(She won’t look PASTOR in the eyes.)

another thing the guy I was seeing said to me.

And I didn’t like that he said it

but it stuck with me

and it left me wondering why

you preached that sermon when you did.

He said he just wondered why,

you did this after,

just after

the church paid off its debt.

It just seems that—he said, he thought—the timing

seemed too convenient.

That if you had done this before the church was paid off

and people had left, then you’d be in a bad spot.

And he said he feels taken advantage of

PASTOR

I never

CONGREGANT

and he—he feels like you took our money.

PASTOR

no

CONGREGANT

he wanted to know—I’m going back to reading here—

(Reads.)

why you did what you did when you did it,

because he thinks that what you said about Hell

couldn’t have been something that just occurred to you,

that you must have known for a long time

that “Hell” is Greek for “trash dump,”

that you didn’t just figure that out,

which means you had this thought

but had been preaching something different—

which seems to me kinda like lying sorry to say that—

and then you suddenly decided

that once the church was paid off,

you could risk losing money,

and tell us what you really thought.

Is that it?

PASTOR

…

CONGREGANT

…

PASTOR

I don’t think I ever really talked about Hell in my sermons

CONGREGANT

because you never believed in it to begin with?

PASTOR

…

CONGREGANT

…

PASTOR

I had questions, I had doubts about it.

CONGREGANT

So why didn’t you tell us that earlier

PASTOR

what would I have said?

CONGREGANT

that you’re not certain about certain things we believe

PASTOR

would that have made you feel better, to hear me get up here and say that I don’t know?

CONGREGANT

I just can’t help but feel used, Pastor Paul, I don’t have much money, I give twenty percent every week, I live on food stamps and out of clothing bins, and it’s a big deal, I don’t do the minimum ten percent, I go over that, because this church is really important to me and giving to God is important, and there’s so much that me and my son have had to do without because of it.

PASTOR

…

CONGREGANT

…

PASTOR

I’m sorry

CONGREGANT

for what?

PASTOR

that you feel the way you feel.

I’m sorry.

CONGREGANT

…

PASTOR

can we

can the church help you in some way

CONGREGANT

how? I don’t—

PASTOR

give you some money, some assistance

CONGREGANT

why?

PASTOR

you seem to be under the impression that I’m preoccupied with money, and I’d like you to understand that I don’t care about the money, that I don’t—

CONGREGANT

are you trying to pay me off?

PASTOR

No, no, not at all the idea is to

CONGREGANT

why—is it guilt?

PASTOR

to show appreciation for what you’ve given, the idea is to give back a blessing