Monday, June 23, 2014

The Gay/Lesbian Issue within the Christian Faith: "Are we facing a "Worship Disorder"?...part 2

In 1971 something really weird happened to my little town of about 35000 people...there was this movement...they call it "The Jesus Movement".....

 It was crazy! We partied like there was no tomorrow...my high school had tried to get Jimi Hendrix to come and play at our graduation party...we even had fund raisers goin' on...like car washes and charity events. At that time it would cost $35,000 to get him to come...and when it appeared we might be able to raise the money...the "city fathers" had a meeting and informed us it wasn't going to happen...the end. We ended up with a "bubble gum" group playing called "The Ohio Power"... not quite the same...lol. 
 It was 1970...it wouldn't have worked anyway...Hendrix died on September 18th, 1970. They say he was wore out and died from barbiturates...don't really know for sure.
  Joplin, Hendrix, and others...Morrison of The Doors...all dying, guys coming back from 'Nam messed up. I remember my uncle...he was like "all Army"..wanted to make a career of it...as a parachute jumper. When he returned from Viet Nam...he was so different...he could not wait to get out, and he never was the same after that. In fact, he kind of "whacked out", and died a short time later.
 I had seen some of my own friends die...motorcycle accidents, overdoses on drugs, and suicides. I remember going on this trip to see one of the chapters of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. We thought it would be so cool. We were on this ferry crossing Lake Erie...and the Hell's Angels were on as well. They all smelled bad, loaded with alcohol, and smoking pot. Most of them were skinny and weak...and quite vulgar. They started a fight on the ferry, but really didn't last too long...they were too weak. 
 By this time at the young age of 18 or so...life had become nothing more than "one big party".

 Then it happened...the "Summer of '71.

 We had this big bonfire going on one night. It was one of those beautiful "Ohio nights", the moon and stars so clear, plenty of booze...and plenty of girls. I still remember, it was shortly after 9 p.m... I had not really got a "serious buzz" yet, and was near the fire talking to some friends. In fact, I even remember the date...July 7th, 1971.

 As we were starting to 'get down to do some serious partying', there were these nuns...yea..I am telling you the truth...3 Roman Catholic nuns...came right up and walked right in to this party.
All of us...were like stunned. Some ditched their beer bottles, others put out their cigarettes or whatever they were smoking, and we just all kind of stared at them...like maybe we had gotten some "bad dope" or something.
 Theses nuns began to tell us how much Jesus loves us...and He has much better plans for us than what we had made that night. People began to leave the party, yet a few of us hung around. I happen to be...one that stayed....

And then...this one Hispanic nun walked up to me....

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