Blog Entries The End of Words Quaker theologian Isaac Penington once wrote: And the end of words is to bring [humanity] to the knowledge of things beyond what words can utter. So, learn of the Lord to make a right use of the Scriptures: which is by esteeming them in their right place, and prizing that
Featured If You Can’t Go Over It, then… One of L’s favorite books, and if we’re being completely honest mine as well, is “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt.” It’s a great adventure story that begs to be interacted with, the pitter-patter of hands on your legs for running, the squishy sounds for mud,
Blog Entries Getting Ready for a New Year in Seminary? As another school year is starting up for all you seminary students I thought I’d link to a few trips and tricks posts I’ve written over the years. Hopefully you find them helpful. * So This Is Your First Year In Seminary? Tips, Tricks and Other Advice * A Resource
Featured There is No Time for Weeping (Jeremiah 8) I thought I would post what I would have said, if I would have preached the other day. (Given that please forgive the very unpolished nature of this piece). The love of a Parent is powerful. For instance, the other night L came running into our room balling. Now typically,
The Theological Joan Baez – Virgin Mary (Had One Son) Re-Watching some of the “No Direction Home” documentary this evening on Bob Dylan and was reminded of this haunting video by Joan Baez. I absolutely love it. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOAAHlYMKYc?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=574&h=456] YouTube – Joan Baez
Blog Entries Questions for Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 At Camas Friends, we have a variety of ways in which we do the “message” portion of our service. Generally I preach, but not always. Sometimes we have a discussion around the text, sometimes we utilized drama or interview like portions to add to the mix, sometimes we invite people
Blog Entries Tell all the Truth but tell it slant Thinking about this poem today: Tell all the Truth but tell it slant— Success in Cirrcuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth’s superb surprise As Lightening to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind— via Tell all
Featured Brent Bill: A Modest Proposal – For the Revitalization of the Quaker Message in the United Staes Brent Bill, Quaker, author, convergent Friend, and all around good guy, is beginning a series on his blog that I am really looking forward to. In it he’s going to be looking at what the Quaker message is for today. I admitted that I had some interest in the
Blog Entries Wake Up Everybody Here’s a new video from John Legen and the Roots. I love the Roots so that’s how I bumped into this, I’ve never really listened to John Legend before. I find the video really uplifting, and the song has a good tune with some great lyrics. It
Blog Entries Turning Messages Of Hate Into Poetry of Love Came across this yesterday. It’s a really cool blog called God Loves Poetry. It’s a group of people subverting the hateful message of Westboro Baptist Church. Turning their anger into messages of hope with a black marker and some creativity. It’s a simple act, but it reminds
Blog Entries The Love of a Parent I love this quote from Frederick Buechner: “‘He who loves has fifty woes … who loves none has no woe,’ said the Buddha, and it is true. To love another, as you love a child, is to become vulnerable in a whole new way. It is no longer only through what
Featured Creatures are not Machines Wendell Berry, in an essay within his book Life is a Miracle (53ff), writes about the persistent problem of some analogizing humans with machines. You don’t have to look far for examples or remarks about the human mind being like a computer chip, or people being talked about as
Blog Entries No History In the Empire I’ve been reading a lot of commentary on the prophets, specifically on Jeremiah lately. I came across this quote today in Walter Brueggemann’s “The Prophetic Imagination” in reference to liberation theologian Dorothy Soelle. He writes: Prophetic criticism, Dorothy Soelle, has suggested, consists in mobilizing people to their real
The Cultural Interfaith Clergy Letter to the Editor in Clark County (This is a letter a group of us from Clark County wrote in response to some of the controversy surrounding September 11th this past week. We submitted it to our local papers which did not pick it up so I thought I’d post it here.) This year, a small
Featured Spoiled and Reworked (Jeremiah 18:1-11) (This is the message portion of what I shared on Sunday that follows a story I wrote. This message comes from Jeremiah 18:1-11.) We in the middle of discussing various passages from the book of Jeremiah, asking what do these old stories have to teach us? Are there new
Featured The Two Cobblers A long time ago in an old village there was a cobbler named Samuel. Tall and thin, his dark hair had begun to turn the slightest shade of gray, like an early winter dusting of frost on the ground. Samuel came from a long line of cobblers. His father, grandfather
Church in Mission Bored at Worship? I came across this post awhile ago and have been meaning to link to it. In the post Skye discusses bordem in our worship services, not just from the typical congregant but also the pastor. He also comments on that article that’s been pretty popular online about “Hipster Christianity.
Blog Entries Come Visit the Vancouver Peace and Justice Fair Tomorrow Tomorrow, September 11th, the Vancouver Peace and Justice Fair is happening at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, WA. I will be there with some of the folks from our Quaker meeting, Camas Friends Church, running the booth for our Yearly Meeting. There will be around 50 tents there and
Blog Entries A Prayer from John Bellars I was reading an essay from T. Vail Palmer this morning on titled “Religion and Ethics in the Thought of John Bellars” and came upon this beautiful prayer and a great quote from about Jesus being the example for all people (even Princes) to imitate. Bellars was an early Quaker
Featured All We Grow (Jeremiah 2:4-13) This is the message I gave on Sunday. Opening_ What are we growing? Theres a new album that recently came out titled All We Grow, by S. Carey. While I actually really like the music on the album, I found the title to be compelling enough. The first time
Blog Entries Camas Friends State of the Church Report As I mentioned awhile back we have been working on our State of the Church report for the year. Well now it is posted on the Camas Friends website. When you get a second we hope you’ll take a look.
Blog Entries A Prayer For All Those Beginning a New School Year Today begins a new semester for many beginning or returning to college, and if seminary and graduate school has not begun for you it is just around the corner. Here is a prayer I want to offer to all of you as a new school year begins: Almighty God, in
Featured Unscheduled Time Over the last week I’ve had a number of appointments cancel on me or just not show up. It’s only weird because it has happened with the last four meetings in a row and it is something that usually doesn’t happen. I keep wondering, along with the
Blog Entries Joan Chittister’s “The Liturgical Year” I picked up a copy of Joan Chittister’s new book “The Liturgical Year” the other day at Powells. ((affiliate links connected to powell’s online bookstore)) Chittister, a long-time nun, writes in this book a theological and practical explanation of the liturgical calendar. I’m pretty excited about this
Blog Entries Variety of Quaker Perspectives Wanted My friend Jez Smith from the British Quaker magazine “The Friend” is looking for a variety of Quaker perspectives on a few questions below. Will you read this and consider helping him out? — Just what is the World Family of Friends? From 3-5 September Quakers from Britain Yearly Meeting, Ireland
