Destination Hope - Book 5 - Reconciliation - Chapter 25

I seek God's guidance regarding everything I write. As my main character muses in this chapter, it was critical that I get this chapter right.

For new readers to this story, I linked Chapter 1. Chapters 2 - 4 are linked under September, 5 - 10 under October, 11 - 18 under November, and 19 - 24 under December.

Destination Hope – Book 5 – Reconciliation

A Novel By:

Charles J. Patricoff

Copyright © 2014 by Charles J. Patricoff. All rights reserved.

Chapter 25

Election Sermon

Even though it was a simple chapel, the team of volunteer builders incorporated several recommendations. For example, separating the sanctuary from the main entrance they created two offices on each side of the building. They designated the one to the right of the lobby for reception purposes, general church information, and special event appointments. The smaller served as a cloakroom and children’s nursery. It shared a wall with a staircase leading to an overflow balcony, which became a popular seating area for several of the regular attendees, much to the leadership’s surprise.

Behind the raised platform and altar, they constructed two other offices. One for bookkeeping with a small wall safe, and the last led to the pastor’s study. The women of the church contributed additional specifications, which helped with function and attractiveness, such as: elongated windows on each side of the chapel, an oversized podium, a raised stage three stair steps above the main floor, and menorah-style lamp stands on each end of the platform. The internal, knotty pine, wood-plank paneling added to the structure’s warmth and charm for the seating capacity of one-hundred worshipers.

Nathaniel struggled to prepare the election sermon he intended to deliver the upcoming Sunday preceding Tuesday’s, November 6, 1866 midterm elections.

Since the church’s exciting opening the first Sunday in September, the congregation’s population grew from a faithful two dozen to the current near capacity crowds. Surrounded by his research books and cherished documents, Nathaniel spoke with his Creator. “It’s important that we get this right. For most of these men, this will be their first opportunity to exercise this precious privilege. I don’t want to demean them, but they don’t have any heritage in self-government.”

“Do not be afraid of their faces. Speak the truth. They will understand.”

Sunday arrived. Nathaniel grasped the side ridges of the podium and said, “For this Sunday, I will present what has been called an Election Sermon. I believe we all need reminding of our responsibilities to make sound, Bible-based decisions when we exercise our voting privileges.”

Nathaniel spotted Eleanor trying to keep one-year-old William pacified as he sat on her lap. She took a seat on the balcony’s front row near the stairs, which led to the office space below and doubled as the nursery during services. Recognizing his bride had her hands full, he pressed forward with his message.

“As this nation formed, the people wanted to choose principled men to represent them. To assist their decision-making before Election Day, preachers would offer their congregations the opportunity to learn and discuss as much as possible about the candidates’ character and record of behavior. Also, they would compare them against Biblical standards of godliness. Today, you will learn what I think about our candidates. Regardless, you have a duty before Almighty God to render a thoughtful decision when you vote on Tuesday.”

Nathaniel scanned the almost filled to capacity sanctuary. Performing a quick estimate, he concluded somewhere between three-quarters and eighty percent of the congregants belonged to the race his former government meant to keep enslaved. The blank stares notified Nathaniel he may need to adjust his presentation.

“For comparison purposes, I could bore you with details about the impeccable character of our first President, George Washington. I could attempt to demonstrate the sharp intellect of the author of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. Or, I could boast over one of my personal favorites, a man who proved to possess great faith in God, Samuel Adams, who inspired many men to fight for the cause of liberty.”

Nathaniel noticed a woman dressed in mourning clothes sitting in the very last row behind Eleanor. Because her coverings disclosed little, Nathaniel assumed she fit with the majority. However, a sudden chill attacked him. He glanced down at the floor and moved to his left. Knowing what he would soon say helped. “No, folks, I think we need to draw inspiration and courage from our former slain leader, the President who took the risk to break the yoke of slavery, a man I’ve come to admire as I know many of you do too—Abraham Lincoln.

“I brought with me this morning, important things he said to our fellow countrymen, if we would but listen.” Nathaniel scanned the wood-framed, whitewashed refuge his new friends called with deep affection “The Glory Barn.” Nathaniel passed the podium and picked up a piece of paper. “If you will indulge me, I would like to start with Mr. Lincoln’s March 30, 1863 proclamation where he appointed a National Day of Prayer and Fasting.” He came to a halt facing the congregation. Satisfied he held their attention, he read:

“A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America.

“Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.”

Nathaniel strolled to his right and lowered the paper. “As I said, I intend to express my opinion about our candidates. I believe our current mayor does not share this sentiment. I’ll explain later but for now let me continue with Mr. Lincoln’s proclamation for it applies to today’s message.” Nathaniel pivoted and paced toward the opposite end of the platform. He continued reading:

“And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

Nathaniel lowered the pages and viewed several congregants with expectant faces. “This, my friends, will be the foundation of today’s message. Please, if you do not learn anything else today, know this. Voting is a solemn privilege—a gift granted by God, which our nation is supposed to protect. I recommend you exercise this privilege with a sense of deep appreciation for God’s gift of liberty. It is your responsibility to seek Him for guidance—how you should use this opportunity for good—for yourselves and your posterity.

“Mr. Lincoln, as did our founders, understood that the lure of power may corrupt even the most honorable among us. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’  If this is true, those who seek to govern could mislead with good intentions. Therefore, I believe we must learn as much as we possibly can about the candidates—most of all their character. I have it on good authority that our mayor, who desires to be elevated from an appointee to an elected official, rejects God. The mayor considers all who believe and trust in God as simple-minded dolts. Do we want a man like that executing municipal decisions?”

Much to Nathaniel’s delight, someone shouted, “No.”

“Now remember, President Lincoln issued this proclamation when the outcome of the war was unknown to either side. In his next paragraph, he makes an assertion about national sin.  Please listen.” Nathaniel picked up where he left off:

“And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.”

Nathaniel pointed his index finger heavenward as he declared Lincoln’s next words: “But, we have forgotten God.”  He added, “The president will explain his last point.”

“We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

“It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

“Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

“All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.”

Nathaniel set the paper on top of the podium. “Then he signed it. And the nation fasted and prayed for God’s intervention. I believe I witnessed His mighty hand that following July in Gettysburg with the thrashing defeat of the Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee’s command. I have serious doubt that our mayor would ever ask us to pray for our community. If we are to see His blessings, we must pray from our initiative. We cannot depend on this government to lead us.”

The woman dressed in black sitting in the back of the balcony gathered her things, shuffled out of the pew and disappeared down the back steps.

Nathaniel retrieved copies of other proclamations or speeches from the beloved president and held them up for all to see. “I do not intend to read and expound on these other orations or official statements. However, I do commend them to your further study. If you need help with reading, please ask. But for now, I wish to discuss our immediate need to pray, comprehend how we have offended God, and to confess and repent of our sins.

“For the remainder of today’s service, and for the next two days, I ask each of you to humble yourselves before God, seek Him to prompt you, by His Holy Spirit to bring to your memory any offense against Him, your family members, or friends. If He does, it will be your responsibility to obey His direction. This same principle will apply to voting on Tuesday. My wife, Eleanor, and I will be here to help you, but I cannot overemphasize your duty to pray, obey, and render a sound decision.

“In closing, for most of you men here today, this is your first opportunity to exercise the privilege reserved for citizens of this great nation. To be ready, I recommend you follow today’s admonition to fast and pray for God’s direction. Trust Him to lead and guide you, then obey Him. Shall we pray?”

Before Nathaniel could say another word, Mr. Reuben Jefferson began to pray. His base voice and call to repentance and forgiveness resonated off the walls, floor, and ceiling. An unseen wind swept through the simple house of worship and, in seconds, people fell to their knees humbling their souls under the mighty hand of God.

As Nathaniel submitted to the Supreme Authority demonstrating His presence, he noticed Eleanor’s face in the balcony. There she is…all smiles. His heart filled with something he had not felt in a long time—joy.

Within the past week, 3 different co-workers have asked me if America is heading for another civil war?  I believe if Election Sermons became common practice, maybe an ideological conflagration, for our current national sins (such as the abortion holocaust), could be avoided. What do you think?