intersections

Downtown Art Walk

The second Thursday of every month in Los Angeles is the Downtown Art Walk. It officially runs from noon to 9:00 pm, but my sense is that it doesn't really get started until after dark.

Yesterday was my first experience of the Art Walk and I didn't get to do much, but I did stop by the Crewest Gallery where there were a couple dozen graffiti artists painting on boards and canvases. Photos after the jump.

Missional Museums?

I have a new post at Allelon's Missional Journey blog called "Missional Museums?" As I mention in the article, I got this idea when a few of us from the Hollywood Church went to the Getty Center to hear our friend and artist, Man One, speak as part of a panel discussion called, "Art in L.A.: 1997-2007."

Here's an excerpt:

Last December, the Getty Center turned 10, which caused so small amount of reflection not only in the art community but in the architectural community as well. An article on the front page of the LA Times by the resident architecture critic, Christopher Hawthorne, caught my attention. As I read his article I had this impression that I was listening to a conversation I am frequently a part of – that of the relevance of the church as an institution in our communities.

Hawthorne opens his December 2007 article, entitled, “Getty at 10: Still aloof, yet totally L.A.”* like this:

During much of the 1990s, as the Getty Center was rising on its Brentwood hilltop, a couple of stubborn questions dogged the hugely ambitious project: Would Richard Meier’s design ever have anything meaningful to do with, or say about, the city over which it loomed? Or would it exist as an expensive import, a vast collection of smooth enamel and rough travertine conjured up by a New York architect who looked west for commissions but east, to Europe and its Modernist past, for inspiration?

Questions worth asking, to be sure. Questions church leaders would do well to ask as they are “building” their churches. I hear a lot of talk in my denomination and others about building a great, relevant, healthy, significant churches. But often it seems like we do nothing more than build “expensive imports” inspired by our “Modernist past” that have little do with the cities in which they exist.

Read the rest here.

Los Angeles Metro is Tweeting

Los Angeles Metblog reports that the Metro is now tweeting

Remember way back on May 8th when I said that Metro should use Twitter to tell us what’s going on with stuff, like train delays and freeway accidents? They - or someone posing as they - just tweeted this morning at metrolosangeles!

I'm the sixth "follower". Oh, and by the way, I'm tweeting too. Follow me here.

A year ago today...

...Griffith Park was on fire and threatening the community of Los Feliz, including our apartment. Here's the picture I took 2:42 pm that day (10 minutes from the time of this typing, so literally one year ago).

Here are my posts from last year:
LIVE...from my driveway | May 8, 2007
We Survived! | May 9, 2007
What's Left | May 10, 2007

'It is political, obviously!'*

A quick glance at the category cloud on this blog (left column) will reveal that 'politics' and 'religion' are two topics that I write about frequently. Those who know me know that I believe that the deep practice of Christian faith is unavoidably 'political'. But this statement is far from self-evident within the church and society today, whether you're talking about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in particular or the Christian church more generally.

It is easy to throw around glib phrases like "politics and religion don't mix," but what does that really mean. Tony Campolo is credited with saying that mixing politics and religion is like mixing horse manure and ice cream. It doesn't hurt the manure very much but it sure messes up the ice cream. However, Campolo's life in Christian service reveals that he has engaged in many causes that would, by most measures, be considered 'political.'
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*This is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, Nacho Libre.

Affordable Housing Victory in Los Angeles

Today I had the privilege of participating in something truly historic in our city. The Los Angeles City Council today enacted two ordinances aimed at curtailing gentrification in the city. These are complicated issues, but I feel that my role is to stand with the poor and the disenfranchised whenever I get the chance.

The main issue before City Council today was an ordinance that essentially protects "residential hotels" from being demolished or converted into luxury condos or other market rate housing. The folks at LA CAN (Los Angeles Community Action Network) have been leading the charge on this issue for something like 6 years. I spoke for a grand total of 1 minute before the City Council members who were mostly chatting with either other and their staff. Nevertheless, good organizing finally won the day and we have successfully protected over 18,700 affordable units from being lost forever.

Residential hotels in the City of Los Angeles are basically "housing of last resort." If these units are converted to market rate housing the people who currently live there will be homeless. They have nowhere else to go. By preserving these units we essentially prevent thousands of people from becoming homeless and insist that the working poor have a place in our city.

Read the Los Angeles Times report of this ordinance and the other ordinance referred to as an anti-mansionization ordinance. I'll let you figure out what that means.

This is so L.A.

Photos by Nathan Brown
My Aussie friend, Nathan Brown, was in town again this weekend. On Friday I took the day off and we just hung out. I love when friends visit from out of town because invariably I do something I wouldn't ordinarily do in the city. Nathan wanted to see the more "upscale" part of the city so, naturally, we headed off for Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. That's where we saw this RIDICULOUS car! The funny thing is that as we took off from Hollywood I virtually promised Nathan at least one Ferrari sighting and possible more. We saw two Ferraris, two Rolls Royces (including this yellow one) a Bentley or two, and more $100,000+ Mercedes than you could keep track of.

From Rodeo Drive we walked around Westwood Village a bit and then spent the remainder of the afternoon at the Getty. What would your tour of the "upscale" part of Los Angeles included? (more pictures after the jump)

No on 98/Yes on 99

/Apologies to all non-California residents while I dip into a state political issue for a minute.

So, I'm driving back to my office today after having lunch with my dad and I hear the new Yes on Prop 98 radio ad and it just drove me crazy. I hate to even send you to the Yes on 98 website, but it's the only way I can figure out how to have you hear the ad yourself. So, click here and have a listen.

The whole thing is done my children who claim ask, with tears in their voices,

"You mean we're never going to see our friends again?"

Proposition 98 is being billed as an anti-eminent domain law, but what they don't tell you on their website or anywhere is that it will effectively destroy rent control laws in California. Once a tenant moves out of a rent-controlled apartment that unit will never be under rent control again. Little by little rent control will be a thing of the past. This is one of the last safeguards of affordable housing, especially in the urban areas of California.

So, the League of California Cities, Governor Schwarzenegger, and literally dozens of other organizations (including LA Voice) have stood up to oppose this horrible proposition put forth by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. Not only this but a counter proposition has arisen - Proposition 99. You can read more about Prop 99 here, but it accomplishes many of the good things about Prop 98 without destroying laws protecting renters.

So, Californians...when you go to the polls on June 3rd (that's right, there's an election on June 3rd), please vote NO on 98 and YES on 99. Protect renters!

Reclaiming Outrage

Part 2 of a sermon given by Rabbi Ron Stern of Stephen S. Wise Temple on a recent Shabbat.

I've really been enjoying getting more involved in interfaith work here in Los Angeles. One of my new friends is Rabbi Ron Stern from Stephen S. Wise Temple (the largest Jewish synagogue in the Western US). Their congregation is one of the newest members in our LA Voice family. Here is a Rabbi who is a true inspiration to me.

Listen to a short sermon that he gave recently, Reclaiming Outrage (Part 1 & Part 2)

Rev. Jeremiah Wright on Bill Moyers Journal

Did any of you catch the interview that Bill Moyers had with Rev. Jeremiah Wright on Friday? I didn't see it when it aired, but I saw it online and it was very, very good. For an hour, without commercial interruption, Rev. Wright shared very personally and directly about his life, ministry, Trinity Church and his comments that have become so controversial lately. Bill Moyer probably spoke for about 5 cumulatively on the broadcast.

I have not waded into this controversy on this blog, but I have shared others places. But today I am here to say that if you have been effected by this controversy or have taken a stand on it, you really must watch this interview. He is intelligent and articulate. He is definitely not the whacko that some in the media have tried to make him out to be. I am convinced that this is a man of God!

Watch the interview here (in two parts)

Cobalt Season kicks off Hollywood concert series

Ryan Sharp of The Cobalt Season talks with members of the Hollywood Adventist Church (click to enlarge) Photo by Kathy Khoo.

We had a great time with The Cobalt Season on Thursday night. About 50 friends and strangers gathered in at the church for a wonderful concert. For more pictures check out the church's Picasa album. All photos are by Kathy Khoo.

We were also graced by two songs from Corrinne May, to open the night. Corrinne will be playing a full concert (the second in our series) on May 29. Stay tuned for more....

How do you relate to Communion?

Each week I write a short column in the church bulletin called, The Pastor's Journal. Here's what I wrote this week. What are your thoughts?

It's Communion again. I don't know about you but the increased frequency of this celebration is beginning to have its effect on me. Approximately six months ago I asked the congregation, just before the sermon, what you would think of having communion more regularly. To my surprise, applause spontaneously broke out.

The reason it surprised me is that I grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist Church that had an ambivalent relationship with the Communion Meal. It always seemed to me that the attendance at church went down significantly on Communion Sabbath. I never understood exactly why. I eventually concluded that it had something to do with the heavy guilt message that usually accompanied the ritual. Many Adventists I know confess that Communion means little to them. On the other hand, I have met other Christians that wouldn't know how to relate to their Christian experience apart from Communion. How do you relate to Communion?

I wonder how you're responding to the increased frequency of Communion? Some of you have approached me to say that you really appreciate it and that it adds a kind of stability to our worship life. I would welcome your input if you care to share. I'd love to hear from you.

In the meantime, I hope that as we talk today about the presence and absence of God in the teaching of John 14:15-21, that your participation at the Lord's Table today will mediate the presence of God to you in a very real and meaningful way.