Wednesday, July 13, 2011

What is a Goatwalker?


I wish I knew but one thing I do know -- in Louisville Kentucky at my friend Sue's church -- it means one heck of a good time.
The second Saturday night of each month the members of her church have "The Goatwalker Cafe".
They:
1.  Transform their store front church into a coffee house.
2.  Bring homemade desserts and set up a menu board posting the choices.  Have church members take orders and serve the tables. 3.  Go pick up the folks at the local homeless shelters.
4.  Set up the stage with a piano, microphone, and a big table for props.
5.  And fling open the doors.

Here is a list of the variety of entertainment from last Saturday night:
*A magician did a few magic tricks.  The big finale was cutting a fresh lemon and producing the card a homeless man had pulled.

*A little girl told five of the funniest jokes.

*An eldrely man played songs from the 1920s on the piano.
*A dulsimer recital.
*And a guitar performance accompanied by a homeless man in the audience playing the spoons.  Awsome!
Actually since the members of Sue's church are mostly hippies no one could tell the visitors from the members.
They don't get into their BMWs and drive into the city to help the poor.  They have choosen to live there and be a friend to man.

(The servers and kitchen help)
Here is an example of their worship style.
On Easter Sundays they have a balloon drop, confetti shower and it ultimatly ends up in a conga line snaking through the asiles to worship music.
These folks know how to party.
Tony Campolo says --

When Jesus came into the world, he declared that he had come that his joy might be in us and that our joy might be full. Consequently, it's not surprising that when people asked him what his kingdom would be like ‐ this world that he wants to create ‐ he said, "My kingdom is likened unto a wedding
feast. A wedding feast and I'm the bridegroom and as long as you have a bridegroom around, you party." That was his word; it was to be a wedding feast.
Now I have to tell you that Jesus was Jewish, which is the next best thing to being Italian. Sometimes people ask me if Italians are so wonderful, why didn't Jesus come as an Italian? Well the Bible says he came to humble himself. But, Jews and Italians and Palestinians, all Arab people, the Greeks, all who
live in the Mediterranean area, we have one thing in common. We know how to throw weddings. I mean there is nothing more joyful, more celebratory then an Italian, a Jewish, a Greek, or an Arab
wedding. I mean, we mortgage the house, we take the money out of the bank, we bring in the band, we go on and on.
Jesus said that's what my kingdom's like ‐ my kingdom's likened unto one gigantic party.I invite you to the Christ who will give you joy because your sins will be forgiven. Who will give you

joy because he commissions you to share that joy with other people. And when the dark times come and the sorrows of life overwhelm you, there will be joy because you will know that beyond the present time is the glorious future, the glorious gift that God has in store for all who trust in him. He
makes it into a party time! Into a party time! Into a party time! So people, the next time they ask you
at your church what time is it? I want to hear you shout back: "IT'S PARTY TIME!"

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