Immortalized on Canvas

About 10 months ago I met a great guy named David. He's a semi-pro skater and full-time missionary. David was part of the skate church here in Glasgow (Deeper), and is involved in planting other skate churches all over the world.

Two other friends (Dan & Carter) came over here to shoot some video footage of David's ministry, and we all got to spend some time together while they were here. Dan is a bit of an artist, and he painted this cool portrait of David and I sitting in Tinderbox enjoying some coffee and chat.

Isn't this cool? That's me on the right... I recognize the white cap and maroon sweatshirt. I don't think I've ever been the subject of painting before. I'm stoked! If it wasn't hanging in Carter's house right now I'd have Dan send it to me.

Skate Church Makes the Front Page

Several months ago I was in Tinderbox, a local coffee place near our flat, and I met Dave Reasbeck. He overheard my American accent and decided to engage by asking what I was drinking. It was a Vanilla Icebox and they're awesome! I began telling him what I was doing in Glasgow and Dave responded very enthusiastically. "I'm a missionary too, dude!!!"

Dave has been here in Scotland for the last seven months, and he only just left this morning to return to the States to work out his visa situation so he can stay in the UK indefinitely. Dave is a semi-pro skateboarder who has been working alongside Bob Hill, a missionary-pastor ministering in Scotland for the past 13 years. Together they share the teaching times at Deeper, a skate church planted to reach Scotland's youth culture.

But as I said, I met Dave a few months ago and we hit it off almost instantly. We began meeting together pretty regularly once, sometimes twice a week. Much of our time is spent discussing the Bible, a book we're reading together (Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola), or ministry. But I think the thing we love to talk most about is the shape and shaping of the future church. Not church in the sense of a building or model, but the bride itself... the body of Christ. We can chat for hours about our love for those that don't yet have a relationship with Jesus; how we feel most fulfilled and most utilized when submersed in the culture around us, looking to bring Jesus into every encounter we have.

The Lord has really been blessing Dave's ministry. It's not uncommon for 120 young people to show up on a Thursday night to skate the largest indoor skate park in Britain and hear stories about a guy called Jesus. The real reason for this post, though, is to mention that The Scotsman, a Scottish newspaper (obviously) ran a Sunday Edition front page story on Bob, Dave and Deeper. Just thought there might be some interest in a story about one of the young guys I'm hanging with, discipling, coaching, etc.

That's Bob Hill in the center of the picture (above), and Dave is behind him "bustin' some fat air."

Picture of me and Dave at Kelvingrove skate park. Gabrielle in foreground.

Incidentally, our first meeting at Tinderbox was a significant encounter for Dave that made an impact that has stayed with him to this very day. The only thing he orders there is the Vanilla Icebox.

The Oates' Valor

The Oates' Valor is a 12-minute short film written and directed by Tim Thaddeus Cahill (27), an up-and-coming writer/director from southern California. The film was recently selected as one of 11 short-films to show at the 2007 Festival De Cannes. Prior to Cannes, the film was also an official selection at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

I've known Tim since he was about 12 years old. My brother, Patrick McKenzie (27), worked as the Production Designer for the film.

The film is a glimpse into the struggles of fourth trombonist, Boyson Oates, as he flees home following several failed attempts at appeasing his father's militant demands.

To watch the trailer and to find out more about The Oates' Valor and Tim Cahill's other works, visit epistrophe films.

Bye-Bye Christy... for now anyway

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think"

Christopher Robin to Pooh
A.A. Milne, Creator of Winnie-the-Pooh

I remember when I first heard that one of the participants joining nieuCommunities this year was a girl who had half-sleeves on both arms... I thought, "Oh good, a normal person."

Definition: nor-mal [nawr-muhl] - adjective
conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural; serving to establish a standard; approximately average

Ok, so my initial assessment was off a bit. Christy Lynn Scott is definitely not normal. That's not to say she's 'abnormal,' per se, she's just... well, she's special - wait, not in a 'short-bus, touch-me-and-I'll-stab-you-in-the-eye-with-a-fork,' kind of special... just special... to me, Jasheen and Gabrielle.

(and to think... I fancied myself a writer at one point)

Like most of the participants, Christy really didn't know what she was joining when she came to Glasgow this year. And like most of the participants, she had her (un?)fair share of personal and spiritual struggles. Aside from being Gabrielle's babysitter - of which she turned out to be spectacular - Jasheen and I got to know Christy most intimately as we journeyed with her through some of the more challenging times of her stay here. Our love and care for Christy grew more and more as she demonstrated a sincere level of vulnerability and honesty with us. And the one constant that we recognized in Christy, amidst times of loneliness, despair, frustration and even severe nightmares, was her unwavering commitment to find God in her circumstances.

Often times I believe that if we're not experiencing the JOY that we know comes from our wholeness in Christ, we think we're not experiencing God. When in fact, there are so many more ways for us to encounter God's presence in our lives. If life is hard or not-fun... if things aren't going our way or to our liking, we think God is absent. In other words, when we don't see God's goodness in our day-to-day lives, we assume He's absent... because of course, God is all about fun, fun, fun all the time, time, time.

Well I think I can say with accuracy, that the times Christy experienced God's overwhelming goodness while she was here, were few and far between, but that never stopped her pursuit of God, nor did it infringe upon her belief that God was still actively present in her life and circumstances. She intentionally sought out people and places where she could engage God and serve others - two of her highest values - and it was never a mystery that the Bible was a constant source of nourishment that she returned to regularly for strength and comfort.

I think it's safe to say that for most of her stay here in Glasgow, Christy was misunderstood - often times beheld at face-value, when there was so much more beneath the exterior. Jasheen and I were invited to see beneath the exterior, and we were blessed for it.

Christy left this morning, returning to southern California to begin a new chapter in her life. Grad school? Make-up artist to the stars? Aerospace engineer? God only knows. But she didn't leave before joining Jasheen, Gabrielle and I for supper last night at our favorite 'fine food emporium' in town - Kember & Jones (shock & awe - it was Christy's first time). We soaked up our last moments together and talked of plausible times in the near future that we might be able to see each other again. As tears streamed down Christy's and Jasheen's cheeks outside Tennents pub on the corner of Byres Road and Highburgh Road, it was hard to watch them hug and say goodbye. After one tearful goodbye two-and-a-half years ago, Jasheen swore never to get close enough to another participant to hurt like that again -- oh well, two-and-a-half years is a good run as far as personal oaths go, don't you think?

We'll miss you, Christy... and we love you!

James Banez: R.I.P.

It would be so cliche´ to say, "It's times like this that remind us how fragile life really is." But how else are you supposed to react to these kinds of circumstances?
I found out on Friday evening that a friend of mine from high school was in a fatal car accident on Highway 101 in California. I was really better friends with his sister, but we all grew up in church together. James Banez was around the EV Free Fullerton youth ministry for as long as I can remember. He was older than me... 5 years, actually, but he was always on our surf trips and at our summer camps... and like I said, I was friends with his younger sister, Charity. Which is where this tragedy takes a turn for the worse. On the day of his death, James was heading up to Palo Alto to comfort his younger sister. Charity and her husband had just lost their 3-month-old baby girl, Zoe, unexpectedly. James, his brother Allen and sister Sarah were on their way up north from Orange County when their vehicle was struck from behind and sent into the center divide. James (driving) was killed instantly, while Allen and Sarah were treated for abrasions, lacerations and other minor injuries and released a couple of days later. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene of accident before CHP arrived and is still at large.
James (39) is survived by his wife Brenda and three children with one on the way.

What do I say about this? I mean, a family lost a two loved ones on the same day!!! Do I journey down some existential expose´ on life, death, what it all means, why, God, why??? I don't think so. I think I'll just remind myself that His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. And right now, I trust that He is enjoying the company of two of his beloved children...

James Joseph Banez & Zoe Elkington

News Story: http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_124122505.html