Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope your week is going well so far. I wanted to write to give you a heads up about the community events this week and also send out our preparatory text for Sunday.

Wednesday 6pm Soup And Bread - Marie Morasch will be leading us through the “Stations of the Cross.” I hope you can come and join in with us as we participate in this longstanding practice for Holy Week.

Thursday 6pm Laundry Love – Adam, Henry and Jenn will be out at Riverside Laundry supporting Laundry Love this week. Feel free to drop by and say hello or send folks that way who may need help.

Sunday 6:30am Easter Sunrise Service at Beacon Rock (Picnic Area) Join us for a “A Liturgy for Resurrection” There will be singing, readings, prayers – all geared towards reflecting on Christ’ resurrection and where we have witnessed resurrection in our own lives in the last year. There will be coffee and pastries. More info on the church website.

Sunday 9:30am Easter Brunch – Everyone is invited to bring a brunchy side dish to share (our hospitality crew is bringing the egg casseroles). After breakfast we will head up stairs for our regular meeting for worship at 10:45pm.

—

Scripture Text for Preparation

“When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

[And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]” (Mark 16:1–8)

This Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This is Mark’s accounts of Jesus’ resurrection.

Since Caryl was just here doing a Godly Play training I thought we could use the Godly Play wondering questions for our reflection this week:

Queries:

• I wonder what part of this story you like best?
• I wonder what is the most important part?
• I wonder what part of the story is about you or has you in it?
• I wonder if there is any part of this story we can leave out and still
• have all the story we need?

I look forward to seeing you all this week.

In the Light,
Wess

–
C. Wess Daniels
Released Minister @ Camas Friends Church
1004 NE 4th Ave, Camas WA 98607

Cell: 360-818-4293
Sent with Sparrow

Starting Wednesday May 2  we will begin a small group on Wednesday nights called: “A Crash Course in All Things Quaker.” If it sounds like a car-wreck waiting to happen, just wait and see. We’ll be covering the high points of Quaker history, and we’ll also be discussing Quaker lingo, some of our Quaker “saints,” and some of the basic of how our church functions (How does it function, any way?). We’ll have special guests come and help lead us too (special guests, this is a heads up that we’ll be asking you to help). We’ll be using Ben Pink Dandelion’s book “The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction.” Please sign up if you’d like for us to purchase the book in advance for you (Cost $11.95) http://bit.ly/HcKndp

Picture your hands open out in front you, what words come to mind to describe this gesture? Some words might be openness, no strings attached, giving away, surrender. Open hands is an image that makes me think of a person who does a loving and gracious act because it is something they are led to do, something they want to do and so do it out of a freedom. These acts are unconditional, they done not for the press, they are done it is the right thing to do. Too often in our day everything has a catch or a price.

Just the other day I found a website that encouraged people to make a picture of their first car, mine was a Dodge Caravan my parents gave me. So I made the image using some strange Internet Voodoo (it looked surprisingly like my van) and then it asked to tell the story of my van (I have lots, but one is that I blew out the engine because I didn’t know how to change the oil!). When I clicked on the button to begin writing my story it pulled up links to Facebook and asked if it was okay to advertise for a Subaru car – tagged as a great first car or something like that. Here I totally fell for it. I was travelling down memory lane and next thing you know I’m advertising for a car company on my Facebook page (I didn’t actually go through with it). Continue reading →

Good Afternoon Friends,

Can you believe it’s Wednesday already and it’s already the end of March? What is happening? All this sun-shinny weather is getting me messed up!

I wanted to remind you that tonight we’re doing Soup and Bread and we’re setting up a Labyrinth. If you don’t know what a labyrinth is see this: , oh wait, no, check this out. That’s at 6pm if you’d like to check it out.

Next week at Soup and Bread Marie Morasch is going to lead us through the stations of the cross.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which means a) that we’re going to have Palms here on Sunday! and b) just one week before Easter. Also, Joel Bock from North Valley Friends Church in Newberg will be joining us and leading us through some singing.

John 12:12-16

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,

‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!’
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:
‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!’

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’

Queries:

• As you read through this passage what stands out to you?
• What do you think “the crowd” was thinking, experiencing when they saw Jesus ride in on a young donkey?
• During a time of reflective silence, insert yourself in the story. Where are you? How do you feel? What is it like to be one of the crowd? One of his disciples? A pharisee? The donkey? Jesus himself?
• What is the good news for you this passage?

I look forward to seeing you soon,
Wess

Good Afternoon Friends,

I trust your week has been filled with opportunities to listen and see God in the world around you and that you have been able to respond out of a place of love and grace. I know this is what I’ve been thinking a lot about recently.

Where are the seeds of God around me, am I able to notice them, tend to them, appreciate them? We had a wonderful time last Sunday with

This Sunday we’re looking at another passage in John continuing our Lenten discussion of “what is the good news?”

Here’s John 12:20–33:

“Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.”

Queries:

• What word or phrase here captures your attention? (Sit with this awhile, why are you drawn to this, what might God be saying to you through this?).
• What ways do I continue seeking to “save” my life that are destructive to myself, my family, friends, etc?
• When have I been able to lose my self in a way that has brought freedom?
• Where do you hear good news in this passage?

Community gatherings this week:

• Tonight is Soup and Bread, Al will be leading a guided time of prayer. And next Wednesday for Soup and Bread we’ll be going through a Labyrinth, I hope you can join us.

• Thursday night is the class on poverty and the Bible at Good Shepherd Episcopal in Vancouver at 6:30pm. More info on our website. Emily, the girls and I will be there. They are offering childcare.

• This Sunday night is our Convergent Friends Worship at 6:30pm and it is at our meetinghouse.

In Peace and Light,
Wess

–
C. Wess Daniels
Released Minister @ Camas Friends Church
1004 NE 4th Ave, Camas WA 98607

Cell: 360-818-4293
Sent with Sparrow