get Cody interested in church again, and while God had obviously been perfect in His patience, Mark had not. He shot up a quick ‘arrow’ prayer, “God, please don’t let me screw this up.”
Just then, Pastor Jerry poked his head in Mark’s door. “Hey Mark, you want to grab some lunch?”
“Thanks Jerry, but I’ve already got plans,” Mark apologized. “Rain check?”
“Sure,” Jerry replied.
As Pastor Jerry started walking away, Mark called out, “Hey Jerry?”
“Yeah.” Jerry answered as he returned to the doorway.
“I’m… having lunch with Cody Lane,” Mark finally said, “I’m going to invite him to Renaissance and I think he might actually come this time.”
“I see.” Jerry said slowly.
After an awkward pause, Mark continued. “If he comes, will you be able to welcome him into the house of the Lord?”
“I don’t know.” Jerry admitted. “I’m not sure. I think I’m going to have to pray about that.”
Mark went on, “Jenny has moved on you know, they both have. Cody is a good dad to their daughter, he’s grown up a lot, and he’s trying to get right with God.”
“Well we all need the Lord, don’t we...” Jerry commented.
“Jerry,” Mark measured his words now, “as you pray and consider this, there will be a voice bringing up old memories and old feelings. That is not the voice of God; I think you know whose voice that is. As a Biblical scholar and man of God, you know the difference. I’m just asking you to listen to the voice of God.”
Jerry smiled an uneasy smile. “You know,” he began, “there was a time long ago when I considered bringing him on as the worship leader. He had a gift for music.”
“I believe he still does,” Mark commented. “And I had him on a higher pedestal than you did, Jerry.”
“Yes,” Jerry replied, “but he didn’t fall on your sister…”
“I know,” Mark said. “But I believe God has forgiven him, and I believe with everything in me that God still has incredible plans for his life. Do you want to join us for lunch? It would be a good step.”
Jerry smiled, “Not today.”
Mark looked at his watch and said, “Well, I’ve got to go. I don’t want to be late.” He headed out of the office and down the hall. Stepping out the front doors of the church, he walked out into the parking lot and got in his car.
Driving down the road, Mark was listening to Christmas music. He had made a CD of the songs for the Christmas special and had been listening to it as much as possible to get more familiar with the nuances of each song. He tapped his hands on the steering wheel to the rhythm and sang along in harmony with the lead. When he got to the restaurant, he pulled up to a parking space and saw Cody already there. Mark grabbed the envelope off his passenger seat, then pulled the CD out of his radio and slid it into the envelope before heading into the restaurant.
“Hey Cody!” Mark called as he entered the restaurant, “Thanks for coming… you’re buying right?” he joked.
Cody laughed, “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to buy lunch on a worship pastor’s salary...”
The two men shook hands and walked up to the counter to order. Once they had their food, they found a booth close to the back of the restaurant and sat down. “Do you want to pray?” Cody asked.
“Sure,” Mark replied as he bowed his head. “Lord, thank you for this food and this fellowship. Please bless our time together with your presence and our travel as we go our separate ways afterward. In Jesus’ name…”
“Amen.” Cody ended. Then the two men dove into their burgers and fries, as men are prone to do, foregoing conversation until after they had satisfied their appetites. In time, as the last bites were swallowed and both had refilled their soft drinks, Mark was the one who re-initiated the conversation.
“So tell me why you’re suddenly interested in playing again, Cody.”
“Well, it’s not really ‘suddenly’,” Cody began. “I’ve been thinking about what happened with Jenny since right after it occurred. Now, every time I drop our daughter off at their house, I think about what could have been. I know Jenny has moved on, and I’m truly happy for her… I am. I’m just finally to the place where I think it’s time for me to move on too.”
“Like, relationally?” Mark asked.
“In a lot of ways,” Cody went on. “A couple of months ago I passed a guitar shop and something told me to stop in. I did, and I got a bad case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome, just like back in the day. Strangest thing.”
“Did you buy anything?” Mark pressed.
“No,” Cody answered, “but I played. I played a Les Paul, then I played a Strat, then I played one of the new Paul Reed Smith guitars. Before I knew it the place was closing down and I had been there two hours.”
“Wow, so why did you tell me on the phone that you don’t play anymore?” Mark inquired.
“You know,” said Cody, “it’s like there’s a voice in my head saying, ‘you’re not ready…’ and I listened to it.”
“I don’t think that’s God’s voice, Cody.”
Cody agreed, “I know it’s not, that’s the thing. For years I’ve been hearing that voice, and I started reading my Bible again and after reading all about ‘forgiveness’, I started thinking, you know, maybe it’s time to forgive myself.”
Mark smiled, “I think that’s a great perspective man, so… did you?”
“I did,” Cody paused for a moment, “and I asked God to forgive me. And when I drop my baby girl off at her mom’s Saturday night, I’m going to ask Jenny to forgive me too. But even if she doesn’t, I think I’m okay with it.”
Mark’s smile faded a little. “I told Jerry I was having lunch with you today,” he said.
“What did he say?” Cody asked.
“He said you play guitar like a girl…” Mark started solemnly, but couldn’t keep a straight face.
“Whatever!” Cody smiled as they both laughed.
“Seriously, what did he say?” Cody restated.
“I actually asked him to join us...” Mark said. “He said ‘not today’, but he did say he would pray about it.”
Cody paused for a moment and then continued, “He used to talk about me coming on as worship pastor, back in the day. Do you believe that?”
“I think you’d be a great worship pastor.” Mark assured him.
“A 30-something single guy who got divorced because he had an affair?” Cody smirked. “Yeah, I see those skills requested in all the pastor want ads.”
“What about David in the Bible?” Mark said, suddenly more serious. “Cody, you talk like you’re the first Christian to break one of the ‘Big 10’. You’re not. In fact, I would bet that pastor Jerry and me and everybody else at renaissance breaks one of the ‘Big 10’ every week. Lying? Coveting? Are you kidding me? Not going to church because you sinned is like not going to the gym because you ate a whole pizza. That’s when you need it most.”
“Are you going to be on stage the whole time this Sunday?” Cody asked.
“No,” Mark replied, “I go down and sit with Lisa for the sermon. Would you like us to save you a seat?”
Mark looked a Cody, but Cody just looked down.
“Yes?” Marked teased, smiling a little. Cody started to smile, and Mark leaned over and poked him in the chest with his finger. “Yes??” he teased again.
“Okay... yes, save me a seat.” Cody acquiesced.
“You’re going to love Renaissance,” Mark sat back against the booth. “We rock the worship.”
“It’s not the worship I’m worried about.” Cody remarked.
“I don’t think you give Jerry enough credit.” Mark opined. “I think he’ll come around, he just needs the Lord to speak to him like the Lord’s been speaking to you. Man, I’ve prayed so many times for you over the years.”
“I know kid,?
?? Cody said. “Thanks.” He looked at his watch and then said, “I gotta get back to work. We need to do this again sometime though, okay?”
“Sure,” Mark agreed, “I’ll have my people call your people…”
“Tell Lisa I said ‘hey’.” Cody said as the two parted ways and went out to their respective cars.
As Mark turned the ignition in his car and sat there for a minute, he watched Cody pull out of the parking lot and take off down the road. Mark looked up to the sky and said, “I’m not going to cry this time, but thank you. I know that was you in there.”
As he pulled out onto the road, Mark pressed the phone icon on his steering wheel. “What number?” the computer voice asked.
“Lisa.” Mark enunciated.
“Calling… Lisa…” the voice came back, and Mark heard dialing.
“Yeeeessssss…” came a female voice on the other end.
“Hey babe,” Mark began the conversation.
“So how was luuuunnnch…?” Lisa replied. Mark could almost hear her smiling.
“It was good.” he said. “Can you save an extra seat with us this Sunday?”
“AAAAHHHH!” Lisa screamed through the phone. “I knew it! Oh, honey, congratulations. I know this means a lot to you.”
“It’s nothing I did,” Mark reassured her, “this was totally a God thing. I’ll have to tell you tonight, but it sounds like God has been working on him for a while.”
“Are you going to be able to concentrate on work the rest of the day?” she asked.
“I guess I’ll have to,” Mark replied. “Oh, I got hold of Southern Mountain church this morning. Would you be interested in