Hello everyone! I
have to confess I’ve been a bit slack in posting lately, simply because I’ve
had such a busy and exciting two weeks! Before I share what I’ve been up to, I
have to say that I borrowed the title of this post from Michelle W. over at
Blogging from the Boonies. I’d like to invite you to pay her a visit as she
shares lots of exciting letters from her many Compassion children! Now, on to
my updates!
Outside my window: It’s raining steadily outside, and there’s
a miniature river of water pouring down the trunk of the maple tree that stands
right outside my window. I can hear a chickadee chirping merrily though! The
temperature stands at around 13 degrees Celsius, which means that fall is
finally setting in! Even though it’s the end of September, the leaves haven’t
started changing colors yet. Here in Newfoundland, fall is generally late
compared to the rest of Canada. There are a few brown leaves scattered over my
lawn though, and the branches of my Mountain Ash tree are sagging downwards
with the weight of its many clusters of red berries.
My Week in Review: (Actually, this should say, “My Two Weeks in Review” since it’s been that
long since I posted!) I’ve been keeping busy with band practices lately. Our
church worship team, Driftwood Cross, meets together regularly to prepare for
Sunday mornings and also to practice for the different events we perform. Here
in Newfoundland, “Coffeehouses” are a regular event in many communities.
Different performers and musicians gather together for an evening of fun,
fellowship, and of course, coffee or tea and dessert. I always enjoy our practices
as we always have such a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing together.
On the 22nd
of this month, Open Door celebrated our first anniversary together as a church.
I’m so proud to have been a part of this wonderful “community” since the second
week of its inception. We’ve come a long way in just one year, and it’s been so
exciting to celebrate the “firsts”: our first infant dedication, our first
church barbecue, our first baptismal service, our first bake sale, our first
Biker Sunday, our first Arts & Crafts show, our first Sunday School class,
and so much more. We pray that this anniversary is only the first of many!
On the Compassion
side, I got word that a letter is, at long last, on its way to me from my
oldest boy, 18-year-old Mbula Timothy from Kenya. Mbula was assigned to me as a
Correspondent on May 31st, and this is my first letter from him. I
can’t wait to receive it and share it with you all!
This week was
also the start of what I can certainly call my biggest venture yet: taking over
as youth group leader! Open Door Youth generally runs from September to June, and
we were a bit late starting this year since I needed time to prepare. We have a
small group but we are a close-knit one. I’ve known these kids ever since I
moved to Newfoundland three years ago, and it’s wonderful to see them growing
and maturing. As I told them yesterday, this is a learning process for me as I’ve
never run a youth group before, although I’ve always helped out. I’m really
embracing the challenge and looking forward to stretching my wings and growing
right along with “my” kids.
Coming up: Later this evening, we’re heading out to
see Richard Roberts, the son of great healing evangelist Oral Roberts. I’m
really looking forward to a wonderful, spirit-led time.
On Friday night, Driftwood
Cross is also playing a Coffeehouse about an hour-and-a-half drive from here,
which is the farthest I’ve ever traveled with the band. I’m really excited
about all the opportunities that God is giving us.
Open Door Youth
is also having a movie night next week, so I’m eagerly anticipating that!
I hope that you
all are having a wonderful, blessed week as well. What are some of the
highlights/lowlights of your week? Feel free to share in the comment section!
"And all of my todays seem like they're rushing by so fast
And every time I look around, I pray that it will last." ~Lincoln Brewster
As I was driving
home tonight from band practice, I was listening to a song called “Real Life”,
by Lincoln Brewster. I’ve loved this song ever since I heard it almost three years ago;
but tonight, maybe because I had just spent an hour and a half hanging out with
some of my best friends, it put me in a nostalgic mood. Have a listen and see
what I mean.
So as I was
driving home, with my high beams cutting through the darkness and raindrops pecking
at my windshield, I thought about my life so far. I’m not old, although
sometimes I feel like I’ve seen more than my share of both joys and sorrows,
and had experiences that some people twice my age haven’t had. I’ve had my
share of ups and downs, good times and bad. I’ve known sickness, health,
friendship, betrayal, doubt, comfort, insecurity, and confidence. Maybe I’m an
ordinary person; somehow, though, I wonder what I did for God to give me an
awesome life like this. I’m living in a province that I never wanted to move to
in the first place, attending a church that I ran from almost two years ago and
that God brought me back to after the worst eight months of my life (maybe
someday I will feel free enough to share about some of those valleys), and I’m
loving every minute of it. I’m not that great of a singer (at least, in my
opinion) and yet, I have the privilege of being in Driftwood Cross. I’m not a
great speaker; but yet, I’ve been invited to speak as a guest in my church. I’m
not a great leader; and yet, leadership opportunities are opening to me daily
(I’m not free to share about some of them yet; that will come in the future).
The weird thing
about me is, I’m not a “fitting in” kind of person. I’m not like anybody I
know. But yet, I “fit in” better at Open Door than I do anywhere else. Maybe
because we’re a church of “misfits.” Maybe, being different is how we fit; all of us. Maybe we’re like
puzzle pieces; each of us has one particular place that we fit in, and nowhere
else. Maybe.
Tonight, I sat in
a living room with three men who are about as different from each other as different
can be. We played music and sang, laughed and shared. Even just four short
months ago, I never would have dreamed of this. I have a wild imagination, and
anyone that knows me well will tell you so. But I never could have imagined
this: listening to Bob solo on his guitar, watching Jim shuffle through a stack
of papers and say, “How about if we play it like this?”, laughing at Larry
making up song lyrics on the spot or rolling my eyes at his teasing, and
feeling so overwhelmingly blessed. Maybe, to someone on the outside looking in,
we would look like just any ordinary worship band holding a practice. But they
would be wrong. This, is an ordinary miracle. The simple kind of ones that God
randomly drops from heaven just because He loves His kids.
And, to someone
like me, it’s the biggest privilege of my life. Being involved. Being a part of something. “Fitting.” Belonging. Somehow. Someway. In a place that I thought I
had left behind me forever, with people I thought I would never see again. But
God moved mountains (and one very reluctant 21-year-old) and brought me home
again. And now I sit back and sigh with contentment, and let these lyrics by
Lincoln Brewster drift through my mind:
"This is Real Life, and it’s real good; it’s a
place I took for granted, ‘cause I just never understood. And there is real
pain, and there are real tears. But the way my Father loves me, is the reason I am here. This is real life.”
And every time I
walk into Open Door, I’m reminded once again; life is short. We never know what
twists and turns it’s going to make. We need to appreciate what we have before
us, because tomorrow it could be gone. I’ve experienced that very thing too
many times to ever forget it.
"If you wanna sit, you can sit or you can stand...
It's the Open Door, come and find yourself a helping hand!" ~Jim Vaughan-Evans
If someone were
to ask me to describe my church in a few words, I would probably reply, “Three
pairs of shoes.”
Let me explain. On
a typical Sunday morning, you’ll find me hanging out with an unusual group of
people in an unusual spot, doing something (you guessed it) unusual. More specifically,
you’ll find me playing an instrument called a Cajon in a rented building with a
group of self-proclaimed misfits. We call ourselves, “Open Door.”
So, on most
Sunday mornings, I find myself seated behind the rest of the band, banging on a
box, and at the same time doing what I do best: people-watching. While part of
my mind is totally engaged with playing, the other part might be thinking of
just about anything. And most days, my eyes travel downwards (a result of the
shyness that sometimes often overwhelms me) and I find myself focusing
on three pairs of shoes.
Larry Baldwin
Directly to my
left is a pair of always-pristine, white running shoes belonging to worship
leader Larry Baldwin. I’ll interrupt myself here with a funny fact: when I
first met Larry, I was actually very intimidated by him. I could never tell
when he was joking or when he was serious, and I never knew quite how to
respond. But I’ll tell you, behind the seemingly-stern exterior is a
down-to-earth guy with a real sense of humor, an Elvis sound-alike voice, and a
true worshipper’s heart. He’s a good boss and I’m proud to call him my buddy.
Jim Vaughan-Evans
Right in front of
me is a pair of scuffed work boots belonging to Jim Vaughan-Evans. Tall,
curly-headed Jim is probably our band’s quietest member, next to me. He’s our
resident Bob Dylan fan, and brings out Driftwood Cross’s soulful side with
songs like, “I Still Can’t Find What I’m Looking For” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
He’s also a gentle, sweet-spirited person.
Bob Tetford
To my immediate
right is a pair of black dress shoes. That would be Bob Tetford. Bob, or Bobby
as we sometimes call him, is our “rock ’n’ roll man.” He can make a guitar do
anything except talk, and I believe he can even do that in his own way. Bob
wears a look of intense concentration when he plays, and his fingers literally
fly. I don’t know how in the world he manages to improvise these great solos
when he may have only learned a song that same morning, but he does, somehow. Bob’s
specialties are old classics like “When Love Came Down,” and “Long May You Run.”
Dave Hammond
Of course, I have
to mention a fourth pair of shoes that sometimes joins us. Dave Hammond lives in a different community
but joins us as often as he can, which is when we add his motorcycle boots to
the mix. Dave is a bearded, “gentle giant” type of fellow, who rides a
tough-looking Harley and plays a sweet saxophone. He’s also a member of the Tribe
of Judah, a motorcycle ministry that focuses on reaching outlaw bikers. He’s
also the man who gave me my first motorcycle ride, which you can read about here .
For me, those
three (and sometimes four) pairs of shoes represent the wide diversity of
people that we minister to on a regular basis. The high-heel crowd. The flip-flop
folks. The Ugg wearers. The sneakered and the sandaled, the booted and
barefooted. No matter who you are, you’ll always fit in at Open Door.
But I can’t stop
by just talking about a few people, can I? Because Open Door is full of
amazing, real-life heroes whose stories deserve to be told.
Take these two,
for instance. They couldn’t be more opposite! The one on the left is Jeff. He
was an addict. The one on the right is Jesse. He was a black-robed clergy. But
they have two big things in common: they’re best friends, and they’re both
ministers of Jesus Christ and his love.
Jeff and his
wife, Tammy, run the U-Turn Addiction Drop-in Center. They see ordinary miracles every day, helping people find
freedom from addictions of all sorts. Jeff is a friend and “big brother” as he
puts it, to everyone he meets. He’s a tough guy with a compassionate heart the
size of Newfoundland, and he genuinely accepts people for who they are. He’s
always going out of his way to help someone. You’re sure to be welcomed with a
handshake or a hug when Jeff’s around.
Jesse is Open Door’s pastor. You can call him Rev. Jesse, Pastor Jesse, or just Jesse. Your
first impression of Jesse will probably be a soft-spoken man who exudes a sort
of quiet confidence. He enjoys having fun and joking with his congregation, but
he’s a good listener who tends to be a bit contemplative. If you ask him a
question, he’s liable to respond with another one; and in answering his
question, you find that you’ve answered your own. Pastor Jesse is also an intelligent,
well-learned man, which shows in his sermons, but he also possesses the ability
to make complicated concepts easy to understand. He doesn’t mind sharing openly
and honestly about his struggles, either.
Sunday morning set-up
There are so many
others that I could talk about: Gentle, sensitive Vic, who runs the WOW program
for people in need; shy and soft-spoken Trudy, Jesse’s wife with a servant’s
heart, who faithfully works in the background; spunky Tammy, Jeff’s wife, who
makes everyone feel welcome at U-Turn; good-natured David, friend to all and
sundry and who’s always ready to lend a hand; bouncy Sherry, David’s wife, who
flits from person to person like a butterfly making sure that no one is
overlooked; upbeat Scott, who’s always ready with a grin and a “How’s ya, me
darlin’?”; feisty Nan, also known as “Trouble,” who’s 92 years young and has
more energy than the rest of us put together; jolly Wayne B., who serves as our
announcer and brunt of many good-natured jokes; and many, many more.
I could go on for
hours about the great group of people we have. You can bet that I’ll elaborate
much more in later blog posts, keeping you up-to-date with the latest great
stories from the Open door. Because they are great stories. And they are great
people. From triathlons to barbecues to concerts to sleeping out-of-doors,
there’s always something going on. So if you’re looking for a church home that’s
a perfect fit…
“Welcome, everybody… to the Open Door!” ~ song
written by Jim Vaughan-Evans. *NOTE: All photographs belong to the respective photographers. I have no intent of claiming them!
When I was
younger, I saw a movie called Road to
Redemption. It’s a Christian comedy that came out in 2001, and the basic
plotline is this: Girl and her boyfriend have get-rich-quick scheme. Get-rich-quick
scheme blows up in their faces. Girl and boyfriend find themselves owing a
quarter of a million dollars to the “baddies.” Girl decides to reconnect with
her estranged (and wealthy) grandfather and try to get a loan, but all he wants
to do is go fishing… exactly the way
they did it when she was a little girl, which means they’re headed
cross-country to the town of Redemption, Montana, with both the boyfriend and
the baddies on their trail!
Okay, so my
summary’s not the best. Trust me, you just need to watch it yourself. Believe
me when I say it will be worth it.
I’ve gotten
sidetracked.
My point was
this: during the movie, there is a scene where the two voyagers are left
stranded on the side of the road. In the middle of the desert. They are picked
up by an unlikely group of heroes… a gang of Christian bikers. Beards, boots,
bandannas and all. With slogans such as “Jesus is #1” on their bikes and
patches declaring “Satan is a punk” on their jackets. And they raced our main
characters off to their next adventure with “Born to be Wild” playing in the
background.
There are plenty
more details besides that one, of course, but I won’t spoil the ending for you.
Anyway, that movie was my first introduction to the world of Christian motorcyclists.
I was enthralled. I wanted to buy a bike and hit the road!
Of course, motorcycles
are for the young, the very brave, and the very wealthy. (Ah well, one out of
three ain’t bad.) And life went on. But I’d always had this secret desire… to
ride a motorcycle. To taste the freedom and understand a little of what all the
hype was about.
That’s why there’s
one day of the year that’s pretty special to me: Biker Sunday, also known as
Father’s Day. AtOpen Door, Biker Sunday is when all the bikers come to church.
The congregation (if you want to call it a congregation… around here we just
call it the “Open Door crowd.”) dresses in their finest. You guessed it…
Bandannas, boots, leather jackets, chaps, and all that goes with it. It’s a
time of celebrating the good that our local biking groups do for the local
charities, as well as just a rocking good time. There’s great music, a great message
by our own Rev. Jesse (wearing his own leathers with “Rev. Jesse” emblazoned
across the back) and some great barbecue! Everybody eats and talks motorcycles,
along with admiring the line-up of “hogs” in the parking lot. It’s a biker’s
paradise!
So as you can
imagine, this past Biker Sunday was welcomed with great anticipation. I arrived
at our venue fairly early, since we usually squeeze in a quick band practice
beforehand.
Driftwood Cross.
L to R: Dave Hammond, Bob Tetford, myself, Jim Vaughan-Evans, and Larry Baldwin.
We were just
finishing up our list of songs when we heard it… a deep, sustained rumble that
grew louder by the second. I heard someone call, “Bikers are here!” and I
immediately rushed out the front door (along with practically everyone else in
the congregation) to catch a first glimpse of the bikes roaring into the
parking lot. The noise was thrilling. It began to die down as the bikes were parked,
but rapidly rose again as old friends greeted each other, exchanging hugs,
back-slaps, and “biker handshakes.”
A few minutes
later, I found myself chatting with a lady named Sue, whose husband happens to
be our saxophone player, Dave Hammond (pictured above), and who also happens to be a member of
the Tribe of Judah Motorcycle Ministry. During our
conversation, I happened to mention that I’ve never been on a bike before. She
was surprised to hear that, and promised me, “After the service, let me talk to
Dave and we’ll see what we can do.”
You know that
feeling when something is almost too good to be true, and you can hardly
believe it, but yet you can’t stop hoping desperately? That was me. I wasn’t
sure how I’d get through the rest of the morning, but I managed to compose
myself.
It wasn’t too
much later before we gathered together to begin our service. As a member of a
worship team, I can tell you that there’s nothing that adds energy to a service
quite like a roomful of Northern Stars, Relic Riders, and of course, Dave and
Sue from the Tribe of Judah. Special guest Blair Lane also added a lot with his
rousing rendition of “At Calvary.” And, of course, there was plenty of laughter
as worship leader Larry (pictured above) sang a very special Happy Birthday,
Elvis-style, to a very special someone; Nan, the eldest of our congregation at
ninety-two, who arrives at every Biker Sunday dressed in her bandanna and
leathers, and who is taken for a motorcycle ride around the block each year. I
couldn’t help but envy her opportunity… at the age of ninety-two, she’d been on
many rides, while I’d never even been on one! (Well, I sat on a motorcycle one
time, but that hardly counts.)
After our worship
service, Rev. Jesse preached… or should I say, he joked with the congregation
about cats and crab plants (you had to be there) and then drove the point home
in his inimitable style. Afterwards, we closed out the service with prayer and
a rollicking version of, you guessed it… “Born to be Wild” by our own Bob
Tetford, (also pictured above) who somehow managed to sound even better than
the original. Then we headed outside to enjoy some of that great barbecue and
admire a few more bikes. In the meantime, I was fervently chanting in my mind, “Please
Lord, let me go for a ride… please Lord, let me go for a ride…”
I needn’t have
worried. When God works something out, He’ll move mountains if he has to. And
before I knew it, I was suitably attired and climbing on board a roaring,
sputtering Harley-Davidson. Dave looked over his shoulder at me and called out
a few last minute instructions. “Hang on to the side hand-holds (believe me, I was
already holding on plenty tight!), but if you don’t feel safe, you can hold on
to me. When you feel the bike lean one way or another, just gently lean with
it. I’m going so start off fast when we get on the flat, so hang on!” And with
a jerk and a roar, we soared into space… at least, that’s what it felt like. I
have to admit, the first emotion on my mind was a split second of terror,
followed by heart pumping adrenaline. Believe me, there’s nothing that compares
to hurtling along the road at what feels like a million miles an hour with no
seatbelt or airbags, just your own death-grip on the hand-holds to secure you. The
first thought on my mind was I’m going to
die… followed two seconds later by I
never want this to stop.
There’s really
nothing I can compare it to. Unless you’ve felt for yourself the wind screaming
by, the vibration of the motor surging up through the soles of your feet, the
easy swooping motion of the bike as it glides around a turn, the freedom of
looking in every direction with a completely unhindered view (so unlike a car), the earth-shattering
roar of the motor beneath you, there’s really no way I can describe it to you.
As we slowed down
for a stop sign, Dave took the opportunity to call over his shoulder, “How do
you like it so far?” I hollered back, “Ohhhhh… I’m addicted now!!”
After we returned
to the church, I staggered off the bike and immediately blurted to all within
hearing distance, “That was the most awesome thing that I ever did in my entire
life!” I suppose my euphoric grin must have attracted attention, because it’s
all people could comment on. I felt like my cowboy boots weren’t even touching
the ground. I believe I actually flushed with pride when Larry came over and
gave me a “real” biker’s handshake…
By that time,
most of the crowd had dispersed, but I stuck around and chatted with the folks…
and then got thrilled to death when Dave offered to sit me on the bike and snap
a few pictures. I have to give a big shout-out to Dave and Sue, for doing
everything they could to make sure I’d never forget this Biker Sunday. And who knows,
as I follow the path of my Carpenter, maybe His path will lead to a bike
someday. If that’s true, there’ll be nothing more to say than… “Thank You Lord, for Making Me a Biker!"
(Above video is some pictures of previous Biker Sundays, accompanied by the song, "Thank you Lord for making me a Biker" written by Larry Baldwin for the Northern Stars.)
