A very beautiful song sung by Shawnna is then followed by four people assembling together at one microphone. A young man throws a leg over a stool, thumping a couple notes on a base guitar, while the lead guitar takes center position. Another gentleman pulls back a curtain at one side and exposes a platform where he sits among a fortress of drums. They all look at the base guitar, who suddenly stops thumping and nods. There is a brief silence as they look back and forth at each other.
Samuel looks over at Mom, then to Leah. He tugs on Leah’s shirt sleeve and leans over, whispering, “I think someone up there is taking a dump.”
Leah scolds him politely with a return whisper, “Don’t say that! We’re in church!”
But Leah begins to laugh as she witnesses what Samuel is witnessing. The way they look back and forth, it is just like Lark. They do look guilty. Maybe it’s not guilt, but what could it be? With Lark, it was a straining, forced effort. Or is it a sense, or a realization that it’s not a proper thing to do in public? Whatever it is, it’s funny!
Josiah joins Leah in laughter.
Respectively, it is quiet laughter, each straining not to laugh aloud. Then Shannon and Mom join in. They laugh for no reason other than the fact that they feel the love of a shared laugh.
Cindy had not laughed like this since before Stephen had disappeared. The laughter is contagious. A couple people near them begin to laugh too. Cindy recalls one church she’d read about, that made laughter the focal point of the service ...calling it holy laughter. But Cindy feels that is wholly ridiculous.
The main focal point of the congregation is not on laughter though. They are serious. The congregation smiles as the altar band puts on sunglasses. Cindy wonders what else is about to be altered as their smiles turn into serious and almost trance-like expressions, as they get caught up in a twinkling of an eye, ---but not the type of rapture often alluded to in the Biblical event. This is rather a rhythmic event, with a certain kind of familiar beat.
As for Cindy, she could name that familiar beat. It is all too similar to the spirit of the bar scene. And the congregation swaying back and forth, with curious gyrations, provides an all too familiar association.
That is something Cindy had long distanced herself from …though music has a way of resurrecting those once buried feelings. But the Resurrection that she keeps at the core of her beliefs, is not to bring alive the old feelings, but rather to bring about a new Spirit.
The children do not have that association with establishments of food and spirits. Though they still holds the image of Lark in their mind …the image of Lark stooping. That straining and forced effort. And the feeling of whether it was proper to do in public. You don’t have to strain to hear this music, for sure. Shannon wonders how Mom feels about it, but as she looks at Leah, the two of them begin laughing again.
Cindy has little doubt on whether Ruth feels this is a proper thing to do in church ---or anywhere else for that matter. And Cindy tends to agree. Why duplicate the spirit of the bar scene? Why is this song generating more excitement than the beautiful song Shawnna had sung?
After the song is finished, Leah whispers to Mom, “I don’t think I like that.”
Mom smiles, “I don’t know if God does either, but as long as we accept Jesus, we are forgiven and we don’t have to face the music.”
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