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.
Song: You written by Tim Hughes.
Call to Worship
When we the body of Christ gathers, we have a unique opportunity. We’re not just here to be entertained, listen to songs or sermons, but because of what Christ has done for us, we can be active participants; uniting our voices in the praise of our Glorious God that has continued since before the creation of the world.
Let’s read God’s word together:
Sing to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:19-20
Make it your goal while here today to sing out and take part, as we continue to respond to God’s great love for us in Christ Jesus.
Song: With Every Breath written by Marc and Christine Byrd.
Confession
Let’s pray…
Wondrous God,
who sets suns and moons above us,
mountains and valleys beneath us, and friends and family among us:
how often have we tried to hide from your presence,
how seldom have we looked to You or Your creative work!
Father, have mercy upon us.
Wondrous God,
Who took upon Yourself flesh of our flesh in Jesus our brother,
And being found in human form, made yourself known to us in the face of Jesus Christ:
How often we have forgotten Your cross,
How seldom have we really loved and followed you!
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Wondrous God,
Who freely pours out the Holy Spirit,
Who points us to Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer:
How often have we ignored You,
How seldom have we asked for your help or accepted your gifts!
Spirit, have mercy upon us. Amen.
-Adapted from the Worship SourceBook “Confession and Assurance” #25
Let’s sing to our forgiving God…
Song: Lead Us Back written by me (Bobby Gilles) and Brooks Ritter, recorded on our album Before The Throne.
Song: All I Have is Christ written by Jordan Kauflin of the Na Band & Sovereign Grace. Hear “All I Have Is Christ” and read all about it here.
Assurance/Peace
Hear these words from the book of Colossians:
Once we were alienated from God and were enemies in our minds because of our evil behavior. But now he has reconciled us by Christ’s physical body through death to present us holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if we continue in our faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that we heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.
-Adapted from Colossians 1:21-23
This is the call for us today. The Gospel that Paul speaks of has reconciled us not only to God, but to each other as well. So with gratitude and thankfulness, let’s take a moment and greet one another now.
Giving
Then our preacher taught from Gen 41:41-57: From a Prison to a Palace. You can hear Sojourn sermons in theSojourn Church iTunes podcast or in the Sermon Resource library at sojournchurch.com.
Song: Christ Or Else I Die written by William Hammond and Drew Holcomb.
Reading: God has a plan for his people, and it’s a plan of redemption. Hear this prophetic word:
Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’”
They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
-Isaiah 62:10-12
Song: A City No Longer Forsaken written by Jamie Barnes, recorded on his EP The Mercy Seat, which we released last year at the same time as Brooks Ritter’s EP The War.
Song: We Are Changed written by me, Neil Robins and Dave Moisan, recorded on our album Over The Grave. You can hear We Are Changed and read my story behind it (and the story behind Lead Us Back) right here.
Benediction
Christ, who knew no sin, became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. As messengers of this good news, go in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
