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Excerpt- Soon and Very Soon
A Spiritual Hook UpVanessa Morton met Willie Green during the 50th anniversary celebration of Dominion Baptist church. Pastor Benjamin Rawls and longtime friend, First Lady Pat Rawls had invited Vanessa to their small church in Ashton, Virginia to preach the Consecration service that would kick off a week of services to celebrate the church’s golden anniversary.
Pat was the only real girlfriend Vanessa still had from young adulthood that always looked out for her and prayed for the frailties of her human side. Other friends were immediately intimidated by her when she became the pastor of her own church. With Pat she could be real, letting her in on the loneliness that sometimes plagued her soul when the doors of the church weren’t open.
After the service was over that Sunday night, Pat and Pastor Rawls convinced her to stay over to hear the week’s guest preacher who by their description had the, “countriest city church” they had ever visited. Pat went on so much about the integrity and laid back preaching style of the Reverend Willie Green that Vanessa became intrigued and made arrangements to stay over another night.
Vanessa immediately knew it was a set up when Pat introduced him as, “ the very single Willie Green” at the next evening’s dinner before the service. He smiled and said, “ That I am,” before helping Vanessa pull out her chair. Vanessa practically kicked her girlfriend under the square four-seater table they crowded around. What had they told him about her? Vanessa wondered.
After dinner, Vanessa wished she had gotten a seat on the front pew while Willie was preaching instead of sitting behind him in the pulpit. She scoped out a seat on the front row with the deacons, and another in the very next row where a few ladies were sitting a comfortable two person width away from one another. Other than that the church was packed. Vanessa wanted to see the same passion on Willie’s face that she heard in his voice. It was amazing how he was saying so much with very little words. He slow walked a circle around the text until he reached his listeners and then brought it back to the center of the text. He was for real, Vanessa thought. She had been holding her breathe ever since dinner ended thinking, Lord please let this man be more than just a preacher in title only. She was ecstatic at how well he could preach and didn’t know why.
Vanessa was shocked when he called on her to have several scriptures ready to read on his cue, which was a trademark of his preaching style. She stood beside him when she had the last of the three scriptures marked and was handed a mobile microphone by one of the deacons. He started to continue with his point until the fed from the microphones being so close together caused a blare of sound from the receiver. The unexpected noise sent a gasp of alarm through the congregation. Vanessa quickly clicked her mike off.
“Chemistry, brothers and sisters,” He said throwing his hand up in a Hallelujah wave. Pastor Rawls and a few members who caught Willie’s innuendo, including his wife Pat, were on their feet screaming, Amen.
Vanessa could not help but blush with joyous embarrassment. Willie leaned away from his mike and whispered to Vanessa, “ Sister Morton, now, you need to take that microphone and go stand waaaaaaaay over there so I can concentrate on my message and not your perfume. Amen.”
In one word, Willie had summarized why Vanessa had been feeling antsy and ecstatic earlier and now embarrassed- Chemistry. He was for real. Vanessa stepped back still shaking her head. Wisps of hair escaped from the bundle of her natural curly mane she had captured with a jeweled hairpin. Willie did a brief recap of the point he was making. He deferred to Vanessa, not only to read a related scripture, but also put her spin on its relevance. He allowed her to give the congregation a prescription of verses to study at home which was a trademark of hers. They were like a spiritual tag team. By the end of the message, she felt as if she had reached a new level of happy.
After the service, Vanessa knew she had to head back home. It was already 9:30 and she had a two hours drive ahead of her. Several of her members including her secretary accompanied her to the service that she preached the day previous. When she decided to stay over, she promised them she would be okay coming back alone. She gathered her things in the pulpit. Willie was still doing his victory lap, moving through the crowd accepting praise and passing out encouragement. The night was coming to an end and she didn’t know what to do next. She didn’t want to leave without talking to Willie, but she kept her distance and allowed him to minister. She wanted feedback on their chemistry before they went their separate ways. Vanessa knew that pastors could spend hours held up with members after a good sermon. Although Vanessa had preached the night previous, people came over to her to tell her how powerful their message was tonight. Many thought Vanessa and Willie’s collaboration in the pulpit was planned because of how natural it came across.
Like a God send, Pat Finally pulled the both of them away to the Pastor’s study. Pastor Rawls was still in the sanctuary. Willie and Vanessa were left alone momentarily while Pat attended to a knock on the study’s door.
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Pastor Green. You are truly an anointed man of God.” Vanessa said extending her hand.
“Tell me you’re staying all week.” He said shaking her hand and holding on.
“I’m afraid not. I’ve got a church on the other side of the bridge that I have to get back to.”
“I have a serious problem then. What prescription can I get for that?”
“Well,” Vanessa said, “I always start off with a dose of John 3:16, then…”
“Then, Vanessa 322 2343,” Pat interrupted coming from the door, and handing Vanessa an envelope filled with a check that the church had collected for her the night previous then walking away. Willie pulled out his pen from his shirt pocket and wrote Vanessa’s number on the edge of his sermon outline.
“I tell you what. You show me your church and I’ll show you mine.” He said, an easy smile sliding across his face before flaring into a full grin.
“Why Reverend, are you asking permission to sit in my pulpit?” She said returning the smile.
“ Look Vanessa,” He paused appearing to weigh his words.” I’m a straightforward man. This had been a wonderful evening with the fellowship dinner and the service but I feel especially blessed to have met such a lovely woman of God. I could care less if I sit in your pulpit. I just want to see you again real soon.”
“Same here,” She said suddenly feeling hot. “I’m going to hold you to your promise to visit my church. I keep office hours everyday except Wednesday.”
“I’ll call for an appointment to come see your church, and I’m going to call you tonight to make sure you got home safely and I’m going to ask you out to dinner as soon as I get back across the bridge.”
“I’d like that.”
shejack |
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Anonymous | Soon and Very Soon | 0 | Monday, 1:52 PM EST by Anonymous | ||
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Thread started: Monday, 1:52 PM EST
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I'm glad that Will is not intimidated by Vanessa in this excerp. He seems to encourage her gift as a Pastor, instead of being put off by it. This is good writing.
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