It Happened by the Lake

I probably wouldn't have watched a second of Super Bowl XLIV if I hadn't been down at the Chapel by the Lake in West Palm Beach that night. That's a beautiful outdoor ampitheater by the Intracoastal Waterway that seats over 1,500, built in the 1960s. It is an underused venue these days.

When I attended the associated church, First Baptist of WPB, the CBL was better utilized. Back in the 70s and 80s, what were known as CBL Crusades came every summer. Each night for one week, a well-known Christian musician or preacher would take the prow. I have vivid memories of Lisa Welchel ("Blair" from the TV series "The Facts of Life") walking with the pastor down the aisle before she gave her testimony. She was very short.

I also recall there being films shown after the Sunday evening service when I was very small. They scared the shinola outta me. Not just those rapture dramas where a spouse wakes up to find her mate gone, but also lurid stories about alcoholism and other ills. Be a hoot to see one of them now, in all their scratched 8mm glory.

On a personal note, the Chapel has been a nice refuge, a place where I've retreated on many an afternoon to just think on Life. You can stroll down the sloped concrete aisles and down to the seawall, very scenic. Once upon a time, you could go there after dark and gaze at a fat moon from the cool grass. Church security will politely ask you to move on these days. Seems many church youths and college students over the years have ruined it by using this tranquil spot for other activities.

The later years? Occasional concerts and outreach events. My current church, Christ Fellowship, for the second year has partnered with FBC to provide free meals, toiletries, and clothes for anyone who needed them, while the Super Bowl plays out on a screen perched in the same spot where those old movies played 30 + years ago. We were unable to attend last year as my wife-to-be was very ill. This year we manned the clothing station, giving out every imaginable donated garment to the homeless on a chilly night (many blankets, too).

It was a blessed time. I met many folks who described life in rehabs, halfway houses,on friends' couches. Many stories, many depressing. Some seemed fabricated, but you never know. I'm as jaded as anyone regarding the homeless who approach you in the parking lots and hold cardboard signs at intersections. I've given food to them, only to turn around and watch them dump it in a garbage can. It's frustrating, but someone who calls him or herself a follower of Christ should be ready to give to "the least of these" without concern of the recipient's response. This sort of discouraging behavior by recipients was illustrated by a handful at the Bowl party, who complained that the commercials were not shown (people took the stage and talked about Jesus!), and that they did not like the selection of garments. Love on them, regardless. Many are thankful and will be very open to your example. Perhaps it may even be appropriate for you to tell them why you display such love......

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