Most of us at the house make a point to set goals for ourselves each semester and review them at its close. In ministry, in a life like we live, there are so few ways to quantify results and really get a look a how you are doing. I just finished reviewing my goals for the fall semester and am pleased with the work that I have done but am more impressed with the feeling of joy I got as I just reflected on this last year. God has been so faithful to our community and we have done and seen more in this last year than most will in a lifetime. I always say, and really believe, that we have front row seats to life. As I reviewed the year I realize the inaccuracy of that, we have a good view because we are players, on the stage, practitioners, missionaries.
The year kicked off with our dear friend dennis driving into the back of a semi truck! Crazy old man won't stop for nothing though and never missed a step with the kids he has given his life to. Next, the Conscious slumber party. It was freezing out so our conscious party became a lock in. It was beautiful. Will & I and 30 homeless friends crashing on the floor together. In February I remember matt trying to 'showcase' stupid 'christian' books as our book of the month and being overly concerned that someone might take it seriously. Robby was busy in the other room building a bookshelf with a secret passage to what is now mommas room. March was crazy, There was a hostage situation a couple doors down from us and tactical units all over our street, We installed a garden at the good Samaritan inn for a drizly, cold, yet productive house day. We met tomas that month too and our homechurch finished the Gospel of John together. Oh and steve got an apartment! April was marked by a wave of confession as our community started to take seriously the role and power of this discipline among ourselves. A neighborhood addict, with whom we had been good friends broke into my car, was caught red handed, and asked,'can i keep the cd's?'. Gio and will had moved out and Chris and Ryan moved in, a tree fell on and crushed our neighbors house, and I spoke at underground for the first time in a long time about my experience of what is often called a dark night of the soul. We all prayed for and helped move in the girls who are staying in the telford house with hopes that we could be brothers and partners to these amazing women. David set a new bar for vulnerability and called us all into a deeper commitment to each other, sekajipo dropped his long awaited album, and tomas took brian and I to school us on the streets for a few nights. We mourned the closing of gullys, our beloved scratch and dent store, and we have been collecting and passing out blankets as the weather dropped. We started projects in the yard, build with salvaged material, have taken on the winter without using the heater, Chris has married and left us (for an admittedly better looking roommate), we celebrated mommas 62nd birthday together, another Christmas, 12 more conscious parties, 12 awesome community days, a very successful home church year,Halloween block party, thanksgiving dinner at the house, Christmas breakfast and at least 150 hours of house meeting time together. We also just saw Walter leave our place and move into a home for veterans where he will finally get the care he deserves. We have seen lives changed for better and worse, we have seen each other grow, fall, rebel, repent, and try. We are still slobs that don't wash our dishes, sinners that suck at life, and powerful agents of change because we are in the hands of God and at least trying to create a culture that is actually submitted to Jesus. Tonight, as we all gather to celebrate this year and look forward to the next may we smile and know that God has been good to us.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
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