And They'll Know we are Christians by Our......

 “But what about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” - Luke 9:20, NIV

We're learning something this summer, again: some people don't have a very warm opinion of Christians.


As the hundreds of Discover participants come through Hollywood this summer, they are having countless conversations with people on the streets, people they are serving alongside, and people they are meeting who are on a path towards greater self-sufficiency.  

Discover Participants from Washington and Minnesota

The wonderful women from St. Matthew's in Madison, Mississippi

St. Apollinaris Catholic Church at Hollywood Presbyterian.

Once again, a great group from Walnut Creek Pres!

Each week, we learn of yet another Veteran living homelessly who says something like, "I saw the cross around your neck and immediately got ready to be judged."  

Yesterday, someone asked me why we don't send volunteers to Out Of The Closet, a local thrift store operation raising money for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.  I reported that we've tried, but as soon as the store director learned we were a faith-based organization, he said, "no, we can't have church volunteers anymore, I can't put my staff through that again."  

Many times I've noticed the "Jesus, Save Me From Your Followers" bumper stickers and smiled at the painful irony of it.  

Some of our Discover groups are helping a local homeless relief agency by canvassing churches to find out their level of outreach programming for their homeless neighbors.  Many discouraged young people are returning to report that more churches than they'd have imagined are doing nothing, and one associate pastor actually said, "the homeless? We're doing everything we can to get them OUT of our congregation.  We're tired of them."

What are we doing?  Our pastor at Hollywood Presbyterian Church recently asked the congregation, who would we, as Christians, say that Jesus is if he sat down in front of us and asked us directly?  

Who indeed.

As the writer of this blog, I'm not immune to this criticism.  On Election Day, 2008, my wife and I were flying from Pittsburgh back to Burbank.  On a layover in Vegas, we learned that Mr. Obama was clearly on his way to victory.  When we deplaned back in California, we found ourselves and everyone else gravitating to the airport television monitors, listening to Mr. McCain and the man who would become our next President.  

The monitor we found ourselves at was quite a gathering.  Smokey Robinson, Civil-Rights era Motown Legend and his manager, a Persian-American woman, a Latino family, two Mormon missionaries, and my wife and I were some of the faces in this crowd.  But directly next to me was a gay couple, two men in their fifties, arms around one another.  Many people were crying, as were they, but there's were a different kind of tears, more complicated.  You see, that election was also the time when Proposition 8 passed in California, effectively saying that marriage between two men, or two women, would not be recognized.    The lower third of the television screen conveyed this information as Barack Obama talked about the changes that had finally come.  Most of the tears were exuberant and coupled with boisterous, hearty embraces.  (Yes, I stole a hug with Smokey).  But these two men, stood calmly with smiles on their faces, tears streaming down, unblinking.  Something was to be celebrated, another thing was to be mourned.

And I suddenly knew that it was no accident I noticed them.  God was asking me, then, "Matthew, who do you say that I am?"  For God knew how judgmental I'd become towards the gay community.  To be fair, this was not the run-of-the-mill-Christian-Bible-thumping judgmentalism on folks identifying as gay.  My walk with Jesus started from that community at one time, and I myself have a large portion of experience from around, and within, that place.  (But that is a blog for another day.)  Suffice it to say, my stepping into something new, something different, meant that I produced a kind of shield around my "old self."   And, as it would happen, a pervasive judgment amidst my inner thoughts.  Outwardly, this meant I avoided gay people at almost every turn.  

And yet, that evening, watching those quiet tears, I felt overwhelmed with humanity.  Whether or not I agreed with Proposition 8, whether or not I believe that my marriage is, or is not, any more legitimate than anyone else's, I could feel the pain.  Where so much of the United States was celebrating a new clang on the freedom bell and the expansion of possibility, this couple's world got a little harder.  They may have been smiling over Obama's win, but mourning the closing of a door they had been fighting to open, and feeling on the outside of this momentous celebration.  I felt a sudden urge to embrace them, and I did.  I know it was probably more for myself than I'd like to admit, but I felt God moving through me, and I'm grateful beyond measure that God planted them right beside me that evening.

Who is Jesus?  Today, I'm remembering that Jesus was a human being, humbly and completely.  How we treat one another as human beings seems to matter, and I'm thankful for all these young people who keep coming to Hollywood to walk alongside other people, to listen, to share, to serve, to receive, to laugh, to cry together.  It matters.

The Discern team, Crystal, Isaac, Matthew, Erin, Sean, Edzel and Kyle

On Praying Without Ceasing

Discover participant from Knoxville finds quiet.

Our biweekly staff meeting at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood has become a sort of Sabbath for me, especially during this summer.  It’s a time where we gather together, pray, study, encourage, and plan.  Even when it's somewhat stressful, it still allows me space to rest and pay more attention to God's work in my life.

This week was no exception, and it would appear that God was priming me for an upcoming lesson.  We had read a short story by Wendell Berry called “Pray Without Ceasing,” from his book Fidelity.  Without too much lead-in, this passage that fleshes out the title occurs several days after Thad up and shoots his best friend, Ben, in a moment of rage-filled despair, and directly before a scene of such awesome forgiveness, it actually causes me to tremble:

     "Well, Jackie," she said, lifting and canting her nose to bring her spectacles to bear upon him, "poor Ben has met his time."

     "Yes, mam," Jack said. "One of them things."

     "When your time comes you must go, by the hand of man or the stroke of God."

     "Yes, mam," Jack said. He was standing with his hands behind him, leaning back against the doorjamb.

     "It'll come by surprise," she said.  "It's a time appointed, but we'll not be notified.'

     Jack said he knew it.  He did know it.

     "So we must always be ready," she said. "Pray without ceasing."

     "Yes, mam."

     "Well, God bless Ben Feltner. He was a good man. God rest his soul."

     Jack stepped ahead of her to help her out the door and down the porch steps.

     "Why, thank you, Jackie," she said as she set foot at last on the walk.

    He stood and watched her going away, walking, it seemed to him, a tottering edge between eternity and time.

Not a typical Tuesday in the Sanctuary.

Two days later, during our closing reflection and worship with Christ Covenant Presbyterian from Knoxville, Tennessee, one of our participants, we’ll call her Adrienne, echoed this notion of “praying without ceasing.”  Adrienne marveled that it was possible to “pray about everything.  When we came upon someone living homelessly on the streets,” she said, “we prayed.  When we were deciding what we could do for and with a person, we prayed.   Before, and after, we said goodbye, we prayed.  When we arrived at our agency work-site for the day, we prayed that God might use us well.  Before dinner, we prayed for the hands that prepared the meal.”  Adrienne had only experienced “god” on Sundays, and it would appear that for the first time in her life, she felt God with every step she took last week.  The awestuck wonder in her face as she reflected upon this was as bright as any Gospel message I’ve ever heard.

New friends from Cincinnati at Union Rescue Mission

In the story, had Thad “prayed without ceasing,” maybe he would have felt a critical pause before pulling the trigger on his best friend.  In my life, were I to sincerely be praying without ceasing, I may not have said that very hurtful thing, may not have acted so selfishly, yet again.  Because what strikes me about this idea, is not that we should hide away in a solitary chamber and silently pray forever, out of the context of one another.  Considering, though, that prayer is essentially a dialogue that recognizes the real presence of God, what if we allowed prayer to be the foundation of our thought-lives, even as we go about our daily businesses?  Can we build an increased awareness of the presence of God?  Can we see the face of God all around us, all the time?  Can we feel God's calming hand upon our shoulder before we honk at the, let's face it, idiot who cut us off on the 101?   Of course we will falter and fail at this, but imagine, if you will, what Adrienne’s realization could imply in our everyday lives.  Can we imagine God’s presence when a homeless individual asks us directly for help?  Can we imagine God’s loving arms around us when we lose someone dear?  Can we imagine God’s watch when someone says, “if you just sign here, it’ll all be taken care of.  There’s no morality in business, just good and bad business.”  Can we imagine God’s joyful laughter when we break bread with former enemies and give breath to reconciliation and redemption, like Homeboy Industries does every single day?

I don’t know if I can do that all the time.  In fact, I know that on my own, I’ll probably forget to even try.  But I know how much richer and satisfying life becomes when I remember that God is near, loving me always, without ceasing, ever.

Dweller Kyle, Former Dweller Will, & Discern-er Edzel

Peace, Matthew

For more pictures of Christ Covenant Presbyterian from Knoxville, Tennessee and Northminster Presbyterian from Cincinnati, Ohio in action last week in LA, click here!

The New Normal, by Dweller Alayna

Discover Participants with DOOR Staff, Edzel, serve together.

Life has become pretty “normal” here. When people ask me how things are going, all I can think to say is “good.” I have nothing new or profound to say. I am no longer overwhelmed by the big city, and I’ve grown accustomed to work that was once beyond what I ever imagined doing. It’s just…regular. Normal.

But when I stop to ponder what “normal” is to me now, I smile.

Normal is tending to our beautiful, blooming community garden–pulling weeds in the cool of the evening, greeting the neighbors who walk by.

Normal is telling my housemate I’m going to water the garden and having a little girl’s face immediately pop out of the a second-story window next door – “You’re watering now? Can I help?!”

Normal is driving through the streets of Glendale, searching for our homeless friends in back alleys and parks.

Normal is getting texts like these from our high schoolers: ”Hey, are you guys open now?” “What’s up” ”When are you getting back?” Most of the time they just show up and yell for us to let them in.

Outreach making a first contact with a homeless person

Normal is giving the woman next door a ride to the store so she doesn’t have to haul groceries on the bus. She, in turn, takes care of us by sending over tamales or using the tomatoes from our garden to make us salsa.

Normal is staying late at the shelter to read a book with the sweetest little homeless boy.

Normal is biking or walking a mile towards the Hollywood sign every morning to catch my bus.

Normal is a Saturday night spent playing an impromptu game of 3-on-3 with our high school boys then sitting on the porch hanging out till their parents call them home.

Normal is running into one of our teenage girls as I walk home from work, listening as she tells me about her latest boyfriend troubles, feeling honored when she asks for my advice.

Normal is hosting the most diverse dinners and cookouts and parties I could imagine; businessmen and women, homeless people, Hollywood hopefuls, neighborhood kids with their Spanish-speaking parents–all coming together in our backyard. I imagine God smiling as He looks down on those gatherings.

Sure, life is normal. But normal is pretty awesome.

-Alayna, a current Dweller, living in intentional Christian Community with 5 others, plus an entire neighborhood.

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.

Beauty in Vulnerability, by Alex

When I first signed up to serve as a YAV, I really felt that this would be an incredible opportunity for me to spend a year doing something completely different with my life. Now, my year is beginning to draw to a close, and I am realizing more and more that what I have been learning and doing this year is not simply a year-long project that I will look back on with fond memories, but rather a stepping stone to beginning the life I truly want to live. 

This year has been uncomfortable in many different ways. I moved into a house with five strangers (and four of them guys!) and was instructed to share my life with them. Together, the six of us share one car, about $80 a week for house groceries, living space and work together to run the community house where we live.  

I’ve had roommates before and I love them all deeply, but I have never been challenged to share my life so intimately with others. We all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives on politics, budgets, eating habits, cleanliness, disciplining methods, communication, God… (just to name a few). We work high stress jobs and live on a shoestring budget; we’ve gotten to see each other at our bests and worsts. You can’t fake it all the time or hide from people you share so much with.  

I had never spent quite so much time with the same people… and it has been really hard for me. When the year started, I would daydream about having an apartment all to myself when the year ended. I’m not exactly sure when the change occurred, but my perspective has shifted. The house feels oddly empty when no one else is home. The house can even seem quiet with all six of us without the two or three house guests who always seem to be around. 

I’ve also had incredible opportunities to build deep relationships with people outside of my house in LA, most notably the women in my small group Bible study. Each week the women pray for one another. We don’t just pray surface level prayers and joys, but we have begun to open up to each other about our fears, doubts, pains and mistakes. We lift one another up, text and e-mail updates, meet for coffee and fellowship. We have come to share one another’s burdens. I have never been involved in a Bible study group so intentional. Sometimes though, it’s really hard and uncomfortable. You open up and later wish you hadn’t. You wish you could have just held everything in… been composed. Yet, I really don’t think that is a true model of life. Life is messy. We all fall apart from time to time. To deny doubt and pain is putting on a front or showing others a lie. Sometimes opening up can help others feel better about their own pain.No one wants to be the only one suffering in a room full of people with perfect lives. And no one ever is.

This past weekend we had an incredible opportunity to help friends prepare for a major life change. They asked us to come over to their home and help them prepare to move. It was such a beautiful day for me. It was the first time I had been in their house when it wasn’t spotless and everyone perfectly composed. There were some dishes in the sink and toys on the floor. They were stressed, tired, and on one another’s nerves. They may not have wanted us to see them in the state, but I felt incredibly blessed to be there. I love that they felt comfortable enough and trusted us enough to share their stress with us. I don’t feel that Christianity means not having drama, pain or conflict, but rather Christianity is demonstrated in the way we respond to these universally experienced emotions.  

Everyone has pain and struggles. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has quirks. The beauty is in sharing them with others and building relationships. We are not called to walk alone but to share our lives with one another. I am blessed to have had this year to begin to learn how to truly open up my life and love others. Now, I need to take what I am beginning to learn and step forward to create a community of love, openness and vulnerability, wherever I go next.

Summer 2011

Crystal

Edzel

 Summer 2011 is upon us.  God has delivered DOOR Hollywood an exciting Discern team, with young people who have grown up in, or near, Hollywood Presbyterian Church.  These young people, Crystal, Erin, Edzel, Isaac, Kyle, & Sean, have missions experience ranging from YoungLife, Bible camp leadership, and short term work worldwide.

Sean

Kyle

Please lift these six young people up in your prayers, as well as the hundreds of traveling Discover mission groups coming to serve and witness God here in Los Angeles.  We pray for them all, as well as those who have been impacted by the recent disastrous weather, and need to change their plans and missions.  May God meet and work through all of this and all of us, and may we be blessed by the relationships we build here in Hollywood this summer.  To keep up with the program this summer, "Like" our facebook page here: Discover Hollywood!

Erin

Isaac

See the marvels of God!  He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." - Psalm 46: 8-10, The Message

Sifting, by Alex

Last weekend my housemates and I went on a trip to Tucson, AZ for a long weekend. We travelled down with an organization called Borderlinks to learn about and witness firsthand the issue of illegal immigration. Before the trip, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to learn about border issues and to decide where I stand on the issue.


We were asked to blog and share about our experience. Before the trip, I thought this would be an easy task. How silly of me. Unfortunately, things are never black and white. Because of that, this blog may seem a bit like an excerpt from a James Joyce novel, with no clear direction or focus. I saw and heard so much over the course of the weekend that it will take me a long time to process and further research. My heart and brain are both muddled messes right now. I cannot at this point say where I stand on the issue, but I invite you to join my internal conflict.

Imagine with me for a minute: Travelling by foot through desert into a new land. To a country with a language you don’t speak or understand. Leaving family, friends, customs, comfort and security behind. You may not even really like the country you are going to. You simply know that you have a better chance of being able to support your family in this new foreign place. You barely have enough to feed your children each day, let alone pay for an emergency doctor visit or prescription.



Now, imagine a second scenario: You are a recently laid off father of four (living in the States your whole life). You aren’t necessarily a “skilled worker” and now you can’t find a job paying more than $9.00 an hour because there are plenty of individuals in your city more than willing to work for this rate. You have a mortgage, car payments, a credit card and really hope to send your kids to college.

How do I look at this issue with the eyes of Christ? He says to love my neighbor. Which ones? It seems to me what may help one neighbor here may hurt another. Or is this stupid worthless worry?

Do I show my love to my neighbor by taking down all fences and walls? But aren’t boundaries and fences sometimes good and necessary? (Think of fences around swimming pools that keep kids from drowning.)  Am I to give amnesty to all people living in the country without papers? What about my brothers and sisters who have been waiting for 14+ years to enter my country legally? How much will that delay their entry?

If I don’t know where I stand, how do I get involved? Am I called to be involved? How many issues can I be involved in at one time and earnestly care?  I don’t know.  I don’t have an answer, and I’m not sure I will for a long time (if ever).

In the meantime, I know that it is my job to help those in need. To give a brother or sister their daily food if they are in need. To walk alongside. To love. But above all this, to continue seeking Christ first.

Lord, give me your eyes for the world. Help me see where you want me to serve and help me to always see my neighbors in need.