Friday, May 15, 2009

Nov. - Dec. 1969

My life changed forever during these two months. About 7 1/2 months after the birth of our first grandchild (Gifford Neill III), our seventh and last child arrived, John Peter Neill Nov. 4th, 1969. It was over nine years since our previous one, Mary. So Marjorie was already now a grandma, and now a mama once again! This one was especially "on purpose". She wanted to find out what it was like to have a baby this time again after being saved. She also, so to speak, "gave him to the Lord".

Gifford Jr. had already left home and was living in Winsted. Patricia was away at college at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. My dad and uncle Dave were still living next door, up the road towards the center of town.

I think it was within the previous year that Bill Barker and his family moved to a nearby town and started meeting with us. He had found us through the Stream magazine, asking them who were subscribers, and they gave him the name and address of our minister's mother-in-law. Earlier, our minister, Stan Albanesius had got us copies of the Hymnal from the Stream publishers, with many of the hymns written by Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, and John Ingalls.

Some time prior to this, I had gotten and read a book by Watchman Nee entitled "The Normal Christian Life". I was very impressed with the book; having the strong impact that all believers are actually one. In one instance, Watchman was on a trolley in Shanghai, and met another believer who asked him: "Who are you affiliated with?" Watchman's response was: "I'm affiliated with you!" I was very impressed with this thought, and actually used it myself in a similar situation.

At that time the Stream magazine was written by Witness Lee in California, and covered the idea that basically all believers are one and should not be divided. Many of the hymns cover this same thought. Another thought accentuated was that the church is Christ's own body, and He lives in each believer. All this is of course fully covered in the Bible, but for some reason it hasn't been accentuated in Christianity as a whole. So the church really itself is the Christ in every believer, especially as we gather together (but I believe, even when we're apart).

In any event, we had been singing these hymns, and Stan had been preaching these things gleaned from the Stream magazine by the time Bill Barker and family joined us. He felt I think fairly well at home since he had been meeting with a similar group prior to moving to Connecticut. But it was all new to us, and sometimes Bill would use the term "church" that sounded like it had more significance than I knew.

Some time during the first part of December 1969, a friend of Bill Barker's invited Witness Lee to come and share with us. Witness Lee was to have, I believe, a conference in Boston after this. So Witness Lee arrived to share with us, accompanied by John Ingalls, Titus Chu, Dave Shields, and two other brothers. Basically he shared with us the gospel "in miniature" as it were, plus calling on the Lord, and taking the words of the Bible in prayer,i.e. "pray-reading" the word.

After three meetings, I thought I had heard it all, and brother Lee went on to Boston. But prior to them leaving, John Ingalls shared that there was to be a conference in Erie, PA during the Christmas holidays. And with a smile on his face, John Ingalls said "Down with Santa Claus!" I thought it was a rather strange time to have a conference, but I felt that someone from our group really ought to attend, but I said nothing at the time.

To be continued.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Little Known Fact

My Dad (Tom Neill), my sister (Barbara Neill), and I lived in California for the better part of two years. My Dad in Santa Monica in the early part of the 20th century, my sister in Santa Barbara in the mid-20th century, and myself in San Marcos in the early part of the 21st century. As far as I know, my mother never went west of the Hudson river.