intersections

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.

Armenian genocide march in Hollywood today

Today, Valerie and I went out on Hollywood Boulevard to hang out a bit with the Armenian community as they held their annual demonstration about the genocide of their people in 1915 at the hand of the Turks. Though many nations of the world officially recognize the genocide of the Armenian people, the United States and the UK are among the countries that do not (though 40 of the 50 states in the US have officially recognized the genocide, according to Wikipedia).

As you may know, Little Armenia is one of the important parts of the Hollywood Community and their website claims that it is "Home of the largest Armenian diaspora in the world."

Hating (and loving) The Grove

LA Observed blog has this short piece about The Grove, quoted from the NY Times, that I just had to link to because it really captured something I have thought a lot about.

The first time you go to the Grove, the immensely successful and completely fabricated commercial center in Los Angeles, you will try to hate it. But then you will watch the old-fashioned trolley passing by, or the dancing fountain as it splurts jovially to the cadence of a Sinatra song, and you will drop your snobby urban integrity and walk around consuming things in a mouth-breathing stupor just like everyone else.... [more]

My wife loves The Grove - I try to avoid it at all costs. I do like the Farmer's Market part. But I have to admit, when I'm there, the nostalgia kinda gets to me. The funny thing is that for me and most everyone in my generation, it's an imagined nostalgia. I've never lived in a quaint town like that with a trolly car and cobbled streets. This is somehow part of our national imagination about "the good life" and, as the New York Times write correctly points out, it is part and parcel of "our brand-saturated American lives."

Rick Caruso's Glendale version of The Grove, called Americana at Brand, is slated to open this summer.

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez writes about his tour of Americana here. [Note: I posted list sentence and link to Steve Lopez BEFORE I read his article. Just so you know.]

Meeting with Councilmember Tom LaBonge

There were ten people in our group that visited with Councilmember Tom LaBonge today in his City Hall office - 8 members of the church, Joe Hari, our LA Voice organizer and Man One, our artist. It was a good meeting and we really enjoyed the conversation about the Crossroads @ HOLLYWOOD mural project. We showed he and his staff the draft sketch and Mr. LaBonge made some constructive comments and suggestions.

We also learned a little bit about the process we would have to go through to get our mural approved (not an easy process either). We now need to think about what our next steps will be. I was really proud of our group who has worked so hard on this project. Here's a soundbyte from Alburn Binkley's opening comments:

"The Crossroads Mural project is our latest "gift" that we wish to present to the community around us.  Sitting as a welcome sign to the City Council District 4, the Crossroads Mural will greet residents and visitors alike to a district whose commercial and social growth reflects our own."

The new low-carb(on) diet

The front page of the LA Times had this amazing graphic this morning - presumably for Earth Day. This is a great example of what I frequently refer to as new reasons for doing old things. In other words, in the words of my friend Nathan Brown (who will again be visiting me next week), "Ironic, isn't it, that in our world today two of the most counter cultural things individuals can do to enact peace and justice is to keep the Sabbath and be a vegetarian?"

So, check out this graphic, read the story here, and imagine that there are other (perhaps bigger) motivations for being vegetarian than merely personal health and well-being, as important as that is.

Click to enlarge graphic

What type are you?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator has been done to death, I know, but there is something about it that really intrigues me. I ran across an application for Facebook the other day and here's how I came out

ENFP - The Inspirer

Check out some excerpts from the explanation of my type below the fold...

If you're on Facebook, click here to take the test and compare your type with your friends. If you're not on Facebook...what's the matter with you?!

If you don't know about Myers-Briggs Type Indicator the Facebook App has very detailed explanations. If you really get into it and want a book-length explanation, you should pick up a copy of Please Understand Me II.