Every year, our church has a booth at the Popcorn Festival here in Valparaiso. We sell hot dogs, brats, and cold water and pop (or “soda” if you’re my wife). It’s always a lot of fun, and we raise lots of money for really good causes. Last year we were able to give $100 to ShareFest and $600 or $700 to the men’s overnight shelter.

Still… it makes for a reaaaaalllllly long day! I’ve spent half of today preparing for it, and in a few short hours I’ll be getting up again to start loading the truck… then going to the church to pick up more stuff… then going to the booth site to unload it all… then running back out for a second load… and then finally settling in for my 11-hour shift at the booth, outdoors, in 80 degree weather — which should be great for selling ice-cold water and pop! My day will begin around 4:00 am and end around 9:00 pm.

Fortunately, I won’t be working the booth alone. Over a dozen volunteers will be stopping in to work their shifts and make things happen. That’s half the fun: getting to spend time with these guys & gals. The other half of the fun is interacting with the crowds. I get to play like I’m a carnival barker, shouting “Get your ice cold water here! Only one dollar! Ice cold Pepsi! One dollar!” And I get to have the occasional conversation with someone who asks, “So what are you guys doing this for?” And I get to invite lots and lots of people to our church’s Grand Opening Celebration that’s coming up on Sunday, Sept. 20. (You’re invited, too!)

But right now, it’s late. I need to hit the sack so I can get up in 4 hours and start my day. Maybe I’ll see you at the Popcorn Fest!

I love the first Wednesday of every month, because that’s the day we have A.M. Valpo, a Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce event in which 50-80 of us gather at the South Bend Chocolate Cafe from 7:00-8:15 am.  I like it because it’s structured.  Everybody gets 30 seconds to introduce themselves to the group and share pretty much whatever they want.  Most folks say something about their company, like the services they offer or a special deal that’s starting soon.  Sometimes there’s a big event coming up that they want to promote.  It’s fun.  There’s a good mix of people of all ages from all sorts of organizations, including some non-profits.  There are new people every month, but there’s a good group of regulars, too, so you get to know each other after a while.

For the past year or two, I’ve been the only pastor in the group.

This past Wednesday was April 1 — April Fool’s Day.  I kind of expected that more people would play pranks or do something goofy as part of their presentation, but very few did.  I showed up a couple minutes late, and it was a packed house!  The final count was 77 people, I think.  So I ended up standing by the door with about a dozen other late arrivals.

When it was my turn, I stepped up, took the mic, and said something like the following:

Hi, I’m Rich Schmidt from Living Hope Community Church.  In honor of April Fool’s Day, I want to encourage you all to stay away from Living Hope.

[a few polite chuckles]

Please don’t show up on Easter Sunday, April 12th, at 9:30 at the Aberdeen Manor banquet hall.  If for some reason you do stop by, please be sure you dress up!  People will look at you funny if you show up in blue jeans. And don’t bring your kids!  Elementary age kids absolutely hate the kids program at our church.  They beg their parents not to make them come back.

[a few genuine laughs at this one -- people remembering their own childhood experiences with being dragged to church?]

Let’s see, there was something else.

[I was genuinely forgetting part of it here, but John Freyek saved me by saying, "The pastor won't be talking about God or anything, right?"]

Oh, yeah, the pastor’s really boring. Be ready for the most boring hour of your life.

[a few more genuine laughs]

And, uh… Oh yeah, I hope you all die and rot in hell.

[BOOM! The room erupted in laughter!]

Like I said, I really look forward to A.M. Valpo.  It’s not everyday that I get to tell a room full of business leaders that I hope they’ll die and rot in hell!

Of course, my hope for every one of them (and for you, whoever you are) is exactly the opposite.  I hope they all find the peace and joy and life that God created them for, the kind of life that I’ve found in trusting and following Jesus Christ.  God’s love for us is more powerful than any sin, than any addictive behavior, than any heartache, than even death itself.  “Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” is how the apostle Paul put it in his letter to the Romans (chapter 8, verse 39).

This Easter season, I hope you get a taste of the powerful, unstoppable love that God has for you.