Dreaming...

Christmas night. Wondering about the extraordinary prologue to John's Gospel, and the way Eugene Peterson's translation seems to capture such an essence: "The Word was first, the Word present to God...What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by...The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out...made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves...The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood... Generous inside and out, true from start to finish."

It is not difficult to see the darkness of a journey to Bethlehem while very pregnant, of no real place to give birth and rest, of having to leave the country because the government wants to kill your baby. It is not difficult to see the darkness in South Lake Union, either: parking lots, exhaust, concrete without a purpose, moneyholders getting what they want without even having to make up an explanation, pets getting more hospitality than children, neighbors assuming that they don't need to be neighbors, buildings going up giving the finger to God. But "the life-light blazed out of the darkness and the darkness couldn't put it out."

There were and are so many peculiar side effects and details to the Incarnation. I am so inclined to plan it all out for South Lake Union. But it's going to be more peculiar than what I could think up. It always ends up being peculiar. And even the transforming types are being transformed into their true selves all along the way.

But why not dream on Christmas night? Why not attempt an incarnational imagination, knowing that the dreams really only serve as a launching pad to help me and others dive into the mess that is the forming of South Lake Union?

What if...

...the churches in the neighborhood were so unified in common purpose that we knew instinctively which group of people could most appreciate and nourish noticed sprouts of God at work?

...everyone living within a hundred yards of Cascade People's Center claimed it as their own to cherish, steward, and share with anyone who finds themself there? What if the hustle and bustle in around that center was so rich, so vibrant, so diverse, that we start wondering why we thought we needed a school? And since children from the neighborhood do commute to school, what if they could come there afterwards, and be part of a democracy...what if social classes mixed and mingled there in the afternoons?

...we could host refugees right when they arrive in this country, and have a place for them to live sustainably, affordably, and permanently right here in the same neighborhood, with their original host family by their side? What if they became a vital part of the fabric of the neighborhood?

...everyone was familiar with a few farmers who bring food regularly? What if it was just plain real food at affordable prices? What if those who know how to prepare it in the most nutrient dense forms were able to partner with people who feel like that's out of their league? What if this process was easier and made more sense than commuting to a Food Inc. style grocery store?

...people who have no place to lay their head could come to this neighborhood feeling pretty confident that they'd find welcome?

...the property owners saw the interests of a holistic community as one with their own interests?

...it was commonplace to say "Hi. How's it going?" and be ready for somebody to cry on your shoulder?

...the paint peelers on Harrison Street were restored to their pre-Denny-regrade selves AND the people living there could still live there as long as the wished (meaning, the rent wouldn't skyrocket)?

Just dreaming. And eager to one day tell the stories of how some of these aspects of the neighbohood develop.

Waiting, knowing, believing, trusting in God's Peace

This morning we had the opportunity to light the Peace Candle for the 2nd Sunday of Advent at Union, and briefly share about God's peace. Here is (roughly) what we said:

Joshua: "We're really trying to work out what God's peace is in a very local sort of way, under the assumption that God is already at work right under our nose as we walk around South Lake Union. We are drawn to this neighborhood because we love the geographic proximity of work, parks, daily shopping, church, etc.; we can do all our daily tasks within a short walk. So, this seemed like it would be a great place to live intentionally with others with a similar vision--something we've been drawn to for a long time. The funny thing is, and what I know everybody in this room can relate to as well, because Union is also transitioning--that it hasn't really worked out that way so far."

Molly: "So basically all the reasons we did it are not...happening! The sense of God's peace right now is not so much in seeing it all work out as we had imagined and getting ourselves plugged in with just the right people in just the right spots. Right now, it's more about waiting, and knowing, believing, trusting that God is at work, in us, and all over this neighborhood, in ways we do not yet see or understand, and we will indeed get to be an integral part of it someday. It must be Advent..."

I feel like we should add a little more detail about what hasn't worked out. My job is going well. The place we found to live is really nice. We can easily shop close by. So what's missing? People! We haven't really been able to connect with anyone that shares the vision of geographic proximity and daily community practices, though we've had some brief encounters and of course Sundays with Union. We can't live the way we want to live in this neighborhood "alone." And lately, it's felt like a lonely crowd around here. But as we said into the microphone today, we are trusting that God is at work here, we were made for community, and it will come in ways we don't expect.

Joshua on 'one foot in, one foot out' of Union Church

Have you ever known a workaholic? The way this guy described it was that outside of work, "Not one person depended on me, nor I upon them." There's nothing wrong with working hard, but it can take over in an unhealthy way.

Well, there are also churchaholics, what Bob Lupton calls "unneighbors" (Restoring At-Risk Communities, 87). People who you can't interact with unless you go to the same church. Like working hard, there isn't anything wrong with being deeply involved with your church, but at some point it becomes withdrawal from society. It reminds me of students with headphones blasting, oblivious to their surroundings.

I don't really feel in danger of becoming a workaholic or churchaholic, but that's how it always is, isn't it? You look up one day and realize that all your meaningful relationships are in one place and you've neglected your neighbors: family, those who live nearby, or the most vulnerable in society. "You have to re-neighbor yourself," as Tim Keller puts it. We hope to nurture connections within Union and throughout the neighborhood.

(We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about: 1. moving into close geographical proximity to one another 2. supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus 3. connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union 4. maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church)

The First Week

"Programs are a poor substitute for what neighbors can do best."
-Bob Lupton in Restoring At-Risk Communities: Doing it Together and Doing it Right (John M. Perkins, Ed.), 86.

We are wondering what being neighbors with the people of South Lake Union will be like. In fact, we're getting a little impatient. Relationships take time, but I'd rather skip the awkward developing phase and go straight into the familiarity and confidence that comes after some roots grow.

This week in the neighborhood in a nutshell: chatted with someone planting in the pea patch, met a lady from Crossroads on the other side of the corner from our place, connected with a health care resident from the Mirabella, had tea with Tim and Cote of Dust Church, and stopped by the Cascade People's Center where we met Emily, Blair, Stephanie, and Mierta (and asked a bunch of questions). That doesn't seem like much. Hopefully future weeks that are less full of getting settled can be more full of neighborhood connecting.

There is plenty more to find out about and much to ponder as we weave our lives into the fabric of this wonderful neighborhood. We don't yet know what it will look like to maintain one foot in and one foot out of Union, because even though its focus is also South Lake Union, the people we are connected to there live all over the Seattle area.

Tim Soerens, a CRC Pastor here who leads Dust Church, says that this neighborhood is right on the edge of being "a participatory, democratic, mixed income, urban, walkable livable neighborhood, or--like a lot of other neighborhoods, it will be gentrified so quickly that it will kind of be like two ghettos together--one for the very rich, and one for the very poor." This reality grabs me and gets me excited about being the kind of neighbor that gets people together. May the seeds of these relationships be planted in the coming weeks.

Moving Gets Derailed: Plan B--Tuesday

We got sidelined by stomach viruses, but are definitely on the mend now, and will be moving throughout the day on Tuesday. Moving trucks don't fit in our alley here, so Josh will be making several trips with a cargo van, lifting heavy things when the help to do so exists, and focusing on lighter things otherwise. Molly and the girls will hold down the fort at the old place until the late afternoon. Any help we can muster up--an extra person to load or unload boxes, somebody strong to help Josh get big heavy furniture in or out, or even just smiles for the children are welcome at any time. Since this isn't a "weekend style," one-chunk-of-time moving party, let us hear from you if and when you might be able to lend a hand, so that we can make certain to cross paths most effectively. Of course, we realize that many of you will be working on Tuesday, but we wanted to put the word out. Thanks.

Moving to South Lake Union

We found a place! We're excited to be diving into the neighborhood, but a bit overwhelmed at moving (so soon!) and going there "alone" (the group we've dreamed about on this blog is just us).

We're having a moving party on the 25th from 1pm-5pm, beginning at the old place on 20th Ave NE and ending at the new place with beer and MAD Pizza. Let us know if you'd like to be in on it.

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4. "maintaining 'one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church"

We trounced into worship at Union Church a little over three years ago just for the sake of supporting a friend who was having a first day at the microphone. We came back because (unlike every other church we knew about) they let children be around. Then we met people. And overlap between what we did during the week and who we saw at those Sunday worship gatherings started happening. And particular parts of what Union is all about resonated with us and intermingled with other things we were interested in and learning about. And Josh's job sort of moved to South Lake Union. So now there is a neighborhood where we can be rooted geographically--live/work/worship/etc.

It seems that whatever we do, if it has a foot in Union, it just feels so much more right. As if doing so helps us stay rooted. Union's vision is compatible with ours. So, having other people from Union alongside us is like having a backbone. It's as if people from all over the region are there to support who we really are and what South Lake Union can really be like. Union, as part of University Presbyterian, and the whole denomination, represents the tradition that the people of God have worked through over the years. We need to be part of this larger Christian community focused on South Lake Union, and we need to work alongside people who are also a part of it.

What does it look like, you might ask, to maintain one foot in and one foot out of Union Church? For me, it simply means that some people are part of Union and some people aren't. So, if this group that we're describing on this blog ever forms, we hope that at least half of the people will be a part of Union's core practices in some way, and that some people won't. We love overlap.

(We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about: 1. moving into close geographical proximity to one another 2. supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus 3. connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union 4. maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church)

3. "connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union"

Joshua's perspective on "connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union"

It's easy to miss the people in news coverage of South Lake Union. It's mostly about new buildings, transportation projects, and how many thousands of jobs the mayor can claim. In the past couple of years, we have been drawn into connection with South Lake Union despite ourselves. We got connected to Union Church through a friend, and made more friends. We walked around the neighborhood. I started working in SLU with UW. We attended events, met friends at parks, and played away the summer. It's been good to get to know our way around the neighborhood, but it's only the first step. Step two will be the geographic proximity.


Molly's perspective on "connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union"

Of course, this one depends heavily on being in close geographical proximity and being rooted in who we are. Really, it's an extension. An important one. We're not interested in the sort of intentional community that is removed from the rest of the world. We want to be intentional about community for the sake of being in the world meaningfully. It's critical to our understanding of the Gospel.

We only know a little bit about what this will look like. For example, we know that we want to support neighborhood businesses when we need things. We know we're going to be spending a lot of time with people at Cascade and Denny parks, and probably the Cascade People's Center and 415 Westlake. But really this only scratches the surface.

Soon after we move to South Lake Union (we're working on it!), we'd like to set aside 7 weeks or so to scope things out. I imagine going into every nook and cranny that I can (no, not in any sort of rude or inappropriate ways) and saying, "Hi, I'm Molly and I just moved here. How's it going for you? What's it like to do what you're doing in the neighborhood?" I just want to engage with the people of South Lake Union--the construction workers, the lady who's always yellin' on that certain corner, the folks who will be working at Amazon, the guys hanging around the People's Center, the CEO of Tommy Bahamas, children at the playground, the people who run the food bank--everyone. It won't be our job to fix everything. At all. But listening and engaging with the people of South Lake Union will help us see where God is at work and how we can be a part of it.

It's exciting, and scary, to really think about connecting ourselves and our resources to something we don't yet know.

(We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about: 1. moving into close geographical proximity to one another 2. supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus 3. connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union 4. maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church)

2. "supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus"

Joshua's perspective on "supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus:"

Everyone has daily practices, but unfortunately it is now common to spend the vast majority of our lives, alone or with our immediate family. In doing so, we have impoverished our own lives and our communities.

So what do we want to do differently? Mostly, spend time together. Doing together. Cooking and enjoying meals--preferably more than one a day, which is one reason co-housing would be ideal. As followers of Jesus, we also want to practice the presence of God through shared prayer, reading of scripture, and simple liturgies.

We also participate in a larger church community (more on that later), but deliberately spending time together on a daily basis will allow us to accomplish so much more.

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Molly's perspective on "supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus":

Daily, weekly, monthly--we are so drawn to doing things regularly. We love having what we need built in so that instead of reinventing the wheel, we can put our energy into where the wheel might take us.

Alongside close geographical proximity, daily practices are the stuff of the roots of the sort of community we are imagining. Because we tend to forget some very important things, we need practices to help us remember. And especially because we don't tend to cross paths enough (as mentioned at the end of the previous post), we need practices to get us together.

And the point of it all? To follow Jesus. God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit is at work restoring relationships that intersect in us--with our community, with our enemies, with our environment, and yes--most importantly--even with Jesus himself. We want to be a part of these transforming relationships--we want to follow Jesus.

Built-in community practices can help us follow Jesus by reminding us of who we are and who God is, what God is doing around us, and how we might join together in that work. They could include, and are not limited to simple evening vespers, shared meals, neighborhood walks, or morning prayer. And--it should go without saying, but so often it doesn't--that core practices are for each and every person in the community--all places on the journey, all abilities, all ages.

(We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about: 1. moving into close geographical proximity to one another 2. supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus 3. connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union 4. maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church)

1. "moving into close geographical proximity to one another"

Joshua's perspective on "moving into close geographical proximity to one another": We believe deeper connections form in geographic communities where incidental contact on the sidewalk or in shops is common. Our family is actively seeking appropriate housing in or very near South Lake Union. In the long run we would like to take a further step and develop a cohousing intentional community with both shared community space and small private units. (If you are unfamiliar with cohousing, you might start at http://www.daybreakcohousing.org/ .)

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Molly's perspective on "moving into close geographical proximity to one another":

Being geographically based is at the heart of what we're thinking.
It's non-negotiable. We love the implications of close geographical
proximity. With a courageous commitment to close geographical
proximity, a lot of things just fall into place. And...we're just not nourished by commuting.

We believe that close geographical proximity is one of those things
that, in Peter Maurin's words, can "help people to be good." When
people live close together, life must be more integrated. Hiding and
avoiding isn't as easy. An awareness of what friends and strangers
need and how we can help comes more naturally and is more obvious.

In very practical terms, getting together is just so much easier. Loving our neighbor can actually mean our neighbors, and we get to see what it's like to stop being so picky about what we plug ourselves into.

Essentially, it's because God is earthy; God made us as bodily people. If we are to really know one another, we need to be there, in person. We want the bulk of our relational interactions to be Real Life, knowing one another as holistically as possible, in turn being available to the people around us as holistically as possible.

So, what do we really mean by "close?" No, we don't need to all share the same bed and the same toilet. But equally importantly, we can't live more than a mile apart, either. Maybe not even half a mile apart.

Ideally, we'd love to have a huge old house (as a sort of tribute to
the original neighborhood) or an old car dealership (a way of making
swords into plowshares) renovated into several small apartments with
central community space. The idea is to set up the space so that lots of incidental interactions happen, and everyone can be together, but for there to also be room for people to have personal space at any time.

But lets' get real: South Lake Union is one of the hottest places for real estate in the whole country. There's no need to forget about the stated dream of an awesome co-housing setup. But while holding it in the back of our minds, we're very open to just finding an apartment here and an apartment there--to being in the same neighborhood and needing to place a bit more emphasis on "daily community practices that help us follow Jesus," to make up for the bit of distance between our living quarters. But...that is the topic of the next post.

(We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about: 1. moving into close geographical proximity to one another 2. supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus 3. connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union 4. maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church)

Announcing...

We are heading up a South Lake Union based group seeking to be intentional about:

-moving into close geographical proximity to one another
-supporting one another through daily community practices that help us follow Jesus
-connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of South Lake Union
-maintaining "one foot in, one foot out" of Union Church

Interested? Contact Joshua or Molly.
Not interested? Please be our cheerleaders!