The Missing Communion Set

Written by Tom Fowler

Janice Cummings was excited. As the youth director for a new church in Overland Park, Kansas, she would host the church’s first youth sleep over. The little church had been open for six months, and still, the membership was less than 100.

Though for the first time, Janice felt the church was coming together as a viable congregation. This pleased her, as the Christmas season was less than a month away.

The congregation had purchased an old church building on the outskirts of Overland Park. The building was constructed in the 1930s and very old fashioned by modern standards. An old cemetery behind the churchyard reminded Janice that this institution was from a different time and way of life. The building itself was square-shaped, consisting of the sanctuary with rooms and offices on either side. A small kitchen was tucked away in back of the choir area. And that was it.

Tonight, Janice would supervise the youth sleep over. There would be five kids in attendance. Janelle, Heather and Allison would sleep in a classroom on the right side of the sanctuary. Justin and Josh would sleep in a different classroom, across on the left side. Janice would sleep on the couch in the pastor’s office, which was also on the left side of the sanctuary. She knew better, though, than to believe anyone would be sleeping much.

Janelle Herbst, 18, was the oldest of the girls. Janelle wore a walking cast on a very painful broken ankle and could barely walk. She was in obvious pain but was determined to spend the night with her friends. Heather Guse, a serious and intense girl, was a year younger and hoped to enroll in seminary next year after graduating from high school. Heather’s lifelong dream was to follow her dad into ministry. Her father was an ordained minister and a friend of Janice’s boss, Pastor Brian Huseby.

Justin Paul, 13, was the newest youth member. He seemed nervous, but Janice assumed it was because he didn’t know the older youth and, perhaps, he did not feel well. Justin had undergone sinus surgery recently and experienced discomfort in breathing. Josh Darvin, 15, was a quiet boy who never said much, though he could be rambunctious and was liked by the other kids. Allison, 17, was the mischievous one. Janice made a mental note to keep a close eye on her.

At 6:00 p.m., Pastor Brian served communion in the sanctuary. The silver wine chalice and bread tray were the first gifts the new congregation had received and Pastor Brian was fiercely proud of them. They were on permanent display by the speaker’s podium. Communion was served by the intinction method – in which the sacraments are served by dipping the wafer or bread in the communal wine cup. During communion, Janice noticed that Justin had not removed his heavy coat, which was quite baggy on his thin frame.

Janice and the kids prepared a snack supper at 7:00 p.m. The rest of the evening, and on until the early morning, was spent in fellowship, game playing and discussing the future of their new church. Josh was in an especially good mood and enjoyed teasing the others with his flashlight. None of the others, including Janice, had remembered to bring a flashlight and Josh wasted no opportunity to remind them of this. But, finally, the young people tired. Around 3:00 a.m., they were finally asleep.

At 4:00 a.m. Janice awoke to loud snoring near her on the left side of the sanctuary. A moment later, she thought she heard a faint noise coming from the sanctuary. She suspected a mouse nosing around the communion wafers. Janice briefly considered getting up to take a look around, but knew that it was totally dark in there with no night lights of any kind. After these disruptions, she slept soundly until 8:00 a.m., when Allison woke her.

Allison and the other girls had slept in the rooms opposite the boys and Janice. Allison had to cross through the sanctuary to wake Janice and noticed the communion items missing. She mentioned this to Janice after waking her.

“Yeah, right,” Janice said, teasingly, remembering Allison as the free spirited one in the group.

“I’m serious.” The tone in Allison’s voice told Janice that she was not joking. After checking out the altar, Allison’s claim was confirmed.

Janice asked her, “Who took the communion set?” Even the leftover crackers and grape juice were missing.

Allison replied, “You’re probably thinking it was me.”

“Was it you?”

“No, but I was up around 5:00 o’clock to go to the bathroom.”

The tiny bathroom was to the right side of the front door – the side of the sanctuary where the girls spent the night. Allison would have exited her room, turned left and walked down the side aisle to the bathroom. This could be accomplished in the dark sanctuary, but with difficulty, as she pointed out. “I even stubbed my toe on the side of a pew. The lower legs are made of metal and it hurts.” Allison showed Janice the fresh, ugly bruise on her right, big toe. She added, “I wouldn’t have hurt my toe against the wall if I was feeling my way along it with my hands.”

Janice thought for a moment and then told Allison. “Get everybody together. This is not funny. And I think I know who took the communion set.”