This past week some Awake people got creative and got out on the Avenue with a message in an attempt to wake people up to the reality of brokenness and the possibility of hope in our community. This artistic endeavor was connected with Urban Hymnal’s breathtaking and Aurora-themed “The Bridge, the Corner, & the Dawn,” which took place last night at Bethany Community Church. Thanks to these Awake leaders for their creative leadership and thanks to Urban Hymnal for blessing/challenging the city, the neighborhood, and Awake Church. Aurora does mean dawn.
The Bridge, the Corner, & the Dawn
May 31
Confirmations
May 31
It was about 20 months ago that over a plate of nachos Cherie and I began to sense God calling us to begin a faith community in the Aurora area of Seattle. “Aurora? Really?” we wondered. This meant a lot of things. But immediately it meant giving up the dream of planting a church in a hipper Seattle neighborhood where only a few weeks earlier I had eaten a burrito with men from Honduras and Nigeria at a Mexican taco truck in the parking lot of an African-American men’s clothing store owned by a Chinese family. That felt like a taste of heaven… but Aurora?
We wouldn’t have the strength to do this unless we received fairly regular confirmations from the Spirit that this is where we should be. Well, recently, we received exactly that: A taco truck opened its doors windows just up the street.
Okay, in addition to the taco truck, there have been other incredible confirmations. For these, please join us in giving thanks to the God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:
- The Vacancy Project – Awake recently received a $7500 grant from the Christian Reformed Church Foundation’s “Sea to Sea – the Cycle to End Poverty” fund to help start “The Vacancy Project,” a program that will help people in our neighborhood transition out of motels and into more stable housing through education and assistance. We are hope to double these funds before we begin this program this winter – interested in contributing?
- AmeriCorps Volunteer – Karen Cirulli, a member of Awake, began her work in April as an AmeriCorps volunteer building relationships with and building community among our neighbors in the Aurora area.
- An Old Aurora Friend – As a church in a transient area, we don’t often get to see the fruit of our work. Recently, I received text/pic message from an old Aurora friend. Above the words, “My new job and me using you guys as inspiration,” was a picture of her office cubicle with a photo above her desk – a photo of our daughter Evie that Cherie and I had given her for Christmas. May the light of Christ continue to shine through Awake!
Please PRAY with us as we live as SENT people and seek the kingdom of God up and down Aurora Avenue:
-that friends and neighbors would come to know Jesus as King.
-that the Spirit would bring people to join us so that we may carry out our mission.
-that the Father would be near to the Katt’s and Tigert’s as we await the arrival of our babies in June and July!
Hope,
Ben Katt
In the Garden
May 5
A few weeks ago, Awake began work on a community garden that we hope will be a gift to the Aurora area. It is our dream that this will be a place where people come together, where life and food are shared, where beauty is born, and where God’s presence is experienced. Some gifted and dedicated members of our community have led us brilliantly and we’re making great progress – the seeds went in the soil this past week!
Doing Justice
Apr 29
I had the chance to preach at my home church this past Sunday. Brookfield Christian Reformed Church outside of Milwaukee, WI still supports me in incredible ways and I am immensely thankful for them. It was such a blessing to be able to preach since what happens on Sunday nights at Awake is a bit different.
I was invited to preach on JUSTICE, in particular on Micah 6.6-8, since it was the theme verse for GEMS (an organization for young girls), and it was GEMS Sunday – hence you will hear me mention the girls and GEMS and the Micah Road (their theme).
Anyways, take a listen if you’re interested. The themes of this message guide most of what we’re about at Awake.
Happy Easter!
Apr 12
Mark 16.1-8 (TNIV)
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ”
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
———
If you page through a few different translations of the end of the gospel of Mark, it won’t take long for you to realize that there is not just an end… there are ends. One of these ends includes this quotable verse: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” But it also includes, “In my name… they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.” With the exception of a few snake-charming churches here and there, these words haven’t exactly been adopted by Christians everywhere. Yet another ending includes this colorful conclusion: “But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.”
Now why would this story have so many different endings? [Read more →]
Construction
Apr 12
Greetings to anyone who may stumble across the humble beginnings of the Awake website. If it isn’t already apparent, we are in the midst of constructing our web presence. Among other things, this will will include transitioning my blogging from blogspot to this site. Not sure exactly when this will happen, but at some point I’ll indicate the change on my soon-to-be former blog: awakeseattle.blogspot.com.
Freestyle
Apr 8
The other morning I read this quote: “Don’t fail to do something just because you can’t do everything.”
About an hour later, I met a woman who is embodying this quote exactly when my friend introduced me to his friend and neighbor who is trying to encourage a movement of what she calls “Freestyle Volunteering“. Check it out and try it out!
Score
Mar 31
The inaugural season for the Seattle Sounders, our very own Major League Soccer team, began a few weeks ago. While my soccer playing days ended in 7th grade when I moved over to the game of (American) football and my knowledge of MLS stops at David Beckham and the guy from Melrose Place who played in the league years ago, I am excited about the Sounders being in town and I hope to make it to a game.
Especially since the fans have been singing about my neighborhood…
Sung to the tune of “Guantanamera“:
“You couldn’t score on Aurora,
You couldn’t score on Aurora,
You couldn’t score on Aurooooooooooora.”
— Emerald City Supporters chant
Get it?
Personally, I think it’s hilarious!
But it also epitomizes the exact thing that we’re trying to combat: the Aurora stereotype.
For the past year and a half I have been a part of a community task force in the Aurora area. One of the things that we’ve been trying to do is help people see the changes that have taken place in this emerging neighborhood. In other words, we’re just not satisfied with stereotypes. Yes, yes, there has been and there still is crime and drugs and prostitution – and if I’m to speak about this place truthfully, I can’t ignore them. But Aurora is not just these things. Under the surface, behind closed doors, there are neighbors blessing neighbors, there is laughter, there are dreams, there is hard work. It is my dream that people would start to wake up to this Aurora. It is my hope that Aurora would come to be known as the place where neighbors seriously care for their neighbors, where extending mercy and seeking justice are a way of life, where hospitality is extended to all. I could go on and on… But I’ll stop, except to say that this is the kind of stereotype I could live with!
But the truth is that we have a long way to go. We can’t just be about responding to negative issues impacting our community, nor can we simply be about initiating positive activity (“Seattle Nice” is not enough!). Ultimately, we have to be in relationship with one another.
And if this happens, all I can say is,
“Score!”
Sundays @ 5pm