The Friday Fix

Category: 2019

  • ‘Seasons of Love’ from the musical ‘Rent’

    Jane talks about ‘Seasons of Love’

    I have the start of this song as my work phone ring tone and it does two things.  It reminds me of my love for music and musical theatre and also reminds me that what I do requires me to be a loving person.  That sounds a bit deep, that I might need to be reminded of that, but often we can forget how complex a thing it might be. 

    This song taken from the musical ‘Rent’, explores what its like to live in community with others during the 80’s HIV crisis, explores the value of a human being and how that might be measured.  It considers the many practical or emotional parameters that could be possible indicators but in the end recognises the ‘Seasons of Love’ in a person’s life and ultimately how they loved and were loved is the most fabulous measure. 

    God reminds us often through the scripture writers that we are valued for who we are.  Psalms often focus on how God sees us and loves us as individuals “even the hairs on your head are numbered” but it’s also made clear to us God’s love is full of grace, and whatever seasons we may go through our worth is not measured by the cups of coffee we drink, the things we do but simply because we are alive. 

    The challenge that remains for us then, is to offer that grace-filled love to others, regardless of who they are and whatever way they choose to live. We are a people of faith called to love God and love others.  To see a person’s worth in the light of God’s love is the ultimate privilege. 

  • Gregory Porter – Liquid Spirit

    by Adam

    I just love this track and it really speaks to me about the work of the Holy Spirit. 

    The first line “un-re-route the rivers” reminds me that the “flow” of the Spirit is the intended, original route – we have re-routed it and now it needs un-re-routing. Re-routing naturally occurring water ways is a dangerous business, often a storm or another big weather event will return the river to its original route, often at great cost. We would do better to let the liquid spirit free in the first place. The picture of the “hard dry land” resonates so true with so many situations and sometimes my own life when I need to get down take a drink and fill my water tank. 

    Of course it is not just the words, the bass riff, the clapping, the energy, the solos, and Gregory Porter’s amazing voice make this an inspiring track. 

    So get down take a drink and fill your water tank! 

    If you want to know more about Gregory Porter, his website is https://www.gregoryporter.com/

  • Katrina and The Waves – Love Shine a Light

    by Gill

    Well, we have to have a Eurovision winning song this week don’t we?!  And what better than the last UK winner way back in 1997 when Katrina and The Waves won with ‘Love Shine a Light’.  Ah – those heady days when ‘nul points’ was a rarity for the UK entry.

    I love using popular music in worship if I can and this song works well with Matthew 5:14.  We know that Jesus was described as the Light of the World but Matthew recounts Jesus saying that we are the light of the world too.  We may be ordinary people living ordinary lives but we cannot underestimate the impact and influence that we have on others.  The way that we speak to each other and treat each other every day says everything about us and our faith. 

    In a ‘six degrees of separation’ type way, it could be said that this song even has a connection with our region. It wasn’t actually written for Eurovision originally but for The Samaritans 30th Anniversary in 1983. The founder of The Samaritans, Rev Chad Varah, was born in Barton-upon-Humber (Lincolnshire District) and went to Keble College (Northampton District). (He was educated at Worksop College which is very nearly in the Nottingham & Derby District).

    You may think it a cheesy, ‘wave your lights in the air’ type of song (as Katrina herself once described it) but the words in Matthew 5:14-16 are very close to the lyrics in the song to me:

    “And we’re all gonna shine a light together

    All shine a light to light the way

    Brothers and sisters in every little part

    Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts”

    You can find out more about Katrina and The Waves at www.katrinaandthewaves.com

  • Megan Henwood – Hope on the Horizon

    by Jane

    I have to confess to being a bit conflicted about Hope. It sometimes seems that all hope is lost; it sometimes feels like hope comes before the inevitable disappointment and actually makes the whole thing worse; it sometimes feels like it’s all you might have left and that’s a bit sketchy as a basis for things.

    Many of us are very familiar with Hope as an important faith concept not least because of one of our most popular readings from the book of Corinthians. “….. but now these three things remain: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love”. It might be argued that our hope is founded in God but it doesn’t for me always make it seem much easier to deal with as a reality.

    Megan Henwood, in this song, finds a way to articulate some sense of perpetual hope in every new day even if the alternative is being in a really tough place. This ability to embed yourself in the perpetual hope that life, nature and God might bring I find almost intangible – a bit like grappling with jelly – and yet this writer seems to suggest that its doable simply by getting out of bed and looking really carefully at the glory of the day. Maybe it’s worth a try.

    More about Megan can be found here http://www.meganhenwood.com/