Pastor Apologizes for Unintentional Acrostic

From Lark New, dateline December 12, 2004

SAN ANTONIO — Pastor Tom Kirkland, who spelled the phrase "u suck" in his five-point outline last Sunday, has apologized to his church.
"I should have looked it over more carefully," he says. "It was late Saturday night when I finished. I'm sorry."

His five points, based on the story of Abraham, were:

Understand your calling
Say yes to God
Use the abilities he gave you
Call on him during hard times
Keep going!

Plenty of people were offended.

"When I realized what he was spelling, I flipped over my outline so my son wouldn't see it," says Ursula Thompson, 46. The message of the sermon was lost on her, she says.

But others say it's not the first time "unintentional" acrostics have popped up lately. Kirkland, they suspect, is telegraphing his deep-rooted dissatisfaction.

"He spelled 'losers' one Sunday and 'get lost' the next, and apologized for those, too," says one woman. "He's getting little kicks out of it." •