The South Berkeley Community Church

This is a note I sent to my old neighborhood mail list. The church and the neighborhood struggle with a lot of crime. It is on the Oakland border, and there seems to be an ongoing Oakland/South Berkeley gang war. It is where I lived for a couple of years, 2006-09. This church was the core of powerful post WWII black political class in Berkeley. It is a stunning design and beautiful church, though run down.
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If you remember Tom Luce who used to be a regular here, he helped me feel some of the despair surrounding this beautiful place.

I was and am still a big fan of the Oakland Tribune columnist Pastor Byron Williams ^[1]. I was surprised and excited to find out he performed Sunday services there. I posted my enthusiasm here on the list.

Turns out at that time he was perceived as a tenant, and not part of the actual SBCC community. The folks who are the SBCC community, apparently Tom and others, are struggling with their pastoral work. There are problems and issues and struggles, and it seemed they aren't anxious to offer too much to the mini-flock that Pastor Williams draws. They operate in parallel.

I get the impression that deep rich significance and history of the legendary SBCC church lives on in an over-worked dwindling few. Not an uncommon story, I guess, like this churches' congregation in 1943 that gave way to SBCC^[2].

I ended up attending the tenant Pastor Williams' service one Sunday morning. I dragged my Christian roommate along with me as sort of a beard. And man, oh man. The space is really amazing and Pastor Williams is the real deal.

I'm too young to know the local church as the center of thriving healthy community. I'm of the ill-fated "suburb" model that was foisted upon us and defines much of community in California. Community is now primarily an abstraction built around ones race or interests or ideology or some such. That ain't bad, any connection is better than isolation. One of the meanings of community is not the place where people go to do with those of a like mind, it is the place where folks actually live, and for some it is a hostile place. Like Fairview Street^[3].

For me churches in California were thriving from 1910 to the 1960s, so as I was growing up they were semi run down places where older people drove some distance through place they didn't feel connected to, to get to the building and meet with other congregants who had done the same.

I can see it though. The SBCC building is a beautiful, reflective, sacred, peaceful place. There are 1000 people who could easily walk there in under five minutes, those people that can actually hear the church bells toll^[4]. A spiritual/community leader could organize and coordinate and care for the health and well-being of the congregation. Cohesiveness and connections would begin to spread out from the building in a small circle five or ten block surrounding the edifice.

Where does such a leader come from? One who, as the 1943 pastor wrote, deals with demographics. Demographics being code for the people who live within the sound of the church bell and have little other connection with each other.

That is my vision, but others are in there and they have their mission and there vision and I wish them well. The shame and despair from Tom is the only bit of their message that has filter through to me.

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1. http://byronspeaks.com
2. http://berkeleyheritage.com/berkeley_landmarks/sbcc.html
3. Fairview Street is where SBCC is located.
4. I used to hear those bloody bells every Sunday morning.

What?

I'm trying a new template for this ccplanet blog. This is pretty simple stuff to do, for all of you tentative prospective bloggers.

I would be delighted if some of you dear readers would attempt to leave a comment on this blog using the "comments" button below. Feedback on the new look, or anything else, is most appreciated. Bloggers get a thrill seeing comments, at least I know I do.

Six Month Clean Bill of Health

Tonight, at 7:45 P.M., a doctor called with the result of last weeks MRI. I am scheduled to go have an in person visit every month for a physical examination, and go in every couple of months for an MRI.

This MRI is just about the six month mark since my surgery. The doctor said very succinctly "every thing looks fine, we'll see you in a couple of weeks at your next appointment." Fine, great.

I think it is a term of art, but from what I understand, to be cured of cancer is simply to be breathing and have no recurrence at the five-year mark. So, one-tenth of the way there. There are no guarantees, but I think the chance of recurrence is greatest in the beginning. For me, this first six months, or the first year, is when I'll be least surprised at a sign of recurrence, and most pleased to hear there is none.

My New Apartment

It has been a couple of very very busy weeks since I took the keys to my new apartment. Sort of a shame that the immense pleasure I'm feeling for having this place has been delayed by busyness . The last couple of days I have been doing the good work of setting up my place. I've ordered a 'net connection (AT&T U-Verse), and I understand this can be frustrating getting it up and running. I have sorted through a bunch of moldy wet things I had in a not-weather-proof storage, and done all the disinfecting and discarding. Now I am down to boxes, and my things, mostly clean and ready for me to put to use and put in their new proper places.

It feel like a significant win to just have my things all together under one roof, and access to my things at my own schedule. Simple, but it is powerful refreshing change from my old status quo.

Having a place, and a project of turning it into a comfortable home, has me thinking more expansively. Fitness, socializing, career-building, hobbies, fun, growth, and a bunch of others seem like they are possible. It feels good.

Back in Dear Ol' Oakland

The Great Bike Tour of Northern Baja was a success. Ultimately the journey was the highlight but, if you must, the destination at Gonzaga Bay was just like all those postcards and pictures of paradise.

I'll post pics later.

New Years Day

Pedro and I made it to San Felipe last night. Three days of riding through the desert from Mexicali. It was beautiful.

Arriving in San Felipe, the moon was full, the Sea of Cortez was lusterous, and the Malecon was the place to be for strolling in preparation for the New Years Eve festivities. I was asleep by nine, better then the 7:30 P.M. the last few days in the desert.

We are now off to Puertocitos, and then Bahia de Gonzaga, where we'll meander back to the border.

Happy New Years everyone.

Bike Ride for NYE

My buddy Pedro and I are going to get together and do a bike ride. We are meeting tomorrow and driving to his families' place in Mexicali. Then heading south for a bit.
I have a head cold, and trepidation. Other than that things should be fine.