My Easter Experience

People often comment on how significant or timely the reflections in the Praise & Prayer News seem to be.  It is an encouragement to know this. I hesitated before writing this week, as a topic had not presented itself to my mind.  Then I wondered whether you would mind if I used this occasion to share something of my personal Easter experience, way back in 1963.

It really began several months before.  I had started attending a young people’s Bible study at a Baptist church (I was then 17) largely because I was strongly attracted to a very attractive girl who attended.  After going to this for a couple of weeks, the Minister of the church announced that the following week I would speak on my favourite psalm.  He had not asked me, and I wonder how he thought I would respond.  I had engaged in a debating society at school so thought I could manage it.  But the real decider was that this gave me an opportunity to impress Rosemary, so I agreed.

I was determined not to speak on Psalm 23 as that would have been too easy.  But as I sat in my bedroom trying to get my head around Psalm 121 I noticed a postcard I had purchased on a school trip to the Tate Gallery.  It was a picture of scattered sheep.  I picked it up and saw that it was a painting by W Holman Hunt (of Light of the World fame).  It was entitled, Strayed Sheep.  I was using an old study Bible that had belonged to an uncle who had been an evangelist with the Salvation Army. The uncle had died but his Bible had been passed on to me.  So I turned the pages back to Psalm 23 and started to read the notes.

The following week I spoke on Psalm 23 making reference to Isaiah 53:6 and confessing myself as a strayed sheep; and to John10 that speaks of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.  The only disappointment was that Rosemary wasn’t present to be impressed!  Afterwards, the Minister singled me out and said that now he knew where I stood when could he baptise me.  I wasn’t keen to be baptised but couldn’t come up with an excuse.  So began a series of preparation meetings on which I was joined by two of Rosemary’s brothers.

The date for the baptism was the evening service on Easter Day 1963.  The evening before an inter-church event was to be held on Hastings Pier with a guest speaker called Sylvia Smith.  She was described as an evangelist working with strippers and prostitutes in London.  As a young man with rampant hormones it sounded an attractive topic so I and several other young men went along. Sylvia gave an interesting talk about her work but slipped seamlessly into a message based on the words of Jesus from the cross, “Father, forgivethem, for they know not what they do” (The Authorised Version was commonly used back then).

While it could be argued that these words related to the soldiers who had hammered the nails through his hands and feet, Sylvia suggested that they included all who had been party to his crucifixion.  She proceeded to describe the role of Judas, Pilate, Herod and the soldiers; but also included Peter who denied knowing Jesus.  In each of her descriptions of them and their motives, I saw something of myself.  After each character she requoted that words of forgiveness.  As she did so, the gospel I knew ell from Sunday School days, slowly spread from my head into my heart.

As we stood to sing the closing hymn I felt the love of God as I could never have imagined it. The hymn was one I knew ell.  It was Isaac Watts’ “When I survey the wondrous cross”.  As I sang the first three verses my mind struggled over that last verse.  Silently I told God that I would not sing it unless he helped me to mean the words of surrender.  The third verse ended and I found myself singing wholeheartedly, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life my all.”

What a prelude to the event the following evening when, before a packed church, I professed myself a disciple of Jesus and walked into the baptismal pool and the arms of that tricky Minister who got me to speak about my favourite Psalm.  I am indebted to the Rev Gordon Hunt, to Sylvia Smith, (and I guess to Rosemary), to my parents and many in the church who never gave up praying for me through several years of abandoning church and living an extremely ungodly life.

As the waters closed over my head they symbolised what had already taken place as the old Barry Osborne sought to die to self and sin.  Then Gordon’s arms raised me up, symbolising the new life that had begun.  How we sang, “My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose went forth and followed thee”

This Easter, a great-niece will be baptised.  If her Easter experience is half as significant as mine, and if it leads, as mine has done, to a life of joyful service for Jesus, she will be blessed indeed.

Well, that’s my personal Easter.  I hope you have your own personal Easter, though it will probably differ from mine as the Easter experience for Peter differed a little from that of the two who walked to Emmaus.  But may the love from the cross and the power of the empty tomb excite you afresh this year.  Sing the hymns and make the acclamation as loud as you can, for he is risen indeed!

Praise & Prayer

Please keep praying for the post of Anglican Chaplain to be filled at the prison where I work on Tuesday afternoons.  Two candidates have come forward and interviews are taking place.

I am working in the prison on Good Friday morning and taking the Easter Sunday service before travelling to Yelvertoft for the service there.  Palm Sunday is a joint service in the village with a procession of witness through the village.

Monday 21^st – taking part in a funeral service in Rugby for a great saint called home.  Alan was part of the church at Yelvertoft.

Tuesday 22^nd – taking part in an accreditation review process for the Congregational Federation in Nottingham.

Wednesday 23^rd – taking part in the Free Churches Group Meeting in London.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday (see above).  On Saturday we will hold “Get Messy” which is our children and family event at Yelvertoft.  Please pray that this Easter will see many new people attending our churches and coming to faith.

Thank you.

Barry