Abreadcrumb & Fish

In July of 2002 the student ministry of the Wesley Memorial UMC headed out on their first trip to North Myrtle Beach, SC.  We had a great group of kids, some outstanding adult leadership (Hal & Joanne Gastler)  and lots of genuine excitement.  To make things even better, 3 of my favorite FUMC-Kissimmee youth- Adam Hill, Josh Fry and Sarah Crudele- joined us.  I was excited to have them along to help show my new youth group "The Carl Way."   The Betsy B was no long available, so I found another Ocean Drive beach house to rent.  It was brand new and had many more amenities than the Betsy B, but it was not oceanfront.  We had a great trip with lots of great moments.  But it was very different because of how nice the house was.  Sound odd?  Let me try to explain...

North Myrtle Beach is a very special place to me.  My family would camp there for a couple of weeks each summer when I was a kid.  I travelled there with friends as a high school and college student.  My youth group took trips there.  When I started as a youth director at New Garden Friends Meeting in 1979, we started taking trips to NMB.  For the next 20+ years I often spent at least one week every summer there with youth groups and my family.  For all of those years the main attraction was always the beach.  Wide, sandy and beautiful with just the right amount of waves, we would be out on the beach or in the Atlantic for hours every day.   And we loved it.



Sean Bell & Nina Mock enjoy the pool table.

In 2002 we stayed at the beautiful new Ocean Surf Club (see picture at top).  We had TV and stereo in the house.  We had use of golf carts we could use to explore the little village of Ocean Drive.  We had a billiards table in the house.  And we had to cross Ocean Blvd. to get to the beach.  All of those things, plus a bit of rainy weather, turned the group into land-lovers.  They just didn't go to the beach.  They watched movies, played pool, explored the local shops and hung out.  A couple of the guys (Ken & Philip?) got pulled for illegally driving a gold cart on the street (it wasn't their fault; the realtor had told us it was OK).  We played mini-golf and went to the Pavilion.  We ate great food.  They had a great time.  But it all seemed so odd to me that I wasn't convinced they were having any fun.  Finally toward the end of the week it got warmer and sunny and we spent more time in the ocean.  The trip accomplished much of what I wanted it to- relationship building and gaining the trust of the students.  I just wasn't sure they thought the trip was great.  And I wanted it to be great.  I needed it to be a culture changing event for our youth ministry.

A few weeks later at our regular Sunday evening youth fellowship I was presented with a gift.  The students who presented it said it was a "thank you" for taking the group on that trip. It was a t-shirt that read, Abreadcrumb & Fish- He Still Works Miracles.  The scripture from Matthew 15:36-38 was also included.  Those youth will never know how much that meant to me.  No one had had ever given me a gift simply for planning a trip.  They fact that they had spent their own money to buy it while we were in NMB made it even better.  After being in Tampa for 9 months, I finally felt like I was a part of the family.  Acceptance is a wonderful thing.  At last, things in the student ministry were getting ready to take off.  Graceland was coming...

Because of Jesus,

We Are the World

Don't worry.  This post has very little to do with the 1985 USA for Africa song.  No video, no quoting of lyrics.  I wouldn't do that to you- today.  Even though the sentiment of the song holds so true for followers of Jesus Christ- thw world is our family.  All people are God's people, even if some of them are completely unaware of that fact.  This post is a little bit about that, but it is mostly about a very important if somewhat controversial part of the Jesus Revolution.  Stay with me...

We have all been horrified by the images and stories coming out of Japan.  The massive earthquake, the tsunami, the nuclear reactor issues and the tragic loss of life have kept many of us glued to the story.  Christians everywhere are praying for the people of Japan.  And that is an awesome thing.  When the people of God gather in prayer, the power that is generated is palpable.  If you have the resources to give money to the groups that are seeking to provide aid, then please do so.  If all you can do is pray- then pray!  Pray without ceasing.

One of the real misconceptions of the 21st century Church is that Christianity is centered in USAmerica.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The church is shrinking in our country.  It is booming in places with names we can't pronounce.  It is growing by leaps and bounds in countries where worshipping Jesus is illegal.  The Jesus Revolution lives; I am just not sure it lives here.  All of the efforts of many our politicians to legislate Christianity into a "national religion" are back-firing.  We are alienating people at a faster rate than we are attracting them.  The attitude of the Church quite often does not reflect the teachings of Jesus.  The world looks at us and they don't see a people of grace; they see a people who are not different.  People outside the Church question our purpose, they question our politics and worst of all, they question our willingness to love.  My neighbors talk about how it seems Christians seem more concerned with the way they vote than with the way they live.  And too often they are correct.  Historians note that when religion and patriotism (no matter the faith and no matter the country) become too tightly intertwined, bad things happen.  The kingdom of God knows no earthly boundaries.  The only flag the Church should ever fly is the flag of Jesus.

So how do the tragedy in Japan and the decline of Christianity in USAmerica tie together?  They can remind of a truth that Jesus tried to share with us 2000 years ago.  We are at our best when we quit thinking about ourselves and reach out to those in need.  When our focus is service and love, we show the true nature of the Christ.  No one cares if the people we are helping in Japan are Christian.  No one asks their feelings on Gay marriage.  No one wants to know their views on eschatology or universalism.  We simply help because their plight is more important than our petty concerns.  Their need for love outweighs everything else that usually clouds our minds and our actions.  And that, my friends, is what the Jesus Revolution is all about.  It's not about improving our theology.  It's not about legislating morality.  It's about loving the world the way Jesus taught us to love the world.  A love without restriction, hesitation or conditions.  And perhaps most importantly, it's about doing those things every single day, and offering that love to the people we find it most difficult to share it with.  That is what will change the world.  That is what will turn around the Church in our country.  Don't believe me?  Think about this- the Pharisees had all the proper actions and all the correct theology.  Jesus came to teach us how to love.  Which one changed the world?  I promised I wouldn't quote We Are the World, but I made no such promise about the Beatles.  "All you need is love...love is all you need!"   Keep praying for our world.

Because of Jesus,

7 Things: My Favorite Youth Ministry Destinations

I was going to blog today about the Wesley Memorial UMC student ministry's 2002 trip to Myrtle Beach today- but other memories side-tracked me.  Maybe I'll get to that Wednesday.  It's my friend Jason Huffman's fault.  He is currently on a ski trip with his youth group, and I find myself really missing youth trips.  Badly.  So today I share with you 7 places (in no particular order) I would rather be than here- as long as I had a bunch of uth to travel with me.  Here we go!

1. The Betsy B-  Stories of this 3-level ocean front house in North Myrtle Beach, SC are all over this blog, so I will simply refer you to 7 Things: The Betsy B for more complete info.  The first time I stayed there with a group was 1980; the final time was 2000.  And for those of you who may be unaware, when one of my very wealthy former youth or youth counselors decides to buy it for me it will be the official home of my Youth Group Hall of Fame.
2. The Milford Plaza Hotel-  Located in the heart of Manhattan, the "Lullaby of Broadway" was our home away from home in New York City for every trip between 1989 and 2005.  The rooms were tiny (and we put 4 people in them), the radiators nearly killed me on several occasions and you never knew who might follow you back to the hotel when you were out walking- but I wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else.  An added bonus was the Celebrity Deli in the basement, which served the Celebrity Cheesecake- half cheesecake, half chocolate mousse.  Heaven!  For pictures of our many New York adventures, check out our slide show by clicking here.
3. The Caribbean Beach Resort-  Our home for the amazing 1993 trip to Walt Disney World we took from Springfield Friends Meeting. To see 7 Things: The Magic Tour Edition click this link-  Aruuuuuubaaaaa!
 
 



Sara, Jill & Sandi at the Ocoee Inn


4. The Ocoee Inn- We had several Mid-High Adventures in the 1990s which included rafting trips down the Ocoee River in Tennessee. We would always spend at least one night at the Ocoee Inn, which was...uh....rustic. Yeah, I'll go with rustic! :) But we loved that place and the giant bugs in our cabins, the collapsing beds and the dock where we would sing and worship at night (see picture).  And who could forget our skinny-dipping intern!  I REALLY hate my wife never got to stay there. She doesn't...but I do!




Spanish Wells, 1997


5. Spanish Wells, the Bahamas-  A tiny little island full of the nicest people and best food you will ever find anywhere.  We sent 2 mission teams there from Kissimmee, plus Marilyn and I went to lead some workshops on another occasion. I want some fresh lobster and mango now, please!  For more, check out 7 Things: Spanish Wells.
6. The Cracker Barrel- When we went skiing from FUMC-Kissimmee we usually went to Winterplace Ski Resort in West Virginia. Our motels (they varied) were in Princeton, WV and were located near a Cracker Barrel. We had some great group meals there, and some great Youth Counselor breakfasts.  Dr. Jill Painter Watson always made me buy her a chocolate cobbler as payment for her medical services on the trip.  Awesome memories.




Last Gasp, 1997 (?)


7. Melbourne Beach, FL-  Home of FUMC-K's world famous Last Gasp Summer Blowouts from 1994-1999.  So many incredible memories, so many incredible people, and some of the best worship services I have ever been a part of.  Again, to relive some of the memories visit 7 Things: Last Gasp Summer Blowout.  I'm ready to do it all over again!

7 great places.  More amazing moments that I can possibly remember.  It is kind of painful to know I will never take those trips again, but God has blessed me with enough memories to last a lifetime.  And someday, when Cindy Martin wins the lottery and buys me the Betsy B, I want every single one of you to be there when we open the Hall of Fame!  Deal?

Because of Jesus,

Bonus Post: Remembering Randy

We received word through Marilyn's Facebook yesterday that Randy Cockerham had passed away Friday night or Saturday morning in his sleep while away at the beach.  According to his mother, no cause of death will be determined until Monday at the earliest.  Our prayers are with his family and friends in North Carolina.  He was 37.

We got to know Randy through the youth activities of the NC Yearly Meeting of Friends back in the late 1980s and early 90s.  He achieved legendary status through his participation at Quaker Lake Camp, through the Serenity Youth Choir and by being at pretty much everything that happened for Young Friends in those days.  I had not seen Randy in a very long time, and there are certainly many others who knew him far better than I.  But as with so many students who have passed through my life, I have some great memories of him that I would like to share today.  Randy had a beautiful singing voice, and I remember him singing the solo on the verses of Awesome God at Yearly Meeting in 1990 while Rich Mullins sang back-up.  I remember him being the go-to guy anytime we had a problem with sound systems and technology, even while he was in high school.  But mostly, I remember Randy making me laugh.  Sometimes until I cried.  Witness the following stories...

Randy accompanied us on a New York trip at some point (maybe 1989 or '91?).  No one was more of a "southern boy" than Randy, but he quickly fell in love with New York City.  He had a long list of family members and friends he wanted to buy souvenirs for, and he took choosing these gifts very seriously.  His parents had sent him with a credit card, which he was only supposed to use after calling them.  Randy seemed to find something to buy on every corner, and so many calls were made.  This being way before cell phones, that meant we spent a lot of time waiting for Randy to call his parents collect on pay phones.  He always had to talk them into it...and he always succeeded.  We would stand by the phone booths just doubled-up with laughter at his "sales pitches."  We all joked that he spent more monoey on collect calls than the rest of us spent on gifts!  But the story that Marilyn and I have retold dozens of times over the years is of the night we ate at Mama Leone's, then one of the city's most famous Italian restaurants.  This was one very classy place.  Seven course meals.  Strolling minstrels singing operatic songs in Latin.  Waiters who made more money in a week than I made in a year.  It was the very definition of elegant.  At one point during the meal, one of the singers stopped by our table and asked if we had any classic Italian love songs we wanted to hear.  Randy quickly spoke up and said, "Can you do That's Amore?"  The classically trained Italian tenor rolled his eyes and made a terrible face- and then sang it full voice with mocking facial expressions directed at Randy.  We were falling out of our chairs laughing.  Then it got even better.  One of the servers came around offering fresh ground mozzarella cheese for our entrees.  Randy took one look at the bowl of cheese and asked the server a question I will never forget- "Do you have any Kraft Parmesan Cheese?"  I am not sure I have ever laughed any harder in my life.  Needless to say, Mama Leone's DID NOT have any Kraft...

Randy Cockerham was just one of those people.  If you knew him, you loved him- and you wanted to spend time with him.  He will be missed by many.  I hope that if you are reading this post and you knew Randy that you will leave a comment with your memories of his life, which touched us all.  Have a blessed day.

Because of Jesus,

 

Worship

I have written here before (see Missing Silence) of the wide variety of elements I enjoy in a worship service.  Drama, video, music, creative preaching and teaching are elements I have come to enjoy in modern worship.  I am fully aware that my tastes cut across a variety of differing styles, which makes in highly unlikely that I will ever discover a church that "worships" the way I wish they would.  And that's life.

Like many of you I have seen churches struggle over the years with styles of worship.  They want to keep their older members happy, so they continue to have organ music and sing hymns from hymnals.  Three hymns, an offering and a sermon (with perhaps an altar call) all scheduled out neatly in the church bulletin.  For many people my age (51) and older, this is what they expect from a church service.  But church leadership is always looking for ways to attract young families, and for nearly 20 years now they have seen changing worship styles as the way to do that.  Contemporary worship seeks to encourage a more youthful congregation through modern music (often with a band), more creative teaching styles and less liturgy and formality.  Some churches still offer both; separate services, separate worshipping bodies who barely know each other.  Some offer a "blended" service, seeking to appease both groups at the same time.  Churches have split over differences in worship styles.  "Worship" has even become its own genre of music.  In some places, the words worship and music have become interchangeable.  They are not.  Music is an act of worship.  Worship is so much more.  My friends, some of us have lost sight of what worship is.  It's not anything we perform, or schedule.  Worship does not have a style.  So what is worship? 

"Worship is a hunger of the human soul for God.  When it really occurs, it is as compelling as the hunger for food.  It is as spontaneous as the love of a girl or boy.  If we feel it, no one needs to tell us we should worship.  No one has to try to make us do it.  If we do not feel it, or have no desire to feel it, no amount of urging or forcing will do any good.  We simply cannot be forced from the outside to worship.  Only the Spirit within us, the Light within, can move us to it.  - N. Jean Toomer            

You see, worship is much more about what you bring to God than it is about what your church brings to the service.  If your heart is hungry for God, then it won't matter the instruments that are played or the songs that are sung.  You will find the beauty in Amazing Grace, O For A Thousand Tongues, Our God Saves or Shout To the LORD.  You will find wisdom in the Word of God, whether read directly from scripture, delivered by a speaker or experienced in a drama or video.  And you will find joy in the presence of God with the family of God as you you all seek Him together.  But you need none of those things. We need prayer.  We need to listen to God- and God often does speak through those elements.  But I can tell you from personal experience that if you are truly seeking God, an hour of silence can be some of the best worship you will ever experience.  When worship becomes about style or elements, then it has become all about us.  All that is required is an open heart and the presence of God.  And God will always be wherever you are.

So if we don't (or didn't) get anything out of worship this weekend, perhaps it's time to quit pointing fingers at the worship team and start looking in our own souls.  And if you did, then praise God that that the Holy Spirit is speaking to your hungry heart.  I pray you all have a blessed week.

Because of Jesus,

The Best Team You Never Saw

As is constantly pointed out on Twitter by friends like Brook Teoli Elaine,  Jason Huffman, Duffy Robbins and Kevin & Christie Weatherby, I am old.  And getting older.  Keep this in mind as you read...

I grew up in North Carolina in the 1960's and 70's, and it is not an overstatement to say that college basketball was a religion. The ACC Tournament was the high holy season. And I was a fully-devoted follower. I was (and still am) first and foremost a fan of the UNC Tar Heels (who squeaked by yesterday). But that is not the basketball story I want to tell you today. I lived about a mile from Guilford College, a small but prestigious Quaker college. I attended New Garden Friends Meeting (and would later work there) in the early 70's, which was across the street from the Guilford campus. Occasionally on Sunday afternoons we would use our connections to get access to Alumni Gym (original name, huh?) and shoot some hoops. We would occasionally run into some of the players from the college. During the 1972-73 season, we shared that tiny gym with one of the best basketball teams you have never heard of. The Guilford College Quakers had been to NAIA (small college) tournament a couple of times, but it just seemed from the very beginning of the season that this team was special. Every game was an event, and I went to as many as I could. Alumni Gym (it's nickname was "The Crackerbox") probably held 700 people, and there had to be 1000 packed in for each game. The noise was deafening. Opponents rarely had a chance in Alumni.

Coach Jack Jensen had assembled an amazing collection of talent and roll players. M.L. Carr (later of the Boston Celtics championship teams in the early 80's), Ray Massengill and beefy ex-Marine Steve Hankins provided the size. Teddy East was one of the best defensive players I ever saw. Every game he would simply shut down the other teams's top scorer. Greg Jackson was a true point guard who could also jump out of the building; he had a 48" vertical leap (True story- one Sunday afternoon we went to the gym and found Jackson and Carr shooting around.  They were debating just how high Greg could jump.  Several of us witnessed as the 6'0" tall Jackson took a quarter off the TOP of the backboard!  Rumor had it that he could actually take one and leave one on the same jump...). The top 2 subs were freshmen Johnny Ralls and Robert Kent, both of whom graduated from what would the very next year be my high school- Western Guilford.  Johnny's dad was my dentist. The final piece to the puzzle was a freshman guard from Brooklyn named Lloyd Free. He could (and did!) shoot from anywhere. He was in range as soon as he crossed half-court. And he too could jump out of the building. He later changed his name to World B. Free and was an NBA all-star with two different teams. Jackson also played in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns. This team was so good we actually had legitimate arguments about whether or not they could have won the ACC that year. For a school with an enrollment of just over 1000, this was an amazing team.

Despite the fact that UNC was already a mini-dynasty and that N.C. State had David Thompson, Tommy Burleson and Monte Towe leading them to an undefeated season that year and a national championship the next, our little community was obsessed with Guilford College basketball. They won the Carolina's Conference championship and then advanced to Kansas City for the NAIA national tournament. They were unseeded, but we expected them to win it all. This being way before the days of cable TV and ESPN, we listened to every minute of every game on the local AM radio station, 1320-WCOG.  This included hiding in bed with a transistor radio way after bedtime or listening with an earphone while in class. It was around 11 PM Greensboro time when they finally won it all, and all around the neighborhood car horns were blowing and lights were flashing. Our guys were national champions!!! National champs, with three future NBA players, a future NBA coach & General Manager (M.L.) and a future league scoring leader (Free). Today, with talent so spread out, that team would be one of the best 5 college teams in the country at ANY level. I promise you that they are the best team you never saw. But I did- and I will never forget them.

Just a few weeks later my connection to the team got one last unexpected boost. My Dad had gone back to school after nearly 20 years to finish his degree, and was taking Anatomy and Physiology. One Saturday afternoon he and his lab partner dissected a cat on our screened-in porch.  That lab partner?  M.L. Carr.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Because of Jesus,

The Friday Rant- Heresy!

Heresy-  a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma.

The tiny little corner of the Internet reserved for Christians and people who talk about Christianity has been abuzz over the past few weeks.  This uproar is over a book written by Rob Bell, pastor of one of the largest churches in USAmerica.  The book is called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.  As this firefight between differing Christian factions heated up, it is interesting to note that at least 99% of the people in the conversation (including me) have not read the book- it is not actually in stores until March 15th (Beware the Ides of March!!!).  I do not know Rob Bell; I heard him speak once and have used his video series, NOOMA, on numerous occasions.  I do know that over the past two weeks I have heard very important Christian apologists battling over Rob's theology.  Among the more serious charges against him is that of heresy.  Many times, in blogs, articles and interviews, I have seen Rob labeled a heretic, all over a book he has written that very few have read.  Such talk gave me a serious flashback...

By 1985 I had been serving as a Quaker youth pastor for a number of years.  Despite my experience among Friends, my knowledge of the wider, wilder world of  Christianity was very limited.  The Quakers I worked with at the time were not only not in the mainstream, we had no idea where the main stream was!  "Evangelical" was a word we used to describe Christians who thought everyone else was going to hell.  I did know one thing- the person I had met who seemed to have the best grasp of what Jesus was trying to teach us was Tony Campolo.  I had heard him speak and taken two of his seminars at the 1982 NYWC.  I had heard him speak at the 1984 Young Friends Yearly Meeting sessions in NC.  With every passionate word that came out of Tony's mouth, I felt like I understood something new about Jesus.  That has never changed.  The words of Tony Campolo always feel to me like they don't represent the institution of the Church, or a political party or a specific form of Christianity.  They feel like they represent Jesus.  And I love him for that.

So imagine my surprise in 1985 when I discovered that Tony had been charged with heresy.  I didn't know about any of this until months after it happened and I received my copy of The Wittenburg Door in the mail (most likely about 2 months late- that was normal for the Door!).  The cover (see picture at top) said it all.  Editor Mike Yaconelli had devoted the entire issue to supporting Tony and satirically tweaking those who were labeling him.  The deal was this:  Campolo was the subject of an informal heresy hearing in 1985 brought about by several assertions in his 1983 book A Reasonable Faith, particularly his claim that, "Jesus is actually present in each other person."  Tony based his statement on a literal interpretation of Matthew 25:31-46, where Jesus says, "as surely as you did it to the least of the brothers of mine, you also did it to me."   The book became a hot button issue, and the controversy caused Campus Crusade for Christ and Youth for Christ to block a planned speaking engagement by Campolo.  Rather than take the biblical approach and sit down face-to-face with Tony, his detractors began doing interviews and writing letters in which they labeled him both heretical and dangerous.  The Christian Legal Society empowered a "reconciliation panel", led by noted theologian J. I. Packer, to examine the issue and resolve the controversy. The panel examined the book and questioned Tony.  The panel later issued a statement saying that although it found Campolo's statements "methodologically naive and verbally incautious," it did not find them to be heretical. (Summary from Wikipedia and my memory).  Many prominent Christians bashed Tony; just as many came to his defense.  But the damage was done.  Christians aired their dirty laundry quite publicly, and Tony's reputation took a major hit.

Tony would recover and go one to greater controversies (like praying with Bill Clinton in the White House and saying that Jesus loves Gay people too- horrors!).  He wrote another book called Partly Right that again infuriated many prominent Christians.  There are still many who see him as a heretic.  In the years since 1985, I have learned something very important about heresy.  It can be very destructive when the "heretic" in question is seeking to tear down the faith.  But it is not always a bad thing.  The other day on Twitter my friend Terry referred to me as "the original heretic"- and he meant it as a compliment.  Sometimes our established dogma needs to be challenged.  Nearly every revival in the the history of Christianity came about because someone did something that the Church hierarchy considered heresy.  The Pharisees thought Jesus to be heretical.  Peter's suggestion that you need not first be Jewish to become Christian was heresy.  Martin Luther and John Wesley were seen by many as heretics.  Spiritual growth is quite often the result of thinking about things in fresh and new ways that seem to conflict with the "way it's always been."  I often told my students that there were only 3 things I was not willing to debate. #1-"In the beginning God..."  (We could discuss the "how" but not the "who").  #2- John 3:16.  #3- In the end, God wins!  Everything else could be debated. dissected and discussed, because God is so much bigger than our questions and doubts.  Again I remind us- we are not called to follow Church doctrine- we are called to follow Jesus. 

I don't know what will happen with this Rob Bell mess, but I do know this.  I LOVE that it has us talking about what we believe.  I plan to read Rob's book.  I plan to discuss it with friends, and I fully expect to disagree on the content and the meaning with at least half of them.  And you know what?  Those disagreements will not destroy the Church.  If you believe any book has that much power, then your God is WAY too small.   Jesus will still reign.  Because regardless of what we think of anything else, Rob's title is at least "partly right."  God is love.  And Love wins!

Because of Jesus,