What's Tony Thinking

A Climate Change Book That Left Me Hopeful

June 5, 2023 — The fourth book in my book group’s Climate Change series was Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing In A Divided World by Katherine Hayhoe. I had been a bit apprehensive about doing this series because my previous attention to the issue had so often left me only overwhelmed and discouraged. While Hayhoe is... Read More

At Week’s End, June 2

June 2, 2023 — Ted Lasso, just the best show ever, ended this week with the conclusion of season 3. If you read my sermon of last Sunday you know that I drew on the previous week’s episode for a great example of “grace in everyday life.” But the whole show is a study in grace in real life, in... Read More

New Show, New Book, False Prophets

June 1, 2023 — I put up a new show of my paintings today at the Javasti (Wedgewood) Cafe. So, if you are a Seattle-based reader, drop by. It is up until July 15. Javasti Cafe is located on 35th NE, a main drag, just north of 86th, on the west side of the street. Their speciality is crepes,... Read More

When You Were Expecting Judgment . . .

May 28, 2023 — Here’s the Pentecost Day sermon I preached yesterday at Joseph United Methodist Church in Joseph, Oregon. Note: The “What’s Theology Got To Do With It?” webinar will not meet this evening. We’re taking this Monday off for Memorial Day, and will resume on June 5. Pentecost Sermon Joseph United Methodist May 28, 2023 Thanks to... Read More

Another Week Ends, May 26

May 26, 2023 — As this week ends we are Northeastern Oregon, or to be specific, Wallowa County. To put an even finer point on it, we’re at the cabin built by my grandparents near Wallowa Lake. The cabin, at least the original part of it, dates to 1926, and so turns 100 in a couple years. Do people... Read More

The Sins We Don’t Talk About

May 25, 2023 — Here’s a link to session 4 of “What’s Theology Got To Do With It?,” the video. We seem to run a week behind on getting these out. Last Monday, May 22, we did Session 5 live. Next week, on May 29, we will focus on chapters 9 and 10, “This Thing Called Church, Parts 1... Read More

When Not Hopeful, Be Stubborn

May 23, 2023 — The third book in our book group’s Climate Change series was Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by the Pacific Northwest author, Thor Hanson. It’s a terrific read and I encourage you to check it out. Through a personal connection between a member of our book group and the author, we were able to zoom Hanson in for... Read More

A Quiet Celebration

May 22, 2023 — We celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary the other day. As celebrations go, it was a quiet one. Finding a favorite Seattle restaurant was all booked up, we went for a picnic. We walked to a spot where we looked out on the sun setting over the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains and laid out a... Read More

Grandiosity and Governance

May 21, 2023 — Marc Dones, the Director of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, called it quits last week. The KCRHA had been the hoped for answer to homelessness in the region. The idea, a good one, was to get all the players at the same table to come up with regional responses. But the RHA has been... Read More

Is It the True Gospel?

May 17, 2023 — Embedded here is the link to the audio/ video of the 3rd session of “What’s Theology Got To Do With It?” We focus on the chapters on Scripture and the Trinity. I introduce the chapter on the Trinity, which I call “Keeping Your Balance,” with four questions which theology and theologians ask in service to... Read More

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