Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: Sojourn’s Worship Music Set For Sunday, September 7, 2008

The sharing of this set list is in collaboration with other church music reports through the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.Com.

Photos by Dan Canales

1. O Help My Unbelief, hymn text by Isaac Watts, music by Justin Smith, recorded by Indelible Grace.  One thing you can always say about Isaac Watts — he never minced words.  He could set a scene like a great apocalyptic writer, and with spot-on theology:

Stretch out Thine arm, victorious King,

My reigning sins subdue;

Drive the old dragon from his seat,

With all his hellish crew.

A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,

On thy kind arms I fall;

Be thou my strength and righteousness,

My Jesus, and my all.

After this we recited Col. 3:16 to one another (teaching and admonishing one another … in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.)

2. Before The Throne Of God, hymn text by Charitie Lees Bancroft, music by Vicki Cook of Sovereign Grace Music.  We recorded our own version of this song as the title cut for our Before the Throne CD.  Three verses of eight lines each enable the song to tell a full story of Christ’s atonement for our sins and His role as mediator between God and man:

Because the sinless Savior died

my guilty soul is counted free

for God the Just is satisfied

to look on Him and pardon me.

3. Awake My Soul, by Sandra McCracken.  I’ve mentioned before that many people assume this to be an 18th century hymn when in fact, McCracken wrote it in 2002.  Notice also that she achieved this “old” effect without resorting to writing “thee,” “thou” and other archaic words and devices.  It’s just solid theology presented poetically and with a healthy dose of scripture — like a good creed:

The image of God invisible, the first-born of all life

Before and within, He holds it all in: one name, one faith, one Christ

Next we recited Psalm 121:1-2, leading into …

4. I Have to Believe, by Rita Springer.  These lyrics of stubborn hope and strong faith are a great match for the gospel-blues music.  We sing it as a song of assurance, letting the words remind us of the substance and source of that assurance:

He said that He’s forever faithful

He said that He’s forever true.

He said that He can move mountains.

And if he can move mountains, He can move my mountain,

He can move your mountain, too

Following this and our Extending of the Peace, Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached from Romans 12:5-8 on “Use your gifts,” also using the lists of spiritual gifts found in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians.

5. Beautiful Savior, Stuart Townend.  We sang this one as our communion hymn.  It was a great opportunity to underscore a part of the Lord’s Supper that people often forget — that this is a celebration, a love feast for the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.  Also, this mark of covenant renewal is our proclamation to each other until the Second Coming, the realization of His triumph (1 Corinthians 11:26):

Where countless worshipers will share one song;

and cries of “Worthy” will honour the Lamb!

6. Fellowship So Deep, by Aaron Senseman and Kinley Lange, recorded on the Caedmon’s Call CD In the Company of Angels II.  This celebration of Christian fellowship is a great song to do during or following communion, as we used it here:

We can feel his love among us; we can sing redemption’s song

We can hear the Spirit call us to a place where we belong

For His joy is in our laughter and His comfort in our grief

Let His love here ever after be the language that we speak

We then recited Ephesians 2:16-22 to one another.

7. Our Great God, by Mac Powell of Third Day and Fernando Ortega.  The “go out and go forth” song this week has been a part of the Sojourn repertoire for years.  The lyrics remind us that our voices are joining in praise with “bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne” along with “every creature in the sea and every flying bird,” “every mountain in the field and valley of the earth” and “all the moons and all the stars in all the universe”.

Worship band for 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:

Bass Guitar — Robert James

Drums — Jason Tiemann

Electric Guitar — Michael Cosper

Vocals — Kate DeGraide

Vocals, guitar, etc. — Jamie Barnes

Liturgy readings — Scott Slucher

Worship band for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. services:

Bass Guitar — Charlie Lucas

Drums — Matt Harris

Electric Guitar — Phillip Miller

Vocals — Rebecca Dennison

Vocals, guitar — Dave Moisan

Liturgy readings — Micah Revell

The rest of this week here at sojournmusic.com will be “Guest Blogger Week,” featuring articles from a series of Sojourn worship leaders, each with unique perspectives and insights.  And tomorrow, Sojourn Worship Arts Pastor Mike Cosper interviews Dr. John Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, seminary professor, and author of many articles and books on worship.