Jesus is the Alphabet featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson.
Last week I said that I was so excited as I was about to go to the Global Fire Studies to view the edit of all ten episodes of “A Journey of Faith.” Well, I have to say that I was overjoyed with what I saw – Malachi of Global Fire Creative has been doing a fantastic job. So next the edit is off to Casey, our Director for his input, then Joffy, our MD for the audio edit and then we have a promo to produce.
In the meantime, another archive Mustard Seed Concert – this one from 2005 at the Oasis Church, Portsmouth. It was produced in support of the charity “Faith and Football” and features its Director, Mick Mellows interviewing Portsmouth FC legend, Linvoy Primus – you can find that at about 25 mins in. Not sure why the video lasts over three hours – the concert certainly did not – it must repeat itself for some reason.
In Times of Trouble featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
I am excited as tomorrow I go to the Global Fire Studies to view the edit of all ten episodes of “A Journey of Faith.” After I have had a look, it gets passed to Casey, our Director for his input and then Joffy, our Musical Director for the audio edit which will include more orchestration.
I am, at present, reviewing the Bible notes I have written with various people offering their comments. We will hopefully have everything completed before Christmas, but as everything stops for Christmas the actual launch will probably be January. Will let you know!
Next week I have another archive Mustard Seed concert to share but this week it’s another moment of sunshine.
So here is another archived Mustard Seed Concert video– this one I believe was performed in 2002 and again features Bob Milliken as compere and Lucy Stimpson- Maynard on vocals and piano, This time they are joined by the embryonic Mustard Seed Soul Band and the Mustard Seed Girls Choir. The concert supported young Christian missionaries, Jez Field, Clare Townsend and Amelia Sweetland.
“Father Help Me Acknowledge You” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson
You may remember that we had intended and Easter production of Risen! The Musical at the Titchfield Festival Theatre’s Arden Theatre – in the end we had to withdraw, not least because Fareham Borough Council placed an injunction on the Arden which had to close while waiting appeal Blog February 1st Risen! The Musical – The Arden Theatre Saga – Part One | Risen – Well the outcome was heard yesterday and it was heartbreaking news for the Titchfield Festival Theatre and all its supporters.
The Southern Daily Echo reported:
Director Kevin Fraser said: “I am clearly broken hearted at the decision from the Planning Inspectorate. The country will lose one of its greatest community arts assets and Shakespeare must be turning in his grave!
“In light of this decision, I will speak to our Trustees and fully evaluate the outcome before commenting further.”
He urged audiences to support Made in Dagenham, which takes to the stage next month, and could be the last show in the venue, in St Margaret’s Lane, which has been besieged with parking problems.
The community theatre made a last-ditch attempt to save the space with an appeal to the highest planning decision making body.
It said it already had permission for the work to create the Arden theatre space but FBC disagreed, saying it was only to be used as storage.
In November 2023, the council served an enforcement order to close the charity’s largest theatre space.
Speaking after the Planning Inspectorate decision, Cllr Joanne Burton, Fareham Borough and Hampshire County Councillor for Sarisbury and Fareham’s Executive Member for Health and Public Protection, said: “It is regrettable that the company carried out these works without planning consent and in doing so they let down their many users and patrons as well as costing Fareham Borough Council taxpayers a significant sum of money to bring about compliance with planning law. The same laws which apply to everyone else.”
On a brighter note this week’s blog includes two videos from the Paris Olympics. German shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye who broke into worship after winning gold at Paris 2024.
Also, Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe winning silver in the artistic swimming. I could have chosen hundreds of clips displaying awesome skill from the Olympians, but not being blessed with much swimming ability myself, I really was in awe of what these two performed in the water.
I Look Up To The Heavens featuring Lucy Stimpson -Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson.
Just taking a break from sharing old Mustard Seed Song concert videos with a mention of how gratifying it is to read of those taking part in the current Olympics who express their faith in God.
Three-time Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty says his Christian faith has helped him deal with his mental health struggles and handle the pressures of the Paris Olympic Games.
“Sport is not the real world,” he told BBC East Midlands
“I spent most of my life kind of validating, getting my gratification or life’s fulfilment from my results and that led me to some dark moments.
“And it’s really living your life on a quantifiable measure of results, results, results instead of how are the people around me? How am I, how is my son, how is my family?
“All these things actually do matter, it’s not about your job, it’s not just about performance.
“And to get that, the only place I found it was at church.”
It is while he talks of God, his faith and attending Sunday sermons, that the heavily tattooed Peaty points to the latest and most prominent bit of ink on his body.
On his abdomen is a cross with the words “into the light” written below it.
“I really didn’t have a community outside of sport,” Peaty said.
“For me, the only fulfilment and the only peace is every Sunday at church. It gives me a nice balance. It is those everyday conversations or prayers with myself that keeps me inspired, but also keeps me on the right track that I’ve got a gift that I will use every single day.”
“Why wouldn’t I use this gift?”
Two other Olympians who are open about their faith are Andrea Spendolini – Sirieix and Lois Toulon who won bronze in the synchronized diving – todays video features their interview.
So, as I explained a few weeks ago Blog June 20th 25 Years of Mustard Seed Songs | Risen this is the 25th anniversary year of Mustard Seed Songs. In looking back over those years I found some videos of our early concerts which I have now uploaded onto YouTube as unlisted (i.e. only those that have the link can view)
I believe this featured video is of the third concert we arranged at Holy Rood church. It was 2001 and was in support of the missionary work in Uganda of Roberta Cousins.
It features Bob Milliken as compere, Lucy Stimpson- Maynard on vocals and piano, Ross Gill on guitar, Ben Kennedy on drums and Maggie Horton on flute. Nell Hall – Wycherley and Martin Whitehead were guest singers.
Let Every Creature In Heaven featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and Friends – unpublished recorded by John Hodgkinson
When I read this, I thought it was obviously fake, however I felt the message to still be strong, hence I am sharing.
Does evil exist?
The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, “Yes, he did!”
“God created everything? The professor asked.
“Yes sir”, the student replied.
The professor answered, “If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil”. The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, “Can I ask you a question professor?”
“Of course”, replied the professor.
The student stood up and asked, “Professor, does cold exist?”
“What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?” The students snickered at the young man’s question.
The young man replied, “In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.”
The student continued, “Professor, does darkness exist?”
The professor responded, “Of course it does.”
The student replied, “Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”
Finally the young man asked the professor, “Sir, does evil exist?”
Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.”
To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”
The One Whose Name Begins With J from His Story Live – unpublished – recorded and produced by Ross Gill
I recently read this and thought it well worth sharing:
John D. Rockefeller was once the richest man in the world, the world’s first billionaire. At age 25, he controlled one of America’s largest oil refineries. By the age of 31, he had become the world’s largest oil refiner.
By the age of 38, he had refined 90 percent of the oil in the United States. For 50 years, he was the richest man in the country. As a young man, every decision, attitude, and relationship was designed to build his power and wealth. But at the age of 53, he fell ill. A colleague wrote:
His whole body shook with pain and all his hair fell out. In utter agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but could only digest soup and crackers. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t smile and nothing in life meant anything to him.
Doctors predicted that he would die within a year. That year passed slowly in agony. As he approaches death, he wakes up one morning with the vague realization that he is unable to take any of his wealth with him to the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized that he was not in control of his life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorney, accountant, and managers and announced that he wanted to transfer his assets to hospitals, research, and charity.
John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, a treatment for malaria, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. The most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he started giving back a portion of everything he earned, his body chemistry changed so dramatically that he got better and better.
There was a time when it seemed that he would die at the age of 53. But he lived to the age of 98. By giving wealth to charity, he became healthy, as if this thing called charity is also a method of treatment. Before his death, he wrote in his diary.
The Supreme Energy taught me, that everything belongs to Him, and I am only a channel to obey His wishes. My life has been one long, happy holiday; Full of work and play. I left worry on the way. Now I was me and my God. Every day was good for me.
Love is Patient, Love is Kind featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Love is the Way recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson.
Well somehow England are in the final of the 2024 Euro’s!!
My champagne moment so far is captured in today’s video clip when Luke Shaw chose to shake hands with the disconsolate Swiss players rather than rush to his teammates after they won the penalty shoot- out. The video also shows Christian, Bukayo Saka praising God before joining his teammates to celebrate.
I love sporting moments like this – one of my favourites still being Andy (Freddie) Flintoff’s gesture to Brett Lee as captured here: Blog July 18th “England World Cup Cricket Champions” | Risen
Quote of the week
So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,
Jesus Christ -Matthew 7:12
Love is the Way featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Love is the Way recorded and produced by Bob Ross.
Last week I shared Richard Goodhall’s amazing “Golden Buzzer” performance on America’s Got Talent. Today I wanted to post some background information about him which is pretty heart warming.
