After Ruthie read a blessing prayer for Lisa and Brigitte and anointed them with oil, the minister announced that the lead remarks for that Sunday would be delivered by her daughter, Heather.
The congregation murmured. Was an eight-year old girl truly able to lead the church in prayer?
Heather walked up a mini-staircase that had been set up, so everyone could see her over the pulpit. The ministers and their families, as well as the happy couple and their family, took their seats.
"Even last night, this wasn't in the plans, folks," she began bluntly. "I wasn't supposed to be delivering the sermon. But during the weekend, God told me She - it's always a woman's voice when She speaks to me - that She wanted me to be a physician helping indigents. I accepted this, but I also felt let down. I've always wanted to be a minister and knowing James is going to be one, and I won't ... I actually felt hurt. Then something - weird - happened. While I was getting undressed for bed, last night, I involuntarily started speaking in tongues. At first I didn't know what was happening. When I realized what it was, I kinda freaked out. Those of you who have spoken in tongues, you probably felt the same way the first time it happened to you!"
Laughter.
"Luckily, my sister in Christ, Maighread, who was bunking with me last night - James and I were hosting her and Rhiannon for a sleepover after we spent a lot of time talking about our vocations and how God was leading us through them - well, she understood what I was saying perfectly. She provided the interpretation. And it made me stop."
Heather paused. She took a deep breath, then prepared to continue. Rod and Shelby leaned forward. So did Felicity, Hope, Patrick and Tamara.
"It wasn't something out the Scriptures, or from the writings of the saints," Heather continued. "No ... it was John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist Church. He said, 'Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone shall shake the gates of Hell and set up the Kingdom of God upon the Earth. God does nothing, but in answer to prayer.'"
The congregation gasped, then they applauded. Did God tell her if she was one of the chosen ones?
"I know what you're thinking, and God said no when I asked Her. So I then asked God, if it was Her will that I be a lay missionary along with my work as a doctor? She said yes!" And Heather started crying.
The crowd rose and gave her an ovation.
"I don't deserve this, I truly don't," she sobbed when they sat down. She took a breath, then said in a full voice, "One, or the other. But it also made me think a lot when I finally went to bed, and at breakfast this morning when I told Mom and Dad and James about it. Heaven knows, I'm not perfect. You know I swear a streak, and until not that long ago my brother and I were into porn. But if we are to build the city of God, then we have to follow Wesley's advice: Desire only God, and fear sin.
"So this, my brother and I, and Ree and Maggie, and Kaitlin, Chester and Emily, pledge: That going forward, we will do our best to lead lives free of sin as possible. It won't be easy. But we're not doing this just for ourselves, but for our respective brothers and sisters who are here and are to come. We want to set examples for them, and for all of you, and better us than anyone else. I can think of no better place to start than this, our church, which has been so blessed and done nothing in return, but to give back to the community. The ministers here, four of whom are my parents, know their faults and have made up for them.
"So as a start, I'm going to give you the same challenge that Grandpa Eric once gave his church, and including Mom and Dad: This week, don't just make a donation, appreciated as it is! Make a pledge of time - that you'll give back to the community in some way. Not money, but your time. It can be just a couple of hours a week for the next few months. Better yet, if someone has done something for you, don't pay them back - pay it forward, if you know what I mean by that!"
More applause.
"This week's reading from the Common Lectionary is from Luke, chapter 17, verses 11 to 17. That is the parable of the ten guys who had leprosy - or, if you prefer, Hansen's disease. You know it all by heart you so I don't have to read it. I'm going to cut the sermon short because I don't want to ramble on like Aunt Lucy does sometimes - sorry, but it's true!" Laughter. Even Lucy smirked. "Besides, Aunt Tammy has a great music program this morning and I want to hear it as much as you do!
"So here goes: Ten healed, and only one thanked Jesus. Jesus Himself asked where are the other nine? And oh yeah, the one who did thank Him was - drum roll - a Samaritan! Jesus tells the Samaritan that is his faith that has made him well. Note, too, Jesus didn't take back the healings of the other nine, no matter if they were ungrateful or forgot to thank Him.
"Brothers and sisters, forgive me if I'm plagiarizing Dale Carnegie, but he was right about this one: Why should we expect any more gratitude than what Jesus got? Seriously. We get angry all the time when we do something for someone and get no thanks or anything else in return. Folks - we can't be like that. Nor should we worry about ingratitude, we should expect it. That's what occurred to me when I got my calling the way I did. I was at first grateful, then resentful and angry. Then, I realized that if I live the life that God wants me to live, then She will bless me. And neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor those who oppose the free exercise of religion nor challenge my faith, shall stay me from the swift completion of God's work. Ever!"
The applause got louder. Clearly, this was a young woman who despite her age was filled with the Spirit.
"Let's never be critical of God for what we don't have. Let's thank God for what we do have. Let us ask nothing, but that we may have faith, to follow the true path. You know, just before Jesus gave this parable, he rebuked his disciples and said if their faith was as great as a mustard seed they could tell a mulberry bush to uproot itself and plant in the sea and it would. And that's the challenge we - all of us in this church - have been facing over the years, but much more so since Felicity and Aunt Hope joined us, and now Uncle Patrick as well. I never thought it would be possible to have so many enemies, but in a way, it's kind of fun that way! Why? Because of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 - 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.' Which gospel? The one Jesus Himself taught. Not that of those who claim that by helping the less fortunate of the goodness of our hearts, that we 'are denying prosperity.'
"Well, of course we're denying prosperity - to the televangelists who feel it is their right to prosper themselves. Let us take back the keys to the kingdom of Heaven from the false teachers, and give them back to Heaven where they belong. Felicity has always been on the side of good. And I'm proud Uncle Patrick and Aunt Hope are as well. I'm proud of my parents, and Uncle Rod and Aunt Shelby.
"All I can say is, I'm glad God has called me in this way. And that I rediscovered a truth last night that I totally forgot about. Trust me, guys, you'll be hearing a lot more from me - well, all seven of us - in the months and years to come. I ask only that you help keep me - us - on the right path. Because however this plays out, I want to continue to serve this church for as long as I live, and that my children will too. Thanks!"
The congregation rose again with applause.
After a nearly two hour long service, the gang met for lunch. And Felicity had a confession to make.
"You guys need to know about Penny and her blackmail. We had sex about five years ago," she said. "To make a simple story, Penny found out about the Vanderbilt incident. But it didn't work, at least not the way she planned. During my time with her - and yeah, the sex was great - I got access to a lot of her personal financials and I then turned the tables on her, saying if he said anything about Vanderbilt then I would rip the lid off her bank book. Long story short, she promptly raped me, then paid me a million dollars to shut up about it. The certified check still hasn't been cashed, and that was the first exhibit I turned over to the grand jury, before the rest of the numbers."
"So she was facing rape charges on you as well, Aunt Felicity?" asked Rhiannon.
"Yeah. But maybe with her gone, I kinda have closure."
"That doesn't change the fact she helped murder my nieces and nephew," said Hope. "I don't know if I can forgive that."
"I'm not sure if any of us can," agreed Heather, "but we have to try, at least. Speaking of which ... the trial is in three months time. Are any of us, besides Felicity and Aunt Hope and Uncle Patrick, going to have to testify?"
"I will," said Shelby.
Everyone's jaw dropped.
"The only person in this room who truly knows Flynn better than me is Felicity. One of the spies I slept with was ... Penny's personal assistant, Sherri."
"What?" asked Rod in shock. "When?"
"Three years ago, Rod," admitted Shelby. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before, but she's with Canadian intelligence. Not the Mounties, their spy service. They planted her to see if Flynn violated any Canadian tax laws."
"I know that," said Rod. "I had sex with her, too, six months later! And I think she gave both of us a lot of goods. Probably the same stuff. I don't think she realizes even now you and I are married. Good for her not to bring the sex up when you and she spoke Friday night, though. She knows the rules of the game."
"Well, Mom," said Maighread, "the defense, they're going to go after your credibility. They're going to ask about what happened in that border house a few years back, when you were carrying Rhiannon and me. What are you going to say - you can't say why you and Dad and everyone else killed the guy because it's a matter of national security? They're going to rip the case apart if you say that."
"I tell them the truth, that it was self-defense," said Shelby. "Yeah, we ripped the guy apart, but he was going to kill us. He said he would."
"We'll leave you guys alone tonight, Mom and Dad," said Rhiannon. "You're going to have to go through all your sources, and their sources, see if there are any duplicates. I have an awful feeling one or more of them has turned on you and if that's the case we're all in danger. Not that we already aren't."
"I'll call my intelligence friends, too," said Ruthie. "The disclosure hearing is in six weeks, and we need to protect our sources and make sure what's a secret stays out of the hands of the jury, but if someone the sources know has turned we need to find out too."
"Are you sure you want to do what God wants you to do, Heather?" asked James.
"We've been asked to keep so many secrets that I feel like bursting. I think all of us do," said Heather. "No, I want to do this. I have no intention of being a spy - ever."
Everyone laughed nervously. Then Tammy faced Heather.
"Heather, you have been a firecracker at this church since you started taking part in, then running, Sunday school. But today, I am really proud of you," the music director said.
"You're proud of me?" Heather asked in surprise.
"When you were on that pulpit, giving your heart out, my heart heard my babies inside of me sing. Singing an old hymn of praise. Then God told me my son and daughter ... are going to be missionaries, too! I don't know what fuse lit you last night, but all our hearts here in this room are glowing like they never have before. It may take some time for you to claim the keys to the kingdom, but you certainly have opened your way into this church with your all. I know this normally happens when you're thirteen here, but I nominate you to be a confirmation candidate."
"Actually, Tammy ... and if it's okay with Mom and Dad ... I also want to be baptized. So does James. I think it's time."
"Mom," said Maighread, "Rhiannon and I want to be baptized as well. Since we and the guys here help run the church, there's no reason why we shouldn't be full members of the congregation too."
"I'm proud of all of you!" said Ruthie, shedding a tear. "We'll do it next week!"
The gang bowed their heads for a moment of quiet reflection and thanksgiving. They then proceeded to finish their lunch.