Convene, May 31, 2025, Everett, Washington

On May 31, 2025, over 150 clergy and laypeople gathered at Everett Community College for The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia's Convene, a diocesan-wide event featuring plenary sessions and workshops centered on spiritual renewal and discipleship.

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Philip N. LaBelle opened the event with a plenary address calling the Church to remain centered in Jesus Christ through humility, prayer, and active resistance to distraction and white Christian nationalism. He urged deep listening to marginalized voices and a reexamination of power, privilege, and national symbolism within ecclesial contexts.

In the afternoon, Bishop LaBelle introduced Zimzum Discipleship: Making Space in Our Busy Lives, a new three-year diocesan initiative focused on spiritual practice.

The program offers 18 practices (released every two months) designed to help individuals and communities deepen their faith and create space for God, others, and the created world. The first video resource, on Sabbath, launches this month.

Key themes include the theological foundation of God’s sacrificial love, the sacredness of everyday life, and the metaphor of “thinning” to promote spiritual growth. Participants are encouraged to engage with both traditional (e.g., prayer, Sabbath) and non-traditional (e.g., decluttering, housework) practices, use technology mindfully, and be willing to let go of programs or routines that no longer serve their community’s spiritual health.

Resources are available at ecww.org/zimzum-discipleship, with opportunities to participate through local or online groups and an optional Discord forum for ongoing discussion.

The Plenary session - Remarks by The Rt. Rev. Bishop Philip N. LaBelle

Workshop - Zimzum Discipleship: Making Space in Our Busy Lives by The Rt. Rev. Bishop Philip N. LaBelle