Ruach Breath Of Life

Connections tracks 17 Music by Linda Louisa This is a prayer for prodigals who have walked away from the Lord and drifted from the faith they once had, and those who were leaders of the work of God but who now, for whatever reason, no longer are. Pour out your love on those we are concerned for, Father. Forgive us all we have done, and all that they have experienced elsewhere that has caused them to turn away from You. We pray for clarity of faith to be restored, and the Spirit of Jesus to flow again in hearts grown cool. Send men and women of faith to touch them with the word of God. Speak to them in dreams by night and in visions by day May they know the love that never lets them down, and may they feel Your presence once again Make it easy for them to come back, Lord may neither pride nor shame hold them at a distance, but may the Love of God make the connection that leads to eternal life, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Track 16 Adagio by Alessandro Marcello 1669 - 1747 from a Concerto in D minor, second movement From daybreak till midnight the tide will turn four times, even as the clock continues its chimes. Let nothing hinder the incoming tide, as You prepare Your Heavenly Bride. Draw close when the tide feels out, and we are tempted to begin to doubt. May we trust Your purposes in each low tide, when You appear to hide, then bravely catch each new wave that You so lovingly provide. Even through the deepest drought, we owe it to You to seek You out longing for the place of deeper release as we yearn for Your Spirit’s return. The prophet JONAH declared "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." So often, Lord, when we are feeling insecure, it is because w

Connections Track 15 A Place near Your Altar Written by Francis Cummings. Verses from Zephaniah; In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (Psalm 102:25) They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end." (Psalm 102:26-27 and Hebrews 1:12) Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD is the Rock eternal. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Yes, LORD, w

Connections Track 14 Prayers by Richard Rolle and Bishop of Chichester Back in the fourteenth century, while studying for the priesthood at Oxford, Richard Rolle came to hate the way his teachers spoke about God as if we were an intellectual concept rather than a living person. He went to live as a hermit on the Yorkshire moors, and came to know God in a deep and intimate way. He subsequently toured the country, praying for the people he met, and singing to them out of the sweetness he had experienced in the presence of the Lord. This is one of his prayers. I ask you, Lord Jesus, to inspire within me, Your lover, an affection that is unbounded, a desire that is unrestrained, and a yearning that throws discretion to the winds. May reason not hold my love in check. May fear not inhibit my devotion. May decorum not temper my fervour. The sweetness of Your love, my Beloved, so vastly exceeds the pleasure of any earthly joys that if those who lust after the things of this world and who know nothing of the del

Connections track 13 Destiny - written by Francis Cummings (Verses from Psalm 45) Scottish Psalm Psalm 45 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.

Connections Track 12 Music by Vivaldi. Winter, Four Seasons, lead violin, Francis Cummings

Connections Track 11 Thank you, Lord, that from times of old, You have raised up seers and prophets bold, who share Your heart and show what makes a people great. and yet the people's choice has all but swallowed the prophet's voice. Praise God for that company of prophets who refuse to forsake their God-given task, who never cease to seek and ask for the removal of people’s masks. Raise up an anointed band Who hear Your voice and stride out through the land.

Music by Linda Louisa The roll call grows of those whose blood no longer flows and who have moved on to higher things. I thank and praise You, Lord, for the memory of those heroic ones who have passed at last beyond the ravages of time and dust to take their place in the great communion of saints. May we play our part now to the full, so that we ourselves will be no less when our time comes. Lord God of History, Author of all Mystery, How fiercely the enemy seeks to smother the wisdom of every other time, so that each generation struggles up the climb, unable to perceive the clear connections that deeper reflections would bestow. Lord, hold our spirits fast to lessons from the past, and then display true skill to implement Your will. God of our fathers, those pioneers and settlers, conquerors and seers, when my lens is true I can begin to view the links and patterns that perpetuate Your blessing as well as those that cause such strife in my life; strong invisible threads that Heavenly hands have

Connections Track 9 Agnus Dei Linda Entwistle

Connections track 8 Song of the Lord sung by Linda Entwistle

Connections Track 7 Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Linda Louisa

You yearn for our company more than we desire Yours, and Your Spirit constantly explores how to develop some new dimension as You watch for our love and comprehension You love to speak, Lord, beyond the need for words. You listen to our inmost thoughts and bring us to a place of inner quiet. Guard our hearing for listening is the gateway to the intimate communion that both we and You are longing for.

Music by J.S. Bach Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin in D Minor, Adagio, J.S.Bach, 1685 - 1750, second movement Adagio, BWV 1060; Thomas Herzog and Suzannah Herzog For those who feel the pull of too many pressures and the pain of too many falls, let the companionable presence of the Lord restore the sharpness of their soul. For those whose giftings have been laid aside and fallen out of use, we ask You to restore their desire and courage to serve in Your kingdom. Where the heart has lost its heart and is walking in defeat, may the longing arise to sense your companionable presence once more and to enter that stillness of soul where they know both the exaltation and the agony of feeling as You feel, and of seeing as You see. Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine and that's why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." Give us the discernment Lord to disting

Connections, track 3 Music by Peter Richards, played by Thomas Herzog Lord, I am working so hard for You, desiring just to play my part and striding our beneath Your banner, longing to be true in heart. Come apart, My child. Come apart and rest awhile. You're in this for the long haul, and I desire Your humble all. Lord, I need time out from the maul, so I will seek to heed this call. But can I learn to rest within Your grace and peace. Come aside, My holy bride, You have not missed My grace, or lost the right to seek My face, for a contrite broken heart will surely be one that beats in time with Me. Dayspring from on high, draw Your presence night. To You goes all my longing, my treasured home and deep belonging. Sweep the dross from my soul, and take command and full control. Draw me deep beneath Your wing in fresh encounters with the King. Jesus, Lover of my soul I open wide my heart to embrace this intense adoring passion, for which Your blood was poured. For You have loved me e

Lord, the stars can't warm our hearts, with tears of love or shouts of joy, but You stoop down to hear the songs Your love imparts. We dare not waste our days bewailing all we cannot do. But if we give You our hearts and we give You our hands, You will find the means to do the rest. And so we come as lovers to a tryst, in the company of a thousand million souls. Asking that you direct this flow of love into each encounter you lead us to. So that each one becomes a new and fulsome reality enthused with Your love. No seed we sow escapes Your eye and passes unseen in Your courts, Lord. But many times You have watched what the enemy has scorched, causing me to miss the goal, and leaving me quite afraid. So with great persistence break through the steep resistance. Cry long, cry loud, don't let your spirit be subdued or your heart be cowed. And if progress grinds to a halt, and it is not primarily your fault, remember that to win the prize, even precious seeds must die, for "What you sow comes not to life

Deep calls to Deep A traditional Orthodox chant, arranged by Justin Coldstream I came across this beautiful ancient chant from the Orthodox tradition, which Justin kindly transcribed and arranged for us. It seems particularly relevant to meditate on this piece, and to use it to pray for Orthodfox believers in Russia, Ukraine and around the world at this time. Ruach Breath of Life 2022. Recorded at The House of the Open Door, Childswickham. With many thanks to Francis Cummings, Christiane Mueller, Corinne Frost and Jo Garcia (strings) and especially Anthony Thompson, who added the beautiful trumpet obligato.

Thirsty for God The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” . . . To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life . . . Yes, let the one who is thirsty come and take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev. 21:6, 22:17) Welcome to this special presentation of prayer, reflections and music on the theme of receiving the waters of life that the Lord Jesus is offering us, and which we hear Isaiah, Israel’s great prophet to the nations, announcing. “Ho everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters!” We don’t say ‘Ho’ anymore, but it’s a really strong word in Hebrew: ‘Hoy’ rather like Jesus saying ‘Verily, verily.’ Most modern versions simply sayI while the ultra-modern ones use some such expression as ‘Hey! Or ‘You there!’ And what a warm and welcoming word ‘come’ is! And what it is we are being invited to come to do? To buy, and drink! In places where water is scare, we wouldn’t be in the least surprised to hear vendors crying out, ‘Drinking Water: come and get it!” But then we wou

What a debt we owe to the nineteenth century poet, scholar and Anglican priest John Neale who translated this and so many really great hymns from the Latin. The original words of this much loved hymn, which has long been sung in schools, and at great occasions on behalf of Church and State, originally highlighted the continuity between the glories of the Heavenly city and God’s great power, ability and willingness to help His people now. The much shortened words that we have set it to here are the ones most commonly sung today. The powerful music is by one of England’s greatest composers: Henry Purcell, and set, most appropriately, to a tune called Westminster Abbey. Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ, our head and cornerstone, chosen of the Lord and precious, binding all the Church in one; holy Zion’s help forever and our confidence alone. 2 To this temple, where we call you, come, O Lord of hosts, and stay; come with all your lovingkindness, hear your people as they pray; and your fullest bened

As our tribute, prayer and celebration of the Queen’s gift to the nation, here is a superb piece of music we recorded recently. After a short and solemn march, the four trumpets in this Sinfonia in C by Giuseppe Torelli, sound out their glorious proclamation.

Connections, track 1 Music by Linda Louisa Lord, as we embark on this prayerful journey, help us grasp the depth of Your love and the sheer breadth of the romance as You called the world into being. We praise You for Your glory in creation the humility of the incarnation, the fact that time itself is in your train and that You will one day wrap it up again when You come to assume Your full and final reign. Thank You for the rich continuity that flows through all You do as You guide and confide in our lives as Your presence revives. No words can express how much Your courtship means; it constantly enriches our friendship first with Your Son, and then with each other. Use these friendships for Your glory, and so write a whole new story as we heed the hints Your Spirit grants, and perceive the links in the way You lead.