Sacred Scarred

Neighborhood

Lots and lots of talk recently about neighbors.  I know many of my friends are excited about the training that our Circle of Hope network is providing tonight at the Broad and Washington space at 7pm - "Living as an Agent of Change in the Neighborhood" presented by one of our pastors, Bryan Robinson.

Jen and I have been feeling more and more rooted in our neighborhood...providing "mutual" territory (yes, the wife is blogging now) for a wide range of disconnected and often disgruntled people.  We feel at home here and we feel like strangers here...which is sort of the story of Jesus following, isn't it...at home where God has us, but strangers and aliens at the same time.

My old friend, Bob McGrath says, "You know, there are a lot of people that we haven't met around the neighborhood yet...let's see if we can meet a few more, alright?" 

Alright, Bob...let's do that.

I'm always up for meeting more teachers and more dealers (news or otherwise).

Will Spring Actually Get Here?

I don’t know what I expected, but on this, the vernal equinox, I wasn’t too pleased to awake to a blustery 40 degree day. It’s spring! I want the warmth! So, I walked my dog wearing only a t-shirt, jeans, and flip-flops…my small defiance to the world around me… it didn’t change too much of anything…it just made me long for spring all the more. Will spring actually get here? Or am I stuck in a “spring” that’s no different than yesterday’s winter?

All through Lent, I’ve been living in this space where I’m wondering…will all the good that God has promised actually be realized? Jesus says, “the Kingdom of God is here…it’s present!” But I awoke this morning to the reminder that we’ve been killing people in Iraq for 6 years. The Kingdom is here! I want the Kingdom! So today, here’s my small defiance to the world around me…I’m going to walk my neighborhood at 4pm this afternoon (properly attired this time), and I’m going to pray…I’m going to pray for peace, I’m going to pray for those in our community who have sons and daughters and loved ones serving in the military, I’m going to pray for the drugs and violence and addiction that plague so many. Feel free to join me either physically or in spirit. My belief is that it will actually change something…and it will continue to make me long for what God has next.

The Kingdom is here and it will get here…we are not stuck. Jesus does rise from the grave. Thank God.