The Unworthy Servant Book

Aaron Finkelstein was a young man from a Los Angeles beach community with prospects of a career as a high school history teacher. After an unusual awakening one night, however, he felt driven to inquire into the religious association of his best friend from high school and college days, Nico Garza. And thus began his adventure, or misadventure, through the inner circles of the new religious group commonly referred to as the Way. The Way is an obscure Christian sect that distinguishes itself from mainline Christianity by insisting on a homeless, penniless, and celibate ministry; no church property; and a strict adherence to Jesus' instructions during the Last Supper - which, incidently, they understand to mean something remarkably different from orthodox Christian practice. Way members adhere strictly to their understanding of modesty and sobriety, and much emphasis is placed on the absolute necessity of being personally instructed by the Holy Spirit. Nico was given to intellectual and philosophical discussion on any number of serious topics, a characteristic Aaron attributed to Nico's spirituality - and Aaron wanted to be more like that himself. So Aaron met middle-aged Chester Rose, the servant from South America whose gospel impressed Aaron sufficiently for him to consider investing his life savings in the Way and pursuing a life of preaching instead of teaching. Aaron's final decision came after he met Trent Hansen, a young preacher who had been raised in the Way and befriended Aaron at his first retreat. But by coincidence, Trent was a closeted gay, and ultimately found that he could not deny his need to find himself after he discovered that the perfectly normal Aaron had been raised by a gay father with a gay life partner. Important to the Way was Floyd Toner, the aloof and stodgy gentleman in his nineties who had directed the affairs of the Way for decades from the pampered comforts provided by fawning followers. Along the way, Aaron also met Ted van de Kamp,Read More