Uffizi Mission Project

Well, Friday afternoon about 10 of us sat in a circle with author and speaker Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, who has penned brilliant ideas on how to answer your own prayers and living justice.  It is not something he just talks about, but something he lives and breathes.  I was struck by his humility and also held spellbound by some of his stories, such as his time spent in Iraq.

But gersh darnit we got into it a bit over this idea – “The church is the only true hope for the world.”

Now before we get into that, I know that many people have different ideas about how I feel about the church, and why I critique it.  I don’t critique it because I dislike it.  I critique it in part because I agree that the church is the hope for the world, but in many ways we have stepped away from the plate because of the fast balls thrown our way.  We should at least take a swing at them.

Like an opera critic loves the opera, or a movie critic loves movies, so on… a critic of the church may in fact love the church…  I want to create a church that stands at the plate while the fast balls are hurled at us.

So, it came to the discussion on how the church is the only hope for the world (Ephesians)… and I my legs started twitching and I could not stop myself (a better man would) and so I had to chime in that though I agreed with that, I didn’t see it put into belief and action much.

Perhaps we think this church thing is somehow on Holy Auto-Pilot and we don’t have to take our own personal responsibility for it.  While I am hopeful at the changes I see, I just don’t know if I have the patience to wait for it?  This may indeed be do to my lack of character and I need to pray for patience.

Who am I kidding – I just can’t muster up the patience!

Let’s go – let’s all go go go into the mess with Jesus leading the way.  Let’s draw near to chaos as the hope of the world, because we carry a lifetime guarantee in Christ.

I will end with an example of how we are the hope of the world, though still in an infantile state.  20 wonderful volunteers from churches and Westmont came to the West Side for kids club last Thursday.  Almost one leader per each child, and for 90 minutes it was just plain fun for the kids.  Some of the kids from Carrillo, who have no community center or lawn or playground, were able to come over to the Village and enjoy the day.  There was a tremendous sense of love from the hearts of these volunteers, and also within the kids.

So I am hopelessly stranded in my own spiritual schizophrenia.  Yes, we are the hope for the world, but we still need to embrace more and more of our true role.

Thanks Jonathan for all you shared with us on Friday, and for being someone who is putting it all together for us.

There was a Biblical plan in the Old Testament – something to keep the rich from becoming too rich and the poor from becoming too poor.  It was a godly cultural plan to be put in place to keep generations healthy.  It is wildly needed now.

The Year of Jubilee.  You find Jesus claiming to put it into motion.  It is not theoretical, but highly practical.  It is completely possible.  It is supposed to be set in motion by royalty but applicable to everyone.  There is no scriptural debate – Republicans and Progressives are quieted by it.  No placards of discord allowed on either side.

So, let’s take a year to do it?  The Year of Living Generously.  Start to put some coins in your piggy bank or create a Vanguard mutual fund now.

Read Proverbs 11:24.  You can see it on the new page I created entitled the Year of Living Generously.

This is not a fantasy league online – this will require our commitment.  Are you in?

It will be good for everyone.

The Emmys are tonight – all about actors.  In the old days, actors were the original hypocrites, putting on masks and playing a role they were not.  <Not saying anything about today’s actors friends >

Generosity will be our cure for hypocrisy – because we all have the disease.  But let’s be straight, Jesus asks us not to be hypocrites.  It is a fact we need to remember.  Generosity will pull us out of apathy and into practice.

When you put that one small thing into practice, it does away with guilt and shame and the excuses – “I’m not called” “I’m not equipped” “There is no one to do it with”

WE ARE ALL CALLED BECAUSE IT IS A PART OF FOLLOWING JESUS

WE CAN ALL DO IT BECAUSE IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS BRINGING A CUP OF WATER AND YOU CAN FILL UP A CUP IN YOUR KITCHEN

THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE DOING IT NOW AND YOU CAN COME TO THE VILLAGE OR PERSHING PARK

We can pray about it and consider it in the fall, and make some plans, but let’s go for it “all in” for 2010

I have to confess that I watch Real Time with Bill Mahr, and listen to Progressive Radio most of the time, and read about the new atheists and about the “God Delusion.”  I seem to be around as many that don’t believe any of what I would hold dear, and to their thinking have great reason to think that I am deluded.  I guess it would go something like this, “Religion as a whole is a nice comfort thing, but Jeff shouldn’t you get beyond adolescence and into adulthood.  Leave Disneyland behind and realize that the real world doesn’t need it anymore.”  The new atheists would be even stronger, stating that religions such as Christianity actually teach things that are just plain harmful to reality and should be done away and proven away altogether.

Maybe they are right in one respect, perhaps we haven’t matured.  Perhaps as Christ followers it is time that we grow up.

I just posted something on my Facebook Wall about the time I received an F- on an AP English paper.  I don’t know if anyone else has received an F- in history, but I pulled that one off.  And, I probably deserved it.  The teacher made a big deal of it in front of class too – so that it is now mythic legend.  Like the time I threw up all my Skittles at track practice and you could see all the distinct colors.  Ok, maybe not that bad…

But what would be our grade on actual Christ following?  And it is Christ following that matures us for the most part, meaning becoming like Christ.  These would be what our grade is based on -

Peace Making in the Here and Now

Loving Our Enemies

Caring for the Poor

Humbling Ourselves

Praying for the Sick and being with Societies So Called Lepers

Loving Our Neighbors and Being Our Brother and Sisters Keeper

The new atheists cannot not argue down true love – it creates its own reality.  I guess they could say it is the God part of the brain and has nothing to do with spirituality I guess, but at least it would be admirable.  And of course our faith is not about proving it to everyone anyway, but it certainly would show a maturity on our part and not an adolescence that merely barks out “well we’re right and you’re wrong!” 

Ok, so I am a strange one – I believe in God because I met Jesus and that is not really too scientific or provable, but I believe my life can give evidence of the reality of a Compassionate God.  Bottom line, God is Love and that is something we need to go after.

Love again will mature us

I was kidding with people about 9-9-09 being a big day because the number 9 being a supposed lucky number.  Think Beatles White Album number 9 or the fact that many young couples got married yesterday at 9:09am or pm…

But I did not think I would be dialing 911 2 times on 9-9.  Since hitting the streets dialing 911 is like calling an old friend to set up a lunch or time to have coffee.  It is not a good thing but it is a real thing.  Or maybe it is a lucky thing to have the opportunity to actually be there when it is going down?  Sometimes I am not sure.

I think I would rather be with these people during these times than not be there at all, but I would like to see a day when 911 is not called by anyone anywhere.  And you know it is bad when you dial 911 and you get a message that all the lines are busy?  What does that mean Santa Barbara?

And the strange thing was, that I called 911 at two different places within two hours and had the same police report to both scenes and wonder how was I at both places and in both situations as well.  That took some explaining… am I become a 911 sort of ambulance chaser?

So case number one is a good friend from Pershing Park at his lowest point ever he tells me and is on the brink.  I can’t tell you the whole story here but just to let you know that suicide was a definite reality.  So it was an hour of keeping him calm as he both wanted help and wanted to run, while waiting for the police and trying to flag them down.  At one point I was in the middle of a softball field trying to flag down the police while also yelling at my friend that he needed to sit down and not run away.  Well, bottom line is now he is getting some needed help.  We will stay in touch with him and what we can do next.

The next call came from the Village on the West Side.  I won’t go into details here either excepts say it was a family in crisis and it is also still in the works today.  But what I did get to see is a bunch of wonderful young Westmont students and helpers at the Village stay with kids as the police came and tried to sort things out.  People made pizza for the kids, brought them snacks, read them stories to keep their attention.  It takes a Village at the Village and the surrounding West Side.

So do the math and you arrive at Isaiah 61.  You can read it for yourself, but it begins with the calling of Christ and the Year of Jubilee.  The work of God will be freedom and the way of Christ will be incarnational.  He will not be distant from the needs of humanity but will center Himself right in there.  Literally He will pitch His tent in the center of camp and be in the worst situations possible.  Any reading of Mark 1-3 will remind us of all the situations He placed Himself in…

We don’t wait for some ethereal calling because that may never become, but we become obedient to the ever present calling as presented in the gospels.

I don’t want you to have the 911 call and I do want you to make the 911 call at the same time.  I am amazed that Westmont students anywhere from 18-22 years of age are doing this and living at the Village?  They have not run to the hills yet.  So thanks to you – I believe you will be the incarnational foundational leadership for the coming church, where mission will not be an option and not set aside for the few.

Talking straight – the population on the razor’s edge is immense.  I have heard from some people that we do not go because of the need – but I differ.  I believe Jesus came because of the need.  Remember the compassion of Christ when He saw so many without a shepherd.

I am not Jesus but understand that it is not a choice or an option to become like Him – it is the whole energy of the redemptive universe put into play to make me become like Him, and I have to join in.

I already have my mantra for the end of this year, and for 2010.  It will be the year of living generously.  Forgive me ahead of time for asking alot, because I will be on facebook, tweeting, emailing, hopefully churches will still have me share, perhaps dressed in a giant blueberry outfit and riding a unicycle to get attention for  the least of these and the forgotten and the neglected and end up in an institution enjoying pudding (I hope you will visit!)

So do the math and here is to the year of living generously!