Deacon’s Fly – November 7, 2025

Hup, his wife and Gracie sat in the car, about to go to the dog park. “So,  Hup, I saw you huddled in the corner of the church with two of our deacons. Animated to say the least.”  

“Yeah, Deacon Jones and Wilder, the defensive ends for team Mother cornered me. They said they heard about my planned Bible Study and Wine Tasting.”

“They didn’t like the idea,” she asked, wanting to sound as cute as Gracie. “Not going to say I didn’t tell you.”

“As if you didn’t by that. You said you’d support me.” 

“I am.”

Hup points up. “He is.”

“Don’t be cute.”

Hup turned serious –  as serious she had seen him in a long time. “I’m not. I’m black just as Solomon called it.”

“You’re serious.”

“Yeah. I am. You know I’ve been out of sorts with Jesus. Feeling distant. I called out to him the other day, ‘Draw me.'” Hup paused momentarily, turned and looked soberly at her… then he thought ‘too soberly,’ and chuckled. Was he subconsciously advocating for that Bible Study/Wine Tasting?   

“You said black?”

“Yeah. That’s what I realized talking to the ‘in walked the linemen, Jones and Wilder.’ I felt as black as sin… weather beaten. All I wanted to do at study-tasting was talk about how the love of Jesus is ‘unlike and like’ wine. C.H. Spurgeon preached on it.”

“Unlike wine? How?” she asked tenderly, supportive..

“The love of Jesus, when poured, comes without question whether you should drink or not… his love is free… (the bottles that I planned to pour were hardly that.) Then too, the love of Jesus is unlike wine in that it’s never too sweet… has no imperfections… never sours… no ill effects, no Monday morning hang over.” He turned to her and smiled.

“How is his love like wine?”

“Oh, wine has medicinal value… it emboldens one’s strength… provides a sacred exhilaration – which I’m missing right now, big time.

“C.H. Spurgeon preached on this?” She asked. She knew Hup had a keen interest in the Prince of Preachers.

“So much more, but that’s the press of it.” He said, “But let’s take Gracie to the dog park.”

“That’s fine, but I want to know what our deacons said.”

Hup chuckled.

“What Hup? “

Hup started the ignition of their car. “Oh, an anecdote Spurgeon mentioned. James wrote to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. As for Jones and Wilder? Resist a deacon and he will fly at you. We’ll talk at the park.