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To me the Advocate in the Gospel
reading is the Holy Spirit who guides
our path and leads us in right
ways. This Holy Spirit conjoins with
the miracles of God’s presence daily
in our lives. I try to keep the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus all wrapped up in one. But the
Spirit does have a sense of filling the space around me. I spent nearly half my life living
in the South. Catholics are not as prevalent as
are
"Pentecostal" and Four Square
Churches. I became fascinated with experiencing these other faith traditions. In fact,
the very Catholic author, Flannery O’Connor wrote stories set within these other faith
structures. Only one of her short stories takes place in a Catholic setting. I went to a
tent revival meeting one night pitched on the outskirts of Mocksville, North Carolina. A
hand painted sign read, “Come Receive a Holy Ghost Miracle”. Receive had been
spelled without the letter ‘i’ so one had been added. The crude and quaint structure of
the gathering was like a museum piece to me. I was studying these home grown farm-
ers, simple folks. Pentecostal means “one who believes in the manifestations of the
Holy Spirit”. I came with my camera to gawk and per-
haps even ridicule with my photos later on. But when
the worship started I became a witness to the honest,
open and deep seeded FAITH these people exhib-
ited. Faith that believed for a loaf of bread. Faith that
believed for baby’s new shoes. Faith that the jail
doors will be opened. I fell to my knees and awaited
my miracle.
P
RAYER
Lord, ignite the fire in me. The fire of passion and
conviction burn with love for God. Let there be a
gospel fire in my bones. Ignite the wet wood of this
lukewarm believer. Let me set my face like flint for
the passion that ignites. Let me speak in the words of
that great Southern preacher, John Wesley, when
asked how he got so many people to his tent revivals
he simply said, “ I get up there and just set myself on
FIRE and folks come from miles around just to watch
me burn.” Watch me burn, O, Lord.
_______
N
ANCY
B
EVINS
Video Ministry Volunteer