"Parables and more Parables" by Nancy Campbell

 Introduction by Nancy Campbell :


I am a member of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators.
At one ofthe conferences I affended, I was introducedto the music of John
Greenwood. John Greenwood is a musician and song writer who wrote
several folk musicals, including "Friends", "My Sailboat & Me", "Parables"
and'oMore Parables". Today we are performing a combination of '?arables"
and "More Parables". We only have the music for these musicals, so the
words are our own. This is a light and ;lively folk musical about living the
Christian Iife.
The stories Jesus told are callod parables. A parable is a story meant to
teach a lesson. It may be a story of what actually happened, or it may be a
story imagined. But every person in it stands for something else, and
everything that happens in it is to be understood according to the lesson
meant.
Parables are basically tools to compare something physical to
something spiritual. Our understanding of a parable and its details all flow
from the main point, because the main point of the parable is the reason
Jesus said it in the first place.
Jesus liked to teach in parables for three reasons. First, everybody likes
to hear a story, and so a parable will be listened to by young and old. Second,when Jesus wished, He could hide His meaning from His enemies in a
parable; and since everyone must tell for himself what it means, no one
could accuse Jesus of saying anything definite. And third, since a story sticks
in the mind better than a saying, it would remain long in memory and keep
its lesson ever before the hearer. While longer parables show a lot of
important details along the way, the key to understanding the implications of the parable is often found in its conclusion. Even today, Jesus' parables have
as fresh a meaning to us as when they were spoken to the people two
thousand years ago.
As you dig into the deep riches of Christ's parables, it is our prayer that
you develop a deeper grasp on the grace of God, a greater experience of the

Kingdom of God, and a hunger to follow closely after Christ.

PARABLES & MORE PARABLES 
Adapted by Nancy Campbell from the work of John Greenwood.

CHOIR:          “Sing To Me”

INTRODUCTION:   

CHOIR:          “Lend A Hand”

I WILL TALK IN PARABLES:

 
CHOIR:          “Knock On The Door”

PARABLE OF THE SOWER:

PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE & THE TAX COLLECTOR:

CHOIR:          “In Humility, My Saviour”

PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON:      

CHOIR:          “The Prodigal Son”

PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST:

CHOIR:          “What Will Your Answer Be?”

PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT:

SOLO:                        “The Unmerciful Servant”

PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD:

CHOIR:          “Put Away Your Checklists”

PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN:

CHOIR:          “The Good Samaritan”

INTERPRETING THE PARABLES:

CHOIR:          “We Pray” & “Send The Message Of Love”

PRAYER:

HYMN:           #498    Sing Them Over Again To Me”

BENEDICTION & CHORAL AMEN:  

POSTLUDE:   Chenaniah