Friday wrap-up, Sunday preview

As I wrap up the week and look forward to worship at Greer High School on Sunday, here's what's on my mind:

- I love summer, but I'll be glad when my girls are home more often. Emily is away until tomorrow at a World Changers project in Chattanooga. She also has already been to camp and to Gran and Grandbob's house this summer. Grace has been to camp and Gran's as well. Things are out of whack around the house when one or both of them aren't there. Even the dog notices the difference.

- John Mellencamp exceeded expectations. He played three songs from his new album, which were great and well-received by the crowd, along with classics like, "Pink Houses", "Rain on the Scarecrow", "Paper in Fire", and "Check it Out". The highlight of the night for me was a tooth rattling version of "Crumblin'Down" followed by a surprise playing of "Hurts So Good" to end the show. As a side note, Heritage Park was a great place to see an outdoor show. The lawn, parking, access, and just general atmosphere were all top notch.

- Grace has been attending Coach Neely's basketball camp at Greer First Baptist every morning this week. I'm proud of her because none of her friends were able to attend this week, so she went in Monday morning without knowing anyone other than Coach Neely and some of his helpers. She has made new friends everyday and told us last night that she has loved the week.

- We begin a new series of messages this Sunday. We are calling the series Reboot. Be sure you are there this week. If you are on the pre-service reading program that Dr. Waterfield recommends, here is your assignment for the weekend: Job 1-2

Teaser: Hold Sunday afternoon August 23 open on your calendars. I'll tell why on Sunday morning.

Now that's funny

There's nothing quite as therapeutic as good, hard laugh. Enjoy this video of two guys who can't stop laughing!

Minutes to Memories

In a couple of hours I will be leaving the office to head towards Simpsonville to see John Mellencamp in concert. I am excited because it will be the first show I've gone to at the relatively new Heritage Park. I am excited because I will also get to see Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. I'm excited because I'll get to hang out with my brother from another mother Mark Johnson and his son Miles. The main reason I am excited though is that I will finally see John Mellencamp (the artist formerly known as John Cougar) in concert.

Several years ago I made a list of artists I wanted to see perform before I die, or they die (the latter of which I hope happens first). Some friends of mine have called it my bucket list. Of course at the time I made the list that movie had not come out yet. When I first made the list it included four acts: John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Eagles, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. When I first came up with the list I really thought it was a lost cause. The reason why is that at the time the Eagles weren't even speaking to one another, and Bruce and the band had not performed together in some time. Well if all goes as planned this evening, when I wake up in the morning I will only need to see Tom Petty to finish the list.

Throughout my high school years and during my freshmen year of college three Mellencamp albums got tons of play on the Clarion cassette deck in my Datsun 210. The songs on "Uh-huh", "Scarecrow", and "The Lonesome Jubilee" hold a ton of great memories for me. So tonight if he plays "Crumblin'Down", "Small Town", or "Paper in Fire" I won't just be in Simpsonville. In my mind I'll be cruising down Hwy.378 in West Columbia, with a bag full of Rush's cheeseburgers, to meet Pauley when he gets off work at Little Caesar's. It seems like I was just there yesterday. As Mellencamp sings, "days turn to minutes and minutes to memories".

Tuesday catch-up

Sunday was one of those amazing days that you have from time to time as a pastor of a church that really can't be explained. The way I usually react to those days is that I have a huge adrenaline rush, and then the following day I have very little energy as I come off of the natural high. As a result, I didn't even consider trying to post a blog yesterday. Instead, here are some of my thoughts about the Sunday that was:

- I hope you were there. Baptism is one of those things that I never want anyone to miss out on, because I believe as we do it we get a glimpse into Heaven. People openly proclaiming their love of and commitment to Jesus, cheering and clapping at what He has done, hanging out with friends, are all part of what happened Sunday afternoon, and those are also all things we will get to do for eternity in Heaven.

- I love watching other people do the dunking. Donny and I only baptized 5 of the 16 folks on Sunday. Instead of us, a husband baptized his wife, Dads baptized their kids, a brother baptized his sister, and a friend baptized a friend. Seeing those Dads walk into the lake with their kids was really something special. As I said on Sunday, John the Baptist had never been ordained or gone to Seminary and he baptized Jesus. Obviously Donny and I are not the only ones qualified.

- I was reminded that it's never too late. One man came to see his adult daughter be baptized, and as we were talking before everyone arrived he told Donny that he needed to be baptized. He accepted Jesus in 1965 but never followed His example by being baptized. He decided that he could not wait any longer, so he took off his shoes and socks and waded into Lake Lyman in his street clothes. Kinda reminds me of this verse in Acts.

- Doing baptism at a public lake is a great way for people to see what Freedom is all about. Several people noticed that as we were baptizing, a boat with four guys in it stopped and watched. We don't who they were, but they saw an example of the church doing what Jesus commanded.

Thanks to Kathy Hannah for the great picture of Jason Trusty baptizing his daughter Leah. I hope you don't mind that I stole that shot off of your facebook page Kathy!

God continues to do some great things at Freedom! I believe that it is only the beginning of what He has in store for us.

Come on in boys the water is fine

Normally on Friday I have a list of things that I want you to know about, but this week the list has only one item on it: Baptism. This Sunday at 5:00 we will celebrate the fact that Jesus has changed the lives of 14 people by baptizing them. I tell people all the time that this is the most important thing we do as a church. The reason why is found in this scripture. Jesus commanded us to do it, that makes it top priority. Baptism is not what forgives us of sin, only Jesus' sacrifice on the cross does that, but it is the way He commanded us to let people know we have been forgiven.

Here are some of the details you need to know to be ready this Sunday afternoon:

- Start time is 5:00.

- You need to bring a lawn chair, and an appetite. Because we believe this should be a party, we will have Bucky's BBQ for everyone to eat afterwards.

- Baptism will take place at Lake Lyman Lodge. If you want to google it for directions, the address is: 100 Lyman Lodge Rd., Lyman, SC

- We believe the proper way to respond to baptism is excitement and joy, therefor not only do we not mind if you clap and yell when someone is baptized, we encourage it. It makes no sense for us to celebrate more at a football game, which has no eternal consequences, than we do at a baptism.

The number of people being baptized is not set in stone. If you are interested in talking to someone about being baptized let me or Donny know on Sunday morning and we will get you all the information you need. Don't miss the celebration! I look forward to seeing you there.

Summer Camp Memories

On Monday of this week I had the chance to drive a van full of boys up to Sunset, SC and drop them off at Camp McCall. When I was a kid I always loved spending a week away from home at summer camp. Camp McCall, Camp York and Camp Harmony were three that I went either as a child or teenager with my church. Here are some fun memories I have from those times:

- One year at Camp York there was a kid in my cabin who was crying at night before bed. When I asked our counselor what was wrong, he told me that the kid was homesick. I can vividly remember thinking to myself, "What's wrong with that kid?". Here we were sleeping in bunk beds with all of our buddies, we got to swim in a lake everyday, shoot bow and arrows and cool stuff like that, and this kid would rather be at home? For me it just didn't compute.

- Camp was the first place that I ever had any part in a worship service. Once again it was at Camp York and our pastor Lonnie Shull asked if I would say the opening prayer. I remember being so nervous when I walked up to the microphone that my hands were shaking.

- We had a kid in our cabin one year who would run back from the showers to the cabin in the nude. My friend Andy called him "the running butt", because that was what we saw as he passed by us. We thought he was crazy, but looking back it wasn't that bad because there were no girls in that section of the camp. That experience just prepared me for living in Quad 2 at Charleston Southern years later.

- I always loved camp fire time at every camp I went to. There was something cool about everyone sitting in a circle around a huge fire and singing cheesy old praise songs like "Pass It On".

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite camp memories. Don't be shy, leave a comment!

Start today

This past weekend Tom Watson was 8 feet away from the impossible. On Sunday, Watson missed an 8 foot putt that if it had gone in would have secured his sixth British Open championship and his ninth major championship overall. What made all of this seem impossible is that Watson is 59 years old. In fact, he will be 60 in just a few weeks. It would have been an amazing story if the putt had gone in, but even though it did not the fact that he led the tournament all the way until the final hole is a major accomplishment.

As I watched Watson on the final four holes on Saturday, and then on the final three holes on Sunday I thought about what I will be able to do at age 60. What is certain is that I will not be able to compete for a golf championship of any kind at that age. The reason why has nothing to do with health. Who knows, I may be in fantastic shape at that age. The reason why is because I don't play golf now. Tom Watson's ability to compete at age 59 is the result of years and years of playing competitive golf, practicing his swing, and staying in shape. He didn't wake up at age 59 with the ability to drive, chip and putt.

If I want to be in great shape at age 60 the time to begin work on that is now. If I want to play an instrument, excel in a sport, learn a language, know the bible, have the respect of my kids at age 45, 50, or 60 the hard work that is required must begin today. Christian theologian and author Eugene Peterson called following Jesus, "a long obedience in the same direction". I can't expect to know who Jesus is and how He wants to change me overnight, but if I want to be closer to Him at age 60 than I am at age 40 then the journey begins now.