Siv or seven years ago, my youngest daughter, Rose, and I headed to His Place Teen Center / Rock House to do a show. It was a foggy December evening, and travel was slow. Then, when we arrived at our destination, we were met by a young lady in the parking lot who was clearly upset. She told us there had been a car accident, and the director of the center was the driver. The evening was cancelled, and the next morning we found out that Barry Lowe, the director and one of the more successful Gospel singers to come out of Maine, had died. Barry and I crossed paths many times over the last 35 years or so, at festivals, fund raisers, and Rock House, and even once when our ministries were double booked at Portand's youth correctional facility. His band, the Blacksmiths, released a contemporary version of the hymn "Near the Cross", which has been my sound track for my devil stick routine for many years now.
Just last weekend, Sue and I went back to HSTC&RH for the first time since that fateful evening, not counting an open air event this summer. It has a new couple running it, and now their Friday evenings start with a meal for any local teens who want to drop in. After setting up our gig, Sue and I joined the staff and teens for a wonderful chicken alfredo supper. We sat with a teen couple, the boyfriend of which had recently had his wisdom teeth out. We talked and laughed about the funny things he said when coming out of anesthesia, as well as the experiences our daughters had when they went through the same procedures.
We opened with a dove tray production of a live dove. This won the audience over immediately, and they stayed engaged through out the entire hour. I was disappointed that, in getting up to code, the center had added smoke alarms, so I couldn't use fire devil sticks, but I did my regular devil stick routine as a tip of the hat to Barry's legacy. I ended with the story / illusion of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears, and the silence was deafening as they hang on every word.
It was such a blessing to be back after all these years, and we have an open invittion to return in the future.