Crossroads

Happy Veteran's Day to all of the women and men who serve or have served our country, and especially to their families, who often sacrifice even more...may God bless you all!

The Summer of '86 found me quite busy planning the August annual Young Friends Yearly Meeting sessions and the 1986-87 school year events and programs.  My occasional thoughts of leaving New England and heading back to North Carolina were tempered by reality.  If I went back, what job would I be able to find?  If I left after such a short tenure, wasn't I just feeding into the statistics that said youth ministers never stay?  I wanted nothing to do with adding to the "17 month" stat- the average length of stay in a ministry position for a youth worker in those days.  Most importantly, I believed God had sent me to NEYM for a reason, and I was not ready to give up on my mission yet unless God was ready for me to move on.

The other side of my brain would argue that I was stuck in a job I didn't really like doing ministry with people I didn't understand.  Planning for Yearly Meeting ran me headlong into more issues and roadblocks that simply blew my mind.  Every discussion seemed to be about political correctness and theological inclusiveness.  Jesus was left out of the mix at every turn.  The committee spent one whole planning session talking guidelines for behavior for the students who would attend.  The debate centered around the fact the boyfriends and girlfriends could not room together or have public displays of affection, but nothing prevented gay and lesbian couples from sharing a room.  The discussion was heated, with the suggestion actually made that we just drop ALL rooming guidelines.  It was surreal.  They didn't see any real need for speakers, or music, or worship at the sessions.  Just good "hang out" time, with some workshops on social justice issues.  More and more I found myself turning to Chris Jorgensen for answers, and more and more I wondered why she didn't get the job to begin with...

Marilyn and I were set to be married on August 30th, just a few weeks after Yearly Meeting.  She was being a trooper about the whole thing, but it was clear to me she had no real desire to live in Massachusetts.  But she would...for me, and for my ministry.  There seemed to be no clear option, and praying for guidance was all I could do.  Then one day in June, I checked my mail and discovered a letter from my old friend Wallace Sills (see Starting A Riot) in NC.  Wally informed me that he was leaving his position as Youth and Christian Education Director at Springfield Friends Meeting in High Point, and that he hoped I would be interested in applying.  The application and interview process would take them up to the end of August...our wedding.  It was exciting news, but also complicating.  Would starting such a process give Marilyn false hope of getting to stay in NC?  As usual, I thought my chances of actually getting the position were not good. Plus, as I looked into the situation at Springfield I discovered that Wallace was leaving under bad circumstances and taking part of the congregation with him to Jamestown Friends. Simply exchanging one bad situation for another didn't seem like much of a plan.  And what of my commitment to the Young Friends of New England?  I didn't want to run out on them.  I wanted God to send me a sign- because I was too blind to see that the presence of Chris and the letter from Wallace as answers to prayer.   I wanted a burning bush, singing angels or a visit from a prophet.  I wanted God to speak.  Be careful what you ask for...

Because of Jesus,

Finest Kind

Benjamin Franklin Pierce (better known as Hawkeye), the main character on the TV classic M*A*S*H, would often talk about his home state of Maine.  When describing the people and places of the state, he would often utter the phrase "finest kind."  I was never quite sure what it meant, but I always assumed it was the Maine version of "awesome."  Turns out Maine simply is awesome.  I have said many times over the years that if my office had been in Maine and not Worcester, Mass, I might still be there!  Forgive my stereotyping, but the people of Maine offer the closest thing to "southern hospitality" I have ever met outside of the south.  The scenery is breathtaking- witness the Portland Lighthouse above.  The rocky beaches, the snow covered landscape and the great unspoiled north all are etched in my mind.  I just have to say it- finest kind!

Louis and Clarabelle Marsteller had worked for New England Yearly Meeting for many years before retiring in the early '80's.  They ran a little motel near the beach in Freeport, and very early on in my time in New England they invited me to come stay with them.  Louis, as much as anyone I met during my time with NEYM, understood the politics and theology of the Yearly Meeting, and understood how difficult it would be for me to fit in.  He and Clarabelle taught me, encouraged me, and invited me to come visit anytime.  Freeport quickly became my favorite place.  Many of you may recognize it as the home of L.L. Bean, the great outdoor gear catalog company.  I visited the store on several occasions, most memorably with Marilyn and my parents on July 4, 1986.  We also watched the Freeport 4th of July Parade together, wearing sweatshirts and shivering a bit!  Freeport was also close to Durham Friends Meeting, one of the few meetings in NEYM with a pastor.  Ralph Greene became a friend and a prayer partner as I struggled to find my ministry there.  I have already mentioned is a previous posting the name of Tom Ewell, who was my boss as I began my work and remained my friend throughout my short stay in the region.  Tom and his family lived in Portland, and I visited them on several occasions, including driving from Worcester to Portland in a blizzard...not bad for a southern boy!  But Maine was not the only thing I enjoyed about New England.

I watched the 1986 Super Bowl in Tom's home as the Chicago Bears destroy the New England Patriots.  Sports were one of the things that kept me sane over the nine months I sojourned in the great north.  The Patriots made the Super Bowl, the Celtics won the NBA title, and the Red Sox were headed to the World Series!  It was quite a year to be in Massachusetts.  I went to several Red Sox games at Fenway Park, including a game against the Angels in which I got to see Reggie Jackson hit a home run off of Tom Seaver.  Talk about your all-star moments!  I also saw Roger Clemens pitch twice in what was his breakout season. The Sox eventually lost in 7 games to the Mets.  Being a good Christian, I forgave Bill Buckner early on...of course I was back in NC by then!  New England sports fans like the Patriots. They love the Celtics.  But the Red Sox are a matter of life and death, and for so many years they suffered.  Bill Simmons said it all after they finally won the World Series in 2004- "Now I can die in peace."

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about New England.  Unfortunately, few of them had much to do with my job.  The wind of change was blowing.  By June, a letter was in the mail that would change everything...as soon as God had my full attention! 

Because of Jesus,

Weekend Update

Welcome to the update- I'm Carl Jones and you're not!  I thought I would take today to bring you up-to-date on a few of the things I talked about over the past few days. You will see, as usual, that 70% of the time I am wrong 100% of the time....  Here we go:

• I talked about my love and respect for my former youth leader Rob Mitchell.  I failed to mention that Rob has written a book about his life growing up in the orphanage system.  It's called Castaway Kid and you should visit the website and check it out.
• Marilyn, Will and I did see Men Who Stare At Goats on Saturday, and we all thought it was hysterical.  Will gave it 9 out of 10 stars, and Marilyn and I loved it as well.  It requires a bit if an odd sense of humor to appreciate, but Clooney was great and so was Jeff Bridges.  I am certain it will make it to our DVD collection someday!
• Worship at Van Dyke UMC was awesome on Sunday morning!  They stayed away from the patriotism that has marked previous years and simply recognized the veterans who were present.  It was very nice.  The music rocked, including the choir and praise band doing a song I didn't know called Revelation Song that was quite moving.  Matthew Hartsfield delivered a message based around Luke 7 and the sinful woman and the Pharisee.  Isn't is amazing that with so many people calling themselves Christians in our world that we have so little understanding of forgiveness?  When someone sins against us or our society, we often ask "How can I forgive that person?"  Matthew reminded us yesterday that Jesus would say to us "How can you NOT forgive that person, after all the sins God has forgiven you?"  Our churches are just packed full of Pharisees, even today.  It was an excellent message.  There was no mention, yet again, of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, but that just gives me something to work on for next year.
• The Tampa Bay Bucs wore the creamsicle jerseys and the Bucco Bruce helmets and beat the Green Bay Packers, their first win of the season.  I know I made fun of the throwbacks on Friday, but now I say we should wear them until we lose!  Seriously, congratulations to Coach Raheem Morris and the Bucs...maybe the rest of the season will be interesting after all.
• No one has yet to give me any good reasons why so many churches have quit doing youth group on Sunday evenings.  I did hear from one of my old youth, now a youth pastor herself, who still grinds it out on Sundays.  God bless you, Ashley!

That's it for now.  Tomorrow we will be back to the people and places of New England Yearly Meeting of Friends.  Until then, have a blessed day!

Because of Jesus,

Real Heroes

Thanks, Brook. You rock! 

We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!  -2 Corinthians 4, The Message

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Christians all over the world are being persecuted and martyred for their faith, in places as far away as China and as close by as Mexico.  As I mentioned in Friday's posting, this day (and this subject) is often ignored by the USAmerican church.  There are a number of reasons for this.  The subject of persecution is often sidelined because it is not "seeker-friendly." The trouble with that strategy is "...everyone who wants to lead a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..." (2 Timothy 3:12).   This scripture should give real pause to those of us who have no idea what it feels like to be persecuted for our beliefs.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ will meet in secret this Sabbath with the real possibly of being arrested or worse.  Many of us will complain if we have to walk too far from the parking lot.  We just don't get it.  Here is an example of what life is like for many Christians around the world, taken from the Voice of the Martyrs website: 


The Voice of the Martyrs has received reports of several attacks against Christians in India. On Oct. 25, four men entered the Assembly of God Church building in Old Hubli, Karnataka, during a worship service and started taking notes and photographing the worshipers. When the pastor's wife, Radha David, asked the men to sit quietly and listen to the sermon, they immediately left. A few minutes later, a group of about 50 Hindu extremists stormed into the church. They threatened the believers and dragged Pastor K. M. David Raj outside. The extremists burned Bibles, Christian literature and banners in front of the church building. Police arrested the pastor and three other believers. On the same day, more than 10 Hindus assaulted Pastor Pavithra Kumar, hitting him with fists, wooden rods and field hockey sticks. Though he was badly injured, Pastor Kumar escaped his assailants and ran into his church building. Pray these believers will keep their eyes on Jesus, will persevere in the faith, and will not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:3). Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians. We understand so little.

And yet is is in those very places where the Church of Jesus Christ is booming, where stories of faith dominate the lives of the people.  We in USAmerica have so few spiritual heroes (although they do exist- Jesus Freaks are everywhere!) because we must overcome so little.  Many of our churches will choose to honor our military veterans in their services today.  I have great respect for those who serve our country, even though I have great doubts about the institutions they serve.  Many of them are indeed heroic. But what do they, or my country in general, have to do with worshipping Jesus Christ?  The Son of God always trumps flag and country. (In a related thought- if I hear I'm Proud To Be An American one more time in a worship service, I may just forget I'm a pacifist...)   This morning I will visit a house of worship, and I want to worship Jesus.  I want to hear about those who are faithfully following and suffering for Him; I want to hear the stories of real Christian heroes from around the world. Hopefully I will, and you will too. This day is set aside for that very purpose, yet we we pass it by.  Tell me about some real, present day heroes of the faith. 

Why is this important?  Because we are all part of the Family of God.  Because at some point- maybe in my lifetime, maybe not- we are going to be the ones being persecuted.  Scripture promises us that in John 15:18-21.  Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes that the persecuted will be blessed.  We need to begin to understand now what it is like to be willing to suffer or die for Jesus.  There are examples all over the world. We need to know the stories of these Jesus Freaks, because we need role models.  We need to know how to trust Jesus with everything- including our very lives. The question is, are we taking a strong enough stand for Jesus that anyone would need or want to persecute us?  Today- right now- we need to pray for those who are taking such a stand..  You can find examples of those in need at http://www.idop.org/ and http://www.persecutedchurch.org/ among others.  Read their stories. Pray for them.  And tell your church that this needs to be a big deal, a day your church family comes together to join in the church universal. 

In 1986 I was told by a little old lady to quit talking about Jesus because it offended her.  I was told that we taught religious education, not Christian education, so we wouldn't offend people.  I could have lost my job if I hadn't listened to those voices, so I kept much quieter than I should have.  A hint of suffering and I turned my back, at least partially, on my Savior. I am not alone.  God have mercy on us. 

Almost Famous

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,

Random Ramblings (and Hello, Herbert!)

Here are just a few of the random things that are on my mind today:

Will (my 14 year old son) is a huge movie buff, and so am I.  Both of us have been waiting for months to see The Men Who Stare At Goats,which opens today.  We love George Clooney in quirky roles like the ones he played in O Brother Where Art Thou and Burn After Reading, and this looks to be even better.  Marilyn just loves George Clooney, period!  Any movie that makes fun of the incredibly odd things the military thinks are important can't be all bad.  Hopefully we will see it tomorrow.  "No Goats, No Glory!"

David (Herbert) Cannady left a message on the Blog Guestbook yesterday, which was extremely cool!  I think of David and his brothers and sister often.  Seeing David's message brings up two questions for me.  First, why did I call him Herbert?  And secondly, what other long lost friends are frequenting this blog?  In the past two days I have discovered that Steve Semmler, Lisa Ramos Moran and David are reading.  If you are out there, sign the Guestbook or leave a comment.  It is such a thrill to hear from everyone!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put their perfect record (0-7) on the line against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, wearing their hideous creamsicle colored jerseys and the helmets featuring Bruce the Buccaneer (at right) whose manhood has often been questioned.  I guess they are hoping these throwback uniforms will help them remain perfect, just like they helped the original Bucs go 0-14.  The Bucs will be starting their fifth different quarterback in the last eleven games. They are 26 million dollars under the NFL salary cap.  The Steinbrenner family lives in Tampa; why don't they buy the Bucs? 

I realize I am a couple of years behind the times on this one, but if you haven't read it yet and like to have the way your mind pictures God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit challenged then you need to read The Shack by William P. Young.  It's a great story, an easy read, and it will break down some of things you think you know about the Trinity. If you have trouble thinking outside the box, if may also make you uncomfortable.  Not everyone can picture God as a black woman who loves to cook!  Enjoyable and thought provoking; not a combination you come across very often.  I got my copy from my local library, so no excuses!  Check it out.

I have been out of youth ministry for a while now, but can someone please explain to me why no churches seem to offer youth meetings on Sunday afternoons/evenings anymore?  Our current church and many others have gone to week nights.  This may work well for some families, but I know for us marching band and school pretty much fill up the week.  Our week night programs were always an issue with parents when I was doing youth ministry just as they are for my family right now.  We always offered both, because Sunday is still the one day there are no school activities.  I have been told that Sundays have been eliminated to allow for "family time."  The disintegration of the family unit makes that a moot point for many students.  A mom from a wonderful family once told me that the best thing I could do for their family (and she was actually talking about Mother's Day!) was to get the kids out of the house for a few hours on Sunday.  I just don't get it.  I also don't get offering events on a Friday night during football season.  You just eliminated the players, the cheerleaders, the band and the hardcore fans from your event.  I hate to say it, but I wonder how much of this change is for the convenience of the youth worker and not the youth...because I remember working 14 hour days on Sundays.  Things that make you go "hmmmmm..."

I'll shut up now.  I hope everyone has a great weekend, and remember that Sunday, Nov. 8th is the official International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Never heard of it?  It tends to get overlooked in the USAmerican church because we don't know squat about persecution(I guess I didn't shut up, huh?), but come back Sunday and read all about it! 

Because of Jesus,

Influences: Rob Mitchell

Pardon my flashback today, but I think you will agree it is appropriate.  We will return to New England on Saturday.  Tomorrow I want to talk about goats...again!

My old friend Steve Semmler called from Ohio last night, and it was not with good news.  He had just learned that Luke Mitchell, 24 year old son of Rob and Susan Mitchell in NC, has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Steve and Rob have remained close over the years, and Steve just felt the need to call someone else who would understand.  I am so glad he called.

Rob Mitchell was one of our youth leaders at New Garden Friends Meeting during our final years of high school.  He followed David Brown (see DB3 including new picture!), which meant he had very big shoes to fill in our eyes.  But fill them he did!  In the process, Rob showed me a model for being a youth pastor that I followed  my entire ministry, even if I didn't really recognize that fact until last night.  I can be a little slow...

Rob came to us as a Guilford College student, but not a Quaker, which meant he taught us new things in new ways.  He knew the Bible well, knew some of the new "contemporary church music" and could play the guitar.  He taught both Steve and I guitar lessons.  In fact, he taught us lots of things, some of which you would not have expected from a youth pastor.  Even though he was older and had his own friends at the college, Rob treated us as friends too.  He told us jokes, shared his feelings and helped us decide which girls were the prettiest, and we really got to know him well.  The Stephen Stills album cover above is here because Rob loved it- he always thought it looked so awesome to be sitting out in the snow playing his guitar (and he looks a little like Rob!).  For all of us, Rob simply became a part of our lives- a part we could trust, count on, and go to when things got bad.  For 28 years that was the way I hoped youth described me.  It was only while praying for Luke last night that God reminded me where I learned it.

Perhaps my most lasting memory of Rob was one of the last from those memorable days with the New Garden gang.  Steve, Roy Parkhurst, Joe Willingham, myself and the rest of the recent graduates were preparing to leave for college.  Rob put together a special service for us in the basement at New Garden, and had the other youth wash our feet, as Jesus had done for the disciples.  This was TOTALLY out of the norm for us, a scarament in a Friends Meeting.  But it was incredible and it was moving, and I have never forgotten it.  Rob taught me that too- step outside the box and you can reach students in new ways.  Thank you, Rob, for all that you gave me- even if it took me 32 years to notice.

I have been out of touch with Rob and Susan for many years.  I do not even know Luke or the rest of their family.  But the Family of God is much bigger, much stronger and much more important than who you see or talk to.  I am praying for the Mitchell family, and I hope you will too, even if you don't know them.  Jesus loves them, and if we follow the Savior, then we are all family.  May God pour out his mercy on them. 

And Steve- thanks for calling. You're still the best, buddy, and someday before too long we need to walk on the beach and sing some Hurricane Smith or some Beach Boys- or maybe even a little Twinkle, Twinkle Little Planet...

Because of Jesus,