Music Blog

Gathered in Praise

For months, we worshipped completely separate as a church. It was weird, to say the least. For the last few weeks, we've been able to partially gather, and though it's still not normal, it sure has been a wonderful reminder to me of the blessing of corporate worship. God's people, with all our hindrances and challenges, united with one voice to declare his glory and praise. What a sign of the Unity that only the Spirit can give! What a joy that can't be duplicated on our couches!

If you're like me, you get used to a routine pretty quickly, and forget how different it used to be. But as soon as we started gathering as a small percentage of the church, it was very clear - and as that percentage has grown, so has the clarity - I don't ever want to go back to regularly worshipping from my living room with just my family in the room. I want...I need to sing to God with the gathered local church.  I know for some of you, it's not wise to join with us quite yet...and we miss you, and we're confident the Lord will meet you and that he's not limited by the circumstance of you having to watch a livestream.

But if you've grown comfortable with "couch church" and aren't limited by circumstances that don't allow you to gather, I want to urge you to come and sing together with God's people this week.

This Sunday, that's what we'll get to do, yet again. We'll join together in declaring, from Psalm 117:1-2:

And then we'll sing as representatives from multiple nations and countless backgrounds. And we'll hear a sermon on the unity that the Spirit brings, and then we'll take Communion together as a reminder that we are united together in Christ. What a joy!

Here are the songs and Scriptures for this week's service:

Witnesses

Isaiah 43:11-12 says:

"I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and I am God."

These verses are such an encouragement to me. They remind me that there is One God who is Holy, Mighty, Powerful, and Awesome beyond our comprehension - this is revelation.

They also remind me that this Holy, Righteous, Sovereign God of the universe has chosen to save people from the horrible punishment due them as a result of their rebellion against his reign - this is grace.

They also remind me that He is the only way  - through the work of Jesus - to be saved from the just and deserved consequences of my sin - this is mercy.

They also remind me that He chose to rescue sinners like me - by taking our punishment for us - before we had even chased after the countless counterfeit gods that captured our attention - this is love.

They furthermore remind me that not only did he graciously and kindly accept me into his family, but he allows me to take part in the rescue mission for others that He is pursuing. He calls me to be his witness to a dark and sad world - this is generosity.

When I'm reminded of truths like that, I have no appropriate options for response apart from worship. That worship might sometimes look like singing loud songs of joy. It might sometimes look like stunned and silent meditation. It might sometimes look like tearful prayers of thanks. It might other times look like obedient and faithful witnessing to a lost friend or family member or stranger. But worship, in it's various forms, is the only appropriate response to glimpses of God's grace, mercy, kindness and generosity.

And when we gather on Sundays, it is our prayer that we glimpse God in all his holiness, grace, mercy, kindness, we respond with the various appropriate acts of worship that ought to flow from his revelation of himself. The initial response is a corporate response of singing together, and then that is to flow into a week of various acts of worship in response to the revelation of our God.

Here are the songs and Scriptures that we trust will lead us into this rhythm of revelation and response this Sunday: