I often wonder what’s the best way to describe the feeling I have. I’ve experienced it often, but never in such a finite moment as today. This morning’s worship experience was full of wonder. At our 10:15 service, Dan Allerman, one of the college students who grew up in the congregation, came home and surprised his family by being baptized. None of them knew he was going to do it and it was a wonderful surprise for the entire congregation. I’m pretty sure there were only a couple of eyes that weren’t clouding over and I’m almost positive everyone’s face was beaming. Sarah Wright, another of their college students, came back and declared that she was exploring her calling into ministry. It was an exciting day. After the service I got to drive home and see my family again. I still have some computers to fix this trip, but the rest of it is sure to be full of relaxation and a break.

Today is a sad day. The Subway stamps are ending. The program which has been going on since before I was in middle school is ending. What’s even sadder is that, had my dad not told me, I probably wouldn’t have realized it. When he told me, I was planning on having Chinese food for lunch at the Keokuk Hy-Vee (grocery chain). After hearing the news I decided that Subway was definitely where I was going.

It was funny when talking with my mom about it. I asked her why they’d discontinue the program and she’d heard that people were selling stamps online and the company was losing money. I had the perfect solution to their problem, but then again, so did they (or at least a part of them did). Two summers ago when I worked in Seattle I was part of a new program that the Subways in Oregon and Washington were starting. The stores in those states had created a system where customers had the cashier swipe a magnetically striped card that automatically recorded the amount of money spent. For so many dollars spent, the customers could then use their card as payment to get so many sandwiches free. It was a digital system to the one they just discontinued; it was great.

The problem for me came when I moved back to Texas or when I was traveling through Iowa. Every time I tried to use my new card (most of the time just to see how they reacted), I would get a classic response: “What’s that?” “It’s my Subway card.” “What? That’s not real!” “Sure it is, don’t you see the Subway logo on it and the website?” “Yeah, but I’ve never even heard of one of those.” When I explained to them what it was and how it was used, they would usually say “well, that makes sense, but I still don’t think it’s real.” Would I be someone to make something like that up? Would anyone have the time to create fake magnetically sealed knock-off sophisticated Subway cards?

I had a similar experience in high school. It was right after the Sacajawea dollar coins came out. I was up in Webster City at a show choir contest and was getting something at the concession stand. When I tried to pay using one, the man sitting at the cash box said, “What are you trying to do with that?” “Pay,” I replied. “We don’t accept those coins here.” “You don’t accept dollars?” “That’s not a dollar.” I handed it to him and waited for him to look and see all of the government’s markings. “We still don’t accept those here.” At that point I was past arguing and found a dollar bill in my pocket and handed it to him.

What is it with people that make them think that if they don’t know about it, then it must not be real? Is reality determined by a universal lack of ignorance? I’m finding so many things in life where people don’t know and assume that because they don’t, it isn’t. Thankfully that’s what internships are about for me. Just because I don’t know of something going on in the church’s life doesn’t mean that it’s not or that it shouldn’t. So much is happening at Keokuk beyond the church’s walls. Industries and labor are changing. Relationships are changing. People’s lives are changing. Just because they are doesn’t mean that me not knowing about them and preparing to deal with them are making them any less real.

I took another day off of work (yeah, I know, kind of atypical for me). I drove out of Keokuk at 12:20 and headed for Des Moines to watch my brother’s soccer game. His team advanced in the first round of the cup (I think the Lamar Hunt US Soccer Cup, but don’t quote me on that) at the last game that I wrote about. Before I get to the results, I had a funny experience on the way up to Des Moines.

I was driving through Mt. Pleasant and called my Dad and had him check on Thai Restaurants any place along the way (even if the closest one ended up being in Des Moines). He called me just as I was leaving and said that Fairfield (20 minutes ahead of me) had one. After he gave me the number, I called it and got a funny response. “Hello, can I do a to-go order?” “Sure, not a problem.” “Great, can I get an order of Pad Thai?” “Sure, what kind?” “Umm, how about chicken.” “Chicken Pad Thai?” “Yes, can that be ready in 20 minutes?” “Ummm, I don’t think I understand the order, let me hand you to someone else.” “OK.”

So I repeat the order with the next person and she tells me that they don’t have a dish called Pad Thai (any flavor — I asked about them all). She passes me off to another person who says that they have it, but it’ll take 25 minutes to make. Not a problem. I told them OK and said I’d be there in 20 and would wait. When I ended up getting to the place the man at the cash register said no one had called in during the last half-hour. He asked if I’d dialed the right number and I told him the one I had and he said that was the one for the restaurant. I ended up deciding that I was so hungry that I didn’t care and so I placed the order and waited.

10 minutes later I was driving out of Fairfield with an extremely hot container of Pad Thai. It was so hot I couldn’t hold it between my legs as I drove; I ended up putting it on the passenger seat. Before I made it out of Fairfield I realized I’d need a drink. McDonald’s drive-thrus are great for that; Diet Coke’s never been better. Not only was the Pad Thai temperature-hot, but it was spicy! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love hot, spicy Thai food. This stuff was great because I was sweating just from eating it. I had my car at 73 degrees and I was sweating — a new wave coming each time I licked my lips. There’s just one way to describe it: “En Fuego”.

So my brother’s game was quite a thriller as well.

The Menace scored two goals at the beginning of the game (pretty rare for soccer). It was fun until mid-way into the second half where their opponents, the Charleston Batteries, scored two goals to tie it up. With fifteen minutes left, the Menace attacked again. One of the players kicked a ball high near the goal and one of the others went up and headed it in — let’s just say “sweetness.” Immediately the 1400 who were there were on their feet screaming. Luke then went in and defended against their really tall forward, trying to prevent him from getting the ball and tying the game up. He hadn’t started the game, although he normally does. Last weekend he played in the regional competitions (his club team one their state tournament earlier in the year) where he played 5 games in 6 days.

It was fun to see him play again. His next game in the cup is in two weeks when the team flies down to Atlanta to play. He has games between now and then, but the next one will be fun. The Menace have gone further than they ever have before, so it’ll be fun to see if they can keep it up. I’m hoping they’re still “En Fuego.” (OK, I realize that was kind of cheesy, but oh well — it was worth it!) 😉

OK, one question? When will my next moment in ministry be on fire?

OK, I’ll admit: when I first read through the curriculum for the Community Bible Study (CBS) at the prison in Ft. Madison, I was skeptical. The curriculum made a lot of assumptions without addressing some of the theological background issues. This section is on the resurrection and it seemed to ignore the historical issues surrounding docetism and other sects of Christianity. Granted, it would be incredibly difficult for people who hadn’t read some of the historical analyses or authors’ actual works to teach or even participate in a bible study that acknowledged them. Nevertheless, when I was reading the CBS curriculum, I thought it was simplistic and would help only certain types of Christians — those who need there to be only one right answer.

I went into tonight with a lot of unknowns. Tom and Larry (his co-leader from the E-free church) had told me on the ride up about the procedure once we get there. I had somewhat of an idea of what to expect, but there were still a lot of uncertainties. Would the guards be mean? Would the prisoners even pay attention? What kind of leaders would Tom and Larry be?

When I got there tonight, I was astounded. First off, all of the prisoners gave us hugs when they came into the room and we all sat around, had a prayer session, and then sang some songs. And can they sing! Some of them made these harmonies on top of the songs that sounded phenomenal. Anyway, the prisoners (and really anyone who participates in a CBS group) gets a commentary sheet to read on the chapter and then a couple pages of questions — it’s more homework for each chapter than even Dr. Grant assigned.

When we started going through the questions, Larry would ask the questions and the guys would come up with so many different answers. It was great. Larry and Tom kept encouraging them to share. When we go to the second prison and were meeting with the leadership team, Tom made sure to point out that many answers were encouraged and the Holy Spirit impacts each reader differently. No kidding! It didn’t only impact each reader, but each hearer tonight.

It was great to watch the leadership team work in the second prison. The first one was a medium-security prison while the second was a maximum-security. One of the guys who led the discussion by asking questions was named Jesse. Tom and Larry shared that he’s doing hospice work as a prisoner; I can see why — he’s so pastoral! His mannerisms and the voice inflection he used to ask questions were perfect for getting the guys to share. He’d call on them when needed, but often times he’d just wait and they’d all contribute. The curriculum worked wonderfully and there was more diversity there than I see on many campus ministry settings. In the end, Tom closed us with a lecture (sermon with notes). He did a wonderful job in sharing different ways that we react to the resurrection and how much we accept it. What surprised me, coming from what I’d gathered in previous conversations with him, was that he defended doubt as a viable option but still encouraged those who doubted to keep asking the questions and to keep searching. He described it as natural! He’s a natural. What an exhausting day and night — it sure was a great note to end it on, however.

Move into the Seiberts’ house? Check
Move and rearrange Cathie’s Office with her? ToDo
Move all of this week’s campers up to Newton? Check
Study the lesson for the Prison Ministry visit tomorrow night? ToDo
Dream about Italy and start planning some of that? Check and ToDo

It never ceases to amaze me how organized I need things to be some times. When most people looked at my room in my apartment they probably never would have thought that I was a stickler for organization. Things need to have order though. It’s something I always want, but rarely can ever completely have. I always have to be expecting possibilities that exist ahead of me and be ready to use flexibility and never get phased by some of life’s curve-balls.

Ministry is one of those things this summer that college has prepared me well for; a communion or offertory meditation – they could be thrown on me at the last minute and I’d still be fine – I’m always coming up with new ones as I go through life. Sermons, on the other hand, are something that I could probably never do at the spur-of-the-moment. One of the challenges for me is figuring out how much order I need around me in order to thrive. I know it’s kind of self-centered, but this summer is a time where I need to figure it out before I become too attached and set on my vocational path and my choice on a future school.