Chapter 6
The clanging of bells as the children’s bell choir practiced downstairs with Noah gave the church meeting room a festive, happy holiday vibe, as if the wreaths hanging over the crosses weren't enough.
Mark glanced around at the chairs that had been arranged in a circle. Mrs. Tucker was busy bustling around getting everything ready and welcoming everyone, like she was the self-appointed greeter.
Maybe there was some rule that said that she was supposed to greet everyone. Mark really didn't know. This was his first ever church meeting here in Mistletoe Meadows.
It had felt like a whirlwind since he had started, with him trying to make sure that he was able to visit every member of his congregation, and not just for his new position as pastor.
He might as well use what he had been given to make sure that everyone was well taken care of for Christmas, because with his Secret Saint activities, he had more avenues of finding out who needed help.
Immediately, Olivia came to mind. But what could he do for her?
He glanced down at the agenda that Mrs. Tucker had passed out. Number one was talking about the candles for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.
From what he understood, Pastor Johnson had always gotten the candles from Olivia, and now he wondered if maybe that wasn't because Pastor Johnson knew that Olivia could use the money. And she was too proud to ask for help, or even accept it.
"Everyone's here. You can call the meeting to order. Noah will slip in after all of the children have left his music class. But it's not supposed to end for another fifteen minutes or so." Mrs. Tucker smiled at him, speaking in a low voice, like they were conspiring together.
He nodded his head, and even though Mrs. Tucker seemed like she could be an overbearing kind of person, he appreciated her organization and the energy that she put into helping. So many churches had a ton of members, but only a few who actually did anything to help the church.
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 prayer and 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 into screaming 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 the other 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.
Millie Sanderson nodded. "We can argue with you, but we can't argue with the Bible."
"All right, I'm not sure what that means, though.
I've heard that Olivia's candles are the highest quality, and that many times the church has used them to burn throughout January, which is typically a dark month.
I've heard they brighten the church and encourage people to come.
Not to mention, her scents are delicate and lovely, but not overpowering where people who are allergic are unable to handle them. "
It was true, Pastor Johnson had gone on and on about Olivia's candles.
But mostly, he'd said that Olivia needed to work, and then Pastor Johnson had quoted the verse about taking care of widows.
Then he'd said sometimes you just had to make a person feel like they were contributing to society, and not like they were a charity case.
Mark figured Pastor Johnson's wisdom far surpassed his own, and he thought it was a good idea, not just to support someone in their congregation, but to help a widow in her time of need, and also to purchase something from her, and not just throw money at her like charity.
Although there wasn't anything wrong with charity.
"The church can use the extra money that we would save on purchasing cheaper candles on other things that would be beneficial to the community," Bob Knapp spoke up. "We could just give Olivia money if she needed it. Has she asked for it?"
"I think it would be better to purchase something from her business, to support her that way, rather than just throwing money at her." Thankfully, when Ralph Jones spoke, he didn't seem like he was attacking Bob's point of view, just disagreeing with it casually.
"I agree with that. There are too many people who just want a handout.
And sometimes, if a person can't work because they're sick, because they're taking care of someone who's sick, or something like that, then you might have to just give money.
But if you can support a business, especially the business of a widow, then I think we should. " Casey Hill added his opinion.
"What do you say, Pastor?" Millie Sanderson turned to him with her brows raised.
"I think she's part of our community. I think her candles are excellent quality.
I've heard multiple people say that not only do they burn for a long time and give off a beautiful scent, but they add warmth and cheer to the church in January.
An added bonus is that we would be supporting a widow, as the Bible commands, and also a member of our congregation and our community. I say we purchase the candles."
He wasn't going to add that last part, because he was new, and he didn't want to be rocking the boat or commanding everyone.
Except... he was the pastor. He was supposed to be the leader.
The shepherd, too, of course, but also the leader of the church.
As he had been reminded several times this evening, that's what they hired him for.
Not just his preaching, not just to visit people, but to lead the church in the direction it should go, following Jesus.
He couldn't help but think that Jesus would probably buy Olivia's candles.
"All right then. If that's what the pastor thinks, I'll fall in line behind him." Bob Knapp nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles.
It wasn't exactly a submissive pose, but his tone was conciliatory, and Mark nodded.
"I appreciate your support. I was thinking to myself that if Jesus were here, I'm pretty sure he would buy Olivia's candles, not just because they're great candles, but because she's a member of the church and a widow.
" He paused. "He would probably even help her make them. "
A small murmur of laughter rippled around the circle, while everyone nodded in agreement.
"Well, Pastor, I guess since you're the one that's supposed to be the most like Jesus, you should go offer to help."
They all laughed, but as the meeting went on and Noah came in, slipping in in time to talk about the music at the Christmas Eve service, Mark tucked that idea in the back of his head.
He probably should offer to help her. Not just because he was a pastor, but as the Secret Saint, they hadn't been able to find a whole lot of things that they could do to give Olivia a hand.
She was very tight-lipped about her needs, and Noah said the few times that they had tried to give her an envelope of cash, he'd seen she had passed it on to someone who was even more desperately in need than she was.
But helping her make them and purchasing her candles were two things that he could do.
He did not stop to think that perhaps there were ulterior motives. After all, he was the pastor, and he wasn't supposed to have any of those.