Wayne Reece: Easter in a Texas Roadhouse

Summary

Summary of "Wayne Reece: Easter in a Texas Roadhouse" – The Moth Podcast

Introduction

In the episode titled "Easter in a Texas Roadhouse," Reverend Wayne G. Reese shares a profound and transformative personal experience that reshaped his approach to ministry and storytelling. Delivered live at the New York Public Library in 2010 under the theme "OMG Stories of the Sacred," Reese's narrative intertwines themes of faith, community, and the unexpected lessons learned during a seemingly ordinary night.

Setting the Scene: A Precarious Saturday Night

Reverend Reese begins his story by transporting listeners to North Texas in the year 1960, specifically the Saturday before Easter. As a seminary student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Reese was not only completing his theological studies but also pastoring four churches—a considerable responsibility for someone in his final year of seminary.

"I was agonizing to finish my sermon that I had worked on all week long, trying to get it down to the perfection that Christian preachers try to do on Easter." ([03:42])

An Unexpected Stranding

On that fateful Saturday evening, Reese was assisting one of the youth from his congregations, a young man named Brian, who had been inadvertently left behind by his peers after a special pre-Easter gathering. After ensuring Brian safely returned home in his station wagon, Reese faced a predicament: he had forgotten to refuel his car. As a result, his vehicle sputtered and died in the middle of nowhere, leaving him stranded without visibility and resources.

"I had forgotten to fill up my gas tank that day. My car started to sputter and spit, and then it died. What do I do? I'm out here in the middle of nowhere." ([08:15])

A Glimpse of Hope: The Roadhouse Encounter

Desperate for assistance, Reese ventured into the darkness on foot, walking for what he believed were two hours. In reality, only 35 minutes had passed when he spotted a gleaming light in the distance. Drawn to it like a moth to a flame, Reese approached a bustling country roadhouse filled with pickup trucks, motorcycles, and lively music.

Upon entering, Reese encountered three men playing pool. One of them, Eric, invited him to play, instantly connecting over a shared familiarity with the game. Despite not having played in six years, Reese found his old pool skills returning under the spotlight.

"I did it again. Two balls had gone in, three balls went in. And by now I realized that I had amazingly gotten back my youthful talent of pool." ([11:50])

Breaking the Ice: Sharing the Easter Story

After a few successful shots, Reese was dubbed "the pool shark" by Eric, who then steered the conversation towards Reese's presence in their neighborhood. When asked about his purpose, Reese revealed his role as the new preacher at the Tioga Methodist Church and his urgent need to reach Sadler for Easter services the following morning.

Roy, one of the men, candidly admitted, "I've never been to church before, and I want to know the story about Easter." ([14:30])

Faced with the opportunity to share his prepared intellectual sermon or to connect on a human level, Reese chose the latter. He began recounting the Easter story in a relatable manner:

"There was this guy named Jesus, and he gathered around him 12 guys of his friends, and they were his gang, and they roamed the countryside together, and they talked about peace and justice and love and God..." ([15:10])

A New Perspective: Faith in Action

As Reese narrated the familiar story of Jesus's betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection, he realized the profound impact of sharing faith in a genuine and accessible way. Roy's immediate and heartfelt response—"Man, that's an awesome story."—underscored the resonance of Reese's approach.

Inspired by this interaction, Eric and his friends took immediate action to assist Reese, siphoning gas to help him continue his journey. This unexpected act of kindness from strangers highlighted the essence of community and the living embodiment of Easter's message.

"Eric seemed to be the leader. And he got up and he said, let's go get the shark some gas." ([16:06])

Returning Home: A Renewed Mission

Reese's return home was met with concern from his wife, emphasizing the dangers of being stranded without modern communication tools like cell phones. Despite the worry, Reese felt invigorated by the night's events. He hurriedly revised his prepared sermon, integrating the authentic experiences and lessons gleaned from the roadhouse encounter.

"I have got to rewrite my sermon because the intellectual sermon that I have prepared for my people tomorrow is not their story." ([15:50])

The following day, as Reese delivered sermons across his circuit, he felt a heightened sense of confidence and connection with his congregations. His experience reaffirmed the importance of authentic storytelling and meeting people where they are, a lesson that would forever influence his ministry.

Conclusion: Embracing the Unexpected

Reverend Wayne G. Reese's "Easter in a Texas Roadhouse" serves as a testament to the power of genuine human connections and the transformative impact of sharing faith in relatable ways. Through a night of unforeseen challenges and compassionate strangers, Reese discovered a deeper understanding of his role as a preacher and the essence of the Easter story.

"I realized that if at all possible, I would never preach sermons the old way." ([16:06])

This heartfelt narrative not only captures Reese's personal journey but also offers listeners a poignant reflection on faith, community, and the enduring power of storytelling.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "I was agonizing to finish my sermon that I had worked on all week long, trying to get it down to the perfection that Christian preachers try to do on Easter." ([03:42])
• "I had forgotten to fill up my gas tank that day. My car started to sputter and spit, and then it died. What do I do? I'm out here in the middle of nowhere." ([08:15])
• "I did it again. Two balls had gone in, three balls went in. And by now I realized that I had amazingly gotten back my youthful talent of pool." ([11:50])
• "I've never been to church before, and I want to know the story about Easter." ([14:30])
• "I realized that if at all possible, I would never preach sermons the old way." ([16:06])

Final Thoughts

Reverend Reese's story is a compelling illustration of how unexpected moments can lead to profound personal and professional growth. By embracing spontaneity and authentic interaction, Reese not only overcame his immediate challenge but also discovered a more impactful way to connect with his audience, embodying the true spirit of Easter.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

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[Reverend Wayne G. Reese]

Travel with me, if you will, to a space called the Panhandle in North Texas. Travel with me, if you will, to a time in the year 1960, 50 years ago, specifically the Saturday before Easter. I was in my last year in seminary at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, but I was also pastoring four churches that I had just gone to two months before in January. And I was on that Saturday. I was agonizing to finish my sermon that I had worked on all week long, trying to get it down to the perfection that Christian preachers try to do on Easter. I had put in some of my own experiences and my reflections. I had also dropped in some wonderful quotations from the theologians of the day, and I was ready to preach that day, but I had to wait another day. Now, that Saturday in the evening, some of the 14 of the the kids from the four churches that I was serving Sadler, Gordon, Phil, Gunter, and Tioga they came over to a special time that would prepare them for Easter. At 9 o'clock they all left. And one guy was left. His friend had left him behind and had forgotten him, and Brian asked me if I could take him home to Tioga, and I said sure, and I told my wife where I was going and what I was doing. And so Brian and I jumped into my station wagon and we headed off. But for me this was virgin territory, uncharted. I had driven these roads in the last two months during the day on the major thoroughfares, but I had not traveled those country roads in the dark. I got Brian to his home, dropped him and headed back. It was about 10 o'clock at night and I was needing to get home and get to bed so I could be prepared for the four messages. The Next morning. And then it happened. I had forgotten to fill up my gas tank that day. My car started to sputter and spit, and then it died. What do I do? I'm out here in the middle of nowhere. I can't see anything. And so I wondered, where do I go? Who can I find? There was no house around. There were no gas stations around. And so I apprehensively but knowingly got out of my car, left, locked it up, and started going someplace, not knowing where I was going or when I was going to get there and what I would find when I got there. So I'd walked almost two hours, or at least it seemed two hours. But actually, I found out when I got to the place. I'd only been gone 35 minutes. But I saw in the distance a gleaming light. And like a moth being drawn to the flame, I went to that glow. And as I neared it, I heard twanging, blaring music. And I found myself at a country roadhouse surrounded by pickup trucks and motorcycles. Now, I had never been in one of these, and I didn't know what to expect, But I knew that I had to have somebody try to help me. And I wondered if I would find anybody like that here. So I apprehensively went into the roadhouse, and over on the side, there was a little room, and there were three guys in there playing pool. And so I thought, well, maybe they could help me, or at least they could tell someone who could help me. So I went in there, and just as I walked in, one guy came up to me and he said, hey, I'm Eric, and do you want to play pool? I thought maybe they thought I could be hustled because I had. Well, I looked like I had money. But anyhow, I said, well, I used to play pool when I was in high school. And then I thought to myself, and I had done pretty well, but I hadn't played for six years. He said, well, would you break on a game of stripes and solids? And I said, sure. So I racked them up, went to get the cue stick, chalked it up, put talc on my hands, and stroked and cracked the rack, meaning they broke. One ball went in. I did it again. Two balls had gone in, three balls went in. And by now I realized that I had amazingly gotten back my youthful talent of pool. Well, to make a long story short, I put in four more balls. There was only one ball left. The eight ball. This is the piece de resistance in eight ball, I called it, for the left corner Pocket I stroked, hit, and it went in. And immediately Eric said, oh, we've got a pool shark in our midst. He was kinder than another guy. He said, okay, are you a pool hustler in the neighborhood? Well, I thought to myself, what do I say? And Eric said, okay, come and sit down. We sat down, and a couple of other guys joined us at the table. And he said, I want you to tell us why you are in our neighborhood. Oh, man, what did I say to these guys? I said, okay, I'm the new preacher at the Tioga Methodist Church. I'm on the way back to Sadler, which was about 30 miles away. I ran out of gas. I've got to get home because I'm preaching at four churches in the morning and because it's Easter. Roy said, what's Easter? Two of the guys chided Roy because of what he had said. But he said, honestly, I've never been to church before, and I want to know the story about Easter. So I thought to myself, what do I tell Roy? Do I give him the sermon that I had prepared that was filled with illustrations from Paul Tillich's the New Being? Or do I try to find new ways to tell the story, the old, old story, to the new ears of Roy? So I thought for a moment, and then I swallowed and started in. Now, there was this guy named Jesus, and he gathered around him 12 guys of his friends, and they were his gang, and they roamed the countryside together, and they talked about peace and justice and love and God, and they did great things, but the authorities wanted to get him, and so they tried to find ways of either capturing him or killing him. Well, I told a little bit more of the story until I came down to the end and I said, one night, one of the gang ratted on him to the authorities. And so they caught Jesus, and the next day they hanged him on a tree and they killed him. Two days later, they went, some of the gang went to try to find him in the tomb where they had laid him, and he wasn't there. And they searched around and asked around, and finally someone said, God has raised Jesus from the dead and has given him new life. Now, Roy, that's the story of Jesus, and that's the story of Easter. And Roy blurted out, man, that's an awesome story. And I said, you know, I believe in an awesome God. After a brief period of silence, Eric seemed to be the leader. And he got up and he said, let's go get the shark some gas. Hey, I had a new name the shark and I had a bunch of new guys as my friends. Well, anyhow, we went outside and they siphoned some gas from someplace, I don't know where, they put it in a can. Eric gave me the can and said, hey, sit on the back with me. And so I got on the motorcycle with him. And this was another new first. I've never been on a motorcycle before. So we traveled three miles down the dusty road. I got off, poured the gas in the can, gave the can back to Eric, and they took off without saying a word. And I was sorry to see my new friends go. Well, I finally got home about 12:30, and my wife was frantic because she didn't know what had happened to me. You see that? That was B.C. before cell phones. And she said, why don't you come to bed? And I said, I can't come to bed. I had a great experience tonight. I got stranded, I got friends, I played pool. I told the story of Easter to new people. I have got to rewrite my sermon because the intellectual sermon that I have prepared for my people tomorrow is not their story. And so she went up to bed and I hurriedly wrote down the new message that had come to me. As I was driving back on that awesome travel from the roadhouse, I went to bed. I felt great and spent and excited. This was going to be a chance to tell the story of the faith that had meant so much to me and had called me into ministry. So I woke up the next morning. I had headed off to the first three churches on the circuit. And each, after each church, I felt more confident and more expectant. And. And I realized that if at all possible, I would never preach sermons the old way. So I got to Tioga at 1 o'clock and I walked in. And there the people were, 80 wonderful people dressed in their finery. As we were beginning to sing the last hymn or the first hymn, what did I hear outside but a roar of motorcycles coming up? And in walked seven guys dressed in their black leather jackets and their black leather pants, their uniform that they had on last night. And the usher looked at me and wondered what he was supposed to stay. And on his own, he said, could I help you? And Eric and his great voice said, hey, we're here to hear the Shark tell the story of Easter again.

[Dan Kennedy]

Reverend Wayne G. Reese has been a United Methodist pastor for more than five decades and has served congregations in Texas, Indiana, Michigan and the uk. He's the author of the book Giving Beyond Ourselves and wrote and edited three books in the Becoming People of God series. This episode is brought to you by shutterstock.com with over 20 million high quality stock photos, illustrations, vectors and video clips, Shutterstock helps you take creative projects to the next level. For 30% off your new account, go to shutterstock.com and use offer code themoth2. Also next week, Monday, April 8, I will be the guest on the NPR trivia show Ask Me Another hosted by Moth favorite Ophira Eisenberg with music from Jonathan Colton. That's at the Bell house in Brooklyn, New York. For tickets go to amaticket.org and I hope to see you there. It's going to be fun. And finally today, the Moth Mainstage is coming to the State theater in Portland, Maine on Thursday, June 6. That's going to be a great show, so get your tickets now. For ticketing information and for a list of all of our upcoming tour stops, visit themoth.org Dan Kennedy is a writer.

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[Dan Kennedy]

Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast Audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth Podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by prx, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more [e-mail].