Provision

"But even then he didn't leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing." -Acts 14:17, The Message

We have a Lord that provides.   Amen!  Last Sunday, the Hollywood Presbyterian Church Young Adults and the Dweller’s hosted an open house and garden work day at 5846 Gregory.  Not only did the weather remain merciful and mild, the work was joyous and productive.  Many neighborhood kids turned out to help too!  We finished laying the basic brick path design in the garden, planted new flowers, new tomato plants, and citrus, and removed the nasty poison tree!  Brandon, our self-proclaimed DOOR-door repairman, also took it upon himself to fix several doors within the houses and begin the work to bringing light to our sign.  “Let there be light,” said he.  We say, amen to the amazing ways the Lord provides!

Last winter, our current Dwellers prayed that more men might be called to come serve in Hollywood.  Again, the Lord is listening and acting!  Curtis and Alex are already on board to come serve in Los Angeles as Dwellers this fall, and several other men and women have expressed interest and are currently in discernment processes.  How great is our God!

      

Next week we really begin to prepare for our summer Discover groups, which will start heading our way in June.  There is still some availability, so please click here if you’re interested to come see all the amazing ways God is working and providing here in California!

Amen!

Matthew

Living in Love

"Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it -- because it does.  Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you.  Most of all, try to proclaim his truth." - 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 The Message

The truth of God that I know, and am learning more about each day, is that when you bring love out into the light, love multiplies.  Interestingly, when you bring fear out into the light, love multiplies as well.  Must be something about truth, love, light, and God.  

Some are afraid of the cities, some are afraid of the homeless, some are afraid of Christians, some are afraid of Muslims, some are afraid of people who don't think like they do.  All I know is that God can turn that around if you allow it.  All I see, in dazzling light and love, is God turning that around here, every day:

Dwell:

    

      

    

    

Discover:

      

Come see.

Matthew

  

Gardens

     

"The LORD will guide you always; 
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 
       and will strengthen your frame. 
       You will be like a well-watered garden, 
       like a spring whose waters never fail." - Isaiah 58:11 NIV

According to Scripture, literally, all hell broke loose in the first garden.  What a blessing it's been to see so many people coming together, from the Dwellers to the neighborhood kids to the out-of-town Discover groups, to create this one.  God is certainly present again, here, and please, come help and check it out when you can!  Also, pray that we can indeed grow okra in Southern California.  This gumbo lover would be very happy.  

For more gardening photos, check out our Facebook photos, and for more ways you can help with this garden ministry, which, to date, the Dwellers have not spent a dime on,  please visit our Cause page.

Rooting and blossoming in the foundation of God,

Matthew 

Family

"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. 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 18:18-20, The Message

I've been contemplating family, what it means, what it doesn't mean.  This week, Sara and Alison's families were in town visiting for the first time, and there was a strong sense of togetherness: in the laughter, in the stories, in the sharing of the awesome work that's being done in Hollywood and Los Angeles in the name of our Lord.  The picture above was from a community day cookout where we all spent time staying warm, staying well fed, and staying thankful.

A sense of family also seems to be growing amidst the Dwellers.  They are developing nick-names for each other and truly checking in and working towards intentionality, even as they develop new relationships in the city or work to maintain old ones from the past.  I truly believe in the truth of the verses from Matthew, as I am so blessed to be bearing witness to watching God's presence in glorious action this year.

Expanding the definition of family and gathering together in the name of God, it dawned on me last week that there is significant connectedness to the Discover groups coming into the city and serving agencies and individuals in Hollywood.  I felt like I was selfishly absorbing all that connection, so, thank God for Facebook, we created a page for all the DOOR Hollywood participants, past and present, to share stories, share photos, and share in the glory witnessing God here in our city.  You can connect in too, just click here.

Personally, my family is expanding.  Both physically and spiritually.  We are learning that yes does mean yes, and no should mean no as we are working to heal from a lack of spiritual boundaries in our past.  We are also planning on the addition of someone new, in about, say, 5 months.  In the spirit of several gathering together in petition to God, I ask for your prayers for our wisdom, our strength, and our joy to be part of God's creation in a new and exciting way.  

Blessings to you all!

Matthew

Abundant Life

                                   

"I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." -John 10:10, The Message

I'm writing a day early so as not to write on Good Friday.

This week, DOOR Hollywood hosted 47 high school, college, and adult missionaries to serve the community of Los Angeles.  Sent out in seven teams each day, they packed, delivered, and served thousands of meals; they helped to maintain and clean some of the busiest shelters in the city; they played with children at transitional housing centers; they helped some agencies with fundraising mailings and others with gardening; they helped move along the progress of our DOOR Community house garden (amen!); and they spent some serious time reaching out to folks living on the streets.  We prayed that they might see the face of God here in Hollywood and feel a piece of that "real and eternal life" that Jesus promises.  I believe God answered that prayer.

If you'd like to see more of the group in action, please see our brand new Facebook Page and click on the photo albums.  Feel free to become a fan and explore the page, leave comments and questions.  If you were part of any DOOR Discover group, please feel free to upload your own photos as well.  (Non-Discover photos will be removed.)

May you all be blessed this Maundy Thursday evening, may you all be moved at the humanity of Christ on Good Friday, and may you all be struck with newfound joy this Sunday!

Amen,

Matthew

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