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You are in this story, and it is a story that you’re comfortable in.
And then, a new presence interrupts your life and interrupts the little story you were telling.
At first, it’s all potential. Every exchange is supercharged with excitement and wonder.
Your mind races, your heart thumps with desire, and you cling to every smile, every look, and every word.
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"But will I tear my ACL?" I asked.
"I really don't want to tear my ACL." My girlfriend laughed at me over the phone—assuring me that I wouldn't tear my ACL. This is no laughing matter, I thought, people tear their ACLs doing this all the time. I had never wake boarded before, but here in the waters surrounding Camp Alamisco, I would have a go.
After the camp staff assured me I wouldn't tear my ACL, I prepared to go in. While strapping in, the camp staff realized I had never wake boarded before, and they began to instruct me. Mmhmm, I nodded along; Cody Reich from Mt. Aetna Summer Camp had instructed many campers in my presence last summer. I knew the theory.
Read more"White privilege is not about people doing something wrong. It's about other people not being treated right. It's the deficit in the way other people—black people, Hispanic people—are treated."
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Richard Heacock walked in with a large print bible under his hand some twenty minutes before the opening night of Unlocking Bible Prophecy, an evangelistic seminar taking place in the Brandon Seventh-day Adventist church.
Richard had been Facebooking when an ad for an evangelistic series happening in Plant City caught his eye. Clicking on the link led him to discover there were multiple sites for the Unlocking Bible Prophecy seminar across the Tampa metro area. Scrolling the site listings, he noticed there would be one in Brandon too. This was good. Though he worked night-shifts at the Wal-Mart in Plant City, he would rather not have to commute the 25 minutes to Plant City on his off-nights. Richard had not attended this church or any Adventist church in a long time, but he felt ready to return. His mind was made up.
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A smile lit Dr. Alan Parker's face but his tone of voice carried a more serious edge. "We have to make sure people feel welcomed. On opening night, it's important that you don't speak in Adventist lingo and that you make it as comfortable as possible for visitors. Tell the church members—specially the greeters and/or hosts."
He's chuckling now as he gets away from his slides and closer to us. "Please. Avoid 'Happy Sabbath' as the generic hello. Visitors have no idea what that means."
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