I Meet A, Um, Holy Man

As I was saying, at the kick-off picnic (July 2007?), I had the opportunity to meet the man responsible for this new church, Lead Pastor, Tommy Duke. At first glance, Tommy isn't exactly your typical "holy man". At well over 6 feet tall and 300 pounds, he looks more like an offensive lineman, than a preacher. The bald head and goatee only added to this look. I only spoke to him (me in slight Pittsburghese, he in a Southern twang) for a few minutes that day, but I could tell that there was something very different about this guy. At least very different from any "holy man" I'd ever encountered before.

I don't remember the exact timeline, but Dena and I had the opportunity to meet with Tommy and other members of the church on a couple more occasions and attended our first service at ICC. At that service I showed an interest in pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. The following week, Tommy contacted me about meeting for lunch. I hardly knew what to expect out of this - I certainly never met with a priest or other "holy man" in a social situation before, at least not voluntarily. The priests at my old church always seemed intimidating with their "holier-than-thou" attitude. In fact, I probably did all I could just to avoid them. I didn't hesitate in agreeing to this meeting though.

Tommy and I met at a nearby Subway, ate lunch and just shot the breeze about life, his vision for the church, and what it means to be a Christian. I learned that Tommy and I have quite a bit in common - we both played football, are both quick witted if not hilarious at times, have awesome wives, etc. I thought, for a "holy man", this guy is actually really cool. Of course, Tommy also used this meeting as a chance to request that I give my life up to Jesus if I felt I was ready to do so. I felt a little put on the spot, but I also felt I was up to that challenge. Dena's faith in God has never failed her and she is always strong even when the chips are down. It's something I never understood before but was always curious about. I figured I had nothing to lose so I agreed. We prayed together and ended our lunch.

That evening, I remember feeling pretty excited and energized about living my life - something I hadn't felt for a very long time. In fact, over the past couple of years, I had begged God on many occasions to just take me because of all the pain I felt in my life. That day though, at a small table in a Subway restaurant, something new was born inside of me and things began to change for the better...