Eric Flint: Grantville Gazette .Volume XXIII

The tent set up by the Magdeburg airfield was the same as always, but the canvas curtains surrounding it were quite different. Using the measurements from Exodus, Chapter Twenty Six, the curtained-in courtyard area was now one hundred fifty feet by seventy-five feet with its opening oriented directly to the east. The entrance gate itself was thirty feet wide. What's more, the curtains and tie ropes were now dyed in the same blue, scarlet and purple color pattern as prescribed elsewhere in the chapter.

Just inside the entrance was a brazen altar seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet tall, inside that was a bonfire powered by natural gas. Inscribed on the front of the altar were the words, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1."

Just like the earlier revival stops, the foot-washing stations were set up on opposite sides of the courtyard, bracketing attendees as they came and left.

Inside the tent, Fischer pushed Reverend Chalker up the altar ramp that was put together especially for this night's service for Chalker's convenience.

"You know, Dieter, we might ought to just keep this ramp. There are a lot of handicapped folks as a result of this war. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Maybe we should build one in the church as well," Chalker said.

Now at the center of the altar, Chalker fiddled with the chair brakes, kicked the foot rests up, pushed himself into a standing position, and started walking around. "Give thanks, Dieter. You're about to come into your own."

Looking thoughtfully out at the rows and rows of benches, he continued, "I miss it, Dieter. I truly do. Sometimes, even with the lights in my eyes, I can see the people out there in the congregation as if the spotlight was shining on them instead of me. They are the ones that come up to accept their call."

"Anyway," Chalker's shoulders slumped slightly, "you'll see it as well one day. Yes, you will."

Then he placed his right hand on Fischer's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Dieter, I want you to be open tonight. I want you to expect that the Holy Ghost is going to talk to you like He's never talked to you before. And when He does, I want you to be ready to hear him. I want you to make sure the congregation out there is ready to hear him through you as well. This is important!

"It might not happen tonight. It sure would be a blessing if it happened tomorrow night while we were on the air, but it might not happen tomorrow night either. You must be ready." Chalker was now gripping Fischer's shoulder with all his strength and almost shaking him. "I feel that there will be a prophecy given to you during this revival and it's going to be of major importance. I just know it."

All the strength fled Reverend Chalker and he let Fischer guide him back to his chair. As Fischer pushed Chalker's chair back to the RV, he felt the butterflies fluttering around inside his stomach and prayed that he would not disappoint this man.

Grantville

"Martin, Laura, the service is about to start!" Constanzia had just placed little Maria in her crib and was turning on the Sulzers new radio set before the revival broadcast began. Their oldest, nine-year-old Heinrich was over at a friends house studying and six-year-old Arnold was in his room playing with his younger brother Martin, Junior.

Laura Turettini, Johann Martin Sulzers' wife of eleven years, walked into the room from the kitchen wiping dishwater off her hands. "Martin, it's time to put your work aside. Constanzia's young man is coming on the air."

"All right, all right! I'm coming." Martin strolled into the living room smiling. "Well, I hope your Reverend Fischer is entertaining tonight. Who knows? Maybe he'll have a visit from his Holy Spirit telling him it's time he came back to the Lutheran faith."

"Now, you hush, Johann Martin Luther Sulzer!" Laura scolded him, adding her patented sharp look for emphasis.

Martin sat down and draped his arm around Laura's shoulders and the radio announcer came on. " At the tone, the time in Grantville will be seven thirty. You are listening to the Voice of America. "

This was followed by a high pitched beep, then the announcer continued, "Now we take you live to the Grantville Pentecostal Church Revival Tour coming to you from Magdeburg Air Field in the first remote broadcast in history. Are you there, Magdeburg?"

For a moment there was silence, then some clicking sounds and you could hear crowd noises and music playing in the background. Somehow, it sounded a little hollow. A voice announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Art Berry. We at the Radio Corporation of Europe are proud to bring you, on this historic occasion, the first live remote broadcast in history. Now, without further ado, let me present to you live the Reverend Dieter Fischer and the Grantville Pentecostal Church Magdeburg Revival!"

This was followed by thunderous applause and the sounds of the choir singing "Turn Your Radio On!"

Magdeburg

Fischer sensed that everything was going according to plan. They had changed the format tonight for the live broadcast. The choir's entrance song was "When The Saints Come Marching In" and another popular gospel song from the Saturday night radio show was added to the front end to get the crowd pumped up before the live relay started.

The new addition at the back of the altar had worked well in its first appearance. Slater and his roadies had set up a white curtain at the back center of the altar. When Fischer came to the point in his sermon that he wanted to jolt the congregation out of their seats, he raised his right arm and thundered out lines that cued the stagehands to be ready. "We were all lost in sin, condemned to everlasting hell fire, but through Jesus' sacrifice. He broke the locks and ripped open the gates to bring the Fire of the Holy Spirit into every man's heart!"

Hearing this, the roadies behind the altar ripped off the white curtains covering a ten-foot-tall glittering cross built out of crossed two by twelve's and painted with reflecting paint used to mark roads back up-time. One of the spotlight operators turned his amber-filtered light directly onto the cross, giving the attendees the impression that this cross was made of solid gold.

The electricity that surged through those gathered was palpable. Fischer knew that even though those who listened to the service over the radio couldn't see the cross, they would be affected by the reaction of the live congregation.

After giving his first invitation of the evening, and closing his on-air portion of the night's revival, Fischer signaled Sister Jennifer to take them out with the song she had chosen to end the broadcast.

While Sister Jennifer sang and the choir belted out their hymn just as they'd practiced, Fischer continued to stand center stage holding his microphone. Suddenly he froze, remembering Chalker's plea that he should be ready for the Holy Spirit to speak to him tonight. He had forgotten to be ready. He hadn't listened; he had been so wrapped up in making sure the broadcast timing was perfect that he hadn't even thought about what the Holy Spirit might be saying to him.

Now, it was almost too late! He would fail John Chalker. What could he do?

Sister Jennifer glanced over at him and saw the blood darkening his face and the scar on his forehead begin to stand out with its seemingly white glow. She walked over to him and called out, "Brother Fischer! Brother Fischer! Are you all right?"

Fischer jerked like a trout being pulled on a hook. Jennifer could see his widened pupils and the intense look that masked his face.

Then, he remembered Terrill. "All is well, Sister Jennifer. I've had a vision."

Jennifer signaled for the choir to stop and the congregation, shocked at this abrupt change, quieted.