Mission
From the time I was a young teen there was something in my head that told me to “go into all the world” and get people “saved.” Only those who were raised an American Protestant, an evangelical, and a Baptist will fully understand what I mean. I did not move along the path smoothly. No, I had fits and spurts, periods of intense belief and action with periods of being a “backslider.”
I was baptized when I was nine after my parents asked me the absurd question of whether or not I believed Jesus was my savior. Duh. That was drilled into my head already. But it wasn’t until I became a teen and later in life that I really did a few things “for Christ.”
During the Jesus Movement days, I was very active. It was hip to be Christian. I had ups and downs while in the Air Force. Then a stupid request to leave I’d made in November of 1995 got me a discharge in March of 1996. I really jumped into things with both feet. I established a coffee house to “reach the lost.” I got canned. (See the article The Friendship House below) After I got married I gave that a second shake. That didn’t turn out so well either.
In 1981 my wife and I moved to Crane, Texas (Texas desert!) so I could be a program director at a Christian station. I was finally working full time in a ministry. How Exciting! But then, alas, the station sold out and I lost that job.
We moved back to East Texas. I went to college. We moved to Corpus Christi, where we became very active in a little Assemblies of God church, doing all kinds of “ministry” things for a few years. Eventually it blew up in my face again. Boom.
I sort’of put the “calling” off a bit after that. But of course I was not through. My wife and I became foster parents and I jumped in trying to build a group foster home and for some odd reason thought the Christians in town would give a shit. But nope. They didn’t. After that I soured on the whole idea and chucked it all out the window. This section is about my convoluted drive to “save the world” and where it ultimately led me.
The Friendship House
In 1976, after returning home from the Air Force, I lived with a group of folks called The Agape Force in an old house. I later got my own place. I got married. My first effort at fulfilling my mission, opening a Coffee House for kids went south. Nevertheless I still had the itch to do something. When I discovered the old Agape Force house was vacant I made a deal with its owner to fix it up for rent so we could use it as a ministry. My wife and I took up an upstairs room and a friend moved into the apartment attached on the south side. That’s how it all began.
Nothing like never having your prayers answered!
John Lennon… “imagine no religion.” It’s easy if you try.
A whole lot more coming soon!