St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Old dog or new creation?

"If anyone is in Christ - new creation! The old has gone, the new has come!" (1 Corinthians 5:17).

"You can't teach and old dog new tricks" (A proverb, but not from the bible).

Dear friends,

I’d like to tell you about my friend Ray Williams, who was churchwarden at St Peter’s Bexleyheath when I was curate there (1988-91). They told me that Ray used to strike fear into the boldest hearts of previous curates. Ray had been in the Navy for many years and seen the tough side of life, and when he’d got a little older he had taught at the Greenwich Naval College and bashed the rudiments of discipline into the next generation of sailors. He had been brought up as a churchgoer, and for many years had sung in the choir of St Peter’s, his local church, whenever he was home from sea. His first wife had died leaving him with teenage children, and he had met and married a widow who was also a member of our congregation.

But Ray had not been very happy about developments at his local church, and subscribed very much to the belief that you should bring up the young in the discipline of churchgoing and living an orderly and honest life. He didn’t think much of the new vicar’s ideas! All this talk of us all being sinners, and God sending his Holy Spirit to change us on the inside, did not carry much weight with Ray. It stands to reason that you can’t change people on the inside, thought Ray. You’ll never change an old dog. What people need is a bit of discipline. Including the curates!

But one night during evensong, when he was around retirement age, Ray suddenly clicked with what the vicar was saying. He told me that he found he had tears streaming down his face. He saw for the first time that he needed a change on the inside. God wanted to forgive him. Ray didn’t need God to tell him to pull his socks up – no-one can pull up socks enough to cancel out being a sinner. Ray needed cleaning and forgiving and a new nature.

When I knew him, Ray was as gentle as a lamb: you couldn’t wish for a nicer more cooperative chap. Yes, he would still tell you what was what, but he’d do it in a way which didn’t make you feel small. Ray had completely changed.

And you could be like that too. Would you rather be an old dog or a new creation?

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. January 2001, Page 1.
Home Page. Index of articles. Vicar's Letters: index, One body, What for? Pilgrims, Christmas, Old dog, Purpose. In this issue: (January 2001) Vicar's Letter, Read the bible? Question, Quiz answers, Jelley baby.	Old dog or new creation? "If anyone is in Christ - new creation! The old has gone, the new has come!" (1 Corinthians 5:17). "You can't teach and old dog new tricks" (A proverb, but not from the bible). Dear friends, I’d like to tell you about my friend Ray Williams, who was churchwarden at St Peter’s Bexleyheath when I was curate there (1988-91). They told me that Ray used to strike fear into the boldest hearts of previous curates. Ray had been in the Navy for many years and seen the tough side of life, and when he’d got a little older he had taught at the Greenwich Naval College and bashed the rudiments of discipline into the next generation of sailors. He had been brought up as a churchgoer, and for many years had sung in the choir of St Peter’s, his local church, whenever he was home from sea. His first wife had died leaving him with teenage children, and he had met and married a widow who was also a member of our congregation. But Ray had not been very happy about developments at his local church, and subscribed very much to the belief that you should bring up the young in the discipline of churchgoing and living an orderly and honest life. He didn’t think much of the new vicar’s ideas! All this talk of us all being sinners, and God sending his Holy Spirit to change us on the inside, did not carry much weight with Ray. It stands to reason that you can’t change people on the inside, thought Ray. You’ll never change an old dog. What people need is a bit of discipline. Including the curates! But one night during evensong, when he was around retirement age, Ray suddenly clicked with what the vicar was saying. He told me that he found he had tears streaming down his face. He saw for the first time that he needed a change on the inside. God wanted to forgive him. Ray didn’t need God to tell him to pull his socks up – no-one can pull up socks enough to cancel out being a sinner. Ray needed cleaning and forgiving and a new nature. When I knew him, Ray was as gentle as a lamb: you couldn’t wish for a nicer more cooperative chap. Yes, he would still tell you what was what, but he’d do it in a way which didn’t make you feel small. Ray had completely changed. And you could be like that too. Would you rather be an old dog or a new creation? John Hartley
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