The Jubilee House at South Atlanta

2012-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

Galatians 6:1-3
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Living in community is no picnic, and learning to deeply love is no easy road. People are weird, messy, and broken. They are either too clean or too dirty. They talk too much, express too little, and find ways to push your buttons. They know too little or they know too much. The list goes on and on (and obviously none of this applies to me).
So why do it? Why live and commit to people who are not family? Why share stuff like cars, groceries, and financial debt? Life is so much easier when you are by yourself. No complications. Get up, work, eat, spend, do what you want, go to bed: it’s as simple as that. It’s not like we are married to each other. Why do it?

One word: Jesus.

Jesus was crazy. He travelled with 12 men, was homeless, lived simply, talked about change, and showed how to love the outcasts. In today’s terms, he was crazy. Why did he do it? Why did he show up as a human, consort with prostitutes and lepers, and constantly put up with dumb comments from his followers? He lived in the middle of the dirty, annoying, drunkard, oblivious, broken people. He loved. He didn’t abandon ship when it got tough. He stuck by his 12, even when they just couldn’t get it right.

So, why do we do it? One word: Jesus. If Jesus loves us as the dirty and broken pieces that we are, with an unwavering commitment, than we can continue to inch forward, trying to find that love for each other.

In the film About A Boy, the main character, the little boy named Marcus, is trying to figure out the tough stuff in life: why his mom tried to commit suicide, how to get girls to like him, and trying to deal with the hurt of not fitting in. He eventually befriends Hugh Grant’s character who is a man that lives as an island and is proud of it.

By the end of the film, the odd pair became friends. Despite their differences, they find family in each other, along with an assortment of other quirky characters.
Marcus’s words from the film have always stuck with me: “All I meant was I don't think couples are the future. You need more than that. You need backup. The way I saw it, Will and I both had backup now. It's like that thing he told me Jon Bon Jovi said: "No man is an island."”

Jesus was far from an island. He committed to loving and being part of a crazy cluster of freaks, outcasts, and wandering vagabonds. Sounds good. I’m in.

One Mile.

2011-08-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Boulevard Rd. in Atlanta stretches for a few miles. In my world, it starts at the Federal Penitentiary (near my neighborhood), drives passed one of the best parks, and ends a block away from one of my favorite grocery stores, Trader Joes in a very nice neighborhood in Midtown. In the past, when I have had to give directions involving certain sections of Boulevard people say, "oh, I avoid that section of Boulevard." Usually I shrug my shoulders at them and say, "well, this is the way I need you to go in order for you to get here."

Either way, for me, Boulevard is a stretch that reaches the depths of diversity, economically and spiritually, that exists in this city. On one end it is a block away from the very, very rich-large houses, Piedmont park, and a stretching skyline. On my end, the very very poor-prostitutes, crack addicts, imprisoned, homeless, immigrants, and mental health. I've been perplexed by this for years. How can a one mile stretch of land have so much economic inequality? How can a city be so rich AND so poor at the same time? How can there be so many Christian here in the south and there still be so much racism, prejudice, and injustice?

These are questions that I still have not fully answered. In fact, most of the time, I am frustrated with what answers begin to materialize. So, I continue to cling to Christ. "Christ, who is our life." Colossians 3:4 Jesus, the man who had nothing but the peace of a loving father. Jesus, who's heart would break at the sight of such inequity. Jesus, the man who said sell your stuff and serve the poor. I cling that his love will prevail.

Kids R Us.

2011-05-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Crumbs gathered on the floor as the boys crowded together in the kitchen eating their peanut butter crackers, the dog frantically licking them up. “How come we don’t have youth group everyday, Miss Andra?” I almost spit out the gulp of water I still had in my mouth. “What?” I asked. “We should have youth group everyday,” Marcus said louder than the first time. I finished my water and laughed at what they just said, “Because, you kids would drive me crazy!” The boys smirked at my typical response and ran back upstairs to continue a heated Mario Kart race.
A week hadn’t even passed since the last youth group, didn’t they remember? It’s perplexing because I am pretty sure I spent a good portion of youth group giving this same group of boys a lengthy talk on what “respect” is and what it should look like. I was not happy, and neither were they. Yet, there they were standing in my kitchen asking me why we didn’t have youth group every day of the week.

The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 14

Until about 5 seconds ago, I’ve always viewed this verse to be about the innocence of children. But what if it is so much more than that? Picture it: clumsy, scuffed up, probably somewhat smelly, and loud children crawling all over Jesus. Like the boys standing in the kitchen, mouths full, crumbs dropping to the floor, and smiles on their faces…The boys full of excitement about next week, different games, and youth leaders who always come back despite the casualties of the week before…Like us standing before Jesus excited, dirty, clumsy, and expectant of His love and acceptance, regardless of our actions the week before…day before…seconds before. And we KNOW that he will be there.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not in any way comparing the youth staff to Jesus, but somehow, someway, understanding people helps me understand the mystery of Jesus. Jesus-a King, a celebrity, a Savior-with dusty children crawling into his lap holds open his arms and welcomes me in.

A Season of Hope

2010-12-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

by Katie Lewis

The advent wreath sat on the table in the front of the church. Four candles: four weeks until Christmas. The candles stood tall, expectantly waiting to be set ablaze, each one serving a deeper meaning. The flame from the lighter quickly drew near the first candle – lighting it. Immediately, the aroma of HOPE danced through the air.

The sight and meaning of that candle got me thinking. Hope has become something that fascinates me. I used to think of hope as something nice, something pleasant, something… I don’t know…happy, I guess. And then I did Mission Year. As I struggled through that year, watching so many hopeless situations, hoping took on a new dimension for me. It was painful. In order to hope, you have to genuinely EXPECT. You have to keep on believing that things will change, that good things will come, that God will be faithful. And that is both scary and painful, because you can’t hope for those things, without caring, without feeling. You can’t shut out the realities and still hope. You can’t grow numb to the difficult situations and still hope. You have to live in the realities as they are, and still cling to the hope that things can and will change for the better.

This Christmas I was reminded again to hope. It is so easy to become so involved in my own day-to-day activities and forget to look around me. If I’m not careful, I can end up working, socializing, and just plain living without ever thinking about anyone else. I can shut out the realities of my neighbors, my neighborhood, and the world. But that is not why I live where I do, and that is not what God has called me to. God has asked me to see, to love, to feel, and to hope.

So, like the small flame of an Advent candle, hope lights my darkness and grows. And I hope some more…

I hope that I will feel what God feels for my neighbors
I hope that the level of privilege and comfort I have will make me uncomfortable
I hope that the addictions and the drug dealing in my neighborhood will be stopped
I hope that prostitution in this neighborhood will cease to exist
I hope that in spite of odds stacked against them, the kids I’ve met will live successful, happy, and meaningful lives
I hope that the schools will improve, & that these kids will get a decent education,
I hope that as the church we will speak God’s love with our actions
I hope that we will prioritize people over things
I hope that God’s Kingdom will come as his will is done, in my life, in my neighborhood, in His Church, and in our world.

And I hope…that you too will hope.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born!!!

Body Parts.

2010-11-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

I Corinthians 12:12-14
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

When I got home from school that day my dad’s coworkers were at the house working on the basement. My sister, in the living room watching Oprah, specifically instructed me during one of the commercial breaks not to go near the basement steps because it was dangerous. I trotted off, oblivious to her instructions, and went straight to the basement door.

My dad’s buddy was standing there literally with the staircase in his hands, as he finished ripping them down from the wall. “Whoa!” I thought, “A door that leads to no where!” I quickly sat down in the door frame and dangled my legs down from the edge that used to lead to stairs. I was excited and fascinated by the work they were doing. Legs swinging, chatting away, I didn’t even notice the nails sticking out from the bottom of the door frame. Not even seconds later, I noticed my leg felt kind of funny. Blood dripping down to my ankle, I snuck to the bathroom, wet down a washcloth, and looked at the back of my leg: not good.

There was a hole in my leg, presumably from one of the nails sticking out of the door frame. “Aaaapppprrriiiiil?!” I called her, worried about what her reaction was going to be. After the initial panic, she and my dad took action. Squished into the sawdust covered seat of my dad’s truck, my dad gripped the steering wheel and my sister held my hand as we rushed to the emergency room where I proceeded to get stitched up for the third time in my life. Crisis adverted.

Quick action, lots of love, and a trip to the doctors, allowed me to be home in just a few short hours. That day, my family operated as one body. My injured leg took precedence because my well being affects everyone else in the house. I Corinthians 12:12-26 reminds us that, with Christ, we are one body with many parts. All the parts are essential and depend on each other to fully function. This thought began to haunt me soon after seeing the movie Waiting for Superman. The movie’s narrator shares his shift of thinking from only worrying about his children and their education, to worrying education and well being of all children. It is the body of Christ.

If this were a logic problem, we would say if my leg is bleeding, then so is my family because we operate as one body. So, as if we were one body, we took care of the wound. Therefore, when Christ says “we are one body”; when schools, cities, my neighbors, etc. are bleeding from injustice, poverty, etc., then I too am bleeding and should be driven by the suffering coming from my body. “If one part suffers, every part suffers” (v. 26). Until, something changes…until I make changes…the body cannot function at its fullest capacity.

At fullest capacity, the body soars, knowing that God created us for this.

“My piece of bread only belongs to me when I know that everyone else has a share, and that no one starves while I eat.” ~Leo Tolstoy

A light house of sorts.

2010-10-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

One of the things we’ve always struggled with as a community house is succinctly explaining who we are and what it is we’re trying to do. There are so many aspects to what we do, so many facets of living in a Christian community in the midst of a low-income neighborhood. There are programs we’re involved in, there’s the communal life of the house, there are our values, our beliefs, our passions. How do we sum that all up? A few days ago, Andra & I were asked to come and share what we do with a church group. We sat and talked and planned together and came up with something, and then stood up and gave our little talk.
At the end of it, someone said “So….what exactly is your mission?”
“hmmm.” I thought, “guess we weren’t as clear as I’d hoped.”

That’s when a good friend jumped in and said it for us. Our house is a light house. It is a house people know as a good place. A safe place. A place where, if they really need the help, they can come and they know we will do everything we can to offer it, no strings attached. It’s a household attempting to operate as much like Christ’s body as we possibly can. All that crazy stuff we do – like sharing money & cars, like living where we do, like trying not to let jobs dominate our lives, like making neighbors and kids a priority, - we do it so we CAN live and give that way.

And when I think back on the last couple of years, I can think of example after example where it worked. Where someone needed us, and we were able to be there.

Like Adam, who used to live with us. One night he left without a word taking a computer, i-pod, and some other electronics with him. We were frustrated, and later learned he ended up in jail. But then he sent us a letter and Andra corresponded faithfully with him. Now he’s out, and recently he rang the doorbell at 4 in the morning, knowing that we would do what we could to help him.

Like James and Wes, whose mom worked 12 hour shifts and was the sole care-taker of them. When they moved out of the neighborhood, but still attended school here, she had to drop them off at 6am so they could get to school, and she could get to work. She’d drop them off, and they would come to our house. They knew we would let them in, fix them some breakfast and make sure they got off to school on time. They knew our house was a safe place.

Like the 10 kids who live in two households across the street. They come over every day asking if they can just play with our dog in the back yard. They know we have sidewalk chalk, and bats and balls. They know one of us is likely to make sure they have some ice cold water or Kool-aid, and maybe come and do some sidewalk art on the patio with them.

All these little things add up to something big. A light house. A safe place.. In the middle of a dark place, there is light. In the middle of pain, there is hope. In the middle of anger, there is love. In the middle of evil, there is good. That’s what it’s all about.

Thank you for your prayers, for your donations, for your encouragement, and for your love. We couldn’t do it without you.

Love,
Katie (Mike, Andra, & Leah)

Donations can be made at www.fcsministries.org

Blog negligance...yes indeed!

2010-10-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has been way too long. Our updates have been sporadic, inconsistent, and way less in number than they actually should be. So, here we are, again, trying to effectively update you. Please forgive us for our neglect.

So, to quickly catch you up to speed...

It is not that surprising that autumn was accompanied by a swell of change in our community. Mike is newly employed at an after school program just a few miles from our neighborhood. He spends Monday-Friday afternoon/evenings teaching and tutoring third graders. Leah is dedicated to making a successful community garden, even with excessive weeds and a dense Georgia red clay garden bed. Mike and Andra are continuing their Youth Group (ages 12-18).
While, with Katie's help, an additional youth group for the younger kids (9-12ish) of the neighborhood has been added to the mix. Andra is still full time youth pastoring in the neighborhood, helping with both youth groups and at a local after school program.

Other exciting news:

In September, after prayer and a "what do we have to lose?", we put in a bid on a HUD house just around the corner from where we are currently renting. Much to our surprise, we won the bid! Things have been moving quickly and we are currently under contract with the mortgage company. Next step: fixing up the house. The previous owners took everything with them (fixtures and all), so the house needs a lot of work.
Owning a house has been a goal of the Jubilee House from its inception. In a neighborhood high in vacant houses, forclosures, and evictions, stability and commitment are characteristics we strive to possess. We also agree on the importance of hospitality and shared space. Owning a house will give us more opportunity to live out this standard.

In the end, we are excited for what God has ahead of us! Please pray that we will continue to seek out how God wants to use us in our neighborhood and in each others lives. Pray that we have the strength and courage to stick it out when it gets hard. Most importantly, pray for our neighborhood: for growth, for peace, and for God's presence to be known.

Thanks to everyone for the continuous prayer and financial support!!!

Donations towards Andra's salary, our ministries, or the costs of purchasing the house can be made at http://www.fcsministries.org

Much love,

Andra, Katie, Leah, & Mike

2010-08-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

The art teacher grinned and asked the question again. The campers looked at each other perplexed, wondering what the right answer was. “What does God look like?” she asked. A small hand slipped into the air, followed by a few more. “He’s black.” “He’s white.” “I don’t know what he looks like.” “Like a cloud!” Then finally, “he looks like all of us.” The teacher grinned proudly at the answer she had been waiting for. “That’s right: He looks like all of us. Every person, every child, and every color: He looks like us.”

Stunned, the to-do list running through my head came to a halt and I listened. The children quickly agreed with the one camper that suggested that God looks like all of us. They were excited, rattling off descriptions of various people groups, and discussing with their teacher about the love of God.

Does God look like all of us? Does God look like anything we have seen for that matter? In the end, I don’t know. But, I can imagine that it is the round faced, bright eyed, multi-colored, hopeful children that truly beam the reflection of God. The rest of us can only hope to be more like them.

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

A HUGE THANKS again to everyone who supported summer camp through prayers and donations. We had another successful summer with about 35 campers and 10 teen counselors. Even with a last minute change of location, a stolen van, and a heat wave, God proved He’s got it under control.

UPDATES:
-We have a new housemate, Leah, who moved in at the beginning of the summer!
-This fall Andra will continue to work as a full time youth pastor/coordinator in the neighborhood of South Atlanta (donations are welcomed!).
-Please pray as we continue to pursue the path that God has for us and that we will continue to deepen our relationships with each other and our neighbors.
- Mike has transitioned out of his job at The South Atlanta Marketplace and is currently working part-time at Java Monkey while searching for the right job.

In Christ,
The Jubilee House
(Andra, Katie, Leah, & Mike)

Mission Year Ruined Me.

2010-05-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

With God’s prompting, Mission Year ruined my life. Seven years ago I had a plan. It was simple: Sign on the dotted line. 11 months. Raise the funds. Move to the inner city. Serve. Get along with housemates. Go home. Go back to life. Be normal. Live. Worry about me, myself, & I. Pay bills. Find a job. Remember the inner city fondly. Move on.

There is a Watermark song that says, “Come and ruin me with Your love, so that no other is enough, Come and leave your mark on me, Jesus, more of Thee.” Like I said, with God’s prompting, Mission Year ruined me. My neatly packed year of inner city volunteer service seeped into my bones and changed me. My cookie cutter plans crumbled, fell to the ground, and crunched under my footsteps. I was no longer the same. Words like justice, love, change, and poverty hung around my neck like a necklace that I kept forgetting to take off. Service and love were no longer things suspended in the air waiting to be done when there was free time to do them. They were the air: without them, I couldn’t breathe. Hope flooded in.

With every relationship made with neighbors, things got less and less simple. 11 months. Serve. Go home. With every prostitute I drove by, every child playing in the street, and every drug dealer on the corner, I was ruined. Live. Worry about me, myself, & I. With every prayer for change and signs of Christ’s love, there was no looking back. Move on.
Seven years later, grinning like a kid with a $10.00 bill at a candy shop, I can say that Mission Year ruined my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. God found me, a farm town kid wanting direction, picked me up, dropped me in the inner city, and said, “let’s change the world.” Over the last seven years, I have seen dozens of other Mission Year teams come to Atlanta. I watch as Christ begins to ruin them and smile. I see the children holding their hands. I listen to stories of neighbors inviting them over for dinner and sharing their hearts. I feel the hope flooding in.

I share this with you today because my love for the work that Mission Year does is deep. Currently, Mission Year, like many other non-profit ministries, is feeling the weight of the economic crisis of our country. There is a huge need for financial support and prayerful encouragement. Again, I share because my love for Mission Year is deep, as is my love for you.

Take a moment to consider donating to Mission Year, as Christ continues to ruin with His love, and our cities begin to feel the hope flooding in. Donations can be made and more information can be found at: www.missionyear.org

Hope in the Streets.

2010-03-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

My phone was ringing in my pocket. It was Mike.
“Where are you?”
“I’m down the street at the church lunch.”
“Ok, just calling to let you know there are a bunch of boys up here asking for you.”
“I’ll be right there.”

The day before, the same boys were loitering up the street from my house. Several of them were wielding sticks and yelling things I couldn’t quite make out. Most of them were between the ages of 9 and 12 (with the exception of one 5 year old) and looked angry. They were boys I recognized from the afterschool program I have been volunteering at the last few months. “What seems to be the problem boys?” Most of them didn’t look at me. “We are going to beat him up for hitting my cousin with a rock!” They pointed to the house across the street where a few children sat on the front steps. It was then that I realized that the sticks were actually weapons. “Boys, you are better than this.” They ignored me and continued to yell.

I knew that if the boys continued to yell the neighbors would eventually call the police. Before I realized the impact of my words, they were coming out of my mouth: “Who wants to earn some money?” The boys immediately stopped what they were doing, turned and looked at me, and said “I do!” The sticks dropped to the ground. We spent the rest of the afternoon picking up trash in the yard of the abandoned house next door. I made them promise that they would not fight. The kids walked away with ice pops and a few dollars in their pockets. I walked away hopeful.

Sure enough, Mike was right, there were about six boys sitting in my living room when I arrived at the house. During our yard cleanup the day before, I mentioned having an ice-cream party and the boys were holding me to my word. The afternoon passed by quickly as we ate ice-cream and played games. The boys laughed while bantering back and forth over who was going to win the next game. For a moment, street life was left behind and the boys were just that: boys.

A few days later my housemate mentioned that he saw some of the boys being put in the back of a police cruiser. He asked them what happened and the boys said they were trying to fight. The police officer was taking the boys home. My heart sank. Disappointed and completely frustrated, I started to question if we are just prolonging the inevitable. The boys had broken their promise. Street life won.

I spent the next 24 hours extremely discouraged…and then, my doorbell rang.
“Hey boys, what’s up?”
“Hey. Nothing, you have any ice cream?”
“Yeah, I have ice cream. Come on in.”

The days continue to pass and the boys continue to ring our doorbell. Sometimes they are just dropping by for a moment, other times they stay for hours. We continue to laugh, play games, eat pizza, and simply allow them to be boys. And with each ringing doorbell, I am reminded that there is no inevitable because of hope.

Hebrews 6:12 (The Message)
And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.

Talking furniture???

2010-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

In the rare moments of silence in our house, the furniture talks to us. This is weird, we know, but it does. It whispers the names of individuals who have loved us over the years. The TV, the couch, the chairs, the microwave, the mattresses, the bookcases, the table, they all whisper "remember the people who love you enough to share their things with you".

It's pretty amazing actually. Walking though the house, there is not one room that isn't littered with things that were given to us by someone else. Nice things. The generosity and support of the people that God has brought into our lives oftentimes overwhelms us.

The most recent thing whispering to us is a stack of envelopes on our kitchen table. They are envelopes filled with donation receipts for the many people that have decided to share in the journey of The Jubilee House. The response has been such an encouragement and an inspirational reminder to love as Christ has loved (we have already raised 3 months worth of salary for Andra to be in the neighborhood).

So, today, as our furniture whispers to us, we are thankful for YOU and hopeful that the daily decisions of the Jubilee House spread the whispers of Christ's love.

Current Projects:
**New Website: www.wix.com/jubileehouse/atljubilee

**Donations can now be done electronically on the FCS website:
www.fcsministries.org

**Summer Camp planning.
**Soon to be gardening.
**Building relationships with surrounding churches to strengthen opportunities in the neighborhood.
**Community service work day for the youth group, coming in March!

Hit the ground running.

2010-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, as my first official act as a full time youth leader, I got the chance to take some of our youth group kids to a Young Life Camp. Not knowing anything about Young Life, I was excited to see beautiful cabins, basketball courts, zip lines, pool tables, ping pong, large fields, and a staff that was determined to change things for God. As the 200 urban teens from all over the southeast, gathered in the crevices of the North Georgia Mountains; I took a breath and wondered how I got there.

Throughout each day, the entire camp would meet for worship and then the speaker would share. He spoke on change and the love of Jesus. You could feel the crowd squirm when he asked what we, as individuals, needed to change. Afterwards, we would head back to our cabins and discuss what we just heard. The girls in my room quickly admitted that they knew that they needed to change, but that they were not ready to give things up. I thought about my life and how resistant to change I tended to be. I thought about the pain that is in that room, that cabin, that camp. I thought about the man in Matthew 19:13-30, who walks up to Jesus and asks him, “What good thing must I do to get into heaven?” Jesus replies, “If you want to give it all you’ve got, go see your possessions; give everything to the poor.” The distraught man leaves Jesus behind because he just can’t give things up.

Ten years ago I was graduating from high school with absolutely no plans of living in the inner city, working with urban teens, or living in an intentional community. Now, these things have become the building blocks to who I am. My plans, the few that I had, were chicken scratched doodles on a piece of scrap paper, when all the while; God had perfectly painted plans on only the best of canvas. Although, if I had seen the painted plan ten years ago, I would have laughed at God and told him that there were things I was “just not ready to give up”. Thankfully, God is full of grace and patience and is willing to wait until we are ready to give things up.

This month, please pray for us as a house embarking on a new journey. Pray that we will be able to give up the things that are taking the space where God’s canvas belongs. That is our prayer for you, our youth, our neighbors, and our house.

Andra & The Jubilee House at South Atlanta

P.S. Thanks to all of you who have supported us financially and through prayers! We have had a strong start and plan to meet our goal of a raised $600/month. Again, for more information see www.fcsministries.org (we will soon be listed on the website) or write to us at atljubileehouse@gmail.com.

Donations can be made to The Jubilee House, FCS Ministries, #0112, 750 Glenwood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30315.

Change chasing us into the New Year.

2010-01-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

Friends! This was The Jubilee House Holiday Newsletter. We are posting it here for those of you who did not receive it for one reason or another. Happy New Year!!!

There are a lot of things that members of my house and I do that cause people to stare blankly at us and say things like, “you what?” We share a car. We ride the bus. We pay each others’ bills when and if necessary. We pray together in the mornings. We eat together in the evenings. We continue on with a shrug when our things are stolen. We believe that Jesus is bigger than what is on the streets of our neighborhood.

These things have paved the road that has led us to our newest, possibly dumbest, definitely scariest, “you what?” moment yet in The Jubilee House. Less roommates, a new house, different jobs, mounds of change, but one thing remains the same: our passion for the children in the neighborhood and our desire to do something for them.

So, the idea is simple. We pool all of our money together, do some fundraising, and create a full-time, South Atlanta Neighborhood Youth Minister position.

This is where even the house members stare blankly at each other and say, “This is exciting! But, should we actually do it?” We mull over it for quite a while. Pray. We second guess. Pray some more. Count our money. Pray some more. Count our lack of money. Pray some more. Watch the kids on the streets. Pray some more. See the dealers and prostitutes. Pray some more. Hear the statistics about young, black males from the inner city. Pray some more. Remember that Atlanta is one of the sex trade capitals of the world. Pray some more.

Then, we are reminded of Abraham climbing the mountain with his son, risking it all to follow God. Trusting that God is bigger than what Abraham can see. We pray some more and decide. A full time South Atlanta Youth Minister is going to be the newest piece to our house. Our newest, “you do what?” As a house, we have decided that [Andra] will be the one to fill the position, starting in January. Plans for an afterschool arts program, kids club, parent lunches, and a small Bible study group are already in the works.

This means we need YOU. We need your prayers, your love, and any financial gift you can offer. Our goal is to raise $600/month. Please prayerfully consider the option of donating $10/month, or a one-time gift of $120. We wish you a joyous holiday season and thank you for always being our extended family. If you would more information please visit the FCS website, www.fcsministries.org. Donations can be made payable to FCS, The Jubilee House, #0112, 750 Glenwood Ave, Atlanta, GA 30316.

Thank you always,
Love In Christ,
Andra, Mike, & Katie, The Jubilee House at South Atlanta

2009-12-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

I recently saw the new Sandra Bullock movie, Blindside. For those of you who know me, know that I love going to the movies. I love the smell of popcorn and the big cushy seats. I love the laughter and sniffles of others in the audience. I love the two blissful hours of putting life on hold in order to be swept away by a story. These are things that make the $10 price tag worth while, at least once in a while.
As usual, I was as excited about these things as the hundreds of other times I have gone to the movies. It was a sure fire bet that I was going to like the movie (tear jerkers are my favorites) and it was the end to a particularly stressful week, so a movie is just what I needed. What I didn't know was how deeply affected I would be by such a simply told story.
It wasn't five minutes into the film when I noticed that there was footage from just a mile or so from my house. As the film progressed, more shots from my neighborhood. More realities of my life on the big screen in front of me. Granted, this was exciting, but as the story progressed, I began to think about the kids in my neighborhood.

The movie ended and I was in tears. When we got to the car, Katie was shocked to see that I was still in tears. What about the kids that aren't Mike Oher? The kids that permanently slip through the cracks? What if one of my kids slips through the cracks? We sighed, turned Christmas music on, and drove home.
The next morning I woke up thinking about Christmas and remembering the movie from the night before. An overwhelming sense of promise filled me. We are called to something more and I am determined to be part of it...determined to do something. This Christmas season let's be reminded that ultimately, Jesus has eternally filled in the cracks for us. And in gratitude, we determine ourselves to fill the cracks for others.

2009-11-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

The first block on my street is always brimming with people. These neighbors of mine are on their porches morning, noon, and night. They are accompanied by at least half a dozen children under the age of five, who spend their time wandering the sidewalks in their diapers, chasing cars in the street, and pretending to shoot me as I drive by. Chills run down my back every time that little boy lifts his hand, points it at me like a gun, and pretends to pull the trigger.

The voices of our society run though my head, "Little punk." "Great another gang banger in the making." "That poor kid doesn't have a chance.", as I half wave at him.

Drowning in shame, the gentle whisper of Jesus pushes the lies away, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14) The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these: the little one with his gun shaped fist pointed at my head.

The hardness immediately melted away. A child, God's child, lives up the street from me, and the kingdom belongs to him. He points, he shoots, and I smile because I know God's got him.

" I am not my own,
For I have been made new
Please don't let me go,
I desperately need you"
~Meteor Shower, Owl City~

Lil updates are better than no updates.

2009-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yes-the time is not long now. Dare to begin to be happy. If you will go forward in the way before you, you will soon receive the promise and I will give you your heart’s desire.
The Shepherd, Hinds’ Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard.

Blogging, as of late, has not been easy. Our house has been in a constant state of change the last few months. Less housemates, an unexpected move, the loss of a car, the gain of another car, new jobs, old jobs, huge bills, new ideas...the list goes on and on. Fortunately, change brings growth, and with growth, MORE CHANGE.

As a house, we have recently decided to take the plunge and pool all of our finances. This gives us a little bit of extra money to save for some ideas we have for our neighborhood.

We also have decided that as a house, we want to support a house member to be full time in the neighborhood. This will require the dreaded fundraising, grant writing, etc., but we are all passionate enough about it to make it seem worth it.

Lately the streets are just filled with children. Every day we watch them hang out on the corners with prostitutes, drug dealers, and pimps who want to prostitute them out. With an abandoned house every three blocks and a lack of anything to do. These kids are left to vandalize, steal, and run the streets. There has got to be something we can do.

So, in short, be on the look out for upcoming fundraising letters, pray for the children of our neighborhood, and pray for us.

In Christ,
Andra, Katie, & Mike

Matthew 10. “Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.”

Seasons Change...So Does Life.

2009-09-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

Let me first start by apologizing for the length of time that has past since out last post. The end of summer not only brought school, fall weather, and pumpkin lattes, but was also accompanied by change and lots of it. This is my attempt to bring you up to speed without boring with you with an unnecessary novel.

Here we go:

The Jubilee House at Lakewood is now The Jubilee House at South Atlanta. We moved! The move itself was unexpected due to a rodent/flea infestation of our previous house. Three attempted houses later, God opened the door to a quaint house in South Atlanta. Thank you to all who provided us with a place to stay in the interim and with money/food to survive an surprise, very expensive situation.

Jubilee House Members:

Mike-
Community Grounds, Mike's baby, has moved to South Atlanta, as well as joined the non-profit Community Economic Development. Mike is currently trying to get the building ready for the next health inspection. He continues co-lead youth group with me, and had a great summer with summer camp.

Katie-
Last year Katie taught at Paladin, a new, Christian middle school in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, donations for Paladin were low and the school was unable to open this year. Katie is currently employed with Briggs, assisting special needs individuals with employment. This was Katie's first year as the academics teacher in summer camp. We look forward to seeing her next year.

Andra (me)-
I am persistently in between jobs (looking for the next best thing God has for me). Still barista-ing at Barnes & Noble part time, youth leading in the neighborhood, and babysitting in between. This was one of the best summers ever and I look forward to summer camp next year.

Zach-
Zach has left us to join the ranks of teacher-in-training, engaged man, and super coach. We are excited to see what else God has planned for Zach.

Antwain-
Antwain also left us in midst of the move. He still works at The Marketplace/Community Grounds with Mike and is taking classes to get his GED.

So, that's the "short" of it. Our new house is right in the thick of where our ministries happen and it is exciting. Please pray:
1) That we can continue to be a positive influence in the lives of those around us.
2) For our neighbor. Someone stole her purse, keys, and attempted to take her car right out of her driveway. She has 7 kids and lost her job a year ago. She not only needs some financial support, but peace that the person that stole her things will not steal her identity or come back and try to break into her house.

More to come...that stays the same.

Camp and then some.

2009-07-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

"Miss Andra! Miss Andra! She's eating cheetos on the van!" "Miss Andra, he's crying in the back seat!" "Miss Andra! Turn up the radio!" "Miss Andra! I'm hot!" I take a closer listen to the song on the radio before turning it up. Nope, Lil Wayne doesn't get played on my van. I quickly turn the station, listen again, and turn it up, despite the groans of complaints coming from the 13 campers behind me. Ah, summer camp.

It's 95 degrees today, with what seems like 1000% humidity. My soaked tank top and slippery sunglasses are reminders of the heat. Overnight camp. Phew. Three days, two nights. Three 15 passenger vans, 1 mini-van, and a pickup truck full of coolers. Swimming, bunkbeds, bugs, basketball, crying 5 year olds, night chatter, talent show, devotionals, smores, and early morning trips for coffee. Little sleep. A lot of conversation. I pull the van up to the curb in front of the church. "Alright, everybody off. Grab a bag on your way out! See you all Monday!"

The air in the church is thick. The little window units are working overtime to keep up with the heat. The campers are gone. The counselors are gone. The halls are empty. I sit down on the steps to catch the greatness of the moment, of the summer, of my life. Moments from the week dance in and out of my thoughts. One in particular pushes the others away. A little girl, holding my hand, standing with me on the front steps to the church. She looks up at me, tells me that my skin is soft, and that she wishes she was white. I immediately well up. "No sweetie, God made you exactly how you are supposed to be. Wonderful, beautiful, and brown. Don't forget that." "Ok" she says.

The church doorbell rings. My roommates are here to pick me up. I grab my pillow and bag, and pull the church door closed. The words of the little girl echo through the halls. Utterly overwhelmed. Then I remember: "he won't disregard the small and the insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work-to set things right down on earth." Isaiah 42:3-4 (The Message) and I look forward to Monday.

Andra Burns

A Time For Everything

2009-06-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 (The Message [apologies to scriptural purists])
There's a Right Time for Everything
There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God.

It's June- time for Community Fellowships Summer camp, and time for change.

Community Grounds has officially shut down and is preparing to re-open at the South Atlanta Marketplace. Summer camp has restarted as a much larger endeavor then it has ever before been. John & Hilary Tramel, Lana Brewer, John Abraham, Catherine Grisso, and Darshan Patel have or will all be leaving Atlanta after various periods of residency here. A recently engaged Daniel Ogle became the first official monk to depart and he did so with a mixture of excitement and sorrow. Weeks and months fly by with continued uncertainty about job and financial security in a seemingly ironic cycle, as one person moves closer to either of those things another seems to move further away, and to top it all off it is hot and heat just saps the life out of you so quickly.

Summer Camp has started a week later than usual and with larger numbers than usual. We have 45 campers ages 5-14 participating as well as 13 teen employees. Normally, we have had around 30 campers and 8 teen employees, so life has gotten a lot bigger around Summer Camp. Over the last five years, Andra and I have been taking on more and more responsibility with the operation of summer camp. Our official job title is staff coaches, which means it is our responsibility to make sure our staff is staying on task, dressing appropriately, showing up on time, being happy and enthusiastic, participating, and being generally overall good employees. With the extra employees, several of which we are meeting for the first time, this has increased the challenge. The biggest change responsibility-wise is that we helped get camp ready which is a process that starts somewhere around January and goes through until June when the camp starts. It was amazing looking at all of the things that have to be arranged in advance to make sure that the day to day of the next seven weeks happen without too much incident. Making sure there is food, activities, equipment, transportation, teachers, field trip sites, swimming sites, academic plans, art plans, drivers, money, campers, employees, forms, master lists of campers and staff, recreation plan, prizes, first aid, orientation, registration, group assignements, job assignments, interviews, etc. All of this has to happen before day 1. Then day one comes and passes, and you hope everything is done, but it isn't. Plans are built and then slowly crumble. You plan a field trip, secure transportation, and finances, then suddenly your transportation doesn't start that morning, and you have to replace 30 seats in two hours, and yet somehow it works out and the campers are none the wiser how close they came to just going home. This is the behind the scenes challenge. No one sees it, and unless you're in it, you don't know how quickly it can change. Regardless of the struggle every day may present, the relationships I have the opportunity to build with these many children, teens, and young adults cannot be matched, and so I submit to the waves of struggle and change, the strong ropes of community built over the last year pulled ever tighter as I'm pulled further away, but they do not snap. Each day when I return home the rope slackens, and I relax and strengthen, ready to do it again tomorrow, knowing that my fellow community members join me in these waves every day. As the economy has continued to falter, these changes continue to happen at a quicker pace, people move, houses foreclosed, jobs downsized, with no job market to fall back on. Fear is having a field day, but God promises that there is a time for everything, and for every bad time there will be good time. So, we pray harder, we pull together tighter, we trust each other more, and we rely on God, because it is all we know how to do.

The First Year

2009-06-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

It’s been just over a year since four of us moved into this house and actually started attempting to live a shared life together. One year. A lot has happened since then. New people have moved in. Relationships have developed and grown. We’ve taken jobs, started businesses, celebrated successes, and mourned failures. In a lot of ways it has flown by. I look back and think “What happened? Can we really have lived here a whole year?” On the other hand, I feel like I have lived with these folks forever. I often look at them and can’t imagine a time in my life when they weren’t a part of it. It’s weird to think that just a year ago, Mike was the only house member who was a daily part of my life. In any case, in honor of the one year marker, I thought I’d take this opportunity to look back and reflect a little bit.

When we started out I had some ideas for what we were attempting to do - some hopes and dreams for how it might all turn out. I was excited. I had wanted to do this community living thing for a long time, but it just never seemed right. Finally things were coming together. I had a good group of people who were committed to and passionate about the same things I was. We found a house that was big enough to hold all of us with room for more. We had met together, planned, prayed, researched, and we were ready! So we jumped right in, and started on life.

Looking back on it, I have to say, things didn’t really turn out the way I’d planned. There were some things I really thought would happen, which didn’t – or at least, haven’t yet. There were several other things that I never imagined would happen, which definitely did.

I imagined that we would quickly get to know many of our neighbors. That I would spend Saturdays wandering around, visiting people, and hanging out with them. I envisioned myself giving neighbors a ride to the grocery store, or sitting on someone’s porch just chatting. I could see our house filled with people – children from up the street knocking at the door, teens stopping by to talk and hang out. I planned on creating a space upstairs with coloring books, toys, and a small library.
So far, none of these things has really happened. I still know just a handful of people from our street and in our section of the neighborhood, and there’s no children’s activity area in our upstairs, and rarely children knocking at the door or running around the house.

On the other hand, it hadn’t occurred to me that the boys in our house might seriously outnumber the girls, but it’s 2 to 1 right now. I also never thought we’d spend significant portions of time discussing and praying about finances – trying to align different concepts of what financial stability means and the best ways to achieve it. And I hadn’t thought about the fact that we might all be working ministry-oriented jobs within the neighborhood that left us tired and wanting to just relax and recharge once we got home. Additionally, I never thought that we might become a sort of temporary housing for young adults in the neighborhood who needed somewhere stable and structured to live. We had discussed this a little at the beginning, but to be honest – it just sounded daunting and I was afraid maybe we weren’t quite up to the challenge. But those things have definitely happened. Remember that upstairs children’s activity area? Well, it’s a temporary bedroom right now. And I still don’t know if we’re doing a very good job or are really up to the challenge, but I know that we are trying and working at it, and sometimes I think that is the most important thing.

Throughout this year, through the unexpected blessings and challenges – the new roommates, difficult conversations, and important decisions, the one thing I can say is that I have seen tremendous growth. I’ve seen it in myself, in my house mates individually, and in our household as a community. Our relationships with one another have definitely deepened. I am in a place where I am challenged to adhere to the things I’ve said I will do and I want to do. I’m in a place where I know I am loved and supported. It’s the best kind of accountability. As a house we are beginning to learn to listen better to one another and to move forward together as a unit. It’s nothing dramatic, or glamorous, but slowly, one shaky step at a time we are becoming a community in this house. All of the unexpected events from this year have, in the end, been incredibly rewarding, just not what I pictured at the start.

At this point, we’re getting ready to move into another year and a lot is changing. Daniel is leaving us – starting his life in Tennessee. Summer camp is in full swing, with Zach, Mike, Andra and me all playing roles in its activities. Atlanta is a balmy 90+ degrees everyday and our air conditioning is working overtime to keep us cool. Days are filled with us running from one thing to the next, and complaining about the heat as we go. And I have to say, I’m excited to start year 2. I’m trying to keep my expectations for the next year at bay – the ones I had for this past year didn’t quite pan out as I thought. But I’m also anticipating that great things will continue to happen, I will continue to grow, and my household will continue to move forward in the direction God wants.

An Ode to Ogle

2009-06-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

I have consistently been going on an inconsistent basis over the past six months to Underwood United Methodist Church here in Atlanta. In reality it is a church that I never would have gone to on my own, nor probably continued to go to if it weren’t for one of my roommates, Daniel. For the past six months Daniel has been serving as an interim pastor, which made me first go check it out and his preaching, wit, and charm made me return occasionally.

Underwood is a small church. When attendance would rise above 30, I would joke with Daniel that he was well on his way to being the next Billy Grahm and when someone below 65 showed up, you would definitely do a double take. This past Sunday marked Daniel’s final service at the church as he is beginning to move to the Hills of Tennessee where he will be the head pastor of three churches. It was evident to me this past Sunday how much of an impact Daniel had made at Underwood in such a short time. The respect the congregation had for him was evident. As he charged individuals in the church to see themselves as God sees them and understand that you are a vital part of God’s story, you could sense the moment as one in which the Spirit was speaking to and challenging people. It is amazing to know that Jesus is breathing life into Underwood. It is amazing to know that some of this breath came through the mouth of Daniel. As Daniel moves from our house in less than a month, I personally know he will be missed. He truly has become a friend and I will miss his day to day presence in my life. As a house we will miss Daniel. Daniel has been (for better or worse for him) deemed our leader, and that leadership will be missed. But, it is exciting also to see Daniel move forward in what God is doing. Jesus already lives, breathes, and walks through the Middle of Nowhere Hills of Tennessee and Daniel will soon join him faithfully there. It is exciting to think what will be done through him.

I know people scattered throughout the U.S. and even a few outside, and it is powerful to imagine God working through them in the inner-city of Atlanta and the Suburbs of Atlanta, small towns in Michigan and big cities like Chicago, on the East Coast in North Carolina and the West Coast in Los Angeles faithful servants join with Jesus. No matter where we are, Jesus is, living and working…and we can join him.

Zach Z.

The Call

2009-05-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty good idea that I was going to get the phone call, but that still didn't prepare me for what I was going to have to do. He's dead, and we would like you to do the funeral.

As the pastor of a United Methodist congregation whose average age is probably somewhere around 65, death looms much larger than in younger, hipper congregations around town. But knowing that you are probably going to have to do one and actually doing one are two different things.

It is one of those things that you don't know what you don't know until you actually do it. There were the questions of how often to visit the widow, what should be in the service, what the bulletin should look like, and how to not look like an idiot in a funeral procession that spanned two interstates (Only in Atlanta). And that didn't even include the challenging part of what to say in the funeral sermon for a man who had been dying for six months and who I had only had one extended conversation with.

From all reports, I think that things went pretty well, for the most part. There were some things that I will do differently the next time - like not sit next to a lady eating boiled peanuts as the after-funeral luncheon. And I am thoroughly convinced that if at all possible, no one should have their funeral service in a funeral home chapel.

But what I emerged from the week mostly thinking about was the great privilege and awesome responsibility of being a pastor. Folks who you barely know invite you into their lives at the lowest point, inviting you to speak and live the Gospel in a way that offers hope and grace and can enable them to see the truth of our faith - that light breaks in to darkness and death is not the end. They invite you into their lives expecting you to have answers, or at least insights into the riddles that no human being can solve.

It is a great opportunity, but one that must be taken with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity. Folks trust us, they want to believe in us. Consequently we must always remember to be humble and to be careful. Our job is not to point them to believe in that nice and talented pastor, but in the God who calls and uses even him.

Daniel Ogle

God Shows Up

2009-05-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

This moment, this very moment, is a rare moment in my house. There are no sounds of footsteps, or showers running, or alarms ringing. There are no doors opening or records playing. Antwain is not upstairs arguing with Tae over who is going to walk to the store. Mike is not watching his Netflix. Daniel is not pacing the house on his phone. Zach is not reading. Katie is not working on lesson plans. There are no flag football players knocking in anticipation of their game. There are no games of rummy being played. There are no visitors sleeping on our couch. In this moment, this very moment, the house is silent.

Usually moments of silent and solitude do not sit well with me. These moments are often accompanied by lonliness and boredom. But, in this moment, this very moment, there is something different. There is a feeling gratitude. It is one of those moments that is welled up with the reminder of the good things in the life. The noise, the roommates, the family, the friends.

Sure, we currently have no dryer and my wet clothes are hanging all over the house. Our last working car is now $900 away from being fixed and probably will remain that way for quite some time. Successful flushing of the girls toilet requires you to stick your hand in the tank and push a lever. I'm pretty sure that we are coexisting with some pretty LARGE squirrels, that make some pretty scary noises in our walls. Our water bill is ridiculous (corrupt Atlanta) and it doesn't take a close listen to hear gun shots almost every night.

Sure, those things exist. Are they fun? Not really. Some of them are downright annoying and some of them are even kind of scary (the squirrels, not the gunshots, no wait...both). But in the end every day passes and I can say that: I have never missed a meal because I had to. I have never had to sleep on the streets because there was no place else to go. I have great roommates, who make even greater friends. I have a job. I can pay my bills even though the numbers don't add up.

God is funny like that. He always shows up.

So, as summer rapidly approaches and my house attempts to pay its' bills, run a summer camp, a flag football team, a coffeeshop, a youth group, and start a community garden it is good to remember that God shows up...in the busyness, in the hard times, in the exhaustion.

Luke 12:24
"...carefree in the care of God."

Andra Burns

The Why

2009-04-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

January of last year, a close friend of mine came and asked if I would be willing to start a coffeeshop in South Atlanta. This had not been the first time this idea was proposed to me, it was the third or fourth time, but this time there was an actual space. So in January of 08, I commited myself to opening the first coffee shop in the neighborhood. The reasons and timing seemed to make sense. For the next 7 months I poured every thing that I had into creating that coffee shop. I built counters, repaired walls, baseboards, pipes, painted walls and floors, picked out color schemes, found furniture, established a comfortable atmosphere, put in sinks, bought equipment, had meetings with suppliers, placed orders, developed a menu, programmed machinery, had different open house type of events, and finally passed our health inspection with a 96. That day I sat with my partner in the main room of the shop and looked around, it was done, everything was ready, Community Grounds was going to open on Monday. It terrified me. The last 8 months I had dedicated myself to putting this shop together, I had finally quit my other job, I was commited. This is what God wanted me to do, this is what I wanted to do, and this is what the community needed. In my head, I had worked out all of the things we would be able to do in and for the community. The job training that the shop could provide, equipping teens with a transferrable skill that they could take with them almost anywhere they would go. The after-school tutoring that could happen between college and high-school students, high-school and middle school students, middle school and elementary students. I knew that this is right.

Eight months have passed since that opening day on August 26th. Things are still operating, but things are a lot cloudier these days. I have one employee, who is a teen (for a couple more months at least) that I have known for several years. He has been in college for almost three semesters. The bills keep coming in, sometimes more often then the customers do. Each week, I have to try and put the figures together and pay each of the bills as well as my employee. I spend a lot of my time working for the coffee shop, whether I am actually on site or running errands to pick up product or pay bills. It is not new, or fun, or exciting. It is the mundane day to day operations of a normal business that is starting out. Unfortunately that business at times feels like an extension of myself. It is my ideas, my plans, my execution all laid out in front of me. Some of it the way I wanted, some of it I had to make work, and some of it I had to make do. I know that this shop is something that I love, but there are days where it gets very hard for me to remember that.

Why? Why me? Why this? Why now? Why is one of the overarching questions that I find myself wrestling on a regular basis. It's a question that has haunted my faith over the past several years. I find myself asking God, why? Sitting in the coffeeshop with rain pouring outside, I haven't seen anyone for about four hours, and I want to know why God? Why did I do this? Looking at this situation seems to be a microcosm of where I've been repeatedly since I moved to Atlanta. Being the assistant director of an after-school program and a summer camp, a youth minister, and then a business owner. why God? I can't do this. I'm not equipped. Why? The answer always comes back sometimes immediatley sometimes it takes months or years. The answer stays the same, because it's what I need you to do for Me right now. Easter was a couple months ago, and as I thought about what that time represents, I always find myself stuck on the Garden. As Jesus kneels in front of his Father, begging and pleading, why Father? It is the most human Jesus ever appears, and it reminds me of all the things Christ gave up to do what He did. Giving up the ability and right to know the plan, to know how it would end, to be able to control the situation. Jesus has a the right to ask why, Jesus has the right to question. I remember Jesus in the garden, and it makes me stop and think, who am I to ask this why. The answer comes back, you are My child and I love you.

Mike Pearson

Treasure in the Kingdom

2009-04-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Finances can be one of the most stressful areas of life. At least they can be for me. When you are living on the edge – just barely scraping by (which is the case for most of the people in my house these days) – it can get old. It is definitely stressful, and it’s easy to spend a lot of time worrying. What will I eat? What will I wear? Exactly the things Jesus tells us not to worry about – I’ve got that covered, he says. Still, when you’re in the middle of it, it’s difficult, and we’re all wrestling with what it means to be “fools for Christ” without necessarily being “stupid for Jesus” – as Daniel frequently says.
Awhile ago my mom was telling me about how she and my dad really wanted to go back overseas. There were a lot of factors that made this a pretty impossible desire. For one, my mom’s health is a pretty big issue. She has asthma, and she is constantly on breathing treatments and fighting sinus infections and allergies. Additionally, my parents weren’t in a very good position financially, and raising enough money to be able to go overseas was pretty daunting. She told me that at one point she had been praying pretty intensely about all of these little issues, and God spoke to her.
None of those things is an issue for me, he said. I can cure you of every health problem you have tomorrow, if I want to. I can bring in all the money you need and more within the hour. Those have never been the issue. The issue is you. There are things in you that we’re still working on, and it’s those things – the things you won’t let go of – that hold things up.
This conversation my mom shared with me is one I’ve returned to and pondered many times. While it’s easy to get worked up over money and all the other day-to-day needs and issues, that’s not what God is really concerned about. That’s the easy stuff. God knows we need these things, he has access to all the resources and he is more than able to provide. What God is concerned about are the deeper things.
Maybe the fact that I worry so much about money is evidence of a more deeply rooted issue with trust. Maybe God is using my current financial situation to reveal these issues to me and help me work through some of them. Maybe our whole house needs to be in this position so we can dig through some deeper issues and deepen our relationships with one another. I don’t know if this is the case, (and I certainly hope that if it is, we don’t have to stay here long) but I think the main point is just that God is not worried over the things we’re worried about. Matthew 13:44-46 tells us “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” God operates on a whole different plane, and the trick is to line our priorities up with his, and then move forward in trust.
I find myself trying to remember, meditate on, and be comforted by the number of times God has been faithful in meeting my needs. Time and time again he has proved his faithfulness, coming through with exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. I still worry. I still fail to trust. And the truly astounding thing is that God’s response to my whining and crying, my worrying and stressing, is patient, consistent, faithful loving-kindness. I don’t deserve it, but it is there.
May I learn to trust him fully, and may I learn to respond to others with the same love and patience he has shown me.

Katie Lewis

Some Jumbled Thoughts on the Cross

2009-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have always had trouble grasping the fact that Jesus was a human being. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around God needing food to survive, sleeping, and going to the bathroom. For whatever reason though, the crucifixion seems to illuminate the humanity of Jesus for me. There’s something very real and raw about the death that Jesus experienced on the cross. It is easy for me to gloss over the cross as I see it hanging decoratively in people’s houses, worn as jewelry, and even tattooed on many, but the reality is that the cross is much more then a Christian symbol, it is a gruesome reality. The beatings, piercing, and hanging are all very real.

I honestly have a hard time accepting the cross, I think because at the heart of the cross, I believe, was me. Had it not been for me, the cross would not have been necessary. I often wonder if Jesus thought specifically of me while he was hanging on the cross. I understand that there is not much theological backing, but I do believe that he did.

This, I believe, is why I have a hard time accepting the cross because I know it happened because of me and honestly most of the time I wonder if I deserve the love that Jesus had for me as he endured it. I question my worthiness. I question if Jesus could love me. I question the cross.

When I question the cross, I try and come back to the reality of the cross. Jesus endured it and he endured it because of me. He decided that I was worthy enough and he decided that he loved me enough to endure the cross. I don’t understand it, I question it constantly, but the cross is real and the cross is real because of my shortcomings and Jesus’ love.

I pray for courage to confront the cross and strength to live life worthy of the love that brought Jesus to the cross.

Zach Zimbleman

Leaving Behind

2009-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

The deadline has been looming, sometimes it appears closer than others and sometimes, during some of the more difficult times of life here, I admit that I wish it were closer than it was.

From the beginning of my time in the Monk House I have always known that June would come. And with June comes departure. I will leave the Jubilee House in order to return to East Tennessee and become the pastor of three small United Methodist churches in East Tennessee.

After passing my ordination exams and finding out just where I was going to be spending the next few years of my life, I have started to begin thinking about just what the lessons of this year have been and just what next year will be like apart from the Monks.

Barring an unexpected change, this will most likely be the first and last experience of my life of living in intentional community. I would like to believe that the lessons I have learned in community will help me become a more faithful Christian long after I have left the confines of the Monk House. I have learned plenty about myself this year - some of it because of difficult circumstances that I found myself in and some, without question, has been the result of living with four incredible people. Here are a few of my year's lessons.

- I have learned that inappropriate humor can be a profound means of grace.

- I have learned that accountability doesn't have to be verbal and in-your-face to get the job done.

- I have learned that reading the Bible and praying together is a critically important practice that can transform your life and your perceptions of the people around you if you submit to it.

- I have learned that living with hippies means that not everyone agrees on the definition of financial stability.

- I have learned to that just because you have a degree and like to read some books doesn't mean you can't learn what it is to be a Christian from other people.

- I have learned that you can put up with a whole heck of a lot when you know that you love the people you live with and they love you back.

I was part of a panel discussion at an event for people considering seminary last week. Ingrid, a friend of mine who was also part of the panel, asked me just how I would take this experience in the city back to Tennessee. I am not sure that I quite know how to answer her question. I imagine I won't really know for sure until I get there. But I do know that whatever I do as an ordained minister will be linked to what I learned here.

I learned patience. I learned how to proclaim the Gospel in chaos. I learned how to survive. I'm pretty sure I'll need all of those skills in spades on the farm. Thanks hippies.

Daniel Ogle

2009-03-23T15:10:00.001-07:00

I woke up overwhelmed with excitement. It was my seventh birthday and I wasn't about to let it go to waste and sleep the day away. In one motion, I threw my Rainbow Brite nightgown on the floor and replaced it with my favorite pair of jeans and t-shirt. The wood floor was cold as my chubby feet made their way down the stairs. The sun was trickling through the small window panes in the front door and the smell of June blooms danced through the air. I rounded the corner, as quickly as my round self would take me, into the kitchen. At the table sat my mother and my aunt, both sipping coffee, with a beautifully wrapped present between them. My aunt handed me the present and said, "Happy birthday Andra!"

I carefully peeled the wrapping off the box below, opened the lid, and peered inside.
The two masks inside the box were hand painted, porcelain comedy/tragedy theatre masks. They were beautiful. After a few moments of silent admiration, I slid the masks back into the box. They were the nicest thing I had ever owned and absolutely needed to be kept safe.

A few days later my mother and I were in the living room. The box sat within arms reach on the coffeetable. Periodically I would reach over, pick up the box, and sneak a look inside; beaming with pride over my prize possession. My mother laughed at my ridiculousness and said she "wanted to see the masks again." She reached across the table, grabbed the box, and lifted it waist high. I immediately saw that she had the box upside down, but she had no idea. Choking on my words, the masks slipped out of the box opening and onto the floor before I could stop the inevitable. Tears immediately covered my cheeks and my spirit shattered with the pieces of the mask.

Looking back on it, it seems silly to have cried that day. Afterall, they were just masks. Just "stuff". But, as time passes I continually run into my seven-year-old self, crying over broken junk. The other morning I stared her in the face when I realized that my house had cash and some checks stolen out of it. Anger, frustration, violation, mistrust...that was OUR money!!!

Then, a gentle reminder floated past the seven-year-old self:

Mark 10:21 — “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ ”

and

Psalms 24:1 — “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

The little girl in front of me disappeared. In her place was the fact that value, genuine life value, does not come from "stuff"; stuff that is not even mine in the first place, but is God's. I once had a friend say to me "when you come home and your door has been kicked in and your tv is gone...well, you pick your door up, screw it back on, and continue on with loving people."

That's what I hope we can continue doing: pick up our door, our lost change, our shattered masks, and continue loving people.

Andra Burns

Faith, Fools, and Finances

2009-03-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Two weeks before I moved to Atlanta 5 years ago, my mom asked me if I had a place to stay. I told her no, but it's only two weeks before I can move into my apartment and the Lord will provide (foolishness?). The Lord did provide in the form of an empty house with no electricity or furniture and freezing cold brown water that smelled bad. Three years ago, as I was spending my third year working overnights at Wal-Mart, I asked the Lord to provide me with some financial flexibility to get back to what I wanted to do. The Lord did provide in the form of an accident on the interstate totaling my car and freeing up $300 a month (chance?). I very much believe in the idea that the Lord will provide, so I don't have too. Is this having faith or being foolish? How can I tell? This ability to tell the difference between faith and foolishness has been challenging me a lot more recently, since I have moved into a house with four other individuals who depend on me and upon whom I depend. I think back through history, the Hebrews 11 hall of faith, Peter, Paul, and the other apostles having faith all the way to their martyrdoms, George Mueller having faith even though he had many orphans to house and feed, and the plethora of others that have maintained faith through trials and tribulation, and I start to feel a lil selfish with my faith, because it almost always seems to revolve around God providing for me.

How do I function from a place of faith while at the same time being responsible to the others in my life upon whom I depend? Interdependence requires trust and commitment between individuals. Without that interdependence we are just five roommates with really good intentions. What prompted this particular track of thought was a conversation I had last night with my roommates. We tend to come at this issue from different perspectives and have challenged ourselves to try understanding the others thought process, and so we continue to talk and therefore continue to grow. The questions they asked forced me to examine the issue through different lenses. I had still been looking at the issue from an "I" perspective while trying to live out my life in a "we" manner. It made me realize that although I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing where the line is between faith and foolishness, I have joined with five other disciples who can help me wrestle through that question in an honest and loving way. It may have sounded like I was going to offer an answer to the question by the time this was over, but unfortunately I don't have one. All I know is that in the end, there is a fine line between faith and foolishness, and we need to constantly reexamine and make sure our actions are on the right side.

Mike Pearson

Snowstorms and Sunrises

2009-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Way back when I was young and still in college I used to get up extremely early to watch the sunrise sometimes. There was this amazing spot not too far from campus. It was an old, out-of-service railroad bridge, right over the river. Throughout the winter, my friends and I would occasionally drag ourselves out of bed around 6 a.m. and walk through the freezing cold to perch on the edge of the trestle and wait for the sun. I remember sitting there some mornings, staring out into the darkness, and thinking that maybe the sun was going to fail to rise today. It was so dark and so cold, and there was literally no visible evidence that these conditions would ever change. Miraculously, the sun did rise – every time. One minute I would be staring out into the darkness, and the next there would be a little glimmer of light on the horizon.

To share a seemingly unrelated story, just this past weekend, Atlanta got snow! I LOVE the snow. We walked out of church Sunday morning into a world transformed by huge, snowball-sized flakes floating down from the sky. We had a snowball fight. We constructed a couple beautiful snow-people. It was fabulous.

The next day, I happened to catch the late-breaking news story on this southern snowy weather, which included interviews with a few representatives of the frenzied masses rushing out to stock up on supplies to last through the storm. Now, for those of you reading who may live further north and have never experienced the mayhem a little wintry weather can bring to the South, let me explain. Around Atlanta, snow is often referred to as a threat, as though it was a menace putting our very lives in danger. Often, when we have these threats, people will flock to the grocery stores – stocking up on every imaginable necessity. I assume this is in case they are stuck in their homes for weeks on end. Personally, I never bother to rush out and join the masses in this frantic attempt at ensuring safety and security. “Well, why not?” You may ask, “How do you maintain such calm, cool, collectedness in the face of such a threat?” Well, my friends, I will tell you, and this is where the previous story ties in.

The key is past experience. You see, in the same way that I can think back on every day of my life and remember that there has always been a sunrise, I can think back on my winters in Atlanta and realize that this threat of snow is unlikely to last more than a few sweet hours. In the past six years of my life here in Atlanta, only once or twice has the threat of snow become enough of a reality to close anything down. Out of those one or two times, NEVER has anything been closed for more than a day. So, unless we don’t have enough food or supplies in the house to last a day, we should be just fine. Therefore, as people work themselves into frenetic activity, I curl up in a blanket with a cup of cocoa and a good book.

This brings me to one of the major reasons I’m excited about this whole community living thing. Sometimes life throws a little (or a big) snowstorm at you, and sometimes you get stuck in one long, dark, night. When you’re sitting in the middle of that, watching the snow coming down, or staring off into the pitch black night, it’s easy to wonder if you will emerge unscathed. Do you have enough supplies to last it out? Will warmth and sun return? Will there ever be daylight again? The tendency is to throw yourself into frantic activity trying to fix whatever has gone terribly wrong. But it’s at those times that you need to sit down and be reminded of God’s promises and his faithfulness in keeping those.

Unfortunately, when you’re in the middle of those moments, the promises often seem empty and God’s faithfulness seems intangible and unrealistic. This is where community living comes in. When I end up in those places of struggle, darkness, and despair, if I can’t remind myself of the promises God has made to me, the people I live with will. It may not seem like much, but on a day when I am spiraling down into self-criticism and one of my roommates encourages me – reminds me of my successes, and reminds of me of the things they see God doing in me – it makes all the difference in the world. (Now, you don’t necessarily have to move in with a bunch of hippies – or monks, if you will – in order to pull this off. The key is to have meaningful relationships with people who will remind you of truth in these moments). It might sound crazy, but I’m finding that in order for this system to work, my roommates have to know when I am falling apart. This requires both vulnerability and trust.

We are working on building those things within our house in the hopes that we will be able to extend it outside as well. In the midst of this, I’m discovering that building trust is a long-term project, and it’s found less in big, momentous events, and more in the tiny, day-to-day occurrences. Kind of like what Zach was talking about last week – taking cookies to neighbors, a short conversation with a new friend, or even going on a double date. It is our hope that through these small things, we will become good neighbors through whom God can do big things.

Kate Lewis

2009-02-28T06:38:00.001-08:00

I’ll admit, I came down here with not too great of an idea as to what life was going to look like in Atlanta. I knew the house members were committed to being rooted in a low-income neighborhood and committed to each other, two things in which I wanted to be involved. So at the end of this past October, I decided to leave Chicago and join the Jubilee House.

I arrived with grandiose ideas of Christian community, maybe something not to different from the Pentecost in the early church. I envisioned praying and reading the Scriptures late into the night and waking early to do the same, maybe even going to jail for something to do with my zeal for faith.

I exaggerate slightly, but in all honesty, it was easy for me to conjure up such images moving into an intentional Christian community who had already received the nickname “The Monks.” I don’t want to be misleading, as Daniel pointed out last week, there are times of prayer in our house. We do read scripture together on a daily basis, and if I have to go to jail for the sake of Jesus, I will. For me though, what I love about living here is committing to live life alongside others who are willing to invest in the neighborhood in which we live. Simply getting to know our neighbors and attempting to live side by side with them through day to day joys and times not so joyful in their lives and in my own. Opening ourselves up to the people around us, in hopes that they will do the same.

For me, being here has morphed from some sort of over exaggerated idea of spirituality to simply living life day to day with people. It’s about working with a 12 year old boy on my basketball team about how to pump fake, take two dribbles, and hit a pull up jump shot. Then having him do it in the next game, run down the court with a big smile on as his face yelling to me that he did what I taught him.

It’s about running into a woman in the bank in our neighborhood whom I occasionally see at the local Boys and Girls Club, and being able to say hi to her and have a conversation about her son.

It’s about taking cookies around to our neighbors as we introduce ourselves, and then seeing these same neighbors around.

It’s even about going on a “double date” with a young man from our neighborhood who is currently living with us, and being able to laugh together about being nervous around girls.

It’s about joining in life with others and allowing them join in life with us. That is what we are seeking to do here in the Jubilee House.

Zach Zimbleman

Being Intentional

2009-02-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

Intentionality is at the heart of what my crazy roommates are trying to do. Part of being an intentional Christian community is being intentional, I mean, its in the name. I think intentionality is on my mind a lot these days. In addition to being the chaplain of this house, I also serve as the pastor of a church and am in the thick of preparing for Lent, the 40 days in which the Church remembers and prepares for the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus.

Being intentional has really been a key for any success that our community has had both with each other and in trying to be who and what we say we want to be. We are intentional about the things that are staples of our schedule. We meet five mornings a week to read Scripture and pray together. We eat dinner once a week with each other and once every other week with people we meet in the neighborhood or in our various jobs throughout Atlanta. We meet once a week to talk about logistical details or questions. We were so bad about cleaning house, and more recently blogging, that we set up a schedule to intentionally hold us accountable to getting the word out.

One of the core principles that defines most intentional Christian communities in neighborhoods like ours is a commitment to live in places that most people wouldn't want to live. But, as Zack and I were talking about a while ago, faith in this context is about more than where they send the gas bill. (And after the last one we got we would prefer ours be paid by someone else.) What matters is not only that we live here, but what we do while we are here.

I think for a long time we struggled to figure out just how we wanted to be present in our neighborhood. The idea was too big, too fraught with meaning and implications, for us to really get a handle on it. But being intentional has helped. It forces us to answer the big questions by dealing with small things. It makes the dreams and visions of a house full of hippies concrete.

My hope for us in this 40 days that begin Wednesday is that we can be even more intentional about our life together. I hope we can hold ourselves accountable in concrete ways: how we spend our time, how we speak with one another, and how we love one another in the midst of this madness called Christian community.

Daniel Ogle

The Jubilee House At Lakewood

2009-02-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a while and an update is long overdue. The "monk house" is now officially The Jubilee House at Lakewood. We are a partner ministry with the non-profit Community Fellowships, which is a part of FCS Urban Ministries with Bob Lupton (http://www.fcsministries.org/).

What this means for us:
As a community house, we are committed to being rooted in the South Atlanta/Lakewood area in Atlanta, GA. The members of the house commit to goals such as living simply, modeling Christ, and deepening relationships with each other and our neighbors. Through various jobs, financial gifts from others, and lots of prayer, this has been made possible.

House Schedule:
House members commit to a house dinner one night a week, Monday through Friday morning devotionals, and a neighbor dinner every other Thursday (this is an open dinner to neighbors and friends). We are also committed to making intentional efforts to spend time with neighbors as much as possible.

Who We Are Currently:

Andra Burns

Andra is one of the youth pastors at Community Fellowships Church. She was recently laid off from Mission Year due to budget cuts. She is currently employed part time at Barnes & Noble and will be one of the Camp Directors for Community Fellowships Summer Camp this summer. Ideally, she envisions working at least part time for the church with youth in the neighborhood, but is in the process of trying to raise funds.

Katie Lewis

Katie is a teacher for The Paladin Schools of Georgia. The school, founded by Donna Barber, opened in September 2008. It is located in a church building down the street from The Jubilee House, and is also home to Community Fellowships Church and Mission Year. The school strives to provide an excellent private education for low income students by teaching leadership and building character through Christ-centered principles. Katie will be the academics instructor for Community Fellowships Summer Camp this summer.

Daniel Ogle

Daniel is currently pastoring a small church on the west side of Atlanta. He entered the community on a one year commitment and has now officially finished seminary and will be leaving The Jubilee House in June to pastor a church in Tennessee. His role is/was to help guide us through the developmental stages of this adventure. He has assisted us in thinking through some of the practical aspects of living in community - bringing forward essential questions for us to think through and helping us develop systems for spiritual growth and accountability. Before we moved in together, he helped us walk through the initial planning stages of the house, and he developed and implemented the structure for our daily house devotions.

Michael Pearson

Mike is the store manager at Community Grounds Coffee Shop. He started the coffee shop with Leroy Barber, President of Mission Year (http://www.missionyear.org/) and Pastor of Community Fellowships. The coffee shop, located around the corner from the church and The Jubilee House, exists to provide a positive atmosphere that stimulates conversation and encourages unlikely connections. The coffee shop is also the prototype for a young adult job training program. They recently hired two young adults who have grown up in the youth group, summer camp, and sports programs of Community Fellowships Church. Mike is also the co-youth pastor at Community Fellowships Church and Co-Camp Director of Community Fellowships Summer Camp.

Zachary Zimbleman

Zach is the newest member of the house. He is the store manager at The Family Store, a non-profit, second hand store owned by FCS Urban Ministries. The Family Store, located at the other end of our neighborhood, is currently being remodeled and is scheduled to open in March. Zach also coaches Community Fellowships boys 14 and under basketball team and is contributing to the young adult job training program through employing young individuals with high potential from our neighborhood.

Others
One of the goals of the house is to provide a safe, positive place for others to visit and/or temporarily live. There is usually a steady flow of visitors (come visit!) along with one or two displaced young adults that need temporary housing. If you are interested in visiting, please contact us at jubileeatlakewood@gmail.com.

Prayers
***Please pray that as a house we can continue to deepen our relationships with neighbors.
***Please pray for us and for the various ministries and endeavors we are involved in.

We thank all of you for your prayers and support. More information involving our connection to FCS Urban Ministries, Community Fellowships non-profit, and how you can further support us will be provided in future blogs.

Andra Burns

Jumping In

2008-11-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Andra usually writes these, but I thought I might take a shot at it. I have been musing over many things lately, not least of which is how can we as a church (and especially as a part of the American Church) respond to a world entrenched in pain. When I hear stories about things happening in Africa I am overwhelmed, and I don't even know how to begin to respond. We sit here in America with so much. Our lives are filled with material wealth. People are dying. Dying. And it doesn't really sink in. People. Like you. Like me. We like to separate ourselves from it, think about how they aren't like us. But that's just an illusion. We're all people - created in God's image, and the value of my life is not any more nor any less than the value of the life of anyone else. No matter where they live, what color their skin may be or how much money they might have.

In the midst of all of these musings I was privileged to be a part of a great event at our little coffee shop - Community Grounds. A non-profit called "To Write Love on Her Arms" came through. They tour conducting dialogues to raise awareness and begin conversations about suicide, self-mutilation, addiction and depression. These topics are rarely openly discussed, and this group of people is seeking to change that. Andra and I sat in and listened. There was some excellent music to open (check out Josh Moore and Zach Williams if you get a chance), and then some really honest discussion. There is a lot I could share about the evening, but I just want to hone in on one idea that stood out. That is the idea that healing happens when people are in relationship with one another. Addictions and depression isolate. In the midst of that isolation things often just get worse and worse. But when people are in relationship with one another - deep, real, loving relationship, that spiraling downward process can be halted and healing can come.
One of the musicians, Zach, shared about a time in his life when his wife had been severely injured. He spent days in the hospital, just waiting. During that time he said some of his friends came and just sat with him in silence. He talked about how in the midst of all that pain, and all of those unanswered questions, his friends came. It was awkward. They didn't have the answers

and they couldn't heal his pain or fix what was wrong. But they were there. A little later a guy who is a counselor talked about how we often don't ask the hard questions or enter into one another's pain because we feel like we are powerless. He talked about how powerful it can be to simply enter into that powerlessness. Somehow, even though we can't fix it, we don't know what to say or how to be, when we are willing to step up and embrace the powerlessness, and to walk into the awkwardness and pain, God shows up. Right there, when we are hurting the most and at our weakest point, God steps in, and he's there. Zach experienced God's love for him in the midst of all that uncertainty and pain, through friends who were willing to just be there.

It made me think about how in Job after his life basically falls completely apart, his friends come and sit with him in silence for several days. And how in the movie Lars and the Real Girl, when Lars' "girlfriend" is dying, people come and they just sit with him. "It's what we do" the lady says, "we come and we sit." It made me think about my neighborhood and how sometimes the problems are overwhelming because they are so much bigger than me and I know I can't fix them. Problems like prostitution, drugs, inadequate education, violence, and injustice. Things that I don't have answers for. Things that are linked to tremendous pain. And it made me wonder how often I step back from that because I feel powerless. It also made me realize that maybe all we can do sometimes is jump in. Take that step forward, walk into the pain, and let God take it from there.

Katie Lewis

Who is my neighbor?

2008-11-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

I just spent some time reading a current Mission Year team member's blog. She was part of a homeless solitude experience in Philly. It broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Here is an excerpt:
"We said goodbye and all of the Mission Year group started walking away, up to the old office building. Its now Eastern University offices but they let us use them for dinner. We sat and told stories of the day and what had happened. We got assigned groups randomly by drawing from a hat. There was North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Desolate. What we drew decided what group we were in and how much we would eat. I got Desolate so I didn’t get food. North America got an entire pie, sparkling grape juice, two slabs of ribs, fries, salad, etc. at a table all to himself complete with a table cloth and all.

Europe got entire pizzas to themselves and 2 litter bottles of soda and an entire package of Oreos each. Sitting at a long table they all ate together. Latin America got rice and beans. They sat on the floor with plates and silverware. Africa and Asia each got half a cup of rice on newspaper on the floor. I got nothing, sitting alone on the floor. All of this was based on the stats of how much of the population belongs to each group and how much food they consume on average."
This broke my heart and I am not convinced Jesus is ok with the way we live.

Andra Burns

A Little Depressing, A Lot of Hope.

2008-11-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

My heart is heavy with the world today. It is a moment of absolute abandon to the ability to do nothing else but get on my knees and pray. There are prostitutes on my street daily. Women selling their bodies and their souls for a few lousy bucks. Crack is available in an amply supply...available to the men and women...available to the children. The aroma of marijuana fills the streets, lottery tickets fill people's pockets, and Colt 40 comforts from the cold.

Across the ocean there is continent of an estimated 48.3 million orphans.

In Mexico a family mourns the loss of their daughter to a drug related shooting. She is one of the thousands that has fallen victim to drug related violence in Mexico this year alone.

Last week three teenagers in Chicago drowned while on a leadership retreat: shaking a school, a church, and a community.

How are we neighbors to these people? How am I able to rest my head at night...safe, warm, comfortable...when God calls us to so much more? Why is it that when things get tough, we as Christians tend to pull out? Safety? Comfort? Fear? Did Jesus merely mean being a neighbor was being polite to the people who live next to us? Where is the greater commitment? The unconditional love? The "when you hurt, I hurt"?

Deuteronomy 15:7-10(The Message)

When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse. No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. Don't count the cost...give freely and spontaneously.

The greatest hope is that with or without our help, God is gloriously planning something better. Oddly enough, Jeff Foxworthy reminded me of this with a journal entry of some of his experience in Africa.

"The things I saw today should never be seen. They shouldn't exist. Mountains of unbelievably stinky garbage who's ooze mixes with raw sewage to puddle up in mud streets. Atop these mountains are vultures and pigs, and women and children rooting for rotten food. You don't know whether to vomit or to cry. Surely hell cannot be worse than this. But it is. Because hell includes separation from Jesus and that is not the case here. Amid the squall er, the sickness, the stomachs aching in hunger, are scattered smiles the likes of which I've never seen. There is a joy here because they know a risen Savior, and in their smiles you find the courage to help. We share the same God and cling to the same promise that our trials here are but temporary. There is a glorious day coming. A day on which the disease and hunger and fear will be gone forever. And on that day, without doubt, I know that I will wear a smile like theirs as I listen to millions of my brothers and sisters from Africa sing to the King." (Jeff Foxworthy, http://www.410bridge.org/)

Andra Burns

2008-11-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mac's cart was an old bathtub tied onto a rolling flatbed (like the ones you would use at Home Depot). The flat bed had metal posts that came out of each corner and were about four feet high. These posts served as a brace for the bathtub and as a hanging rod for various bulging, burlap bags. The bags clanked as Mac repositioned them. Most of them were filled to the brim with cans. Some of them had food. Others clothes.

In the middle of the cart, on top of a pile of more bags sat Mystic. Mystic was a bit mangy, smelled a little, and had the deepest "sad eyes" I have ever seen. Mac and Mystic were a pair. They were best friends for six years and went everywhere together.

Transients through Pasadena, Mac and Mystic used to live in a small apartment building. Mac lived in exchange for keeping the grounds and managing the building. According to Mac, it was $600,000 home that the owner just could not afford to keep. It was forclosed on and just as quickly as Mac could pack up his things, he was homeless.

Mystic gets a lot of hassle from the men on the streets. They taunt him with sticks and throw things at him when he growls at them. For Mystic, the cart is his home, and Mac is his master. When others threaten that, he threatens them. Mac and Mystic. Quietly passing by. Mac did not ask for money, and Mystic did not bark. "It was nice meeting you Mac." "You too maam, you too."

Andra Burns

Riding and such.

2008-11-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

My legs still hurt from horseback riding. Katie & I went with Laura & Lana for their birthdays. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the leaves were beautiful. We went on a hour long trail ride in FDR State Park. Lana was behind the guide. She rode with a peacefulness that make the rest of us look plain awkward.

Laura followed behind Lana. She was in front of me with cute pigtails bouncing with each trot of the horse. Periodically she would turn around and whisper things like, "this part kinda scares me," right before her horse took off in a slow gallop.

My horse, Bo, seemed to be a trusty one. He did what he was told and seemed semi-annoyed that Laura's horse would stop periodically to eat. All the while, I was trying to take pictures. There was one close call between me, the camera, and a tree, but I caught myself just in time.

Katie was behind me. Aside from laughing hysterically when I almost fell off the horse, camera in hand, she spent most of her time whispering sweet words of encouragement to her horse. It made me giggle, but Katies' horse seemed to like it.

It is funny how everything you love about a person can captured in one snapshot of a moment.

"There's no doubt that I've deserved my enemies, but I don't think I've deserved my friends."
Walt Whitman

Andra Burns

2008-10-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all grown up now and have figured it out. Pat me on the back.I'm currently in Columbia, South Carolina. By the end of next week I will have gone from Grand Rapids to Miami to Columbia to L.A. (with Atlanta sporadically inbetween). Earlier this week I hit a point of pure exhaustion. Me with no sleep=crying in public. The first sign of this was at the car rental office. There I was with big, rain drop size tears running down my face in the middle of Budget. Self loathing quickly followed. The poor woman behind the counter asked me if I was going to be alright and I simply started crying harder. Mark that one on your calendar.

The irony is that the last two weeks have been pretty stinken good. Holland, MI, possibly the cutest town on the face of the planet was where we were staying for Devos. Classes during the day, great food at night, and I even managed to get a good haircut for under $30 (anyone from Atlanta knows that this is hard to do)! The Devos curriculum completely changed me. My contentment in being the steady worker as others lead is gone. I'm pretty upset about it. For example, I used to sit back and say, "wow, that is a crazy idea, but good for them." Now, I'm suddenly the one thinking the crazy ideas...and I'm ok with it!!!CCDA was equally as exciting. Not only did I get to see Miami for the first time, I also got to go to the Obama rally (for the record, I would have went to see McCain too), eat delicious Cuban food, and hear John Perkins speak for the first time.

My mom's worry for me has been amplified as of late. She heard that I no longer have a car and the worry kicked in. I guess I need to do a better job expressing my choices in life. Here's the run through for anyone that cares:

My house: I live in community because that is what Jesus modelled & it just makes sense. Does every person on the face of the planet need a car? Do we all need our own lawnmowers whe we only mow the lawn a few times a month? Why buy separate groceries when we can buy them together and save some money? Not to mention, this gives me a chance to talk to people. To get to know them and share things with them.

Where I live: Instead of living one place and serving another, I have chosen to live where I serve, and serve where I live. This means there is a good chance that our house will be broken into, our stuff will be stolen, and we will be solicited by prostitutes on a regular basis. Crack is common and graffiti is everywhere. Abandoned buildings and vacant lots are in ample supply. But, so are the children. So are people looking to have a friend and to be a friend. So are the families who have been around for years who are dedicated to their neighborhood. That is why I live where I live. (Read Micah 6 for more).

My Job: This is ever changing. My heart is with the children and my neighbors. The job, whatever the current one may be, is usually just a way to support the everything else...the youth group, the summer camps, sports teams, etc. The goal is that one day these two will be one and the same.

Enough rambling.If you have time, view Ordinary Radicals and let me know what you think. It promotes some excellent dialogue. :)

Andra Burns

2008-10-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

There are new happenings in South Atlanta.

The coffeeshop is still successfully running thanks to the sweat and labor of my roommate Mike. He has been working 70 hours a week to maintain consistent hours and be available for the people who come in/use the coffeeshop. Local business owners and neighbors have been super supportive. Mike recently hired a second barista-our one and only, Bo! I've known Bo for 5 year, and have pretty much watched him grow up. He is a great young man and seems to be doing an awesome job at the shop.

More and more neighbors have been attending Community Fellowships evening service on Sunday nights. It is great to see familiar faces in the pews. Please pray for the homeless and the hurting, and for us as a church as we try to deepen our relationships with new folks.

We officially have a new roommate! Welcome Zach (spelling?)! Zach did Mission Year a few years ago and is the newest addition to our house. That makes 5...plus a few vagabonds along the way.

I have been busy with Mission Year and my new full time job as a recruiter. The shift has been exciting, but hard, as I struggle to balance everything I am trying to do. Excessive travel and change is exhausting. So, please pray!!!

God has continued to open my heart and eyes to news ways of transportation now that we are officially down to one vehicle. It is amazing what public transportation does for the soul. It requires patience, planning, and develops community amongst strangers. It also never ceases to amaze me how willing people are to let me borrow their cars. Last week, at an early morning church service, in Michigan, I was sitting at the Mission Year table desperately dreaming of caffeine. I turned to the woman sitting in the lobby next to me and asked her if there was a gas station in walking distance. The next thing you know I was driving her car to the nearest quikimart. Thank goodness for the kindhearted & for Diet Coke. :)

More to come...

Micah 6:8b (The Message)

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously-take God seriously. God calls out to the city!

Andra Burns

October Update

2008-10-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Monk Update:

Katie & Paladin School--Katie and I went to the High Museum of Art with her students two Saturdays ago. It was the last day of the Martin Luther King, Jr. & Civil Rights photographs. It was pretty phenomonal. The girls seemed to enjoy it...of course I am not a 100% on this because they only speak Spanish, and I do not.

Daniel & Mission Year--Daniel has been travelling with the big wigs trying to raise money for Mission Year. He is also only moments away from being part of the pastoral world.

Mike & Community Grounds--Mike has dedicatingly been working over 70 hours a week to keep the coffeeshop open. The folks in the neighborhood pretty much know him as the coffee guy. More and more people from the neighborhood have started to stop in and explore! Communtiy Grounds also has a brand new employee (which means Mike can rest), Bo! Go Bo, Go! Bo was part of our youth group and is on his second year of college, he now can add barista to the resume.

Me (Andra) & Youth Group/Mission Year--Mission Year and youth group are in full swing these days. There is a lot to do, with little money or time to do it. There are teens everywhere and I am pretty determine to connect with them at one point or another. I'm also at the beginning stages of raising my salary (expect a newletter). Fun fun.

Please pray...

We may have some new roommies soon.

We're busy, busy, busy, and hopefully making good decisions.

Community Grounds

2008-09-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

Community Grounds is officially up and running (1713 Jonesboro Rd, Atlanta, GA). Mike had a successful open, which included delicious green tea lattes, yummy biscotti, and good friends. Here are some pictures!

"Community Grounds exists to provide an amazing cup of coffee in an atmosphere that stimulates conversation, inspires creativity, encourages unlikely connections, & builds lasting community."

Moving Monks, summer camp tan, & a whole new life: summer summed up.

2008-08-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

Summer of '08. It started with the move. New roommates, new jobs, and a new location. The goal: intentional community by simple living centered around Jesus. The roommies: Katie, Daniel, Mike, and me (Andra). The four of us desired change. So, we quit our jobs, moved in together, and committed to making a difference in our community in Atlanta.

Katie immediately transitioned out of her position with Atlanta Public School and began preparing for her teaching job with The Paladin School. Paladin is a Christian middle school scheduled to open in South Atlanta in September 2008. The school will provide a quality, faith focused education to students primarily from low income families. Please pray that funding will be provided.

Mike quit his full time job at a local coffeeshop to be a full time Community Fellowships Summer Camp Coach, along with the increased focus on Community Fellowships' youth group and the coffeeshop Community Grounds.

Daniel just finished his pastoral degree and entered the house as a chaplain-like figure, in order to help the rest of us figure out exactly what we are doing. He is also newly employed with Mission Year.

Me (Andra), I dropped down to one day a week at B&N, in order to be a Community Fellowship Summer Camp Coach and to focus more on youth group and other neighborhood ministries.

Our pastor affectionately refers to us at "The Monks" because he says what we are doing is just like real life monks. The debate is still out. Either way, there is little funding and a whole lot of work to be done. Not to mention, way more change than any one person should ever have to handle at one time.

We've started to refer to our house as The Jubilee House. Three months in and we are still in the beginning phases of defining exactly who and what we want to be. We have included Monday through Friday house devotions, weekly family night dinners, and community groceries and vehicles. Our couches oftentimes have travellers on them and our vehicles (the couple that we have left) are regularly borrowed by teenagers. Some say we need prayer, some say we are bold, and some say we are just plain crazy.

Crazy or not...here we come.

Andra Burns

Intro.

2008-08-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my newest blog. I know, I know, how many blogs does one person need? Well, apparently quite a few. This blog has a direct purpose, as opposed to my other blogs. This blog is going to keep ya'll updated on everything that my roommates and I are currently doing here in the ATL. So, it's a "ministry blog" if you will.

I look forward to sharing with you.

Here are a few updates to come:

The C.R.E.W. (our youth group)
Community Grounds (the coffee shop)
Mission Year (inner city ministry)
Paladin School (new inner city, Christian school)
Devos (Leadership training)
The Jubilee House (my house)

There is a lot happening and it is extremely exciting.

Thanks for your support!

Andra Burns