“In this world you have tribulation, but in Christ, you have life. When you give yourself to Jesus Christ, nothing can separate you from the love of God. He will never let you go.”
Paul didn’t know what awaited him at the end of this service. He didn’t know what would come in the days ahead. What happened to him didn’t matter. These people did. He spoke without looking at the wall clock or trying to keep his presentation to fifteen minutes exactly because he might lose their attention. He said what had to be said, and prayed God would do something with it.
Whatever comes, Lord, whatever happens, keep me faithful.
“You have looked to me for answers over the years, and I led you astray. Today, for the first time in years, I have preached the true gospel of Jesus Christ, God the Son of almighty God. And now I must warn you. When I leave this position, another man will come and speak to you. And I tell you in all truth now, you will be held responsible for what you believe. Ignorance will be no excuse. And this is the truth: It is Jesus Christ you must follow! Jesus is the one who died for you. Jesus is the one with power over sin and death. Jesus is your Savior and Lord. There is no other way to salvation than through faith in Him.”
He had said everything God called him to say, and said no more. Not a soul whispered in the church. No one moved. There was no sound in the sanctuary.
Paul took one long, last look at his congregation and felt an overwhelming love for them. So many lost sheep. Tears filled his eyes. “Beloved, hear the truth. Take it into your hearts and be at peace. In Christ, you have nothing to fear. Without Him, you have no hope.”
Paul Hudson picked up his Bible and left the stage.
EPILOGUE
THE BOARD of Valley New Life Center followed Paul’s recommendation and replaced him with John Deerman. Letters of complaint began pouring in within a few months. The membership was no longer willing to listen to the gospel from John. The board fired Deerman.
With no one in command, the leadership quarreled, created factions, and fought over control. Guest speakers were invited in; films were shown. Attendance dipped. Offerings fell. Bills piled up. In desperation, the board unified long enough to hire a new pastor, one experienced in multimedia presentations and gifted in public speaking. Offerings increased, but the money problems didn’t go away. Creditors were threatening action against the church.
The board hired an auditor.
Marvin Lockford disappeared. Sheila Atherton was also missing. The auditors informed the board that over three million dollars had been skimmed during the ten previous years. The ten years that Marvin Lockford had been church treasurer.
Rob Atherton filed for divorce on grounds of desertion and put his Quail Hollow house up for sale. The market was hot for luxury properties and it sold within days, the contents at auction. He now lives in Florida, hoping to reconcile with his first wife.
VNLC crumbled like a house of cards. Parishioners scattered like stampeding cattle. Some showed up grazing in churches offering a wide variety of programs to entice them. Others, devastated and disgusted, swore never to set foot in a church again. A small group remained and struggled to resurrect VNLC. But unable to raise the money for the mortgage payments, they put the property on the market. It was purchased by a conglomerate. Renovation started soon after a sign was posted: Future Home of the Valley Performing Arts Center.
Stephen Decker continued to teach Bible studies in Rockville. The group outgrew his basement, so they began renting the fellowship hall of a church whose membership was declining. He’s dating Karen Kessler.
Kathryn Decker checked herself into a drug and alcohol treatment center.
Brittany Decker passed the test for her GED and enrolled at a junior college in Sacramento. Jack Bodene kept busy doing custom cabinets for a contractor building homes in Granite Bay and Gold River. He organized a Christian twelve-step recovery program at a local church. He and Brittany announced their engagement last Sunday.
Lois Hudson still lives in Reseda and attends a small neighborhood church where she teaches a high school class.
Timothy Hudson finished boot camp, and was recently deployed to the Middle East. He communicates with his parents by e-mail. The last time they heard from him, he had six guys attending his barracks Bible study.
Samuel passed away quietly in his sleep last month. The memorial service was held in Rockville.
Paul Hudson works as a substitute teacher in area high schools. Eunice works as a checker in Wal-Mart. She is often asked to sing at weddings and funerals. She’s writing music again. When they heard Millie Bruester had decided to move, they made an offer for her modest American bungalow. Millie accepted. Paul and Eunice helped her move into Samuel’s apartment at Vine Hill Residential Apartments.
A remnant of Centerville Christian’s membership came to Paul and asked if he would teach a Bible study. After praying about it for some time, and discussing it with Eunice and Stephen and Karen, Paul suggested John Deerman. The group meets every Monday night at Charlie’s Diner, but may soon outgrow the small restaurant.
Paul and Stephen have lunch every week. They share their struggles and pray for one another. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Paul is at Vine Hill Convalescent Hospital for a Bible study and to visit residents.
Paul and Eunice Hudson are often seen walking together and having coffee at the small sidewalk café on Main Street. Many say it took a lot of courage for Paul Hudson to stay in Centerville after what he did. Perhaps it’s the only place in the world where Paul Hudson can’t hide, and where he will be held accountable for the way he walks in the days ahead. For people are watching him as he stands in faith and allows the Lord to rebuild His temple on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus.
Maybe it’s the one place where Paul Hudson can still be a shepherd in a church without walls.
Discussion Questions
Dear Reader,
We hope you enjoyed this timely novel by Francine Rivers about relationships, the church, and God’s call on people’s lives. As always, Francine’s desire is for you, the reader, to get into God’s Word and discover His life-changing truths for yourself. We hope the following questions will help you to do that.
The shofar is a trumpet. It is usually a ram’s horn. In the Old Testament Joshua, Gideon, and Joab, to name a few, used the shofar to lead the children of Israel. It was used to announce, to alert or warn of danger, to call to battle, or to call to action. It is still used in Judaism to call the people to accountability on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). We read in Zechariah 9:14 that the Lord Himself will blow the shofar to call His people. In the New Testament, we read that angels will use the trumpet to announce the warnings for the “end times” and, ultimately, Christ’s return.
Today, the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, the Bible, call out to us in much the same way as the shofar: God’s voice warns us, alerts us to danger, calls us to action or to times of rest, and, most important, calls us to accountability. In And the Shofar Blew, we read about different ways people think they are hearing God’s voice—sometimes authentic, sometimes counterfeit—as well as different responses to Him. Sometimes He speaks in a “still, small voice”; other times, in a resounding blast. The questions begging to be asked are: Are we listening? Are we attentive to God’s voice? How will we respond?
May God bless you as you seek Him for the answers. For surely, the shofar will blow!
Peggy Lynch
Discussion Questions
Hearing God’s Voice
1. Choose two of the characters from the story and compare or contrast the ways in which they heard God’s voice.
2. Discuss a counterfeit call from the story—a time someone believed he was hearing God’s voice but was mistaken. How did the person respond? What were the results?
3. First John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” What do
you learn from this passage, and how might you apply it to the story?
4. God often speaks to us through His Word, the Bible, or through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Share such a time from your own experience. How did you hear God’s voice? What were the circumstances? What was your response or actions, and what were the results?
5. Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son.” For what purpose does God call us? How does He choose to work this out?
6. Examine your heart, mind, and life. What evidence do you see that God is speaking to you?
Building God’s Church
1. Discuss the different views of church building held by Paul’s father, Paul, and Stephen.
2. How did Paul’s view change? What prompted the changes? What actions confirmed the change? In what ways did Stephen change?
3. How do you develop relationships? How do you view church growth?
4. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.” What does this verse imply about building—both relationships and churches?
5. Acts 2:41, 47 says, “Those who believed . . . were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all. . . . And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.” According to this passage, how did the early church grow numerically? What were the requirements?
6. First Corinthians 12:4-7, 27 says, “Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church . . . there are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. . . . Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.” For what purpose are spiritual gifts given? What role are you and your gifts to play in the church, the body of Christ?
Additional reading: Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians 12–13, and James
About the Author
FRANCINE RIVERS has been writing for almost thirty years. From 1976 to 1985 she had a successful writing career in the general market and won numerous awards. After becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith.
Since then, Francine has published numerous books in the CBA market and has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty. Her novel The Last Sin Eater won the ECPA Gold Medallion, and three of her books have won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA Award.
Francine says she uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.