Formation

Beyond the Blue Angels

Every August, something remarkable happens over Seattle. The shores of Lake Washington fill with families. Boats gather in anticipation. Conversations pause. Children cover their ears while simultaneously looking skyward. Then, with a deafening roar, six blue-and-gold fighter jets streak overhead,

Dwight J. Friesen August 1, 2026August 1, 2026

The Future of Theological Education

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

Dwight J. Friesen February 2, 2024February 2, 2024

Has it Really Been that Long?

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

Dwight J. Friesen December 16, 2022February 18, 2025

How We Gather & Who We Become

I think its safe to say, that at no other time in church history has “gathering” been so contested. Do we meet in person or online? Health and safety needs bump into our traditioned liturgical practices. If online how? How

Dwight J. Friesen December 1, 2021December 2, 2021

Fall Classes are Start’n Up

The 2021 Fall trimester begins today at The Seattle School. If my math if correct term marks the starting of my 53rd trimester at this school. In the off chance that anyone needed a reminder of the impermanence of all

Dwight J. Friesen September 20, 2021November 4, 2021

Go Back, Engage, Bring It Forward

Earlier this week The Seattle School held its 2021 Instructional Team Orientation retreat, during which Dr. President Derek McNeil delivered an address. He organized his talk around “Sankofa.” Which as you may know, is a word from the Akan Twi

Dwight J. Friesen September 10, 2021November 4, 2021

“If”

If Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,    But make allowance for their doubting too;

Dwight J. Friesen January 5, 2021November 8, 2021

Educational Metaphor

I find the metaphor of a gardener to be a fertile one in helping me feel and think my way into my work as a formational educator.  Rather than tending to fruits, vegetables, and flowers, I picture my formational role

Dwight J. Friesen May 15, 2020May 12, 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

post-Christendom formation?

So I’m in the process of writing a short piece exploring Christian spiritual/identity formation in a post-Christendom context. I’m desperately looking for any recommended websites, readings or other resources that might help me get a better sense of the shift

Dwight J. Friesen May 13, 2010May 8, 2022

theology of spiritual formation

I’ve been having a great time finishing my syllabus for a course exploring the Theology of Spiritual Formation which I will be guiding this summer. This is not a course in the practice or practices of formation but is a

Dwight J. Friesen March 20, 2006September 29, 2022

leadership crucible

Mars Hill Graduate School is hosting the Leadership Crucible . . . a leading expereince, Thursday, March 9 – Saturday, March 11, 2006. This will be an interactive exploration into team leadership. I highly recommend it. peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen December 13, 2005January 18, 2021

for the love of learning

The fall trimester has begun; and I have the unspeakable privilege of teaching a full load at MHGS. The paths along which I get to serve as a guide are: An Introduction to the Hermeneutical Task: The Art of Reading

Dwight J. Friesen September 13, 2005November 13, 2020

method & jumping fences

Howard S. Becker once said, “Methodology is too important to be left to methodologists.” And designer Bruce Mau is quoted saying, “Avoid fields. Jump fences: disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life.” I’m

Dwight J. Friesen July 15, 2004January 15, 2021

There’s Got to be More Than This

It seems that many of the worship gatherings within the world of emerging churches reinforce dualism. Without meaning to, they seem to say, “When we’re together, we’re worshipping” and “when we’re not, we’re not.” I can’t help but wonder how

Dwight J. Friesen May 4, 2004December 3, 2022

un-worship services

I’ve been having this overwhelming sense that western protestant white Church “worship services” may ultimately have the opposite effect that we hope for. Among other things, we intend to lift up Christ, to praise him, and so on, however. The

Dwight J. Friesen August 21, 2003May 4, 2022

Communal Worship?

Thinking about worship… What is it that the church can do in worship corporately that the church can’t do individually? How did worship devolve from a wholistic way of life to a gathering on a Sunday morning? What if how

Dwight J. Friesen November 1, 2002November 14, 2022

Never Go to Church Again

“Go to church” . . . what does this even mean? I sense it may be time for us to collaborate toward destroying the erroneous notion of “going to Church.”  Jesus never told us to “go” to anything.  Jesus’ invitation

Dwight J. Friesen July 22, 2002November 6, 2021

Discipleship Process

I have a working document, that I began as a seminarian, outlining my current understanding of the process of discipleship as seen through a church or community of faith. I was heavily influenced in the creation of this by a

Dwight J. Friesen October 22, 2001October 24, 2022