Designing & Neighboring

I signed up for my first 10K run. This is kind of a big deal for me. I’ve had a tortured history with running. In this essay I run through my troubled past with this kind of exercise, how I’ve been working through it, and how motivational language often gets the process of overcoming these […]

As I continue to explore the connections between art and justice I question the usefulness of the image of “margins” in helping us seek justice. The essay considers “white savior” movies, the parable of the good Samaritan, advent stories, and car wrecks. Related D&N articles: Art & Justice Part One: Inside Art & Justice Part […]

Some verses and prayers I practice before sleeping to let go of my fears and look forward to living tomorrow in trusting courage. You can find a downloadable PDF of the liturgy on the “Downloads” page. Related D&N articles on spiritual practices: An Examen of Rejection and an Examen of Acceptance Fear-Based Learning Forsaken, Afflicted, […]

A discussion of some silly sketches I made of dragons for my classroom meanders through my design education, ethical theory, and classroom management. Images referenced in the essay: Find the original blog post at DesigningandNeighboring.com. Support Designing and Neighboring by: Contributing a small amount monthly through Patreon. Rating and reviewing the podcast on iTunes. Sharing the podcast […]

The second part of a series on art and justice in which I briefly explore of the role of imagination in justice and in partaking of chocolate chip cookies. Related D&N articles on art and justice: Art & Justice Part One: Inside An Abundance of Time: Walter Brueggemann’s “Sabbath as Resistance” Lynching Today: Reflections on “The […]

As I write my fiftieth blog post a reflect on writing practices, faithfulness, and my trusty vintage alarm clock. Related D&N articles on faithfulness: “Born Again” Reconsidered Forsaken, Afflicted, and Waiting: An Advent Prayer from Psalm 22 Loneliness Among Crossed Arms and Casseroles Faithful Kingdom Work Justice, Peace, and Faithfulness: A Thank You Letter to […]

A church retreat in an area recently destroyed by wildfires leads to conversations about land and exercise, subjects that a disembodied Christian faith can’t see or imagine. Related D&N articles on bodies: Buildings and Bodies Six Thoughts on Life in a Body Incarnation and Design Church, Kingdom, and Bodies Related D&N articles on liturgy and […]

As I set out to renovate my house I explore the concept of newness and change with buildings and in our communities. Find the original blog post at DesigningandNeighboring.com. Support Designing and Neighboring by: Rating and reviewing the podcast on iTunes. Sharing the podcast or the blog through your social media of choice. Signing up […]

Did you know that the Sunday after Easter has a name? In this episode I look at where Quasimodo Sunday got it’s name, why the cathedral bellringer has the same name, plus Car Talk to consider what the biblical concept of “saved” looks like. Find the original blog post at DesigningandNeighboring.com. Support Designing and Neighboring […]

When Jesus washed his disciples feet before the last supper he was participating in a kind of performance art. In this post from Maundy Thursday of 2015 I examine the way performance, meaning, death, and life intersect in this generous act of God humbling Godself. Find the original blog post at DesigningandNeighboring.com. Support Designing and […]

This is the first post in a series looking at the connections between art and justice. The series will be a going public with my long-term wrestling with concepts connected to my multi-decade study of the works of Nicholas Wolterstorff on both subjects. A particular challenge with Wolterstorff’s work is that he often makes a compelling […]

As you’ll hear, this was posted about a week before the fateful election of November 2016. It felt like everyone on all sides of the election was deeply frustrated and I shared in that. Though it felt felt like everything had been said a million times in a million ways about the election, I hadn’t […]

In June of 2016 I entered an odd athletic event. It stirred up lots of insecurities for me, but in the process I learned some new things about what my students go through and how I can be a better teacher for them. Find the original blog post at DesigningandNeighboring.com. Support Designing and Neighboring by: […]

The timing of this essay was significant. August 21, 2016.  It’s an emotionally raw reflection on the death of my oldest daughter 16 years ago on the date of what would’ve been her 20th birthday. Her younger sister was heading off to college and I was entering into a new year of teaching high school seniors […]

This post from January 2016 will introduce you to who I am and what I aspire to as a writer. In it I discuss the role of the bass guitar in a song and in what ways it can be analogous to writing. I mention Lou Reed, Rob Wasserman, and Tina Weymouth, the Enneagram, and […]