Advent Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs: Sojourn’s Liturgy Recap 12-4-2011

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 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 from Sojourn’s New Albany campus, courtesy Chuck Heeke.

Call to Worship:
It’s the second Sunday in Advent: a season when the church celebrates and anticipates the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Advent is a season when we remember that God spoke light into darkness, both at the creation of the world and into it’s lost condition.
Each week, we’ll light a candle on this wreath as a sign of the coming light of Christ, the hope that breaks apart the darkness and rescues the world.
Hear the word of the Lord:

(First Candle)
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
- Isaiah 9:2

(Second Candle)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
- John 1:1-5

Song: A Voice is Sounding written by Jamie Barnes. This is on our brand new Christmas album A Child Is Born. You can hear “A Voice Is Sounding” in entirety here.

Prayer of Lament:
Lord, we look with hope for the day when there is no more grief, no more sorrow, no more sin, no more death.
When you return, there will be no sickness, no more weakness, no more anxiety, no more failing strength, but we will be made complete.
We will see you, and our souls will overflow with joy, worship, and blessings.

Here, we see things darkly, our hopes are obscured by the suffering that surrounds us and by the sinful longings of our own hearts. We prefer comfort to holiness and our hopes are set on temporary material things, rather than eternal promises.

Give us a hunger for heaven by opening our eyes to how far we are from home. Show us how unsatisfying this world is, so we can find satisfaction in the Gospel and cling to Christ alone. Amen.

Song: Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul, a deeply personal song that is also our communal cry. For more on using the singular “I” voice in corporate worship songs, read here.
Song: In The Hours

Assurance/Peace Reading:
The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help us live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of us can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Romans 15:4-6 (New Living Translation)

As a people united in Jesus and in expectation of his return, these are great words to keep in mind as we greet each other hear today in harmony and love.

Giving

Song: O Glorious Hour by Brooks Ritter. This is another new song from A Child Is Born. You can listen to “O Glorious Hour” in full here.

Then our preacher preached a sermon on Noah and the Great Flood from our Genesis sermon series. You can hear Sojourn sermons in theSojourn Church iTunes podcast or in the Sermon Resource library at sojournchurch.com.

Song: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing our Communion hymn of the week.

Reading:
Hear the word of the Lord:

1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 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.
3 He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.
10 In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
-Isaiah 11:1-4 & 9-10

Song: It Came Upon Midnight Clear

Song: Glory Be written by Mike Cosper. We recorded this on our Advent Songs album. Listen to “Glory Be” in full right here.

Benediction: In this season of advent, may the Father’s light shine in your darkness. May the Spirit open our eyes to see his coming, and may Jesus’ glory outshine the tinsel, the gifts, and the hustle and bustle of the season. Peace be with you all.