Taylor looked up at the church as they stepped out of the van.
It had been so long since they'd been here... it almost seemed like another lifetime.
Almost.
He waited for the others to get out so he could fetch Dee Dee.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
Tad looked at the Church and the numerous people arriving with apprehension. This was crazy. Just crazy.
Zac nudged Isaac after he got out of the car and nodded his head at Tad.
"I wonder how much he's going to enjoy the service this morning," he said, grinning.
Isaac raised his eyebrows.
"Sometimes I wonder about you."
Taylor
"Sometimes?" Taylor quipped, "I thought you would have given up by now."
He finally fetched Dee Dee and closed the van door.
"Right. Are we ready?"
Isaac, Zac and Tad
"Point taken," Isaac grinned.
Zac locked up the car.
"All is good," he said, and started towards the church, Isaac not far behind him.
Tad reluctantly followed.
Taylor
As they made their way up the front steps, Taylor hesitated at the door and took a deep breath. Then he looked back for Isaac and Zac.
"Do you want to take her?" he asked Zac softly when he was close enough.
"Just... just in case, you know."
Zac, Isaac and Tad
"Yeah, okay," Zac said. "But I think they're well aware that Dee Dee's mine by now. It's Saku they don't know about."
"Hence why he's home with Ella?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah. Being the child of the reigning Egyptian cat goddess does kinda put a damper on things."
Tad couldn't help thinking how lucky Saku was.
Taylor
Taylor frowned.
"That's not what I meant."
He carefully handed her over, still standing on the top few steps.
Zac, Isaac and Tad
"Oh... what did you mean?" Zac asked.
"I think he's refering to a certain alterego," Isaac nodded.
"Please," Zac shook his head, "it's a proven fact that you're far less likely to die in Church than in any other place. In fact, there's been studies to prove that during praise and worship your body actually produces a couple of extra unknown elements that boost your immune system."
"Yeah?" Tad drawled, "does that apply to Dathrians too?"
"Where do you pick up stuff like that?" Isaac asked.
"Here and there."
Taylor
"Maybe I'm worried because I'll be looking at today a lot different to anyone else," Taylor scorned lightly, making sure Dee Dee was comfortable before wrapping his arms around himself.
He made no attempt to move toward the door, though he had his eye on it.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
"Is that neccesarily a bad thing?" Isaac asked.
Zac headed towards the door.
"Where do you guys want to sit today? Back, middle or... front."
There was a twinkle in his eye as he said this, and Tad felt that Zac had meant that last option as a jab at his discomfort. He folded his arms across this chest and said nothing.
Taylor
Taylor gave Isaac an incredulous look as he waited for them to go in first.
"Back," he insisted, not even thinking of Tad.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
Isaac caught Taylor's look and shrugged. He had no idea what motivated him to come this morning. He followed Zac inside, Tad seemingly unwilling to step through the door.
"Welcome to church," said a young man, standing on the inside of the doorway.
"Thanks," Zac said cheerfully, as he was handed a bulitin. "How are you Matt?"
"Oh, good, good," Matt replied. "Yourself?"
"Fantastic as always," Zac nodded. "Oh, and this guy is Tad."
Zac pointed.
"You guys want to make sure he's very welcome here," he nodded conspiritally.
Matt just laughed.
"You're a rascal, Zac."
"Yup."
"Oh, hi Taylor," Matt went on, having noticed him. "Been awhile. How you doing?"
Taylor
"Could be better," Taylor admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he stepped through.
He kept his eyes away from the front.
"How's the dog I got you?"
Zac, Isaac and Tad
"Oh he's great," Matt said enthusiastically. "He's so good with the kids."
"Oh, look," Zac said, "We're holding up the line. Talk to you after the service?"
"Sure. Hi Ike."
"Hey."
The boys headed to the back rows to select some seats. Tad glanced around after he sat down. There sure were a lot of people here - more than he would have thought.
Taylor
Taylor made sure to sit on an end so they he could get out if he needed to. As soon as he sat down and clasped his hands together his knee was bouncing, and he still wouldn't let himself look up the front.
He made this point unnoticeable by focusing his attention on his present neice.
Zac, Isaac and Tad
"Oooh, look Ike," Zac said enthusiastically. "Trey has a new guitar!"
Isaac looked up on the stage.
"Nice," he said, admiringly. "I'm going to have to track him down... later though - it looks like the band is getting ready to start."
Now that was something Tad didn't except to see. A band. He thought all churches just had a chior and everyone sang those silly little hymn things. But this was an actualy band with guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, even a couple of brass instruments. Huh, imagine that.
Taylor
Taylor managed an awkward smile at that, before glancing up at where the band was.
"Wow, I bet that wasn't cheap," he frowned slightly, suddenly remembering a few others they needed to replace yet.
Zac, Isaac and Tad
Isaac caught Taylor's frown and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Hey," he said, "at least insurence is paying for ours."
"Say," Zac asked, poking Isaac in the arm, "when are you freeloaders going to find your own place?"
"Freeloaders?" Isaac raised an eyebrow.
Zac grinned charmingly, then a voice came over the speakers.
"Hi everyone," said the lead singer, "welcome to church! Let's all stand up and Shout to the Lord."
The band promptly launched into the song of the same title, as everyone stood, clapped and sang along, and the words came up on the projector screen.
"Hoo boy," Tad muttered, shaking his head and staying firmly in his seat.
Taylor
Taylor stood and clapped along, but his face remained placid. Almost as if he'd come for one thing and one thing only.
He kept his eye on Dee Dee, and smiled a little when he saw her enjoying herself.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
The band went through five songs in total, three praise and two worship. Then as the band settled down to backgroup music provided by the keyboardist, one of the congregation got up to do a five minuite word on communion. While he spoke, the stewards started handing out little rice-based bread pieces, and little cups of grape juice.
Tad shook his head as Matt came around, but Zac and Isaac took theirs.
Taylor
Taylor took his, but kept his eyes down.
In keeping them down, he soon noticed he had goosebumps.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
Tad looked at the speaker in disdain as he spoke about how they needed to examine themselves, to do their best not to repeat past sins, although God will always be there when you fall, and quoted a few scriptures. The speaker then said a prayer and asked for everyone to partake of the bread and the wine in their own time.
Zac downed his rather quickly, but Isaac took more time.
Taylor
Taylor felt a little weird as he looked down at what was in his hands.
The symbolism of what was taking place was just a little more than he could comprehend at that moment.
He decided to bide his time and did nothing, listening intently instead.
Isaac and Tad
The speaker took a while before he too ate and drank, and then finally stepped down. The stewards starting going around again to collect the now empty cups.
Soon another member of the congregation got up to do the word on Tithes and Offerings. She spoke about how God blesses a joyful giver, sowing and reaping.
Isaac caught Tad snorting, and turned to glare at him.
"You don't have to believe," he said quietly, so not to be overheard, "but I would ask you to display a little decorum, and not act like a child."
Taylor
Taylor raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore what was happening next to him.
Instead, he kept his head down, trying to stop himself shivering.
Isaac and Zac
While the speaker shared, the stewards came around with the baskets to collect their tithes and offerings. All of them tended to look away discreetly when ever cash was put in. The baskets themselves were more like little sacks with a wooden handle and a small opening.
Isaac and Zac both put some money in as Matt came around, and the speaker soon stepped down.
Taylor
Taylor swapped hands with the small cup he held and closed his fist over it as he used his right hand to put money in the basket.
He glanced upward for a split second as Matt moved away, catching the pastor stepping up to the podium out the corner of his eye.
Tad and Isaac
Here it was. The moment Tad had been dreading. Getting preached at by some old man pastor. This was going to be a long service. He wondered what time it ended.
The pastor took a few moments to thank the previous speakers for their words, noting that the tithes and offerings word seemed to co-ordinate with his. He went on to talk about the principals of reaping and sowing - if you sow resentment, you reap resentment. If you sow patience, you reap patience. He added that you also reap more than you sow - you can get it back even 100 fold.
As he spoke, Isaac flipped to the various scriptures that their pastor referred to.
Taylor
Taylor frowned to himself as he listened to what the pastor spoke of, trying to apply it to what had happened over the past few months and from many points of view.
Even if he believed in it he really couldn't see it.
Isaac and Zac
The message when for about an hour. As the band got back up on stage again for a last song before the congrgation dispersed for tea and coffee, the pastor mentioned that next weeks message would be continuing this series, and was entitled "Poo Happens".
Isaac closed his bible and he and Zac stood for the last song.
Taylor
Taylor also stood, leaning on the pew in front of him with his free hand and still keeping his eyes down.
He swayed slightly as he dwelled on the music, letting himself forget where he was for a moment.
Zac, Tad and Isaac
The band soon finished the upbeat song, and the congregation started mixing with each other to talk, some heading over to the kitchen bench.
"So Tad, what did you think?" Zac asked mischeviously.
Tad declined to answer, and Zac chuckled at his lack of response.
"I'm gonna get some tea," Isaac said. "Anyone?"
Taylor
Taylor just shook his head, before looking up just enough to see that the majority of people had departed the first few rows.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to decide whether or not to go through with what he'd come here to do.
Isaac and Zac
Isaac headed over to the kitchen.
"Well, I'm gonna go talk to people," Zac said. "Are you fine with Dee Dee? Or shall I take her?"
Taylor
Taylor just shook his head.
"You take her."
He waited a moment further until the chruch was at least half empty, and then slowly began to make his way down the front.
Isaac, Zac and Tad
Zac picked up Dee Dee and hunted down Matt to talk to him. Tad looked between Taylor and Isaac, and decided to keep near Isaac. Taylor was headed to a little populated part of the church, and Isaac was in a crowd, so he figured that would be the safest arrangement. Just as Tad was heading over, a portly woman greeted him.
"I'm Linda. Linda Whitman," she said. "And you are?"
"Tad."
"Nice to meet you. How did you find the service this morning?"
"Uh, it was uhh... good."
Tad found himself verbally pinned down by this woman.
Taylor
Taylor made his way right to the very front, and slowly began to kneel down onto one knee only. He rest the small cup and accompanying bread on that knee, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
He carefully moved them from his knee to the floor before setting his other knee down and sitting back on his legs. Then, with close to tearing eyes, he finally looked up at the cross.
He suddenly grabbed his wrists as he frowned, remembering fully well what he'd been made to feel as the stakes were driven through. He'd still had control of his power at that point.
He felt his feet go cold as he remembered the fate that they too suffered.
Finally not able to take it much longer, he hung his head again and tried to force himself not to cry - not that he cared who saw at this point. He took hold of one of the crucifixes around his neck and just held it for a moment as he attempted to get himself together.
Zac and Isaac
"Hey Zac," Isaac said, wandering over as he sipped his tea, "what's Tay doing?"
Zac glanced over and shrugged.
"Dunno. But he did desperately want to come today, so..." he trailed off.
Taylor
"I had no right..." Taylor whispered, still with his eyes closed and head hung low.
He finally looked up again, visibly flinching as he forced himself, then leant forward and tookt he small cup of grape juice into his hand. Hesitating for only a moment, he spilled some of it over his left wrist.
Zac and Isaac
"Do you think we should be concerned?" Isaac asked.
Zac shrugged again.
"He's not hurting anyone. Why don't we just let him be for now? I'm sure if it's important it'll light up like a Christmas tree."
Isaac gave a small smile, as one of the teenage girls came up to Zac.
"Can I hold her?" she asked.
"Sure," Zac said, handing Dee Dee over.
No doubt Dee Dee would get passed around every clucky female in the Church.
Taylor >
Taylor murmured something quickly in Latin, before hurriedly standing up again - spilling the rest of the liquid in the cup as he did so, but paying it no mind.
He sighted his brothers, and made his way over.
"Can we go now?" he asked, hugging himself and looking rather nervous.
Zac and Isaac
"Go?" Isaac asked, "We only just got here."
"Two hours ago," Zac pointed out.
"So? Your point? The service only finished less than twenty minutes ago. That is not enough time to talk to everyone," Isaac nodded. "Speaking of which, I can talk to you any time... and I have some other people I haven't spoken to yet. Catch up with you later."
Just as Isaac was leaving, one of the youth (their Church had a strong Youth Group), joined them, if a little uncertainly.
"Uhh, hi," he said. "I'm Jayden."
"Hi," Zac greet cheerfully. "I'm Zac and this is Taylor."
Jayden nodded to Taylor.
"I ahh... I know we've only just met and everything... but I just wanted to remind you about the story of the Prodigal Son."
Zac blinked.
"Uhh, why?"
Jayden shrugged.
"I just... think that God told me to, is all," he replied. "Anyway..."
He wandered off again, still feeling a little weird about going up to total strangers and saying stuff like that. But if it was what God wanted him to do...
Zac frowned watching Jayden walk away, and then turning back to Taylor, his mind going back over the parable.
Luke 15:11-32
[11] Then he said, "A man had two sons,
[12] and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them.
[13] After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
[14] When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
[15] So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
[16] And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
[17] Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
[18] I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
[19] I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."'
[20] So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
[21] His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
[22] But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
[23] Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,
[24] because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began.
[25] Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
[26] He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
[27] The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
[28] He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
[29] He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
[30] But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'
[31] He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.
[32] But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"
Taylor
Taylor's eyebrows had risen.
"Well... that was a lot different to what I'd expected," he said softly as they lowered, then met Zac's eyes.
Zac
"Yeah..." Zac said, matching Taylor's gaze. "Usually meetings with new people don't go 'Oh God told me to tell you something'. Which brings up an interesting question: why does God want us to remember the story of the Prodigal Son? Like, so specifially that he actually told someone to remind us?"
Taylor
"I meant it's a lot different to what I asked for..." Taylor looked confused for a moment.
"But... yeah. What would that mean... in relation to us...?"
Zac
"Oh, okay," Zac looked equally confused, having no idea what Taylor was talking about. "Well, I dunno. The story is about a guy who asks for his inheritance off his father, and when he gets it, goes off and squanders it on 'the good life', and when he's outta cash ends up working with pigs. Then he decides that even the servants at home had it better than he did at the moment, so that's where he decides to go. But his dad isn't interested in having him back as a servant - it's his son, after all and throws him a party. But the other son is annoyed by this because he worked their faithfully for years and his hard work was never rewarded, but his brother, who squandered everything gets a party. What was lost is found and all that. I have no idea what it has to do with us."
He took a moment to mull it over.
"I dunno... maybe you're like the son who went away - except you got kidnapped and the prodigal son went voluntarily. And maybe I'm the other brother - well, I don't know that I work any harder than you exactly, but I... I probably haven't been all that, well, supportive of you or anything..."
Taylor
Taylor frowned.
"But he had every right to be angry," he shrugged, "our situation is something that only... we don't have a way of controlling."
He shook his head.
"I don't know, I can't think straight."
Zac
"Yeah, well, I can understand why he might feel neglected, or taken advantage of. But Tay, it's his brother! Anything could have happened to him (and it seems that 'anything' did). You'd think he'd at least be happy to see him again. And we might not be able to control events, but we can control our attitudes," Zac pointed out.
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"Yes... true," he frowned.
He shivered, looking over at where Jayden had disappeared.
Tad and Zac
Tad had finally managed to wrench himself free of Mrs Whitman. He stalked over to Taylor and Zac.
"We're going. Now," he said firmly.
"Had enough of Church already?" Zac asked innocently.
Tad glowered and went after Isaac.
"I had better get Dee Dee," Zac grinned. "Meet you at the van?"
Taylor
Taylor scowled at Tad, knowing he had no idea - and wouldn't have even cared - of what he'd interrupted.
"Sure," he murmured to Zac, before glancing up at the cross one more time and heading for the doors.
Zac
Zac caught Taylor's scowl.
"Hey," he said. "We can do an indepth study of the Prodigal Son later if you want. I bet there are a ton of sites on the internet we can check out too."
Taylor
Taylor nodded without verbal response as he waved at a couple of people and left the church in a slight rush.
Zac, Isaac and Tad
Zac tracked down Dee Dee and met Isaac (who wasn't looking happy about being rushed home), and Tad (who was looking very impatient) waiting for him.
"Ahh, you're such a spoli sport, Tad," Zac commented.
He opened the van and got Dee Dee settled in before moving to the driver's seat. Tad and Isaac got in.