“You are the Maker” from album “Love is the Way” featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard – recorded and produced by Bob Ross.

As St Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is futile and so is your faith.” I could also add and Risen!- The Musical would be a waste of time.

So was Jesus really raised from the dead? This is the issue I will be looking at in the next few weeks.

In the blog of April 23^rd which focused on Mary Magdalene I made the point that if the Gospels were made up then they would surely have written that Jesus was first seen alive after the crucifixion by a man and not a woman as, at that time in Israel, the testimony of women was considered to be virtually worthless and was not even admissible in court.  In the words of John in Risen!- The Musical  “No there’s only one reason why first appearing to a woman would make any sense and that is if it were true and it is I can assure you there is no pretence.”

Last week I asked that if  all the disciples bar John were martyred for their faith  why would they endure brutal deaths for a lie?  I have heard one argument compare their martyrdom with those that caused 9/11; they also being prepared to die for a cause they believed in. However those involved in 9/11 committed suicide with the intention of killing others as part of a strategy for furthering their cause. The disciples did not commit suicide but chose to be murdered by others rather than deny Christ -also their deaths did not knowingly lead to the deaths of others, so I think comparisons between the two cannot be justified.

So what are the arguments for not believing that which Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul wrote?  One argument is that there is little evidence for the Resurrection outside the Bible, another queries the authenticity of Gospel authorship whilst another that the Gospel accounts themselves are unreliable and contradictory.

For those that argue that there is little evidence of the Resurrection outside the Bible I would say that in those days only learned scribes could write and as that in itself was a slow process people transferred information by word of mouth (known as the oral tradition). I can hear the sceptics now talk about “Chinese whispers” -how something said can have its meaning  dramatically changed as it is handed down from one person to another. That, however is not the case if is the information is considered “precious” for then people ensure that it is remembered correctly. Take, for example the words of Shakespeare or of Wordsworth- someone would soon shout out “Wrong- it’s suffer not inflict” if they heard “To be, or not to be, that is the question: whether ’tis nobler in the mind to inflict the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Or “I wander lonely as the moon.” – “No, no it’s a cloud not the moon!”

To   those who contend  that there are no contemporary books outside the Bible claiming  Jesus was raised from the dead  I would ask “Why are there no contemporary  books written claiming  that Jesus was not raised from the dead? “ Obviously Both the Romans and Jews had people who could write so that’s not the issue. The  Romans would surely have  wanted  to disprove Jesus’ Resurrection because it interfered with their worship of the Emperor (the reason why so many Christians were martyred; thrown to lions etc)  The Jews, especially the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, had been heavily criticised  by Jesus and it was they who initiated His crucifixion so it was in their best interest to disprove the Resurrection. An example is Saul, a zealous Pharisee who, before his conversion and change of name to Paul, was throwing Christians into prison.  So I would say that there were many who would have benefited from proving Jesus was not raised – so why didn’t they write down their proof? Surely that’s obvious – they had no proof – they had no corpse to produce – they could not persuade Jesus ‘ followers  to deny Him no matter how badly they were  treated.  Writing a book on the non -Resurrection of Jesus was not worth their time or their ink!

But what if the Gospels themselves are unreliable- what if they were not really written by eye- witnesses – let’s look at that next week

The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew – Jusepe de Ribera

“He’s Never Lied” from the album “The Season of Singing  ” featuring Jim Rogers , Lucy Rutherford and Mike Backhouse with the Mustard Seed Soul Band recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

Last week I looked at how the disciples of Jesus who feature in Risen!- The Musical died -Judas, John, Peter, James and Thomas. This week I look at the traditions surrounding the deaths of  the other disciples.

Andrew, the brother of Peter, was martyred in AD 60 by first being scourged and then tied to a cross.  Because Andrew deemed himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Christ he chose an  X shaped cross. Andrew survived for two days, during which he preached to passers-by.

Matthew, the former tax collector was martyred in Ethiopia, where some sources say he was  stabbed in the back by an swordsman sent by King Hertacus, after he criticized the King’s morals. Another belief is that he was beheaded at Nad-Davar in 60-70 A.D

Philip became a missionary in Asia. Eventually, he travelled to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, where he was scourged, thrown into prison, and crucified upside down in 54 AD.

Bartholomew (Nathaniel) preached in several countries, including India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew for believers. In one account, “impatient idolaters” beat Bartholomew and then crucified him, while in another, he was skinned alive and then beheaded.

James son of Alpheus (James the Lesser) was thrown down from the temple by the scribes and Pharisees; he was then stoned, and his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club in AD 62

Thaddaeus, (Jude) was crucified at Edessa (the name of cities in both Turkey and Greece) in 72 AD.
Simon the Zealot- there is more than one tradition for  him, for example  Christian Ethiopians claim that he was crucified in Samaria, while Justus Lipsius writes that he was sawn in half at Suanir, Persia. Yet another tradition says he possibly visited Britain,  and was crucified in Caistor, modern-day Lincolnshire.

I believe that the martyrdom of the Apostles is  a huge proclamation that Jesus really was raised from the dead. People do not die for their own lies, half-truths, or fabrications. If the Apostles truly died proclaiming to have seen Christ dead and then resurrected why would they have lied – what on earth was there to gain?  I know the song for today has featured before in this blog but I thought the lyrics particularly appropriate:

You say you can’t trust every story that’s been written,

But this Gospel is different and I’ll tell you why.

Its writers faced death, persecution and torture,

So why would they tell it – why would they lie?

Crucifixion of St Peter, by Luca Giordano, 1659 – 1660

1″Oh Lord By Praise”featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from album” I Look Up To The Heavens” produced and recorded by John Hodgkinson

Last blog I wrote of the non- Biblical traditions that relate to where in the world Jesus’ disciples took the “Great Commission” – preaching about Him and His resurrection. I want now to look at the manner in which they died.
Risen!- The Musical features five of the disciples – John, Peter, James, Thomas and Judas- let’s see how they met their deaths.
Matthew’s Gospel and the Book of Acts tell us that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, committed suicide.
From Acts 12: 2 we learn that James, brother of John and son of Zebedee was put to the sword by order of King Herod Agrippa 1st (beheaded)
Most regard the last book of the Bible – The Book of Revelation as having been written by John. He was exiled to the island of Patmos because of his evangelism. The general tradition is that he lived to a very old age, but there is one account that before dying a natural death John survived being boiled in oil. The historian Tertullian writes that the Emperor of Rome, Domitan had John plunged into a vat of boiling oil, possibly in the Colosseum. John did not react as expected to the torturous heat- he was not in agony but continued preaching to the crowd, many of whom were converted when they saw John unharmed.
According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.
Thomas, again according to tradition, was martyred in India when a local King condemned him to death for angering the local priests and scholars who thought that Thomas was disrespecting India’s caste system. Thomas was brought to a nearby mountain and stabbed to death with a spear. He is believed to be buried around the suburb of Madras.
So four of the five disciples featured in Risen!- The Musical were martyred- John instead being exiled after having possibly survived being boiled in oil.
Next week I will look at what happened to the rest of the disciples and the significance their deaths have to the resurrection of Jesus.

“Father Help Me Acknowledge You” – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson.

Jesus told His disciples to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 19) This is termed the “Great Commission” and is a scene featured in Risen!- The Musical. So did the disciples do as Jesus told them?

Simon Peter certainly did – we know from the Book of Acts that he travelled around the country preaching to his fellow Hebrews. From the Book of Revelation we know that John was exiled on the Island of Patmos because of his evangelism.

We have to go to tradition to have an idea of where the other disciples preached – for example, as I said in last week’s blog, James brother of John preached in Spain.

Thomas is said to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as India founding the church of Mar Thoma which is still in existence today.

There is reason to believe that Matthew stayed in Jerusalem for fifteen years after which he became a missionary to the Persians, Parthians and Medes.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother is  associated  with a number of countries including Georgia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and the Ukraine and is the Patron Saint of several other countries including Barbados, Romania, Russia and   Ukraine. However, how did Thomas become Patron Saint of Scotland as there is no record of him having been there.  Tradition has it that in 832 AD, Óengus II led an army of Picts and Scots into battle against the Angles. Heavily outnumbered Óengus prayed, vowing that if granted victory he would appoint Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland. On the morning of battle white clouds forming an X shape in the sky and Óengus,  taking this as a divine intervention, took to the field and, despite being inferior in numbers, was victorious. Óengus honoured his pre-battle pledge and duly appointed Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland. The white saltire set against a celestial blue background is said to have been adopted as the design of the flag of Scotland on the basis of this legend.

Tradition records Bartholomew as serving as a missionaryin Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia and Greater Armenia. He is also said to have travelled with Thomas to spread the Gospel in India.

Some sources say that Philip preached in Phrygia, while others say to the North African city of Carthage.

We are told James son of Alphaeus preached the Gospel in Lower Egypt and Syria whereas Thaddeous (also known as Jude) preached in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya.

Less is known of Simon the Zealot but he is often associated with  Jude as an evangelizing team in Western Christianity; sharing their feast day on 28th October. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia and Beirut, Lebanon.

So we can see that even if we have to rely on non- Biblical accounts, evidence points to the disciples all preaching that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. Surely this makes for a strong case for  His resurrection being  true and next week I will share how something else the disciples did makes this case for the Resurrection even stronger.

Congratulations to all our friends at “Faith and Football”

“I Sing This Song Of Love For You” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

Before having a look at what happened to the disciple James may I first congratulate my friends Linvoy Primus and Mick Mellows, co- Directors of  the charity, Faith and Football that  will be presenting Risen!- The Musical with us at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth this coming November.  Linvoy has been awarded an M.B.E and Faith and Football have received an MBE equivalent -the Queens Award for Voluntary Services. So many richly deserved congratulations!

Risen!- The Musical features five of Jesus’ disciples – Judas, Peter, Thomas, John and James.  Judas was discussed in blog of April 16^th Thomas in blog April 9^th and Peter last week.

In blogs April 30^th and May 7^th I discussed the disciple John, but what about his brother James, also named in by Jesus in Mark 3:17 as a Son of Thunder?  By the way this James is not to be confused with James the brother of Jesus or another disciple, James son of Alpheus.  To help (or to add to the confusion) James brother of John is sometimes known as James the Greater, whereas  James son of Alpheus is known as  James the Lesser or Younger.

The Bible (Matthew 4:21) tells us that James was a fisherman, the brother of John and the son of Zebedee.  We also know that together with John and Peter,  James was part of Jesus’ “inner circle” and for example was with Him at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33.)  From Acts 12: 2  we learn that King Herod (that is Herod Agrippa 1 grandson of Herod the Great) had him put to the sword i.e. beheaded. Anything else we know of James is from tradition rather than from Biblical accounts- one tradition being that after seeing the courage and un- recanting spirit of James, his executioner was so convinced of Christ’s resurrection, that he was executed with him.

James is the patron saint of Spain and Portugal. According to one legend, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. (The name Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctu Iacobu, “Saint James“.) The traditional pilgrimage to the grave of the Saint, known as the “Way of St. James“, has been the most popular pilgrimage for Western European Catholics from the Early Middle Ages onwards. It was the focus of the film “The Way” starring Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez and James Nesbitt.

In Risen!- The Musical James sings the songs- “Judas I Don’t Understand,”  “Jesus Lord of Lords” (in the newly  revised script) and “Bathe Me In Your Light.”

So what about the other disciples? Next week I will look at traditions that surround other disciples Matthew, Andrew, Bartholomew, Philip, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus (probably also known as Jude) and Simon the Zealot.

Cast of Risen!- The Musical by statue of Lady Godiva – Coventry Broadgate – venue of premiere at Pentecost Festival

“Jesus is the Alphabet” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album ” I Look Up To The Heavens” recorded and produced by John Hodgkinson

So finally, after more than four years of writing, recording and piloting Risen!- The Musical premiered at the Coventry Pentecost Festival on Saturday, May 23^rd.  It was an unforgettable day, the cast from the London College of Music were absolutely brilliant, not just in their performance but also for being such a great bunch of people to be with. So a huge thanks from me to them for everything that made the day so special – the “flash mob” in the Lower Precinct – Jodie managing a great performance even though poorly sick- the impromptu singing of “Jesus is My Lord” in the Marquee, with that pretty much straight after you arrived after a two and a half hour journey.  I will never forget the way that “jaws dropped” when people heard Leah open up the song – they obviously had no idea of how good the cast would be but they certainly found out in those opening few notes! And of course all the commitment, patience and good humour in rehearsing with such a short time available – oh and I nearly forgot, for helping me drink a few glasses of Prosecco!

Tremendous thanks also for the amazing organisation that took place from the Festival Organisers “Hope for Coventry” – Andrew , Angus, Matthew and of course my great mate Darren. Also to Jo the Manager of Holy Trinity Church’s Prayer House ; some parts of this inspiring building  were built in the 15^th Century and the cast had the privilege of using it for their changing rooms. Just behind us was Coventry Cathedral, which is so impressive with the new building standing side by the side with the original that was bombed in World War Two.

Biggest thanks, however must go to Niamh McGuckin, our brilliant Director who also played Mary Mother of Jesus. With very little time to rehearse she worked tirelessly to ensure that the production was of the highest possible quality.  Her humility was also really apparent when she looked so shocked when the cast presented her with a bouquet of flowers in thanks for all her efforts.

So many people said such kind things about Risen!- The Musical  but here is a quote from Andrew – one of the organisers:

“Risen! – The Musical” was a wonderful climax to the Coventry Pentecost Festival -we were treated to an uplifting portrayal of the story of Holy Week to Pentecost through amazing songs, word, action and dance by a highly professional team who conveyed the hope of the Gospel very powerfully. We felt truly blessed and privileged to host the premiere of this inspirational musical and everybody I spoke to was blessed by it. We wish you all God’s blessing in the future, and that “Risen!” will bless many thousands of people in the months to come.

Next stop the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth when it re- opens in November 2015 – watch this space!

As we have been celebrating a premiere I thought it would be good to feature a song from the premiere Mustard Seed Album, “I Look Up To The Heavens.”  It is “Jesus is the Alphabet” sung by Lucy Stimpson- Maynard.  In fact I used its melody line “Yes Lord help us realise with Jesus in our lives “ for a line for the Risen! song “Do Not Let Your hearts be troubled”-  “And I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

Next week – so what happened to Jesus’s disciples?

The cast of Risen!- The Musical at the Coventry Pentecost Festival

“There’s More Than One Way Of Saying I Love You” Featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and Mustard Seed Soul Band  from Mustard Seed’s Album “Uplifted” produced by Bob Ross

So Risen!- The Musical premiered on Saturday, May 23^rd as part of the Coventry Pentecost Festival – more of that next week when there are photos to share but for now let’s just say it was “awesome”

In the meantime let me return to how Risen!- The Musical portrays some of its characters. So what about the disciple Peter? As with the disciple John a lot of what we know of Peter comes from the Gospel stories that precede the start of the Risen! storyline.  We know, for example that he was originally called Simon, was a fisherman in partnership with James and John and their father Zebedee  (Matthew 4:18 -22) We know that when first approached by Jesus he told Jesus to stay away because he was a sinful man (Luke 5: 8)  We also know he had a wife (Matthew 8:14)  and that when  the disciples were asked by Jesus who they thought He was, it was Peter who proclaimed “ You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.”  (Matthew 16:16)  Jesus responded by telling Peter (which means rock) that he is the rock upon which the church will be built; some interpret this to mean that it was Peter’s proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God which became the foundation upon which the church was built. Others believe it was  Peter himself upon which the church was built and indeed tradition has it that he became the first Bishop of Rome with St Peter’s Basilica built upon his bones.

After Pentecost Peter became one of the driving forces in the new church – after his speech (Acts 2: 14- 41) 3000 were baptised that very same day.  Acts also describes his miraculous escape from jail (Acts 12- 1-19) and his missionary work to the Hebrew people, Tradition has it that Peter was crucified by the Emperor Nero in AD 67/68. Peter chose to be crucified upside down as he felt unworthy to suffer the exact same death as his Saviour, Jesus.

In Risen! The Musical – Mary Magdalene tells Peter and John that the tomb is empty  and so Peter rushes there and is first to go in to find it  empty (John 20: 1-9) .  St Luke’s Gospel (Luke 24: 34)  tells us that Jesus appeared to Peter on the first Sunday when He rose from the dead. Peter was always impetuous and In Matthew 26: 33  promises Jesus that he will never deny him and that he would follow Him to death – Jesus replies by saying “Before the cock crows you will deny me three times – which is what, of course he did. Once, when Jesus appeared to some of the disciples who had returned to fish in  Galilee  Jesus takes Peter to one side and asks him three times if he loves Him. (John 21: 15-19) This is often referred to as Peter’s reinstatement as Jesus is using this opportunity to let Peter know that he has been forgiven.  Although Peter tells Jesus three times that he loves Him – right after Jesus leaves the scene  Peter wonders how he could love Jesus even more and sings the song “How can I love You more?”  Peter realises that he can only love more if he contemplates how much Jesus loves him, exemplified by His sacrifice on the cross -“Love’s source is in heaven not from within me.”

The featured song for today is “There’s more than one way of saying I love you” I thought it appropriate as I used its melody for the opening recitative of Risen!- The Musical  – “Family that’s what we’ve come to be, following Jesus for three years – family.”

“The cast of Risen!- The Musical” after a Sunday rehearsal in London.

Some of the cast of Risen! The Musical” rehearsing for Sunday’s performance in Coventry – “Hosanna”

So it’s the big day on Saturday May 23^rd as Risen! The Musical  premiers at the Coventry Pentecost Festival 7.30 pm at Broadgate.  My great mate Darren Bovis- Coulter and his friends in the Hope Coventry  team have done an amazing job in organising  a whole weekend of great events culminating in the first production of Risen!- The Musical.  www.coventrypentecost.com  If you can make it there I am sure you will have a fantastic time.

I cannot speak too highly of the fantastic cast we have that will be journeying up to Coventry from London. They have been rehearsing like mad – I saw them rehearse the first ACT of Risen! last Sunday and is was brilliant.  I hope to have some good news for the cast on Saturday as for the past  two days  I’ve had meetings with the New Theatre Royal management  with a view to Risen!- The Musical playing there in October of this year, when the £9m refurbishment is  finally completed.

Here is the fabulous cast for Saturday’s Coventry performance:

Jesus – Mikey Wooster

Mary Mother of Jesus – Niamh McCuckin

John- Andrew Dovaston

Mary Magdalene- Jodie Quirke

Peter- Kieran Lawson

Mary sister of Martha and Lazarus – Claire Hutchinson

Thomas- Adam Valentine

Mary wife of Clopas – Leah Godbold

James- Johnny Fitzharris

Cleopas- Benny Bright

Cleopas’ friend- Coby Collins

Judas – Ennio Ficiur

Director – Niamh McCuckin

If you would like to view their profiles please visit http://www.coventrypentecost.com/risen_cast.php

I expect next week’s blog will feature how the performance went and so the promised account of how Risen! portrays the disciple Peter will have to be put on hold for yet another week

“We Can’t Set The World On Fire” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard with the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

Just going to take a week off from exploring the characters in the Risen!- the Musical. I am doing this to ensure that everyone knows that the double CD of Risen!- The Musical can be downloaded from either ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/risen!-musical-original-score/id987641119 or

Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Risen-Musical-Original-Various-artists/dp/B00WFM3YVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1431166995&sr=1-1&keywords=risen+the+musical

If you would prefer to just download a track or two then may I suggest for ballad fans ACT ONE track 10 or ACT TWO track 14. If you are into “anthems” then ACT ONE track 18 or ACT TWO track 16. For a finale singalong then its ACT TWO track 18 and for a bit of rock followed by the drama of Judas’ suicide then go for ACT ONE track 9. Of course if you prefer a “hard copy” then they are available from www.risenthemusical.com

Just 10 days before Risen!- The Musical premiers at the Coventry Pentecost Festival on May 23rd with a fantastic cast London based professional cast  – it’s not that far to Coventry so why not come!?  Tickets are subsidised and so are dirt cheap – check out www.coventrypentecost.com

Featured song this week is “We Can’t Set the World on Fire” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and  the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album “Uplifted”

Images of Mustard Seed Songs first musical "His Story"

“Uplifted” from Mustard Seed’s first musical His Story – featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band – album recorded and produced by Ross Gill

In his Gospel, John writes in Chapter 19 verse 25 “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. “ (New International Version) Some versions have “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and His mother’s sister. “

So how many women were there at the cross – three or four?  If you interpret the verse to mean His mother, His mother’s sister, who is Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene then its three. If you interpret it as Mary the mother of Jesus, His sister, together with Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene then it is four.

So if you go for the former interpretation then Mary wife of Clopas is the sister of Jesus’ mother i.e. Jesus’ aunt. Furthermore if Mary is the wife of the Cleopas who met with Jesus on the way to Emmaus that would, of course, make Cleopas, Jesus’ uncle.

Now let’s look at the interpretation that there were, in fact four women at the cross. Mark 15:40 tells us that Salome was there watching, so many therefore believe that she and not Mary wife of Clopas is the sister of Mary mother of Jesus. Matthew 27:56 refers to this woman as the mother of Zebedee’s sons and we learn from Mark 1: 19 that Zebedee’s sons were the disciples James and John. So we can therefore deduce that Salome (the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus)   and Zebedee are husband and wife and  the parents  of James and John. They are also aunt and uncle to Jesus with James and John His cousins.

That John was a relative (and also one of some means – see blog April 30^th) may have been the reason why Jesus, as He was dying on the cross, told John to look after His mother.  John 19:25 “Dear woman here is your son and to the disciple – here is your Mother. From that day on this disciple took her into his home. “

Featured song is again from the Mustard Seed Soul Band – “Uplifted” from Mustard Seed’s first musical His Story and also the title  track of the album “Uplifted.”  It was inspired by the soul classics “In the Midnight Hour” “You don’t know like I know” and “Higher and Higher” (see blog April 30^th)