| Christianity Explored |
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Recently retired from the police force, Robin Turton has taken on a new role, He’s swapped upholding the law for Robin’s story Well, who would have thought it! Halfway through 2009 I completed 30 years’ police service and started to serve with Christianity Explored on a full-time voluntary basis. How on earth did that happen? Read on and I’ll try to explain. I was born, raised, studied and have worked in Edinburgh most my life. While I had a moral upbringing and was sent to Sunday school, nobody told me the gospel. In my late teens and early 20s I played a lot of football, had a laugh, chased girls (then, as I got older, women), had enough money, went ‘up the town’ at the weekends drinking/womanising (they generally went hand in hand), and had a nice car. Everything was rosy. I joined the police when I was 23. I spent the majority of my service as a detective and the life very much lived up to expectations. It was challenging, with loads of responsibility and great satisfaction. I was promoted. Things couldn’t be better! In the late 80s I married. However, my selfishness collided with the responsibilities of marriage. Because of my woeful attitude and conduct we divorced in 1991. I continued on my merry way, coming through the emotional trauma pretty quickly with the assistance of a series of short term relationships. Life was back to being good! 1996 was the year everything changed. In the summer of that year I went to Amsterdam for a short holiday and ‘by chance’ listened to a Christian outreach group. Several of the group told of how they had become Christians. Each had a tragic story to tell. There was no tragedy in my life (at that time I didn’t view divorce as a tragedy) so I disregarded what they had to say as an irrelevance. A couple of days later, back in Edinburgh, ‘by chance’, I passed a Christian bookshop. With trepidation, I entered the shop and came out with an Alpha series book, Questions of Life. I went to a nearby café and within the first few chapters learned that God created the world, that mankind has rebelled against God and will be justly judged, that Jesus took our sin and punishment upon himself, and was resurrected. The author then stated, ‘This is the absolute truth’. I was immediately overcome by an intense feeling of wellbeing stemming from the belief that; what I had read in the book was true; that it was not transient, but something substantial, something good and of God. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t read on! Nor could I wipe the smile off my face. Right there and then God changed my mindset. I turned (repented) from trying to run life my own way without God. I asked for God’s forgiveness and trusted Jesus. I felt I was a new person! I needed to be with Christians so I searched for a church and found my spiritual home at Charlotte Baptist Chapel, Edinburgh. Sermon after sermon I learned about God’s nature and character; his love, justice, wrath and grace, faithfulness and sovereignty (it’s an endless list!). Gradually I grew to know and love God more and more through Jesus’ amazing new relationship with me. This relationship made me want to stop being my old self and pursue a new way of living. Thirteen years on, in human terms, I realise that I am not a Christian (i.e. someone that trusts in the claims of Jesus, seeks to deny themselves and follow Jesus) because it’s good for me (though it is), or because it makes me a better person (though it does make me better than I was, but not better than anyone else) or even because I will go to heaven (although I will) – I’m a Christian because the gospel is true. That being the case, there is no more important a task in the world than for every person to find out (a) Who is Jesus? (b) Why he came? (c) What does Jesus demand of his followers? I believe my purpose is to serve God by proclaiming the gospel. Now I don’t have the spiritual gifts required of an evangelist, but because I have been trained and equipped to run and act as an advocate for Christianity Explored I am in a position to use this remarkable gospel tool to introduce people to the person of Jesus as he walks off the pages of the book of Mark. On every course I have been involved in at Charlotte Chapel one or more persons have come to a Easter is a great time. I vividly remember being baptised on Easter Sunday 1998. And each year Easter gives Christians the opportunity to draw the world’s attention to the saving work of Jesus. In Edinburgh, The Easter Play (www.easterplay.org) is held on Easter Saturday (3 April 2010). The production, involving around 200 volunteers is an historical re-enactment of the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and is attended by thousands – ‘Christ In The Heart Of The City’. Christianity Explored is an informal course for people investigating Christianity, or brushing up on the basics. Based on the Gospel of Mark, it explores who Jesus was, what his aims were, and what it means to follow him. You won’t be asked to pray, sing or read aloud, and you can ask any questions you like. Or, if you prefer, you can just come along and listen. To find out more see www.christianityexplored.org |
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