With Expectation

It is easy for regularity to breed repetition.

And repetition to breed familiarity.

And familiarity to breed contempt… apathy… indifference.

But if we believe that God is living and active, He speaks to us through His Word, and He desires to meet with us, to confront us, comfort us, and conform us - there is no such thing as just another Sunday.

In your planning and preparation, in your rehearsals and communication, in your set up and serving, do you expect God to speak?

Do you expect Him to move?

Do you expect Him to do what only He can do?

As those leading and serving week in and week out, we have to fight against the ease with which we can go on autopilot - just plan another setlist, just schedule another team, just set up and sound check another time, just lead another service.

May your leadership, your team, and those you serve be marked with expectation and desperation for God to do what only He can do in, among, and through His people. Because there are no such things as just another Sunday. So come expectant.

November 28: Liturgy + Set List

• THE KING IS COMING PRELUDE/COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS

  Call to Worship: Psalm 130:5-8

This is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival. We are people who live between two Advents. And in this season we remember the first coming of Christ - His first Advent as a baby. When He took on our flesh as a baby, lived a perfect life, died a death that we deserved, and was raised to life again. And we look forward with longing and expectation to the day of His second Advent - when He will return as King to rule and reign, to wipe every tear and set all things right. So as we sing songs expressing the longing and expectation for Christ first Advent this season, I want you to hold in your mind at the same time His second Advent. Let’s remember His coming, and look ahead to His return.

• KING OF KINGS

• O COME, O COME EMMANUEL

  Sermon: Matthew 1:1-17

  If you’re here this morning as a follower of Jesus, the genealogy we read in Matthew is not just a list of names - it is actually your genealogy. Because you have been adopted, grafted into the family of Jesus. Not because of your goodness, or righteousness, but because of the goodness of God. And this family of God is a family that is always, always, always moving toward fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore at the right hand of God. So, family of God, let’s respond join the family song:

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

• O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

• Lighting the Advent Candle: Galatians 4:4-7

  Benediction:

  Brothers and sisters, let us go as those carrying the Light of Christ into the darkness. Living as those who have been redeemed from the law, no longer slaves, but as adopted as children, heirs of God in Christ.

November 21: Liturgy + Set List

• BEFORE THE THRONE

  CALL TO WORSHIP: To all who are weary and need rest

  To all who mourn and long for comfort

  To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

  To all who fail and desire strength

  To all who sin and need a Savior

  This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

  His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

  Friend of sinners, welcome.

  [10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

  We gather not as a collection of individuals, but as a people. The people of God standing before the throne of God, to pour out the praises of God. We stand here not because of anything we have done, but because of God’s grace alone.

• GRACE ALONE

• COME BEHOLD THE WONDROUS MYSTERY

  Sermon: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

• THERE IS A REDEEMER

  COMMUNION

• DEATH WAS ARRESTED

  Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21

November 7: Liturgy + Set List

• GREAT THINGS

CALL TO WORSHIP: To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

[10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

You opened your eyes to fresh grace and new mercies this morning. It is grace and mercy that you did not earn or deserve, you have not achieved or accomplished it. It is simply a gift from a good and gracious God. And it is from that posture of receiving that we respond in song and worship. Let’s sing together about the heart and character of our good God:

• PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY-GOOD GOOD FATHER

• BUILD MY LIFE

Sermon: Acts 6:1-7

We become what we behold.  So is it any wonder that both in the world and in the church are ravaged consumerism and the love of self?  Beholding self leads to being bent in on self.  But if you’re here this morning as a follower of Jesus, you are one who dwells in the upside down kingdom or God.  The kingdom where the last will be first and the first will be last, a kingdom where it is greater to serve than to be served.  I don’t know what the Holy Spirit may be doing in your heart right now about how he may be leading you to practically respond to the word preached, but what I do know is that we all need to train our hearts daily to behold Jesus, the one who took the form of a servant, the one who came to serve, the one who learned obedience.  And when we behold him, our lives open in worship and service.  Let’s behold him together in song.

• TURN YOUR EYES (SOVEREIGN GRACE)

• JESUS PAID IT ALL

Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21

Navigating Advent & Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching. With more than 18 months of leading worship in what feels like completely uncharted territory, maybe just the mention of planning and preparing for Advent and Christmas makes you tired. Special services, rhythms, and seasons require a level of margin and energy that every person is struggling to rally at the moment.

Wherever you and your church are in the process of planning for the 2021 Advent Season, here are a few considerations that will hopefully enable to season to be meaningful for you as well as those you serve:

Plan ahead. Determine the songs that you will incorporate into your weekly worship service. Communicate early with your team, clarifying who is available and if there are additional rehearsals, services, or times of preparation that need to be scheduled. Consider the practical details like sound and tech set up, decor, any extra hands, and help you may need in ‘turning a space’ from one service to the next. I have often found the more prepared I am, the more flexible I can be. If we have learned anything during COVID it may be that we have to be prepared for things to be different than planned.

Make space to be and enjoy. So much of what we do serving on staff (whether in a full-time paid position or as a volunteer) is creating the space for the seasons to be meaningful for others. But we must also work to create margin and space for ourselves and our families to enjoy the Advent season. Planning ahead for church, as well as for family time will hopefully create space to avoid resentment and dread about or toward the Church for you, and those you love.

Take off the pressure. Christmas is important. Advent is important. It can be easy to feel like we only have one shot to ‘convince’ people who only darken the doors of a Church during specific seasons, but discipleship is the long game. We can put prideful pressure on ourselves to believe that people’s ability to connect with God and His Church is determined by our ability to execute a flawless gathering - but we are not the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is not helped in His work by our excellence any more than He is hindered by our underwhelming ‘performance.’ So take the pressure off - this does not all hinge on you. None of us are that important, praise God!

Focus your team. Pace yourself with new Christmas songs, new versions, arrangements, and melodies. Remember, for your congregation as well as the team, these are songs we sing for four-six weeks out of the year, so for more than forty weeks, these songs are not in regular rotation. Rather than introducing all-new Christmas songs and melodies, introduce a few, and allow your worship team time to be familiar with new material long before it is added to the weekly schedule.

For a deeper look at the rhythms of Advent for your team, read my post Advent, Christmas & Corporate Worship here.

October 31: Liturgy + Set List

• ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

CALL TO WORSHIP: To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

[10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

• DOXOLOGY

Scripture tells us that we are to confess our sins to God and to one another. Confession is telling the truth about who we are and what we’ve done. We confess our sins to God not because God doesn’t know what we’ve done, He knows all things. We confess our sins to God to receive forgiveness. We confess our sins to one another because we need to be reminded that we are not alone in our sin. The Bible calls us to bear one another’s burdens, that is why we confess one to another. Together we are going to read a prayer of confession - telling the truth, and repentance - turning away from our sin and turning to Christ. Let’s pray together:

Merciful God,

For the wrong things that we have done,

Forgive us,

For the right things that we have failed to do,

Forgive us,

For the times we have acted without love,

Forgive us,

For the times we have reacted without thought,

Forgive us,

For the ways we have not loved You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength,

Forgive us.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON:

Brothers and sisters in Christ, remember today, That you were once dead in your sins, And, carrying out the desires of your flesh, You were by nature a child of wrath. But God, being rich in mercy, Because of the great love He has for you, Made you alive together with Christ, And raised you up and seated you with Jesus! We are His people; saved for good works, Which God has prepared for us to walk in! 

• GREAT ARE YOU LORD

Sermon: 1 Peter 5:1-4

• I STAND AMAZED (HOW MARVELOUS)

COMMUNION

• RAISE A HALLELUJAH

BENEDICTION: Ephesians 3:20-21

October 24: Liturgy + Set List

• HOLY HOLY HOLY

CALL TO WORSHIP: To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

[10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

• KING OF KINGS

• IS HE WORTHY

SERMON: John 13:31-35

Scripture tells us, ‘greater love has no one than this than they lay down their life for their friends.’ But when Christ died, we were not God’s friends - in fact, Scripture says that we were enemies of God, hostile toward Him. The love that we have received from Christ is a sacrificial, self-giving love. This is not a ‘I’m southern, we’re nice to everyone, bless your heart’ kind of nicety. No, this is a love that dies to self for the good of another, and this is the love Christ models for us, and the love that we are commanded to give to one another. In response to the love that is ours, would you stand and sing.

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

• REVIVE US AGAIN

October 17: Liturgy + Set List

• ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK

Call to Worship: To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

[10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

When the Church gathers, we do so not as a collection of perfect people. No, when Jesus followers gather, we do so recognizing that our only hope in life and death is Jesus. We gather to remind ourselves of who Jesus is, what He has done, and who we are. That is the Gospel, and it is good news for me, and you this morning. Let’s sing.

• GLORIOUS DAY

• GOODNESS OF GOD

SERMON: Hebrews 13:17

Following Jesus is not a solo sport. If you’re here this morning as a follower of Jesus, you have not been saved to be an individual, you have been saved to be a part of the body, a part of the family, a part of Christ’s Church. We need one another. Throughout the New Testament we see calls to ‘one another,’ to love one another, to pray for one another, to serve one another to encourage one another. And in Colossians we are called to sing to one another. Yes, we sing to God, but we also sing to one another, we sing over one another. We build up our brothers and sisters through our singing. Whether these songs are familiar to you or not, at the very least would you speak aloud these words - let your brothers and sisters hear these truths proclaimed. Do not withhold your voice from sharing these truths - because I need to be reminded of what is true, you need to be reminded of what is true, we need to be reminded of what is true. Would you stand and let’s sing to God and sing to one another in response to what we have heard.

• COME THOU FOUNT

• STAND IN YOUR LOVE

BENEDICTION: Ephesians 3:20-21

October 10: Set List + Liturgy

• THIS IS AMAZING GRACE

Call To Worship: To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

[10th Presbyterian Call to Worship]

My theology tells me that you are not here by mistake, my accident, or by fate. You are here because God has purposed it to be so. The One who spoke the universe into existence is speaking now through His Word, through His Spirit among His people. And we gather to listen to His voice, and to respond. Let’s listen and respond together:

• HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US

Scripture tells us that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. But confession and repentance are not always things we do well as followers of Jesus. But if you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus, the starting point for confession and repentance for you is not guilt, or shame, or condemnation. The starting point is the deep love of God. Let’s since this next song as a prayer of confession, a prayer of repentance, a prayer of dependence, while remembering that the starting point is always the deep love of God.

• LORD, I NEED YOU

Sermon: Ephesians 4:11-16

Martin Luther said God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does. I think the same is true with our spiritual gifts. God does not need us to accomplish what He purposes in His Church and in His world. But He gifts us to participate with Him in the work of co-laboring to build up and mature His Body. We look to Christ the One who condescended, took on flesh to ransom us. We serve in response to the way God in Christ has first served us.

• COME BEHOLD THE WONDROUS MYSTERY

• BE THOU MY VISION

Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21

October 3: Liturgy + Set List

• BEFORE THE THRONE

Call to worship:

To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

• GRACE ALONE

• I LOVE YOU LORD

Sermon: Romans 12:3-8

We love because God has first loved us. We serve because God has first served us in and through Christ. We belong to the family of God because we have been adopted by God. We belong to the Body of Christ where Christ Himself is the Head. The entirety of our lives is lived in response to God. Let’s respond together:

• MY JESUS I LOVE THEE

BAPTISMS

COMMUNION

• HIS MERCY IS MORE

BENEDICTION: Ephesians 3:20-21

Songs As Prayers

Our songs are doing more than filling space before a sermon.

Our songs are forming us, shaping us, giving us language.

Our songs speak to us and speak for us.

Our songs instruct us as little pieces of portable theology.

But our songs are also prayers.

Prayers that say:

‘This is what I believe!’

‘This is what I desire to believe!’

‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!’

Our songs are confessions of sin, and professions of faith.

Our songs remind us of who we are, and who God has always been.

As worship leaders we must choose songs with wisdom and discernment.

As congregations we must sing out - not mumble - these prayer songs.

We must sing our prayers like we believe they are true.

We must sing our prayers like we are trying to believe they are true.

‘The one who sings, prays twice.’ - Augustine

September 19: Liturgy + Set List

• REVIVE US AGAIN

Call to worship:

To all who are weary and need rest

To all who mourn and long for comfort

To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

This church opens wide her doors with a welcome from Jesus Christ, the Ally of

His enemies, the Defender of the guilty, the Justifier of the inexcusable, the

Friend of sinners, welcome.

• GREAT ARE YOU LORD

• PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY-GOOD GOOD FATHER

Sermon: Ephesians 2:18-22

There is a passage in Isaiah, where God, speaking of His people, Israel says, ‘This people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.’ I am struck every time I read that passage, every time I think of that passage how easy it is to do the right things, to think the right things, to say the right things, to behave in the right way, all the while having a heart that is far from God. Having a heart that is hardened and calloused toward God. If you and I are to display the invisible power of the Gospel to a watching world, that will never occur when we simply do or say or act the right way. We must be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to look more like Christ, the One who has welcomed us to God the Father. We’re going to sing a song now that is a reminder of the new identity that we have in and through Christ. And what I hope this does for you, and for me is fuel in us a desire to walk in a manner worthy of the call of God. Walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

• Who You Say I Am

If you are here this morning as a follower of Jesus, every word that we just sung is true of You. Not because you have earned it, deserved it, or accomplished anything, but simply because God is kind, gracious and merciful to give you a new identity in and through Christ. We’re going to read responsively a passage of Scripture that we have referenced throughout our morning, a passage that reminds us who we were, who we are, and Who God has always been.

Responsive Reading:

LEADER:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you

once walked, following the course of this world,

following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is

now at work in the sons of disobedience—

ALL:

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,

carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were

by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with

which he loved us, even when we were dead in our

trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—

LEADER:

by grace you have been saved—

ALL:

and raised us up with him and seated us with Him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages

he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace

in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

LEADER:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this

is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of

works, so that no one may boast.

ALL:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for

good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we

should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

• Raise Up The Crown (All Hail The Power)