CELEBRATION IN THE BACK PEW

It was Sunday night church.  I was probably fifteen years old.  There were about five guys in the back pew and another six or seven girls in the pew in front of us.

We were no different than other youth - passing notes, whispering, and making fun of the names of hymns.

Then came prayer time.  We always knelt to pray.  Several people would lead out in prayer.  It usually was about fifteen minutes long;  unbearable for us!

Then Wilbert started praying.  We loved it when Wilbert prayed.  He was very animated and loud!  Two of the kids in our pews belonged to him.  He repeatedly used the term "O Lord", when he prayed. 

All of us excitedly kept count of how many times he said it.  It was the best part of Sunday night for us! 

This night, he hit thirty and was still going strong.  Then forty!  We could hardly believe it - he'd only gotten this high a few times before.  Would this be the night Wilbert would pray his way to fifty?

Forty-five, but we could tell he was winding down.  Forty-six.  Forty-seven.  Forty-eight.  The excitement and anticipation in the last two pews was higher than it had ever been before!  We literally trembled with excitement!

Forty-nine!  We could hardly believe it!  Then as Wilbert closed his prayer, he stuck one more "O Lord" in - and every young person in the last two pews shouted and laughed with excitement and joy! 

As we rose from prayer, all eyes were on the youth in the last two pews.  I suppose everyone else, like me, got a stern talking to on the way home that night.  But it didn't really matter!  The high we'd experienced would never be reached again!

It was a prayer that truly blessed the youth group!  Plus, it's one of the few Sunday night services that I actually remember!