The bass and drums gave way to the soothing sounds of the organ as Curtis began setting the mood for a life-changing, sin-snatching, spiritual breakthrough. Curtis was a very gifted speaker in his own right. Like Bishop Noel Jones or T. D. Jakes, Curtis possessed more than the typical whoop and holler, quote a lot of clichés and then rely on the organ to bail you out, old school style of preaching. Curtis had substance. He had a way of making you feel that in a church full of people, you were the only one he was speaking to. You may be in a five-thousand-seat megachurch, but you still felt as if you were sitting in the storefront church where you grew up.

His raspy voice filled the room, sounding like a cross between David Ruffin, Gerald Levert, and Teddy Pendergrass.

“Praise the Lord.”

“Praise the Lord,” the church responded.

“We’re so happy to be coming before you this morning. But before we get started with thus saith the Lord, I’d like to take a moment for thus saith your pastor.” The church erupted in laughter, as they were obviously used to his sidebars.

“Church, how many of you know that God has a way of taking you up when you want to go down. Making you go right when you want to go left. Pulling you in when you want to go out. I like to think of God as the Great Paradigm Shifter. Touch your neighbor and say ‘paradigm.’ Touch another neighbor and say ‘shifter.’ That means He has the ability to instantly, and almost effortlessly, change a course of actions, a routine, or a pattern from one direction to another.

“Church, today, my paradigm was shifted. On a plane returning from Cleveland, I had the good fortune of running into an old friend. One I had assumed was out of my life, but we all know what happens when you assume. Amen? Come on now, y’all saw the episode of The Odd Couple. Amen? She’s a dear friend and she’s here with us this morning. I’d like her to stand. Sister Montana Moore, congregation. Congregation, Sister Montana Moore. Greet her with a hearty amen.”

I wasn’t expecting to be outed. Slowly, with one hand on my hat, and the other on my too-short sundress, I stood. The whole church clapped. Well, almost the whole church. I noticed a few jealous sisters in the choir who obviously had their eyes on Curtis. But I was hardly going to let them ruin my moment.

Then, lowering his reading glasses, he adjusted his posture, opened his Bible, and began speaking. “Now, turn with me, if you will, to the book of Galatians.”