During two previous Goose masterminded Holy Thursday beatdowns the pax explored themes of shared suffering and the seemingly chaotic nature of events leading up to Christ Passion.
(See F3 Archives for these fine works of Goose et al:
2023’s “ You Don’t Got This Bro” 2022’s “ Holy Thursday : Plenty of Material to Work With”
YHC re-read these seminal works in preparation for Thursday and was drawn toward the Garden of Gethsemane, more specifically the time period directly after Jesus is captured and before his trial. Wondering what the disciples may have been feeling at that time…lost, scattered, dejected, confused. Everything they had worked towards all up in the air.
Everything unknown
You might even say Superunknown …
Duke!! Roll the footage and fetch ABs dusty CD case from the barn ! No, not the Shania Twain.
Grab the one with the most angsty album cover, you can’t go wrong !!
10 pax strong on a fine cool morning at the Den.
Pumped to see McDreamy back for round 2 andddd Valve even showed enough respect to think he needed a warmup today !
Warmup
Some coupon dispersement then we got down to the usual business of YHCs mind wandering while the cadence stacks up at random numbers.
Is it difficult to chatter with Ronnie AND keep the cadence , sure , but a beatdown is all about pushing through our perceived norms. Goose took the lead stepping out of his comfort zone and showing us a few arm circle karate moves that had us all buying tickets to Diamond Dawson’s Judy Chop Seminar.
Self Love was left to chance as we got a warm up mosey around the civic center to make sure the legs were primed.
Thang 1
Multitasking
There’s a lot going on during Holy Thursday but today’s primary theme would be the disciples experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. So we start with a symbolic run showing: A) the responsibility they carried being the disciples of Christ and B) the multitasking and chaotic nature of the events of this week .
Coupon Indian Run to the Garden
Last man drop off for 3thrusters
When he passes you in line you do 3 OHP.
Chatter seemed reduced to minimal questions about where we were going and grumbles about the logistics of running with coupons and Cardinals facial expressions of “how dare you” .
All except Pope of course . You could put a baby grand on that kids back and he would still be smiling and correcting YHCs LOTR quotes. I know I’m a broken record here but watching him pass us all up in the last 2 years has been amazing.
We made it safely to the St Francis Garden courtyard and the pax were clearly hungry for Garden themed trivia so we dove in.
Correct Answer – 3 manmakers
Incorrect Answer- 6 manmakers
1.) NYTimes ranked this flavor of Sun Chips as # out of 10.
(A: Garden Salsa)
*If you bring French Onion in this house prepare to walk home.
2.) First appearing in Orlando Florida , this restaurant chain has grapes as a part of its logo.
(A: Olive Garden )
***Bonus***
What 3 dishes make up YHCs favorite meal at Olive Garden, the Tour of Italy?
(A: Lasagna- Fetuccini Alfredo – Chicken Parmesan)
That’s right , y’all knew YHC was cultured but were you expecting that level of class? Doubtful.
Pretty sure Goose said Spaghetti instead of Fett Alfredo but YHC knew what song was coming up and let the grace flow early.
3.) Famed Showman PT Barnums alleged last words were “how were the receipts at “blank” , this famed venue
(A: Madison Square Garden)
The PAX had successfully figured out YHCs “garden” answers and made the rest look like Enron on Jeopardy with the category “early 2000 gutter rap” …Childs play.
Flawless 3/3 from the Pax and the 9 manmakers were just the appetizer at this garden party.
This Lenten season YHC has been thinking and praying with some difficult things God can sometimes ask us to do in waiting. As men we often want to see Problem A and fix it with Solution B. Part of our nature can be jumping into action. Patience is likely YHCs most ignored virtue but getting to know a lot of our pax more closely over the last few years has revealed how much work God can do in our waiting.
This next bit wouldn’t be pretty but the intensity had to be ratcheted as we approach Sunday.
Song:
“While I’m Waiting “
Goose introduced most of us to this song a few years back and it’s been a top 10 on YHCs playlist since. Just a solid reminder that waiting doesn’t put us into carbon freeze, but that we can still service and worship in that state.
Hold “Al Goosies “ – Al Gore with a Coupon
With Coupon Goosies on “Waiting and Wait”
Coupon Goosies are a coupon lunches and a goblet squat.
Somehow regular Goosies look a little nicer no
Next we ventured a little deeper into the garden.
“ Could you not stand watch with me ?”
P1 100 HR merkins 10 at a time – p2 *Hold Coupon Press w Leg Raises
P1 100 Goblet Sqats 10 at a time
P2 *Coupon Side Reach Hold
*Both Clinically proven to reduce drowsiness in gardens.
And now the mob comes for Jesus in the garden and he’s captured.
Has to be one of the darkest times so far in all of the disciples times together. Tough to fathom it. When mere words will not suffice in a beatdown it’s JBLs turn . YHC wanted a song here to fully represent the mood at the time immediately following the events at the garden. I needed a SOUND some how related to a GARDEN. I needed a melancholic mood like your whole Son had just gone black …
90s grunge don’t fail me now!!
Song : Blackout Sun by SoundGarden
Challenge:
Name this Song, Album, lead singer , year released.
Each correct would take 30 seconds off.
Slow Mountain Climbers
Merkins on Black Hole Sun
Side Reach in “won’t you come”
Lead Singer – Chris Cornell
Album – SuperUnknown
Year released 1994
(More on this later)
Mosey to Bball court
At this point all the disciples react in different ways . Some pray, some run, some fight but all are tested in their own way.
So we would have a test of our own as a symbol of the increasing pressure as we approach the cruxifixction.
The Test
EMOM Timer
3 burpees (drop to pray)
1 court run (run back and forth)
3 Thrusters (draw your sword)
-increase 1 rep each round until you cannot beat the timer
We made it to the round of seven reps.
Coupon Mosey to Flag in relative silence.
Mission accomplished
Counting and Naming
Announced BK500 is on the books for Sept 28.
Start considering business sponsors and have an obligatory sit down with your previous SV500 partner about the seriousness of your relationship.
COT and Popeye prayed us out
Thanks for following along with me. As always it’s a privilege to lead.
A Dox of Chocolate:
YHC has no idea what Chris Cornell had in mind when he wrote “Blackout Sun”. So a Google search was done and not much more was revealed. Some general reviews online that the song conjured up “disillusionment” , “feelings of discomfort”, “relentless heat” and “concealed darkness”. If nothing else this definitely fit the tone that YHC wanted to strike that the disciples may have felt in the garden. What I did find was an interview of the band explaining the song could be interpreted at the disgression of the audience, so I’ll give it a swing.
My first thought was that, having been released in 1994, this song would have been a hit in the developing teen years of our pax’s 40 North club. So I imagined that motley crew playing this song…garage band style in ‘94. They would have a vague band name like “Sack of Fart” and people would debate for years if the flatulence in question was plural. Obviously Goose as baritone lead singer biding his time for a solo career. HoneySuckle on bass guitars with a “save the bees, save the world “ headband. AB as the smoky genius drummer. YJ is the quintessential band manger cutting deals and trying to figure out the “vibe” on the next record. Popeye drives the tour bus and does the pyrotechnics. WetTap as mosh pit director and occasional saxophone accompaniment. All wearing JNCo jeans with long hair and ironic sleeveless shirts . Those kids are going places they just don’t know it.
Ok ok my first thought got carried away, it happens. But my second thought. My second thought was of the repeated line in the chorus of Blackout Sun. “Won’t you come?” It was an invitation of sorts. It reminded me that every year as we begin Holy Week we are invited to enter in to the experiences surrounding Christ’s passion. That for a moment we can put ourselves into the anguish and suffering. Into the deep prayer. Into the darkness felt by the disciples. And if we can go there then we can also begin to feel the immense and unconditional love that comes with the sacrifice. And see that no amount of chaos or despair can refute that love but that He meets us in it and works with us through it. The hope being that each year we are challenged to go a layer deeper and accept this invitation.
“Won’t you come?”
SYITG
Paradox
