A Night of Pentecost!
During my senior year at Russell High School in Flatwoods, Kentucky I had the great fortune to be tennis doubles partners with David "Gordy" Fairburn. When the opportunity presented itself, Gordy was always trying to get me to go to church with him. Finally, one Sunday evening, I consented and agreed to pick him up at 5 PM. He said his church was in Huntington, West Virginia and that his father was an Associate Pastor there. On the way to the 6 PM service Gordy told me they were in the process of building a new church and until it was finished the services were being held in an old one room school building. By the way, this was a Pentecostal church and at the young age of 18, I had never been to one.
Upon arrival at the top of a mountain in West Virginia, Gordy said, "This is it". As we pulled in I noticed the windows and front door were boarded shut. We parked and entered from a side door into a kitchen area where Gordy introduced me to about a dozen family and friends. He then wanted to show me his drum set. He played with the "Worship Team".
At 5:55 I sauntered past the alter to a back row seat (Like the good Methodist I was) which was located by the boarded up front door. The service began promptly at 6 PM and was rather uneventful, until the ALTER CALL at 7 :15. They continued playing the same song repeatedly throughout this ordeal. There were about 20 people at the service and at 7;35 PM, when nobody had come forward, it happened.
That preacher reached down and plucked some old man off the front row and commenced to preaching right in his face. He told him he looked convicted and the Lord was laying it upon him to speak in tongues. About this time I'm thinking, if they pull out a box of snakes I'm going to make them a new front entrance. Next the most amazing thing happened. That preacher began smacking that old man on the forehead, to I suppose, kick start him into tongues. Finally at 7:55 this old guy started spewing out the awfullest glob of mumbo jumbo I ever did hear. Apparently the preacher was bilingual because he told us, in English, every thing that was said.
At 8:05 PM the old guy sat down and the preacher said, "Is there anyone else feeling the spirit"? Now, the only way out, short of making a new exit, was to walk by the alter to get out the side door. I wasn't about to take a chance on getting my head smacked, so I stayed glued to my pew. At 8:15 the service concluded and I could hardly wait to get back to my Methodist church to set things straight with the Lord.
Upon arrival at the top of a mountain in West Virginia, Gordy said, "This is it". As we pulled in I noticed the windows and front door were boarded shut. We parked and entered from a side door into a kitchen area where Gordy introduced me to about a dozen family and friends. He then wanted to show me his drum set. He played with the "Worship Team".
At 5:55 I sauntered past the alter to a back row seat (Like the good Methodist I was) which was located by the boarded up front door. The service began promptly at 6 PM and was rather uneventful, until the ALTER CALL at 7 :15. They continued playing the same song repeatedly throughout this ordeal. There were about 20 people at the service and at 7;35 PM, when nobody had come forward, it happened.
That preacher reached down and plucked some old man off the front row and commenced to preaching right in his face. He told him he looked convicted and the Lord was laying it upon him to speak in tongues. About this time I'm thinking, if they pull out a box of snakes I'm going to make them a new front entrance. Next the most amazing thing happened. That preacher began smacking that old man on the forehead, to I suppose, kick start him into tongues. Finally at 7:55 this old guy started spewing out the awfullest glob of mumbo jumbo I ever did hear. Apparently the preacher was bilingual because he told us, in English, every thing that was said.
At 8:05 PM the old guy sat down and the preacher said, "Is there anyone else feeling the spirit"? Now, the only way out, short of making a new exit, was to walk by the alter to get out the side door. I wasn't about to take a chance on getting my head smacked, so I stayed glued to my pew. At 8:15 the service concluded and I could hardly wait to get back to my Methodist church to set things straight with the Lord.