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 video of our entire service, or check it out 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 Sunday Deacon Sam Huff preached from the story of Bathsheba, in our Mothers Of Jesus series. In this short Christmas series, we are learning about the character and plans of God that He reveals in Jesus’ ancestry (particularly, the five women listed in Jesus’ genealogy). Learn more about Sojourn Community Church here.
Epiphany Feast Sunday, Jan 7, 2018 from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.
Savior King written by Joel Gerdis, Dave Moisan and Eddy Morris.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Good morning Sojourners and guests, welcome to 2018!!! God has called and invited you to this special time of worship. What makes it special you ask: it’s true we are called to worship Him at all times but coming together to worship as a church is a special form of worship. Hear Christ’s words:
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20
We are definitely more than two or three right now, let’s fully engage in worship together and see where Christ leads us today.
Fellowship So Deep written by Aaron Senseman and Kinley Lange.
CONFESSION
Spoken: We often get caught up in a mentality that things can make us happy. We forget God’s promises in Scripture that God will meet our physical and spiritual needs. Year by year, we try to make up for our dissatisfaction by setting lofty goals for ourselves, but fail to meet every our own standards. We must remember that God has given believers a rich inheritance in Jesus, making us co-heirs with Christ. Let’s pray together:
Father, forgive us for for when we live our lives according to the flesh
Help us to live according to your Spirit, who helps us to put to death
the deeds of the body
Help remember that as children of God, we have received the Spirit of adoption,
by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Because of Christ’s atoning work, we are heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ
- adapted from Romans 8
Spoken
Before the Throne of God Above written by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook.
ASSURANCE/GIVING
Hear the word of the Lord:
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 21 …that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
24a For in this hope we were saved. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -Romans 8:18-21, 24a, 26-31
This would be miraculous enough if being “for us” merely meant that a somewhat remote God gave us a “get out of jail free” card, or is “for us” like we are “for” our favorite sports franchise, but it’s much more than that. The Bible says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters… He is our Lord and King, absolutely and unambiguously so, but he is also our elder brother and our friend. Let us sing of, sing to our friend, Jesus.
Mourning Into Dancing written by Jeremy Quillo.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Jesus came to give light to those who sit in darkness and to guide us to the path of peace. As sojourners who have been led to God’s peace, let’s greet each other with Christ’s peace.
(From Luke 1:79)
[Sermon]
[Communion]
Come to the Feast written by Jeff Lawson.
We Will Feast in the House of Zion written by Joshua Moore and Sandra McCracken.
BENEDICTION
As we are going out today, our benediction is a charge for us. Our worship does not end as we walk out the doors this morning, but continues as we live our life before the Lord in our everyday life.
Ephesians 3:20-21 says
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Go now in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Peace be with you…