Take a few moments to reflect on the God convicts and comforts..
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” - Ephesians 2:11-12
Jesus, what do you desire to speak to me now?
God, how might I rest in what is true today?
Spirit, would you convict, comfort, and lead me to Jesus today?
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
John 16:12-15
In these final moments, Jesus still has things he wants to speak to his disciples. How fascinating - he is not asking to be comforted - but is instead speaking words of comfort and care. Revealing that the Comforter will come - leading in all truth, convicting of sin, sealing our salvation, reminding us what to say, assuring us of our pardon. Jesus reminds His disciples they will never be left or forsaken even in their leaving and forsaking. Jesus reminds us that all who are his are never left or forsaken because he himself was left and forsaken.
GLORIOUS DAY
Call to Worship:
Welcome to worship on this Lord’s Day, and this second Sunday in the season of Lent. During Lent we reflect upon and repent of our sin, we reflect on te cross, and look with joy to the hope of the resurrection. So if you are here as a follower of Jesus you can sing words like ‘I ran out of the grave…’ not because of something you have done, but because of Christ’s completed work on your behalf. Let’s celebrate who Jesus is and what he’s done as we sing:
O PRAISE THE NAME (ANASTASIS)
TRISAGION
Take a few moments now to name and confess your sin to the Lord, turning from your sin, and turning toward Christ…
Let’s confess our sin to God and to one another:
Book of Common Prayer Corporate Confession
Sermon: Mark 15:40-16:8
Would you stand if you’re able? Buried with Christ in baptism into death, raised to newness of life - this is what we witness in baptism. And if you’re here as a follower of Christ, we are going to confess what we believe about our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostles’ Creed
Baptism Affirmations
Baptisms
NO BODY
Benediction
You are my hope, and my salvation, and my desire is ever toward You. Keep me from all error by a perfect understanding; from all impurity by a clean heart; from all kind of doubt by a right faith; from all distrust by a steadfast hope; from all disgust and negligence by a burning charity; from all disquietude by great patience; from all unclean thoughts by holy meditation; from all the attacks of the devil by continual prayer; from frequent distractions by a sustained attention in reading; from listlessness and drowsiness by useful occupation, and from thinking of satisfying my vices, by remembrance of your holy passion. Come with all these graces, O Lord, and conform me in all your holy words. Amen.
Thomas A Kempis
When I started leading worship in youth group, songs lived in a giant folder. No planning center, and no digital chord charts to be seen - apart from the Word documents I would type myself. It would be normal to arrive at youth group, or Sunday evening Bible study and see other leaders flipping through a folder of chord charts asking, ‘What songs should we sing?’ And yet even with all the advantages of modern technology and resources that are accessible to worship leaders today, I’m surprised how many people still lead from a ‘folder,’ mentality. I often sense - particularly for those who lead as volunteers or are bi-vocationally - that this kind of execution is not a lack of care, thought, or intentionality, but of time.
I have led worship as a volunteer, while working multiple jobs, and on full-time staff. Here are four things I’ve learned that have helped me plan:
Batch work.
I find it easier to get ahead when I can work on one thing at a time. So I will often batch my work by focusing one day on building set lists for the month and scheduling teams. Focusing another day on learning new songs, building tracks, propresenter, and chord charts. Reading, prayer, and long-range planning on another day, etc. This helps me feel like I can do deep work by building rhythms that will help me week to week.
Communicate expectations.
Communication with the team is important. But the team also needs to know what to expect from me. Likewise, working effectively with your pastor requires intentional communication as well.
Determine what is most important.
The artistic sensibility means that I often am aware there is a gap between what I envision, and what I will be able to execute. Is this song as perfect in its transitions as we can make it? Likely not. But we also have four other songs this morning that require attention. This is an example of where I have determined - being able to communicate the larger idea of the liturgy is more important than the tiny details of song transitions that will likely go unrealized by the congregation. Give your time and energy to the things that are important to the Lord, to you, your team, your leaders, and your community - open your hands to the rest.
Recognize the season.
Having a baby? Upgrading your audio visuals? In school? Rebuilding a team? Developing new leaders? Every season we inhabit will shift and change our capacity. It is unfair, and unrealistic to expect that every season will be the same. Life moves in seasons and stages, so allow the seasons and stages to help shape what is most important, what is worth fighting for, and what can fall away.
What would you add?
Take a few moments to reflect on the God is love...
‘For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.’ - Romans 5:6
Father, where have I denied others the love that I have received from you in Christ?
Jesus, where am I abiding? Where am I striving?
Spirit, please enliven my life to be motivated by love.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
John 15:12-17
Christ commands that we love one another. And in a world that often equates love with feelings and emotions - Christ shows us the way of love. Enacting, embodying love in the way of self-denying, self-giving life and death. Choosing and choosing again even when the response is half-hearted compared to the weight of sacrifice. Christ does not ask something of his disciples he does not first show us how to accomplish it. Nor does he ask of his disciples something that we can accomplish in our strength. No, true love of the self-denying, self-giving life and death variety can only be accomplished through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
REJOICE
Call to Worship: Psalm 24
Welcome to this Lord’s Day and this first Sunday in the season of Lent. Lent is the forty days leading up to Resurrection Sunday - a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal where we consider our sins and the cross. So every week in the Lenten season we will confess our sins to God and one another in prayer and in song. Let’s sing these truths together:
TRISAGION
THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD
When we glimpse the glory, holiness, and otherness of God, we become all the more aware of our own sin, brokenness, and unholiness. So let’s take a few moments now to confess our sins to God and one another:
Book of Common Prayer Corporate Confession
Would you take a few moments in the quiet of your own heart to confess your sin to God…
Brothers and sisters, hear the good news: God does not treat us as our sins deserve.
Sermon: Nehemiah 8
Baptism
We have seen our sister confess and profess her faith through Baptism, and now together we will confess and profess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed:
The Apostles’ Creed
I SHALL NOT WANT
BE THOU MY VISION
Benediction
O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power and idle talk. But give me rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to my servant. Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own error and not to judge my brother; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
St. Ephrem the Syrian
The longer I lead worship the more heavily I lean into liturgical rhythms and practices. I have seen in my own life how deeply formative these practices slowly, consistently, and over time transform my affection and attention. But if you say ‘liturgy’ or ‘liturgical’ in some contexts, they immediately think Catholic. But liturgy has nothing to do with style, nothing to do with denominations. The word liturgy is Latin for ‘the work of the people.’ Every gathering is formative whether it is shaped by smells and bells, or loops and lasers.
When I served on staff at a church in the UK, apart from the Church of England and the Catholic Church there really was no context for liturgical rhythms and practices. So when I started bringing up the idea of corporate confessions, responsive readings, and scripted prayers, I had to spend time helping our people grasp the purpose and intention behind incorporating elements that were immediately associated with churches to which they intentionally did not belong.
But discipleship is the long game, so just because you serve in a context where there may be misunderstanding or immediate resistance to incorporating new rhythms does not mean you should not try. If you are looking to create liturgical rhythms within the community you serve, I think the church calendar is a great place to start. Engaging the seasons of Lent and Advent. So if you’d like to dip your toe in the water of more intentional liturgy, here are a few things I’ve written that can get you started:
Take a few moments to reflect on the God who invites you home...
Father, would you reveal to me where I have sought security outside of you?
Jesus, thank you that you are the way!
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
God, how might you be inviting me to draw near to you this Lenten season?
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is the period of forty days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Resurrection Sunday. These forty days represent the forty days Jesus spent facing temptation in the wilderness preparing for His earthly ministry and the ultimate purpose of his Advent: his death, and resurrection (John 6:38, Matthew 20:28). We trace the shadow of our sin through the shadow of Christ’s cross and empty tomb. This season invites us to acknowledge, expose, grieve, lament, and repent of our sin, and to turn to our Savior once again.
Throughout Lent these devotional writings will trace the waning hours before the cross - beginning in John 14. Specifically, the interactions Jesus shares with his disciples. Although Jesus knows the cross is ahead, he uses these remaining moments to pour into his disciples comforting and encouraging them. These men will betray, desert Jesus, run, and hide. These are the people Jesus invites to draw near once again. We too are the people Jesus invites to draw near this Lenten season, and every season. Sunday will begin with prayer. Tuesday with reflection. Thursday with adoration.
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
Take a few moments to reflect on the Son of Man, and confess your sin…
Father, in light of the way you have served me through Christ, how might I serve others?
Jesus, may I behold you as servant and savior this Lenten season…
Spirit, would you convict and comfort me as you lift my eyes to Jesus?
“…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45