I have reposted this reflection, written many years ago, because I feel it's especially important to reflect on the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, and how it impacts our lives today. As we witnessed the bloodshed in Gaza and in our parts of our world, we need to ask ourselves: What would the Prince of Peace do? Here are some of my thoughts as a Christian Quaker:  Perhaps more than any other Biblical narrative, the story Christ's death and resurrection arouses profound uneasiness as well as hopes. Some may feel qualms about a holiday that ..read more

  “Let’s Try What Love Can Do…” William Penn   Since Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, I thought I’d talk about love. Not the romantic kind, though I see nothing wrong with romance. But what I’d like to talk about this morning is the love that motivates me and others like me to be advocates for peace and justice. The Christian tradition distinguishes between three kinds of love: eros (erotic love), filia (friendship) and agape (spiritual love). Agape is what motivates us to make sacrifices for those we care about. As Jesus says in the Gospel of John, the greatest kind of love is lay ..read more

  Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum February 9th, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific   IfNotNow: Reflections on Diverse Jewish Solidarity with Palestine and Organizing for #CeaseFireNow CLICK BELOW TO JOIN ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81791544399Call in by phone: +1 669 900 6833*  Meeting ID: 817 9154 4399 PASSCODE: 913101*Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 Event Description:  For 10 years, IfNotNow has been organizing within the Jewish community to realize a future for justice and peace for ..read more

  I support a charter amendment that would set term limits in Pasadena because I believe that term limits would foster a more inclusive and accountable City Council, one more likely to represent the majority of Pasadena residents rather than vested interests. Our current system reinforces the status quo. Two members of the Pasadena City Council have been in office for more than 20 years. While their institutional memory and experience are valuable, and they have served the city well in many ways, I don’t believe it’s in the best interests of the city to have incumbents so entrenched it is ..read more

In 2020 Making Housing and Community Happen organized its first candidate’s forum focusing on homelessness and affordable housing. Over 150 people showed up at the Orange Grove Quaker Meetinghouse and 13 out of 15 candidates took part and answered questions. All of them provided written responses which we published on our blog. This was one of many such candidates forums that took place in Pasadena at that time. It was exciting to see vibrant discussions of important issues. Democracy was thriving at the local level. Flash forward to 2024. MHCH planned a Zoom candidates forum for Jan. 31, 202 ..read more

Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum November 17th, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific   How can we get creative in the Israel/Palestine conflict? CLICK BELOW TO JOIN ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82780596985 Call in by phone: Meeting ID: 827 8059 6985PASSCODE: 378677 *Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 Event Description: Understandably, activist responses to the new outbreak of Israel/Palestinian fighting is moralistic, preoccupied with "who's right and who's wrong." We'll take a deeper ..read more

I shared this with a group of Methodists who wanted to know more about how the Quaker practice of contemplative worship and mysticism is linked to social activism/prophetic witness.  What Do We Mean by Mysticism and Prophetic Witness? Mysticism is the belief that people can directly experience God or true reality, rather than through books, ritual or other people. People who practice this are called mystics. Mystics usually experience this direct connection through contemplation, or silent worship. The prophet is distinguished first by a face-to-face relationship with YHWH. The ..read more

  Please join us online ICUJP Friday Forum November 3rd, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific    The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign: A Multifaith Approach to Countering Anti-Muslim Discrimination Join video conference here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85795929427 Call in by phone: +1 669 900 6833*  Meeting ID: 857 9592 9427 PASSCODE: 800955*Meeting controls for call-in attendees: To mute/unmute yourself: *6 To raise hand: *9 Event Description: Participants will explore the importance of multifaith solidarity work, the Shoulder to Shoulde ..read more

  Having recovered from our month-long bed bug infestation, I'm finding others who went though a similar experience of feeling traumatized. When you have bedbugs, you not only suffer from sleepless nights, you also become socially isolated. You can't have people in your home. You can't visit other people (lest you bring bedbugs with you). It's deeply disturbing psychologically as well as physically unpleasant, especially if you are hyper allergic like me. Thirty percent of people aren't affected by bed bugs (my wife is one of these), but they can carry bed bugs to other people's homes s ..read more

  Celebrate Jill's 70th Birthday with Your Support!   Join us in celebrating the birthday of Jill Shook, co-founder of Making Housing and Community Happen, who turns 70 years old on Wednesday, November 1. Jill has been tirelessly working for affordable housing for 23 years, advocating, organizing teams and churches, giving workshops nationwide, and publishing a book, Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models, that has been used in campuses across the cou ..read more