Breaking Through to Community

In confession the break-through to community takes place. Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person. This can happen even in the midst of a pious community. In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart. The sin must be brought into the light. The unexpressed must be spoken openly and acknowledged. All that is secret and hidden is made manifest. It is a hard struggle until the sin is openly admitted. But God breaks gates of brass and bars of iron (Ps. 107:16).

Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders; he gives up his evil. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother. The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power. It has been revealed and judged as sin. It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder. He is no longer alone with his evil for he has cast off his sin in confession and handed it over to God. It has been taken away from him. Now he stands in the fellowship of sinners who live by the grace of God in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Now he can be a sinner and still enjoy the grace of God. He can confess his sins and in this very act find fellowship for the first time. The sin concealed separated him from the fellowship, made all his apparent fellowship a sham, the sin confessed has helped him to find true fellowship with the brethren in Jesus Christ.

Moreover, what we have said applies solely to confession between two Christians. A confession of sin in the presence of all the members of the community is not required to restore one to fellowship with the whole community. I meet the whole community in the one brother to whom I confess my sins and who forgives my sins. In the fellowship I find with this one brother I have already found fellowship with the whole congregation. In this manner no one acts in his own name nor by his own authority, but by the commission of Jesus Christ. The commission is given to the whole and the individual is called merely to exercise it for the community. If a Christian is in the fellowship of confession with another brother he will never be alone again, anywhere.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together

How I found the Lake House

I came to Tampa a short while ago. I felt I was called here, but when when I got here I wasn't sure why I was here or what I was doing here. I ran into someone on the streets who like me was homeless. We were walking by hyde park and ran into some ladies handing out some flyers for this place called the underground. I didn't think much of it at the time so I folded up the paper and put it in my pocket. We went to find something to eat and a place to lay our heads for the night. The next day we decided to walk to ybor. Don't know why, I guess we didn't have anything better to do being homeless and all. It was about 1pm and we where tired of walking so we sat in front of this building. This guy came out and said you can come in and watch tv or use the computers, his name was jon. Though at the time we forgot about the piece of paper in our pocket. Jon told us about where we were, told us about the well and the underground and we remembered the lady handing us a flyer about the conference they just had there. He sat with us for a while talking and getting to know each other a little bit. He invited us over to his house for dinner. He called his house the Lake House. At the time I didn't know about micro churches and what they did. I just knew that I needed to go trying to make new friends in Tampa area. I was also trying to find some peace of mind by finding out why I felt called to Tampa. Well we went to dinner at the Lake House and found much more than just dinner. I found friendships and fellowship I've never encountered throughout my travels across the USA. Though I already had the Lord in my life it came even stronger. Jon told me what his community was about, how he had 10 people living together in community and how they try to help the homeless community. I stayed for their time of worship that night and felt a peace that I have never felt. Then and there I wanted to be a part of what they do to help their community in tampa. Even though I am homeless I felt called to stay around and help in any way I could. So jon showed me how I could help and I started to volunteer for with the banquet and again I felt that sense of peace. I still go go over to the Lake House and am friends with everybody there. They are all good and kind people and I've learned a lot from all of them. So thank you lake house, you've changed my life

-Tomas

A Sustainable Faith...the lake house way?

These past few weeks have brought to light many changes that we are all undergoing in each of our lives and how they impact us individually and in turn communally. I am learning that we must continue to strive, in spite of these changes, only 0n the heart of God. Life can weigh us down and we will burden ourselves with bringing the kingdom of God to our surroundings. We will do this, so often, without first pursuing God then all of what we do becomes efforts of the flesh, and my friends we are not strong enough, eloquent enough, or wise enough to accomplish even one step towards that kingdom. In fact we will fall backwards and do more damage than we could any good. We have to stay focused on seeking and discerning the plan for our lives and building a faith that is sustainable through the mess that we live in. The fact that we choose to live in the messiest parts of this mess carries with it a knowledge that we make life harder for ourselves for the benefit of others. But knowing at any moment we have the means to run away can become a temptation when we are burnt out, tired, betrayed or cold hearted. Sustainable faith is a faith dependent on God and seeking his will not what we imagine his will would be. There is a difference between helping a person because the bible says to help people, and being prompted by the spirit to help someone, or tell someone something, or just listening to someone. The later is much more effective, much more after the heart of God because he knows what each man needs within each moment. That is not to say we should not do work until we "feel God calling us to do work," we are always called to work and live in the mission field, whatever field that may be for you. But I have learned that we must seek God first. We must pray and fast and seek to hear from Him. He is our focus. If we maintain an active pursuit of a vertical faith in God, the horizontal love for each other will come naturally, and as we grow with Him so will we grow with each other. Our love will go beyond the brother in front of you and extend to the one you don't even know. Sustainable faith, dependent on the pursuit of God first will give us the strength to handle the tough changes in life and community. It will also give us direction in the areas we remain stagnant in. He will give us direction.

BTW, I am not sure of the way this conference will use the term sustainable faith, I just really like the term and felt it applied. Even more than that I love the poster itself...Jon D. reppin the Lake House. He tried.

inspiration from those who have gone before us. [urban homestead]

Robby's Secret Rat Hole

Gif maker

Πράξεις Σπίτι Λίμνηόλων

Then they returned to the Lake house from the store called OK Liquor, which is near Nebraska, a brisk evening walk from Ybor City. And when they had entered, they went up to the dining room in the house where they were staying, Patrick and Jon and Sam and Andrew, James and William, Nature, Robert and Natalia, scions of Bair. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the chickens and rabbits and dogs.

When the day of Wednes arrived, they were all together in one overcrowded living room. Their interpretations of the scriptures were varied, multifaceted, distractingly ill-conceived, and all were confused. Then a wind blew through the house-and no one thought much of it. One of the women who had been reluctant to speak amidst the brash and self-aggrandizing banter of the men did find the strength of conviction to speak to all gathered there. And behold, another who had pontificated beyond his understanding now found his understanding caught up in the truth he had hitherto only mindlessly echoed. And yet another heard a voice burn through the pages of an antiquated near eastern text, singeing the cynicism and aloofness by which he had hidden from his brothers. And though few knew it, they were all of them filled with the same Holy Spirit and began to speak each of the grace shown to them, and of their commonly felt command to give of themselves.  And at this sound the neighbors came together, and they were bewildered and astonished, saying, "Are not these who are speaking street folk? And yet they speak as ones who are blessed of God. And how is it that we hear wisdom from those who are fools? Homeless and poor, prostitutes and frat boys, students and knaves, scoundrels of suburbia and vagabonds-we hear them telling in their own words of the mighty grace of God." And they were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with green herb and the blood of bunnies."

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ and prophets' teaching and to unlikely fellowship, to the breaking of organic bread and popcorn prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many plants were grown and cold bodies warmed by those learned and illiterate believers. And all who believed were together and loosed their grip on things in common, giving up more of their possessions and belongings and distributing to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the morning prayers together and breaking bread in their home, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having something akin to favor and sometimes hostility with the people. And the Lord added to their number month by month those who were being loved.

The hostage next door

I was wrapping up at work yesterday and got a text from Robbie. It said 'There is a hostage situation 6 houses down from us. Please Pray!' I ran through the building here and told all the students at the HUB for TMX to start praying. Several of those students had just been at our house for an orientation to our ministry and to volunteer at the Good Sam. I took off to get home and see what was going on. Our house has within a police barricade on Lake Ave. I got the cops to let me by into my driveway. The seen was straight out of a movie. There were cops, firetrucks, tactical units, and a huge military looking vehicle with a giant shielded gun on top pointed at out neighbors house. Everybody in the neighborhood was outside. It was the most neighbors together at one time that I have experienced since we have been here. 4 hours passed and all we knew was that there was a hostage. The police did a pretty amazing job of not saying anything about what was happening. After the 4 hour standoff things started happening. It was hard to tell what but I saw a stretcher brought out to the firetruck and many of the vehicles started leaving. The neighbors started going home and I ran inside to check the internet for news. At that time all that I could find was that there was a man that had his ex-girlfiend held up in the house. She was stabbed but rescued. That is all it said. This morning there was more information available. Here is what I found:

By Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, March 10, 2010

---

TAMPA — A woman going to claim her things from an apartment she had shared with a man was stabbed and held hostage four hours in a standoff with authorities on Tuesday.

Police said that two days earlier Tameka Lashawn Washington, 27, had moved out of the garage apartment she shared with Walter James Scott, 44, and came back with her sister Tuesday at 2 p.m., intending to pick up belongings and money.

When she knocked, Scott yanked her inside and slammed the door in the sister's face, said Laura McElroy, a police spokeswoman.

Washington's sister ran down the apartment's steps and called police on her cell phone.

"One girl ran down the stairs yelling 'I'm going to call somebody' but the other girl didn't come out," said Sarah Haywood, who lives across the street from 1007 1/2 E Lake Ave., where the standoff took place.

Scott has a history of domestic violence arrests involving Washington and other women, McElroy said.

Officers spoke with Scott at length through a crack in the door, which was barricaded with a couch.

He told them they were talking about their relationship, and he was going to release her, McElroy said.

When he didn't, tactical response officers and a hostage negotiator were called.

McElroy said they negotiated for hours with Scott.

Just when it seemed he'd surrender, Scott cut off communication with police, McElroy said.

"At that point they were worried about Washington's safety, so they broke down the door and entered the residence," she said.

Washington darted out of the bathroom toward the officers, bleeding from a stab wound to her back.

She was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition Tuesday night, hospital officials said.

Scott was charged with aggravated battery and armed false imprisonment with domestic violence enhancements, police said. He has been arrested more than 40 times since 1984, records show.

He has been charged with battery at least 10 times but only one of his three stints in prison was for battery.

Thank God neither of them were too badly hurt. And for all the ugliness it was really nice to be out with all the neighbors at the same time. Maybe we can find more positive things to gather around in the future.
And I must say for all the problems I usually have with the cops around here.... They did a good job and were respectful to the neighborhood.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter

    and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

    "The Lord has done great things for them."

The Lord has done great things for us;

    we are glad.

Those who sow in tears

    shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

    bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

    bringing his sheaves with him.

 

Some days, weeks, months, we are fools. We choose to invest time and resources and ourselves in the lives of people when it doesn't look like a wise prospect. We've been lied to and sometimes despised for not believing the lie. Our possessions have been taken from us, our hopes have been mocked, our trust betrayed, and our patience tried. At every point of disintegration, when one of us is worn and bruised, another steps in, takes the baton and keeps running headlong through the gauntlet. Our communal tombstone will read "They tried." What in God's name are we doing?

Steve has been homeless for six years. As of Wednesday he has a roof over his head that he can call his own.

The Good Samaritan Inn has life growing in the soil around it and a team committed to their folly of sheltering the poor.

Eighteen people shared a meal and finished a year spent simmering in the Gospel of John. We had ideas about bible study, discipleship, theology and sound doctrine. We had no idea how far deeper than these the Gospel itself would take us.

Our friends who haven't spoken since they struck and slashed at each other in anger are asking for reconciliation.

A hurting man who had thrown our good intentions in our face came by the house, looking golden, clean, sober, beautiful. He wanted to ask for our forgiveness, but he couldn't finish his sentence before it was his. He is a new man.

Despite the odds, the individual histories and our own efforts, amazing things are happening and it surprises us into gratitude.

Ladies' House Garden at the Good Sam

On February's community day --despite wind, rain, and soaked tools-- the experienced Lake House builders, joined by several members of USF's garden group, built five raised garden beds at the Ladies' House at the Good Samaritan Inn. Four raised beds for food, and one for flowers--which we were informed will be daisies, lots and lots of daisies. The college students were fueled by lunch from the day's church group handouts, and Brenda's warm tea with ginger ale.

The Good Samaritan directors are an inspiring team whose respect and love for others is hard to miss. They shared with us their story of followings God's voice which led them to live and serve some of Tampa's most "difficult" people. In the Ladies House alone, there is an overwhelming amount of mental illness, severe depression, and trauma victims.

We know that God's greatness is revealed in Creation. I have seen God's love in a blossom, I have felt his provision in a freshly picked fruit. Lord, would you use this garden to both nourish the flesh and to heal the spirit of the women who pass through this residence. Please bless this work of our hands. Amen

ag·glom·er·a·tion

Here is something that Will thinks is awesome

http://www.madhousers.org

Here is something that Robbie thinks is awesome

Here is something that Natalia thinks is awesome

Here is something that Gio thinks is awesome

T.U.L.I.P.

Here is something that Matt thinks is awesome

Here is something that Drew thinks is awesome


Here is something that Patrick thinks is awesome
Here is something that David thinks is awesome

Here is something that I think is awesome

Together we are