People were busy with their lives, and he didn't resent that. But he certainly wasn't going to be upset because someone wanted to help and was a little bit pushy about doing it. He would be grateful for what God had given him.
Thank you, Lord, for people like Mrs. Tucker who make my job easier and are willing to do things that no one else will do. And enable me to do my job.
Like visiting each member of his congregation with the eye of a shepherd.
He glanced around the chairs, and then took his own seat, holding the paper in his hand underneath his Bible.
"Welcome to the committee meeting. I'm so glad you all could make it."
There were some murmurs and someone mentioned about it being his first meeting.
He grinned. "I know. And I suppose it's always wise to begin as you mean to go on. That's why we're gonna start out with prayerand a short passage of scripture. I promise I'm not going to preach."
"Go ahead and preach. That's what we hired you for," one of the McBride boys said. There were a bunch of them, and he hadn't quite gotten them all figured out yet.
He'd talked to them on more than one occasion, even before he was the pastor. They were the movers and the shakers in the town, and he appreciated knowing that many of them were also involved in the church, enough so that they were here on a weeknight for a committee meeting.
He bowed his head and took a moment to gather his thoughts. His heart was overflowing, and he knew God knew that. He also knew that God knew he was intimidated by the great task before him. This church was much bigger, much more active, and the town was too, than his last. Where his last church felt intimate and like a family, this hadn't quite gotten into that feeling for him yet.
Lord God, please be with us this evening as we move forward with the work of your church. Help us to remember that it's your church. Thank you for each and every one that's gathered here tonight. Thank you that they've left the tasks that could so easily take their attention away from you, in order to be here, to help in your house. Please give each one who came tonight an extra special blessing for showing up and making your work a priority in their lives. Help us to remember that everything we do should be a reflection of Jesus, and help us to do what you would have us to do, and not think that we're doing this in our own flesh, but rather in your strength. Amen.
He looked up at the people who were looking at him expectantly, and then he took a breath as he opened his Bible to the page that he had marked.
"Let everything be done decently and in order," he read simply, before he closed his Bible and looked around the circle. He grinned a bit. "That just seemed like a really good verse to start out my first meeting in my new church. I've heard stories about other churches, not this one, where committee meetings have degenerated intoscreaming contests, and I've even heard of chairs being tossed, along with hymnbooks." He took a moment to laugh along with everyone else. The possibility of that happening seemed remote and far away, but he was pretty sure that the church where it had happened hadn't been intending to throw anything either. The human heart was wicked, and he supposed each person here could be surprised at the depths of depravity to which they could sink if they were given that opportunity. He didn't plan on the opportunity presenting itself.
"I think as long as we remember that we're to treat other people the way we want to be treated—it's like Jesus said - that's the rule that underlines everything. We put God first, and that is all we need to do. Love God, love each other. And then, the decently and in order will happen automatically. But the loving others doesn't usually happen unless we specifically make it so."
There were a few nods around the circle, and then he reached around and set his Bible on the table behind him.
"That's all I have to say. I don't want to take up a whole lot of your time, but I do think every meeting should start with prayer and a little bit of Bible, with a bit of commentary from me. After all, like Mr. McBride said, that's what you hired me for."
There were some murmurs and a couple of chuckles, and then he lifted up the paper.
"All right. Number one on this paper says that we're going to talk about the Christmas Eve service, and most importantly, the candles for it."
"Good candles make the service," Mrs. Tucker said.
Mark gave her a thoughtful look. It sounded like she was on the side of spending a little more for Olivia's candles.
"We've got to cut the budget somewhere," Bob Knapp said. He was an older gentleman, and the kind of person who looked like he believed frugality was next to godliness.
"I do agree, we should not squander our resources, but use them prayerfully and well," Mark said, not wanting to antagonize anyone, and also not wanting to argue. Perhaps he also wanted to give theother side a point before he tried to convince them that his way was wise.
"Pastor Johnson always wanted to get the candles from Olivia, because he said she needed the money. I guess I'm just wondering how long she's going to need the money. Shouldn't she be able to have her business support itself?"
"When I lost my husband, I didn't know how I was going to survive. I was in a bad way for a long time," Mrs. Tucker said, and her words were not antagonistic. She was just sharing.
Mark had heard some about what Mrs. Tucker had done, stealing from the church in order to make ends meet. No one had realized how bad off she was, because she was too proud to let anyone know. That, or she didn't want to complain. Maybe Mark should give her the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, everyone nodded and looked sober. No one wanted anyone to be reduced to stealing in order to put food in their mouth.
"If my son hadn't come to live with me, I don't know what I would've done," Mrs. Tucker continued, her face serious and her tone conversational. Not accusatory. "I just feel like the Bible truly commands us to take care of widows."
Mark quoted the verse. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
"That's impressive, Pastor. Do you have a lot of verses memorized?" Ralph Jones, who had been quiet up to that point, asked.
"Not as many as I would like to. I know people who have entire books memorized. I don't have that, not even any of the shorter ones, like Jude."
"Still, to be able to call up a verse to make your point is better than having any kind of argument," Ralph continued.
