Today Susy and I head to Long Island, where I spent the first 18 years of my life. Here is what I wrote in our newsletter this month about the trip.
Dear Friends,
I grew up in an ethnic sub-culture of mostly Jews and Italians in the suburbs of Long Island, about 30 miles east of New York City. The furthest thing from my mind was Christianity .. or Jesus ... or anything spiritual.
Three decades ago I left that life and never went back (except to visit my family). Until now. At the end of this month I am the keynote speaker at the Missions Weekend of Grace Gospel Church of Patchogue, NY. It feels strange even writing that!
It will be a busy weekend. On Saturday morning I teach a Bridges Seminar for 4 hours on reaching out to Muslims; that evening I will speak at a missions banquet, and the next day will preach on Matthew 22 (entitled "A Crazy Banquet and a BIG Kingdom").
God has quite a sense of humor in having me "go home" to teach and preach. Long Island is my roots - I know it all too well: secular, humanist, fearful of change, skeptical of faith. It is quite the exciting challenge!
Dear Friends,
I grew up in an ethnic sub-culture of mostly Jews and Italians in the suburbs of Long Island, about 30 miles east of New York City. The furthest thing from my mind was Christianity .. or Jesus ... or anything spiritual.
It will be a busy weekend. On Saturday morning I teach a Bridges Seminar for 4 hours on reaching out to Muslims; that evening I will speak at a missions banquet, and the next day will preach on Matthew 22 (entitled "A Crazy Banquet and a BIG Kingdom").
God has quite a sense of humor in having me "go home" to teach and preach. Long Island is my roots - I know it all too well: secular, humanist, fearful of change, skeptical of faith. It is quite the exciting challenge!
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