I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. Actually, it’s now years of reflecting. This autumn it will be 3 years since we left the Crowded House. In some ways it feels like a lifetime. In others it feels like yesterday. Over those years a lot has happened. Reviews have been commissioned and published – not […]
Category: Discipleship
There’s a verse in Andrew Peterson’s ‘The Dark Before the Dawn‘ that gets me every time: I had a dream that I was waking At the burning edge of dawn And I could finally believe The king had loved me all along Over the last year I’ve realised that this has been a struggle for […]
Returning with full hearts and minds from this year’s cracking Growing Young Disciples Conference we wanted to share some songs that we hope will help disciple Generation Z… (You can listen on our Spotify playlist) God’s Kingdom Is Here (Michael and the Topsy Turvy Kingdom) Each morning we were blessed by Sam Gibb taking us […]
Over the past year there have been increasing stories of abuse and bullying in the evangelical church in the UK. It’s not confined to the more public cases in the CofE, but is also found in the independent church. The church is often described as a hospital, after all, Jesus came for those who are sick. But sadly we’re seeing people leaving local churches and denominations more damaged and broken than when they went in. Perhaps some reading know this all too well. That is not how it should be.
At times it can feel overwhelming. When we’ve finally broken free of an abusive relationship the sense of relief is palpable. It’s like emerging from a dank tunnel, sucking clean air deep into our lungs after almost suffocating. Sometimes you can be in those relationships for so long that you’ve forgotten that there is any other reality. Slowly but surely hope begins to be restored. You finally get to a small taste of that sweet ‘rest’ that seemed so elusive before.
But then in one of those moments of peace a thought comes to you. It whispers – ‘remember those who still suffer’.
Our eldest is 10 years old and worrying… again. She worries about almost everything. But this time she’s worrying about sin. She’s realising that she’s a sinner and wants to uncover every last bit of her sin. She remembers moments from yesterday, last week, even last year when she stuffed up and feels the guilt. Her mum patiently sits, listening, speaking, comforting, praying.
Then there’s a pitter-patter of feet. Our 5 year old gently sidles up to his mum and whispers a line from one of my songs (and the Bible!) in her ear, “say – as far as the east is from the west…”
I’m a songwriter, and more latterly I’ve been focussing on writing songs for children (and adults who are listening in). It’s been an interesting journey getting to this point and my belief in the power of song to speak and embed truth in children has only grown.