Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: Sojourn’s Liturgy Recap, Oct. 30, 2011

Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review & service recap.  You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led following the Call To Worship, but also the readings and prayers from our liturgy. 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.

Photos this week courtesy Chuck Heeke.

Call To Worship:
Welcome! The past few weeks we have been studying the book of Genesis together as a church. Genesis is a book of beginnings and each week when we gather we acknowledge that worship begins with God. Through Jesus Christ, the God that spoke life into existence offers us new life with Him. Hear His word:

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of us, the church, and by the blood of the cross reconciles everything to God. – Based on Colossians 1:15-20

Let’s sing to our Creator…

Song: All Creatures Of Our God and King

Confession:
God makes it clear who He is and how we should respond to Him in His word.  But because of sin entering into the world, we turn away from God, and run after His creation, when we should be honoring Him above all things! The Scriptures tell us this:

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” – Romans 5:12

Let’s pray…

Wonderful God,
who sets suns and moons above us,
mountains and valleys beneath us,
how often have we tried to hide from your presence,
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Wonderful God,
who took on flesh in Jesus our brother,
and being found in human form made the ultimate disclosure of yourself in the face of Jesus Christ:
how often we have forgotten you,
how seldom have we really loved and followed you!
Christ, have mercy upon us.

Wonderful God,
who freely pours out the Holy Spirit:
how often have we ignored your promptings,
how seldom have we asked for your help or accepted your gifts!
Spirit, have mercy upon us and continue to shape and mold us into the image of Christ.  Amen.
-Adapted from The Worship Sourcebook

Song: Be Merciful To Me
Song: Over Death

Assurance/Peace
Hear the good news of the Gospel:

“Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.  Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”
-Romans 5:18-19

If you are a Christian here today, God’s words to you aren’t those of condemnation, but of grace and LOVE! Out of this reality, let’s greet one another here today.

Giving:
Hear the word of the Lord…

“Let us give thanks to the Lord with all our being. In the company of the upright, let us honor God for the blessings and goodness we have received.”
—based on Psalm 111:1

Our giving is a response to the grace that our God has shown us.
Let’s pray… (pray for the offering)
Song: Instrumental

Then our pastor preached the third sermon in our new Genesis sermon series, taking his text from Genesis 3, the fall of man and woman in the Garden of Eden. You can hear Sojourn sermons in theSojourn Church iTunes podcast or in the Sermon Resource library at sojournchurch.com.

Song: Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed (Redeemer)
Song: Grace Upon Grace

Reading
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life!
-Romans 6:1-4

Song: Death In His Grave

Benediction
Consider yourselves dead to the power of sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Go in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Peace be with you.