Next week about 60 North Pacific YM, Northwest YM, and Freedom Friends Church Women will gather for the at least the 6th PNWQWTC. It's a wonderful time, but I for one have always thought the name was a little too big for it - when the intials could be a phone number, you have too many words.

These are really narrative theology gatherings. They were an outgrowth of the Multwood Group a cross-yearly meeting women's group that has met mostly monthly in Portland oregon since the mid-80's. I knew about them in the mid-nineties when I was invoted to join Multwood, but as I have a long-standing allergy to women's conferences I excaped the pressure to attend until 200. Then I repented - wouldn't miss one now. I imagine that the women who have attended at least one of these gatherings must now be in the many hundreds. I have built relationships at these gatherings that will last a lifetime. This year one of my daughters will attend for the first time. Freedom Friends is sending 12 women.

Part of the preparation for these things is the writing of "Papers" - again, much too big a term for what is often a paragraph of introduction - and sometimes becomes a page or two of reflection. We are asked to look at two quotes and respond to them. We often ignore the assignment. The Quotes usually come one from Scripture and one from a Quaker of note. These 'papers' are sent out in advance and they do actually jumpstart community as you spend the time connecting faces and voices to writing. We are asked not to share anyone elses writing without their permission. Many women write personally, and not for the general public. But I see no ban in the rules to airing my own paper - even in public. If I get read out of the gathering for this, so be it. I do not know if I will be the only blogger in attendance (Alivia Biko will be there) but I invite anyone reading this who has written a paper to share it on your own blog or on this blog as a guest blogger - send it to me, or put in the comments that I can post it, and I will put it up. I will be speaking at a plenary on the topic of Convergent Friends, Bloggers, and other Dangerous Quakers.