a l i v e & a w a k e

This is a simple story to illustrate that some of the clearest messages that God wants to say happen in the most unlikely places. The moral? Don't assume religion is doing all the talking.

Jon

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It was 9:30 Sunday morning.

 

Reverend William Stokes had risen early and was trying to concentrate on his last illustration for the sermon that morning.

 

Mr. Smith sat at the breakfast table deciding whether or not to eat the crusts off his toast and whether or not the sermon would teach him anything about God. Mrs. Smith was washing young Benjamin’s tangled hair, wishing he would sit still, and wishing her husband would sometimes help.

 

After placing a large stuffed turkey in the oven, Penelope was perched quietly in her favourite high-backed chair, carefully sipping a hot cup of peppermint tea. She was waiting for her ride to church.

 

Eva Longley shifted uncomfortably in her thick woolen blankets; contemplating how cold the nights were getting and marveling at how long she could go without a hot meal.

 

Further down the street, Fred the cop whistled a happy tune while swinging his billy stick. He was glad he wasn’t going to church because he believed he learned nothing there anyways.

 

The Robertson twins dressed in their Sunday best sat grumpily on the hall tree knowing they would miss their favourite shows on TV that morning.

 

After a late night of self-inflicted partying, Deacon Roger Dierston lay in his bed, trying to see through the blinding headache.

 

The church meeting would start at 10 O’clock.

 

 

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Mrs. Smith’s fingers danced joyfully across the old keys of the organ as the handful of choir members sang at the top of their lungs.

 

Benjamin Smith had found a spider under the pew and had managed to squeeze his entire body under his dad’s seat to watch it.

 

At 10:23 am, a random street person tried to get into the back doors of the church, but luckily Deacon Roger, who himself had entered late, was able to spare the congregation from any interruption, and turned him away.

 

Penelope sat as straight as a poker, piously holding a hymn book on the fingertips of her right hand.

 

Outside Fred the cop stopped whistling long enough to see if he knew what they were singing. He didn’t know, so he continued merrily on his way.

 

The hymns were sung. Deacon Roger collected all $67.58 of the offering. The children were seated in their proper places with paper and crayons in their hands.

 

Then Reverend Stokes preached vigorously for 53 minutes from the book of Isaiah while some people watched Deacon Dierston’s head bobbing lazily.

 

Mrs. Smith held Benjamin’s busy hand while giving the evil eye to her indifferent husband. Mr. Smith was feeling puzzled as to why he wasn’t learning anything new about God. Penelope was checking her gold watch, wondering how her turkey was doing.

 

And the Robertson twins were still grumpy.

 

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At 11:16 am, the meeting was over. People wandered socially to their cars. As they left the old church building, Reverend Stokes shook every hand, particularly pleased to have used his new illustration in his sermon.

 

There was an argument in the Smith car.

 

Deacon Roger Dierston pulled from the parking lot and on to Main Street and checked his watch to see how much time he had to sleep before the football game.

 

Penelope was dropped off at home just in time to pull the perfect turkey from the oven.

 

The street person who was denied entrance into the church building by Deacon Roger found Eva still lying in her thick woolen blankets. Bending down, he placed his last crumpled bill in her hand…smiled… and walked away.

 

Fred, who was resting from his walk that morning, saw what the street person did. Surprisingly Fred learned something about God.