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.
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:
(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
(Third Candle)
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” - Isaiah 49:6
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,
This next song has the chorus “Gloria, in excelsis Deo” which is latin for “Glory to God in the Highest” Let’s lift up God’s name and give him praise as we sing today
Song: Angels We Have Heard On High
Song: O Come All Ye Faithful which we recorded on our Advent Songs album. You can listen to our version of “O Come All Ye Faithful” in full, here.
Confession:
Hear the word of the Lord:
“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
Jesus birth is an announcement of peace on Earth. Let’s take a moment to confess our anxieties silently before the Lord recognizing that His peace is ours before God.
Let’s read that passage again. ( read Isaiah 40:1-3 again over intro music)
Song: Amen, Amen written by Sojourn’s Neil and Kate Robins, recorded on our Advent Songs album. You can hear “Amen, Amen” in full right here.
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.
Giving
Song: Knocking At Your Door by our friend Bill Mallonee. We recorded this on the new Christmas album A Child Is Born. Hear “Knocking At Your Door” in full, here.
Then our preacher preached a sermon on the futility of a human race that pridefully tries to ascent to the heavens (Tower of Babel) and the grace of a God who descends to us (the birth of Christ) (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: O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing the classic Charley Wesley hymn. This was our Communion song of the week.
Reading:
Jesus’ birth is an announcement of hope for sinners. He’s coming again to set everything right:
Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see.
The Lord has sent this message to every land:
“Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
His people will be called “The Holy People” and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And His dwelling will be known as “The Desirable Place” and “The City No Longer Forsaken.” People of God, in Jesus Christ you are a holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! – based on Isaiah 62:10-12
Song: A City No Longer Forsaken written by Sojourn East worship pastor Jamie Barnes, recorded on his half of this year’s double-EP project The Mercy Seat/The War. Listen to “A City No Longer Forsaken” in full here.
Song: Go Tell It on the Mountain recorded on A Child Is Born. You can hear our arrangement of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and learn all about this standard American folk spiritual in full, here.
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 the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you
