Posts
I've mentioned the men who are working in the Odyssey program under the umbrella of the Campus for Human Development (Room in the Inn is the program they are mostly known for, but this is just one of several programs designed to address homelessness, addition and poverty. check them out at http://www.roomintheinn.org/) Each Friday morning one other man and I are blessed to teach one group of the men in Odyssey. This past 16 weeks we've been doing a 12 step study from a completely spiritual perspective. We completed the study today. As with many "offerings" such as this, I feel that I've gained much more than I've given as I prepared for each week by working through one of the 12-steps. If you're not familiar with the 12-steps, google it. What this class did was to take step 1 where alcohol is specifically mentioned as that which we are powerless over and replaced it with sin and separation from God. The rest of the steps are the same! You see, we're all addicts - and while my addiction may not be to a substance, I know deep in my heart I am addicted - pride, envy, gossip, lust, whatever. My particular addiction may not be as "messy" as some others, and its consequences may not be immediately and physically obvious, but I'm addicted. Unfortunately, not having a substance addiction may have lulled me to believe that my addiction is not as fatal as some others. You see alcoholics and drug-users know that if they continue in their addiction they will physically die. What most of us fail to realize is that our addictions as just as fatal - spiritually. And that is even more important than what an addiction might physically do to us. We just don't believe it. The 12-steps, while may be a little weak in salvation theology, are foundational for all of us to getting our lives and our addictions under control - not our control, but the control of God. I'm convinced we'd be a better church community if we could embrace and live out those steps in our "church lives".
Picked up a young man living in a halfway house so that he could come to the church building to use the computer to search for a job. On the way he stopped to help me pick up 6 chairs that the Science Dept at Lipscomb was going to throw away. One of the professors called to see if our furniture ministry might want them. We'd already gotten 12 chairs from them a month ago and have given them away.
When we got my young friend logged onto the computer I asked him about his work history sheet (aka resume). He didn't have one. So he spent the first 30 minutes creating that. I cleaned it up and edited it for him then printed out 10 copies for him as well as saving it on a CD for him. He was so proud. He'd never had a resume before. Introduced him to the job listing section of Craigslist and in 45 minutes he had submitted 15 job applications. He had another meeting to attend so I took him to his halfway house by mid-day.
Met with a group of case managers and street workers planning something called "Holy Week on the Street". The concept is that we'll have a 8 person team for each day of holy week who will spend 24 hours in the streets of Nashville in contemplation, observation and participation with those who live each day on the street. The agenda will be scriptural readings, prayer and reflections on what each person on the team is experiencing - since most of us have never spent 24 hours on the street. Those participating will not be allowed to take any money and only the team leader will have a cell phone. No cars permitted. Each team will have to decide how to get around (walking), what and where to eat (do you know where the soup kitchens are?), where to sleep (can you say cardboard box under the bridge) and where to use the bathroom (you do know where all the downtown public access toilets are don't you). I'll be leading the Tuesday evening, Wednesday day team (3:30PM Tuesday - 4:30PM Wednesday). Signups will be beginning soon so be on the lookout.
From there I met young man and his wife and family at the downtown public library. He had just graduated from an alcohol and drug IOP program and was referred to me by a case manager who saw his potential and need for connecting and filling his spiritual emptiness to his life. We'd met a week or so earlier during which time he told me that he was getting a divorce. Seems during the past week his wife made contact with him, saw the changes in his life and they were now trying to make things work out for the family. Just an incredibly uplifting and positive story so far. Our role as a church will be to help them plug into a spiritual community - they are looking for a church family that really wants to be a family, give them direction on marriage counseling, and provide encouragement and honest, loving feedback as they make decisions on what their next steps should be. What a holy and reverent opportunity. I don't know how Jesus felt as he talked with the woman at the well and helped her see a new life in front of her, but I'm guessing I got to see a glimpse of that today.
Late in the evening, one of our church volunteers met me in Franklin and we loaded into our trailer the leftovers from a huge children's clothing consignment sale. Clothes, toys, strollers, etc. were left for us to pick up and then give to Thriftsmart in exchange for giftcards that can then be used to help people in need. Having to get out late on a Friday night may not be my idea of how to spend my time (much less that of a volunteer), but having the resource of those giftcards in order to be able to help others is a small price to pay for the door that might be opened.
2.26.09
One of the most effective outreach forms I've discovered is the Otter Creek furniture ministry. It started with Hurricane Katrina when we started helping folks get relocated into an apartment and found they didn't have a bed to sleep on or a place to sit. We put out the call to our members for them to look in their attics and garages and see if there wasn't a piece or two of furniture or some appliance they didn't need. I was amazed at the generosity and willingness to give - especially when they KNEW it was going to a needy family that our church family would be praying for and seeking to see where God might be leading us to build a relationship with them. In a few months we had more furniture than our church garage could hold. We moved from the garage to a warehouse to a partnership with a local thrift store that now serves as our warehouse. We've created a reputation that furniture and items donated to Otter Creek goes directly to people in need. It's to a point now that people call us looking for furniture, but soon learn that we're more than a source for free stuff. It's not a bait and switch - I'm very clear from the first time we talk that we're a church (I have to redefine that term for them) and that our assistance comes with some strings. First, we want them to know that our reason for being in this ministry is because we see Jesus in them and our goal is that in all interactions with them, they feel like they are being treated like they think Jesus should be treated. That tends to generate some surprise and questions that I love to talk about. The second string is that I tell them is that I'd love to talk with them in more detail about our definition of church with the goal of encouraging them to find a church that meets that definition. I'm quick to tell them that Otter Creek may not be (and probably is not) the place for them. While we're a friendly group of people, I can't even imagine how intimidating it must be to walk into our building on Sunday morning for some people. But I tell everyone that part of my job is to know other churches that fit the new definition that might be a better fit (geographic, demographic, economic, etc.) and that I'd love to hook them up with one.
One part of a furniture ministry is making sure we have furniture. So when people call to donate we try to call on our furniture pick up team to head out and gather up the donations. But sometimes folks need a quick pick up or they need it during the day when most of the team is at work. In that case, I go get it. Sometimes I get help. Other times I just go by myself. This morning was one of those solo times. One member that's a real estate agent had a house that was closing later today where the owner had left several pieces of furniture. She called to ask me if I could meet her at the house at 7:30 to pick up the items. From there I headed to meet a man who had called us after calling a member of his church (not Otter Creek) looking for a place to donate his father's remaining items. They were moving him to a nursing home. The member he called referred them to us (networking at work!!) so I met him at 8:15. From there I went to the business location of one of our members who was upgrading their training TV to a flat screen. The old TV was a perfectly good TV/DVD combination 32" set along with a TV table. Got all of it picked up and back to the building by 9AM.
On the way home I stopped at another member's house who had changed out a mattress and box springs and wanted to donate it. I look at today as one of those "prep" times that allows us to be ready to respond when a call comes. Not very glamorous but part of the foundation work that helps this ministry be ready when God moves in.
One part of a furniture ministry is making sure we have furniture. So when people call to donate we try to call on our furniture pick up team to head out and gather up the donations. But sometimes folks need a quick pick up or they need it during the day when most of the team is at work. In that case, I go get it. Sometimes I get help. Other times I just go by myself. This morning was one of those solo times. One member that's a real estate agent had a house that was closing later today where the owner had left several pieces of furniture. She called to ask me if I could meet her at the house at 7:30 to pick up the items. From there I headed to meet a man who had called us after calling a member of his church (not Otter Creek) looking for a place to donate his father's remaining items. They were moving him to a nursing home. The member he called referred them to us (networking at work!!) so I met him at 8:15. From there I went to the business location of one of our members who was upgrading their training TV to a flat screen. The old TV was a perfectly good TV/DVD combination 32" set along with a TV table. Got all of it picked up and back to the building by 9AM.
On the way home I stopped at another member's house who had changed out a mattress and box springs and wanted to donate it. I look at today as one of those "prep" times that allows us to be ready to respond when a call comes. Not very glamorous but part of the foundation work that helps this ministry be ready when God moves in.
2.25.09
I confess that I'm an early morning person - have been for most of my life. Everyone defines early differently, but for me, I'm typically getting up about 4:30AM. Lots of reasons why and this isn't the time to go into that - it's just a habit/discipline that I find works for me. Given that I'm already up most mornings, I volunteer to be the early morning bus driver on Wednesday mornings to take Otter Creek's Room in the Inn Tuesday night guests back to the Campus. The buses we own require a driver with a CDL and while we've got several willing to drive, most would prefer not to be up early enough to get to the church building by 5:30 so the men can be back at the Campus by 6AM. Personally, I love getting the opportunity to see our member volunteers that have spent the night at the building with the men, grab a cup of coffee and get to visit with our guests for a few minutes. This morning's men included a couple of guys that had been in a class I teach each Friday morning (more about that in a few days) called Odyssey. These men had relapsed during their time in Odyssey so the consequence is that they must leave that program and go back on the street for a period of time before they can reapply to be reinstated. It's a tough consequence and one that I'm thankful I don't have to enforce. I trust my friends in charge of Odyssey to have the love, knowledge and experience to know what to do, but it tears my heart out to hear when someone has been asked to leave. What really hurts is that they seem to willingly take the consequence. Almost an attitude of giving up and an inevitability of life and the cycle they are in. I don't have an answer other than, for me, it's to love them, acknowledge where they are and what they've done, encourage them and make sure they know that my friendship and desire for a relationship with them is still as strong as it was when they were clean, sober and succeeding in Odyssey. There's probably a lesson in that for those of us in a church family and how we balance consequences and love when members of our community screw up.
During morning meetings I got an email from one of my homeless friends (he goes to the public library to get on the computer, check his email and look for jobs) asking if I might get with him later that day. We arranged for me to pick him up and bring him to the church building so that he could spend the afternoon at our office. Otter Creek has a separate office with a computer and access to the Internet that we make available to people. I let him work there most of the afternoon. He asked me if I could help him with a pair of glasses - his were stolen one night while he slept on the bridge. He can see close up but not far away and this is concerning him as he looks for a job. So while he checked for job, I called Lenscrafters. They have a program to help people who can't afford an eye exam and glasses. After learning the new requirements of the program I sent in a fax and hope to get him an appointment in the next month - you learn pretty quick when you live in poverty that instant gratification (let's go get a pair of glasses that will be ready in an hour) is a luxury that is hard to afford.
My friend told me he found a prepay phone someone had thrown away. It had no minutes on it, but seemed to work. One of his buddies had a charger that fit it. He was using it as his clock. I take for granted the convenience of being able to communicate at will. Just trying to talk with my friend to see if he has a warm and dry place to sleep is almost impossible. Many evenings I end up driving around looking for him. I offered to buy him some minutes for the phone so we could stay in touch and so that he could actually have a phone number that potential employers could call him. Even the Lenscrafters application asked for a phone number so they could call him to set up an appointment.
My friend stayed for our Ash Wednesday Vespers service. He seemed to enjoy it and have a little more spring in his step after the service. With the weather forecast for rain, I offered to get him a hotel room. So we headed downtown after services, stopped and bought the prepay minute card for his phone, and then checked him into a $27 room for the night. He called me on my way home and left me a message (no surprise, I was on the phone) thanking me for the phone, the room and being a friend.
During morning meetings I got an email from one of my homeless friends (he goes to the public library to get on the computer, check his email and look for jobs) asking if I might get with him later that day. We arranged for me to pick him up and bring him to the church building so that he could spend the afternoon at our office. Otter Creek has a separate office with a computer and access to the Internet that we make available to people. I let him work there most of the afternoon. He asked me if I could help him with a pair of glasses - his were stolen one night while he slept on the bridge. He can see close up but not far away and this is concerning him as he looks for a job. So while he checked for job, I called Lenscrafters. They have a program to help people who can't afford an eye exam and glasses. After learning the new requirements of the program I sent in a fax and hope to get him an appointment in the next month - you learn pretty quick when you live in poverty that instant gratification (let's go get a pair of glasses that will be ready in an hour) is a luxury that is hard to afford.
My friend told me he found a prepay phone someone had thrown away. It had no minutes on it, but seemed to work. One of his buddies had a charger that fit it. He was using it as his clock. I take for granted the convenience of being able to communicate at will. Just trying to talk with my friend to see if he has a warm and dry place to sleep is almost impossible. Many evenings I end up driving around looking for him. I offered to buy him some minutes for the phone so we could stay in touch and so that he could actually have a phone number that potential employers could call him. Even the Lenscrafters application asked for a phone number so they could call him to set up an appointment.
My friend stayed for our Ash Wednesday Vespers service. He seemed to enjoy it and have a little more spring in his step after the service. With the weather forecast for rain, I offered to get him a hotel room. So we headed downtown after services, stopped and bought the prepay minute card for his phone, and then checked him into a $27 room for the night. He called me on my way home and left me a message (no surprise, I was on the phone) thanking me for the phone, the room and being a friend.
2.24.09
A few weeks ago Otter Creek was contacted by a counselor at a local mental health agency who works with men and women in an IOP (intensive out patient) program dealing with alcohol and drug issues coupled with emotional or mental disease (called co-occurring conditions). The call was to ask if we might be interested in partnering with them in special cases where the client showed signs of significant potential for recovery but also needed more wholistic care than their organization could provide - particularly mentoring, spiritual counseling, hands-on problem solving and partnering with the client so as to empower and not enable, but to also encourage, live a different model of "family" (non-judgemental, accepting, willing to continually forgive, expecting to hold accountable, sacrificial - all from both parties) than most of us grew up with in our natural families. You see, that's a big part of how I think Jesus defined church - not something you "do" on Sunday, but something you "are" everyday, all week long.
One of the first clients we were introduced to called me a few days ago and I went to his house for an initial meeting. As we talked and I listened to his story, it became clear there were several basic issues he could use help with - really no different than how I would respond to help were it my own adult child trying to get their life back on track. As we processed where he was we agreed that getting his car up and running was an important key. Problem is that his license is suspended and has several hundred dollars of tickets against it. But he has a friend who can drive him around and help him get a job. So I met this young man yesterday morning and we took his car to a garage that we use for repairs got started having his water pump replaced. As I was driving him back home he mentioned how different our conversation was than he had expected. He said, "you haven't even asked to pray with me or talk about a Bible study yet". At first I felt a little guilt but then he said, "you don't know how much I appreciate that and how much I'm praying because of the freedom that you are giving me". In effect he said that had I come in there looking to "convert" him we'd never have gotten to have any kind of real conversation. I explained to him that the Jesus I was trying to look like seemed to me to be willing to heal people and let that love speak for itself - some followed and some didn't, but it was Jesus' love that opened the door for change. That's the approach I think each of us is to be taking as well.
Later that day I was leaving a woman's half-way house where I had been talking to the director about their plans to expand their services for woman & children. While standing in the parking lot I heard my name and turned to see a man that I hadn't heard from in several months. He was one of the first of Nashville's "housing first" clients that we were able to partner with in getting to know him and help work with him to re-acclimate to life. I've gotten to know and love this man - even though tough times, relapse, disagreements, etc. I've learned a lot from him but had not been able to talk with him recently as he had his phone turned off due to not being able to hold a job and afford it. We were able to spend the next several hours together as he rode with me to a fund-raising meeting for another women's program and then helped me to try and find another friend who's living on the street. It was great spending time with my friend, catching up and seeing how his life has continued to move forward. Now that we're reconnected I'm looking forward to how we can both grow together. God does move in mysterious ways. I pray that I will continue to try and create sensitivity to those moves so that I can be ready to respond when He acts.
One of the first clients we were introduced to called me a few days ago and I went to his house for an initial meeting. As we talked and I listened to his story, it became clear there were several basic issues he could use help with - really no different than how I would respond to help were it my own adult child trying to get their life back on track. As we processed where he was we agreed that getting his car up and running was an important key. Problem is that his license is suspended and has several hundred dollars of tickets against it. But he has a friend who can drive him around and help him get a job. So I met this young man yesterday morning and we took his car to a garage that we use for repairs got started having his water pump replaced. As I was driving him back home he mentioned how different our conversation was than he had expected. He said, "you haven't even asked to pray with me or talk about a Bible study yet". At first I felt a little guilt but then he said, "you don't know how much I appreciate that and how much I'm praying because of the freedom that you are giving me". In effect he said that had I come in there looking to "convert" him we'd never have gotten to have any kind of real conversation. I explained to him that the Jesus I was trying to look like seemed to me to be willing to heal people and let that love speak for itself - some followed and some didn't, but it was Jesus' love that opened the door for change. That's the approach I think each of us is to be taking as well.
Later that day I was leaving a woman's half-way house where I had been talking to the director about their plans to expand their services for woman & children. While standing in the parking lot I heard my name and turned to see a man that I hadn't heard from in several months. He was one of the first of Nashville's "housing first" clients that we were able to partner with in getting to know him and help work with him to re-acclimate to life. I've gotten to know and love this man - even though tough times, relapse, disagreements, etc. I've learned a lot from him but had not been able to talk with him recently as he had his phone turned off due to not being able to hold a job and afford it. We were able to spend the next several hours together as he rode with me to a fund-raising meeting for another women's program and then helped me to try and find another friend who's living on the street. It was great spending time with my friend, catching up and seeing how his life has continued to move forward. Now that we're reconnected I'm looking forward to how we can both grow together. God does move in mysterious ways. I pray that I will continue to try and create sensitivity to those moves so that I can be ready to respond when He acts.
2.23.09
Got started this morning with breakfast with a friend who had read the Tennessean article about homelessness. "What can we do?" was the bottom line of his frustration. Like many of us this guy has a deep yearning to connect what he feels and knows to be spiritual truth with how he has been gifted and what he's doing each day. We talked about the complexity of the problem. I reminded him about an article from the Wall St. Journal he had sent me a few years ago talking about Bill Gates and his 4 step approach to complicated problems:
1) determine a goal
2) find the highest leverage approach
3) discover the ideal technology for that approach
4) in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology you already have
I explained to him that I felt we had lots of people who couldn't even agree on a goal for homelessness. Most of us would like to be a part of that process, but there's a few of us looking at the temperature tonight and wondering what we're doing "in the meantime". We talked about his gifts. Right now, he felt that he was probably best gifted to raise money to address the immediate issue. So I encouraged him to get busy with that and let a few of us find a hotel that could house 50-75 women and their kids and let's get them off the street. We all recognize that just providing housing isn't the solution (that's a part of the big goal we still need to determine). And that even providing housing will require a whole host of other support services (which are available). But while we're debating the desired goal (see tonight's public hearing thoughts), let's "make the smartest application" of what we have.
After lunch I picked up a friend that lives in Tent City to help me deliver furniture to a couple of single moms. One was just moving in her apartment from the mission (see yesterday's posting) and the other was a 22yr old with 6 kids (I did not mistype that). I've known the 22yr old for several years. We first met when she was pregnant with #5 and living in her car. Since then she's had her ups and downs but is now in an apartment. I'm not sure I know a more resourceful, strong, committed mother than this young lady. I stopped by to see her on Sunday and immediately noticed that all her living room furniture was gone. She had to throw it out because of the smell where her kids had urinated on it. What I interpreted from this was that she had not been able to afford diapers (food stamps doesn't cover diapers) so the kids had been running around the house without diapers. We had just had several pieces of furniture donated so my friend and I delivered both moms what we had. It was a joy to see my friends face as he realized the joy of serving. And it was a real joy to see the moms and her kids beam with pride at the furniture. She said that all she was going to do tonight was sit on the couch and enjoy having it in her place.
My Tent City friend and I then went to the 4th and final public hearing about homeless encampments here in Nashville. A panel of volunteer Metro and State employees from many different divisions had agreed to listen to public comment on 3 questions:
1) Is there a need for homeless encampments?
2) Should encampments be permitted on Public or Private Lands?
3) What should be the policy and procedural guidelines for determining the location of future homeless encampments?
My morning thoughts about how we struggle to grasp complex problems kept coming up in my mind. Was this meeting to move us towards determining a goal? Hadn't our mayor already set a goal of eliminating homelessness within 10 years? If that was the goal, then was this meeting a step towards finding the highest leverage approach? There were lots of comments from folks that I hope will be absorbed, considered and eventually be made into a recommendation to our city about this particular issue.
What I couldn't get out of my mind was that when the meeting was over I was going to be dropping off my friend at Tent City to go into his make-shift shack to spend the night with his 3 dogs. At the same time I felt a need to stop and check on another friend who lives under a bridge to see if he had gotten a ticket to stay at Room in the Inn or if he was going to have to brave 20 degree weather tonight. Fortunately (I hope), I didn't find him at the bridge so I hope he's warm tonight.
For some reason I feel especially called to be one of the people standing in the middle of how we approach complex problems - helping contribute to determining a goal and the discovering the ideal technology to accomplish it, while at the same time, never letting us forget that we have to address the immediate need of getting people a decent place to sleep. May God bless all of us as we work towards that, but especially those with no place to lay their heads.
1) determine a goal
2) find the highest leverage approach
3) discover the ideal technology for that approach
4) in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology you already have
I explained to him that I felt we had lots of people who couldn't even agree on a goal for homelessness. Most of us would like to be a part of that process, but there's a few of us looking at the temperature tonight and wondering what we're doing "in the meantime". We talked about his gifts. Right now, he felt that he was probably best gifted to raise money to address the immediate issue. So I encouraged him to get busy with that and let a few of us find a hotel that could house 50-75 women and their kids and let's get them off the street. We all recognize that just providing housing isn't the solution (that's a part of the big goal we still need to determine). And that even providing housing will require a whole host of other support services (which are available). But while we're debating the desired goal (see tonight's public hearing thoughts), let's "make the smartest application" of what we have.
After lunch I picked up a friend that lives in Tent City to help me deliver furniture to a couple of single moms. One was just moving in her apartment from the mission (see yesterday's posting) and the other was a 22yr old with 6 kids (I did not mistype that). I've known the 22yr old for several years. We first met when she was pregnant with #5 and living in her car. Since then she's had her ups and downs but is now in an apartment. I'm not sure I know a more resourceful, strong, committed mother than this young lady. I stopped by to see her on Sunday and immediately noticed that all her living room furniture was gone. She had to throw it out because of the smell where her kids had urinated on it. What I interpreted from this was that she had not been able to afford diapers (food stamps doesn't cover diapers) so the kids had been running around the house without diapers. We had just had several pieces of furniture donated so my friend and I delivered both moms what we had. It was a joy to see my friends face as he realized the joy of serving. And it was a real joy to see the moms and her kids beam with pride at the furniture. She said that all she was going to do tonight was sit on the couch and enjoy having it in her place.
My Tent City friend and I then went to the 4th and final public hearing about homeless encampments here in Nashville. A panel of volunteer Metro and State employees from many different divisions had agreed to listen to public comment on 3 questions:
1) Is there a need for homeless encampments?
2) Should encampments be permitted on Public or Private Lands?
3) What should be the policy and procedural guidelines for determining the location of future homeless encampments?
My morning thoughts about how we struggle to grasp complex problems kept coming up in my mind. Was this meeting to move us towards determining a goal? Hadn't our mayor already set a goal of eliminating homelessness within 10 years? If that was the goal, then was this meeting a step towards finding the highest leverage approach? There were lots of comments from folks that I hope will be absorbed, considered and eventually be made into a recommendation to our city about this particular issue.
What I couldn't get out of my mind was that when the meeting was over I was going to be dropping off my friend at Tent City to go into his make-shift shack to spend the night with his 3 dogs. At the same time I felt a need to stop and check on another friend who lives under a bridge to see if he had gotten a ticket to stay at Room in the Inn or if he was going to have to brave 20 degree weather tonight. Fortunately (I hope), I didn't find him at the bridge so I hope he's warm tonight.
For some reason I feel especially called to be one of the people standing in the middle of how we approach complex problems - helping contribute to determining a goal and the discovering the ideal technology to accomplish it, while at the same time, never letting us forget that we have to address the immediate need of getting people a decent place to sleep. May God bless all of us as we work towards that, but especially those with no place to lay their heads.
2.22.09
Sundays are a different kind of day for me. I guess it's a workday from the perspective of my job and what I'm paid to do. I think I write off the day as one of formal corporate worship - too many other things to do to make sure that things run smoothly. At the same time, I find it easier than I ever thought to sense times of holiness while gathered with a group. I'm typically at the building by 6:15AM and leave around noon.
This afternoon I went by the children's hospital to visit a young mom that has decided to visit our church family. As I understand the story, while pregnant with her 2nd child she was homeless and lived in the women's mission. At the birth of her child it was discovered to have a heart defect which would necessitate several surgeries. She was not allowed to be discharged back to the shelter. A couple who served at the shelter offered her their home while she recovered. Something happened (I'm really not sure what it was) that caused the couple to become troubled with her to the point they asked her to leave. She was qualified for and soon received a public housing apartment which is where I was asked to help her with furniture. We delivered some furniture last week just prior to the 2nd (and more serious) heart surgery for her baby. That surgery was this past week so the mom has been staying at the hospital. This was the first time I had made it to visit her. We plan to meet tomorrow to get her a few more pieces of furniture for her apartment.
I left the hospital and headed to the Martha O'Bryan Center located in the middle of the Cayce homes. About 2 years ago Otter Creek was invited to partner with several other churches and denominations to start a gathering of Cayce residents. I hesitate to call it church because of the baggage associated with that name. In my mind the church is the Martha O'Bryan Center (i.e. being a 24/7 family to the people of Cayce). Our opportunity was to create a safe gathering of folks looking to live a different life. We do sing, pray, teach and share a fellowship meal so maybe it is church. Today's gathering included an instrumental song, 2 songs by an older gentleman with an incredible voice, a dance praise team offering their gifts to God and those of us blessed to experience them, a message by a local Presbyterian pastor explaining Lent, Ash Wednesday, the anointing of ashes to our foreheads, community needs and prayers and a fellowship meal. Not what I grew up with as church, but a gathering of people I love that to be around. I can see and feel God when I'm there. Relationships are encouraged and I am blessed to represent Otter Creek in this neighborhood.
From there I headed to one Otter's life groups to talk with them about Otter Creek's new program we're putting together to address how we might better take care "of our own" who have been/are being affected by the economic crisis. I'll cover many of those details in a few days, but we're trying to develop different initiatives that can help our folks survive the tough times we're in.
2 articles on the front page of the Tennessean have been weighing on me all day. Homeless kids in our area. Estimates of 2,200 children are homeless. If you count kids 15-18 years old that have left home and are crashing with friends, that number probably triples. Regardless of the number, the question is, what are we to do? How can building a home that would house 10 moms with their 25 kids even make a difference (I know the starfish thrower story and realize it does make a difference in the lives of those 10 families)? Maybe that's the calling - one family at a time. But something in me says there's got to be a more "high leverage" option that will impact the larger group. What is it? Right now, I have no idea. I pray that God will open our eyes and our minds to see how we might move forward.
This afternoon I went by the children's hospital to visit a young mom that has decided to visit our church family. As I understand the story, while pregnant with her 2nd child she was homeless and lived in the women's mission. At the birth of her child it was discovered to have a heart defect which would necessitate several surgeries. She was not allowed to be discharged back to the shelter. A couple who served at the shelter offered her their home while she recovered. Something happened (I'm really not sure what it was) that caused the couple to become troubled with her to the point they asked her to leave. She was qualified for and soon received a public housing apartment which is where I was asked to help her with furniture. We delivered some furniture last week just prior to the 2nd (and more serious) heart surgery for her baby. That surgery was this past week so the mom has been staying at the hospital. This was the first time I had made it to visit her. We plan to meet tomorrow to get her a few more pieces of furniture for her apartment.
I left the hospital and headed to the Martha O'Bryan Center located in the middle of the Cayce homes. About 2 years ago Otter Creek was invited to partner with several other churches and denominations to start a gathering of Cayce residents. I hesitate to call it church because of the baggage associated with that name. In my mind the church is the Martha O'Bryan Center (i.e. being a 24/7 family to the people of Cayce). Our opportunity was to create a safe gathering of folks looking to live a different life. We do sing, pray, teach and share a fellowship meal so maybe it is church. Today's gathering included an instrumental song, 2 songs by an older gentleman with an incredible voice, a dance praise team offering their gifts to God and those of us blessed to experience them, a message by a local Presbyterian pastor explaining Lent, Ash Wednesday, the anointing of ashes to our foreheads, community needs and prayers and a fellowship meal. Not what I grew up with as church, but a gathering of people I love that to be around. I can see and feel God when I'm there. Relationships are encouraged and I am blessed to represent Otter Creek in this neighborhood.
From there I headed to one Otter's life groups to talk with them about Otter Creek's new program we're putting together to address how we might better take care "of our own" who have been/are being affected by the economic crisis. I'll cover many of those details in a few days, but we're trying to develop different initiatives that can help our folks survive the tough times we're in.
2 articles on the front page of the Tennessean have been weighing on me all day. Homeless kids in our area. Estimates of 2,200 children are homeless. If you count kids 15-18 years old that have left home and are crashing with friends, that number probably triples. Regardless of the number, the question is, what are we to do? How can building a home that would house 10 moms with their 25 kids even make a difference (I know the starfish thrower story and realize it does make a difference in the lives of those 10 families)? Maybe that's the calling - one family at a time. But something in me says there's got to be a more "high leverage" option that will impact the larger group. What is it? Right now, I have no idea. I pray that God will open our eyes and our minds to see how we might move forward.
2.21.09
On Friday evening (2/20) I got a call about 8:30 PM on my cell phone - I was downtown looking for a homeless friend, trying to make sure he had a warm place to sleep since he'd been in General Hospital earlier in the week with respiratory problems - the call was from a former Odyssey student (Odyssey is a 2 yr program operated through the Campus for Human Development targeting a select number of homeless men with room, board, medical and educational classes designed to help them get back on their feet) I had gotten to be friends with over the past 2 years. He had recently relapsed and been asked to leave the Odyssey program. He had met a woman and moved about 50 miles out of Nashville. As soon as I answered the call I could hear the background yelling and cussing and knew there was a problem. My friend quickly told me he had had a falling out with his lady-friend and she was kicking him out of the house. He asked me to come get him and bring him back to Nashville. I told him that wasn't going to happen that night and wasn't there some other option. I asked to speak to the woman and ended up talking one of her friends that had come over to break up the dispute. I explained to her I was a minister (she didn't know that when we started talking), and asked if it wasn't possible for my friend to stay the night if I promised to pick him up early this morning. After some more discussion, she and her friend agreed. So we made plans for me to get up early this morning and drive to get my friend.
As I left the house this morning at 7AM, it occurred to me I ought to call my friend just to make sure our plans from last night were still on. After about 10 rings a woman answered the phone. I asked to speak with my friend and she went to wake him up - obviously he was not getting ready for me to come get him. He came to the phone to tell me I didn't need to come get him -that he was going to stay. By this time I was already on the interstate heading his way. I very abruptly told him that I sure wished he'd thought enough of me to have gotten up and given me a call when he knew he wasn't going to be coming back to Nashville. I didn't give him a chance to reply but wished him a good day and hung up on him - probably not something that would make Jesus proud to be hanging out with me, but I was pretty upset that I had changed my morning plans to help him and he didn't think enough of our friendship to call.
Also on Friday I had gone to a member's house to pick up an upright freezer he wanted to donate to our church with the hopes that it would go to a good cause. As it happened, a women's transitional house that we (several members at Otter Creek) have a relationship with (i.e. teach classes there, counsel with the women, invite them to special events, etc.) had called just a few days before to tell me they had been approved as a 2nd Harvest food site and could use a freezer (I continue to be amazed at how God brings needs and resources together at just the right time). So on Friday I loaded up the freezer on one of our member's trailers that we regularly use, left the freezer on the trailer parked behind the church building with the intent to deliver it today. I had invited one of our church members to help me deliver the freezer and to get to learn more about the transitional house.
Having my morning plans changed, we met at the building about 11 to deliver the freezer. Got to introduce the weekend manager of the house to the Otter Creeker and tell him about the program they have for the women as well as our history of involvement with them. When we finished we stopped downtown to try and find my homeless friend whom I was looking for, but never found, from last night. Went by the Campus, talked to a few other folks, met the director of a homeless feeding program that serves people on Saturdays, but didn't find my friend.
About 4PM I headed back downtown to look again for my friend. The weather forecast for tonight is cold with rain and snow so I really wanted to try and make sure he had a place to stay. I tried the Campus again and as I pulled in I saw him. We chatted and he told me he and a friend had sold some of their foodstamps to get enough money to split the cost of a hotel room for the night (about $15 each). I offered to drive them to the hotel. On the way they asked if I could take them to a grocery store so they could buy some food for the night. I took them to Kroger and gave them $30 of Otter Creek-donated Kroger gift cards. Having only a microwave in the hotel room the 2 men bought 3 lbs of ground beef, a loaf of bread, some mustard and a 3 liter of SunDrop. That's going to be their evening meal (cooked in a microwave). As I dropped them off, I gave each of them a bus pass and wished them goodnight. I was really happy to see they had a warm safe place to stay for the night - even though they are only 2 of the hundreds that will be on the streets of Nashville tonight. I texted my Otter Creek friend and told him I'd found who we had been looking for and thanked him for his help today.
As I left the house this morning at 7AM, it occurred to me I ought to call my friend just to make sure our plans from last night were still on. After about 10 rings a woman answered the phone. I asked to speak with my friend and she went to wake him up - obviously he was not getting ready for me to come get him. He came to the phone to tell me I didn't need to come get him -that he was going to stay. By this time I was already on the interstate heading his way. I very abruptly told him that I sure wished he'd thought enough of me to have gotten up and given me a call when he knew he wasn't going to be coming back to Nashville. I didn't give him a chance to reply but wished him a good day and hung up on him - probably not something that would make Jesus proud to be hanging out with me, but I was pretty upset that I had changed my morning plans to help him and he didn't think enough of our friendship to call.
Also on Friday I had gone to a member's house to pick up an upright freezer he wanted to donate to our church with the hopes that it would go to a good cause. As it happened, a women's transitional house that we (several members at Otter Creek) have a relationship with (i.e. teach classes there, counsel with the women, invite them to special events, etc.) had called just a few days before to tell me they had been approved as a 2nd Harvest food site and could use a freezer (I continue to be amazed at how God brings needs and resources together at just the right time). So on Friday I loaded up the freezer on one of our member's trailers that we regularly use, left the freezer on the trailer parked behind the church building with the intent to deliver it today. I had invited one of our church members to help me deliver the freezer and to get to learn more about the transitional house.
Having my morning plans changed, we met at the building about 11 to deliver the freezer. Got to introduce the weekend manager of the house to the Otter Creeker and tell him about the program they have for the women as well as our history of involvement with them. When we finished we stopped downtown to try and find my homeless friend whom I was looking for, but never found, from last night. Went by the Campus, talked to a few other folks, met the director of a homeless feeding program that serves people on Saturdays, but didn't find my friend.
About 4PM I headed back downtown to look again for my friend. The weather forecast for tonight is cold with rain and snow so I really wanted to try and make sure he had a place to stay. I tried the Campus again and as I pulled in I saw him. We chatted and he told me he and a friend had sold some of their foodstamps to get enough money to split the cost of a hotel room for the night (about $15 each). I offered to drive them to the hotel. On the way they asked if I could take them to a grocery store so they could buy some food for the night. I took them to Kroger and gave them $30 of Otter Creek-donated Kroger gift cards. Having only a microwave in the hotel room the 2 men bought 3 lbs of ground beef, a loaf of bread, some mustard and a 3 liter of SunDrop. That's going to be their evening meal (cooked in a microwave). As I dropped them off, I gave each of them a bus pass and wished them goodnight. I was really happy to see they had a warm safe place to stay for the night - even though they are only 2 of the hundreds that will be on the streets of Nashville tonight. I texted my Otter Creek friend and told him I'd found who we had been looking for and thanked him for his help today.
Welcome to my world
This blog is in response to the encouragement from a few folks who contend I need to be doing a better job of telling people (mostly other members of our church family) what I'm up to. I'm a minister at Otter Creek church in Nashville. My calling is not in the pulpit but on the streets. I'm blessed to work for, represent and get paid by a church family that gives me time to live out my personal mission of "living each day focused on and practically following the example of Christ". The story of how I got to where I am today is one that'll develop over the next several months as I describe my day-to-day living experiences.
The format of this blog will be pretty straightforward - just an account of what happens in a day in my life and the lives of people whose path I cross (or who cross mine). Out of respect for those folks, I'll keep names either anonymous or fictional.
I admit that I am very uncomfortable writing about my life. I certainly don't want it to be seen as tooting my own horn. Nor do I want to be perceived as talking "about" another person and their story. But over the past year, as I've had the chance to talk with Otter Creekers (and others) about the "work" I do (I prefer to call it my life), and I'm constantly amazed at the response of "I had no idea that's what you did.. you should be telling our folks about that". I tell myself that Jesus never wrote about his work - his followers did that. But I also tell myself that I don't have a group of followers. I am blessed to have an ever-growing group of volunteers (and always looking for more), but none of them have "left everything and followed" - nor would I want them to.
So if you're interested in finding out a little about what I do, where I go, who I see, what I say, etc., then this may be of some interest to you. On the other hand, if you really want to catch a glimpse of what a day in the life of a creative radical is all about, then I invite you with the same words as those of who I follow - "Come and see". Spend a part of a day with me. Roll up your sleeves, jump in my '99 Explorer and let's go out into the world and see where God opens doors.
The format of this blog will be pretty straightforward - just an account of what happens in a day in my life and the lives of people whose path I cross (or who cross mine). Out of respect for those folks, I'll keep names either anonymous or fictional.
I admit that I am very uncomfortable writing about my life. I certainly don't want it to be seen as tooting my own horn. Nor do I want to be perceived as talking "about" another person and their story. But over the past year, as I've had the chance to talk with Otter Creekers (and others) about the "work" I do (I prefer to call it my life), and I'm constantly amazed at the response of "I had no idea that's what you did.. you should be telling our folks about that". I tell myself that Jesus never wrote about his work - his followers did that. But I also tell myself that I don't have a group of followers. I am blessed to have an ever-growing group of volunteers (and always looking for more), but none of them have "left everything and followed" - nor would I want them to.
So if you're interested in finding out a little about what I do, where I go, who I see, what I say, etc., then this may be of some interest to you. On the other hand, if you really want to catch a glimpse of what a day in the life of a creative radical is all about, then I invite you with the same words as those of who I follow - "Come and see". Spend a part of a day with me. Roll up your sleeves, jump in my '99 Explorer and let's go out into the world and see where God opens doors.
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