SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

CLASSIC ROCK.

On a rare night out with my wife last week, we went to see The Classic Rock Show's live performance of  The Top Ten Best Selling Classic Rock Albums of all time.

Basically, a 10 piece rock band ( top quality guys who are also the tribute band Brit Floyd) performed one song each from the 10 albums and then did a selection of other great classic rock songs.

I haven't enjoyed myself so much for ages, seeing as I love classic rock! For your info the Top Ten albums were ( in no particular order):

Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Elton John- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Led Zeppelin - IV

Meatloaf- Bat out of Hell

Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run

Pink Floyd- The Wall

AC/DC- Back in Black

Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms

Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon

The Eagles- Greatest Hits

The other classic tracks included songs by Boston, Supertramp, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Walsh, The Who, Genesis, and more by Dire Straits, The Eagles and Led Zeppelin.

A similar tour of Christian Classic Rock would be an interesting prospect. Any Christian rock tribute bands out there?

PRAY FOR THE NEW BABY BOY IN RAJAHMUNDRY.

My friend Pastor Prasad has let me know that his brother Prabhakar, and sister in law Kranthi, have had a baby boy. Unfortunately he is suffering from severe breathing difficulties and is undergoing treatment on his lungs. Please pray for him- I can't tell you what he is called as they don't name a child for a few months or so. At the moment he is  'Babu' meaning little boy.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS.

I'm at home enjoying Christmas with my family- wife Gillian, daughter Bethan, son James and daughter in law Tiffany all the way from Texas, daughter Rachel, son in law Chris, and grandchildren Hannah and Joe, plus my mum and dad. We have given Tiffany a rich variety of new Christmas experiences- pantomime, rugby, scotch eggs, roast chestnuts, to name but a few!

Off to church on Christmas morning.

John 1:14 : So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

 

MAKE YOUR MOVE TOUR PHOTO.

Just received this from Lott Shudde, Third Day tour manager and good friend:

All the tour personnel gathered on the stage at our last concert on the tour in Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona.

FINAL TOTAL FOR GATEWAY SCHOOL PAINTINGS.

Thanks to the generosity of Third Day's VIP fans we have raised well over $15,000 from the silent auction of children's paintings. This is a fantastic result and the money will go towards the upkeep of the Gateway Children's Home. Children will be living in the home from Christmas Day onwards.

PRAY FOR LIBERIA.

Having just spent a few days back in Cardiff I am now back on the road for the last 6 shows of the Third Day tour. When I was home I received the following email after a conversation with Emmanuel Jonah -Ignite's man in Liberia:

I write to request your prayers for Liberia. It is unfortunate that after 14 years of destruction, some Liberians are doing everything to remind us of our ugly past as a nation. We have been experiencing election violence which has resulted into the destruction of lives and properties. It is saddened to note that ELWA radio station, a station earmarked to have Ignite Liberia radio program air was burned down with no clear information as to how the station got destroyed. Liberia needs the touch of Jesus to experience true transformation. Pray that God will continue to use Ignite Liberia to reach the lost for Christ. Liberia needs the touch of Jesus.

GET A LOAD OF THAT HAIRSTYLE!

Third Day's keyboard player, Scotty 'Catfish' Wilbanks has a new app on his i-Phone called Old Photo and apparently because I'm bald I am the best ever person to use the app on. He's sent me countless images which have caused him, and most of the people he has shown them to, much merriment.

Here's one-which makes me look like I'm tour pastor for Billy Ray Cyrus!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK.

Being home for 5 days before I return to the USA for the final 2 weekends of Third Day’s current ‘Make Your Move’ tour, gives me an opportunity to reflect on the most recent couple of weekends of the tour which took us to the North-East of America. Hitting some of the big cities, we played in New York, Baltimore, just outside Boston, Augusta in Maine, and Rochester in upstate New York. The difference between these and our more regular venues in the Southern ‘Bible Belt’ is fascinating. Most of the shows in the North-East were sold out, were in atmospheric theatre venues, and with audiences that seemed hungry and thirsty for an authentic encounter with the Lord. Christian faith in this region is less cultural and more authentic than the South, with church attendance considerably lower. There was a genuine gratitude that the tour had come to their city, and a real generosity with regard to sponsoring World Vision children and towards the paintings we are auctioning for the Gateway School in India. 2 weekends ago we were astounded by a $900 bid for a painting, but that paled into comparison with a bid last weekend of $5,000!!!

An interesting footnote to our time in New York (along with some of the crew I stayed 3 nights in Secaucus, New Jersey, and was able to spend some time in Manhattan)- After our concert in a downtown New York club, which was attended by 900 people (a good number for the club but probably the smallest crowd on our tour), I joined most of the guys in Third Day, Trevor Morgan, and Lott Shudde our road manager, and caught the end of a concert by the band Blackberry Smoke, in the basement of a barbecue restaurant. We watched the band’s performance at a festival on TV recently and became instant fans, so it was great to see them live. We were reminded what a fortunate position Third Day have in Christian music- Blackberry Smoke have a current single on country radio, a good selling album, are tipped to be the next big thing, yet had only around 100 people watching them in this little venue in New York. They would have been amazed to discover that this other band from Atlanta, who they hadn’t heard of, had just played to 9 times the size of their own audience!

Here's a picture of me on the ferry from Manhattan to New Jersey, taken by Brendan McCarthy, our World Vision rep on this tour-he has become a good friend.

 

I AM.......

Just addded two new online sermons:

I am the Light of the World

I am the True Vine

both preached at City Temple, Cardiff, as part of our Jesus says ...I am... series back in August and September of this year.

3 HOURS IN THE LIFE OF A TOUR PASTOR.

The nights on this tour when I am hosting the event are pretty hectic-but it’s the time of day when I come alive. Today’s schedule in Wichita Falls, Texas looked something like this:

5.45pm Rush from Third Day’s tour bus where we have been watching episode 3 of the Band of Brothers series.

5.50pm Arrive at the VIP question and answer reception to meet the guests, invite them to submit a question to the artists, and ask them to consider putting in a silent auction bid for one of the paintings from the Gateway School.

6.00pm I welcome Third Day, Peter Furler and Trevor Morgan, to the Q and A session. It’s a particular thrill to welcome Peter. I first worked with him and Newsboys back in 1995 (one of his current band was only 5 years old at the time.

6.02pm Begin asking questions to the guys, and round the session of with a short devotional thought and a prayer. Tonight I took the liberty of sharing some personal testimony of the faith steps I took all those years ago when beginning to work with Newsboys and then Third Day. The point? God wants us all to step into the purpose and the place he has for us, and the longest of journeys often start with the shortest of steps.

6.30pm Dash down to catering for some food, on the way I meet Jay, Peter Furler’s road manager-turns out he used to live in Newport, Wales about 15 miles from me.I sit with Scotty Wilbanks and eat beef, pork., mixed vegetables and mashed potato. As always, I gulp it down too quickly.

6.55pm I walk over to the backstage area ready to welcome the audience to the Make Your Move tour, just before the sound guys come hunting for me. I’m introduced to a local radio guy and I suggest he opens the night in prayer.

 7.00pm On to the stage I go to welcome the crowd, give them a taste of what the night holds in store and then hand over to the radio guy to pray.

 7.03pm I introduce the opening act-Trevor Morgan-who comes on for 3 songs. I listen by the side of the stage.

 7.15pm Back on to thank Trevor and to promote Grand Canyon University, one of the tour sponsors. Tai and Mark from Third Day are currently completing their college degrees through GCU’s online program.

7.25pm Get to introduce Peter Furler, the first time we have shared a stage together since Newsboys played in Cardiff about 7 years ago, and the first time in the States since 2000.

 7.27pm I’m back in catering chatting to Trevor Morgan and eating the dessert I didn’t manage to get earlier. I also text the winner of the Gateway School painting auction- tonight’s winner paid $200.

 7.45pm On my way back to the stage I find our merchandise manager Melissa, and remind her to meet the painting winner and I in the intermission, so as to collect the payment.

 7.50pm By the side of the stage to worship along with Peter Furler as he sings ‘He Reigns’.

 8.00pm Back into Third Day’s dressing room to check they have signed the painting.

 8.05pm Peter just finishes his final song ‘I’m Free’ so I go back onto the stage, get the crowd to applaud him once more and then I begin to talk about World Vision child sponsorship- the crowd is perfectly silent as I share Luke 2.52-And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Then I invite them to take hold of a child profile and raise them in the air with me as I pray over them.

 8.15pm It’s intermission so I run back to Third Day’s dressing room and grab the painting and take it over to the merchandise table and thank the winners-an older couple-for their generosity. On my way back I give a quick hug to some of the front row hardcore Third Day fans.

 8.20pm Back to read the Bible and pray with Third Day before they go on stage. I’ve been leading the guys through selections of God’s words to Jeremiah and tonight I read from Jeremiah 23.5 onwards- a great messianic prophecy about Jesus as the King of Righteousness. Mac, Tai and David lead our prayer time, and the band are out of the door ready to perform.

 8.40pm As Third Day begins I wander over to the World Vision table to ask Brendan how many children have been sponsored. 43 so far, which is a good percentage from a comparatively small crowd tonight. Brendan is the World Vision rep, married to singer Rachel Lampa, and he has become a good buddy on this tour.

8.50pm Pop into the Production Office to see Lott our tour manager, and he tells me Peter Furler is riding our bus tonight. That will be fun!

A manic 3 hours-but it is what I live for, what I am here for, and what an incredible privilege to be part of this.