intersections

A Year of Daily Illustrations

Elysabeth Nikolic Bell (my talented wife) has started a new blog where she is posting her recent paintings and illustrations. I've known Elysabeth for 15 years to be an outstanding artist. These collections are a new turn for her and I'm really excited to tell you about them.

Very soon you'll be able to purchase these paintings in various forms, so stay tuned, visit her blog often, and give her some love in the comments.

You can also follower her on Twitter (@babettebell) and find her on Facebook.

Hating on the Purple Church

One of the occasional pastimes of people in Hollywood is hating on our church building. I've had plenty of people rave about how they love the unique "atomic" architecture of our church, but lately I've been running across blogger who have been posting these little drive-by screeds. Like John W. Smart, for example. I don't know who he is but today he writes a post about my church called, "Los Angeles eye sore of the day."

But it's okay. I can embrace this weakness for the sake of the work we're doing in the community. We're making good use the facility whether it's considered beautiful by everyone or not. I admit to hating the building when I first arrived, but I've really grown to appreciate it. Everything, that is, except the block walls and black iron fences that surround the place. Ah well...

Missional Church class at La Sierra University

I'm teaching a Masters level Professional Studies course at La Sierra this quarter entitled Missional Church. If you're curious about what we're doing, here's the syllabus.

I'm thinking of offering a version of this class by webinar in the Spring through the re-church network, so stay tuned for that.

Church Reaches Out on Foot and On Camera

There is a short story in the Pacific Union Recorder this month about some of the work our church is doing. I'm so proud of my friends who are using their talents and creativity to make a tangible difference in our community. In particular I want to give a shout out to Julia Alty, Dennis Hill and Nathan French who are mentioned and quoted in this article.

Incidentally, they are three of the four recipients of last year's Emerging Leader Award. The photo is by Leslie Foster, our fourth recipient. How curious!

Early in 2009 Dennis Hill, a member of the Hollywood church and a working actor, noticed a number of talented young adult artists attending the church with one thing in common: they were all struggling to develop film careers. "I saw their need," said Hill, "and I wanted to share - and learn as well. I began pulling together a group willing to volunteer and get involved, and I discovered, it's fun!"

Read the whole thing here.

LAPD Officers are not immigration agents

LA Voice today released this press advisory on International Migration Day.

Newly-Appointed Chief Charlie Beck To Send Clear Message to Los Angeles Community: LAPD Officers Are Not Immigration Agents

Los Angeles-On International Migration Day, Friday, December 18, at 6pm, newly-appointed Police Chief Charlie Beck will address LA Voice leaders from Dolores Mission Church to announce that the Los Angeles Police Department will continue Special Order 40, which prohibits LAPD officers from initiating contact with someone solely to determine whether they are in the country legally.

The Chief's remarks will take place in the context of the Posadas, a traditional Latino celebration involving the reenactment of Mary and Joseph seeking room at the inn to give birth to Jesus.  The location, Dolores Mission, a parish of largely immigrant community by day and homeless shelter by night, is a significant location for this pronouncement.  Chief Beck will hear testimonies from immigrants as well as address their concerns.  Chief Beck brings his designated spokesperson to the Latino community, Captain Rigo Romero. 

"That Chief Beck is continuing Special Order 40 is wonderful news for our community, as we are always encouraging people to work with the police to improve safety of the community, and yet undocumented people live with the real fear that if they report a crime they could be deported," says Pastor of Dolores Mission, Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J.  "Our people are not alone on this-other immigrant communities throughout the city will rejoice at this message.  People just want safety-immigrants reporting crimes make our city safer." 

Dolores Mission is affiliated with LA Voice, a federation of 25 churches and synagogues in Los Angeles working to improve the quality of life for all Angelenos.  LA Voice is a member of the PICO National Network, which has over 1000 member congregations in 17 states and 150 cities.

Depression in pastoral ministry

Yesterday’s USA Today carried the disturbing story of a 42-year old pastor in North Carolina who committed suicide. I was deeply moved as I read about this young man who had apparently come to the end of his hope and, in complete despair, took his own life. Suicide is rare among pastors, the article reports, but many live with depression. Loneliness, isolation and the resistance of congregations to cultural change are cited as primary causes of depression.

The day before, the New York Times ran a piece entitled “Kierkegaard on the Couch,” by Gordon Marino. After reading the piece twice I began to discern the important distinction he makes between depression and despair and Kierkegaard’s concern for the spiritual dimensions of despair.

Then, while chatting online with my friend, Alburn, he pointed me to this interesting Money.com article entitled “Stressful jobs that pay badly," which describes “15 of the most overworked and underpaid professions out there.” Number 10: Minister. According to this piece, 71% of ministers report that their job is stressful.

This was like a perfect storm for me. But the picture is not yet complete. My own personal story is that I serve a congregation that is creative, flexible, open-minded and open-hearted, loving, supportive and fun. They are a group of spiritual pilgrims that genuinely enjoy being on this journey together. And, they love me. How do I know? They tell me. Frequently. It may have escaped your notice that October was Pastor Appreciate Month. For the past five years I have been appreciated by my church family in a way I never imagined possible. This is due primarily to the ministry of one of my dear friends and church elders, Kirsten Salvador. She has the gift of remembering important moments in people’s lives and making them understand that they are treasured.

It's Really All About God

My dear friend, Samir Selmanovic, has just published his first book entitled, It's Really All About God (buy on Amazon) and what a way to start. This is not a review...that will be coming soon. But I will tell you that this is a radical, peaceful vision of the force for good that religion can and should be in the world, told through the intimate, personal lenses of someone who hase expereinced so much of the good and bad of religion.

There is a review at the Spectrum website by my friend, Brenton Reading. You can read that here.

The blurb I wrote for inside the front cover says this:

“Samir has written a book that reads like an extended poem; an ode to life. Where others see only the darkness and destructiveness of religion, Samir sees beauty and hope. Where others see only competition and violence, Samir sees synergy and life. And his vision is no simple syncretism; a blending of all religions into one inoffensive ‘smoothie’ of goodness and light. This book is a celebration of postmodern ‘otherness’ of the first order. It will inspire you, frustrate you, maybe even anger you. Samir will not answer all your questions or tell you exactly what to do next. But if you’ve ever felt that nagging deep in your soul that God is lurking just beneath the surface in places you have least expected, you need to read this book!”

I will write a review here after I get a chance to read it again.

Please go buy this book and read it. In the meantime, check out this short video of Samir talking about his book.

Adventism I can believe in

(Crossposted at the Spectrum Blog)

Seventh-day Adventists are perennially concerned about identity. Who are we? What do we believe? Who gets to decide? Our anti-creedal position stands over against our ever-expanding list of Fundamental Beliefs; our belief in 'progressive revelation' over against our claim to have the truth.

I am one that believes this dialectic tension is good for the church and that our determination to live in that tension is generative and healthy. But there are many voices who wish to collapse all such tensions into a single pole, declaring once and for all what the "truth" of a certain issue is. This is usually accompanied by a corresponding move to define out those who do not believe in this more narrow interpretation of what counts as a "real" Adventist.

Moltmann on the Mystical Experience of the Sabbath

"I discovered something else as well: Teresa [of Avila]'s interior castle and Thomas Merton's mountain and many other descriptions of mystical journeys use the number seven: on the seventh level the soul finds its way to God, and it is in the seventh chamber of the soul that the mystical marriage takes place. This is nothing other than Israel's teaching about the Sabbath. The person who keeps the Sabbath, and who on the Sabbath experiences the union of the Shekinah with the Eternal One, is already at the place which the Christian mystics strive to attain through meditation and contemplation" (Moltmann, A Broad Place, 214).

American Civil Religion and the Theology of Hope

"I have always been interested in American 'civil religion', as Robert Bellah called the political philosophy of the USA in 1967. With its messianic overtones, the public theology of the United States is typically modern and a secular product of the millenarian branch of the Christian hope. But because this messianic certainty of a better future always goes hand in hand with an apocalyptic dualism in the final struggle between God and Satan, Christ and Antichrist, good and evil, these religious politics are by no means merely a blessing. 'God bless America' is often heard on the lips of American presidents. But whether God blesses America will become apparent when it emerges whether America is a blessing for the peoples of the world, or their burden and curse; for one is blessed only in order to be a blessing oneself" (Moltmann, A Broad Place, 144).

American Civil Religion and the Theology of Hope

"I have always been interested in American 'civil religion', as Robert Bellah called the political philosophy of the USA in 1967. With its messianic overtones, the public theology of the United States is typically modern and a secular product of the millenarian branch of the Christian hope. But because this messianic certainty of a better future always goes hand in hand with an apocalyptic dualism in the final struggle between God and Satan, Christ and Antichrist, good and evil, these religious politics are by no means merely a blessing. 'God bless America' is often heard on the lips of American presidents. But whether God blesses America will become apparent when it emerges whether America is a blessing for the peoples of the world, or their burden and curse; for one is blessed only in order to be a blessing oneself" (Moltmann, A Broad Place, 144).

Video: Prayer Rally for Healthcare Reform

This is a video of our health care rally, held on Tuesday, August 11, in Hollywood. Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Xavier Becerra were in attendance and spoke eloquently and powerfully of their support for comprehensive reform that would put health care within reach for our families.

This rally was led by LA Voice clergy, Father Mike Mandala, Father Jaime Edwards-Acton, Rev. Liz Munoz, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Rev. Byron Smith, Sr. and myself.