The Word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5, NIV

Click here for more photos from the week.

An amazing Discover group from Abiding Hope Lutheran church in Littleton, Colorado joined DOOR Hollywood this week.  One of the main themes was paying attention to the words we use to describe ourselves, to describe others.  It got me thinking about words, and I started pondering the many words and phrases I heard, or read, throughout the week.  Our prayers are with you as you return, Abiding Hope.  Come back someday soon:

….Uuh. “Those” people.  Albert.  Compassion into action.  Dehumanize.  Two hours on the street.  That quick.  Snap.  Identity.  Theft.  La Casa.  What do I deserve?  Arroz con Leche.  Jesus.  Yes Man.  MEND.  Losing our house.  Engine death.  Toni.  Sleep on sidewalk.  See.  7,500 hours of work.  Unified.  More life and soul.  The wrong idea.  Monkey on the ground.  In a van.  73. Broken spirit.  Too spicy Mommy. Security footage.  Organized!  Tapatio.  But.  I.  Love.  You.  A little paranoid.  Downsizing.  Happy Birthday!  The one we were waiting for.  Mobile shower.  GettLove.  College degree.  One eye open.  Greater things.  The face.  Everyone kind of pushes past one another.  Us.  Gwen.  Looked at us weird.  Pluto.  Rode the bus all night long.  Bless. Hairnets? Boxes.  Boxes, boxes, boxes.  Ryan Reynolds.  Really big.  Of God.  Entitlement.  Surprises happen.  Sticky hands.  Angel Food.  Y’all.  How to react.  PATH.  A little crazy.  Carolyna.   Our new friends.  Hand the keys over.  The planet that shall not be named.  Them.  Rejection was very difficult.  Gated homes in gated neighborhoods.  Waits for six clicks.  In the city.  Multitudinous.  Door of Hope.  Freeze!  Swoon.  Pollo Tostadas.  Gentrification.  He’s gonna take my shoes.  Green Lantern.   Broken arm.  Brought it upon yourself?  99.9% similar DNA.  See myself in you.  Bankrupt.  Compound.  Broken back.  Kickline.  If I falter, if I fade.  Now, God is something I can’t stop thinking about. 


Someone I can't stop thinking about.

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