> Brothers+ > I got the 1st 2 questions of Dr Williams interview and that was all. Can something else be done? I've read his bio but this sort of stuff is very usefull. Please pray for Veronica and Suzanne-serious health issues. Blessings. GDVW+ > A sermon at Synod referred to the last "real > Archbishop of Canterbury". We in the audience thought > of Arthur Michael Ramsey. Time passes quickly. > Since 1974 there have been 4 others occupying the See. > > Here is an excerpt from the Global South Q & A with > the current Archbishop of Canterbury. > > Charles+ > Church of the Good Shepherd > "------------------------------------ > > > Personal > Q11. Please share with us your testimony of how you > came to faith in Christ. > > A11. I don’t find those obtrusive or difficult at all! > I think it’s appropriate question for anyone in a > Christian assembly such as this. I grew up in a > Christian household and therefore the name of Christ > was familiar to me from my earliest childhood. When I > was about 11, we moved house and we moved into another > Christian family. We became Anglicans and I’ve never > been sorry about that. And it was in my teenage years > that my faith was nurtured by a wonderful pastor and a > wonderful congregation. I think there were 2 moments > in my teenage years when I felt I met the living God. > Not just words or rituals, but the living God. > > The first, and you would be entirely surprised knowing > my interest, was the first time I attended a Russian > Orthodox service. An elderly priest came to my town in > South Wales in Swansea to celebrate a Russian Orthodox > liturgy – the mass. And the curate in my parish said > to me, “You might be interested in this. Come with > me.” And I went, and when I came away I felt I had > seen glory and praise for the first time. I felt I had > seen and heard people who were behaving as if God were > real. And that it’s the only way, I know it’s not the > only way, but I came away with the sense of absolute > objectivity and majesty and beauty of God which I have > never forgotten. If people worshipped like this, I > felt God must be a great deal more real even I have > learned him so far. I have a long journey to make into > that reality. And that is why ever since then I have > often asked when people wants to discuss mission, I’ve > often asked “Does our worship look as if we took God > seriously?” because that’s what makes a difference to > me. This had to be serious, this had to be real. > > And the second experience was not unlikely in a way. > It was 3 years later when I was 17, and I used to go > sometimes at that period to a Baptist church in > Swansea as well as to my own Anglican church. I went > on Saturday evenings for the services which they held > there which were very direct and challenging mission > services, and that is where I learnt most of my > choruses and my Moody and Sanky’s hymns. And that is > where I learnt how to sing Blessed Assurance with love > and delight, and heard very blunt evangelistic > preaching. I also went because some very nice girls > from the Grammar school went there on Saturday > evenings too, but there we are, God works through all > sorts of motivations. And one of those young ladies > said in her own chapel they were going to have a visit > from somebody I might want to listen to, and his name > was Richard Wurmbrandt, a name which some of you would > know, I think, a Lutheran pastor who has suffered > appallingly for his faith in Romania in the 50s and > the 60s. He’s been many, many years in prison and > tortured. He wrote a book which some of you would know > called Tortured for Christ, and also an extraordinary > little volume of meditations and sermons in solitary > confinements. If you’ve never read that book, read it. > So I went to hear Richard Wurmbrandt and it was the > first time I had met a Christian martyr, a confessor > of the faith. He spoke about what he’d endured in > prison and he spoke about God and about Jesus Christ. > And once again I came away thinking I’ve seen the > reality, the words about something true, but now I’ve > seen the truth. Again, it was as if I was seeing a > life that so obviously took God and Jesus Christ so > seriously. And I came away thinking I cannot deny the > reality and my own life looks very hollow by > comparison. And just on that first occasion when I > went to the Russian service, I found myself that > evening kneeling at prayer in tears and feeling that > I’ve been taken somewhere new. I had to change, I had > to grow, I had to repent. I had to let that reality > become more real for me. > > Those were 2 moments in a long journey of faith, > beginning at my mother’s knees. > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > > ----------------------------------------- Catholic Financial Services Send and Receive all online Payments And Donations No Merchant Account Required! https://www.catholicfs.org/