Pastor Gordon Breeze has reached his tolerance peak with the lax spiritual attitudes of much of his congregation, including his staff members. They bicker, gossip, conform to the world - he is at his wits end with the dramaholic atmosphere there at Hallow Ground Assembly Church. He arrives home and tells, Juanita, his wife, “I have had it with the wayward conduct at Hallow Ground. It has become a circus in that church! Cohesiveness is a foreign concept to most of those people.” He sighs.
Juanita listens. She strokes his back, and calmly responds, “We need to fast and pray about this, Gordon.”
He agrees. Together they go to their home altar area to seek the Lord.
The Lord speaks, “You know that I AM THAT I AM. Allow your souls to follow hard after Me. Did I not promise to keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Gordon responds.
The Lord tells them to rest in Him.
The Breeze’s purpose to do as the Lord commands. The fast will be for the following day.
The next morning at the church office, Gordon calls in Monica, his secretary. “I need to meet some project deadlines today so please inform the staff that I am not to be disturbed.”
Monica stands there, pops gum and asks Gordon if he will accept any calls.
Gordon thinks, “No she didn’t just stand here and pop gum!“ Gordon starts to comment about it. He reconsiders because, right now, his focus needs to be on the work before him. He tells Monica that he will only accept calls from his wife, children, and parents.
Monica exits to inform the staff.
That Monica is a project, Gordon says out loud to himself.
“Pastor Gordon said not to disturb him today,” Monica tells her co-workers. He will only accept calls from his wife, children, and parents.”
Thomas, the receptionist, snorts, “What am I supposed to tell people when they call here for him?’
Monica glares at him, “Tell them that he is unavailable. If they are so inclined, they can leave a message. Duh!” did you just come up in here yesterday?”
“Excuse me?!,” retorts Thomas.
Monica, with hand on hip, firmly states, “Just get it done, Thomas.”
Thomas rolls his eyes. He is now in sulk mode.
Rita, the office clerk, is a recent hire. She is homeless due to the loss of her previous job. That loss occurred because of her attention to a catastrophic family circumstance.
First lady Juanita hired Rita because she is a firm believer in extending help to the homeless to encourage success in every dimension of their lives.
Rita has proven to be a prize hire. She is a quick study who is efficient, thorough, and always punctual with a ready-to-work disposition that impresses the Pastor and first lady.
Thomas and Monica, however, are player-hating on Rita. They fiercely envy her godly, and admirable qualities.
Rita has been at Hallow Ground for less than a month. In that short period, she has observed Thomas and Monica go at it as has happened again today. Rita is a true worshipper Christian –her demeanor exudes that she is clearly a friend of God. She sits there and thinks, “What is up with these people working in the house of the Lord with these unpleasant attitudes?”
Betty, the office accountant, is a high maintenance carnal Christian. She will tell you in a minute that she is “saved” but if you expect to observe fruit from that declaration, think again. Betty is on a fast track to dry bones valley – that is her deal. Rita went to high school with Betty. Now Betty holds Rita in disdain because Rita is homeless. The reason for the predicament is a non-issue to Betty. She declared recently to Monica, about Rita, “I will not subject myself to dead weight associations.” Betty lavishes herself in material consumption. She pampers – primps – boasts, and is fixated on conduct that demeans others.
The day ends.
Pastor Gordon gets home and settles down with Juanita. The fast was beneficial. They share spiritual insights that were gleaned throughout the day.
Gordon shares with Juanita, “The Lord told me to take the staff, with head Deacon William and Minister of Music Charles, to the circus!”
With raised eyebrows, Juanita exclaims, “The circus?!”
Gordon laughs, “Yes, the circus.” I will share more about it later. The Lord will give me the plan - in a few days, I will share it in a church meeting.“
Thursday is the date for the church meeting. The attendees are buzzing because they do not know the purpose. Pastor and first lady have not arrived yet. Pastor Gordon, for the first time, has not provided the agenda.
Betty yawns, “I’m bored.”
Thomas remarks, “Did you say that you are boring?”
Betty shot him an “if looks could kill” visual message. She decides to stir up mischief. She winks at Monica then addresses Rita, “ Where do you live, Rita?”
Rita is ready. “On Crescent Street.”
“Oh, says Betty, “Isn’t that where the Gateway shelter is located?” “Yes, Betty, that is where I Iive - in the Gateway shelter. You know, every time I go in there I am reminded that wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and that straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and few find it. It makes me so grateful that heaven is my home.” Rita smiles, and asks, “Where is your home, Betty?”
Betty is mortified. The Lord used Rita to manifest Psalm 7:16 upon Betty, “…mischief shall return…”
Deacon William, and Charles look admiringly at Rita.
Thomas’ eyes bulge.
Monica is itching for a continuance of this declaration of war in words. It is not to be - in walks Pastor Gordon with Juanita.
Pastor Gordon announces, “We are going to the circus.” He shuffles a deck of strange looking cards. “These cards are going to take us there.” He deals one card to each attendee. Pastor Gordon instructs, “One at a time, place your card face up on the table.”
Charles happily places his card down first. On his is a lion with the word “Brave heart.”
Next is Pastor Gordon – a Ringmaster appears with the message, “Rein in the sheep.”
Rita’s card has on it a pair of stilts with the scripture Psalm 75:7, “But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
The card assigned to William has a tiger on it with a missing paw.
The card for Juanita shows a trampoline with the inscription, “Jumping for joy.”
Thomas glumly places his card on the table – it has a picture of a ring of fire with the words, “Fire breathing on you – choose life or death.”
Betty gets a card with a tightrope photograph that reads, “Teetering Perilously.”
The last attendee to do card placement is Monica. Her hand trembles as she places the card down. On it is a bear with the message, “Stock is bearish – your days are numbered at Hallow Ground.”
Pastor Gordon stands up to speak words from God, “Every card was assigned to each attendee in accordance with My will. I made the calls – not Gordon. He came to me with the complaint that this church had become a circus. I told him to take you all to the circus. Today you went there to learn your featured roles.“
“I AM the Ringmaster who orchestrates through Gordon, your shepherd. Juanita is reflected as jumping for joy because she knows that I am going to put a halt to this toxic circus atmosphere. Out with the counterfeit - in with the thoroughbred true worshippers, and whosoever will desire to become of such caliber. Charles is a lion-hearted Minister of Music. Charles, you need to deal with those clowns in the choir. They either get real or get moved aside. William, the head deacon, is a tiger with a few vultures on the deacon board. Commune with me, William, and I will advise how to deal with the traitors in the midst. Rita, you got the stilts for your promotion that I signed. Gordon will share more with you later. Monica, the bear message does not bode well for you – more information is soon forthcoming. Thomas, you got a circle of fire. Satan is breathing fire on you – it is imperative that you choose. You are in your “now” moment to elect life or death. Betty, you got a tightrope and there is no net below you. There once was a net when you were a babe in Christ. You have had ample opportunity to put away childish things. You vainly live your life as a friend of the world. That puts you at enmity with Me, you know. Voraciously you feed your ego in plentiful supply. People have been subjects of your ridicule, and war games. You defined Rita as “dead weight associations.” Know this, I weighed her, and she weighs more than you. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting (Daniel 5:27). Repent with godly sorrow, forsake the kingdom of darkness – otherwise I must administer consequences. I love you all but shall not sanction any form of corruption.”
Fallout from the meeting resulted in Monica being dismissed.
Rita became secretary.
Minister of Music Charles separated the wheat from the chaff – the choir is now immensely anointed and such an asset to the body of Christ.
Head deacon William communed with the Lord and shifted gears in his ranks. One of the vultures on the deacon board submitted to godly counsel and became a profitable servant of the Lord. The other vulture remained aligned with the Devil – he was subsequently devoured.
Thomas is on thin ice – Pastor Gordon has him on probation – it is unlikely that he will remain on board.
Betty has taken on the posture that she can outsmart God. Her game is to, in her words, “Outplay the PLAYER.” She shall soon realize that God ain’t playing.
The Breeze’s, Pastor Gordon, and Juanita, are in a pasture of delight where out of their bellies are flowing rivers of living water.
Gordon smiles and asks his wife, “Baby, can you feel the Breeze?
Juanita laughs, “Yea, cool Breeze, I feel it.”
The Circus changed to a deck of cards that changed to spiritual portraits of the people that exacted change in the Hallow Ground that changed into an ace church of God. Ah! Change engineered by the God of all currency. He gets it done - in spades!!!
Sandra Renee Hicks
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Washington, DC 20013
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