Last year, Join or Die was released. The film explores America’s civic unraveling through the journey of scientist Robert Putnam – of Bowling Alone fame – whose research on the decline in American community lights a path out of our
I’m joining Chris Elisara and the folks at Faith for Cities seeking to harness multi-faith insights and actions in the face of an unparalleled era of urbanization. As we know more than eight out of people people on the planet
The performance at last night’s Grammy’s that most pulled me in – and I think – stole the show, was Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs “Fast Car” duet. So beautiful. It was sheer joy to watch Chapman play and sing
Today I get to spend the day at a retreat center East of Seattle with leaders and theologians from The Seattle School exploring our next steps into the future of theological education and ministry formation. So very grateful to the
My colleague Joshua Montoya sent me a link to the above video. It feels so alive inside me. Please watch it and wonder about it. What is the invitation coming to you, and yours. “The metacrisis is your daily experience of
Speakers: James Bhagwan, Julia Rensburg, Tara van Ryneveld. Remove: Episcopal Nana Firman & Meryne Warah, H.E. President Wavel Ramkalawa Islamic Dev Bank/Islamic Solidarity Fund, Phoebe Chatfield Faiths for a Just Transition: Bottom up & Systemic Approaches from Affected Communities 🌍
While I wasn’t able to attend COP28 in person, it’s been so great to the reports from my multi-faith colleagues about the remarkable advancement in the active participation of world’s faiths, religions, and spiritualities in the conversation. 84-85% of the
I was recently introduced to an Australian band who go by “Middle Kids.” Their latest record Faith Crisis Pt 1 will be released the middle of next month. I have been listening to all of their stuff online and am
This weekend Today and tomorrow is a Parish Collective Learning Community. Can’t wait. To find out more about these learning communities, visit Parish Collective. Peace, dwight
Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan is updated about every 10 years. The 2024 update, to guide Bellevue’s development through 2044, is now underway. The update includes an environmental impact statement as a requirement of the State Environmental Policy Act. The EIS includes
1946 is a feature documentary following the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. The film chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale
Prizefighter by Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers) Hope you filled the sky at nighttime Diamond in the ring don’t feed your mind Maybe I never pictured bad times Brother in drugstore falls behind He’s got knuckles that no longer fit
Earlier this week – Tuesday, I think – a couple of hundred Anabaptists convened in the House of Representatives’ Cannon House Office Building, in Washington DC, to call for a permanent cease-fire in Palestine. The Mennonites sang songs of peace
On the Significance of Religion for the SDGs: An Introduction, by Dr Christine Schliesser, is part of Routledge’s “Religion Matters” series. And it is available for free as an eBook on Amazon. I’m not sure whether this is permanently free
Some of the people of faith I’ve been collaborating with to activate our respective traditions to engage the SDGs for a more sustainable urban future for all everything alongside UN-Habitat and the World Economic Forum have just published a new
This lecture series is offered in honor of the great Stanley J. Grenz; former Professor at The Seattle School, (then known as Mars Hill Graduate School). Stan was a prolific Christian scholar with a pastoral heart and deep intellectual presence.
I am delighted to be invited back to St Luke’s in North Bellevue to preside and preach this weekend. It’s going to be so wonderful to be with this community again. This is the faith community with whom I served
This 2022 UN-Habitat report highlights of the numerous ways real people, governing bodies, and organizations are acting on the New Urban Agenda. As you may know, the New Urban Agenda is an audacious and beautiful activation of a better urban
So excited to share the launch of a new podcast co-hosted by Tripp Fuller & Tony Jones, and produced by Josh Gilbert. It’s titled, “Emerged: an oral history of the emerging church movement.” The podcast launched on January 1st, 2024
Last night Billie Eilish performed on Saturday Night Live and I thought it was simply beautiful. What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish & Finneas Baird O’Connell I used to float, now I just fall down I used to
Here’s my top ten list of books from 2023. At the end of each year I reflect on books that I engaged this year that sparked imagination… this is my 24th such list. In some way, each of these books
UN-Habitat, World Urban Forum 12 (WUF12), will be assembling around this time next year… November 4-8, 2024. Mark your calendar and begin making plans. I am hoping to convene – or co-convene – two gatherings in Cairo, Egypt to coincide
For a number of years now, UN-Habitat has been earmarking the month of October as “Urban October.” Our goal is to draw humanity’s attention our cities in order foster conversation, engagement, and movement toward a better urban future for all
Systems thinkers, organizational innovators, and localists Deborah Frieze and Margaret Wheatley, with the Berkana Institute, have developed a very helpful model for better understanding the complex process of systems change. Their model – among other things – thoughtfully attends to
Well, Sunday was my final Sunday serving at St Luke’s. And today was my final staff meeting. As challenging as transitions can be in the life of any community, this one was so beautiful and warm. It was filled with
Here are links to three very helpful UN-Habitat reports reflecting back on 2022. My apologies for not posting these sooner, but here they are: Peace, dwight
If you’re a regular to my site you might recall that I have had the privilege of serving as the “substitute pastor” for an ELCA (Lutheran) community here in Bellevue since January 2022. Even though I am not ordained Lutheran
There are few songs that have met me, held me, and helped me get through and keep going when I was in a thin place, quite like Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” I love this song. Thank you Thom Yorke! I
Yesterday afternoon, I turned on the radio (KEXP, of course) DJ Eva Walker was in covering for Kevin, I wasn’t there for the beginning of it all, but a most unusual – dare I say sacred – thing was unfolding.
