Beach Bums for Christ (Bar Church)

This morning Samuel Adams, who plays damn good live music with Gordon, showed up for the morning meeting of Counter Intelligence at the Breakfast Club. In addition to being a great musician, the coolest looking dude on the island, the owner of a golf cart partially pulled by his dog ... Sam is also the mastermind behind Bar Church.

Whenever I need a dose of organized religion, I go to Bar Church . Which is exactly what is says ... church in a bar. Sam is Psalmist as he calls himself. So the band sets up, votive candles are everywhere, a screen is set up which flashes the words of songs so everybody can sing if they want and "wallah" Church is born in a bar.

Sure some people bring Bloody Mary's or Screwdrivers ... an occasional tall one in a brown paper bag ... but most members of the congregation stumble in from wherever they were a few hours earlier. A surprising number of children are present. There is usually also breakfast in the back and coffee and orange juice in the front. It's as laid back as church can possibly be.

It's not especially organized religion though it does have rhyme and reason. A lot of praising goes on. Hallelujah type songs which I'm not especially big on. (The theology is often terrible in them ... "My husband beats me up, I'm pregnant with an unwanted child and I don't have health insurance but Jesus loves so its all alight!" Hallelujah!") but most folks seem to really enjoy these songs. They clap and dance and sing along.

I suppose that some of the dancing people are Baptists in recovery.

There is a lot of encouragement too. "My life is as screwed up as yours" is a constant message "but we can love each other through it and God loves us anyway ... so screw it!"

Now this is good theology!

And there testimonials. My favorite is from my dear friend Dave who the Lord led to stand up one day and describe how he fell down and laid there for a while unable to get up until some military guys came by and tried to help him and he said "Whoa fellas, let's make sure everything is working first."

Then he concluded by saying, "The Lord is sending me message but I haven't figured out what it is yet. But when I do ... I'll let you know."

And everybody clapped because everybody loves Dave and love is really what church is all about anyway. Not all of that other stuff.

So Sam shows up at the Breakfast Club this morning for counter intelligence and to have a long conversation with me about ... minister stuff. People who need this or that. How to sustain Bar Church with no money (most of the people who come don't have much). What the Lord has laid on Sam's heart and how to turn it into a practical reality. His concerns about certain people and what to do to help them.

So I sat there in my "Hike Naked" tee shirt and he sat there with his long hair and surfer clothes and we looked like ... beach bums having coffee. We shared the same spoon as you would expect ministers to do.

When he finished asking me stuff, Sam's eyes grow large behind his glasses and with great enthusiasm he asks, "What can I do for you?"

I sip my coffee and think for a minute.

"There is this girl out," I explain. "Pray that we find each other soon."

"Hallelujah!" he says, hugging me and kissing me on the cheek.

I love Bar Church!