I just posted some stuff on Lewminator that you might like.

Lew is very busy

At CCS
At an event with bros...
at a local church tomorrow... check out Lewminator for deets.

JP preached

Last week, JP preached in his home town, at Lakeview UCC. He rocked it out for many minutes, sloshing Kingdom juice all over the peeps there... Go JP!!!

Zach Nailed It: Simple Living Post (click here)

A lot of people hear the words of Jesus and ask, "How do we put this into practice?"

i am always hesitant to go farther than telling what Jesus says, but Zach has pulled Ron Sider's List. Read this post of his and you'll hear some good material on how to implement the teachings of Jesus... Love this list.

I spoke to a High School class today. This was the crux of the best questions. "How do we do it?" here is some "how.

Neighbors/Yahoo Group

I was going to write this post about Orientation Concepts like Safety, Hospitality, and whatnot... But after my conversation with Rachel, I want to take a moment to greet.

Welcome to this messy blog. This, along with our Yahoo! Group, is the main way that we connect with info about what's going on in the GrubbyKupp Community. Check out the Yahoo Group: "Grubby_Kupp". Try clicking on the title of this blog.

Our community is often ashamed to use that word for all the pretension that the term has accrued over the years, as Wonderful strugglers have failed forward in Grace, showing their soft underbelly to the world, trying to embody the Master and His sermon on the mount...
But a community is what we are. The word comes from Latin, and means, "Ones who share their food". We are a table fellowship, incorporating preparation, eating, and cleanup into almost all of our scheduled events. Fasting isn't very popular among us. We are eaters... Community.

This blog is written almost exclusively by Lew, whose blog, Lewminator, is a vent for thoughts that have no venue in polite company... I am Lew, and i'm silly, writing in 3rd person... Let's get back to reality...

Yesterday afternoon was spent in a fashion that has become typical. JP runs Daisy (his 400pound energy dog of slobber), kids play in the back yard, Lew yells at kids to get off the cars, a visitor to us for a few days has an Audi and kids are using it as a shelf for their bike inner tubes... oh yeah, we're fixing three bikes--or four... There are bike parts everywhere...

Little D is running around with Seth. Seth has peeledhis shirt and is shoeless... I've seen Seth walk over broken autoglass without picking up a piece. Thank you God for protection and wise design...

Lew is yelling at kids to behave.

a neighbor dad/boyfriend comes to the fence and greets me again as Mr. Ross. I tell him that between us, I'm just old "brotha Lew". It breaks a dam and out pours one of the most healing conversations that I've ever had.

I get a call that tells me that the neighbors have come together to meet about ousting a family--Monty and Maurice's family. You go look through the archives--you'll see these guys. Look at Lewminator and check out my flickr. Look at the Yahoo Group today--that's little J. He's their little nephew... Tina, the mom, our friend, works day in and day out at Kroger for the lowest wage.

What is the minimum wage? ...and what is a living wage? Tina is a hard worker, and with a little time, and a little help from some of you, she may work for 9.00 starting at our thrift store... That is, if she doesn't get her housing revoked. The neighbors hate them because the kids have, for example, shot out car windows in front of their house, from the porch, with a BB gun. Stolen stuff. Broken stuff.

They are our neighbors and we want to keep them. They are hated on all sides, but we really really love them. We are really afraid to lose them because these boys aren't ready to go out there yet. They need to be discipled more.
They were baptized under compulsion by the local small mission church, but have no discipleship. Calvinism says just do it and let God deal with the mess.
Well He's trying, but we all have to work all the time, and these guys just get scraps. And they are hated. But we love them.

and then I had to stop and yell at some kids to get off the ROOF of the neighboring storage buildings, again. If they fall through those old tin roofs, they're gonna get cut up bad.

The Chase House is surrounded--surrounded on two sides by buildings that could be condemned with a phone call. Three buildings like that. Dangerous. And the kids are always climbing.
The playground is risky, though nice. We hope to inhabit it and displace the drug trade from that corner--the same corner where we held a funeral two nights ago.

I went into the house and did family, yelling at my own kids and having the best Bible time in a long time with my 11yr old. He got mugged last winter pretty bad. We engaged, forgave, preached, forgave, loved and loved. That's our formula. And I spent yesterday afternoon watching him pump up the bike tires of the boy who mugged him. My 11 year old is a profoundly effective missionary of Christ's love.

and i love life.

in recent days we've had a funeral, taken knives off the street, heard shots, seen the news...

and we love life.

we're in debt, out of time, behind schedule, over par, a day late, a dollar short... in over our heads...

and we love life.
because He who named Himself LifeItself, has loved us and through us, almost accidentally, is loving our neighbors into the Kingdom of Heaven.

that healing conversation included comments about how we aren't any experts, telling people like they don't know. heck, we all know about Jesus enough to believe. the bro said that we SHOW love, so people KNOW love, and it's changed his whole perspective on life.

i told him that he already has more Jesus than most pastors... he is not far from the Kingdom of God.

do you know how much we love you?

Tell the Truth.
Say your prayers.
--Bonhoeffer.

Challis Family Located

We have been contacted by Chris Challis' family. A sister in Law found Zach through his Xanga. Behold the power of Google. And Praise The Lord! Chris has a brother who is close to death, himself, in a nursing home in Fairfield. Our prayers for his healing and comfort in the Father's love.

There will be a burial for Chris' body, now. How will it be paid for? Do you know? These dear ones will need help. These are not people of means. Get in touch to help out. It costs 760 dollars for a cremation. What will a burial cost?

1325 Chase House

The Rosses are almost done purchasing the next Chase House. Our community is starting to split the seams. We have a lot of folks on the line to move in, and the next house houses about 11 souls.

If you've followed the story, you know that we felt that the Lord was pleased that we try to buy that house a few months back (like 4), but it was reposessed by the bank... Well it popped back up and now here we are with it under contract.

Thanks for praying.

Challis Funeral was Blessed

Gathering
Silence
Song
Prayer
Silent Procession
Hymns
Prayer Circle on Chris' corner
Preaching
Back home
Rejoicing

quick rundown. Thanks to all who came.

memorial for Chris tonight...

tonight, we'll meet at 1320 Chase for a time of contemplative prayer, worship, and intercession for our world.

We have been prayerfully considering how we might do a public memorial in the form of a streetlevel vigil. With a slogan or sign, and a watch through the night, to show solidarity with all the families and churches who are losing loved ones to gunfire in the city.

Ten youths were shot this week. Yesterday, a grandmother was hit with a stray bullet and died, at a bus stop in Avondale, near the zoo...
We have shelved the idea of a public protest. We'll do what the Spirit tells us, tonight. We know that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, and that prayers in secret speak loudly to the spiritual rulers of evil.

That is more important than making a public display. Let the public display be our love for one another, our disdain of this world's pleasure, and our faithfulness to follow Christ.

...we may be led to do something public, yes, but we'll be focusing on being hidden, in secret, until the Spirit gives us the next moves...

Wednesday Memorial for Chris Challis

We invite anyone who wants to to come to 1320 Chase on Wednesday night at 7pm for a time of remembrance and prayer around the passing of Chris Challis from this world.

Dinner will not be served, and we encourage you all to fast this week, according to your conscience and discretion.

Chris Challis' Passing

Yesterday, Zach and Lew were able to visit Chris Challis in the
hospital around 10:30AM. His nurse told us that since his condition
was worsening, and his wounds were fatal in nature, his care was
being restricted to the present level. That meant that there would
be no increase in any medication.

Around 6pm, I (Lew) got a phone call from the hospital. Chris' body
was totally shutting down. He was dying. They had put him on a
morphine drip and taken him off all the other drugs and feeding and
whatnot. His ventilator was put at a low level, and they were
waiting for the end.

At 8:01Pm, Chris' earthly life ended. His body is being processed
through the County Coroner's office. Details about how our
community will memorialize his life will be arranged on Monday.

Thank you all for praying for Chris after he left our community, and
as he was leaving this world. Please pray intensely for the coming
days, as we have an opportunity to honor the Lord in the way his
life and death are remembered.

Chris Challis update

Zach and Lew went to see Chris on Tuesday. He is very sick. The doctors say he is dying. He has had 4 operations: one for the initial liver repair, and three for necrotic fasciitis--a decay of the tissue of organs and whatnot inside him.

The doctor said that a person can survive with 20% liver function. Before being shot, Chris' liver was below 20%. Now, there is almost no hope that Chris will recover liver function. He is dying.

At this point, I want to make it clear that we are praying, trusting and believing that God is able, and has changed His mind in the past. We are reminded of Hezekiah's illness, when the Prophet Isaiah walks in and says, "Thus saith Yahweh, you're gonna die, so get things ready brah." and Hezzy turns to the wall and bitterly weeps. God says to Isaiah, "Scratch that, I'm giving him another 15 years to tread dirt."

what is that? That is our hope for brother Chris. That's what.

Chris was also involved in some really dark stuff--drugs and whatnot--at the time of his shooting. We had let him know that any time he wanted to return fully to Christ, we would be here for him in radical ways to help with his whole life. He turned us down. That was January. This is now. Now we're known as the church that gets mixed up with bad sinners... not bad, eh?

...so the doctor said that Chris' liver was below 20% before the shooting--that he'd have died of liver disease sooner or later was the implication. Now... he's really sick. He's unconscious, so there's no talking with him, but we've talked to him, knowing that people's spirits are often very active at this time. We've preached to him, assured him of our love and the Love and forgiveness of Jesus...

We're simultaneously preparing for his departure and for his return to us. We are able to hold the two in our hearts and minds at the same time.

may the peace of Christ rule in the hearts of the repentant.

Update

I finally got through University Hospital's protective privacy measures to see Chris Challis, yesterday. He is in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. He was the reicipient of one gunshot Wound to the belly. His liver was lacerated (shot up). He is unconscious, with many tubes, IVs and all manner of monitors and whatnot. They are taking great care of him there. Their privacy policies have been fair, and their protectiveness is really a sign of the excellent care that they practise there.

Now, a number of our poeple are on the list there, able to visit Chris. Adam Waters of the Orchard, up in Maineville, and I prayed over Chris for healing and restoration. We're asking that he be restored to Christ, above all-- that he would fully surrender to Jesus' winning love and call. What I mean is that Chris turned back to the drug world, and his apartment became, once again, a center of evil in our neighborhood. We were forced out of his life, and have been praying ever since for him to turn back (or maybe for the first time, really) to christ and follow.

All of this makes us all think of our lives and how we sin daily in many ways, not all small ways, either. Romans 2 was on the table this morning in our community. Read it and pray mercifully and thankfully for all of us and for Chris.

When the News 12 guys were here, they asked me if I'd say a few words about the Prodigal Son. I was stymied. I literally was at a loss. I tried to see an angle on it, but all I could say was somethign like;

We don't see Chris as a prodigal at all. We see ourselves as prodigals--all of us--coming home, together.

I'm nobody's father! They're not my sons! I'm the brother who has a choice to rejoice at the lavish love the father has for the prodigal. Luke 15... what?

Chris Challis Shot on Blue Rock

Chris Challis, our houseguest last winter for two months-- the brother who lost his legs 8 years ago, who moved into our neigborhood, whose place was getting robbed, who Crossroads helped with his rent...

...was shot two nights ago in Northside. He was hit in the abdomen, and is in critical condition at University Hospital.

There was a thing on channel 12, last night, where Lew and Zach were interviewed, too. This is such a sad time for us all. Let's all pray a lot for Chris' recovery, and that we can reconnect with him.

Last winter, just after he moved into his new apartment, while the local street crowd was busy robbing and harassing him, he gave into the pressure and invited some people from the neigborhood to move in with him. He was soon pulled under a current of peer pressure and "old ways" of living.
It was very hard for us, but he hasn't wanted to be around us fo the last 4 months. We have been waiting and praying for him to draw near again.

Please join us in praying that we can be of service to Chris in his healing and convalesence, as well as in his full return to the life of Kingdom and Christ...

written quickly on pda. please forgive weaknesses and faults...

Newsletter!!!!

Hey! Our guys, Smitty and Zach, have gotten a bunch of us together and produced a pretty nice newsletter! It's cool. I'm sending it out to people.

I like the newsletter because there are so many perspectives in it. I'll see if I can get some of its articles in here...

More thoughts on Jubilee

Jubilee has been on our minds in the chase house community. Weve been at table scheming how to live out the reality that Jesus is the Jubilee, incarnate.

If you are unfamiliar with the Jubilee, throw down a good thorough search of the Old Testament. It's there to show you How God wanted his post empire (post-egypt) children to live.

The Jubilee included the freeing of slaves, canceling of debts, and restoration a all lands to their assigned families.

In our meeting the other week, we brought up the concept of the interest free loans tha Jesus told us we ought to be giving. I was delighted to hear that a local christian group is doing that very thing. I mean, who would do tha? Interest free? Awesome. What a testimony to the truth that we really believe in Jesus. Let's "all the more" that one, everyone!

Anyway, this question gets raised about the cancelation of debts and interest free loaning. I was postulating that Christian churches should get busy about the relief of the people's debts. I was saying that it is imperative that we remove the blockage that is hindering mission among the young disciples around us.

For example:
one couple inour goup represents 80,000 dollars in debt! Why? School. Plain and simple.
Another young missionary with us has 30,000... school again... school
school
school
school
school

and what is being done with all the schooling?
well, some good stuff, but overall, it woul dhave been greater for these youngsters to have spent time in international mission, or in service in america, somewhere, or in work in the workforce... but instead, they get put in four year college, and they emerge with tons of debt... and a degree in communications or PR or, french...

this is a limited medium, and I have limited time... I'm not trying to shame the GREAT intentions of parents who urge their kids to go to college. Thank God for the love of parents that has spurred them o urge us to go to shcool... thank s to our parents, too. Love ya mom and dad.

I'm just remarking about the idea that now, the church is ina bind. Workers to the field--godly disciples who are worthy of their keep-- are hindered by causes that simple obedience to th eteaching of Jesus could solve. dissolve.

soo... the question about loans, debt relief, and whatnot was... WHAT IF A PERSON IS IN DEBT BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN FOLLY? WHERE DOES PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY COME IN?

great question:
In the meeting, I pulled out 1 Timothy 5 and discussed that there are leadership issues at work there. Godly overseers are to administrate which people get what kind of hlep... help...
But later, I was ruminating on the Jubilee--our example. You know what? Here's a dangerous beauty: ALL debts were canceled for citizens.
ALL citizen slaves were freed...
ALL lands were returned to the inheritors...

Within the Community of Israel, relief was unconditional--everyone got relief. No exceptions.

From the fool to the sage, everything got set straight. everything for everyone.

There were no exceptions. All citizens.

How does this inorm our administration of love within the body?

Are citizens possibly an image for baptized disciples? OOPS! did we go and baptize a whole lotta people who aren't disciples? OOPS! did we go and let the church become a den of snakes and wolves in sheeps clothings because we were afraid that we'd lose the building? or our staff positions? or our influence?
and now we can't live jubilee because things are so messed up?

Well, let's table together and work it out! all together. because Jubilee is for Jesus, for us, for the world to see.

JN 17.

again, limited medium, limited time. some statements are weak, unexpanded... so try to complete them in the comments. do you hear what I
m scratching at, here?

For What Its Worth

I'm so happy to be back on the blog after a long hiatus. You see, I have lost the normal use of my portable computer. I'm blogging this out at the Sidewinder from my PDA--a fairly ancient iPAQ Pocket PC. iT'S A neat trick, with a little folding keyboard and tiny, tiny keys...

Well, John and Prari are married and honeymooning in WV. The wedding was really fun. They told me ot make it fun, so I started out with "Maahwedge...Maahwedge ids wha bhings ufs twogedbvah twodaay... aaand whuv! Tvhruuh Whuv!"
--
From the Princess Bride Movie... It was really fun to preside with Adam Waters of the Orchard, over that wedding.

I'm really liking this church. In this experience of church,there's such an emphasis on truth, scripture, prayer, healing... all the main things occupy center space. It's church as it ought to be.

As a leaderservant in the church of Jesus--the bride of Christ-- the body of christ, which is in the world but not of it-- the pillar and foundation of the truth-- the proclaimer of God's manifold wisdom to the rulers of the heavenly realms--
...let me try again--as a brother in the Lord whose life is consumed in the work of the Gospel, whose earthly substance is occupied in the work of teaching and preaching the Truth about Jesus from the Scriptures, and from the leading of the Spirit...

I have to say how great it is to be a part of this local experience of church. In our meetings, the Word goes out clearly, and there's a wonderful give and take and sharing in spiritual gifts. It really builds us up. I mean, I'm the "pastor", and I'm getting so much out of sharing in this mutual encouragement.

Then, during the week, there's prayer with each other, and a constant, godly scheming in prayer and counsel together about how to more fully serve Christ in His kingdom, while we sojourn this temporal empire...