The exciting new singer/songwriter album ‘Endlessly’– a partnership with special friends in Finland is to be launched in Finland in July 2012 David has recorded vocals here in NZ – instruments played in Helsinki – a global recording!We are in the last days of recording in Finland this week
Small string section being recorded today!!
Final mixing over next few days, and then mastering is Wed 6th June
We need the artwork for the cover, and pressing of Cds to go well over the next few weeks
We will launch the album in Finland in July, and in NZ on Sat 1 September (Newmarket, Auckland – plan to come!)
Anders and Manku – our partners in this album – have been amazing in their writing, playing and production
Teemu Viinikainen – who is a new friend and a leading jazz/blues player in the nation, has brought so much freshness to this recording, and will be so inspirational on the live concerts
The songs are a mixture of blues, rock and acoustic
‘Well of life’ is a blues song which links with my Water Engineering in the past, and work with World Vision…
‘Desired haven’ is a haunting rock song based on Psalm 107
lyrics below
FINLAND/SINGAPORE TOUR – 27 June to 24 July
David needs prayer for divine inspiration and strength and protection for a full-on tour!! Great
Highlight dates here for you diary
FINLAND
based in Helsinki area with wonderful friend and host Jarmo and family
Wonderful mix of opportunities, with more gigs and media possible
Fri 29 Jun – Rehearsals Sat 30 Jun – Hameenlinna – Paiva event with small band incl Max Sun 1 July – Helsinki – Salem Pentecostal church with big band tbc?
Wed 4th – Helsinki – Radio Dei (national Christian radio) 1 hours live on radio from their studio Thurs 5th – Helsinki – Old Church in centre – evening small band event
Sat 7th July – Pietasaari (Road trip 1 – 6 hours) Radio Dei festival – big band, launch new album
Fantastic line-up of bands incl great friend Nina Astrom, who guests on our album Wed 11th – Seinajoki (Road trip 2 – 4 hours) Pentecostal church event with small band incl Jarmo S
Had wonderful time there last year, real joy of praise and flow of worship
Sat 14th – Helsinki – 2nd album launch event details tbc Sun 15th – Helsinki – churches – am One Way Mission tbc, pm Suhe
Mon 16th – Pori Jazz (Road trip 3 – 3 hours) Big band play at the big mainstream summer music festival
Where headline act is Norah Jones – Teemu our guitarist is well known at this event
SINGAPORE
20 to 22 July – details of ministry to be finalised.
Well of Life
Dedicated to World Vision
Come all you weary, find rest for your soul
At the well, well of Life
Wash dust from your feet dirt from your hands
At the well, well of Life
Channels of blessing, source of all healing
Love everlasting, heavenly rest
At the well, come to the well, draw from the well We may be well
Though we’re unworthy, acceptance we find
At the well, well of Life
Find ease for your load, receive from his hand
At the well, well of Life
Springs of refreshment, oceans of cleansing
Floods of forgiveness, rivers of peace
Wash your face clean now, forgiveness will flow
At the well, well of Life
Cool your frustration, redemption is found
At the well, well of Life
Grace overwhelming, mercy unending
Joy ever after, favour of Christ
Endless slavation, ceaseless attraction
Sense of elation, flavour of love
Cool water, so sweet
Thanks for all your amazing support and prayer for Liz
And for my tour to Singapore and Finland
Liz is ok, and not having any further immediate treatment at the moment for her lymphoma. It is a journey ahead – please do keep praying for her complete healing thanks
Feedback from 2 tours
1. David and Finlay South Island NZ trip
Watched 2 Scotland Rugby World Cup games in Invercargill – brilliant fun!
Ministry
Balfour church Sunday morning – spoke and led worship(Team workshop Sat) super deep time
Invercargill – St Andrews 5pm youth service – sang and spoke to an amazing group of young Polynesian kids
Invercargill – Knox church – men’s outreach concert night. David and Finlay and great buddy Jeff Rea played some Scots classics and DLM material!
Hosted on 2 farms with the Reas and Elders – yay – thanks guys!
Dunedin – East Taeri pres service (team workshop Sat) led with their team and Finlay – powerful worship time
2. Finland and Singapore
Best ever ministry trip in so many ways
Finland – did a big road trip on the first weekend
Seinajoki -2 Jarmo’s and Jemina played so well with us
Free flowing worship time and super version of Finlandia
Jarmo’s parents and sister’s family came
Joensuu -2 gigs at Gospel festival -African guys helped to break out the dancing in both meetings!
A number of key town and business leaders were touched
Helsinki – Host family the Pouttu’s were so kind to me again
Played with some of the band from last 2 years – cello, percussion and vocals
Beautiful and powerful worship time
Titta and friend danced so beautifully.
Hameenlinna – My great friend Max M and family hosted me, and publisher Paiva (Merja
Kiitti!) were very kind as always
Max played perc and sang with me – always great to be together
Dancing broke out again and we had some amazing times around ‘Amazing grace’
and a U2 song Psalm 40
Radio Dei – national Christian radio – good friend Kirsi really open doors for our ministry
Really productive interview, and they played 4 songs Devotion incl ‘Your kindness calls to repentance’
Recording
Started an exciting new project with Anders and Manku – more a singer/songwriter/band album
Incl Caledonia Girl (written for Liz for our 20th), Tapestry now called ‘Something beautiful’, ‘Desired haven’, ‘Well of life’, ‘When love lies broken’ – will get some lyrics to you soon
Other songs like ‘Love and let go’ are also needing to be recorded – God is really pulling a lot out of us, as ever when things seem the most challenging!!
Singapore – fantastic worship weekend with a new bunch of friends
Band – massive group of great young people who were a delight to work with
Dancers – a group of 4 women were such a blessing
A professional dancer in training, stunningly interpreted ‘Stolen Years’
Joel 2 – wow!!
Response times were powerful, and even senior pastor responded at the end of meetings.
Delight to walk and play over people throughout the weekend
Sold a good number of the Cds, which were all signed – love the Singaporeans enthusiasm!
Integrity Asia have been so helpful and insightful in opening doors for our ministry – thanks guys!
David had an amazing round the world tour after recovering from his May operation and infection.
1. USA
David’s trip to Willow Creek with friends, for the Global Leadership Summit, was an amazing, inspiring experience. We received so much from hanging out as friends, our church hosts, the world class teaching on leadership, business, ministry, sport and China. There was the chance to see some of the operations of this amazing large church, the beauty of Chicago’s architecture, and across the lake in Southhaven, a taste of old style holiday America, where I was able to bodysurf on one rough day! A lake the size of an Ocean! Everything is so BIG in the USA! A real insight in to the pressures the nation is facing in identity, security, immigration, finance, the military etc
2. London, Finland and Singapore
Thanks for your prayers for and help to the family, staying home in NZ, as this was a total of a month away for David over these two trips.
Guitar – was broken on way to London! Guitarist in Finnish band Anders is a luthier, and did a great job of fixing it once I arrived in Finland
Travel – the flights went so well in terms of exit row leg room, sleep etc
London
Concert with Mike Burn hosting on the Sat night – was a great chance to connect with a number of friends from the South East, and enjoy working with a super young band. A lovely way to recognise all God has done over the last 9 years, and to share some of the new songs charting the way forward.
Many were on holiday then sadly, so we will need to visit again sometime. The Sunday morning church service with Mike was a powerful time, as a flood of worship was released.
FINLAND 23 Aug to 1 Sep
David helped to lead worship at the 3rd annual Urban Dream Mission in Helsinki.
There was further opportunity to promote the Finnish/English live worship CD ‘Urban Praise’ (of which we are really proud) and to work with ministry friends and the band who we have built such a special connection with over the last 2 years – I felt we went deeper again in God as a ministry team, with several key leaders expressing they felt this was the best mission so far, in terms of teamwork and ease of atmosphere.
There were many highlights
Singing on the streets and a café – reviving the busker spirit and that cutting edge evangelistic feel, meeting street people etc
Working with a major Finnish pop star there who is wrestling with her faith and life in a very public way, but made a strong city witness
Leading worship for our Finnish publisher Paiva and staff there with Max (percussion and vocals) and Jarmo (flute) – something about the intimate acoustic approach with no mics etc!
Church ministry on the Sunday
12 noon service with Tapani Suonto at One Way Mission
Again lovely intimate worship service, with Jarmo’s 17-year-old daughter Jemina joining us to sing – great to see many younger ones having the opportunity to learn about ministry from every angle
Suhe service – the home church for most of the band
Time and time again God uses us there in fresh ways, this time particularly through the song ‘Stolen Years’ from Joel 2, which will feature on the new CD
SINGAPORE Thurs 2 to Mon 6 Sep
Fri 3 Sep
Meetings with Integrity Asia about the release of Devotion went well
Good discussions re the right plan to come together for publishing and distribution
We are so grateful for this new door, and the opportunities throughout the region
Sat 4 Sep Worship workshop
with Bethesda Cathedral worship team of around 60 – was a wonderful day of opening the word, sharing experiences of the challenges of the ministry, playing together and critiquing songs, techniques etc.
The Church is so strong in Singapore (probably 3 times as many of their similarly sized 4 million population go to church, compared to NZ!) – this is one of the mid-tier churches and has a 2000 plus seater auditorium, among other facilities. Singaporean Christians have a strong sense of mission, and being a gateway to the Chinese world. There is a new challenge to them I sense in the area of materialism, and also the influence of the casino culture, which is only new there.
Sun 5 Sep
Led morning worship at Barker Rd Methodist church – played with a couple who are considering coming to NZ as missionaries! Great response to our songs, with a real hush over the end of the service as I played ‘Who can separate us’ from Romans 8. CDs were lapped up and always the Chinese would like them signed, so neat chance to meet and talk to many. A real boost of confidence comes from the way they honour us.
Evening live radio concert with 107FM at 7pm
This is an Adventist ministry, the only Christian radio station broadcast into Singapore. The concert was a beauty, as I played solo, and sang with a crowd in a lovely theatre. Was a super way to finish up, with a strong sense of Jesus close to us.
LONDON Sat 21 Aug
David Lyle Morris in concert – worship and ministry
www.davidlylemorris.com/blog
Venue
Beckenham Hall, Beckenham, Kent
http://www.bromleymytime.org.uk/beckenham-public-hall.html
Saturday 21 August
Start time is 6.30pm
Free admission – an offering will be taken for Restore Trust
www.restoretrust.org.nz
Families welcome
There will be an interval, with the chance to buy refreshments
There is a car park in St George’s Road – just 2 minutes from the hall
FINLAND 23 Aug to 1 Sep
David leads worship at the 3rd annual Urban Dream Mission in Helsinki
Further opportunity to promote the live worship CD ‘Urban Praise’ and to work with ministry friends and the band who we have built such a special connection with over the last 2 years
http://www.urbaaniunelma.fi/
Church ministry on Sunday 29 Aug
1. 12 noon service with Tapani Suonto at One Way Mission
2. 5pm Suhe service
SINGAPORE Thurs 2 to Mon 6 Sep
Fri 3 Sep
Meeting s with Integrity Asia about the release of Devotion
Pls pray for the right plan to come together for publishing and distribution of the new album ‘Devotion’
Sat 4 Sep Worship workshop with
Bethesda Cathedral
http://www.bc.org.sg/
Sun 5 Sep
Lead morning worship at
Barker Rd Methodist church
http://www.brmc.org.sg/
It was so good for us all, and especially Liz, to spend two weeks time with friends and family, after three years. We spent time sledding and enjoying a freezing night of Rangers football (6-1 win!).
Northern Ireland
We always feel so at home in ‘the province’, and we have been coming for 13 years since Euan was a baby! We had an amazing two weeks with our special friends the Rogers, and their family, church and businesses, as well as catching up with many other friends.
Liz preached powerfully two Sundays in a row – on hope, and then destiny (from Esther) and prayed over many, while David supported in worship and singing over people. David also sang and spoke at another church on the Sunday nights, where we were kindly accommodated in the church flat. He sang and spoke at the Coleraine House of prayer , where good friends Andy and Ian take a big lead, which was a really inspirational time.
This was a breakthrough time in Ireland for Liz in ministry terms, with a greater desire for us to minister together, which we touched on before the boys were born, but we have been waiting a long time for more opportunity. It is good our first invite back in NZ is to minister together at a church weekend away (Northcote Bap 13,14 March)
Finlay also contributed with songs and haka in church and school settings. Euan showed his gifting with younger kids wherever we went, and also his business mind, looking after CD sales.
We have again seen God’s amazing provision in so many ways throughout the tour. One example would be in health, where David had a heavy cold and sore sinus in Finland, but knew God’s supernatural strength for the recording and had no throat issues despite the freezing temperatures!
Finland
It has been brilliant to have the family here in the Snowy North, for the first time in 10 years (I have been back many times since, but alone). We have been ministering in the nation for 17 years, and have such a deep love for the snow lands and the people.
This time we had new hosts in Jarmo and family and we had a blast, with our four kids, though theirs being much older, getting on like a house on fire!
We focused on the live recording, with rehearsals prior to the Saturday night recording. This team of young Finns and I have worked together the past two August missions, and our friendships and ministry are growing deeper all the time.
We felt this would be a breakthrough experience for many of the young team in writing and ministry, as well as for us, as we have prayed for many years to be able to record with Max and in Finland itself.
The night was so special where we recorded in a beautiful old timber chapel, bathed in snow and candlelight.
Liz had a profound angelic experience when we sang our older song ‘Holy Spirit of God’ which the Finns had rearranged and translated. As Laura the lead singer called out in worship, Liz felt she was somehow calling down heaven, and the building and PA shook! We had to retake the song later for the album sake, but that moment was so releasing. We found out later that there is a strong tradition among the Sami people of Lapland of calling to the spirit-world in song, and somehow Liz felt that Max and I from the Pacific were meeting the Finns in a ‘Holy Spirit of Jesus heart cry’! God is so good.
Our brand new song written for the mission ‘The harvest fields of Finland’ took on a wonderful life of it’s own as we worked with it during the week, and it was presented with a fabulous powerpoint presentation of Finland’s natural beauty.
( I will send you some of these, and other band shots are attached)
The boys loved sledding and skating here too. The snow was as heavy as they have seen in Helsinki for decades, so we really felt we have been in winter wonderland.
David will return in August for the 3rd annual city mission and the launch of the album – see the songlist of our songs which made the cut below.
1. As long as I may live (I will only love my Lord) –“ Heavenly man “ song
2. Before our God (We in Christ are one) Galatians 3
3. Holy Spirit of God – in English and Finnish (see Chorus lyric below)
4. The harvest fields of Finland – lyric below
5. We live in the shelter (Psalm 91)
Along with
‘Jesus all for Jesus’ from N Ireland which they love.
The Finnish songs included two great new ones from young Finnish writers we know, some other powerful new Finn songs, and a translation of Kiwi Brooke Fraser’s ‘Hosanna’.
The church ministry was a blast, with the album team leading worship, but not least because Liz had the chance to pray and prophecy over many of the team after the service. She has been on a roll! This church provides most of the musicians to the team, and again I have been building a strong friendship over the past 3 years.
It was a blessing to minister with Max as always and great to see him and Jussi and their families rapidly growing up. We saw many other friends who have been so loving to us over the years. It is a second home in many ways.
The publisher ‘Paiva’ working with the production is going to distribute the ‘Trust’ CD for us as well, and publish some sheet music of our songs.
Singapore
We sent some of you news from there. It is repeated below if you haven’t seen it.
Singapore feedback – sent before
Integrity Music were excellent hosts, and produced a great new compilation CD ‘Life Story’ for us. We will launch this in NZ Sat 20 March.
Our Saturday ministry included a deeply moving seminar in the morning with a group of Brethren Churches. To show you how profound and contested this was – one of the female musicians we worked with was moved to tears as we ‘workshopped’ some songs. Then soon after she had her handbag stolen from within the sanctuary, including a large sum of cash and her identity card etc!
The Saturday night Christmas outreach concert was a very anointed time, and Finlay brought the house down with the two songs he sang with me! There weren’t as many seekers as the church had hoped for, but a number of young people were touched.
Sunday I contributed songs at two other services. The first was superb for new friendships that will bear fruit. The second was amazing as the band comprised some professional musicians from Colombia! They were so groovy to play with. The speaker was a legendary missionary for 32 years, including time with some of the most primitive tribes.
We were so inspired and challenged by his stories of prisons and prostitutes. In his local prison there are lifers who are pastors, with cell churches in the cells, and the community bring their sick to prison for the amazing believers there to pray for them! The stories roll on…
Monday I met an inspiring 37-year-old Pastor who helps to oversee 6000 churches in the region alone!
We had some lovely family time in the Zoo on ‘night safari’ and made some super new friendships. We were blown away by the Christmas lights on Orchard Rd and amazed at the heat!
Thanks so much for your prayers. Love to all and have a great 2K10.
Recent Comments