This Sunday church music set list from Louisville’s Sojourn Community Church is one of many church music set lists you can read through the Blog Carnival at fredmckinnon.com. Photos here of the evening worship leaders by Sojourn’s Dan Canales (check out his “Louisville On Two Wheels” photo blog).
1. Knocking at Your Door, written by Bill Mallonee, solo singer-songwriter, member of Vigilantes of Love and good friend of Sojourn. “Knocking at Your Door” is an effective song for the Call to Worship, particularly during the Advent Season. It would also make a fine “altar call” song of invitation or rededication:
Amid the fears and frustrations, tumults and tribulations
all of the why’s and wherefores
It’ll all flee as the night vanishes with the morning light
and then He comes a knocking at your door
2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel, words 12th Century Latin hymn translated by John Neale. Music by Thomas Helmore. This deeply Christological Advent hymn explores a number of scripture references to the Messiah, most prominently:
- “Emmanuel” from Isaiah 7:14
- “Day-spring” from Luke 1:78
- “Key of David” from Isaiah 22:22
Of course this is one of the songs from our Advent Songs album, which you can download for whatever you’d like to pay, or for free. And tomorrow here on sojournmusic.com you’ll be able to watch a video of the Sojour band performing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” live at Light Up Louisville, this city’s major downtown holiday festival. You’ll also be able to download the video for free if you’d like, from our Sojournmusic.com Radio podcast.
3. From the Depths, written by Sojourn worship songwriter Jeremy Quillo. You can find the mp3 and chord sheet for “From the Depths” from our These Things I Remember page. We’ve been singing this psalm-based worship song for several years at Sojourn, letting the lyrics give expression to our lament and hope, confession and assurance. The lyrics speak of waiting for our Deliverer, as we do during Advent:
So I ask “How long must I wait for Your hand.
But I’ll wait. No matter how long I will wait; I will wait.”
4. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, lyrics written by Edmund Sears, melody by Richard Storrs Willis. Again, this song is great for Advent because it not only describes the Christmas event but focuses on this “second advent” period in which we find ourselves — the period before our Lord’s return:
For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet seen of old,
When with the ever-encircling years
Shall come the time foretold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
5. Missions Flame, written by Matt Redman. Like “From the Depths” this is a song we’ve enjoyed for years in Sojourn worship gatherings. Here we used it as a compliment to Pastor Daniel Montgomery’s sermon, which directly preceded “Missions Flame.” Pastor Daniel used Roman’s 15:8-19 as his text to talk about “Our Mission,” saying that:
- Our mission begins with God’s grace
- Our mission is God’s work
- Our mission’s goal is to worship God
So then when Pastor Daniel concluded his sermon by initiating the communion meal, as happens each week at Sojourn, we sang:
Let worship be the fuel for mission’s flame
We’re going with a passion for Your name
We’re going, for we care about Your praise
Send us out
6. Joy to the World, hymn text written by Isaac Watts, melody written by Sojourn singer-songwriter Jamie Barnes and recorded on Advent Songs. You can hear the mp3 and view the chord sheet from the Advent Songs page. Also here on sojournmusic.com you can read my Is “Joy to the World” Only A Christmas Song? Is It Wrong For Advent? article, and check out Jamie’s story behind the writing of his new melody, which also includes the free mp3 of his “Joy to the World” demo and a short video of Jamie and producer Neil Robins in the recording studio.
7. Our Great God, written by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell. This song for the sending brought a fitting end to this worship service’s liturgical presentation of the gospel, as we joined our voices with the creatures from heaven’s throne room, pictured in the book of Revelation and present in the “Our Great God” lyrics:
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sojourn church service times:
Joel Gerdis — vocals and guitar
Lorie King — vocals
Rebecca Elliott — vocals and keyboard
David Weir — lead guitar
Bryon Shrock — bass guitar
Ryan Harvey — drums
Scott Slucher — liturgical readings
Worship band for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sojourn church service times:
Jamie Barnes — vocals, guitar, banjo
Rebecca Dennison — vocals
Lindsey Lewis — vocals
Jacob Goran — saxophone
Michael Butterworth — keyboard
Phillip Miller — bass guitar
Smitty Smith — drums
Brandon Rogers — liturgy readings
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great setlist!
Thanks, Johnny. Pastor Mike works hard on the liturgy each week.
Glad you stopped by!