Silence and Beach

What a wonderful weekend! Take twenty four hours of silence, with the people you live with, add some sunshine and beach and you might calm down enough to listen to God's quiet calming voice.
That's exactly what we did this weekend. Even though it was tight quarters, the Dwellers and I lived together in silence. There was the occasional giggle and the note to communicate. There were still "Hellos" exchanged with strangers.  But the whisper of God's peace was loud and clear over the waves, the seagulls and the silencing of our noisy, busy lives.

Hurricanes VS Tornados

This week we are covered by the clouds of Hurricane Paula. She is blowing on Cancun and looks like Paula is heading toward Havana. You may think those places are so far away. They are in other countries.

Miami is completely tied to our neighbors in the Caribbean, Central America, South America. We are tied economically. Miami was named the capital of South America in a business publication. We are tied by blood. It can't be much of an exaggeration to say that everyone here has family members in a neighboring country. We are tied by weather. We are often reminded by the clouds over head. The same storm raining on us is raining on our neighbors even on another continent. 

Last week, it was a joy to see an old friend from high school. She and her family live in Wichita, not far from where we grew up. The economy has been hard on the aircraft industry and Wichita is the world's leading producer of aircraft. I, of course, encouraged her to move near me. I think most of the groovy people in the world live in Miami and therefore any groovy people not living here, ought to move here.

She responded she wanted no part of hurricane season and would rather deal with a tornado. Even though I pointed out there is no preparation for a tornado. Oklahoma and Kansas have so many tornados it is known as Tornado Alley. Kansas is famous for the tornado in The Wizard of Oz. Tornados have the reputation for taking out one house and leaving another one standing next to it. Often they cut a path straight through a town, destroying everything they touch, but can leave the other side of a street seemingly untouched.  In an awful twist of theology, many refer to tornados as if they are the "finger of God" sticking down through the clouds.

Hurricanes, however, affect the entire county/city/state/region. My mom and dad who grew up with tornados in Oklahoma, lived in Miami during the 2005 season of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.  Like so many who are familiar with tornados, it takes a while to understand just how big a hurricane storm is. It is a giant storm. We had so many that season, they ran out of names and used the letters of the Greek alphabet to name them. One of those knocked out the electricity so that more electric customers in the state of Florida were without power than had power.

In reality every natural disaster has its role to play in shaping our communities. They expose our lack of preparation, our prejudices, our greed. They also bring people together and show off our gifts, talents and abilities to care for one another. Neighbors help each other with shutters ahead of time, or clean up afterward. We grieve together. We celebrate together.  We build together. The shared experience may be the only good thing about a hurricane.

Today let's pray for our sisters and brothers in the Yucatan and the people of western Cuba.

Preparing for Silence

This week in our Dwell program, we are reviewing our living covenants. Each house writes their own rules to live by, but we bring them out once a month or so to review and edit as needed. 
We are also discussing the spiritual disciplines of Silence, Solitude, and Submission. Next weekend we will take a retreat to spend in silence and prayer. Everyone is looking forward to the time. Many have not had such an experience before.

Tropical Storm Tonight- but as yet unnamed

It looks to be a rather weak storm, but the Dwellers are prepared anyway. The shutters have been applied. Help has been offered to the neighbors. The two houses of Dwellers are spending the night together as we have our community day together tomorrow.

If the weather doesn't interrupt us, we'll be meeting our friends at Sembrando Flores.  Sembrando is one of the amazing ministries that truly reflect God's love to a community. They've been serving the migrant farmworkers and others in south dade for decades. They do it cheerfully, passionately and on a shoe string. But it often looks like the parable of loaves and fish. God makes miracles from such small offerings. I am very glad we'll get to sit together tomorrow.

Also we'll be discussing 5 chapters of Foster's Celebration of Discipline. Quite a chunk to conquer but it's very good stuff to start a year together.

You are Invited- Housewarming Parties!

This Saturday Sept. 25, from 2pm- 5pm you are invited to help warm the house of the Dwellers living in the Wesley parsonage in Little Gables. Drop in and meet the new team. Feel free to bring a housewarming item, or a plate of yummy food.

The fun does not stop there! Oh no. The following Saturday, Oct. 2 the place to be is the volunteer house in the Redlands Community Association, 296 St and S. Dixie Hwy, Homestead. We haven't had volunteers in this house for a few years. They could really use some warming. If you'd like they need would love a loaf pan, a casserole dish, and fruits and veggies!

If you'd like more details, email Heidi@doornetwork.org. She'll get you directions or more information about living and serving in Dwell.

Dwell Miami

August 30 marked the beginning of a new intentional community of young adults living, serving, worshiping in Miami. This year we have 7 young adults living in 2 houses, Little Havana and North Homestead. Traditionally we start our year in the fall. It’s funny that so much of our lives revolves around an academic calendar long after we are out of school. But like school, we began with an assigned reading, “In the Service of Life” written by Rachel Naomi Remen. She passionately outlines the very different experience of helping, fixing or serving. Take a few moments to read the passage and think how this impacts the activities you are undertaking in your own life, group, school or church. There is certainly a time to fix. There may be times to help. But I challenge us all to be sure that Service reigns in our hearts and minds as we approach any situation. Let’s be aware of the situation,  our intentions and certainly our impact to ourselves and our brothers and sister.

Re-Launch of our local partner the Lighthouse

Today marks a special new beginning for our local partners, Miami Music Ministries/ the Lighthouse and First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables. They have combined in prayer, personnel and purpose. Today the Community Music School is registering new students. Tonight the Lighthouse will be a special Sunday night service for professionals, young adults, college students, youth, and generally the folks that prefer an evening gathering.
It's one of those God moments where the sum is greater than the two parts by themselves.  God's math is often whimsical.  5 loaves and 2 fish feed thousands. Two adults in marriage become one. A baby becomes King.  The blameless took all the blame.
So tonight dinner is at 5pm, Worship together at 6pm.