NieuCommunities Golden Hill

A Revolutionary Movement right here, in San Diego

2010-07-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

I was recently looking back at my journal, seeing that it was all the way back in 2007 that Sophia and I first visited the Golden Hill area of San Diego, thinking this could be the place we might relocate and become part of a brand new community of faith, hope and love called NieuCommunities San Diego. While I spent our first number of visits trying to envision what it might be like to live and work here (and quite honestly, struggling with that possibility), one thing stood out to me… the art.

It was on the sidewalks and streets. It popped up in unexpected places. Flyers and postcards advertising events and happenings adorned every coffeehouse. I began to see and hear about art events and happenings, often paired with music by local musicians. As a guy who's been intrigued with art as long as I can remember, this was particularly exciting for me. It felt fresh and vibrant, like something important and new was happening in this little corner of the world. Though Sophia and I really didn't know what this would mean—we'd never seen anything like this in the suburban sameness of Orange County—it excited us both, and we looked forward to this being part of our life here with NieuCommunities in San Diego.

Since moving to Golden Hill, we've had the opportunity to meet a lot of artists, befriend a number of them, help launch The Handmade Revolution with other local creatives, and start Make Good. What amazing opportunities we've had so far, for sure. As we've delved deeper into the culture of art here in San Diego, I'm just now beginning to realize the depth and breadth of the art scene, and it's growing impact on our city and the culture, thinking and influences around us.

And growing, it surely is.

Last week a lecture called the San Diego Arts and Culture Forum was held. It was a packed house, surprising a lot of people at the interest of the arts scene in San Diego. Conversations are taking place in and around the idea of art as an influential medium, and what that means to the people of San Diego. And a growing number of people seemed to be taking part of it.

Viva la Revolucion
This weekend, a new exhibition called Viva La Revolucion opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown San Diego. It's a gathering of some of the most influential international street artists in the world, including Shepard Fairey, Invaders and Banksy. These aren't mere taggers, but artists who believe art needs to be accessible (I happen to share that passion), and as a result they often bring their art to the street. More than art just for art's sake, many of these artists are leveraging their medium to further agendas of truth, justice and ideas. As urban populations around the world grow, the dialogue between art and the urban landscape intensifies. This exhibition is a reflection of that reality, and an important one at that.

Survey Select
This Friday, an exciting art exhibition begins (and runs thru Sept 15th), called Survey Select. Local San Diego curator Mark Murphy leads this effort, one in which he brings influential artists, films, writers and performers from all over the world to San Diego. The format follows the Art Salon era of the early 20th century, a time and method in which powerful new art movements were started in Europe. I'm particularly excited at the centralized theme around which this exhibition is built, that of "narrative art" and "storytelling." The fact that an art event of this magnitude in incubating here in San Diego is profound. Located at the old Wonderbread factory in East Village, this ought to be a great series of events to participate in.

Entijuanarte
Then in September, Entijuanarte happens in Tijuana. A few of us attended this surprising art and music event last Fall in Tijuana, and were blown away at the creativity that seemed to be occurring south of The Wall. This is also where we first met Tecui, who has since become part of Make Good. What amazed me most was the lack of San Diego participation. I think we were among the only non-Mexicans in attendance. It was both sad and exhilarating for me, as it felt like were had stumbled on a little-known gem in our backyard. I can't wait to attend again this Fall.

Believe it or not, this just scratches the surface of the art events happening here in San Diego. Ray At Night happens every Thursday night in North Park, The North Park Music Thing is coming up (featuring a hundred local music acts)… the list goes on and on.

All of this fuses into something greater than I'd ever hoped for when moving to San Diego. That art—in all it's permutations, cultures, languages, mediums and expressions—is being leveraged, experimented with, and grown in new and influential ways, right here in San Diego and Tijuana.

Why does this matter?

Because as we continue to pursue how best to engage in conversations with the world around us about the greatest truth and hope of all, others are already having deep and profound conversations in these new, influential mediums… mediums and conversations that don't occur inside the walls of a traditional, institutional church setting.

All of which stirs me to wonder… how can we become part of that? Whether you're an artist/musician or not, whether you know about art or know nothing, it's doesn't matter. You can still be part of this important cultural current that is happening right her in our city, right now. I know I will. I hope you'll join me.

Jon

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T22:16:00.001-07:00

My peeps, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Making Room

2010-04-07T08:55:00.001-07:00

"It is in the shelter of each other that people live." - Irish Proverb

Our Community reading for the "Inviting Posture" has been Making Room by Christine Pohl. The quote above falls at the end of chapter 8 entitled, "Making a Place for Hospitality." Pohl contends that an open heart to others assumes an open home or common space. And it it in this space that people truly LIVE.

I've been pondering what this looks like practically for us as a community here in Golden Hill. How do we BE a community of hospitality, including those on the margins of our city.

I wonder how God might be inviting us to practice more hospitality within the common space of our community.

There are so many who go to bed alone at night, covered in darkness and despair. Isolation is not what God intended for humanity. Hospitality is a central part of our identity as followers of the Jesus.

May we continue to listen, learn and live out the shelter of God as the body of Christ.

a learning community

2010-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

"In times of change, the learners will inherit the earth, while the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." - Eric Hoffer

New Roots Garden

2010-03-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, some of us spent a rainy (periodically storming) day volunteering at the New Roots urban garden in City Heights. Facilitated by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), New Roots is a 2.3 acre urban garden, providing plots for approximately 80 families representing 12 countries, all refugees who fled from oppressive or dangerous circumstances, and relocated here to San Diego. Through this garden, these refugee families are able to grow their own affordable, healthy food, many of which can't be found in markets here in San Diego. Some sell extra produce grown to local restaurants, providing an additional source of revenue for their families.

Volunteers were of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity and age. It was a small taste of the kingdom of God, a rich experience that went far beyond merely shoveling and moving mulch. Thanks to Michael Kolbas for coordinating the event, and all the work you do for the Garden and the IRC.

/jon

Mark McAfee and raw milk

2010-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Mark McAfee Speaks about Raw Milk

On Saturday, John and Bri Coghlan invited Mark McAfee from Organic Pastures in the Central Valley (one of only two raw milk producers in California) to come to Golden Hill and talk with us about the benefits of drinking raw milk. Mark is a passionate, compelling speaker with an amazing knowledge not just of the benefits of drinking raw milk, but on the food industry as a whole.

A bunch of us at NieuCommunities San Diego have been exploring issues of food justice and understanding the benefits of eating natural, truly organic, locally grown food, the way that God made it. Mark's insights were terrific. And dang, the raw milk samples he brought tasted amazing.

The audio recording is 1:48 (that's nearly two hours long), but it's amazing stuff. Mark is a great speaker, so pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee (or raw milk), kick back, and listen up.

You can follow Organic Pastures on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Note: the recording is downloadable (see the down-arrow to the right of the player) and can be embedded in your own blog or website. Mark encouraged us to share this, blog it, and pass it around.

/jon

in defense of "missional"

2010-02-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

The word "missional" is one of those words that came on by storm a few years ago and is already losing its cachet. It's been widely misunderstood and generally misused, and now some are calling for it to be jettisoned from our vocabulary all together. I was tempted to jump on the bandwagon until I read Christopher Wright's examination of the word in the introduction of his notable book, The Mission of God. Wright makes a strong case for the importance and use of the word missional especially in light of what words like mission and missionary have come to mean in people's minds today.

I agree with Wright's assessment that the word mission now refers to all kinds of human endeavors, eternal or not. Lots of people, businesses, and churches have personal and corporate mission's statements that attempt to describe the unique task they've set out to accomplish. That kind of focus can certainly be helpful, but in our attempts to distinguish ourselves from others we inevitably end up using mission in a narrower, more individualized, customized sense. Mission is what we do and how we do it. Hopefully our unique missions are connected to the mission of God, but they're rarely assumed to be synonymous with the mission of God.

Missionary has become an even more limiting word. Missionaries are seen as unusual people who are called to carry-out the task of mission usually in some far away place. Not many people can identify with the calling of the missionary and even fewer would want to be one.

It's against this backdrop that the word missional entered our conversation. It's not a verb that refers to a customized task, (our mission), or a noun that refers to a unique kind of person doing a unique kind of work (i.e. a missionary). It's a powerful adjective that denotes that whatever comes after it is related to or characterized by the mission of God to redeem and reconcile all of creation. A missional life then is a life that is actively experiencing and extending God's redemption and reconciliation. And a community is only missional if it is collectively experiencing and extending the redemptive and reconciling mission of God.

As an adjective, missional redefines everything that follows it and gives it new meaning and identity. It reminds us of who we are, who we're related to, and the ultimate mission we have all been invited to participate in. And that makes it worth keeping.

Coffee in Ensenada

2010-02-19T23:58:00.001-08:00

Coffee in Ensenada, originally uploaded by hallywood.

having coffee at Cafe Tomas, Ensenada, B.C., Mexico

A couple of Saturdays ago, some friends and I spent the day driving the beautiful Baja coastline to Ensenada, where we had breakfast with friends who live there. We then migrated across town to their favorite coffeehouse in Ensenada, Cafe Tomas, for coffee and conversation.

It was great just hanging out with our friends. Danny, a talented photographer, talked with me about what it looks like to balance work and life. Lucy, his wife, told us about some of the cool things she's a part of at Yugo, a group that pairs up Americans and Mexicans to make a difference in the lives of Mexico's most needy. She has a growing role at Yugo that seems to leverage her gifts well, and she's able to hand off much of what she's learning to a young Mexican lady, mentoring her toward a better future.

Together with David and Karen—who live in Ensenada and continue to press toward that which matters most in life—we talked about what it might look like for our two groups of friends, Americans and Mexicans, to pursue God/life/friendship from two sides of the border.

It's an exciting, yet not a simple task. I'm realizing that riding in on my white American horse to save the day among Mexico's poor is of little benefit, either for us well-intentioned Americans, or those we profess to serve. How much better it is to get to know those living in Mexico, both the haves and have-nots, the found and lost, the hopeful and the hopeless. How much we stand to learn from these earthen people who live life at a different pace, valuing friendship and life together in deep and profound ways.

I do believe we (Americanos) have something to offer. Most notably, ourselves. I'm more fortunate than I can articulate, living where I do, able to visit a place like this, and call people such as these my friends.

/jon

food, inc.

2010-02-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

Of all the illuminating, convicting, and disturbing things we heard and saw watching Food, Inc. on our movie night, I think the words of that small farmer from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia named Joel Salatin will stick with me the most: "A culture that just views a pig as a pile of protoplasmic inanimate structure to be manipulated by whatever creative design a human a can foist on that critter, will probably view individuals within its community and other cultures in the community of nations with the same kind of distain and disrespect and controlling type mentality."

Nueva Generacion

2010-01-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

We spent the afternoon today at Nueva Generacion, a boys home in Tijuana led by Luis Salinas, his wife an family. It was an amazing day, playing futbol with the boys, eating pizza, and learning more about life and ministry in Tijuana. Thanks Shaun and Maria for opening up your world to us!

The Garden ...

2010-01-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

I read a great article in the LA Times this morning about the New Root's Community Farm that Michael Kolbas supports and cheers on through his work at the IRC.

The girls and I have been driving by the farm on Chollas Pkwy on the way to Emily's school for the past couple of months, I discovered the farm accidentally while trying to find a shortcut one day. I've been praying for the people working in the field as we pass it on Monday and Wednesday. I often wonder about their stories, how they came to be here in this little corner of San Diego and what their everyday lives are like. Thankfully this story gave me a little peek into that.

And since nature it was one of the topics at last night's discussion, I found it very encouraging to see how God's creativity with nature can bring people from such diverse cultures together.

Its always better when we're together....

2010-01-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Peter moved to the apartment next door. Though the destination was only a few feet away, the load was much lighter because we were all together. Some of us carried boxes and furniture, others cleaned, others just hung out and we all took breaks to play around and enjoy the sunny San Diego afternoon. One of the simple beauties of community is that we get to surround each other, even in the smaller transitions of life.

shared leadership

2010-01-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Here's another great reason for us to be an all-play community:

"Jesus exercises the only kind of leadership that can evoke authentic community--a leadership that risks failure (the crucifixion) by making space for others to act. When a leader takes up all the space and preempts all the action, he or she may make something happen, but that something is not community."

"When a leader is willing to trust the abundance that people can generate together, willing to take risk of inviting people to share from that abundance, then and only then may true community emerge."

- Parker Palmer

Christmas in Golden Hill

2009-12-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

Colin, Derek and John, originally uploaded by hallywood.

A liturgical expression of 4th Sunday of Advent.
Christmas carols.
Tamales and Cuban black beans.
And a rousing white elephant gift exchange.

It was a good Christmas dinner with friends in Golden Hill.

> more photos

Nick, David and little Carlos

2009-12-02T22:25:00.001-08:00

Nick, David and little Carlos, originally uploaded by hallywood.

The weekend before last, a group of us traveled 90 miles south of the border into Mexico to an area about 10 miles below Ensenada. There, we landed at Casa Esperanza (Hope House), a shelter for women who are victims of domestic abuse, and their children.

It was a dirty, wonderful, magical weekend, spent with new and old friends, serving, working, laughing, praying, and sharing lives with some of the least among those living in this border region of Mexico.

Shelters for women in Mexico are rare. The problem of domestic abuse goes largely ignored in this culture, but a deep culture wound it is. Women who manage to escape abusive relationships typically have no where to go. This makes Casa Esperanza more than a special place.

I've been to Casa Esperanza a number of times, and among the many things that stand out to me, are the children. Specifically, how the children react to men being at Esperanza.

Most of these kids have never had a positive male role model in their lives. Most don't know what's it's like to have a dad playing with them, having a catch, kicking the futbol around, or just hanging out. Many have been abused in unimaginable ways.

So when I see one of the guys in our group taking time out from a serving project or task to play with a kid, play tag with them, kick a ball, or hoist them up onto shoulders, I am warmed in ways beyond words.

Some kids embrace this attention immediately. Others seem to take time to warm up to the idea of a man who may be fun, playful or affectionate in honest, loving ways. Yet embrace they do. Their eyes light up. Hearts melt. And it is in these moments I feel I see the very expression of Jesus himself.

/jon

Prep for Sunday

2009-10-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

U2 at the Rose Bowl

-We have read through the Gospel and now we want to reflect on what we read. Just like what Rob said on Sunday, we want to share when the kingdom came alive to you. You can share a passage or a story or something that we talked about on Sunday.

-It would be cool if you could share by having some type of creative expression such as a picture, song, poem, art piece, food, or anything you want.

-It would also be cool if everyone could share something so come prepared.

-We are also going to have the cover contest for the best Gospel cover. If you haven't done anything yet you still have time. There will be a prize for the winner!!!

Scan the entire Gospel for something to share about what you learned of the kingdom and it coming alive to you.

Here's an example for me about the kingdom coming alive. I am on a U2 kick so I decided to go with one of there songs.

Miracle Drug

Grupo Mexico

2009-10-30T00:47:00.001-07:00

Grupo Mexico, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Shot through the back window of the van, as we were leaving the colonia of Grupo Mexico.

A day in Tijuana

2009-10-21T23:57:00.001-07:00

Grupo Mexico, originally uploaded by hallywood.

A group of us spent the day earlier this week in Tijuana, learning about Tijuana's history, experiencing some of it's profound contrasts, and meeting some of its amazing people. Its border crossing with San Diego is the most-crssed border in the world (300,000 people a day), is 15 minutes from our community of Golden Hill, and is part of the 5 million person metro area of San Diego and Tijuana. There's so much more to Tijuana than the kitschy (and these days, ghostown-ish) Avenida de Revolucion. We spent the day just beginning to peek below the surface of this amazing city, which one resident called "the most evangelized city in the world."

More photos here.

Map of Golden Hill

2009-10-16T15:04:00.001-07:00

View Golden Hill in a larger map

We've got a very preliminary map of our neighborhood, setup on Google Maps. Some of our homes, local eateries, bike shops and coffee shops are indicated. Lots more to be added.

/jon

Chris's 30th Piñata

2009-10-15T18:13:00.001-07:00

Mop handle wouldn't work. Resorted to throwing a football to bust it open, then all mayhem broke lose, as friends, family and colleagues resorted to pile-on tactics. Oh, what people will do for some taffy and smarties.

Sleepless in San Diego

2009-10-12T15:39:00.001-07:00

Some of us in NieuCommunities San Diego are turning up the volume, listening to God, exploring and learning about the growing homeless problem here in San Diego. We're praying and listening, looking for where God is at work, and where (and how) he might have us join Him in loving some of the hardest to love in our neighborhood. It's something most of us see everyday on our streets.

Over the last year, homelessness grew 13% in San Diego county, to nearly 8,000 people. Over 2,000 of those are kids. One of the groups we're learning about is San Diego Youth Services, who work to help kids on the streets. There's an effort underway to raise money to build a facility here in San Diego specifically for homeless youth. Check out this video, which spells out some of the reality of homeless kids in our city, and talks a bit more about one effort this group is undertaking to do something about it.

Campaign for Abandoned Youth Trailer: www.stayclassy.org from StayClassy.org on Vimeo.

Entijuanarte

2009-10-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, a group of us attended Entijuanarte, an art and music event held once a year in Tijuana. It was an amazing experience, with art that was surprising in it's diversity, message and innovation. We met and talked with a number of the artists, including painters, photographers and entrepreneurial creatives making a living with their art. Entijuanarte opened my eyes to the amazing creativity going on in Tijuana. More than that though, Peter Schrock, who came along with me, had a great observation.

He said that it seemed many of "the art and artists at Entijuanrte seem to be part of a larger, global conversation going on." I couldn't agree more.

Through the language of art, these Tijuana artists are part of (and contributing to) the global conversation that's taking place. Worldwide in scope, it's a conversation thats subtle, and can only be heard (or seen, as it were) if you're looking for it. And it happens on another plane, one not bounded by borders, politics or language. It's informed and influenced by those realities, but not bounded by them.
We saw many hints of this at Entijuanarte; from the art of Tecui, the enterprising artist who draws inspiration from the Baja landscape, and creates whimsical, simple illustrations and characters, carrying a consistent theme across canvas and products alike; from a photographer who shoots amazing masterpieces of landscapes in Chile, crafting the end result with Ansel Adams-like craftsmanship and ability, only he's using 21st century tools; from a printmaker who also works in both Mexico Italy, creating very personal art that addresses social issues; and from artists who had more of a street art style, creating work on cardboard and canvas with equal excellence.

All these artists live in Tijuana by choice. Their styles and abilities easily stand alongside some of the best artists globally. Some of their techniques and styles were familiar, clearly informed and influenced by what is happening in the world art scene. Yet their work was anything but "me too" mimickery. It was expressive, and contained personal, local influences that make it truly unique to Tijuana.

It was a truly powerful and inspiring listening and viewing experience. How fortunate we are to live next door to this great city.

/jon

South Park Walkabout

2009-10-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

Walkabout, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Four times a year, our neighboring community of South Park hosts a "Walkabout," where the community comes out in force, businesses are open late, and it's one big street and sidewalk gathering. Good times.

More photos here.

Gospel Reflection Correction

2009-10-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

I made a mistake with the page numbers this time.
We need to read through the top of 110.

Gospel Reflection

2009-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Jesus calls us to lead by serving one another. As we read on Sunday, a great example of what that looks like is the story of the sheep and the goats. This is a challenge that we must always keep in front of us reminding us how we must lead.

For Sunday Read through the top of page 102.

On our way to the Tiki Party

2009-09-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

An interesting thing happened on our way to the Tiki Party last night.

Seems too much to share in a posting but we crashed a movie night at Latte Mi Corazon and ended up meeting Kevin LaChapelle: x-cop, now director of Power Mentor… He has a neat story and he was thrilled to meet us in the proces. ChrisTiana can tell the story better than I can but it was really interesting what Kevin does and who he is. Kevin told his painful yet triumphant story with joy… I think we all sensed that he felt blessed meeting us. That’s so funny because I think we felt the same way about meeting him.

Then we went to the Tiki Party where the rest of Ncom started making fun of me. I really don’t know why. It may have had something to do with not knowing Hector and Mariana or Marianna’s Tia who needs the cornea transplant. So why did everyone actually think I knew these people before hand…? I don’t know…but a stranger is a friend we haven’t met yet, right?

But while the rest stayed clumped making fun of me (just kidding), I (we) met Pachuco Jose. Jose was born in San Salvador but calls LA home. He has more of a stroy that he could tell last night night but he is a Latino 'Pachuco' musician that gives his time and talent to raising funds for those that need cornea transplants or maybe lost a loved one and needs help raising fund for funeral expenses. He taught me something about giving it away.

Peter stayed after we left. I would really enjoy hearing how it went Peter.

Shaun

Tree Sculpture

2009-09-25T22:46:00.001-07:00

Tree Sculpture, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Pretty cool work of art with some interesting inscriptions, in the garden next to the Einstein school.

/jon

Gospel Reflection

2009-09-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you have taken the initiative and read ahead since I was so late in giving the page numbers. This next section is full of grace, judgment, warnings, woes, practical ministry idea's, servant leadership, a last supper and betrayal. Needless to say there is a lot in this section. I would love to focus on being a servant leader and what that practically means for us in relationships with one another, with those in Golden Hill, in South Park, in City Heights and beyond. We need to me sheep on goats. There might even be drawing involved (yippee).

For Sunday Read 92 through the middle of page 102, ending with "And it was night."

The Tangible, Sobering Kingdom

2009-09-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I posted about Cynthia, an artist living on the streets of Golden Hill. I created an online store to help sell her bookmark-sized original works of art, put the word out to friends, and those first sevens pieces of art sold in a single day. It was more than a little bit awesome.

I couldn't wait to see Cynthia and tell her the good news. It took though nearly 3 weeks to track her down. The cell phone number I had for her didn't work, and I hadn't seen her in the neighborhood.

On Saturday afternoon though, while I was in the front of the house watering the grass, I heard a "hello." Looking up, there she was. "Hey Cynthia! I've got some good news for you." I can hardly describe how good it felt to say those words to her. Sophia and I invited her inside, talked a bit, and gave her the thirty dollars from selling her work on Etsy. She hung out for awhile, met our girls and my mom, and told us some more about our home "back in the day," when it was a run-down drug house. She's been in the neighborhood for many years, and has seen a lot.

On Sunday night she came back with over a hundred new works of art for me to look at, and choose which to post online. As we spread them out on the table that night, and looked through every single one, we were amazed both at her talent, and the hope that this seemed to represent.

She was back over again Monday night, signing the ones we're going to post online. We had a good conversation, heard a bit more of her story, and got to finally pray with her. It felt good, hopeful, and right. I also saw though some of the pain in Cynthia, hearing a bit more about some of what she's up against, some of her pain and loss, and how her life has been—in her words—on a decline for a long time.

She told us of her Van Gogh dreams, only unlike Vincent, she'd like to earn the money from her art before she dies. I don't know what will come of selling her art online. Really though, I'm not sure this is really all about money and selling art. That's part of it. There's something though about getting to know Cynthia and hearing her story. She's part of my neighborhood and the pain of it's past. And in a small way, I guess she's becoming a part of my family's story. I still don't know her well, and we had to have some sobering conversations with the girls about the realities of entering into the lives of desperate people who are hanging on by a thread. I've been involved in the lives of people struggling with homelessness, addiction and other demons, and it can be a really sticky, uncomfortable, difficult mess.

I also know though, that that's where Jesus is. On the street, in the pain of addiction, loss, and struggle. He's also in the passion and hope of cool art, and what it represents. He's in the good news of thirty bucks when it's really needed, a glass of cold water and a listening ear. He's in the eyes of Sophia, my mom and girls, as I watched them invite Cynthia into our home, treating her just like any other friend we might have over.

I know a little bit more of what Jesus looks like over these last few days, and it feels really, really good.

If you want to check out Cynthia's art, you can visit her Etsy store here.

/jon

Brain Trust

2009-09-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

A group in nearby North Park, called Agitprop, is doing some very cool things in furthering community connecting and conversations around the medium of art. I'm really inspired by what I continued to see from these guys. Check out my post about it here.

/jon

Casa de Esperanza

2009-09-19T12:56:00.001-07:00

Casa de Esperanza, originally uploaded by hallywood.

On Nov 20-22, 2009, a group of us are headed to Casa de Esperanza, located just south of Ensenada, to engage in some "tangible kingdom" efforts.

Casa de Esperanza (House of Hope) is a home for women who are victims of domestic abuse, and their children. With 65 residents, only two full-time staff and extremely limited resources, their needs are significant. We'll be partnering with our friends Reflejo, and a church from Orange County (TerraNova) in a three day experience of working and connecting with the women and kids of Esperanza.

Space is limited, so if you're interested, let me know pronto. Just comment on this post and I'll get back to you with details.

/jon

Two Cities...

2009-09-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

San Diego/Tijuana

the most trafficked border in the world (70,000 a day).

Are they two cities, or one large integrated zone?

Shoppers cross the border, in both directions.

Families cross the border, in both directions.

Students cross the border, in both directions.

Church groups cross the border (maybe in just one direction).

It's an interesting question,

what does it mean to you to cross the border?

What are you looking for when you do?

The border as it extends into the ocean.

Families used to touch hands here,

Priests used to serve communion also.

But now there is a no-man's-land

in between and people can't approach the fence.

A Glimpse of the Tangible Kingdom

2009-09-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

G
I picked up the book, "Re Jesus" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch this week. Chaz, Rebecca, Peter, Derek and I had started reading it together when we all still lived in LA. It was one of those books that got shuffled around in our move to San Diego and I'm not sure that any of us had a chance to finish it.

This morning I experienced something beautiful of the tangible Kingdom of God. Frost and Hirsch say, "...we are never alone when we do a holy deed because we partner with God in the redemption of the world. In other words, a deed done in His name is a means of Grace, a sacrament........and grace goes two ways: such an action pulls a person away from their own self-involved concerns and directs them missionally toward other human beings in such a way that they, the person acted upon and the person acting find God in a new way." (p.152)

Right after I read this quote and the words surrounding it, I heard someone yell out from the street in front of our house, "Ken, wait! We have something for you! Its a surprise!" I quickly looked out our window to see who it was.

Ken is a homeless man who walks by our house in the morning and evening every day. He wears all black and carries three large canvas bags. I've seen the couple who live across the street from us talking to him once or twice but this morning they stopped right in front of our window so I got to listen in.

The husband stood and talked with Ken while the wife rain into their home to get her "surprise" for Ken. I so enjoyed watching them interact....tears filled my eyes as I felt God was revealing Himself to me through this couple's act of love toward Ken. The wife ran out of the house with a new pair of jeans, nicely folded, and a banana. Ken had a big smile on his face in responded in gratefulness for the jeans and said, ".... and Bananas are my favorite."

I haven't met this neighbor couple yet but I want to. I don't know if they know Jesus yet. And I want to tell them that they encouraged me with their act of love toward Ken.

I have to add to Frost and Hirsch's quote.... not only does the person acted upon and the person acting find God in a new way but maybe the people looking out their windows get to find God in a new way too. :)

Celebrating Rebecca

2009-09-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday we celebrated Rebecca's Birthday with a surprise costume party! Costume parties seem to bring out everyone's true colors..... :)

Gospel Reflection

2009-09-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Jesus desperately wanted the Lost Sheep of Israel to know Him as their savior but so many rejected Him. This broke His heart. They were looking for something else while Jesus was pointing at Himself. He did not do what they thought He should do and they missed Him. I think we do the same thing today by expecting Jesus to act according to our theology and not according to His character. Maybe that is why He told John's disciples to "not fall away on account of Him." We must learn to follow the Jesus of the Bible and not the Jesus of our dreams. That is the only way we will experience true life.
This week we are looking at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. He wept for the city. Pay attention to the differences between what the people wanted and what Jesus was offering.

Read through the middle of page 92.

Investing in the Tangible Kingdom

2009-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the book we're currently going through, The Tangible Kingdom, today I set up an Etsy Store for a local street artist (that is, an artist living on the street) in our neighborhood. She signs her art "incinders," but her name is Cynthia.

Instead of pan-handling, Cynthia creates original, one-of-a-kind bookmark-sized original works of art and sells them on the streets of Golden Hill to passers-by. She creates her art on found scraps of cardboard, packaging, gum-wrappers and paper. Using paint, markers and pens, Cynthia's style is whimsical and expressive, belying her harsh reality of spending her days on the street.

Since moving to Golden Hill in Fall '08, I would buy Cynthia's bookmark-sized art whenever I saw her on the street. Her story, only part of which I've heard, is one of heart-break and recovering addiction. But it's also a story of hope. Inspired by her upbeat attitude and use of her talent to try and generate a meager income, I decided to share the love by setting up an Etsy store to sell some of her work online.

The Incinders Etsy store is here. For six or seven bucks (come on, that's like NOTHING for original one-of-a-kind art!), I'll include shipping. Buy more than one, and the shipping on additional items is free. 100% of your purchase goes directly to Cynthia.

— Jon

Articles on Golden Hill History

2009-09-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

I found these articles in Espresso (tell me what this means - an independent newspaper for café society). One is on Judy's "Big Kitchen" Café and the other on San Diego History:

Big Kitchen - 29 years in Golden Hill

San Diego's 240th Anniversary Goes Unsung

Gospel Reflection

2009-09-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Jesus is passionate, intentse, focused, couragous, loving, compassionate, kind and always radical to the surrounding culture. We saw something change in Him this last week as soon as Peter said that He was the Christ. Now He has set his face toward Jerusalem and He knows what is comming next.
In this next section we see Jesus telling multiple parables and teachings. Pay attention to themes that you see, new ones and ones that would connect to what we have already read.

(Read through the top of page 80)

A day in Ensenada

2009-08-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Some of us spent the day in Ensenada re-connecting with some friends and visiting Casa de Esperanza, a home for women and their children who are victims of domestic abuse.

nearly haiku

2009-08-28T16:38:00.001-07:00

Jasmine, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Summer morning sun
walking. praying. laughing. listening.
A Jasmine blooms, and I stop.

Gospel Reflection

2009-08-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

This week we are going to see Jesus continue to set the stage for his crucifixion. He knows what He has come to do and He stays on the course. This is the only way for us to know the Father. I am so thankful that Jesus stayed on course, if not, we would not be here in NieuCommunities today.

As of now I would love to focus on the story of Peter acknowledging Jesus as the Christ. If there is any insight that you might have, or could look up that would help us all understand the significance of the moment, that would be wonderful. We are going to be looking at a video that has given me a great understanding of the moment.

(Read to the top of 69)

Gospel Reflection

2009-08-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great conversation on Sunday night about laying down our fears and our worries. Many times we have to bring those very same fears and worries to Jesus daily. I would encourage you to continue to lay them down. Jesus tells us we have nothing to fear! That is good news.

Feel free to leave comments about things you are learning or questions that you may have. It would help us all.

(For Aug 23 read from bottom of 47 through the second paragraph on 57)

Fire on Earth

2009-08-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I was reading this morning and came across a passage that has always bothered me. I don't understand everything that is going on so I would read it and just keep going. Today I decided to sit with it a little longer hope to find so new insight. The passage is at the top of page 41. "I have come to bring fire..." paragraph. What really bothered me was that Jesus, the Prince of Peace said that He did not come to bring peace but division and that families will be divided against each other. This seems at odds with other things that Jesus has said before. I did a little research and found and great article on it. It was helpful for me in processing so I thought it might be helpful for others. Here is the link if you would like to read it http://www.theocentric.com/spirituality/suffering/set_the_world_on_fire.html.

Gospel Relfection

2009-08-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night was great being at the beach and worshiping together in God's creation. We discussed the story of the woman washing Jesus' feet with her tears at a Pharisees house. This is such a powerful story of Jesus' love and grace. I would love to hear some of your reflections on the story and what you learned. I would also love to hear of anything else that might have stood out in the pages between 26 - 35. Feel free to leave a comment so we can learn together.

(Reading for Sunday Aug 16th, pages 36 thru the bottom of 47)

Gospel Reflections

2009-08-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

So far we have read the birth are Jesus and the beginning of His ministry. There have been really great conversations happening on Sunday nights. I know that there are many more conversations that can happen but we don't always have the time for. Therefore, we are going to be able to continue the conversation here. Comment on different things that you read or heard.

It could be cool to reflect on what we have read so far and share it with the rest of us. Feel free to comment below.

Derek

(For this Sunday, Aug 9 we will be reading threw the bottom of page 35.)

Big Bear Retreat

2009-07-29T22:09:00.001-07:00

Morning Prayer

2009-07-29T16:04:00.001-07:00

Last night, Peter, Derek and I decided to flip through the pages of a hymnal together to see how many we knew. Well, truth is, it started off as a competition between Peter and myself as we both grew up with hymns and have hundreds (maybe thousands!) tucked away in the back of our brains! Derek didn't grow up with Hymns but has grown to love them in the last several years.

Hymns are rich in story, theology and heritage. We stumbled on some beautiful hymns written hundreds of years ago with powerful melodies and words. Songs like "Near the Cross," and "Be Still my Soul."

This particular Hymnal was published in the 70's. Interwoven between the songs were quotes and prayers and scripture which added texture and meaning to the hymns of old. One of the prayers, associated with the Hymn, "Day by Day," was particularly meaningful to me.

Morning Prayer
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

O God
Early in the morning do I cry unto Thee.
Help me to pray.
And to think only of Thee.
I cannot pray alone.

In me there is darkness.
But with Thee there is light.
I am lonely, but Thou leavest me not.
I am feeble in heart, but Though leavest me not.
I am restless, but with Thee there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with Thee there is patience;
Thy ways are past understanding but
Thou knowest the way for me.

O heavenly Father,
I praise and thank Thee
For the peace of the night.
I praise and thank Thee for this new day.
I praise and thank Thee for all Thy goodess
and faithfulness throughout my life.
Thou hast granted me many blessings:
Now let me accept tribulation
from Thy hand.
Thou will not lay on me more than I can bear.
Thou makest all things work together for good for Thy Children.

Brittney's Mokkatam poem

2009-07-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

A poem from Brittney Yackley written from the garbage city of Mokattam, Egypt:

This place is dirty, rank, filthy.
I think mostly now about the flies.
They love the putrid smell,
The decomposition, the heat.
They rise, circle, swarm.
I think of this village, of these people:

Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world To be rich in faith?
Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom
He promised to those who love Him?

And I think you and the flies
Have similar ideas about
What makes perfect living conditions.
The babies’ faces are crawling with flies –
In the doorway of Om Ibrahim’s one-room
Hovel they pass freely.
They dance in the stairwell of the school.
Flies love stench, decay, neglect.

The flies love poverty, it’s where they thrive.
Where the flies go, so too do you.
The poor are your chosen people
Your Israel, your Covenant.
Among the poor you move, you abide, you alight.
Your spirit surrounds your people
Like a swarm.

Is it about them? Or us? Or... both?

2009-07-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Jason Evans recently posted some terrific thoughts based on the passage 1 Kings 17:8-16, on what it means for us, as followers of Christ, to engage those in need.

"In this passage, Elijah is instructed to ask a poor widow for assistance. She has barely enough to feed herself and her son. She believes they are on the brink of death. Yet, God prompts Elijah to ask the widow to make him a meal. Can you imagine asking someone in a bread line to make you a meal?! There is a profound lesson for people of privilege to learn from this passage of what it means to be with people in need. Conversely, there is a profound lesson for people in need to learn from this passage of what it means to be with people of privilege."

Read his entire post here. Great stuff that should inform us a bit in how we need to engage those on the margins.

/jon

telephone

2009-07-22T10:03:00.001-07:00

telephone, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Chaz and Rebecca recently moved into an apartment complex, South Park Villas, on A street, and have already been making some stellar connections with the neighbors. They conspired with a neighbor to throw a mini block party among some of the families in their complex last weekend. Hilda, who lives in the apartment just below Chaz and Rebecca, speaks no English, and Rebecca speaks no Spanish, but that didn't stop anyone. Somehow, they figured it all out, made great food, and got everyone to the same place at the same time.

The South Park Villas (a misnomer on a many levels) has a bunch of kids living there. Seeing as how we've got kids, Rebecca and Chaz invited us to join the shindig. It was a great time. Food, jumprope, tag in the park, and even a game of telephone.

After the brutal beating I took in a game of freeze tag (old and slow don't begin to say how bad I was at this game), I sat down and soaked in the scenery. Chaz was playing soccer with some of the local latino guys (he's really good). Rebecca was coordinating a game of telephone with the kids (she definitely has a way with kids). The afternoon was perfect, and I realized how blessed we are to have opportunities like this. Hanging out with friends. Making new friends. Playing games. Submerging into the neighborhood. Being the church. Whatever you want to call it, I sensed God in all of it, and it was good.

/jon

Broken ...

2009-07-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last night was a good night. As a community we discussed lots of great stuff. Rob led a talk based on Luke 5:17-26, the story of a paralyzed man and his 4 mat carrying friends who were willing to break through a roof to get their friend to Jesus so that he could be healed. Not only did he receive healing of his body, but Jesus forgave his sins and healed his soul.

It's a great story about how we all need to be carried at times and how we can be "roof crashing" friends and carry others through their times of "paralysis" or pain.

Back in June I had posted a song on my blog as something I loved, not exactly explaining why. So after last night, and Jon asking me why I liked the song. Here's a little more explanation.

The group is Jason Zerbin, the song is Into Your Arms. I like the type of music, especially the string parts. Also, the video itself is very artistic and I like the setting. But the main thing I like is the message, we are all broken people and even though we are in a missional community seeking to find and love the broken in the world, we ourselves are broken and need God to hold us in His arms so that we can show that kind of love to the unloveable in our world. I guess, mostly I like the message. It's not just a song for your ears, it's also for your heart. - Sophia

Psalm 146 comes alive

2009-06-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

For our Sunday night gatherings, we've been taking turns sharing our favorite Psalm. This past Sunday night, Derek shared Psalm 146 with the group. We read it through a few times, pulling out some of our favorite lines and text. Then we did something completely unique. Derek led us in a rapid-fire effort to write a song based on this Psalm. It was a true group effort, as we brainstormed key lines and verses, then assembled them into a song. Chorus, verses and a bridge all came together, making the Psalm into something more than just words on a page. It made it more real, more true.

The following recording is rough (recorded from my phone). The song is unpolished and unedited, and our backup voices don't exactly help Derek and Christiana's wonderful pipes. Still, there was something good in all this. Like Derek says in his closing prayer, "I believe that God is pleased by things like this... when we do it together."

(Derek, please forgive me for posting this without your polish and excellence, and from my hack recording, but I just had to!)

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

NC San Diego and Vancouver at the beach

2009-06-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Our friends from NC Vancouver came down for a few days, and we hit the beach at Coronado for some Coronado Rules beach football and bonfire. (make sure and click the full-size icon in the lower right)

4mat

2009-06-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

A handful of us from NieuCommunities San Diego and Vancouver attended an intensive one-day workshop on a very cool teaching curriculum called 4mat. Some good hands-on, interaction, and a headful of information that should really help us in our time of teaching and coaching. Thankfully, there were elements of drawing as well, which saved those of us who sometimes numb with so much information.

frank viola on organic church

2009-05-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

If you want to hear a provocative take on a Trinitarian expression of church, carve out 30 minutes and click here to listen to Frank Viola bring it in his always passionate way.

joining the conversation

2009-05-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of a few organizations' Facebook pages... Balboa Park. A couple of non-profits. A local art museum, and Wooster Collective, one of my fav online street art blogs.

I like how Wooster uses Facebook. They've recently been posting questions that are relevant to those who follow them, questions that invite people into the conversation about their passion—street art. And it got me thinking about the questions we were pondering tonight about our neighborhood, and how we might join conversations already taking place.

Wooster keeps me thinking about street art through their FB questions, and invites folks into the conversation. "Mapping the hood" is another great expression of inviting people into a conversation that matters. It's an interactive art installation in North Park, and is brilliantly furthering—and inviting people into—the conversation about what their community is becoming.

It's all got me thinking both about the medium and the message of these conversations we're having, and what it may look like to join others' conversations already taking place, as well as inviting others into ours.

— Jon

Voices: Mapping the Hood

2009-05-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we visited the North Park Festival of the Arts, and stumbled across "Voices: Mapping the Hood." It's an interactive art installation in North Park that invites people to join the conversation on what makes a great community. Some really terrific concepts here that are provocative and engaging. Really great use of the medium.

I describe the photos in my Flickr set.

Our First Road Trip

2009-04-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

April 2-5 was our first Beyond Borders Road Trip. We set aside the weekend to invite people into our rhythms of communion with God, community with each other and missional life in our neighborhood and city.

The weekend started off with a day in Golden Hill and our surrounding neighborhoods. We explored, engaged in conversation about what God is doing in San Diego and feasted on street tacos in Logan Heights.

Saturday morning we left for Ensenada, Mexico. We spent the day at Casa Esperanza, a homeless shelter for women and children. After some painting and playing with the kids we enjoyed a meal together and ended the day by sharing our life stories with one another.

We were introduced to Casa Esperanza by "Reflejo," a collective of Mexican Christ followers who share life together as they serve Jesus in their own neighborhoods and city. One of the most exciting things about the relationships we're building in Mexico is the partnership that's beginning to form between NieuCommunities and Reflejo. We've found a common heart beat with them and are beginning to link arms and dream about how God might be bringing us together for ministry.

The Road Trip ended on sunday evening after a fairly long wait to cross the border at Tecate. Individually and collectively God planted some significant seeds in all of us that are already beginning to grow and produce fruit. The best is yet to come! :)

discipling our children

2009-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

I was just reading a blog post by Hugh Halter on kids and home groups...

http://hughhalter.com/?p=83

...and it challenged me to think about ways our community could more intentionally disciple our children. Utilizing other churches to do it is certainly an option, especially if they're geared up for it. But I'm not sure a healthy community should ever fully outsource the discipleship of their children. So consider this an invitation to think with us about creative ways we could nurture our whole community...even the littlest ones among us.

Staff Meetings

2009-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Listening to the streets

2009-03-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of Saturday's ago, Emily, some friends of hers from church, my buddy Bobby and I spent a fascinating day exploring and listening to a side of Golden Hill and downtown that I haven't had much exposure to, the homeless. The kids had made blankets that they handed out to people in Ocean Beach, in Golden Hill and on 16th street in downtown, where the homeless tend to gather. It was a real learning experience, as we walked and talked with folks living on the street (got some great insight, as well as some cautions from them). We also spent time in the morning helping pack gleaned groceries with an amazing local group in Golden Hill called City of Refuge.

City of Refuge is located in a back alley off 25th street in GH. They have a room with sofas where kids can hang out, and an outdoor area with killer street art.

Can't wait to do more!

A weeked in Porvenir

2009-03-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in the small town of Porvenir, in a beautiful valley east of Ensenada. Some very kind friends gave us their home to stay in. It was a great time to connect with the whole team, share life and our timelines, chow on some great tacos, taste some Baja wine, and enjoy this magnificently beautiful place.

Diving Deeper ...

2009-02-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

posted by Sophia

This past Tuesday night we started a new conversation that will take a few weeks to unwrap, we started the night off by exploring the meaning of "deep culture" beyond the visible surface; way down deep were we find behaviors, values, beliefs and perceived world view.

I'm really finding all this fascinating since I'm still processing even what I know about my own culture, having been raised as both an American and Mexican. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of learning how to ask the right questions and how not to assume to know why people of a certain culture "do what they do" and to make sense of what is seen as true and good, and most importantly was is real.

So on that note, I thought it appropriate timing to share this cool little animated short, "The Return of Superbarrio" (La Vuelta de Superbarrio), in Spanish with English subtitles.

Superbarrio Gómez is a "living superhero" in Mexico. According to Wikipedia he's a real guy named Marco Rascón Córdova, who seeks to fight injustice and corruption on both sides of the US/Mexico border through protests, civil disobedience, and political action.

I also read an informative essay about SuperBarrio's life, and it concluded with this great summary;

By implication, to believe in Superbarrio is to believe in a collective struggle that functions regionally and operates as a social movement across borders. To believe in Superbarrio is to believe in us as transnational social agents. Beneath the mask, we are all Superbarrio.

So with that in mind, I hope you enjoy this video that presents some interesting perspectives.

ps. You get extra points if you pick up some new spanish vocabulary words!

i will rise

2009-02-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

posted by Laurie...

I will rise everyday
And I will give my life away.
My better years are still to come,
Remember this when my life's done
That I will rise...
- Kate White from her Turning Pages CD)

On Monday night in a hundred year old Victorian house that's been turned into a recovery home in our neighborhood, my dear friend Kate performed a concert for 43 women gathered around on the chairs and floor. Kate sang, played her violin and tenderly shared her story. Over the course of the next couple of hours she connected with these women that she'd never met before in an incredibly deep way. My teammates Britany and Sophia and I were able to be there too and meet these women who were warm and receptive.
Kate sang and talked about her family, her own marriage and her children, things that all these women could relate to. At one point, she asked all the women to say out loud altogether the names of their children. It was so touching and heart-wrenching to hear moms call out from all over the room the names of their missed children. Kate really wanted to pray a blessing over their children so she asked for permission to pray for all of them. There was probably not a dry eye in the room.

Many pieces of Kate's life story intersected with theirs and although she didn't pretend to understand everything they've gone through, they really seemed to relate to her. We had been told we couldn't “proselytize” nor had we intended to, but as Kate shared her journey she sensed that many of the women desired to know God. So she shared how she had wrestled with trusting God and with the questions and pain she had experienced, but also how she had come to trust Him and give her life to Him.

After the concert, the women came up and hugged us and thanked us for coming. Some of them shared a little of their stories with us…. painful and sad stories. One woman asked Kate how she could know God too and if she needed a priest to be able to do that. So Kate told her she would pray with her and show her how. Some others next to her said they also wanted to know God and before we knew it, almost every woman in the house formed a circle, holding hands. I'll never forget that moment when Kate led them in prayer to receive Jesus as their Savior. They repeated after her, loud and clear "Lord Jesus! I've messed up! Come into my life..." Only God knows which women actually gave their lives to Jesus that night. Some of the women were already followers of Jesus and it was encouraging to see how they came up and began helping the others.

This week we’re going to take a copy of each of Kate's CD's to each of the women and we're listening to see how else God wants us to be involved with these dear women in our neighborhood. We may be able to walk with them, do crafts with them, or just hang out with them. They're in a very structured program so we're not sure how much we'll be allowed to be involved. When you think of it, please pray for these women, for those who gave their lives to God, to grow in Him, as they do the hard work of recovery from addiction. And as they miss their children and families.

Ah Colossians... what a book!

2009-02-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

I have included a bit of an update on our study through the book of Colossians here!

It's entitled "The fold in the middle of a book".

Mariscos German

2009-02-14T15:03:00.001-08:00

Had a working lunch at Mariscos German in Logan Heights today. Awesome. Absolutely awesome.

— Jon

listening prayer

2009-02-11T09:56:00.001-08:00

We've been thinking and talking about hearing God's Word through all the ways God might want to communicate. Last night we practiced listening to God as a community. Here is some of what we heard, sensed, imagined, and felt last night as we listened for God's Word to come to us and guide us as we consider our presence south of the fence:

• Jeremiah 29:11-13: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
• Matthew 25:35-36: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
• 1 Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
• Matthew 22:39: (2nd greatest command): "Love your neighbor as yourself."
• The image of a thread of leaders weaving it's way down the coast.
• James 1:27: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
• Bringing 2 worlds together
• Being both here and there through the bigger church, the community of believers, through the Body straddling the border
• Reflection (Reflejo)...the image of a mirror...seeing ourselves through others...with others
• New sojourners...people joining us who would not have come before
• Mark 2: Making our way through the crowds; being willing to cut a hole in the roof or to go against what is normally accepted in order to get people to Jesus.

We don't know what all this means. But somewhere in there is God's gentle voice. So lets keep listening. Lets seek understanding. And then lets respond.

The Discipline of Thankfulness

2009-02-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

As our community starts up it's first spiritual discipline - The Discipline of Thankfulness - I offer up this prayer for myself and for us all!

Hope for 2009

2009-02-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Inside out

2009-02-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Colossians 2:6-8

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

I was sharing yesterdays story (on my blog) about Chase at our community time because it related to a passage that we are studying as we read through the book of Colossians together.

It is amazing how we look to, even rely upon, these external philosophies, traditions and principles to guide us as we live our lives. Like a crutch - or maybe a leash - to keep our hearts under control and give our lives direction. I suppose there are many reasons... a fear of sin, failure, success. But us humans migrate to them religiously, politically and socially all the time. It seems a lot like the difference between having a dog on a leash versus having a dog that is attentive to (even "in love with") it's owner... ready to move, ready to turn... looking for that change in stride or turn of head.

We can feel the battle that is taking place between walking with/in Christ and allowing ourselves to be controlled or guided by external devices but it can be tough to see the differences. In Colossians 2 we see some examples of what these two types of lives can look like:

External = philosophies/empty deceit, human tradition, elemental spirits/principles, false asceticism and worship, puffed up sensual mind/ideas, not holding fast to Christ, etc.

Internal = rooted and built up in Christ, established in faith, taught, thankful, being filled, changed/circumcised heart, made alive... and debt free, holding fast to the head which is Christ, etc.

At the heart of this passage is this simple, powerful truth:
Jesus is more interested in remaking us from the inside out than he is with us adhering to a list of rules.

He desires a heart that walks with Him.

We left our time together with two questions:
Where am I relying on a leash/rule to govern my soul instead of nurturing this profound relationship with Christ?
Where do I see a flicker of this walk inside my heart that needs to be fanned into a passionate flame?

car doc

2009-01-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

Finding a trustworthy repair shop to take our cars to is always worth sharing. I think I found a great one. Sean (the owner) of Advantec in University Heights is one of those guys who tells you the cheapest way to fix something, the most thorough way to do it, and what he would do if it was his car. He seems super qualified, thrifty, honest, and personable. Plus his shop gets great write-ups on Yelp:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/advantec-auto-repair-san-diego

It's only my first repair there, but I'd definitely come back. And there's a great coffee shop (Twiggs) two doors with free wireless which isn't a bad place to hang out while they're working on your car!

A day in Ensenada

2009-01-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

We had a great day yesterday in Ensenada. Met some great new friends that are part of the intentional community of Reflejo in Ensenada. Visited Yugo, and La Casa de Esperanza, a home for abused women and their children just south of Ensenada, near Punta Banda.

love your enemies

2009-01-09T13:26:00.001-08:00

Here's an awesome video story of a Palestinian guy who just ended up in our backyard and in a different kingdom:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475226,00.html

The Secret Life of the Soul - chapters 13-15

2009-01-06T09:47:00.001-08:00

The pursuit of love and esteem is easily—and all too often—christianized by simply mixing in large doses of church activities and religious behavior into our already busy lives to form a new, and hopefully valued morality. But this christianized life probably looks more like the lives of Pharisees than the life Jesus invited us to live.

How do you distinguish, in your life, the difference between this kind of christian performance and holy obedience? Some indications that it’s more ambition than spiritual might be:
- needing to control
- persistent anxiousness
- competing or comparing
- being fearful of being found out
- lack of peace or contentment
- often wondering what people think of me
- fear of failing or disappointing
What tips you off that a constructed personality may still be in power?

In our group we’ve had some push back that Miller’s Builders generation was more prone to ambition and wearing masks than more current generations. That’s probably true. But it’s probably also true that every generation is tempted to build personalities that their generation will find attractive and worthy of love and respect. What are some personality traits that might be tempting to put on in your context?

We’ve talked about the prison that pursuit puts our soul in. Miller claims the only way out of that prison, the only route to freedom is through an absolute surrender of the constructed personality and the soul to God. Paul Tournier compares that act of surrender to a trapeze artist swinging from one trapeze to the other. What does that require…from the trapeze artist and from us?

That moment of surrender is sometimes called a crisis of trust, and the truth is life is a series of crises. Why is it so hard for us to surrender?

What are the hardest pieces in your life to surrender?

How do you know when you’ve truly surrendered?

Have you had an experience of full surrender you could describe?

What did you experience? Fresh intimacy? A visceral sense of forgiveness? Greater clarity of purpose or meaning? A more durable sense of security? Feeling loved for who you really are? An ability to let go of the need to control? Something else?

Internal and external voices will tell us that surrender is a sign of weakness. Paul tells us something different in 2 Corinthians 12:9. How does that verse inform this conversation?

Bringing Hope ...

2009-01-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

I read this great article today, I've posted the first paragraph so that you can see what it's about. Reality Changers started right here in Golden Hill. It's a long read but very interesting and inspiring.

On a winter night in 2002, Christopher Yanov, the founder and sole staff member of Reality Changers, sat with a handful of eighth graders and their college-student tutors in a meeting room in the Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana. The one-story stucco-and-cinderblock building that squats on the corner of 28th and B Street in Golden Hill looks more like an urban fort than a church. Steel bars cover its windows, hardened locks secure the wide front doors. Inside, Yanov and the tutors worked with students on their homework at folding tables, the quiet in the room punctuated by occasional murmured consultations.

Reality Changers, Yanov’s eighth-month-old program to help local youth stay out of gangs and aim for college, had an official census of 12. Attendance was normally spotty. Tonight he had 6. He didn’t know whether it was going to fly.

TO READ THE REST CLICK HERE

principles to consider when helping the poor

2009-01-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine passed on this very helpful article by Bob Lupton. I thought I'd post it here for all us and our friends to consider as we seek to take a increasingly more holistic approach to serving the poor on both sides of the border:

Principles for Helpers by Bob Lupton
Hippocrates (460 – 377 B.C.), the father of modern medicine, recognized the power of the healing profession to effect great good as well as its potential to do much harm. The oath that he instituted, a pledge taken by doctors to this day, established ethical standards for physician conduct which included: patient confidentiality, referral for specialized treatment, sharing of medical knowledge, and valuing prevention above cure. The Hippocratic Oath requires that physicians be personal and caring, put the interests of patients first in medical decisions, strive always to preserve life and never play God by taking life. And above all, do no harm.

For centuries the Hippocratic Oath has served well the medical profession and countless millions of patients. It has guided physicians toward astounding medical breakthroughs as well as constrained them from endangering patient welfare by risking questionable treatments. Perhaps a similar type of code would be useful to those who wish to serve the poor. We know that helping can certainly be for better or worse. Even as a misdiagnosed ailment will lead to improper (even harmful) treatment, so wrongly given assistance may well prolong or even worsen the plight of the needy. Good intentions and kindhearted spirits, while commendable, are insufficient guarantees of positive outcomes. Unexamined service that risks leaving the served worse off than if they had been left alone is irresponsible if not unethical. Guiding principles are needed.

The following is an attempt to articulate a few such fundamentals to guide would-be helpers toward effective care-giving. These guidelines are drawn from the collective wisdom and experience of veteran servants who have spent good portions of their lives living and serving among the less-fortunate in a variety of cultures. The list is hardly exhaustive, and each item requires far more unpacking than this writing permits. Just as the Hippocratic Oath has for centuries provoked vigorous and sometimes heated debate among physicians and has required repeated modification to remain contemporary, even so should these “Principles for Helpers” stimulate healthy discussion and adaptation appropriate for the particular setting.

1. Is the need crisis or chronic? — Triage may be the appropriate intervention in an emergency situation but it is hardly the strategy for a continuing need. The victims of a devastating tsunami need immediate medical, shelter, essential supplies and hoards of volunteers. Over time, however, survivors need expert consultation, a practical plan and a combination of grants and loans to help them rebuild their destroyed community. A similar distinction should be applied to those who utilize our food pantries and clothes closets as well as to those we serve on our mission trips. If their situation is a matter of life or death, then immediate action must be taken to “stop the bleeding”; otherwise a plan for helping them rebuilding their lives is more appropriate. Just as a physician, before prescribing treatment, performs a diagnostic “physical” to determine the severity of an ailment, so must helpers take the time to discriminate between imminent life-threatening situations and chronic poverty needs. (Note: what may seem at first like a crisis to helpers may in fact be a chronic reality for the poor).

2. Investing is better than lending — Making money with the poor is the ultimate method of sharing resources (including expertise, connections, energy). It empowers them economically and strengthens their hand through authentic partnerships. Investing implies an ownership stake. While a loan places the responsibility for repayment primarily upon the borrower, investing in a venture requires a higher level of involvement, more due diligence, more personal commitment, and perhaps greater risk. An investor has an expectation of higher potential returns than a lender. To invest well with those with limited access to capital, whether in a welfare mom’s dream of a catering business or in a well project with peasant villagers, good investment requires a sound business plan, reasoned risk/reward ratio, adequate controls and accountability. The investor has a stake in the sustainability and profitability of the venture.

3. Lending is better than giving — While giving may seem like the kind and Christian thing to do, it often ends up undermining the very relationship a helper is attempting to build. Any one who has served among the poor for any length of time will recognize the following progression:
* give once and you elicit appreciation;
* give twice and you create anticipation;
* give three times and you create expectation;
* give four times and it becomes entitlement;
* give five times and you establish dependency.

Lending, on the other hand, establishes a mutually beneficial relationship characterized by responsibility, accountability, and respect. It is legitimate exchange that requires the lender to be responsible for assessing the risk while leaving the dignity of the borrower intact. Lending, done well, builds mutual trust and respect.

4. Exchange is better than giving — One-way charity erodes human dignity. It subtly implies that the recipient has nothing of value the giver desires in return. No one wants to be pitied as a charity case. Thus, a thrift store affords more dignity than a free clothes closet, and a food coop more than a free food pantry. To the extent the poor are enabled to participate in (preferable have ownership in) the systems intended to serve them, to that extent their self-worth is enhanced. The fair exchange of labor for goods and services is an honorable and responsible practice (though admittedly not as easy as give-away programs).

5. Never do for others what they can do for themselves — The goal of helping is empowerment. Personal responsibility is essential for social, emotional and spiritual well being. To do for others what they have the capacity to do for themselves is to dis-empower them. Welfare, as many failed government programs have demonstrated, promotes dependency and a sense of entitlement. The outcome is no different when religious or charitable organizations provide it. The struggle for self-sufficiency is, like the butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon, an essential strength-building process that should not be short-circuited by “compassionate” intervention. The effective helper can be a cheerleader, an encourager, a coach, a connector, but never a caretaker who assumes responsibility that the “helpee” is capable of shouldering.

6. Sustainability is a litmus test — When our service project is over and we return home, are those we have served empowered to sustain what we have started? If these initiatives require our on-going funding, staffing, and volunteer participation to keep them going, they are more likely dependency-producing rather than empowering. Thus, building a home or digging a well for people who do not have the training and/or resources to maintain these assets does not empower them. It may feel very good for the moment and relieve an immediate need but it does not develop capacity. The defining question is: how can we serve so as to enable the poor to become self-sustaining?

7. Consider unintended consequences — Every change has consequences. Church growth may cause traffic congestion; screw-top wine bottles puts cork producers out of work; successful sheep breeding may lead to overgrazing. While we cannot foresee all the potential consequences of our service, we should at least make some attempt to predict their impact. Are we luring indigenous ministers away from their pastoral duties to become our tour-guides and schedule coordinators for our mission trips? Are we diminishing the entrepreneurial spirit in a culture by offering our free services, gifts and grants? Are we supporting irresponsible lifestyles by indiscriminate giving from our clothes closets and food pantries? Before we embark on a mission venture we should conduct an “impact study” to consider how our good deeds might have consequences we never intended. As Hippocrates admonished: above all do no harm

8. Listen to what is not being said — A good physician learns to listen to what his patient is not saying. Perhaps out of embarrassment or fear, a patient may not disclose important data needed to correctly treat a condition. The doctor must look for clues, piece together fragments of information, use his diagnostic tools and intuition to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. The poor we serve may be quite reluctant to reveal "the whole story” to would-be helpers for a host of reasons — fear of judgment, fear of losing support, not wanting to appear unappreciative, intimidation. It would be very difficult, for instance, for a pastor in a poor Guatemalan village to tell a supporting church in the States that it would be a far better use of their money to help him create jobs for the men in his village than to spend it on plane fare to send 30 unskilled volunteers to come and do construction work for them. Likewise, a single mother trying to clothe her children may be hesitant to tell the clothes closet volunteers that their hours of operation make it difficult for working parents to shop there. Like good physicians, effective helpers must learn to observe, ask questions, use their intuition, and hear what is not being said.

AN OATH FOR HELPERS
The effectiveness of our efforts to empower the poor could be significantly enhanced if, prior to launch, would-be helpers would take the following pledge:

1. I will never do for others what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves.
2. I will limit my one-way giving to emergency situations and seek always to find ways and means for legitimate exchange.
3. I will seek ways empower the poor through hiring, lending and investing and use grants sparingly as incentives that reinforce achievements.
4. I will put the interests of the poor above my own (or organizational) self-interest even when it may be costly.
5. I will take time to listen and carefully assess both expressed and unspoken needs so that my actions will ultimately strengthen rather than weaken the hand of those I would serve.
6. Above all, to the best of my ability, I will do no harm.

i need sometimes

2009-01-02T12:11:00.001-08:00

i need sometimes, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Saw this at the Big Kitchen.

Prayer walk, from downtown to GH

2009-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Advent

2008-12-16T00:13:00.000-08:00

Secret Life of the Soul - chapters 7-9

2008-12-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

The prophet Jeremiah describes the human heart as something that deceives and that is really hard to understand (Jer. 17:9). But we don't just deceive others--intentionally or unintentionally--we also deceive ourselves as we do all kinds of things to get what our souls crave. Miller calls this the building of a "constructed personality." Here are some of the questions we're asking ourselves (thanks Christiana...I pulled most of these from your comments on that last post):

What is a constructed personality?
Why do we build one?
What does building a constructed personality actually lead to? What are some of the things that end up happening in our souls and in our relationships as we go down that path?

In addition to 1) quieting the shaming voices and 2) gaining esteem, the other dominant desire of the constructed personality is finding and keeping intimacy. But it's a self-defeating pathway.

How does a constructed personality actually undermine intimacy?
How have the constructed personalities of our parents or the collective constructed personality of our family affected us?
Are there some characteristics in your personality that you think (or are beginning to suspect) may be constructed in an attempt to find/keep intimacy?

It turns out that constructed personalities fair much better in the prevalent world of "emotional one-night stands" where we can more easily measure, dole out, and maintain our constructed selves than they do in communities that call for an intimacy that comes through honesty. Which means we may need to do some deconstructing.

Secret Life of the Soul - chapters 4-6

2008-11-20T11:30:00.001-08:00

Miller begins by laying out the 4 core yearnings that develop early on in all our lives. What are they? What have we learned about these longings--from the book and from our own experience? What happens when those yearnings are met or unmet?

It's significant that Miller describes those yearnings as longings for things that are "perfect." Because the reality is that people have responded imperfectly to our perfect desires just as we responded imperfectly to theirs. Some people--maybe even the people who mattered most--may have even gotten in the way. And maybe their voices have even gotten into our heads. We hear things like, "you're not very pretty, or smart, or lovable, or good enough." They are voices that daunt us, shame us, and limit us.

Miller calls these voices, or maybe more accurately the destructive power that begins to animate these voices, "personal evil." What Miller calls personal evil sounds a whole lot like what Paul calls "strongholds."

Read and reflect on these false arguments that can take foothold in our minds and hearts in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

What voices, if any, are we hearing? Is there a script that plays in your head? if not now, was there one that used to play in your head, or one that periodically reoccurs?

Pray together against those voices...against those strongholds.

May we become a people who are graced with truth and who quickly recognizes lies, who call them out and who give no room for them in our community.

Walking Golden Hill

2008-11-19T20:51:00.001-08:00

We spend a lot of time walking the streets of Golden Hill. The community is geared that way. There's small markets close by, some great food joints, coffee houses, and friends close by. I can even easily walk to Hamilton's Tavern for a pint and a Charger game. A number of mornings every week, we also prayer walk. Walking and talking, to one another and to God. Listening. Seeing. Those are fast becoming some of my favorite times in our new neighborhood. There's something about getting out and walking. Seeing and hearing, even smelling the neighborhood. I get a feel and a sense of the place that, well, I just can't get any other way. And God seems to use those times in powerful ways, to connect us to Him, to this place, and to one another.

I usually bring along my camera and snap a few photos. The sky. The architecture. And the sidewalks. The sidewalks here are amazing. Many are crumpled and in disrepair. Dates are usually stamped on them, proudly by contractors from past eras. Many go back more than a hundred years, I wonder the stories these sidewalks could tell. The glory says after the turn of the 20th century, when Golden Hill was a neighborhood for affluent businessmen working downtown. The chicano era of the 60's. The gang-run days of the 70's-90's. The people and the families that have lived here and walked these streets.

— Jon

La Linea

2008-11-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's just me, but it seems every time I turn around, someone in our neck of the woods is stepping outside the cultural current and bringing the worlds of Mexicans and Americans together in innovative and intriguing ways. Rob and Tim attended the first of many pastors + borders gatherings last Friday, hosted by our friends at Ecclesia Collective. Then Adapta Project has been facilitating a series of very cool art based experiences, bringing together an artist from Tijuana and one from the U.S., in their Adapta vs. Sezio events.

Love it.

deeper into colossians

2008-11-17T10:34:00.001-08:00

As we read through Paul's letter to the Colossians, here are a few commentaries I'd highly recommend if you want to dig in...

a little deeper:
N.T. Wright's very short, very readable, and very practical commentary on Paul's letters: http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Everyone-Ephesians-Philippians-Colossians/dp/0664227880/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226946677&sr=8-9

deeper:
N.T. Wright's classic and more thorough commentary on just Colossians and Philemon: http://www.amazon.com/Epistles-Colossians-Philemon-Testament-Commentaries/dp/0830829911/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

real deep:

Walsh and Keesmaat's intriguing look at Colossians from a unique and insightful counter-cultural perspective: http://www.amazon.com/Colossians-Remixed-Subverting-Brian-Walsh/dp/0830827382/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226947234&sr=8-1

Psm 19 - from Christiana

2008-11-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

This morning Naomi (who's 8 months now!) woke up at 6:00am. I fed her and rocked her and she fell back asleep..... but I stayed awake, lit a candle and decided to spend some time in the Psalms, listening to God. Psalm 19 is where I landed. It refreshed my soul today with its beautiful, poetic word pictures that stretched me outside of my small world. Not only does this chapter paint a picture of God's glory in creation but it speaks of His intimacy with the deepest part of our being - our SOUL, which is often hidden from others but known by God. It ends with, "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

I hope this brings you encouragement as it did for me this morning. As we read through Miller's "Secret Life of the Soul", may we come to know more of the beauty of God in His creation, His word and His intimate redemption of our souls. And may we begin to experience freedom as we learn to trust each other with our souls.

PSM 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice [b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure,
and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(By the way, Derek recently wrote a song based on psm 19 that we've been singing in our church!)

Secret Life of the Soul - chapters 1-3

2008-11-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

Most of us were raised to keep the deepest part of us private. It's that secret secluded place we've learned to slink into whenever we're scared, hurt, confused, or just plain embarrassed. We do it so instinctively in western culture that we usually don't even see it happening. But here we are packing up our bags (or unpacking them) and moving towards a shared life. And that means we're probably bringing our private, vulnerable, but well-guarded souls into a community. That could be scary, and it might even tempt us to begin constructing even more sophisticated retreat routes into our private souls.

I wanted to begin the formation of our community by reading Keith Miller's The Secret Life of the Soul together in hopes that we would not only understand our own souls better, (and the stuff we've surrounded them with), but so that we would understand each other's souls better. Not just so that we would know and be known, but so that we might learn how to fight for each other's souls so that we never have to retreat or fight alone. So as you read, read with that ultimate aim in mind. Here are some other questions we're asking ourselves from the 1st 3 chapters:

What has been your understanding of the soul?

What works against your soul?

What does the broken, disillusioned soul of a child instinctively begin to do very early on in life?

How does that instinct play out in your life?

How could that instinct play out in our community?

Soul.

2008-11-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
—C.S. Lewis

I read this quote today, which I thought was particularly fitting given the book we're now reading through, The Secret Life of the Soul, by J. Keith Miller.

I touched the fence ...

2008-10-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went to Friendship Park aka Border Field State Park right at the border of Mexico and the U.S. Quite literally, I was able to touch the fence. This will soon end with the new impenetrable fence coming in. Right now families are able to visit with each other to a certain degree. But soon, even this will be gone. The picture above is one that I took while standing at the fence.

The event was called God's Kingdom and Immigration, and was with a group called U40, you can find them on Facebook.

Some of the questions discussed were;

Is the border fence a good or bad thing? Is this an issue between two cities, two countries, or perhaps two kingdoms? Where should we stand on the issue?

One of the guest speakers, Marcos Mujica helped us navigate this conversation. Marcos is a graduate of Pt. Loma Nazarene University and is an insightful authority on the immigration issue from a kingdom perspective.

Throughout the day I heard about what God is doing in the city and the big highlight for me, is that we celebrated communion together. There was something powerful about having communion right there on "the land of in between" - the line that separates us in so many ways. I felt that God was there and pleased that we were discussing His kingdom and how all of us, no matter what side of the line we live on, are a part of it.

It was a good day.

border fence

2008-10-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sophia came across this short but powerful 2.5 minute clip on the border fence right where we celebrated World Communion Sunday. It's definitely worth watching and offers a counter-intuitive response to dealing with long term immigration issues:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2008/oct/15/uselections2008-usimmigration-mikedavis

a picture of what's ahead

2008-09-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Jon Hall just put together a cool little new video of Project Mexico, a ministry he has nurtured and led for years and one we hope to help build on and advance through our new little community in San Diego. Check it out...

Project Mexico_Margaret from Jon Hall on Vimeo.

You can read the complete post on Jon's blog here.

terranova heads to the border

2008-09-10T16:02:00.001-07:00

The Russian Novelist Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Everybody wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Maybe we're a little over ambitious, but we want it all. We want to change our world and become a changed people.

NieuCommunities are unique missional communities scattered around the world that are developing a new generation of leaders to follow God in the way of Jesus. Each year we invite a bunch of young, emerging leaders to come and spend time with us as we pursue our God and engage our world. Some come for a few weeks, some for a few months, and others for a few years. But no one leaves unchanged.

Through an integrated mentoring and missional experience our apprentices and staff are challenged to make God the center of their lives. They are shaped in the crucible of community, and they are formed for mission through real-time ministry in the neighborhoods around us. The trajectories of our lives are changed as we reimagine what it means to follow a missionary God, and along the way, so is our world.

Since the birth of NieuCommunities in 2002, our approach to missional formation has been both holistic and rigorous. We meet almost daily for training, coaching, worship, prayer, common meals and shared ministry in our neighborhoods and beyond. We’ve met in barns, homes, B&Bs, church buildings, and coffee shops. We’ve lived under one roof and we’ve been scattered across town. Through these diverse experiences we’ve learned how powerful it is to be submerged in a place that will help stimulate an environment of discovery and transformation, and to create a hub that serves as a place of hospitality for our neighbors. And this month we are setting out to establish NieuCommunities in another new city.

Many of us know San Diego as “America’s Finest City” with its great beaches, the zoo, the Gaslamp District, and Balboa Park. But there’s another side to the city that we sometimes miss. San Diego is a border city. Its economy, its social structure, and its politics are inextricably linked with its sister city—Tijuana—just to the south. These two diverse mega cities straddling the most trafficked border in the world create a very complex, and unique metropolis.

The city’s majority population is non-white, non-middle class. They often work 2 to 3 jobs a day to survive, and rarely visit the places that tourists enjoy every day. San Diego is also one of the United States’ designated “sanctuary” cities. There are significant refugee populations from Africa and Southeast Asia sprinkled throughout the city’s downtown neighborhoods, and these groups all face significant challenges.

The legal border between the United States and Mexico lies 15 miles south of the city center, but the real border lies about 1500 yards south of downtown where cultures from around the world collide. These are the neighborhoods we believe God is calling us to move into, to serve, and from within to develop young missional leaders to send all over the world.

And this month both the Halls and Yackleys are packing up and moving south to help create and form the leadership team of this new missional community and extend the global reach of Terranova Church.

farmers markets

2008-09-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's good to be home! Saturday morning I was unwinding at Krakatoa after a long week of moving and I got into a conversation with a couple of locals who were on their way to one of the farmers' markets in the area. They said there were 3 markets worth visiting: 1) Every Saturday morning from 9a-1p in East Village; 2) Every Thursday after 3p in Northpark; and 3) "the biggest and by far the best" is every Sunday morning from 9a-1p in the DMV parking lot in Hillcrest. I can think of at least a couple folks in our community who will be eager to check them out!

A residents view of Golden Hill

2008-09-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

Seen on the Reader website
by Subliminelle

Traffic. Sirens. Police. Firetrucks. Ambulances. Jet Planes. These are the noises of my neighborhood. It is no wonder the wealthy families who first settled in Golden Hill during the late 1880's eventually got tired of the racket and headed east, leaving behind large, elegant homes and wide open boulevards. Sadly, over time, the neighborhood fell into despair. A century later, Golden Hill had become a haven for street gangs, junkies, and transients- people who had bigger problems to worry about than decibel levels.

Today, the neighborhood is as noisy as ever. Although the gangs have been replaced by musicians and artists, a criminal element still exists, and the sirens of police cars never let you forget it. Although the homeless have been pushed to the outskirts of town, the clatter of shopping carts still echoes from the alleys.

The trendy East Village at the bottom of the slope is exploding with new sounds as well. Construction. Sports bars. Night clubs. Bowling alleys. The noise climbs further up the hill every day, creating a non-stop symphony of sounds...a chorus of commotion. Airplanes scream by, one after another, and conversations must pause for them to pass, like pedestrians waiting for the light to change. Freeways rush through town like rivers. Traffic ebbs and flows, not unlike the tides of the ocean.

Local residents know that if you live here long enough, you'll stop noticing the noise after a while. What you will begin to notice, however, are the more subtle sounds of life on the hill, sounds that can only be heard by those who are really listening.

Golden Hill is a musical place. Its southern boundary is a bridge which crosses over the 94 freeway. Built by a local artist, the bridge plays a tune if its rungs are struck while crossing. On the north side of the bridge is Golden Hill's bustling commercial district, which consists of a handful of food markets, restaurants, liquor stores, and one very stylish fire station.

Walking down 25th Street, you'll hear street merchants selling flowers. You'll hear a cacophony of birds and people perched on the patio of Krakatoa, our local coffee shop. You'll hear the sound of pizza dough being tossed and pounded over at Luigi's Pizzeria, and you'll hear rowdy laughter escaping the infamous Turf Club anytime its heavy wooden door swings open.

After dark, you'll hear the comforting hum of neon lights, the crackle of electricity, and the hoots of the night owls, awake and alive. When traffic dies down at dusk, you'll hear the whisper of the wind down the wide, empty streets, the seductive songs of the crickets, and the rustle of the palm trees swaying high above. These are the sounds that I listen for. These are the sounds of life on the hill.

Summer brings new noises to town as well. The ka-boom! of fireworks and the subsequent barking of dogs. The bittersweet wail of mariachi bands singing songs of amor! off in the distance. The angry hiss of sprinklers watering freshly mowed lawns. The ting-a-ling of the ice cream man's silver bell as he pushes his frozen goods across the street makes my mouth water in a Pavlovian sort of way.

During baseball season, I can hear the thrill and excitement of a home run. Just listening to the roar of the crowds gives me a craving for peanuts and crackerjacks. I can always tell whether the Padres won or lost simply by following the soundtrack of the game.

From my bedroom, I hear the approaching rattle of skateboard wheels, the whiz of a ten-speed bike flying past my house, or the slap of sneakers on the sidewalk as little kids run home from school. On Sunday mornings, I am awakened by church bells resonating from down the street.

On Wednesday afternoons, I hear the chip! chip! chip! of my father, carving marble sculptures in the backyard. On Friday evenings I hear the crash! boom! bang! of the rock band that practices in our garage. And on Saturday nights, I fall asleep to the steady thump! of hip hop bass coming from the people upstairs. We are musicians and artists, and we are people in motion.

When the air is thick and heavy, I can hear the voices of transportation- the far-off moan of a foghorn blowing in from the bay, or the last call of a cruise ship before it sets off on another bon voyage. I can hear the clang! clang! of a passing trolley or the whistle of a train pulling into the station, as if to announce, “I'm home!”. Whenever I hear these familiar sounds, I know that I'm home, too. For some folks, the noise of the city is too much to bear. But to me, the sound of the hill is “golden”.

Cross border art and culture event

2008-08-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

Looks like there's an interesting event going on in TJ on Sat, Sept 26th. It's an art exhibition in the “Colonia Federal” area of Tijuana, where artists have congregated to live and work. It's called the La Casa del Tunel: Art Center, and is decribed as "an international community center dedicated to promoting and facilitating borderless arts, culture and environmental investigation and awareness."

More info on it here. Anyone up for going?

Say it ain't so

2008-08-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Could the Turf Club be closing?

Two posts about it, here and here.

—Jon

odd list of stuff to do in san diego

2008-08-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto this list of the 260 best things to do in San Diego. You know it's an unusual list when the Zoo comes in at #9! Okay, some of it is just weird, but lots of it is stuff I've never heard of, but they sure sound fun to do together over the years ahead.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60750-Activities-San_Diego_California.html

Pat's

2008-08-03T09:46:00.001-07:00

Pats, originally uploaded by hallywood.

Sophia and the girls stumbled upon Pat's in Northpark a few weeks back, after some locals turned them onto it. They took me there yesterday. A very cool place, with crazy junk, discards and some great finds. Inside you might find a killer piece of old furniture, a Santa hat, a vintage clock or a cool set of books.Think Sanford and Son.

Natalie had the killer find of the day. She has a series of books on her reading list for next year from the charter school we're part of. They had the entire set there, in pristine condition. Retails for $75. She got them, along with a small stuffed animal, for three bucks.

Awesome.

The Silent Comedy

2008-07-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

We were producing a video for one of my clients this week, shooting at a studio in Carlsbad. A friend of one of our guys came to do sound for us, Josh Zimmerman (that's him holding the boom mic). It turns out Josh lives in Grant Hill (right next to GH), and is part of a local SD band called The Silent Comedy. I love their genre-busting music. They've played a number of sizable local and western states gigs. They were playing tonight in Lake Forest at the Gypsy Lounge, but we couldn't line-up a sitter, so we missed it. Hope to catch them at a gig in SD soon.

goatee

2008-07-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Came across this today at 26th and B in GH.

Ritual Tavern

2008-04-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a beer and a burger at Ritual Tavern in Northpark. It's on 30th, quite a ways up from Golden Hill. Ritual is a great locals joint, with a wide variety of local beers (San Diego has an amazing array of local breweries!) and great, home-made food. They even proudly make their own ketchup and mustard!

We sat at the bar and talked a bit with the barkeep, and a couple of locals having a beer. One of the guys was a Mexican who's had run-in both with police in San Diego, and in Mexico. Sounds dicey, I know, but he was really a cool cat, and his perspective was enlightening.

I'm gonna like this place.