If you're not the Queen are you a princess?

If you have the Queen in your car and a Union Jack flying from it, it's amazing how many people give way on the highway! Recently, as part of our publicity for our musical ‘Majesty’, we asked one of our choir members if she would mind impersonating the Queen and walking Tonbridge High Street, inviting shop managers and their staff to a performance. Hence the title of this blog: It was a remark made by a small girl walking with her mother on that Saturday morning.

Last night (1^st June) was our first performance of ‘Majesty’. We were greatly encouraged by the large turn out of people and they all appeared to have really enjoyed the evening. The Mayor and Mayoress of Tonbridge were present, as was the Chairman of Tonbridge Council. All ages were represented and it was wonderful to hear the robust singing of the National Anthem at the end of the evening. We were greatly encouraged by the audience response and we look forward to two more performances in the next two weeks. Our three narrators consisted of a retired surgeon, a magazine editor and a retired J.P. The team of dancers exceeded themselves and the choir sang with fire and passion. It was a great evening, part of which had the audience guessing who certain individuals were on the screen: Characters who became famous during the Queen's reign. Our excellent technical team were kept busy and everything went smoothly - always a relief!

We shall be sending a copy of the script to Her Majesty together with a copy of the prayer that we prayed for her and the Royal Family. As the script says: “It is not the power she has, it’s the power she denies”.

It is a great shame that, in schools, our children are being denied the rich heritage of our nation and, particularly, the history of our unique monarchy. On a lighter note, I always remember a remark by George Harrison of the Beatles when asked who the female lead might be in their next film. He replied: “We're trying for the Queen: She sells!”.

I remember as a six year old pupil standing by the side of the A12 as the Queen's car sped through on its way to Harwich and the Hook of Holland. In a moment she was there and then gone. What a privilege it has been to help people honour this wonderful Christian lady. Long may she reign, not as a princess, but as the Queen!

The Last Word

Recently, at a Christian conference, I had the tremendous privilege of standing behind an orthodox Jewish man and watch him worship, name the Name of Yeshua, applaud the speakers and enter into the joy of the Lord. In addition to our worshiping Jewish brother, we also had a collection of Spirit-filled speakers, unafraid to speak out boldly with care, compassion and focus. It was like being in a warm swiftly moving prophetic stream, with issues being presented that were relevant and vital. There we received what we felt was the commission for the Company: Preach and guard the everlasting the Gospel - the real Gospel - support Israel, celebrate the feasts of the Lord, take the choir out into the highways and byways and declare and share the faith. The day after was a down day: Religion and discouragement; wheat and tares; a spiritual blow from the blue. It has to be expected when you come down from the mountain.

But it's been a good week in many respects: For example, sitting down round the most enormous kitchen table, the stone smooth and cold as glass, sharing with a couple about the feasts of the Lord and finding that I was evangelising at the same time. How do you explain the feasts without sharing about Jesus? No, we are not Orthodox Jews; we're not bound by the strict requirements of the Law, such as the separation of meat and dairy items in the kitchen and such like. We're just following the command: 'Celebrate the feasts of the Lord'. They're His feasts, not exclusively those of the Jews. I was handed a most delicious sounding menu: Honey roasted tomato lamb tagine, followed by baked apples filled with dates and dipped in honey. Jewish people certainly know how to eat!

I'd also found myself in conversation with that Jewish friend sitting just in front of us at the conference. Sadly, he told me about the anti-Semitism he had experienced in England. I told him about the Dreyfus play that I am waiting to stage. His quick eye and sharp humour was a joy; we must have spoken for about half and hour. He was so self-effacing; he apologised for being intense and talkative but framed his self-analysis by saying: "You'd be intense if you had God after you all your life!" I remembered someone once saying that the existence of God could be proved in two words: 'the Jew.' And Jesus, the Jew will have the last word. 'Come blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom.' Jew and Gentile together, one new man.

You Can't Go Into Heaven Yet!

Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year, looking over our shoulder at a Christmas period that took the choir on the 'Mall Tour', which included Beales in Tonbridge, Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells and Bluewater in north Kent. It was a most rewarding time and yet again we found people very open to the Christmas message that we proclaimed through Bible readings and singing. The dreaded health and safety rules raised their head at one venue, but in the end we were able to proclaim the Gospel and build good relationships with the management teams. Our first Bible School of the year got off to a very encouraging start, with excellent teaching once again from Mike Moore. We look now at the end of February to start rehearsals for the musical 'Majesty', celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. Doors will open this year and doors will close. "That's life", as someone once wrote in a lyric.                                     

I remember an occasion when I took part in a service in Maidstone prison. I shall never forget the sound of heavy keys and the firm click of doors unlocking and being locked as we moved deeper into the prison. Perhaps that's one way of looking at our work: Unlocking doors - the doors of circumstance and, most importantly, the locks on people's hearts. Freedom. No prison walls of guilt or fear. Like stepping out of the main door of a prison into the sunshine of liberty. That's our Gospel. I like the words of Jesus when he said: "I have come to bring them life, life in all its fullness". Marvellous, affirming words. Words to bring life and hope.

I also remember going in to Rochester prison and meeting a large number of Eastern European people, held there because they had fled from the fighting in Bosnia and had tried to find a safe refuge in this country. They weren't criminals; many were professional people, but they had nothing. All had been left behind and now their only home was a state prison, because the system couldn't accommodate them anywhere else. I often wonder what became of them. "Fear not, I go to prepare a place for you" says Jesus "so that where I am, you may be also". That's the Gospel hope and it is still an honour and a privilege to share it.

One particular memory stays with me from Christmas. At Tonbridge Baptist Church we produced a Christmas musical called 'Angels', which involved a children's choir of some 30 angels seated in an area representing Heaven. Two angels were talking and one said: "I think I'll go and sit in the choir". The other rebuked her, saying: "You can't go into Heaven yet"!

That's our task: Getting people out of their personal prisons and into the Kingdom of Heaven. Instant membership: No locks; no doors.

Shopping For Souls

Well, soon we will be off again, to sing in the temples of mammon: i.e. shopping malls. A great feast of tempting displays, all seeking to part us from our money. Glory to God in the high street; bright lights; big city. Where is Christ in all of this? Where is the Christmas message amongst the Father Christmases, the reindeer, the decorations, the snowmen, the.........  Surely the Christmas spirit has left these places?

Yet for us as a choir, last year's 'Mall Tour', as it came to be known, was one of the most moving, emotional and uplifting that we had ever undertaken. There we were, singing material from our 'Stargifts' Christmas musical and interspersing the songs with Bible readings from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and we were overwhelmed by the response. People stopping to listen, hanging over railings, suddenly standing still, all letting the music wash over them. Men moved to tears, people being overwhelmed by the message, knowing in a strange way they were being blessed by something larger than themselves. What a privilege to sing to these people. People with their ears full of shop 'muzak', surrounded by the trappings of a Christ-less Christmas, but listening to the timeless message that echoed in their hearts. It wasn't just the shoppers: At each of our three venues - Beales, Royal Victoria Place and Bluewater - we were treated with kindness, helpfulness and courtesy. No one objected, not even when some of our number were busy giving out tracts.

We realised that amongst all the commercial trappings, people were still willing to listen to the Gospel message. Their ears heard Scripture; for some, maybe, bringing back distant, untapped memories of that time when they went to church. We recognised that God was at work; the Spirit was moving upon people and no amount of 21st century secularism could stop it. There is still an ear of faith out there, an aching search begun by the Spirit. There is still a hunger in people's hearts for a Christ-shaped message of hope, blessing and, most importantly, loving forgiveness. We were humbled.

So, our rehearsing is nearly over and we move on with this Gospel adventure. Bilbo Baggins says in 'The Hobbit': "Adventures are disruptive and make you late for dinner". Well, it may be very intimidating singing surrounded by the enticing smells of coffee, warm bacon rolls and the other many assorted aromas that are carried on the air in these places but, you know, we don't seem to be hungry when we're singing. Afterwards, O yes! But thank you Lord for the opportunities you are going to give us as we sing on the 'Mall Tour'. May we bring You honour and may people be won for the Kingdom. Yes we're shopping.....for souls!

Busking for the Lord

It's amazing how a bus can change the sound of a choir. Singing outside Christ Church in Tonbridge High Street with the choir recently, we were also very near to a bus stop. Every time a bus pulled up our volume doubled, as the sound of the choir and the backing music reflected back at us from the side of the bus. It meant that those walking by and those in the bus queue got a double dose! It was a great afternoon. Our numbers were somewhat depleted due to colds and other ailments; nonetheless we had the right balance of parts and McDonald's opposite was once again treated to about an hour of our singing.

We were also able to give out many tracts and booklets. The old ice cream box in which these were stored was on the ground near the feet of the front row of the choir. Suddenly a young woman who had walked past returned and threw a pound coin into the box. We were now in the realm of buskers! It will be interesting to see how June our treasurer will enter that contribution in the books: income from busking?

We were so encouraged by people's response; they stopped on both sides of the road to listen and an ex-London Transport bus on wedding duty gave us a big hoot. We even had people dancing! People are open to the Gospel!

We are now rehearsing for the 'Mall Tour', plus an evening with an Israeli Messianic pastor who is touring this country. Once again we will be in the midst of Christmas shoppers, proclaiming the eternal message of hope to people laden down with shopping and cares. Perhaps, tho', we should be careful this time where we leave our little box!

The Eternal Sat-Nav

Having been dragged into the 21st century by two daughters persuading me that it is imperative that I have a mobile phone, I have been resisting the temptation to purchase another of those essential pieces of modern technology, the Sat-Nav. I enjoy studying maps and planning journeys. However, the success of these adventures depends on a kind gentleman ensuring that more obscure roads, such as the B6066, are adequately signposted from the A road. Such was the situation on a recent trip to Bournemouth. Duly planned using the mark 1 brain, everything was going fine until we reached the said turn-off for the B6066. Not signposted! It became evident as we made our way gradually west and began running out of town landscape that we had overshot. Back we went and turned towards Bournemouth city centre.

So there we were, surrounded by assorted buses, having tried to negotiate a bewildering one-way system. "Cars aren't allowed here" bellowed a rather officious voice, which I thought was rather stating the obvious, since we had stumbled into a bus station. To cut a long story short, had we turned right instead of left at a certain roundabout, we would have found ourselves yards from our hotel. "Most people get lost trying to find us" were the receptionist's comforting words.

I remember being in New York city in the back of a yellow cab, being taken down to visit the Twin Towers, two weeks before they were hit. Our confidence in the Puerto Rican driver was not helped when he stopped and started consulting the A to Z! I can also remember being on board a late night taxi bus climbing the winding roads of Mount Carmel in Israel, seeking to find an address after the driver had said he was lost. It's even worse when you're flying over the Lake District in a light plane and the pilot suddenly tells you he's lost! My father gave me good advice when he said: "If you find yourself lost, ask a local".

I am reminded of the poem quoted by King George the Sixth during his Christmas broadcast in 1939, just after Britain had entered the Second World War:

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".

And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way".

  As a Company, we go into the future putting our hand into the hand of God, seeking through our ministry to speak to those who are lost on life's highway. The Bible, life's Sat-Nav to eternity, is there for all: timeless, eternal words of hope. As we go into our autumn programme, we pray that God will allow us to proclaim the Light who is safer than a known way.

Be Careful Who You Sit Next To!

This coming Saturday Jenny and I, together with two friends, will have the rare luxury of sitting in an audience for one of our musicals, without having to do anything but watch! As I think about it, I cast my mind back to the chain of events that led to this....

We were sitting on a bench looking out to sea, taking in the view that included the graceful sweep of Tintagel Head. Jenny and I are great fans of the television series Doc Martin, which is set in the sleepy, quaint Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac (called Portwen in the programme). Gazing to my right I noticed another couple; the man was reading a copy of the Times. I try to read this newspaper daily, since I believe it always contains a better class of weather, but there you go. My eyes were drawn to the headline that had something to do with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Leaning across to this stranger, I commented about the headline. "He's my boss" came the reply. The stranger turned out to be a vicar, David Haigh by name. Within a few minutes we were talking about the Last Things and Israel. We mentioned our latest musical Yeshua Messiah. The trail then continued with David inviting us to perform the musical in Romford, which then led to a performance in Loughton, which then led to a Messianic fellowship asking if they could perform another of our musicals called The Olive Tree - the musical we are going to see on Saturday. Be careful who you sit next to!

It reminded me of a further occasion when we were flying down to Barcelona. Approaching the Pyrenees, we began to experience turbulence. A man opposite me looked across and said: "Do I look frightened?" Not wishing to send this man into a pit of despair I replied: "You do just a little." I then went on to say that it was only in the summer that Europe really started to cook and send warm thermals upwards to contribute to unstable air. "Are you a pilot?" he asked. I replied in the negative. He continued to look very worried as the turbulence got worse. I decided to change the subject slightly and asked him what job he did. I was amazed buy his reply: "An air steward" he said. Be careful who you sit next to!

I remember some years ago flying over the Lake District in a light aircraft. As we took off, I found that I could not close the door. Frantically I kept pulling until finally I got the pilot's attention, having beheld Carlisle, some 2000 feet below, through the large gap in the door. "Don't worry - we'll level out at three thousand feet and then you won't have any wind resistance" he said stoically. Thankfully he did and I pulled the offending tail of my coat from the bottom of the door! We continued on into the heart of Lakeland, sweeping over the plunging edge of Wastwater with the famous Screes diving almost vertically into the dark depths of England's deepest lake. At that point, having got some great photos, the pilot calmly announced: "I'm lost!" I looked at him incredulously. You see, as you rise high above the lakes, they disappear into the valleys, so that all you see are peaks and ridges. "Right" I said, "let's find a lake I can recognise and we'll navigate from there". Sure enough, the great ribbon of Windermere soon appeared. "Turn left" I said "and follow it to its head, then we'll find Rydal Water, then Grasmere, then Thirlmere and then Derwent Water, where we turn north west towards Carlisle". We landed safely, but it cost me more because of the diversion! Be careful who you sit next to!

But I'm glad I sat next to a vicar called David Haigh. Roll on Saturday!