Uffizi Mission Project

Well, here you go - ways that you can be a salt shaker in Santa Barbara.  Pretty basic stuff - Jesus asks us to be salt, and there are places in the city where some Kingdom taste needs to be mixed in.  Rather than blame the culture, we can jump in and radically change it.

First, you can go to www.lifewind.org to read about where we are going - moving from relief to transformation.  You will also see this site now on my blogroll so you can check in any time.

To start with, Jesus said, “Follow Me.”  This is where He is taking the church of Santa Barbara (as well as other places).  Now what happens if salt does not desire to be salt?

*Prayer Walking on the West Side - Thursdays at 12:30pm at the Village Apartments

This Thursday we walked throughout the lower West Side.  An ex-gang member filled us in on everythings - prostituation rings, drug labs, gang headquarters.  One of the residents at the Village apartments created poems about peace to put up all throughout the neighborhood.  Her children helped put the poems up.  These are the foolish Jesus followers believing in the vision of the Kingdom of God.

*Meal Sharing with Friends without Homes - Wednesday 5:30pm at Pershing Park on Castillo

This Wednesday it is like a parable.  The Turner Foundation is hosting a talent show barbecue.  It will be a mixture of all of us, friends without homes, Village apartment residents.  Someone is planning to yodel, some children will play violins, and some of our street friends will be doing a puppet show for the children.  It is the poetic Jesus in motion.

*Buying Shoes and Saving Lives - www.buyshoessavelives.org - Wednesday, August 27th at 7:00pm at North Star Coffee Company

How often do you get to hear stories from inside Iraq, and support some brothers and sisters who are literally saving the lives of children in Iraq?  Well, join us this Wednesday and join the movement.

Liquid church is happening.  For a long time, I had to argue that it was possible.  I get to argue from the scriptures, from the way Jesus did things - to urge a return to Christology.  New communities are being born, because of the hunger of the people for the transcendent Jesus, who is in culture, but not owned by any culture.  He is already there, and we have been finding Him.  We just point to people and say, “See, He has been here all along - we just haven’t been paying attention.

The words spoken to me, that the doors of friendship building, incarnational and loving mission, and union with Christ would be opened throughout Santa Barbara for the church is happening.  Now, the decision is yours - individually and corporately.

Are we ok with 6,300 people living on the streets in our city?

Are we ok with the neglected on the West Side?

Join the transformational movement as we seek to find the answer together.

Comment on where you are salt, or where you want to be salt, or your answer to the above questions.

Well, all right - let’s just jump right into the crazy impossible.  A friend of mine mentioned on Friday morning in our mens’ group that he believed he would raise the dead.  I have not personally witnessed this happening - like many of you have probably heard stories about this in other countries.  And, there is the promise that we would do everything Jesus did in the gospels.  I am going to remain open.

 But the main part of the story for me is this - I encouraged him, that if he wanted to raise the dead, he would have to be around dead people.  I don’t think my encouragement went over that well.  Am I mixing Hollywood with God in some sort of Sixth Sense activity?

No - what I mean is this - if you want to be involved with the reality of the Kingdom of God as expressed in the gospels, you will have to find a way to be around the sick and dying.   We have to make a decision to actually live amongst the people Jesus did, which are not always found at Starbucks, the local Church, or the gym.  (Though certainly they are there as well - and everywhere where I am because I am one of them)

But let’s give up the excuses…  That’s why I can’t help but always dive straight into the practical.  If you want to raise the dead, you will have to be around dead people.  If you want to help pregnant teens, you will have to be around pregnant teens.  If you want to stop gang violence, you will have to be around gang members.  Yes, I believe prayer works - so we can pray for all these things - but we can’t remain that distant.

Check this out - http://buyshoessavelives.com.  I have personally met one of the young men behind the scenes, who spent a year in Iraq, and who has started a work to save the lives of children in Iraq with heart defects.  You can read more about it on the website.  I love the idea of pre-emptive love.

You can’t get anywhere without pre-emptive love.  This is the love that rushes to get there before the war starts.  This is the love of God - who races to the scene before the car crash.  I know that there are alot of questions about God and world peace and why is there suffering?  These are huge questions.  I am not dealing with that here…

 I am dealing with this question - “Where are we?”  I happen to believe that we can place ourselves at the scene of the crime before the crime happens.

 We have had two nights at the Village apartments where we have gathered to pray for peace before weekends where gang violence was hinted at… and both weekend were peaceful.  But, we were there. 

 Please join the pre-emptive love movement.  Buy some shoes from Iraq for these kids.  (You can come into North Star Coffee Company on State Street and donate right there)   Or, go where God has already been nudging you to go.

Your thoughts - comment please!