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. You can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each week at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog.
Photos this week by Dan Canales. And these aren’t all the photos. Visit TravelBlog right now to see a photo blog post of a huge surprise that Lead Pastor Daniel Montgomery announced to everyone at our four Germantown services: a potential new site for the Germantown campus. See the photos of this beautiful building and learn more about what’s going on, at TravelBlog.
1. Let Justice Roll Like A River lyrics by me, Bobby Gilles, and music by Rebecca Elliot. Listen to a free mp3 of “Let Justice Roll Like A River here, recorded at a Sojourn worship service in 2008. We wrote this hymn of social justice and mercy based on Amos 5:24. Since Sojourn Lead Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached from the book of Amos this Sunday, “Let Justice Roll Like A River” made for a good opening song:
Forgive us Lord, for passing by when children cry for bread
Forbid it Lord, that justice lie in tatters, cold and dead
Outside these walls run desperate streets
Where Greed is law and Life is cheap.
We bar the doors, refuse to see, or hear the words you said
2. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus lyrics by Charles Wesley, modern melody by Bill Mallonee. Although not as well known as many carols, including Wesley’s own “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” is perhaps one of the best Wesley hymns. It’s especially suited to Advent season, when we look back on the first coming of Christ and look forward to the second. We used Bill Mallonee’s version. Mallonee is best known from his days in the band Vigilantes of Love, and has been called one of the world’s best living songwriters by Paste Magazine.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set us prisoners free;
From our fears and sins relieve us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
The 9am service featured a baptism, pictured above. You can read baptism testimonies each week on TravelBlog.
3. Merciful God by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend. This is another fitting song for Advent, as it anticipates the coming Kingdom:
Merciful God, O abounding in love,
Faithful to keep us from falling;
Guiding our ways with Your fatherly heart,
Growing our faith with each testing.
God speed the day struggles will end;
Faultless we’ll gaze on Your glory.
Then we will stand overwhelmed by the mercy of God.
4. Jesus Paid It All lyrics by Elvina M. Hall, music by John T. Grape. This is a simple, even “Sunday School-esque” song of assurance that is profound in its simplicity, like the gospel itself:
Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.
Sin had left its crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
5. How Deep The Father’s Love For Us by Stuart Townend. We used this contemporary hymn as our Communion hymn of the week. It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate one, lyrically:
Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished
6. What Child Is This? lyrics by William Dix, music based on “Greensleaves,” arranged by Sojourn’s Neil and Kate Robins. You can hear Sojourn’s recorded version on our Advent Songs album. And if you prefer digital albums to physical CDs, you can still get Advent Songs from Noisetrade for free or whatever price you’re willing to pay.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!Raise, raise the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!
7. Savior King by Sojourn’s Joel Gerdis and Dave Moisan, and Crossing Church’s Eddy Morris, based on “Hymn 10” by Isaac Watts. You can hear “Savior King” on our most recent album, Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One. This is the last song on that record, and it’s one of my favorite. It’s also a great song for the spot prior to a worship service benediction:
How happy are the ears which hear this joyful sound,
Which kings and prophets waited for, and sought but never found.
How blessed are the eyes which see this heavenly light … Savior King!
Worship band for the 9am and 11:15am Germantown services:
Megan Shaffer — vocals
Dave Moisan — vocals and keyboard
Justin Shaffer — lead guitar
Dony Erwin — bass guitar
Ryan Harvey — drums
Worship band for the 10am East campus service:
Lorie King — vocals
Joel Gerdis — vocals and guitar
Kristen Smith — vocals and keyboard
David Weir — lead guitar
Simon Groce — bass guitar
Alex O’Nan — bass guitar
Worship band for the 5pm and 7pm Germantown services:
Rebecca Dennison — vocals
Jamie Barnes — vocals and guitar
Shane St. Clair — keyboard
Christi Osterday — cello
Bryon Shrock — bass guitar
Matt Harris — drums
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Joel was part of this Isaac Watts project at Sojourn music locally
Do you know where I can find Bill Mallonee’s “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus?” Thanks…