My son being in New York this weekend has me flashing back to some of the amazing times I spent in the city, so today's Saturday Shout Outs! are taking a little different form. Beginning as a part time chaperone on a Friends United Meeting United Nation Seminar experience in 1978 and ending with a trip from Wesley Memorial UMC in 2005, I spent many years taking hundreds of teenagers to NYC. With help from a few readers and lots of old files, I would like to share with you today some of my favorite memories from those trips. Some of these stories I have shared before here on the blog. For even more stories, click here to read about some of my earliest trips with New Garden Friends Meeting, click here to see my live retro blog of the 1998 trip we made from FUMC-Kissimmee, here to read about our 2003 trip from Wesley Memorial, and here to read the legendary stories of Mike Mercadante and Charles Freedle (from Springfield Friends Meeting) in the Big Apple! Here we go:
- On one of the earliest UN Seminars (1978 or '79) we were discussing the concept of bringing peace to the Middle East. Due to a scheduling conflict, the representative for the Palestine Liberation Organization (the PLO was a radical Arab group) and the representative from Israel were, for a few moments, in the same room. We almost got to see what war looked like up close and personal...
- On the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty in 1982 a group of us turned our Paul Newman look-alike leader Wallace Sills into an instant celebrity with Asian tourists. That's also the same place where Alan Brown and I sat on Liberty Island watching mentally defective seagulls crash into the rocks off the island while diving for fish. That inspired another Brown/Jones unreleased classic song, Watching the Seagulls Crash!
- Over the years we saw many of the greatest shows that Broadway had to offer, including Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, Cats, A Chorus Line and Rent. We also saw lesser known shows like Shenandoah, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Movin' Out!, Good Vibrations, The Scarlet Pimpernel, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Beauty and the Beast and Once Upon A Mattress. And with the exception of Cats they were all wonderful...
- We also saw the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular a number of times. Almost every person who sends me their memories of these trips mentions the living nativity in that show, complete with live animals- including camels. Very moving and truly spectacular!
- The food was always memorable, whether it was eating at pizza places, Chinatown, tiny deli/stores or from street corner carts like we did in the early years, or dining at Mama Leone's, Carmine's or Ollie's Noodles like we did later on. We also often had meals at Planet Hollywood, The Hard Rock Cafe or The All-Star Cafe. And The Stage Deli. Biggest sandwiches in history! For my favorite food-related story, check out the Chinatown Chicken Head.
- One year a group of us went for ice cream late at night to the only place we knew was open, the Howard Johnson's Restaurant on 7th Ave. While there we encountered a homeless man who asked us for money, and we bought him some food. When we left the restaurant he followed us back to our hotel, where he walked in with us. Turned out that his plan was just follow us in and then find a hall to sleep in to avoid the cold. Obviously the folks at the Milford Plaza would not allow this. Another time we were walking along in sub-zero temps and came across a man playing a saxophone on the street- with no shoes. One of our students remarked "he could get a job if he wanted to." I pointed out that losing his toes to frostbite was probably NOT his choice. New York was a great lesson in the desperation of the homeless.
- On my last trip in 2005 the group from Wesley Memorial UMC was waiting at LaGuardia airport. I convinced them we were waiting on a shuttle bus or van, when in fact I had pre-arranged limos. When they pulled up and the kids saw my name on the signs (see picture) they went nuts!
- When we first started going to NYC, Times Square was a terrible place full of hookers and drug dealers. By 2005 it was one of the safest, most tourist friendly places in the city. Walking to the Virgin Megastore (and sticking those "Virgin: $9.99" sale stickers on each other) became a very late night tradition. That and cheesecake at the Celebrity Deli located in our hotel.
- Speaking of hotels, from the late 1980's on we stayed at the Milford Plaza (The Lullaby of Broadway) in the heart of theTheater District- 45th & 8th. But before that I also had groups at the Hotel Tudor (42nd & 2nd) and the Madison Towers (38th & Madison). The Towers had phones in the bathrooms (that's me on that very phone in 1982, pictured), which we thought was the ultimate in luxury...
- So many random moments from so many trips. Losing Jennifer Johns. Meeting the cast of Saved By the Bell. Touring the NBC Studios and seeing Julius (Dr.J) Erving and Studio 8H, home of SNL. Teresa Reep in her banana yellow jacket and Jill Souther doing NYC on crutches. The scarf. Heather Beggs crying her way through Les Miz. The late Randy Cockerham making us laugh at Mama Leone's. The random man who got in our group picture at the UN. Lisa Jewett & Stephanie Greife riding the ferris wheel in Toys'R'Us. Pole dancing on the subway with Amber Herrick. Watching Tim Harding and Jeff Byrd carry a keyboard across Manhattan. Doing the Carl Shuffle. Watching the faces of students as they see Times Square, the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty for the first time. And of course, thinking that Jacob Lupfer had just been arrested for buying illegal Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts as presents for his family. Good times...
There are so many more memories, including mission projects handing out sandwiches to the poorest of the poor in the depths of Grand Central Station, worshiping at 15th Street Friends Meeting, and ice skating at 30 Rock. But I guess I have to stop for now. Come back tomorrow and share in an Easter tradition here on "I'd Laugh..."
Because of Jesus,
My Summer 101 series will return next Friday. Today we remember the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross.
The great Tony Campolo loves to share the story of the sermon he once heard preached on Good Friday in a Philadelphia church. The pastor would tell a fact about the events of the day of Jesus' crucifixion, and then remind the congregation "but that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!" By the conclusion of the service the pastor was just screaming"FRIDAY," and the crowd would reply "SUNDAY'S COMING!!!" I once wrote a responsive reading for an Easter sunrise service using those words. Here is part of that reading:
Reader: It was Friday, and my Jesus was nailed to a cross.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader: It was Friday, and the guards gambled for Jesus' robe.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader: It was Friday, and the veil of the Temple was torn in two, and the sky turned as black as coal, and all the people were afraid.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader: It was Friday, and they rolled the stone in front of Jesus' tomb.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader: It was Friday, and the hope of the world seemed lost. Peter had denied Him. The others had deserted Him. All they had worked for seemed for naught.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and Sunday's coming!
Reader: It was Friday, and my Jesus lay cold and dead.
Congregation: But that was Friday...and SUNDAY'S COMING!!!
The congregation was encouraged to grow louder each time they responded, because "Sunday's Coming!" were not just words; they were a promise from Jesus. Today, as we stare into the abyss of Good Friday, we must do it to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We do it so we understand that the grace of God that wraps us in His love was not cheaply obtained. We do it because when Jesus uttered the words "it is finished" from the cross, he didn't mean his life was done. A better translation is "it is accomplished!" He meant that sin had been beaten and that death had been "swallowed up in victory!" Our separation from God was OVER! And we do it because we- those who believe and follow the Christ- know that this is only Friday...only a part of the story, not the end...and SUNDAY'S COMING!!! Resurrection Day is on the way!!!!
Because of Jesus,
Today is the April edition of #CommentDay. Read all the blogs you can, and leave a comment on each one you read. Since you are already here, what a great place to start! :)
"Start spreading the news..." This morning my son and his friends from the Sickles High School band boarded a plane for New York City. They will spend 4 days in the city, seeing the sights and exploring Manhattan. And then on Saturday night they will perform at Carnegie Hall as part of a high school band festival. For a musician, playing Carnegie Hall is like a baseball player playing at Wrigley Field, a chef cooking in Paris or a youth pastor being asked to give the invocation at the Silver Spurs Rodeo (youth pastors have very small dreams...)! What an amazing opportunity- an opportunity they have worked extremely hard to get. You know the old joke, right? How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!!! And they are ready. New Yorkers will be paying $50 a pop to see my son play the crash cymbals and the snare drum. It is possible, I suppose, that they may notice some of the other musicians as well. But just look at him all fancy in his tux. He is bound to steal the spotlight!
I know that Will is going to have an amazing time. I know this because I led nearly 20 trips to NYC during my time as a youth pastor, and I LOVE the city. The fact that Will is going for his first time without me is a bit depressing. It is a reminder that despite the amazing grace given to us by Jesus, sin has consequences. This is one of mine. I cannot be part of Will's first NYC trip as I was for literally hundreds of students his age over the years. But I praise God that we have been given the resources and the opportunity to send Will and his friends and to know that they will experience the joys of a weekend in New York. Teresa Tysinger reminded me yesterday that there will be other trips, and that there will still be many first memories to be made. He will still need to stay at the Milford Plaza. He will still need to eat at Carmine's. He will still need to see Les Miz. He will still need to experience the parts of the city I can show him that this trip will not. As my dear friend Lisa Jewett is quick to point out (over and over and over) I owe her a NYC trip, so we are going back! So today I need to focus on the blessings- both of the day, and of the future, and simply pray for Will and his friends to have the very best trip possible. Join me in that prayer. And since it is #CommentDay, if you have a special memory of a NYC trip, share it! And to see a slide show of pictures from my many trips, check out my New York State of Mind video. Blessings to you all!
Because of Jesus,
My 49 Days of Grace continue...
My first freezing night (see It Was Just So Cold) in the Ware County Jail came to an abrupt but merciful end when they slid my breakfast through the slit in the metal door. I had no idea what time it was, i just knew it was still dark. I won't spend a lot of time on this, but let me tell you an absolute truth- prison food is not fit for any living thing. I wasn't expecting gourmet, but COME ON! Anyway, after ignoring my breakfast I began to mentally prepare myself to go home. The officers who had picked me up, the guards who had booked me, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent who was on my case had all told me that I would see a judge that first morning and that he would set bail. I was confident that Marilyn and her boss James (an attorney) would have everything arranged and that I would go home quickly after the hearing. A short time later the guards came to get me- and this time they were serious. Some of you will remember that when I was arrested the officers never handcuffed me or even touched me. To take me to see the judge (in a small courtroom right there in the jail) they chained me up like I was Frankenstein. Handcuffs, ankle cuffs, and chains connecting them to a chain around my waist. It was very eerie, and I couldn't help but feel like this was going to be more difficult than originally thought. Marilyn and James were waiting on me, and when my name was called James stood to represent me. We were told that because of the charges against me that this judge could not set bail. A State Superior Court judge - Judge Jackson - would have to set my bail. James told they should be able to get everything done within a day, and I was sent back to my ice box with no idea of what to expect.
And what should I have expected? Absolutely nothing! For the next 3 days I never left my cell. There was no communication from the outside. They brought me food and checked occasionally to make sure I was still there and still alive. I didn't get to go outside (nor would I at any point during my 49 day stay- and yes, that was a violation of my rights.). I didn't get to shower or shave. In fact I didn't even have a toothbrush. I didn't get a cellmate. I never knew what time it was. My requests for information were met with grunts and shrugs. It became clear to me that I was in a type of solitary confinement, but I wasn't sure why. I could hear other people on my hall, but I could not see them. I had no idea what was happening. It was scary, and it was frustrating. Hope and faith were hard to come by in those moments. But prayer was all I had. So I prayed. Hard.
Then, on day 5, Officer Betty came to work. Betty was was a wonderful Christian woman who had been away visiting her grandkids during my first few days. With her return, everything changed. Betty talked to me like I was an actual human being. She knew I had been a youth pastor, and we talked about faith. She let me take a shower and got me a toothbrush. She informed me that I was being kept in a special needs ward with high risk inmates for my own safety. They didn't want to mix me in with the general population, but if I wanted to be able to go outside and have access to the library and those kinds of things that she would get me moved. I told her I would be out very soon, so I could just stay where I was. Wrong again.
Betty also did some research and found out what was going on with my bail. The DA (whose son had been in my youth group) had set a very reasonable bail, but the judge had so far refused to sign it - even after Marilyn drove it to his office. So I sat. And waited. We began to learn the ins and outs of visitation, of getting me some additional t-shirts and underwear, of getting me my bible and some other books, and of how to set it up so I could call home and buy some snacks. There was a lot to learn, and no one had much interest in teaching us. Marilyn sorted it all out. She was simply amazing.
As five days stretched into 18, Easter Sunday arrived. It was one of the most grace-filled days of my life, and seldom have I ever felt the presence of God surround me more, or felt the Holy Spirit so strongly. You can ready that story by clicking here. As to how my days were going in the meantime...well that is next week's installment of 49 Days of Grace!
Because of Jesus,
I have been on Twitter for nearly 3 years now, and in that time I have racked up over 2100 followers and met some amazing people. Except that I haven't actually met them. We have shared a great deal. We have prayed for one another, supported one another and cared for one another. He have shared life together. They make me laugh on a regular basis. They have shown me grace in so many ways. And so many times I have wished that time, distance and circumstance would allow me to meet some of these wonderful people. Today I want to share with you - and them - a list of 10 (actually 12- a couple of couples made the list, and you know me an numbers!) people I have never met that I hope to get together with someday on this side of heaven. I have confidence I will see them there. No celebrities here- just real people I have come to know and love. So without further adieu, and in no particular order...
- Kevin & Christie Weatherby - Two of my very favorite people, who often inspire me and always make me laugh. Kevin is a pastor in a cowboy church and gifted writer whose book The Great Cow-Mission has become a favorite of mine. The story of how Christie and I found each other on Twitter is simply "Inconceivable!" Ask if you want to know! You can follow them on Twitter @CowboyMinistry and @mizweatherby.
- Jenn Ganley - My online "little sis." Mess with her and you are messing with me! A warm, caring and amazingly supportive soul, Jenn is also a powerhouse of strength. Come to think of it, she would probably take care of me! Follow @JGanley3.
- Jason Huffman- My younger brother from another mother. We have discussed sports, movies, music and Jesus- sometimes all in the same tweet! Even though he often makes cracks about my old age, he is also the founder of the #EverybodyLovesCarl hashtag. Hate to break it to him, but everybody loves @jasonbhuffman too...
- Tracee Persiko - One of my very favorite bloggers, Tracee is also somewhat famous as a hip-hop dancer in some circles, and as a speaker for Christian groups in others. We have been connected on Twitter since my earliest days, along with another favorite, her former roommate Stephanie Dole (@CampusLifeDole). I guess that makes 13! You can follow Tracee @TraceePersiko.
- Robert Damron - Robert and I share a faith in Jesus and a love of college basketball. The fact that he is a Duke fan and still made this list should tell you all just how special his friendship is to me. Go Tar Heels! @RLDamron
- Len Evans - I cannot even begin to tell you all of the things I would love to sit down and talk about with @Len_Evans. His work with the National Network of Youth Ministries, his work with Hospice, and his heart for hurting youth pastors make him a man after God's own heart- and after mine too. Plus he is old enough to remember all of the old YS guys that I love so much!
- Angie Battle - Another loving and caring soul who offers much grace and comfort to many, and whom I have come to love like a sister. We are going to enjoy a meal together someday. That is a promise, @angibattle!
- Liza D - A fairly recent edition to my Twitter family, @itslizawithaz is the only superhero in the group, having been recently named The Lizard by my autocorrect. We are still working on her costume. She also has excellent taste in movies. :)
- Amy Nabors - One of my favorite conversationalists, I can always count on Amy to respond to my tweets and leave comments on my blog. Her faithfulness and willingness to pray for others is inspiring. And she takes awesome pictures! She's under the name @AmyKiane.
- Drew & Andrea Ward - Another couple I have come to know through Twitter and this blog that I would love to have the opportunity to spend some time with. They have a heart for Jesus, for serving students, and for watching good movies! You can find them on Twitter at @Drewski18 & @Citrus_Sunshine. Follow them!
I could easily list another 20, and at some point I will. But for today, I will be praying for each of these wonderful people, and I will continue to hope for the opportunity to sit down with them in real Christian fellowship. Please plan to come back tomorrow as my 49 Days of Grace series continues.
Mark 14:1-9 (The Message)
In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said.
Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.
But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."
My old friend Curt Cloninger, the amazing actor and interpreter of scripture, calls the meal Jesus is eating in the scripture above "the next to the last supper." In Curt's brilliant one-man play entitled Witnesses, he plays a fictional character (Abe the Banana Man) who was present at this meal. He used to be unable to speak, he tells us. In fact, he points out, almost everyone there (in Curt's version) was a used to be. In his mind the party guests included many of the people who had encountered Jesus over the previous 3 years. Simon (their host) used to be a leper. Bart used to be blind. Lazurus used to be dead! Curt points out that Jesus most likely ended the party during His speech praising the woman who had anointed His feet with perfume, because He once again announced that He would soon be dead. The whole evening must have been indicative of the highs and lows of that last week.
We all used to be something before Jesus got hold of our hearts. Some of us still are things that we would rather not be. Holy Week is a wonderful time to let Jesus make you a used to be again. He will- if you become WIDE OPEN to the grace he offers you. Honor Him this week (and every week) with your very life.
Because of Jesus,
Today is Palm Sunday, a celebration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers and praises of the crowd. According to to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, the crowds shouted things like "Hosanna" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" It was a glorious day. Here is the account from the gospel of Luke:
Luke 19:28-40 (New International Version)
The Triumphal Entry
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
They replied, "The Lord needs it."
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
It is hard to believe that less than a week after such an entrance those same people would be shouting "Crucify Him!" This Lenten season we have spent much time seeking to praise God and lift high the name of Jesus. But we too often turn our backs when times get tough. In what ways do we turn our backs on the Messiah, despite the fact that we claim to be his followers? Have a blessed Palm Sunday, and prepare your hearts for Holy Week. Easter is only a week away!
Because of Jesus,
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