On Meeting Rick Warren

      I have met a few famous people in my lifetime.  I met former NFL running back Cullen Bryant (Los Angeles Rams) way back in the late 70s in the Citadel mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado when I was in high school.  He was shopping and I was wondering is that Cullen Bryant?  So I kind of hid behind an escalator and said (just a little bit above a whisper) Cullen, Cullen! He looked around, and I walked up and shook hands with a friendly NFL running back.

I once shared an airplane ride with NBA and Olympic great (Awesome Man) David Robinson. I was able to witness to him, provide him with a Bible tract….and a Bible courtesy of a man sitting behind us, who “Just happened” to work for the New York Bible Society. What some people call coincidence, we know is the will of God!


Several years later in his autobiography he wrote about being witnessed to by an evangelist on an airplane. In the book, it was somewhere in Europe, so might have been me, might have not been....but I did have that  opportunity on a flight from Colorado Springs, to Dallas.

I met Josh McDowell a wonderful Apologetist (Defender of the Gospel) at an airport, he was very nice. 


I met Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman, at a Nashville airport 
(I need to fly around more often) I had just recorded my very own CD with a mutual friend Tony Ellenburg. Tony and I had just eaten breakfast….and I had egg on my shirt (Really) Steven didn’t seem to mind, he was very gracious, though the guy with him would not take home any awards for friendliness. 

I have met several well know preachers….and almost all of them were nice :)  Adrian Rogers my all time favorite (I met him five times) made me feel like the most important person he had ever met.

This past week while attending a John Piper (wonderful Pastor and prolific writer) conference, Laura and I met Rick Warren.  He is the founding Pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, California.  Rick, after graduating from Seminary (Southwestern, Fort Worth, Texas) drove his family and a u-hall to Southern California in 1980, to start Saddleback from scratch!

In the years since, that Church start, had become one of the most influential Churches on the planet.  Rick prayed the inaugural prayer when President Obama was sworn into office. He is also a bestselling author. 

The first sentence of his book (The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold 30 million +) reads, "It's not about you" and the remainder of the chapter goes on to explain how the quest for personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning can only be found in understanding and doing what God placed you on Earth to do. 

*The book's 40 chapters are divided into six major sections, with the following titles.

• What on Earth Am I Here For?
• Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Worship)
• Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (Fellowship)
• Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Discipleship)
• Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (Ministry)
• Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (Mission) *Wikipedia

Rick has repaid Saddleback for all the years they paid his salary, and now no longer receives a salary. 

I had hoped to do the same with sales of my CD….but my Mom, could only buy so many copies ;) 

Just before the Saturday session at the conference, there was a tap on my shoulder and Laura’s and there was Rick Warren…jeans, converse (Styling) and smiling. 

He was friendly, and readily gave away his smile…and asked me if I had received a Pastors hug yet.  After that warm exchange, I told him you have been hugged by a Pastor too. He was genuinely interested in us both…but had to go. 

He left us with a memory of one of Gods choicest saints, who in that brief encounter revealed why God has used him so mightily...He is real, and He loves the Lord!

I just hope I didn’t have egg on my shirt :)