our church

Our new church is a place where people who live in million-dollar condos rub shoulders with families from low-income housing. It’s a place where an African-American woman with three children, a Columbian-American man born and bred near downtown L.A., and a just-married Asian-American yuppie are huddled in prayer. It’s a place where whether you’re addicted to pride and greed or alcohol and drugs, you can find mercy, grace and forgiveness. It’s a congregation comprised of people who would never have become friends if not for their love for Jesus.

Aric and I joined a team of praying people envisioning a church like this late last year. Even as we prayed for such a church, I was skeptical. Can this really happen? Isn’t Sunday called this country’s most segregated day of the week for a good reason?

Then came our Easter launch service. As people began streaming in, I couldn’t help but stare at their beautiful faces. A Latino single mom, a Caucasian artist from down the street, an African American man who hadn’t been to a church for 10 years but liked the idea of a non-traditional service. Attorneys, military veterans, musicians, businessmen.

I had begrudgingly taken on the role of ordering and serving brunch for the congregation. As people enjoyed conversations over omelet sandwiches from a Cuban bakery, sitting around lilies I had bought from a street vendor in my neighborhood, I felt a rush of thankfulness for this opportunity to serve.

New City Church of Los Angeles. It’s a name that came to Aric’s mind when he woke up one morning. He turned to me and said, how about “New City Church?” Mind you, he’s pretty groggy and grumpy right when he wakes up. It’s pretty cute. On this particular morning, however, he was completely awake. The name signifies new beginnings in downtown L.A. and alludes to the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation.

Aric, intern at the church, will be giving his first sermon on April 13. Stay tuned.

Our lovely venue: a chic restaurant in downtown's art district.

We put our kids to work... :)

Yummy brunch beforehand.



Cutie pies.

Our worship team.


Our cool pastor on cool-lookin' drums.

Boo reading the story behind the hymn "Because He Lives."


Aric before reading the Easter story.

Meanwhile, kid's church is next door at Blue Dahlia coffee shop.

Our mission statement hammered out by core team members last winter.

Small group time.

For an L.A. Times article on our church, click here.
New City Church of L.A. Web site here.
Aric's Blog here.

anyone out there?

So a handful of my friends have called and e-mailed asking me for a favor. Would I give them the secret password to my blog?

Well, if you're here, you know there's no secret password. Just a new blog address. So say hello if you're here so I know that you're still comin by.

Anyway, since that crazy day in January when I survived the meat-grinder foreign service interview that, looking back, had consumed me for a good six months, I've slowly come back to earth mentally. I'm coming out of a horrible habit. It's what my Japanese friend calls a "Tsugi! Tsugi!" mode when I'm constantly thinking about what's "next." She pointed this out when I was serving dinner for a couple Japanese friends and while we were eating, I asked them whether they preferred tea or coffee after the meal, so I can get them going as we ate. Needless to say, they laughed at me and told me to sit down and enjoy the food with them.

That's sort of the mode I've been in. Well, for those of you who know me, I've been in that mode for longer than six months... :) more like most of college and adult life. Hence all my blogging about living in the moment -- we blog about what eludes us.

But thanks to my friend, I'm thinking less about what's next and more about what's here. I have this nagging feeling that God has cut me and Aric a ticket for an adventure over the next year or so. Now if only I can stop obsessing about Aric and Kyle's birthday bash this weekend...