Friend to Friend February 6, 2019

February 6, 2019

As Way Opens

We have come to February the shortest and often most dismal month of the entire year. A month where we celebrate Presidents’ birthdays, our love for one another, and a rodent who predicts the weather. Interestingly enough, many will miss a celebration that seems even more important this year in light of the continued racial tensions in our country – Black History Month.

It is easier to celebrate Hallmark holidays, while passing up the more difficult opportunity to educate about and promote our black sisters and brothers. Instead of being so quick to call Black History Month merely an attempt at being “politically correct,” I believe we need to use it to benefit and educate our faith communities, our neighborhoods, and our society.

Throughout the Bible we read how people were to recall the events that symbolized God’s presence and work in their history. The feasts that were established in Israel helped the people remember and celebrate their past. I see Black History Month as a modern feast – an opportunity to learn and remember God’s work in the history, contributions, and spirituality of African Americans.

It may come as a surprise, but it was historian Carter G. Woodson who created "Black History Week" back in 1929. Known as the "father of black history," Woodson sought to spread the word about the accomplishments of African Americans. This was a brave and bold move given his times. The early 1900s were a turbulent period in American history. The lynchings of Blacks were commonplace, and the mere suggestion of anything interracial was viewed as a threatening and subversive act. Woodson hoped that "if people understood our contributions and accomplishments, they would respect African Americans."

America has made some progress, yet we still have a long way to go. Some people argue that a month-long emphasis on one race is not helpful or necessary in 2019. I disagree. It is a place to start. As Quakers, we know that equality is promoted when we bear one another's burdens in times of sorrow, as well as joining together in times of happiness. To commit to promoting this equality unites humanity and helps us obtain a higher ethic of love and respect for one another. My hope is that we will find ways to learn, collaborate, remember and celebrate during Black History Month.

Here are some book suggestions that I would recommend during this month:

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption – Bryan Stevenson
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas (or watch the movie)
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Robin Diangelo
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander
“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” And Other Conversations about Race – by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.
Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness and Justice – by Brenda Salter McNeil

Grace and peace,

Bob

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Missing Something? ~ This coming Sunday in Fellowship Hall we will display all the items we currently have in our lost and found in a final hope to reunite personal items with their owners. After worship we hope everyone will take a few minutes to browse the lost and found and claim anything that might be theirs. We will leave these items out for a few weeks. Any remaining unclaimed items will be donated.

After a year and a half study of We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren, this Sunday at 9am we begin a new study in our Seeking Friends class. Since we found the format of McLaren’s book to be helpful at looking at scripture from various perspectives, we have chosen a similar format to continue our rich conversations. The book we will use as a guide and discussion starter is Theology from Exile (Vol. 1) The Year of Luke by Sea Raven, D.Min. As is stated in the introduction the underlying framework for this study is a series of queries. 1) What is the nature of God? Violent or non-violent? 2) What is the nature of Jesus’s Message? Inclusive or exclusive? 3) What is faith? Literal belief, or trust in God’s realm of distributive justice-compassion? 4. What is deliverance? Salvation from hell or liberation from injustice? These queries should make stimulating conversations and scriptural exploration. Join us this Sunday at 9am as Pastor Bob facilitates our conversation. Books will be available to purchase or utilize during the class.

Mid-North Food Pantry ~ Did you know First Friends assists at a food pantry twice a month? On the first and third Wednesday of each month, volunteers head to Mid-North Food Pantry (located at 3333 North Meridian St) as early as 9:40 am and stay as late as 2pm, when the pantry closes. Anyone is welcome to show up and assist for however much time they are able. There are a variety of tasks, from organizing food to helping people shop. If you’d like to help, feel free to come—you can park in back or in the Trinity Church parking lot, go down the stairs and enter through the back door (this is the only entry open before 10am). Thank you for supporting those in need during this cold winter!

Rise-Up Sing Along! The next Sing Along will be on its usual third Friday of the month, February 15. Under the leadership of our talented Jim K, join in singing a variety of mostly well-known songs chosen from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Song sets will be provided. This joyful event takes place in the parlor at First Friends Meeting (3030 East Kessler Blvd) at 7:00 PM. Notice the photo of Jim. See how happy he is!

Save the Date – First Friends’ Experiment with Light Retreat! Please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 11, 2019, 9:00am – 4:30pm where First Friends will host this mindful and introspective retreat. The Experiment with Light Retreat draws upon early Quaker practices and contemporary meditation to help people move past intellectual and emotional blocks and encounter the Divine. This retreat will help you have a personal encounter with the Divine that lights the path of your life and animates your life in community. All are welcome to join. Breakfast and Lunch will be included. Keep an eye out in coming months for more information. We hope you will be there!

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, February 21 at 7:00pm. See locations here: https://goo.gl/QhkXTo.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading February's pick is 2018’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel ~ Less by Andrew Sean Greer! The discussion will be led by Kristyn G on Tuesday February 26th at 7 pm in the Parlor. New York Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/books/review/less-andrew-sean-greer.html Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you’d like to receive email updates for Oak Leaf.

Join First Friends for a night with the Pacers! Please join us for a family outing to the Pacers vs Nets game on Sunday April 7th. Tipoff is at 5:00pm, doors open at 4:00pm. Tickets will be provided by the Meeting. Each person will receive a Pacers hat and a free meal (hot dog, chips and a soda). Please RSVP by Friday, March 1st with the office at office@indyfriends.org if you would like to attend!

AFSC Presents: “Revolutionary Visions & Radical Imaginations: Celebrating Solidarity & Courage” ~ Join American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for an evening to celebrate and be in community with social justice leaders in Indianapolis. It will be Friday, March 1 at 6:00pm at Sanctuary on Penn, 701 N Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The evening will include a social hour, dinner, keynote speaker Elle Roberts, and a showcase of local musicians and spoken word artists. There are also sponsorship opportunities if you’d like to support the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://secure.everyaction.com/p7tPzxfZFEScnjy-KV0W5g2.

Samantha R invites you to Financial Peace University ~ Are you ready to take 2019 by storm?! If you're interested in making big changes in your financial life that will lead to empowerment and peace of mind then this is the class for you. When I first took Financial Peace University (FPU) I was 22 and fresh out of college. I owed Valparaiso University $40,000 in student loans and was new to life as a young person with a steady pay check. I am SO grateful for everything I learned in that class. FPU TAUGHT ME TO HATE DEBT! As a result I paid off my student loan debt in 6 years on a social worker's salary, my partner and I bought a home, renovated it paying cash, got married paying cash, and went on a honeymoon of a life time paying cash. The only debt we have is our mortgage and we hate debt so much we plan to have it paid off in 7 years. We couldn't have made all of this possible without FPU! Ready for change?

We're hosting Financial Peace University starting Tuesday, March 5th from 6-8 at Hamilton Exhibits at 9150 East 33rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46235. The class is $110 for a lifetime membership. The 2-hour 9-week class has the amazing potential to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! It changed mine. Click here to sign up. You can contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you have any questions.

Right Sharing Fundraiser in memory of Ann P ~ Please mark your calendars for a fundraiser here at First Friends Meeting in honor of our dearly beloved Ann P. It will be on Sunday, March 24th. We will have a simple meal as well as auction off a quilt in Ann’s memory made by the sewing group Ann was a part of. All proceeds will go to Right Sharing of World Resources, which supports and funds small business run by women in underprivileged countries. If you’d like to support RSWR, contributions can be sent to the Meeting office at 3030 Kessler Blvd E Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46220 with the notation “RSWR.” You can also drop off your contribution in the offering plate on Sundays. Thank you for supporting this important ministry!

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Friend to Friend January 30 2019

January 30, 2019

As Way Opens

I have never been a person to embrace New Year’s resolutions. It is too easy to say that I want to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, spend more time with family etc, etc. Resolutions never seem to stick beyond a month or two and by summer they are a distant memory and they are usually intentions that I don’t really make a priority (not that these items aren’t important - I just don’t make them important enough to me). I also celebrate a birthday at the start of the year (turned 59 on January 6th) and birthdays are a moment in time that I think about my age and how my body and spirit are accepting and embracing the passage of time. It always seems that I go right to the things that I perceive as negative, imperfect and wish I could change. This year I am focused on the aging aspects of my neck (I don’t know if a lot of women my age are concerned about this part of their anatomy). For the first time in my life, I really don’t like my neck and feel like all my years are showing up there. Why do we do this to ourselves? Focus on our negatives and imperfections? I think this is a spiritual issue because God loves our imperfections and gives us our strength through them. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible and this idea of being “fearfully and wonderfully made” tells me that God created me and loves me for all that I am today, neck and all! Maybe these imperfections are my conduit to a deeper relationship with God and with all of humanity? As Brené Brown (author and scientist) states, our imperfections are gifts. Can I embrace this? I realized this past week that my mother never liked her neck and wore scarves and jewelry to cover this all her life. I am now thinking about embracing my neck in honor of my mom who is the woman in my life that I would most like to embody. I am now looking at my imperfections as a vessel to God and my beloved mom. What are your imperfections that keep you focused on the negatives in your life? Can you connect your imperfections to the beloved embrace of God? Are these imperfections the way we truly love each other?

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Last Sunday morning as part of our celebration in remembrance of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., we gathered again in a ”circle of unity” around the inside of our Meetinghouse and sang “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love.”

On Sunday we also welcomed and celebrated our new members! Thank you to Bill H and the Connections Committee for putting together a fabulous luncheon/pitch-in for our Meeting!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

WEDNESDAY NIGHT WORSHIP CANCELLED ~ Due to the frigid temperatures, we will not be having unprogrammed worship tonight, January 30. Please stay safe and warm!

Community Soup Cancelled ~ Please note that the Community Soup that would’ve been scheduled for this Friday, February 1st has been cancelled.

This Sunday, Beth will be selling coffee, chocolate and olive oil to help raise money for youth Affirmation. Please consider supporting us!

Giving statements have been sent! Earlier today we sent giving statements for the 2018 tax year via email. If you haven’t received them, please check your spam folder. If you did not receive your giving statement please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or at 317-255-2485. Anyone who does not have an email has been sent a paper copy in the mail. If you’d like to request a paper copy please contact the office and we would be happy to mail it to you. Thank you for supporting First Friends in 2018!

Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading POSTPONED ~ Due to the Wind Chill Warnings Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading was postponed and will meet on Tuesday February 5th at 7 pm in the Basement ~ A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, led by Ruth K. Here is the New York Times review: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/books/review/fatima-farheen-mirza-place-for-us.html Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion!

We're hosting Financial Peace University starting Tuesday, March 5th from 6-8 at Hamilton Exhibits at 9150 East 33rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46235. The class is $110 for a lifetime membership. The 2 hour 9 week class has the amazing potential to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! It changed mine. Click here to sign up. You can contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you have any questions.

Western Yearly Meeting Spring Retreat ~ All are invited to Western Yearly Meeting’s spring retreat on Saturday, March 2 hosted here at First Friends Meeting. This is a one-day church growth event for everyone who is interested in exploring avenues of growth for their Meeting. The theme is Christ’s words, “If I be lifted up I will draw all people unto me.” (John 12:32) Sessions include:

Identity – In this important session we will not examine how we currently see ourselves and our situation, but how we might see our circumstance in Christ.
First Impressions – This session helps us to examine our churches and congregations in ways that acknowledge our struggles but also identify our struggles.
Appreciative Inquiry – In this session we will take an inventory of all the resources we have through which we might build or rebuild a dynamic and vibrant ministry.
P.A.G.E. – Utilizing a simple assessment tool (poor/average/good/excellent), we can evaluate what ministries and programs we might need to change, invest more into, or even eliminate.

The retreat for pastors is on Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and the retreat for all begins Saturday at 8:30am and ends at 7:00pm. Cost is $30 per person and includes meals. You can find the brochure here: https://goo.gl/BfHAVY. To register, fill in and send the registration form here: https://goo.gl/nxSLvh. The registration deadline is THIS FRIDAY, February 1, 2019. For more information, contact Sue Whitesel at stwhitesel@sbcglobal.net.

Meditational Woods: Bird of the Month for January
Northern Cardinal – The One Everybody Knows…Or Do They?

There are people at Indianapolis First Friends Meeting whom everyone knows. We see them all the time, as they are outgoing, helpful, and busy with responsibilities. Sometimes the person is well-known beyond the local church, at the yearly meeting or national level. I can think of couples in the meeting in which both fit this description.

Yet there are folks I don’t know very well, or at all. This is my fault, as I have a shy streak and have trouble remembering names. Recently I got to meet the spouse of someone well-known to me. I had crossed paths with one of them very often, but had no idea who the other was.

So it is with the Northern Cardinal, our state bird. The familiar “redbird” shows up around our houses and at feeders and sings a lovely, “What cheer, what cheer, purty purty purty.” That is the MALE. In the picture I have put the female front and center. She has a red crest and red on the wings and tail. Otherwise she is a grayish tan. Some people do not realize IT IS a cardinal. So if birds are new to you, please allow me to introduce you to Mrs. Cardinal!! This time of year you might see her together with a male in the Meditational Woods, calling to each other, “SNAP, SNAP.” During nesting season, however, her drab tan color helps her hide while on the nest.

One last question, which “cardinal” came first: the bird with that name and color, the Catholic official with that name and color of robe, or the name of the color itself? No hints!!

~Brad J.

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Friend to Friend January 23, 2019

January 23, 2019

As Way Opens

Even though the weather has been wreaking havoc with our Sunday Meetings and weekends in general, I would like to highlight a couple things that have happened recently at First Friends and in the community.

Even though the outside temperature was in the single digits on Sunday evening (Jan. 20), First Friends hosted a warm and welcoming service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This was a joint collaboration of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Western Yearly Meeting of Friends. Our theme and liturgy for the service were prepared by Christians in Indonesia with a focus on justice from Deuteronomy 16:18-20.

Since WYM was the host denomination, our Superintendent, Wanda Coffin Baker called us to worship. Our music director, Eric Baker and the First Friends Choir led us both in thoughtful and inspiring songs, and a rousing closing hymn which brought everyone to their feet, clapping and truly sensing the unity.

Among the denominational leaders who joined us were women and men from Episcopal, Roman and Byzantine Catholic, American Baptist, Evangelical Lutheran, Disciples of Christ, African American Episcopal, and Friends – a beautiful picture of Christian diversity throughout Indianapolis and the surrounding area.

I had the honor of bringing the message, Becoming Justice in our World (listen here: https://www.indyfriends.org/sunday-morning-messages/), which emphasized how Jesus became justice and how we in turn need to become justice in our world, today. I also illustrated my sermon through a new painting which is on display at the Meetinghouse titled, Justice Brings Freedom. After the message, each person was encouraged to write on cards their commitments to justice and unity, and as we left the Meetinghouse we all received a commitment card from someone else to hold in prayer as they work to fulfill their commitment. Afterward, Susan Rains and the First Friends Fellowship Committee welcomed us to a wonderful reception.

Then on Monday, several of us attended a celebration service in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put on by the Shalom Zone and hosted by Cross and Crown Lutheran. The service was the vision of Cross and Crown member, Carolyn Ramsey. Musical offerings were given by the Tindley Collegiate youth choir directed by Mark Peay. Rev. Clarence Thompkins gave the keynote address after a brief video remembering the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Afterward, everyone was invited to a nice luncheon.

Both events were beautiful examples of diverse people coming together in our community around issues that continue to be extremely important in our world. I hope that we continue to find ways to break down the barriers that prevent us from coming together as the people of God.

Since we were not able to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at Meeting for Worship last Sunday, we are planning to celebrate this Sunday, Jan. 27th during meeting for worship. Join us as we explore the “Revolutionary Love” of Martin Luther King Jr. As well, we will be officially welcoming all of our new members over the past year.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- A Hearing for Redistricting Reform Bill, SB 91

IFCL has been working with the Indiana Coalition for Independent Redistricting at the Statehouse this January for redistricting reform. Sen. John Ruckelshaus has introduced SB91, which is the coalition's bill to create a citizens redistricting commission for Indiana. So far, we have not gotten a commitment from the Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, Sen. Greg Walker, to hear the bill. With some encouragement from folks around the state, he is more likely to give our bill a hearing and vote. Please contact Sen. Walker today by clicking on this link from Common Cause Indiana. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/senator-walker-give-us-a-hearing/?link_id=1&can_id=df9c01001f16dee04d57a3d43dd997ef&source=email-redistricting-reform-cant-wait&email_referrer=email_475631&email_subject=redistricting-reform-cant-wait.

In addition, we are looking for volunteers who can be at the Statehouse on Monday and Thursday mornings to attend Elections Committee hearings and serve as visual reminders that time is running out for meaningful redistricting reform. New Congressional and state legislative maps will be drawn in 2021, so if we are going to make major changes to the redistricting process, it has to happen this year. Monday times would be from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and Thursday times would be 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. If you're available and can help, please contact Phil Goodchild (317-790-9054; goodch713@aol.com) or Ed Morris (317-691-5542; emorri@earthlink.net). Thank you.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Affirmation & Youth Group ~ Please note that we will be holding a make-up session for affirmation this Sunday, January 27 at 11:00am. The affirmation class will leave after the morning message. We will also be holding Youth Group, which will meet at its usual time.

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00pm. Please note this is the fourth Thursday instead of the usual third Thursday of the month. See locations here: https://goo.gl/QhkXTo.

QHC Ground Hog Men’s Retreat ~ Quaker Men: A great experience awaits you at Quaker Haven Camp for the annual Ground Hog Retreat January 25-26. This will be a great time of discussion, sharing, prayer, fun and table fellowship. Volunteers may also help in construction of the new staff duplex. Cost for the retreat is $60.00. Those who will do construction work a day or two may get a good discount. To register or get additional information call Quaker haven at 574-834-4193 or email camp at contact@QuakerHaven.com.

Soil Health Workshop for Vegetable Gardeners ~ This winter soil health workshop is designed for vegetable gardeners who want to learn more about how to use soil health practices in the garden. The Paramount School of Excellence’s school farm provides an excellent space to tour and discuss cover cropping and mulching in action. We will then follow up indoors with a presentation and discussion, looking closely at organic matter, nutrients, how to select cover crops, timing, planting, and spring management. It is organized by Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District and Paramount School of Excellence Farm. It will be held Saturday, January 26, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Paramount School of Excellence Brookside, 3020 Nowland Avenue, Indianapolis, 46201. The cost is free, but RSVP is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soil-health-for-vegetable-gardeners-tickets-54422491136.

It's time to celebrate! Join us for a celebration pitch-in on Sunday, January 27th following meeting for worship to recognize and appreciate our most recent new members! Please bring a dish according to your name in the alphabet. Anyone with last names of A-I are asked bring desserts; J-Z sides and salads, though feel free to bring both! We hope to see you there!

Talk to Congress – Letter Writing Project ~ On the last Sunday of each month (this time being Sunday, January 27), Witness and Service is offering an opportunity for you to contact Congress. We will provide information and a sample letter, which addresses a specific issue that is on the Senate and/or House of Representative radar. You are welcome to write/call your legislators about this topic, or any other that might be on your mind.

The featured topic for January is urging representatives to support Rep. Barbara Lee’s legislation to repeal the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force which have been grossly abused to justify deployment of US forces into situations never intended by those laws. You can find more information and a sample letter here: https://goo.gl/JdEvpp

Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading ~ Come and join Friends at our Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book group for Tuesday January 29th’s discussion ~ A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, led by Ruth K. Here is the New York Times review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/books/review/fatima-farheen-mirza-place-for-us.html Please feel free to contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you’d like to be on the Oak Leaf email list. Oak Leaf meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Parlor at 7 pm!

Identity – In this important session we will not examine how we currently see ourselves and our situation, but how we might see our circumstance in Christ.
First Impressions – This session helps us to examine our churches and congregations in ways that acknowledge our struggles but also identify our struggles.
Appreciative Inquiry – In this session we will take an inventory of all the resources we have through which we might build or rebuild a dynamic and vibrant ministry.
P.A.G.E. – Utilizing a simple assessment tool (poor/average/good/excellent), we can evaluate what ministries and programs we might need to change, invest more into, or even eliminate.

The retreat for pastors is on Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and the retreat for all begins Saturday at 8:30am and ends at 7:00pm. Cost is $30 per person and includes meals. You can find the brochure here: https://goo.gl/BfHAVY. To register, fill in and send the registration form here: https://goo.gl/nxSLvh. The registration deadline is February 1, 2019. For more information, contact Sue Whitesel at stwhitesel@sbcglobal.net.

Meditational Woods: Bird of the Month for January

Northern Cardinal – The One Everybody Knows…Or Do They?

One last question, which “cardinal” came first: the bird with that name and color, the Catholic official with that name and color of robe, or the name of the color itself? No hints!!

Please donate your plastic bags to Mid-North Food Pantry! The food pantry is out of plastic grocery bags and could really use some more. If you have extras you’d like to donate, please drop them off in the box labeled “plastic bags” in Fellowship hall near the Donation Station. Thank you for helping Mid-North Food Pantry!

Donate your gently used winter clothing! Coats, scarfs, hats, gloves that you no longer need will be welcomed by the John H Boner Center. Children who may be wearing underwear donated by you, would appreciate outgrown jackets, coats, etc. (Outerwear does not need to be new.) You can drop off donations in a collection box in Fellowship Hall on the stage. Thank you for your generosity!

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Friend to Friend January 16, 2019

January 16, 2019

Here we are at the beginning of 2019, a new year that offers promise, opportunities, growth and adventure. I always like to spend part of my New Year’s Eve reflecting on the highs and lows of the year that is ending and setting goals and intentions for the new year. It is a symbolic time to step back from our busyness and think about the bigger themes in our lives. It’s also a time to think about our spiritual practices and if they are feeding our soul and how might we go deeper into our relationship with God and thinking about how we live our relationship with God in the world.

I have spent time doing this and I have to say that I have fallen short in feeling a great sense of hope. There is so much brokenness in our world, in our relationships, in our politics. I have felt an underlying sadness as I go about my day and try to do the best that I can to make a difference and live into God’s love. I continue to reflect on the origins of this feeling and keep coming back to how many things I can’t control and how hard of a concept this is for me. And I keep experiencing the ideas that what I am doing falls short, is not adequate and I recognize my need for greater wisdom.

When I feel this kind of melancholy, I start to read more, listen to music and spend more time in prayer. What are your spiritual practices in times of darkness? While I may feel that God is not listening to my pleas, I begin to listen more deeply to what I hear in my mind and my heart about what I need to do. And the queries I hear in my heart guide me to greater personal awareness, insights and a call to action. I revisited Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize winner of Literature in 1913 from Bengal, mystic, intellectual, painter and lover of God. His words from his writings of Gitanjali speak to me: “If thou speakest not I will fill my heart with thy silence and endure it. I will keep still and wait like the night with starry vigil and its head bent low with patience. The morning will surely come, the darkness will vanish, and thy voice pour down in golden streams breaking through the sky. Then thy words will take wing in songs from every one of my birds’ nests and thy melodies will break forth in flowers in all my forest groves.”

I send prayers that you hear God’s voice in golden streams and that God’s song takes hold within each of us.

Beth

Quaker Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- A Hearing for Redistricting Reform Bill, SB 91

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

As the weather forecast calls for a winter storm this weekend, we want everyone to be aware that we may cancel Meeting for Worship if conditions prove to be hazardous Sunday morning. If worship is cancelled, please keep in mind we will have another service Sunday evening, the Christian Prayer Unity Service. We encourage everyone to attend this service if able. (See more details below!) If Sunday service is cancelled we will put a notice in the weather closings on channel 59 (the best, most detailed option) as well as channels 8 and 13.

Did you lose a ring? This ring was found in Fellowship Hall last week. It is thin and light, gold-colored with a silver-colored band in the middle. If this is yours or someone you know, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Rise-Up Sing Along! The first Sing Along of 2019 happens on the third Friday, January 18. Under the leadership of our talented Jim Kartholl, join in singing a variety of mostly well-known songs chosen from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Song sets will be provided. This joyful event takes place in the parlor at First Friends Meeting (3030 East Kessler Blvd) at 7:00 PM. Notice the photo of Jim. See how happy he is!

Christian Prayer Unity Service ~ At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17.21). This is an ecumenical service where Christians all over will gather to pray. This year, First Friends Meeting will be hosting the prayer service for Indianapolis on the evening of Sunday, January 20 at 6:00pm in the Meetingroom. Bob will deliver the sermon. We are asking anyone who is able to please donate cookies or snacks for the service—please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you can help. Thank you!

“The Highest Party in the World” 50th Anniversary of the First Summit of Mt. Everest ~ Jeff Rasley, AB'75, participated in the 2003 celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the first summit of Mt. Everest in Nepal with Sir Edmund Hillary's family. Rasley will give a talk and slide show about the first summit by Ed Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and the 50th Anniversary celebrations in Nepal in Kathmandu, Mt. Everest Base Camp, and Tengboche Monastery. It will take place Sunday, January 20 from 12:30pm - 2:30pm at Woodstock Club, 1301 W 38th Street, Indianapolis 46208. Cost is $30/person and includes brunch. For more information or to register, contact Louis Mestichelli, Alumni Club of Indiana President at lmestich@gmail.com or 317-679-3781.

Martin Luther King Jr Celebration Service ~ Please mark your calendars for a service in celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, organized by the Shalom Zone. It will be held at 11:00am on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, 5233 E 79th St. We will gather together as a community of churches to remember and celebrate Dr. King’s dream of racial harmony and social justice in America. This commemorative service is a public testament of our common values as communities of faith actively seeking the shalom of the city as the prophet Jeremiah reminds us. Through the inspirational words of Dr. King and in the singing of songs of hope and freedom and as we share a luncheon with our neighbors, we become renewed and refreshed for the new work ahead. For more information please visit https://goo.gl/L5wGxN. If you’d like to volunteer, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0f4ca4ad2ea20-mlkservice.

Heritage Place New Year Open House & Membership Event! Have you ever wondered what Heritage Place of Indianapolis is all about? Now is your chance! Talk with one of our wonderful instructors; learn about our weekly educational programs, our home-based services and our programs that happen “now and then”! It will be held Wednesday, January 23, 10:00am-2:00pm at the Common Ground Church Building, 4550 N. Illinois St (SW corner of Illinois and 46th Street). Refreshments will be available, no reservations necessary, and plenty of free parking—come anytime! For Seniors 55 and up. For more information, visit www.heritageplaceindy.org.

Men’s Threshing Together DATE CHANGE ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, January 24 at 7:00pm. Please note this is the fourth Thursday instead of the usual third Thursday of the month. See locations here: https://goo.gl/QhkXTo.

It's time to celebrate! Join us for a celebration pitch-in on Sunday, January 27th following meeting to worship to recognize and appreciate our most recent new members! Please bring a dish according to your name in the alphabet. Anyone with last names of A-I are asked bring desserts; J-Z sides and salads, though feel free to bring both! We hope to see you there!

Identity – In this important session we will not examine how we currently see ourselves and our situation, but how we might see our circumstance in Christ.
First Impressions – This session helps us to examine our churches and congregations in ways that acknowledge our struggles but also identify our struggles.
Appreciative Inquiry – In this session we will take an inventory of all the resources we have through which we might build or rebuild a dynamic and vibrant ministry.
P.A.G.E. – Utilizing a simple assessment tool (poor/average/good/excellent), we can evaluate what ministries and programs we might need to change, invest more into, or even eliminate.

The retreat for pastors is on Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and the retreat for all begins Saturday at 8:30am and ends at 7:00pm. Cost is $30 per person and includes meals. You can find the brochure here: https://goo.gl/BfHAVY. To register, fill in and send the registration form here: https://goo.gl/nxSLvh. The registration deadline is February 1, 2019. For more information, contact Sue Whitesel at stwhitesel@sbcglobal.net.

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Friend to Friend January 9, 2019

January 9, 2019

As Way Opens

As I mentioned in my sermon from this past Sunday, January is often a time to resolve to do things differently and to be better. It’s kind of a clean slate, a fresh start, a time to reinvent oneself (just ask the gyms and the weight loss industry).

This month, you and I will vow to exercise more, eat less, abstain from our vices and vow to become the people we hope and want to be. Yet by early February, our good intentions will have been tested and, too often, found lacking (again, just ask the gyms and weight loss industry). Our struggles and failures – both major and minor – hopefully don’t prevent or stop us from striving to do better. We must continue to reflect, learn, and make adjustments to be successful.

While processing my own personal resolutions and goals for 2019, I began to wonder. What would New Year’s resolutions/goals for First Friends look like? I came up with the following.

In 2019, I hope to see First Friends resolve to effectively…

declare the Quaker Way through our words and actions.
become a faithful presence in our neighborhoods.
incarnate the attributes of the life of Christ.
practice hospitality.
discern and seek wisdom together.
discover, develop, and utilize our assets.
embody a non-violent, reconciling and supportive way of life together.
embrace our Quaker identity as a unique expression of the Christian faith.

You may want to print those out and put them on your refrigerator and reflect often on how we are doing or what else we could be doing – always asking “What is my part in this?” I look forward to how we will live out these resolutions in 2019!

Happy New Year,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Thanks to all who helped on January 2nd at the food pantry: Krishan C, Ray G, John and Ileen M, Beth H, Rik and Linda L, Beth F, Christy M, Dan H, and Bill & Kathy F. We served about 90 families. We will again need help January 16 since we will still be missing some of our regulars. Please consider volunteering if you can! Thank you!

Last week some of our IFCL folks went to the statehouse to offer donuts at the entrances and to ask for support of the redistricting bill. They were joined by about 30 other people representing other groups.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Affirmation Class for our youth will resume on Sunday January 13th at 11:00am. Bob will lead the discussion on Quaker Theology. See you there!

Rise-Up Sing Along! The first Sing Along of 2019 happens on the third Friday, January 18. Under the leadership of our talented Jim K, join in singing a variety of mostly well-known songs chosen from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Song sets will be provided. This joyful event takes place in the parlor at First Friends Meeting (3030 East Kessler Blvd) at 7:00 PM.

Christian Prayer Unity Service ~ At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17.21). This is an ecumenical service where Christians all over will gather to pray. This year, First Friends Meeting will be hosting the prayer service for Indianapolis on the evening of Sunday, January 20 at 6:00pm in the Meetingroom. We are asking anyone who is able to please donate cookies or snacks for the service—please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you can help. Thank you!

· Identity – In this important session we will not examine how we currently see ourselves and our situation, but how we might see our circumstance in Christ.

· First Impressions – This session helps us to examine our churches and congregations in ways that acknowledge our struggles but also identify our struggles.

· Appreciative Inquiry – In this session we will take an inventory of all the resources we have through which we might build or rebuild a dynamic and vibrant ministry.

· P.A.G.E. – Utilizing a simple assessment tool (poor/average/good/excellent), we can evaluate what ministries and programs we might need to change, invest more into, or even eliminate.

The retreat for pastors is on Friday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and the retreat for all begins Saturday at 8:30am and ends at 7:00pm. Cost is $30 per person and includes meals. You can find the brochure here: https://goo.gl/BfHAVY. To register, fill in and send the registration form here: https://goo.gl/nxSLvh. The registration deadline is February 1, 2019. For more information, contact Sue Whitesel at stwhitesel@sbcglobal.net.

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Friend to Friend January 2, 2019

January 2, 2019

As Way Opens

I rode a train to Chicago on New Year’s Eve (I do love being on a train and seeing our towns and cities through the lens of a railroad car window) and had the opportunity to spend 4 hours reading Rob Bell’s book How To Be Here. As we begin 2019, I found his big question of the book haunting me - What are we here for? Maybe you are wondering this question as you reflect on the ending of one year and the entry into another? In the book, Rob shared the experience of writing his first book and staring at a blank word processing document and feeling anxious with the blinking line in the upper left-hand corner. He wasn’t prepared for how intimidating that blinking line would be. That blinking line of the blank page was taunting him. As he talked about staring at a blinking cursor, I could feel his sense of uncertainty within myself of what do I need to bring into existence on the blinking line of the blank word document? What does this world need from our unique selves?

I believe in the idea that we are co-creators with God and that creation is unfinished and constantly evolving and creation needs our contributions, that which we are called to give. What is stopping me from writing on that blank page? Could the blinking line be asking us the question of who are we to do this? “That question can be paralyzing. It can prevent us from overcoming inertia. It can cause crippling doubt and stress. It can keep us stuck on the couch while life passes us by.” We might be stuck in our heads with the failures of our past. The 13th century Islamic scholar and mystic Rumi says ‘Your life has been a mad gamble. Make it more so. You have lost now a hundred times running. Roll the dice a hundred and one.”

I invite each of us in 2019 to start putting ourselves into that blank document and find God’s calling that makes us come alive.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Let’s all give a big thanks to our food pantry volunteers from Wednesday, December 19th: Kathy and Bill F, Christie M, Mara S, Beth S, Linda and Rik L, and Jim D. Many thanks to our faithful volunteers!

We had a wonderful and inspiring Christmas Eve service here at First Friends with Vicki W, Sam H and Dave B sharing poetry and Eric B, Savannah B and special guest Paula G sharing beautiful music. Thanks to all that participated and attended. Thank you to Kim H for the photos.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

FCNL’s Young Adult Programs! Did you know that Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has a variety of programs for young adults? Here’s what’s available:

· The Young Fellows Program allows recently graduated individuals (up to 29 years old) to work as fulltime members of the FCNL staff for 11 months. Benefits include salary (meets DC living wage standard), healthcare, paid vacation, and sick leave. Fellows will be placed on various teams at FCNL, including legislative, communications, and outreach teams. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.fcnl.org/updates/young-fellows-program-32?utm_campaign=yap&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ak Application deadline for this program is February 18, 2019.

· The Advocacy Corps allows young adults, 19-30 years old, to lead locally-based grassroots campaigns to influence members of Congress. Participants take part in a 10-day immersive training in community organizing, local media outreach, and lobbying. Participants commit 25 hours a month for 9 months and receive a financial stipend. Application deadline for this program is April 19, 2019. For more information visit https://www.fcnl.org/updates/advocacy-corps-34

· Spring Lobby Weekend is an advocacy event for students happening March 23-26, 2019. This event will include three days of lobby trainings and speakers followed by one day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. This March we will be revisiting our immigration work started at last year’s event, and we are excited to welcome 450 young adults to Washington, DC to tell their stories and make their voices heard! If you have any questions or are interested in recruiting young adults in your area, please contact Larissa@fcnl.org.

· Summer Internships are also available! If you are looking for an internship this summer, apply for the Summer Internship program. Deadline is March 29, 2019.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Christian Prayer Unity Service ~ At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17.21). This is an ecumenical service where Christians all over Indianapolis will gather to pray. This year, First Friends Meeting will be hosting the prayer service for Indianapolis on the evening of Sunday, January 20. More details will be released as they become available. We are asking our members and attenders to please donate cookies or snacks for the service—please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org if you can help. Thank you!

Thank you for Making 2018 a Success!!

Thank you for your support! As we look back on all the memories from 2018, First Friends would like to sincerely thank all Friends who supported us. You were able to make the year full of laughter, fun, joy, comfort, peace, reflection, and holiness. Your year-end contributions and pledges made a big difference! If you haven’t made a pledge yet, it’s not too late! You can send in your pledge to the office (mail, or at office@indyfriends.org) or visit our website at www.indyfriends.org, hover over “Attenders” at the top and select “Make a Pledge for 2019”. We couldn’t thrive without you, so thank you for the donations of time, money, and all your support! Let’s make another great year in 2019.

Sunday School will resume this Sunday, January 6th! We hope you will join us at 9:00am!

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

6th - 12th grade in the basement

The following adult classes will be offered:

Seeking Friends - Bob Henry will lead the group through the rest of Brian McLaren book, We Make the Road by Walking. After we finish that book we will continue the class with another read.

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

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

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

Affirmation Class for our youth will resume on Sunday January 13th at 11:00am. Bob will lead the discussion on Quaker Theology. See you there!

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Friend to Friend December 19, 2018

December 19, 2018

As Way Opens

Last year I was introduced to the Howard Thurman book, The Mood of Christmas and Other Celebrations. The poems and essays really spoke to me; I have re-read it this Christmas season and I have gained new insights. Here is an excerpt from The Singing of Angels:

"There must be always remaining in every man’s life some place for the singing of angels - some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and by an inherent prerogative throwing all the rest of life into a new and created relatedness. Something that gathers up in itself all the freshets of experience from drab and commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright white light of penetrating beauty and meaning - then passes. The commonplace is shot through now with new glory - old burdens become lighter, deep and ancient wounds lose much of their old, old hurting. A crown is placed over our heads that for the rest of our lives we are trying to grow tall enough to wear. Despite all of the crassness of life, despite the hardness of life, despite all of the harsh discords of life, life is saved by the singing of angels.

If the theme of the angels’ song is to find fulfillment in the world, it will be through the common man’s becoming aware of his true worthfulness an asserting his generic prerogatives as a child of God. The diplomats, the politicians, the statesmen, the lords of business and religion will never bring peace in the world. Violence is the behavior pattern of Power in the modern world, and violence has its own etiquette and ritual, and its own morality.”

May we all grow into our crowns, saved by the singing of angels and fulfilling this song through our efforts for peace.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

This past Sunday we enjoyed our Children’s Christmas Pageant put on by our kids! Thank you to them for sharing with us the Christmas Story. Also many thanks to Chrissy S and Foster S for being our Mary and baby Jesus, and thanks to Beth H, the organizer and director of the event! (Photos provided by Kim H and Bob H.)

We had a great time Caroling on Sunday! We stopped at The Stratford, American Village, and the Forum before finishing the night at Steak n’ Shake. We got to see dear Friends, sing the night away, & bring cheer to some very deserving people. Thank you to all who came! (Photos by Bob H)

Thank you to everyone in our Meeting and community who volunteered to bring in gifts for our sponsored families this Christmas. Easterseals picked up the packages this week and were astounded by your generosity! They were moved and are certain the families will be overjoyed. The packages filled up their car impressively. Thank you everyone!

We had lots of fun at the annual Christmas Tea this past Sunday! Thank you to everyone who brought in cookies to share. It was a great time as we enjoyed each other’s company, some delightful tea, and some tasty treats! Thank you to Jody L for organizing the event, and to Kim H for providing us pictures!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

FCNL’s Young Adult Programs! Did you know that Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has a variety of programs for young adults? Here’s what’s available:

· Summer Internships are also available! If you are looking for an internship this summer, apply for the Summer Internship program. Deadline is March 29, 2019.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Notices:

Office Notice: The office will be closed for the holidays Monday and Tuesday December 24-25.

Friend to Friend News: Please note that there will be no Friend to Friend next week due to Christmas and the holidays. Look for our next issue Wednesday, January 2nd.

Sunday School Notice: There will be no Sunday school on the next two Sundays, December 23rd or 30th.

Singalong Notice ~ Friends, please note that we will not hold our monthly Singalong in the Parlor in December. We will begin again in January.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, December 20 at 7:00pm. See locations here: https://goo.gl/HosLVg

Join us on Sunday, December 23 for a Special Meeting for Worship! You have been asking for a service filled with the singing of carols during the holiday season, and we have heard your request. On Sunday the 23rd, we will have a special Service of Carols and Their Stories. Come learn the stories behind some of our favorite Christmas carols and then join in singing them together. It should be a lovely morning of celebrating the season. Also, the service will include a time of waiting worship in the manner of Friends. Bring your voices and be ready to sing!

Reflections of Peace, Joy, and Hope: A Service of Poetry and Song: This Christmas Eve, Dec 24, join us at 5:30pm for a special Christmas Eve family worship that will include reflective poems, special music, and a story for the children - all to help us enter our Christmas celebration! Join us as we reflect and celebrate together this Christmas Eve.

Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading ~ Join our Oak Leaf Meeting for Reading book group for Thursday December 27th’s pick ~ American Fire by Monica Hesse. We will meet at 7pm at the home of Carolyn Tinsley. Do you need directions, and/or are you interested in being on the Oak Leaf email list? Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. You can view our book list for 2018 here: https://goo.gl/A7bm2r.

Unprogrammed worship on Sunday, December 30 – Please note that due to the holidays we will be holding unprogrammed worship in the parlor on December 30th at our usual time of 10:15. This is a nice quiet time for us to worship in the traditional Quaker manner. We hope you will join us if you can. Happy holidays!

Martin Luther King Jr Celebration Service ~ Please mark your calendars for a service in celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, organized by the Shalom Zone. It will be held at 11:00am on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church, 5233 E 79th St. We will gather together as a community of churches to remember and celebrate Dr. King’s dream of racial harmony and social justice in America. This commemorative service is a public testament of our common values as communities of faith actively seeking the shalom of the city as the prophet Jeremiah reminds us. Through the inspirational words of Dr. King and in the singing of songs of hope and freedom and as we share a luncheon with our neighbors, we become renewed and refreshed for the new work ahead. For more information, or if you’d like to help/volunteer, please visit https://goo.gl/L5wGxN

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December:
Tufted Titmouse – The Rock

If you have a bird feeder at home, you probably know this species. Tufted Titmouse is in the same family as the chickadees and is often seen with them. The gray color, crest, black eye on a pale cheek, and an orange patch on the side, clinch the identification. This bird is a fussy one, always warning of danger, especially when the danger is a human. The fussing sound titmice make is easily imitated and can be used to bring a titmouse closer. It is called “pishing”. To do it, make a shh sound (as if you are quieting someone down), but start it off with your mouth shaped to say a “p” before the shh. Do it over and over. If there is a titmouse around, it will likely come over to see what the trouble is.

The bird is very dependable in the neighborhoods around our meeting, and it visits our woods often. So dependable, that I could give it the nickname…The Rock. Jesus gave the nickname to one of his disciples, one who was very dependable (except for that one bad night of triple denial). So, what is the tie-in? After several weeks of bleak midwinter weather, we will have a sunny, perhaps balmy, day. You may hear a male Tufted Titmouse sing, even though it is late December or early January. What is its song?

“Peter, peter…peter, peter”

Get it? Dependable Tufted Titmouse: Peter: The Rock (Matthew 16:18)

~Brad J

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Friend to Friend December 12, 2018

December 12, 2018

As Way Opens

Teeth-chattering, brisk, cracking, wind-burned, shivering, brittle, frost-bitten, chilled, numb…

Have you ever noticed how the bitter cold has its own vocabulary? It speaks to the conditions created by uncommon weather. Those in arctic regions most-likely utilize these words on a daily basis. We know in Indiana that soon the temperatures will drop to freezing and stay there for several days or even weeks. And sadly, those cold temps will cause uninsulated pipes to break, electric lines to snap, and roads to become too dangerous to travel, finding us gathered in our homes wrapped in blankets by fireplaces and woodstoves.

“Not prepared,” will be the verdict by those on the local news channels.

Not prepared for cold temps, not prepared for power outages, not prepared for pipes breaking, and definitely not prepared for slowing down life.

Yet, when bundled up with a cup of hot cocoa, a nice fuzzy blanket, and a warm fire a glow, it seems like this should have been the plan all along.

I have realized, I may not be prepared for everything that comes at me in life. The dropping temps, the pipe I didn’t check, the traffic jam due to the unexpected snowpacolypse, all can become catalysts for being better prepared in the future. I think we all could use a night bundled up in front of a fire or around some lit candles that frees us to just “be.”

Life often takes on the vocabulary with which I began this post. Maybe you are numb to life right now. Maybe you are cracking or your teeth are chattering because of fear. Maybe chills run up and down as you doubt, question, or await what is around the next corner. Maybe your life seems brittle and ready to fall apart at any second. And probably, the newscasters of your life are all claiming you “not prepared.”

Let’s be honest, I don’t think Mary and Joseph were ready to have a baby in a stinky animal stall that first Christmas night. As all newbie parents, they weren’t ready for the awkwardness of a first child. Come on…they hadn’t even planned to have a baby. Nor did they plan on all the trouble of trying to explain the pregnancy to family and friends before the birth.

So, through the craziness, busyness, and lack of preparation, may God help our eyes to be opened, our ears to hear, our souls to slow down. May we come to a quiet space at the manger and be reminded that we will never be fully prepared or ready – and that may be ok and just what we need.

Happy Holidays,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Many Thanks to last week’s food pantry volunteers: Kathy R, Mara S, Bill F, Beth F, Ray G, Tom F, Linda and Rik L, Carol and Jim D. The Mid North Food Pantry thanks all of those at First Friends who help as volunteers and who contribute to the ongoing needs of the pantry.

A Note from Shawn P: “First Friends Family: It was such a joy to sing for you last week with the Royal Sensation choir. We want to thank you for the very kind and generous freewill offering taken to help our groups at HSEHS. Merry Christmas to you all! -Shawn” (photo right)

Thank you for making Vespers a success! This past Sunday we held our annual Vespers service. We heard many talented musicians, including our own Handbell Choir, Eric B, Anna R, guest saxophone player Josh W, and our dedicated choir. Many thanks to our performers and everyone else who helped make this year’s Vespers a success, including but not limited to: all members of our choir; our volunteer ushers Shawn H, Jed K, and Ed M; our Fellowship Committee who put on a fantastic dinner for the huge crowd we had; and of course our members, attenders, and everyone else who supports our Meeting financially or otherwise. You all have made it possible for us to put on this wonderful Holiday service. Thank you!! (Photos below; see more on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/indyfriends)

*Thank you to Kathy Rhyne for all Vespers photos.*

Our Affirmation Class Thanks You! A BIG Thank-You to everyone who helped support our Affirmation Class this past Sunday when we sold cookies- and soup-in-a-jar and fresh baked bread (right).

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dale Graves. Dale passed Monday morning with family members present at his bedside. Please hold his family and many F/friends in the light. His presence will be greatly missed. You can find his obituary at https://indiana.funeral.com/2018/12/09/dale-graves/. A memorial service is being planned for January 5, with more details to follow in coming days.

Announcements, Reports & Opportunities

December Meetings Notice: Please note that there will be no Monthly Meeting for Business or Clerks’ Council Meeting this month due to Christmas activities. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sunday School Notice: This Sunday, December 16 will be our last day of Sunday School this year. There will be no Sunday school on either Sunday, December 23rd or 30th. Happy Holidays!

Help a family in need this Christmas! This year we are partnering with Easterseals to help two local families this holiday season. We have a tree in the foyer of the Meetinghouse with tags that you can take. Simply buy and wrap the gift and bring it back to the Meetinghouse. Please make sure all gifts are in by this Monday, December 17. Please help us make this year a special one for these families!

Thank you for your pledges! First Friends would like to sincerely thank all Friends in support of our ministries. We are grateful to everyone who’s turned in a pledge for 2019 and/or have turned on automatic donations through their bank. This helps us plan a budget for the new year and plan wonderful Ministry & Fellowship activities such as Vespers. If you’d like to make a pledge for 2019, you can fill out a card at the Meetinghouse, fill out our online form at https://goo.gl/forms/aEQnYpXva2a0MvWo2 or simply contact the office. As we close out 2018, we hope you will consider including First Friends in your year-end giving.

Youth Christmas Party! We invite all of our youth to join us this Friday, December 14 for our annual Christmas party! It will be 6:30-9:00pm in the basement. We will have games, activities, dinner, and a gift exchange! Please bring a wrapped gift ($5 or less). It promises to be a holly jolly evening!

Children’s Pageant ~ Join us during our Meeting for Worship this Sunday, December 16 as our children depict and read the story of Jesus' birth. As well, the congregation will join in with singing hymns together. This is an annual tradition that you do not want to miss!

Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us this Sunday, December 16th immediately after worship in the parlor for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. If you can donate two dozen cookies, they can be dropped off 10-11am, Saturday, December 15th or the morning of Sunday, December 16th in the parlor. For more information contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Happy holidays!

Christmas Caroling ~ Fa La La La La! Joy to the World! Deck the Halls! It's time to clear your throats and get ready to bring some Christmas cheer through singing some carols! Join us on Sunday, December 16—we’ll meet at 3:20pm the home of Tom & Pat P at The Stratford in Carmel. We’ll start caroling at 3:30, then move to American Village at 4:30 and The Forum at 5:30. Make sure to bring the kids as we will again be heading to Steak and Shake afterward for dinner! This should be a fun night for the entire family!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December:
Tufted Titmouse – The Rock

“Peter, peter…peter, peter”

Get it? Dependable Tufted Titmouse: Peter: The Rock (Matthew 16:18)

~ Brad J

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, December 20 at 7:00pm. See locations here: https://goo.gl/HosLVg

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf book club titles for 2019! If you’d like to be on the email list for the group please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

January 29 ~ A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

February 26 ~ Less by Andrew Sean Greer

March 26 ~ On the Brink of Everything by Parker J Palmer

April 30 ~ The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

May 28 ~ Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

June 25 ~ Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

July 30 ~ The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

August 27 ~ Thank You for Being Late by Thomas L Friedman

September 24 ~ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

October 29 ~ The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu

November 26 ~ Educated by Tara Westover

December 30 ~ The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone

The group meets at 7pm in the Parlor. All are invited!

Festival of Carols ~ The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Presents Festival of Carols! Dan R and Bill P are both part of this group. Make 2018 the holiday season you will forever remember! With 5 performances to choose from, the Midwest’s beloved holiday tradition includes your favorite carols and Christmas music featuring the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and musical surprises for kids from 1 to 92. Performances will be December 21-December 23 at the Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts. For more information or to buy tickets, visit indychoir.org!

Join us on Sunday, December 23 for a Special Meeting for Worship! You have been asking for a service filled with the singing of carols during the holiday season, and we have heard your request. On Sunday the 23rd, we will have a special Service of Carols and Their Stories. Come learn the stories behind some of our favorite Christmas carols and then join in singing them together. It should be a lovely morning of celebrating the season. Also, the service will include a time of waiting worship in the manner of Friends. Bring your voices and be ready to sing!

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Friend to Friend December 5, 2018

December 6, 2018

As Way Opens

This Past Saturday I had the honor of conducting the funeral service of my cousin Leland Boren from Upland IN. He led an amazing life as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and man of deep faith. He and his wife LaRita (who preceded him in death 7 years ago) were incredibly generous with their resources and have touched many people’s lives across the country. Colleges and not for profits across Indiana have been the recipients of their generous support. And yet Leland was a complicated man. I worked for him the first three years out of college and it was not an easy time. He challenged everyone to be their best but sometimes his approach with people was difficult. He never attended college and went to work in a manufacturing company and worked his way up to become president of that company. He then acquired many other companies and built quite a significant group of businesses. What is inspiring to me about Leland is that he never allowed himself to be defined by what he was not. He lived out his faith in the ways he felt called by God.

During the service, his dear friend Bill Gaither and the Gaither Vocal Band sang several songs and Bill shared remembrances about his friend and business partner. Prior to the start of the service, I introduced myself to Bill and in five minutes he shared a story about a time 40 years ago when his brother in law challenged his faith and Bill began to question what he really did believe. He was traveling the country with his musical family and could share songs of faith with his eyes closed and began to wonder if he was a fraud. Elton Trueblood became inspirational to him during this crisis of faith. Here is an icon of Christian music and he was describing his own “dark night of the soul."

I think about these two men and their impact on our world and observe how God uses us in our complications, our weaknesses, our limitations and our crises of faith. All of our heroes of all time were flawed and yet they never allowed themselves to be defined and held down but what they lacked. I think sometimes we embrace our weaknesses and limitations as excuses to why we don’t listen to God’s calling. The world hungers for each of our special gifts and I pray today that each of us will listen to how God calls us to impact our community.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestarpress/obituary.aspx?n=leland-emerson-boren&pid=190841854&fhid=14590

Beth

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Choir Notice for Sunday ~ Please note, in preparation for the busy upcoming Sunday, the choir will meet at 8:30am this Sunday December 9th instead of the usual 9:00am.

Sunday School Notice: Sunday, December 16 will be our last day of Sunday School this year. There will be no Sunday school on either Sunday, December 23rd or 30th. Happy Holidays!

Help a family in need this Christmas! This year we are partnering with Easterseals to help two local families this holiday season. We have a tree in the foyer of the Meetinghouse with tags that you can take. Simply buy and wrap the gift and bring it back to the Meetinghouse. Please help us make this year a special one for these families!

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening this Saturday December 8th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Kathy R & Beth H. 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!

Bake with Us! Want to slow down while learning how to make delicious, nutritious sourdough bread?! Join us Saturday, December 8th from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Meeting house and you'll learn how to make your very own bread! Bring a sturdy spoon for stirring, a large bowl that can hold at least 3 quarts, and a digital scale, but if you don't have some of these things you are still welcome. We'll finish the process with bread shaping and baking Sunday morning at 9 am before meeting for worship. Our bread will be ready after meeting for worship. We can hold about 16 people in the Meeting kitchen. Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Please support our Affirmation class! Please see us in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship this Sunday, December 9 where Beth H and our youth will be selling cookies and soup in a jar as well as fresh-baked bread to raise funds for affirmation class. All of these items make great holiday gifts! We hope to see you there!

Vespers Annual Concert~ This Sunday, December 9th at 5:30pm we invite you to attend our annual Vespers concert, “A Season to Celebrate.” Our performers have been practicing hard for this concert, and it should be quite a delight. Following the concert there will be a complimentary light dinner, hosted by our Fellowship Committee. Childcare will be provided. Please plan to join us for the evening!

The Indy Winds Flute Choir will present their winter concert on Sunday December 9th at 3:00pm at Roberts Park United Methodist Church. There will be a combination of Christmas music and other classical music. Carl B and Lynda S will both be performing. Lynda will be the featured soloist in a beautiful arrangement of “O Holy Night”. The concert will run about two hours, but if you’re worried about getting to Vespers on time, there will be an intermission around 4:00.

Youth Christmas Party! We invite all of our youth to join us on Friday, December 14 for our annual Christmas party! It will be 6:30-9:00pm in the basement. We will have games, activities, dinner, and a gift exchange! Please bring a wrapped gift ($5 or less). It promises to be a magical evening!

Children’s Pageant ~ Join us during our Meeting for Worship on Sunday, December 16 as our children depict and read the story of Jesus' birth. As well, the congregation will join in with singing hymns together. This is an annual tradition that you do not want to miss!

Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us on December 16th immediately after worship in the parlor for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. If you can donate two dozen cookies, they can be dropped off 10-11am, Saturday, December 15th or the morning of Sunday, December 16th in the parlor. For more information contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. Happy holidays!

Christmas Caroling ~ Fa La La La La! Joy to the World! Deck the Halls! It's time to clear your throats and get ready to bring some Christmas cheer through singing some carols! Join us on Sunday, December 16—we’ll meet at the home of Tom & Pat P at The Stratford in Carmel. We’ll start caroling at 3:30, then move to American Village at 4:30 and The Forum at 5:30. Make sure to bring the kids as we will again be heading to Steak and Shake afterward for dinner! This should be a fun night for the entire family!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November: Carolina Chickadee

Like other folks, I have in the past been confused by people who are similar in appearance. That is, I’m talking to someone and suddenly realize my conversation is not making any sense because I have confused that someone with someone else. This has happened in the hallway at First Friends, and with my students, and even one time in college when I mistook a girl I was dating for another girl I had known in the past (but I digress). There is never an easy way out of this situation; perhaps one should just apologize, and admit the confusion.

The Bird-of-the-Month for November has an almost twin, and causes confusion in identification. It is a chickadee, and has a black cap, but is NOT a Black-capped Chickadee. It is, instead, a Carolina Chickadee, and frequents our Meditational Woods. It is especially noticeable this time of year when it searches for food in the absence of most other species. So what makes it different from its look-alike? Besides very minor differences in the bib and in the amount of white in the wing, there is a difference in the song. Black-caps sing, “fee bee-bee” (“He did it.”), while Carolinas sing, “fee-bee fee-bay.” There is also a difference in the way each calls, “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.” Finally their range differs. Imagine a line across Indiana from Ft. Wayne west to north of Lafayette. North of this line are Black-capped Chickadees, while south of the line, where we are, is Carolina Chickadee country.

You are forgiven if you mistakenly call our birds Black-capped, just as I hope you will forgive me next time we talk in the hallway, and I’m not making any sense!! ~ Brad J

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf book club titles for 2019! If you’d like to be on the email list for the group please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

January 29 ~ A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

February 26 ~ Less by Andrew Sean Greer

March 26 ~ On the Brink of Everything by Parker J Palmer

April 30 ~ The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

May 28 ~ Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

June 25 ~ Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

July 30 ~ The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

August 27 ~ Thank You for Being Late by Thomas L Friedman

September 24 ~ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

October 29 ~ The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu

November 26 ~ Educated by Tara Westover

December 30 ~ The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone

The group meets at 7pm in the Parlor. All are invited!

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Friend to Friend November 28, 2018

November 29, 2018

As Way Opens

For some reason, this year I am experiencing mixed feelings about the holidays. It may be both the current condition of our world and the angst of all the extra stuff added to our schedules during the month of December. Sadly, I know several people who are actually looking forward to the holidays being over before they even begin. If holiday anxiety already has you in its clutches, maybe it is time to embrace the Quaker Way of pausing to center yourself and reflecting on just what this season truly offers and how you are being called to respond. Our Friends at New England Yearly Meeting have put together a set of Christmas Queries that have helped me reflect and prepare as I enter the Holidays. I encourage you to spend some time in the coming days utilizing them to mind your Inner Light and prepare for this holy season.

On Simplicity:

In this time of commercialism, how do you reflect values of simplicity? In what ways do you and your family reflect on the significance of Jesus' life and his teachings regarding simplicity? Is your gift giving in line with these values? Have you been able to find rituals that enhance the experience of the Inner Light?

On Peace:

At this time of year, there is more attention given to "Peace on Earth." Is there significance in the birth of Jesus, the "Prince of Peace" that calls us to actively seek peace? What do you do to promote peace in the world? Are you able to find inner peace in the midst of everyday business? Do you walk gently and peacefully on the Earth, seeking that of God in others and in nature?

On Light:

In this time of winter darkness and cold, where do you find Light in your Life? As the shepherds waited for the good news, do you wait with an open heart for revelation? How do you and your family seek the Light and share it with others? Have you been able to find rituals that enhance the experience of the Inner Light?

On Preparation:

How does your family get ready for Christmas? What do you wish your family did around Christmas? At what age did you start giving presents to other people? Did someone work on them with you?

Grace and Peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to Leslie K & Barbara D who decorated the Meetinghouse so beautifully for Christmas. What a blessing to have her set up our space for the upcoming holiday season! We hope you will join us in December to come see Leslie’s decorations!

This past Sunday was our Service of Remembrance and grief gathering following Meeting for Worship. We welcomed Rev. Marsha Hutchinson to our pulpit and to help facilitate our gathered time. During the service we lit candles to honor those who died this past year. Thanks to all those who participated in this beautiful time.

Thanks to our food pantry volunteers! Last Wednesday, First Friends had more volunteers than ever before in the many years of its helping at the Mid North Food Pantry. Volunteers included: Christie M, Dan H, Tom F, Kathy and Bill F, Ray G, John , Rik and Linda L, Kathy R, Carol and Jim D, and Chrissy, Trent, Graham, Berlynn and Foster Lee (the youngest person to ever volunteer at the pantry) S. While it was an unusual day in that the pantry was not very busy, all volunteers were very much appreciated. Also, a check from First Friends in the amount of $990 was provided to the pantry. The pantry thanked First Friends for its generous contribution and many loyal volunteers.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is proud to share that Beth H’s written piece about the role the US is playing in the Yemen crisis was recently published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette! You can find her piece online at http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20181127/us-complicit-in-saudis-war-atrocities-in-yemen.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Blood Drive! Please join us for a blood drive held in conjunction with the Indiana Blood Center on Sunday, December 2nd from 9:00am-1:00pm in Fellowship Hall. If you would like to schedule a time, visit https://www.donorpoint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/124166. 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 https://www.donorpoint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/124166. If you have any other questions, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Help a family in need this Christmas! This year we are partnering with Easterseals to help two local families this holiday season. We will soon have a tree in the foyer of the Meetinghouse with tags that you can take. Simply buy and wrap the gift and bring it back to the Meetinghouse. Please help us make this year a special one for these families!

Royal Sensation Choir Performance in Meeting ~ On Sunday, December 2nd, we are pleased to welcome the Royal Sensation choir from Hamilton Southeastern High School. Royal Sensation is under the direction of Shawn P. Please join us in Meeting that day to hear their performance. A goodwill offering will be taken to help support their choir.

Babysitting Co-Op ~ Our babysitting co-op is happening on Saturday December 8th from 5:30 - 9:30, hosted by Kathy R & Beth H. 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!

Please support our Affirmation class! Please see us in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship on Sunday, December 9 where Beth H and our youth will be selling cookies and soup in a jar as well as fresh-baked bread to raise funds for affirmation class. All of these items make great holiday gifts! We hope to see you there!

Vespers Annual Concert~ On Sunday, December 9th at 5:30pm we invite you to attend our annual Vespers concert, “A Season to Celebrate.” Our performers have been practicing hard for this concert, and it should be quite a delight. Following the concert there will be a complimentary light dinner, hosted by our Fellowship Committee. Childcare will be provided. Please plan to join us for the evening!

Talk to Congress – Letter Writing Project ~ Thank you to everyone who participated in our letter writing project for November. Please note, we won’t have letter writing in December, due to the holidays. Have a Merry Christmas!

Get rid of your ugly Christmas sweaters! Shawn P’s Hamilton Southeastern school choir’s holiday performance this year includes a song about ugly Christmas sweaters and the choir is in need of donations. If you have an ugly Christmas sweater that you no longer need, please consider donating it. If you have a sweater you’d like to give, please pass them onto Shawn on Sunday morning or bring them to the meeting office. Thank you for your help!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November:
Carolina Chickadee

You are forgiven if you mistakenly call our birds Black-capped, just as I hope you will forgive me next time we talk in the hallway, and I’m not making any sense!! ~ Brad J

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf book club titles for 2019! If you’d like to be on the email list for the group please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org

January 29 ~ A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

February 26 ~ Less by Andrew Sean Greer

March 26 ~ On the Brink of Everything by Parker J Palmer

April 30 ~ The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

May 28 ~ Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

June 25 ~ Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

July 30 ~ The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

August 27 ~ Thank You for Being Late by Thomas L Friedman

September 24 ~ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

October 29 ~ The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu

November 26 ~ Educated by Tara Westover

December 30 ~ The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone

The group meets at 7pm in the Parlor. All are invited!

Work Needed ~ Please see this message from Janice H: As Career Coach at Hawthorne Community Center, I have a client who fled Rwanda on a tourist visa with her two young children a few months ago because her husband disappeared, and people were trying to kill her entire family. She is staying at a shelter and filing for asylum through Ind. Legal Services.She will not have a work permit for 5 months or more and has no pocket money.In the meantime, she is willing to clean houses or do whatever as long as it is a safe situation.She speaks and understands some English and is fluent in French and her mother tongue.Both her children will soon be in school during the day.She doesn't have a car, but Hawthorne has bus passes.She has a bachelor’s degree in management and economics from her homeland. Another need she has is for a spiritual community.If you know of any Haitian or other congregations where French is spoken, I would love to connect her with one. If you know of any work or social service assistance besides the Immigrant Welcome Center and the Exodus Refugee Center, please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org

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