Gathering In Light

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The Original Revolution: Occupy Christmas? (Isaiah 52:7-10)

I know this is late, but it is the message I gave on Christmas morning December 25, 2011. Isaiah 52:7-10: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” John

Blog Entries

In Memory of Martin Luther King

A friend sent this to me in honor of Martin Luther King day. Psalms 15 Lord, who can be trusted with power, and who may act in your place? Those with a passion for justice, who speak the truth from their hearts; who have let go of selfish interests and

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Peace is a Garden (James 3:13-18)

This is the sermon I preached Sunday January 16, 2011. The want of peace_ One of the queries I sent out for reflection this week over email to the church was “how do we support peace?” How do I, Wess Daniels, We the Daniels Family, We Camas Friends Church, support

Advent

‘Hail, space for the uncontained God’ (Luke 1:26ff)

This is my sermon from December 18. So far this advent we have focused largely on preparation. What is it we prepare for exactly? 2,000 years after Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, hasn’t it already all happened? Advent means coming, but hasn’t Christ already come again

The Theological

‘even the thorn-bush by the wayside is aflame with the glory of God’ (Prayer)

Here is a prayer out of the Walter Rauschenbusch book of prayers “For God and the People: Prayers of the Social Awakening.” I believe at least the middle paragraph can be attributed to St. Basil. O God, we thank Thee for this universe, our great home; for its vastness and

The Pastorate

Advice to Ministers – Hannah Whitall Smith

Here is sound advice written to ministers, but really it’s good for any situation. “Years ago I came across this sentence in an old book: ‘Never indulge, at the close of an action, in any self-reflective acts of any kind, whether of self-congratulation or of self-despair. Forget the things

Quotations

Quote: Presence is a Situation

What a great quote to reflect on for Christmas and the arrival of God in creation. It makes me think about all of the opportunities we have had as of late, with the increasing unrest and protests in our country and around the world, where we are being called on

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Entering Christmas

One of my favorite things to do is to prepare worship during advent and Christmas. This week I’m working on putting together somethings for our Christmas Eve Candlelight service and our Christmas morning worship. I’ve been going back through some of the worship plans for previous years and

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Moses, The Exodus and the Disappointment of Christmas

Moses_ When Moses encountered the Burning Bush in Exodus Moses was faced with a traumatic situation. His past was now to be reconfigured in light of a new, profoundly life-altering experience. The unexpectedness of the burning-bush was exactly what Moses needed to call him to a deeper, more whole-self, a

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The Gift and Humility of Thanksgiving (1 Cor 1:3-9)

This is the text to the sermon I preached two weeks ago. Thanksgiving and Advent_ The meaning of the word Advent is “Coming” This week is the First Week of Advent. Typically, we at Camas Friends, take the Sunday after Thanksgiving to reflect back over the year so that we

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Nouwen and The Discipline of Gratitude

I really like what Henry Nouwen writes about the discipline of gratitude: Gratitude … goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but

Blog Entries

Prayer for Occupy

Here are two images that have gone ‘viral’ from the US Occupy protests that have made their rounds since Tuesday: Probably like many folks, these images have been sitting heavy with me. The images are just the capstone of a long couple of weeks of interactions and conversations concerning occupy

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Fox On Black Friday

I came across this in my reading the other day and it made me think of some of the stuff I’ve seen from Rev. Billy Talen, especially in the documentary on Christmas, and then I wondered what Fox would be doing on Black Friday: I was moved to open

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No Shrine Required: The Denial of Death and the Legacy of Moses (Deut 34)

This is the message I gave during meeting for worship at Camas Friends Church Sunday 11.6.2011. Terrified by death_ In his book “the denial of death” Earnest Becker opens with this line, “The prospect of death wonderfully concentrates the mind.” And that “The idea of death, the fear

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Which Direction Are We Headed?

I love traveling, I always have. One thing I have learned is that the type of journey and its destination determine what you’ll pack in your bags. If I am going on a backpacking trip in the Alleghenies (PA) and I’ll be out for 10 days, I will

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Quakers, Tradition and the Resurrection Community (Acts 13:13-33)

This is the message I gave a few weeks back at George Fox Chapel. I’ve been meaning to post the manuscript but haven’t had a chance. _Tradition is Dead, Tradition is Alive I think I am an unlikely candidate for Quaker week. I am like the majority of

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Why I’m a Quaker…

This is a video I did awhile back at the request of my yearly meeting (NWYM). In it I tell a little of my own story and why I am a Quaker today. I would love it if we could get our Quaker communities doing something like this and posting

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My dear friends, dwell in humility… (Woolman)

At Camas Friends Church, we’re reading through the journal of John Woolman, a Quaker minister and abolitionist from the 18th century. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the values we often unknowingly impress upon our children. Many of the activities we engage our children in have some kind of

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Intercession, Wangaari Mathai and Moses (Ex. 33)

This is the message I shared with Camas Friends on October 23, 2011 Introduction Finish this statement: “Intercession is…” Growing up in the church I was most used to hearing about intercession in the form of prayer, intercessory prayer was kind of like an intervention for a family member but

Church in Mission

When The Church Becomes a Department Store

You can drive around most neighborhoods here in the suburbs and find at least some vacant buildings. Some of them are small, and if not historic, they at least have a history.  While others are just enormous squares, nondescript, no personality or history at all. “throwaway” buildings might be a

The Biblical

The Inevitability of Absence (Ex. 32)

This is the message I gave at Camas Friends Church this past Sunday. We’ve been doing a series on the book of exodus with an eye, or an ear, or both, to God’s concern about liberation and concern for the poor. A couple of weeks back I shared

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Discernment and Remix

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at George Fox’s Chapel on my talk which was titled Tradition, Quakers and the Resurrection Community. I’ll post it here within the next day or so. In the talk I tell a little of my own story, discuss the idea of

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Quakers and The Resurrection Community (Acts 13:13-33)

This is a snapshot of what I’ll be speaking about next Monday at George Fox University’s chapel. “You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and

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Fall and Winter in the Life of the Spirit

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – Jesus (John 10:10 NRSV)I love Fall. It is a beautiful transition time from summer to winter. From a time of abundance to a time of rest, where

Blog Entries

Damage & Too Much and Too Little

Damage by Wendell Berry I. I have a steep wooded hillside that I wanted to be able to pasture occasionally, but it had no water supply. About halfway to the top of the slop there is a narrow bench, on which I thought I could make a small pond. I