At the request of our dear Brother Larry Lestelle, I offer this:

Terry Gurno, former youth pastor at CMC and more recently a senior pastor, and then a car salesman, and now in real estate, presented a dynamic challenge to the brothers at the retreat. He based his sessions on Mark 8:23-25, about Jesus healing a blind man, but at first the man's vision was cloudy. Jesus touched him again until he could see clearly.

Terry inspired us to lead a life of purpose and passion, seeking a clear vision. He gave us a handout, which challenged us to write a mission statement. It also asked us to write our eulogy. How would we like to be remembered? What is our contribution to the community/family/world based on what gifts and talents God has given us?

Finally, we were challenged to consider and write down the next step.

Terry related many inspiring, personal stories of how he was able to help and minister, even though no longer a "full-time pastor."

I remembered to bring my planner, and I found a personal mission statement I had written in 1996, as follows:

"When people see me, talk to me, think of me, I want them to see Jesus Christ in me. When I interact with anyone, I want to see them from the perspective of the mind, hands and eyes of Christ. I want to use love, gentleness and well-chosen humor to shatter the barriers of fear, despair, loneliness and purposelessness and replace them with authentic joy, love and heart-peace."

Yikes! I have a clear vision that I have often failed here.

Then, this month, I received a copy of The Apologetics Study Bible, which I recommended on the website, www.roundtableministries.com - I am so very excited about this Bible, and I can hardly put it down. I read one of the articles therein that put me under conviction. It was titled, Can Religious Experience Show That There is a God? Thinking it would discourage experience in favor of the written Word, I was surprised to find that it encouraged testimonies of the experience of God in my life. That's the good news. The bad news is this: It said my reputation must be that of honesty and integrity. OK, no problem, I thought. But then it said, "But if I have a reputation for clowning around....then it would not be so reasonable for [folks] to accept my testimony." O me. The one thing people say most often to me is, "Dave, we never know whether you are serious or joking."

O My God, help me to keep the well-chosen humor but to have a clear vision of properly balancing lightheartedness with the profound, so that the precious souls I encounter will immediately discern the difference.

Dave Harris