“Living it Up” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album Heart and Soul recorded and produced by Ross Gill
So last week’s blog was most succinct as we were filming the first two episodes of “Theophilus – The Musical” – “A Journey of Faith.”
So, you may well ask what is “Theophilus – The Musical – “A Journey of Faith.”? Well, we have taken from the full 2- hour stage production those conversations that Luke and Theophilus share which relate to some of the challenging issues that people face, especially those on a journey of faith. The two episodes that we filmed centred on “Will I go to heaven when I die?” and “How can a God of love allow all the suffering in the world.”
We are looking to fund the remaining 5 episodes which include “How can I receive forgiveness?” and “Will God protect me if I become a Christian?”
As in the staged concert, Luke was played by Edward Baker- Duly and Theophilus by Natasha Bain. They interacted wonderfully and brilliantly conveyed the dynamic between Luke the historian and physician and his patron, a woman of noble birth who had been given the honourable name of Theophilius.
Theophilus was the recipient of Luke’s Gospel, and Luke now wishes to share his second volume, “The Acts of the Apostles.” It is as the story of “Acts” unfolds that Theophilus is prompted to ask Luke challenging questions.
In addition to Edward and Natasha, Richard Mellion brilliantly portrayed Peter, singing a number of songs including “You are the Shepherd of my Soul” and “Just put your hand in the hand of God”.
Joffy Girling was, of course the Musical Director and again was invaluable. Ross and Kanah from the film studio were great – professional, accommodating, and good company.
Also, a very special mention for our Director, Casey Lloyd who held the whole thing together. He was incredible patient with me and made many wise suggestions re the script that allowed it to move on so much from the May staged concert- is now so much more real and accessible.
The edit is likely to take two weeks – I can’t wait to share it with you.
Sincere apologies for the delay in posting this week’s blog and also for its brevity, but this week we have been so busy filming the first two episodes of Theophilus – The Musical – “A Journey of Faith.”
It went wonderfully well and next week I will tell you all about it – thank you
Great and Marvellous featuring the Mustard Seed Girls Choir from the album Love is the Way produced and recorded by John Hodgkinson
My very dear friend Dr Graham Giles sent me a New Year’s message which quoted Ecclesiastes. When on New Year’s Day I read the same words in “Word for Today” I realised that perhaps I had not been living in and enjoying the moment enough –I had always been thinking of “what was coming next.” I have shared the article just in case you feel that you do something similar.
Each day is a gift from God. Next to your salvation, today is the most valuable gift you will ever receive. When you receive a gift, what do you do? Thank the giver, unwrap it, and enjoy it. Getting the idea?
One Bible teacher writes: ‘I make an effort to focus on and enjoy every moment of my life, but doing so has been a long and difficult journey for me…I am a planner, and if I am not careful, I find myself planning the next thing while doing the current thing, which of course steals the present moment from me. Although being focused is a good thing, I can also easily get so focused on my work that I fail to enjoy the magic of the moment. For example, I was usually working while my children were little and found it difficult to even take a moment to stop and enjoy the cute things they said or did. I missed many of those moments and will never get them back. We should celebrate life and the people God has placed in our path. Life is to be enjoyed, not dreaded or regretted.’
Solomon wrote: ‘There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labour. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God’ (Ecclesiastes 2:24 AMPC). Note these two phrases: 1) ‘From the hand of God.’ That means it’s God’s will for you to enjoy every day. 2) ‘Make himself enjoy good.’ That means you must look for things to celebrate each day. And you can start doing this – today!
Tim Downs (left) Stu Fowler (Centre) and Robbie Richardson (right)
I recently saw my very good friend Tim Downs at Holy Rood Church and it reminded me of this fantastic piece of music that he created and which I shared this time last year.
Tim, who played baritone sax in the Mustard Seed Soul Band, is not very well at the moment- so here’s to your speedy and complete recovery in 2023 Tim.
By the way just for your information Wikipedia says:
“In dulci jubilo” (Latin for “In sweet rejoicing”) is a traditional Christmas carol. In its original setting, the carol is a macaronic text of German and Latin dating from the Middle Ages. Subsequent translations into English, such as J. M. Neale’s arrangement “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” have increased its popularity, and Robert Pearsall’s 1837 macaronic translation is a mainstay of the Christmas Nine Lessons and Carols repertoire. J. S. Bach’s chorale prelude based on the tune (BWV 729) is also a traditional postlude for Christmas services.
So, there you have it!!
ALL AT MUSTARD SEED SONGS – THE TRUSTEES, MUSICIANS, MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND OUR WEBMASTER WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROPEROUS NEW YEAR
This week I ask if you would please take the time to read of our appeal to help Ukrainian orphans. To reach our target of £1000.00 we need another 15 people to donate £8.00 (£10.00 with gift aid) Thank you very much.
“Out of the depths” we at Mustard Seed Songs have indeed cried for the Ukrainian people and we are now delighted to be able to provide some practical help. Our friend and associate Tatiana Gumenyuk was forced by missiles and bombs to flee Ukraine; bravely leading a convoy of children and adults to safety. Tatiana is now coordinating emergency support for deeply traumatized child refugees in countries bordering Ukraine. She is providing specialist compassionate care and counselling, together with essentials such as clothing, toiletries, food and basic medication.
We at Mustard Seed Songs promise that all donations will go directly to Tatiana enabling her to continue this life-saving work. There will be no administration costs whatsoever.
The two videos feature Evieanna Mullane singing “Out of the Depths” an extract from Mustard Seeds forthcoming musical “Theophilus- The Musical” http://theophilusthemusical.com/
Bathe Me In Your Light featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
Of course, there are justified concerns about the World Cup being held in Qatar, but today’s blog focuses on a young and successful professional footballer who seems to be portraying a different image to that often associated with his peers. The following is taken from an article written by Emma Fowler, who is the assistant editor for Premier Christianity.
At Euro 2020, the then-19-year-old Bukayo Saka became the youngest Englishman to ever start a match at the semi-final stage or later of a major tournament. Now 21, he has already put two goals past Iran in England’s opening World Cup match. But as he faces up to the pressure of this, his first world cup, what part will his faith play in helping him navigate his ever-growing fame and the pressures that come with it?
Saka grew up in West London and was raised in a Christian home. He still lives with his parents and brother, and says his family regularly pray for his success. He attended The Edward Betham Church of England Primary School, which has a strong Christian ethos.
In 2020, as part of a Year Five topic ‘Do fame and Christian faith go together?’ Saka wrote to pupils at his old school about the role that faith has played in his life. He said: “I grew up in a Christian family who believe strongly in God. This always made me curious to get to know God more and I have done so by reading my Bible a lot and going to church a lot over the years. My faith is constantly being exercised when I’m put in different situations or I play in big football matches such as my England debut. “I hold onto God’s promises such as the scripture ‘Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’. So before every game I ask God to help me play well, help my team and try to score a goal or assist a goal and he answers my prayers so this is why I point to the sky to thank him.”
Speaking to Premier Christianity, head teacher Caroline Chamberlain told us that Saka was a “polite, modest and impressive young man” who was conscientious at school and has not been changed by fame. She said that pupils at the school were inspired by Saka’s words because he “has shown that a strong faith is powerful in helping you to achieve in whatever field you work in.”
Saka is one of the new generation of English football stars, praised for their decency, work ethic and talent. Like teammates Marcus Rashford and Raheem Stirling – he has a faith in God that seems to have a positive impact both on and off the pitch. And people are noticing. An article for the Evening Standard comments on the new social consciousness of the young team, many of whom are Christians.
It is something that Chamberlain says is one of the many benefits of a faith-based education. It “gives children far more than just a moral grounding,” she says, providing “pupils with the inspiration, rooted in the biblical truth that all people and all living things are valued by God, to challenge injustice wherever they see it – be it environmental, racial or any form of inequality.” With Christian footballers such as Marcus Rashford more likely to be found making headlines for campaigning on food poverty than brawling in bars, she may be onto something.
The school motto at Edward Betham is 1 Corinthians 13:13: “Faith, hope, and love; these three things will last forever, and the greatest of these is love.” The school says it aims to put “God’s love at the heart of all we do… Rooted in Christian hope, pupils grow academically and, in their faith, equipped to live full and happy lives and care for the people and the world around them.”
Chamberlain adds that Saka once said he hoped he would continue to make her and the children of Edward Betham School proud. The message she has for her ex-student is clear: “You certainly do – your achievements are amazing. Keep giving it your all!”
Father Help Me Acknowledge You featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
The last five blogs have focused on my complaint to the BBC concerning a Celebrity Master Chef episode in which Adam Pearson uttered “Jesus of Nazareth.” As I felt this unacceptable, I complained to the BBC and have been sharing the correspondence that resulted. Last week contained a letter sent by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). The final part of this saga was for me to write to Ofcom with a summary of my complaint. Their reply is below:
Please do not send email to this address as it is an unattended mailbox. You can find out how to contact us on the Ofcom website.
Thank you for contacting Ofcom.
Your views are important to us as they help us to ensure that TV channels, radio stations, and on demand services follow our codes and rules.
What happens next
If you’ve already complained to the BBC
Ofcom will not normally write back to you with the outcome of its considerations.
However, please be assured that if your complaint does raise a potential issue, we will start an investigation. Whether or not we believe an investigation is required, your comments and feedback will be considered, and all our decisions are published in our fortnightly Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin. This includes the latest decisions about the complaints we’ve received.
If you haven’t complained to the BBC first
Other than in exceptional circumstances, Ofcom can only consider your complaint if you’ve already complained to the BBC first. You can do this via their website.
For information about how Ofcom assesses complaints and conducts investigations about BBC programmes, please see our website.
Please see below a summary of your complaint:
Title:
Mr
Forename:
Kenneth
Surname:
Shearsmith
Programme title:
Celebrity Master Chef
Date you watched, heard, downloaded or streamed programme:
30/08/2022
Time of broadcast (24 hour clock):
21:00
BBC Channel/ station/ website/ app on which the programme was seen or heard:
BBC One
Subject:
Inappropriate use of “Jesus of Nazareth” being used as an expletive in a cookery programme
Description of original complaint:
The original complaint BBC process only allowed me to state my concern that Mr Adam Pearson said “Jesus of Nazareth” on Celebrity Masterchef. A fuller explanation of my concern is given below in reply to their initial response
Dear Mr Salt
Thank you for responding to my complaint so promptly.
This is the first time I have lodged a complaint with the BBC, or ITV for that matter – I simply felt a genuine mistake had been made and expected you to accept that there had been an error. I was, therefore disappointed to have instead received what you consider to be justification for retaining Mr Pearson’s “Jesus of Nazareth” expletive.
So, the editing team felt that retaining the expletive was justified because it “reflects the world as it is and you protect freedom of expression.” I am of the strong opinion that in the context of a family cookery programme Mr Pearson’s expletive does not “reflect the world as it is.” Furthermore, Mr Pearson’s freedom to express displeasure with his cooking in a manner of his choice, should have been limited to words that were not defamatory to anyone- in this case Jesus.
I am confident that despite the BBC’s policy “to protect freedom of expression” an expletive referring to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, would have been immediately removed. Yes, it could be argued that an expletive of this nature would not “reflect the world as it is” as the dire consequences, cite Salman Rushdie, would make such an action most unlikely. However, I put it to you that the BBC policy is applied when it suits the purposes of the BBC; possibly on the occasion in question because it was considered to “make good TV.” The BBC has, therefore created an “unlevel playing field” in which it can be deemed acceptable to profane Christianity, but not other faiths.
I would welcome your response and trust that my comments will be forwarded to Senior members of the ‘Celebrity MasterChef’ team for their consideration.
Reason for dissatisfaction with the outcome of the BBC’s final response:
This was the third and final reply from the BBC’s Complaints Director, Mr Jeremy Hayes.
Thank you for your email about an edition of Celebrity Masterchef in which a
contributor exclaimed “Jesus of Nazareth”. You say this offended against your Christian
beliefs. The measure according to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines on Harm and Offence
for judging a complaint such as yours is whether the content in question breached
“generally accepted standards1”.
Ofcom, the BBC’s regulator, has recently published research on public attitudes
towards offensive language on TV and Radio. It notes that “’God’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ were
seen as acceptable on TV and radio by the majority of those taking part in a survey both
before and after the watershed at nine o’clock when this programme was broadcast.
I accept that you found this offensive, but I think, even so, this programme did not
exceed generally accepted standards. Accordingly I am not upholding your complaint.
There’s no provision for further appeal against this decision within the BBC. However,
you can contact the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, if you believe your complaint has
identified a breach of the Ofcom Code though of course it would be for Ofcom itself to
decide whether to consider your complaint
AS he cites Ofcom as part of the reason why my complaint is not being upheld, I have contacted you. The BBC complaint process did not allow me to continue so I wish to put to you the final point I hoped to make to the BBC which I believe should lead to a change of policy,
As part of your justification, you state that “God’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ are commonly used in place of more offensive swear words. This clearly demonstrates that your policy categorises “Jesus Christ” as a replacement swear word. Furthermore, by endorsing its misuse in a “cookery programme” you exacerbate its misuse in everyday speech.
The exact words used by Mr Pearson were, in fact Jesus of Nazareth.
In her Christmas Broadcast of 2008, Queen Elizabeth 11 demonstrated how these words should be used appropriately as an expression of respect
“I hope like me you will be encouraged by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in great adversity, managed to live an unselfish and sacrificial life.”
Mr Pearson, however, used the term “Jesus of Nazareth” inappropriately as an expression of disrespect. Uttering these words in such a manner is most definitely not part of everyday speech and I was especially shocked and offended to hear them on “Celebrity Master Chef.” May I please ask in which BBC programmes have these words previously been used in a similar cursory manner?
I would welcome the comments of Mr James Purnell, the BBC’s Head of Religious Affairs Programming on the points I make here and in my previous letter.
BBC Reference Number:
CAS-7274119
Date you submitted your complaint to the BBC:
02/09/2022
So there we have it – the final act of the saga – I do not know what Ofcom will actually do, but at least I feel that I have done my bit to ensure that the Lord’s name is not taken in vain – at least not in a family tv cookery programme!
Living it Up featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album Heart and Soul recorded and produced by Ross Gill
The last four blogs have focused on my complaint to the BBC concerning a Celebrity Master Chef episode in which Adam Pearson uttered “Jesus of Nazareth.” As I felt this unacceptable, I complained to the BBC and have been sharing the correspondence that resulted. Last week contained a letter I sent to the final stage of the BBC complaints procedure -the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). Below I share their reply.
British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast Centre, BC2 B4, 201 Wood Lane, London, W12 7TP
Telephone: 020 8743 8000 Email: ecu@bbc.co.uk
Executive Complaints Unit
Mr Ken Shearsmith
Via email
Ref: CAS-7274119
27 September 2022
Dear Mr Shearsmith
Celebrity Masterchef, BBC One, 30 August 2022
Thank you for your email about an edition of Celebrity Masterchef in which a
contributor exclaimed “Jesus of Nazareth”. You say this offended against your Christian
beliefs. The measure according to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines on Harm and Offence
for judging a complaint such as yours is whether the content in question breached
“generally accepted standards1”.
Ofcom, the BBC’s regulator, has recently published research on public attitudes
towards offensive language on TV and Radio. It notes that “’God’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ were
seen as acceptable on TV and radio by the majority of those taking part in a survey both
before and after the watershed at nine o’clock when this programme was broadcast.
I accept that you found this offensive, but I think, even so, this programme did not
exceed generally accepted standards. Accordingly, I am not upholding your complaint.
There’s no provision for further appeal against this decision within the BBC. However,
you can contact the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, if you believe your complaint has
identified a breach of the Ofcom Code though of course it would be for Ofcom itself to
decide whether to consider your complaint.
Information about lodging a complaint with Ofcom can be found here.
Yours sincerely
Jeremy Hayes
Complaints Director
Needless to say, I did write to Ofcom and will let you know their response next week in the last instalment of this saga.
Let Us All Stand Up featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
The last three blogs have focused on my complaint to the BBC concerning a Celebrity Master Chef episode in which Adam Pearson uttered “Jesus of Nazareth.” As I felt this unacceptable, I complained to the BBC and have been sharing the correspondence that resulted. Last week contained a letter from the BBC explaining that stage 1 of their complaints process was now complete and that the next stage was to write to the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). I did this with a copy of my letter below:
Thank you for your response and your apology for offending me, however my feelings are not the issue; my complaint is directed at BBC policy which caused Mr Pearson’s “Jesus of Nazareth” expletive to be retained and not deleted from the “Celebrity Master Chef” broadcast of August 30th.
As part of your justification, you state that “God’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ are commonly used in place of more offensive swear words. This clearly demonstrates that your policy categorises “Jesus Christ” as a replacement swear word. Furthermore, by endorsing its misuse in a “cookery programme” you exacerbate its misuse in everyday speech.
The exact words used by Mr Pearson were, in fact “Jesus of Nazareth.”
In her Christmas Broadcast of 2008, Queen Elizabeth 11 demonstrated how these words should be used appropriately as an expression of respect
“I hope like me you will be encouraged by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in great adversity, managed to live an unselfish and sacrificial life.”
Mr Pearson, however, used “Jesus of Nazareth” inappropriately as an expression of disrespect. Uttering these words in such a manner is most definitely not part of everyday speech and I was especially shocked and offended to hear them on “Celebrity Master Chef.” May I please ask in which BBC programmes have these words previously been used in a similar cursory manner?
I would welcome the comments of Mr James Purnell, the BBC’s Head of Religious Affairs Programming on the points I make here and in my previous letter.
Thank you
Yours sincerely
Next week I will share the reply
I Will Tell featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album “I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
So the last two blogs have focused on my complaint to the BBC concerning a Celebrity Master Chef episode in which Adam Pearson uttered “Jesus of Nazareth.” As I felt this unacceptable, I complained to the BBC and have been sharing the correspondence that resulted. Last week featured my reply to their initial response and this week here is their second letter to me.
Dear Mr Shearsmith,
Thank you for contacting us again. We understand you feel strongly about this.
As we previously mentioned, when looking at language that has the potential to cause offence we consider a number of factors including the nature of the programme, the time of broadcast, audience expectations for the programme, and the way in which the words are used. Programme makers are guided in this area by the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and research carried out by Ofcom who have considered this matter at some length. They concluded that words such as ‘God’ and ‘Jesus Christ’ are commonly used in place of more offensive swear words and viewers tended to regard them as ‘not offensive’ or ‘mild’ and felt their use was acceptable on TV or radio at any time. As you note ‘Muhammad’ is simply not used in the same way in everyday speech.
That said, we understand you do not approve of this language and we’re sorry for any offence or upset this caused you. We appreciate that views will differ on the use of such language but we hope we have been able to show that we do give careful consideration to the use of all language that has the potential to offend. We have again shared your views with senior members of the programme team and thanks again for taking the time to contact us. Should you wish to pursue your complaint further there are details below on how you can do this.
Kind regards
BBC Complaints
This concludes Stage 1 of our complaints process. That means we can’t correspond with you further here. If you remain unhappy, you can now contact the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). The ECU is Stage 2 of the BBC’s complaints process. You’ll need to explain why you think there’s a potential breach of standards, or if the issue is significant and should still be investigated. Please do so within 20 working days of this reply.
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