The Preacher's Wife Page #10

% Into temptation%

% But deliver us

from all evil%

% For Thine is the kingdom%

% And the power

and the glory forever%

% Amen% %

- We could sell ads.

- I think it could work.

- Sounds okay to me.

- Mr. Hamilton?

- Is that gonna slow us down?

- Excuse me, Mr. Hamilton.

- Yes, Bernita?

- Reverend Biggs is here to see you.

- Henry!

- Joe.

Uh... Joe...

I need to speak with you.

[Laughs]

Can we...

Go ahead. I have no secrets from

my own people here. In fact, sit down...

I've reconsidered.

I don't want the job.

- Let's go, guys.

- I can't leave my own people, Joe.

And they can't afford

to travel clear up here.

- And as far as moving, Julia and l...

- Henry, a deal is a deal.

My decision is final.

I'm sorry.

You're sorry.

Sorry is not good enough, Henry!

You don't get it, Henry.

I don't care about St. Matt's.

St. Matt's is where we've been,

not where we're going!

Only if people like you abandon it, Joe.

[Sighs]

You know, it used to be

you couldn't just pick up...

and move away from your own people

as soon as you made a couple of bucks.

There was nowhere else for us to go.

But at least our kids

got to grow up with their heroes.

Henry, I'm trying to be nice to you

because you and I go back a ways...

and the old reverend

was always real good to me.

But this is gonna happen

whether you want it to or not.

With all due respect, Joe,

how do you think you can make me...

Not you. The church.

It's coming down.

What's coming down?

The church is...

Henry, do you know why I am

a trustee of a church I don't go to?

Because your deacons

all came begging to me,

telling me how broke the church was.

I bought the mortgage.

That's right!

I own it, and it's coming down.

That land's worth a lot more to me

with nothing on it.

- You're gonna tear down my church?

- That's right.

- A-And build a mall and tennis courts.

- Tennis courts?

Henry, we're gonna turn

that neighborhood around,

attract some real money to that place.

- Oh, I see. Yeah.

- You see what I'm saying?

You think without me there to lead them,

the people will just cave in.

- That's why you got me here!

- No, Henry, I want you to lead them.

- But into the future.

- Whose future, Joe?

They don't play much tennis.

Joe, come back to the church.

See exactly who you'll be hurting.

See their faces, their families, their...

their children, Joe.

People are a lot tougher

than you think, Henry.

[Sighs] Henry, look.

Come on, they'll survive.

And you still think you care

about the things we care about?

"Hark! I hear Joseph

and Mary in the manger."

- That's what I say.

- Only louder.

[Louder] "Hark! I hear Joseph

and Mary in the manger."

Then Michael and Jessica come on...

and sing a really slow song.

It's not that slow,

and it's very pretty.

Meanin' to ask you,

you two have a fight last night?

No, Ma, we delivered

Christmas baskets.

- The gym socks were a big hit.

- Huh! I knew they would be.

- [Julia] That you were right about.

- Hi there.

- [Julia] Henry.

- [Grandma] Hello.

Dad, Jason got sick, and I'm gonna be

a shepherd in the nativity play.

- I won't have to say "baaa."

- Ohh.

- [Laughing]

- That's great.

'Cause someone very special

is gonna be in the audience

listening to every word you say.

Huh?

- Your mother and I figured out

what you'd like for Christmas.

- Yeah.

- [Jeremiah] Did you wrap it up?

- Not quite.

[Gasps]

Hakim!

I missed you.

[Laughing]

Ohhh.

[Laughs]

Is he going to stay

forever and ever?

Well, just 'til the new year.

Then after that, we'll see.

- [Both Cheering]

- [Laughing]

I have a secret to tell you.

My ambulance has a siren now.

[Hakim]

Really?

- [Jeremiah Praying]

God bless Mommy and Daddy...

- [Toy Siren Wailing]

And Grandma...

- [Hakim] And my grandma.

- Amen.

- Okay, guys, you ready?

- We did our prayers.

'Cause we were already on our knees.

Okay. It's time to get into bed now.

Come on.

Boing!

All right.

Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

No talking late now.

Close the door, please.

Okay.

- Wait 'til you meet Dudley.

- Who's that?

- The man in the gray coat.

- Huh?

- You remember.

- Oh!

Christmas is supposed to be...

the most joyous day of the year.

- Henry?

- Hmm?

- Would you like some hot chocolate?

- No, thank you.

I've got to check the fuse box.

If we put any more lights on that tree,

we're gonna blow up the house.

[Door Closes]

[Henry's Voice] Christmas is supposed

to be the most joyous day of the year.

But for St. Matt's,

it's a day to surrender.

Not because I'm going to preach

at another church,

as some may believe...

but because the people who own

the building are going to tear it down.

- Now, it's no one's fault.

There is no one to blame.

- Henry.

It just seems as though despite

our best efforts, our dream...

- my dream for St. Matthew's...

will not come to pass.

- Ohhh.

But let's remember the good things

we've shared over the years.

The laughter, the exploding boiler...

the sounds of voices raised to heaven.

I'll miss it all.

I thank you for your efforts.

I thank you for your friendship.

God bless you.

I love you all.

% Silent night%

% Holy night%

% All is calm%

% All is bright%

% Round yon virgin%

% Mother and child%

% Holy infant%

- % So tender and mild%

- [Doorbell Rings]

% Sleep in heavenly peace%

[Continues]

- May I help you?

- Good evening.

I'm Rev. Biggs' assistant.

- Wait in the living room, please.

- Thank you.

- % % [Piano]

- Okay, Bernita, I'll take care of it.

I ain't buying!

For God's sake, it's Christmas Eve!

For the sake of God indeed.

Henry Biggs sent you here. I told him

he's through. To hell with him.

No, to heaven with him, Joe. That's

a plan not even you could mess up.

- Look, I don't know who you are, but...

- I'm an angel.

- No, not yours.

- % % [Piano Continues]

No, I'm afraid yours

is a long way off.

I'm a very busy man,

and you're wasting my time.

Now, I'm giving 'em another church.

St. Matt's is...

% % [Piano Continues]

What is this?

It's like your past, Joe.

You can walk away from it,

but it's still there.

[Joe's Voice On Radio] What do you see

when you look at a place like this?

I'll tell you what I see.

Sterling Acres.

The latest development miracle

from Hamilton Realty.

I see 200 luxury apartments.

Over here, a 24-hour health club

right on the grounds.

- State of the art designer interiors.

- This thing is broken.

- The kind of home that you deserve.

- It's not even plugged in.

- [Radio Continues]

- That's very smooth,

however you did all this.

[Radio Stops]

But you gotta do

better than that.

Yeah... you gotta do

a lot better than that...

to get to me.

Have to do a whole lot better than that

to get to me.

Whoever you are.

Don't worry about who I am, Joe.

You won't even remember me tomorrow.

But remember this:

Look at the real price

before you close the deal.

- What's that supposed to mean?

- You know what it means.

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