Home Sweet 22

Emerson School

2010-10-13T23:02:00.003-04:00

Tonight I attended a meeting of the Boston Public School Board hosted around a recent proposal to close the Emerson school, an elementary school on Dudley street. It was pretty amazing to see a whole community come out in support of the school in their neighborhood.

New year with our tutors!

2010-09-19T23:01:00.002-04:00

We had a great time this weekend hosting the wonderful people who tutor our kids here in the neighborhood. Starting the year off with some encouragement and thank-you's!

Busy summer!

2010-08-11T14:47:00.006-04:00

So it's been a really long time since I've posted anything here, but I thought I would offer a brief summer summary:

We've spent many summer days at the park playing in the sprinkler!

Two of our boys enjoyed a trip to the mall in Providence to eat at Dave and Busters and to buy Yugioh Cards.

Our friends bought a house down the street and moved in! This is of one of the projects they had to complete... a new roof!

"...because God is our Father!"

2010-06-10T18:08:00.004-04:00

The other night, I was dropping off one of the kiddos I tutor after taking her to soccer practice. As I was about to leave, seemingly out of no where, she said:

Kiddo: "Kim, you're like my Mom, or my big sister."

Me: "Oh yeah? Thanks kiddo!"

Kiddo: "You know why?"

Me: "Why?"

Kiddo: "Because of God!"

Me: "That's right! God brought us together!"

Kiddo: "I know, because God is our Father!"

Sweet, sweet words from a sweet, sweet child of God.

Castle Island on Memorial Sundays

2010-05-31T17:14:00.005-04:00

The buzz on the street Saturday night was that Nate was taking two boys in our neighborhood, Nathian and Daequan to the beach on Sunday . . . 75 degrees, clear skies, and beach frisbee . . .oh Leah and I were there! The excursion included that very mentioned frisbee, a hermit crab beach sand house, and of course, Nathian working on his tan . . .

the light that shines through the darkness...

2010-05-21T23:49:00.003-04:00

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5
we are hoping for more than we see, trusting in grace and trying to love with all we have.

Heaven's Garden

2010-04-14T11:11:00.009-04:00

Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there . . .

A few weeks ago, Heaven's Garden began, as children, adults, families, and community volunteers gathered on Baker Street. Eight raised beds were given to the community through The Food Project. Led by Ben and various neighbors, the garden has become an exciting community project; though, it's proving to sustain so much more than fruits and vegetables, as neighbors of all ages meet in the garden, working side by side.

(Quote by Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia)

An encouraging story

2010-03-27T11:52:00.003-04:00

Just yesterday one of my neighbors shared with me that he was watching some of our kids play in the yard outside his house and after a moment he realized that they were playing church! They were each standing up in from of the others and asking, "what did you learn in Sunday School today?"! This story certainly warmed my heart and reminded me that in the midst of so much negative influence and so many impossible obstacles God's love shines through. He has provided hope in our neighborhood in the same way that he has in our own personal lives and it's so encouraging to see that!

We love our Tutors!

2010-03-10T18:38:00.011-05:00

Christina and Deve

Khemis was not camera shy as he sillily tried to block Rebecca (left corner)

22 Drayton has become quite busy on Wednesday nights. From the time school lets out to about 8 o'clock or so, the house is bustling with tutors and children. Some are doing homework and others take the evening off by playing games, catching up, and even cooking.

Nadaje made sure to fix her hair before I
snapped the shot of her and Katie.

Jason, Sharee, and Khemis whip up some stromboli!

robbery & shooting at our local convenience store...

2010-02-21T22:15:00.003-05:00

This made me (us) very sad today. Hermanos Unidos is just a couple blocks away, and is a place we frequently visit. It's one thing for things like this to happen at night, but at 10am on Sunday morning?

Please pray for our neighborhood, and for the clerk's family and friends...

girls' night in

2010-02-15T12:54:00.002-05:00

Two Saturdays ago, one of our tutors hosted a girls' night at her apartment. This involved playing dress up, decorating t-shirts, eating pizza, making cookies, watching a movie, and way too much Miley Cyrus. The younger girls had a great time, and the "older" girls (i.e. the tutors) had a lot of laughs too (and slept well that night). It always brings us joy to see our girls just being...girls. :)

Moses and Identity

2010-02-05T13:04:00.003-05:00

February 1, 2010
I had the chance to preach on Moses and identity at Qst. on Saturday.

uncontrollable

2010-02-05T12:37:00.002-05:00

February 2, 2010
Somebody was laughing far too hard!

Line Rider

2010-02-05T12:08:00.003-05:00

February 3, 2010
We played some line rider Wednesday. That's got to be the funnest flash game ever made.

Trick candles

2010-02-05T11:57:00.004-05:00

February 4, 2010
In an effort to not be self-serving I won't mention whose birthday it was yesterday but someone in our house celebrated turning a year older. Though we were told it was not done intentionally, the candles on the cake last night sparked a lot and would not go out for anything! Not a funny joke.

Savvy Sayin's

2010-02-02T00:56:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine in our community gave me a book recently as a belated Christmas gift. He decided that I needed a copy of Savvy Sayin's: True Wisdom from the Real West because I am, indeed, from the West. Here's a small sample of the "wisdom" in this book:

"Drownin' your sorrows only irrigates 'em."

"Ignorance is expensive."

"Few things are harder to put up with than a good example."

and finally...

"Never trust a man who agrees with you. He's probably wrong."

book club #1

2010-01-30T10:11:00.004-05:00

a few months in the making and a few weeks delay in the post... BUT the first night of the book club happened on January 8th.

This was such a great night for so many reasons... We read an amazing book "Same Kind of Different As Me" and had some good conversation and laughs, there was plenty of food for the ten people we somehow managed to squeeze around the kitchen table + card table and even a lot of questions and discussion about the work we do in the neighborhood.

The best part of the night for me was seeing my friends from different parts of my Boston life meeting each other and connecting as a new community. Some of these girls I used to live with, live with now, used to work with, or know from other churches or groups... but by the end of the night it seemed like we'd all been friends for a while.

It was a sweet feeling to know and witness that whether you live in 'intentional community' or not, everyone still needs and craves community and the book club is another way to do that.

And P.S. Yes, it is an all girls thing- and thanks to Nate for braving the loud kitchen for a few moments to say hello and take the picture... before he retreated back into the safety of his room ;)

DSNI Open House

2010-01-29T23:33:00.002-05:00

January 29, 2010
DSNI had their annual open house tonight. Lot's of great people and great food and great conversations. I love living in this neighborhood!

Moses and identity

2010-01-29T12:34:00.003-05:00

I've been reading a book for a class today and came across a passage that I just have to share. The author, Jacobsen, is talking about the scene in the book of Exodus where God presents himself to Moses in the form of a bush that's on fire.

God:

The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.

Moses:

Who am I that I should to to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

This question is not simply a self-deprecating ploy used by Moses to evade God's summons. Here is the son of a Hebrew slave who grew up in the courts of Pharaoh as a prince and is now a fugitive murderer tending sheep in a foreign land. Who indeed is Moses? Slave or prince? Hebrew or Midianite? Murderer or shepherd? Fugitive or liberator? Unless Moses discovers who he really is... he is of little use to the freedom struggle of the Hebrew slaves. God challenges Moses to see himself the way that God sees him: the bold liberator of the Hebrew people.

Who indeed, are we?

Jacobsen, Doing Justice

J.P. Licks

2010-01-28T23:47:00.002-05:00

January 28, 2010
I don't know how I missed this until now but I had never ventured down to the J.P. Licks in Jamaica Plain (for those not from Boston yes, that's what "J.P." stands for) for the first time tonight. Ice cream, coffee, open late... what's not to love?!

Multiplication

2010-01-27T23:01:00.002-05:00

January 27, 2010
Tonight our community group (hosted via REUNION Christian Church) announced that it is multiplying!! Instead of splitting, as is far too common among churches, REUNION has a vision for allowing groups to grow and then multiply to make space for new groups and new places for people to connect. So this is a great day for us!

Snowy day in the park

2010-01-27T22:59:00.002-05:00

January 26, 2010
Saturday was just warm enough to get out and enjoy the sunshine in the park on Quincy Street.

Grapefruit

2010-01-25T22:32:00.002-05:00

January 25, 2010
One of our guys really likes grapefruit. At least far more than he likes cameras.

Spoons

2010-01-24T23:11:00.003-05:00

Saturday night this week found several of the residents of 22 and 29 on the floor in the kitchen playing spoons. There was question as to whether this was a wise activity to engage in indoors. It was a good question.

Big crowd!

2010-01-24T22:53:00.002-05:00

Saturday we had more kids for our Saturday School at Qst. Church than we have had in a long time! Was a great morning.

Common Grace

2010-01-24T22:48:00.002-05:00

January 24, 2009
Tonight we had the privilege to spend some time with a friend from Philly who works with Common Grace, a ministry which exists to "connect, support and mobilize churches to effectively reach their communities". A time of sharing, prophesy and challenge.

An old-new living room

2010-01-22T11:04:00.002-05:00

January 21, 2009
It's been a while now since this took place but for those of you who have seen our living room in the past you will certainly appreciate the hard work that the creative souls here at 22 once again exerted to make our place so much more homey.

Homework

2010-01-20T23:13:00.003-05:00

January 20, 2010
Nate came over tonight to do some homework and have dinner. Great time as always.

MLK

2010-01-20T22:23:00.004-05:00

January 19, 2010
Sunday I was asked to help read some passages from some of MLK's speeches in church at REUNION with a friend of mine. I'm always amazed by the power of this man's words:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

It's alright to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's alright to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.

The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that recognizes the dignity and worth of all of God’s children. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that allows judgment to run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice.

I believe that even amid today's motor bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.

I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men others-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.

"And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid."

I still believe that we shall overcome.

Campaigning at Breakfast

2010-01-18T22:40:00.002-05:00

January 18, 2009
I attended the annual Martin Luther King Memorial Breakfast this morning with a few friends from the neighborhood. I'm not sure exactly how to describe the experience except to say that it is an excuse for a bunch of people to get together and have a party early in the morning, eat breakfast (which is always a good thing in my book), and of course, honor the legacy of a great man. Today there was a little extra twist with some campaigning by candidates for the late Ted Kennedy's senatorial seat. Both candidates were present and made rounds, however only Martha Coakley (pictured) made it to our half of the room.

Holding Ground

2010-01-18T07:17:00.003-05:00

January 17, 2009
Last night we watched Holding Ground, a documentary about the rebirth of the Dudley Street Neighborhood and the early work of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. Great story about a community coming together!

Stash's

2010-01-16T23:12:00.002-05:00

January 16, 2010
I enjoyed a very tasty veggie calzone from this place today. You should check it out!

Dudley Square

2010-01-15T23:37:00.003-05:00

January 15, 2009
I spent most of today in and around Dudley Square. Coffee this morning at Haley House, studying at the Dudley branch library, class at CUME. That's a pretty good day.

Chef Lee's

2010-01-14T23:40:00.003-05:00

January 14, 2010

One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants closed and moved about a year ago. Chef Lee's is now open on Blue Hill in Mattapan, but I really miss that fried chicken and cornbread!

10-point coalition

2010-01-13T23:56:00.002-05:00

January 13, 2010

Being in class this week with Reverend Hammond and Reverend Hamilton has given me the chance to learn more about and reflect a little on the work of the Boston TenPoint Coalition. If you don't know the story about TenPoint, check it out here. Essentially, TenPoint worked to bring resources to the table in the middle 1990's to seriously reduce the homicide rate in the city. This culminated in what is now known as the Boston Miracle; great stuff.

Haiti

2010-01-13T00:18:00.002-05:00

If you haven't yet heard, Haiti was hit by 7.0 earthquake today--the worst quake on the island in two centuries. Several people throughout our community in Dorchester have family and/or friends in Haiti so this tragedy strikes very close to home for many of us.

If you would like to know more about what has happened so you can pray in a more informed way you can do so here.

If you would like to read about the work that some in our community have done in Haiti over the last few years you can read about that here.

If you would like to donate to the relief effort you can do so here.

Ooooopossum!

2010-01-12T23:08:00.003-05:00

January 12, 2010
So on the topic of neighborhood pets I discovered a (an?) opossum in an abandoned lot around the corner form our house recently. That's right, a opossum. Don't those things only live in the woods?

On Forgiveness

2010-01-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

January 11, 2010

I've been corresponding recently with a friend over a question of forgiveness. The question was "should forgiveness be given even before it is asked for?" This is a question that I think affects us all so deeply both in relationships between individuals of people and in relationships between whole communities of people. In both cases we would do well to have better traction on what forgiveness looks like and why--and when--it should be extended. I decided to post my response to the question here (after a little editing).

This is a question that haunted me for a long time in my own life. My reflections on it are not momentary and have not been drawn without long and intense struggle. I'm just grateful that in the end God won this battle in my heart.

The simple--but difficult--answer to the above question is that forgiveness is to be given. Regardless of when or whether that forgiveness is asked for we are expected to extend it to those who do us wrong.

This is precisely the point in Matt. 18 when Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. In that well-known passage Jesus responded by telling Peter "not seven times, but seventy times seven." Then Jesus, always looking for a teaching moment, tells the parable of the unforgiving servant as a way of putting flesh and blood on this concept. If there were ever any doubt about whether forgiveness should be given I think this dispels it all. When the servant who was forgiven a large debt is found unwilling to forgive his fellow-servant a small debt his own forgiveness is revoked. Jesus' next words stand as strongly as almost any warning recorded in the Gospels: "So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." Jesus doesn't mince words about this nor does he tell us much about the exchanges between the key players in the story. His point, I think, remains true to the end: God expects us to be a forgiving people.

I think what is difficult for us concerning forgiveness is that we always want to imagine that forgiveness is something we do for someone else. Based on this we believe we can choose whether we give it or withhold it and too often we withhold it because we have been hurt and can't imagine giving such a gift to someone who has hurt us. The truth however, is that forgiveness is not something we do for someone else; it's something we do for ourselves in obedience to a God who loves us. God commands that we forgive because it's best for us. Only when we choose to forgive do we begin to let go of the pain and hurt that otherwise keeps us enslaved. Extending forgiveness to someone else isn't about what they get; it's about being obedient to God and receiving a blessing from his hands—the blessing of being freed from our own self-inflicted bondage.

And forgiveness is never a one-time action. It is an ongoing, continual pursuit of a better way of living. It's a daily decision to imagine the world the way that Jesus did: free of bitterness and rivalry and hatred. To forgive is to live as though heaven has come to earth and swallowed up the divisions and differences that keep us at odds with one another.

All of that being said, I do think that there is a stark difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Though I believe forgiveness should be extended always, regardless of the asking; reconciliation is by definition a two-sided issue. Reconciliation requires two parties to come to the table together and work out their differences. We should never confuse forgiveness with reconciliation and thus take on the responsibility to reconcile all differences by ourselves. Nor should we feel guilt because we ourselves--or someone else—choose to not be in certain situations with certain people even though forgiveness has been extended. Again, reconciliation is mutual; forgiveness is about being obedient to a God who wants us to make healthy decisions for our lives.

I deeply hope and pray that we all may grab hold of the peace that comes with forgiveness. This is a difficult and challenging question and though the path to genuine forgiveness is long—and the road to reconciliation usually longer—there is peace, hope and love at the end.

Dishes

2010-01-11T00:30:00.003-05:00

January 10, 2010

So this is the "other side" of our Sunday dinner gatherings. Caitlyn and Luke jumped in on clean-up this week (which included Caitlyn moving me out of the way at the sink when she decided I just wasn't washing the plates fast enough!). More and more I'm understanding that living in community with one another has as much to do with dishes as it has to do with, well just about anything else.

Public Church

2010-01-09T22:45:00.002-05:00

January 9, 2010

Today I started a seminar class taught by a couple of long-time local pastors and sponsored by the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Center for Urban Ministerial Education (a mouthful, I know). The class is dealing with the church and community organizing. And the best part is that it meets in Dudley Square so I was able to walk home after!

Pizza and wings

2010-01-09T00:02:00.002-05:00

Ben and I were blessed tonight to participate in a neighbor's birthday celebration which included some tasty pizza and chicken wings!

Haircut time

2010-01-08T23:58:00.002-05:00

January 8, 2010
This is a terrible picture but you might be able to barely make out that this is a barber shop. I think one of the best ways to connect with a community is to frequent the local barber and I was excited to do so today. Haircut + economic/political theory and policy = a pretty good time!

A night off...

2010-01-08T11:57:00.003-05:00

Our tutoring program at Crosstown hasn't yet started up again for the year so we took the evening to just reconnect and catch up from the break. Thanks Danielle and Nate for hosting us!

Captian Hook returns

2010-01-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

January 7, 2010

Fair Trade coming to the neighborhood

2010-01-06T23:15:00.002-05:00

One of our community members works for the Boston Faith and Justice Network and has been helping to advocate for Fair Trade products in Boston. His recent article brings some encouraging news concerning fair trade products becoming more accessible in our neighborhood!

Live band @ Haley

2010-01-06T23:07:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights the Haley House in Dudley Square has live music. I was there this evening as the band was setting up but had to run before their set was underway. If you live in Boston you need to patronize this business.

By the way, don't be freaked out by the masks on the wall. They don't look nearly so scary in real life!

after a long hiatus...

2010-01-06T04:47:00.003-05:00

January 6, 2010

After a long break for finals and the Christmas holiday we're back at blogging here at 22! This morning began rather early with an airport run for one of our housemates. Ready to get at it now!

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-20T16:22:00.003-05:00

a few of our younger girls performed a dance on Saturday during church. they salsa-danced to "Feliz Navidad." it was precious! they rehearsed, made t-shirts, and overall did a great job. we are proud of them!

Crimson vs. Eagles

2009-12-10T10:37:00.005-05:00

You really can't get any better than pizza, popcorn, and basketball for a 7th year birthday celebration! Elizabeth, a 22 resident, invited Luke and me to join her for a great game of basketball of Boston College and Harvard for Amaree's birthday. With Amaree's unlimited energy, it was probably best that three of us were present for the little guy. Amaree taught us some new dance moves, we ate way too much concession food, and the boys (Crimson 74) beat the girls (Eagles 67). Oh and we managed to make this video, thanks to Amaree's fabulous videography skills . . .

Creamed Corn

2009-12-06T23:30:00.002-05:00

November 12, 2009

In case you're wondering, I do realize that it isn't November 12th anymore, even though I'm just now posting for that day. You see, it makes sense to me to keep the dates in order even when I miss a few (or more than a few) days of posting; that way when we come to the end of the year I will know that I have a post for each day. Like I said, it makes sense in my head.

Second, I also realize the blog has been pretty silent for some time now. It's December and I'm in grad school. I'll be back at it soon, don't worry!

Lastly, I came a cross this blog post recently that was really interesting. Could it be that creamed corn was born in Uphams Corner? In the building that is now Yaz's Place? (by the way, a post will be forthcoming soon about Yaz's place. Great place to meet some locals and watch football on Monday nights!) You may notice that I link to The Dot Matrix frequently. The author has some really good stuff to say about Dorchester generally and sometimes has the most wonderfully obscure bits of information!

First Sunday in Advent....

2009-11-29T20:22:00.003-05:00

I love everything about Christmas and the season of Advent leading up to it.

Like a lot of other roommates here at 22, my family is not close to Boston. I know in the next month, I will miss home more than usual as I think of my family and all the traditions I grew up with.
But there is also so much joy to be found in the "family" we have here in our house and our neighborhood. I'm excited to see how God will use this Advent season to bring all of us closer and bring some more love into our lives and neighborhood.... plans and pictures to follow ;)

I found so much beauty in the following Advent prayer... no matter who we are, where we live or the situations we find ourselves in, we ALL wait in the same hopeful anticipation for Christmas to arrive.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we come to the season of Advent with the brokenness of the world in our eyes, the cries of our fellow human beings in our ears and our own sinfulness in our hearts. We come to Bethlehem, as those who need a Savior.
We come to the light because the darkness has almost overwhelmed us, but the darkness can never overcome You. We come to Bethlehem as invited guests; to see, to wonder and to be changed by the Child Messiah who is Jesus. For his sake, and by his grace, forgive our sins.
Give us hope and eternal life. Help us to move through a worldly holiday of excess to a worshipful Advent and Christmas. (Michael Spencer)

Outrage

2009-11-27T10:50:00.002-05:00

November 10, 2009

So I decided to wait until after Thanksgiving for this:

Last week there was a shooting at the John Marshall school in Dorchester where some of our kids attend. A shooting inside the school gymnasium. Two week previous there was a shooting 100 yards from the front door. The first instance was fatal. The second, thankfully, was not.

There are plenty of reasons to be outraged. Violence runs unchecked in our streets. Safety is not a luxury we can afford for children in every neighborhood apparently. The brokenness of our world runs deeper than I will ever comprehend and it breaks me to the core to come face-to-face with it.

But today I am particularly concerned that our society, our nation, even our own city has turned a blind eye. Several that I talked to concerning this incident said they were unaware that it had happened. Why is this the case? This op-ed from the Globe I think gets at the heart of the issue: Violence in schools, as all violence, is important proportional to your zip-code.

Is no one else angry about this??

Walking to school

2009-11-26T11:21:00.000-05:00

November 9, 2009

Thanksgiving dinner

2009-11-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

November 8, 2009
Our community celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday after church by enjoying Ma's legendary meal. Man that was some good food!

DSNI values and vision

2009-11-24T10:56:00.003-05:00

November 7, 2009

I attended a "Resident Development Institute" session last week which is one of the ways that the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative promotes local leadership development (and teaches acronyms for all these super-long names!). It was a really great time to learn about the organization, it's role in the neighborhood over the last 25 years and to spend the day with some of the best folks in Roxbury/Dorchester!

While there, I had the privilege to connect with three girls from Wellesley College (Boston metro) who were observing the work of DSNI in the Roxbury/Dorchester neighborhood for a class assignment. One of these girls in particular, after placing me as a collegiate minister, opened up some conversation about faith as it has to do with the kind of work that DSNI does. She herself is an agnostic but is processing questions of faith and has been reading some books on “Liberation Theology”. I had the chance to talk with her about what we do and how we see our work in the neighborhood together with children and college students as simply an expression of following Jesus in our lives.

Experiences like this one are small but important victories for us. They are also clear indications that God is active in continuing to put people in our lives whom he desires for us to influence (and also evidence that you can't go anywhere in this city and not rub shoulders with students!). It is such a joy to work hand-in-hand with our neighbors and with students across this city.

Mike's Diner

2009-11-24T10:48:00.002-05:00

November 6, 2009

Well, the blog has been pretty quiet for a few weeks now (minus Kim's wonderful contributions!) which is indicative of the busyness of life for most of us here at 22 recently.

A growing tradition in our house is "Breakfast with Nate" on Saturday mornings. Today we feature Mike's City Diner; certainly a favorite!

nate & nate = priceless

2009-11-22T13:30:00.002-05:00

Nate just took little Nate out for his birthday lunch. On the motorcycle. Priceless.

playing dress-up just never gets old

2009-11-22T13:22:00.003-05:00

Tutoring Aliyah this week involved baking brownies, doing homework, and playing dress-up...with our box 'o wigs, of course. She went for the blonde look and then "styled" my hair, determining that the blue wig was best for me. Awesome. :)

Firewood

2009-11-11T08:16:00.002-05:00

November 3, 2009
Sunday afternoon I didn't feel too much like I was in the middle of Dorchester as I spent the day stocking our firewood piles at 29 Mon. so we can have some heat (and moreover a little ambiance) this winter during our community dinners. I'm also excited to have a stash to pull from for various "capming" outings in the next several months.

St. Cecilia

2009-11-08T23:25:00.003-05:00

November 2, 2009
We had a tremendous evening tonight in our community. We all attended St. Cecilia church together where Bob has been a long-time member and Fr. John (who officiated this evening's mass) came to the neighborhood to join us for dinner after. What an amazingly encouraging time of fellowship and sharing.

Memorial

2009-11-08T08:52:00.002-05:00

November 1, 2009
Yesterday in church one of our neighbors asked us to remember a friend of hers who died recently because of a drug overdose. Sadly, the family of the deceased forbid any friends from attending the ceremony feeling that it was those friends who had influenced the destructive path toward her eventually fatal addiction. I am so grieved by the pain present in our world and the way that destruction simply breeds more destruction.

Halloween Party - the cast

2009-11-08T08:28:00.002-05:00

October 31, 2009
Tinkerbell and RRUU-FIII-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Math

2009-11-06T22:59:00.002-05:00

October 30, 2009
Getting some math homework done at Crosstown church.

Halloween Party - face painting

2009-11-06T22:52:00.003-05:00

October 29, 2009
Getting this one to be still enough for face painting is a feat all by itself!

Halloween Party - Donut on a string

2009-11-05T14:37:00.001-05:00

October 28, 2009
Pretty sure this one speaks for itself;)

Halloween Party - Body Parts!

2009-11-05T14:29:00.002-05:00

October 27, 2009
This is the Halloween Party activity that I was never willing to do as a kid. Far to gross for me! I mean, really, who knows what those girls put in that bag?

Prosperity Gospel

2009-11-05T14:01:00.004-05:00

October 27, 2009

I just received a link to this video from a friend of mine. The video speaks of the way the Prosperity Gospel (the idea that God will economically bless those who are faithful to him) has been exported from the United States and how it has affected parts of the world where prosperity is not as prevalent.

What struck me toward the conclusion of the video, as the narrator identifies "the end of the the line for the Prosperity Gospel", is that such prosperity--which has been promised to millions--follows much of the same path that the economic growth of "first world" or "developed nations" has followed over the last sixty years. The only way for the frivolous quality of life that so many of us enjoy to come into existence is for it to be at the expense--at the exploitation--of someone else. We can purchase a host of mercantile goods at rock-bottom prices because someone, somewhere, is being cheated out of a fair wage. We have an endless supply of low-cost food right at our fingertips because farmers in the Caribbean have been forced by our control of the market to grow only those crops which can be exported (and at severely reduced compensation), instead of growing crops which could feed their families and bring much needed nutrients back to their now-barren land. If the lifestyle many of us live here in the United States is the same lifestyle we have helped others to envision for themselves, then surely it comes at the expense of only more oppression and exploitation of the ones who stand at the bottom of the social ladder.

Some of the exploitation of the prosperity gospel is obvious: the wealthy preacher urges parishioners in poverty to dig deep into their shallow pockets as he turns to deposit the money in his own. But perhaps the rest of us should take a hard look at our own lives and circumstances and ask why it is that some have so much and others have so little. Could it be that our own lifestyle choices maintain this "status quo" in our world that is so far from equitable? Do we feel entitled to the wealth we enjoy? Whether by our own merits or a blessing from God, do we feel that it is ours because of our faithfulness?

Perhaps the notion that prosperity is good news (read: gospel) has more implications on the way we live out our lives than we are willing to admit.

Elections

2009-11-03T21:16:00.002-05:00

October 26, 2009
It's now a little more than an hour since the polls closed and Boston is awaiting the count that will determine who our next mayor will be as well as a number of city councilor positions.

Halloween Party - Making Cookies

2009-11-03T21:06:00.002-05:00

October 25, 2009
The "making cookies" station at the Halloween Party was a big hit. I even heard one of our girls say that she thought her cookie was so pretty she wasn't sure that she was going to eat it!

More guns

2009-11-02T12:04:00.002-05:00

October 24, 2009
Three months ago I posted a few articles lamenting the frequent presence of firearms on our streets. A recent incident published on BPDNews speaks yet again to this situation. What is happening here?

Halloween Party - Pin the tail on the black cat

2009-11-02T11:52:00.002-05:00

October 23, 2009
I must confess to having suggested that we stuff one of the stray cats that lives in our neighborhood for this portion of the night's activities (the cat in question is soon going to make an appearance in our "neighborhood pets" series--as soon as someone is brave enough to close in for a picture), but the poster seemed like a better solution. Thanks to Kim and Amanda for blind-folding our kids, spinning them around to make them dizzy and then keeping them from falling over themselves and each other!

Lechonera

2009-11-01T22:50:00.003-05:00

October 22, 2009
On Friday Bob, a long-time member of our community, treated me to a Dominican Restaurant on Dudley street called Lechonera. Great food and yes, that is a stuffed pig on the brochure.

Halloween Party - Bobbing for Apples

2009-11-01T22:44:00.004-05:00

October 21, 2009
One of the five stations we had for kids at our Halloween Party was "Bobbing for Apples". A big thanks goes out to Luke for manning the station. We certainly had some champions in the night who came away with several apples and we even had a swimmer at one point! (from the pictures you can probably guess who)

Halloween Party

2009-11-01T22:40:00.002-05:00

October 20, 2009
I'll tell you in advance that I intend to get some mileage out of the pictures we took on Saturday night. We threw a halloween party at the church for kids in our neighborhood and I think it was one of the biggest successes we have had yet! This is a picture of all of our help. Thanks so much guys for all you did!

Family

2009-10-28T00:16:00.003-04:00

October 19, 2009
So one of the guys in our community is from Canada (which is pretty exciting for us) and he had his folks over tonight for some dessert and conversation. It's always such an encouragement to talk to people who understand who we are and get why we do all of this. And I must say that for my part, I never get tired of telling our story!

Miracle of Life

2009-10-26T23:36:00.003-04:00

October 18, 2009
So I know it's cheesy but I had to reflect on the miracle that is life all over again last Friday when I went to see Skylar, born only the day before to two happy (and healthy) parents right here in our neighborhood. Now that's pretty exciting!

Poverty in Boston

2009-10-26T23:18:00.003-04:00

October 17, 2009
Tonight I was asked by CAUSE, a student initiative at Boston University's School of Theology, to share about my experiences of living and working in Roxbury/Dorchester at a forum they hosted concerning Poverty in Boston and around the world.

Mostly, this gave me the chance to reflect once again on the fact that poverty is something that is insidious to all strata of our society; it transcends each and ever economic level. This is because poverty is not simply a lack of economic resources as we commonly think about it. Poverty instead has to do with isolation. To be poor is to be alone, without the network of relationships--whether those be family, church, friends or otherwise--to help in a time of need. I believe it was Jean Vanier who said "The antidote to poverty is community" and I think he gets straight to the core of the issue.

In so many ways I'm forever grateful to live in such a wealthy neighborhood. I want to be sure that the gift I have been given of leaning from my neighbors about community and how to truly be neighbors is one that I do not horde to myself. It is meant to be shared.

Living Green

2009-10-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

October 16, 2009
Luke, one of the guys living in our community drew my attention to this article recently about "green living". The author points to some really interesting new perspectives about the most sustainable ways for us to be better stewards of our planet's resources and it seems that urban living comes in at or near the top of that list! I'm pretty excited.

Sharing

2009-10-25T21:29:00.002-04:00

October 15, 2009
Two of our kids shared with the church Saturday what we learned in this week's Saturday morning program. We talked about how God disciplines us because he loves us. Always a popular topic!

World's first supermarket

2009-10-23T23:48:00.002-04:00

October 14, 2009
I continue to be surprised by what I learn about Upham's Corner. In particular, this week I came across this post about a building I pass everyday. Apparently the building was home to what is often considered the world's first supermarket. Who knew?

Retreat

2009-10-22T21:33:00.002-04:00

October 13, 2009
This is a post that is a little more self-centered but sometimes getting away from things for a short time is an important part of life in community. And besides, I was in Roxbury.

Part of the reason the blog was a little more silent last week was that I packed up and headed to a retreat sponsored by the School of Theology at Boston University. The retreat was held at a really sweet Episcopal Convent which is part of the order called the Society of St. Margaret. Great place, great sisters, and wonderful time to get caught up on some reading!

Self-defense

2009-10-22T21:24:00.002-04:00

October 12, 2009
Elizabeth has been doing some training for her job which includes learning how to properly perform restraints. Tonight she wanted to demonstrate what she has learned.

Neighborhoods

2009-10-20T22:33:00.003-04:00

October 11, 2009

I have had a couple of conversations recently that have helped me to think in new ways about why living in a neighborhood like this one is important to us at 22.

Tim and Bobby are two guys that I work with who have both made very intentional decisions about where they live over the past several years. Bobby remarked to me in a conversation several weeks ago that when I get asked why I live where I do perhaps I should just turn the question around: why do any of us choose to live in certain neighborhoods as opposed to others?

The answers to this question most certainly abound but how often do we take time to be critical with this decision? Do we choose our neighborhoods out of convenience? Perhaps we are close to where we work? Maybe our neighborhood gives us a certain status around town. Do we just want to be out of the way of things and so live in the country? Or do we want to be accessible to our city's convenience without having to worry about the city's taxes and crime and so live in the suburbs?

What I continue to be compelled by is precisely the thing which Bobby and Tim helped me to understand as transcendent. We can determine to live anywhere based on very intentional and outwardly-focused decisions. Living in Upham's corner for us means learning how the Gospel speaks into the context of Upham's corner. For Tim, living in Somerville means the same thing as living in Fenway does for Bobby. The question really is not where will you live; the question is why will you live there.

Behind

2009-10-19T23:27:00.004-04:00

October 10, 2009
This seems a little lame but I'm realizing that we are now nine days behind on our daily posts and it has caused me to reflect a little on the structure and nature of life in our community.

I think to some extent we all struggle with filling our plates too full and those of us who live intentionally together--called to the work of the Gospel in a context and neighborhood that is not our own--are sadly not immune to this. Still, I've told many people in the last several months that one of the choices our community has made is to celebrate the various ways all of us are working to further the Kingdom of God through our 9-5 jobs. Some of us work in education, some in advocacy, some in law, some in ministry or the non-profit sector and some of us are students. In all of these various ways we believe we help bring God's Kingdom principles to bear in our world today and bring those successes and stories and experiences back to our neighborhood together. It's a beautiful thing really.

So it's back to writing papers, fixing cars, caring for college students and tutoring kids on our street (at least that's my list!). And I'll do my best to stay diligent here too!

Boston, Bees, and Baking

2009-10-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

Chilly winds and frosty mornings came into Boston this week, so to celebrate the letter "B" Doobi and I decided to stir up a batch of No Bake Cookies. Cookies, cold milk, and honeybee books seemed to set the perfect, Boston evening for us.

Nonquit St. Park

2009-10-14T23:10:00.002-04:00

October 8, 2009
Continuing our survey of local spaces around Upham's Corner, I'd like to feature Nonquit Street Park. I really don't know much about this park except that it has my favorite statue/large stone figuring in the area: a dragon.

Boys and Bowling

2009-10-13T15:26:00.008-04:00

Bowling on a chilly, fall (holi)day in Boston sounded like a great day! So Elizabeth, with Amaree in hand, and I with Doobie, in tow, set off for Boston Bowl. Little did we know what we were up against, Amaree resounds on the way, "You girls better be ready, my skills in bowling are ill."

The adventure was complete with break dancing down the slippery lane, boys (being boys) throwing balls (apparently a new bowling technique), countless high fives,

and happy dances for our "ill skills."

apple pickin'

2009-10-12T17:03:00.007-04:00

It was a beautiful New England autumn day on Saturday, so I rounded up three of my favorite little girls to go apple picking at Nashoba Valley in Bolton, MA. I also convinced Luke, one of the guys at 29 Monadnock St, to come along...he was excited to go, and I realized very quickly that taking the three girls on my own might have been getting myself a little over my head. So a big shout out to Luke!

Overall, it was a great afternoon and I think the girls had a fun time. We picked enough apples to fill the bag within the first 10 minutes of arriving, so the rest of our time there was spent running up big hills and rolling down them [see pic]. Good times. Hooray for fall!

Photo op

2009-10-12T09:36:00.003-04:00

October 5, 2009
This isn't the actual photo but a recent article in the BPD news was the inspiration to feature some basketball. When the weather is fair I often get the chance to catch part of a game on Dudley Street on my way home in the evenings. It's also not often we find such encouraging news from BPD!

Crosstown Tutoring

2009-10-08T22:57:00.003-04:00

October 4, 2009
I feel like I've been talking about it for a while now but tonight it finally happened: Sojourn launched a new partnership tutoring kids in Upham's Corner with Crosstown church! We had 5 kids from the neighborhood tonight and are really excited to create more places for college students to connect with these kids.

Land Trust

2009-10-08T00:06:00.002-04:00

October 3, 2009
Tonight I attended a Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative meeting and was reflecting a little about the significance of the Dudley Land Trust set up by the organization many years ago. Instead of posting a picture tonight, here's a link to a film production that is in progress which will cover the story of the current housing crisis in our neighborhood. The film will be called "Gaining Ground" and is a follow-up to the 1995 documentary on DSNI called "Holding Ground". Check out the trailer on the website!

Wall Street Rag

2009-10-06T22:35:00.002-04:00

October 2, 2009

One of our favorite things when we gather as a community on Sundays for dinner is to listen to Bob play the piano. He's quite accomplished as he's been playing for most of his life. Recently he told me that he learned Scott Joplin's "Wall Street Rag" in honor of the recent economic collapse. It's becoming one of my favorite pieces!

missions project

2009-10-06T22:26:00.003-04:00

October 1, 2009
A few days ago I received emails from a couple of kids in Joplin, MO, my hometown. Their class at College Heights Christian School is doing a project to pray for missionaries they each know. I'm really excited that Zach and Casey's class is praying for us here in Boston! Thanks guys!

Cat (part 2)

2009-10-04T21:40:00.002-04:00

September 31, 2009
While working on the station wagon (our community car) today I was blessed with a little company. The 22 cat stayed out of the way for the most part and eventually found a warm spot on the front dash of the car. Needless to say he felt pretty comfortable in inviting himself in through the open back hatch and claiming the space as his own. At least he didn't make any messes!

Boston Arts Academy

2009-10-04T21:36:00.002-04:00

September 30, 2009

The link below is to a video by a local media station which featuring the Boston Arts Academy, a Boston Public Schools high school where Kim, one of our housemates here at 22 is a biology teacher. The first young man interviewed is a student of Kim's and clearly engaged in some pretty awesome pursuits!

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/21166658/index.html

doggy-dog

2009-10-02T16:26:00.002-04:00

September 29, 2009
So this is Doggy-dog, our only constant neighborhood canine. After two years of living here he is finally getting used to me which means that he demands attention only slightly more often than he growls. He also has had a recent shave... usually much shaggier than this.

Neighborhood pets: Cat

2009-10-01T01:00:00.002-04:00

September 28, 2009

I like the idea of starting some continuing series of posts along the way here and would like to turn next to neighborhood pets. The cat in this photo lives in and around 22 and can often be found sleeping on this chair when I arrive home in the evenings. Seems like a pretty good life, if you ask me. I will say that this is probably one of the nicest of our neighborhood pets; more about that to come!

Garden

2009-10-01T00:56:00.002-04:00

September 27, 2009
Early this summer my housemate Elizabeth worked to mobilize our kids here to plant a garden for the first time. This was a great project particularly because we are now starting to enjoy the produce;)

Hermanos Unidos

2009-09-28T14:18:00.002-04:00

September 26, 2009
I'd like to start featuring some of our Upham's Corner local businesses. To start off, this is Hermanos Unidos, a market on Dudley street that sells fruits, vegetables and hardware supplies. As is the case with many markets across the city, it's pretty amazing how much stuff they manage to get into a space like this! It's good spot to stop in for milk and eggs or a juice as you're waiting for the bus.

Fireplace season

2009-09-28T14:14:00.002-04:00

September 28, 2009
Last night at our community meal David decided that it was time to get the fireplace going. Now, I must admit to being a little bit concerned that we're getting ahead of ourselves in the season. Nonetheless, the fire certainly took a little chill off and added some very nice ambiance. Thanks David!