A Future History of the United States

Less than fifteen minutes after they entered the Archbishop’s office, Mark returned with the other members of the household staff. As they entered, all began to kneel. Tim held up his hand, “There will be none of that in my presence. I am not worthy of such worship. Only God is worthy. Though I wear the robes, and hold the scepter of Archbishop, I am no more than a servant. I serve God and so must you.”

Once they were all seated, Tim looked carefully at each one. Several were unshaven. Some wore clothes that looked filthy.

He thought, This is a scruffy looking bunch. Aloud he said, “I do not know how Archbishop Rand conducted this household. I do not care to know. Starting today you will follow procedures as I direct.

“First, I expect all of you to present an appearance worthy of a servant of Christ. Failure to take care of your person and your clothes is a discredit to Him.

“Second, we will all gather in this office each morning before we begin our workday. We will spend the first part of the meeting discussing any, and I do mean any, concerns you may have. Each meeting will conclude with prayer.

“Third, as you go about your daily duties, you must remember that Jesus is always by your side. Do not do anything that will make Him ashamed of you.

“Lastly, we will close each day with another meeting in this office. That meeting will also close with prayer.

“As I look at you, I see some in clothes that would embarrass a beggar. If you do not have any better clothes, I will provide funds from the Church treasury for you to purchase what you need.”

“Mark, I need to meet with priests from the churches within the city as soon as possible. Do you think you can get them all here by noon tomorrow? I would like to have this meeting before they prepare for Sunday services.”

Stunned by the rules being put forth by the new Archbishop, especially the emphasis on prayer, Mark was slow to respond. Finally, getting his thoughts together, he replied, “That will be no problem, Sire. They should all be here well before then.”

“Then let us close this meeting with prayer.” Tim bowed his head, “Heavenly Father, You know the difficulties facing Your Church in this time of trial. We thank you for the many gifts you have given us. May we always use those gifts in Your service. Provide us with the knowledge and skills to safely guide Your people through these difficult times. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

Standing up he said, “We have much to do. Let’s get busy.”

Looking at the clock Tim noticed it was only 11:00 A.M. the meetings had taken much less time than he thought.

Once again alone in the office, Tim and Ron reviewed the speech Tim was to give at 2:00 P.M. With the way things had gone so far, several changes were needed. He reduced the emphasis on avoiding violence against Church personnel and added more emphasis on treating each other with love and respect.

Shortly afternoon Mark returned to the room with the news that lunch was ready and that he had dispatched the rest of the staff to summon the priests. Rather hesitantly, he added, “I took the liberty of allowing them to use mechanical transportation, Sire.”

“That’s fine, Mark, when in the service of God, we must use all means available. Will you be joining us for lunch?”

“Oh, no, Sire! I never dine with the Archbishop.”

“Well, it’s time to change that!” Tim said forcefully. “If we are to serve God together, we should also eat together.”

Lunch was a simple, but satisfying meal. Tim could not help but compare it to some of the lavish meals he had enjoyed in Son City. Recalling the food he, Jane and Billy had dined on before his arrest, he made a mental pledge to do everything he could to improve the availability of decent food for the people of the city. He wondered if it would be possible to use some of the resources of Son City in this endeavor. He would have to ask Ron how they could go about this.

All too soon, it was time for his 2:00 P.M. speech to the people of St. Louis. He and Ron had made certain the preparations in the sanctuary of the cathedral were complete. People began arriving by 1:30. By 2:00 the space was full, and many were standing out in the street. Facial expressions and body language were clearly hostile among the group. He knew this would be a “Make or Break” event.

At precisely 2:00, Tim made his entrance dressed regally in his Archbishop’s gowns, complete with hood. Rather than entering by the door leading to the lofty, ornate pulpit normally used by the Archbishop, he entered from a door at the back where he had to pass through a number of people to make his way to the small lectern located slightly above floor level.

On the way, he stopped frequently to speak softly to some of those present. Each time he began his remark with, “May God bless you and your family.” At one point he picked up a small child and said, “Jesus said, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto these.” Handing the child back to his mother he told her, “Bring him up to serve the Lord.”

Finally reaching the lectern, he touched the button to activate his microphone. “Every meeting of the faithful should always start with prayer,” he began. Watching the people to see their reaction to his amplified voice he continued, “At this time we are in special need of prayer. Archbishop Rand suffered a massive stroke yesterday morning, and has been taken home by the Lord. I have been selected by the leader of the Church to guide you in His way. I ask for each of you to pray for me, that I might have the knowledge, wisdom, will, and courage to faithfully fulfill my duties.”

The speakers outside that had been used so successful that morning were also in use. Those who had been unable to secure access to the sanctuary had resigned themselves to hearing any news second hand. They were surprised when Tim’s voice was so clearly audible to them. They stood frozen in their tracks as the service continued.

“Heavenly Father, we humbly ask that You provide us, your people, with all those things necessary to further Your Kingdom here on this earth. May we all learn to live peacefully among our brethren. Please heal the divisions that have intruded and threaten to destroy the peace that is so important to You. Forgive us for those things we have done that are contrary to Your will…”

His prayer continued on in this manner for some time. Finally he concluded, “Help us to speak with one voice so everyone will know we are truly Yours. In Jesus name we ask these things. Amen.”

Tim and Ron had decided that no theatrics, other than the loudspeakers, would be used for this speech. While they had been used to good effect at St. Anthony’s church, the desired atmosphere was different this time. Rather than trying to stir things up, it was now important to calm them down.

Tim continued with his prepared remarks, “The Lord has chosen to put me in this position. I feel inadequate in face of the task before me, but when I opened my Bible after receiving word of this appointment, the first passage I saw was 2 Corinthians 12 where Paul quotes Jesus telling him, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’

“I have been told that recently there has been much turmoil in the city. It has even been said that some of our priests have feared for their safety. Such things must not be in a community dedicated to the service of the Lord. We must all live in harmony.

“It has been reported that some priests, and even bishops, have acted in an unchristian manner. Any such actions that are brought to my attention will be dealt with through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and in keeping with the Scriptures. I will make myself available as a spiritual advisor to anyone who wishes to discuss such activities.”

After speaking for an additional twenty minutes, Tim concluded with, “We will be observing a two week period of mourning for the departed Archbishop Rand. During this time I will advise all priests and bishops to avoid bringing before me any charges requiring discipline. Please do not use this as an opportunity to offend anyone. Also, take care not to do anything that is contrary to the will of God and the teachings of the Scriptures.

“Starting Monday morning my assistant, Mark, will be available to schedule appointments with me for any who wish to seek my counsel. Let us close with a word of prayer.”

Tim said a brief prayer, turned off his microphone, and walked slowly down the aisle toward the door through which he had entered. The people sat silently as he passed. No one moved until the door had closed behind him.

Once out of sight of the congregation, Tim rushed to the church office, stepped in, shut the door, and locked it behind him. Walking to the desk, he collapsed into his chair and began shaking.

Ron had been waiting for him. After giving Tim a few minutes to recover he said, “I thought that went pretty well.”

“I’m glad you did,” Tim retorted. “You weren’t the one out there in the hot seat. That’s the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I kept waiting for some one to start up a ruckus and tear the church apart and me with it.”

Ron replied “You did a great job. No one could tell you were nervous. You handled that like you had been born for this occasion. In fact, even though you don’t understand it yet, you were!”

“Save that type of talk for someone who might believe it,” Tim snapped. “I know who I am. I’m just some poor chap that got caught up in something bigger than I ever dreamed was possible. You’re using me, and I’ve been going along with your schemes because I can’t stand the crap the Church has been handing out for years. I can’t go on. I’m through. Find someone else to do your dirty work for you.”