Geoffs Testimony
Throughout my life I never attended church much. I guess I would have described myself as a ‘part time’ Christian, attending church for weddings, funerals, baptisms and the like. I always felt I should come more often but never had the time. I thought I believed in God but had no foundation for that belief.
I was often told by good meaning persons that becoming a Christian ‘would change my life’. Well to be honest, I did not want my life changing, I was doing very well thank you very much; needing no changes to the way I lead my life!
Around five years ago I came to St Bart’s to talk to Rev. Frasier Williams and when leaving he said to me ‘Do keep in touch!’
I turned and replied ‘Yes I will’, this time I meant it!
I attended services at St Barts on a regular basis. I found the church warm and friendly and I loved the music and hymns.
It was not long after that I was confirmed and was able to take Holy Communion.
I continued attending and started to get involved in some of the church activities. I remember thinking at the time, if this is what Christianity was all about then I liked it, and felt happy and pleased with myself.
Then along can the ALPHA course!
The first three weeks were a bit difficult for me because it seems everybody knew more about the bible and Christianity than I did. At the end of the third session Ben gave us some homework,
‘If you could have a face to face meeting with Jesus what would you ask him?’
I would like to share with you my experience of doing this ‘homework’:
The following Sunday I went to Evensong and began my normal preparations before the service started. It occurred to me to ‘do the homework’ there and then. I knelt down and started asking some very fundamental and outrageous questions.
After my third question I began to feel a pleasant warmth around my head and shoulders. I dismissed it initially as an increase in my blood pressure, except this feeling was pleasant and it continued!
During the service the first reading was about the Lord calling Samuel, and I remember thinking how relevant it was to how I was feeling.
The sermon given by Michael Hibbs was all about that reading, but by this time I was totally engrossed in the experience I was having and felt that God was communicating with me.
The final confirmation of this was the last hymn which was, ‘Here I am Lord, it is I Lord’.
The service finished, and I could not get out of the church quick enough because I knew what was going to happen next!
I got into my car and burst into tears – of joy and emotion. The warm pleasant feeling still with me.
For the next few days I was on an emotional high and didn’t want the feeling or the warmth to go away. It did fade and I went into a period of denial, trying to convince myself it did not really happen.
I remember discussing it with a good friend of mine and they suggested I should tell Ben about my experience.
A few days later I plucked up enough courage to talk to Ben about it. He told me he knew of others who had experienced something similar.
His final question to me was the most intriguing, “now that you have had this experience what are you going to do about it”? I told him I had no idea, but by the time I got into my car I knew exactly want the Lord wanted me to do.
The first thing I did was share my experience with all at the next Alpha week.
After this experience the rest of the Alpha course was for me a massive learning experience which I fully embraced and began to understand what the Christian faith was all about.
Well I can honestly say that the Alpha course ‘changed my life’, but I would add three more words ‘for the better’
I am proud to call myself a Christian, but know I have a lot more to learn.
I am very grateful to God for giving me this experience.
I feel passionately that there are others out there who are afraid like me of making a commitment to becoming a Christian.
I feel we need to encourage and let them know that their life too will ‘change for the better’ in becoming a Christian.
Geoff's explanation of the paintings...
"I have tried to put into two painting the feelings relating to my experience
Experience (Top):
I have tried to capture the warmth of my experience with the holy spirit
The three spots of white light represent the holy trinity with the holy spirit reaching out to touch me.
Revealed:
is a reflection some weeks later after my experience
The red represents a layer being drawn back to reveal the light (yellow) and the truth (green)
The circles represent a part of the stained glass window in St Bart's above the alter. An area I often focus when praying and singing
The use of black lines surrounding the individual colours represent the whole as a stained glass window
Abstract paintings are intriguing as the viewer 'sees what they wants to see'
It may be that you see something totally different to my original intention and that's fine!
Geoff Gooding"
