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also forgave you.” In the middle of his sermon, which built slowly in tension and
volume, the pastor introduced a forty-ish, sparkly eyed, somewhat overweight, dark
haired, slightly made up woman who the Pastor said was a witness for the ultimate
in Christian forgiveness. She was someone from whom all of us could learn. She
was the mother of the 7-year-old boy that he, the Pastor, had, four years before,
accidentally killed during a drunken driving episode in his “other life.” That was the
one he was living before he was saved. I was told that he presented her in a service
at least once a year. The woman said that her successful struggle for forgiveness
led to her being saved. She quoted Ephesians, “And you who were dead in
trespasses and sins hath he quickened.” She looked radiant and hugged the pastor.
When my sons introduced me to him as we filed out at the end of the service, the
pastor told me that my visit was important to the congregation. He told me that Jews
were special in Charismatic Christianity since we would play an important role in the
return. He said he hoped he would see more of me. My boys seemed pleased to
have invited me.

I accompanied them to their church most Sundays, and often for what they
called the “rock and role healing services” on Wednesday night, for over two years.
Within three or four months I found myself, the first time while awakening out of a
deep sleep, mumbling sounds that I was told sounded like some unknown
language, I was praying in tongues. At some services it happened spontaneously
accompanied by an almost ecstatic feeling accompanying the surrender of willful
control. This was usually accompanied by the release of new energy. I recall
thinking that the spontaneous, nonsensical linguistics shorted out my verbal and
obsessionally logical left brain allowing the unbridled expression of my hysterical
right brain. Sometimes in agreement with an insight offered in a sermon or when
particularly moved by a hymn, I found my hands lifting skyward, right hand and arm
higher than left, with a high feeling of trust and delicious surrender of conscious
cognitive control.

Reading the New Testament’s Acts, I learned that we were re-enacting the
scene of the Apostles in the upper room. Those gathered there were the ones
chosen by the risen Jesus to be able to see Him, the list including Peter, James,

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