Living with people is a crucible... When I say living with people, I don't mean just living in a nice big house with my family... And when i say a crucible, I don't mean for people in general. I mean it for me...



And when I talk about being in a crucible, you might want to drop me a "sorry you're having a tough time" comment on this blog entry...



But I'm trying to describe my joy to you. There is JOY in being in the crucible--being exposed and purified, liquified and skimmed.



In our journey, we have seen "living with" include the passing of Judy's mom after hospice care, the arrival of two beautiful exchange daughters, daily joy with a 3-yr. old, working out the details of a house-church ministry in the inner city, a marriage (i've been thinking that one first, don't worry), three jobs between us, our partner/brother in ministry living upstairs, grandpa living on the first floor, life changes in our living room, HUGE meals with LOTS of people... The best Christmas of my life, this year...



There's a pervasive sense of adventure, risk, and love... I'm constantly being called to change from evil to good...



That's what I wanted to write about. Aversion to change.

Chase House Work Needs: a list



Ministry/1st Floor Life:

Kitchen-

-Wiring in Countertop Range (220v) from box downstairs

-Vent the Range through the floor and out the basement window

-paint the kitchen





Servant Stairs:

-Rip out carpet (miserable light blue, stained to death by asphalt from drive)

-Paint steps 2-tone brown and white, texturize

-paint stairway a light color



Wiring/Electrical:

-Lighting and receptacles need to be installed in the house. It would be fine to run exposed conduit and wire moldings. Whatever it takes to get the place RUNNING with light and power.



Meeting Room:

-build temporary wall between Mtg. Room and Downstairs Hospitality Quarters.

-Paint

-Lighting (i'm thinking track lighting, here.)



Hallway/Dining Room/Atrium:

-Strip Wallpaper

-Paint

-Lighting-- the whole place is running on lamps. It's dark, and not energy-efficient.



This is a list of the First Floor Hospitality Areas that need work. We want you guys to come help out! It's a great way to get into what's going on here! Comment here to get involved!

House Meeting:



Today's house meeting, the second of our special series, was really fruitful... We looked at some of the accomplishments of the year:

-Dining Room useful every day, not totally overtaken with Chaos. Nice 12-top table...

-Meeting Room is developing very well.

-Floors finished, carpets out on curb.

-Normal Weekly Cleaning on schedule for 1st floor.

-Exercise Area established in Basement.

-Bookshelves built in study.

-books out of basement.

-two nice, new wheeled gargabe cans!

-Latches on all bathrooms, bedrooms.

-Common kitchen Progressing: first Stove wired in.

-Banister fixed on servant stairs to first floor...



We are very grateful to all the people who are helping us. Thanks for the time you're putting into the establishment of a house of ministry in a generation that is discovering Jesus in the "unlikelies".

I'd like everyone to notice that Judy's dad, Johannes Weiss, now has a blog. His teachings are solid, Biblical, and Spiritually right-on. Sacred Cow Beef sold here, without money and without cost. Click the link right here, or in the margin, and catch a hardy bite of truth!

First in a While

It's been so long since I've posted here... Most of my free time, my "blog time" is going into wrestling with Seth and Aaron, loving Judy, and leading this small band into battle...



The Rosses have had a great fall and winter. Aaron's homeschooling situation is going well, developing into a household lifestyle of learning... I look forward to seeing how much he learns by the time he's ready for college. He's become an avid reader, polishing off ten chapters of Redwall per day, at least, lately...



Dad Weiss has just arrived for a week visit from his place in CA. I'll fill you in on more, soon...



Lew

Tuesday and Thursday mornings this week, we're having some time of sharing and prayer about the establishment of some Christian Community here in Northside... The last months have seen several people come out with the desire to get into the neighborhood and love Jesus, here...

wanted to share with you this morning:



we're getting a ton done on the house! Dec.10-20th are "work days" here at the Chase House... feel welcome to call and come to work with us...



there's a growing vision for a... a LIFE... not a "ministry" in the sense of "Jesus is coming back... look busy", but a LIFE in the Holy Spirit... Kingdom Come stuff...



Not starting a new church, but BEING the church that Jesus started way back... i don't think it's revolutionary at all. it's "follow-ey"... it's about leaving my good ideas at the door and hitting face to floor, daily... the fallout from that, times all the people doing it... equals Kingdom Come Community...



I look at "our people". They're not "ours" in a possessive sense. We don't derive our identity from them. They're "ours" because they love us (the rosses and JP) and we love them... They take care of us... We are an arena for them to participate in redemptive love... We offer them, not expertise, but vulnerable honesty and humble participation in the King's Life...



We're seen as "out there". I'm seen as "out there"... Well, I love you. Can I come in? Will you care for me? Look at how Jesus was cared for by those rich ladies... Amazing. The guy was a mendicant!



Glutton.

Tabler with Sinners.

Drunkard.

Associate of Rabble...



He was so irresponsible, wasting the Message of God's love on rabble. missing his opportunity with the powerful and influential... Look how he healed that one Centurion's servant. Would've been a great springboard for a jump into the Gentile market... Look how he raised the Synagogue ruler's daughter. Could've really changed things if he mentioned that the day they accused him...



He was a great fool and a weak ruler... Toweling up and washing feet. Soft.



Anyone mind if i follow? Why do I care? Because we're all attached by His love... His love in me needs His love in You! We are called a body. One part hurts... another part grieves...



I've skateboarded for twenty years. This week i literally had to walk with a cane. My feet are just flattened out and stiffened up... They just really don't work well, lately... ( i know that they'll probably get healed and all, no sweat! seriously, i'm not worried--and anyway, weaknesses aren't a bad thing, they're a good thing) and it showed me a real way that when a small part of the body is sore, the whole thing is hurting... my knees, hips, back... all the way to my shoulders! Not too bad or anything, i don't want you sweatin' it. I still go out and skate, too. It makes no sense to stop. There's too much joy in it, as well as hangin' with my son, and rubbin' shoulders with "riffraff"...



Anyway, that's what it's like today. We're spiritually drained, but don't know why. We lack zeal and passion, but don't know a way "in"... The poor remain uncared for... kingdom men and women remain loners... the depressed remain low... wounds remain unbound... AND WE DON'T KNOW WHY.



It's like there's some lost mystery, and we're trying to solve it by showing up at all the available meetings. The meetings are great, but the LOVE is what we crave... the love is out there. in the poor. in giving it all away for the King! The Love is in there. In your heart. You did receive it when you first believed. Tap into it. it'll flow plenty big, no sweat...



Hey, come look at our neighborhood. Move here. Love here... Or visit us and pray with us... or come help us make a difference here... we need lots of help... lots of love... do you love us?



Lew