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. You can also watch the video stream of the whole service from our Facebook page. Below that, you’ll see the video of the sermon alone.
Our liturgy is written by worship director Justin Shaffer in collaboration with worship directors at other Sojourn churches.
This Sunday Pastor Jonah Sage preached Galatians 5:1-15 as part of our Galatians sermon series. To learn more about Sojourn Church, click here.
When He Returns – Justin
CALL TO WORSHIP
Christmastime and thoughts of home just go together. “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” … “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” Christmas movies and television shows spin stories of people returning to their family home over the holidays. We host and attend festive gatherings and carol through our neighborhoods. In our homes we participate in age-old traditions during this darkest time of the year, at least in our hemisphere, such as lighting candles and hanging lights on trees… baking brightly colored cookies, giving gifts, and dreaming hopeful dreams. A well-meaning but perhaps cynical take would opine that these things merely serve as a distraction from the main thing: Christ has come – Emmanuel!
There may be some truth to that, but what if our longing for home, these hopeful traditions, and the stories we tell point to an even greater homecoming? That is exactly why we observe Advent – the homecoming of Christ to redeem and renew us, this earth, and all creation till “heaven and nature sing” with joy eternally.
Each week, we’ll light a candle on this wreath as a sign of the coming light of Christ,
the hope that breaks apart the darkness and rescues the world.
Hear the word of the Lord:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a
son, and will call him Immanuel, which means “God is With Us.”
-Based on Isaiah 9:2 and 7:14
Holy, Holy, Holy
LAMENT
Though the good news of the Christ-child has been announced to the world, there remains brokenness all around us. As we long for Christ’s return to set things right, let us pray:
Lord God,
We long for the coming of your kingdom in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The signs that your kingdom has not come grieve us.
We grieve over war, disease & death.
We mourn over Christians being persecuted & killed because they follow you.
We regret broken and unreconciled relationships.
Lord Jesus, we long for your return when you will lift up the brokenhearted and restore peace.
In this season of Advent, give us a deeper understanding of the hope we have for your kingdom to come – heaven and earth renewed and restored under the rule and reign of Christ!
Help us to cling to the promises you have made in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Abide With Me (Traditional) – Mindy
ASSURANCE/GIVING
Hear the assurance found in this prophesy of our coming Messiah:
The day will come,” says the Lord, “when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them. In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King
David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day My people
will be saved and will live in peace. And this will be its name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’”
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
whose coming we announce in this season, is our righteousness.
In Christ, we are made right with God! – Based on Jeremiah 33: 14-16
…(giving script based on Hope [advent 1]
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – Steve
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Christ has brought peace to His people, so let us share peace with each other as we
welcome those around us.
[Sermon]
[Communion]
Glory Be
Baptisms!!! (at 11:00 service… possibly a brief reading at the 9:00)
Praise to the Lord the Almighty – Mindy
BENEDICTION
May the Lord of Peace strengthen you in faith and hope as we
anticipate His Return. Go now in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
Peace be you.