Poland 2007 Day 1

This is the first day of a 13 day tour in Poland...and my 8th time visiting this country. The weather is great, the schedule is busy! Today we travel to the west of Poland to Nowa Sol (New Salt)..named as such because of the salt mines..and I perform a concert in a church run by Capuchin Monks. They are a reformed order of Franciscan monks...and practice austerity, simplicity, poverty and a contemplative lifestyle!!

So I will be staying overnight in a very old monastry and am preparing myself for....simplicity!! Rumour has it that the Capuchin monks invented capucchino! I am holding onto that thought and hoping!!! Then tomorrow, I do a concert for a local school...in Nowa Sol.

Always many adventures, so I will keep u updated. Maybe a few pictures too...But it's an interesting country to visit, especially as it finds its feet in the EU and faces the usual consumer and societal trends and challenges amidst a changing catholic culture.

SACRED RHETORIC 1

I was involved in a songwriters consultation this week. We had some great teaching on Psalms and were taken on a journey through the 3 types of Psalms - 'Orientation' (well being, praise), 'Dis-orientation' (lament,confusion,dismay), and 'Re-orientation' (a new perspective).

"The spirituality of the psalms is a spirituality of embrace. An embrace that holds onto God and the world with equal dedication".

Psalms are entrances into another world, portals into reality, revealing God's view of the world. When approaching Psalms we were encouraged to process the following questions. 1.What is our experience? 2. What interpretation does Psalm give to our experience? 3. What is Gods view? 4. What do we need to do to step into new reality?
Sounds very matrix!! But my eyes have been opened. I will write some more later!!

BERLIN SHOUTS

Last Saturday, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin opened its gates to approximately 22,000 people from over 30 nations. Centre stage was not given to the sport of football or the music of rock n roll, but to the Global God who scored the greatest victory through Jesus Christ! Thousands gathered there to worship and pray and make their voices heard within a city that was already crowded with worshippers of a different kind who were simultaneously celebrating at the famous Love Parade.

But what a different sound filled the air above the olympic-ringed temple. Worship leaders, musicians and pastors - known and unknown, german and english, american and hungarian, korean and brazillian - played their part as the programme rolled on throughout the day. They may have been leading the songs which became the prayers of the people; their faces may have been the focus of eyes on the huge video screens, they may have been the industry saints of the contemporary church...but all of that found its rightful place within a much larger symphony.

It was the sound of the people, the street saints of God, encircling the stadium with the passionate notes of salvation that made the ground shake with the promise of Who is to come!

Saturday July 15th 2006 was not really about Saturday July 15th 2006. Most of the faces and features will fade away. But it was a timely moment for people from all over the world to proclaim the ageless message of a Saviour who truly is the only way.

It was great to be a part of it.

HELLO SPRING HARVEST

SH is an interdenominational Christian festival with seminars, gatherings and events and is held each year in Skegness and Minehead Butlins resort!! I had a wonderful time at Minehead leading worship in the Big Top with my international band. The days were long and exhausting but very fulfilling.... even the weather was good...with sunshine...The whole week felt real with speakers talking honestly about life and faith and the people seemed to enjoy the musical expression of worship that my band and I provided. The chalet we stayed in even had a shower this time!! I really did appreciate my musicians who learnt so many new songs and managed to follow my song leading, and even the mistakes didn't throw them off course!!