James Middleton
I was baptised into the Church of England when I was about six months old, and was surrounded by strong examples of faith, particularly in my grandparents, as I grew up in rural Suffolk, England. The large medieval churches made an impact too - built on sites of Christian worship over a thousand years old, before even the East and Western Churches divided, underlining the continuity of Christian life.
My involvement with church decreased during the first part of my career in the police. However, some friends arranged a blind date with a Kiwi girl called Ayesha. She made it clear that she would always want to return home one day. We started to go back to church and were married and moved to NZ as soon as we had the opportunity.
Some time ago I began reflecting on my faith.
One day, I was hit by the Holy Spirit. Hammered, overpowered, immersed. It was an amazing physical experience as well as spiritual. It was like being underneath the biggest and most powerful shower – physical, warming, intense, reassuring, comforting. Perfect. I knew God was with me, I was loved by Him unconditionally, and that I had a new part to play in His Kingdom.
It was a renewal, a recharge and boost of my personal relationship with Christ. My faith had been turned up to eleven, not just to be lived but to be spread and broadcast, to be ministered. I presented myself to the priest in charge at St Stephen’s, Marton, offering to serve. Lay ministry, re-opening the fallow St George’s Church, Turakina, working as Bishops’ Warden and cleaning gutters followed
Ten years ago I retrained as a mental health nurse, and found many opportunities to minister within my work, particularly in the prison and criminal justice system. I thought that area of ministry was where my future lay. However, just before my discernment weekend I received a cancer diagnosis, emergency radiotherapy and a feeling of love which I had never before experienced. The discernment team was really helpful in identifying a calling which brings people together in Communion, which also fitted into my new reality. The past months have been rough with chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and hospital admissions for complications, yet lit with prayer and the Eucharist. This is the direction in which I feel called by Christ.
