April 27th, 2016

April 27, 2016

As Way Opens

Dear Friends, Our Finance Committee asked if they could bring the Meeting Message this past Sunday, and I hope you’ll take time to read or listen to it. You’ll find it on our website at www.indyfriends.org It was a gifted message about a little boy, two fish, and five loaves of bread… a story you’ve probably heard before. But the message was nothing like anything you’ve heard. First Friends Meeting is blessed with an abundance of gifts, and gifted people. Many of us – most of us – consider First Friends our spiritual home. This is our Meeting, and we love it. It is God’s Meeting, a place where we have been drawn together by God’s Spirit, to gather in Meeting, to listen to God’s voice, and to move out into the world, carried by God’s Spirit into service. We hold tightly the testimony of integrity in the financial choices we make. How can we support the ministries and work of the Spirit that is First Friends Meeting? First of all, by being informed. Our Meeting serves our city and the world through the work of our staff, our building and grounds, the education, care, and ministries of its members and attenders, and the support of Quaker ministries worldwide. We welcome all who enter, and share the deep and lasting love of God with everyone, through the power of the Holy Spirit, as taught to us by Christ Jesus. We strive to live out a life of faith, based on our understanding of God’s call on our lives, lived out in the testimonies of Quakerism – simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. Most of all, we respect the importance of God’s voice, speaking uniquely to each one of us, personally and in community. Based on projections for this calendar year/budget year, we held our budget with no raises for personnel (the largest part of our Meeting expense) and with a decrease in hours for our Office Administrator position. As you can see, our funding is not where we hoped it would be. Aside from being informed, and making wise choices, how else can we support the spiritual work of First Friends Meeting? First of all, by giving thanks, as Christ did, for what we have. And then, by seeing what God will do with what we offer. How is God asking us to financially support First Friends? What part of our story is meaningful to you – to me? What portion of our blessed life can we consider sharing with the Meeting, in order that it might be a blessing to others? There are many ways we can and do give. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your continued giving. Thank you for beginning to give. Thank you for your care in this concern.

Considering the Quote: ‘As Christians, all we possess are the gifts of God. Now in distributing it to others we act as his steward, and it becomes our station to act agreeable to that divine wisdom which he graciously gives to his servants.’ John Woolman, 1763

Bill Keene is looking for a bedroom (and possible separate bath) to rent. He has been attending First Friends for about 7 years. If you or someone you know has a room to rent, please call him at 317255-4855 (ask for Bill @ Webster’s Sporting Goods between 8:30-10am Monday-Sat) or chat with him here on Sundays.

Please join us on Thursday April 28, 2016 at 7 p.m. for “Made In Indiana” an evening of music and storytelling with Phil Gulley, Scott Russell Sanders, Krista Detor and Tim Grimm at the Royal Theater in Danville, IN. A reception and book signing will follow the concert. The book signing sales will benefit the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation. For tickets please call (317) 370-9329 or (317) 386-3111, as well as by visiting www.royaltheaterdanville.info. The Royal Theater is located at 59 S. Washington Street, Danville, IN 46122.

Are you interested in saving honeybees? Did you know that bees pollinate 1/3 of nuts, fruits, and vegetables that we eat? Come join an information session about the importance of bees and how to be a beekeeper. You are invited to meet with local beekeeper, David Wheeler, in our parlor tomorrow night April 28th, 2016 at 7pm. David has offered to work with persons in the Meeting who would like to work with Bees, and the possibility of having a bee hive in our back garden plots here at First Friends. David is affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist garden at 64th and Oxford. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Scott at 317-523-5756.

United Society of Friends Women Quaker Men International Triennial Meetings July 7 – July 10 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Join together with Quakers from around the world for a time of worship, fellowship, study and joy. Ruthie Tippin will lead the Daily Bible Studies for USFWI, and Ron Bryan will lead the Daily Bible Studies for QMI. A number of international speakers will bring messages for the evening gatherings. Men and women will join together for Mission Workshops and Sunday Morning Meeting for Worship. Triennial Sessions begin with registration on Thursday, July 7, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. Triennial ends after lunch on Sunday, July 10. Conference registration costs $375 per person prior to May 14th ($400 after) and includes ten meals. Hotel costs $105/night. Register at www.usfwi.org Daily registrations are also available. Registrations are due by May 14, 2016, with a minimum deposit of 50% of total conference costs. No refunds after June 3rd.

Lena Brooks-Kelly and Ruth Kelly are hosting a Bridal shower for their sister/daughter, Amanda Brooks-Kelly, on Sunday, May 15 at 3:00pm at their home. If you would like attend, please rsvp to Ruth by May 9 at rgkelly4@att.net. Amanda and her fiancé, Zachary Weiss, will be married by their rabbi, Rabbi Skydell, in Connecticut on June 19. Lena BrooksKelly will be serving as Maid of Honor. The couple is registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Bloomingdale's.

Poetry Group will meet at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17 in the Parlor. Melora Cox will present a program on ‘Transformational Experiences in Poetry.’ This will be our last program until we resume meeting in September!

This year, we had a couple members from First Friends go to the FWCC trip to Peru who came back with wonderful ideas and plans on how to make First Friends eco-friendlier. They employed us with the task of completing two sustainable projects, and we have just completed the first one! Indianapolis First Friends is now provided with 100% Green Energy from Indianapolis Power and Light. This service is even available for your own residential home. To learn more about Green Energy go to https://www.iplpower.com/GreenPower/.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Name Chain ~ This game works well for groups of more than four people. Make a circle and create a rhythm with your hands by clapping and then patting your legs alternately over and over again. Keep the rhythm while one person starts by naming something found in nature. Without missing a beat, the next person says what the previous person said and adds something to it. Continue around the circle as many times as you can until someone forgets one of the things, loses the rhyme, or can’t think of anything to add. Now a person starts with a new word.

Comment

April 20th, 2016

April 20, 2016

As Way Opens
Watch for God

This morning as I was getting ready to come into Meeting, I saw a wristband from our Vacation Bible School program from last summer sitting in my drawer. The wristband said Watch for God. It reminded me of what Ruthie shared in her message last Sunday about God’s call to each of us. "Our singular lives, shared in community, become ‘God made real’ for us and for others. We see God in others, and we see God in ourselves, reflected in the lives of others”.

God became very real to me through so many different people in my community during the last 5 difficult days. One of those people is a woman named Precious that has been helping to care for Jerry in the last few months. Her mother certainly had the right name for her, as she makes God’s precious love real to people every single day. Her tender care delivered with an infectious laugh and a song for everyone can make a difficult time seem light and full of joy. The most unpleasant tasks are done with a smile and a gentle touch that speaks volumes. She shared with me on Monday that she had taken her children to Family Dollar the day before and a blind woman had soiled herself in the store and was very embarrassed. Precious took the woman and her children into the bathroom and helped her clean up and comforted her; that it was not a huge deal. Wow - what an example to the woman, the children, to me, of God’s love made real in the most tangible way possible.

Watch for God - God is at work all around us and through us.

Considering the Quote: ‘Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ Hebrews 4:16

Joys & Concerns

News has come that Jerry Henricks passed away in the evening of April 18th, peacefully. Beth was with him, he was surrounded with family, and with God’s loving presence. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, May 1st, at 4:00 pm here at First Friends with a reception to follow. Please lift Beth, Greg, Jerry’s family and all who’ve loved him into God’s loving Light, especially in these coming days.

A big Thank You to Larry Coffman for donating and planting two apple trees and one peach tree. Happy Earth Day!

Becki Heusel recently had oral surgery and has been healing nicely. Please keep in your thoughts and prayers her continued recovery towards health and positivity.

With only a day apart from each other, both Japan and Ecuador had severe and devastating earthquakes. It is important for us to remember the people of both nations and lift them up during this time. Let us pray for one another and the thousands of people affected both directly and indirectly.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Sunday, April 24th, Jed Kay from our Finance Committee will give the message about generosity and giving of our resources to each other for our mutual support. We will talk about the ways we can support each other at First Friends through many ways: financial, prayer, time, tangible care for our needs etc. In this spirit, we will have a Meeting pitch in next Sunday where we all bring a dish to share with each other. Please mark your calendars.

Join us this Sunday, April 24th for a ‘Loaves and Fishes Pitch-In’ just after Meeting for Worship, sponsored by our Finance Committee. Share your favorite recipe. Bring any thing you’d like to share – soup, salad, casserole, breads, veggies, dessert… it’s pot luck! Tableware and beverages will be provided. Join us for fun, food, and fellowship. A free-will offering will be taken to support the ongoing budget of First Friends Meeting.

Celebrate Earth Day on Saturday April 23 from 9AM- 12 Noon in the First Friends Meditational Woods! We are helping keep our beautiful Woods healthy by removing invasive species in the southeast corner of the Woods. You can also learn about the beautiful blooming trees and flowers on our property! Please bring work gloves and wear a long sleeve shirt, as there may be poison ivy in some areas. If we have enough volunteers, others can weed the Peace Pole flower beds and the Butterfly Garden. Stay for an hour or for the morning; any assistance is most welcome. Your Woods Co-Chairs are Mindy Sommer and Mary Blackburn.

Interested in membership? Want to know how First Friends is organized? Join Ruthie this Sunday at 9:00 in the Parlor. Whether you’d like to become a member now, or are considering joining in the future, you are welcome to come and learn more about First Friends. Those who attend will receive a booklet. All are welcome!

The Meeting of Central and West Central areas will be held this Sunday, April 24, from 3-5 pm at Valley Mills Friends. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please also bring a dish to share for the pitch-in afterward. We will convene in the worship room promptly at 3:00 so that we can complete our business in a timely manner. With the business ahead of us, we encourage the participation of all. If you need a ride, please contact Ruthie!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading will be held Tuesday, April 26th. Deb Hejl will be facilitating the discussion for Song of Myself; which is the first twelve poems in Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. There will be an early dinner at 6 pm, please feel free to text Deb at 502-0476 with the item you wish to bring: either a simple salad or dessert. Looking ahead for next month’s book: Still Alice by Lisa Genova led by Ruth Kelly on May 31st.

Dear First Friends,
As of the end of last month, the decision has been made to dissolve USFW at First Friends. It was not a decision taken lightly by myself or the board. However, due to lack of interest in the program from inside and outside the Meeting, we decided that it was no longer relevant to our Meeting in its current form. There are other ways now that the women of the Meeting work together as needed to share interests, plan & help with Meeting activities. I have enjoyed being president of USFW and I will continue our bonds of friendship that I have made with the women in our Meeting.
Sincerely,
Jody Long
USFW Board President
P.S Don't worry! The Christmas Tea will still happen!

Western Yearly Meeting USFW Spring Conference, Tuesday, April 26th at Fairfield Friends Meeting
10441 East County Road 700 South, Camby, IN 46113
9:30 Coffee and Registration ~ 10:00 Meeting
Pastor Jamie Lyon will present his experiences from his recent sabbatical. During this time, Jamie combined meditation, prayer, travel to all 92 counties in Indiana and artistic study that culminated in painting and producing works in the style of Hoosier artist, Theodore Clement Steele. He will combine narrative with some of his paintings. A soup and salad lunch will be provided for $8.00 per person. Pastor Ruthie will attend and is happy to take people with her. Please RSVP to Lynn Durocher at LDØ91449@yahoo.com or 317-888-7242.

Lena Brooks-Kelly and Ruth Kelly are hosting a Bridal shower for their sister/daughter, Amanda Brooks-Kelly, on Sunday, May 15 at 3:00pm at their home. If you would like attend, please rsvp to Ruth by May 9 at rgkelly4@att.net. Amanda and her fiancé, Zachary Weiss, will be married by their rabbi, Rabbi Skydell, in Connecticut on June 19. Lena Brooks-Kelly will be serving as Maid of Honor. The couple is registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Bloomingdale's.

Service Appreciation Dinner~ All are invited to share memories and stories about several of our treasured members who have admirably served First Friends over the years. Please reserve Sunday, May-22, 5:30-8:30, for this exciting free dinner and program. This year’s invitees include Carolyn Hiatt and Ray Guest, Linda Lee and Ed Morris, Shirley Earl, Marshall Gibson, Bob Hadley and Peg Brummit, Bonnie Hollingsworth, Nancy Pennington, and Deb and Jim Hejl. You need to sign up to attend. See the sign-up sheet on the table in the hallway or call the office for your reservations 317-255-2485.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Colors of the Rainbow~ What are the colors of the rainbow? Try to find something around you that matches each of the rainbow colors. This can also be played by having someone call our a color and seeing who can find something from outdoors in that color first!
From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Comment

March 9th, 2016

March 14, 2016

As Way Opens

I have been looking at the pictures of Bob Davis, Duffy, Ed Thomas, Jerry’s sister and Catherine Swanson’s father every day for the past week on our Remembrance Banner. I think about these people and so many others that we have lost and how these folks have affected my life, your life and how many of them have helped shape our faith community here at First Friends. The loss of Bob and Duffy have been really hard on me personally this past year as these 2 men that were so different touched my heart, my mind and my spirit in a special way and they lived out their faith each day in big and small ways. As time passes in our loss, we realize that the impact of a person on our life is based on how they made us feel while they were here. Maya Angelou says " I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
The people I miss the most begin to fade a bit in my memory when I try to recall their words or details around something they did. But I never forget the feeling.
I think this is the basis of Jesus ministry and the new covenant that he declares. While it is helpful to memorize scripture and create discipline in our lives by observant practices, what makes us feel alive, what makes us joyful, what brings us into the arms of God is the experience. Jesus tells us to come and taste God and see that it is good. Early Quakers got this right as they recognized the power and the feeling of the Inward Teacher.
I appreciated the service on Sunday to collectively remember our beloved ones we have lost. I was told that during the lighting of the candles there were two birds sitting in a nest together beak to beak. Two birds being alive, bringing new life forward and sharing the experience together. A reminder outside of our window of the power of the resurrection.

Considering the Query: We do not own the world, and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will. Show a loving consideration for all creatures, and seek to maintain the beauty and variety of the world. Work to ensure that our increasing power over nature is used responsibly, with reverence for life. Rejoice in the splendor of God’s continuing creation. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns

Remember, Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 am!! This means that we “spring forward” in time as we anticipate the wonderful weather to come with it.

Amy Perry had successful surgery this past Tuesday morning. Amy is doing well, and was moved into a regular hospital room for recovery. If you’d like to send Amy a card please write her at 106 Chippenham LN, Fishers, IN 46038.

Bill Heitman is recovering nicely from his emergency surgery a couple weeks ago. He is full speed ahead already diving in MG&P meetings. If you’d like to continue to hold him in the Light, please send him a card at his new address 115 E. 28th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205.

There was a set of keys found outside the North Entrance (by the preschool) on Monday. The coop has asked all of their parents, and it does not belong to any of them. If it belongs to you, please stop by the office to claim them.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Scout Sunday, will be celebrated this Sunday, March 13th. We will have a fellowship hour sponsored by Christian Education with some popcorn and cookies. We invite our Scouts to wear their uniforms on Sunday Morning.
During Fellowship Hour, Beth Henricks will be selling chocolate bars, hot cocoa, olive oil, and coffee to raise money for our Youth Group activities. They are so delicious!

Kelly Kellum, former Clerk of Friends United Meeting, will be hosting a gathering of Friends on Sunday, March 13th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at First Friends Meeting. Friends from across Indiana will be gathering to discuss the good work of FUM and how we can all better partner together and support our shared work both here in North America and around the globe. Part of the gathering will focus on Energize, Equip and Connect: The FUM Campaign. We are in the midst of a three-year $3,000,000 effort to strengthen FUM’s sustainability and enable us to launch several new initiatives, including many aimed at revitalizing our work and witness in North America. Please RSVP at info@fum.org. There will be refreshments and great fellowship for all. We hope to see you there!

Mid-North Food Pantry Garden Shower and Open House~ Celebrate Spring and grow with us at Mid-North Food Pantry’s Garden Shower! It will be on Sunday, March 13th, at 12:15 at the Pantry (3333 N. Meridian St). Take a tour of the pantry, feast on some healthy treats, and check out our plans for growing the garden space this year. With your help, this year we will expand production with 2 new raised beds and install flat soaker hoses to minimize water waste and labor hours. We’d love to receive gifts of garden soil or monetary gifts for the purchase of tomato, pepper plants, and other supplies. For more information about the garden and a detailed supply wishlist, please see www.midnorthfoodpantry.org/about/garden

YFYF Youth Group Meets Sunday, March 13th after Worship. Lunch will be provided per usual. Get ready for good discussions, and good fellowship!

Lenten Nourishment: Have you seen the weekly blog entry on our First Friends website? It’s an invitation to reflect daily on your relationship with yourself and God. Persons from the Meeting are being interviewed, as well, about spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. Check it out at: http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/
This Friday ~ Walking with Kathy Rhyne at the Monon Community Center in Carmel at 9:30 am This Sunday ~ Evening Meditation Group has been suspended because of Bill Heitman’s recovery

Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - Please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics: March 13th - Daud and several young people from his mosque will be leading the class about the Muslim faith for our understanding March 20th - Maltie Maraj (Larry and Krishan Coffman’s wife/mother) will share with us about her Hindu faith March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians April 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

FCNL priority setting next Sunday during Fellowship after Worship. Grab a drink and something to eat after worship next Sunday and come to the parlor to discuss what legislative priorities we would like for Friends Committee on National Legislation to focus on during the next Congress. FCNL seeks the input from all Quaker Meetings and Churches to compile its list of priorities to work on with Congress. We have attached the list of priorities we submitted 2 years ago (this process occurs every 2 years) and will be discerning together what is the list we want to submit this year. We will need to present our list to Monthly Meeting for Business on March 21st. We welcome your input and encourage you to join us in the parlor after you get your fellowship treats.

FCNL ADVOCACY MEETINGS The FCNL Advocacy Team will meet at First Friends at 10 am. on Saturday, March 12th and again at 1 pm. on Sunday, March 20th. Anyone interested in being an advocate for FCNL is invited to attend. What can we do to restore our democracy? When the Congressional Management Foundation surveyed hundreds of Congressional staff members, they found that in-person meetings with your members of Congress are the most effective way to influence policy decisions. Be the change Congress needs!

Meet Margery Abbott! Tuesday, March 15th at Fairfield Friends in the ‘Quaker Spirituality’ discussion group led by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM - Fairfield Friends Meeting March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

You’ll find a purple basket has been placed outside of the Meeting Room for Easter Candy donations. We are looking to fill many eggs for our annual Easter Egg hunt for the children. Easter is very early this year, and falls on March 27th, 2016. We thank you in advance for your donation.

Do you have shoes or others types of footwear that you no longer wear? If so, please drop them in the Changing Footprints container at the Donation Station in Fellowship Hall. All types are needed, including tennis shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, sandals, flip flops, boots, slippers, and sports cleats. Last year 17,500 pairs of shoes were distributed, with most given to local nonprofit organizations; the remainder were provided to other countries. If we can increase the supply of shoes, we can distribute even more this year. Thanks for your past contributions!

Eco-Film Coming Up! Friday, March 11 – “Racing Extinction” In “Racing Extinction”, a team of artists and activists exposes the hidden world of extinction with neverbefore-seen images that will change the way we see the planet. Two worlds drive extinction across the globe, potentially resulting in the loss of half of all species. The international wildlife trade creates bogus markets at the expense of creatures that have survived on this planet for millions of years. And the other surrounds us, hiding in plain sight — a world that the oil and gas companies don’t want the rest of us to see. Using covert tactics and state-of-the-art technology, the Racing Extinction team exposes these two worlds in an inspiring affirmation to preserve life as we know it. From the Academy Award® Winning Filmmakers of "The Cove.” Extinction is a race we can’t afford to lose. (90 min., 2015) http://racingextinction.com/the-film/ The Eco-Film Series runs every first Friday of every month, 7p.m. at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church (5933 E. 79th Street). Each film is free of charge, although free-will offerings will be accepted to help defray costs.

Poetry Group!! Jim Winters will present a program on the life and works of Carl Sandburg in the Parlor at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15. His previous 2 programs have been highlights of the year!

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 8th-April 10th. This year’s retreat will be led by Scott Wagoner, who is the founder and director of “Growing Edge Resources”. Scott has been a pastor for over twenty-five years. He is a graduate from Taylor University, and got his Masters of Divinity from Earlham. He will be speaking at Spring Retreat and Western Yearly Meeting sessions. This year’s retreat is focused on expanding the vision of discipleship. Please contact either the office or WYM PME Director Della Stanley-Green (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is March 15th.

Veterans For Peace~ Our friends with the Islamic Society of North America are hosting an open house on Saturday, March 19, 11:00-2:00. What a great opportunity to compare real people who are a part of our community with the stereotypes being painted by our politicians and others who have never met a Muslim! We in Veterans For Peace can attest to the admirable character and warm friendliness we have experienced with friends and fellow citizens among Muslims in local communities with whom we have worked. Come and see this for yourself! And invite others in your networks.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Tracks~ Tracks are the impression made by an animal’s feet in the ground. Look around you and see how many tracks of different animals you can find. Can you see any human tracks? What about bird tracks? In addition to looking for tracks, see what other ways you can determine that an animal has been there. Are there any stray feathers, nibbled leaves, or droppings on the ground? From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Comment

March 2nd, 2016

March 3, 2016

As Way Opens

I am taking a New Testament class this semester through the Earlham School of Religion as part of my pursuit of a Masters in Divinity. We have been studying Paul for the last 5 weeks and a fascinating portrait has been shown of the complicated man who has undoubtedly had the most influence on Christianity beyond Jesus himself. Early Christianity was viewed as just another sect of Judaism so it was significant that Paul felt called to reach the Gentiles. He established a number of assemblies and we have 8 letters that scholars absolutely believe he wrote (or they were composite letters). One of these letters included in the New Testament is Philemon. I have to say that I have never read Philemon before. It is a short book of the Bible with only 25 verses (I encourage everyone to pull out their Bible tonight and read this). Our Day of Remembrance banner has a quote from the 4th verse “When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God….” What I didn’t know was this verse was part of a reference to his dear friend Philemon who was holding one of these new assemblies in his home and Paul is thanking God because he hears of Philemon’s love for all of the saints.
The reason for the letter was an emotional appeal to Philemon to release his slave Onesimus who has become a follower of Christ and of great help to Paul while he was imprisoned (Onesimus has likely run away from Philemon’s household). Paul makes a profound statement regarding slavery by saying in verse 8 “though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love”. This verse seems to say that freeing the slave was a duty as a follower of Christ but Paul is speaking to Philemon out of love to do the right thing.
During this time of history slavery was not an ethnic situation. One could not tell who was a slave because there were no physical or educational differences and slaves were found in all strata of society. The most common route to slavery was from war, prisoners were often sold into slavery, debtors could become slaves and children of slaves remained slaves throughout their lives. Paul’s request to release Onesimus is representative of the profound gospel of Jesus and pretty unheard of in that time and place. As Paul has written, there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free person within the family of Christ. The slave is set free and the gospel breaks through cultural boundaries and standard expectations. Are we ready for this kind of gospel in our lives today?

Considering the Query: Are you able to contemplate your death and the death of those closest to you? Accepting the fact of death, we are freed to live more fully. In bereavement, give yourself time to grieve. When others mourn, let your love embrace them. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns

Spring has been spotted here at First Friends! Crocuses have been sprouting up along the East entrance of our Meeting. It was a happy moment for us here in the office. We hope they can withstand the cold of this week! Thank you, Daniel Rains, for pointing them out to us!

Please hold Bill Heitman in your prayers. He is recovering from unexpected surgery, last Friday. He has been discharged, and it is our privilege to lift him in prayer for good healing and well-being.

Dan Mitchell’s mother, Mary Elizabeth “Moose” Mitchell, is in hospital awaiting surgery for a heart valve replacement. She is 91, and it is hoped that the surgery can be done as soon as possible. Please keep Mary Elizabeth, Dan, and their family in your prayers.

80 pounds of food was donated last week to Mid-North Food Pantry. We give lots of praise and thanks to Bill and Kathy Farris and Jim and Carol Donahue for their continued effort and work hours at the food pantry. Please consider joining them as a volunteer on either the first or third Wednesday morning of each month.

We have published the Office Administrative position on several job websites. We hope to receive many promising applicants in the coming weeks, and if you know of someone qualified for the job, please let the office know. It is our policy to hire someone from outside the Meeting.

Last Sunday, February 28, many of our First Friends Families came with us to go bowling at Woodland Bowl. It was quite the turnout with 40 adults and kids who joined in on the fun and games! We had prizes for each age range group, and there was some great competition. Ronald David (III), Paul Lee, and our wonderful Organist, Shawn Porter were all winners in their respective categories!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Today at 6:30pm: Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, author of Ferguson & Faith: Sparking Leadership & Awakening Community, and soon to be Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary (June 2016), will be speaking at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Meridian Today at 6:30pm.The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, reignited a long-smoldering movement for justice, with many St. Louis-area clergy stepping up to support the emerging young leaders of today’s Civil Rights Movement. Gunning Francis was among the activists, and her interviews with more than two dozen faith leaders and with the new movement’s organizers take us behind the scenes of the continuing protests. Ferguson and Faith demonstrates that being called to lead a faithful life can take us to places we never expected to go, with people who never expected us to join hands with them.

Lenten Nourishment: Have you seen the weekly blog entry on our First Friends website? It’s an invitation to reflect daily on your relationship with yourself and God. Persons from the Meeting are being interviewed, as well, about spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. Check it out at: http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/ This Friday ~ Walking with Kathy Rhyne at the Monon Community Center in Carmel at 9:30 am This Sunday ~ Evening Meditation Group has been suspended because of Bill Heitman’s recovery

Day of Remembrance ~ Sunday, March 6th As we prepare for Easter and the Celebration of Christ’s resurrection, it has become our custom to remember those persons from First Friends family who have passed away in the last year. We trust that they continue to live now in God’s presence, even after death. Circle of Care has created a large banner that will hang in Fellowship Hall, onto which everyone of us is invited to post a photo or two of loved ones who have died. Please add a note of explanation to your photos: sign your name, write who the photo is of, and why you choose this photo? The banner will remain up for several weeks, and this Sunday, March 6th we will gather together in Worship and recall these cherished ones. After worship, please join us for a Fellowship Brunch sponsored by Circle of Care.

Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - Please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics:
March 6th - We will study other religions and how they might relate to Quakerism

March 13th - Daud will bring some young people from his Muslim faith community to talk about the Muslim faith for our understanding

March 20th - Malte Maraj (Larry and Krishan Coffman’s wife/mother) will share with us about her Hindu faith

March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians

April 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will be in Indianapolis this Sunday, March 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Please join Diane and others at the Indiana Interchurch Center (1100 42nd St) where food will be served, and Diane will share the exciting updates on the Capital Campaign and talk about the future goals and plans of FCNL. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to www.fcnl.org/nowisthetime/rsvp.

Meet Thomas Kelly! Tuesday, March 8th at Fairfield Friends in the ‘Quaker Spirituality’ discussion group led by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM - Fairfield Friends Meeting March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

FUM is looking for a North American candidate to be their new Program Officer for their Africa Ministries Office in Richmond. This is a full time job with Friends United Meeting who will work directly with Eden Grace and other people in the Global Ministries department. If you have any questions, please email Eden Grace at (edeng@fum.org).

Scout Sunday, will be celebrated Sunday, March 13th. If you are or ever have been a Girl Scout, Boy Scout or a Scout Leader, please email the office (office@indyfriends) with your name, troop number, and scouting role. We will have a fellowship hour sponsored by Christian Education with some popcorn and cookies.

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 8th-April 10th. This year’s retreat will be led by Scott Wagoner, who is the founder and director of “Growing Edge Resources”. Scott has been a pastor for over twenty-five years. He is a graduate from Taylor University, and got his Masters of Divinity from Earlham. He will be speaking at Spring Retreat and Western Yearly Meeting sessions. This year’s retreat is focused on expanding the vision of discipleship. Please contact either the office or WYM PME Director Della StanleyGreen (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is March 15th

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Smells~ While sitting down, close your eyes and see what you can smell. Sometimes when a breeze blows by you can smell even more things. Wander around smelling things. What do trees smell like? What about dirt? Do rocks have a smell?

Comment

February 24th, 2016

February 25, 2016

As Way Opens

This past week, I went to the hospital to visit a member of our Meeting who had recently had surgery. She looked beautiful. I’d forgotten what lovely skin she had. She was pleased to see me, and was feeling and healing well. We spent time discussing her health concerns, the life of the Meeting, and then I asked her who her best friends were. She was stunned for a minute, and then replied, “Well, you and Jesus.” “Thank you friend,” I answered, “but tell me who the people are that you like to spend time with every day. Who are the people that matter most to you?” She quickly named three good friends who live in the same apartment building as she. “I have to get up at 3:00 in the morning to take my diabetes meds, and they’ll often come to sit with me, have a smoke and coffee, and talk.” She went on to tell me that two of those friends love to talk with her about God, Bible teachings, etc. “Ruthie, do you have any Bibles around? Their Bible is falling apart, and I’d like to give them a new one.” When I asked, it didn’t seem to matter what translation it was – whether it was the same as they’d had - all that mattered was that it would hold together. I assured her that I could do this, and I have one ready for her. This woman has nothing – less than nothing, really. She lives on assistance, has three chronic medical problems, and a number of social challenges. (When you have nothing, you often ask for everything, and she often does. What do you have to lose?) She is grateful for everything she is given. This time, she asked for a gift for someone else. She asked for a way to extend her love for others out of her own gratitude. Even in her lack, she is being filled. She continues to find sustenance – both in body, and especially in Spirit, from friends who bring Light into her life. My visit with her was meant to be a blessing to her, and as always happens, became a blessing to me. She was discharged that day, and I took her home, dropping her off at her apartment. I realized she would soon find a Valentine from me… in care of each of you in the Meeting. It’s a good thing to care about each other. It’s a good thing to belong to one another, isn’t it?

Considering the Query: How can we make the meeting a community in which each person is accepted and nurtured, and strangers are welcome? Seek to know one another in the things which are eternal, bear the burden of each other’s failings and pray for one another. As we enter with tender sympathy into the joys and sorrows of each other’s lives, ready to give help and to receive it, our meeting can be a channel for God’s love and forgiveness. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns
Steve Rodino's brother, Tom Rodino, died unexpectedly this past Thursday in Elkhart, IN. His services were held there yesterday at Central Christian Church. Let us hold Steve, Ann, and Tyler, as well as the extended Rodino family in the Light and love of God as they move through this time of sorrow. http://www.elkharttruth.com/obituaries/2016/02/21/Tom-L-Rodino.html

Last week we published the Office Administrative position on several job websites. We hope to receive many promising applicants in the coming weeks, and if you know of someone qualified for the job, please let the office know. It is our policy to hire someone from outside the Meeting.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
God’s Response to a Violent Nation: A Quaker Perspective Philip Gulley and Carrie Newcomer will be presenting “stories with musical responses” TODAY at 7:00pm. This event is sponsored by Trinity Episcopal Church. This is a part of their Lenten Series: Healing Our Violence. If Not Now, When? This event is free to the public, but donations are accepted at the door. Questions about this event? Please call, 317-926-1346
Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics:
February 28th - We will discuss discernment and how we conduct business and make decisions March 6th - We will study other religions and how they might relate to Quakerism March 13th - Daud will bring some young people from his Muslim faith community to talk about the Muslim faith for our understanding March 20th - Malte Maraj (Larry and Krishan Coffman’s wife/mother) will share with us about her Hindu faith March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians Aprils 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

Lenten Nourishment: Come join us this Friday for walking with Kathy Rhyne at the Monon Community Center in Carmel at 9:30 am. Also, this Sunday, February 28th join Bill Heitman at the Marott Apartments lobby for nighttime meditational at 6:30 pm. During the seven weeks of Lent, we will post a weekly blog entry on our First Friends website http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/ inviting you to reflect each day on your relationship with yourself and with God. Bill Heitman will interview someone weekly about the spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. We hope that this will provide some inspiration as we travel through the last cold weeks of winter and prepare ourselves for the birth of new life at Easter. For more information, check the First Friends Upcoming Events section on our website.

Meet Caroline Stephen! Tuesday, March 1st at Fairfield Friends in the ‘Quaker Spirituality’ discussion group led by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM - Fairfield Friends Meeting March 1, 2016—Caroline Stephen March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

Family Bowling on this Sunday February 28th after Meeting for Worship - calling all bowlers to join us for lunch and some bowling fun with your First Friends faith community. This is a free event; we will provide the games, pizza, and shoes! We will have prizes for the best scores (different age categories). We invite young and old to join us. We will meet at Woodland Bowl on 96th and Keystone at noon. Please let the office (office@indyfriends.org) know if you will join us.

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will be in Indianapolis on - please join Diane and others at the Indiana Interchurch Center (1100 42nd St) on Sunday, March 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Food will be served and Diane will share the exciting updates on the Capital Campaign and talk about the future goals and plans of FCNL. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to www.fcnl.org/nowisthetime/rsvp.

Area Rally Date Change! Because of the conflict with the FCNL Gathering, the Spring Area Rally has been moved to Sunday, April 24th from 3:00 to 5:00. At this meeting, the combining of two Areas into one will be discussed: Central (First Friends, Valley Mills, & West Newton) and West Central (Amo, Fairfield, Hadley, Mooresville, Plainfield, West Union). Nominations for YM positions will also be discussed. A pitch-in dinner is planned, after the meeting ends. All are welcome.

Day of Remembrance~ As we prepare for Easter and the Celebration of Christ’s resurrection, it has become our custom to remember those persons from First Friends family who have passed away in the last year. We trust that they continue to live now in God’s presence, even after death. Circle of Care has created a large banner that will hang in Fellowship Hall, onto which everyone of us is invited to post a photo or two of loved ones who have died. Please add a note of explanation to your photos: sign your name, write who the photo is of, and why you choose this photo? The banner will remain up for several weeks, and on Sunday, March 6th we will gather together in Worship and recall these cherished ones.

Friends United Meeting is hosting a series of small group gatherings in the coming weeks and we would love to have you join us! Friends from across Indiana will be gathering to discuss the good work of FUM and how we can all better partner together and support our shared work both here in North America and around the globe. Part of the gathering will focus on Energize, Equip and Connect: The FUM Campaign. We are in the midst of a three-year $3,000,000 effort to strengthen FUM’s sustainability and enable us to launch several new initiatives, including many aimed at revitalizing our work and witness in North America. First Friends Meeting, Indianapolis ~ Sunday, March 13—4:00-6:00pm Carmel Friends Church ~ Sunday, April 24—4:00-6:00pm West Newton Friends Meeting ~ Wednesday, April 27th—6:30-8:30pm We invite you to choose the gathering that is most convenient for you. Please RSVP to Kim Schull at info@fum.org to let us know what event you plan to attend. There will be refreshments and great fellowship for all! We hope to see you there!

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 8th-April 10th. This year’s retreat will be led by Scott Wagoner, who is the founder and director of “Growing Edge Resources”. Scott has been a pastor for over twenty-five years. He is a graduate from Taylor University, and got his Masters of Divinity from Earlham. He will be speaking at Spring Retreat and Western Yearly Meeting sessions. This year’s retreat is focused on expanding the vision of discipleship. Please contact either the office or WYM PME Director Della StanleyGreen (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is March 15th

Do you have shoes or others types of footwear that you no longer wear? If so, please drop them in the Changing Footprints container at the Donation Station in Fellowship Hall. All types are needed, including tennis shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, sandals, flip flops, boots, slippers, and sports cleats. Last year 17,500 pairs of shoes were distributed, with most given to local nonprofit organizations; the remainder were provided to other countries. If we can increase the supply of shoes, we can distribute even more this year. Thanks for your past contributions!

Eco-Film Coming Up! Friday, March 11 – “Racing Extinction” In “Racing Extinction”, a team of artists and activists exposes the hidden world of extinction with neverbefore-seen images that will change the way we see the planet. Two worlds drive extinction across the globe, potentially resulting in the loss of half of all species. The international wildlife trade creates bogus markets at the expense of creatures that have survived on this planet for millions of years. And the other surrounds us, hiding in plain sight — a world that the oil and gas companies don’t want the rest of us to see. Using covert tactics and state-of-the-art technology, the Racing Extinction team exposes these two worlds in an inspiring affirmation to preserve life as we know it. From the Academy Award® Winning Filmmakers of "The Cove.” Extinction is a race we can’t afford to lose. (90 min., 2015) http://racingextinction.com/the-film/ The Eco-Film Series runs every first Friday of every month, 7p.m. at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church (5933 E. 79th Street). Each film is free of charge, although free-will offerings will be accepted to help defray costs.

Scout Sunday, will be celebrated Sunday, March 13th. If you are or ever have been a Girl Scout, Boy Scout or a Scout Leader, please email the office (office@indyfriends) with your name, troop number, and scouting role. We will have a fellowship hour sponsored by Christian Education with some popcorn and cookies.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Natural Ruler~ You will need a ruler, pen, and paper. With your ruler, find something around you that is almost exactly one-inch long. Then find something two inches long and so on. Then draw a ruler on your piece of paper, but instead of using numbers at each inch mark, write down what you found in nature. For example, where it would normally say one inch, you might write “caterpillar,” and two inches might be “feather.” Now use your new natural ruler to measure larger things and record their size in natural measurement. From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Comment

February 17th, 2016

February 18, 2016

As Way Opens

Psalm 27:13 - I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. As many of you know, my husband Jerry moved to a memory care unit 10 days ago. He is almost six years into a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and his cognition, verbal skills and memory have been slowly and painfully disintegrating before my eyes. It has been a difficult journey and one that I could never have envisioned 25 years ago. It is probably a good thing that we do not know the future because it would be impossible to prepare oneself to step into this place. But when the storms of life enter our space, we have no choice but to engage and seek the Light for our path to follow. There has been a lot of darkness in my journey the last few years, but time and again I have “seen the Lord in the land of the living”. Caregivers that have entered my life and tangibly shown God’s love to Jerry, friends that have reached out with prayers, acts of kindness, encouraging words, a faith community that has held me in a foundation of love and many other random gestures that have shown me the goodness of the Lord. Friends, this is our call from God; not to believe a certain way or worship in a certain way but to embody the goodness of the Lord for each other.

Considering the Query: Respect the wide diversity among us in our lives and relationships. Refrain from making prejudiced judgments about the life journeys of others. Do you foster the spirit of mutual understanding and forgiveness which our discipleship asks of us? Remember that each one of us is unique, precious, a child of God. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns

Monthly Meeting for Business is this upcoming Sunday, February 21st. Please plan to meet in the parlor after Fellowship Hour. Attached to this email is our last Monthly Meeting’s minutes.

This week we have published the Office Administrative position on several job websites. We hope to receive many promising applicants in the coming weeks, and if you know of someone qualified for the job, please let the office know. It is our policy to hire someone from outside the Meeting.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
FCNL Advocacy Team Launch Workshop is hosting an event tomorrow, February 18th, 2015 at 6:30 here at First Friends. Please join us for a workshop with Maiya Zwerling, FCNL’s National Field Organizer in learning how to join a community of people working for peace and justice, begin using effective advocacy tools, and learn how to build power in your community to make change in Washington. You can find more information about FCNL Advocacy Teams here: fcnl.org/advocacyteams or contact Bill Chapman (drchapman@earthlink.net)

On Friday, February 19th, our choir director/organist, Shawn Porter and the Hamilton Southeastern HS Choral Department will be performing a choir concert at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis consisting of classical, sacred, folk and gospel music. The concert is free, though there is a free will offering at the end as the concert is in memory of a former student who died, and raises money for college music scholarships for current students in the choir program. St. Luke’s is located at 100 W. 86th Street. Concert starts at 7:00 pm.

Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics:
February 21st - We will examine the different methods of Quaker worship and why we worship in the way that we do February 28th - We will discuss discernment and how we conduct business and make decisions March 6th - We will study other religions and how they might relate to Quakerism March 13th - Daud will bring some young people from his Muslim faith community to talk about the Muslim faith for our understanding March 20th - Malte Maraj (Larry and Krishan Coffman’s wife/mother) will share with us about her Hindu faith March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians Aprils 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

Lenten Nourishment: During the seven weeks of Lent, we will post a weekly blog entry on our First Friends website http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/ inviting you to reflect each day on your relationship with yourself and with God. Bill Heitman will interview someone weekly about the spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. We hope that this will provide some inspiration as we travel through the last cold weeks of winter and prepare ourselves for the birth of new life at Easter. Come join us this Friday for walking with Kathy Rhyne at the Monon Community Center in Carmel at 9:30 am. Also, this Sunday, February 21st join Bill Heitman at the Marott Apartments lobby for nighttime meditational at 6:30 pm. For more information, check the First Friends Upcoming Events section on our website.

Silent Auction on February 20th - Meridian Pre-school Co-op will be hosting a silent auction and dinner from ‘al-basha’ on Saturday February 20th at 5:00 p.m. at The Riviera Club 5640 North Illinois Street. This is their annual fundraiser to support the school and there are many wonderful items to bid on during the evening. Tickets to the event are $10. Please let the office know if you are interested in attending and we will make a reservation for you.

The Meridian Street Preschool Co-op is looking for a classroom teacher for their 2-3 year olds. We have attached the job description in the email you received about Friend to Friend if you’re interested, which lists the requirements and duties of the position. This position is open to anyone inside the Meeting, as well as anyone you may know who is qualified. If you have any questions, please direct them towards the office and we can share it with MSPC.

The Religion, Race, and Culture series at Butler University continues its dialogue of honest conversations with a new talk about Religion, Race, and Justice. The talk will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 7:00pm in the Howard Schrott Center for the Arts right on campus. The speakers of the night will be Reverend David Hampton from the Light of the World Christian Church, Dr. Terri Jett, professor of Political Science at Butler University, and Reverend Anastassia Zinke from All Souls Unitarian church. The event is free for all who wish to attend.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading will be having its next book discussion located in the parlor on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 pm. We will be discussing Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War by Helen Thorpe. If you are interested in being on the email list please contact the office or Kathy Rhyne at kathyrichelle@yahoo.com. Looking forward to next month's discussion: March 29th will be on Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

God’s Response to a Violent Nation: A Quaker Perspective Philip Gulley and Carrie Newcomer will be presenting “stories with musical responses” on Wednesday, February 24th, at 7:00pm. This event is sponsored by Trinity Episcopal Church. This is a part of their Lenten Series: Healing Our Violence. If Not Now, When? This event is free to the public, but donations are accepted at the door. Questions about this event? Please call, 317-926-1346

Meet Isaac Pennington! Tuesday, February 23rd at Fairfield Friends in the ‘Quaker Spirituality’ discussion group led by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM - Fairfield Friends Meeting February 23, 2016—Isaac Pennington March 1, 2016—Caroline Stephen March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

Family Bowling on Sunday February 28th after Meeting for Worship - calling all bowlers to join us for lunch and some bowling fun with your First Friends faith community. This is a free event; we will provide the games, pizza, and shoes! We will have prizes for the best scores (different age categories). We invite young and old to join us. We will meet at Woodland Bowl on 96th and Keystone at noon. Please let the office (office@indyfriends.org) know if you will join us.

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will be in Indianapolis on - please join Diane and others at the Indiana Interchurch Center (1100 42nd St) on Sunday, March 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Food will be served and Diane will share the exciting updates on the Capital Campaign and talk about the future goals and plans of FCNL. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to www.fcnl.org/nowisthetime/rsvp.

Friends United Meeting is hosting a series of small group gatherings in the coming weeks and we would love to have you join us! Friends from across Indiana will be gathering to discuss the good work of FUM and how we can all better partner together and support our shared work both here in North America and around the globe. Part of the gathering will focus on Energize, Equip and Connect: The FUM Campaign. We are in the midst of a threeyear $3,000,000 effort to strengthen FUM’s sustainability and enable us to launch several new initiatives, including many aimed at revitalizing our work and witness in North America.
 First Friends Meeting, Indianapolis ~ Sunday, March 13—4:00-6:00pm  Carmel Friends Church ~ Sunday, April 24—4:006:00pm  West Newton Friends Meeting ~ Wednesday, April 27th—6:30-8:30pm We invite you to choose the gathering that is most convenient for you. Please RSVP to Kim Schull at info@fum.org to let us know what event you plan to attend. There will be refreshments and great fellowship for all! We hope to see you there!

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 8th-April 10th. This year’s retreat will be led by Scott Wagoner, who is the founder and director of “Growing Edge Resources”. Scott has been a pastor for over twenty-five years. He is a graduate from Taylor University, and got his Masters of Divinity from Earlham. This year’s retreat is focused on expanding the vision of discipleship. Please contact either the office or WYM PME Director Della StanleyGreen (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is March 15th

Quaker Earth Care, February 2016 – Sylvia Andrews
“Quaker Earthcare,” outlines some positive outcomes from the Paris agreement. The entire article is available online at , http://www.quakerearthcare.org/befriending-creation, It is great to have some progress on a global level, however here in our state Hoosier Environment Council is still fighting some negative bills going through this session of legislatures. Here in our state, HB 1082 “The No More Stringent than Bill” would make it illegal for Indiana’s Executive Branch to pass policies that are tighter for public health than what the U.S. EPA does, for those situations where the EPA has set standards. You can contact our congressional representative here, https://iga.in.gov/legislative/findlegislators/. A highlighted piece from this month’s Befriending Creation, is written by the QEW General Secretary, Shelley Tanenbaum titled “Paddle to the Future.”

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Mimes in Nature~ Each person thinks of something around them and then acts it out while the others guess what it is. It could be something as simple as pretending to be a stick, or something harder like pretending to be a gust of wind. Whoever guesses right gets to go next. From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco

Comment

February 10th, 2016

February 18, 2016

As Way Opens

Requiem; [Latin, requies, rest.] “Overall, Requiem for the Living is a prayer for rest (requiem) for the living, as much as for the deceased. It’s a ‘grant us rest’, even more than a ‘grant them rest’. So says the composer Dan Forrest of the piece that will be performed on Palm Sunday by a number of people from neighboring churches, including six singers from First Friends Meeting. Requiems are usually sung as Latin Masses for the dead. Published in mid-2013, Requiem for the Living offers a fresh and inspiring perspective on life, love, loss and renewal. As we’ve begun learning the notes and phrasing, one movement in particular has struck me in particular. The second movement begins with dark, harsh, percussive sounds as the chorus cries out ‘Vanity – all is vanity!’ All seems lost, as Job cries out, wishing he’d never been born. Hopelessness, defeat, death seems pervasive. As if from nowhere comes the ethereal sound of prayer, ‘May light shine upon them, O Lord’. Over and above the darkness comes this light – perpetual light, full of mercy and compassion. And then, we hear this: ‘Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ As we consider the ministry of Christ - his life, his death, and his resurrection – what do we know of the rest of Christ? The understanding that even with the places of hopelessness, defeat and death in our society, our world, and our lives, there is a Life that brings rest. Too often, at least in my own life, the loud, percussive chorus of darkness over shouts the still, small voice of light and peace. Perhaps during these next few weeks, as we anticipate Easter together, you can join me in quieting our minds and hearts, discovering the ethereal sound of Light, peace, mercy, love, and rest.

Considering the Query: Do you cherish your friendships, so that they grow in depth and understanding and mutual respect? In close relationships we may risk pain as well as finding joy. When experiencing great happiness or great hurt we may be more open to the working of the Spirit. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns

Mid North Food Pantry News~ Thanks to folks at First Friends, 150 lbs. of food were delivered to the Mid North Food Pantry during the week of February. Also, thanks to Bill and Kathy Farris, Phil Kitchel, Jade Malott, and Carol and Jim Donahue for volunteering at the pantry. 84 families were served.

A big thank you to everyone on Sunday for raising $523 for Second Helpings. We thank Vicki Wertz, Kathy Farris, Susan Rains, Barbara Oberreich, Carol Donahue and Beth Henricks for providing soup and helping with set up and clean up. It was great to hear more about the wonderful work that Second Helpings does in repurposing food into over 4,000 meals per day as well as providing chef training to individuals that have had challenges in their life. If anyone is still interested in donating, please let the office know.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
The World Plenary Meeting January 2016 in Peru for FWCC was delightful with 350 Friends from 38 countries and high energy with 90 young adults. Each section led worship once and there was daily Bible study with a professor from Cambridge and daily silent worship, so it was spiritually rich and transformative. A new Rufus Jones quote to me was "With every child born is something new of God". With so much diversity it was remarkable how warm and united we felt. Warm and sustainable meals with little added sugar were gathering times to discuss all concerns. A 30 year old female from Georgia (the country) and a 60 year old Russian male were comfortably talking. Unfortunately there is tribal conflict in Burundi. Kenyans are worried about the next election. Palestine has had a very rough year. There are at least 6 Bolivian Meetings and they seem vibrant. I enjoyed talking to many Friends from at least 25 countries so there was time for a lot of cross pollination of ideas during meals and home groups. Consultation groups met on several topics. I chose the one on sustainability led by Jonathan Wooley from QUNO (Quaker United Nations Office) in Geneva. Apparently he was very helpful or important at the recent Paris Climate Summit. The UN defines sustainability very broadly. Recently FWCC has divested from all Fossil Fuel. Shortly FWCC will have a Sustainability Statement that will encourage each meeting to initiate two or more concrete actions of sustainability within one year, and will encourage that one involve youth and young adults. Local color with llamas and the local Pisac market and the trip to Machu Picchu were icing on the cake.

Lenten Nourishment: Traditionally Quakers have believed that every day is sacred and a gift from God, so no day should be celebrated as more important than another. However, many spiritual traditions have designated times to draw closer to God and to their religious communities. To coincide with Lent, several of us are exploring the idea of Lenten Nourishment; using this time to go into our metaphorical wilderness and draw closer to the Inner Voice of God.
During the seven weeks of Lent, we will post a weekly blog entry on our First Friends website http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/ inviting you to reflect each day on your relationship with yourself and with God. It may contain scripture, wisdom sayings or suggest ways to renew your spirit. We have some events already scheduled so please check the Upcoming Events section of the website for details. We will have a few small groups that will meet, or you could create your own small group to share in this journey. Bill Heitman will interview someone weekly about the spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. We hope that this will provide some inspiration as we travel through the last cold weeks of winter and prepare ourselves for the birth of new life at Easter. Come join us! And continue to check Friend to Friend each week for events and reminders.

Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics: February 14th - Jon Tippin, Linda Lineback, Mary Blackburn and Eric Tinsley will answer questions about their ideas of various theological topics and share part of their belief journey over the years. February 21st - We will examine the different methods of Quaker worship and why we worship in the way that we do February 28th - We will discuss discernment and how we conduct business and make decisions March 6th - We will study other religions and how they might relate to Quakerism March 13th - Daud will bring some young people from his Muslim faith community to talk about the Muslim faith for our understanding March 20th - Malte Maraj (Larry and Krishan Coffman’s wife/mother) will share with us about her Hindu faith March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians Aprils 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

Calling all Men! TENORS and BASSES are needed to join the Requiem Choir! Rehearsals have begun, and more men are needed to prepare and perform Dan Forrest’s ‘Requiem for the Living’. The piece will be presented on Palm Sunday, March 20th @ 3pm by singers from our Shalom Zone* churches, invited by Allisonville Chancel Choir & Orchestra. Rehearsals run: Monday's @ 7pm-9pm on February 15, 22 & March 7, 14 Thursday’s @ 7:30-8:15 on February 11, 18, 25; March 3, 10 Rehearsals with Orchestra on Thursday, March 17 - 7pm-9pm and Saturday, March 19 - 1pm-3pm Rehearsal attendance is encouraged, but not required! Come as often as possible. *First Friends Meeting, Epworth UMC, Cross & Crown Lutheran, St Pius X, Allisonville Christian Contact Matthew Tippel, Director of Music, at 317-408-4904 or matthewk28@hotmail.com if you’d like to join or have any questions.

Young Friends Youth Fellowship is meeting this Sunday, February 14th for a special Valentine’s Day meeting. We will meet in the Youth Room at 11:30, after Meeting for Worship, and will enjoy lunch and some treats together. We are continuing our journey of Echo, storytelling of the Bible. Please email Hayley Adams if you can attend, or with any questions.

Poetry Group will meet next Tuesday. Feb. 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the Parlor. Ed Alley will be our presenter. Ed is a retired Pastoral Counselor. Having spent 35 years helping people find new and deeper meaning in their lives, he turned to poetry to continue that process, he sees the deeper meaning one must find in Pastoral Counseling as akin to what poetry seeks. His poetry is largely along the lines of Poetry as Memoir. In addition he writes about social issues and some nonsense.

‘Quaker Spirituality’ is presented by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Fairfield Friends Meeting will be hosting several Quaker Spirituality talks from the perspective of Margaret Fell, Isaac Pennington, Caroline Stephen, Thomas Kelly and Margery Abbott. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM - Fairfield Friends Meeting February 16, 2016—Margaret Fell February 23, 2016—Isaac Pennington March 1, 2016—Caroline Stephen March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

The Trustees have purchased a defibrillator (AED) for the meeting. You should see it soon near the office and the fire alarm. The staff will be getting training in Basic Life Support which includes use of the AED. Friends who wish to be trained are invited to join this training, February 17th at 5 pm. Cost is $30; certification is good for 2 years. We can accommodate up to 15 people; if you know of someone not associated with First Friends we can add them to a waiting list with members as first priority. If finances keep you from this, the Trustees are open to a "scholarship" or two. Please contact the office to sign up, or talk to a Trustee. Dan Rains, <pnpmd@yahoo.com>, for the Trustees.

FCNL Advocacy Team Launch Workshop is having an event on February 18th, 2015 at 6:30 here at First Friends. Please join us for a workshop with Maiya Zwerling, FCNL’s National Field Organizer in learning how to join a community of people working for peace and justice, begin using effective advocacy tools, and learn how to built power in your community to make change in Washington. You can find more information about FCNL Advocacy Teams here: fcnl.org/advocacyteams or contact Bill Chapman at (drchapman@earthlink.net)

Family Bowling on Sunday February 28th after Meeting for Worship - calling all bowlers to join us for lunch and some bowling fun with your First Friends faith community. We will provide pizza lunch and pay for bowling - you will only need to pay for rental of shoes. We will have prizes for the best scores (different age categories). We invite young and old to join us. We will meet at Woodland Bowl on 96th and Keystone at noon. Please let the office (office@indyfriends.org) know if you will join us.

The Children’s Museum is currently running an exhibit, Sacred Journeys, which is an immersive experience for those interested in traveling the world's most sacred sights through pictures and artifacts from all over the world. Families will be able to observe, discuss, and begin to understand some of the sacred journeys made by people around the world, from personal acts of faith to pilgrimages. Sacred journeys will include the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Great Mosque in Mecca, the Ganges River in India, Bodh Gaya in India where Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, and more. The exhibit will run through late February.

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will be in Indianapolis on Sunday March 6th - please join Diane and others at the Indiana Interchurch Center ( 1100 42nd St) on Sunday March 6th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Food will be served and Diane will share the exciting updates on the Capital Campaign and talk about the future goals and plans of FCNL. If you are interested in attending please RSVP to www.fcnl.org/nowisthetime/rsvp.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Rock Around~ Look around for as many different rocks as you can find. What makes these rocks different from each other? Is it their color? Their shapes? What about the temperature of the rocks? Are some colder to touch than others. Are they soft or sharp? What kinds of rocks do you like most?

Comment

February 3rd, 2016

February 18, 2016

As Way Opens

It has been a wonderful experience to gather with friends each Sunday morning and discuss the history of our Quaker faith, examine significant individuals that have greatly influenced us and review some of our theological differences that have caused splits. This past Sunday we talked about our testimonies. While we have no formal creed or doctrinal statement, we have collected six testimonies that represent the values that we hold dear in expressing our faith. On the surface these testimonies seem like positive statements that we can all support. But it is misleading to think that our testimonies are clear or easy. The challenge is to think about what these really mean for our daily lives and how they influence us as we make large and small decisions.
Our class provided some amazing insight into the deeper meaning of each of these testimonies (SPICES). I am sharing with all of you some of these free flowing ideas:
Simplicity - how do I live within my means; does simplicity follow integrity in my life which helps me focus on what’s important; do I give away things that I don’t use; do I get to the heart of what is important; how do I "let it go”; keeping priorities straight; seeking knowledge from cradle to grave; trying not to value valuables; knocking down barriers of noise in my life to be able to hear the still small voice
Peace - do I seek inner peace; am I working to elect those who further peace; do I work to find the place of common agreement; do I listen to calming breaths; how can we reduce the military budget; how do we not start wars; do I have a sense of balance and calm in life; am I finding the quiet within and with one another; do I cooperate with individuals and communities/countries; do I obey God’s commands; how do I listen to others and understand their viewpoint; am I gentle, considerate and tactful with others; do I seek out those I differ with and listen to them
Integrity - how do I keep in touch with my feelings and my true self; do my actions = professed values = actions; how does my inner and outer life match; do I always tell the truth, and do I walk the walk; do I live in honesty; am I being transparent; do I honor my word and follow my moral compass; when I don’t know something do I say I don’t know; how do I live the way the prophets have shown me
Friend to Friend Contents As Way Opens – Beth Henricks Considering the Query Joys and Concerns Announcements & Reports  “Soup-er Bowl” This Sunday  Lenten Nourishment  Quaker Adult Affirmation  Requiem Choir  Young Friends Youth Fellowship  Poetry Group  Quaker Spirituality  AED Training  Co-op Silent Auction  Family Bowling, Feb. 28  Sacred Journeys  Friends of Nature Kids
For this Sunday: Facing Bench: Dan Lee Children’s Message: Beth Henricks
Community - do I look out for others and include all; do I try to use words that do no harm; do I care for others as much or more than for myself; do I seek connection, consensus and support; do I seek a fairer distribution of resources; do I find God and my own inner Light through connection with others; do I see that of God in everyone and act on that; healthcare for all
Equality - do I pursue social justice; do I put myself in others shoes; do I see the Light in all; am I supporting representatives furthering equality; do I live to know, love and serve God; do I recognize that we are all the children of Adam and Eve; do I see others as God’s creation holy and whole; do I support policies that create opportunities for all; am I aware and support actions on systems of inequality and help to make positive change
Stewardship - do I work to preserve the environment; am I trying to choose purchases from responsible sources; do I manage resources rather than allowing them to manage me; do I act with integrity and honor my responsibilities; do I recycle, reuse, reduce; am I supporting the Meeting and causes I believe in financially; am I honoring the gifts of nature and use resources responsibility
Friends, there are many big questions here that challenge every part of my life. I pray that you reflect and contemplate how God is calling YOU to live out these testimonies.

Considering the Query: How can we make the meeting a community in which each person is accepted and nurtured, and strangers are welcome? Seek to know one another in the things which are eternal, bear the burden of each other’s failings and pray for one another. As we enter with tender sympathy into the joys and sorrows of each other’s lives, ready to give help and to receive it, our meeting can be a channel for God’s love and forgiveness. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns
Bob Hadley would like to send his regards and thanks to the members of First Friends Meeting for all of their thoughtful cards and prayers. Let us continue to hold Bob, Nancy, and their family in God’s loving Light.

Helen Davenport has shared the news of the death of her brother, Clement Swisher. He passed away Sunday morning, January 31st. Clem moved to Washington DC to serve as a Conscientious Objector, and never left. He was a longtime member of Florida Avenue Meeting of Friends there, and served the meeting in every way possible. His memorial service will be held there Saturday, Feb. 20.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

This Sunday, February 7th we will host “Souper Bowl Sunday” after Meeting for Worship in fellowship hall. Soup will be prepared for all to enjoy for a free will donation to Second Helpings. Both Statia Murphy and Vicki Wertz work at Second Helpings and we want to support this important organization for those less fortunate in our city. Start your Super Bowl Sunday by eating soup at the First Friends “Souper Bowl” party and learn more about Second Helpings.

Lenten Nourishment: Traditionally Quakers have believed that every day is sacred and a gift from God, so no day should be celebrated as more important than another. However, many spiritual traditions have designated times to draw closer to God and to their religious communities. To coincide with Lent, several of us are exploring the idea of Lenten Nourishment; using this time to go into our metaphorical wilderness and draw closer to the Inner Voice of God.
During the seven weeks of Lent, we will post a weekly blog entry on our First Friends website http://www.indyfriends.org/thoughts-from-friends/ inviting you to reflect each day on your relationship with yourself and with God. It may contain scripture, wisdom sayings or suggest ways to renew your spirit. We will have a few small groups that will meet, or you could create your own small group to share in this journey. Bill Heitman will interview someone weekly about the spiritual practices that have enriched their lives. We hope that this will provide some inspiration as we travel through the last cold weeks of winter and prepare ourselves for the birth of new life at Easter. Come join us! And continue to check Friend to Friend each week for events and reminders.

Quaker Affirmation Sunday School class - please join us for this interactive look at our Quaker faith each Sunday in the parlor at 9:00 a.m. Here is our schedule of topics:
February 7th - Theology and what Quakers have believed about the Bible, Jesus, heaven and hell etc. February 14th - We will host a panel of Friends that will discuss their understanding of some of these deep theological topics February 21st - We will examine the different methods of Quaker worship and why we worship in the way that we do February 28th - We will discuss discernment and how we conduct business and make decisions March 6th - We will study other religions and how they might relate to Quakerism March 13th - Daud will bring some young people from his Muslim faith community to talk about the Muslim faith for our understanding March 20th - We hope to have someone come from the Hindu temple to share about their faith March 27th - We will examine Quaker writers, artists and musicians Aprils 3rd - We will discuss what Quakers are doing in the world today April 10th - We will talk specifically about several Quaker organizations

Calling all Men! TENORS and BASSES are needed to join the Requiem Choir! Rehearsals have begun, and more men are needed to prepare and perform Dan Forrest’s ‘Requiem for the Living’. The piece will be presented on Palm Sunday, March 20th @ 3pm by singers from our Shalom Zone* churches, invited by Allisonville Chancel Choir & Orchestra. Rehearsals run: Monday's @ 7pm-9pm on February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 7, 14 Thursday’s @ 7:30-8:15 on February 11, 18, 25; March 3, 10 Rehearsals with Orchestra on Thursday, March 17 - 7pm-9pm and Saturday, March 19 - 1pm-3pm Rehearsal attendance is encouraged, but not required! Come as often as possible. *First Friends Meeting, Epworth UMC, Cross & Crown Lutheran, St Pius X, Allisonville Christian Contact Matthew Tippel, Director of Music, at 317-408-4904 or matthewk28@hotmail.com if you’d like to join or have any questions.

Young Friends Youth Fellowship is meeting next Sunday, February 14th for a special Valentine’s Day meeting. We will meet in the Youth Room at 11:30, after Meeting for Worship, and will enjoy lunch and some treats together. We are continuing our journey of Echo, storytelling of the Bible. Please email Hayley Adams if you can attend, or with any questions.
Poetry Group will meet on Tuesday. Feb. 16, at 2:00 p.m. in the Parlor. Ed Alley will be our presenter. Ed is a retired Pastoral Counselor. Having spent 35 years helping people find new and deeper meaning in their lives, he turned to poetry to continue that process, he sees the deeper meaning one must find in Pastoral Counseling as akin to what poetry seeks. His poetry is largely along the lines of Poetry as Memoir. In addition he writes about social issues and some nonsense.

Silent Auction on February 20th - The preschool co-op will be hosting a silent auction and dinner from al-basha on Saturday February 20th at 5:00 p.m. at The Riviera Club 5640 North Illinois Street. This is their annual fundraiser to support the school and there are many wonderful items to bid on during the evening. Tickets to the event are $10. Please let the office know if you are interested in attending and we will make a reservation for you.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Rock Out ~ Look for things around you that can be used as musical instruments. From just tapping a tree with a stick to rubbing two rocks together, you can make interesting sounds. If you are alone, see how many instruments you can invent from nature. If you’re in a group, you can each make an instrument and play it while singing a song everybody knows.

Comment

January 27th, 2016

February 18, 2016

As Way Opens

Way has opened for Jon and me to live together again… all the time… after four years of commuting! We are grateful for the way God has allowed our relationship to grow, continuing to nurture one another, despite the distance between us and the craziness of travel. We’re also thankful for the direction God has given us in our work that has shaped our future. Isn’t God good? Jon has resigned and will leave the University of Iowa Neurology Department this coming June, and move to Indiana in July. He will begin working for an independent company doing much the same thing he’s done for the past three years while in Indianapolis – monitoring neurosurgeries via computer. This is a great blessing to both of us, allowing us the ability to be fully present to each other, and to the work we’re called to do. I’m so thankful for the way God has cared for us, for the care the Meeting has given us for what will have been four years of travel, and for the richness of relationships we all share. Isn’t God good?

Considering the Query: . Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern? Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense where they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you. Avoid hurtful criticism and provocative language. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns
Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy, OH BOY! Logan Jacob Hostetler entered the world this past Sunday, January 24th at 4:00 pm. He was 8 lbs 7 ozs and 20 inches long. He joins his brothers, Landon, Cole, and Owen. Welcome to the world, Logan! His parents, Michael and Katie, are doing fine.

Beth Henricks’ cousin, Marabeth LaMacchio has recently had emergency surgery that led to the discovery of Stage 4 cancer. Marabeth had breast cancer 10 years ago and this reoccurrence is a great shock. Please hold her family in the Light. Thank you for your love and care.

Susan Jordan, Principal of Amy Beverland Elementary School, was killed in a bus accident yesterday as she protected a number of students when a bus jumped a curb at afternoon dismissal. Our own Lindsay Sherer Deeg teaches at the school. Please pray for the faculty, staff and students, the Jordan family, and the bus driver, as well. This is a very tragic time for all involved. May God’s love surround them, and God’s strength and peace touch their lives.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Old Year’s Resolution As we approached the end of 2015 I let our meeting know that we needed to close a large gap between our expenses and donations. Thanks to your incredible generosity our meeting nearly closed that gap before the year was out. At our January monthly meeting I reported a short fall for 2015 of about $3,600. Close to breaking even … but red ink is red ink. Since that monthly meeting, we have received another generous donation to cover that full amount, bringing us to a breakeven year … and clearing that last red ink from the page. Thank you all for helping our meeting start 2016 with a clean financial slate. Eric Tinsley Clerk of Finance Committee

Quaker Affirmation Class for Adults will be having its fourth meeting during Sunday School hour (9:00 a.m.) in the parlor. This Sunday, we will be discussing the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality. All are welcome to attend even if you missed any of the classes! The class will last through the next 3 months so feel free to come as you can.

This Sunday, January 31st, Beth Henricks will be selling chocolates, coffee, tea and cocoa for our Youth Group Activities. Regularly, Beth sells these fair trade products in Fellowship Hall after Meeting, and they are truly delicious. The proceeds help fund youth activities here at first friends and their service projects.

Grace Miller in Print! Friends Journal Article featuring someone from our First Friends Family! Harold and Ellen Miller’s daughter and Sam Miller’s sister, Grace is featured in the January issue of Friends Journal in their article, “A Quaker Voice in Indiana – Interview with Grace Miller of Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation”. It’s a wonderful article about the power of Quaker faith and action, and how each one of us can make a difference. IFCL is seeing a new burst of enthusiasm, and we are happy to see Grace Miller, Bill Chapman and others from First Friends becoming more active and interested in how Quakers can change the world! Grab the Journal, and check pps 17-19!

If anyone is interested in volunteering at Hoosier Environmental Council as an environmental advocate, please contact Sylvia Andrews or Amanda Shepherd at HEC. Some of their major concerns during this legislative session include the “Right to Harm Bill, SJR 12” and the Mounds Greenway. If you have ever felt the desire to do more for the environment in Indiana than just donate money this is your chance. Host a Greening Your Community party, call others about legislation, and attend legislative Third House meetings.

Brrr! It’s Cold Outside! Please continue to bring donations of winter clothing for the Boner Center. The box is in Fellowship Hall on the stage in front of the curtain. They appreciate what we are doing to help the homeless and others in need of clothing.

Calling all Singers! Dan Forrest’s ‘Requiem for the Living’: A beautiful new setting of the Requiem by Dan Forrest will be presented on Sunday, March 20th @ 3pm by singers from our Shalom Zone* churches, invited by Allisonville Chancel Choir & Orchestra. This powerful five-movement work projects a wide range of meaningful expression, from a biting essay on the vanity and pain of mankind to a plea for mercy, and finally a celebration of eternal light. ALL are welcome to join us as we prepare this choral masterpiece. Rehearsals will begin on this coming Monday, February 1 @ 7pm and will continue as follows: Monday's @ 7pm-9pm on February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 7, 14 Thursday’s @ 7:30-8:15 on February 11, 18, 25; March 3, 10 Rehearsals with Orchestra on Thursday, March 17 - 7pm-9pm and Saturday, March 19 - 1pm-3pm *First Friends Meeting, Epworth UMC, Cross & Crown Lutheran, St Pius X, Allisonville Christian Contact Matthew Tippel, Director of Music, at 317-408-4904 or matthewk28@hotmail.com if you like to join or have any questions.

Sunday February 7th we will host “Souper Bowl Sunday” after Meeting for Worship in fellowship hall. Soup will be prepared for all to enjoy for a free will donation to Second Helpings. Both Statia Murphy and Vicki Wertz work at Second Helpings and we want to support this important organization for those less fortunate in our city. Start your Super Bowl Sunday by eating soup at the First Friends “Souper Bowl” party and learn more about Second Helpings.

Quaker Spirituality is presented by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Fairfield Friends Meeting will be hosting several Quaker Spirituality talks from the perspective of Margaret Fell, Isaac Pennington, Caroline Stephen, Thomas Kelly and Margery Abbott. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM Fairfield Friends Meeting February 16, 2016—Margaret Fell February 23, 2016—Isaac Pennington March 1, 2016—Caroline Stephen March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Living Levels~ Think of what animal lives deepest underground and then take turns thinking of the animals that live on level above that, and then one level above that until you work all the way up to animals that live in trees, and finally, birds. What’s the highest flying bird you can think of? From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Comment

January 20th, 2016

January 25, 2016

As Way Opens

Recently the Earlham College Choir came to First Friends to present a beautiful night of music. I enjoyed the entire concert and had a couple of the girls from the choir stay in our home. My hopeful sense of the future is always reinforced when I talk to young people like these two women who are smart, engaged, and determined to help make our world more just and peaceful.

The choir closed their performance that night with the song How Can I Keep from Singing. I have always loved this song but have never experienced anything like their performance that evening. The choir surrounded us in the room and had water goblets filled with various amounts of water to create different tones as they rubbed their glasses. They had several bells and a drum. The harmonies and the sounds within our Meeting Room at that moment sent chills and energy through my body and the tears flowed as it felt like a heavenly host filling the room with love. The words to the song were printed in the program and when I got home I was moved again just to read their words:

“My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentation.
I hear the real, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife, while to that rock I’m clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?

When though the tempest round me roars,
I know the truth, it liveth.
What though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since love is lord of heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble, sick with fear, and hear their death knell ringing;
When friends rejoice both far and near, how can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile, our thoughts to them are winging.

When friends by shame are undefiled, how can I keep from singing?
When love is lord of heav’n and earth, how can I keep from singing?”

Love is Lord of heaven and earth! That is the good news of the Gospel. Love is what holds us and binds us together and becomes our rock through the darkness around us. May this love fill our heart, mind and bodies today.

Considering the Query: Do you welcome the diversity of culture, language, and expressions of faith in our yearly meeting and in the world community of Friends? Seek to increase your understanding and to gain from this rich heritage and wide range of spiritual insights. Uphold your own and other yearly meetings in your prayers. From: Advices and queries; Britain Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice, 5th edition, @ 1995-2015 Quaker Faith and Practice

Joys & Concerns

Submitted by Amy Perry: A few weeks ago, I stayed after Sunday worship to help in the Children's Library. Around 1:15, I was finished for the day. I saw Erin Tinsley in the side hall near the grandfather clock. Nobody else was around. She was looking for her dad. I approached her and asked, "Did you know that when I was a little girl I had to wait for my father at church too? He had meetings and I had to wait for him outdoors in the cold. But my two brothers waited with me, so I wasn't alone." Erin replied that she didn't know that. She asked my name. Then she said, "But you weren't alone, because God was with you."

Answering God’s call to universal love, the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) brings Friends of varying traditions and cultural experiences together in worship, communications, and consultation, to express our common heritage and our Quaker message to the world. Norma Wallman and Terry Trierweiler are among many Friends gathered in Pisac, Peru just now for the World Plenary Meetings taking place. The purpose of the Friends World Committee for Consultation is to encourage fellowship among all the branches of the Religious Society of Friends. The Quaker community circles the globe, spanning a rich diversity of regional cultures, beliefs and styles of worship. FWCC, through its four section offices, runs programs in different regions, uniting Friends around the world through Spirit-led fellowship. Please hold Terry, Norma and these many Friends from all forms of Quakerism around the world in your prayers.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Thursday, January 21 2016, 6:30 – 8:00pm; Setting the Record Straight: Facts and Science of Climate Change. The University of Chicago Alumni Club is hosting an event you might find of interest: Dinner at the Woodstock Club followed by a presentation by Gabriel Filippelli, Professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Cost: $36/person
If you'd like to attend, register at http://www.uchicagoindiana.org/article.html?aid=138
For more information, contact Jeff Rasley at jrasley@juno.com

Quaker Affirmation Class for Adults will be having its third meeting during Sunday School hour (9:00 a.m.) in the parlor. We had a great time of sharing and connecting and heard from George Fox and Margaret Fell. This Sunday, we will be discussing different organizational splits within Quakerism. All are welcome to attend even if you missed any of the classes! The class will last through the next 3 months so feel free to come as you can.

INDIANA SENATE BILL 36 – ALERT

Indiana Senator Jim Tomes has proposed SB 36, which would remove existing restrictions on "alcohol abusers" from receiving a license to carry a handgun. Under current law, an "alcohol abuser" is defined as someone who has had two or more alcohol-related offenses, any one of which resulted in a conviction or in treatment in an alcohol abuse facility within the past three years.

The bill had its first reading in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with testimony in opposition from The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and a legal expert from Indiana University-Maurer School of Law. In the face of this level of opposition a vote has not been taken yet, but Chairman Senator Steele is planning for a second reading, possibly with some amendments, on January 20 or 21.

If you feel led, please write to or call all members of the Judiciary Committee -- especially if they represent you -- to urge them to vote against SB 36. This bill would allow individuals who have criminal records of alcohol abuse to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public.

Members of Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator Brent Steele, Chair: Senator.Steele@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9814
Senator R. Michael Young, Ranking Member, s35@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9517
Sen. Rodric Bray, Majority Member, Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9400
Sen. Michael Delph, Majority Member, Senator.Delph@iga.in, 317-232-9541
Sen. Susan Glick, Majority Member, Senator.Glick@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9493
Sen. Randall Head, Majority Member, Senator.Head@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9488
Sen. Joseph Zakas, Majority Member, Senator.Zakas@iga.in.gov, 317-232-9490
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, Ranking Minority Member, s2@in.gov, 800-382-9467
Sen. John Broden, Minority Member, s10@in.gov, 800-382-9467
Sen. Greg Taylor, s33@in.gov, 800-382-9467

Grace Miller in Print! Friends Journal Article featuring someone from our First Friends Family!
Harold and Ellen Miller’s daughter and Sam Miller’s sister, Grace is featured in the January issue of Friends Journal in their article, “A Quaker Voice in Indiana – Interview with Grace Miller of Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation”. It’s a wonderful article about the power of Quaker faith and action, and how each one of us can make a difference. IFCL is seeing a new burst of enthusiasm, and we are happy to see Grace Miller, Bill Chapman and others from First Friends becoming more active and interested in how Quakers can change the world! Grab the Journal, and check pps 17-19!

If anyone is interested in volunteering at Hoosier Environmental Council as an environmental advocate, please contact Sylvia Andrews or Amanda Shepherd at HEC. Some of their major concerns during this legislative session include the “Right to Harm Bill, SJR 12” and the Mounds Greenway. If you have ever felt the desire to do more for the environment in Indiana than just donate money this is your chance. Host a Greening Your Community party, call others about legislation, and attend legislative Third House meetings.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading will be gathering in the Parlor this Tuesday, January 26th at 7 pm to discuss All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. If you would like to be on the email list please contact the office or Kathy Rhyne at kathyrichelle@yahoo.com. Our next novel is February 23 - Soldier Girls by Helen Thorpe.

Parent Cafe Workshop on the Near East Side! East Tenth United Methodist Children and Youth Center will be hosting a Families First Parent Cafe beginning Jan 11 to help families build stronger, healthier families. We need VOLUNTEERS for our Parent Cafe. There is need for table hosts to help facilitate discussion and for volunteers to help with childcare. If you're interested in volunteering please email Chisato Sakamoto at chisatos@familiesfirstindiana.org or call at 317-644-7207

Brrr! It’s Cold Outside! Please continue to bring donations of winter clothing for the Boner Center. The box is in Fellowship Hall on the stage in front of the curtain. They appreciate what we are doing to help the homeless and others in need of clothing.

Calling all Singers! Dan Forrest’s ‘Requiem for the Living’: A beautiful new setting of the Requiem by Dan Forrest will be presented on Sunday, March 20th @ 3pm by singers from our Shalom Zone* churches, invited by Allisonville Chancel Choir & Orchestra. This powerful five-movement work projects a wide range of meaningful expression, from a biting essay on the vanity and pain of mankind to a plea for mercy, and finally a celebration of eternal light. ALL are welcome to join us as we prepare this choral masterpiece. Rehearsals will begin on Monday, February 1 @ 7pm and will continue as follows:
Monday's @ 7pm-9pm on February 1, 8, 15, 22 & March 7, 14
Thursday’s @ 7:30-8:15 on February 11, 18, 25; March 3, 10
Rehearsals with Orchestra on Thursday, March 17 - 7pm-9pm and
Saturday, March 19 - 1pm-3pm
*First Friends Meeting, Epworth UMC, Cross & Crown Lutheran, St Pius X, Allisonville Christian
Contact Matthew Tippel, Director of Music, at 317-408-4904 or matthewk28@hotmail.com if you like to join or have any questions.

Sunday, February 7th, we will host “Souper Bowl Sunday” after Meeting for Worship in fellowship hall. Soup will be prepared for all to enjoy for a free will donation to Second Helpings. Both Statia Murphy and Vicki Wertz work at Second Helpings and we want to support this important organization for those less fortunate in our city. Start your Super Bowl Sunday by eating soup at the First Friends “Souper Bowl” party and learn more about Second Helpings.

Quaker Spirituality is presented by Steve Angell, Professor of Quaker Studies at Earlham School of Religion. Fairfield Friends Meeting will be hosting several Quaker Spirituality talks from the perspective of Margaret Fell, Isaac Pennington, Caroline Stephen, Thomas Kelly and Margery Abbott.
Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM
Fairfield Friends Meeting
February 16, 2016—Margaret Fell
February 23, 2016—Isaac Pennington
March 1, 2016—Caroline Stephen
March 8, 2016—Thomas Kelly
March 15, 2016—Margery Abbott
Free of charge but a one-time donation of $10.00 for ESR is suggested. For further information, contact Sarah Lookabill (slookabill@att.net).

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ The Food Chain~ Think of what the smallest creature you can think of eats and then think of what eats that creature. Keep building up who eats who until you can’t think of any creature that would come next. Try starting your food chain with a bug one time and then a plant or a small animal another time. How long a food chain can you make? From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Comment

Friend to Friend

April 27th, 2016

April 20th, 2016

March 9th, 2016

March 2nd, 2016

February 24th, 2016

February 17th, 2016

February 10th, 2016

February 3rd, 2016

January 27th, 2016

January 20th, 2016

Indianapolis First Friends Meeting

Compassionate • Christian • Quaker