c. 1972. Personal Diary (PCA Archives)
[Ed. Note: the diary itself (written between 1972 and 1974) can be read here. Most of it is descriptive accounts of places he toured, including fragmentary facts or figures. The only full sentences which I judge reflect any philosophical or theological thought are below (pgs. 13-14), so those are the only ones I've chosen to transcribe.]
Sunday 13 [Aug 1972]
We stayed in our room until nearly 10 AM (local time = noon [?]) and then crossed the street to the Pentecostal Revival Center. It was a two hour service. Two guitars furnished the music for half a dozen songs. There were about six in the congregation plus ourselves. Some prayers or exclamations – repetition of phrases, many times just the name Jesus. The minister interrupted now and then with some remark. Then came the more particular petitions. There the minister prayed, though with some help. One child was sick and they put oil on a handkerchief and prayed. The minister’s wife would take it to the child and cure it. Several reports of healing. The sermon was on John 7:31-48. The minister would read a verse, give several irrelevant illustrations, chiefly on Christian morality – and it was not at all bad. He must have preached 45 minutes, using mainly his experiences in the construction business – obviously he received no salary from the congregation. No offering was taken. I spoke to him at the end and he said the people kept their gifts in the Bible. Which I did. Earlier he asked the visitors for a testimony and I gave part of [?] sermon. On the whole the service was better than I expected – only too long 10 AM to noon.
We stayed in our room until nearly 10 AM (local time = noon [?]) and then crossed the street to the Pentecostal Revival Center. It was a two hour service. Two guitars furnished the music for half a dozen songs. There were about six in the congregation plus ourselves. Some prayers or exclamations – repetition of phrases, many times just the name Jesus. The minister interrupted now and then with some remark. Then came the more particular petitions. There the minister prayed, though with some help. One child was sick and they put oil on a handkerchief and prayed. The minister’s wife would take it to the child and cure it. Several reports of healing. The sermon was on John 7:31-48. The minister would read a verse, give several irrelevant illustrations, chiefly on Christian morality – and it was not at all bad. He must have preached 45 minutes, using mainly his experiences in the construction business – obviously he received no salary from the congregation. No offering was taken. I spoke to him at the end and he said the people kept their gifts in the Bible. Which I did. Earlier he asked the visitors for a testimony and I gave part of [?] sermon. On the whole the service was better than I expected – only too long 10 AM to noon.
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