The Parish Magazine October 2024

10 The Parish Magazine - October 2024
the parish noticeboard — 3
Continuing our series on ...
Why am I a Christian?
FEAR, RESPECT, OBEDIENCE, DISCIPLINE, WORSHIP AND KNOWING WHAT IS BEST FOR ME
By Bob Peters
When I began this series of articles I thought that I could
always write one myself if necessary. This month it is
necessary!
I can't remember a time when I did not consider myself
to be a Christian. As a child, none of my close family
were churchgoers, the only exception being an uncle and
aunt who were deeply involved with what we then called,
'happy-clappy' church. Today we call it evangelical.
I was the second eldest of four children — two brothers
and a sister who died several years ago because of cancer.
My parents never went to church, except for the usual
reasons — baptisms, weddings, and funerals — but they
encouraged us children to go every week. I realised as I
grew older, and had children of my own, it was the only
time they could have a peaceful few hours together!
Consequently, they did not seem to know the
difference between the local churches that I attended
at different times. First, there was the Salvation Army,
which I enjoyed because it was very relaxed and cheerful,
and I was encouraged by them to play, without success, a
musical instrument.
BEATING THE DRUM
Having failed to master the cornet, guitar, and fife, I
found myself diverted to the bass drum - it was that or
a tambourine — which I not only enjoyed, but became
reasonably confident playing. My other key asset was
being big enough to carry it, and I only had to beat out a
steady rhythm.
I was also fortunate that one my neighbours was a
retired drum major in the army and he was pleased to
teach me.
My lessons progressed to the side drum, and I ended
up as the lead drummer in a boy scout marching band.
My father also bought me a full drum kit and he was
always happy to transport me and my drums around the
countryside to play with a 'Cliff and the Shadows' style
band. Our claim to fame was playing for Hayley Mills at
her fan club rally.
I still have a drum kit, although it's an electronic one,
but I no longer have the flexibility in my wrists to play as I
was once able to.
FILLED WITH FEAR
Then there was the Methodist Church which my
parents appreciated even more because, unlike the others,
they met on a Sunday afternoon. I did not understand why
my parents welcomed this until I had children of my own!
In my teens, when many of my friends had stopped
going to church, I found that my local, Church of England
parish church was where I belonged.
I was never involved with anything other than
marching to church with the scouts' drum and fife band
and sitting quietly in the back row before marching
home again. It was there, in the back row, listening to the
vicar preaching one day, that I was suddenly filled with
fear. One day, I thought, I might, instead of sitting here
nursing my drum, be standing up front doing what he is
doing.
I tried to dismiss the thought immediately but it
haunted me throughout my life until about 25 years ago
when I finally gave in, listened to what some friends were
telling me I should do, and realised that God was calling
me to do something about it!
Meanwhile, I continued to live a Christian life to the
best of my ability, so I can honestly say that I have always
tried to be a Christian.
Unlike many Christians who can recall a precise
moment in their lives when they said 'yes, I believe', I
simply have not known anything else. There was never a
major single moment, just lots of little ones that slowly
strengthened my faith.
PLAUSIBLE REASONS
By the time I was in my 20's I had served an
apprenticeship and graduated as an engineer — all my
university education had been focused on the exciting
new world of electronics which was then, in its early days.
However, while I could never make anything electronic
work, I could always write a plausible reason why it didn't.
It was this ability that got me through university with an
upper second!
I knew my future would not be as an electronics
engineer and I spent time praying for help as I walked to
and from my flat to the university campus.
My prayers were answered just after I had graduated.
Out of the blue, a complete stranger who is best described
as a business man, contacted me. He was looking
for someone to be the European editor of a group of
electronics and telecommunication journals published in
America.
However, I had only been with him for a few days
when the American owner appeared in the office in Royal
Tunbridge Wells and announced that he was closing it and
I was redundant! My boss was furious and promised to
find me another job, which he did.
Two days later I walked into the offices of a
newspaper called 'Electronics Weekly'. I was new technical
correspondent and the only member of a large team of
journalists with any electronics background, the others
were local newspaper journalists from various other walks
of life. My prayers had been swiftly answered!
In my early days as an NUJ card carrying journalist
I had ambitions to write for 'religious' magazines or
perhaps become a religious correspondent for a national
newspaper, but this opportunity never materialised until
313 October 2024.indd 10 12/09/2024 09:38:52