The Erotic Nerve

by John Clardy
(Zachary, LA)

As an evangelist, I often visit special services or revivals at churches when I am not preaching a service of my own. I do this to make contacts with new pastors as well as reconnecting with pastors I have known for a while who are also visiting to show their support for the host pastor and congregation.

On one such occasion I had been invited by a pastor in Louisiana to attend a special healing crusade that his church was hosting. The speaker for the crusade was a man known to be used in the Gifts of Healing and Miracles. It was to be a Friday, Saturday, Sunday crusade.

I happened to have the Saturday evening available and decided to visit the crusade, but as it was quite a drive from my home, I arrived after the service had begun.

I could tell from the crowded parking lot that the building was filled to capacity and then some. People had come from near and far to have a variety of illnesses and ailments prayed for.

I slipped in the back door and looked for a seat. I saw an empty chair that had been placed at the end of a pew to accompany the overflow crowd. I eased into the chair, nodded to the elderly gentleman that was sitting at the end of the pew and turned my attention to the service.

The church was in the midst of what you could only term an old fashioned testifying service. Different people would come to the front, face the congregation and testify to what the Lord had healed them of in the Friday evening service.

I listened intently and appreciatively and offered an occasional Amen or Thank You Lord as several others, including the elderly gentleman next to me did.

After listening to 3 or 4 testimonies, a middle aged man stepped to the microphone to give his testimony.

"Brothers and Sisters," he began, "I want to testify to the healing power of God! Last night many of you here saw me come up for prayer stooped over and in obvious pain. But, as you can see, tonight I am standing up straight without any pain! Praise God, He healed my erotic nerve!"

He of course meant his sciatic nerve, but that made little difference. You could hear the unsuccessful attempts of many in the congregation trying to stifle laughs.

I was doing pretty good at maintaining myself until the elderly gentleman leaned over to me and said, "Son, when you get to be my age you are always having trouble with that erotic nerve!"

I had to get up and walk outside I was laughing so hard.