My sister read a comment on a previous post about Miami Vice and sent me this pic. It’s about as close to Miami Vice as I ever got. This would have been in the spring of 1987 just before my 8th grade banquet in Rockport, Texas. There was going to be (ahem) DANCING at this particular banquet. It caused quite a stir in the little conservative “church of Christ” where we worshiped because I, along with a couple of others from the youth group, were going to it, with dates no less. I seem to remember falling in love while the DJ played Bon Jovi’s “Never Say Goodbye.” I also remember falling out of love two weeks later. The Sunday after the banquet the preacher actually preached an anti-dancing sermon. At least that’s what my parents told me afterward. I hadn’t been paying attention.
This could be the second post to my blog that I later decide to delete!
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
I’m wondering if the wind was blowing or if your hair stood up in the front like that on its own.
At least your preacher was trying to preach a relevant, topical sermon.
too cool!
Great picture, Wade. Miami Nice is a great concept, too.
Now, here’s the shocker. I could have been the preacher there! Well, not literally. I entered the ministry in 1982, though. Not, too long afterward, while living in a small town in Oklahoma–it was probably in 1987, maybe 1988, one of the well-intentioned, elderly members of the church family stopped by my office in early May to remind me that it was getting close to prom-time.
I shrugged.
In doing so I communicated my ignorance of his point. Therefore, he just came right out and stated that I needed to get out my “It’s a Sin to Dance” sermon.
I laughed.
He did not. He informed me that he was serious. Shortly thereafter, he abruptly left my office saying something about not knowing what was going to come of the church…
I cried.
You are so brave! About the dancing, I remember when Jerome would not let us wear shorts or jeans on summer singing tours (in the 80’s). He says now, he would let us wear what was comfortable. I told him he put us through that for nothing! Thank goodness times change! Lynn
Livin on the Edge… even back then. Are you sure that’s not Kevin Bacon in the photo? Everybody cut, everybody cut… everybody cut, everybody cut… everybody cut FOOTLOOSE!
Is that Wade or Don Johnson?
PREACHERMAN…
Way to go. Now Wade can die happy. Someone has compared him to his all-time hero, Don Johnson. Thanks to you, now we can expect a dramatic decline in sermon quality, more elementary writings than ever before, and a general sense of “I’ve-accomplished-my-life’s-mission-so-there’s-not-much-else-to-work-for” in everything Wade does from this point on.
If anyone doubts me, just Wade about a certain jade-green sportscoat.
🙂
Sam
Very cool.
You were in 8th grade in ’87?
I’m suddenly feeling much older…
Not cool.
I dig the Astroturf on your deck there.
They’re still preaching those anti-dancing sermons to teen youth rallies in small-town Texas where I was for 2 years (2001-2003). I got so mad for them wasting time talking about that when they could have chosen something more timely.
The kids went to dances anyway…they could have preached Jesus.
Need to check out:
http://www.miamivice.com/main.html
The offical Miami Vice movie site.
Comming to a Theater near you in 2006!
Uh, I glad you didn’t have sex either because that leads to dancing.
Have you gone forward for that yet?
DU
I guess your post is funny, but I hate it when people are made fun of, especially people who were trying to do what was right. In our fellowship we have pretty much seen the light as far as dancing is concerned, and I guess it is because dancing has cleaned up it’s act. It seems to me we have become just like the world. I have two grown children. I let them decide about the prom, and I didn’t go around preaching to them about the evils of the “modern dance.” but I am convinced that the reason why people took a different position than you is that they were old enough to see the damage done, especially when you mixed the kind of dancing done today with large amounts of alcohol. I hope I can post this without being laughed at. Just some thoughs from an old guidance counselor who has tried to pick up the pieces after a night of dancing and booze. You can all start laughing now.
Why are we so quick to make fun of and deride the wisdom and advice of people who are much older and much wiser than we are? Do you not know that the Bible tells us to respect the “hoary heads”, and to honor our fathers and mothers? It didn’t say that we got a pass if we disagreed with them, or that we got to doublecheck everything they said to see if we could legally get away with it.
We aren’t allowed to disregard something just because we disagree with it or don’t fully understand it. If we applied our attitude about the wisdom of our elders to what we think about God’s word, we’d all be in a heap of trouble, because I don’t understand why God requires some things, either.
The attitude displayed by some towards our parents and grandparents is incredibly disturbing, considering how faithfully many of them have lived their lives. We think it is acceptable, and even encouraged, to disregard and even make fun of them, but scripture clearly tells us not to. If you doubt that God frowns on this attitude, maybe you should ask the 42 children who thought they were being really cute and funny back in Elisha’s time…
After growing up a scant 20 miles north of your hometown, understanding the “views” of the church there and obviously elsewhere…you are the bravest pastor I know…in the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, respect…Christ came to complete the law and He did it…quite nicely, too…