the dream center...

as part of our coursework and on-campus portion of this block of classes, we went to the dream center in l.a. yesterday...i didnt write about it yesterday because i wasnt sure exactly what i wanted to write...so i waited until today...and i'm still not sure if i really know what to write...i guess i would just say it was a powerful experience...so let me take a minute to explain a little about it for those of you who, like me about 2 months ago, had never heard of the dream center...

the dream center is a ministry in downtown los angeles that has many facets...it was started by a man named matthew barnett...dont know much about him...except that lately he has been written about in about every leadership magazine i have read...he's a pretty dynamic leader that has put together a team that, i would say, breaks all the rules...not very professional...not very polished...not very well-spoken...but quite obviously a thriving, powerful, blessed team of leaders that are leading this ministry...so here's what it is...at least some of it...they bought an old, abandoned hospital many years ago...housed there are several ministries...homeless youth shelter...youth addiciton recovery programs...adult addiction recovery programs...soup kitchen...second hand clothing store...food pantry...filipino homeless ministry...japanese ministries of all sorts...russian ministries...and on and on and on...seriously...

so yesterday was their worship service that we attended...there were about 1000 or so people there...and it happened to be the graduation service for their addiciton recovery program...for me...an eye opening experience...it reminded me of the stuff jim cymbala talks about in his books, pastor of the brooklyn tabernacle...lots and lots and lots of broken people...and that was the culture...exactly how i would describe it...a culture of brokenness...obvious prostitutes in the audience...cheering for the former prostitutes that were graduating...obvious pimps in the audience...why?...i dont know...really...havent figured that one out...but they were there...former pimps graduating from the program...a former pastor graduating from the program...he was addicted to porn and gambling...lots and lots of former drug addicts graduating...thieves...people with violent backgrounds...you name it...it was probably there...even a former cross dresser....graduating from an addicition to sex and abuse...he had the best line in his testimony..."i used to be a queen...a flaming queen...i'm thinking of writing a book now...i'm gonna call it 'from queen to the king'"...it was hilarious...but that wasn't all...in the mix of all of this was the "normal"...(actually, i think normal to them was prostitute and drug addict and queen...so we were probably the abnormal)...business people...parents...young mothers...families...worshipping...great worship...right next to...in front of...behind...around...these shattered ones...and seriously, seriously celebrating their recovery...

so needless to say...it was quite an experience...one that i will never forget....what will i do with it?...i dont know...thats kinda why i was waiting to write about it...but i still dont know...