Friends,
Several of us will be participating in a conversation concerning the theological implications of current border issues on Wednesday, December 19. This gathering is being graciously hosted by Mission Valley Church of the Nazarene in the “Fireside Room” at 7pm. This meeting is intended to provide us all some time to consider the issues stated above as well as process questions raised by La Posada which will be held the Saturday before at Border Field State Park.

I can’t tell you how important I believe it is for the Church in San Diego to bring these concerns to the forefront. We can’t wait for leaders in ivory towers somewhere to make the call. WE represent the Body of Christ in this place. It is up to us to reflect and act together in unity. I hope to see you at La Posada and the reflection meeting the following Wednesday.

Please shoot me an email if you plan to attend either. It will certainly help with logistics to know.

LA POSADA
December 15
Border Field State Park
3:30pm

REFLECTION/CONNECTION GATHERING
December 19
Mission Valley Church of the Nazarene (Fireside Room)
7:00 pm

- Jason

Richard Rohr from Jesus’ Plan for a New World via Inward/Outward:

“I hope you’ve met at least one Kingdom person in your life. They are surrendered people. You sense that life is OK at their core. They have given control to Another and are at peace. A Kingdom person lives for what matters, for life in its deepest sense. There’s a kind of gentle absolutism about their life-style, a kind of calm freedom. Kingdom people feel like grounded yet spacious people. Whatever they are after, they already seem to be enjoying it - and seeing it in unlikely places. Kingdom people make you want to be like them…. Kingdom people are anchored by their awareness of God’s love deep within.”

God, make us those kind of people. Amen.

On Saturday, December 15, the 14th Annual La Posada will be held at Border Field State Park from 3:30 to 5:30pm. If you’re interested in going with us please get in touch. Click on the image to see a larger version of the flyer. Hope to see you there.

Make Something Day is almost here! Hope your plans are coming together. We decided to share with everyone a list of folks that have been talking about MSD on their own websites (in no particular order):

Brooke at Fire and Flowers shares ideas for making gifts here, here, here, here, here and here, with more ideas coming

Jason Barr at An Absolution Revolution
Jason summarizes the idea of MSD really well!

Jon Hall
Jon just visited SD w/ a group from NieuCommunities

A Heretic’s Guide to Christmas

Eliacin at Kingdom Praxis

Beth at Sunlight and Shadows

Joel wrestles with the meaning of Christmas

Julie at Lone Prairie offers help with gift ideas

Christine Sine spreads the love

Emergent Village spreads the love

Did we miss anyone?

“At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin of Sasha [Alexander Berkman], a young boy, took me aside. With a grave face, as if he were about to announce the death of a dear comrade, he whispered to me that it did not behoove an agitator to dance. Certainly not with such reckless abandon, anyway. It was undignified for one who was on the way to become a force in the anarchist movement. My frivolity would only hurt the Cause.

I grew furious at the impudent interference of the boy. I told him to mind his own business, I was tired of having the Cause constantly thrown into my face. I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from conventions and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement should not be turned into a cloister. If it meant that, I did not want it. “I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody’s right to beautiful, radiant things.”

Emma Goldman, 1934

If you’re not feeling so creative and need some help with coming up with things you can make instead of buy then click here. For the next however many days until the 23rd, Brooke is posting one gift making idea a day on her blog, Fire&Flowers.

Wow! We had no idea that Make Something Day would take off as it has. Several people have been posting about it on blogs. Thanks for getting the word out! Mike Morell recommended we start a Make Something Day facebook group, which you can now join here. People are already sharing ideas with each other there. And Deborah from the Bridge in Portland emailed us to say that they are preparing for their own Make Something Day party. Are you? If you are, please let us know and we’ll help get the word out. Go to the Make Something Day page, join a group and share your ideas, photos and party info. Let’s get as many people out of the malls on the 23rd as possible!

If you’re in San Diego consider yourself invited to the Hawthorn House for Make Something Day. We’ll be creating gifts for the holidays and enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers. If you live somewhere else or want to stay home with your loved ones, host your own Make Something Day party. We encourage you to get your church involved, your friends, your co-workers and family members. (We used Evite.com but do whatever works for you to get the word out.)

Resist the urge to buy more stuff for people that already have enough and instead, hang out with people you love, make gifts that really mean something and give away a piece of your heart rather than a piece of your paycheck. You can visit our webpage devoted to Make Something Day for ideas and resources.

Help us promote Make Something Day! Put a MSD button on your webpage. You can dowload the icon below and link it to ecclesiacollective.org/makesomethingday/ or your own webpage devoted to MSD.

The house right next door to the Hawthorn House has gone up for rent. It’s a three bedroom house with a garage. I know the owner. He’s a nice guy. If you’re interested in renting the place, please let me know asap and I’ll pass along the info.