Archive for May, 2010

Friday, May 21st, 2010

A new summer of love has begun – fitting that it starts over a Guinness at Elsie’s Tavern.

I am thinking what a strange scene this is, or perhaps it isn’t that strange after all.  A new friend interrupted the smaller discussions with a much larger one – “I have a question for you all – what is the gospel?”

Here we are – a grass root bunch of renegades, Westmont grads, and traveling friends seated at Elsie’s Tavern talking about Jesus.  Couldn’t really ask for anything better.  The conversation was incredible, authentic, and convicting.  A new initiative is in full swing here.

The new summer of love will be focused on Shalom – and an unlikely band of friends is pulling together to envision just what this might be.

Wednesday I went from 4am to 11pm – living within three local love initiatives on the West Side, Pershing Park and Santa Barbara Bars (Elsie’s Tavern and The Mercury Lounge).  I was going to leave Elsie’s and go home, when a friend called and wanted to hang out at the Lounge.  Seriously?  But it was a great time with him as well.

It started with Westmont students and grads and mentors at 6am in the morning at the Village.  This is where we meet to support each other, read about Shalom, and build these initiatives.  What a great time we had, despite the early morning occasional drowsy moments.  From there a few of us walking on the Wild West Side, praying and dreaming.

From there it was individual time with some of these shalomic dreamers.  Meeting on State Street and at random places.  Each person has a wonderful destiny within the larger picture.  I appreciate and love each person dedicated to this work!

Off to Pershing Park, where the stories are both wonderful and tragic.  After four years of relationship there, they know us and we know them well.  We learn from one another every night.  A new friend from Brooks comes to take photos of our friends.

I am struck most by the story of an a woman who is older, living in a car, not wanting to tell her family where she is to burden them.  She is soft spoken but strong.  But the story is complex and I try to work my mind around it.  But, tonight at Pershing, at least she is not alone.  We will walk with her to see how we might help her out of the car and into housing.

Then off to Elsies, where I meet new and old friends, and a sojourner in this state ends the evening with the discussion about the gospel and its relevance within 21st century culture.

It is exponential growth time.  It is exponential opportunity time.  I exist in the peaceful eye of the hurricane.  I get to see it every day – and I get to tell you about it.  I want to tell you so you can join in and not miss the story here in our city.

The Summer of Shalom kicked off this week – and it will grow into the year of Shalom – where we have big dreams of what the Lord can do.

Posted in Elsies Tavern, Pershing Park, State Street, The Village, Uffizi Mission, Westmont, homeless, jesus, postmodernism, santa barbara, shalom | 2 Comments »

love/hate 24/7

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

I almost don’t want to write this, but I don’t know where I am going with it today…

I am borderline with mixed emotions and motivations.  Depressingly prophetic… wondering is it time really for the capital P “prophetic” that everyone warns me not to be, that I don’t myself want to be.  I did not choose this job – would rather myself sometimes be going to Maui or something like that.  It chose me (I submit myself to God in this)

Yet I do love it too.  Because I love my friends on the streets.

That is why I am borderline – love/hate 24/7.  I guess that is really no way to live – except that I see that it seems to be historically true of the prophetic spirit.  They live to die to live again.  The weight they carry is really societies ultimate freedom.

But let’s get ourselves educated here.

There are young people on the streets who have never been properly parented and loved.  And so God says to His people – care for the widows and the orphans.  That is true spirituality, proof of your proximity to me.  Why are there so many orphans that are invisible to us?  I talked with some last night – who want to get off the streets, but need a plan and a community to help them get there.

And there are the elderly – talked with a woman last night who has lost the proof of her identity and is now living in a car.  She is a soft spoken woman, a bit dazed and confused by her current situation.  She needs $380 to get her naturalization papers, which will lead to her being able to get food stamps, etc… in motion forward here.

I went out for the first time with a clip board to Pershing Park last night, to take notes on peoples’ stories so we could follow up step by step.  Part of me said don’t do this, but then you have some responsibility here.  But I do it because I recognize the many gaps in the system… there are places for people to go, but often times they don’t know where that next step is, or they don’t quite fit with the system (pregnant couples who have dogs for example – it is complex)

I came away with 4 stories to follow up on and pester all of you about.  I apologize ahead of time – perhaps God will just have to fire me.

And then this morning I got up early to go to coffee with some friends – usually very casual.  But God has other plans – we end up talking with new young friends who are or have been homeless, same story of dysfunctional family structures, now in need of help.  Come on!  It’s 6am in the morning God – and I already have a clipboard full.  Love/hate 24/7  Because by missional synchronicity God puts me in these places at “kairos” moments.

Well, perhaps, just at the right time – we are waking up to the calling toward widows and orphans and aliens and sojourners.  This summer is full of new risk takers coming on board to be in the real life of the city.  I see that churches are housing these brave new world men and women.  I see more churches are organizations and grass root friends coming to be with and potentially step up to empower the poor.

Will it be in time?  Will it be enough?  I am not sure really – but I will stick with my life of love/hate 24/7.  And as awkward and wrong as it sounds, I invite you in to the same life.

Posted in postmodernism | No Comments »

Street Super Heroes

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Iron Man 2 is about the come out – don’t go see it – become super hero advocate yourself and do away with fantasy worlds.  This coming from an avid comic book collector in my JH days – but time to put away childish things.

I realized today the power of an advocate.  My street friends called me a super-hero – I told them I was just their friend.  What I recognize is the real need for middle to upper class advocates.  People don’t often to listen to friends on the streets – and sometimes they get turned away from agencies that can actually help them – until they get an advocate.

I see now that with all that someone on the streets has to deal with (how to find work, where to sleep, how to find food, how to get clean clothes, where to do laundry, where is a shower, how do I protect myself at night, how do I get a sleeping bag, who can help my pet dog, how do I protect my belongings, etc…), it is difficult to go back to the same place more than once when you have a huge need.  You were turned down once, so you can’t get in.

Well, I can make phone calls, find web sites, pester people until I find the right person to talk to… and that is simply what an advocate does.

And I wonder about us Jesus followers, who have this advocate – Jesus…. who advocates before the Father on our behalf consistently.  He set Himself right in the midst of our dilemma and made the way for us to find shelter in God.  So, how do we step up and learn the super advocate business.

Well, tell you what – hit the streets.  What do you sense and feel when you find three pregnant women on the streets?  What has happened to me is just the fact that I am not “fine with this scene.”  Something is wrong, something is amiss.  It is time for a choose your own ending response – and being a part of writing a new ending for people about to give up.

My friends were literally shaking today before this meeting at this shelter.  He had to have his smokes outside.  She said she was better off – she had faith.  She still has faith she tells me.

But, days earlier, they witnessed a street friend whipped by the belt of another – and no one came to the rescue because they are street youth.  Time for Super Advocates.

So I see the future.  I see street teams of advocates who have eyes to see – first, there should be no pregnant women on the streets.  Pregnancy is difficult enough right, and we care about the unborn, the innocent.  Next, I see men and women who recognize street youth and those who have come through the foster care system, and say, “You won’t be on the streets when you are 30, 40, 50 – let’s work on this now.”  And I see more and more people working hard with prayer and relationship with those who have suffered with addictions for years upon years, who will continue to be with them through relapse until the end if needed.

There will be less people watching films like Iron Man 2, too consumed with real life super advocacy.

Summer begins a new order.  Fall brings these teams.  I believe it – I see it.

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Where’s Waldo Gleanings

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

After spending about 2 hours seeking out a couple of street friends today – I thought I would blog what I gleaned from a real Where’s Waldo experience.

There are potentially 5 reasons my friends did not meet me at our designated spot today.

1. They forgot

2. They couldn’t get there

3. They left town

4. They found shelter

5. They avoided me

Yes, there are other reasons possible which I have experienced before – one or both of them is in jail, they are in trouble… so the list could get larger.  But, those are the probable ones.

When your friends are on the streets, you get used to them all.  They are just the reality of the deal.  This couple does not have a phone, so it can make it difficult to keep in touch.

And as I was traveling around trying to find them (this Waldo) – all kinds of thoughts come into mind, such as these:

*Is this how God feels in this cosmic hide and seek?  Seems very much like my life is Luke 15.  Of course I take into consideration that I share this same lostness in many ways, but this sort of love requires much seeking and sometimes very little finding.  Not only do I need to find them, but then find others to care for them, find shelter for them – the seeking game is long and drawn out.

*Wow – there are alot of people out there!  I went to Pershing Park (the Hank Show), to East Beach, to Hamburger Habit, up and down State Street.  Alot of people on the streets and shelterless… thoughts fly as to all the stories out there and how this happened?

*And, this one – I realized again that the vast majority of the world is outside of the building Sunday am.  And, for some reason, that is where God has settled me… to be with them.  What a strange predicament :)  Remembering that each person outside has a reason for being outside of the church, and wondering again, just why that is so – it intrigues me to have conversations with everyone outside to find out why.

Oh, aren’t we all just a little bit lost.  Me, the one seeking… does not know the full way myself.  I am not privy to why I can’t find them, or perhaps what they really need?  There are certainly friends from my past who consider me lost because I am out there on the streets spending hours perhaps with people who are just playing me at certain junctures.

I will end this day with lunch with a couple of friends – both of whom I know as a part of the Pershing Park community.  I believe they will be there.  But this now has become my life, these friends on the streets as confused as well all are.

The central thing – Jesus is with us – the incarnational bottom line truth that holds this all together.

Posted in Pershing Park, State Street, homeless, jesus, santa barbara | No Comments »