Friend to Friend June 9, 2021

June 9, 2021

As Way Opens

On Sunday, we joined together for worship within our Meetinghouse for the first time in over a year. Not only was it a joyous occasion to simply be together, but it was also an opportunity to acknowledge all that we have been through and have learned during this pandemic.

During my message, I spoke about a time of reorienting our lives by utilizing Sabbath Rest - one of the two subjects we will be looking at as we enter the summer months at First Friends.

As I mentioned on Sunday, reorienting through rest begins by making time to look at our self, our relationship with the Divine, and our interactions with one another, once again. This reorientation also involves seeking a balance between two mental modes of our lives:

doing — completing tasks towards a predetermined goal, and
being — allowing oneself to experience the present moment.

Kelsey Sorum in the article, Doing vs. Being: A Mindshift for Quarantine and Beyond provides the following chart to help you begin to explore the differences between these two modes.

I sense the pandemic has hyper-focused us on the Driven-Doing Mode and sent us out of balance with our Being Mode. Finding time for reorienting through Sabbath rest is how we as people of faith return the balance within our being and help us focus on celebrating and experiencing life in this moment right NOW!

My hope is that as we continue to emerge from the pandemic, you and I will find ways to embrace our being once again and come together and celebrate all that we are as individuals and as the body of Christ together!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Many thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers! Christie M; Rik L; Tom F; David B; Brenda R; Mara S; Penny P; Phil G; Barbara O; Ruth K; Corrine I; and Carol and Jim D. Those who worked outside had to contend with rainy weather but helped out 27 needy families.

Please pray for Beth H and her family. After Beth finished her Affirmation Class this morning she received news of her brother, Dave Euler, passing away. He had had some health issues as of late, but passed away in his sleep. Dave lived in Plymouth, MN. This was Beth’s last living sibling. Please take a moment to lift Beth and her family in your prayers and shower her with love and Light.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Quaker Voluntary Service Annual Supporters’ Briefing ~ You’re welcome to join QVS’s annual supporters’ briefing, whether you’re a(n) alum, supporter, past or current spiritual nurturer, or Friend who’s curious to learn more about QVS. Quaker Voluntary Service is a fellowship program dedicated to equipping young adults for whole lives rooted in Spirit-led social change. The virtual event will take place on Thursday, June 17, 2020, at 7pm ET / 6pm CT / 5pm MT / 4pm PT. There will be interactive opportunities to connect with one another, so we hope you can join us on the day-of.

This event will center on storytelling. We’ll hear stories of impact from QVS Fellows, alumni, and partnered Friends. Meanwhile, QVS board members and staff will share about the numbers that make up QVS and what those numbers mean! You will leave with a deeper understanding of our 2020 milestones, about the 2021 vision ahead, and how you can get involved. For registration, questions, or to ask for a recording, click here.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Kids Tennis Lessons! Are your kids interested in tennis? There will be kids’ tennis lessons near 96th and Keystone Ave. They will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:45PM in June (weather permitting). First lesson starts today Wednesday, June 9. Please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

The Overman Family Scholarship, in memory of Jess and Mark Overman, is available again this year. High school seniors through graduate students are welcome to apply. Undergraduate students will be given first consideration. The scholarship fund is designated to support the members and attenders of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting. Scholarship funds may be applied to any school related expense, i.e. books, supplies, tuition, housing, computer, etc. The deadline for application will be June 15, 2021. Find the application here. Please send the completed application and related material to the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Fellowship Hour: Now at 11:30 ~ Please make note that virtual Fellowship Hour will now take place at 11:30am each Sunday. This is to allow for the extra time that in-person worship takes. So please, remember to join us on Zoom at https://bit.ly/FF-FellowshipHour at 11:30 from now on. Look forward to seeing you there!

Pair of Binoculars found! A pair of binoculars were found on the property recently, along with another personal item. If they’re yours, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 to reclaim them! We’d like to get these items back to their owner!

Free Plants Available for Community Gardeners ~ This spring is a challenge with late frost, heat, humidity and torrential rain. Most gardeners have plants in their plots and others will soon follow. Remember that new, rich soil provides nourishment and is key to success of an organic garden. There are still a few free plants available to community gardeners. They are in trays between the cistern and garage. Their roots are aching for freedom to spread out in a new home, free of the confines of a pot. Save a plant today!

JUNE JUBILEE - The Connections Team would like to invite you to a fun outdoor gathering on SATURDAY, JUNE 19, from 4pm to 7pm, in the north parking lot of the Meeting House. Let's celebrate our reopening this month with campfires, hot dogs, s'mores, cornhole, volleyball, basketball, and other surprises. Bring your own food and drinks and masks as we follow social distancing protocol. If the weather is nasty, check your email or the First Friends Facebook page for an announcement about postponement. Hope to see you there!

Calling all ice cream lovers! First Friends will be working at the Dairy Bar at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, August 7th all day. This is a major yearly fundraiser for our youth program! We plan to have two shifts, 9:30am-3:30pm, and 3:30-10:00pm. It is fast paced but lots of fun! Volunteers will receive a free ticket to the State Fair for that day, as well as unlimited ice cream, shakes and cheese sandwiches. Please let Beth H know if you’re interested in volunteering!

Volunteers Needed for VBS! We can’t believe summer is already approaching, but we sure are looking forward to Vacation Bible School this year! We will hold VBS in person July 18th-22nd. The Sunday session will be held after Meeting for Worship and Monday-Thursday will be held in the evenings. We will need group leaders, station leaders and folks to prepare a snack for a night. For more information, here is the link for the intro for the VBS program: https://www.group.com/category/ministry-resources/childrens-ministry/vbs/treasured.do. This year’s theme is “Treasured: Discovering You’re Priceless to God.” If you’d like to help with VBS, please contact Beth Henricks at Beth.Henricks@indyfriends.org or the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Your Talent is Needed! ~ As we reopen our Sunday Meeting for Worship, we are looking for vocalists or instrumentalists who would like to perform during Meeting for Worship over the summer. Simply pick a Sunday in June-August and let the office know which day you would like to perform. Eric is available for accompaniment and to help you with whatever your performance needs are. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 with the date you had in mind. Or, use the sign-up sheet in the office hallway. We look forward to hearing from you!

Words from the Woods ~ We are enjoying a beautiful June here in the woods. The north part of the woods is purposefully wild to create a safe nesting place for our wildlife neighbors, but will keep the south side of the path tamer! We are hoping to have a new path installed to the Peace Pole soon, weather permitting. Next year we hope to celebrate our 20th anniversary in the Woods to celebrate an acre of grass transformed into an abundant habitat!

Today we will have a visit with Dawn Slack, from The Nature Conservancy to perform a follow up survey on our invasive removal program.

In the courtyard, the Little Henry itea, dwarf oakleaf hydrangea and evening primroses are in bloom. Soon our butterfly milkweed (Asclepius tuberosa) will be blooming and attract our hungry monarch butterflies. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

I like to highlight what local groups are doing in the community. Here is a partial update from the Carmel Green group in Hamilton County and the MCSWD.

What Can You Do to Help our Common Home? We should do all we can to flatten the curve of climate change. One of the easiest things Hoosier can do is to turn things off when you’re not using them because electricity is the largest single source of carbon emissions in Indiana. Save energy, save money and reduce your footprint! (Do you remember when your grandmother used to tell you that?)

Learn about Solar - Going solar is the cleanest energy you can get! And you can still take advantage of net metering and the 26% federal tax credit this year which make solar more affordable. Join us for a free solar webinar to figure out if solar is right for you! RSVP for Thursday, June 24, 6:30 p.m.

Heat Preparedness - On Wed. June 9, Noon, join IU ERI for a free webinar on how to use an equitable approach to prepare for extreme heat events. Think back to the super-hot summer of 2012 when the Morse Reservoir dried up and Indy issued a watering ban. According to the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, if we continue dumping carbon pollution into the atmosphere, every summer will be hotter than it was in 2012. We should do all we can to avoid this scenario, but since there is already some warming baked into the system, we need to start thinking about heat preparedness. Read more.

Climate Change & Invasives - On June 10, 11 a.m. join the MIPN for a free webinar on how climate change is affecting plants. You will learn which invasive plants might be expanding northward into the Midwest as the climate warms and which species might undergo range contraction. Register here.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby Conference - On June 12-13, join Citizens’ Climate Lobby for the virtual conference on The Push for a Price on Carbon. An economy-wide carbon price is the single most powerful tool we have to reduce America’s carbon pollution to net zero by 2050. We’re asking Congress to enact that powerful tool this year! You’ll get updates on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and you’ll learn about actions you can take to push for a price on carbon. Read more and sign-up.

Eco-Film: KISS THE GROUND - Join us on Thurs. Jun 17, 7:30 p.m. for the screening of Kiss the Ground on the outdoor screen at Midtown Plaza by the Monon. Kiss The Ground is an uplifting documentary about climate solutions involving Regenerative Agriculture, a holistic approach to food production that’s good for your health and the environment. The screening is free and open to the public. Read more.

From the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District:

Workshops for a Cleaner Waterway - Our district is teaming up with ROW (Reconnecting to Our Waterways), Kheprw Institute and The City League to offer Rain Garden and Rain Barrel Build workshops this summer! Made possible by our Clean Water Indiana grant through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, space for these outdoor workshops is limited to 25 Marion County residents and COVID-19 precautions will be followed. Here are the workshop details:

Fall Creek: Rain Garden Workshop, Thursday, June 24 from 6:30-7:45 PM at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Residents living along Fall Creek will be able to learn about the benefits of and how to build their own rain garden in their yard with step-by-step instructions and will even take home several native plants from Indy Urban Acres to get it started. Register here.
Pogue’s Run: Rain Barrel Build Workshop, Thursday, July 29 from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Boner Fitness & Learning Center. As part of The City League’s basketball tournament, residents living along Pogue’s Run will be able to build their own rain barrel to capture stormwater off of their home downspouts. Thank you to the Kheprw Institute (KI) and their ‘Express Yourself Rain Barrels’ program for providing both the knowledge and materials needed for this workshop. Register here.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for June

Great Crested Flycatcher – Summer Riddle

Here is your riddle:

Who weeps every day, all day long, but never sheds a tear?

The answer is Great Crested Flycatcher!

This is a bird that I almost always hear before I see. It says, “Breeeep, breeeeep, weep, weep, weep.”

He or she may arrive as early as late April, and will be somewhere in the neighborhood throughout the summer. Indeed, I have heard or seen this bird in the Meditational Woods in May, June, and July, and as recently as this past week. It is often not very high up in a tree, affording us great looks, while it quietly sits waiting for an insect to fly by. The flycatcher does not just feed on flies, but will go for bigger insects such as dragonflies. How about periodic cicadas this year? Yum, yum!!

Let’s talk about the name. Many birds have hyphenated names. With ruby-throated hummingbird, white-eyed vireo, and red-winged blackbird, the descriptor is connected to the body part being described. It is usually a color, but not always (as in long-billed dowitcher). In the case of our June bird, however, there is no hyphen. The word “Great” therefore is NOT describing the crest (which is noticeable), but is instead describing the entire bird, as in Great Blue Heron or Great Horned Owl. It is true that the Great Crested is by far the largest of our Indiana flycatchers.

It “weeps,” but it does not cry. ~Brad J

No Meeting for Business in June ~ Friends, please note there will be no Monthly Meeting for Business in June. Please enjoy this summer “sabbath” and we look forward to seeing you all in a future Monthly Meeting.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks your support in moving toward a vibrant new phase. As we begin to resume in-person worship and other activities, our expenses rise, yet our donations remain at a low level, strained by the difficulties of 2020.

Please give prayerful consideration to how you could help. While we were able to manage last year’s financial loss, we will need to increase donations in order to stem further losses. To assist, please visit indyfriends.org/support/#givenow.

Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly at any time of year. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.orgor 317-255-2485.

Reopening Task Force Report. First Friends resumed indoors meeting for worship on June 6. The reopening plan, approved at Monthly Meeting on May 16, addresses specifics including social distancing, mask-wearing, ventilation and accommodations for children. The plan also details outdoors meeting for worship and future Monthly Meetings. Click to read the re-entry plan.

Trustees arranged for an air quality assessment during the June 6 meeting for worship and determined that CO2 levels were considerably better than CDC recommendations for inside air quality. The Reopening Task Force will be reviewing this data and other factors to determine next steps in the reopening process.

Note – in the meantime, until further notice:

· The re-entry plan continues to include a mask-wearing requirement, despite recent new directive of the CDC. The issue of mask-wearing can be revisited as appropriate in the near future, mindful of children’s ability to be fully vaccinated. Extra face masks will be provided for those who need them.

· Virtual worship services will continue to be offered each Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Online worship is to continue as a permanent alternative to in-person worship to ensure availability of worship options.

Currently, the Meetinghouse is open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. A recent development is that, for groups of 10 or fewer, participants may remove face coverings if all have been fully vaccinated. Participants assume responsibility for risk of COVID-19 exposure. To check on availability of small groups, including Zoom options, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485.

Additionally, larger groups of up to 30 people may meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups, including mask-wearing. Groups using Fellowship Hall will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and reclose/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.

Ventilation:

· As reported in March 2021, the Trustees have shared the following messaging with the Reopening Task Force: “Trustees established fresh air ventilation is abundant in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. First Friends was built without central air conditioning. Ventilation was an important consideration during construction planning. We are blessed with an excellent ventilation system in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. There are fans and switches in both locations. When fans are running and windows and doors are opened, there is an abundance of fresh air available in each of those rooms. Any group requesting use of Fellowship Hall is required to use the ventilation system in place while meeting.”

· As a review, the Trustees presented a report in November 2020 on the ventilation at the First Friends building, based on assessment including: the HVAC system and filters, attic and exhaust; a 1950s report created by the First Friends Construction Committee; and measurements taken using a CO2 detector. Among the findings:

- In the Meeting Room, there are four windows that open, plus four ventilation fans in the ceiling. With windows opened, the fans can draw air through the Meeting Room to meet the CDC guidelines of six fresh air exchanges per hour.

- In Fellowship Hall, a fan on the west wall and an exhaust fan in the kitchen draw air outside. A fan near the entrance brings fresh air inside, heats and circulates it. There are 11 windows that open and two new air conditioning fans.

Queries for the Week

• Amid the chaos of transitioning back from the pandemic, am I rediscovering ways to reorient my relationship with the Divine?

• Are any of my doubts fed by the notion that my worth comes solely from my productivity rather than my identity as a child of God?

• In relation to others, do I recognize and validate the worth and need for rest in others? How might I help someone this week find some needed rest.

Comment

Friend to Friend June 2, 2021

June 2, 2021

As Way Opens

What a beautiful Memorial Day weekend we experienced this past weekend. We had a couple of days of great weather where we could be out walking, playing, working in the yard, eating food with friends and/or family and enjoying the extraordinary creation around us. There was such a sense of joy as I viewed 135,000 fans gather at the Speedway and watch a race that inspired us. We had a small gathering at the Meeting on Sunday but the smiles, hugs and feeling of community was palpable. Folks across the country were thrilled to be able to visit friends and/or family and travel was incredibly high.

We are all feeling a sense of relief and blessedness (something I spoke about in my message) in being able to see, speak with, eat with and hug our friends and family. We are excited to come back into the building at First Friends for our morning worship service beginning this Sunday June 6th at 10:15. It’s been 15 months since we have been able to worship together in the Meeting room and I know, and feel myself, the happiness to be back together. We know things will never be exactly the way they were before but for now we are reveling in the joy of this important community to us.

We are coming out of a dark chapter in our world with its lessons and its pain over the last year and a half. However, I am reminded of what Paul writes in Romans 8:35-39:
The one who is blessed trusts in God’s love, no matter what: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have experienced such a devastating year with so many losses, yet despite these things God’s love is overwhelming and we will never be separated from this love.

See you Sunday!

Beth

Joys & Concerns

The Growing Season is Here in the Community Garden! The gardeners are hard at work as the gardening season gets kicked off! Looking forward to a healthy garden this year!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- Faith Community Redistricting Event

Many of us attended one of the virtual public hearings held this spring by the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) around the state. Almost 900 Hoosiers did, and they voiced their concerns. The ICRC recently sent its report to the Indiana General Assembly. It not only details what the public said is wrong with the current legislative districts, it also contains recommendations on how the legislature can draw districts to better serve the public interest, not political agendas. You can read the report here.

If you want to increase the chances that the General Assembly will follow the recommendations outlined in the ICRC report, there are several things you can do now.

First, please consider sending the ICRC report to your legislators with a request that they pay attention to it and become leaders in their party for a more open, transparent, and inclusive redistricting process this fall.

Second, sign up for a free virtual event scheduled for Monday, June 7, at 12pm-1pm EST. It will be a faith-oriented session, "Prayer for Democracy: Bringing Your Faith Community into the Redistricting Conversation," with the theme everyone counts. Several speakers will address why faith communities should care about redistricting, and how to talk with your legislators about redistricting from a faith perspective. (You'll recognize one of them--our own Beth Henricks.) Find more information in this flyer. You can register here: https://bit.ly/PrayerForDemocracy

And third, the ICRC and the redistricting coalition are assembling lobbying teams: a coordinated effort to lobby the General Assembly this summer on redistricting. You're invited to participate. You would be part of a group effort (this is not a solo mission) of regular citizens (not professional lobbyists). And no prior experience is necessary! There will be a Zoom organization and training session with ICRC members and coalition members on June 22nd at 8:00 p.m. EST. You'd be assigned to a lobbying team associated with your legislative district and led by an ICRC member. And you'd receive a lobby visit outline and talking points of what to say to legislators. Lobby visits would most likely be via Zoom, but could also be in-person depending on a team's preferences.

If you feel led to participate on a lobbying team, please RSVP to Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com; 317-790-9054) by Thursday, June 3. This is our best chance to let our elected representatives at the Statehouse hear directly from us what we expect in redistricting. I hope you'll join me.

Please be a part of the growing movement for fair maps in Indiana. Thank you.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

In-person Sunday Services to resume THIS SUNDAY June 6! Monthly meeting has approved the resumption of in-person Sunday services in the Meetingroom, beginning on Sunday, June 6, with the following precautions in place:

• Face masks must be worn by everyone including children ages 2 and up

• Social distancing indoors and while waiting to enter

• One person at a time allowed in each restroom

• There will be no food service

• No formal Fellowship Hour

• Children’s worship will be provided

• Supervised play for children will be available outdoors, weather permitting, or in Fellowship Hall with fans running and windows opened. Children may also remain with families if preferred.

• A standing microphone at the front of the Meeting Room may be used for announcements or those who feel led to speak during waiting worship

• Bulletins will be in the foyer for attendees to pick up as they enter the Meeting Room

• Collection baskets will be in the foyer for attendees to drop in contributions

Ventilation

- The four ventilation fans in the ceiling must be turned on.

- The four opening windows must be opened.

Services will start at the usual time at 10:15am. For more information on the reopening plan, read the Reopening Committee update later in this newsletter.

Kids Tennis Lessons! Are your kids interested in tennis? There will be kids’ tennis lessons near 96th and Keystone Ave. They will be held Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:45PM in June (weather permitting). First lesson starts next Wednesday, June 9. Please contact the office if you’re interested: office@indyfriends.org.

Your Talent is Needed! ~ As we look to reopen our Sunday Meeting for Worship starting in June, we are looking for vocalists or instrumentalists who would like to perform over the summer. Simply pick a Sunday in June-August and let the office know which day you would like to perform. Eric is available for accompaniment and to help you with whatever your performance needs are. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 with the date you had in mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

Office Hours are Back! The Meeting office is now open from Monday-Thursday from 10am-3pm (or by appointment). Please note, Beth will be in the office on Mondays, Rebecca will be in on Tuesdays, Bob will be in on Thursdays, and all three will be in on Wednesdays. So if there’s someone specific you’d like to see, be sure to stop in on their day in the office!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for June

Great Crested Flycatcher – Summer Riddle

Here is your riddle:

Who weeps every day, all day long, but never sheds a tear?

The answer is Great Crested Flycatcher!

This is a bird that I almost always hear before I see. It says, “Breeeep, breeeeep, weep, weep, weep.”

It “weeps,” but it does not cry. ~Brad J

Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly at any time of year. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.orgor 317-255-2485.

Reopening Task Force Report. First Friends is scheduled to resume indoors meeting for worship on June 6, the first Sunday in June. The reopening plan, approved at Monthly Meeting on May 16, addresses specifics including social distancing, mask-wearing, ventilation and accommodations for children.

The plan also details outdoors meeting for worship and future Monthly Meetings.
Click here for the re-entry plan.

Note:

· The re-entry plan includes a mask-wearing requirement, despite recent new directive of the CDC. The issue of mask-wearing can be revisited as appropriate in the near future, mindful of children’s ability to be fully vaccinated. Extra face masks will be provided for those who need them.

Ventilation:

Queries for the Week

(From in-person worship)

· Am I living in an inner state of well-being feeling blessed by God’s presence?

· To whom will I be a blessing to today?

· How can I open myself up more to be an instrument of God in this world?

(From virtual worship)

· Am I living in an inner state of well-being, feeling blessed by God’s presence?

· How can I open up myself to be more of an instrument of God in this world?

Comment

Friend to Friend May 26, 2021

May 26, 2021

As Way Opens

Several years ago, during one of my doctoral classes, we began a conversation on the importance of Sabbath rest. As the conversation progressed, we began to expand the idea. My professor mentioned that people aren’t the only ones who need a sabbath – churches/meetings do as well – and summer is that time.

As he continued to expand this idea, I found myself nodding in agreement. Often within our Meeting, we too need a change in our routine. Summer offers us this natural transition and affords us the opportunity to do things that we would not normally do like worship in our meditational woods, plant in our community garden, offer Vacation Bible School, and enjoy Fun Day Sunday, just to name a few. In Indiana, summer invites us to return outdoors where we can again breath in the outdoor air and reconnect to God’s creation and our natural surroundings. After a year of being contained in our homes, we need more than ever to reengage creation and nature.

We also must find time for what is restful. Sabbath at its most basic form is considered abstinence from work. This past year has been extremely taxing on people in so many ways. Work and ministry changed significantly, and it has taken a toll on all our lives. Yet, rest is not just about abstinence or retreating, rather it could be considered a redirecting of our attention to the things that fill us and provide hope and joy, once again.

This leads to our professor exclaiming that Sabbath needs to have some sense of CELEBRATION!

At First Friends, we need to be able to look back on where we have been throughout this past year and celebrate, if nothing else, our survival! Sabbath may look like coming together, just to be together again, to tell our stories, hear what all we have learned, all without the need to do anything more. This means being present with one another is a celebration of our togetherness!

As we transition into summer in the coming days, let’s remember the importance of Sabbath rest. Challenge yourself to make a change in your routine, find occasions to return outdoors, seek times for rest, and remember that being present with one another is an opportunity to CELEBRATE where we have been and where we are going!

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

MANY THANKS to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers: Christie M Linda and Rik L; Corrine I, Bill F; Kathy F; Ruth K; Melanie, Virginia and Derek S; Barbara O, Penny P; Brenda R; Mara S; David B; Tom F; and Carol and Jim D. We had a super crew of volunteers, including the return of Tom F, and served over 50 families. Welcome back Tom!

We sadly share with you the death of Terri Ringley, former administrative assistant and former member here at First Friends. She passed away on Wednesday, May 12. To read her obituary, which Terri wrote herself, visit https://www.stegallberheideorr.com/obituary/therese-ringley. Her memorial is planned for Saturday, June 19; we will provide more details as they become available.

A note from Beth: Thank you for the showing of love and support with my graduation last weekend with a master’s in divinity from Earlham School of Religion. I have so appreciated the notes, cards and tangible expressions of congratulations with this degree. I thank you for your care and love to me. -Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- Faith-Based Redistricting Event

Many of us attended one of the virtual hearings held this spring by the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) around the state. Almost 900 Hoosiers did, and they voiced their concerns. The ICRC recently sent its report to the Indiana General Assembly. It not only details what the public said is wrong with the current legislative districts, it also contains recommendations on how the legislature can draw districts to better serve the public interest, not political agendas. You can read the report here.

If you want to increase the chances that the General Assembly will follow the recommendations outlined in the ICRC report, there are two things you can do now. First, please consider sending the report to your legislators with a request that they pay attention to it and become leaders in their party for a more open, transparent, and inclusive redistricting process this fall.

And second, sign up for a free virtual event scheduled for Monday, June 7, at 12pm-1pm EST. It will be a faith-oriented session, "Prayer for Democracy: Bringing Your Faith Community into the Redistricting Conversation," with the theme everyone counts. Several speakers will address why faith communities should care about redistricting, and how to talk with your legislators about redistricting from a faith perspective. Find more information in this flyer. You can register here: https://bit.ly/PrayerForDemocracy

This is all part of an effort to build grassroots pressure for a different kind of redistricting this year: one which gives the public--not just politicians--a real say in how our districts are drawn. Please be a part of this growing movement for fair maps in Indiana.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Memorial Day In-Person Service

First Friends is happy to share that we will be holding an outdoor worship service in Meditational Woods on Sunday, May 30, weather permitting. In the event of rain, the outdoor event will be canceled. Updates will be posted to our Facebook page, or contact the office by Thursday to sign up for text alerts. If you are able to, please bring a chair. We are still requiring facemasks and social distancing. The building will be available for restroom use. Kids are welcome, as there will be a children’s message, but no children’s worship.

Rain or shine, we will offer our usual online worship through the First Friends YouTube channel at 10:15. Please note that Zoom Fellowship Hour will be held starting at 11:30 that day, and at 11:30 from now on! This is to allow for our in-person worship to conclude.

In-person Sunday Services to resume June 6! Monthly meeting has approved the resumption of in-person Sunday services in the Meetingroom, beginning on Sunday, June 6, with the following precautions in place:

• Face masks must be worn by everyone including children ages 2 and up

• Social distancing indoors and while waiting to enter

• No congregational singing (but there will be musical performances)

• One person at a time allowed in each restroom

• There will be no food service

• No formal Fellowship Hour

• Supervised play for children will be available outdoors, weather permitting, or in Fellowship Hall with fans running and windows opened. Children may also remain with families if preferred.

• A standing microphone at the front of the Meeting Room may be used for announcements or those who feel led to speak during waiting worship

• Bulletins will be in the foyer for attendees to pick up as they enter the Meeting Room

• Collection baskets will be in the foyer for attendees to drop in contributions

Ventilation

- The four ventilation fans in the ceiling must be turned on.

- The four opening windows must be opened.

Services will start at the usual time at 10:15am. For more information on the reopening plan, read the Reopening Committee update later in this newsletter.

Your Talent is Needed! ~ As we look to reopen our Sunday Meeting for Worship starting in June, we are looking for vocalists or instrumentalists who would like to perform over the summer. Simply pick a Sunday in June-August and let the office know which day you would like to perform. Eric is available for accompaniment and help you with whatever your performance needs are. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 with the date you had in mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

Office Hours are Back! Beginning Tuesday, June 1 the Meeting office will be open from Monday-Thursday from 10am-3pm (or by appointment). Please note, Beth will be in the office on Mondays, Rebecca will be in on Tuesdays, Bob will be in on Thursdays, and all three will be in on Wednesdays. So if there’s someone specific you’d like to see, be sure to stop in on their day in the office!

JUNE JUBILEE - The Connections Team would like to invite you to a fun outdoor gathering on SATURDAY, JUNE 19, from 4pm to 7pm, in the north parking lot of the Meeting House. Let's celebrate our reopening this month with campfires, hot dogs, s'mores, cornhole, volleyball, basketball, and other surprises. Bring your own food and drinks, and masks as we follow social distancing protocol. If the weather is nasty, check your email or the First Friends Facebook page for an announcement about postponement. Hope to see you there!

Monday Meditation will no longer be on Zoom, in accordance with Quaker Simplicity. Our regular attenders have all been vaccinated and are comfortable meeting in person. Others are welcome to join us. Amy Perry will anchor Monday Meditation on May 24th but not on Memorial Day. The 10 AM writing group followed by Meditation will resume on June 7th.

Get a Meal, Support MSPC! Mark your calendars! On Friday, May 28th from 11am-2pm, the Maple Seeds Preschool Co-op (MSPC) will host the Black Leaf Vegan Food Truck in the First Friends parking lot. A portion of the proceeds will support the Co-op, so please consider coming that day! You can place a to-go order, or feel free to stay and make a picnic out of it! If you have any questions, contact MSPC at 317-767-3003.

Friends have been busy in the Woods planting more native plants to enhance the dining options for our pollinator friends. Look for wood hyacinth in our wildflower patch south of the meditational circle. We planted 3 trays of seedlings south of the SE bridge of big-leaved asters and blue stemmed goldenrod that Mary grew from seeds.

Big Leaf Aster (Aster macrophyllus) is perfect for shady areas with less than perfect soil. Drought tolerant, it thrives in both dry sand and heavy clay soils that possess a modicum of organic matter. Big Leaf Aster is often planted for its large, heart-shaped basal foliage which forms a nice ground cover. Upright stems emerge from the base in late summer, bearing clusters of delicate, bluish-white rayed flowers, from August thru September. Great for stabilizing shaded hillsides and slopes, it spreads by rhizomes to form a ground cover. Aster macrophyllus is a host plant for the Pearl Crescent Butterfly.

Blue Stemmed Goldenrod does not spread as aggressively as some goldenrods. This Wisconsin endangered plant features graceful arching stems covered with hundreds of small yellow flowers. The distinct stems are purplish in color. Native to rich woodlands in the Eastern half of the U.S. it prefers light shade, but will tolerate full sun. A mature clump has great presence and texture – brightening any semi-shade garden late in the season.

Solidago caesia is an interesting goldenrod for a variety of garden styles: open woodland garden, border, cottage or butterfly garden. As with all goldenrods, it is a desirable source of late-season pollen. Other common names include Wreath Goldenrod.In mid to late August, you may find Brown Hooded Owlet Moth (Cucullia convexipennis) caterpillars feeding on the foliage. (From PraireNursery.com)

Wild Hyacinth, also called Atlantic Camas, is the only eastern species of its genus, which is in the Lily family and characterized by squat bulbs, similar to those of small tulips in size and shape. Its pale blue-violet flowers begin to bloom from the bottom, progressing toward the top of the spike-like raceme at the end of the plant’s central stalk. It will thrive in full sun, but also open shade such as a woodland edge. It likes rich, acidic soils, but can tolerate clay soils with adequate moisture, especially when it is in flower. The bulbs are edible and were a major food source for some Native American tribes and early European Settlers, but they are very hard to distinguish from Zigadenus elegans bulbs which are deadly poisonous

Attractive to a number of insects seeking nectar and pollen, Camassia scilloides re-seeds itself and, though slow to establish, is fairly long-lived. By mid-summer, the basal leaves turn yellow and wither away and the plant remains dormant for the rest of the year (from PrarieMoonNursery.com)

The woods is approaching a naturalized state, so will not appear like a botanical garden. It’s been delightful to watch the preschool children have their school pictures taken in the meditational circle and families from the neighborhood come to learn about trees and plants. They like finding some of the trees from the Woods map that Krishan Coffman created.

Come spend some time in the Woods, listen for the birds and see what’s blooming right now.

Bread for The World (“BFTW”), an organization that promotes letter-writing to federal representatives to provide federal funding for food for poor countries, is asking for our help. BFTW is requesting that folks send letters in the next 2 weeks to their Senators and House Reps. Please see the following info for a sample letter and other info concerning BFTW. Find an email template at bread.org/go. If you’d like to send a letter, find a fully updated sample letter here.

Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly at any time of year. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.orgor 317-255-2485.

Jeff Rasley’s New Book! Jeff Rasley has released a new book, America’s Existential Crisis: Our Inherited Obligation to Native Nations. The book is a historical journey and a road trip. It starts with two ancestors of Jeff’s. One was an Indian fighter, who was at Wounded Knee and died from a wound received in a related action. The other was such a good friend of the Potawatomi he received a valuable gift, which Jeff inherited. Their stories take us back to the 1830 Indian Removal Act, which led to the Plains Indian Wars and the creation of the reservation system. One result of the brutal enforcement of the reservation system was the Potawatomi Trail of Death. Another was the massacre of Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek. The book transitions from history into an argument that the US has an obligation to help in the culturally sensitive development of Native communities. For now, the book is exclusively sold at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0951DF2HZ.

The plan also details outdoors meeting for worship and future Monthly Meetings.
Click here for the re-entry plan.

Note:

Ventilation:

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

· Am I satisfied by my work?

· Where do my views of good work need to change?

· How can our Meeting effect change in the idea of work in our community?

Comment

Friend to Friend May 19, 2021

May 19, 2021

As Way Opens

I returned Monday from a few days of vacation in Holland Michigan with several friends. It had been an intense two weeks for me and it was refreshing and revitalizing to take a few days to put my toes in the sand and walk the beach. We all need to take time to step back, release our responsibilities and concerns for a few days and allow God to hold us, cradle us and give us permission to just be present.

The coast of Lake Michigan is one of my favorite places. I have been to South Haven, Holland, Saugatuck, White Lake and Grand Haven many times over the last 35 years. We enjoyed beautiful weather during our stay and the sunsets were magnificent. I was struck by the Light and how it changed the sky every night. Sometimes the Light was diffused and the sunset was muted. Other times the Light was intense and the sunset burst forth in color. And the Light created everything in between each evening. it was the same lake, the same sky, the same view each evening but what a difference the Light made in what I viewed.

I needed the reminder that the Light, the Seed, the Divine, Spirit always shows up but is manifested in many different ways. The Light is always there but what I see can vary by day. And that is okay as the beauty is there even if its muted and hesitant. We are God’s creation and we shine the Light in different ways.

As Thomas Kelly says in his opening paragraph in his classic book, Testament of Devotion, “Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with imitations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life.” May we embrace all the manifestations of the Light and savor this true life.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

This Sunday we are asked to hold in prayer Quaker Haven and all of the campers, counselors and staff as they prepare for camp. Our own Aaron Thornburg is the WYM co-director for Quaker Haven this year so we hold him and others in the Light.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Help Us Honor Our Graduates! We are excited to be honoring our 2021 graduates! This year’s high school graduates: Krishan C, Sam A, Lena B-K, Isaiah S; College graduates: Eli S, Elle A; Advanced degrees: Shawn H, Kristen K, Beth H. Please join us this Sunday as we share about each of these graduates and their future plans.

Men’s Threshing Together ~ We’re back! If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our in-person meeting on Thursday, May 20 at 7:00pm. See location(s) here.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 led by Larry C.

Help Memorialize Our Departed Friends! As some of you know there was a period of time when our practice of writing memorials for deceased members fell by the wayside and many didn't get written. You may remember that for our purposes a memorial is much like an obituary but with a more personal touch and may give information about the person's connection and/or work at First Friends or in the larger Quaker world. If the writer knew the person pretty well there might be a little story or stories that illustrate something about that person.

Here is a list of memorials that are being written and need to be written. Take a who look at the list and see of there is a person that is not yet assigned a writer that you might like to write about. We might be able to help you collect information about the person if you like. If you are interested contact Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net). And a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has or is writing memorial(s) to honor our departed Friends!

Write with Friends: New Activity ~ Friends are invited to a small writing group where participants may write whatever they want to write—stories, memoirs, journaling, poems, etc. 10:00 AM immediately before Monday Meditation. Two prompts to get you started will be offered, but what is offered need not be accepted.

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

It’s not necessary to stay for the Meditation that begins at 11:15 and finishes at noon. Although we have a practice of sharing our meditational experiences afterwards. Meditation participants do not require that you stop writing. Join us 10-11 AM on June 7, 21, & 23.

Bread For The World (“BFTW”), an organization that promotes letter-writing to federal representatives to provide federal funding for food for poor countries, is asking for our help. BFTW is requesting that folks send letters in the next 2 weeks to their Senators and House Reps. Please see the following info for a sample letter and other info concerning BFTW. bread.org/go OL 2021 Sample Letter (as of May 14)

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for May

American Redstart – The Crying Voice

May is the month for warblers, both residents and migrants. Most male warblers are colorful, and this characteristic, along with a diagnostic song, is supposed get the attention of a female. Woe is the male that must attract a female from the depths of a thick, brushy river bottom. But wait! God has provided for this by endowing many deep forest birds with an extra-loud song. This month’s selection, the American Redstart, is a tiny jewel, dressed in reddish-orange on black (yellow on gray in the female). His song is a rapid, explosive, “Hurry up and quit!” Although the species migrates through our woods in May and September, and can nest in many different types of woodlands, it prefers the wet mosquito-filled backwaters of Geist Reservoir, and the Kankakee Swamp, and similar places farther north. I have depicted him with his tailed fanned, which is a habit. When I hear this tiny bird singing from afar in the deep swamp, I think, with apologies to Isaiah and John the Baptist, of “a voice crying in the wilderness.” I hope he is successful! -Brad J

Note:

· The re-entry plan includes a mask-wearing requirement, despite recent new directive of the CDC. Similarly, Marion County is upholding its mask mandate for the time being. The issue of mask-wearing can be revisited as appropriate in the near future, mindful of children’s ability to be fully vaccinated. Extra face masks will be provided for those who need them.

Ventilation:

Financial Update: The Meeting seeks your support in moving toward a vibrant new phase. As we begin to resume in-person worship and other activities, our expenses rise, yet our donations remain at a low level, strained by the difficulties of 2020.

Additionally, First Friends is able to accept stock and planned gifts directly at any time of year. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Silent Meeting for Worship Now Also in the Parlor~ Friends have returned to meeting in the parlor for Silent Worship, Meditation and Un-Programmed Worship. Appropriate social distancing and face covering is required. A laptop with the zoom will be available simultaneously to interact with Friends from home. The option to worship via Zoom is still available; those on Zoom will join those in the Parlor virtually.

Comment

Friend to Friend May 12, 2021

May 12, 2021

As Way Opens

Last Wednesday, I began sharing with you about my recent spiritual retreat. One thing I did not share in last week’s As Way Opens, was the other aspect of my retreat. For 2-3 hours each night, I attended an Art Retreat at the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple.

The topic I explored was Intuitive Painting. If you are not familiar with Intuitive Painting, it is considered a tool for artists of all levels, where playful exploration and curiosity is encouraged. The goal is not to specifically make paintings for exhibition or to learn specific techniques. Rather, the goal is to allow yourself the space to be inside color, paint, and process while locating the inner core of your creative self. We were told it can be a wonderful mindful, meditative process.

At first this was hard to get used to for me, much like when people first experience Quaker silence or centering. Instead of setting out with a goal, concept, sketch, or developed plan, we began each day with considering individual marks, colors, emotions, environments, and non-traditional materials. Our instructor would begin class by reminding us of the four goals for the retreat: play, explore, share, expand.

Since over the years, I have found my practice of art evolving into what I consider a spiritual practice and even an expression of personal worship, I found this retreat enhancing the experience in a variety of new ways. I could not wait to arrive at my class each night, to center down with my materials, and see where my curiosity would take me. I found that I was longing to play, explore, share, and expand.

During the week, I was reading Brian McLaren’s latest book, Faith After Doubt and it was obvious that his words were influencing my evening experiences. The last evening class, we were given a larger canvas to work with and encouraged to take all that we had learned throughout the week and put it into our process for this final piece.

That morning, I had finished the final chapters of Faith After Doubt and continued to inwardly wrestle with all that I had personally journaled. The thoughts, concepts, and emotions were still very raw. As I sat at my studio space, I found myself choosing a color palette much different than my usual bright expressive colors. Instead of premeditating my marks or brush strokes, I allowed the process to become an expression of my overall week. Layer upon layer, scrape after scrape, and mark over mark unveiled an emerging new style for me.

As my instructor and I stood back at a distance to look at what had materialized on the canvas for the past two and a half hours, I simply was stunned. She mentioned that each mark was clearly intentional, that the color palette emoted a specific feeling, and that the techniques each came together to present a theme. Being aware that I had been on a spiritual retreat, when she came across the single word I included, but was not easily recognized, she said, “You nailed it.” The hidden word and title of the piece is Doubt.

I challenge you to think of your worship and spiritual practice in new ways this week. How will you play, explore, share, and expand this week?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Food Pantry News ~ First Friends “hit a home run” with its recent fundraiser for the Mid North Food Pantry. Volunteers from First Friends were excited to present a check in the amount of $9,430.05 to the pantry last Wednesday. Matt Jennings, on behalf of the pantry, was so appreciative and thankful for this contribution from First Friends. Thanks to all who helped to make this fundraiser a big success!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

The Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center will feature Vop Osili, President of the Indianapolis City-County Council, at its virtual annual meeting TONIGHT, Wednesday, May 12, at 7 pm. Working with his fellow public servants on both sides of the aisle, President Osili is committed to addressing the important issues of the day: equity, fair and affordable housing, homelessness, reentry, police/community engagement, inclusive urban development; the issues that impact daily lives of all Indianapolis citizens. A short business meeting will follow conversation with Vop Osili. If you wish to join, please rsvp to indypeaceandjusticectr@gmail.com. A Zoom link will be sent to all who RSVP.

This Sunday is Meeting for Business! This Sunday, May 16 is our Monthly Meeting for Business. Everyone is welcome to attend to discuss important matters of the meeting, including a possible resumption of in-person services. We hold Monthly Meeting for Business every third Sunday of the month at 11:30. Feel free to join us at 11:00 if you would like to join us for weekly Fellowship Hour as well! We hope to see you there!

Help Us Honor Our Graduates! We are happy to soon be honoring our 2021 graduates! We plan on honoring high school graduates: Krishan C, Sam A, Lena B-K, Isaiah S; College graduates: Eli S, Elle A; Advanced degrees: Shawn H, Kristen K, Beth H. If you or anyone in your family is graduating this Spring, please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485!

What’s Up in the Woods: The Woods team has been busily weeding, transplanting and planting in the Woods and courtyard. The courtyard was weeded prior to application of a new layer of mulch to discourage weeds and let the plants shine in their beauty. Amy Perry has been rearranging the entrance to the Woods by surrounding the Memorial entrance plaque with native wildflowers and moving the switchgrass to the back to provide a nice feathery backdrop. Thanks to Mindy Sommer, Linda Lineback, Amy Perry, Brenda Rodeheffer, Jan Hise, Kathy Rhyne, Terry Trierweiler, Mary Blackburn, Dan Mitchell and Larry Mills for all their work to keep these areas beautiful.

We have planted two sections of flag iris in the sun dappled and wet areas north of the meditational circle to commemorate the generous donation of Marjorie Wright to endow the Woods maintenance. Next year, look for the cheery blue flowers on slender stalks that will attract early butterflies.

Look for the graceful columbine in the woods that bloom in May. These native plants are valuable sources of nectar for spring insects and hummingbirds.

You may notice areas of new growth in the Woods. Where invasive euonymus and honeysuckle were cleared, we have planted a special mix of seeds prepared by a restoration company, Cardno, to fill in with plants that will nurture our native birds and insects.

It’s a great time to think about how you can care for the earth. Can you reduce the size of your lawn, so there is less to mow and more places for birds as you alter your landscape? For helpful hints, utilize your local soil and water conservation district- https://marionswcd.org/lawn-and-garden/

Also, did you know that trees communicate and protect each other? You can learn more about this fascinating topic by listening to this podcast: https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2021/05/04/993507176/fresh-air-for-may-4-2021-mother-tree-ecologist-suzanne-simard?showDate=2021-05-04.

Happy Planting!

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

Plastics: Impacts and Action ~ We are becoming more aware of the convenience of plastics in our lives, and also becoming aware of the problems of overuse. Cornell University has an online learning opportunity about plastics and how to design an action to reduce plastics pollution. The course, Plastics: Impacts and Action, is a 5-week online course open to anyone! This new course explores the multiple ways we interact with plastics, and uses plastics to investigate the complex dynamic systems shaping our planet and our lives. The course is largely asynchronous--meaning you can access the short lectures, readings, and other materials when it’s convenient for you. We also hold weekly webinars (recorded for those who can’t make it) as well as optional weekly office hours. The course will go from May 17 through June 20, 2021. If you’re interested, you can learn more and register here. Cost is $60 (strongly encouraged), though they also accept participants who are only able to pay less or who are not able to pay. Participants who complete the course are awarded a Cornell University certificate (PDF). Questions? Email CivicEcology@cornell.edu, Use “Plastics” in the subject line.

Get a Meal, Support MSPC! Mark your calendars! On Friday, May 28th from 11am-2pm, the Maple Seeds Preschool Co-op (MSPC) will host the Black Leaf Vegan Food Truck in the First Friends parking lot. A portion of the proceeds will support the Co-op, so please consider coming that day! You can place a to-go order, or feel free to stay and make a picnic out of it! If you have any questions, contact MSPC at 317-767-3003.

Richmond Friends School is seeking a Head of School! Richmond Friends School is a Preschool-8th grade independent Quaker school founded in 1971 in Richmond, Indiana. Their multi-age classrooms are purposefully designed to have low student-teacher ratios allowing for customized instructions, expectations, and assessments that are tailored to the academic and social needs of each individual child. RFS is eager to find a leader who can continue our tradition of excellence in Quaker education! For more information on the job, qualifications, and how to apply, please visit https://www.richmondfriendsschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Advertisement.pdf

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for May

American Redstart – The Crying Voice

Reopening Task Force Report. Currently, the Meetinghouse is open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. Participants assume responsibility for risk of COVID-19 exposure. To check on availability of small groups, including Zoom options, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485.

The Reopening Task Force has prepared an updated recommendation for reopening for meeting worship indoors, based on input from the Christian Education Committee about how best to serve our children and young families. The recommendation is to be presented to a called meeting of Clerks Council on May 12. If the recommendation meets with approval from Clerks Council, it will be presented for full meeting review at the May 16 Monthly Meeting.

Note: For all in-person gatherings, indoors and out, members and guests will be required to maintain social distancing, wear masks and following additional CDC guidelines. Extra face masks will be provided for those who need them.

Ventilation:

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

· Who am I, really?

· What about God am I most uniquely suited to reveal to others

· And how is that meaning in my life best lived out?

Comment

Friend to Friend May 5, 2021

May 6, 2021

As Way Opens

For the past week, I have been on a spiritual retreat at the Fall Creek Abbey, an urban retreat center here in Indianapolis. Upon arrival, it was clear how overdue I was for a retreat and for some needed rest. So much so, that I found myself taking an unexpected nap before dinner on my very first day.

I believe spiritual retreats are important to give one’s mind, body, and soul a break from everyday life and its related stresses. Sadly, I began this retreat much like the SpaceX capsule reentering the Earth’s atmosphere early this week. I came in hot and turbulent from the previous year of pandemic, political, and social/racial craziness and literally splashed down into this welcoming and sacred space. To have a place to escape, be introspective and find healing and renewal is essential to our mental health, awareness, and spiritual journey.

Throughout the retreat, I found my own personal sacred space on the large front porch of the Abbey. It was here each morning I would enjoy a cup of coffee while reading through a book I had chosen specifically for this time. In the first chapter, author Brian McLaren explained exactly why my contemplative side was crying out for this retreat.

Why did I need distance between me and other human beings? Because thinking, it turns out, is a social act, and to think freely, to think differently, to think independently, you sometimes need to escape from the herd. If you can’t get physical distance from your clan, tribe, herd, or hive, you’ll at least need to create some emotional distance, perhaps by retreating into a book (as you’re now doing). This need for withdrawal helps explain at least in part why contemplatives and other mystics have always upheld the value – no, the necessity – of solitude as a spiritual practice. (from Faith After Doubt)

It was clear that “escaping the herd,” was a necessity for me and helped get me back in touch with my own voice and thinking, as well as with the voice and thinking of the Divine. I look forward in the coming weeks and months to share more of what I learned at my retreat. How might you find time to “escape your clan, tribe, herd, or hive” this week to reconnect?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Mother’s Day In-Person Service - First Friends is happy to share that we will be holding an outdoor worship service in Meditational Woods on Mother’s Day, May 9, weather permitting. In the event of rain, the outdoor event will be canceled. Updates will be posted to our Facebook page, or contact the office by Thursday to sign up for text alerts. If you are able to, please bring a chair.
The following safety precautions will be in place:

· Face masks must be worn by everyone age 2 and older.

· Social distancing will be in effect.

· No congregational singing, but there will be musical performances.

· Building access for restrooms only, with use limited to one person at a time.

· There will be no food service or formal Fellowship Hour.

· Kids will leave the service after the children’s message and have children’s worship out back with Tiffany.

Rain or shine, we will offer our usual online worship through the First Friends YouTube channel at 10:15. Please note there will be no virtual Sunday School in the morning nor Zoom Fellowship Hour following the service.

The Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center will feature Vop Osili, President of the Indianapolis City-County Council, at its virtual annual meeting on Wednesday, May 12, at 7 pm. Working with his fellow public servants on both sides of the aisle, President Osili is committed to addressing the important issues of the day: equity, fair and affordable housing, homelessness, reentry, police/community engagement, inclusive urban development; the issues that impact daily lives of all Indianapolis citizens. A short business meeting will follow conversation with Vop Osili. If you wish to join, please rsvp to indypeaceandjusticectr@gmail.com. A Zoom link will be sent to all who RSVP.

Help Us Honor Our Graduates! We are happy to soon be honoring our 2021 graduates! We plan on honoring high school graduates: Krishan C, Sam A, Lena B, Isaiah S; College graduates: Eli S, Elle A; Advanced degrees: Shawn H, Beth H. If you or anyone in your family is graduating this Spring, please let the office know at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485!

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss A Promised Land by Barack Obama.

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.

We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 led by Larry C.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for May

American Redstart – The Crying Voice

The Reopening Task Force presented a report to Monthly Meeting on April 18, available by clicking here. The report included recommendations that the meeting consider plans for outdoors worship on Mothers’ Day, May 9, in Meditational Woods, and for indoors worship the following Sunday, May 16, to continue indefinitely as circumstances allow. A called Clerk’s Council meeting took place April 22 to discuss these recommendations, but consensus was not yet reached. It was agreed that the Reopening Task Force will gather additional input from the Christian Education Committee about how best to serve our children and young families, which will be used to inform an updated recommendation to Clerk’s Council later in May. The Reopening Task Force is scheduled to meet on May 6.

In the meantime, outdoors Meeting for Worship is scheduled to take place this Sunday, May 9, for Mother’s Day, weather permitting. Details appear elsewhere in this edition of Friend to Friend.

Ventilation:

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

· How am I the embodiment of the Church?

· How do I need to grow in maturity of Christ?

· How do I need to practice resurrection in my life?

Comment

Friend to Friend April 28, 2021

April 28, 2021

As Way Opens

I was really moved by Bob’s message last Sunday of his journey away from art for many years of his life and back to where art feeds his soul. The five paintings he shared in our virtual service were powerful representations of reality that takes us deep inside ourselves for contemplation and reflection.

As I have been reading Eugene Peterson’s book, Practice Resurrection A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ, I was struck by his writing on the term “inscape” which is made relevant in the Church by our inside sense of mystery, light, angle and awareness. He writes, “Often an element of surprise accompanies this experience of inscape: I never saw that before….I’ve never heard anything like that…..I’ve never been so moved….But in fact nothing that the artist brings to our attention was unheard, unseen, untouched previously. It was all there before us in the tree we walked past every morning on our way to work, in the face that we thought we knew through and through. in the whispers of wind in the willows and the lapping of waves on the beach. Why are artists so necessary? And how do they do this? A great deal of attention has been given to understanding what is involved. The stock answer is that the artist makes us aware of beauty in contrast to the dull or the ugly or the commonplace. But that is an obviously an unsatisfactory answer. For much of what the artist brings to our attention, with grateful appreciation, is not so much beauty as reality - the way things actually are, whether it is the excruciating pain portrayed in a Rouault painting of the crucifixion of Jesus or the unrelenting ordinariness of a red wheelbarrow in a poem by William Carlos Williams, neither of which is “pretty”.” (page 139-140)

We are all artists and creators with different manifestations of presenting our reality and becoming aware of our inscape. God as the ultimate Creator has gifted each of us with unique talents and gifts. I hope you spend time this week exploring all the ways you co-create with God in bringing reality into our awareness.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

The Earth Day wildflower walk led by Norma Wallman went well. Though it was windy and cold, the gorges at Holliday Park proved to be warmer and wind-free. There were seven participants so all were able to see the spring ephemerals. These are some of the first wildflowers of the season—short-lived and transitory.

“Life finds a way.” A quote from the movie Jurassic Park as walk participants note the irrepressible dandelion growing from a felled tree trunk. — *“Life finds a way.” A quote from the movie Jurassic Park as walk participants note the irrepressible dandelion growing from a felled tree trunk.*

The snowstorm did not seem to affect many of the specimens we sought. Norma found less common varieties of wildflowers as well as the usual suspects. The delicate blossoms dazzled us with their colors. We noticed how flowers were scattered in small bunches or stood alone as a single example of a species in this spot or another. As an avid lay botanist, Norma partially identifies species by the behaviors she has observed in them over seasons of careful inspection. Because Connections arranged the walk and asked her to bring them, she brought along copies of her beautiful book, Wildflowers of Holliday Park so people could purchase the descriptive guidebook.

We enjoyed the walk so much that, by popular demand, there may be more wildflower walks in the future as some wildflower species step down from the stage to allow time and place for other lovely actors to appear. Thank you Norma for leading us and helping improve our powers of observation—a true celebration of Earth Day.

A BIG Thank-You to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers! Christie Moulton; Linda and Rik Lineback; Virginia Snell; Penny Paraskevas; Kathy and Bill Farris; David Beatty; Phil Goodchild; Mara Snyder; Carol and Jim Donahue; Barbara Oberreich; Ruth Kelly; Corrine Imboden. Thank you so much for your service to those in need!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

DAY OF ACTION—APRIL 29—7-9 p.m. EDT

All IN for Democracy Redistricting Coalition

This fall, the Indiana legislature will draw new district lines. The lines will determine how Indiana and our communities are represented and whether our voices will be heard. We know that when the public is involved in the redistricting process, the result is fairer maps.

April 29 offers the next opportunity for citizen action.

Join the All IN for Democracy redistricting coalition and ICRC mapping experts Ranjan Rohatgi and John Milburn to learn about the redistricting process and the newest tool for citizen action—map drawing. They will conduct a live workshop on drawing maps using the new map drawing website, DISTRICTr.org/Indiana. Julia Vaughn from Common Cause Indiana will introduce the ICRC citizen mapping competition. The competition--including the chance to win a cash prize--is open to everyone in the state, so register for the April 29 introduction to this tool!

RSVP HERE

The winning maps--those that best serve the public interest--will be submitted to the legislature to help with their map drawing. They will also be used as the standard by which we judge the legislature's redistricting proposals when they reconvene this fall. The idea is to demonstrate that we are more likely to get maps that are good for voters and communities when the legislature does not have complete control over the process. And by comparing citizen-drawn maps to those drawn by self-interested legislators, we will be able to provide a new level of scrutiny and transparency to a process that is usually opaque.

Are you interested in using this software to stand up for your community's needs and get involved in the mapmaking process? Join us for our DistrictR training on Thursday, April 29th at 7:00 pm ET. Even if you don't plan to draw districts, learning about it on April 29th and raising your voice to our legislators will help ensure your community's voice is heard. Contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) with any questions. Thank you.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Please help keep our woods clean! The woods committee has placed a trash can at the entrance to the woods. There is occasionally trash found in the woods so we hope this will keep the woods clean! Please do feel free to use the new trash can next time your visit.

Community Garden Plots Available! Raised beds are now available for wannabe gardeners. No experience is necessary because newbies can learn from other gardeners. It is fun and good for your health. Gardeners pick up healthy bacteria from working the soil. Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, fresh produce and camaraderie are some of the benefits. Contact Samantha R or Nancy S. We would love to have you join us!

Returning gardeners and new gardeners, now is the time to dig up those weeds before they get too big or go to seed. Remember to enrich your soil because good earth is everything when it comes to organic gardening. The more wiggle worms and the fewer slugs, meal worms and cut worms, the better. Gardeners are already planting cold weather crops and some have been growing seedlings indoors ready to transplant around Mother’s Day. Collars can be made to circle around some young plants to protect them from pest attacks. Other common defense methods to ward off hungry slugs that eat roots and tender young seedlings include using sand or washed, crumbled eggshells. Slugs do not want to crawl over these irritants. Unwashed eggshells will attract unwanted guests to your plot--such as curious canines. So be sure to wash shells before crumbling and placing in your plots.

Good luck and get going, gardeners. Our time is NOW. Let’s celebrate 2021 in style by providing a hearty welcome to Spring!

~Sam and Nancy, Community Garden Coordinators

Write with Friends: New Activity Beginning Monday April 19th ~ Friends are invited to a small writing group where participants may write whatever they want to write—stories, memoirs, journaling, poems, etc. 10:00 AM immediately before Monday Meditation. Two prompts to get you started will be offered, but what is offered need not be accepted.

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

It is not necessary to stay for the Meditation which begins at 11:15 and finishes at noon. Although we have a practice of sharing our meditational experiences afterwards. Meditation participants do not require that you stop writing. Feel free to join us 10:00 to 11:00 AM on May 3, 10, May 17, June 7, 21, 23.

Creation Care ~ Don’t know where to start with adding native plants in your home garden? The Indiana Native Plant Society is hosting this free virtual event on native plants in the home landscape. Register by April 28th! https://mailchi.mp/ea0816263e5e/beauty-and-the-beasties-landscaping-101-for-a-wildlife-friendly-garden?e=7720dfd558

This Thursday, we will be continuing to weed and tidy up the pollinator garden and prepare a planting space for native flag iris to honor the Wood’s benefactor, Marjorie Wright, who passed away many years ago. Marjorie Wright loved iris in the spring and instead of bearded iris, we are planting native flag iris that prefer a wet area in which to thrive. Bring your gardening gloves and head to the Woods at 10 AM for 90 minutes of gardening with others.

Rethink what you recycle! You can be part of the solution with the help of a handy chart on what is and is not recyclable, provided by Consumer Reports—find the link here!

Library Book Highlight! Signs of Salvation: A Biblical Meditation, by Ben Richmond

Ben Richmond is a peace worker, a past editor of Quaker Life magazine and a minister in the Friends Church. Supported by abundant quotes from the Bible, Richmond’s premises are that the Bible is inspired by God and is the authority in matters of faith, that texts should be read for what the words say, and finally Jesus Christ is the interpretive key, and in him the laws of the prophets have their fulfillment.

“God saves us from loneliness—into communities of grace and truth

God saves us from enemies—so we can live free from fear and at peace

God saves us from economic oppression—so we can afford to be generous

God forgives our sins, heals our wounds, and speaks intimately in our hearts”

(Scriptures referred to are NIV, NRSV and RSV).

If you’re interested in checking this book out, we can mail it to you! Simply contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Ventilation:

$tamping for Dollar$ ~ First Friends is becoming known among Quakers around the country for helping Right Sharing of World Resources by selling donated stamps and sending the proceeds to RSWR. RSWR supports women's self-help grassroots organizations in India, Kenya, and Sierra Leone. Who exactly donates the stamps? This question made the Stamping for Dollars team curious about the geographical distribution of our donors, Norma Wallman kindly attached a red dot to a United States map at every location from which we have received a stamp donation since April 2017. View the map in detail here. Thanks, Norma!

We learned that, as shown in the photograph, donors in 43 states send us stamps. Only Idaho, Nevada, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Rhode Island are without stamp donors. Notice that the eastern third of the US has more stamp-sending locations than either the central or the western third.

We also receive stamps from nine foreign countries: Canada, Costa Rica, Great Britain, France, India, Finland, Australia, Switzerland, and Norway.

We are grateful to all of our stamp donors. For more information, see www.rswr.org.

The newest edition of the $stamping for Dollar$ newsletter is out now! View it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtEu890xyoqAVZC8zOPUkfnJWN4VBqAU/view?usp=sharing

Queries for the Week

(From self-led guide)

· How have I forgotten the pleasure and joy of the creativity that God has given me?

· How will I use my creativity this week in my devotional practice and in worshiping God?

Comment

Friend to Friend April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021

As Way Opens

Tomorrow, many will celebrate Earth Day. This year, First Friends has made a month-long focus on our Earth, its care, and the important things we can glean from it for our spiritual and daily lives. Sadly, many miss the important connection between our environment and our Creator God.
Just the idea of global warming seems to polarize many Christians still today. Whether you believe science or not, you must admit these issues are on the minds of the world and are creating increased anxiety and fear.

A few years ago, I found it interesting to poll my college students on what they worry about the most in our world. One of their top answers was the weather and natural disasters. Yet, it is an alarming reality that many people don’t seem to be taking this as serious as our young adults. All too often, environmental subjects are dismissed as mere political spin.
On his blog, Nathan Davis mentions two important points that Christians need to address:

1. Christians have a traditional, deeply rooted affiliation with extreme political views, which in the past have disputed the validity of environmental concerns. Under this influence, they parrot statements fed to them that dismiss or minimize any danger we may face.

2. Many are affected adversely by their belief that the world will one day fall into destruction and be done away with by God and that the world will waste away under his judgment.

This belief, of course, can contribute to a careless attitude toward the earth due to the impending doom already set before it.

Along with Davis, I see these views leaving the church insensitive, selfish and out of touch with reality and what science teaches us. The church is often considered to be turning a deaf ear to what many believe to be a moral issue. Are not moral issues to be addressed by the church? And even more, do we not care how the church is seen by the world?

What gives me hope and calls me to respond in a positive manner is knowing we are committed to our Quaker Testimony of Stewardship – that we value the care of our Earth and take it seriously, and seek to promote environmental justice for the benefit of the next generations. If we embrace this testimony and make our voice known, we have the power of changing this perception of the Church in our world today!

Happy Earth Day!

Bob

Joys & Concerns

We at First Friends hold in the Light the families and loved ones of the 8 victims of the senseless shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis. We ask that you join us in prayer.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- Redistricting Commission Hearing Finale April 22

The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) will hold its last scheduled hearing on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30pm. A link to register for this virtual event is here. Webinar Registration - Zoom

This will be a chance for people across the state (not just in their own Congressional District) to learn the Commission's conclusions from what they heard from citizens about redistricting at the nine Congressional District hearings to date. The ICRC will be reporting on their findings to the Indiana legislature ahead of redistricting this fall, so this hearing is both a finale and a preview. Plus, attendees will be able to speak up with any comments or questions they might have. A great opportunity for those who attended one of the previous hearings, and for those who missed out the first time. Please feel welcome to attend, whether you know anything about legislative redistricting or not. Contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com) with questions. Thanks.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Join Norma for a Wildflower Walk on Earth Day! Connections invites you to a walk through Holliday Park to look at the beautifully blooming wildflowers. It will be held on Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!) from 1-3pm at Holliday Park (6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, 46260). We’ll meet in front of the Nature center for the walk which begins at 1pm. Our guide will be our own Norma W, author of Wildflowers of Holliday Park. If you’re interested you must contact the office at office@indyfriends.org to RSVP, as spaces will be limited. Norma will also have copies of her book available for sale that day. The event will still go on in the event of light rain, but anything harder and we’ll reschedule to the following Thursday. Stay tuned for other programs organized by Connections, including a bird watching event!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson. On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally--and willing to fight to the end.

We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 led by Loryne C.

Claim Your Raised Bed in the First Friends Community Garden! Earth Day is here! Time to claim a garden plot in the north lot Community Garden! Contact Samantha R. or Nancy S. if you want to keep last season’s raised beds or if you want to join us and start a plot. No experience necessary; we will help you learn.

The garden has kale, spinach, lettuce and onions that overwintered. One gardener has planted peas, a cold weather crop. Some gardeners have cleared their plots ready for planting after the cold snap. Now is a good time to add new soil and nutrients to your raised bed. Weeds are abundant. They are easier to remove now before those long tap roots go deeper and before they shed seeds or develop runners and spread. The thistles are especially irksome since they sport stickers and often need to be dug out. So gardeners get going!!! Spring is here for the breathing.

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

10:00 to 11:00 AM this coming Monday, the 19th, skipping April 26, then May 3, 10, May 17, June 7, 21, 23.

Rethink what you recycle! You can be part of the solution with the help of a handy chart on what is and is not recyclable, provided by Consumer Reports—find the link here!

We also receive stamps from nine foreign countries: Canada, Costa Rica, Great Britain, France, India, Finland, Australia, Switzerland, and Norway.

We are grateful to all of our stamp donors. For more information, see www.rswr.org.

The newest edition of the $stamping for Dollar$ newsletter is out now! View it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TtEu890xyoqAVZC8zOPUkfnJWN4VBqAU/view?usp=sharing

You’re Invited to the USFW Spring Conference! All women are invited to the United Society of Friends Women (USFW) virtual Spring Conference which will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, April 27, 9:00 a.m. – noon. The guest speaker will be Katrina McConaughey, who along with her husband, Shawn, are FUM’s Program Officers in the Africa Ministries Office in Kisumu, Kenya. It is a special pleasure to welcome Katrina to our group as she and Shawn will be moving to Plainfield in March 2022 when Shawn becomes Superintendent of Western Yearly Meeting. In addition to hearing from Katrina, we have exciting business to conduct. If you would like to Join, simply follow this link to join when the meeting starts: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81304893359?pwd=Qmx5R3JsandwVjRJYzRmMDJEMnc4QT09. Or, you can dial 312-626-6799, enter Meeting ID: 813 0489 3359; Passcode: 149396.

Library Book Highlight! America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and Bridge to a New America, by Jim Wallis

Wallis, a well-known evangelical Christian, preacher, teacher, and author of ten books, is dedicated to equality and racial justice. Quoting from a great variety theologians, historians and philosophers, he establishes the social gospel firmly within a Christian foundation. In the chapter “Repentance Means More than Just Saying You’re Sorry he quotes New Testament scholar N. T. Wright: “…repentance is the recognition that the living God has made us humans to reflect his image into this world and that we haven’t done it.” Repentance is not only about personal sins but on the larger scale our societal sins against the poor and people of color. He writes: the next bridge to cross is American’s transition from a majority white nation to a majority of racial minorities. He refers to the demographic shift projected to occur during the next few decades.

If you’re interested in checking this book out, we can mail it to you! Simply contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for April
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Eyes Are the Key!

In November of 2019 I introduced the reader to the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This month we meet its cousin, the Golden-crowned Kinglet. Both species can be seen this month, but will leave in a few weeks for their northern nesting locales. As the names suggest, one difference is the color atop the head. Male ruby-crowns have a red spot, while the females have none. Female golden-crowns have a yellow patch surrounded by black, and so do the males, but the latter also have an orange-red patch in the middle of the yellow!! If one googles images of these two species, it will become clear. Let’s complicate matters. These are just about the smallest birds around here with the exception of hummingbirds, and kinglets are constantly in motion. Once a birder locates the spot on the branch where the bird is, it isn’t there anymore. It moves from branch to branch and leaf to leaf, constantly flicking its wings. So you know it is a kinglet, but which of the two? Getting a good look at the head patch is difficult. I have found that it is easier to look at the eyes. The eyes of the ruby-crowned are black, and set in a small oval patch of white, while in the golden-crowned, the black eye lies in a black stripe! So the “eyes” have it, although I do enjoy seeing the crown color. In our woods to really get to know the bird, one should look into its eyes.

I know people like that. They hurry and scurry, accomplishing much, but are difficult to get to know in the midst of activity. With a little patience, and, given a chance to really look them in the eye, true “Friend-ship” can result!! -Brad J

The Reopening Task Force presented a report to Monthly Meeting on April 18, available by clicking here. The report included a recommendation that the meeting consider plans for outdoors worship on Mothers’ Day, May 9, in Mediational Woods. Also recommended is that Monthly Meeting consider resuming indoors worship the following Sunday, May 16, to continue indefinitely as circumstances allow. In response these recommendations, a called Clerk’s Council meeting has been scheduled for April 22 to address these recommendations.

Ventilation:

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

· What am I learning from the creation around me about my faith journey? When will I spend some time in creation this week to glean from its wisdom?

· As Quakers, what do our “purity codes” look like today? Who might we unaware be categorizing, excluding or labeling in our daily life?

· Where do we see God planting a “mustard seed” in the life of First Friends?

(From self-led guide)

· Do you see evidence that we are currently up to the task of answering the spiritual and moral questions at the root of our ecological crisis?

Comment

Friend to Friend April 14, 2021

April 14, 2021

As Way Opens

I am amazed every year that I have lived in my home in the Canterbury neighborhood with this rhododendron bush outside my front door. It bursts forth for about six days each spring and every year I forget how magnificent it stands. I stand in awe of the beauty of creation as I look at this bush morning, noon and night. If you look closely you will also see this amazing bumble bee sucking the nectar out of a blossom here.

As I think about this month that we honor the earth, we need to reflect on the presence of creation in this very moment. It means that we honor and value the moment and everything that we are experiencing. Of course, this can be taken to an extreme as I have seen in relationships in my family where living in the moment and not being concerned about the future means destructive behavior today. We all have to balance living in the moment and appreciating how to be present today with a need to plan and be responsible for our future.

My late husband Jerry (who will have been gone five years this Sunday) helped me a lot with this in the last few years of his life. Some of our best times were sitting on our deck listening to the birds. Because he could only appreciate the moment, he would bring me out of my worry for the future to the current beauty in the trees, the birds, the flowers, the sky. This was a gift and a blessing to steady my life in appreciating the beauty in the here and now.

I like this Mary Oliver poem:

Swan

Did you too see it, drifting, all night on the black river?

Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air, an armful of white blossoms, a perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned into the bondage of its wings: a snowbank, a bank of lilies, biting the air with its black beak?

Did you hear it, fluting and whistling

a shrill dark music, like the rain pelting the trees, like a waterfall knifing down the black ledges?

And did you see it, finally just under the clouds- a white cross streaming across the sky, its feet like black leaves, its wings like the stretching light of the river?

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?

And have you changed your life?

Beth

Joys & Concerns

MANY THANKS to our Mid-North Food Pantry volunteers: Linda and Rik Lineback; Phil Goodchild; Penny Paraskevas; David Beatty; Mara Snyder; Virginia and Derek Snell; Christie Moulton; Kathy and Bill Farris; Barbara Oberreich; Ruth Kelly; Corrine Imboden; and Carol and Jim Donahue. We finally had a sunny and warm day at the pantry! Thanks to our First Friends volunteers and all who have contributed to the Mid North Food Pantry fundraiser to serve those in need. There is one more week to make your donation for the benefit of the Mid North Food Pantry. You can send a check to First Friends with “food pantry” noted in the memo section—no later than April 18. Or, you can also donate online on our secure website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support and choose the “Mid-North Food Pantry” fund. Or you can donate via text by texting PANTRY to 317-768-0303. We will present one large check to the pantry on behalf of First Friends at an upcoming volunteer day.

We sadly share the news of the passing of Joyce Flight. Joyce was the Christian Education Director at First Friends for a number of years a few decades ago. Her obituary can be found at: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=joyce-gladys-flight&pid=198175663&fhid=14502. Please keep her family in your prayers.

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

IFCL -- Redistricting Commission Hearing Finale April 22

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

First Friends Bible Study ~ A new session of the First Friends Bible study will kick off on Thursday, April 15 at 7:30 pm. We'll study the 13-lesson book Christ as Present Teacher: Learning to Love, in the Barclay Press Illuminate series. The class meets by Zoom. All are welcome to join or drop in to see what the class is like. If you have questions, or are interested, contact the First Friends office: office@indyfriends.org.

All are invited to an upcoming Spirit & Place online event! The Spirit & Place Festival holds dozens of "never-seen-before" programs. Artists and authors, entrepreneurs and neighborhood organizers, storytellers and scholars come together with singles and couples, families and friends in a true community conversation. You’re invited to their online event, Living Stories: An Evening with Dr. Elaine Pagels on April 16 at 6:30pm. Dr. Pagels will be helping Spirit & Place bridge its past and current themes -- Origins & Change -- by joining Dr. Maria Hamilton Abegunde in conversation that explores how nothing about religion, its meaning, or purpose is static. With every generation, the stories, traditions, and practices held dear by many, change in some way. New discoveries, questions, and perspectives open a world of possibility on how we understand the nature of religion. Religious studies scholar and best-selling author Dr. Elaine Pagels has spent her career examining not only the origins of (Western) religious traditions and how they shape our understanding of ourselves, but also the necessity of re-interpreting these sacred stories so that they might continue to help us in challenging times. Find more information on Spirit and Place’s 2021 festival here: https://spiritandplace.org/Festival.aspx?access=Year. If you’re interested in this event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-stories-an-evening-with-elaine-pagels-presented-by-spirit-place-tickets-136829886875.

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. Please get donations in by Friday, April 16. Thank you for your support!

Gardeners and Wannabe Gardeners: Plots Available. Get Ready, Set, Go! ~ Spring is here! If you want to reclaim or claim a raised bed in the Community Garden in the north lot, please contact Samantha at sam.kg.ryan@gmail.com or Nancy S.

Bread for the World Zoom Event ~ On Tuesday, April 20, Bread for the World will host a Zoom event, Feeding Our Economy: Food Security. Good for Business. This zoom will feature four speakers: Dr. Heather Eicher-Miller from Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, Eric Halvorson from Kroger Corporation, Michelle Hummel, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant and former WIC staff member, and Senator Mike Braun, to address food security/hunger issues.

Hunger affects us all, either directly or indirectly. Children who are hungry can’t focus or reach their potential. Workers are less productive. Combined, our overall economy is threatened. More importantly, there is enough food for everyone; we just need to get it to those who are hungry because this is what caring people do for each other.

Bread for the World (https://www.bread.org/) is “a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decisions makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Moved by God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we advocate for a world without hunger.” Keeping informed about national legislation that involves hunger-related issues, BFW members contact members of Congress to advocate for the hungry among us and worldwide. This Zoom event, with the goal of 350 people participating, will educate us about food issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and will demonstrate our commitment to finding solutions.

There is a strong contingent of workers from First Friends who volunteer weekly at the Mid-North food pantry. These people know the fine line that so many people tread to have food to sustain them. With hundreds of pantries like Mid-North in Indiana and nationwide along with the legislative work that BFW advocates, hunger can be eliminated.

Please consider attending this free Zoom event and register at this link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feeding-our-economy-tickets-141487076655

If you have any questions regarding the event or about Bread for the World, you can contact Corinne Imboden, cimboden@sbcglobal.net.

Join Norma for a Wildflower Walk on Earth Day! Connections invites you to a walk through Holliday Park to look at the beautifully blooming wildflowers. It will be held on Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!) from 1-3pm at Holliday Park (6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, 46260). We’ll meet in front of the Nature center for the walk which begins at 1pm. Our guide will be our own Norma Bangel Wallman, author of Wildflowers of Holliday Park. If you’re interested you must contact the office at office@indyfriends.org to RSVP, as spaces will be limited. Norma will also have copies of her book available for sale that day. The event will still go on in the event of light rain, but anything harder and we’ll reschedule to the following Thursday. Stay tuned for other programs organized by Connections, including a bird watching event!

Gloria Gaither’s Songwriting Intensive ~ You’re invited to a songwriting intensive hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University and led by Gloria Gaither—a celebrated songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. Dive into the art of songwriting as a means of storytelling with award-winning and seasoned songwriters. You will be enriched by participants from around the world in a weekend of classes and collaboration. The event will take place from June 17-20, 2021. For more information, to see the other clinicians, and to register, visit https://www.indwes.edu/undergraduate/division-of-music/songwriting-intensive.

This will be a live activity in the parlor, socially distanced and masked. Please bring writing materials and a clipboard or notebook. Open to anyone around age 12 and over.

10:00 to 11:00 AM this coming Monday, the 19th, skipping April 26, then May 3, 10, May 17, June 7, 21, 23.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for April
Golden-crowned Kinglet
The Eyes Are the Key!

Other updates:

· Larger groups of up to 30 people may meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups. Groups using Fellowship Hall will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and reclose/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.

· Three listening sessions for the full meeting to discuss issues related to reopening have taken place. Non-pastoral members of the Reopening Task Force were not in attendance, but have received a follow-up report, available by clicking here. The Reopening Task Force met on April 8 to address listening session results and will be presenting a detailed report at the April 18 Monthly Meeting.

Ventilation:

Notes from the Woods ~ Go out and enjoy the Woods and any place that speaks to you about nature and the power of rebirth! Delight in the sights and smells and plants emerging from their winter rest.

Then consider some of Bob's queries about how each one of us can be better stewards of the earth.

Some actions to consider:

Plant native shrubs and trees.
Reduce your lawn size and plant more native plants for our bees, butterflies and birds.Indiana Wildlife Federation, Hamilton County Soil and Water and Cool Creek Park have plant sales of natives. https://indianawildlife.org/take-action/native-plant-sale/ https://www.hamiltonswcd.org/store/c4/Native_Plant_Kits.html Indiana Native Plant Society has its annual plant sale.https://indiananativeplants.org/native-plant-auction-2021/
Pay attention to your electricity use- where can you draw down your energy use?
How much garbage do you produce as a household? How can you reduce your household waste?
Mount an anti-litter campaign in your neighborhood.. KIB offers support for neighborhood cleanups! https://www.kibi.org/

Carmel Green is putting out the word on residential solar

Hamilton Southeastern Schools is hosting a fun family outdoor event including tours of the school’s solar system this Sat. April 17, 10-1 p.m. Great way to celebrate Earth Day!
Solar webinars are scheduled April through September.

Get the details and RSVP here (scroll down).

The 26% federal tax credit was extended and net metering is still available. So folks interested in going solar can still get a good deal this year.

Happy Spring!

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

From the book "Practicing Peace" by Friend Catherine Whitmire.

· What have I learned from listening to God in the earth, rocks, trees, water, and animals? How has this learning affected or changed my life?

· In what ways does my daily life exemplify, reflect, or belie my respect for the oneness of Creation and my care for the environment?

· Am I willing to change the way I live and make sacrifices in my lifestyle in order to preserve the earth, air, and water for future generations? What changes am I willing to make now?

(From self-led guide)

· What does the life and ministry of Jesus mean to me, today?

· How may I continue to make visible the life and ministry of Jesus by utilizing my own gifting and life?

· What am I giving thanks for as I continue to celebrate the Resurrection?

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Friend to Friend April 7, 2021

April 8, 2021

As Way Opens

A few weeks ago, my parents bought us a new contraption to feed birds in our back yard. It looks like a pillar of glued together seeds that hangs from a metal hook among our other bird feeders. I believe they are actually known as a “Seed Logs” – and specifically used to attract woodpeckers. After just a couple of days of having the log, woodpeckers made their way to our backyard for what, so far, seems to be a tasty treat.

I now enjoy sitting on my back porch to watch the antics of what I have learned is the Downy Woodpecker – a very common woodpecker in Indiana. I read that Downy Woodpeckers are smart and versatile, I have had a rather young-looking Downy visiting on a regular basis. When he first visited our backyard, he seemed a bit disheveled and maybe a bit flighty. He likes to land at the top of our bird feeder hook and slowly work his way down to the seed log – all the while looking around for anything that may fly in to challenge his seed eating.

Then today, I was observing the little guy and I began to wonder if he had lost it. There he sat perched on and pecking away at the metal pole and making a heck-of-a racket. Most of the time this Downy sits perched on the log with a myriad of wild birds from finches to the Tufted Titmouse around him with no concern, yet today was different. This behavior lasted for some time before he finally had scared most of the other birds away leaving him to all the seeds.

I thought he may have been a bit greedy, but after doing some research, I was surprised to find out that banging on that metal pole was his mating call and the marking of his territory. He was just trying to attract more woodpeckers like him. Yet, in doing this, he would consistently scare away the variety of bird friends around him.

I had a mentor who once said, “If I am trying to learn a lesson, I go watch the birds in my backyard. They always teach me something.” And at First Friends we are blessed to have our own bird expert, Brad Jackson to glean some bird wisdom for our daily journey.

The Downy Woodpecker had me thinking about the church. How often when trying to attract new people, do we overlook the variety of people all around us? How often are we just making a racket that turns people off? Could it be that too often we are simply wanting to attract people like ourselves, all the while, God has been leading a myriad of people to our meeting doors or YouTube channel? It is something to ponder.

I encourage you to go watch the birds this week. See what you glean from their presence in your life.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

A HUGE thanks to everyone who helped make our first in-person Meeting for Worship a success—especially Ed Morris, who arranged for the canopy and other logistics. We had a wonderful Easter together and we loved seeing everyone! (Thanks to Bob Henry and Kim H for pictures.)

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Please note, this Thursday’s Workday in the Woods has been cancelled due to questionable weather. Please join us on another Thursday from 10am-12pm to help make our woods beautiful!

Still need a Coronavirus vaccine? Light of the World church is hosing a vaccine clinic that is open to the general public. No appointment is necessary, simply show up to the church at 4646 N Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, 46228 on Saturday, April 10 from 9am-5pm. This is for adults age 18 and up. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot will be given.

Then the following day, Sunday, April 11 from 2pm-4pm, there will be a clinic for youth ages 16-17 to receive the Pfizer vaccine. For more information or for questions, contact 317-202-7508.

Friendly Reminder from Trustees and Maintenance Committees- Please refrain from planting trees, shrubs, flowers, etc., around the grounds unless approved in writing from Trustees and Maintenance Committees. We need to responsibly manage what is presently planted on the property. Please help us by working together to responsibly and safely maintain the grounds.

Meditational Woods manages the wooded property to the east of the Meetinghouse.

The Community Garden group (Samantha Ryan and Nancy Scott) oversees the small gardens in the north lot.

Thank you for helping us manage the property.

Youth Group Meetup ~ Youth Group will be meeting in person at the Meetinghouse grounds on Sunday, April 11th for an outdoor picnic and games. Please mark your calendars, and contact Beth if you’re interested in joining! office@indyfriends.org.

Book Spotlight from our Library:

Conversation with Christ: Quaker Meditations on the Gospel of John by Douglas Gwyn

“Using guided meditation, Gwyn invites the reader to engage in her or his own conversation with the living Christ.” He refers to biblical scholarship, early Quakers, and his own insights to draw readers into a personal connection with Christ. A few chapter headings will give you an idea of the topics he discusses insightfully, perceptively, and deeply: Women of Samaria, “The Jews”, The Way, the Truth and the Life, Simon Peter.

Gwyn, a recorded minister, has written several other books available in our library.

Mid North Food Pantry ~ First Friends has begun its annual Mid North Food Pantry fundraiser. Mid North relies not only on the volunteers of First Friends and others, but also on financial assistance to purchase food and other supplies needed to operate the pantry. Since Mid North is able to purchase food at a much lower cost than you can, you can show your support for the pantry by making a financial contribution to the pantry. Checks should be made out to First Friends (with a note “food pantry” in the memo section) and sent to First Friends no later than Apr-18. Or, you can also donate online on our secure website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support and choose the “Mid-North Food Pantry” fund. Or you can donate via text by texting PANTRY to 317-768-0303. Thank you for your consideration.

We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 led by Loryne C. Contact the office for Zoom details: office@indyfriends.org.

Please consider attending this free Zoom event and register at this link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feeding-our-economy-tickets-141487076655

If you have any questions regarding the event or about Bread for the World, you can contact Corinne Imboden, cimboden@sbcglobal.net.

Words from the Woods ~ We’ve added a few new plants to the Woods: look for spicebush, New Jersey Tea and a pagoda dogwood. A wheelbarrow full of honeysuckle was pulled out and disposed. We’ve scattered native grass, wildflower and sedge seeds in different areas, so we hope that we will see more growth soon.

Thanks to Mindy and Linda for their helping hands. Amy Perry has rearranged the entry berm that supports the Woods dedication monument to make it even more beautiful.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) has many activities to help with Creation Care.

· Family learning activities for Earth Month. https://www.kibi.org/nature-learning-activities

· Kick start spring cleaning! Host a Great Indy Cleanup, find out the date of your neighborhood cleanup, or join us on April 24 for a cleanup at Indiana Guide Right.

Do you want a KIB pocket park in your neighborhood? Is there a vacant or under-used lot in your neighborhood? A place that where you and your neighbors could spend time together outside, if it had just a little love and attention? Do native plants and butterflies make your daily walks a delight? Then a greenspace sounds right for you! Applications for our 2022 AES Indiana Project GreenSpace projects are open until May 31, 2021. Apply now!

Other updates:

Larger groups of up to 30 people may meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups. Groups using Fellowship Hall will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and reclose/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.
Three listening sessions for the full meeting to discuss issues related to reopening have taken place. Non-pastoral members of the Reopening Task Force were not in attendance, but have received a follow-up report, available by clicking here. The Reopening Task Force is scheduled to meet on April 8 to address the report.

Ventilation:

As reported in March 2021, the Trustees have shared the following messaging with the Reopening Task Force: “Trustees established fresh air ventilation is abundant in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. First Friends was built without central air conditioning. Ventilation was an important consideration during construction planning. We are blessed with an excellent ventilation system in Fellowship Hall and the Meeting Room. There are fans and switches in both locations. When fans are running and windows and doors are opened, there is an abundance of fresh air available in each of those rooms. Any group requesting use of Fellowship Hall is required to use the ventilation system in place while meeting.”
As a review, the Trustees presented a report in November 2020 on the ventilation at the First Friends building, based on assessment including: the HVAC system and filters, attic and exhaust; a 1950s report created by the First Friends Construction Committee; and measurements taken using a CO2 detector. Among the findings:
In the Meeting Room, there are four windows that open, plus four ventilation fans in the ceiling. With windows opened, the fans can draw air through the Meeting Room to meet the CDC guidelines of six fresh air exchanges per hour.
In Fellowship Hall, a fan on the west wall and an exhaust fan in the kitchen draw air outside. A fan near the entrance brings fresh air inside, heats and circulates it. There are 11 windows that open and two new air conditioning fans.

Queries for the Week

(From virtual worship)

Where is the Divine calling me to “rise up” or “take a stand” to show that another world is possible?
Who do I struggle to find equality with in this world? How might I help bring “resurrection” into their lives, today?
Where do I see “resurrection” taking place as we come out of this time of death known as the pandemic?

(From self-led guide)

What is the Present Teacher - Christ saying to me, today?
Where do I see God’s hand in the changes taking place around me?
Who in my life do I see the face of the risen Christ within? Who might I be missing Christ within?

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