An observation today: (from a traveling weather man!)

In San Fran, every day has everything in it-every mood turns up eventually if you wait or walk. Originally, i moved here from Boston, after attending art therapy grad school.

In Boston, you knew in the morning if you looked out the window and it was dreary, the whole day would be dreary. There was a certain predictability there on the east coast. It’s the same in Texas. You kind of know what you’re going to get each day.

In San Fran, you wake up seeing the sun, then a storm, then fog, an unexpected rainbow, then a gorgeous sunset then…everyday contains all the moods.
And it changes each neighborhood. Micro climates micro cultures, all conjoined in a small geographical distance.

If it’s foggy here, walk up two blocks and its sunny and pleasant. For those not from here, it takes some getting used to-so many seasons in one day. So many tones in one painting simultaneously.
And you sort of get used to having all the moods in one day, though winter is rarely felt, as i know it in my bones from boston and chicago and other cities i know inside.

The variability of mood each day, is an acquired taste. But once you have it in you, you sort of get used to an every-season-in each day mentality.
Normal day to day predictable weather becomes sort of boring.

Having said that, when i’m here, i always carry clothing for all sorts of weather. I do the same spiritually and culturally. You just don’t know from one block to the next, what internal and external shifts may occur. So you wear a costume ward on your body to be sure, and carry several translation of the bible.

I like that about this city. And yet, at times it can be disorienting. For me, it’s natural—i love changing costumes often during the day depending on the circumstance and what’s needed. I have a theater background.

There’s a forced fluidity to the mentality here that i’ve come to appreciate. But, then again, improvisation is my favorite medium in all the mediums.

Still, it takes a bit to get used to when you first come here. At first, it’s like having mood disorder. Nice thing about the mood disorder here, is if you don’t like the mood of the place you are, walk two blocks and it will shift, or wait less than an hour, and the whole tone will be different.

I like dealing with the whole personality of a place in one day. That way, you can choose which part is yours to bless, and know which parts bless you the most. Just a long thought in a moody city today from a traveling weather man! I learn lots from weather in places, as I go!

What is your story? Why are you interested in the topics you’ve been drawn to?

In my case the intersection of art and religion. That is where I have lived. Why. My mother is an artist my dad a minister.

All my life I’ve tried to see how art and spirituality can conjoin in Christ, or are already together in Him. I’m interested in where art and spirituality come together in an authentic way.

I’ve quested after that integration in myself and others, and the church.
I have blind spots or wounds also, where i felt rejected by the traditional church, yet i was also validated both as an artist and minister. So I’ve tried to live them as one.

My mentors have been those who have integrated their creativity with their faith in an authentic way and expression of their relationship with God.

When i was a kid, my dad used to have many artist and thinkers over to the house to do bible study and question and answer nights. Several of the artist who came, impacted my life. Noah was one, who i really liked, and who later killed himself.

I always wanted to know why Noah could not find a context for his art in the church. He was not making “Christian” art, but just making art. And I really liked his art.

When he died, i vowed to find a place for artist in Christ. I wanted to see how the church could expand its roof to include the arts, and haven and mentor the artist to be themselves and explore God through art.
That’s been my life’s theme.

I studied at Labri and other places to try to find this integration point. I also became an art therapist and worked with homeless in and outside the church, largely to experience the place where God heals people through creativity.
I’ve also always had favor in both the art and church world.
That’s been my journey.

I still work with people who are trying to help integrate art and spirituality. And have help run communities focused on that integration.
I really enjoy working with artist who desire to bring those parts of their lives together under one roof.

Giving people tools to help them bring those parts of their lives under the one enormous Roof of Christ is my passion.

I don’t like art as propaganda for God. I prefer just helping artist find and meet and be formed by God through their creative process.

My core passion is to integrate creativity and spirituality in an authentic way, which honors the unique identity of each person, and gives God room to express Himself through the uniqueness of how each person is made, and to help them integrate their creativity into their authentic spiritual relationship with God. .

The spiritual practices of prayer and making art with God–ie listening to God as you create, and responding to one another through art, are my three of my favorite practices to bring the integrate art and spirituality! This is one way in which we bring more of our stories together.

Reading cities through the letters again. It’s a good way to pray for cities as well!

Reading Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as a letter written to this city today! Helpful way of reading, and very applicable. San Fran and Corinth are very similar on many levels (both strengths and shadows!). The multiculturalism the openness to spirituality, but also the sensual carnality of Aphrodite (goddess of the seafarers or sailors) worship etc. Also, i like applying the letters to today’s cities, as we often have most of the same issues or problems, and basic needs.

To them, Paul preached the foolishness of Christ crucified, and that Jesus was both the power and wisdom of God! He was speaking to Jews, Greeks, those seeking signs and wisdom, and he chose to preach The Cross-the foolishness of God.
He asked them to work on purity, unity and told them that God would use the weak and lowly in that “high” city. Interesting analogous message for this city.

And it has the same history of carnality and quick money speculation, but also has the whole spiritual gift package. So, Paul was teaching them how to move in the spiritual gifts in order. So similar to here really. Cool looking at 1 Corinthians as a lens to look at the particular city through anyway. Each city has her gifts and shadows, and you can usually see them most clearly in the church of that city.

Serving the poor, going low and using spiritual power well, as well as working on unity and purity all seem still essential here for the city to become healthier.

The way of the Cross, in short.

Turns out, the letters of Paul are still helpful in looking at cities! At least for me. Lots hasn’t changed about the nature and needs of cities.

A little nature and marriage poem for you today! (from my front porch heart to yours!)
The possum in our front yard lumbers into hiding this morning as slow as a turtle crawls, nearly on his belly by night’s light. Then, blue birds gather and swoop for cat food-today’s hunt, just for them. Now, two doves noisily make love on a branch up above us, fresh yellow columbine flowers say yes again beside us… and we agree with yellow for the first time in a while; your left hand slips into mine, so naturally, and then within, we somehow know again, we are already one.

Learning to say yes…
To say yes again today is hard.
But what other word is worth saying repeatedly.
Life is a gift, yes, a choice.
Yes gets harder as you go
but more essential…
So yes
today to bird songs at dawn, people’s faces
squirrels scurrying, clouds gathering
and the gift of beholding life!
Yes to my blood showing and mapping through my veins and yours,
my eyes, my unseen heart pumping,
my sunned skin, kind words,
and to You again
Friend. Yes,
to another
Day here!
For our yes
softens things
which are hard.
So, I say Yes to You again today!

Pipe dreams….
Had a dream that my life was symbolized by a long glass pipe called identity. People gathered around different sections of the pipe which ran up hill on a long slope through time.
Inside was white yellow and blue gases or fluid fuels of some kind.
Each person was interpreting the pipe in their own authentic language, but basically around the theme of God highlighting identity through my life.
I was having an endless birthday party, and everyone i ever knew who helped me along in life was there.
Each standing nearby different sections of the pipe. I was talking about symbols and interpreting them. And also curious where the pipe stopped. It stopped at a local pub called Crown and Anchor. In the dream, i immediately thought, oh my pipe is now at a place of crown (authority) and anchor (grounding into solid things of God, and people). The dream was a good central theme reminder for me. But also had this aspect of everyone interpreting symbols in their unique languages.
The pipe was glass, i.e. transparent, so you could see clearly what was on the inside. Yet it was also strangely beautiful—a sort of beveled rare glass, and the colorful fluids inside made it glow in beauty.
I like dreams which remind us of who we are. And especially with friends with eyes to see and creativity to express it! Almost all my life long friends were there, starting at childhood. Nice party. Odd mediation, but fun also. And we were eating french food. My wife was teaching how to really make proper rues. Nice dream. Thankful for those who have helped me interpret and live the symbol of my life! Thanks friends!

A little nature and marriage poem for you today! (from my front porch to yours!)

Already One
The possum in our front yard lumbers into hiding this morning
as slow as a turtle crawls, nearly on his belly by night’s light.
Then, blue birds gather and swoop for cat food-today’s hunt, just for them.
Now, two doves noisily make love on a branch up above us,
fresh yellow columbine flowers say yes again beside us…
and we agree with yellow for the first time in a while;
your left hand slips into mine, so naturally,
and then within, we somehow know again, we are already One.

Doing stuff with Him in my day: (what brother Lawrence was talking about!)

Watering my plants with Him
taking out the trash with Him
talking with my wife with Him
talking to strangers with Him
changing the filters with Him
fixing the sewage line with Him
talking on line with Him
studying creation with Him
reading a book with Him
riding my bike with Him
getting a coffee with Him
drinking some wine with Him
listening to french jazz with Him
listening to klezmer punk music with Him
listening to that great b-side billie holiday with Him
eating lunch and dinner with Him
traveling to other lands with Him
getting allergy shots with Him
going to counseling with Him
sleeping with Him
waking with Him
sitting in traffic with Him
cleaning my shoes with Him
wearing a new hat with Him
making new art with Him
taking photos with Him
mending my garden with Him
talking to friends at the pub with Him…
In short,
doing everything with Him

What hawks teach:
Watching as communion…

Today again, i watched a hawk
from my backyard,
knowing Jesus
sees every hawk, and me
watching this one in awe today.
Each of us, caught up, squawking together in this seeing daily!
All of us being watched over
as we are watching well…that is,
in communion. Hawks know this already-how to watch for things,
while waiting.
We are still learning to watch well.
To see God in everything,
as we too are seen.

Thoughts from an urban monk today:

We are never alone.

The more i go into alone
the less lonely i become
The more i dance in pain, the stiller i am in Joy.
Some fear being alone
but they have not yet
gotten to the bottom of this dark well
where the blooming begins-where color comes from.
When there, in dim water
we stand up and look towards Sky
our faces come clear
His Face lights on us, and
We are with all that is living in Him;
and we are never alone. For low
He is with us always
even til the end.

For, We are never alone.