We left Mazomanie on Wednesday with the temperature at -2 degrees. We had packed up the camper with all our personal and medical gear and headed south. We drove all day long until we reached Kentucky (the outside temperature was still in a single digit!
After camping near the Ohio River we headed out. We drove all the second day to St Augustine, FL, where we sought a KOA campground to be sure we had some hot showers and electricity.
When we got to Hutchinson Beach on the east coast, we were joined by daughter Sumi and her husband, Scott and daughter, Taylor. Yumi also joined us as she was able to take a break in her cross-country travel to her new base in northern New York state. Then Sabine's brother, Rainer, and his wife also joined us. Thankfully, we had two units and could house everyone.
I forgot to take the download cord for my digital camera so I had to find a picture for you on the Internet.
On Sunday we attended a great church community that met in a tiki bar and had a breakfast buffet! I have a video that I will download next week. In the meantime, this is from an article in one of the local papers:
Archie's on Hutchinson Island serves casual church service at Sunday breakfast
BY TONYA MAY Correspondent
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
HUTCHINSON ISLAND — Picture a religious service where parishioners can arrive barefoot, munch on food and shout their favorite hymn requests to the pastor. And instead of being in the halls of a church, the service is in an island-style beach bar.
The Crossing Church has a weekly Sunday church service at Archie's Sea Breeze. Churchgoers — sometimes more than 100 each Sunday — from children to the elderly hear a Christian non- denominational service from Pastor Dave Sheil in an atmosphere so casual the pastor shows up in a tie-dyed shirt, and churchgoers hear a sermon over breakfast.
Jensen Beach resident Cheryl Ferrari attends church with several co-workers from the Martin County Property Appraiser's Office. Ferrari has been attending the church for about two years.
"This is such a great atmosphere where you can worship and meet all walks of life," Ferrari said. "My husband wouldn't go to church but attends here because of the 'no shirt, no shoes, and it's OK' policy."
The Crossing, which has services in three locations including Archie's, even has a Sunday school lesson. Children of all ages are given a hands-on craft to do and also learn a lesson in a back room.
The program began with Sheil. He wanted to start an outreach ministry that connected with what he called the "subculture" — people who don't attend traditional services or church at all.
Originally, he planned to do this at a trailer park, but hurricanes the past few years destroyed that preferred setting. So he contacted Archie's Sea Breeze. That was more than two years ago.
Sheil counsels at Safe Harbor for Men, an outpatient substance abuse group, has personal counseling sessions and owns his own custom sign business.
"I don't shove Jesus down anybody's throat. I will not beat people up with religion. They do not know how much I know until they know how much I care," Sheil said.
Now I don't know about you, but when we all attended this Sunday morning worship service at a seaside bar and grill, I had the distinct feeling that this was what church is all about --- I felt that this is the kind of place and faith Jesus talked about... In fact, I sensed he was here with us enjoying those scrambled eggs as much as he did the breaking of the bread...
Emerging faith... wake up... be prepared to be astounded by God!
Peace!
