“Farther, Son” by Peter Gabriel Father, son Locked as one In this empty room Spine against spine Yours against mine Till the warmth comes through Remember the breakwaters down by the waves I first found my courage Knowing daddy could
Every week during my tenure serving at St Luke’s church I have the opportunity to write a newsletter article. I love this writing process, and think of it as a vital aspect of pastoral care. For me, writing is a
Last Saturday, at the end of the end of the Winter trimester low residency retreat, The Seattle School held its “Day of Scholarship.” There was a fantastic scholarship poster session showcasing some exciting submissions from current students, alumni, staff, and
One week left! As a child I found this final week was almost unbearable… anticipation overload! Time off school, gifts to open, gifts to give, fun events in my neighborhood, school, church and extended family. Just a different kind of
Well, I’m finished with classes for the trimester. Of course, there is still assessment of student work to complete, a few details for next trimester’s syllabi and online classrooms to button up, and preparations for the January low-residency retreat and
Lot’s of excitement from US scientists at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California because for the first time ever they have successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain. On
Whatever hemisphere a person lives in, Winter is a season of long nights and short days. Located as I am in the Northern hemisphere, I witness winter turning colder, Canada Geese flying south, Monarch butterflies migrating, bears hibernating, and humans…
There is something about the first snow of the season; there’s the thrill of late starts, cancelled school, and snowmen. I love that little flakes of frozen ice can change the pace of modern life. People huddling up in their
At the recommendation of my therapist I just watched a new documentary directed by Jonah Hill, looking into the life and work of the psychotherapist Jonah – himself sees – to help him in navigating his journey from depression unto
As of today, eight billion humans are living on planet Earth. A huge milestone officially projected for and being recognized today by the U.N. It was 1974 that the world population first hit 4 billion people. It took from the
Over the last couple of days I’ve watched and re-watched this short film/poem by the great Irish poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama. So beautiful, as is most of what he puts out into the world. The poem is titled
Swan Upon Leda by Hozier A husband waits outside A crying child pushes a child into the night She was told he would come this time Without leaving so much as a feather behind To enact at last the perfect
This weekend, one of our lectionary readings is a story of encounter, wrestling, and transformation. It’s the story of Jacob’s name being changed to Israel. As you may recall, it is Jacob’s sons for whom the twelve tribes of the
Today begins the month long celebration and exploration of all things “city” thanks to UN-Habitat’s “Urban October.” This year’s theme is: Mind the Gap: Leave No One & No Place Behind! What are the gaps in your parish or neighborhood? What
Below you will find the latest letter I sent to the congregation with whom I am serving. For some reason I went a little philosophical with this one. I sure hope it makes sense. I hear in my writing an
I’m roughly nine months into my 20 month commitment at St Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue. The church has commissioned its pastor to go on pilgrimage to Holden Village for about a year and an half, and I get to
Saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was 96 years old. In coming days we will learn much more, we will be aided in remembering her 70+ year reign, and will be aided in
Those who know me well, know that I have lived with clinical depression for much of my adult life. It’s probably more actuate to acknowledge that I’ve been navigating depression as long as I can remember, long before any diagnosis;
Over the last few weeks the Lectionary Sunday Gospel readings have awakened our Sabbath rest imaginations. It seems fitting that this weekend, many of us will participate in an observation of Labor Day… a much-needed extra day of rest. I
We see that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery. God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of
Today, during The Seattle’s School’s “Sacred Assembly” – which is part of our learning community’s back to school rituals – Paul Steinke shared an all-age “Affirmation of the Faith” from Scotland’s Iona Community. I loved it so much. Paul let
In the wake of Seattle Pacific University’s Board of Directors’ decision to double down on its policy to proactively exclude queer faculty, student protests and sit-ins have gained national… even international attention. Kevin Neuhouser, who is a professor of sociology
In October I will have the privilege and responsibility to offer a neighborhood-rooted, grassroots-parish, faith-based, gift-economy perspective, that is so vital to the ongoing conversation about sustainable urban economics. The City of Toronto is hosting (in-person & on-line) the fourth
Saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Ronald J. Sider, on July 27, 2022, Dr. Sider was 82 years old. “God’s Word teaches a very hard, disturbing truth. Those who neglect the poor and the oppressed are really not
I have never been a big fan of the ways the United States of America celebrates on July 4th. “Independence” is often a destructive myth which diminishes the importance of relationship. The holiday often seems like an excuse for championing
So right from the start my travel itinerary to UN-Habitat’s eleventh convening of a World Urban Forum (WUF11) was already not great. There were two long layovers: a six hour layover in Vancouver, BC (of all places), followed by an
Currently we have surpassed 100,000,000 refugees on our planet. That’s more than 100 million people just like you and me, who have had to make the terrible decision to flee the place they love, their home, and what they know
Eight years ago, when my son celebrated his 13th birthday we created and engaged a Coming of Age ritual which involved a number of elements; one of which was a barrel of local moonshine. On his 13th birthday we barreled
My colleague and friend, Dr. Roy Barsness will be presenting his “Last Lecture” @ The Seattle School, this evening. Roy is retiring from his core faculty role at the school where he has led, created, taught, researched, and offered himself
Recovering or relearning how to live in harmony with creation is vital to our survival. I call on all people of faith to search their sacred texts for examples of, teachings about, or practices for living in harmony with the
