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Prayer letter from J John
If you attended the J John event at the City Hall a couple of Saturdays ago, you might be interested to read his latest prayer letter:
One of my favourite films is “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” It’s the story of a musician who just wants to be a composer. Rather grudgingly, he takes a job teaching music at a high school, hoping it will give him time to write music while providing an income for his family.
One of his pupils is a very serious, red-headed girl who plays the clarinet terribly, even though she practises constantly. As Mr. Holland works with her to try to help, he learns that she is the youngest in a family where everyone excels – except her. Because she has tried so hard and failed, she considers herself a failure.
One day she comes into the music classroom and tells Mr. Holland that she’s going to give it up. She says if he knows anyone who wants her clarinet, he can give it to them.
As she walks away, Mr Holland asks her, “Is it any fun?” With a shrug, she answers, “I wanted it to be.”
“You know what we’ve been doing wrong, Miss Lang? We’ve been playing the notes on the page.”
Confused, the girl asks, “Well what else is there to play?”
“There’s a lot more to music than notes on a page. Playing music is supposed to be fun. It’s about heart. It’s about feelings and moving people and something beautiful and being alive and it’s not about notes on a page.” Then he asks her: “What do you like best about yourself?”
With a shy smile she says, “My hair. My dad says it reminds him of a sunset.”
“Play the sunset.”
So on she plays, eyes closed, head beginning to sway with the rhythm of it. And we know that this time it’s fun.
She was able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than she could have asked or even imagined. She started playing music, not just notes. Even though she was still playing the same notes, they became something bigger, something grander.
We too, as followers of Christ, have something in us that’s bigger than we are. That something is the Holy Spirit of God. Using His power, He wants us to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask for or even imagine. It’s not that we aren’t to play the notes on the page, but that we are to play so much more than that. Filled with God’s spirit, let’s play the grand and glorious music of Heaven – since we are of course 'citizens of heaven' (Philippians 3:20).
I am delighted to welcome Nick Battle as our new Philo associate - please visit our web site www.philotrust.com for further information on Nick and other associates who might be just what you need for your meeting or mission.
Our three ‘just10’ launch meetings last week in the north east of England exceeded our expectations both in attendance and enthusiasm to participate in the two missions next year. There is a great sense of anticipation and expectation. Please pray for David Vardy the chairman of the two Just10 missions and his team as they prepare the infrastructure for these two major missions.
Please pray as I teach pastors/leaders 'How to Evangelise' in Cardiff on the 23rd May.
May you know the Lord's goodness, all around the compass and the clock.
J.John