10 Mission Trip Memories

I have written often lately about serving God by loving others, which has had me thinking about some of the great mission opportunities my youth groups had back in the day. Here's a vintage post featuring 10 thoughts about the various mission experiences we were involved in over the years. Are they random? Oh yes! Do they have meaning to me? Of course! So here we go:

10)  In the late 80's and early 90's the Springfield Friends Meeting group spent a lot of time serving at Our Father's Table, a soup kitchen in High Point. We usually prepared a basic soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I remember one week we had lots of leftover food from Furniture Market caterers that we served the patrons- really quality stuff. They couldn't eat it. It was too rich for them. They asked for more PB&J's...

9)  I think the hottest place I ever been in my life was inside the Orlando Second Harvest Food Bank warehouse on our middle school mission trip from FUMC-K in 1994. We also worked in another 2nd Harvest in Nashville in 1999, and it was not much cooler. But those places provide amazing support to the communities they serve in the name of Jesus.

8)  Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi (FUMC-K) told me once that she was a little embarrassed to admit to the youth pastor at her current church that her high school mission trip was to the Bahamas- twice! We did good work on those trips, but we didn't exactly suffer for it...

7)  Although we sent a small group (see picture at right- and no, I don't know why Ben Thacker is scratched up!) and I didn't go, the Service Over Self trip to Memphis in 1996 was a tremendous mission experience that did great things in service to the people of the inner city in that poverty stricken southern town.

6)  The previously mentioned 1999 Nashville trip was the first time I partnered with the Center for Student Missions (CSM). It was an amazing experience. We worked our rears off in 100 degree heat and 200% humidity, slept on the floor, and had about 75 people sharing one shower (with a strict time limit!). It was awesome!

5)  I had only been at the Union Church of Hinsdale about three weeks when we departed on Work Tour 2000 (see picture) to Dungannon, VA. That trip has several posts of its own, and the poverty we encountered there was incredible. We actually built a wall inside a mobile home to split a bedroom in half. It was a week full of adventure...

4)  The following year we went to Tijuana, Mexico and worked at an orphanage. The children there could recite entire chapters of scripture in English and Spanish. Some of our teenagers couldn't even recite John 3:16. Plus those smart little kids conned us into eating habanero peppers and almost dying! UC's traditional Work Tour closing ceremony, called Candle, took longer than the rest of the trip- or so it seemed!

3)  The group from Wesley Memorial UMC headed to Washington, DC to work with CSM in the summer of 2002. We spent a fair amount of time building bunk beds for future groups to sleep on, so we made a long-term contribution to that ministry. We also delivered meals to AIDS patients. It is the only trip I ever went on, mission or otherwise, in which this peace loving Christ-follower almost killed a student. Several times. Thank you, Chris Morneau, for being one of a kind...

2)  In 2003 we went to Spartanburg, SC and served for several days with a variety of ministries. I especially remember sorting hundreds of pounds of clothing into gender and size specific piles, and then throwing them all back together in another room. Seemed pretty pointless, but it was what we were  asked to do. We also slept over a homeless shelter. Each night they locked us in and told us NOT to leave.  It was a little scary...

1)  In 2004 with WMUMC (see picture) and in 2006 with Trinty UMC we served with CSM in Chicago. Both trips were amazing, but the 2004 trip featured us gutting the inside of an unused Jewish synagogue to make way for a new church in a poor area of town. It was very hard work, and I still wonder how the church is doing now. That was also the trip with one of the most amazing youth worship times ever.

Great memories and great trips. I'd do it all over again if I could. We never go to work with CSM in Toronto, even though I planned it 3 different times. But serving others in the name of Jesus was - and is - a great thing!

Because of Jesus,

"All we are saying..."

In the vast majority of USAmerican churches, the fact that today is the International Day of Peace will go unnoticed. In this crazy world we live in, somehow the concept of working for peace has become a "secular" movement in which the church has abandoned it's historical role of leadership. Never mind that the whole concept of "secular" is not biblical- "all good things come from God." I worked in churches for many years, and generally speaking we are quick to find reasons to celebrate special days. Many churches have Memorial Day services, Labor Day services. Veteran's Day services, Valentine's Day and any other "day" they can find- but have no special events planned for today. Peace is not a popular issue in the 21st century western church, because it is not a popular issue with modern Christians. And it is my personal belief that when we abandon working and praying for peace, we in some way abandon Jesus. Why would I say such a thing? It' simple, really...

There used to be a popular bumper sticker that said, "Jesus said, I believe it and that settles it!"  The life and teachings of Jesus should be EVERYTHING to Christians- but we often tend to ignore the really hard teachings or the things that seem out of step with the world we live in. What did the Christ have to say on the topic of peace? In addition to the Matthew verse you see above, he said things like...

• Love your enemies
• Pray for those who persecute you
• Turn the other cheek
• Walk the extra mile
• Peace I leave with you my friends

We live in a world in which peace is not easy. There are threats all around us, and it is now ingrained in us to respond to violence with violence. We neither seek nor find our safety and peace in the arms of our God; we seek those things by building bigger bombs and making bigger threats. We do not seek restoration in broken relationships as often as we slam those we disagree with on social media. We do not search for healing in our families as often as we just walk away from troubles. Domestic violence is currently a hot topic- it is also, at it's core, an issue of peace! Feeding the hungry. clothing he naked, taking care of the sick & providing shelter for the homeless are issues of peace. Peace doesn't just HAPPEN. It must be something we are forever working towards, in our lives and in our world. And if we really want to be followers of Jesus, Christians need to take the lead in a Christ-centered peace movement that will change our culture. There need to be sermons preached on days like this honoring those who sacrifice for peace the same way we honor those who sacrifice in war. We are called upon to lovers of this world. Love and violence are not good partners.

Working for peace, praying for peace and seeking peaceful solutions for problems large and small may not be popular (and certainly not easy) in the modern church. But we are called to be peacemakers by the Prince of Peace himself. That's good enough for me. I guess really all I am saying is... give peace a chance. Hmm...I think I've heard that somewhere before...

Because of Jesus,

Saturday Shout Outs!

Is is just me, or is the world just totally out of whack these days (Just out of curiosity, what would mean if we said the world was "in whack?" Would that be better or worse? I have no idea...)? Every time we turn around there is more violence, more scandal, more sadness and more stuff that I could fix if people would just let me!  :)  So into the mess that is Planet Earth in 2014 I inject the peace, love and humor of my Saturday Shout Outs! Along with a complaint or two.. Here we go!

* This morning, perhaps even as you read this, Marilyn and I are having brunch with Jennifer Wood Jones (Springfield Friends Meeting) and her hubby Brian here in Tampa. They are leaving on a cruise from the local port later today and we are thrilled to get to see them. Jennifer was one of the first inductees into my Youth Group Hall of Fame and is famed in story and song as Woodhead - a shy teenage girl until the fateful day she beat Jamie Robinson over the head with a Bible at youth group and became a legend. It's been way too long since I have seen her, and I am excited beyond words to get a chance to visit with her and Brian this morning!

* I got to eat some pizza and have a nice long visit with Wayne & Janet Cook (FUMC-Kissimmee) on Thursday night after driving Will and company to a concert in Orlando. It s so exciting to hear the plans and dreams Pastor Wayne has for my old church, and my prayers are certainly with him (and Janet) as he faces the challenges and struggles of pastoring. We intend to head over soon and hear him preach- and see lots of other old friends as well.

* The box set featuring all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother is being released this Tuesday, September 23rd. Many of you know of my fondness for the show, and while the set will not have all of the extras I asked for on this blog last Christmas (see The Ultimate Gift Set) I am still very excited about it. And my birthday is coming soon! I was a little disappointed to learn it will not be released on blu ray- it's dvd only- despite the fact that the entire series was shot in high definition. I tweeted the other morning asking if anyone knew the reason for this, and heard back directly from none other than Carter Bay, co-creator of the show and the man on whom the character of Ted was based. He was disappointed too, but pointed out it will still be in widescreen format so it should be fine. I got 4 tweets from him that morning. I just might be cooler that you...   :)

* It looks like I am going to be driving to Greensboro, North Carolina (by myself) October 8th and driving back on the 13th. I have a few plans, but I am trying to leave my schedule pretty wide open so I can see as many people as possible. If you would like to see me during my visit give me a shout. I can't wait to finally get in some visiting in the Tar Heel state!

* The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are an embarrassment to their fans, their city, and everyone who ever wanted to be a pirate with their poor play on the field. The NFL in general is just an embarrassment. Period. Apparently the only people players are not allowed to hit are quarterbacks during games. The league is just a disaster- and Roger Goodell (at right) must go! And while I'm at at it- YO, Jameis Winston! Get your act together and please JUST. SHUT. UP.

* ICYMI, yesterday's blog featured a game of I Have Never in which one of the things I listed was a lie. Here's the truth...and please don't hate me. I have watched Dance Moms. Oh the humanity! The circumstances elude us both now, but my friend Lisa Jewett (Wesley Memorial UMC) somehow talked me into it. I feel great shame. Beware the power of Lisa!

* Lots of prayers going up these days for dear friends. I'm praying for Cyndi Reep Browning (FUMC-K) as she searches for a new job, and her sister Teresa Tysinger as she deals with the excitement and stress of having her hubby work on Broadway while she and Emma live in Texas. From that same group I remember Lisa Kraus Spires as she struggles potty training her daughter Abby; Lauren Carr Cacciatore & family as they start fresh with a move to Pennsylvania; and Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi who had been dealing with a herd of sick family members! Jerry & Melissa Hanbery are remodeling their home, and apparently the port-a-potty in the front yard has worn out its welcome. Ashley Goad (Springfield) is off to South Africa and then back to Haiti for more mission work. Erin Moran Hill (Springfield) and Stephanie Potter (FUMC-K) have been on my mind as well. And my old friends Beth & Bob McGalliard are leaving soon for France! Pray with me, won't you?

* And finally...it looks like the people who were backing out of buying the house on our circle because I live in the neighborhood were convinced to purchase anyway. I'm happy for the sellers and glad they buyers listened to reason. Thanks for all of the warm thoughts so many of you shred with me as I struggled with another face smack from reality. God is good. ALL the time!

Have a blessed Saturday, dear readers. And remember, tomorrow is the International Day of Peace. Find peace in your hearts. Seek peace in broken relationships. Pray for peace in our world. Shalom, my friends,

Because of Jesus,

Never Have I Ever...

Did you ever play the game I Have Never...? We used to play it quite often in some of my youth groups. There are probably some of you who read that last sentence and are feeling a bit of moral outrage, because for many people Never Have I Ever (the other name it is known by) is a drinking game- quite unsuitable for middle and high school students! The concept of the game is simple. Each player receives an equal number of shots beers M&Ms, and then every person gets a turn. You go around the group and everyone says something that they have never done, and each person who HAS done that particular thing must do a shot....or in our case eat some candy. For example, if someone says "I have never gotten a tattoo" then everyone present with a tattoo must eat one M&M. The last person with candy remaining wins. It's a fun game, although playing with teenagers required some specific guidelines so as not to create too much embarrassment. You were not allowed to say anything of a sexual or illegal nature when we played, or to say things that you knew applied to only one person in the group. But it was a great way to learn new things about the people in the group.

Today I thought it would be fun to combine I Have Never with another great youth group game, 4 Truths and a Lie. I will list a number of things that I have never done, and you can play along and see how you would fare if you had to do a shot every time I say something you have done. And just to spice it up, one of the things I list will be a lie- something I HAVE done. So play along, let me know how you did and your guess for the one lie. And if you do actual shots, please send me the video! Here we go...

• I have never been to San Francisco
• I have never watched Dancing With the Stars
• I have never had coffee from Starbucks
• I have never hunted any living thing with a gun. Just SPAM
• I have never watched Dance Moms
• I have never eaten duck
• I have never owned an Apple phone, computer or pad
• I have never milked a cow
• I have never been to Spain. But I kinda like the music...
• I have never jet skied
• I have never watched Grey's Anatomy
• I have never owned an electric guitar
• I have never been to Idaho
• I have never watched Survivor
• I have never drank a Red Bull
• I have never seen U2 live in concert
• And yes...I have never gotten a tattoo!

There's my list. Leave your own I Have Never in the comments, guess the lie,  and let's have some fun! Happy Friday, everyone!

Throwback Thursday: Remembering Charlie

The Guilford College Yankees, my 12 year old season. 
My Dad is directly behind Charlie in the gold shirt. 
Can you guess which one is me?  :)

Today's #TBT post takes me all the way back to Little League- but begins with a more recent memory. Several years ago I remember watching in awe as the now disgraced Oscar Pistorius, a double leg amputee from South Africa, ran the 400 meters with the able-bodied runners of the world at the London Olympics. It was an amazing moment, but even more amazing to me was the fact that many people considered his disability and the fact that he ran on "cheetah legs" to to be an unfair advantage to him. The runner once said that he "has never considered his disability to be a disadvantage." That statement brings to mind someone from my distant past who could surely identify. His name was Charlie King.

When I was growing up in the Guilford College community just outside of Greensboro, NC, you could not help but know Charlie King. He owned and operated a Texaco gas station and a fuel oil company. He was a regular attender at Guilford Baptist Church. He owned and operated an insurance company. He was the manager of the Guilford College Yankees, a dynastic Little League team in the community. He was often seen driving around in this custom-built vehicle. Charlie was one of the pillars of Guilford College. You see, he had an unfair disadvantage. Charlie had been born without the use of his arms of his legs. His wrists worked, and he had some movement in his ankles and neck. But for the most part, Charlie, back in the 1960's, was supposed to be a burden on society. He never got that memo.

I knew of Charlie from the age of about 6, but I really got to know him when he selected me to be a Yankee in the Little League player draft when I was 8. I spent the next 5 summers learning baseball from a man who had never played. But he knew it all. So much of what I know about baseball and so much of my love for the game came from Coach King. He turned me into a good player, with lots of help from my dad and the other coaches. But baseball was not all he taught me. He taught me so much about overcoming obstacles and ignoring pessimists. The first time I ever water skied, Charlie was driving the boat- a custom made made boat with a stick for a steering wheel that only Charlie could drive. He had simply never considered saying "I can't." And it showed in every aspect of his life.

You see, Charlie King took his disability and turned it into an unfair disadvantage. He was never able to take anything for granted. He always had to work harder than able-bodied people who were trying to do the same things. Like Oscar Pistorius, he inspired others to greatness, and also like Oscar his success brought criticism and petty jealousy. Because of my relationship with Charlie, I have been a life-long believer in the power of positive thinking. I have always believed all things are possible if you have faith. I want to leave you with my one, signature enduring memory of Charlie. There was nothing...NOTHING...I have ever witnessed quite the equal of an umpire missing a call, seeing and hearing Coach crank up his motorized wheelchair, and watching him drive from the dugout to home plate to "discuss" things with the ump.  The little man in the little chair could strike fear in their hearts. It was an honor to play for him and an honor to be his friend. I know Guilford College is not the the same without him. My question to you all today is this- Who is it in your life that has demonstrated that they have an unfair disadvantage?

Because of Jesus,

Love Like Jesus

"We are the world..."

Don't worry.  This post has nothing to do with the 1985 USA for Africa song. No video, no more 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- the 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...

One of the real misconceptions of the 21st century Church is that Christianity is still 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 very different from the world around us. People outside the Church question our purpose, they question our politics and worst of all, they question our willingness to love. My non-Christian talk about how it sometimes feels like 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.

There is a truth that Jesus tried to share with us 2000 years ago that we desperately need to believe today. The church in the U.S.A. needs to respond each day like we do in times of disaster and turmoil. 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. When we reach out in love and in times of distress no one cares if the people we are helping have a proper theology. 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. "They will know we are Christians by our love" is not just a song- it's a teaching straight from the Master! Love is what will turn around the Church in our country. Don't believe me? Think about this- the Pharisees had all the proper actions, all the correct theology and all of the legal power. Jesus was a wandering vagabond who came to teach us how to love God and each other. Which one changed the world? I promised I wouldn't quote more We Are the World, but I made no such promise about the Beatles. "All you need is love...love is all you need!" Just as long as that love comes from Jesus....

Because of Jesus,

Reimagining EPCOT's World Showcase

Given my persona non grata status with Walt Disney World you may wonder why I care about it anymore. The truth is I care because with this, as with most things in my life, I am very protective of my favorite memories. So I felt a little bit of snark was justified...

It was big news on social media, in the press and here in central Florida last week when Disney made the formal and long-expected announcement that they were shutting down the Maelstrom ride in the Norway Pavilion at EPCOT to make way for an attraction based on the hit movie Frozen. Reaction has been loud and very mixed. I loved the movie, and understand why Disney execs have rushed to get something Frozen related in every park. However...I do have some questions. Although putting a ride in Norway is certainly the easy way out, it was not the only EPCOT option. The former Wonders of Life (long live Buzzy!) building still sits empty in Future World, begging for something new and exciting. And it seems to me that by making such a change at Norway, the company is throwing the the entire future of World Showcase up for grabs. And that scares me.

I have long loved World Showcase. My memory goes back to a time when everyone spelled EPCOT with all caps, there were no Disney characters there at all, dining reservations HAD to be made the day of and when IMAX movies were a technological marvel. I love the restaurants. I love the cultural aspects, the street performers and the fact that it is so different from the rest of WDW. There have already been changes over the years that no one bothered to run past me, such as changing the opening hours so we couldn't take a stroll in a nearly empty World Showcase early in the morning or changing the  menu at Alfredo's & The San Angel Inn. But change happens and you move on. But this feels much more significant. This feels like a real game changer. So today I have allowed my mind to wander. What if putting a Frozen attraction in Norway sets a precedent? What if every country in World Showcase were to become just another opportunity for Disney corporate synergy? There have long been crossover character events outside the Pavilions (think Mary Poppins at the UK, Beast at France)- but this seems different to me. In my nightmares, World Showcase would start to look like this...

• The China Pavilion - The movie on the cultural history of the country would be replaced with The Making of Mulan, narrated by Eddie Murphy. A simulator ride could take us through the battle to save the Emperor, as we fight side-by-side with Mulan, Cricky, Mushu and Captain Li Shang. And the Nine Dragons restaurant is replaced by Mulan's Delight, a counter-service place featuring chicken chow mien and other dishes USAmericans think are Chinese.
• The France Pavilion - So many movies to promote, so little time. The Boulangerie Pâtisserie would become Hunchback Croissants- because Quasimodo is shaped like one! The main restaurants would have a Ratatouille theme, with giant rat-costumed servers bringing you the daily specials and making jokes about how they are not Mickey. And instead of Impressions de France the movie theater is not showing a 10 minute blooper real from Beauty & the Beast. Just think of the merchandising possibilities with all of those movies to choose from! Oh...and the Eiffel Tower too...
• The Italy Pavilion - Lady & the Tramp once ate spaghetti. Therefore they must be Italian. I'll let you figure out the details!
• The Morocco Pavilion - There would be magical appearances by the Genie, and the flying carpet ride could be moved over from the MK. And a kissing booth with Jasmine. Actually, all of those things would be an improvement to this Pavilion. Never mind.
• The UK Pavilion - Again, there are so many movies to choose from, but I'm partial to Robin Hood. The Friar Tuck Pub could serve Long John Silver's fish and chips and really cheap beer. There could be live archery tournaments. Throw in the Spoonful of Sugar Bakery (Mary Poppins), the Winnie the Pooh petting zoo (with live hephalumps, woozles and Tiggers) and bring back Mr. Toad! Then you're all set for a big adventure!

There are many more possibilities (like Pinocchio in Germany or The Three Caballeros in Mexico), but I think I have made my point. Obviously my ranting is over-the-top and ridiculous...I hope. But the truth is that World Showcase was designed to be "a place apart" from the rest of WDW. In my humble (and totally unsolicited) opinion, adding a Frozen attraction is a step in a very dangerous direction. And a final warning: if anything ever happens to Voices of Liberty or The American Adventure over at the U.S. Pavilion, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Just sayin'...

Because of Walt,