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New York Church
Grace of God?
Things rarely went smoothly! One evening, a young man tried to get me ruffled by calling out, "Do you think you are in the grace of God? You've got another think coming!" Fortunately for me, I remembered a situation during the trial of Joan of Arc. The Bishops had put a similar question to her, before burning her at the stake and she replied, "If I am in the grace of God, I praise Him for it! If not, I pray He will put me into it!" The disgruntled heckler, lost for words, pushed his way out of the crowd and disappeared.
Open Air Meeting
A request for a very different kind of open air meeting came from the other side of New York City. It was a hot summer evening, as Ed and I strolled from the subway to the Puerto Rican church. The dilapidated streets were alive with screaming children and wives calling to one another from upstairs windows. A sultry breeze smacked our faces. "We've a captive audience, here," I told Ed. After prayers at the church, we set out. The ornate processional cross led the way with a flag on either side in support. Behind us, two strong men puffed and heaved an elaborate wooden pulpit specially made for this event. Sweat poured from their temples as they labored on.
Swaying to the strains of "Onward Christian soldiers," our little group followed on. An impressive crowd of tattered children joined in "Pied Piper style" behind. It was so crowded that it was difficult to find space on the sidewalk for our extra large pulpit. When we did eventually manage to set it down, some pedestrians tried to crowd us off the corner but a black woman sprang to our defense, "You'd better respect these preachers of the Gospel, or else!"
Captain Phyan translated our words from the platform into Spanish for the benefit of the crowd. The large jovial figure of the Rector, Father Gustwiller, arose. "You probably know me already," he said, "I am a crusader for better housing and lower rents in this area. I want to tell you today that I am even more concerned for your souls! I want to be, more than anything else, your friend and to welcome you to my church."
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