Part 28 (1/2)
There's a fountain flowing (hmmm) and (hmmm).
(hmmm) and (hmmm)
(hmmm) and (hmmm)
There's a fountain flowing (hmmm) and (hmmm).
Marian had attended Baptist Sunday school, and I had gone to Pentecostal Mission Sunday school, but we both knew that song and had friends from other denominations who also knew it. Our parents probably sang it in Sunday school opening exercises just like we did. Now we were beholding the next generation of Deep and Widers singing the song and doing the ”Deep and Wide” hand motions. It boggled my mind to think that kids all over North America-maybe even the entire Western Hemisphere- were hmmm and hmmming this very moment, or according to their respective time zones.
It also occurred to me that adults and teenagers all over North America were sitting in opening exercises with the little kids, doing that song for the zillionth time and feeling silly.
We were sitting in the back. I scanned the pews for the young people. The best place to look was either in the very back or as far as anyone could sit to the side. I counted about twelve, including two silly girls, two stoics, and three Outsiders-cool guys making a statement by slouching together as far away from the proceedings as possible.
We sang a few more standards-”Stop and Let Me Tell You What the Lord Has Done for Me,” and ”Climb, Climb Up Suns.h.i.+ne Mountain.” Then the lady in charge brought out the big plywood figure of Barney Barrel. Barney, a wooden barrel, had long, skinny arms that formed a tipping scale with a coffee can hanging from each hand, and it was his job to collect the missionary offering. Today it would be the girls against the boys. Sister Marvin, the pastor's wife, played the piano, we all marched around the room, the girls put their offering in the pink can and the boys put their offering in the blue. Today the girls won-I saw which one put in the roll of pennies. Clever kid.
Finally we dismissed to our cla.s.ses. Pastor Marvin would be teaching the adult cla.s.s in the sanctuary, but Marian and I wanted to check out the teenagers in their cla.s.sroom in the bas.e.m.e.nt. We followed the Outsiders downstairs and into a small, windowless, echoing room with folding chairs, a low table, and a chalkboard. The rest of the kids straggled in, talking and giggling among themselves, but obviously a little quieter since two strangers were in the room. Not one of them said h.e.l.lo or asked us who we were. I wasn't about to let them get away with that.
”Hi,” I said, jutting out my hand. ”Praise G.o.d, I'm Travis, and this is Marian!”
The first kid shook my hand and said hi back, looking immediately at the floor.
”What's your name?”
I heard him mumble something like ”Bernn.”
I leaned closer. I knew I was invading his comfort zone, but that was the idea. ”Say again?”
He spoke up a little. ”Brian.”
We went after the Outsiders. ”Hallelujah! Who are you?”
Donny and Steve barely got their names out, but Trevor spoke right up with his. Trevor seemed to be the leader. As soon as he opened up, the other two did. I found out what grade they were in, and what some of their interests were. In the meantime, Marian had struck up conversations with the girls. It was going well when the teacher finally arrived.
She was a young, curly headed gal. She took one look at us and said, ”Hi. Who are you?”
*Praise the Lord,” I said, reaching over some chairs and kids' shoulders to shake her hand. ”Travis and Marian Jordan.”
”I'm Lucy Moore. It's nice to have you visiting with us today.” Then she said with a chuckle, ”Are you sure you're in the right cla.s.s?”
”You bet,” I said. ”I'm the new youth pastor.”
She looked at me blankly for a second, then smiled and shook her head. ”No, you're not.”
Then she dove into the lesson like a windup toy with the spring too tight and never made eye contact with us again. Marian and I sat there quietly, hesitant to say another word. I shot a glance at Trevor. He just gave me a shrug.
And there was the strangest smell in that room, like someone left a dirty diaper under a chair. I saw a few noses wrinkle, but n.o.body said anything, and I wasn't about to.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A RELIEF when Pastor Marvin had us stand during the morning service so he could introduce us. ”I'd like you all to meet Travis and Mary Jordan, our new a.s.sistant pastor. He'll be helping us out with the youth program and whatever else his hand finds to do, so make him welcome.” He got Marian's name wrong, but at least we knew we were in the right church.
”WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?” a board member asked before Pastor Marvin even got his office door closed.
Pastor Marvin sat down at his desk and answered like a cornered witness, ”Well, we did discuss this, Bill.”
Bill, a wiry, curly haired man in his fifties, had veins that stuck out on his forehead, and I think his eyes may have been sticking out a bit too. ”You didn't discuss it with me!”
”I didn't know he was coming today,” said a shorter, thinner, younger man.
Bill glared at the younger man. ”So he told you about it?”
”He said we might try someone out. That's all I heard.”
”Well, I should have told you he was coming today,” said Pastor Marvin. ”It's my fault.”
”You shouldn't even have invited him without consulting with the board!”
”Bill,” said an older man with a lower lip that stuck out, ”we have talked about it.”
”We've talked about it; we have not approved it!”
Pastor Marvin broke in, ”Gentlemen, before we start the meeting I should introduce Travis and Mary to you.”
”Marian,” I corrected.
”Oh. I am sorry. This is Travis and Marian Jordan. Travis recently graduated from West Bethel.” Then Pastor Marvin formally introduced us to Bill Braun, the angry one; Ted Neubaur, the younger, thin one; and Wally Barker, the older one with the lip. ”Uh, where's Rod?”
Ted answered, ”He and Marcy had to go right home. Trevor messed in his pants again.”
Bill rolled his eyes. ”Oh great!”
Wally explained to us, ”Trevor's a weird kid. He messes in his pants.”
”He doesn't need to know that!”
”Well, he does if he's taking the youth.”
”Well, what about Lucy? Has she been told about this?”
No, I thought.
Ted answered, ”She was pretty upset when I talked to her. She said he came into her cla.s.s and tried to take over.”