Circuit Magazine Page 8

It was an early call; no, not to get up in the morning, but to proclaim the "Good News" of the gospel as a local preacher.

I was fifteen years of age. The "call" came during a Youth Service at Kempston East, the preacher was the Rev. Brian Reed from the Youth Department, and he asked if anyone in the congregation would consider serving the Lord as a local preacher. As I sat there, I can take you to the exact place, a prompting "voice" seemed to be saying, "why not you". That is how it all began some 47 years ago.

I was brought up in a Christian home, going to Sunday School, sometimes reluctantly, and to Worship during a Sunday evening. What a solid foundation for life with all that it throws at you along its rugged path. Youth Club came next and Sunday Services with my new found friends.

The Rev. B. Franklin was our Minister at the time, and with his guidance and the continued guidance of Rev. F. Pilkington and Mr C. V. Ibbett, I finally became a fully accredited Local Preacher in 1960. The charge being given by Rev. "Pop" Ward at Kempston West. (Pop did preach long sermons!)

My first experience of entering a pulpit was to assist, no sermon, the Rev. Franklin at How End. What an experience! I thought every Church in the Circuit would be like Kempston East, but here was a Chapel hardly any larger than our front room at home, an organ that you treadled, eight people in attendance and an electric fire to keep us warm. The first sermon was also at this little Chapel in April 1955, with my second and third at Cardington on a double.

The "doubles" were wonderful experiences, when a family opened their home for you to have tea with them between the afternoon and evening services. I made many friends in this way and still see some of them today.

As with many others, no car was available to me during these early years and getting to places like Sandy, Willington, How End and Maulden, either meant starting out early on Sunday afternoon to catch a bus or cycling. I often chose cycling, getting caught in a shower was the problem and then standing in the pulpit with newspapers between your trousers and legs was a little different.

Many of those country Chapels have now been closed alas; How End, Cardington with the young people working the bellows for the organ, Stewartby with its oil lamps burning during the evening service, Kempston Newtown with its tortoise stove, being topped up with coke, to keep us warm.

I praise God that He called me to preach and that I responded to that call. I also thank Him for all the Christian people who have, over the years, offered words of wisdom, understanding and encouragement, and I hope and pray that through the Act of Worship they, like me, have grown in faith through the love of Christ.

A Hymn I've Never Forgotten

When I was asked to provide an article about my favourite hymn, my mind went racing to many hymns which I love very much. There are so many wonderful hymns in our hymn-book: "All my hope on God is founded", for example, or some of the more modern ones by Rev. Fred Pratt Green, which can not only be sung but can also be used as prayers.

However, I finally decided on one I heard sung 40 or 50 years ago. I had been sent away for a week to Lewes on relief duty in the course of my work with Boots library. (This happened frequently.) On the Sunday afternoon I felt lonely, so I went to the Methodist Church, where the Sunday School Anniversary was taking place. At the front were two rows of children, and they sang this hymn, which I didn't know, but which made a great impression on me.

1.	*May God be near thee, friend,*
	*When we are far away ;*
	*May His smile cheer thee, friend.*
	*And make all light as day :*
	*Look up! the sky, the stars above,*
	*Will whisper to thee of His changeless love.*

2	*In distant, desert places*
	*The mounts of God are found ;*
	*His sky the world embraces,*
	*And makes it holy ground.*
	*The heart that serves, and loves, and clings,*
	*Hears everywhere the rush of angel wings.*

3	*'Tis not for us to choose ;*
	*We listen and obey.*
	*'Tis His to call and use ;*
	*'Tis ours to serve and pray.*
	*It matters little, here or there ;*
	*God's world is wide, and heaven is everywhere.*

4	*We cannot go so far*
	*That home is out of sight ;*
	*The morn, the evening star,*
	*Will say, 'Good-day! Good-night !'*
	*The heart that loves will never be alone ;*
	*All earth. all heaven. it reckons as its own*	Henry Burton,
		1840-1930.

Over the years it has meant a lot to me, and I still get help from it. I was often in lodgings on my own, and had to keep on the right side of the landlady! In time my sister went abroad, and more recently I have lost special friends. I have many times been lonely, but I still remember this hymn and am grateful for the help it brings, especially .......

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A Hymn I've Never Forgotten