Swords into Shovels

 "He'll settle things fairly between nations. 
 He'll make things right between many peoples.
They'll turn their swords into shovels, 
    their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation; 
   they won't play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob, 
   let's live in the light of God." - Isaiah 2:4-5, The Message

What was turning into a long time of human planning, God turned into a miraculously quick event.  In my incoming transition, I was told that some young men from the neighborhood really wanted to decorate the outer walls of La Casa de Comunidad.  Jen, one of our Dwellers from last year, informed me of this last fall, but I admit, I was new and uncertain of what it would entail.  So I waited, and quite frankly, forgot.  

However, this verse and God's will sifted back into my awareness, and I thought it might be great to revisit this before our upcoming dinner to highlight the faithful legacy of this neighborhood ministry, both from the Dwellers and the neighbors!  If you live anywhere in LA, even the San Fernando Valley (or, possibly at this point, more so) you can't help but notice the drastic increase in tagging. It's on everything from park benches to soaring billboards: people are determined to make their mark.  The community response to this seems to be just as varied: from simply frustrated and annoyed to downright afraid, presumably in regards to the gang related territorialism it may suggest.  Seems to me that tagging might be one of the modern day "swords", one of the ways to keep a fight going between peoples: a war between, and within, nations.

I called Jen last Sunday, expecting that the opportunity to have the work done was long since passed, given my stalling on the matter.  However, I found that God had something else in mind, and when God's will is to be done, things can happen in the blink of an eye.  Literally, this entire project was done by two young men, in about 3 hours time, and in less than a day from when I thought to call!

It was truly a moment of "living in the light," as dozens of wandering neighborhood kids noticed the work being done, and started shouting at the two artists, "what are you two doing?  You can't tag that house's walls!"  To which they replied, "no, no, no, we can, they ASKED us to."  Amen.

May we all find ways, each day, to ask God to help us turn over elements of this world that can be used for fear or intimidation and transform them into encouragement and celebration.  I guess that's kind of what fireworks are, yes?

So we invite you to come to Hollywood, visit our neighborhood, feel the fireworks, and see the Face of God shining here.  Oh, and bring an actual shovel or a hoe, though I guess a sword or a spear could help too, as the garden still needs a ton of work! :)

-Matthew

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

The End of February

"There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, a right time to plant and another to reap." Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, The Message

I am struck by these verses once again. I feel like there is indeed a time to consider the construct of time; a time to open up Ecclesiastes and remember everything happens when God intends it to. There’s always been something about the shortest month of the year that makes me ponder the length of life and the need to find God within the details. This week brought that into focus.

It would seem that it is the time for a garden at 5846 Gregory. We are excited to announce work days, beginning the afternoon of March 8th (from 1:30-4:30), and have been so thrilled at the level of interest from God’s people and some kids in the neighborhood. Alison has taken the lead on organizing this and is pulling together the talents of FPCH Deacons, young adults, and other community members in designing and planning the garden.

It is also time to begin to share testimonials about the year, as Mary, Sara, Stephanie, Alison, and I (along with our board members and some prayer partners) will be sharing the story of the year thus far with the Missions Committee at Hollywood Presbyterian on Monday, March 2nd. Anyone is invited, so if you’d like to come learn more about what’s going on here, please come to the Hollywood Presbyterian Sanctuary, 1760 N. Gower, from 7-9pm on Monday evening. We will be drawing from many experiences, like this one from Stephanie:

"[Working at a ]non-profit for homeless families, we have certainly noticed an increase in phone calls and intakes. We just had two new families move in and we are officially a full house once again. With those two new families came 7 new kids for my after-school program, which brings us close to 20 kids. I feel truly blessed to be working with these children. They continue to teach me new things each day and am certainly learning to be very flexible and patient."

We have a Discover group coming from Rimrock, Arizona the second week of March, so it is a time to be their stay and praying over the work they will be doing here in the city.

And these verses, in particular, have rocked me this week. We are surrounded by the joys of newborns and pregnancies within our church communities in the midst of several painful passings. The Lord indeed takes people home, and amen for this, but he also provides new life constantly here on Earth. May we be encouraged and press on in our work!

Blessings to all of you reading,

Matthew

6 Months In....

6 months in, and I finally have figured out how to become a blogger. :) Where to start?

Diving into Dwell, our 4 interns are truly making an impact upon our Los Angeles community. Working at PATH , My Friend's Place , The Oasis of Hollywood , and Door of Hope , these young women are gaining perspectives on the complicated mosaic that is our homelessness and street-life culture. Through building relationships with both their coworkers and their clients, I also believe they are actively playing a role in expanding God's kingdom.

Plans are being made to build a garden in the front of La Casa de la Comunidad, and the prayer and hope is that it may serve as a tool of fellowship and ministry for years to come, as well as provide food for future Dwellers and the neighborhood. Community members and congregants from Hollywood Presbyterian Church are playing a huge role in the start-up!

As for me, I am thrilled to be witnessing the growth, both within the house and within the neighborhood. The Dwellers are challenging themselves to live simply on reduced budgets and reduced use of natural resources and automobiles. They are working hard to live intentionally, and though it is not easy and often turbulent, these four are finding ways to streamline their cooking, cleaning, and communication. Along with prayer mentors, weekly book studies and worship, and regular church attendance, the Dwellers are working hard to remain in prayer, both with each other and independently, over discerning God's will in their lives over the course of this year and beyond.

In fact, one specific prayer was that more men might be interested in serving in Hollywood, given the large population of young men living in the community. In response, I began receiving calls and emails from men around the country (and the world!) who felt a calling towards LA. At this point, we have two Dwellers confirmed for next year and they are both men: one from Mississippi, and one coming to us after serving a year in Peru! Amen.

In preparation for the summer, we have groups contacting us from Arizona, Northern California, Massachusetts, Colorado, and the calls keep coming in. Last month, we hosted a group from Montana, and were blessed by their willingness to reconsider homelessness and really seek to establish dialogue and communication with people that, most admitted, they may have previously tried to ignore. We all learned from each other that week through service and discussion.

I aim to maintain this blog every week or so, so come back often! -Matthew