I think there are many who would question your teaching this morning, who do question—who believe that it is fundamentally against what we believe.

PASTOR

… If that is so, then they can leave

with you.

ASSOCIATE

…

PASTOR

(To the audience.)

And Brother Joshua
says:

ASSOCIATE

(Never breaking eye-contact with PASTOR.)

Pass around the offering plates.

And have each member of the congregation write down
on a little scrap of paper:

Pastor Paul

or

Associate Pastor Joshua.

Okay?

PASTOR

(To ASSOCIATE.)

okay.

(To the audience.)

And with that,

the ushers pass around the offering plates
to the members of the congregation.

Everyone is taking out pens and little scraps of paper,
and each one writes something down.

And I wait.

(Pause.)

And I think.

(Pause.)

And it takes a long time for this whole process to take place.

And I pray.

(Pause.)

And the offering plates come back,

and Associate Pastor Joshua

and Associate Pastor Ken

and Associate Pastor Will,

my associate pastors count the little bits of paper.

And we wait.

(Pause.)

An’ Brother Joshua comes back,
and he is flanked by the two other
associate pastors.

Brother Joshua says,

ASSOCIATE

we have counted the little pieces of paper

PASTOR

(To ASSOCIATE.)

yes. And?

ASSOCIATE

… 50

PASTOR

50?

ASSOCIATE

there were 50 people

PASTOR

who said

ASSOCIATE

who sided with me.

PASTOR

okay.

ASSOCIATE

… out of the 100s

PASTOR

okay

ASSOCIATE

1000s

PASTOR

I see

ASSOCIATE

who have said

they want

to stay with you.

(Pause.)

(Music begins to play. The Choir sings the opening verses of Song #3, then switches into a soft vocalization as ASSOCIATE speaks.)

ASSOCIATE

ya’ know, Pastor Paul: many may have sided with you today, but I think there are many more who did not speak up,

many who did not cast their vote, who stayed silent and who do not see things like you see them,

and I imagine there are even people who said they side with you but maybe deep down, they don’t.

They just don’t want to see you topple when they think you’re the one holding up the roof over their heads.

They don’t want to see you fall, when they’ve given so much to you,

given their time, their faith, their money, their trust.

PASTOR

Alright then.

You’ve said what you wanted to say.

Now it’s time to go.

(The music swells and the Choir sings the closing verses of the song.)

(Silence.)

(ASSOCIATE exits.)

(All watch as he walks off.)

(He’s gone.)

(Pause.)

(ELDER JAY steps forward, takes a mic.)

(PASTOR pours himself a glass of water, drinks, and dabs his sweaty brow.)

(Silence.)

(PAUL finishes his ‘rest-and-reset moment’.)

(To the audience.)

PASTOR

And Elder Jay walks into my office and he says,

ELDER

Pastor Paul.

PASTOR

(To ELDER.)

Yes, Elder Jay

ELDER

On behalf of myself and on behalf of the church’s board of elders …

I’d like to take a moment

and reflect

on your sermon.

PASTOR

go ahead, Brother Jay.

ELDER