St Mary the Virgin

Whilst I have been a Christian for just over 10 years and worshipping at St Mary’s most of that time, my contact with St Mary’s goes back over 30 years when I first started being taken along to services by my parents in my baby buggy when I was but 6 months old! 

Christmas 1988 my mother wept as I told her I was pregnant.  She was not cross or upset and I was married!  I had been married for nearly seven years and she thought I would never have any children, due to my comments, "How can I bring a child into this world?….  Why put a child through all this?…. No jobs… houses too expensive, too much suffering in the world…..it's not fair….life's too painful…." etc.  I then proceeded to produce a daughter, followed two and a half years later by another daughter.   My family complete, and in the meantime a move to the Reading area, I still didn't feel really "whole".

Where did my journey of faith begin?  As a young boy the event I remember the most was Sunday school.  Why - because all my mates went!  We would sit on benches and be told a story from the Bible (which I found amazing), then be taught a song or two (I learnt the English national anthem at Sunday school), then the best bit!  We were always allowed out early to play football, which looking back, was the main reason why my friends and I went in the first place!

At the age of 4 I spent 3 months dangerously ill in hospital - the first memory I can recall about Jesus was hearing my mother sing Jesus, tender shepherd hear me, at my bedside and mentioning prayers being said for my recovery.  My father at that time was away on convoys in the Mediterranean with the 8th Army - again prayers were said for his safe return. (There were three of us children - the oldest was me.) Thankfully, Dad did come home.

Moving to Purley 11 years ago, gave me the opportunity to visit the church on a regular basis, by attending Purleytots sessions.  Going into a church for a religious service was not a normal experience for me, but going to the building for Purleytots, seemed to make it more human, there were glimpses of its life and members, and I felt a real need to go and see.

It is on reflection I realise my journey began long before I came to meet Jesus for myself.  What do I mean?