Chanitok L.I. / Chapter 8

Chapter 8

On Sunday morning, Mrs. Sandrell drove the family car to Church. Gwen sat beside her in the front seat. Sarah sat in the back with Pete to her left and Jimmy on her right. 

The radio was on, broadcasting the weather report.

The weatherman said, “…heavy storms, possibly with thunder and lightning, will be moving across Long Island later this morning.”

“We’ll be in Church then.” Gwen’s mother said. “As long as we’re inside, that shouldn’t be any problem.”

As the Church came within view, Gwen exclaimed, “Oh my God! What the hell’s going on?” 

She pointed toward the House of Worship. On the top of the steeple the cross was hidden, entirely covered from top to bottom, with an enormous canvas sack, which also hid most of the entire steeple. 

Gwen said. “That’s sacrilege! This time Pastor Cabell’s gone too far.”

Mrs. Sandrell told them, “I heard that he was planning to do this; so we won’t offend any members of any other religions.”

“But what about us?” Gwen asked, “What about those of us who are members of our Religion? Is it all right to offend us? Don’t we, the members of this Congregation, count for anything?”

Her mother drove into the Church parking lot and parked. Mrs. Sandrell got out of the car. She hurried over to a few Congregation members who were standing together, looking up at the gigantic canvas sack that completely encased the Cross at the top, along with the entire steeple. They were all very concerned. 

The faint sound of approaching thunder was heard in the distance.

Gwen, Sarah, Pete and Jimmy went inside the Church. When they reached the narthex, they saw Beth and Mark, standing among the adults. All of them looked very anxious. Beth and Mark came over to Gwen and the other three. 

Beth pointed toward the open doors of the Sanctuary. “They’ve taken down the old cross, and replaced it with religious symbols, from many different religions.”

They stepped over to the Sanctuary doors, and looked inside the place of worship. On the wall behind the pulpit, in place of the old giant cross, was a line of sacred symbols.

From left to right was a much smaller cross; followed by a Star of David; an Islamic Star and Crescent; a sitting, smiling Buddha, along with a Hindu Deity with many outspread arms. 

Over the loudspeakers, on both sides of the Sanctuary, came the recorded sound of the old Beatles tune “All You Need is Love”. 

Beth spoke. “They’re replacing Christianity with Political Correctness.”

Gwen remembered the words that Bible Banging Bob had read from the Bible; and repeated them. 

“’They worship and serve the creature, instead of the Creator, who is forever to be blessed.’” 

Mark said, “It’s an ’Inclusive’ Religion. ’Having a form of godliness, while denying the power thereof.’”

Now Katie entered the narthex. She came over to Gwen and the others with a smirk on her face.

“Hi Beth.” She mocked. “I hear that you’re telling people that you’ve stopped having sex, ‘cause you’ve become a Born Again Christian. Is that the real reason, or is it true that you’ve got some sexually transmitted disease, ‘cause you stopped practicing safe sex?”

“Not now Katie.” Gwen told her, “There’s something serious going on here. What is your father doing? The old cross has been removed, and replaced with these symbols of many different religions?” 

Mark asked, “And what’s that sack doing on top of the steeple?”

Sarah said, “It looks like they’ve covered it with a condom.”

Beth added, “This is all sacrilege.” 

“Don’t worry.” The girl told them, “It’s just temporary. My old man’ll explain it all during the sermon. Once it’s over, those things’ll be removed and the old cross will be put back in place, and everything here’ll be back to normal.”

Beth said, “That’s not a comforting thought.”

Gwen nodded, “What’s ‘normal’ here is never comforting.”

“Right.”

Now Sarah and Pete stepped away from Gwen and the others. They entered the Sanctuary, heading for one of the pews. 

Beth spoke. “Listen Katie. I don’t have any disease. I’m in very good health, and so is Mark. We’ve both decided to stop having sex, and start taking being a Christian seriously.”

Gwen added. “That’s something you should do yourself.”

Katie looked a Jimmy and asked Gwen, “Are you two taking it just as seriously?”

“I’m not sure.” Gwen also looked at Jimmy. ”It’s a struggle.”

Now Sarah hurried back out into the narthex. She came over to Gwen, Jimmy, Beth and Katie.

She told them, “All the Bibles have been removed from the pews.” 

Katie spoke nervously. “My father will explain everything.”

She hurried away from the three girls and Jimmy, heading down the steps to the choir room. Outside, the sound of approaching thunder grew louder.

Worship began. Sarah sat in a pew beside her mother, along with Pete, Jimmy and Mark. The organist began to play, and the Processional commenced. 

Gwen and Beth, dressed in their choir robes, moved along the aisle with the other members of the Youth Choir. The organist played an ‘Inspirational’ melody, first performed in a Broadway Musical, which had been produced in the 1920’s.

The Youth Choir sang the “Inspired” lyrics, while the Congregation joined in, following the lyrics on a printed sheet.

“When you’re down and out,
Lift up your head and shout,
‘There’s gonna be a great day!’
Angels in the sky,
Promise that by and by,
‘There’s gonna be a great day!’
“Gabriel will warn you.
Some early morn, you 
Will hear his horn,
Rootti-tootin’.
“It’s not far away.
Lift up your hands and say.
‘There’s gonna be a great day!’”

The Worship Service continued, with the Youth Choir seated to the right of the pulpit. The people in the pews followed the printed programs they’d been given when they’d entered the Sanctuary.

Mrs. Sandrell sat looking over her program. She spoke quietly to Sarah, Pete and Mark. “This doesn’t explain anything.”

A heavy rain was now falling outside the Church. Lightning flashed and thundered all over Chanitok.

When the time to read scripture began, Pastor Cabell stood at the pulpit. He held a magazine instead of the Bible.

In the Choir section, Beth was seated beside Gwen. She spoke softly.

“If that’s a sacred book, it isn’t ours.”

Now Pastor Cabell called out, “There is indeed ‘…gonna be a ‘Rootti-tootin’, great day! There will be many great days to follow! Those days begin today!

”Until today, the first Presbyterian Church of Chanitok has been only a place of Worship, for those who share our particular religious beliefs. Today that ends. Today we welcome worshipers with all religious beliefs. Our way of worship and beliefs will be their way of worship and beliefs; and their beliefs and practices will become combined with ours.”

There was murmuring among the occupants of the pews. 

The man spoke. “I have been hearing comments, saying that this particular House of Worship is not a place where anyone can find any comfort.”

The Pastor glanced at the Choir for a moment.

Gwen wondered, Is he looking at me very coldly, or all of us?

The man again faced the Congregation and went on. “My job as your Pastor is to comfort the troubled and to trouble the comfortable. Well, if any of you are troubled by what is happening here today, then I am doing my job correctly.”

Gwen whispered to Beth, “Is committing sacrilege part of his job description?”

Beth whispered back. “His job is being an apostate.”

Katie, who sat on the opposite side of Beth, asked loudly, “What did you say about my father?”

Beth answered quietly. “Well he put a gigantic condom over the cross on the steeple.” 

Now Pastor Cabell opened the magazine he’d been holding and began to read from it.

“’Imagine there’s no heaven. It isn’t hard to do. No countries and no armies, and no religion too…’”

Gwen spoke quietly, so only Beth could hear what she said. “In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask God the Father Almighty, to send forth the Holy Spirit, and cast out the Devil from the First Presbyterian Church of Chanitok. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.”

The Pastor stopped reading and looked at her for a moment.

Now Beth spoke quietly, saying “Amen.”

“Stop whispering!” the man at the pulpit ordered. “All of you! ’All things are to be done decently and in good order’!”

He again looked at the magazine.

At that moment, a very loud crash of thunder boomed directly over the roof of the Church, shaking the entire building; while a dazzling blue lightning flash, illuminated both the outside and the inside of the structure. The lights in the ceiling went dark. 

Some of the women screamed. A baby howled.

The Pastor called out. “It’s all right! It’s all right! The generators will turn on automatically! The lights will come back on in a minute! There’s nothing to worry about!”

In less than a minute, the lights came back on, and the Congregation relaxed.

A moment later someone called out, “The steeple was struck by the lightning! The canvas canopy over the cross caught fire! The steeple’s on fire!”

Again there was terror, with people screaming.

Again the Pastor called out, “Don’t panic! Everybody stay calm! You’re all dismissed! Go in peace! Please don’t panic! Everyone leave, in a quick but orderly manner!”

In less than two minutes the entire building was totally evacuated. Most of the Congregation was now gathered either across the street from the Church, where they stood under their umbrellas; or seated in their cars in the parking lot behind the house of worship. Sirens of approaching fire trucks were heard. 

Gwen, her mother, Sarah, Pete and Jimmy were in the Sandrell’s car in the parking lot. Beth came running over to them.

“Can you drive me home? I just called my parents on my cell phone. They’ve gone into the City today. They told me to see if I can get a ride.”

“Okay!” Mrs. Sandrell said, “Hop in!”

Beth got in the backseat, beside Sarah, Pete and Jimmy.

Everyone looked up at the burning steeple. Its top had collapsed inward. Flames were rising, along with thick black clouds of smoke, like they were puffing up out of a smokestack.

In the front seat Gwen spoke nervously. “The cross is gone! It’s like the Church is going to Hell!”

“Calm down Gwen.” Her mother said as she started up the engine. “Everybody calm down. We’re getting out of here now; making room for the fire trucks.”

She switched on the wipers, backed out of the parking space, and then drove out of the parking lot. She went along the road away from the Church, passing the fire trucks coming from the opposite direction.

Now Gwen wondered nervously. What the hell did I do? I prayed that God would cast the devil out of the Church. I prayed that quietly so only Beth could hear what I said. 

After I said the prayer, Beth said ‘Amen’ just as quietly. Then the lightning struck.

Was it my fault? Was it Beth’s? No! I didn’t do it! Neither did Beth. God did it. It wasn’t my fault, or Beth’s.

Did God do it as a result of my prayer? If He did, was it my fault?

Mrs. Sandrell continued driving away from the burning Church. She brought everyone back to her house. 

At noontime, Gwen, Sarah, Jimmy and Pete were seated in the Sandrell’s living room, watching the Midday News on the TV. Beth was also with them, along with Mark. Beth had called him on her cell phone and he‘d come over.

The shocked silent high school students watched the TV screen, showing a video tape of that morning’s conflagration, with the Church’s steeple engulfed in thick smoke and flames, and volunteer firemen at work on ladders, with hoses dousing the flames.

The reporter gave his commentary.

”The fire is now completely extinguished. Unfortunately, the historic Church’s historic landmark steeple has completely collapsed. There has also been extensive damage to the building’s interior.

“Fire Marshalls are now searching through the debris, for any further hot spots, or victims. So far, fortunately, there don’t seem to be any casualties. No deaths or injuries or missing persons have been reported.” 

Gwen sighed. “Well that’s a relief. It’s over. Nobody’s dead, or hurt.”

“It isn’t over!” Her mother spoke to all of them. “This is just the beginning of trouble.” 

“Right.” Jimmy said, “The cost of rebuilding is just one problem. Will anyone be able to worship there next Sunday? If not, where will they worship?” 

Mrs. Sandrell said, “Those aren’t the only troubles that’ll have to be faced. There will be emotional suffering. There might also be people looking to blame someone.”

Gwen and Beth looked at each other. Then they quickly looked away.

On the TV, the newsman continued. “Two other disturbing incidents also occurred in Chanitok. The first was another fire caused by a different lightning strike, in the local abortion center, which had begun operating a little more than a week ago; but is now severely damaged. Fortunately, the facility was unoccupied at the time. A third lightning strike also caused a fire at the local High School, which was also unoccupied. Fortunately, local fire fighters were able to extinguish this blaze, before too much damage occurred.” 

Now Pete said, “Blame ‘someone’? Wouldn’t a lightning strike be what the Law calls ‘An Act of God’?”

Sarah said, “An act of God casting out the Devil?” 

Gwen said, “Pastor Cabell did say that today the world would be turned upside down, and we really are having one, real ‘rootti-tootin’ great day ‘, aren’t we?”

Sarah looked at Gwen and Beth. “You two prayed for it.” Then she asked, “What are you two, a couple of exorcists?” 

Both girls and everyone else were taken aback. Beth and Gwen looked at each other.

Gwen asked, “Exorcists? Us?”

Then Jimmy spoke. “That is a possibility.”

“A possibility?” Mrs. Sandrell spoke skeptically. “My daughter and Beth? Exorcists?”

Mark spoke. “Well, the Bible does say ‘Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.’ If anyone’s turning the World upside down Gwen, it isn’t Pastor Cabelll and the politically correct, Inclusive, unbelieving, counterfeit Church. It’s you and the Lord.” 

Beth said, “Or the Lord and all of us.”