Thursday and El Tap

The plan was perfect... maybe too perfect.
There are few things in this life like being a part of a book. You can write it, proof-read it, design it, or, inspire it. What you do, really doesn't matter, because the day you first touch it, the day you feel it, the day you first see something you were a part of creating, is a day you never forget.
Maybe it's because a book is permanence. A book will exist somewhere, long after you and everyone living today is gone. It may be in some dusty alcove of the Library of Congress or in Aunt Gladys' Great-Granddaughter's third cousin's house, but it will be somewhere. And you will have been a part of it.
The plan was perfect... maybe too perfect.
The proof copy of The Priest and The Parson was shipped out of Charleston, SC Saturday. A snail with a bad foot could make it to Wilson by Thursday. But guess what?
The plan was perfect... maybe too perfect.
Everyone involved received a daily email update. The emails were designed that the last would fall on the same Thursday... today. The last of the story follows. Everyone is going to be at El Tap. The Parson and the Bishop, The real Life Priest and Parson, the inspirations for the book, would be there. Guess what, barring a miracle, won't be there? The book.
Maybe the first time they will hold the book won't be until next Thursday, maybe they won't read the dedication until then, maybe. But, they can see the Kindle version of the book at  http://www.amazon.com/The-Priest-Parson-ebook/dp/B0094RJC9A/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1346918780&sr=8-6&keywords=Dan+Weatherington and they can read the dedication, "-Dedicated to a real Priest and a real Parson, two real friends, who change lives for the better every day-"

When spring came to Camp Eden, something new entered the picture. A couple of the young people who lived in the camp were taking instructions in agriculture at the local community college and made it their project to plant seeds and plants around the camp. During the winter, the areas of bare earth and spindly plants throughout the camp were an eyesore, but come spring, the plants turned green and the bare spots exploded with color. Camp Eden truly became a ‘Garden of Eden’.
Davy and Danny enjoyed sitting on the front porch and taking in the kaleidoscope of color that surrounded them. The grass had been mowed that afternoon and the smell of the ‘new mown hay’ and sight of colors around them was unbelievable.
Danny had gone inside to answer the phone and came back out carrying two glasses of iced tea. “Some lawyer called and wants to meet with us.”
“About what?”
“Who knows? I told him to come on over. He’ll be here soon.”
As the sun was setting over the camp, a pair of headlights came through the front gate. “My guess is that’s going to be our visitor,” said Danny.
“But, when the car stopped, not one person got out, but three.”
From the very first, it was obvious the three men’s business was serious. Not a single smile graced any of their faces as Danny led them into his cabin.
An older man introduced two younger fellows as Pastor Mitchell and Pastor Reid. He then introduced himself as Lawrence King, attorney for the two.
“I am here to represent Reverend Mitchell an Reverend Reid in the negotiations–“
”Negotiations?” Popped Davy. “What kind of negotiations? We aren’t trying to buy anything and we certainly have nothing to sell.”
“Negotiations don’t necessarily only involve buying and selling,” said King as he pulled out a small tape recorder.
“Whoa,” said Danny as he held up his hand. “This is getting creepy. Why the tape recorder?”
“It’s to protect my clients,” said King. “I don’t know how you’re going to react to what my clients are about to tell you. I don’t know if you are going to want to put them in jail, or how much money you’re going to want.”
Davy looked at Danny, neither had any idea what was going on.
The attorney pressed a button on the recorder and looked at Mitchell. “Go ahead and tell them what you did.”
The young preacher shuffled in his seat, then began. “A little over a year ago, Mark and I,” he looked at Reid, “Mark and I came here to your church. We had no idea what a Baptist Episcopal church was, but we had both just gotten our churches and were looking around to see how others did what they do and decided to come here.”
Both Danny and Davy nodded.
“What we saw, well, it was like nothing either of us had ever seen before. It was wonderful. It was unbelievable. I’ll never forget it, it was about Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple.” He looked at Danny. “You even picked up a table and threw it across the altar. Money flew everywhere. I’ll never forget it. I had probably read that verse a hundred times, but until you threw that table across the front of the church and that money showered down on the altar and on the people, that was all it was. . . a verse.”
Danny looked at Davy. They smiled. They remembered the service well.
“Then, Pastor Tate, you got up and gave that unbelievable sermon. It was, well, like I said, unbelievable. The way you traced doing the wrong things in God’s house and brought it around to doing the wrong things in my house and in your house. I can almost remember it word for word. It was wonderful Then, the way you two asked for questions. Not one bit of fear in your eyes. You stopped the service and asked for questions. We could not believe it.”
“No,” said Davy, “we don’t stop the service to ask for questions. The questions are a part of our service, a big part.”
King motioned for Mitchell to continue.
“We both left feeling closer to God than either of us had ever felt before. Then,” Mitchell looked down. “We came back many times and with a tape recorder and recorded your services.”
Danny shook his hand in front of him. “You can stop your tape recorder. We hear the click, click of recorders going on and off during all our services. We don’t even pay any attention to it any more.”
“There’s more,” said King. He looked at Mitchell, “Go on.”
“We absolutely love your services, we love the way you do them and. . .” Mitchell looked at King. King nodded. “We copied them. We copied them and we created more using your format. We have people packing our churches. The people love it.”
King held up his hand for Mitchell to stop. “I have checked copyright law and it appears–“
Danny reached over and picked up King’s recorder and said into the machine, “Our sermons and services are not copyrighted and Reverend Mitchell and Reverend Reid have our full permission to record the services and use our format and the recordings in any manner they see fit.” Danny looked at King. “Does that make you feel better?”
King took the recorder from Danny’s hand and laid it back on the table. “There’s more.”
Danny looked at Davy.
King nodded for Mitchell to continue.
“Barry, pardon me, Reverend Reid, and I both use your service structure exclusively. Like I say, we love it and our churches are growing by leaps and bounds.”
“That’s great,” said both Danny and Davy. “And both your churches are growing?”
Mitchell looked at King.
King nodded and Mitchell continued. “We have. . .”
“You have three?” asked Davy excitedly.
King eyed Mitchell. Mitchell exhaled and quickly blurted out, “We have seven.”
Davy looked at Danny. They were both in shock.
Davy looked at Mitchell. “You have seven churches all using our format?”
Mitchell nodded.
“How is it we never heard of them?” asked Davy.
“We’re two counties away, but still, I’m surprised you didn’t hear about them.”
Davy looked at Mitchell, “We didn’t, and now we do have a problem.” King moved his recorder closer to Davy.
“A problem?”
“Yes,” said Davy. “Those two counties between us. Those folks are missing out on some good churchin’.
Davy paused for a second, looked at Danny, and became suddenly silent. There were tears in Danny's eyes. At that moment, Davy felt a something slide down his cheek. He knew that Danny was realizing the same thing he was. The two of them had reached their goal. The two of them had accomplished their destiny.
Davy reached over and pressed the ‘stop’ button on King’s recorder. “And, as for you two, there are some fine preachers you need to meet. You need to meet Bubba and Billy-Bob, and Dominick and ...”

Wednesday

The next morning, Danny barged into Davy’s cabin. “Have you got some gas in that heap of yours?”
“It amazes me, you have a perfectly good car of your own. But when you want to go somewhere, anywhere, you feel a burning need to insult my car and ride in it.”
“The question still stands, have you got any gas in that heap of yours?”
“Yes, I assume you want to go somewhere.”
“If you can break away from catering to these rich people.”
“You mean like the ones here at Camp Eden?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve made some calls.”
“Yes.”
That evening, Danny had just set down the phone when Davy came in the front door of his cabin.
“Front porch?” asked Davy.
“Nope, got people coming.”
“Who I think it is?”
“Yes. I think it’s going to work out beautifully.”
Davy smiled.
In a few minutes, a car pulled up to the front of Danny’s cabin. Davy stood and said, “Want some drinks?”
“If you don’t mind.”
Liza and Ben knocked on the door and Danny invited them in. “Come in folks and have a seat.”
“You two are so kind. And I do hope we did okay Sunday. There’s no way we would ever want to disappoint–“
Davy stood and took Liza’s Coke out of her hand. She looked confused. “Just being safe,” he said, “I do hate to clean these things up.”
"Pardon me?” she asked as Danny stood and handed her something. She looked. It was a set of keys and a checkbook.
Liza’s shoulders dropped. She showed the keys and the checkbook to Ben. “You two just know no end to generosity, but Ben and I got a car and Ben keeps it running. We don’t need no car. And a checkbook? We ain’t got no money for a checkbook, but thank you any–“
”The keys won’t fit a car. They’re to a building, a building on Lacy Street, The Lacy Street Mission, we bought it this afternoon.”
If it is possible for a black woman to turn white, Liza Sparrow did it at that moment. Then, she began shaking and passed out on the couch. Ben went to her and began patting her face. In a moment she revived and Davy told her to open the checkbook. When she did, she read Lacy St. Mission - Rev. Ben and Rev. Liza Sparrow. She smiled and said, “This is real nice, but it’s wrong, Ben, he’s a reverend, but I ain’t no reverend. I ain’t nothin’.”
“Sorry, bad mistake, Miss Liza, you tell her Father Danny.”
“Pastor Danny’s right, you are a reverend, a reverend in the Baptist Episcopal Church.”
“Once more she stood, once more she shook and once more she collapsed on the couch. And, once more Ben came and patted her face. “Ain’t no big thing,” he said, “Liza don’t take too good to good news, I guess cause she ain’t never seen that much of it.”
In a few moments, Liza shook her head and rubbed her face. “I know you two must think I is a sight, but you two... you two...”
“That’s alright Miss Liza, and there’s five thousand dollars in the account. It’s for the mission.”
Again she stood and again she collapsed. Ben moved toward her and Davy waved him back. “Let her sleep,” he said, “It’s been a big day for her.”
Then, Ben sat and began crying. “Liza will be alright, Ben.” said Danny.”
“Oh, it ain’t Liza. Liza, she’ll be fine, but you two, you two just don’t know.”
“Tell us, Reverend Ben.”
“That place, that mission house on Lacy street, it was Liza’s whole life. She loved them people. The poorer they was, the worse off they was, the more Liza loved ‘em. Then they closed the mission and Liza and me was like the others, homeless and hungry. Some good people we once helped took us in a and gave us a little house. We was making it, but all we was really doing was waitin’ to be with the Lord. Two old folks just sittin’ and waitin’. Then one Sunday somebody invited us here, to your church. We is black folks. We been church people all our lives, but neither of us never seen nothin’ like you and Preacher Davy put on. Won’t none of that straighten up or go to Hell stuff. You and Preacher Davy made us feel good. God won’t some mean man. God was good. We loved the way you two did the scripture and the sermons, and them questions... them wonderful questions. That night, that very first night, me and Liza started doin' them scriptures and that sermon jus’ like you and Preacher Davy done. Then we made up questions and answered them. We did it every night. Some people watched television, we did scripture and sermons and questions. It was fun, you saw us Sunday, we was having fun! A many a night, we watched the sun rise up. We had spent the whole night churchin’ You gave two old people a reason to live. The Lord, he’s jus’ gonna’ have to wait. And then, tonight, I just don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything, Brother Ben, just rest.”
In a moment, Ben and Liza were both asleep on the couch. Davy pulled a quilt off a chair and gently covered the two. He and Danny slipped out onto the front porch.
“There’s two happy people in there,” said Davy.
“Yes, did we just get rid of a gang in Greenwood Village?”
“I don’t know, maybe we just ended an extortion racket in Chinatown.”
“Feels about the same, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Father Danny, about the same.”

And, Tuesday Comes

The months passed and each of the churches reached new highs. Davy and Danny had several churches offered to them, but unless they had people ready and able to lead a church, they passed. With one exception, Lacy Street.
One Sunday after the service at Camp Eden, two people lingered in the pews. As Danny and Davy were leaving, something drew them to the two people. They approached the man and woman and thanked them for coming. The woman looked at Danny and asked, “We’ve heard of the miracles you and Pastor Davy are doing, would you ever consider taking a woman preacher? A woman preacher and her preacher husband? An old woman preacher and her old preacher husband?”
It was obvious to Danny that she was talking about herself and the man in the pew beside her, so Danny played along. “Why? Do you know someone like that?”
“You’re looking at them.” the lady said with confidence.
“As far as a woman, that’s not a problem, as far as old, I guess we’ll all be there some day. The only problem may be that we do things a bit different than in most churches.”
“Father Danny, we know how you do things. We’ve been to every one of your churches. We know how you do it. My question was, would you ever consider taking on a woman preacher and her preacher husband?”
Danny had seen the couple at the churches just like the lady had said. He and Davy had seen them frequently enough to name them. They called them “The Sparrows” because the small black couple reminded them of sparrows. Like the birds, they stayed together and sort of flitted back and forth.
Danny looked at the woman and then at Davy. “My question would be can you do it our way?”
“As good or better than you can,” she said with the same confidence.
“Can you do it next week?”
“Where?”
“Here.”
“We would be awful scared here, Father Danny, we’ve never preached in front of rich folks like these before. We always preached at the soup kitchens and the places for the homeless. We never preached in a fine church like this. We never preached to rich people.” Danny looked at Davy. In all their time at Camp Eden, neither had ever considered the poor working people here “rich”.
“What are your names?” asked Danny.
“My name is Liza and this here is Ben.”
“Good to finally meet you, Liza, Ben. I didn’t catch your last name.”
“It’s ‘cause I didn’t pitch it, Father. Our last name is Sparrow.”
Danny heard Davy say “Jesus Christ” to himself.
“Well, Miss Liza, the offer is open. You and Mr. Ben do the service here next week if you want. Pastor Davy and I live right here and we will be delighted to help you.”
“Don’t need no help. You two just come next Sunday and park your butts in the seats. You’ll see.”
Danny and Davy excused themselves and left. “You did the right thing, you know that, don’t you?” said Davy.
“I think I did too. Besides, if she slips up, you and I will be right there to back them up. Still, Camp Eden, rich folks?”
“I know.”
Come the following Sunday, Saint Davy’s and Saint Danny’s Baptist Episcopal Church was packed with people sitting outside. Danny had a speaker system installed so those who could not get in could hear the service. On nice days, some people preferred to spread a blanket on the lawn and enjoy the outside. This was one of those days and blankets and people surrounded the church.
When eleven o’clock came, Ben Sparrow stood and led the Lord’s prayer. Ben moved to the pulpit as Liza began. “In the Book of Luke, Jesus said ‘Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there any questions?”
“A man in the congregation stood and asked “Isn’t the a lot of difference between the two? What did Jesus actually mean?”
Davy leaned over to Danny and whispered, “That was it? That was all of the scripture reading?”
Danny just shrugged his shoulders as Liza stretched her hand toward Ben who said, “Did the two men, Matthew and Luke hear something different here? Did Matthew hear Jesus say one thing and Luke hear him say another? I think not.” Ben stretched his hand back toward Liza.
“In the Book of Luke, Jesus said ‘Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there any questions?”
Liza again stretched her hand toward Ben.
“What does it mean to be poor?” questioned Ben. “Does it mean you have no gas for your fine automobile or does it mean you have no bread for your child? The man who has a fine car can sell his car and buy gas, then he faces a problem, what good is the gas without an automobile? The man who cannot feed his child has only one problem, to feed his child.”
Ben stretched out his hand to Liza.
“In the Book of Luke, Jesus said ‘Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there any questions?”
When there were none, Liza stretched out her hand toward Ben.
“Matthew heard Jesus say the words “Poor in Spirit”. Now, doesn’t this stir up a whole new kettle of fish? The man who sells his fine automobile to buy gas, has him some gas, but what good is it? He can’t eat it. I guess he could drink it but it would make him sick. He doesn’t want to do that. Now the man who can’t feed his child, is he the one who’s poor in spirit. If’n he is, he got real problems. He got a child he can’t feed and he needs some feedin’ hisself. Cause if’n he’s poor in spirit, he needs help real quick. Jesus said that man’ll go to Heaven, but that man and his child need help now.”
Ben stretched his hand toward Liza.
“In the Book of Luke, Jesus said ‘Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there any questions?”
Like everyone else in the congregation, Danny and Davy sat slack-jawed and not believing what they were seeing. There ws not a sound to be heard except Liza, Ben and the person asking an occasional question.
One man timidly raised his hand. “Which man was Jesus talking to?”
Liza’s hand went toward Ben.
“Now, that Brother, is a darn good question and I can’t rightly tell you. I’m old, but I ain’t that old and I won’t there, but let’s look at it. That mnan who sold his automobile and bought some gas, I figure he can trade that gas for maybe a loaf or two of bread, but that ain’t the same man. That man won’t poor in the first place, he had that fine automobile, no he won’t poor. And now he has him some bread, but that bread ain’t doin’ that man with the hungry child one bit of good, and it sure as everything holy ain’t doin’ the man who’s poor in spirit nothin’ cause them first two men, they is poor, but it’s a different kind of poor. There’s belly hurtin’ poor and there’s soul starvin’ poor. Them first two men, they is belly hurtin’ poor. Somebody, somewhere, gonna’ come along and throw out a half-eat samwhich or some half-eat pie, or somethin’ and them fellas what is belly hurtin’ poor gonna’ be fine for a while, but that fella who’s soul spirit poor, all the samwhiches in the world ain’t gonna’ do him no good.”
Ben stretched his hand toward Liza.
“In the Book of Luke, Jesus said ‘Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. In the Book of Matthew, Jesus said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are there any questions?”
For the next full hour, Liza and Ben went back and forth. Every question that was asked was answered by Ben to perfection. After Ben had responded to the asked question, his hand was stretched toward Liza. Without hesitation, Liza would repeat the two scriptures.
Danny looked around the congregation. There was a smile on every face. When there were no more questions, Liza moved toward Ben and Ben toward Liza and Ben held his hands together and said, “No, My Brothers and Sisters. There is no shame in being poor. Great men and women have been poor. The baby Jesus’ folks was so poor they had to birth him in a stable and Jesus was so poor they buried him in a grave somebody else done give him. It won’t even his grave. But, bein’ poor in spirit, that’s another thing altogether. There is other people out there, find those people. I can promise you they just as happy to help build up your spirit as you is to have them do it.”
There was absolute silence in the church for a moment until one person began clapping his hands. Almost immediately someone else joined in. In a few seconds, everyone else stood and was clapping.
Danny and Davy both stood and joined in. “Isn’t this what you call a standing ovation?” smiled Davy.
“Yes,” answered Danny, “A well deserved standing ovation.”
After everyone had moved outside, Liza and Ben Sparrow moved to the pews and took a seat. Shortly thereafter Davy and Danny came out and joined them.
“Quite a service,” said Danny, “You two were good.”
“I told you so,” smiled Liza.
“Yes ma’am, that you did. And, you were right.”
“Thank you, and thank you for the opportunity.”
“You two are the ones who should be thanked.”
Liza squeezed Ben’s hand.
“You didn’t mind doing it for the rich people?”
“Not really, but I believe we still like being around our own.”
“And what is your own?” asked Danny.
“We like doing for those who can’t do for themselves,” said Liza with a straight face.
Danny looked at Davy. How many times had they said those exact same words?
“You enjoy working with the homeless, the soup kitchens?”
“I believe that is where God has called us, or at least I thought so.”
“Why did you change your mind?”
“Oh, we didn’t. We were in a fine place down on Lacy Street. It was a nice place. Had a kitchen, a playroom for the children and a nice room you could put beds in. It was a nice place, a safe place.”
“What happened?”
“Don’t know. One day the Bishop came in said they didn’t have no money. Locked the doors right then. Ben, me and twenty folks was out on the street.”
Danny took Liza and Ben’s hands and held them. “Would you honor us by joining us outside for lunch?”
Outside, Liza and Ben received the same reception that began inside. Handshakes, hugs and some kisses.

The Week Begns

The following Sunday came and it was time for Davy and Danny to do the service at Jones Chapel. Danny was almost giddy in anticipation. “What’s with you?” asked Davy. “You’re like a kid at Christmas.”
“Because this will be our first true test. Up to now, at  least half the people have been former Catholics or Episcopalians or something that wasn’t so Bible oriented. These people will be one hundred percent country Baptists. They don’t know anything else but the Bible. And the big thing is that they believe they know it better than anyone else.”
“But, you know they don’t.”
“Yes, we know they don’t, but they don’t know they don’t. It is going to be interesting.”
Davy and Danny were welcomed into the church and Reverend Wright went out of his way to make them feel right at home. When it came time to begin, Danny made the announcement that the service would last longer than usual and that if anyone needed to leave, please do so.
Danny did the scripture portion of the service just as it had been done before. The questions that followed were similar to the ones that had been asked before except for one. An older lady stood and said, “I assume today’s communion will have real wine. Is that correct?”
Danny responded, “Yes.”
The woman said, “I am sixty-six years old and alcohol has never touched my lips. I would not choose for it to touch my lips now.”
“Yes ma’am, that is perfectly alright and it is entirely up to you. And anyone who had rather not take the wine, please do as you wish. But, I might remind you, that Jesus drank wine as a part of every meal. And, wine was served at the Last Supper. Also, in the Bible, wine is a symbol of something good. Still, the choice is yours.”
People began looking around at each other and there was a slight murmur in the congregation. Yet, when Danny and Davy passed out communion, every person in the church took the bread and wine. The sixty-six year old woman dipped her piece of bread in the cup, pulled it out, smiled at Danny and said, “Just as Jesus would have done,” then put it in her mouth.
Danny watched as the lady made a face at the taste of the wine. “It’s an acquired taste,” he smiled.
After the communion, a lady raised her hand. “Was this the kind of bread Jesus would have eaten?” she asked.
“We tried to research and believe this is similar to what they had at that time,” responded Danny.
“No Wonder bread?” smiled a man.
“No Wonder bread.” answered Danny with a broad smile.
Davy then gave his sermon and every eye was pasted on him. After the sermon, more questions were asked, good questions. And when the service was over, outside, the questions and comments continued. Several questions, many comments, began with “I didn’t know.”
As Davy and Danny left the church, Danny asked, “What do you think?”
“Honestly, I believe they were one of the most receptive congregations we have ever had.”
“I agree. I will tell you that I was sweating bullets when that woman asked about the wine. One man stood up in the back and I assumed he was going after the tar and feathers, but he only adjusted the heat.”
“I feel good about what happened today,” said Danny.
“I do too,” agreed Davy, “I feel really good.”

That evening, Danny and Davy were going over plans for the next week when there was a knock on the door. Danny answered. It was Reverend Wright. Oh God, thought Davy, now the truth comes out.
“Guys, my phone has not stopped ringing all afternoon,” said the Reverend.
Now comes the tar and feathers, thought Davy, but then he noticed the Reverend was smiling.
“The people loved it!” he shouted.
Davy, half out of relief, half out of joy, shouted, “The people loved it.”
Danny, not wanting to be left out, shouted, “The people loved it.”
The three preachers grabbed each other’s hands and stood smiling at each other. Then, the smile fell from Wright’s face.
“What is it, Reverend?” asked Danny.
“Can you. . . can you teach me how to do it?” he asked.
“Preacher Davy, you think we can teach this Baptist preacher how to do it our way?” grinned Danny.
“You know, Father Danny, I believe we can. You got a Bible, Reverend Wright?”
“You know I do,” answered the Reverend. “I got a Bible, I got a fine Bible.”
“Good,” said Danny, “Then you’ve already got the textbook.”
The man’s grin was unbelievable.
“I doubt you people paid any attention,” said Wright, “but with all the scriptures and questions and sermonizing and questions, we were in church over two hours, almost three. Some people ain’t going to cotton to that. They may not be back, but you know, if God ain’t worth but an hour a week, he ain’t much of a God is he?”
“Yes, Reverend Wright, I believe you will do just fine.

The Final Sunday

For the next two weeks Danny and Davy would look forward to what was to come at Jones Chapel. But, the day after Reverend Wright and Deacon Palmer visited. A man knocked on Danny’s door.
“Do I have the pleasure of addressing Father West?” asked the man.
“Yes.”
The man then introduced himself as Pastor Watson from Third Street Church of God. Danny welcomed him in.
“Sir, I have heard you try to help churches in trouble. Is this true?”
“We have, on occasion, but first, what kind of trouble?”
“We’re a poor church. We’ve never really been big. But our membership is declining to the point we just can’t keep going.”
“And, how can we help?” asked Danny.
“We own the building. It’s paid for. And we’d like to sell it. I know you’ve bought other churches.”
Just then Davy walked in and Danny introduced Watson and gave him a rundown about what was said.
“Will you be having services this Sunday?” asked Davy.
The man said that they would.
“If Father West agrees, we will be there. Eleven o’clock?”
The man seemed surprised but said they would be welcome and left.
“What was all that about?” asked Danny.
“We’ve got two more guys ready for their own church.”
“Andy and Clark?”
“Right, Andy and Clark. Besides, you and I have made fun of the Holiness for thirty years, it’s probably past time that we see what goes on for real.”
“Okay, we’ll do it, but there’s something about what happened in the last five minutes that’s just not right.”
“What? The man? The church? What he wants?”
“I don’t know, there’s just something.”
“You’re being paranoid. We’ll go Sunday. If we like the place, we’ll listen to what they want to say and go from there okay?”
Danny slowly exhaled and said, “Okay.”
Sunday came and Davy and Danny headed into town. “Strange,” said Danny, “I’ve never heard of Third Street Church of God.”
“Neither have I,” said Davy, “But, then again, is there any reason we should? I’m sure it’s one of the store front churches. The old part of town is full of them.”
“Yea, I had a guy in the congregation at St. Egbert’s who was in real estate. He said the last step of a building before the wrecking ball is a church. There was a lot to that. Somebody buys or rents a building on the cheap, calls himself a preacher and if he can get a half-decent following, he can live off it. That’s why there’s so many of them.”
“Don’t talk too quick. The Methodist Church was just before the wrecking ball and Billie-Bob and Bubba have made it into a fantastic place.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen here,” said Danny as he pointed to what appeared to be an old movie theater with “Third Street Church of God” on the marque.
“Who knows? We’ve never gone into a storefront before. Let’s give it a chance. Open mind, open mind.”
“You’re right. . . open mind.”
The two parked and walked into what had once been the lobby of the old theater. Though the majority of the former fittings still remained, everything appeared to have been freshly washed and cleaned. Other people were walking in and a couple stopped and smiled at the two visitors. Danny and Davy joined the others as they walked inside. In front, there was a stage with a pulpit and some musical instruments. At a few minutes to eleven, four people came out and began playing. Though Danny and Davy weren’t accustomed to drums and a guitar, the music was upbeat and pleasant. As they played, people continued to file into the theater. Then, Pastor Watson walked up onto the stage. “Today, we’re going to have church.”
The people, who by now amounted to well over forty, erupted into a fervent “Halaluah”.
Watson shouted louder, “Today, we’re going to have church.”
The people responded with an even louder “Halaluah”
“Today, we ARE going to have church” shouted Watson at the top of his lungs.
The people began shouting. They seemed to begin vibrating.
“I told my wife that we won’t be finished with church until God gives us a miracle!”
“Yes,” shouted the people.
“I’m looking for that miracle.”
“Yes, Preacher, Yes.”
“The miracle is coming!”
“Yes, Preacher, Yes, it’s coming.”
The next fifteen minutes of the service consisted of Watson shouting about going to church and, expecting a miracle. Davy pulled on Danny’s sleeve and Danny leaned in to hear him. “Is the son-of-a-bitch ever going to say anything?” Davy whispered. “All he’s doing is shouting the same things over and over.”
“Yea, but look at these people, they’re all in a lather. Look at ‘em they’re shaking, and what in God’s name are they saying?”
“I guess, this is what they call speaking in tongues.”
Just then, a slight breeze opened the curtain behind the pulpit. “Speaking in tongues my ass,” said Danny.
“What?”
“Just wait.”
In a few minutes, Watson calmed down and asked one of the people to lead them in a prayer. The very second the man began, everybody began praying their own prayer trying to outtalk the others. It was a clutter of voices. “I hope God can understand that,” whispered Davy. “I know I can’t.”
“God hasn’t got a thing to do with it,” said Danny.
“Wha–“
”Just wait.”
Eventually, calm came to the theater and the people began filing out. Watson stepped down from the pulpit and joined Davy and Danny. Perspiration ran down his face in streams. “Now, that was a blessed service,” said Watson. “I could feel the Holy Spirit beside me in this place. I’m going to miss it.”
“Are you going somewhere?” asked Davy.
“Yes, God has spoken to me and told me that you two are going to buy this church.”
“Really?” said Danny. “Did God say how much we’re going to pay for it?”
“As a matter of fact, it seems he mentioned a number. I believe it was one hundred thousand dollars. Yes, that’s what he said, one hundred thousand dollars.”
“Whew,” breathed out Danny. “I’m sure glad God was into creation and all that holy stuff, because he’s not worth a damn at real estate.”
“Good Lord, Preacher, what you’re saying is blasphemy. God created the land, all the land.”
“This is true, Pastor Watson, God may have created it, but somebody else bought this parcel from the city in a tax sale six weeks ago. That person paid six hundred dollars for it and now you’re wanting a hundred thousand. If God told you we were going to pay that for it, not only is God a bad real estate man, God is a fool.” Danny stood up and shouted, “Is God a fool, Reverend Green, or do you just believe we are the fools?”
“Reverend Green?” questioned Davy. “What has Rever–“
”A breeze blew the curtain apart and I saw him standing in the back. This is a set-up, Davy. Look at the signs. They’re all freshly painted. And those people, I’ve never heard anyone speak in tongues before, but I have all ideas if they’re talking to God it’s not going to be just gibberish and jumping up and down.”
The curtain parted and Green walked out. “Very astute, Father West, very astute.”
“One question, Reverend Green?” asked Danny, “Why? We paid you a fair price for Green Valley Baptist Church. Why?”
“A fair price? A fair price? Have you seen that place lately? It’s packed every Sunday. You’ll get ten times what you paid for that place the first year.”
“Is that how you measure the success of a church, Rererend? By how much money it brings in? No wonder it failed, but the church didn’t fail you. You failed the church. The church isn’t what brings in people. Those guys who are there now would have crowds on an ice flow. You know why, Reverend?”
Green stood there in shock.
“Because they don’t take from the people like you did, they give something to the people. And, by the way, Reverend, one of your people said something in tongues.”
“Tongues, they can’t speak in tongues.”
“I don’t know, what he said made perfectly good sense to me. At least it sure did help us here.”
Green gave a confused look.
“What it sounded like he said was, “Trust in God, but also check with the Register of Deeds.”

Countdown to the End

Word of the little church in the migrant labor camp had been circulating through the Christian community for some time. Mathematics being what it is, every member that Camp Eden, the old Methodist Church or, now, Green Valley Church picked up, some other church lost. As more churches lost members to the strange new church that encouraged people to ask questions, more churches became concerned with loss of membership. Each week, there were several people “visiting” from other churches. To Danny and Davy they were obvious. They asked too many questions, not after the scripture reading or the sermon, but after church and questions were always about the “mechanics” of the church, not theology. Yet, Danny and Davy welcomed them. If what was being done at Camp Eden was bringing people to God, they were more than willing to share their new way of conducting services. They were elated.
Danny had been away and when he returned he noticed a strange car in front of Davy’s cabin. He paid it little mind, but as he headed for his cabin, he heard a whistle. It was Davy and he was motioning Danny to come over.
“Father Danny West, this is Reverend Wright and Deacon Palmer from Jones Chapel Baptist Church.”
Danny shook the men’s hands as Davy pointed to the chairs. Davy offered everyone a Coke and after they were settled, Davy began. “Reverend Wright and Deacon Palmer have visited both here and Green Valley. And, they have some interesting questions. Reverend, if you don’t mind.”
“Please, first, it’s Tom and Bill. And as Davy said, we have visited two of your churches and find what you are doing just absolutely fascinating.”
“Good,” smiled Danny. “Then, what are your questions?”
“To be honest with you, Father West–“
”Please, Danny.”
“Okay Danny, your question and answer period. I have seen enough of your services to know the questions aren’t planned. You don’t know what’s coming. You don’t know what questions will be asked.”
“That’s right.”
“This may come out wrong, and I’m not poor mouthing, but I’m assuming both of you went to seminary.”
Danny nodded.
“I didn’t, and I... I. . . what if a question is asked that I just can’t answer?”
“I’m going to ask you a stupid question, Tom. So what?”
The man’s expression went blank.
“What if someone asks you a question you can’t answer, so what? There’s not one thing wrong with saying you don’t know and you will look for the answer and get back to the person. Carry a small pad with you and get their name and phone number. This will let them know that you feel their question is important, which it is, and you’ll get back with them. You cannot believe how much the people appreciate it. A few weeks back, someone asked what happened to Joseph after Jesus’ childhood. I had absolutely no idea. But I told the man I would look it up and see what I could find. There was next to nothing. I phoned the man and told him. Then, the next week, I told the congregation about the question and what I had found. The man has been back every week since.”
“So, it has happened?”
“Oh yes, not often, but it does happen. It’s no big deal.”
“I didn’t know, not being seminary educated–“
”Tom, most of the questions can be answered by anyone half-knowing their bible stories and little common logic. The seminary doesn’t give you all the answers. Don’t worry about it.”
“I just didn’t want to look stupid in front of–“
”Tom, don’t worry, if you do it enough, you will.”
Reverend Wright smiled and looked relieved.
“Now, what else have you got?”
“I was told, but I find it hard to believe that it’s true, that the first time you started the question and answer thing, one of you told the congregation that it would take a bit longer than usual and if they had something to do, leave when they needed to. That’s not true, is it.”
“Yes, I made the announcement in English, Davy did it in Spanish. We also try to repeat it ever few weeks. It makes people more comfortable. It is true.”
“And people don’t walk out early?”
“Occasionally someone has to, but it’s not been a problem.”
“I just don’t–“
”Tom, I guess you could say that in a way we copy the black churches. The blacks honor their God. They worship their God. Most people want to give God the minimum amount of time they feel they can get by with. We don’t have anything for those people. There’s plenty of churches out there that are glad to have them, let them have them.”
“So, you don’t go out looking for members?”
“No, never have. If we have ever have to, we have failed and we’ll fold our tent.”
Reverend Wright looked shocked and looked at Davy. “Is he serious?”
“He’s dead serious,” said Davy.
Wright looked at Deacon Palmer. Neither man said a word. Both were in shock.
“You don’t do Thursday night visitations?”
“No, there’s no reason. Reverend Wright, ours is a little bit different. We try to teach people a little something about their Bible and try to explain it in a way they probably haven’t seen before. We encourage questions and answers. Above all, there’s no rush.”
“May I ask, what’s the difference between what you do and Sunday school?”
“You mean that thing where someone who doesn’t want to do it get’s up in front of a class to go over something he’s spent five minutes reading and hoping the forty-five minutes will hurry up and end?”
 Wright looked at Deacon Palmer. They smiled at each other.
 “Reverend Wright, our services are planned. The scripture reading could almost win an Academy Award. We try to make it come alive. We try to make it real. Our sermon coordinates with the scripture. It’s not a ‘If you don’t do this you’re going to hell’. It’s a ‘this will make God feel good, this will make you feel good’. When they leave our church, we don’t care if they have put the first penny in the collection, we don’t want them to fear God and his wrath, we want them to love God and wrap themselves in his glory.”
Both Wright and Palmer stared at Danny.
“What would happen if we announced that next week we would be conducting a new form of service and that it would go well past the normal hour? Well, hour and twenty minutes. We do have the altar calls.”
“You would have about half of your people not show up.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“But, if you announce that next week you will be having a new form of service. That the subject would be a certain Bible scripture and they need to read it and bring a question about the scripture or the Bible or Jesus and it would be answered. And, this is very important, announce that there will be no altar calls. If you do, you will give the half that does show up the best service Jones chapel has ever had.”
“No altar calls?”
“No altar calls.”
“I’ll be honest, I would still be scared of answering the questions.”
“What if Davy and I did the service for you?”
“Wright turned white as a sheet and looked at Palmer.”
“You would do that for us?” Wright said in disbelief. “Why?”
“Why not?” asked Danny. “Can you make the announcement next week?”
“If you will come.”
Danny looked at Davy for a moment then said, “Make the announcement.”
The two men from Jones Chapel Baptist Church were all over themselves thanking Danny and Davy. They shook hands and smiled and made every conceivable motion to let them know how much they appreciated what the two were willing to do. The thank you’s and accolades continued well until Wright and Palmer returned to their car.
After the two visitors left, Davy looked at Danny. “What do you think?”
“I think we can help.”
“For some reason, I do too.”
“It’ll be new territory for us,” said Danny.
“Yep.”
“It’s a country church.”
“Right.”
“A country Baptist church.”
“Right,” smiled Davy.
“They are going to be old-line Baptists.”
“Right again. We knew that when Wright hesitated on the altar calls.”
“They’re going to be Bible thumping, foot washing Baptists.”
“I have no idea how they’re going to take to a used Episcopalian and well, you’ll be okay. You’re a Baptist.”
“I hope so, but they’re country and you know what we used to say about Rednecks?”
“What? That all Baptists aren’t Rednecks, but that all Rednecks are Baptist. You still remember that?”
“It’s only haunted me for about fifteen years.”
“Oh.”
“Any thoughts on what you want to do?”
“Have you still got your notes on the Lord’s supper?” asked Danny with a smile.
“I don’t need them. As far as I’m concerned it was our best service ever. I know it by heart. But, yes, I have my notes.”
“You figure they have communion at Jones Chapel?”
“I assume they do. I’m sure it’s grape juice and a cracker, but I imagine they have communion.”
“Think they’re ready for a real communion?”
“With real wine and flatbread? Absolutely not.”
“Good, let’s do it.”

Coming Along

Chapter 10 -

Davy was awakened by the sound of one of the rocking chairs on his front porch. It wasn’t unusual for one of the children from the camp to get into one of the rockers, but it was five o’clock in the morning. The children were asleep long ago. Davy pulled aside the window shade. It was Danny sitting in the chair. Davy threw on his robe and went out onto the porch.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yea, I was about to wake you up.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“I guess it’s the same things that may have concerned Martin Luther, and John Calvin and what was the name of that Anglican priest who started the Baptist faith?”
“John Smythe.”
“Yea, John Smythe.”
“They’re all people who began new Christian denominations.”
“Aren’t you putting yourself up on a pretty high level?”
“Not really, but I believe it’s us.”
“Oh, us, okay,” said Davy, “but if I remember my history correctly. Those people didn’t set out to start new denominations, they just wanted to correct what was already there.”
“I believe you’re right and I want to ask you a question.”
“Shoot,” said Davy.
“What is the Baptist Episcopal church trying to do?”
Davy hesitated, then replied, “Trying to do the same thing, trying to correct what is already there.”
“What we have right now is good. Heck, I’d almost say perfect, but one day, a Green or a Hamm or somebody is going to come along and try to change the whole thing.”
“You’re right. For greed or his ego, probably for greed.”
“We can’t let that happen.”
“No, but doesn’t that open a catch-22?”
“You mean a bunch of rules to protect what we’ve got that actually creates something worse than what we had?”
“I can’t think of a better way of putting it.”
“That’s why you’re out here at five o’clock in the morning?”
“I was going to wake you up, but I just decided to sit for a while before I do. At first, it seemed simple. We just keep on doing what we’re doing.”
“Then you figured in human nature and it was no longer simple, right?”
“Right.”
“Obviously, you’ve been up most of the night thinking about this.”
“Yes, several nights. Many nights.”
“Okay,” said Davy, “Let me piece it together. Make up a bunch of rules and it becomes like the Episcopal Church or, God forbid, the Catholic Church. Don’t have any rules and it becomes like the Baptist Church and we lose what we’ve gained.”
“I guess you’ve got it. No rules and how long is it going to be before everything will have to be done in an hour? And, when that happens–“
”We’re back to where we started, right?”
“Right.”
“Really, this is a pretty stupid thing for us to discuss. There shouldn’t be a time limit on God.”
“Maybe not, but there is. If it makes you feel better, we didn’t create it.”
“No, and Luther didn’t start the corruption in the Catholic Church, or your man Smythe begin infant baptism. Do you think that made them feel any better?”
In the dark, Davy saw the slight outline of Danny’s smile. “How do we answer the questions in church sometimes, ‘I don’t know, I wasn’t there’.”
“Right now, what we have is new. What happens when the people have heard the same thing before? Are they going to want to listen to it all over again?”
“I don’t know. The Catholic mass has been the same for well over a thousand years. The Episcopal and Lutheran, nearly five hundred. They’re almost the exact same every time, yet, people still come. Bringing it back to the bare truth, the black churches are packed every Sunday and you can’t tell me they haven’t heard the same sermon before.”
“This is true. There’s no such thing as a brand new sermon.”
“Then why are they there?”
“I would hope they are there wanting to spend some time thinking about their creator. Isn’t that the crux of it?”
“I guess so, because if they’re there for entertainment, we’re way behind.”
 Once again, Davy saw the outline of Danny’s smile. “What is it?”
"I was just thinking. What you just said may be nothing short of brilliant.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why do people go to see the Hamms and those television preachers?”
“Because it’s a show, a well-coordinated show. It’s entertainment.”
“That’s what I was thinking. They take emotion to a new high.”
In the dark, Danny couldn’t see Davy, but he was nodding.
“What are we offering then?”
“I would say a form of completeness. We describe what is in the Bible and in the sermon, we make it come alive. It’s complete. Remember when we saw Hamm steal those services from us? Billy-Bob and Bubba and I wanted to sue him, but you said no.”
“I never said no.”
“No, you said nothing. Why?”
“You want to know th truth?”
“Certainly.”
“Because even if a crook like Hamm accidently brings someone to God, that’s one more person who has been brought to God.”
“Doesn’t that answer your question then? We’re going to have crooks. They’ve been in every religion and faith since religion began. So what? We do what’s right and if we do it well enough, we’ll be okay and the Baptist Episcopal Church will survive. We lead by example, not written order.”
At that very moment, the sun broke over Saint David’s and Saint Daniel’s Baptist Episcopal Church. A bright beam illuminated the front of the church and the steeple. Danny looked at Davy. “I believe the boss is letting us know he agrees.”