World Renewal International

I was 5 years old when dad announced that I was going to memorize scripture. We lived in the parsonage at Oak Ridge Friends Church near Marian, IN. It is now Liberty Friends. The first verse I was asked to memorize was Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” I do not know how long this lasted and what other verses I memorized but I remember this one. [Dad and I pictured]
It was at this church that I gave my first public testimony. Friend’s congregations had a culture that encouraged what they called a quiet time. This may have actually been a time of silent prayer and meditation; however the congregations I grew up in usually had times of testimony during these regular worship experiences. Again, I was 5 when I decided I wanted to give a testimony. I would set in church during these sessions trying to think of something to say and then not have the nerve to say anything.
Finally, I decided to do it. I thought it might help if I sat on the front pew. I hoped dad would have the traditional time for this activity. I had been trying to think of something to say. On the particular day I gave my first testimony I was thinking of paint. I had on many occasions accompanied my dad to the paint section in the lumber yard stores. I watched as they blended various colors of paint together. They would mix the colors together then put them on a “shaker”. To a child this machine was fascinating, but when finished the paint had blended together in one new fantastic color. My five year old brain was thinking how God had a way of blending our life experiences together and it all comes out in an awesome way. However, in my nervous first time testimony struggle I stood and said, “You have to be all shook up to be a Christian,” and then sat down. Poor dad, he did not know how to respond as he sat in the pulpit.
Unfortunately, I have been confusing audiences ever since with things that make sense to me but not communicating quite what I was thinking.
As I grew into ministry, my dad often had to deal with my faux pas. I remember as a high schooler I was asked on a regular basis to lead the singing in worship. One Sunday morning preached an awesome, passionate sermon that called for a commitment from the congregation. My job was to choose a song of invitation at the end of his message for the congregation to sing. It needed to be a song that challenged listeners to make a step forward in their relationship to Christ. I chose what I thought was an appropriate song. What I did not know was there were two songs in the hymnal of the same title. The song I led the congregation in was most inappropriate. First, no one knew it, second it was a march and not at all an invitation. I was devastated. I had ruined my dad’s Spirit-filled passionate sermon. I destroyed the moment. Many in the congregation found it hilarious. I begged dad for forgiveness. What was his attitude? “Hey, I know you did not mean to make that mistake, it is okay buddy!” I apologized profusely, if it bothered him, he never let me know. Dad was a wonderful mentor. I just wanted you to know these things.