Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review. This set list is from the fourth Sunday of Advent, 2010. You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led, but also the readings and prayers from our liturgy. Photos here by Chuck Heeke.
You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And 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 Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog.
Call to Worship
On this 4th Sunday of Advent, stand with me as we hear from God’s word and light the Advent candles, symbolizing the light that Christ brings into our darkness:
1st candle:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. —from Genesis 1:1-4
SING first two lines of VERSE 1 of O COME O COME EMMANUEL
2nd candle
The LORD is my light and my salvation; so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
I am confident that I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait for the LORD.
—from Psalm 27:1, 13-14
SING first two lines of VERSE 2 of O COME O COME EMMANUEL
3rd candle:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. —from Isaiah 9:2; 11:1-2
SING first two lines of VERSE 3 of O COME O COME EMMANUEL
4th candle:
There is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth. But the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
—from Isaiah 59:9; 60:1-3, 19,
SING All of VERSE 4 of O COME O COME EMMANUEL and into Chorus
Song Two: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear written by Edmund Hamilton Sears and Arthur Seymour Sullivan. Not only is this a good song for Advent season and Christmas, but it fits in well with our current sermon series on the book of Revelation. Here is the final verse of “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”:
Fo lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Song Three: Joy to the World hymn text by Isaac Watts, melody by Sojourn’s Jamie Barnes. You’ll find this song on our Advent Songs record. You can read Jamie’s account of why he wrote new music for this song here at sojournmusic.com. You can also read my article “Is Joy To The World Only A Christmas Song? Is It Wrong For Advent?”
Confession:
Listen:
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, her punishment is over and done with.” – Based on Isaiah 40:1-3
Christmas and the coming of Jesus is an announcement of peace from God. But often our souls & minds overflow with anxiety and unrest. We struggle to believe this good news of forgiveness that Christmas declares. Let’s take a moment now in the silence of this gathering to lift those burdens and worries to God in prayer and ask him to remove our unbelief and calm our hearts with the assurance of His love.
Song Four: Be Still My Soul written by Katharina A. vonSchlegel and Jean Sibelius. You can hear the Bifrost Arts arrangement on their Christmas album Come O Spirit. You can also sample this track and download it at Amazon.
Assurance/Peace:
Let’s say this together:
We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. —2 Peter 3:13-15,
Let’s practice doing that as we take time to greet one another.
Then our pastor preached the third sermon in our Revelation sermon series, focusing on the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15.
Song Five: Holy, Holy, Holy by Reginald Heber. This was our communion hymn of the week.
Song Six: This Is The Christ hymn text by Martin Luther, with new melody by Sandra McCracken.
Praise God upon His heavenly throne
Who gave to us His only Son
For this His hosts on joyful wing
A blest New Year of mercy sing
Reading: (after 2nd chorus of This is the Christ )
Who will be able to stand up His coming? Who can survive his appearance?
He’ll be like white-hot fire that refines metal. He’ll be like the strongest lye soap that bleaches clothes. He’ll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they’re fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness. Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to God, as they used to be in the years long ago. – Based on Malachi 3:2-4
(back into chorus. Finish with verse 3 and final chorus)
(Intro to Warrior) We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. – Phil 3:20-21 NLT
Song Seven: Warrior written by Sojourn’s Dave Moisan, Neil Robins and me – Bobby Gilles. You can download the chord sheet from our Over The Grave page here at sojournmusic.com, and hear the full mp3 of “Warrior” from the track list at Facebook.com/sojournmusic or Myspace.com/sojournrecords. Finally, you can read about the songwriting process for “Warrior” and see short video from the recording studio at this link.
Benediction: May the hope of Christ’s return calm your fears and fill you with joy and praise. Go now in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.
