Not Good to be Alone

"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone.'" - Genesis 2:18, NIV

For more photos from our Dwell Celebration, click above!

My friends who are in seminary might raise and eyebrow and call me out for eisegesis (inputting my own interpretation, or 'reading into it') with this piece of Scripture, but please bear with me. Yes, I recognize that when God says this in Genesis, it was in reference to Adam needing a direct companion. But that companion would be Eve, and from that union would came children, more children, and eventually, all of society. I think God may have been suggesting more togetherness than even a spouse. With many parables and other Biblical stories that go on to celebrate redemption and reunion, I believe it becomes clear that God is a God who enjoys bringing us together.

For more photos of our latest Discover groups in action, click on any of the photos above.

So it would happen that, this week, we were graced with the infectious joy, enthusiastic service, and vibrant humor of two wonderful Discover groups from Canada, more specifically, from British Columbia and Winnipeg. While volunteering throughout Los Angeles, several small teams generously helped our neighborhood ministry by working on repairs at La Casa de la Comunidad, under Wendy's leadership, and helping to prepare for our Celebrate and Be Celebrated party for all the Dwellers. This gathering would draw together nearly one hundred friends from the neighborhood, supportive mentors and prayer partners, friends from Hollywood Presbyterian Church, Grace Community Church, Reality LA, Silverlake Presbyterian Church, Christian Assembly of Eagle Rock and others, DOOR Hollywood Board members, and Dwellers' co-workers from places like PATH, Salvation Army, and Door Of Hope. While we specifically celebrated the successes of the Dwell team before they start heading back home, the undercurrent was truly a celebration of how God worked through all these amazing servants' hearts. How God delights in bringing people together in the name of Jesus, how God pours out blessings upon those who give of themselves to help build bridges, help bring togetherness, and help encourage one another. Alone, none of this is possible. But in unity.....

Alex joked during his presentation that he felt like he was receiving an Oscar and, thus, scrambling to thank everyone he could think of before the music shooed him off the stage. Hmmm. America, indeed, identifies so strongly as a place to celebrate the overcomer, the lone ranger, the "pull-yourself-up-from-your-own-bootstraps" brand of success. And even in this land of rugged individualism, every Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy acceptance speech; every MVP award ceremony; even every political victory rally all have one thing in common: one person spends most of their allotted time thanking the batallion of others who helped them along the way. "This would not have been possible without your help."

We are designed to need one another. We are designed to work in concert and in unity. What a blessing that is. We don't have to go at it all alone.

And the two pinatas bursting forth with pounds and pounds of candy at the end of the party seemed to be a glimpse of the overwhelming outpouring that is the heart of God.

Please pray for Wendy as she heads back to the Air Force Academy this afternoon. Please pray for safe travels for our new Canadian friends, too!

-Matthew

To find out how to get more involved with our neighborhood ministry, click above.

The Ministry of Zorch

Let me live that I may praise you,and may your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant,for I have not forgotten your commands.- Psalm 119:175-176, NIV

Photos of Discover participants from Palo Alto, CA and Lakewood, CO. For more photos, click on any one above.

Boundless energy. That is how I heard one of the group leaders describe the combined forces of Palo Alto Presbyterian and Green Mountain Presbyterian Churchs' youth groups, serving and learning together in Hollywood this week. Indeed. And every morning at breakfast, I heard full stories, at lightning speed, about how the week was going. Between bites of Lucky Charms.

So it was that I learned of the game Zorch! It is a favorite of the Palo Altians, and they have taught it to the Green Mountainites. Basically, it involves a very dark room, one person who has a flashlight and must remain stationary at one end, all others stand at the opposite end of the room and must carefully advance forward towards an item. If the person with the flashlight shines the light on you, yells "Zorch!" and your correct name, you must go back to square one. The person who reaches the item first without being Zorched gets to become the new Zorcher.

As I listened to the kids argue about how to best explain the rules and moments from one of their games, I smiled. What intrigued me most was that even though the goal is to not get caught moving forward, recalling moments of being Zorched sounded like it was just as much fun as being the winner. The item they were going after was a Bible (how perfect is that?) Having flashlight's beam shine upon them and hearing the Zorcher call out their name accurately seemed to feel good, too.

So, I started to imagine God as the perfect Zorcher. Isn't that kind of what we're all doing down here, stumbling forward in the dark to find truth, and isn't it exhilarating when we feel God find us? Isn't it like a beam of light cutting through the fear of night? And, in Zorch, when others are found, I imagine that the light also illuminates pieces of the room, making it easier for everyone else to make their way to the Bible. Kind of like when we share our testimonies, when we expose stories about how great God has been to us, doesn't that shed some light of hope for others who overhear it?

Of course, God doesn't guess, God knows our names before even reaching out to us. But being recognized for who we truly are is, I believe, one of our deepest desires. Children of a loving and merciful God. And these energetic and fun-loving kids reminded me of that.

May you feel God's finding of you today, wherever you are as you read this, wherever you go to from here. Be found, and spread the light.

Matthew

Stepping Back to Allow

"Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." -2 Timothy 3:16, The Message

For more photos from the week, click above

DOOR Hollywood, as with any DOOR City, is very busy in the summer time. We have Discover groups coming in each week, Dwellers coming to the end of a year while others are preparing to embark on theirs, and the neighborhood kids are off from school, looking for fellowship and fun at all hours of the day. It's easy to feel over-stretched, overwhelmed, and over tired!

This passage from 2 Timothy, though, calms me down. When we root ourselves in the Word, really lean up against it as a solid rock, we find that our energy levels are restored to the tasks God has put before us. And, for over-achievers like myself, we can better discern what God is NOT intending us to do by noting where our energy is not present. The beauty here is that, we can step back sometimes and allow others to take part in the action, the growth, and the joy.

LEAP365, from Eastern Mennonite University, on a tour at PATH.

So it would be that this week, fantastically energetic high school and college kids came to serve from the East Coast through a program called LEAP365. They sorted materials, met with and served the homeless, and explored Los Angeles all along the way. Wendy is taking on many of the repair and maintenance projects at the house before she leaves later this month by connecting with members of Hollywood Presbyterian, friends from the neighborhood, and other skilled folks like herself. And our incoming Dwellers: Alex, Josh, Brady, Alayna, Kyle, and Robert are beginning to connect with agencies, sending in resumes and holding phone and Skype conversations with potential supervisors for next year. All this is happening at once, by the grace of God, and when I step back and allow, rather than let my need to be over-involved prevail, I learn just how good our God is, and just how amazing it is to be a part of the body of Christ. Just a part, not a whole.

May God humble and bless you this week as well.

Matthew

Dweller Wendy allows her fix-it gifts to bless both the physical DOOR House as well as fellowship building opportunities with neighborhood kids.

Dwellers 2010-2011: from top left: Kyle, Josh, Alayna, Alex, Brady, and Robert

"I Want to be the Start of a Chain Reaction"

"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them. We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity." - Luke 8:16-18, The Message

Eric prepares food at a homeless shelter in Hollywood. For more photos from the week, click on any of the images you see here!

Last night, during our closing worship and discussion, Eric from Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church made a statement that almost got overlooked. We had just completed a 20 minute sharing time, where teens and adults from the Church of Christ of Goshen, Connecticut and Walnut Creek (CA) Presbyterian Church discussed a "rose" (something beautiful from the week), a "thorn" (something annoying or challenging), and a "bud" (a hope for the future.)

Eric raises his hand, right after everyone has shared, and says, "I have one more bud." My first inclination was to keep the evening moving along, because we had many more elements to cover, and so I almost said, "hold your thought until after we're all done." But I didn't, and Eric blossomed this incredible idea, linking a commercial he had seen with the work and experiences they had had this week:

"I want to be the start of a chain reaction of helping others and encouraging people."

Indeed, it touched the entire group. We certainly do need to keep our light out in the open, to brighten the lives and souls of others. I am so blessed to sit back and watch how God allows the service and the outreach to unlock doors, no pun intended, in the hearts and minds of these young people.

To the Goshen Creekinites, or the Walnut Goshians, you have reached out across this huge city called Los Angeles, and from what I see, you're reaching out across the country in new connections with each other. I assure you, the love and joy that you all radiated this week is bright, and inspiring, and fills us with new hope.

Bless you all!

Matthew

Impromptu Worship, God brings it all together!

Working at Project Angel Food

Before saying goodbye....

The Great Composter in the Sky

"Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit." -1 Corinthians 6:11, The Message

If you’ve ever seen the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, you’re well aware that Murphy’s Law (or that everything that could go wrong, would go wrong) can be very funny to watch from the comfort of your theater seat or couch. We laugh when luggage spills open during a futile chase after a taxi because we’ve all been there at some point, and, we’re relieved it’s not our predicament at the moment!

Click on any photo to see more from the week!

Well, this week was our “planes, trains, and automobiles" week, in that, quite literally, we had moments where each mode of transportation held us back. One of our Discover groups, from the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, became drastically delayed as tornadoes ripped through the center of the country, causing their flight to be re-routed through Houston. Upon finally arriving to LAX, they would find themselves delayed even further by a slower-than-molasses rental car desk clerk and car accidents on the 405. Holding to a tight schedule, I attempted to bounce around town on Tuesday, from food banks to skid row missions, and found myself completely boxed into south central LA between two trains that had literally stopped on the tracks for about 40 minutes. And that was only the beginning: pots and rags were misplaced, tires would go completely flat, a cell phone went missing, a toilet exploded, I forgot how to count, and on and on and on….

However, Pastor Cal, leading a group from northwestern Illinois, made a witty observation that lingered and encouraged me all week. As Alex, Kenna, Lou-Trice and I worked alongside his team in the Dweller’s community garden, we discussed the design of the path and how it was meant to represent a chapel door. That is, with the exception of one small off-shoot that leads to the compost pile (within what once was a baby crib!). Cal pointed out that the little path reaches up “to the great composter in the sky.”

Hmmm, I thought. Yes. God’s promise is a bit like composting. We can wholeheartedly step into the kingdom as broken, rotten, run-down, hurting, spent, used-up, and exhausted as we are and still experience transformation. We can be changed into something fertile, nourishing, healthy, rich, beautiful. It truly is beautiful: that deep, black, soil on your knees, in your fingernails, brushed on your sweaty cheeks. And, of course, what can spring forth from that dark richness is nothing short of miraculous. From small seeds to lime trees, strawberry patches, morning glory vines. Incredible.

So it may have been an exhausting week with smatterings of drawbacks and disappointments. But as I watched the two groups climb up the mountain to Griffith Observatory, carrying and caring for one another in more ways than one, I reveled in how God took this imperfect week, distilled it down to its most important elements, and ultimately allowed it to blossom.

Blessings to these Midwesterners, to Christi, Blain, Mark, Cal and the young people they guided: they gardened, packaged tons of food, sorted clothing distribution spaces, and served many, many folks living on the streets. All with a smile, all with joy, all with cheer.

I am grateful for this week.

Amen,

Matthew

Dumpster Diving, Markdowns on Hugs, and Glorious New Pennies!

River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. - Psalm 46:4-6, The Message

Praying in the rose garden. To see more photos, click on any of the photos here!

Here in the midst of our first summer Discover group, I am reminded how much God is here: God of the past, God of the present, and God of the future. This wonderful team from Indianapolis Mennonite Church has brought joy and service to our streets, and in turn, God is showing them how faithful and loving God is. The streets ARE safe, only because God protects us. God is at "our service," but we must be challenged to dedicate our own service to loving God's people and spreading the light and strength of God's kingdom.

This week, we learned about the adventures of dumpster diving, that the fair-trade value of a hug in Los Angeles is somewhere between 25 cents and nothing, and that pennies never looked so shiny! Though this is the language of inside jokes, or humor-that-you-had-to-be-there-for, what is easily seen is the fact that when we put ourselves out there in love and service, God meets us and completely satisfies our expectations and hopes. And usually, they are exceeded tremendously!

This week also marks the welcome to Lou-Trice, our Discern intern for 2010. Lou-Trice is currently a student at Fuller Seminary and comes to us from Sugar Land, Texas. She is literally jumping into the summer with us, learning as she goes, and we are already blessed by the perspectives and leadership she brings to the table. Please pray for a challenging and fulfilling experience for her this summer!

Thanks for reading, amen, and hope to see you here in Hollywood sometime soon!

-Matthew

Together Because of Me

Kyle, from Tennessee, Dweller 2010-2011

"When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." - Matthew 18:19-20, The Message

Robert, from North Carolina, Dweller 2010-2011

Dwell is, literally, all about coming together in service and community in the name of Jesus. Trusting in the Word, all Dwellers can celebrate that if they surround their coming together in prayer, God will also be there. God is already here, and God will be here for these new young people when they arrive in the fall.

Our current Dwell unit is adjusting to the early departure of Curtis, and we are united in prayer for the new possibilities in his life. Alex, Will, Wendy, Kenna and I also prayed for Kyle, Robert, Alex, Alayna, & Brady, and the potential others who still might join this upcoming unit. It was a profound moment for me, as it was last year with Alison, Sara, Steph, and Mary, to envision this growing family of recent and current Dwellers united in prayer for one another. That God might be present for each group, and will also be present as a bridgebuilder from one team to another. It really enhances my understanding of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.

Alex, from Pennsylvania, Dweller 2010-2011

So we ask for your prayers for all Dwellers, for God to be molding and shaping them whether they be in preparation to step out of this life of service on 5486 Gregory or in preparation to step up and into it.

Alayna, from South Dakota, Dweller 2010-2011

If you would like to find out how you can be more involved in prayer and other support, please click on any of the photos here.

Blessings and thanksgiving. May God continually bless these young people and this neighborhood through what it means to come together.

-Matthew

Brady, from Indiana, Dweller 2010-2011