1982

The movie ET made its debut, Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was released, and the Broncos only won two games—all the while in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver, a humble little hospitality ministry among the chronically unhoused and mentally ill was set in motion. 

The year? 1982.

That’s right friends, Network is officially “over the hill” this year. How many pots of coffee have been brewed over forty years? How many bad jokes, unlikely friendships, fist bumps, and simple prayers have been shared? Only. God. Knows. 

I’m typing this newsletter on a Tuesday while sitting at the corner table in the coffee house. It’s two degrees below zero, and thirteen people, a variety of ages and races who survived last night outdoors, are enjoying themselves and laughing freely with no filter. Filters are only used for the coffee here. 

As I got to know our founding pastor and mentor, John Hicks, I learned that one of the Bible stories he found most hilarious and meaningful was from the Old Testament when God twice asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” John just loved the goofy humanness of our biblical heroes, but he also took note of God’s serious question: “What are you doing here?” 

The question provides an invitation. It’s an invitation to hit the pause button and genuinely reflect on how our heart aligns with the love of Christ. Are we giving our sincere, loving attention to the disadvantaged and poor, our partners and friends? Am I giving myself too much credit when things are going right? Am I taking too much of the blame when everything is going wrong? Am I taking time out to simply enjoy time alone with the Big Mystery?

What are we doing here? We take time to let that question sink all the way down until it disturbs and awakens us. 

Over these decades we’ve built long-term redemptive relationships among the lonely and longing at the corner of 14th & Pearl Streets. What a privilege it is to cultivate, celebrate, and continue this mission as it moves from one side of the “hill” to the other. 

As you can imagine, it also comes with severe exhaustion. Beginning in April, as I enter my fourteenth year here, I’ll be taking a sabbatical—a three-month time out—to sit with God’s good questions. Thankfully, due to your prayers and pennies, we have wonderful staff and volunteers who will take on additional duties while I’m away.

Throughout this year, we invite you to hit the pause button and allow yourself to feel the celebratory gratitude of four decades of Jesus transforming this little corner of the city. 

Will my heart be ready for them?

How do you measure success in your life and relationships? Many see success through financial returns and accumulation. Others through academic accolades and rewards, physical achievements, political power, moral perfection, associations with famous people. Etc. 

When managing a humble urban ministry to the unhoused and mentally fragile like Network the metrics look a little different. It mostly comes down to one question: Are the people we serve returning again and again to see us? Despite all the obstacles and in light of all the other places they could be, are our friends returning to check in and make the most meaningful connection they know how? And am I faithfully returning to meet them in a meaningful way? 

In the past month there are two Black-Capped Chickadee birds, probably lovers, who keep returning to a broken birdfeeder (the birdfeeder version of Network) on a small Ash tree which sits near our front window. The amount of joy these two little guys bring to me and my family is really funny when you think about it. The delight of their return causes us to sit there on the couch in the morning and patiently wait. It also results in me becoming embarrassingly violent with the squirrels who compete for their real estate and bird seed. These two tiny winged saints with a brain the size of an apple seed bring unexpected hope, delight, and the promise that the exhaustion of winter is making way for the new energy of spring. 

I wonder if our presence – our showing up - is like that for God? What if God waits in anticipation for the delight of our earnest return? Easter is like that. Each spring we practice keeping our eyes open for a thing the church calls resurrection. And one annual Sunday morning we celebrate with God the beautiful joy-filled moment of a divine returning. 

The thing about returns is that they don’t always arrive exactly like we expect them to. Sometimes when a friend from Network leaves for a time they return in a different form. Maybe their body or hair changed or they are mentally healthier or unhealthier. Maybe they are more or less sober. Or maybe Nathan is now Nikki. 

The question is always, “Will my heart be ready for them?”  Will my expectations and judgments steal away the joy and delight? Will my face communicate welcome or disappointment? Will I have room for the resurrected prodigal child of God in whatever form, fashion, or mood they return in? Will I see them through the lens of divine love? 

At Network how we answer these questions determines our measurements for success. Because each and every individual in our community is a reflection of the returning Christ. 

Network has been featured in a video by the city of Denver!

We're honored to be featured in a new video as part of Denver's #IAmDenver campaign. You can view it on Twitter or Facebook by clicking the following links:

• Twitter

• Facebook

Things continue to chug along at Network, as you'll see in the video. A host of supporters, volunteers, sandwich makers, and cookie bakers make sure that Network is a welcoming place to get a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, and a warm hello. We look forward to the future when can welcome our friends back into the living room. For now, though, we're so encouraged by all the support from across the metro area that has come Network's way.

Take a look at the video and if you feel inspired, be a part of it by clicking share or sending it along to a friend.

At Network really believe that it's vital that we see each other. This video is a small part of that and we're blessed to be seen by the wider community in this way.

Thanks for watching.

Will Christ cover the gaps?

It’s 9:30am and Max, Kevin, and Gary are here to freshen up and get the room ready. At 10:30 a car load of sack lunches arrive from a church way out in Golden. Max has already staged about twenty cups of hot coffee by the front door, and Gary is filling up a large crate full of bottles of water. Kevin has set up four power strips to charge up dozens of cell phones. Theresa is busy making extra peanut butter and jellies. Yes, these folks slept outside the night before and are now serving their unhoused peers like family.

By 10:50am a line of folks is wrapped around the building, many of who reside within an encampment of over one hundred people located just down the block. Neighbors throughout Capitol Hill are becoming increasingly restless and vocal about the growing unhoused community. It’s already pushing ninety degrees outside and the exhaustion and tension is noticeable. 

Monday through Saturday we open our doors at 11am to a chorus of, “Thank God you guys are here!” Back in the early weeks of the pandemic, several other non-profits either shut down or became severely limited due to infections and vulnerabilities, but by the grace of God, we remained healthy and were actually able to ramp up our services. These days our hospitality and care come in the form of 500-700 sack lunches a week, in addition to hundreds of bottles of water, cups of coffee,  hygiene products, socks, and underwear. We’ve also rented a port-a-potty for our parking lot. 

The tough pill to swallow is knowing that our efforts are never enough! We have to come to terms with that. We can’t fix the problems. Will Christ cover the gaps? We’re on a journey of trusting just that. I can’t explain why or how volunteers like Karen come down twice a week with sack lunches, why a carload of bottled water just arrived from a church in Lakewood, or how a box of coffee was shipped to us at just the perfect moment. 

Once our eyes adjust and we slow down to be present to reality, it becomes obvious; Christ does indeed fill in the gaps. Our energy and efforts are so important, but the recognition that the compassionate presence of Christ is among us is even more important. With that in mind, we can acknowledge that we struggle with fatigue, frustration, and doubts. It’s no secret that we live in a season full of unprecedented division, hatred, and fear. It wears on all of us. 

But when I see volunteers show up with smiles and resources, or I see Zeke enthusiastically make hundreds of cups of coffee for his family on the street, I pause and think, “Wait a minute. There must be more to the story.” Perhaps the most obvious cracks in society are where the most light shines in. So when find ourselves at our lowest, keep an eye out for unlikely saints. God tends to come to us in the weirdest disguises.

Under the Mercy,

Ryan Taylor

Remembering Michael Marshall

Here at the Network we grieve the loss of George Floyd along with all other losses of black life at the hands of the state. For us, we can't help but be reminded of a dear member of our community, Michael Marshall, whose breath was taken from him in December 2015 while in the custody of law enforcement.

It's typically discouraged for a non-profit or a church to speak out directly on matters of politics or government behavior, but when a hashtag or distant news story ends up in your very living room and impacts a loved one, matters of politics and respectability quickly transitions to solidarity and justice. Silence is simply not an option.

Justice begins with a relationship.

For thirty eight years, Network has been in the business of redemptive relationships among the marginalized and unhoused. Spending significant time among our community has changed the way we see everything. In this work of befriending, kinship, and humanizing in the way Christ, you can count on us to always boldly proclaim that Black Lives Matter.

Michael Marshall

Michael Marshall

Chugging Along Through this Time of Uncertainty

Network is chugging along through this time of uncertainty. We continue to welcome folks to our back door for coffee and access to a bathroom, which is a vital resource even during the best of times. Our Tuesday Shift Director, Robin, has been organizing lunches and the community has answered the call. You can sign up too, if you feel so inclined. We distribute 60-80 lunches per day to our homeless friends, Monday through Saturday.

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We have taken this time at Network to take a deep breath, take a look around the place, and take stock of what opportunities present themselves for a little TLC inside the house. The basement needed some attention so we set ourselves to it. Gary and Reggie have thrown themselves into the work along with Ryan, and the basement is looking better than it has in years. It looks like a real professional operation down there!

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We have also taken this time to mourn the lack of resources the homeless have as well as take stock of the abundance that surrounds us. We grieve that the condition of our homeless friends has only been highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis. While the city of Denver has taken measures to shelter some people, the needs of others are ignored or they are actively disrupted in sweeps. Still, we are encouraged by the outpouring of support our community has shown for our Network guests in providing lunches and coffee and a smiling face at least once a day. And we're inspired by the way our guests turn to each other and take care of one another when it's needed.

Which leads me to a question: during this time as well as during ordinary times, what do we owe to each other? It's a question that keeps cropping up for me. As people, as part of the human family, as followers of Christ, what do we owe to each other? If it wasn't obvious before, it should be now, that we owe each other more than an exchange of goods, more than a meal or a few bucks now and then. We owe each other love and everything that comes with that: belonging, presence, patience, forgiveness, grace, and a chance to be heard and known. Our capacity to do this at Network has been diminished by the realities of the virus we all face together. And yet, we also find ourselves in an increased solidarity with each other. We find that the opportunities to live up to the task of loving one another have increased. 

Ultimately this is the abundance we seek: the time and opportunity to love our neighbor. Opportunities to love, even in this confusing time, are all around.

Peace,
Logan – Monday night Shift Director

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Network & COVID-19, March 2020

As I write this we are in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic due to a mysterious and intrusive virus. We’re greeting people at our back door and allowing them to come in one at a time to use the restroom, snag a cup of coffee and a drive-thru style prayer. 

We’re sticking close to the Source and doing our best to offer a non-anxious presence. 

Recently a new volunteer named Pam remarked, “There’s a special feeling about this place, like heaven and earth touch each other here.” 

Chad, a guest who recently returned from his hometown in Kansas, chimed in, “This place feels more like home than the place I grew up.” 

I believe the atmosphere that both Pam and Chad described can be called a non-anxious presence and it’s needed now more than ever. 

So what does that mean, a non-anxious presence? 

A non-anxious presence is practicing a state of being that is lovingly connected to God and others while maintaining a loving disconnection from chaotic and fear-filled emotion. As the response to Covid-19 is teaching us, it’s so difficult not to get caught up in the collective consciousness of fear and melodrama. 

It seems every circumstance we face in life is practice for something else we’ll face later on. If that’s true, then we at Network, have been practicing for this unique situation for a long time. The potential for fear and anxiety within our community of marginalized folks is always present. We spend our days pushing back on the lonely, the anxiety, and panic. 

In light of his passing, I’ve been thinking about our founder, John Hick’s greatest hits and one of the lessons John passed on to me was his interpretation of the Gospel of 

John 14:1-2 “Don’t let your heart be anxious… I’m going to prepare a place for you.” John believed Jesus was modeling what our task at Network should look like. We’re to be preparing an actual place that feels like a safe and loving home for both the tangibly and spiritually homeless – a hospitable space of non-anxious presence.

It takes practice – daily practice. 

Practicing the habit of non-anxious presence can look like but isn’t limited to…

  • Taking a slow walk at the end of the day as the sunlight fades.

  • Jotting down all your anxious thoughts on to paper followed by deep breaths.

  • Lighting a candle and sitting for 20 minutes of complete silence to de-clutter your thoughts. 

  • Sketching a picture of your favorite tree, rock formation, or river. 

  • Reading a story to a child or elderly friend.

  • Writing a poem about something that moves you.  

  • Meditating on a piece of scripture. 

Whatever allows you to see reality, receive God’s embrace, and then come into the presence of another without agenda and without your own special brand of chaos, do that. If our work is preparing a place of non-anxiety then perhaps we need to perceive these type of practices as an actual part of our job description. This is the work of non-anxious presence. May we all participate in this divine work throughout this season.  

Be still and know,

Hand, Foot, and Grace

"But in your darkest place, or what you believe to be your most hidden hideousness—even there, God is dwelling.” – Fr Gregory Boyle

Greetings from Capitol Hill,

A word from our Monday night Shift Director, Logan Robertson:

In the run-up to the Christmas season that just passed, both of my older children came down with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease, then I came down with it. What was a minor inconvenience for them was a major ordeal for me. It seems Hand Foot and Mouth is one of those diseases that, for kids, is not a big deal but for adults can be more serious.

Not to get too far into the graphic details but I ended up with a high fever and very painful lesions all over my hands, feet, and face. They really knocked it out of the park when they named this one!

I ended up missing most of my family's Christmas activities and didn't feel particularly comfortable leaving the house covered in angry red blisters. After a few days I started to feel pretty stir crazy and, frankly, sorry for myself.

I started to wonder, "Where is somewhere I could go where I'd be accepted?" Network is the place that popped into my head. It occurred to me that Network is the one place I could definitely go in this condition where I wouldn't feel self-conscious and where I wouldn't get a second look from the people gathered together.

Support what Network is doing today

There's a peculiar grace that operates at Network Coffee House among our friends who live with trauma, disability, addiction, poverty, and mental illness. If I didn't know it before, I now have a small experience of what this grace must taste like to someone who needs it acutely.

As I was considering the gift that Network is to so many, I realized that at that moment Network was closed. I found myself tearing up, out of self-pity, yes, but also with empathy for our guests who must feel the same way sometimes during the hours we're closed, or when we're forced to take a night off for whatever reason.

So many people in and around Denver and across the country are a part of what we do, whether they give their money, their time, their prayers, their presence, or their service. I hope you feel a deep sense that the part you play in this small ministry has a huge affect in the lives of everyone who calls Network their living room—the living room of Christ.

Peace,
Logan

One Last Visit

If you knew you were going to die soon, do you know the places you would want to visit before you stepped across the veil?

A few months ago a man and his wife visited Network to say goodbye. He told us he and Network went way back, that he'd lived in the neighborhood back in the day, and that the place meant a lot to him.He had a terminal cancer diagnosis, he said, and Network was on the list of places he wanted to be sure to see one more time before he died.

As shift directors, volunteers, and supporters of Network, it's easy to forget how much the place matters to our guests. We don't offer anything very complicated or flashy. Sometimes we have socks, sometimes we don't. Sometimes there's some food, sometimes there isn't. Sometimes the coffee is better than others.But our constant is this: we show up. We open the door and say, "Hello, come in, grab a seat. You're welcome here. We love you. This place is for you. Make it yours. Let's be friends."

When a dying man makes your simple ministry one of his last stops on a goodbye tour, you can be sure Christ has claimed the place as his own. We figure Christ is a pretty good partner for the work.