FROM BAPTISM TO ORDINATION A story about the early stage of my faith journey by Rev Diane A photo in the Ulster Gazette records the day of my baptism at St.Luke's Ballymoyer - apparently I cried when the water was splashed on me - as many babies do... A few years ago when back home on holiday in Northern Ireland we bumped into a couple from my childhood church who remembered me running up and down the aisle as a lively child. My dad was the rector of three rural parishes near the border in South Armagh at the height of the Troubles. Looking back I see how my faith was shaped by that place and the people I spent time with. I learnt many things that I now still do in church. For example, there just is a lot of moving chairs and tables about, ready for church services and events. One of my first jobs was to arrange the chairs for Sunday school in our kitchen, as there was no church hall. Preparing a welcoming space for worship and fellowship is etched into my life as a churchgoer. But what about my early idea of God? It was definitely shaped by the fields and forest beauty around our home and by the children's hymns we sang and particularly at the key times of the year such as Harvest. 'All good gifts around us are sent from God above. Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord for all his love.' and 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong'. I felt held by God's love and care above and beyond my parents' and grandparents' love which was also key. The big world both beautiful and dangerous was in God's hands, so to speak. My faith was shaped by seeing my parents' response to the Troubles and my dad's efforts to make sure we did not simply live in a Protestant bubble at school and in the community. We attended a choir for girls where many were Catholic girls and singing united us in joyful activity, as it still does for so many 8
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