I sometimes think that discerning what
God is up to is a bit like being given just a few pieces of a complicated
jigsaw, and no straight bits! At the home were I stayed last week, a huge unfinished jigsaw lay on a table in the lounge, challenging people to put the next piece in. Over the course of the weekend, it became for me a metaphor of the Body of Christ.
Let me explain.
Along with Sally, a gifted musician, and Julian, an experienced sound
recordist, I was down in Cornwall recording the first of my meditation
CDs. It was a rich and rewarding
experience and the project taught me a lot about the Body of Christ. It was a perfect example of how we all have
different gifts which, when we work together, can produce something so much
bigger than the sum of the individual parts; just as, when the pieces of a
jigsaw puzzle are the perfect fit for each other we begin to see a bigger, more
vibrant picture.
So the CD recordings are underway! I am in awe of
how God brought together such talented and Christ-centred people to support me.
The recording of the first CD was completed during three days in Truro. It's been a busy month, during which I've
slept in 6 different beds and travelled well over 1,000 miles. And having sat behind a microphone for the
best part of three days, I now have a very healthy respect for radio and
recording artists!
Thank you - to all who prayed us through the recording
process - to Sally for her anointed playing, her very hard work, and for her
determination to make the recording the best that it can be - to Julian for his
generosity, his immense technical skills and for keeping us all calm under
pressure - to Fenella for keeping us well fed and well rested - to Audri
for her creative ideas and enthusiasm for the related artwork - and to an anonymous supporter who blessed me with a relaxing stay in a top notch hotel afterwards.
Please continue to pray for Julian, as he now performs
the complex technical task of editing all that we've recorded. Please pray for Audri, as she goes into hospital for a planned operation. And please pray for me as I now change focus
for a while and turn my attention to preparing some retreats. My next event will be a retreat for a group
of Franciscans, at the end of the month.
And in the meantime, if you come across any jigsaws, just
remember ... we're each a unique and important piece in
God's Grand Jigsaw and the Kingdom comes closer when we all fit our different
gifts together!
