Mums & Jesus

“Mum” is there a name that could mean more, and to so many?  There is hardly a higher compliment or ambition that could be sought, than to be call mum.

“Jesus” is there a name that could mean so many things, and to so many? This name that is misused, abused and honoured. It is called upon, blamed, praised, adored, cursed and feared. Yet there is no name higher than Jesus.

It’s not easy to become a mum, well, you have to give birth! To the unknowing eye the time of labour is not life giving. The sounds, smells and sights not to mention the pain are not the normal conditions for which you expect something beautiful to happen.
And then it does… New life; beautiful.
I cannot grasp the depths of love between a mum and child at that point. When my wife held our children for the first time she uttered tenderly through the tears and exhaustion… “Hello there”. As I reflect on this moment I can think of no better summary for the mystery and love than a line from JJ Heller’s song ‘I get to be the one‘

“How does someone so small, hold my heart to tightly.
I Don’t even know you; I love you completely.”

Jesus looking lovingly at his disciples said words which echo in a mother’s love.
“This is my body broken for you”
The cross, and the events of the passion week are not the conditions for which you expect something beautiful to happen.
And then it does… New life; beautiful.
The depths of love from God to man are incomprehensible to me, when I think of the new and eternal life God has birthed inside me, when I attempt to think of what it took so that the invite to have this new & eternal life could go out to all the world (inc me) I am left in speechless awe.  What love. I cannot comprehend, I can see a picture of this love as I see how my wife loves our children, it’s a strong love, a sacrificial love, a trusting love, an unconditional love.
God’s love for us is like that but stronger, purer, bigger, completely dependable and absolutely free yet cost the ultimate price.  And why? and how do I know? I can think of no better summary than the song my son was singing this morning.

“Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.”

Happy Mothers Day!

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Matt Redman 10’000 Reasons review

In a tweet
10’000 reasons is an explosion of worship in an anthem of sound

In a status update
Matt Redman has created an incredibly fresh, energetic, heartfelt live worship album which comes from a heart that’s humble, focused, grounded and true.  This album will remind you of the 10’000 reasons we have to worship our God with a bold banner above them all “YOU ARE FAITHFUL, GOD YOU ARE FAITHFUL”.

In a blog
If you’re looking to get the hoovering done in a rush, stick on the opening track of Matt Redman’s new album 10’000 reasons and it’s sure to speed you up.  Matt has done a great job at ignoring the rule that worship albums should have themes and styles and he’s simply fired together 11 songs which engage us in worship if we choose to be impacted.

Much like a live set, (which of course this is) Matt takes us on a journey, both theologically and musically.  We’re moved from celebration, to contemplation then into confession, we’re moved from the cross to the resurrection and from God’s faithfulness to the joy of being in His family. Isn’t that great, so often we focus on one part of God as being so critical when in reality it’s an awesome awesome awesome God whom we worship, shouldn’t that just cause us to explode with worship, and that’s what’s going on here.  It’s like Mark’s gospel, ‘then Jesus did this, then he did this, then this, and this. So to I feel when listening to this record you’ll be confronted with; ‘God is great because He’s close, and also because He’s faithful, and also because He loves us, and also, He’s just great! 

Musically there’s touches of Adele in ‘Bless the lord’, and you could almost liken ‘Never once’ and ‘Where would we be’ to Snow Patrol.  Yet there are elements of techno in there with clever loops and vocal chanting going on especially in the opening track ‘We are the free’, all-in-all it’s pretty much modern rock.  Now I apologies for giving this such a positive review but it’s just tremendous to see some strong anthems coming into our worship song world.  So often we sing quite ballads but it’s great to sing songs that could fill a football stadium, songs like ‘Here for you’ and the single ‘Never once’ you could belt out more passionately than a die-heart GAA fan at the hurling final!  

Before we start thinking that maybe this album is a little too bouncy and “loud” we must remember that these songs have come from a humble heart a heart which has given the church great soft reflection worship songs like ‘I will offer up my life’ and ‘Heart of worship’.  We can trust Matt’s leading, and as far as I can listen we can trust these song to be filled with truth and yet easy to identify with.  “Good job Redman, thanks!”

check this vid with matt chatting about the album, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOf-M6D_bDA&feature=related 

this review is for VOX magazine, http://www.vox.ie

Standing on Grace

the death has taken place of MrJAG

just sent out a group email to folks who’ve been connected to mrjag, this is the email!

Hey guys
just to say a big part of my life over the past 6 year, (basically all the time i’ve been a ‘real’ christian), has been mrjag!
it has been a major part of my focus for ministry and the guys have become my closest friends ones that i depend on, real friends!

we decided to finish up the band in june, so now mrjag is no more! i hope the songs will live on in lives as they will in mine.

it is sad, because mrjag was the one place i could just be myself and that was ok!  anyway i’m not writing this to be a sob story like! 

just wanted to say i really hope our music served you and if it did thank you for letting it serve you!

i feel called to lead worship so please feel free to get in touch if i can serve you in that way, and the guys will usually be leading with me like, i guess it’s the name we’re ending.  and i’m still writing songs and stuff so if you want a wee performance that’d be coolio, though unsure how this will look, just jamie and me, just me, we’ll see i guess. any band’s out there looking for a bodhran player??? i’m your man!

end of an era eh?

God is good, we hope we showed that in our music, and we hope you’ll walk close and humbly with Him all your life!