This will be an abridged version....I should probably start writing a book...

So I'm on the road with Mike. I was excited because he had never been to the Upper peninsula before. I had grown up going to Mackinac Island, the Bridge Walk, and doing day trips. Even went to Marquette for a Varsity Basketball retreat in high school. But this time I had different eyes.
First of all it was funny to see brake lights come on as we passed cars. Or to see front bumpers dip in the distance. [We rented a car. A Impala that was Michigan State Police blue.] One thing did bother me about the car, it was registered in Kentucky. We stuck out like sore thumbs anyway. I felt like it was a neon sign on top of the car.

Themes I want to point out that seem to coincide with emergent ministry:
Relationships are more valuable, period...
If a relationship is hindered by something, you trim that something back. Everyone we met were examples of this, but here are two blaring examples. We were at a restaurant which had these killer sweet rolls, as big as my head. There as a picture of this baby holding on one on their menu. The waitress starts to talk about the little boy in the picture. He's 12 now and wants everyone to know that he's not a baby anymore. He's even started making his own jams and sauces. ['Cuase what else do you do if your 12 and your family owns and pretty much lives in the restaurant? You cook stuff and you sell the "home runs."] Anyway, the waitress is telling us about this boy, and even starts to go and get the stuff to show us what he made, then realizes that we just gave her our order. We may be sitting in the restaurant because we're Hungary. The relationship was more important to her then her duties at the time. I'm not saying duty isn't important. I am saying that at the time, it was ok for her to talk to us, and not rush off to get our food. That needs to be ok more often. The second example was at a motel we stayed at, called the Shorewood Motel. Janet talked to us about 40 minutes when we got there to check in. Then her husband Frank stepped in and we were there with them for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes. [Mike was doing the pee-pee dance by then. Frank had to rest his back too.] This was way beyond making us feel welcome for business sake. The most I've squeezed out of hotel peops is 10 minutes. They wanted to talk. Frank and Janet wanted to know us. It was a joy to know them. When I'm back in the Escanaba area again, I know where I can hang my hat.
What we call church...
As we were driving to Copper Harbor we saw a church by the side of the road. The sign said "Historic Church and Museum." On the way up we thought it said "Historic Church museum." It could have said that. It isn't a "working" church. The Church won't die out. There are already emergent, and progress modern churches out there. I don't believe Jesus would let his bride die, that doesn't make sense. That church is no longer relevant in it's community. There may even be believers somewhere in that community. They may drive somewhere, have a small group, or worse have no fellowship. I hope to some level they have fellowship. Now that I think of it, a lot of us go to church every week and have no fellowship/connection. That is probably worse to be alone in a crowd. How many years have I done that very thing? Many I fear. All I know is that on that road that day. I wasn't a lone. So eventually we got back on the road.
Before we headed south we saw the end of the roadd! We missed breakfast that morning because there's only one place open during the week in April. And only for breakfast. So we had Honeybuns, jerky and bad coffee from a gas station in Calumet. Ahhh road trip food. Good thing I'm not a trucker, I'd weigh 400lbs. Hope this left you hangin'... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...