This Saturday is Community Day.
And it's still not too late to get involved.
Members of the community and the church are invited to help clean up two areas of Glendale.
1) Extended Adopt-a-Block area. Meet at the church building at 10:00 a.m. Supplies are provided. We'll clean up local streets and sidewalks and remove grafitti. Here's a map.
2) Verdugo Park (near GCC). Meet at the park at 10:00 a.m. The City of Glendale will supervise the park cleanup and provide necessary materials. Here's a map.
Following the cleanups, we'll meet in the church parking lot for lunch and games around 12:00 p.m. It should be a great day for the neighborhood. I hope you can join us.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Monday, July 31, 2006
Spitting in the Face of God
Here's an excerpt from John M. Perkins's Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development. While Perkins is talking specifically about race issues in these paragraphs, the principle can be applied to any sort of distinctions I make between myself and someone else.
I think these attitudes have crippled our ability to be effective lovers of people. When I say "we," I'm referring to church universal. We believe the lie that we can't relate to people who are different from us and vice versa. What do you think?
I think these attitudes have crippled our ability to be effective lovers of people. When I say "we," I'm referring to church universal. We believe the lie that we can't relate to people who are different from us and vice versa. What do you think?
Today Christians study the science of withdrawing from others and then use it to attract converts. This so-called church growth or homogenous principle should make us question the church the same way we should question dehumanizing ghettos. It sugarcoats racial separation with a veneer of spirituality and in practice continues the legacy of segregation that divided whites and blacks into separate churches, relationships, and agendas.
Homogeneity does not mirror the image of God. It cheapens the people who proclaim it and mocks God’s call for us to be agents of reconciliation. What makes it even more harmful is how it is justified: “If we are segregated, more people will come and hear the gospel, which in turn, advances the kingdom of God.” This logic spits in the face of a holy God by playing to our human weaknesses and sin nature. At the same time that it increases the size of our churches’ membership, it retards their spiritual growth.
Monday, July 10, 2006
...what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
When I was a student in college, I used to park my car in a garage off-campus and walk back to my dorm. Usually late at night. I might have been naive, but I enjoyed those walks most nights. The neighborhood was quiet except for the freeway noise, but even that had slowed by one or two in the morning.
It was calming to be away from the freshmen in the dorm. When I moved out to LA, I was assaulted by the way the city is so packed, so busy, so transient. I didn't think it would ever feel like home. I didn't think I'd ever be able to relax. But I had dozens of good, relaxing walks in the wee morning hours between the garage and campus. It was probably only a four-block stroll, but it was a good buffer between the car and college. Occasionally I'd walk back with other students, but most of the time I was alone.
It was one of these nights as I walked beneath the freeway that he came bicycling toward me, singing. I don't remember what the tune was, but he had a smile on his face and a plastic garbage bag full of bottles and aluminum cans bouncing from his handlebars as he weaved across the empty lanes of Jefferson.
I hoped he would ride past, not out of fear but just wanting to be left alone. I didn't want him to ask me for money, and definitely didn't want to have to answer. No such luck. He was friendly and said he needed money for groceries for his family. I gave him some cash, but started to feel bold. I asked him his name, about his family, and if we could pray briefly. We did. He introduced himself as Lamont Cranston.
We both went our separate ways, but as I walked back to the dorm, I told myself I wouldn't forget that name, and that I would keep praying for Lamont. A couple years later, I was an upperclassman researching radio serials for a film project when I discovered the classic radio show, The Shadow. I loved it and listened to every recording I could find online. But I hadn't made it through one episode when it hit me. The Shadow's alter ego, his "Clark Kent" identity, is Lamont Cranston. I went back to my journal where I'd written down the name a couple years earlier. No mistake.
Did "Lamont" give me an alias? Had I somehow gotten it wrong? Or was it his real name after all? I'll probably never know, but I do know that it got me thinking. The Shadow's special power is invisibility. He hides in the shadows of the noir world in which he lives. He sees everything the crooked politicians, the thugs, the police, what everyone is doing, then gets the jump on them when they least expect it.
Are there people that we can't see, people invisible to us? Or that we on some level choose not to see? People who are different from us? Who don't share enough in common with us to spark the "care engine" in our hearts? I know it's easier for me to care about someone I feel close to, someone with whom I share common bonds. A blogger friend of mine has a recent post about this idea that how we define ourselves shapes how we react to others, and ultimately, to whom we choose to show kindness.
As he approached me on his bicycle at 1:00 AM in South LA, I didn't think "Lamont" was a guy I had a lot in common with. I don't know how honest our interaction was that night -- on either side -- but he's got me thinking almost seven years later. One thing I learned that night, and was reminded of listening to those old radio shows, once you find out you've been in the presence of The Shadow, you never forget it.
It was calming to be away from the freshmen in the dorm. When I moved out to LA, I was assaulted by the way the city is so packed, so busy, so transient. I didn't think it would ever feel like home. I didn't think I'd ever be able to relax. But I had dozens of good, relaxing walks in the wee morning hours between the garage and campus. It was probably only a four-block stroll, but it was a good buffer between the car and college. Occasionally I'd walk back with other students, but most of the time I was alone.
It was one of these nights as I walked beneath the freeway that he came bicycling toward me, singing. I don't remember what the tune was, but he had a smile on his face and a plastic garbage bag full of bottles and aluminum cans bouncing from his handlebars as he weaved across the empty lanes of Jefferson.
I hoped he would ride past, not out of fear but just wanting to be left alone. I didn't want him to ask me for money, and definitely didn't want to have to answer. No such luck. He was friendly and said he needed money for groceries for his family. I gave him some cash, but started to feel bold. I asked him his name, about his family, and if we could pray briefly. We did. He introduced himself as Lamont Cranston.
We both went our separate ways, but as I walked back to the dorm, I told myself I wouldn't forget that name, and that I would keep praying for Lamont. A couple years later, I was an upperclassman researching radio serials for a film project when I discovered the classic radio show, The Shadow. I loved it and listened to every recording I could find online. But I hadn't made it through one episode when it hit me. The Shadow's alter ego, his "Clark Kent" identity, is Lamont Cranston. I went back to my journal where I'd written down the name a couple years earlier. No mistake.
Did "Lamont" give me an alias? Had I somehow gotten it wrong? Or was it his real name after all? I'll probably never know, but I do know that it got me thinking. The Shadow's special power is invisibility. He hides in the shadows of the noir world in which he lives. He sees everything the crooked politicians, the thugs, the police, what everyone is doing, then gets the jump on them when they least expect it.
Are there people that we can't see, people invisible to us? Or that we on some level choose not to see? People who are different from us? Who don't share enough in common with us to spark the "care engine" in our hearts? I know it's easier for me to care about someone I feel close to, someone with whom I share common bonds. A blogger friend of mine has a recent post about this idea that how we define ourselves shapes how we react to others, and ultimately, to whom we choose to show kindness.
As he approached me on his bicycle at 1:00 AM in South LA, I didn't think "Lamont" was a guy I had a lot in common with. I don't know how honest our interaction was that night -- on either side -- but he's got me thinking almost seven years later. One thing I learned that night, and was reminded of listening to those old radio shows, once you find out you've been in the presence of The Shadow, you never forget it.
Community Day Website
Check out www.glendalechurchofchrist.org/community to see info on our upcoming day of service, Community Day. If you have any projects in the Glendale-Burbank-Pasadena-Los Feliz areas that we can tackle in a few hours on August 19 and/or if you'd like to be a volunteer, send me an email.
The current design of the site is temporary. We will be updating it as new information becomes available.
The current design of the site is temporary. We will be updating it as new information becomes available.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Upcoming Events for July
A quick update on what we've got cooking for July and August...
Sorry the posts have been sparse thus far. Keep checking back for more updates on upcoming events and other community-related material.
- Sat. July 8 (10:00-11:30 AM) Monthly Adopt-a-Block Clean-Up
- Sat. July 15 (8:00 AM-3:00 PM) Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Day
- Sun. July 30 (9:30-11:00 AM) Community-Themed Worship Service
- Sat. August 19 (9:00 AM-???) COMMUNITY DAY 2006
Sorry the posts have been sparse thus far. Keep checking back for more updates on upcoming events and other community-related material.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Why Community?
If you're a church "insider," the words Community Ministry may sound unfamiliar. They were to me, but that's part of the reason I chose them.
I've heard of Outreach, Benevolence, Caring, and Charity Ministries. Until late 2005, we had a Benevolence Ministry, in fact. But all those names seemed to leave something out at best, or at worst, imply the wrong thing.
I didn't want this ministry to be about handouts or charity. Charity is easy. It most often involves writing a check or volunteering a couple hours, then our commitment is fulfilled.
We shouldn't get off the hook so easily. It's a temporary relief for those on the receiving end that demands little of either side in the process. You can and often do walk away after you've given someone a handout. There's nothing wrong with it, but I think Jesus's command to love our neighbors asks for a committment of a different level. Building community is much more difficult, but the dividends are far greater.
Larry James of Central Dallas Ministries likes to use the term "hand up" as opposed to "hand out." CDM has a network of programs and partners designed to move people forward, to give them a hand up through the system, whether it be food, housing, health care, legal aid, job skills, employment, or something else. While we don't have the infrastructure of CDM, the philosophy is important.
You give a hand up to a friend. It takes more of a commitment, because you're invested in someone's well-being. A relationship has formed, and there is now a life and a distinct set of circumstances behind that face. It is much more difficult to walk away from a relationship, but funny enough, when you have a relationship with someone, it's easier to go the extra mile.
This ministry will seek to build friendships between church members and our neighbors. When we are friends, our interests become mutual. In a community, all sides contribute to the health of each other. As we get to know each other, I suspect we will find much to gain on all sides. I think that's God's plan for Christian community.
A church that insulates itself from its community or flees from it is no church at all. That's not the Body Jesus died to save. Neither should a building be the only recognizable presence of the church within its community.
I've heard of Outreach, Benevolence, Caring, and Charity Ministries. Until late 2005, we had a Benevolence Ministry, in fact. But all those names seemed to leave something out at best, or at worst, imply the wrong thing.
I didn't want this ministry to be about handouts or charity. Charity is easy. It most often involves writing a check or volunteering a couple hours, then our commitment is fulfilled.
We shouldn't get off the hook so easily. It's a temporary relief for those on the receiving end that demands little of either side in the process. You can and often do walk away after you've given someone a handout. There's nothing wrong with it, but I think Jesus's command to love our neighbors asks for a committment of a different level. Building community is much more difficult, but the dividends are far greater.
Larry James of Central Dallas Ministries likes to use the term "hand up" as opposed to "hand out." CDM has a network of programs and partners designed to move people forward, to give them a hand up through the system, whether it be food, housing, health care, legal aid, job skills, employment, or something else. While we don't have the infrastructure of CDM, the philosophy is important.
You give a hand up to a friend. It takes more of a commitment, because you're invested in someone's well-being. A relationship has formed, and there is now a life and a distinct set of circumstances behind that face. It is much more difficult to walk away from a relationship, but funny enough, when you have a relationship with someone, it's easier to go the extra mile.
This ministry will seek to build friendships between church members and our neighbors. When we are friends, our interests become mutual. In a community, all sides contribute to the health of each other. As we get to know each other, I suspect we will find much to gain on all sides. I think that's God's plan for Christian community.
A church that insulates itself from its community or flees from it is no church at all. That's not the Body Jesus died to save. Neither should a building be the only recognizable presence of the church within its community.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Dream Team
We had a productive meeting Sunday. Last time we met, we generated a host of ideas. This time, we honed our agenda for the rest of the year and began the process of tackling the nuts and bolts required to pull off some ambitious programs.
If you couldn't be there Sunday, I hope you'll join us next time. These meetings have been both inspiring times to dream as well as exciting times as we see plans take shape and start down the road to reality.
And if you are interested in joining the Community Day planning team, let me know. We will be meeting soon to nail down plans for this August event that will serve as a launchpad for other programs. We will work side by side with our neighbors to serve residents of our cities in the morning at several project sites, and then party together in the afternoon back at the church parking lot.
Some areas of Community Day where you can help:
- Service Project Planning
- Advertising/Community Involvement
- Sponsorships
- Food
- Games
- Basketball Tournament
In addition to Community Day, we have a busy summer ahead of us. We'll be cleaning our Adopt-a-Block area monthly, working at the Habitat site on July 15, hosting a community game night in late July, and planning a community-themed worship service for Sunday, July 30.
Things are happening, and we need the whole body to make them work! Please pray now for the hearts of those we will meet through these activities. And pray for our own hearts as we are challenged and called into service and commitment to one another and our neighbors.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Adopt-a-Block
Saturday, June 10 will be our first Adopt-a-Block clean-up day. We'll meet in the Spazier lot at 10:00 a.m.
We'll pick up trash, remove graffiti, and generally clean up Spazier Avenue between Glenwood and Glenoaks Boulevard, as well as Glenoaks between Spazier and Elm. The City of Glendale will provide the necessary supplies. Just show up!
We'll pick up trash, remove graffiti, and generally clean up Spazier Avenue between Glenwood and Glenoaks Boulevard, as well as Glenoaks between Spazier and Elm. The City of Glendale will provide the necessary supplies. Just show up!
Habitat Work Day Rescheduled
Good news! The church's volunteer day with Habitat for Humanity's Palmer project in Glendale has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 15. We will start work around 8 a.m. and wrap around 3 p.m. We'll post a new sign up sheet shortly.
Have a home improvement project coming up? Are you a contractor looking for a place to donate materials left over from previous jobs? Check out the Builders Surplus Store in Pasadena. We went on Saturday and found it's a great resource for just about any project. And all proceeds benefit the San Gabriel Valley Habitat.
Additionally, Habitat is looking for volunteers to provide lunches on volunteer work days. And they can always use volunteers during the week in their office. If you're interested in helping with either of these, let me know by leaving a post here (or contact Habitat directly) so we can set this up. It's important that as people of faith we support and advocate for those who are tackling poverty in our community.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Habitat Work Day Postponed
We will not be volunteering at the Habitat site on Saturday. Due to problems on the site, the structural engineer has had to revise the drawings. They now plan to start work in June. I will keep you updated and will let you know as soon as we set a new date.
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