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
Friend, I seek to follow in the Way of Christ, I am a pastor, a professional theologian, and a professor at a Christian seminary… I have spent the majority of my life doing a few things: practicing love in the
I am thrilled to see that Parish Collective is launching its new “Grounded Faith” initiative in partnership with Whitworth University’s Office of Church Engagement and the Lilly Endowment. Lauren Goldbloom, longtime friend and former fellow board member of the Parish
“God is not a ‘being’ removed from creation, ruling it from outside in the manner of a patriarchal ruler; God is the source of being that underlies creation and grounds its nature and future potential for continual transformative renewal in
What do you do with the feelings inside you in moments of overwhelming tragedy like Tuesday’s murderous shooting at Robb Elementary School? O Lord in your broken-heartedness, hear our cries for the families crushed with sorrow by the loss of
As the details of Saturday’s horrific mass shooting in Buffalo continue to emerge it is painfully clear, yet again, that the evils of assumed white body supremacy and black body racism persist. Racial hatred ought to have no place in
One More Love Poem by Dunya Mikhail If I had one more day I would write a love poem composed of one word repeated like binary code. I’ll multiply it by the number of days that passed without saying it
Since its creation, United Nations Habitat has been striving to put practical tools in the hands of local people and communities to equip them with the needed information, inspiration, and ideas to mobilize grassroots people to bring about real change
Not sure exactly why this song calls to me today, but something about it touches a deep place. I hear something of the power of presence, kindness, and relational risk coupled with the real complexities of each new day… and
