Scripture

30 July: Tuesday Refocus

in

“Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.” - Eugene Peterson

God has spoken and is speaking. He spoke all things into existence and sustains the universe by the word of His power (Genesis 1:3, Hebrews 1:3). His voice brings forth life, and melts the earth (Psalm 29:9, Psalm 46:6). His Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:15). His word is ‘living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of heart.’ Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God, the voice of God is not an accessory to a decent, moral, Christian life, but the reshaping reality of all life for followers of Jesus. ‘But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”’ Matthew 4:4

God, You alone have the words of eternal life, may we be nurtured and mobilized by Your Word, for Your glory and for our good, amen.

Amen,

AB

7 May: Tuesday Refocus

in

“To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience. In our eagerness to get rid of the legalistic doctrine of works we have thrown out the baby with the bath and gotten rid of obedience as well.” - A.W. Tozer

We live in a day when restriction, restraint, and self-denial are seen as oppressive - that true freedom can only be found in giving full vent to my own desires. And so long as they ‘don’t hurt anyone else,’ we should be free to live however we deem most authentic to our true selves. But Christians follow a God who said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24).” Christians live lives of obedience and self-denial not so that we will be saved, but because we have been saved.

Obedience gives evidence to what we believe about God and what we believe about ourselves. Because we follow a Savior who ‘…being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).” We know that “…to obey is better than sacrifice… (1 Samuel 15:22).” And that obedience follows love: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).” 

“In binding love you set me free.” - Wendell Berry

Father, may our obedience follow our love. Amen.

Amen,

AB

3 March: Liturgy & Set List

in ,

  • TRISAGION

    Call to Worship: Psalm 119:25-34

    Good morning, welcome to worship on this Lord’s Day, and this third Sunday in the season of Lent. Often one of the ways people observe this season is through fasting. Giving up temporary pleasures, small comforts, little places we seek to find life - but we also feast on the place we find true and abundant life - God’s Word. So let’s sing God’s word, read, pray, preach, and live God’s Word…

  • THE SOLID ROCK

  • KING OF KINGS

    BCP Corporate Confession

    Sermon: 2 Peter 1:16-21

    The Apostles’ Creed

    Communion

  • I STAND AMAZED (HOW MARVELOUS)

    Benediction

1 October: Liturgy + Set List

in ,

  • REJOICE

    Call to Worship: Psalm 16:7-11

    If you are here this morning as a follower of Christ, the fullness of joy and eternal pleasures are not just a future promise but a present reality in and through Christ. And so we are here to once again set the Lord ever before our eyes. We’re going to introduce a new song this morning that gives us a clearer picture of who Jesus is and what He has done…

  • NO BODY

  • HYMN OF HEAVEN

    Sermon: Mark 10:17-31

    We started our morning with a call from the last verse of Psalm 16, I want you to hear the first verse of Psalm 16 as well:

  • Psalm 16:1-6

    If you are here as a follower of Christ, whether your life feels abundant or constricted - the boundary lines have fallen for your in pleasant places, and you have a beautiful inheritance - not an inheritance of earthly riches, but the inheritance of Jesus. Jesus is your inheritance. Let’s sing to him and about him…

  • GOODNESS OF GOD

  • BE THOU MY VISION

    Benediction

The Most Important Part Of The Gathering

in , , ,

What is the most important part of the worship gathering?

My Anglican friends would likely say the Eucharist.

My extroverted friends would likely say the time of fellowship.

My musical friends would likely say sung worship.

My worship-leading friends would likely say sung worship as well.

My reformed, gospel-centered friends would likely say the preached word of God.

Most pastors would likely say the sermon.

My charismatic friends would likely say what is unexpected, or surprising.

Whether we realize it or not, every portion of our corporate gatherings is formative. We are shaped in subtle and significant ways by years of repetition. What we emphasize, and where we place the most resources (time in the service, staff, money, etc) is likely what the churches we serve value most. But if everything portion of our gathering is retelling the gospel story, if every part of our gathering is intentionally placed to form our people, then each component has a role to play in the importance of our formation.

What is the most important part of the corporate gathering? It all is important.

Tuesday Refocus: August 15

in

“Lament will not allow us to revert to the easy answers.” - Soong Chan-Rah

Our church has been studying the Gospel of Mark this year. Throughout the book we see glimpses of the humanity of Jesus grieved over sin and death. Jesus weeps, groans, and sighs as he encounters the brokenness wrought by sin in the world and on people made in the image of God.

We are so quick to avoid pain and suffering. We numb, distract, ignore, and brush past the brokenness of the world. And when we are left without option we even use Scripture to shield ourselves: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Of course this passage is true. But isn’t it interesting that Jesus never settles for Bible bandaids? We see in Scripture that he enters into the suffering of others, even though he knows he will heal, restore, and reconcile people. Jesus - though fully God and fully man - gives voice to the pain of the world, and people.

People are limited in our ability to heal, but by entering into the suffering of others (rather than avoiding, or Bible-bandaiding) we can give presence and peace that glimpses Christ for others. And as we enter in, we can celebrate that Christ has come to enter into the suffering of the world by taking our sin upon Himself at the cross (1 Peter 2:24). And we can look with hope, longing, and expectation to the day where he will return to wipe every tear, and set all things right (Rev 21:1-4).

Jesus, give us the courage to enter into the suffering of the world. In Your name we pray, amen.

With,

AB

21 May: Liturgy + Set List [Mill River]

in ,

Call to Worship: Psalm 40:5, 16-17

One of the things we do when we gather is recount the wondrous deeds of the Lord, not just sing those truths to God, but to one another. So I want to encourage you as we sing to hold in your heart and in your mind a specific example from this past week or month of the wondrous deeds of the Lord, and sing from that place. Sing in response to that truth to your brothers and sisters.

  • KING OF KINGS

  • JESUS PAID IT ALL

  • WHO YOU SAY I AM

    Sermon: Galatians 1:13-24

    Benediction

Tuesday Refocus: January 31

in

“To fold one’s hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” - Karl Barth

Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Can there be any other response when we recognize that we are engaged in a battle that is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12)? We are people who live in humble dependence for our very breath (Acts 17:25).

If our very breath is a need we cannot supply in our own strength, how much more do we need to be people to are anxious for nothing but pray about everything (Philippians 4:6-7)?

When I pray, I acknowledge my dependence on God both to God and to myself. When I fail to pray I acknowledge my attempts at self-sufficiency both to God and to myself.

Lord, may prayer be the language of my dependence upon you. May it be the beginning of an uprising in the disorder of my own heart, and life, and in the world. Let it be so, amen.

Dependent,

AB

Revelation 5

Revelation 5

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” 

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

There is a new song declaring an eternal truth - that Christ is the Lamb who was slain, the One who reigns, and the One who will return. A song that the saints and angels, the living creatures and the elders with proclaim for all eternity: Worthy is the Lamb.

Luke 2:36-38

LUKE 2:36-38

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Life does not turn out the way we expect. This reality can be an invitation to deepen our worship, dependence, and expectation for God - like Anna - or it can leave us embittered, languishing, and distant. How might you offer as a sacrifice to God the areas of your life that have not turned out the way you expected? How might God be showing up in your worship today?

Luke 2:22-35

LUKE 2:22-35

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation

    that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Is your life marked by anticipating the arrival of Christ?

Are you looking for Him, waiting for Him, hoping for Him?