Friend to Friend August 1, 2018

August 2, 2018

As Way Opens

Last week was an intense week at First Friends. We learned of the death of several dear members of our Meeting and experienced being Shipwrecked and rescued by Jesus during our Vacation Bible School program each evening. In the midst of busyness and emotions, I saw this person on the corner of Kessler and Keystone on my way to Meeting one morning. It appeared that he built a special bike and while I sat at the light, he was clearly listening to music that moved him, and he danced more on that bike than most will dance on any dance floor. I looked over at the other cars stopped for the light and we were all smiling and enjoying his expression of joy.

It made me think about the joy our kids expressed each evening at VBS. Their ability to sing, dance, participate in all kinds of activities and to not care about what is proper, what others think, or how to protect a perceived identity broke my heart open in joy. This is why I see God so often in our kids. It seems like as we age and mature we close our hearts, our vulnerability, our expressions of bliss and become self-conscious and worried about our status and standing in the world. I watched this man on the bike for 60 seconds and seeing him embrace a musical and physical spirit brought me to a place of seeing God in his expressions. We need to open ourselves up to being silly, laughing, dancing, singing and stepping outside of our comfort zone. We are co-creators with God and we are individual expressions of Christ. The Sufi mystic Rumi says:

The wick with its knotted neck broken

tells you the same. A candle as it diminishes explains,

Gathering more and more is not the way,

Burn, become light and heat and help. Melt.

May we melt some of our candle this week in joyful expression of God.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

What a great night learning about seeing, interpreting, and engaging the Divine through the intersection of art and spirituality with Pastor Bob Henry and our friends from the Shalom Zone churches.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Community Soup Notice ~ Please note, we will not have Community Soup on August 3rd due to Ann P’s memorial service.

Need a Boy Scout Shirt? The Steve & Ann R. have an almost new Adult size Large Class A Boy Scout shirt that they no longer need. If there is a Scout or Scouter in the Meeting that would like to have this shirt, they would like to give it away at no cost. They're normally about $40, so this could be helpful to someone on a budget! If you are interested in the shirt, please contact the office.

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

Please prayerfully consider how you are able to help our fellow Quakers who are trying to establish and reestablish themselves in Tanzania and Cuba. Checks can be made payable to First Friends with a notation for the WYM and/or FUM 2018 projects. Additional information about these projects is under the Witness & Service section of the bulletin board.

Birds of the Meditational Woods:

Red-eyed Vireo - “Preacher Bird”

This little fellow is common in Indiana forests, and although a singing male visited our woods several times in the spring and early summer, it decided to nest in the neighborhood to the east. As the pair needed to feed the nestlings, red-eyed vireos came back here from time-to-time looking for insects and spiders on the bark of the trees of the Meditational Woods.

Yes, this vireo does have a red iris, which can be seen from close up and in good light. The bird gets its nickname “preacher bird” from its song, which consists of phrases of two and three syllables. It sounds like, “Don’t sin, be good, go to church, Sundays. Don’t sin, be good, do good deeds, every day. (and so on)” The males will sing all day long, so that, on a hot summer afternoon, when all other birds are silent and napping, one can hear the red-eyed vireo still “preaching” from the shade of the canopy of the big sugar maple. I hesitate to use the terms “monotonous” or “seemingly never-ending” as some bird guide books do. In fact, this is in no way intended to be a criticism of the fine messages one hears at First Friends on a First-Day morning.

Perhaps because of the possible unintended slight, some bird guides now use other descriptions for the red-eyed vireo song. To me, however, it will always be the “preacher bird.”

-Brad J

Join us this summer on August 7th for the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class! Want to learn how to better handle your money, invest and plan for the future, and dump debt? This class is an amazing tool and can meet anyone in any walk of life. Sam R, facilitator, says: "I took this class twice and it has helped me be in charge and organized with my money. It has also helped me pay off $30,000 in student loans and avoid debt forever! Click on the link to sign up https://www.financialpeace.com/classes/1065256/registration. The 9-week class will meet every week at HoiTea ToiTea in Broad Ripple. The class costs $100 and is worth every penny! Also there is no requirement that you get a beverage or food item at the venue. Disclaimer: My sister and I host this class completely voluntarily. We do not make any money doing this. We share our time and stories because we are so passionate about this stuff!" If you have any questions please reach out to the office.

Rise Up Singalong! Enjoy an evening of fun and songs old and new. Experience the retro delight of making music together. This month’s singalong will be held on Friday, August 10th instead of the usual third Friday. We hope you will join us at 7:00pm in the parlor. Those who have Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks, please bring them. We are planning a song list ahead of time and will have enlarged copies of the selections for those who lack books. Those who want to purchase books may get them directly from riseupandsing.org. Or, if you must, through Amazon. You may save a few dollars from Amazon, but you support the authors more by going directly. Learn more about the books on the website. Contact the office if you have questions.

Indy Winds Flute Choir Concert ~ All are invited to an upcoming flute choir concert involving two First Friends members. Both Carl B and Lynda S are participating in the Indy Winds Flute Choir. They have three concerts per year, and their next one is Sunday, August 12th at 3:00 at Roberts Park United Methodist Church downtown. There are 20-25 musicians including flutes, piccolos, alto flutes, bass flutes, and sometimes even a contrabass flute. This concert will feature mostly movie music. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/IndyWindsFluteChoir/

Join ESR for 2018 Leadership Conference ~ Earlham School of Religion will host their annual Leadership Conference August 17-19, 2018, Playing with Fire: The Experience of Ministry as an Entrepreneur. How does one move from leading toward action? How does the Divine participate in the process? Can entrepreneurship and ministry be yoked without losing the integrity of either? This year’s conference features eight entrepreneurial ministers who have lived with these questions and more as they completed ESR’s Entrepreneurial Ministry Certificate Program. Head over to the ESR website for more information and to register online at http://esr.earlham.edu/news-events/events/leaders18. We hope you can join us!

Ann P and the Community Garden’s Hope Plot

The loss of our beloved Ann P is felt by all of us, including the gardeners. The Hope Plot, #3, began as an inspiration for and in honor of Ann.

Ann was an avid gardener. She participated in the Community Garden. She loved growing fruits, vegetables, herbs and colorful flowers. Her dedicated and joyful spirit nurtured her garden’s growth. It is said that plants grow better when a person speaks to them. Like people, plants respond to attention. Like people, plants can wilt or thrive depending on their environment, the weather and numerous variables.

Ann worked gently and lovingly on her patch of earth. She was faithful in her care and then waited expectantly. She was pleased when her efforts were rewarded with strong, healthy plants. Tending them was exciting and healing to her.

Seeing Ann gardening happily was inspiring. However, growing plants was not the end game for Ann. She shared her plants with others. She also took them home. She extended an open invitation to pick them. When she could no longer work in the garden she passed on her space to others. Her generosity was not a surprise. Neither was her sadness at having to let go of something she loved. We were witnesses to her bravery and kindness and the many ways she encouraged others, despite her own painful losses.

Many plants die after harvest. Some, like chives, return in the spring (Some of the chives in the Community Garden are part of what Ann started in her plot). Others begin anew from seeds left behind. Some come up on their own as volunteers. Others need a helping hand to collect and sow their seeds when the conditions are right. Most need pollinators. People, like plants, have relationships and life cycles.

Ann’s work on her garden showcased persistence, commitment and endurance. She gave her energy to the earth and that lowly dirt reared up with life as a blessing to Ann. In this process Ann herself embodied hope. She became a living presence of hope through her example. We hoped with her and learned from her. She was a gift living among us.

The Hope Plot was started when Gardener Ann could no longer tend her own plot. It was started as a tribute and ray of hope for Ann. Its location may change from year to year, but the Hope Plot will remain. Dan selected a simple piece of limestone and carved “hope” on it. He did a beautiful job. It is a permanent sign for the Hope Plot. If we move the space we can move the stone.

You are invited to work on the Hope Plot, to view it and to take away some of its produce and beauty with your eyes or hands.

Friend Ann, we are sad to let you go, but your legacy of grace and love lives on in our hearts. Hope springs eternal in the simple Hope Plot as it embraces the continuity of life and celebrates your memory and the lives of our loved ones—past, present and future. Thank you, Ann, for channeling God’s love to us. We caught it!

Giving Voices to Ghosts - Quakerspeisung Quaker Relief in Germany Post WWI and II

New Collection Page with Translations and Background from Nichole M

This Project--Giving Voices to Ghosts--has been over 13 years in the making. Many hands helped shape the collection to this point, and it is my hope many more will help ensure it inspires and intrigues teachers, students and scholars for years to come. I was presented these materials around 2005 with the hope that, as a German teacher, I would be able to do something with them. What I found was an astounding collection of letters, telegrams and artwork, all jumbled in an artist’s portfolio.

This spanned from post WWI through the end of WWII. These materials were documentation of aid given throughout Europe by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker relief organization. In 2000, the traveling exhibit: Quiet Helpers - Quaker Service in Post War Germany - an exhibit from the German Historical Museum in Berlin, opened in the United States at the First Friends Meeting House in Indianapolis. The Exhibit had been traveling throughout major German cities for three years. The German Consul attended as well as other representatives. The materials here in this collection were left to First Friends Meeting by this group.

Stan Banker, First Friends Pastor at the time, contacted the American Friends Service Committee to see about returning the artifacts to them. It is my understanding that he was told that First Friends should keep them. There are 62 different artifacts in the collection. Most of the children’s artwork was bound together in string. In order to be able to fully show and study the children’s work, they were separated.

Click to go to the main page to look through the different artifacts and translations: https://goo.gl/mkkdza

First Friends is Going to the Ballpark! Please join us for a family outing to the Indianapolis Indians game on Sunday August 26th. Game time is 1:30. Tickets will be provided by the Meeting and kids 14 and under will get a free hot dog, chips and bottle of water. Please let the office know if you will be able to attend.

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Friend to Friend July 25, 2018

July 27, 2018

As Way Opens

Ahoy, mateys! Word on the deep seas is that our Vacation Bible School, Shipwrecked! is well under way, and we’re all really feeling the motion of the ocean as we weather life’s storms and come upon a desert island, learning that God is always with us, even through the toughest waters.

At Shipwrecked, kids discover that Jesus rescues them! Kids participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and devour yummy treats, experience one-of-a-kind Bible adventures, collect Bible Memory Buddies to remind them of God’s love, and test out Sciency-Fun Gizmos they’ll take home and play with all summer long. Plus, kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. Each day concludes with the Sail Away Sendoff that gets everyone involved in living what they’ve learned.

Kids at Shipwrecked are also joining a mission effort to help raise funds for Friends United Meeting’s summer mission project, helping to restore the Friends’ Wilmington School in Cuba.

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to our Food Pantry Volunteers last week: Dan H, Kathy and Bill F, Phil K, Rik L, Carol and Jim D. Thank you for your service!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Women at the Well: A gathering of women who ponder current issues and topics, where differing views are discussed, no decisions are made, and food and drinks are enjoyed. It will take place every fourth Thursday of the month, and our next gathering will be on Thursday, July 26th, 7pm, at Rush on Main (112 Main St, Zionsville). Join other women of First Friends and enjoy a wonderful night of conversation together.

Need a Boy Scout Shirt? Ann has an almost new Adult size Large Class A Boy Scout shirt that she no longer needs. If there is a Scout or Scouter in the Meeting that would like to have this shirt, she would like to give it away at no cost. They're normally about $40, so this could be helpful to someone on a budget! If you are interested in the shirt, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Shalom Zone Garage Sale ~ On Saturday, July 28, from 8 am to noon (set up beginning at 7 am) the Shalom Zone churches will be sponsoring “garage sale’ and “craft sale” opportunities for individuals in the Cross and Crown parking lot at 79th and Allisonville Rd. You will be able to reserve a space for $10 in advance ($15 day of sale). The rest is up to you – bring your own table or use the trunk of your car. You get to keep whatever you earn. The adjoining neighborhood of Ivy Hills will have its annual garage sale the same day so there should be no shortage of folks looking for a deal. The Shalom Zone will donate the reservation fees to School on Wheels, a voluntary program which tutors homeless children throughout Marion County. For more info or to reserve a space contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Join our Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading book group for July’s pick ~ Testimony by Scott Turow. The discussion on Tuesday, July 31st will be led by Rhonda C. Visit this link if you’d like to take a look at the New York Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/books/review/testimony-scott-turow.html. If you are interested in being on the Oak Leaf email list or would like the book list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Oak Leaf meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parlor at 7 pm, we would love to see you there.

Shalom Zone’s 5th Tuesday Event
Art and Spirituality: Interpreting, Seeing, and Engaging the Divine

In this 90 minute gathering put on by the Shalom Zone churches for the Fifth Tuesday Gathering on Tuesday, July 31 at 7pm at First Friends (3030 Kessler), Bob Henry, pastor of First Friends and local artist will engage the participants in an exploration of the importance of interpretation in one’s spiritual journey, present ways to see from new perspectives, and experience the Divine through art. Bob plans for this to be an interactive experience as well as a teaching, so bring an open mind and your creativity.

Community Garden Update

Have you taken that walk in our community garden yet even the gardeners are expressing surprise at its prolific growth. Shelly found eight little watermelons in her 4’x4’. Dan, perplexed about how to mow around all the wandering vines is relieved that Sarah told him not to worry about that area—just let it grow. Later she said she didn’t know the plants would get SO big! Amy can’t believe how her garden is bursting its boundaries; she is pleased by the ripe clusters of yellow pear tomatoes. Nancy is happy about the success of her canopy fencing with asparagus beans dripping down, begging to be picked.

Meanwhile, more plants stretch out beneath the airborne beans, snug in the shadowed loam. Arturo is growing everything from a lovely purple cotton plant to skyscraping stalks of corn. Josh and Heather’s cucumbers hide beneath huge green umbrella-like leaves.

The crops are lush and so are the weeds! A strangling vine (bindweed?) and crabgrass are constant visitors to many plots. Other uninvited weeds appear. We may not know their names, but we recognize them. Gardeners must be vigilant weeders. We get our exercise, so who’s complaining?

Leeann loves harvesting and finding visitors like the chipmunk with a shovel in plot 3, the Hope Garden. It is the plot anyone can work on, where Friends are welcome to snip flowers or pick lettuce. Soon little tomatoes will appear on the two red-edged plants. The Hope Garden is small and simple, but pretty. It is a reminder of how blessed we are when we choose to notice. It is a space meant to be shared in the same way we share one another’s burdens and joys, love and friendship.

Neighbors walk through the community Garden with their friends and families. They bring their pets and sometimes volunteer to help with garden projects. They comment on the garden’s year-to-year differences and how it beautifies the neighborhood.

Our Community Garden is symbolic of the way we can choose to nurture friendship and love, choose to work and play together. Sometimes you will see some of our delectable crops on the kitchen counter (cucumbers and squash last Sunday). Please take them home.

Our Community Garden is symbolic of how each one of us is a part of life’s unstoppable process. Invite a friend to walk through the garden! Delight in the many forms and endless seasons of God’s recreation.

Birds of the Meditational Woods:

Red-eyed Vireo - “Preacher Bird”

Perhaps because of the possible unintended slight, some bird guides now use other descriptions for the red-eyed vireo song. To me, however, it will always be the “preacher bird.”

-Brad J

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

Join us this summer on August 7th for the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class! Want to learn how to better handle your money, invest and plan for the future, and dump debt? This class is an amazing tool and can meet anyone in any walk of life. Sam Ryan: "I took this class twice and it has helped me be in charge and organized with my money. It has also helped me pay off $30,000 in student loans and avoid debt forever!" Click on the link to sign up https://www.financialpeace.com/classes/1065256/registration. The 9-week class will meet every week at HoiTea ToiTea in Broad Ripple. The class costs $100 and is worth every penny! Also there is no requirement that you get a beverage or food item at the venue. Disclaimer: Sam and her sister host this class completely voluntarily. They do not make any money doing this. They share thier time and stories because they are so passionate about this stuff! If you have any questions please reach out to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

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Friend to Friend July 18, 2018

July 19, 2018

As Way Opens

I attended Western Yearly Meeting (WYM) annual session this past weekend. On Thursday, they held a memorial service to honor friends that have passed away in the last 12 months. First Friends had six members that we lost this past year - Barbara Fisher, Shirley Proctor, Suzi Davis, Ann Kendal, Bob Hadley and Paula Gallagher. There was something profound in having someone speak these names and I felt the weight of the influence of these Friends.

This service was held before we heard the news that we lost our dear friend Cheryll Wyne on Saturday. I have been reflecting on the importance of community and that we need to embrace every encounter we have with each other with love and joy. We need to tell each other how we feel about the other. Because we may never get another chance. The fragility of life is precious and we need to be the flesh and bones of God’s love in action. This is how Jesus lived and is the basis of Christianity. Jesus never talked about correct theology but about how we love each other.

My life has been changed by the folks we lost during the last year. I am so thankful that God brought these friends into my life and I see how they have impacted our community. And how they have impacted me. I hold the spirit of these friends in my heart and I pray that we honor their legacy each day by how we treat each other (no exceptions) with kindness, compassion and forgiveness.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

A word from Beth: Dan Rains visited the Meeting office on Monday and told me to go outside and observe the cloud formations. As I left the building, I realized how infrequently I am looking up into the sky and was so appreciative of Dan's reminder to look up and see the beauty of God’s creation.

A Message from Nancy H & family:

To all of the dear friends of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting: I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for the beautiful service of worship and recognition of God’s glorious creation (during our service in the woods on July 8th). It couldn’t have been done in a lovelier setting. “To God Be the Glory!”

On behalf of myself and all of my family, I also want to thank you for the thoughtful tribute to my dear husband, and their loving father, Bob. He would have been pleased to know that he had a part in adding something so useful and beautiful to the place of worship and meditation for the Meeting house. I’m sure now, and in the future, it will be a place of peace, reflection and where one can draw nearer to God. Bob would have been humbled to have been honored by the Meeting of Friends he loved by dedicating the path to the garden to him. Thank you so much!

Thank you, too, to all of those who planned and prepared the service and all of those who worked so hard to make this place of refuge so inviting and lovely. I know it took a lot of work and thought. God bless you all for your effort.

-Your Friend in God’s Love, Nancy H and family.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL and Immigration Policies ~ The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) supports all Quaker concerns including those that are most likely resolved through federal avenues, including immigration reform. IFCL began conversations with Indiana’s U.S. senators and representatives two years ago regarding immigration reform at a time when all were receptive to the need for action. As these conversations continue and relationships form across the aisles, IFCL often is contacted by state legislators who have related issues. Such an opportunity to be involved occurred late in Indiana’s 2018 session when a legislator realized forms for professional and occupational licenses included an area about U.S. Citizenship that was troublesome. He contacted IFCL lobbyist Bill Chapman for assistance and Bill helped find a path toward a resolution that ended positively in SB 419, a bill that not only passed, but received nearly universal support in both House and Senate and was signed by Governor Holcomb. Anyone who has concerns that IFCL could address should feel welcome to share them with the contacts on the IFCL website: quakerifcl.org. To read the full text on IFCL and immigration policies, please visit quakerifcl.org/2018/06/ifcl-and-immigration-policies/

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Threshing at the Tap: (def.) a gathering of men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and beverages and food are enjoyed. This month we will be meeting at the new Sun King Spirits. It will be Thursday, July 19th at 7pm. The address is 351 Monon Blvd, Carmel, 46032. We hope to see you there!

Rise Up Singalong! Enjoy an evening of fun and songs old and new. Experience the retro delight of making music together. The next Sing Along will be July 20th, at 7:00 in the parlor. Those who have Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks, please bring them. We are planning a song list ahead of time and will have enlarged copies of the selections for those who lack books. Those who want to purchase books may get them directly from riseupandsing.org. Or, if you must, through Amazon. You may save a few dollars from Amazon, but you support the authors more by going directly. Learn more about the books on the website. Contact Linda L if you have questions. Also, please note next month’s singalong will be held on Friday, August 10th instead of the usual third Friday. We hope you will join us.

SHIPWRECKED! VBS Starts This Weekend! This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. Everyone is invited to our kick off and luncheon which is this Sunday July 22nd after worship at 12:00pm. VBS will then take place 6:30-8:30pm Monday July 23rd through Thursday, July 26th. If you haven’t registered your children yet and would like to participate, email the office at office@indyfriends.org. We hope to see you there!

Community Garden Update

Squash vine borers and other pests are present in the Community Garden eating some of our delicious plants. Pests cannot be completely eliminated but can be reduced

Squash bugs overwinter in plant debris and under boards and rocks. They lay copper-colored shiny eggs in tight clusters on undersides of leaves. Green nymphs hatch from eggs and molt several times, turning darker, before they become brownish-grey adult squash bugs. They are winged and shield-shaped with hard shells. They feed on sap and suck the life from cucurbit plants (squash, pumpkins, zucchini, melons, and cucumbers). This causes yellow spots that later turn brown. Squash bugs and nymphs munch on leaves, fruit and vines until plants collapse. Their saliva transmits bacterium that can kill plants. Since they often congregate their damage can be swift. Severe feeding can cause plants to wilt and turn black or prevent fruit formation. If feeding is stopped, plants can survive.

Handpick bugs. One method is to place a board in the garden and check under it in the morning. Destroy egg masses by putting them in soapy water. Using researched recipes for a soapy spray is another method to tackle these critters, spraying all over plants including underneath leaves. Sometimes squash bugs and stink bugs are confused with each other. They both stink when crushed but stink bugs have wider bodies. The soapy water makes crushing unnecessary. Eliminate hiding places by cleaning up plant debris and avoiding mulches like hay around. After harvest, till soil and dispose of stalks.

Organic deem oil can be used as a fungicide, insecticide and pesticide. It is derived from an evergreen tree native to southeastern Asia. People have used it for thousands of years in everything from toothpaste and cosmetics to medicines. It is not retained in the environment since microbes and light break it down. Neem is not a contact poison so it has little harmful effect on beneficial insects, birds and mammals. The repellant is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Product directions should be followed to keep it safe.

Shalom Zone’s 5th Tuesday Event
Art and Spirituality: Interpreting, Seeing, and Engaging the Divine

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

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Friend to Friend July 11, 2018

July 12, 2018

As Way Opens

On Sunday, many of us experienced the trees in our meditational woods up close and personal – some for the first time. I thank those in our Meeting who had a vision years ago to set apart our woods as a sacred place where we could commune with the Divine through nature.

As I said on Sunday, trees have always drawn me in. They speak in a unique way to my soul. As I further pondered our experience from Sunday, I ran across an eco-spiritual blogger named White Feather. This was part of White Feather’s most recent post:

“Trees have roots that keep them connected to the planet. Humans do not have physical roots but we have deep spiritual roots. But so many humans have lost awareness of their roots in the planet. Trees are always willing to help us remember those roots and start feeling them again. Through trees and their roots we can not only tap into the planet that we are part of but we can also rediscover our own roots. Trees are so important! …Trees can help us re-establish our awareness of that connection. They can help us strengthen that connection. They are part of that connection!”

Over the Fourth of July holiday, we visited Sue’s mom in Michigan, who still lives on the farm where Sue was raised. One afternoon, Sue took a stroll through the property. When she returned, she asked if I would like to see some photos she took on her phone. Of all the possible photos Sue could have taken as she wandered the acres of land, she took photos of the trees and then told me their stories. There is the big pine she climbed and read books in as a kid. The large oak tree which was planted by her grandfather when the house was built and still sits at the entrance to the farm - greets all who visit and welcomes home all who have dwelled there. The mulberry tree shaded her childhood dog’s house and all the kids who came by to visit Sue sat atop that doghouse and tasted mulberries from the tree. Each tree made a special connection to her and her story. They helped Sue rediscover her roots and reconnect her.

Trees are important, if we are able to see what all they offer us and our spiritual journeys. This week, find a tree, spend some time with it, rediscover all it has to offer, and you just may find yourself reconnecting to your world and to the Divine in new ways.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

This past Sunday we held worship in our meditational woods. We couldn’t have asked for better weather as we experienced the Divine in nature. We also dedicated the new path, in memory of Bob Hadley—thank you to Paul Riley for sharing some words with us in memory of Bob. Afterward we enjoyed our picnic. It was a wonderful time!

Yesterday our youth had a fun adventure at the Butler University High Rope Challenge course. Look at them go!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Krista Detor Concert ~ Singer/songwriter Krista Detor will share her musical gifts at a free concert hosted by Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) Saturday, July 14, at 7:30pm at Western Yearly Meeting, 301 South East Street. Detor has conducted songwriting seminars, performances and presentations at universities, outreach organizations and arts centers throughout the world, including Ireland's prestigious IMRO performing rights organization. In addition to many unique cross-cultural musical endeavors she has pioneered, she continues to tour the U.S., U.K., and Europe. She's shared stages with Victor Wooten, Chuck Rainey, Joan Armatrading, Loudon Wainwright, The Neville Bros. and Suzanne Vega, among many others. Krista lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and can be found on all social networking sites and at KristaDetor.com.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions ~ This weekend, July 12-15, all are encouraged to attend Western Yearly Meeting’s Annual Sessions, this year themed “Living Like We’re Loved.” This year we will listen to a workshop by our own Paul R at 1:30pm on Thursday; on Saturday we will hear from mission speaker Eden Grace at 5pm; Jeff Blackburn will lead us in worship each Thurs-Sat at 9am and Sunday at 10:45am, and much more! For the full tentative schedule, please visit https://goo.gl/cWWjg1. If you are staying local this weekend, on Sunday, July 15, we will hold unprogrammed worship here at First Friends in the Parlor at the usual time of 10:15. Childcare will be provided. Thank you to Mary B for leading us in worship that day.

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

Community Garden Update

Squash vine borers and other pests are present in the Community Garden eating some of our delicious plants. Pests cannot be completely eliminated but can be reduced. Pictured in this article is the squash vine borer. It is not a life stage of the squash bug though it was mistakenly lumped together with the squash bug in the last issue. This bug feeds on plants in the cucurbit family such as squash and pumpkins.

Borer pupae overwinter in cocoons until moths appear in summer. Try to catch the adult orange and black sesiidae moths at twilight or in the early morning. They are often mistaken for wasps. They can be caught with swipes of a tennis racket, with yellow sticky traps or in yellow bowls of soapy water. They are often at the base of the plants. The moths may lay eggs singly or in loose clusters at the plant base or on the underside of leaves. Scrape off the flat, oval copper-colored eggs as soon as you see them and put in soapy water. Otherwise they will hatch into larvae and bore into stalks and sometimes fruit.

To protect plants early on, cover stems with nylon stockings, aluminum foil or cardboard tube barriers. Black pepper and wood ashes sprinkled around the squash serve as a defense. Taking care to clean up plant debris and to handpick pupae and grubs from soil in fall and spring help as a preventive measure. Also, NOT planting squash in the same place next season!

Borers hatch from eggs and tunnel through lower vines unseen until plants wither and die. An early sign of trouble is the appearance of orange sawdust-like frass (droppings) at the bottom of plants. Once the leaves are limp it is probably too late to save your plant. When the plant is still thriving, shine a flashlight beam through stems after dark. This will reveal lurking culprits so the stem can be slit lengthwise until you see any borers and remove them, throwing them into soapy water. The pests can also be skewered. Afterward cover the plant wound and build up the soil, perhaps with diatomaceous earth to aid in healing and re-rooting.

Plant more than you need to share with the critters that will help themselves.

VBS- Registration open! This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. At Shipwrecked Vacation Bible School, kids discover how Jesus rescues us through life’s storms. Shipwrecked is filled with incredible Bible-learning experiences kids see, hear, touch, and even taste! Sciency-Fun Gizmos, team-building games, cool Bible songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the standout activities that help faith flow into real life. Be sure to register your children for this life-changing adventure! This year we will kick off on Sunday July 22nd from 12:00-2:00pm, and then VBS will take place 6:30-8:30pm Monday July 23rd through Thursday, July 26th. If you are interested in signing up your children or would like to help with snacks, please see forms on the table in the hallway corner outside the Meetingroom or email the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Shalom Zone’s 5th Tuesday Event
Art and Spirituality: Interpreting, Seeing, and Engaging the Divine

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Friend to Friend July 5 2018

July 5, 2018

As Way Opens

This week’s As Way Opens come to us from Sam, Pastor Bob’s son, who recently went on a mission trip to Tennessee.

For those of you who don’t know about Service Over Self, here is an introduction. SOS was first launched in 1986, by Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The program’s intention was to spread the gospel while protecting and repairing the homes of Memphis’ most vulnerable home owners. Over the last three decades, SOS has dedicated their time to repairing over 900 homes in Memphis, employing over 24,000 volunteers to complete the work at each one of those sites. Currently, SOS operates as its own non-profit organization with the objective of serving low-income homeowners in the Binghampton and Orange Mound neighborhoods of Memphis. Orange Mound was the very first neighborhood in America built exclusively by freed African Americans in the 19th Century, with Binghampton being one of the first racially integrated communities in the 19th and 20th Centuries. In addition to the SOS Summer Camp program in which I served, SOS also has Spring Break, Summer Staff, and yearlong Academy programs for young. It was extremely visible in my week serving down in Orange Mound that the services provided by SOS are among the most appreciated and integral parts of the Binghampton and Orange Mound communities as residents will consistently honk their horns while passing the worksites or express their gratitude to the organization while walking by. Working alongside them was truly a pleasure and an experience that I am bound to be a part of again. I would like to thank all of you here at First Friends for all you did to support me both through funds and prayer as I set off on my trip. You might be wondering, how did I get involved with SOS in the first place and how, exactly, did I grow through this experience?

Last December, I was invited to serve with SOS for the summer of 2018. Several people in my friend group at Fishers High School had brought up the name, SOS, a number of times before, referring to it as what I thought to be a Summer Camp they had attended in the past. What I didn’t know, however, was that these people were traveling six hours down south every summer to Memphis, Tennessee to work on dilapidated homes in the blistering heat. It wasn’t anything glamorous or inherently fun and, by my definition, did not sound like a Summer Camp in the least bit. Slowly but surely, my friends sold me on the fact that I would enjoy the experience and that, by what they had seen of my character as a Quaker, I would value the simplicity and community provided throughout. I knew little about the organization itself, but I decided to trust it because I had been to the host church, Northview, a couple of times and wanted to enjoy this experience with my friends.

Some greatly appreciated support, funds, and one tightly packed bag later, I was ready to embark on my first journey to SOS. The whole trip down with the five charter buses seemed somewhat overwhelming. Though I was excited, I felt worried and concerned a bit that I didn’t have enough to offer or wouldn’t fit in. After much speculation, I decided that that thought process wouldn’t get me anywhere and chose instead to take the week head on and really capture the chance that God had given me. Later that night, at our first chapel, I was introduced to my work group, comprised of three of my friends from Fishers High School, the youth pastor at Northview Fishers, and one of the great Summer Staffers at SOS. We later found out that we’d also be working alongside a group of middle school boys and girls from Carmel and Westfield. That night, I got little sleep, but I woke up in the morning ready and excited to serve.

Every morning at SOS is spent very slowly. Though you are constricted to a tight schedule, it seems as if you are a human walking around in a group of zombies until breakfast. After breakfast, a group member will take the lunch orders of those in their group, making their sandwiches for that afternoon, getting the water and food coolers ready. You will then dance or hobble, depending on if you are carrying the water cooler or not, off the premises and set off for the worksite. Since the primary focus of SOS Summer Camp is reroofing houses, your first job at SOS is always to un-tarp. Un-tarping and re-tarping are among the most grueling and difficult jobs offered and requires that you remove deck nails from a roof two stories off the ground. If you don’t manage to fall off the ladder from your own forceful yanking, you can begin the day’s work by taking a harness, a nail belt, and a hammer. There, you will spend 6-7 hours of your day scraping shingles, laying underlayment, and, one by one, replacing old shingles with brand new ones, all while solving problems and building friendships along the way. Because I was a quick learner and a trusty worker, I was tasked with showing rookies how to roof, allowing me to stay and work on the roof almost all day every day. Once lunch is over, your work is complete, and your daily SOS devotion is finished, you are delivered from the heat to a nice cold shower and Jerry’s Sno Cones (the best walk up restaurant I’ve ever been to). Following the refreshments, you are granted an hour of recreation time before dinner is served. Once dinner and recreation are complete, you can make your way over to chapel at SOS Binghampton, where we worshipped every day with leaders from a local interracial church and heard from Northview’s youth leaders.

Throughout the whole week, I found myself at times alone and avoiding people. On Thursday night, after one of the youth pastors had finished giving his message, the campers were all invited into a time of silent reflection and worship. Once they started playing music, I realized that this wouldn’t be your average Quaker Silent Worship and ventured out of the room, finding a quiet place in the cafeteria to sit alone. I sat there, wrestling with my thoughts about who I wanted to be, what I wanted to gain from this experience, what I wanted from my faith experience as a Quaker, and how deeply I wanted to share my love for people. Through talking with the homeowners, playing with their dog, serving and worshipping alongside friends and strangers, eating and playing with others, and putting in my physical best, I discovered how much I really wanted to work for and with people. I learned that, sometimes, you just must get over yourself and allow yourself to find more about you and God through others, and, by doing that, helping yourself learn how to help them better. By the end of the week, I had made it my goal to make that possible. The experience I had in those last three nights won’t soon be forgotten and I will forever stay committed to that goal thanks to SOS. I’d like to thank you all for what you’ve done in sending me down to SOS Memphis this year and I hope to help others both here in my own community and in Binghampton for years to come.

Sam

Joys & Concerns

Friends from First Friends, Valley Mills Friends, Fairfield Friends, Iglesias Amigos, and AFSC Indiana all represented at the Families Belong Together March on the statehouse on Saturday, June 30th.

Last Week Seasoned Friends traveled to Columbus, Indiana to take in the Modernist Architecture and see the beautiful city. They broke into two groups - one by van and one on foot. It was a great time!

Women at the Well meets Threshing at the Tap! Last Thursday both groups met on the deck of Rick’s Cafe Boatyard! (Not pictured: Tom Fisher.) What fun!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL members are taking a breather as the Legislature is not in session at this time. However, our hard-working underpaid lobbyist continues to stay connected to our state legislators. Summer study committees will be meeting this Summer. If you would like a study committee information sheet, please contact Ed Morris at meeting or call (317) 691-5542. Our next meeting will be on July 7th at the Meetinghouse from 9am-11am.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Please note: The weekend of July 12-15, all are encouraged to attend Western Yearly Meeting’s Annual Sessions. As such, on Sunday, July 15, we will hold unprogrammed worship in the Parlor at the usual time of 10:15. Childcare will be provided. Thank you to Mary Blackburn for leading us in worship that day.

Worship in the Woods & Path Dedication~ Join us on Sunday, July 8th at for our annual Worship in the Woods and picnic. We will start at our normal time, 10:15am, in the Meditational Woods. If you are able to bring your own folding chairs, please do. We will also hold a dedication for the new Meditational Woods path, in memory of Bob Hadley. Afterward, we will have our picnic! Rolls, fried chicken, hot dogs (beef and veggie), ice cream, drinks and some macaroni and baked beans provided. Anyone with last names of A-I are asked bring desserts; J-Z sides and salads, though feel free to bring both! We hope to see you there!

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

First Friends Meal Ministry ~ First Friends offers a meal ministry to those who need meals for a short period of time due to illness, the birth of a child, a death in the family or any other situation where meals would be helpful to support the family. This ministry is a tangible and important way to journey with each other through life’s circumstances.

We need more people to sign up in the meal ministry network for providing meals. It is easy to do and we only need your email address. The meal ministry process is online and a notification is sent out asking for meals along with an electronic calendar to be filled in when a need is identified. If I am in the network, I can see if the needed meals fit within my schedule and can sign up if available. Meals do not have to be home cooked as there are plenty of options to take out and deliver to the family. The meals can be dropped off or folks can stay and chat with the person. It’s all up to you. Please consider signing up for the network by providing the office (office@indyfriends.org) your email.

Insects in the Community Garden

Q. Why do bees have sticky hair?
A. Because they have honeycombs.

Mother Nature’s abundance is apparent in the Community Garden. We benefit from Her generosity; so do the critters as Brad J noted in last week’s Bird of the Month article. He pointed out that our local hawks are snacking on some of the small animals. Birds chow down on many harmful insects. Gardeners need to pitch in too.

Japanese beetles are chowing down on our crops. In 1916 Japanese beetles arrived on the east coast in shipments of Iris bulbs and have been spreading west ever since. They have copper backs, green heads and white dots trimming their back ends. They feed voraciously for six weeks. Females lay eggs in grassy areas. Their eggs hatch into grubs that feed on roots. In the Fall larvae burrow four to ten inches to overwinter. As spring warms the soil the larvae pupate and emerge as beetles in early summer.

Some tips to stem their appetites include:

Harvest regularly and clean up overripe and rotting plant debris.
Rake garden forks over soil to handpick grubs in late spring and fall.
Adult beetles will attempt to fly away when one tries to handpick them. Spread a tarp beneath infested plants in the early morning before they are inclined to fly. Shake them off the plant onto the tarp and dump them into a bowl of soapy water. DO NOT CRUSH insects or more may come, attracted by the release of pheromones.
Apply nematodes to soil during the larvae stage. Nematodes are parasitic insect-eating roundworms that feed on grubs. They are not harmful to people, animals, plants or earthworms. Garden stores sell them; marigolds attract nematodes.
Spray soapy solution (not harmful detergent) on tops and bottoms of leaves. Look up specific recipes. The solution should be sprayed directly on insects and be reapplied after rain. Spray every four to seven days.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth of eggshells in garden near beetle-attracting plants.
Use row cover barriers before grubs appear. Using them afterward may trap them with the plants.
Grow yellow tulip poplars which host a beneficial Tiphia wasp that parasitizes Japanese beetle grubs.
Warning: commercial Japanese beetle traps often attract more beetles!

Our squash and cucumbers are at harvest stage. To deter squash bugs, scatter eggshells around the plants. This acts like diatomaceous earth and has a cutting effect on the bugs. Holding a flashlight behind the stems when it is dark will show if bugs are inside the stems. If so, slit the stem section and remove bugs. Afterward, cover the slit with soil to aid in healing the plant. Squash bug damage occurs unseen. Damage occurs underground and inside. One day plants appear healthy. Suddenly they wither and die. Be wary! Go out and harvest those crops!

Join our Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading book group for July’s pick ~ Testimony by Scott Turow. The discussion will be led by Rhonda C. Visit this link if you’d like to take a look at the New York Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/books/review/testimony-scott-turow.html. If you are interested in being on the Oak Leaf email list or would like the book list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Oak Leaf meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parlor at 7 pm, we would love to see you there.

Shalom Zone’s 5th Tuesday Event
Art and Spirituality: Interpreting, Seeing, and Engaging the Divine

Save the Date! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 13, 2018. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. Look for more details as we draw closer to the event.

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Friend to Friend June 27, 2018

June 27, 2018

As Way Opens

I ran across this article in Bloomington Friends monthly newsletter and it really got me thinking about the web of life, imagination, knowledge and community, and so I am sharing an excerpt from it here. This writing is from a published article by Professor David Haskell, Biology professor at University of the South in Tennessee - Life is a Network, Not a Self:

"I reach up into a sugar maple tree’s low branches and pluck a leaf. My fingers hold a seemingly unremarkable leaf, grown on a tree next to a suburban driveway. This leaf is not what it seems.

I dip the leaf in alcohol, then in dilute bleach, long enough to kill fungi and bacteria on the surface. Then, with a sterile knife I sliver the leaf and lay the cut segments onto Petri dishes filled with sugar-infused agar. I’m using this simplest of microbiological techniques to query what might be living inside the leaf. Maple cells will not grow in the Petri dishes, but fungi will. I’m luring them out of hiding and, by feeding them, bringing them to a scale that my human senses can apprehend.

Days later, fungal growth spills out of the sliced leaf: toffee-colored lava flows, bright orange flecks, rippled cream, tangled puffs of white filaments, sulfurous shags, and purple velvet. The colorful growths revealed that my high school and college textbooks had told a half-truth. Elegant diagrams of leaf cross-sections depicted only plant cells. But a leaf is a community of fungus, bacteria, protist, alga, nematode, and plant. Just as diagrams of human skin or gut usually omit the microbes that are essential components of human bodies, our images of plants, seemingly so objective, missed the essential nature of a leaf. A maple is not an individual made of plant cells, but a community of cells from many domains and kingdoms of life. Microbe-free plants likely do not exist in nature and, if they could be constructed, would quickly die for want of the vital connections that sustain life…

The colorful fungal growths swarming my Petri dishes have a lesson beyond the immediate practical benefits of managing and studying living networks. Every textbook diagram and every written metaphor shape how we imagine the world. Microbiology and genetics are calling us to expand that imaginative space. When we gaze at a maple leaf, we now see not an individual made of plant cells, but a thrumming conversation, embodied network. The ‘self’ is a society.”

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to our food pantry volunteers last week - Christie M, Phil K, Dan H, Ray G, Kathy and Bill F, Carol and Jim D. 26 lbs. of food were delivered to the pantry. Also, a check in the amount of $4,360 was delivered to the pantry. The folks who manage the pantry were absolutely thrilled and thankful for the monies donated by First Friends. Thanks to all at First Friends who helped to make this possible.

Our own Tyler R, son of Ann and Steve, is currently living in Nashville Tennessee and has just released his first single! If you’d like to listen to it, you can find it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_1e8vrywQg&feature=youtu.be. We are so proud of you Tyler, great work!

A message from Mary Ellen L:

“To all my Friends, I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support during the last few months. Thank you seems inadequate but I don't know any better expression of my gratitude. Truly, you have lived the Quaker testimony of Community. I know you will be with me as my journey continues. Peace & love, Mary Ellen L”

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL members are taking a breather as the Legislature is not in session at this time. However, our hard-working underpaid lobbyist continues to stay connected to our state legislators. Summer study committees will be meeting this Summer. If you would like a study committee information sheet, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Our next meeting will be on July 7th at the Meetinghouse from 9am-11am.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Monthly Meeting Notice ~ Due to holidays and events, we will be holding Monthly Meeting for Business this Sunday, July 1st after worship in the Parlor. Please plan on joining us that afternoon.

Please note, in observance of Independence Day there will be no Unprogrammed Worship in the Parlor on Wednesday, July 4th. Also due to the holiday, next week’s Friend to Friend will be sent out on Thursday, July 5th. We hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Women at the Well AND Threshing at the Tap ~ A gathering of women/men who ponder current issues and topics, where differing views are discussed, no decisions are made, and food and drinks are enjoyed. This month Threshing at the Tap and Women at the Well will have a COMBINED gathering this Thursday, June 28 at 7pm. That means all women and men are welcome! It will be held at Rick’s Café Boatyard (4050 Dandy Trail, Indianapolis). Join other men and women of First Friends and enjoy a wonderful night of conversation together.

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for applications is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Community Garden Update

“Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold….” – Robert Frost

So far, the green is lush in the Community Garden and the raised beds are thriving while producing oxygen for our environment, food and homes for wildlife, beauty for the neighborhood and food for people. Gardeners are getting exercise and vitamin D from the sunshine. Take a walk and see our garden!

A few crops we are harvesting include beets, greens, peas, tomatoes, radishes and herbs. Flowers sprinkled throughout add color; some are edible.

We want to thank Rebecca, our office administrator, for her contributions to our efforts. Her assistance with communications and creativity with graphics help put the “C” in Community. Thank you for your efficiency and skills, Rebecca. Also, thank you to those folks who contribute garden photos!

Tips from the Garden Committee

· To pit cherries: Hold cherry firmly and twist a plastic straw through the stem end to the bottom of the fruit. Usually the pit stays in the straw as you lift it out. By not boring completely through the fruit more juice is preserved.

· Ideas for Radishes:

Radishes are a root vegetable related to cabbage and full of vitamin C. They contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and flavonoids.

Sautee Radishes – Trim and halve them. Add olive oil and cook in a skillet over medium high heat until tender. Stir in baby spinach, lemon juice, pepper and garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted. Enjoy!

Sautee Radish Greens – Wash, chop and cook over medium-high heat. In approximately two minutes they will wilt. Add minced garlic, lemon juice and herbs. Add roasted radishes if desired. Yum!

Roast Radishes – (Roasting calms the peppery taste of radishes and brings out their sweetness. They have fewer carbs and calories than potatoes. Roast radishes with other types of root veggies for a super tasty treat!) Coat radish halves with butter or ghee, garlic, salt and pepper and then roast sliced-side down on a foil-covered baking sheet. Roast at 400 for about 15 minutes until radishes are golden brown. Then top them with lemon juice and fresh parsley, dill or chives. Create a side salad by adding foods such as green onions, peas, almonds, avocado, poultry and dressing.

Fresh summer veggies are so delish!

Is He Dead? Community Performance ~ The Carmel Community Players presents, “Is He Dead?” A “new” comedy by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives. All are invited to performances June 8th-24th. Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for seniors. Come see one of our newer attenders, David B, as he plays a number of roles in this performance. Held at Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 E 126th St D, Fishers. For more information, visit www.carmelplayers.org or call 317-815-9387.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for June

Red-shouldered Hawk

Have you ever worked at a place that had an Anonymous Angel, that is, someone who anonymously did positive things around the office that made others’ lives run more smoothly? For example, on a day when the person who normally made coffee was gone, the coffee still got made. At our school one of the guidance counselors slipped out in the afternoon after a mid-day ice storm and scraped all of the car windshields. Everyone tried to guess who the angel was! The secret was revealed after the third ice storm!!

We have such an angel in the garden patch here at First Friends Indy! I do not know if our gardeners have noticed the lack of rabbits, chipmunks, moles, and other lesser known rodents that otherwise would have fed on the crops. Three different mornings in the last few weeks I have arrived early (before 6 am) to walk the woods and hear the dawn chorus. Each time I saw this large hawk in the area. Once it flew from the woods to the back lot, and the other times it was already there. It sits on the garage roof or the basketball backboard or the large blue trash can, waiting for breakfast to show up. Now don’t feel too sorry for the animals consumed by the hawk. If they all survived, we would be overrun by them.

Red-shouldered Hawks are recognized by the black and white speckling on the back, reddish patch on the shoulder, red bands on the front, and black and white bands on the tail. Its call is, “Kee-yurr, kee-yurr, kee-yurr,” which I have heard here once or twice. Once the hawk flew into a tree between the street and the parking lot and was negatively greeted by one of the Fish Crows I wrote about last month. [By the way early in June I saw a Fish Crow carrying a large stick, which is a good sign of a nesting attempt. This hawk would be considered a threat to any fish crow nestlings.]

I have pictured the hawk on its perch on the basketball goal. Say hello next time you see it and say thank you if you have a garden here.

Brad J

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

Adopt an Apartment! Coburn Place is a local nonprofit organization that offers supportive services and housing options to survivors of intimate partner violence. They have an Adopt an Apartment program, which is a great way for individuals and groups to become involved in providing a welcoming home to new Coburn Place families. $1500-$5000 covers the cost of completely readying an apartment for a new family to move in for one year. First Friends has for the past two years “adopted an apartment” at Coburn. FF has also decorated an apartment earlier this year. Thanks to all who have helped make Coburn a safe and helpful place for those who have been subject to domestic abuse. For more information about this program, you can read their latest news here: https://goo.gl/jJkXQx or visit their website at www.coburnplace.org.

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Friend to Friend June 20, 2018

June 21, 2018

As Way Opens

This week's week’s As Way Opens is written by Nichole Yaconis Mathews on behalf of the Friends Education Fund Committee.

Come this Sunday, June 24th, to congratulate our Friends Education Fund scholarship winners! The Friends Education Fund, a Quaker college scholarship program for African American Students was able to award 42 scholarships this year. There will be a short reception with light refreshments following Meeting for Worship. This fund has a fascinating history. The program was created in the mid-1940’s by several members of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting who were the surviving governing board of the only orphanage for African American children in the state of Indiana.

The orphanage was also created by First Friends members after the Civil War. By the 1920’s, when it was closed, the orphanage had provided care for over 3000 African American children.

The educational program was funded by the assets which remained following the closing of the orphanage. These included a bequest from John Williams, a former slave, who was a successful farmer and tanner in 1860’s Washington County, Indiana. In his will, he requested that his assets be used to educate “poor Negro children” and, after his death, his assets were transferred by the courts to the Friends Orphanage in Indianapolis. The 1940’s decision for educational scholarships was influenced by his bequest.

The founding directors from First Friends invested the orphanage assets and used the proceeds to assist African American students. Since that time, the directors have continued to invest and use the income generated to provide nearly $800,000 in scholarships to over 1500 students since its beginnings.

Nichole Yaconis Mathews

Friends Education Fund Committee

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Monthly Meeting Notice ~ Due to holidays and events, we will be holding one Monthly Meeting for Business for both June and July. It will be held Sunday, July 1st after worship in the Parlor. Please plan on joining us that afternoon.

Community Garden Update:
Wedding Bells for Gardeners Sam and Gabe; Fun Fruit and Veggie Tips

Community Garden Friends thank Samantha R for her gracious service as co-clerk last year and this year. Her leadership skills helped enhance our garden and guide our community. We appreciate her joyous and gentle spirit. Her computer skills and hands-on eager participation are inspiring.

Reluctantly, Sam resigned her clerking position since she and her fiancé, Gabe are in a busy season of their lives. They are converting their new house into a home, working, and planning a wedding soon. We wish them a memorable day and a long and happy life together. We look forward to their continued involvement in the community garden when their lives are less hectic.

We thank Gabe for lending his excellent woodworking skills as we built and rebuilt raised bed frames, including a new one for them. With some sadness they passed on their plots to this season’s gardeners who are already tending to the beds.

The couple’s plot #3 is being converted into the Hope Garden, a shared community plot. It is at the south end of the Community Garden rather than the north side as originally planned before #3 became available. Ask Garden Clerk Nancy Scott how you can help with the Hope Garden plot.

Thanks to Dan M for mowing between the boxes. Gardeners, thank you for keeping the pathways free from rocks and anything that blocks the lawn mower! Thanks to everyone pitching in to help vacationers and under-the-weather gardeners. That’s why we are a community garden!

Fun Tips from the Garden Committee:

Put green onions, bulb-first, into a jar with water or soil. Store on the counter or in the fridge as roots continue to grow. Snip off onion leaves as needed; they regrow.
To revive salad greens, rinse in ice water.
Store tomatoes longer by keeping them away from the sun at room temperature, stem-side down, or put scotch tape over stems.
Cool off with frozen treats; eat frozen—not thawed: peeled bananas or whole grapes.
Keep berries fresher longer by washing them in 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Dry berries and store in a paper towel lined container. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and helps prevent mold.
To pit cherries: Hold cherry firmly and twist a plastic straw through the stem end to the bottom of the fruit. Usually the pit stays in the straw as you lift it out. By not boring completely through the fruit more juice is preserved.

Seasoned Friends Open Film Showing and Field Trip: Columbus ~ Everyone is invited to our Seasoned Friends events this month. First, we will be viewing the film Columbus, held Thursday, June 21st at 6:00pm in the Parlor. Soup and salads will be served during the film. If you are interested in attending the showing, please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org so we can be sure to have enough food for everyone.

The following week, on Wednesday, June 27th, we will be taking an actual field trip to Columbus, Indiana. We will meet at the Meetinghouse and leave at 8:45am and will return around 5pm. We will be touring the town and having lunch there as well. Please contact the office if you’d like to RSVP. We still have space available on our 90-minute walking tour (walking no more than 8 blocks) at $10 per person. We will also eat lunch together and tour one of the churches in Columbus. We hope to see you there!

Rise Up Singalong! Enjoy an evening of fun and songs old and new. Experience the retro delight of making music together. The next Sing Along will be June 22nd, at 7:00 in the parlor. Please note that this month we are holding it on the fourth Friday of the month as opposed to our usual third Friday of the month due to scheduling conflicts. Those who have Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks, please bring them. We are planning a song list ahead of time and will have enlarged copies of the selections for those who lack books. Those who want to purchase books may get them directly from riseupandsing.org. Or, if you must, through Amazon. You may save a few dollars from Amazon, but you support the authors more by going directly. Learn more about the books on the website. Contact Linda L if you have questions.

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

WYM and FUM 2018 Summer Mission Projects ~ Western Yearly Meeting and Friends United Meeting have announced their mission projects for 2018.

The FUM project is “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” In the early 1900s, a school was started in the Cuban town of Puerto Padre by Quakers from Wilmington Yearly Meeting. In 1961, all private schools in Cuba were nationalized. The school subsequently fell into ruin. In 2014, the Cuban government agreed to return control of the school to Cuba Yearly Meeting. Although it’s in disrepair, it can be refurbished... “Rebuilding a Friendly Place.” Your contribution will help FUM achieve its goal of $25,000 for the restoration of the Wilmington School. For more information, visit http://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/assets/2018-smp-cuba_4pg.pdf

The WYM project is to assist Tanzania Yearly Meeting continue to grow and develop as a yearly meeting. In 2009, the yearly meeting had only seven Quaker meetings in Tanzania, all in the Mara region along the Kenyan border. Today, Tanzania Yearly Meeting covers eight regions and includes 26 meetings...and continues to grow. Monies will be used to train Kenyans interested in mission work in Tanzania, scholarships for one year for 4 students in a pastoral ministry program at Friends Theological College, Kenyan mission outreach in Tanzania, and regional workshops in Tanzania in discipleship and Quakerism. WYM’s goal for this Tanzania project is $14,000. These are the major Quaker missionary projects for 2018. For more information, visit the WYM website at https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/missionsandprojects/

Women at the Well AND Threshing at the Tap ~ A gathering of women/men who ponder current issues and topics, where differing views are discussed, no decisions are made, and food and drinks are enjoyed. This month Threshing at the Tap and Women at the Well will have a COMBINED gathering on Thursday, June 28 at 7pm. That means all women and men are welcome! It will be held at Rick’s Café Boatyard (4050 Dandy Trail, Indianapolis). Join other men and women of First Friends and enjoy a wonderful night of conversation together.

VBS Volunteers Needed! This year we are having Vacation Bible School from Sunday July 22nd through Thursday, July 26th. This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. We are looking for just a few more people to volunteer! We are in need of group leaders and people to bring snacks. This is a wonderful event that children look forward to each year and we are able to offer it free of charge thanks to volunteers like you! If you can help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Summertime Special Music! Do you have a musical gift in ministry you’d like to share in our Meeting for Worship? As our choir takes a well-deserved hiatus for the summer, we are looking for volunteers to share their music. We need performers most Sundays from June 3rd through September 2nd. Please consider signing up for a date when you’d be willing to offer it in Meeting. Your ministry can be a blessing during this season of the year. Thank you!

Native American Crafts Needed! WYM Outreach Board is looking for donations for the Native American table during WYM annual sessions July 12-15. Items they would like: handcrafts (new) food, needlework, etc. Items need to be priced. Contact Norma W or Terry T for questions.

Save the Date! Shalom Zone Garage Sale ~ On Saturday, July 28, from 8 am to noon (set up beginning at 7 am) the Shalom Zone churches will be sponsoring “garage sale’ and “craft sale” opportunities for individuals in the Cross and Crown parking lot at 79th and Allisonville Rd. You will be able to reserve a space for $10 in advance ($15 day of sale). The rest is up to you – bring your own table or use the trunk of your car. You get to keep whatever you earn. The adjoining neighborhood of Ivy Hills will have its annual garage sale the same day so there should be no shortage of folks looking for a deal. The Shalom Zone will donate the reservation fees to School on Wheels, a voluntary program which tutors homeless children throughout Marion County. For more info or to reserve a space contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Quaker Life magazine is being offered to us for renewal at a group rate of $30.00 per year. Published by Friends United Meeting, issues come out quarterly, that will “inspire, inform and teach you.” The journal is normally priced at $40.00 annually. We keep one copy in our Library. Please let the office know if you would like to add your name to the list of subscribers or renew if you already subscribe. Thank you!

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Friend to Friend June 13, 2018

June 13, 2018

As Way Opens

I have lately been thinking a lot about our definition of God. I have met a new friend that has written a couple of folk tale books that reflect on our ideas of God and our place in the world. We have been engaging in discussion about some of the deep philosophical questions about evil, the kingdom of heaven on earth and our perceptions of ourselves and the universe. He believes that "God is a shorthand term we’ve coined to collectively refer to the mysterium tremendum and now have come to mistake it for a being or entity. Because language is seductive to our way of thinking, the less we say about it, the better: to ascribe values, attitudes or predispositions to God is the ultimate commission of hubris.” In the scriptures, God is defined as Love so we should be still and know love.

I can appreciate this viewpoint but language is our human attempt to describe things we cherish, experience and question. Jesus came to earth to show us in flesh and blood the character of God. While God is eternal and transcends our humanity, we still need adjectives and descriptors that we can relate to express this mystery and share our experience of the Divine.

Ever since our own Eric B sang the Bob Dylan song Blowin in the Wind during Meeting for Worship, I have been reflecting on how powerful the description of wind is for me in thinking about God. The wind is real but we never actually see it or can contain it. What we see are only the results of the wind. Even when we don’t feel the wind, it is present. The wind is constantly changing and can be both powerful and gentle. The wind creates and destroys. The wind comforts me and helps me remember my humanity and connection to all creation.

How do you describe God? Is your idea of God big enough to blow like the Wind? And does our description of God challenge us in the Wind to love our brothers and sisters, value all life and seek peace?

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

Yes, and how many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind

Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist

Before it is washed to the sea?

Yes, and how many years can some people exist

Before they're allowed to be free?

Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head

And pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind

Yes, and how many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind

By Bob Dylan

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Thank you so much to our food pantry volunteers last week: Ray G, Linda L, Phil K, Christie M, Kathy and Bill F, Carol and Jim D. It was very busy and our volunteers worked hard as about 100 families were served.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL members are taking a breather as the Legislature is not in session at this time. However, our hard-working underpaid lobbyist continues to stay connected to our state legislators. Summer study committees will be meeting this Summer. If you would like a study committee information sheet, please contact Ed M at meeting or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Our next meeting will be on July 7th at the Meetinghouse from 9am-11am.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Monthly Meeting Notice ~ Due to holidays and events, we will be holding one Monthly Meeting for Business for both June and July. It will be held Sunday, July 1st after worship in the Parlor. Please plan on joining us that afternoon.

First Friends Library Books for Summer Reading Pleasure

Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality
By J. Brent Bill
WM B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI 2005, revised and expanded 2016

An exploration of silences, Brent Bill "uses a practical tone to anchor reflections on what is essentially a matter of mystery: how God speaks in and through individual and communal silence." (Publishers Weekly)

Brent Bill has written about a dozen books at his home in Mooresville, IN and many articles, plus a blog. I'm hoping the library has or will have his book about Bad Quakers.

The World Within: Essays on Prophetic Quaker Faith
By Patricia Dallmann
Foundation Publications, PA, 2009

Dallman uses scriptures as a guide to self-transcendence in a series of essays on topics such as discernment, prophetic ministry, the cross in Quaker faith, spiritual unity. She has taught among liberal Quakers in Philadelphia and Europe and edits the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Hope bulletin on social justice.

Citizenship: A Christian Calling
By Lon Fendall with an introduction by former Senator Mark Hatfield
Barclay Press, 2003

Through lively biblical and modern stories Fendall delights, encourages, and instructs people as they find ways to become more politically involved. He is dean of biblical studies at George Fox college. He served as Hatfield's campaign manager and director of peace studies.

Down a Winding Road: A Life-Story from Missions
By Betty M. Hockett, George Fox Press, 1985

One of a series about the "feet on the ground" experiences of Tina and Roscoe Knight who began their mission work in Bolivia in 1945. Eventually they set up Friends schools and did missionary work in Peru, Mexico, and other places.

This little book is an easy read of risky, adventurous, faith-led and faithful Friends.

American Friends Service Committee: A Centennial History
By Gregory A. Barnes, Friends Press, 2016

A chronological, thoroughly researched account of what the AFSC was and is doing to improve this world wherever help was needed. Food relief, education of men about rape, peace building, emergency supplies, etc. Two maps, one 1942 and another 2008, show the world-wide reach of AFSC, with brief descriptions of accomplishments.

Barnes researched this 450 page book at Friends Center in Philadelphia. He is the author of four other books.

Community Gardening Practices and Resources ~ From drought to flooding, gardening is fraught with challenges. In the Indianapolis area we have clay soil which needs infrequent watering, while adjusting for individual plant needs. One can dig down to observe and feel the soil’s water-holding capacity.

Fortunately, the raised beds in our community garden help drain water faster. Many gardeners have transformed the clay into a rich loam by adding lots of organic matter. Practices include hand picking pests, plant rotation, mulching and composting. Ingredients can include aged organic fertilizers; sawdust; ground bark; grass clippings and fall leaves; peat moss; wood ashes; eggshells and coffee grounds. Sometimes we use cover crops like hairy vetch and clover to add soil nutrients between seasons.

In our community garden we rely on one another to learn more. Our soil has been professionally tested and pronounced lead-free. In the current weather conditions our plots are more vulnerable to fungi, rot, disease and insect damage so it is important to weed well, watch and share information. We use our local extension office City Gardener Program at (317) 745-9260 and the Marion County notebooks in the Meetinghouse and garage. Happy gardening!

Women at the Well AND Threshing at the Tap ~ A gathering of women/men who ponder current issues and topics, where differing views are discussed, no decisions are made, and food and drinks are enjoyed. This month Threshing at the Tap and Women at the Well will have a COMBINED gathering on Thursday, June 28 at 7pm. That means all women and men are welcome! It will be held at Rick’s Café Boatyard (4050 Dandy Trail, Indianapolis). Join other men and women of First Friends and enjoy a wonderful night of conversation together.

What’s Your Plan? Carmel Friends Church invites everyone to a relaxed interactive event that helps people prepare for their day of passing. It will be held on Saturday, June 23rd at 11:30am. This is done in conjunction with Bussell Funerals, who have a close relationship with their church. Donna Bussell with some of her staff will share all the information needed to help be prepared for the time when we are "promoted to glory"! This is not a sales pitch for Bussell Funerals, but more of an information sharing event, with an interactive and relaxed talk about the things that will help take away uncertainty for you and your family and give you peace of mind. This is for people of all ages! A light lunch is included, so RSVPs are required. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by Wednesday, June 13 with Carmel Friends Church, 651 West Main St, Carmel, 317-846-5090 or carmelfriends@aol.com.

Join us in Honoring our Friends Education Fund Scholarship Recipients! On Sunday, June 24th we will honor our scholarship recipients in Meeting for Worship and also hold a special reception to honor them, hosted by the Friends Education Fund Committee. We hope you will join us that day!

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Worship in the Woods & Path Dedication~ Join us on Sunday, July 8th at for our annual Worship in the Woods and picnic. We will start at our normal time, 10:15am, in the Meditational Woods. We will also hold a dedication for the new Meditational Woods path, in memory of Bob Hadley. Afterward, we will have our picnic! Rolls, fried chicken, hot dogs (beef and veggie), ice cream, drinks and some macaroni and baked beans provided. Anyone with last names of A-I are asked bring desserts; J-Z sides and salads, though feel free to bring both! We hope to see you there!

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Friend to Friend June 6, 2018

June 6, 2018

As Way Opens

I recently heard about the Pickett Endowment Fund that has supported many Quakers and Quaker organizations over the years. I checked out their website and began to read about Clarence and Lilly Pickett whom this fund was named after. I had heard their names before and knew they were significant Quakers but didn’t really know much about them.

Wow - these were two remarkable Friends that should be inspiring all of us today! Clarence was born in 1884, the youngest of nine children in a Quaker family in Iowa. He was educated at Penn College, Hartford Theological Seminary and Harvard University, then was a Quaker pastor in Toronto and Oskaloosa Iowa and joined the staff of Earlham College teaching Biblical Literature. He became the General Secretary of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in 1929 and remained in that position until 1950. Under Pickett’s leadership, AFSC became quite influential in supporting social justice change, representing the forgotten and the poor and working to remove causes of human suffering. Herbert Hoover, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F Kennedy all consulted with Pickett on various policies and programs and Eleanor Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “I always try to do the things Clarence asks because I have great trust in his judgement.” There is another great story from 1962, when Pickett was a frail 77-year-old, picketing the White House in the morning to bring attention to ending the nuclear arms race while he and his wife attended a formal dinner in the White House that evening representing AFSC as a past Nobel Prize winner.

The adjectives used to describe him are respected, wise, enthusiastic, humble, hopeful, practical, and that he brings out the best in people and spirit led. AFSC won the Nobel Prize in 1947, representing Quakers in the United States and Britain. When the staff first learned of the announcement, Pickett held a silent meeting for worship asking them to ponder the query, “Beware when all men speak well of you!”.

I just read the speech given by the Nobel Foundation in making this award to the Quakers in 1947. I was struck by this phrase in the speech, "’We weren't sent out to make converts,” a young Quaker says: “we've come out for a definite purpose, to build up in a spirit of love what has been destroyed in a spirit of hatred. We're not missionaries. We can't tell if even one person will be converted to Quakerism. Things like that don't happen in a hurry. When our work is finished, it doesn't mean that our influence dies with it. We have not come out to show the world how wonderful we are. No, the thing that seems most important is the fact that while the world is waging a war in the name of Christ, we can bind up the wounds of war in the name of Christ. Religion means very little until it is translated into positive action.”

May we consider in our lives how we build things up in a spirit of love and bind up the wounds of war, discrimination and poverty in the name of Christ? Clarence and Lily Pickett devoted their lives into positive action for the world. Where do I take my stand in the name of love?

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to those who volunteered for the SAWS project this past Saturday. The Shalom Zone had enough volunteers to divide into two groups and do two projects. Kathy and Bill F and John M worked on one of the projects. Derek S and Eric, Chelsea and Kendall T worked on another project. They helped build ramps for two homes that enabled the homeowners to more easily access their homes. Thanks to Kathy, Bill, John, Derek, Eric, Chelsea and Kendall for “doing unto others” in a way that has given help and hope to folks who needed it.

A Big Thank-You to John & Ileen M who recently repaired chairs in the Meetinghouse library. The Meetinghouse is able to run because of volunteers like you! Thank you so much!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

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

Our Community Garden Update! Our community gardeners range in age from elementary schooler to senior. Together we learn and teach environmental stewardship as we raise organic crops. Some of us have grown up on farms; others are urbanites with little or no garden know-how. We learn through experiments, mistakes and shared experience. We keep resource materials specific to Marion County next to our garden equipment. Our water supply is collected from roof runoff. A large cistern stores it and we encourage watering underneath plants so they are less likely to harbor bacteria that could cause illness sine our water is untreated. We do clean the tank regularly.

A few tips:

Water in the morning or in the evening—not in the heat of the day or at night. This reduces evaporation, but allows enough moisture so plants are not drenched at day’s end and fungi growth is less likely.
Allow ample space for plants to grow; thin seedlings so they don’t compete for nutrients.
Pluck and destroy weeds when they are small.
Work with Mother Nature so watering is consistent.

The Indianapolis Pride Parade will be June 9th beginning at 9am this year. We will be walking in support of the LGBTQ community. If you are interested in walking with us, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. For more information about the parade, please visit https://indypride.org/

What’s Your Plan? Carmel Friends Church invites everyone to a relaxed interactive event that helps people prepare for their day of passing. It will be held on Saturday, June 23rd at 11:30am. This is done in conjunction with Bussell Funerals, who have a close relationship with their church. Donna Bussell with some of her staff will share all the information needed to help be prepared for the time when we are "promoted to glory"! This is not a sales pitch for Bussell Funerals, but more of an information sharing event, with an interactive and relaxed talk about the things that will help take away uncertainty for you and your family and give you peace of mind. This is for people of all ages! A light lunch is included, so RSVPs are required. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by Wednesday, June 13 with Carmel Friends Church 651 West Main St, Carmel, 317-846-5090 or carmelfriends@aol.com.

VBS Volunteers Needed! This year we are having Vacation Bible School from Sunday July 22nd through Thursday, July 26th. This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. We are looking for volunteers that can help either one night or the whole week. On Sunday VBS will be from 12-2pm, and the rest of the week will be from 6:30-8:30pm. This is a wonderful event that children look forward to each year and we are able to offer it free of charge thanks to volunteers like you! If you’d like to help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org

Summertime Special Music! Do you have a musical gift in ministry you’d like to share in our Meeting for Worship? As our choir takes a well-deserved hiatus for the summer, we are looking for volunteers to share their music. We need performers most Sundays from now through September 2nd. Please consider signing up for a date when you’d be willing to offer it in Meeting. Your ministry can be a blessing during this season of the year. Thank you!

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

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Friend to Friend May 30, 2018

May 30, 2018

As Way Opens

Have you ever spent time on the Britannica Encyclopedia website (www.britannica.com)? For the younger folks, the Britannica Encyclopedia used to be a large set of multi-volume books that most classrooms or libraries had for student research. Actually, you could say it was Google before the internet. (Oh, the irony of looking up Britannica Encyclopedia on the internet.) What I was doing on this site was researching some background information about the season of “summer” which some would say we just entered, even though it doesn’t officially start until later in June.

Not only does Britannica Encyclopedia say Summer is the warmest season of the year between spring and autumn, that it is usually defined as the period between the summer solstice (year’s longest day), June 21 or 22, and the autumnal equinox (day and night equal in length) Sept. 22, but it also said this: “The concept of summer in European languages is associated with growth and maturity.”

Obviously, the growth and maturity were most likely focused on plants and crops – not so much human growth and maturity. Yet it made me begin to think about Summer in our culture. We tell our children that Summer is the time to “turn off our brains” because school is out! We go on vacations where we relax and put our cares and worries aside. Summer is time to give education and learning a break and let our inner-child loose! If anything, the season of Summer is just the opposite of that European concept.

Even though Summertime seems to be the opposite of a season for “growth and maturity,” I believe it should afford us some time for personal reflection. I like to take the Summer months to ask myself some deeper queries – ones that may actually allow me to grow and mature in my spiritual journey.

As I head out this weekend with my family on vacation, I would like to challenge each of you to do some personal reflection during the summer months with me. Here are some queries to ponder.

What’s one joy and one struggle you experienced in your life, recently?
How would you describe your walk with God this past year?
Where do you feel you would most like to grow as a Quaker?
What is something new about God you’ve recently discovered?
How would you finish this sentence: I feel good about my journey with God when . . . ?
What have been some of the ups and downs of your spiritual life since you began your journey?
How has First Friends helped you on your spiritual journey?
What do you need from this community to continue your maturity?

These queries may be the catalyst you and I need to prompt some needed growth in our spiritual journeys. Take time to process each question (maybe take one question a week and journal your thoughts during the summer months) and let’s see if this Summer can be a season of growth and maturity for us at First Friends!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

This past holiday weekend we held a special Memorial Day worship in “The Big Oval” in Fellowship Hall. This year, we changed it up and had a labyrinth, an ancient symbol of the Church. As we walked the labyrinth, we meditated on our spiritual journey in life. If you’d like to learn more about the labyrinth and our time on Sunday, you can read Bob’s sermon online at https://www.indyfriends.org/messages/.

The year’s Hope Garden will be in the northeast section of our community garden north of the Meetinghouse. Hope Garden is designed to bring joy and beauty to all by means of a floral display. We invite anyone and everyone to help care for it.

Hope Garden honors our ill and deceased Friends/friends. It is also devoted to the living in the belief that gardens promote growth, healing and hope. People can enjoy the colors, textures and scents and pick the flowers!

Freshly-painted numbers on bricks and rocks are placed in each plot of the community garden to help track which plots belong to which gardeners. AT the beginning of the season when crops are gone, gardeners can more easily identify their plots. When plots are added or subtracted, rocks can be relocated. We can also keep track of each year’s crop layout to aid in planning crop rotations and keeping soil healthy.

Have you noticed our community garden bulletin board in the main hallway? It includes a chart showing when to plant specific crops in our growing zone. You may recognize gardeners featured in the photo display.

Contact Samantha R or Nancy S if you want to help with the Hope Garden once or regularly. Feel free to participate in the seasonal cycle of life and to share nature’s bounty.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 30th, 2018. For an application please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

SAWS Ramp Build- Volunteers Needed! The Shalom Zone is planning another SAWS ramp build for the morning of Saturday, June 2nd. If you would like to volunteer to help or need more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Volunteers must complete the volunteer form before their first build. This form can be found on the SAWS website at http://www.sawsramps.org/.

VBS Volunteers Needed! This year we are having Vacation Bible School from Sunday July 22nd through Thursday, July 26th. This year’s theme is Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus. We are looking for volunteers that can help either one night or the whole week. On Sunday VBS will be from 12-2pm, and the rest of the week will be from 6-8pm. This is a wonderful event that children look forward to each year and we are able to offer it free of charge thanks to volunteers like you! If you’d like to help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Seasoned Friends Open Film Showing – Columbus ~ Everyone is invited to this Seasoned Friends event where we will be viewing the film Columbus. This will be in preparation for a field trip Seasoned Friends will later be taking to Columbus, Indiana. It will be held Thursday, June 21st at 6:00pm in the Parlor. Everyone, even those not in Seasoned Friends, are invited. Also keep your eye out for more information regarding the Seasoned Friends field trip to Columbus shortly after the film showing. We hope to see you there!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for May
Fish Crow – Immigrant: Welcome or Not?
By Brad J

Note: In the drawing of the all-black Fish Crow, I tried to show how the sunlight causes a sheen on the feathers.  Besides the call, the shorter legs and smaller bill help distinguish it from the larger American Crow. — Note: In the drawing of the all-black Fish Crow, I tried to show how the sunlight causes a sheen on the feathers. Besides the call, the shorter legs and smaller bill help distinguish it from the larger American Crow.

It took me a long time to choose my Bird of the Month for May. After all, the middle of May is the part of the year when one can find the largest number of species in Indiana. Ducks and other early migrants may still be around, while late migrants may have already arrived. Then there are all of the regulars in between. But while sitting in the Meditational Woods, once at the end of April, and again in early May I heard a sound from the north, beyond the woods.

Fish Crows are common on the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast from New England southward. Many years ago they began moving up the Mississippi River, and I remember driving all the way to the southwest tip of Indiana to see the first Fish Crows in Indiana. Since then they have continued northward and have a colony at Eagle Creek Reservoir. Once at the end of April and a second time in early May, I was sitting in the woods when I heard the unmistakable nasal call “Ehn” of a Fish Crow. Quite unlike the “Caw” of an American Crow. Fish Crows have arrived on our side of town! I rushed out of the woods so I could find the bird, which had perched atop the giant power line tower just beyond the meeting’s north property line. Later this bird flew into the neighborhood to the east, calling continuously.

Most species that are forced immigrants, that is, brought in to a place for dubious reasons and released, cause havoc, often to themselves (such as released pet birds), but often to the detriment of other birds. Examples of this are House Sparrow and European Starling, both brought from Europe and released in the United States on purpose.

Fish Crows, on the other hand, have arrived by themselves. They hang around with the American Crows, and, so far, seem to be holding their own. Building a wall won’t keep them out. Besides, I like the addition of their nasal voices to the chorus of all of the other birds which one hears in and from the Meditational Woods. They blend in nicely but retain their identity. I say, “Welcome!”

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