Welcome to Our Learning Center
MWEG provides learning resources, along with official statements and calls to action, to help our members become more informed and prepared for civic engagement.
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Learning Center
Battery Energy Storage System: A Safe & Affordable Energy Source
August 19, 2026
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.
Let's talk about Instagram
August 17, 2026
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...
Sabbath Devotional: Look Up!
August 16, 2026
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...
"Proclaim Peace" Season 2, Episode 16 // Repairers of the Breach: Peace, Justice, and Isaiah 58, With Rev. Adam Taylor
August 12, 2026
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
Sabbath Devotional: Permission to Grieve
August 9, 2026
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...
Immigration-Related Supreme Court Decisions in 2026 — and What Comes Next
August 5, 2026
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.
Sabbath Devotional: The Gift of Rest
August 2, 2026
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...
Executive Orders: A Presidential Prerogative With Limits
July 30, 2026
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.
"Proclaim Peace" Season 2, Episode 15 // Building Peace Through Welcoming the Stranger, With Elizabeth Davis-Edwards
July 27, 2026
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."
Sabbath Devotional: What I Learned from an Imaginary Elephant
July 19, 2026
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...
"Proclaim Peace" Season 2, Episode 14 // What It Means to Be Chosen, With James Patton
July 13, 2026
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."
Sabbath Devotional: New Heavens, New Wars, New Possibilities in Revelations
July 12, 2026
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...
Sabbath Devotional: By Union of Feeling
July 5, 2026
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...
MWEG Official Statement on America's 250th
July 1, 2026
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.”
"Proclaim Peace" Season 2, Episode 13 // True Peacemaking Needs Both Fire and Compassion: Lessons from Elijah and Elisha, With Sarah Perkins
July 1, 2026
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.
Sabbath Devotional: We See Through a Glass Darkly
June 28, 2026
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...
Worsening Wildfires
June 24, 2026
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 in a Drought-Prone World
June 18, 2026
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.
"Proclaim Peace" Season 2, Episode 12 // The Courage to Disagree Respectfully, Through the Story of Jonathan and David, With Marianne Viray
June 17, 2026
Marianne Viray joins Jen and Patrick to delve into the dynamics of conflict and peacemaking within leadership and society, drawing lessons from the biblical story of Jonathan, David, and Saul. They explore how leadership decisions can influence societal polarization and offer practical tools for engaging with leaders respectfully. The discussion emphasizes the importance of modeling civility and virtue in public discourse and provides strategies for individuals to break cycles of conflict.
The Cost of Delays: How Backlogs in the U.S. Immigration System Harm Our Communities
June 17, 2026
Today’s immigration application backlog exposes a system cracking under the weight of 30-plus years of outdated policies and procedures. Behind every processing delay, court backlog, or revoked protections is a family pleading for stability, a worker waiting to contribute positively to their local economy, or a loved one waiting for reunification.
