Author: Dwight J. Friesen

George Floyd

The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a powerful message of change the funeral for George Floyd today. “It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, ‘Get your knee off our necks.’” “The reason we could never be

Dwight J. Friesen June 4, 2020May 12, 2022

COVID-19 Teaching us about Traffic?

Really helpful article by Joe Cartright who runs the think tank and blog City Observatory. Cartright’s article is posted on Strong Towns, its called: What COVID-19 Teaches Us About How to Fix Highways, by Joe Cartright The Small Towns‘ podcast

Dwight J. Friesen May 20, 2020September 26, 2022

Neighborhood Soul Mapping

My friend, Dan Jacobs introduced me to this cool use of Google Maps to help celebrate the character of Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood.

Dwight J. Friesen May 20, 2020September 26, 2022

Educational Metaphor

I find the metaphor of a gardener to be a fertile one in helping me feel and think my way into my work as a formational educator.  Rather than tending to fruits, vegetables, and flowers, I picture my formational role

Dwight J. Friesen May 15, 2020May 12, 2022

“Begin” by Human Cargo

Music is vital to surviving this shelter in place era.  One bright spot for me was receiving my vinyl copy of the final recording in the 11 year trilogy by Seattle’s Human Cargo, “Begin.” If you don’t know Human Cargo,

Dwight J. Friesen May 7, 2020December 11, 2020

Some Good News!

I’ve been loving John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” broadcasts, during the pandemic. I’ve posted a link to the first episode, but he’s posting at least one per week so there are more popping up all the time. Remember you’re not

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2020September 20, 2022

You are Here!

You are here! Actually your are there; I am here. This is amazing! This is real. Like no time in modern history – or least not since the inventions of the steam ship, the locative, the automobile, and the airplane

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2020September 26, 2022

Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online

Heidi Campbell has pulled together and made available a timely collection of short, practical, and missional essays called, “Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online.” I recommend forwarding this link to anyone who has some measure of responsibility to guide a

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2020May 8, 2022

Palm Sunday 2020

Have a blessed Palm Sunday my friends! Weird to think about Jesus riding a donkey into the city of Jerusalem amidst Covid19. Looks more like Will Smith’s “I am Legend” than the Gospel accounts. The streets empty, no pruned palm

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2020May 8, 2022

Spirituality of Listening Amidst COVID19

I’m actively facilitating the online course “Toward a Spirituality of Contextual Listening Amidst COVID19” that I’m teaching through The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. Part of loving our neighbors is anticipating the changes that may affect them tomorrow. While we

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2020January 14, 2021

Place as Teacher

Here’s a little video The Seattle School put together, briefly talking about how our bodies placed in the real world is the primary means through which we discover what is real. Enjoy. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen May 4, 2020September 26, 2022

“Everything is Waiting for You”

Everything is Waiting for You by David Whyte Your great mistake is to act the drama as if you were alone. As if life were a progressive and cunning crime with no witness to the tiny hidden transgressions. To feel

Dwight J. Friesen May 4, 2020August 24, 2022

The Universal Christ

“What Love Tells Us About God Love, which might be called the attraction of all things toward all things, is a universal language and underlying energy that keeps showing itself despite our best efforts to resist it. It is so

Dwight J. Friesen April 20, 2020May 6, 2022

Risen!

Christ is risen! _ _! “Death and taxes,” well… after the resurrection of Christ, I suppose taxes are the only inevitable thing remaining. Death doesn’t win! The grave isn’t the last word. Thanks be to God! It’s often said because

Dwight J. Friesen April 12, 2020May 12, 2022

Nothing “Good” About It

If I can speak candidly for a moment, I’ve never understood why we call Good Friday “good.” Don’t get me wrong, I understand the historical and theological rationales, and yet… I hate Good Friday, and I see nothing about it

Dwight J. Friesen April 10, 2020May 12, 2022

Maundy Thursday

Blessed Maundy Thursday… God’s invitation to “wash up before dinner.” Imagine a God who doesn’t demand your worship, mindless obedience, or tithes but actually serves you out of love, simply because that’s who God is… Imagine a God, so located

Dwight J. Friesen April 9, 2020May 12, 2022

“Weird Ways”

Today Strand of Oaks feels like a welcome companion in this lockdown. Please be safe, take care of yourself, care for those you can, try to check in on those who are especially vulnerable near you. Remember, that you are

Dwight J. Friesen March 29, 2020September 8, 2022

“Has the Moon Been Up There”

Has the Moon Been Up There by Gregory Orr Has the moon been up there All these nights And I never noticed? A whole week with my nose To the ground, to the grind. And the beloved faithfully Returning each

Dwight J. Friesen March 2, 2020May 6, 2022

Urban Shalom Forum @ WUF-10

During the World Urban Forum 10 in Abu Dhabi urban thinkers and practitioners from around the world and from a number faith traditions gathered at the invitation of the Urban Shalom Society. These gatherings serve multiple purposes it seems to

Dwight J. Friesen February 18, 2020September 26, 2022

And so it begins…

As we know, or are being reminded everywhere in the media, “Impeachment” at least in the USAmerica is the process by which the House of Representatives (Congress) brings charges against a civil federal officer, the vice president, or the president for misconduct alleged to have been committed. Today

Dwight J. Friesen January 16, 2020September 24, 2022

Dwight’s Top Ten Books of 2019

Here’s my list of book picks for 2019. These books touched me in some meaningful way. I feel grateful for them, and to the people who birthed them into our world. These are some of the books I have found

Dwight J. Friesen December 31, 2019November 1, 2022

Having Difficult Conversations

I recently came across this insightful, and immediately helpful TEDx talk by Adar Cohen, PhD, titled, “How to Lead Tough Conversations.” Here’s a link to a short article about his TED talk summarized by Daryl Chen. Dr. Cohen highlights three

Dwight J. Friesen December 21, 2019November 2, 2022

“Indigo”

Indigo by Ellen Bass As I’m walking on West Cliff Drive, a man runs toward me pushing one of those jogging strollers with shock absorbers so the baby can keep sleeping, which this baby is. I can just get a

Dwight J. Friesen December 14, 2019September 9, 2022

Cote, Tim & Resistencia on King5

Cote and Tim Soerens and Resistencia Coffee were featured last night on King5’s “Evening” take a look. “You’re able to love others when you feel loved. So if you feel a little bruised in the heart, we hope that this

Dwight J. Friesen December 11, 2019December 14, 2022

“Enjoy Your Pint”

Enjoy Your Pint by Pádraig Ó Tuama At the bar, in an unknown part of Birmingham I bought two pints and paid with paper money from the northern part of Ireland. That’s not British money, the publican said. And I

Dwight J. Friesen December 6, 2019November 6, 2022

“Daily Battles”

Last week Thom Yorke (Radiohead), performed a haunting and beautiful song titled “Daily Battles”, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I just had to post is as I gone back to listen to it multiple times. The song is

Dwight J. Friesen November 20, 2019May 6, 2022

Our Precarious Joy

Our Precarious Joy by Alok [support the author] feeling is dangerous because it requires us to dwell in anguish, rather than anesthetize it (as if it never happened). so many fear joy because they fear losing it. they hate us

Dwight J. Friesen November 20, 2019November 21, 2022

Dr. Chelle Stearns, 2019 Grenz Lecture

Dr. Chelle Stearns was the 2019 Stanley Grenz Lecture Series presenter. It’s a lecture offered in honor of former Professor Stanley Grenz, a prolific Christian scholar with a pastoral heart and deep intellectual presence. In his memory, each year The

Dwight J. Friesen November 10, 2019September 9, 2022

The Singing Bowl

The Singing Bowl by Malcolm Guite Begin the song exactly where you are, Remain within the world of which you’re made. Call nothing common in the earth or air, Accept it all and let it be for good. Start with

Dwight J. Friesen October 17, 2019November 2, 2022

Thriving Cities Framework

One of the most vital conversations at the intersection of: cities, humans, environment, design, and faith is happening at Thriving Cities. As their website says, “Thriving Cities Group uses a multi-disciplinary approach that brings together decades of research, training, community

Dwight J. Friesen September 29, 2019November 29, 2022