An Unusual Interuption

A few days ago I was having a late morning meeting with my good friend Ryan Dougherty. Ryan is the worship leader (and a youth leader) at the church that I will be Co-Pastoring starting this Fall.

We met at a McDonald’s in Woodburn because Ryan works in Woodburn. This particular McDonald’s actually has leather couches and chairs to recline in while you eat.

So we were sitting at the leather couches taling about changes that will be taking place at our church- with me taking on the new role as co-pastor. I was explaining to Ryan how it came to be that I would be the co-pastor of the church.

We were transitioning from talking about how I came into this position, to some of the changes we would be making as a church. I began to talk about how our focus as a church would be reaching people for Christ.

As we were talking, and all of the sudden, some middle-aged guy approached us and set all of his stuff at our table- right in front of me. He was an average heighth, had silver hair, was wearing a tucked-in American flag/American Continent white t-shirt and tight stone-washed blue jeans, was carrying a thick book (which I think was called Confederalism?), and never took off his sunglasses.

He lifted his leg up onto the low table and looked at us through his sunglasses, then said,”Hey Guys! So, what are you talking about?” By the cocky smile on his face and the condescending tone he was using, I could tell that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. I looked strangely at Ryan to see if he realized what was going on and he acknowledged by squirming awkwardly in his leather seat.

I looked at the guy and told him that we were talking about church. He asked,” So you’re starting some new kind of church?” We told him no- that we were just discussing some leadership changes in our church and were about to talk about some new things that the church would be doing.

He then became a total jerk. He said something to the extent of,” So, what’s going to be so new about this church?? Is the Gospel going to change or something, huh guys????” Ryan and I were turning red with anger and were shaking with frusteration but we decided to engage this guy because, afterall, we were talking about things of Christ- we might as well be polite and a good witness for Christ.

I interupted the guy and said, “…huh? What’s your name?” “Timothy”, he repliied. I then said,” Well Timohty, I’m Anthony and this is my friend Ryan.” We shook hands and I asked Timothy “So Timothy, are you envolved with a local church?” He then had the audacity to say something like,” Yes, I’m involved in a local church, but we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about this new church of yours!” The guy was totally attacking us for no good reason. Afterall, we were having a private quiet conversation on a secluded part of McDonald’s and this guy comes up and eve’s-drops on us, then butts into our PRIVATE COVERSATION. This was not going well.

We let him know that we were not going to change the Gospel, but that we were just talking about new ideas to reach people for Christ in the community. He then said something like,” So YONG TONY, what are these ideas you have to reach the community for Christ (spoken very sarcastically)” I tried to explain to him that that was the conversation I was just to have with Ryan, but that he then interupted us from ever having it. He said,” Well he’s right there (Ryan), so go ahead and the share the ideas so I can hear them. Ryan and I were not happy.

Ryan began to tell him how we simply wanted to reach people for Jesus. Timothy then got even ruder and started raising his voice??? He said,” You guys keep talking about what you are going to do, but won’t come out and say it!!” Now tell me what it is that’s so new and innovative that you are going to do!” We were caught completely off guard, I was lost for words, and Ryan began to mutter the same answer about reaching the lost for Christ. Timothy said,” You keep saying ‘reaching the lost for Christ’! Tell me what you really mean by that! That’s just a fluff statement!”

I was glaring at Timothy and his douche-bag approach to conversation and Ryan said something about “telling people about Jesus in our community so that they can be saved….” Timothy cheered with maniacal glee as Ryan said this and then was crazy enough to ask us to repeat the statement Ryan made?????? Ryan was not thrilled, but repeated he did. I was in shock.

By this time, Timothy was causing a scene at McDonald’s as many people all around us- near and far- were staring at us trying to figure out what was going on.

Timothy then went on a rant about how we shouldn’t try to get unbelievers to come to church because the Church was for Christians only. I openly disagreed, but he was not interested in having a conversation with us- he just wanted to preach at us. He went on about how as Christians should not be getting unbelievers to become Christians because that’s what Muslims do and what the CHristians did in the Crusades.

He went on and on about how we should not try to use new creative ways to reach different cultures because “the Gosple and hymns is all people need??????? I tried to throw in how the Apostle Paul tried to be all things to all men so that some might be saved but surprise-surprise…he wouldn’t listen to what we had to say?

It all became such a blur from that point, but I remember him saying ‘how studies show that Christians only want to sing hymns’, ‘that America was a Christian nation and that 75% of Americans were professing Christians’, and something about ‘the old guy preaching and me doing the liturgy………???????’

When he saw that we were sincere and that we were not interested in arguing with him or worshiping him for being so wise and above us; he cut the conversation off- said he loved our ideas and took off. I have no idea what this man’s intentions were. I think he was a professing Christian who thought he had it all figured out and wanted to show two young guys with fresh ideas that they were stupid. He made assumptions about us that were not true. i guess next time I need to be a little more upfront with people and tell them to buzz-off when they are being rude.