The junior high boys’ Sunday school class had just finished decorating their bulletin board. Unlike most bulletin boards, this one intrigued me.
THE PERSON I ADMIRE MOST was the title. Each student had decorated a colorful piece of construction paper with the names of his top-three most admired people. This ought to be interesting, I thought. Junior high boys are generally not known for their cogent observations or keen sense of values. I paused for a moment of amusement, wondering who would be honored. Hmmm.
No infamous criminals—so far, so good.
No cartoon characters—so far, so good.
No current presidents—so far, so good.
Hey, there is hope for this great country of ours. A surprising and encouraging trend turned up: more than half the boys listed “Pastor Jay Riley” as their most admired.
Huh? Weren’t these the same guys who fiddled with their portable computer games or stared blankly at the ceiling during Jay’s sermons? Weren’t these the guys who had to be personally escorted from the Sunday school room to their parents’ pew lest they somehow lose their way into the parking lot and the great beyond? Weren’t these the guys who “decorated” their Sunday school room with graffiti and spent every moment attempting to be as cool as possible?
The next few Sundays, I kept a curious eye on the motley crew to see how they came up with their pastor as “most admired.” I was right about the tiny bit of attention his sermons get. But I hadn’t noticed how each of them vied for Jay’s attention before and after the sermons.
Every Sunday, Charlie brought his latest work of art for Jay to acclaim. Travis visited Jay’s office for a quick hello, even though Jay usually asked him how he was treating his mother lately. Daniel asked Jay when they were going for another day at the go-kart races. A pat on the back, a warm hello, a question about their schools or their sports teams-that’s what they were looking for, and that’s what they got.
For Mother’s Day, I asked one of the boys to deliver a short speech about how much his mother meant to him. He replied, “I remember what Pastor Jay said a few Sundays ago about mom.” Jay had used his mother as a shining example in a sermon. So, their ears are half-tuned after all. This boy gave an accomplished speech, taking off from what had been preached more than a month before.
They’re listening. They’re watching. They’re admiring.
Jay’s head didn’t swell too much about being nominated as “most admired.” After all, he was about even with another greatly admired public figure-Jim Carrey, star of the film classic “Dumb and Dumber.”
Oh well, in a junior high boy’s value system, running neck and neck with Jim Carrey is truly an accomplishment.
Linda Riley is director of Called Together Ministries in Torrance, California. In this column, she reflects on the variety of people we meet in ministry.
1996 by Christianity Today/LEADERSHIP, journal.
Last Updated: October 8, 1996
