The smoking Apostle, Charles.

OK, check this out! I got a story for ya... I was at Starbucks on Saturday.. The one that never closes by the Galleria (if you are from Houston, you'll know which one I'm talking about) I was re-reading my highlighted notes on "Comeback Churches: How 300 churches turned around and yours can, too," surfing online (where else?) and writing a blog post entitled, "Where am I at in life."

Umm, not at the same time, but at different... You get me.

Anyway, in the middle of my spontaneity of my last post, I saw this old guy approach my table. He wanted to sit in the table next to me.. So, I did not look up and continued to write (type). He came forward and just stood there. After about 10 seconds, I slowly looked up and he was looking at the book that I was just reading moments before.

In that book, Ed Stetzer has some great insight on how to revitalize a declining or dead church. Dead? Yes, dead. He researches hundreds of churches and comes up with factors that have helped plateaued churches. Ill give you a short list of chapter titles in his book... not all of them... Get the book.
Chapter 2: Rising with Leadership.
Chapter 4: Worship and Preaching Matters.
Chapter 7: Motivating and Mobilizing People out of the Pews.
Some really good stuff from Ed. I really like his research. He's good.

Anyway, so I look up at this stranger.
Never seen him. Never met him.
He's a tall white guy, has not shaved in a while (which is cool by the way), and is wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.
OK... cool.

Without a formal greeting and before I say, "Hello."
He points at the book and says, "Why don't they (dead, declining churches) just put their face on the floor and pray?"
Long pause and I actually smiled... smiled big.
I was laughing so hard inside.
That was hilarious!
He was right... but come on... know what I mean? Hehe.
He smiled with me and proceeded to sit down next to me..

"Great, now I have an old man sitting next to me at Starbucks," said my inner, worldly, selfish, sinning self.
I really wanted to finish my "interesting" blog post.
But I rebuked (um, scolded) myself and decided to engage him in some conversation.
Note: How many times do we have an opportunity to talk to someone and end up talking about Jesus. It seems that our conversations throughout the day are only limited (other than talking to friends) to order fries at Burger King or to tell the guy behind the counter at the gas station, "10 on number 4, please"? Huh, huh?

So, lets recap our conversation.
Me: Hello.
Him (getting serious): My name is Charles. I'm an apostle and I'm on a mission.

Me (smiling bigger): Cool, I'm Tony. What mission are you on?
Apostle Charles (thinks for a bit, narrows his eyes): I have been called to start a church.

Me: (have not wiped that smile off my face): Awesome. Where at?
Apostle Charles: All over.

OK, by this time, I just stare blankly and don't ask anything so my new friend, the apostle, can talk.
He says, "God called me over 30 years ago to start a church and I'm 50 now and 7 years ago (when he was 43) I decided to go ahead and obey the Lord."

I don't get all feely-feely and start jumping up and down, get down on my knees, kiss his hand and say, "This must be God! He is telling me something!"
But I nod and don't disregard this a simple meeting.

I don't tell him that he was speaking to a future church planter.
I don't tell him that I constantly am dreaming of a group of people taking the Gospel and living it out, showing God's love to a community full of need.
I don't tell him that I was writing a blog post on that certain topic of church planting.... before I was rudely interrupted. Hehe.

I just listen.
He tells me that he is homeless and that God always ends up providing for him.
He does not ask me for money.
He tells me that one day, "he will pastor a church of thousands,"
Great.

We end our conversation and he goes outside of Starbucks.
I finish my blog post and its time to go home for me.
I walk outside and find my new friend, Charles the apostle, chilling on a chair, smoking a cigarette.
So, apparently, my apostle friend Charles is a smoker.
How cool.
He is kind of shocked and tries to play it off...
I smile, (mainly at the thought of what would a religious person in this situation?)
They would probably lay hands on him and pray that demon out. Then, getting in their car with the "Honk, if you love Jesus" bumper sticker, mutter how unbelievable people can be.
Because we know that good Christians do not smoke right? Hehe.

I tell him, "Ill be watching out for you and your church. Have a goodnight, Charles."
"Ill be watching out for you too," he tells me.

Getting on the 610 loop (freeway) on my way towards Hwy. 290, I think of the grievance that I would have in my heart if I would reach 50 years of age and look back 27 years to a vibrant, young, inspired kid that wanted to be part of the plan that God had in transforming a community, with believers alongside him.

I don't know if my new friend was "called" to start a church 30 years ago.
I don't know if he was an apostle. Well, actually...
I don't even know if his name really was Charles.

But this I know, that at the end of my days in this earth, I want to say, "I glorified God in my youth. I followed His promptings." and like Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Say a prayer for me tonight, will ya?