Our youth missions group is visiting an old church in Germany. Our leader — Greg Speck* — explains we might just pass through rather than stay for the service.
I am holding an enormous, ancient Bible to my chest; perhaps it is from there, to convince them we belong.
We follow him in single file. The pews are mostly full, so we can’t all sit together. Surprisingly, he and the other leaders sit down in a partly-open pew.
I guess we are staying. And we need to find our own seats.
Perhaps the church knew we were coming, as there are dark wooden tables with chairs — in front and back of the pews, plus along the aisles.
We walk along the front, looking for seats. I see a well-placed table with many stacked chairs, but when I look closer I realize they are all toddler seats.
We finally find a table with two chairs, and the others find tables near us. I am startled to realize I am sitting with my teenage son. Apparently I am a chaperone, not a youth.
He asks me if I want a “fortress piece.” I see he’s gotten out one of his MTG-style card games. I assumed this means a special box-like thing for holding the cards. But he’s pointing to a coffee cup. White, ceramic, tapered at the bottom.
His is clean, and he’s offering it to me. I see I also have one in front of me. Mine is empty, but dirty.
I don’t need the piece. Either because I’m not planning to play. Or I can choose to play without it.
Regardless, I should just clean my own cup if I want to use one.
Then I wake up
*Youth pastor Greg Speck led several dozen of us on a life-changing mission trip in the Summer of 1983 (or ‘82?). We visited Scotland, France, Switzerland, and Italy — but not Germany.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
Radically Happy 
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