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Molly's Perspective:

Two years and four months ago, Joshua and I wrote down the kind of intentional community we wanted to pursue, together with our children Cedar and Frances, and announced it to everyone we knew--in person, through email, and with this blog:

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!

I still remember that night. To take what we had been thinking and reading about for five years and nail it into four bullet points (later we changed it to three) seemed simultaneously like nothing at all and like something monumental. So, we moved and endured an assortment of experiences, trying on all sorts of different hats, getting to know all sorts of people in all sorts of different ways, being surprised in positive and negative ways about where there was a good fit of support and understanding, and where there wasn't.

There have been some big shifts--Union is a past, not current or future part of our lives now; the "joiners" that we wrote about in this blog learned that they just wanted to be neighbors (and they were indeed incredible neighbors) and ultimately that they need to live in a similar, but different neighborhood; we are no longer really inclined to join (or get other people to join) much of anything other than specific projects but instead are quite content to keep living here doing what we find compelling.

Are we still fascinated by Jesus? Yes.
Are we being ourselves in our neighborhood in response to and drawing from the tangible love of God as primarily expressed in the incredible story of Jesus? Yes, but of course unpacking that more all the time.
Does that include "building community?" Sure.
Do we invite others who are interested in living an integrated life in an urban neighborhood to visit us to learn what it's like or even move here and be a part of it? Absolutely--come hang out and/or search Craigslist for an apartment and we will definitely be neighborly to you.

The wise Parker Palmer says that "by allowing something to die when its time is due, we create the conditions under which new life can emerge." I am thankful for our season of trying to create an intentional community and the important part it played in bringing us to this day, this context, this contented place. Most especially I am so grateful for the remarkable people that were part of that equation--the people of Union Church and of course Matt, Marilee, Mira, and Lina.

So ends the season of trying to build an intentional community in South Lake Union around three things, and so continues daily life here, intentionally, enjoying and wrestling with the amazing people that come in and out of our lives all the time.

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Joshua's Perspective:

Wow, what a lot we can learn in a year, though I suppose it's not
really fair to call it a year since it's been slowly dawning on me for
quite a few years. I feel that our grand experiment days are over as
we realize that intentional living is not about finding a few kindred
spirits and creating a community from scratch. Instead, intentional
living has to start with a healthy sense of self and willingness to
deeply connect with people who, at least at first glance, are not
kindred spirits at all.

In some ways the idealized homes and communities of the past had an
"us vs them" structure, often defined by ethnicity and religion; think
of the Irish Catholic or Swedish Lutheran neighborhood. This spilled
over to the physical geography of the right and wrong side of the
tracks. In starting a community, we were trying to create a new better
"us" in our own image, not on purpose in a Utopian sense but now I see
that's what it was.

Real people and places don't work that way. Instead the world is
unintentional community (har har har), with many "us" circles
(geography, hobbies, relatives, old classmates) and people dropping in
and out all the time. I'm still convinced that the mobility of our
current society has gone too far and fractured community, but that
doesn't mean we can create a little bubble and make it go away. What
we can do, whether we share ethnicity and religion with our neighbors
or not, is be true to ourselves and celebrate the people in our lives.

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fyi: We wrote these posts without knowing what the other was writing--different but complementary angles and definite agreement... :)

And where is my neighbor?

Lately I've been looking at some 2010 Census numbers for our neighborhood. Population is way up from 2000, mainly due to new housing. There are now hundreds of kids in the neighborhood, though I never see many of these neighbors. We've met perhaps 30 different families over the past couple of years, but really only know fewer than 10 very well. Doubtless some we've never met take the elevator straight to the parking garage and drive everywhere, but there are also ones who cannot afford a car but I still don't see on the sidewalk or at the playground. I hope they're doing well.

There is also an amazing diversity of income levels and backgrounds, which is not odd for an urban area but still something I haven't gotten used to. It's a constant reminder of how globally connected we are; it's hard to hear about famine in Somalia without thinking of the Somalis who have settled in Seattle (including some who made a great little short film "Our Hijabs" for the SIFF Adobe Youth Voices project).

Another side of this is the organizations based in South Lake Union, including many global health non-profits, who may not do famine relief but combat diseases like malaria that disproportionally effect the developing world.

The next question, keeping in mind the second commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself," is how best to love all these neighbors. I'll let you know when I figure out the answer.

Loss

It's a week of loss.

The Cascade People's Center--just across the street for where we live and surrounded by outdoor community space-- is no longer a community center.

Our neighborhood needs a year round third place. And it had it. And it wasn't costing the City anything. And it was well stewarded. And still, they took it away.

And I'm grieving it. For me and my family. For my neighbors who understand what is lost. For neighbors who don't. For neighbors who aren't here yet.

Someone recently asked me how I make sense of this theologically. I believe that God, who slows down to "2 miles per hour" for the sake of working in relationship with people, is grieving it too.

In Praise of Intangibles

Last week I traveled to a work-related conference to present on an informal evaluation of software that we UW Medicine computer people did in partnership with users. The specifics aren't important to this blog, but I'll summarize the salient point: users didn't care about number of widgets, they liked the most user-friendly software. That might seem obvious, but ease of use is often lost in evaluations. There's a reason for that. As Jonah Lehrer writes, humans "become fixated on quantifiable variables like horsepower (they're so easy to compare)" which results in us making silly decisions, based on relatively unimportant but tangible measurements.

Life in South Lake Union is full of tangibles. The square feet in our fairly small apartment. The number of commuter vehicles that cover major streets at rush hour. The amount of money needed to keep the community center running. The housing and job target numbers assigned by the city and regional planning organizations. The test scores at available public or private schools. But as Eric Liu points out in his TEDxRainier talk "Seattle's Civic Secret Sauce," it's the intangibles that make Seattle (and South Lake Union) a great place to live. We all share the same space, like one big public library as he puts it. Even in bad economic times, we willingly vote for things that don't directly benefit most of us, like a low-income housing levy. Instead of a zero-sum scramble, Seattleites build multi-ethnic coalitions.

It's hard to focus on the intangibles, which is kinda the point of living in community. Geographic proximity to integrate our everyday lives. Regular community practices to remind one another what's important. And connecting ourselves and our resources to the people of the neighborhood because we're all in it together.

About Those Joiners: "How's it going? Are you 'doing it'?"

Our joiners--Matt, Marilee, Mira, and Lina--have been here for almost two months. That means they moved in right in the middle of the holidays (yup, that was pretty crazy). Even after that settled, they had to get a few details ironed out before doing too much posting about moving, so as I'm writing this, their presence here doesn't seem new at all. In fact, having them here has been so natural and life giving that I don't remember what life was like without them, except a vague memory that it wasn't as nice. It is so good to finally be "doing community" even as we are starting in a pretty low-key way.

A lot of you have asked, "Have they moved in yet? How's it going? Are you 'doing it'?" The latter two questions can be tricky to answer. Here's what it currently looks like within the framework that is outlined on this blog in the top right corner (pasted in here in bold).

"We are heading up a group of questioners, followers, seekers, lovers, and doubters of Jesus coming together to:"

As we get to know one another better, we are discovering which of these labels each person most relates to in personal orientation to Jesus. Of course, we probably all experience questioning, following, seeking, loving, and doubting on some level, but there is diversity among us in which actions are most poignant in our current experience. I love this about our little group. I love that we can be oriented around Jesus without insisting, for example, that nobody wrestle or yell or be infatuated with him. Jesus meets each of us where we are and works from that place, all the while shaping the rest of the community through the experiences of the "other."

1. live in close geographical proximity

We live in separate apartments in the same building, on the same floor. Our place is near the middle and theirs is on the end, which means when we're not together we use different exterior doors to enter the building (the building takes up almost a whole city block). They have a bigger living/dining room. We have a bigger bathroom and kitchen. To get to each others' units, we don't have to use any stairs or open any hallway doors, but we do have to walk by several other apartments and go around a little corner. There's a community room on the same floor, but as nice as it seems and as cool as it is to sometimes see neighbors there, our apartments work way better for our little ones.

2. support one another through regular community practices

In addition to a fair amount of spontaneous seeing of one another when we're just around or happen to be in the same place (especially mothers and daughters), twice a week we've been meeting to reflect on our day together over a shared snacky dinner, alternating locations at each other's apartments. A fancy word for this is the Examen--the ancient spiritual practice of sharing consolations and desolations with community members.

We begin by lighting a candle and depending on who is leading, you might hear something like, "We've had good times and bad times today," or "The light of divine revelation in our everyday experience," or "We light this candle because God has been speaking to us all day."

Then we make sure to give the children a chance to share their highs and lows for the day (often, they do!) and take turns doing so ourselves (when the girls are done eating, they run off and play as they wish). We are a very chatty group, so although we make sure everyone gets a chance to share, there's a lot of clarifying, expounding, getting off topic, sharing stories, and let's not forget--being interrupted to help the children with this or that. As a result of all this, we are getting to know one another better.

I'm interested to see what "regular community practices" will look like in the months to come, but only time will tell. There are several questions before us to sort out, such as:
What other practices will work well for all of us, including our children and our diversity in orientation toward Jesus?
How often do regular practices need to be for this community to gel?
How does a person remain part of the formation of a community when out of town or working long hours?
When can the practices really be if some of us stay up late (guess who!) and others get up early?
What is the purpose of "practices" and how are they different from other ways of being together?
How will the practices benefit from leadership without one person taking over, but also while honoring the different gifts each of us has?

3. connect ourselves and our resources to the people in the neighborhood

We've has a blast introducing Matt, Marilee, Mira, and Lina to other families in the neighborhood at the weekly potlucks that happen at the center across the street.

Marilee and her girls are getting connected to the streets of South Lake Union by walking completely across the neighborhood and back again three times a week in taking Mira to school. She's written about that experience here. While Josh and I have gotten pretty entrenched in helping the community center across the street get up and going, Matt and Marilee are (beautifully and complementarity) more drawn to Immanuel Community Services, which is also across the street.

The longer they are here, the more they are learning about the place and getting connected (and of course, this is all happening in the midst of "daily life," which has included not only cooking, diapers, and clutter control, but also sickness, birthdays, and extended travel!).

I'm confident that as time goes on we will discover even more about how our different interests in the neighborhood intersect and enrich each other.

So, that's "how we're doing it" right now. Hooray for the joiners! Thanks for your prayers and thanksgivings as we continue this formation.

Praying With Our Feet

A few months ago I had the privilege of being part of a team from Union church that designed a space where people could come engage in prayer for the church and the neighborhood in a variety of ways.

Here's the text for the "Pray With Your Feet In South Lake Union" guide, which included a map color coded with dots that corresponded to places you see here in bold print. Also available at the starting point was this video, to introduce the concept of praying with your feet.

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The most obvious part of Amazon’s new headquarters in South Lake Union is along Terry Avenue North--four phases stretching from Thomas Street all the way to Mercer. Some of the buildings are still being constructed, and some are already in use. Especially around lunchtime, you’ll probably notice a lot of people with blue badges!

As you walk around part of Amazon’s new headquarters, look and listen. Pray

• that life giving amenities will move into the ground level spots in these buildings, bringing more pedestrians coming and going and filling the streets with life.
• that the multitude of Amazon (and other companies’) employees will be aware of their presence in and impact on the neighborhood and bless it with their respect and engagement.
• that the diversity of people who live in or are connected to South Lake Union will feel welcome in Amazon’s plaza, which is designed for public benefit.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?

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Cascade is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Seattle, and now finds itself as part of the larger and newer South Lake Union neighborhood. A wide variety of people, from elderly to homeless to condo owners to refugees to artists to low-middle-high income families call Cascade home. The Cascade People’s Center, which is located in the middle of the area along with the park and P-Patch, is in the process of becoming a place that offers “dynamic programming to strengthen connections between all residents, businesses, and workers of the South Lake Union neighborhood.”

As you walk around Cascade, look and listen. Pray

• that the continued development of South Lake Union as a place where many people live will stand on the shoulders of Cascade, which is more rooted in a history of residents.
• that the leadership of Cascade People’s Center will work effectively, helping it be a place that helps people experience and appreciate one another in their differences.
• that long time residents of Cascade will experience belonging as well as new life and energy even in the midst of dramatic and confusing change.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?

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South Lake Union’s western boundary is

Aurora Avenue--a corridor long plagued by the sad reality of prostitution. Federal experts believe Seattle's many points of entry make the city one of the nation's top human-trafficking hot spots. A trafficked young girl or woman forced into a life of prostitution and under the control of a powerful male pimp may be unrecognizable to the untrained eye.

As you walk part of the Aurora corridor and it’s side streets, look and listen. Pray

• that the exploitation of people on these sidewalks will not simply be moved to another location, but that real healing and transformation will take place.
• that as neighbors intersect with victims, they will experience love, compassion, and safety
• that everyone involved will be disrupted by the reality that they were created for better things and are absolutely worthy of love and respect.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?

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From an expense standpoint, South Lake Union housing falls into three main categories: market rate new buildings (mostly apartments to rent but also condos to purchase), low income subsidized and supported buildings, and places that are inexpensive to live because of their age or collective nature.

As you walk past different housing in South Lake Union, look and listen. Pray

• that all residents--with or without homes--will find community, meaningful work, and authentic relationship with neighbors.
• that residents who have been invisible because of fear, loneliness, or resources will become visible.
• that 415 Westlake will be a place where this great diversity of neighbors can intersect and rely on one another’s strengths.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?

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South Lake Union is home to five faith communities: Cascade Neighborhood Church, Denny Park Lutheran Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seattle Unity Church, St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral and Union Church.

As you walk past different church buildings in South Lake Union, look and listen. Pray

• that people connected to South Lake Union will experience the Church as one church working together instead of many churches working in isolation.
• that we will see ways that God is at work to make the churches in South Lake Union eternally connected, internally alive, and externally focused.
• that God’s people who do church in South Lake Union will be aware of their impact on the neighborhood and listen for ways God is calling them to bless it.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?

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Seattle has the 5th largest biotechnology industry concentration in the nation and South Lake Union has been identified as Seattle's biotechnology center. Our neighborhood includes both profit and non-profit medical organizations for research as well as treatment such as Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Group Health corporate headquarters, UW Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, ZymoGenetics and Novo Nordisk.

As you walk by some of these key medical/biotechnology organizations, look and listen. Pray

• that their researchers will better understand the causes of the world’s most serious diseases (including cancer, malaria, arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS) and work in true collaboration to find effective new treatments and cures.
• that patients, families, and caregivers (especially those far from home) will experience relief from disease, deep love and care from the people around them, and magnified awareness of God’s hope and peace.
• that we as a congregation of Union Church will discover new connections and ways to serve the medical staff and patients in South Lake Union.

Keep looking and listening. What stirs your heart? How is God at work here? How might we be a part of it?