Shalomic Imagination

Real . Story . Life

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

Dwight J. Friesen September 30, 2022September 30, 2022

Marking the Changing Seasons

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

Dwight J. Friesen September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

Laying Down our Hammers

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

Dwight J. Friesen September 1, 2022September 26, 2022

Iona – Affirmation of Faith

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

Dwight J. Friesen August 29, 2022February 23, 2023

Great Article by Kevin Neuhouser

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

Dwight J. Friesen August 25, 2022September 6, 2022

Seattle Times on “Reconnect South Park”

David Kroman, a staff reporter for the Seattle Times, has been covering the story of a grassroots movement to decommission a section of Hwy 99 and to reconnect two parts of Seattle’s South Park neighborhood that was cut in two.

Dwight J. Friesen August 23, 2022August 31, 2022

Insightful New Research

Dr. Josh Packard and the team over at Springtide Research Institute recently released their latest study of young people and religion. Springtide conducts qualitative and quantitative research on the inner and outer lives of young people, ages 13 to 25.

Dwight J. Friesen August 18, 2022August 31, 2022

Off to Poland

This Friday I am on my way to Katowice Poland to participate in the United Nations Habitat’s eleventh convening of the World Urban Forum. So I thought I’d offer a bit of an explanation of what I will be doing…

Dwight J. Friesen June 22, 2022September 26, 2022

100 Million Refugees Worldwide

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

Dwight J. Friesen June 20, 2022December 9, 2022

Trinity Sunday

This weekend is “Trinity” Sunday.  I’ll let you in on a secret.  I’ve never experienced a Trinity Sunday; it simply wasn’t part of my upbringing.  I was raised in a church culture which held a stated belief in the Threeness

Dwight J. Friesen June 10, 2022June 11, 2022

Wednesday is “World Oceans Day”

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

Dwight J. Friesen June 6, 2022December 16, 2022

Nationalism & Resurrection?

For weeks and weeks now, Putin’s attack on Ukraine has dominated the news cycle and has captured many of our hearts. We are rightly concerned. Then this week in the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (son of former dictator) won that

Dwight J. Friesen May 13, 2022June 7, 2022

A Vital Resource for Church & City

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

Dwight J. Friesen May 11, 2022December 19, 2022

Five Signs of the Parish Movement

The parish movement has been growing and spreading all over the world. The parish movement is not an academic movement nor is it driven by any one culture, tradition, Christian denomination, etc. Rather this is grassroots followers of the Jesus

Dwight J. Friesen April 26, 2022December 19, 2022

Holy Week

Palm Sunday April 10th 10:00AM @ St Luke’s Holy Friday April 15th, 7:00PM @ St Luke’s Table Turning April 16th, 1:00PM @ NW Detention Center Easter Sunday April 17th, 8:30 & 10:30AM @ St Luke’s If you’re looking for some

Dwight J. Friesen April 10, 2022April 12, 2022

“I Feel Good” Jon Batiste

I feel good. I feel free. I feel fine just being me. I feel good today. Oh so good today. Gospel! Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 5, 2022April 12, 2022

“Miracle of Peace”

I No Longer Pray for Peace by Ann Weems On the edge of war, one foot already in, I no longer pray for peace: I pray for miracles. I pray that stone hearts will turn to tenderheartedness, and evil intentions

Dwight J. Friesen February 25, 2022March 3, 2022

Racial Economic Inequity

The idea or dream that is the Untied States of America that cannot be realized without taking significant and meaningful action to make right the evils upon which this nation is founded… stealing land, genocide of its first inhabitants, and

Dwight J. Friesen January 17, 2022December 19, 2022

Exquisite Mutuality

If you have just 3ish minutes to watch a video, I commend this glimpse into the heart and mind of Father Greg Boyle. Here, he briefly unpacks his beautiful phrase, “Exquisite Mutuality.” Have a great day… remember, you are not

Dwight J. Friesen December 12, 2021December 10, 2021

Changing Cities & City Changers

I’m a City Changer is a worldwide campaign with the aim of sensitizing and creating awareness among citizens on urban issues to achieve better cities. It is promoted by UN-Habitat, the city agency of the United Nations, through the World

Dwight J. Friesen November 20, 2021September 26, 2022

Complexifying Indigenous Homelessness

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness posted a profoundly wise complexification of indigenous homelessness. Indigenous peoples from across nations within Canada identified 12 dimensions of indigenous homelessness. These 12 dimensions expose a few realms inviting my deeper listening. One such realm,

Dwight J. Friesen November 12, 2021September 26, 2022

Collective Leadership by Petra Kuentel

My friend Forrest Inslee recently introduced me to the important work of Dr. Petra Kuenkel. Petra has amassed a very impressive CV investing her life as a leading strategic advisor to pioneering international multi-stakeholder initiatives tackling themes of local and

Dwight J. Friesen November 10, 2021November 6, 2022

Uncertain Times

Is it just me, or does the Jenga-like quality of life feel especially close to the surface these days. Precarious. Teetering. Unstable. Somehow just looking all that is changing can fill, even the heartiest of us with fear. “It could

Dwight J. Friesen November 8, 2021November 8, 2021

Oscillating Between & Beyond Modern & Postmodern

It was in the 1990’s, toward the end of my grad school days when I first began to engage “postmodernity” to describe the cultural angst and cynicism in response to modern ascertains of certainty, knowledge, and such. By the time

Dwight J. Friesen October 16, 2021November 3, 2021

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Jesus once proclaimed, “The truth shall set you free,” (John 8:32). His statement is in a section of the Gospel of John inviting us to feel the way Jesus’ identity was contested by his contemporaries. People were struggling to trust

Dwight J. Friesen October 11, 2021November 3, 2021

Discovering Your Mezzo Parish

Guiding your faith community into even greater faithful presence within its parish invites discernment of the collective. Where and how to focus time and energy is a vital and ongoing journey of listening and adapting. Sometimes we get sidetracked by

Dwight J. Friesen October 6, 2021November 12, 2021

“Love Does That” by Meister Eckhart

Love Does That by Meister Eckhart All day long a little burro labors, sometimes with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries about things that bother only burros. And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting

Dwight J. Friesen September 6, 2021November 4, 2021

Suffering is NOT Punishment, Pleasure is NOT Reward

Breath is life. Inhaling… Exhaling… Things come together and things fall a part. Into every life comes pain & suffering, and joy & pleasure. Suffering is not Divine judgement any more than pleasure is God’s reward. Both are part of

Dwight J. Friesen September 4, 2021November 4, 2021

Now Welcoming New Directees

“When I heard about spiritual direction, I felt as if I was seeing an old friend I had never met. Spiritual direction (this new old friend) led me deeper into the love of God. Spiritual direction helped me experience more

Dwight J. Friesen September 3, 2021November 4, 2021

UN-Habitat “Urban October”

We have one month to get ready for the UN-Habitat’s Urban October. UN-Habitat is engaging people and groups from all over the world to think about where they live and how they live where they live, with an eye to

Dwight J. Friesen September 1, 2021September 26, 2022