Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The Reverend Caruthers

For my contribution to his week's Friday Fictioneers I've taken the liberty of changing the spinet in Jan W. Field's picture prompt into an organ! 

Thanks for hosting Rochelle.



As the faithful few finish their random rendition of Be Not Afraid, Miss Pargiter sits back after another battle with the ancient wheezing organ.

Standing in his pulpit, the Reverend Caruthers surveys the congregation which braces itself in nervous anticipation.

"Beware the temptations of the flesh" he hisses.

Then as the veins in his forehead bulge, he explodes, spitting like a venomous snake.

“Fornication, drunkenness” he bellows. “Let not Satan determine your destiny”

Old Bill visibly shrinks. Miss Mazy’s cheeks blush crimson.

After ten minutes of pointing, thumping and ranting, the sermon is over.

Miss Pargiter  accompanies the final rousing hymn,
 Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin.

Amen.

28 comments:

  1. Dear Keith,

    You had me squirming in the pew. Cute.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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  2. I could feel his voice reverberating around the church in a particularly Dickensian way!

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  3. I expect everyone felt better for having attended church. Then back to the wicked wheel of sin again for another week.

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  4. Wonderful and descriptive post.

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  5. Now what kind of a way is this to endear people to early sunday mornings in a cold building on hard benches....

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  6. I felt the brimstone fumes over the stunned congregation settling in that final hymn... It's great to have an organ for relief...

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  7. I wonder between Old Bill and Miss Mazy who did what...I like the tone of your story, slightly over the top with a touch of humor.

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  8. Whew, that was quite the sermon! You painted the scene brilliantly - I can picture him up the front with his congregation sitting stunned/embarrassed/ashamed in the pews.

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  9. Why do people do this to themselves? Do they know what the reverend does when no one looks? Great story, makes me squirm.

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  10. the reverend made me feel uneasy and i wasn't even there. well done.

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  11. It sounds like a scary sermon! Had me squirming in my seat. Well done.

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  12. Sounds like a good old-fashioned sermon. The kids in the congregation probably enjoyed it. At least it kept all awake. Well done, Keith. :D --- Suzanne

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