C. Wess Daniels

Digging Up the Roof: The Kingdom Moment and the Paralytic in Mark 2:1-12

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:31:18 -0800

This is the sermon I gave this past Sunday on Mark's story about Jesus and the paralytic.

"When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and take your mat and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic-- "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"" (Mark 2:1-12 NRSV).

The story of Jesus healing the paralytic is a rich narrative with many layers to it. I want to focus on how it describes established institutions, represented by the grumbling scribes, come under attack through Jesus' actions that proclaim a new moment, a new time and new way of being the people of God. The unexpected intrusion of a paralyzed person being lowered through a roof that had been dug up is a perfect image for the great lengths God goes to, to get outsiders into our churches. Jesus challenged these institutions at the points where they became roadblocks and invited people into a new work of God.

"When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them" (Mark 2:1-2).

Jesus: Celebrity in Capernaum

Mark tells us that Jesus just arrived home in Capernaum [Ka-Per-Knee-Umm]. Capernaum was a village with some 1500 residents, who typically lived in small individual quarters that housed large families (Green DJG 1992, 39). These homes were only one story and had a flat roof, accessible by a staircase on the outside of the home. Because of the tight quarters, the roofs were used for work as well as sleep. They were thatched with rush, held together by mud, and wood beams or branches made the structural part of the roof (France 123). This is why, in our story, the protagonists literally had to "dig up" the roof.

Mark doesn't tell us whether this is Jesus' actual house or someone else's, but in either case he has obviously become a local celebrity. The word that he was home got out, and people crammed into small quarters to hear Jesus "teach the word" to them (which probably means he was teaching what became known as "the Christian Message"). People were obviously interested in what was going on because even the front door was blocked.

There is something noteworthy about the particular word Mark uses for "crowd" (in verse 3). Originally, it meant something like a, "confused majority, or ordinary soldiers in a combat unit but who are not officers." It also refers to non-combat people who follow the army and perform menial duties (Luke 2 and John -- carry 2 miles). One commentator says, these were the "people of the land" who are differentiated from those in the ruling class. Rabbis taught that Jews should not share meals or travel with this group. Therefore it is unique to see both these groups represented at this gathering with Jesus.

It is in this setting that we see the birth pangs of Jesus' new moment clash with the institutions and establishments of the old. Jesus was up to something new that these old wine skins couldn't (it's probably a good thing he didn't call them that).

NT Wright says: "The main issue between Jesus and his Jewish contemporaries was his claim that the "moment" had come, that their god was even now inaugurating his kingdom, and that this - this praxis, these stories, this person - was the mode and means of its inauguration" (NT Wright, 383).

In his interaction with the paralytic Jesus showed what this new moment looked like. The kind of kingdom he announced was one that was centered on hospitality and healing of the outsider.

"Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay"

Plan B: The Church (John Caputo)

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:10:38 -0800

In preparing for a sermon the other day I came across one of my favorite quotes from John Caputo's book, "What Would Jesus Deconstruct?" (see also here):

"The name of 'Jesus' is too often a mirror in which we behold our own image, and it has always been easy to spot the sliver in the eye of the other and miss the two-by-four in our own. The question presupposes the inescapable reality of history and of historical distance, and it asks how that distance can be crossed. Or better, conceding that this distance cannot be crossed, the question resorts to the subjunctive and asks how that irreducible distance could be made creative. How does our distance from Jesus illuminate what he said and did in a different time and place and under different historical circumstances? And how does Jesus' distance from us illuminate what we must say and do in the importantly different situation in which we find ourselves today? The task of the church is to submit itself to this question, rather than using it like a club to punish others. The church, the archive of Jesus, in a very real sense is this question. It has no other duty and no other privilege than to bear this memory of Jesus and ask itself this question. The church is not the answer. The church is the question, this question, the gathering of people who are called together by the memory of Jesus and who ask this question, who are called together and are put into question by this question, who stand accused under the call, interrogated and unable to rescue themselves from this question, and who come to understand that there are no easy, ready-made, prepackaged answers."

(John Caputo, What Would Jesus Deconstruct? 2007, 34)

New York Quakers On Torture

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:10:37 -0800

The New York Yearly Meeting of Quakers put a minute together on torture and then made a video of people reading it. I thought it was good enough to share with all of you.

Great New Tunes for 2009

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:34:15 -0800

Last year, I felt, was kind of void for me when it came to new music. That is one reason why I asked my good friend Matt Hoopes to guest write his list (and also I was interested in learning about new artists). But already for 2009 I've been really excited by a bunch of new albums that are out this year, came out very late last year, or are soon to be out. Here's a list, in no particular order:

Jaydiohead : Minty Fresh Beats - Minty Fresh remixes Jay-Z with Radiohead, it's really cool (and free to download).
Andrew Bird : Nobel Beast - I'm not sure this is better than his previous "Armchair Apocalypse" but I am still enjoying the thick sounds this album puts out.
M.Ward : Hold Time - I've been listening to this album via NPR's "All Songs Considered" because it doesn't actually come out until Februrary 17th, and I love it already. I'd like to get this on LP if I can.
Starflyer 59 : Dial M (came out 10/28/2008) - I can't help it, I like just about everything Jason Martin does. This is a deeply introspective album, with some really good tunes on it.
Deerhunter : Microcastle - It's a really nice atmospheric album that, as Matthew Hoopes said, is great in large part because it reminds us of Starflyer 59's "Gold" Album.
Elvis Perkins : Elvis Perkins in Dearland can be pre-ordered and streamed from the Beggars Group. It's really good and lives up to my expectations at least.
David Bazan : His new album comes out sometime this spring, and after hearing most of the new songs live at Fuller Seminary in November, I am waiting with anticipation.
Jubilee Singers (website?) - Friends of ours from the Mennonite church and previously known a "No Little Kindness" will be releasing their new album in the not too distant future and it promises to be a list of great tunes.

What about you, anything new that you're really enjoying? What music are you looking forward to coming out this year?

A 21st Century Good Samaritan: Deidox's Story of "Robert"

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:34:14 -0800

Last week I heard about the new project Brent Gudgel, Dan Portnoy and clan have been working on called "Deidox" from twitter. I've posted about some of Brent's work before:

Actually, there are two important things take place at the end of this passage. First, the paralyzed man is the only person who sent out by Jesus. Why can't he stay and listen to Jesus "teach the word (2:2)?" The second is that the crowd erupts with inspiration and excitement, "We have never seen anything like this!"

The paralytic, who is, as far as we can tell from this passage, the only one who has, quite literally, had a life-changing encounter with Christ, is not permitted to stay inside the safety of the walls of this house. He is sent out like a missionary. What this tells us, this is seen throughout the Gospel accounts, and especially in The Book of Acts, is that as one encounters the new "moment," as NT Wright calls it, Christ inaugurates through his proclamation and performance, a new sense of urgency and meaning is given to life. After meeting the incarnation of God, one is radically transformed into a kingdom agent. There is, with every encounter of Christ, a missionary impulse birthed in the soul of the new creation. One must go and witness to this event. And certainly, a paralyzed man -now freed and undoubtedly shouting and dancing down the streets -- is nothing less than a kingdom witness.

No wonder this passage ends with the crowds, who though confused had a moment of clarity, and said, "We have never seen anything like this!" Something new was truly underway. The crowd can't help but see that this is a new moment taking place before them. This statement, their recognition that God is up to something new, is in stark contrast to the attitude the scribes display. One is worried about blasphemy, the codes behind forgiveness and healing, and protecting the institution. The other, our "confused majority" (the translation for Mark's "crowd") are open to the new possibilities of Jesus' kingdom. The roof was coming down, and Jesus was ushering in a kingdom full of misfits.

Is It The End Of Our SUV Lifestyle?

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:12:17 -0800

I just finished reading Tom Sine's recent book, "The New Conspirators: Creating The Future One Mustard Seed at a Time," for a review in a Friends' periodical. It's a book I highly recommend for those of you involved in ministry currently, or are interested in getting into ministry (however that may look) at some later date, and are looking for compelling examples of faith. It is full of great testimonies of people living for the kingdom of God.

In his book, Sine discusses at length problems of wealth and the "democratization of luxury" in America; a shift necessary for consumerism to keep on the rise amidst a growing celebrity culture. This has led to what he calls our obsession with an "SUV lifestyle," where bigger, better and more are the underlying motivations. This kind of lifestyle (and economy) based in consumption creates real problems for our well-being and faith-practices as a church:

...as we see growing pressure to spend more tie at word and more time consuming and producing media, we will have less time for other things, among the family, friends, church, prayer and scripture - and certainly less time to be involved in serving others (Sine 2008, 157).

This is a similar point that Michael Budde makes in his outstanding book, "The Magic Kingdom of God:" that the practices of our culture are quite often based in a counter-narrative to the Gospel. These "worldly" practices are powerful disciple-forming activities that most of us in the church are more influenced by than the practices of Jesus.

Reading the Times this morning, I couldn't help but wonder if with the passing of yet another stimulus package marks the end of this lifestyle for many of us. We know the penchant: "Our economy is in crisis, we better buckle down and be responsible. Scrimp and save!" I won't deny that this is indeed true or that we ought to do what's suggested, but if Sine and others are right, with every crisis comes opportunity for the church to rethink its mission and respond to where God is at work.

I see this "crisis" as a chance for the church to start paying attention more to the pulse of those in our neighborhoods. Surely everyone in our pews is effected by this in one way or another. No longer are we just talking about helping the guy who is out on the corner everyday with a cardboard sign asking for money to help him get back home, now we're talking about people losing their homes, and people who live right next door to our homes. We are all learning that treasures hoarded on earth do indeed rust.

Here is our opportunity to get serious about "breaking bread," not just with those in greatest need among us, but with those who find themselves unexpectedly in deep want. Both need generosity, but one will break our archetype of "those in need." May we, the church, regain the discipline of saying "no" to worldly treasures and practices, and again say "yes" to the practices of the kingdom. My hope is that instead of panic and fear, marks that characterize far too much of our church, we will live with an open-hand and be true sharers of all that we have with all who need; and show that God's economy is based on giving rather than taking. For a church rooted in the divine economy, no bailout will be necessary.

Witnessing History: Barack Obama Becomes President

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:57:20 -0800

Yesterday, we witnessed history-in-the-making; NY Times headline reads:

What is a Quaker? Reflections on What We Might Become

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:41:53 -0800

A few weeks back I was invited to talk with some college-age Friends during a weekend retreat. It was my first visit to Plainfield, Indiana and I had a nice time meeting these students and their adult leaders from Western Yearly Meeting. I was invited to sit on a panel with three other people to answer "What is a Quaker?" And later in the day, I led a workshop on "How Quakers Might Worship." My take on the first question was to look at what Quakerism might become in our hands rather than offer a historical or objective set of practices that determine whether we are Quakers or not. Here are some of the thoughts I shared:

This question, what is a Quaker, is an open-ended question and needs to be treated that way. There is no longer any "right" answer to this question, at least not in the sense that one can offer some clearly argued historical or theological point and persuade all his or her hearers of that truth. But there are some who offer better answers then others. Some versions of what it means to be a Quaker today are far more compelling and make better sense of what we know than other versions. What makes something compelling is not simply its logic, but how well it works on the ground. We are most convinced of the truth of something when we see it worked out in real life. This is no less true of the Christian faith.
Because we ask the question, "What is a Quaker?" we are alerted to the fact that the Quaker tradition is in crisis. Things aren't what they used to be, times have changed and things we were certain about are no longer easily assumed within our culture. It's not unlike the kind of crisis a lover has who finds out that his beloved is no longer in love with him and has found another. Quakerism awaits to be remade/reborn in our hands, this will happen through the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit and Inward Light of Christ.
Quakers are a part of the Christian Church. A Quaker is (usually) a Christian with a particular family

Barclay Press: Convergent Friends and Quaker Renewal

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:32:12 -0800

I've published another Barclay Press article, this time it's a very basic (though a bit long) introduction to convergent Friends called: Beyond the Boundaries: Convergent Friends and Quaker Renewal. I wrote it with Evangelical Friends in mind, I know all of you who read this blog know about what we're up to, but I hope that this will be at least be a little helpful for Friends who have not yet really heard much about this will be a inspired.

Advertisement: http://convergentfriends.org/feed/ Visit Convergent Friends

A Tribute to Herbert R. Dymale

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:46:38 -0800

The other day a friend emailed to let me know that our Bible and Theology professor from Malone College (now University), Herbert R. Dymale, passed away this last week.

Join Us at the Convergent Friends Retreat in February

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:38:52 -0800

Robin, Martin and I will be co-leading a weekend retreat on convergent Friends we're calling "Reclaiming the Power of Primitive Quakerism for the 21st Century" at the Ben Lomond Quaker Center this February 20-22. We're getting pretty excited about the weekend. Basically, it's going to be a time for everyone interested and/or already invested in the convergent Friends conversation to come together get to know one another better, worship together and wrestle over issues of renewal, the Friends tradition what it means to be Quakers in the 21st century. The retreat center we're staying at is located in the beautiful Redwoods and has some very peaceful grounds. There will be childcare available and I know L, as well as Robin and Chris' kids, will be there; so it's definitely kid friendly and we'd love to add to that mix. Also, if you're thinking there's no way you can afford the trip email Quaker Center [mail @ quakercenter dot org] because I hear there is some help available.

Here's a little descrition we wrote up on some of the things we'll be doing:

The weekend will include time to share some of our spiritual journeys in small groups and in writing. We will listen deeply and lovingly to one another, as we speak courageously and gently about our own experiences of the Truth. We will explore what we can learn from each other's stories, what it means to worship in Spirit and in Truth in the postmodern age, and how to share a lived faith as we serve all creation. We will walk in the redwoods, sing and laugh, have extended waiting worship, and eat together. We will experiment with some traditional Quaker practices and develop some tools to take home, to help us be the change we wish to see in our meetings, churches and the world. Expect inclusive and Christian language.

Along with all of that we'll also be talking about convergent Friends in the past, I'll be discussing a little bit about Everett Cattell and what we can learn from him for what we're doing today, and Martin and Robin will be discussing the New Foundations Fellowship and Lewis Benson's work for renewal. After working through some practical excersizes about faith and Quaker testimonies and delving into some historical examples we'll turn to "dreaming" a little about where we would like to see convergent Friends go, where we believe God is taking, and we'll share stories about where we see God already at work among Friends and in the world.

I hope some of you will be able to join us!

Download the registration flyer here and find more information on the convergent Friends website.

Dress-Down Friday | Peace in the Holy Land

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:39:17 -0800

We got back safely into LA this past Monday from a great vacation with our families in Ohio, but since then it has been a whirlwind week of things to do. But just because there's lots to do doesn't mean there aren't cool things happening around the web, here are a few of those things.

Christians are joining voices in calling for peace in the Holy Lands. You can sign this petition to join in.
And speaking of peace, check out this great essay: War is Over (if you believe it).
Amy asks "What's up with all these Animal Names for bands these days?"
Stanely Fish offers his top-ten American Movies of all-time. Even though they sound pretty good it seems as if they were all made back when Fish was still a teenager??
Here's another interesting article about Video Games being used to recruit armed forces in Urban areas.
Jay Z did a number of remixes of Radiohead tunes free for download. Speaking of which, anyone want to bid on a four-hour Videotape?
Have you seen these new Rob-Bell like videos that Peter Rollins is doing, they're great?
Here's a cool post on how to generate writing ideas.
Here's a great top-ten list of Parenting Tips from 2008.

Here are a few new apps that you may find interesting as well:

Profcast - For recording lectures, etc.
Things - For organizing your projects.
Mendley - For collaborating on research papers.

Heeding God's Call - Peace Gathering in Philly

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:02:10 -0800

Next week I will be going to Philadelphia for the peace gathering there: Heeding God's Call.

On Disciples: Forgiving George Bush And/Or the Church

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:07:58 -0800

I ran across a website yesterday via Good Magazine called "Forgive George." It's not really surprising to see something like this, with the inauguration only a few weeks away, the end of Bush's presidency is on every one's mind (there are a number of "tribute" sites to Bush like this). This particular site promotes something we all need to consider: forgiveness. And it's not just forgiveness towards George W. Bush, but towards anyone in your life who might need forgiveness. The site is very simple, click the radio button that states you will forgive Bush, though you don't have to, and while you're at it you can also write in someone else you'd like to forgive.

The first time I tried it, I wrote in something silly and didn't check the box saying I forgive George Bush, I wanted to see what would happen. Instantly a little message popped up saying, "Are you sure you don't want to forgive George Bush?" So I did it again, and thought when through the motions more seriously this time.

Of course one initial and obvious insinuation is that Bush has done something that needs to be forgiven. Some will press that this is a highly debatable point, that he did the best he could, or that he did the right thing and so suggesting he needs forgiveness is offensive. But on the surface his current approval rating, the state of our economy, the overall demeanor of our country, and the depressing situation that's come of the Middle East since Bush took office all hint at at least the possibility that he may be guilty of something. Surely, many would agree with Anne Lamott who once said that the most subversive thing she could do as a Christian was to pray for George Bush, whom she felt was an enemy of hers. Another question to consider is whether Bush even wants forgiveness, whether he sees himself as being guilty and having "missed the mark."

Forgiveness is an Integral Part of 'The Way' For Christians

To forgive others (at all cost) is certainly a distinctive of the Christian way. Jesus was very clear about the importance of forgiveness throughout his entire ministry, and signals it's importance by embedding it in the prayer he meant for his disciples to (forever) make their own.

"And forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors...For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Newbie's Guide to Seminary

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:05:38 -0800

Over the course of the last couple years I've done a number of posts on tips and tricks with regards to studying, using computers more efficiently, and productivity/organization. It's not a main focus for my blog, but when I am inspired with an idea and I see a connection to the larger topics of this site then I like to post them. A couple of my favorites are:

Moleskine GTD Hack for Students

The post with loads of tips for the first year seminarian

Thoughts on how to survive rigorous studies

And tips on using Delicious for research

The other day I came across a great blog post by a fellow Fuller classmate, and student from one of the classes I just assisted this past quarter, who wrote the "Newbie's Guide to Seminary." His post is great, very thoughtful and reflective and gives seven tips dealing with Sabbath, building community, faith, budgeting, organizing, etc. all while doing studies at Seminary. Another nice thing about his is that it's really timely as he's just finished his first quarter at Fuller. Here's an excerpt:

The task of study can often take precedent over intentionally pursuing a relationship with God. The things of God that could otherwise sharpen our persons, enable us to fall deeper in love with Christ, and better assist those around us instead become objects of analysis and study. As an isolated discipline, study can often leave us dry and forgetful of our calling. During my internship at Wesley I became more and more aware of the necessity for the Spirit's sustenance. My life's pace hasn't changed a whole lot since then, so I've continued (though imperfectly) those same practices. Schedules don't always provide huge chunks of space for weekly spiritual gorges, so being intentional with small moments is important. Life simply isn't meant to be spent doing but connected to God- the vine and the branch as it were.

Trent from We Are Not Strangers

MacIntyre And Church Renewal

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:22:57 -0800

I came across this Alasdair MacIntyre quote not long ago and thought it was a fitting reflection for the much-discussed topic of church renewal. Part of MacIntyre's point is to say that if a tradition is to overcome its own crisis of knowing, it will be through the revision of its narrative in light of its current cultural setting, together with its criteria for truth, by the hands of insiders to that tradition. This revision will never be final or complete, but always open-ended and ready for new changes. It seems to me that any account Convergent Friends can offer, or any other renewal movement within denominations (like Fresh Expressions, the Missional movement, the Emerging Church, etc) must always see itself as only "a best account so far." MacIntyre writes:

When an epistemological crisis is resolved, it is by the construction of a new narrative, which enables the agent to understand both how he or she could intelligibly have held his or her original beliefs and how he or she could have been so drastically misled by them. The narrative is itself made into the subject of an enlarged narrative. The agent has come to understand how the criteria of truth and understanding must be reformulated. He had to become epistemologically self-conscious and at a certain point he may have come to acknowledge two conclusions: the first is that his new forms of understanding may themselves in turn come to be put in question at any time; the second is that, because in such crises the criteria of truth, intelligibility, and rationality may always themselves be put in question -- as they are in Hamlet -- we are never in a position to claim that now we possess the truth or now we are fully rational. The most we can claim is that this is the best account which anyone has been able to give so far, and that our beliefs about what the marks of "a best account so far" will themselves change in what are at present unpredictable ways. (MacIntyre 1980:56-57)

And elsewhere MacIntyre reflects on the importance that this "remix" of a tradition's narrative within a new setting will have a fluid interplay with the past:

"For it is central to the conception of such a tradition that the past is never something merely to be discarded, but rather that the preset is intelligible only as a commentary upon and response to the past in which the past, if necessary and if possible, is corrected and transcended, yet corrected and transcended in a way that leaves the present open to being in turn corrected and transcended by some yet more adequate future point of view" (MacIntyre 1984:147).

Where have you personally witnessed these kinds of open-ended interactions taking place in today's church?

Guest Post: Matthew Hoopes' Top 5 Albums of the Year

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:09:53 -0800

Since he spends so much time immersed in music, I asked my good friend, and fellow Canton, Ohio native Matthew Hoopes of Relient K to share his top 5 Albums of 2008 with the gathering in light community. This is his first guest post here, and it's a a pleasure to have him. Here's what he writes:

Hoopes' Top Five Albums of 2008

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
I am still not sure if this will become a classic album for me, but I do know one thing - that every song on this record is great and that is why it deserves to be in the top 5. Too many bands only have a few good songs, and I think this should not go unnoticed how solid it is from front to back. Also, a lot of new bands that try to sound classic are more about style than substance, but Fleet Foxes are in the business of making good music (listen).

4.

Dress-Down Friday | Happy First Birthday L Edition

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:05:01 -0800

This is a "Dress-Down Friday" in honor of our daughter L, who's celebrating her first birthday today. I can't believe it has been a year since the arrival of this wonderful gift from God. This past year has been incredible! Over the past year we've experienced the meaning of love and family in completely new ways, we've laughed our heads off, experienced indescribable tiredness, and have marveled at God's great work as we watched this baby girl grow before our eyes: see the first twelve weeks here.

I can definitely say being a father is far more amazing than I ever imagined it could be, and I've been very fortunate to be able to stay home with L during the days as Emily and I split parenting duties. This past spring when Emily was still teaching full-time I did a series of photos everyday to track the things we did together, you can view those here: L-a-Day Photos. Having the chance to watch L has undoubtedly given me a lot of extra time to build a friendship with my daughter I know many fathers never get (yes, I know, someday I'll have to get a "real" job and make something of myself, so for now I'm soaking up as much time with this little girl as I can). This year will be one I look back on with great joy for the rest of my life.

We've also had fun posting L stuff on the web for others to share in our joy: see Weird Fishes our family blog. With all these great (free) online services L will be a part of the generation that has most of her life tracked online, just look at all these fun Videos. Like this early one or this:

Toys That Sing from wess on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday L! Here's to another wonderful year!

New Gathering In Light: 3rd Edition

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:51:29 -0800

Three years ago I bought gatheringinlight.com and started hosting my own website and blog. It was an attempt to establish more of a presence online, work on my writing, and try to make connections with other people interested in the same kinds of questions I am. Over the course of the last few years all these things have happened and a lot more. I've had a great time writing on this blog; I've learned a lot about myself and how to