Those of us lucky enough to be inside going never forget that service. Is so powerful that many of the church sister them sigh and swoon, fall into the waiting arms of the church brothers who need plenty kerchief fanning to bring them round again. And when the sister them wake, they tell us they gone to heaven, sit with the angel them looking down pon us. And the angel them well pleased, give it plenty praise.

After the choir finish singing the first hymn, Reverend Sharpe look out over the congregation, and he seem to be looking at each and every one of us, when him say, ‘Let us pray.’

Then much shuffling as everybody get down on bended knees.

‘Lord,’ him say, holding up him arms to heaven, ‘look down on your children, and be merciful.’

‘Amen.’

‘Fill up our bodies with the strength of lions.’

‘Yes, Lawd.’

‘Help us to endure, as your only begotten son Jesus Christ endured, when he was up there suffering on that lowly wooden cross of his.’

The congregation sing out, ‘Endurance! Make us stronger, Lawd.’

‘And Lord, fill up our hearts with forgiveness.’

‘Forgiveness!’

‘As Jesus forgave those who tormented him! Made a mockery of him! Whipped him! Gave him the lash!’

‘Help us to forgive, Lawd.’

One woman in the front sing out, ‘But is a mighty hard thing to do.’

‘Amen, amen, amen.’

‘And finally, Lord, fill our minds with wisdom, with the all-seeing eye, as Christ did with his disciples. Was it not he who said, no man can obey two masters?’

‘Yes, Daddy, yes!’

‘There is the one who rules on earth,’ Sam Sharpe say, pointing downwards. ‘There is the one who rules in the heavens.’ Look up as though him can actually see the Lord. ‘One of these masters is frail!’

‘Yes!’

‘Is weak!’

‘Yes! Weak and wicked!’

‘Brings destruction down on our people.’

‘Free the people, Daddy! Free the people!’

‘The other,’ and Daddy drop him voice down to a whisper, make us have to strain forward, ‘the other master, he is a divine master. A righteous master who, through his son, heals the sick.’

‘Heal dem, Jesus! Heal dem!’

‘Feeds the poor.’

‘Feed us, Jesus. Feed us good.’

Now Daddy voice starts to rise again. ‘Gives hope to those who turn to him.’

‘Hope!’

‘Long-lasting hope and saves his children.’

‘Save us, Lawd!’

‘Saves all his children.’

And now Daddy’s voice booms like thunder. ‘A kind master who has no need of the lash to bring his people to their knees.’

‘Freedom! O, freedom!’ the choir sing out.

‘No more lash. No more pain. Give us sweet freedom!’ the congregation shout out.

One old man kneeling up the back say, ‘The Lawd may be great, but me knees is weak, and if this praying business go on much longer, me not going be able rise up again. Even with the help of the Lawd.’