Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the tragic murders in Cleveland, Chicago, and now Ft. Hood. Why and How? What could have made a difference?

What if instead of a local liquor store, bar, pawn or gun shop on the corner, there would have been a church there instead.

I'm writing while sitting in "The Living Room" on a busy street in urban Portland, participating in a discussion on Compassion and Mercy reflecting on Isaiah 58. "Living Room" is a comfortable coffee shop atmosphere run by our ministry partner Community of Adsideo as a place for neighbors to come, talk, share, and just hang out together. Adsideo in Latin means "to sit, stand, or be at one's side". The Living Room is probably what the gospel writers had in mind when over and over again they recorded Jesus "reclining at table" just eating dates and drinking lattes with those hanging out on the corner.

When I shared my reflections on Is 58 to the group, the following phrase jumped out of my mouth without really thinking about it:

"What if there had been a house church like this "Living Room" next door to that crazy man in Cleveland? 11 women at last count might still be alive."

Ever since the news broke of these hideous acts of shear evil, I've been thinking about what those neighbors must be feeling. How could they have not seen or heard or suspected something strange was going on, next door? What kinds of feelings of guilt, shock, horror must they be going through?

But in the same breath, I ask myself could that kind of thing or similar things be going on right next door under my nose? We think we know who and how our neighbors are, but do we really? Our whole community turned out recently to a forum at the local junior high when we were informed that a registered sex offender had moved in the neighborhood. Yet every night a girls worse nightmare in our community is getting slapped, beaten, abused and worse by some of the same fathers, brothers, step-brothers, step-dads, uncles, neighbors standing in the back of that gym or sitting on the pew next to you.

So what if there were a house church on every corner? Well, for one thing, we'd probably know our neighbors a little better. Maybe one new "house rule" for every church is to rekindle the idea of doing "house visits" whereby church members and neighbors think nothing of coming over for a spot of tea, borrow a cup of sugar, where the norm is welcome inclusion not awkward isolation. We don't use our front porches anymore just the garage door opener. It would be nice to live in a neighborhood where we didn't have to lock our doors, not because we were worried about who would break in, but because we weren't worried or ashamed of them "knowing our business" and seeing all our sin when they walked in.

I was on the Southside of Chicago last weekend driving around the "hood" with an urban partner Pastor Dave. As we drove by nearly a church on every corner, mostly closed up during the week, I remarked "Isn't it amazing how many churches you find on the Southside yet it still is one of the highest areas for crime and poverty. It makes one wonder if the church as a whole is really making any difference?" This new church plant on the Southside had 80 in service that Sunday where they meet in a local elementary school. The strange and sad thing is each person had to buzz the security guard to let them in at the front door, boarded up with thick black metal bars.

Maybe we don't need a "house of Worship" on every corner which is pretty much what you find on the Southside, storefront properties buzzing with activity on Sunday morning but pretty much empty and those same corners taken back during the rest of the week by drug dealers and gang members. Maybe what we need on every corner are places like "The Living Room" manned by volunteers everyday to "welcome strangers and thereby entertaining angles without even knowing it."

Another one of our partners on the Northside of Chicago has a very simple mission statement, "called to the corner". Their church was birthed after an urban teen was shot and killed on that very corner. So a small band of Christians living together in community, on those blocks, gathered to prayer there everyday until finally they could buy that former liquor store and transform the building into a place of refuge, safety, and sanctuary.

A few weeks ago, you probably heard about the Chicago teen who was beaten and murdered by a group of kids filming the whole thing and posting it on youtube. That young man was pulled off the pavement by two Here's Life Inner City staff and placed inside the youth center until Paramedics could arrive but it was too late. He died in their arms.

In Vancouver BC where I visited recently, prostitution is legal so the ladies of the night stand on the corner church steps cause it's the best place to be seen. So let me ask again, "why not a church or house church or "Living Room" on every corner and in every block?" "Why not?" Instead of larger churches going through expensive building programs, take those same resources and buy or rent spaces, row houses, and foreclosed properties to transform them into "houses of hope" "living rooms of living water" "coffee shop churches" or just "front porch pastors - the priesthood of all believers"

Let's reclaim State Farm's tagline jingle, "And like a good neighbor, Christians are there."

Friends

My heard was deeply saddened when I heard that Rev. Joel Bardwell died in a fall at home this week. He was one of the fittest and finest men of God I've ever known. We worked on many projects together over the years and spent countless hours at the Pastors Prayer Summits, retreats, coffee shops, etc. We will all miss him and pray God's peace and comfort for Wanda and the children.

His passion and heart was to see the body of Christ across the front range be unified in spirit and in truth. He poured his life into bringing pastors together from all kinds of churches and traditions and building bridges of trust and friendship among us. He invited us to see a bit of heaven on earth as we buried our differences to embrace our unity in serving a risen Lord in the context of brotherly love, accountability, mentoring, and great times of prayer with no agenda.

I'll never forget when I first moved to Denver in 1996 and received my first "Joel mail". It was a non discript envelop with a label attached to "Pastor" and another label in the return address simply "Pastor's Prayer Summit". Something about the simple style got me to open this piece of "junk mail". I'm glad I did because in some ways it changed my life and at many times kept me going in the ministry. As a new guy in town trying to start an urban church ministry, I didn't have a lot of pastor friends that I knew nor were there many opportunities that I found to share and prayer together. So when I opened it up the top line caught my eye: "No Agenda - we invite you to just come and pray and worship for three days with other pastors". It was signed by Joel and Dr. Mark Brewer, pastor of Colorado Community Church.

I was hooked and have been ever since. Joel had a way of making everyone he met very special. His prayers were always inspired by the Holy Spirit. His laughter was contagious, his spirit and soul grounded in a deep abiding faith in the Lord Jesus. He was a true mentor to me and many others always having time to dream and download. I will miss him but look forward to that great "Prayer Summit" on high for an eternity with No Agenda but to praise and worship our King.

Dean Cowles

DENVER - Kids living in Denver's projects, in Sun Valley, know it best: Finding a positive role model, regardless of where you live, takes a lot of time and a lot of trust.

Frankly, life in the projects isn't easy.

"It's rough out here," said Paulette Ellerbee, a parent who lives in the Sun Valley neighborhood of West Denver. "It's district 1, some of the roughest communities with the highest crime level here."

With most families in the Sun Valley neighborhood living in poverty, crime and gang-related activity usually comes with the territory, according to parents. Role models are a hard thing to find.

So when Kris Rollerson stepped into this neighborhood as a stranger, promising an afterschool activity that would provide a positive, safe place for kids, it was natural for some parents to be a bit skeptical.

Nine years later, Kris and a team of volunteers have proved the skeptics wrong.

"I just believe that God called me to do this, and you can't say no to your calling," said Kris Rollerson, a volunteer and activity coordinator at Sun Valley Youth Center. "If your calling is to love and serve kids, no other questions asked, then that's what I need to do."

Sun Valley opens shortly after the end of the school day, when students head home from classes. The day begins with a half hour of time to run around in the park or play on the basketball court before the kids settle down for homework and reading lessons.

"This community is so rough, and she has absolutely all the patience in the world with them," said Ellerbee. "I don't know what I would do without her. I've been [in this neighborhood] for two and a half years, and if it wasn't for her, I don't think I would be able to make it."

One of the reasons Rollerson is such a blessing to parents is because many of them dropped out of school themselves when they were younger. At the same time, some parents don't have the confidence to show their children how to read or finish a complicated math problem. Kris is there in their stead.

"Kris and [other volunteers] have helped me with academics," said Annette Espinoza, 12, who's visited Sun Valley for six years. "They've helped me stay out of what other kids are doing at my age right now, with gangs and everything. It's helped me stay on track."

Annette is one of about 60 kids, kindergarten through high school, who visit the Sun Valley Youth Center every week. During the summer, the center opens into a full time day shelter for neighborhood kids.

"It's not just about homework," said Rollerson. "It's about all the life issues they come up with. We're trying to step in and help them wherever we can.

"Hopefully, we can build that relationship with those kids and when there's any life crisis, whether it's something like a fight at home or even boyfriend and girlfriend problems, we can step in and help. That's what it's really all about for me."

The youth center is located near Rude Park on the corner of Decatur Street and West Holden Place in Denver.

Starbucks is a great place (or not so great a place) to learn a lot about human nature and greed.

The greed part was having to pay $3.65 for a latte. That nasty human nature part was sharing a table with a guy in a suit, with a computer and a cell phone. It's always amazing what total strangers will share with you (and those within earshot) while talking on their phones. Not that I was ease dropping but how could I help. He was loud and pretty proud of the way he screwed some folks during his normal business day.

From his many calls in 30 min and the topics he covered, it was obvious he was an attorney of some kind. Mostly it had to do with real estate deals but he took a lot of pleasure describing how he managed to come out on top and make some pretty good money. To one guy he said, "Thanks for the referral, I owe you 5% of the total settlement."

One phrase that really bothered me was when he said to the guy on the other end of the line, "Yea, we really played him like a piano" From the rest of the conversation it was obvious he,"we",they took this poor piano guy to the cleaners and picked his pocket at the same time. I really wanted to ask him, "How does one play someone like a piano?" but he never got off the phone and my phone was ringing that it was time to come home.

So I left him a note on a napkin. It said, "How does one 'play him like a piano'? I hope you can search your heart for a better way."

When I got home it hit me that I should have left my number or card or something. But honestly the fear of confronting a total stranger in Starbucks I think kind of froze my brain. 

I'll keep hanging out at "my other office" not really for a pricey cup of coffee but to learn more why it is that this sick old sinful world needs a saviour. Next time I sit with a loud rich lawyer at my table, I just might ask him to sell all he has and give it to the poor. Or is that line already taken?