"I can remember back when I had exited the church, and was getting together for coffee with the pastor. Concerned he would always express the importance to find community, and that it could only really be expressed as "church." I told him, in a profound way, CARTS was my community, and a extremely Un-orthodox Church.

We gather around our meager table, the makings of a small lunch...all of us, the giver and to whom it is given profoundly grateful for the experience of this beautiful and fragile relationship.

In our conversations with, they really aren't much different than the words of the psalmist, the laments, and the praise, the celebrations of life. We question life's tragedies, and lament the loss of life's victims, and we celebrate the victories even if the just seem like a small step forward.

You see I've found community, humble, messy, beautiful, fragile, transparent, forgiving and grateful. It's honor and privilege to be apart of it."

Ron; a part of the CARTS community.

( Thanks to Frank, Laura, ( Dom the chiguagua ), Rol, Normand and Theresa )

These are images from our C.A.R.T.S. community BBQ which happened a couple of Sundays ago. After we had cleaned and packed up, we had served about 275 people. Unlike, a miracle story there were no baskets food to be collected after everyone had eaten. Every morsel was consumed and enjoyed by beautiful gracious people. It has been a blessing to see this space evolve into community. It was, a beautiful afternoon.

I won't post something for every photo, because in the most profound sense, it is only one picture. It is a picture of love. If we do anything in this space, even more than the food...it is simply LOVE. I am reminded of this quote...

“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the multiples of those with whom it is shared.”

Jesse Browner

We barely made it down to the courtyard of the Downtown Community Centre on Sunday. About half way there, Charon heard a very loud cracking sound which led to no power steering, and a series of warning buzzers and lights. After feeding everyone and taking left overs to Aids Vancouver Island, a tow truck came to haul our old work horse of a van to the garage.

Tuesday we found out the damage and cost. Belts, timing chain, oil change and a prognosis for the future all came to about $700.

The good news is, we have the money in the bank to pay it. But, the bad news is, it will effect our operating costs and our ability to purchase the goods we need to serve the CARTS community in the inner city.

If you are moved to help us out, you can send tax deductible donations here, and receive a receipt.

/donate.html

Thank you!!!

A plea for help...

It's kind of ironic that as I write this post I'm reminded of the parable of the talents. Volunteers, strangers, business, churches have all invested financially into CARTS. We are sorry to inform you that financially your investment has netted you nothing.

But that is the reality of inner city ministry, it is throwing money away. In the parable where the guy yielded no return at all, he was basically ripped apart by the boss. But what CARTS has done over the past 13 plus years, has been to invest in lives. It's more than just handing out food, clothing or a drink. It's the human connection, face to face, conversations, laughter, hugs, prayers...the simple yet profound words, " God bless you. " It has been the slow and evolving community of brokenness, us and them, all of us. Truthfully, we are in need of the same thing...LOVE. Together we will search, and find it in each other. You can't put a price on LOVE. It's grace, it's humility, it's beauty, it's compassion all have the power to reveal the God, who is simply LOVE.

At the moment the CARTS piggy bank running low. We are hoping to have another BBQ in September, but, will need help in pulling it off.

If might consider a donation here is some information on how to help

CARTS is a federal registered charity that issues tax deductible receipts. We are a small group of compassionate minded friends captured by the radical scandalous redemptive imagination of Jesus. We are all volunteers who contribute our time, and resources to serve the inner city community.

Every cent donated goes to helping out the marginalized on the inner city streets of Victoria. We have no paid staff. We have relied on the gracious donations of volunteers, supporters, friends and strangers. We have managed for almost 13 years on faith, a shoe string budget...and God who has faithfully sustained the love, compassion and hospitality which is the heart beat of CARTS.

You can find the details on how to support CARTS at the following link...

/donate.html

"What if salvation has everything to do with how we respond to poverty, homelessness, racism, and systemic injustice? What if your 'personal relationship to Jesus' is informed not just by how much you pray or whether you have the proper view of the trinity, but by how you treat the people Jesus had a nasty habit of hanging out with — you know, the folks on the fringes … the ones on food stamps, the ones who get fired for being gay, the ones whose children languish in jail cells on non-violent drug possession charges?"

Derek Penwell

Jesus mused " God is love ", those who do not love, do not know God. If anything could be a CARTS statement of faith, that would be it. Simply, but yet profoundly difficult at times...it is love.

You could say our BBQ's are a love fest. It is the wild scandalous stories of love in the gospels coming to life. It's the the King sending his servant out to the inner city streets, the gutters, the back allies, store fronts, campsites in parks. The servant bringing the broken, the poor, the marginalized, the mentally ill, the addicts. He brings this parade of broken profound beauty, every child of God in need of love...just so his table is full.

It's the prodigal son and daughter, knowing in the realm of Jesus' unending love and radical and scandalous forgiveness. That they are more than just welcomed, " they belong." They arrive, and the tables have been set, food prepared. It truly is a feast in their honour.

The pictures are from our first BBQ in the courtyard of the Downtown Community Centre. It's said a picture is worth a thousand words. It's CARTS hope that they all say the same thing.
Love.

Jesus mused, " God is Love." If we love, we profoundly know God. And if we love, we make God present and known.

CARTS is simply about LOVE. It's simply serving LOVE...not because they deserve it. But because they are children of God, and they belong as much as you and I.

Love is so much concerned with why, it just does.

Why CARTS? Essentially, because it’s the gospel. Some almost 16 years ago I heard Jesuit Priest John Dear share an experience from his faith journey. For 3 years he immersed himself in nothing but the gospels. What he discovered was a Jesus not so much concerned with answering questions, of defending the his religion. It was a Jesus who seemed to kindle and ignite the human imagination to see a whole new world. One where the world was turned right side up where it was “ On earth as in heaven.”

Jesus parables seem to take us to a liminal space where the landscape of life is pulled out from under our feet. Jesus lobs the parable into the crowd like a time bomb. He doesn’t wait to give an answer, he watches from a distance as the crowd struggles to diffuse it. It challenges our preconceived notions about God, justice and love. The parable explodes, people struggle to find something to hang on to. Safety, certitude are no where to be found. The only thing left to hang on to is grace.

Take for example, the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. Maybe, its not a miracle in the sense of Jesus lifting his hands and suddenly appeared enough loaves and bread to feed 5,000. The law of physics don't operate that way, and my mind tells me not to argue with reality.

But what if it was 5,000 poor and oppressed people with little to nothing in the middle of nowhere. When life has become an absolute struggle, fear sets in. We reinforce our lives with walls, we dig trenches to protect the little we have. We are far less likely to share with a stranger let alone a friend. Even Darwin would predict only the strong will survive.

What if there was a young kid in the crowd who overheard Jesus telling his disciples to feed the crowd, and the disciples mumbling as to where they might find it.

Then, the kid offering his merger bag lunch of a few loaves and fish to Jesus. It was an utter ridiculous jester. Mind boggling!

What if Jesus raised in hands to something beyond every preconceived idea he had about God, and prayed for an unimaginable reaction, a unifying force or energy, a spirit to hover over the crowd.

What if the crowd seeing this insane act. A crazy human being filled with radical scandalous imagination holding a bag lunch believing it would feed the crowd.

What if someone in the crowd seeing this madness and seeing a family sitting beside him looking a little worse than his own family. What if he took some of the meager scraps of food he had and shared it.

What would happen if this action, this energy or force, or spirit began to spread through out the multitude. What if everyone lowered their walls, and climbed out their trenches and shared with one another.

What if they all fed one another. Everyone was full, no one was hungry.

What if spirit of generosity and hospitality was so overwhelming that there was baskets, bins of food left over.

It’s Bono that said, “ God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.”

It’s time and time, again, over and over, every Sunday that we see the gospel unfold before our eyes. Its having the eyes to see, and the ears to hear and to have the redemptive imagination of Jesus to see and build a new world.

And so it was some 14 years ago, when two women were ignited by the spirit of redemptive imagination giving out a few meager bag lunches to poor marginalized strangers in the inner city. Now on any given Sunday its around 200 people.

WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS?

Someone once asked me what I meant by infinite eternal wisdom. I had told him I didn't take the Bible as literal truth. I didn't take miracles that lie outside the laws of physics as reality.

Take for example, the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. I don't see it as a miracle in the sense of Jesus lifting his hands and suddenly appeared enough loaves and bread to feed 5,000. The law of physics don't operate that way, and my mind tells me not to argue with reality.

But what if it was 5,000 poor and oppressed people with little to nothing in the middle of nowhere. When life has become an absolute struggle, fear sets in. We reinforce our lives with walls, we dig trenches to protect the little we have. We are far less likely to share with a stranger let alone a friend. Even Darwin would predict only the strong will survive.

What if there was a young kid in the crowd who overheard Jesus telling his disciples to feed the crowd, and the disciples mumbling as to where they might find it.

Then, the kid offering his merger bag lunch of a few loaves and fish to Jesus. It was an utter ridiculous jester. Mind boggling!

What if Jesus raised in hands to something beyond every preconceived idea he had about God, and prayed for an unimaginable reaction, a unifying force or energy, a spirit to hover over the crowd.

What if the crowd seeing this insane act. A crazy human being filled with radical scandalous imagination holding a bag lunch believing it would feed the crowd.

What if someone in the crowd seeing this madness and seeing a family sitting beside him looking a little worse than his own family. What if he took some of the meager scraps of food he had and shared it.

What would happen if this action, this energy or force, or spirit began to spread through out the multitude. What if everyone lowered their walls, and climbed out their trenches and shared with one another.

What if they all fed one another. Everyone was full, no one was hungry.

What if spirit of generosity and hospitality was so overwhelming that there was baskets, bins of food left over.

What would you call this.

( Matthew 14:13-21 ...the radical scandalous redemptive translation )

Some upcoming musical events for great causes involving some of our CARTS volunteers. There is something about music that is good for the soul, especially when it is in support of a cause that restores and builds our common humanity.

( # 1 ) The Freedom Gospel Choir, a community choir singing mostly black gospel music. Under the same director for two years in the Cowichan Valley, and she has now started a choir here in Victoria as well! On Saturday, Feb 27th there will be a concert with both choirs performing, and part of the concert will be the two choirs combined! (80-90 voices). They are very excited about this opportunity! Tickets are $15 & can be obtained from any choir member or from the First Nazarene Church.

( # 2 ) All Victoria Hymn Along 2016: On Friday evening, March 4, you are invited to join your voices with other Victoria Christians at the first annual All Victoria Hymn Along at Victoria Christian Reformed Church, 661 Agnes Street. Many of your favourites accompanied by pipe organ, trumpet, piano, violin and bagpipes. Guest musicians Sandy Lockhart and Pacific Christian's The Other Group will round out the evening. You’ll get a chance (in advance) to help select the top ten hymns, all of which we’ll sing that night (www.surveymonkey.com/r/hymnalong) Tickets ($10) are available at Christian Book and Music and both Pacific Christian School offices. Proceeds go to Refugee Sponsorship efforts.

Only kinship. Inching ourselves closer to creating a community of kinship such that God might recognize it. Soon we imagine, with God, this circle of compassion. Then we imagine no one standing outside of that circle, moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased. We stand there with those whose dignity has been denied. We locate ourselves with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless. At the edges, we join the easily despised and the readily left out. We stand with the demonized so that the demonizing will stop. We situate ourselves right next to the disposable so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.

The truth is we may not recognize him. He may come to us in distressing disguise. Can it be that Christ comes into our midst along inner city side walks, and back allies, evening disguised as our guest?That ragged alcoholic, or addict with a hacking cough. Is he Jesus? That woman lugging all her worldly goods in two large green garbage bags. Is she Jesus? The urine soaked addict swearing his head off at you. Could that be Jesus?

If any thing I've learnt after years of "trying" to be a christian...it is that it's far easier to worship Jesus...following, do I really. I follow from a comfortable distance. Following closely, is to risk encountering him in disguise.