Perhaps one of the most notable occurrences later that night took place on the front lawn of the Allen residence, when Harry and Beverly Allen got sedately out of their car, faced each other, joined hands, and began prancing in a circle, singing "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart."
"Can you believe it, Bev? Does God answer prayers, or does God answer prayers?"
"Hallelujah, does He ever!"
***
The most conspicuous demonstration may have been at the Allen's, but equally significant events were occurring elsewhere. For example, at DeNello's, the college group was not only deep in pizza, but also deep in thought and conversation. Greg Brown chuckled.
"Do you know that I told he him couldn't write?"
"Who? What did you do?" asked Ricky (actually, Maria) Galloway.
"I told Pastor Felton that he couldn't write. Well, actually, I told him that his first chapter was pretty dull."
"When was that?" asked Tony DeNello, son of the pizza parlor owner.
"Last Sunday night. He asked my opinion."
Ricky grabbed his shoulder. "That was you that said he couldn't write? He actually asked you, and you told him that?"
"Yeah. He took it pretty well, too. And you do have to admit, it wasn't very good."
"What about tonight? What did you think about what he said tonight?" This was from Bob Deveaux, Greg's best friend. Greg immediately dropped his bantering attitude.
"Man, I don't know what to think. I was really shocked. I mean, it sounded like he was saying that he didn't know what he was doing - that he was just sort of stumbling along, and running the church like it was some business."
"Well, isn't it?" asked Tony.
"No, it isn't," responded Ricky. "Being a pastor isn't just a job. It's - you know - a pastor is supposed to really look out for the people in the church, and help them with their problems, and - you know - give them advice. That's what's important."
"But has he been doing that?" persisted Tony. "I mean, that sounds good, but what has he really done for you or anybody you know? He sure hasn't done anything for me. Okay, he's a nice guy and everything, but he doesn't really look out for us. We hear his sermons a couple times each week, but come on, isn't that about all there is to it?"
Charley (Charlene) Stevens spoke up for the first time. "But isn't that just what he was saying, tonight? He said he has been running the church just like some job, but that he really thinks it should be like Ricky said - you know, really working with people and helping them with their lives. I thought it was really neat to hear him say that."
"Me, too," said Bob. "And it must have really taken guts to say it. Probably some people aren't going to like knowing that their pastor is human!" Food and thought kept them all quiet for a while. Then Bob spoke again.
“What about what he was talking about specifically, about really trying to figure out how Jesus would have done things? What do you guys think about that?"
Greg regarded his pizza for some time before he responded. "I guess I don't know what he wants. I mean, I like church okay, and I believe in God, but... "
"Tony?"
"No, I don't know, either. Isn't he kinda going on beyond what Pete and Donna have been telling us about - you know, a ‘personal relationship with God' sort of thing? To not just believe that Jesus was a real person, but to try to be religious like He was, too?"
"You mean be good on Monday as well as Sunday?" quipped Ricky. "I couldn't do that; I'd lose my standing in the dorm!"
More pizza and silence. Charlene reopened the discussion. "I think what he's asking is really important, and it's something I've been thinking about a lot, anyway. Not about thinking about Jesus for a year, but what Pete and Donna have talked to us about - what Tony said, a ‘personal relationship with Christ.’ I really think that, as Christian kids, we're supposed to be different than we are. I mean, aren't we supposed to be different from non-Christians?"
The silence was embarrassing, and Ricky leaned over to Tony and whispered, "She does want me to lose my dorm standing!"
"Come on, you guys!" Bob protested. "She's being serious."
"It's okay," said Ricky. "We know. We're just being dumb because we don't know what to say. It's too heavy for me."
"For me, too," said Greg. "I think we better talk it out with Pete and Donna when they get back."
* * *
Paul and Jenny Grayson went home alone after the short service. Jenny made coffee while Paul built a fire in the fireplace. They then sat in silence.
"Penny for your thoughts, oh serious one?"
Paul came out of his trance. "I haven't heard that one in years. My old Granny used to say that, I bet."
"To you?"
"No, not to me. To old Gramps, of course."
"And what was old Gramps thinking?”
Paul got up and fiddled with the fire a minute, then sat down next to her.
"He must have been thinking that there were strange goings-on around the old church, my dear."
"You mean Josh's message tonight?"
"For sure."
"You knew about it before, didn't you? You knew about the reading idea, anyway."
"Yes, in a way I even encouraged him with that. At least, I didn't discourage him. But this thing tonight is completely unexpected. I couldn't believe it. I can’t believe it."
"Do you have any idea what led up to it?"
"Yes, and no. He started this cliff-hanger series just for fun, you might say - just to see if he could successfully repeat the Sheldon experiment. You know Josh. But he got some real strong feedback - some real criticism and some real encouragement, and suddenly he didn't know what to do, Then Ev, and I think some others, started talking to him about a more tangible, personal religion, and suddenly this!"
"How did Ev get started on 'this'?"
"Well, you remember she's been in Boise with her mother. Apparently her mother's pastor believes very strongly in 'a personal relationship with God.' You know what? Maybe I'm part of this, too. I told Josh to pray about what to do."
"You told your pastor to pray?"
His grin was more a grimace. "'Fraid so. Surprised?"
"Well, let's say I wouldn't have expected it. How did he take it?"
"I didn't know at the time, but I think maybe tonight is the answer to that. At least, something really brought things to a head in the last few days."
He got up and poked the fire, again.
"What are we going to do now, Paul?" She spoke quietly, and he turned to look at her.
"Do about what?"
"About what Josh said, about what he asked. Do you want to try it?"
He didn't speak for what seemed a long time. "I don't know. This worries me, Jen. I have a really uneasy feeling about it all."
"Why not take your own advice, and pray about it?"
He nodded absently, but the frustration was growing.
* * *
Bob and Sheri Hoffmann had driven most of the way home in silence. That wasn't unusual, recently - they didn't seem to have much to say to one another, anymore - but tonight was different. Both had been especially deep in their own thoughts, and each seemed hardly to know that the other was there. About two blocks from the house, Sheri had finally spoken.
"We're in trouble, Bob."
"Trouble? What do you mean, trouble?"
"You know what I mean. We can't go on this way."
"What way?"
"Oh, for pete's sake! Why don't you admit it? You know I know. Why don't we get it out in the open?"
Bob was silent as he turned onto their street and drove the last block to the driveway. He clicked off the key, and they sat in silence,
"Bob?"
"What?"
"Please tell me."
He slumped down in the seat, sullenly. "You said you knew all about it."
"No, I don't know ‘all about it.’ It's obvious that you're having an affair, but I don't know who with - not for sure, anyway - and I certainly don't know why!"
He didn't respond.
"Is it Debbie?"
"Yes," He didn't look at her.
"Do you love her?"
"No. Yes. Oh, I don't know!"
"Does she love you?"
"I don't know that, either. I think she thinks she does."
"How did it happen?"
"I don't know." He was feeling irritated now - with her, with himself, and with the unanswerable questions. "How does it ever happen? She was nice, she was good-looking, and she was there."
"I was ‘there,’ too."
"For pete's sake, I know that! And you're nice, and you're good-looking, too. It just happened!"
Again, they sat in silence until she asked the inevitable question.
"Do you want a divorce?"
"No." It came quickly, without needing any consideration or thought. "No, I really don't.”
"Then what are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
"How about talking to Pastor Felton?"
He laughed at that, but without any mirth.
"What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong with that is that I did talk to him, already."
"You talked to him? About us?"
He nodded,
"When?"
"Last week. Forget it, Sheri. He can't help us."
"What do you mean, he can't help us?"
"He can't help us! He's in as bad shape as we are. I asked him, and he didn't have any answers. He didn't even know my name! Besides, there's something else."
"What else?"
"Debbie's pregnant."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she quickly reached for the door handle.
"You better take Heather home. Her parents will be wondering why we kept her baby-sitting, so long."
With that, she hurried into the house and directly to their bedroom.
* * *
Evalyn and Josh lay snuggled together under the warm comforter, but there was no need to combat the cold that night. Both felt warm and flushed from their nearness to one another, and as an aftermath to the evening's earlier events. Evalyn sighed.
"I feel good."
"I should hope so."
She punched him. "That, too. But I really mean that I feel good about life. This is a special time.”
Josh gently pulled away from her, and sat up in bed. He rubbed the back of his neck absently.
"Josh?"
He smiled uncertainly down at her. "I'm okay, and I agree with you. It is a special time. Only, I'm scared. Do we really know what we started tonight?"
She sat up beside him. "No, but it's got to be good, Josh. And we aren't doing it. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to take charge of everything, and we've got to trust that He has. We're just helpers here."
He put his arm around her bare shoulder and ran his other hand gently across her cheek and into her hair.
"That's going to be the hard part, I think. Us pastors aren't used to being helpers - we're supposed to run the show, remember?"
She slid down into the bed again, and he followed her back under the comforter.
"Not anymore, Reverend Felton", she murmured against his chest. "Not anymore."
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