Welcome to the recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon) from Sunday’s gathering. This blog is designed to give you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.
*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering.
Suffering, Evil, & Lament
CALL TO WORSHIP
Keep us safe, O God, for in you we take refuge. Lord, you alone are our portion and cup; you make our lots secure.
We keep our eyes always on the Lord. With him at our right hand, we will not be shaken.
Therefore our hearts are glad and our tongues rejoice; our bodies also will rest secure, because you will not abandon us.
We have trusted in your steadfast love; our hearts will rejoice in your salvation. We will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with us.
(Based on Psalm 13 and 16)
Song: 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Song: Indescribable
CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
When we look around at the world in which we live, the presence of evil and suffering is sometimes too much for us to bear. When sin entered the world, all of creation was broken, sin shattered the good and perfect creation God had made and we still live in that reality now. God wants us to bring our suffering to Him though, we can make a case before Him, laying our emotion and frustration before Him. Take a moment to do that now, to confess where you see the damaging effects of sin in your own life, lamenting at the suffering and evil we see all around us.
In the Bible God tells us that creation is still groaning and the effects of sin are still a reality for us. But God is still good, Christ has taken our sin upon him and dealt with it so that we have a future hope where there will be no more pain or suffering. The hope of the gospel is that not only has our sin been dealt with but God meets us in our struggles now.
Song: O God
PASSING OF THE PEACE
PREACHING OF THE WORD
This week Gary Aston preached the first in our new series on Lament. He took us through Psalm 13 as an example of a Psalm of Lament and helped us look at Suffering, Evil, & Lament. Click here to listen to that sermon.
COMMUNION
Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and the wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.
POST COMMUNION READING
Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.
With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.
Song: When I Survey
Song: The Power of the Cross
COMMITMENT READING
Father we thank you that you care for us in the midst of our pain and suffering. Thank you that Jesus came down into our broken world, suffering for our sake, that we might be healed.The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us, we are free from the power of sin and we will be raised to new life in Christ.
Help us in the midst of our troubles to know that because Jesus suffered, he is able to empathize with our sufferings and help us to comfort one another with the comfort that only comes through Christ. Amen.
Song: Cornerstone
BENEDICTION
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Peace be with you.
And also with you.
Amen.