Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs … For Advent: Sojourn’s Worship Music Set List, 11/30/2008

This is one of many church music set lists included in the Blog Carnival at fredmckinnon.com.  Go there to read what churches from many locations are singing. Photos of Sunday’s Sojourn service at The 930 Art Center are courtesy of Dan Canales.  Photo of Sojourn band performing outdoors in the downtown district at Light Up Louisville last Friday is courtesy of Alan Vales.

We’ve been preparing for over a month here at sojournmusic.com, and for yesterday’s worship service, it had finally arrived — the season of expectancy: Advent.  As you would expect, our songs and liturgy reflected this.

1. Before the Throne of God Above, words by Charitie Lees Bancroft, melody by Vikki Cook. We love this old hymn here in Louisville, as you can probably tell from the fact that we named our 2007 worship CD Before the Throne.  My personal favorite part is the grace-filled irony in the final verse:

Because the sinless Savior died

my sinful soul is counted free;

for God the Just is satisfied

to look on Him and pardon me

2. We Are Changed, by Sojourn songwriters Neil Robins, Dave Moisan and me, Bobby Gilles, based on Isaac Watts’ hymn “Not All The Outward Forms Of Earth.”  This is one of our brand new songs that will be on our early-2009 CD — the first of two worship albums based on the hymns of Isaac Watts.  In case you missed it a few weeks ago, here is one of the videos from a recording session for “We Are Changed” in Neil’s studio (one of many from the Sojourn/Isaac Watts recording sessions on YouTube):

The lyrics that you’ll hear on the brief portion from the video are:

Not any government on earth — no law that God has given

No will of man, no blood, no birth can raise a soul to heaven …

We are changed, no longer in chains

Once were enslaved but the Son has come

and conquered the grave, so we are changed.

We are changed — not by the things we’ve arranged,

not by the works our hands have done.

It’s through Your Son that we are changed

3. Lead Us Back, by Sojourn songwriters Brooks Ritter and Bobby Gilles.  Hear the mp3 and view the chord sheet for “Lead Us Back” from the sojournmusic.com Before the Throne page.  You can also read my story about how and why I wrote the lyrics to this modern hymn of corporate confession.

4. Amen, Amen, by Sojourn’s Neil and Kate Robins (who also record and perform as Dirt Poor Robins), adapted from Isaac Watts.  You can hear “Amen, Amen” and view the chord sheet from the Advent Songs page here on sojournmusic.com. And as noted here before, you can get the whole Advent Songs digital album for free or whatever price you’d like to pay.  I love the look forward, from the first Advent of Christ, to the hope He would bring to people and nations not even yet in existence then:

Peace like a river from His throne

will flow to nations yet unknown

His Word a light where all hope is dim

all all tribes unite to cry “Amen”

5. O Come, O Come Emmanuel, 12th Century Latin Hymn, translated by John Neale.  Music by Thomas Helmore.  Get the chord sheet and hear a sample of the song from our Advent Songs page. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is the quintessential advent hymn, expressing hope and lament, longing and rejoicing:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice, Rejoice!

Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, Oh Israel

6. Glory Be, by Sojourn Pastor Mike Cosper.  Again, you can find ”Glory Be” on Advent Songs and view the chord sheet from that page, here on sojournmusic.com. This song expresses a historic/cosmic view of salvation, and a present/personal view.  It does so by recounting the original advent in the first verse:

It was the longest night/ the world was waiting

and then the singer’s story of salvation in the second:

It was the longest night/ my heart was waiting

Then in the bridge we turn full attention to the second Advent of Christ, for which we now await:

Hallelujah, the Lord of life has come

to reconcile the nations to their God

Hallelujah, He’s coming back again

to finish what began in Bethlehem.

Tomorrow right here at sojournmusic.com, you’ll be able to view Sojourn’s performance of “Glory Be” from the city streets of downtown Louisville (specifically, the corner of Liberty and Armory Street) last Friday as part of the “Light Up Louisville” city holiday festival.  And we’ll also show you video of the previous two songs in this article, “Amen, Amen” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” between now and Christmas.

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

Laura Beth O’Nan — vocals

Dave Moisan — vocals and guitar

Mike Cosper — lead guitar

Michael Butterworth — keys

Robert James — bass guitar

Alex O’Nan — drums

— liturgical readings

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

Rebecca Elliott — vocals and keys

Brooks Ritter — vocals and guitar

Dave Weir — lead guitar

Charlie Lucas — bass guitar

Smitty Smith — Drums