George Under Pressure

Pastor-in-training George Barclay is running on empty. Between seminary classes, church duties, and bills piling up faster than Mary's casseroles can cool, he's falling asleep at the dinner table - and now there's a new baby on the way. Worried Jimmy and Donna team up with Jack Allen to kidnap their dad for a picnic at Trickle Lake, but the outing goes sour when the kids learn the family may have to sell the house... and maybe even give up their dog, Normal. When the church's pastor suffers a heart attack, George decides the only answer is to quit the ministry for good. But while he's making up his mind, his family is praying their way to the opposite conclusion: they'd rather share the load than let fear decide their future. With the church board asking George to fill the pulpit and the whole family behind him, George takes his next step in ministry - without leaving his family behind.

Found on The Changing Times Album 22 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

2 of 2 0279 The Fifth House on the Left When a devastating earthquake rocks Los Angeles, two visitors from Odyssey must put aside their frustrations with Hollywood's shallow, guarded world and help wherever they're needed.

0280 Gone... After more than a month away, Bernard and Eugene return to Odyssey to find the whole town saying goodbye - and a race against the clock to reach the one farewell that matters most.

0281 ... But Not Forgotten With Whit away and his shop descending into chaos, the overwhelmed caretakers of Whit's End must decide whether a quiet, unassuming stranger can be trusted to keep the doors open.

0282 The Fundamentals At a Christian basketball camp, a talented player who refuses coaching and a knowledgeable young believer both discover that fundamentals matter more than natural gifts.

0283 A Book by its Cover While tutoring a student whose polish seems too good to be true, Katrina - along with a snooping Connie and Eugene - learns the hard way that first impressions rarely tell the whole story.

0284 The Election Deception When her private notebook vanishes during a heated student council race, an honest candidate watches her own words turn up everywhere they can hurt her most.

0285 George Under Pressure An overworked seminary student's family stages a surprise picnic to rescue him from exhaustion, forcing everyone to confront what his calling is truly costing them.

1 of 2 0286 Tom for Mayor When a suspicious government inspection threatens Tom Riley's farm and Odyssey's mayor suddenly resigns, Tom's friends push the reluctant farmer into a hard-fought campaign against forces working behind the scenes.

2 of 2 0287 Tom for Mayor With his farm shut down and his mayoral campaign on the line, Tom Riley sets out to prove the environmental report against him isn't what it seems.

0288 The Twilife Zone A boy's new talking toy chicken offers jokes and friendship, but its comfort comes at a price that keeps climbing.

0289 A Call for Reverend Jimmy When casual comments convince Jimmy that he's destined for the pulpit, he throws himself into preaching - while Donna squirms as her father's sermons keep mining her most embarrassing childhood moments.

1 of 2 0290 A Name, Not a Number With a deadly stolen virus in play and a fellow agent missing, Jason Whittaker is pulled out of retirement for one last mission that leads him to a guarded castle in Europe - and to a face from Odyssey's past.

2 of 2 0291 A Name, Not a Number A retired agent's quiet return to small-town life is upended when the secret formula he's safeguarding makes him the target of terrorists, traitors, and a midnight ransom demand.

Featured characters

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Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer · Director · Producer Dave Arnold Sound Designer · Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

George Barclay is carrying more than one person can comfortably manage. Seminary classes, church responsibilities, family needs, and financial worries have left him exhausted. He falls asleep over Mary’s hamburger casserole, then learns that he must substitute at a Bible study and stays up late preparing. Mary is expecting another baby, money is painfully tight, and George feels responsible for keeping every promise he has made.

Jimmy and Donna tell Jack Allen how worried they are. After seeing the fierce pressure older students place on one another, Jack remembers how his own family once interrupted an overworked relative with a surprise outing. He suggests that the Barclays gently kidnap George for a picnic. Mary joins the plan and persuades George to leave by promising free haircuts for the whole family - an offer he cannot ignore because of the cost.

Instead of reaching a barber shop, George finds himself at Trickle Lake. His family hopes the outing will make him rest, but he cannot stop thinking about essays, schedules, and expenses. Gradually, the children learn how serious the strain has become. George may have to refinance or sell the house, and even keeping their dog, Normal, may be more than the family can afford. Jimmy and Donna resent how much their father’s ministry has demanded from all of them. Hurt by their reaction, George asks whether they wish he had never answered God’s call. The picnic ends with everyone more troubled than before.

Then the church’s pastor suffers a heart attack and needs bypass surgery. George hurries to the hospital while his family prays. The emergency adds another burden just when George already feels close to breaking.

George tells Jack that he may leave the ministry. If his calling is harming Mary and the children, he wonders whether he misunderstood God in the first place. Jack cannot prove what God has asked George to do, but he reminds him that a true calling can involve testing and sacrifice. The presence of hardship does not by itself mean that the call was a mistake, and God can provide strength that George does not possess on his own.

George returns home and announces that he will quit seminary and ministry for the family’s sake. To his surprise, Mary, Jimmy, and Donna have reached the opposite conclusion while praying together. They do not want fear and resentment to decide their future. They promise to share the load, help more at church, and insist on sensible times of rest. Even if they must sell the house or find a new home for Normal, they want to follow the call together. Mary assures George that she still believes God has led them into ministry.

Tom Riley, the head deacon and a member of the church board, is already looking for practical help. The board wants George to fill in while the pastor recovers and intends to arrange his seminary work at a manageable pace. A full-time church salary may also allow the Barclays to keep their home. The solution will not remove every sacrifice, but it shows the family that they do not have to carry the burden alone.

When the telephone rings with the church’s request, George almost accepts immediately. Then he remembers that he is on his way out with his family and asks to discuss it the next day. He prays for the strength that only God can give and joins Mary and the children, taking his next step in ministry without abandoning the people he has been called to love at home.