Chapter 8

The third Sunday in July found the extended Farrell clan in Faith United Independent Church for the eight o'clock in the morning service. Waif was due to work her lifeguard job by ten, and Whale was to leave for his football camp at Philadelphia University of Fashion Industries and Technologies, also known as PFIT.

His mother Ruby, and sister Rita sat in the aisle seats. Ruby Richards sat in her special wheelchair and her daughter Rita in the pew alongside her holding her hand. Her son, Richard, sat in the pew just in front along with Ruth Andrews, Katherine Farrell, Wendy Ann Ingrid Farrell and the twins Amy and Tammy Farrell sat and watched the recently appointed pastor of the congregation lead the worship service.

Mark Dunn was preaching on the topic of "Idols blocking our faith," this would be the third in his series of sermons. His wife, Dorothy, a statuesque brunette hirsute consenting nudist, sang the solo prior to the sermon then returned to her seat in the front row to sit beside her friends Andrea and Duane and the five children the two couples shared.

Dorothy and Andrea had been nuns together at a Catholic college; Mark had been a priest and Duane a cheerleading and gymnastics coach who was now a professional exercise physiologist. Mark left the priesthood and sought credentials in a faith allowing marriage. After associate pastor tenure at a large suburban church, the committee seeking a full time clergy person for the Shoreside Park Faith United Independent Church had called Mark to pastor this flock.

Now married four years and childless though wishing children of their own, Mark and Dorothy opened their hearts and home to three orphaned children of mixed parentage ranging in age from six to eleven. All three children had the same mother now deceased due to an accident behind the wheel while drunk but each father was a different one night stand taking advantage of a drunken woman of uncertain morals. The other two girls were Andrea and Duane's three and five year old girls.

Duane and Andrea stood out from most of the mixed nude and textile congregation, not for their nudity, but as they had declared themselves 'complete absolutes'; as such they wore no jewelry and had laser removal of every follicle of hair from their bodies, leaving both bald from head to toe. When Andrea had left the order one of her exit penalties had been an order to shave head to toe. She found she enjoyed the freedom and a wealthy friend from college had, as a wedding present, given her the laser depilation treatments. Duane followed her about a month later, having grown weary of shaving himself on a daily basis.

"What then are the idols that separate us from our spiritual wholeness? How may we overcome them and become the completed beings the Almighty wishes us to be? Let us look together at these issues as we look at the Tikkun Olam, the healing and restoring of the world," Mark was midway into his sermon and Waif had begun paying attention again after drifting off into her own thoughts, "We, the caretakers of this world have allowed it to spoil by turning away from the One Plan of the Almighty and allowing our idols to distract us from the work at hand.

"Each of us, in prayer, needs to repent of our individual idols. Idols, you ask, what are our idols? What do you spend the most time on? Is it important or is it a diversion in your life from the closer contemplation of the true meaning the almighty has for you and for your world?

"Watch too much television or play too many hours of video games? A great many of the young folks may be squirming in the pews if they think of those distractions, and I remind you a distraction is an idol.

"Do you spend so much time at your employment that you neglect your family and its needs? You justify that by saying, 'Pastor, I'm providing the money so they have the things they want', and you are correct; however, think on this, are the things they want the things they need or are they idols that you with your paycheck enable your family to covet?"

"New cars can be idols. Clothing and jewelry can be idols, many of us when we chose the path of committed nudity or absolutism came to realize our investment in fashion trends was money better spent on the needs of the world around us. To some job promotions and advancement can also be an idol. Before I took this position as your shepherd I asked in prayer was this an ego move that would turn this building and all of you into an idol distracting me from my calling as a servant or was this flock where the Almighty wished me to be to be of service, to lead you away from temptation and into the good pasture with good water we spoke about last week when we opened up Psalm 23 and looked at it.

"If what you are doing is taking time away from what you know you should be doing for the good of others and the Creator, then what you are doing is an idol. Dorothy and Andrea, my wife and her best friend, held a youth retreat on the beach early Saturday morning. Many of the youth of this church are 'water babies', surfing, swimming, sailing and fishing are ingrained in the fiber of this community. It makes its money as a haven for those seeking the serenity and tranquility of a seaside haven.

"Dorothy reported to me later, "The waves were coming in in sets of four, the mid swells were averaging five feet and the break was to the south with a north-east breeze," Mark paused while most of the congregation laughed, giggled or in two cases snorted, "Dorothy knows naught about wind wave or water. She does recognize when something else in a youth's life is more important to them than the task at hand. That is the very definition of an idol in my dictionary.

"So, the recommended reading for all of you, this week is what our Jewish neighbors call the Tikkun H'Klali, the ten psalms that by recitation at the recognition of an idol or sin in your life should be recited to ask the Almighty to forgive your sinful pursuits, Psalm 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90,105, 137,150.

"Also my friends, seek the truth in your hearts and if there is that one something that keeps you from the service of a servant of our Creator, then pray for that idol to be cast away and the time and energy devoted to it be spent in humble service to those in need around you."

A short benediction and the service ended, the early flock, usually the larger of the services in the summer as those who worked in town catering to the vacationers as well as those vacationing had other plans for the rest of the day.

Waif turned to her mother and said, "I really like this new pastor. He makes sense and I learn more about living life from him than ever before."

"I for one cannot disagree," Katherine responded and Ruth nodded affirmation, "Just his charge to look into what might be blocking our spiritual awareness showed his desire for us to learn and grow into better servants serving others, as he puts it."

Ruth added," I liked what he said last week about submitting without becoming submissive." She paused and added after a moment's reflection, "Waif is an example of that as are all the children and adults who have shed their clothing in Shoreside Park. We have become empowered by the very act which most would see as an act of submission. By baring our bodies to the world and accepting the vulnerabilities our nakedness creates, we each become stronger as individuals and as a family and society.

"The vacationing textile that sheds his or her clothing and 'parties naked' loses the true meaning of the lifestyle. It is not about showing off for sexual display or enticement. No, it is rather the spiritual connectivity of the bared body and soul to the oneness of the world we exist in and seek to improve."

"Well, philosophy and spirituality aside, Mom and Gramma, I need to meet the rest of the guards for our workout before we open the beach," Waif kissed each older woman on the cheek and called over to Rita, Amy and Tammy, "Hey, Bugs, I'll be in tower four today, I'm working with JoAnne so bring enough in the cooler for both of us to share, okay?"

The younger girls had the tasked chore when Waif was working to bring her lunch and cold drinks from home. Most weekdays Waif manned a tower alone, but on busy weekends such as this week the guards worked in teams of two with a dune buggy riding 'roving patrol' to assist as back up if needed.

"Okay, Waif, we'll use the wagon and the large cooler. Would you rather have iced Tea or seltzer today?" Rita called back and the twins argued whether bacon, lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread or salami, provolone and pepperoni on Italian bread were better lunch choices for the guards.

"Some of each if you would? Remember that in case the sandwiches have to sit out a while if we get busy, no mayonnaise on them okay?" Waif called back and Rita nodded her head indicating she understood.

JoAnne Puglia was on the sand stretching when Waif arrived. "Hey, what kept you? Our run and swim starts in five minutes."

"I went to church with the family, Jo, and came straight here from there when services ended. Whale leaves for school this afternoon and it was my last chance to be with the whole family until I leave for freshman orientation last week of August." Waif explained.

"So, are you going to marry that great hunk of naked manhood or are you just going to live in sin at school?" JoAnne teased.

"If he'll have me with all of my genetic flaws, knowing we can never have children, I will happily marry him. Right now, with his sister and Mom living with My FAMILY it is like we are a huge extended family. I would not want to crap on that relationship for any reason, Jo, for the twins and my mom's sake as well as Whale and Rita and Ruby. Come on, let's get the run in then we can swim back to our tower. The twins are bringing lunch later so don't worry about that, okay?" Waif ended as she jogged into her run warming up as she went.