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: