gathering in light

Today was “one of those days.” That’s what I told the barista at the local coffee shop and that’s how I felt. It just seemed like I kept spinning my wheels all day. At the end of the work day I prayed, “God, where was your Light at today?” Which was my way of saying, “God, where were you and did I totally miss it?” I jotted down a few things in my notebook, things that stood out to me or appeared in my memory. And now at the end of the day I have thought about that question again. And there are two things that stand out to me. » Read the rest of this entry «

Quaker Life Magazine published an article of mine called “The New Quakers: A Faithful Betrayal?” in their January/February 2010 issue. A number of people have asked for me to share it with them so they could read it, so I checked with the editor of QL, Katie Terrell, and gave me permission to share it here with all of you. You can download the .pdf file here. » Read the rest of this entry «

Found this today in the paper. I love it. I feel like I know so many people who live out of this reality, including myself. It’s a good parody and a good reminder as well.

From Get Fuzzy.

This past Friday Emily and I were gifted with some tickets to the Portland Center Stage theater to watch the remake of Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps.” At first we thought the night was going to be a bust. When we got to the playhouse Emily had our 3 mo. old in a sling and the ticket collector said they weren’t allowed to let us in with a child under 6 yrs. old. Really? But then another woman who worked there promptly showed up and said she would look into some alternative solutions. They ended up finding a spot for us in a glassed in room right next to the sound room. It was great to have a space like that out of the way incase M. did get upset and it also had some comfy chairs to boot!

The play was fantastic. There were four actors, all absolutely top-notched. The four of them played all the roles throughout the whole play and changed accents for each of the characters (it takes place in England and Scotland). The minimalist set was also used very effectively and many of the items could turn into a variety of props. I think my favorite thing was the shadow puppets they did against a white backdrop throughout the play, they were simply beautiful.

The night out ended with a little after play party at the theater. Something we didn’t know or even plan on but was fun to participate in and watch all the normal “theater” goers. It was a fun date and a lovely play.

As many of you know I have been on an editorial board of young Quakers for that past couple years working on a book that collects writings from Quakers around the world. The book was edited by Angelina Conti, Cara Curtis, Harriet Hart, Sarah Katreen Hoggatt, Evelyn Jadin, John Epur Lomuria, Emma Condori Mamani, Katrina McQuail, Rachel Anne Miller and myself. Well, it is about to be published and is ready for pre-order (15% off). Yes, I am proud of it and recommend it to all those interested in reading about young Friends from the many branches of Quakerism and many different countries. Here’s a write up Lucy Duncan who has played a huge part in seeing this book through from start to finish:

Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices celebrates, critiques, questions, and reflects on the Quaker faith experience. Writing and visual art by teenage and young adult Quakers from around the world and across the theological and cultural spectrum of the Religious Society of Friends give readers a window on the spiritual riches and witness these Friends offer. The product of the two-year Quakers Uniting in Publications (QUIP) Quaker Youth Book Project, it includes over 200 contributors from 17 countries who reflect on their faith and lives as Friends, on worship and practice, on Quaker testimonies, community, conversion and convincement, and on service to and in the world. They also challenge and inspire, as they witness to and celebrate Quakerism as it has been, as it is, and as it could yet be. » Read the rest of this entry «

Even though I still intend on following my six-month project on being a Quaker minister, I’ve been slowing down on my blogging as part of my need to hit the brakes on all things that pull me away from other duties. This has included my internet usage, though I am sure it is still higher than many folks! The last few days I’ve been having serious pain in my jaw, to the point that it feels like it may lock up on me. It won’t open very far and is creating a lot of tension in my head. Today I went and got a message from a friend which has thankfully helped some. But the other day when I called and talked to my mom about it (who has had to jaw surgeries for TMJ) she said it’s more than likely from stress. I told her I don’t feel stressed, which is really true. Actually, I feel less stressed than is normal for me (I think I have a fairly high tolerance typically), but I think regardless she’s right. I seem to carry my stress in my jaw because every time in the last few days when I start to feel tense for whatever reason I have a sharp pain in my mouth! Many nights Emily wakes me up with a nudge telling me I am grinding my teeth. I remember a few years back when I was first starting my PhD I was grinding at very persistent rate, which created all kinds of issues for me during the day.

So today while I was trying to remain quiet, reflecting on all of this, I was struck again by the mortality of life, of my own life. Life is so fragile, our bodies can only take so much. Lent for me is hitting the brakes, and working to build up the reserves a little. I don’t feel like I have much choice at this point but to respond in this way.

Here’s my sermon for Lent week 2.

“I haven’t known ___ all that long, but there’s lots of things about her that will stick with me. I want to share only one more. I remember the first time ___ called me on the phone and scheduled some office time with me; I am pretty sure she was one of the first people to actually visit me for spiritual advice and she’s not even in my congregation! Looking back I can see that she had this gift of including people and making everyone feel welcome. She even made me feel welcome, inviting me to play a role in her life that otherwise I would have missed out on.”

During our elder’s meeting a few weeks back I presented a calendar for the year that included e basic themes I am interested in covering in preaching for 2010, along with the days when we will have unprogrammed worship and a few other special days in the mix. Part of this included following the Revised Common Lectionary through the Lenten season. I gave a few reasons why I wanted to follow the lectionary through this time period but two still stand out to me. There is an appeal to follow along the Scriptural path that many other churches are also following. It gives us a sense of being rooted and a part of something bigger. And I like that it also grounds us in this part of the year, reflecting on Christ’s work on the cross and working to be fully awake. This is of course to mention that it’s only for a short time, keeping with my suggestion that we practice a non-liturgical liturgy. I was surprised by how easily everyone came on board. I thought for sure there would be at least a little residual allergy to the word lectionary, but I think people were genuinely interested in how this might also be an act of worship. » Read the rest of this entry «

Lent is upon us and I’m working out what it means for me to be awake and aware of Christ’s Light not just within but all around. One of the things that keeps me from this is the constant speed at which I move from thing to thing. The speed is a symptom of the pile of projects and commitments I have taken on. For instance, the other day we were at our Home Owner’s Association meeting and while we were in the process of forming our newly appointed board members someone asked “who would like to be on the board?” My hand instinctively went up. I felt like I was watching a movie of myself where the film version of me couldn’t see what I the viewer saw. I watched myself raise my hand, and felt powerless to stop it. Yelling at the screen “no!!!!” no one heard or even cared. This kind of compulsive yes has gotten me roped into more things than I care to recount. » Read the rest of this entry «

Quaker Missiologist Ron Stansell has a new book coming out this month from Barclay Press called Missions By the Spirit. My review of the book is posted there if you have interest in getting a brief overview. I recommend the book to all of you who are interested in missions as it pertains to Quakers. Stansell has done a good job and I hope has initiated further studies in this direction. There will be a book discussion over at Barclay Press over the next month if you have thoughts you’d like to share. Here’s the link to that page.