The Nate Dogg Blog

New Blog at ShalomofOakland.com

2009-01-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

I've finally gotten a website started for our organization, Shalom of Oakland, and I'll be blogging there at least for the time being, with a focus on East Oakland what we're up to here. Perhaps I'll be inspired to actually blog about our adventures...

Check it out at http://www.shalomofoakland.com/blog.html

www.shalomofoakland.com

Peace

Nate

CCDA Conference

2008-10-30T13:40:00.001-07:00

Andrea and I got back from the CCDA Conference on Monday. The theme was "Shalom", which is also the name of our little start-up in Oakland, so we had to go (I'm wondering if they would care if we stole the logo? :) We were surrounded by wonderful people. The plenary session speakers were inspiring and the seminars were actually extremely helpful and informative. I can be quite a critic of conferences, organizations and institutions, but the CCDA is legit. There's something about being with people who have a common vision and projection in life. A guy leading a seminar talked about moving into a new house with his Mom helping and then having the family run upstairs while there was a shootout in front of the new house, followed by repeated attempts at getting someone to talk to him after dialing 911, and we chuckled, sighed and groaned with familiarity. There is something beautiful about being with people who have similar stories. Side note: I was actually quite proud of my own mother when she took my kids to the nearby park and found blood all over the playground and was very calm about the whole thing.

We were reminded to be patient in our work here in East Oakland, to never neglect our own spiritual and emotional health, to worship the loving, peace bringing Jesus of the Bible, to care for our family (we were even we shouldn't be guilty about not sending our kids to the local elementary school) and to be confident in our calling in the midst of all the craziness in our country. I particularly enjoyed seminars on starting a mentoring program for children (led by this crew), the community and movement that made Martin Luther King Jr. the leader he was, "neighboring", and urban consumerism.

Andrea and I found a ridiculously inexpensive hotel a few miles away from the conference center, so we had an hour long bus ride twice a day. It didn't compare to my Greyhound trip to New Mexico a couple years ago, but it was a interesting little experience. I have to say that I prefer my normal mode of transportation...the bicycle. One of these days I'll get a helmet so Damon will stop reminding me to get one.

Now it's back to work...

Polarization

2008-10-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

For some reason I thought we were moving towards a less polarized society, all this talk of "third ways" and independent voters and post-evangelicals...but I'm starting to think I was terribly wrong. I once heard Donald Miller explain political polarization as a byproduct of the way we teach debate (two opposing viewpoints). The media obviously rolls forward with this way of thinking (for the most part). You put two people with opposing viewpoints on camera or radio together and hope that sparks fly. The problem is that we all know (I think) that very few issues of any kind are actually that simple.

Perhaps I'm becoming cynical by reading too many blogs and looking at facebook postings. People are so predictable. Provocative and bold statements are made, or links to provocative and bold statements are made. Your friends enthusiastically encourage you with subtle hints that anyone who disagrees is absolutely insane. Every once in a while someone from the "other side" hops and and starts an argument, and everyone can jump in and spout some statistics or logic or maybe even a Bible verse or two. I'm always tempted to jump in, but it just seems so pointless. Is anyone actually open to the other person's viewpoint? Are Christians who consider environmental activism to be of the devil actually going to consider another way? Are people who have been over talking about "penal substitutionary atonement" for years actually going to listen to someone who quotes MacArthur on the issue? How many McCain/Palin supporters don't despise Obama, along with, of course, the "liberal" media? How many people who are voting for Obama don't think Palin is the stupidest person of all time and will never be convinced otherwise? Any conservatives ready to listen to a long conversation about liberation theology, the black church and Jeremiah Wright? Wanna have an intelligent conversation about Christianity and abortion on the Internet? Have fun with that.
Seriously, I may be way off, but it seems like most of us make up our mind one way or the other about things, and all the reading we do from that point on just serves to inspire us to believe in our idea with even more passion, or convinces us that all people who believe in another way are complete total morons who hate God and America and have some ridiculous evil agenda. Then again, people do change their minds about things, perhaps due to a new environment, new friends or new experiences. Who knows, maybe someone just read a facebook rant/debate and saw the light about an incredibly important idea! Maybe...
Perhaps I'm just tired of this election season, but thanks blogger for letting me vent.

Quote of the Week

2008-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

"Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their

names are anger and courage: anger at the

way things are, and courage to see that they

do not remain the way they are.”

--St. Augustine

I swear he just does this on his own...

2008-09-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Kayla has gone to the rec center with me a hundred times and watched me shoot around. She was attending men's league games as a baby and was given a basketball hoop by her grandparents, and she has probably tried to shoot a basket five times in her life. She is bewildered by the idea of playing catch or even rolling a ball back and forth. So Chase came along and I never tried to get him to play catch with me or have any interest in balls or hoops, but it's all he wants to do all day. Andrea thinks maybe we should get him on Letterman for a shooting exhibition by the not yet two year old.

CCDA Conference anyone?

2008-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Andrea and I are heading out to the CCDA Conference in Miami in October. Anyone who reads this going to be there?

"The mission of CCDA is to inspire and train Christians who seek to bear witness to the Kingdom of God by reclaiming and restoring under-resourced communities."

Quote of the Day

2008-09-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Selfishness ... feeds an insatiable hunger that first eats up everything belonging to others and then causes a creature to devour itself.

- Dom Helder Camara
Brazilian archbishop

From the Voice of the Day over at God's Politics

An Extremist

2008-09-05T13:42:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.

...But as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love - "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice - "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ - "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist - "Here I stand; I can do none other so help me God." Was not John Bunyan an extremist - "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist - "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice - or will we be extremists for the cause of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill, three men were crucified. We must not forget that all three were crucified for the same crime - the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thusly fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. So, after all, maybe the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I think I could just blog quotes from MLK for the next few years, and even if no one read them I would have a wonderful time typing them up and thinking about them myself.

I think this idea makes a lot of sense

2008-08-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting quote the other day that made a lot of sense to me...

The key to making progress is to do the right thing as often as possible. The best way to do that is to make doing the right thing as EASY as possible--so easy, in fact, that it's more effort to do the wrong thing. Weight loss success stories are loaded with simple techniques like "I started packing my lunch," and "I put the snack food on a high shelf," and "I joined a gym that was closer to my house," simple habits that make the right thing easier and the wrong thing harder.

I read this on a website about exercise and fitness, in an article advocating for the consumption of protein shakes because of their convenience. He says, "You could--and maybe should-- eat nothing but whole, natural food day in and day out. But convenience will almost always trump good intentions. Strapped for time, it's easier to resist an empty-calorie bagel by mixing up a quick shake than it is to whip up a steak on the grill. Try to do it all with whole foods and you're bound to screw it up from time to time, leaving your body with less fuel than it needs for optimal recovery."

While some people reading this may care less about how much protein they consume each day, I'm thinking that this simple idea may have implications in many dimensions of our lives. Small simple choices make up the fabric of our lives, and I wonder if simply making the better choices a little easier could change our lives for the better...any thoughts?

Kayla's first day at her new school

2008-08-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

Kayla just had her first day at her new preschool in Oakland, Little Sprouts Preschool. It is connected to New Hope Covenant Church in the San Antonio Neighborhood. They are good people.

As I expected, my girl had no problem jumping in and making new friends. On her first day we waited anxiously, prepared to stay longer and provide emotional support, and she was ready for her Mommy and Daddy to leave after about 30 seconds. That's my girl.

The Fam

2008-07-25T12:09:00.001-07:00

Shalom Poem

2008-07-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

SHALOM

Shalom to you
Shalom for us
For you and me and we and everyone

Together we yearn
Together we groan
Together we cry

Together we search
Together we sweat
Together we pray

For SHALOM
For an end to bloodshed
For things to be made right again
A revolution of love
For salvation –reconciliation – redemption - transformation

So in anticipation we walk
On the journey
To love, peace, friendship, safety, salvation, goodness and wholeness

To be healed in our hearts, minds, souls and bodies
To be made new in our families, schools and neighborhoods

We believe in a Kingdom best explained by beautiful stories
And we believe in this Rabbi/Storyteller/Messiah/Savior/God
Who is the Prince of Peace
The Prince of Shalom

So would you follow Him?
Take a walk with Him?
Jump into the rabbit hole of something more

Leaving behind the worry and fear
Taking steps towards justice, mercy and love

Would you open your eyes to the bad and the good
Following the gentle nudge of the Spirit that you cannot ignore for one more second

And dream with me
And hope with me
And love with me

Love with your heart and your hands and your feet and your life

So do that thing you’ve only dreamed about…

Tell her you’re sorry before it’s too late
Tell him you love him and you’ll try
Sell it and give the money away
Ask for help with your addiction
Spend more time with your family
See that counselor
Invite your neighbors over for dinner
Move into that neighborhood
Open your doors to the outsider
Welcome the lonely
Forgive the insult
Turn the other cheek
Walk the extra mile
Visit the hospital and the prison
Find your enemy and give him a hug

Trust

Trust that the words of your Savior are worth following
Trust that He knew what He was talking about
Trust that your Father is still at work in the world
Trust that the Kingdom of God is at hand
Trust that the walls really can be rebuilt
Trust that we can be His hands and feet
Trust that in losing your life you will find it
Trust that you’ll receive a hundred times more
Trust that being last is being first

We can be the conduits of peace
The messengers of love
The proclaimers of grace
The advocates for Shalom
Because HE – IS – WITH - US

Jesus for President - this Friday

2008-07-09T12:11:00.001-07:00

A sad weekend

2008-06-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

It was a sad weekend for East Oakland. Read more...

Pray for Shalom.

10 Things I love about Oakland

2008-06-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sun and warmth

Striking diversity

Friendly neighbors

Live Gospel choir practicing next door

A backyard full of dirt and eventually vegetables and flowers

Quality basketball pick up games whenever I want them

The police helicopters overhead entertain the kids

Our friends Damon and Alice have a house in our backyard

Watching fireworks after an A's game

Craig and Lora's pool (I haven't visited it since we moved, but just the thought of using it makes me happy)

The feeling that this is where we are supposed to be...it's home

A new day

2008-06-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've decided to actually start posting on this blog again. Life feels fresh and new. Our long awaited move to East Oakland took place on Saturday, aided by wonderful friends from near and far who cleaned, packed, bought more boxes, bought food, drove the UHaul and even took down the Direct TV boxes from our new house. I was reminded how blessed we are to have a multitude of friends and family who care about us. My parents watched the kiddos for a long weekend while we worked on the move. Since the move my father in-law (since called a rock star by some friends) has been rebuilding and repairing all sorts of things around both houses. We are sharing a duplex with our dear friends Damon and Alice Snyder. Our house is in the front and their house is in the back, with a yard in between. I'll post pictures later.

I'm realizing I'll have no problem coming up with things to write about. My mind is swirling with thoughts about Oakland and the people we have met in the last few days. This morning I woke up to the sounds of Dr. Dre blaring from the apartment complex next door. I would have thought that was so cool when I was 15, but it was not so cool this morning. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I'm now twice the age of 15 and I have two kids and I'm tired.

Stay tuned for pictures of our new place. Peace

Stuff White People Like

2008-05-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

This blog is hilarious. If you haven't already, check it out. Here's a good post about San Francisco.

Yesterday was a good day

2008-04-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. We've been looking for a house in East Oakland for some months now, but it's beginning to seem like years. I've been frustrated and impatient with the process. We've been waiting to hear back on a house that is a short-sale for a month. It has seemed like the perfect neighborhood and a great place. Then, on Saturday, we found a house just a couple blocks away with more space and for fewer dollars ($65,000 actually). We made an offer and it was accepted yesterday morning. East Oakland here we come. Our prayers have been answered. We'll be moving in 30 days.

Then, to top the day off I downloaded the new Roots album, Rising Down, with an iTunes gift certificate my friend gave me on my birthday. It's amazing. Thanks Craig.

Be careful what you wish for

2008-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Since I moved to "The City" (our term of endearment for San Francisco which I may stop using out of respect for our beloved city of Oakland), I've been whining about a lack of people to play basketball with and lift weights with. Since I turned 30 a few weeks back (February 23 for those of you who forgot to send me a card), I've been looking at myself and who I am and who I want to become. I decided to recommit myself to being a competitive basketball player for a number of reasons. I truly enjoy playing. It keeps me in great shape. I will meet people in Oakland while playing who may never talk to me otherwise, etc. etc.

So I emailed one of my favorite people in the world, Paul Davis, and asked him for a workout plan. When he asked me what my fitness goals were, I just told him to imagine I was trying to make the NBA. He didn't just email me a workout program, but he mailed a DVD that outlines a strength/plyometric/jumping program for basketball players. So on Monday I got up early in the morning, went to the weightroom in our garage and got after it.

Later in the early evening I went to shoot a few baskets over at the Potrero Hill Rec Center. A couple guys over at the other end of the court invited me to do a basketball workout with them. Turns out one guy played for Pepperdine a while back and the other guy was the leading scorer for USF and the entire West Coast Conference, including Gonzaga, St. Mary's, etc. I know only like two people reading this care about those couple details, but I hope you two people enjoy them. So we did this strenuous workout of shooting, dribbling, and sprinting, and after my morning workout I felt like my legs were going to fall off, but wow, it was so fun. The guys invited me to workout with them three days a week. Suddenly I've got a plan and seriously talented guys to practice with. By the time I get to Oakland (mid-May?) I'll be ready to play some basketball.

Good Ol' Dietrich

2008-02-03T22:39:00.000-08:00

'...the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ. I think it is time to gather people together to do this...'

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 1935

I Dream

2008-01-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

As I walk along these city streets I dream
Of a Kingdom come
His will be done
Laying down our weapons
Casting aside our hatred
Along with our ambivalence

All Creation knowing and realizing
The HOPE that was promised long ago

We dream, we hope, we trust
That somehow we can be
The advocates of love
The conduits of peace
The messengers of grace

We know that a force beyond comprehension
Can take root inside of us
And transform us into a new humanity
We yearn for the focus, the discipline, the sacrifice
To become one with this good force

To feel the flow of a Spirit
Guiding our hearts, minds, hands and feet

Let us be the people we were made to be
Present in every moment
Aware of your presence
Awakening to our true purposes

I dream that this dream would be realized
That this way would be inhabited in the real world
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven

My wise little girl

2008-01-28T20:15:00.000-08:00

Just after Christmas my brother (also known as Uncle Noah) and I took Kayla out for a night on the town. After almost being run off the road by a couple of taxi drives, I found a great parking spot. On our walk from the car to Union Square my little girl quickly noticed the men sleeping in front of the closed doors on the dark streets and asked aloud why they were sleeping there in the cold. I did my best to explain that some people don't have houses, like my friends under the overpass near our house. She asked "Why?", her questions she asks me 8,000 times a day, and we had a little talk about some people having more money than other people for lots of different reasons.

Yesterday Kayla and I went on another date, this time to a coffee shop. After thoroughly enjoying her treat from the beloved coffee shop, Kayla asked why the big girl was talking to people in the middle of the parking lot. Well, the truth was the girl was asking people to let her wash their windshields in exchange for some money. "Why?", asked my little girl. I was about to ask the same question since it was raining outside, but that thought is for another story. "Well, some people don't have enough money," I tried to explain. "Everybody should have enough money," Kayla quickly replied, before adding, "Daddy, the girl doesn't have enough money just like the people who sleep in front of the stores downtown?" I was speechless...shocked she could put this all together in her head, proud of her to care and think about it, and saddened at the truths she was calling out. We talked some more but I can't even remember what I said. A few moments later I pointed out the new condos being built that our car was now passing. "Daddy, are those new houses going to be for the people without houses!?" She said it with such hope and joy, like she had it all figured out and she was so excited about it, that I didn't want to dash her hopes and tell her the truth.

The crazy thing is that I don't have long talks about social justice and poverty with Kayla. Most of the conversations I initiate with her are very simple. I want her to know that her Mommy and Daddy love her, that God loves her, that she should take care of her little brother and share with him, things like that. But something in her little head starts churning when she looks around this City, and I love the truth and hope that comes from somewhere inside of her when we have our little conversations. I can't imagine what we'll be talking about when she's 4.

the unexpected

2008-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

I was having one of those days. Got up a little later than I meant to, tired from the kids being sick and having a hard time sleeping. I thought I had a few minutes to chill before my next meeting, but then I got a text...could I meet right now instead? Sure, no problem, just need to find directions to the cafe for me and my bike from BART...got it. I'm in a hurry and hop onto my bike and down the hill. I'm at the entrance to BART and quickly realize I am without a wallet, or a BART card, or any cash, or any change. What to do, what to do. Ride back up the hill, get my wallet and be exhausted, sweaty, grumpy and late anyway? No thanks. Other options? None are coming to my mind. What if...I just ask people for money? I'm standing here next to the gate going through my pockets with obvious frustration and anxiety. Maybe someone will notice and want to help? Maybe one of these nice looking people who probably have extra money. I look at the people walking by, and they all make an obvious effort to look away, or even walk away. The Moms with kids, the business professionals, the hipsters, they all walk by. Suddenly a rather pudgy man wearing faded sweatpants, beat up tennis shoes, an old beanie and several days of stubble walks down the stairs. He looks straight at me and asks what is wrong. He says he wants to buy me a ticket, for people have done far more for him. He tries to enter his credit card several times, because he is pushing it in upside down. Contemplating giving him some tips on buying a BART card, I hold my tongue and wait. He finally uses cash and buys me a ticket for $1.50, just enough to get to the Embarcadero. I try to express my sincere gratefulness and desire to pay him back, but he tells me not to worry. "What goes around comes around, right?" he says and waves me ahead to my important meeting.

Creative Assistance

2008-01-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

I have an assignment for all you dedicated readers out there ...

We are in the process of starting an intentional community and a non-profit organization to initiate missional projects in Oakland, and it needs a name. I love the word and deeper meaning of SHALOM. It means so much...peace, safety, well-being, friendship, health, salvation. All my hopes and dreams for what we could see happen are contained in the meaning of this word. I'm just wondering if it really works, and if it does, what goes with it... "The Shalom Initiative", just "Shalom"?

So, for all you creative thinkers out there, please give me a little help. I'd love your honest opinion of Shalom, and if you don't think it works, suggest something else. Thanks.

No liquid on airplanes

2007-12-12T16:39:00.001-08:00

This guy really didn't want to waste his vodka...

Oakland anyone?

2007-12-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

So, if you read this you may know we're planning on moving to Oakland in April. ReIMAGINE is helping us launch a new organization and team, and we're excited about it. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare and plan to move forward. If you or someone you know is interested in helping us start something beautiful in Oakland (intentional community, projects to serve the neighborhood, experiments in following Jesus in an urban context...) let us know. We're looking for partners and friends to join us in our new neighborhood, maybe even some folks looking for college credit and a season of intentional spiritual formation. So after you read this post hit me up with an email with contact info for dozens of young radicals who just told you they want to be a part of a special community in Oakland, California...

Photographs

2007-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

My friend Daley Hake takes beautiful pictures. Check this out...Andrea says I look like I'm trying to look tough. Hey, some people just look tough naturally. What can I say?

A good Saturday morning

2007-12-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

I took the kids to Farmer's Market by myself. I love our Farmer's Market. We picked up some yummy and healthy fruits and vegetables before heading home. The walk back up the hill with Chase on my back, Kayla in my right arm and the groceries in my left arm even provided some quality exercise. I'm happy to be resting on the couch now.

Would Jesus spam?

2007-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to NextGener.AsianChurch for introducing me to this poem. It may be a bit trite but it's still amusing and makes me think...

Did Jesus use the Internet at the Sermon on the Mount?
Did He ever try spam e-mail to send His message out?

Did the apostle Paul use powerful memory and the latest version?
Were his letters posted on a bulletin board with his email, Paul@rome.com?
When he left Macedonia send a text message asking “Is it OK to go?”

Did Moses use a game controller to part the Sea?
Or use a Satellite Guidance Tracking System to show him where to go?
Did he write the Ten Commandments by hand,
or were they archived on CD?

Did Jesus really die for us one day upon a tree?
Or was it just a hologram,
or computer trickery?
Can you download the video?

If in your life, the voice of God is sometimes hard to hear…
with other voices calling, if His doesn’t touch your ear…
Then put down your laptop, Internet, -and all your fancy gear-
And return to simplicity
-and then God will draw near.

The Mission

2007-10-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

We watched The Mission with some friends last night. Wow, what an amazing movie with an incredible cast (Robert DeNiro, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, Aidan Quinn...) and spectacular scenery from South America. It would have been worth the time to watch it even without the amazing story. Jesuit missionaries to the Guarani people (natives) decide to stand against the decision of the Vatican to hand the territory over to the Portuguese. The Portuguese and Spaniards are hoping to destroy the missions and enslave the people. The characters of DeNiro and Irons take different routes to caring for the people. One refuses to believe that violence is the answer, and the other eventually takes arms against their attackers. It's one of the best movies I've seen with an explicitly religious theme. If you haven't seen it check it out.

I got a VHS copy from the library that reminded me of ages past...our VCR still works! Dan suggested I sell it as an antique, but we'll hold off.

Picture Share - Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-23T10:44:00.001-07:00

Shameless plug for our Preschool Benefit Auction Nov. 17

2007-10-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Bay Area think about joining us for a benefit auction for Kayla's preschool. It's a wonderful non-profit cooperative called Glenridge, and I've heard from reliable sources (like the Scandrette family) that the auctions are really fun. There is a ton of great stuff to bid on, and there's live jazz and good stuff to eat and drink. If you want to buy a ticket ($20 for a couple) let me know. I need to sell several more. If you want to donate something to relieve my stress about getting $600 of stuff donated by October 31, that would also be beautiful.

Our Magical Canyon: Glenridge Cooperative Nursery School Benefit Auction 2007.

Time and Location
Saturday, November 17, 2007, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
The Janet Pomeroy Center (formerly known as RCH Lake Merced Club)
207 Skyline Boulevard, San Francisco

What's happenin

2007-10-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday we started a new rhythm of sharing a meal with the crew that lives under our nearby overpass. I was truly encouraged by a few things that happened. Some of the people I've been trying to get to know over the past couple months were happy to see me and welcomed the friends I brought with me. One woman even told me she is finally going to check into rehab this week, which thrilled me and injected me with new hope. I was also so happy to see some members of our community overcome fears and apprehension by joining us. I had the privilege of observing people walk in new ways, letting themselves be stretched...good stuff.

This weekend I'm speaking to a load of middle schoolers from Menlo Park Pres at their camp at Mt. Hermon. Wish me luck, or think good thoughts, or pray for me, or all of the above. Andrea and the kiddies are joining me and I'm hoping our whole family can connect with the students all weekend.

Peace

Who needs Amazon or Netflix?

2007-10-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've been falling in love with my local library. In a time where so many are wrestling with what it means to live simply, share more, buy less, consume less, etc. the public library is staring at us and waiting for us to join the party.

The fact is, most books only deserve to be read once anyway, right? Here in San Francisco, I can go online and request just about any book I can think of. The only books I might want to read that might not be in the City library system are Christian theology books, but really, I've read enough or those already. I go online and have the books sent to the branch down the street from our place, and then I get an email when they have been delivered and are ready for pick up. I even get an email when they are almost due so I don't turn them back late. Amazing...

There is also a decent selection of movies that work the same way. Recently the top of our entertainment center had DVD's of Romero, City of God and The Killing Fields. Last night I requested some romantic comedies for Andrea. I also had some CD's sent over (James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye) that will be ready for pick up shortly.

AND...drumroll please...

I don't have to pay for a cup of coffee to set up an office anymore. The library in the Mission District has free wireless with long tables and outlets to plug in for power. Brilliant...I can even broaden my musical tastes from the CD section while I answer my emails and work on some projects on my trust iBook. Sometimes you even get to work next to some homeless guys reading novels. Rock on, public libraries.

Article on Homelessness in SF Gate

2007-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

SFGate.com, the online version of the Chronicle, just published another in a series of articles about homelessness in the City. Click here to read an article about how the City seems to be getting more conservative about homeless people in our midst, meaning, people are getting tired of dealing with homeless people. There are 307 comments and counting this morning.

As our community (Seven) spends some time concentrating on getting to know our homeless neighbors we hope to find some best practices and knowledge to share with others in the City who struggle with what is becoming a hot button issue in San Francisco. I just hope these people are seen as people in the midst of all the commotion.

My new Bible

2007-10-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

I read about The Books of the Bible a while back and just almost ordered one. My frugality (or some might say tendency to be cheap, tight, etc.) got the better of me, and I decided I could live without it for a while. Lo and behold, I found one for free the other day. Woo hoo!

I'm pretty excited about reading it. They've taken out the chapters and verse numbers to eliminate distractions and breaks in the reading that take away from the original intent of the authors. It encourages the reading of whole books instead of taking verses out of context. They've also reorganized the order of the books in a way that makes much more sense, by history and genre. It reads a bit more like a beautiful story, and the order of the books actually helps the reader make sense of it all. The couple pages of introduction in the front was well worth the read as well. I think this is the new way we will read the Bible as a family. It just makes sense, taking away some barriers to reading the beautiful story of God and actually reading it how the authors intended it to be read. If I was still a youth pastor I'd pass these things out to kids like crazy.

In Search of a Unified Theory

2007-10-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never quite got around to writing about the new Cobalt Season album, In Search of a Unified Theory. I meant to write one when I first got the album, and then I wanted to wait until I had listened to the album several times through and had a better feel for it instead of just writing a blind recommendation because I like Ryan and Holly (and their son Paxton).

So...I love the album. As others have noted, I think it's their best to date. Ryan's voice conveys a depth of yearning and emotion. It is full of a yearning for something more and something true. For those of us who struggle to find the best ways to live in unity with the things we say we believe, this album is for us. There is a brutal honesty, and yet there is hope in the mix, hope for a better way, hope that there really is hope.

Most of the 3 or 4 people who still read this blog with its lack of posts recently probably already know of the album, but if you don't already own it I suggest checking it out. It's even available on iTunes now.

Cheers, Ryan and Holly. Keep making beautiful music...

Revelation of Love

2007-09-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

From The Revelation of Love by Julian of Norwich:

I understood this revelation to teach our soul to cling fast to the goodness of God. At the same time, I remembered all the different ways we are accustomed to pray and how busy we become when we lose sight of how God loves us. For I was persuaded at this time that what pleases God, what delights him most, is when we pray simply trusting in his goodness, holding on to him, relying upon his grace, with true understanding, rather than if we made all the means that heart can think. Even when we summon all such skills, we are bound to fall short; all we need to do is trust in God's own goodness, for this will never fail us...

For just as the body is clad in clothes and the flesh in skin and the bones in flesh with the heart in the breast, so are we, soul and body, clothed and wrapped around in the goodness of God. Yet it is even more intimate than this; because they all disappear once they decay. But the goodness of God is always whole and more near to us without any comparison. It is true that our Lover desires the soul to stay close to him with all its strength, clinging ever more tightly to his goodness. Of all things the heart may think, this pleases God the most and affords us much progress. Our soul is loved so preciously by him, our highest good, that it is beyond all human understanding. In truth, no human alive can fathom how much, how sweetly and tenderly, our Maker loves us. And so we are able by the help of his grace to stay beholding in prayer this lofty, surpassing, and immeasurable love that almighty God has toward us of his goodness.

Woven Together?

2007-09-06T08:22:00.001-07:00

For months I've had this thought running around my brain, and I've been waiting for some cute and poetic way to say it...but I'll just ramble a bit to help myself find a succinct way to communicate in the future...

Why do we so frequently separate any emphasis on knowing that we are loved by our Creator and finding our value and security in Jesus from any emphasis on integrating our beliefs with daily life, or apprenticeship to Jesus? It's like we always think we can only have one or the other, so we pick one and roll with it and become suspicious of the other. Is it because most of us only read Jesus or Paul, one or the other, and even then focus on one aspect of the teaching? Is it because we are always reacting to our past and the ineptitude of our previous teachers and leaders to adequately focus on a holistic Gospel message? Does it have something to do with our personality types, our family backgrounds, etc.?

Perhaps I'm feeling it today because of all the people I intimately know who desperately need to feel that they are loved and cared for and special in the eyes of God, no matter what their previous mistakes. These same people also desperately need to find way to integrate their spiritual beliefs into a way of life. The more I ponder it I believe this applies to all of us.

Shouldn't the one drive the other? Knowing we are loved driving our daily practices? When does this break down?

It does seem that one major avenue of intersection is silence and solitude. When we pause to hear the voice of God and rest in the embrace of the Father, we are following the example of Jesus, and we at least give ourselves a chance of hearing the loving voice of God.

So, if an angel would just appear at the house today and watch the kids for the next few days, I'd love to take a silent retreat with my wife...

Quotes of the week...

2007-09-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've had a hard time posting lately, although I've had plenty of things I thought about writing about...perhaps I'll blog about them as the thoughts grow more coherent.

In the meantime, I feel the need to share some of my favorite quotes from Kayla. She is 3 now and I figure blogging about her is easy and fun for me and may get me back in the swing of things...

KAYLAISMS...

"Oh I love Jesus oh so much, Daddy!" When asked why she replied, "Because he's just such a cute little baby."

While looking through my Bible and telling me she wanted to tell me a story, "Jesus got poopoo all over the place. It was all messy with poopoo everywhere, and then his Mommy had to give him a bath it was so messy. Then people didn't like him anymore."

When asked why she couldn't sleep during her naptime, she pointed to the living room, "It's just such a mess with so much stuff on the floor out here, I couldn't sleep. We have to clean it right now, Daddy."

Kayla on policemen: "Policemen hit people. " When asked where she learned that she replied, "That's just what they do. They hit people. That's what policemen do."

My personal favorite comes whenever she sees a picture of the skyline of San Francisco or we drive down the hill with our view of the Mission District. She states, "There's my City!"

Benefit for Page Street Center

2007-08-18T19:14:00.001-07:00

In my humble efforts to be the change I want to see in the world, Page Street Center in the Lower Haight has played a major role. It's more than a place where hundreds of people receive groceries for the week. It's a quirky community of people making their way together. It is a place where everyone's contributions are welcomed and honored. It is a place where people are cared for and acknowledged as important human beings, made in the image of the Creator. If you live in the Bay Area you should consider attending this benefit for Page Street. Check it the website and think about contributing. If you are interested you could also join me there on almost any Monday.

Our new Danish friend

2007-07-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Steffen Boeskov is our new Danish friend. I've been emailing back and forth with him for a while. He heard about ReIMAGINE and wanted to stop by for a while and see what's happening. For those of you who may have a difficult time keeping these things straight, since Steffen is Danish he is from Denmark. He has an amazing accent, especially when he says the name of the governor of California. It's priceless. Since I've moved to San Francisco and started working with ReIMAGINE I've had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people from all over the globe, and Steffen is one of them. Here he is with Kayla sitting on the futon in our living room that served as his bed for a couple of nights.

It's amazing that Steffen lives across the globe but we have so much in common. He is a follower of Jesus who is thinking deeply about how the church can interact with and love the people in this world. I just wish I could play the piano like him...

Mt. Shasta Part 2

2007-06-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

It seems that the best way to build and sustain relationships is to have some type of project or shared experience. For me and two of my best friends from my college years, we have started a tradition of hiking Mt. Shasta together every year in June. We had to turn back before we made it to the top due to stormy conditions, but it was still quite an experience. Marty's Mom told him he had to take care of me and Paul since we have families back home, and he did good. We all made it back. There was that time I slid into Paul and he went flying down the mountain out of control, his helmet flying off, stopping just in time to jump out of the way of a large rock I kicked towards him...but it was really not that big of a deal.
Next year we may make it a longer trip and camp out half way up the mountain to adjust to the altitude and skip out on the pounding headaches and altitude sickness, but we're a bit stubborn and want to make it in one shot. We'll see.

Picture Share

2007-06-19T18:27:00.001-07:00

Location, location, location

2007-06-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about where we live and other places we would like to live someday. Where people live gives them unique opportunities to be a part of God's Kingdom breaking in. I'm not saying one place is better than another, but that there are a wide variety of doors that will be opened to practice love in a wide variety of settings.

This morning I couldn't find a place to lock my bike in front of the coffee shop, so I went across the street. As I walked towards the corner to lock my bike, I realized that about three feet away there is a memorial set up for someone who was shot a couple days ago. I read about it on sfgate.com and realized it was in the middle of my normal stomping grounds, but I had forgotten. I hesitated, wondering if there was some sort of etiquette for how close one is to park his bike to a memorial for a 16 year old boy who was shot 2 or 3 days ago. I decided to lock it up, and then stared at the 3 inches in between my back tire and the row of candles. For a moment I could not move. I just stood there and pondered life and death and all that is in between. It was a strange start to my day, but in many ways it put things in perspective.

Memorizing?

2007-05-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone up for memorizing the Sermon on the Mount with me? I've been planning on doing it for a few years now, but my memorization skills seem to have eroded since my school years. If you're not local, maybe we could have some kind of on-line component to the process. It seems these kinds of things are best done with other people. I'd like to have it totally memorized by the end of August if not earlier...

Blessed

2007-05-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I played basketball in college, there was this 30 year old guy with dreadlocks who was on our team. He was a wonderful character full of rich stories...hanging out with Will Smith on his 21st birthday, making 20 Grand a month selling drugs as a young adult, growing up as an African-American in the deep South, his years in prison, etc. When we would exchange the usual greeting, "Hey, what's up?" or "Hey, how are ya?" he would always reply, "I'm blessed, man. I'm blessed." I always thought it was a strange answer, even if it was true. Sometimes it actually bothered me as I wondered if the response was backed by a sincere feeling of being blessed. I wished he would just say that he was having a bad day and be "authentic" like Christians are supposed to be, but I suppose he was grateful for where he was at in life. I think I'm still learning to live with the attitude that I am blessed by my Father and Creator in the midst of a world and systems that seem to broken and confused.

This weekend I was reminded that I am blessed. On Friday night I saw a wonderful concert at the Fillmore featuring David Bazaan of Pedro the Lion and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie fame with tickets given to me by a woman who is a volunteer leader at a youth group that we host for a Jesus Dojo during Spring Break every year. My brother, a long time David Bazaan fan, was able to join me.

On Saturday I woke up early and drove to the prison at San Quentin to play some basketball. It was a picturesque day, abnormally sunny and warm. I enjoyed connecting with inmates and the slowly growing relationships I have with them. As we went through security we were joined by some hip looking guys dressed in black carrying a bunch of geaar. It turns out it was Michael Franti and Spearhead, who have a cult following in certain places such as San Francisco. They headline the Power to the Peaceful concert in Golden Gate Park. As we played in the game with the inmates Spearhead played in the background, opening their set with a prayer for unity and reconciliation, themes that have been on my mind lately. A friend remarked that it felt like we should take off our shirts and grab a seat on the lawn with the inmates...just a great day we were able to share with the men we were visiting.

On Sunday I enjoyed a party for a friend of mine who just graduated from college. I chased my daughter around Precita Park down the hill from our house. Friends passed around our little Chase so that Andrea and I could play kickball. A friend of mine at the party was wearing the sweetest Adidas jacket, exactly the kind I would buy if I were to buy a jacket. I commented about my admiration for the jacket. A few minutes later he put it around my shoulders and told me to try it on. He told me to keep it. It was a small thing in some ways, but it was just so odd; I don't really buy new clothes any more, and it was exactly the jacket I had in the back of my head that I would like to have if I could ever find it at a thrift store.

Today I sit on my computer realizing how much work there is to be done with ReIMAGINE and in this City, so many hurdles in so many different ways, but I am grateful for my weekend, reminding me that I am blessed, just like my old friend.

My Prayer

2007-05-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

A Prayer I wrote for SEVEN...

We yearn to see your Promises fulfilled
To see You revealed in our midst

We yearn for peace
For reconciliation and simple trust
With the people we eat with
With the people we’ve left behind
With the people we walk by every day

Help us! Please help us!
We want to be your people
We want to see your Kingdom Come
We want to be a part of the solution
We want to be the change

We are strong, but we are frail
We can be wise, and we can be fools

You have promised your Spirit will guide us
In some real and supernatural way

Let us know that we are your beloved
In spite of what may tell us we are not

Let us become the people we were made to be
Let us inhabit the way of love
Use us to somehow bring goodness to this earth you created

Oh God help us leave the past behind
And move forward to You

Here we are
Help us
Lead us
Change us
Mold us
Make us

Something new
Something good
Something pure

Give us the strength to press on
Into Love

Oh God let us love
Oh God let us love
Oh God let us love

The margins

2007-05-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

In my limited experience, the "General Hospital" is usually a place you don't want to go. It is certainly true of General Hospital here in San Francisco. It's on Potrero just a few blocks from our house, and it has this ominous feeling. Enormous brick buildings dominate the street for several minutes as you walk by. In the center of the brick buildings is a concrete building where I spent the day last Thursday. No, I didn't get hurt. I participated in a training for future chaplains at the hospital.

No one wants to go to General. You go there for two reasons: you were in a serious car accident or other traumatic incident that has put your body into a physical condition in which you need to be at a Trauma 1 facility, OR you need standard hospital care but can't go to another hospital (you have no insurance, are mentally ill, homeless, etc.) General takes anyone, which makes this particular hospital a gathering place for people truly on the margins. Some friends recently walked by and saw some mentally ill people in front of one of the brick buildings and thought, "That is where Jesus would be hanging out." Well, I'm certainly not Jesus but I am looking forward to spending more time at the hospital.

While sitting in hospital meeting rooms for hours upon hours and enjoying some truly disgusting and unhealthy hospital food, I dreamed about providing spiritual care for people who are truly on the margins of our society. At least in San Francisco, one does not need to be ordained as a minister to be a chaplain. For some of you reading this blog entry becoming a chaplain at a county or general hospital could be a real outlet for hopes of caring for people who are in lonely, poor and sick. I highly recommend at least thinking about it.

Soul Graffiti - Spread the word

2007-04-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Mark Scandrette, who you probably know I work with, has been working on this book for quite some time. It just released a couple days ago, and I'm excited to see how God uses this book to shake things up and inspire people to a life of apprenticeship to Jesus. Here's a review I wrote...

Mark Scandrette's Soul Graffiti reminds me of Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis. What sets Soul Graffiti apart is the practical dimension. Mark uses his unique talents as a storyteller to draw us into real life experiments in following Jesus in the details of life. As he illustrates this way of life he manages to be both raw and elegant at the same time. This book is full of ideas for pressing forward on the journey...walking in new ways, developing new habits, finding new rhythms. You will encounter an inspiring and dangerous faith full of risk taking and love.

6 years

2007-04-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today I got married to a wonderful young lady. If I could go back, I would certainly do the ceremony differently, but I would also certainly get married to Andrea. She has amazed me the past couple years with her ability to grow as a person, as a follower of Jesus. Several months ago she moved into "The City" and soon after gave birth to our second child (with no pain medication, mind you). She has navigated an incredible amount of change with grace and courage. She is an amazing mother and wife. I am so proud of her. Mark says we'll have another 80 years together...sounds good to me.
Today Ryan and Holly and Dan and Bethany came over to allow Andrea and I to have an anniversary date. When they left at around 5 PM they said they were coming back to have dinner with us at 7. In reality, Lisa and Hailey Scandrette came over to watch the kids and let us have our second date in one day. We are so grateful to have the kind of friends who would care for us and actually ask to watch our kids for us on our anniversary...the kind of people who would suggest not letting Andrea know about the second part of our day and then enjoy fooling her with a story about dinner.
At moments like this when I reflect on my life I am reminded of God's goodness. I am a part of a beautiful community. When we try to explain to people we meet that we just moved here a few months ago but we have a large group of people we spend our lives with, hoping to care for each other and live a life of love together, we can receive strange looks. We are reminded that many people do not have community. We should be grateful. I have a wonderful wife who I truly love and respect. I should be grateful.
All this to say here's to Andrea and our friends. I am a blessed man.

Che

2007-04-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished Guevara: Otherwise Known as Che while Andrea went to lunch with some friends and the kids took a nap. While much of Che's life is disturbing and I can in no way call him a hero or role model, I took away much from reading his biography. One thing I admire is his ability to think big, to dream big. After the revolution in Cuba was successful, most people would enjoy the aftermath and talk about the good old days of the revolution. Instead, Che went out to the Congo train the revolutionaries there to fight for liberation and was soundly defeated. He went to Prague in disguise and continued to be the mastermind behind a plot to bring revolution to all of Latin America. Cuba wasn't enough. He hoped for equality and liberation, for the end of tyranny and empire, in Argentina, Bolivia and everywhere else. He was killed in the jungles of Bolivia (with help from our CIA) with a handful of men who evaded thousands of soldiers and inspired revolutions for years to come. He was never scared of what would happen to him, and he didn't seem to care what people thought of him. He had a reputation for brutal honesty to all those around him.
Again, I'm disgusted by the violence, and I question if any good really did come out of all this, but I'm amazed at the determination and persistence in hoping to change the whole world for the better along with the steadfast belief that it was indeed possible. May we dream big and work for what we believe every day.

I like college students

2007-04-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

We had a great time hosting some Wheaton College students a couple weeks back. Here we are getting ready to pick up some trash and paint over some graffiti in the neighborhood...

Picture Share

2007-03-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

My coworker Amy took my picture...I think she takes good pictures

Why did you come here?

2007-03-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

This article on SF Gate.com alleges that the thousands of homeless people who move to San Francisco from across the country do so because of the cultural diversity and opportunity more than the chance to receive excellent social services that the City is known for. It's an interesting discussion...the vast majority of people I meet who are homeless in this City are from some other part of the country. I enjoy living in a place where people who felt hopeless or outcast for any number of reasons are looking for hope, acceptance and love.

It's time for pics of the kids

2007-03-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

ReIMAGINE Newsletter

2007-03-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

If you are interested, you can grab the latest edition of the quarterly ReIMAGINE newsletter here

A tough decision...

2007-03-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

So, last night I bit the bullet and did it, I ordered some New Balance basketball shoes with some birthday money I received last week. Now, it isn't a big deal that I spent the money on shoes. It's a necessary cost for a way that I exercise and meet people in our community. The big deal is that I ordered NEW BALANCE shoes. Oh man, it was hard for me. I remember looking at the "old guys" who would show to play basketball without shoes made by Nike or Adidas. I mean, Converse, Reebok, And 1...these are a bit questionable but still somewhat respectable on a basketball court. But New Balance shoes, wow, I'm positive I have never seen an NBA player where them. I'm fairly sure I've never seen a good basketball player wear them, only the old slightly overweight white guys with short shorts who you hoped wouldn't somehow end up on your team. But alas, I have ordered New Balance shoes. The reason? Nike is pretty much universally recognized as the worst when it comes to sweat shops and treating workers unfairly. I recently saw a scene from a movie where Phil Knight (Nike founder and CEO) admits he has never been to the factories where the shoes are made, and he has no desire to do so in the future. He just doesn't care. New Balance may not be perfect, but they are generally considered to be far more socially conscious than the other larger shoe manufacturers. They also have an "endorsed by no one" moto, so they can spend more money making shoes since they don't give NBA players multimillion dollar contracts. Supposedly the shoes are well made and good for your feet as well.

So, I looked at Nikes online for a while. I saw the fancy ads with my favorite players (including Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant and Lebron James...) and I closed the window and searched for New Balance basketball shoes. Then for a couple hours I realized it is virtually impossible to buy New Balance basketball shoes. No one carries them, anywhere. I called local stores. I searched the net. Finally I found a website based out of Indiana that sold them, only they didn't have the all white ones I wanted. I had to get the white and black ones. I know, big deal, you say, but to me, this was huge. I chose to spend my money in what I felt was a better way for the best interests of the people in the world, and it hurt. Man, it hurt.

I'm not writing this to ask for applause or toot my own horn. It's therapy for me, and an admission of my own vanity when it comes to basketball shoes. I have loved by cool Nike shoes for years and years and years. And now, a new chapter in my athletic life, New Balance.

Good

2007-03-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions. While in the middle of an incredibly difficult couple of weeks, I consistently had encouragement and affirmation come from a variety of sources at the most needed times. Phone calls and emails coming from a wide range of seemingly random people have been an amazement. I have felt a strong belief that the hand of God is in our midst, caring for us just when we need it. I've had so many moments when it has hit me in fresh ways...there really is a God, and He really is at work in the world. He really does care about us.

And yet there is still pain and frustration...I think I've given up trying to have any sort of pat answer or set of bullet points to explain the darkness, evil and pain we all experience in life. I read a friend's blog who is dealing with the death of his baby boy. I have friends battling drug addiction. Other friends are divorced and still reeling. A man is shot to death for telling two kids to stop messing with someone. I talk to people who are homeless and addicted to alcohol without any indication that this will ever change.

I wonder why I felt such encouragement in the midst of pain when I haven't during other similar times in my past, and I talk to people all the time who struggle for any sense of God's presence in the midst of their own "desert experience" as we say.

I just don't know. I just don't get it, but perhaps all I can do is keep living and hold onto the times when I do hear the touch or voice of the Spirit of God. I can be grateful for the little blessings that make up my life. I'm amazed at the friends we have who care for us. I'm amazed that I get to live in such a wonderful city as San Francisco. I'm amazed that we get a paycheck each month. I'm amazed at the family God has given me. I'm amazed at my wife full of faith and beauty. I'm amazed at random emails from people telling me that I am spending my life on worthwhile things. I'm amazed that there is a beautiful sunny sky today and I get to ride my bike to work. I choose to believe that God is good and that the Kingdom of God is bursting forth with energy, despite realities that tell me otherwise.

Big Weekend

2007-02-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

I'm spending the weekend at a camp with four bus loads of middle schoolers and their counselors, and I happen to be "the speaker." Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. It has been a difficult and tiring couple of weeks leading up to this weekend, but in the midst of it I keep getting little reminders, many of them through friends, that God is still good.

Prayer Dojo and Silent Retreat

2007-02-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

N.T. Wright on the church's mission

2007-02-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

"For generations the church has been polarized between those who see the main task being the saving of souls for heaven and the nurturing of those souls through the valley of this dark world, on the one hand, and on the other hand those who see the task of improving the lot of human beings and the world, rescuing the poor from their misery.

The longer that I've gone on as a New Testament scholar and wrestled with what the early Christians were actually talking about, the more it's been borne in on me that that distinction is one that we modern Westerners bring to the text rather than finding in the text. Because the great emphasis in the New Testament is that the gospel is not how to escape the world; the gospel is that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Lord of the world. And that his death and Resurrection transform the world, and that transformation can happen to you. You, in turn, can be part of the transforming work. That draws together what we traditionally called evangelism, bringing people to the point where they come to know God in Christ for themselves, with working for God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. That has always been at the heart of the Lord's Prayer, and how we've managed for years to say the Lord's Prayer without realizing that Jesus really meant it is very curious..."

Something happened

2007-02-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

I was at a Community Center on Monday, checking in with my friends, sorting through some food to give away, setting up a meeting with the Director to discuss how ReIMAGINE can partner with this Community Center in more helpful ways. We have realized that we were made to be teachers, to teach people about Jesus and how to follow Him. We are hoping to partner with local organizations that are doing good work to allow us to use this passion and gifting. I'm thrilled about this vision and the possibilities that are opening up.

On this particular Monday I took Kayla with me. She loves going on little trips with Daddy, and she quickly becomes the life of the party wherever we go. I've often marveled at her ability to charm any crowd, rich or poor, urban or suburban. I was amazed once again. I was talking to a dear woman who is hoping to move out of state with her husband, a kind man who battles mental illness and lives apart from her by himself in the "ghetto" part of town. We were having a good conversation, and I was hoping God's Spirit would give me the words to speak encouragement and wisdom into her life. Meanwhile, Kayla went down the slide in the parking lot, over and over and over and over, each time with a huge smile on her face. She would smile at her Daddy and the woman he was talking to before cruising down, over and over and over. A peace seemed to settle in. My friend began to smile and laugh. It was as if we had been reminded of hope. Something very good happened, and then it kept happening.

There are some distinct people who stand just outside such community centers, obviously homeless, dirty, smelly, often in some sort of mental haze from drugs or alcohol. They keep on the outside, usually waiting for a friend who is volunteering or getting food. There are a few such faces I know well, but I know only the faces. Communication does not happen, not even a smile or head bob. Suddenly, one of these men smiled an enormous smile and said, "She looks just like you!" We discussed Kayla's incredible good looks :) for a bit, although I was frankly in a state of shock this man had spoken to me. Soon he said, "Wow, it's amazing how much energy she has for that slide! It's great! She has so much enthusiasm!" We smiled together, watching my daughter, in the beginnings of a conversation. This may seem small to some, but God broke down boundaries and began a conversation, hopefully a conversation that will continue as time passes. Who knows where it will lead, but I do know that I sensed something very special happen on Monday, and my smiling daughter was in the middle of it. I believe the Spirit of God made it all happen. I choose to trust that God is at work, and that every good and perfect thing comes from our Creator.

Oh Jesus

2007-01-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

So Kayla has recently encountered the Christian subculture, and I've been worried about the effects. She has been reading some Christian books (mainly Christmas books) and recently went to Sunday School at a traditional church (although when Kayla calls it church I remind her that we are the church! Dang it!)

Just moments ago my fears were realized. Kayla dropped a book and said, "Oh Jesus!" Shocked to hear my daughter talk like that I looked up. Andrea notified me that the dropped book in questions was a book about Jesus. Kayla was not using the name of Jesus in vain, but simply worried about Him since he had fallen to the ground in the book. Kayla then exclaimed, "It's okay, Jesus!" Kayla then picked up Jesus into her little hands and carefully carried him to Andrea, informing us that "Jesus needs Mommy."

Poem

2007-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

So lately I've been wishing I had a more artistic background and felt more confident about my creative abilities. Recently I submitted a couple articles to a certain website and randomly attached a poem I wrote a while back. I thought the articles were good but that the poem would be quickly discarded. They they sent me an email with a link to the poem on their site. Weird. Now even though I do make fun of this website from time to time, I am encouraged that someone thinks I can write poetry. Good times...

On the Hill

2007-01-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

This morning as I sat on Bernal Hill overlooking the City to with my friend Adam, my mind kept flashing back to my time on top of Mount Arbel next to the Sea of Galilee. From Arbel one can see the Sea of Galilee and pretty much the entire Galilee region, the land Jesus lived much of his life. It is logical to guess that Arbel could have been a place Jesus went to pray. It's an peaceful location with a wonderful view, really the best view of the area.

As I sat this morning in the dark, watching the city of San Francisco wake up, I asked God to help me flow in the Spirit, to follow the leading of the Spirit in every decision and moment I encounter. I was struck with gratefulness inside of me, grateful to be able to sit in my Father's presence and pray, grateful to live next to such a wonderful hill with green grass and amazing views, and grateful to be able to live in a wonderful city such as San Francisco. I am grateful.

Quote of the Week

2007-01-25T10:17:00.001-08:00

I am but a pencil in the hand of God

-Mother Theresa

Blue Eyes

2007-01-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Graffiti Super Huddle - Oh yeah

2007-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

As a part of our ongoing "Barrio Libre" project I'm connecting with others who care about this wonderful city. If you're local let me know if you'd like to join me at this...
Painting over graffiti is a simple and practical way to join with our Creator in the restoration of Creation. It's a great activity for groups that we host from out of town. I'm actually going to be painting tomorrow with some friends at 10 AM if you want to come join us!

Hooked

2007-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished Hooked: Five Addicts Challenge our Misguided Drug Rehab System. My brother actually loaned it to me, thinking the San Francisco context would draw my interest. He was right. I couldn't put it down.

In an attempt to see if San Francisco's supposedly improved and revolutionary drug rehab system really works the author follows the journeys of five individuals who seek help from a system that advertises "treatment on demand." Supposedly any person seeking help can be placed in a rehab facility within 48 hours. The individual stories were riveting, and you truly begin to care for these people, but at the same time the stories didn't really surprise me. I've heard many such stories over the last couple years. What was shocking was the system in place in a city that has an incredible need to have a well oiled machine of a rehabilitation system in place. Instead, the system is a mess. Addicts have a hard enough battle ahead of them without having to also find themselves in the midst of a battle between competing methods and philosophies of rehabilitation. A major problem is that there is no cohesiveness to the multitude of programs and counselors along the way. In fact, the methods are so different that they are often actually working against one another. There is no one case manager to oversee a person's road to recovery. Instead, there are several. There are mental health agencies, judges, intake centers, policemen, psychologists, therapists, counselors, live in facilities, drop in facilities and more, and none of them talk to each other. It's a mess that takes the difficulty of getting clean from incredibly difficult to almost impossible for the more hard core addicts. The author does a wonderful job of pointing out how much of the rehabilitation work focuses on external behaviors without getting to the deeper inner issues that plague these individuals and drive them back to drug abuse.

I am reminded that our personal responsibility to love and care for the people around us through relationships is only one part of the total equation. As followers of Jesus we are called to help the systems in place that need helping. I am also reminded to be full or compassion and grace towards the addicts that I see every day. Their lives are a living hell so devoid of the love and joy that their Creator wishes for them.

Oh, and I learned that if I ever need some heroin or cocaine the best place to get it is just down the road on 16th Street and Mission...

Sugarlump Theology Salon

2007-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

For my Bay Area friends...

The Sugarlump Theology Salon

WHEN? Feb. 15 at 7-9 P.M.

WHERE?

Sugarlump Coffee Lounge
2862 24th Street @ Bryant
San Francisco CA 94110
(415)826-lump
http://www.sugarlumpcoffeelounge.com/

TOPIC: How Mass Collaboration changes everything. Contextualizing
Ecclesiology in an era of a participatory world view and a culture of mass
collaboration.

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR: Dr. Linda Bergquist, adjunct professor at Golden
Gate Theological Seminary, missional strategist and lover of theology.

You can prepare for this discussion by downloading a sample chapter of the
book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
(http://www.wikinomics.com/book/) and also I Corinthians 12.

Wikipedia defines salon as "a gathering of stimulating people of quality
under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another
and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through
conversation and readings".

The Sugarlump Theology Salon is a gathering of Christian theologians and
thinkers in the San Francisco Bay Area who meet in order to share and
discuss their ideas and get peer feedback from one another. In the tradition
of "The Inkling" (the literary group of C.S. Lewis's and J.R.R. Tolkien that
met in a pub for readings and criticism of their own work) we meet in a
coffee house (the San Francisco equivalent of a pub) called the "Sugarlump
Coffee Lounge".

We will determine the topic for the next monthly Salon following our initial
discussion.

Please R.S.V.P. Two days prior to this event by contacting Derek Flood
derek.flood@yahoo.com

Seven Reading Schedule

2007-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in reading through the Scriptures with our community we call Seven here in San Francisco, the readings will now simply be posted at the Seven website. We are currently in Matthew.

Trust?

2007-01-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

Our community has been reading through Deuteronomy for a while now. It's actually a fascinating book, filled with clear rules for the Hebrews as to how to live as God's people. The people are continually told that if they will obey and follow their Creator, if they will trust Him, all will be well with them. If they choose other ways things will not go well. They are also continually reminded of all God has done for them. In a generation they had witnessed miracle after miracle of God's provision. Food falling from Heaven, seas parting, etc. I've always wondered how they could be so stupid...to see those kinds of things and then fail to trust that God's way is the best way. But then today I sit at my computer, fretting and worrying that God will not provide for me. I can look back at incredible stories and see God's faithfulness and provision over and over, but something inside me sometimes waits for the sky to fall, distracted from the tasks at hand. I struggle with trying to be responsible and proactive in seeing that my family has money to pay rent and buy diapers without slipping into hours of worry and fear and endless searching of craigslist for the well-paying very part time gig that I am perfect for. My hope is that as my life goes on I will become better at living in this tension and the trust I seek to have will slowly grow, day after day, year after year.

Creativity Jesus Dojo...

2007-01-03T09:20:00.001-08:00

CREATIVITY JESUS DOJO:

Rediscovering Creativity Workshop

Do you aspire to be more creative in 2007? Perhaps you can remember a
time when you had more freedom of expression. Many people have experienced
profound personal transformation through practices that combine
spirituality and creativity. This seven-week workshop will explore how to cultivate
your artistic voice and talents more fully. Through daily personal exercises
and group process we will help one another tap into our creative potential,
using Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, as a guide for inspiration
and discipline. Sponsored by ReIMAGINE! A Center for Life Integration. We are
a collective of artists and activists that fuel initiatives to integrate
spiritual formation, creativity, community-building and social action. We
believe personal integration comes through revolutionary thought,
experiential learning and transformational relationships.

Team facilitated by Mark Scandrette and Adam Klein. Mark Scandrette is a
writer, poet and life coach (and author of the forthcoming book on
integrative spirituality called SOUL GRAFFITI ). Adam Klein is a poet,
athlete and mechanical engineer.

Wednesdays 6-8 P.M.
January 17-February 28
Location? Golden Gate Community Inc. 21st @ Shotwell.

Cost:$30 which includes a light dinner each week. (Scholarship
information available upon request) Text for the workshop will need to be purchased by
each participant.

To register email peeps@reimagine.org by January 12th.

For more information call 415-235-9552

Recent Kaylaisms

2006-12-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

while on Bernal Hill playing in the dirt...

"This dirt is dirty."

seeing a man jog up the hill...

"Hey, it's a man! Hey, slow down!"

as a couple walks up the hill...

"This is my dirt, Kayla's dirt!"

as she begins to walk away...

"Daddy, you stay right there. Look at city."

Picture Share

2006-12-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's good to have a baby boy around this time of the year...

Quote of the week

2006-12-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

"Another world is not only possible, she's on her way. On a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing."

from Another World is Possible

Update: Ryan informs me that the quote is actually a quote from Arundhati Roy...from her book, The Checkbook and the Cruise Missile.

Reminding myself of the gratitude inside me

2006-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

The last 3 weeks have been a sort of blur or haze. We have a two year old and a newborn sharing the house with my wife and I these days. We've had family visiting on and off. We've stared out the windows at the cold and rain. We put up our Christmas tree and decorated it (well, mostly Andrea did after Kayla and I proved ourselves to not be up to the task...). I drove around Northern California with Mark for three days speaking about living lives of compassion as a part of a class put on by the U.S. Center for World Missions. We all got some sort of weird stomach flu, and then we all got a nasty cold. So, that pretty much took the wind out of the rest of life. We've been tired and cranky, and we're sick of being tired, and we're sick of being sick. Kayla is going crazy running around the house in circles, while Andrea and myself can both get a little stir crazy when we are stuck at home.

Yet, I remind myself that we are so blessed. Our baby Chase is, in the grand scheme of things, a healthy, wonderful and beautiful little boy. Kayla absolutely loves him and loves the big sister role. "Chase, don't cry! It's okay...I got you!" She pats him on the belly with a big smile on her face. Andrea and I have to keep reminding ourselves that through the sleep deprived nights and achy backs and puke on the ground and on people's clothes, something good is happening here. We have been given the family we have always wanted. We are reminded that these children are our most precious gifts, gifts that not everyone ever receives, and we choose to seek to love each other another day (and hope that January is a little easier...I have the Counting Crows in my head...it's been a long December...)

Quote of the Week

2006-12-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist." - Hélder Câmara

Thanks to Will for the quote

Here's Chase

2006-11-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

Family of Four...

2006-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

with the addition of Chase Daniel Millheim, weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce on November 16, 2006 at 10:05 AM, after a valiant effort by his Mom without the utilization of pain medication.

Looks like the boy is coming...

2006-11-16T04:42:00.000-08:00

Andrea woke me up at 3:45 and then told me to go to sleep and wait and then woke me up and now we are heading to the hospital. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers...may not update on the web for a while though...

Waiting...

2006-11-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

Andrea is officially due to give birth tomorrow. I'm pulling for tonight and hoping she's not a week late like she was with Kayla. It just feels weird to wait...I'm going to take a few days off when we have the baby boy, and I'm not feeling motivated to do anything else but get ready to have a family of four.
We are also still working on a name for the boy. If anyone has an idea, feel free to reply to this post. Actually, I'm sick of people telling me in person, so please do post here if you have an idea. Ideally, it should have meaning and sound cool (even with Millheim after it)

The Cobalt Season in early December

2006-11-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

Poem for Middle Schoolers

2006-11-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

I tried to write a really simple little poem about Jesus as Teacher for Life for middle schoolers we're hosting this weekend...I think it's a little cheesy but I wanted to make it at a 7th grade level...

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

We like to use his name
But is it just a game

Bumper stickers and T-shirts
But will we follow when it hurts?

We watch the movie that Mel made
But what about after it’s played

A necklace with a cross
But are you ready for a loss

Give your stuff to the poor and follow me
But I’m afraid that might not make me happy

We like to pray that prayer and sing those songs
But MySpace is where my time belongs

All that stuff He said about love
That’s harder than me becoming a dove

But I tell you there is a better way
A way to live above the fray

The power that Jesus has thrown out to us
Power that can overturn the bus

The bus that heads to selfishness and fear
The bus that makes you call someone queer

When they need your love and care
But you don’t know if you can bear

But I say that you can
You can live by the Jesus plan

You can live in the way of the Son of Man
You can, You can, You can

The love revolution has begun
And I’ll tell you it’s a lot more fun

Than you may think
So let’s rethink

Reimagine our lives
How we love our brothers, sisters and wives

Love the homeless man in the gutter
And the weird boy who tends to stutter

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
More than a name or a game
More than a way to gain fame

A way to live and move and breathe
The only way to weave

Weave our fractured lives and make them whole
Yes we all have a special role

Today it is about more than fun
May your Kingdom come your will be done

I think I've become the Dad who is convinced his daughter is so adorable everyone on earth should look at a picture of her every day...

2006-11-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

THE BUSINESS OF GOD: MINI CONFERENCE

2006-11-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

THE BUSINESS OF GOD: Mini Conference

The Business of God
A mini-conference to explore emerging thinking on the role of business in the Kingdom of God with Brian McLaren, Nathan George, David Batstone .

Ever wondered how your faith connects directly to your skills in business? What has the ability to read a balance sheet, design a marketing campaign, or craft a legal operating agreement got to do manifesting the reign of Christ on earth? Are you really only in your secular job to act ethically and be a good witness? Could there be a bigger picture that God has – a role created for you that uses your skills?

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to come and hear both theory and practice of how God is using business to bring good news to the poor and release to the captives.

First Presbyterian Church, Burlingame, California
13th November 13, 2006 from 7:30 – 11:00 am
Cost is $5 at the door (to cover light breakfast)
Schedule
7.30am Business and Transformation – the role of business in the Kingdom
9:00 am Break (everyone is invited to both sessions but there will be a 30-minute break for those who need to leave)
9.30am The Church and Business – Explore the theology and practice of integrating mission with business

Speakers:
Brian McLaren (www.brianmclaren.net ) is a leading author of the subject of the emerging church, author of The Secret Message of Jesus, and the Board Chairman of Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
David Batstone (www.davidbatstone.com ) is the author of Saving the Corporate Soul, the editor-at-large of Sojourners, a founding editor of Business 2.0 magazine, and founder of Right Reality.
Nathan George (www.ambata.org ) is the founder of Ambata, a business focused on using consumer spending to create jobs for people freed from human trafficking and poverty.

Event Sponsors:
Sojourners/Call to Renewal , Ambata.org, First Presbyterian Church, Burlingame

More pics to share

2006-10-29T22:33:00.000-08:00

Picture Share - the Trip

2006-10-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

Father, let me think your thoughts and feel your feelings for the people I see

2006-10-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

My thoughts
Sometimes they get all messed up, they get all jacked up, they get all tripped up

I see the tough guy with the wife beater under the double x t shirt
Gold chains hanging down and a scowl on the brow
And I feel threatened, I feel offended, I feel defensive

I see the hipster with the precocious smirk, listening to some band he’s proud to know because other people don’t
The t shirt with the cute little graphic
New Balance shoes, Cool tattoos, the funky hat
The Ritual coffee cup and the road bike that makes him peg his right pant leg
On his oh so tight jeans

My thoughts get all messed up in my head
I’d like to love but I’d rather not
My own insecurities and my own peculiarities are calling

The little boys hop the fence into the half way fixed up park
Pipes and rocks are used instead of the baseball bats and balls that never came on Christmas morning
Rocks are whizzing past my baby girl’s head. Anger rises in my veins like a wave at Mavericks.

What feelings am I feeling now? What thoughts race through my tired brain?

When the man at the park scolds me, shaking his head, for not bringing him a bicycle
While my family sits the drunken man knocks on the window of my car and complains that we will not give him food. He shakes his head in anger and disgust, scaring my two lovely ladies

What now? Thoughts, feelings, thoughts, feelings, thoughts, feelings

I need to breathe. I need to stop. I need to rest.

My God says He loves, He cares, He sympathizes, He wishes well
He created…………In HIS IMAGE

He grieves when He sees the heroine needles
He cries when He sees the lonely child

Jesus spoke of a life abundant
A life He came for us to have

Echoes from my Sunday school childhood ring in my ear…

Change my heart oh God, Make it ever true
Change my heart oh God, May I be like you

Let me be so in tune, like a head bopping to a Jay Z tune
My thoughts full of your thoughts

May my brain be full of good thoughts, full of generosity
May my heart be filled with a compassion it has never known
May my feelings find direction and inspiration from my Creator

May all of us and all of them become simply all of us

And may we all feel His love,
ALL OF US
Swim around through it
Run in it without getting tired
Rest in it without getting bored
Float in it forever and ever and ever
May His love ooze out of our pores
And make us new

Barrio Libre!

2006-10-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

I've heard rumors that some people really dig these posters that are all over the Mission District and want to meet whoever it is that is behind them.
Thanks to Ryan and Holly for designing these...

Greyhound

2006-10-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

A friend told me he has been seeing commercials for Greyhound Buses full of smiling, happy people enjoying their deluxe trip on the bus. I feel like I should have taken actual footage last weekend and put it up on YouTube.

We (Adam, Mark, Josh and I) were dropped off by Lisa at the Greyhound station in San Francisco. After walking by several homeless men sleeping in the walkways and a few people screaming at each other, we made it to the ticket counter. We asked Ryan, the man behind the counter, if he had any tips for our long trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ryan said that we need to remember not to drink alcohol or smoke anything on the bus, but that if we saw any ladies we could feel free to take them to the back of the bus and have a little fun. "If the bus driver looks at you funny, it's just because he's jealous." Okay, thanks for the tip. Ryan then informed us that it was our lucky day. Not only would we be riding on an Express Bus (the first of several times we heard of these mythic super buses), but there were going to be some strippers on our bus!! Could it get any better??

The only thing I cared about was getting some sleep on the first leg of our trip which started at 10 PM on Saturday (San Francisco to Los Angeles). Alas, the story started off a different way. A woman sat behind Adam and myself and asked us not to recline our seats. She then spoke in a very loud voice the entire drive. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, never really sleeping, I heard lots of talk of praying and pastors. The ironic thing is that I don't think I saw one other cell phone amongst the hundreds of other Greyhound riders I came across during the trip.

We stopped in Oakland, Coalinga and Glendale on the way to Los Angeles. At Coalinga most of the other passengers grabbed some quality food at McDonald's. Having read Fast Food Nation a couple weeks ago, I definitely passed and thought about standing at the entrance and begging people to not eat the stuff, but instead I stood in the parking lot and stretched.

Upon our arrival in Los Angeles, we took a look at the waiting room full of metal chairs and interesting smells and decided to take a walk downtown. As soon as we reached the sidewalk we were offered bikes for $10 each by some local businessmen on the corner. We thought about it but continued to walk. We passed an organization I had heard of called Midnight Mission with around a hundred people in the courtyard (this was around 5 in the morning). On the surrounding streets were dozens of tents and makeshift homes of cardboard and shopping carts. Trash filled the streets along with boxes of clothes that had apparently been donated to the people of the street. We wondered aloud how much good was being done by this type of rescue mission. The presence of the mission seemed to have created a dense ghetto that chased away the rest of civilization. A heavy spirit filled the air and the complexities of helping the American poor rushed to my thoughts.

We returned to the station for the 7 AM to Phoenix and were about to board when a woman yelled to stop. There was no more room on the bus. The crowd quickly accepted the bad news. I was puzzled...no one would complain? We asked the woman, all the while suspecting that the bus was full of people who had tickets for the 9 AM trip to Phoenix. She gave us some meal vouchers for the food area and promised that the 9 AM bus was an "Express Bus" that would get us there right on time. Sure...
After choking down some free food and wondering where the bacon and eggs originated, I found Mark and Adam sleeping on the floors on opposite sides of the room. I tried to make my old Ipod mini work, but since the batteries have been on the fritz for a year or so, that didn't quite work.

Finally on the way to Phoenix!! We stopped in San Bernadino for 10 minutes, and I hopped off the bus to enjoy the sun and call my wife. After listening to a voicemail that Ryan and Holly Sharp had a new beautiful baby named Paxton, a young man, probably 18 or so, suddenly yelled at me that I could not stand there. "On the bus or in waiting area!!" was his command. A part of me wanted to yell back and inform the young man that 1. No one talks to me like that 2. Ever heard of a thing called customer service? 3. Since when is it illegal to step outside? After the 5 second burst of anger rolled through my veins, I smiled and nodded and slowly walked back into the bus, feeling like a part of a herd of cattle. I later chuckled when Adam recounted Mark being called "boy" when an agent demanded his ticket.

We needed to arrive in Phoenix in time to get on the 4:25 bus headed for Albuquerque, but we took several stops that were a bit too long and got there at 4:45 or so. We were told that there was another bus coming in 10 minutes so we had better hop in line. After waiting in line for half an hour we sent Mark to the ticket counter. Before long we finally were informed that the next bus wouldn't depart until 11 PM, but we could have some free meal tickets :) We met a woman with her son that told us there was a bus at 5:30. Suspecting she had been lied to we talked with her for a while and advised her to head to the ticket counter and make sure she got the scoop. After we took a walk in the rain in Phoenix and turned down some Rolex watches, we were finally on our way to Albuquerque, and we were scheduled to arrive at 10 AM Monday morning. The problem is that I had booked a hotel on Priceline that we had planned to enter at 3 AM. We realized that you can't make firm plans when riding Greyhound and wondered what it was like to live like that. On top of that no one had cell phones, so it added up to some serious waiting around and never knowing when you would arrive.

The crazy thing about the experience is that our tickets cost $79 and my return flight from Albuquerque cost $94. Add in food at McDonald's and the Greyhound stations (we didn't see anyone else get meal tickets) and not only have you thrashed your body but you've also spent another 15-30 dollars. Factor in having a job that pays by the hour and does not include vacation time, and Greyhound is a seriously bum deal. I suspect that many of the people on our buses do not know how to find cheap tickets on the Internet and may not factor in the total cost of the entire trip. You also don't need a credit card as you would to book a cheap flight ahead of time. I think our bags were checked once the entire trip, and our ID was never checked. We saw many prison tattoos. What really got me was the single Moms with their kids. Little humans being yelled at by their mothers for not being willing to hold more things in their laps. I heard whispers of former husbands and boyfriends and lives of frustration and desperation.

Someone had an interesting thought: is there any company that is geared to serve poor people that is run well? If anyone has a thought I would love to hear it.

As for me, I am committed to carving out some time to calling and writing a letter to Greyhound to complain about some of their practices and how they treat people and take advantage of them. It feels so luxurious to ride in a car these days...

Bus to Glorietta...oh yeah

2006-10-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

So four of us decided to ride the bus to New Mexico for the Emergent Gathering.
If you've never heard of the Gathering you should check it out...it's a wonderful time.
This year will be a bit different. I'll be co-leading some conversations and somehow I become the point person for hospitality, making sure people connect and feel welcome and all that. All of a sudden it feels like an old home with old friends...a family gatheringo of sorts. It was just two years ago I attended for the first time, my airfare paid for by Creekside Community Church. I knew no one. I was a little freaked out.
Anyone out there that has ridden Greyhound across a couple states? I think it's twenty four hours or so. We figured if we're always talking about walking in the ways of Jesus and we think Jesus would ride the bus...well, maybe we should actually take the bus. My only experience with buses has been dropping off my brother a couple times, and in that limited experience I know that it will be a fascinating trip. My only thing is that I really hope I can sleep during the night...I'm a wuss about not getting enough sleep.

Picture Share

2006-10-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

A brief moment of happiness on the "Big Girl Bed" before the last few nights of torture with Kayla demanding that me or Andrea sleep with her. When she falls asleep we slip out of the room, and then she wakes up at 2 or 3 AM and remembers that she doesn't like to be in the "Big Girl Bed" alone, at which point she screams for Mommy and Daddy and we start the process all over again. I think I'm losing my mind. She has an uncanny ability to sense when I am about to make my move out the door, and she suddenly becomes fully awake and screams in horror that I am not with her...I've been reading that this phase can last for 6 months or so...I'm not sure I can make it. Perhaps God is getting us back into parental shape for the boy coming in November, or perhaps He is punishing me for owning too many pairs of shoes...

My little one

2006-10-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

2

2006-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

two
two women
two women with black hair
two women with black hair turning grey

i could see them out of the corners of my eyes
one to my left and one to my right
two
two women

A slow and stubborn gait
Weathered hands and faces
Blank stares marching forward
Marching towards my lime green seat in front of the laundromat

Suddenly, in unison four eyes open up
two heads rise and two smiles form
two weathered and beautiful faces
four hands move upwards and point towards the others

The legs have new life
Springing forward as if they were still young
two hands meet two hands and hold each other
now two full bodies embrace

quiet words are spoken
i cannor hear
a language i cannot understand
but i do understand

and i feel joy
like the joy at a happy ending of a movie
only this is real
this is simple life

as the two part one passes me
still smiling and I cannot help but smile myself
my hello is met with a blush and a chuckle
realizing i have seen the meeting of these two

a minute or two passes
the two have moved on
another woman, dark skin, black hair turning grey,
a slow gait, weathered hands and face,

but no one on the other side
at least no one who cares
or at least no one who knows
there is one

the legs never gain speed
the eyes never light up
the smile does not come
one

surely she has comanions on another street
surely she has someone who makes her smile
who gives her life
does she

Wisdom from Jay Z

2006-09-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

I've been going back to my early teenage years and listening to hip hop lately...perhaps it's my quarter life crisis...as I was working on my computer at Progressive Grounds and pondering the Sermon on the Mount I heard Jay Z say through my headphones "If you shoot my dog I'm gonna kill yo' cat"...hmmmm

Barrio Libre

2006-09-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

A little birdie just told me about the Barrio Libre website...

If anyone wants to help pay for supplies (printing costs for posters/flyers, paint, etc.) I know where to send you...

Barrio Libre - how we are fleshing out Service in the Jesus Dojo

2006-09-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

PROJECT BARRIO LIBRE! —NEIGHBORHOOD FREEDOM!

WHY? To apply the vow of service and advocacy to current issues in our city.

This summer marked a dramatic return of violence to the Mission District and Portrero Hill with night time gunfire, thefts & assaults and weekly homicides. In the Mission District violence and hopelessness have become ways of life. People are shot and killed in broad daylight, and nothing is done about it. We will be advocates for this neighborhood. We will educate citizens. We will challenge the status quo. We work for a Barrio Libre (Neighborhood Freedom).

Our young people are dying, but we can stand up and work together to end the violence. Small acts matter. Clean the streets. Call when you see suspicious activity. Your involvement can save lives. Have courage. Take the freedom to walk the streets without trash, without fear, without violence. Together we can make our neighborhood safe, a place of faith, hope and love.

WHERE? Mission to Bryant and Cesar Chavez to 21st Street

PROJECT TEAMS:

Research & networking
Finding all murder sites
Statistics on violence
Best practices we can promote – phone numbers, etc.

Propaganda crew
Public service announcements (flyers, posters, etc.)
Web site

Art team
Mural project/Graffiti project
Day of the Dead

WEEKLY TUESDAY EVENING PRACTICES:

Neighborhood Beautification Project with Area Team
1. Pick up trash, clean, etc.
2. Patrol and advocacy
3. Meet neighbors and store workers/owners whenever possible
4. Paint over graffiti or contact city officials to paint

WEEKLY READINGS & REFLECTIONS
Each participant will read a selected Scripture passage and complete a half page reflection to be turned in at the Dojo Meeting and discussed.

Of Sheep and Goats and the Drunk Man on the Corner

2006-09-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

My attitudes and ideas about poverty and homelessness seem to be continually evolving, from a naive and overly simple outlook to a more educated and experienced perspective, but the wrestling and conflicting ideas inside my head just seem to get louder and louder.

I read the story Jesus told about sheep and goats and try to see Jesus in the eyes of every person I see. I read the story of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told in response to a question about "who is my neighbor?" The neighbor is the one who helps...the neighbor should and could be everyone.

So I yearn for love and compassion to ooze out of my eyes and vocal cords and body language and wallet...but what is love for each person?

I walk with the homeless man who tells me of his daily panhandling at Safeway to buy more beer. He walks with me to a community center where he would be cared for, but he falls asleep on the couch in a stupor. When he awakens he immediately heads out to get more change and more beer.

I give food to a homeless Latin man on the sidewalk and hear his story. He claims the divorce was all his wife's fault. He left his little girls with no father, but it was all his wife's fault. After all, she knew he was an alcoholic when she married him...it's her fault. It's her fault.

I talk with another homeless man and realize my gift of lunch enabled him to spend his money on marijuana instead of lunch.

We run into our transgender friend from the community center in the Tenderloin, dealing drugs. Why? It's George Bush's fault. He wants the black man to be enslaved by drugs. But aren't you a black person selling drugs to black people? Please help me understand...really, I want to better understand.

The couple in the park want me to get a thousand dollars from my church to give to them so that they can put a down payment on an apartment. But the apartment is over priced. The woman sends her man to the corner to get money to buy more cigarettes. Their insistence on keeping the dog cuts down on housing possibilities. But they demand help from the church to get into the place to live. What is love? Is love to give money? My mind tells me they need to stop spending so much money on cigarettes and get rid of the dog and let me lay out a budget for them. If they both start work in a few days, I know an apartment is entirely possible on their own. But they don't want my advice...don't want to be told how to live. They want my money.

Is it love to approach the young men from the projects, the ones who almost hit my wife and daughter with a large rock? Is it love to go and talk to them, after hearing rumors of young men who flash their guns to those who confront them? Is it love to call the police and let them handle it?

Somehow compassion and love must often take the form of difficult words and conversations that people do not want to hear. Love must take the form of guidance, of holding a mirror up to help someone see themselves and what they are saying. But we must have love behind all of our actions. I just pray that as boldness and clarity develop begin to flow from my mouth that the love and compassion would only grow with the boldness...

May His Kingdom come, and may I remind myself to care for Jesus in every person on every corner...thanks blogger for letting my ramble out my thoughts