Narrative

In his Charge to the President at the Inauguration of Dr. Craig Detweiler, Dr. Roy Barsness offers a charge to us all, an exhortation to remember, restore, and reimagine.

Brittany Deininger explores the ways that metaphors shape how we view the world, speak of God, and think about that which seems beyond language.

Dr. Derek McNeil sits down with Shauna Gauthier, Alumni Outreach Coordinator and our new co-host for this podcast, to talk about the transformative art of listening.

My paternal grandfather was a great man. He was a flawed man, of course, but he was great. Broad-shouldered. Brown-skinned. Staunch-faced, yet quick to grin. He loved strong. Faithed-wide. One of the things he was, was a longshoreman. A few weeks ago, I attended a play with some friends. It took place in the old […]

This fall, I began my fourth of six semesters at The Seattle School and simultaneously found that many expectations of where I’d be at this point in my life were fully falling apart. A year ago, I’d left behind a community of warmth, color, sunshine, and acceptance for a place that often felt ambivalent towards a brown (stranger) surrounded by mostly white (people) and gray (skies).

How might we be called into purpose by our community? What is the why and how of justice? In what places of our lives might we have opportunity to learn from targeted practical application or from thought-provoking education that gives us a wider lens? In episode 10 of text.soul.culture, Dr. Ron Ruthruff joins Dr. J. Derek McNeil as the two discuss these questions in light of Dr. Ruthruff’s personal narrative.

In an email discussing this month’s theme on Intersections, the word resilience came up. As I pondered the words I would present for this month’s blog post in response to that word, it became apparent to me: who more readily embodies the word resilience than the black woman?

What might be revealed through our loss of connectedness to the environment around us? Where do we find harmful deterioration in our world as well as hope for the future of our major ecological systems? How does Scripture address ecology? In episode 9 of text.soul.culture, Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger joins Dr. J. Derek McNeil to consider these questions as the two discuss ecological homelessness and degradation.

In times such as these, to believe in a good God can be a hard thing to “do.” It’s easy to fall back on nihilistic, cynical thinking when we are faced with the seemingly hopeless condition of the world. Sometimes life can be so full of hardship and disappointment that it influences the way we find ourselves believing.

Our alumni are those who embody and extend text, soul, and culture far beyond the walls of 2501 Elliott Avenue. Our hope is that The Seattle School will be led by our alumni and their stories—how they labor to live out their calling among the people and communities they serve. David William Rice (MDiv ‘10) […]

The Seattle School’s 19th Commencement ceremony included a special vocal selection. Julie Hall (MACP), joined by husband, Sean and daughter, Lynna performs a song entitled “Bird” (music and lyrics by Sean and Lynna). Bird Got a bird in my hand She fell from the sky I had sent her up there My song of delight […]

What does it look like to relinquish control of our own lives and let the Spirit lead us into adventure and paths unknown? Here, Heather Casimere, a second-year MATC student at The Seattle School, reflects on the process of knowing God’s presence in the thick of the forest. Following the Holy Spirit leaves me more […]