Comfort and Affliction

by Michael Frosolono

  Eric knew his next remarks would lead to the final challenge of the night. “This church has been declining, with an accelerated loss of membership in the past few years. The bishop and district superintendent sent me here with the mission of reviving this church, moving it into the 21st century. My brothers and sisters, I see no way to carry out my orders except through the reality of what Jesus, Saints Paul and Peter, and other disciples preached and commanded us to implement, a social gospel Mr. Hannover has difficulty accepting.”

  Hannover visibly upset, half-rose from his seat. “A lot of people will leave this church if we allow you to continue with your style of preaching.”

  Eric leaned toward Hannover and spoke in a voice as cold and hard as ancient ice. “You don’t allow me to preach. My mandate comes through the apostolic laying on of hands at my ordination and through the bishop and district superintendent. If you feel I’m preaching in error, go to Bishop Lyon and Reverend Wright with your concerns.”

  Hannover tried to recover. “Some of our biggest contributors will leave the church over this issue.”

  “Who, for instance?” Miz Lizbeth asked.

  “Ralph Whitfield and his family among others.”

  Miz Lizbeth laughed. “Finally, we know who’s giving you your marching orders.” Before Hannover could reply, she said, “Ralph Whitfield talks a big game. I doubt he gives very much financially to this church. In any event, my family will make up the difference in pledges and offerings we may lose if Ralph and his ilk leave this church.”

  Eric continued. “Let me assure you, Mr. Hannover, and the other members of this committee—I don’t want anyone to leave our fellowship. I want us to grow the congregation.” Eric left the room.

  “Meeting adjourned,” Miz Elizabeth said before calling out in a loud commanding voice, “Jackson! Come get me; we’re through here for tonight.”

  Jackson opened the door, and the committee members left the room after he wheeled Miz Lizbeth into the hallway.

  CHAPTER 10

  Sunday, 20 July

  Joseph Mansfield stepped to the Gospel pulpit. Without informing his mother or Eric, Joseph had called Mary in the church office on Monday morning to volunteer as a lector. He spoke in a surprisingly deep and forceful voice for someone of his slight build and young age: “Hear now a reading from the Twenty-second Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel:

  ‘When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.’”

  As prearranged with Eric in a planning session earlier in the week, Joseph sat again in the chair behind the pulpit. The choir, under the vigorous direction of John Carlyle, began a moving rendition of the old revival hymn, “There Is Pow’r in the Blood”, based upon Revelation 7:14. The anthem ended with a joyful rendition of the final chorus:

  There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

  in the blood of the Lamb;

  There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

  in the precious blood of the Lamb.

  Eric walked to the center of the chancel, turned toward the choir, and clapped his hands. After a few moments, most of the congregation joined the applause, eliciting smiles from John Carlyle and the choir. The developing easy relationship with the music director, who had stated his desire to coordinate the choir’s music with Eric’s sermon topics, removed a potential source of tension. “Thank you, choir. Your music adds great luster to our worship services.”

  Eric turned to the congregation. “As some of you may know, I jog through our city in the early mornings. The Ten Commandments posted in many front yards I pass intrigue me. I hope these signs primarily declare a commitment to live faithfully in accordance with the laws God gave our Israelite fore-parents in the faith. I wonder, however: Do these signs derive from fear and resentment about our state and federal governments unfairly, and even immorally, opposing the proclamation of our Judeo-Christian faith?” Some members of the congregation stirred restlessly.

  “According to an article in our local newspaper this week, a large group of citizens petitioned the County Commissioners to post the Ten Commandments in our courthouse and county offices. My hopefully informed, albeit not legally binding, opinion leads me to suspect such a path will inevitably land our county in federal court. Arguably, posting the Ten Commandments in these public buildings will violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to our secularly noble U.S. Constitution: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.’

  “On the other hand, the immediately following Free Exercise Clause—‘or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’—seems to allow, as well as to encourage, posting of the Ten Commandments on private properties, such as our front yards.” A quick glance at Allison revealed her smile and nod of approval.

  “You might ask if I have a problem with posting the Ten Commandments in public or private places. With respect to public or governmental sites, I prefer we not waste time, tax money, and energy on what almost certainly will be a losing effort, particularly because courts in other jurisdictions have denied such efforts. We have better ways to spread the Gospel.

  “Do I oppose posting the Ten Commandments on our private property? I have a warning, not an objection. The most profound form of blasphemy does not come from placing the name of our sacred deity—with a capital G or even a lowercase g—in front of various four-letter Anglo-Saxon curse words. No, the most serious blasphemy occurs when we proclaim our belief, such as displaying the Ten Commandments, while failing to live in accordance with what we have proclaimed.

  “We have a much better statement of our commitment to God’s laws than the Ten Commandments, as Joseph so well reminded us with the Gospel lesson for today: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Joseph will now read from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, a lesson we should take to heart because we cannot substitute rules, such as the Ten Commandments, for the work of the Holy Spirit.”

  Eric sat as Joseph once again stood behind the Gospel pulpit to announce, “Selected readings from the Third Chapter of Galatians:

  ‘You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!’ The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Therefore the Law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.’”

  Joseph’s pronouncement, “The Word of God for the people of God,” elicited the traditional congregational response, “Thanks be to God.”

  Eric stood to continue the sermon. “Without going into great detail, I must point out two related facts. First, St. Paul wrote his epistles to Gentiles, not Jews. Second, when Paul speaks about the Law, he addresses Gentiles who have been seduced into attempting to live by the Jewish Law or Torah. To his audience, Paul insists Gentile believers in the risen Christ do not live under the Torah as do Jews, and adherence to the Torah’s rules will not lead Gentile believers to salvation. Jesus’ sacrificial life and death, coupled with his resurrection, changed the fabric of our reality, because all our sins—past, present, and future—have been forgiven once and for all. We Gentile believers live under and through the Spirit, not the Jewish laws.”

  A strong male voice in the congregation shouted, “Amen!”

  �
�I must be very clear on one point about the Torah: Ancient Israel and present-day observant Jews, because they remain God’s chosen people, attempt to live by the Torah as a privilege to show their faith in, and thanks to, God rather than as an obligation to placate a vengeful deity. The Torah provides the pathway to salvation for Jews, not for Christians. Jesus Christ leads Gentile Christians to salvation. Casual, uninformed readers of Paul’s authentic gospels often miss this important distinguishing point between Jews and Gentile Christians.

  “Let me return to the Ten Commandments. Why put up signs illustrating an inferior understanding of the Gospel rather than the Commandment Joseph read to us? If, however, you believe more in the Ten Commandments than ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind’; ‘and you shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ by all means exercise your Constitutional rights.”

  Although Eric had intended to end the sermon at this point, he added one more statement. “If we open our hearts and minds to the liberating meaning of what has been preached and heard, the truth of the Gospel will indeed set us free.”

  After the final hymn, Eric spread his arms. “Go forth now into the world energized and led by the Holy Spirit, not the Law. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.” With the last word, John Carlyle motioned for the choir to stand and led them in the “Sevenfold Amen”. Eric walked down the central aisle to the front of the church to greet his congregants.

  CHAPTER 11

  Tuesday, 22 July

  Mary welcomed Eric with a warm smile when he arrived at the church office Tuesday morning. She held up a DVD on which Sunday’s sermon had been recorded. “I like what you said Sunday.”

  “Thanks, Mary. I hope my words made sense to most of the congregation.”

  “Unfortunately, some folks around here don’t react to good sense.”

  “We must keep on keeping on.”

  “How did Ms. Stevens react to the sermon? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of time to discuss it at the coffee shop.” Mary’s face broke out into a wide grin and she picked up her coffee mug from the desk. “Look what’s written here.” She passed the mug to Eric.

  Eric laughed when he saw the motto, Carpe Diem, emblazoned on the mug. “I should seize the day?”

  “Time’s a-wasting.”

  “Other than the good advice, do you have anything else for me?”

  Mary looked at the appointment book she kept for Eric. “Margaret Lee Peterson made an appointment to see you this morning at ten.”

  “What can you tell me about her?”

  “The Lee family owns a lot of farm property out in the county. Margaret and her brothers inherited the property when the father died. They seem to have done quite well.”

  “They’re in agribusiness?”

  “That’s the highfalutin term for farming, raising chickens, and running cattle, among other things.”

  “What about Ms. Peterson?”

  “She married Dave Peterson and had three sons who’re in college or moved away from Vickery. A year or so ago, she and Dave divorced. She stayed in their large colonial house on the road to Toccoa. Dave lives in town. Something terrible happened in Ms. Peterson’s past. I don’t think she ever recovered.”

  “Any idea what she experienced?”

  “The family managed to keep the affair private. Although there’s been a lot of talk over the years, no one other than the Lees and, maybe Dave, know for sure.”

  “Anything else you can say?”

  “Her whole personality seemed to change. From what I hear she was a happy outgoing young lady before whatever happened to her.”

  Eric heard Mary’s greeting in the outer office, “Good morning, Ms. Peterson. How are you?”

  The soft answer barely reached Eric’s ears. “Fine, I’m fine.”

  “Good. Reverend Jameson expects you.”

  Eric had already moved from behind his desk to the door between the two offices. He recognized Margaret, who sat on the back row of the sanctuary during Sunday worship hours. “Good morning, Ms. Peterson. Please come into my office.” He shut the door to the office when she passed through.

  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Reverend Jameson, even though I’m not a member of this church.”

  Eric motioned her to take a seat on the couch to the right of his desk. He sat in a chair in front of his desk. “No problem. I’m glad to meet you. I’ve seen you in our worship services.”

  “The rest of my family worships at the First Baptist Church, where I’m still a member. The Lee and Peterson families helped to found First Baptist back in the day.”

  “I understand the pastor’s a great guy. Isn’t First Baptist the largest church in Vickery?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Are you looking for a new church home?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’re not happy at First Baptist?”

  “I was reasonably happy,” Margaret frowned, “until the past year.”

  “What happened, if you care to tell me?”

  “After I divorced my husband, I didn’t feel comfortable attending First Baptist.”

  “Why?”

  “My former husband wanted to retain his membership there, with his family. I didn’t want to see him in church or anywhere, to be truthful. I’m no longer close with my family, all of whom belong to First Baptist.”

  “The divorce doesn’t seem to have been amicable.”

  “Not at all.” Margaret uncrossed and re-crossed her legs, her hands clinched in her lap.

  “The pastor and members of the congregation laid this burden on you?”

  “No, the pastor and most of the people outside the Lee and Peterson families have been supportive. Seeing my former husband in the congregation was the problem.”

  “Surely your husband didn’t stand up in the worship service and condemn you?”

  “He wouldn’t do such a thing in public.” She took a deep breath. “Dave said he needed a wife who, according to him, ‘could be an active participant in sex.’” A shudder passed through her body. “I couldn’t provide what he wanted, not even after twenty-five years of marriage and giving him three sons. He found his active participants outside our marriage.”

  “A complicated and unfortunate situation for all concerned.”

  “Dave wanted to stay married as long as I let him satisfy his needs with other women. I couldn’t agree, so I divorced him. He didn’t contest it.”

  “Has he remarried?”

  “No. I’m sure he’s having participatory sex with someone. Right now I don’t care.”

  Eric focused on the primary issue rather than Margaret’s doubtful last statement. “How may I help you?”

  Margaret took a deep breath. “Did you mean what you said in your sermon Sunday?”

  “What specifically?”

  “About all of our sins—those in the past, in the present, and the future—already having been forgiven?”

  “Do you believe in God, manifest as Parent or Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?”

  “I do. I was raised in the church and I made my public profession of faith on the Sunday after my twelfth birthday.”

  “Jesus’ sacrificial life and death illustrate his great love for us and for God, a love through which we believers in God obtain and enjoy forgiveness of our sins.” Eric paused to give Margaret a few moments to consider what he had said, while trying to make his smile appear comforting. “You believe, therefore, all your sins, no matter when or what, are forgiven.”

  “What if I enjoyed the sins?”

  “Doesn’t matter. Even if you enjoyed the sins, they’re forgiven.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am right. Count on it.”

  Tears formed at the corners of Margaret’s eyes. “A man raped me when I was sixteen.”

  “The rapist sinned, not you.”

  “I’ve always thought I also sinned.”

  “How so?”

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sp; “I came home from school and went into our house. The man grabbed me as soon as I walked through the door. He forced me to go to my mother and father’s bedroom, where he tied me to a chair and put a gag in my mouth. My mother, also gagged, was on the bed with her arms and legs tied to the bedposts. The man made me watch as he raped her.”

  “How terrible—yet there was nothing you could do.”

  “I orgasmed for the first time in my life as I watched him rape my mother; I orgasmed three or four more times. I couldn’t look away.”

  Eric knew the rest of the story must come out. “There’s more?”

  “When he finished with my mother, he untied me and raped me on the floor. I orgasmed again and again.” She slumped on the couch.

  “Margaret, I don’t think your orgasms amounted to sins.”

  “Why? I couldn’t have orgasmed if I hadn’t enjoyed what I saw and what happened to me.”

  “You say you were sixteen?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think you were becoming sexually aware and what you saw, what you experienced, triggered your natural body responses.”

  “Natural?” Margaret raised her voice.

  “You didn’t sin.” Eric knew he did not possess the competence to explore the repressed sexuality the rapes presumably unleashed.

  “There’s more.”

  “Please tell me.”

  “I’ve never orgasmed again. Every time I get to the point where I think I’ll orgasm, I remember what happened and my body shuts down.”

  “Is what you’ve told me part of the reason for your inability to be a full participant in making love?”

  “It is. I tried to be a good wife even if I couldn’t respond sexually. Dave finally gave up.” Margaret grimaced. “He said he was tired of it and that he needed what I couldn’t give him.” She paused again, with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t blame him.”

  “Did Dave know about the rapes?”