Author: Dwight J. Friesen

Open Listening?

Karen Ward pointed me to an interesting article on dangers of the “emergent church movement.” The article cited Dr. Donald A. Carson (with his new book, Becoming Conversant with Emergent), Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. (President of Southern Baptist Theological

Dwight J. Friesen March 24, 2005October 10, 2022

church: body & soul

There have been times throughout Western history when people talked as though the spiritual mattered, and the physical did not. Soul = good; body = bad. The move to holistic viewing of the human person in community seems like a

Dwight J. Friesen March 24, 2005October 10, 2022

pastoring as bi-vocation

Many avant-church leaders/hosts/facilitators/curates/etc. are serving in bi-vocational ways; meaning they earn their living working a “regular” job in order to support their community habit. Some have made this a conscious decision, others have been forced into this bi-vo-role by slower

Dwight J. Friesen March 23, 2005October 10, 2022

Stan’s memorial

The memorial service for Stan was this past Sunday at First Baptist Church (where Dr. Edna Grenz is worship pastor). Lynette and I attended the service and it was beautiful. The memorial is viewable on the web, and I would

Dwight J. Friesen March 22, 2005October 10, 2022

Hallesby on Prayer

I was talking with my friend Kyle today and he introduced to Ole Hallesby.  Hallesby was Scandinavian mystic… of sorts.  I liked this quote from his classic book, Prayer: “Be not anxious because of your helplessness.  Above all do not

Dwight J. Friesen March 19, 2005October 10, 2022

Standing in Need

I would love to get to this conference; I need this conference. Some of the best avant-church worship thinkers and practitioners from around the world will be in that one place at the same time. It looks like the event

Dwight J. Friesen March 18, 2005December 13, 2022

dr dwight

It’s official! Today, I successfully passed the oral defense of my dissertation; my readers signed off on it. Though the hooding ceremony is at the end of April I believe I can be called “doc” . . . but please

Dwight J. Friesen March 16, 2005May 11, 2022

Tribute

Yesterday, during the class period when Stan and I were supposed to be teaching “Thinking Theologically 2” Mars Hill Graduate School held a memorial service. It was an honoring time; a time that I think Stan would have appreciated. As

Dwight J. Friesen March 15, 2005December 13, 2022

Psalm of Life

A Psalm of Life WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN SAID TO THE PSALMIST by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And

Dwight J. Friesen March 13, 2005May 11, 2022

Grieving the Death of Dr. Stanley J. Grenz

Ultimately our claim to know the one God only gains credence in the contemporary world as we demonstrate the Divine presence through the way we live – through our lives as we connect our Christian belief with true Christian living.

Dwight J. Friesen March 12, 2005December 13, 2022

Dr Grenz… please pray

So am deeply saddened to report that earlier today my friend, mentor, teacher, and colleague, Dr. Stanley J. Grenz  suffered a significant surge in blood pressure, which resulted in a major brain event, appears to be along the lines of

Dwight J. Friesen March 11, 2005December 13, 2022

solitude

“Solitude“ by dwight j. friesen The text reads: “For the secret of a man’s being is not only to live . . . but to live for something definite.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

Dwight J. Friesen March 11, 2005January 15, 2021

. . . and humility?

Totally like whatever, you know? by Taylor Mali In case you hadn’t noticed, it has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you’re talking about? Or believe strongly in what you’re saying? Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you

Dwight J. Friesen March 9, 2005October 11, 2022

Emerging Women

This week in Seattle there is a gathering of Emerging Women’s Leadership. This initiative is one of the most important to be born of the avant-church conversation to date. The “emergent” conversation I’ve been most familiar with, appeared to begin

Dwight J. Friesen March 8, 2005December 13, 2022

life

As is so often the case with at least me, when my journal is quiet – life isn’t. In addition to observing the 36th anniversary of my birth, I had a pretty full teaching week; 20 hours in the classroom.

Dwight J. Friesen March 7, 2005October 11, 2022

prayer & distraction

“Everything in God’s store is on the bottom shelf – you have to get on your knees to get it.” Robert Collier Anyone who has explored contemplative prayer or any other practice of intentional silence knows — or will soon

Dwight J. Friesen March 7, 2005May 7, 2022

“Otherwise”

Otherwise By Jane Kenyon I got out of bed on two strong legs. It might have been otherwise. I ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach. It might have been otherwise. I took the dog uphill to the birch wood.

Dwight J. Friesen February 27, 2005October 11, 2022

please pray for Greg

Please take a moment and jump over to blog created for friends of Greg in need of a holy space for sharing updates on Greg’s condition, photos, prayers, etc.  Recently Greg was in a very serious accident while doing some dry-dock work on his boat

Dwight J. Friesen February 25, 2005December 13, 2022

Korn off the Cob

Though I’m by no means a Korn groupie, I found it interesting when Mtv reported that one of the founding members of the band has left to start his own thing.  According to Korn’s website, guitarist, Brian Welch, “has chosen Jesus Christ

Dwight J. Friesen February 24, 2005November 19, 2020

Quantum Spirituality

Quantum Spirituality by Len Sweet, a free online book. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen February 24, 2005October 26, 2022

God’s Politics

Jon Stewart from Comedy Central’s “The Dailey Show” recently interviewed Jim Wallis of Harvard/Sojourners regarding Jim’s new book. The interview is only eight minutes long and worth viewing. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen February 23, 2005September 14, 2022

thesis statements over creeds

For nearly as long as the church has existed so have Creeds. Creeds are the “I/we believe . . . ” statements of the people of God. As with all text, once it is “written” and made available(whatever the medium)

Dwight J. Friesen February 22, 2005September 14, 2022

George Bush sings U2

If you haven’t already heard this George Dubya Mix I highly recommend it to you; it is powerful.  O, the irony of hearing George Bush singing U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”  It’s a mix of a few George W. parody tracks from

Dwight J. Friesen February 16, 2005October 26, 2022

I’m your’s (formerly “be mine”)

For many, if not most people, today’s observation of “St. Valentine’s day” has come to underscore some of the deepest pains and greatest longings of our lives.  The day is also one of the very few days on our calendar

Dwight J. Friesen February 14, 2005September 14, 2022

Limitations of Cross-Cultural Missions

One of the goals of cross-cultural missions – in some traditions – has to generate a more nearly universal Christian witness, one that has pan-human validity, thus to attain a universally applicable theology and Christian ethic; its primary goal is

Dwight J. Friesen February 13, 2005September 14, 2022

Hands That Make Us (in two panels)

“hands that make us“ by dwight & lynette friesen & our siblings/nieces/nephews

Dwight J. Friesen February 11, 2005October 26, 2022

the day of ashes

Today millions of our siblings in Christ join together in an 1,100+ year-old tradition of commonly referred to as ‘Ash Wednesday’.  The ashes – which are from the burned palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service – are placed

Dwight J. Friesen February 9, 2005October 12, 2022

“what we live by”

Have been using Leo Tolstoy’s short story “What Men Live By” for a class I get to team teach. It is a wonderful read… I commend it to you. The following quotations are from its conclusion. And you can find

Dwight J. Friesen February 4, 2005October 12, 2022

influence

The cover story of the current issue of Time is “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals.”  Listed among the powerful voices of Rick Warren, James Dodson, Richard John Neuhaus, Billy/Franklin Graham, J. I. Packer, Bill Hybels, John Stott, and sixteen others,

Dwight J. Friesen February 3, 2005October 12, 2022

How can I pray when I’m so busy all the time?

“I have learned that prayer is not asking for what you think you want but asking to be changed in ways that you can’t imagine.” Kathleen Norris One of the most common changes in developing a rhythm of contemplative prayer

Dwight J. Friesen February 2, 2005October 12, 2022