Standing on stage at Bar Church ... yep it's Church in a Bar ... playing guitar ... as the "Unprofessional Christian" ... is the exact same thing I was doing on a Sunday 34 years ago.
Then ... I was asked to go a church in the inner city of Louisville, Kentucky because there was no one to play the piano or organ ... so I went ... and it changed my life.
I was enrolled in Seminary but only to figure some things out about God.
There were no intentions whatsoever to become a Minister.
Ministers are crazy people!
Yet there I was ... standing in the Pulpit with a guitar slung over my shoulder, singing "I Saw the Light."
The tiny congregation consisting of five little old ladies ... a few homeless people getting out of the cold for a while ... and thirty guys in jail who came for the service accompanied by two officers with rifles ... asked me to come back.
So I did ... becoming a regular with ... the music.
One Sunday, the Crazy ass Minister resigned and after the service the little old ladies asked if I'd take over for him.
It was the last thing I wanted to do ... I was meant to a Rock Star ... not a member of the Clergy!
But I couldn't tell them "No."
That Church went on to do many great things but was eventually kicked out by the Southern Baptist Convention for breaking too many Commandments ... like ordaining women ... taking care of people with AIDS ...turning unused Sunday School rooms into apartments for the homeless.
I was called to Baptist Corporate Headquarters in Nashville to explain these things.
"Where does it say a penis is mandatory equipment to be a Minister?" I asked ... starting with broken Commandment #1.
The conversation went downhill from there ... quickly followed by my career as a "Professional Christian."
I left organized religion but continued advocating for women, taking care of people with AIDS, housing the homeless ... somehow staying in trouble through it all.
Like all things, it eventually came to an end and I bounced around doing various things ... International Street Medicine ... social media content development ... consulting ... but most importantly being found by the love of my life.
These days, I find myself in front of a tiny congregation with a guitar slung over my shoulder ... there's food for the hungry ... fellowship for the lonely ... a place to be warm when there's no place to go.
It's Deja vu all over again.
What ensued the first time was one Hell of a ride and lots of people being better off!
"This all feels very familiar," I say to myself as Sarah makes announcements.
I've got this feeling ... a Hell of a ride is starting slow but ... I know better.
I've been here before.
All Hell's getting ready to break loose of lots of people's lives.
