Chapter 229: Chapter 198: Timstown Service

Timstown, Jefferson, the United States of America
October 4th, 1835

"And Joshua proclaimed, 'Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.' While the road ahead looks dark and steep, let us remember that the Lord is watching over us and advance with strength and courage. This hardship is a test of our perseverance and commitment to God! We can not falter, not today, nor tomorrow. And in the end, we will be rewarded with the Lord's blessings!"

"Amen!" The crowd of three hundred people answered.

Pastor Jeremiah Green stood before his congregation as they gathered for service on a chilly Sunday morning. They sat within a large warehouse converted to a temporary church as his old church had been burnt down during the war. Nearly all of the congregation, which was overwhelmingly black, were originally from Timstown and had managed to survive the war either by fleeing to the countryside or other states. The city was still under construction, and only a small portion had been rebuilt to its former glory. Nevertheless, many had returned to their former home and started a new life amidst the ruins. The people sat on wooden crates, hastily-crafted benches, and stones, but they listened attentively to the pastor.

"We must support one another and ensure that none of our brothers and sisters remain hungry. Our ancestors had even less than we did, yet they always provided for the needy. Many of them went hungry, but they trusted the LORD and carried out his words. They worked for many years, and in the end, the Lord blessed them with prosperity." Pastor Green took a moment to read from the Bible and recited a passage, "For the Lord says in Deuteronomy 28, 'And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth."

"And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.'

"Now, to those that have wronged us, to those that have destroyed our homes and killed our people; our anger towards them is justified. The South was not perfect when invaded, but it was the closest thing to God's kingdom on Earth! Good men and women lived together side by side, with freedom and equality. Harmony and prosperity reigned because God approved of his children! Yet those that sought to break us, to break God's kingdom on Earth, tore us down because of their greed and jealousy. Do not blame our government, for they did everything they could to protect us and fight for our right to live. No, stir your anger towards those hypocrites in Britain and their monarch. While we preached equality and civility, they preached hate and tyranny."

Pastor Green cleared his throat as the crowd stirred, "However, that is why we must remain vigilant! For a Day of Reckoning will come where we will be called into battle and face the devils in sheep clothing on the battlefield! It may be tomorrow, or it may be in years. But when that Day arrives, we will gladly face them with the Lord's blessing. Until that day, we must work harder to rise from the ashes and prove that we are God's Chosen People. Do not go around killing former British subjects, as those men in the West do. Instead, let us come together and rebuild what has been lost. We are not to be the ones bringing about revenge; the Lord will call, and we will answer!"

"Amen!"

"Now, let us pray and proceed to our first meal of the week."

After a few minutes of prayer, the congregation cleaned up the warehouse's interior and brought out two dozen worn-out tables to eat together. Many had brought food to contribute to the meal, while those that were empty-handed chatted amongst one another. There was no shame in failing to bring food, as many barely scraped by with the government's assistance. The reason why the church assembled a large feast after service was to provide for those that were hungry and struggling, as Pastor Green sought to establish an example to his community.

As the meal began with a short prayer and the congregation members started to place food onto their plates, a few of the veterans sang a famous song that had spread to every corner of the United States during the war...

"They'll look high and they'll look low
They'll look everywhere we go
But when the sinners find us we won't hide
They'll come loud and they'll come fast
But we shoot first and we can last
Keep your rifle by your side

Singing, "Oh, Lord, this Earth was made for us"
Singing, "Oh, Lord, this sinful life just ain't enough"
So we'll take a stand
'Cause we must protect our land

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Keep your rifle by your side

They'll come day and they'll come night
They'll have our children in their sights
But if they don't have Faith their eyes are blind
They can scream and they can shout
But they will never smoke us out
Keep your rifle by your side

Singing, "Oh, Lord, this Earth was made for us"
Singing, "Oh, Lord, this sinful life just ain't enough"
When we hear the voice
You know we have no other choice
Keep your rifle by your side..."

Unsurprisingly, even within the church's main hall, two dozen rifles were stacked towards the back wall.

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