Greetings, Friends!

Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is a publication of West Hills Friends, a Quaker meeting in Portland, Oregon. Using the guidelines of "worship sharing," we invite members and attenders to reflect on a specific query for each chapter.

Chapter 28 of Minding the Light is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When have you been led to a place of…

Greetings, Friends!

Chapter 26 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "What experience of the Light comes to mind when you think of your body as a teacher?"  In response, we received eleven stories.

What stories rise for you as you sit this query? We invite you to read these stories and consider sharing your response on…

Chapter 25 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When has the Light urged you to speak out or stand up for something?"  In response, we received six stories, one from a 9-year old Friend.

What stories rise for you as you sit this query? We invite you to read these stories and consider sharing your response on QuakerQuaker, either as a…

Chapter 24 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When have you experienced the Light away from home?"…

Chapter 23 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "How did the Light lead you to West Hills Friends?"…

Chapter 22 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, “When has the Light called you to wait or be still?" In response, we received 8 stories and a photo.  

We invite you to read these stories for yourself. If our latest query reminds you of a story from your own experience, please consider sharing that on…

Chapter 21 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached below as a PDF file. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, “When has the Light come to you in a time of darkness?" In response, we received 13 stories, two drawings, and a photo.  One of the stories was from a 7-year-old Friend.   

We invite you to read these stories for yourself. What stories rise for you as you sit with our latest…

Chapter 20 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, “When has an experience of the Light changed your perception of someone or something?" In response, we received 13 stories and two photos.  One of the stories was from a 7-year-old Friend.   



We invite you to read these stories for yourself. What  stories rise for you as you sit with our latest query?…

Chapter 19 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query,"When have you experienced the Light through your senses?  In response, we received 12 stories, a photo, a drawing, and a video.  

We invite you to read these stories for yourself. What stories rise for you as you sit with our latest query? Consider sharing your response on…

Chapter 18 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When did an experience of the Light help you discover something about yourself?" There are 9 stories and an image in response to this query.…

Chapter 17 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query,"When have you encountered the Light through music?"  We received 16 stories and two images in response to this query.  Within seven of the stories, there are links to related music.

We invite you to read these stories for yourself.  What stories rise for you as you sit with our latest query?…

Chapter 16 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file, below. For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When have you felt comforted by God?"  We received 12 responses; one of which was written by a 9-year-old in our meeting.

We invite you to read these stories for yourself.  What stories rise for you as you sit with our latest query?  Could this query be fruitful for young Friends in your…

Greetings, Friends!

Chapter 15 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When have you experienced the Light through a member of your family? No matter how you define family, we are looking for a story of how the Light was revealed to you by someone close to you.   We received 13 stories in response.

 

A young Friend, age 6, submitted…

Chapter 14 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When has minding the Light taken you ‘off the map’? Tell us a story about following the Light into a wilderness of any kind.”  We received a total of 14 responses to this query, reflecting the human experience from comedy to tragedy 

We invite you to read these stories for yourself and…

Chapter 13 of Minding the LIght: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When was a time that your body helped you see the Light, either by its limitations or abilities.  A time when your body warned you, delighted you, disappointed you, or otherwise taught you about the Light?"  For Chapter 13, we published 8 stories, 2 poems, a video and a photograph.

We invite you to…

Chapter 12 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When has the Light come to you through the presence, wisdom or generosity of others?"  We received 15 responses.  The 12 stories and 3 images illustrate how the Light is revealed in community.  In our life together, we serve, find healing and receive new insights.

Minding the Light is a…

Chapter 11 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "What experience of the Light do you treasure?”  We received nine responses – eight stories and a drawing.  The stories tell of a broad range of experiences that felt particularly meaningful or significant to the authors and continue to inspire and comfort them

We invite you to read these…

Greetings, Friends!

Chapter 10 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "When has the Light been hidden?”

Responses to this query touched on many stages of waiting. . . waiting in hope and waiting in fear; waiting for Light in the darkness and waiting for answers; hope fulfilled after long waiting; unfulfilled hopes after long waiting;…

Chapter 9 of Minding the Light: Our Collective Journal is now available online and attached as a PDF file below.  For this chapter, we invited Friends to respond to the query, "In following the Light, when have you been led to do something that was scary to think about?” We received 11 responses to the query – a painting, two poems, and eight stories. 

This query evoked deep and touching stories about many kinds of fear:  fear of questioning deeply instilled…