CWR re-brand our first three CDs.

“Oh The Depths Of The Riches” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard

After attaching 80,000 Mustard Seed Mini Cds to the 40th Anniversary edition of “Every Day With Jesus” (EDWJ) Crusade for World Revival (CWR) then began to distribute our three Cds “ I Look Up To The Heavens,” Love is the Way” and “Uplifted.” As you can see from the pics they revamped the artwork to create a unique EDWJ/Mustard Seed Songs brand. CWR had 1000 copies of each Cd duplicated and sold them through their website and their Waverly Abbey House shop. They did the same with later Mustard Seed CDs “Where Would I Be Without You?” and “Precious” (the story of which I will tell you in a future blog)
Later CWR themselves produced a number of Cds of inspirational readings taken from EDWJ. These were devotional thoughts on Bible passages written by Selwyn Hughes and spoken by Russell Boulter. Each of these Cds contained 12 meditations, each one concluding with a short piece of Mustard Seed music orchestrated by David Bankhead of Moonstone Studios. Each Cd also finished with a song featuring Lucy Stimpson – Maynard, so for example “Riches in Christ” finished with “You can Call Me Abba.” “Guidance” with “Where Would I Be Without You?” “Higher with God” with “How Can I Love You More?” “Dying to Live“with “We Can Do Anything.” “Wounded Healer” with “The Season of Singing” sung by Lucy- Jane Rutherford” and “Hidden Treasures” with “A Crown Today A Cross Tomorrow” (a song which features in our forthcoming musical “Risen!)
I had the pleasure of getting to know Selwyn quite well and, on one occasion when she was very unwell, Selwyn prayed with me for Caroline, who, of course, later became my lovely wife.
Selwyn died in January 2006 and it was my great honour to have Mustard Seed Songs played at his Thanksgiving Service held at Central Hall, Westminster. Graeme Kendrick led the worship, Hugh Priddy sang “Here is Love” and one of the reflections on Selwyn’s life and ministry came from Fiona Castle.
The featured song I have chosen for this week is one that has not yet been released “Oh the Depths of the Riches.” After one of the early Mustard Seed concerts a dear friend, Doug Willis who sadly passed away last year, came up to me and suggested that I look at Romans 11: 33-36 as he felt the words could inspire a song. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out. So when I got home I opened my Bible, looked at the passage and God blessed me with a melody.
Sometime later I was at a CWR Partners Day a Waverley Abbey House and Selwyn was delivering a sermon. Selwyn said how wonderful it was that St Paul, in the midst of the deep theology of his letter to the Church in Rome, should stop in mid -sentence to contemplate “The depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” I think this was the impetus to ensure the song was recorded by Lucy. It had, however been sung earlier by Jeremy Wilding at a Mustard Seed concert in Hereford Cathedral. I met Jeremy on a tour of the Cathedral and heard him singing along to himself. A the end I told him how beautiful I thought his voice was and discovered that he had, in his youth, been a choir boy in the Cathedral.
I am not sure why but Lucy’s version has not yet been included on any Mustard Seed album, however not long after Doug died I gave a copy of the song to Doug’s devoted wife Hazel. Whilst speaking of Doug and Hazel, two beautiful servants of Jesus, I must say that it was my real joy to visit Doug when he was nearing the end of his life. First I read a draft of the “Risen!” script, and then later, when they became available, I played 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.
Next week I will tell you about the musical that preceded Risen! – His Story.