gathering in light

Plane activities

Originally uploaded by C. Wess Daniels.

I just checked my blog and saw that I accidentally posted this picture with no text on my site via flickr. So, here’s a little update. We just arrived home (Camas, WA) last night after being gone for almost two weeks. Yesterday, we traveled for almost 12 hours, from the time we left Toledo (where Emily’s folks live) to when we walked into our house. L did great considering the amount of time she had to sit on her parent’s laps while flying. We had a great time being with family, and I really enjoyed my traveling among Quakers in both Greensboro and Barnesville. But it’s nice to be back home, sleeping in our own bed again and getting back to work in the office.

Tomorrow morning I leave for North Carolina to attend the Friends Association for Higher Education. FAHE is for all Quakers working in the field of education and so I will be attending largely as one interested in teaching Quaker theology and history. This year I am presenting with two other Quaker academics: Abigail Adams and Jeffery Dudiak. Abigail is a social scientist and Jeff is a philosopher. The workshop we are doing is called:Quakers and the Postmodern: Problems and Promises. For my part of the program, I will be presenting my ethnographic research on one “postmodern” Quaker meeting in order to give some concrete examples for what the other two presenters will have theory and explanations.

Then I will be driving with Jeff (and others?) to Barnesville, Ohio. It is the 50th anniversary of the Quaker Theological Discussion Group. It has been a group focused on keeping the academic backbone of Quakerism alive and is committed to strengthening the Christian legacy of our tradition. I will be among some of my own Quaker heroes and really look forward to this. I am also the respondent to Gerry Guiton’s (from Australia) paper called: The Kingdom of God, the Early Friends and the Future of Quakerism. It should be fun.

Then, after that’s all done, I will meet up with Emily and L, who are already in OH, and go and visit my family for a couple days before heading back to the West.

This past Sunday we finished up our discussions around Acts 2. For worship, we had a more meditative tempo. The host for Sunday’s worship led the congregation in a simple prayer, shortly after one of the women in the congregation shared about her growing concern for child trafficking in the world, but especially in the Portland/Vancouver area.  I found her discussion to be deeply moving.

We did a few Taize songs and then, after our petitions and thanksgivings, we did Lectio. Here is the intro I gave, followed by the actual flow of the service so you can use it if you would like:

Letio is a way to pray the scriptures. It is letting the Inward Christ speak to us through his inspired and inspiring word. It also gives us space to respond to that word, to allow the word to speak through us. Then as we go you go from worship you “Take a word with you.” The hope is that whatever word you are given you can hang onto it and allow it to shape your life during the week. [Read more]

This Sunday our meeting for worship will be focusing on the last portion of Acts 2:

“So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:41-47 NRSV).

We will be reflecting on the text following the pattern of Lectio Divina. I look forward to how the Holy Spirit will speak to us through this passage. As I have been studying this week and thinking through this text I found these two quotes from Karl Barth which I deeply appreciate: [Read more]

Emily has been feeling a little “different” these last few months and seemed to be growing a bit in the tummy so I suggested she find out what’s going on. Apparently, there’s a baby growing inside her! Who would have known?

I’d like to introduce Baby Daniels #2. That’s about all we know of the baby so far. Oh, She/he is due at the end of November and has a strong heartbeat. We are all really excited for the addition to the clan. Emily is doing well and L doesn’t really understand the concept of “there’s a baby in your mommy’s belly” just yet, but I think she’s excited too.

I think the baby looks most like mommy right now, but what do I know? [Read more]

My friends Peggy Parsons and Marge Abbott are giving what I might call a “dramatic presentation” of Quaker history at Multnomah Meetinghouse this Saturday. These two women are well-versed in all-things-Quaker, lively, provocative and will surely make it an enjoyable time for any who wish to attend.

I plan to be there and look forward to meeting other Friends. Here’s the information: [Read more]