I just happened upon this old testimony (from another forum) and surprised myself by realising that my feelings still remain much the same.
So I thought I would give it another airing.
"For my part (at 89) "I've been everywhere man" and been a lot of things.
I've never had a 'road to Damascus experience' but feel sure that I have never not believed in God in a very real way.
Nevertheless I have to confess that I first got into 'evangelical fundamentalism' at around 12-13 years of age simply by joining the little suburban Chapel opposite our house, for the purpose of getting closer to Jean, who had been my childhood sweetheart since the age of 10.
I joined the chapel's young men's group and everything grew from that.
We had such a thriving 'young people's group' that we completely filled two rows of 'pews' at adult services, morning and evenings every Sunday, every Tuesday evening for prayer, every Thursday for Bible Study, and every Saturday evening at the Young People's Fellowship held at the much larger City Chapel from which ours had sprung.
Otherwise we always did everything together, including holidays at Christin guest houses and camp fellowship.
Those were the most fantastic years of my life, culminating in my marriage to Jean at the age of 23.
A few years later everything changed when our Chapel suddenly imploded in fierce three party controversy over who should succeed its aging Pastor.
I found myself unable to take sides and became so disillusioned that I withdrew completely and threw myself into a long study of how Christianity began and developed through the ages up to the time of my beloved Chapels implosion.
Everything that I now am derives from my ever developing convictions, based on complete rejection of preconception and the search for real 'truth' which I became more and more convinced lays within an unbiased study of Matthew chapter 13."
Mike that was a fun read, I don't think many have had a 'Damascus road' experiences, writing books in prison never appealed to me.
When we first came to Edmonton we were having meetings in an old disused Catholic school, so every meeting time we used to have to drive past a church that had a large sign saying "First United Church".
We had a talented but a bit sarky young guy who wrote songs which he would sing at church, I was always expecting one on the 'First United Church' that had the great split.
'Happy' paganism brought me my first wife and a quirky christian father in law and his friend, plus Helen praying for me led me to Jesus.
Implosions have been an integral part of our Christian life and throw in the odd explosion, it has made for quite a journey and the best is yet to come.
Last week two saints we knew had the pin pulled and died within 36 hours of each other, I thought now that's timing!!!!!
We met them in an open air meeting in 1973 in Thirsk Yorkshire, his wife had a megaphone and was belting out a song for all and sundry in the market square, such was the effect the Sally Ann ladies had their bonnets off and were twirling them round and round, as the old song says," those were the days my friend"
Interspersed with holidays at Herne bay Christian Court, a pot pourri of christians all together with a guest speaker and the lady asking me at lunch, how long it took Noah to catch the animals.
And the story never ends, thanks for the walk down memory lane Mike.
Thanks for sharing your memories, Mike and Dave.
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