Friend to Friend November 4, 2020

November 5, 2020

As Way Opens

Last Thursday, I took both a needed and long-anticipated day-long spiritual retreat. Because my current schedule does not afford a longer retreat, I knew I would have to make the most of my day. Since nature is an important way for me to connect to the Divine, I anticipated most of my day outside. Yet when I awoke on Thursday, my spirit was a bit dashed as I heard heavy rain hitting the side of our home. Immediately, I knew I would need to be flexible.

Grabbing the essentials; one book, a mask, my rain coat, a hat, and hiking shoes, I was determined to not let the rain deter my day. My first stop would be the walking trails at Minnetrista, a gathering place in Muncie, Indiana, dedicated to the legacy of the Ball family. The hiking trails at Minnetrista wind along the river and allow one to find their own pace.

Where I began there was a big rock just off the path that marked this area as the traditional site of the Wah-Pe-Kah-Me-Kunk, the Muncie clan of the Delaware Indians. I paused to pay respect to those who were removed from this land and center myself as their ancestors did years ago on this very spot. Immediately, I sensed a deeper connection to the nature around me - the trees giving up their brightly colored leaves, the frost tipped roses frozen in time, the deep roar of the river, and the black squirrels gathering nuts for the winter frolicking along my path. I was now ready to receive what the Spirit would reveal to me on this day retreat.

I knew I needed to remove myself from the noise and clutter of daily life and escape to a transcendent place where I could experience the Divine. Interestingly enough, during my entire time at Minnetrista, I only had one other person cross my path, the rain subsided, and I found the silence speaking to my soul. The Still Small Voice I had spoken of in a recent sermon was quietly whispering and asking me to simply breath in and find my peace. As I concluded my hike and arrived back at my car, the rain returned and I sat for a moment listening to it hitting my windshield, feeling as though it was a sign that I was cleansed, for now, of the weight I was carrying.

My afternoon plan was to continue my retreat at Mounds State Park, but the rain did not let up and the ranger at the gate said the paths were saturated. Instead, I headed to a more familiar place, Falls Park in Pendleton. At this point the rain had returned with a vengeance and the wind had picked up. I pulled my car into a parking spot under a tree that faced the fast-moving falls. The tree made a nice canopy over my car allowing me to open the windows and experience the sounds. I sat and read for quite some time as the Falls provided “white noise” to drown out the clatter of the world around me. Usually, I would need my headphones and music to help bring this focus. This day, I found creation itself provided the soundtrack – the rain on my windshield, the crunching of leaves beneath my feet, and the steady roar of the falls all provided beautiful music.

Finally, I needed to find a warmer spot and headed to a coffee shop in Pendleton to warm up with a cup of coffee. Even though I had been concerned that the rain would deter me from experiencing the Divine, I realized as I sipped my coffee that being flexible and willing to embrace the unexpected was the best lesson I could glean for my current condition. A lesson I must be reminded of each and every day during this pandemic and these challenging times.

As I concluded my day-long retreat, I spent time reading from the Gospel of Thomas – a gospel text I have not spent enough time with. These words of Jesus almost jumped off the page and summarized my day’s experience,

“Recognize what is before your eyes, and the mysteries will be revealed to you.”

May we all recognize what is before our eyes this week, so the mysteries of the Divine may be revealed to us!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Thank you to our volunteers who helped First Friends on election day! These volunteers made sure everything went smoothly, and everyone stayed safe! Thank you to Carol & Jim D, Kevin F, Deb & Phil G, Beth H, Bob H, Ed M, Susan R, and Nancy S!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

TAILGATE PARTY! Hey, Friends, the Connections Team will be hosting a COVID-safe tailgate party in the meeting house parking lot on Saturday, November 7, 4-6 pm. What a good chance to connect with folks from the meeting face to face. Bring your own chair, food and drinks...and masks, please. We will have fire pits for hot dogs and s'mores. The weather forecast looks good for Saturday. Hope you can make it!

Free Green Team Training ~ The singing frog was wrong - it IS easy being green! Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light invites you on November 11th for a fun and informative workshop to find out how to create or expand a green team in your congregation. There will be much work to do in the next four years regardless of the outcome of the elections. All people of faith need to act together now with a sense of urgency. Learn about the faith bases of creation care and the supporting science and messaging. Discuss the typical challenges faced when starting or developing a green team, and ways to turn them into opportunities. It's free and easy to sign up, to find out more and register visit https://hoosieripl.salsalabs.org/greenteamtrainingnovember112020/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=33a22090-85ad-412d-8de1-3705e86998c4

Shhh! (The Garden Sleeps)

Aside from some cold weather crops the Community Garden is bedded down for the season. We all need to sleep so we have energy to begin a rebirth. A garden is no different. For your enjoyment I am employing a philosophical outlook in this issue. Thank you in advance to the poets and writers.

And all at once, summer collapsed into fall. –Oscar Wilde

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. –F. Scott Fitzgerald

Autumn Fires

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

--Robert Louis Stevenson

Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop. –Rumi

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.—Henry David Thoreau

November

There is no wind at all tonight

To dash the drops against the pane;

No sound abroad, nor any light;

And softly falls the autumn rain.

The earth lies tacitly beneath,

As it were dead to joy or pain;

It does not move, it does not breathe;

And softly falls the autumn rain.

And all my heart is patient too.

I wait till it shall wake again;

For songs of spring shall sound anew

Though sadly falls the autumn rain.

--Celia Thaxter

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. –Albert Camus

Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile. –William Cullen Bryant

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it,

And if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth,

Seeking the successive autumns.

--George Eliot

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

~Nancy

From Halloween to Happy New Year ~ When you receive cards for the upcoming holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and birthdays and anniversaries, please cut off the postage stamps with 1/4 inch of envelope around them. If you could arrange for them to be brought to First Friends, that would be wonderful. A box for them will be on the benches just inside the door, the box that used to be in Fellowship Hall. The women in RSWR projects in Kenya, India, and Sierra Leone thank you.

Tired of the news? A great way to travel to other times and places is to trim used postage stamps from excess paper. If you would like an easy (and free!) vacation from it all, contact Amy Perry and she will bring you some trimming to do at home and on your own time. You will also be doing good at the same time, for you will be helping raise money for Right Sharing of World Resources (www.RSWR.org). Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. And have fun traveling!

To Zoom or Not to Zoom or The Zooming Experience ~ How do you feel about zoom? What are your positive experiences? What are your complaints? Are you kept away by a lack of technology? Do you loathe zoom? Perhaps by examining the nature of your discontent, improvements could be discovered. We invite you to share your thoughts and preferences about meeting via Zoom to office@indyfriends.org. Thank you!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Why Religion?: A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels. Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions. These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the most difficult challenges we face. (goodreads) Rhonda C will be leading the discussion via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org for the Zoom information.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November

Sandhill Crane – The Wise Traveler

Today would have been a perfect day to listen and look up! An absolutely clear blue sky was overhead, with a cool breeze from the north. What you are listening for is a call, variously described as “ga-roo” or “hah-akkkk” or a bugle trill or a far-off soft bark of a dog. If you hear something, glance up, and what you are looking for is a flock of Sandhill Cranes, with as many as 150 or more individuals flying in and behind a loosely organized V-pattern. They will not be in a tight V like geese, or as fast, but will usually be much higher, almost out-of-sight. You may see one flock directly overhead, and at the same time have more flocks behind and off to one side. In the fall they gather by the tens of thousands at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in NW Indiana, and then, from late October to early December, they leave in large groups heading toward the Texas coast. In groups this large, these huge birds seem to find safety in numbers.

Sandhill Cranes stand three and one-half feet tall, and are mostly gray with red on the crown. Immatures are brown. In flight one can see their outstretched necks, and feet trailing behind their tails. They should not be confused with Great Blue Herons, which nest nearby us, although some call those birds “cranes”.

Several weeks ago as I walked in our woods, I found two Swainson’s Thrushes in the bushes above the waterfall. They were sitting silently, side-by-side, watching my movement. I wondered if these two had come together, all the way from Canada. Perhaps, instead, they met here, in the woods, and recognized each other, like two Ball State grads who just happen to pull in beside each other at a rest area in Arkansas. Either way, their migration is less conspicuous than that of the cranes.

This time of year some of us start preparing our Christmas cards. I like the ones depicting the journey of the Wise Men to visit the Christ Child. Usually in fabulous colors, those cards show three men on three camels traveling alone through the desert. But can that be? Instead of being like the two thrushes, wouldn’t it have been more like the hundreds of sandhill cranes? I believe there were three huge entourages of wise men, their servants, and hirelings, with skills in cooking, defensive safety, and animal herding: travelers all moving through possibly-foreseen dangers, together, trying to reach their destination. ~Brad J

Join us for a Weed Wrangle! Get your frustrations out by joining Mary and Mindy on a Weed Wrangle tomorrow morning, Thursday, November 5 from 10-11:30 am. We’re pulling ivy, euonymus and cutting down some honeysuckle. We’re removing these invasive plants to make room for native plans to enhance local wildlife in the woods. We hope you’ll join us!

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

Am I listening carefully to my Inner Light as it speaks to the condition of my world during this election?
How are my political views limiting or inhibiting me in seeing God’s values and the Spirit’s work in the lives of my neighbors?
As I prepare to vote, will I first take time to pray or meditate before making my decisions?

(From self-led guide)

How might I more fully embrace the teachings and the life of Jesus to love wastefully?
Am I ready to go where Jesus might lead me?
Am I willing to have my lawn furniture turned upside down?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 28, 2020

October 29, 2020

As Way Opens

This past Sunday, our gardeners led by Nancy Scott and Sam Ryan hosted a garden harvest festival. There were over 40 folks that showed up in the back parking lot with masks, chairs and a pure sense of joy to be together. It was so good to see people face to face (or mask to mask). Jim, Jesse and Eric played music and we all had the opportunity to catch up and just be outside together. It reminded me that it's not the activities or what we are doing that feeds our soul, rather it is just the being. As I talked with most folks, the presence of being was so apparent. We crave the connections and the people that make up this faith community are really special. I know that I went home with a glad heart to have seen some people that I haven’t seen in seven months.

I think it’s important for our mental health that we find every opportunity for connection during these times that we are not gathering on Sundays for our programmed worship service. I know that zoom is not the same as being together, but it's a connection nonetheless and there are lots of opportunities at First Friends for this - book groups, unprogrammed worship, women’s workshops , Sunday School classes, fellowship hour on Sundays. We also have some small groups meeting inside the building in a socially distanced way with masks. On November 7th we will have another fellowship opportunity as a tailgate gathering in our parking lot. We continue to look for safe fellowship opportunities and I know there are a number of folks meeting within an organic small group of friends. These connections are what will help us get through this.

As Paul wrote in Romans 12:5-8 “In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we are talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or a cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much would we? We find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body. (Message version)

Thank you for the parts that each of you make to form this wonderful faith community of First Friends.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

Safe, Well-Attended Harvest Fest Celebrated at the Community Garden Site

The biggest gathering we have had since Covid shut down our building took place safely outside last weekend. The Harvest Fest featured smiles we could “see” underneath all our masks. The in-person socially-distanced interactions were welcome and needed. Children ran, played and roasted marshmallows at three fire pits that were assembled by a few and tended by many. Adults gathered standing or while sitting in chairs, excitedly talking. Some people planted milkweed for Monarch butterflies and worked in the garden plots digging, fertilizing and pulling up spent plants. Jim and Jesse sang and played guitars. Eric surprised us by coming and bringing his accordion to accompany them. As live music wafted through the air, happy Friends sang along to songs; others danced. Some people shot hoops through the new net Jim installed on the basketball hoop. Families played cornhole games on the setup Sam provided. People ate lunches they brought along or chomped down on apples that were available as snacks. Gardeners gave away items left behind as they closed down their raised beds: canna rhizomes and seeds from marigolds, zinnias, perilla, dill, mint and basil. Live greens were gifted including kale, Swiss chard and spinach. Children delighted in the small tomatoes and chilies they picked. Sweet peppers, green onions, and growing thyme and dill found new homes. Even the cats were contented when owners brought home Jackie’s fresh catnip. Dr. Andy put his stamp of approval on the gathering where we took care of one another by using safe practices, including hand sanitizer and wipes. There were even escorts to the facilities, courtesy of Beth, who made sure the building safety guidelines were followed. When it was all over and equipment and tools were put away, cooled ashes from fire pits were used to fertilize the garden. There is even leftover wood for the Connections outdoor tailgating party on November 7!

Many thanks to those who packaged giveaways; cut, piled and carted firewood and fire pits; put out fires; worked in the garden plots; supervised and played with children; played music and hauled equipment; made calls and sent emails; helped with setup and cleanup; answered questions and gave advice (esp. Dr. Andy); helped instruct, inform and announce; provided giveaways and games and those who did nothing but relax!! ~Nancy

Thank you, food pantry volunteers!! We were very busy at the food pantry on Weds. serving 92 families...a new record number during the pandemic. Volunteers that helped included: Linda and Rik Lineback; Phil Goodchild; Christie Moulton; Bill Farris; David Beatty; Penny Paraskevas; and Carol and Jim Donahue. Ruth Kelly and Kathy Farris also helped at the pantry on Monday. Thanks to all of these dedicated volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who sent in notes, cards and gifts to Bob and Beth for Pastor’s Appreciation Month. They were touched to receive such kind and thoughtful words from everyone.

A note of thanks from Becki H: Many thanks and a Hug of The Light for the many cards and expressions of condolence extended to our family on the death of my mother. They were much appreciated and warmed my heart. -Becki

Please keep Jim S in your thoughts and prayers. Jim was hit by a car as he walked across his street to get the mail. Jim went to the hospital but did not have to stay overnight. He was badly bruised and shaken but seems to be doing ok. Please keep Jim and Nancy in your prayers.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The First Friends Women's Book Club is discussing Richard Rohr's, The Universal Christ and still welcoming new members. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. semi-monthly on Wednesdays or Thursdays, depending on the members' work schedules. Upcoming meetings via Zoom on the following dates:

• Thursday 10/29

• Wednesday 11/11

• No meeting during Thanksgiving week.

• Wednesday 12/2

Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org and you will be sent a Zoom link. Regular and sporadic attenders are welcome.

College Care packages - It is time to send care packages to our college students as they prepare for their exams at school. This time, rather than having you drop off your donations at the meetinghouse, we are asking for financial contributions. The First Friends office will use the funds to fill boxes for the students with goodies like candy, cookies, cards, and other treats. There are a number of ways to send your support—you can mail a donation to the office with the notation “college packages”; donate via our secure giving portal at https://www.indyfriends.org/support and choose the “college care packages” fund; or text COLLEGE to 317-768-0303. Thank you for your support!

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for TVs and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances. If you have items that are heavy and you need assistance to move them, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and we can arrange pick up. For more information, view the flyer here: https://bit.ly/3mopbuO.

Daylight Savings Time Ends This Weekend! Don’t forget that this Sunday morning at 2:00am the clocks will move back one hour—so our 10:15 service will feel a bit later! Don’t forget to change your clocks!

Consider Supporting MSPC! Due to the pandemic, Maple Seeds Preschool Coop (MSPC) sadly had to cancel their annual fall festival fundraiser. In lieu, we are hoping you will choose to support MSPC another way—order a Christmas wreath! You can find the order form here: http://bit.ly/MSPCwreath. Orders are due by Monday, November 2nd. Please send your completed order form to the office@indyfriends.org.

Do you have a car to sell? A refugee family with legal documentation needs to buy a reliable, low-cost used car. Prefer four-door, well-maintained vehicle needing no major repairs, but will consider all options. Hard-working, goal directed single mom is in a bind because IPS has a one-location rule and won't drop off her kids at the daycare provided by her employer after school. Please spread the word to your family and friends and forward all possibilities to the office at office@indyfriends.org. Thank you so much.

To Zoom or Not to Zoom or The Zooming Experience

How do you feel about zoom? What are your positive experiences? What are your complaints? Are you kept away by a lack of technology? Do you loathe zoom? Perhaps by examining the nature of your discontent, improvements could be discovered.

When my sister passed on a Saturday night, I talked with Fellowship Hour Friends and could instantly see caring and compassion on everyone’s face. Then I heard the voices of comfort. This without needing to drive anywhere.

Another benefit is that I can see if someone is trying to get a word in and can’t break in. Sometimes I intervene and direct attention to that person. In a circle in the parlor it is harder to see everyone and to direct attention to one who asks for it in the movement of their lips, the tilt of their heads.

During these strange times the Monday Meditation group has remained small and faithful. We are nurturing to each other and are comfortable. The Bible Study participants, the majority from First Friends, some Christians with varied churches, have created a new group experience and have formed a connection with each other.

I invite you to share your experiences and preferences to office@indyfriends.org. ~Linda L

The Mid North Food Pantry is in need of help on Mondays. There are 2 shifts: (1) 8:30 am – 10:30 am to prepare bags of food to be distributed, and (2) 10 am –noon to hand out food to families (this is the same function that First Friends volunteers perform every first and third Weds. of the month). In addition, Mid North is looking for someone who would like to work part time at the pantry to replace a current employee who is to undergo medical treatment. If you are interested in any of these opportunities or need further information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

TAILGATE PARTY! Hey, Friends, the Connections Team will be hosting a COVID-safe tailgate party in the meeting house parking lot on Saturday, November 7, 4-6 pm. What a good chance to connect with folks from the meeting face to face. Bring your own food and drinks...and masks, please. We will have fire pits for hot dogs and s'mores. Stay tuned for more details.

Attention women of First Friends! We will be offering a virtual 4-part workshop on spiritual gifts starting Sunday November 1st from 5:00 - 6:30. The workshop will continue for the next three Sundays after that ending on November 22nd. Zoom Space is limited so please contact the office if you would like to sign up.

We will explore the gift economy of the Body of Christ and why it matters for us to gain understanding of it. We will also examine specific spiritual gifts and how they work together in a community.

Session 1 (Nov 1st) will examine the two realities we all inhabit: the Body of Christ and the world or the Kingdom (Kin-dom) of God and empire. We’ll be learning to look for Kingdom of Heaven already within and among us.
Session 2 (Nov 8th) explores the nature of a gifts economy, our God-created diversity, and celebrates our strengths as well as our weaknesses, which are important to embrace.
Session 3 l(Nov 15th) looks at ways honoring gifts and stepping into a gifts economy makes us the right size and shape for who we were created to be and for making communities run smoothly.
Session 4 (Nov 22nd) asks how we might apply these concepts in our daily lives.

Our Facilitator is Sara Beth Terrell, a recorded Friends minister with a ministry of spiritual formation. She is a spiritual director, speaker, writer, and workshop and retreat leader. Sara Beth has been a Friends pastor and campus minister. She is married with two adult children and is a member of First Friends Meeting in Greensboro, NC. She can be found at www.imaginingtheword.com.

Small Group Meetings. If you are part of a small group that would like to meet at First Friends – or are interested in joining a group – please let us know. First Friends has opened the building to small group meetings. All gatherings are limited to 10 and participants will be required to wear face coverings and follow other social distancing protocols. Many small groups who choose to meet in person will also meet via Zoom so people can still attend virtually if they prefer—ask your small group leader how they will be meeting. If you are interested in joining any of the below groups, please notify the office at: office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Our current available meetings:

· Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am

· Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm

· Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am

· Men’s book group (John Woolman’s Journal)

· Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading

· Men’s book club

· Serenity Now

· Women’s book club

· Men’s Threshing Together

· Seeking Friends book class

· Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class

· 2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class

· Youth Group

Circle of Care needs more volunteers! The Circle of Care ministry is such an important way to love and care for each other as a faith community. The volunteer network is made up of folks that can occasionally give a ride to a doctor’s appointment, help with technology, rake leaves or other support services that might arise for a person. It works like this: The Circle of Care receives the request and sends it out to the network of volunteers. If someone is available they will respond to the Circle of Care coordinator and the connection will be made for with the person asking for assistance. Could we add your email to this list? Please let the office know if you would be willing to join this important ministry— office@indyfriends.org.

Please join us in welcoming Aaron Thornburg to First Friends staff, taking over Dan Mitchell’s position as he recently retired. If you have any building concerns, small fixes, or other problems that you would have reported to Dan, please email your concerns to Aaron at AaronThornburg@indyfriends.org (not case sensitive).

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

Do I believe I am loved by God?

(From self-led guide)

What seems to be the biggest anxiety producers effecting my daily life, my spiritual life?
What particular issues or problems have I found myself honed-in on during this pandemic?
What areas may I need to give over to God through prayer?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 21, 2020

October 26, 2020

As Way Opens

A couple weeks ago I shared my love as a child for the Space Program in this column. In thinking about that era, I was reminded of my grade school science teacher, and, hands down, one of the best teachers I have been honored to have, Mr. Kramer.

Mr. Kramer was a unique and incredibly dedicated teacher. To me, he was Bill Nye the Science Guy in real time. From his belief in the importance of teaching Macintosh computer programming starting in second grade (yes, 1980), to challenging me and a friend to build a model of the entire school for an upcoming construction project just to teach us about architecture, to those wacky science experiments that had me and my class rivetted and loving science, he did it all in his own laid back but inviting way.

Mr. Kramer also lived along the path in town, where I rode my bike to my grandparent’s house. I would see him out working in his garden, or on a project and stop for hours to talk and glean some new trade or experience from him. One day he asked if I would be willing to help him on Saturday mornings at our church. He was also the church organist and needed help tuning the organ. That intrigued me, so I said yes.

I would ride my bike to the church on Saturday mornings and meet Mr. Kramer, who proudly wore a band t-shirt from a concert the night before. To help supplement his teacher salary, he would be part of the lighting and setup crew for local concerts at the Memorial Coliseum on the weekends. Science teacher by day, rock band roadie on Fridays, and organist on Sundays – like I said, he was unique. There he would be sitting at the organ in his crisp new Van Halen or Megadeath t-shirt ready to work.

Since I had taken several years of piano lessons and often played the trumpet for special church services, Mr. Kramer was well aware of my musical abilities. So, I would sit at the organ, as he scurried like a mouse back into the recesses of the pipe rooms. I would listen for him to yell out a specific note to play and press it when prompted. We would spend a couple hours tuning, but I couldn’t wait until he would replace me at the organ, let all the stops out, and play something based on the notes we had tuned. Whether Saturday or Sunday morning, there was a pride in knowing that I helped make that organ sound like a true instrument, not just a ballpark novelty.

Who would have known that later in college I would live on a floor of accomplished organ students, several have actually become renowned for their work. I would even spend a summer rooming with one of these gifted organists. Actually, he was already writing his own music and giving concerts on arrival at our school. I heard recently that in 2017, he was a semi-finalist for the American Prize in Composition. Often my floormates and I would join him at the chapel on our campus and just listen to him or one of the others play. Their artistry and passion to make the organ come alive was like none I have ever heard. They pulled stops and played notes that seemed to transcend this world and speak to our souls. Recently my former roommate and I reconnected through our Meeting’s website and we are looking at him possibly coming to give an organ concert after the pandemic is over.

Looking back, I am extremely thankful for people like Mr. Kramer who inspire and encourage us through their willingness to spend time investing in people. Mr. Kramer not only helped lay a foundation in my life, he built in me appreciations that have assisted me through college and into my career as a pastor. May we find some time this week to invest in those around us.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

We are coming near the end of our fundraising efforts for the WYM and FUM 2020 fundraisers but have had very few contributions. Please give these causes your prayerful thought and, if you are so led, make your contribution this week to assist our brethren in Belize and Turkana, Kenya. Thank you for your consideration.

The WYM project for 2020 is for the benefit of the Belize Friends School. The school needs financial assistance for its operating expenses and the WYM goal is to raise $15,000. You might recall that in 2017 WYM also designated Belize as its project but monies raised at that time were designated for re-locating the school and expanded ministries including community services and the starting of a Friends meeting. Many of you knew Dale Graves, a member of Mooresville’s West Newton Friends, who poured his heart and soul into the Belize school and surrounding area and was the driving force that enabled the Belize school and Friends meeting to become what it is today. While Dale is no longer with us, there is no doubt that Dale would be very proud of the ongoing efforts to improve the Belize school and Belize Friends meeting.

The FUM project is to assist the Friends in Turkana who are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Turkana Friends Mission. Turkana Friends was founded in 1970 in Kalokol, Kenya. It began as a project of East Africa Yearly Meeting and FUM. Turkana Friends Mission has grown from one location to a vibrant multi-site Quaker community that, among other things, oversees six nursery schools and six primary schools. The number of meetings in Turkana Friends Mission has increased dramatically in the past few decades from seven village meetings in 2002 to twenty-five meetings in 2019.

We at First Friends Indianapolis seem far removed from our fellow Quakers around the world and FUM and WYM are organizations that help connect us through worthy projects each year. Please help these Quakers in Belize and Turkana as you are led. Checks should be made to First Friends with a notation as to whether the monies should go to (WYM) Belize, (FUM) Turkana, or split between these projects. Thank you.

Joys & Concerns

Thank You So Much! To our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers, we THANK YOU for continuing to offer support to those in need during these trying times! A great group of First Friends volunteers showed up to help at the food pantry last Wednesday: Christie M; Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Phil G; David B; Terry T; Tony Myers; Melanie, Virginia and Derek S; and Carol and Jim D. We kept busy serving 87 families..

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

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! Our next meeting will be held in-person on Thursday, October 22 at 7:00pm. See current locations here: http://bit.ly/ThreshingFall2020.

Don't you miss the First Friends Friday Night Sing-Along? Jim and Jesse have created a sing-along video which will premiere Friday, October 23, 7pm. Tune in at that time to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B26OWPhn0M to watch it along with us. We hope you will join us in singing at home!

From your Friendly Creation Care Team ~ If you live in Marion County, you are invited to give feedback on a new proposed ordinance on Benchmarking and Transparency Ordinance to help improve energy and water efficiency of Indianapolis buildings. Essentially, if you don’t know how much energy your building is using without a benchmark, how can you improve? Currently buildings contribute to 66% of community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. With a benchmarking ordinance in place, businesses can reduce energy use by 2.3% just by understanding energy use in a building. Little changes can add up to money saved. Here’s the link: https://indy.civicomment.org/

Outdoor Harvest Festival Open to All this Sunday!

Live music, courtesy of Jim K and Jesse S will float through the air at the Community Garden work day/play day harvest celebration this Sunday, October 25 at 11:30 a.m. This is an outdoor in-person, socially-distanced event open to the entire Meeting. There will be firepits and a cornhole game. We will gather in the garden area north of the Meetinghouse.

Bring: mask, bagged food and service for yourself, a chair, and garden tools if you plan to help close down the garden for the season. You may want to bring marshmallows or hot dogs to roast over the fire. Extra chairs will be provided for those who cannot readily supply their own. There may be some canna rhizomes or herbs available if you would like to bring your own bags or containers. You are not required to help in the garden and your presence will bless us whether you join in the work or just relax.

Check the Meeting’s Facebook or the gardeners’ Marco Polo to see if the Fest is cancelled because of the weather. Rain date is Sunday, November 1 at 11:30. Daylight saving time ends and we will fall back an hour so be aware of the time change.

This is intended to be a safe gathering. Each person should bring a mask to wear to protect others when not socially-distanced and to protect Friends from unintended sneezes and coughs that cause droplets and aerosols to travel further than six feet. Hand sanitizer and masks for those who have none will be available.

Come and join us so we can thrive and enjoy one another beyond the world of Zoom.

~ Sam and Nancy

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive ~ until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. (goodreads.com) Carolyn T will be leading the discussion in via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, October 27, 2020.

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances. If you have items that are heavy and you need assistance to move them, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and we can arrange to have the items picked up. For more information, view the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6uaIgilMNlIk8Hw9URMPgNHcNE8_1BE/view?usp=sharing

• Wednesday 10/14

• Thursday 10/29

• Wednesday 11/11

• No meeting during Thanksgiving week.

• Wednesday 12/2

Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org and you will be sent a Zoom link. Regular and sporadic attenders are welcome.

We will explore the gift economy of the Body of Christ and why it matters for us to gain understanding of it. We will also examine specific spiritual gifts and how they work together in a community.

Session 1 (Nov 1st) will examine the two realities we all inhabit: the Body of Christ and the world or the Kingdom (Kin-dom) of God and empire. We’ll be learning to look for Kingdom of Heaven already within and among us.
Session 2 (Nov 8th) explores the nature of a gifts economy, our God-created diversity, and celebrates our strengths as well as our weaknesses, which are important to embrace.
Session 3 l(Nov 15th) looks at ways honoring gifts and stepping into a gifts economy makes us the right size and shape for who we were created to be and for making communities run smoothly.
Session 4 (Nov 22nd) asks how we might apply these concepts in our daily lives.

Our current available meetings:

· Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am

· Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm

· Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am

· Men’s book group (John Woolman’s Journal)

· Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading

· Men’s book club

· Serenity Now

· Women’s book club

· Men’s Threshing Together

· Seeking Friends book class

· Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class

· 2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class

· Youth Group

How to Vote Green! This recent email blast from the Carmel Green Initiative (www.carmelgreen.org) is filled with useful information—from how to “Vote Green” to tips on planting trees! View the email blast here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DZnJe2APF2lkqul4okSzvGbpzH6_0CX/view?usp=sharing

Queries for the Week

(From self-led guide)

If you have a relationship with indigenous people, is it all that it could be? What would help to strengthen it?
If you don’t have a relationship with indigenous people, where might you begin to develop such a relationship?

Comment

Friend to Friend October 14, 2020

October 15, 2020

As Way Opens

I went on an individual spiritual retreat at Fatima Retreat Center for a few days last week. It was a glorious couple of days. The weather was perfect and the trees at Fatima were in splendid color (if you haven’t been to Fatima and seen their grounds and trails it is something everyone should do). I knew I needed this time to slow down, spend time reading (I finished Richard Rohr’s book The Universal Christ) walk the labyrinth, engage in prayer and meditation and listen for what Christ was saying to me. When I got there on Thursday, I walked the trail but did so slowly to observe and see things I normally miss. I will never forget our women’s retreat many years ago at Fatima where Norma Wallman took us on a wildflower walk. I saw so many flowers that spring that I had walked on past without ever noticing. Last week I noticed so many things on the trail. While examining a fall flower I heard something in front of me and there face to face with me were two huge deer. I think we both scared each other to death. But then I thought, isn’t that life. We just don’t know what is ahead of us and we can all act in fear of each other.

God had a lot of things to say to me on this retreat. I have been spending far too much time on my tv, my phone, my computer and not moving around enough (so much time on zoom sitting in my office chair). I need to spend more time in meditation and prayer each day. I need to move my body more. And I need to be focused less on doing and more on being.

The Universal Christ book spoke to me in a lot of ways. I have been losing sight of the idea that I am meeting Christ in every person; those I love, those I disdain, those that I make judgements about, those that look undesirable. Each person that I see I am seeing Christ. It really gives a different perspective to my feelings and judgments when I think this way.

I love this picture of the tree that has a broken limb. That broken limb seems to be hanging by a thread. But this broken limb has not stopped the tree from being a magnificent spread of color that I wake up to every morning and fills my room with reflections of orange and red.

I pray we may all adjust our vision to see the small things that we miss in our hurriedness and this mystery of Christ in all, even those things that are broken.

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Joys & Concerns

Thank You So Much! To our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers, we THANK YOU for continuing to offer support to those in need during these trying times! A great group of First Friends volunteers showed up to help at the food pantry last Wednesday: Christie M; Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Phil G; David B; Terry T; Tony M; Melanie, Virginia and Derek S; and Carol and Jim D. We kept busy serving 87 families.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Help out First Friends this election! As you may know, First Friends will be a polling location this upcoming election, November 3rd. We are looking for volunteers to help us in the meetinghouse that day. If you are able to help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

• Wednesday 10/14

• Thursday 10/29

• Wednesday 11/11

• No meeting during Thanksgiving week.

• Wednesday 12/2

Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org and you will be sent a Zoom link. Regular and sporadic attenders are welcome.

All are invited to Sugar Grove Meetinghouse in Plainfield for Unprogrammed Meeting for Worship on Sunday, October 18 at 2 PM. At a ZOOM Conversation last week on Sugar Grove (Conservative) Meetinghouse, the hope was expressed by several participants that this meetinghouse be used more frequently, particularly for worship. A handful of Friends have received HEARTY approval from the WYM Property Trustees to have an unprogrammed (in the manner of Conservative Friends) Meeting for Worship at Sugar Grove Meetinghouse on Sunday, October 18 at 2 PM. All Friends are welcome.

Please note the following if you plan to attend:

1) There are NO functioning restroom facilities or utilities at Sugar Grove Meetinghouse.

2) Please heed this friendly reminder to enter the Meeting for Worship in silence.

3) Friends need to plan to wear masks and physically distance at least six feet away from your non-household members.

4) You may want to bring a seat cushion and wear an extra layer of clothing.

The meetinghouse is located North of the roundabout at Hadley Rd (E CR 600 S) and Sugar Grove Rd. We hope you will join us.

Woods Update: On Sunday afternoon, a group of volunteers met to continue restoration work in the Woods. In the spring, we had Cardno, an ecological restoration company, treat large areas of the woods for two significant invasive plants, euonymus and amur honeysuckle. https://indiananativeplants.org/invasive-plants/. These invasives create dense shade and groundcover over the forest floor crowding out native plants that feed our native birds and insects. Cardno prepared a seed mix for our Woods that has a combination of sedges, grasses and forbs (flowering wildflowers) that thrive in the understory.

The team cleared out newly fallen leaves and remnants of euonymus patches (some vigorous pulling was required and filled 3 large garbage bags) and then sowed two areas with this specialized mix. Native plants need certain conditions to germinate. Many require freeze and thaw to allow them to emerge in the spring. The areas are marked off with caution tape to protect the planting.

Our team included the Mighty Mindy S, Amy P, Brad J, Deb G, Phil G, Terry T, Dan M, Dave B and Mary B. Trustee Phil got an inside look for some of the work required to maintain an urban wood lot. Brad used his trusty weedwhacker to tame uninvited weeds and Terry continues her artistic endeavor of a blue palette of natives near the dry bridge.

We hope to continue to clear areas and restore more of the native landscape. If you’d like to lend a hand, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Don't you miss the First Friends Friday Night Sing-Along? Jim and Jesse are putting the final touches on a video which will premiere Friday, October 23, 7pm. More details to come. We'll have the link for you in next week's Friend to Friend.

A New Issue of the Stamping Newsletter Is Available! The Right Sharing of World Resources Stamping team here at First Friends has released a new issue of their newsletter, Stamping for Dollars. To view the newsletter, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-BuYdNjGQBJrETOYFC782SiScyQ5LJvS/view?usp=sharing

Right-Sharing of World Resources Sponsored Project Update - Keyo Friends Women Group ~ First Friends sponsored a RSWR project in Kenya in honor of Ann Panah. Here is a story about one of the beneficiaries of the RSWR grant to the Keyo Friends Women Group.

Name: Phanice Kenyorwa

Age: 69 years

Group: Keyo Friends Women Group

Status: Married, with 8 children, 4 of them are still at home. She is also helping to raise 6 grandchildren. Phanice has a husband who is older and cannot work. He used to work as a butcher, but he became diabetic and can’t work anymore.

Phanice ventured into goat rearing and selling with her RSWR loan because there is high demand for goat meat at the butchery where her husband once worked, so she has a ready market for the goats. In addition, she does some farming, growing and selling indigenous vegetables. She is helped in her business by her children who graze the goats for her. Besides feeding the many members of her family, the business has helped Phanice to renovate their house which was leaking.

Harvest Festival! All Meeting Invitation for a “3-D Celebration” Outside! ~ The Community Garden is having a work day/play day celebration of the harvest on Sunday, October 25 at 11:30 a.m. We will have live music, courtesy of Jim Kartholl and Jesse Snyder-Ehrich. We will be together in-person outdoors, socially-distanced. Each person should bring a mask to wear to protect others when not socially-distanced and to protect Friends from unintended sneezes and coughs that cause droplets and aerosols to travel further than six feet. We will gather in the garden area north of the Meetinghouse.

We are all taxed to the limit by the Covid crisis and the idea of the Festival is to be together safely. Bring: mask, bagged food and service for yourself, a chair, and garden tools if you plan to help close down the garden for the season. Some extra chairs will be provided for those who cannot readily supply their own. You are not required to help in the garden and your presence will bless us whether you join in the work or just relax.

Rain date is Sunday, November 1 at 11:30. Daylight saving time ends and we will fall back an hour so be aware of the change.

Come and join us so we can thrive and enjoy one another beyond the world of Zoom.

~ Sam and Nancy

We will explore the gift economy of the Body of Christ and why it matters for us to gain understanding of it. We will also examine specific spiritual gifts and how they work together in a community.

Session 1 (Nov 1st) will examine the two realities we all inhabit: the Body of Christ and the world or the Kingdom (Kin-dom) of God and empire. We’ll be learning to look for Kingdom of Heaven already within and among us.
Session 2 (Nov 8th) explores the nature of a gifts economy, our God-created diversity, and celebrates our strengths as well as our weaknesses, which are important to embrace.
Session 3 l(Nov 15th) looks at ways honoring gifts and stepping into a gifts economy makes us the right size and shape for who we were created to be and for making communities run smoothly.
Session 4 (Nov 22nd) asks how we might apply these concepts in our daily lives.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Our college students this year are Ellie A, Ally H, Sam H, Eli S, Chelsea T, and Kendal T. If you’d like to participate, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org, and we’ll give you the mailing address of a student so you can send your support. Please consider connecting with our students this year!

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances. If you have items that are heavy and you need assistance to move them, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and we can arrange to have the items picked up. For more information, view the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6uaIgilMNlIk8Hw9URMPgNHcNE8_1BE/view?usp=sharing

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for October:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Sharing the Table

Recently Naomi and I have started thinking about the possibility of celebrating Thanksgiving this year with our normal gatherings of family and friends in which we “share the table.” It may look much different!

Of the seven species of woodpeckers that appear in Indiana each year, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the one true migrant. Nesting up north in Michigan and Canada, this bird passes through the Meditational Woods on its way southward. Unlike most other migrant bird species, the southern journey may end right here. Central Indiana is the northern edge of its wintering grounds, and so the bird can be expected in September and October, and again in March and April heading northward, BUT could be in our woods all winter long!

The unusual name comes from the bird’s habit of drilling parallel rows of holes in sap-bearing trees in order to drink. The sapsucker may extend the holes to form large patches in which the sugar water pools attract a myriad of “guests”: ants, beetles, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. During our first months of marriage, my wife and I worked at a camp in Connecticut, and I got to watch this feasting unfold at a black cherry tree. Each day, hummingbirds would come and insert their bills into the holes for the sweet liquid. By the way, both sapsuckers and hummingbirds will eat the ants and beetles that dally too long at the table. It is not likely that we will see this feeding behavior in our woods here at First Friends, as it is confined mostly to the nesting grounds.

Yellow-bellieds can always be recognized by the large white vertical wing bar. The genders are identical except for the red throat in the males, which is white in females. Immatures lack much of the red and black, but still have the white patch on the wing, and are much more spotted with grayish brown.

I have seen Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers here at our woods in late March, mid-October, and early December. ~Brad J

What Will You be Doing on Election Day? ~ One of the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic in an election year is that elections officials foresee a shortage of poll workers. Typically, the majority of poll workers are over the age of 61, and over a quarter of them are over 70. Because they are the most susceptible to the virus, many of these seniors have indicated they will not work the polls this November.

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

Did you know that in Indiana, high school students as young as 16-18 can serve as poll workers? And that Indiana law treats this service as an excused absence from school? Requirements vary depending on what county you live in, but the non-partisan WorkElections project has gathered all the information you need to apply, wherever you live (https://www.workelections.com/). For all ages, if you want to be a poll worker, some training is required and (unless you're in high school) you must be a registered voter in your county of residence to work at one of its polling places. See the WorkElections website for specific county-by-county requirements.

At a pivotal moment in American history, when many of our most pressing problems can seem insurmountable and it's hard to know just how to help, you can act. You can enable others to perform one of the most sacred of civic duties: voting on Election Day. By serving as a poll worker, you will be doing something non-partisan, a matter of civics, not politics. And in the 2020 Elections, you can claim to have helped your neighbor--and defended democracy.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Our current available meetings:

· Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am

· Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm

· Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am

· Men’s book group (John Woolman’s Journal)

· Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading

· Men’s book club

· Serenity Now

· Women’s book club

· Men’s Threshing Together

· Seeking Friends book class

· Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class

· 2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class

· Youth Group

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

1. Where instead of embracing love, have I let go of love during these difficult days?

2. Am I feeling lonely and not deeply connected to myself, my relationships, and my community? How might I seek deeper connections?

3. When this week will I take time to explore and observe the Love Christ has for me, and transform it into love for my neighbors?

(From self-led guide)

1. During these difficult times am I practicing stress or peace more regularly? What can I do to focus more on peace?

2. How is the stress of the world draining my spirit, distracting my mind, and preventing me from focusing on what is important? What might I need to begin doing this week, to help me be less stressed?

3. How can I apply 1 John 2:17 to my life this week? (Consider reading each day this week from a different translation).

Comment

Friend to Friend October 7, 2020

October 8, 2020

As Way Opens

For some of you, if I asked you where you were the day President Kennedy was shot, you would have a very specific answer. It probably has been burned into your memory. For some, I have even heard how a song on the radio or a smell in the air takes one back to that very moment. Actually, I can relate.

For me it was not the assassination of President Kennedy, but rather the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster on January 28, 1986. This has all come back into focus for me as I have been watching the Netflix docu-series, Challenger: The Final Flight.

In 1986, I was in 7th grade at Central Lutheran School in New Haven Indiana. The day of the disaster, my social studies teacher, Mr. Mollering had asked me and my friend Chris, to go make sure Mrs. Holly, our librarian, was recording the Challenger launch for us to watch at a special assembly planned later in the day.

Chris and I were always doing fun projects for our teachers, and both of us were excited about NASA and space exploration. Mrs. Holly, Chris and I were standing in the library reading nook where the TV and VHS recorder were located. We were excited about watching the first teacher travel into space. Knowing our excitement, Mrs. Holly decided to give us passes and allowed us to watch the launch with her in the Library. I can still remember us cheering as the Challenger cleared the tower and began its journey into space.

That was when everything went wrong. We heard the NASA technician say those two horrific words – major malfunction. Chris and I stood staring at the TV, not a word came out of our mouths. Mrs. Holly immediately burst into tears and she drew us into a big hug. I still can smell her perfume. Holding each other we just stared at the TV in utter dismay. Mrs. Holly gained her composure and went over and turned off the T.V. and recording and took out the VHS tape. She then asked us to accompany her to the principal’s office.

Only Mrs. Holly, Chris and I were aware of what had happened, because the entire school was going to watch the historic launch during a special assembly at the end of the day. Holding the tape in hand, we followed Mrs. Holly into Principal Richert’s office. He was always happy to see us, but immediately could see that something was wrong. He moved swiftly across his office to close the door behind us and ask us if we were alright. Again, Mrs. Holly began to cry. Chris and I burst out saying, “The Space Shuttle blew up.”

Today, I think things would be handled much differently, but we were allowed to go back to our room that day and share the news with our teacher and friends. A few moments after returning to our room, the principal announced the sad news over the PA system, said a prayer and asked us to take a moment of silence. I remember two 8th graders who were in charge of lowering the flag at the end of the day heading out to bring it to half-staff. To that 12-year-old me, it seemed like months before the world came back to center.

Now, I know as the pandemic began many were talking about the graduating class being born around 9/11 and graduating in a pandemic. I also know many who remember other momentous days in history as if they were yesterday and use them as life markers. Yet, lately it seems the world is in such chaos, nothing seems out of the ordinary or worthy of our pause – or maybe we simply do not take the time to pause because we expect tomorrow to bring another headline, another death, another atrocity for us to process. It seems they are coming quite rapidly in 2020.

I have been thinking a lot lately about what my boys will remember and the significance of these days. What will they tell their children? How will they frame the story? What lasting impact will they carry with them from 2020?

Also, I am starting to realize that the year 2020 is having a very similar toll to that of President Kennedy being shot or the Challenger disaster. But it is not just one event, rather a culmination of many tragedies coming to fruition all at once. We are all being changed in this time. We all will remember, tell stories, and grieve these days for years to come.

So, as we Quakers do, I want us to take good minutes of this time, even write eloquent memorials in our diaries and journals. I want us think about what we are learning and the changes taking place, and how we are growing and evolving into better human beings. As the scriptures say,

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

I have a feeling we are going to be fine - actually better. Let’s persevere TOGETHER through all that 2020 will bring.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Joys & Concerns

Congratulations to Tim Y! Tim retired on September 15th from the Forum. We wish him congratulations for a lifetime of serving our elder population.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

How to Put Your Garden to Bed for the Winter

In the last garden article I suggested crops gardeners can plant for cold weather. The void left by pulled crops can be filled with quick-growing microgreens and salad leaves that thrive in colder temperatures. Focus watering chores on plants still maturing like greens and squash. Cut winter squashes before the first frost and let their skins harden by putting them in a sunny place. Beans produce until the first frost if picked continually. Leave potatoes above ground to dry for a few hours before storing. Store surplus root crops in a frost-free shed or garage. Stop watering tomatoes to encourage ripening of fruit. Harvest and then dry herbs. Harvest Swiss chard throughout the winter.

For those gardeners ready to shut down their plots for the winter, including our Community Gardeners, here are some suggestions. For your benefit, follow these steps before the weather is miserable and the ground is hard and difficult to dig.

1. Dig up roots of spent plants. Compost them if you have planned for it and if they are disease-free. Extinguish weeds by uprooting and throwing them out before they go to seed. You will thank yourself for your vigilance when spring arrives and your plot is not completely overwhelmed with weeds. By disposing of spent crops you may have less disease, fungi and bug pests in the spring. Community Gardeners may place waste in the dumpster to the east of the garage or in the pile of brush to the north of the garage. If crops were healthy you may prefer to chop them into small pieces to aid decomposition. Dig them into your plot as fertilizer unless you believe your plot needs to be rotated for next year’s crops and you need to replace nutrients depleted by this year’s specific crops. In rotating crops you may consider a rotation of fruiting crops following leafy crops, leafy crops replacing root crops and root crops going into former fruiting crops beds. This helps in replenishing soil nutrients and suppressing disease.

2. A fine way to refurbish the soil is to plant cover crops. They look good, keep weeds down and enhance the soil. They do not blow away and are less work. Clover, buckwheat, oats and rye are good cover crops. When killing frosts are just a few weeks away, the best cover crops are oats and rye. You may undersow cover crops around unharvested veggies. Sow seeds on soil surface around crops to form living mulch that suppresses weeds, buffers the soil from temperature and moisture extremes and helps plants such as tomatoes avoid cracking and blossom-end rot. Earthworms and helpful soil organisms will benefit. Time the cover crops so they do not compete with crops you are just sowing. If you planted cover crops ahead of planting crop seeds, turn cover crops under at least two weeks before you expect to plant veggies. FYI, the Indianapolis Public Library has seed libraries which sometimes supply cover crop seeds. The last two years they have had oats.

Another method to replenish your soil is to dig in fertilizer. Fertilizer can include disease-free crops you have chopped up for easier breakdown, organic commercial mixes or dead autumn leaves. Smooth out the soil so you don’t have big holes. If you use compost, turn the contents a couple times in the fall and move it from the edges to the center of your plot. You may want to put down weed-block fabric and stake it or weigh it down with rocks or bricks. It does disintegrate eventually. You may prefer plastic although it is not environmentally friendly and may disintegrate into messy pieces that blow everywhere or embed into your crop soil. (Plastic can be used to heat up the soil and retire a bed for a season, during hot temperatures, to sterilize soil and kill nematodes, their eggs and pathogens.) You can use cardboard, newspaper and carpet to retard weeds, but they should be weighted down. Carpet may become a moldy mess. Newspaper may blow everywhere. Cardboard will come apart eventually but is easier to clean up than newspaper. You can obtain it from boxes and cartons at grocery and appliance stores. If you use these materials, be sure to mulch over them with organic, commercial mulch or other types of organic mulch or weighted fabric that will not blow away. Remove remnants when spring arrives.

If you prefer to leave the soil bare, after cleaning up your plot, frost can penetrate and expose pests.

3. You may want to put down new soil, depending on steps you took above. Applying additional soil is a standard step for springtime but it can be done in the fall instead or at the close and opening of the planting season. Organic raised bed soil can be purchased. It may contain poultry meal, kelp meal and worm castings. Commercially produced mixes are already pH balanced for growing vegetables in a raised bed. It has large granules, drains easily and provides adequate airflow for roots. Raised bed soil does “shrink” each season since beneficial soil microbes consume earth to create nutrients for garden crops.

Remember, healthy soil is a key consideration in creating a healthier organic garden. Taking these steps now will make you breathe a sigh of relief in spring when you compare your plot to others that did not receive TLC in the fall. You will have fewer weeds. Furthermore, by working in your garden you will benefit from fresh air, sunshine and exercise. You will provide your own body with more microscopic biodiversity that helps to improve your health!

Sources used include kellogggarden.com, Find-It-Fast Answers for Your Vegetable Garden by Fern Marshall Bradley and Small Plot; Big Harvest by Lucy Halsall.

~Nancy

Help out First Friends this election! As you may know, First Friends will be a polling location this upcoming election, November 3rd. We are looking for volunteers to help us in the meetinghouse that day. If you are able to help, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for October:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Sharing the Table

Recently Naomi and I have started thinking about possibility of celebrating Thanksgiving this year with our normal gatherings of family and friends in which we “share the table.” It may look much different!

I have seen Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers here at our woods in late March, mid-October, and early December. ~Brad J

CORRECTION: Serenity Now! In an earlier newsletter issue, the small group Serenity Now was inaccurately described. Please see below for more information about this group.

SERENITY NOW is a book-based discussion group supporting healthy relationships and communication through self-awareness and an understanding of how personal history influences present relationships. It meets the third Thursday of each month and is still welcoming new members. The next meeting will be Thursday , October 15, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Friends Meditational Woods, weather permitting. The group is reading Trust: Mastering the Four Essential Trusts by Iyanla Vanzant. The October meeting will focus on Part 2, Trust in God:Ch. 5 Villa NovaCh. 6 God and GravityCh. 7 Building a relationship with God. For questions, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

A Public Announcement from Member Terry T, Retired Physician: Please Get Your Flu (Influenza) Shot Now ~ Per the CDC today at CDC.gov: “Everyone 6 months and older should receive ‘a yearly flu vaccine’” Unless your doctor has diagnosed a moderate-to-severe recent illness (then get flu shot when better) or a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

If you have questions, discuss with your doctor or read online cdc.gov or discuss with me. We still have 30,000 to 60,000 Americans die a year from influenza. If we have less flu patients sick and on ventilators the medical community can give more time and ventilators to Covid-19 patients. In over 30 years my practice gave at least 240,000 flu shots with no “major” problems but probably saw at least a hundred flu deaths.

Also keep up to date on all your other recommended vaccinations or check with your physician or a reliable medical source or me. All the CDC recommended vaccinations are safer and less costly than the diseases they cover. In college a friend died from Meningitis, my practice lost a mother to chicken pox and probably well over a hundred pneumonia deaths. As a child I knew 3 people with polio and in medical school I saw a rabies patient (not pretty). In Kenya in 2008 they had just lost a lot of children to measles and this year Syria has dealt with diphtheria. In May the WHO was worried that the world was behind on 80 million children’s vaccinations and this has grown. It is good that we are not traveling much because the world and the USA is losing its “herd immunity.” Please keep up on your preventative care visits and immunizations as you can. ~Sincerely, Teresa T, MD

FUM Job Available: Coordinator of Global Ministries ~ Friends United Meeting (Richmond) seeks a full-time, highly organized person to join our staff team as the Coordinator of Global Ministries. The Coordinator of Global Ministries will be an active member of the Global Ministries Team. This person will provide administrative support for FUM’s field-staff and global ministry partners by coordinating schedules, communications, financial activities, and overseeing assigned programs. For more information and to apply, please see the full job posting here: https://www.friendsunitedmeeting.org/news/global-ministries-coordinator

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances. If you have items that are heavy and you need assistance to move them, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and we can arrange to have the items picked up. For more information, view the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6uaIgilMNlIk8Hw9URMPgNHcNE8_1BE/view?usp=sharing

Please Continue to Send in Your Stamps! The Right Sharing of World Resources stamp program continues during the pandemic. Please save used stamps and bring or mail them to the meetinghouse. Proceeds from the sale of these stamps benefit RSWR, which helps women and their communities in Africa and India. Also, ff you know someone who will be traveling out of country, ask them to pick up some foreign stamps if convenient, and bring them to you or send them to First Friends. As always, save your own used stamps!

Silent Meetings for Worship on Zoom!

We will be gathering for Meeting for Silent Worship at 9 am every Sunday
Join us for Meditation every Monday at 11:15 am
Wednesday Unprogrammed Worship meets every Wednesday at 7 pm.

Courtyard Friends: Weather permitting, join us as we meet in person simultaneously with our Zoom Friends on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays in the courtyard (6 feet away) at the Meeting House. Wear a mask, bring a chair, and a tablet or phone if you’d like to personally sign onto the Zoom link from the courtyard. Restrooms are available.

Kent F Invites You to a New Small Group! Several months ago, Bob Henry, Beth Henricks and I were talking about the possibility of a small group for Quakers interested in two things. First was to learn more about the Quaker spirituality and traditions. Second was to develop a little group of Friends who could share their lives and insights.

Bob and Beth suggested John Woolman’s Journal. Frankly, I had never heard of it. However once I started looking into John Woolman and his Journal, it seemed to be the perfect first book. His Journal lays out his spiritual development and how he practiced it in North America between about 1740 and his death in 1772. In addition to his spiritual development, Woolman was active as an abolitionist during the years before the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The question of slavery was not something that was of interest only in the South. Slaves were a fact throughout all of the original colonies, and they remained a very contentious topic in the development of the Declaration and the Constitution.

I want to invite you to join this group at the Meeting House for this first book. We’ll meet four times, 7:00pm, alternating Mondays starting October 12 and continuing on October 26, November 9 and 23. We’ll cover about thirty pages each time.

About eighteen months ago we started a Men’s Book Group that has met regularly on alternate Thursdays come rain, shine, snow or Covid. The format is that books are suggested by members. Everybody comes prepared. We model our Quaker belief that everybody shares. My thought is that this new group will follow the same approach.

If you’re interested in more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. The group will be limited to eight — seven plus me.

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Our current available meetings:

· Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am

· Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm

· Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am

· Men’s book group (John Woolman’s Journal)

· Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading

· Men’s book club

· Serenity Now

· Women’s book club

· Men’s Threshing Together

· Seeking Friends book class

· Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class

· 2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class

· Youth Group

Queries for the Week

(From self-led guide)

1. What does it mean for me to be a Quaker, today?

2. Where am I working to share my “Light” in the world?

3. Who helps to sustain the joy of the creative spirit in me?

Comment

Friend to Friend September 30, 2020

October 1, 2020

As Way Opens

This past weekend I drove out to Fountaintown (east of New Palestine) to deliver a Sunday School resource box to one of our kids. It was a beautiful fall day and I passed an enormous field of soybeans glistening a golden yellow hue blowing in a gentle fall breeze. On the other side of State Road 52 was a large field of corn stalks ready to harvest. In the backdrop was a train heading east and I was reminded that even within our turmoil, fear and uncertainty of these times, the soybeans turn golden, the corn is ready for harvest, the trees are beginning to change their color. While there is much that is changing in our lives, there is much in our world that continues on in the cycle of life and I was comforted to feel this sense of timelessness. I know in my heart that God is not changing and I am reminded of the Psalmist writing in uncertain times a long time ago in Psalm 65:9-13 “Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join in the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods with rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit. Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, all through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh let them sing!”

Many of you will remember my husband Jerry Henricks who passed away 4 and a half years ago. He was a photographer and a creator of posters. This was one of my favorites as he showed the beauty of Indiana calling our beloved state Oceanview Indiana. Of course there is no actual place called Oceanview and we have no ocean but the idea was to reflect on the beauty, the majesty and the spiritual nature of our Indiana land. He sold a lot of these posters to Hoosiers including our deceased Governor Frank O’Bannon. I think many of us understand the idea that nature brings us calm, a peace of mind and brings us to a magical place. This is where God lives.

I pray that we may all honor and embrace the beauty and changing nature before our eyes. Yet God is unchanging, our rock and our steadfast companion in each of our journeys. May we embrace our responsibilities to ensure our natural cycle of life will continue and thrive.

On a clear day you can see forever in Indiana!

Grace and peace,

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

WYM and FUM 2020 Mission Projects: Each year Western Yearly Meeting (“WYM”) and Friends United Meeting (“FUM”) designate mission projects for us to consider and help. WYM is a Quaker organization of which First Friends is a member and consists of approximately 32 monthly meetings located in Indiana and Illinois. FUM is a Quaker international organization based in Richmond, Indiana and consists of a number of yearly meetings around the world. These mission projects are the primary way that folks at First Friends can assist Quakers in parts of the world that can use our help.

The WYM project for 2020 is for the benefit of the Belize Friends School. The school needs financial assistance for its operating expenses and the WYM goal is to raise $15,000. You might recall that in 2017 WYM also designated Belize as its project but monies raised at that time were designated for re-locating the school and expanded ministries including community services and the starting of a Friends meeting. Many of you knew Dale Graves, a member of Mooresville’s West Newton Friends, who poured his heart and soul into the Belize school and surrounding area and was the driving force that enabled the Belize school and Friends meeting to become what it is today. While Dale is no longer with us, there is no doubt that Dale would be very proud of the ongoing efforts to improve the Belize school and Belize Friends meeting.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

CORRECTION: Serenity Now! In an earlier newsletter issue, the small group Serenity Now was inaccurately described. Please see below for more information about this group.

SERENITY NOW is a book-based discussion group supporting healthy relationships and communication through self-awareness and an understanding of how personal history influences present relationships. It meets the third Thursday of each month and is still welcoming new members. The next meeting will be Thursday , October 15, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Friends Meditational Woods, weather permitting. Please RSVP to the office at office@indyfriends.org, for any weather-related updates. The group is reading Trust: Mastering the Four Essential Trusts by Iyanla Vanzant. The October meeting will focus on Part 2, Trust in God:
Ch. 5 Villa Nova
Ch. 6 God and Gravity
Ch. 7 Building a relationship with God
For questions, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Our college students this year are Ellie Arle, Ally Haymaker, Sam Henry, Eli Sample, Chelsea Tinsley, and Kendal Tinsley. If you’d like to participate, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org, and we’ll give you the mailing address of a student so you can send your support. Please consider connecting with our students this year!

Also, if you know someone who will be traveling out of country, ask them to pick up some foreign stamps if convenient, and bring them to you or send them to First Friends.

As always, save your own used stamps!

Recycling Event! The Shalom Zone plans to have its yearly recycling event with Recycle Force on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. If an item runs (or used to run) with a plug or a battery you can recycle it! This year it will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 6450 Allisonville Rd. A $20 donation is required for televisions and appliances containing Freon (fridges, freezers, ac units and dehumidifiers). Other monetary contributions are greatly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to clean out your basement, garage, closets, attic and responsibly recycle unwanted electronics and appliances. If you have items that are heavy and you need assistance to move them, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org and we can arrange to have the items picked up. For more information, view the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6uaIgilMNlIk8Hw9URMPgNHcNE8_1BE/view?usp=sharing

The Maple Seeds Preschool Co-op (MSPC) is starting back up!! Classes will return to the Meetinghouse and are going to be meeting outside starting October 12, at one class per day. They will use the building for bathroom and emergency only. We are looking forward to having the kids back!

~Sincerely, Teresa T, MD

Sunday School Classes Now Available! Sunday School has kicked off and will be happening each Sunday on Zoom. Please join us for these offerings!

Sunday School class (younger kids) – Sundays at 9:00am
Sunday School class (older kids) – Sundays at 12:00pm
Seeking Friends – Sundays at 9:00am
Unprogrammed Worship – Sundays at 9:00am

Please give me a call if you want to discuss. If you want to join us, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org. The group will be limited to eight — seven plus me.

Voting Update~ Remember that the last day to register to vote is October 5. Please check your registration today https://indianavoters.in.gov. Don’t miss your opportunity to re-register if you were purged from the rolls.

INDIANA GENERAL ELECTION - November 3, 2020

Deadline to Request an Absentee-By-Mail Ballot by Mail, Fax, Email Or In-Person: Application Received by Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:59PM

In-Person Absentee Voting (Early Voting): Tue Oct 6, 2020 - Mon Nov 2, 2020 12:00PM

Deadline to Return Completed Absentee-By-Mail Ballot: Ballot Received by Tue Nov 3, 2020 12:00PM

Polls Open for In-Person Voting: Tue Nov 3, 2020 6:00AM - 6:00PM

Several volunteer organizations have been helping people get information and assistance to access the vote. Several members of our Meeting have been helping get accurate information to the community: Jan Hise, Barbara Oberreich, Brenda Rodeheffer and Mary Blackburn have been working with VoteRiders.org, VotebyMail, IndianaCitizen, or Indy Community Yoga Voter Squad and there are sure to be more members working quietly to help strengthen democracy in our area.

One story from this week: The Marion County Election Board is staffed to handle the “normal” election season. They have 10 fulltime staff who prepare for elections that usually involve recruiting poll workers and seasonal staff to manage the polling station logistics. In a pandemic with reduced number of traditional poll workers available, they have had to pivot by limiting polling stations. Normally they receive about 10,000 absentee ballot requests during an election. Now they are anticipating over 150,000 absentee ballots. That load involves printing ballots, instructional information, a postage paid secure ballot envelope and a postage paid mailing envelope. Everything must be sorted, placed in envelopes and voter registration checked, before the ballots can be sent out. Quite a logistical nightmare for a team that has to perform this new process in the short time between the conventions and final candidates being selected by all parties.

A volunteer group of citizens is assisting with absentee ballot preparations. Brenda Rodeheffer and Mary Blackburn have signed up to help.

1. If you are a registered voter in Marion County you can help the Marion County Election Service Center (MCESC) do this important work.

2. MCESC ONBOARDING - You must be officially onboarded by HR at the Service Center before you can do any work. This will entail a brief intro, education and signing a confidentiality agreement. This will be done on specific days by MCESC HR personnel The Center HR head has provided the following Onboarding sessions:

a. SIGN UP FOR ONBOARDING - https://signup.com/go/qKoyZnn Select one of the dates below and you will see ONBOARDING slot.

b. September 30th – 2pm- Onboarding Session

3. Sign-Up for work shifts – Please sign up for any and all shifts you can commit to. I have set up the schedule through Nov. 6th (there will be ballot processing and vote counting in the days after the election.

a. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN ONBOARDED – we really need your help this week! Please sign up for as many slots as you can. We won’t have another wave of volunteers until late in the week

b. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ONBOARDED – Please sign up for shifts that are AFTER your scheduled on-boarding date – see above.

4. ALL VOLUNTEERS – must wear mask – must wear closed-toe shoes

NOTE: Please bear with us – we will have growing pains, we will have process challenges, we will have down time – know we are all dedicated to the same goals of ensuring every Marion County Voter that requests an absentee ballot receives one in time AND every absentee ballot cast gets counted!

Gardeners Meet the New Season

The zinnias are numerous and colorful in our garden. They are ushering us into fall with much ado about everything. People are welcome to pick zinnias from the Hope plot, marked by a stone marked “Hope” in front of it, and in the food pantry plot to the west of it.

Gardeners are gathering the last of the summer harvest and uprooting plants that are no longer productive. There are frost warnings for this week so now is a good time to clear the beds before the weather is miserable to work in and the ground becomes too hard. Some gardeners have cleared their plots and planted cold weather crops. There are many to pick from including cauliflower, brassica, spinach, cabbage, arugula, kohlrabi, collard, carrot, broccoli, turnip, beetroot, lettuce, Brussels sprout, radish, chard, potato, garlic, mustard, pea, onion, potato, fennel, leek and beetroot. The soil needs to be warm enough so they can establish roots and some growth before the cold weather arrives.

Those not planting fall plots are fertilizing to replenish nutrients. A natural method is to dig dead leaves into the soil. The reason we clear our plots is so they will be easier to plant in the spring and have fewer weeds. Also, the rotted plants will be out of the way and will not spread disease and bug eggs they may have harbored. This is especially thoughtful if a gardener may not use the same plot next year so a new gardener will have an easier job.

Thanks to all the gardeners for their attention to their plots and for all of those who have helped us have a successful season!

~Nancy and Sam

Jeff Rasley’s New Book: Now in Audio Too! Jeff Rasley’s book, Anarchist, Republican... Assassin: a political novel is available now via paperback or audiobook! A small-town football player, Jack Blair, gets radicalized and joins an anarchist cell. Jack transforms his life and becomes a pillar of the Republican establishment in Indianapolis. His family lives a wonderfully privileged life, but this perfect life is seemingly lost when Jack's anarchist past resurfaces in a psychotic episode during the pandemic lock-down. He blames Donald Trump. A young woman ACLU attorney tries to come to the rescue with her hot-pink iPhone. If you'd like to read or listen to the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6CG72N, or to join Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B08JSZ3VMP

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

How can I nurture the seeds of peace within myself, my community, and the world?
How can I work to eliminate hatred, injustice, and both physical and institutional violence?
How can I be more open to seeking the goodness in people who act with violence and hatred?
How can I work to settle disputes within the organization and the community with love and sensitivity for all involved?
How can I increase my understanding of nonviolence and use it in all my interactions?

(From self-led guide)

What is the impact I am having in my community? What would happen if I stopped doing what I am called to do?
What fears do I need to face, so that I too can let me light shine in this world?
What am I doing that brings life and positive change to those around me?

Comment

Friend to Friend September 23, 2020

September 24, 2020

As Way Opens

Today, I put on a dead man’s pair of socks. That seems a weird or maybe irreverent way of putting it, but it is true. This morning, I woke to my usual Tuesday routine - took a shower, brushed my teeth, put on my clothes and then went and picked out a fun pair of socks that fit my mood. Now, if you have ever noticed, I have quite a collection of fun socks from Star Wars to Keith Haring designs and just about everything in between. I even have a pair of shish-kebob socks for that rare occasion (honestly, I think I have worn them once and we were not having shish-kebobs). Yet, this morning, I knew which socks I was going to grab, because as I was waking up, I had my friend, Dan Rains, on my mind.

Dan and I used to compare socks after Meeting for Worship each first day (see photo). He had a wonderful eclectic collection as well. One of his that always caught my attention was a pair of bright yellow and pick socks that never matched anything he was wearing. You could see them coming from a mile away. I remember one day, as he would often do, he stopped by my office to chat on his way to play golf. Here he was in shorts and a three-button shirt looking ready to head out on the course. But then I noticed he was wearing those brightly colored socks and it brought a smile to my face.

I would often go and sit with Dan and we would talk for hours. Whether it was while getting his chemo treatments or as he rested in his home, one of our first things to do was compare the socks we were wearing. Often, if I knew I was going to visit, I would put on a unique pair. One day, just weeks before Dan passed, I visited and he was again wearing those bright yellow and pink socks, but this time I realized what the design was on them. The socks were covered with copies of Andy Warhol’s “Cow” screen prints from 1966. Dan was unaware that they were Andy Warhol – he just thought they were brightly colored cows. As a fan of Andy Warhol’s art, I found them even more exciting and we had an even better conversation that day.

Well, after Dan passed, Susan gave me a small brown bag and said she knew how much both Dan and I shared a love for socks. When I opened the bag, there were several pairs, but right on top were those brightly colored Andy Warhol socks. Maybe Susan knew just how much those crazy socks meant to me or maybe not. All I know is that when I am feeling low, when I am feeling defeated, when I am needing a boost to my day, I seek out those socks. They empower me and remind me of good times, good conversations, and good Friend that I miss.

Thank you Dan, for brightening our day with your socks, and may we all find ways to brighten the lives of others around us in unique and joyful ways in these trying times!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Joys & Concerns

A BIG thank-you to our food pantry volunteers: Rik L, Phil G, Penny P, Christie M, David B, Carol and Jim D. Thanks to the continuing dedication of our volunteers!

Congratulations on Retirement, Brenda! After a 40-year accomplished legal career, General Counsel Brenda R is retiring from the Office of Judicial Administration. She is being thrown a retirement party and ceremony on Zoom, where the Supreme Court and staff will thank Brenda for her service. Congratulations, Brenda, on a well-deserved retirement!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Our college students this year are Ellie A, Sam H, Eli S, Chelsea T, and Kendal T. If you’d like to participate, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org, and we’ll give you the mailing address of a student so you can send your support. Please consider connecting with our students this year!

Join the Women’s Book Group! First Friends women's book group is still welcoming new members. The group is reading the Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, which explores the distinction between and unity of the historical Jesus and the ever-present and everlasting Christ described in the gospel of John. The first two chapters have led to some lively discussions of Jesus as God's avatar, a brother, as the Christ Within; the meaning of grace and salvation; and the concept of a personal God, among many other ideas. The group meets semi-monthly, but once a month attenders and those who don't have time to read the chapter are welcome. Starting in October, the group will shift its meetings to the first and third Thursdays of the month.

The next meeting is Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. For further information or to RSVP, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Free Printer Cartridge ~ Carolyn H has an Epson 78 ink cartridge pack available if anyone would like it (for free). Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Sunday School Classes Now Available! Sunday School has kicked off and will be happening each Sunday on Zoom. Please join us for these offerings!

Sunday School class (younger kids) – Sundays at 9:00am
Meeting ID: 841 2873 6740; password: 3030
Sunday School class (older kids) – Sundays at 12:00pm
Meeting ID: 850 7241 6861; password: 3030
Seeking Friends – Sundays at 9:00am
Unprogrammed Worship – Sundays at 9:00am

Illuminate: Acts ~ Curious how the book of Acts might relate to you? Then join the First Friends Zoom Bible Study on Thursday evenings at 7:30. They have just begun the Illuminate Series’ study of Acts (available here: http://www.barclaypressbookstore.com/ILLUMINATE/Illuminate-Acts.html). This series is recommended by Bob Henry. The group has a broad range of theological perspectives. Open to all regardless of religious or spiritual affiliation. Contact the office to sign up: office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Kent F Invites You to a New Small Group! Several months ago, Bob, Beth and I were talking about the possibility of a small group for Quakers interested in two things. First was to learn more about the Quaker spirituality and traditions. Second was to develop a little group of Friends who could share their lives and insights.

Please contact the office if you’re interested. The group will be limited to seven more.

Garden Poems and Inspiration as Summer Fades Into Autumn

Writing this on the last full day of summer, I have noticed a slight dread in the air as people imagine colder weather and being indoors more as COVID still clings to us. I prefer to focus of the crisp leaves of autumn and beautiful fall colors. I refer lovers of nature and gardens to look to the arts and great poets to inspire us and elevate our thoughts. I am reminded by Frost’s words, that powerful storms can be scary, but they are a passing phenomenon. I even picture his kneeling flowers bowing their heads in prayer because all of us are buffeted by difficulties in life and need to turn to friends, family, God and (surprise!) even strangers for strength and comfort. In turn, they look to us for nourishment, understanding and praise.

Lodged by Robert Frost

The rain to the wind said,

‘You push and I’ll pelt.’

They so smote the garden bed

That the flowers actually knelt,

And lay lodged—though not dead.

I know how the flowers felt.

William Blake was wary of organized religion. The poem below may suggest the Garden of Eden and the loss of it. Commandments and prohibitions can kill joy we found in the fair gardens of our childhood. A chapel that springs from the midst may or may not have been there all along. Life and love symbolized in the poem’s garden’s living beauty is replaced by death and tombstones. As I ponder the poem I think of battles within as I wrestle with changing spiritual notions as they are revealed to me throughout my spiritual journey. Right now I think of how many of us are mourning the closing of our building, but the architectural structure of our Meetinghouse is not our church; rather, it is the people. We worship in myriad ways. We meet in other places and socially distance. Also, there is a continuity that stretches from those who first brought our Meeting to life to those here now. We are their living legacy and the recipients of love passed on. We keep the Meeting alive through our words, actions prayer and love. First Friends is a living, breathing spiritual powerhouse of peace when we make it so. It is up to us. Some call Christians the Body of Christ because all of us together make the Meeting function. Parts may be sick. Parts may be healed. Parts may have different beliefs and experiences as did the blind men who described the elephant from their separate perspectives. Yet, we are all one if we are to grow and thrive. Acceptance and tolerance are necessary for a healthy body. We decide who we are, Friends.

The Garden of Love by William Blake

I went to the Garden of Love,

And saw what I never had seen:

A Chapel was built in the midst,

Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,

And Thou shalt not writ over the door;

So I turn’d to the Garden of Love,

That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves,

And tomb-stones where flowers should be:

And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,

And binding with briars, my joys and desires.

Speaking of continuity of generations, the cycle of life and the changing seasons, the next poem is written by a woman known for her gift of gardening. She saw the legacies handed on by one generation to the next. She experienced and witnessed rebirth.

New Feet Within My Garden Go by Emily Dickinson

New feet within my garden go—

New fingers stir the sod—

A Troubadour upon the Elm

Betrays the solitude.

New children play upon the green—

New Weary sleep below—

And still the pensive Spring returns—

And still the punctual snow!

The next poem gently mocks humankind for our focus on the passing of time and our own knowledge of our limited existence. Auden chides us for wasting time mourning what we haven’t yet lost or gained, chatting away existence while other creatures bask in the glory of the moment. He amuses us by wanting to preserve the lack of language in species of birds and vegetables so he can simply enjoy them luxuriating in their activity. He teases us by toying with the idea of whether we are better off because of our words and self-awareness. (Noises are ok.) He tips his hat to Frost (Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening) in the last line. We humans have responsibilities, after all.

Their Lonely Betters by W. H. Auden

As I listened from a beach-chair in the shade

To all the noises that my garden made,

It seemed to me only proper that words

Should be withheld from vegetables and birds.

A robin with no Christian name ran through

The Robin-Anthem which was all it knew,

And rustling flowers for some third party waited

To say which pairs, if any, should get mated.

Not one of them was capable of lying.

There was not one which knew that it was dying

Or could have with a rhythm or a rhyme

Assumed responsibility for time.

Let them leave language to their lonely betters

Who count some days and long for certain letters;

We, too, make noises when we laugh or weep:

Words are for those with promises to keep.

In these fitful times, let us remember to count our blessings. May we take care to use our God-given gifts. Auden’s tombstone epitaph is a worthwhile reminder to all:

In the prison of his days

Teach the free man how to praise.

~Nancy

INDIANA GENERAL ELECTION - November 3, 2020

Deadline to Request an Absentee-By-Mail Ballot by Mail, Fax, Email Or In-Person: Application Received by Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:59PM

In-Person Absentee Voting (Early Voting): Tue Oct 6, 2020 - Mon Nov 2, 2020 12:00PM

Deadline to Return Completed Absentee-By-Mail Ballot: Ballot Received by Tue Nov 3, 2020 12:00PM

Polls Open for In-Person Voting: Tue Nov 3, 2020 6:00AM - 6:00PM

A volunteer group of citizens is assisting with absentee ballot preparations. Brenda Rodeheffer and Mary Blackburn have signed up to help.

1. If you are a registered voter in Marion County you can help the Marion County Election Service Center (MCESC) do this important work.

a. SIGN UP FOR ONBOARDING - https://signup.com/go/qKoyZnn Select one of the dates below and you will see ONBOARDING slot.

b. September 30th – 2pm- Onboarding Session

a. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN ONBOARDED – we really need your help this week! Please sign up for as many slots as you can. We won’t have another wave of volunteers until late in the week

b. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ONBOARDED – Please sign up for shifts that are AFTER your scheduled on-boarding date – see above.

4. ALL VOLUNTEERS – must wear mask – must wear closed-toe shoes

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for September:
Blackburnian Warbler – A Fancy Hat

At end of August I had already selected Blackburnian Warbler to be the featured bird for September. Although I had never yet seen the species on any of my spring visits as it came through on its way up north, I did see it in late September of last year, while on its way south to winter somewhere from Panama to Venezuela. I birded the Meditational Woods several times in the past couple of weeks to try for migrating warblers, and wouldn’t you know, there it was again! A favorite tree for this species seems to be the silver maple that is just beyond the north fence near the northwest corner of the woods. Getting a good look is a challenge, as the many layers of branches and leaves provide a series of only brief glances. The bird is usually up high, searching for small caterpillars and spiders on or in the bark.

Framed in black, the bright colors of orange and yellow on the head remind me of the brightly colored hats worn to church by women on Easter and Mother’s Day in years past, though perhaps not in Quaker meetings. However, here in the bird world, it is the males who show the brightly colored garb. But by the time you read these words, this gentleman, pictured here as in spring, will have exchanged the orange for a duller yellow, and the black patterns, while still present, will be subdued. That is how I saw it last week. For those of you who like to look at bird pictures in books or on the internet, other warblers present that day were Bay-breasted Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler. ~Brad J

Silent Meetings for Worship on Zoom!

We will be gathering for Meeting for Silent Worship at 9 am every Sunday via this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86730649575?pwd=N05JZWZ1Vy9BaTh1U2ZnNkI5WHNVdz09 (Meeting ID is 867 3064 9575; password is 3030).

Join us for Meditation every Monday at 11:15 am via this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/934298999?pwd=VGoxS0hnR0syVkp6anZxU2FEZlpvdz09. (Meeting ID is 934-298-999; password is 303203)
Wednesday Unprogrammed Worship meets every Wednesday at 7 pm. Join us via this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/641511035 (Meeting ID is: 641 511 035).

What Have We Learned? How Can We Apply It? How have our nation’s recent racial and healthcare crises affected the fight to end poverty? What have they taught us about our nation and our community? And how can we use those lessons to strengthen poverty-mitigation efforts? Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) invites you to join in their Faith & Action Project Fall Event: Examining Current Crises and Poverty. Join in online as they address these and other pressing questions with national and local leaders in the drive for justice and an end to poverty.

The evening will begin with award winning journalist, documentarian, and author Soledad O’Brien in conversation with Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, dean of faculty at Christian Theological Seminary. This unique conversation will focus on Solendad’s insights on what happening in our country right now that is creating an opportunity to address poverty in a deeper way. Following this conversation, Dr. Gunning-Francis will moderate a panel of local leaders discussing Central Indiana antipoverty efforts and the barriers that must be overcome to free people trapped in poverty in our city. The event will be held Wednesday, September 30th at 12:00pm EST. If you’re interested in this event, you can register online here. For more information, visit CTS’s website at www.cts.edu.

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Voter Information for the General Election ~ Are you determined to vote in the general election this fall, but a little confused (or nervous!) about what the pandemic might mean for Indiana's election process? Vote.org is a reliable, easy to use, non-partisan voter information resource that can be used to check deadline dates, confirm your voter registration status, find out the location of your polling place, and/or apply for an absentee ballot if you want to vote by mail. Vote.org is national in scope, with links to individual states. Just follow the link to Indiana, which will lead you through the process on the IN.gov website for registering or for making an application to get an absentee ballot. There are strict time deadlines, and the volume of voting by mail this election is forecast to be very high, so it would be best to act soon! Thank you for voting this year.

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

What might I need to learn about managing my inner Light and Darkness during this spiritual autumn?
As I learn to “let go” of the things that get in the way of my relationship with God (and my neighbors), am I also looking for the buds and signs of resurrection in my life?
When I realize that things in life are not permanent – how flexible is my soul to embrace that change?

(From self-led guide)

How might I utilize the arts to enhance my spiritual journey and prayer life?
What artists speak to the condition of my soul? How might I spend time with their work(s) this week?
What might I “create” that will draw me closer to the Divine?

Comment

Friend to Friend September 16, 2020

September 21, 2020

As Way Opens

I read Richard Rohr’s daily blog from The Center of Action and Contemplation and I was particularly moved by one of his posts this week. It spoke to my condition as we face fires, hurricanes, divisions, loneliness, unrest on the streets and deaths. I share the entire post with all of you as we navigate during these difficult times. Remember there are no dead ends.

"The genius of Jesus’ ministry is that he embraces tragedy, suffering, pain, betrayal, and death itself to bring us to God. There are no dead ends. Everything can be transmuted, and everything can be used. Everything.

It seems that everybody wants to take easy sides. It’s so consoling for the ego to have an answer; to be sure that my position is the final and only true answer. Yet, as Paul says, on the cross Jesus becomes the sin and the problem. He identifies with the wound, the pain, and the suffering (2 Corinthians 5:21). He does not stand apart from it but enters into it. What a paradox, what a mystery!

Jesus tells Peter, “Peter, you must be sifted like wheat. And once you have recovered, then you, in your turn, can strengthen your companions” (Luke 22:31–32). Until there has been a journey through suffering, I don’t believe that we have true healing authority. We don’t have the ability to lead anybody anyplace new unless we have walked it ourselves to some degree. In general, we can only lead people on the spiritual journey as far as we ourselves have gone. We simply can’t talk about it beyond that. That’s why the best thing we can do for people is to stay on the journey ourselves. We transform people to the degree we have been transformed. When we can somehow be compassion, not just talk about compassion; when we can be healed and not just talk about healing, then we are, as Henri Nouwen said so well, “wounded healers,” but not before.

It always comes through the wounding. What we do when faced with our deepest wounds determines whether there is authentic spirituality at work or not. If we seek to blame other people, accuse, attack, or even explain and make perfect, logical sense out of our wounds, there will be no further spiritual journey. But if, when the wounding happens, we find the grace and the freedom to somehow see that it’s not just a wound, but a sacred wound, then the journey progresses. Then we set out to find ourselves, to find the truth, and to find God.

It’s all about what each of us does with the wound. If we ourselves have never walked through some kind of suffering, whether betrayal, abandonment, rejection, divorce, loss of job, struggles with sexuality, we probably will give people “head” answers. We don’t touch or heal their hearts because our own have not been transformed. I don’t think it’s any accident that in most of Jesus’ healings, he physically touches people. He’s showing that healing cannot be done through the head, through explanations, theories and theologies, or quick, “logical” conclusions. It must somehow be a communication of life and love energy, held even at the cellular level."

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Friendly Reminder about Friend to Friend Submissions! Wednesdays in the office are very busy—as some of you may know it’s our recording day for our Sunday services, as well as catching up on other office work for the entire week! As such, please be kind to the office and submit your articles for Friend to Friend by 3pm Tuesday each week. Thank you for your cooperation!

Free Printer Cartridge ~ Carolyn H has an Epson 78 ink cartridge pack available if anyone would like it (for free). Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Send us your pictures! Because we still can’t be together in person, we are asking people and their families to dress in their favorite sports apparel, take a photo, and send your photos to the office so we can include them in the Sunday service on September 20th, which will be our Sunday School kickoff. Please submit to office@indyfriends.org. Today is the last day to submit! We can’t wait to see you and your family!

Civic Health in the Midst of a Public Health Crisis ~ The Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center invites you to a free Zoom virtual event featuring guest speaker Bill Moreau. Bill Moreau is president of the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation Inc., a non-partisan, non-profit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed, engaged voters in Indiana. ICEF is a nonpartisan, non-profit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed, engaged Hoosier voters. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. In Bill Moreau’s words: “We are working to increase the number of engaged, informed Hoosiers so Indiana can get out of the bottom of states for registration, turnout and civic literacy.” The event is being held via Zoom tonight, September 16 at 7:00pm. If you’re interested in joining, the Zoom link is https://butleru.zoom.us/j/99214902454, Meeting ID 992 1490 2454. If you have any questions, please contact indypeaceandjusticectr@gmail.com. Please consider joining us tonight!

Men’s Threshing Together ~ Hey Men! Join us for a Zoom Happy Hour with Men's Threshing Together on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00pm. Bring your favorite beverage and connect with us on Zoom and let's check-in and see how everyone is doing during this pandemic! Pastor Bob will be hosting this event. See you at Happy Hour (our normal time - 7pm just on Zoom!) To join, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

We are excited to begin offering Sunday School again this year—this time, virtually! Sunday School will officially kick off this Sunday, September 20. Please join us for these offerings!

Sunday School class (younger kids) – Sundays at 9:00am
Sunday School class (older kids) – Sundays at 12:00pm
Meeting ID: 850 7241 6861; password: 3030
Seeking Friends – Sundays at 9:00am
Unprogrammed Worship – Sundays at 9:00am

All are invited to Fellowship Hour and Meeting for Business ~ After virtual worship this Sunday, we hope you will join us at 11:00am on Zoom for combined Fellowship Hour and Monthly Meeting for Business. You can join through computer or phone! To join please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Participate in our "Sponsor a College Student" project! Just select a college student and send them notes, cards, treats, etc throughout the school year so they hear from someone at the Meeting and feel connected. Our college students this year are Ellie A, Sam H, Eli S, Chelsea T, and Kendal T. If you’d like to participate, please email the office at office@indyfriends.org with the name of the student you’d like to sponsor, and we’ll give you their mailing address so you can send your support. Please consider connecting with our students this year!

USFW’s Annual Fall Conference ~ All women are invited to the Western Yearly Meeting’s women's group (USFW) annual Fall Conference meeting. It is happening Tuesday, September 22 at 9:00am EST. You are invited to come even if you haven't participated in USFW or if your Meeting doesn't have a women's group. Opening remarks will take place from 9:20 - 9:30 or so. Betty Heshelman, from Mooresville Meeting, will share about her trip to Ramallah in 2019 from 9:30 - 10:30. Then we will hear from Crystal Vance, a noted devotional speaker from Plainfield, who will be sharing encouraging words for challenging times. If you’d like to join, contact the office for the Zoom link.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for September:
Blackburnian Warbler – A Fancy Hat

Community Gardeners Plan Harvest Festival for 2021; Fall Recipes Offered

Community gardeners are planning for a Harvest Festival in 2021. We are still enjoying and sharing produce. We thank all volunteers who have helped keep up the communal spaces by planting, fertilizing, mowing, weeding and educating. We continue to invite people to pick and take home some of the colorful zinnias from the Hope plot and now from the food pantry plot to the west of it. Thank you to those who helped harvest and deliver to the Mid-North Food Pantry. Thank you to our high school project volunteers, Lena and Elena.

Some gardeners are planting autumn plots. Those who are not are getting ready to clean out their plots in preparation for next season. Remember that fall leaves dug into plots can help replenish the soil.

Since Labor Day has come and gone and our Festival is postponed I have more family recipes. I am thinking of apples, persimmons and nuts—not exactly veggie crops, but for old time’s sake I offer these recipes anyway. One veggie recipe is included-- especially for Penny P. Enjoy!

¼ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1 cup butter milk

1 teas. soda

1 teas. vanilla

½ teas. salt

2 cups persimmon pulp

Great Aunt Nira’s Persimmon Pudding

Method

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs. Dissolve soda in butter milk. Add salt and vanilla—add alternately with flour, beating well. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased and floured pan—25 or 30 minutes or until it is done to touch. Remove—let cool before serving. Pudding will settle after removing from oven. Serve with whipped cream or lemon sauce, as desired.

Great Aunt Eva’s Cider Apple Butter

Red apples not peeled but cored and quartered. Cook and rub through colander.

4 quarts apples

4 cups sugar

Boil 1 gallon of cider until consistency of thin syrup, and add to apples and sugar.

Place in un-covered large sauce pan on roaster and set in oven. Cook to desired consistency and stir once in a while—

Seal while hot. [As a special treat for the children, Aunt Eva would melt candy red hots into the recipe until the apple butter turned pink, or even red depending on the amount of candy added!]

Great Aunt Eva’s Hickory Nut Cake

1 cup butter or oleo

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspn cream of tartar

1 teaspn soda

1 teaspn vanilla

½ teaspn salt

1 cup sweet milk [white milk]

Yolks of 2 eggs

Whites of 7 eggs

1 pint hickory nuts, finely chopped

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add 2 well-beaten egg yolks. Add all sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten whites of 7 eggs. Lastly add chopped hickory nuts which have been dredged with 1 teaspoon flour. Bake in oven at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. Makes 3 large layers.

Icing for outside:

2 egg yolks beaten stiff
1 whole egg
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Boil until forms soft ball. Spread on top and sides. Also, a good icing is made of boiled heavy cream and sugar.

Filling:

1 pint milk
½ cup sugar
1 tablspn sugar
2 whole eggs

Cook and cool—then add 1 cup finely chopped hickory nuts. This to be used between layers.

Cousin Beth’s Corn Relish [Here is one veggie recipe]

1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon instant minced onion
1 teaspoon celery seed
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup water
1 12 oz. can (1 ½ cups) whole kernel corn
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped pimiento [pimento or cherry pepper]

Combine first 8 ingredients in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Stir in green pepper and pimiento. Chill. Makes 1 ¾ cups.

~Nancy

Small Group Meetings. If you are part of a small group that would like to meet at First Friends – or are interested in joining a group – please let us know. First Friends will potentially start opening the building to small group meetings starting in October. All gatherings will be limited in size, and participants will be required to wear face coverings and follow other social distancing protocols. If you are interested, please notify the office at: office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Our current available meetings:

Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am
Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm
Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading
Men’s book club
Serenity Now
Women’s book club
Men’s Threshing Together
Seeking Friends book class (starting Sept 20th 9:00 a.m. on Sunday)
Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class (starting Sept 20th at 9:00-9:30am on Sunday)
2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class (starting Sept 20th at 12:00 - 12:30pm on Sunday)
Youth Group will start on Sunday Sept 27th at 1:00 - 2:30 (future gatherings to be determined after this kick off)

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

What imaginative, loving expressions may I offer to make a difference in overcoming the evil in the world?

What vengeances must I forego to help end the cycle of violence, bring healing, and restore the world to wholeness and peace?

Where will I look for God’s universal and uniting truths that transcend nationalistic identities?

(From self-led guide)

When this week, will I venture outside and observe the changes taking place in creation?

How can I be more open to God’s surprises around me and more open to change?

As the leaves begin to “let go” what in my life might I need to “let go” of that binds us from spiritually growing?

Comment

Friend to Friend September 9, 2020

September 10, 2020

As Way Opens

Tonight, I am struggling for words, because as I type this “As Way Opens” I am being updated by my F/friends in Silverton, Oregon (where our family moved from before coming to Indiana) regarding the impending wildfires that have them currently at a Level 3 evacuation of the town.

I have never seen anything quite like this in all my time on earth or especially while living out in the Pacific Northwest. From the photos which our friends are sharing, the sky in the surrounding area has literally turned red and the streets of the city are filled with smoke. It looks apocalyptic to say the least. Some friends even made some awkward jokes of that nature, to make it seem a bit easier as they packed children and important possessions into their vehicles and headed to the coast or to family member’s homes out of harm’s way.

And to think, today, was the first day back to school in Silverton, Oregon. Obviously, the day was cut short as many had to leave class early to get ready to evacuate. I cannot fathom the emotions, confusion, and utter frustration on top of all that they have faced already with the pandemic.

These truly are unprecedented times, especially when it has become almost common place to receive alerts from friends that they have been “marked safe” from fires, hurricanes, protests, Covid 19, and so much more. And in reality, so many others are not “marked safe” and are still struggling.

Will you join me this day in holding in the Light the people of Silverton, Oregon and the surrounding areas, the firefighters sacrificing their lives, as well as those suffering throughout our nation trying to put out the many “fires” they are facing.

Lord have mercy,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

To the Women of Western Yearly Meeting
From Lynn Peery Mills, Presiding Clerk of USFW-Western (lynnpmills@gmail.com)

The Pandemic we’re experiencing is giving us opportunities to evaluate the ways we’ve done things in the past and to envision how we might want to do them differently in the future. As some of you know, what we call the United Society of Friends Women (USFW) began here in Western Yearly Meeting in the 1850’s because sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide was becoming more important to Christians everywhere than it had been previously and Quakers had no formal way for that to happen. Quaker women were joining missions groups from other denominations in order to meet this need. A woman from White Lick Meeting (Mooresville, Indiana), Eliza Armstrong Cox, decided that Friends needed their own group, so she founded what we know as USFW. Our mothers and grandmothers attended USFW meetings regularly and raised money for the places around the world that Quakers felt called to go to share the Gospel.

Times have changed. Many of us still feel that keeping the connections we have with Quakers around the world is vital and many of them still can benefit from our financial contributions. However, we can easily see needs nearer to home that cry out for our attention. Also, many of our mothers and grandmothers did not work outside of the home so they found the meetings of USFW to be enjoyable times of fellowship. Most of us, however, do work outside the home, or did before we retired, and we have found other places to meet our fellowship needs. Another change that I see is that we feel pulled in so many directions that we need ways to meet our own spiritual needs rather than being asked to do something more. Hence, attendance at USFW events and general interest in the work of USFW has dwindled considerably.

As I think about life after the Pandemic subsides, I wonder what you women of Western Yearly Meeting (WYM) would find beneficial? How can we combine keeping in touch with Quakers in other countries, addressing needs in our own communities, and meeting our needs for spiritual renewal and fellowship? I would enjoy hearing from you about things you are doing to meet needs in your communities, ways you are keeping in touch with Quakers around the world, and suggestions for WYM women to deepen our spiritual life together. As you can see, my email address is at the top of this letter.

As have many groups during the Pandemic, the WYM women’s group has been pretty dormant this year. We are, however, having our Fall Conference via Zoom on September 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to noon. We will hear Betty Heshelman, from Mooresville Meeting, share about the trip she and her husband, John, took to Ramallah, Palestine, in 2019 to visit the Quaker schools there, and we’ll be hearing from Crystal Vance, a devotional speaker and writer from Plainfield, sharing with us words of encouragement for challenging times. I hope you will consider joining us that morning. More details will be forthcoming in early September, both about the conference and about using Zoom, in case you aren’t familiar with it.

Women of First Friends, we encourage you to ponder this and give your feedback to Lynn at the email address above!

Thank you to Sylvia Noble for sharing this piece of writing from the Quaker Earthcare Witness newsletter. If you’d like to sign up for the newsletter, please visit www.quakerearthcare.org.

I am a tree
By Cai Quirk

I am a tree, rooted in the bedrock of divine love. I am no longer trying to be a stone wall or surround myself with one. Walls are strong but they divide, are inflexible, less connected to the earth and the divine. A tree is rooted, grounded, yet flexible. A tree can bend in the wind or under snow, shifting back and healing any damage once the pressure has passed. A tree cannot live without the ground that roots it in standing tall, cannot live without others around it exchanging gifts. Trees give gifts of fruit, shade, cleansed air, homes for many species, and are given gifts by bees pollinating flowers, animals carrying seeds to new places, sun giving light to turn to food, rain nourishing roots, joyous birds singing in their branches. Trees carry messages to each other on the winds and through the earth. When one doesn’t have enough nutrients, others share through underground root systems. They support one another. They can grow and change. They are all unique. They can heal from wounds. They live in balance, yet flowing with the cycles of seasons. Their branches make music in the wind. They do not try to be something they are not. Changes are not immediately seen. They are in cycles of growth as they are meant to be. When a branch breaks or is cut off, more growth springs up in new places. They aren’t proving anything to the world, just living into their true selves, rooted and grounded in divine love, water from deep within the divine earth running through all veins, infusing each and every cell.

Joys & Concerns

Friends in Meltzer Woods ~ Thanks to Mary B for sharing these photos of Friends walking in Meltzer Woods preserve! These trying times can still be an opportunity to see new things!

Many thanks to our food pantry volunteers last week! Linda and Rik L; Phil G; David B; Christie M; Carol and Jim D and newcomer and fast learner, Penny P. We were glad to have Penny join the volunteer group as several of our regular helpers were unable to assist. Thanks to Penny and all our volunteers for assisting 70 families.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Indy Festival of Faiths – Celebrating FaithFully ~ The 8th Annual Indy Festival of Faiths will be celebrated online on Sunday September 13, 2020 from 1:00-2:30 pm. The theme for this year’s festival is Celebrating FaithFully: Our Faith, Our Traditions, Our Cultures, and Our Community. We hope that you will join us for Indiana’s largest celebration of our rich religious diversity. This is a wonderful family friendly event for all ages. We encourage you to have a viewing party with your family, cast it to the family TV, or meet up online for a virtual viewing party. Watch the Festival live on Facebook and engage with us during the livestream. Each year, Center for Interfaith Cooperation (CIC), hosts Festival of Faiths to advance the core message of their mission to increase religious literacy, build empathy for folks with a different faith background, and create opportunities for open and candid conversation about religion. The CIC is partnering with Jill Ditmire to broadcast the event live from the WFYI’s studios where many of the interviews were pre-recorded. To experience Festival of Faiths, go to: www.festivaloffaiths.com. Live stream the event from their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CenterForInterfaithCooperation And their YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnS_sLXEjVshQ9RhzKJVPVw. See you all on Sunday!

Our current available meetings:

Unprogrammed worship - Mondays at 11:15am
Unprogrammed worship - Wednesdays at 6:45pm
Unprogrammed worship - Sundays at 9:00am
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading
Men’s book club
Serenity Now
Women’s book club
Men’s Threshing Together
Seeking Friends book class (starting Sept 20th 9:00 a.m. on Sunday)
Kids Pre-k through 1st grade Sunday School class (starting Sept 20th at 9:00-9:30am on Sunday)
2nd - 5th grade Sunday School class (starting Sept 20th at 12:00 - 12:30pm on Sunday)
Youth Group will start on Sunday Sept 27th at 1:00 - 2:30 (future gatherings to be determined after this kick off)

Silent Meetings for Worship on Zoom!

Starting September 13th at 9 am, we will gather for Meeting for Silent Worship each Sunday

Join us for Meditation every Monday at 11:15 am
Wednesday Unprogrammed Worship meets every Wednesday at 7 pm.

Send us your pictures! Because we still can’t be together in person, we are asking people and their families to dress in their favorite sports apparel, take a photo, and send your photos to the office so we can include them in the Sunday service on September 20th, which will be our Sunday School kickoff. Please submit to office@indyfriends.org before Wednesday, September 16!! We can’t wait to see you and your family!

Homemade Pickle Recipes:
Watermelon and Beet from Family Archives

Phil G. read about Nolan’s watermelons in an earlier Community Garden article. His memory stirred and he remembered the watermelon rind pickles his mother, Ruth, used to make. That recipe was handed down from her mother, Dolly. I think the making of watermelon rind pickles is becoming a lost art. It takes a little time scattered over several days. Have you ever eaten watermelon pickles? Phil vouches for them. Here is the recipe:

Dolly ‘s Watermelon Pickles

Cut off green and pink portions of rind into 1 x 1.5 inch pcs. (3 qts. Or 5 lbs. rind, full recipe. I use ½ a watermelon and you probably would, too.) Soak at least 4 hrs. submerged in bottle of Lilly’s SLAKED LIME (calcium hydroxide—see drug store), and cold water. Drain and rinse well. If you can’t get Slaked Lime, get Alum from grocery store and use 2 T. Rinse well when it says rinse well. [Phil discovered that Lilly’s Pharmaceuticals stopped making slaked lime over 20 years ago. A Google search yielded Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime as a modern alternative sold at WalMart but he is uncertain of the quality or the amount to use.] Put rind in stainless steel pot. Cover with water and 1 T. salt. Boil until tender. Cool. Rinse. Begin the following: 1st Day. Boil 9 cups sugar, 1 qt. cider vinegar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 T. whole cloves, 1 slice candy ginger, or 2 ginger roots, or ½ tsp. cracked ginger. Add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and pour over rind in large pot. Repeat operation of heating juice and pouring over rind 4 times, over every day for 4 days. Let stand on back of stove during this time. On 4th day—Heat up juice. Pour over rind and pack into jars, heated. Insert piece of orange rind and lemon in ½ jar and on top. Seal. Push down rind and fruit with freezer paper, crumpled, to keep fruit covered with juice. Seal with rubber rings and seal tightly.

Yield, 6-7 2 ½ cups jars

Notes – While cutting rind, keep it in cold water. This sounds very complicated but it is not. It just has several steps. Slicing the watermelon (potato peeler best for the green part of rind) is the most tedious part. Bon appétit!

Love, Mom
I wash jars well, then put them in a 300-degree oven until I use each one for sealing. ~R.

Here is another pickle recipe from my family:

Great Aunt Eva’s Beet Pickles

Select medium size beets. Snip tops about 1 inch from beets. Scrub thoroughly. Cook in covered kettle with water about covering. When done slip the skins.

Take 1 cup of liquid in which beets were cooked—add 1 cup of vinegar and one of sugar.

Heat the beets in this liquid and seal hot.

These are a beautiful color, easy to make, and far tastier than the grocer’s canned pickled beets.

~Nancy

Small Drops Make a Big Impact! The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home. If we manage our water resources wisely now, we will help prevent shortages in the future. Watch this clever YouTube video by Clear Choices Clean Water for more info: https://youtu.be/GNRleS33BxU.

We are excited to begin offering Sunday School again this year—this time, virtually! Sunday School will officially kick off on Sunday, September 20. Our Seeking Friends class will meet via Zoom at 9am, and will be continuing their Rob Bell book. We will also have Sunday school classes for kids. The younger kids will meet on Zoom at 9am for a half hour, and older kids will meet via Zoom at noon for a half hour. All these classes will be offered at the same time each Sunday. Be on the lookout soon for Zoom links and information.

Our Library is Available through Mail! With the wonderful work done by the Library committee, we are happy to announce that you can now request library books to be mailed to your home! To see what books are available, simply search the online catalog here: https://www.librarycat.org/lib/john.moorma. When you’ve found a book you’d like to check out, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 and we will mail the book out the following Wednesday. Mail or bring the book back when you’re done!

Perhaps you’d like to check out one of these NEW additions to our library, all centered on race, a very pertinent topic in our country today.

Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo
How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
So You Want to talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The New Jim Crow; Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness by Michelle Alexander
Why Are all the Black Kids Sitting together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

What imaginative, loving expressions may I offer to make a difference in overcoming the evil in the world?
What vengeances must I forego to help end the cycle of violence, bring healing, and restore the world to wholeness and peace?
Where will I look for God’s universal and uniting truths that transcend nationalistic identities?

(From self-led guide)

What is making me tired, currently? Where might I need to pause and take a break this week?
Do I believe in the midst of this pandemic and all the unrest in our world that I am not alone?
What “rainbows” am I seeing that remind me of God’s promises and draw my eyes to the light breaking through the darkness of life?

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Friend to Friend September 2, 2020

September 4, 2020

As Way Opens

I have become quite taken with a woman named Elizabeth Bathurst that lived between 1655-1685. She was one of the female leaders of the early Quaker movement. I learned about her and read her Quaker treatise in the wonderful book called Hidden in Plain Sight Quaker Women’s Writings 1650-1700. This book, published in 1996 by editors Mary Garman, Judith Applegate, Margaret Benefiel and Dortha Meredith identified a number of these women that wrote extensively and had a huge impact our our Quaker faith and yet these women have been ignored and forgotten until the last 25 years.

Elizabeth Bathurst was born in 1655 and raised an English protestant. She was a sickly child and therefore spent much of her youth alone reading the Bible and other pious books. She was very intelligent, and her writings show her level of intellect. Originally, she believed the accusations of the detractors against the Children of the Light, but her whole family became convinced Friends in 1678. Elizabeth experienced the same repudiation that many other Quaker men and women experienced by their churches of origin as she spoke out about this new way of experiencing God’s presence within each person When she went to Samul Ansley’s Presbyterian church where she was a member to preach against predestination and for universal redemption, the congregation violently rejected her ministry and rejected her. It seems like her writings on behalf of Quakers are what got her into trouble. She traveled to Bristol and faced persecution there. She was imprisoned in Marshalsea and with her weak body it was a very difficult experience, but she wrote that God renewed her spirit there. She died at 30 years old only seven years after her convincement.

During her life she wrote Truth’s Vindication, An Expostulatory Appeal to the Professors and The Sayings of Women. I studied Truth’s Vindication and this treatise came out a few years after Robert Barclay’s Apology and has similarities in providing a systematic approach to the faith and beliefs of Quakers. It is interesting that we all know about Barclay’s Apology and yet we have never heard about Elizabeth’s document.

Elizabeth organized the document into three parts; a defense of the points that detractors of Quakers were bringing forward, the principles of Truth and a confutation of people’s false opinions. In her defense of the accusations against Quakers, she covered their beliefs on Scripture, the humanity of Christ, the Resurrection of the body of Christ and of the Saints, the sacraments, original sin, free will, inherent righteousness, the possibility of a total fall from true grace, perfection, and infallibility.

Elizabeth took each of these points and wrote persuasively to declare the Children of the Light beliefs. I was amazed at the extensive use of book, chapter and verse from the Bible that she identified throughout the document. There were hundreds of references so her knowledge of the Scriptures must have been immense. She forcefully declared of the Quakers “they do believe all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets.” The detractors argued that the Quakers believe in the Bible in their own way and while they may believe there is Truth in the Scripture “they do not believe they are the Word of God and the Rule of Faith Life.” She answers quite eloquently saying that Quakers “believe the Scriptures so far as Scripture itself requires Faith in itself: that is, they are able to make wise unto Salvation, through Faith, which is in Christ Jesus, being given Inspiration of God, according to that of the Apostle, 2 Tim 3:15-16.”

Elizabeth took on the second part of the criticism that Quakers don’t honor the Scripture as a way of faith and life. She stated that Scriptures are important for doctrine, for reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness and an example for living in good works. But the faith of our Life must be the direct Word, Jesus Christ that lives in our conscience and is our Inspiration. Galatians 2:20 says that the Life that I now live in the Flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. John 14:6 says that he is the Way, the Truth and Life; no man cometh to the Father but by him. John 16:13 says his Spirit that leads into all Truth. Therefore, the Scriptures are important and point us to a more perfect life, yet we should model our faith and practice after the one True Spirit, God and Jesus Christ the Word that was here in the beginning, here now and here for all time.

Elizabeth Bathurst, through her experience of God’s power and her deep convictions resulting from that experience, spoke out in ways which broke down the gender barriers and expectations of their time and culture. She utilized the Bible to make her points yet continually emphasized the direct experience of God and our continued revelation. As we reflect on 100 years of a woman’s right to vote, I know Elizabeth broke significant grounds for us and I am thankful for women like Elizabeth that were courageous and inspiring.

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

To the Women of Western Yearly Meeting
From Lynn Peery Mills, Presiding Clerk of USFW-Western (lynnpmills@gmail.com)

Women of First Friends, we encourage you to ponder this and give your feedback to Lynn at the email address above!

Joys & Concerns

Let’s give a big thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers: Phil G, David B, Kathy and Bill F, Virginia and Derek S, Linda L, Christie M, and Jim D. These volunteers were kept busy as 70 families were served. Also thanks to Ruth K, Lena K and Elena H who deliver food from the community garden plot to the food pantry. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Silent Meetings for Worship on Zoom!

Starting September 13th at 9 am, we will be gathering for Meeting for Silent Worship each Sunday

(There will be NO MEETING on Labor Day) Join us the following Mondays for Meditation at 11:15 am
Wednesday Unprogrammed Worship meets every Wednesday at 7 pm.

Covid Brings Out Nostalgia and Old-Time Recipes

Let’s go back in time or out to the countryside. Covid has me waxing nostalgic. Last year at this time, groups of First Friends volunteers had finished our stint at the Indiana State Fair Dairy Bar—a fun fundraiser where we were dipping ice cream, grabbing sandwiches and ringing up purchases for gay (in the old sense of the word)and hungry State Fair customers. I miss the smiles, laughter, tastes, sights and scents.

Thinking of the Fair reminds me of my Hoosier people, the ones who raised me, taught me their values and modeled ways to navigate life. They often had blue ribbon entries in the fair from canned and baked goods to handiwork to grand prize livestock including sheep, bulls and dairy cattle. My cousin rode western and dressage in the horse shows. Most of my family had spent portions of their lives raising cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and crops even as we were easing out of an agricultural age and taking on city jobs and careers. Sometimes we would buy produce and eggs from roadside stands if we weren’t raising or producing our own. That would include my immediate family since I was raised a city girl.

I miss the family reunions on Mom’s side where we had those prize-winning cooks and plenty of fresh farm food--tomatoes, corn, green and other types of beans, beets, onions, radishes, squash, melons, pickles, cabbage, greens, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, casseroles with fresh herbs, ham, puddings, cakes, and pies. We liked lip-smacking grilled-in-the-husk corn and meat and potatoes cooked outdoors. Sweet iced tea too! Ok, I didn’t like that so much! We played in barns, played hide-and-seek in cornfields, swam, boated, watched football, and played badminton and croquet. We washed and dried dishes as we caught up on family and everyday news. Even my Dad’s side would sometimes attend Mom’s side’s reunions. How I would love to relive those times and run up and hug all those beautiful family members! (I even dream about hugs in these no-hugging-allowed days of Covid.)

Those relatives no longer with us live on in my heart. In homage to them and to the earth’s bounty I am sharing some of their old-time recipes. Ingredients like lard and sugar were balanced out with lots of exercise and an abundance of veggies. Of course my relatives had a practical side too and would use grocery goods when fresh and canned supplies were no longer available. Frying wasn’t recognized as an unhealthy practice then. I picked some family recipes with ingredients and methods used less often today. Even language and equipment have changed somewhat. I inserted bracketed information to add clarity.

Third-Great Grandmother Hudson’s Sorghum Cookies

1 cup sorghum

1 cup sugar

1 cup lard

1 Tablespoon soda dissolved in ½ cup boiling water

1 beaten egg

1 Tablespoon ginger (or use part allspice and cloves)

½ teaspoon salt

Add enough flour to make soft dough that can be rolled. Roll about ¼ inch thick—cutout.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees—but do not overbake. Will keep well.

Great Aunt Nira’s Skillet Cabbage

4 cups chopped cabbage

2 cups celery--sliced thin

1 small mango—finely chopped [green pepper]

1 onion—finely chopped

1 large tomato—cut up—(or use canned tomatoes)

¼ cup bacon fryings

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

First fry celery slowly in bacon fat—about 15 minutes. Then pour all other ingredients in skillet with celery, and cook 10 minutes only. Stir occasionally. Good warmed over, but don’t over-cook. Use half the recipe for two people. Serve with cornbread.

Great Aunt Eva’s Black Walnut Pudding [Definitely different than English walnuts]

Put following in baking dish, set over slow fire to simmer while preparing other ingredients.

1 ½ cup light brown sugar

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

3 cups boiling water

1 stick butter

½ teaspoon salt

The Batter

½ cup brown sugar & 3 tablespoons butter creamed together

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder sifted together

1 cup sweet milk [white]

½ teaspoon salt

Chop 1 cup black walnut meats medium fine. Dredge this in part of the flour, then add to other mixture. Drop this batter a spoonful at a time in the simmering sauce above. Bake at 300 degrees until brown.

I don’t have all the recipes anymore, but I have many fine memories. Family reunions and meals around the table used to be times for conversation and bonding. They are wonderful traditions to continue or revive. I hope this article helps you recall some of your fond memories and the people who love and loved you. If so, share those memories, recipes and dishes with those you love. Get out the old photo albums, slides, movies, letters and recordings. (Maybe it’s time to take steps to preserve them.) Let me know if this article helped you remember past and present blessings in your life. ~Nancy

Send us your pictures! Because we still can’t be together in person, we are asking people and their families to dress in their favorite sports apparel, take a photo, and send your photos to the office so we can include them in the Sunday service on September 20th, which will be our Sunday School kickoff. Please submit to office@indyfriends.org before Wednesday, September 16!! We can’t wait to see you and your family!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live by Rob Dunn Even when the floors are sparkling clean and the house seems silent, our domestic domain is wild beyond imagination. In Never Home Alone, biologist Rob Dunn introduces us to the nearly 200,000 species living with us in our own homes, from the Egyptian meal moths in our cupboards and camel crickets in our basements to the lactobacillus lounging on our kitchen counters. You are not alone. Yet, as we obsess over sterilizing our homes and separating our spaces from nature, we are unwittingly cultivating an entirely new playground for evolution. These changes are reshaping the organisms that live with us -- prompting some to become more dangerous, while undermining those species that benefit our bodies or help us keep more threatening organisms at bay. No one who reads this engrossing, revelatory book will look at their homes in the same way again.(goodreads.com) Terry T will be leading the discussion in via Zoom starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 29, 2020. Please contact the office at office@indyfrineds.org for the Zoom meeting information.

Perhaps you’d like to check out one of these NEW additions to our library, all centered on race, a very pertinent topic in our country today.

Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo
How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
So You Want to talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The New Jim Crow; Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness by Michelle Alexander
Why Are all the Black Kids Sitting together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Where does that leave us on Election Day?

One solution is for younger Americans to step up.

For more information, see or share a flyer here: https://bit.ly/2PCBUvs

Are you ready to help people in need? The First Friends Meal Ministry is happy to provide meals to those in need of a bit of help, such as while recovering from surgery or going through a difficult time. This ministry is such an important and tangible ministry in our Meeting that connects and supports all of us. We need more folks to join us in this ministry- we can add your email to our ministry group and you can decide if the request for a meal is something you can do at the time. Lynda Sherer and Vicki Wertz lead this ministry and we have an app that allows for easy sign up for a meal. Will you join us in this important ministry? If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Queries for the Week

(From online service)

Who is the Gerasene in you?
Where does your story intersect with his?
In what ways have I been ‘“living in the tombs”?
How can I embrace God’s healing for me?

(From self-led guide)

How do I respond to opportunities to establish personal and professional relationships with people whose backgrounds differ from mine, whether across class, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or ability?
In what ways do I work to change society so that everyone has equal opportunities?
How can I speak up and take action in a loving way when I see and hear injustices?
How do I “speak truth to power” in ways that honor the human dignity of people on all sides of an issue?

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