Amos in America

We've been taking a couple weeks to do a thematic "walk-through" of the book of Amos in our Sunday morning young adults class.

Israel and Judah both found themselves in a time of great prosperity. The rich were getting richer, the military was quite the force to be reckoned with, and comfort and extravagance abounded. But there was a price. There is always a price. The middle class had disappeared and the poor were paying for the rich lives of those at the top. Justice was absent from the courts and making a buck in business trumped any moral concerns. Idolatry was on the rise and those who "kept the commandments" were doing so out of habit and rite; their hearts missed the point. Clearly nothing at all like America in the 21st Century.

Last week we talked about the opulence of the rich and the oppression of the poor. Tomorrow we'll talk about the complacency of God's people and the corruption of the religious folk that contributed to Israel's fall from God's favor. God has some nasty things to say about the "church folk" and their "worship services."

I thought I'd post Eugene Peterson's introduction to Amos from The Message. Heavy stuff for us church folk. (Emphasis mine...)

More people are exploited and abused in the cause of religion than in any other way. Sex, money, and power all take a back seat to religion as a source of evil. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. The biblical prophets are in the front line of those doing something about it.

The biblical prophets continue to be the most powerful and effective voices ever heard on this earth for keeping religion honest, humble, and compassionate. Prophets sniff out injustice, especially injustice that is dressed up in religious garb. They sniff it out a mile away. Prophets see through hypocrisy, especially hypocrisy that assumes a religious pose. Prophets are not impressed by position or power or authority. They aren't taken in by numbers, size, or appearances of success.

They pay little attention to what men and women say about God or do for God. They listen to God and rigorously test all human language and action against what they hear. Among these prophets, Amos towers as defender of the downtrodden poor and accuser of the powerful rich who use God's name to legitimize their sin.

None of us can be trusted in this business. If we pray and worship God and associate with others who likewise pray and worship God, we absolutely must keep company with these biblical prophets. We are required to submit all our words and acts to their passionate scrutiny to prevent the perversion of our religion into something self-serving. A spiritual life that doesn't give a large place to the prophet-articulated justice will end up making us worse instead of better, separating us from God's ways instead of drawing us into them.

How Do You Feel About Partnerships?

If a church in our neighborhood expressed an interest in partnering with us to accomplish a common goal, how would you react?  In many ways, my answer would depend on the goal.  Let's say it's to feed hungry people.  What do you think?

 

Churches of Christ have traditionally avoided partnerships with other churches largely (based on my understanding) to avoid giving some sort of imagined, implied, or overt approval to doctrines or practices that differ from our understanding of the Bible.  I think this can be a valid concern.  We certainly don't want to distort the Gospel or leave people confused.

 

But is it acceptable to address issues within our community such as hunger and homelessness, massing more resources, more volunteers, more compassion, and more will than what we have on our own?  Is the bleeding victim on the side of the road to be left bleeding over doctrinal discrepancies?

 

You've probably guessed my bias, and I apologize for that, because I want this to be an open conversation where all points of view are valued and heard.  It's a conversation that I believe needs to happen, and it must be compassionate, patient, and loving.  But I guess I just need to share that I'm starting to see opportunities where we are greater together than apart.  We are already partnered with a nonreligious organization (PATH) to address our community's needs.  Is it dicier when we start talking about people who have so much in common with our beliefs?

A Powerful Room

Yesterday I had lunch in an incredibly powerful room.  There were no lawmakers or celebrities present.  But the power of those gathered was awesome.  It was mostly church and temple folk.  Yesterday was PATH's Faith Matters luncheon.  What an exciting afternoon!  Over 45 faith communities and networks were represented.  There was no lack of will in that room.  If we can coordinate our passion for the homeless as a united community of people who believe it is morally wrong to allow 90,000 people, 40% of whom are women and children, to be without housing in one of the richest cities in the world's richest nation, I believe the lid will blow off this issue.  Lawmakers, officials, and voters will have no choice but to listen.

 

Personally, I met and learned of some folks right here in Glendale that are potential partners for us in our limited work.  Meeting like-minded people is exciting, and seeing potential to combine resources is a great feeling.

 

There are plans for more such lunches and other opportunities to harness the powerful will of these faith communities.  Thank you, PATH, for making this a priority!

 

You can read PATH's Exec. Director's, Joel Roberts, post on the lunch here.

 

FAITH Matters at PATH

I'll be attending a luncheon next week at PATH's Regional Homeless Center in LA. PATH Partners is building an intra-faith coalition called FAITH Matters, "committed to taking a public stand to end homelessness in words AND in action." I've been looking forward to the start of this program for over a year now, and I'm very excited to see it get off the ground.

FAITH Matters is seeking input from the faith communities of Los Angeles regarding how we can be a part of the solution. If you have any suggestions, insights, or questions you'd like me to bring up, share them in the comments section.

Adopt-a-Block Upgrade

This is kind of a silly post, but those of you who are there every month for Adopt-a-Block may be excited by this news. Starting in June, your cleanup efforts will be aided by the tool below...

2007 Plan - Redux

It's interesting to see how things develop. If you want to check out the previous plan crafted during the budget process, you can read it here.

This year we're focusing on four themes, one during each quarter. Q1 was Service, Q2 is Poverty, Q3 is Cultures, and Q4 is Hunger and Homelessness.

During Q1 we kicked off our Guest Chef program at PATH, talked a little in small groups about local agencies and the potential for partnering with them in their work.

We are in the midst of Q2, focusing on Poverty and its effects in our communities, nation, and world. This is a time for us to consider our own resources and how they might best be used not only in temporary, charitable relief programs, but in works that can play a role in turning the systemic tide that reinforces generational poverty. A lofty goal, to be sure, but a conversation well-worth having, and one that is morally imperative.

In Q3 we'll look at multi-cultural communication. What are the barriers that we face or that we create in building community with neighbors who have a wholly different culture? How can we overcome our own presuppositions and stereotypes to make way for effective communication and friendship? Good things to talk about in regards to our community outside the church, as well as the one we've got inside it already.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is the week before Thanksgiving every year, and this year, serves as our centerpiece for Q4. We will also look at an exciting opportunity for a potential long-term program at our church during Q4.

So stay plugged in as we continue to explore our community and find ways to love our neighbors, build partnerships that make a difference in quality of life, and play our small role in God's redemptive work.

Catching Up

Well, this site looks pretty sad. If I stopped by as a casual surfer, I'd assume this feeble foray into building community had fizzled. The truth is, while perhaps still feeble, we are still going. I will have a more detailed post later in the week to give you a picture of our year so far and where we're headed in the second half of 2007. In the meantime, here are some shots to bring you up to speed on what's happening.

• Big Sunday 2007 is behind us. We captained the family cookout at Palmer Park this year with our new friends at PATH Achieve Glendale. It was a great afternoon with lots of fun, food, and new friendships.

You can see even more Big Sunday pictures here.


• Just yesterday, we celebrated one year of Adopt-a-Blocking! And check out the spiffy new shirts. They've caught some attention in the neighborhood. Di and I took a break from picking up trash on one of the new, state-of-the-art invisible park benches that the city has been installing all over town. They blend right in to the surroundings...amazing!

• Tonight was our third monthly guest chef night at PATH Achieve. The pics below are from previous visits, but keep an eye out for shots of the moms who we had the honor of honoring on Mothers Day.

LA Regional Food Bank

We had a great time pretending to work for Disney on Saturday -- those of us who don't work for Disney, that is. A big thanks to Ben and Melissa for making it possible for us to piggyback on the VoluntEARS day at the LA Regional Food Bank.

We got a lot of food sorted. Watching everyone work, I was proud to be a part of this group. I think Erin's ready to run her own food bank!

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week...

...is this week. To learn more, visit the National Coalition for the Homeless. They've chosen the week before Thanksgiving for their annual observance. Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

According to the January 2005 "count" conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 88,345 people are estimated to be homeless at a given time in the Los Angeles area.

The LA Regional Food Bank estimates that 1 in 10 people in the LA area are at risk of hunger.

Join us in prayer this week, and in action throughout the year to make whatever dent we can in these numbers. You have an opportunity this Saturday, Nov. 18, at the LA Regional Food Bank from 9am-12pm. Let me know if you and your family would like to volunteer.

Open Door Policy

Last Sunday the front doors facing Glenoaks stood open before our worship assembly.

I didn't expect much to come of it. I thought it would probably mean more to our members who usually come in the back door than to our neighbors walking or driving by outside. But as I looked out the doors, an older gentleman walked past, and when he saw that they were open, he stopped and stared.

And stared. It was a little weird, actually. I kept thinking he would keep walking. But he didn't. I went down the steps to say hello. I said, "I bet you've been walking past this building for years and never seen these doors open."

He said, "Armen, no English." I said, "Parev," which, if you get past my butchering of the Armenian language, means "hello."

He laughed and returned the greeting with the correct pronunciation. He tried to teach me "Good morning." Then he pointed to himself and said, "Yess;" he pointed to me and said, "Toun." Then he pointed to the church and said, "Toun chin?" Are you?

He genuflected, and again said he was Armenian, indicating he is a member of the Armenian Church. He gestured for something to write on. When I returned with paper, he filled it with the numbers 1-9, the Armenian alphabet, and his name in Armenian characters. His name is Degron. I thanked him and we attempted to exchange names. I expect my conversation with Degron will continue. I'm sure I'll see him again, and I hope to have a few new words by then.

We each have something to offer others. But if our doors are closed, those chance encounters never get a shot at becoming conversations. And though they may start slowly with a language barrier, when we open the doors to the outside -- to the "other" -- we find that we each have an alphabet, each have a name, each have something to share. It may take a little extra work, but boy is it worth it.

Degron gave me a boost last Sunday. I went into church feeling alive, that I am -- we are -- part of not only our own church community, but of something larger. And it's all because we opened the doors.