So my lease is up at the end of July, here in the montrose area… I’ll probably try and find another one bedroom apartment in a duplex or fourplex in this area for the next 6 months, so i can save up to go somewhere new in 2008. I’ve been thinking a lot about where I would go, and I have a few options that I could consider. The places I would go are dependent on the communities i feel called to be a part of.
1) The Simple Way (Phillidelphia): “Each of us is created for community, and in the image of community. And yet everything in the world tries to rob us of this Divine gift. The life of the simple way is the story of that struggle to love and to be loved. The most radical thing we do is choose to love each other… again and again. If you are a seeker of the Way, may our story feed you hope… or at least keep you from making all the same mistakes.”
2) Revolution NYC (New York City): “The Idea of Revolution: To show all people the unconditional love and grace of Jesus without any reservations due to their lifestyle or religious background, past or future. This love has no agenda behind it (I Corinthians 13:5). This grace sets no timeline on personal change or standards for spiritual growth (Romans 4:4-5). The idea is to be a part of people’s lives because we truly care for them rather than to fulfill a religious duty; to walk with them through all their struggles as a part of their life, not as a religious outsider. The desire at the heart of Revolution is to see this idea spread to other communities and churches. We aspire to see people from other communities and churches taking to heart the true message of the grace and love of Christ, and in turn to see them spread this message to those in their community, building relationships and sharing in the life experiences of those around them (Galatians 6:2-3), and living out the grace, hope and love that God has blessed them with.”
3) JPUSA (Chicago): “Jesus People USA is a Christian community in Chicago. We operate both as an intentional Christian community and as a worshipping church (not all members of our congregation live as full-time members of the community). We began as an independent ministry in 1972, and in 1989 we joined the Chicago-based Evangelical Covenant Church. We number about 500 people who live together at a single address on Chicago’s North Side. We hold our goods and property in a common fund, looking to the model of Christian community depicted in New Testament (Acts 2:44-47, 4:32-35). Living communally and pooling our resources in this way has enabled us to minister to one another and those outside the community in ways that might not have been otherwise possible. This, of course, does not mean we believe God wants everybody to live in this way, or blesses us in some special way because we do. We have been privileged to function as a resource to the church, a haven for people in need, a learning experience for many whose journey has taken them in our doors and out to serve elsewhere.”
4) SoJourners Internship (Washington DC): “Sojourners is a connecting point for Christians nationally and internationally. We examine pressing moral, political, social, and economic issues in a spiritual, theological, and action-oriented context. We encourage people to think about the gospel implications of the issues society faces and, by bringing them to light in the context of faith, to set forth and encourage a vision for the future that is just and sustainable for the earth and its people. Lectionary reflections and columns nurture spiritual growth; editorials provide political analysis; and book, film, and music reviews critique popular culture.”
Right now, my place is probably in the same place I am. I am a part of the taft street coffee (Ecclesia Houston) community. I work at taft street coffee (which is directly in the church building) roughly 40 hours a week, and spend even more time there ontop of that, just hanging out. There is an Organic Co-op that takes place twice a week, and two church services on Sunday. There is also a swing dance on the third saturday of every month. I’m still discovering a lot of amazing things about the montrose area of houston, that make this a beautiful community to be a part of. I’m interested in getting involved in some gardening projects like urban harvest community gardens, or the last organic outpost.
I feel like I subconciously keep trying to escape from houston, when this city has so much for me right now. I don’t know what keeps trying to pull me away from here, or why, really. That pulling is still in the back of my mind, though.
