “parish” – as in a congregation, meeting or parish. 

As Colin described the word, he talked about its paradoxical truth. First, that it implies being unique and having a distinct identity and a calling to be neighbor – or even better put - “a group of people who are different than their culture.” 

And secondly, or on the other side of this term, Colin pointed out that there was a danger in this – that danger being “parochialism” and how easily it is to take a parochial view of our faith communities - a view which has a limited outlook or is narrow in scope.

Now, as one who is a product of the “parochial school system” – I never heard this explanation or definition growing up. For me parochial meant being safe, guarded and having the right beliefs.  

But as I have grown, become more educated, and migrated to being among Friends, one of the biggest struggles I have with the faith communities of my youth is their “parochialism.”

Actually, I might even go as far as to say, this is one of my biggest issues with the American Church in general – that it has limited its outlook, become myopic, and narrowed-minded - so much that it has become almost ineffectual in our world, today. 

And I have to be really honest, it is so sad to see Quakers, now, being called out for embracing this same parochialism. It is just the opposite of what originally drew me to be among Friends.  I was drawn to a unique, distinct identity, that was called to live among and serve one’s neighbors – I was taught and still believe Quakers are a peculiar people – set apart and counter cultural.  

And to be this, I believed Friends embraced a broader outlook and willingness to see theology and faith from new perspectives, where queries are encouraged and doubt is an asset, where our Faith and Practice is fluid and moveable instead of rigid and absolute, and where God is not put in a box but is freed from the structures we have created.  

I had come to Quakerism because I was personally changing my perspectives and looking for a new perspective that made more sense to what I understood and believed.

Now folks, understand that this same concept is a reality whether we are talking about struggling with the pandemic or talking about the future of Quakerdom.

As Ed Gould wrote in an article on “changing perspectives.”

It’s part of human nature to think about oneself and focus on what’s going on around us, but this one-dimensional perspective can lead to a false sense of priorities. How do we break out from a parochial view of our lives and start to see things as they really are? 

Gould concludes it is in changing perspectives.  He goes on to share an allegory that I think is key for us this morning.  Gould says,

The famous Greek Philosopher Plato once taught his pupils by coming up with an allegory of a cave. The prisoners in his cave cannot see reality, merely a shadow of it because they are in chains. 

All they need to gain a higher level of comprehension is to see what is causing the shadows to form – to see things as they really are.

In the allegory, this would mean that the cave dwellers would need to break free from their chains. In a sense, altering our perspectives on things means breaking from our mental chains. 

To extend Plato’s metaphor in this manner is fair because a change of perspective takes effort. Most of us are happy enough to keep moving on in our lives the way we always have – especially if we feel a degree of happiness in our current situation. 

Nevertheless, unless the mental effort is made, we’ll never know what lies beyond the cave or what is causing the shadows to fall against the wall. 

In our scripture text for today, Paul is speaking to the people of Rome.  A people who had been under oppression, dealing with difficulties, even trying to find their identity as followers of The Way spelled out by Jesus. I am sure they too were in need of a new perspective. 

In the text Paul says to the followers in Rome that they must first be transformed from the inside out – but then says that this will take a renewing of your mind.

The Greek phrase we translate into “renewing” is much more robust.  It means renewal, yes, but it also means renovation, and even for some a complete change for the better. 

To renew, renovate, and change for the better is going to take getting new perspectives and a break from our parochial views that have kept us from seeing things as they really are. 

I believe this is why the Spirit often leads people to different locations to get new perspectives – just reread the Old Testament stories of Abraham, Moses, and David or see how important locations were to Jesus in the New Testament.

Or as Quakers we can go back to George Fox’s ascent of Pendle Hill in 1652. The Spirit wanted to put what was being transformed within Fox for several years into perspective – I believe a new perspective.  

It is interesting that he is led to Pendle Hill – a place Fox would have known as famous for witch trials in his day.

But atop Pendle Hill, Fox would write that he received a new perspective as he looked out over surrounding towns and out to the Lancashire Sea.

He even remarks that he takes a moment along a stream where he says he is refreshed and renewed. And with a new perspective Fox is led to gather a great people and finds clarity on where he will find them beginning to gather. The rest is history – our history. 

But let’s not leave this in a story from our past (as we too often do) making it a part of our mythology or parochial structure.  Rather may we see it as an inspiration for us to seek the Spirit’s leading for new perspectives in our own lives, at First Friends, and even in our Yearly Meeting. 

Just maybe you are like me or Edward Hopper, in need of some new perspective. That may mean this week…

• You are going to move your furniture around,

• or take a drive or walk in a park outside your neighborhood,

• or maybe you are going to ride the elevator to the top of the building you work at and look out over the city.

• Or maybe you are going to read that book, outside of the normal genre you usually read.  

• Or close your laptop or turn off your tv and listen to what the Spirit is saying instead of social media and the news.

• Or maybe you are going to read other parts of the Bible than your go-to scriptures.

I think you get my point.

We need new perspectives both physical, mental, even spiritual to help us be transformed and renewed, today. And as the scripture continues this will help us be better able to discern the path forward. 

Just maybe those of us struggling

with this pandemic or sickness, 

with the politics in our world,

with the issues around race,

with all the violence,

with going back to school,

with having faith,

with the future of our yearly meeting,

with….well…life in general…

…just maybe we need to take some time to find some new perspective, allow the Spirit to renew, renovate, and change us, so that with God’s help we can make a greater impact on our world.  

Now, let us take a moment to ponder the following queries in a time of waiting worship:

1. Where might the Spirit be leading me to gain some new perspective this week?

2. What “mental chains” are holding me back from seeing?

3. In what ways am I longing for renewal, renovation, and change?

8-2-20 - The Power We Need!

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

August 2, 2020

Isaiah 40:28-31 (The Passion Translation)

28 Don’t you know? Haven’t you been listening?
    Yahweh is the one and only everlasting God,
    the Creator of all you can see and imagine!
    He never gets weary or worn out.
    His intelligence is unlimited;
    he is never puzzled over what to do!
29 He empowers the feeble
    and infuses the powerless with increasing strength.
30 Even young people faint and get exhausted;
    athletic ones may stumble and fall.
31 But those who wait for Yahweh’s grace
    will experience divine strength.
    They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles,
    run their race without growing weary,
    and walk through life without giving up.

As you probably already know, this week we have been on the Rocky Railroad and we have enjoyed focusing on something special for our children.  The themes each day have all begun with speaking of Jesus’ power. 

Last Sunday, we looked at how Jesus’ power helps us do hard things. 

On Monday, how Jesus’ power gives us hope. 

On Tuesday, how Jesus’ power helps us be bold.

On Wednesday, how Jesus’ power lets us live forever.

And finally, on Thursday, how Jesus’ power helps us be good friends. 

That last one seemed written for us Quakers. But in actuality, talking about the “Power of Jesus” is as old as Quakerism itself.

Our founder, George Fox, and the early ministers of Quakerism well understood that true religion is not in rites or church fellowship or even in true doctrine, but rather true religion is in the possession of the Life and Power of Jesus Christ. 

Scott Martin in a Friends Journal article on this, gives us a bit more background to this early and important teaching. He says,

"The Power of the Lord" had multiple meanings for Fox and other early Friends, but the most common use of the phrase was to refer to a sensible, divine power or energy.

Friends would experience this power surrounding them or flowing through their bodies under a variety of conditions, but most often at the point of convincement, when facing a trial, or during meeting for worship.

An experience of the power was often associated with some kind of involuntary physical or mental phenomenon. When seized by the power, some Friends quaked, vocalized, or fell unconscious to the floor, while other Friends saw brilliant light, had visions, experienced healing, or felt a force emanating from them that was capable of subduing an angry and hostile mob.

Wow, now that is a power we need in our current day.

One thing I heard often during last weekend’s Western Yearly Meeting sessions was that there has been and continues to be a lack of energy within our Yearly Meeting.

That instead of focusing on the life and power of our Present Teacher, Jesus Christ within and among us to change our world – we have returned to what I described during our Yearly Meeting sessions as “religious navel gazing” which focuses on those things that George Fox and the early Quaker ministers denounced as “true religion.”

I find it ironic to juxtapose this week’s VBS with our Western Yearly Meeting sessions all amidst a global pandemic. 

During our VBS, we were teaching our children one of the oldest Quaker distinctives and foundations for our faith – that God has given us the “power of the Lord” to make a difference in this world.  

A power that helps us do hard things.

A power that brings hope.

A power that makes us bold.

A power that gives us life.

A power that helps us be True Friends.

Before I decided to speak up during one of the vision sessions during Yearly Meeting this past weekend, I found myself for the first time in a while, literally quaking.

Now, I have to be honest and admit, I was refusing to speak what I believe God was nudging me to say. 

Instead of speaking, I began to write-out some notes to hopefully ease this quaking, but it only made it worse. By the time I finally sensed I had to speak up, one of my legs was shaking so bad under the table that I had to hold it with my hand as I finally spoke.

Now, I knew I was going to say some hard things.

I also knew there were many in our gathering desperate for some hope.

I sensed a need to be bold.

And as God led me to speak – I recognized a glimpse of life emerging - as others felt moved to speak up as well.

Now, I have had these experiences on several occasions and heard many others share their similar experiences even within our meeting, but when we begin to recognize the power of God flowing through us – I believe we then may begin to see things change – first within us and then around us.

Even though listening, discernment, silence, and proceeding slow are all very Quakerly and extremely important, sometimes we need to simply believe that the power of the Lord is flowing through us and giving us renewed life in the present moment.

For several months now – even before the pandemic – Beth and I have been contacted by Quakers across our country wanting to know what is different about First Friends.

Often, they speak of our energy, excitement, and willingness to be bold and address hard issues.  They talk about how what they see happening at First Friends gives them hope for the future and the life we exude.

Just maybe it is because together, WE are tapping that power and Divine energy and presenting a “true religion” to our world as George Fox and the earliest Quakers sought. 

Just maybe it is because we are working hard to instill in our children, our youth, and our adults the power they have to

To do hard things.

To seek hope.

To be bold.

To come alive.

And to be true Friends.

And please know – it is not just the pastors or leaders of First Friends alone – as I tell people all the time – what makes First Friends an alive and exciting place is not our building, not our resources, not even our heritage – it is the people we have currently in this moment that want to embrace that divine power and go out and change our world.  So…

Let’s keep doing hard things.

Let’s keep seeking hope.

Let’s keep being bold.

Let’s keep coming alive.

Let’s keep being Friends. 

And let’s just watch and see how our lives, our community, our yearly meeting, and even the world change. 

Before I read the queries for this morning, I want to take a moment to thank Beth Henricks for “doing hard things” by taking on the challenge of a “virtual” Vacation Bible School and her ongoing dedication and commitment to our children at First Friends.    

Thank you to our amazing office administrator and amateur videographer and video-editor-extraordinaire, Rebecca Lopez, who spent an enormous amount of time putting together such quality videos for our VBS. We are so blessed by her willingness to make this experience way beyond our expectations.

Thank you to my dedicated wife, Sue, for providing your teaching skills and excitement in each day’s Imagination Station.

And also, thank you to my partners in comedy, Jim Kartholl (Cam Track) and Bill Heitman (who played Ananias). You bless us all, and especially our children. Thank you.

Now, let us take a moment to enter into Waiting Worship:

1.     How am I tapping this Power and Divine Energy in my daily life?

2.     What “hard things” do I need God to help me through, currently?

3.     How might I be bold and bring life into my world this week? 

7-19-20 - The Marathon of Our Life

Sermon by Beth Henricks

Scripture: Galatians 6:6-10

I was cleaning out my car recently and I came across a memory document that our beloved Helen Davenport wrote in 2004.  During her memorial service, copies of this were available for us to take.  I took one then and glanced through it at the time but came across these pages of the details of Helen’s life in my trunk and gave it my full attention and read  a fascinating historical picture of the Great Depression and WWII through Helen’s eyes. 

In Jon Meacham’s book The Soul of America – The Battle for our Better Angels he describes the depression in 1932-1933 “consuming the United States, creating public anxiety and eroding trust in the most basic institutions.  America seemed on the cusp of a violent break from the ancient regime of democratic capitalism.  Would the nation save itself?”  It is eerie to think about this in context of what we are facing today.

Helen was born one year before The Great Depression hit in 1929 and her early childhood was greatly impacted by these depression years as she wrote, “things came to a standstill for a number of years.”  Helen was raised by two strong Quaker parents and much of their life revolved around their Quaker faith community Abbington Friends in Philadelphia.  Helen’s family survived the many years of depression by being frugal  - conserving and preserving. Helen’s mom spent the summers canning fruits and vegetables for the winter.  Hand me down clothes were the norm.  Fortunately,  Helen’s father never lost his job as a traveling salesman, but he would be gone for 2-3 weeks at a time. 

Helen remembers there were hobos  (Helen’s term for these folks in great need) that would come around their home begging probably because her mother was a soft touch.  She would offer them a sandwich and give them a few coins.  Helen often came home from school and someone she didn’t know would be eating a meal on their back porch or in the kitchen during winter.  They couldn’t understand why they came to their house so constantly but discovered later that they had signed the house in some secret marking that only the network of hobos would know.  But then the family had the house painted and the hobos stopping coming and realized that they must have painted over the sign.

The depression lasted for years and changed every element of life and impacted everyone that experienced it or had parents that experienced it.  I am sure we have heard similar stories from our parents and grandparents.   It was the length of the depression that hit me in a new way  of my thinking as we are faced with our own pandemic crisis today. For eight years folks suffered, were out of work, hungry, displaced, a completely altered way of life.  And yet today after five months in this crisis, we are complaining about not going out, wearing masks, social distancing and pushing to open all of our schools with in person instruction.  It sometimes seems like our current culture does not want to experience sacrifice or do what is best for our collective community. 

Helen’s story continued remembering a big trip to Canada in 1941 as the depression years were easing in the late 1930’s.  Canada was already involved in the war and Helen’s father commented that the US will be involved in this war before the year would be over.  Immediately when they returned from the trip her dad bought new tires for the car, a case of coffee and other things that might be in low supply during a war.  When rationing became common place, the govt asked everyone to declare what supplies they had, and Helen’s parents were honest and declared everything they had purchased so they were restricted in their purchases for the war years.

It is pretty incredible that after 8 years of misery, the United States became involved in WWII for 4 years.  Of course, there was great debate at the time about the United States remaining isolated from this conflict or entering with allies to defeat the German regime.  During these years so many supplies were rationed – meat, oil, gas so many common day items and folks were not allowed to purchase these things even if they had the money to do so.  Individuals were encouraged to purchase war bonds to support the collective war effort.  Once again almost every facet of normal life was altered.  I remember my mom sharing that she went to work for a factory supporting the war effort for three years as there were no men to do this work – most of them were in the military.

It is hard to imagine living through so many years of a depression and then 4 years of war.  There must have been such panic, such fear, such anxiety, such weariness – the same words we use to describe our current situation.  But it seems like the idea of sacrifice for family and community was embraced differently back then.  Helen really had no idea the level of sacrifices her parents made because they never spoke about their choices as sacrifices.  Instead they modeled the values of what are most important in life – love for each other, love for their family, love for their community.  This generation that endured the Great Depression and WWII is called our greatest generation.  Maybe it was the experience of long-term pain and the sacrifice that so many were willing to make for their neighbors that embedded character and values of love and shared community.

We have all heard the famous words of FDR during this time of post-depression and active involvement in war – we have nothing to fear but fear itself (the words actually come from Henry David Thoreau).  It seems like fear abounds now in every corner of our existence – a deep sense of fear about our future.  I recently read a survey that one of the reasons for our high anxiety is that we feel as Americans that we’re entirely on our own.  This survey indicated that we don’t trust our leaders to protect us.  We feel like we have to make our way through a dangerous world not united as a community and feeling like we are all in this together, but that each of us is scrambling to determine how we can be safe and keep our families safe.     

How do we stop our fear for our future?  Jesus speaks into this a lot in his ministry and the New Testament is full of teachings and leadings about living this kind of life.  The followers of Jesus were to have “faith in the assurance of things hoped, for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Jesus always calls us to a new way of living and loving.  The call is to abandon that old way of life – not to have things get back to a perceived normal but to live in the Spirit and in a community of love, care, sacrifice and more concern for others than for oneself. 

It seems to me that our real culture war is one of immediate satisfaction, relationships that aren’t deep and significant, lack of community, a sense of selfishness and entitlement and seeking the easy path.  We want instant gratification.  With the availability of easy credit, we buy things that we don’t have the money for and figure we will just pay it off down the road.  If we don’t feel well, we want pills or treatments that will make us better now.  In the face of a crisis like the one we are experiencing now; these values will not sustain us or bring about the beloved community. 

Friends, I have always disliked messages from a pastor that speak about the idea of our life being a marathon.  I guess because I have heard so many trite sermons that suggest this idea and talk about running for the prize.  That we must embrace the Christian life as a marathon, preparing our bodies for this so that we can achieve eternal life.  Paul’s well-known verse in I Corinthians 9: 24 says, “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete  in such a way but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win it”.  I do think Paul is suggesting that we need to model our life in the way of Christ and follow the teachings of Jesus to win the prize.  But it is clear to me that most of us really want a sprint race – we want to get to the finish line in a hurry and achieve our satisfaction and prize.  There is something about this teaching that connects with what we are currently facing.  We must as a country and as a world understand that this deadly disease will not be defeated in a sprint and we must brace ourselves for the marathon.  So how do we do this?

I love what Howard Thurman wrote in his autobiography With Head and Heart, as a way to face my fears – he says, “I felt rooted in life, in nature, in existence.  When the storms blew, the branches of the large oak tree in our backyard would snap and fall.  But the topmost branches of the oak tree would sway, giving way just enough to save themselves from snapping loose.  I needed the strength of that tree, and, like it, I wanted to hold my ground.  Eventually, I discovered that the oak tree and I had a unique relationship.  I could sit, my back against the trunk, and feel the same peace that would come to me in my bed.  I could reach down to the quiet places of my soul, take out my bruises and my joys, unfold them, and talk about them.  I could talk aloud to the oak tree and know that I was understood.”

Bob’s message last week about contemplation and prayer is a practice that will be a balm for our soul as we prepare for the marathon.  We need to be out of the daily barrage of news and into a spirit of presence and healing and love so that we will be fully present in this world and run in this marathon.

We need to care for each other, reach out to each other and find every reason to call or zoom  or social distance with our communities.  This will sustain us for the marathon. 

We need to stand up for justice and safety and sacrifice – this will give us purpose for the marathon.

We need to study and read the lives of Jesus, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, John Woolman, The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and so many others, and we will be inspired for the marathon.

The very last paragraph of Helen’s reflections  says that it was humor and love that carried them through the dark and hard times. And those of us that knew Helen, knew her as one of the most kind, loving and encouraging persons we have ever met.  If I wanted to model a Quaker and Christian life in all its aspects – it would be Helen.  Let us laugh and love and sit under an oak tree this week and invest in the practices that will sustain us in this marathon.

As we enter our unprogrammed worship, please consider the following queries:

• What are the practices I need to do to sustain me in this marathon?

• What might I be willing to sacrifice?

• How do I face my fear for the future?

7-12-20 - Contemplating: Waking Up

Contemplating: Waking Up

Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting

Pastor Bob Henry

July 12, 2020

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (MSG)

16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

This week, I have found myself leaning heavily on the mystical side of my Quaker faith. I have desired more time in meditation and silence, and I have noticed a dire need for contemplating my condition and the condition of my world.

I believe a lot of this has to do with the ongoing isolation and my own internal struggles and fear of the pandemic, the weight and tension of the conversations I have been engaged in about race, religion, and politics, and as a faith leader, husband, father, friend, and neighbor, how I am trying hard to lead with integrity while making a difference in my circles of influence.    

If you happened to have read my “As Way Opens” article this week in our Friend to Friend newsletter, you would have read my admission to wrestling with not making the needed room for healing from the unexpected during these difficult times. 

And I am not the only one who is struggling and has become more contemplative during this time. I would say many of you watching have a lot you are contemplating and trying to figure out.

Let me just say, this is not a bad thing. 

Sure we can become so preoccupied with all that is going on or all that we think we need to be doing and literally miss what God is trying to show us, but more often when we take the time to contemplate we begin to learn something new about ourselves and even God. 

Ronald Rolheiser in his book, “The Shattered Lantern” actually defines contemplation this way. He says,

“Contemplation is about waking up. To be contemplative is to experience an event fully, in all its aspects.” 

I find this definition rather interesting in light of our current condition. This is why taking time to process, dialogue, and contemplate is so important, right now.  It allows us to wake up and experience life more fully – to see new perspectives and question our old assumptions.

In many ways, the pandemic, the racial unrest, even our political season, is forcing us into a more contemplative posture – to wake up to realities that impact our lives, the lives of our neighbors, and especially our own faith and religious communities.

It is in entering this contemplative posture that we are being opened up wide to our lives, our histories, our beliefs, and our values.  And for many, this is really uncomfortable and difficult.  I admit when I go into those times of contemplation, like this week, it is not easy – a lot is being processed and many questions arise.

As Adele Ahlberg Calhoun puts it in her “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook,”

“Contemplation invites us to enter into the moment with a heart alive to whatever might happen. It is not just thinking about or analyzing an event or person. Contemplation asks us to see with faith, hope, and love. It asks us to seek God and the “meanings” threaded through our days and years, so that our experience of being embedded in the…life of God deepens and grows.”

There we are dealing with the “unexpected” again, or as Calhoun states it, “whatever might happen.” Isn’t this our current condition?  For months now, we have been living with not knowing what might happen – and it looks as if that is how the coming months will proceed as well.

Even if we are not, by nature, contemplatives, I sense we may be needing in this season of our lives to embrace this posture. Actually, we may be over due, as Calhoun puts it, in opening ourselves to the unseen world, to entering into the “being” instead of just “doing” of life and becoming alert to the transcendencies in ordinary things. 

Since the 1980’s the great prophet, Ferris Bueller, has been trying to warn us, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

In some ways the pandemic has exposed our lust for experiencing more and the fast-paced desire to do and produce. Before the pandemic, slowing down seemed not an option, performance and achievements were our goal, and time for contemplation seemed like a bother or an unwanted or useless interruption that could simply be missed.     

On Sunday afternoon, Sue and I participated in a listening group in Carmel outside of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. On a normal Sunday, I would have probably still been at the meetinghouse, but the Pandemic afforded us this opportunity. Socially distanced and wearing masks, we sat in a circle with a diverse group of individuals – most of whom were contemplating the unexpected racist words of a faith leader from their community. In slowing down and allowing space for contemplation we were each entering that moment with a heart alive to whatever was going to happen. For about an hour we saw faith, hope, and love expressed in beautiful ways. No matter what racist words or actions had taken place, we were waking to the possibilities and coming alive for the benefit of black lives and the full Kingdom of God.

Maybe the pandemic is slowing us just enough to have some good and lasting effects on our world. Maybe it will afford us the opportunity to wake up and begin to experience life more fully as God intended it to be. 

Now, as a student of spiritual formation, I feel it is important not only to preach and teach, but also give opportunities for us to begin developing that contemplative posture.  To do that, I want to teach you a simple spiritual exercise that I have utilized for many years now.  It is called, “Palms Down, Palms Up.” 

To help you follow along, I will read the directions, but they will also appear on the screen for you to follow along.

First, sit comfortably with both feet on the floor and your hands on your lap.  [Pause]

Next, breathe deeply and relax. Intentionally place yourself in the presence of your ideal image of God. [Pause]

Now, turn your palms down and begin to drop your cares, worries, agendas and experiences into God’s hands. 

Let go of all that is heavy or burdensome in life, currently.  Remember to relax and breathe deeply. [Pause]

When you have given your cares to God. Turn your palms up on your knees. [Pause]

Open your hands to receive God’s presence, word and love.  Just listen. [Pause]

When you feel prompted to end, take a moment to share your experience with God.  You may also find it helpful to journal or artistically express your experience. [Pause]

Later, today, I encourage you to return to this experience and look for what is awaking in you.  You may want to ask yourself.  “What in my life do I need to experience more fully?”

In conclusion, I want to leave you with one last thought – another definition of contemplation – this one from Richard Rohr. He says,

“Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows.” 

In the coming weeks and months, take time to contemplate, take time to wake up, take time to enter into a place where you can come alive (as I talked about last week) and you will not be distracted or swayed by the passing shows you will experience.  

Now, as we enter a time of waiting worship, take a moment to contemplate the following queries:

1.     How do I respond to the word, contemplation?

2.     Am I “waking up” to new understandings during this difficult time?

3.     How does my spiritual journey and relationship with God affect my contemplation?