This set list is one of many that you can find at the worship music set list blog carnival at fredmckinnon.com, featuring many different kinds of churches. Photos by Sojourn’s Dan Canales.
Our liturgical reader addressed us to begin, saying:
We show up here today to worship because our God, the Creator shows up. Our presence and actions are a response to His presence and actions. He is not like us: He doesn’t hide or play hooky, he isn’t late and the thoughts of His heart don’t drift off somewhere else. His affection and attention is laser focused on His people because He loves us and wants us to know Him.
We then recited a Call To Worship from Isaiah 40:9-11.
1. Our Great God, by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell. I love this portion from the first verse, leading into the “hallelujah” of the chorus:
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight
around your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to you aloneHallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
We then recited aloud a Prayer Of Confession, adapted from a Puritan prayer. Remember that you can read and use many of Sojourn’s prayers and corporate readings at theopensourcebook.org, a collaborative effort between Nathan Bierma of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and our Worship & Arts Pastor Mike Cosper. Use them on Power Point, bulletins, whatever you’d like — simply include a line of attribution to theopensourcebook.org.
2. Begone Unbelief, by John Newton, with music and lyrical arrangement by our friend Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace. Though not nearly as famous as Newton’s “Amazing Grace,” this is a solid song all the way through. The final verse:
Since all that I meet will work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, The medicine food;
Though painful at present, will cease before long,
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror’s song!
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror’s song!
3. O Help My Unbelief, by Isaac Watts, with new melody by Justin Smith of Indelible Grace. This song, like the preceding one, are on the latest Indelible Grace record, Wake Thy Slumbering Children. If you like theologically solid hymns set to compelling modern arrangements, you should check out this album. Those of you who are into roots music will particularly like it.
After hearing and partially reciting Words of Assurance from Romans 8:15-17, we then engaged in the Passing Of The Peace. Following this short time of greeting and extending friendship to those we aren’t familar with, Teaching Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached He Is God: Pray Where You Are, from 1 Kings 18. This is the story of Elijah versus Ahab, Jezebel and the 450 prophets of Baal. The key thing to take from this story is that we must worship God alone rather than God and idols, and that God hears us when we pray.
4. Nothing But The Blood, by Robert Lowry. This staple of Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible School sing-a-longs is good for any occasion where Christians gather. “How precious is the flow/ that makes me white as snow/ no other fount I know/ nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
5. Jesus Paid It All, by Elvina Hall and John T. Grape, with a bridge by Matt Redman. Like “Nothing But The Blood,” this is a simple song with the timeless truth, “Jesus paid it all/ all to Him I owe/ sin had left a crimson stain/ He washed it white as snow.”
After our liturgical reader pointed out that, as we’d heard in the sermon, Elijah was not afraid to stand alone for God, we read a corporate reading from Romans 1:16-17 (“… for I am not ashamed of the gospel”).
6. Reveal Your Love, by Sojourn’s Jesse Eubanks and Neil Robins. The band just sang this Friday night at our CD Release Party as well. You can hear it on the brand new Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One. The guitar part will melt your face off, the vocals will stun you, but best of all, the lyrics are a wonderful prayer of petition:
Reveal Your Love, not Your Wrath alone,
Let experience prove the mercies of Your throne.
Souls bow down with heavy cares,
Flesh with pain oppressed, our pain forbids us rest,
Reveal Your Love!
The evening worship band substituted “Reveal Your Love” for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”
After announcements, we ended with a Benediction. To hear a brief talk about the place in modern church services for a benediction and other elements like calls to worship, check out our series Worship: Why We Do What We Do.
Worship band for the 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services:
Dave Moisan — vocals and keyboard
Kate Robins — vocals
Neil Robins — guitars
Robert James — bass guitar
Ryan Harvey — drums
Micah Revell — liturgy readings
Worship band for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. services:
Jamie Barnes — vocals and banjo
Katie Vaughn — vocals
Chad Watson — vocals and guitar
Tim Donaldson — cello
Dony Erwin — bass
Andy Meyers — drums
