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i used to laugh at the old guys that would gather early in the morning at the local mcdonald’s or the neighborhood dairy queen. they grab their free senior’s cup of coffee and join with the other old dudes to solve the world’s problems…one sip at a time.
obama’s politics…tony romo’s most recent meltdown…their wives…the greenhouse effect…the academy awards… televangelists…texas weather. you name it…they discuss it. i’ve always loved sitting off to the side and marveling at how they enjoy each other’s company.
i am now part of a group like that.
a couple of years ago, i invited some men to meet for breakfast once a week at the ghetto taco bueno in my neighborhood. attendance was sporadic…and we changed locations… but there was a small group that persevered. and now it has turned into something pretty special.
i made the ground rules clear:
this was not a bible study
we wouldn’t hold hands and pray out loud
i wasn’t going to preach or teach a lesson
there was never going to be an agenda
there was no time frame…come for 15 minutes or stay for an hour
our goal is for north point men to become friends
i hoped that men would learn names and stories
no expectations
no assignments
no guilt
just come…eat…laugh…learn
and it worked.
these days, every wednesday night i send out a group text to 21 men that says, “whataburger…7-9 in the morning”. every thursday …sometimes starting around 6:30…men start to show up at our local whataburger. usually 8-10 come. some weeks, as many as 16 will show.
some stay a few minutes before they hurry off to work. others stay through multiple shifts of guys. men walk in and shake hands and call each other by name. they pick up where the last week left off. they ask for updates on jobs and marriages and kid’s games and health issues.
sometimes we talk politics and sometimes we talk sports. sometimes we circle back to the sermon from the past sunday. sometimes there are multiple conversations going on. sometimes we are really loud and annoy the other group of men who are gathered in the dining area.
we are learning each other’s stories and have grown close enough to know some things we can pray about for each other. it has given meaning to the interaction we have with each other on sunday mornings. most of the guys do more than the nod and the grunt they used to do to each other. i see them standing and talking and extending the connection that was born on thursday mornings.
i go to bed every wednesday night with the anticipation that i am going to see my friends on thursday morning. it is my favorite day of the week.
i wish we could get every north point dude to come. even if it was just for a few minutes. the time we spend there makes a difference. it has become sacred. it’s church. it’s life together.
(if you’re a north point dude and you want more, we meet every thursday morning at the whataburger on main street and I35 in lewisville. guys start to show a little before 7 and the last of us usually leave around 9:30. no expectations. no agenda. the guys are usually pretty well behaved. let me know if you’re interested in coming and i’ll add you to my weekly wednesday night group text reminder!)
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