Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D., Part 2 of 2

George Barkley: Okay, is the tape running, Dad? The Barkley Family Chronicles, take two. A recording for Stewart Reed Barkley when he's old enough to appreciate it.
Mary Barkley: Stewart, this is our adventure in Pokenberry Falls.
George Barkley: Which is in New England. An offbeat little town which was supposed to be a rustic resort that turned out to be a little old and worn out. Thanks, Mary. We were there because the church asked me to consider becoming their pastor. Now, where did we leave off?
Mary Barkley: Let's see. Jimmy and Donna had gone off with Amy, and she wanted to get them into some rather un-Christian things.
George Barkley: That's right. And we were at the church with Ellis and Vivian, our hosts, trying to get some maniac out of the church. So, which story should we tell first?
Jimmy Barkley: Tell about the church first. The other part makes me too depressed.
George Barkley: Okay. We were at First Church, where some guy had locked himself in, yelled a lot, and sounded like he was tearing the church apart. Ellis then told me that it was his brother. Your brother?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yes, my brother. His name is Owen. He's a temperamental artist. He paints houses mostly. To be honest, he's not wrapped real tight.
Mary Barkley: So, what are you going to do?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Go in and try to calm him down.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: And get him to stop throwing those bottles on the floor. It's going to take me forever to clean them up.
George Barkley: Bottles?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yeah, bottles. He goes around town and collects them for the deposit and recycling fees. A little side cash.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: He doesn't have a job.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: But when he gets mad, he throws bottles down. Likes the sound of the glass breaking, I guess. He always has since we were kids.
George Barkley: He's done this before?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: A few times. He means no harm. That's why the police leave him to me. No offense, Pastor, but I think it would be better if you waited out here with the women.
Mary Barkley: Maybe he's right, George.
George Barkley: With all due respect, Ellis, I'd feel better if I went in with you. Two are better than one and all that.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Suit yourself.
George Barkley: You'd better explain to Stewart what happened when you walked through the door. For one thing, it wasn't locked. We pushed open this big oak door, crept through the foyer, and into the sanctuary, which was all stone except for the wooden pews. No sooner had Ellis peeked in than—
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Hey, cut it out, Owen! It's me! It is me!
Guest (Male) [Owen]: I know who it is. You don't think I know my own brother?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Then quit throwing the bottles, will you? Look at the mess you made. What's your problem this time?
Guest (Male) [Owen]: You're giving away my house!
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: What?
Guest (Male) [Owen]: You're giving it away! Did you ask me? Did anyone think to tell old Owen? No. I show up, and they're tearing it apart, fixing it up for the new guy.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: It is not your house.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: I've been there for two years, Ellis. Two years.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: You were allowed to stay there temporarily. Remember?
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Two years, Ellis! Stop it, Owen! You're throwing away good money by breaking those bottles. And if you hurt this church—
Guest (Male) [Owen]: I don't care.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Look, this is your own fault. If you came to the meetings like you were supposed to, you would have known that the house was being fixed up for the new pastor.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: New pastor?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yeah. To be honest, he's mad because we let him live in the parsonage.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Who are you talking about? Who is this guy?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: George Barkley. He's here to think about being our new pastor.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: You? You're throwing me out of my house.
George Barkley: I'm not doing anything.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Owen, just quit throwing bottles so we can talk it through.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Yeah, right. Talk it through and I'm out. Betrayed, left desolate. Maybe I should just swallow these bottles and die right here.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: No, don't be a fool, Owen.
George Barkley: I haven't even said I'd come, Owen.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yeah, and if you behave, we'll let you join the meeting tomorrow. You can vote him out if you want to. And then you can stay in the house longer.
George Barkley: Pardon me?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Just go along, okay? Otherwise, I'll have to call the police and have them come take you away. You got it? That's your choice.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Okay. I'll come to the meeting.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Good. You're finished throwing bottles around?
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Yeah, I guess.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: And you're going to clean up your mess, right?
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Yeah, I'll do it. No Aunt Vivian giving me those nasty looks while she does it.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Good. Let's go, George.
George Barkley: That's it?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yep, no big deal. See?
George Barkley: But what was all that about going to a meeting tomorrow? Isn't it a deacons' meeting?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: He's one of our deacons.
Jimmy Barkley: I'll be down in the family room unpacking my bed.
Mary Barkley: Jimmy, wait.
Jimmy Barkley: I don't want to talk about it.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: I like your brother, but he's really immature. I guess you're going to march off in a self-righteous huff now.
Donna Barkley: Look, Amy, like I said at the falls—
Guest (Female) [Amy]: I know what you said at the falls. You said you don't drink and then acted like I was doing something wrong because I did.
Donna Barkley: But that's the truth. We don't drink and we were just surprised that you do.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: You're kidding, right? Everybody I know drinks except my grandparents. You can't bear Pokenberry Falls otherwise. You're telling me nobody drinks in Odyssey?
Donna Barkley: Not of the kids I hang out with do. I guess it's always been a given that it's wrong.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Well, Donna, you're not in Odyssey anymore. Tell my grandparents I've gone out for a while. I'd invite you, but it's obvious you'd say no.
Mary Barkley: So, what did you do next?
Donna Barkley: I went down to the family room and talked to Jimmy about it.
Jimmy Barkley: Yeah, I couldn't believe that someone as good-looking as Amy could be so twisted up like that.
Donna Barkley: I was thinking the same thing. I mean, couldn't she just try to make the best of the situation?
Jimmy Barkley: What a waste.
George Barkley: Well, Stewart, by now you're probably thinking that everything seems out of whack. But strangely enough, being out of whack is what helped to put all the pieces into place. We all knew that things weren't what they seemed. I was just waiting for the right moment to talk to Ellis about it. That moment would come soon enough.
Mary Barkley: The next morning, we all got up and Ellis and Viv resumed our little tour of Pokenberry Falls.
Jimmy Barkley: That's when I noticed Vivian's hair.
Mary Barkley: Her hair?
Jimmy Barkley: Well, it was a different color.
Mary Barkley: On Tuesday she was blonde and the next day she was a redhead.
George Barkley: Is that what was different about her? I thought she was wearing different earrings.
Mary Barkley: Oh, you're hopeless, George. She wore wigs. I asked her about it. She changes them every day. She says it keeps everyone guessing. A lot like Ellis and his hats.
Jimmy Barkley: At least she didn't keep fishing lures in her wig.
Mary Barkley: I mean that Ellis changed his hat every day too.
George Barkley: Anyway, getting back to the story, I finally persuaded Ellis to take us to see the parsonage, particularly since it was the reason for Owen's tirade the night before.
Jimmy Barkley: This is where your pastor lives? It's gigantic!
Mary Barkley: It's wonderful.
George Barkley: It's got a lot of potential. Can we have a look?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Sure, just be careful.
Mary Barkley: Who's renovating it, by the way?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Folks from the church mostly. They figured that we'd never get a pastor in if we didn't have a nice place for them to live.
Jimmy Barkley: This is incredible. I thought only rich people lived in houses like this.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Rich people did until around 50 or so years ago. To be honest, it was originally owned by the Lionel family until Barry's father built a bigger place on the other side of town and donated this to the church. And now it's the parsonage and a bed and breakfast.
George Barkley: A bed and breakfast? You mean the pastor worked at the church and as a chaplain at the college and ran a bed and breakfast too? Your previous pastors must have been Superman. Why did they do so much?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Well, they sort of had to.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: Not exactly to make ends meet, Viv. In part, it's because we're a small town. To make ends meet, Ellis. Look, there's no further point in wrapping an onion up in Christmas paper. I like these folks too much not to completely level with them.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Well, it's all in the way you look at things, Vivian.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: Well, look at it from their point of view. Quit giving them the nickel tour and lay out the cold, hard facts, Ellis.
George Barkley: Good idea, Ellis. Why don't you tell us what's really going on here?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Okay. To be honest, the church is small.
George Barkley: How small?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Well, there may be five families left. It's about 30 people in all.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: Well, obviously we don't have enough money for a full-time pastor, which is why we made a deal to share chaplain duties with the college.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Right. That covers about three-quarters of what a family might need. The bed and breakfast takes care of the rest. It's not what anyone would call a lucrative package.
Guest (Female) [Vivian]: Downright poor for some people.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Hey, when it comes to being poor, we're overqualified. Apart from some of the quirks of the people and the town, that's all we have left to tell you. George, I wasn't trying to mislead you, honest. We're at the end of our spiritual ropes. That's all. We desperately need a pastor and I thought it would be best to make a good impression.
George Barkley: I understand, Ellis, but we didn't come here to get a good impression. We came to get an accurate impression.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: That's fair enough, Pastor. And to be honest, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to pack up and fly back to Odyssey right now. It's okay if you do. I'll take you now.
Mary Barkley: Well, I think it would be best—no, hold on, hold on.
George Barkley: I think it would be best if you can arrange to get us a car for a little while so we as a family can look around Pokenberry Falls on our own. We'll see what we have to see and let God take care of the rest.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: All right, Pastor. I don't suppose we have anything to lose at this point. Getting you a pastor has been in God's hands all along, Ellis. You never had anything to lose.
Mary Barkley: It made all the difference, didn't it? We drove all over town, up and down the residential streets, past the schools. We saw everything.
George Barkley: And we saw it for what it really was. A town on the edge of decline. What Odyssey could be if things suddenly changed for the worse.
Mary Barkley: That was the point, though. It wasn't Odyssey. But towns like Odyssey are few and far between. It was important for us to realize that. Then I found a little road that took us up the side of the mountain. It was perfect. It gave us a view of the whole town. Remember?
Mary Barkley: Look at it. From up here, it looks beautiful. Almost like that postcard.
George Barkley: It's only when you get close that you see the flaws.
Mary Barkley: That's pretty much true for everything, I guess.
Jimmy Barkley: Okay, call me crazy, but I like it. I mean, I don't know that I want to live here, but it's okay.
George Barkley: What if God said we should live here?
Jimmy Barkley: Well, I'd still say it's okay. What do you think, Donna?
Donna Barkley: I think—I don't know how I feel. I mean, I don't want to leave Odyssey. I never want to leave Odyssey. But I know we will someday, for this or for something else. So I feel confused. I keep thinking about Amy and what she said last night. What if all the kids really are like her? Where does that leave me?
George Barkley: Well, I think it leaves you where I am. Just look at the town. It seems so lost. It's as if the need is just screaming up at us. You see over there and right over there where the new houses are going in? Everyone will have people in them who need to know Jesus.
Mary Barkley: But are we the ones who are supposed to introduce them to him?
George Barkley: Well, that's the question only God can answer. Hello? Anybody home?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: We're back here! So, how was your private tour?
Mary Barkley: It was helpful. Thank you for letting us borrow your car.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Our pleasure. You're back just in time for the deacons' meeting. Oh, that is if you still want to meet with the deacons. To be honest, I called the airstrip and told them I might need the plane, just in case.
George Barkley: Ellis, I came here to see your town, meet your deacons, and preach tonight in your service. I'm still committed to doing all of those things unless there's some reason you have to stop me.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Oh no, Pastor. Not me. No, good, good. Why don't you get freshened up and I'll take you over to the church? We can pick up the rest of the family for the service later.
George Barkley: All right, let's do that.
Mary Barkley: While Dad went to the church with Ellis, we got ready for the church service. I think Vivian went grocery shopping and Mom called Connie Kendall to see how you were doing, Stewart. Anyway, Jimmy and I were down in the family room watching television when Amy came in.
Jimmy Barkley: This is a real moose head, isn't it?
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Yeah, I think so. The antenna on this TV doesn't work very well. It's attached to the moose antlers. Well, so you're still here. I figured you'd ran away after what happened last night.
Jimmy Barkley: We're leaving tomorrow. Dad's preaching at your church tonight.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: It isn't my church. I hope he has a good time.
Jimmy Barkley: You're not going?
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Not a chance. I'm meeting up with some of my friends.
Jimmy Barkley: By the falls, right?
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Right. I guess there's no point in asking you to come with me. You wouldn't have the nerve.
Jimmy Barkley: It's not about nerve, Amy.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Then what is it about?
Jimmy Barkley: Never mind.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Oh, I get it. You're above all this, right?
Jimmy Barkley: I'm not above anything, Amy. I just don't see where hanging out with you and your friends so you can drink until you forget where you live is such a great idea.
Donna Barkley: Jimmy.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Don't get all high and mighty with me. If your parents are crazy enough to take the job at the church, you'll see how fast you'll want to be up there with us.
Jimmy Barkley: No way. What's the use of hanging around with a lot of kids who are probably just as beautiful and popular like you but all twisted up on the inside?
Donna Barkley: Jimmy, stop.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: No, it's okay. Let the little man talk.
Jimmy Barkley: No, that's more than I meant to say. Excuse me, I want to take a walk.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: I like the way his earlobes turn red when he's mad.
Donna Barkley: He's—well, we're all a little stressed out.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: So he didn't mean what he said?
Donna Barkley: Well, he meant it. I guess we're both confused by how different you are from the kids we know in Odyssey.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: The kids are perfect in Odyssey, huh?
Donna Barkley: No, not perfect, but I've always been taught that it's not where you are but who you are that counts. It's what you make of what you've got. When it comes right down to it, Pokenberry Falls and Odyssey aren't that different. They're just towns with people who have the kinds of problems that everybody has. So it's not the problems but how we react to them. Jimmy and I, we sort of look at how you're reacting to your problems and we think it's sad.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Do you really believe that?
Donna Barkley: Yeah, I do.
Guest (Female) [Amy]: Fine. But remember something while you're passing judgment on me. You're leaving here. You're going back to Odyssey, your little paradise. I dare you to stay here for six months and say what you just said.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Well, George, I don't think we should wait for Mr. Lionel anymore. To be honest, I'd be surprised if he came. So maybe we should get on with it. You know me, and this is Harry Nicholson.
Guest (Male) [Harry]: Hi, Harry. Nice to meet you.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: And you've already met my brother, Owen.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: I vote nay against him!
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Not yet, Owen. Relax. I believe the procedure here is to ask you some questions about your theological background and some of your personal history.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Sorry I'm late, boys, but I got stuck on the transatlantic phone call. Somebody needs to teach those French people how to speak English.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yes, Mr. Lionel. We are honored you could make it. This is George Barkley. How do you do?
George Barkley: Nice to meet you, sir.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Yes. Well, give it a few minutes. You may not be so sure.
George Barkley: Really?
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Really. Sit down, Ellis, you're making me nervous. And take off that hat!
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's only that, to be honest, we were just starting to talk about his theological beliefs and I think—
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Plenty of time for that later. I only have a few minutes and I want to make a couple of things perfectly clear. Mr. Barkley, this isn't about whether or not you say yes to us, but whether or not we say yes to you. You understand?
George Barkley: Well, I suppose—
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Our church is a mess. I think you know that.
George Barkley: I did notice that.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: We've had some pretty spineless pastors over the years who mismanaged our money and didn't lead the people. Do you know what I mean?
George Barkley: A lack of leadership, right.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Yeah. Do you know how I got where I am? I believe in leadership. It's what's kept Pokenberry Falls alive all these years. It'd be a ghost town if my family hadn't made the hard decision to keep it going. I'm not very popular because of it, but I'm not here to be popular. Let me put it simply. Why should I say yes to your coming to Pokenberry Falls?
George Barkley: Why should you say yes? Well, Mr. Lionel, I appreciate the very direct way you're handling this meeting, so I'll respect you enough to be just as direct. I'm not interested in whether you say yes or not.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Really?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: I think what he means, Mr. Lionel—
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Quiet, Ellis!
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Yes, sir.
George Barkley: Mr. Lionel, it's not you saying yes or me saying yes, but God saying yes to this whole idea. That's why I'm here, to see what God wants me to do. Your church has needs, this town has needs, but so do a lot of other churches and towns. I came here to see if God wants me to be the one to help this church in this town. And I have to say that it would be pretty arrogant of either one of us to believe that your yes or my yes is the final word, anymore than you can believe that the Lionels are actually responsible for this town. God's responsible, Mr. Lionel. You and the townspeople have simply been entrusted with it. So I assume if God wants me to come, I'll come. And we'll all see how we can help this town.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Pretty gutsy you talking to me like that.
George Barkley: It took me a year away from businessmen to realize that hard honesty is the best way to deal with businessmen. And I didn't think you'd want anything less.
Guest (Male) [Lionel]: Well, I wanted to see what you're made of, George, and I have. Ellis, this man can have the job if he wants it. Goodbye.
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Well, thank you, sir. I guess meeting's adjourned.
Guest (Male) [Owen]: Nay! I vote nay!
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: Be quiet, Owen.
George Barkley: Everything was a blur after that meeting with Mr. Lionel. When all was said and done, I wasn't sure what I'd said or done. All I knew was that Mr. Lionel reminded me of a lot of the people I'd worked with at the office. People who were big on control. Reaching them for Christ was always something I wanted to do.
Mary Barkley: Ellis told us you were terrific. Nobody had spoken like that to Mr. Lionel in years. Obviously, you made quite an impression.
George Barkley: An accurate impression. Well, I preached that night too. Anybody remember what that was about?
Mary Barkley: Yeah. You preached about how God called Jesus into the wilderness before his ministry began. And how nothing was really as it seemed because Satan kept trying to distract Jesus from who he really was and what he was supposed to do.
George Barkley: Just like us.
Mary Barkley: That's right.
George Barkley: You can be pretty profound sometimes.
Mary Barkley: Yes, but don't let it go to your head. Well, then we said we'd pray about their offer and let them know later. We left.
Donna Barkley: And I didn't get to talk to Amy again. I'm sure she missed that.
Jimmy Barkley: You're funny.
George Barkley: We got on the plane with Ellis and headed home, and that's when the rest of the pieces fell into place. I am so tired. Does everybody mind if we wait until we get home before we talk about our impressions?
Mary Barkley: That's fine with me.
Jimmy Barkley: Me too.
Donna Barkley: I can wait. Though it was a strange experience, wasn't it?
Mary Barkley: I suppose that's one thing I liked about it. A smooth experience with a smooth offer, well, it might have been too easy for us.
George Barkley: You mean like staying in Odyssey.
Mary Barkley: I hadn't thought of that, but I suppose so.
George Barkley: Well, one thing's for sure, there's nothing obvious about what God's doing here.
Jimmy Barkley: I'd be willing to go.
George Barkley: What?
Jimmy Barkley: Well, I mean, if you and Mom really thought it's what God wanted us to do.
George Barkley: But why?
Jimmy Barkley: Well, because of Amy, in a way. Amy made me realize how good we have it in Odyssey.
George Barkley: And that's why you want to go?
Jimmy Barkley: No. By good, I mean all the things we've experienced and learned there. I was thinking about Amy and how she and her friends don't have any of that. The way to be taught like we were taught. The way to make hers as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. Oh, brother.
Mary Barkley: We know what you mean, Jimmy.
Donna Barkley: Actually, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe all the goodness and growing we've done in Odyssey has prepared us to go out and help people like Amy. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the idea of leaving Odyssey. I still hate it. But there's more going on here than liking it or not liking it.
George Barkley: Donna, I don't think I could have said it any better. Do you all realize what you're saying?
Guest (Male) [Ellis]: I do, and I like what they're saying.
George Barkley: Thanks for your input, Ellis.
Donna Barkley: My friends are never going to understand this.
George Barkley: Well, I'm glad we decided to wait until later to talk about this. Look, let's not rush into anything here. I think what we need to do more than anything is to take some time right now and pray. This is a big decision for all of us with some big sacrifices, bigger than any we've ever had to make.
Jimmy Barkley: And I thought we'd made some pretty big sacrifices.
Mary Barkley: But why don't we pray?
George Barkley: Good idea. Father, we just ask that you give us direction. That you help us make the right decision.
George Barkley: Well, Stewart, that's our story about Pokenberry Falls.
Jimmy Barkley: And you'll know the rest long before you ever hear this tape.
Mary Barkley: But we thought you should know how it all— Is it time already?
George Barkley: Uh-huh, the movers are here. They're early. Never mind, Jimmy, could you get that?
Jimmy Barkley: Sure, Dad.
George Barkley: Well, Stewart, the movers are here and we need to get them started. Then we're going over to Whit's End for a big farewell party. Everybody will be there, I think. Tom and Jack pulled it together.
Mary Barkley: I think Connie and Eugene helped.
George Barkley: Anyway, Jason said he thought the whole town is coming out for it, so I guess we better go. To say goodbye to Odyssey and hello to Pokenberry Falls.
Focus on the Family: Proverbs 3:6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't rely on your own understanding. At every step you take, keep him in mind and he will direct your paths." I think the Barkleys have a deeper understanding of this verse and of the many ways God has been preparing them to walk down this new path. You know, like the Barkleys, God is teaching and preparing us all the time for exciting adventures ahead. Many that we can't even imagine right now. The important thing is to pay close attention to him and remember that he will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, and he will counsel you with his eye upon you. Have you learned any important lessons that you think are preparing you for the future? If you are, why don't you write and tell me about them? The address is Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80995. Or in Canada, write to Box 9800, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4G3. And don't forget to ask about how to get your own copy of today's episode. It's called Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D. That address again is Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80995. Adventures in Odyssey's a presentation of Focus on the Family. Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D. was written by Paul McCusker and directed by Phil Lollar. Our production engineer was Mark Drury and our executive producers Chuck Bolti. And I'm Chris. Hoping you'll join us again next time for more Adventures in Odyssey.