Falling Down

While there is no scriptural basis for suggesting that Jesus fell down while carrying the cross en route to being crucified, I found myself transfixed a few weeks ago at the St. Andrew's Abbey mountainside stations of the cross.  The Dwellers and I went on a solitude retreat in late January, and the image of the fallen Jesus has stayed with me.  Perhaps it's the suggestion of his being "fully human," (and it being repeated 3 times); maybe it's because I'm hearing countless tales of friends and family members losing jobs and beginning to slip into despair and anxiety; maybe it's just because I know how much it hurts to fall down in front of people, with everyone watching.However, this week I was struck more powerf

ully by the idea that, regardless of whether Jesus actually fell or not, he kept going on.  He made his way up that hill, he did what needed to be done, he laid down his life for all of us.  It's the getting back up that's divine, the spirit of moving towards a purpose, for others, for more than ourselves.  I have seen the light of that divine motivation in this job, and it humbles me.

In these turbulent and difficult times, people are giving money and time to help others, even when they themselves are on shaky ground.  With our Discover groups, I have learned that some leaders are without jobs, and yet, still agree to shepherd their students in learning the importance of service and walking alongside those less financially fortunate.  Local agencies that are hurting for funding are finding ways to partner and work collaboratively, instead of competitively, to make sure their programs can still assist those in greatest need.  Falling down, getting up, moving forward for the greater good.  This is the power of God.

Shifting back to Dwell, Mary, Sara, Stephanie, and Alison are incredibly busy.  While their lives are not without conflict, they are working hard to find ways to come together as a house, within their community, and within their churches and agencies.  In the midst of all the gardening, tutoring, case management, and figuring out how to manage meals on a tight budget, these 4 are striving to find ways to achieve balance and even some fun.  Family members and friends are visiting soon, and we will also be hosting a large group of high school kids from Roseville, California early in April.  Spring Break is upon us, with all it's nicer weather, traveling opportunities, and chances to serve others in love and community.

Blessings to you all, and thanks for reading,

Matthew

God is alive in our cities!

All the nations you made are on their way, 
      ready to give honor to you, O Lord, 
   Ready to put your beauty on display, 
      parading your greatness, 
   And the great things you do— 
      God, you're the one, there's no one but you! 

-  Psalm 86: 8-10, The Message

This week, I spent serving with DOOR Chicago, helping and learning from our director there, Brian Sales. The groups were from Alabama and Mississippi, and they worked really hard all week.  This is a photo from Kenwood, a church several blocks from President Obama's house, where many volunteers prepared food for a soup kitchen meal.  What a joy it was to unite with the work being done in another city, "parading" God's greatness together as we all sought ways to find the face of God.  The fellowship was powerful for me, and I'm excited anew to welcome groups to Hollywood throughout the year.

Hollywood announcements:

Please come help with our community garden.  Workdays are from 1:30pm to 5:00pm starting again this Sunday, March 22.  There will be subsequent workdays (1:30-5) on April 5th, April 19th, May 10th, and May 24th.  Please call 323-872-3174 or email Matthew or Alison if you'd like to come!

 

Courageous Kindness

On NPR this week, I was disheartened to hear a story about how sales of personal handguns and ammunition are on the rise in the midst of this recession. In particular, a comment was made by one of the interviewees, that people are buying more handguns because they, "love their country and are afraid of their government." Seems to me that the buying of personal handguns for protection would reflect a "love of the government" (in that those individuals would be thankful their 2nd amendment rights have been upheld) and they are "afraid of their country" (in that they are afraid of the potential desperation of their neighbors.) Is this the reaction we should be having and highlighting?

I'd like to focus on something else: Just this week, I withdrew some money from an ATM near our community house in Hollywood. In a moment of forgetfulness, I took the dispensed money and immediately started walking away. About a minute later, a young street kid came tearing down the sidewalk on his skateboard, yelling and pointing at me. I was, I admit, apprehensive and became quite guarded as he neared me. But as he slowed, I saw in his hand my forgotten ATM card and receipt. "Thought you might need this," he panted. This difficult time also has the potential to bring the best out of us. That kid could've accessed my entire checking account and made a quick profit, but didn't. He went out of his way, put all his might into getting my card back to me, and though I was afraid at first (because he was, in essence, chasing me), I smiled at my misunderstanding. It's this kind of "offensive kindness," as opposed to the "defensive fear" at the heart of the NPR story.

"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." - Matthew 6:19-21, The Message

It's people making the right choice, even in the face of easy gain, that will bring about our stability and our hope yet again. I thank God for that street kid and the choice he made. May we all have that kind of courageous kindness.

On the topic of courage and kindness, this week also brought us our second Discover group, shown above helping to remove grass in our community garden. Not only were these 12 high school girls some of the hardest workers I've ever met, they astounded me with their willingness to share testimony from their difficult lives towards the purpose of healing and reconciliation. These girls are currently attending a school to help them overcome troubling pasts, and their leaders had made the profound and purposeful decision to help the girls find their own sense of value through service and their ability to help others. They all interacted with homeless peoples at their worksites and found many areas of common ground, important convictions, and a sense of new hope. Courage. Courage in the face of difficult odds. This is how we store treasure in heaven. This is how we survive this economic crisis as a country, as a people, as individuals working in community, together.

So please consider coming to Hollywood (without your personal handguns) and working with our neighborhood and our community this summer. There's plenty of work to be done, and if you open yourself to it, most of that work can happen within your own heart. I am deeply moved by what I saw this week, what I learned, and how God revealed his awesome plan through the smiles and tears of these young people.

ANNOUNCEMENT: WE NEED MORE HELP IN THE GARDEN. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Gathering Together

"I'll bring you back home—a great family gathering! You'll be famous and honored all over the world. You'll see it with your own eyes— all those painful partings turned into reunions! God's Promise." - Zephaniah 3:20, The Message

Last night, our former Hollywood City Dwellers hosted a dinner for our current Dwellers. Shelton and Kristina traveled from far across the country for the reunion, and it was a joyful occasion!

Earlier this week, Stephanie, Sara, Mary, and Alison began the process of testifying the amazing ways they've seen the face of God this year in Hollywood. The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood hosted our presentation for the Missions Committee. Even for those of us who knew of the trials and triumphs that the Dwellers have experienced thus far, it was profoundly moving and encouraging to hear the stories told in a continuous fashion, to feel the moving of God's spirit through the telling.

DOOR Hollywood Board members and I shared the story of the transition from the Hollywood Urban Project into DOOR Hollywood, as well as the many ways people can become involved in this ministry, both near and far. Most importantly, keep us in your prayers. The work our Dwellers are doing is hard and quite emotionally taxing, so please pray for their strength and that they continually find ways to encourage each other in their work. We also could always use the financial support of those willing to sponsor our Dwellers, covering the food and housing costs that are necessary to keep the mission afloat from year to year. Within the realm of short-term missions (Discover), please consider traveling to Hollywood with your church, synagogue, college group, or school, and let us host you towards finding new hope and new opportunities to see the face of God here through service.

If you're in Hollywood already, there's plenty of ways to volunteer in whatever capacity you can. Swing on by 5846 Gregory this Sunday for the kick-off of the garden project!

Next week, we are hosting a group of young volunteers from Arizona. They will be learning of the many faces of homelessness and how it's edifying for all involved to focus on building relationships centered on mutual recognition of dignity and respect.

May any painful partings you have recently sustained turn into the hope of a joyful reunion this week!

Matthew