Friend to Friend September 12, 2018

September 17, 2018

As Way Opens

I was watching the US Open Tennis Championships last week and an advertisement kept coming on the TV for a new app for my smart phone called the “Calming App”. For $60 a year or $300 for a lifetime, I can relax to nature sounds, take some guided meditations and track how often I enter the app to calm myself. The promotions say that the app will:

Provide statistics and meditation tracking along with optional daily reminders
Provide customizable audio and visual cues to support relaxation
Provide a robust curriculum including stories to help with sleep
Provide a new “Daily Calm” meditation each day

I realize how much our world is craving silence, meditation and the ability to unplug and enter into a stream of consciousness going deep within ourselves and our sense of God within. We are driving ourselves crazy trying to keep up, keep busy, keep connected, keep plugged in electronically and keep up appearances that we are happy and fulfilled. We are spinning ourselves into an abyss of sadness, isolation and depression.

I am so glad Bob is entering into a message series on Slow Church and how we connect with ourselves, our community and our God. I became a Quaker 25 years ago because I was craving a real worship experience, a time of silence that forced me to become quiet and still my mind and open my heart to the pulsing of God, and in my best moments entering a mystical experience of transcendence beyond myself. I was raised in a holiness tradition, but our time of unprogrammed worship has truly been holy for me. I have been re-reading Parker Palmer’s book, Let Your Life Speak this week and this quote spoke to my heart, “The key to this form of community involves holding a paradox - the paradox of having relationships in which we protect each other’s aloneness. We must come together in ways that respect the solitude of the soul, that avoid the unconscious violence we do when we try to save each other, that evoke our capacity to hold another life without dishonoring its mystery, never trying to coerce the other into meeting our own needs.”

I am so thankful for this community at First Friends that holds the paradox of contemplation, relationship, and action.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible for my whole life - Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.” I keep working on that!

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Congratulations to Chrissy and Trent S! On September 5th at 8:59am they welcomed Foster Lee to their family. 7lbs 2 oz, 20 1/2 inches long. He shares a birthday with his dad Trent. What a blessing!

Thank you to all who helped with the food pantry last week. We were very busy...113 families served! Volunteers: Dan H, Ray G, Kathy R, Bill and Kathy F, Beth F, Rik and Linda L, Ben, Jill, Verna and Nolan F, Carol and Jim D. Thank you for your service!

What a great Sunday School Kickoff! This past Sunday we kicked off Sunday School for all ages! We had a great time at breakfast and it was so fun to see everybody show up in their PJs! Thank you to everyone who made this year’s kickoff a success! (Photos by Bob Henry and Kathy Rhyne.) See more photos for this and many other events on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Indyfriends!

We had a great turnout for our first night with Tim Streett and Poverty 101 with our fellow Shalom Zone Churches. We explored the differences between those in poverty and the middle class. There were fascinating discoveries about the differences in how we see things. The series will continue every Monday night at 7pm through October 15th and each topic is standalone so you can come to as many or as few as you are able. We hope you will join us. (Photo by Bob Henry)

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. We still have three students who need to be sponsored! Please make sure these students aren’t left out! Please take a student off the board or contact the office if you’re interested.

IFCL Open Meeting ~ Everyone is invited to the next Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) meeting on Saturday, September 15 from 9-11am in the First Friends Parlor. IFCL is in the midst of restructuring and this is an open meeting to any who might be interested in IFCL or in giving feedback. Feel welcome to contact Diana Hadley (Dhadley@franklincollege.edu), Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) or Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) with questions or suggestions regarding IFCL initiatives. We hope to see you there.

Mark your Calendars! Quaker Affirmation is coming up. This affirmation program for our junior and senior high school youth will run 11:00am – 1:00pm, starting this Sunday September 16, then run every second Sunday through April before wrapping up on May 5.

Slow Church Sermon Series ~ Each Sunday we are going to explore together what a “slow movement” looks like for First Friends. As we kick off Sunday School on September 9th, Bob Henry will lay a foundation for the roots of this slow movement and why it is especially important in our fast-paced society. This invitation to explore outside of what is labeled “franchise faith” and back into the Kingdom of God – where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loved the church – is instrumental in developing an ongoing vision for First Friends. We hope you will plan to join us for this exploration during the Fall months.

Buddy Bags ~ The Shalom Zone is continuing its support of Allisonville Elementary School and the food insecurity issue by providing Buddy Bags to some of its more vulnerable students during school breaks. First Friends plans to provide Buddy Bags prior to Fall break. You can help by taking a tag which will have certain food items listed, purchasing such items in the quantity noted, and putting them into the box on the stage in Fellowship Hall. The Buddy Bags will be delivered the first week of October so we will need the items no later than September 28. Together, we can work to make life in our community a little bit better. Thanks for your help.

Full Circle Festival ~ Again this year our own Ben W will be holding Full Circle Festival downtown. Full Circle Fest is an open-air dining experience, an interactive art fair, a zero-waste event, a fundraiser for sustainable community projects, and much more! There will also be local bands, performers, and DJs, engaging games and activities. Every year we focus on a timely community issue to guide the day's events. This year’s focus is “Everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food.” Indianapolis ranks among the worst cities in the country for food deserts (urban areas in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food). Full Circle Fest is in need of your support to help bring this event to life. To donate, please drop your contributions in the offering plate or in the meeting office with the notation “Full Circle Fest”. An anonymous donor will match donations up to $500, so please consider supporting this important cause. For more information please visit https://fullcirclefest.com/.

Shalom Zone Eco-Film: Inside the GARBAGE of the World ~ All are invited to join us for the next Eco-Film on Friday, September 14 at 7:00pm, hosted by Allisonville Christian Church (7701 Allisonville Rd). Our film will be “Inside the Garbage of the World.” This informative, hard-hitting film reveals the truth about plastic pollution and how it is harming the oceans and threatening human safety. Every item of plastic that has ever been created is still with us on the planet today. In the mid 50’s we were told that plastic was suitable for single use and could simply be thrown away. We now know that to be untrue, yet we continue to treat it as such. We hope this film will raise awareness of the serious threat of plastic pollution, to our oceans and to our very existence.

Underneath It All ~ In the fall some of our thoughts turn toward school children, cooler weather and the importance of underwear. For maybe 8 or 10 years First Friends has been donating underwear to the John H. Boner Center on the near east side. Social workers there have it on hand to give to children in need. This includes some preschoolers on up through high school, so a variety of sizes are needed. If shopping for underwear is not your favorite thing, a check will be welcomed. There will be a donation box in Fellowship Hall. Questions? Ask Linda L

RSWR Stamp Newsletter – Volume 1! As you may know, in December 2017, Indy First Friends assumed the role of stamp processor for Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR). Amy P, who currently heads the program in conjunction with Brad J, and other volunteers have been busy working since then. If you’d like to see what they’ve been up to, you can read their first newsletter here: https://goo.gl/KkETHa. As of August 14, we've taken in $1,012 for RSWR! Thank you to everyone who is making this program possible and supporting RSWR!

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 returning to Blind Owl Brewery—where we kicked it all off last year! It will be Thursday, September 20th at 7pm. The address is 5014 E 62nd St, Indianapolis, 46220. We hope to see you there!

Growing Quaker Values ~ Ready to PLANT a seed for the future? Ready to put Quaker values to work through philanthropy? Join FUM for a casual and free planned giving workshop with Mimi Blackwell, Planned Giving Program Manager at Friends Fiduciary. It will be held Thursday, September 20th from 2-3pm or from 7-8:30pm at Friends Fellowship Community in Richmond. Enjoy refreshments and fellowship with others from our community while learning ways planned giving could benefit you and the Quaker organizations you appreciate. Whether you have multiple gifts already in place or are just beginning to think about ways planned giving can meet your philanthropic goals, this is a great place to start. For more information and to register for this free event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growing-quaker-values-collaborative-educational-session-about-planned-giving-tickets-48964414883?aff=erellivmlt

Community Garden Update
Non-Lethal Ways to Control Nuisance Animals in the Garden

Animal pests can be a challenge to the gardener.It is better to exclude and deter them before they habitually consume the garden goodies you grow. In past issues we have discussed countermeasures against insects.In this issue we address ideas to contain damage caused by raccoons, rabbits, deer, moles, woodchucks, voles and chipmunks. Introducing dogs and cats as garden predators would do more harm than good (contamination and trampling); wolves and coyotes are impractical. The Community Garden has its “guard hawks” but Mother Nature arranged that scenario. This article outlines non-lethal animal damage management options. Most of this information is gleaned from the Purdue Extension-Marion County City Gardener Program course.It is a great way to develop a greener thumb!

SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS

FRIGHTENING

Scarecrows, owl or snake predator figurines, flags, pinwheels, audio distress calls, aluminum pans, Mylar tape and strobe lights. Sections of a hose may be made to resemble a snake.

REPELLANTS

Repellants can affect taste, odor or an animal’s tactile sense. Use repellants sparingly and only on plants you particularly want to protect. Otherwise everything may taste and smell the same. Then a hungry creature may eat everything in your garden. Few pesticides are labeled to kill animal species. Most are repellants that do not kill. Using pesticides against animals not listed on labels violates federal and state laws. Tactile: Chicken wire covering ground around plants like corn will repel raccoons because they do not like to walk over it. Prickly pumpkin and winter squash vines can serve the same purpose. To deter rabbits, surrounding row crops with spiny holly trimmings or sweet gum balls can be effective. Odor-based: Blood meal, predator urine, garlic, human or animal hair, rotten eggs, strong-smelling soap, and synthetic chemicals are examples. Well-worn clothing and old leather shoes can scare away rabbits. Taste-based: capsaicin (substance that makes hot peppers hot), essential oils, garlic oil and synthetic substances are included. Be sure to protect yourself when applying repellants. Wash yourself and your clothing after using. Check the shelf life of commercial products and try out small amounts before buying larger quantities. Check for duplicate ingredients in products when you are intending to deter multiple species. Similar products may work for more than one species.

EXCLUSION

Mesh fences can be curved like a tunnel over plants to keep deer from them. The two tunnel ends can be covered with chicken wire. Cloches may keep small animals away from crops.

HABIT MODIFICATION

Motion detectors can trigger a blast of water. (Once I accidentally watered a baby bunny hiding beneath big veggie leaves. It had done a great job hiding, but the poor thing emerged drenched and ran away somewhat traumatized.)
Destroy burrows and modify roosting sites.

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

Laws do impact what action one takes against wildlife. Some practices are decidedly illegal. If a gardener uses chemicals, labels should be scrutinized and directions followed carefully. Home remedies (bleach, pesticides and antifreeze) should never be used on vertebrate animals because of dangers to people and pets. Such poisons are against the law! Ultrasonic methods are not sanctioned by the State Chemical Office. Such methods do not work according to the Extension Cooperative, even though they are still sold.

May you practice the Quaker testimony of stewardship wisely, seeking harmony with all of creation.

~Nancy 🍁

Sing-Along with Jim! ~ Mark your calendars for Friday, September 21 for an evening of music and fun with songs ranging from Dylan to Pete Seeger, Beetles to Stephen Foster. Some are sad, pensive, inspirational, patriotic, religious. We are now enlarging the songs and printing them, placing them in folders alphabetically, thus making a less labor-intensive process for all. Rise Up Singing and Rise Again are still useful in case we have more singers than folders. Please do bring your books. We begin at 7:00, end at 8:30 or soon after. Third Friday of the month, as usual!

Community Garden Work Day & Harvest Picnic ~ Everyone is invited to the next Community Garden Work Day on Saturday, September 22 at 9:00am. We will also hold a special pitch-in harvest picnic! This will be held outside, unless in the case of inclement weather, in which case it will be held in the Parlor. We hope you will join us!

Just Faith: Living Compassionately ~ All are invited to an 8-week small group opportunity at Epworth United Methodist Church. JustFaith allows participants to gain deeper understanding of contemporary issues through the lens of Christian faith. In this first phase, we will cover the topic of living compassionately by caring for the poor, in which participants will focus on poverty, consumerism, and the Gospel call to care for the poor. The times and dates are:

Mondays | 6PM | Beginning September 24
Thursdays | 10AM | Beginning September 27
To enroll please contact Pat Engel- engelp@epworthindy.org.

SAWS Ramp Build ~ The Shalom Zone is planning another SAWS ramp build for the morning of Saturday, September 29. SAWS is an organization that builds ramps for low income folks who need a ramp to enter/exit their homes. 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: http://sawsramps.org

Poverty 101 Class ~ The Shalom Zone is pleased to be hosting Tim Streett and his Poverty 101 course at First Friends on Monday evenings at 7 pm beginning on September 10. The course will run for 6 consecutive Monday evenings through October 15 and last approximately 90 minutes per session. Tim works for The Shepherd Community Center and has developed this course to help folks gain a better understanding of what poverty is really all about in contrast to what those, who have not lived in poverty, think it is all about. Tim has intentionally lived among those in poverty and has developed a unique understanding that he believes is helpful to those who take his course to be better equipped to help deal with poverty situations. Don’t worry if you cannot attend each week as Tim says there is powerful learning each week that you are able to attend. You can sign up for the course on the sheet in the corner of the hallway or by notifying the First Friends office. A donation of $20 is requested for the course and scholarships are available for anyone who would like one. Simply notify the First Friends office. All proceeds will go to the Shepherd Community Center.

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Friend to Friend September 5, 2018

September 5, 2018

As Way Opens

This coming first day is what we call Kick-Off Sunday at First Friends. We will resume our education hour with study opportunities, choir, and children’s programming. It is also a kick-off to a new teaching series for our first day meetings for worship. Back in 2014 my friend John Pattison and his co-author, Chris Smith wrote a book titled, Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus. In an almost ironic kind of way, the two faith communities highlighted in this book were my former Quaker meeting in Silverton, OR (where John attends and helps lead) and Englewood Christian Church (where Chris attends and helps lead) in the Englewood neighborhood of Indianapolis, IN.

During the fall months of September, October, and November, we are going to explore together each Sunday what a “slow movement” looks like for First Friends. During the Kick-Off this Sunday, I plan to lay a foundation for the roots of this slow movement and why it is especially important in our fast-paced society. John and Chris’s invitation to explore outside of what they label “franchise faith” and back into the Kingdom of God – where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loved the church – is instrumental in developing an ongoing vision for First Friends.

I hope you will plan to join us for this exploration during the Fall months. We are also working to schedule John and Chris to join us later in the fall for a special Sunday of deeper exploration and questions.

Here are the first day themes we will be exploring:

“Above all, trust in the slow work of God, our loving vine-dresser.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Labor of Love ~ This past Sunday was our second gathering for peace, solidarity, and hope in our Meditational Woods. This year's guest speaker was Jesse Brown, Dean of Students at Taylor University, who helped us explore "The Christian's Privilege: Love and Service" Much like our first gathering in response to the atrocities in Charlottesville, this year we sang, prayed, and came together to reflect, learn, and take action! (Thank you to Kim Heusel for taking photos).

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday September 8th, 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Amanda C. 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!

Sunday School Kick-Off! Our Sunday School kick off will be this September 9th. We will start the morning with breakfast for everyone in fellowship hall at 8:30. We encourage everyone to come in their pajama's! Our classes will begin at 9:00 a.m. as follows:

PreK – 5th grade in our large children’s room

6th - 12th grade in the basement

The following adult classes will be offered:

Seeking Friends - Bob Henry will lead the group through the rest of Brian McLaren book, We Make the Road by Walking. This study will give us an overview of the Bible and guide the group through rich study, interactive learning, and personal growth. Each week will include reading scripture together, study time, and queries to ponder throughout the week.

Wired Word (in Coffee Circle classroom) - will be led by Harold M to talk about current events from a spiritual perspective.

Choir - will be meeting in the old children’s library. Anyone that has a heart for singing is welcome to join.

Nursery care will be available during Sunday School. We hope to see you this Sunday!

Underneath It All ~ In the fall some of our thoughts turn toward school children, cooler weather and the importance of underwear. For maybe 8 or 10 years First Friends has been donating underwear to the John H. Boner Center on the near east side. Social workers there have it on hand to give to children in need. This includes some pre-schoolers on up through high school, so a variety of sizes are needed. If shopping for underwear is not your favorite thing, a check will be welcomed. There will be a donation box in Fellowship Hall.

Everyone Is Invited to the Harvest Picnic & Community Garden Work Day on Sept. 22!
Welcome New Gardeners, Chelsea and Brianna!

Our Community Garden is a living and breathing sacred space, not a garden set in stone. It changes with the seasons, the weather, the crops planted and the gardeners. Our volunteer gardeners are all learning and experimenting. Sometimes we are full of energy and on top of every little detail of our plots. Sometimes we are sidelined during illness, vacation or for a myriad of reasons. We grow produce for ourselves, our friends, our Meeting, the neighborhood and the less fortunate. We are blessed by this wonderful resource and it is a privilege to cultivate the soil and watch our crops grow. Thank you for supporting our efforts!

Coming Soon! More Green Thumbs!

More changes! We welcome Chelsea and Brianna to our garden community. Chelsea is working on her Gold Star Award, the most prestigious in Girl Scouting. She is willing to do “anything” and will help construct and repair raised bed frames, among other tasks. We know she has many gifts and talents and are thrilled she has chosen the Community Garden as her project. Brianna wants to help with our communal Hope Plot where anyone can work or harvest. We accept her offer with open arms. We believe the Hope Plot will be well-cared for with the attention she is donating. It is such a treat to witness this enthusiasm on the part of these two newbies.

All, Including Non-Gardeners, Are Invited to the Harvest Picnic and Work Day

We will have a Community Garden work day on Saturday, September 22, starting at 9 a.m. and ending with a pitch-in harvest picnic. Non-gardeners are invited to participate. We are especially interested in recruiting someone who can whistle while we work. J Hopefully the weather will cooperate that morning and it will be less humid.

Preparing Plots for the Off-Season

Some of the methods we are using to close down our plots are:

*One of our garden plots with an oat cover crop.*

· Cover crops (seeds available free at the Indianapolis Public Library, Glendale)

· Digging dead leaves, healthy plant matter or other fertilizer into the soil (not unprocessed manure due to concerns about pathogens in a community setting)

· Soil solarization which is most effective in mid to late summer. Soil is covered tightly with thin, clear plastic and tucked under. Heat from the sun causes physical, chemical and biological changes to the soil. This kills or suppresses pathogens and weed seed. It stimulates release of organic nutrients already present in the earth.

· Clearing plant debris from plots. Diseased plant matter and weeds with seeds go in the brush pile to the east of the water tank or to the blue trash bin. Gardeners, please put out the trash bin for pick-up on the south side of the northwest driveway Wednesday night or afternoon if it is reasonably full and you are in the vicinity. Healthy, spent plant matter can be deposited in the compost bin. It should be chopped or shredded for easier decomposition so it can be used in the spring. Gardeners, please help to make sure the compost is turned each week.

Compost Bin

All are invited to place tea bags (minus the tags), coffee grounds and washed out eggshells into our compost bin. We have restricted outside contributions to these few items so that we avoid vermin and disease-attracting waste.

~Nancy 🍃

Mark your Calendars! Quaker Affirmation is coming up this Fall. This affirmation program for our junior and senior high school youth will run 11:00am – 1:00pm, starting on Sunday September 16, then run every second Sunday through April before wrapping up on May 5.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. We still have four students who need to be sponsored! Please consider connecting with our students this year!

New Book Featuring Interview with Pastor Bob Henry ~ Announcing the publication of the book, “Be Quick to Listen: Practice the Spiritual Discipline of Christian-Listening” By Chris Wethman. The book teaches practical steps and Biblical insight on how to strengthen the spiritual discipline of Christian-Listening at work and in life. You will learn to listen to God, to yourself, and to others in ways that will enrich your life and strengthen your faith. Featured in the book are interviews with Christian leaders, including Pastor Bob Henry, who shares how listening plays a role in every aspect of his life. The authors of the book are Dr. Rick Bommelje and Christine Wethman. Christine and her family have known Bob and Sue Henry for over 20 years. Chris formerly served on the staff of St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Oviedo, FL and now serves by helping churches with visioning and strategic planning. Rick is a professor in the Communications Department at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL, and one of the country’s leading experts on listening. “Be Quick to Listen,” as well as other books by Rick and Christine, are available on Amazon.

Just Faith: Living Compassionately ~ All are invited to an 8-week small group opportunity at Epworth United Methodist Church. JustFaith allows participants to gain deeper understanding of contemporary issues through the lens of Christian faith. In this first phase, we will cover the topic of living compassionately by caring for the poor, in which participants will focus on poverty, consumerism, and the Gospel call to care for the poor. The times and dates are:
Mondays | 6PM | Beginning September 24
Thursdays | 10AM | Beginning September 27
To enroll please contact Pat Engel- engelp@epworthindy.org.

School Supplies Donations Needed ~ We are assisting John Strange Elementary with school supplies for its teachers. The items needed are: 1) Ticonderoga pencils, 2) disinfectant wipes, 3) hand sanitizer and 4) Kleenex. Donations can be made in Fellowship Hall in the box on the stage. Thank you.

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Friend to Friend August 29, 2018

August 30, 2018

As Way Opens

I have been reflecting on Bob’s message last week from Luke 16:1-13 on the parable that Jesus shares about the actions of the dishonest asset manager and how Jesus uses this example to show us that we need to look for the good and the Divine in people over the evil and negative. Wow - this is a hard lesson and path for me to follow. My tendency is to take one or two traits that bother me about someone and then make sweeping generalizations that separate and divide and put us all into limited corners of labels and classifications.

I was reminded of this last week as I hosted a new attender dinner along with several members from the Meeting. We went around the table to share part of our faith journey to First Friends. Several in the group were raised Catholic and I shared my story of being raised as a fundamentalist Nazarene, attending a Baptist high school in Detroit. I shared that Baptists don’t believe Catholics are Christians. I was challenged by someone raised Baptist that she was not taught this. While I was taught this theology at my Baptist high school, I certainly should never say that all Baptists believe this. We are all complicated, full of contradictions, believe many things and one or two labels can never define us. I am a conservative, liberal, Christian, Quaker, mystic, woman, mother, wife, widow, sister, minister etc. Not one of these identifications can adequately describe me and yet I too often want to attach one or two words to put my friends and enemies into certain camps. It is so easy to define the world this way. But Jesus life and example shatters this separation apart and tells us that gender, class, status, religious upbringing mean nothing and that the path of joy, oneness with God and the idea of creating the kingdom of heaven here on earth is about loving each other beyond our labels and categories. My mother, during the last month of her life at 95 years old shared some wonderful advice to me. She said, "I am more interested in loving a person for who they are and forgiving them for who they are not.” May our eyes see the Divine in each person we encounter this week, and may we offer grace, love and forgiveness.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

First Friends day out at the Indians game! It was a little warm but we all had a lot of fun! We had 55 people join us for our day at the ballpark. (Thanks to Kathy R for the photos!)

Ruth K has an exhibit of her photography currently displayed at the Hatch at 6161 N Hillside Ave, Indianapolis. The hours are 9:00- 5:00 Monday-Friday. http://www.thehatchcreates.com. Congratulations, Ruth!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

As Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) looks toward the 2019 legislative session at the Indiana Statehouse, we face several changes and challenges.

Bill Chapman, IFCL clerk since 2015 and lobbyist for the 2017-2018 sessions, has decided it is time for him to leave IFCL. Bill has been a positive and persuasive voice for faith-based groups in general and IFCL specifically as he has worked with legislators in a bipartisan spirit to address issues that Quakers support. In addition to our IFCL group, lawmakers and other lobbyists have appreciated Bill’s passionate effort to promote legislation that benefits all Hoosiers. We thank him.

At IFCL’s August meeting, members approved Diana Hadley as clerk and Phil Goodchild as recording clerk for the next two-year period.

The coming legislative session is a revenue session. Myriad draft bills will be offered and debated at the Statehouse, presenting great opportunity for input on issues of concern to Quakers and other people of faith. Now more than ever, IFCL needs the involvement of Spirit-led people in its efforts to help shape responsible decisions by our state government. We invite your participation, at whatever level you feel called.

As IFCL identifies and researches issues of particular focus for the 2019 legislative session, please note the meeting dates below. Meetings are open to all and will be at First Friends Indianapolis:

Sept 15: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Oct. 6: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Nov. 3: Policy Committee, Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) 9:00 a.m.; Quaker Connections/Fundraising, 10:00 a.m.

Dec. 1: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Feel welcome to contact Diana Hadley (Dhadley@franklincollege.edu), Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) or Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) with questions or suggestions regarding IFCL initiatives. Thank you.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

2018 Labor of Love in Meditational Woods ~ Last year in response to the atrocities that took place in Charlottesville we invited you to a peaceful gathering of neighbors and Friends in our Meditational Woods. Again this year, on Sunday September 2 at 10:15am in Meditational Woods, we will gather in solidarity with our faith community and nation to express our desire for peace, equality, unity and love. Our special meeting for worship in the woods will include a message from guest speaker, Jesse Brown, Dean of Students at Taylor University and guide and student of Civil Rights history. Also, a special time of waiting worship in the manner of Friends will be offered allowing participants to speak out of the silence to these continued difficult times. Finally, we will close with a sending hand-in-hand around our peace pole.

Jesse Brown is the husband of Hope and father of Grace, Isaac, Eden and Cana Brown. Originally from Akron, Ohio, Jesse graduated from Valley Forge Christian College in 1997 and Eastern College in 1999. After he and Hope married in the summer of 1999, they moved to Huntington, Indiana where Jesse served as a member of the student development office of Huntington College. After eighteen years at Huntington, Jesse moved to Upland, Indiana where he currently serves as the Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator at Taylor University. Jesse is currently working on a PhD from Indiana State University. His dissertation is exploring critical consciousness of white students attending a Christian college. For recreation, Jesse enjoys poetry, working outside in the yard, hobby farming, following Cleveland sports and running.

Please note that in observance of Labor Day, the Meetinghouse office will be closed on Monday, September 3rd. Also, there will be no Monday Meditational Worship that day. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday!

Sunday School Kick-Off! Our Sunday School kick off will be on September 9th. We will start the morning with breakfast for everyone in fellowship hall at 8:30. We encourage everyone to come in their pajama's! Our classes will begin at 9:00 a.m. Keep an eye out for more details on this fall’s class offerings!

Planting Late Crops; Closing Down the Garden; Composting

In preparation for the end of the growing season, Garden Committee articles in recent Friend to Friend issues include herb drying, storing excess root crops, disposing of spent crops, planting late crops, planting cover crops to overwinter and making homemade cloches. To refer back look under the attenders section on indyfriends.org.

Late Planting

Last week’s suggested cold weather crops included microgreens, Swiss chard, and hearty salad leaves. More specific suggestions include upland cress, cornsalad, spinach and leaf lettuce. It is not too late to plant radishes, asparagus and rhubarb. The latter two are perennial crops and require extra attention to detail if plants are to become established and live 10 to 20 years.

Indianapolis’ average fall frost date is between October 16 and 25. The chance of frost on the average first frost date is 50%. The likelihood of a 32° F (0° C) temperature is only 10% two weeks prior to the average frost date. [Purdue Extension Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar. www.hort.purdue.edu/ext]

Cover Crops

A method to improve soil is to plant cover crops from mid-August to mid-September. Living roots build organic matter, supress weeds and create biomass. Oats will provide mulch and nutrients. Cover crops grow until cold weather comes when winter may kill them. If not, cut growth at the soil line or till the vegetation into the soil. Till or spade the earth before scattering seed, then lightly rake and leave the mixture on top. Protect the area from wind and rain by applying loose straw.

No-till gardeners can plant vegetables in the spring and leave the cover crop. Example cover crops include oats, rye, hairy vetch, clover and buckwheat. Gardeners can obtain up to five free packages of oats at the Indianapolis Public Library Reference Desk, Glendale branch. One package covers 100 square feet.

Our Compost Bin

Please put chopped up spent crops in our compost bin. This speeds decomposition. Crops should be disease-free. Shredded leaves, tea bags, eggshells and coffee grounds may be added. String trimmer or lawn mowers set for mulching can be used to chop. Put unsuitable vegetation, including weeds, in the blue trash bin or in the brush pile east of the water tank. Our garden policy rejects the use of animal manure due to its strong connection to pathogens. The compost should be turned once a week for it to be spreadable and it must register over 130° F for a minimum of five days to kill pathogens. We will use our compost in the spring. A Community Garden work day will be announced soon.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org if anyone is missing from this list of undergrad students: Ellie A, Sullivan B, Helen C, Molly C, Alex H, Will M, Eli S, and Scott S.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month: August
American Goldfinch – Seasonal Garb-changer

In the Methodist Church of my youth, I saw the color of each season in the stoles worn by the ministers during worship, and also in cloths both on the altar and suspended from the pulpit. Purple, green, and red clued the worshipper as to the season (Advent, Lent, etc.) or a particular Sunday in that season. We Quakers, while anticipating the holidays, do not depend quite so much on visual cues within our meeting house. Besides, we have American Goldfinches in our Meditational Woods and our garden to remind us of the change of the seasons.

I have shown this male goldfinch in breeding plumage. This species is one of the last to nest and raise a brood of young here. Now that nesting is over, and the young are out of the nest, more goldfinches are present. The observer will notice, in the next month, that the male will undergo a drastic change in color. He will lose the black forehead, and the almost-solid black wing color will become less solid. Some yellow will remain on his head, but the rest will change to brownish gray and tan. The female, which lacks the black forehead, and is yellowish on the face and front during breeding, now goes to brownish and gray. Some people do not realize that it is the same species and present year-round.

So there are four seasons to view: summer breeding, fall molting, winter drab, and spring molting. Then it starts over again. Don’t forget to listen, too. As you surprise goldfinches in the garden or near the entrance to the woods, they will sing, “Purr-chickory, purr-chickory, sweeeeeeet, purr-chickory.”

~Brad J

School Supplies Donations Needed ~ John Strange Elementary School (on 62nd St) is looking for assistance with certain school supplies for its teachers. The items needed are: 1) Ticonderoga pencils, 2) disinfectant wipes, 3) hand sanitizer and 4) Kleenex. Donations can be made in Fellowship Hall in the box on the stage. Thank you.

Comment

Friend to Friend August 22, 2018

August 22, 2018

As Way Opens

On my day off a couple weeks ago, I took my car into the dealership for an oil change and a needed headlight repair. After about an hour wait, the service technician asked me to come back to his tiny office. He proceeded to share with me the “bad news” that they were needing to do about $2400 worth of additional work to my car. After I picked my jaw off the ground, I began asking some questions. I immediately called my wife, and we decided not to have the work done and proceed to another mechanic that could give us a second opinion.

This week, I was able to have my car inspected by another mechanic. Interestingly enough, they found NOTHING wrong with my car (except the headlight I needed repaired). Immediately, I was saddened by the lack of integrity of the dealership in trying to have me do so much unnecessary work.

This prompted me to spend some time reflecting on the Quaker S.P.I.C.E. of Integrity. It seems our current condition in the United States has us surrounded on all sides by issues of vacillating integrity - from church scandals and blatant prejudice to so many disgraced reputations. And with all the legal issues and topics coming to the surface in politics (no matter our party loyalty) it should have us crying out for a resurgence of integrity.

Our condition should also have us returning to some important queries: What is truth? What is honesty? What is moral? What is sincere? What is ethical? Finally, asking ourselves, “Where has integrity gone?”

The Quaker testimony of Integrity asks us to aspire to personal wholeness, honesty and truthful living. Integrity means completeness or one-ness, and implies a commitment to truth-telling. Integrity nourishes our trust in one another, allowing us to rely on one another and others to rely on us. It means engaging with each other openly and honestly. (earlham.edu)

I believe our Quaker faith is a key to helping heal and address our present world. But before we try and fix governments, religious institutions, car dealerships, or any other person or group, we must first start by asking ourselves what we aspire and are committed to and then engaging our world through truthful and honest living. Just as in Quaker history, when we live out this integrity it affords us greater opportunities to be heard and make a change. Let’s work on bringing that needed resurgence of integrity to our desperate world.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Let’s pass on our thanks to our food pantry volunteers! Christie M; Ray G; Beth F; Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Carol and Jim D. Very busy...we served 104 families. Thank you, volunteers!

Special Thanks go out to the faithful Friends who greet you each Sunday before meeting: Janice H, Janis C, and Amy P. Anyone else interested in serving as a greeter? Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

As Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) looks toward the 2019 legislative session at the Indiana Statehouse, we face several changes and challenges.

At IFCL’s August meeting, members approved Diana Hadley as clerk and Phil Goodchild as recording clerk for the next two-year period.

As IFCL identifies and researches issues of particular focus for the 2019 legislative session, please note the meeting dates below. Meetings are open to all and will be at First Friends Indianapolis:

Sept 15: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Oct. 6: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Nov. 3: Policy Committee, Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) 9:00 a.m.; Quaker Connections/Fundraising, 10:00 a.m.

Dec. 1: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Come Help the CE Committee Get Ready for Fall ~ The Christian Education Committee will be meeting for cleanup this Sunday August 26th after Meeting for Worship. We will be cleaning the classrooms and the resource rooms as we prepare for Sunday School and Affirmation kickoffs in the Fall! Everyone who is interested is invited to come help. Thank you!

The tablet from our Library has recently gone missing. This tablet is for library use only and is not meant to be removed from the premises. If you have it or otherwise know where it is, please help us get it back to its home in the library. Thank you.

Indianapolis Medicare for All (HCHP) Chapter Launch! HCHP is a Medicare for All single-payer advocacy group with an affiliation with Physicians for a National Health Program and alliance with all of our friends doing wonderful Medicare for All advocacy across the country. Want to learn more about Medicare for All? Want to connect with like-minded people in our community who want to make single-payer healthcare a reality? Then please join us and help launch an Indianapolis chapter of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan! It will be held Thursday, August 23 at 6:30pm in the Parlor. Our agenda for the evening will include a showing of the film Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point, followed by a discussion led by local physician and Medicare for All advocate AJ Sinha, MD. Please join us!

Join our Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading book group for August’s pick ~ American Heart by Laura Moriarty. The discussion will be led by Cindy C. If you are interested in being on the Oak Leaf email list or would like the book list, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org. Oak Leaf meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parlor at 7 pm, everyone is welcome.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org if anyone is missing from this list of undergrad students: Ellie A, Sullivan B, Helen C, Molly C, Alex H, Will M, Eli S, and Scott S.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month: August
American Goldfinch – Seasonal Garb-changer

~Brad J

From Butterflies to Cold Weather Crops
Garden Committee Update

A striking medley of zinnias decorate many raised beds in the Community Garden. Butterflies are flitting from one flower to the next, making difficult decisions about where to dance next. Delicious nectar and oh, so many colors beckon!

Some crops have passed their prime and need to be pulled. They can be chopped up for easier decomposition and put in the compost bin. (FYI, the compost should be turned a couple times a week so that the outside matter is transferred to the inside and vice-versa.) The last newsletter discussed drying surplus herbs. Excess root crops can be stored in a frost-free garage or dry basement. Although fruiting crops need plenty of water, at some point stop watering to encourage ripening the last fruit of the season. One example would be those little green tomatoes that need to hurry up before the frost hits.

After disposing of spent crops, make use of the resulting bare patches. A few cool weather vegetables are candidates for late planting. After all, planting dates are a little elasticized since weather is so predictable (NOT)! Try planting Swiss chard. It can be harvested throughout the winter. Quick-growing microgreens and hardy salad leaves are safe bets. They may be covered with cloches once the weather gets cold if the gardener wants to lengthen the growing season even more. A homemade cloche can be made from a translucent plastic jug with the bottom cut off and the lid closed. The cap can be removed to vent. Anchor the jug with a flat rock or splay the jug’s bottom by cutting and then pile rocks on the flat parts so the wind does not blow away the cloche.

Another option is to fill the void in your plot by planting cover crops to restore nutrients to the soil. We have used white clover successfully. The bee pollinators love the clover! Hairy vetch is another excellent cover crop for our area. These crops need a little time to grow and sink their roots into the soil before it gets cold. Then they are left to overwinter and feed the earth. Next spring you will have richer soil compliments of Mother Nature.

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday September 8th, 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Amanda & Micah C. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Service Appreciation Dinner ~ Please reserve Sunday, September 23, 5:30 – 8:30 pm for a dinner at First Friends to show appreciation to a few members of First Friends for their service and dedication to our Meeting over the years. This year we will show appreciation for the service of Judy and Clarence D, Tom F, Bev and Dan H, Barbara O, Dan R, and Gary W. Look for a sign-up sheet in the corner of the hall to RSVP. There is no charge for the dinner. This is one that you don’t want to miss so mark your calendar today!

Coming Soon – Small Groups! Last Fall over 40 First Friends attenders and members gathered over several weeks at different times and locations to explore a book study and hold space for sharing parts of our spiritual autobiographies. It was a deeply enriching for those that were able to join! Be sure to mark your calendars for our next session of Spiritual Growth Small Groups which will be starting the week of October 15th and run through the week of Thanksgiving. We hope you will join us!

Seasoned Friends Notice: Date Change ~ Please note, the date for the fall Seasoned Friends’ weenie roast at the Beem House is being rescheduled for Wednesday, October 24. Please mark your calendars accordingly. Be on the lookout later for more details as we get closer!

Comment

Friend to Friend August 15, 2018

August 20, 2018

As Way Opens

I have struggled with writing this message today as I am feeling emotional exhaustion from the many activities, deaths, difficult relationships that I have experienced the last few months. There have been joyous moments throughout this time, but I find myself not spending enough time reading, not spending enough time in stillness and meditation, not walking and taking in creation, not eating healthy and not taking care of myself enough. I went back and looked at my final essay from a class I took on Spiritual Formation and Personal Practices back in 2016 at Earlham School of Religion. We were required to set up a "Rule of Life" to help us deepen our spiritual centeredness and experience God each day. My rule included writing in a journal, going to yoga, getting a new bike and riding on the Monon Trail regularly, engaging more in unprogrammed worship gatherings, going on spiritual retreats every quarter, and taking more vacations and maybe even travel by myself on a vacation. I have not sustained these goals and I see that I have allowed my busyness, my sense of responsibility, my planning, my thinking about the future to take over my heart and mind. There have been intense and spiritually high moments during the last few months, but I am not stepping into daily activities that bring me into daily communion and awe of God’s presence. Maybe some of you understand this feeling. Today, my daily devotional of the writings of the Sufi Mystic Rumi spoke to me:

As everything changes overnight, I praise the breaking of promises.

Whatever love wants, it gets, not next year, now;

I swear by the one who never says tomorrow, as the cycle of the moon never agrees to sell installments of light.

It gives all it has.

How do stories end? Who shall explain them?

Every story is us. That is who we are, from the beginning to no-matter-how-it-comes-out.

Those who know the taste of a meal are those who sit at the table and eat.

Lover and friend are one being, and separate beings too, as the polisher melts in the mirror’s face.

I offer this reflection to those that have felt or feel this sense of exhaustion and disconnectedness from daily practices of spiritual wonder, of sitting down at the table and eating. I am committed to entering into the practices that bring me into a wholeness and immersion in God’s Light each and every day. I don’t want to focus on the “high moments” but want to feel this sacredness of every moment. Will you join me?

Beth

Joys & Concerns

This past Saturday our volunteers served at the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair! This is an important fundraiser for our youth. Many thanks to those who helped us out this year!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

As Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) looks toward the 2019 legislative session at the Indiana Statehouse, we face several changes and challenges.

At IFCL’s August meeting, members approved Diana Hadley as clerk and Phil Goodchild as recording clerk for the next two-year period.

As IFCL identifies and researches issues of particular focus for the 2019 legislative session, please note the meeting dates below. Meetings are open to all and will be at First Friends Indianapolis:

Sept 15: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Oct. 6: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Nov. 3: Policy Committee, Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net) 9:00 a.m.; Quaker Connections/Fundraising, 10:00 a.m.

Dec. 1: Full IFCL Committee Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Mark your Calendars! Quaker Affirmation is coming up this Fall. Affirmation will run 11:00am – 1:00pm, starting on Sunday September 16, then run every second Sunday through April before wrapping up on May 5.

Seasoned Friends Notice: Date Change ~ Please note, the date for the fall Seasoned Friends’ weenie roast at the Beem House is being rescheduled for Wednesday, October 24. Please mark you calendars accordingly. Be on the lookout later for more details as we get closer!

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 Ale Emporium Fishers. It will be this Thursday, August 16th at 7pm. The address is 11501 Geist Pavilion Dr, Fishers, IN 46037. We hope to see you there!

Medicinal Plant Tour ~ Three members of First Friends interested in plants are planning to go on one of the medicinal plant tours at the Indiana Medical History Museum at 11 am on Saturday, August 18. If you’d like to join us, please meet us where the medicinal plant tours start at 11. The Museum is at 3045 West Vermont in the old Central State Hospital. The three members are Amy P, Norma W, and Terry T. Any questions, contact one of them.

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 join!

Giving Voices to Ghosts - Quakerspeisung Quaker Relief in Germany Post WWI and II
New Collection Page with Translations and Background

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 B, 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

Harvesting and Drying Herbs from the Community Garden, or the Market

Enjoy herbs year-round by drying them yourself. Keep ahead of your garden by drying excess herbs that will go to waste otherwise.

Harvesting and Keeping Herbs Producing

It is best to cut herbs in mid-morning after dew has dried. This preserves their flavor.

Perennial herbs (plants that do not need to be replanted each year) can be harvested whenever desired as long as they are well-established. Perennials include chives, lavender, parsley, thyme, marjoram, mint, bay, fennel, rosemary and sage. Harvest the leaves and shoots using scissors or a sharp knife. Clip regularly for a constant fresh growth. Pinching off tops of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, mint and sage will provide tender herbs and encourage the plants to bush out.

Annual herbs (plants that die after one season) can be harvested when the leaves are large enough. Annual herbs include basil, dill, parsley and cilantro. Snip a few leaves from each plant at any one time—not too many or growth will be slowed or the plant may die. Pinch off growing tips regularly to keep leafy herbs from flowering. Use the cut and come again technique to keep plants vibrant.

Parsley is a biennial herb. The plant only comes back after two gardening seasons. The first year it produces leaves. It goes to seed the second year and produces a flavorful taproot.

Readying Herbs for Drying

Remove any damaged foliage. Rinse off any dirt and shake off excess water. Pat dry. Spread herbs on paper or cloth towels until they are completely dry.

Quick Drying by Microwave

Microwaving herbs preserves aroma, texture, flavor and color. It removes moisture and bacteria and it is quick. Pick leaves off stems and spread evenly on a microwave-safe plate, no more than an inch deep. Cover with a dish towel or paper towel. Be sure the paper is not recycled or it may catch fire due to small metal particles that cause arcing. Microwave the herbs on high power. Set about a minute for hearty herbs and 30 seconds for delicate herbs. Thereafter, if herbs need more time, check after 15- second bursts. Do microwave different types of herbs separately since drying times may vary.

Air drying

Hanging herbs can look pretty in your kitchen. Cut, cluster and tie herb stems with twine and hang them upside down to dry in a warm, moisture-free, ventilated place. Smaller bundles dry faster. Also, bunches dry faster when placed in a paper bag tied or rubber-banded shut. Make holes for ventilation. Using this method, a bag of herbs may dry in about a week as opposed to weeks. Short-stemmed herbs such as thyme can be dried over 48 hours when laid out on wire racks. Low-moisture herbs like dill, oregano, marjoram, savory and rosemary dry well on racks. Tiny leaves will fall off stems once herbs have dried so they need not be removed prior to drying. Air drying is not recommended for heartier herbs.

Drying by Oven

Some hearty herbs contain more moisture and should not be air dried. These include basil, mint, chives, parsley, tarragon, chervil and cilantro. Use an oven or dehydrator. Pick leaves off stems and spread whole leaves or quarter-inch chopped herbs evenly on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for two to four hours. Set oven as low as possible, around 170 degrees F. Keep the oven door ajar so moisture can escape unless you have a gas oven. Drying time varies according to local climate and humidity. Also, different types of herbs will dry at different rates. Let herbs cool before storing so moisture can escape and there is less chance of mold forming. Herbs are dry when leaves crumble easily.

Storing Dried Herbs

After drying, store herbs in the dark in air-tight containers. Metal tea containers, freezer bags and glass jars work perfectly. Storing whole leaves and grinding them with a simple mortar and pestle just before use retains flavor. Dried herbs last about a year before starting to deteriorate. By then your garden is producing again and you can dry fresh herb batches to keep your food tasty until the next growing season.

-Nancy

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.

Comment

Friend to Friend August 8, 2018

August 9, 2018

As Way Opens

This coming week marks one year since the Charlottesville Riots, where white nationalists clashed with counter protesters, and a man linked to a white-supremacist group rammed his car into a crowd killing one person and injuring nineteen. Since that event, we have seen an escalation in racial unrest in America and the rise of societal fear, anxious hostility, oppressive bullying, and a return to our historically racist past.

That event and the subsequent events of this past year have had me re-examining our distinctives as Quakers to seek direction on how to respond. As people who utilize a Faith and Practice as a guide to inform our action, we state under the subtitle Prejudice (one of the Concerns for Equality) the following:

The methods by which justice for all races may be secured are primarily spiritual. Their success will be measured by the depth of the divine concern that is the spring of all effective effort. Racial prejudice or a feeling of racial superiority tends to invalidate all attempts to secure justice in interracial relations. It is the concern of Friends that all people who are victims of prejudice or oppression may share with the most-favored the heritage of justice, freedom, and brotherly love which is their right. For God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” (Acts 17:26). Friends believe that any racial discrimination is essentially a violation of God’s law of love, whether by legal enactment or by inequitable practices which interfere with democratic liberties or cultural or economic development. To dwell together in friendly relations on a basis of mutual respect, courtesy, and understanding works toward the fulfillment of this law of love. (Faith and Practice of Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church)

I think you would agree that what is happening in our country continues to be a violation of God’s law of love and demands a response for the sake of ALL people.

On numerous occasions, history has chosen Quakers to rise up and be that voice and respond. The call is being heralded once again. The questions are, Will we respond or choose not to notice? and Will we stand for what we say we as Friends believe? In her book, Perseverance, Margaret J. Wheatley speaks about those that history has chosen. She points out…

In every case, they saw an injustice or tragedy or possibility when others weren’t aware of a thing. They heard a thundering call that nobody else noticed. They summon us to pay attention while others stay oblivious. They prompt us to act while others stay asleep. They offer us dreams of bold new features that others will never see. We are both blessed and cursed when history chooses us. But once chosen, we can’t not do it.

Friends, I believe history is choosing us again to bring awareness, to hear the call, to summon our world to pay attention, to act, and fulfill the law of love in our country. As Friends and people of God how will we respond to that call and live out our beliefs? My hope is that it will begin with working for mutual respect, courtesy, and a desire to understand for the sake of peace. May God grant us the grace to know how best to respond in our individual situations.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to our food pantry volunteers! Kathy and Bill F, Dan H, Christie M, Linda L, Carol and Jim D. We served 107 families...extremely busy. A special thank you to Bill F for his additional help in picking up food each week from the Midwest Food Bank and taking it to the pantry.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Seasoned Friends Notice: Date Change ~ Please note, the date for the fall Seasoned Friends’ weenie roast at the Beem House is being rescheduled for Wednesday, October 24. Please mark you calendars accordingly. Be on the lookout later for more details as we get closer!

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 Linda L if you have questions.

Poverty 101 Class ~ The Shalom Zone is pleased to be hosting Tim Streett and his Poverty 101 course at First Friends on Monday evenings at 7 pm beginning on September 10. The course will run for 6 consecutive Monday evenings through October 15 and last approximately 90 minutes per session. Tim works for The Shepherd Center and has developed this course to help folks gain a better understanding of what poverty is really all about in contrast to what those, who have not lived in poverty, think it is all about. Tim has intentionally lived among those in poverty and has developed a unique understanding that he believes is helpful to those who take his course to be better equipped to help deal with poverty situations. Don’t worry if you cannot attend each week as Tim says there is powerful learning each week that you are able to attend. You can sign up for the course on the sheet in the corner of the hallway or by notifying the First Friends office. A donation of $20 is requested for the course and scholarships are available for anyone who would like one. Simply notify the First Friends office. All proceeds will go to the Shepherd Center.

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.

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/

Come Hear Jeff Rasley on The Toxic Polarization in US Politics and Culture ~ All are invited to hear a discussion on the toxic polarization of US politics presented by the Peace & Justice Center and Jeff Rasley! Rasley's talk and power point will describe the increasing polarization in US politics and culture and why it is harmful to democratic institutions and values. A question/answer discussion period will follow the presentation. The talk is free and open to the public. It will be held on Wednesday, August 15, 7:00-8:30pm at the Indiana Interchurch Center Krannert Hall, 1100 W. 42nd St, Indianapolis.

Fran’s article in Sojourners ~ Our own Fran Quigely had an article published in the current issue of Soujourners magazine:
“You’ve Got a Right to a Healthy Life.” Co-authored with Sr. Simone Campbell of NETWORK, the article discusses the faith community’s role in advocating for universal healthcare coverage. It is in the print issue and also available to read online with a paid subscription: https://sojo.net/magazine/august-2018/youve-got-right-healthy-life Fran says he very much appreciates the key role that First Friends Indianapolis is playing in the access to healthcare discussions here in our community.

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 Ale Emporium Fishers. It will be Thursday, August 16th at 7pm. The address is 11501 Geist Pavilion Dr, Fishers, IN 46037. We hope to see you there!

Garden Goes Greek; A Mediterranean Meal

Because Hoosier gardens, including our Community Garden, are bursting with fresh ripe tomatoes and cucumbers, it is time to prepare an authentic Greek salad. This traditional salad, horiatiki, has no greens or lettuce. It is incredibly easy to fix and results in a delectable and healthy meal. The time you save in the kitchen can be spent with friends and family.

Greeks eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Late dinners are a time to socialize and time is stretched as people linger a little, a little more and then a long time.

The Greeks have a knack for simple, quick preparation and beautiful presentation. Ingredients must be fresh. Traditional feta made from sheep and goats’ milk is the cheese of choice.

Basic ingredients for horiatiki salad (amounts and portions according to your taste) are:

· Black olives, preferably kalamata

· Crisp cucumbers

· NEVER refrigerated, full-size (not cherry) tomatoes

· Red onions

· Feta cheese, preferably triangular or rectangular slabs, not the usual American-style crumbled feta

· Dried oregano and/or fresh basil

· Flavorful extra virgin olive oil

[One can improvise or substitute, but this is authentic Greek.]

Cut the tomatoes in wedges making sure to retain the delicious juice. Slice cucumbers and halve the disks if you like. Slice onions into rings. (Run them under warm water if you want to tame them.) Add kalamata olives. Greeks serve with the pits. That custom aids in not rushing a meal and ensuring one is attentive to those who are gathered for the harvest repast.

Artfully arrange veggies on a plate (when plated we prefer slices to wedges) and drizzle olive oil over them or toss—ever so gently—in a bowl after the oil is added. Minimize tossing. Greeks are generous with the oil because they like swiping it up with sourdough or other crispy bread. Place a slice or two of creamy feta atop the salad and sprinkle everything with dried oregano. We love the complementary flavors of tomato and fresh basil so we garnish with basil for taste and color. Greeks often add a pinch of sea salt. Personally, we think the feta and olives eliminate the need for added salt.

Some Greeks add horizontally sliced green (not red or yellow for them) peppers. A splash of red wine vinegar or a little lemon juice is also acceptable, if not desirable.

A little secret is to wait a short time before serving so the tomato juices, onions and olive oil have time to mingle. Setting the plate in the sunshine for a few minutes will do the trick. Certainly do not refrigerate!

Next, enjoy your refreshing salad. Take your time and savor the blended ingredients. Appreciate the fresh Hoosier vegetables. Picture yourself on slow time during a pleasant island evening while eating outdoors at a table in a picturesque taverna (small Greek restaurant) with a delightful and cheerful company. Imagine hearing some Greek music and if you want, visualize some exciting Greek dancing. Perhaps it is even you dancing! Kali orexi/bon appétit/have a nice meal!

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

New Collection Page with Translations and Background

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

Comment

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.

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.

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

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

Comment

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.

Comment

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.

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!

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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