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, 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.
New Albany campus photos by Chuck Heeke.
Prelude: From Deep Distress, written by Pastor Mike Cosper and Sojourn New Albany worship director Justin Shaffer, based on an Isaac Watts hymn. We recorded this song of confession and reliance on God in The Water And The Blood: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume Two.
Call to Worship:
Welcome. We find ourselves in the season of Lent, the 40 days of prayer and fasting that lead to Easter. As we reflect on our brokenness we remember that we serve a God who is always present. He is here now amongst us, He was with us yesterday and every step of the way our entire lives. This can be comforting, but also can be a terrifying thought. We can’t hide from God, but we don’t have to. He is a God of love and mercy. He draws us near in our weakness so he can heal and restore us. Hear the word of the prophet Isaiah:
How can we say the Lord does not see our troubles?
How how can we say God ignores our rights?
Have you never heard? Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
- Based on Isaiah 40:27-31
Song: Great and Mighty
Prayer of Confession:
God, we know that you are always with us.
In heights of joy you are there,
when we descend into the valley of death and uncertainty, we are not alone.
On the level path of ordinary life you walk with us and go before us.
But we confess that we still are overwhelmed by our enemies – Satan, sin and death.
We doubt, we hide and we shiver in fear.
But you, O Lord, are a shield around us;
you are our glory, the one who holds our heads high.
Answer us now, God, so we can say:
We are not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround us on every side.
Arise, O Lord! Rescue us, our God!
You deliver us and you bless your people. Amen.
- Adapted from Psalm 3
Song: Death Has Lost Its Sting written by our Rebecca Dennison and Mike Cosper, based on Isaac Watts’ rendering of Psalm 3. This is another song from our The Water And The Blood.
Song: Your Great Name
Assurance/Passing of Peace
God has answered our fears and our greatest needs through the cross of Jesus. Hear this good news:
God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
—Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 5:1
Amen! Let’s take some time to welcome one another here today in a spirit of joy and peace.
Giving
Then our preacher taught from Job 3-11, the second sermon in our series on the Book of Job. You can hear Sojourn sermons in theSojourn Church iTunes podcast or in the Sermon Resource library at sojournchurch.com.
Song: Thy Mercy our Communion hymn of the week.
Song: Over Death written by our Jesse Eubanks, Neil Degraide and Joel Gerdis, recorded on our Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One.
Prayer of the People:
Let’s pray this Psalm together. Say the underlined portions with me:
O God, you are our God; we earnestly search for you;
Our souls thirst for you; in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
We have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; We praise you!
We will praise you as long as we live, lifting up our hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy us more than the richest feast. We will praise you with songs of joy.
We lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.
Because you are our helper, we sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
We cling to you; your strong right hand holds us securely, In Jesus Christ, Amen.
- Adapted from Psalm 63:1-8
Let’s lift our voices, our hands and our hearts as we continue to worship our great God!
Song: You Never Let Go
Benediction: May the God sustain you and fill you with joy so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.
Bobby,
Thanks for posting this weekly. I use it frequently for ideas for my worship gatherings in Chattanooga, TN. I’ve got a question, on a song like Death Has Lost it’s Sting, do you guys sing it like this recording for congregation worship? How to folks respond to that? Thanks in advance. You can email me if you’d like. ryankeck@gmail.com
Ryan
Hi Ryan, we’re glad you find this post helpful!
Most of the time we do lead “Death Has Lost Its Sting” with an arrangement pretty close (or identical) to the recording, although our bands are always free to change things up (particularly in terms of instrumentation).
I know it’s not the easiest song to sing, but it does typically get a good response at our campuses. Lots of singing along, lifted hands, etc.
Thanks!