R & R

Well, I'm in sunny Ilfracombe (not really sunny though) and I've just come to the end of an exhausting Host Team. Its title was "Yerushalayim...the City of Peace" (not sure about my spelling there!). It was led by Adrian Snell and Rob Richards. Rob used to be the senior Chaplain of Lee Abbey and Adrian is an international singer-songwriter.

I worked with Adrian a little for one of our Easter Houseparties when I got to sing the part of Pilate in his musical "The Passion" (which was originally performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) earlier this year. Incidentally I'm adding lots of brackets as I can't assume that everyone is familiar enough with Lee Abbey to know what on earth I'm prattling on about.

Anyway, Adrian Snell is possibly one of the most gifted musicians I know. He has sacrificed many significant career opportunities in the secular world for the sake of following the path God has laid for him. He hasn't said this to me but I have spoken to a few people about it. I have a great deal of respect for this man and his music has both inspired and challenged me not only about music itself, but about the faith which it so eloquently portrays.

Rob is also gifted but in a completely different way. He's a wonderful scholar of original Hebrew and has shed new light on where Jews/Jerusalem actually fit in to the second coming. Fascinating since many misguided Christians fail to accept that they are still God's chosen people, arrogantly assuming that they themselves have superseded such a beautiful title. Yesterday morning was the final session and it was strange and scary that it was the same time the leader of Iran declared that "Israel must be wiped off the face of the planet". Good luck to him, Jerusalem has seen more conflict than any other city in its 3,000 year history and any and all world leaders who have tried to meddle with its affairs have fallen from power. Rob also pointed out that descriptions/prophecies in the Old Testament relating to the second coming bear striking similarities to that of death by chemical warfare. It was all rather scary. And then Adrian's music kicked in, so powerful, triumphant, reassuring, majestic and utterly immersed in the Holy Spirit. A strange calm, reassurance swept over my body and I realised that yes Jesus may well return before I die ... but what do I personally have to fear? I'm saved! This will be a joyful occasion!

So this in a nutshell was a very educational week for me albeit extremely stressful, busy and tiring. I wished I could have seen it from the guests' perspective without the pressure of making it all happen, though.

Kate Woolven (Host team leader this time round) was amazing! She's married to our Estate Manager and is also on the conference and pastoral teams. She's spent weeks in contact with Rob and Adrian trying to make their vision for the week into a reality. This included Lee Abbey's resident artist, Kate Gunstone, being commissioned to copy the Shema (the prayer that Jewish people wear on their forehead, on their wrist and sometimes by their doorframe). Also, Kate made a HUGE cross out of two vast pieces of brown paper and hung it down one of the large doorways of the Octagonal Lounge. Then she painted one of the vertical beams and one of the lateral beams (in other words, the bits that formed part of a door frame) with real lambs blood (applying it with Rosemary - the nearest we could get to hyssop). Whilst I'm sure it violated Health and Safety regs, it made quite a powerful statement - the Old Testament reference to the blood painted above the doors during The Passover, as well as the blood on the cross paid by Jesus, the ultimate Passover lamb. Added to all this, muslin was draped in four sections from the central chandelier to four of the outer pillars of the Octagonal Lounge to give the illusion of a Bedouin tent. Thus the preparations for a really atmospheric meeting place were complete. Indeed, on several evenings, the fire was lit, the lights dimmed, and a HUGE sunset projected onto one of the walls - we really DID feel like we were out in the wilderness!

Some of the services were the best I've ever seen at Lee Abbey - perhaps in my life - yet gluing it all together and finding/erecting these "prop", photocopying, serving drinks, giving notices, leading various things was also very stressful. So this really has been a two-pronged week. Informative and inspirational juxtaposed to utterly exhausting and draining. The spiritual opposition to this POWERFUL week was certainly potent, not to mention some of the worst gales/whether I've seen here.

Today I also had to go straight back to House Team (whereas normally folks would normally get the rest of the day off after waving goodbye to the guests) as we had a double Changeover at the main House and The Beacon, I had to be around to co-ordinate it and be an extra pair of hands! I've tried to put things on hold, prepare work and make any and all preparations necessary so that I can come away for this weekend and just CHILL before going back to LA on Sunday night.

I'm really REALLY looking forward to seeing my family in about two week’s time.

Sorry it's been a long one!

God Bless you all!