Somehow, there’s a mythology that popular or influential programs have occasionally been canceled by mistake or in some colossal error of judgment. I mean, as a pastor it would seem that’s evidently what some church people think.
This has got to be far less true than many would believe. But it’s a real head-scratcher when someone comes up and asks you when such-and-such is going to be brought back.
Like an Easter sunrise service. I understand that in your little corner of the world, there could conceivably be one of those that is held annually. Folks may flock to that one. But as a culture and as a pattern, those services were popular for a time. Now, not so much.
Charles Qualls
They died a natural death, as most things do, because every good idea has a lifespan. Someone asked me a few years ago when we might offer a sunrise service. I replied, “That sounds like it’d be a wonderful idea about 12 years from now.” Another at the table said, “Well, that’d be about when you’re going to retire. Wouldn’t it?” I grinned a sly grin.
Take Baptists for a few more of these. I’ll poke fun at my own group for a second. There is a mythology that revivals, Church Training and Monday Night Visitation all went away by mistake. You may know what revivals were. Let me explain the other two.
Church Training was a staple of Baptist life for generations. Usually held on Sunday afternoon, the intent was to offer age-graded discipleship groups. The reality was that the curriculum became a bit dumbed-down into “memory” exercises, and indoctrination became the goal rather than actual spiritual growth.
Monday Night Visitation? Well now that also worked until it didn’t. That was probably as much as anything because so many Baptists enjoyed meeting up at the church weekly and eating cheap (or free) chicken dinners. All at the cost of going out and knocking on a couple of doors to invite newcomers or recent church visitors to become a part of the church.
Turns out that over time, participants grew less and less comfortable with the “outreach” chore. As well, folks on the receiving end got less patient with a dinner-time cold-call knock at their door after they’d put on their pajamas.
But usually our older church members, fresh out of any desperate new ideas to save the declining church, will advocate a return to these once-popular practices. This view assumes that someone just messed up, or got lazy, and canceled something along the way.
If we’d just bring those back, this nostalgic and well-intended view holds, then churches would grow again and all would be well.
The reality is the opposite: Most anything that was done away with had either lost its popularity and did a slow fade into obscurity. Or, logistics dictated that despite popularity the program or event still needed to conclude.
“Memory, so often driven more by sentiment and nostalgia than by data and fact, causes some to yearn for the days of yore as a strategy.”
But memory, so often driven more by sentiment and nostalgia than by data and fact, causes some to yearn for the days of yore as a strategy.
No, with incredibly few exceptions, popular ideas grow and fading realities … well, they fade. Nothing lives on forever. Including revivals and Monday Night Visitation.
So it was that in the Bubba-Doo’s community, the annual bank-sponsored travel club trip took a precipitous leap in attendance last year. You may recall the store regulars and employees all jumped in on a chance to go to Europe. No one could have seen that coming, but the hijinks that resulted are now a growing legend.
When they did, this annual bank travel group grew from its norm of about 20 or 25 tourists to a suddenly robust 45 people. After they got back, someone seized the moment and immediately began brainstorming what the next trip should be.
Precipitous growth of anything is intoxicating. When something actually is popular, you will ride the momentum. Any of us would. This was the shining moment for the bank’s travel program.
Besides, the predictable results back at home did show up after everyone returned. A good handful of new Travel Club savings accounts opened up. So this was not only goodwill, this was good business on the bank’s part.
Now, planning a next trip was a bank priority. No longer were the summer interns in charge of publicity and logistics. A mid-level bank officer was asked to oversee this program.
Eventually, someone got the idea that maybe it was time for another Caribbean cruise. After all, it had been at least five or six years since the last cruise. With such a big audience now, what could possibly go wrong?
Eventually, someone got the idea that maybe it was time for another Caribbean cruise. With such a big audience now, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, the Bubba-Doo’s crowd could go again. That’s the beginning of what could go wrong. Someone surveyed the options for about seven or eight months down the road and settled on a Western Caribbean cruise originating out of Galveston, Texas.
Publicity kicked off, encouraging potential travelers to plunk down a deposit and save their place on what might be the next great trip of a lifetime. Soon, folks out in the community were gathering around the large poster about the trip that hung in the front window, and by the cash register, at Bubba-Doo’s.
“I always did like that song,” Aaron said to no one in particular, as he looked trip information.
What song’s that?” Ralph wanted to know.
“You know, that thing Glenn Campbell used to sing. ‘Galveston, oh Galveston.’” Aaron half grunted and half sang. Faces around him lit up with amusement.
“You gonna go?” Landrum asked Ralph.
“I reckon I might. We sure had a good time over in Europe. Maybe a trip down where it’s warm would be a nice way to go during the cooler months. You?”
Landrum took a sip from his ever-present styrofoam coffee cup. He could nurse an eight-ounce cup all day, it seemed. “If you’re thinking about it, I might think about it.”
The two old men stared silently at each other for a minute. Their cogs were turning about what it might be like to actually step forward and sign up for such a thing. Both of them were widowers now. They had roomed together on last year’s trip, and it worked out well.
“You ever been on one of them cruises before?” Ralph asked.
“You ever been on one of them cruises before?”
“One time, the wife and our kids talked me into it. It was all right, if you’re on there with the right people,” Landrum allowed. In fact, coming from him that was tantamount to a small party.
“Winston, how ‘bout you?!” Ralph asked now. “You goin?”
Winston thought for a minute. “Well, I guess I let ’em hang up the posters here for some reason. I’m thinkin’ about it. I don’t get out of here often, but now that I got Bug here and she can run this place, maybe I oughta.”
Bug is Winston’s niece. She left her administrative job over at the construction company to join him in running Bubba-Doo’s. She’s more than capable, and Winston has made no secret he’s grooming her to take over the place someday.
“Oh, Winston, you know you want to get that bathing suit out and hop on that ship!” Marleen bubbled as she hugged the store owner.
“Well, maybe if you are!” Winston returned with a sly grin.
“Stephanie and I both are thinking about it. Our fellows are, too. It’s a slow time for both of them. So, yeah. We’re thinking about it. If we can get off work.” Marleen said.
“You got any pull with the boss?!” Stephanie yelled from over near the bar.
“We might could work something out,” Winston speculated.
Reality is, there are a lot of part-time employees who might could be full timers for just a week and spell some of the store and restaurant employees at Bubba-Doo’s. Besides, we all need a break now and then.
That’s what Winston had been mulling over ever since last year’s trip. He was actually considering this, as evidently a good handful of others were.
Can you feel the momentum that was gathering? Would the Bubba-Doo’s gang actually show up two years running and sustain the burst in the bank trip’s popularity? More importantly, what could possibly go wrong if you put some of these characters on a ship for a week?
Well, soon Billy and Hector were buzzing about the trip. They sat at the bar and told Stephanie, “We got the website for that ship pulled up on our phones. We’re lookin’ at all the features.”
“Oh yeah?” she reacted. Then Stephanie asked, against her better judgment. “Any of the features jumping out at you just yet?”
“Do you know how many bars that ship has on it?!” Hector exclaimed. I mean, it sounded like a question. But this was a statement of joy coming from him.
“How many?” Stephanie played along.
“Well, we haven’t counted ’em all yet,” Billy said. “But it’s a lot. A lot is how many bars they’ve got.”
“Come on, boys. There’s more to these trips than just sitting at the bar and drinking. Surely there’s something else down there you all could do that would be fun,” Shelley nudged.
On and on, little conversations around the store continued. People were moving closer and closer to a decision until finally the deadline to put a deposit came and went. Fully 49 travelers in the little community area were signed on the dotted line to take the cruise.
Eventually, the time to go actually arrived. “I got me some new shorts and a few Caribbean-style shirts,” Billy exclaimed as the group met up to board the airport bus.
“I did, too!” a high-pitched voice came from the rear seats. There sat an old man with a Pepsi in one hand and a pack of peanut butter crackers, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Fred! I didn’t know you were signed up to go on this trip!” Shirley exclaimed. “Oh my goodness, he’s going to be a ball to watch,” she editorialized. And he will be.
Yes, that’s right. My wife and I love a good cruise. In this case, we decided this one might just be a lot of fun. What with so many of our genuine Bubba-Doo’s buddies and with all of the colorful characters to observe, why not?
Danny sat mid-bus with his wife as the group headed out for the flight. He runs the restaurant operation inside Bubba-Doo’s and wears Hawaiian and Caribbean shirts to work everyday. He overheard Fred jump in and say he had bought some Caribbean wear just for the trip.
“I don’t know if the Caribbean will ever know what hit it after this trip.”
Danny’s mustache spread to each side of his face as he quietly shook his head. He was controlling his urge to laugh. He looked at his spouse and said, “I don’t know if the Caribbean will ever know what hit it after this trip.”
Everyone made it on time, and the flight was smooth. A transfer bus took the group from Houston down to Galveston before nightfall. A satisfying dinner and walk on the beach later, everyone relaxed for the next day’s boarding.
Embarkation went smoothly, as everyone got their first look at the massive ocean-going vessel. Most never had been on a cruise, and the initial moments of this one were overwhelming to these travelers.
Stephanie walked up on Billy and Hector standing now in the forward atrium of the ship. The atrium rose a full four decks or so, with upholstered chairs grouped everywhere. A bar here, a store there, and a coffee shop awaited just up on the next level.
“You boys going to get upstairs to your cabin, or are you just going to stand here with your mouths hanging open staring up?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Billy responded.
“We don’t know if we want to start at this bar, or at the next bar. We don’t know which direction to go in first,” Hector added.
The first full day was a restful one out at sea. The ship was making its way down through the Gulf of Mexico toward its first stop. All manner of activities were happening. One could go do, hear or see just about anything they wanted to. At night, dinner and entertainment abounded.
Winston and his wife were walking across the 17th deck that day, along with us and a few others. That’s where the main swimming pool is. I heard my wife burst into laughter and all she could do was point upward.
There on the giant video board above the pool was the image of Hector, in his bathing suit. He was dancing around and trying to build up energy in the huge crowd. That’s right, he was a participant in the Sexy Legs Contest.
All we could do was watch. Although Hector finished a distant second to a middle-aged former college athlete, he did put in a good showing. The crowd loved him.
We all found seats together and stayed to support Hector. After that Billy said proudly, “Don’t go nowhere. I’m up for the next contest!” Who would have guessed? The afternoon double-header saw the Sexy Legs Contest followed directly by a classic Belly Flop Contest.
Billy said, “This is my big moment. I’ve been training for this, one mug at a time, for years!” Now, we couldn’t move if our legs wanted to.
There was a lot of competition. For reasons that defy logic, there always is when a cruise hosts a belly-flop competition. There were larger men, like Billy. There were smaller, athletic men who could dive impressively. Some made big splashes, some made smaller ones but were good at stirring up the crowd.
By the end, into first place our own Billy indeed flopped successfully. He managed not only an array of big and impressive splashdowns, but also balanced that with genuinely connecting with a cheering crowd. They loved him.
Billy ran into Shirley midship later that afternoon. “Why Billy, what is that around your neck?!” she blurted out.
Billy smiled a Cheshire-cat grin. “That’s my new neck chain. It was my prize for winning the contest this afternoon. Fellow made it for me upstairs at the Inch-o-Gold table out in the hallway.”
“You do know that’s not real gold, don’t you?” Shirley followed up.
“Oh, I know that. It’s some sort of metal. But they had all kinds to choose from, and I liked this one.”
“Well, it looks real good on you, Billy. Just watch out if it starts to turn your neck green,” Shirley counseled.
Billy shook his head and ran off to meet Hector, Aaron, Landrum, Ralph and Fred for an early dinner. They were headed on then to score seats at the comedy club. Other community travel friends were scattered at restaurants and venues throughout the ship.
Next up was a stop at the ship’s private island. Cruise lines all own or lease private islands that they then develop into enjoyable playgrounds for passengers. These days, these beaches have grown quite elaborate.
This particular one had an array of shopping kiosks as folks came off the pier and onto land. Then, some even larger dedicated shops surrounded the area, dotted also by bars and restaurants.
Behind all that were the actual beach areas, where scores upon scores of lounge chairs and large umbrellas awaited.
What Danny didn’t know would happen was about to leave him spellbound. Spellbound as in utterly unable to move. Frozen where he stood.
Aaron didn’t know it yet, either, but he was about to have an encounter with a cute, loveable Capuchin monkey that would leave an indelible mark.
None of us knew, also, that we were about to have a front row seat to an act that would save 12 people’s lives.
Charles Qualls serves as pastor of Franklin Baptist Church in Franklin, Va. He is the author of eight books.
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