March 15, 2017

As Way Opens

Pictures have come down and are wrapped, boxes are being packed, belongings are being sorted, and the choice of movers is being made.  Our home has been sold, and a moving date is set.  My office is being boxed up, files sorted, and decisions about what would be helpful to leave for the new pastor are being made.  It is clearly time to say goodbye.  But before I go, I must also say… thank you.

First Friends Meeting and its members, attenders, and friends, has been a great gift to me.  I have been blessed with many challenges, joyful experiences, friendships, and lessons that have shaped me and helped me to grow more deeply in faith.  I have so many stories!  So many remembrances will travel with me in my mind and heart as I go. You have been a precious spiritual family to me and Jon, and we have loved sharing you with our own family as they have come for visits. 

Jon and I never thought we’d spend five years working separately and commuting to see one another, but God has sustained us both, in Iowa and Indiana, as we’ve done the work God has called us each to do.  Now we look forward to returning to our home in Iowa where we’ll live this coming year.  We are already considering areas in Oregon and Washington where we might settle closer to our family in the not too distant future.

Thank you for loving and caring for me and Jon in so many ways.  Thank you for trusting me with your questions and concerns.  Thank you for ministering with me as we have tried to share God’s continuing revelation of love and light with all those whose lives we’ve touched.  Thank you for accepting the challenge of being intentional in our attention to God’s life in each one of us.  Thank you for so many things…

Ruthie

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

WOODS WORK DAY CANCELLED – The Meditational Woods work day scheduled for this Saturday, March 18, has been cancelled. The ground is currently too cold and hard. We may reschedule for the following week, weather pending. Keep an eye out for updates, or check with Mary B. or Mindy S.

Interested in growing some vegetables this year? Free to a good home:  mature asparagus roots and a healthy clump of rhubarb. Please contact Barbara O. if interested!

Hear our own Dan R. and Bill P.  sing! You’re invited to hear Dan and Bill sing in Mendelssohn’s Elijah as part of the Indianapolis’ Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Celebration! It has been proclaimed as “one of the greatest choral works ever.” Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah anchors the Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Season and features world-class soloists. Tickets are on sale now and start at just $15. This is one night only, Friday, March 17 at 8:00PM at The Palladium.

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best actively and visibly support the Meeting's stewardship program? Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Marshelle B. , who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, March 19! You can also provide feedback on queries to the office.  

"Would you like to help a guy earn his Eagle?" Purchase Spring Flowers, Vegetables & Herbs and Help Support an Eagle Scout Project! Fritz C. has begun his Eagle Scout project and needs to raise funds for a trail of trees that he will be working on this summer at Koteewi Park. Visitors to the park will be able to follow the trail and learn about 16 native Indiana trees and how the Native Americans used them as tools, clothing and even transportation. You can place orders online here: https://goo.gl/YinO6b. Thank you for your support!

Meridian Street Preschool Co-op Movie Night!
What: MSPC family movie night
When: Friday March 24th, 6pm
Where: MSPC/FF basement
Cost: $10/ family
RSVP: office@indyfriends.org by Wed March 22

Please join MSPC for a fun filled evening. Pizza, drinks and the viewing of Toy Story are all included in your "admission". Wear your p.j.'s and bring your favorite stuffed animal too.  Feel free to bring blankets to stretch out on also. 
 

Ruthie’s goodbye celebration is coming up on Sunday, March 26th.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship. Please bring a dish; sides and salads for last names A-M, desserts for N-Z. (Feel free to bring more than one dish!) If you can, we’re asking that you send in a copy of a photo of meeting activities and people during Ruthie's tenure (for her to keep). Send or drop off your photos to the office; if you’re unable to get the photos to the office in time you may bring the pictures that day, to put on a board at the party. We will also be collecting notes for Ruthie in a memory jar. Please share fond memories you have, and be sure to mark on your note whether it may be read aloud. To show our appreciation for Ruthie’s time and energy here at First Friends, we are also welcoming any love offering or contribution for this purpose. Please send in your contribution to the office or with your regular offering identifying it is for Ruthie.

April Worship Schedule

Come join us in April for guest speakers and a wonderful time of worship sharing!

April 2nd – Message by Beth Henricks
April 9th – Message by Dan Lee
April 16th – Message by Beth Henricks
April 23rd – Message by Bruce Birchard, former General Secretary of Friends General Conference and the Clerk of the Right Sharing of World Resources Board
April 30th - Worship Sharing

‘Disturbing the Peace’ Film Showing ~ All are invited to attend a film debut at West Newton on April 5th.  DISTURBING THE PEACE, a film that follows former enemy combatants - Israeli soldiers from elite units and Palestinian fighters - who have joined together to challenge the status quo and say “enough." This film reveals their transformational journeys from soldiers committed to armed battle to nonviolent peace activists, leading to the creation of Combatants for Peace. It will be premiered in Indianapolis at West Newton Friends Meeting 6800 S. Mooresville Rd, Indianapolis on April 5th. The evening will begin with a soup supper at 6 p.m. and then follow with the film and discussion at 7:00 p.m. The film runs approximately 90 minutes. There is no charge for the film or the supper, but donations will be accepted to help pay for the food and film. A trailer for the film is available here: https://youtu.be/A95PDQWr4xs

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 28th-April 30th. This year’s retreat will be led by Joyce Shroeder, M.S.. She was the keynote speaker at the Earlham School of Religion Leadership Conference in both 2012 and 2015. In 2014, She was the Plenary Speaker at New York Yearly Meeting’s Summer Sessions. Working as a consultant, she has a masters degree in Organizational Development and Leadership. She has been a member of Purchase Friends Meeting (New York YM) for nearly 20 years. This year’s retreat theme is Flex Your Mind, Build Your Body. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymretreat or contact Della Stanley-Green (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is April 15.

FCNL Capital Campaign ~ Friends Committee on Legislation (“FCNL”) is presently promoting its capital campaign “The World We Seek: Now is the Time.”  This campaign began on July 1, 2012 and runs until June 30, 2017.  The goal is to raise $15 million for the following purposes: 1) Strengthen and expand its work with young adults; 2) Create a Quaker Welcome Center; 3) Advance FCNL priorities and presence through the Friend in Washington program: and 4) Establish stronger connections between Friends’ local activism and federal lobbying.  You can find out more about this soon-to-end capital campaign in the letter on the bulletin board in the Witness and Service area or by going to FCNL.ORG.  You can also talk with Beth H who is Clerk of this capital campaign.

The early-bird registration deadline for the Friends United Meeting Triennial is coming soon! Register before March 31st and save $30! To register, please visit: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1877598

Every three years, the global community of Friends United Meeting gathers to celebrate our life together, to grow in our ability to serve the world, and to worship Christ our Lord!  Along with our Triennial host, Great Plains Yearly Meeting, FUM invites and welcomes Quakers from all over the world to join us in Wichita, Kansas, on July 12–16, 2017. We will meet on the campus of Friends University, and look forward to seeing you there.  Messages will spring from Thomas Kelly’s book, “The Eternal Promise.”

March 8, 2017

As Way Opens

I was moved by this writing of Barbara Brown Taylor that I share with all of you.

We glimpse our own relative size in the universe and see that no human being can say who God should be or how God should act.  We review our requirements of God and recognize them as our own fictions, things we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel safe or good or comfortable.  Disillusioned, we find out what is not true and we are set free to seek what is - if we dare- to turn away from the God who was supposed to be in order to see the God who is.  Every letdown becomes a lesson and a lure.  Did God fail to come when I rubbed the lantern?  Then perhaps God is not a genie.  Who, then, is God?  Did God fail to punish my enemies?  The perhaps God is not a cop.  Did God fail to make everything run smoothly?  Then, perhaps God is not a mechanic.  Who, then, is God?

Over and over, my disappointments draw me deeper into the mystery of God’s being and doing.  Every time God declines to meet my expectations, another of my idols is exposed.  Another curtain is drawn back so that I can see what I have propped up in God’s place.  No, that is not God.  Who, then, is God?  It is the question of a lifetime, and the answers are never big enough or finished.  Pushing past curtain after curtain, it becomes clear that the failure is not God’s but my own, for having such a poor and stingy imagination.     Barbara Brown Taylor

May we glimpse God today with a giant sense of mystery and imagination.

Beth

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best hold social justice issues before members? Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Joyce B, who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, March 12! 

2017 Eco-Film Series continues
March 10- “Blind Spot”
Official trailer here: https://youtu.be/ok4onUXvL8o

Please join our area faith community for film and discussion- 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Friends

Blind Spot is a documentary film that illustrates the current oil and energy crisis that our world is facing. Whatever measures of ignorance, greed, wishful thinking, we have put ourselves at a crossroad, which offers two paths with dire consequences. If we continue to burn fossil fuels we will choke the life out of the planet and if we don't our way of life will collapse.

For more information please contact the office.

Babysitting Co-Op on Saturday, March 11!   March 11th will be our babysitting co-op evening from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.  This is a free night of babysitting that will be hosted by Amanda and Micah C. & Kristin N.   Please let the officeknow if you would like to attend.  

Calling all Youth! Youth Group will be meeting Sunday, March 12 from 11:30-1:30 in the basement. Don’t miss it!

Sap Run ~ The Sap is running and so are we! The 5k Sap Run/Walk and 1 mile Sap Stroll on Saturday, March 11 at 9am, will raise funds for the operating expenses of Quaker Haven Camp. Runners, walkers, and "strollers" will pass the maple trees where the buckets are collecting sap to be boiled down into syrup. Following the awards ceremony every participant is invited to the dining hall for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, where the syrup for your pancakes has been boiled down from the sap of the local maple trees! Sausage, juice, and coffee will also be available. Register at http://getmeregistered.com/saprunandbreakfast

Day of Remembrance ~ Sunday, March 12th   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 12th we will gather together in Worship and recall these cherished ones. After worship, please join us for Fellowship Hour hosted by Circle of Care.

We Need Volunteers! First Friends is in need of extra volunteers to help at the Mid North Food Pantry next Wednesday, March 15, as some of the usual volunteers will not be available. Please let the office know if you can help!

Hear our own Dan R. and Bill P. sing! You’re invited to hear Dan and Bill sing in Mendelssohn’s Elijah as part of the Indianapolis’ Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Celebration! It has been proclaimed as “one of the greatest choral works ever.” Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah anchors the Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Season and features world-class soloists. Tickets are on sale now and start at just $15. This is one night only, Friday, March 17 at 8:00PM at The Palladium.

The Meditational Woods Committee is meeting Saturday, March 18 to tackle the invasive euonymus (winter creeper) and honeysuckle. Winter creeper is an invasive ground cover that smothers the native wildflowers that we are trying to restore to the landscape. Come join us from 9- 12 noon or any time you have to share.  Contact Mary or Mindy for questions.

Ruthie’s goodbye celebration is coming up on Sunday, March 26th.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship. Please bring a dish; sides and salads for last names A-M, desserts for N-Z. If you can, we’re asking that you send in a copy of a photo of meeting activities and people during Ruthie's tenure (for her to keep). Send or drop off your photos to the office; if you’re unable to get the photos to the office in time you may bring the pictures that day, to put on a board at the party. To show our appreciation for Ruthie’s time and energy here at First Friends, we are also welcoming any love offering or contribution for this purpose. Please send in your contribution to the office or with your regular offering identifying it is for Ruthie.

April Worship Schedule

Come join us in April for guest speakers and a wonderful time of worship sharing!

April 2nd – Message by Beth Henricks
April 9th – Message by Dan Lee
April 16th – Message by Beth Henricks
April 23rd – Message by Bruce Birchard, former General Secretary of Friends General Conference and the Clerk of the Right Sharing of World Resources Board
April 30th - Worship Sharing

‘Disturbing the Peace’ Film Showing ~ All are invited to attend a film debut at West Newton on April 5th.  DISTURBING THE PEACE, a film that follows former enemy combatants - Israeli soldiers from elite units and Palestinian fighters - who have joined together to challenge the status quo and say “enough." This film reveals their transformational journeys from soldiers committed to armed battle to nonviolent peace activists, leading to the creation of Combatants for Peace. It will be premiered in Indianapolis at West Newton Friends Meeting 6800 S. Mooresville Rd, Indianapolis on April 5th. The evening will begin with a soup supper at 6 p.m. and then follow with the film and discussion at 7:00 p.m. The film runs approximately 90 minutes. There is no charge for the film or the supper, but donations will be accepted to help pay for the food and film. A trailer for the film is available here: https://youtu.be/A95PDQWr4xs

Western Yearly Meeting is having its annual Spring Retreat at Quaker Haven Camp on April 28th-April 30th. This year’s retreat will be led by Joyce Shroeder, M.S.. She was the keynote speaker at the Earlham School of Religion Leadership Conference in both 2012 and 2015. In 2014, She was the Plenary Speaker at New York Yearly Meeting’s Summer Sessions. Working as a consultant, she has a masters degree in Organizational Development and Leadership. She has been a member of Purchase Friends Meeting (New York YM) for nearly 20 years. This year’s retreat theme is Flex Your Mind, Build Your Body. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.westernyearlymeeting.org/wymretreat or contact Della Stanley-Green (dellasgwym@gmail.com). The registration deadline is April 15.

FCNL Capital Campaign ~ Friends Committee on Legislation (“FCNL”) is presently promoting its capital campaign “The World We Seek: Now is the Time.”  This campaign began on July 1, 2012 and runs until June 30, 2017.  The goal is to raise $15 million for the following purposes: 1) Strengthen and expand its work with young adults; 2) Create a Quaker Welcome Center; 3) Advance FCNL priorities and presence through the Friend in Washington program: and 4) Establish stronger connections between Friends’ local activism and federal lobbying.  You can find out more about this soon-to-end capital campaign in the letter on the bulletin board in the Witness and Service area or by going to FCNL.ORG.  You can also talk with Beth Henricks who is Clerk of this capital campaign.

Every three years, the global community of Friends United Meeting gathers to celebrate our life together, to grow in our ability to serve the world, and to worship Christ our Lord!  Along with our Triennial host, Great Plains Yearly Meeting, FUM invites and welcomes Quakers from all over the world to join us in Wichita, Kansas, on July 12–16, 2017. We will meet on the campus of Friends University, and look forward to seeing you there.  Messages will spring from Thomas Kelly’s book, “The Eternal Promise.” The early-bird registration deadline for the 31st Friends United Meeting Triennial is coming soon! Register before March 31st and save $30! To register, please visit: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1877598

March 1, 2017

As Way Opens

Catholics and many other Christians around the world will celebrate Ash Wednesday today, opening the season of fasting and prayer known as Lent.  Forty six days before Easter, ashes taken from the previous years burned palm branches are traced on persons’ foreheads in the sign of the cross with the saying, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  They are worn as a visible sign of penance.

Early Friends moved away from outward signs and symbols, turning instead to their meaning, rather than their representations.  This is why you don’t see crosses in early Friends meetinghouses, and why we don’t have a cross in our Meetingroom.  It is why Friends generally, do not celebrate Ash Wednesday with the outward marking of a cross.  George Fox spoke of ‘the inward cross’ – the Power of God in us.  “So now people are to be brought from their outward crosses to the Cross of Christ, the Power of God within them and from the dead image to the image of God… And all these crosses of wood and stone… must all be thrown down by the Power of God, which is the Cross of Christ.  To the Light must they be turned, which answers to that of God in everyone, before they come to feel Christ to rule and reign in them.  Then the outward, dead crosses of stone, wood, silver or gold they shall not need… to put them in remembrance of Christ or bring him into their minds.  For those who are come to the Light… and believe in it, they feel the Power of God, they feel Christ and his Cross, which is the Power of God.” [1655] 

Many find help and comfort in outward signs and symbols.  For this, I am grateful.  But the greatest help we have is in recognizing that the power of the resurrection – the life-giving power of God that was made known in Christ’s resurrection – is made known in each of us.  The Light that answers to that of God in each one of us, fills each one of us… not with ashes, but with fire. 

Ruthie

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best support the world mission of the church?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Jim D., who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, March 5!

Opportunity to Volunteer ~ On Sunday, March 5 from 1-3 p.m., we would welcome volunteers from First Friends to help sort donated shoes at the Changing Footprints shoe room.  We are located at 9302 N. Meridian St., Suite 382.  We are on the northwest corner of 93rd St. & N. Meridian St. at the stoplight.  Park behind the building and enter the main door.  Take the elevator to the third floor.  Please contact Carol D. if you are available and interested!   If you arrive after 1 p.m., please call Carol’s cell phone so she can open the locked entrance door for you.

In 2017, World Day of Prayer is celebrated on Friday, March 3rd. You are invited to celebrate this day in Indianapolis at Northview Church of the Brethren at 10:00 am, 5555 46th St.

World Day of Prayer (WDP) is an international event that unites Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian women and men in over 170 countries in prayer. With origins in the 19th century, World Day of Prayer became an official call to prayer under its present name in 1927. In its present iteration, World Day of Prayer is celebrated on the first Friday of March around the world. Throughout the day, from the first sunrise to the last sunset, our prayers follow the sun’s path around the globe.  Spoken in hundreds of languages and dialects, WDP strives to bring “informed prayer and prayerful action” to our communities. The host country for 2017—providing the theme, worship materials, and a focus for prayer—is the Philippines. 

The Indiana Daylily and Iris Society invites you! The IDIS is now hosting their monthly meetings at First Friends, and everyone is welcome! Their first meeting of the year will be Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30. There will be two presentations entitled "Effective Methods for Controlling Moles" and "Median Iris Rule Supreme in 2017", showing pictures of some regional iris gardens and giving a preview of the Median Iris Society Mini-Convention coming up in May. Please join us in the Parlor!

2017 Eco-Film Series continues
March 10- “Blind Spot”
Official trailer here: https://youtu.be/ok4onUXvL8o

Please join our area faith community for film and discussion- 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Friends

Blind Spot is a documentary film that illustrates the current oil and energy crisis that our world is facing. Whatever measures of ignorance, greed, wishful thinking, we have put ourselves at a crossroad, which offers two paths with dire consequences. If we continue to burn fossil fuels we will choke the life out of the planet and if we don't our way of life will collapse.

For more information please contact the office.

Day of Remembrance ~ Sunday, March 12th   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 12th we will gather together in Worship and recall these cherished ones. After worship, please join us for Fellowship Hour hosted by Circle of Care.

Hear our own Dan R and Bill P sing! You’re invited to hear Dan and Bill sing in Mendelssohn’s Elijah as part of the Indianapolis’ Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Celebration! It has been proclaimed as “one of the greatest choral works ever.” Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah anchors the Symphonic Choir’s 80th Anniversary Season and features world-class soloists. Tickets are on sale now and start at just $15. This is one night only, Friday, March 17 at 8:00PM at The Palladium.

Ruthie’s goodbye celebration is coming up on Sunday, March 26th.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship. Please bring a dish; sides and salads for last names A-M, desserts for N-Z. If you can, we’re asking that you send in a copy of a photo of meeting activities and people during Ruthie's tenure (for her to keep). Send or drop off your photos to the office; if you’re unable to get the photos to the office in time you may bring the pictures that day, to put on a board at the party. To show our appreciation for Ruthie’s time and energy here at First Friends, we are also welcoming any love offering or contribution for this purpose. Please send in your contribution to the office or with your regular offering identifying it is for Ruthie.

Every three years, the global community of Friends United Meeting gathers to celebrate our life together, to grow in our ability to serve the world, and to worship Christ our Lord!  Along with our Triennial host, Great Plains Yearly Meeting, FUM invites and welcomes Quakers from all over the world to join us in Wichita, Kansas, on July 12–16, 2017. We will meet on the campus of Friends University, and look forward to seeing you there.  Messages will spring from Thomas Kelly’s book, “The Eternal Promise.” The early-bird registration deadline for the 31st Friends United Meeting Triennial is coming soon! Register before March 31st and save $30! To register, please visit: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1877598

FCNL Capital Campaign ~ Friends Committee on Legislation (“FCNL”) is presently promoting its capital campaign “The World We Seek: Now is the Time.”  This campaign began on July 1, 2012 and runs until June 30, 2017.  The goal is to raise $15 million for the following purposes: 1) Strengthen and expand its work with young adults; 2) Create a Quaker Welcome Center; 3) Advance FCNL priorities and presence through the Friend in Washington program: and 4) Establish stronger connections between Friends’ local activism and federal lobbying.  You can find out more about this soon-to-end capital campaign in the letter on the bulletin board in the Witness and Service area or by going to FCNL.ORG.  You can also talk with Beth Henricks who is Clerk of this capital campaign.

Zionsville Poetry Contest! All residents of Indiana are invited to submit poems for a public art project. The winning poems will be stamped into a Village sidewalk in Zionsville. Entries are $10 for adults and $5 for youth; they must be no longer than 8 lines and are due by March 30. Submit poems to Zionsville Cultural District, 225 W. Hawthorne St., Zionsville, IN 46077 or online at www.zionsvilleculturaldistrict.org. For more information, see the press release here: http://www.zionsville-in.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=99

February 22, 2017

As Way Opens

This past Sunday, Clerk Dan Rains shared a lovely reading with us as we centered down into Meeting for Worship.  He had received it from Cindy K.  The reading is used to begin each school day in her daughter’s third-grade class at IPS #91, Rousseau McClellan, which is a Montessori-based school in IPS.            

I offer you peace,
I offer you love,
I offer you friendship,
I hear your cry,
I see your beauty,
I feel your pain.
This caring flows from my spirit within.
I salute that spirit in you.
Let us work together for peace.

Maria Montessori said “A child is an eager observer and is particularly attracted by the actions of the adults and wants to imitate them. In this regard an adult can have a kind of mission. He can be an inspiration for the child’s actions, a kind of open book wherein a child can learn how to direct his own movements. But an adult, if he is to afford proper guidance, must always be calm and act slowly so that the child who is watching him can clearly see his actions in all their particulars.”

In this way, you are your child's Ambassador of Peace.  You must teach your child through example (using both purposeful lessons and everyday interactions) how to create Peace in your life.  Conflict resolution skills are important. If a child makes a mistake, do not get angry.  Instead, role play or have a conversation about how the conflict could have been resolved peacefully to plan ahead for next time.  Use the exact words in your modeling that you wish your child to use.

Adults need modeling of peaceful resolution to conflict, as well.  How do we move through the world as Ambassadors of Peace to all those around us – both children and adults?  How do we help others recognize the spirit – that of God – within each person?  What can we, do we, offer to others, chiefly in times of stress, struggle, disagreement?  Let us be bold enough to offer our own understanding and experience of God’s care and nurture when faced with the challenge of helping to bring peace.  Let us live up to the Light we have been given, and trust the promise that more will be granted.  The world needs the Light we carry. How can we not offer it?

Ruthie

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

 Bowling Party! Please join us for a bowling party hosted by the Christian Education Committee. It will be THIS COMING Sunday, February 26, 12-2pm at Woodland Bowl, 3421 E 96th St. There is no cost, and pizza and drinks are included! Please RSVP with Beth  know if you are interested in attending.

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best provide administrative leadership to the meeting?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to a pastoral search committee member, who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, February 26th!

First Friends Game Night:
Saturday, February 25 at 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM At the Meetinghouse

Informal gathering for board games, card games, etc.
Bring a game along.
There will be snacks!
We will need volunteers to bring snacks.
First to choose to bring snacks and/or drinks will be chosen!

We will kick off with the ISH group!

For further information contact the office.

Open House Invitation ~ The Indianapolis Muslim Community Association (IMCA), located at the Al-Fajr Mosque just outside of downtown Indianapolis is hosting a community open house for the general Indianapolis community to come meet Muslims, and learn about Islam, Muslims, and Muslim culture.  This is an opportunity for our Muslim community to host our brothers and sisters of other faith traditions or beliefs and for all of us to learn from each other. The open house will be held Saturday, February 25th from 1pm - 3pm at the Mosque located near downtown—4846 Cold Spring Rd. RSVP is required for this event—please visit this link to RSVP: https://goo.gl/rTioR5

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading: Hillbilly Elegy by J D Vance will be held next Tuesday (February 28th) at 7 pm in the Parlor at FFM.  Cindy K will be heading up the discussion.  Feel free to join us on Facebook, we have added a new Oak Leaf Page for posting comments, reviews and discussion.  If you'd like to read ahead for next month: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving will be discussed on March 28th, led by Pat P. 

In 2017, World Day of Prayer is celebrated on Friday, March 3rd. World Day of Prayer (WDP) is an international event that unites Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian women and men in over 170 countries in prayer. With origins in the 19th century, World Day of Prayer became an official call to prayer under its present name in 1927. In its present iteration, World Day of Prayer is celebrated on the first Friday of March around the world. Throughout the day, from the first sunrise to the last sunset, our prayers follow the sun’s path around the globe.  Spoken in hundreds of languages and dialects, WDP strives to bring “informed prayer and prayerful action” to our communities. The host country for 2017—providing the theme, worship materials, and a focus for prayer—is the Philippines.  You are invited to celebrate this day in Indianapolis at Northview Church of the Brethren at 10:00 am, 5555 46th St.

Opportunity to Volunteer ~ On Sunday, March 5 from 1-3 p.m., we would welcome volunteers from First Friends to help sort donated shoes at the Changing Footprints shoe room.  We are located at 9302 N. Meridian St., Suite 382.  We are on the northwest corner of 93rd St. & N. Meridian St. at the stoplight.  Park behind the building and enter the main door.  Take the elevator to the third floor.  Please contact the office if you are available and interested!   If you arrive after 1 p.m., please call Carol’s cell phone so she can open the locked entrance door for you.

The Indiana Daylily and Iris Society invites you! The IDIS is now hosting their monthly meetings at First Friends, and everyone is welcome! Their first meeting of the year will be Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30. There will be two presentations entitled "Effective Methods for Controlling Moles" and "Median Iris Rule Supreme in 2017", showing pictures of some regional iris gardens and giving a preview of the Median Iris Society Mini-Convention coming up in May. Please join us in the Parlor!

Day of Remembrance ~ Sunday, March 12th   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 12th we will gather together in Worship and recall these cherished ones. After worship, please join us for Fellowship Hour hosted by Circle of Care.

Every three years, the global community of Friends United Meeting gathers to celebrate our life together, to grow in our ability to serve the world, and to worship Christ our Lord!  Along with our Triennial host, Great Plains Yearly Meeting, FUM invites and welcomes Quakers from all over the world to join us in Wichita, Kansas, on July 12–16, 2017. We will meet on the campus of Friends University, and look forward to seeing you there.  Messages will spring from Thomas Kelly’s book, “The Eternal Promise.” Registration? https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1877598

Zionsville Poetry Contest! All residents of Indiana are invited to submit poems for a public art project. The winning poems will be stamped into a Village sidewalk in Zionsville. Entries are $10 for adults and $5 for youth; they must be no longer than 8 lines and are due by March 30. Submit poems to Zionsville Cultural District, 225 W. Hawthorne St., Zionsville, IN 46077 or online at www.zionsvilleculturaldistrict.org. For more information, see the press release here: http://www.zionsville-in.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=99

February 15, 2017

As Way Opens

I have been reading the Parker Palmer book The Company of Strangers over the last week.  This book was written in 1981 (it might have been his first book) and is very relevant for today as he talks about the need for the church to have a public life and that we all need to interact with strangers.  God often speaks to us through the stranger.  And yet we have become a people that want a perceived personal relationship with everyone.  We want to know the personal lives of our celebrities, sports heroes and others that we admire.  We think we know them but we really have no idea about who they are as a human being - and that is ok.  Facebook has created a false sense of friendship.  I don’t think we need to have a personal relationship with everyone.  Living a public life with strangers is a rewarding and transformative experience.  We come together in the public square to work on issues that benefit all of us. While individual accomplishment is important, there are so many elements of our life that we are dependent on the community.  We will never be able to individually provide for our safety, protect our homes from fire, build roads for ourselves, provide education for our children etc.  The list goes on and on.  I fear that we are becoming so isolated and so fearful that we won’t engage with the stranger in our public life.  We are fearful to encounter someone different than we are because they might hurt us or our families.   It is discouraging to see how entrenched we have become in the public square in terms of politics.  All of this can bring despair in our lives.  But I hold onto the scripture in Hebrews 11: 13-16 that references some of the great men of faith like Noah and Abraham.  "All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them.  But they confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.”   Palmer wrote, “This is an important passage in part because it reminds us that God’s promises take long years to work themselves out, that to stand in faith is to stand in patient trust that those promises will someday be fulfilled.”  Martin Luther King Jr believed in this promise and knew that he might not see it personally but the mountaintop would be reached and God’s promise fulfilled.  May we all have faith to believe and stay engaged and reach out to the stranger.

Beth

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 Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

 Meridian Street Preschool Cooperative Silent Auction!

MSPC will be having their annual silent auction this Saturday, February 18th. If you or anyone you know is interested in attending MSPC’s auction, please feel free to RSVP! The auction is at The Riviera Club, 5640 North Illinois Street, and opens at 5pm. Cocktail casual attire encouraged. A light dinner will be served. Please note, this is an adult only event. RSVPs are $10 each. If you’d like to attend, please contact the office.

Pop-Up Coats and Warm Clothing Collection ~ We are collecting coats and warm clothing for the John H. Boner Community Center. The center serves some of the poorest neighborhoods in Indianapolis. Before winter ends, please consider donating. Please place coats and clothing in the labeled box in Fellowship Hall. But hurry! You only have one more week! If you have any questions, please contact the office. Thank you!

An Evening with Carrie Newcomer airs on WFYI television tomorrow, February 16th from 8:00-9:30 pm.  Carrie is a folk singer/songwriter and a local Quaker! Be sure to tune in!

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best involve everyone in the planning and programming of events?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to a pastoral search committee member, who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, February 19th!

First Friends Game Night:
Saturday, February 25 at 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM At the Meetinghouse

Informal gathering for board games, card games, etc.
Bring a game along.
There will be snacks!
We will need volunteers to bring snacks.
First to choose to bring snacks and/or drinks will be chosen!

We will kick off with the ISH group!

For further information – contact the office.

The Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) board will be holding their semiannual board meeting at First Friends from April 20th – 22nd (please note the corrected dates!).  Our Meeting approved hosting this Meeting with Quakers from around the country.

We need some folks to be willing to open their home for RSWR board members to stay with them.  This will be for 3 nights starting April 20th and going through the night of April 22nd/morning of April 23rd - it includes a bed for these evening and breakfast each morning - please let Beth know if you would be willing to provide home hospitality.

We also need people to help with lunch and dinner on April 20th, lunch on April 21st and lunch on April 22nd. Please contact Beth if you would be willing to help.

Opportunity to Volunteer ~ On Sunday, March 5 from 1-3 p.m., we would welcome volunteers from First Friends to help sort donated shoes at the Changing Footprints shoe room.  We are located at 9302 N. Meridian St., Suite 382.  We are on the northwest corner of 93rd St. & N. Meridian St. at the stoplight.  Park behind the building and enter the main door.  Take the elevator to the third floor.  Please contact the office if you are interested!

Please hold the date of Sunday March 26th for Ruthie’s goodbye celebration.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship.  To show our appreciation for Ruthie’s time and energy here at First Friends, we welcome any love offering or contribution for this purpose. Please send in your contribution to the office or with your regular offering identifying it is for Ruthie.

Are You A Quaker? QuakerSpeak recently released a short video, ‘Are You A Quaker?’ which briefly discusses Quakers and how most people would likely identify with Quaker beliefs. It’s a great video to share with your friends, especially anyone who might be considering the Quaker faith. It even features our very own Norma W! Watch and share the video here: http://quakerspeak.com/are-you-a-quaker/

February 8, 2017

As Way Opens

They must first judge themselves, that presume to censure others: And such will not be apt to overshoot the Mark.

We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by Love and Information.

And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us.

Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us.

Force may subdue, but Love gains: And he that forgives first, wins the Lawrel.

If I am even with my Enemy, the Debt is paid; but if I forgive it, I oblige him for ever.

Love is the hardest Lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it.

It is a severe Rebuke upon us, that God makes us so many Allowances, and we make so few to our Neighbour: As if Charity had nothing to do with Religion; Or Love with Faith, that ought to work by it.                         

From Some Fruits of Solitude; Religion, William Penn

We often think of William Penn for his great accomplishments as a statesman and his political force, establishing ‘Penn’s Sylvania’ and bringing to bear the fruit of his Quaker convincement in governance.  But perhaps we often overlook the inward view of Penn’s spiritual depth and character.  Some Fruits of Solitude’ gives us that chance. Penn was able, in his own words, ‘to take a view of himself and the world, and observe wherein he hath hit and missed the mark; what might have been done, what mended, and what avoided in his human conduct.”  How often are we able to take this long view back at our lives lived, and consider our ‘mark’?  Perhaps if we did, we might more readily understand the power of love and forgiveness.  We might see and recognize the depth of love others have for us, and could then more easily reciprocate that love.  We might be better students in the lessons of love God lays out for us – not learning by rote - but taking care to comprehend love fully, exercise it well, and courageous enough to try it.  And so, as Penn asks us, let us then try - not what love can do, might do, could do, or should do, but what Love will do.

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Ruthie

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 Joys & Concerns

This lovely plant is a gift to us all from Larry Stimson.  He received it this past Saturday as a remembrance from Roncalli High School for his wife Janet, and he in turn, is giving it to our Meeting.  Thank you Larry, and may God bless you with the life of the spirit and peace, as you are comforted.

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Join us Sunday as we celebrate Scouting in Meeting for Worship.  Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies will serve in worship, as we remember the scout challenge to ‘be reverent’. First Friends was the sponsor of Boy Scout Troop 200 for many years, and it’s good to remember and celebrate the place of Scouting in Quakerism, and in the hearts of First Friends.

Please hold the date of Sunday March 26th for Ruthie’s goodbye celebration.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship.  To show our appreciation for Ruthie’s time and energy here at First Friends, we welcome any love offering or contribution for this purpose. Please send in your contribution to the office or with your regular offering identifying it is for Ruthie.

Pop-Up Coats and Warm Clothing Collection ~ We are collecting coats and warm clothing for the John H. Boner Community Center. The center serves some of the poorest neighborhoods in Indianapolis. Before winter ends, please consider donating. Please place coats and clothing in the labeled box in Fellowship Hall. But hurry! You only have two weeks! If you have any questions, please contact the office. Thank you!

2017 Eco-Film Series Begins THIS FRIDAY, Feb. 10 with “The Last Mountain”

Please join our area faith community for film and discussion- 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Friends

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

For more information please contact the office.

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best participate in Quaker activities beyond First Friends?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Dan R., who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, February 12th!

An Evening with Carrie Newcomer airs on WFYI television Thursday, February 16th from 8:00-9:30 pm.  Carrie is a folk singer/songwriter and a local Quaker! Be sure to tune in!

Meridian Street Preschool Cooperative will be having our annual silent auction on February 18th.  First Friends has been such a wonderful place to call home for our preschool. MSPC appreciates all you do to support us. We would like to invite anyone who is interested to donate to the silent auction. Do you have a small business to promote? This is a great opportunity to do so. Don't own a business? Think about a handmade item, a gift basket or offering a class. If you or someone you know have any items, good or services to donate, you can contact the office. Thank you!

Want to attend the silent auction? If you or anyone you know is interested in attending MSPC’s auction, please feel free to RSVP! The auction is at The Riviera Club, 5640 North Illinois Street, and opens at 5pm. Cocktail casual attire encouraged. A light dinner will be served. Please note, this is an adult only event. If you’d like to attend, please fill out the RSVP card and follow instructions here: https://goo.gl/SYeZvp

Regarding Recycling: Friends, the light bulb bin in the recycling area is intended for CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights) only. Also, please do not bring in any egg cartons until further notice. Be aware that Styrofoam containers cannot be recycled and are environmentally negative. Cardboard containers are biodegradable and can be put in the trash. Of course both can be reused.                                                                         Thank you, Ed M

First Friends Game Night:
Saturday, February 25 at 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM At the Meetinghouse

Informal gathering for board games, card games, etc.
Bring a game along.
There will be snacks!
We will need volunteers to bring snacks.
First to choose to bring snacks and/or drinks will be chosen!
We will kick off with the ISH group!

For further information, contact the office.

The Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) board will be holding their semiannual board meeting at First Friends from April 20th - 22nd.  Our Meeting approved hosting this Meeting with Quakers from around the country.

We need some folks to be willing to open their home for RSWR board members to stay with them.  This will be for 3 nights starting April 20th and going through April 22nd - it includes a bed for these evening and breakfast each morning - please let Beth know if you would be willing to provide home hospitality.

We also need people to help with lunch and dinner on April 20th, lunch on April 21st and lunch on April 22nd.   Please contact Beth if you would be willing to help.

Are You A Quaker? QuakerSpeak recently released a short video, ‘Are You A Quaker?’ which briefly discusses Quakers and how most people would likely identify with Quaker beliefs. It’s a great video to share with your friends, especially anyone who might be considering the Quaker faith. It even features our very own Norma W! Watch and share the video here: http://quakerspeak.com/are-you-a-quaker/

Join the new Art Committee! Nichole M. is looking for (but not limited to) anyone interested in art, history, or preservation who would like to be a part of the Art committee.  This committee would focus on looking after the German Children's/American Friends Service Committee historical collection here at First Friends. 

Possible Committee Goals:

• Decide where the collection goes next
• Look into better sign and boxes for transportation
• Possible numbering to make sure pieces aren't lost
• Contact the venue and arrange for pieces to be delivered there
• Decide permanent homes for parts or all of the collection

The Meditational Woods Committee is announcing their work days for 2017.  Starting on March 18, one Saturday each month will be an opportunity for Meeting members to help keep our woods in good condition.  We will be working hard at removing winter creeper (euonymus fortunei) an invasive ground cover that smothers the native wildflowers that we are trying to restore to the landscape.  Put on your gloves and come work with us!
Also, if you have shade tolerant native plants such as may apples, trillium and Virginia bluebells, please let Terry T. know.  She is helping coordinate our native plant restoration.

• March 18, 2017
• April 22, 2017   Earth Day!
• May 13, 2017
• June 10,2017
• July 15,2017
• August- off
• September 16, 2017
• October 14, 2017 – last work day

 ~Mary B. & Mindy S

We have walkers available! Thanks to a donation from Danny H., First Friends now has walkers available for anyone who may need to use them. These two walkers will be stored inside the closet immediately to your left after entering the East door. Those who discover that they need one can borrow one from us, rather than renting one from a medical supply company. Thank you!

February 1, 2017

As Way Opens

I have been considering my spiritual disciplines and practices that bring me into awareness of God’s presence each day.  I have set up different plans over the last few years to push myself into yoga, meditation, journaling, and other practices that I have embraced with great enthusiasm in the beginning but have not been able to sustain.  I am taking a class on spiritual formation in public ministry this semester at Earlham School of Religions (ESR) and I have been exposed to some different opportunities to consider as part of our spiritual practices.  Music, dance, cooking, art, needlepoint, tithing, personal relationships are all practices that can be just as meaningful as the more traditional practices we think about.  This opened my heart to consider how I experience God in these activities.  What is most important for all of us is that we become aware- aware of the beauty of each day - aware of God’s presence in all aspects of this life - aware that our trials bring us closer to God.  The Muslim poet from the 13th century Rumi says that our adversities are our spiritual practices.  As we all wrestle with our challenges in our personal lives, our families, our communities and our country, may we be aware of how God is moving and changing all of us to become our best selves.  Here is one of my favorite Rumi poems that I share with you.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

Thanks to all who responded to God’s call to assist Paula G. in her move to her new apartment.  It truly does “take a village” to accomplish such things.  Bill and Kathy F. and Ruthie helped Paula find her new residence.  The actual move was the result of the efforts of the following individuals: Ruth K., Tim W., Bill and Kathy F., Sue M., Kim K., Tim and Noell K., Bill C., Judy C., and Carol and Jim D..  Paula has contacted me and asked me to thank all at First Friends who helped with the move and all who prayed that this move would go smoothly.

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

New Date for Community Soup!

Witness & Service will host the next Community Soup tomorrow (THURSDAY), February 2, from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.  Please note the change from Friday to Thursday.  We’re trying a new day of the week to see if it will help attendance at this event.  Everyone is invited to this very informal dinner.  Soups and desserts are welcome but not necessary.  Our motto is: No cooking, no cleanup, no cost!  While this is Groundhog Day, the Community Soup will go on no matter if it rains or shines.  Hope to see you there.

Please hold the date of Sunday March 26th for Ruthie’s goodbye celebration.  We will have a pitch in lunch and program right after Meeting for Worship.  If you would like to contribute towards a gift for her, please send in your contribution to the Meeting for this purpose.

Regarding Recycling: Friends, the light bulb bin in the recycling area is intended for CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights) only. Also, please do not bring in any egg cartons until further notice. Be aware that Styrofoam containers cannot be recycled and are environmentally negative. Cardboard containers are biodegradable and can be put in the trash. Of course both can be reused.

Thank you, Ed M.

Missing Money – An envelope with some cash inside was found in Fellowship Hall last week. If you believe this is yours, please contact the office!

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best participate in local community issues, activities, and problems?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Jim D., who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, February 5th!

Are You a Quaker? QuakerSpeak recently released a short video, ‘Are You a Quaker?’ which briefly discusses Quakers and how most people would likely identify with Quaker beliefs. It’s a great video to share with your friends, especially anyone who might be considering the Quaker faith. It even features our very own Norma W! Watch and share the video here: http://quakerspeak.com/are-you-a-quaker/

2017 Eco-Film Series Begins Feb. 10 with “The Last Mountain”

Please join our area faith community for film and discussion- 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Friends

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

For more information please contact the office.

Scout Sunday February 12th ~ Current and former Scouts, please submit your information to the office so we can recognize you on February 12th. Please send your name, Scouting Organization, Troop number and Scout rank. Email office@indyfriends.org or call 317-255-2485.

Mark your calendars! Youth Group will be meeting Sunday, February 12 from 11:30-1:30. Don’t miss it!

An Evening with Carrie Newcomer airs on WFYI television on Thursday, February 16th from 8:00-9:30 pm.  Carrie is a folk singer/songwriter and a local Quaker! Be sure to tune in!

Meridian Street Preschool Cooperative will be having our annual silent auction on February 18th.  First Friends has been such a wonderful place to call home for our preschool. MSPC appreciates all you do to support us. We would like to invite anyone who is interested to donate to the silent auction. Do you have a small business to promote? This is a great opportunity to do so. Don't own a business? Think about a handmade item, a gift basket or offering a class. If you or someone you know have any items, good or services to donate, you can contact the office. Thank you!

Join the new Art Committee! Nichole M. is looking for (but not limited to) anyone interested in art, history, or preservation who would like to be a part of the Art committee.  This committee would focus on looking after the German Children's/American Friends Service Committee historical collection here at First Friends. 

Possible Committee Goals:

• Decide where the collection goes next
• Look into better sign and boxes for transportation
• Possible numbering to make sure pieces aren't lost
• Contact the venue and arrange for pieces to be delivered there
• Decide permanent homes for parts or all of the collection

Please contact the office if interested. 

Earlham School of Religion is looking for volunteers! ESR has created 5 short videos on the theme of reading the Bible responsibly. This series is presented by Nancy Bowen, Professor of Old Testament. Each video is between 10-15 minutes long. ESR is looking for volunteers to make a commitment to review the videos, engage in discussion about the topics, and then provide feedback on their usefulness. They’re requesting all those interested respond by February 13, 2017 by contacting Miriam Brunner at bunnemi1@earlham.edu or 765-983-1687.

The Meditational Woods Committee is announcing their work days for 2017.  Starting on March 18, one Saturday each month will be an opportunity for Meeting members to help keep our woods in good condition.  We will be working hard at removing winter creeper (euonymus fortunei) an invasive ground cover that smothers the native wildflowers that we are trying to restore to the landscape.  Put on your gloves and come work with us!
Also, if you have shade tolerant native plants such as may apples, trillium and Virginia bluebells, please let Terry T. know.  She is helping coordinate our native plant restoration.

• March 18, 2017
• April 22, 2017   Earth Day!
• May 13, 2017
• June 10,2017
• July 15,2017
• August- off
• September 16, 2017
• October 14, 2017 – last work day

 ~Mary B. & Mindy S.

The Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) board will be holding their semiannual board meeting at First Friends from April 18th - 20th.  Our Meeting approved hosting this Meeting with Quakers from around the country.

We need some folks to be willing to open their home for RSWR board members to stay with them.  This will be for 3 nights starting April 18th and going through April 20th - it includes a bed for these evening and breakfast each morning - please let Beth know if you would be willing to provide home hospitality.

We also need people to help with lunch and dinner on April 18th, lunch on April 19th and lunch on April 20th.   Please contact Beth if you would be willing to help.

We have walkers available! Thanks to a donation from Danny H., First Friends now has walkers available for anyone who may need to use them. These two walkers will be stored inside the closet immediately to your left after entering the East door. Those who discover that they need one can borrow one from us, rather than renting one from a medical supply company. Thank you!

January 25, 2017

As Way Opens

This past Saturday, I called Matt and Rebecca to check in and give them our love.  Matt answered the phone, with our eight-week-old grandson in his arms.  Conor was wailing!  “Mom, we may not be able to talk very long.  Conor’s pretty upset right now.”  I was thrilled to hear the baby – even if he was crying.  It’s been a rare occasion to hear his voice.  “No, Matt – I love this.  I’ve hardly heard him make a peep!”  “He’s been at this for a while.”  “Oh Conor…” and then I started to sing. 

I made up a little sing-song ditty about Conor; how special he is, and how safe he was at home with Mommy and Daddy.  I sang it again and again, two or three times.  Before long, the phone went quiet.  Matt came on the line.  “Mom… Conor stopped crying when he heard you singing.  That was amazing!”  (I told Matt he could call me anytime!)

Regardless of who we are, how young or old we are, or what our needs are, we all cry out from time to time.  We all need soothing.  Who is it that sings for us?  Thomas Turner wrote this lovely piece:

Listen to the song of the wind.  Listen to the song of the wind.

Listen to the song of the wind.

Listen.  God is singing. God is singing.

Listen to the sigh of the soul.  Listen to the sigh of the soul.

Listen to the sigh of the soul.

Listen.  God is singing. God is singing.

Listen, silence speaks in the heart. 

       Listen, silence speaks in the heart. Listen, silence speaks in the heart.

                                    Listen.  God is singing.  God is singing.             

God bless us all, as we hear God singing, even as we cry out.

Ruthie

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Joys & Concerns

Thanks to everyone who helped at the Mid North Food Pantry in January.  It was a busy time...we served over 200 families on the 2 dates we worked in January.  The pantry dates for February are Feb-1 and Feb-15 (the first and third Weds. of the month).  All are needed and welcome.

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Announcements, Reports & Opportunities

Missing Money – An envelope with some cash inside was found in Fellowship Hall last week. If you believe this is yours, please contact the office!

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best provide pastoral counsel to members having personal problems (sick, shut-in, bereaved)?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Sam R., who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, Jan 29!

The Music Committee would like to collect input from the Meeting regarding music at First Friends. With Shawn stepping down as Choir Director, we will use this information to assist us in developing a job description and to evaluate our music program. We invite everyone age 12 and older to complete a survey and return in the offering plate or to the office. The surveys will be inserts in the bulletin on Jan 22nd & 29th (please complete only once).

Thank you, The Music Committee

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday January 28th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Michael and Katie Hostetler. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact Beth if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Calling all young children ages 2 (by Sept 1st 2017) thru 5. MSPC will be holding enrollment for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year for First Friends members and attenders beginning January 23rd-January 27th. Interested families can email the office for a registration packet. Completed forms may be placed into the MSPC mail folder at FF, or mailed to FF. MSPC looks forward to including the FF meeting next year and beyond.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) has been busy this year bringing a Quaker presence to the Indiana General Assembly.  How are Quakers expressing Friend’s testimonies today?  IFCL members have been attending most of the summer study committees learning about the issues, listening at hearings and meeting with many of our elected representatives.  Mary B. has written a short article about some of the things she’s learned about IFCL and FCNL. Read the article here: https://goo.gl/MXSYii

Hey Guys!  Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading is expanding the book group to everyone (both men and women) interested. Come discuss the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which will be led by Kristyn G. on Tuesday, January 31st at 7 pm in the Parlor.  If you’d like to have your name added to the email list, please contact the office. Looking forward to February 28th’s discussion, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.

New Date for Community Soup!

Witness & Service will host the next Community Soup on THURSDAY, February 2, fro m 5:30 pm – 7 pm.  Please note the change from Friday to Thursday.  We’re trying a new day of the week to see if it will help attendance at this event.  Everyone is invited to this very informal dinner.  Soups and desserts are welcome but not necessary.  Our motto is: No cooking, no cleanup, no cost!  While this is Groundhog Day, the Community Soup will go on no matter if it rains or shines.  Hope to see you there.

2017 Eco-Film Series Begins Feb. 10 with “The Last Mountain”

Please join our area faith community for film and discussion- 7 p.m. in the parlor at First Friends

In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal.

For more information please contact the office.

Scout Sunday February 12th ~ Current and former Scouts, please submit your information to the office so we can recognize you on February 12th. Please send your name, Scouting Organization, Troop number and Scout rank. Email office@indyfriends.org.

Ruthie’s Going Away Party ~ Mark your calendars for a "Going Away" party for Ruthie on her last Sunday, March 26th during Fellowship Hour. It will be a carry-in meal following Meeting for Worship to show our appreciation to her. Please join us!

Join the new Art Committee! Nichole M. is looking for (but not limited to) anyone interested in art, history, or preservation who would like to be a part of the Art committee.  This committee would focus on looking after the German Children's/American Friends Service Committee historical collection here at First Friends. 

Possible Committee Goals:

• Decide where the collection goes next
• Look into better sign and boxes for transportation
• Possible numbering to make sure pieces aren't lost
• Contact the venue and arrange for pieces to be delivered there
• Decide permanent homes for parts or all of the collection

Please contact the office if interested. 

The Earlham School of Religion is looking for volunteers! ESR has created 5 short videos on the theme of reading the Bible responsibly. This series is presented by Nancy Bowen, Professor of Old Testament. Each video is between 10-15 minutes long. ESR is looking for volunteers to make a commitment to review the videos, engage in discussion about the topics, and then provide feedback on their usefulness. They’re requesting all those interested respond by February 13, 2017 by contacting Miriam Brunner at bunnemi1@earlham.edu or 765-983-1687.

The Meditational Woods Committee is announcing their work days for 2017.  Starting on March 18, one Saturday each month will be an opportunity for Meeting members to help keep our woods in good condition.  We will be working hard at removing winter creeper (euonymus fortunei) an invasive ground cover that smothers the native wildflowers that we are trying to restore to the landscape.  Put on your gloves and come work with us!
Also, if you have shade tolerant native plants such as may apples, trillium and Virginia bluebells, please let Terry T. know.  She is helping coordinate our native plant restoration.

• March 18, 2017
• April 22, 2017   Earth Day!
• May 13, 2017
• June 10,2017
• July 15,2017
• August- off
• September 16, 2017
• October 14, 2017 – last work day

 ~Mary B. & Mindy S.

The Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) board will be holding their semiannual board meeting at First Friends from April 18th - 20th.  Our Meeting approved hosting this Meeting with Quakers from around the country.

We need some folks to be willing to open their home for RSWR board members to stay with them.  This will be for 3 nights starting April 18th and going through April 20th - it includes a bed for these evening and breakfast each morning - please let Beth know if you would be willing to provide home hospitality.

We also need people to help with lunch and dinner on April 18th, lunch on April 19th and lunch on April 20th.   Please contact Beth if you would be willing to help.

January 18, 2017

As Way Opens

I spent the last two weeks in Richmond IN attending an intensive class (one semester condensed into two weeks) at Earlham School of Religion (ESR) working towards my Masters in Divinity.  The class I took was on studying the Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammed and the Islamic faith taught by Michael Birkel, ESR professor and writer of a great book called Qur’an in Conversation.   The Muslim faith has been prevalent in our news cycles as terrorist radicals use the religion to do horrific acts.  I wanted to move beyond the rhetoric and understand this religion that more than one billion people practice in the world.  It was quite eye opening and I was surprised by how little I knew about Muhammed and the Qur’an before I started the class.  

Some of the important aspects of the Muslim faith is a belief in the one God, the God of the Old and New Testament who is full of compassion and mercy.  Every chapter in the Qur’an starts with the words…In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.  This is a faith that requires a person’s deeds and actions reflect God’s attributes and names (there are 99 names for God).  This is a faith that honors and learns from the great prophets of the Bible; Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Mary, Jesus….. This is a faith that embraces all of humanity.  This is a faith that encourages spiritual practices (daily prayers, fasting, pilgrimage) that bring each person into a daily remembrance of God. 

While there are significant differences in the Muslim faith versus Christianity (primarily the divinity of Christ and the concept of salvation) there are many areas of commonality and the Prophet Muhammed sought for respect and tolerance for the “People of the Book” (the term he used to identify Christians and Jews).  There are troubling passages in the Qur’an just as there are troubling passages in the Old and New Testament.  The reality is that all of our sacred texts were written by men and greatly influenced by the culture and context of ancient times.   When verses are pulled out of context, people can and do use them to subvert the overall message being conveyed in the writings.  A message of hope and love in the reality of the one true God.  

We have had a wonderful opportunity in the last 3 years to get to know our dear friends Daud and Lillian A.  Daud showed up one day because he knew the history of Quakers in terms of equality and he just continued to show up Sunday after Sunday.  We got to know him as a deeply spiritual man of God, full of wisdom and wit.  He embraced us and we embraced him.  Through Daud we were able to learn more about his faith and connect with his Mosque on 46th and Keystone, Nur Allah Islamic Center.  Daud and Lillian will be moving to Alabama in February and we are joyful for this next stage of life for them but sad for us that we will miss his presence here at First Friends.   We send our best wishes to Daud and Lillian and know that we have been changed by knowing them.  Thank you Daud and Lillian.    

Beth

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Ecumenical Service tonight! King of Glory Lutheran Church in Carmel is offering an ecumenical worship service to pray for Christian unity tonight, Wednesday January 18 at 7 pm. The church is located at 2201 E. 106th St (at Keystone Pkwy) Carmel, IN 46032. For questions, contact the church at (317) 846-1555.

The Music Committee would like to collect input from the Meeting regarding music at First Friends. With Shawn stepping down as Choir Director, we will use this information to assist us in developing a job description and to evaluate our music program. We invite everyone age 12 and older to complete a survey and return in the offering plate or to the office. The surveys will be inserts in the bulletin on Jan 22nd & 29th (please complete only once). Thank you,                                                            The Music Committee

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best minister to our children and youth to foster their relationship with God and our Meeting?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Brenda R, who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, Jan 22!

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday January 28th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Michael and Katie H. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact Beth if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Calling all young children ages 2 (by Sept 1st 2017) thru 5. MSPC will be holding enrollment for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year for First Friends members and attenders beginning January 23rd-January 27th. Interested families can email the office for a registration packet. Completed forms may be placed into the MSPC mail folder at FF, or mailed to FF. MSPC looks forward to including the FF meeting next year and beyond.

Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) has been busy this year bringing a Quaker presence to the Indiana General Assembly.  How are Quakers expressing Friend’s testimonies today?  IFCL members have been attending most of the summer study committees learning about the issues, listening at hearings and meeting with many of our elected representatives.  Mary B. has written a short article about some of the things she’s learned about IFCL and FCNL. Read the article here: https://goo.gl/MXSYii

Hey Guys!  Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading is expanding the book group to everyone (both men and women) interested. Come discuss the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which will be led by Kristyn Greenwald on Tuesday, January 31st at 7 pm in the Parlor.  If you’d like to have your name added to the email list, please contact the office. Looking forward to February 28th’s discussion, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  

Scout Sunday February 12th ~ Current and former Scouts, please submit your information to the office so we can recognize you on February 12th. Please send your name, Scouting Organization, Troop number and Scout rank. Email office@indyfriends.org or call 317-255-2485.

January 11, 2017

As Way Opens

Dan Mitchell gave a gift to each of the women on staff this Christmas: a glass jar and a paperwhite narcissus bulb – with instructions. “Fill jar with water to base of bulb. Wait.”  I did.  I waited until after I returned from vacation to fill my jar with water and set the bulb, sprouting already from its dead brown skin.  Before long, strange white tentacles erupted downward into the water, lengthening slowly.  Within a week, something else became quite noticeable… the sprout was greening and stretching upward.  The further the roots descended, the more the sprout gained in height.  It won’t be long before more and more stalks will appear and the narcissus will bloom into full flower.

So it is with each one of our spiritual lives.  We each, seemingly dry dormant bulbs, are filled with God’s spirit of life and the capacity for growth and newness.  When nurtured, our souls stretch deeply and become rooted in life giving energy.  That is when the evidence of God’s life in us becomes apparent.  The deeper our experience, the stronger the mark of God’s presence.  The fruit and flower of God’s work in us is revealed, while our rootedness is hidden, known only to God.

Dormancy is a necessary part of life… we need times of rest and conservation of energy.  But we also must remember our need for nurture – the Quickening Source that feeds us.  What nurtures your soul?  It may be prayer, study, scripture, nature walks, worship groups, journaling, drawing, volunteering, poetry, reading… God, our Present Teacher, is eager to lead each of us to deeper and greater growth.  Let us be willing to put ourselves in a nurturing place, and then… wait.

Ruthie    

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Joys & Concerns

A big thank you for all the donations received for Right Sharing of World Resources from the sale of cookies and soup in a jar! We raised $209 to support women in India, Kenya and Sierre Leone.

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Monthly Meeting will gather this Sunday, January 15th.  Everyone is welcome to join us!

Beth’s Sunday School parenting class will meet in the parlor at 9:00 this Sunday, January 15.  We will be studying Dr. Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting: Raising Children with Courage, Compassion and Connection.  Beth is a big fan of Brene Brown and this is a new series she has developed so Beth hopes parents of all ages will join.

The Eternal Promise is the study for Seeking Friends this quarter.  Join Ruthie and others as we move through this collection of short essays by Friend Thomas R. Kelly.  The Wired Word continues in the Coffee Circle class, covering current events with a spiritual point of view. 

The Pastoral Search Committee invites you to contemplate and provide feedback on the following query this week: In your opinion, how can our new pastor best develop and lead adult educational programs?  Please provide your thoughts on the query (or any other feedback on the search process) to Carolyn T., who will be looking forward to hearing from you just outside the Meeting Room after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, Jan 15!

We still need volunteers for the Mid North Food Pantry! ~ Due to the holidays, several of the “regulars” will not be able to volunteer at the food pantry on Wednesday, January 18.  These are all days that First Friends regularly staffs the pantry. If you are in town and available during any of these dates, please consider volunteering. Let the office know if you are interested. Thank you for your assistance!

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday January 28th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Michael and Katie H. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact Beth if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Job Opportunity! “A bite of Energy Snacks and Vending” operates and stocks vending machines on a route that serves multiple counties throughout central Indiana. They are looking for a competent, dedicated, and friendly employee to transport product and assist in restocking machines. For a full job description, visit https://goo.gl/Belrfo. If you know anyone looking for a job, please share!

Hey Guys!  Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading is expanding the book group to everyone (both men and women) interested. Come discuss the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, which will be led by Kristyn G. on Tuesday, January 31st at 7 pm in the Parlor.  If you’d like to have your name added to the email list, please contact the office ~ looking forward to February 28th’s discussion, Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  

Scout Sunday February 12th ~ Current and former Scouts, please submit your information to the office so we can recognize you on February 12th. Please send the office your name, Scouting Organization, Troop number and Scout rank.