A lot of people balk when things get churchy. We can understand that. And there's no denying the organizations behind the Urban Lecture Series - including Urban Grace Church, Immanuel Presbyterian, Northwest Leadership Foundation, Pacific Lutheran University's Center for Community Engagement and Service and St. Leo Parish - are a tad churchy. But there's no need to be a hater, especially when these churchy types describe themselves as "a small group of faith communities and local organizations that are committed to seek peace in Tacoma." It's hard to argue with the idea of peace in Tacoma, and Urban Grace has a track record of love and acceptance we can get behind. Friday and Saturday, author and speaker Anne Lamott - known for work such as Traveling Mercies, a collection of autobiographical essays on faith, and Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith - will deliver two lectures as part of the Urban Lecture Series, speaking Friday night at Urban Grace and Saturday night at St Leo Parish. Lamott's talk is titled, "Dual Citizenship: Living Faith in Time, Space and Eternity."

[Urban Grace Church, Friday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m., free but registration required at urbangracetacoma.org, 902 Market Street, Tacoma]

[St. Leo Parish, Saturday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., free but registration required at urbangracetacoma.org, 710 S. 13^th St., Tacoma]