Author: Dwight J. Friesen

2Cellos “Thunderstruck”

I stumbled across this video by a Croatian cellist duo – 2Cellos – consisting of classically trained cellists, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. I had never heard of them before, but they play instrumental arrangements of well-known pop and rock songs, as well as

Dwight J. Friesen May 7, 2014May 5, 2022

Helping a Church Listen to Its Collective Story

This weekend I have been invited to join the Evergreen Mennonite Church drawing out its collective narrative and listening to God’s invitation to them in light of who they are becoming. We’re calling the time: “Listening to our Story:  Exploring

Dwight J. Friesen April 1, 2014May 5, 2022

Keynote Speaker for “Bishop’s Convocation”

Bishop Kirby Unti of the ELCA NWWA Synod has invited me to serve as the 2014 keynote speaker for their region’s pastor’s conference. I will be presenting on the key themes of the new book that I have co-authored with

Dwight J. Friesen March 1, 2014May 5, 2022

The Pope Tweets: The Ethical Interplay of our Liturgical & Digital Lives

Tonight I get to participate in a conversation annual gathering of The Society of Christian Ethics (SCE). Tonight’s conversation will bring together the “Liturgy & Ethics Interest Group” and the “Technology & Ethics Interest Group.” Both liturgy and technology are formative

Dwight J. Friesen January 11, 2014May 5, 2022

“Same Love”

So I was driving to Issaquah to meet a local leader about a possible new church and to walk around a couple of neighborhoods together. On my way, I was listening to KEXP radio…as I often do, when John Richards

Dwight J. Friesen July 18, 2012September 5, 2022

PLU Summer Institute on Pastoral Theology

What a privilege to be one of the keynote speakers for this year’s PLU’s annual Summer Institute on Pastoral Theology. Granted Dr. Nate Frambach, who is the Associate Professor of Youth & Culture at Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa was scheduled

Dwight J. Friesen June 21, 2012May 5, 2022

Simon Sinek, Getting to “Why”

Simon Sinek is helping me rethink how I imagine the big why of a pastor. I am coming to see: 1 – What is the work of pastoring a church, 2 – How is following the Spirit in discovering a

Dwight J. Friesen February 18, 2012May 5, 2022

Tomorrow …and Tomorrow …and Tomorrow

“Tomorrow, & Tomorrow, & Tomorrow” By William Shakespeare (from Macbeth, spoken by Macbeth) Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to

Dwight J. Friesen August 15, 2011May 5, 2022

Speaking @ GFU’s Chapel

Yesterday I got to head down to Newburg, Oregon to speak in the chapel at GFU. It was super fun, and I got to go down with Lynette and Pascal and make a mini family getaway out of it. I

Dwight J. Friesen March 29, 2011May 5, 2022

Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, and The Avett Brothers

Tonight was the 53rd annual Grammy Awards. The show featured numerous collaborations between artists from across the popular music spectrum. In my opinion the performance by Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, and The Avett Brothers stole the show. So good!

Dwight J. Friesen February 13, 2011May 5, 2022

Beast Mode

Wow! I could feel Marshawn Lynch’s Beast Quake all the way over in Lake Hills! Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 9, 2011May 5, 2022

Brené Brown & The Power of Vulnerability

You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” Brené   Brown  A friend recently encouraged me to check out Brené Brown’s moving TEDxHouston talk on wholeheartedness and vulnerability. It’s so good. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen November 18, 2010May 5, 2022

The Danger of a Single Story

“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” Chimamanda

Dwight J. Friesen October 26, 2010May 5, 2022

Intro to the Emerging Church

On October 11th at the Church of the Resurrection in the Lake Hills neighborhood of Bellevue I will begin a short series of conversations introducing folks to all things “Emerging Church.” Its going to be a blast to pull together

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2010May 5, 2022

Networked Church

Got to go down to Portland at the invitation of Karen Ward to participate in an emergent conversation within the Episcopal Church. The event is “Episcopal Village West.” Its so cool to see more of denominations and faith traditions further

Dwight J. Friesen June 12, 2010May 5, 2022

World Café @ Communities First Association

The good folks over at the Communities First Association have invited me to facilitate a “World Café”. Tomorrow is the big day. As you may know, a world café is a structured conversational process for knowledge sharing in which groups of people discuss a

Dwight J. Friesen March 22, 2010May 5, 2022

Remembering Dr. Mary Daly

If God is male, then male is God. The divine patriarch castrates women as long as he is allowed to live on in the human imagination. Mary Daly Saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Mary Daly, on January

Dwight J. Friesen January 10, 2010November 4, 2022

Speaking @ SPU’s Chapel

Today I had the privilege of speaking during Chapel at Seattle Pacific University Chapel. My title was: “Unintentional” Community: What about casual relationships? So much fun. Thanks SPU what a blast. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen May 26, 2009May 5, 2022

Seattle’s Ecumenical World Café

Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen May 1, 2009May 8, 2022

Guiding a Church into their Fall Retreat

This weekend I will be guiding Seattle’s Calvary Chapel in their Fall retreat (October 24-26, 2008). Through conversation with their leadership team I’ll be blending spiritual practices, group engagements, and teaching times to invite them to center their thoughts and

Dwight J. Friesen October 17, 2008May 5, 2022

“Certainty” by Tukaram

Certainty by Tukaram Certainty undermines one’s power, and turns happiness into a long shot. Certainty confines. Dears, there is nothing in your life that will not change – especially your ideas of God. Look what the insanity of righteous knowledge

Dwight J. Friesen July 7, 2006May 5, 2022

Resonate

I been so swamped lately I don’t know which way is up. We spent part of last week in Canada last week, visiting my folks. It was nice to be together though we almost missed the ferry on our way

Dwight J. Friesen August 31, 2004January 14, 2021

Transformation Question

What is the relationship between content and transformation? Does context matter? What about one’s body? Is there teaching that is requisite for life change? And what is “life change?” As the Greek philosophers pondered thousands of years ago, can virtue

Dwight J. Friesen August 15, 2004November 25, 2022

Anabaptist & Loving It!

I grew up in Southern Manitoba (Canada). This was and still is Mennonite country. Mennonites are a Christian religious sect in the Anabaptist tradition taking our name from a dynamic Dutch leader named Menno Simmons, who was born in Friesland

Dwight J. Friesen August 11, 2004November 25, 2022

“Fake Plastic Trees”

Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead, on The Bends Her green plastic watering can For her fake Chinese rubber plant In the fake plastic earth That she bought from a rubber man In a town full of rubber plans To get

Dwight J. Friesen October 29, 2003September 5, 2022

My Brother’s Wedding

Well, I’m back from my brother’s wedding. It was great! I hadn’t met Leanne before and she and her family are a very outgoing fun-loving, crazy-dancing bunch of Newfies… I love them already! I love my brother so much! And

Dwight J. Friesen August 29, 2003May 4, 2022

Banksy “Girl with the Red Balloon”

This piece of art appeared on Waterloo Bridge in London. It by the secretive street/graffiti artist Banksy. There is something about this piece that I just love. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen August 30, 2002May 4, 2022