Friend to Friend January 12, 2022

January 13, 2022

As Way Opens

A friend sent me this writing from St John of the Cross from The Ascent of Mount Carmel. I usually think of this mystic monk and writer from the 16th century as the author of the Dark Night of the Soul. That was the classic writing on facing our disbelief, feeling alone and abandoned. It was in this place of darkness, that the Light of God surrounded him and overwhelmed him.

This particular writing really moved me and seems like the follow up to the Dark Night of the Soul. I am embracing this as I set my intentions for the new year. We are peering into uncertainty and darkness in these turbulent times. Yet the light of faith allows me to see a brilliance that is as if I was blind before. We can see into the darkness.

"The overwhelming light of faith eclipses our intellect and what we can see.

The light of faith is like the light of the sun,

So bright that when it is shining all other lights seem not to be lights at all,

All other ways of seeing seem not to be seeing.

The light of faith does not improve our human sight, it overwhelms it.

Discovering the light of faith is like being born blind,

And then being introduced to colors we have never seen.

It is seeing with a wholly new kind of sight.

When we see with the eyes of faith,

We are seeing in the dark."

May we all set our intentions each day to live into this vibrant light and allow this light of faith to guide our daily paths.

Beth

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

IMPORTANT NOTICE: January Meeting for Worship ~ Please stay tuned to your emails for clerk’s council’s decision on whether or not to continue meeting in person for the rest of January. Please note if we do hold worship, we will not serve any snacks or drinks for Fellowship Hour after Meeting for Worship. We will still gather with masks on for this time of fellowship. Thank you for your cooperation!

Office Notice ~ Please note that our Office Administrator Rebecca will be gone for two weeks and will return January 31. During this time Bob and Beth will answer calls and emails and cover office duties. If you are in need of something, please bear with the office during that time!

Gnostic Gospel Group ~ Everyone is invited to join us on Thursday January 13 from 6-8pm for a group study on the non-canonical/Gnostic Gospels. This time we will study the Book of Thomas. We will be meeting by Zoom only. If you are interested, email, call the office at 317-255-2485

Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day Celebration Service ~ Shalom Zone invites you to an annual service in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. It will be held Monday, January 17 at 11:00 at Cross & Crown Lutheran Church, 5233 E. 79th St, Indianapolis, 46250. The keynote speaker will be Rev. Kenneth Wheeler, nationally recognized preacher and author. It will also feature guest musicians, The Lewis Trio. Our own Pastor Bob will also be participating in the service. A catered community luncheon will be served immediately following the service (vegetarian and take home options available). Face masks are optional. If you’d like to join virtually, the livestream will be at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1f79BoM9fw. Questions? Contact info@ccllutheran.com.

You’re Invited to Alhuda Mosque Tour- POSTPONED ~ Our trip to Alhuda Mosque in Fishers has been postponed to Saturday, February 12th at 10:00am. We will have a tour and a time for questions and answers. Please let Beth know if you would like to join us—there is still time to sign up!

Adult Quaker Affirmation POSTPONED ~ Please note that our adult Quaker Affirmation class series start date has been postponed to begin on Sunday, February 6th, from 11:30-1:00. This is an 8-week study of what it means to be a Quaker. It will cover Quaker history, theology, and what Quakers are doing in the world today. Spots are still open! If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Please note that there will be no Men’s Threshing Together meeting for January. We plan to pick it back up in February. Please see the schedule here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11F_3lXxX3ZNRAW1yoowKrA2H2iDDLqvP/view

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month

For January: Song Sparrow

Anticipation

In the Christian calendar we will in a couple of months begin Lent, a period of anticipation leading up to Easter. Recently we celebrated Advent, looking forward to Christmas. The anticipation for Christmas seems to stretch the “secular advent” until it begins, in stores at least, around Halloween.

In the bird world the anticipation is celebrated by the males of many species, as they sing and perhaps begin to display courtship rituals far earlier than the actual time for nesting. In the Meditational Woods the champions of this early stretching behavior are, among others, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, and this month’s selection, Song Sparrow. All it takes is a bright sunny day in January, cold temperatures or not, and snow covered or not, and the hormones in some of these males seem to wake up and cause the males to break out in full song. Perhaps they are practicing for later. I can just imagine the females responding with a loud groan and, “Hey, hold your horses!! It’s not time yet!!”

For me, it brings a smile to my face. I share the anticipation of the boys. The bright sun and resulting singing remind me that, although much of winter is still ahead, part of God’s creation is anticipating springtime. ~Brad J

FCNL: Setting Quaker Lobbying Priorities for the 118th Congress ~ Every two years, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) asks Friends around the country for help in setting the focus of our advocacy work. Starting now until mid-April, you and your community of Friends can participate in this discernment process to influence the priorities that we at FCNL will advocate for during the next Congress starting in 2023. Join us for our January Quaker Changemaker event to get inspiration from Friends’ experiences bringing Friends together through this process and get ready to engage your community to do the same.

Current Field Committee clerk Deb Hejl and former Policy Committee clerk Alex Stark will discuss the FCNL priorities process with moderator Bobby Trice. Learn what engaging in this process can look like, and then bring this knowledge to your Quaker communities to inform FCNL’s legislative agenda.

To register and for more information, visit https://www.fcnl.org/events/setting-quaker-lobbying-priorities-118th-congress.

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2022!

January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah

May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks

September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Queries for the Week

· How aware am I of the need for others in my life?

· Who may I need to “turn to” this week and listen to more intently?

· As a faith community, how might we at First Friends embrace a spirit of ubuntu in the coming year?

Comment

Friend to Friend January 5, 2022

January 10, 2022

As Way Opens

I started 2022 by reading devotionally Victoria Loorz’s book, Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred. In the fourth chapter, Loorz writes of how we are to enter sacred places.

Reading her words, I could not help but think about how we often enter the New Year. Some of us almost crash into the New Year hoping that a handful of resolutions or a new exercise plan will make the change we have needed in our lives. Others reluctantly enter the New Year with trepidatious and anxious tiptoeing hoping not to disturb anything. Loorz suggests another approach which I have adapted for entering the New Year – sauntering.

Loorz points out that the ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, John Muir loved to utilize the word, saunter, to emphasize our need to enter slowly and intentionally into life. Muir used to explain it this way.

“Away back in the Middle Ages, people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they are going, they would replay, ‘A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they become known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers.”

To say we are sauntering into 2022, means that we are invited and allured by a desire to wander, deeply listen, pay attention, and step off the “hamster wheel” of life. Loorz says, “This is an invitation to depart from what is familiar and easy in order to step into what is wild and unknown.”

We do not know what 2022 will bring, yet how we approach it will be vitally important. May we saunter into 2022 and allow ourselves to be allured and surprised by all that the Divine is presenting to us in the present moment.

Grace and peace (and Happy New Year),

Bob

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

You’re Invited to Alhuda Mosque Tour ~ We will be taking a trip to Alhuda Mosque in Fishers on Saturday, January 15th at 10:00am. We will have a tour and a time for questions and answers. Please let Beth know if you would like to join us—there is still time to sign up! beth.henricks@indyfriends.org.

Adult Quaker Affirmation Coming Soon ~ We are glad to offer an adult Quaker Affirmation class series which will begin on Sunday, January 16, from 11:30-1:00. This is an 8-week study of what it means to be a Quaker. It will cover Quaker history, theology, and what Quakers are doing in the world today. Spots are still open! If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or Beth at Beth.henricks@indyfriends.org.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that in an abundance of caution, for the month of January, we will not serve any snacks or drinks for Fellowship Hour after Meeting for Worship. We will still gather with masks on for this time of fellowship. Thank you for your cooperation!

Gnostic Gospel Group ~ Everyone is invited to join us on Thursday January 13 from 6-8pm for a group study on the non-canonical/Gnostic Gospels. This time we will study the Book of Thomas. A light supper will also be served. If you are interested, email the meeting office (office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485).

A Girl from Galilee - Beth Farris has published a book titled A Girl from Galilee. The book is targeted for high school aged readers, but can be enjoyed by anyone interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity. Anna is a shepherdess in first-century Galilee, passionate about God and driven to learn more. But Anna's faith is suddenly challenged when an altercation forces her to defend her life.

Encompassing an exploration and celebration of the roots of Christianity, this is the story of a girl who can do nothing else but seek the path forward, a girl learning to trust God not only with her marriage but with her life. It is for sale on the Barnes and Noble website, or through Amazon.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month

For January: Song Sparrow

Anticipation

Brad J

First Friends to Meet Afghan Evacuee Family Virtually Because of COVID!

Exodus Refugee Asks Us to Interact Virtually as Much as Possible.

First Friends welcomes our co-sponsored family to Indianapolis and our First Friends community! Our co-sponsor, Exodus Refugee, matched us with an Afghan evacuee family of seven— a mother, father and five children. Their native language is Dari and they don’t speak English.

The family settled into their new home with help from Exodus’ housing team and their home was stocked with food and furniture from Exodus. Later the family will select items from First Friends’ donations. Steve S., Point Person for the Setting Up Activity Group, may need volunteers to help move items later.

Soon the Afghan Team and helpers will meet the family virtually because of COVID. Once we meet them we will be better able to assist them.

Thank you everyone for your gifts of prayer, time, talent,

household goods, knowledge, and dollars to support the First Friends Afghan Project, Exodus and ultimately the family with whom we have been matched.

Re: Furnishings and household goods

From: Barbara O., Afghan Project Coordinating Committee,

Set Up Activity Group

Many thanks to everyone who has offered furniture and other household goods to our family! They have seen our list and have chosen a few pieces that they need. We are not actively asking for more, nor will we schedule any pick-ups until we receive word from them. We’ll let you know as soon as we have their complete list of needs.

Re: Monetary Donations

From: Jim D.,

Afghan Project Fundraiser

If you would like to assist the Afghan Project, send a check to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” Thank you for supporting this cause.

For your convenience we are including the two links to articles about Afghan culture and customs that we have featured previously. Here is a guide from Riley, and here is another guide from Southeastern National Tuberculosis Center.

—Nancy S, Clerk, First Friends Afghan Project

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2022!

January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah

May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks

September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich ~ Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction ~ Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.

Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation” bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination” that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans “for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run”? Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life.

We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, January 25th led by Rhonda C.

Here is the NYTimes review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/03/books/review/night-watchman-louise-erdrich.html

Comment

Friend to Friend December 22, 2021

December 30, 2021

As Way Opens

Reading Richard Rohr’s writings this week about Christmas reminded me again of how God comes into our world.

"There’s really nothing necessarily pretty about the first Christmas. We have Joseph breaking the law, knowing what he should do with a seemingly “adulterous woman,” but he doesn’t divorce Mary as the Law clearly tells him to do, even though he has no direct way of knowing that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit [Matthew 1:18–24]. It can certainly lead us to wonder why so much of Christianity became so legalistic when we have at its very beginning a man who breaks the law to protect the dignity of the woman he loves. Then we clearly have a couple that is homeless and soon to be refugees or immigrants in their flight to Egypt shortly after Jesus’ birth [Matthew 2:13–15].

So where is this God revealing God’s self? Certainly not in the “safe” world, but at the edge, at the bottom, among those people and places where we don’t want to find God, where we don’t look for God, where we don’t expect God. The way we’ve shaped Christianity, one would think it was all about being nice and middle class and “normal” and under the law. In the Gospels, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are none of those things, so they might just be telling us we should be looking elsewhere for our status and dignity. Maybe the reason that our knowledge of God is so limited is because we’ve been looking for God in places we consider nice and pretty. Instead, God chooses the ordinary and messy.

What is our story as Christians? God being totally vulnerable, totally poor, a little child. If we’re honest, this is not a fitting image for God. It’s telling us right away that God is not who we think God is! Sadly, most people’s image of God is jolly Santa, making a list and checking it twice, finding out who’s naughty or nice. It’s certainly not this humble, helpless baby who has come to love us in ways that we’re not ready to be loved.

What this feast tells us is that reality, at its deepest foundation, is good, even “very good.” The divine is hidden quietly inside the human. The holy is hidden in the physical and the material. Therefore, we have every reason to live in hope and trust and confidence."

May we this holiday season find God in unexpected places, within the ordinary and within our own messiness. And may we seek God’s face in the stranger among us.

Merry Christmas.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

A note from Shawn P:

To my First Friends family: Thank you so much for your many letters, cards, words of appreciation and the wonderful celebration you had for me in November: it was so much fun!

I am truly humbled and honored to have been part of the music ministry here at FF for 25 years and that FF has been a place where I could grow in many ways. I am most grateful for the lifelong friendships I have from here and First Friends will always be a part of me.

Much love,

Shawn

A note from Billie M:

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to one and all! Big hugs ALL AROUND! -Billie

Christmas Singalong ~ Hark! What was the joyful noise emanating from the halls of First Friends last Friday night? No, not necessarily angels but three Santas! Jim and the Band (Jim K, Jesse S and Luke, Jim’s nephew) appeared for a Christmas Singalong.

It was a dreary, rainy night outdoors; indoors there were refreshments and jingle bells. Words of Christmas carols were shown on a screen in case singers only remembered the choruses. The performance also featured moving original music and lyrics by band members, especially when Luke sang solo.

As participants were leaving a call came in from Billie Main who is in hospice care at her son’s home. The crowd sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” to her and she responded in typical Billie fashion. She sang her rendition of “Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends” (not real name, but you know the song) back to the gathering. All present laughed at Unforgettable Billie’s special gift to us. Everyone dispersed with a smile and disappeared into the December night.

-Nancy (Thanks to Nancy S for the photos).

This past Sunday was our annual Children’s Pageant in Meeting for Worship. The kids had a great time, and so did we! Thank you to Sam Ryan for bringing baby Lana to be our Baby Jesus. All of our children did a wonderful job telling the Christmas story!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Christmas Eve Service ~ We invite you to join us for our annual Christmas Eve Service, which will be held in-person on Friday, December 24 at 5:30pm. This family Christmas Eve service, “Let There Be Light!” is a simple, Quakerly take on Christmas. We will have Christmas music, a song for the kids, and lighting of individual candles. We hope you will join us for this special service. If you’d like to join us online, we’ll have a separate video premiering at 5:30 on our YouTube channel that can also be watched at any time. Tune in at https://youtu.be/yl5o03g0uu4.

Please note: Office Closed ~ Please note that the Meeting office will be closed Monday and Tuesday, December 27 and 28 as well as Monday, January 3rd due to the holidays. There will also be no Friend to Friend next week, December 29. We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh

During Sarah Smarsh’s turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the forces of cyclical poverty and the country’s changing economic policies solidified her family’s place among the working poor. By telling the story of her life and the lives of the people she loves, Smarsh challenges us to look more closely at the class divide in our country and examine the myths about people thought to be less because they earn less. Her personal history affirms the corrosive impact intergenerational poverty can have on individuals, families, and communities, and she explores this idea as lived experience, metaphor, and level of consciousness.

Smarsh was born a fifth generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side and the product of generations of teen mothers on her maternal side. Through her experiences growing up as the daughter of a dissatisfied young mother and raised predominantly by her grandmother on a farm thirty miles west of Wichita, we are given a unique and essential look into the lives of poor and working class Americans living in the heartland. Combining memoir with powerful analysis and cultural commentary, Heartland is an uncompromising look at class, identity, and the particular perils of having less in a country known for its excess.

We will gather at the Kathy Rhyne’s home and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 led by Kathy R.

Welcome to our Afghan Family!

First Friends Co-Sponsors Afghan Evacuees

First Friends welcomes our sponsored Afghan family to Indianapolis and our First Friends community! We have been expecting them and preparing for their arrival.

Our co-sponsor, Exodus Refugee, told us Thursday that we are matched with an Afghan evacuee family of six— a mother, father and four children, one young enough to need a highchair. Their native language is Dari and they speak no English.

The family settled into their new home with help from Exodus’ housing team since it was a very fast turnaround time when the family decided to remain in Indianapolis rather than continue on to Bloomington. The Exodus team stocked the home with food and furniture and is allowing the Sultanis to select items from First Friends’ donations. Steve S, Point Person for the Set Up Activity Group, may need volunteers to help move items at a later date.

The Afghan Team and helpers will NOT meet the family until after January 3rd because of low staffing at Exodus and a lack of interpreters. Then we will learn more about them.

Thank you everyone for your gifts of prayer, time, talent, household goods, knowledge, and dollars to support the First Friends Afghan Project, Exodus and ultimately the Sultanis.

Re: Furnishings and household goods
From: Barbara O, Afghan Project Coordinating Committee, Set Up Activity Group

Many thanks to everyone who has offered furniture and other household goods to our family! They have seen our list and have chosen a few pieces that they need. We are not actively asking for more, nor will we schedule any pick-ups until we receive word from them. We are told that it will likely be after January 3. We’ll let you know as soon as we have their complete list of needs.

Re: Monetary Donations
From: Jim D,
Afghan Project Fundraiser

Exodus Refugee, sub-contracted by the U. S. Government, requires that First Friends raise $5,000 to assist the resettlement of Afghan evacuees. We hope to achieve most of this goal yet this year but will also accept donations in January 2022. Checks should be written and sent to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” If you plan to make a contribution in 2022, we would appreciate that you send a note to First Friends with the amount that you intend to contribute in 2022.

—Nancy S, Clerk, First Friends Afghan Project

‘Tis the season to receive mail with postage stamps on it! This is an ideal time to begin trimming stamps off packages and cards that you receive. Trim them with 1/4 or 1/8 of an inch around them and drop them in the box on the bench by the east door of First Friends. They will be sold and the proceeds given to Right Sharing of World Resources. This will benefit communities in Kenya, Sierra Leone, and India.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December

Canada Goose: A Reputation Altered

The Canada Goose is a species that can be seen flying over the meeting house property in any month of the year, as it moves from on body of water to another, usually in pairs or small flocks. This species only occasionally stops here, not in the woods, but in the front yard of the church building, or, more likely, in the grassy yard north of the parking lot, garage, and garden.

When I was young, adults told me that the sight of flocks of Canada Geese flying southward in the fall was a sure sign that fall was nearly over, and winter was approaching. Likewise in the spring, the northbound Vs of geese assured us that spring was here, and summer on its way. Folks looked forward to this twice-annual viewing of the cycle of nature, and appreciated its regularity.

Geese nesting in Central Indiana was pretty much unknown. Then, over the years something changed: Canada Geese appeared to be hanging around, year ‘round. Yes, it is true!! The reported cause was the invention, proliferation, and prominence of apartments and office parks with their ponds. Geese apparently said to each other, “Why fly all the way north to Michigan and beyond, when we can stop right here where all our needs are easily met?” There you have it, but that is not the end of the story. Many of you readers have witnessed the negatives. Besides the droppings cluttering sidewalks, the stubborn, slow-moving geese and automobiles are a poor match. In addition, the birds often choose to nest in unfortunate places. In Fishers a pair nested near the entrance of a large box store, and, nearby, another pair hatched chicks in one of the drive-up lanes of a drug store. In both cases, the male of the pair defended the nest area, chasing away customers, managers, and pets on leashes!!

I am not here to be a negative blame assigner. I appreciate geese, and sympathize with their plight. I believe there is a lesson here somewhere. ~ Brad J

Adult Quaker Affirmation Coming Soon ~ We are glad to offer an adult Quaker Affirmation class series which will begin on Sunday, January 16, from 11:30-1:00. This is a 8-week study of what it means to be a Quaker. It will cover Quaker history, theology, and what Quakers are doing in the world today. If you’re interested, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2022!

January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah

May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks

September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Comment

Friend to Friend December 15, 2021

December 16, 2021

As Way Opens

This holiday season, I have tried to focus our attention at First Friends on the Light coming into the darkness. At Vespers, I began the service from the back of the Meetinghouse proclaiming the Scriptures from Isaiah 9, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” As well, the theme of our Family Christmas Eve Meeting for Worship this year is “Let there be Light!”

This week, Beth and I were to visit Jan G and her husband, Jim. Yet with our exposure to Covid and Jan’s current condition undergoing chemotherapy, we decided to stay safe and make our visit by Zoom. Jan had asked that we keep it just as we had planned in-person. So, with warm beverages in hand, we joined together for a wonderful conversation. It was during our visit that the subject of Light and Darkness came up once again.

Jan mentioned she had written some thoughts after virtually attending a recent Carrie Newcomer concert. It was a query that Carrie had presented during her set that caught Jan’s attention. Even though the query was about reflecting on all that has happened during 2021, it offered a new perspective of that Light coming into the darkness. Carrie’s query was simple,

In 2021, what lit up your life?

Jan went on to share the beautiful response she wrote to that query. After we ended our Zoom gathering, I spent some time personally processing. What (or maybe even who) lit up my life in 2021? As I pondered, I realized quickly how much “lit up my life” this past year.

What a perfect query to focus on as we consider the Light coming into the Darkness of our world this Christmas, and what an important query to ponder as we bring 2021 to a close. What lit up your life? or maybe, how are you lighting up someone’s life around you?

“You are all children of the light and children of the day.
We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NIV)

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

Note from Eric B: Thanks to all who have sent me notes of concern and encouragement over the past 10 days, as I've been dealing with COVID. It's not been a fun experience, that's for sure. But your cards, texts, and emails, reminding me that you've been thinking of and praying for me, have lifted my spirits and, I'm convinced, gotten me through the worst of it. I look forward to seeing you all in Meeting for Worship soon!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

CHRISTMAS SINGALONG ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17 - Jim, Jesse, and Luke will lead a Christmas singalong on this date in Fellowship Hall from 7:00-8:15 PM. Bring your favorite percussion if you wish. Come and make some joyful holiday noise with us!!

This Sunday, December 19th after Meeting for Worship we will be selling chocolate, coffee, olive oil and soup in a jar to raise money for Right Sharing of World Resources. RSWR is an independent Quaker not-for-profit organization that gives grants to groups of marginalized women in Kenya, Sierra Leone, and India to fund individual micro-enterprise projects. Right Sharing’s work is grounded in a sense of stewardship for the world’s material, human, and spiritual resources. If you’d like to support RSWR, or would just like to buy some nice Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, remember to bring your wallet!

NOTICE: DATE CHANGE for Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please note that the annual Christmas tea date has changed to December 19th immediately after worship. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. (For health and safety, cookies will be served rather than grab-your-own.) You can drop off cookies on December 18th from 10am-12pm or in the morning of the 19th before Meeting for Worship. Happy holidays!

You’re invited to a free flute concert! You’re invited to a holiday flute concert by Indy Winds Flute Choir. Carl B and Lynda S are both members of this group. Their holiday concert will be held at 3:00 PM on December 19th at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Carmel, 4780 E 126th St. The concert is free. All are welcome!

First Friends Financial Update: Friendly reminder – we hope to collect pledges for 2022 by this Sunday, December 19. Click to make a pledge online, or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org for a pledge card to be mailed to you. Thank you for your support of the Meeting.

We will gather at the Kathy R’s home and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 led by Kathy R.

First Friends Continues Welcome Preparations for Family of Afghan Evacuees

Like Santa’s elves getting ready for Christmas, First Friends is buzzing with anticipation as it prepares for the arrival of an Afghan family. The Meeting is co-sponsoring the evacuees along with Exodus Refugee. It is a ministry and FF participants are holding the family in the Light, even before their arrival.

Here is another cultural reference guide, this one from Exodus Refugee, that you might find helpful! This can be used in conjunction with the last guide we sent out from Riley.

When our family is assigned to us, we will spring into action right away to furnish and equip their new home for their move-in. We will need to have quick access to the furniture, dishes, and cookware that will make it possible for them to live on their own. Therefore, we are developing a list of items that will, or may be, needed. That will certainly include things like beds, a table and chairs, a couch, lamps, cookware and utensils, a set of dishes, and a few basic tools.

If you have any such things available for donation, please email Barbara O. She will maintain a list from which we will access needed items when we are ready to set up the household. We will call you as soon as we know your items are needed. Thank you!

Yesterday the Afghan Project Coordinating Committee (Ed M, Barbara O, Brian D and Nancy S) held an Orientation for Activity leaders. The Meeting is committed to undertaking a minimum of these 12 Activities and the Activity group leaders are background-checked and vetted or in the process of being vetted by Exodus:

Set up housing, furnishings—Steve Sweitzer
Prepare a culturally-appropriate meal—Paula K. & Kathy Farris
Public Benefits Application, Cash Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP—Brenda Rodeheffer
School Enrollment—Ed K.
Social Security Application—Tim Decker
Transportation Assistance—Barbara Oberreich & Brian Donahue
Enrollment in English Language Program—Nancy Scott
Create a Budget—Beth Henricks
Selective Service Registration—Brian Donahue
Sufficient Food Supply—Cindy Calley
English Language Tutoring—Corinne Imboden
Set Up Bank Account—Beth Henricks

David B is serving as liaison between the Afghan Project and Witness and Service Program Meeting. Many other people are helping with communications responsibilities and more. Thank you to all!

If you have questions beyond donations (Jim Donahue, financial and Barbara Oberreich, furnishings), please contact the Afghan Project Coordinating Committee or Nancy S, Clerk of the Afghan Project.

Please note: Office Closed ~ Please note that the Meeting office will be closed Monday and Tuesday, December 27 and 28 as well as Monday, January 3rd due to the holidays. We hope you have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December

Canada Goose: A Reputation Altered

I am not here to be a negative blame assigner. I appreciate geese, and sympathize with their plight. I believe there is a lesson here somewhere. ~ Brad J

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2022!

January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah

May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks

September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

This Week’s Queries

What do I need to change in my life to find peace?
Where am I creating “barriers” for others to find peace?
Who are the folks on the fringe I need to identify with so they can experience peace?
Where am I using my position to withhold peace?
Is my life green and blossoming with opportunities for peace?

Comment

Friend to Friend December 8, 2021

December 16, 2021

As Way Opens

Every Christmas season I take time to read through the classic Howard Thurman book The Mood of Christmas. Every year I am so moved by his writing and his reflection on the stories of Christmas. I share an excerpt from The Singing of the Angels.

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

I felt this experience Sunday evening during our beautiful Vespers program. When we turn the lights off and each of our individual candles pierces the darkness and we sing together Silent Night, I feel a sense of connectedness and joy and listen and watch the power of light coming together through each of our unique beings. I hear the singing of angels.

Beth

Joys & Concerns

We’d like to give a sincere thanks to Leslie K and Barbara D. Leslie did a wonderful job decorating the Meetinghouse for the holiday season. And Barbara also decorated the organ quite beautifully. Thank you to these wonderful ladies for helping us feel festive as we kick off the season!

Many thanks to everyone who donated gifts for our sponsored Christmas family. Each year we partner with Easterseals Crossroads of Indianapolis to help provide families in our community presents for the holidays. We thank the people of First Friends for their kind donations and for supporting this great collaboration.

This past Sunday, December 5th was Erin T’s birthday. The choir sang “Happy Birthday” to her. Erin would like to send everyone her thanks and appreciation for making her birthday special. Happy Birthday, Erin!

This past Sunday was our annual Vespers service. We had a wonderful time gathering, singing, and kicking off the Christmas Season. Thank you to those who performed and those who joined us!

Youth Christmas Party 2021~ Always a great time to celebrate together. Thanks to our youth leaders Aaron and Michelle Thornburg and Beth Henricks for putting this annual event together! Merry Christmas!

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

IMPORTANT COVID NOTICE

This past Sunday, December 5 was a very eventful and celebratory day for all of us at Indianapolis First Friends. We had a wonderful turn out for our morning in-person Meeting for Worship, as well as our Annual Christmas Vespers and Dinner in the evening.

We were informed that Eric B, our Music Director, woke today with symptoms and then tested positive for Covid-19. In consultation with our medical experts and CDC guidelines, those who have had contact with Eric, yesterday, may have potentially been exposed to Covid-19. (It is with Eric’s permission that we share his name with you.)

In the case that you believe you have been exposed; the CDC suggests those fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine (unless you have symptoms) but should be screened in 5-7 days.

For those who are unvaccinated and exposed you should quarantine. You should also be screened immediately and then screened for a second time in 5-7 days. The CDC Guidelines will identify definitions of exposure and contact so you can make the best decision for your situation.

Also, if you had brought a friend or family member to First Friends yesterday, please share this notice with them so they can also act accordingly.

If you come down with Covid, we ask that you please notify the office and let us know which service(s) you attended and where you sat. This will be kept strictly confidential. If you prefer, you can notify the office anonymously by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/6P76Ajp1JDTQr8Qz9. This is all for the purpose of continuing to refine our Meeting’s defenses against COVID.

We are sorry for this unfortunate turn of events as we have worked diligently to keep our Meetinghouse and our attenders as safe as possible during the pandemic.

Again, we thank you for understanding and look forward to safely continuing this Holiday Season. Please join us in holding Eric in the Light and pray he will make a full recovery.

Thank you. ~First Friends Office

You’re Invited to a Piano and Organ Concert! Plainfield Friends Meeting will host a Christmas piano and pipe organ concert Tuesday, December 14, at 6:30 p.m in the Western Yearly Meetingroom. Marilyn T, organist at Plainfield Friends, and Cathy H, pianist and pastor, will provide the music for the last of Plainfield’s community forums for 2021.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Friends, we ask that you all help contribute to the health and safety of the meeting and review the Trustee policy on how to safely prepare the building for use. The Meetingroom and Fellowship Hall are the safest rooms to meet in, as they have the best air circulation—but only when windows are opened and fans are turned on. These procedures have been outlined in this document the Trustees recently released. Please take some time to read and understand the procedures, so we can all contribute to the health and safety of the Meeting and all the people within! Thank you.

Update on Afghan Co-Sponsorship

First Friends is co-sponsoring the resettlement of a family of Afghan evacuees together with Exodus Refugee. The official commitment form is signed and First Friends will soon be matched with a family once housing is available for them.

The co-sponsorship was approved by Monthly Meeting for Business after Nancy S presented her vision and told of her leading, testing of it among Friends, and the research into a means to follow it through by establishing a partnership with Exodus Refugee. Witness and Service agreed to support this endeavor and appointed David B to serve as liaison to what eventually became a vetted* team and its unvetted helpers/volunteers.

The Afghan Project Coordinating Committee (Brian D, Ed M, Barbara O and Nancy S) is announcing a minimum of 12 Activities they have committed themselves to address. Individual volunteers make up 12 Activity Groups. Each Group has an assigned Point Person who is the contact for Project administration when the Afghan family wants to accomplish an Activity. Together, members of an individual Group decide how to proceed when the family selects their particular Activity. These are the Activities:

1. Set up housing/furnishings

2. Prepare a culturally appropriate meal, ready to eat

3. Help with public benefits application, cash assistance and SNAP

4. School enrollment

5. Social Security card application

6. Transportation assistance

7. Enrollment in an English language program

8. Create a budget

9. Selective Service registration

10. Provide a sufficient food supply

11. English language tutoring

12. Set up a bank account

Exodus Refugee, sub-contracted by the U. S. Government, requires that First Friends raise $5,000 to assist the resettlement of Afghan evacuees. Jim D is heading the fundraising effort. We hope to achieve most of this goal yet this year but will also accept donations in January 2022. Checks should be written and sent to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” If you plan to make a contribution in 2022, we would appreciate that you send a note to First Friends with the amount that you intend to contribute in 2022.

Rebecca, Office Administrator, put forth an extraordinary effort to develop an organizational spreadsheet and has helped with distributing communications. She is cooperating with Brian D who is working to make the data accessible through a second platform. Samantha R and Becki H are First Friends private Facebook communication dispatchers of Afghan information. Pastor Bob Henry, Associate Pastor Beth Henricks and outgoing Clerk of the Meeting, Jeff G, have assisted in birthing this Project while acting in their own special “midwifery“ roles.

Here is another cultural reference guide, this one from Exodus Refugee, that you might find helpful! This can be used in conjunction with the last guide we sent out from Riley.

*First Friends Afghan Project volunteers must complete a vetting process if they want to work directly with the Afghans or have access to confidential information such as addresses. This requires going through a process with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones and Exodus at exodusrefugee.org. Candidates complete an approximately $25 background check, sign a witnessed confidentiality agreement, fill out an application and go through training. The latter requirement can be achieved by watching the latest online video training. Those wanting to be vetted should tell Exodus they are associated with First Friends.

First Friends Financial Update: You are invited to spread holiday cheer by making a pledge to First Friends Meeting for 2022. Your pledge is extremely helpful in making a budget for the new year. Click to make a pledge online, or contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485, for a pledge card to be mailed to you. Kindly submit your pledge by Dec. 19.

The Meeting also seeks support in closing out 2021, as we currently are experiencing a deficit. Donate online at indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303. Other means of support are through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for December

Canada Goose: A Reputation Altered

I am not here to be a negative blame assigner. I appreciate geese, and sympathize with their plight. I believe there is a lesson here somewhere. ~ Brad J

Mark your calendars for Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading book club titles for 2021!

January 25 ~ The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

February 22 ~ Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 29 ~ The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

April 26 ~ Let the Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah

May 31 ~ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

June 28 ~ The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

July 26 ~ The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

August 30 ~ Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks

September 27 ~ The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

October 25 ~ Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

November 29 ~ The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

December 27 ~ The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The group meets at 7pm either on Zoom or in the Parlor. To sign up for the email list, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Please check out Jeff Rasley’s new book, A Pickleball Soap Opera: Love, Murder, and Pickleball at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MJ3TKX3. The book is a romping good story about a romance that develops within a pickleball group, a mysterious murderer stalking the group, and an ageing athlete learning how to play the game. Mixed into the story are the serious issues of coping with the loss of a loved one, finding meaning after retirement, domestic abuse, and how soldiers suffering from PTSD are treated. The characters include a heroic Air Force pilot, a CIA spy, a US Marines sergeant, FBI agents, British Special Forces, Al-Qaeda jihadists, and Taliban fighters. How will they cope with the drama that is about to change, or end, their lives?

This Week’s Queries

How am I preparing for the awakening happening in my life this Holiday Season? 
Who around me is being neglected or treated poorly? Who is in need of a little respect or a blessing of love during this season? Who needs an awakening?

Comment

Friend to Friend December 1, 2021

December 2, 2021

As Way Opens

One of the hymns I grew up singing at this time of the year was The Advent of our God. One of the verses went like this:

The Advent of our God

Shall be our theme for prayer;
Come, let us meet him on the road
And place for him prepare.

I remember singing this as a child and thinking, “This is definitely speaking of a time for prayer and preparation, but why would we meet Jesus out on the road? What is he doing out there?”

You see, the church my family attended throughout my grade school years was just down a hill from the historic Lincoln Highway in New Haven, Indiana. So, whenever we sang that hymn, I imagined myself climbing that hill and meeting Jesus on the side of the road.

Maybe his car had broken down. Maybe he was hitchhiking as many people did on that highway. Or maybe he was thrown out of a passing car and left for dead by a gang of thugs.

Obviously, my imagination ran deep at the age of ten (and I REALLY liked the A-Team.)
It didn’t hit me until many years later that the metaphor in the song was about joining Jesus on his journey or what some might call his earthly pilgrimage.

Today, I think I may need to go back and embrace some of those early memories of Jesus and not just spiritualize them or create word pictures to sing. Maybe we all need to meet Jesus on the road again. Just maybe, we need to seek Jesus out on the byways, highways, side streets, and dirt roads.

Jesus is the drifter going down city alleyways in search of food. Jesus is the broken-down biker trying to figure out where life went wrong. Jesus is the bearded man in rags standing with a cardboard sign that reads “Will Work for Food.” Jesus is one of 20 individuals crammed in the back of a van trying to cross the border. Jesus is the businesswoman on her cellphone in rush hour traffic. Jesus is one of the kids playing a pick-up game of basketball on the cul-de-sac in your neighborhood.

The question is do we see him out there and are we willing to meet him out on the road?” As we take a walk or run, or as we ride our bike or drive our car out on the roads this Holiday Season, let each journey be an opportunity to meet Jesus on the road.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Joys & Concerns

We are very proud of Sam W, son of Laura and Marlin W, who is currently serving under Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS). Sam recently wrote an article for his site placement's blog earlier this month, about lead poison and education equity. If you’d like to give it a read, you can find it here: https://www.southerneducation.org/resources/blog/featured/lead-poisoning-is-an-education-equity-issue/. Great article, Sam! If you’d like to find out more about QVS and/or support their efforts, visit their website at quakervoluntaryservice.org.

Alpha and Omega in the Community Garden ~ Some gardeners just finished bedding down their plots for the season. These are the before and after photos. Great job! Now reader, you tell me, is the after photo in the Community Garden the beginning or the end??! -Nancy

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Please note: Monday Worship Change of Time ~ Please note that Meditational Worship on Mondays is being permanently rescheduled to 12pm starting this Monday, November 29. Worship will conclude at 12:45pm.

See our old Meetinghouse on a holiday church tour! The old First Friends meetinghouse downtown will be on a self-guided walking tour sponsored by Indiana Landmarks this Saturday, December 4th. For more information and how to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.indianalandmarks.org/event/indianapolis-holiday-church-tour/

Vespers Annual Concert~ On Sunday, December 5th at 5:30pm we invite you to attend our annual Vespers concert, this year themed, “A Season to Celebrate!” The choir and a variety of our performers will be performing and it should be quite a delight. Following the concert there will be a complimentary catered dinner of Olive Garden, hosted by our Fellowship Committee. To help with planning, please RSVP here! We hope you plan to join us for the evening!

Restorative Yoga ~ Please join friend Kristyn G in a restorative yoga practice next Monday December 6th at 4:00 pm in the Parlor. It will last for an hour. This gentle practice will stretch and restore you. $10 suggested donation. Yoga will also be held on Monday Jan 3rd. Hope to see you there!

Annual Christmas Tea ~ Please join us on December 12th immediately after worship for the annual Christmas Tea. There will be lots of cookies and punch and fellowship. (For health and safety, cookies will be served rather than grab-your-own.) If you can donate cookies, they can be dropped off on December 11th from 10am-12pm, or on the morning of Sunday, December 12th. For more information, contact the office. Happy holidays!

Afghan Family Assistance ~ First Friends recently approved becoming a co-sponsor of an Afghan family that is resettling in Indianapolis. As you are likely aware, the Afghans who resettle in the United States are folks who have assisted the United States in its longstanding effort to bring stability to Afghanistan. Most of these folks have come to the U.S. with nothing but the clothes on their backs and perhaps a small suitcase. We anticipate that a family will be assigned to First Friends very soon. Your help is needed for this “Whole Meeting” project. In addition to providing assistance in setting up an apartment; employment; English tutoring; registration for school and selective service; banking and finance; transportation and other activities, First Friends needs to raise funds to support this effort. Our goal is $5,000. We hope to achieve most of this goal yet this year but will also accept donations in January 2022. Checks should be written and sent to First Friends with “Afghan Family” noted in the memo section. Or you can donate on our website at indyfriends.org/support by choosing “Afghan Evacuee Assistance” as the fund or text 317-768-0303 with keyword “Afghan.” If you plan to make a contribution in 2022, we would appreciate that you send a note to First Friends with the amount that you intend to contribute in 2022. Time is running short in 2021 so your prompt response is appreciated. Quakers and other churches have always been eager to assist folks who have been victims through no fault of their own. Our time is now. Please help as you are led and are able. Thank you.

Brush Up on Afghan Culture ~ As First Friends Monthly Meeting approved the request to fully commit and back a family of Afghan evacuees with Exodus Refugee, we thought it’d be helpful to send this useful guide of Afghan culture tips, from Riley hospital! It might be beneficial to brush up on these tips, whether you plan on assisting these evacuees, or if they perhaps someday visit! Something else you can do for fun is try an Afghan recipe! Here’s a link to a recipe for Afghan eggs and tomato, courtesy of afghancooks.com.

Comment

Friend to Friend November 24, 2021

November 24, 2021

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Let our hearts be full of both, thanks and giving.

From all of us at First Friends, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

With Thanksgiving approaching, Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) offers a way for us to think about all we have that we so often take for granted. This "gratitude calendar," available in both adult and children's versions (see links below), lists one item a day for each day of November. For each item earning a "thank you," participants are invited to give a small donation to Right Sharing. A way of giving to Right Sharing while becoming more aware of the many things we have to be grateful for…

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Office Hours & Friend to Friend Next Week ~ Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the office is closed both today and tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

NOTICE: Monday Worship Change of Time ~ Please note that Meditational Worship on Mondays is being permanently rescheduled to 12pm starting this Monday, November 29. Worship will conclude at 12:45pm.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship this Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

College Care packages - It is time to send care packages to our college students as they prepare for their exams at school. We are asking that everyone help fill the boxes with goodies like candy, cookies, cards, and other treats. Please bring enough for all 12 of our college students. Don’t have time to shop? We will gladly accept monetary donations! Just leave your check in the offering plate on Sunday with the notation “college packages” or donate online at www.indyfriends.org/support and choose “College care packages”. Please make sure all donations are in by Monday, November 29. Thank you for your support!

LAST CHANCE to Order Poinsettias! You can order red or white Poinsettias in 6-inch pots for $8.00 each. All orders must be submitted to the office by THIS SUNDAY, November 28th. Order forms are available each Sunday, or you can place an order at https://forms.gle/fEm2tdEMhKUYg1jr6. You can pay by sending a check to the office with the notation of "poinsettias"; or visit https://www.indyfriends.org/support to pay electronically. Under funds choose "Flower Order.” Happy Holidays!

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

Growing up in Alabama, Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents--her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father--and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child's transition to caregiver.

And here, braided into the overall narrative, Renkl offers observations on the world surrounding her suburban Nashville home. Ringing with rapture and heartache, these essays convey the dignity of bluebirds and rat snakes, monarch butterflies and native bees. As these two threads haunt and harmonize with each other, Renkl suggests that there is astonishment to be found in common things: in what seems ordinary, in what we all share. For in both worlds--the natural one and our own--"the shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love's own twin."

Illustrated by the author's brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 led by Sue H.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a significant deficit, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to: indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Other means of helping are available through automatic giving, stock gifts, estate planning, and donation of IRA Required Minimum Distributions. For more information, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

First Friends Commits to Co-sponsor an Afghan Family with Exodus Refugee ~

Congratulations First Friends for making a 90-day commitment to co-sponsor a family of Afghan evacuees with Exodus Refugee. Monthly Meeting approved the request from a core group of vetted volunteers and helpers who have been preparing the way for weeks. The whole Monthly Meeting is now supporting this effort.

First Friends will help set up a household and assist the Afghans to become acclimated to a whole new way of life in Indianapolis. Monthly Meeting is agreeing to raise $5,000 to support this effort.

The following write-up is shared by a seasoned volunteer.

Thanksgiving

When you sign up to help an immigrant family, maybe you would rather not because you are already so busy. But you tell yourself, "It's just a couple hours, and someone should help those people." When you meet the family, you may find them bitter or depressed. Fearful and dependent. Or demanding, asking, for too much. You may feel the family is like a stranger whose true persona is a mystery. You may struggle to make simple conversation when there are so few common words among you.

But one day you may find that enough words do come, and you may realize that someone who was a stranger has the driest, funniest sense of humor, is artistic and playful and hopeful and has born more sorrow and violation than you can ever imagine.

Eventually your own busy life may seem more expendable, so you may be inconvenienced because old cars always break down when the weather is worst. Sometimes, you may find yourself making seven trips to the license branch because if anything can go wrong for an immigrant, it most certainly will at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Or you may decide to sit with a family member at the emergency room for six hours, begging the doctor to pull strings at Medicaid to get the right medicine. You may even find yourself jumping on trampoline with the kids, the arcade's music blasting your eardrums numb because the parents have spent months cooped up with their children in a shelter, 24/7, and they need some time off.

When you decide to help an immigrant family, you may have to say, no, I can't help with that today. Or why don't you talk to your caseworker about that. But if your official or unofficial capacity permits it, you also may have to accept gifts from the family for the sake of their dignity: The snacks they receive from the food pantry that your husband is fond of. A homemade meal of goat meat, greens and rice. A blouse that the family thinks would look beautiful on you, purchased with a voucher they were supposed to spend on themselves.

Then one day you may realize that the people you think you have signed up to help, have actually been helping you all along. You may find that you have grown a heart, awakened to your blessings and allowed yourself to love and be loved in return. You may feel that the strangers from a strange land have somehow become family, and their great faith in God and in you has restored your faith in the world and yourself. For all this you may fall on your knees, thankful to a depth you have never felt before.

WYM Looking for Associate Superintendent ~ Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (WYM) has an executive-level position open for Associate Superintendent. This newly-created position assists in providing support and leadership to WYM and reports directly to the General Superintendent. WYM consists of 33 meetings in Western and Southern Indiana and the Chicago area. Click here to view the position description. Applications, including a resume and three references, are due to scottmwym@att.net by December 10, 2021. Beginning date for successful applicant will be March 2022.

Queries for the Week

· As you center down, take a moment to thank whatever you name the Divine in your life for the blessings you have.

· Keep your ears and hearts open to the nudging of the Spirit - what is the Spirit asking of you this morning?

· And then take a moment to look around and sense your fellow Friends (the blessed company and holy fellowship) around you. How are they a sacrament to you in this silence?

Comment

Friend to Friend November 17, 2021

November 17, 2021

As Way Open

As I was doing my morning meditation the other day, I came across this thought-provoking quote by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Edith Wharton. I think you will agree, it seems a very Quakerly quote.

“There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Basically, we have a choice each day, we can be the light or the darkness in other people’s lives. And as Wharton states, we can be the candle or the mirror that reflects that light.

As Quakers, we talk a great deal about the Light and believe it is something that both illuminates and reveals. Sometimes Light reveals our flaws, and casts shadows where it is obstructed. It can also be a beacon to those seeking guidance. For many, the Light changes us in significant ways.

Due to us all bearing this Light, the metaphor of being a candle or a mirror seems to fit us well. Since as Quakers each of us are ministers in the lives of our neighbors and among our Meeting, we might find ourselves at different times being called to be a candle or a mirror.

Often, we help our neighbors and fellow Friends discover, expand, and even give off our “light” in the form of providing a vision, values, gifts, and talents. It is in these moments we are acting as the candle.

At other times, we find ourselves being mirrors reflecting the light of our neighbors and fellow Friends around us. This reflected “light” supports and encourages those acting as the candle to enhance their influence, focus and effectiveness.

This week, let’s consider the Spirit’s nudging and seek where we can be a candle or a mirror in the lives of our neighbors and at First Friends?

Grace and peace,

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Joys & Concerns

We had a wonderful celebration for Shawn Porter’s 25 years of music ministry with First Friends. As he retires and moves on at the end of the year, we wish him the best and send him Light and Love.

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

Office Hours & Friend to Friend Next Week ~ Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the office will be closed on Wednesday, November 24 and Thursday November 25. Additionally, next week’s edition of Friend to Friend will be slightly abbreviated. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Gnostic Gospel Group ~ Everyone is invited to join us tomorrow, November 18 from 6-8pm for a group study on the non-canonical/Gnostic Gospels. This time we will study the Book of Thomas. A light supper will also be served. The group will also be meeting on Thursday, December 16 to continue studies on the Gnostic Gospels. If you are interested, email, call/text Ed Morris (emorri@earthlink.net, 317-691-5542) or contact the meeting office (office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485).

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next in-person meeting Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2021 here.

Music for this Sunday ~ Preludes: I Need Thee Every Hour & March of Triumph

The reason the organ is called the “King of Instruments” is because it can simulate so many different sounds, including the voice, whose organ stop would be called Vox Humana. While our Casavant organ does not have this particular stop, we do have three stops that we are featuring this week:

• Strings – string instruments – these tend to be softer

• Principals – the basic organ sound: no particular instrument is trying to be imitated and is the most characteristic sound on the pipe organ.

• Mixtures – contain multiple ranks of pipes and at least one mutation stop. It is designed to be used with a combination of stops that forms a complete chorus (for example, principals of 8’ 4’ and 2’ pitches, for those of you who enjoy physics/musical acoustics). Mutation stops are pipes sounding higher (e.g., by five notes) rather than in unison with them. Mutation stops add an incisive quality to the sound.

The “March of Triumph” includes a well-known Thanksgiving hymn in the middle of the piece.

First Friends Group Seeks Monthly Meeting Backing to Co-Sponsor Afghan Family

This Sunday Monthly Meeting for Business will discuss a request by a group of Friends to co-sponsor a family of Afghan evacuees resettling in Indianapolis. The group has been working with Exodus Refugee, exodusrefugee.org.

Co-sponsorship is a minimum commitment of three months and the F.F Co-Sponsor team plans to work on 10 specific activities that may be tweaked following a recent survey:

English tutoring
Airport pickup
School enrollment
Enrollment in ESL
Create a budget
Participate in a second home visit
Help set up furnishings
Prepare a culturally appropriate meal
Supply sufficient clothing for each family member
Provide ongoing financial support (Goal of $5,000 including in-kind donations).

Survey Distributed to Active Parties to Determine Group Activity Commitment and to Create Task Groups

Group activity commitments are currently being finalized as task groups are formed according to individual interests collected from a recent survey. Jim Donahue has agreed to coordinate fundraising. David Beatty is Witness and Service Liaison. W&S will support and assist in the co-sponsorship, but will not take a leadership role.

Ways to Help an Afghan Family

• Volunteer to assist the vetted team. It is helpful to watch the training video on the Exodus website, exodusrefugee.org.

• Help haul, move and set up household.

Donations

Clothing is NOT needed since Exodus will provide culturally appropriate clothing.

Furnishings and household supplies can be saved and given directly to our assigned family as in-kind donations that will count towards our fundraising goal of $5,000. Save receipts for any new items purchased!!

Housing

Please share housing connections directly with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones at jjones@exodusrefugee.org.

Monthly Meeting for Business has not yet met and approved a co-sponsorship of an Afghan family with Exodus. If approved we expect a rapid match and we want to be prepared.

Let’s Play “What has Tom Made, Now?” – Answer!

Last week we asked everyone what they think Tom P had constructed in this picture. We had a number of people guess it was an antenna—which is close, but not quite. It is actually a modified potato gun. Tom constructed this “gun” to shoot ham radio antennas high into the trees, to get a better signal. He attached an antenna to a potato and shot it up—reaching around 250ft high! He had to use an electric pump to put enough air pressure into it to reach high enough—but he succeeded! What ingenuity!

Thanks Tom for always making us wonder and for sharing your creative ventures!

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

From the Woods ~

On Saturday November 13, the Indiana Plant Society held its annual meeting by Zoom.

We learned about Charlie Deam, the Hoosier druggist who became a skilled botanist and forester while cataloguing the native flora of our state. Following Dr. Rothrock’s presentation were two talks about many Indiana nature preserves in the northern and southern parts of the states. I’m inspired to get out and visit some of these precious protected areas. Here’s a link to a list in Indiana to explore: https://www.in.gov/dnr/nature-preserves/nature-preserve/

The final speaker was Jim McCormac . “I am a lifelong Ohioan who has made a study of natural history since the age of eight or so - longer than I can remember! A fascination with birds has grown into an amazement with all of nature, and an insatiable curiosity to learn more. One of my major ambitions is to get more people interested in nature. The more of us who care, the more likely that our natural world will survive.”

Jim gave a fascinating talk about the importance of moths in our landscape and encouraged us to plant for the critters, not just for ourselves. We can have a balance of beauty and native plants. There is a greater diversity of moths than butterflies and they are essential to nourish our bird population when birds are feeding their young. Some moths are entirely dependent on one source of native plant. In addition to this stress on their population, caterpillars suffer a 99% mortality before reaching adulthood and reproduction. He encouraged the audience to leave your leaves on the ground to protect moths and butterfly habitat. In July 2022, Jim is anticipating the release from Ohio State University Press of a new book called, Gardening for Moths in the Midwest. https://jimmccormac.blogspot.com

There are two big ways to ensure that we have enough moths to support birds and other creatures: plant native species AND leave your leaf litter on your garden beds and under your trees. Insects burrow and hide in the leaf litter and it also keeps the ground soft so that larvae can get into the earth to mature until spring (or in 17 years, if you’re Brood X cicadas).
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/05/raking-leaves-fall-stop-now-keep-leaves-lawn-mulch-them/3853468002/

~Mary B, woods co-clerk

Poinsettias are available for order! You can order red or white Poinsettias in 6-inch pots for $8.00 each. All orders must be submitted to the office by Sunday, November 28th. Order forms are available each Sunday, or you can place an order at https://forms.gle/fEm2tdEMhKUYg1jr6. You can pay by sending a check to the office with the notation of "poinsettias"; or visit https://www.indyfriends.org/support to pay electronically. Under funds choose "Flower Order.” Happy Holidays!

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November

Mourning Dove: Not So Sad After All

It isn’t really sad, in spite of its name. We humans tend to view animals and their behaviors through the lens of our own experiences. In this case it is more “hearing” than “viewing.” The mourning dove song is a plaintive, yes…sad-like, “Who – you, hoo, hoo, hoo.” The you is at a higher pitch than the who, and the three final hoos are all on the same lower pitch.

Back to the sadness: As in other bird species, it is the male that is singing this song, with the expectation of attracting and securing a mate. A male is very persistent in the chasing of a chosen female, who may show no interest at all in the flirtations of courtship by the male. If his courting behavior IS successful, he certainly will not be sad. He will be glad!! Perhaps their behavior is not so far from humans after all!

Mourning doves are year-round residents of our meetinghouse grounds. They are most easily seen on one of the overhead powerline wires, often in pairs or groups. Watch for the small head on a robin-sized body, but with a long pointed tail. It is often, however, that when walking in our woods, I have scared up a group of doves in the pines behind the waterfall feature. Their explosive take-off and whistling wings can be quite startling.

Be happy! ~Brad J

Queries for the Week

· How does music move you?

· What memories come up for you as you listen to various music?

· In what ways do you experience God through music?

Comment

Friend to Friend November 10, 2021

November 11, 2021

As Way Opens

This fall I became worried about how we would experience the fall season (my favorite season of the year). It remained warm and wet and the leaves stayed green for many weeks beyond what I remembered before in prior years. Usually by the night of Halloween most leaves are on the ground. Not this year. I wondered maybe we wouldn’t have fall this year? I get anxious when things don’t happen as I expect or have experienced before. I think we all feel this as the ground beneath us keeps changing. But God doesn’t change and sure enough the leaves have changed color and in my neighborhood I was not disappointed with the majesty of trees turning red, orange and yellow. My next door neighbor’s tree has been a joy for me each year. I thought it might just move from green to brown this year. But this tree did not disappoint me and here it was in all of creations glory.

The Divine is so present every season - but for me I feel it the most in the fall. It’s such a unique time to remember that leaves drop and feed the soil for new birth. I love Carrie Newcomer’s song about fall leaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c4mW9MRe-k

The truth I knew when I was eight
My dad swam the length of Spirit Lake
It must have been a million miles
This I knew was true

My mother sang while hangin' clothes
Her notes weren't perfect heaven knows
But heaven opened anyway
And this I knew was true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

I left her with some groceries,
Said, "Check the oil and call me please."
She said "Hey, ma I'll be just fine."
This I knew was true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

I've traveled through my history,
From certainty to mystery
God speaks in rhyme in paradox
This I know is true

Leaves don't drop they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow
Every season brings a change,
A seed is what a tree contains,
To die and live is life's refrain

And finally when life is through,
I'm what I am not what I do
It comes down to you and your next breath,
And this I know is true

Beth

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

We Are the Change We’ve Been Waiting For ~ Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center is delighted to invite you to their November 10 Speakers Event, which is part of the 2021 Spirit & Place Festival. We will learn from four local activists how to respond to critical social justice issues in our communities. The panel includes:

· Our own Bob Henry, who will speak about Quakerism's long history of social activism

· Brandon D. Cosby, Director of Flanner House, will discuss their Food Justice Program

· Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana who will discuss barriers to home ownership, especially in communities of color

· Elizabeth Wallin, Founder and Director of Project Lia, helping women transition from incarceration back to their communities;

After their presentations, there will be time for questions, answers, and conversations. It will be held today, November 10 from 6:30-8:30. Light refreshments will be served. This is a free event. It will be held at the Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 W. 42nd Street. (Enter through the main entrance for the lower level, Dining Room). There is ample free parking. For more information and to register, visit the Spirit and Place website.

Madge Oberholtzer, the woman who brought down DC Stephenson and the Ku Klux Klan ~ At 2 PM on Saturday, November 13, in Fellowship Hall, First Friends of Indianapolis is pleased to welcome Charlotte Ottinger to speak on her recently published book Madge: The Life and Times of Madge Oberholtzer. Her talk will effectively build on a recent First Friends event which explored the downfall of KKK leader D.C. Stevenson; Ms. Ottinger's book and presentation focuses on Madge Overholtzer's life--and her death at the hand of Stevenson.

We welcome all who are interested to join us in Fellowship Hall of the Fist Friends Meeting House at 3030 Kessler Blvd, East Drive, at 2 PM, Saturday, November 13.

Madge is available from the Irvington Historical Society, the book's publisher.

Celebrating Shawn P ~ Please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 14th when we will gather in Fellowship Hall after Meeting for Worship to have a goodbye celebration for Shawn! We will have food and an opportunity to give Shawn a card, note or gift to thank him for his years of ministry. We hope you’ll join us!

Music for this Sunday’s Meeting for Worship from Shawn P ~ Sunday’s Patriotic Medley is in honor and memory of veterans who have been a part of Indianapolis First Friends Meeting.

Veterans Day is Thursday, Nov. 11. I am reminded of our veterans all across this nation, and in particular, those veterans who have been part of First Friends Meeting. First Friends has always had veterans in our midst who have greatly enriched our Meeting. I am reminded of three that would tell me stories of their days in military service. I fondly remember Hilda “Pete” and Lowell Renshaw and Fred Davis.

I am sure there are many others whom I do not know, and even though Quakers have a testimony of peace, there are those in our midst who have served and do serve and I am thankful for their presence. ~Shawn Porter

Let’s Play “What has Tom Made, Now?”

This week, the pastoral team visited Tom P. Tom is a long-time member of First Friends, who lives here in Indianapolis. He is looking forward to joining us again at Meeting in the coming weeks. Until then, Tom has many projects he is working on, in and around his home. In explaining one of his latest projects to our pastors, he proceeded to lead them outside to his garage to show them this contraption which he made (see photo).

Take a good look. What do you think it is? Any guesses?

Remember, Tom comes from a long line of Quakers, so even though it might look like some type of a weapon, we guarantee it is not (well, unless used for the wrong reasons, then maybe). Here is a little hint to help you make a better guess. Tom is a Ham Radio Operator and built this device to assist him in making a better connection. That is all we are going to say for now. If you have a guess of what you think Tom is holding, email your answer to office@indyfriends.org and next week if you have guessed correctly, we will publish your name along with the answer in Friend to Friend.

Thanks Tom for always making us wonder and for sharing your creative ventures!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana is seeking volunteer Bigs. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and they can be matched with children from 8 to 18. Currently, 1,285 matches are being served in our area (Marion, Hamilton, and Johnson Counties). But, over a thousand boys & girls are still on the BBBS match waitlist. Please let the office know if you or another are interested in becoming a Big (office@indyfriends.org)

Men’s Threshing Together ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Join us for our next in-person meeting Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2021 here.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed in the last couple of years. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

Woods Words

As we wander through the Woods in autumn, consider speaking this excerpt from Psalm 96 in your heart in praise of God’s amazing creation.

Psalm 96: 1, 11-12

1 Sing a new song to the Eternal;
sing in one voice to the Eternal, all the earth.

11 And so, let the heavens resound in gladness!
Let joy be the earth’s rhythm as the sea and all its creatures roar.
12 Let the fields grow in triumph, a grand jubilee for all that live there.
Let all the trees of the forest dig in and reach high with songs of joy before the Eternal

We at the Wood’s team are ever mindful of two things: How can we balance supporting native wildlife and keeping maintenance manageable?

With Amy Perry’s inspiration, we are revising the entry plaque area. While the switchgrass is a gorgeous winter backdrop, cutting it back every year and managing the enthusiasm of the native coneflowers is time consuming, so we will be replacing the plantings with lower growing, less aggressive natives. We will transplant prairie drop seed, blue eyed grass, butterfly milkweed and wild petunia around the plaque. These will bloom at different times and be better “behaved” in a smaller planting.

We also hired an ecological restoration company, EcoLogic to do the heavy lifting of invasive removals in the eastern segment of the Woods allowing more native species to thrive.

Something to consider in your home landscape. Oaks provide habitat for over 511 insect species that nourish our birds while they feed their young. With small urban lots, an oak to consider is Quercus prinoides or dwarf chinkapin or chinquapin oak. It usually grows to 20 feet and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions. https://unlgardens.unl.edu/quercus-prinoides-dwarf-chinquapin-oak

Upcoming Events:

November 13: 9 AM Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation. From clerk, Diana Hadley: “Friends, The 2022 legislative session is near, so IFCL will meet by Zoom Saturday, November 13, at 9:00 a.m. to discuss issues and possibilities to serve Hoosier challenges legislatively as Quakers.

Thanks to everyone who worked for redistricting reform through contacts with legislators, attendance at hearings/news conferences and letters/columns in the media. You can review the IFCL effort on our website (www.quakerifcl.org)

under the "News" button. Although new maps have been adopted, the goal for changing the process will continue and be described at the November 13 meeting.” I monitor environmental issues for IFCL.

November 13: 1-5 PM Indiana Native Plant Society Annual Conference, by Zoom. $25 registration fee.

https://indiananativeplants.org/wild-indiana-wilding-indiana-gardens/

November 19 & 20, 2021 Greening the Statehouse: HEC annual gathering by Zoom

https://www.hecweb.org/gts/ $35, $25/students

As always, think about how you can reduce energy waste and promote the circular economy. For ideas, go to https://weather.com/science/environment/news/carbon-footprint-climate-change

Mary B, co-clerk of the Woods Committee

https://homegrownnationalpark.org/about-us We are on the map!

First Friends Afghan Evacuee Group Moves Forward with Goal to Become Co-Sponsor

Core Group to Ask Monthly Meeting for Business to Approve Co-Sponsorship

A group at First Friends decided to ask the First Friends Monthly Meeting for Business to approve a request to become a Co-Sponsor, along with Exodus Refugee, of an Afghan evacuee family. The meeting date is Sunday, Nov. 21.

Sponsorship is a minimum commitment of three months and the F.F Co-Sponsor team plans to work on 10 specific activities that may be tweaked following a recent survey:

English tutoring
Airport pickup
School enrollment
Enrollment in ESL
Create a budget
Participate in a second home visit
Help set up furnishings
Prepare a culturally appropriate meal
Supply sufficient clothing for each family member
Provide ongoing financial support (Goal of $5,000 including in-kind donations).

Expectations Clarified in Wednesday Meeting with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator

Fifteen attended a Question and Answer session with Jericho Jones, Exodus Volunteer Coordinator, who appeared virtually to clarify recent changes in sponsorship guidelines. Resettlement agencies are swamped with a backlog of evacuees and the urgency of the situation prompted Exodus’ guideline changes. Last Wednesday’s meeting was both in-person and open to virtual attendees.

Representative from Shalom Mennonite Participated to Glean Information

Becky Wigginton attended as an invited guest representing Shalom Mennonite Church. Neither Friends nor Mennonites knew what to expect in terms of sponsorship responsibilities and in lieu of recent changes. The idea of an exploratory partnership or simply a chance for Mennonites to gather information resulted in Becky’s attendance.

Survey Distributed to Active Parties to Determine Group Activity Commitment and to Create Task Groups

Group activity commitments are currently being finalized as task groups are formed according to individual interests collected from a survey distributed Monday. Jim Donahue has agreed to coordinate fundraising. David Beatty is Witness and Service Liaison. W&S will support and assist in the co-sponsorship, but will not take a leadership role.

Preparing the Way for Afghan Evacuees – Other Ways to Help

Team Volunteers

Those wanting to have ANY direct contact with Afghan evacuees, even if little involvement is desired, should (1) watch the recorded video training, (2) complete a background check for a fee of approximately $25 and (3) complete a confidentiality form for Exodus Refugee. This makes logistics easier when we need drivers.

Donations

Clothing is NOT needed since Exodus will provide culturally appropriate clothing.

Housing

Please share housing connections directly with Exodus Volunteer Coordinator Jericho Jones at jjones@exodusrefugee.org.

Monthly Meeting for Business has not yet met and approved a co-sponsorship of an Afghan family with Exodus. If approved we expect a rapid match and we want to be prepared.

Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for November

Mourning Dove: Not So Sad After All

Be happy! ~Brad J

Overman Scholarship Fund Drive ~ We are kicking off a fund for the Overman Scholarship! This fund, in memory of Jesse & Marilyn Overman and Mark Overman, awards scholarships to members of First Friends attending higher academic or vocational/Quaker institutions. If you’d like to support this worthy cause, we encourage you to donate. For the next 5 years, the Overman family will match donations up to a certain amount. Checks can be payable to “Indianapolis Monthly Meeting of Friends Trustees.” In the memo line, note "Overman Scholarship Fund.” Or you can donate securely on our website at https://www.indyfriends.org/support. Just choose “Overman Scholarship Fund” as the fund. Or text “Overman” to 317-768-0303.

WYM Looking for Associate Superintendent ~ Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (WYM) has an executive-level position open for Associate Superintendent. This newly-created position assists in providing support and leadership to WYM and reports directly to the General Superintendent. WYM consists of 33 meetings in Western and Southern Indiana and the Chicago, Illinois area. Based from the WYM office in Plainfield, Indiana, the Associate Superintendent will spend their time on tasks such as youth events, spiritual formation activities, young adult programs, and other Board on Christian Education activities. Click here to view the position description. Applications, including a resume and three references, are due to scottmwym@att.net by December 10, 2021. Beginning date for successful applicant will be March 1, 2022.

Queries for the Week

· What are my misconceptions and attitudes about Quaker Business?

· What leadings of the Spirit have I had during worship that I need to bring forward to the corporate body for discernment and support?

· How am I assisting my fellow Friends in deepening our spiritual life through Quaker Business?

Comment

Friend to Friend November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

As Way Opens

Last week I had the opportunity to travel down memory lane. My parents asked if I would like to go to Fort Wayne with them to possibly retrieve some of my late grandfather’s artwork. Since moving back to Indiana, I have only been to Fort Wayne a couple of times – and then came the pandemic. I believe it has been nearly two years since I traveled up I-69 to the place where I grew up.

As we drove around town, I noticed how much things have changed. The familiarity of the streets, the home I lived in during high school, and the places I frequented brought back a variety of emotions and remembrances both good and bad. We passed the empty lot where the grocery store I worked at used to stand. Our favorite Chinese restaurant (as the sign read, “Under New Management”) had recently reopened but now has a Dairy Queen in its parking lot. I saw my high school campus and my parking spot down by the St. Joe River where I parked when getting to school early to work in the art room (even though I lived a block and a half from school).

When we turned down River Forest Drive, the street with the grass median where my dad taught me to drive a “stick,” the memories really began to flood back. There sat the home where I spent countless weekends hanging out with friends in the basement and where my wife, Sue, ended up living for a year before we were married, while I finished school in Chicago. Where I would sit and laugh around the table with my grandfather one last time before his cancer came back and took his life. Where Sue and I celebrated with family after getting engaged at Franke Park just outside the entrance to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. Where we came the day following our wedding to open presents with friends and then pack our moving truck to leave for Orlando, Florida to begin our life together.

As we turned to leave the area and head back across town for dinner, I could not help but think how much my life has changed since those days. I am not the same person today that I was back then. Actually, I probably would not even hang out with the Bob Henry that lived on River Forest Drive for so many reasons. Yet there is an importance to remembering where you have come from, how it has shaped your story, and how the Spirit may continue to use it to shape your present. Fredrick Buechner in A Room Called Remember says,

One way or another, we are always remembering…there is no escaping it even if we want to, or at least no escaping it for long, though God knows there are times when we try to, don’t want to remember. In one sense the past is dead and gone, never to be repeated, over and done with, but in another sense, it is of course not done with at all or at least not done with us…

I don’t think these memories are done with me quite yet, I just need to be open to how they will shape me in my current phase of life. Is it time you took a trip down memory lane? I wonder what the Spirit will reveal to you?

Bob

Quaker-Affiliated Organizations

Right Sharing of World Resources -- Something to Give Thanks For!

Give 1 cent for every electric outlet in your home
Give 1 cent for every bike, ball, skateboard, Frisbee
Give 1 cent for every faucet in your home
Give 25 cents for the right to vote...

In gratitude for the support of First Friends of RSWR over the past year. -- Phil Goodchild

https://rswr.org/gratitude-calendar

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Adult-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

https://rswr.org/sites/default/files/2018-06/Childrens-Gratitude-Calendar.pdf

Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities

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

VOCE Centennial Celebration ~ VOCE, a semi-professional group that Carolyn T sings with will be performing a free concert at St. Joan of Arc Church, 4217 Central Avenue on Sunday November 7th at 3PM in celebration of their Centennial year. The concert will feature the World Premier of the “Mass for St. Joan of Art” by Joseph Burrows. We hope you will attend!

We welcome all who are interested to join us in Fellowship Hall of the Fist Friends Meeting House at 3030 Kessler Blvd, East Drive, at 2 PM, Saturday, November 13.

Madge is available from the Irvington Historical Society, the book's publisher.

First Friends Financial Update: The Meeting seeks financial support. We are experiencing a considerably larger deficit than in past years, and your help is needed to close the gap. To donate online, go to indyfriends.org/support/#givenow, or text to give at 317-768-0303.

Additionally, members and attenders are encouraged to visit the 2022 pledge webform to plan ahead for next year.

Blue Christmas Service & Luncheon ~ All are invited to our special Blue Christmas service which will be held during Meeting for Worship on Sunday, November 28. We will honor loved ones who have passed in the last couple of years. This service recognizes the struggles that many people face during this season. After meeting for worship, we’ll meet in the parlor to share a light lunch and fellowship and have a facilitated discussion about our losses and grief. If you’d like to join us for this gathering, please RSVP to the office (office@indyfriends.org) and let us know how many people you plan to bring.

Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

Illustrated by the author's brother, Billy Renkl, Late Migrations is an assured and memorable debut.

We will gather at the Meeting House and via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 led by Sue H.

Queries for the Week

· How am I embracing a “both/and” outlook of worship and activism?

· In what ways do I need to “reconnect to the whole” and be proactive in creating a supportive community at First Friends, that encourages those led by the Spirit to act?

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