the dream

As the first post of 2006, I briefly discuss my dream.

This is it...my reason for being, or so I think. I have a desire, but I often weigh if "this desire" is meant to be or just some weird stuff in my head. For some time I have been trying to come up with a plan to make this desire a reality.

Good film makers have a plan. They have a set story & images in mind and go about trying to create it. Sometimes budget and physical resources are limited, so they use any means necessary just to get their film "passable". Or like a song writer/musician who is chasing after "that sound" and trying everything possible to create "that sound" in the physical world of recording, even if "that sound" has never been made, therefore making it difficult to describe with words.

I recently have been inspired by George Muller, who built 5 orphanages in his lifetime. Under his faith, over thousands of children were cared for with no "plan". He just did it.

Somehow, somewhere, some way, I desire to recreate The Table from the old izzy days. My desire is for this to be a set physical community from the poverty culture involving relationship that revolves around a meal and live music. In layman's terms, The Table will be an intimate, high-end soup kitchen with a night club atmosphere for homeless and working poor.

Is The Table a church? Well, where two or more are gathered, etc, etc. I plan to be there. And I pray for Jesus to show up. So sure...it's a church, I guess. Will there be preaching? I don't know. Probably not from me. And if there is preaching, in the traditional sense, it will probably be only on an occasional basis when needed.

I've been pondering this for exactly three years, when izzy got booted out from the host church and The Table had to close its doors. The need for a noon meal was "coincidentally" taken up by our friends at Citylight (Agent S & co.) at that time - a fact I still find entertaining since we didn't know each other nor plan this baton hand-off of sorts. The CEO seems to work that way. So...is there a need right now for The Table and is the need here in the fair mother city? I really don't know about the need for a 3rd or 4th mess hall for the poor. But a community of healing and realness...yes, maybe.

Agent Wife has challenged me on the need for a building. She says if relationship is our calling to the poor, then why do we need a building? In some ways she's right. Relationship is our calling. It's what we've got here on Undercover Lane with Obi-Wan, the Sanfords, and countless others. We're going to develop relationship no matter where we are physically located. But to develop a place like The Table, which could be a respite from street life for one brief shining moment of an individual's existence, a physical location is needed. A practical meeting place. A place "off" the streets.

During The Table's 1-2 year run at izzy, I saw the power of a having a simple meal with an individual. I witnessed those with contemplative thoughts on their lives give deep confessions of sins and requests for God to forgive as they sat at a dignified, home style eating place. I sat with the toughest, crustiest members of our streets who became like prodigal sons, humbly asking only for crumbs while the fatted calf was butchered.

And in other outlets, I've witnessed the power of live music (and not necessarily "christian" music) over the hard-hearted. Street gangsters, fixed income elderly, and everyone in between melting with joy as songs were sung in their general direction.

I want to combine the relationship building qualities of a shared meal with the healing qualities of live music into The Table. It's my dream.

A month or 2 ago, Pastor Hawking challenged me by asking what's holding me back from doing this. I honestly had no answer. "Uhh...money...?" I muttered. I admit, I have eagerly waited for that million dollar check to arrive, even though I'm a firm believer in starting with what you got. And although, I have specific desires for a building, complete with industrial kitchen, stage, and kiosk area for our homeless friends (personalized PO Boxes and lockers, etc), why couldn't some cheap joint be rented out in the meantime?

With Pastor Hawking's challenge and the inspiration of legendary faith guy George Muller, I'm going to investigate what I need to start this dream. And, lord willin' and the creek don't rise, the groundwork will be laid in 2006.

...and of course I find it funny that I ponder taking action on The Table NOW as opposed to that proverbial million dollar check arriving, since paying my own bills is a monthly faith mystery. Hey...it worked for Muller.