ACW, Regent Hall, and the Four Rings

Oxford Circus was a fun four-ring affair this past Saturday. It was an overcast day, typical for May -- cool and windy. On most Saturdays in the Spring, Oxford Circus is steaming with tourists, and this day was no different.

RING ONE
I was there under the auspices of 'helping' my friend Penny with an event hosted by the Association of Christian Writers (ACW) here in the UK. 'A Word to the Wise' was a special conference where successful Christian writers from America gave of their time to come over and share their craft for writing and publishing with British Christian writers. As the market for Christian literature in the UK is extremely weak, writers need to learn how best to get their works published in the American market. The speakers Penny sought out to come are successful and informed. They blessed everyone with the gift of encouragement, which is needed in great doses as, sadly, Christian publishers like Zondervan are pulling out of the UK market. The conference was very well attended, and the speakers just excellent. I was so happy for Penny -- her prayers were answered in abundance!

Am not quite sure exactly how I helped Penny, because I was having way too much fun sitting in on the lectures and networking with some absolutely awesome people who have a passion for the Lord and for writing. Yet in the midst of it all, God gave me a few small adventures to remind me that He wants to keep my writing grounded in music.

RING TWO
ACW holds its meetings and events in London's Regent Hall, the historic site for the Salvation Army ( www.regenthall.co.uk/regent ). In the US we mainly think of the Salvation Army as those uniformed people who ring bells in front of grocery stores at Christmastime, asking people to put their monetary donations into a black kettle. In the UK, the Salvation Army is a vital spiritual presence, and their churches seem to do better than most in getting the message of Christ out to more than just the disenfranchised.

Regent Hall, for me this past Saturday, was a calm in the middle of the three-ring circus on Oxford Street. I arrived 45-minutes before Penny or any of the others from ACW. I met the diligent staff, who run a lovely cafe and small Christian bookstore, in addition to taking care of the rest of the church. The cafe was not yet opened, so I debated walking down to Starbucks for a cuppa. But I noticed the large hall was empty, and sitting up on the stage in front of the 'choir loft' was a Steinway concert grand piano. All alone. No one was about. Everything around, so still and quiet. I had to play that piano! So for about 30-minutes, I did. God was sitting beside me, just singing in my ear, and each tone from that Steinway was wrapped by angels.

RING THREE
After lunch, I needed to raid a cash machine to purchase some of the books the authors had brought with them. ACW was not ready for credit card purchases. So out the door I traipsed and onto the crowded walk to strike it rich. The first two cash machines I made it to were out of cash (tourists!). By the time I finally crawled to one that was loaded, I had ventured off Oxford Street and all the way down Bond Street. Due to recent knee surgery, I desperately needed a break. Clinging to my newly acquired pounds (in more ways than one), my eyes focused on a store sign across the street. Chappell of Bond Street. My favourite music store! I usually order from them online. Their staff can find any piece of music one needs, no matter how obscure the manuscript. They have been my heroes on more than one panic-stricken occasion. Have always wanted to go into the store and just browse. So God carried me across the street, and as I slid joyfully down the stairs to the sheet music room, a corner of Heaven full of great music awaited. This place is so old, the mould has been lovingly framed (a favourite past-time here).

Found a new Urtext edition of Chopin Preludes, Op 28, and Op 45. Op 45 is one I would like to add to my repertoire. Also finally acquired some music composed by Clara Schumann, a phenomenal pianist, wife, mother, and friend to an unlovable Brahms. Then, a contemporary urge told me to buy the Shostakovich Preludes, Op 34.

Upon returning to Regent Hall, there were handbills announcing a piano recital that would be performed on that awesome Steinway that very evening, with the proceeds going to UNICEF. Perhaps in the future, the Lord will lead me to perform a recital at Regent Hall that includes some of the jewels just mentioned above. The proceeds could go to help so many needful efforts.

RING FOUR
The last lecture of the day was in none other than Regent Hall's famous Band Hall, which is just dripping with history (www.regenthall.co.uk/regent/rhb/rhbhistory.shtml). The mould is so old that frames have difficulty containing it. Attendees were packed in to a fabulous lecture by Davis Bunn. I loved learning from Davis, but I must admit the ENFP in me had my eyes continually straying to all the historic pictures of band members and events that are etched in time. The many ways God has used the Regent Hall Band to witness for His Kingdom are legendary in these parts. What a tremendous ministry!

Inspiring and humbling. A combination only our God could craft!

Blessings!