Our Friend Tennyson

“Today we are not going to explain the mystery, we are going to speak the truth.”

On Friday, we received a call that our good friend Tennyson had died. As I write this now, we still feel like we can hardly believe the news. But phone calls, emails, and newspaper reports continue to confirm what in our hearts we know to be true. We have also seen, read and heard a variety of reports as to the cause of his death making it all the more confusing to understand why our friend is no longer with us. But as we have prayed and sought counsel, we have come to understand that it is not important for us to solve the mystery of Tennyson’s untimely death. What is important is to not let the shock of his death cloud the man he was and the God he loved.

Tennyson spent most of his time investing in the lives of others. He was giving and caring. He was an incredible encourager. He was mischievous and fun, a talented illusionist and preacher. He was loyal to his friends and had a zest and spark for life that was contagious. So our plan is to not focus on the mystery but to look at the truth. He is in the arms of a God who is fair and just. He is in the arms of a loving God who is merciful and knows our hearts. He is in the arms of our savior.

No matter the final report on his death - whatever the coroner concludes or cannot conclude - our hearts are reminding us to not spend our time trying to explain the mystery, but to spend our time focused on the life of our incredible friend, Tennyson McCarty.

Tennyson Mccarty: A Great Friend Remembered

Friday night we got a call. Tennyson was found dead. I didn’t believe it. They must have the wrong ID; no way could this be true. I called the Boulder Police station and they told me they’d have the coroner’s office call me back. That night, well after 10pm PST, I got the call I didn’t want. Confirmation that Tennyson was indeed found. We all lost a great friend in Tennyson. A man that saw the best in everyone. His loving heart, his humble nature, his wonderful spirit — all wrapped up in a memory now. It’s been a few days now and I’m still processing the news. Kelly and I are both just shocked. Floods of memories have occupied our minds. It was like yesterday that we were in Dal Ward getting ready for a FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meeting. Or watching Tennyson’s latest magic trick.

I most recently ran into Tennyson at John Wayne Airport just under a year ago. He was heading back to Denver after one of their shows. Tennyson and his ministry partner, Jim Munroe have been touring around the country drawing crowds and then sharing about the good news. Although I never saw them live, their ministry “What is the Maze” seemed to reach many. There was even an unofficial site called MazeImpact (http://www.mazeimpact.com) and they had a good following on Facebook. The Facebook group just posted this:

10-20 ~ Today we announce the saddest news. A Brother, Friend, Mentor, Minister, and Amazing Man of God… has left us to be with the Lord. Tennyson McCarty was found in Peaceful Valley, CO yesterday afternoon. It is hard to comprehend that he has truly left us. The Lord has a purpose and plan for all things and we will continue to trust and believe him for his grace, peace, & power. Tennyson’s Legacy will not pass so easily, Countless lives have been touched and many have come to Follow God through Tennyson’s impact on the World. Please be praying for his Family and for MAZE. We Love you Tennyson!

We miss Tennyson greatly. I’m sure we’ll be posting more in the weeks to come. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the family and friends of the McCarty’s.

Your loving friends,
Michael and Kelly

PS I’ve been bookmarking stories on Tennyson. If you’d like to read more just go to http://del.icio.us/mjmcfaddenjr/tennysonmccarty