Nel writes:

I love Christmas! It is absolutely my most favourite time of year. I also love the Winter; the darkening afternoons, the frost & snow, and the bleak beauty of cold wuthering days.

Almost thirty years ago we were married at Christmastime. The date chosen simply because it’s my favourite time of year! And almost twenty-seven years ago our eldest son was born on December 22nd. I spent a wonderful few days, recovering from a difficult birth, in the Derbyshire Royal where we were visited by carollers and Father Christmas, who left gifts for babes and Mums, before we nervously and excitedly brought our eldest son home, along snow covered lanes, on the afternoon of Christmas Day. One of his middle names is Noel.

But over and above all these delights I love Christmas most because of the miracle. God is with is. The birth of Jesus is the greatest, most incredible event in our human story. As Ann Voskamp writes, ‘the Infinite becomes an infant’ ~ a breathtaking reality. And every year I am bowled over afresh by the immensity of the Incarnation; the joy, the hope, the peace, the promise, the holy love. The miracle. It is such an immense season I take the full forty days of Celtic Advent to absorb myself in the wonder and dwell in the glory until Candlemas!

I love almost all Christmas songs and a large number of Christmas movies; each one somehow capturing a little of the joy, hope, peace, promise, love and miracle of Christmas. I don’t however like mince pies, Christmas pudding, or almost all of the Christmas adverts!

But by far and away my favourite Christmas music is carols. In Sheffield we have a whole range of our own local carols which are simply wonderful, even though some of the tunes are a bit tricksy! Each year people gather in crowded pubs to sing these locally known carols with great gusto and enthusiasm. And I almost picked one as my song choice. (by Kate Rusby, of course)

Instead though I have chosen a classic carol with a beautiful added refrain: Silent Night by Lady Antebellum. I think ‘the dawn of redeeming grace’ is one of the most stunning lines in a carol. And this version of Silent Night is particularly special because it weaves proclamation and prayer so beautifully together with, in my mind, the traditional words sung with eyes lifted up in adoration and the refrain (in brackets) offered prayerfully on bended knees with open hands.

‘Silent night (Oh, what a night) holy night (Praising Your birth)
Son of God (Light of my heart) love’s pure light (Shine down Your grace)
Radiant beams from Thy holy face (To save the world)
With the dawn of redeeming grace (To You we praise)’

We worship Emmanuel, our God with us, with exultation and praise but we also pray, in these days and in this moment, that His redeeming grace will still shine upon us and save the world. God with us then and God with us now.

You can find out more about Lady Antebellum by visiting https://www.ladyantebellum.com/

This week sees the start of a small collection of Christmas-related songs and the first one comes from our ‘Faith in Christmas’ collection of Christmas music that our team did in 2017. ‘Faith in Christmas’ was all about favourite carols and Christmas music that inspired people across East Central region. Seeing that one of the songs was more of a ‘secular’ song, we thought we would share it.

The group, Deacon Blue, are perhaps not the first music makers who jump to mind when contemplating songs associated with Advent and Christmas. I’m not sure how many people would have this song on their Christmas Playlist with it’s fast-paced tempo which seriously lacks any Christmassy jingling bells but since hearing this song in 2015 (it comes from the group’s seventh studio album ‘A New House’), the track has kicked off my annually updated Christmas Playlist.

The words just burst with hopefulness and the excitement and possibility that new birth brings. There is no mention of God or Jesus in the words but the message of Christmas rings clear throughout the song. Of hope. Of change. Of being reborn.

Ricky Ross, the lead singer, explains that he took inspiration from a line in a WB Yeats poem called ‘The Second Coming’. He says ‘there’s a line in the poem about ‘slouching towards Bethlehem’ and the idea that you have to go back to open up new possibilities. Bethlehem is such an evocative word’.

The song captures the despair and fatigue of our human lives. The second verse introduces the notion that only a miracle will save us. A miracle that has already happened. A miracle that transcends time and space. A miracle that lifts our hearts and souls. All we need to do is to go back to Bethlehem – ‘to begin again’.

You can find out more about Deacon Blue, their new album in Spring 2020 and their upcoming tour in 2020 too at https://deaconblue.com/

Gill writes:

Every time we go away (as Paul Young might sing), I spend a bit of time creating a playlist for our holiday. I ask family members if they have any songs they would like; I add songs that I particularly like and then I think about where we are going and choose songs that seem to connect with our travels.

If it’s France, it may contain ‘Lost in France’ by Bonnie Tyler; our Switzerland list included ‘Foot of the Mountain’ by A-Ha; ’99 Luftballons’ by Nena is always on our Germany playlists and ‘State Lines’ by The Shires was played every time we crossed a state line in the USA. Well, until we got fed up of it that is.

In 2017, we took a road trip around Northern Europe which included driving the Oresund Bridge from Denmark to Sweden and back again (not on the same day – we spent a few days camping in Sweden!). As fans of ‘The Bridge’ TV series and it’s gorgeous theme tune, ‘Hollow Talk’ by Choir of Young Believers, the track was a non-negotiable for the playlist. And of course, as we drove over the bridge to Sweden, the song accompanied us as we gazed out at the sun sparkling on the Oresund Sound and the huge, huge pillars loomed 204 metres above us. It was everything we’d planned the experience to be like.

However, it was the return journey that offered me a ‘God Moment’. The crossing of the Oresund Sound involves a 4km tunnel under the water as well as the amazing bridge over it. The tunnel comes after the bridge bit when you drive from Sweden to Denmark. As we drove into the tunnel, Emeli Sande started singing:

“I believe in miracles
Cause it’s a miracle I’m here”

I’d never really heard the lyrics properly before (it wasn’t my song choice) but the words made me think about every life being a miracle; it made me think about being privileged enough to be able to have the holiday we were having; it made me think about the amazing parts of the world that we were visiting; it made me think about God as Creator.

And then suddenly the next lines took on a new meaning:

“Something like flying
Hard to describe it
My God, I’m breathing underwater
Something like freedom, freedom
My God, I’m breathing underwater”

Each one of us exclaimed ‘wow’ (or words similar). We’re literally breathing underwater as she is singing this. What a coincidence! Or was it? I might have put the playlist together but it wasn’t intentional to play this song like ‘Hollow Talk’ had been.

There will be plenty of people who would explain it away using synchronicity theories and a raft of other theories. And there will be others who would say that there is not such thing as coincidence. Some might describe it as a ‘God-Incidence’

There are some who might call it providential. I wouldn’t describe myself as someone who’s comfortable with a God who plans and intervenes in my life because that would mean that God hasn’t given us free will. I think I hold with the idea that God created and sustains creation with love so that there are moments where we glimpse and understand more about God and God’s care for us. Our eyes are opened and we see the interconnectedness of creation. This was one of those moments for me.

It’s perhaps easier to see God in the natural things in creation – mountains, seas, flora and fauna. We see God in the faces of others; the words of others; the actions of others. Actions of others. I have a tendency to think of actions to be kindness, hospitality, caring and so on. But actions also includes vision, skills and abilities to create things for ourselves and others. Humans are fantastic at creating some amazing and life-changing things just like our Creator. I found myself experiencing the Oresund crossing with the same awe and wonder that I had walking through Yellowstone Park. And the words in the song just capture that sense of awesome. Freedom. Liberation. Connection. Just wow.

You can find out more about Emeli Sande by visiting https://www.emelisande.com/

Jane writes:

I’ve always found the balance or remembrance and advocacy for peace around Remembrance Sunday quite a challenge. Knowing that two of my Grandfather’s brothers were killed on the Somme and the impact that war had on a real family, it seems so important to remember but, at the same time, all the military emphasis reminds me that war is real now and I’m not sure that as a country and society we handle our responsibilities well at all.

So when I first heard this Mass for Peace it made a real impact on me. It shows so well musically this contradiction and forces the listener to engage with the complexity of what it means to be a person of peace. I’ve also been fortunate to see it live and the soaring voices are so cleverly arranged and take you off to a place of real contemplation.

In its midst is a “call to prayer” from the Muslim tradition as well as many many references to the Christian, Jewish and secular worlds (Tennyson, Kipling and the like.) While it is the most fabulous journey from beginning to end, all sorts of ideas wrapped in the Christian Mass, the section I’ve chosen here is the Agnus Dei

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Grant us Peace

In these turbulent political times that simple prayer seems so pertinent.

As we gather to remember this weekend, let us think about ways to strive for peace and to be beacons of that peace to others

The whole of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace can be found here – a good starting place is about 5min 14 seconds in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOf4aqIPSyU

You can find out more about the composer, Karl Jenkins, here http://www.karljenkins.com/

It’s only in the last ten years that I have really come to appreciate the music of Elvis Costello. I think I was still into Abba when he broke through in the 1970’s and it took a couple of years for me to get to grips with New Wave/Punk. Having said that ‘Oliver’s Army’ is probably in my Top 20 songs of the 70’s. Yes 70’s – it was released in 1979.

As is the song that I’ve chosen. Although I’ve chosen Costello’s version, it was actually penned by Nick Lowe earlier on in the 70’s (so his version is included at the end of this short reflection).

In Lowe’s own words, the story behind the song is  “I wrote the song in 1973, and the hippie thing was going out, and everyone was starting to take harder drugs and rediscover drink. Alcohol was coming back, and everyone sort of slipped out of the hippie dream and into a more cynical and more unpleasant frame of mind. And this song was supposed to be an old hippie, laughed at by the new thinking, saying to these new smarty-pants types, ‘Look, you think you got it all going on. You can laugh at me, but all I’m saying is, ‘What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?’

I love this song. I love it because it captures some of the feelings that I have when people ask me why I’m a follower of Jesus. That little bit of frustration that I have when someone doesn’t get why it’s so important to me. That bid of sadness that I have when I can’t seem to help them see what following Jesus means.

Peace and love are big things for me. I wish that we would expend all our energy and effort on ensuring we live on a planet where people talk and find ways of ironing out differences so we can live together peacefully; that we spent money on equipment and solutions to stop us destroying the planet rather than spending billions on destroying each other;  that we recognise and understand that love in its many different forms is what we were created from and created for.  I mean, what is so funny about peace, love and understanding?

You can find out more about Elvis Costello at https://www.elviscostello.com/#!/

And Nick Lowe at http://nicklowe.com/

Richard writes:

I feel like I’ve known Bruce Springsteen all my adult life and that we have followed our faith journeys together, but of course that is ridiculous – he is a professional musician from New Jersey USA who was brought up in the Catholic Church from which he rebelled and left as a teenager, going on to be a global superstar, whereas I am a professional lawyer from Derby England who wasn’t brought up in the Church at all so rebelled by joining the Methodist Church and going on to be a…..professional lawyer!

Looking back, I can see that my journey to faith was intertwined with my love of Bruce Springsteen’s music – at first, I could not see the connection, but gradually I realised that they were inseparable.

My first real encounter with Bruce’s music was The River album, released as I started my second year of University in 1980 – my life was developing in so many ways, away from home, discovering love (of the unrequited variety initially) and a whole host of feelings that were new to me, a feeling that in some ways my life was just beginning and Bruce’s music was the backdrop to this – his were the only songs that felt real in terms of their message and emotions.

I recall many evenings listening to the whole River double album with my friend David in his bedroom, and when David then obtained a cassette of the previous LPs, Born To Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town, well I think we really did feel that we’d found the keys to the universe!

At the time, both of us were agnostic in our faith – over the years we both came to Christ separately and I continued to enjoy Bruce’s music, including many amazing concerts,but didn’t see the connection and, indeed, possibly felt there was a contradiction between my Christian faith and Bruce’s music.

As the years passed and my faith matured, I felt more able to examine Bruce’s songs and lyrics from a Christian perspective and realised how much Bible imagery there was in there – I lost count of the references to The Promised Land, for example! This in turn led me to seek out actively Bruce’s own views on the Christian faith, but they all seemed very negative, which I found in turn depressing.

Even the first time I heard Land of Hope and Dreams, at Manchester Arena in 2000 I think, there was no lightbulb moment – great song and words, but didn’t really think things through further than that.

By 2012, and the  Wrecking Ball album, I was more aware that there was clearly an ongoing connection between Bruce and his Catholic upbringing, for example the song Rocky Ground is full of biblical references, but my first reaction as I heard the studio version of Land of Hope and Dreams were of disappointment as it was far more “produced” than the live version I’d enjoyed and made  less of an impact I felt…

…..And then, after 6 minutes 11 seconds of the song, as it faded to the end – there it was….”You just thank the Lord” – even more glorious in it’s unexpectedness! I was driving and had to pull over – feeling overcome as I realised that God was speaking through Bruce and that he knew it and accepted it.

Since then, Bruce has spoken of his love for Jesus in his autobiography (and his dislike of the Catholic Church!) and I understand he is now a fairly regular Churchgoer even so, and I’ve gone back and realised ever so clearly the Christian message of Love, Hope, Redemption and Resurrection that shows so clearly through so many of Bruce’s songs – with my fellow Bruce fan Reverend David Markay, we even put together a service based on this – Searching For The Promised Land.

But nothing beats the moment when I first heard Bruce sing “You Just Thank The Lord” and felt that connection – not even the times since when I’ve listed to the live version (Still my preferred version!) and let overwhelmed by God’s Love for me, a miserable sinner.

So thank you Bruce, and Thank You Jesus – and remember everyone – “You Just Get On Board…..You Just Thanks The Lord….”

Want to know more about The Boss, then follow the link! https://brucespringsteen.net/uk/

British film director, Danny Boyle, is renowned for being passionate about the music that he uses in his films. To him, they are part and parcel of the narrative. He says ‘they inter-breathe with the material you’re using, and I always love that.” A song or a piece of music in a film can be what helps the viewer connect once and for all with the story and message of the film. For Methodists who are ‘born in song’ – these words probably ring true!

Today’s choice is one of those songs for me. It comes from the film, ‘A Streetcat named Bob’ – based on the book by James Bowen about his experiences as a homeless street musician who is adopted by a cat.  A cat that changes his life.

The song is written by Charlie Fink (who was lead singer with Noah & The Whale). It’s sung by Luke Treadaway who plays the main character, James. To me it just perfectly sums up a key message from the film and book – connection with others and how moments with others (even cats – and that’s not easy to say when you’re a dog person!) can lighten up our life and show us the way.

“Who are the people
That make you feel alive?
Are any of them
Standing by your side?
Are you chasing every sunset? Are you facing every fear?
Are you reaching even higher? When your dreams all disappear?”

It takes me straight to the words from 1 Corinthians 12: 26 ‘If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.’ (CEV)

At a time when homelessness is rising rapidly and with recent reports that homeless deaths rose by 22% last year, this story and it’s accompanying songs drive home the message of people who are hurting and the importance of ‘honouring’ those who hurt.

There’s one scene in the film where James is talking to his Social Worker about how having Bob has given him back his dignity and he realises this when a customer who bought the Big Issue from him called him ‘Sir’. 

This scene caused a big reflection for me.  It made me realise that the best thing about buying The Big Issue is that I share a short time with someone who is struggling & vulnerable but who at that moment gets to ask me about my day or can talk about their day or their dog or the weather or their dreams.  They are needed at that moment –  and are providing me with something I want.  I may be showing some caritas – but they’re reflecting it back to me too.

Charity begins at home.  Even if you don’t have one at that moment.

You can find out more about Charlie Fink by visiting http://www.charliefink.co

Gill writes:

Avenham Park, Preston, Lancashire. 26th July 1992. The first ever Heineken Musical Festival in Preston – free music for the whole weekend!

It was a Sunday evening and I was lying back on the grass looking up to the sky – my friends Elaine and Alison lying alongside doing the same. Just listening. Just being. Letting music and the summer evening sun wash over us. In between sets, I decided to have a wander and ventured down to the Big Top to see who was up next.

A woman dressed in black with long, red hair and a guitar hanging across her body adjusting a mic stand glanced up quite nervously and looked across the gathering audience. There she was. There was the singer I had come to hear in particular. Kirsty MacColl. One of my all time heroes. Serious fangirling. The band struck up and I heard the familiar voice begin ‘I was 21 years when I wrote this song…’

Kirsty was such a role model for me as teenager and young adult. I wanted to sing like her. I wanted to dress like her. I wanted to be like her. There was something about her and her music that I felt immediately connected to. She didn’t fit the usual image of a female singer – she wasn’t plastic or shaped by the music industry. She looked like what I thought I would look if I was on stage. You always felt like you were watching and listening to the real Kirsty.

I could have chosen any number of her songs. All of them have a depth and a sense of reality about them – even ‘There’s a guy who works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis’ rings true. Lyrics that amuse; lyrics that tell the truth; lyrics that capture everyday life.

In the end, I plumped for one of my most favourite songs of hers which was also the first song that she wrote and recorded. She was 16 when she wrote it and it was released in 1979. However, it took Tracey Ullman’s cover of it in 1983 to bring it the recognition that it deserves. I like both versions but if I was pushed to choose, I’d choose Kirsty – just because it’s Kirsty!

If you fancy comparing the two – here’s Tracey’s version:

Kirsty would have turned 60 yesterday – 10th October 2019. I still feel a sense of loss and anger about her death. But I give thanks for how she and her music brought light – and still brings light – to my little corner of the world. Thank you Kirsty.

You can find out more about Kirsty’s music and life at https://www.kirstymaccoll.com/