An Update on What’s Been Happening

25 Tue Jul 2023

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Hi Everyone,

I know it’s been a while since I last posted, so I wanted to take some time to explain why.

At the start of the year, I was planning to finish up five songs for release. But life doesn’t always go as planned, and other things ended up taking priority.

Back in May, we sold our house. Selling a house and getting ready to move takes up a lot of time and energy. We’re hoping to move to our new home in the next month or so, which means the songs I wanted to finish have had to wait.

Meanwhile, I’ve also become more involved with our church. I’ve been helping out with the prayer ministry and now lead one of the early morning prayer meetings. It’s been a rewarding experience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this way.

I’ve also started writing again. I’ve always enjoyed writing and recently I’ve found myself back in that world. I’m currently working on two books. The first is a Pride and Prejudice variation, and the second is a book on prayer for our congregation. I’m planning to make the book on prayer available on Kindle, so more people will be able to read it.

I appreciate your patience during this busy time. My aim is to get back to posting regularly soon, sharing more about my life, my music, and my writing. Thank you for sticking with me, and I look forward to catching up more in the future.

Best wishes,

Richard

January 12 Months Song Challenge

01 Sun Jan 2023

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Hello, and welcome to 2023!

A new year, a new month and so a new challenge and this month it is to write an Assembly Banger.

From my eldest daughter’s point of view, the last Assembly Banger was Shine Jesus, Shine. Having been around at the time when Graham Kendrick wrote the song and heard him lead it around the time it came out it’s hard to disagree with her.

So in honour of that and before I’ve had a chance to work on any ideas it only seems apt to share the song for everyone’s enjoyment

12 Song Challenge for December

12 Mon Dec 2022

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So the new subject for December is here and its on the global church

Its such a big subject but after a looking of work I settled on the idea of many peoples, tribes and tongues from

So the new subject for December is here and its on the global church

Its such a big subject but after a lot of work I settled on the idea of many peoples, tribes and tongues from Revelation 7: v9

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

The initial words and tune came quite quickly, but I found myself straying into tunes that sounded familiar and it took about 4 or 5 tries to find one that I was happy with and I felt was my own work.

I submitted the song and got some good feedback and worked again on the lyrics. They probably need a bit more polish, but I don’t think they will change dramatically, so I felt safe making a demo and here it is.

All Around the World

Verse

We are a church of many nations
Diffr’nt peoples, tribes, and tongues
Some are local some have travelled
To this place that we call home
We have come in expectation.
We have come to praise the Lord
Like brothers our and our sisters all around the world.

Verse

In every land in every country
Every corner of the world
Saints are gathering, some in secret
Some in prison, some are free
They have come in expectation.
They have come to praise you Lord
Joining with God’s children, all around the world.

Verse

When at last we all will see Him
In the new Jerusalem
Pure and spotless without blemish
The Bride of Christ will be revealed
Blessed are those invited to the wedding of the Lamb
They will come from every nation, every people, tribe, and tongue.

(c) Richard Stringer 2022
CCLI Song ID: 7211159

Yes and Amen

24 Thu Nov 2022

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It’s been a long time since I posted and, like of people who do similar things I’m going to blame the busyness of life. There is lots going, most of it good.

I’m still active in the 12 Song Challenge hosted by Resound Worship and the reason for today’s post is to share the song I have submitted for November.

The challenge was to write a song based on Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It took me a while to find a passage that really stirred me and I finally settled on Chapter 1 and verse 20.

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Yes and Amen

All the promises of God find their ”Yes” in Jesus Christ x2
So Ask, seek, knock and the door will be opened to you x2

God says Yes! Yes! Yes! He says Yes! x2
Give glory to God with a loud Amen! x3

Listen on Soundcloud

Pride in London

02 Sat Jul 2022

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Today is a day when thousands of people will gather in London to celebrate Gay Pride and I’ve been thinking about the Christian response to it.

It is a truism that the world ‘knows’ the church hates gay people. Sadly, there are too many examples of kids coming out to Christian parents and being thrown out of their house or taking their lives because of the rejection and hate they received.

So how should we respond?

Some will say love is love and who am I to condemn, and yet more will say hate the sin but love the sinner, but why does hate come into it at all? Why is the focus on what we think is wrong? Am I being soft on sin? Well, I don’t think so, but sin, however we view it, is not the problem. The remedy of the cross means that our sins are dealt with in an instant. And we need to bear in mind that all relationships, same sex or otherwise, are not what God originally intended in the Garden of Eden.

So, what do I mean?

Anyone who does not know Christ has a broken relationship with their Father in heaven. Jesus came to earth to make a way for us to come back to the Father. He was able to love the people the religious elite of his day hated without focussing on their sin. He didn’t say to Zacchaeus “I would love to come to your house, but you need to repent first.” No, he said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” In the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus ends by saying “You go, and do likewise.”

Jesus isn’t asking us to approve of someone’s lifestyle or their transition to their chosen gender or the pronouns they ask you to use, he’s asking us to take people as they are, loving them as Christ loves us.
It doesn’t matter if the people at Pride love us or hate us.

In Luke 6: v 27-28 Jesus said:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

I will end with this question. If a same sex couple came into your church on a Sunday, proudly wearing their wedding rings and pushing a buggy with a child in it, how would you react? Would you be overjoyed that someone new has come to experience the love of God or would you be muttering under your breath about the need for repentance? When anyone experiences the love of God they respond, but when they experience the judgement of the church they walk away, perhaps never to return.

Keep Me (Psalm 17)

27 Mon Jun 2022

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I was recently going through my unfinished songs, looking to see if there was anything worth revisiting or if there were any ideas that were worth pinching for another song when I can across this song that I wrote about 8 years ago.

I had a verse and chorus but looking at it I decided it needed at least another verse before it could be considered complete (as opposed to finished). It was part of an extraordinary burst of new writing which saw me write three new songs as well as work on this one.

So I’ve added another verse, and I may add another but I have enough of a song to give it an outing and get some feedback. Let me know your thoughts.

Verse 1

Hear me, turn your ear to me O God
Answer me I pray
Saviour, I seek refuge in your love
From the darkness all around

Chorus

You are the rock on which I build my life
I know your words are true
though the world around grows darker still
I will stand secure in you

Verse 2

Keep me as the apple of your eye
May I find myself in you
Hide me in the shadow of your wings
May I stand secure in you

In The Boat With Jesus

23 Sun Jan 2022

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Well, I have finally done it, I’ve written a song for all-age worship . I’ve been writing songs for use in church since 1985 and this is the very first song I’ve written with this in mind.

It came about because of the theme of this month’s subject on the 12 Song Challenge run by Resound Worship, we were challenged to write a song with more than one voice. Not harmonies but distinct voices and this was what I came up with.

Its based on the story of Jesus calming the storm as described in Matthew 8: 23-27 and Mark 4: 35-40 and is told from the perspective of the disciples who were Fishermen and used to the vagaries of the weather on the Sea of Galilee.

The The Boat With Jesus

Verse 1:

Our boat was on the water,
A place that we knew well
But soon as we had left the shore
The sea began to swell.
But we were sure
We’d seen this before
We’d see our journey through.

Chorus:

Voice one: So we’re not frightened
Voice two: No! No!
Voice one: Not of this wind
Voice two: No! No!
Voice one: Not of these waves
Voice two: No! No!
Voice one: Not on this sea
Voice two: No! No!
All: We might be wrong, but we are strong,
we’ll see this journey through

Verse 2:
But soon the waves were bigger
And the wind began to howl
Lightning flashed and thunder clapped
Things were different now
Not so sure we’d seen this before
Could we see this journey through?

Chorus:
Voice one: But where was Jesus?
Voice two: Sleeping!
Voice one: How could He be
Voice two: Sleeping!
Voice one: Wake up Jesus!
Voice two: Please! Please!
Voice one: Wake up Jesus!
Voice two: Save me!
All: This boat might sink, and we don’t think
we’ll see this journey through.

Verse 3:
But then He stood among us
Awakened from His sleep
Our lack of faith made us afraid
While He had been at peace
Who is this man the waves obey?
Who silences the storm?

Chorus:
Voice one: Who is this man?
Voice two: Its Jesus!
Voice one: What has He done?
Voice two: He’s saved us!
Voice one: Thank you Jesus!
Voice two: Thank you!
Voice one: Yes, Thank you Jesus!
Voice two: Thank you!
All: With You around we’re safe and sound
we’ll see life’s journey through.

(C) Richard Stringer 2022
CCLI Song Number: 7190897

New Single

11 Sat Dec 2021

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New single King of Glory

King of Glory, Mighty God
The First, The Last, The Living One
King Eternal, Name Above All Names
The Hope of Glory
You’re the Great I Am

We’ve come to praise you
We’ve come to praise you
We’ve come to praise you
Mighty God

Christ, Redeemer, Risen Lord
Bread of Life, Lamb of God
Mighty Saviour, Atoning Sacrifice
The Heir of All Things
Worthy Lamb of God

King of Ages, King of Kings
Lion of Judah, Morning Star
Faithful Witness, you’re the Righteous One
Our Great High Priest
The Way, The Truth, The Life

CCLI Song # 7083021
Richard Stringer
© 2013 Stringer, Richard

Its Psalms Month

02 Sat Oct 2021

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This month in the 12 Month Song challenge, we are going to be writing songs based on psalms.

Its interesting as you read through the book of psalms how many lines from songs we sing pop up and its no surprise that as a song writer I’ve written my fair share of psalm based songs. Some have work but most haven’t. So this month gives me the opportunity to revisit some of those past efforts and see if I can build some of them into a decent song.

In the meantime I thought I’d share one of the songs I did complete and we have used in church.

It comes from You (Psalm 121)

Verse 1

I lift my eyes up to the mountains where does my help come from?
I lift my eyes up to the mountains where does my help come from?

Chorus 1

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) You are the Maker of heaven and earth.

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) Who watches me and will not fall asleep

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) And who will watch over all of my life

Where can I go but you, Lord?
Where can I go but you?

Verse 2

I lift my prayer up to the heavens where does my help come from?
I lift my prayer up to the heavens where does my help come from?

Chorus 2

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) O Lord My God, I take refuge in You

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) You are my shield and my hiding place

(Voice 1) It comes from You
(Voice 2) You are my rock and the strength of my life.

Where can I go but you, Lord?
Where can I go but you?

Coda

For You have the words of eternal life
You have the words of eternal life
You have the words of eternal life
For me

Last time:

You have the words of eternal life
You have the words of eternal life
You have the words of eternal life
Where can I go but You?
Where can I go but You?

CCLI Song # 7094880

Richard Stringer

© 2017 Stringer, Richard