Oh Lord Hear My Voice featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a Manchester United fan! I was really pleased to see 19-year-old French Centre Back, Leny Yoro score his first goal for United, but even more pleased when he could be seen to obviously give praise to God.

From the tattoo of a Cross on his neck I had assumed that he was a Christian, but it was good to have this confirmed.

I read in www.thickaccent.com that:

Leny’s mother is a devoted Christian, and she instilled the values of Christianity in her sons. She currently lives in Villeneuve-d’Ascq according to her Facebook profile.

According to Le Populaire, Yoro’s father is the former Lille player, Alain Yoro. Senior Yoro played for the reserve team of Lille in the late ’80s and ’90s. In the late 90s, he moved to Paris Saint Germain, where he played as a forward. His jersey number 15 is the reason why Leny chose to play with that number despite being offered to wear numbers 4 and 5, the traditional numbers for a central defender.

Alain is of Ivorian descent, hence Leny Yoro will be eligible to play for the Ivory Coast as well, putting him in the French-African ethnic group. Leny had already made his debuts for France U17, U18, U19, U21 and U23 teams, where he worked closely with Thierry Henry.

Yoro has a holy cross sign on his social account and ‘God Made’, ‘God’s child’, ‘God’s kid’ and ‘God did’ are written on his bio. Also, most of his social media posts end with #GodDid.

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Restore Us Lord God Almighty featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

I recently read the article below written by Dr Andrew Ollerton for Premier Christian News. It reminded me of what the actor Steven Fry said about God Blog September 8th Stephen Fry rant | Risen
In a recent BBC interview, the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, revealed that her belief in God was destroyed when she put her ear to the monstrous crimes of Josef Fritzl. In 2008, Austrian police discovered that Fritzl had imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in a cellar and repeatedly raped her over a 24-year period. She gave birth to seven children while in captivity.
For Kemi Badenoch, the idea of a God who ignores the cries of victims like Elisabeth, while answering other relatively trivial prayers, is completely untenable.
No doubt we all share Kemi Badenoch’s moral outrage at this horrific crime. But must we also share her atheist conclusions? In the dark of evil and suffering, is belief in God morally justifiable?
Firstly, some logic. If God does not exist then the universe consists of nothing but motion, matter and blind chance. Moreover, without God moral concepts such as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ are arbitrary and carry little weight.
As C.S. Lewis noted, the assumption that a line is crooked implies the existence of a straight line. To say that someone’s actions are morally ‘wrong’ presupposes a ‘right’ way. Otherwise, all human behaviour is just ‘natural’.
If Kemi Badenoch no longer believes in God, then what grounds her belief in morality and why is she so angered by evil and injustice? Atheism cannot explain our feelings of moral outrage. What Josef Fritzl did to his daughter was not ‘Wrong’ with a capital W unless we believe there is a ‘Right’ way for a father to treat his daughter.
Equally, Fritzl can only be brought to justice if he was responsible for his actions and not merely subject to genetics, brain chemistry, and primal urges. In short, the reason we have a problem with evil is because we believe in a good God. This still leaves us wrestling with many mysteries. But to reject God because of evil is to saw off the very branch we are sitting on.
Secondly, let’s consider a biblical response. Taken as a whole, the Bible depicts God as the enemy of evil and never the cause of it. In Genesis, God created only what is good. At the end of Revelation, he promises to restore all things. Now, as we interpret God’s ways between these bookends, we must avoid two dangers.
One is to equate God’s silence or hiddenness with indifference. Kemi Badenoch assumes that if God cared for Elisabeth Fritzl, he would prove it by stepping in. However, while God is active in the world, he has given humans free will. He is not a puppet-master continually tweaking reality.
As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks noted: “We believe God gave us freedom. It is the most fateful decision he made in the entire universe.” God teaches us what is good but does not forcibly prevent us from doing evil. Josef Fritzl is therefore responsible for his actions. To blame God for such malevolence overlooks the serious truth of free will.
TO REJECT GOD BECAUSE OF EVIL IS TO SAW OFF THE VERY BRANCH WE ARE SITTING ON.
The opposite danger is to assume God’s current tolerance of evil is permanent. It is not. God has set a day to end injustice and hold evildoers to account, including Fritzl. Moreover, those like Elisabeth who have suffered at the hands of earthly fathers will have their tears wiped away by their heavenly father.
Then and only then, from the vantage point of eternity, will pain and suffering be put into perspective. To feel deep anguish in the face of evil today is absolutely right. But to reject God for this reason is premature. Instead, we need to hold on in hope and echo the cry that concludes the Bible: “Maranatha! Come Lord!”
Finally, a pastoral response is found at the foot of the cross where God himself entered our world of pain. From the agony of the cross Jesus expressed feelings of abandonment that no doubt resonate with many victims: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Christianity doesn’t sidestep suffering; it centres on it. God’s plan may play out more slowly than we would like. But planted in the centre of it is the cross, where God himself bore the weight of our sin and made it his own.
This doesn’t resolve all the mysteries. We still don’t know the answer to why God allows certain things to happen. But we know what it can’t be. It can’t be that God doesn’t love us. It can’t be that he doesn’t care. What difference does this make to our experience of suffering? A friend recently posted on social media as she neared the end of her battle with cancer: “As we walk through this dark valley, Jesus knows what we’re facing; he has the scars to prove it. And his presence gives us peace.”
In her interview, Kemi Badenoch said she rejected the idea of God but still believed in cultural Christianity. However, the Bible does not offer us a set of moral values or a logical argument for God. Neither will suffice when pain and suffering hit. Instead, the Bible invites us to personally trust in Jesus Christ, the sovereign and suffering God, who is with us in the darkness and promises hope beyond it.

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Give Us Your Heart Lord featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

I recently read this in the “Word For Today” and thought it worth sharing.
When God asks you to sacrifice on behalf of somebody else, do it. It’s like putting money in a heavenly account. You may not need it today or tomorrow, but when you do, God will ensure it comes back to you in multiplied form.
Indian Christian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were travelling through a pass high in the Himalayas when they found a body lying in the snow. They checked for vital signs and discovered the man was still alive, but barely. As Sundar prepared to stop and help this unfortunate traveller, his companion objected, saying, ‘We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves with him.’ Sundar, however, couldn’t comprehend leaving the man to die in the snow without an attempt at rescue. His companion bade him farewell and walked on. Sundar lifted the traveller on his back and, with great exertion – made greater by the high altitude and snowy conditions – carried him onwards.
As he walked, the heat from his body began to warm the frozen man. He revived, and soon they were walking together side by side, holding each other up and sharing body heat. Before long, they came upon another traveller’s body lying in the snow, and on closer inspection, they discovered he was dead. You guessed it. It was Sundar’s original travelling companion!
So, what’s the lesson in all this? What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you!

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Long time readers of this blog will know how much I value sportsmanship and fair play in sport. Still my favourite example of this was between Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and Brett Lee in the Ashes cricket match of 2005 Blog August 25th “Sportsmanship” | Risen

There was another example at the end of the recent cricket series between England and India. After four closely fought matches the players were understandably getting rather tired with one another and there were a number of festy moments that were well documented in the press.

Chris Woakes, the England allrounder, had suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding in the fifth and final test. England needed 17 runs to win and, to a standing ovation, Woakes came in as the last England batsman. His shoulder was in a sling and he was clearly in some discomfort. In the end he did not have to face a ball, but he still had to run between the wickets with his face etched in pain. England lost by just 6 runs and the India team were naturally jubilant in drawing the series 2 v 2.

What so impressed me was that, despite the undercurrent of bad feeling between the teams and their joy in winning the fifth test, every single Indian player at the end of the game went up to Woakes to shake his hand. Today’s featured picture displays that mutual respect as Indian captain, Shabman Gill, and Chris Woakes greet each other.

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BASEL, SWITZERLAND – JULY 27: Michelle Agyemang of England poses for a photo after being presented with the UEFA Young Player of the Tournament award following the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Final match between England and Spain at St. Jakob-Park on July 27, 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Where Would I Be Without You? featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

Well didn’t the Lionesses do unbelievably well in winning the Women’s Football Euros?

I must admit I was worried when, for the first half, the Spanish girls passed the ball around like the Barcelona men’s team. However, it was a different story in the second half as the team spirit and resilience of the Lionesses overcame. Some might say that the Spaniards were unlucky but to be honest I lost a lot of respect for them when they started rolling around, pretending to be fouled when they obviously were not.

One hero was England forward Michelle Agyemang, who has been named UEFA’s Women’s EURO 2025 Young Player of the Tournament.

Premier Christian News writes: The 19-year-old is a Christian, who wears crosses on her socks, was “raised on gospel music” and plays piano to get in the zone for games. She is a member of the Christian football group Ballers in God and proudly displays a cross in her Instagram bio.

Agyemang has proven her place in the England squad. In the quarter finals, her goal against Sweden took the team to penalties. The Lionesses then roared into the semis, where again she scored a critical equaliser – in the 96^th minute.

After Sunday’s victorious final, the breakout star directed all the glory to God, telling the BBC: “I thank God for where he’s brought us as a team… We’ve won, we’re European champions.”

Just four years ago, Agyemang was a ball girl whilst her soon-to-be teammates played at Wembley.

“It’s just surreal… to have come so far this quickly,” she said. “It’s only by the grace of God… the teammates around me, the staff, the coaches, everyone’s put in the effort to help me get me where I am and where the team is today.”

What a fantastic testimony!

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So, Scottie Scheffler wins the Open!  I shared about his faith in an earlier blog after he won the USA Masters Golf Tournament- Blog April 25th Scottie Scheffler | Risen

I have also shared today’s video before, but that was when it was unlisted on YouTube – it is now a YouTube public viewing so it would be great if you could please share it – thank you!

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Click on the image to see the video

A Crown Today, A Cross Tomorrow featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So sorry for the late post – been to a wedding!
Not much to say this week either – the video speaks for itself – defo a moment ( actually moments) of sunshine.

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Where Would I Be Without You? featuring Lucy
Stimpson- Maynard from the album Where Would I Be Without You? recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Maro Itoje is the England Rugby Union captain and now also the captain of the British and Irish Lions who are touring Australia.
Below is an extract from an interview he had recently with BBC News.
When asked about how religion fitted into his tactics, former Labour spin guru Alastair Campbell famously said “We don’t do God”.Itoje, who was introduced to Campbell by England team manager Richard Hill as a youngster and remains in touch, definitely does.

At his unveiling as Lions captain in May, he revealed he had missed Bible study to be there.
When he was promoted to England captain in January, his pastor was one of six people he told before the public announcement., external
Asked about the long journey to both posts, Itoje has a simple explanation: “God’s timing is always the best time.” “In the last two or three years I have made a conscious decision to double down in that regard,” he tells BBC Sport. “I was probably a lukewarm Christian for a large part of my life. I was probably someone who went to church but was not really living the principles or values of it that deeply, but I have always been a believer.”The humility that I have tried to embody throughout my life definitely comes from knowing that everything I have has been a gift, not by my own doing, but by the guy upstairs.”
By Itoje’s high standards and own admission, that humility wasn’t always present on previous Lions tours. He has described his 22-year-old self, who won over the Lions fans’ sea of red in New Zealand in 2017, as “a little bit brash and a bit naive”. This time around, at the very centre of the hype and hoopla, he is determined to keep his calm and routine. “I try to have a daily amount of time that I spend, whether that is reading the Bible or praying, ideally both,” he explains. “I also try and do Bible study once or twice a week at least.”I am going to try and maintain the system I have over in Australia, with Zoom and Whatsapp video calls.”

Itoje has his philosophy and his peace. “Sport is unpredictable, you don’t know how things are going to transpire,” he says. “Sometimes you can deserve to win and lose, and sometimes you can deserve to lose and win – there is not necessarily rhyme or reason for that. “You have to just stay as consistent as possible through your actions and hope, through it all, you end up in the place you are supposed to be.”
Faith is just one part of a hinterland as wide as the outback. Itoje describes himself as having a “portfolio existence” off the pitch.The Akoje Gallery, which Itoje founded in 2023, is a prominent part “There is a commercial aspect to it – we want to sell art – but we also want to propel and promote art, particularly African art,” he says.
The breadth of his interests and the depth of his thought have triggered suspicion in some. Former England coach Eddie Jones publicly doubted whether Itoje was captaincy material. Jones claimed Itoje was “very inward-looking” and lacked influence over his team-mates. Itoje politely, but firmly, disagreed. So far, events seem to support the younger man.
Itoje’s clear, calm 80-minute leadership carried England to a second-place finish in this year’s Six Nations. At Saracens, footage of his pep talks show that they are passionate, canny and expletive-free.

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 I’m A Believer (Diamond) featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album Heart and Soul recorded and produced by Ross Gill

So, following up from last week which included a promo featuring “His Story” at the Kings Theatre, Southsea, today’s promo is taken from a “His Story” production at the Fernham Hall, Fareham.
In the productions of 20 years ago the actors, acted and the singers, sang- which was fine but a little bit “flip flop” from one to the other. However, at our celebration “His Story” of November 8th at Holy Rood church, Stubbington the actors will not just act they will also sing! We have three professional musical theatre performers, one of whom is Richard Mellion who played Peter in the staged concert of Theophilus – The Musical. Richard also played the role of Peter in our soon to be released Bible Study “A Journey of Faith.”
We are also delighted to announce that Lucy Stimpson Maynard will be singing four songs. There will be some new faces joining the Mustard Seed Soul Band, the Alverstoke School of Dance will be performing, and I hope to soon announce the names of the school choirs.
Today’s featured song will be part of the “His Story” finale.

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So, we recently celebrated 25 years of Mustard Seed Songs with an event at Holy Rood church, Stubbington. In addition to me being interviewed by the Vicar, Richard England, the Mustard Seed Soul Band reformed and played 5 songs. We were hoping that our original singer, the fantastic Lucy Stimpson- Maynard would be able to perform, but she had unfortunately hurt her hand so badly that an operation was required.
Well the evening was a huge success, please see Blog March 6th Mustard Seed 25th Year Celebration Part Three | Risen so much so that we plan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our first musical “His Story” again at Holy Rood church on Saturday November 8th. I will give you more details over the coming weeks, but as a taster today’s featured video is a promo taken from a “His Story” production at the Kings Theatre, Southsea. It features Lucy Stimpson- Maynard, The Mustard Seed Soul Band and the Crofton Hammond Infant Choir- Mary mother of Jesus is played by Michelle Antrobus and John by Ben Morris. At the time they were both studying at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Both later en performed in the West End, Ben, for example in “Phantom of the Opera” and Michelle in “Chicago.”
I’ll share more of “His Story” next week.

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