Robert H Bridges

Robert H. Bridges

August 10, 1989

Background

We moved around quite a bit when I was young, and in each place we went we found a new church. I believe it’s Dad who told me he looked for a place where they taught the Word, not so-called “social gospel” or “good thoughts”. (Maybe it was Mom told me that.) But while he taught me to behave in a moral fashion, I don’t remember he ever taught me anything about God.

Mom, on the other hand, was baptized in the Holy Spirit some time during my early childhood. At any rate, it seems to me she was mixed up with those tongue-speakers as far back as I can remember, though she tells me she re- ceived the baptism in the Holy Spirit some time in the late ’60s. While I don’t remember her trying to ‘recruit’ us, I was always attracted to this life — possibly because of the tongues, though I don’t remember.

I have a vague memory of some of the women she hung around with praying for me. She tells me there were prophecies about me, though their content isn’t clear to me now. And at one point I clearly remember asking to receive the baptism, being prayed for and entirely failing to speak in tongues. I ran into my room, threw myself on the bed and cried with disappointment. I should re