For the last umpteen years several youth ministries in the Tulsa area have hosted an event called Kingdom Seekers. The kids who attend are selected to do so by their youth ministers or others. Attendance is also limited to juniors and seniors. It’s an intense weekend meant to encourage and challenge leaders to lead.
Anyway, eight or nine years ago I was teaching one of the classes at Kingdom Seekers. The classes were set up on a rotation basis leaving the kids free to choose three or so out of however many there were. Many of the kids had no idea who I was (not that it matters) so choosing my class was a gamble. And I, being out of my comfort zone, was a wee bit nervous.
So, I had my first group of twenty, twenty-five risk takers and I was off and running. I can’t remember the exact lesson but I’m willing to bet it was about Jesus. I’m wound up- going full speed ahead- no time to breathe. The kids (some adults too) are on the edge of their seats. A teacher knows- knows when he or she has the audience in the palm of their hand. I had them. Abruptly, a young man leaped to his feet. Simultaneously he shouted, “YOU SUCK!”
Stunned silence.
I wish I had a picture of the shocked expressions on the faces of everyone in the room. Their eyes almost bugged right out of their sockets.
My first thought was his next line is going to be sic semper tyrannis and then he’s going to shoot me. In the head. My next thought was along the lines of, ”This event is for selected leaders only, so how did this nut get through?” Then I met his youth minister and knew…just kidding.
Everyone was staring at me wondering how I would handle it. So I asked, “What do you mean?” He said, “You suck! You suck my brain out like a vacuum cleaner.” I wasn’t following.
“Is that good or bad?” I asked.
He said, “That’s good.”
“So, that’s a compliment?” I asked.
He said, “Yes, that’s a compliment.”
I accepted his “compliment” and let it be. Everyone else relaxed and started breathing again. To this day I have no idea what he meant but I think his compliment puts me in rare company. I doubt there are many who have been told they sucked at something but in a good way. Like a vacuum cleaner.
Have you been weirdly complimented?
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I was told I was Fat once. I think he meant well too. And man, when you get in on a deep topic and go on and get in the groove… you do suck! You suck the intelligence juice out of the extremities right into the heart of the spiritual cortex. And I mean well!
Tucker, you’re hilarious. You ought to think about a career in show biz. “Fat” funny people are quite popular. John Belushi, Chris Farley, John Candy…
Of course you’ll have to die young too, but you can’t have everything. By the way, I can’t wait to meet you at the Workshop.
P.S. Somehow I have a feeling we’re gonna here from John Dobbs on this matter.
I think the fat your talking about is PHAT (pronounced fat). At least that’s what I heard a couple of teenage boys saying about a girl that I actually thought was pretty cute. I told them, “She’s not fat!” They said, “no, that means good looking.” ???
By the way, you blog sucks.
I have been told I think like a man….
and it was meant as a compliment. shocking I know.
Trey, you have to be right. Tucker is “phat.” SO cheer up Tucker – it WAS a compliment.
I do not want to get in on the fat subject, that subject SUCKS bigtime, especially since I just came from a party where there was lots of irresistable goodies.
I don’t care who that weird kid was. If someone says ‘You suck’, it is not a compliment. He might have meant it as one in his delusional world … but no one in the real world thinks that’s a compliment.
I wonder what he’s doing today … or is that him on the Oreck commercial?
Craig, you definitely do not suck. I’m not phat. We’re not emergent. And I liked your story very much.
A long time ago, after I had delivered a fill-in sermon at the congregation I worked at, a guy came up to me and said, “You’re strange, Mike. I like you, I like your preaching, but you’re strange.” To this day I don’t have the foggiest idea what he meant.
Craig, you listed some of my favorite actor hero’s. John Candy was a classic. John Belushi is hilarious, Chris Farley, was taking off. Wouldn’t you have loved to just spend time with these guys and show them Jesus? Where would they be today?
Here is where I remember a story I heard about Terry Rush and how he made contact with Jackie Gleason. Oh how I want to talk with Terry and get the details from him and tell that story to our church. They may be famous, but they are still people and need Jesus. These guys could tell you you suck and it would be funny.
Tucker, email me at cardinalmuseum@memorialdrive.org. I’ll visit with you about the Gleason story.
Craig, regarding your article, back when we had Sunday evening services I often had some tell me as the evening assembling was over and all were headed elsewhere, “I want to tell you that sermon this morning was wonderful!” And…..that is a reflection on tonight’s how?????
But my favorite story is the eight year old boy who’s dad brought him up on stage at the workshop. His dad introduced us and the little boy asked me to sign his new Bible. I gladly obliged. Then I got down on one knee and asked if he’d sign mine. I stood up to greet others while this young man was down on all fours putting his best inscription in my Bible. He obviously wanted to say something impressive as he wrote, “Mr. Rush……you are an anonymous preacher!”
I’ve always been anonymous to so many in the kingdom!
Mike- “Strange?” I wish I could have seen his face and heard the way he said it.
Tucker, email Terry but also hunt him down at the Workshop. Unless hunt means kill in farmer talk. Ask him about Lorreta Lynn too. And James Macarthur from Hawaii Five O. And…
Terry, and you thought you had arrived. I’m most impressed the boy could spell anonymous.
I’m called hairy a lot… I don’t really like it.
You’ve got quite a way of telling a story, Craig. I highly enjoyed it.