religion, good or bad?

From an Angel’s PoV.

Big subject this! I’ve been wanting to write about this subject again for a long time, but I shied away from doing it. It seems there are lots of complications in this subject in need of untangling. Where do I even begin?

First of all, the terminology is problematic. If you talk about religion, you’re implying a religion among other (the world-) religions. Libraries full of books have been written about those religions, and further books still about comparing those religions.

When talking about Christianity ‘as a religion’, you’re implying that Christianity is a ‘religion’ among ‘other religions’. Yes? There’s no escape from that implication.

What are religions? Man made ways of connecting with deity (?). The questions arises, ‘is one religion better then the other?’. There is an assumption that in the end all religions lead to the same result (same place). In that view, the world religions are all equally matched, like political parties, and they are all ‘good’ and ‘needed’, and trying to get ‘your vote’. In the end it doesn’t matter which religion you follow, so goes the thinking, or whether you’re an ‘independent’; that’s fine too. It all goes in the grand democracy of philosophy. What ever works best for you.

If religion is ‘man’s attempt to reach/ please God’, then knowing & following Jesus is not a religion. Jesus’ arrival and mission on this planet was not invented by ‘man’.

Still, you could hardly refrain from calling Christianity a religion; it is. That seems right when you consider that there are (and have been) millions of people in the ‘Christian church’ many (if not most) of whom do not necessarily know and follow Jesus.

A while ago I began to compare religion to gravity, which comes with being on earth. No escape from gravity; in fact life on earth would be impossible without it. Without gravity, everything down here would just drift into space (if it wasn’t firmly fixed to the earth in some way) and die from the lack of oxygen.

The ‘down-side’ of gravity is that you get hurt when you fall; if you fall off a tall building you will get killed. Or, the other way around, you get killed by things falling on top of you, as in an earth quake. Tragic and terrible stuff. Yet, we need & want gravity.  Life would be impossible without it.

I think religion can be compared to gravity. We cannot do without it; it helps us in many ways, but there are some very serious downsides to having religion around.

Another way in which you can compare religion to gravity is that religion is every where, even when you don’t see it, or expect it. People have a need to express their longing for eternity, or their amazement (wonder) that their lives in this realm are coming to an end. Our dreams take us outside the realm of our daily & ordinary lives, and in touch with realms that are there (inside & outside of us), but mostly hidden from us. In my view every living person has a need to express their longing & wonder in some way or other. 

Honest expressions can be found in music, theater, film, art etc. They can also be found in scientific research, in sport, adventure, in social action (fighting disease, hunger, poverty, oppression etc.). Honest expressions of longing & wonder can even be found in worship where people are truly expressing their love for God.

However, there is also the dishonest expression, the false expression, the fake. This world is full of imitations and I see religion as an imitation of the real expression.

It’s very tempting to go for the fake; it’s quick & easy, doesn’t cost by far what the real, genuine expression costs. Religion is the imitation of the true expression, and therefor a cop-out or worse, a killer (of truth, of life, of love, joy& peace). A false god.  But in some ways, and for some people religion is very attractive. Many people use it as a crutch to lean on, or as a power system that serves them well. 

Jesus had many confrontations with the religious leaders of the day, and he exposed them for what they were: abusers of the people who were being led astray and held in bondage.

Going back to the comparison between religion and gravity, the comparison does not work so well, in that gravity is clearly and totally outside of us, while religion is also inside. 

You can know that for sure when you see astronauts floating in space where there’s no gravity. There they are outside of gravity’s influence.   

Religion is not only outside of us, but also inside of us. We can all get religious about something, and even those who claim not to be religious at all, are in fact religious in certain ways at certain times. (Expressed in being fanatical, or dumb, or repetitious, or sentimental, or legalistic etc.)

This tendency of getting religious (at certain times, in a certain way, possibly in certain places) could be compared to sin. That sound rather radical, but really I believe that this tendency to be (or to get) religious is NOT good, AND it is with(in) ALL of us; we All have the tendency to get religious, I think. 

This tendency to get religious  ALWAYS clouds (obscures) the things that are right and good and true. 

I may have lost you by now. But please, hang in there with me. 

Religion as in the organization of a faith expression (like Judaism) isn’t necessarily bad. The Christian church as an organized ‘religion’ isn’t necessarily bad, even though many terrible things have happened over the centuries in the name of the church. It is what the church leaders have done with their ‘religious’ powers that needs to be scrutinized and judged. 

Religion as a power base, has done (still does) much evil (at different levels) from the deadly crusades in previous centuries (and the Pope’s co-operation with the German, Italian & Japanese Nazi killing machine in the 2nd world war) to the sexual abuse by Catholic priests etc.

Where-ever power (structures) go un-checked, abuse usually follows. Welcome to planet earth!

Jesus introduced the Kingdom of Heaven, which is an upside-down kingdom. The first will be last; it’s all about serving and turning away from POWER. Lets call this ‘power under’. This in itself is a huge subject, which deserves a great deal of attention. 

Jesus said: “I am the truth, the way and the life. Follow me.”

In His upside-down Kingdom, we follow him to the cross where we die with him, to get resurrected with him (‘power under’). 

Even within the Christian religion it is very easy to miss this truth altogether and have the wool pulled over your eyes by the religious system (power over).

The tendency to get religious, I believe, lives in every-body. 

This tendency (to get religious) is (in my view) how the world religions have come into being. They are all power systems, usually build around an ‘inspired’ founder of the faith.

Most religions are completely man-made and have sprung through this infamous ability to get-religious. The same tendency has also infiltrated the Christian church, ever since there WAS a church! 

Jesus confronted the Pharisees many times about the same thing: the Jewish religious leaders had added to the law (of Moses) a host of extra rules & laws. They LOVED being religious; it gave them tremendous POWER (over).  And so they added massively to the laws given by Moses. This became a huge & impossible burden to the people.

Jesus stood up to this sinful practice in no uncertain terms.

The need (or desire) to get religious sits SO deep within people; it needs constant scrutinizing & cleaning out! 

Sadly the church is FULL of religious practices and religious attitudes. Man made stuff that gets in the way of God’s Holy Spirit and the work the H.S. wants to do. This tendency (to get religious) sits SO deep that people don’t see it; to the point where you don’t see it in your own life (Pastor Rodney describes this as: ‘People think: My pooh don’t stink.’)

Churches gradually slip into all kinds of religious stuff, usually without the congregation noticing it. (A bit like a family living in a place that is dirty and has a bad smell, but none of the family notice it. But imagine getting invited to this house for a meal; you’ll have serious difficulty keeping the food down…)

You might walk off the street and into a church, during the Sunday service, and instantly feel a sense of panic, desperately wanting to get out of this place; it is SUCH a deadly environment!   It’s happened to me several times, especially in the days before I became a follower of Jesus, but sadly also afterwards. At one time while living in London, UK, my wife, son & I, were looking for a ‘new’ church and we decided to visit a different church every Sunday. We did this for several Months. Some places we entered, we just could NOT stay until the service was over; we just HAD to get out- the place was so full of religiosity. 

Religion (religiosity) can slowly choke the life out of people, out of a church, out of an entire church denomination; out of organized religion, the church. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is on the move around the globe and busting the road blocks of religion & tradition.  

A new word here: tradition. While it’s great to have traditions, the dangers are always of those traditions becoming obstacles to happy & healthy living. Traditions need to be re-invented, to be given new meaning. Some traditions could be discarded, while it may be good to invent some new traditions. As a family we’ve developed some of our own traditions, and these are valuable to us, even though the value will change over time and so will those traditions. 

I don’t think you can talk about religion in the same way. We don’t want to be inventing more religion. Still, within the given ‘religion’ we need to constantly re-discover what it is all about. It could well be that parts of our religious expression should be changed or even done away with. We need to constantly go back to the core of our (dare I say) religion, our FAITH, to that which is un-changeable, that which should be & must be un-changeable: 

the heart of our faith, which has to be based on the truth, which is Jesus.

A new word here: faith. The Bible describes faith as ‘The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (Hebrews 11:1)(What a great statement, right there!)

But faith is not restricted to Christians only. 

Next to the Christian faith, there are the Islamic faith, the Jewish faith, and I suppose there are several more. When it comes to Hinduism, faith is perhaps not quite the right description; it’s vaguer, more diverse, and more like superstition (?). 

In any case, when talking about faith it seems that we are scaling the discussion back somewhat from talking about religion.

When you step into an aircraft you trust (you have faith) that the plane has been correctly designed & built and that it will be correctly handled by the pilot. The aircraft and the pilot can truly be trusted. You put your faith in the true quality of the craft & pilot.

Faith must be based on truth. If it’s not, your faith will NOT serve you well; quite the opposite, it will lead you down the garden path.  

Faith is not blind, it is not dumb, and it is not mute. Faith is active if it is anything at all.

Faith built on truth (Jesus), and practiced actively is a faith that can ‘move mountains’.  

If faith is not built on truth, it will be destructive eventually.

Faith (in the truth which is Jesus) is there to be practiced, as opposed to practicing religion. Religion doesn’t need any practice, and when practicing religion, people are merely following man made rules and customs, while being led astray, away from God & truth! Truth is essential; without it we will end up living a lie; a life (and a world) in darkness. We are desperate for light & truth to see a brighter world and have better lives.

Throughout the Old Testament we read how God interacted with certain individuals and gradually built a lasting relationship with a people that he called his own; a committed (covenant) relationship based on love and respect (fear of God). An organized system was needed (from the days of Moses) to help the (Hebrew) people understand this relationship and be faithful to it. In a sense this was the beginning of the Hebrew (Jewish) religion. A religion for good and for bad, like a necessary evil. Since this world is a ‘fallen world’ the expression and organization of this covenant relationship would be a faulty system from the start, and vulnerable to human abuse.

Obviously God knew this, He knows all, but choose the making of the covenant through the 10 commandments and  the establishment of the temple with all that this involved, even though God always knew that power hungry people would abuse and subvert the intentions of the covenant & temple. It was people really who turned the Hebrew faith into the Jewish religion, not God.

In the same way, Jesus did not come to establish a new religion; people did that, and God has simply allowed it. People need to organize themselves, and this is a fallen world; we constantly drift away from the truth, and God graciously gives us room. He is not a dictator; he is a loving God and constantly stirring us (through his Holy Spirit) to turn away from religion and seek him. He who seeks the Lord, will find him!

It is obvious by now that in my view even within the Christian religion the truth (Jesus) has gone largely missing, and large numbers of people are practicing their religion rather then their faith (in Jesus). This is a terrible state of affairs. Other religions are even further from the truth, in my view, and are powerful systems that can easily be abused by people hungry for power. This is an even worse state of affairs.  

I believe that the Muslim Religion (Islam) has the potential of becoming a power base which intents to dominate much of the world, and that Islam is well on it’s way to taking power even in Western Europe. A very nasty power-over movement this is.

This is a far cry from the Kingdom of Heaven which is all about power-under instead of power-over. Islam is ultimately a power-over system and not based on the love-of-God, as where the Christian faith, where expressed in truth is ALL ABOUT LOVE and power-under, which is serving.

It is very tempting for Christians and ‘the Christian church’ (as in the Christian political voice) to attempt to grab power (power-over), and try to organize the world according to their (political) views, how-ever limited those views may be. In the process (of trying to take political power) the love of God (faith expressing itself in love) is forgotten and the movement turns ugly. This is religion in it’s true ugly sense. We’ve seen this happen in the USA over the last so many years, and the results have been a disaster. The true Christian witness has suffered greatly and the world has not become a better place.

Following Jesus really means following him in the way he kept ministering to the poor and needy, not aiming for power-over, but always choosing power-under, even to the point of death. It’s the resurrection power that will change the world for the better; no other power can do that. Followers of Jesus have to stay focussed on this journey. Religion predictably does the opposite (with predictable results).

I grew up in the Christian religion and learned all about the Old Testament, not the New sadly. I eventually walked away from the this system of bondage, and found myself looking for a savior. When I met Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, I got born again, as they say. But even then there was the option of getting stuck in organized religion all over again. It is every where, you see. It even creeps into places that seem so free at first.

So, even after being touched by God’s wonderful spirit, I found myself gradually going to sleep (spiritually speaking) for lack of focus.

Compare this to falling asleep behind the wheel; it is extremely dangerous. By God’s grace I survived the crash, and knew from then on that the only way to stay on course is to follow Jesus. I now practice my faith in Jesus every hour of the day & night, and make sure I stay fully focussed on him. This has given me tremendous freedom; it has also put some serious and much needed restrictions on my life. How good all of this is!

So, to the question, ‘is religion good or bad?’ I should answer: it is not about it being good or bad, it is about how important Jesus is in a person’s life, in a group of friends or family, in a church, in a denomination, in a party, in a country; in the world. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Unlikely places…

singing diary

Retirement Homes are such unlikely places for a singer with self respect to go into, and yet… To begin with,  (a large) part your audience is either half asleep or mentally not quite there. Some residents make constant noise, talking to themselves, or even shouting at nobody. Recently in the middle of my set, this lady loudly proclaimed that she had to go the bath  room. At first I ignored her and simply carried on, but there was no member of staff in the room and she kept declaring her need. A conviction came on me that if I didn’t respond, we were going to have more serious trouble right there. So when I had finished singing, I left the room for a few brief moments, to alarm a member of staff. Other times members of staff congregate in the back of the room, usually talking to each other loudly. Often they walk right into the audience during the ’show’ and start giving people their medicine or food, or talking with them loudly. Announcements come through the  PA system in the building loud & clear. At one time the fire alarm went off; it was so loud, people had to cover their ears. Other times I’ve performed in open plan spaces; the ‘hall’ is also a corridor, and all kinds of people walk right through usually oblivious to the fact that there’s a presentation going on.

AND YET! In these UNLIKELY PLACES the Holy Spirit often moves in remarkable ways, because many residents are HUNGRY for GOD. It reminds me of doing STREET SHOWS in Trafelgar Sqare, London, with heavy traffic all around the center where we were performing. There were constant sirens from police cars and ambulances driving right past, AND YET!! Because there were HUNGRY-for-GOD people watching our street theatre, the Spirit moved and created a still & holy space around us (performers & audience). Same in the Retirement Homes. Often when walking into these places, it feels like you’ve come to the wrong building; and yet, once the music & the telling begins, the Holy Spirit moves over the people and something very precious happens; every time!

Never mind going into an expensive building with excellent facilities etc. finding that the people are hard hearted, not hungry for God, but picky & judgmental. No move of the Spirit here! I’ve been there a few times, and have no desire to go there again. Usually those are the places where the money is. Those people think they’ve got it all, and they don’t want you to ruffle their feathers.

Nov.28th, Sunrise Village in Tampa. Another ‘unlikely place’; the Holy Spirit moved beautifully.

Dec.1st, Tender Loving Care, Lakeland. I’ve been here many times before. A wonderful steady little crowd. I did the story of Jacob, which they very much appreciated. I struggle to stay within the one hour time limit. An excellent morning.

Dec.2nd, Hanna Oaks in Tampa. A very unlikely place and a wonderful move of the Spirit.

Dec.5th, Lake Morton Plaza, Lakeland. 2nd time in this place. When I was here before, an excellent little crowd turned up who very much enjoyed the story of Moses. Today, the story of Jacob, equally compelling material. While singing I can see the Spirit washing over the people. This place would be ready for me to visit more regularly (like once a month). 

Dec.9th, Excell Rehab in Tampa. A new experience today… The Activities Director with whom I’ve arranged the date for me to come in, is not there. I rang her the day before, and left a message, since she didn’t answer her phone. When I arrive I hear that the Act. Dir. is not there; she wasn’t there yesterday either, nobody has heard my phone message, and they were not expecting me. Even so, they’re prepared to go ahead, but they are also having an early Christmas dinner at lunch time (I’m there in the morning). In all the business & rushing we forget to talk about timing. I was scheduled to sing from 10.30 until 11.30 AM, and I’m assuming that that’s still OK. To my dismay I’m finding that at 11.15 the staff re beginning to roll my audience (in the wheel chairs) out of the room. The assistant Act. Dic. indicated that I should finish, and within minutes the last few members of my audience are being taken out of the room while I sing the last song, Aaron’s Blessing, having skipped 3 songs that should have come first. A very odd experience! They needed to get ready for their special dinner, and expected me to finish at 10.15 AM. Never mind, I still LOVE going into these UNLIKELY PLACES, where I come in to minister under the guise of entertainment.

God’s Spirit is on the Move…

singing diary

November 13th, singing in Summerville, Lakeland/ Nov.19th, singing in Savannah Court, Brandon/ Nov.20th, singing in Delaney Creek Lodge, Brandon/ Nov.21st, singing in Whispering Oaks, Tampa.

It just keeps on getting better! I’m learning more & more to flow in the spirit; while I’m more relaxed in what I do, I’m also learning to be more expressive in the singing & the telling. Another thing I’m learning is to stand against dark forces and present the Kingdom of God with conviction, strength, energy, joy & love flowing through me. If there is restlessness, it usually goes after a while, because God’s peace is powerful.

At Summerville I performed/ ministered in the activities room, which was lovely; a settled & very quiet audience. People were too quiet for my liking, and I tried hard to get more of a response. This began to happen only well into the program. Then I notices some people began to leave. (Sometimes people leave simply to go to the bathroom.)  I  had difficulty finishing within the hour and was ‘on’  for about 70 minutes. Afterwards the Activities Director expressed her appreciation for my work; she had loved the program etc., but next time I should finish with 50  minutes. My oh my, that is very difficult, especially when people are so slow to respond. Never mind; they will learn to yield a little quicker, and I will (have to) keep it shorter. Really, I long for opportunities where I can go for 90 minutes or even 100. “Please come back soon!” was the response; here’s another regular home for me to visit! Great place; lovely people!

Savannah Court is the ONE place where I sing ONCE a month. How special. And I’m glad that I can honestly say that EVERY ONE of those hours (70 minutes) have been really special! The little crowd that comes out to hear me, are like a friend that I very much enjoy visiting.   THEY LOVE ME! They come out early when I visit, because they look forward to hearing me sing & tell. As a result of that they all sit there watching me set-up my PA system (which is fine really- I do it very quick now-a-days). I told my little audience more about Moses, the latter part of his life, and I sang 2 songs: ‘I will wait’ & ‘Have I not dreamed?’    

People LOVE my story telling, and the story of Moses is SO VERY RICH! They LOVED the first song; the second song is about Moses in his relationship with God, just before he finishes his life. I suppose this story material is very close to the bone for these dear elderly. They were more quiet, but I think they received it all just as much. After that I was on to the New Testament material, which is like stepping into a taxi: all of a sudden things move quickly and the ride is great: In His way of being/ Beatitudes/ Love Never Fails/ Touch Eternity/ Aaron’s Blessing. In fact I skipped ‘Love Never Fails’ since I had taken substantial time for Moses (I LOVE {the story of} Moses). I was on for 70 minutes; just got away with that length. Seconds after I finished there was an announcement via the intercom that lunch was NOW BEING SERVED. A great morning!

This is the first time I’m in Delaney Creek Lodge IN THE MORNING (I have been here twice before, in the afternoons). In some place most elderly sleep during the early afternoon, and doing a program at that time of day can be a bad idea! Today I have a terrific audience coming out and I manage to start EARLY. This helps with finishing not too late. The people LOVE my work; they are responding well and the spirit is moving beautifully. It’s almost like today is the first time  here. Afterwards, while taking my stuff out the building, the director of the place asks me what I’m being paid. I tell here I’m not getting paid today. She responds by asking me to write an invoice for $50. “Doing such a great job and then not getting paid, that’s not right…” she says. I gladly write the invoice and quietly say: “Thank you Lord; the worker is worthy of his pay!”, and here it is!

I’ve been to Whispering Oaks once before; the occasion went well; I remember quite a few people who are well ‘out of it’. In recent teaching (through our home group) I had received encouragement to take authority earlier & quicker (instead of too late when ‘all hell has broken loose’). I’m doing just that even on the way here, and while I’m preparing. I suggest we change the set-up of the room, and the Activities Director kindly agrees to it (she is very kind indeed). I find myself playing the sax and singing to individual people, and really inviting the Holy Spirit (praying while I sing/ play/ tell) to touch this person and that person…

The occasion turns into something very special. The Spirit begins to move beautifully over the whole audience, very much including the people who seem so far away. Members of staff appear and stay; quite a few of them. God is at work in a fresh & surprising way. People are getting touched. This one young man is lying in his wheelchair (it’s almost like a bed);  his eyes are bewildered; his arms & legs all over the place. While he is getting touched by the spirit he begins to calm down and gets a little focus in his eyes. After the presentation is finished I pray for him & over him, binding the spirit of infirmity and loosening the healing spirit of God over him. I still  have a long way to go here, but one day (soon) God is going to use me to bring complete healing & liberty to people like this young man. I hope & pray that this young man can have a gradual healing! Many people here received Jesus today, including some members of staff. Another VERY SPECIAL event. I wonder sometimes, where is this all going?! Something very special is happening through all these encounters. God’s Spirit is on the Move!

The Spirit goes where no-one else can…; once the light shines in, darkness has to flee!

singing diary

It is amazing to me, to see how the Holy Spirit moves in places and circumstances where communication seems impossible. If I didn’t know that my singing & telling will get the backing, the deep touch of heaven’s great, loving & powerful spirit, I wouldn’t dare stand before some crowds that I find myself in front of.

It’s been from one extreme to the other this week. I did my second visit to a place in Brandon with Alzheimer patients/ residents (Nov.6th 2008). Sweet & precious people, some of them far gone; others quite present as it were, but a little confused also. Some residents had relatives visit them, who joined their elderly parents in attending the  ’concert’. It was so special. God’s love for vulnerable people is almost overwhelming. He knows their history, their character, their personality; He knows what they have lost, but it’s not lost forever. In the Kingdom of Heaven we’ll be fully restored!

There was a woman visiting her elderly mother; she tells me afterwards how much she has enjoyed my presentation. She tells that her mother was, for most of her life, an opera singer, and that she was responding to my singing, even though her memory of opera was more or less gone. Hard to imagine even, this lady, sitting so lifeless in her wheel chair, had been an opera singer. Woow. The daughter had been thoroughly touched, and asked to buy an album. The Spirit goes places no one else can!

A man, visiting his mother, in tears at the end of the ‘concert’, came up to me to say ‘thank you’. He was angry with the dark forces that had stolen his mother’s memory. He felt that the Holy Spirit was there to restore (a measure of) health to her. When the light shines in, darkness has to flee.   

I’m singing third time in Woodbridge, North Tampa. A difficult place with many people in serious conditions, some of them seem close to the end of their lives. Others are quite disturbed, moaning loudly, or even jelling at regular intervals; everybody is in their wheel chair. SO MUCH NOISE in the room; members of staff walking in & out; an ice machine making such a racket.  On top of that I’m having trouble with my PA system; the sound seems all wrong; out of balance; too much echo, creating even more distance in this large room. I struggle to get on top of it; clearly there is a high level of darkness in this place, and I’m right in the middle of it.

Still, I’ve learned to press on, and to stick to my guns: I proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, and keep doing it. And yes, like before, after 20 to 30 minutes of struggle the room finally begins to settle and the wonderful spirit can freely move. Afterwards I go around the room (I always do this) to ’see’ every person. Further at the back of the room are quite a few people who can’t talk; some are in a daze; others only make gibberish noises. This one woman talking in nonsense sounds, never able to look me in the eye. SUCH DARKNESS.

Maybe in future days God will give me the authority  to speak to those mountains (of darkness) and cast them in the sea.  Wouldn’t it be amazing and brilliant to see people really walk free from their heavy chains! Still, the moaning lady has stopped her complaining and has begun to receive something from the Spirit. Others are smiling;  many have been touched. The Spirit has gone where I could never go, and the light of God has rejected some darkness. The Activities Director insists I come back a.s.a.p. “This is the best entertainment we’ve ever had!”, she says. It’s obviously more then entertainment, much more. Without this move of  the Spirit, I would be at a complete loss as to what to do here, or anywhere else really. Woodbridge, Nov. 10th 2008.

I’m singing in Hudson Manor on Davis Island, Tampa. First time  here. They know that my material is Biblical, as it were; apart from that they have no idea obviously of what they’re in for. Right at the beginning there’s an interesting situation. The Activities Director (A.D.) wants me to set the PA up right in the middle of a corridor, facing the dining room. To get into the dining room, you would need to walk through the area where I am supposed to perform. I begin to set up, when I get a conviction that this is not right. I look for the A.D., but cannot find her; I hear she gone out for something. So I decide to turn things around. I take my stuff down again, take it into the dining room and set up at the other end, facing this way. When the A.D. returns she is all upset, because the kitchen staff will not like this at all, she says. She insists I take it all down again, and go back to the original setting. I don’t want to do this,  because I’m hoping for a quality show, rather then casual entertainment. While we’re having our little conflict the lady running the kitchen appears;  she’s quickly figured what’s going on, and immediately interrupts to let us know that she has no problem with the new setting. A few moments later we discover there is a misunderstanding over the time of the show; it’s not from 2 to 3, but from 3 to 4. This is my opportunity to show generosity, and the A.D. is glad to hear that I have no problem waiting an hour, before starting.

I took a few minutes to write this little story, because what happened there made a huge difference to what happened during the ’show’. At first there was quite a bit of noise & movement;  this is what people are used to where there’s ‘entertainment’- you talk & walk as much as you like; it doesn’t matter. But HERE (with what I present) it DOES MATTER. After about 15 minutes the room began to settle, and the wonderful H. Spirit began to move. Members of staff appeared and stood there behind the audience. Turning the physical  situation around was crucial in turning the spiritual situation around. All kinds of people appeared and were glued to the  presentation. IT WAS SO SPECIAL! 

Afterward I heard the same question, as what I hear so often:”When are you coming back?” One lady told me that she only saw (heard) the end bit; she had stayed in her room for mot of my presentation. She was very sorry to have missed most of it, and wanted to know when I was going to come back. She tells me: ” We get these country singers here who sing all  these depressing songs about how their love has cheated on them, how bad things are… You know the score in country music. I don’t need to hear that kind of thing; I need something that lifts me up; something inspiring! That’s what YOU DO; you inspire people!” (Hudson Manor, November 7th, 2009)

I drive away thanking God for what He does through me in these place, and how special this afternoon had been, once again. And once the light shines into the darkness, darkness HAS TO flee. God is great! Thank you Jesus; I’m so honored and grateful to be a co-worker with the Holy Spirit. There’s nothing like the Kingdom of Heaven! 

 

 

 

labor of love…

singing diary

This week I sang in three places (Oct.28/ 29/ 30). The first & third occasion were at places where I’ve been before (Savannah Court/ Hawthorne Village), several times; 2 wonderful hours of joy & singing in the spirit.

The second occasion was plain hard work in difficult circumstances. I had been to this place once before, and at that time it was very much the same. Lots of movement, people walking & talking, including staff; one disturbed lady kind of screaming every 3 minutes. Gladly about 15 minutes into my presentation, she stopped and sat there staring at me. Afterwards she thanked me profusely.

This last place was such a struggle; a labor of love. It pushed me into that uncomfortable place, where you don’t want to go. The hardest thing I found was members of staff making so much noise, and constantly walking around and interacting with my little audience. I  kept loosing their attention because of the staff. They treat me like I’m the radio (or a CD player); I’m having to work hard, not to get angry, not to get offended. Then I discover that I can get more eye contact with my audience, and as a result the staff begin to sit back or walk away (even better).

During His ministry years Jesus confronted the religious authorities many times, but always at moments of His choosing. Most of the time, Jesus simply ignored them and focussed on the ordinary people. 

Once the concert/ presentation is finished the activities director tells me how much the people have loved it, and would I come & sing here once a month (she offers me pay). My, here’s another challenge; I was hoping to sneak out of this place, to never return. Now I realize, that I need to speak to the staff about their behavior and that, if they respond well, I should be prepared to return, even on a regular basis.

Singing at the other 2 places this week, is a total joy & privilege. It just keeps getting better, how the spirit uses my singing & telling (and playing the sax). I would like to have opportunities to do a longer presentation; 90 minutes for instance, or even longer. It would also be great to start using projection during some of the songs, projecting paintings of the (Biblical) characters & situations that I’m singing about. I trust it will all be happening, before soon.

from rocky ride to smooth sailing

singing diary

I went into a Parkinson Retirement Home in Tampa (Oct.20th), with some seriously disturbed people, among a rather mixed little crowd. A lot of movement; some people talking to them selves; this one man lies down on the floor, while I’m performing and falls asleep right there; for a moment or two I thought he might have passed away. Eventually a member of staff pulled him up and sat him in a chair. Afterwards this man thanked me for my performance; he had thoroughly enjoyed it… The whole hour was a rocky ride; all kinds of disturbances, noises, movements etc. It was extreme, and yet, I was hardly troubled by it, and just carried on. And in spite of the level of disruption the wonderful Holy Spirit began to move beautifully. Praise God, He has taken me to a new level of ministry, right in the midst of ‘trouble’.   

Another day this week, I’m performing/ ministering in a smallish Retirement Home (Oct.21st); my first time in this place. I have an audience of about 10 ladies; they are loving my work. Like every where else I go, I bring my PA system; it seems rather large for this occasion.  The people are pleasantly surprised to be getting such a show. There’s a young male nurse who begins to sing a couple of songs through the microphone, while I’m hiding in a corner, to change my shirt. So we even have a warm-up act here; the 10 ladies are loving it. I’m happy to go with the flow, and let this young man have fun; it’s all part of stepping into these people’s little world, including the staff. While I’m singing (and telling) I can see that members of staff are enjoying my set as much as my little audience is; the Holy Spirit is moving beautifully. The hour (turning into 80 minutes) flies by; it’s wonderful smooth sailing today! 

It continues to be an amazing experience, to be going into these unlikely places, and without pay. Even so, I’m totally motivated to do it; every time, without fail, is special! People are being touched, and given a heavenly embrace. Without fail, people always beg me to COME BACK PLEASE! They have loved it SO MUCH!!

Yesterday (Oct.28th) I sang for my most regular little crowd: this beautiful Home in Brandon where I sing once a Month. I’ve sang a lot of my song material here, over the Months, and told a good few short Biblical stories. This time I decided to sing & tell about angel visitations, of which there are many (in both the Old and  the New Testaments). It was one of the best times here at this place; so very very special. Hard to say exactly why, but the wonderful heavenly spirit moved in a deep way; every one was touched.

None of us have ever been visited by an angel; in that sense we don’t relate so much to the Biblical characters who DID have that experience. And yet, many of us have been through hard times, when heaven moved on our behalf, and circumstances changed dramatically. The Bible if full of angelic visitations (The Angel of the Lord, which often turns out to be: The Lord). I hope to do another session in this Home on the same subject.

Touches of heaven…

singing diary

Since last writing an entree of singing diary I’ve been  singing in 6 places, 3 per week over the last 2 weeks.

It continues to be an amazing adventure going into these Retirement Homes, 2 of them first time, 2 of them for the second time, and the other 2 Homes I’ve visited several times. Different dynamics, but always the same sweet wonderful Spirit that moves through the room touching us all (some feel it more then others).

Last week I brought my friend Hans from Holland with me. Slightly risky thing to do; some places that I go into can be quite distressing at first to witness. But then again, I’m happy for my friend to see it as it really is, and once the sweet Holy Spirit begins to move, the contrast is all the more amazing!  And indeed, at both occasions (Hans joined me twice) there was such a wonderful sweet presence; Hans saw how people were moved and totally intrigued with the songs, the music and the stories.

October 6th, I sing in Tampa (Southerland Place)- a tremendous first time hour/ October 7th I’m in Lakeland (Hawthorn Village), where I’ve been several times; what a great little crowd!/ Oct.8th I’m back in Tampa (Abigail Village), where I have a miraculous time with a very small crowd (about 7 people). It’s the second time in this place, and when I walk in I get one of those (‘What AM I doing?”) moments. Why should I go back into this tiny place and perform for the same little crowd again? (Question; is the size of the crowd of any significance?). Seconds later, I hear the Holy Spirit say: “What if Jesus is here, sitting between the people?” The next moment I realize that God LOVES touching people with His Holy Spirit, and is ALWAYS looking for an opportunity. He wants to use me to BLESS these dear people BIG TIME. All of a sudden I feel inspired to give the BEST PERFORMANCE of my life!!!

I’m in a completely obscure place, and the last thing I need to do is PROVE MYSELF, and obviously that’s not what I’m after in any case, going into the Retirement Homes. But what suddenly happens here is that I really feel INSPIRED to give these people my best. A tremendous JOY breaks out, through me, and we’re all having a great time (all 8 of us). Heaven comes down to earth! The hour that follows is one of the best hours of my life; it is full of joy, depth, beauty, sweetness, love, healing, power, and other wonderful things that I can’t put any words to. God is amazing; He really turns things around that humanly speaking are hopeless.

Afterwards I sit down for a little while, to take a little time digesting what has just happened. How totally special! The staff have also enjoyed the hour; they collect some money and give me a cash gift- how precious! 

Oct.14th in Carrolwood, Tampa (with Hans). I had left my microphones in the film gear, and so I had to sing without amplification. Jolly hard work, but I succeeded, and once the sweet H.S. began to move, things got easier. Thank you God for your grace!

Oct.15th in South Tampa; first time here (also with Hans). The ‘room’ is between corridors, and so there quite a lot of noise & movement. Not easy. A sweet little crowd; people with serious conditions, and strong needs. This one woman is making a moaning, crying sound, almost non-stop. Occasionally she forgets about herself and stops ‘crying’. Another young woman is not quite in her right mind; she waves at me every 20 seconds. I wave back, every once in a while (not every 20 seconds). The Spirit moves, but the entire hour continues to be a struggle. I don’t sing LOVE NEVER FAILS; somehow I feel that the people will not be able to understand the text. Their cognition is very limited. And yet, once I finish, I get such sweet feedback; people have been moved & touched. Next time I will press a little further into the sweet & powerful presence of the H.S.

Sunday Oct.19th I sing in Fairway Oaks, Tampa. I’ve been here once before; now I’m coming in on this Sunday afternoon; is this a so called ‘God slot’? What ever it is, or isn’t, the hour turns into a precious time of bathing in the presence of Jesus. There’s very little opposition (noise/ movement/ unhappy people); this little crowd is ready to receive, and so the songs & the telling (as well as little bit of conversation in between) are all flowing beautifully. What a joy to be part of this! Marcia is there with me; she is loving it. By doing this hour here on this Sunday, we forfeit going to our second church meeting; we’ve received a big blessing here at this place. Several members of staff stood in the 2 door openings, as well as one or two visiters. One of them came up to me afterwards, to thank me for a tremendous time. The lady told me ‘how glad she was, that she happened to be here during the time of my presentation’.

I’m glad too, that I was here (together with Marcia). These are tumultuous times (elections coming up/ economic trouble all around), but bathing in the sweet presence of the Lord brings a peace to goes well beyond understanding! What a joy!

short/ medium/ long/ & longer term planning!

vision & mission

We press on with the vision, putting our faith into action, and believing that God Makes a Way! For more information on all these activities (and more) see: www.entertainingangels.us

In the short term there are several activities to be developed:

-film 25 Psalms & edit those (the Psalm Alive series, which is part of The Word in-Action TV series)

-continue to go into Retirement Homes with Story & Song (live performance)

-begin to take the Three Lives of Moses into churches (90-100 minute live presentation)

-go into Elementary School & Bible School on regular basis, with O.T. story series (live story telling)

-start the weekly Play-by-Ear Training, a chance for people to tune in & explore (workshop)

 

In the mid term: 

-begin to film & edit the stories of the  O.T.- filmed on location (part of The Word-in-Action TV series)

-complete the Psalm Alive series.

-continue with Story & Song/ The Three Lives of Moses/ O.T. story-series/ Play-by-Ear Training

-start Snails & Dinosaurs, weekly

-write Upper Room Story (Billy writing)

 

In the long term:

-complete filming & editing of O.T. stories (Part of: The Word-in-Action TV series)

-continue Story & Song (live performance)

-begin telling the N.T. stories (in elementary school & Bible School)

-take the Upper Room Story into churches, as a telling.

-continue Play-by-Ear Training

-continue Snails & Dinosaurs, weekly

-start Story Round, weekly

-start The Hot House, weekly

-start Angel Whispers & Scripture Express…

 

In the longer term:

-develop a drama film script (from Upper Room Story) and prepare for 

              Jacob’s Ladder TV drama series Production

                      Start & develop Story Cafe!

Continue with: Snails & Dinosaurs/ Story Round/ The Hot House

Continue with: Story & Song/ The Word-in-Action TV series/ Angel Whispers TV/ Scripture Express…TV

We commit these plans to God; He holds the future, and us in it. We go one day at the time, following His leading, and resting in His LOVE!

single issue voting…

From an Angel’s PoV

This morning at church our senior pastor encouraged every one present to register for the upcoming elections, so that every body would vote. Voting is important!

“As to who to vote for, he said, just look at what the candidates believe, and compare that to your Bible, and you have the answer.” Taking it a step further, he then said: “There’s one candidate who believes in abortion, the other knows that abortion is wrong, which is what my Bible says. There you have it, now you know who to vote for. You cannot vote for the other man.” He then moved on to other things.

Even though I know that many Christians think & vote this way, I was shocked at the speed and boldness by which the entire congregation’s vote was being ‘arranged’ (I suppose the vast majority here at church has already decided to vote this way.)

The Bible, namely the 10 commandments forbids us to commit murder, which is what happens to unborn human beings in abortion clinics. It’s totally wrong indeed; it’s outrageously wrong, and in my view brings a curse on every one involved, which is really the whole nation, because abortion has been made legal here in the USA.

While I have very strong feelings on the subject, and count myself a passionate pro-lifer (pro choose life), I don’t think that the Bible can be treated as a political textbook. 

I apply the Bible to my own life (the 10 commandments as well as the 2 laws given us by Jesus- love your God with all… & love your neighbor as yourself), but in public life and in the choices made by government, many of the 10 commandments are broken regularly and the 2 commandments by Jesus are not even in sight. 

Politics if full of compromise, littered with bad choices, packed with contradictions, and always far, FAR from perfect. Holding up the 10 commandments to government, each successive government stand guilty. All of them have broken the law (of Moses) multiple times. 

George Bush decided to invade a country on the other side of the world, where he had no right to enter. This country posed no threat to the USA; Bush had no business there, other then for selfish reasons. In the process (of the invasion) thousands of innocent Iraqis were killed. The country was plunged into chaos. Naively Bush declared the war over, when it was really only just beginning. In the years following tens of thousands more innocent Iraqis lost their lives, and millions of people fled their home country, simply to avoid being killed. 

Talking about killing… (unborn babies, or innocent people, what’s the difference?)

Coming back to the painful subject of abortion, I would ask what George Bush has done in his 8 years as president to limit the numbers, and decrease the need. It often seems that the people who make the most noise (against abortion), do the least about it. All very well, to make proclamations (against abortion), but who is actually doing something to bring the numbers down?

So the way that the Christian Republicans (are they the same group?) absolve their conscience (from their lack of action) is to put the issue above all the other issues that are at play in elections, and simply vote for the one candidate who has declared to be against. Never mind what other very important issues are in the mix… 

Never mind the fact that so very little is actually done once the elections are over…

This way of voting seems rather irresponsible to me. Voting is serious business. Each vote is a voice that can determine the country’s direction for the next so many years.

Eight years ago, many Christians voted in this particular (single issue) manner, and put George Bush in power, who, soon after, took the country into this disastrous war (Iraq). He presided over many government scandals, and a culture of secrecy, deceit, abuse of power, and torture.

Meanwhile, what did George Bush do to bring down the number of abortions?  (Bill Clinton probably did more on that issue in his 8 years in power then did Bush.) 

The Christian Right talks about getting more of ‘their’ judges into the Supreme Court and once the pro-lifers there are in the majority Roe versus Wade will be undone. Question here is, what would take place next were this to happen? The answer is: the law making on abortion matters would go back to the 50 states. Each state will then be writing their own abortion laws.

Chances are that most states would adopt laws similar to Roe versus Wade, and a minority of states would not. Pro Lifers will probably argue that we just keep fighting until the day abortion is no longer legal in the USA, when ever that  may be. Don’t you get the feeling that THAT day will not come in a hundred years. And even if it came, would that be the end of abortion? It would go underground, wouldn’t it, and pregnant woman would get make-shift abortions in illegal ‘garage clinics’. Women would travel in large numbers to countries where abortion still IS legal.

Please don’t get me wrong here, I am deeply abhorred by the reality of abortions taking place; it is an abomination. Killing human life is wrong! But then allowing millions of people (children and adults around the world) to be dying simply of malnutrition and lack of basic medical care is an EQUAL ABOMINATION. Yet, we close our eyes to that situation with great ease. But I digress.

If we take a little longer (then pastor took this morning) to study our options (of how to best eliminate abortions), we would have to think of more affective ways of combatting this ongoing tragedy (killing unborn human beings). 

1. 

For starters we want to engage in an on-going study of the present culture, to understand people’s thinking better; to get a better understanding of why people are able to brush the killing of human life aside as something that’s OK. How come they don’t see that IT IS NOT!!! 

This subject needs constant attention, and the deep emotional & spiritual damage that an abortion causes in & to the mother (to be) must be documented and brought to the public’s attention!  

What is the church doing about that? Not much, it seems…

2.

We also need to develop ongoing action to diminish the ‘need’ (of abortions). This is a huge issue, mostly to do with bringing down the number of teenage pregnancies. Just telling teenagers that she shouldn’t have ‘intimate relations’ doesn’t seem to produce much result. Statistics show that only a multi sided approach (including making contraceptives available to young people) is affective. It seems that especially the church (at large) has been unwilling to participate in this multi sided approach. Yet, if we are serious about confronting this issue and bringing the level of abortion down, we  (the church at large) must be willing to work together with secular agencies, and get practical!!!!

It is so much easier to just keep on shouting about this issue, and taking a hard-line approach, which alienates every one else from ‘us’, and ‘us’ from ‘them’. As a last resort ‘we’ then declare that one day soon there will  be enough of ‘our’ judges (in the Supreme Court) to abolish the law as it stand today.

In my view this is a cop-out and a delusion. The abortion law has been in place for so long now, that the only  way ‘out’ is the way ‘forward’, not ‘back’. How do we move forward on this issue? By going to work on it, and not by making it the single issue way to vote. Single issue voting for me, is part of the cop-out. Do you really think that ‘politics’ will make this (abortion) issue an problem of the past? Of course not! Politics can only follow the culture; it’s up to us to change the culture. Once that is done politics will fall in line with appropriate laws & measures. 

3.

So, thirdly, we want to influence the culture and encourage mothers-to-be to go for the ful term, and to give their (unwanted) babies up for adoption. This issue deserves much attention & publicity. We want to find life stories of people who have done this, and bring those stories to the public’s attention. Not just once or twice, but continuously. I see a quality Hollywood block buster on this subject!

The question arises again: what is the church doing about this???? 

When I think of voting, many issues are in the balance of my thinking. All about what I believe the country needs the most, what to expect of candidates (what they will actually do once in power). We all understand that politics never guarantees anything (other then the usual struggles & scandals), and that by casting your vote, you participate in this ongoing power struggle hoping to influence the process in a certain direction. 

If, by voting for a anti abortion candidate we give the green light to policies that (in time) produce mass killings and mass displacement of people, policies that have the rich grow even richer while to poor get poorer still, while at the same time no realistic change takes place to the abortion situation, then our vote was morally a dubious vote (to say the least)!

Massive action needs to be taken on the abortion issue, at grass-root level, by every church that counts itself a Kingdom church. Meanwhile, all pro-life people, like every body else, should study the full array of issues that are in the mix at an election. Single issue voting is dangerous business. And to make the rather simple assumption that the anti-abortion candidate will take effective action to resolve the abortion issue is like putting your head in the sand.  

It is up to all of us to do something about the protection of unborn children. It’s such a big & important issue; it needs attention on an ongoing basis!  If we’re serious! So, how about a ‘Act Psalm 139′ department in every church?! This Scripture is SO totally BEAUTIFUL & POWERFUL:

Psalm 139: 7-16 (TNIV)

 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? 
       Where can I flee from your presence?

    8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
       if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

    9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

    10 even there your hand will guide me, 
       your right hand will hold me fast.

    11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
       and the light become night around me,”

    12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
       the night will shine like the day, 
       for darkness is as light to you.

    13 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

    14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
       your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.

    15 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

    16 your eyes saw my unformed body. 
       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book before one of them came to be.

On a personal note, I want to include this very serious issue in my work as a communicator (story-teller/ film maker), and also financially support work that’s already being done on these lines. Your comments please!

Interesting Times…

singing diary

These are interesting times! 

So much is happening; so much is at stake! It’s an extreme thing (to begin with) to move country in your 50s, which is what Marcia & I have done. While we’ve come a long way, adjusting and getting to know this ‘so very different culture’, we still have a long way to go, to find our place in this great & crazy ‘new world’. 

My conviction to go into the Retirement Homes in the area (of Tampa Bay- through Lakeland) to sing & story-tell is as strong as ever.  A few interesting accounts here of special and not-so-special times that I’ve had in the last 6 weeks or so, but first a couple of thoughts regarding ‘these interesting times’.

The economy is down; a massive political struggle is taking place over who will be the next USA president (I hope it’ll be Obama {see the latest ‘From an Angel’s PoV’}). There’s a restlessness in the air; people are ‘on edge’. 

Marcia & I are happy together, pressing ON as much as we can, and pressing IN (to heaven) even more.

Marcia is in a (more then) full-time job where much of her energy is given to tasks that she’s not interested in. She needs to move on badly! 

While she’s almost desperate to get out, we understand that the fact of having the job (at this time and in this area) is a huge blessing; a mixed blessing, I suppose. Pressure makes us grow, and she certainly is growing (in inner strength, in her gifting & skills, and also in her conviction that she needs to move on).

I keep very busy trying to put hands & feet on a vision that much of the time looks like ‘pie in the sky’. We have so much vision. We believe God for SO MUCH!  (See our web-site: www.entertainingangels.us) This is both exciting and exhausting. While (we believe that) God has given this (vision) to us, daily we give it back to Him; we don’t have the strength, the resources, the connections, the know-how, the support. So we go One Day at a Time’ like the song that I sing.  

So what about my singing in the Retirement Homes?

While we are consistently spending more money then what comes in, I give a large part of my weekly time & energy to providing entertainment (of a special kind) to Retirement Homes in the area (around 60 in all), without receiving any realistic pay. Interesting times indeed. 2 or 3 Homes per week. 

Occasionally I wonder ‘how long will I be able to keep this going?’. I read somewhere, that if what you do (and keep doing), doesn’t pay, it really amounts to no more then a hobby. According to that definition I’m keeping myself busy with a time consuming hobby.

Obviously this is much more then a hobby; it is a ministry. However, if it really is a ministry, then ‘the worker is worthy of his pay!’ , as it says in scripture, and I should see funds in return for my hard work. (I have stood on this scripture since I’ve been going into the Homes, and continue to stand on it). 

So, I’m looking for a break-through here, of some kind. In my communication with the Activities Directors of the Homes, I have become a little stronger on wanting to be paid. Some places have an entertainment budget, and I must not allow them to treat me cheaply as ‘that volunteer who never needs to be paid’. The difference between NO PAY, and a little pay is HUGE!!! First of all, it’s appreciation. Second, it puts gas in my car! 

Going into the Retirement Homes under the label of entertainment is a great way of getting past the usual barriers, and reaching many lost souls for Jesus almost unhindered. It’s like an under-cover operation. I walk right into these places, set-up my PA, start playing (the soprano sax) and singing, and the wonderful Holy Spirit begins to move.

Often there are 1 or 2 born again Christians there, members of staff, and I can see that their spirit is activated through the presence & work of the Holy Spirit. Usually I can clearly see it happen. Other members of staff are touched too. Often all kinds of people (working there or visiting) appear behind the little audience of residents, and are being ‘blessed’.

If I had time, I would connect with those people and work out a strategy of how to best reach the residents, on a regular (say weekly) basis, with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Winding back a little in this ‘chain-of-thought’, I have written about the Spirit moving while I minister, about being paid or not, about vision (without vision people perish), and about insecure times in a new & strange culture.

Meanwhile,

I continue to visit 2, sometimes 3 Retirement Homes per week. This is a good rhythm; it keeps me on my toes, constantly learning to push my voice and my expression, to learn lines, learn new songs, learn new stories (to tell) etc.. There’s also a deep learning process taking place by stepping into all kinds of extreme situations and standing in front of all kinds of audiences, and delivering while under pressure. I am constantly learning to stand strong (while ministering) in the face of opposition of all kinds. (I can assure you that before hand, I take authority in the Spirit over the situation, what-ever that  might entail.)

Just once, so far, has it happened that the Holy Spirit could not move;  there was too much opposition.

I was singing, first time, in a posh Retirement Home on Bayshore in Tampa. I had contacted the place for a booking, and they got back to me, wanting me to sing just a few days later on a Monday morning. This seemed odd to me. No Retirement Home (that I know) would seriously consider providing entertainment to their residents in a Monday morning! However, they were looking for someone to come in to entertain weekly, and in this way they could ‘check me out’, sooner rather then later. 

When I arrived at 9 AM the following Monday, the Activities Director didn’t have a place for me to perform yet. Again, it struck me as odd!  However, it was quickly sorted and I could go into some small dining room on the second floor. She accompanied me there, and kept commenting on my PA: it was SO MUCH equipment. I kept re-assuring her that to me it was normal, and nothing too much.

However in the tiny dining room that she took me to, where I was to perform for 12 people, it did seem out of proportion. This is a large Retirement Home (bigger then most), and here I was giving my al to 12 people, half of whom were either asleep, or simply ‘not there’. I’ve learned this lesson before: when I get ’set-up’ for something the Activity Director wants to do, it ends up being the wrong event for Holy Spirit action. (And if the Holy Spirit is not welcome, I’m not interested in coming either!)

During the ‘gig’ several residents are constantly moaning & groaning, others want to be entertained with Frank Sinatra kind-of songs, and one lady, who is sitting right in front of me, keeps crying out that she wants to be taken back to her room, but none of the staff want to oblige.

This one lady (with the help of a few others) made so much noise, all the way though, that the Holy Spirit would not move. Meanwhile several  members of staff were standing there, to the side, being judgmental of my (hard) work. Twice I stopped, asking the staff to take the screaming lady right in front of me, out of the room, but they just wouldn’t.

On reflection I can say that the Spirit did move, because 3 people came up to me afterwards pleading for me to come back. 

The staff clearly wasn’t interested in me coming in regularly, and I was neither (in the regular slot). Speaking to the Activities Director afterwards, she suggested I come back sometime on a Sunday afternoon (the God-slot). I’m open to that.  When I asked what she could pay me for such an afternoon (my appearance here today was voluntary and therefor unpaid), she said she couldn’t afford anything. I have difficulty accepting this; this place is clearly wealthy compared to most places; surely they can pay me something! The lady is willing to continue this conversation, and we both repeat our views, looking for a way forward.

In the end, she asks me if I can possibly do a Christmas Special, and she would pay me for that. I will have to think & pray about this carefully; it could  be another TRAP (like today’s appearance clearly was…).

I guess the struggle that I’m going through here (with the Retirement Homes), is the struggle to make a meaningful connection with this US society. Not easy. 

So here a few paragraphs about recent visits to Retirement Homes:

Performing in a new place in Lakeland: a magical hour! Several members of staff stood there, all the way through the hour, being touched!!!

Performing in another new place in Lakeland: telling much of the story of Moses, a very different, but equally magical hour. I spent most of the hour telling the story of Moses; the Holy Spirit was moving in deep & beautiful ways! They can’t wait to have me back!

Performing 2nd time in a difficult place in Lakeland, doing the same program again, with good results! The staff in this place gives me very little attention and the hall I’m performing in is also a corridor. Much traffic; staff talking loudly together; noise coming from the kitchen etc. etc.; many residents completely out of it, unable to move or speak. Still the Spirit moved beautifully. Some very seriously handicapped people profoundly touched here today!

Going into Park Club, Brandon; the people come out to the hall early.  I’ve not been there since the spring of the year, even though I’ve been there several times. As soon as I walk in I’m greeted by a lovely very elderly man, who starts singing ‘One day at the Time’ to me; how precious, he remembered the song from previous occasions (I sing it every time that I sing). 

The new activities director, who doesn’t know me says:” the people LOVE YOU!”. A lovely crowd came out to hear me. A few minutes into my set I’m told that any moment now  the fire alarm will sound; no need to worry, and no need to be leaving the building. They’re just checking the system. Indeed a few minutes later the alarm goes off making a screaming & blaring sound; it’s almost impossible to do anything. I’m in the middle of a song, and manage to complete the song; it’s crazy.

I try to wait it out while the sound hurts the ears. What madness! Still, when eventually the silence returns it is more precious then ever, and as I carry on, soon the Holy Spirit begins to move. 

We have a great time again, as before; the people are touched & refreshed! What a precious little crowd in this place! As much as they love me, I love them to: they bring the best out of me! Thank you Lord!

Performing upstairs in some small room (part of the corridor); the Activities Director had forgotten that I was coming (even though I had rung her earlier in the week- she’s being careless with me). At first it seems impossible to climb into this corner, upstairs; but once the playing (of the sax) & singing gets started, the Spirit moves in beautiful ways. The Lord keeps surprising us al! 

EVERY OCCASION IS SPECIAL! THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS MOVES, AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TOUCHED! 

Woow, what a privilege, to be doing this. I feel, every time I sing (& tell stories) something shifts in the heaven-lies!  I supposed the earthly realm just needs to catch up with that, and once that has happened, I will have all my answers I trust! Interesting times indeed!