Culture Creating

Sustainable Bellevue

Here is the City of Bellevue’s recently approved (December 14th, 2020) plan for learning to live in relationship with creation. I wish it had a more clearly linked connection to the UN’s 17’s “Sustainable Development Goals” especially given the relative

Dwight J. Friesen January 1, 2021November 2, 2022

Free Online Course… UN-NUA

The New Urban Agenda Illustrated handbook (at the bottom of this post) serves as the base for the New Urban Agenda online crash course. This course is offered through the United Nations Habitat. The self-paced course in two parts is available

Dwight J. Friesen December 21, 2020June 8, 2023

Poet, Natalie Diaz… Wow!

Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation by Natalie Diaz Angels don’t come to the reservation. Bats, maybe, or owls, boxy mottled things. Coyotes, too. They all mean the same thing— death. And death

Dwight J. Friesen December 20, 2020November 24, 2021

Which Americans’ Thanksgiving?

Unlike Canada’s Thanksgiving practice, which is more of a harvest celebration, the American observation is couched in a subjugating narrative.  Wisdom is invited of you as you navigate this holiday. The particularity of your bodied, cultured, and located self will

Dwight J. Friesen November 26, 2020November 24, 2021

“Singularity (After Stephen Hawking)”

SINGULARITY by Marie Howe           (after Stephen Hawking) Do you sometimes want to wake up to the singularity we once were? so compact nobody needed a bed, or food or money — nobody hiding in the school bathroom or home alone

Dwight J. Friesen November 22, 2020August 31, 2022

Faith(s) for the Environment – Call to Action

The ongoing collaboration between the Parliament of World Religions together with the UN-Environment Programme, has set forth a “Faith for Earth: A Call for Action.” This beautifully compiled document describes the essential, unshakeable reverence that all religions have for creation

Dwight J. Friesen September 2, 2020September 28, 2022

“To the Great Unknown”

Recently a friend invited me to take a closer listen to some of the music of Minnesota-based, Cloud Cult. I’m really glad I did. On a peripheral level I was aware of them through KEXP (the world’s greatest independent radio

Dwight J. Friesen June 22, 2020August 31, 2022

Perhaps the World Ends Here

Perhaps the World Ends Here  By Joy Harjo The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation,

Dwight J. Friesen June 17, 2020December 11, 2020

“Little Lion Man”

“Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons Weep for yourself, my man You’ll never be what is in your heart Weep, little lion man You’re not as brave as you were at the start Rate yourself and rake yourself Take

Dwight J. Friesen June 15, 2020June 15, 2023

“Prayer for the Untranslated Testimony”

Prayer for the Untranslated Testimony by Franny Choi At midnight, I am sitting on my back steps, looking at the leaves and listening to the sound a boy is making into the night with the peak of his lungs somewhere

Dwight J. Friesen June 11, 2020August 31, 2022

Webinar: Shalom in a Time of Pandemic

URBAN SHALOM SOCIETY WEBINAR SERIES: Shalom in a Time of Pandemic: Glimpses of Regeneration In just a few short months the global novel coronavirus pandemic has racked the world with tragic human loss. Hundreds of thousands of people are dead

Dwight J. Friesen June 9, 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

“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

“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

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

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

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

“Wild Horses” by Noah Gundersen

Wild Horses by Noah Gundersen Always got a lot on my mind Feels like the net just gets bigger with time Stretching out behind me Trawling the open sea Waste a lot of breath on the bullshit I breathe a

Dwight J. Friesen August 30, 2019May 6, 2022

“Weird Al” Yankovic

Later this week Pascal and I are heading to the Paramount Theater to see the legendary funny man, Weird Al Yankovic. Pascal has been a fan ever since his “Manitoba cousins” introduced him to Weird Al via DVD on a

Dwight J. Friesen August 13, 2019May 6, 2022

Formation as a Futuring Discipline

For much of the modern era, spiritual formation has been imagined primarily as a process of information transfer. The assumption has often been that if individuals acquire the right beliefs, doctrines, values, and practices, transformation will naturally follow. Formation, in

Dwight J. Friesen July 23, 2019June 23, 2026

Words Could Not make it More True

Words Could Not make it More True by Sarah Ellen Snyder Steinke We map the globe you’ve madeof my bellythe fullness of my breaststhe eagernessyou’ve grown in my coreand herewhere we love and eat and sleep and fighthereyou descendand every

Dwight J. Friesen May 17, 2019May 12, 2022

“I Loved You Before I was Born”

I Loved You Before I Was Born by Li-Young Lee I loved you before I was born. It doesn’t make sense, I know. I saw your eyes before I had eyes to see. And I’ve lived longing for your ever

Dwight J. Friesen May 12, 2019June 7, 2022