An Adventure of a Lifetime

I’ve never been away from the church I was pastoring for as long as I just was just now: 3 Sundays…almost 4 weeks.  To me, that’s a WOW.

Kelly and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary, which actually falls on August 21st.  We left our 3 kids with Kelly’s parents in New Orleans.  Then, Kelly and I traveled from Paris to Milan to Florence to Cinque Terre to Naples to the Amalfi Coast to Rome to Sicily to Greece to Turkey back to Rome then Madrid and back home.  We backpacked all over the place in adventure like we’ve never had before.  We traveled by plane, train, foot (a lot of foot), and boat.  I didn’t touch a phone once.

Our experiences on the trip varied widely.  We packed super light with all of our possessions on our backs.  I took one pair of socks, two pairs of shorts, jeans, and three shirts.  We routinely washed our clothes in sinks.  Sometimes, we slept in hotels…some in hostels.  Once, we slept in a stairwell in Paris (or at least tried to sleep).  It was cold.  We ended up bundling up and watching episodes of The Closer on my iPod.

My favorite experiences were visiting the Areopogus/Mars Hill in Athens with the Acropolis in the backdrop (Acts 17:16-34), the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey (Acts 18:24-20:1, Ephesians, Revelation 2:1-7), and the Colloseum in Rome where early church father, St. Ignatius was martyred-eaten by lions (though to this day, the official line at the Colloseum in Italy was that he was guilty of treason against Rome).

During that time, I read a good bit (Outliers, an Edmund Burke bio, and 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World).  We played cards.  I never touched a phone.  I journaled a lot and had plenty of time to think without any demands placed on me by myself to share what I was thinking.  It was an adventure worthy of 10 years of marriage.  Kelly and I made memories on that trip we’ll never forget.  We’ll talk about how our plane was struck by lightning, how I almost passed out while hiking but was saved by a 70 year old German woman, and how much we griped over $7.50 cokes in Paris.

It was an adventure that a lot of pastors don’t feel free to have because their churches rely on them to do all the work.  So, getting away is hard to do.  I feel unbelievably blessed by a church that carries ministry with me as co-laborers instead of spectators sitting in bleachers.  Life Pointe Church is a family to me…incredibly loved and appreciated.  I don’t take you for granted.  You have enriched my life.  You’ve blessed my family with piles of love and arms of acceptance.  You allow me to be fully myself with no need for pretension.  How unusual a church community you are.

Well, Sunday, I walk through the doors at Life Pointe Church for the first time in a while…excited.  I’ll begin a series through the book of Joel called Devastation and Redemption.  I actually have butterflies.  Now, I’m wondering if the adventure of a lifetime wasn’t just the trip.  I think the adventure is my life- interrupted by another adventure.  Sometimes, I have to pinch myself and thank God for allowing me to live this life.

Things aren’t always easy.  We’ve faced some big challenges since we started.  We’ve also had some big wins.  In the time I’ve had to reflect, it isn’t primarily about the wins and losses.  It’s about the people who are with you as you win and lose.  There’s no doubt.  This is certainly the adventure of a lifetime.

PS. If you want to see more pictures of our trip, you can on my facebook account.  I’ve got a ton posted there.  Otherwise, I’ll see you this weekend.