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Eric Clapton, In the Presence of the Lord Eric Clapton, In the Presence of the Lord

The bluesman has been haunted by God through his early years, his born-again period, and his recovery.

John Powell | posted 4/09/2008 08:00AM

If testimony and evidence mean anything, Eric Clapton is in a good place. In February, he earned his 19th Grammy (for The Road to Escondido) and reunited with Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood for three ...

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Bette Dewing

Posted: April 22, 2008 5:38 PM

I'm gld to hear Eric Clapton prays every morning and night and is sober. These are things mainline media doesn't tell us. I wrote about his Tears in Heaven" Osxar winning song written after the tragic death of his son. i wonder hos the mother of Conor is...losing a child is the worst kind of loss... Anyway, good to know of his spiritual belief and his sobriety. Thanks! Bette Dewing - oh,my 31 year old column appaars in the Manhattan weeklies Our Town and West Side Spirit and one of the few calling for a g-rated society!

LD	Posted: April 20, 2008 4:40 PM

Josh Ron - I thought it was a good article on Mr Clapton. It was not a complete Biography of his life and his Theology in total or an in depth look at his personal walk with Christ. I get wearisome of the "Evangelical right" (that I am also a member of) slipping back into legalistic and Judgemental attitude that is reminds me of another group of days gone by. I kindly prefer Grace! The struggle of Mr Clapton reminds me of Ecclesiastes 2:11 & 12.

DONNA SMULDERS

Posted: April 20, 2008 4:30 PM


I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND! I TO MUST BE ON MY KNEES, BEFORE THE LORD! VERY VERY WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE. THANK YOU, SO MUCH. GODS GRACE IN ABUNDANCE! AND STILL OVER FLOWING! OXOX

Allyce

Posted: April 18, 2008 6:56 PM


The Bible says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when even one sinner repents! Clapton has been to the depths of despair -- and now has reason to experience the heights of joy. Not being familiar with his music, I hope his current performances reflect the joy of his faith. As a great Christian musician said: "Christians should not be singing the blues."

andy p

Posted: April 17, 2008 3:22 AM


wow the genius of guitar world came bowing to the king of kings. how about creating music for the glory of God.

Scott Postma

Posted: April 17, 2008 1:11 AM

I am truly glad that Clapton has found sobriety; and, for that I am happy for him and his family-as I would be for anyone who won such a victory. I seriously don't mean to sound so skeptical, but where is the clear testimony of faith in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? This type of "turning over a new leaf" Christianity is becoming increasingly popular with Gen Xers who want to justify their worldly lifestyles and convince themselves and others that they are okay spiritually because they have a sort of peace with God. I realize that mine will not be readily accepted comments and I confess that I have not read Clapton's autobio, but salvation and peace with God comes only through repentance and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ--plus or minus nothing! (Consider Acts 20:21; Romans 5:1;10:9-13; 1 Cor 15:1-4)

Barry Babcock

Posted: April 16, 2008 8:37 AM


Long a Clapton fan, I am cheered to hear of his conversion. Hope his family finds his faith as well.

Lizzy U

Posted: April 16, 2008 12:09 AM


The Lord bless you and keep you always Eric and family. So pleased for you. See Psalm 91, + Deuteronomy 33:26-27

Cielle Edward

Posted: April 15, 2008 12:56 PM

The inlaws of Nathan East (Mr. Clapton's frequent touring bassist and 1/4 of the instrumental jazz combo Four Play) live next door to me in Compton, CA. Mr. East is a Christian as well as his in-laws and his wife Nita. I have often prayed for Mr. Clapton and God has comforted me with the knowledge of Nate's presence in Mr. Clapton's life. His guitar has always seemed to be searching for just the right note, just the right tone. All these years, his musical journey has been one full of both beauty and pain and it's good to know that he hasn't made the trip alone. None of us has to walk alone; we need only acknowledge the Traveller on the road ahead and He'll stop and take our hand. He laughs with us, waits with us, waits on us, and when our "guitars" gently weep, so does He. Thank you so much for this report; made my day!

Jonathan

Posted: April 15, 2008 9:31 AM

Mr. Wiedmann, perhaps your right, I hope that "Christianity Today" would not have to insinuate that the manifestation of "God" to man is in anyone else outside of Christ...however, I am hoping that the article and interviews were more elaborate than they let on. I also hope that in this time we do not forget that Christ Jesus is the only means to a relationship with God, if we want to take what He said seriously. I will pray that any publication that bears His name would not forget to be specific in thier testimonials. Clapton is a hero of mine, and so is Jesus Christ of Nazereth,...its kinda funny i find that whenever in the West, when we do talk about God, we seem to not mention Jesus even though we can not know God outside of Him. We know when we are talking about Allah, or any other entity, it seems sometimes we see fit to neglect that without Christ we really can not say for sure that God has been revealed to us naturalistically in a way that still can not be explained. God bless.

JJT	Posted: April 14, 2008 5:13 PM


Eric is amazing. A gift, to be sure. Cool story. But one thing I'm pretty sure this story got wrong is that EC was always a STRAT man - not a Gibson man. I have never seen him play anything but a Fender Stratocaster. He even has his own model! It's the little things...

slowhandfan

Posted: April 13, 2008 2:19 PM

Halleluhjah, Eric! May God bless you & keep you! There is no doubt in my mind that a Higher Power was at work in your life through your drug-addicted, alcoholic, narcisisistic, misogenistic years of desperation. I came to this realization when a Clapton fan mailed me a large collection of Clapton's "bootleg" CDs, which had been taped at a variety of concerts from 1970 through the 1980's. I was awestruck at how frequently EC selected a religious song for his set; such as "Mother Mary," "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day," "In The Presence Of The Lord," "Running On Faith," and more. I found a true pattern of Eric singing (crying out is a better term) to the Lord for mercy and help. This is not your typical behavior of a drug-addled rock god. I'm convinced that it was Eric hanging onto his faith, albeit by a shoestring, that got him through those dark years & brought him thru the tunnel. I thank God he is with us today to continue to bless us with his brilliant music.

Homer Woody

Posted: April 12, 2008 4:09 PM

God knows Eric Clapton's heart & his state of salvation. I too have prayed for Mr. EC. He professed faith in Christ in the 70's & in his own words, he failed to live up to it. It's between him & God. He's on a journey, (we all are) as a self-described Journeyman who holds to the journey rather than claim to have arrived, in his personal life & his musical career. Thru all the tragedies & the debaucheries, a single thread runs thru & thru: a thread of redemption. God has saw him thru all of it: highs & lows, everything in between. His music is a testament to his his life's journey seeking God from 1968's 'Crossroads', "I asked the Lord above for mercy; save me if you please" to 1998's "I looked into My Father's Eyes" written in the renewed faith that birthed his 'Tears In Heaven' anthem. He's returned to the Catholic church of his youth. Sober, straight & monogamous, his candid confessions of sin as well as giving to others less fortunate speak to the work of God in faith, love & hope.

Michael

Posted: April 12, 2008 10:29 AM


God is able to humble those we sometimes believe are already a god. What a great concert it would if Clapton and Phil Keaggy were turned loose. Two brothers who know what it's like to live in the presence of the Lord.

Kelly Althoff in Pine City,Mn

Posted: April 12, 2008 5:27 AM


Being a big Clapton fan and a recent reader of his book I am aware of his highs & lows.I am so happy for him and his family that he has found a well deserved peace.

Ragamuffin Deb

Posted: April 11, 2008 11:43 PM


Discerning Believer, are you the Holy Spirit? Great story. I love hearing about struggle. God is the hero of the Bible, not us.

Bill Again

Posted: April 11, 2008 11:33 AM


For those of you who have questioned Clapton's early guitar, it was indeed a Les Paul during his Bluesbreaker years. He usually played a Gibson SG with Cream. Blackie, his now-retired Stratocaster, is still most closely identified with Clapton these days.

Bill	Posted: April 11, 2008 11:26 AM

I find it alarming that so many Christians still think that salvation is about saying the right words. Do we people expect CT to only write about people who openly espouse "correct doctrine?" The story is really just an anecdote from Clapton's autobiography explaining how he learned to seek God's help to overcome alcoholism. What do some of you people want? A deep theological treatise from a (great) guitar player? Do we not benefit from the stories of people who are at a different place than we are? Let's not be pharisees here. Rather, continue to pray for Eric Clapton and wish him well on his journey of faith. God will supply whatever is lacking in his life--and ours.

Eve	Posted: April 10, 2008 8:01 PM

I find some of the harsh, unbiblical comments here saddeninh. Here was a man in great need who turned to God - plenty of people who's intellectual theology is considered acceptable don't actually do that in their hearts. they think they are relying in God but really just feel smugly secure in their own righteousness. Give me Eric Clapton's kind of faith any day, one thta may not understand but still loes - 'Father, have pit on me, a sinner.' Actually, I'm more APPALLED than saddened by the judgementalism on show here. That kind of attitude is turning people away from the Church and ergo from its Lord in droves.

Clapton

Posted: April 10, 2008 5:31 PM


Very inspiring to many of us....LB

Craigo

Posted: April 10, 2008 12:10 PM

Anonymous wrote: "Wow, the title had a number of us wondering if Clapton had died." Craigo's comments: What do you mean by this? Nobody will be in the Lord's presence until the resurrection/rapture event on the third day, the day when we are taken up for 7 years, then Jesus reigns for 1000 years, and God rests. Jesus is meanwhile preparing the place..where He said no man had gone to except Himself, and told his disciples several times that they could not go there yet. The kingdom he spoke about to the dying thief is the 1000 year millennial earth. Hosea 6:2 says: "After two days he will revive us. On the third day he will raise us up to live in his presence." Never is there a reference to the mind being separated from the body. When a believer dies, he is asleep, then will awaken to the first resurrection, which to him will be immediate.

Emmi	Posted: April 10, 2008 11:40 AM

Eric Clapton, kind of reminded me of St. Augustine, son of St. Monica, St. Monica pray for her son for many many years, and sure enought St. Augustine was like Eric Clapton, but there weren't no hard drug back then, but Augustine was known to love to mingle with friend, and love to parties, etc, etc. then Augustine later in life became converted to God. Reborn to christianity. That is the same way with Eric, someone is praying for Eric to be converted to God. We need more prayer for many more singer star, because were still little, and we need to converted the whole 100 % to Catholic. Mahsi Cho.

Mark S.

Posted: April 10, 2008 11:36 AM

Today, in a grocery store bathroom, I was surprized to see some graffiti- Clapton is God. Heck, I'm 43, and I never saw that when I was a kid, having grown up in the 80's, not the 60's. However, I did see Eric once- At the Metro, a club next to Fenway Park. I think it was 86 or 87, sometime before his conversion. Good grief- what a gifted bluesman! I sure hope that his story will touch his fans, both young and not so young.

Noble Hill

Posted: April 10, 2008 10:38 AM


Amen

crowsnest316

Posted: April 10, 2008 6:24 AM

Great article. They will know we are Christians by our love. I've followed Clapton's music for years. He has such a large following of people who are searching for something, someone to believe in. People connect with the Lord through music, there is no denying this. From the early celebratory songs of King David to now....what could be better for us as Christians than to see unbelievers turn their faces to the Lord through a song or autobiography by Mr. Clapton? Kathy's comments are 'right on'. Pick up the book 'unChristian' folks....hopefully it will start to change your views on judging others hearts.

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