We moved up to our summer home last weekend.  We spend six weeks each year in northern Maine where I direct a summer camp, and my wife, Sue, has just been hire to start a senior citizens' camp at the same facility.  While this is just staff training week, so there's not a lot to say about this part of our summer ministry, we did already have our first shows of the year in this area. 

Sunday morning, the 22nd, we did two shows at the Easton Baptist Church.  Our first show was for the Sunday school hour and then we did a 35 minute set in place of the sermon during the regular morning service as well.  We had been to this church two years ago.  That time, our middle daughter, Naomi, was to meet us there just before the start of the show.  Unfortunately, she got lost  (basically, there's no land marks nearby except potato fields, and they all look remarkably similar!)  Also, unfortunately, she had our I-pod, so we ended up starting late.  It was definitely a low moment in our career.  With that history, I was pleasantly pleased that they had us back this year.

Rose and I opened the first show with our partner routine, which just gets better and better.  The audience was mostly, but not entirely, children, so we geared things accordingly.  I closed with my illusion-story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.  This is a routine I had pretty much shelved for a few years, and have recently brought back.  In the transition between Sunday school and church, a lady approached Sue and asked to book us for a local talent show which is part of the "Easton Heritage Days" celebration later in the summer

Then, for the main service, the little church was quite full.  We touched on a lot of different things, but I emphasized Jesus words about not worrying.  Certainly this is a message I need to keep revisiting, so I figured others may need to be reminded as well.  We do a routine where Rose produces flowers from an empty bag ("Why do you worry about what you're going to wear?  Look at the fields.  Doesn't your father dress them in beautiful wildflowers?") and then I produce a live dove from streamers ("And why do you worry about what you will eat?  Look at the birds of the air.  Doesn't their father feed them?  Aren't you worth more to God than the birds?")

The audience seemed to appreciate all we did; being on time helped.  In fact, they took up an offering for us (one of the most generous in recent years) then a special offering for Rose's upcoming trip to Boston and New York City with Youth with a Mission, where she will serve - along with her friend Corban and dozens of other middle-schoolers - in YWAM's "Joshua Generation" program from June 29 - July 12.  Again, the congregation was very generous.