Ben’s Liturgy
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“Behold, I Make All Things New”
by Ben Splichal Larson “Behold, I Make All Things New” was written by Ben Splichal Larson. Ben was killed in the Haiti Earthquake on January 12, 2010, when he was there with his wife, Renee, and his cousin, Jon. Ben sang the “Lamb of God,” of setting 10 in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship Book, while buried in the rubble and then died. |
"We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so
then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this
end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the
dead and the living."
Romans 14:7-9 |
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Originally, “Behold, I Make All Things New” was written to reach and inspire 18-35 year olds, an age demographic that is often least represented in weekly worship. As people learn to sing this music, it becomes apparent that the liturgy appeals to all ages, being sung in both large and small congregations, as well as campus ministries. This liturgy can utilize a variety of instruments, from piano, organ, guitar, drums, bass, C instrument, mandolin, etc. Audio files and sheet music, as well as leader and assembly editions, are available for free download. There are two sets of audio tracks for each liturgical piece: one that is a “live” recording and one that is a “standard audio file” that is computer generated. Note that some of the live recordings are different at times from the written music. This liturgy is meant for whatever instrumentation a congregation has and is meant to be sung freely.
“We also invite people to download the music and simply use it for devotions, driving in a car, or meditation. We hope “Behold, I Make All Things New” blesses your life even outside of Sunday worship.” There is an optional free-will donation link that will benefit new start congregations in the ELCA if people or congregations are compelled to give for “Behold, I Make All Things New.” We hope people give generously in order to support new communities of faith. It was Ben’s intention, and now his family’s prayer, that the music he wrote to the ancient worship language of the church be a catalyst for renewal, hope, and faith for people and congregations. In the spirit of Ben, we give his liturgy to the Church with joy and pray it may bless all who sing it. Thank you to all of the amazing musicians who participated in the live recording: Cory Clay Hannah Kalisch Felix Malpica Peter Mayer Elizabeth McHan Hans Peterson Jon Splichal Larson Renee Splichal Larson A special thank you to Cory Clay for transcribing Ben’s music, to Augsburg Fortress for allowance of the use of liturgical texts, to Wild Sound Studios in Minneapolis for the mixed and mastered recordings, to First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN, for progressing this liturgy project, and to Niki Mosier for designing and maintaining www.benstillsings.com! Liturgy Components PDF and audio files are available for download here. Copyright Information Ben’s family is happy to grant use of the written music for “Behold, I Make All Things New.” For use of the the text of the liturgy, congregations much have one of two options: 1) A liturgies license from Augsburg Fortress or through a subscription to sundaysandseasons.com. Therefore, congregations who have Augsburg’s Sundays and Seasons or their liturgy already have permission to use the texts. 2) By contacting [email protected] or 1-800-328-4648 for permission to use the texts. |
DONATE We are pleased to make Ben's Liturgy available to all who wish to use it. If you would like to make a donation, you may use the link below to donate to the ELCA Capital Campaign for New Congregations. Thank you! |
