Part Three: The Journey Ahead (The Journey of the Holy Spirit) - The Greatest Commandment

It was sometime in the early afternoon when Joe reached the two boulders at the trailhead. He thought it must be one or two o’clock. That meant he would reach Gloryhaven at about three. He had made excellent time coming down, but still he quickened his pace. He couldn’t wait to see everyone again. He came to the fork in the road and turned right. A few minutes later a car went by him, and then another. Ten minutes later a pickup approached only this one stopped and offered him a ride. Joe said thanks and hopped in the back. When they got to the house there were cars parked everywhere and Joe remembered the wedding. He was brushing the dust off when Paul walked up.

“Joe,” he said, “I’m really glad you made it to the wedding. Are you going to stay?”

“I’d love to stay a day or two if it’s okay.” Joe responded.

“It’s always okay, Joe. You have an open invitation to come anytime. Thing is, with all the company, there are no empty bedrooms. But there’s that spare room off the barn I showed you. You can stay there if you don’t mind. I already put the rest of your stuff in there.”

“That’s perfect, Paul. Thanks. Say, I know you must have a lot to do. I’ll go get settled on my own. What time is the wedding?”

Paul looked at his watch. “You have about twenty minutes.”

“Thanks again. I’ve got a lot to talk to you about later.” Joe made his way back to the barn. The room was really a self-contained studio apartment. There was a small kitchen to his left, a bathroom door straight ahead and two single beds to his right. When he got there he noticed that someone else was staying in the room with him because there was a bag on the other bed. Joe took a shower, shaved, and changed into clean clothes. The wedding was out on the front lawn. White folding chairs had been set up. In front was a table with a lace cloth. There were candles on the table and a Bible. Off to the right he saw a keyboardist, a flutist, and a guitar player. It looked like the wedding was going to start soon. As Joe walked up a young man in a tuxedo approached him and asked, “Bride or groom?” The groom’s family and friends were on the right side and the brides’ were on the left. Joe didn’t know either one, but he knew the hosts, so he said, “Bride.” The only seats left were in the back row. Joe looked around at the people. There were probably a hundred and fifty people there. Everyone seemed so happy and full of anticipation. Then he saw someone whose presence here completely shocked him. Sitting a row in front of him and off to his left was a man Joe had seen in his vision on the mountain. Joe really didn’t have time to process this because the wedding party staged up behind him ready to walk down the aisle.

Joe had been to a few weddings so he kind of knew what happened, but this one was a little different. First the minister and the groom came to the front. Then the musicians began to play, but as the couples started walking down the aisle they began to sing. It was a beautiful song of the love of two people who also loved God. It was a song of devotion and honor. The couples split at the front and made their way to the sides, but they continued to sing as they turned and faced the audience. They sang until the bride and her father appeared at the back row. Then the groom sang a verse, and the bride answered him with another verse. As the bride came to him down the aisle everyone sang a final, moving conclusion. From that point the ceremony was pretty much the same as Joe had remembered. The couples exchanged vows and rings, and then they lit two candles off the large one on the table. The minister spoke about the value of love and the importance of God’s love to sustain any marriage. He gave a charge to the couple and also a charge to the audience to pray for them and support them. Then there was a time when people stood up and expressed blessings and prayers for the couple. After that the minister pronounced them husband and wife. But then he said, “Lois and Adam have asked if they could take communion as the first act of their new marriage. They wanted to share communion with all of you as well. The ushers are going to pass bread and wine around. If you feel so led, please take communion with us.”

Joe had never taken communion before. He didn’t know what to do, but he thought maybe he could just watch and follow suit. The trays came back to him and he took a little plastic cup and a piece of bread. No one had eaten anything so Joe waited. When everyone was served, the minister held up the bread and said, “This is Christ’s body broken for you.” Then everyone ate the bread. Joe did the same. Then the minister held up his little cup and said, “This is Christ’s blood, shed for you.” Joe put the cup to his lips and drank the wine. Suddenly the vision from last night came before him. The redeemed lives, the Everysong, the joy, all came rushing back. The Body and Blood of Christ! Without that the rest meant nothing. Again tears came to his eyes. He looked down because he was embarrassed. He heard someone singing and when he looked up he saw the newlyweds coming down the aisle arm in arm. He couldn’t stop the tears so he just looked down at his hands. Then to his horror they stopped right where he was sitting. He could see the bride in his peripheral vision. He couldn’t look up. But then the bride placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. Joe finally looked up and she was crying as was the groom. He reached up and put his left hand over hers. When he did he saw his coin. Priscilla had sewn it into her wedding dress. So the bride knew, somehow. The whole encounter lasted only a few seconds, but it stayed with Joe for a long time. Months later the sheer happiness of that moment came back to him as if it had just happened.

After the wedding there was a festive reception. The chairs were moved around, tables were quickly brought out and music began to play. People danced and sang and ate a lot of food. Joe knew only the family, but he had a great time. He saw Priscilla and the kids. They all hugged him, especially Andrew. Little Meg kept coming up and asking him to dance. Then the big moment arrived when the newlyweds left. Everyone formed two lines out to their getaway car, a restored nineteen forty Ford convertible. It was painted cherry red with matching spoke wheels, a black interior, and a black ragtop. As the couple ran down the gauntlet they were showered with rice and birdseed. The engine was already running on the car, so they hopped in, shouted farewells to everyone, and sped away.

The reception continued until after sunset when luminarias were placed all around and the festivities took on a mellower mood. People sat at the tables and talked, the glow of the candles on their faces. The band played in the background. After a while Joe began to feel the effects of his trip and so he went up to sit on the porch. A man was sitting in the wicker chair so Joe sat on the swing. Joe realized it was the man he had thought he recognized during the ceremony. He was about to say something when the man said, “How’d you like the wedding?”

“It was real nice,” Joe said looking at him. The man was maybe forty-five. He was thin and appeared to be about Joe’s height and build. There was something about him. The smile on his face, the tilt of his head. Oddly, a kind of holy fear fell upon Joe and he didn’t know what else to say.

“How’re your feet?” the man asked.

“What?”

“That’s a pretty easy question, Joe. ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.’ What’s the good news, man?”

At first Joe couldn’t believe what he thought. That voice was…he was dumbfounded. “Luther?”

“Here I stand,” he said as he stood, “I can be no other. God help me.” He was clean-shaven, his hair was cut, and he was wearing slacks, a dress shirt and a sport jacket. Joe stood and hugged Luther.

“I didn’t recognize you. I didn’t know you even had dress clothes. Did you do all this for the wedding?”

“No, not for the wedding, Joe. Sit down. I need to tell you something. Last time I saw you was, what, four five days ago? After I saw the coin something happened in here,” he said pointing to his head. “What it is ain’t exactly clear, but it’s like a fog lifted, or I woke from a dream. I’m not whole yet, I know that, but I do think I’ve been healed Joe. After I saw you I went back to the cabin. For two days I struggled and wrestled, but finally I just let go. I hiked out to a place I built where you can sit and look out at the ocean. I sat there and watched the sunset, and I said goodbye to Meg. I needed to do that, Joe. I needed to move on…a long time ago. But even more, I needed to forgive myself. I knew God had forgiven me. Who was I to think I was better than God? But you know what brought down the last wall in my mind?”

“No.”

“It was Andrew. I came back here to Gloryhaven, and he ran up and told me he’d become a follower of The Way. Later that day I realized that the Lord had used me to help you so you could help him. ‘Realized’ is an important word, Joe. I am realizing more and more every day. In fact just this morning I was thinking about becoming a teacher again. What do you think about that?”

“That is incredible news, Luther. I mean you taught me a lot when you…when…”

“When I was half out of my mind? It’s okay, Joe. I know how it is—was—for me.”

“Hey, Luther, can we talk in the morning? I’m ready to drop.”

“Sure. Where’re you staying?”

“I’m staying in the bunk house in back of the barn.”

“I guess we’re roomies again, Joe. That’s where I’m staying.”

They walked back to the barn. After they’d gotten in bed and the lights were out Joe said, “My feet are fine, Luther. Thanks for asking.”

Joe woke up late the next morning. He took a shower, dressed and went outside. There were still quite a few guests around and it seemed like everyone was busy setting things straight after the wedding. He didn’t know what to do so he went out front and helped put the folding chairs into a truck. After a while Priscilla came out on the porch. “Joe, I saved you some breakfast. Come on inside. There’s plenty of help for all that.” In the kitchen she put out some scones, a bowl of fruit and some coffee. There was raspberry jam for the scones. “This place is heaven on earth,” Joe thought to himself. He knew he had to move on, but he hoped he could come back and visit here often. If he ever got married…well, that thought was for another time.

“Where’s Luther?” he asked.

“He’s with Paul,” Priscilla answered. “I think they’re out in the garage working on something. Why don’t you go find them? I know they’d love to hear about your trip.” Suddenly Joe felt guilty. He hadn’t said a word to her about his time on the mountain, and she had done so much for him. But he wasn’t sure quite how to put his experience into words.

“Actually, I would like to tell you all at the same time,” he fibbed. “Will there be any time after dinner?”

“After dinner would be great, Joe.”

He went out and found the men working on a pickup. They were up to their elbows in grease and oil. They looked up when he came in. “Joe,” Paul said, “You’re just in time. Do you see that tray of deep-dish sockets there on the bench? I need a nine sixteenths.” Joe wasn’t mechanically adept. In fact the only tools he’d used were the wrenches that came with his bicycle, and they were metric. But he knew a little about wrench sizes and he found the right socket. It wasn’t too long before he was getting greasy also. Paul made him put on some coveralls hanging on the wall. “Priscilla’s kind of picky about grease,” he explained.

They worked the rest of the morning. Paul explained they were replacing the starter motor on the truck, and giving it a tune up. The starter went underneath the engine and that involved a lot of crawling around and getting messy. The tune up was more interesting. Joe learned about plugs and points, distributor caps and rotors. After that they rotated the tires. All of this was brand new to Joe. He’d always paid someone else to work on his vehicles. He felt clumsy and out of place, but by the time they began to clean up the shop and wash for lunch, Joe experienced a deep sense of satisfaction. On top of all that was the dialogue between the men. There was joking around and technical talk, discussions about who made the best truck, and dozens of questions about Joe’s trip.

“Paul,” Joe said at one point, “I want to thank you for the note. It was just what I needed to hear. I don’t know how you knew, but it was right on the money.”

“I noticed that you never mentioned your background or your parents. It was just a thought I had. I’m glad it helped.”

They ate lunch and afterward when Paul went to the hardware store for a shovel handle, Joe stayed behind. It gave him a chance to visit with Luther. They sat on the bench where they’d talked before and Luther asked, “So, Joe, how was it?”

Joe didn’t need to ask what he was referring to, so he answered, “It’s hard to explain, LJ, but that one night…I saw things…I heard things.”

“Did you hear the music, Joe? Did you hear the angels sing?”

“Yes, Luther!” Joe said as he stood. He was charged. “It was like nothing I had ever heard before. I heard the angels, but I also heard a song, but it was many songs all blended together. The beauty of it overwhelmed me.”

As he spoke Luther’s eyes brightened. Joe could tell that he’d had a similar experience.

“Joe,” he said, “that music is eternal. It’s the music of the spheres. It’s the joy of salvation, the inexpressible and glorious joy of heaven. You know,” he paused, “sometimes I still hear the song. There have even been a few moments when it was all I could hear. I think it’s what kept me alive in the dark hours.”

“Have you ever gone back?” Joe asked.

“You can’t go back, Joe. Only forward. Always forward.”

“Yeah, I guess I knew that already. It’s just that…”

“Think about this, Joe. What you experienced on the mountain is not in the past. It’s in the future. You’re not moving away from it, you’re moving toward it.”

“I get it! It makes sense when you put it that way…You know, there’s something else, Luther. I told you I saw things. One of the things I saw was you-like you are now-only I didn’t know it was you until I saw you last night on the porch. What do you think that means?”

“Encouragement for you, maybe. Affirmation for me. Hope.”

Paul arrived and they all worked putting in a new fence around the garden for Priscilla. Again, the pleasure of physical labor was rewarding and satisfying. When he expressed this to them, Paul said, “Joe, I’ve been thinking about a few things. I know you don’t have any money. I could use a hand around here for the next couple of weeks or so. I would be willing to pay you a fair wage if you could stay on and help. What do you think?”

“I think it would be great, Paul. Thank you.”

“If you want, you can move your stuff into the room you had upstairs before.”

“I’m okay out here with Luther,” Joe said.

“Thing is, Joe,” Luther began, “I have to go. Miles to go before I sleep, you know. I lost so much precious time. I got a job interview at a little college up the way. I can’t stay.”

“Okay, then. I’ll move into the house.”

That night after the children were in bed the four of them sat on the front porch, coffee cups in their hands, and Joe told them about his journey. When he got to the vision he became animated all over again. Then he teared up and couldn’t talk, but he noticed they were all wiping their eyes as well. Then one by one everyone shared about their journey and their mission. Joe noticed a lot of similarities-varying degrees of pain and pleasure-but also uniqueness. Everyone had their own story, but behind and through everything was the hand of God.

Luther, always the early riser, was gone before Joe got up. He wished he’d had a chance to say goodbye, but Paul kept him too busy to worry about it. That next week they put new shingles on the woodshed, they cut firewood, they repaired a fence, they painted the pump house with help from the kids, and they put in new glass in a window the boys had broken with a baseball. Throughout that time peace and goodness crept into Joe’s soul that he had never before experienced. Work became something like an act of worship. Paul truly worked to honor God.             Joe woke up on a Friday and looked out his window at the sunrise behind the mountains. He went out to the balcony. The clouds were red. The air was cool and fresh. He took a deep breath and sighed with contentment. Then the thought came to him a second time: “This place is heaven on earth. If they will let me stay, I will.” He determined to broach the subject with Paul when he had a chance.

Joe went downstairs. He could smell something baking. “Good morning!” he said as he entered the kitchen. Priscilla was there at the counter.

She handed him a cup of coffee, smiling, and said, “Good Friday to you, Joe.”

“It is Friday, isn’t it?” Joe replied. “I had kind of lost track.”

“Yes, but not just any Friday, Joe. It’s Good Friday. Today is the day we set aside to remember Christ’s death on the cross. Sunday is Easter.”

Joe was taken aback. He had a vague idea that Christmas and Easter were Christian holidays, but he had never celebrated them as such. He had exchanged presents with a few people at Christmas time, but for him Easter was just another Sunday off work. Paul came in.

“Good Friday, Joe. Hey, grab your cup and come outside. I need to talk to you.” When they got to the porch Paul said, “I want to pay you today for your work because my bank’s closed tomorrow. Here is what I think would square us up. Counting today you will have worked about a hundred hours. I think we may have about 5 hours tomorrow. I’d like to pay you twelve hundred dollars. Does that seem fair to you?”

“What about room and board?” Joe asked.

“Priscilla and I consider you to be a friend, and a brother in the Lord. I could never charge you to stay here, Joe. It just wouldn’t seem right.”

“Okay, Paul. I think I should pay, but everything else is more than fair. Thank you.”

“I’m going into town after breakfast,” Paul continued. “I’d like you to hook the mower up to the P.T.O. on the tractor while I’m gone. Do you remember how to do that?”

“I think so.”

“If you get stuck you and the boys can muck out the stalls in the barn. It’s really their job, so they would love to have your help. I shouldn’t be more than two hours.”

They talked until breakfast was ready. When they came inside the kids were already at the table. “Good Friday, Joe!” They all said in chorus. When he sat down little Meg pulled his sleeve and whispered, “Mommy told us to say that.” Priscilla put out bacon and eggs, hash browns, toast and some sweet buns. The food was good, as usual, but Joe was intrigued by the buns. They were all frosted with an “x” on the top. When Joe asked about them Ben said: “They’re called ‘Hot Cross Buns.” That sounded familiar to Joe. Paul explained that Hot Cross Buns were a traditional serving for Good Friday.

“We are not all that traditional,” he said. “We just wanted to emphasize the importance of the cross.”

After breakfast Paul left and Joe tackled the jobs he’d been assigned. When Paul returned he was happy with the work. He paid Joe, and they spent the rest of the day mowing the side of the road leading up to Gloryhaven. Paul said that the deer were a danger during the spring and it was good to keep the weeds down. “They are really prone to run in front of your car,” he said as they drove the tractor out of the barn.

That night for family devotions they read the story of Christ’s crucifixion. Joe had never heard the story before and it moved him; especially the part where Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It made him realize the price that had been paid for him, and also it made him think of how he had been forsaken by his own father.

That night a storm front moved in while everyone was asleep. Joe woke Saturday morning to wind and rain. When he tried the switch, he realized they had also lost power. He and Paul tried to get some work done, but the storm got so bad all they could do was make sure the livestock were safe. When everything was under cover and buttoned up, they went inside. It was dim inside and starting to get chilly. Paul decided that he would save fuel and not use the generator right away, so they built a fire in the woodstove. Priscilla filled a camp kettle with water for cocoa and coffee. She also put a cast iron pot on the stove and made soup. After a while the aroma of herbs, vegetables and chicken filled the house. They spent the day inside visiting, reading and playing games. Occasionally Paul and Joe would go outside and check on the animals and outbuildings. There wasn’t much for them to do, but it gave them a chance to break the boredom.

After it got dark, they lit a couple of propane lanterns. The feeling was almost surreal as Joe watched the odd shadows play on people’s faces and heard the wind rattling the windows. Later in the evening Priscilla got out some sleeping bags and let the kids lay down in the sitting room. When she came back she said, “Joe, the kids want you to come say goodnight,” so Joe went in and gave each one a few minutes of his attention. Back in the dining room where Paul and Priscilla were sitting, he said, “Those are pretty special children.”

“We feel blessed, it’s true,” Priscilla answered.

Paul and Joe played Backgammon while Priscilla did needlepoint. It was quiet and comfortable even with the storm outside. Joe thought this might be a good time to bring up his staying, so he said, “I’d like to ask you something. I guess it’s kind of a favor.”

“What is it, Joe?”

“You are the closest thing I have ever had to a family. I love this place. I love the farm work, and most of all I have come to love all of you as well.”

“So what was your favor?” Paul asked.

Joe just let it out: “I wondered if there was any possibility of me staying on with you for a while…?”

There was an uncomfortable silence and immediately Joe realized he had asked the wrong thing. Finally, Paul said, “Joe, I want you to listen to everything I’m going to say, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m going to say it outright; you can’t stay here. It is not that we don’t care for you. I think I speak for the whole family when I say you have a special place in our hearts. We love you too, Joe. It’s just that Gloryhaven is not a destination. There is only one destination.”

“But it’s your destination, isn’t it?” Joe asked. He tried to be calm, but it was clear he was struggling with this.

“Yes, Joe, could call it our destination,” Priscilla answered, “but it’s really our calling. You haven’t discovered your calling.”

“But I follow The Way. I pursued the Seven Truths to the end. What’s left for me? Outside these doors I see nothing but a big question mark!”

Paul said, “Joe, The Way doesn’t end on the mountain. In one sense, it begins on the mountain. To answer your question ‘what’s left for me’, I can only say that everything is left for you, Joe. Everything. Not only is your future a blank check on God’s account, but you live, as we all do, in the ‘eternal now.’ It’s why Luther couldn’t stay. He has to recapture the calling he abandoned when his wife died.”

“Well, I do remember him saying: ‘Only forward. Always forward.’”

“That’s right, Joe,” Paul continued. “Did Luther mention anything to you about The Basic Lessons?”

“No, this is the first I’ve heard of them. What are they?”

“These lessons are what you might call the core of our faith,” Paul answered. “Just as the Seven Truths brought you to this point, The Basic Lessons take you from here.”

“To where?”

“To where God wants you to go. To your calling. Until you make the final journey to be with him forever."

Priscilla added, “There are many lessons in the Bible, Joe, but these are source for all of them. Think of your faith as a house. Jesus is the foundation. The Basic Lessons are the first floor. Everything else is built upon them.”

“Are they difficult?” Joe asked.

“Not difficult to understand,” Paul said, “but to be successful at them will require all your best effort. In fact that is the essence of The Way. It is also the message of the first of the Lessons.”

“What’s that?”

“The most basic of all the Basic Lessons is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus said this is the greatest commandment. This naturally flows from the Seventh Truth. By that I mean that pursuing heaven and pursuing God are essentially the same thing. What Basic Lesson number one teaches is that you need to integrate your devotion to God into every aspect of your life.”

“In other words,” Priscilla said, “there is no separation between the sacred and the secular. We don’t do “God things” at some point and “self things” at another. Paul and I try here at Gloryhaven to make everything we do an act of worship. The Christian writer George McDonald said,” here she picked up a book and read: “‘Life and religion are one, or neither is anything...The same God who is in us … also is all about us—inside, the Spirit; outside, the Word…and the two are ever trying to meet in us.’”

“I think,” Paul said, “that is the reason why you feel drawn to stay here. You felt something special, something sacred, in the things you did. Don’t feel bad, Joe. You can experience that anywhere.”

Even though Joe understood what they were saying, he felt downcast and didn’t know what to say.

“You know, it’s kind of late,” Priscilla offered. “Why don’t we finish this conversation in the morning? Joe tomorrow is Easter, the day we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. We have a little sunrise service here at Gloryhaven before church. A few people come by. Then we have breakfast and go to church. We would like you to join us. Maybe after church we can discuss your plans.”

“That’s fine,” Joe said. They carried the children upstairs to their rooms, and then Joe went up to his room and went to bed. Later that night he was awakened when the power came back on. The bathroom light had been on and the clock radio was beeping. Since he was awake, Joe began to think about what he should do. His hopes and plans had been rebuffed, but he knew his friends meant well. They might be right, but for the moment he was not particularly happy. His future was still a question mark. Even so, he determined that he would pack his things and leave from church. Since he didn’t have much he packed quickly. He turned out the bathroom light, set the alarm clock to 5:00, and went back to sleep.

The next morning when Paul knocked at his door, Joe was already up and dressed.

“So where is the service?” Joe asked as they went out the back door.

“It’s a short walk past the gazebo,” Paul said.

When they got to the gazebo Joe was surprised to see people there waiting for them. A few people had flashlights and they followed a trail around a point to a small meadow. There were a series of logs in two semi-circles around a fire pit. Some people were already there and had built a fire. Since he didn’t know anyone but the family, Joe sat down on one of the logs. He thought there must be two dozen or so people there. They milled around and visited for a few minutes. Some of the people introduced themselves, but Joe was feeling pensive and limited his responses to one or two words. Pretty soon he was just left alone.

A man got a guitar out and began to play. Everyone sat down at that point and they began to sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee…” Joe didn’t know the words, but the song was beautiful. When they finished singing the musician said “He is risen!” And the people responded: “He is risen indeed!” Someone prayed and then they sang another song: “Fairest Lord Jesus. Ruler of all nature. O Thou of God and man the Son. Thee will I cherish. Thee will I honor. Thou my soul’s glory, joy and crown.” Again this was a very moving song. When they were done it was almost daylight. Then another man stood up and began to speak.

“Isn’t it a wonderful morning to celebrate the Resurrection?” he asked. A few people murmured “amen.” “During last night’s storm,” he continued, “I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to have this service, but here we are.” Without preliminary, he opened a Bible and read: “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’”

When he had finished reading he said, “On Friday Jesus was crucified and buried. But on Sunday morning two things happened that changed history forever. The disciples went to Jesus’ tomb to find it was empty. That’s the first thing. The second is they saw Jesus. If you’ve read the Gospels and other parts of the New Testament, you know that Jesus appeared to many people over the course of several weeks. So, we have an empty tomb and a risen Lord. Jesus died for our sins, but friends, we serve a risen Savior! If the Resurrection is true, it proves the validity of Jesus’ claims, but it also guarantees that we who believe will have eternal life. It is the most profound truth of all human history. Why don’t we pray?”

After the prayer the guitar player stood up and they concluded with a song that began “Christ the Lord is risen today. Al-le-luia! Sons of men and angels say, Al-le-luia!” The whole service hadn’t taken more than twenty minutes including the message, but as they walked back Joe thought deeply about what the speaker had said. He remembered that Sam had spoken about the Resurrection in similar terms. The Resurrection was the most profound truth of human history. Joe’s vision on the mountain was directly connected to that great event. If it weren’t for the Resurrection, the Seven Truths would have no power. Sam had talked to him about the importance of the Resurrection, but things had happened so fast after that he hadn’t taken the time to think about it. He was going to have to ask someone about it soon.

When they got back to the house there was coffee, hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls. As the people talked Joe noticed that they really enjoyed each other’s company. People stood or sat in various sized groups around the house. Joe recognized some of the people from the wedding. A few people came and greeted Joe, but again he was not sure what to say or how to act. They had all been believers a long time and he was new to the whole project. Plus most of the time he had followed The Way he’d spent by himself. This group activity thing was a little intimidating for Joe. At one point the man who had spoken at the sunrise service came up and introduced himself. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, ball cap and jeans.

“Hi,” he said. “Are you Joe? Priscilla told me to come introduce myself. My name is Nathan.”

“Yeah, I’m Joe.”

“I don’t know if anyone told you, but I am the pastor of the church. Paul told me you’re a recent follower of The Way.”

“I am,” Joe said. “Just a few weeks now.” Joe thought this guy didn’t look or act like a pastor. Of course Joe didn’t really know how a pastor was supposed to act or dress, but he had a vague picture in his mind of an older man wearing a black shirt with a funny white collar.

“So, how are you doing, Joe?”

Joe was surprised by this question. As he looked at this person he might have labeled a ‘professional holy man’ in another life, he could see an undeniable honesty and sincerity. Nathan wasn’t just making conversation. He appeared to really care about how Joe was doing.

“I’m doing alright, I guess,” Joe offered. “It’s just that things are a little unsettled for me at the moment.”

“What do you mean?” Nathan asked.

“Well, I want to follow The Way. I’ve found the Seven Truths, and Paul and Priscilla talked to me about the Basic Lessons, but…”

“But what?”

“Well, I thought it would be clearer, or easier at this point. I mean things have been kind of tough until now.”

“How so?”

Joe then began to tell him about his journey. They talked for an hour. Most of the other people had left for home to get ready for church, but the pastor acted like he had all the time in the world. Finally, he said, “Joe, I’ve got a service to do later this morning. Are you coming to church?”

“Yes.” Joe replied.

“Why don’t we have lunch after church? How’s that sound?”

“That’s great, uh, Reverend…

“Just call me Nathan if you want, or Pastor Nate, but save the ‘Reverend’. I guess if you have to, you could just call me ‘Your Holiness’, but I left my kissing ring with my robe and pointy hat.”

“Okay, Nathan,” Joe laughed, “I’ll see you then.”

The pastor left. Joe took a cup of coffee up to his room. He went out on the balcony with his Bible and read for a while. Off and on he looked up and gazed at the mountain he’d ascended not that long ago. He felt joy and pain almost simultaneously. Joy at the memory of that wonderful place and pain that he would certainly never see it again. With that realization came the certainty that he couldn’t stay here, or better put, that he shouldn’t stay here. Of course Paul and Priscilla were right. It was his duty to move on. Everything that God wanted for him was ahead. Not behind, and not here. His future was still a question mark, but Joe understood now that faith was contained in that question mark. He might not know the future, but he knew God; knew that God was faithful.

Downstairs Joe found Paul and Priscilla sitting at the kitchen table. They looked up at him as he came in with that anxious look of anticipation people have when they are not certain how things stand. Joe sat down and reached out and grasped their hands.

“I have something to say,” he began. “First of all, I have made the decision to leave. You were so right last night to push me in that direction. Thank you. I’ve packed my things. I would like to go to church with you and then say goodbye from there. Pastor Nate has invited me to lunch and I’m going to take him up on the offer. Secondly, of all the people I have met on my journey, I feel the closest to you. I know I can’t stay at Gloryhaven, but Gloryhaven will always be with me.”

They were both smiling. They squeezed his hands and then Paul said: “I see great things for you, Joe. I’m not a prophet, but think your future is full of God’s blessings. Stay true to him, Joe and he will never let you down. As I said last night, love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”

“I will,” Joe responded. “I promise.”

Questions:

1.       Why do you think the vision came back to Joe when he took communion?

2.       What brought about Luther’s healing?

3.       Why did Luther say Joe couldn’t go back to the mountain?

4.       How does this relate to Paul and Priscilla’s reluctance to let Joe stay at Gloryhaven?

5.       What did Priscilla mean that there is no separation between the secular and the sacred? (If you want to read more on this read the little book The Practice of the Presence of God.)