Category: Bible Study Paths

Eliecer and Drisana Munoz currently live in Euless, Texas where they both pastor Heartland Hispana in Irving, TX.  Heartland Hispana is the Spanish Church from Heartland World Ministries Church, led by Pastors Steve and Jeri Hill.  Eliecer was born and raised in Miami, Florida with his family roots in Cuban. Drisana Munoz was born and raised in Chicago, IL; her roots are Puerto Rican. They both are bi-lingual and have a heart for the Latino Community. God called them both at a young age to ministry and both attended Bible college. While in Bible college, Eliecer and Drisana met and established a relationship. They have now been married for 9 years and have 2 wonderful children, Julissa,who is 7-years-old and Joshua, who is 2-years-old. Together as a family, they love the Lord and desire to serve Him more and more everyday; passionate about The Salvation of Souls!
BSP: How did this ministry come about?

D & E Munoz: We started to network with Spanish families in our home church, Heartland World Ministries, 6 years ago. Pastor Steve Hill and his wife, Jeri Hill, have a passion for the Latin community and so we, (Pastor Eli and Dee Munoz) started the Spanish Church as a mission of HWMC. Heartland Hispana is now a full-functioning church with different ministries for the entire family while preaching a non-compromising message of the Gospel as we reach out to souls.

BSP: What is the mission of your fellowship?
D & E Munoz: Our mission at Heartland Hispana is to be a lighthouse in the Metroplex with the following; Worship, Reach Out, Build Relationships, Train, Send.
BSP: What, if any, differences would we find within this fellowship vs. an English-speaking, stereotypical church?
D & E Munoz: One of the great aspects of Heartland Hispana is the diversity in culture. It is awesome to worship the same God surrounded by men and women from different Latin American countries. We all speak the same language, which is Spanish, but we all have different cultural backgrounds.
BSP: What is the vision that God has given to you, as pastors, for this fellowship?
D & E Munoz: Our vision and desire is to see God’s love , power and glory be manifested in the hearts of our people, in such a way that they will rise up to experience all that God has for them.

When at last the tires were turning, this author was enjoying a retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. If memory serves, the rushing sound of Dog Creek was drowning out the clicking of these keys as I hurried to meet my deadline last month. Deadline met, that day unfolded beautifully. It began with the best cup of decaf coffee I have ever had at Poppies Market in Brevard, NC. Make sure you get a muffin, any muffin, to go along with that cup o’ joe–in 3 days, I tried 3 different ones and had no complaints about any of them! What a cool store, with everything you need to stock a picnic basket or a cabin–Poppies is a delightful and appealing place.
Whether you take it into or out of the area, make sure that you travel part of your mountain trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s not a true mountain trip unless you travel the tops of those mountains that could be considered robbers in that they steal your gaze as they just quietly demand attention as you drive along. Breath-taking, majestic, and a wonder to behold if you take the time to look, really look, at them. Flowers, rocks, trees–living things that feed back into you what life can sometimes strip away. The drive itself was a vacation!

Now, let me take you with me into Cherokee, NC. Funny, when I was planning my little getaway, two friends reacted quite surprised that I would want to spend much time there. Cherokee, NC is a town where the majority of residents belong to the Cherokee Nation. My friends’ dismay came from a good place, as they both love their Native American brothers.

I had been there years ago and knew instinctively why they were wondering about my decision. I had seen and taken part in some of the Native American “culture” in the little mountain town that sits on the “boundary” along the Cherokee Nation’s land. Brightly dressed and feather-adorned local residents had lined the streets, performing dances under large tipi’s and singing and playing drums for the tourists who were crowding the small streets for a look at what they deemed to be “native culture.” Other tourists crowded into all the small stores and restaurants whose supply of t-shirts and continuous store fronts seemed to never end. A carnival atmosphere seemed to invade every nook and cranny. Slow moving cars and multitudes of pedestrians added a certain amount of sensationalism to the entire picture. It was definitely not an experience that I look back upon with any type of appreciation, except for what it afforded me on this most recent trip.
Unless you are a Native American reading this story, you and I will never

understand what it feels like to be told that you can only live in a certain geographic area, or that you must leave land that was yours for generations without any compensation. For the purposes of these articles, the entire history of this great people will not be debated here; however, some facts will come out through the process of exploring the area. It must be said that the Cherokee Nation and other Native American peoples were forced by our “white” ancestors to leave a land that had been inhabited by the “red” man for generations before white men ever thought of looking for this country. It must also be said that our “white” ancestors initiated a chain of events of which the Native American people are still trying to recover. In order to fully experience the true culture and magnitude of a people or a particular area, you must be willing to accept the truth that is housed in both the people and the area. Only then can you be used as a change agent while you are on such a trip as this.
Wherever we go, if our hearts are where they should be, we will always be shown what is grievous to Someone Else. While we, ourselves, cannot go back into time and right was wrong, we can work in this time through acts of prayer and compassion to undo what was done in the place that it matters the most–in the spirit. A hug, a smile, and welcoming word can go a long way to bridge a gap between races that still exists due to the choices and decisions of our ancestors. There are still opportunities to build rewarding relationships with people of all races, when we are seeking to do so.
If you ever decide to go to Cherokee, NC or any other boundary for that matter, do yourself a favor: skip the tourist shops when possible. You know the ones: t-shirts, candy, toys, and items that you saw in the last town you were in–only they had a different name stamped on it. Take a real walk through the culture and history of a people and their place in American history by seeking out authentic establishments. In these businesses, you will find real people who are seeking to live a real life doing what they do best—not exploit the heritage that is theirs. You might even make a new friend or have a conversation that will turn into a memory that no gaudily stamped coaster or key chain can be compared. There are plenty of places to do that in Cherokee.
The first place that you might want to visit is Talking Leaves Bookstore. The name, Talking Leaves, is what the Indians called the papers that Americans wrote on. They said that the “leaves” spoke. And, in many ways, good and bad, they did–through the words that were written on them. The Native Americans had never seen writing, in fact, their own syllabary was created by Sequoyah in the early 1800’s and not adopted by the Cherokees until 1821. Inside of this establishment, the written words on “leaves” still speak. The pages here tell the secrets, spiritual beliefs, and practices of Native Americans, as well as the happy times and sad events in their history. In addition, one can find publications about historical figures, outlaws, and many other highly esteemed men and women who have made a difference in the lineage of all Native Americans. The Native Americans’ colorful past as well their hopes for the future are both topics that are well stocked in this great little store. Taking the time to read about what one will see in this little town can transform the perspective on the Cherokee experience.

If you are more of a casual learner, plan on attending a performance of Unto These Hills. This play, written in 1952, is the nation’s second longest-running outdoor drama and is performed nightly at the beautiful Mountainside Theater. The history of the Cherokees is played out by local residents and is an eye-opening, yet entertaining, history lesson. While watching the descendants of those whom the story is really about, it is difficult not to realize how intimately the races are connected. The truth delivered in this play is sobering and educational, yes, but packaged in fresh air, stars, and drama, it’s more touching than any account in any history book you’ll ever read.
Before the show, be sure to enjoy dinner at Paul’s Family Restaurant.

Don’t worry, a seat on the deck near the little stream with its rushing water will drown out the traffic on the main drag–trust me on this. The waitress was right: the flatbread tacos were awesome! And for dessert, give yourself permission to enter at least one tourist shop like the Cherokee Fudge & More. It’s just across the street from the parking lot for the shuttle to the play. I don’t know about the “More” but, the “Fudge” will melt in your mouth.
The Native American people are such a wondrous group. They have weathered many storms and managed to retain a remnant of their heritage in today’s modern world. They are actively seeking to maintain their culture and traditions that have supported their walk. I’m sure that their belief in the Great Spirit has something to do with their resiliency in our society and in their every day lives–and after all, isn’t that where the rubber hits the road?       — Iris Lloyd, feature writer
Note: Paul’s Family Restaurant, 1111 Tsali Boulevard, Cherokee, NC

Once or twice in a life time an opportunity comes along to say, “Yes” and a job merges with something that has been a life-long love. I am beginning a season like that. I am humbled that God would give me such a gift.
God has gifted each of us for service in His Kingdom. He did not pick out gifts haphazardly. He did not ‘match up’ gifts and child randomly. He has a plan. He has a purpose for our lives.
Peter was the leader in the family fishing business. In order for the family to survive, Peter must have had physical strength and tenacity to do whatever needed to be done. He would have fished in roasting heat and in frigid rain. He fished all night despite no return on his time and effort (John 21). Peter had gifts that gave him the ability to run a business and lead a family. That was the beginning of his service in God’s Kingdom. Peter was faithful in the ‘small thing’ of his family and so God gave him more as a leader in the Church. Was he perfect? Had Peter taken leadership classes and gained certificates and diplomas of achievement prior to his appointment by Jesus? Uh, no. In fact, Peter probably would not have been recommended for ordination or approved by the nominating committee to be in leadership in most churches. He did not support the status quo.
Mary Magdalene would not be beaten down or humiliated into keeping quiet. The assurance of Jesus’ forgiveness meant more than any approval from others. She was fearless to serve in spite of opposition. Her reputation was meaningless to her.
Paul had it all. (Read 2 Corinthians 11) He had a plan on a path for his life. Jesus knocked Paul off that plan. I do not think it is any surprise that Paul’s letters include testimonies about how he wanted to go visit a church there and God said, “No” and sent him here instead. Paul thought he would evangelize the Jews and God sent him to the Gentiles.
God will frequently mess up my plans. When He takes me from an area in which I believe myself to be strong and places me ‘out of my comfort zone’ so that I feel weak, then He is the only one who gets credit for the success. In my weakness, I rely on God to bring me through and direct my path. That is where God wants me to kneel so that He can lift me up to stand firm in Him.
God has gifted us to build His Kingdom. To not use His gifts for what He intended is, at best, a miss on the blessings and, at worse, disobedience. Will I worship (Romans 12) my LORD and Savior in my answer to His call? Or will I say, “No.”

BSP: Soup Kitchen for the Soul begins as your testimony about how you found a closer relationship with God when you served at a local soup kitchen. What did you do at the soup kitchen?
RC: It began with my husband and me standing behind the glass serving partition and just spooning out food. My son, then 6-years-old, was standing at the front of the serving line greeting each person. We dropped in over the next two weeks and helped out.
BSP: How long had you been helping at the kitchen before you ‘got it’?
RC: It was almost 9 months. I remember standing at a work table, de-boning a turkey, listening to a woman tell her story. She had left home at 13 and was homeless for the next eight years. “Then I hit rock bottom,” she said. I thought, “What?!! Then you hit rock bottom?” She said she got involved in drugs and that is when she had no where to go but to God. Even though my life had been different than hers, I, too, had come to God when I “ had no where to go but to God”. I finally ‘got it’ that we all come to God the same – with nothing to offer Him in and of ourselves.
BSP: What is Christian Pep Rally?
RC: Christian Pep Rally, Inc. (CPR) is a non-profit ministry focused on encouraging Christian passion. We organize regional Christian conferences to show the world we are united, excited people for Christ! Through our regional all-denominational conference events we desire to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to bring Christians and seekers together to worship, and inspire and motivate Christians to live a life aligned with Godly vision and focus.
At our events we also raise money for local charities and collect items for the communities. We do not want it to be just an event but the jump start of an initial community outreach or the encouragement for greater ongoing outreach of Christ’s love.
BSP: How did Christian Pep Rally come about?
RC: God gave me a vision to motivate the laity in a venue separate from inside the Church. That was in September 2009. We have had several regional conferences since then. Now after prayerful consideration, our Board of Directors has expanded our outreach to respond, not just in major conferences, but to say, “We will come to your church and share with 10 people or 50 people!” We want to ask the question, “Who is your coach?” It is not your pastor. He is the assistant coach. Jesus is the coach. He is the One who has the plays and brings us on to victory.
BSP: You and your family will soon be moving to Colorado. What is next for you there?
RC: Revival is next. It has been hard for me to see the end of this ‘season’ in Florida but God has faithfully given me a look into what can be if I am willing ‘to go’. I am praying that I stay ‘hungry’ and can pass that hunger on to others.

Each month we will pose a question to our featured ‘professor’. We welcome questions from our readers. Send in your questions!

Featured Teacher: Henry Neufeld, BA and MA degrees in Biblical Languages, owner and editor of Energion Publications, written or co-authored ten books, including What’s in a Version?, When People Speak for God, Participatory Study Guide Series: Hebrews and Revelation.
We often say we would like to be a part of an Acts 2 church. With your Biblical languages background would you look at Acts 2 and give us some of the points that would honestly describe an Acts 2 church?
There are a few passages in the Bible that are paradigmatic for the church. In terms of the nature of the church, I would cite Acts 2 (or perhaps 2-5), 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Revelation 1-3 (the letters to the seven churches). The Sermon on the Mount provides the key outline of what the Christian life is to be about.
I don’t mean to suggest that these passages can be read in isolation, but rather that understanding them in their context will provide us with the paradigm for what a Christian is to be, and, in turn, what the church is to be.
While my Biblical languages background helps me in understanding the Bible—that’s why I took that particular course of study—in such chapters, the main outlines are generally very clear in almost any English translation. Too frequently, I believe, we dive into such chapters in order to settle more minor points, while we miss the major outline.
For example, I recall going to Acts 2 along with various other passages in Acts in order to discover just what the gift of tongues was to be, and comparing this to 1 Corinthians 14. The problem is that reading 1 Corinthians 14 without also reading 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, or with just that one question in mind, often leads one to miss the actual emphasis of the passage. Similarly, reading Acts 2 looking for the nature and application of the gift of tongues often means we miss the fact that this was kind of the starting gun for the concept of world missions, something that would become clear if we continued to read the book of Acts.
Acts 2 is a very good place, however, to ask just what the most basic nature of the church is to be. It describes the birth of the church. In a very real sense we can think of the church as in gestation through the ministry of Jesus. With Acts 2 it becomes the church and not just a small group of followers. At the same time that Jesus is removed from them the disciples learn that he is still very much present. Note that while they are written by different authors at different times, the concept of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) fits tightly with the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
So what characteristics describe an Acts 2 church?
I think these are the key ones:

It is a church seeking unity

This theme runs through the chapter, starting with verses 1-4. Being together in one place doesn’t mean that they had no disagreements. Often in seeking unity we also seek absolute uniformity. Love (well defined in 1 Corinthians 13) does not demand that we agree about everything but rather that we learn to work together as a team even when we disagree.
I recall once when I was involved in organizing a city-wide prayer meeting that a young man who had been making calls to churches came to me with a problem. He had called a particular church, but the pastor told him that they saw no reason to participate in a prayer meeting with churches that were “wrong on doctrine.” Under the circumstances there was nothing I could do but tell him to go on to the next church.
I think this “working together in spite of disagreements” is modeled a great deal in the New Testament. At the same time, the church leaders do not abandon doctrine. They discuss and work it out. The paradigmatic chapter for this topic is Acts 15, with the end result that seemed good “to the Holy Spirit and to us.” That is an important line—it seems good to us and the Holy Spirit. If we were willing to get together more often and pray until we can honestly say that something seems good both to us and the Holy Spirit, we might get much further!

It is a church that proclaims

When the Holy Spirit comes on the newborn church, it immediately proclaims. There was no waiting and discussion; they simply got down to the business of proclamation (verses 5-36).
This passage is often the center of debates about the gift of tongues. But let’s skip that controversy and go to the main point. The gift given here introduces a critical theme in the book of Acts, the way in which the gospel spreads from Judea (2-7), Samaria (8), and from there on to the rest of the world. The gift here was for proclamation and was a sign of things to come.

It is a church that makes disciples

Besides it being Peter, the apostle, who makes the first proclamation, but further, those who were converted that day devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles (42).
There are two sides to this leadership. First, the leaders are recognized as those who lead and teach. Second, the leaders spend their time teaching everyone. Now that may sound like a statement of the obvious, but often our modern church leaders are often people who preach on Sunday and do administration. The Acts pattern has everyone in action.
There is no Christian who does not have the call to make disciples.

It is a church that gathers

The newborn church immediately begins gathering to learn and to break bread. They are, in fact, so unified that they hold all their goods in common and take care of one another. There are debates about whether this is the best way for the church to live, in a sort of communism. But that is not the critical issue. The question is whether we trust our fellow church members as our own body enough to share in that fashion. The answer, I believe, is “no” and that means we need to continue in prayer for the unity of the Spirit in the church.
I want to draw attention as well to the breaking of bread. Communion, or the Eucharist, is often reduced to an occasional and perfunctory ritual. In the early church—the earliest church—I believe it was the center of gathering because it symbolized our unity as part of the body of Christ.
I would suggest reading Acts 2 a number of times prayerfully, each time asking, “How can I put this into action in my own church. I think we would all be amazed at what could be accomplished if we let the New Testament give us the principles of our church life.

I remember the first time I heard the song “In the Secret” by Andy Park. It was a whole new concept in worship music. It was a simple song. It didn’t have four verses and a chorus. The music brought the style of what I loved in worldly music into the church. Many people were appalled that we were allowing the world to infect the church.
Then I read how Charles Wesley took bar songs and gave them new lyrics. “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” or “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” could have first been sung in a pub! I no longer felt guilty because I tapped my foot, clapped my hands, and even shuffled my feet a bit in church.
Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances. Miriam answered them,

“Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously.

The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” Exodus 15:20-21 (WEB)

It is Biblical to worship God with our songs. Over the centuries the ‘transportation’ of the worship has evolved in various stringed instruments, percussion, horns, and yes, even our demeanor in the worship. Each step in the evolution has brought with it concerns. Some concerns are well-founded as we, the Church, questioned whether we were influencing the world or the world was influencing Church. Some concerns were based in fear; in a rigidness that did not want to allow change because change is scarey and often unknown. Change upsets the balance of what has always been.
Hillsong United, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Charlie Hall, Jesus Culture, Christy Nockels, The Glorious Unseen Have you heard of them? They are some of the Miriam’s, David’s, and the Charles Wesley’s of today. And there are so many more who bring us forward into worship. If you are like me and are not familiar with most of these names and attend a corporate worship that includes unfamiliar songs, before you stomp your foot and complain – stop, look around, and ask God what He thinks. Are there more new people, especially young (under 50) people, coming and staying in your fellowship? Corporate worship is by far the usual ‘front door’ for visitors in the church. If the style of worship or specific songs do not ‘work’ for you, buy yourself some CDs and worship in your car! Is God showing you how to be a ‘grown-up Christian, a leader who thinks of others before him/herself?

Geoffrey D. Lentz is a native of Pensacola, Florida and serves as the associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in his hometown. With a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of West Florida and a Master of Divinity from Duke University, Rev. Lentz combines his knowledge of ancient church history with creative and innovative worship in his church’s fourth Sunday morning service called ICON. This cutting edge, tradition rich, and Christ centered style of worship is rapidly becoming the example for the future of Christian worship.  He is currently working on a Doctorate of Ministry with a focus on preaching and liturgy through Drew University.
Geoffrey and his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) live in Pensacola with their two children, Luke and Eliza. Geoffrey enjoys the outdoors, reading, music, and Duke University Basketball.  Geoffrey is author of The Gospel According to St. Luke: A Participatory Study Guide and co-author of Learning and Living Scripture: An Introduction to the Participatory Study Method.
The ICON service at your church is said to be “cutting edge, tradition rich, art embracing, and Christ centered”.  Many churches struggle with promoting themselves as relevant in the 21st century and avoiding the pitfall of becoming just another venue for “entertainment”.  How do you take the vision of ICON and bring it and the people to worship?
I believe that the church’s biggest problem today is not that we are not focused enough on making God relevant to humanity, but that we are not focused enough on making humanity relevant to God.  The fascinating thing is that in the postmodern world we live in, authenticity is the most relevant thing of all.    At ICON, we believe that there is no contradiction between being cutting edge and tradition rich.  We use two large high-definition screens and have a progressive rock worship band, but a Christian from any century of Christian history would be comfortable with the order of worship (our order of worship is based on Justin Martyr’s early second century description of the early church worshiping).
The service centers around the celebration of Holy Communion every Sunday.  Practicing the Lord’s Supper provides the congregation with a time to respond to God’s call and be transformed into the body of Christ.  For 2000 years the Lord’s Supper has kept the Lord’s Day Christ-centered.  In a world that tells us everything should be centered around us or around the consumer, we find that being as Christ-centered as possible changes lives and draws in even the ‘unchurched’.  Maybe Jesus was on to something when he said, “seek first the kingdom of heaven and all else shall be added”  (Matthew 6:33). The modern church spends too much time focusing on the perceived needs of people so that often we forget about God.  When we focus first and foremost on the worship of God, we proclaim our belief that what people need most is God in their lives.  Many contemporary services today give people what they want but not what they need. Our goal is to give people what they need and trust God that it (He) is really what they want .

The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.      John 1:14 (WEB)
Emily Capes, Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Pensacola, FL took some time in her busy schedule and to share her heart for the young adults and the ministry to which God has called them.
BSP: As a youth pastor, what is your focus with your group of young people?
EMILY CAPES: My focus is to have a team of adults who grow in their understanding of teenagers and then build one on one relationships with my students. So that they grow to know a God -who is not a product that will take all of their problems away but is a living, moving, existence who will walk with them and talk with them and call them to live a life that is greater than they can even imagine.  We live in a culture where everything is being sold to us in a way that we believe that we will be happy when we buy into the product.  Even Jesus is packaged this way in many ministries.

BSP: You are in a large church so do you find “keeping the focus” more difficult?
EMILY CAPES: I do find that “keeping the focus” is harder in a larger church.  I know that some students have slipped through the cracks because we weren’t able to connect with them because there are so many kids at different functions.  I do try very hard to have as many adults walking alongside of the students to try to be present to as many as possible.
Also, as a larger church – there is an expectation to do things well.  And that means better organized planned activities and programs.  Which means that we have to be incredibly intentional to not miss the individuals in the process.  Organization is not a bad thing but it shouldn’t be the first thing over relationships with students.  Students aren’t always organized.  They need your attention when you feel like you should be “doing” something…
BSP: What tools do you use to reach your young people?
EMILY CAPES: Some of the tools are typical ones – videos, internet, current worship music, games, go to dance recital and sporting events, meet for breakfast or coffee, communicate on Facebook or texting and stay current with the things in their culture.  Other than that – what they really need is people who have the time to be present to them.  It doesn’t really matter what you do or use as long as they know that we are truly interested in them.

BSP: How has the ‘new’ ICON service has reached (or not) the youth?
EMILY CAPES: Our students do use worship music as part of our Sunday evening activities – but I wouldn’t call it a worship “service”.  But I do believe that we worship there – through song and conversation and service to our community.  Many students do come to ICON but I believe that ICON has impacted the youth ministry by bringing in new families with students who are slowly starting to get involved.
BSP: What can we as parents, church leaders, and older adult members of Christ’s Body do to encourage our young adults to “grow up in the admonition of the Lord”?
EMILY CAPES: Honestly, what we as adults need to do is live out our faith alongside of the students’ lives.  So many churches put the young people in another building so they can have their own space to play in, mess up and “do their own thing” – which might seem like a good idea but honestly it removes them from some of the best examples of the Body of Christ.  I believe it would also strengthen the church to involve the students in more aspects of all of the church ministries.  We as adults can also learn from seeing Christ lived out in the teenagers lives as well.

— Iris Lloyd
If you have been following this column, you have come to understand that places are very interesting to us and very important to God. Even places that seem somewhat “secular” may have a meaning to God that, well, we just don’t get. Memphis is a place like that, I believe.

On the outside, Memphis appears to be very worldly. Let’s face it, it is. It is the birthplace of “the blues” and home of Beale Street, Memphis’ answer to Bourbon Street. Did you know that Memphis was once the place that all cotton kingpins came to? Did you know that it was the birthplace of the music of Elvis, and believe it or not, the hotel chain of Holiday Inn? On the outside, not a whole lot of “spiritual” stuff going on there. Or is there?
While visiting on a “drive-through” ride, a day spent at The Cotton Exchange Museum, Sun Recording Studios, Beale Street, and the Gipson Guitar Factory revealed deep roots of racial unrest with a glimmer of hope mixed in. What did all these places have in common? Elvis and the colors black and white. When Elvis’s first record, made at Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, played on the air, it played 14 times in one day—some kind of record back then. The very next day, his savvy agent secured a radio interview for him. His record was playing on black and white stations. No one knew his race—until the interview. The announcer asked him what high school he went to. Living in a period of segregation, Elvis’s answer told the world that he was a white man. But his work of “joining the races through music” had already begun. His agent, Sam Phillips, later went on to found the chain of hotels that have become a staple on the road trips of many Americans–Holiday Inn.

Along Beale Street, one will find blues musicians of all races looking for an opportunity to sing their song and make their mark in the world of a genre of music that has its niche in one of only a few places known for its blues roots. Inside this music, a common thread of suffering and pain unites races and gender. Its roots go all the way back to the early days of slavery. The music itself is rooted in gospel songs written by slaves working in the fields, mostly cotton fields. The cotton they picked was more times than not brought to the Memphis Cotton Exchange to be brokered out around the country. The one room museum in Memphis offers visitors a complete history of the people, music, and events that elevated cotton to a “kingly” status. Elvis was the Grand Marshal at the annual Cotton Parade in his early days at Sun Recording Studios.
If you ever get a chance to visit, do yourself a favor: park, walk, and ride the trolleys that still use overhead wires to navigate through the city. Be sure to stop at Cafe 61 located at 85 South Second Street. The interesting artwork by Lamar Sorrento ordains most of the wall space and offers diners a colorful backdrop to a mouth-watering and varied menu. Add some spice to your meal and order the Crawfish Macaroni & Cheese as your side order–you won’t be sorry!
As summer approaches and the urge to hit the road begins to grow, choose your destination but let Him guide you while you’re there. He’ll turn your trip into an adventure and bring you closer to Him in the process. Your life may even take a new turn in a new direction as you learn to let Him guide you—and after all, isn’t that where The Rubber really Meets the Road?

— Jody Neufeld
But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you that “In the last time there will be mockers [scoffers], walking after their own ungodly lusts [agendas].” These are they who cause divisions, and are sensual [fleshly], not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 17-21 (WEB, my paraphrase)
Each of us has a “call” or “mission” to fulfill in our lives. It may be something noteworthy by the world as Peter or Paul’s missions were. Or it may be unknown except to the One who put in the call; the only One who matters. Before God formed me, He knew me and had a plan for my life in His Kingdom. (Jeremiah 1)
As a child and teen my life was probably typical of the Midwest in the 60’s. I spent my first eight years of school in a parochial setting. This was an insulated world except it did include people of different races. We went to school and church together. We did not think of each other as “different” and so segregation did not impact my life until later. High school was painful as I felt socially inept and relegated to the “good kids” not the “in crowd”. I fell in and out of love. I had a circle of friends that didn’t stay out too late, didn’t smoke or drink, and went to church every Sunday with their parents.
When I stretched my wings in college, I did smoke, I did drink, and I did not go to church. I was taking my new found independence out for a spin in the Birthplace of the Blues, and managed to graduate without causing any major wrecks in my life.
It was as a wife and mother that I again drifted back into the path that God had laid for me. I went to church because it was one of my husband’s jobs as a choir director. I went on my first mission trip to Costa Rica because it sounded like an adventure and it left my husband in charge of three children for ten days! God turned that self-centered answer to a ‘call’ into a time of teaching: How to Serve the Least of These. I met people of simple ways but of great faith. I returned two more times to Costa Rica, thinking I was ministering but finding out that I was just as much ministered to. My heart was slowly changing and softening.
It was during these years that I became more and more career-successful and struggled with trying to “have it all”. Can you really have it all? Maybe, but only if the priorities are correct. Mine were not. As my life turned to God and I found that life-changing relationship with God, giving myself wholly, no-turning-back to Him, my marriage disintegrated and my children were hurt. It is the worse moment in a parent’s life to see the pain and betrayal in your child’s eyes and know that you are responsible for putting it there. There are always consequences for decisions. The consequence may be immediate or it may grow from a root of a bad choice.
God is faithful. He planted seeds, watered and fertilized my life through all the years. He never gave up that I could walk the path and answer the “call” that He had put into my life. He wanted me to live in the joy and blessings of that “call” all these years but He never stopped opening the door into His vineyard, allowing me to work. (Matthew 20)
Energion Publications is not just a publishing company. It is the ministry to which I am called to work for the One who truly owns it. God opens up opportunities for people to meet and work together in His Kingdom that maybe would not have met each other. Books are written, not by the world-recognized famous, but by souls who have been dipped in the Blood of the Lamb and warmed by His Spirit to transcribe the words He gives to them. And I am a worker in that vineyard. Whether my time in this vineyard is one more day or 30 more years, I am so very blessed to have been allowed to sweat along side the Owner and His called workers.
Is the Owner calling you? Don’t miss the opportunity.