Month: March 2019

The Prodigal Story

by Ben Clapton, posted in blog

As has been my tradition, every sermon that I preach will be posted here. This sermon, The Prodigal Story, was given at The Salvation Army Rochester on Sunday March 31, 2019. The Reading was Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

Missing the Story

Our bible reading today is the Prodigal Son.

How many of you would switch off at hearing that? That you’re so familiar with the story that you don’t actually need me to read it out? I’ll admit that I did that. When I saw what was the bible reading for today, I initially skipped it and didn’t read it through.

We all know the story. The son asks his father for his half of the estate, goes and loses it all, comes back, and asks to be a slave, and the father welcomes him back into the family. In the mean time, the elder son hears there’s a party happening, and refuses to come back in, and so the father goes out to him.

And we’re so familiar with this story, that we’re probably very familiar with the interpretation. The Father is God. The prodigal son is the Christian. The elder son is the Jewish people.

But if we believe that scripture is the living word of God, and that it continues to teach us and continues to show us new insights into the nature of God, then we have a duty to read it and hear it through fresh eyes.

And so, I’m not going to read our reading for today. Not right now. I’m going to shake things up – give my sermon first, and then we will read the scripture. Because I want to give you some information about the three characters that may change the way you hear this story.

Continue reading “The Prodigal Story” →

Wonder-working Power

by Ben Clapton, posted in Arrangements

A driving arrangement of this wonderful hymn. The inspiration for this version came from playing this hymn at a young men’s spiritual retreat, where they would shout out an echo of the word “Power” in the chorus. This arrangement is an attempt to capture that passion and energy.

The choral parts include some syncopation, but the higher difficulty is due in the most part to the piano accompaniment.

SATB and Piano. List price: US$4.99. Buy it here.

People Get Ready – Curtis Mayfield

by Ben Clapton, posted in Arrangements

Arrangement for String Quartet. Starts in Db and modulates to D major. Melody passes through all instruments.

“People Get Ready” was written by Curtis Mayfield, and was first a hit for the Impressions, with noteworthy covers by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck, and Human Nature. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 24th greatest song of all time, 20th in their list of the 100 greatest guitar tracks, and has been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

The lyrics draw on the religious messages Mayfield was hearing from his church, but also draws on the tradition of African American freedom songs. As such, this song is useful in a wide variety of situations.

List Price: US$12.99. Buy it here.

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

by Ben Clapton, posted in Arrangements

This modern hymn by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend is a thoughtful prayer to the Holy Spirit. It is an invitation to enter into a worship space, but also a challenge suitable for a response or a sending out.

I currently have two arrangements of this piece.

First is an arrangement which has the melody line, with a piano part and guitar chords. (List price: US$4.99) Buy it here.

Second is a Hymn Style arrangement for String Quartet – it can either be played as a feature item or as an accompaniment to congregational singing. (List Price: US$12.99) Buy it here.

God’s Kingdom is Mercy

by Ben Clapton, posted in blog

As has been my tradition, every sermon that I preach will be posted here. This sermon, God’s Kingdom is Mercy, was given at The Salvation Army Rochester on Sunday March 3, 2019. The Reading was Luke 6:27-38.

Follow the leader

Our reading today follows on from the reading we had last week, so it makes sense that my sermon should follow on in many aspects. We still have Jesus speaking to his disciples in that level place. But we also need to remember that Luke is writing this gospel for his congregation, and as such, much of what he is writing here are instructions for his church. Just as Jesus is saying this is how I want you to live, Luke is saying to his church “This is how you need to be as a church”.

In Jesus’ day, many groups believed that not only did the individual need to imitate their leader, but the community needed to imitate their leader as well. Therefore, the values that Jesus and God showed and show as central should also be the values that the church holds as central.

For us, in our passage today, that grounding is found right in the center of our reading. It’s a short verse, but it sums up everything that comes before and after it in the passage, as well as being our guide for what we should be as a community. Verse 36 says “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Continue reading “God’s Kingdom is Mercy” →