Is Britain losing it's sense of identity and becoming even more Americanised?
I read an article in yesterday's Telegraph that for a trial period of 5 weeks television cameras would roll inside court rooms! Yoikes! TV in the House of Lords is bad (embarrassing) enough!
It brings to mind a time when the clergy gave the green light to TV evangelism and allowed a famous TV evangelist to preach in the Royal Albert Hall under the full gaze of the public eye. Amid mucho publicity tickets sold for the event like hot cakes, at exorbitant prices too I might add.
When the big day arrived, I found myself, along with millions of others, glued to the screen. It was hypnotic, good gospel music, singers that sang- with rythm too! Dancing on the dais-whatever next?
Eventually with music and lights and dancing bodies reaching a heavenly crescendo a cymbal crashed and there was silence as our host for the night was announced, he entered the arena illuminated by a single spotlight amidst an overwhelming reverbration of "Halelujas" and "Praise be's". Even my scalp was tingling! Amen.
After a brief prayer and an explanation that tonight, this very night, we were all, all of us, including those watching TV, going to help do The Lords work!! All we had to do was believe, believe in the Lord with all our hearts, and join in with the "live" congregation chanting "Halelujah!, Halelujah!" every time we heard the Lords name. What are we going to do? I was asking myself, "We're gonna do some heee-aling!" Says he "We're gonna hee-al people in the name of the Lord!" "Halelujah! Ha-le-e-lu-u-jah!" screams the crowd - me too!!
"Is there anyone out there who wants-a-healin?" Maybe people were camera shy "Is there anyone out there that needs-a-healin? Come forward Brothers and Sisters let the Lord do His work" "Halelujah, halelujah" screamed millions of voices in unison- Man, my palms were sweaty!!
"Me,Me!" came a voice from in the crowd "Praise The Lord!" said the Pastor "Halelujah!"sang the crowd. "Come forward brother and tell us what ails you" "It's my legs" says he, and sure enough, his legs were bad, I mean bad! "Do you BE-LIEVE in the Lord?" "Yes" said the man "Halelujah" screamed the whole country-in unison. "Praise be" said the Pastor arms outstretched as evangelical music accompanied the lowering of a small stage curtain "Go behind the curtain Brother, kneel-sorry, lean on your crutches clasp your hands together and pray with us, let the Lord do his work!!" "Halelujah, Halelujah" - "Is there anyone,anyone else out there that needs a curin'?" and a voice could be heard "Ee, ee!" "Who?" "Ee.., ee" and a young fellow mounted the stage and said "Ee!" "Come here" said the Pastor "and tell us what ails you" "Wo aysee! wo aysee? shgo huh spish indedinen" "Oh" says the pastor "You've got a speech impediment- Do you believe? Do you believe in the Lord?" "Esh, esh" says the guy "Halelujah, halelujah!" screamed the world for word had gone out and more and more people were tuning in, Praise be! "Go behind the curtain , kneel to the Lord(halelujah, halelujah) clasp your hands together and pray, pray with all of us to the Lord (halelujah, halelujah!) that you both might be cured. He went behind the curtain, the music got louder... and louder, the crowd started chanting Oh Oh Ohee, Oh Oh Ohee people in their living rooms were praying and dancing Oh Oh Ohee, Oh Oh Ohee "I fe-el the Lord" screamed the Pastor (Halelujah-the crowd) "I he-ar the Lord! (Halelujah) "I SEE THE LORD!!" arms outstretched, eyes wide HALELUJAH, HALELJAH The music stopped... the crowd fell silent... a single spotlight shone on the curtain "The Lords work is done!!!" HALELUJAH, HALELUJAH "You, you with the crutches...cast them asunder" commanded the preacher - Whoosh, Whoosh... wooshwooshwoosh went the crutches as they spiralled through the air! Halelujah, halelujah, Praise be went the crowd "You, you with the speach impediment......Say Something!" commanded the preacher and a voice, a voice from behind the curtain said "Eesh, eesh hor-hen ober"
I read an article in yesterday's Telegraph that for a trial period of 5 weeks television cameras would roll inside court rooms! Yoikes! TV in the House of Lords is bad (embarrassing) enough!
It brings to mind a time when the clergy gave the green light to TV evangelism and allowed a famous TV evangelist to preach in the Royal Albert Hall under the full gaze of the public eye. Amid mucho publicity tickets sold for the event like hot cakes, at exorbitant prices too I might add.
When the big day arrived, I found myself, along with millions of others, glued to the screen. It was hypnotic, good gospel music, singers that sang- with rythm too! Dancing on the dais-whatever next?
Eventually with music and lights and dancing bodies reaching a heavenly crescendo a cymbal crashed and there was silence as our host for the night was announced, he entered the arena illuminated by a single spotlight amidst an overwhelming reverbration of "Halelujas" and "Praise be's". Even my scalp was tingling! Amen.
After a brief prayer and an explanation that tonight, this very night, we were all, all of us, including those watching TV, going to help do The Lords work!! All we had to do was believe, believe in the Lord with all our hearts, and join in with the "live" congregation chanting "Halelujah!, Halelujah!" every time we heard the Lords name. What are we going to do? I was asking myself, "We're gonna do some heee-aling!" Says he "We're gonna hee-al people in the name of the Lord!" "Halelujah! Ha-le-e-lu-u-jah!" screams the crowd - me too!!
"Is there anyone out there who wants-a-healin?" Maybe people were camera shy "Is there anyone out there that needs-a-healin? Come forward Brothers and Sisters let the Lord do His work" "Halelujah, halelujah" screamed millions of voices in unison- Man, my palms were sweaty!!
"Me,Me!" came a voice from in the crowd "Praise The Lord!" said the Pastor "Halelujah!"sang the crowd. "Come forward brother and tell us what ails you" "It's my legs" says he, and sure enough, his legs were bad, I mean bad! "Do you BE-LIEVE in the Lord?" "Yes" said the man "Halelujah" screamed the whole country-in unison. "Praise be" said the Pastor arms outstretched as evangelical music accompanied the lowering of a small stage curtain "Go behind the curtain Brother, kneel-sorry, lean on your crutches clasp your hands together and pray with us, let the Lord do his work!!" "Halelujah, Halelujah" - "Is there anyone,anyone else out there that needs a curin'?" and a voice could be heard "Ee, ee!" "Who?" "Ee.., ee" and a young fellow mounted the stage and said "Ee!" "Come here" said the Pastor "and tell us what ails you" "Wo aysee! wo aysee? shgo huh spish indedinen" "Oh" says the pastor "You've got a speech impediment- Do you believe? Do you believe in the Lord?" "Esh, esh" says the guy "Halelujah, halelujah!" screamed the world for word had gone out and more and more people were tuning in, Praise be! "Go behind the curtain , kneel to the Lord(halelujah, halelujah) clasp your hands together and pray, pray with all of us to the Lord (halelujah, halelujah!) that you both might be cured. He went behind the curtain, the music got louder... and louder, the crowd started chanting Oh Oh Ohee, Oh Oh Ohee people in their living rooms were praying and dancing Oh Oh Ohee, Oh Oh Ohee "I fe-el the Lord" screamed the Pastor (Halelujah-the crowd) "I he-ar the Lord! (Halelujah) "I SEE THE LORD!!" arms outstretched, eyes wide HALELUJAH, HALELJAH The music stopped... the crowd fell silent... a single spotlight shone on the curtain "The Lords work is done!!!" HALELUJAH, HALELUJAH "You, you with the crutches...cast them asunder" commanded the preacher - Whoosh, Whoosh... wooshwooshwoosh went the crutches as they spiralled through the air! Halelujah, halelujah, Praise be went the crowd "You, you with the speach impediment......Say Something!" commanded the preacher and a voice, a voice from behind the curtain said "Eesh, eesh hor-hen ober"
