In May of 1979 I joined my good friends Carl Semmler and Alan Brown on a month long cross-country trip that took us from North Carolina to California. Part of our "excuse" for planning this epic journey was to see my Uncle Dick and his family in Las Vegas. Even thought I was only 19 (they were both 21) at the time and therefore in the casinos illegally, we did a little gambling. We had no money we could afford to lose, so our gambling consisted of playing penny slot machines- primarily so we could get rid our our pennies! The night we went to see Don Rickles perform, we wandered a couple of the big casinos and watched other people play the big games. We understood Black Jack, but watching Craps was like listening to someone speak Klingon- we just didn't catch on. At some point late that evening we came across a Craps table where there was quite a commotion. The best we could make out, some young celebrity was in the midst of losing a LOT of money, and the crowd had gathered to gawk. After one (what I can only assume) particularly bad roll of the dice there was yelling, laughter and then a parting of the crowd as the celebrity and his entourage plowed through the masses. The 3 of us were petty much run over by them as they came out. We were surprised to see that we had just been run over by Robin Williams.
Robin was, at that time, flush with new fame from his work as Mork. He was also, we would learn as the years passed, addicted to cocaine. As his group bumped into us, there was no remorse, no apology and no recognition of the rudeness. We were more than a little disgusted with their behavior. If you had asked us that night if we had seen the funniest man in the world, we would have assumed you meant Don Rickles. I was certain Robin Williams would be a one-hit wonder. The next year he released his first movie, Popeye- a truly awful film. For sure he was funny, but he would be forever remembered as Mork. Of that I was certain.
His death last week has spawned so many stories of what a kind, wonderful and passionate man Robin Williams turned into, despite the demons in his head. He became not only a great comic, but a brilliant actor. He left behind a legacy of film and TV appearances that will never be forgotten, and over these 35 years I became a huge fan. That ugly episode in a Vegas casino has transformed in my mind into a bump with greatness. I will leave it to others to list movies and talk about amazing performances, but I do want to share one of my favorite Robin Williams moments. A number of years ago he appeared on the old Whose Line Is It Anyway? hosted by Drew Carry. It was 22 minutes of total, manic, insane and hilariously unfiltered Robin. He cracked up not only the audience but the cast as well. One of my first thoughts upon hearing of his death last week was great gratitude that I have that episode saved on our DVR. Which is exactly where it will remain, never to be deleted. Hearing Robin and Wayne Brady sing a gospel song about landing an airplane was total. absolute brilliance.
I rarely get sentimental about celebrities. But we are all going to miss that strange little hairy man who tried to run me over all those years ago. I was so wrong. He will be remembered for so much more than Mork.
Na-noo, Na-noo.
Linda Petty, the wife of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, passed away earlier this week in Level Cross, NC after a long battle with cancer. She was 72. On this Throwback Thursday I want to share a couple memories I have of the Petty family as my small tribute to Linda.
Growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s and 70s meant that you knew about a lot about 2 kings. The first was Elvis. The second was Richard Petty. With 200 career victories, Petty ruled NASCAR in ways that few other sports have ever been dominated by an individual or team. Now before we go on, I have to make a true confession that may well get my official Tar Heel card revoked- I have never been a NASCAR fan (Go ahead and throw things at the screen- I'll wait...). But in stock car racing mad NC, the best driver was indeed the king. At that, for many years, was Richard. So everyone knew OF him. But I got to know the family through a series of events that had nothing to do with racing. They had to do with summer camp.
Sometime around 1980 the Petty's youngest daughter, Rebecca, and a group of her friends were campers for a week at Quaker Lake Camp, where I was working. Linda and Rebecca's older brother Kyle (who by then was beginning his own racing career) brought her to registration, stirring up quite a buzz among the racing fans and passing out Petty-blue STP hats to the staff. Rebecca had a great time and came back a couple of more summers, and each time there was more excitement. They even brought one of the race cars down so everyone could get a close look. On several of those occasions I was working the registration table or helping out at check-in and had some great conversations with Mrs. Petty. She was a sweet, down-to-earth woman who loved her children and asked for no special treatment. I also met Richard on one such occasion. It was an honor.
Fast forward to the early 1990s. I was working as the youth pastor at Springfield Friends Meeting in High Point, NC. Marilyn and I were eating dinner at the Bamboo Gardens Chinese Restaurant in Archdale, which is a short drive from the Petty compound in Level Cross. We already eating when in walked the King and his wife- Richard wearing his trademark cowboy hat and smiling at everyone. As they were being escorted to their booth they passed our table, and Linda stopped, looked at me and said, "Didn't you work at Quaker Lake when our daughter went there?" When I responded "yes" she and Richard stopped and chatted for a minute about how much Rebecca had loved camp and caught me up on what she was up to as an adult. It was a fun and friendly visit. They were seated and that was the end of it for them- but for us the fun was just starting! The restaurant was quite crowded, and as we peered around the room it seemed everyone was starring at us. They all knew who the Pettys were. But WHO were these people that the King had stopped to visit? They just knew we had be famous too! The buzz continued for quite a while. I've always wondered how disappointed those folks would have been to find out it was a lowly youth pastor and his wife just out enjoying some egg drop soup...
So that's my story of the night I rubbed elbows with royalty. My thoughts and prayers are with the Petty family as they mourn the loss of their wife, mother and grandmother. I know she will be missed, Rest in peace, Linda.
Because of Jesus,
Yesterday I shared with the you the ramblings of a dog. Today I want to let you in on the wisdom of a frog- Kermit the Frog, that is! All of the following quotes are from his book, Before You Leap- A Frog's-Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons (Meredith Books, 2006). I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.
- "Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there."
- "Every journey begins with a single hop."
- "Only love can make you rich."
- "Life is great. But without bad times we wouldn't know the difference."
- "Always be happy. When people are in a bad mood the last thing they want to do is hang around with happy people."
- "You are what you eat, which I guess makes me part mosquito."
- "It's not easy being green, but green is what I want to be. Be what you want to be."
- "Love is a gift. Don't ask for the receipt!"
- "Friends. So much more than an old TV show."
- "Time's fun when you're having flies!"
- "Success is believing in yourself, then convincing everyone else that you're right."
- "Be your own boss. Give yourself the day off."
- "When you're young at heart, the rest of you is sure to follow along."
- "A best friend is someone who makes you laugh, even when the jokes aren't funny."
- "Follow your dream. I did, and look what I've done so far..."
Pretty wise stuff from a frog who's in love with a pig, huh? Let me know which of these nuggets is your favorite. Have a blessed day, and keep dreaming. "Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection- the lovers, the dreamers...and me!"
Because of Jesus,
Among the perks of my time in student ministry were all of the trips I got to take to New York City. Most of those trips were with the groups I led, but on occasion I would go up by myself to check out new things and work out deals with the Milford Plaza Hotel. This is the story of one such trip.
It must have been 1998 when I visited the Big Apple in preparation for our 1999 trip from Kissimmee. I went up for a couple of days, and as was my habit I purchased tickets for a few Broadway shows. You can often get great seats when you are only looking for one ticket, and on this particular adventure I hit the jackpot! I got one seat (front row center) to my all-time favorite show, Les Miserables. And I got one ticket very close to the stage (3 rows back) for the hottest show of the time, The Lion King. I was so psyched- Lion King tickets were almost impossible to get.
I don't really remember how it happened to me. It may have been one of those jobs you get when you don't know that you should just say NO! I know that when I arrived at FUMC-K there was a bit of a controversy about how John Willis did the children's sermon each Sunday. He often used a muppet-type character named Hollywood to help him teach. Hollywood did not have many fans among the adults of the congregation. He wore a cowboy hat and a red bandanna and glasses (I can't believe I don't have a picture of him to share). They thought he was silly and childish (Yes, I know, and I'm coming back to how ridiculous that sounds) and that he took away from worship. Some of the leadership even demanded that Hollywood's appearances be cut back. Even the youth liked to pick on John and kidnapped Hollywood from time to time. Somehow, it the midst of all this turmoil, I became the straight man for John and his muppet on Sundays. It was quite a ride!
You see, when you were up on the platform talking with John and Hollywood, things could get very strange. First of all, it was often hard to know who you were talking to. John was no ventriloquist; his mouth was always moving, and their voices were not all that different; at least until Hollywood got excited. It took me a while to learn who to respond to. Add in the unpredictability of the kids who would join us up front, and every week was a circus! I could almost understand why some people thought the whole thing was a little over the top...
But here's the deal; to the children that his messages were aimed at, Hollywood was a rock star! They got him. They could repeat everything he said to them. I would walk across our campus during the week and the kids in our church school and child care would yell at me, "HEY!!! You know Hollywood!" It was amazing. The more I was part of it, the more I came to understand what I came to call The Hollywood Principle.
The Hollywood Principle states that if we want children and youth to be a part of our churches. then we need to be willing to give up things for them. For instance, if we want youth to feel like they are important in worship, then some of the music should reflect their tastes. If adults are not willing to give up some of their preferences, we send a very negative message. Hollywood taught me that. He seemed "childish" because he was there for the children! It really didn't matter if the adults "got him" or not- that is not who he was there for. John Willis understood that is a big way. We were never just "winging it" on Sunday mornings; we would work on the children's moment every Monday and Thursday, and then practice again at 8 AM on Sunday. This moment of ministry connected John to the children of the church in ways you cannot imagine unless you sat where I sat on Sunday mornings. It was an honor to be a part of it all.
Hanging around with Hollywood was always cool, but never better than when I got to go into the recording studio with him...that story is coming Friday.
Because of Jesus,
My favorite definition of GRACE: "There will always be a second chance...and you will always be on your FIRST try!"
In case you live under a very large rock and haven't heard, Tiger Woods is playing golf at the The Masters this weekend. He has had a few issues over the past few months (DUH!) and the whole world seems to have an opinion on the man and his transgressions. Now I don't know Tiger personally (My wife Marilyn did meet him; back in the late 1990's she and her boss went to his home in Orlando to complete a real estate closing on the land where his current Orlando home now sits. Her memory is of a classic young bachelor whose home was furnished with golf clubs, and she got his autograph for our son Will.) but I do have some thoughts on one aspect of his story.
I keep hearing and reading that Tiger's reputation and popularity have a chance to be rehabilitated because USAmericans are such a forgiving people. On that I am afraid I have to call a giant BS! We might be willing to forgive Tiger, because let's face it- what he did has no effect on us. We are happy to give second chances to politicians, celebrities and athletes who fall because their sins rarely hurt us. You can hear this is people's comments about El Tigre. They say, "I hope he comes back; he messed up but he deserves a second chance. But if I had been Elin I would have kept beating him with that golf club!" We seldom forgive those who hurt us. We are willing to consider redemption if they EARN it. It's not really forgiveness if it is conditional. It's not forgiveness if you are willing to overlook it because it didn't happen to you. It's not forgiveness if you tell someone you forgive them and then hold their sin over their head constantly to remind them how guilty they should feel. But typically this is the kind of forgiveness we offer in our culture.
Jesus saw forgiveness is a very different light. When asked how often you should forgive someone, he said "70 times 7"- a infinite amount of times. He told the parable of the prodigal son (a guy who really knew how to sin!) to illustrate that when we fall, God waits for us with open arms. We don't have to "do" anything to earn God's grace; it is simply waiting for us when we turn back to God. And God not only forgives, He forgets. Our sins, once given to Him, are buried on the ocean floor. The old saying is so true; "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less." As followers of Jesus, we are called upon to share that kind of love and forgiveness with the world, but we seldom do. We attach so many strings...
I find myself feeling a little sorry for Tiger. Certainly no one approves of what he did (hate the sin, love the sinner!) but many seem to have forgotten that he ever did anything else. I have been through some of what he is going though on a much smaller scale. I have been publicly condemned for my sins. I have felt the power of God's amazing grace in the form of unconditional forgiveness from my family and some wonderful friends. I have felt conditional forgiveness from some who want me to earn back their love. And I have felt rejection from some who choose to throw stones. But mostly, I have felt the overwhelming grace of God reminding me not of my guilt, but of His love for me as shown through the sacrifice Jesus made on all of our behalves. I have learned in new and amazing ways that while I might not be able to earn back your love, I do not NEED to earn anything from God- I already have it! Jesus doesn't want us to feel guilt; Jesus came that we might be free of our guilt and live an abundant life. It is Satan (the accuser) who loves guilt, who wants us to forget the grace Jesus came to offer us. Our pastor, Matthew Hartsfield, is fond of saying "the next time Satan reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future." God wins! I feel sympathy for Tiger because he is facing so much and trying to do it without Jesus. He is facing an often cold, often unforgiving world without the knowledge and comfort of grace. As someone who has been there, I just cannot imagine that. Because of Jesus, I know that I know that I know that I am still a beloved child of God, and that God can and will use me in this world. My sins- your sins- do not define us before God. Jesus does.
Today's bottom line- when you fail to forgive, or when you seek to use guilt or to make someone earn your love, you are being used by Satan. It's time that we Christ-followers started offering grace to a world that so badly needs it. And that begins by offering it to the people who have hurt us most. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!
Because of Jesus,
I spent a great deal of my time in New England on the road, visiting the people and the Meetings of NEYM. The winter of 1986 was brutally cold, and I gave my trusty Renault Encore a workout through snow and freezing temps. I travelled alone most of the time, and quite often ate alone at various places along the road. I had not been in the region long before I discovered Friendly's, an ice cream and sandwich restaurant that dotted the New England landscape. I could eat at the counter, get great milk shakes (called Fribbles) and be back on the road pretty quickly. I visited Friendly's quite often.
One day in early June I stopped at a Friendly's outside of Boston and went in to have some dinner at the counter. I sat down next to a ruffled looking gentleman, and as I gave him the obligatory "hi" and nod I realized that I knew him. It was Doug Moe. That name may mean very little to most people, but I was excited. Doug Moe was, at the time, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He was in the area because he had just watched an NBA finals game at the Boston Garden between the Celtics and the Houston Rockets. But for me, Doug Moe was someone I had known about for a very long time. He played at the University of North Carolina in the 1960's and being a huge Tarheel fan I had heard of him from those days. He then played a number of years in the now defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) for a number of teams, including the Carolina Cougars. My Dad and I went to a number of Cougars games in the early 70's and Doug was one of our favorite players because he played so hard. At first he seemed a bit reluctant to chat, but when I brought up the Tarheels and the Cougars his face lit up and we talked non-stop for an hour! He couldn't believe how much I knew and remembered about his days with the Cougars. We also talked at length about M.L. Carr, the current Celtic and former Guilford College Quaker who had once been my Dad's lab partner and dissected a cat on our back porch. Doug was everything I had heard he was- blunt, loud, animated and scruffy looking (see picture at top, from 1986). He was just a normal guy, eating at Friendly's and talking sports with a buddy. It was awesome.
I left that evening not thinking about how I had just spent an hour talking with one of the best coaches in the NBA, but rather about how, for one of the few times since moving to New England, I felt normal. Talking abut M.L., the Cougars and the Tarheels was like being back home. For the first time, with three months to go before our wedding, I began to think about what it would take to get me back to NC. But not for the last time...
Because of Jesus,
