구름으로 나타난 아주사 쉐키나, 성령의 임재

 

 

 

 

 

출처: Tom Welchel, Azusa Street: They Told Me Their Stories (Dream Books McCowan & Morris Publishing Company, 2006), 12, (https://fatherslove.co.za/fhim-outside-resources/Azuza%20Street%20Revival%20-%20They%20told%20me%20their%20stories%20ebook.pdf)

 

 

 

이창승 역

2024년 11월 30일

 

 

의자 아래서 경험한 구름같은 아주사 성령 임재

 

아주사 부흥 때 3세였던 다넬 자매(Sister Darnell) [의 어머니?]와 만나다.

 

     엄마와 딸이 모퉁이를 돌면, 세 살배기 제인(Jean)은 하루 24시간 사람들로 붐비는 그 거무스름한 흰색의 창고를 볼 수 있었다. 비록 그녀는 세 살에 불과했지만, 그 여정은 일상적이었고, 저녁 공기의 축축함에도, 어린 제인은 그 아주사 거리 집회소 안으로 들어가는 것을 지체할 수 없었다. 이제 매일의 습관에 따라 그녀는 그 방을 채우고 있던 그 모든 흥미로운 일들을 경험할 것이었다. 그녀의 주위에서 벌어지고 있던 모든 일은 경이롭고 불가사의했다. 비록 그 아이는 왜 사람들이 소리를 지르고 우는지도, 일어나고 있던 이적들도 이해하지 못했지만, 그 분위기를 좋아했다. 그러나 제인이 가장 좋아했던 것은 엄마가 자리를 잡으며, 그 의자 밑으로 기어들어가 편안하게 잠을 자는 것이었다.

    이 아장아장 걷는 아이는 또한 그 방을 채웠던 짙은 안개(thick mist)에 편안해지곤 했다. 잠에서 깨어나서 돌아다닐만한 분위기가 되면, 그녀는 팔로 그 안개를 모아보려 했다. 그녀는 지금 역사적으로 아주사 거리 부흥이라고 일컬어지고 있는, 거의 삼 년 하고도 반년 동안 아주사 거리 창고를 채웠던 구름(the cloud)을 좋아했다.

 

 

리그스 형제의 어머니의 증언

 

아주사 시절에 12세와 35세였던 리그스 형제(Brother Riggs)와 그의 어머니를 만나다.

 

Ralph Meredith Riggs

 

 

. . . .    다른 모든 사람들과 같이, 리그스의 어머니도 쉐키나 영광을 좋아했다. 그녀는 내게 그녀가 가장 그리워하는 것은 빛을 발하던 그 안개 또는 구름의 능력이라고 말했다. 그녀는 그들이 경험했던 영광은 천국의 일부였으며, 천국 안에서 걷고 있었고, 천국 안에서 살고 있었고, 천국 안에서 숨을 쉬고 있었다고 확신했다. 또한 그녀는 이적들이 그렇게 풍성하게 일어났던 것은 그 집회들 안에 임한 쉐키나 영광과 하나님의 임재 때문이었다고 확신했다.

 

[역자 부연] 랄프 M. 리그스(1895년 6월 16일 - 1971년 1월 13일)는 1953년에서 1956년까지 미국 하나님의 성회의 제8대 총회장을 역임하기도 했다. 

 

 

루실과 라우라 자매들의 증언

 

아주사 시절에 18세와 16세였던 루실과 라우라 자매들(Sisters Lucille and Laura)을 만나다.

 

    루실 자매에게 가장 인상 깊었던 것은 이적들이 시무어 형제에 국한하여 일어나지 않았다는 것이다. 그녀는 “나처럼 어린 여자도 ‘다리가 길어져’라고 명령하면 길어졌습니다. 부러진 손목은 다시 함께 자라났고요. 썩은 이빨들도 새 이빨로 바뀌었고, 빠진 이들은 다시 자라나 채워졌습니다”라고 말했다. 나는 그녀에게 이빨 전체가 빠졌던 사람을 위해 사역했던 적이 있는지 물었다. 그녀는 “아니요, 시도해 본 적이 없습니다”라고 말했다. 나는 “해 보셨어야 하는데”라고 말했다. 그녀는 꾸짖는 듯 대답했다. “토미 형제, 저는 그저 그것을 시도해 본 적이 없습니다.

    나는 순순히 주제를 바꾸어 그녀에게 쉐키나의 영광이 어떤 것과 같았는지 말해달라고 부탁했다. 그녀가 구름 같았던 그 안개의 한 가운데 있는 것을 얼마나 좋아했는지를 말할 때 그녀의 눈에는 기쁜 기색이 확연했다. 그녀는 너무도 키가 작아서 그 안개가 짙어졌을 때면 거의 그녀의 목에까지 찼고, 그 안에 앉을 수 있었다. 마치 어린아이처럼 그 안개 속에서 즐겁게 놀곤 했다. 종종 그 안개 안에 누워서 숨을 쉬었다. 그녀는 어떻게 그 구름의 에너지를 느낄 수 있는지를 말했고, 그것은 어떤 산소 방 안으로 들어가는 것 같았다고 묘사했다. 루실 자매는 내게 시무어 형제가 그곳에 있었을 때, 그리고 그들이 성령 안에서 찬양했었을 때, 쉐키나 영광은 곧 일어나 그 방 전체를 채웠고, 마치 그 방이 순수한 산소로 가득 찬 것처럼 숨쉬기가 훨씬 나아졌었다고 말했다.

 

 

 

Azusa From Under The Pew

 

Meet Sister Darnell[„s mother?]1 Azusa Age: 3

 

As they turned the corner, little three-year-old Jean could see the dingy white warehouse that people crowded into 24 hours a day. Although she was just over three years old, the journey was a daily affair and with the evening dampness in the air, little Jean couldn‘t wait to get inside the Azusa Street meeting place. Now a daily tradition, she would take in all the excitement that filled the room, marvelling and wondering about all that was happening around her. Although the child didn‘t understand why people were shouting and crying, nor the miracles that were taking place, she liked the atmosphere. But, what young Jean liked most was that in a few minutes after entering the room, Mom would find her seat and Jean would be able to crawl under the pew, get comfortable, and take a nap.

This toddler had also become comfortable with the thick mist that filled the room. Being in a playful mood when she woke up from her nap, she would try to gather the mist into her arms. She loved the cloud that filled the Azusa Street Warehouse for almost three and one-half years during what is now historically called the Azusa Street Revival. It would be a few years before Jean was old enough to understand that she was trying to capture the Shekinah Glory of God. As a mere child, Jean literally breathed the Shekinah Glory into her young, developing lungs. She experienced Azusa through the eyes and mind of a young toddler. Although her mind could not comprehend all that was going on around her, she knew she was in a very special place among some very special people at a very special time.

 

 

 

Mother, Behold Thy Son

 

Meet Brother Riggs and Mom Azusa Ages: 12 and 35

 

We have talked about how God used youth and young adults to manifest many of His miracles. In chapter after chapter, we find kids as young as twelve years old being used of God in a mighty way. What we haven‘t talked about are the parents of these children—how they felt and what they experienced as their children were so involved in the Azusa experience. This chapter takes a brief detour as we meet not only Ralph Riggs but also his mother.

I met ―Mother‖ Riggs at Pisgah in 1960. I must confess that Mother Riggs made the best chocolate chip cookies, bar none, and she made them big and round.

When she was at Azusa watching her son run around and be used of God, she was in her late thirties. By the time I met her she was in her nineties. She told me that she mainly watched ―Ralphy‖ run around—a nickname that wasn‘t Ralph‘s favourite. Mother Riggs told me that Ralph and his best friend, C. W. Ward, didn‘t complain that they had to be at church. In fact, they preferred to be in church rather than anywhere else!

Don‘t misunderstand; Mother Riggs wasn‘t just a spectator. She too was actively involved in healings and miracles and spent much of her time with Sister Carney. Although she mainly participated with others, God also used her when she was by herself. Mother Riggs had bright beady eyes that would just glow as she started talking about Azusa and they glowed as she told her story. She told me of her experience with about a dozen elderly people who reminded her of her parents. They were all brought to the meeting in wheelchairs and didn‘t have any major deformities or diseases. They were just old and feeble. She learned well from Sister Carney about expecting miracles, and if anybody in a wheelchair needed to be ministered to, she would put the footrests up before she prayed for the person. Immediately after the prayer, these frail, old people got up, hooked their arms together and began to dance. Sister Riggs was so thrilled to see old people up dancing and worshipping the Lord that she joined right in. She told me that she also prayed for a man because he couldn‘t put any weight on his ankle due to the pain.

Sister Riggs asked him, ―Did you come to be healed?‖ He told her, ―Well, everybody is getting healed here they tell me. They just come and they get healed and I want my ankle healed.‖ She laid hands on his head and prayed for him.Within moments, the ankle that had been twisted popped and was healed. He stood up and began to dance and shout, and Mother Riggs just marvelled at the miracle. Like all the others, Mother Riggs loved the Shekinah Glory. She told me that the main thing she missed was the power of the mist or cloud as it glowed. She was convinced that the Glory they experienced was a part of heaven, and she was walking in it, living in it, and breathing it in.

She was also convinced that the abundance of miracles was happening because of the Shekinah Glory and the Presence of God in the meetings.

 

 

 

A Different Claim To Fame

 

Meet Sisters Lucille and Laura Azusa Ages: 18 and 16

 

In the 1950‘s, Lucille had a small claim to fame. Lucille Ball had made Lucille McGillicuddy‘s name famous by paying handsomely to use it as the maiden name of her television character in I Love Lucy.

But her name is not all that she is remembered for. In fact, Lucille McGillicuddy made quite a name for herself by becoming the secretary for Aimee Semple-McPherson and her successor, Jean Darnell. In addition, she was part of the youth group that impacted the lives of many during the Azusa Street Revival. I met Sister Lucille at Pisgah. She couldn‘t have weighed much more than 90 pounds and stood under five feet tall. She was very slender and petite. Like many of the Pentecostal women of that day, she had long hair that almost touched the floor but wore it in a glory bun held together by a host of hairpins.

Since she was one of the Azusa Saints, I had the honour of sitting down at her feet and listening to her recount her Azusa days. Yes, she made homemade chocolate chip cookies and always had a cold glass of milk waiting for me. During her Azusa days, she was part of the Carney-Riggs-Ward-Anderson group and was instrumental in helping many receive healing. I would begin our time together by asking her to tell me about the greatest healing or miracle in which she personally participated. She always told of two miracles that were a vivid part of her memory. First, she told me about the lady who had one leg shorter than the other. Her name was Goldie, and she had polio, causing one leg to be over four inches shorter than the other. Sister Lucille kept insisting that Goldie take the brace off and allow God to heal her. Goldie told Lucille, ―If I take the brace off, I better be healed.‖ Sister Lucille smiled and said, ―You will be! Now take it off.‖ She took off the brace, and Sister Lucille immediately prayed for her. As Goldie and Lucille sat there, the leg straightened up. Lucille told her to get up and walk. She took her first steps and almost fell over because she was not accustomed to walking with normal legs—miraculously both legs were the same length. Next, with a twinkle in her eye, she would tell me about the woman who had had her wrist shattered in a domestic squabble. The woman couldn‘t use her hand at all. Sister Lucille said, ―It looks like your wrist has been crushed!‖ She responded, ―My husband hit it with a mallet. He was mad at me and thought he would teach me a lesson and crushed my wrist.‖ Sister Lucille told me that it just broke her heart. She earnestly wanted the lady healed and when she prayed, she all but begged God to heal her. After her prayer, she said to the wrist, ―I say in the Name of Jesus, you do what I told you and be healed!‖ Immediately, the lady‘s wrist was totally restored. Sister Lucille‘s next story was not a cookies and milk story. She would tell about the miracles performed on people who had very bad teeth, and usually I would lose my appetite. Lucille would have them open their mouths, and she would stick her fingers on the teeth that were bad and pray for healing. I asked her, ―Were they infected and filled with bad stuff?‖ She would look at me with a half-grin on her face. I said, ―You stuck your finger on their teeth?‖ With that half-grin on her face, she said, ―Yeah.‖ ―What if there wasn‘t a tooth there?‖ I would ask playfully. Sister Lucille took her story over the top. ―I would stick my finger on the bare gum. In fact, many times I would push against the gum and let the new tooth push my finger out. On the really decayed teeth, all the bad stuff would come out, and we would use a handkerchief to rub the bad stuff off and there would be a new tooth. Even crooked teeth would straighten up.‖

I just sat there shaking my head. Even though her descriptions of the teeth often caused my stomach to turn, I sat in awe at the miracles she described. She would ask me, ―Tommy, wouldn‘t you love to see those kind of healings in our services today?‖ I would just nod in agreement.

What impressed Sister Lucille was that the miracles were not confined to Brother Seymour. She would comment, ―A little bitty woman like me could walk up and command a leg to grow out, and it would grow out. A busted wrist would grow back together. Rotten teeth would be replaced with brand new teeth, and missing teeth would grow back in.‖ I asked her if she ever worked with someone who had all their teeth missing. She said ―No, I never tried that.‖

I teasingly said, ―Well, you should have.‖ She rebukingly replied, ―I just never tried that Brother Tommy.‖ I would meekly change the subject and ask her to describe what the Shekinah Glory was like. She would get such joy in her eyes as she told me how much she loved to be in the centre of the mist-like cloud. She was so little, she would sit down in it—when it was thick, the mist was about up to her neck. Like a kid, she would have fun and play in the mist.

She would often lie down, breathing in the mist. She would tell how she could feel the energy of it and described that it was like being put into an oxygen tent. When Brother Seymour was there, and they would sing in the Spirit, Sister Lucille told me that the Shekinah Glory would just rise and fill the whole room, and you could breathe so much better—as if the room were filled with pure oxygen.