Welcome to Our Learning Center

Emma Addams joins Jen and Patrick to explore the themes of peace, defiance, and civic engagement through the lens of the biblical stories of Vashti and Esther. They discuss how personal definitions of peace can shape one's actions and the implications of defiance in a patriarchal society. The conversation delves into the complexities of navigating power dynamics, the different theories of change, and the strategic use of managed compliance in effecting social change.

I took my senior capstone course with Kim Johnson on the devotional lyric, and one of our earliest units was reading through all 150 Psalms in less than a week. It was mind-boggling for me. I had read pieces of Psalms, but never the whole set all at once. What struck me most was how contradictory they felt. How wide and various the range of emotions I found in them. And, in fact, the largest hunk (apparently scholars estimate almost one in three) were lament psalms, prayer poems full of...

Situated next to power plants and wind and solar farms, battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are rechargeable battery systems, most commonly using lithium ion, that provide steady sources of power. By storing energy already generated, they stabilize gas and coal power and support solar and wind. If energy were money, BESS would be like having an overdraft account to back up your checking account.

What is Instagram? Instagram is a photo- and video-sharing app with more than 2 billion monthly active users. Launched in 2010, the app’s focus on photo sharing — which wasn’t yet a staple on social media platforms — became an instant success. After just 18 months, Instagram was sold to Facebook (now Meta) for $1 billion. Who uses Instagram? Users are more likely to be young: 80%* of adults ages 18-29 use Instagram, while only 40% of adults ages 50-64 and 18% of adults over 65 report using...

Ten years ago, my husband had a dream of taking our family of eight on a backpacking trip to Havasupai in the Grand Canyon. This was no small feat! We spent weeks preparing, gathering, and buying all the things we needed to make this trip happen. The week before our Havasupai trip was scheduled, we decided to go on a “trial run” to try out all our gear. Since it was summer in Phoenix, we loaded up the car and drove almost two hours north to cooler weather. In unexpected fashion, it poured...

Rev. Adam Taylor joins Jen and Patrick for a wide-ranging conversation about peace, justice, and the prophetic vision of Isaiah 58. He shares how his own faith journey, shaped by interracial family roots, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black church tradition, led him to Sojourners and to a deep conviction that peace is more than the absence of conflict. This episode explores why justice and peace are inseparable, how Isaiah 58 challenges transactional religion, and what it means to become a “rep

In just a few days, my bouncy, blond 5-year-old daughter will walk to the bus stop in her shimmery unicorn backpack and head off to kindergarten. She is my youngest, and I know she’s more than ready for a new school and new friendships, but I feel a tug in my throat and a weight in my chest when I think about closing a chapter of motherhood — the baby/toddler/preschooler chapter I have been immersed in for 18 years — and moving forward into a new, unknown one. Just a few months ago, I closed...

The U.S. Supreme Court decided three important immigration and citizenship-related cases in 2026. In this article, we break down the cases, the majority opinions, and the dissenting opinions of Mullin v. Doe, Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, and Trump v. Barbara.

I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but sometimes I judge a book by its title. That was why I picked up a book called “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath” by Joseph Lieberman. It was a wonderful book describing the way Senator Lieberman, who was Jewish, observed the Sabbath. I’m still particularly drawn to the title: The Gift of Rest. Rest is a gift. It’s a gift to body, mind, and heart. Our Heavenly Parents knew this was a gift that we would need to...

An executive order is a written directive issued by a president with the intent to adjust federal agency-related policy or procedure. The president derives the power to issue executive orders from Article 2 of the Constitution or as delegated by Congress.

Elizabeth Davis-Edwards joins Jen and Patrick to share inspiring stories of community-led refugee support and explore how welcoming strangers aligns with faith, history, and peacebuilding. This episode emphasizes that peace is cultivated through everyday acts of hospitality, community effort, and faith-based compassion. It encourages listeners to look around their neighborhoods for opportunities to serve, love, and welcome "one more."

In this hottest of summers I invite you to cool In the Jungle of Nool, on the banks of a pool. Where Horton the Elephant jumps off the page And comes truly alive as he takes to the stage. In the last decade, my son has appeared in three productions of Seussical the Musical. I grew up on Theodor Geisel's Dr. Seuss books, but my exposure to the musical was late in coming. I was leery at first, having been disappointed by other adaptations of beloved characters. But after seeing the show...

Jen and Patrick are joined by James Patton to explore the multidimensional nature of peace, emphasizing its relational and movement-driven aspects. Drawing from his rich spiritual journey and extensive experience in peacebuilding across cultures and faiths, James offers nuanced perspectives on community, faith, truth, and conflict. They discuss the Old Testament idea of a chosen people, how that relates to diverse faith groups today, and how to avoid conflict when believing in "chosenness."

Scripture is inexhaustibly full of possibility. It's less like a cryptic code to be cracked and more like a story. And the best stories stay with us precisely because they resist single interpretations. So, I want to be very clear that I do not mean to suggest that what I offer below is a Correct or Definitive or Perfected reading of Revelations. What I do mean to suggest is a possibility. And the possibility is this: I think there's a way to read the book that isn't a story of God deploying...

The story of Ruth and Naomi is especially moving to me. After Naomi’s husband and two sons had died, she pleaded with her Moabite daughters-in-law to return to their own nation and families of origin to be taken care of. Orpah left, but Ruth, determined to remain by Naomi’s side, lovingly replied, “Whither thou goest, I will go and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). They left Moab and returned to Bethlehem where, because of her...

In gratitude, MWEG joins fellow Americans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With powerful ideas and ideals, our founders established a new government based on the bold claims that “all men are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Jen and Patrick are joined by Sarah Perkins to explore the profound ways stories shape our understanding of peace, justice, and reconciliation. They focus on the contrasting peacemaking styles of Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha. Sarah shares her journey as a writer, filmmaker, and peacemaker, emphasizing the power of faith, imagination, and human connection in transforming conflicts into moments of compassion.

Moroni teaches that “charity is the pure love of Christ” and invites us to “pray with all the energy of heart” that we might be filled with it. He then offers a remarkable promise: that when Christ appears, “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (Moroni 7:47-48) Paul makes a similar claim. We may possess knowledge, wisdom, faith, power, and good works, but “if [we] have not charity, [we are] nothing.” He concludes his writings on charity with these words: “For now we see...

Wildfires have been part of the American landscape for centuries. Fire is a part of nature. Nearly every year, wildfires change our landscapes on a large scale and pose a bigger threat to people than they did a few decades ago.

Water rights on the Colorado River have a complicated history and will continue to have a complex future, especially as the climate changes and snow pack decreases. It will take a great deal of knowledge and compromise to come to solutions that are sustainable, effective, and just. However, as complicated as the solutions may be, they are absolutely necessary for the future of the American Southwest.