Ruach Breath of Life

My love is like a red, red rose by Ruach Breath of Life

Good people all who seek the Lord

Consider well and bear in mind

What our great God has done for us

In sending His beloved son

With all the saints we love to pray

To God Most High who comes to us.

In Bethlehem upon that morn

The bless’d Messiah was born for us,

Near Bethlehem the shepherds kept

Their nightly watch o’er lambs and sheep

When suddenly appeared a host:

mighty angels praising the Lord

'Prepare and go,' the angels said

'To Bethlehem, be not afraid

For there you’ll find God’s gift to all

A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind

The shepherds went, this babe to find

And as God's angel had foretold

They did our Saviour Christ behold

Within a manger he was laid,

And by his side the virgin maid.

Attending on the Lord of life

Who came on earth to end all strife.

Good people now and ev’ry day

Consider well and bear in mind

What our great God has done for us

In sending His beloved Son

With Mary holy now we pray

To God with love most every day.

For now on Earth good will to men

The bless’d Messiah was born to rule;

And we can now rejoice and sing

His heav’nly reign has come to us.

Megan Topper takes the lead in singing this beautiful and ever popular ancient Irish rendering of the Christmas story. She is accompanied by Shirley Richards, Christiane Mueller, Jo Garcia on strings and by Christiane von Albrecht on keyboard.

Many radio stations and apps offer the chance to ‘relax and unwind’ with peace-inducing music and sounds – and such things definitely have their place, including within the Ruach Breath of Life Ministries. But many situations require us to ‘vent’ and cry out to the Lord for His power to break through. And for that, what we want are not smooth and soothing pieces, but those that are decidedly sharp and ‘spiky’!

When we invited our dear musician friends to record the opening movement of Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ concerto from the Four Seasons, it was because we sensed that this is a piece that will help us respond to circumstances that rouse the godly passion and righteous anger within us. Sometimes, it is necessary to cry out for the ‘storm of the LORD’ to come swirling in, and His anger to ‘fully accomplish the purposes of His heart,’ as the Lord declares through Jeremiah. (Jer. 23:19-20)

How would the Lord have you pray for the situations and injustices you are aware of? May this music help you find ways to give voice to these things – and may the God of breakthrough come as you do so!

Many thanks to Susanne Herzog, Shirley Richards Anne Seidler, Gabriele Kröhnert, Peter Richards and Alexander Koderich for this wonderful recording.

https://on.soundcloud.com/Un1bFkNXJGN483tbU5

'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.' (Jn. 1:5)

In the opening movement of Vivaldi's powerful Winter concerto* we hear the sharp and strident sounds of a storm, prompting us to cry out to the Lord both for protection and for His justice to prevail in many challenging situations.

This second movement offers a different perspective of winter. A lovely and lyrical violin sings over busy pizzicato (plucked) strings. Winter brings more than its share of icy storms and other hazards, but it also brings scenes of astonishingly beautiful crystalline transparency.

May the Lord shed the light of His clarity and presence on many who find themselves either in the midst of a storm, or bowed down in unrelenting dreariness.

'As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' (Is. 55:10-11)

*https://on.soundcloud.com/bOtxZQBkKdISMOiFEe

Never has there been an angel bringing better or more important news to humankind! Celebrate the Christmas story in this lovely rendition of this folk-Basque Carol, which itself was based on an ancient Latin hymn.

It is lovely - and thank you so much, dear musicians: Julia and Thomas Herzog (woodwind), Susanne Herzog, Anne Seidel, Shirley Richards, Gabriele Kröhnert, Alex Koderisch (Strings) and Peter Richards (keys)

1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came,

his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

"All hail," said he to meek and lowly Mary,

"most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

2 "I come from heav'n to tell the Lord's decree:

a blessed virgin mother you shall be.

Your Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold,

most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;

"To me be as it pleases God," she said.

"My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name."

Most highly favored maiden, Gloria!

4 Of her, Immanuel, the Christ, was born

In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,

and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,

"Most highly favored maiden." Gloria!

In 1752 the Moravian preacher and minister John Cennick wrote a hymn called 'Lo he comes with countless trumpets' based on Revelation 1:7, referring to Jesus coming with the clouds in such a way that every eye will see Him.

Six years later in 1758, Charles Wesley, the prolific composer of over 6500 hymns, substantially revised the piece to make it what it remains to this day: one of the best loved and most anointed of all Anglican hymns, cram full of Biblical references. It was first published that same year in John and Charles Wesley's 'Hymns of Intercession for all Mankind', a publication that sought to honour Paul's command in 1 Timothy 2:1: ‘I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men’.

Amongst the forty hymns in that volume can be found hymns for monarchs (George II and Frederick the Great), institutions (courts, parliament, the army and navy, universities), childbirth, young children, prisoners and captives, widows, ‘our Enemies, Persecutors and Slanderers’, and ‘our unconverted Relations’ - as well as praying for those caught up in theological tangle, such as ‘Arians, Socianians (Unitarians), Deists and Pelagians.' for some of those we can substitute modern heresies!

This exultant rendering led into an extended improvisation that became a beautiful and intimate worship song without words, including a remembrance of 'When I survey the wondrous cross,' and a cello solo that Jo Garcia played, just a couple of weeks before she went to join the Lord in glory.

This is the full version of the words.

Lo! he comes with clouds descending,

once for favoured sinners slain;

thousand thousand saints attending

hail the King who comes again.

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

God appears, on earth to reign.

2. Every eye shall now behold him,

robed in awesome majesty;

those who mocked, despised and sold him,

pierced and nailed him to the tree,

deeply wailing,

deeply wailing,

deeply wailing,

shall the true Messiah see.

3. Those deep wounds of cross and passion

still his dazzling body bears,

cause of endless exultation

to his ransomed worshippers:

with what wonder,

with what wonder,

with what wonder,

we shall see those glorious scars!

4. Now redemption, long expected,

see with solemn joy appear:

saints, whose faith this world rejected,

meet their Saviour in the air.

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

See the day of God appear.

5. Yes, Amen! let all adore you

high on your eternal throne!

Saviour, take the power and glory,

claim the kingdom for your own.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Everlasting God, come down!

Enjoy and worship the coming King! 👑

A few years ago we released a beautiful sung version of the 9th century hymn by the Frankish Benedictine poet-theologian-abbot, Rabanus Maurus, who became archbishop of Mainz. The tune is a great example of Gregorian chant, and dates from a few decades later about 1000. It is sure to bless you! *

Recently, I have found myself reflecting on the saintly life of Giuseppe Sarto, the barefooted country boy who remained a humble and holy man throughout his life, and rose, much to his surprise(!) to become Pope Pius X in 1903. Giuseppe had a particular heart to develop the role of music in the heart of the Catholic church, and has blessed so many by reintroducing the beauties of Gregorian chant.

As early as 1911 the Lord warned him that a Great War was going to break out, which caused him immense distress. He did everything he could to plead with the European powers who were at odds with each other to humble themselves and to step back from careering down the path that would ultimately see 37,000,000 soldiers and civilians killed or wounded during that great war. He himself died in August 1914, many say of a broken heart, knowing that their pride would not permit them to back down.**

Some years I asked Geth Griffith to prepare an instrumental version of this ancient hymn for us to pray along with. This was the result.

You might like to refer to the words in this mid nineteenth century translation by Edward Caswall as you listen to it.

https://hymnary.org/text/come_holy_ghost_creator_blest

May I suggest that you then listen again and pray as the Spirit leads - for God's Holy Spirit to come and visit in power right across Europe and Russia at this tense and difficult time, when talk of war is again in the air, just as it was in the run up to war 1914, and again in the late 1930s.

*https://ruachministries.co.uk/8272-2/

**https://piusx.pl/a-broken-heart-august-20th-1914/?lang=en

Come Holy Spirit,

Come fill our hearts

Come flood this day with light and love.

Healing and releasing,

Cleansing and dispelling,

Come Holy Spirit, come fill our hearts.

Ruach Hadesh,

Holy Spirit,

Come into the midst of our trials

Hold us.

Deliver us o Lord

Restorer, Empowerer,

keep my soul in peace.

Lifter of my head

Come Holy Spirit.

Harmony Greenwood (vocals), Megan Mellamphey (flute) Nick Evans Pughe (viola), Corinne Frost (cello), Christiane von Albrecht (keyboard)

The Last Rose by Ruach Breath of Life

Out of the depths - Psalm 130 by Ruach Breath of Life