CHAPTER 10
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:39-41
It was Sunday, the day of the much-anticipated Christian antiterrorism day of prayer. Toby awoke early, feeling that almost everything that could be done to prevent a witch-hunt had been done, although he still had an uneasy feeling that it was not nearly enough. Knowing that nothing- good or bad- would likely happen until after the churches in the area let out- around noon for most Episcopalians and Presbyterians, 12:15 for the Methodists, 12:30 for the First Baptists and 12:45 or 1 p.m. for the Free Will and Primitive Baptists- he decided to attend his usual 10 a.m. service at the Cathedral, if, for no other reason, than to let the terrorists who had bombed it the previous week know that they had not intimidated him.
After putting on the coffee and bringing in the newspaper, Sullivan took a shower and fixed a fairly typical Sunday breakfast of waffles with fresh blueberries, Vermont maple syrup and thick-sliced bacon. He wished that Tad could be with him to enjoy the quiet Sunday morning, but he understood why she had decided not to spend the night with him. After all, she needed time to unpack and to think about where she was going to live and what she wanted to do with her life. So, Toby fell back into his normal Sunday routine and began eating his breakfast and reading The Washington Herald. Two articles were particularly disturbing to him, with the first concerning the churches’ antiterrorism activities planned for that day.
Churches Prepare for Day of Prayer and Action to Fight Terrorism
Leesburg, VA- Near this historic town just 40 miles from the nation’s capital, the Reverend Thomas Duncan is getting ready for a big day on Sunday. Exactly one week after a bomb exploded in Washington’s National Cathedral killing nearly a dozen people and injuring nearly 200, Reverend Duncan and more than 100 other ministers in some Virginia and Maryland counties west of Washington are preparing to hold a Special Day of Prayer to help bring an end to terrorism. But this day of prayer will also include something unusual- sending church members out into the community to help educate their neighbors about ways to combat terrorism.
“I am a firm believer in the power of prayer,” Duncan explains, “but I also know that the Lord expects Christians to be active witnesses in our communities and to confront and defeat Satan wherever he is. We cannot say a few prayers and leave the rest to God. We must help God in this battle against terror and terrorism.”
With the support of local law enforcement agencies, members of the participating congregations will fan out from their churches after the special prayer services and personally deliver antiterrorism pamphlets to friends and neighbors. And, while they are making their way through the neighborhoods, they will be gathering information about vacant buildings, dangerous chemicals and other possible facilities and materials that could be used by terrorists to launch another attack in the D.C. area.
“We are very grateful to have the assistance of these patriotic Christians,” said Loudon County Sheriff Hollis Richardson. “Anything they can do to make people more aware of how they can help combat terrorism- just by keeping their eyes and ears open- will be invaluable, and it will help them feel more in control and less vulnerable…”
Toby wished the article had not been in the paper at all, but at least neither the minister nor the sheriff had said anything inflammatory about Muslims. Thank God for small favors, he said to himself as he started reading another troublesome article.
How Will Senate Changes Affect War on Terrorism?
WASHINGTON- Overlooked in most discussions of the recent terrorist attacks in the nation’s capital is the effect that the deaths of two prominent senators will have on the balance of power in the senate, particularly as it pertains to the continuing war on terrorism.
The two senators killed, John Morgan of Virginia and Charles “Chip” Madison of Oklahoma, were staunch supporters of the war on terrorism that began in the administration of George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. While most senators continue to give at least tepid support to this war, there has been a gradual reduction in funding, particularly in light of recent budget deficits that have soared to all-time highs. Senator Morgan, a member of the CDR Party and chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, and Madison, a member of the opposition National Liberty Party, were among the strongest supporters of funding the war on terrorism. It is uncertain how their deaths will affect funding of this war, particularly in light of the bombings last week in the nation’s capital.
Since the governors of both Virginia and Oklahoma are members of the Christian Democratic-Republican Party, it is likely that the CDRs will pick up one new member to add to their decisive majority. It is also possible, however, that they will gain two votes on some important issues, since Senator Morgan often sided with the minority NLP on matters related to women’s rights and individual liberties.
Based on information from reliable sources, it is expected that Virginia Governor Howard Lathum will name Lieutenant Governor Thomas Radford to fill the remaining nine months of the late Senator Morgan’s term. Sources close to Oklahoma Governor William Rogers confirm that he will announce tomorrow the appointment of the state’s speaker of the house, Daniel Smith, to fill the remainder of Madison’s term.
Both Radford and Smith have expressed support for the war on terrorism, especially in the past week. However, both have also given speeches in which they have been critical of the growing federal budget deficit and have indicated that defense spending may need to be curtailed in order to pay for rising costs in the new government healthcare system, Social Security and Medicare. Radford and Smith are also considered likely supporters of the Christian Republic of the United States of America amendment, which at this point is still a few votes short of the 67 votes needed for ratification.
To Toby, this seemed to provide further validation of the theory that the terrorists were targeting key supporters of the war against terrorism. And if killing U.S. senators had not been the motive for the recent bombings, the article would almost certainly give the terrorists some new ideas.
After cleaning the kitchen, finishing his last cup of coffee and reading a few more articles in the paper- including one about the massive clean-up necessary to get the National Cathedral ready for Sunday services- Toby dressed in gray slacks, a blue pinpoint shirt, a red and blue striped tie and a navy blazer, retrieved his Jag from the garage and drove just over a mile to the Cathedral. From his apartment, he headed south on Connecticut and then turned right on Cathedral Avenue. It was a beautiful day, and Sullivan wished that he and Tad were heading to the Virginia countryside to hike in the Shenandoah Mountains or visit some of the small vineyards that produced incredibly rich, buttery Chardonnays. As he turned right on Garfield Street and then quickly onto Massachusetts Avenue, he saw the Cathedral and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to put off his day in rural Virginia with Tad until another time.
As he pulled into the parking lot of the magnificent Gothic edifice, he was amazed at how normal things appeared. Except for the presence of a few extra Metropolitan Police vehicles, nothing looked very different from any other Sunday. He was also pleased to see that the parking lot was almost full, indicating that many others had the same idea as he about not living in fear of terrorism.
Inside the church, with the exception of the area where the bomb had exploded being blocked off with portable room dividers and two stain-glass windows being temporarily replaced with plywood, things looked amazingly normal. Clearly, law enforcement personnel, church officials, structural engineers, contractors and cleaning crews had worked long hours the past week to make sure the church was safe and ready for this service.
Taking his usual spot near the rear of the church behind his “lucky” column, Sullivan sat quietly as the organist played Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #1. While listening to the soothing music, he looked around the house of worship to see if those present were primarily regulars or visitors and tourists who seemed to flock to places that had been in the news recently, regardless of the reason.
The faces of two regulars were easily recognizable- Senator Langdon Stevens and his wife, Dana, who were sitting several rows further back than usual, because their row of seats had been blown apart. From the appearance of the two large gentlemen behind them, Toby was almost certain that they were Secret Service agents who had been assigned to the senator after what appeared to be a serious attempt on his life.
Sullivan noticed several other familiar faces, as well. There was the family of six, including four boys under age 10, that always sat two rows in front of him and the family of five, including three young girls, that usually sat in the second row to the right of the center aisle. And there was the family comprised of two women and their adopted Asian children, two girls whom Toby guessed to be approximately two and four years of age.
Among the faces he did not see was that of Margaret Peabody, which surprised him. He was almost certain that she would want to be at the special service that was dedicated to those who were killed and injured, including Rector Samuel York, who was still listed in serious condition at George Washington University Hospital.
For a few brief seconds after the conclusion of the Bach concerto, the giant church was strikingly quiet. Then suddenly, it seemed as if every molecule of air filled with sound. Toby recognized the tune immediately as the Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. After the brief musical introduction, the choir and congregation stood and joined together in singing “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee” as the celebrant, Bishop Benjamin Churchwell and the alter boys and girls processed down the center aisle.
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
What glory? What love? Sullivan wondered as he reflected on the blast that had killed and injured so many.
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Two thousand years of teaching about love, with what results? Toby reflected.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.
Clearly someone didn’t get the e-mail about brotherly love, Toby thought as the hymn came to an end and he settled into his private world of thought and reflection. He thought mostly about Tad. He wondered if she really knew how much he cared for her and wanted to be with her. He also wondered if being cared for and loved was enough for such an independent, strong woman. Could she ever be truly happy in a relationship that in any way limited her professional ambitions?
Toby also thought yet again about the massive canvassing that was about to begin in Virginia and Maryland. No matter how many assurances he had received from Trey, Drake and the local authorities, he was nervous about sending untrained civilians into unfamiliar neighborhoods to distribute antiterrorism information and look for evidence that terrorists were- or had been- there. This was far more difficult- and potentially dangerous- work than sending the church welcome wagon volunteers to visit a new homeowner. The closer to the end of the service, the more nervous Toby became.
Lost in his private thoughts, Sullivan paid little attention to the service. He did, however, listen carefully to the homily delivered by Bishop Churchwell. Although most of the bishop’s words- including the tried and true passage from Ecclesiastes about a time for every purpose under heaven- were designed to soothe a distraught congregation, Toby particularly noted these words about Rector York.
“I am very happy to report to you that Father York’s condition is much improved and that he will make a full recovery,” the bishop said. “However, I do not believe that it is in the best interest of Father York, or of the Cathedral, to bring him back to this church as the rector. In order to protect his health, I have decided to reassign Father York to a smaller parish in Maryland. As of May 1, the new rector of the National Cathedral will be the assistant pastor, Father Jon Oosterhoudt.”
“Oosterhoudt.” Toby knew the name, but didn’t know much about him except that he was the one that Father York routinely relegated to the 7:30 a.m. service and visiting hospitals. Apparently, the two clergymen had serious disagreements over theology and church management. It was going to be interesting to see how this change affected the congregation.
After the homily, Sullivan drifted back into his private world of thought- until he heard the organist hit the first notes of the recessional, the very familiar, “Praise to the Lord.”
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
As the recessional ended, Toby sat down and remained for a few minutes, listening to the postlude, the Voluntary in D by John Stanley. He found himself hoping- and praying- that nothing disastrous would happen on this beautiful Sunday.
---
Davis P. Rawlings, III, known to everyone since early childhood as “Trey,” was awakened on Sunday morning slightly after 7:30 a.m. by his wife, Tricia, who told him that breakfast would be served in the dining room in 30 minutes, provided that gave him enough time to get ready.
“That will be fine,” he assured her. “Are the kids up?”
“Yes dear, they are,” Tricia responded. “I got them up first to take their showers so that you would have plenty of hot water.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” he responded as he began to get out of bed. “I’ll be down shortly.”
After showering and dressing in a blue pin-striped suit, crisp white shirt and solid red bow tie, Trey descended the stairs to the main floor of their late 20th century French provincial style home in suburban Maryland. He hung up his suit jacket in the entry hall closet and then walked into the large, formal dining room where Tricia and his four children, Matthew, Mark, Luke and Mary, were already seated, waiting for him.
As soon as he sat down, everyone bowed their heads and held their right hands in the air.
“Dear Lord, we just thank you for this wonderful day that you have made for us and this wonderful food that you have given us,” Trey prayed. “Please help us, Lord, to do only those things that are pleasing to you, for we know that we can do nothing worthwhile without your help.”
Looking up, Trey said: “Everyone,” after which Trey, Tricia and all of the children said in unison, “All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.”
“How is everybody on this blessed morning?” Trey asked his family.
“I think everyone is doing very well,” Tricia said. “Matthew got a perfect score on the history report I assigned him last week. “Mark has learned his multiplication tables up through nine, and Luke is learning to count. And Mary, why don’t you tell your father what you learned last week?”
Eight-year-old Mary smiled and said excitedly, “I learned how mathematics is used in recipes for things you can cook in our new oven- like brownies. They were really good.”
Trey smiled at Mary and at Tricia. Seeing how happy and well behaved his children were, he was certain that he had made the right decision to home-school them. Tricia had been a little reluctant at first to leave her job as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, but she seemed now to enjoy being at home with their young family. And the children seemed to be thriving.
After a pleasant breakfast of fresh grapefruit, cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, Trey dismissed the children from the table with a reminder that they would be leaving for church in 25 minutes exactly and should be ready to go without having to be called twice. He then went into the living room, where Tricia brought him a fresh cup of coffee and the newspaper.
After glancing through the new expanded religion section, a front-page story caught his eyes:
How Will Senate Changes Affect War on Terrorism?
After reading the story, Trey handed it to Tricia.
“Look at this, honey. I think it confirms that we are on the right track in searching for the terrorists. Clearly, their motive is to disrupt the war on terrorism that this country has been so successful in fighting. I guess they figure they can scare our government into backing off. I think they are wrong.”
“What about these new senators that may be appointed?” Tricia asked. “Will they support the war?”
“I hope they will,” Trey answered, “and I hope they will also help in the effort to make our government more value-oriented. From what I have heard, they are both strongly-committed Christians.”
“Well speaking of Christians, Tricia said, “it’s time to get this family to church.”
“Everyone in the car,” Trey called out in a loud voiced. “The Lord is waiting for us.”
Dutifully, Tricia and the children piled into their late model minivan with the latest generation hybrid technology, as Trey climbed in the driver’s seat.
After a short drive during which Tricia and the children sang several songs of praise, the Rawlings family arrived at the Holy Trinity Evangelical Church at the usual time- ten minutes before the start of the Sunday School classes at 10 a.m. Waiting for them at the entrance of the huge megachurch was Associate Director Drake, his wife and three children as well as someone Trey did not expect to see, Margaret Peabody.
“Hello Margaret,” Trey said. “I am surprised, but very glad to see you at our church today. I believe you will enjoy the Sunday school service and find the minister’s message very inspiring. Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife, Tricia, my daughter, Mary, and my sons, Matthew, Mark and Luke. This is Margaret Peabody, assistant to Director Drake.”
After Margaret exchanged pleasantries with Tricia and the children, Drake asked Trey if he could see him a moment in private. They met briefly and then returned to their respective Sunday school classes, with the older children heading in one direction and the adults and very young children in another.
At the conclusion of their classes, they all met at the entrance to the church and Trey and Drake lead their families and Margaret to the center of the massive theater-style sanctuary which had comfortable individual seating, state of the art sound and light systems, and an adaptable performance stage.
The service began with a song of praise from a teenage chorus accompanied by a piano and two guitars.
Come Lord Jesus come
for my soul is thirsty.
Living water run
purify and cleanse me.
Holy river run through me.
Living fire burn in my soul.
well of mercy, power and grace
wash my sin away
Come Lord Jesus come
Holy fire consume me
let Your will be done
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus come
Trey looked around the huge building, which certainly did not resemble the more traditional- and much smaller- house of worship he attended as a boy. Once again, the megachurch was filled to capacity - nearly 10,000 worshippers. Why were they all here? Trey wondered. Was it the eclectic mix of hymns, jazz, and praise choruses, combined with liturgical readings and charismatic healing sessions? Or, was it the hard-line, back-to-basics theology that the ministers preached?
Rawlings didn’t particularly care for the modern “Praise” music and all of the audio-visual presentations, himself, but his children seemed to enjoy it all, and besides, worship for him wasn’t really about enjoyment. As their minister had once said in a sermon, “Let us come into the sanctuary, not with the thought, ‘What can I get out of this?’, but rather, ‘Are my approach and my praise acceptable to the infinite God over all?’ Then we will indeed be led into His holy presence, and find the joy of that presence.”
Trey’s thoughts about the Praise hymns soon vanished as the minister asked the congregation to repeat a prayer written in the program.
“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me your servant.”
After another Praise hymn, the pastor began his sermon – a timely one to be sure.
“Last week, I talked about each of us writing an autobiography in the way we lead our lives. Well, this week, I want to talk about one more chapter in the autobiography of every Christian.”
Trey listened intently as the minister continued.
“In these dark days of America’s history, this is the chapter you and I want the lost and dying world around us to read. Paul gives us the chapter with these words: ‘But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.’ Paul is telling us that he is an example of what God’s Amazing Grace is all about.”
For a brief moment, Trey found his mind distracted from the minister’s words. He wondered if Toby’s fears about the antiterrorism activities in the Virginia and Maryland churches would be realized, or would the Christians act like Christians should. For the sake of the country, he hoped that his partner’s fears would prove groundless.
He also thought about his brief conversation with his boss in front of the church. Drake asked him if he could stay a few minutes after the service was over to meet with him. Trey had, of course, said yes. But why did Drake want to meet with him? He was more than a little curious, but managed to refocus on the sermon, because he knew he would have to lead the family discussion on it later.
“The Lord Jesus rescued this chief of sinners from the fires of hell,” the minister continued in strong voice. “And then the Lord Jesus took his worst enemy and changed him into his most loyal friend, the apostle who became the most dedicated missionary for Christ there ever was. No wonder Paul says: ‘Now to the king, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.’”
And on he went for another half-hour as Trey absorbed the divinely-inspired message and thought to himself about how fortunate it was that America was on the path to becoming a Christian nation.
Yes, it truly was fortunate, he thought, that Christians had come together a few years ago, put aside their political and theological differences, and joined together to form a powerful religious and political force to remake America. Surely, this whole movement was divinely inspired, because there were then- and still were- serious differences of opinion among Christians over issues such as abortion, war and the death penalty. In Trey’s mind, the mere fact that such diverse sects could put aside their differences proved that God had obviously chosen America to be an example to all of the world as a Christian nation.
Why good, intelligent Christian people like Toby couldn’t appreciate and accept the change from a secular to a Christian society bothered Trey. Yes, he understood that non-Christians and secular Christians made up a large part of the nation’s population and that many of them considered separation of church and state to be sacrosanct. He also understood that many Americans had difficulty reconciling the exclusionary nature of religion and the proselytizing aspect of Christianity with a government that purports itself to be representative of the people.
What they- and Toby- didn’t seem to grasp, however, was that times and realities had changed. Most Americans now considered themselves devout Christians and wanted their government to reflect their values. They were no longer willing to allow their government to tell them that faith must play an inferior role in their lives. In order for the government to remain a government “of the people, by the people and for the people” as Lincoln had said, it must become a nation that reflects the Christian values of the majority. Why couldn’t well-meaning people like Toby understand that?
As the minister’s voice rose a few more decibels, indicating that he was nearing the end of the sermon, Trey put aside his thoughts and questions and focused once again on the spiritual leader’s message.
Fellow Christians, you and I are living examples of what God’s Amazing Grace is all about. Jesus has rescued each of us from the fires of hell…Our messed up world needs such examples of God’s amazing Grace- you and me!
I know how difficult life can be sometimes, but I also know that Jesus cares and Jesus can help. He’s carried me through so many tough times. He will do the same thing for you. Put your life in His hands. Dear friends, be such an example of God’s Grace to others.
And beware of those pluralists who would have you believe that other religions are just as good as Christianity, because I’m here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that other religions are not just as good as Christianity.
For example, Islam is not just as good as Christianity. How could it be? Islam was founded by Muhammad, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12 wives - and his last one was a nine-year-old girl. And I will tell you Allah is not Jehovah either. Jehovah’s not going to turn you into a terrorist that’ll try to bomb people and take the lives of thousands and thousands of people.”
Dear friends, there is no salvation except through Jesus Christ, so let us make it our concern here and now that the story of our life may be summarized in these words:
Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me;
Died that I might live on high, lived that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine, I am his, and he is mine.
Amen.
“Amen,” Trey, along with his family and the rest of the congregation responded.
And then the service concluded with another hymn of praise, one that had the entire congregation holding their arms in the air and singing robustly,
You are holy, You are mighty
You are worthy, worthy of praise
I will follow, I