The Inspiring Calm CD is a useful resource for your Church services, Retreats or Home Groups.
We all need a rest, but busy Church Leaders perhaps find it more difficult than most to take a break. There are always people to see, sermons to prepare, meetings, weddings, funerals and the list goes on. However, the invitation of Jesus to 'Come away with me, by yourselves and get some rest' (Mark 6 v31) should be open to Church Leaders just as much as anyone else.
Here's one practical idea that might buy you some time and reduce the stress - time that you could use taking that relaxing walk etc. Perhaps for just one week of the year, instead of preparing a sermon you could choose to play the INSPIRING CALM AUDIO CD to the congregation. Alternatively a track or two could be used during a reflective part of the service.
In preparing this Audio CD my prayer has been that as the Scriptures on the CD are heard, God will use them to penetrate deep into people's hearts, bringing His Peace and His Encouragement to us, impacting people's lives in a very positive way. The Inspiring Calm CD is approx 1 hour long, with 10 tracks on the CD.
The Inspiring Calm Audio CD also works as either a group or personal mini-retreat.
HOUSE GROUPS - The Inspiring Calm CD can be used in home groups to help refocus on God after a busy day at work. Some home groups have chosen to play the whole CD through in one sitting, others have chosen just to play one or two track's per meeting as a gentle lead in to a time of prayer or worship.
TRACKS ON THE INSPIRING CALM CD
Calming me - (track 1) This track can be used to seek the Lord's calming hand upon our lives, whatever stresses we are facing. It features the invitation of Jesus to 'come away with me....to a quiet place and get some rest' - explores some of the difficulties of finding that quiet place, but then moves on with faith asking the Lord to calm our waves, and still our storm LISTEN
Draw near to God/Freedom - (track 2) Featuring a collection of Bible readings woven together to help us draw near to God and enjoy the freedom that we have in Christ. LISTEN
The Lord is my Shepherd - (track 3) The words of Psalm 23, read as if we are really there, being led by the Lord alongside a bubbling stream, hearing Skylark's overhead. LISTEN
Psalm 139 - (track 4) Read to a background of Beethoven's Moonlight sonata, at appropriate places the sound of the sea can be heard. LISTEN
There is a place I know - (track 5) Journey on a forest path listening to the birds, the path eventually leads onto a beach where you hear the sound of the sea. An idylic place to pray and enjoy God's prescence LISTEN
Early Morning - (track 6) A Robin sings and we follow a gentle stream through an ancient forest, at dawn the birds sing praise, and as the dawn chorus begins, we too are moved to worship LISTEN
Heaven - (track 7) An anthology of Bible readings on the theme of Heaven to background music LISTEN
Resting Place - (track 8) We hear the sound of the wind rustling the tall grass, and Skylarks overhead. In this idylic place we reach a Resting Place, a favourite rock, warm in the sun - here we rest awhile and words of Scripture speak deeply into our lives. LISTEN
The Lord's Prayer - (track 9) All too often in our services we are guilty or rushing through the Lord's Prayer as quickly as possible. Track 9 on the Inspiring Calm CD features The Lord's Prayer read more slowly with a background of birdsong and a gentle stream. LISTEN
Time to Leave - (track 10) This is a fitting track to play at the end of a service as it is an encouragement that the Lord is with us whatever circumstances we will be facing during the following week. LISTEN
The Inspiring Calm CD is a useful Resource for Retreat Leaders
Rev Steve Silvester writes 'I'd like to commend John Mansfield's CD Inspiring Calm. This CD is the outworking of a vision born in prayer. I think the CD speaks deeply into our busy lives and can be of great value to a lot of people who need to find calm places where they can be conscious of God's prescence.
John is a lovely, genuine guy. There is nothing of self-promotion in this project. John has used some of the material when leading intercessions at church, and it has been very much appreciated.'
Rev Steve Silvester
Click here for the Inspiring Calm SHOP (buy CD's or download MP3 files)