[Faith-talk] Chapter 7 of my novel

[Poppa Bear]

Well here goes another chapter for everybody. In re reading it I noticed
that I did much more narration in this section and am considering re writing
much of it if I decide to put my hands back on this book to complete it. If
anyone has any thoughts pleas share.

 

Chapter 7

    The Sunday service was commencing at the Good Sheppard Community Church.
The sanctuary was about 75 percent filled and a few stragglers were still
walking through the old oak double doors making their way down the center
isle to find a place to sit. Upon entering the double doors they were not
greeted by a firm handshake or an inviting smile from any ushers, that
tradition had long since ceased along with the use of a weekly bulletin.

    All eyes were glued to the stage. Their eyes were fastened on three very
well dressed and very attractive performers. Music blared out of four large
monitor speakers that sat on the stage facing the pews. Towering high above
the people music bellowed from eight more giant speakers strapped to the
rafters in the sealing helping to amplify the thundering notes and the crisp
clear vocals of the singers.

    On the left of the stage was a young man named Eric in his early
twenties with shiny brown hair that was suppose to look fashionably
reckless, but looked unnaturally  shiny and very stiff do to an obscene
amount of hair gel. He stood hunched over, knees bent, striking his electric
guitar with rock star like enthusiasm.

    Swaying back and forth with a wireless microphone in her hand positioned
on the front right of the stage was a beautiful looking woman named Sharron
who was in her early thirties. She had thick glossy chestnut brown hair and
large blue eyes. She was singing back up, bellowing out one repetitious line
after another from one of the latest contemporary Christian pop songs.

    Standing in center stage stood Michael Carter, the worship leader. He
stood, microphone in hand, proud and tall, emotions of concentration and
pleasure dancing across his handsome features. It would have been near
impossible to tell whether or not his passionate expressions were derived
from a genuine desire to exalt god, or only a desire to exalt himself. He
appeared to sing every word with great intensity, powerful feelings
resonating through every line.

    This weekly performance was the reason that many even attended. The
quality of the music was on par with a real concert and the performers had
remarkable musical skills. When the offering bag made it's rounds right on
the heels of the music, many felt that throwing money in the bag was more or
less a payment for the great entertainment they had received rather than a
sacrificial gift that reminded them that the money was not theirs, but
God's.

    The young man and the attractive woman stepped down off of the stage
after the song ended and the worship leader Michael Carter took a seat on a
stool behind a wide Yamaha piano. He slowly adjusted a microphone on a stand
next to him so he could sing into it. He pressed a button on the keyboard
piano and a deep rumbling sound of a drum kick resonated through the
building. As if on Q the lights in the sanctuary dimmed and only the
platform stayed lit.

    Alli sat in the second row and she felt a little awkward as he looked at
her with an intensity that seemed out of place in a Sunday church service.
The drum rhythm that played was slow and almost seductive. He spread his
fingers apart and pressed down on the keys and a slow jazzy sound stole from
the speakers like a heavy mist on a warm moonlit night.

    Mike would do this now and then and nobody seemed to mind, choose a song
that had no religious baring and sit center stage playing as if the entire
congregation only came to see him sing and play. He would typically choose a
song that highlighted his ability to play amazing piano, but would sometimes
pick up a guitar and leave the onlookers mesmerized as his fingers slid up
and down the neck of the electric guitar with unbelievable precision and
speed.

    His voice carried through the sanctuary in thick raspy tones that
sounded jazzy and smooth like hot melted chocolate. More than one woman's
admiration of his talents and looks bordered on infatuation, and left a few
husbands vary peevish and openly resentful of his sensational performances.

    Mike was in good form today, and he silently congratulated himself once
again for pushing so hard for a new sound system. He loved music and fed on
the glamour of being able to play in front of a couple hundred people every
week. Often more people came up to him after the services than even the
Pastor, and he took note of every bit of prays he received, and if he didn't
receive many complements, he would try not to play whatever song he felt
didn't woo the people during the service again.

    Ending the song in a crescendo of complex piano cords he dramatically
dropped his head down against his chest and applause erupted from the
people, some even rose to their feet. Most who stood and clapped were young
women and you could see some of their husbands shaking their heads in
frustration.

    The lights turned back on and Ed Long approached the pulpit. He welcomed
the members and the guests with a stiff frigid smile that never reached his
eyes and spoke in a voice that would have been more suited to a business
meeting. Since they had no ushers, Ben Miller slowly got out of his seat
looking tired and gloomy, grabbed two cloth bags used to receive the
offerings and made his way down the center isle passing the collection bags
back and forth from row to row, attempting to put on a genuine smile,
murmuring thanks to each person he passed.

    The temporary pastor made his way to the pulpit. His name was Richard
Parks. He was a professor of anthropology at the local college and had been
attending the church for about 6 months now, and speaking every Sunday for
the last 2 months.

    With the short notice retirement of Howell, Ed had picked Richard to
give the Sunday messages. Ed and Richard had become acquainted through a
series of executive fishing trips. Richards's expenses were paid for by a
left wing political group that appreciated Richards influence in town with
the state university and his outspoken opinions against local conservative
politicians. Ed's trips were paid for out of the church budget and they were
top of the line trips, fly in and fish, private charter boats, guarantied
halibut catches and occasional shoulder rubbing with big wigs from state
side who wanted to experience a tamed version of Alaska.

    Ed's selection of Richard wasn't based on any confession of faith
Richard had ever shared with Ed. Richard never struck Ed as being a
religious man who had a spiritual life. Ed chose Richard because he thought
Richard to be a good speaker, very clever and dynamic.

    There was never a question by the congregation of whether or not Richard
was qualified. If an elder member such as Ed brought him in, it was good
enough for most of them. Ed enjoyed testing the boundaries of his power; it
gave him a gratifying since of authority when he felt like life was his
personal chess board.

    For most of the congregation at the Good Sheppard, church was simply a
stop at the end of the week to rub a little sav over their consciences after
a sorted weekend, while for others; it was a weekly meal of spiritual
vegetables to help them stay in tuned with their spirituality.  Gradually
the entertainment factor became an additional benefit.

    Any how the professor of anthropology started to give his message. He
would always strive to let the congregation know that he was not preaching,
but rather sharing. Perhaps the people didn't understand that the Church was
a place of preaching and teaching, if they would have, the dye of worldly
inconsistencies may not have been cast into their unguarded minds. I do not
say hearts, because for the most part this congregation had not learned to
carry the messages that they received to their hearts. They had either
forgot how to, or had never learned.

I will not try to give the body of his message word for word, that is if you
could call it a body, but I will try to draw out the idea's behind the mask
of the message. Inevitably when the man who has not attempted to know the
Savior, but only know about Him, can only give a poor counterfeit facsimile
of what the life of the man of Galilee meant, which is often so distorted
that it is simply the exact opposite of what the life embodied and still
embodies to this day and days to come.

Richard started off by thanking everyone for being there, taking special
care to announce the presence of any distinguishable politician who happened
to be attending the church that particular Sunday, with the exception of any
public figure that was to "rigid" for Richards enlightened views. As each
one was announced, the members would let out a round of applause. That could
take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. 

After the announcements of the notable guests he would get into his 20
minute message that was usually filled with current events, short stories
and a quick lesson in history. No one seemed to notice that he never even
carried a bible to the pulpit, but rather a book on world religions. My
reader might say, "Well, I wouldn't worship there. It all looks so obvious."
"Let me ask you, what is the focus of your Sunday messages? Is it the events
and affairs of the world and how you relate to it with a sprinkling of the
life of Christ, or are the messages on how Christ relates to you, and how
you relate to life in its various choices and experiences with a distinctive
resemblance to Christ? 

This week he was talking about how excepting Jesus was of everyone that he
came in contact with. Before spilling out this small common theme of today's
idea of what Christ stood for and represented, I would like to propose that
this is not an unrealistic message, but more common than some might think,
perhaps not so obvious in some cases, but still carrying the same underlying
ideas. "Jesus was an opened minded man. He sat down with prostitutes and
didn't criticize them. The only people he was critical with was the
religious leaders, and why? Because they were so closed minded. The problem
with our day and age is that we're so closed minded. Happiness is what Jesus
came to bring, love and peace. He wanted people to be able to make their own
choices without being bullied around by some religious hypocrites.

W    hen ever a religious person attempts to stop the happiness of another
they are not being like Jesus. Jesus stood for the purest love. His love
didn't depend on tradition or the prejudices of his day with their rigid
social boundaries, that's why he could talk to the woman at the well. He
didn't care what others thought. He was a person who just wanted people to
except one another and let them be happy even if they were different, or
held a nontraditional lifestyle." 

At the end of his message, he closed with something akin to this, "So as we
all leave today, let us think of how excepting and loving Jesus was and try
to carry that same attitude with us throughout the week. Many people will
try to get you to stand up against this group of people or a certain kind of
lifestyle, but is that what Jesus did? No he shared a message of love." 

To some, or unfortunately many, this may be a perfectly sound message, but
is it? Did the Savior come to make people happy by allowing them to continue
in their sins without any unction of informing them of their bondage and
showing them the key to liberty and peace? This is not the Gospel message.
Jesus came to save people from a deep disturbing pain that comes from a
separation from the only natural and complete happiness that man can ever
experience. He came before the world and laid before us the most precious
gift that man can ever have, a right relationship with the Father. He not
only made the way, but also carries us over the road to our Father, and
eternal home of rest. He wipes away the guilt and shame of the mistakes and
sins that scar our hearts, haunt us in our dreams and leave us crippled and
unable to hope, laugh and enjoy this life. 

It may be true that the Savior accepted sinners, but that was an acceptance
of them to come to Him and find that new life, which enveloped their whole
being, transforming their nature from that of darkness and death to one of
light and life. The Gospel message is a story of redemption. A redeeming of
our whole person, body, mind and soul from a horrifying curse that separates
us from the greatest love and happiness one may ever know. 

As many messages of the time, a sprinkling of the truth may make a message,
statement or opinion go a long way in being accepting. Perhaps the Words of
our Lord may be applicable to this fact as well, "Don't judge by mere
appearances." For in doing so we may accept the counterfeit truth simply
because the color of it seems to resemble the original, but if the truth
does not carry the seal of the Master than though there is a likeness it
must be discarded. Apply your mind, body and soul to walking with the Lord,
in doing so you will become so familiar with Him that a poorly made replica
will not suffice to deceive you. 

At the end of the message Ed Long arose and made his way to the front. He
started to talk into the microphone. "Well, I would like to announce to you
that we will be receiving a new Pastor in the coming weeks. Right now I do
not have all of the details, but as soon as I do they will be announced." 

With this unexpected statement, Ben Miller looked dumb struck considering
the fact that if the hiring of any Pastor was to be considered, he would
have to prepare the payroll and have all the personal information of the
Pastor. In this case the statement of Ed had been pulled out of the clouds,
leaving Ben bewildered as to the motives of Ed.