Day 2: Worship, Jokes and Christmas Songs

It was a record setting mild day here in Nashville, warm enough to get out and exercise in shirtsleeves. Skip the fitness center; the Opryland hotel outer grounds and the complex give you plenty of tread for a good walking workout.

The morning worship portion of Senior Trip had lots of the most effective tools of ministry used by Mark and his on-stage guests: music and humor. Woody Wright put both of those to use to start off, with his opening number "So Glad God Is Looking At My Heart" (and as he quickly ad libbed, not listening to his track as it malfunctioned toward the end of the number). He quipped about writing songs for country artists that the artists never heard, then smoothly transitioned us to thinking about God's grace for all of us ("one size fits all, but individually").

Though Mark tried to get us closer to him by asking us to move our chairs up, that was short-lived due to fire code regulations. He did encourage us to get closer to each other over these few days and more importantly, get real with ourselves and closer to Jesus. After that came a beautiful rendition of "God Doesn't Know".

Barbara Fairchild did sing to us, but she came here this morning mainly to talk. And talk she did, bringing us a powerful message about really allowing God to use us. Using her own personal experience as a teen, she stressed that we need to let out the pain and hurts of the past before we can really begin to heal. At that point, Jesus can step in and work a miracle, making up anything we lack and helping us to heal. Barbara told a moving story about reaching out to a young woman who was closed emotionally and eventually getting through to her heart by being like Jesus to her.

A time to reflect...and a time to laugh. Next came "Joke-e-Oke" where audience members came up and told their favorite jokes. There was a wide range of types and topics; pet jokes, fishing jokes, sports jokes and of course, Sunday school and church jokes. Two of my favorites: The two sisters who went to the post office to buy stamps and were asked what denominations they wanted. This threw them for a loop, so they requested a few Methodist, Baptist, etc. The other was a woman who survived vocal cord cancer and joked about the driver who "drives like lightning--hits trees."

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This evening's Christmas concert highlights brought us wonderful sets by Janet Paschal and Joy Gardner, pristine singing from LordSong, music and humor from Woody Wright and Barbara Fairchild. Mark sang incredibly on "The Christmas Song" (oh, no, Mark--thank YOU!) and of course, "Mary Did You Know". But the clear hit of the evening was the Voices of Lee. These amazing young singers are led by Danny Murray, who has lots of personality, spirit and passion for the music. I could imagine these kids giving him 110% each time they sing or learn a song. And in the middle of their second set, God showed up big time and we went with the flow.

One main theme that Mark spoke of was despite the interruptions or whatever we are going through, God is up to something, it is eternal and for our good.