One season over.

I played at the combined Church’s service here in Katikati last night. It was in the Anglican Church, and I asked if we could have it in their old sanctuary, because its such a beautiful space. Brendan the Vicar told me that in recent times both Bic Runga and one of the original members of Split Enz had played in there. Katikati has been home for us for the last 4 four and a half years, but still I felt a little uneasy about this one.

We’ve been on such a crazy ride for the last month and a half. Its six weeks since we released the album at St Columba’s in Auckland. We managed to spend four of those weeks in the NZ album charts. The album is now in hundreds and hundreds of homes, ministering grace and the unsettling call of Jesus into people’s lives. What a privilege.

But still, I wasn’t sure how this service would go in Katikati. Not sure why. Couldn’t really pin it down. I needn’t have worried. The place was packed. Many people already had the CD. I got the joy of hearing voices quietly singing along during the chorus’ of songs. I haven’t experienced that for many years. There was a quiet receptiveness and peace in the place, even though it was pretty snug!

After a wonderful evening together, where I shared a new song to conclude (see below), Sue who had organised this event asked me, ‘So, where to next?’ I had to pause. I couldn’t think. Then I realised. We have a break. We don’t travel away to do music until we head to Christchurch at the beginning of July. That’s over a month away. In that moment, I realised that this was the end of the ‘album release tour’. I hadn’t thought of it as such until that instant. But it felt right. We had been to Auckland where we’d recorded it all. We played in Tauranga, our new home base. We toured down South where it all started. And now it felt so right and complete to play these songs in the town where they were written. Why had I been so worried? Perhaps, because these were their songs too, and I wanted to get them right.

Obviously the album has a fair bit of life left in it yet. But I’m excited to close this little chapter in its life., It’s out there now, living a life of its own, keeping God’s children company in their cars, bedrooms, studies and workplaces. Go well buddy.

For now, I’m going to enjoy a run of weekends at home. I’m excited about writing some new songs that have been flitting around the edge of my consciousness for a while now, but I haven’t had the space to capture them. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!