July 6th, 2016

As Way Opens

Unconditional Love - this is a term that is frequently used to describe our most sacred and intimate relationships and a standard of love that might be our ideal.  But what does this term really mean?  I was recently accused from a family member that I was not showing unconditional love.  I think this charge was leveled because I was not giving the person what they wanted and they could not see beyond their own situation and only wanted help to solve an immediate problem.  I am figuring they thought a charge of not showing unconditional love would sting enough to change my mind. 

I started thinking about what this concept means and do we find it in the Bible and does this ideal describe God’s love?  The words unconditional love are not found anywhere in the Bible and Google tells me it is a concept shaped as our society has developed methods of psychology, sociology and ways to describe different types of love.  The definition often includes love without limitations or conditions.  I like this one definition I found that describes unconditional love as a state of mind in which one has the goal of increasing the welfare of another, despite any evidence of benefit for oneself.   Unconditional love as a state of mind and selfless!  While the Bible never uses this term, I embrace the idea that God loves us without limits or conditions.  God loves us in our brokenness, our failures and our darkness.  This love encompasses us yet doesn’t stop us from making bad choices, feeling resentment, being falsely accused, experiencing loss and pain, and living with consequences.  God’s unconditional love doesn’t make our life easy and pain free.  But this love changes how we view ourselves and how we can view all others.    Jesus challenged us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, to love our enemies, to love as God has loved us. I think what Jesus really challenged us to do was love without any evidence that we will receive any benefit from our expression of love.  

We all have relationships with family, friends and colleagues that are disappointing, challenging, full of despair, unjust and painful.  Can we offer unconditional love to those that bring us to our knees?  It is the challenge of our life and Jesus example of living into this kind of love is what the Christian experience is all about.  When we finally understand that we cannot change anyone’s behavior, decisions and attitudes and only can change ourselves do we finally understand this idea of unconditional love.  It is not about the other person - it is about us!

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Ruthie has been spending time with Friends – from FGC!  Jon and Ruthie traveled to St. Joseph, MN to participate in the Friends General Conference Gathering there.  Ruthie presented at a workshop for Friends Committee on National Legislation entitled “Faith Powering Up the Activist Within”.  Deep sharing, large and small group activities, journaling, song, and silent worship were a part of the morning spent together.  Ruthie will move on to Cedar Rapids, IA where she will be leading the Study Sessions for the United Society of Friends Women International Gathering this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Please keep Ruthie in your prayers as she seeks to follow God’s leading.   

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions are coming up next week July 14-17 in Plainfield! Join us at Yearly Meeting on Sunday, July 17th for a great morning together! At 9:30 - Concert of Gifts and Talents led by Ruthie Tippin; Jim and Leslie Kartholl and Jon Tippin performing. At 10:30 - Meeting for Worship with Scott Wagoner speaking; Recording Recognition of Beth Henricks and Katherine Murray. We will be gathering for a time of fellowship and communion together...So that Faith, Truth, and Love Might Flourish!

Hindu Temple Visit—Friends will be visiting the Hindu Temple (www.htci.org) at 3350 N. German Church Rd this Sunday July 10th.  We will meet at the Temple at 9:15 and get a tour and will join their service at 10:00.  Maltie who is a member of the Temple will join us there.  If you would like to caravan from the Meeting, please be in the parking lot at 8:45 a.m.  Let Beth know if you want to attend—beth.henricks@indyfriends.org. Hindu Temple has also shared with us a wonderful link with more information about their temple and Hinduism! Feel free to read it here! https://www.htci.org/images/VisitorsGuide2012.pdf

Calling all ice cream lovers!  First Friends will be working at the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday August 13th all day.  This is a major fundraiser for our youth programming.  We plan to have two 6 hour shifts, 9:30am-3:30pm, and 3:30-9:30pm.  It is fast paced but lots of fun! Please let Beth (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org) know if you’re interested in volunteering! 

Quaker Kids Book Club! Join the club – check out a book!  The Children’s Library has been moved to a great new spot, and we have LOTS of wonderful books for kids to read. Be sure to watch for the red Quaker “Q”, showing books about Quakers!  They’re great.  If you sign out a book, you’ve joined the club!  Here’s a bit about one of our new books: Maria’s Comet, by Deborah Hopkinson.  “Loosely based on the childhood of Quaker Maria (pronounced ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer, here is an exquisitely told story of a girl who yearns for adventure beyond her limited circumstances, and sets out to follow her heart.”  Check it out!  

Vacation Bible School is only a few weeks away! It will begin on Sunday, July 24 from 12:00-2:00pm and will continue Mon.-Thurs. from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Lunch will be provided for all who attend on the 24th. We welcome all our kids, grandkids and friends of our kids to participate in this fun and special time of learning that Jesus is the Light of the World. We’re registering now! To sign up your kids, there are registration forms in the hallway! Contact Beth with any questions at beth.henricks@indyfriends.org.

IFCL Open Position - The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) is accepting resumes for the position of lobbyist for the 2017 calendar year.  This is a compensated position. Please contact IFCL clerk, Bill at drchapman@earthlink.net. For more information about the work of IFCL visit www.quakerifcl.org

Vegetable Garden - We are in need of a galvanized garbage can to help our vegetable garden! This garbage canister may be large or small but it will need to have a tight lid. It will be used to sanitize tools and will need to keep fumes inside. Our community garden also has flowers if anyone is interested in helping with those. If you’d like to help out, please contact Nancy the office.

FUM Summer Mission Project: Power to Pastors - This year’s FUM Summer Mission Project is to support Friends Theological College (“FTC”) located in a rural area in western Kenya.  One of the challenges FTC has is frequent power blackouts.  This inhibits the ability of students to check out library materials, access items at the library, do research, and use the computers.  FTC plans to install 32 solar panels (costing $1,500 each) to help alleviate this power shortage problem.  Friends United Meeting (a global organization of which First Friends is a part) has set a goal of $20,000 to help FTC acquire the needed solar panels.  Please help as you are able.  Witness & Service will match all contributions from folks at First Friends (up to an aggregate match of $1,500.00) which are given for this project.  Checks may be written to “First Friends” with a notation of “FUM-Power to Pastors”.  Your support is appreciated.  

Take me out to the BALL GAME! Join First Friends on Sunday, August 7th at 1:30 PM to see the Indianapolis Indians! This is a time of fun for anyone to join in from First Friends and ticket costs will be free! Contact Beth if you’re interested (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org).

Picture it: A Jewish wedding – “l'chaim, mozeltov!” Buddhists chanting, a turbaned Sikh on a large white stallion, dancers, songs and prayers in different languages........and a large array of Quakers with messages of peace, love and light. These are some of the things you might see and hear at the Festival of Faiths on September 18 at the Veterans War Memorial from 1:00 – 5:00pm.

The idea is to have a large Quaker presence including First Friends Meeting, Plainfield, Fairfield, Valley Mills and others as well as AFSC, FCNL, IFCL and other Quaker organizations. 

We are inviting everyone to attend and we are asking people to help with the Quaker area representation. We need a few people to help set up, take down and attend the booth. It is not necessary to be present the whole time. Come anytime that works for you and any time you can give will be appreciated. If you are interested in helping or want more information contact the office.

Leave a green footprint! ~ The Earth is an amazing and beautiful place. All its riches will last, so long as we learn to use only what we need. 
How can we best use the Earth’s gifts?
Tip #2: We can take care of our toys and games and share them when we are done with them.
From 16 Things Kids can do to Help Care for the Earth, by Dana Kester-McCabe, 2006.

June 29th, 2016

As Way Opens

Hello Friends!  After two weeks of travel, Jon and I have returned home.  We had an incredible trip, revisiting some places and seeing new sites that we’d never seen in England, Scotland, the Isle of Barra (in the Outer Hebrides), and the Isle of Man.  It was wonderful to see again the places where George Fox and the early Friends gathered, to visit castles and coastlines, to meet new people and make new friends. Wherever we went, there was always one conversation going - Brexit.  It didn’t matter where we were – the news broadcasts and personal conversations were centered on the referendum of the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union. What would it be… to Leave or Remain? 
On Friday morning, June 24th, Jon and I woke up at Dylan and Elspeth MacNeil’s home on the tiny island of Barra – now a bed and breakfast – to discover that the UK had voted to leave.  After breakfast, the news came that the Prime Minister had resigned. So much change in just a day! We couldn’t believe it.  Dylan and Elspeth were surprised.  I think everyone was.  Scotland voted to remain, but the UK had chosen to leave.  ‘Many Britons are scrambling to apply for passports from countries within the E.U., as a way to stay in the bloc even as their country waves goodbye.’  Their world was topsy-turvy.
    This all stands to remind me of how interconnected we are – politically, economically, personally… Even when we part company, relationships matter.  How do we disentangle reliance and interests we’ve held with others?  Hopefully, with grace and care.  Friend Joshua Rowntree wrote in 1913: “All enlargements of the circle of man’s life bring their fresh difficulties.  The early Friends worked ever from the centre of life to the circumference.  Their work came out splendidly true, and it was never shallow.’
It is our work to do to respond rather than react to change.  The Quaker ideal of remaining centered regardless of the shifts in our personal lives or the lives of our community, our nation and our world depends on our willingness to listen, until we’ve heard God speak.  What does our experience of God teach us?  What does our understanding of ourselves in a larger context tell us?  Are we rehearsing our own thoughts or are we truly listening for God’s voice?  How do we connect, even in times of stress?  How do we hear what others are saying? 
    Whether we’re on the Isle of Man or in the island of our own family and friends, we are connected.  Regardless of the results at the ballot box, we are all a part of humankind – God’s created expression of the image of God.  In this time of partisan politics, hate speech, and cruel acts against those considered ‘other’, we must remember to live and work from the Center out, and not from the circumference in.  The closer we come to the Center, the closer we become to one another. I vote to remain in the Center.         

Ruthie                          

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Considering the Quote: 
In the afternoon the people gathered about me, with several of their preachers. It was judged there were above a thousand people; to whom I declared God's everlasting truth and Word of life freely and largely for about the space of three hours. I directed all to the Spirit of God in themselves; that they might be turned from darkness to Light, and believe in it; that they might become the children of it, and might be turned from the power of Satan unto God, and by the Spirit of truth might be led into all truth, and sensibly understand the words of the prophets, of Christ, and of the apostles; and might all come to know Christ to be their teacher to instruct them, their counsellor to direct them, their shepherd to feed them, their bishop to oversee them, and their prophet to open divine mysteries to them; and might know their bodies to be prepared, sanctified, and made fit temples for God and Christ to dwell in. In the openings of heavenly life I explained unto them the prophets, and the figures and shadows, and directed them to Christ, the substance.                    George Fox, 1652 at Firbank Fell

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Joys & Concerns

Happy 4th of July! We hope you have a fun and safe Independence Day weekend! Please note the office will be closed Monday, July 5th in observance of the holiday.

Pray for Istanbul.  Pray for the World.  Not only glass and metal, but families have been shattered, lives have been lost, and the pervading fear of terrorist attacks continues.  We pray for those who were injured, and whose families have lost loved ones in the bombing of the airport in Turkey.  We pray for an end of terror and fear.  And, we continue to work for peace.  Let us be courageous.

This past Sunday, 16 adults and young people from First Friends and from the Muslim community joined together to serve clients and stock shelves at the Mid North Food Pantry.   A big thank you for all who helped serve.  The leaders of the Food Pantry were so pleased to see our faith communities come together in support of helping the clients of Mid North. 

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nnouncements, Reports, & Opportunities

Calling all ice cream lovers!  First Friends will be working at the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday August 13th all day.  This is a major fundraiser for our youth programming.  We plan to have two 6 hour shifts, 9:30am-3:30pm, and 3:30-9:30pm.  It is fast paced but lots of fun! Please let Beth (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org) know if you’re interested in volunteering! 

IFCL Open Position - The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) is accepting resumes for the position of lobbyist for the 2017 calendar year.  This is a compensated position. Please contact IFCL clerk, Bill at drchapman@earthlink.net. For more information about the work of IFCL visit www.quakerifcl.org

Vegetable Garden - We are in need of a galvanized garbage can to help our vegetable garden! This garbage canister may be large or small but it will need to have a tight lid. It will be used to sanitize tools and will need to keep fumes inside. Our community garden also has flowers if anyone is interested in helping with those. If you’d like to help out, please contact the office. 

FUM Summer Mission Project: Power to Pastors - This year’s FUM Summer Mission Project is to support Friends Theological College (“FTC”) located in a rural area in western Kenya.  One of the challenges FTC has is frequent power blackouts.  This inhibits the ability of students to check out library materials, access items at the library, do research, and use the computers.  FTC plans to install 32 solar panels (costing $1,500 each) to help alleviate this power shortage problem.  Friends United Meeting (a global organization of which First Friends is a part) has set a goal of $20,000 to help FTC acquire the needed solar panels.  Please help as you are able.  Witness & Service will match all contributions from folks at First Friends (up to an aggregate match of $1,500.00) which are given for this project.  Checks may be written to “First Friends” with a notation of “FUM-Power to Pastors”.  Your support is appreciated.  

Hindu Temple Visit—Friends will be visiting the Hindu Temple (www.htci.org) at 3350 N. German Church Rd on Sunday July 10th.  We will meet at the Temple at 9:15 and get a tour and will join their service at 10:00.  Maltie who is a member of the Temple will join us there.  If you would like to caravan from the Meeting, please be in the parking lot at 8:45 a.m.  Let Beth know if you want to attend—beth.henricks@indyfriends.org.    

Seasoned Friends for all folks somewhere around retirement age will be Wednesday, July 13.  This is our annual picnic with fried chicken, potato salad and other salads provided.  Please RSVP to Kathy (kathyfarris@hotmail.com) so we can know how much chicken to buy.  While you're marking your calendar, put October 12 down for the fall seasoned friends with our annual weenie roast!

Vacation Bible School is only a few weeks away! It will begin on Sunday, July 24 from 12:00-2:00pm and will continue Mon.-Thurs. from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Lunch will be provided for all who attend on the 24th. We are currently looking for volunteers to help! If you are interested in being a teacher/leader and would like to help, please contact Beth at beth.henricks@indyfriends.org. We welcome all our kids, grandkids and friends of our kids to participate in this fun and special time of learning that Jesus is the Light of the World.  A sign up sheet will be in the hallway starting next week.

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions are coming up July 14-17 in Plainfield! We will be gathering for a time of fellowship and communion together...So that Faith, Truth, and Love Might Flourish! Come ready to hear about all the various ministry outlets WYM is involved with and how we are bringing the Light of God to the world! Registrations received by July 1, 2016 will be pre-registered for a fee of $10 per adult which includes a name tag and business packet. Those registering after July 1st will need to pay a Walk-In Rate of $15 per adult. You can register online here: http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymsessions or contact the office if you are in need of a paper copy.

Shalom Zone Garage Sale – Mark your calendars! On July 30th from 8:00 am to noon the Shalom Zone churches (Cross and Crown, Allisonville Christian, Epworth, First Friends and St. Pius X) will be sponsoring "garage sale" and “craft sale” opportunities for individuals in the Cross and Crown parking lot at 79th and Allisonville Road. You will be able to reserve a space for $10 in advance ($15 day of sale). The rest is up to you - bring your own table or use the trunk of your car. You get to keep whatever you earn.  The adjoining neighborhood of Ivy Hills will have its annual garage sale the same day so there should be no shortage of folks looking for a deal.  The Shalom Zone will donate the reservation fees to School on Wheels, a voluntary program which tutors homeless children throughout Marion County.  For more information contact the office.

Take me out to the BALL GAME! Join First Friends on Sunday, August 7th at 1:30 PM to see the Indianapolis Indians! This is a time of fun for anyone to join in from First Friends and ticket costs will be free! Contact Beth if you’re interested (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org).

Save the Date! The Indy Festival of Faiths is coming up on Sunday, September 18th from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Veteran’s War Memorial. The Indy Festival of Faiths is an annual gathering in downtown Indianapolis designed to recognize, highlight, and celebrate the diverse religious landscape in central Indiana. For more information, visit www.festivaloffaiths.com.

Shalom Zone Recycle Force Event - Our friends at Recycle Force will be picking up used electronic and appliance items at St. Pius X on September 24.  If it runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it!  Larger items can be dropped off and stored in the First Friends garage prior to September 24 (contact the First Friends office to do this).  More info regarding this event will be provided closer to that day.

Quaker Kids Book Club! Join the club – check out a book!  The Children’s Library has been moved to a great new spot, and we have LOTS of wonderful books for kids to read. Be sure to watch for the red Quaker “Q”, showing books about Quakers!  They’re great.  If you sign out a book, you’ve joined the club!  Here’s a bit about one of our new books: Maria’s Comet, by Deborah Hopkinson.  “Loosely based on the childhood of Quaker Maria (pronounced ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer, here is an exquisitely told story of a girl who years for adventure beyond her limited circumstances, and sets out to follow her heart.”  Check it out!  

 NEW ~ Leave a green footprint! ~ For the next 16 weeks, we will be featuring “16 Things Kids can do to Help Care for the Earth.” Each week we will be a new tip that you can try with your children to help keep the Earth healthy!
The Earth is an amazing and beautiful place. All its riches will last, so long as we learn to use only what we need. 
How can we best use the Earth’s gifts?
Tip #1: We can appreciate our food, and try not to waste it.
 From 16 Things Kids can do to Help Care for the Earth, by Dana Kester-McCabe, 2006.

June 22, 2016

As Way Opens

Last year I met a woman named Gilda that came into our lives through an agency that provides companion care for individuals in their home.  We initially met around our dining room table with the agency owner, Gilda, my husband Jerry and me.  Gilda had beautiful hair and such a clear complexion for being in her 60’s.  She was African American and had worked in several doctor’s homes as a housekeeper for over 30 years.  She didn’t have much education but she was really smart.    And her smile and laugh lit up the room.  

Jerry was having a lot of trouble with words and he was trying to share with her a story that I had heard a hundred times before but she couldn’t understand it at all.  It’s a story about how Jerry’s dad displayed some prejudice in his life but he wanted to ensure that his son had none in his life.  After struggling for several minutes he came out with the words “I love black people" and started crying.  It moved all of us around the table and we all had tears in our eyes.  That was the start of our relationship with Gilda.  For many months she came over and stayed with Jerry, cooked for him, looked at his thousands of pictures and took care of unpleasant tasks with a smile.  Even though our backgrounds and life experiences were very different, Gilda and I were connected in the heart.  We shared hopes, dreams, our faith and fears together. 

As time went on, it became apparent that Jerry would need to move into a memory care unit.  We said goodbye to Gilda but she and I stayed connected through texting and sharing how things were going etc.  And then one month after Jerry moved, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Our beloved Gilda was given less than 6 months to live.  I started visiting her in her home and the hospital.  She started taking chemo but it was difficult and she kept getting sick.  But every time I would see her, we would laugh and cry and she was most concerned about the burden she was to her husband and daughter.  She was not afraid of dying and her faith was strong.  

I texted her 3 weeks ago and never heard back from her.  I heard from her daughter last week that she had passed away.  The daughter realized after the funeral that she should have contacted me but I was not in the circle of their family.  Our relationship was unique and special and we both said that God brought us together. 

God speaks to us and shows us the capacity of love in the ordinary, in the common place and in relationships that don’t make sense on paper.  I am thankful that God brought Gilda to me and I will honor and cherish her life and the love she gave us.   How has God spoken to you in  the routine of life and the people we come in contact with?  Who are you thankful for today?  Tell them that you love them. 

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

A big ‘Thank You’ to Tom Hamm! He was our guest speaker this past Sunday, June 19th. He shared with us some important Quakers in Indiana history, how they made a difference for the better, and what we can learn from them! Our sincerest thanks to Tom!

Our friend Phil Goodchild recently had a letter to the editor published in the Indianapolis Star on June 11th. He wrote about our mass incarceration problem. Read his letter here or find it in the paper!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

IFCL Open Position - The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) is accepting resumes for the position of lobbyist for the 2017 calendar year.  This is a compensated position. Please contact IFCL clerk, Bill Chapman at drchapman@earthlink.net. For more information about the work of IFCL visit www.quakerifcl.org

Excel, Anyone?  If you have a little bit of time, and know how to do data entry on an Excel spreadsheet, we’d appreciate your help.  Books have been donated to the Meeting Library, and need to be added to our catalog. Please let the Office know, and we’ll be in touch. Thank you.

Garden News – Looking for anyone who can help around the meeting house with gardening and clean up. Please join Terry at the meeting house 10AM -Noon on Saturday the 25th. Learn a new plant, ask gardening questions, take care of a bed of flowers- should be an enriching volunteer experience!

Our member Marshelle will be speaking in Meeting for Worship this Sunday. Marion Superior Court Magistrate Marshelle is originally from Richmond, Indiana, as is her husband and high school sweetheart, Jonathan.  A Butler grad, she earned her law degree from IU.  Marshelle spent her first seven years as an attorney at the Marion County Public Defender Agency.  She then worked for the City of Indianapolis and briefly in private practice before being appointed to the bench.  She currently presides over domestic violence and domestic relations cases.  We look forward to hearing from her! Please join us on June 26th!
 
FUM Summer Mission Project: Power to Pastors - This year’s FUM Summer Mission Project is to support Friends Theological College (“FTC”) located in a rural area in western Kenya.  One of the challenges FTC has is frequent power blackouts.  This inhibits the ability of students to check out library materials, access items at the library, do research, and use the computers.  FTC plans to install 32 solar panels (costing $1,500 each) to help alleviate this power shortage problem.  Friends United Meeting (a global organization of which First Friends is a part) has set a goal of $20,000 to help FTC acquire the needed solar panels.  Please help as you are able.  Witness & Service will match all contributions from folks at First Friends (up to an aggregate match of $1,500.00) which are given for this project.  Checks may be written to “First Friends” with a notation of “FUM-Power to Pastors”.  Your support is appreciated.  

Vacation Bible School is only a few weeks away! It will begin on Sunday, July 24 from 12:00-2:00pm and will continue Mon.-Thurs. from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Lunch will be provided for all who attend on the 24th. We are currently looking for volunteers to help! If you are interested in being a teacher/leader and would like to help, please contact Beth at beth.henricks@indyfriends.org. We welcome all our kids, grandkids and friends of our kids to participate in this fun and special time of learning that Jesus is the Light of the World.  A sign up sheet will be in the hallway starting next week.

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions are coming up July 14-17 in Plainfield! We will be gathering for a time of fellowship and communion together...So that Faith, Truth, and Love Might Flourish! Come ready to hear about all the various ministry outlets WYM is involved with and how we are bringing the Light of God to the world! Registrations received by July 1, 2016 will be pre-registered for a fee of $10 per adult which includes a name tag and business packet. Those registering after July 1st will need to pay a Walk-In Rate of $15 per adult. You can register online here: http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymsessions or contact the office if you are in need of a paper copy.

Shalom Zone Garage Sale – Mark your calendars! On July 30th from 8:00 am to noon the Shalom Zone churches (Cross and Crown, Allisonville Christian, Epworth, First Friends and St. Pius X) will be sponsoring "garage sale" and “craft sale” opportunities for individuals in the Cross and Crown parking lot at 79th and Allisonville Road. You will be able to reserve a space for $10 in advance ($15 day of sale). The rest is up to you - bring your own table or use the trunk of your car. You get to keep whatever you earn.  The adjoining neighborhood of Ivy Hills will have its annual garage sale the same day so there should be no shortage of folks looking for a deal.  The Shalom Zone will donate the reservation fees to School on Wheels, a voluntary program which tutors homeless children throughout Marion County.  For more information contact Jim Donahue or Bill Chapman.

Save the Date! The Indy Festival of Faiths is coming up on Sunday, September 18th from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Veteran’s War Memorial. The Indy Festival of Faiths is an annual gathering in downtown Indianapolis designed to recognize, highlight, and celebrate the diverse religious landscape in central Indiana. For more information, visit www.festivaloffaiths.com.

Shalom Zone Recycle Force Event - Our friends at Recycle Force will be picking up used electronic and appliance items at St. Pius X on September 24.  If it runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it!  Larger items can be dropped off and stored in the First Friends garage prior to September 24 (contact Jim Donahue, Bill Chapman or the First Friends office to do this).  More info regarding this event will be provided closer to that day.

German Children's Relief Art Exhibition Marian University - Looking for information on the post WWI and II German Children's Relief Program (Quäkerspeisung) by the American Friend Service Committee.  We have found a book called ‘Quiet Helpers - Quaker Service in Postwar Germany’.  We are looking for more history or personal stories about the artwork or the program itself.  The art work and poems sent back as Thank You’s to Friends will be featured in an Art Exhibit at Marian University.  Exhibit Runs: August 29-October 7, 2016 ; Reception: September 1, 4-6 pm, 2016.  Thank you in advance for anything you think would be helpful for the exhibit.  Please contact Nichole: nmathews@hse.k12.in.us.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Sentence Search ~ Someone says a sentence, like “This is fun.” Then everybody else tries to find things that begin with the first letter of each word. In this case, maybe you’d find a thistle (T), an iris (I) and a fountain (F). Start with short sentences and then try some longer ones.
 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

June 15th, 2016

As Way Opens

I am sitting in my office today, watching the rain pour from the sky and feeling sadness and pain as I continue to read more and more about the violent tragedy in Orlando this weekend.  What do we do when faced with this kind of horror?  How do we reconcile the belief there is that of God in each person with the evil we saw on display in this shooting rampage?  

Wanda Coffin Baker shared a wonderful devotional about the Presence in the Midst paintings to a Quaker religious education gathering I attended in Richmond over the weekend.  Most of us are familiar with the original Presence in the Midst painting by J. Doyle Penrose painted in 1916 of Jordan’s Meeting House outside of London.  A contemporary artist name Ron Waddam reimagined the painting and presented Christ in the Midst of Quaker Meeting in an abstract form.  Waddam was born in 1920 and he started working at a London commercial art studio in 1937.  He was drafted into military service and served from 1940-1946.  He continued his work as a graphic artist after the war and became a Quaker in 1978.  The images of war that he experienced made him stop painting for some time.  But as time went on, he began to feel inspired to express his values and concerns through his art. He saw the possibility of living without conflict when we are able to recognize that Christ is in our midst and painted his depiction of the Jordan Meeting House gathering.

I have been sitting with this painting the last couple of days. The fluidity, the connection, the circle joined together with Christ in the center gives me hope of a new possibility.  I don’t want to become planted in a place that says we can’t change things and this is our new normal.  The presence of Christ in our midst changes everything.  Even through tragedy and pain, Christ in our midst holds us together, circles us with love and calls us to action.  I like what Stephen Colbert said on his show Monday night that love is a verb.  It is an action word and requires us to do something.  May we show our love today in big and small ways.  And may we hold in the Light the families and friends that have lost their loved ones in this tragedy.  May they see the presence of Christ in their midst.  

 Beth

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Joys and Concerns

Ruthie is on vacation the next two weeks! Ruthie left for England this past weekend with her husband Jon. She did arrive safely, and even spent the night at Swarthmoor Hall last evening! She will be returning Tuesday, June 28th. As you will find below, we will have guest speakers during Meeting for Worship the next two Sundays in her absence. We wish Ruthie and Jon the most fun and relaxing vacation!

Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened at Pulse in Orlando in the early hours of Sunday, June 12th. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected. Please pray for the shooting victims and their families as we grieve over this heartbreaking loss of life.

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

IFCL Open Position - The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) is accepting resumes for the position of lobbyist for the 2017 calendar year.  This is a compensated position. Please contact the office if you are interested and we will put you in touch with the IFCL clerk, Bill Chapman. For more information about the work of IFCL visit www.quakerifcl.org

Excel, Anyone?  If you have a little bit of time, and know how to do data entry on an Excel spreadsheet, we’d appreciate your help.  Books have been donated to the Meeting Library, and need to be added to our catalog. Please let the Office know, and we’ll be in touch. Thank you.

Garden News – Looking for anyone who can help around the meeting house with gardening and clean up. Please join Terry at the meeting house 10AM -Noon on Saturday the 18th and the 25th. Learn a new plant, ask gardening questions, take care of a bed of flowers- should be an enriching volunteer experience!

School on Wheels looking for Volunteers! The School on Wheels is the charity for the RUN(317) Race on Broad Ripple tomorrow, June 16 at 7PM. They are in need of volunteers for a variety of jobs/stations during the run. Anyone interested in participating in the run can also register at https://raceroster.com/events/2016/7489/run317-broad-ripple.

Sunday June 19th: Tom Hamm will be speaking in Meeting for Worship
Join us on Father’s Day, June 19th at 10:15 to hear Tom Hamm, who is among the world’s leading expert historians on Quakers in America. He will be speaking about specific times in Indiana History when Quakers made a difference for the better.
He teaches a variety of courses in American and British history.  He has authored many books including: The Quakers in America (Columbia University Press, 2003) 
Earlham College: A History, 1847-1997 (Indiana University Press, 1997)
The Transformation of American Quakerism: Orthodox Friends, 1800-1907 (Indiana University Press, 1988) 
Quaker Writings: An Anthology, 1650-1920 (Penguin Classics, 2011)
 "Hicksite, Orthodox, and Evangelical Quakerism, 1805-1887," in Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies (Oxford University Press, 2013).

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply.  Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is this Sunday, June 19, 2016. For an application please contact the office at 255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org.
 

Restorative Practice Event – You and your colleagues are invited to spend a day immersed in discussion and learning about restorative practices Wednesday, June 22nd. Peace Learning Center, Indianapolis Public Schools, and the Desmond Tutu center are putting together a day of learning, community building, and connections to help encourage participants to use their classrooms, community centers, homes, and more to help grow restorative justice movement right here in Indianapolis. This is a free event open to parents and staff in any school district interested (as well as our friends not affiliated with any school district!) For more information click here or contact the office! 
 

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions are coming up July 14-17 in Plainfield! We will be gathering for a time of fellowship and communion together...So that Faith, Truth, and Love Might Flourish! Come ready to hear about all the various ministry outlets WYM is involved with and how we are bringing the Light of God to the world! Registrations received by July 1, 2016 will be pre-registered for a fee of $10 per adult which includes a name tag and business packet. Those registering after July 1st will need to pay a Walk-In Rate of $15 per adult. You can register online here: http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymsessions or contact the office if you are in need of a paper copy.

Vacation Bible School is only a few weeks away! It will begin on Sunday, July 24 from 12:00-2:00pm and will continue Mon.-Thurs. from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Lunch will be provided for all who attend on the 24th. We are currently looking for volunteers to help! If you are interested in being a teacher/leader and would like to help, please contact Beth at beth.henricks@indyfriends.org. We welcome all our kids, grandkids and friends of our kids to participate in this fun and special time of learning that Jesus is the Light of the World.  A sign up sheet will be in the hallway starting next week.
 

German Children's Relief Art Exhibition Marian University - Looking for information on the post WWI and II German Children's Relief Program (Quäkerspeisung) by the American Friend Service Committee.  We have found a book called ‘Quiet Helpers - Quaker Service in Postwar Germany’.  We are looking for more history or personal stories about the artwork or the program itself.  The art work and poems sent back as Thank You’s to Friends will be featured in an Art Exhibit at Marian University.  Exhibit Runs: August 29-October 7, 2016 ; Reception: September 1, 4-6 pm, 2016.  Thank you in advance for anything you think would be helpful for the exhibit.  Please contact Nichole: nmathews@hse.k12.in.us

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Touch Ten ~ With a pencil and paper, wander around and find ten different things that have different textures. Write down the name of the object and a word to describe the texture. See if you can find another ten things with ten new textures. What is the weirdest one to touch? Which thing has the texture you like the most, and why?
 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

June 8th, 2016

As Way Opens

Friends – I am happy to share a blogpost from Leslie Kartholl this week.  As we met for worship in our Meditational Woods last Sunday, and considered the grace and goodness of being planted and nurtured by God as if by streams of living water, Leslie was reminded of this entry she’d written some time ago.  Be blessed, as I have been.

Ruthie

TAKE ROOT

I had a "happy accident" a couple of weeks ago; while I was walking in the park behind my house I somehow ended up sliding down a muddy embankment. By the way, you don't outgrow clumsy. I made a feeble attempt to stop myself, but I was at the bottom on my bum before I knew it. In front of me was a creek, behind me was...a magic tree. At least it looked magic, or enchanted, or something. It was awesome, frankly; weird and otherworldly.  I stood there gazing at it, fully expecting an elf or two to come strolling out of the hollow trunk.... continue reading at ManyWinters.com

 Leslie Kartholl, manywinters.com
 

Considering the Quote: “How, then, shall we lay hold of that Life and Power, and live the life of prayer without ceasing? By quiet, persistent practice in turning of all our being, day and night, in prayer and inward worship and surrender, toward Him who calls in the deeps of our souls.  Mental habits of inward orientation must be established.  An inner, secret turning to God can be made fairly steady, after weeks and months and years of practice and lapses and failures and returns.  It is as simple an art as Brother Lawrence found it, but it may be long before we achieve any steadiness in the process.  Begin now, as you read these words, as you sit in your chair, to offer your whole selves, utterly and in joyful abandon, in quiet, glad surrender to Him who is within.  In secret ejaculations of praise, turn in humble wonder to the Light, faint though it may be.”                                    Thomas R. Kelly  

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Quaker Religious Education Collaboration (QREC) invites you to Instilling Quaker Identity through Religious Education, a weekend gathering that includes a series of workshops, plenaries, interest circles, displays, fellowship, worship, and celebration. It is being held June 10-12 at the Quaker Hill Conference Center in Richmond. You can register online at http://www.quakers4re.org/2016registration. Questions? Contact registrar2016@quakers4re.org.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) will be showing a film this Friday, June 10th from 7:00-8:30 PM.  The showing will be in the parlor. Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims' families. Anyone is invited to attend this screening! 

Indy Pride Parade - Everyone's invited to march in the Indy Pride Parade this Saturday, June 11th.  We will meet outside the Phoenix Theatre at 9am and the Parade begins at 10am.  Please bring water and wear your First Friends T-shirts!  if you've always wanted to march in a parade through downtown Indianapolis, and wanted to show support for the LGBT community, join us this Saturday and email Janis at jcrawfor@butler.edu.  See you Saturday!

Babysitting Co-Op happens this Saturday, June 11th!   
June 11th will be our babysitting co-op evening from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.  This is a free night of babysitting that is hosted by parents.  
Michael and Katie Hostetler will be hosting.  Dinner is provided for the kids! Please let Beth Henricks (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org)  know if you would like to attend. 

IFCL Open Position - The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) is accepting resumes for the position of lobbyist for the 2017 calendar year.  This is a compensated position. Please contact the office if you are interested and we will put you in touch with the IFCL clerk, Bill Chapman. For more information about the work of IFCL visit www.quakerifcl.org

Friends Education Fund Scholars will be honored this Sunday, June 12th:  A Quaker college scholarship program for African American students was created in the mid-1940’s by seeral members of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting who were the surviving governing board of the only orphanage for African American children in the state of Indiana.  Since that time, a great number of scholarships have been awarded, and many students have gone on to academic life.  Come and hear the story of how it all began, and celebrate with these fine young people – both in worship and Fellowship Hour.

School on Wheels looking for Volunteers! The School on Wheels is the charity for the RUN(317) Race on Broad Ripple on Thursday, June 16 at 7PM. They are in need of volunteers for a variety of jobs/stations during the run. Anyone interested in participating in the run can also register at https://raceroster.com/events/2016/7489/run317-broad-ripple.

Sunday June 19th: Tom Hamm will be speaking in Meeting for Worship
Join us on Father’s Day, June 19th at 10:15 to hear Tom Hamm, who is among the world’s leading experts on Quakers in America. He teaches a variety of courses in American and British history.  He has authored many books including: The Quakers in America (Columbia University Press, 2003) 
Earlham College: A History, 1847-1997 (Indiana University Press, 1997)
The Transformation of American Quakerism: Orthodox Friends, 1800-1907 (Indiana University Press, 1988) 
Quaker Writings: An Anthology, 1650-1920 (Penguin Classics, 2011)
 "Hicksite, Orthodox, and Evangelical Quakerism, 1805-1887," in Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies (Oxford University Press, 2013).

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply.  Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 19, 2016. For an application please contact the office at 255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org.

Western Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions are coming up July 14-17 in Plainfield! We will be gathering for a time of fellowship and communion together...So that Faith, Truth, and Love Might Flourish! Come ready to hear about all the various ministry outlets WYM is involved with and how we are bringing the Light of God to the world! Registrations received by July 1, 2016 will be pre-registered for a fee of $10 per adult which includes a name tag and business packet. Those registering after July 1st will need to pay a Walk-In Rate of $15 per adult. You can register online here: http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymsessions or contact the office if you are in need of a paper copy.

Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd - Westfield Parks and Recreation and Main Street Productions have partnered on this original musical production that follows one family on their journey from slavery to freedom in the pre-Civil War era. The premiere of "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," on the lawn of historical Asa Bales Park, will take attendees along the Underground Railroad with only the "drinkin' gourd" (Big Dipper) to guide them. The special performance highlights the struggles, fears, and hopes that slaves experienced in their attempts to achieve freedom. Performances are June 17-19, with each performance will be approximately 2 hours in duration, including a short intermission. Adult tickets are $12. For event and ticket information, please visit http://www.enjoywestfieldevents.com/gourd or call 317-804-3184

Restorative Practice Event – You and your colleagues are invited to spend a day immersed in discussion and learning about restorative practices Wednesday, June 22nd. Peace Learning Center, Indianapolis Public Schools, and the Desmond Tutu center are putting together a day of learning, community building, and connections to help encourage participants to use their classrooms, community centers, homes, and more to help grow restorative justice movement right here in Indianapolis. This is a free event open to parents and staff in any school district interested (as well as our friends not affiliated with any school district!) Please contact the office for additional questions!

German Children's Relief Art Exhibition Marian University - Looking for information on the post WWI and II German Children's Relief Program (Quäkerspeisung) by the American Friend Service Committee.  We have found a book called ‘Quiet Helpers - Quaker Service in Postwar Germany’.  We are looking for more history or personal stories about the artwork or the program itself.  The art work and poems sent back as Thank You’s to Friends will be featured in an Art Exhibit at Marian University.  Exhibit Runs: August 29-October 7, 2016 ; Reception: September 1, 4-6 pm, 2016.  Thank you in advance for anything you think would be helpful for the exhibit.  Please contact Nichole: nmathews@hse.k12.in.us.

Jeff Rasley has a new book: Hero's Journey - John Ritter, the Chip Hilton of Goshen, Indiana; a  Memoir. It's part memoir about childhood heroes and part biography of John Ritter. John was a star for the Indiana University Hoosiers and captain of Bob Knight's first Final Four team.  His life later took a very unexpected turn.  Jeff set out to discover what happened to John and why.  The book is also a meditation on what makes a hero, why individuals and nations need heroes, and how they are used and abused. The eBook and paperback can be purchased through Amazon.

June 1st, 2016

As Way Opens

This past Thursday - Saturday I went on a spiritual retreat with a dear friend of mine to the Sisters of St Benedict in Ferdinand, IN.  The campus is beautiful (check this out at www.thedome.org) with an amazing sanctuary for worship, a dormitory for visitors to come and sleep and eat together and many other buildings within the site.  I met with a sister for spiritual direction and her background was pretty impressive. She has been a school principal within the public school system for 25 years and then traveled to Rome to manage the library in downtown Rome for the priests.  She came back home to run their health care center and now provides spiritual direction for friends that travel to the facility. She was kind, insightful, prayerful and encouraging to me and I felt deep respect for her commitment to God and to service.  I felt this way about all of the sisters I met during my time there.  Most of them joined the monastery in their 20’s and have given their life for their beliefs.  They continue to meet 3 times a day for prayer and there was a sense of reverence within the buildings.  But almost of all of the sisters look to be over 75 years old and their numbers have dwindled from over 500 to about 120 and only about 70 sisters are living in this large monastery.  

The monastery was founded in 1867 and the sisters arrived from Germany to fill a need for teachers who could speak German in Southern Indiana. They grew their numbers significantly over the years, raised the money and oversaw the building of this monastery, and they planted new Sisters of Benedictine monasteries in a number of cities in the United States (including Beech Grove).  They have had a significant impact on the world through their combination of devotion to God and desire to serve others.  But as I sat in the dome sanctuary for mass Saturday morning, I felt a deep sense of sadness to see all of these older women with no apparent plan for the future.  I sat there thinking that if I came back to visit in 25 years, there would not be a monastery there but a group of empty buildings.  I know it was a holiday weekend but there were only 2 of us visiting the monastery and there were about 60 rooms available.  It seems like the sisters are frozen in time and have not been able to adapt and change with the world.  I know that the goal of the monastic community is to remain planted in a life that is counter to the world, but even these organizations must change and adapt or they will disappear.

I thought about our own Quaker religion during my time there.  Are we headed for this same fate?  Are we holding on too tightly to the old ways, our history, our institutions without changing and adapting? Certainly our numbers have dwindled over the years - does that not mean our influence on the world has also dwindled?  We must look at ourselves in an honest and objective way and be willing to change even when that feels uncomfortable.

We must attract younger people to our faith community.  We must honor and respect and learn from all the different branches of Quakerism and come together to support the work of organizations like Right Sharing of World Resources, Quaker Voluntary Service, Friends United Meeting and other Quaker organizations that have impact on our world.  We must look at our worship, our organizational structures, our spiritual vitality and our ways of communicating our message of Quakerism.  I don’t want to see into the future 25 years and see empty buildings and empty structures.  I believe our message of hope, inclusion and a life transformed by God is what many are looking for but we will have to change for this message to be relevant.

Beth

 

Considering the Quote: Wherefore give all diligence to the Spirit’s motion and leadings, what it moves against, and what it leads to; for now will God make all things new: A new creation, new heavens, and new earth, and new heart and mind, and a new law, a new man to walk therein with his Maker with cheerfulness, and the old bonds are broken by the Spirit’s leading, and to serve in newness of spirit.                                          James Nayler, 1616-1660

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Joys & Concerns

Have you seen the latest issue of Quaker Life?  First Friends is featured in Dan Lee’s article, “Opening Young Lives to Faith” on pps. 14-16.  It’s a wonderful piece, sharing about our Quaker Youth Affirmation Study Course; the reason it was begun, the work put into writing and funding it, the support of our Meeting, and the active participation of the teachers and students.  Don’t miss it! 

Donations for ‘Dress for Success’ this Saturday!  Clothing has been collecting here at the Meetinghouse, and Dan Mitchell will be dropping them off this coming Saturday, June 4th at Dress for Success.  Many women need good clothing as they step out to interview for jobs, etc.  If you have professional women’s clothing you’d like to donate – slacks, skirts, dresses, blouses, jackets – please bring them to the Meetinghouse this week.  Leave them on the stage, and Dan will be sure to find them.  

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Announcements, Reports & Opportunities

Do you want to Ish? - Ish Group: A small group gathering for adult fellowship started by former members of the young adult group who weren’t sure if they were still youngish or adultish. Ish social events are often centered on food, spirits, and connection with Spirit through one another. Most that attend are 30ish to 50ish, but all adult attenders, members or their guests are welcome.  Meetings are held monthlyish at a member/attender’s home. Visit the first Friends Ish Facebook Group for details and ongoing Ish conversation. www.facebook.com/groups/firstfriendsyoungadults/ 

Join us for the Church Picnic & Worship in the Woods this Sunday, June 5th. Worship will be at the normal time, 10:15am, in the Meditational Woods. Immediately following will be the church picnic. Fried chicken, hot dogs & veggie dogs, rolls, ice cream, and drinks are all provided! We ask that you bring something based on your last name:
A-M: desserts        
N-Z: sides & salads
We will have kickball afterward, weather permitting. We hope to see you there!

The Quaker Religious Education Collaboration (QREC) invites you to Instilling Quaker Identity through Religious Education, a weekend gathering that includes a series of workshops, plenaries, interest circles, displays, fellowship, worship, and celebration. It is being held June 10-12 at the Quaker Hill Conference Center in Richmond. You can register online at http://www.quakers4re.org/2016registration. Questions? Contact registrar2016@quakers4re.org.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) will be showing a film in the parlor on Friday, June 10th from 7:00-8:30 PM.  Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims' families. Anyone is invited to attend this screening! 

Babysitting Co-Op happens Saturday, June 11th!   
June 11th will be our babysitting co-op evening from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.  This is a free night of babysitting that is hosted by parents.  
Michael and Katie Hostetler will be hosting.  Dinner is provided for the kids! Please let Beth Henricks (beth.henricks@indyfriends.org)  know if you would like to attend. 

Friends Education Fund Scholars will be honored Sunday, June 12th:  A Quaker college scholarship program for African American students was created in the mid-1940’s by several members of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting who were the surviving governing board of the only orphanage for African American children in the state of Indiana.  Since that time, a great number of scholarships have been awarded, and many students have gone on to academic life.  Come and hear the story of how it all began, and celebrate with these fine young people – both in worship and Fellowship Hour.

School on Wheels looking for Volunteers! The School on Wheels is the charity for the RUN(317) Race on Broad Ripple on Thursday, June 16 at 7PM. They are in need of volunteers for a variety of jobs/stations during the run. Please see the attached flyer for info on what jobs are available and where to register to volunteer. Anyone interested in participating in the run can also register at https://raceroster.com/events/2016/7489/run317-broad-ripple.

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply.  Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 19, 2016. For an application please contact the office at 255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org.

Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd - Westfield Parks and Recreation and Main Street Productions have partnered on this original musical production that follows one family on their journey from slavery to freedom in the pre-Civil War era. The premiere of "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," on the lawn of historical Asa Bales Park, will take attendees along the Underground Railroad with only the "drinkin' gourd" (Big Dipper) to guide them. The special performance highlights the struggles, fears, and hopes that slaves experienced in their attempts to achieve freedom. Performances are June 17-19, with each performance will be approximately 2 hours in duration, including a short intermission. Adult tickets are $12. For event and ticket information, please visit http://www.enjoywestfieldevents.com/gourd or call 317-804-3184

German Children's Relief Art Exhibition Marian University - Looking for information on the post WWI and II German Children's Relief Program (Quäkerspeisung) by the American Friend Service Committee.  We have found a book called Quiet Helpers - Quaker Service in Postwar Germany.  We are looking for more history or personal stories about the artwork or the program itself.  The art work and poems sent back as Thank Yous to Friends will be featured in an Art Exhibit at Marian University.  Exhibit Runs: August 29-October 7, 2016 ; Reception: September 1, 4-6 pm, 2016.  Thank you in advance for anything you think would be helpful for the exhibit.  Please contact Nichole: nmathews@hse.k12.in.us.

Jeff Rasley has a new book: Hero's Journey - John Ritter, the Chip Hilton of Goshen, Indiana; a  Memoir. It's part memoir about childhood heroes and part biography of John Ritter. John was a star for the Indiana University Hoosiers and captain of Bob Knight's first Final Four team.  His life later took a very unexpected turn.  Jeff set out to discover what happened to John and why.  The book is also a meditation on what makes a hero, why individuals and nations need heroes, and how they are used and abused. The eBook and paperback can be purchased through Amazon.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Found Sounds ~ With your eyes closed for a few minutes, sit or stand as quietly as you can and listen to the many sounds around you. Can you hear the wind? The birds? What about bugs? How many sounds do you hear? See if you can imitate the different sounds you hear. With a partner, take turns guessing what the sounds the other person is making might be.
 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

May 25th, 2016

As Way Opens

Matt and Seth used to have a bunch of Transformers when they were kids – plastic figures that could be twisted and reconfigured into different characters.  No additional parts necessary.  A car would become ‘Optimus Prime’, the leader of the Autobots and an aircraft would change into ‘Megatron’, the leader of the Decepticons.  The tagline for the Transformers was ‘more than meets the eye.’   The boys played with them for hours.

The only thing necessary for Optimus Prime to appear was a child.  The boys could twist and change those figures into a character with personality and purpose.  We too, with no additional parts necessary, can be transformed.  God, through the work of the Spirit, can move through us, reconfiguring our lives.  God does not act on us – God acts in us.  God moves through the Holy Spirit, through each movement, each thought, each action, each breath we take.  God, our Creator, has designed us in God’s image – we are well known, intimately known to God.  God understands our capacity and knows our potential.  Our lives are full of promise.

Many of us have gotten stuck.  We’ve been in the bottom of the toy box for too long.  We’ve become used to the shape we’re in, and satisfied with the position we hold.  But what is it that God’s Spirit would have us become?  What potential does God have in mind for us to achieve?  What role does God ask us to play?  There is more to us than meets the eye – and God knows what that is.  Will you allow yourself to become vulnerable, to become malleable, to be transformed through the love of God, and become the person God had in mind when he originally designed you?

“And now Lord, with your help, I shall become myself.”  Kierkegaard

 

 

Considering the Quote: “Here is the unfailing attraction of the life in Christ.  It is a life which even to old age, is always on the upgrade; there is always something calling for a joyful looking forward; it is a life where, across each revelation of God’s grace as it comes to us is written, in letters of gold, ‘Thou shalt see greater things than these.’  It gives full scope to our latent chivalry, to our desire for high adventure.  No conceivable life can be so interesting, so stimulating, as that which we live in Christ.” 

Friend William Littleboy (1853-1936)
 

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Joys & Concerns

What a wonderful time we shared this past Sunday night at the Service Appreciation Dinner!  It was a blessing to spend time with good friends, to share stories of time well spent together, and lives given in purpose for God’s work among Friends.  Many thanks to our Witness and Service Committee and the Fellowship Committee for planning, preparing and hosting such a lovely, loving event.

Great thanks to our Food Pantry Volunteers. 144 lbs. of food were delivered from First Friends!

Word has come that Phyllis Hurley has passed away. She died on Friday, May 13th in Terre Haute.  She and her husband Bill had three children – Bruce, Craig, and Jill, and five grandchildren.  They were a busy and active part of First Friends Meeting for many years.  A private memorial service will be held for immediate family. Let us keep Phyllis’ family in our hearts and prayers.  For her obituary go to
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=Phyllis-J-Hurley&pid=180029145. If you’d like to send her family a card, please call the office for the address of her surviving daughter, Jill.

Our own Dan Lee has an article in the latest Friends Journal Magazine (May 2016) on Being Rufus Jones.  There is a picture of Dan as Rufus and also Deb Hejl as Lucretia Mott taken at last year’s Western Yearly Meeting annual session.  Dan highlights the influence that Rufus has had on his life drawing him into Quakerism and expanding his faith journey.  Dan, thanks for representing First Friends so well through the spoken word!

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Announcements, Reports & Opportunities
 

Please note: There will be no Monday Meditational Worship at First Friends on Memorial Day. You are, as always, welcome to worship wherever you are. The Office will be closed.

 Everence’s 2016 Rebate for Mission award!
You can help Friends United Meeting receive one of two $16,200 grants by clicking on this link and casting your vote for FUM today. Voting ends on June 17. The two organizations with the greatest number of votes receives an award. Please help us be one of them!   You can only vote once—but you can pass this along to your Friends!  VOTE BY CLICKING HERE

Quaker Haven Camp is hosting a work day and a prayer walk this Saturday, May 28.  They invite churches, youth groups, or individuals to come up to camp, spend a day preparing camp for the Summer Season. They provide lunch to all volunteers. The prayer walk is also open to anyone and will begin at 3pm that day. Please visit http://www.qhcyouthprogramming.com for more details.

Make Plans for Memorial Day Weekend! Join us this Sunday, May 29th for Worship in the Big Oval! Memorial Day Sunday’s are really special at First Friends Meeting – we gather in Fellowship Hall, and enjoy our own ‘Indy 500’ experience in the Spirit!  Bring your family and friends, and join us at 10:15.  

Do you want to Ish? - Ish Group: A small group gathering for adult fellowship started by former members of the young adult group who weren’t sure if they were still youngish or adultish. Ish social events are often centered on food, spirits, and connection with Spirit through one another. Most that attend are 30ish to 50ish, but all adult attenders, members or their guests are welcome.  Meetings are held monthlyish at a member/attender’s home. See Bill Heitman (billheitman@hotmail.com) to be kept up with upcoming events or visit the first Friends Ish Facebook Group for details and ongoing Ish conversation. www.facebook.com/groups/firstfriendsyoungadults/ 
Next Ish gathering: A sushi making party hosted by Nichole Mathews on Friday June 3rd. 

Join us for the Church Picnic & Worship in the Woods on June 5th. Worship will be at the normal time, 10:15am, in the Meditational Woods. Immediately following will be the church picnic. Fried chicken, hot dogs & veggie dogs, rolls, ice cream, and drinks are all provided! We ask that you bring something based on your last name: 
A-M: desserts
N-Z: sides & salads
We will have kickball afterward, weather permitting. 
We hope to see you there!

The Quaker Religious Education Collaboration (QREC) invites you to Instilling Quaker Identity through Religious Education, a weekend gathering that includes a series of workshops, plenaries, interest circles, displays, fellowship, worship, and celebration. It is being held June 10-12 at the Quaker Hill Conference Center in Richmond. You can register online at http://www.quakers4re.org/2016registration. Questions? Contact registrar2016@quakers4re.org.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) will be showing a film in the parlor on Friday, June 10th from 7:00-8:30 PM.  Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims' families. Anyone is invited to attend this screening! 

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply.  Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 19, 2016. For an application please contact the office at 255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org.

Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd - Westfield Parks and Recreation and Main Street Productions have partnered on this original musical production that follows one family on their journey from slavery to freedom in the pre-Civil War era. The premiere of "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," on the lawn of historical Asa Bales Park, will take attendees along the Underground Railroad with only the "drinkin' gourd" (Big Dipper) to guide them. The special performance highlights the struggles, fears, and hopes that slaves experienced in their attempts to achieve freedom. Performances are June 17-19, with each performance will be approximately 2 hours in duration, including a short intermission. Adult tickets are $12. For event and ticket information, please visit http://www.enjoywestfieldevents.com/gourd or call 317-804-3184.

First Friends is exploring the possibility of keeping a beehive on our property. Bees are actually very important to the environment and to the health of plants and even humans! Honey bees are dying at alarming rates around the world. Did you know that honey bees pollinate a third of the human diet including nuts, fruits and vegetables?
David, local beekeeper, is willing to donate a hive and honey bees, as well as provide training for anyone interested in learning to care for the bees. See the bulletin board in the meeting for more Friendly Facts about Bees, and please take a notecard on the table in the hallway for more information on how you can help support bees! For more information, please contact Nancy Scott, 317-523-5756.

Jeff Rasley has a new book: Hero's Journey - John Ritter, the Chip Hilton of Goshen, Indiana; a Memoir. It's part memoir about childhood heroes and part biography of John Ritter. John was a star for the Indiana University Hoosiers and captain of Bob Knight's first Final Four team.  His life later took a very unexpected turn.  Jeff set out to discover what happened to John and why.  The book is also a meditation on what makes a hero, why individuals and nations need heroes, and how they are used and abused. The eBook and paperback can be purchased through Amazon.

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Leaf to Leaf ~ How many different kinds, colors, and shapes of leaves can you find? Collect samples of leaves that have fallen or draw their shape on a piece of paper. See if you can find out what kind of tree each leaf is from by talking to your parents and neighbors, looking in a book, or asking someone who works in a park.   
 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

May 18th, 2016

As Way Opens

I recently completed a New Testament class as part of my Masters in Divinity program at Earlham School of Religion (this is an on line class).  It opened my eyes to a lot of misconceptions that I have held for years about the New Testament including the following:

The books were written in the order they appear in the New Testament - scholars agree that I and II Thessalonians were the first books of the New Testament written by Paul.  The gospels were written many years after most of Paul’s letters.

The author of each book is identified - there is great uncertainty as to the authors of many of the books.  And even if the author is identified it might be someone writing under that name, which was very common in ancient times.

The books were written to instruct generations to come - most of the books were written for a specific community and specific issues of the times.

The gospels were eye witness accounts of Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection - it is unlikely that the authors were alive at the time of Jesus as the gospels were written many years after Christ's life.  The stories about Jesus were given in an oral tradition so these writings are captured from these oral stories.

In the class we looked at different methods (source criticism, form-criticism, redaction criticism and literary criticism) to help us understand the writings.  In particular, as we studied the four gospels I was able to embrace the idea that a narrative of the story of Jesus is true even if the events did or did not happen.  Jesus taught us to think this way as he shared so many truths in parables.  We do not ask Jesus if a man actually traveled from Jericho to Jerusalem, for the story of the good Samaritan is unaffected by historical considerations.   While the gospels contain historical information, they are not historical documents and we shouldn’t demand this to see the truth in the writings. 

I hope all of you will regularly read the New Testament because God is speaking to us through these writings and stories.  I read the New Testament these last few months as I was walking through some of the darkest moments of my life.  Paul really spoke to me about the Christian walk through difficult circumstances in his writings during this time.  The gospel of Mark that focused on suffering spoke to me.  I found God alive and active in my life in these writings and I continue to see God’s revelation in fresh and new ways within these pages.

Beth

Considering the Quote: ‘And the end of words is to bring men to the knowledge of things beyond what words can utter.  So, learn of the Lord to make a right use of the Scriptures: which is by esteeming them in their right place, and prizing that above them which is above them.”  Isaac Penington

Announcements, Reports & Opportunities
 

Service Appreciation Dinner ~ A reminder to those who have signed up, that the dinner is this Sunday, May-22, 5:30-8:30.  Please note that we are still in need of volunteers to help serve and clean up for this event. Please contact us if you may have any youth interested in assisting. Volunteers will need to arrive at the Meeting by 4:30 that day.

Looking for flowers! We are looking for anyone who has garden flowers they could donate for use this Sunday for the graduation reception and for the Service appreciation dinner. If you have small potted flowers you could give before Sunday, please contact the office!

Everence’s 2016 Rebate for Mission award!
You can help Friends United Meeting receive one of two $16,200 grants by clicking on this link and casting your vote for FUM today. Voting ends on June 17. The two organizations with the greatest number of votes receives an award. Please help us be one of them!   You can only vote once—but you can pass this along to your Friends!  VOTE BY CLICKING HERE

All of the Boards of Western Yearly Meeting are meeting this Saturday, May 21 at 9:30 AM in Plainfield. For more information, visit www.westernyearlymeeting.org.  Please hold them in prayer. 

“Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery”, or so they say!  Take a look at the new website for Western Yearly Meeting, and compare it to ours at First Friends Meeting!  It’s awesome!  Kudos to Andrew Heald for his great imitation of the original… Jeff Goens!  We love it Andrew! http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/                                                        http://www.indyfriends.org/

Introducing Rebecca - our new Office Administrator!  We are thrilled to have Rebecca joining our staff, and we invite you to stop by and meet her soon.  Rebecca has moved to Indianapolis from her home in Dayton, OH.  She has recently been working for Wright-Patt Credit Union there, and now joins her fiancé Mike Lopez, an aeronautical engineer, in Indy.  Rebecca has spent the last two weeks training with us, and is now working Monday through Thursday from 10:00 to 3:00.  We’re glad she’s here!  Welcome Rebecca!

Make Plans for Memorial Day Weekend! Join us this Sunday, May 29th for Worship in the Big Oval! Memorial Day Sunday’s are really special at First Friends Meeting – we gather in Fellowship Hall, and enjoy our own ‘Indy 500’ experience in the Spirit!  Bring your family and friends, and join us at 10:15. 

Church Picnic! We are hosting a picnic on Sunday June 5th after Meeting for Worship. Fried chicken, hot dogs & veggie dogs, rolls, ice cream, and drinks are all provided! We ask that you bring something based on your last name: A-M: desserts ; N-Z: sides & salads. We will have kickball afterward, weather permitting. We hope to see you there!  

The Quaker Religious Education Collaboration (QREC) invites you to Instilling Quaker Identity through Religious Education, a weekend gathering that includes a series of workshops, plenaries, interest circles, displays, fellowship, worship, and celebration. It is being held June 10-12 at the Quaker Hill Conference Center in Richmond. You can register online at http://www.quakers4re.org/2016registration. Questions? Contact registrar2016@quakers4re.org. Please see schedule attached to this email.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) will be showing a film in the parlor on Friday, June 10th from 7:00-8:30 PM.  Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims' families. Anyone is invited to attend this screening! 

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply.  Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application is June 19, 2016. For an application please contact the office at 255-2485 or office@indyfriends.org.

First Friends is exploring the possibility of keeping a beehive on our property. Bees are actually very important to the environment and to the health of plants and even humans! Honey bees are dying at alarming rates around the world. Did you know that honey bees pollinate a third of the human diet including nuts, fruits and vegetables?

David, local beekeeper, is willing to donate a hive and honey bees, as well as provide training for anyone interested in learning to care for the bees. See the bulletin board in the meeting for more Friendly Facts about Bees, and please take a notecard on the table in the hallway for more information on how you can help support bees! 

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ A Tree’s Life~ Trees can hold many stories about the place where they are growing because they are often the oldest living thing there. Find a tree you like and make up a life story for it. Explain why it only has leaves on some branches or why the trunk has so many animal holes in it. What kind of a life has the tree led? Has it been a happy life? What have some of the high points been?  

 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

May 11th, 2016

As Way Opens

‘The Imitation of Christ’ was written in the 1300’s by a monk named Thomas Haemmerlein from Kempen, about 40 miles north of Cologne, Germany – forever known to us as Thomas a Kempis.  Actually, it was most likely edited by a Kempis, and is most plausibly the diary of Gerhard Groote, who founded the lay brotherhouse, The Brethren of the Common Life.  The writings are now known as a devotional classic, and one of a ‘supreme call and guide to spiritual aspiration’.  Friend Douglas Steere, when he first read it, was both drawn to it and repelled by it, and writes about its great importance to all of us.  I have recently begun studying it devotionally, and am enjoying the challenge and the journey.  The ‘Imitation’ is divided into four ‘books’ – Admonitions for the Spiritual Life, for the Inward Life, for Inward Consolation, and for the Sacraments.  This particular writing was especially lovely: ‘By two wings is a man lifted above earthly things, even by simplicity and purity.  Simplicity ought to be in the intention, purity in the affection.  Simplicity reacheth towards God, purity apprehendeth Him and tasteth Him.  No good action will be distasteful to thee if thou be free within from inordinate affection.  If thou reachest after and seekest nothing but the will of God and the benefit of thy neighbor, thou wilt entirely enjoy inward liberty.  If thine heart were right, then should every creature be a mirror of life and a book of holy doctrine.  There is no creature so small and vile but that it showeth us the goodness of God.’  May God bless you as you practice God’s presence in your life.

Ruthie

Considering the Quote: ‘Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit from thy own thoughts, and then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the Lord God, whereby thou wilt receive his strength and power from whence life comes, to allay all tempests, against blusterings and storms. That is it which moulds up into patience, into innocency, into soberness, into stillness, into stayedness, into quietness, up to God, with his power.’ ~ George Fox, 1658

Announcements, Reports & Opportunities

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. 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. Deadline to reserve is Sunday, May 15. Please note that we are still in need of volunteers to help serve and clean up for this event. Please contact us if you may have any youth interested in assisting. Volunteers will need to arrive at the Meeting by 4:30 that day.

“Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery”, or so they say!  Take a look at the new website for Western Yearly Meeting, and compare it to ours at First Friends Meeting!  It’s awesome!  Kudos to Andrew Heald for his great imitation of the original… Jeff Goens!  We love it Andrew!
http://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/

All of the boards of Western Yearly Meeting are meeting Saturday, May 21 at 9:30 AM in Plainfield. For more information, visit www.westernyearlymeeting.org.

Books, Books, Books!  Our Meeting Library is overflowing with books, and we have even more in boxes!  We need help!  If you would like to help us sort, catalog and put our library holdings to good use, we would LOVE it!  Many of these books can’t be found anywhere else!  Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.   

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Four Seasons~ Pick a place to look at and think about how each season affects it. What happens to it in the winter? What about in spring and fall? Do certain things start to grow? Do other things die? What other changes does that patch of land go through?

 From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

May 4th, 2016

As Way Opens

My heart is full of thanksgiving as I have been soaking in your love and support shown me as Jerry ended his awful journey with Alzheimer’s.  We gathered together on Sunday to share stories about him and to laugh and cry and I have been overwhelmed with expressions of care and kindness.   As our son Greg shared on Sunday, Jerry’s doctrine of faith can be summed up in three words - God is Love.  This love has embraced me through all of you and I have felt God’s presence through your presence in my life.   

 As I reflect on the life of this man that I have loved, I am reminded that all I really have is today and I must decide, ‘what am I going to do with this gift?’  Jerry lived with this philosophy even as the Alzheimer’s was taking over his brain.  He viewed every day with the potential for joy, discovery, learning and fun.  I pray that Jerry’s legacy will be to remind us every day of this choice.  What will I do with the gift of today? 

Beth

Considering the Quote: ‘The Seed, or Grace of God, is small in its first Appearance, even as the Morning Light; but as it is given Heed to, and obeyed, it will increase in Brightness, till it shines in the Soul, like the Sun in the Firmament at its Noon-day Height. ~ Elizabeth Bathurst, 1655-1685

Announcements, Reports & Opportunities

Community Salad Supper this Friday at 5:30!  Everyone is Welcome!
Bring your friends and neighbors for a friendly and fun time of fellowship and nourishment with Friends.  Bring a salad or dessert to share.  The fun starts at 5:30 in Fellowship Hall. 

Bring your Mom to Meeting on Mother’s Day!  Happy Mother’s Day to all our grandmothers, moms, and ‘special moms’ who’ve made the world a brighter place.  What better place to honor and celebrate than with friends in Meeting!

Friends Education Fund is a Quaker college scholarship program for African American students.  If you know of a student who might be interested in applying, please ask them to contact the Meeting Office   Applications are being accepted through May 12th, 2016. The selected applicants will be celebrated on Sunday June 12th. 

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.

The Fairfield Outreach Committee is sponsoring Refugee Information. A representative of the Exodus Refugee Immigration agency will present information regarding their work with refugees and immigrants in central Indiana.  Find out what individuals and organizations can do to help with this important work.  Breakfast will be provided by the Outreach Committee at 8:30 AM and the presentation will start at 9:30 AM on Sunday, May 15. 10441 East County Road 700 South, Cambry, Indiana 46113. For more information, call (317) 856-3212 or visit www.FairfieldFriends.org.

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!

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.  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.

Books, Books, Books!  Our Meeting Library is overflowing with books, and we have even more in boxes!  We need help!  If you would like to help us sort, catalog and put our library holdings to good use, we would LOVE it!  Many of these books can’t be found anywhere else!  Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.   

“Friends of Nature Kids” ~ Natural Stencils~ You will need colored pencils and paper for this activity. Make a collection of small things that you can draw around. See how well each of your shapes translates as a stencil by drawing around it with colored pencils. Now with all the shapes outlined, see what kind of picture you can draw using these natural examples. 

From 52 Nature Activities by Lynn Gordon, Chronicle Books, San Francisco.