Here’s a picture.
Here’s Bob and Dave (white homeless men) teaching Zane (4 year old son of a working single black mother) how to hit a wiffle ball at the Elevate Detroit Mt. Clemens CommuniD BBQ today.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But I think this one’s priceless.
Jesus is all over it.
Posted in Personal, Shorties, Spiritual
Tagged baseball, CommuniD BBQ, Homeless, Jesus, love, Mt. Clemens
I did not write this. This is a prayer I took from a devotional that I read today. This is a prayer I pray for myself.
Jesus, I see You wash Your disciples’ feet. I hear You call me to follow Your example. Help me to serve those I lead today, meeting them at their point of need, and serving them without regard to position. May my leadership create true community, a community that reflects Your presence and example. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When considering the evil that runs freely rampant in my mind I am reminded and shown how much work the Spirit has left to do in transforming it. And I take courage and joy from the grief this causes my heart. For if thus is the life I have with my brother Christ now, with such corruption and double mindedness yet holding fast within me, how much greater is the journey yet to come as my transformation furthers and I may begin to actually reflect his basic tenant to simply love all freely?!
Like John, Paul and so many others, may I face each day with the bold, courageous and taunting phrase, “Lord, lead me on.” May I never falter or tire of the adventure of peace and love in a world so hungry for all three. And may I live and love all others as myself evermore and myself as relentlessly and fully as my Father Creator God.
Yes truly, the past has been good. The best is yet to come. I am yours, Papa. Amen.
Why do we so often solve conflicts through escalation or avoidance? Is there a 3rd option? One that brings real peace, resolution and reconciliation without aggression or passivity? Is there an option, a possibility that actually fosters love?
If you pay attention, you can feel the life of a new day growing & bursting forth with the new light that comes before the sunrise.
It’s beautiful.
God is Light.
God is Life.
God is Love.
He is the Sun of Righteousness. He will rise with healing in His rays.
“Everyone needs compassion. A love that’s never failing.”
I love this song. It’s one of my favorites.
I’ve probably sung it a hundred times. Maybe more.
This is Friday night though. Normally I may sing it on a Sunday. I may sing it on a Wednesday. But I bet this is the first time on a Friday. Certainly the first time the night before a CommuniD BBQ.
Read those two lines again:
“Everyone needs compassion. A love that’s never failing.”
We all do don’t we? I know I certainly do.
Tomorrow, when we each get together at 2nd & Selden, let’s look at each other and everyone we see throughout the day with those eyes.
“Everyone needs compassion. A love that’s never failing.”
The next line says, “Let mercy fall on me.”
Lord, let mercy fall on us. And let us pour it out as an offering to you. Let each of us experience your mercy and unfailing love through each other’s compassion freely shared amongst every one present at 2nd and Selden.
Posted in Detroit, Personal, Spiritual
Tagged 2nd and Selden, CommuniD BBQ, compassion, Elevate Detroit, Elevatedetroit, love, mercy
Yesterday was amazing. Spent the day with Detroit Reverse. They made a film about me that brought me to tears. I’m humbled beyond words. I’m amazed and so thankful at the work God has done in and through me and those around me. I don’t deserve it at all. Alexa Courtney, Amanda Sadlier, Pat Zeigler and the team did an amazing job making it. Thank you so much to Amanda Vizzini, Lindsey Fischer and John Azoni for saying such kind words and doing what you do. In the afternoon we had a CommuniD BBQ with Detroit Reverse students. It was a powerful experience for all of us. Getting to talk with the students afterwards was truly moving.
Posted in Detroit, Personal, Spiritual
Tagged BBQ, CommuniD BBQ, Detroit, Detroit Reverse, Elevate Detroit, Elevatedetroit, homeless BBQ, Jesus, love
Detroit-Hiroshima
Link to Glenn Beck on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcSgWLaJuNE
Link to Free Press article about Bing’s reaction: http://www.freep.com/article/20110301/ENT03/110301012/Bing-knocks-Glenn-Beck-Detroit-Hiroshima-comparison
Link to Patrick Reyes blog post: http://patrickreyes.net/2011/03/02/maybe-glen-beck-was-right/
So I’m a few days behind with the whole Glenn Beck thing…
It’s March 4th and although I’ve had a couple articles and a blog post bookmarked for a couple days now, I’m just catching up. But really… I don’t feel like there’s much to say.
For you who don’t know yet, you can click through the links above and read for yourself or I’ll try to give a quick recap here:
Basically Glenn Back compared the last 50-60 years of Hiroshima’s history to Detroit’s.
Hiroshima was hit with an atomic bomb in 1945. Scientists thought the city would be uninhabitable for decades. Instead, the people decided to rebuild their city. Now, 66 years later, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis. Beck points out that, yes there was some government assistance in rebuilding Hiroshima, but the majority of the work, time and money it took to rebuild came from individuals who loved their city and would not let it lie in ruins.
Over this same time period Detroit has gone from a vibrant and thriving metropolis, the “Paris of the West,” to ruins. Beck says that bad and corrupt government, corporate and union policies are what destroyed the Motor City.
Basically… yes. I would also like to point out that he neglected to mention white flight. White flight, in my opinion, was the catalyzing factor that enabled, encouraged and brought about bad and corrupt government, corporate and union policies.
But why is this news? Anyone who lives in Southeast Michigan and is honest with themselves knows this to be true. We’ve known this for decades. We’ve watched this, we’ve experienced this, we’ve lived this. This isn’t news for February 28th, 2011. This is old news.
Detroit today is not the Detroit that is comparable to Hiroshima. Or maybe it is, but the timelines are just askew. Hiroshima came to its ruin in 1945. Detroit came to its ruin more gradually culminating early this century. But the phrase “will the last one out, please turn out the lights” will never apply to Detroit.
Detroit is being remade. Yes, there are some governmental changes that are helping Detroit to be remade. But not for the most part. For the most part it is people, individuals who have decided they love their city and are not willing to let it fall to the wayside.
What Glenn Beck is missing is the current. The current of Detroit has changed. The river of wealth, knowledge and education is now beginning to flow the other way. We, together, are stemming the tide of escapism, white flight and neglect. We are stirring a new direction for our city. There is a new tomorrow and more importantly, there is a new today.
There’s a song by Robbie Seay Band that says,
“And it might not be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it’s a New Day
Oh baby it’s a New Day”
This is Detroit. And this is a New Day. And we have a new current. The current is a city on the incline. The current is a city that is being remade from the ground up through grassroots efforts and community organizers who are encouraging people to love their city and their neighbors. And what is most exciting to me about this current is the strong role the body of Christ is playing in it.
Historically Detroit was a major hub in the underground railroad, led by the church. It was a beacon of freedom and the relief of oppression. As a result there are more church buildings per capita than any other city in the country. Then it became a destination for new jobs and opportunities for people of any ethnicity. Then the church led the way again… in the wrong direction. Running out of the city in white flight. Then Detroit quickly became the most segregated city in the country. Then race riots. We’ve had more than our share. For decades the church has ridden the backs of white folks out to the suburbs and what has been left is health and wealth gospel preachers that I cannot appreciate in any way.
But finally… a new generation is stirring. A New Day has come. The Kingdom is becoming visible here again. The church is shining its Light once again in the city that put the world on wheels… and invented headlights.
We have people reversing white flight. We have people sharing with others as they have need. We have people beautifying their homes, their blocks and their city. And they’re doing it for no other reason than to show the world that it’s a beautiful place and should be treated that way. We have CCS, the DIA and the DSO. We have food and restaurants galore. We have urban prairies with deer, pheasants and wild chickens roaming free. We are number 2 in the nation for fishing rod sales. By consumption, we are the potato chip capital of the world. We have more registered bowlers than anywhere else in country. We have Critical Mass, Noel Night, the Auto Show and DEMF.
We may have inherited the problems of our parent’s Detroit. But this is not our parent’s Detroit. This is a New Day and it comes with a new current flowing in a new direction… forward.
Glenn Beck was right about where our problems came from. But he’s missing where we are now. A lot of people have been up in arms about what Glenn Beck said about Detroit. I see no problem. He’s right. He’s just a bit behind the times. There’s no point in denying our history with all of its victories and all of its defeats. To deny one’s history is to deny one’s current state. And I’m proud of our current state… or should I say… City.
A few links to good things: http://elevatedetroit.com (blatant self-promotion)
Palladium Boots / Johnny Knoxville video: http://www.palladiumboots.com/exploration/detroit
Requiem for Detroit by the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rkm3y (no, not the video clip unfortunately, but I do have a DVD)
Posted in Detroit, Personal, Spiritual
Tagged church, Detroit, Elevate Detroit, Elevatedetroit, Glenn Beck, God, Hiroshima, love, Michigan, rebuilding, reconciliation
Love is love unless it’s unloved. Then it’s just exploitation, manipulation or using.
Tonight I visited The Eastside Vineyard Church. Tonight was their final monthly “preview” service. Next Sunday they begin meeting every week.
Dan Kopp shared an excellent message about spending time with God. He challenged us to spend as much time preparing for the day spiritually as we do physically (showering, dressing, etc.). He hit the nail on my head.
For this week I’m going to try to spend an hour every morning every day reading, praying and singing worship. I’m also going to try to set aside one hour every day in the morning for creative time. I’m also going to work out regularly in the morning.
Along with a great message came the introduction to a great worshipful song. Here’re the lyrics:
Chris Brown – Give Me Faith
Verse:
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You’re shaping my life
Pre-Chorus:
All I am,
I surrender
Chorus:
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life
Verse 2:
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me
Chorus:
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life
Bridge:
I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will (repeat)
Chorus:
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life
Bridge:
I may be weak
Your spirit strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will (repeat)
Shoes for the hopeless 