Police Lingo

I have to admit - I like watching police shows on television. From the abundance of Law and Order takes, to NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles, to CSI, to Chicago Code, to Blue Bloods, the TV programming is filled with police dramas. As good as the modern police shows are, I still will take the ones from my childhood over them any day. I use to love Police Woman starting Angie Dickinson, Kojak, and the original Hawaii 5-0 (which is far better than the modern rendition on television today). But my favorite police shows when I was young were Adam-12 and Starsky and Hutch. Like most kids, watching these shows made me want to be a policeman or detective when I grew up.

I remember having a police scanner as a kid and spending each night listening to the conversations between the dispatcher and the officers. Between the police shows on TV and the scanner I picked up on all of the "Police Lingo." You know, things like "2-11 in progress" and "A.P.B." If you have watched any police shows on television you know what "A.P.B." stands for. It stands for "All Points Bulletin." When the police were searching for someone they would put out an A.P.B. giving the description of the individual including what they last were wearing and the vehicle they were last seen driving.

This Sunday here at the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church (GEFC) I want to put out an A.P.B. - a spiritual All Points Bulletin. Our 65 or so High Schoolers who spent this past week of Spring Break on our annual Florida Trip with Pastor Newell and his staff will all be sitting on stage and will be taking time in the morning service to share what God did in their lives this past week. I will then take the closing time to share a message as part of our Simon Says series as we look at the life of Peter in that short window of time between the ending of the last supper and his third denial of Jesus.

Though the congregation will be listening in, my message will be directed toward these High Schoolers as they return after experiencing some great spiritual victories and on a spiritual high. I will be issuing to them a spiritual A.P.B. which will include three challenges that can help them to continue in their commitments in the days, weeks and months ahead of them.

So in the spirit of Adam-12 and Starsky and Hutch, this Sunday we issue a spiritual A.P.B. here at GEFC! If you don't live local to Gaylord, Michigan, be sure to go online (http://www.gaylordefree.org/) starting Sunday afternoon and listen to the audio recording of the service.

Be sure to also read my other blog, entitled Hope for Hurting Pastors, at www.hurtingpastor.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.