PURE JOY
By R. T. Kendall
Hodder & Stoughton.176 pages. £7.99
ISBN 0 340 86194 0
A biography of R.T. Kendall, minister at Westminster Chapel for 25 years, would make fascinating reading. Here is another book from his pen which would be useful source material for such a biography.
This is a spiritual treatment of a spiritual subject, but it is so replete with personal anecdotes that it is almost an autobiography in and of itself. The chapters themselves follow his own spiritual odyssey and the anecdotes form a fascinating insight into the man. What issue seems to colour his ministry at Westminster? It is only hinted at. On page 13 pastoral advice is given to him from Josif Tson: 'You must totally forgive them', when he was near to despair. He yielded to advice and forgave and, 'It was the greatest thing I ever did'. What was this? This incident is often referred to in other books by R.T. It is likely to be his response to his exclusion from Dr. .Lloyd-Jones's memorial service in March 1981. (See Iain Murray's review of R.T. Kendall's Pursuit of His Glory: My 25 years at Westminster Chapel.) While I am sure that he has fully forgiven those who hurt him during that period, it is clear that he still bears the scars of that time. There were some insights from the book which I valued and found helpful, but the anecdotes got in the way. Did I detect some bitterness to former Reformed colleagues who could not go with him on his journey? The barb that non-charismatics (in one sense all believers are charismatics, but you know what I mean) believe in 'God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Bible' (p. 113) stung and was unfair. Experiences from the Lord must be tested by Scripture which is the sword of the Spirit. This is what R.T. fails to do.
