Welcome to Sojourn’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. And if you’d like to see how we incorporate liturgical art and lead the responsive readings, watch the embedded Facebook Live video of our entire service, originally streamed on the Sojourn New Albany Facebook page. Our liturgy is written by worship director Justin Shaffer in collaboration with worship directors at other Sojourn churches. This week’s sermon on Luke 1:26-39 comes from Pastor Jonah Sage. Learn more about our church here.
This week was our annual “Children’s Choir & Cocoa” service. For three songs, our worship team was joined by the children ages 4 through the 5th grade in our SojournKids classes.
Song- O Glorious Hour
CALL TO WORSHIP
Today we relight the first three candles of the Advent Wreath — the candles of HOPE, PEACE and JOY. Now we light the fourth candle of Advent. This is the candle of LOVE. Jesus demonstrated self-giving love in his ministry as the Good Shepherd. Advent is a time for kindness, thinking of others, and sharing with others. It is a time to love as God loved us by giving us his most precious gift. As God is love, let us be love also. In the Book of John we find these words:
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. —John 13:34-35
The Gospels tell of Jesus great love for Children, and one of our greatest joys is hearing them sing songs about Jesus… we have so much to celebrate in this season, remembering Christ coming to us as a child, identifying Himself with us in a new way. Our children often experience God in unique and special ways, and our children definitely know how to celebrate and praise God. This morning, our children and several of our children’s servants are going to worship with us, so let’s sing beginning with Mary’s song, the Magnificat, as she rejoices in the great things the Lord has done!
Magnificat (Kids Choir, Jaley, Janna) G or A
Go Tell it on the Mountain (Kids Choir, Justin) E 132bpm
Reading
Hear the word of the Lord:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
God has shown us his abundant love, and the way for us to respond to him is by loving him back. Let’s sing a song about how we can love and adore our Savior Jesus.
O Come Let Us Adore Him (Kids Choir) F
ASSURANCE/GIVING
Let’s pray together!
Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to earth. You created everything. You are King over everything, but you loved us enough to become a little baby. Jesus, we praise you for going to the cross to die and take the punishment for our sins. Thank you for giving yourself to us as the greatest Christmas gift! In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
In love He became like us and died for us, so that He might save us and restore our relationship with the Father.
It is so wonderful to worship God together! We worship by singing, we worship, we worship by giving… in fact the bible teaches that we worship in everything we do! We can give because God has already given so much to us. Everything we have is a good gift from God. Let’s worship God with our offering as the giving baskets are passed around the aisles and we continue to sing.
Hosanna in the Highest
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Hear the word of the Lord:
“‘And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)
The peace that we have with God and one another is profound, and yet it is one aspect of an attribute which is even greater – the love of God. As you turn to greet your neighbor today, share the peace and the love of Christ. 🙂
{Sermon & Communion}
Song The Love of God
Song A Day of Glory
BENEDICTION
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13
Go in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.