[Faith-talk] Chapter 10 of my novel

[Poppa Bear]

To those who have been enjoying my unfinished book so far I thank you for
taking the time to continue on this little journey. 

Chapter 10

    Ed and Ben had met with Luke earlier in the week and now Sunday was
quickly approaching. The two elders had been walking on pins since the
meeting and tensions were mounting. Ed had got out of his car on Saturday
morning, saw a homeless native man bundled up in a sleeping bag in some
shrubbery, walked over to him, quickly looked to the left and right  and
gave him a quick kick as he roused him awake and ran him off.

    Ben had been extremely irritable at home and his wife was taking the
blunt of his stress He became sharp with her on many occasions, only to feel
angry with himself after he had let some hurtful words fly at her. When the
grand kids came over on Thursday night he stayed in his office the whole
time. Typically  he would have dropped anything to spend a few minutes with
them. Instead of feeding on the word in his office, he crunched number after
number trying to figure out how to cut church costs and the more he
crunched, the angrier he became with what he saw as waist on needless
comforts and accommodations.

    Alli was dealing with problems of her own as the week progressed. It was
true that she received a great since of fulfillment at her job, but the
tides of life were steadily chipping away at her fragile wall of security on
a daily basses. One minute she would think that she had the ideal life and
then the next she would feel depressed, unattractive and lonely. To top it
off, she was starting to have second thoughts about her relationship with
Mike, the handsome and seemingly flawless worship leader.

    Since the meeting Luke had been doing what he normally did, spending a
lot of time in the word, going before the thrown of the Father to commune,
giving thanks and seeking for guidance to help minister to his fellow
brothers and sisters. This week he had constantly been drawn to read a few
older writings of some compelling Scottish Divines that used rich and
powerful words that made him feel as if God was right before him placing his
hand in his very own.

    He had no master plan to miraculously snatch the church out of all of
its problems, or to convert the entire town. His plan was to seek enough
light to carry out what was before him at that particular moment. Right now,
the task consisted in thinking about a message for the coming Sunday.

    On Saturday night he had been encamped in an old room above the
sanctuary which over looked the Anchorage park strip and part of the Down
town area. The room was very modest by many standards, but after spending
several years in the villages with not much more personal space than a
closet, the small room was more than adequate for his needs.

    He had been provided with a twin mattress that sat upon a nondescript
old battered wood frame. There appeared to be a nicely worn handmade quilt
on top with a thick wooly blanket beneath that along with a faded pair of
flannel sheets as the foundation separating tired body from the ruff
scratchy wool and the old warn mattress.

    Next to his bed sat a small rickety wooden stool that he accommodated
for a bed side table. On the small table he placed his bible, old coffee cup
and a very dated silver wined up clock. More than that could not fit.

    There was also an old teacher's desk that was mammoth in proportion,
made of oak and looked like it had seen its fare share of years in a class
room starting at the turn of the century. The chare that was slid under the
desk was Spartan in appearance, for it looked like it could blister the
bottom and provide a memorable back ache all in one short sitting.

    Where the large desk was once dusty and covered in boxes, it now held a
dozen books or so. There was the Matthew Henry's concise commentary on the
whole bible, also called the poor man's commentary, the Treasury of David by
Spurgeon, the Valley of Vision, Unspoken Sermons by McDonald and a large
parallel bible containing 4 English translations as well as Greek and
Hebrew. Along with this were other books, but these were the most likely to
be grabbed on those occasional long sleepless nights or rambling walks.

    The scarred desktop also held about 5 worn notepads which were filled
with both finished and unfinished sermons and even a smatter of poetry
mingled with wondering thoughts. Centered in the middle of the desk,
somebody had placed a gaudy shiny new calendar with the words "The Good
Sheppard" written in old English across the top. The last occupant of the
aged desk was a small forsaken casino green table lamp with a flexible arm
and a faded brownish colored pull string that was the soul means of
artificial lighting in the room. 

    The floor of the rectangle shaped room was a smooth and faded solid hard
wood. The walls which had been bare bone now held 6 or so nice size heavily
creased maps. The maps included the Holy land, the Province of Asia Minor,
an old looking map of the Roman Empire and two newer maps of Russia and
Alaska.

    As he pored over his bible gathering thoughts for the coming day he
could hear the music from the sanctuary below. Saturday evenings were always
reserved for song rehearsal. He was a person who enjoyed music, but never
the less; his spirit was not soothed by the songs which were being sung
below. The music seemed to have an eerie resemblance to the modern day pop
ditties that seemed to only scrape the shallow surfaces of what, too him,
was created to be a rich ocean of treasures and worshipful expressions.
Never the less he was soon lost in the scriptures and the outer sounds did
not penetrate the inner meditations

    When Sunday morning arrived Luke felt calm and focused. His focus was
not on one particular plan, but rather it was on being open to the Spirits
guiding influence. He felt like it was Christmas morning and as he looked at
every new face he felt as if they were gifts waiting to be unwrapped.

    He walked around the foyer simply observing the people as they came in.
Some were dressed in suits which could have been Taylor fit; the cuts were
so precise and business like. Others wore the typical department store suit
and tie while the dress of the women varied from modest dresses, to tight
pants and form fitting low cut blouses and sweaters which seemed to have the
potential to attract one too many glances from the opposite sex.

    Jewelry was worn liberally by many of the women, and designer purses
hung from many a wrist

    Mike Carder the worship leader approached the podium, grabbed a
microphone, greeted everyone, centered himself on the stage and then
launched into a song. People filed into their chares at this point and
started to focus on the performance. About 20 percent of the crowd joined in
as the words of the songs skipped across two large screens and thundered
over a myriad of large speakers placed on the walls of the sanctuary. Others
looked on as if they were semi board, while others seemed to scout around
the room looking to see who was there.

    Earlier that morning Ed had quickly briefed Luke on the normal routine
of requesting any distinguishing politicians in the crowd to stand up to be
recognized. Ed explained to Luke that this helped enhanced their standing as
a church in the city and it was a very important part of their service at
the "Good Sheppard."

Ed now approached the podium, smiled profusely, made some announcements,
prayed for the offering and announced that they would have a guest speaker
today. All and all it had the feel of an intro to an infomercial. Most of
the crowd stared on as if they were at a seminar, a subtle excitement was
there, but it was the anticipation that belongs to customers waiting to get
their monies worth.

    After the offering plates were gathered Luke approached the podium. His
attire was modest, no jewelry, fancy shoes or shiny new bible. His suit
could have been any ware from 10 days old to 20 years old. His bible was
bound in black leather and very, very worn.

    His movements as he made his way toward the front were leisurely and
without ceremony or affectation. He looked into the rows of people and made
eye contact with many, never just glancing at a person, but actually
acknowledging them through his eyes. His eyes were probably his most
distinguishing feature because they were not just simply two round orbs that
provided vision, they were stirring portraits which could both send and
receive powerful emotions. They could carry a look of softness at times that
could give comforting warmth like a ray of sunshine on a chilly day and at
other times they could flash with a look of compassion that was so deep, it
would make you think that he was literally experiencing the suffering of the
suffering that he was only witnessing. 

He smiled warmly to the people nearest him and the smile was so infectious
that some women in the first row even turned away with a look of shy
childlike embarrassment on their blushing faces as they encountered the
frank and open smile of Luke. His stature was not imposing, but yet there
was a kind of rugged and vibrant looking strength that underlined his 5-10,
175 pound frame. A small patch of white could be seen peeking out from under
his dark black locks of hair where the bandage lay over his wound, but this
seemed to only add to his presence rather than mar it in any way.

    After offering up a short, but precise prayer he thanked the people,
then immediately launched into his message. The fact that he completely
skipped Ed's most prized part of the entire service, the introduction of the
local big wigs in the audience, made Ed almost choke on his coffee as he
sipped it. This was highly frustrating for him because he took particular
pride in the "who's Who" of the church.

    For Ed and many people their personal wishes are not simply wishes, but
exacting laws that carry the same weight of the 12 tables in ancient Rome
where Cicero once stated, "Though all the world exclaim against me, I will
say what I think: that single little book of the 12 tables, if anyone look
to the fountain and sources of laws, seems to me, assuredly, to surpass the
libraries of all the philosophers, both in weight of authority, and
plenitude of utility."

    Now that Ed's grand laws had been broken, it was like the law of the 12
tables were fractured where in the violator could be compelled to undergo
excruciating consequences until the violated was appeased, who was Ed in
this case. From this point, Ed's mind instantly started prospecting
candidates who could temporary take the place of this insolent preacher.
Though Ed could occasionally be cowed when he felt he was in the wrong, it
was only by people who he considered to be equals or superiors. In this case
Luke was far from either to him. 

    "Our text this morning will be found in the tenth chapter of the book of
John. The book of John is in the New Testament and it is after the book of
Luke and before the book of Acts. Then we will read the 23 Psalm. As I read
the word may we please stand to show our respect to God's word, if you are
unable to stand do to health or personal reasons then pleas remain seated."
Ed was indeed tempted to stay seated, but thought about his image and arose
as most of the people did.

    John 10: 10-15 "I am the good Sheppard. The good Sheppard lays down his
life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the Sheppard who owns the sheep.
So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then
the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is
a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

   I am the good Sheppard: and I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as
the father knows me and I know the father-I lay down my life for the sheep."
He then went on to read the 23rd Psalm.

    "I have read two portions of scripture this morning that for me are
vital parts of my relationship with Jesus. It gives way to the reality of
God's love for not only me, but all of us, illustrating a care that is so
consuming and tedious that it could only come from the heart of God.

    The title that Jesus gives his self in the chapter of John is the name
that this church chooses to use as the representing thought of this body of
believers and I hope that each of us can come to appreciate and have a fawn
affection for the title, "Good Sheppard."

    As many of us sit here in a beautiful warm building, in nice padded
seats with homes and soft beds to go home to, it may be somewhat difficult
to connect with the title "Sheppard," We have seen the somber looking
portraits of a lone Sheppard on the picturesque mountain side tending sheep
with a club, Sheppard's crook and a flowing robe looking over a kindly flock
of snow white sheep. But with this idea, the contented looking sheep
serenely munching on luscious green grass, do we really understand how the
words of Jesus could tie into this picture? I imagine that in order to
really grasp the substance of His words we would have to go beyond the
canvas and into the life of these nomadic people known as Sheppard's."

    Luke deftly laid out the outer workings of a Sheppard's life. He
addressed the typical upbringing of a Sheppard child, hardships, education,
and expectations, how they were looked down upon by the cultures where they
dwelt and the connection between these people and the nation of Israel. His
History was so informative and accurate you might have thought he had been
brought up on the Judean hills from his childhood.

    He then dove into a portion of his message that seemed to immediately
get the attention of more than a few hungry onlookers. His words seemed to
cut through the air with a living force that was consumed with passion and a
genuine plea. The plea was not one of a pitiful supplication for people to
be satisfied with his words, but a powerful plea for people to see that
Jesus was alive, alive even in the midst of this lowly illustration, and
alive in a way that no one in our lives could ever be.

    "Every sheep was of the most priority to the Sheppard. He was familiar
with every movement of his flock. He had to know what kind of grass they
were eating, every bite, for the hills were plagued with poisonous shrubbery
that could harm a sheep.

The Sheppard had to constantly examine the fleece of every sheep for
parasites, disease and infections. If a sheep moved too fast he found out
why, if too slow he had to check on it as well.

    No sheep could be out of his sight for a minute because of ravenous
predators. There were deadly flash floods, treacherous cliffs, and a myriad
of other things that the Sheppard had to be concerned about.

    The Sheppard's concern was for every bleat, every look, breath and
movement of his flock. This is a picture of Jesus and the sheep are the
picture of us." He will not lose one sheep the scripture says and he will
lay down His own life for His sheep."

    The illustration that Luke portrayed is difficult to put into words, how
can you capture such pathos, love, tenderness, constancy and zeal that were
both poured out by the speaker and brought forth in the words that he spoke.
He almost seemed to have a look of Holy amazement on his face as he spoke,
as if he was in ah, receiving the truths for the first time himself. 

    These were not first time truths to the man though, it was the fact that
when the words of God that he meditated on day and night broke forth from
his mouth, a kind of Holy unction took hold of him and a fire filled his
bones. At times in his life after giving a message he would quickly go to
his room and drop to his knees with tears running down his face as he became
cot up in the eternal words and stories that seemed to bring the face of God
right before him.

    Before he ended his message he gave an invitation to come forward and
receive Christ. Ed and Ben immediately looked at each other in alarm. This
was not a practice at this church, somewhere along the line of creating the
most comfortable and attractive environment possible, giving invitations to
actually become a follower of Christ had became nonexistent.

    Making an alter call seemed old fashion and too denominational for many
people. On top of that, it was uncomfortable. It brought people to the real
fork in the road, and the fork wasn't stuck in the middle of a nice sirloin
steak, it was right in the middle of their soul, and it was not comforting
to have to deal with that fork and choose which side of it you were going to
travel on.

    As Luke gave the final words of his invitation he asked everybody to
close their eyes and bow their heads. When he almost seemed done, as if in
harmony 2 people arose on opposite sides of the room and started coming
forward.

    One of the on comers was a young girl about 14 and the other was a
middle age rougher looking man who was dressed in blue jeans, work boots and
a worn flannel. They both looked like deer who had stumbled out into the
path of a fleet of 18 wheelers, but as if an invisible string pulled them
forward, neither swerved to the left or the right.

    Luke reached out his hands to both, as they both seemed to arrive
simultaneously. Without hesitation they both took a hand. The tender soft
hand of the one and the ruff callus covered work hand of the other were both
grasped by the firm hands of the preacher, the man with the fiery words that
seemed to burn the soul clean with the story of this Good Sheppard. The tiny
hand of the young girl and the big strong hand of the man both seemed to
tremble as if they were holding up a million pounds and the strain of it
were too much to bear.

    Luke simply asked, "Do you two want to follow this Sheppard who laid
down His life for you?" They both meekly nodded yes. "Do you believe that he
can forgive you your sins and save your souls?" Again they both knotted.

    Luke started to kneel down, and they both seemed to instinctively follow
and squeezing both of their hands he told them to repeat a short prayer. He
then placed his hands on their heads and as the patriarchs of old, he asked
God's blessings on these new children of the kingdom. As he prayed tears and
sobs racked the body of the young girl who was in the bloom of life, and hot
tears also flowed freely from the clinched eyes of the older work worn man.

    As Ed and Ben looked on, both were feeling strong emotions. Ed's
feelings sat in the realm of shock and embarrassment while Ben's were
feelings of a deep longing and an exhausting tiredness. As the two new
believers sat before him, heads bowed, tears running down their faces, one
large burning tear escaped Bens left eye and rolled down his cheek. He
quickly wiped it away, why, he did not know.

    Alli sat a little aw struck because she had never felt the reality of
Jesus as a real life person to be so vivid and palpable. She was almost in a
daze as she just seemed to sit there. Even when most of the congregation
started to get up to say by to one another she still just sat there looking
down at her feet.

    She had a rush of feelings and new thoughts pulsating through her body,
almost sparkling and bubbling up like a stream of living water. In the midst
of the flood of these emotions she had one particular revelation, something
like an epiphany. She knew at that second that she had never really known
Jesus and this was her first glimpse into His face and it was so beautiful,
so powerful that she was lost in a deep since of joy, mingled with an
inexplicable since of sorrow. A few large tears rolled down her smooth
cheeks breaking in on her momentary reverie.

    The joy she felt was due to the fact that she had now really tasted the
living water and new it was the only thing that could really ever quenched
the thirst and longing that lay within her confused heart. The sorrow was
twofold. First she had lived so long without seeing a living portrait of the
Savior, and second was she felt that the moment would pass and she didn't
know what to do to retain the since of His presence shining so brightly in
her mind's eye.