I had been working at the Church of the Cross as the new youth director for only a couple months, and I was in that stage where youth are still very wary of you. We had planned a short trip (30 min drive) to Savannah, Ga to see Third Day and Toby Mac in concert. It was Friday morning and I was running around trying to make sure all of the details were set. I was double checking on my drivers. Ordering food from chick-fila to be picked up for dinner, and generally running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. One of the ladies that worked in the office, Risa Grace, noticed that I was running around a bit hurried.
Then she asked me, "what do you have going on making you so busy."
"I'm taking a group of youth to see Third Day in concert"
"Oh yea, that's right. They should be here at 4:00"
"No, they aren't coming here. We are going to Savannah to see them at the Civic Center"
"No, they called earlier. They will be here at 4:00".
"I think you are confused. There is a concert in Savannah with the band Third Day"
"Well, I don't know about the concert, but they called and wanted to take pictures in front of the church."
To shorten the story and my confusion...we were both right. Third Day was coming to the church to take pictures for their next album.
The youth began arriving around 4:00 only to see Third Day's tour bus parked besides the church. We watched the band as they took pictures, and a few youth noticed how much makeup they were wearing for the pictures. I looked around at this group of youth that I was just getting to know, and I realized that this was an opportunity for me to seem a bit cooler.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.
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| not Matt Powell |
I began telling the youth how years ago before Third Day was popular we had hired them to play music at a weekend retreat. This was sorta true except that I had nothing to do with hiring them. I was simply a volunteer with a youth group where another youth director had hired them, but my pride was in full stride. As it neared time for us to head to Savannah one of our leaders, Donald Stephens, asked the band if they would come over and let us meet them and take a couple pictures. The band agreed, took a break from their phot shoot, and came over and talked with the youth for a couple minutes. I was still trying to act way cooler than I was. I was talking to the band like I knew them, and I was really proud to call the lead singer by his first name without asking for it first. I positioned myself in the center of the conversation and had a long conversation with the lead singer loud enough for everyone to realize exactly how cool I was. After calling him by name 10-15 time the bass player spoke up in an tone that was loud enough for everyone to hear and clearly a bit irritated at me... "His name is Mac not Matt." I felt about two inches tall.
The concert was great, the youth had a great time, and I got to revisit a fact I have known for a while...I AM NOT COOL!
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| The hymnals and window pics are from The Church of the Cross. There was also a band picture on the back cover, but I was too lazy to scan it...maybe later. |
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