{"id":1881,"date":"2019-09-12T16:34:46","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T16:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.risen.org.uk\/?p=1881"},"modified":"2019-09-12T16:34:46","modified_gmt":"2019-09-12T16:34:46","slug":"blog-september-12th-saul-of-tarsus-and-acts-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/?p=1881","title":{"rendered":"Blog September 12th Saul of Tarsus and Acts- The Musical"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Father Help Me Acknowledge You – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodginson<\/p>\n

So my last two blogs have focused on the way that England cricketer Ben Stokes has turned his life around. Last week I said that this made me think who else in history has turned their lives completely around – there are of course countless people but one in particular comes to mind – Saul of Tarsus who we read of in the Book of The Acts of the Apostles (which incidentally is what the sequel to Risen! The Musical is based on.) I then promised I would share how we portray in song Saul\u2019s conversion on the road to Damascus. So here it is – perhaps first I should explain that the musical has the story of the Acts of the Apostles told through its writer, Luke speaking to Theophilus who is likely to have been a Roman official and Luke\u2019s Patron.
\nLuke: Spoken
\nSo the Gospel cannot be stopped- it spreads far and wide like wildfire – one apostle named Paul is blazing a trail – preaching the good news of Jesus
\nHe\u2019s founding churches everywhere – in Ephesus, Corinth and Philippi, Thessalonica, Colossae, and Galatia -Theophilus, Paul is Spirit inspired.
\nTheophilus: Spoken
\nPaul- who is Paul?
\nLuke: Spoken
\nPaul is \u2026. remember the man who stood by – who condoned Stephen being stoned to death
\nTheophilus: Spoken
\nSaul!!
\nSaul is Paul!!
\nLuke : Spoken
\nYes- let me explain –
\nSung
\nAs you can see Saul is still full of rage – but all of that is now about to change – he is walking the Damascus road – and look who he is about to behold!
\nSaul: Sung
\nDamascus I am nearly there – I\u2019ll jail everyone that should dare -dare follow the Way.
\nVoice of Jesus:
\nSaul – Saul-why do persecute me?
\nSaul:
\nWho are you, Lord?
\nVoice of Jesus:
\nI am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do.<\/p>\n

Saul : Sung<\/p>\n

A flash of light has pieced my soul<\/p>\n

Searching the very depths of me<\/p>\n

A flash of light has made me blind<\/p>\n

But my sin I clearly see<\/p>\n

Jesus You called my name
\nI am overcome with shame
\nThought I was a zealous Jew
\nBut I was persecuting You<\/p>\n

Travellers with Saul: Sung<\/p>\n

A light shines all around<\/p>\n

Yes we can hear a sound<\/p>\n

But do not understand<\/p>\n

What has happened to this man<\/p>\n

A light shines all around<\/p>\n

Yes we can hear a sound<\/p>\n

But do not understand<\/p>\n

What has happened to this man<\/p>\n

To Damascus we will lead him by the hand<\/p>\n

Luke: Sung<\/p>\n

Now a believer named Ananias has had a vision from the Lord who has told him he is the one to restore the sight of Saul. Ananias is reluctant but the Lord says of this man \u201cHe is my chosen instrument -now on him place your hands. To Gentiles and their Kings – before the people of Israel Saul will carry my Name for this is my will. \u201c<\/p>\n

Luke: spoken:<\/p>\n

So Ananias lays hands on him and says – Brother Saul- the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road to Damascus has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit – then immediately something like scales fall from Saul\u2019s eyes and he sees again. He gets up, eats, regains his strength and is baptised.<\/p>\n

So there we are -just a flavour of Acts- The Musical!<\/p>\n

Quote of the week
\nIn our Father\u2019s presence, out greatest problems turn into possibilities
\nSelwyn Hughes Every Day With Jesus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Father Help Me Acknowledge You – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album I Look Up To The Heavens recorded and produced by John Hodginson So my last two blogs have focused on the way that England cricketer Ben Stokes has turned his life around. Last week I said that this made me think who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ken-shearsmiths-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1884,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1881\/revisions\/1884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/risen.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}