Be Ye Doers

When I young, I worked at a local grocery store. To this day, I still get excited about things like grocery pickups and setting up our free market in large part because of my memories working at the grocery store. Over the years that I worked at the store, I worked in many different departments and got to know many different people as well. One of the people that I really connected with was my friend Chris Doers. We worked stock together for years and interacted a lot when we were both in different departments too. We would also get together outside of work to go fishing from time to time. Chris was always a good dude that I really enjoyed hanging out with.

My car accident, that nearly took my life, happened at age seventeen after a shift at the store. Chris still recalls seeing me that night just hours before the wreck. Not long after my accident, I quit working at the store to focus on college (partying). After just a few years of being away, and after starting to follow Jesus, I came back to work at the store again. Chris was still there and we continued to be friends. We would still fish and talk and hang out pretty often. I eventually began going to a 'house church' at Brian Sanders house, the first house church of what would one day become known as the Underground Network. I think we jokingly referred to ourselves the "underground church" then too. I invited Chris to come over and check it out one night, and he did. I remember him thinking that I was insane, and that our group was a little weird, and the fact that I was about to move to the inner city was just stupid. Needless to say, he wasn't too impressed, but he didn't forget the experience either.

Fast forward to 10 years later, and Chris and I have lost touch with one another. Recently he has been getting more involved with his church community, and getting more and more serious about following Jesus himself. The other day he was on the phone with a friend who told him he was on his way to visit the Underground. Chris remembered me and the house church he visited and asked his friend, "You mean that weird church that meets in some dudes house?" His friend replies "Brother, there's a lot of houses now."

Chris then set out to hunt me down, which didn't take too long as I heard from a few sources within the next day or two that he was looking for me. We got in touch and he came by. It was great to see this old friend and he reminded me of much of this story from his perspective. He just thought that it was crazy to see what all those insane, weird and stupid choices I was making back in the day have turned into. As we toured the neighborhood, and I showed him the houses and the gardens and all the work being done, he seemed to understand more and more what we were up to.

I told him all about the Underground and the work that I now do with The Well, and he promised that he would come visit us at our Thursday night meal called The Banquet. The first night he popped in, I wasn't there but I heard that he came and after the meal, and then I saw this post on Facebook.

Just a few weeks later, Chris came back with the whole Doers family. His wife and kids jumped right in to serve and talk with guests and just be here. It was a great night and we were so grateful to have them here with us. That night, after he left, I saw another post on Facebook that honestly made me tear up. Chris posted again about being at the meal, but what he said in his comments communicates exactly the thing that I hope those who join us to serve will take away. While many homeless folks need some dinner and come to meet that need, many of us who serve do not realize the needs that we have that are fulfilled here. I think Chris's comments help illuminate our need a bit, our need that is made known by coming and sitting at the table with others that we otherwise, often, do not see or know. 

Here you can see his post and the comments that follow:

(And by the way, his daughter in the pink/purple dress, is a cage fighter known as The Reaper!
So that's kinda awesome! )

He writes:

"It's amazing you think you're going to go in and help someone that is truly less fortunate then realize the conversation was probably more important to me. It just puts it in perspective how truly blessed my family and I truly are..."

And then:

"You know I went into it thinking I was going to do something nice but I honestly believe it's a privilege and a gift that I had the opportunity to be there..."

 And after a friend comments, "OMG Great Job," he writes:

"I feel that going there once or twice is almost self righteous, opening your doors to complete strangers everyday without question and without prejudice that's a great job." 

We pray for those who visit us would leave transformed and filled. Challenged in areas of prejudice and entitlement, encouraged toward gratefulness and  appreciation, and inspired to open their own doors and lives to those who used to seem so Other. We are in the business of building bridges and Chris is a great example of what we hope for all of our friends to leave with. We expect to see more of him around here but better than that, we know God has done something in him that will go with him to his own neighborhood, church and relationships.

In reflecting on this story, I cannot help but remember and repeat those words of St. James:

"Be Ye Doers" -James 1:22

On Earth, As it is in Heaven

“Truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 

Matthew 17:20b (ESV)

Our vision statement for The Well is: “Needs met, bridges built, a city made whole.” More than an ideal, this is the destination against which we plot our course - these are the objectives around which we plan our next year, next month and each day’s work. Bearing this in mind, I offer two ongoing challenges to myself and anyone who believes in this vision for the The Well and for our city.

The first challenge is this.

Imagine what it would take to make this vision come true in the most literal sense - the real and tangible changes that must happen in the sprawling ghettos of aging bungalows and public housing projects that encircle Tampa’s city center. 

To visualize a path, it helps to have a clear vision of the destination. I’ve attempted below to describe what I myself imagine our community would look like on some future day if our vision statement were to be realized.

Today, the sun rose over a verdant landscape of orchards and fields as far as my eyes can see, dotted with shiny roofs and bodies of water teeming with life. Homes are nestled among fruit trees and abundant gardens line our curbs. Beyond the grid of streets and sidewalks, there is virtually no concrete or asphalt to be seen. 

The fundamental material needs of all here are met consistently. Every effort is made to ensure that no person goes without shelter, no one is without a safe place to rest. Food - good, healthy food - is in abundance, and readily shared with those who need it. Those fortunate enough to have a surplus voluntarily contribute to provide for “even the least of these.” We judge our quality of life based on our bond with our neighbors and our ability to prevent homelessness, hunger and neglect in our community - not by comparing our lifestyles to those we see in other neighborhoods or in the media. 

Among people of different ages, races, economic status and origins - we have diligently remedied the previous ignorance and disillusionment, we have dismantled the institutions that confer certain privilege only on some. Conflict isn’t extinct, but together we remain committed to reconciling any separation that divides us. We each recognize that we are interdependent on the others, parts of a whole, and only together are we complete. At every opportunity, we choose cooperation over competition. Even the land itself is seen as a shared gift, and we treat it as sacred, contemplating with every choice what we will leave for the next generation. 

As we collectively pursue aspirations greater than ourselves, we discover as individuals a sense of purpose, direction and deep fulfillment. Because we now understand ourselves first as connected beings, we readily submit our knowledge, effort and much of our wealth for common enjoyment and oversight by the community. Even simple gifts of service and material goods now take on a much deeper spiritual significance within the context of our community’s reconciliation over generations. By doing unto others as we would have done to ourselves, we honor not only the commandment but the giver of the command. We remind each other to keep our eyes fixed on the vision, as every day we seek to make the present more closely mirror our future perfection. 

I find it helpful to envision this future reality every night as I fall asleep, and imagine what must be done tomorrow to make it so.

The second challenge I offer you is this.

Learn to believe in our vision enough to see through today’s pain, obstacles, and the seemingly insurmountable amount of work that lies in front of us - and find the faith that will make it a reality. 

Not only should you dream of this future, this dream should haunt your days. You should begin each new day with a clear sense of purpose driven by this singular goal. You should feel compelled to encourage the community by sharing what you’ve envisioned with the rest of us so we can conspire to make it real. Is there truly such a thing as Heaven on Earth? I can't promise you that, but we are commanded to work toward exactly that. I believe with all my being that inasmuch as our community will be made whole, we will each also be made whole in the process.

When is this future? Is it a decade from now? A century or more? In actuality, that day can only come as soon as we believe it to be true. There is a mustard seed hanging in our new office that symbolizes the mountains moved already in 2014. It should be equally as much a reminder of the mountains that we will move tomorrow.

May these words echo in your head until you believe them: “Nothing will be impossible for you.”

A Quick Update

Beautiful New Space
This must be what it feels like to walk on water!

Dear friends,

A lot has happened since our first quarter update that went out just one month ago. In that email I informed everybody that we were looking for a building of our own, working on transitional ideas in case we came up short on funds; and also that we had one month to be out since the donated space we were using had sold. God has been so faithful to us over the last few weeks and I am happy to announce that we have been able to secure a lease on a 3,200 sq. ft. building on a 3/4 acre lot on Florida Ave! It is such a dream come true and is nothing short of a miracle as The Well only had a 200 dollar per month surplus when we sent that email a month ago. Since then, many of you have stepped up and pitched in to make this beautiful oasis of hospitality in our city happen. Thank you all for your prayers, connections, donations, ongoing pledges and most of all for standing with us in this struggle toward mercy and justice for all.

The team has been working overtime this week moving all of our things into the new space and setting up shop. It is such a privilege to work on this labor of love together. We all are motivated by thinking about the amazing and valuable guests that we will be able to host and honor in this place. 

I want to extend an invitation to stop by and see for yourself. We are located at 3023 N. Florida Ave. Over the next few weeks we will be setting up and preparing to swing open our doors and our arms to embrace our neighbors in need. Stop by and pitch in or just take a quick tour. 

Many of you have asked me what needs we have as we set up shop. Below is a list of needs and I would like to ask each of you to consider who you know that might be able to provide the items or services and/or if there is an item listed that you would like to sponsor financially. 

• Air compressor for 3.5 ton A/C unit and Installation 
• Burglar bars for 6 windows 
• A large shipping container 
• Shed 
• A large tent to cover outside dining area 
• Brown couches (must be leather, vinyl or another scrub-able material) 
• Many folding chairs 
• Computers 
• Privacy fencing 
• Solar panels (a boy can dream can't he?) 

Please come see us and thank you for considering how you might contribute to our ongoing and quickly developing work of mercy and love. It is with tears of joy in my eyes that I send this quick update. God has been very good to us and we fully intend to be faithful to the task he has given us to love our neighbors. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Is Resurrection Good News?

When I look at the beaten, bruised and broken body of the crucified Jesus, I see, before anything symbolic or theological a victim of terrible evil. Many poor and oppressed people see, in that broken figure, which they understand to be the very image of the invisible God, one who understands suffering. One who understands their suffering. And for each of us who have ever been a victim, Jesus identifies with us in our suffering. Our wounds which are unbearable to us can become a meeting place with him and this is a very real grace.

On the other hand Jesus was put on that cross and killed. He was arrested, paraded through Jerusalem, mocked, beaten, betrayed, and murdered on a Roman cross.

Now think for a minute what the immediate news of the resurrection might mean to those who condemned and killed him. This is not good news is it? Just call to mind any movie you can where a victim of some crime/murder came back to life. The body is missing all of a sudden and they are out there somewhere.  This news is horrifying! Jesus body is missing and people are saying that they have seem him alive somewhere here in Jerusalem. At the very least he can now testify to my crime at then there is that unshakable fear that he is here for judgement or vengeance. Easter, for the perpetrator, should not be 'good news.' There minds would race with fear and paranoia as they ask the same question that we see asked in Acts 2:37, after peter explains that this Jesus that they have killed has been risen and made Lord and Messiah by God. Those people of Judea and Jerusalem asked in desperation "What should we do?"

Jesus is risen but when we run into this victim of ours we are not met with the vengeance that we might expect. Rather we are met with love and forgiveness. He shows us the wounds which we have inflicted  but there is no hatred, or revenge, or blood lust, or accusation. Rather from those very wounds flow grace and forgiveness toward the violators in us. Bearing the wounds of every victim of every crime we have committed against one of his own. Here we see the wounds which indict us, those wounds for which we carry great shame and guilt, those wounds upon which we cannot even bear to look. These very wounds speak grace to our shame. These very wounds speak forgiveness to our guilt. This very wounds speak freedom to the very part of us that deserves to be put into chains.

This is not the judgement day or reckoning that we expected. This is the deepest and most profound grace directed toward our most deep and profound evil. The initial encounter with the risen one who might very reasonably have been feared brings relief. That relief stirs in us profound and lasting joy.

This is the beginning of a new world with the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation. Where we could only imagine a victim demanding vengeance and making victims out of violators we find hope for the end of the vicious cycle of violence and historical evil. As we receive his inexplicable forgiveness we can pass it on and forgive as we have been forgiven. We can love much as we have been so deeply and concretely loved by him. Easter is such a relief! Easter is the beginning of a new story and new Being in the world. A new heaven and a new earth are being ushered in and this is really good news! It is such a relief isn't it?

Good Friday

Illustration by Jon Dengler

David wrote and posted this last year for Good Friday. It is worth reading again. and again. and again. Enjoy. 

Today Christians remember the torture, execution, and burial of Jesus Christ, and we call it Good Friday.

Today we recall that he who had power became weak. He whose voice spoke truth and grace was insulted, mocked, and spat upon. He lived as a homeless wandering heretic and he died as a criminal and an outcast. He became a cautionary tale for any would-be prophets with illusions of grandeur.

God crucified does not look much like we might imagine God enthroned would look. Instead, he looks like those with whom he spent most of his time during his ministry. And he makes a direct association with them, saying "...as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." He identified with their exile, with their nakedness, with their need, and with their pain.

No longer can we look on those who suffer and be content to think "It's their own fault." For he who was without fault was made to suffer unjustly. No longer can we avoid the glance of an outsider, for he numbered himself among them. No longer can we despise the poor, wretched sinners, for where else should we expect to find God? He is with us poor, wretched sinners in a way that is scandalous and horrifying and we call it Good.

“When God becomes man in Jesus of Nazareth, he not only enters into the finitude of man, but in his death on the cross also enters into the situation of man's godforsakenness. In Jesus he does not die the natural death of a finite being, but the violent death of the criminal on the cross, the death of complete abandonment by God...He humbles himself and takes upon himself the eternal death of the godless and the godforsaken, so that all the godless and the godforsaken can experience communion with him.”  -Jürgen Moltmann, The Crucified God

Maundy Thursday

Jesus and the disciples gather in the upper room to share together in the Passover Seder together. As they begin Jesus removes his clothes and wraps a towel around his waist. He fills a basin full of water and begins to wash each of the disciples feet and dry them with the towel he was wearing. When he comes to Peter he is stopped and told "You, Lord, will never wash my feet." Jesus replies "unless I wash your feet you have no place here with me" and peter relents. After washing each of their feet Jesus asks them if they understand what He has done for them. He explains "You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am and if I, your Lord and teacher took the posture of a servant to wash your feet you should do this for one another" You see "No servant is greater than his master...and I am not too good to take the role of a servant for you" He continues "I have done this as an example for you and you should to as I have done."

Till this day we have repeated and remembered the supper that would follow. We celebrate it in churches all over the place. We rehearse and recall Jesus who took that Seder matzah, the unleavened bread of affliction (Duet 16:3), broke it and said "This is my body which is broken for you." We reflect also on the cup of wine which he took after dinner and said "This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, it is shed for the forgiveness of sins. Drink it all of you." We celebrate this meal and remember his body that was broken for us as often as we gather to break bread together.It has become, for communities of followers of Jesus, a sacrament. 

I love and cherish the table and mean no critique of this practice in the question that follows. My question, however is, what about the washing of feet? What about the master taking the form of a servant or slave and telling his disciple explicitly that it was an example that He wants them to follow? Have our communities echoed this part as faithfully as the other? Have we developed a habit and sacrament of wiping the filth of others onto ourselves? Have we stripped off the garments of lords and teachers and taken on the outfits and posture of lowly servants? Have we taught others to do the same? By our example? 

As I ask these questions I cannot help but think of the attitude of Jesus that Paul called his followers to have in his letter to the Philippians. He wrote in chapter two verses 3-8:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a slave,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Obedience started in humility and in taking on the form of a servant, then finally it ended, or was fulfilled, in His obedience to death. It seems that we still sometimes cry out to God about taking on the posture of a servant with the same cries that Jesus did about facing His execution:

Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. 

For those of us who would call ourselves disciples of Jesus this cup will not and should not be taken away but rather taken gladly as medicine. As we cry about serving the way he cried about dying may we finish our cries as he did, with the words of surrender:

Yet not as I will, but as you will.

Spy Wednesday, Holy Waste & The Poor Will Always Be With You

There is story associated with this day in the Holy Week that is a very special story to me. The story is found in the fourteenth chapter of Marks gospel. In Jerusalem on the high holy days of Passover we see political and religious leaders seeking and scheming to arrest, condemn and kill Jesus. Then in the end of this vignette we see Judas, one of the twelve, a man from Jesus own community and one under his leadership conspiring to betray Him. Between the tension of these book ends we here those familiar words of Jesus "The poor will always be with you"

Below is the text from Mark and a talk I gave some time ago on this important passage. enjoy.

Mark 14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.