I'm not overly fond of writing autobiographical statements without due cause, but every now and then something comes up that is part of my history. I made this clip from an old video I found while I was unpacking and sorting the new flat. It gives a powerful clip into something of my spiritual heritage. The Anglia Bible Weeks were run by my home church and Dr Ern Baxter was one of the main visiting speakers. The series; "The Priestly Clothing" was preached in 1983 - the same year as this worship.
You can in fact spot Ern Baxter during the worship if you look closely. When the camera scans over the congregation you can see him standing on the front room. Old friends such as Mark Heath will probably recognise some of the elders from our home church too! I love the song they march around the cattleshed too (yes we met in cattlesheds long before Stoneleigh!) - "The Church of God is moving!".
Hope you enjoy it and sense the Presence of God blessing that particular time in church history. There was an anointing there that is still valid today as Rob Rufus taught as Brighton in July. The timelessness of the glory! The Bible Weeks may generally be over - but the anointing is still there. We can still benefit much from listening to past tapes and hear past worship.
Just as a matter of interest, I copied an old "Dales Bible Week" worship tape to MP3 and posted it here on esnips.
3 comments:
This is so precious - I actually had goosebumps while I was watching it! I am sure that my parents have got some similar videos hidden away somewhere from the Downs Bible Weeks! Although we can maybe laugh at the generational thing (the berets!!) - no one can deny that there is a powerful powerful anointing and joy in this short clip. I am so glad that you have preserved it by putting it on the blog.
Awesome!
Interesting. I am a former New Covenant Church-er and remember 1983 at Anglia very well. I must admit I wept bitter tears watching men of God worship and exalt His Name and yet wonder where they are now. I am encouraged Daniel (as you were then!) that you are passionately not allowing the past to disappear and be forgotten. West Street Church may be radically 100% different to what it was back in our glory days - but it doesn't change the fact that it HAPPENED. That encounters with God REALLY happened and that we did touch heaven.
I must admit I do sometimes look abck to my notes and to my old tapes of David Blomgren and Bob Mumford and Ern Baxter and Stanley Jebb and Barney Coombs and wonder if it was all a dream. Seeing this video really brought it all home to me.
So Daniel the last time I saw you, you were about a 10 year old quiet boy I think. Dwarfed by your sisters! How are you now? And what are you up to? This blog is vast and I am so excited to find it. I just did a "Google" search for "Anglia Bible Week" or something and this was what came up.
I praise God that the Charismatic days are not forgotten! Bless you!
PS: I hope you don't mind me remaining anonymous for now. I may email you in the future and make contact if that is okay. But I know that there are many former West-Streeters who won't be thrilled at the past not being forgotten or at me finding it.
Thanks for your comment New Covenant Church-er. Of course you have every right to remain anonymous - I've got no problem with it, as long as it isn't used to make patronising, personal comments and protect a proud identity.
I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I agree with you that the past cannot be erased, there will always be someone who remembers and won't forget. Of course we shouldn't remain in the past sentimentally. God's got loads more in the future to give us through His Spirit.
I showed my parents the comment, we worked out that you must have left NCC about 1985 or so if I was ten? I am sure you knew how NCC went on to become West St Baptist Church and so on.
Well feel free to email me any time or leave further comments.
Post a Comment