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#Post#: 2892--------------------------------------------------
A Reminder
DIR By: Mike Waters
Date: March 22, 2026, 5:52 am
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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."
#Post#: 2893--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Reminder
DIR By: Dave
Date: March 22, 2026, 11:05 am
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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.
#Post#: 2894--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Reminder
DIR By: Rita
Date: March 23, 2026, 1:48 am
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Thanks for sharing your memories, Mike and Dave.
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