FanStory.com - Ben Paul Persons, Ch 7by Wayne Fowler

In the last part Ben Paul and Sylvia solve a murder mystery. Sylvia is the heroine freeing both Ben Paul and Tia, the accused murderer.

Chapter 7

A somber-appearing gentleman of his mid-forties came out of the building to greet Ben Paul and Sylvia as they drove up to the church where Ben Paul had a scheduled engagement. It was apparent that he’d been watching for them. “I’m awful sorry,” he began before Ben Paul was fully out of the car. “I had no way to contact you. I even called the Creede sheriff’s office to make a courtesy call, but they said you were already gone.” Not giving Ben Paul an entry, he continued, speaking more quickly than Ben Paul expected from a Texan. “We can’t pay you. We’re broke.”

“I didn’t take up the calling for the pay, Pastor. God gave me a message for the hour, and I don’t mind preaching for the reward God offers.”

The pastor hemmed and hawed, shuffling his feet. He began to say that he couldn’t expect that, but was cut short by Sylvia who had by then joined Ben Paul’s side. “We didn’t get paid at our last engagement, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for a million dollars.”

After a breath’s pause, the pastor invited them in. “I’ll call Edith,” Pastor Caples said as he picked up the phone in his office. “She’s right next door in the parsonage.” A few minutes after his call, his wife appeared at the office door. It was obvious that she’d been crying.

“Are you tired after your drive, dear,” Edith said to Sylvia, who at 69 was old enough to be Edith’s mother. “Would you like to rest, or a cup of tea?”

“I’d love a cup of tea, Edith. Thank you.” The two women left Ben Paul and Caples to themselves.

“Well, Reverend Persons, what can I do for you? Would you like to look around? It isn’t much, but a lot of people have been saved, found God, been married, and buried in this church. It’s going on a hundred years old. We have a building fund to build new on the property that the church bought a couple years ago, but…”

“But you’re broke. Wanna tell me about it?”

Pastor Caples gritted his teeth, finally speaking. “Have a seat. This just happened. Had a special deacon board meeting three nights ago. The building fund money is gone. Nine thousand dollars. Gone.”

“And the board accused you?”

Pastor Caples nodded, evident that he didn’t trust his voice. Eventually, he said that there would be another board meeting Monday evening, presumably giving him time to return the money.

“You didn’t take it,” Ben Paul stated emphatically.

Pastor Caples snapped his attention to Ben Paul’s eyes. “How would you know?”

Ben Paul smiled.

“Even if I resign, I wouldn’t get another church with that sort of cloud. Word spreads, you know?”

Ben Paul nodded and smiled. “Let’s pray for a few minutes. Just a few. And then you can leave me to study the sermon God gave me while driving. Fair enough?”

Pastor Caples agreed, reaching out to grip Ben Paul’s hands. He began thanking God for bringing such an outstanding servant as Ben Paul Persons. Ben Paul finished praying for peace, comfort, and resolution for Pastor and Mrs. Caples.

“Supper’s at 5:30 at the parsonage. Hope you like ham. Edith is the best.”

“Love it,” Ben Paul replied, smiling.

“We picked 5:30 as a way to try to pull out of the world. Avoiding the TV news helps. Someone questioned me about knowing what’s going on. I tell ‘em ‘This land’s not my home, I’m just passin’ through. Our citizenship is in heaven, Paul told the Philippians.’”

“Sojourners and exiles here on earth, Peter said,” Ben Paul returned, joining the theme.

“And extolled no better by the late great Jim Reeves.” At that, in as fine a baritone as Ben Paul ever heard, Pastor Caples nailed This world is not my home, I’m just a’passin’ through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.”

+++

“I’m a wreck,” Edith confided to Sylvia as soon as they were seated. “We’re accused of stealing the building fund. There’s no way I could teach the adult Sunday School class tomorrow, not with every eye accusing my husband and I.”

Sylvia immediately perked up. “Oh my! That’s how God works.” Her tone was more that of surprise than declarative.

“Oh, get ready Edith, I’m going to talk your ears off. I’m so full.” Sylvia related her and Ben Paul’s service experience at the church in Santa Fe.

“And God has been giving me a lesson on First Corinthians thirteen for the last hour of our drive, telling me just how to teach it. May I?”

Edith nodded vigorously. “Mom… Oh my. I called you mom! I’m sorry. My mother’s been gone for years.”
“I would imagine you need a mom just now.”

Edith nearly spilled her cooling tea as she stood to hug. “Would you… tomorrow. Would you stay by my side the whole time. I’d like to discourage anyone asking, or saying anything in the church about, you know…”

“Of course I will. And I think it’s an excellent idea. Now, how can I help with supper, I’m smelling ham?”

Edith smiled.

+++

“People,” Ben Paul began after a short prayer asking God to bless the service and the people. “I’m going to preach a sermon usually, unless driven by God, and driven if that’s the right word, that Pastors are loath to preach. Some of you are going to say right from the start, ‘Preacher, you’ve done and gone from preachin’ to meddlin’.’ But before we ever get there, I’m here to tell you that there is a way out. Jesus has provided an escape. And at the end of this message, I’ll explain how to do it. And if you still need a little more, well Pastor Caples is happy to serve.”

At that, a few eyes crossed as heads turned to Pastor Caples, seated on the front pew.

“The seven deadly sins,” Ben Paul began. “And I’m not talking about murder, adultery, or robbing the bank. I’m not referring to the Ten Commandments or any of the laws that the disciples owned that not even they could rely on to get them to heaven. I’m talking about the common failures of man that keep him from God’s best in their lives. I’m talking about pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth, faults that hinder our walk in the Spirit, and damage our testimony among the unsaved.

“Let’s go through them quickly:

“Lust: the excessive desire for sexual gratification.

“Gluttony: overindulgence or overconsumption of food or drink.

“Greed: the excessive desire for material wealth or possessions.

“Sloth: laziness, avoidance of work or duty.

“Wrath: intense and uncontrolled anger or hatred.

“Envy: jealousy or resentment towards others' success or possessions.

“Pride: excessive belief in one's abilities or qualities; it is often considered the root of all other sins.

“Now notice I said excessive, over, and intense. The superlative is the offense in most every case. Of course, when I see my neighbor drive home in a brand new car I wish I had one. Of course, we do. That, my friends, is not the envy that drives a man from God. That is the feeling that someday if we can save enough, we might also buy a new car.

“Sylvia and I bought a car for this trip, a used 1970 Ford Galaxy 500. Tank, we named her. Thank you Tank for getting us to Amarillo safely. She’s not a new Thunderbird or Lincoln Continental, but she’ll do.”

Ben Paul went through all seven, offering scriptural references, finishing with promises of God’s forgiveness for repentance.

“Now people, don’t go out of here thinking that you have to go to everyone who you’ve lusted after begging forgiveness.”

There was general laughter among the parishioners.

After a moment's pause, Ben Paul got their solemn attention back. “But he might. Your job is to trust and obey.”

At that, Ben Paul turned the pulpit back to Pastor Caples.

+++

Sylvia followed Edith into the office when it was time to count the offering with one of the deacons. As they were counting, Sylvia tried to stay out of the way, not allowing anyone to think she was looking over shoulders. She noticed a financial report on top of the desk. Prominently on the right-hand side was a column for the building fund showing amounts donated by months. The grand total at the bottom included offerings from the left column and all the designated gifts of money.

Sylvia couldn’t help but notice that Edith and the deacon were taking checks from offering envelopes, and after quickly checking that the amount of a check equaled what was written on the envelope, set the envelopes aside, separated by offering category, a pile for missions, another for kids’ camp, and another for the building fund.

Some of the checks in the offering plate were without envelopes, but designations were made on the memo line. For those, Edith made a note on scratch paper, adding the note to the appropriate set of envelopes.

When the two were finished, Edith quickly added the cash and the checks together for a total. A light went on in Syvia’s head.

Pastor Caples, Edith, Ben Paul, and Sylvia went out to dinner after the service and on the way back to the church where, Ben Paul and Sylvia would get their car to go to their motel, Sylvia asked if they could go into the office for a minute, she had something that needed looked at.

“Do you have a file of past monthly financial reports?” Sylvia asked.

“Of course,” Pastor Caples said, quickly producing them.

Sylvia pointed out that for the past two months the columns had been added together: total giving, and the designated funds. She didn’t need to elaborate. Both Edith and Pastor Caples saw the double counting, adding the designated totals as if they, too, were offerings.

“Oh, bless God. Thank you, Jesus. And thank you, Sylvia. This would, of course, be caught sometime, but not before tomorrow’s board meeting. Thank you.”

To Ben Paul, Pastor Caples turned. You two have saved our lives, but I’m afraid we’re still broke. We can’t pay you.”

Ben Paul smiled. “We’ve already been paid, pastor. Our cups are overflowing.”

With that, they bade their farewells with many tears from all eyes.