It was THE question of the Jesus Movement. Marti used to ask it of at least one person she met at 30,000 feet on each one of her flights (she bid the short trips — five a day — so she could talk to more people). “Is there any reason you couldn’t ask the Lord into your heart right now while we’re 30,000 feet closer to heaven?” In three years no one turned her down.
Are you ready to meet the Lord?
In a recent interview with Noel Paul Stookey, he spoke of two divine interventions that shaped his life and career. The first introduced him to Jesus, the second provided direction for his songwriting and already well-earned public persona as a member of the iconic ‘60s folk group, Peter Paul & Mary. The second came by way of a couple who met him after a concert and said they had a word from the Lord for him. That’s pretty direct from the mouth of God, but the message was an unexpected one. The message was simply, “Don’t use my name.”
What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it’s true
I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain’t no disguising the truth
DC Talk
The “Jesus Freak” song, originally written and recorded by DC Talk in 1995 has revealed its genius by continuing to show up in the regular playlists of Christian rock stations around the country, but it may be more than that. Whenever I hear it in Chandler’s presence, I remind him that his dad was an original Jesus freak. That’s really what they used to call us, or probably more likely, what we called ourselves, for we were proud of it in 1970.
Some say He was an outlaw, that He roamed across the land
With a band of unschooled ruffians and a few old fishermen
No one knew just where he came from or exactly what he’d done
But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run
from “The Outlaw” by Larry Norman
Just look at the titles of a few of our Catches a couple years ago during the pandemic and look for a trend.
“Jesus is the answer”
“The truth about Jesus never gets old”
“It’s still all about Jesus”
“In the presence of the Lord”
“Jesus unscathed”
“Do you know Jesus?”
“Looking unto Jesus”
There is a bar in my town that in pre-COVID days was a celebrated biker hangout every Sunday afternoon. There was always a live band playing and rows of gleaming Harleys on either side of the street, with people inspecting them as if they were in a showroom.
The riders all would leave their helmets out with their bikes, and I’ve found the helmets to be a study all their own. The most popular look like they are from World War I — some with a spike and various kinds of rebel markings — and a few have little stickers that serve as a sort of biker bumper sticker. One I saw particularly caught my attention because it said, “JESUS LOVES YOU.”
I often like to write at my friendly local coffee bistro. It’s a cozy place and creates its own steady buzz which helps me concentrate. For some reason writing has always worked better for me in a public place like this. Maybe it’s just being surrounded by humanity that keeps things more real. I know it keeps me awake; that’s one of the main reason I go.
There’s one kid who works here who is convinced I am Steven Spielberg. I tell him that Steven Spielberg has hair, but he keeps calling me Steven anyway. (Actually with a baseball cap on and my current goatee, there is a slight resemblance.) So I humor him.
While on an errand in town today I noticed a number of American flags up and immediately wondered what the deal was. It took me about half minute until I finally realized it was September 11. Twenty-two years ago, and I had forgotten. The flags were there to remind us not to forget. I’m sure they didn’t forget what day it was in New York.
Unfortunately, Gideon did not finish well. It happens often after a great victory of faith. You forget that all your success was God’s doing, and assume some of it, if not all of it, as yours, and start to behave accordingly.
John Fischer The Catch 