2nd Gen Christians and a common Dilemma

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA its cold!

 

Winter in California is freezing this year. Its all the way into 60s-70s.

I went to Disney and people were wearing shorts, but you could tell

who the natives were because we knew how to dress in our warm winter coats and

hats…woman had scarf’s on! That is a Californian!

 

 

2ND GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS WHO ARE OUTSIDE OUR CHURCH BUBBLE

That’s not what I wanted to blog about though. I have been around a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation Christians and there seems to be something that God is working on within a part of that people group.

Sometimes someone born and raised in church has the “I know enough to have to be saved but don’t have enough connection to God to always want to be saved.” the Bible, miracles, God stories, these don’t affect someone the same way who inherited them rather then experienced them as part of their own relationship with God. I know several people who are so loving and amazing and were brought up in the faith, but just don’t have enough personal connectivity or experience to want to pursue being a Christian right now until something happens to make it really personal. We are not talking about rebellious individuals but just people who love God but who have not grown spiritually because they don’t know how to get on the road to that growth personally and the roads modeled to them might seem suffocating.

In some ways that can sound selfish of them, but I personally understand as one who was raised around church and had to attend tons of meetings where my life revolved around services. I began to resent the religion when I didn’t have the relationship. Especially in the crowd of circle dancers (same 6 dance moves for 10 years) and shofar blowers (the kind that never had a lesson and made the horn sound like a 3 year old was blowing it) and weird musicians (singing “I am a small and lowly grape…clutching to the vine, waiting for the day when I become my saviors wine…”) these had no meaning to me and yet I was afflicted by them. They embarrassed me as a young man because no one could explain why…we were just supposed to have a good heart about it all which meant don’t have a critical analysis because that means you have a critical spirit.

The problem with that is you never feel like you are being honest with yourself. I know a lot of these young people feel like hypocrites when they can’t successfully sit through a service without feeling critical because it’s not really their service and if they were going to give themselves fully to it, it means they are responsible for the weirdness that they feel so separate from at the same time.

SOME INSIGHT AND SUGGESTIONS

Now here is a possible solution, relationship takes time to build and God wants to take real time through real people to build connection and relationship to the religiously disenfranchised, but it’s going to take a non judgmental approach to loving no matter if the person has the same values in common with you or not. You are allowed to meet with people who don’t connect to your church or ministry, the main connection we are supposed to have is love and mutual respect. Half of my core of life friends experiences the structure of our community called church together, but then many of my other friends are friends outside of organized faith.

For those who are jaded, organized meetings don’t always facilitate that building process. Just like when you are dating you are seeing a person one on one and fall in love, it takes some real personal experience of prayer and getting to know God to fall in love with Him. If you were inoculated to that (inoculation means you were given just enough of a disease to fight it off) then meetings feel unnatural until you have built relationship.

I think God is about to reveal Himself to a whole generation of misunderstood individuals who were raised around church and meetings and structure that didn’t have the same meaning to them as to their parents. I think if we spend time with them in a way that is love based, not performance based, then we will gain friends and so when God changes us, it will change them naturally through Osmosis vs. through verbal communication or structure.

It’s time for the hundreds of thousands who were raised in church but don’t want to go anymore to feel unconditional love that doesn’t require anything more than love in return. Jesus came in a similar time in Israel and He spent more time outside of the Temple with people who had been abused by the religions of the day as He did inside the Temple. He lead the lost sheep of Israel back to their first love through building relationship with them and meeting them with the very real Father in their every day lives.

The early church that started was not a replacement for relationship or an institute, but a place where friends could come together and relate about the goodness of God and support each other through the very real turmoil of life.

If we are going to see a harvest of harvesters, I think we need to love those who we already have connection to and sow into their lives and dreams without the pressure of putting structure on it.

Just a thought….it sounds good but it’s hard.

 

Signing off

Shawn Bolz

www.expression58.org

EXPRESSION58 COMMUNITY FASTING & PRAYER NOW UNTIL END OF JAN!

 

CALLING OUR COMMUNITY OF

EXPRESSION58

2    PRAYER    GRATITUDE     PROCLOMATION & FASTING

 

WE ARE JOINING TOGETHER IN A SEASON OF FASTING & PRAYER FOR BREAKTHROUGH IN EXPRESSION58. FOR THE REST OF JANUARY WE ARE INVITING YOU TO FAST WITH US FOR A RELEASE OF THE FULL MEASURE OF PURPOSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

 

THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO WARFARE OR TO OUR NEEDS, BUT IT IS A FOCUS WITH GRATITUDE ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE AND WANTS TO DO FOR US. WE WANT TO PROCLAIM TOGETHER GOD’S HEART FOR E58!

 

YOU CAN FAST HOWEVER YOU WANT TO: FROM A MEAL OR ALL FOOD, FROM FACEBOOK OR ENTERTAINMENT, JUST GIVE UP SOMETHING TO RECEIVE EXTRA SENSITIVITY IN THIS SEASON.

 

AS WE EACH SET ASIDE TIME DAILY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR, LETS BEGIN TO AGREE OVER OUR LIVES & COMMUNITY FOR JOHN 10:10, ABUNDANT LIFE, AND TO FAST FOR EXTRA FOCUS ON WHAT GOD IS DOING & WILL DO IN 2010! FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.EXPRESSION58.ORG & JOIN YOUR FAMILY ON THIS JOURNEY!

Vulnerable about FAITH and the lack there of at times

This was a picture of a man in Hollywood I just thought it was funny

More Faith for the Faith Journey

So today I woke up totally excited about life and Matt went out to the car to go to the store and came back in and said “Dude, you got a flat tire.” We had AAA come out and then when we tried to start the car the battery was dead. Not dead because of leaving a light on, but dead. Then the AAA guy said “You know you really need new tires.” Which we wouldn’t know because we are not car people…it looks treaded to me.

I began to think about how that miracle car, my Highlander, is like my whole journey. It was given in a season of awe and wonder and took me all over North America, even miraculously a few times (insert teleportation story here :Grin:), but now its old. I feel like my whole last season of life is over and worn, and that something new is coming. 2010 just feels like a new season, it is a new decade, and I am just happy about the new. Realize as I write the rest of this I am not discouraged but aware of a price I have been paying. What is better though is I am aware of what is coming because of being willing.

The faith journey following God in pioneering demands just about everything for a season. The hard part about mine is that I have been in start up mode for almost 11 years. I helped in the start up of the house of prayer in Kansas City, then I transitioned and started up my own ministry then we helped another ministry start up in Alabama, then we started a church in LA.  This has made my life anything but normal. Sometimes people ask me what it is like to hear from God on the level I sometimes have, and I want to tell them these stories instead of the glory stories because there is a price behind obeying His voice.

I have not been able to accumulate time, vacation, finances, everything has been required especially the last 3 years (I do rest though and have a lot of fun as those of you who follow my blogs see). When we moved to LA I emptied my bank account gave away half of my furniture, sacrificed my yearly vacation and breaks, began to live off of far less income in a city that has required far more, and just moved. It was worth it, but it was my 4th time doing that sort of drastic move. During my first 2 years in LA I had kidney stones 7 times, I had a hernia, I was sick about 5 days a month, I traveled 15 days a month on top of doing 1-2 services a week when I was home, I was robbed a computer, gps, security deposits on 2 houses which equaled well over 12,000 dollars, and had to put any extra money into a young ministry team that came out here to help as they were experiencing several of the same things.

The weird thing about this is that I never had an emotional break down or even a major trial, life and love just went on. I felt like muscles were built in me that had never been exercised on this level because I was so full of faith and when we would hit another wall something inside of me (called the Spirit of faith) would just push past my frustration almost like lifting a heavier weight, and I would press into God and He would come.

Endurance in faith is one of the hardest things to develop. It really is an emotion and soul area that you have to be worked out in to develop, it doesn’t come naturally. Change is one of the main builders of it and most people hate change. As a matter of fact I have moved 16 times in 14 years. That kind of change will cost you and you will either implode or if you are following God, thrive. So many times when something did come that I thought was an answer to prayer, God would require even that breakthrough and it wasn’t a weird testing of my heart or convictions, it was His invitation to develop that muscle. The same muscle of faith you use to pray for a cancer and see it healed is developed by the time you hear God to move or to change jobs or to give something sacrificial away or just surrender to Him.

Shortly into our time in LA, I went to Korea and had the largest offering ever given to me released. On top of that my friend heard from the Lord to buy me a new Highlander as mine is showing its wear and tear and he didn’t feel like the senior pastor should drive a car that looks like a college kids car. The last night in Korea I was in prayer and just happy about everything and Jesus said “Shawn, you know for the church to have radical fruit there is going to have to be radical sowing.” I said “Yeah Lord!” and I was thinking of the sacrifice that we had all been making thinking “This is amazing! We are succeeding!”and thinking He was trying to tell me that people were about to have breakthroughs and release money to the church.

Then I heard His voice again. “You know for Expressoin58 to enter into the purposes I have called it to, you are going to have to sacrifice greatly for it.”

Then I finally understood in my heart what He was asking. He always speaks a little in riddles doesn’t He? I knew He was asking me to sow in the money I had just received into the church. Now realize that I didn’t take an income from Expression58 so I have had nothing financially to gain or a way that I will re accumulate it from the church. As a matter of fact this money and this car were going to help put me back on track financially from all the extreme start ups over the years. So when I felt all the money, even the money for the car had to be sown, 10’s of thousands of dollars, I was both excited and hesitant. My faith that had been excersized in dozens of other big ways now had its first major climax in sowing on this level. I wanted that car. I wanted that money. That is not wrong of me at all. But I wanted God to have what He wants more.

So, I put it in..against my human judgement I released it. Part of me thought “The new car is coming!!!! God will honor me with even more!!!” but you know what? It wasn’t about that, a new car didn’t come and its been several years. I have had many words recently that one will come but it just wasn’t what it was about. I went almost 2 more years until today with that old Highlander that looks like its been around the world and back (and has been up to heaven and back) and didn’t have any other financial personal gift on that level since because when you are building your faith muscles the laws of giving and receiving aren’t about giving money receiving money. Its sowing in your resource of time, energy, finances, resources, and then receiving a quality of life back that is just incommunicable. I have had more peace and more security then I know is possible all because I live by a different economy that has a God who really really cares about me more then I do.

So what is the fruit of sacrifice? Changed lives, miracles, cancers and aids being healed, metal melting out of olympic athletes bodies who had had it placed in by surgery, a church in Hollywood, meeting with Presidents of nations, prophesying over celebrities, starting orphanages, pioneering campaigns in social justice, rescuing sex slave workers, and most of all, a level of faith for intimacy with God that is not just satisfying but is just plain awesome.

So, here I am living in LA as a missionary without a normal support mechanism coming in, being fed by faith, but you know what? Its worth it and a muscle in me has grown….if you could only see my 20″ arms in the Spirit! They get challenged sometimes by what isn’t yet, but I am doing just fine with my God. When I see that I don’t have a fixed income and that every month is a faith journey, this is both hard and exciting. I thought it would be different by now and that I would have a stable income and that things like cars would be easy to just buy, but my life doesn’t look that way yet, and He is still requiring a journey of faith but thank Him, its not exhausting because He is so present.

What about you? Of course your journey is different than mine, no two are the same, but are you paying a price so that you can see a greater measure?

Expression58 Prophetic Activation Class

Reminiscing about 2009

I looked at my list yesterday of what I wanted to accomplish in 2009 and was amazed that out of all the realistic notes I made about a 75% rate! For a dreamer that is unusually high (you should have seen the unrealistic part of it…always looking for wild and adventure)! It made me look at the year differently because it was such a hard year but in light of the good that happened I smiled.

I had one major dark spot in the year. I was only disappointed that I didn’t get to publish in 2009, I have 4 manuscripts that need editing and I just didn’t have the time for the process. The good news is I can self publish some of them and that I have publishers for others so it will all work for 2010-2011 releases.I love that my disappointment was not over regrets of bad activity or relationship fallout. I heard so much controversy and conflict around the nations that it was almost unsteadying. I am glad it didn’t touch my home front directly.

One thing I will do in 2010 more of is rest! I didn’t have a proper vacation period so I just worked through the year. That is not good in the line of work I am in….causes problems if you can’t get away and reset so I have committed to rest.

I learned a lot about myself and what I can’t do this year which eventually showed me what I can do, and what my strengths were. I don’t like the opposite approach of how I learned but it was worth it in the end picture (if its over).

I am making a list again today about what I want to see happen in 2010. I won’t share that list, its between me and God, but rest assured most of what is projects that you will find out about if you watch my life.

So this life that is an adventure was amazing to live out in 2009. I am glad I am a happy person. I have just enough influence to enjoy people, but not enough to be super famous and have to deal with a level of public that I wouldn’t want to. I have great friends and family who have stood with me for years and years, and I have a lot of enjoyment in my talents. Mostly God is just so clearly amazing and my life quality is all because of His grace of revealing Himself to me. When people say He is good it is not a cliche when you know Him closely.

Looking at my list of what I wanted to accomplish this year really blew me away, but it also left a big space for what I want in my next year, in my 30’s, and in my life….but for now I lift up with you a toast for who God is, who he is making us, and what life held in 2009.

I’m Painting Again

Self Portrait

For Christmas I was going to do a few art projects and it turned into the relaunching of my painting desires. I am doing a series called “DEEP” and it started with a rather large painting of just light coming out of blue which was coming out of black like being in the depth under water. Then I put some butterfly silhouettes on the top right hand corner and though “I love this!” The whole canvas is textured so there is levels of depth that are really amazing.

Fly

My favorite was one of the smaller ones that just had a bird flying in the horizon.

The Deep

You can see that there is a water type gloss finish on each painting. One of the more interesting paintings I did in the series was a large square that has glaze dripping like water in 2 separate coats. I wish this would show up in the picture, but the camera is not a capturer of beauty this time.

This one is one of the smaller and again has no defining word, was just a picture that is full of life and texture.

This one is another butterfly with thicker texture on parts. It was the only one titled “LOVE” so far.

There are more coming and in some sense this was a template for a series I want to do on very large canvases, but this was the “DEEP” series for Christmas so far. I have already started the large canvas first. This initial series is not for sale, but the follow up series I might offer up.

CREATE!

Merry Christmas 2009! Year of Preperation

Shawn Bolz as Mickey Mouse

Merry Christmas!

I think the most profound thing in life that I discovered in 2009 was that in the midst of living in LA there was a lot of hard, but good things grow in the midst of the hardest of things and the good is beautiful.

EXPRESSION58

Expression58 entered into its second year of life, and being two years old its growth could be seen and felt in all our hearts. We had so many people who became something that they only dreamed of before and 2009 was a time to learn how to run in life with a new pace and we caught our breath again as we ran like never before.

Sean Fuecht visiting E58

Sunday morning venue (looks like youth group haha)

Expression58 Sunday Morning

The quality of speakers was only equaled by the quality of their love and character that came from their hearts. It was an amazing journey of finding a depth in God that normally doesn’t happen with such a new organization. It caused us to believe for bigger dreams with wider vision.

Our friends and family in Expression58 began to experience break throughs that can only come with Kingdom. In March a friend of ours named Liz Jones, came to visit and she had an encounter with God that break through was going to happen for us as a people.

Breakthrough Reports: The next day my house that had been up for sale for over 2 years sold, then our church filing with the IRS for our status came through the same day. Within a week one of our members got invited to do an international summit on poverty as the key note speaker to dozens of African presidents. Within a month one of our friends was producing with Randy Jackson and joined the Lion King cast in Las Vegas. Within that time period Charles Jones started to travel with Raphael Saadiq and sell out shows. Then all of our people who needed to find housing and jobs found them within a few weeks. Commercials came in a dryspell for our actors, within a few short months our members had met with 5 Presidents or Vice Presidents of nations to give them vision for social justice. We started our Rescue center with Global Childrens Movement, in Kenya. It has been an AMAZING YEAR!

MINISTRY TRAVELS

What a year of traveling! I can’t believe the adventure of life. With all ministry there are highs and lows, but there were so many highs this year. It was a year of believing for miracles because God has the nations in a divine set up that is unlike any the world has ever seen. If the world was a chess board, God has us in check and he is about to call forth his mate!

My view from Kona Ywam Base

Didn't just preach, but swam with turtles

Visited the UK & Saw God move

Visited Parliament

I found myself thirsty to explore the world. God kept opening new doors that were one more creative than the other. England itself was a trip for the archives as God moved powerfully to awaken more and more people to His intimate love.

Shawn Bolz Kissing a Cheetah

in Africa I spoke at the Call, we baptized IRIS ministry students and pastors in the Ocean, and we visited our rescue center in Kenya. It was AMAZING! I have never seen miracles on this level. My favorite part in Kenya was at the Call when our Global Childrens team of used to be orphans, now adopted into our family, lead a healing time (they were mostly under 12) and saw hundreds of people healed in the crowd. It was beautiful! One of the smaller girls prayed for a muslim guard at the door of the convention center because his eye was sealed shut and his eye opened!!! It was amazing! I loved traveling with Chad & Julia Dedmon, Tyler Ward, and Lorri Si as a team! (We have to do that again guys).

Heidi Baker praying for Chad and I

One of my main highlights was when Heidi Bake prayed for us in Pemba. It was so intense and all these little used to be orphans came and laid hands on me and prayed. I was with Heidi when she had an encounter with God in a meeting that I was leading in Canada to go get the lost Makua people of Mozembique in 2003.  She didn’t know who they were and we prayed together as she cried out for them with so much passion it triggered the love in me as well. They were one of the unreached people groups of the world but through IRIS there is a revival going on among them and IRIS is building churches every day in their territories. When I visited, Heidi had them pray for me and told me “This is a fulfillment of your prayers with me, these ones who are praying for you now didn’t know Jesus when I had my encounter years ago in the meeting with you. They are your inheritance too.” I will be forever undone by those little precious kids laying hands on me who wouldn’t have known Jesus if it wasn’t for the encounter Heidi had. They told me prophetically the secrets of my heart.

JILL AUSTIN, A FRIEND AND MOTHER IN THE SPIRIT, WENT INTO GLORY

Jill Austin, passionate for Jesus

I was privileged to MC at her California memorial. I will miss her greatly. There was no one like her and its been a long road this year without her present on the Earth.

Jill Austin's Memorial

THE CALL COMES TO VISIT HOLLYWOOD

Lou Engle and the Call team came to Hollywood to pray and they called to see if they could come pray by my house which is by the Hollywood sign. I offered them lunch but had no idea it was like 50 people coming. We had a powerful release of prayer and love for Hollywood and Lou prophesied and prayed for us as well.

Lou Engle prays over Hollywood

Call team in Hollywood

FAMILY  & FUN

SHAWN BOLZ WITH OPTI PRIME

Ping Pong Match in Malibu...epic

Larry & Stacia come to LA

Jennifer as Lucille Ball

Elvis is in the building

We were mostly smiles in 2009. I pray that your new year is the happiest ever. May God bless you and your family!!!
IN the love of JESUS!

Shawn Bolz

2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – A Positive Outlook

* This is just a rough blog with no editing….

2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – a positive outlook

Shawn Bolz, Michael Jackson

Rueters called this: “The Year of Celebrity death.” This year we lost many of the entertainment industries brightest and most influential stars, more so in this one year then in any other year in the last decade. Brittany Murphy’s death yesterday reminded me of why we are called here in Los Angeles. I am reminded again of the Natalie Merchant who is not a Christian( but who God healed when she was young) wrote a song in remembrance of River Phoenix who passed on October 21, 1993. The song said:

Young & strong Hollywood son
In the early morning light
This star fell down
On Sunset Boulevard

Young & strong beautiful one
One that we embraced so close
Is gone
Was torn away

Let the youth of America mourn
Include him in their prayers
Let his image linger on
Repeat it everywhere

With candles with flowers
He was one of ours
One of ours

River Phoenix Died in 1993

The heart of this song is that we need to take responsibility for what is ours. What Hollywood is missing is Fathers, and there is such an orphan spirit here. As a matter of fact popular culture/entertainment industry has truly become a 3rd world nation in the Spirit. There are so many people who are losing their life before they really begin to live. They have real accomplishments and families and love, but there is a greater piece. Something inside of me has expanded to love and Father this industry. I greave when its sons and daughters die or go to rehab, or miss their mark. I also rejoice when there are accomplishments and the fruit of love here. Our heart breaking over BRITTANY MURPHY’S DEATH PROVES WE ARE CALLED TO HOLLYWOOD.

Brittnay Murphay

THE HARVEST IS RIPE THE WORKERS ARE FEW

When I make this statement I want to qualify it first by saying: There are AMAZING Christians in Hollywood right now, probably more than ever. They are not your religious brand of zealots who are making Hollywood miserable, they are Daniels and Josephs and Esthers and they are creators who are influencing. There is an underground move of God in Hollywood that has not just started, but has always been here, but something is surfacing and gaining momentum. There are intercessors in studios, life coaches for entertainers, counselors for the broken, prophetic people to bring destiny, churches to bring family, and bands of creative people working together. This is not the Christian scene of yesteryear, something is going on in a Kingdom way in Hollywood that is spread out between hundreds of Kingdom minded groups collaborating.

At the same time, there needs to be the same effort we have in major church movements and missions movement brought to Hollywood. There is such a need for people who have a calling to Father and Mother in this industry. Hollywood needs a deliverance from an orphan spirit and this will only happen by bringing God’s original intention to the forefront. All of Hollywood is waiting like in Romans 8:19 for this Sonship to be revealed. In other words Hollywood is not impressed by Christianity right now but is very spiritual and knows that there is a God, and is waiting in anticipation for Him to reveal Himself.

WE DON’T ONLY NEED EVANGELISM WE NEED TO MENTOR CREATORS!

This requires those who are grounded in His love and nature going into this great industry as laborers with a mindset that is not just evangelistic but is creative. In other words, Hollywood doesn’t just need to be evangelized one more time, it needs Fathers and Mothers to invest into the creators and help people believe to be the version of themselves that God created them to be!

Hollywood is the culture capitol of the world that affects every decision maker in almost every part of society, and the church is just now realizing its responsibility to love and honor what God as a creator wants to do.

What would have happened if we had more Kingdom in Hollywood this year? My vision is that there will be a generation of Hollywood who will:

1) Learn the ecstasy of God’s love and won’t need a rehab or will find true deliverance from drugs
2) Know the healing power of God’s heart so won’t need medicine to manage their pain & disease
3) Know what family and marriage is and so won’t give theirs up for something that seems like it might be better
4) Know how amazing Jesus is and want to spend eternity with Him, so they won’t compromise that love for vanity or false power which looks like better opportunity or riches that don’t last

What would happen if we released a move of God that healed the identity of Hollywood and released sonship? What would happen if the same power of God that many of you have seen heal the sick, break through your own finances, restore your life or your families, deliver you from bad patterns or addictions, what would happen if we released that into Hollywood and the entertainment industry?

That is my dream, to see the Kingdom come from heaven to earth in this great industry all over the world.

I have a part two to this article for your consideration, but I wanted to end this with 2 notes.

1) If you can not go into this industry and help, then send us. We are getting a full time building in 2010 and are raising money for it. We have several hundred people who are involved in the entertainment industry in our church and we are loving well in Los Angeles. You can make a tax deductible gift to Expression58 and send it through the mail to 11271 Ventura blvd #500, Studio City, CA 91604, give to our paypal account via credit card/debit card/checking account: office@expression58.org or log into our website and give with our online store.

2) I wanted to leave you with a list of names of those we lost this year so that you can see how important your role in prayer and love is in this industry. I know some of them lived very long lives, and there is a passing of a generation of Entertainers last year and this year that is literally changing the landscape of the industry right now. I will talk about that later, but read the list and let the Holy Spirit speak to you.

JANUARY:
Johannes Mario Simmel, 84. Austrian-born author; topped German-language best-seller lists. Jan. 1.
Jett Travolta, 16. John Travolta’s son. Jan. 2. Seizure.
Pat Hingle, 84. Tony-nominated stage actor; Commissioner Gordon in “Batman” movies. Jan. 3.
Ned Tanen, 77. As Paramount and Universal chairman, he greenlighted a string of hits (“Top Gun,” “E.T”). Jan. 5.
Ron Asheton, 60. Guitarist for the Stooges, whose raw sound helped inspire punk rock. Jan. 6.
Cheryl Holdridge, 64. Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Jan. 6.
Coosje van Bruggen, 66. Artist; collaborated with husband Claes Oldenburg on his giant sculptures. Jan. 10.
Patrick McGoohan, 80. Emmy-winning actor; star of TV classic “The Prisoner.” Jan. 13.
Hortense Calisher, 97. Fiction writer known for dense prose (“False Entry”). Jan. 13.
Ricardo Montalban, 88. Actor in splashy MGM musicals; Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island.” Jan. 14.
Andrew Wyeth, 91. Acclaimed artist whose portraits and landscapes combined traditional realism, modern melancholy. Jan. 16.
David “Fathead” Newman, 75. Jazz saxophonist; played with wide range of luminaries. Jan. 20.
James Brady, 80. Author, Parade magazine celebrity columnist. Jan. 26.
John Updike, 76. Pulitzer-winning novelist, essayist. Jan. 27.
Hans Beck, 79. Created colourful Playmobil toy figures. Jan. 30.
FEBRUARY:
Lux Interior, 62. Lead singer of horror-punk band the Cramps. Feb. 4.
James Whitmore, 87. Many-faceted actor; did one-man shows on Harry Truman, Will Rogers. Feb. 6.
Molly Bee, 69. Country singer (“Don’t Go Courtin’ in a Hot Rod Ford”). Feb. 7.
Blossom Dearie, 84. Jazz singer with unique baby-doll voice. Feb. 7.
Robert Anderson, 91. Broadway playwright (“Tea and Sympathy”). Feb. 9.
Estelle Bennett, 67. One of Ronnettes, ’60s girl group (“Be My Baby”). Feb. 11.
Hugh Leonard, 82. Irish playwright; won Tony for father-son drama “Da.” Feb. 12.
Louie Bellson, 84. Jazz drummer; performed with Duke Ellington, wife Pearl Bailey. Feb. 14.
Al-Tayeb Saleh, 80. One of Arab world’s top novelists. Feb. 18.
Howard Zieff, 81. Directed films (“Private Benjamin”), TV ads (Alka-Seltzer’s “Spicy Meatballs.” ) Feb. 22.
Sverre Fehn, 84. Norwegian architect; won prestigious Pritzker award. Feb. 23.
Paul Harvey, 90. Radio news and talk pioneer; one of nation’s most familiar voices. Feb. 28.
MARCH:
Ernie Ashworth, 80. Grand Ole Opry singer (“Talk Back Trembling Lips”). March 2.
Sydney Chaplin, 82. Tony-winning actor; son of Charlie Chaplin (“Bells Are Ringing”). March 3.
Horton Foote, 92. Playwright (“The Trip to Bountiful”) and screenwriter (“To Kill a Mockingbird”). March 4.
Hank Locklin, 91. Smooth-voiced country singer (“Send Me the Pillow You Dream On”). March 8.
James Purdy, 94. Author of underground classics (“Cabot Wright Begins”). March 13.
Anne Wiggins Brown, 96. Soprano; the original Bess in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” March 13.
Betsy Blair, 85. Actress, Oscar-nominated for role as shy woman courted by homely Ernest Borgnine in “Marty.” March 13.
Ron Silver, 62. Won Tony as tough Hollywood producer in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” March 15.
Natasha Richardson, 45. Gifted heiress to British acting royalty (“Patty Hearst”). March 18. Skiing accident.
Jade Goody, 27. British reality TV star, hailed in final months for her courage. March 22. Cancer.
Uriel Jones, 74. Drummer whose passionate beat fuelled Motown hits. March 24.
John Hope Franklin, 94. Towering scholar of African-American studies. March 25.
Steven Bach, 70. Movie executive who oversaw the debacle “Heaven’s Gate”; later wrote memoir about it. March 25.
Irving R. Levine, 86. Bow-tied NBC newsman who explained the fine points of economics. March 27.
Helen Levitt, 95. Photographer famed for scenes of New York street life. March 29.
Maurice Jarre, 84. Oscar-winning film composer (“Lawrence of Arabia,” “Doctor Zhivago”). March 28.
APRIL:
Tom Braden, 92. Helped launch CNN’s “Crossfire”; wrote memoir “Eight is Enough” that inspired a TV show. April 3.
Dave Arneson, 61. Co-creator of groundbreaking Dungeons&Dragons fantasy game. April 7.
David “Pop” Winans Sr., 76. Grammy-nominated patriarch of gospel music family. April 8.
Marilyn Chambers, 56. She helped bring adult films into mainstream with “Behind the Green Door.” April 12. Heart disease.
Peter Rogers, 95. Produced British “Carry On” films, hallmarks of lowbrow comedy. April 14.
J.G. Ballard, 78. British author known for dark vision (“Empire of the Sun”). April 19.
Jack Cardiff, 94. Oscar-winning cinematographer famed for innovative use of Technicolor (“The Red Shoes”). April 22.
Ken Annakin, 94. Directed World War II epics “Battle of the Bulge,” “The Longest Day.” April 22.
The Rev. Timothy Wright, 61. Grammy-nominated gospel singer, and composer (“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”). April 23.
Bea Arthur, 86. Her sharp delivery propelled “Maude,” “The Golden Girls”; won Tony for “Mame.” April 25.
Vern Gosdin, 74. Country singer (“Chiseled in Stone”). April 28.
MAY:
Marilyn French, 79. Feminist writer; her 1977 novel “The Women’s Room” sold millions. May 2.
Dom DeLuise, 75. Portly actor with offbeat style (“The Cannonball Run”). May 4.
Mickey Carroll, 89. One of last surviving Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz.” May 7.
Wayman Tisdale, 44. Accomplished jazzman; earlier, a college, NBA basketball star. May 15. Cancer.
David Herbert Donald, 88. Pulitzer-winning Civil War historian; expert on Lincoln. May 17.
Mario Benedetti, 88. Renowned Uruguayan author (“The Truce”). May 17.
Amos Elon, 82. Israeli author (“The Israelis: Founders and Sons”). May 25.
JUNE:
Koko Taylor, 80. Regal, powerful singer known as “Queen of the Blues.” June 3.
Shih Kien, 96. Veteran Hong Kong actor; Bruce Lee’s archrival in 1973’s “Enter the Dragon.” June 3.
David Carradine, 72. Actor (“Kung Fu,” “Kill Bill”). June 4.
Bob Bogle, 75. Guitarist, co-founded instrumental band The Ventures (“Walk, Don’t Run”). June 14.
Ed McMahon, 86. Ebullient “Tonight” show sidekick who bolstered Johnny Carson. June 23.
Farrah Fawcett, 62. 1970s sex symbol, star of “Charlie’s Angels.” June 25.
Michael Jackson, 50. The “King of Pop.” June 25.
Gale Storm, 87. Perky actress; one of early television’s biggest stars (“My Little Margie”). June 27.
Billy Mays, 50. Burly, bearded television pitchman. June 28. Heart disease.
Harve Presnell, 75. His booming baritone graced Broadway musicals (“The Unsinkable Molly Brown”). June 30.
JULY:
Karl Malden, 97. Oscar-winning actor; a star despite his plain looks (“A Streetcar Named Desire”). July 1.
Allen Klein, 77. No-holds-barred music manager; worked with the Beatles, Rolling Stones. July 4.
Sir Edward Downes, 85. One of Britain’s most renowned conductors; longtime head of the BBC Philharmonic. July 10.
Walter Cronkite, 92. Premier TV anchorman of the networks’ golden age. July 17.
Gordon Waller, 64. Half of the British Invasion pop duo Peter and Gordon (“A World Without Love”). July 17.
Frank McCourt, 78. Former schoolteacher who enjoyed post-retirement fame, and a Pulitzer, for memoir “Angela’s Ashes.” July 19.
E. Lynn Harris, 54. Best-selling author who pioneered gay black fiction (“Love of My Own”). July 23. Heart disease.
Merce Cunningham, 90. The avant-garde dancer and choreographer who revolutionized modern dance. July 26.
AUGUST:
Naomi Sims, 61. Pioneering black model of the 1960s. Aug. 1.
Budd Schulberg, 95. Novelist (“What Makes Sammy Run?”) and Oscar-winning screenwriter (“On the Waterfront”). Aug. 5.
John Hughes, 59. Writer-director of smash youth-oriented comedies (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Home Alone”). Aug. 6. Heart attack.
Willy DeVille, 58. Singer, songwriter; founded punk group Mink DeVille. Aug. 6. Pancreatic cancer.
John Quade, 71. Character actor; the heavy in several Clint Eastwood movies. Aug. 9.
Andy Kessler, 48. Trailblazer of NYC’s skateboarding scene; designed skate parks. Aug. 10. Heart attack after wasp sting.
Les Paul, 94. Guitar virtuoso; invented solid-body electric guitar, multitrack recording. Aug. 13.
Virginia Davis, 90. As child actress, appeared in Walt Disney’s “Alice” films in 1920s. Aug. 15.
Hildegard Behrens, 72. German-born soprano hailed as one of the finest Wagnerian performers of her generation. Aug. 18.
Don Hewitt, 86. TV news pioneer who created “60 Minutes,” produced it for 36 years. Aug. 19.
Elmer Kelton, 83. Acclaimed Western novelist (“The Good Old Boys”). Aug. 22.
Ellie Greenwich, 68. Co-wrote some of 1960s’ most enduring songs (“Be My Baby”). Aug. 26.
Dominick Dunne, 83. Best-selling author who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous. Aug. 26.
Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, 36. Celebrity disc jockey; also a reality TV figure who attempted to help fellow drug addicts. Aug. 28. Overdose.
Marie Knight, 84. Gospel music legend (“Beams of Heaven”). Aug. 30.
SEPTEMBER:
Erich Kunzel, 74. Conductor, longtime head of Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Sept. 1.
Keith Waterhouse, 80. British playwright, novelist (“Billy Liar”). Sept. 4.
Army Archerd, 87. His breezy Daily Variety column kept tabs on Hollywood doings for more than a half-century. Sept. 8.
Frank Batten Sr., 82. He built media giant Landmark Communications, created The Weather Channel. Sept. 10.
Jim Carroll, 60. Poet, punk rocker; wrote “The Basketball Diaries.” Sept. 11. Heart attack.
Larry Gelbart, 81. Slyly witty writer for stage and screen (“Tootsie,” “M-A-S-H”). Sept. 11.
Pierre Cossette, 85. Record label founder; turned Grammy Awards into a popular televised ceremony. Sept. 11.
Zakes Mokae, 75. Tony-winning South African actor (Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold … and the Boys”). Sept. 11.
Paul Burke, 83. Two-time Emmy nominee for his role as Detective Adam Flint in the gritty crime drama “Naked City.” Sept. 13.
Patrick Swayze, 57. Dancer turned movie superstar for “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost.” Sept. 14. Pancreatic cancer.
Henry Gibson, 73. Comic character actor; recited offbeat poetry on “Rowan&Martin’s Laugh-In.” Sept. 14.
Trevor Rhone, 69. Jamaican playwright; co-wrote the reggae film “The Harder They Come.” Sept. 15.
Mary Travers, 72. One-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary (“If I Had a Hammer”). Sept. 16.
Art Ferrante, 88. Half of the piano duo Ferrante and Teicher (“Exodus”). Sept. 19.
Alicia de Larrocha, 86. Spanish pianist who thrilled music listeners for decades. Sept. 25.
William Safire, 79. Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist and word warrior. Sept. 27.
OCTOBER:
Mercedes Sosa, 74. Argentine folksinger; the “Voice of Latin America” who inspired pro-democracy activists. Oct. 4.
Ben Ali, 82. Founded Ben’s Chili Bowl diner, a Washington landmark. Oct. 7.
Irving Penn, 92. Photographer famed for stark simplicity in portraits, fashion shots. Oct. 7.
Al Martino, 82. Singer (“Spanish Eyes”); played the Frank Sinatra-type role in “The Godfather.” Oct. 13.
Daniel Melnick, 77. Producer of acclaimed films “Straw Dogs,” “Network.” Oct. 13.
Vic Mizzy, 93. Songwriter; did catchy sitcom themes (“The Addams Family”). Oct. 17.
Soupy Sales, 83. Rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on thousands of pies to the face. Oct. 22.
Ray Browne, 87. Bowling Green State professor credited with coining the phrase “popular culture.” Oct. 22.
Michelle Triola Marvin, 76. She fought a landmark “palimony” case in the 1970s against former lover Lee Marvin. Oct. 30.
NOVEMBER:
Francisco Ayala, 103. Spanish novelist, sociologist; went into exile during the country’s Franco dictatorship. Nov. 3.
Sheldon Dorf, 76. Founded Comic-Con International comic book convention that draws more than 100,000. Nov. 3.
Jeanne-Claude, 74. With her husband, Christo, she created large-scale, highly publicized art projects. Nov. 18.
Elisabeth Soderstrom, 82. Swedish soprano who performed on world stages. Nov. 20.
Al Alberts, 87. Member of singing Four Aces (“Love is a Many Splendored Thing”). Nov. 27.
DECEMBER:
Aaron Schroeder, 84. Songwriter (Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never”). Dec. 1.
Richard Todd, 90. Acclaimed British actor (“The Longest Day”). Dec. 3.
Vyacheslav Tikhonov, 81. Popular Russian actor; starred in Oscar-winning Soviet production of “War and Peace.” Dec. 4.
Liam Clancy, 74. Last of Clancy Brothers Irish folksong troupe whose songs struck sentimental chord worldwide. Dec. 4.
Thomas Hoving, 78. Former director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art who championed the “blockbuster” exhibit. Dec. 10.

We are renting a building in Hollywood for our church and need your help

Dance team at E58

Niles Rivers Leading Worship at E58 Event

Painter at Expression58

We are busting at the seems in our activities and finally need to rent a building in Hollywood/Los Angeles area for our church. Right now real estate is at an all time low, and we are finding buildings for as low as a dollar a square foot which is unheard of here in LA. Its a great time to get into a lease, and we want to see if you would help. Your gift of $10, $20, $100, $1,000 plants a church in Los Angeles with us. Our fruit is your fruit. Can we count on you to help us?

You can give on our website, www.expression58.org , by credit card/debit card/paypal or you can send a check in old fashioned way.

Shawn Bolz
www.expression58.org
office@expressin58.org

Blog Day 8 “Rest for the Weary”

So as I had a week to ponder why I had to rest through sickness instead of take a real vacation (I really was sick and I hate sick rest), I realized that pioneering is a lot harder then we all thought it would be in Los Angeles.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what we are doing, but with the recession in America, our own personal finances just making it, and with the constant transition that a city like Los Angeles brings, we have had a whole new learning curve and faith level to exercise.

The hardest thing is learning how to keep a pace running along these new and different paths then we have been on. I kept saying over and over to myself “I need to keep pace, I need to keep pace” but I realized I don’t know how to. It’s like learning how to run at higher altitude, but I am learning. Things that would have stretched me beyond limits are now normal for me which is totally cool.

I have watched  many people that we respect deeply who get on a role of activity and burn out but don’t slow down and then shut down. Its amazing when you have a good heart what stupid things you will do because you feel like you have to. I want to thrive for the rest of my life not just for a season. I have been in ministry and high performance for 15 years and want to last the rest of my life, especially because I started so early.

So, in the midst of writing books, working on the church, traveling 10-15 days a month, taking classes, and doing life in a city like LA where there are constant great visitors and great things to do every moment of your spare time, I am learning how to rest and be me.

So here is the key: Intimacy with God that is true relationship not just intercession, or ministry focused, or missional time. When you spend time with your wife you don’t take her to work, you take her to something that pours into both of you. I love spending time with Jesus that feels like it pours back into Him and thus increases Him in me.

So thats it. Have fun my friends, REST!