OMG My pastor said SUCK!!!!!!

My pastor said suck. In front of everyone. From the pulpit. During the sermon. Ohmigoo-oosh!

Here's a more-or-less quote: "How do we stay pure to relationships even when things suck?" It took my enough by surprise that I had to write it down in my notebook. [p.s. disclaimer at end]

Here's the thing. She gave a fabulous sermon (no surprise there, she pretty much always does). To put that quote in context, she was preaching on faithfulness, in a series on the fruit of the spirit. And she used this great term to describe our culture: A Culture of Impermanence (that's from the book Life on the Vine by Philip Kenneson). It's all about how everything is disposable, planned obsolescence, undependable, untrustworthy... and that extends to our relationships.

We are amazed when we hear about marriages lasting 20, 30, 40, 50 years. The idea of growing old together is a thing of the past. Therefore, what makes us value those relationships enough to honor them, to honor the vows we take that are meant to give those relationships a strong base? Being bound to anything (house, job, possession, person) is something our culture resists. So how do we stay pure to relationships even when things suck?

Oh. There's that word again. It reminded me of that famous Tony Campolo quote: "I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

I leaned over to our sound guy and whispered, "pastor said suck!" He kinda cracked up and nodded.

Here's the thing. Our language, our vocabulary is also one of those victims of the culture of impermanence. When I was young, that word in particular was pretty nasty. It came about, of course, as a sexual reference.

I think using suck as a vulgarity started gaining popularity in the Sixties, and by the Seventies, was hugely widespread. But it was not something you said in front of parents, teachers, youth group friends. It was not something I said - it was dirty.

Okay, I'd better make a DISCLAIMER here. I've used it since. Sometimes to express myself, sometimes to shock people or make them laugh. But I have used it, and it doesn't seem as dirty as it used to when I was young. But it still feels like I'm saying a bad word.

Here's one result of my pastor saying suck from the pulpit. I REMEMBERED HER SERMON. Yes, I had to go back into my notes to get a few more details about it, but the point is, I remembered what she said.