Knocking on Heavens Door

By Rodney Fereday

Reverend Rodney Fereday is an Anglican priest. He engages the reader as usual with his quick, easy conversational style of writing. He begins with a short 'Potted Background' of his life, and continues with the truly inspirational account of how his spirituality was sparked off by a dramatic brush with nature whilst at sea (His Testimony).

In his book, Rodney seeks to address and try to answer from a biblical perspective questions about death, dying, resurrection and eternal life.

A major part of the book follows the development of his ministry to those bereaved by sudden, traumatic and violent death of a friend or relative.

A TRUELY GRIPPING BOOK EVIDENCED BY EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL MINISTRY. PEOPLES NAMES AND LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN OMITTED TO ENSURE CONFIDENTIALITY IS MAINTAINED.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rodney Fereday
• Release date: Nov 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310897566

Rodney Fereday

Rev.Rod Fereday, A retired anglican priest, with experience of ministry as parish priest (Vicar), also as Director of 'Christian Care' working with those with learning difficulties and mental health problems. In retirement as voluntary chaplain of local mental health Hospital. Also on Diocese of Europe locum list and with ICS working overseas inIbiza, And Tenerife as seasonal chaplainn, locum,and Missioner. Born in Sheffield, qualified mechanical mining engineer, working for NCB and also in the gold mines in South Africa. Later as self employed sub postmaster before ordination. Studied 'Economics and Industrial Relations' at Sheffield university. Then trained for ordination at 'St.Johns' college Notingham. Hobbies - Sailing, gardening, writing, and spanish language, playing guitar. Married to Josey for 48 yrs. two adult children and living in Hunmanby a village 10 miles south of Scarborough.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Knocking on Heaven’s Door is my third book. Now, because of the many difficult and probing questions I’ve been asked over the past twenty-five years as an Anglican Priest, I seek to provide answers by giving a biblical perspective of dying, death, resurrection and eternal life.

I vividly recount the personal experience of the passing of my daughter, which may leave me vulnerable to some public scrutiny. Whilst changing details to maintain confidentiality, I also provide examples of my ministry to those who’ve lost loved ones in sudden or traumatic circumstances.

I hope this book provokes your thoughts, challenges and encourages your spirituality, whilst helping those coping with death to overcome their grief. I attempt to explain the stages of death and how it appears to put normal life on hold, by outlining the factors involved when grief becomes complicated or depressive. By offering coping mechanisms to help the bereaved understand their loss, I hope to help the reader through a difficult process, that at some point in in time, we will all face.

Finally, I pray this book will help you consider, and work through these challenging questions in a constructive manner.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

POTTED BACKGROUND

My name is Rodney Fereday. My parents always had shops selling decorating materials and D.I.Y. supplies. Helping in the family business from the age of eleven, I believe gave me a good work ethic.

I was mischievous at school and never took full advantage of what was on offer. I failed my eleven-plus-exams and instead of grammar school was consigned to a secondary modern - the for-runner of the comprehensive school system.

I left this school at fifteen and served a six-year apprenticeship in mechanical engineering, which gave me the opportunity to attended technical college and obtain a trade qualification.

I never felt fulfilled working and repairing machinery. Being a people person, I joined Her Majesty’s Prison Service; working as a Prison Discipline Officer, before becoming a Security Dog Handler.

After the escape of George Blake, the notorious spy from H.M.P. Wormwood Scrubs in London, Lord Mountbatten completed a security review on behalf of the Home Office. He came up with several important improvements to prison security. These were the use of external and internal security cameras. The use of a second inner fence topped with Danite-wire that relays acoustics back to a central control room; and the implementation of security dogs.

As the Prison Service had no training centres for handlers or dogs, the Metropolitan Police Force were tasked with training the first batch of handlers at their training establishment - an old wartime airfield at Keston near Biggin Hill in Kent.

The airfield had communication equipment for Interpol installed in the buildings which meant the dog training establishment provided extra security for that installation. I was amongst the first batch trained there for the Prison Service. After training, I was based at Wormwood Scrubs and placed on call for top security prisons across Britain and Isle of Wight. Later, I spent two years in South Africa working as an underground engineer in the gold mines. After returning to the U.K., I spent five-years as an underground engineer for The National Coal Board, working at Wath Main Colliery, South Yorkshire.

After leaving the mines, I became self-employed as a Sub Post Master, for ten-years, in a small Rotherham town called Goldthorpe, later moving to Dewsbury in Kirklees. It was during this period of my life that I became a Christian.

MINER TO MINISTER (MY TESTIMONY)

All my life I have enjoyed boating as a hobby. My father always had a boat. I grew up with a love of all things nautical.

After marrying my wife (Josey),