Building the Community
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Mary Blackburn
May 10, 2026
Proverbs 31:10-12, NIV
10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:25-28
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
James 5:12-16
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Today is our second week of celebrating the beauty of our special community of Friends of Jesus. This summer we will continue to explore what spiritual friendship might mean for you and what it has meant for me.
I would be remiss if I didn’t honor Mothers’ Day today. Today’s reading of selections from Proverbs 31 has highlights of the ideal woman, who is strong and wise and provides for her household. Another image that I love is the one from Matthew 23. Jesus has just told the Pharisees that they are missing the message of love that God offers. He says he yearns to gather us under his wings as a mother hen gathers her chicks beneath her. Can you imagine the warm fluffiness of being beneath a mother’s wings safe from predators above us? Bring to mind someone who has mothered you with love and warmth and security. Please bless those who have been a mother to you, whether related by biology or related by the power of love. These people have been instrumental in creating who we are today. Thanks to Moms everywhere!
The second scripture is from the Letter of James which was likely written in Greek sometime between 75-120 CE. Most likely, this letter was not written by James, the brother of Jesus, but is fairly early in the New Testament writings. The New New Testament is a recent compilation by scholars of writings that include other early Christian documents that give a fuller picture of the variety of practices of the early Jesus followers. The introduction to this writing states that it contains teachings from both the Hebrew scriptures and from Jesus’s own teachings. “It might also be a written version of teachings organized for meetings at meals, the primary place where early Christians received lessons in groups.” As many in the early community were Illiterate, these sayings and teachings were read or recited in these small groups. One of the goals of our time during Bob’s sabbatical is to eat together and learn more together and grow closer as a community.
Have you wondered why Quakers do not swear an oath to tell the truth when giving testimony in court? The book of James gives a very clear answer to that question. James 5:12 urges us to say a simple “Yes” or “No.” To say what we mean. Our words are to be trusted and we “affirm” that we are telling the truth.
One of the special gifts of being in a loving spiritual community is James 5:13-16. We are to pray for one another through our joys and sorrows. That does not mean that we are to brag or wallow in our sadness. We are to open ourselves to divine Love that permeates us and the universe for strength and healing.
Germ theory and other understandings of disease were not yet known in the ancient world, but we do know that when we have done the wrong thing and acted badly, it creates unease within our bodies. Modern medicine knows that stress and guilt can suppress our immune systems. Therefore, asking forgiveness and praying for one another can enable positive energy to flow.
Let me share some examples of this. Several years ago, I had a very challenging situation at work. I felt alone and an outcast because of false accusations made by a member of our team. I didn’t know who believed her lies. I asked our pastor Ruthie Tippin to pray for me. She prayed so sincerely that I felt seen as a person and I was finally able to cry and release many of the feelings of betrayal and shame that I felt. Her prayers gave me strength to move forward.
My husband David and I have been a part of a small group since 2017 at First Friends. It started when the whole meeting had the opportunity to choose a small group and share our spiritual lives while reading a devotional book together. We welcomed over 15 people into our small living room and we promised to keep our sharing only within this trusted group. We built such a strong bond that we continued to meet after we finished the book, sharing dinners and fun times. When one member of our group was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we marched in the rain for a cancer research fundraiser and supported his wife during his dying. During the pandemic, we met outside for hiking and outdoor meals. Later we went camping together, preparing meals together and sharing our love of God’s creation. When David received a diagnosis last year of cognitive changes, our group held a healing circle for him. David sat in the center and received our prayers, chants and touch. It makes me cry with thankfulness for such deep love. Have you ever had the experience of being in the midst of a healing circle of prayer? One where there are no strings attached? No expected outcome except to be covered in the love of others? It is humbling and also so beautiful to receive.
We are and can be the blessed Community for each other. We aren’t all the same, we don’t all hold the same world view, but can see each other as Friends who are seekers after truth, putting God’s love into practice with each other and extending out into the world.
Let us now enter a place of stillness and wait for God’s spirit to speak into our beings.
Queries:
• Is there anything blocking my relationship to others?
• Do I need to forgive myself or others?
• What gifts can I offer the community?