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Authors: Jennifer Allee
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Maura. Smiling, he looked around the table. “How is everyone today?”
Maura smiled back, but before she could respond, Oren spoke up. “If you don’t mind, Pastor, I’d like to dispense with the pleasantries and get right to the issues surrounding Miss Hattie's will. Since we had to convene for this special meeting, there's some church business I’d like to address. That is, after we’ve put that other matter behind us.”
Maura's cheeks grew hot as the man pinned her with his glare. It was quite clear he wanted to deal with her and get her out of the way so she wouldn’t be privy to any important church business. She met Oren's gaze, refusing to look away. She had zero interest in anything else they had to discuss, but she wasn’t willing to let this man push her around. Not again.
“Actually, I believe our first order of business is to open with prayer.” Nick's voice was firm. He looked around the table as if daring anyone to disagree with him. “Shall we?”
Maura hesitated, then folded her hands together in her lap. She knew the preferred prayer posture at Faith Community was to take the hand of the person sitting next to you. But Maura couldn’t do it. She’d feel like a hypocrite, holding hands and acting like they were all friends. A wave of relief washed over her as Nick also chose to forgo the tradition, folding his own hands and bowing his head, inviting the others to do the same.
“Dear Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to meet together to seek your direction for this church and its people. We thank you, Lord, that you have made this a place where all are loved and welcomed, even as you love and welcome us though we are still sinners. Give us ears to hear and hearts to know your will. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”
“Amen.” Maura echoed the sentiment with everyone else, surprising herself as she did so. It had been a long time since she’d prayed, or even voiced agreement to a prayer. Some things, she supposed, became so much a part of you that you just did them instinctively.
She glanced over at Nick. His prayer, while definitely heartfelt, had also diffused some of the tension in the room. Many of the folks who had looked so unhappy a few moments before, now seemed slightly sheepish. Even Oren had been affected. And Lainie, who seemed to live in a perpetual state of happiness, was downright giddy.
“Let's begin, shall we?” Nick stood and turned his attention to Oren. “I think it would be fine to start with the matter ofMiss Hattie's will. After all, there's no reason to bore Maura with the rest of our business.”
Nick was in full leader-of-the-flock mode now. Maura couldn’t help but admire how he took over the meeting. He gave a quick rundown of the provisions in Miss Hattie's will, including the living arrangements at the parsonage, but did so in such a matter-of-fact way that if anyone wanted to make an issue out of it, they didn’t have a chance. He made a point to connect with everyone, looking around the room as he spoke and making eye contact with each person. Finally, he got to the part about the theatre and how it needed to be used to host at least one church event.
“After the event is completed and the six-month living arrangement has been satisfied, Maura will receive the deed to the property, and the church will receive a generous donation from Miss Hattie's estate. So you see, by working together, we’ll all come out winners. Now, I’d like to turn this over to Maura so she can tell you what she has in mind.”
As Nick sat down, every head at the table seemed to turn in her direction in unison. Maura hadn’t expected this meeting to be easy, so she’d been especially thorough in her preparation. Over the past week, she and Rachel had outlined everything that needed to be done at the theatre and what it would take to get the place back into working condition. She had facts, figures, even a timeline for the renovation. Even though the church
Maura smiled back, but before she could respond, Oren spoke up. “If you don’t mind, Pastor, I’d like to dispense with the pleasantries and get right to the issues surrounding Miss Hattie's will. Since we had to convene for this special meeting, there's some church business I’d like to address. That is, after we’ve put that other matter behind us.”
Maura's cheeks grew hot as the man pinned her with his glare. It was quite clear he wanted to deal with her and get her out of the way so she wouldn’t be privy to any important church business. She met Oren's gaze, refusing to look away. She had zero interest in anything else they had to discuss, but she wasn’t willing to let this man push her around. Not again.
“Actually, I believe our first order of business is to open with prayer.” Nick's voice was firm. He looked around the table as if daring anyone to disagree with him. “Shall we?”
Maura hesitated, then folded her hands together in her lap. She knew the preferred prayer posture at Faith Community was to take the hand of the person sitting next to you. But Maura couldn’t do it. She’d feel like a hypocrite, holding hands and acting like they were all friends. A wave of relief washed over her as Nick also chose to forgo the tradition, folding his own hands and bowing his head, inviting the others to do the same.
“Dear Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to meet together to seek your direction for this church and its people. We thank you, Lord, that you have made this a place where all are loved and welcomed, even as you love and welcome us though we are still sinners. Give us ears to hear and hearts to know your will. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”
“Amen.” Maura echoed the sentiment with everyone else, surprising herself as she did so. It had been a long time since she’d prayed, or even voiced agreement to a prayer. Some things, she supposed, became so much a part of you that you just did them instinctively.
She glanced over at Nick. His prayer, while definitely heartfelt, had also diffused some of the tension in the room. Many of the folks who had looked so unhappy a few moments before, now seemed slightly sheepish. Even Oren had been affected. And Lainie, who seemed to live in a perpetual state of happiness, was downright giddy.
“Let's begin, shall we?” Nick stood and turned his attention to Oren. “I think it would be fine to start with the matter ofMiss Hattie's will. After all, there's no reason to bore Maura with the rest of our business.”
Nick was in full leader-of-the-flock mode now. Maura couldn’t help but admire how he took over the meeting. He gave a quick rundown of the provisions in Miss Hattie's will, including the living arrangements at the parsonage, but did so in such a matter-of-fact way that if anyone wanted to make an issue out of it, they didn’t have a chance. He made a point to connect with everyone, looking around the room as he spoke and making eye contact with each person. Finally, he got to the part about the theatre and how it needed to be used to host at least one church event.
“After the event is completed and the six-month living arrangement has been satisfied, Maura will receive the deed to the property, and the church will receive a generous donation from Miss Hattie's estate. So you see, by working together, we’ll all come out winners. Now, I’d like to turn this over to Maura so she can tell you what she has in mind.”
As Nick sat down, every head at the table seemed to turn in her direction in unison. Maura hadn’t expected this meeting to be easy, so she’d been especially thorough in her preparation. Over the past week, she and Rachel had outlined everything that needed to be done at the theatre and what it would take to get the place back into working condition. She had facts, figures, even a timeline for the renovation. Even though the church
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