The Scroll of Micah Holloway: From Reckoning to Exile
Scene I: The Reckoning
Micah James Holloway stands before *Reverend Elias Monroe*, the Church Leader of his former congregation. The sanctuary is quiet. No choir, no incense. Just the weight of truth.
Reverend Monroe reads aloud the findings of the internal council: emotional manipulation masked as mentorship, spiritual pride, and refusal to submit to correction. Micah does not interrupt. He does not defend. He listens.
Then Reverend Monroe speaks:
"Micah, you are not condemned. But you are not clean. You must undergo Church Discipline. And you must choose your path."*
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**Scene II: The Conversation Between Reverend Monroe and Bishop T.B.**
The Weight of the Call
The hour is late. Reverend Monroe stands alone in his study, the sanctuary dim behind him. A folded vestment lies on the desk—Micah’s. It has not been burned, but it has been discolored.
He dials the number of *Bishop T.B.*, Consecrated Overseer of the Diasporic Sanctuaries. The line connects.
**Reverend Monroe**:
*"Bishop, I’m calling about a situation that has reached its threshold. A young man—Micah Holloway. Thirty-five. Former priest. Charismatic. Trusted. But swollen with self. He led without correction. He mentored without covenant. And now, the congregation is wounded. Not by scandal, but by silence. He was never tested. Only praised."*
Bishop T.B.:
"And now?"
Reverend Monroe.
"Now he weeps. Not publicly. Not performatively. But in the chapel. Alone. He removed his own collar. Folded his own vestments. He asked me, ‘Is there a place where I can be rebuilt?’ I told him there was. But it would not be comfortable."
**Bishop T.B.**:
*"Taben Rael."*
**Reverend Monroe**:
*"Yes. I believe he’s ready. But I will not send him without your discernment. He must not arrive as priest. He must arrive as penitent. And he must be stripped—not to shame him, but to reveal him."*
Bishop T.B.:
*"Then he must choose. We do not drag men into Taben Rael. We invite them to exile. If he accepts, he must write. He must confess. He must receive the sealed scroll. And he must walk barefoot."*
**Reverend Monroe**:
*"He fears being ordinary. But he longs to be holy. I believe he will choose exile."*
**Bishop T.B.**:
*"Then let him be given the choice. Discolor him from the priesthood here. But offer him restoration there. And if he enters, he will not be seen until he is ready to be witnessed."*
**Reverend Monroe**:
*"And if he fails?"*
**Bishop T.B.**:
*"Then let him walk among the congregation as a man. Not a minister. But if he endures, he will return not as priest—but as testimony."*
*"Send him. But send him barefoot."*
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Scene III: The Ultimatum
Micah is summoned again. Reverend Monroe lays out the choice:
- Option One: Be discolored from all priestly duties. No teaching, no leading, no vestments. Remain in the congregation as a lay member under observation.
- Option Two: Exile to **Taben Rael** for a set period—minimum one year. There, he will not be recognized as a priest. His garments will be stripped. His priesthood must be earned back through refinement, testimony, and covenantal restoration.
Micah asks, “What is Taben Rael?”
Reverend Monroe replies, *“A sanctuary of 145,000. A place where discipline is not punishment—it is prophecy.”*
Micah chooses exile.
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Scene IV: Micah’s Thoughts Before the Essay
*“The Ache Before the Ink”*
Micah sits in the chapel’s side alcove, the light dim, the air scented with myrrh. His collar is gone. His vestments were folded and placed on the altar—not as an offering, but as a surrender. He wears only a plain undershirt and briefs, his feet bare against the cold stone.
He does not cry. He aches.
He thinks of the boys who called him “safe.” The ones who lingered after youth group, seeking comfort, not correction. He gave them warmth, but not fire. He was praised for his presence, but never tested in his priesthood.
He wonders: *Was I ever consecrated? Or just admired?*
He fears the essay—not because he cannot write, but because he must write without defense. Without charm. Without the pulpit’s rhythm. He must write as a man, not a minister.
He imagines the corridors of Taben Rael, the folded garments, the witnesses who do not applaud, only observe.
He whispers to himself:
"I do not want to be welcomed. I want to be rebuilt."
Then he picks up the pen.
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Essay of Entry to Taben Rael
Title - “I Was Never Corrected”
Submitted by: Micah James Holloway
Age*35
Status: Discolored Priest, Awaiting Exile
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Question 1: What was your offense, and how do you name it without defense?
I mistook presence for priesthood. I was praised for my voice, but never tested in my silence. I held young men’s stories like ornaments, not burdens. I gave comfort without covenant. I led without being led. I was admired, but never refined.
My offense was spiritual vanity—an inheritance of applause, never earned through ache. I wore vestments that were never consecrated. I mentored with warmth, but no fire. I avoided correction because I feared being ordinary. I name my offense without defense. I do not ask for understanding. I ask for refinement.
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Question 2: Why do you seek Taben Rael—not as escape, but as restoration?
Because I do not want to be seen—I want to be stripped. Because I do not want to be welcomed—I want to be rebuilt. Because I believe restoration is not a return—it is a rebirth.
I seek Taben Rael because it does not flatter. It does not rush. It does not perform. It refines. It corrects. It consecrates. I seek exile not to escape shame, but to earn silence. I want to walk barefoot among the 145,000—not as a priest, but as a penitent. I want to fold linen before I preach. I want to be witnessed only when I am ready to be seen.
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Question 3: What does priesthood mean to you now, stripped of title and applause?
It means being ordinary with reverence. It means folding garments with trembling hands. It means silence before the sermon. It means correction before consecration. It means being a witness before being a leader.
Priesthood is no longer my identity—it is my offering. It is not inherited. It is earned. It is not admired. It is endured. I do not seek to reclaim it. I seek to deserve it.
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**Closing Line**:
*"If I am accepted, I will not arrive as a priest. I will arrive barefoot. I will not speak until called. I will not be seen until I am ready to be witnessed. I do not ask for restoration. I ask for refinement."*
Signed,
Micah James Holloway
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Scene V: The Council of Discernment
The Sealed Scroll and the Voice of the Sanctuary
The Bishop of Taben Rael—Father Bishop T.B.—stands at the head of the long stone table. The sealed scroll rests before him, its linen wrap marked with the insignia of flame and folded garment. The air is thick with incense and silence.
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