Lent…

Hey all,

So as I’m sure you know, lent has just started. I’ve given up tea and coffee, which I’m already finding difficult! But I suppose that’s the point really!

Anyway, a really short post today to say two things!

Firstly, 24-7 prayer, the initiative set up by Pete Greig, are running this thing called “Prayer Spaces”. Basically, they are little 5 minute videos every day through lent with a little thought for the day and prayer. I’ve done them for the last 3 days and they are really great. I’d thoroughly recommend. Check them out here.

Secondly, Worship Central is recording there very first live album in 13 days! Yes, it’s that soon. It’s going to be an amazing night of worship and ministry with worship from Tim Hughes, Al Gordon, Ben Cantelon, Nikki Fletcher and Luke Hellebronth, and Mike Pilavachi will be speaking. I’ve been privileged to see/hear/be involved with some of the new songs that we’ll be doing, and they are really great! So make sure, if you can, you get down. Click here to book your tickets! If not, and you’re the praying type, we’d love your prayer support, so that would be great too!

Anyway, I’m off to have a cup of tea….oh wait…..!

Oli

It’s time to look up…

Hey everyone,

Once again, sorry it’s been so long since I posted!

So, I’ve just come to the end of a very busy, but very exciting week! On Thursday and Friday of this week, HTB held it’s first ever “live link” multi-site event. This meant that both HTB and St. Paul’s, Onslow Square were used as venues and they were linked via satellite to each other with video and audio. The reason for this was that the ‘HTB Leadership Conference 2011′ is the biggest event that HTB has ever hosted. Over 1800 leaders from around the country, and the world, gathered together for some amazing teaching, networking and worship over the 2 days. I was privileged to be involved by playing keys and BV’ing! The conference was truly amazing and the atmosphere was very exciting. As Pete Greig put it in the closing session, with that many leaders equipped and inspired “we could do a lot of damage”!

However, this meant long days and lots of things going on. And on top of getting up at 5.30AM for the 2 days and not being home until late evening, I’ve been having trouble sleeping recently….which got me thinking!!

I’ve called this post “It’s time to look up”, which is based on a lyric from Rend Collective Experiment, who’ve just released their latest music video for the song ‘Come on my soul’. Watch it here and listen to the lyrics.

The lyrics are pretty simple right. Come on my soul, let down the walls and sing my soul. Come on my soul, it’s time to look up.

Now, out of this simplicity, there’s a lot we can draw, but basically, it’s a cry that we would wake up, long for more of God, worship Him, take it out, and rely on Him. It’s that last point that I’ve been thinking about. Mainly because I’m shattered!

Psalm 121 - I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Much like this song, this blog post is simple. God is our strength and help.

So, it’s time to look up.

I can’t sing loud enough…

Well, good morning! And happy new year! I have to admit, I’m very excited about 2011. I got back to London on Tuesday and have had a fairly chilled first few days at work. However, although today is Saturday, I’ve been in town for over an hour now as I’m helping with a couple of bits at church today.
As you may have guessed, I’m sitting in Starbucks (!) writing this blog post between the 2 jobs I have today and I’m overlooking the already busy Brompton Road where Harrods claims to be having a sale, but I’m almost certain I still couldn’t afford a shoe lace from there!

I’ve been listening to Phil Wickham’s album ‘Heaven and Earth’ again today and was reminded how much I love the song ‘Cielo’. The word ‘Cielo’ means heaven in Spanish which is apt as this whole album is all about, well as the title suggests, heaven and earth. This song is a story which starts with ‘walking through the bright white gates’ and then the response of ‘I can’t sing loud enough when I’m singing for You my God’ then ‘I can’t bow low enough at the vision of You my God’ and finally ‘I can’t lift my hands high enough when I’m reaching for You my God’. I just LOVE those lyrics. And it’s so true. However much we sing to God, there is always more to sing about.

Remember that passage in Job that talks about how big and mighty God is (actually it’s God kind of telling him off but still). Look at this:

4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?

Just forget for a second that this is a passage that is primarily to show Job that he ain’t the boss, and think about the statements that God is making. He was there at the beginning, He made it all, and He knows it all! So, next time you’re singing, remember that there’s always more to sing about!

Oh, and the bowing low and reaching high thing too! It’s “more than just a song” after all! (cheesy reference to my blog title!)

Anyway, I am going to finish my triple shot caramel machiato and head back to church soon. Keep in touch.
Blessings,

Oli

So here it is…Merry Christmas…

It’s coming to the end of my first term here in London. It feels very odd to think that I’ve been living here for almost 4 months now, but it also feels great. I have a real sense of family here with the Worship Central and HTB team and it’s already blown away all of my expectations! I have to admit, I am very much looking forward to being back home for Christmas however!

Since I last posted, as you can imagine, a lot has happened! I seem to be a very busy boy here, but I love it. Some of the highlights include co-leading worship with Tim Hughes at staff meeting, co-leading with Luke Hellebronth at an Alpha day at HTB, and a songwriting retreat, which was amazing.

Basically, I was privileged to be able to go away with Tim, Al, Ben, Nikki, Luke, Tom and Martyn for 3 days with the sole intention of songwriting! Wow. In March 2011, Worship Central is recording it’s first live album (which if you can, you definitely should come to), and we wanted to make sure there would be some new songs on it! For me, it was an incredible learning experience with a steep learning curve. Songwriting is not an easy job all the time and it was amazing to see how other people do it and how to do it together. Over the 3 days, between us there was about 10 good ideas that were on there way to becoming songs. So keep your ears open as hopefully you’ll hear some of them soon!

Currently, I’m just getting ready to go out and make my way through the thick snow over London, to get to St. Paul’s in time for the “Alternative Carol Service” this afternoon, of which I’m a part of. Basically, it’s, well it kind of says it all in the title. It’s like a carol service, just different. Some more modern arrangements, some good live music etc. It’s gonna be sweet! So, I’m feeling very Christmassy right now and am packing up my things getting ready to see my family in a few days. I would be going home tomorrow, but something rather exciting came up…

Tomorrow I am going to Pinewood Studios in Slough to help Tim shoot his first ever music video! Oh yes! It’s gonna be a long and busy day, but a once in a lifetime opportunity I couldn’t turn down!

So there it is…Merry Christmas…

Have an amazing holiday period and remember why we celebrate!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Oli x

It’s been a month…

Hey everyone.

First I need to apologise because it has, as the title suggests, been a month since I last posted a blog. Which is far too long, I know. Especially because this has been a particularly excited and busy month. But then again, maybe that’s why I haven’t posted.

Since I last posted, loads has gone on. So, this post is basically going to be a long list of what I’ve been doing, which I agree isn’t particularly exciting, but for the sake of those back home who are eager to find out what I’ve been up to, it will be fulfilling!!

Here we go:

I lead worship at a funeral (a first!)

I’ve sung in a vocal group at a Women’s breakfast (yes, women’s…!)

I’ve had some time songwriting with Luke

I’ve visited home (which was lovely and full of catching up over coffee!)

I’ve been on tour with Worship Central (see below for more details)

I’ve sang in a vocal group for the 150th anniversary of St. Pauls, Onslow Square (which had over 1000 people attending)

And I’ve lead worship in a prison

(Oh, and seen the new Harry Potter movie!!!)

 

So, there is a super quick overview of some of the things I’ve been up to.

As I mentioned, I’ve been on tour! Worship Central do a UK tour each year and this year I got to go with them. Well, for most of it anyway! We visited Southampton, Bristol, Bradford and Edinburgh. The tour involves a lot of shifting heavy equipment, a long of counting in and out stock for the merchandise stand, a lot of button clicking for the song words, a lot of travelling, a lot of fun, BUT not a lot of sleep!!

We left London on Wednesday the 10th November at around 7AM (we were there earlier to pack the bus and so on), and we didn’t get back to London until Sunday the 14th November after a long drive down from Scotland.

The night involved a great time of worship, some teaching from Tim and Al, lots of ministry and more worship. It was truly a privilege to be with them and to experience the incredible skill of all of the musicians, techies and event planners! I’m not sure I could ever do what they did!

The way we got around was in a big bus. But not just any bus. Oh no. This was a tour bus. The bus has 16 bunk beds on the upper floor (so that everyone can have a snooze while the driver takes us to the next location), 2 lounges (both with flat screen TV’s and sofas) and a little kitchen area to make a cuppa tea. Basically, it was the coolest bus I’ve ever been on. Although, I can imagine after sleeping on it for 4 days, it’s not so wonderful any more. I only slept on it once on the trip down to London from Scotland, and it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable I’d been, but not as bad as I thought it might have been.

Anyway, I can see all of your eyes glazing over so I had better stop.

One final thought. The other night as I was leaving my house to go and meet some friends to do some worship right outside “Erotica”, the porn festival (a story for another time perhaps), I felt God remind me of the amazing words in Isaiah 40. We often sing these words in the song “Everlasting God” by Brenton Brown, but I think I often sing them without really thinking them. Have a look, and no matter how busy your last month has been, or how busy the week ahead of you is going to be, remember this:

 

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

 

God Bless,

Oli x

Through the storm…

It’s been an interesting night. I went to a church in Marylebone with Ben Cantelon to help at their worship team night. It was a really cool night. Great worship. Great talk. Great ministry time.

During the ministry time, Ben started playing the song “You never let go”. The lyrics in the chorus go like this:

“Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm, Oh no, You never let go, in every high and every low, Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me.”

It’s a great song.

I got home tonight and got a phone call. It was my Dad calling to tell me that one of our long time family friends, Patience Peplinski, had died. Patience was younger than my parents and has an amazing family with 5 children.

It makes you think. Why does God let these things happen? Why did she die?

The only thing I could think of when I heard this news was that chorus.

“Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm, Oh no, You never let go, in every high and every low, Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me.”

God never lets go. Never. Ever.

Things often suck. Bad stuff often happens. But God never lets go. Even when we’re finding it hard to hold onto Him, even when we can’t understand why stuff happens, He holds onto us.

Through the storm…

Settling in…

Hey guys.

Hope you’re all well?

So, currently I’m sitting in Starbucks (as expected) but this time, as well as getting coffee, I’m using the free internet as I have none yet in my new flat!

YES, my new flat!!! Wooo! So glad to have found a place and moved in. I’ve been living in Wandsworth for 5 days now and so far so good! I’m really close to a big shopping centre with supermarkets, cinemas and so on, and close to a tube stop as well. It’s worked out well PTL!  (here’s a few picutures – click me)

As the title suggests, I’m really starting to feel like I’m part of the team and the HTB family here, I’ve met loads of great people and starting to form great friendships. This week, for the first time since I’ve been here, all of our department were around for our weekly meeting (as Tim’s been away on paternity leave after having a beautiful little girl called “Lois Jubilee Hughes”) and so it really did feel like I was a part of the team.

It’s been another fairly busy week, with office work, various worship bits (eg. the Student Alpha Conference) and the start of my ‘Monday Morning Theology’ classes, held at St. Paul’s Theological Centre (SPTC). I’ve been there 2 weeks now and already had Jane Williams (the Archbishop’s wife) and Graham Tomlin as lecturers, and it’s been great to have at least one morning of real deep thinking and some form of academic input. However nice it was to finish school, it’s also quite nice to think again!

Also this week, I was privileged to be a part of the Worship Central Podcast (both setting up, setting down and actually being introduces as the new intern) which was very exciting, so make sure you listen out for that soon!

So, once again, I’m having a nice chilled day off, although I have to go and do some grocery shopping soon (and excuse the American/Canadian phrasing there) but I am living with a Canadian and so it’s becoming natural. (Kate Murphy will be very pleased!!!)

I am going to be sending out my first proper newsletter soon to those who have expressed interest, but if you want one as well, just send me either you’re email if you’re OK with receiving a PDF or postal address otherwise!

Missing you all, hope to see you soon!

Oli