"Y" Us?

(Notice the image to the left is not a real picture of the "Y GUY" who is our symbol of hospitality at HUMC.)

Yesterday morning I returned to the church after having been to a funeral. Something just did not seem right as I walked through the door. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something different.

Carolyn, one of our church office assistants came to me almost hysterical. "They took him!! They took him!!!", is all she could say over and over. I turned around and looked to the spot where "Y Guy" is always standing and sure enough- HE WAS GONE!!! And there laying in his place where a pair of old sandles.

I was appalled!! I mean sure, last week some of my youth and myself happened to be in Hendersonville hanging out and having a picnic. While out we began a conversation about how our Y-Guy is such a special part of our lives and how we have also noticed that YG has not seemed like himself lately. Someone suggested that maybe we should pick up YG's twin over at Hendersonville First UMC and let them spend some time together. It seemed like a great idea and just the right prescription for a depressed YGuy. And so we did it. And sure enough our YGuy was thrilled and seemed more like his old self.

You must know that our YGuy is ALWAYS at the front entrance of HUMC with a smile on his face waiting to greet whomever comes through the door. He shows no favortism to anyone but is always ready to extend the love of Christ to all. He is the silent servant who is always willing to hold signs, give directions or be the backdrop of some wild picture with friends. But now when people come to HUMC they are greeted by an old pair of sandles that some renegade disolutioned youth leader and his band of misguided (possibly brainwashed) youth have left behind.

So to the youth of Hendersonville UMC, we of Hermitage UMC want to say,

We love you.... you are our brothers and sisters. And we are sorry that you have been misguided by a charismatic yet renegade youth leader. He has filled you with a fabricated story about how we "kidnapped" your YGuy and held him ransom. The truth is that we had the most sincere of intentions and never meant to cause a conflict between anyone. We only wanted to try and make our YGuy feel better. Now you have taken him and we are afraid that if he is not returned he will become increasingly sick and increasingly dangerous. You have the power to stand up to your youth pastor and say, "we will not be a part of the tyranny any longer."

We are on your side and will help any way that we can. In fact if you give us our YGuy back, we'll not only be able to get him the treatment that he needs, but we'll be willing to help you get your youth leader the treatment that he needs so that he will not be inclined to make up crazy tales of youth groups breaking in to your youth room and taking things for ransom- HOW CRAZY IS THAT?

Please let us know how we can help, and let's restore order out of this madness and bring those REALLY responsible to justice. We're on your side.

Jonathon and the HUMC Youth