Sojourn Music readers: you can find the link to this set list and the sets of many other churches in the Blog Carnival at fredmckinnon.com.
1. Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat, by Sojourn’s Jamie Barnes, inspired by John Newton’s hymn of the same title. The entire Louisville music scene has recognized Jamie as one of its premier songwriters for several years. His melodies are memorable and singable, and his lyrics paint word-pictures that put the listener — and fellow singer — in the story. And most of us know what John Newton could do with words (Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Name Of Jesus Sounds, Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken). From “Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat”:
Send wings to lift the clutch of sin
You who dwell between the cherubim
From war without and fear within
Relieve the grief from the shoulders of crumbling men
Next, we read a Call To Worship adapted from Psalm 84:1-5. Today we used two liturgical readers: a male and female in each service. The male and female alternated reading the text for the Call To Worship and our other readings, similar to a call-and-response, and we in the congregation read aloud with them on the portions of the text that were underlined on the big screens in the auditorium.
2. Gifted Response (We Will Worship You), written by Matt Redman. The sense of mystery this song invokes is oddly missing in much of modern Christianity:
We have come to something so mysterious
Too deep for minds to comprehend
Through the open door
Where the angels sing
And the hosts of heaven are antheming
Following this we heard a Call To Confession from our readers, based on Hebrews 10:19-22. After the reading we all spent time silently confessing our sins.
3. Merciful God, by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend. I’m still having fun reliving the time that Keith and Kristyn spent with us a couple weeks ago, singing their modern hymns and teaching on the art of songwriting. This is one of my favorites that they’ve written with their friend, Stuart Townend:
Broken I come, helpless in sin,
Found at the feet of Your mercy.
Father forgive; may my sin be remembered no more.
Following this song of assurance we read Words of Assurance together, from a reading based on Romans 8:34 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. As I’ve said before on this blog, our readings are typically chosen or crafted by Worship & Arts Pastor Mike Cosper, who has teamed up with Nathan Bierma from the Calvin Institute For Christian Worship to launch theopensourcebook.org. This a way for churches and individuals to sift through many prayers, litanies, confessions and other readings, for free use in worship services.
4. There Is A Peace, by Sojourn’s Charlie RIchardson, recorded on Before The Throne. You can hear this one on the Sojourn Music Facebook page, and view the chord sheet here at sojournmusic.com in our Before The Throne page. One of the strengths of this song is that it works so well as a celebration of assurance but also as a wake-up call: You’re not of this world, so stand up and fight!
Following this we engaged in the Giving of the Peace, a time to welcome each other and greet those in the service whom we don’t know. We do this to follow the example of Christ, but even more so, we are able to do this because of Christ. He has broken down every barrier between God and mankind, which also provides the way for men and women of every culture and background to seek peace and understanding with each other.
After the Giving of the Peace, Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached on the tabernacle, from the Book of Exodus (25-27). He began by noting that the “tabernacle” is all about sacred space where God dwells, and ended with the truth that Jesus Christ is our tabernacle (John 1:14), the fulfillment of all that the tabernacle promised in the Old Testament (John 2:19, Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 6:19-20) and that Jesus is our cover, our “mercy seat” (Hebrews 2:17, Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:10).
5. Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat, by Jamie Barnes. This was also our first song, so see my notes above. Since this is brand new for us, we sang it at the beginning, while people were arriving and getting settled in, and then we sang it again here as our communion hymn for the week. The song complimented Pastor Daniel’s sermon nicely, so it made sense to do it again and meditate on the words while approaching the bread and wine (or juice — we offer both, inviting each believer to take either wine or juice, as their conscience permits).
Our last corporate reading came from 2 Corinthians 5:17, which speaks of the ministry and message of reconciliation.
6. Before The Throne Of God Above, by Charitie Lees Bancroft, with melody by Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace. We recorded this on Before The Throne.  Listen to it at Last FM and view the chord sheet here on sojournmusic.com. Who could ever get tired of those last four lines:
Because the sinless savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
7. In The Shadow Of The Glorious Cross, by Sojourners Brooks Ritter and Rebecca Elliott. This is yet another song from our Before The Throne CD. You can read a short interview with Brooks on “the story behind the song,” and you can hear the mp3 and view the chord sheet from the Before The Throne page.
Incidentally, on Wednesday I will publish a free mp3 of the Sojourn band playing “There Is A Fountain” live in our worship service a couple weeks ago. And if you missed it, last Friday I published another free Sojourn Music mp3 from the same service: “Go Down, Moses.”
Next week, photographer Dan Canales will return to Louisville so have no fear: photos will return to this weekly set list series!
Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:
Charlie Richardson — vocals and guitar
Lorie King — vocals and liturgical readings
Bill Bell — keyboard
David Weir — lead guitar
Charlie Lucas — bass guitar
Scott Slucher — liturgical readings
Worship band for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. services:
Jamie Barnes — vocals and guitar
Katie Vaughn — vocals
Phil Revell — lead guitar
Dan Cassin — keyboard
Bryon Shrock — bass guitar
Smitty Smith — drums
Great stuff!
I really appreciated and enjoyed the new song!
Me too! New song was great.
Pedantry alert: it’s “complemented.” As in “completed or augmented,” not as in “said something nice to.”
/pedantry
No, pedant. I meant “complimented” as in “said something nice to/about”. You must not have heard the final verse of the song:
Now think on this, our pastor’s words
this most impressive thing we’ve heard.
Take THAT, oh mean, pedantic nerd:
Your corrective comment is for the birds.
In truth, dear readers, we get along famously. Don’t be afraid to comment. I shan’t lambast you with Stanzas of Destruction unless I know you.
Har-dee-har, Gilles. You’re a riot.
:p