Filed under: neighborhood | Tags: Boyle Heights, community, East Los Angeles, fun
I’m increasingly falling in love with our neighborhood. Not just our street, but East LA.
Earlier this week I headed out to do some human-trafficking outreach with my partner in crime – who happened to bring his low-riderish style late-model Monte Carlo with him. Rolling further east on Olympic then I’d ever been…I oozed with happy feelings of being in the right place.
As we stepped into all of the different bus companies specializing in Mexico destinations you could barely tell you were still in the US. Many people may not find these bus stations as charming as I do. But in contrast to your basic Greyhound stations, these seem so much more personal. From the hand-picked paint colors and shiny tile floors you can tell that someone, a real person, put themselves into creating this space and this business. Greyhound, like any other corporate entity, might look “nicer” but has zero personality.
Anyhow…aside from bus station aesthetics…I’ve been meaning to share an awesome East-side blog. I came across it as I was web-surfing for information on Brooklyn and Boyle – an interesting shopfront I saw across from the Post Office on 1st. Evidently Brooklyn and Boyle publishes a quarterly magazine/paper on Boyle Heights happenings and culture. I haven’t been able to come across one of these papers, but hopefully will be so cool one day. Fortunately…the LA Eastside website is much more accessible and a pleathura of information/commentary/opinion is awaiting your perusal! Check it out at www.laeastside.com
Filed under: Sunday Worship, environment, event | Tags: Bible, christian environmentalism, church, community, environment, good earth, worship
Sunday Worship at Restore LA
God's amazing creation, enjoyed by colorful and creative vegetables at the local Farmer's Market
It listed 3 principals of a Christian environmental ethic:
As we discussed, we realized that we all held quite similar environmental ethics – but we also realized that the mainstream church doesn’t seem to embrace caring for the earth as a priority. Many Christians hold to a view that nature doesn’t really matter much because spiritual stuff is more important. We really don’t believe that the Bible supports this, but we do recognize that there are many factors influencing into not thinking too much about the environment. And when it comes down to it, having a Christian environmental ethic doesn’t just effect how “green” you are – but how you live on a larger scale…such as the amount you work/rest and your relationship to “things.”
Adia creatively enjoying a strawberry!
The awesome thing is that God invites us to goodness, to life. Taking care of the earth should bring joy and goodness. And just like other things God calls us to – he doesn’t force us into them, but rather invites us. May God change our hearts and unveil his truth and goodness that we may live as good stewards of his creation.
This week at Inez we’ve been able to have some fun (not to say that doesn’t happen regularly!) But, I think every community needs a little bit of time set aside merely for the purpose of fun. And along with fun – at least in this group – usually comes a little intrigue!
So after our family dinner this week we settled on playing Monopoly. Matt was definitely the leader in wheeling and dealing! Although inevitably not everyone did well in the game – it was a great time laughing together.
Matt and Nate doing business
And this Friday we held our first “Salon” gathering Friday. This was a change from our normal Friday’s with mainly the neighbor kids – which are great too…but different. Our discussion topic was “Communication” – do we communicate less in society today & how has technology effected this. It was a great discussion! And even greater to enjoy a setting with lots of different folks having an open floor to share their thoughts! People, conversation, along with delicious cheese fondue dinner thanks to Shirley, made the night a success! I think these salon nights will continue (or as I like to refer to them…”saloons”)!
Hanging out at the Salon
Filed under: Uncategorized
Hi friends! I just wanted to key you in to a new page added. Now in one easy click you can hook up with the events going on here at Inez…on the sidebar, just click on EVENTS. We welcome you to drop in sometime!
Filed under: event
I just found this and thought other friends in LA might be interested in it. As the LA Consevancy’s website explains,
A truly unique event! Discover five historic sites related to spiritual organizations that took root in Los Angeles in the early part of the twentieth century.
Los Angeles is home to a number of religious sites and organizations, many of which are deeply woven into the city’s history. “City of the Seekers” will celebrate this unique identity and the architecture that embodies it.
This special one-time-only tour offers a rare chance to explore historic religious sites not typically open to the general public.
Getting to know the spriritual climate of our city through the past would definately be interesting!
For more info, go to the LA Conservancy website.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Picked up the book Community and Growth by Jean Vanier, read years ago during Mission Year. Thought this quote was a keeper…
“Community is only being created when they have recognised that the greatness of humanity lies in the acceptance of our insignificance, our human condition and our earth, and to thank God for having put in a finite body the seeds of eternity which are visible in small and daily gestures of love and forgiveness.”
As the weather is slightly rainy, it’s a good day to just hang around the house. This morning Tony, Junior, Maria, and Elizabeth came over to work on homework with Matt. Tony is working on his multiplication.
Kristin, Maria, Junior, and Nate
Just another Saturday at Inez…
We’ve just started reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. This is our first exploration in doing a study together. So far so good!
