Anthony B. Robinson

Tony is a writer, teacher, speaker and ordained minister (United Church of Christ). He served as Senior Minister of Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church for fourteen years. His newest book is Useful Wisdom: Letters to Young (and not so young) Ministers. He divides his time between Seattle and a cabin in Wallowa County of northeastern Oregon. If you’d like to know more or receive his regular blogs in your email, go to his site listed above to sign-up.

Et Tu, Tony? Finding Lessons in the new Barbie Movie

Gerwig’s Barbie movie is offering young girls and women just about the opposite of what social media hits them with, which is a relentless wave of anxiety about whatever they are not.

Getting Connected: Small Town Lifeline

There is something to be said for all these mingled connections, for neighbors who know and depend on one another, and for kids growing up in the midst of a thick community, with a sense of place.

How a Small Town Saved a Historic Lodge and Helped Restore the Land

From the '50s through at least the '70s it was popular to “channelize” rivers up here in Northwest Oregon, meaning use a bulldozer to cut one deeper, straight channel to reduce high-water flooding. But that came at a cost to natural and fish habitat.

Choosing Church: The Odds Against are Many

Jessica Grose says that what churches offer that people aren’t finding elsewhere is a “ready-made supportive community.” But here’s the thing. “Ready-made supportive community,” doesn’t just happen. Such a community asks things of people.

Daddy Issues

Dave, the workshop presenter, said that “rejection — at some level — is at the heart of all the father issues. The feeling that you are never good enough.” There probably was that, but I think both my parents had that going on. With my Dad it was more the sense that we just didn’t have that much in common, and between that and his work, not much shared experience.

Finding Hope as the Climate Changes

While Katharine Hayhoe is clear about the dangers of a warming planet she achieves what her subtitle promises, offering hope and healing in a divided world.

On the Ballot in Rural Oregon: Do We Want to Be Annexed by Idaho?

My guess is that many of Greater Idaho folks would rather be in a red state than a blue one. Apparently, there are now realtors who specialize in relocating people to a state of their political preference. I mean why rub elbows with people you don’t agree with?

After 54 Years: It’s the Other Things

Letting your partner be other, not requiring they be the same as you, is a big challenge in a marriage.

The “Grandiosity Test”: Is Your Government more about Big Ideas than Making Things Work?

The progressive social critique of patriarchy, systemic racism, the history of policing and capitalism — which has some truth in it — is so broad-scale that it overwhelms more modest efforts to make progress..

Scared Straight? A Tectonic Shift in American Values

I think these shifts portray a country/society where people are really frightened. All of the things that trend down — love of country, religious faith, having kids, and community involvement — involve some, often quite significant, level of trust.

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