thirty.first..

this is a glimpse of whats going on in a small church community in santa monica california.. i have a had the pleasure of growing closer and closer to my oldest brother sea.. this is something he did with his community recently and i thought i would share it with any reader that i may still have since my 4 month blog leave..



A few days ago, I ran into a friend who asked me a question. He asked me, "how are you doing?" Usually, I politely answer with my default answer; "I'm fine" or I bring the conversation back to the other person by responding with "Good, and you?" hoping for an answer that wont cost me anymore of my time... this time though, I actually thought about the question and my answer. As I attempted to respond honestly... I sensed that this friend didn't have time for the truth.

How can you tell if someone really wants to know how you're doing? I have such a hard time answering this question because the honest truth is that, sometimes... I am not doing good... I find it difficult to be vulnerable to such a default greeting such as "how are you," when my honest answer is going to cost you more than what you have to give.

Throughout my life I have tried to practice the beautiful art of communicating to those who have ears; the condition of my soul. I'm still learning. I've found that there are not enough venues, or gatherings, where people, friends and families can engage in free conversation, embracing our brokenness. There are gatherings that do exist such as Alcoholics Anonymous that paint a beautiful picture of people coming together and embracing each others wounds... somehow, someway, compassion forms when a group of people communally admit just how wounded they... we are.

This Monday, I would be honored to have you, members of this body, as guests in the comfort of my home. Join me and a few friends in an experiment where we will engage in a safe and meaningful conversation. As a student of human communication, I am in awe of the way that music transcends all barriers. In times when my words and thoughts can't find a canvas, I find my soul and my innermost thoughts hidden in a song. As long as I've had breath, I've found music the way in which my soul connects. One of the first questions I ask when I want to know someone is... what is the music you move to?

On this eve, I ask that you bring your ipods with 3-4 songs that will speak for you. If you don't have an ipod, you may bring cd's with your songs of choice. my hope is that the songs that you bring will help me, and everyone else in the room, leave with a greater understanding of who you are... and how you are doing. What is the soundtrack of your life? My hope is that we would let the music say what we cannot. I pray that we may see each other in a new fashion, through the sounds of our existence. Feel free to bring an appetizer to share and if you bring drinks, no alcohol please. Space is limited so if this sounds like something that you're interested in or you have any questions, please let me know. May we find each other in the songs that we bring and may we leave with more reasons to sing.

Peace and Comfort to you.
-sea

seventeenth..

in my last few blogs, i have talked about the idea that scripture has no life without action.. when we do the things the bible says, it is then that it is alive, breathing, living.. there are some friends of mine in santa monica, ca that have really encouraged me in this and have been trying to figure out some practical ways to live out scripture.. heres an example of how theyre trying to do it..

Matthew 25:35,40
-I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink...
-whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

OUR COMMITMENTS:
- we will drink water exclusively for the next 27 days
- we will not purchase bottled water for the next 27 days
- we will take the money we save on beverages we would have purchased and donate it to an organization that gives water to immigrants crossing the border
- we will visit this organization sometime in the next month
- we will attempt to raise money to build a well in a place where there is no drinking water
- we will monitor our own water usage and discuss the impact our usage has on the world
- we will become informed about water issues in our local westside area
- we will meet again on November 8th @ 7PM

cheers!