Faith, Culture, Surfing

One of the ministries I’m involved with at my church, an evangelical Baptist church, is the College Ministry. The other is our outreach to skateboarders, Ignition Skate Ministry.

I was interviewed last Thursday on stage by our College Director during what would normally be our teaching time: My personal testimony, interview style. He asked me to do it because the last couple of weeks he was teaching about culture – do we embrace it, or run away from it?

Sometimes we Christ Followers can come across as judgmental. There are a couple of reasons: some are, and the Bible is clear in the area of sin. However, there are ways to be involved in a culture and do it out of love. Ignition Skate Ministry is in the skateboarding culture and we do it out of love. So that’s why I was interviewed.

I started surfing in the summer of 1981 and back then, as is today still for the most part, surfing and skateboarding as cultures in themselves were very similar. Today I know surfers who skateboard and skateboarders who surf. I’m sure snowboarding can be thrown into the mix, too, but those are the two I’m currently involved in.

I really like sharing my life, since I really did get into the whole “Jeff Spicoli” (the movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High) attitude when I was in High School. That’s the culture/lifestyle part of it that I can still be involved in, but not have to participate in the sex, drugs, and alcohol aspect of it anymore. I kind of got on this tangent because I really love the skate ministry, and talking about it was exciting.

I used to do something similar with the group of guys I surf with, where we’d go through a Psalm and sing some songs before surfing, but that kind of dropped off to the side. I think it would be easier if I could spend more time down there. I’m sure there’s a way to bring it back.

So yesterday, I surfed. This whole introduction had a purpose and it was to be directed at God and His creation. It’s why I Dawn Patrol. It was really cold yesterday morning and the wind added to the coldness. However, when I get to the beach and finally pick a surf spot, one of my favorite things to do is just worship and praise God while I’m looking at the surf. The sunrise, if it’s not cloudy, can be so amazing. I hope you can see from the vid just how amazing it was. The surf was fun, but not spectacular. As you know by now, I have fun no matter what and I believe it’s because of what I try to give back to God when I get to enjoy His creation the way I do.

Today wasn’t the direction you probably thought I would go, but in past posts I haven’t hidden the fact that I’m a Christ Follower. I know not all will share my faith or view. I just know what it does to me and how special surfing is. I love the guys I surf with and not all of them believe what I believe. So I guess that’s why I wrote it. We all love the same culture and lifestyle, surfing. There’s a way to embrace culture, and not participate in all of it’s darkness, if there is any darkness.

I really hope you have a great week and if you have questions, just use the comment section.

Thank you and God bless,

Surfer Yoda