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 Pastor Rob Schettler preached a sermon on the parable of the ten bridesmaids from Matthew 25, in our Parables of Jesus series. Learn more about Sojourn Community Church here.
March 18, 2018 – Parable of the ten bridesmaids from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.
The Master’s Calling written by Thad Cockerill.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Good morning! I’m Justin – one of the deacons here – welcome to our gathering! 🙂 There is an aspect of our gathering that is fairly ordinary – same time, same place, same people – we sing some songs and proclaim God’s word together every week. But there is an aspect of our gathering that is absolutely transcendent, mysterious, and truly magnificent. Hear the word of the Lord… how the author of Hebrews describes our meeting with the living God:
18 Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. 22-24 No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus … became a proclamation of grace.
-Hebrews 12:18, 22-24 The Message
Friends, you are on the receiving end of the greatest invitation in the history of humanity – let us respond in like kind. Let us sing this proclamation of grace with everything we’ve got!
Come Thou Fount written by Robert Robinson.
CONFESSION
God, in his mercy, has not left us to wonder what the best way of living might be… he gave us his law to show us the way. It’s a law that we can’t possibly maintain, but when we confess the ways we’ve fallen short, God heals us and brings us back to himself. Knowing that, let’s confess before him:
Eternal God, we confess that often we have failed
to be an obedient church:
we have not done your will;
we have broken your law;
we have rebelled against your love;
we have not loved our neighbors;
we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
-Worship Sourcebook 2.2
Let’s continue to sing in this spirit of confession, knowing that the Lord responds with mercy and healing when we confess. Let’s sing.
Water And The Blood written by David Lachance and Neil Degraide.
ASSURANCE/GIVING
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.
He sympathizes with our human struggles.
Christ helps us to throw off the sin that hinders and entangles.
Let us run to him, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Adapted from Hebrews 2 and 12 (NIV)
As we prepare our tithes and offerings, let us seek the Lord in prayer that we may be a people who individually and corporately throw off the sin of greed. What might that look like for you? What might that look like for our church? Let us run to him for the answers as we give and sing!
All Of Creation written by Jeremy Quillo.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Hear the Word of our God
But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us. Together as one body, Christ reconciled [Jews and Gentiles] to God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. (Ephesians 2:13, 14b, & 16 NLT)
Though we were on the outside of God’s family, God made peace with us and each other. Let’s greet one another with the peace of Christ.
[Sermon]
[Communion]
The Love of God written by Frederick Lehman and Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai.
None But Thee written by John Fellows and Eric J. Marshall.
BENEDICTION
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Go now in the name of the Father , Son, and Holy Spirit. Peace be with you….
Rom. 11:33, 36