Stone Speak A symposium on worship, arts and the prophetic,
here and across the pond...

“You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning.” King Henry VIII

She was said to be “the people’s princess”, a girl from Wales who captured the hearts of millions. In her passing, she enchanted us with a sense of Snow White mystery, being laid to rest on a private island of her family’s estate. For all her prestige and beauty, Diana captured the child- like wonder of princess stories and showed her true, royal posture in her unending charities to see the world become a
better place.

For many, the changing of the guards was marked by that tragic day in August when Diana lost her life in a car chase in Paris. The outpouring of support in flowers, cards, and weeping in the streets of London revealed to the establishment that a new sense of honor, royalty and government was in the air. It was a cameo in the life of “England’s Rose”.

Goodbye England’s Rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever will.

All across the world there are signs of the crossover season we are in. The shaking and shifting of governments, to the shaking of the earth, the changing of the guards has begun.
Yet, for one government, there will be no end...

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-8

There is a king returning. Over the centuries, this has been marked by legend and fantasy in story and film, but the Biblical reality is the government to come will be a kingdom government ruled by the Lion of Judah. All will bend a knee to the Lord Jesus Christ, “the light of the world”. The Lord
is revealing this in many forms as the acceleration of His return is displayed. As we prepare for the Lord’s coming, His desire is to reveal His majesty in this crossover season. With anticipation, we are to discover the imagery of this mystery of a “once and future king” as we watch the changing of the guards unfold.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:20-21

I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret
places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your
name, Am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3

The imageries the crossover for me have been numerous.
I realized the changing of the guards years ago during the

Queen’s Jubilee. It started with a dream...

In my dream, my son, Taylor, was wearing a proper, night’s cloak of robin’s egg blue. Taylor walked over to a stone and effortlessly removed a sword just like young King Arthur. He looked at me and smiled. Taylor has always represented Jesus in my dreams. I knew from the simple dream a king
was returning.

The next day, we took Taylor to visit St Paul’s Cathedral. Suddenly, I saw moving through a stream of visitors a man wearing the same cloak I saw in my dream! I began to move quickly to see who it was, but a buzzing group of officials closed in around him and hurried him into the cathedral. We waited patiently to see if we could get a glimpse of him when they reopened St Paul’s. We discovered later that the man in the cloak was the Duke of Kent who was being ushered in to a knighting ceremony. The pageantry took place in a small chapel where a painting of Christ hangs called Light of the World.

Minstrels in blue cloaks assemble
Poets of the Holy Grail
Abbey bells ring over London
As tales of Troubadours avail

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns
All of their kingly crowns
In March squires to the order of Saint Michael and Saint
George to the Fanfare of the knighthood
Drawing arms and lifting swords

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns

All of their kingly crowns

July at St. Paul’s Cathedral
Golden celebration days
I dreamt my son drew from a stone
The sword that brought King Arthur praise

Light of the world
We bow down
Lost in your wonder love and praise
And all the Kingdoms of this world will cast down
All of their kingly crowns
All of their kingly crowns
Rebecca Holihan

The excitement of what the Lord was doing led me on a quest to discover many mysteries in the days ahead. I studied, researched and “spied out the land” to not miss the coming king. I had a clear word that this would be as much in the natural as the supernatural, so I became watchful like Simeon.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Luke 2:25

I let all the imagery, symbology, stories and tales build in me a kingdom mindset. Every thread that weaved into the concept of kingdom became infused within my spirit. Through journaling, I created a mapping of the coming days. I began to see patterns as well as an acceleration of the coming king. It was astonishing to see how these things were being drawn so close to me even though I was living
on the other side of the pond. I was being captivated by the picture the Lord was creating and keen on any manner in which He would use me to establish His design. As a way to express my own creativity, I began to build royal gardens, write poetry and music to express the intimacy I felt about His kingdom.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

The sun is setting on the Heartland
It rises on Cathedral skies
And I’m no longer that cowgirl in the sand
And only God could answer why

A thousand years of prayer has brought me here
Centuries of people crying out in God’s ear
Now I’m flying ‘cross the ocean with my mustard seed and fears
A thousand years of prayer has brought me here
A thousand years of prayer has brought me here.
Rebecca Holihan

It is hard to look at the imagery surrounding the royal family without being focused on heraldry. It is a bit of a strange word in the West, but basically it is the art that signifies and identifies a person or group. The first Coats of Arms were used by Christians during the Crusades, but heraldry dates
back as far as the tribes of Israel. I saw the similarities between English heraldry and Biblical mantles. Mantles were worn as a sign of authority.

Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 2 Kings 2:8

Similar to heraldry, a mantle could be passed on to others revealing the significance and mystery of God’s favor on an individual. In the realm of kings and queens, this is seen as the mark of a sovereign put in place by God alone.

Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:11-14

In many ways, we have not seen ourselves as “kingdom people” or “royal priesthoods” because of our inability to grasp the concepts of royal imagery and symbols. If we understood that there are mantles to be picked up, and heraldry to be handed over to us, if we would assume the persona and the role God has ordained for us we would live like royalty. This is our birthright. Royal inheritance is God’s good gift and is birthed in us like children from the Lord. We have authority we have not utilized and inheritance unclaimed.

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. Psalm 127:3-5

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. Isaiah 60:10-12

I have set my heart on pilgrimage, similar to those over the centuries looking for treasure and spices. My desire is to usher in the king and raise the age-old foundations in order to participate in the changing of the guards. Like the Lady of the Lake in poet’s tales, I want to see the King restored to
His rightful place and His government to be established.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5

And near him stood the Lady of the Lake,
Who knows a subtler magic than his own--
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful.
She gave the King his huge cross-hilted sword,
Whereby to drive the heathen out: a mist
Of incense curled about her, and her face
Wellnigh was hidden in the minster gloom;
But there was heard among the holy hymns
A voice as of the waters, for she dwells
Down in a deep; calm, whatsoever storms
May shake the world, and when the surface rolls,
Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord.
'There likewise I beheld Excalibur
Before him at his crowning borne, the sword
That rose from out the bosom of the lake,
And Arthur rowed across and took it--rich
With jewels, elfin Urim, on the hilt,
Bewildering heart and eye--the blade so bright
That men are blinded by it--on one side,
Graven in the oldest tongue of all this world... Tennyson

The Princess who stole the hearts of millions has left a living legacy. The heraldry of Diana lives on in her son William, the future king of England. This year marks an amazing witness of the changing of the guards. Amidst our dreams, passion and pilgrimage we can be enamored with the crossover into
kingdom government as we watch in anticipation for the coming of the King of Kings.

Mankind is many rivers
That only want to run.
Holy tragedy and loss make the many One.
Mankind is a holy, crowned
Mother and her Son.
For worship, for mourning:
God is here, is gone.
Love is broken on the Cross.
The flower on the gun.
6 September 1997
Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate

Curt McAdams has been a part of the Dayton Vineyard since 1996 and currently helps lead vineyardMEN, the men’s ministry.  He and his beautiful wife, Phyllis, live on five acres of woods north of Waynesville, Ohio.

Curt’s interest in photography began through writing a food blog called Livefire (livefireonline.com).  Curt discovered that photography helped meet the need for a creative outlet and that inspiration doesn’t have to be far from home.  In fact, about half of the photos displayed are from within a mile of Curt and Phyllis’s home including their own yard.

Curt’s photography has been used by restaurants and food personalities in Dayton, Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Toronto, and Curt has been honored to have been able to contribute photographs of Vineyard events for church use.