Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: Sojourn's Worship Liturgy For March 22, 2009

You can browse through links of Sunday worship music set lists from many churches around the world from the Blog Carnival at fredmckinnon.com. Photos here by Dan Canales.

We began with a Call To Worship from Isaiah 40:10-11,29-31, followed by one of our favorite call-and-response songs:

1. Invitacion Fountain, by Michael J. Pritzl of The Violet Burning.  If you check out the lyrics, you’ll see the song includes a call from God (sung, at Sojourn, by a male vocalist): “Let all who are …” and a response from the people (sung by a female vocalist): “If you lead me Lord, I will follow …”

Then our liturgist read a Call to Confession followed by a prayer based on Psalm 22 and “The Valley of Vision”.  To learn more about the purpose and place for confession and repentance in Christian worship services, visit this site on Thursday for our latest “Why We Do What We Do” interview.

2. Hear Our Prayer (The Litany Song) written by Robert Grant, with music and arrangement by Kevin Twit.  We got this one from our friends in Indelible Grace, on their Wake Thy Slumbering Children record.  It’s a petition, a lament, a cry for Christ to hear us based on His promise, his atoning work and His divine attributes:

O by all the pains and woe,

suffered once for man, below

listen to our cry: hear our sacred litany

The liturgist then read Words of Assurance based on Psalm 63:

O God, you are our God,
We eagerly seek you;
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

and a prayer adapted from John Calvin.  As I’ve said before, you can check out, adapt and use many of the readings and prayers from Sojourn at theopensourcebook.org, a new venture by our worship arts pastor, Mike Cosper, and Nathan Bierma of the Calvin Institute For Christian Worship.

3. Where Your Praise Never Ends, written by Sojourn’s own Charlie Richardson.  Charlie is a worship leader here and also a prolific songwriter.  We’re going to feature one of his songs on volume two of our The Hymns Of Isaac Watts project.  We haven’t recorded “Where Your Praise Never Ends,” but it’s a favorite of mine and of many Sojourners.  It’s a good song of praise, adoration and the promise of heaven.

After this and the Passing of Peace — the time where we greet each other in the peace of Christ, Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached “Crisis” from Numbers 13-14, which tells the story of the twelve leaders who scope out the land of Canaan.  Only Caleb and Joshua believe the promise of God — the others are cowed by the Canaanites.  Daniel explored the “different spirit” that God credits to Caleb in Numbers 14:24 — the spirit that Paul tells Timothy is a gift from God, the “spirit of power, of love and self-discipline,” not the spirit of “timidity.” (2 Timothy 1:7).

4. Your Blood Says Everything, by Billy Sommerville.  This Vineyard tune was our communion song of the week, which we sang and meditated on while coming forward to receive the cup and the bread:

Hear the word spoken from the tree

Heaven broken open — Your blood says everything.

We then read aloud together from John 14:1-7 “[Jesus said,] Do not let your hearts be troubled …”

5. In Christ Alone, written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.  When I first heard this song I thought “How have I never heard this before?”  I assumed it must be an old hymn, perhaps with modernized lyrics.  The theological depth and storytelling aspect to this song make it a timeless retelling of the Christian story.

6. Absent From Flesh, words by Isaac Watts, arrangement and music by Sojourn’s own Jamie Barnes.  All I can say to those of you who are not local is, “Wait till you hear this one on our future CD, The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, volume two.“  This is a great song for the Sending, but it’s also one of those songs that you could plug into several parts of a Christian worship service.  And it’s an all-too rare modern worship song about heaven:

I go where God and glory shine,

to one eternal day.

This failing body I now resign,

For the angels point my way.

For the angels point my way.

Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:
Lorie King — vocals

Brooks Ritter — vocals and guitar

David Weir — lead guitar

Robert James — bass guitar

Smitty Smith — drums

Scott Slucher — liturgy readings

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

Laura Beth O’Nan — vocals

Jamie Barnes — vocals and guitar

Raphael Starr — clarinet/ flute

Tim Donaldson — cello

Bryon Shrock — bass guitar

Andy Meyers — drums

Stephanie Mobley — percussion

Scott Daniel — liturgy