What Happened In Ireland
And a letter you simply must read
Hello, my friends. I do hope you’re well.
At the moment, I’m putting off joining the family to pack my suitcase for our impending departure from Ireland. As it happens, I also have been wanting to give you a grateful update on this Holy Ghost Stories tour. Serendipity! An update instead of packing, then—two birds, one stone.
Over the past four weeks, we’ve brought the Creation show to six cities in Ireland. Unlike almost every other HGS live show we’ve done, this one is a story that I haven’t told on the podcast—so it was an entirely new write. That made for more work in putting the show together, of course, but it’s also been a joy discovering the ins and outs of this story in real time with live audiences. The whole thing’s been quite fresh and alive, and I’ve been so grateful for that.
Every show on this tour has been a bit different from the others, so here’s a quick rundown:
Buncrana:
This is a small town in county Donegal, up in the north of Ireland. This was one of three shows our friends at 24/7 Prayer Ireland helped to organize, and our contacts there in Buncrana were two couples doing some wonderful ministry. Andrew and Ruth planted a church years ago in Buncrana that’s proven quite effective in serving the African immigrant community in the area. Steph and Colin have been working to get Christians and seekers coming together around tables across Donegal, facilitating intimate fellowship and worship gatherings that reach across dividing lines and gently dismantle anti-Christian sentiments.
Our venue for the evening was a 200+ year old stone church building in the center of town, with a cemetery out front that looks out onto a North Atlantic inlet. A beautiful spot, indeed. We knew this one would be intimate—maybe the smallest of our shows, which was a relief seeing as though we’d only had the chance to rehearse once (the night before) and I had finally been able to finish writing the story that morning. We’d not been able to rehearse the storytelling and accompaniment at all. “At least it’ll be a small audience—this might just have to be a dress rehearsal,” we thought.
But God had bigger intentions for that night. We happily brought a roomful of Irish and African folks on a journey of encounter with the wonders of creation and the One who created it all. When we sang “How Great Thou Art” at the end of the show, the voices in the pews were practically shouting the words, hands lifted toward the heavens, faces beaming. I was up front on my knees and had chills.
Afterward, a man in his late 60s waved me over. As I approached him, I saw tears in his eyes. He told me his daughter (who’d been to one of the shows on our last Ireland tour) had invited him. A few days before the show, he’d listened to an episode of HGS to see what it was and found himself bingeing several more. “I haven’t been able to pray in 10 years,” he said, tears streaming down his face now. “But tonight… Thank you for this. It’s been a hard time lately. My wife divorced me two weeks ago. I’ve been so distant from Him, but the Lord found me in that story you told. It was like I was coming home.” I was tearing up at this point, of course. “I’ve never heard anything like this,” he said. “This is how it should be—and here, especially—we’re Irish for heaven’s sake. We’re a storytelling people. This is our language.”
I nodded in agreement and asked if I could pray with him. As I did, Jennifer happened to be walking past and snapped this photo—an altar, now, that I hope will remind me for years to come of Yahweh’s goodness and masterful orchestration and penchant for drawing near to people who keep company with Him in the old stories.
…I’m realizing now that this update could go quite long, so I’ll pick up the pace. :)
Banbridge:
This was our second time at Grace Generation Church, who during Covid took possession of a derelict night club and converted it into a church building. A ‘light’ renovation, mind you—they’ve even kept the vinyl booths flanking what’s now the worship space. (A minister pointed to one of those seats and told us, “I did drugs in that very spot back in the day. Then I found Jesus. I guess He’s changed me and this place.”
After the show one of the pastors said, “It was absolutely amazing. I felt like I was there at the beginning of creation, in awe and wonder at the detail and creativity of our wonderful Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” “Yes!” I thought. “That’s exactly what we want to happen.”
Derry:
We gathered in a 150-year-old building that stands on soil continuously occupied by a church for 1500 years—the site of St. Columba’s first monastery. Known throughout Derry, it’s now called St. Augustine’s, or more familiarly “the wee church on the walls,” thanks to its spot atop the western wall of the old city. We sang and prayed and wandered inside the creation story while the bodies of 13th century saints rested in the soil outside, awaiting their return to Eden.
This was the first show with the whole crew, so we grabbed a pic together:
Coleraine:
After hosting a stop on our 2023 tour, the wonderful folks at Mountsandel Christian Fellowship were quite enthusiastic to have us back. Their gracious zeal made the night feel truly special and boy did they pack out the room—we had to seat folks in a nearby hallway.
By this show, the band was really finding their stride and most of them were joining in on the story accompaniment, which made for some magical moments. (For example—as I described Yahweh creating insects, Finlay found a way to mimic beetle wings with his brushes and cymbals.) Those low ceilings amplified a raucous chorus as the whole place yelled “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to you…” Ugh. It was a wonder.
Dublin:
Another show that 24/7 Prayer Ireland helped to set up, this one was an absolute joy. It was clear that folks were swept away a bit by the combination of story and song, and I’m so grateful we got to pour into that community of disciples. St Catherine’s is located in the heart of Dublin. A historic place of worship, the building was ‘de-consecrated’ back in the 60s after a period of church decline. It sat unused and dilapidated for decades until this congregation moved in during the 90s, renovating and reinhabiting the space. It was a deep privilege to spend the evening joining their mission to see God’s will be done “in Dublin as it is in heaven.” Also, I’d asked our whistle player to lean in during the storytelling on this night, and it was wonderful. I wish she could join us at every live show we ever do.
Cork:
Because Cork is all the way down south, it was too far a trip for most of our musicians to make (day jobs and all). So this one was more intimate—just Adam and Eve on guitar and vocals, joined by a local bassist. (‘Adam and Eve’—just seems right for a creation show, no?) It was wonderful to hear the songs so stripped down.
One of the people in the front row closed her eyes as soon as the story began, beaming the entire time as I described Yahweh forming this wonderful world. She went the whole show like this, making wonderful faces as one thing happened and then another, eyes closed all the while—it was a joy to witness her delight.
A quick word about the songs:
When we do live shows in the States, we’ll often have one original song that’s been written specifically for that show—I’ll usually commission Eve to write something on a particular theme for a certain point in the show. Otherwise, we’re using songs that already exist—carefully chosen, of course, but not original to HGS. For this tour, though (like the last one we did here in Ireland), almost all of the songs were originals, created for this show by my partner Adam. Eve wrote one as well. And I must say: these songs were just wonderful. They speak of Yahweh’s joy in making, of His longing to share His love with mankind, and of the way all of creation teaches us to praise. They were the perfect complement to the story, and a powerful window through which to glimpse—and speak to—our Father.
I’m so grateful to Eve and to Adam for the ways they steward their immense creative gifts. Too, Adam was an absolute champion of logistics, organizing every detail of this tour—from lodging to transportation to chord charts to rehearsals to venue communication… the list goes on and on. He’s a gifted artist, an essential partner, and at this point, a close friend.
Oh—and he’s a Chick-Fil-A fan as well. Here’s a shot of him enjoying his first meal at Europe’s first Chick-Fil-A, which opened just a couple of weeks ago. He kept calling it a “chicken burger,” but we’ll forgive him that.
24/7 Prayer:
It was a real privilege to partner with 24/7 Prayer Ireland on this tour. If you’re not familiar with 24/7’s work (among other things, they’re the creators of the Lectio 365 app I’ve recommended many times), check them out—their resources are great. Lucy Hill, 24/7’s director in Ireland, and her husband Ross took great care of us while we were in Dublin. Kingdom relationships are so good.
Our Wonderful Tribe (that’s you):
Finally, and perhaps most of all, I must thank those who gave to Hazefire Studios on Giving Tuesday this past fall. If that was you, thank you. Your generous giving enabled this tour—without it, we simply could not have made this happen. Every heart in those electric rooms, every person meeting their wonderful, world-shaping God in that epic First Week—every one of them has you to thank for that encounter.
Thank you.
Other Ireland Wandering…
Between shows and regular work stuff and time with friends, we’ve been trying to get out a bit and explore this gorgeous place. If you’re ever here, I’d recommend not missing Malin Head in the north, Achill Island in the west, and the Ring of Kerry (Gap of Dunloe especially) in the south.
Here’s a spot on the Ring of Kerry where we pulled off and explored for a bit:
Are You Listening?
During this time in Ireland, we’ve continued our work on The Happiest Saddest People. I do hope you’re listening to it and being blessed by it. I can say without reservation it’s some of the most powerful storytelling I’ve heard. Chapter 12 dropped this week, and I’m confident it’ll provoke some happy tears.
If you’ve been following along, let me know—I’d love to hear your impressions.
What’s Next…
Tomorrow I’m headed on a solo trip to Israel for a very special project. More on that soon…
1 Cool Thing
This Essay - Please read this letter from A.M. Hickman in which he gives advice to an 18-year-old. It will raise your eyebrows and make you smile and stir something inside your gut that makes you want to rise and walk and venture out into the world’s wild places. It should be required reading for teenagers. His use of the word ‘style’ is fantastic, and if being an American means something like what Hickman describes here, that makes me happy. A quick sample:
…And like many quests worthy of the term quest, you will scarcely know when you have succeeded at it or completed it. There will be a litheness to your muscle; a weightlessness to your bones. Your face will glow as if it were a small sun in and of itself; the eyes of others will be fixed upon you with solemnity and seriousness. Your back will be erect — and your stance will seem as if it is anchored by great leaden weights when you stand before anyone, be they friend or foe. More than this, you will find yourself remembered — even by those you yourself have no recollection of. There will be circles in which mere mention of your name will bring great broad grins, or, conversely — even fear. These will be the fruits of your long and ardent pursuit of style, but they will only come to you after many difficult miles.
Come on.
That’s the latest! I hope The Happiest Saddest People is making your life richer, and again: if you donated to make these Ireland shows possible, thank you.
Gratefully,
Justin
thank you
love this