The blog will return next week.

“In the Beginning was the Word”

“In the Beginning was the Word” Taken from Mustard Seed Songs’ first musical “His Story.”

In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

These words are, of course taken from the first verses of John’s Gospel.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke start with accounts of the Nativity whereas John starts at the very beginning in heaven.  However all tell of God choosing to take on human form and to live among us- “Emmanuel – God with us” how amazing is that?!

PJ, our amazing webmaster, and all at Mustard Seed Songs wish you a very happy Christmas, blessed in the knowledge that God cares for each one of us and that is why He chose a stable and not a palace in which to be born and that is why 33 years later He chose to die an agonising death in our place.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Linvoy Primus at the Crofton Summer Sports Week

“Heart on Fire” featuring Katy Summer with the Mustard Seed Soul Band from album “Heart and Soul” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Last week I mentioned Linvoy Primus and guess what during the week I bumped into him and his lovely wife Trish. We had a nice catch up chat and then later in the week I read an article on him in the SportsMail. I contacted Linvoy and he has kindly said that I can use some extracts from the article for today’s blog.

I first met Linvoy through my old friend Mick Mellows who, as I said last week, was at PE Training College with me in Winchester and is Godfather to my two sons James and Chris.  It was Mick who led Linvoy to faith. In the SportsMail article Linvoy recollects how he had a knee injury and how Mick, who was Pompey’s Chaplin at the time, and team mate Darren Moore prayed and the injury was healed.  Linvoy says “I knew these people (Mick and Darren ) were not magicians and I trusted them. So when my knee was healed I knew it was real and that was what allowed me to move forward. When that happens you know it’s beyond anything in your mind and your body can’t make that happen. That’s when I surrendered to God and by doing that it gave me freedom on the pitch. I had peace, real peace.

As many of you will now Linvoy arrived  at Pompey in 2000 and went on to make 218 appearances for the club and become part of  Fratton Park folklore.  The SportsMail article finishes with Linvoy referring to his new role working for ”Christians in Sport” “ The thing which get me through is my faith. It feels like the right thing for me to do. I share my story and hopefully that helps.”

I remember Linvoy sharing his story of faith at a Mustard Seed Concert held at the Oasis Church Arundel Street Portsmouth.  I remember him bopping about to “Jesus is my Lord”!  Linvoy also met the children from Crofton Hammond Infants School who sang “What Would Jesus Do?” in the  His Story production at The Kings Theatre, Southsea  which Mustard Seed Songs produced in association with Faith and Football , the charity of which Mick and Linvoy are Founders and Directors.

In the summer of 2013 Linvoy came and visited the annual Crofton Summer Sports Week that I run and today’s blog pic is of him with the children.

I think Linvoy’s favourite Mustard Seed song is “Jesus is my Lord” but as that featured in the blog of September 18^th  I have chosen today “Heart on Fire” as the words epitomise Linvoy’s mission.

“Give us a heart on fire, Lord one whose sole desire is to serve. Jesus my Lord and King to be witnessing is the very least thing I can do”

“Heart on Fire” also features on our forthcoming musical Risen! sung after Jesus gives the Great Commission in Matthew 28 “Go make disciples of all nations.”

Robbie Richardson (far right) with Stuart Fowler (centre) and Tim Downs (left)

“Allow His Loving Arms” from CD “The Season of Singing” Featuring Ross Gill on vocals and guitar and Robbie Richardson on recorder

So as promised a bit on Robbie Richardson our brilliant saxophonist.

A very dear and old friend of mine is Mick Mellows the ex -Pompey Footballer   and  Director  of the charity “Faith and Football” www.faithandfootball.org.uk/ Mick started the charity with another friend of mine,  Linvoy Primus (name dropping two legends in the same sentence!)  I was at PE College in Winchester with Mick (taught him all he knows about football -not!) and he and his lovely wife Felicity are God Parents to my two boys James and Christopher.  I was talking to Mick when Mustard Seed Songs first started about needing a saxophone player for our CDs and he said that he knew a brilliant saxophonist who was teaching Hannah, his daughter  to play. So I contacted Robbie and he has now played on all our CDs from “Uplifted” onwards- and that is, tenor sax, alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, flute and recorder.

On last week’s featured song “Oh Lord Hear My Voice” Robbie played sax and in today’s song “Allow His Loving Arms” it is recorder. Incidentally the chorus of “Allow His Loving Arms” is used in our new musical- Risen! It sung by the disciple Thomas (played by James Townend- see blog June 20^th)  and the Ensemble.  In Risen! the song is called “How Great Are His Signs” and it will be the free download for those people who  help on our soon to be launched fund raiser “Cheerful Giver.”

Robbie is a full- time professional musician who you can see play regularly in the summer at The Pebbles Restaurant in Stokes Bay, Gosport  and also at  Rosie’s Wine Bar in Elm Grove, Southsea.  Not only has Robbie played on our CDs but he has also never missed a Mustard Seed Concert or production of our first musical- “His Story.”  He even played at the wedding of Caroline and I – so here is an opportunity to give Robbie a huge thank you.  THANK YOU ROBBIE!

PS Robbie is also famous for his “unique” sense of humour and for his interest in writing – he runs what is best described as a “Literary open mic”  – welcoming writers of all ages, experience and styles to get involved in short story writing competitions. Please check it out on http://www.write-invite.com/

“Oh Lord Hear My Voice” featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard with Robbie Richardson on sax- from album “Where Would I Be Without You?”

This world and this life, Lord are so unsafe,

But I know You’re good, place in You my faith,

Life’s mysteries – I can’t explain,

But I’ll rejoice in You all the same.

I feel these words are particularly appropriate at this time when there is so much evil in the world.   The horrors of war and the brutality of extremists are difficult to comprehend. The so called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al Shabaab in Kenya are committing  atrocities in which it is so easy to cry out to God “Why oh why?”  And indeed there is no reason why we should not cry out to Him – after all that is what the Psalmists did in their Laments. However most of those Laments concluded with a re-affirmation of their trust in God and that is what this song attempts to do.

The saxophone is played by Robbie Richardson who has been with Mustard Seed Songs for many, many years – he is amazing but more of Robbie next week.

“You Are The Shepherd Of My Soul” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Love is the Way.”

I have just heard from Darren Bovis – Coulter that the brand new fundraiser “Cheerful Giver” that he has created will soon be ready to launch.  We at Mustard Seed Songs are delighted to be the first charity to use this fantastic innovation.  Mustard Seeds are near completion of the double Cd to our new musical Risen! – mixing and mastering  next month with a release date of Easter 2015. In the new year Joffy, our fantastic Musical Director, will start to write the musical score and in September we hope to  have  a  full stage production  at the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth which is, at present undergoing a £9m refurbishment.

Obviously all this is going to cost a lot of money and that is why the “Cheerful Giver” fundraiser is so important to us.  We are only asking for a donation of £5.00- those that donate will receive a free Risen!  track to download and also the promise of a free ticket for the New Theatre Royal performance of Risen!   If you agree that this is such a brilliant deal please contact me on ken.shearsmith@ntlworld.com  and I will put you on our list to contact as soon as “Cheerful Giver” is launched.

Our featured song for this week is “You are the Shepherd of my Soul” from our CD “Love is the Way.”

“Walking with Jesus” The Mustard Seed Soul Band – recorded by Ross Gill

It was so said to hear of the death last week of dear Hazel Willis. She and her wonderful husband Doug meant a great deal to me and were much loved by all those at Holy Rood Church and far beyond.  Doug had been a great preacher and both he and Hazel real prayer warriors.

Doug and Hazel were always fantastic supporters of Mustard Seed Songs and in the blog of July 10th  I tell of how Doug inspired me to write the song “Oh the Depths of the Riches.”  In that blog I also tell of how I read a draft of the “Risen!” script to Doug and Hazel and then later, when they became available, I played  them musical extracts. When I saw tears streaming down Doug’s face I knew that Risen! was going to be something that would really bless people.

I am sure that the first thing both Doug and Hazel heard when they met Jesus face to face was “Well done good and faithful servant.”

The both spent their lives helping and blessing others – they most surely did spend their lives “Walking with Jesus”  the song which features in today’s blog.

“Sing Oh Barren Woman” Featuring Lucy Jane Rutherford and Ross Gill – recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Here is an amazing story with which I was privileged to be involved.  A very good friend, Joyce Allan had shared an amazing experience with the Vicar of Holy Rood Church, Rev. Stephen Girling.  Joyce  had kept her story  to herself for some time  but when she told Stephen he suggested that Mustard Seed Songs become involved.

Stuart Fowler recording additional trumpet for “Risen! – The Musical”

“Walking with the King of Kings” – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard on vocals and keys with Stuart Fowler on trumpet. From CD “Precious” – recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So the last of the instrumental recordings are now complete for the Risen! double CD.  Last week Stuart Fowler adding his fantastic trumpet playing to “There is Path,” “Cleopas Come On” and the “Judas Suicide.” Stuart had already played on other tracks which include a horn section such as “How Great Are His Signs,”   “Hosanna,”  Give Thanks To The Lord,” “Heart On Fire,” and the title track Risen!

I first met Stuart nine years ago when he visited Crofton School as part of a music team from St Vincent College. Trumpet players are few and far between and so I introduced myself pretty much immediately! When he left St V’s Stuart studied trumpet at the prestigious Trinity College of Music, London.

Stuart has been a fantastic supporter of Mustard Seed Songs – playing in all our first musical  -“His Story”- productions at places like the Kings Theatre, Southsea and Central Hall, Westminster- Also at Mustard Seed concerts and on albums such as “Precious.”

Stuart’s trumpet playing featured in the song of last week’s blog – “Put Your Hand In The Hand of God.”  He also features in today’s song “Walking With The King Of Kings” – so thanks very much again Stuart.

Incidentally Stuart is the cousin of my dear friend, Dr Graham Giles MBE who is Director of the charity Europe2 Europe. You can read about some of the amazing work Graham does, particularly in Romania, by visiting www. europe2europe.co.uk

“I Will Tell” from Mustard Seed Songs’ first album “I Look Up To The Heavens” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard recorded by John Hodgkinson

Last piece of recording today – Stuart Fowler adding some more trumpet
to our “Risen! – The Musical” double CD, however nothing more really
to report this week so just leaving you with ” I Will Tell ” a song
from our first album “I Look Up To the Heavens.”