Ruach Breath Of Life

As I was sitting beside a village duckpond not far from Malvern the other day, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the fresh green of the new leaves, I was struck afresh by the tenderness of God toward us. This meditation springs from that time, and is accompanied by two exquisite pieces of music for oboe, that seem to breathe with the soft and clear life-giving ruach of the Lord. The first, played by Amy Roberts and Christiane von Albrecht, is by the Italian Baroque missionary musician, Domenico Zipoli, who found his life's calling ministering in South America. The second is by one of my all-time favourite composers, Jean Baptiste Loeillet, from Flanders, and played by Thomas Herzog and Christiane. May this reflection help prepare you to receive His tender touch once more.

As the harp sounds her opening chords, this immersive and reflective piece invites you to spend time savouring the tender favour of the Lord. How has He shown His compassion toward you? What concerns might you bring to Him now? Sing with Mary how He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, for His loving devotion toward us is abundant! (Lk. 1:54; Ps. 106:45) The presentation includes music for the harp by Dussek and Domenico Scarlatti, as well as an arrangement of Beethoven’s celebrated Moonlight Sonata, all of which Fontane Liang plays beautifully. The final piece is played on the autoharp by Heather Farrell-Roberts. Not many of us, perhaps, are familiar with the sound of this instrument, but there is both joy and tenderness here in a piece called Hawker’s Dream, written by Mike Fenton. Do share these precious pieces with people you sense would benefit from an opportunity to experience more of the Lord's great tenderness.

Lament and Light by Robert Weston, arranged by Peter Richards In this piece, we have sought to capture something of the cry of pain sounded by Jesus Himself. Not so much the pain He experienced on the Cross, but rather that of the Via Dolorosa, where He grieved for the suffering that would come upon the women of Jerusalem because the city had missed the hour of its visitation. (Lk. 19:44: 23:28) And yet, even as He staggered toward His death, He knew that through His sorrow and His sacrifice, Light would break through into the darkness of the world, and that there was joy set before Him. (Heb. 12:2; Is. 60:1) And just as lament and light blend together in Jesus’ heart, so too they often do for us as well. It is so right, therefore, that songs of both lament and praise should have their place in the way we express our faith and longings. May this simple piece of music help you to give expression to the cries of your own heart. The first short movement, little more than a minute long, expresses aspects of

I recently made a study of more than ninety occasions when the word ‘sustain’ appears in English translations. (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5564.htm) So many around the world are in tight and uncomfortable places, in need of God’s special sustaining – whether physically, mentally or spiritually. Not only those who are physically confined, but those who have to trudge great distances to fetch food and water – and the millions who have been adversely affected, mentally as well as financially, by lockdown are in need of being upheld by the Lord when they are in danger of sinking. May this selection of verses bring both comfort and inspiration for prayer as Sally, Colin and I read, and as you soak in the power of these wonderful truths, and the hauntingly beautiful music. May the Lord strengthen and sustain you through these verses as you wait on the Lord, and for His power and clarity to come. To read the verses, and for the details of the music and the musicians, please go to our blog: https://ruachministri

Enjoy this extempore prayer that I recorded as part of a series of teachings and meditations on the theme of rest. I wrote the first piece of music some years ago. In the second, Francesco Barsanti's setting of a lilting Scottish melody, Jane Horsfall plays the Celtic harp, Francis Cummings the violin, Catherine Muncey the viola, Natalie Halliday the cello, Megan Mellumphy the flute and James Horsfall the keyboard.

There remains a Rest I was struck this morning by these verses from Hebrews: 'There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God's rest rests from His own work. . . . Strive, therefore, (make every effort) to enter that rest!' (Heb. 4:9,11). As a result I recorded an extempore prayer along those lines. It is set to a beautiful piece of music that Colin Owen wrote specifically for me. Jane Horsfall accompanies on the Celtic harp, with Grace and Jonathan Lee playing violin, Catherine Muncey, viola, Corinne Frost and Natalie Halliday, cello, and I play the recorder myself.

In this talk that was recorded early in 2011, Robert encourages us to look for where we might find rest for our souls. So many people live in a state of debilitating chronic fatigue, and even many parts of the Church sometimes appears to be in danger of both succumbing to it themselves and adding to people's sense of being overburdened. It is so good to take time out to come apart with the Lord and allow Him to minister His rest to us so that we minister to one another from the living water of His Spirit, rather than out of our own exhausted emotions. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30) His yoke, that Matthew Henry poignantly describes as being lined with love' is made to measure, and takes our unique personalities, gifts, temperaments, abilities and resilience into account.

A Psalm for Storm-tossed Times Many of the Biblical psalms begin with a superscription, giving a brief overview of the context of its writing, and its musical setting. Noting that what I had written in many ways mirrored the framework that many of the ‘testimony-psalms’ employ, and well aware that I had been looking to find a way to capture something of the essence of a very turbulent period in our lives, a friend penned this introductory note: "Of Robert, the servant of the LORD, who sang this song within a cloud of unknowing, following a sixth nerve palsy, which affected both his sight and his balance, so that he could neither see clearly nor stand steadily. To the tune, The Song of my Heart." It is so precious to realise that when He helped me to write this piece of music six years ago, which I called The Song of my Heart, the Lord was already well aware that this season of testing was coming. We held back from releasing it immediately, sensing that the right words would come in time to accompany it

A Pilgrim's Inn Psalm – A joyous Round! – Here is something entirely uplifting: a tune to set your heart and feet a-dancing. We took 'Sellinger’s Round', a popular sixteenth century dance, and had fun arranging it for different instruments, including recorders, lutes, bassoons pretending to be crumhorns, percussion and trumpets. Picture a cheerful innkeeper raising a measure to King Jesus, and inviting all who are bound toward Heaven to join him! Shades of 'Pilgrim’s Progress' and perhaps of Psalm 150 as well! Psalm A psalm of praise is a door to life and a gate to Heaven, so let praise fill the air, and thanksgiving our hearts. Not to Bacchus will we raise our glass, but to Jesus Christ our Shepherd King. With life springing forth from the wells of our hearts we uplift and exhort fellow pilgrims on the way. Unending streams of praise that rejoice the Lord’s heart as we raise our tankards to the Lamb’s own standard. (Lev. 7:12, Heb. 13:15)

There is No One like You Lord Reawakenings cd2 Words and music by Carol Sampson

La Sandanga Oaxaca is a set apart Mexican isthmus, of which this stirring piece of music that Andrew plays on the marimba might be said to be an unofficial anthem. The local word 'Sandunga' embraces the concept of gracefulness, elegance, charm, wit and celebration. See where the music takes you!

Beyond the Shafts of Rejection Reawakenings cd2 Corelli

The Power of Prayer Reawakenings cd2 CPE Bach

Lord hear us Reawakenings cd2 Song sung by Sue Perks

Prayerful Associations Reawakenings cd2

The song you are singing Reawakenings cd2 Vivaldi, recorder - trio sonata recorder, flute, cello and keyboard

Comparisonitis Reawakening cd2 Recorder improvisation that emerged from playing the trio sonata by Vivaldi

Dance of Creation Reawakenings cd2 Dvorak

Saints on the seashore Reawakenings cd2 Memories of the sea shore. Composed by Japanese marimba player Keiko Abe, Memories of the Seashore started out as an improvisation for children. It is a hauntingly beautiful piece which evokes the sound of waves washing on the beach, pebbles rattling, breeze blowing, the sun setting in a blaze of glorious colour - eventually fading away to stillness.

Poignant Pageant Reawakenings cd2 Cello music by Corinne Frost