Chris’s Comments (group member since Oct 29, 2009)

Chris’s comments from the Anglicans group.

Hi, sorry not to have contributed earlier!

I'm afraid I'm finding this like all other non-fiction works by Lewis - extremely hard going. I just don't know what it is about his style, or my reading, that does this to me. I'll try and persevere and see what comes out of this!

** whoops ** no it isn't broken, my email client had trucated the url for some reason!

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Link seems to be broken Karen?

Chris

Karen L. wrote: "Here is an article from Christianity Today about how many "Post Moderns," are going the Anglican road. Any thoughts on this?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2..."

Thank you for the intro Karen!

To introduce myself, I'm Chris from the UK, married with two fantastic sons both at university. We're also foster carers so although my two have temporarily flown the nest the house is never empty!

So, in order to reveal a bit more about me here's my testimony!

I had little contact with church other than the usual baptisms, weddings and deaths right up until I was in my mid-thirties. In the early 90s the UK was going through a nasty recession. I lost my job and remained unemployed for 3 years out of a 4 year period. Complicated by a new baby, another on the way and a mortgage. When you're unemployed you can have a lot of time on your hands. So I spent a lot of time down the local library. I was finding the books on religion interesting, especially Islam. I read through a translation of the Koran and anything else related to Islam. I found it interesting and even fascinating. But that was it. Pure head interest. Once I ran out of Islamic books to read I thought I should at least give the Bible a go. Picked up a copy in the library and read it cover to cover. I found it also interesting and fascinating, but on a much deeper level. So I continued reading everything on Christianity that the library could offer. Once that source offered nothing new I felt I had to find out more. So I decided I should visit a church. But here's the problem, which one! With no knowledge of Christianity or church other than the Bible I had just read I had to choose carefully. I would ride round the local churches on my bike, reading their notice boards to try and get a grasp on who they were, their character. After all, there were a lot of fruitcakes in this religious world, had to be careful! Eventually I settled on a C of E church about half a mile from where I lived. So gathering up some courage I finally paid them a visit, not during a service but when I could get a chance to speak to whoever was running the show. And I managed to speak to the Curate in charge under the pretence of wanting to get my children baptised. That was my key to make an entrance but once in his office he twigged there was more to this. Questions I had like was Jesus Elijah and what about the Trinity made it plain that there was more to my being there. So he invited me to come along to the new course they were running for the first time, Alpha. And on that course my life started from a new point as Jesus became my Lord and Saviour. Shortly after that my partner attended the next Alpha course and she became a Christian as well.

So being a family in church we soon realised that we needed to get baptised and also married. Baptism was no problem and we were baptised together as a family during a lovely service. Marriage was a bit more difficult. We had no money with me being unemployed. So the church came together and the plans were made. Wedding cake - sorted, reception - sorted, honeymoon hotel - sorted, wedding dress - sorted, music for the service - sorted, photographer - sorted. All I had to pay was for the wedding licence! And in 1994 we were married before God.

We stayed at that church for a good few years, becoming involved in cell groups, worship and even preaching. But somewhere along the way I yearned for something more, something less restrained, something more 'powerful'. So we ended up moving to a small pentecostal fellowship and we're still there to this day. Now serving as a deacon and also leading worship. But there are regrets. With this 'less restrained' setting you are more on your own spiritually, and I look back at the Anglican tradition that I had left and can now see what it is and what it provides - continuity, comfort, community, a framework for growth, a rock on which you can be strongly anchored in times of trouble. And as I start to see the broadness of the Christian traditions through history and across the world I see much that inspires me, that strengthens my faith. I see the majesty of the Catholic church, the solid history, asceticism and liturgy of the Orthodox, the dynamism of the North American churches and the reliance on God of the churches in lands hostile to Christianity.

So hopefully that gives you a flavour of me and I hope to make more acquaintance as times goes on!

Chris

CS Lewis is one of those authors whose work I really struggle to get through. Time and time again I try to read any of his works but end up giving up. I've had Surprised by Joy for about 15 years now and have tried reading it a number of times. When I do get through to the end I find I've taken nothing in.

Saying that, when I read key short extracts I'm amazed by his insight.

Why I'm struggle with Lewis's work I don't know.

Added one today!

Not quite sure how the system works or what all the boxes were for, but hey, it's up there.