Posted:
21 Oct 2019 02:40 AM PDT
My life was turned upside
down in 1975. Up until then I’d been a typical clergyman, and orthodox in my
theological convictions, but somewhat laid back and dull. Around that time there
was a temporary postman delivering my mail. I’d met him a number of times whilst
walking across to the church at St Blazey. He made a number of attempts to have
a chat with me. Each time I’d made an excuse not to get involved. He was from a very
different tradition to mine. He worshipped at the Four Square Gospel Church in
Par. At the time I knew nothing regarding Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism was a
bit looked down on by Anglicans, but strangely enough not by Catholics. The
local Catholic Priest in St Austell was appearing on platforms with all manner
of Pentecostal Christians.
However on
this particular day, the postman had accidentally dropped one of my letters on
the path leading to St Blaise Church. The following morning I challenged him and
told him to be more careful. I was feeling a bit low and was rather sharp. I
learned much later that he regularly walk up the path leading to the church and
prayed for me before delivering my letters. Prior to the Internet Vicars used to
get a fair amount of post each day.
“I’d love
to come and have a chat sometime,” he said. His gentle manner rather took the
wind out of my sails and in a moment of weakness I invited him for coffee that
evening. I must be absolutely honest and confess that spiritually I was in need
of a pick me up. It was worth the risk
even if I wanted nothing further to do with him.
Promptly
at seven he arrived at the vicarage.
After a lengthy interval we got to chatting about the Gospel. Alfred
Cooper, that was his name, was a temporary postman prior to working as a teacher
in Chile. He talked quite a lot about the Holy Spirit in his life. He wasn’t in
any way extreme and the genuineness of his faith was beautiful. I found my
opposition to him weakening and warmth growing between us. On reflection, God,
the Holy Spirit, was overcoming all the obstacles that I had set up against a
more explicitly Holy Spirit centred walk with God. The Holy Spirit, although the
third Person of the Trinity, tends to be neglected in favour of the Father and
the Son.
To cut a
long story short, I realized that Alf had a “spiritual dimension” that I wanted
and lacked. We prayed together just before he left to return home.
When he’d
gone I was aware of a sense of sadness that engulfed me. I wept. It’s all very
well to believe in the Bible and the dogmas of the Church, but it’s not enough.
The Holy Spirit is the key.
I knelt
down in my study and asked God to renew me with the Holy Spirit.
The
following morning I went across to the church as usual to open the church and
celebrate Holy Communion. The usual faithful little congregation who worshipped
each morning was waiting for me.
The Gospel
for the day was the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. (John
5:1-18.)
Although
I’d read the passage many times, the story suddenly came alive in a shattering
way. All my defences were blown down by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus asks
the man, “Do you want to be made whole?” As I read those words aloud to the
congregation, it was as if Our Lord was speaking personally to me. I remember
saying aloud “Yes Lord.”
I was
embraced with new awareness of the Lord’s presence and love. I continued with
the Liturgy. Jesus had entered my life with a love that reached down into my
soul’s depth.
Much water has flowed under the bridge of my
life since then, but Jesus is still as real as he was on that cold February day
during Lent. The renewal of the Spirit strengthened my entire commitment to the
Lord. The Eucharist came alive in a new way. My prayers especially were
affected.
I won’t
say that there haven’t been many ups and downs since 1975. But through it all
the Holy Spirit has been constant. Accompanied with my renewal was the gift of
tongues or glossolalia.
Petroc
