Eden Hill (34 page)

M
AVINE’S
S
UNDAY MORNING
breakfast was special. Not only was she feeding her own family these days; she was preparing for the Alexanders as well. And it was going to be a special day
 
—for all of them. She’d set up a card table in the living room, and Reverend Caudill had brought a couple of chairs from his office for them to use.

They’d all left for Sunday school at 9:45. Virgil was unable to wear his sport coat with his arm in a sling, but otherwise he looked quite presentable. Vee had been given a stern admonition to behave in Mrs. Prewitt’s Sunday school class. No jokes, and no comic books.

And the Alexanders looked quite sharp in their secondhand
clothes. Grover was waiting for them at the door, ready to take Suzy to the nursery.

Mavine walked into worship with Virgil at her side, holding his free hand. He was still too sore to usher anybody anywhere, but Welby helped them to their usual seat.

She felt a tingling of excitement. Cornelius and JoAnn Alexander professing their faith and being baptized into the church, the body of Christ. Her friends and neighbors, about to become her sister and brother.

Toler’s opening hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” set the pattern for the morning. The man’s tempos had become more upbeat of late, and it lifted her spirits and those of all in the church.

When Reverend Caudill came out in his waders, and the Alexanders in their white robes, it was all she could do to hold it together. And when they each went under the water three times, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, she wept tears of great joy. Almost as though she had been baptized again herself. She cried on Virgil’s one good shoulder and hugged his one good arm.

And she felt within her a most unique thing. Forgiveness. Grace, far greater than any of them deserved.

It had been a glorious Sunday. Two baptisms. Something had happened to Mavine and Virgil too. He’d seen it in their eyes. Truly glorious.

Reverend Caudill didn’t often spend Sunday afternoon
in his office, but after dinner with the Osgoods and the Alexanders, he’d retired to this familiar place.

He’d begun a sermon on “inner strength” while the doctor’s words were still fresh in his mind. Funny how those things stuck, especially when facing difficult life decisions.

He sighed and turned away from the old Underwood. The message hadn’t gotten far; the paper was still blank. No matter; it would need adjusting anyway. Opening the desk drawer, he brushed past the headache powder, which for once he didn’t need, and located the envelope, which he did. An ordinary number ten business envelope, yet it held something that would change his life.

He extracted the letter from the dean of the Evangelical Baptist Bible College and read it for the umpteenth time. Would Reverend Eugene Caudill consider joining the college in the autumn quarter as professor of pastoral ministries?

It was the president’s second letter. Reverend Caudill had put off the decision as long as possible, but he’d promised to pray about it and give the school an answer by next week. He had indeed prayed. Over and over. And now it was time to reply.

He’d talked it over with Grover and Anna Belle, his closest friends and counselors, and they had told him to do whatever was best. The right thing. Until today, leaving Eden Hill was not the right thing. Eden Hill had needed him. But good things were now under way.

He could take no credit; he’d simply done his duty. The next pastor would serve a steady congregation with financial security. His sheep were more docile now, and relationships
were healing and becoming stronger. He could leave with a clear conscience.

And with confidence in his ministry. That confidence had wavered but now was solid.

He placed two fresh sheets of paper in the old Underwood with a carbon between and began to type. “Dear Sirs, I am humbled and privileged to accept . . .”

After typing the envelope and sealing the letter, he began a second. “Dear Congregation . . .”

This one was harder to sign and seal. He’d keep the copy and give the sealed envelope to the church’s board and read it to the congregation on Sunday. But he hesitated for only a moment; somewhere inside of him he found the strength. Maybe it was adrenaline, or just maybe it was divine leading. He sighed. He’d miss this place, and these people. But he knew it was right.

It had been a good sixteen years. And Eden Hill was in better shape than he’d found it. His work here was done. Virgil and Mavine would be just fine. Cornelius and JoAnn would do well; they’d find their strength too. Suzy would grow up in the church, where she’d be surrounded by love.

Well. He glanced at the portrait of him and Louise, shedding a small and unexpected tear this time. But it was for joy. He was finished here but would move on in his high calling. Eden Hill was in God’s hands. And so was he.

1. What are some of the major challenges Virgil faces throughout the novel? How do his responses differ in the various spheres of his life: home, church, work? Does he demonstrate consistent integrity throughout, or do these spheres bring out different aspects of his character? Do you respond consistently at home, church, work, etc.?
   
2. How would you describe Virgil and Mavine’s relationship? What could improve their marriage?
   
3. As the story begins, Cornelius is driven to become a successful businessman. Why does he feel so much pressure to succeed? How does his motivation change? How do you define success?
   
4. Reverend Caudill feels responsible for the well-being of the whole town. Should pastors take on this kind of responsibility? How far should pastors and ministers go to care for their flocks? Are there boundaries beyond which they should not meddle?
   
5. Madeline Crutcher is a self-appointed morality monitor. She feels the need to point out all that is wrong with her church and her society and try to effect changes. In what ways is this an admirable course of action? How can a person today be an agent of change without becoming pharisaical and judgmental?
   
6. What different parenting styles do you see portrayed in the novel among the Osgoods, the Alexanders, and the Prewitts? Which of your friends or acquaintances model excellent parenting?
   
7. Gladys eventually contacts and meets her long-lost daughter. How does this event change Mavine’s perspective on herself? Was this a satisfying conclusion to Gladys’s story? What challenges do she and her daughter face down the road?
   
8. In the early 1960s, race relations in the US were rising to a fever pitch. Among the responses of Eden Hill residents, did any surprise you? What progress has our society made in this issue? What do we still have left to do to ensure that all people live with justice and equality?
   
9. When Virgil feels the pinch of competition, Welby’s business advice to Virgil is counterintuitive: love your neighbor. From the very beginning, Welby believes there’s enough business to go around. Why are people so prone to face off and fight for themselves? Are there times when it’s necessary to choose competition over
   collaboration? When have you felt the urge to compete for position or resources? How well did you respond in that situation?
   
10. Cornelius and JoAnn married under less-than-ideal circumstances. What do you think about their commitment to each other? Was it right for them to marry in the first place? How do you see God’s redemption at work in their story?
    
11. Were you surprised by Reverend Caudill’s decision at the end of the novel? Why do you think he took the opportunity offered to him?
    
12. Based on what you know of the era, how was life different in the 1960s? Have people (or human nature) changed much over the past fifty years? Has the country changed? What advances have we made? Where have we faltered?
    

A
S THE SON
of an English teacher extraordinaire and a master storyteller, I suppose it was inevitable that I would tell stories in written form. It was my lot in life.

My mother, the late Mary Lee Higgs, drilled into me sentences and paragraphs, grammar and structure
 
—and no small amount of grammar. Had she lived to see this novel’s publication, I think she might have been pleased that I used adverbs correctly!

My father, Harold Higgs, relishes a good story, either in the hearing or the telling. His tales include red lanterns hanging on a box kite, biplanes flying under bridges, and exploding jugs of elderberry wine.

Many thanks to Julie Gwinn and my son, Matthew Higgs, who read the manuscript and offered many valuable suggestions. Grateful appreciation, too, to Blythe Daniel and Jessica Kirkland of the Blythe Daniel Agency for their support and willingness to take a chance on an old gray-haired baby boomer. You’ve shown me that it is certainly possible to take on a new career when most of my peers are retiring!

At my age, most of my mentors have gone on to glory. I’m grateful for the lives of George Redding, who taught me the power of parable; and J. J. Owens, who taught me that the Bible is a living, breathing work that compels its readers to action.

Special thanks to my editor Caleb Sjogren, Jan Stob, Maggie Rowe, Maria Eriksen, Kristen Magnesen, and all the team at Tyndale House Publishers.
Eden Hill
is far stronger for your involvement in this project.

Most of all, thanks to my wife, Liz Curtis Higgs, who was willing to suspend her own successful journey as a fiction writer to encourage mine. Happy thirtieth anniversary, and all my love!

Soli Deo gloria,

Bill Higgs

Louisville, Kentucky, March 13, 2016

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