This is the first morning I awoke in my new community. I am in the process of moving from Portland Oregon to Eugene Oregon, to be pastor in a new congregation. I’m nervous, because for the last twenty years I’ve been the pastor of a homeless congregation with middle class...

It’s easy to find verses about welcoming the homeless. It was common practice in the ancient Mediterranean World to invite strangers into their home and to welcome immigrants to live on a property. Jesus said that to welcome on of the “least of these” into our home is to be...

Memories… -When six police officers came to my church, handcuffed and seated ten people in the parking lot and threatened them verbally. Ten more officers came, with their lieutenant, who asked me, “Are you the pastor? Does your congregation want people like this here?” I pointed at all the people...

A group of friends sat down in the park to have a picnic. The sun was bright, they laid down a couple blankets, they were teasing each other. They were laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Someone had brought a Frisbee and they were passing it around. They had just...

In 2003, Diane and I opened our home to people on the street. That wasn’t the first time we enacted this hospitality. We had folks in our two bedroom apartment with our three kids, staying in our living room for years before. And before that, we had immigrants, refugees, friends...

A question I was asked to respond to. Here’s my answer: I suppose it depends on who you ask. Some people consider all horseless people worthless because they are either mentally ill or addicted, because otherwise they wouldn’t be on the street. Many homeless consider themselves worthless because they have...

It is frequent that houseless folks lose their ID. Wallets are stolen, misplaced, taken by officials sweeping their camp. In obtaining a new ID, there could be a number of issues: finances, proof of identification, and having an address to put on an ID. 1. Birth certificates are the main...

Houseless folks add to the economy in many ways. Forty percent of houseless folks have jobs, others are active in recycling, and all of them participate in paying sales tax. The real economic drain comes in health expenses. Many houseless have no health insurance, and emergency room visits are a...

It is often assumed that houseless folks become homeless due to drugs and alcohol, which is why there are so many people we see using such items on the street. However, it has been shown that approximately fourteen percent of those on the street lost their housing due to substance...

I am a big believer in doing what Jesus says. Moses has got some wisdom, Solomon should be taken with a gain of salt, Paul is easily misunderstood, but Jesus, he’s my guy. Being my Lord and Savior, you know. So Jesus said, “Give to everyone who asks of you.”...