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Father Kevin swung his head towards Father Feinstein. Still holding his hands solemnly in

front of himself, he dropped his mouth open like he was accepting Communion. With all he knew

about Father Feinstein, even this surprised him.

               "Are you sure you want to make that compromise, Father?" Father Kevin asked bluntly,

offering Father Feinstein a second chance.

               Father Feinstein continued facing the audience. He began to lose restraint and smiled

patronizingly. "Sure, Father Kevin. Just like we discussed. We're here to find a practical balance

between the world of matter and the world of the spirit."

               Father Kevin checked the eyes of people in congregation, then waited for Father Feinstein to

make the point.

               "Come now, Father Kevin. We live on earth, don't we? You don't think God would want us

to pretend otherwise?"

               "In matters of the spirit, Father, there can be no compromise."

               People started turning to one another for answers. Was something unplanned taking place on

the altar? Even the altar boys, who were surprised they were paying enough attention to notice

anything unusual, were puzzled. So the congregation sat quietly and curiously, feeling the tension that

comes before a nice full-fledged argument.

               Father Kevin continued, "Now, Father, let us decide. Are we going to discuss how we can

renew our devotion to God, or aren't we?"

               Father Feinstein chuckled. "Well, of course, Father Kevin. We're going to discuss how we

can live up to God's wishes, while rewarding ourselves with the gifts from the earth. After all, the

earth itself is a gift from God. It would be one hell of a sin to waste it.

               "And as an example of this progressive approach," Father Feinstein turned back to the

congregation, "I'm offering a free clock radio to any visitor who joins my parish today. Yes, for one

day only, you too can become a member of St. Mary's, the church with the practical approach to

religion. Membership is absolutely free, and the clock radio is yours to keep. So sign up today after

mass. As you can see, my spacious church offers air conditioning, a wide range of colorful murals, the