November 8, 2017

As Way Opens

I have been reading quite a bit about Desmond Tutu and his theology of Ubuntu to address apartheid in South Africa in the 20th century.  Bishop Tutu became Bishop of the Anglican church in South Africa and his embrace of spirituality and the idea that all are created in the image of God helped lead his country out of racial oppression with a heart of reconciliation over revenge.  His Ubuntu theology finds redemption through Christ and refused to define individuals by race or other differences.  All human beings have worth for the very reason that they are created in imago Dei. Tutu’s model seeks to restore an oppressors humanity and have those oppressed see their oppressors as peers of God. Ubuntu seeks a beloved community made up of unique individuals. Tutu embraces community but can see the potential danger that community can lead to conformity.  He views the obsession with the western model of individuality and personal salvation as not creating a community of care and support. He encourages the terrifying idea of losing one’s identity in order to emerge as a redeemed person to God and to one’s truest self. 

Tutu was insightful to understand that we are all potential oppressors without the transformation of God in our lives.  As I read through the history of South Africa, I am astounded with the fact that the white Afrikaners were oppressed and enslaved by the British (during the late 1800’s) and yet they in turn created apartheid to oppress and enslave people of color in their country. 

How do we create Ubuntu? A diverse and unique community of believers where we are all valued and beloved.  As Richard Rohr points out “if Christians emphasize retribution and judgment, we will only contribute to more violence and division. We become what we believe ourselves to be.”  What do we believe about ourselves?  How do I live out Ubuntu?

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

How generous of our food pantry volunteers to again donate their time and effort to the Mid-North Food Pantry. Thank you to Linda and Rik L, Kathy and Bill F, Ray G, and Carol and Jim D. We were very busy, with 111 families served!

In need of some inspiration? Come take a stroll around our Meetinghouse and see the fall colors at their peak! The sun is out and I bet you could use a break! How beautiful this Fall is turning out to be!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

This Little Light of Mine after Charlottesville ~ The poem Catherine S read at the Labor of love Meeting for Worship has been published. To access the poem, visit the link below and follow instructions to access an internal link. The poem is in page 9 of the publication.http://indymenno.org/2017/11/power-fall-issue-of-mennoexpressions/ Enjoy!

Words Matter! Writing for Healing, Action, & Change ~ Indianapolis First Friends Meeting is hosting a workshop for the Spirit & Place Festival this year! Join four talented writers—Philip Gulley, Diana Ensign, Amber Stearns, and Barbara Shoup—as they explore the power of words to spark compassion, dialogue, and positive change. Words are powerful! Written language imparts knowledge, shapes thoughts, spurs ideas, and provokes action. Words inspire, uplift, and motivate. Misused, words can be a tool for manipulation or bullying. It matters how we use them. Do our words create positive change in the world? Do our words send waves of fear and anger? Or do our words unify? This panel presentation will examine the power of words and will ask attendees to answer in writing, “How have you been inspired to use your words to create change?” Selected responses will be published in NUVO. Prior to the panel discussion and after the discussion enjoy music by classically trained guitarist Michelle Qureshi. This will be held Friday, November 10, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Meetingroom. This is free and open to anyone! Walk-ins welcome, but RSVPs encouraged by Nov. 10. Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/27bwng.  

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents. For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction. Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

Want to see the Colts game this Sunday, November 12? Plan your weekend now! This Saturday the Silent Auction (mentioned above) will be auctioning off 2 tickets to the Colts vs Pittsburg Steelers for the next day, November 12, 1 pm. Face value $92 each! Starting bid: $50/pair. You can submit your bid to the office by calling 317-255-2485, or email office@indyfriends.org by Friday at 5pm. Of course you may also bid at the Silent Auction on Saturday. We will also be featuring many other great prizes, such as 2 tickets to the Festival of Carols by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Dec 13, 14, or 15 (see the flyer on the bulletin board in the hallway)! Hope to see you there!

Calling All Gardeners! Please clean up your garden plots. Let Samantha R or Nancy S know by Thanksgiving if you want to retain your plot for next year. Inform us if you are willing to trade plots. List what you planted so we can keep records to help monitor insects, disease and to assist with crop rotation. To winterize:

·         Put diseased crops & weeds in the trash bin.

·         Put healthy garden waste in the compost bin beside the garage.

·         Sanitize your garden tools, tomato cages, etc.

·         If you want, dig in dead leaves to fertilize.

Better care now makes a healthier garden next year!

Vespers is Fast Approaching! Vespers is coming December 3rd. If you would like to participate but can’t come to choir on Sundays, please come November 18th at 10:00AM to learn the music with the choir. We would love to have you join us for this joyous occasion! ~Eric & the Choir
 

Ecumenical Thanksgiving ~ Tuesday evening, November 21st at 7:00 is the date and time set for our annual Shalom Zone Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, this year at St. Pius X Catholic Church (7200 Sarto Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46240). Everyone is welcome! First Friends, Cross and Crown, Allisonville Christian, and St. Pius congregations will join together in worship and song, as we give thanks to God for the many gifts and graces we receive. Join us in thanksgiving!

Grief Gathering on Sunday November 26th after Meeting for Worship - Circle of Care is hosting a lunch and discussion for those who have experienced a loss of a family member or cherished friend.  This lunch and time together is a tangible way our Meeting is demonstrating our care for each other during times of sadness.  We will also be featuring guest speaker Dan Mosley, author of Lose, Love, Live: The Spiritual Gifts of Loss and Change. We invite anyone that is interested in gathering with others to share and reflect on the experience of loss. Feel free to bring any family members. Please contact the office (office@indyfriends.org) if you plan to attend.  This event is hosted by our Circle of Care.

Greening the Statehouse ~ Don't miss the largest annual gathering of environmentally-minded citizens in the state! It will be held Saturday, December 2nd, 9am-4pm at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds! Greening the Statehouse (#GTS2017) will be a day full of opportunities to become a better advocate for the environment, public health, and a sustainable economy. This year GTS will be a day of how-to’s: how to organize in your community, how to engage with lawmakers, how to communicate with the media, and so many more; we will focus on practical and necessary skills that should be in every advocate’s toolbox! Stay tuned for more info on our panelists. Don't miss out on the chance to get informed and inspired by Mitch Hescox, one of the most well-known conservative advocates for the environment in the country, who is working tirelessly to engage Americans across the political and faith spectrum. Tickets are $25 each ($10 students). For more information and to register, please visit www.hecweb.org/get-involved/gts2017.  

Christmas Calendar at First Friends Meeting

December 3rd

‘Royal Sensation Choir’ in Meeting

Vespers at 5:00pm

Complimentary Light Buffet following concert

December 10th

Christmas Tea just following Worship

Christmas Caroling

December 17th

Children’s Christmas Pageant in Meeting

Take your poinsettias home!

December 24th

Unprogrammed worship in the Parlor at 10:15am

Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 pm

November 1, 2017

As Way Opens

This week I had the opportunity to read a book of my choosing to each of the four classes at the Meridian St. Preschool Co-Op which meets in our building. I love reading stories to kids. Sadly, in many ways it is becoming a lost art. Books are now being uploaded to e-readers, smart phones, and tablets while children slip off to a corner and allow their devices to do all the work for them. There is very little, if any, personal interaction with a book, a reader, or the environment in which they occupy.         

Since it was Halloween, I decided to read a book by Linda Williams titled, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. A book that takes a light approach to our fears and finds surprising possibilities amidst being scared - a lesson we could all learn from in our day and age. 

Each class of children engaged in their own way, as they tried to pay attention with the excitement of Trick or Treating awaiting them soon. While reading, I noticed something about these children. They were not just engaged with the book, they were engaged with my excitement for the book and for them. As I read, the kids became more comfortable, more willing to engage in questions, and even participate in the actions. By the end of the book, I had them doing the actions and yelling out the descriptive words - and the best thing was that we were doing it TOGETHER!  Now, when I walk down the hall I have a new relationship with these children - and you could say it was all due to reading a book together.    

In Chris Smith’s book, Reading for the Common Good: How Books Help Our Churches and Neighborhoods Flourish, he says, 

“Reading is a vital practice that can -- if done carefully and well -- ultimately contribute to the health and flourishing of our communities. The term flourishing comes from the roots that mean “flower”; to flourish is to bloom, to emerge into the full glory for which God has created us. Flourishing is the opposite of sin and brokenness and suffering. It is an English synonym for the Hebrew word shalom, which means total peace, health and well-being.” 

So this week, take some time to pick up a book and read it with a child, a friend, a spouse, or join a book club or discussion and realize that in doing so you are being a “peace maker” and helping your community to bloom! 

Grace and peace,

Bob

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Joys & Concerns

Thank you, Friendly Visitors! This past Sunday Circle of Care hosted a thank-you luncheon for our Friendly Visitors. They’re the ones who care for those who cannot make it to our Meeting on a regular basis. We’d like to thank them for another year of service in this important ministry. Thank you, volunteers! If you’re interested in the Friendly Visitors ministry, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. 

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Announcements & Opportunities

Daylight Savings Time ends at 2am this Sunday, so don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed, or you may show up to church an hour early on Sunday!

Christ and the Quakers ~ Our Christ and Quakers Sunday School Class continues Sunday in the Parlor. We'll be discussing John Woolman's views on Christ. Please join us!
 

Vespers is Fast Approaching! Vespers is coming December 3rd. If you would like to participate but can’t come to choir on Sundays, please come November 18th at 10:00AM to learn the music with the choir. We would love to have you join us for this joyous occasion! ~Eric & the Choir

Community Soup ~ Witness & Service will host the next Community Soup tomorrow, Thursday November 2, from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.  Please note that again we are hosting on a Thursday instead of Friday. Everyone is invited to this very informal dinner. As the weather is cooling down we will be serving soup. If you’d like you’re welcome to bring a soup but not necessary.  Our motto is: No cooking, no cleanup, no cost! Hope to see you there.
 

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday November 4th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Chrissy and Trent S. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!
 

Blood Drive! Please join us for a blood drive held in conjunction with the Indiana Blood Center this Sunday, November 5th from 9:00am-1:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Walk-ins are welcome, but anyone interested is encouraged to RSVP here: https://www.donorpoint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/111168.
Donors must be 17 years old (16 with signed parent permission slip), 
meet height /weight eligibility requirements, be in good general health, and present a photo I.D. at registration. To view eligibility, visit http://www.indianablood.org/Donors/Learn/Pages/Eligibilty.aspx. 
If you have any other questions, please contact Kristine Pierce(mkpierce@indianablood.org). 

NEW Sunday Yoga Classes - Yoga is a practice well suited to the Quaker experience. (Or, is yoga an experience well suited to the Quaker practice? ☺) We will explore asana practice, meditation, and breathwork as a way to experience inner Light. Several varieties of yoga practice will be explored, such as yin yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga.  The class is open to all levels and members of the class will help determine the content of the practice. Class will be offered once monthly. Please note we have changed the date from the second Sunday of the month to the first Sunday of the month, from 11:45-12:45ish. We’ve also changed the location from the Parlor to the basement. There will be an opportunity for a pitch-in lunch immediately following. Please join us at our next session on November 5th. If you’d like to contribute to the class, any goodwill offerings are appreciated! 
 

Community Garden ~ The cold is setting in and the frost is nearly upon us—so please clear out your garden plots as soon as possible! To tend to your gardens, the Glendale Library is also offering cover crops for free. These will help enhance the nutrients in the soil, and need to be planted now if you plan on using them! Also, please let us know if you’d like a garden plot for next year. Contact the office (office@indyfriends.org) if you’d like to hold your spot for next year!


Poverty: A Community Responds ~ The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary kicks off its second year with a free panel discussion featuring national speakers on poverty on Wednesday, November 8 from 7:00-9:00pm. It promises to raise challenging questions and offer innovative solutions. The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary connects, inspires and empowers faith communities and others to implement effective solutions for people confronting poverty. Through annual public events and grants, the Faith & Action Project seeks to ignite a collaborative, interfaith and inclusive movement for well-being and justice in our community. The seminar is at Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poverty-a-community-responds-tickets-37739678394?aff=es2 

Words Matter! Writing for Healing, Action, & Change ~ Indianapolis First Friends Meeting is hosting a workshop for the Spirit & Place Festival this year! Join four talented writers—Philip Gulley, Diana Ensign, Amber Stearns, and Barbara Shoup—as they explore the power of words to spark compassion, dialogue, and positive change. Words are powerful! Written language imparts knowledge, shapes thoughts, spurs ideas, and provokes action. Words inspire, uplift, and motivate. Misused, words can be a tool for manipulation or bullying. It matters how we use them. Do our words create positive change in the world? Do our words send waves of fear and anger? Or do our words unify? This panel presentation will examine the power of words and will ask attendees to answer in writing, “How have you been inspired to use your words to create change?” Selected responses will be published in NUVO. Prior to the panel discussion and after the discussion enjoy music by classically trained guitarist Michelle Qureshi. This will be held Friday, November 10, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Meetingroom. This is free and open to anyone! Walk-ins welcome, but RSVPs encouraged by Nov. 10. Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/27bwng. 

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents.  For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction. Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) was honored at the Indiana High School Press Association’s annual fall convention Friday, Oct. 20, for support of a First Amendment bill for student journalists. Dr. Bill Chapman, IFCL lobbyist, accepted the award on behalf of the organization’s effort during the 2017 legislative session. New Voices legislation speaks to the Quaker belief in “truth to power.” Some high schools throughout the country promote strong journalism programs and encourage students to report about important issues that relate to teenagers. But some administrators control potentially controversial coverage, a practice that has prompted some states to pass specific legislation to ensure that students attending public high schools can report about relevant topics. IHSPA also honored Rep. Ed Clere, (R) New Albany and Rep. Ed DeLaney, (D) Indianapolis, the New Voices bill sponsors. For more information, please visit http://www.quakerifcl.org/2017/10/ifcl-honored-at-the-indiana-high-school-press-associations-annual-fall-convention/    
 

Ecumenical Thanksgiving ~ Tuesday evening, November 21st at 7:00 is the date and time set for our annual Shalom Zone Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, this year at St. Pius X Catholic Church (7200 Sarto Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46240). Everyone is welcome! First Friends, Cross and Crown, Allisonville Christian, and St. Pius congregations will join together in worship and song, as we give thanks to God for the many gifts and graces we receive. Join us in thanksgiving!

Grief Gathering on Sunday November 26th after Meeting for Worship - Circle of Care is hosting a lunch and discussion for those who have experienced a loss of a family member or cherished friend.  This lunch and time together is a tangible way our Meeting is demonstrating our care for each other during times of sadness.  We will also be featuring guest speaker Dan Mosley, author of Lose, Love, Live: The Spiritual Gifts of Loss and Change. We invite anyone that is interested in gathering with others to share and reflect on the experience of loss. Feel free to bring any family members. Please contact the office (office@indyfriends.org) if you plan to attend.  This event is hosted by our Circle of Care.
 

October 25, 2017

As Way Opens

I traveled to Minneapolis this past weekend to attend the board meeting of Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS - www.quakervoluntaryservice.org).  I joined this board last year because of several connections I have with others on the board and they convinced me to join with them in the service of this organization.  In the 18 months I have served, I have become so impressed with the mission of this group and how it does its work.  

Ten years ago a young Quaker woman named Christina Repoley had a vision to create a program that would honor the work camps and alternative service opportunities of years ago with a concept that fits our 21st century for young people.  She worked to develop her vision and enlisted the help of several “weighty Friends" to test her ideas and help her set up this organization. Five years ago Christina opened a house in Atlanta GA to create an intentional community for seven young people to live together for a year and commit to a year of service with a not for profit in the city (like Habitat for Humanity).  The young people regularly worshiped with Atlanta Friends with individuals from that Meeting providing mentoring and support.  The year long experience was transformative for these young people and Christina knew this idea of hers was a calling from God. 

In the last five years, QVS has grown to five homes in four cities (Portland OR, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia) with over one hundred young people having spent a year in this program.  So many young lives changed for the good of our world!  About half of these young people were not members of a Meeting so the impact of our Quaker faith and ways are deep with these young women and men and will influence them in years to come.  A new home will open next fall in Minneapolis.  

The clerk of our board, John Helding from the state of Washington clerked his last board meeting on Saturday.  He has been the only clerk of this board thus far and he was part of the group that helped Christina begin this ministry.  He was quite emotional throughout the weekend together and shared that he was so grateful that he listened to God’s voice in investing his time, money and talent to this group.  He feels this is one of the most important things he has done in his life (and he has had a very successful career).   John and Christina and others had no assurance this idea was going to succeed and yet they stepped into this with faith, prayer and commitment.  I have not stopped thinking about having enough faith to step into something that the outcome is unknown?  What is God calling me to?  Am I listening?  Are you listening?  What is God speaking to each of us today?

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

Last Thursday night, we had great turnout and conversation for our inaugural “Threshing at the Tap” at Blind Owl Brewery.  If you missed this first one, join us next month at Four Day Ray Brewing (Fishers) on Thursday, Nov. 16th at 7pm.  Men of all ages are welcome!

Many thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers:  Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Christie M; Phil K; Ray G; Carol and Jim D.  35 lbs. of food were donated.  100 families were served.  Also thanks to these volunteers and to all of you who donated to the First Friends’ Sept. food pantry drive.  $2,165 was collected and provided to the pantry.  This contribution came at just the right time as the pantry has been low on donations of cash.  The folks in charge of the pantry were very appreciative and thankful for the partnership that First Friends has with the pantry.

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Help Needed! The Maintenance committee is having a work morning this week on Saturday October 28th starting at 9AM and finishing up before noon.  We are inviting any interested folks to join us in the work. We are going to be removing a plastic mesh that was placed on the new grass seeded on the northeast side of our property.  The newly planted grass is growing nicely, but we now need to remove the plastic mesh to assure that the mesh is not entangled in the lawn mowers.  The plastic mesh can be cut with scissors, so please bring some cutting tools with you.  For any questions please contact the office.

Community Garden ~ The cold is setting in and the frost will soon be upon us—so please clear out your garden plots as soon as possible! To tend to your gardens, the Glendale Library is also offering cover crops for free. These will help enhance the nutrients in the soil, and need to be planted now if you plan on using them! Also, please let us know if you’d like a garden plot for next year. Contact Samantha R, Nancy S, or the office (office@indyfriends.org) if you’d like to hold your spot for next year!

Book Sale (and Coffee!) ~ We will be selling many children’s books and books for adults this Sunday after Meeting for worship. Please browse our selection in Fellowship hall. Please donate as you are able. We will also be selling coffee. Please join us!

Friendly Visitors... please plan to join Circle of Care for an Appreciation Luncheon in the parlor Sunday October 29 after Meeting for Worship in the Parlor to thank YOU for your participation in this important ministry! In addition, if you are not currently a "friendly visitor", but have interest in this ministry and becoming a friendly visitor, please join us at the luncheon and learn more about it! Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Community Soup ~ Witness & Service will host the next Community Soup on Thursday, November 2, from 5:30 pm – 7 pm.  Please note that again we are hosting on a Thursday instead of Friday. Everyone is invited to this very informal dinner. As the weather is cooling down we will be serving soup. If you’d like you’re welcome to bring a soup but not necessary.  Our motto is: No cooking, no cleanup, no cost! Hope to see you there.

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday November 4th from 5:30 - 9:30. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Blood Drive! Please join us for a blood drive held in conjunction with the Indiana Blood Center on Sunday, November 5th from 9:00am-1:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Walk-ins are welcome, but anyone interested is encouraged to RSVP here: https://www.donorpoint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/111168. Donors must be 17 years old (16 with signed parent permission slip), meet height /weight eligibility requirements, be in good general health, and present a photo I.D. at registration. To view eligibility, visit http://www.indianablood.org/Donors/Learn/Pages/Eligibilty.aspx. If you have any other questions, please contact the office (office@indyfriends.org)

NEW Sunday Yoga Classes - Yoga is a practice well suited to the Quaker experience. (Or, is yoga an experience well suited to the Quaker practice? ☺) We will explore asana practice, meditation, and breathwork as a way to experience inner Light. Several varieties of yoga practice will be explored, such as yin yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga.  The class is open to all levels and members of the class will help determine the content of the practice. Class will be offered once monthly. Please note we have changed the date from the second Sunday of the month to the first Sunday of the month, from 11:45-12:45ish. We’ve also changed the location from the Parlor to the basement. There will be an opportunity for a pitch-in lunch immediately following. Please join us at our next session on November 5th. If you’d like to contribute to the class, any goodwill offerings are appreciated!

Poverty: A Community Responds ~ The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary kicks off its second year with a free panel discussion featuring national speakers on poverty on Wednesday, November 8 from 7:00-9:00pm. It promises to raise challenging questions and offer innovative solutions. The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary connects, inspires and empowers faith communities and others to implement effective solutions for people confronting poverty. Through annual public events and grants, the Faith & Action Project seeks to ignite a collaborative, interfaith and inclusive movement for well-being and justice in our community. The seminar is at Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poverty-a-community-responds-tickets-37739678394?aff=es2

Words Matter! Writing for Healing, Action, & Change ~ Indianapolis First Friends Meeting is hosting a workshop for the Spirit & Place Festival this year! Join four talented writers—Philip Gulley, Diana Ensign, Amber Stearns, and Barbara Shoup—as they explore the power of words to spark compassion, dialogue, and positive change. Words are powerful! Written language imparts knowledge, shapes thoughts, spurs ideas, and provokes action. Words inspire, uplift, and motivate. Misused, words can be a tool for manipulation or bullying. It matters how we use them. Do our words create positive change in the world? Do our words send waves of fear and anger? Or do our words unify? This panel presentation will examine the power of words and will ask attendees to answer in writing, “How have you been inspired to use your words to create change?” Selected responses will be published in NUVO. Prior to the panel discussion and after the discussion enjoy music by classically trained guitarist Michelle Qureshi. This will be held Friday, November 10, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Meetingroom. This is free and open to anyone! Walk-ins welcome, but RSVPs encouraged by Nov. 10. Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/27bwng.

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents.  For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction. Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

The Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation (IFCL) was honored at the Indiana High School Press Association’s annual fall convention Friday, Oct. 20, for support of a First Amendment bill for student journalists. Dr. Bill Chapman, IFCL lobbyist, accepted the award on behalf of the organization’s effort during the 2017 legislative session. New Voices legislation speaks to the Quaker belief in “truth to power.” Some high schools throughout the country promote strong journalism programs and encourage students to report about important issues that relate to teenagers. But some administrators control potentially controversial coverage, a practice that has prompted some states to pass specific legislation to ensure that students attending public high schools can report about relevant topics. IHSPA also honored Rep. Ed Clere, (R) New Albany and Rep. Ed DeLaney, (D) Indianapolis, the New Voices bill sponsors. For more information, please visit http://www.quakerifcl.org/2017/10/ifcl-honored-at-the-indiana-high-school-press-associations-annual-fall-convention/    

October 18, 2017

As Way Opens

This past Sunday, First Friends had a table at the Indianapolis Festival of Faiths. The event’s theme was “Sacred Migrations - Sacred Journeys.” Due to the unpleasant weather, we were moved inside of the Indiana War Memorial in rather close quarters for the five hour event. At first, it seemed a bit crowded, but soon something beautiful began to happen. The mission of this event became evident. We were building connections, fostering opportunities, and seeking ways we could serve and civically engage greater Indianapolis.  

I took a stroll around the memorial and visited many of the tables of the other faith communities. My first encounter was a beautiful conversation with an 81-year-old Buddhist woman from Japan who was so excited to find out I was a Quaker. Through very broken English, she shared with me many of our faith’s similarities. She even taught me the chant “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” (meaning: I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra.) As she taught it to me - she emphasized how my being a Quaker was inspiring hope in others, manifesting unlimited potential, and a starting point for a peaceful society.  After a gentle hug, I left her presence feeling rather good about my faith, but wondering if as Quakers we leave others feeling the same about their faiths.  

My next encounter was with two young Muslim men. They were standing by an intriguing display that read, “What do Muslim’s think about Jesus?” I was warmly greeted and immediately engaged in conversation. We talked about our faiths, and then they said, “Please, ask us any questions you have.” I engaged with one of the young men, who happened to be a student at Butler University, about their stance on terrorism. Both young men quickly and adamantly denounced terrorism and shared with me materials which laid out their peaceful stance. They pointed out that they believe all acts of terrorism, including those targeting the life and property of civilians, whether perpetrated by suicidal or any other form of attacks are haram (forbidden) in Islam. They also made sure to note that their civic duty was to protect the lives of and ensure the security and well-being of their fellow citizens. Another young man who was studying to be an Imam also spoke of Islam’s “peace testimony.” He gave me a book full of letters and documents that Muslims around the world have created and sent to world leaders denouncing terrorism, working to avert disaster, and to chart a course for peace.

The most profound experience for me was being invited by a Sikh man to have my head tied in a turban. You’ve heard the old adage, “walking a mile in their shoes,” well, this was taking it one step further.  As the majority of participants were tied with turbans, the atmosphere at this event markedly changed. It had a “leveling effect.” Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, and many other people of faith were walking around with turbans tied around their heads. After receiving my turban, I began to realize that what it symbolized (equality, dignity, and humanity) was being manifest in that space. The Sikhs were living out their respect for all religions, equality, justice, and dignity of all in a symbolic but beautiful way.  

As I drove home from this amazing event with my turban tied around my head, I received a lot of second and questioning looks. I even wondered if I should remove the turban before getting out of my car so my neighbors did not see me. Yet, it was in this moment I concluded that we don’t understand enough about our sisters and brothers of other religions. Our prejudices, assumptions, and judgments quickly label and condemn those God has called us to love, because we don’t take the time to walk in their shoes (or turbans).  Just maybe, the way we are going to heal this land is by taking the time to get to know and understand those with whom we share this planet.        

Shalom, Namasté, Inshallah, Grace and peace,

Bob

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Joys & Concerns

Thank you to all who helped with woods work day this past Saturday, our final work day of the year! Also many thanks to everyone who helped throughout the year— thank you for keeping our woods clean and beautiful!

We had a great time at Full Circle Fest! We celebrated culture, diversity, and enjoyed music, art, stories, and food from cultures around the world. A great job done by Ben W, who created and organized the event!

Shalom Zone & SAWS Complete Another Ramp Project ~ Many thanks to those from the Shalom Zone who recently built a wheelchair ramp for a disabled Indianapolis resident.  This was the second ramp build for the Shalom Zone which hopes to do more of these projects in the spring/summer of 2018. Thank you!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

As a reminder, Monthly Meeting to Conduct Business will be held this Sunday, October 22 after Meeting for Worship. All are welcome.

Did you know the directory is online? Yes, the directory is always available online to you! You can access the directory at any time, and it works on mobile devices as well. Simply go to our website at www.indyfriends.org, hover over “Attenders” and click “Private Portal.” Enter the password and find the link to the directory there. You can click Ctrl + F to search. This copy of the directory is always kept up to date, so it’s a great source for everyone’s current contact information! Please call the office at 317-255-2485 for the password.

Threshing at the Tap - A few weeks ago, Pastor Bob shared in his sermon that middle-aged men are becoming socially isolated at an alarming rate in our country. To address this trend, we are providing men an opportunity to build some social connection and conversation with a new opportunity:

Threshing at the Tap: (def.) a gathering of men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and beverages are enjoyed.

Threshing at the Tap will take place every third Thursday, 7pm at various breweries in greater Indianapolis.

Our first Threshing at the Tap will be this Thursday night (Oct. 19) 7pm at Blind Owl Brewery 5014 E. 62nd St. Indianapolis. 

Please note: This is only a first step, we are also looking to provide similar opportunities for women and mixed groups in the near future at First Friends. Be watching Friend to Friend and the bulletin for more info. We are excited about offering these new opportunities and engaging our local communities.

 

Fall Festival! ~ Meridian Street Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 21st from 4-6pm. First Friends attenders and members are welcome to attend and be a part of this fun evening. There will be a bounce house, their annual chili cook-off, crafts, food, games, prizes, and more! Please join us!

Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading ~ Oak Leaf Book Discussion group will meet the 4th Tuesday instead of the last Tuesday of the month because of Halloween. Please join us next week, October 24th at 7:00pm in the Parlor. We will be discussing The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro. All are welcome! Rik L. will be leading the group. If you’d like to read ahead for November, we will be discussing The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier.

Friendly Visitors... please plan to join Circle of Care for an Appreciation Luncheon in the parlor Sunday October 29 after Meeting for Worship in the Parlor to thank YOU for your participation in this important ministry! In addition, if you are not currently a "friendly visitor", but have interest in this ministry and becoming a friendly visitor, please join us at the luncheon and learn more about it! Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Blood Drive! Please join us for a blood drive held in conjunction with the Indiana Blood Center on Sunday, November 5th from 9:00am-1:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Walk-ins are welcome, but anyone interested is encouraged to RSVP here: https://www.donorpoint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/111168. Donors must be 17 years old (16 with signed parent permission slip), meet height /weight eligibility requirements, be in good general health, and present a photo I.D. at registration. To view eligibility, visit http://www.indianablood.org/Donors/Learn/Pages/Eligibilty.aspx. If you have any other questions, please contact the office (office@indyfriends.org)

Good Reading from First Friends Accessible, Welcoming Library

More new books each on with Spirit in the title. (Thank you to Linda L for writing these summaries.)

Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists. By Sally Roesch Wagner.

Of the three women pictured on the cover, Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott were Quakers, Matilda Cage opened her home to fugitives traveling the underground railroad. There is an interesting and important listing showing how Iroquois women were much more free and empowered than their European conquerors. Rights and freedoms on that list are expanded with examples throughout the book. (Donated to us by Mary Blackburn)

Fresh Winds of the Spirit

By Alan Kolp

Kolp is a member of First Friends Richmond, a Benedictine oblate, and professor of religion. This is a new edition of a book that has been popular in the past. He wants to keep the fresh wind of George Fox's thoughts to continue inspiring us. Each chapter expands upon one of Fox's most frequently quoted words.

Radicalizing Spirit: The Challenge of Contemporary Quakerism.

By Jeffrey Dudiak

The driving message in this book is the origin of the word “radical”, which is “root,” but also radical can mean breaking tradition, to grow in ways that fulfill what the root would have been in its originally intended form; before being distorted by the cement of laws, rules, customs. So the deeper message of Christ attracted early Friends to spread love and kindness through the hard laws and customs as Jesus did. Dudiak explores the tension between tradition and change inherent in the word radical.  He applies this to the divisions within Quakerism. "He urges mutual appreciation, more meaningful community, and shared calling."

Bob Henry found this book useful in his recent sermon, “Radicalizing Spirit.”

NEW Sunday Yoga Classes - Yoga is a practice well suited to the Quaker experience. (Or, is yoga an experience well suited to the Quaker practice? ☺) We will explore asana practice, meditation, and breathwork as a way to experience inner Light. Several varieties of yoga practice will be explored, such as yin yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga.  The class is open to all levels and members of the class will help determine the content of the practice. Class will be offered once monthly. Please note we have changed the date from the second Sunday of the month to the first Sunday of the month, from 11:45-12:45ish. We’ve also changed the location from the Parlor to the basement. There will be an opportunity for a pitch-in lunch immediately following. Please join us at our next session on November 5th. If you’d like to contribute to the class, any goodwill offerings are appreciated!

Poverty: A Community Responds ~ The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary kicks off its second year with a free panel discussion featuring national speakers on poverty on Wednesday, November 8 from 7:00-9:00pm. It promises to raise challenging questions and offer innovative solutions. The Faith & Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary connects, inspires and empowers faith communities and others to implement effective solutions for people confronting poverty. Through annual public events and grants, the Faith & Action Project seeks to ignite a collaborative, interfaith and inclusive movement for well-being and justice in our community. The seminar is at Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 West Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poverty-a-community-responds-tickets-37739678394?aff=es2

Words Matter! Writing for Healing, Action, & Change ~ Indianapolis First Friends Meeting is hosting a workshop for the Spirit & Place Festival this year! Join four talented writers—Philip Gulley, Diana Ensign, Amber Stearns, and Barbara Shoup—as they explore the power of words to spark compassion, dialogue, and positive change. Words are powerful! Written language imparts knowledge, shapes thoughts, spurs ideas, and provokes action. Words inspire, uplift, and motivate. Misused, words can be a tool for manipulation or bullying. It matters how we use them. Do our words create positive change in the world? Do our words send waves of fear and anger? Or do our words unify? This panel presentation will examine the power of words and will ask attendees to answer in writing, “How have you been inspired to use your words to create change?” Selected responses will be published in NUVO. Prior to the panel discussion and after the discussion enjoy music by classically trained guitarist Michelle Qureshi. This will be held Friday, November 10, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Meetingroom. This is free and open to anyone! Walk-ins welcome, but RSVPs encouraged by Nov. 10. Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/27bwng.

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents.  Please contact the office about the talent show at office@indyfriends.org.  For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction.  Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

October 11, 2017

As Way Opens

We have experienced a lot of loss over the last few months.  We have mourned and celebrated the lives of Gerald M, Marshall G, Barbara F, Ann K and this Saturday will be the memorial service for Bob H.  This just seems like too much death in the space of a few months.  We know these losses impact family and friends and the hole in our hearts can be huge.  These are individuals that have touched us in many different ways over the years and we need to keep seeing these friends in our building, our worship service, our gatherings and our work in the world. 

I shared with you several months ago my son Greg’s best friend from high school (Marshall) was killed while visiting Vietnam with friends.  This has been a terrible loss for all of Marshall’s family and friends.  This past Saturday night they had a memorial service for him that was wonderful.  Greg said that he never felt so surrounded by an almost levitating love during the weekend.  This is why memorial services are so important to us - a time for family and friends to return to town to feel a sense of home and memories and to honor and cherish the life of our loved one.   While the sadness of this loss has been immense for Greg and others, Greg also felt a power of deep happiness over the weekend.  He said he could sense Marshall’s spirit singing and dancing with them.  Greg knows that Marshall continues to breathe life into all of them and he feels a sense of renewed lust for the future.  Marshall’s philosophy of life was summed up in three words - Be Here Now. 

I pray for each of us that we can take our losses and with time turn them into a renewed lust for the future.  May we all embrace Marshall’s philosophy and be present with ourselves and with each other.  As Jesus said to us in Luke 9:24-25, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.  What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?"

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to our food pantry volunteers last week: Kathy and Bill F; Linda L; Ray G; and Carol and Jim D. Your service is always appreciated!

Thank you to all those who contributed and helped assemble buddy bags! We had a fun time last week assembling the bags for the kids at Allison Elementary School during their fall break.

Seasoned Friends had a wonderful trip to the Huddleston Farm House and Levi Coffin House this past Tuesday. We enjoyed an afternoon together as well as the enriching stories and history of each location!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Notice: As Dan L is still out of town for a 10 day work trip, there will be no class for the Christ Among Quakers course this Sunday.

October Monthly Meeting ~ Please note, the Monthly Meeting to Conduct Business for October is being moved to Sunday, October 22 (fourth Sunday), so as to not cause conflict with the Festival of Faiths. We hope you will be a part of the festival –see below for more details!

Did you know the directory is online? Yes, the directory is always available online to you! You can access the directory at any time, and it works on mobile devices as well. Simply go to our website at www.indyfriends.org, hover over “Attenders” and click “Private Portal.” Enter the password and find the link to the directory there. You can click Ctrl + F to search. This copy of the directory is always kept up to date, so it’s a great source for everyone’s current contact information! Please call the office at 317-255-2485 for the password.

Sing A Long Again ~ October 13, Friday, in the parlor at FF. Jim K will lead again. We had maybe 10 people at the first very fun evening. You don’t have to be a good singer, but is enough to enjoy singing. Jim is an enthusiastic leader. We begin at 7:00 and end no later than 9. Well, maybe a few minutes later. Bring books if you have them. Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Don’t let a lack of books deter you. Questions? Need a ride? Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Woods Work Day ~ we have a Woods Work Day on Saturday morning, October 14, from 9-12.  We plan to tackle the over grown shrubs in the southwest corner near the drive and Kessler. We are searching for Snowberry and other native shrubs that have been overtaken by weeds.  Come join us.  We may have some hot dogs cooked over an open fire.

Reminder: Women’s Fashion Fundraiser For “Right Sharing of World Resources” ~ As a reminder, this weekend Sara Edgerton is holding a fundraiser to benefit “Right Sharing of World Resources” this Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th in the Parlor. Please call the church at 317-255-2485 to reserve your spot. RSVPs will be necessary. Trunk show times for both days are: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm at First Friends. Bring a friend along.

threshing: def.
 a gathering of men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and beverages are enjoyed.
Please join us for Threshing at the Tap! Bob Henry will lead conversation at various local craft breweries at 7pm every 3rd Thursday of the month. The first gathering will take place October 19th at Blind Owl Brewery, 5014 E. 62nd St. Please join us for this, or any subsequent gatherings! View the flyer here for more info and for future brewery locations: https://goo.gl/NkXUDF.

Full Circle Festival ~ Please join us downtown for Full Circle Fest on Saturday, October 14, 3-8pm! This is a FREE festival and a fundraiser for refugees in Indianapolis, organized by our own Ben W. It is a celebration of culture, reflecting the diversity of Indianapolis through food, music, and storytelling. We will be using half of the circle to highlight four musical acts and four stories told by refugees in Indianapolis. Food trucks will provide refreshments, non-profits will set up booths to educate about the issue, artists will share their work, and diverse communities will gather in celebration. The festival will culminate with a collective art project. For more information, please visit https://www.fullcirclefest.com/.
 

Festival of Faiths ~ Drumming, Gospel singers, a Jewish wedding, a regal rider on a large white steed, dancers, chanting monks.....and smiling Quakers! These are some of the things you might see at the Festival of Faiths on October the 15th at Veterans Memorial Plaza downtown. Once again we hope to have a good Quaker presence at the festival. We need volunteers to help set up, sit at tables and help take everything down at the end of the day. Set up will begin at 12:00pm and the festival officially opens at 1:00pm. Take down will begin 5:00pm. There will be a poster board sign-up in the hallway at the entrance to the main lobby in the meeting house. SIGN UP FOR WHATEVER TIME COMMITMENT WORKS FOR YOU! You can be there all day as I plan to be or you can sign up for a 30 minute shift. We particularly need people to help set up and take down. If you have any question or comments please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Attention Friends! Do you have a picnic or camp canopy? The kind you put up over the picnic table or by the campground tent to keep sun and rain off? If you do we would like to borrow it for a few hours this Sunday (Oct. 15) to keep our volunteers weather protected during the Festival of Faiths. Please contact the office for more details. Thanks!

Fall Festival! ~ Meridian Street Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 21st from 4-6pm. First Friends attenders and members are welcome to attend and be a part of this fun evening. There will be a bounce house, their annual chili cook-off, crafts, food, games, prizes, and more! Please join us!

Friendly Visitors... please plan to join Circle of Care for an Appreciation Luncheon in the parlor Sunday October 29 after Meeting for Worship in the Parlor to thank YOU for your participation in this important ministry! In addition, if you are not currently a "friendly visitor", but have interest in this ministry and becoming a friendly visitor, please join us at the luncheon and learn more about it! Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Blood Drive! Please join us for a blood drive held in conjunction with the Indiana Blood Center on Sunday, November 5th. It is going to be in Fellowship Hall from 9-12:30. Keep an eye out soon for a link if you’d like to sign up ahead of time. Walk-ins are welcome too!

NEW Sunday Yoga Classes - Yoga is a practice well suited to the Quaker experience. (Or, is yoga an experience well suited to the Quaker practice? ☺) We will explore asana practice, meditation, and breathwork as a way to experience inner Light. Several varieties of yoga practice will be explored, such as yin yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga.  The class is open to all levels and members of the class will help determine the content of the practice. Class will be offered once monthly. Please note we have changed the date from the second Sunday of the month to the first Sunday of the month, from 11:45-12:45ish in the Parlor with an opportunity for a pitch-in lunch immediately following. Please join us at our next session on November 5th. If you’d like to contribute to the class, any goodwill offerings are appreciated!

Words Matter! Writing for Healing, Action, & Change ~ Indianapolis First Friends Meeting is hosting a workshop for the Spirit & Place Festival this year! Join four talented writers—Philip Gulley, Diana Ensign, Amber Stearns, and Barbara Shoup—as they explore the power of words to spark compassion, dialogue, and positive change. Words are powerful! Written language imparts knowledge, shapes thoughts, spurs ideas, and provokes action. Words inspire, uplift, and motivate. Misused, words can be a tool for manipulation or bullying. It matters how we use them. Do our words create positive change in the world? Do our words send waves of fear and anger? Or do our words unify? This panel presentation will examine the power of words and will ask attendees to answer in writing, “How have you been inspired to use your words to create change?” Selected responses will be published in NUVO. Prior to the panel discussion and after the discussion enjoy music by guitarist Michelle Qureshi. This will be held Friday, November 10, from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM in the Meetingroom. This is free and open to anyone! Walk-ins welcome, but RSVPs encouraged by Nov. 10. Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/27bwng.

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents.  Please contact the office about the talent show at office@indyfriends.org.  For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction.  Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

October 4, 2017

As Way Opens

On Monday, Beth and I attended a pastor’s conference at Earlham School of Religion led by author and pastor Mandy Smith from Cincinnati, Ohio. Mandy and I had met a little over a year ago at a conference in Seattle. On both occasions her talk was on her book, “The Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry.” Mandy is focusing on a topic that is not that popular in our world, today -- weakness. Her intent is to help us see how “God’s strength is made known in our weaknesses” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I don’t know about you, but I do not like to be confronted with my limitations. [Our family even has a sign prominently displayed in our home that reads “Live Without Limits.”] And for that matter, most people rarely find themselves boasting about their limitations or weaknesses, especially in public. Let’s be honest, weakness is often categorized and defined by our fears and lack of trust and confidence. Why would anyone want to talk about those things? Aren’t we a people who are meant to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, suck it up, and be strong - NOT WEAK?

In her book, “The Vulnerable Pastor,” Mandy quotes the late Brennan Manning where he says,

“The American Church today accepts grace in theory but denies it in practice….We believe that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps -- instead, we can do it ourselves. Sooner or later we are confronted with the painful truth of our inadequacy and insufficiency. Our security is shattered and our bootstraps are cut...Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat out denial of the gospel of grace.”  

I sense Mandy to be prophetic in her challenge to us as ministers - which remember we ALL are as Quakers. She asks us to take time to reflect on our weaknesses, allowing it to be a process where trust may be built, inner wrestling take place, and humility embraced.  When we face persecutions, difficulties, hardships, may we not be left asking, “Why am I not ________enough” (you fill in the blank for yourself), but rather seeking our best ministry and life to grow out of our reliance on God and collaboration with him.  

As Mandy states,

“Our call is to see beyond the gloss and comfort of life in the developed world, to avoid the violence of a quick fix, to learn to listen for the sucking sound of that “forever empty.” Our call is to admit how much we lack, how deeply we yearn. It may take losing our influence, our wealth, our connections, our institutions, our technology and everything else that gives us a sense of power for us to finally say, “We need you, God! It will then be our task to wait and watch what becomes of the space we have left for him to fill.”

Grace and peace,
Bob

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Joys & Concerns

The Thornburgs are heading to Belize! The Thornburgs left for Belize early this morning. After a layover in Atlanta they will be headed directly to Belize. We pray for their safe travels and fruitful work with the school in Belize. They will return on October 15th. Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped make this possible!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Gentle Yoga notice ~ Please note that there will be no gentle yoga this Friday, October 6th.

Notice: Since Dan Lee will be out of town for a 10 day work trip, there will be no class for the Christ Among Quakers course for the next two weeks.

Calling all green thumbs! The community gardeners will have a meeting today, October 4th at 7 pm at the meeting house to discuss fall clean up and plans for the next gardening season. Please join if you are a current gardener or are interested in joining next spring! Please contact the office if you have any questions.

October Monthly Meeting ~ Please note, the Monthly Meeting to Conduct Business for October is being moved to Sunday, October 22 (fourth Sunday), so as to not cause conflict with the Festival of Faiths. We hope you will be a part of the festival – see below for more info!

NEW Sunday Yoga Classes - Yoga is a practice well suited to the Quaker experience. (Or, is yoga an experience well suited to the Quaker practice? ☺) We will explore asana practice, meditation, and breathwork as a way to experience inner Light. Several varieties of yoga practice will be explored, such as yin yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga.  The class is open to all levels and members of the class will help determine the content of the practice. Class will be offered once monthly, on the second Sunday, from 11:45-12:45ish in the Parlor with an opportunity for a pitch-in lunch immediately following. The first session will be this Sunday, October 8. If you’d like to contribute to the class, any goodwill offerings are appreciated!

Shalom Zone Electronics Recycling Event ~ If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery, you can recycle it! This includes (but is not limited to) appliances, TVs, DVD/VCRs, gaming consoles, fax machines, Christmas tree lights, calculators, toner cartridges, hair dryers, and more! The Shalom Zone is holding their annual Recycle Force event at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Road, on Saturday, October 7, 10am-2pm. Please bring any items you wish to recycle to Epworth on the day of the event. A $10 donation is requested for CRT type monitors/TVs smaller than 27”; a $20 donation is requested for appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, A/C units, etc) and TVs larger than 27”; any other monetary contributions are also greatly appreciated.

threshing: def.

a gathering of men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and beverages are enjoyed.

Please join us for Threshing at the Tap! Bob Henry will lead conversation at various local craft breweries at 7pm every 3rd Thursday of the month. The first gathering will take place October 19th at Blind Owl Brewery, 5014 E. 62nd St. Please join us for this, or any subsequent gatherings! View the flyer here for more info and for future brewery locations: https://goo.gl/NkXUDF.

Silent Auction and Talent Show! ~ Friends, music can lift us all up into the light!  We have installed a lift in the choir room which means that the choir room had to move which means that we need a new piano.  We are having a talent show/silent auction to raise money for the new piano.  Do you have a secret talent?  Do you have something to share?  We are looking for your talents.  Please contact the office about the talent show.  Please contact Janis Crawford about the silent auction.  For the silent auction we need anything but clothes.  Own Colts season tickets you can’t use?  Have a son or daughter who can cut grass?  Maybe an old piece of furniture you don’t need?  Maybe someone else can use these things!  Please donate items and leave them on the stage clearly marked for the silent auction. Please plan to attend November 11 at 7pm for Quaker talent night and silent auction!

Youth Invasion! Russiaville Friends is hosting a Youth Invasion on Sunday, October 8th, 5-8pm! Come out and invade the town of Russiaville as Western Yearly Meeting launches their new year-long theme, SPOKEN: In Red Letters. All youth grades 7-12 invited. There will be pizza served at 5pm, and program starts at 6:15. If you love Quaker haven camp then you’ll love this! If you’re interested, please let them know you are coming and how many friends you are bringing: Russiaville Friends Church: 765-883-5986.

Women’s Fashion Fundraiser For “Right Sharing of World Resources” ~ In order to benefit “Right Sharing of World Resources”, Sara Edgerton will host a fashion fundraiser for First Friends members, attenders and friends on Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th in the Parlor. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend! Two independent stylists from cabi (an international fashion company owned by women) will share the cabi Fall 2017 fashion line during short trunk shows with a pop-up boutique at our church. A portion of their sales during the fundraiser will be donated to “Right Sharing of World Resources”. Please call the church at 317-255-2485 to reserve your spot, or for more information and to receive a cabi invitation.. RSVPs will be necessary. Trunk show times for both days are: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm at First Friends. Bring a friend along. If you are not familiar with the cabi clothing line, you can visit independent cabi stylist Abby Marmion’s website at: AbigailMarmion.CabiOnline.com to preview the clothes.

Full Circle Festival ~ Please join us downtown for Full Circle Fest on Saturday, October 14, 3-8pm! This is a FREE festival and a fundraiser for refugees in Indianapolis, organized by our own Ben W. It is a celebration of culture, reflecting the diversity of Indianapolis through food, music, and storytelling. We will be using half of the circle to highlight four musical acts and four stories told by refugees in Indianapolis. Food trucks will provide refreshments, non-profits will set up booths to educate about the issue, artists will share their work, and diverse communities will gather in celebration. The festival will culminate with a collective art project. For more information, please visit https://www.fullcirclefest.com/. The festival is also still in need of volunteers, so if you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
 

Drumming, Gospel singers, a Jewish wedding, a regal rider on a large white steed, dancers, chanting monks.....and smiling Quakers! These are some of the things you might see at the Festival of Faiths on October the 15th at Veterans Memorial Plaza downtown. Once again we hope to have a good Quaker presence at the festival. We need volunteers to help set up, sit at tables and help take everything down at the end of the day. Set up will begin at 12:00pm and the festival officially opens at 1:00pm. Take down will begin 5:00pm. There will be a poster board sign-up in the hallway at the entrance to the main lobby in the meeting house. SIGN UP FOR WHATEVER TIME COMMITMENT WORKS FOR YOU! You can be there all day as I plan to be or you can sign up for a 30 minute shift. We particularly need people to help set up and take down. If you have any question or comments talk to Ed M. or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Fall Festival! ~ Meridian Street Preschool Co-Op (MSPC) will be hosting their annual Fall Festival on Saturday October 21st from 4-6pm. First Friends attenders and members are welcome to attend and be a part of this fun evening. There will be a bounce house, their annual chili cook-off, crafts, food, games, prizes, and more! Please join us!

Friendly Visitors... please plan to join Circle of Care for an Appreciation Luncheon in the parlor this Sunday October 29 after Meeting for Worship in the Parlor to thank YOU for your participation in this important ministry! In addition, if you are not currently a "friendly visitor", but have interest in this ministry and becoming a friendly visitor, please join us at the luncheon and learn more about it! Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Here are more new books recently added to our library by the library committee and ready for you to check out. By publication dates and themes, one book is an historical classic, one contains the voices of youth, and one in the middle, having been published in 2003.

Friends for 350 Years

By Howard Brinton

Both Brinton and his book are Quaker classics. He was a founder and long-term director of Pendle Hill. His book "chronicles the Quaker movement in its liberal tradition, articulating principles and practices of this non-creedal faith and its testimonies of non-violence. After its 11th printing in 1997, it was reprinted in 2002 with an historical update and notes by Margaret Hope Bacon.

Chapter 10 contains an interesting discussion: "Present day democracies are devolving into the authoritative state because human selfishness cannot produce its opposite which is human inter-dependence. Brinton views Christian religion as a way toward an integrated life of co-operation because people unite in the Light of the holy Spirit.

The appendix contains Queries from Philadelphia 1955 and from 2000.

Citizenship: A Christian Calling

By Lon Fendall

The author is a graduate of George Fox University, holds a PhD from the University of Oregon and worked as campaign manager for U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, who is quoted often in the book. Fendall combines Hatfield's comments and quotes from Wilberforce with lively Old Testament accounts where faith and politics collide. Chapters conclude with brief contemporary incidents illustrating each point, such as integrity, truth, prayer, compassion, and loyalty.

Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices

Edited by ten young volunteers connected with QUIP (Quakers in Publication)

A collection of short essays along with some poems and photographs by Quakers across the US and some from other countries. The authors are mostly in their 20's and 30's. Graduates of Quaker colleges and universities are well represented.  Sampling a few items, I found them engaging, heart-felt and generous in the sharing spiritual insights and growth.

ICPN Conference ~ You are cordially invited to the Indiana Center for Parish Nursing (ICPN) conference on Friday, November 3, 2017 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The location is Faith Lutheran Church 2200 S. High St., Bloomington, IN 47401. The topic is “Tools for Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers”. The Keynote Speaker is Philip Gulley, author, pastor, & humorist. Additional speakers will provide tools for your ministries. The cost is $25 ($10 students) which includes conference fee, lunch and the ICPN annual dues. You are also invited to participate as an Exhibitor or Poster Presentation. The Vendor fee is $25 which includes 1 lunch, table, & chair. (Discount available for 501C organizations). Vendor names will appear in the handouts given to all participants. See the brochure here: https://goo.gl/brX5eQ, or for more information visit http://www.indianaparishnurses.org/.

September 27, 2017

As Way Opens

Conflict - some days it feels overwhelming and utterly destructive to read and hear about the many conflicts between countries, within our own country, between political parties as well as what we experience in our work places and our families.  I sense in so many people a weariness and an exhaustion from the conflicts that we all face.   We know in our hearts and minds that conflict has been built into our very creation from the beginning of time and if we are alive we experience conflict on a regular basis.  Often times folks will work hard to avoid conflict but all that does is take our emotions underground and these feelings are submerged and can grow deep within us and will come forward at some point.  But what seems different lately is the way many of our conflicts are debated through social media.  There is a brittle tone in our voices in expressing our positions and a digging into postures that entrench us in opposite corners.  It seems like we stop listening and just keep shouting.  Our emotions are high and we tend to make sweeping generalities about “the other”.  Studies have shown that people generalize from the worst behavior of others and from the best of their own behavior which creates a tendency to be self-righteous and indignant. I am so alarmed by this division.

What I believe with my entire being is that we are individuals with the Divine implanted in our hearts and we are united in so many ways. How do we connect with others that might believe differently in a way that unites us?  I leave tomorrow for a vacation to meet up with several of my college roommates.  I know they believe differently from me in many ways yet we love each other and share our joys and sorrows with each other.  It is because we have an authentic relationship and connect at our deepest level that we can move beyond our differences.  We know we have differences but that doesn’t define our relationship.  

One of the conflicts in our political environment that I worry most about is that we focus on symbols that generate a reaction versus the ideals that these symbols represent.  As Quakers we have rejected symbols and rituals because of the fear of worshiping that symbol or ritual versus the ideals, the principles and the experience behind the symbol. I pray every day that we answer this call of embracing the Divine in each of us and embracing the Truth behind the symbols, the shouting, the extreme positions.

Beth

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Joys & Concerns

A HUGE THANK YOU to all those who helped (not everyone is pictured) in so many ways this past weekend as we made our final move into our new home in Fishers. It was such a blessing to our family that you came (in the unusually hot weather) and helped lift heavy furniture, unpack boxes, make, buy and bring food, and join us in transforming this new space into our home. We look forward to having each of you over after we are fully unpacked!  THANK YOU ALL! The Henry Family

We’d like to recognize last week’s Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers: Kathy and Bill F; Linda and Rik L; Ray G; Christie M; Phil K; Carol and Jim D.  Thanks to all these volunteers!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

October Monthly Meeting ~ Please note, the Monthly Meeting to Conduct Business for October is being moved to Sunday, October 22 (fourth Sunday), so as to not cause conflict with the Festival of Faiths. We hope you will be a part of the festival – stay tuned for more info!

Minute on Racial Violence and Hate Groups ~ We’d like to share that at our last Monthly Meeting (September 17), the Meeting approved a minute from West Newton Friends Church on racial violence and hate groups. To read the minute in its entirety, please visit https://goo.gl/UktVuE.

Gentle Yoga notice ~ Please note that there will be no gentle yoga for the next two weeks (this Friday, 9/29 and the following Friday, 10/6).

Spiritual Growth Small Groups ~ STARTING NEXT WEEK! We are excited to offer spiritual growth small groups this fall starting Oct 2nd and continuing for a 6-week period.  We will be studying the book by Joyce Rupp called The Cup of Our Life that examines the rich symbol of a cup in all its many forms to our everyday life. The groups will meet on different days of the week and will last 90 minutes each time. The groups will meet each week for 6 weeks. The Sunday sessions have been cancelled due to lack of interest. The Wednesday and Friday sessions have been fully booked. To sign up, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5HNGH9K or contact the office.

We have ordered the books and will have them available for pick up this Sunday on the corner table in the hallway (or feel free to come during office hours that week). If you would like to reimburse the meeting, the cost of the book is $14.

Mid North Food Pantry Drive – Just a few days left!! First Friends is doing its annual fundraising for the Mid North Food Pantry in September, rather than November, this year. The pantry is in need of funds due to heavy demand during a very busy summer.  We are, once again, requesting cash donations rather than food items as the pantry can purchase a much greater quantity of food with donated dollars than we can at grocery stores.  Children who attend Sunday School can continue to bring in food items.  Food insecurity is as great as ever in Indianapolis.  Please donate as you are led.  Checks can be made to First Friends with a notation of “Mid North” or “Food Pantry”.  Thank you.

Calling all green thumbs! The community gardeners will have a meeting on Wednesday, October 4th at 7 pm at the meeting house to discuss fall clean up and plans for the next gardening season. Please join if you are a current gardener or are interested in joining next spring!
 

Shalom Zone Electronics Recycling Event ~ If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery, you can recycle it! This includes (but is not limited to) appliances, TVs, DVD/VCRs, gaming consoles, fax machines, Christmas tree lights, calculators, toner cartridges, hair dryers, and more! The Shalom Zone is holding their annual Recycle Force event at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Road, on Saturday, October 7, 10am-2pm. Please bring any items you wish to recycle to Epworth on the day of the event. A $10 donation is requested for CRT type monitors/TVs smaller than 27”; a $20 donation is requested for appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, A/C units, etc) and TVs larger than 27”; any other monetary contributions are also greatly appreciated.

Youth Invasion! Russiaville Friends is hosting a Youth Invasion on Sunday, October 8th, 5-8pm! Come out and invade the town of Russiaville as Western Yearly Meeting launches their new year-long theme, SPOKEN: In Red Letters. All youth grades 7-12 invited. There will be pizza served at 5pm, and program starts at 6:15. If you love Quaker haven camp then you’ll love this! If you’re interested, please let them know you are coming and how many friends you are bringing: Russiaville Friends Church: 765-883-5986.

Join Seasoned Friends for a field trip! Seasoned Friends will be traveling together for the Levi Coffin House tour in Fountain City on Tuesday, October 10. We will leave First Friends Meetinghouse at 9:45am by van, or feel free to drive yourself if you prefer. Bring a packed meal or grab a bite at Fountain Acres where we will be stopping for lunch. The tour is $8.00 per person (First Friends can provide assistance for admission if needed). We will arrive back at the meetinghouse at about 5-5:30pm. If you’re interested, you must RSVP to the Meeting Office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 no later than October 1st. We hope to see you there!

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse hallway and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. We still have 3 students that need some love! Please make sure they’re not left out!

Women’s Fashion Fundraiser For “Right Sharing of World Resources” ~ In order to benefit “Right Sharing of World Resources”, Sara Edgerton will host a fashion fundraiser for First Friends members, attenders and friends on Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend! Two independent stylists from cabi (an international fashion company owned by women) will share the cabi Fall 2017 fashion line during short trunk shows with a pop-up boutique at our church. A portion of their sales during the fundraiser will be donated to “Right Sharing of World Resources”. Please call the church at 317-255-2485 to reserve your spot, for more information and to receive a cabi invitation. You can also email Sara at edgertoniccc@gmail.com. RSVPs will be necessary. Trunk show times for both days are: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm at First Friends. Bring a friend along. If you are not familiar with the cabi clothing line, you can visit independent cabi stylist Abby Marmion’s website at: AbigailMarmion.CabiOnline.com to preview the clothes.

Full Circle Festival ~ Please join us downtown for Full Circle Fest on Saturday, October 14, 3-8pm! This is a FREE festival and a fundraiser for refugees in Indianapolis, organized by our own Ben Wertz. It is a celebration of culture, reflecting the diversity of Indianapolis through food, music, and storytelling. We will be using half of the circle to highlight four musical acts and four stories told by refugees in Indianapolis. Food trucks will provide refreshments, non-profits will set up booths to educate about the issue, artists will share their work, and diverse communities will gather in celebration. The festival will culminate with a collective art project. For more information, please visit https://www.fullcirclefest.com/.

Drumming, Gospel singers, a Jewish wedding, a regal rider on a large white steed, dancers, chanting monks.....and smiling Quakers! These are some of the things you might see at the Festival of Faiths on October the 15th at Veterans Memorial Plaza downtown. Once again we hope to have a good Quaker presence at the festival. We need volunteers to help set up, sit at tables and help take everything down at the end of the day. Set up will begin at 12:00pm and the festival officially opens at 1:00pm. Take down will begin 5:00pm. There will be a poster board sign-up in the hallway at the entrance to the main lobby in the meeting house. SIGN UP FOR WHATEVER TIME COMMITMENT WORKS FOR YOU! You can be there all day as I plan to be or you can sign up for a 30 minute shift. We particularly need people to help set up and take down.

SAWS Ramp Build ~ Those who are interested in helping with a SAWS ramp build on the morning of either October 14 or October 21 should notify Jim Donahue as soon as possible.  The Shalom Zone is trying to determine which date folks would be available to build a ramp.  The date that most folks can attend will be chosen.  If you can make one of the dates, notify the office ASAP which date works best for you.  We will notify you which date is selected.  Thank you!

Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 25 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 4th. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable Entrees, Chicken Salad with Crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. Cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so I know we can do it again this year! Please contact the office with any questions.

New Library Books Ready for Checkout! The library committee comprised of John and Ileen Moorman, Lucy Beaver, and Shirley Earle are working to enhance our library. To make you aware of the new additions, here are others you may wish to sign out. Thank you to Linda Lee for providing these summaries!
 

Down a Winding Road: A Life Story from Missions (Roscoe and Tina Knight) by Betty M. Hockett

A young couple are led to do mission work in Bolivia, without knowing either Spanish or the local language. With the support of Oregon Yearly Meeting they purchased a farm and began a school where students could help grow crops and tend animals to pay their expenses. This is a simply written story of faith, challenges, successes. After serving in Bolivia the family moved to begin yet another mission in Peru.

The book is one in the Life Stories series published by George Fox Press.

The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring by Parker J. Palmer

From the back cover: "The Active Life is...a deep and graceful exploration of a spirituality for the busy, sometimes frenetic lives many of us lead. Telling evocative stories from a variety of religious traditions, including Taoist, Jewish, and Christian, Palmer shows that the spiritual life does not mean abandoning the world but engaging in it more deeply through life-giving action."

The chapter about the shadow side of the active life has some insights I found particularly interesting. Also the "paradoxical interplay of contemplation and action." in chapter 7 Loaves and Fishes.

Four Score and Ten Years: Memoirs of Dorothy Pittman By Dorothy Pittman

"About her experiences as a Friends pastor and missionary to the Indians on Oklahoma and North Dakota and to Africans in Kenya. Also included are some of her drawings and poems."

Pittman gives details of daily life there at the beginning of what has become an important Quaker mission, complete with hospital and school. Those who have been to Kaimosi, if you have not already read this, are in for a treat. Others will be impressed by the scale of mission work in Kenya.

(Fragile binding on this book, so please handle with care.) 

ICPN Conference ~ You are cordially invited to the Indiana Center for Parish Nursing (ICPN) conference on Friday, November 3, 2017 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The location is Faith Lutheran Church 2200 S. High St., Bloomington, IN 47401. The topic is “Tools for Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers”. The Keynote Speaker is Philip Gulley, author, pastor, & humorist. Additional speakers will provide tools for your ministries. The cost is $25 ($10 students) which includes conference fee, lunch and the ICPN annual dues. You are also invited to participate as an Exhibitor or Poster Presentation. The Vendor fee is $25 which includes 1 lunch, table, & chair. (Discount available for 501C organizations). Vendor names will appear in the handouts given to all participants. See the brochure here: https://goo.gl/brX5eQ, or for more information visit http://www.indianaparishnurses.org/.

SAVE THE DATE! We need your blood on Sunday, November 5th. We are having a blood drive from 9:00-noon in Fellowship Hall. Keep an eye out for more details in coming months!

September 20, 2017

As Way Opens

A couple years ago my family gave me a NASA t-shirt that reads, “I need space.”  Growing up, I loved NASA and the possibilities of space travel, yet there was more to this shirt. As I have grown older and experienced a great deal of transition (especially this weekend as we plan to move into our new home) needing space has again been on my mind. This may be a bit different than outer space, but the sentiment still remains. We need space in our lives and we need to be aware of the spaces we occupy.

In an article I read recently titled “The Psychology of Space” by Megan McAuliffe, she states,   

“Every minute of our lives is spent in physical dialogue with the space around us. The spaces we occupy directly influence our psychological well-being and creative performance. Space has the ability to shape who we are and how we behave.”

This week, I was introduced to a new space at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. That space was Sweeney Chapel. On my day off, I spent about 2 hours in the chapel all alone. I took my camera to capture some of the sites within this space and to help remind myself of the experiences I had while there. I am not completely sure if it was the modern architecture, the utter silence, or simply the fact that I could hear my own thoughts for the first time in quite a while, that made this space special. What I do know is that it afforded me an opportunity to get out of my routine, pause, and reflect on my own well-being.  

I think too often we abuse the spaces we occupy. Our homes can seem like bunkers off the front lines of war, rather than places of solitude and nurturing. Our work spaces can seem like fortresses to the American Dream and industry rather than places where we are inspired and our creativity is expressed. Our worship spaces can seem like museums to our past instead of lively and welcoming places to engage God and our neighbors.

“Actually, space has so much influence on the way we live that it can literally empower or disempower us.” - Megan McAuliffe

I encourage you to take some time this week to reflect on the spaces you occupy. Do those spaces empower you? Do they afford you the opportunity to get out of your routine?  Do they engage your senses and release your creativity?  What new space may be calling you? It may just be the space you need.

Grace and peace,
Bob

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Joys and Concerns

We had a good work day in the Woods on Saturday.  Many thanks to Chelsea and Kendall Tinsley, Paul Sommer, Norma Wallman, Amy Perry, David Beatty and Dan Mitchell for their hard work in weeding the front entrance, the butterfly garden, the Meditational Circle and removing invasive trees and shrubs. As an added bonus, we weeded part of the courtyard and gave it a good watering.

We are exploring more stable pathway materials if funds become available in 2018.  We'll keep you informed as things unfold.

Come join us on October 14th at 9 am as we tackle the overgrown shrubs facing Kessler. Weenie roast to follow!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Henry’s are moving! The Henry Family is finally moving into their new home this weekend! They could use some help unpacking their PODS this Saturday anytime after 9am at their new home (contact the office if you need the address). Your help would be much appreciated! Your help is appreciated!
 

Christ and the Quakers ~ Join Dan L. for his new Sunday School class, “Christ and the Quakers” starting this Sunday September 24 at 9:00am in the Parlor. This class will explore various viewpoints on Christ from George Fox, John Woolman, Lucretia Mott, Rufus Jones, Elton Trueblood and others.
 

Youth Group Kick-Off! Calling all junior and senior high students! Please join us this Sunday after Worship for our Young F riends Youth Fellowship kickoff! We’ll have lunch, play games, and talk about the coming year for YFYF. Please join us for some fun!
 

Friendly Visitors Luncheon ~ The Friendly Visitors Luncheon planned for Sunday September 24 is being rescheduled. Please keep an eye out for updated information coming soon!

Sing Along With Jim K! 
When? 7:00-8:30 Friday September 22
Where? Parlor at First Friends
Who? People who like to sing
What? Songs chosen mostly from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, both songbooks compiled and edited by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood with early assistance by Pete Seeger.
Why? For our pleasure, delight, fun, relaxation and community building.
Future dates: October 13, December 1.
If you have either songbook, please bring it (or them). Jim will have a song list planned. If you have requests, we will have a list for the next time we get together. If you let the office know you are coming then we can be sure to have photocopies of the words for you.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading:   My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor book discussion will be held Tuesday, September 26th at 7 pm in the Parlor. All are welcome! Nancy Scott will be leading the group.  If you're interested in reading ahead for next month, the October 24th title will be: The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro.

 

Mid North Food Pantry Drive ~ First Friends is doing its annual fundraising for the Mid North Food Pantry in September, rather than November, this year.  The pantry is in need of funds due to heavy demand during a very busy summer.  We are, once again, requesting cash donations rather than food items as the pantry can purchase a much greater quantity of food with donated dollars than we can at grocery stores.  Children who attend Sunday School can continue to bring in food items.  Food insecurity is as great as ever in Indianapolis.  Please donate as you are led.  Checks can be made to First Friends with a notation of “Mid North” or “Food Pantry”.  Thank you.

 

SAVE THE DATE! We need your blood on Sunday, November 5th. We are having a blood drive from 9:00-noon in Fellowship Hall. Keep an eye out for more details in coming months!

 

Join Seasoned Friends for a field trip! Seasoned Friends will be traveling together for the Levi Coffin House tour in Fountain City on Wednesday, October 11. We will leave First Friends Meetinghouse at 9:45am by van, or feel free to drive yourself if you prefer. Bring a packed meal or grab a bite at Fountain Acres where we will be stopping for lunch. The tour is $8.00 per person (First Friends can provide assistance for admission if needed). We will arrive back at the meetinghouse at about 5-5:30pm. If you’re interested, you must RSVP to the Meeting Office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 no later than October 1st. We hope to see you there!

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse hallway and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. We still have 4 students that need some love! Please make sure they’re not left out!

Spiritual Growth Small Groups ~ We are excited to offer spiritual growth small groups this fall starting Oct 2nd and continuing for a 6-week period.  We will be studying the book by Joyce Rupp called The Cup of Our Life that examines the rich symbol of a cup in all its many forms to our everyday life. The groups will meet on different days of the week and will last 90 minutes each time. The groups will meet each week for 6 weeks. See the table below for details and to sign up, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5HNGH9K. You can also sign up by using the sign-up sheet that will be in the hallway this Sunday, or contact the office. 

BeFriending Creation: Bi-Monthly Newsletter of Quaker Earthcare Witness ~ This issue of shares the stories of Friends in faithful action as they question the injustice of the status-quo and listen to the Spirit to determine how to live their values. Pamela Haines asks hard-hitting questions about Friends' relationship with money and finance. Jaime DeMarco shares how he moved from individual to collective action around climate change and Honor Woodrow describes her powerful experience on July's Climate Pilgrimage in New Hampshire. Mary Jo Klingel reminds us of the importance of connecting with the quiet and taking small steps that lead to connection and inspiration. Beverly Ward and Pamela Boyce Simms report back on their groundbreaking organizing around food sovereignty in the African Diaspora at the United Nations. To view the newsletter, visit http://www.quakerearthcare.org/bfc/volume-30-number-4. For more information, feel free to visit their website at http://www.quakerearthcare.org/.

SAWS Ramp Build ~ Those who are interested in helping with a SAWS ramp build on the morning of either October 14 or October 21 should notify Jim Donahue as soon as possible.  The Shalom Zone is trying to determine which date folks would be available to build a ramp.  The date that most folks can attend will be chosen.  If you can make one of the dates, notify the office ASAP which date works best for you.  We will notify you which date is selected.  Thank you!

Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 25 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 4th. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable Entrees, Chicken Salad with Crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. Cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so I know we can do it again this year! Please contact the office with any questions.

September 13, 2017

As Way Opens

My heart mourns today knowing that Ann Kendall, our dear and weighty friend passed away on Sunday. But that hole in my heart for her has been there for some time as her health declined and she moved to Anderson.  I have been reflecting on some of the women that have been a part of our Meeting and had such an influence on me in my 25 years of attending First Friends. These women like Ann, Betsy Lawson, Hilda Renshaw, Georganna Tinsley,  and others who are no longer physically present with us, yet they live on in our memories and the wisdom and grace they passed on to all of us.  These women  showed us how to live in the Spirit even during the storms of life and stay grounded and faithful.  They made themselves vulnerable to us and we could see their authentic self.  They never seemed fearful (although I am sure they experienced fear) and they showed us how to accept the aging process (which many in my generation are fearful of) gracefully and faithfully. When these women would speak out of the silence during unprogrammed worship, we listened closely as they were full of the Inner Light and their openness to God’s voice was deep.  These women were not just about words but they also lived out their faith in their everyday lives.

I was talking with a friend this week about what is most important to them about First Friends.  They said the people and the relationships.  I know this first hand as this Meeting has sustained me in the last seven years of my life in significant ways.  I have experienced the care, the love, the wisdom, the listening, the fellowship and the times when I needed fun in my life.  I am so thankful for this group of Quakers where I have felt a sense of family and being at home.  I am thankful for these dear women and so many others that have brought the gospel to life and have connected us in a web of Spirit and humanity.

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Joys & Concerns

Barbara F's memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 23. Calling will be from 10am-12pm in the Parlor, and the service will begin in the meetingroom at noon. A luncheon will be served in Fellowship Hall afterward. You can read Barbara’s obituary from the Indianapolis Star here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jconline/obituary.aspx?pid=186583280

Please pray for Houston, Florida, the Northwest, and others being affected by natural disasters. There are currently so many people suffering from storms, fires, and hurricanes - please hold in the light all those trying to come back or preparing for what is coming.

Last week our food pantry volunteers were: Christie M, Ray G, Beth S, Kathy and Bill F, Rik and Linda L, Carol and Jim D.  All were needed as 137 families were served.  This was the largest number we have served in the 10+ years that we have worked at the pantry. Many thanks to all!

Thank you, Lucy! Many thanks to Lucy K, who raised $376 for the Thornburgs with her bake sale last Sunday! It was Lucy’s idea to help the family and their trip to Belize, and she baked all the goodies! Great job, Lucy, and thank you!

Congratulations to Eric B, who has been chosen as our interim music director! He will begin this Sunday, September 17. Come hear him perform!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Reunite with Ruthie!  Ruthie T will be in town for several days September 13th - 15th. Beth H will host an open house for her so you can have a chance to catch up with her today, Wednesday September 13th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.  This gathering will be at Beth’s house (1123 Ivy Lane, Indianapolis 46220).

The Henry’s are moving! Bob Henry and his family will soon be moving into their new permanent home the weekend of September 22nd. During this time of transition, we are asking for any possible help! They will need assistance moving into their home, as well as meals during this busy time when they won’t be able to cook. If you are able to help with moving or would like to help provide a meal, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Your help is appreciated!

 

Sing Along With Jim K!
When? 7:00-8:30 Friday September 22
Where? Parlor at First Friends
Who? People who like to sing
What? Songs chosen mostly from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, both songbooks compiled and edited by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood with early assistance by Pete Seeger.
Why? For our pleasure, delight, fun, relaxation and community building.
Future dates: October 13, December 1.
If you have either songbook, please bring it (or them). Jim will have a song list planned. If you have requests, we will have a list for the next time we get together. If you let the office know you are coming then we can be sure to have photocopies of the words for you.

Woods Work Day ~ Please join us for the Woods' Work Day this Saturday, September 16!  We will work from 9-11:30 AM.  Jobs will include cleaning up some flower beds, gathering up branches that either need to be chipped or taken to the dump and as always, trying to get out some of the invasive plants. Bring your work gloves and your favorite tools and we'll have a good time together.  Contact Mindy S or Mary B for questions.

 

Mid North Food Pantry Drive ~ First Friends is doing its annual fundraising for the Mid North Food Pantry in September, rather than November, this year.  The pantry is in need of funds due to heavy demand during a very busy summer.  We are, once again, requesting cash donations rather than food items as the pantry can purchase a much greater quantity of food with donated dollars than we can at grocery stores.  Children who attend Sunday School can continue to bring in food items.  Food insecurity is as great as ever in Indianapolis.  Please donate as you are led.  Checks can be made to First Friends with a notation of “Mid North” or “Food Pantry”.  Thank you.

SAVE THE DATE! We need your blood on Sunday, November 5th. We are having a blood drive from 9:00-noon in Fellowship Hall. Keep an eye out for more details in coming months!

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in Fellowship Hall and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. We still have 5 students that need sponsored! Please make sure they’re not left out!

Spiritual Growth Small Groups ~ We are excited to offer spiritual growth small groups this fall starting Oct 2nd and continuing for a 6-week period.  We will be studying the book by Joyce Rupp called The Cup of Our Life that examines the rich symbol of a cup in all its many forms to our everyday life. The groups will meet on different days of the week and will last 90 minutes each time. The groups will meet each week for 6 weeks. See the table below for details and to sign up, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5HNGH9K. You can also sign up by using the sign-up sheet that will be in the hallway this Sunday, or contact the office. 

 

BeFriending Creation: Bi-Monthly Newsletter of Quaker Earthcare Witness ~ All are invited to read the newest issue of Quaker Earthcare Witness’ newsletter. This issue of shares the stories of Friends in faithful action as they question the injustice of the status-quo and listen to the Spirit to determine how to live their values. Pamela Haines asks hard-hitting questions about Friends' relationship with money and finance. Jaime DeMarco shares how he moved from individual to collective action around climate change and Honor Woodrow describes her powerful experience on July's Climate Pilgrimage in New Hampshire. Mary Jo Klingel reminds us of the importance of connecting with the quiet and taking small steps that lead to connection and inspiration. Beverly Ward and Pamela Boyce Simms report back on their groundbreaking organizing around food sovereignty in the African Diaspora at the United Nations. To view the newsletter, visit http://www.quakerearthcare.org/bfc/volume-30-number-4. For more information, feel free to visit their website at http://www.quakerearthcare.org/.

 

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading:   My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor book discussion will be held Tuesday, September 26th at 7 pm in the Parlor. All are welcome! Nancy Scott will be leading the group.  If you're interested in reading ahead for next month, the October 24th title will be: The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro

Can you find the peace rocks in our Meditational Woods? During the last babysitting co-op, our kids painted peace rocks and hid them in the Meditational Woods. Feel free to come visit, and see if you can find them!

SAWS Ramp Build ~ Those who are interested in helping with a SAWS ramp build on the morning of either October 14 or October 21 should notify Jim Donahue as soon as possible.  The Shalom Zone is trying to determine which date folks would be available to build a ramp.  The date that most folks can attend will be chosen.  If you can make one of the dates, notify the office ASAP which date works best for you.  We will notify you which date is selected.  Thank you!

Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 25 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 4th. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable Entrees, Chicken Salad with Crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. Cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so I know we can do it again this year! Please contact the office with any questions.

September 6, 2017

As Way Opens

This weekend I found myself embracing the idea of “reflection” in several different ways. It seems that when God speaks to me, the communication often takes place through art in a multitude of expressions. Whether it is through writing, on screen, in nature, or simply through my own creative process, I have learned to allow these gifts from God to help reflect a greater depth in my soul. Let me explain.

While preparing for bed on Friday night, I found myself engrossed in chapter one of The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault. In the concluding thoughts on chapter one she says,

“He then concludes with this remarkable statement: ‘The knowledge of Jesus Christ is a unitive knowledge; it is the luminosity of my own true and eternal being.’ In other words, to quote Psalm 35, ‘in your light we see light.’ Jesus Christ standing before the Samaritan woman becomes the mirror in which she sees not only the face of God but her own true face.”

This was a rather profound thought since earlier that very day, I had been at the meetinghouse working on the art installation for our Labor of Love gathering. The vision I was given for this piece was of a pillar of mirrors that not only conveyed our reason for the event, but would allow the viewer to see their own selves as part of the creation. The piece is called “Reflections of Peace, Solidarity, and Hope” as a reminder that those three things must start first in our own hearts. It was beautiful to see as people gathered around the installation, and in the photos taken of the event, the way they were reflecting within it. Much like Cynthia described, this was Christ standing before (among) us and literally becoming a mirror in which to see not only the face of God (for there is that of God in us all) but also to reflect our own true face as it relates to peace, solidarity, and hope.

On Saturday night, Sue and I took time for a much-needed date night. I had surprised her with dinner and tickets to the new film, Columbus, an Indie film which was shot in Columbus, Indiana. Part of the night was having the opportunity to interact in a Q&A session after the movie screening with director Kogonada and lead male actor John Cho. As the lights went down and the movie began, silence fell upon the theater. Not in quite some time have I been so riveted by a movie. Actually, it was more than a movie. It again was a mirror, a reflection of the absences in our lives. Through Modernist architecture, and the well-developed characters of Jin and Casey, a mirror was formed for the viewer that reflected the depths of one’s desire for fulfillment and the many absences that one faces in life. If you are a student of Modernist art or architecture, you know that it often portrays an incomplete vision that forces the viewer to seek to complete or discover what is missing. Much like the architecture that is depicted, Columbus is a mirror to our souls that reflects what we hope will be. Again, I saw Christ standing on that screen reflecting to me and the audience the depths of our souls.

Overall, I would describe this weekend like entering a “hall of mirrors.” At each turn I was forced to look at the depths of my own being by the ever present Christ - the mirror to my soul. Our need for awareness is being reflected back to us all the time. The query that remains is, “Are we willing to open our eyes and gaze into the mirror and deal with all that we see?”

 Bob

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Joys & Concerns

What a beautiful day we had for our "Labor of Love: A Gathering of Peace, Solidarity, & Hope!" in our Meditational Woods over Labor Day Weekend. Here are some images from this powerful morning. Thanks to all those who made this response and expression of love to the atrocities of our world so meaningful! May it be a first of many responses and calls to action at First Friends.

A special thank you to Eric B, Jim K for leading music, Catherine S and Leslie K for sharing their writings, Carl B for being on the facing bench and sharing an excerpt from MLK Jr's speech, Malkah Bird for her challenging message, and for Pastor Bob Henry for sharing his art installation. Thanks also to all those working behind the scenes, Beth H for spraying for bugs, Kim H for taking care of the chairs and sound, Dan M for creating the sign on the street, Rebecca L for putting together our programs, and the Fellowship Committee and Susan Rains for the wonderful “Summer of Love” themed fellowship hour. A special thanks goes out to all who joined us from the community and other meetings and churches!

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Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Sunday School Kick-Off! Our Sunday School kick off will be THIS SUNDAY September 10th! We will start the morning with breakfast for everyone in fellowship hall at 8:30. We encourage everyone to come in their pajama's! Our classes will begin at 9:00 a.m. as follows:

PreK - 2nd grade in our large children’s room

3rd - 5th grade in the far northeast room

6th - 12th grade in the basement

We will use a curriculum from Church of the Brethen Press called SHINE that will focus this fall On Being God’s People

The following adult/multigenerational classes will be offered:

Christ and Quakers - Held in the parlor and led by Dan Lee. This class will explore various viewpoints on Christ from George Fox, John Woolman, Lucretia Mott, Rufus Jones, Elton Trueblood and others. Note: This class will begin September 24.

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

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

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

Nursery care will be available during Sunday School. Please join us!

Bake Sale ~ Also this Sunday the 10th during fellowship hour, Lucy K, with help from Kwali T, will be holding a bake sale to help raise money for the Thornburgs’ trip to Belize a reality. They are nearing their goal! We at First Friends are honored to have the Thornburgs (Aaron, Michelle, Kwali, and Meshach), feeling led by God to go to Belize and help with the facility renovation and provide other assistance to the Friends school. Look for the bake sale in Fellowship Hall this Sunday after Worship!

Planting Seeds of Peace & Justice ~ All are invited to a reception that the American Friends Service Committee and Bloomington Friends are holding to celebrate the past and build the future. It is being held this Friday, September 8, at 6:00pm at Unitarian Universalist Church, 2120 N Fee Ln, Bloomington, IN 47408. Please join us for a historically rich pictorial exhibit, the exquisite music of Salaam, refreshments, and rejoicing! Find more information or to register please visit afsc.org/indianacentennial.
 

Mid North Food Pantry Drive ~ First Friends is doing its annual fundraising for the Mid North Food Pantry in September, rather than November, this year.  The pantry is in need of funds due to heavy demand during a very busy summer.  We are, once again, requesting cash donations rather than food items as the pantry can purchase a much greater quantity of food with donated dollars than we can at grocery stores.  Children who attend Sunday School can continue to bring in food items.  Food insecurity is as great as ever in Indianapolis.  Please donate as you are led.  Checks can be made to First Friends with a notation of “Mid North” or “Food Pantry”.  Thank you.

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday September 9th from 5:30 - 9:30 and is being hosted by Beth Farris and Jeff Small. Dinner will be provided for the kids. Please contact the office if you would like to have your kids join in the fun that evening!

Spiritual Growth Small Groups ~ We are excited to offer spiritual growth small groups this fall starting Oct 2nd and continuing for a 6-week period.  We will be studying the book by Joyce Rupp called The Cup of Our Life that examines the rich symbol of a cup in all its many forms to our everyday life. The groups will meet on different days of the week and will last 90 minutes each time. The groups will meet each week for 6 weeks. Contact the office for details, and if you’d like to sign up, please see the sign-up sheet that will be in the hallway this Sunday, or contact the office.

The Indiana Daylily and Iris Society invites you! The IDIS is hosting their annual plant exchange right here at First Friends, and everyone is welcome! It is being held this Saturday, September 9, 11am-3pm in Fellowship Hall. This is their annual Pitch-In and Plant Exchange and NCAP Daylily Auction. Lunch will be at 11:45am, and the auction is at 12:45pm. The event is free and everyone is welcome! For details, please visit http://www.indianadaylilyirissociety.org/.

Reunite with Ruthie!  Ruthie Tippin will be in town for several days September 13th - 15th. Beth Henricks will host an open house for her so you can have a chance to catch up with her on Wednesday September 13th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.  This gathering will be at Beth’s house (1123 Ivy Lane, Indianapolis 46220).

SAWS Ramp Build ~ Those who are interested in helping with a SAWS ramp build on the morning of either October 14 or October 21 should notify Jim Donahue as soon as possible.  The Shalom Zone is trying to determine which date folks would be available to build a ramp.  The date that most folks can attend will be chosen.  If you can make one of the dates, notify the office ASAP which date works best for you.  We will notify you which date is selected.  Thank you!

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student off the board set up in the meetinghouse and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. 

Buddy Bags are here again this year! We are collecting food for the kids at Allisonville Elementary School Fall Break. We are going to have 25 bags this year and they will be delivered on October 4th. What we need from you are the following donations: Microwaveable Entrees, Chicken Salad with Crackers, small jars of peanut butter, 4/packs of fruit cups, vegetables cups, pudding cups, and applesauce: small boxes of raisins, packets of oatmeal, boxes of Pop-Tarts, protein or granola bars, packages of peanut butter or cheese crackers, fruit roll ups and bags of goldfish. Cash or check donations will also be accepted. We all pulled together last year to make this work so I know we can do it again this year! Please contact the office with any questions.

Casseroles for the Henry family ~ During this time of great transition for the Henry family, it would be most appreciated if anyone could donate a casserole to the family. We need a few casseroles delivered each week, for the next few weeks, until the Henrys have moved into their new house. We ask that the casseroles be delivered in disposable containers, so that the Henrys do not have to return dishes. Also, please avoid pineapple, as Bob is allergic. If you can bring a dish, please let the office know. We are still in need of dishes!! The Henry’s will be moving in September 21st, so any help until then is much appreciated! Thank you.

Check out our Library! The library committee comprised of John and Ileen M, Lucy B, and Shirley E are working to enhance our library. Thank you to Linda L for writing summaries of the books that were shared in Friend to Friend! Come visit the library and check them out!