Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Funny (10/04/12)
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TITLE: The Pastoral Insult | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ken Ebright
10/10/12 -
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Pastor John stood up and walked towards the pulpit. "You're really funny, Pastor Ken. At least I am wearing the proper clothing for the big game."
Pastor Ken rolled his eyes. "John at least wear the proper clothing for going to church."
John set his Bible down on the pulpit and opened it up. “Are you guys and gals ready to see the Vikings lose? Your Vikings won't win because they're just a bunch of losers."
The congregation started to jeer. Then Pastor Ken got up from his seat just behind the pulpit and grabbed a mic and stood by John. Spit sprayed from his mouth when he spoke. "Pastor, how dare you say that in Vikings country? You've offended the whole church."
Pastor John turned his head and smiled at Ken. "Good job Ken. You can sit back down now." Ken went back and took his seat.
One could have heard a pin drop in the sanctuary as Pastor John continued on. "Why do you have confused looks on your faces? I asked Ken to play along with me. This was a joke."
The people started to smile. "When you tease someone, how do you determine what is funny and what's not? The joke about the Packers beating the Vikings can be expected, because you know I am a big Packer fan. I realized when I said it that calling the Vikings a 'bunch of losers' was offensive. I did so on purpose to prove a point. When we joke around we need to be careful about what we say. I had learning disabilities when I was little. My classmates called me stupid. Their words have affected my whole life. I didn't think their words were funny. The church bought me a laptop so I can write sermons when I am away from the office. What if I took that laptop and went to the roof and dropped it? When it landed on the ground it would break into a million pieces, and you would not be able to repair it. We think we're funny when we make a wisecrack, but the broken computer is an example of what our words can do to a person. In the book of James it talks about starting a forest fire with our words. Do you start a forest fire with your words? It's not a bad thing to joke around with people. We want to build people up, not tear them down. Just to let you know, I will never call the Vikings a bunch of losers ever again. Pastor Ken, would you like to lead us in a prayer?"
While Pastor Ken was praying, John walked to entrance to greet people as they exited the sanctuary.
Vera was the first to greet Pastor. "Pastor, you did a good job of making your point. The first few minutes of your message you left me speechless. I‘ll be thinking about what I say from now on."
Pastor shook her hand. "I am glad my little stunt woke you up. We need to be careful when we joke around with people. Not every joke is funny."
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God BLess
The beginning did puzzle me a bit. You said he was leading the song but instead he made the comment. I wonder if it would have been more of an attention grabber had you started off with the one pastor charging out of his seat. Then have the other repeat what he said and carry on from there.
You covered the topic in a slightly different way which is refreshing. Your message about how words can have a lifelong impact on someone really touched my heart. This is a great way to get the congregation's attention. Some people think ministers are above reproach so not only did the stunt show how words can hurt, it also would be a great lesson in pastors are just people too. Nice job.
Your story kept me engaged all the way through... and especially the added icing on the cake reminder to the woman who needed a clue.
Wing His Words!
Well written story with a timeless message.