October 16, 2024 • 46 mins
Discover the inspirational journey of Richard and Lynn Gast, leaders of the Pedal Pushers at the Rose Bowl Parade and devoted servants of Lutheran Hour Ministries for over three decades. With a remarkable team of 4,000 volunteers, they masterfully orchestrate the creation of eight stunning floats, spreading the message of Jesus to millions worldwide. Listen as they share their secrets to successful event coordination, emphasizing the power of a servant attitude and strategic organization, while reflecting on their mission’s profound impact.
Uncover the magic behind the Lutheran Hour Ministries' live nativity float, a testament to creativity, dedication, and community spirit. This self-funded project not only brings the gospel to life but also strengthens family bonds and instills values of service and faith in future generations. The Gasts passionately discuss the joy found in spreading the gospel and encourage others to tap into their unique callings in sharing their faith, highlighting the vibrant spirit of volunteerism that unites people across the nation.
Finally, explore the significance of nurturing young people within the church, as Richard and Lynn emphasize the importance of youth engagement and community involvement. They share insights into how initiatives like the Pedal Pushers inspire the next generation to find purpose in their faith, while also reflecting on the importance of long-lasting marriages and shared spiritual journeys. Join us for a heartwarming conversation that celebrates a life centered on service, faith, and the joy of spreading the transformative power of the gospel.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the American Reformation Podcast,
tim Allman here.
Pray, the joy of Jesus is yourstrength.
As today I get to learn withRichard and Lynn Gast.
Let me tell you a little bitabout them.
They have been serving throughLutheran Hour Ministries, a part
of Lutheran Hour Ministriescalled the Pedal Pushers at the
Rose Bowl Parade.
If you've ever seen theLutheran Hour ministry float
(00:27):
it's decked out.
It is amazing.
And they have been serving thatmission for 34 years.
Richard just said you know youget a three-year assignment and
then often in the church itturns into 34 years.
Well, thank you for beingfaithful.
They're also faithful membersat Promise Lutheran in Marietta,
california, and honored to bepartners with them in Florida
Georgia, I think.
(00:48):
Florida Georgia, I thinkMarietta, georgia.
I was thinking we're in thePacific Southwest District of
the Lutheran Church, missouriSynod, not Florida Georgia.
Shout out to the FloridaGeorgia folks.
Thank you for your generosityof time today.
Richard and Lynn, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Doing great.
We're awesome.
It's been an exciting time forgetting ready and get this float
going.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
There we go, there we go.
It's the standard openingquestion in the American
Reformation podcast.
As you look at the broaderChristian church, you're going
to work with lots of differenttypes of churches, specifically
Lutheran.
But how are you praying forReformation today, richard and
Lynn?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, we feel that we have the opportunity to share
this ministry with a lot ofpeople, millions of people, not
only on the road on ColoradoBoulevard, but also over the TV
stations, and we have a chanceto share Jesus with those people
over the TV stations and wehave a chance to share Jesus
(01:47):
with those people.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Additionally.
Well, there's a million peopleon the parade route, so that's
pretty exciting.
The Tournament of Rosesindicates that there's a
worldwide broadcast that's seenby about 450 million people
worldwide because it is a feedthat goes around.
And then one of the otherexciting things and we'll get
into a little bit later is we'veinfiltrated the parade with
(02:12):
4,000 volunteers.
Yeah, we ask our volunteers toleave their Bibles at home, but
come with a servant attitude andthat song in their heart that
they'll know we are Christiansby our love.
We're probably one of thelargest LCMS servant events, if
you will, and we are excited tohave this volunteer team come in
(02:39):
and decorate eight floats.
We're in nobody's budget, we'rea self-funded project.
Decorate eight floats we're innobody's budget, we're a
self-funded project.
So one of our fundraisers iscalled Pedal Pushers decorating
eight floats.
So there's a lot of commercialfloats that want to write a
large check to the Tournament ofRoses and the float builder.
(02:59):
But how do they get itdecorated?
So we run a crew, traditionallybetween 350 and 400 people per
shift, two shifts a day duringthe decorating week from
December 26th through themorning of the 31st.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
We decorate eight floats and we run the flower
prep tent.
Last year we vialed 226,000roses.
Put them in little vials ofwater.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
That's an incredible project.
I have not been blessed.
I got to get out there to comebe a part of that boat.
I know, I know I will.
I just live six hours away andI need to make it a priority.
So let's, man, there's so manyareas that I want to go into
right now.
Eight different floats, so tellme how you manage that many
(03:51):
people.
What are your systems?
This is a leadership, one ofthe leaders.
Most of this is theology, butlet's get into leadership too,
Like what are your bestpractices for managing that
amount of people?
That's extraordinary, RichardLynn.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Well, I sign them in when they come in in the morning
and each float has a crew chiefthat actually teaches them what
they need to do and assignsthem a task.
So my job, or our job, is toget them the people standing
next to the float ready to gowith a servant art.
So we have eight floats flowertent.
(04:25):
Like I say, we get themassigned in and the crew chiefs
start out and if they have anyquestions or any problems or
concerns, they come back and seeus.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think one of the starting points is we have an
online registration system andwe've been signing up volunteers
already, so individuals cansign up at pedalpushersorg and
sign up for a shift.
All we ask them to do is towork a minimum of one eight-hour
(04:56):
shift.
They can work multiple shiftsif they choose, but not on the
same day.
The quality of their work goesdown the longer, so we don't
want individuals working 16hours a day.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And we have people that come from all over the
country.
I have a group that comes outof North Carolina every year.
We have New Mexico, florida,texas they come out every year
Iowa Iowa comes out with 35people every year and so we try
to, you know, get them assignedand working and those people
(05:35):
obviously want to work more thanone eight-hour shift if they've
traveled that far.
A lot of the SouthernCalifornia people work one or
two shifts and they're done forthe year and we're blessed by
them as well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
So we have a welcoming team.
So, to go with your question,this is not just the Dick and
Lynn show.
We're in an interestingsituation that I know.
A lot of church committees havebeen shrinking over the past
few years, especially afterCOVID.
We have a committee of about 34people that run the decorating
(06:16):
week, so we have the pedalpusher volunteer team that Lynn
leads up.
I happen to be general chairmanof the Lutheran Hour Float, so
I'm in charge of the wholeproject.
Lynn's in charge of thevolunteer aspect of the project
and we have a team that when youshow up, you sign in, she and
(06:37):
her team assign you a float, youget escorted to your assignment
and then, as Lynn mentioned, weturn the individuals over to a
crew chief.
So all we do is provide thevolunteers.
We don't do any.
They won't allow me to decorate.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Oh, I don't know.
I don't know about that.
So I'm curious about what ittakes to make a float look as
fantastic as they do.
So talk to me and our listeners, based on us having no idea
what it takes, from start tofinish, to put together such a
beautiful float to honor Jesus.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Well, we start out with a chassis, and the chassis
live 15 to 18 years.
They're torn down from theprevious year's float and down
to chassis, and when you look atthe chassis, we're talking
about a driver's seat and metalaround it with an engine and
transmission.
That's it.
From there on, it is a weldingshop where they weld the shape
(07:42):
of the float with pencil steel,they cocoon it in with a type of
meshing and then they spray itwith a liquid styrofoam that
adheres to that meshing and thatgives you the shaping of the
float.
And on the areas that you needto walk on the decks, they put a
(08:04):
second coating on it.
So it's hard enough that youdon't fall through Useful.
Then we start decorating.
Oh, and then it's painted.
I'm sorry, it's painted theexact color of what it's going
to be.
So if it's going to have a redrose on it, the area underneath
is painted red.
It does two things.
If a flower falls off in themiddle of the parade, you don't
(08:28):
get an ugly blotch.
And secondly, if I ask you toput red flowers on, you don't
have to get artistic as to wherethe red flowers should go.
You can just put them on wherethe red spot is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I think one additional thing to your
question is the January 15th,the Tournament of Roses
president for the upcomingparade gives us his theme for
the whole parade.
So this year the parade themeis called Best Day Ever.
(09:02):
Then our committee meets andstarts working on design
concepts of how we are going tohave a Christian message that
fits Best Day Ever.
So this year we lucked outbecause we didn't have to do
much thinking.
We're doing a live, we're doinga nativity in front of the
(09:27):
church and, if you're aware, andthe theme of our float is
behold, jesus the Savior is born.
So we feel that's probably thebest day ever is when God sent
his son, as a child born byVirgin Mary, to be our savior.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So we want to make sure that when it goes down the
road you don't have to scratchyour head and say, I wonder what
message they're trying to giveme.
So our messages are clearconcise.
Concise clear to the point thatwe may only get 30 seconds on
TV or going past the crowd onColorado Boulevard, so they have
(10:13):
to get the picture really quick.
So that's our goal when westart picking a theme, and we do
that before there's ever anyconstruction.
Our float this year was builtin April and then painted, and
so it's been out for two testdrives already.
They do a fire drill to makesure they can get all the riders
off in so many seconds.
(10:34):
They make sure all themechanics work, that everything
is running as it can.
Right now it's sitting instorage waiting for us to start
decorating.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I think the other thing, as we explain the concept
of the float, we're doing alive nativity in front of a
church.
The mission statement ofLutheran Hour Ministries is
bringing Christ to the nationsand the nations to the church.
So we've gone with a livenativity in front of a church
(11:05):
and then we were able to use thestained glass windows of the
church to address other bestdays.
So we have a baptism window, wehave an Easter window, we have
the ascending Christ window, thereturning king window, so we
have Jesus with the childrenwindow.
(11:28):
So we want the float to havemultiple messages and so a lot
of thought and preparation goesinto how we have a Christian
float in the parade.
The standing comment when I wasin sales earlier in my career
was if it will sell in Milwaukee, it'll sell anywhere.
(11:50):
So that's kind of the mentalitythat we take, that we need a
in-your-face message thatnobody's going to question that
we are a Christian float.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
We are the only Christian float in the parade
Wow, and it's our 74th year ofbeing there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
This is extraordinary .
So, people, I heard you sayeight, we had eight floats, but
then you just talked about theone float.
So we have eight.
Well, that's the.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Lutheran float Right, okay, so there's one Lutheran
float, but to pay for the oneLutheran float, as I mentioned
earlier, we're nobody's budget.
Everybody thinks St Louis sendsus money.
Unfortunately, they don't.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Not in their budget.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
We're not in their budget.
We are considered a self-fundedproject of the Southern
California District LutheranLayman's League.
Self-funded project of theSouthern California District
Lutheran Layman's League.
So in order to help pay for thefloat, we run five fundraisers,
and Pedal Pushers is one of ourfundraisers in the fact that we
are able to get a discount offof the Lutheran float by
(13:01):
decorating ours plus sevenothers and run the flower tent.
So we don't have to raise asmuch money in donations to pay
for the float because it's paidfor in part by the volunteerism.
So our volunteerism is prettycool because it saves us money,
(13:22):
but it also provides 4,000people a non-threatening
Christian witnessing opportunitywhere they're coming with their
labor of love.
I tease people that when mypastor says, dick, will you
canvass your neighborhood, I'mlike that's not really one of my
(13:43):
gifts.
But put a float in the parade,recruit 4,000 volunteers.
Yeah, we can do that and you'veprobably seen them before.
But we have these pedal pushershirts with the rendering of the
float on the back, lynn, and Ikind of wear them everywhere all
(14:04):
year long and the poor guybehind us this year is going to
see, behold, jesus the Savior isborn, whether we're at Costco
or Walmart or whatever, andwhere I may not be the door
knocker.
When somebody says what is theLuthenower float or who are the
(14:26):
pedal pushers, it's a dooropening question that we
joyfully entertain.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I say this with all respect, lynn, and I want to get
your comment, but you both areobsessed about pedal pushers and
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, yes, a little a general.
More people young, older,whatever need to discover their
obsession.
Hopefully it's centered in someaspect around their gifting and
(14:59):
then their gifting to proclaimthe gospel through word and deed
and lean into that.
I want to be a part of churcheswhere there are people that are
obsessed about whatever theentrepreneurial, new ministry
opportunity, kingdom, expandingevangelistic opportunity.
Have we thought about this?
Have we engaged in this?
I'm all in on this and I'm notgoing to stop with whatever this
(15:24):
is, because I see it's eternalramifications.
We need more obsessedChristians around various causes
today, and your cause of thepedal pushers and the impact,
the reach that it can have is so, so compelling, so compelling.
I just wanted to draw a noteabout how strange you both are
and how beautiful yourstrangeness is your obsession.
(15:45):
You're extraordinary, lynn, I'msorry to cut you off, I just
had to get that in.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I love your obsession .
Yeah, we, we, the family isinvolved, I involved, but it's
been a blessing to our wholefamily.
Our girls have grown updecorating floats.
As they got old enough theybecame crew chiefs on floats, so
they've run floats.
Our oldest daughter has beenthe crew chief on Lutheran
almost 25 years now, has beenthe crew chief on Lutheran
(16:13):
almost 25 years now, and hersisters have done the same.
Right now they now have littlekids, so now the three girls are
rotating who's in charge whichday so they can take care of
their families as well.
But it's drawn our wholefamilies into it and their
marriage partners, which it'sbeen neat.
You know what a, what anopportunity, what a blessing.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Let's talk, it sure is.
Let's talk about service.
What service does?
Because, as I've interactedwith you over the years, I mean
you both exude so much joy, somuch hope.
The love of Jesus just rests onyou both and it's you know,
it's centered, it's above yourpedal pusher passion, but it
(16:57):
definitely is like, hey, we canall do this together.
What is it about?
Service that just awakens thehuman heart, dick or Lynn?
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Well, if you don't feel that you need to serve,
that passion is dead.
You have to be willing to givesomething as well as receive.
Obviously, we've received a lotfrom Jesus, a lot.
Now it's our turn to give back.
It's something we felt weneeded to teach our children.
(17:28):
It's something we needed toteach our children.
It's something we needed toteach.
You know our volunteers and, asDick said, we tell them.
You know we're not coming hereto hit somebody over the head
with a Bible, but we do have aservice to provide, and
Tournament has even said yourvolunteers are just different
than a lot of our othervolunteers.
Yeah, they have Jesus in theirheart and we've had the
(17:52):
opportunity.
I know we say we don't hitpeople over the head, but we
have had opportunities towitness.
We do have a witness tablethere with a team in the
building with a pastor therethat if people have questions,
we have handouts, we have allkinds of things, people to talk
with.
(18:12):
We had a crew chief a coupleyears ago.
We walked past, dick walkedpast and she's crying and he
said okay, what happened here?
My boyfriend and she was anolder woman, my boyfriend, they
just called me and said he died.
And so we had the opportunityto I was the first person to so
(18:33):
we had time to spend with her.
We called our pastor advisor.
He came every day that week,spent time with her, talked
about the resurrection, talkedabout Jesus.
I mean we didn't hit anybodyover the head with the Bible,
but we were there when we neededto be over the head with the
Bible, but we were there when weneeded to be.
(18:55):
That's the issue.
You know, the float builderoriginally did not have a faith
base and eventually, before heand his wife passed, they were
church going people.
Their children had thegrandchildren baptized.
So we've got generations nowthree generations straight, that
have come to Jesus, kind of,you want to say accidentally,
(19:18):
but there is no accident withJesus, but it happened, amen, it
just happens.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Anything to add, Dick ?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Also, in addition to having the witness booth in the
float decorating building, wehave our witnessing team in the
formation area in the paradewhere the floats are formed up,
and then there's a festivalcalled Float Fest where the
(19:49):
floats are on display for a dayand a half out in Victory Park,
and so we put a witness team outthere.
There's about 75,000, 80,000people that will come through
there and look at the floats,and last year we had 12
individuals out there witnessingto individuals, answering
(20:14):
questions.
You know, a lot of timesthey'll say why do you have a
float in the parade, or what isthe message of the float, or
what is the symbolism of thefloat, and so we look at this as
being more than a two-hourevent one day a year.
One of the other things that wenoticed a couple years ago is
(20:37):
that the younger people are notas much into the parade as we
are.
As kids, I mean, lynn and Igrew up.
The standing joke in ourhousehold we lived in Wisconsin
was on New Year's Day youcouldn't leave the TV until the
Lutheran float went by.
Once the Lutheran float went by, you could wander off and do
(21:01):
whatever you wanted to do.
But we've noticed that with allthe different cable channels
and streaming devices thatthere's not as much enthusiasm.
So to bring awareness we set upa coloring contest where we
have kids all over the countrycoloring the rendering of the
(21:22):
float, and I think last year wehad about 836 kids and the fun
part about it is not only do thekids color it, but the parents
have to sign it and the teacherhas to sign it.
So we're trying to figure outdifferent ways we can
incorporate our message to theworld and utilize the efforts of
(21:45):
our committee and the fabulousdesign that we've been blessed
with in a float design.
Then we also went into theChristmas card business.
So this year we have Christmascards that are going to be
crisscrossing the country withthe message behold, jesus the
Savior is born.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And the back of the card says Lutheran Art
Ministries.
It doesn't say Hallmark.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, let's talk about thechange in American culture.
This is American ReformationPodcast, and so we talk about
culture.
What is it about?
I'd love to get the history ofthe Rose Bowl parade from your
perspective and the kind ofdecline in in, uh, parade
culture.
You know, I think there used tobe I'm going to sound like a
(22:36):
older guy now, right but thereused to be.
Like in small town communities,like everybody comes out for
the parade, and even here we gotGilbert days.
I live in Gilbert and there's a, there's a parade, but I I
don't.
I don't see a lot of, maybe asmuch community pride today.
And I think the Rose Bowlparade kind of symbolizes, in
(22:57):
some respects, kind of AmericanUnited States of America, kind
of this godly sense of pride I'mproud to be a Christian first
but then proud to be an Americanhere and I think the Rose, rose
Bowl parade and and the StPatty or no with the
Thanksgiving parade See I'm, I'm.
What is the Thanksgiving dayparade Is that's in.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
New York right.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Macy's.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Thank you, macy's.
Yeah, all sorts of balloons.
They're the balloon parade.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Yeah, and you're the float parade, so what?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
is it about?
I mean just thinking flowerparade.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
There we go.
What is it that's changing inculture?
Maybe that makes the nextgeneration not be as kind of
prone to the parade culture.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
I think this generation has so much else to
do and they've got the internetand they've got their phones and
they've got so much socialmedia that they don't direct
their attention this way.
But if they can come anddecorate, we have a lot of young
people coming and decorating,it's not just the older folks,
so I think that's kind of a neatoption.
(24:08):
Why don't?
Speaker 2 (24:08):
you maybe quickly explain some of the groups that
come in.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, we have groups that come from all over the
country.
We do have some adult groups.
Like we mentioned, that Iowagroup comes in every year with
35 people.
We do have families that comefrom all around.
However, we have youth groups.
We have I have a Girl Scouttroop that has come in for years
.
In fact they're now in theirtwenties and they still that's
(24:32):
their get together every year tocome back and decorate floats.
You know we have other youthgroups from churches, from boy
scouts, girl scouts.
National Charity League is agroup that does charity type
work and they bring their girlsin.
It's a mother daughter, uh typegroup.
(24:54):
So they come in.
You know, I think if you have ayouth group you can send in,
we're gonna have to dick forsure yeah yeah, yeah our church.
our church loads up a bus andpastor drives the bus in and
brings in 25, 30 people.
I love it, I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
So it's.
It's that week, if people wantit.
We're going to start talkingabout Lutheran hour.
Now we'll kind of land theplane with pedal pushers, but
it's if people want to volunteerand serve that week.
Is it the week betweenChristmas and new year's that
everybody kind of descends thereto help you get it done.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
We do the Saturdays of December an 8 to 4 or a 4 to
8.
So they can pick a shift.
Sign up on pedalpushersorgthere's a sign up there and then
we start the morning of the26th.
We run two 8-hour shifts a dayan 8 to 4, a 4 to 11.
And we are done on the 31st inthe morning because judging's
(25:54):
then we better be done and weare, we are.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
That's excellent.
That's excellent.
Let's talk about Lutheran HourMinistries.
This ministry is a part of abroader thing called the
Lutheran Hour and the LutheranHour, from my perspective as a
multi-generation pastor in theLCMS, is one of the greatest
partners, evangelical tools toget the gospel into the hearts
and ears of many peopleinternationally.
(26:20):
So what makes you most proud ofbeing a part of Lutheran Hour
Ministries, dick or Lynn?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Oh, it's been fabulous.
I mean they have that missionstatement bringing Christ to the
nations, to the nations to thechurch, so they look at the
Lutheran ministry as a broaderperspective than just your local
community available and have areally talented pool of staff
(26:53):
that are creating and media.
They have just done a fabulousjob.
I was blessed to be on thenational board for eight years.
Unfortunately, I turned out soI am now the president of the
Southern California DistrictLutheran Layman's League.
(27:15):
But Kurt Buchholz has done justa fabulous job.
I don't know if you'veinteracted with Kurt.
He's done a fabulous job inhaving a vision of taking the
word of Jesus to the whole worldand they've done a great job of
infiltrating some third worldcountries Very exciting times we
(27:40):
had the opportunity to go toKenya.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
There's a big ministry from Lutheran our
ministries there.
We have a granddaughter fromUganda that we brought home to
America.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
No, becky brought her , my daughter brought home let's
clarify that, yes, please.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
But yeah, lutheran Hour Ministries has ministries
all over the world and theopportunity, I mean it is
amazing in some of these othercountries.
As I say, we did a couple ofweeks in Kenya and the faith
base in some of those people,the one that impressed me was we
were going in a Jeep out to achurch service under a mango
(28:25):
tree and I said, since you don'thave an address, how do we know
when we get there?
And the driver said, we'll know.
Okay, so we drive and we drive,and we drive and all of a
sudden we find this giant.
I didn't even know what a mangotree looked like, but it's a
big tree and there's 200 peopleunder the mango tree and there's
(28:46):
a minister that is going to doa church service.
He isn't even there yet.
The people are waiting for him.
They baptized 37 people thatday.
Come on.
So Lutheran Hour Ministries istaking the opportunity in all
different parts of the world toteach people.
We went to a church service andthe first service was in
(29:08):
English.
Okay, we understood that and Isaid well, I'm going to go to
the second service, which was inSwahili.
I have no idea what they said,but I have never seen such a
joyous group of people to praiseGod, to come to Jesus, to take
communion communion.
(29:28):
They come up to the altar tobring their gifts whatever that
is, like a conga line coming upand leave their gift at the
altar.
Wow, you know we need to havethat kind of joy, but this is
what Lutheran Art Ministries ishelping bring to other parts of
the world.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Amen, Amen.
Hey, a couple more questions.
You both are awesome.
You've been in the LutheranChurch Missouri Synod for many
years your whole lives.
Have you been part of the LCMS?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yes, both of us.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah same.
So as you look at the broaderLCMS, what are the best parts of
what the Lord is doing andwhere do you think we still need
to grow collectively as achurch body?
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I think we need to keep our young people in the
church.
That's probably the mostimportant thing right now.
Some of us will remain in thechurch till the day we die, just
because we will, but our youngpeople need to grow up in the
church, need to go to college ifthat's where they're going and
(30:35):
have campus ministries in thechurch.
That's where Dick and I met.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
We met at Calvary Lutheran Student Center at the
University of Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
So I think that's the thing that the church needs to
focus on is youth group andhelping our young people stay in
the church, because there's alot of other distractions going
in a lot of other directions.
But I think if we can keep themthat direction and dating
within the church which I'm notsaying we shouldn't bring other
(31:08):
people in, but it sure helps.
If you're marrying somebodywithin your faith base, you're
equally yoked.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yes, Can you read more Dick anything else?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
I think she nailed it .
Speaker 1 (31:22):
We need to care for our young people.
Man, that's been a resoundingtheme with many, many folks that
I'm talking about.
Human beings are hardwired forcommunity and we're hardwired
actually to care beyond just ourlife today and in the American
culture today, where it'shyper-consumer,
hyper-individualistic,hyper-entertainment, give it to
(31:45):
me.
Now the church gets to operatein a different sphere.
We get to center ourselves, byword and sacrament, on the
promises of God, signed, sealedand delivered through the person
and work of Jesus, theforgiveness of sins that flows
from his cross and empty tombgiven to us through the waters
of baptism.
And we need, then, to caredeeply about the next generation
(32:07):
and do whatever it takes topresent.
And I'd love to get your takeon this.
A lot of times, I think, in thechurch, we struggle with
attraction.
We don't want to be seen asattractional, and, as I think
about even the pedal pushersmission, like you want, you want
(32:27):
because Jesus is right.
He's a stumbling stone, to besure, for many, because he's
very narrow in his understanding.
I am the way, the truth and thelife.
And yet, when you come to Jesus, there's in the spirit, draws
you to Jesus, there's thisimmense freedom, there's this
new mission, there's a newidentity.
Jesus is very attractional and Ithink one of the ways today
(32:52):
that the church can work toimprove is I'm not afraid of the
attractiveness of Christ.
He compels me, he gives mepurpose and passion and meaning
for life and I think if youngpeople saw that in our younger
adults, in our parents, in ourgrandparents, I think if they
(33:12):
saw the joy of Jesus on us in alife that's well lived, maybe
that would help them movethrough the difficulty of
growing up and then startingtheir own kind of journey as
they get married and have kidsand those types of things.
Talk to the attractiveness ofChrist or anything that the Holy
Spirit kind of put in yourheart as you.
Let me go off there a bit,leonard Dick.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Well, I think the fact that we have had an
exceedingly blessed life, a veryjoyous life in service, in our
faith to God, joyous life inservice, in our faith to God, I
think we need to teach ourchildren that we can have fun
being Christians.
It's not all serious and youknow, we can have a good time
(33:55):
and still be Christian.
Have that faith base.
Have that servant base.
Help them learn to serve in ourchurches.
Help them learn to serveoutside the church, in places
like the pedal pushers.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
I think that'll help bring them along If we have the
kids in through confirmation.
Once confirmation is over, weignore them until adulthood and
we need to find a purpose and anactivity and an engagement for
them.
And that's one of the thingswe're excited about with the
(34:40):
Pedal Pushers is we're notasking people, teenagers, to be
Christian witnesses by Biblethumping, but just by having a
servant attitude.
Come down and witness throughyour labor of love, if you will.
And I think the interestingthing is to watch their reaction
(35:01):
after they've been there,because they'll say oh, did you
see that part on the float?
That's what I decorated, thepride and ownership that they
have.
And we had a couple from ourcar club come down to decorate
and at the next car club meetinghe couldn't stop talking about
(35:24):
his working on the Lutheranfloat to the whole group.
And that's the part that Idecorated.
Did you see it?
So it's been a lot of funproviding people opportunities
to engage.
I don't think there's enoughengagement.
I think too many individualsare just on their cell phones.
(35:47):
So you know, it's too easy toavoid contact with people
because you're always on yourphone.
If you don't want to talk tosomebody, just hold your phone.
Pretend you're on the phone.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Well, and, as you mentioned, you know they get
confirmed and all of a sudden wesay well, you know, when you
get to be an adult, you can helpserve in the church.
Well, by then you've lost them.
So you know in, I know, in ourchurch we have them acolyting,
we have them doing all kinds ofthings serving in the church, we
have them in the choir.
We had a soloist yesterday thatwas 17 years old.
(36:22):
You know we need to keep themactivated.
If we don't keep them activated, they're gone.
They're gone.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Hey, I love that call for the church to engage young
people.
It's so good and we need tolearn from those who have walked
this life, through the ups anddowns of life.
I just look at you.
How many years have you beenmarried?
Speaker 3 (36:49):
53.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
53.
Wow, praise God.
What would you?
Speaker 3 (36:54):
say she was only a child Right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
What would you say are the top two or three keys
for a marriage that lasts intothe 50s and 60s, god willing
going on mission to make Jesusknown, because marriage I mean
Ephesians 5, it's a mirror ofChrist's love for the church, as
a husband loves a wife, wiferespects her husband.
So what are some of those keysto a beautiful, long-lasting
(37:24):
marriage?
Dicker Lynn.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Well, I was lucky because we were best friends
before we even dated, so thatwas, that helps.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
That helps Definitely To this day he'll say hey, I'm
going to the store, you want tocome along?
Sure, you know.
I think being best friendsmakes a big difference.
The other thing, I think, isthat we met at church.
We have a common faith base.
It's important to both of uswhen we had children and we
(37:54):
struggled to have children, butwhen we had them, we brought
them up in the church.
That is the center of yourmarriage.
I think that's important.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Probably one of the other things on a personal side,
because we were best friends,we had a policy or I had a
policy that I want to continueto date my wife, so we had
Saturday night date nights tokeep that relationship going.
(38:28):
I think too often people fallinto a rut and lose that
connection of why you gotmarried in the first place right
now, or a country right nowwith plus 50% divorce rates, and
so we we we allowed ourdaughters to help pick out the
(38:52):
babysitter for the Saturdaynight.
But I'm taking mom on a dateand love.
It taught them the datingculture.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
That's so good.
So, friendship, faith, followthrough.
There's three F words for you.
In terms of staying connected toone another.
We host in our congregationevery other week date nights and
we provide babysitting servicesand moms and dads can either do
(39:24):
the parents can either do thething that we're doing together
as a church, or they can justuse the babysitting and go go
out to eat, go to movie,whatever.
You've got to continue topursue one another.
It's not set it and forget it.
Uh, she has to.
She's like a puddle you got tokeep.
There's multiple layers, guys,as you're engaging, your, your
wife, and uh, and it takes alifetime to get to know her.
(39:47):
That's the way.
I'm 20 years right now, marriedto my wife Alexa.
It takes a lifetime to get toknow her as we evolve together,
as we grow up together, and it'sa beautiful journey but, my
goodness, you cannot set it andforget it.
One of my biggest I guesstragedies struggles, my biggest
I guess tragedies struggles,pain points, is watching
(40:10):
marriages.
I don't know what happens in40s, like I'm 43 right now.
A lot of guys really, reallystruggle and implode, and it can
be women too.
We struggle and implode inthose middle years.
You know the 40s.
We struggle and implode inthose middle years, you know the
40s.
Or maybe it's when the kids gooff to college and our identity
has been found in thatrelationship.
(40:32):
So any word of wisdom to thosethat are in the thick of it
right now, like for me, 40s and50s, and just trying to make it.
We're grinding right now.
You know every single day yougot to get going and it's easy
for you to grow apart in lovefor your spouse.
So any words of wisdom forthose in my season of life.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
I think when your kids leave home, you have spent
at least we did spent our wholelife around our kids and all of
a sudden you had that hole and Iused to tease Dick the first
couple months that they'd goback to school I'd walk around
the house, I had so many plansof things I was going to do and
I'd start something and no,that's not right, no, maybe I'll
(41:16):
.
No, that's not right.
I was empty and I had to pullmyself back together again.
But I think as the kids aregrowing up and getting more
independent or off to schoolagain, you need to reconnect
with that spouse.
There was a reason you marriedhim to begin with.
Find that again.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I think, going back to the pedal pushes in Lutheran
Hour, float pushes and looses inour float is the fact that we
have a common goal, so it keepsus together.
We probably talk about thefloat several times a day.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
At least, at least Love it so we'll come up with an
idea.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
So we're partners in something, so that it isn't my
project or it isn't just her orisn't just her project, it's our
project.
And then, as we said, we'veengaged our kids.
We have a presentation tomorrowat Redeemer by the Sea in
Carlsbad and they wanted aPowerPoint and I'm like that's
(42:23):
above my pay grade.
So my daughter came overyesterday and pulled together
our PowerPoint, took her acouple of hours, me I'd still be
reading the directions.
So anyhow, I do have sometechnological challenges.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
No, you're good.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
You know, I think the common goal we, we love travel,
we love cruises, we love wehave an rv, we love going on rv
trips.
So having those commoninterests that keep you bound
together, but so good.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
It's so evident that you're in love and you're
obsessed with the love of Christand the love of pedal pushers
and the mission.
You're both an amazing treasureto the church.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Nick and.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
Lynn for sure.
Last question what do you lovemost about Jesus?
Just look at the person andwork of Jesus.
What do you love most about him?
Speaker 3 (43:26):
That he has forgiven me, and that's something our
church talks about every Sundaymorning.
No matter what has gone on, nomatter what I've thought, no
matter what I've done, I amforgiven and I am saved.
No matter what.
It's not what I do, it's whathe did.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Yeah, I think he did a little more than we're doing.
I mean, dying on the cross is alittle harder than putting a
float in the parade.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
So we serve because he served us first.
It's a response it's not a Iwill do to get something.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Nope, it's all been done.
It's all been done and now weget to live in the, in the
overflow, the, the freedom, thegrace of Jesus, the mercy that
he's shown to us.
We now extend out horizontallyto our neighbors and we just
want our ultimate goal is thatmore and more people would come
to Jesus.
The mercy that he's shown to uswe now extend out horizontally
to our neighbors and we justwant our ultimate goal is that
(44:36):
more and more people would cometo know the joy of Jesus, the
freedom of Jesus, and and livethe Jesus life with us.
And it's always.
It's always in community.
You know, Jesus did lifetogether and he came for the
world together and it came forthe world and he just wants us
to have a relationship with theGod of the universe and then to
share that divine love storythat's centered in the
scriptures.
So this has been so much fun.
Declan, thank you for yourgenerosity of time and for
(44:57):
sharing your obsession withPedal Pushers.
We've talked a little bit abouthow folks can get connected
there, but if they just wantedto get to know you both
individually, how could peopleconnect with you?
Speaker 3 (45:09):
You can connect with us either through the again.
The website is pedalpushersorg.
Dick's phone number is on there.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I have an email address chairman at
pedalpushersorg.
Speaker 1 (45:22):
There it is, chairman at pedalpushersorg.
They are Dick and Lynn Gast,leaders of Pedal Pushers.
I'm Tim Allman.
This is the AmericanReformation Podcast.
Thanks for hanging out with ustoday.
If this conversation blessedyou, you got the joy juice of
Jesus from this conversation.
Please share, like, subscribe,comment.
Wherever it is you take theseconversations in.
(45:43):
This is the podcast of theUnite Leadership Collective and
we simply are praying for thejoy of Jesus to spread from, yes
, the Lutheran Church, missouriSynod, but out to the wider
church that the world would know.
There is a good, good God whosent his son to redeem us as his
children, lost, wayward,rebellious, and invite us into a
life which is truly worthliving, a life centered in the
(46:05):
gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's a good day.
Go and make it a great day.
Wonderful work, dick and Lynn.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Thank you.
Welcome to the American Reformation Podcast,
tim Allman here.
Pray, the joy of Jesus is yourstrength.
As today I get to learn withRichard and Lynn Gast.
Let me tell you a little bitabout them.
They have been serving throughLutheran Hour Ministries, a part
of Lutheran Hour Ministriescalled the Pedal Pushers at the
Rose Bowl Parade.
If you've ever seen theLutheran Hour ministry float
(00:27):
it's decked out.
It is amazing.
And they have been serving thatmission for 34 years.
Richard just said you know youget a three-year assignment and
then often in the church itturns into 34 years.
Well, thank you for beingfaithful.
They're also faithful membersat Promise Lutheran in Marietta,
california, and honored to bepartners with them in Florida
Georgia, I think.
(00:48):
Florida Georgia, I thinkMarietta, georgia.
I was thinking we're in thePacific Southwest District of
the Lutheran Church, missouriSynod, not Florida Georgia.
Shout out to the FloridaGeorgia folks.
Thank you for your generosityof time today.
Richard and Lynn, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Doing great.
We're awesome.
It's been an exciting time forgetting ready and get this float
going.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
There we go, there we go.
It's the standard openingquestion in the American
Reformation podcast.
As you look at the broaderChristian church, you're going
to work with lots of differenttypes of churches, specifically
Lutheran.
But how are you praying forReformation today, richard and
Lynn?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, we feel that we have the opportunity to share
this ministry with a lot ofpeople, millions of people, not
only on the road on ColoradoBoulevard, but also over the TV
stations, and we have a chanceto share Jesus with those people
over the TV stations and wehave a chance to share Jesus
(01:47):
with those people.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Additionally.
Well, there's a million peopleon the parade route, so that's
pretty exciting.
The Tournament of Rosesindicates that there's a
worldwide broadcast that's seenby about 450 million people
worldwide because it is a feedthat goes around.
And then one of the otherexciting things and we'll get
into a little bit later is we'veinfiltrated the parade with
(02:12):
4,000 volunteers.
Yeah, we ask our volunteers toleave their Bibles at home, but
come with a servant attitude andthat song in their heart that
they'll know we are Christiansby our love.
We're probably one of thelargest LCMS servant events, if
you will, and we are excited tohave this volunteer team come in
(02:39):
and decorate eight floats.
We're in nobody's budget, we'rea self-funded project.
Decorate eight floats we're innobody's budget, we're a
self-funded project.
So one of our fundraisers iscalled Pedal Pushers decorating
eight floats.
So there's a lot of commercialfloats that want to write a
large check to the Tournament ofRoses and the float builder.
(02:59):
But how do they get itdecorated?
So we run a crew, traditionallybetween 350 and 400 people per
shift, two shifts a day duringthe decorating week from
December 26th through themorning of the 31st.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
We decorate eight floats and we run the flower
prep tent.
Last year we vialed 226,000roses.
Put them in little vials ofwater.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
That's an incredible project.
I have not been blessed.
I got to get out there to comebe a part of that boat.
I know, I know I will.
I just live six hours away andI need to make it a priority.
So let's, man, there's so manyareas that I want to go into
right now.
Eight different floats, so tellme how you manage that many
(03:51):
people.
What are your systems?
This is a leadership, one ofthe leaders.
Most of this is theology, butlet's get into leadership too,
Like what are your bestpractices for managing that
amount of people?
That's extraordinary, RichardLynn.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Well, I sign them in when they come in in the morning
and each float has a crew chiefthat actually teaches them what
they need to do and assignsthem a task.
So my job, or our job, is toget them the people standing
next to the float ready to gowith a servant art.
So we have eight floats flowertent.
(04:25):
Like I say, we get themassigned in and the crew chiefs
start out and if they have anyquestions or any problems or
concerns, they come back and seeus.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think one of the starting points is we have an
online registration system andwe've been signing up volunteers
already, so individuals cansign up at pedalpushersorg and
sign up for a shift.
All we ask them to do is towork a minimum of one eight-hour
(04:56):
shift.
They can work multiple shiftsif they choose, but not on the
same day.
The quality of their work goesdown the longer, so we don't
want individuals working 16hours a day.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
And we have people that come from all over the
country.
I have a group that comes outof North Carolina every year.
We have New Mexico, florida,texas they come out every year
Iowa Iowa comes out with 35people every year and so we try
to, you know, get them assignedand working and those people
(05:35):
obviously want to work more thanone eight-hour shift if they've
traveled that far.
A lot of the SouthernCalifornia people work one or
two shifts and they're done forthe year and we're blessed by
them as well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
So we have a welcoming team.
So, to go with your question,this is not just the Dick and
Lynn show.
We're in an interestingsituation that I know.
A lot of church committees havebeen shrinking over the past
few years, especially afterCOVID.
We have a committee of about 34people that run the decorating
(06:16):
week, so we have the pedalpusher volunteer team that Lynn
leads up.
I happen to be general chairmanof the Lutheran Hour Float, so
I'm in charge of the wholeproject.
Lynn's in charge of thevolunteer aspect of the project
and we have a team that when youshow up, you sign in, she and
(06:37):
her team assign you a float, youget escorted to your assignment
and then, as Lynn mentioned, weturn the individuals over to a
crew chief.
So all we do is provide thevolunteers.
We don't do any.
They won't allow me to decorate.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Oh, I don't know.
I don't know about that.
So I'm curious about what ittakes to make a float look as
fantastic as they do.
So talk to me and our listeners, based on us having no idea
what it takes, from start tofinish, to put together such a
beautiful float to honor Jesus.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Well, we start out with a chassis, and the chassis
live 15 to 18 years.
They're torn down from theprevious year's float and down
to chassis, and when you look atthe chassis, we're talking
about a driver's seat and metalaround it with an engine and
transmission.
That's it.
From there on, it is a weldingshop where they weld the shape
(07:42):
of the float with pencil steel,they cocoon it in with a type of
meshing and then they spray itwith a liquid styrofoam that
adheres to that meshing and thatgives you the shaping of the
float.
And on the areas that you needto walk on the decks, they put a
(08:04):
second coating on it.
So it's hard enough that youdon't fall through Useful.
Then we start decorating.
Oh, and then it's painted.
I'm sorry, it's painted theexact color of what it's going
to be.
So if it's going to have a redrose on it, the area underneath
is painted red.
It does two things.
If a flower falls off in themiddle of the parade, you don't
(08:28):
get an ugly blotch.
And secondly, if I ask you toput red flowers on, you don't
have to get artistic as to wherethe red flowers should go.
You can just put them on wherethe red spot is.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I think one additional thing to your
question is the January 15th,the Tournament of Roses
president for the upcomingparade gives us his theme for
the whole parade.
So this year the parade themeis called Best Day Ever.
(09:02):
Then our committee meets andstarts working on design
concepts of how we are going tohave a Christian message that
fits Best Day Ever.
So this year we lucked outbecause we didn't have to do
much thinking.
We're doing a live, we're doinga nativity in front of the
(09:27):
church and, if you're aware, andthe theme of our float is
behold, jesus the Savior is born.
So we feel that's probably thebest day ever is when God sent
his son, as a child born byVirgin Mary, to be our savior.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So we want to make sure that when it goes down the
road you don't have to scratchyour head and say, I wonder what
message they're trying to giveme.
So our messages are clearconcise.
Concise clear to the point thatwe may only get 30 seconds on
TV or going past the crowd onColorado Boulevard, so they have
(10:13):
to get the picture really quick.
So that's our goal when westart picking a theme, and we do
that before there's ever anyconstruction.
Our float this year was builtin April and then painted, and
so it's been out for two testdrives already.
They do a fire drill to makesure they can get all the riders
off in so many seconds.
(10:34):
They make sure all themechanics work, that everything
is running as it can.
Right now it's sitting instorage waiting for us to start
decorating.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I think the other thing, as we explain the concept
of the float, we're doing alive nativity in front of a
church.
The mission statement ofLutheran Hour Ministries is
bringing Christ to the nationsand the nations to the church.
So we've gone with a livenativity in front of a church
(11:05):
and then we were able to use thestained glass windows of the
church to address other bestdays.
So we have a baptism window, wehave an Easter window, we have
the ascending Christ window, thereturning king window, so we
have Jesus with the childrenwindow.
(11:28):
So we want the float to havemultiple messages and so a lot
of thought and preparation goesinto how we have a Christian
float in the parade.
The standing comment when I wasin sales earlier in my career
was if it will sell in Milwaukee, it'll sell anywhere.
(11:50):
So that's kind of the mentalitythat we take, that we need a
in-your-face message thatnobody's going to question that
we are a Christian float.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
We are the only Christian float in the parade
Wow, and it's our 74th year ofbeing there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
This is extraordinary .
So, people, I heard you sayeight, we had eight floats, but
then you just talked about theone float.
So we have eight.
Well, that's the.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Lutheran float Right, okay, so there's one Lutheran
float, but to pay for the oneLutheran float, as I mentioned
earlier, we're nobody's budget.
Everybody thinks St Louis sendsus money.
Unfortunately, they don't.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Not in their budget.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
We're not in their budget.
We are considered a self-fundedproject of the Southern
California District LutheranLayman's League.
Self-funded project of theSouthern California District
Lutheran Layman's League.
So in order to help pay for thefloat, we run five fundraisers,
and Pedal Pushers is one of ourfundraisers in the fact that we
are able to get a discount offof the Lutheran float by
(13:01):
decorating ours plus sevenothers and run the flower tent.
So we don't have to raise asmuch money in donations to pay
for the float because it's paidfor in part by the volunteerism.
So our volunteerism is prettycool because it saves us money,
(13:22):
but it also provides 4,000people a non-threatening
Christian witnessing opportunitywhere they're coming with their
labor of love.
I tease people that when mypastor says, dick, will you
canvass your neighborhood, I'mlike that's not really one of my
(13:43):
gifts.
But put a float in the parade,recruit 4,000 volunteers.
Yeah, we can do that and you'veprobably seen them before.
But we have these pedal pushershirts with the rendering of the
float on the back, lynn, and Ikind of wear them everywhere all
(14:04):
year long and the poor guybehind us this year is going to
see, behold, jesus the Savior isborn, whether we're at Costco
or Walmart or whatever, andwhere I may not be the door
knocker.
When somebody says what is theLuthenower float or who are the
(14:26):
pedal pushers, it's a dooropening question that we
joyfully entertain.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I say this with all respect, lynn, and I want to get
your comment, but you both areobsessed about pedal pushers and
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, yes, a little a general.
More people young, older,whatever need to discover their
obsession.
Hopefully it's centered in someaspect around their gifting and
(14:59):
then their gifting to proclaimthe gospel through word and deed
and lean into that.
I want to be a part of churcheswhere there are people that are
obsessed about whatever theentrepreneurial, new ministry
opportunity, kingdom, expandingevangelistic opportunity.
Have we thought about this?
Have we engaged in this?
I'm all in on this and I'm notgoing to stop with whatever this
(15:24):
is, because I see it's eternalramifications.
We need more obsessedChristians around various causes
today, and your cause of thepedal pushers and the impact,
the reach that it can have is so, so compelling, so compelling.
I just wanted to draw a noteabout how strange you both are
and how beautiful yourstrangeness is your obsession.
(15:45):
You're extraordinary, lynn, I'msorry to cut you off, I just
had to get that in.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I love your obsession .
Yeah, we, we, the family isinvolved, I involved, but it's
been a blessing to our wholefamily.
Our girls have grown updecorating floats.
As they got old enough theybecame crew chiefs on floats, so
they've run floats.
Our oldest daughter has beenthe crew chief on Lutheran
almost 25 years now, has beenthe crew chief on Lutheran
(16:13):
almost 25 years now, and hersisters have done the same.
Right now they now have littlekids, so now the three girls are
rotating who's in charge whichday so they can take care of
their families as well.
But it's drawn our wholefamilies into it and their
marriage partners, which it'sbeen neat.
You know what a, what anopportunity, what a blessing.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Let's talk, it sure is.
Let's talk about service.
What service does?
Because, as I've interactedwith you over the years, I mean
you both exude so much joy, somuch hope.
The love of Jesus just rests onyou both and it's you know,
it's centered, it's above yourpedal pusher passion, but it
(16:57):
definitely is like, hey, we canall do this together.
What is it about?
Service that just awakens thehuman heart, dick or Lynn?
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Well, if you don't feel that you need to serve,
that passion is dead.
You have to be willing to givesomething as well as receive.
Obviously, we've received a lotfrom Jesus, a lot.
Now it's our turn to give back.
It's something we felt weneeded to teach our children.
(17:28):
It's something we needed toteach our children.
It's something we needed toteach.
You know our volunteers and, asDick said, we tell them.
You know we're not coming hereto hit somebody over the head
with a Bible, but we do have aservice to provide, and
Tournament has even said yourvolunteers are just different
than a lot of our othervolunteers.
Yeah, they have Jesus in theirheart and we've had the
(17:52):
opportunity.
I know we say we don't hitpeople over the head, but we
have had opportunities towitness.
We do have a witness tablethere with a team in the
building with a pastor therethat if people have questions,
we have handouts, we have allkinds of things, people to talk
with.
(18:12):
We had a crew chief a coupleyears ago.
We walked past, dick walkedpast and she's crying and he
said okay, what happened here?
My boyfriend and she was anolder woman, my boyfriend, they
just called me and said he died.
And so we had the opportunityto I was the first person to so
(18:33):
we had time to spend with her.
We called our pastor advisor.
He came every day that week,spent time with her, talked
about the resurrection, talkedabout Jesus.
I mean we didn't hit anybodyover the head with the Bible,
but we were there when we neededto be over the head with the
Bible, but we were there when weneeded to be.
(18:55):
That's the issue.
You know, the float builderoriginally did not have a faith
base and eventually, before heand his wife passed, they were
church going people.
Their children had thegrandchildren baptized.
So we've got generations nowthree generations straight, that
have come to Jesus, kind of,you want to say accidentally,
(19:18):
but there is no accident withJesus, but it happened, amen, it
just happens.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Anything to add, Dick ?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Also, in addition to having the witness booth in the
float decorating building, wehave our witnessing team in the
formation area in the paradewhere the floats are formed up,
and then there's a festivalcalled Float Fest where the
(19:49):
floats are on display for a dayand a half out in Victory Park,
and so we put a witness team outthere.
There's about 75,000, 80,000people that will come through
there and look at the floats,and last year we had 12
individuals out there witnessingto individuals, answering
(20:14):
questions.
You know, a lot of timesthey'll say why do you have a
float in the parade, or what isthe message of the float, or
what is the symbolism of thefloat, and so we look at this as
being more than a two-hourevent one day a year.
One of the other things that wenoticed a couple years ago is
(20:37):
that the younger people are notas much into the parade as we
are.
As kids, I mean, lynn and Igrew up.
The standing joke in ourhousehold we lived in Wisconsin
was on New Year's Day youcouldn't leave the TV until the
Lutheran float went by.
Once the Lutheran float went by, you could wander off and do
(21:01):
whatever you wanted to do.
But we've noticed that with allthe different cable channels
and streaming devices thatthere's not as much enthusiasm.
So to bring awareness we set upa coloring contest where we
have kids all over the countrycoloring the rendering of the
(21:22):
float, and I think last year wehad about 836 kids and the fun
part about it is not only do thekids color it, but the parents
have to sign it and the teacherhas to sign it.
So we're trying to figure outdifferent ways we can
incorporate our message to theworld and utilize the efforts of
(21:45):
our committee and the fabulousdesign that we've been blessed
with in a float design.
Then we also went into theChristmas card business.
So this year we have Christmascards that are going to be
crisscrossing the country withthe message behold, jesus the
Savior is born.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
And the back of the card says Lutheran Art
Ministries.
It doesn't say Hallmark.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I love it.
I love it.
Hey, let's talk about thechange in American culture.
This is American ReformationPodcast, and so we talk about
culture.
What is it about?
I'd love to get the history ofthe Rose Bowl parade from your
perspective and the kind ofdecline in in, uh, parade
culture.
You know, I think there used tobe I'm going to sound like a
(22:36):
older guy now, right but thereused to be.
Like in small town communities,like everybody comes out for
the parade, and even here we gotGilbert days.
I live in Gilbert and there's a, there's a parade, but I I
don't.
I don't see a lot of, maybe asmuch community pride today.
And I think the Rose Bowlparade kind of symbolizes, in
(22:57):
some respects, kind of AmericanUnited States of America, kind
of this godly sense of pride I'mproud to be a Christian first
but then proud to be an Americanhere and I think the Rose, rose
Bowl parade and and the StPatty or no with the
Thanksgiving parade See I'm, I'm.
What is the Thanksgiving dayparade Is that's in.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
New York right.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Macy's.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Thank you, macy's.
Yeah, all sorts of balloons.
They're the balloon parade.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Yeah, and you're the float parade, so what?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
is it about?
I mean just thinking flowerparade.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
There we go.
What is it that's changing inculture?
Maybe that makes the nextgeneration not be as kind of
prone to the parade culture.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
I think this generation has so much else to
do and they've got the internetand they've got their phones and
they've got so much socialmedia that they don't direct
their attention this way.
But if they can come anddecorate, we have a lot of young
people coming and decorating,it's not just the older folks,
so I think that's kind of a neatoption.
(24:08):
Why don't?
Speaker 2 (24:08):
you maybe quickly explain some of the groups that
come in.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, we have groups that come from all over the
country.
We do have some adult groups.
Like we mentioned, that Iowagroup comes in every year with
35 people.
We do have families that comefrom all around.
However, we have youth groups.
We have I have a Girl Scouttroop that has come in for years
.
In fact they're now in theirtwenties and they still that's
(24:32):
their get together every year tocome back and decorate floats.
You know we have other youthgroups from churches, from boy
scouts, girl scouts.
National Charity League is agroup that does charity type
work and they bring their girlsin.
It's a mother daughter, uh typegroup.
(24:54):
So they come in.
You know, I think if you have ayouth group you can send in,
we're gonna have to dick forsure yeah yeah, yeah our church.
our church loads up a bus andpastor drives the bus in and
brings in 25, 30 people.
I love it, I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
So it's.
It's that week, if people wantit.
We're going to start talkingabout Lutheran hour.
Now we'll kind of land theplane with pedal pushers, but
it's if people want to volunteerand serve that week.
Is it the week betweenChristmas and new year's that
everybody kind of descends thereto help you get it done.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
We do the Saturdays of December an 8 to 4 or a 4 to
8.
So they can pick a shift.
Sign up on pedalpushersorgthere's a sign up there and then
we start the morning of the26th.
We run two 8-hour shifts a dayan 8 to 4, a 4 to 11.
And we are done on the 31st inthe morning because judging's
(25:54):
then we better be done and weare, we are.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
That's excellent.
That's excellent.
Let's talk about Lutheran HourMinistries.
This ministry is a part of abroader thing called the
Lutheran Hour and the LutheranHour, from my perspective as a
multi-generation pastor in theLCMS, is one of the greatest
partners, evangelical tools toget the gospel into the hearts
and ears of many peopleinternationally.
(26:20):
So what makes you most proud ofbeing a part of Lutheran Hour
Ministries, dick or Lynn?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Oh, it's been fabulous.
I mean they have that missionstatement bringing Christ to the
nations, to the nations to thechurch, so they look at the
Lutheran ministry as a broaderperspective than just your local
community available and have areally talented pool of staff
(26:53):
that are creating and media.
They have just done a fabulousjob.
I was blessed to be on thenational board for eight years.
Unfortunately, I turned out soI am now the president of the
Southern California DistrictLutheran Layman's League.
(27:15):
But Kurt Buchholz has done justa fabulous job.
I don't know if you'veinteracted with Kurt.
He's done a fabulous job inhaving a vision of taking the
word of Jesus to the whole worldand they've done a great job of
infiltrating some third worldcountries Very exciting times we
(27:40):
had the opportunity to go toKenya.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
There's a big ministry from Lutheran our
ministries there.
We have a granddaughter fromUganda that we brought home to
America.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
No, becky brought her , my daughter brought home let's
clarify that, yes, please.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
But yeah, lutheran Hour Ministries has ministries
all over the world and theopportunity, I mean it is
amazing in some of these othercountries.
As I say, we did a couple ofweeks in Kenya and the faith
base in some of those people,the one that impressed me was we
were going in a Jeep out to achurch service under a mango
(28:25):
tree and I said, since you don'thave an address, how do we know
when we get there?
And the driver said, we'll know.
Okay, so we drive and we drive,and we drive and all of a
sudden we find this giant.
I didn't even know what a mangotree looked like, but it's a
big tree and there's 200 peopleunder the mango tree and there's
(28:46):
a minister that is going to doa church service.
He isn't even there yet.
The people are waiting for him.
They baptized 37 people thatday.
Come on.
So Lutheran Hour Ministries istaking the opportunity in all
different parts of the world toteach people.
We went to a church service andthe first service was in
(29:08):
English.
Okay, we understood that and Isaid well, I'm going to go to
the second service, which was inSwahili.
I have no idea what they said,but I have never seen such a
joyous group of people to praiseGod, to come to Jesus, to take
communion communion.
(29:28):
They come up to the altar tobring their gifts whatever that
is, like a conga line coming upand leave their gift at the
altar.
Wow, you know we need to havethat kind of joy, but this is
what Lutheran Art Ministries ishelping bring to other parts of
the world.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Amen, Amen.
Hey, a couple more questions.
You both are awesome.
You've been in the LutheranChurch Missouri Synod for many
years your whole lives.
Have you been part of the LCMS?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yes, both of us.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah same.
So as you look at the broaderLCMS, what are the best parts of
what the Lord is doing andwhere do you think we still need
to grow collectively as achurch body?
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I think we need to keep our young people in the
church.
That's probably the mostimportant thing right now.
Some of us will remain in thechurch till the day we die, just
because we will, but our youngpeople need to grow up in the
church, need to go to college ifthat's where they're going and
(30:35):
have campus ministries in thechurch.
That's where Dick and I met.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
We met at Calvary Lutheran Student Center at the
University of Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
So I think that's the thing that the church needs to
focus on is youth group andhelping our young people stay in
the church, because there's alot of other distractions going
in a lot of other directions.
But I think if we can keep themthat direction and dating
within the church which I'm notsaying we shouldn't bring other
(31:08):
people in, but it sure helps.
If you're marrying somebodywithin your faith base, you're
equally yoked.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Yes, Can you read more Dick anything else?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
I think she nailed it .
Speaker 1 (31:22):
We need to care for our young people.
Man, that's been a resoundingtheme with many, many folks that
I'm talking about.
Human beings are hardwired forcommunity and we're hardwired
actually to care beyond just ourlife today and in the American
culture today, where it'shyper-consumer,
hyper-individualistic,hyper-entertainment, give it to
(31:45):
me.
Now the church gets to operatein a different sphere.
We get to center ourselves, byword and sacrament, on the
promises of God, signed, sealedand delivered through the person
and work of Jesus, theforgiveness of sins that flows
from his cross and empty tombgiven to us through the waters
of baptism.
And we need, then, to caredeeply about the next generation
(32:07):
and do whatever it takes topresent.
And I'd love to get your takeon this.
A lot of times, I think, in thechurch, we struggle with
attraction.
We don't want to be seen asattractional, and, as I think
about even the pedal pushersmission, like you want, you want
(32:27):
because Jesus is right.
He's a stumbling stone, to besure, for many, because he's
very narrow in his understanding.
I am the way, the truth and thelife.
And yet, when you come to Jesus, there's in the spirit, draws
you to Jesus, there's thisimmense freedom, there's this
new mission, there's a newidentity.
Jesus is very attractional and Ithink one of the ways today
(32:52):
that the church can work toimprove is I'm not afraid of the
attractiveness of Christ.
He compels me, he gives mepurpose and passion and meaning
for life and I think if youngpeople saw that in our younger
adults, in our parents, in ourgrandparents, I think if they
(33:12):
saw the joy of Jesus on us in alife that's well lived, maybe
that would help them movethrough the difficulty of
growing up and then startingtheir own kind of journey as
they get married and have kidsand those types of things.
Talk to the attractiveness ofChrist or anything that the Holy
Spirit kind of put in yourheart as you.
Let me go off there a bit,leonard Dick.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Well, I think the fact that we have had an
exceedingly blessed life, a veryjoyous life in service, in our
faith to God, joyous life inservice, in our faith to God, I
think we need to teach ourchildren that we can have fun
being Christians.
It's not all serious and youknow, we can have a good time
(33:55):
and still be Christian.
Have that faith base.
Have that servant base.
Help them learn to serve in ourchurches.
Help them learn to serveoutside the church, in places
like the pedal pushers.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
I think that'll help bring them along If we have the
kids in through confirmation.
Once confirmation is over, weignore them until adulthood and
we need to find a purpose and anactivity and an engagement for
them.
And that's one of the thingswe're excited about with the
(34:40):
Pedal Pushers is we're notasking people, teenagers, to be
Christian witnesses by Biblethumping, but just by having a
servant attitude.
Come down and witness throughyour labor of love, if you will.
And I think the interestingthing is to watch their reaction
(35:01):
after they've been there,because they'll say oh, did you
see that part on the float?
That's what I decorated, thepride and ownership that they
have.
And we had a couple from ourcar club come down to decorate
and at the next car club meetinghe couldn't stop talking about
(35:24):
his working on the Lutheranfloat to the whole group.
And that's the part that Idecorated.
Did you see it?
So it's been a lot of funproviding people opportunities
to engage.
I don't think there's enoughengagement.
I think too many individualsare just on their cell phones.
(35:47):
So you know, it's too easy toavoid contact with people
because you're always on yourphone.
If you don't want to talk tosomebody, just hold your phone.
Pretend you're on the phone.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Well, and, as you mentioned, you know they get
confirmed and all of a sudden wesay well, you know, when you
get to be an adult, you can helpserve in the church.
Well, by then you've lost them.
So you know in, I know, in ourchurch we have them acolyting,
we have them doing all kinds ofthings serving in the church, we
have them in the choir.
We had a soloist yesterday thatwas 17 years old.
(36:22):
You know we need to keep themactivated.
If we don't keep them activated, they're gone.
They're gone.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
Hey, I love that call for the church to engage young
people.
It's so good and we need tolearn from those who have walked
this life, through the ups anddowns of life.
I just look at you.
How many years have you beenmarried?
Speaker 3 (36:49):
53.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
53.
Wow, praise God.
What would you?
Speaker 3 (36:54):
say she was only a child Right.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
What would you say are the top two or three keys
for a marriage that lasts intothe 50s and 60s, god willing
going on mission to make Jesusknown, because marriage I mean
Ephesians 5, it's a mirror ofChrist's love for the church, as
a husband loves a wife, wiferespects her husband.
So what are some of those keysto a beautiful, long-lasting
(37:24):
marriage?
Dicker Lynn.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Well, I was lucky because we were best friends
before we even dated, so thatwas, that helps.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
That helps Definitely To this day he'll say hey, I'm
going to the store, you want tocome along?
Sure, you know.
I think being best friendsmakes a big difference.
The other thing, I think, isthat we met at church.
We have a common faith base.
It's important to both of uswhen we had children and we
(37:54):
struggled to have children, butwhen we had them, we brought
them up in the church.
That is the center of yourmarriage.
I think that's important.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Probably one of the other things on a personal side,
because we were best friends,we had a policy or I had a
policy that I want to continueto date my wife, so we had
Saturday night date nights tokeep that relationship going.
(38:28):
I think too often people fallinto a rut and lose that
connection of why you gotmarried in the first place right
now, or a country right nowwith plus 50% divorce rates, and
so we we we allowed ourdaughters to help pick out the
(38:52):
babysitter for the Saturdaynight.
But I'm taking mom on a dateand love.
It taught them the datingculture.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
That's so good.
So, friendship, faith, followthrough.
There's three F words for you.
In terms of staying connected toone another.
We host in our congregationevery other week date nights and
we provide babysitting servicesand moms and dads can either do
(39:24):
the parents can either do thething that we're doing together
as a church, or they can justuse the babysitting and go go
out to eat, go to movie,whatever.
You've got to continue topursue one another.
It's not set it and forget it.
Uh, she has to.
She's like a puddle you got tokeep.
There's multiple layers, guys,as you're engaging, your, your
wife, and uh, and it takes alifetime to get to know her.
(39:47):
That's the way.
I'm 20 years right now, marriedto my wife Alexa.
It takes a lifetime to get toknow her as we evolve together,
as we grow up together, and it'sa beautiful journey but, my
goodness, you cannot set it andforget it.
One of my biggest I guesstragedies struggles, my biggest
I guess tragedies struggles,pain points, is watching
(40:10):
marriages.
I don't know what happens in40s, like I'm 43 right now.
A lot of guys really, reallystruggle and implode, and it can
be women too.
We struggle and implode inthose middle years.
You know the 40s.
We struggle and implode inthose middle years, you know the
40s.
Or maybe it's when the kids gooff to college and our identity
has been found in thatrelationship.
(40:32):
So any word of wisdom to thosethat are in the thick of it
right now, like for me, 40s and50s, and just trying to make it.
We're grinding right now.
You know every single day yougot to get going and it's easy
for you to grow apart in lovefor your spouse.
So any words of wisdom forthose in my season of life.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
I think when your kids leave home, you have spent
at least we did spent our wholelife around our kids and all of
a sudden you had that hole and Iused to tease Dick the first
couple months that they'd goback to school I'd walk around
the house, I had so many plansof things I was going to do and
I'd start something and no,that's not right, no, maybe I'll
(41:16):
.
No, that's not right.
I was empty and I had to pullmyself back together again.
But I think as the kids aregrowing up and getting more
independent or off to schoolagain, you need to reconnect
with that spouse.
There was a reason you marriedhim to begin with.
Find that again.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I think, going back to the pedal pushes in Lutheran
Hour, float pushes and looses inour float is the fact that we
have a common goal, so it keepsus together.
We probably talk about thefloat several times a day.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
At least, at least Love it so we'll come up with an
idea.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
So we're partners in something, so that it isn't my
project or it isn't just her orisn't just her project, it's our
project.
And then, as we said, we'veengaged our kids.
We have a presentation tomorrowat Redeemer by the Sea in
Carlsbad and they wanted aPowerPoint and I'm like that's
(42:23):
above my pay grade.
So my daughter came overyesterday and pulled together
our PowerPoint, took her acouple of hours, me I'd still be
reading the directions.
So anyhow, I do have sometechnological challenges.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
No, you're good.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
You know, I think the common goal we, we love travel,
we love cruises, we love wehave an rv, we love going on rv
trips.
So having those commoninterests that keep you bound
together, but so good.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
It's so evident that you're in love and you're
obsessed with the love of Christand the love of pedal pushers
and the mission.
You're both an amazing treasureto the church.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Nick and.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
Lynn for sure.
Last question what do you lovemost about Jesus?
Just look at the person andwork of Jesus.
What do you love most about him?
Speaker 3 (43:26):
That he has forgiven me, and that's something our
church talks about every Sundaymorning.
No matter what has gone on, nomatter what I've thought, no
matter what I've done, I amforgiven and I am saved.
No matter what.
It's not what I do, it's whathe did.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Yeah, I think he did a little more than we're doing.
I mean, dying on the cross is alittle harder than putting a
float in the parade.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
So we serve because he served us first.
It's a response it's not a Iwill do to get something.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
Nope, it's all been done.
It's all been done and now weget to live in the, in the
overflow, the, the freedom, thegrace of Jesus, the mercy that
he's shown to us.
We now extend out horizontallyto our neighbors and we just
want our ultimate goal is thatmore and more people would come
to Jesus.
The mercy that he's shown to uswe now extend out horizontally
to our neighbors and we justwant our ultimate goal is that
(44:36):
more and more people would cometo know the joy of Jesus, the
freedom of Jesus, and and livethe Jesus life with us.
And it's always.
It's always in community.
You know, Jesus did lifetogether and he came for the
world together and it came forthe world and he just wants us
to have a relationship with theGod of the universe and then to
share that divine love storythat's centered in the
scriptures.
So this has been so much fun.
Declan, thank you for yourgenerosity of time and for
(44:57):
sharing your obsession withPedal Pushers.
We've talked a little bit abouthow folks can get connected
there, but if they just wantedto get to know you both
individually, how could peopleconnect with you?
Speaker 3 (45:09):
You can connect with us either through the again.
The website is pedalpushersorg.
Dick's phone number is on there.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
I have an email address chairman at
pedalpushersorg.
Speaker 1 (45:22):
There it is, chairman at pedalpushersorg.
They are Dick and Lynn Gast,leaders of Pedal Pushers.
I'm Tim Allman.
This is the AmericanReformation Podcast.
Thanks for hanging out with ustoday.
If this conversation blessedyou, you got the joy juice of
Jesus from this conversation.
Please share, like, subscribe,comment.
Wherever it is you take theseconversations in.
(45:43):
This is the podcast of theUnite Leadership Collective and
we simply are praying for thejoy of Jesus to spread from, yes
, the Lutheran Church, missouriSynod, but out to the wider
church that the world would know.
There is a good, good God whosent his son to redeem us as his
children, lost, wayward,rebellious, and invite us into a
life which is truly worthliving, a life centered in the
(46:05):
gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's a good day.
Go and make it a great day.
Wonderful work, dick and Lynn.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Thank you.
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