Spirit of the Purple House

Last night, the Purple House in Grant Park embraced its six residents as they came together for community night. As we do each Monday, we shared discussion about this week’s “Rhythm of the Year” topic. The subjects gain depth and take on new forms as we hear each other’s perspectives and interpretations of the readings. I look forward to discussion time because each week we grow closer as housemates and discover a richness in the texts that would be impossible to uncover as a sole reader.

During check-in time, tears and hugs poured out, as they often do. We offered up our concerns and joys, there against the teal living room walls. I could almost hear the eves sigh in sympathy last night. This house has a spirit. What all must this home have seen and witnessed over its last twenty-some years as a Mennonite Hospitality House and now a Dwell House? It has sheltered refugees, Mennonite Voluntary Service participants, Young Adult Volunteers, and even the founders of DOOR. In the lives of how many people has the Purple House been the set for even a brief scene?

Last week, I ran into a woman who lived here nearly a decade ago as a housemate for a newly paroled convict (“transitional housing” in action!). And recently, Tommy met someone who had volunteered here and painted Alan’s bedroom. My 9 year-old cousin even recognized the soul of this place when she visited for the first time yesterday: “This house is way cooler than I ever thought it could be!” she confided. Come see for yourself.

Praying for the Math Lights to Come On

Two of the Dwellers in the Capitol View house have dived into community ministry. Steve Andrews and Kari Pellegrino (newlyweds as of August 2009) have started volunteering at the neighborhood GED program, a joint project of Covenant Ministries and Capitol View United Methodist Church. Steve saw a sign in front of Covenant Ministries this summer that they were looking for volunteers for their clothing bank. He got talking with the Minister and the Apostle about their desire to start a GED program. Steve had the knowledge and skills to organize the GED program and Covenant Ministries and Capitol View United Methodist Church had the ability to provide the space and resources. God had brought them together and the GED program kicked off on August 17th. Most of the folks who come to the program are local neighbors and some are also from the congregations of Covenant Ministries and Capitol View United Methodist Church.
Kari shared that being involved in the GED program has created a big leveling field. Even when one is the teacher and one is the student, they both are struggling through fractions together. One day Kari and one of her students were working through a lot of math word problems. These word problems were hard for both of them, but they kept struggling through them. After successfully solving several, the woman who Kari was working with looked at the next problem and said “I’m not afraid of you”. This reminded Kari that this program is not just about skills, but also about empowerment. Something like completing math problems can become a way to increase self confidence and feel empowered not just in math skills but in other parts of life as well.
Kari says that she has never prayed so much as she has while working in this program. She prays for the students and for the “light to come on” as they learn math skills. This faith community has become part of her faith community. The folks in the program celebrated her and Steve’s marriage and have supported them as newlyweds. Kari has never been more grateful for the skills someone taught her while she was growing up. For example, the skill of reading a paragraph and understanding what it says. She doesn’t remember learning these things, but now recognizes in a new way what a gift her education has been and the important role that teachers and parents have played in her education. It has been a real joy for Kari and Steve to see the progress their students are making and to see how both they and the student are changed through the process.

Still Glowing from our Fall Event....

It's time to look ahead. This Saturday the local DOOR Atlanta board of directors will convene our annual board retreat. We pray that God will guide our discussion and decisions as we seek to honor God in all that we do. Whether it's a service learning weekend on homelessness or our intentional Christian communities living a call in our neighborhoods, may God guide each step as we learn more about each other, cast the vision for the future and obediently move ahead in faith!

Atlanta Celebration of all that God has Done!

What a night! Thank you to the many that came out tonight to our celebration 44doors.org! As promised we gathered to celebrate God's faithfulness. It was a delightful evening of food, new friends, and FUN! We are excited for the new connections made and the old commitments reaffirmed.

Tomorrow we look forward to our joint worship service as we gather with our partnering churches in praise and worship. We hope to see you there!

Didn't make it tonight and can't attend tomorrow? NO worries! Becoming a part of God's work here in Atlanta, email City Jannan Thomas at jannan@doornetwork.org

Summer Reflections

As I have been reflecting on the summer, we have much to be grateful for. A great staff, groups that had positive experiences, surviving the summer without a cook, finishing the Dwell house renovations, etc. But one group that came this summer still lingers in my mind. They had a really difficult time all week and I (and the staff) have reflected over and over about how we might have made their week better. But even now, four weeks later, they are still on my mind. But all of this thought over the group made me realize this week a new insight into the trio of parables about the lost sheep, lost coin, and the lost son (or prodigal son). This group who struggled so much to see the Face of God in Atlanta is such a small thing compared to The Kingdom of God. But I would rejoice if we were able to hear about how a seed had been sown by their time here in Atlanta, probably more so than groups that seemed to “get it” while they were here. And I can only imagine how much more rejoicing God does when we repent and join (or re-join) the Christian community. And for that small insight, I am grateful, even if I never know the rest of the story with this group.