Multifaith Pavilion @ WUF13
What does your faith tradition have to say about housing, homelessness, and the future of our cities? More than you might think — and there is now a global stage to say it. This May, I’ll be heading to Baku,
New Posts
...from Dwight's blog
Remembering Dr. John Perkins
“The gospel of Jesus is about reconciliation—reconciliation with God and reconciliation with one another.”— John M. Perkins I am grieving the death of Dr. John Perkins. Dr. Perkins died on March 13, 2026, at the age of 95. My heart
Inhabit Conference . May 1-2, 2026
There’s a conference I keep coming back to, and this year I want to invite you to come with me. On May 1–2, 2026, Parish Collective is hosting their annual Inhabit Conference at Lawndale Community Church in Chicago, IL —
Grenz Lecture 2026 . Dr. Gary F. Green II
The Seattle School is hosting its 13th annual Grenz Lecture, on Friday, January 9th at 6:00PM, 2026. This year’s lecturer is Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green II. Rev. Dr. Green is the associate professor of Pastoral Theology and Social Transformation and
Michael Bennett’s Religious Space (In)version
Night Chapel is a timber reimagining of religious institutional architecture transformed into a connective spiritual practice. Created by Michael Bennett in collaboration with Studio Kër, the installation offers sacred space for healing, reflection, and communal presence, deeply rooted in the
Dwight’s Top Ten Books of 2025
Each December, as the days shorten and the year slows its final turning, I find myself returning to the quiet practice of naming the books that have accompanied me. Reading has has emerged as one of the ways I stay
Advent, Liminality, & A Time Between Worlds
Followers of Jesus are observing Advent—that ancient lament season of waiting, watching, and longing. It is a time intentionally carved out of the calendar to dwell in the space between: between past promise and future fulfillment, between the world as
Islands of Sanity in a Chaotic World
Last week I had the joy of spending time with the leaders of the congregationally led churches of the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference. I’m still carrying the warmth of that gathering—the thoughtful questions, the deep listening, and the palpable love
A Case for Followers of Christ Engaging the SDGs
A Case for Followers of Christ Engaging the SDGs by Dwight J. Friesen I want to suggest that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not a political experiment or a secular distraction—they are a faithful, tangible way to live out
Faith for Cities + IDGs = SDGs
This is my presentation titled, “Inner Development Goals & Faith for Cities: Cultivating the Inner Capacities for Sustainable Urban Futures.” I was hoping to present it in person in Yogyakarta, Indonesia next week but sadly my funding fell through. The
Thank You St Paul, MN
Thank you to all the St Paul people and groups who collaborated together to co-create the 2025 “Theology Beer Camp,” hosted by Tripp Fuller of Homebrewed Christianity. Special thanks to the good folx at Luther Seminary for hosting the pre-event
AI . Crossroads or Crisis?
In a recent conversation on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart sat down with Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the profound implications of artificial intelligence on our human society. Their discussion was not merely about
Remembering Dr. Jane Goodall
Yesterday, October 1, 2025, the world lost one of its most extraordinary voices for creation. Dr. Jane Morris Goodall, died at the age of 91. Her journey from curious child to pioneering primatologist, conservationist, and global humanitarian is a reminder
National Good Neighbor Day . Sept 28
In just a few days – September 28, 2025 to be exact – this nation will observe National Good Neighbor Day. A real holiday signed in effect by none other than President Jimmy Carter. The idea is so simple. On
Call for Papers . “Religion & the Cities We Need”
My good friends, colleagues, and fellow labors for a better urban future for all and everything at Faith for Cities have issued a call for papers for a conference in this November in Indonesia. The theme is: “Religion & the
blog themes
...archived in six primary categories
Supporting Local Communities of Faith & Practice Toward a Better Urban Future for all and Everything
You are leading your local community of faith & practice through the waning days of Christendom, an epidemic of loneliness, amidst growing cultural fragmentation, eroding trust in institutions, and climate change. Dwight is available to support you as you seek to lead your organization with courage, imagination, & wisdom beyond mere survival and resilience, toward flourishing... even discovering a clearer sense of mission unto God's shalom. Your group needs you. Your place & all its residents need your group. We all need each other!
wisdom
...forming Shalomic imagination
‘...love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus Christ
Jesus, properly understood as shalom, coming into the world from the shalom community of the Trinity, is the intention of God’s once-and-for-all mission. That is, the mission of birthing and restoring shalom to the world is in Christ, by Christ, and for the honor of Christ.”
Randy Woodley
Only by learning to live in harmony with your contradictions can you keep it all afloat."
Audre Lorde
I cannot be an optimist but I am a prisoner of hope.”
Cornel West
Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation. We have to stop pretending we are individuals that can go it alone."
Margaret J. Wheatley
You can't have unity without diversity."
Richard Twiss
While good theology does include academic debate, it never stops there. Good theologians discuss intellectual questions and concern themselves with academic debate because their chief concern is life. They want to know the truth not merely so that they might think properly, but so that they might live..."
Stanley J. Grenz
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Martin Luther King Jr
Faith is not settled belief but living process. It is the very edge and opening of life in process. To live is to step with trust into the next moment: into the unpredictable."
Catherine Keller
If I sit next to a madman as he drives a car into a group of innocent bystanders, I can't, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe, then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Salvation fits into a unified view of the entire world, and yet it is also gritty, localized, and contextual. It is grounded in concrete experiences of the world. It must always look, feel, and taste like something."
Monica A. Coleman
They bound themselves covenantally to the yet-to-be-known, in their growing expertise, to invite its gracious disclosure of deeper meaning. They bound themselves to that as-yet-unknown reality in taking up such a journey. What they actually found surprisingly transformed their half-understood inquiries as reality swept in and swept them up.”
Esther Lightcap Meek
Contact Me
...looking forward to being in touch
Dwight is looking forward to hearing from you! He is available for Zoom conversations, in fact you can click here to schedule a conversation right now. Whether something came intrigued you as you perused this site and you'd appreciate more resources, or if you have a question or an idea, or if you'd like to explore collaborating in some way; or if you sense that he might be able to support your local community of faith & practice toward a better urban future for all and everything.
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