From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

Having come under some Justified criticism for failing to blog much lately, I resolve to mend my ways as part of my new year's resolution. Its not that I do not mean to, I have come up with a lot things to blog about, so I will stick with my travel demands as an excuse and ask your forgiveness.
So back on the path with a book review. If you have not read Jonathon Aitken's new book "From Grace to Amazing Grace" then put it at the top of your list.
My daughter sent it to me for Christmas and once started, could not put it down. Jonathon, writes from the heart. As man who has seen a fall from the heights as a cabinet minister in the UK to prison where he found the Lord, he writes as one who knows Grace.
I had heard various versions of John Newton's testimony but discovered they were mostly romanticised and designed to make a point. However I found the real story so much more challenging and encouraging.
Newton's mother was a believer and a member of the dissenting church and taught Newton to memorise scripture, she died while he was still a small but and the book takes you though his life going to sea while still only 11 years old. Then forced into the Royal Navy where he was a problem sailor. Eventually ending up a slaver then a slave. He was converted during a wild storm while returning to England, but he still continued to work in the slave trader as the captain of a slaver.
As he grew in the faith and came under the influence of people like Wesley he became a great teacher and preacher. Called to the Ministry (in itself a long and difficult process) he was for several decades a leading light in the Evangelical movement in England and the Church of England having a profound influence in the setting up of the Bible Society and CMS.
He was also a mentor and guide to William Wilberforce and worked with him in the abolitionist movement. It is important to say here that while I love the movie "Amazing Grace" Newton was nothing like the character in the movie.
Probably Newton is best remembered for the most sung hymn of all time "Amazing Grace"
It was first sung on New Years day in 1734, for his friend William Cowper (the poet) but did not become famous in his life time. In fact it was one of his lesser known Hymns (of which he wrote many). His hymns were distributed world wide through the Onley Hymn book which is a collection of Hymns by Newton and Cowper (you can download it from the Amazing Grace movie educational resource page )
It was in America that the Hymn became popular with the current tune added some 60 years after it was written. In fact the last verse (When we've been there 10,000 years.....) was first seen in print in Hariet Beecher Stowe's Anti slavery book "Uncle Tom's cabin" in 1852.
So needless to say this book in a must read.