The Journey West County Service Recap: 7.10.11
by David Potter on July 11, 2011
(David leads worship at The Journey Church in St Louis MO. Here’s a recap of the previous Sunday’s service)
We began our gathered time together with this call to worship from Psalm 104:1-3:
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind.
Song: O Worship the King. Words Robert Grant 1833, as arranged are recorded on The Journey’s album Have Thine Own Way. This served as a call to worship “our maker, defender, redeemer and friend” (You can purchase this albumhere or pick it up in the WC bookstore).
Song: Come Thou Fount. Words by Robert Robinson 1758. With this hymn we looked inward, admitting to God that we are prone to wander away from him, which led into a time of corporate confession.
We confessed our sin before God with this prayer:
Merciful God, we confess that
we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with
our whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be,
so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Song: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. Words by Charles Wesley, music by David Potter as recorded on Man of Sorrows Glorious King. We sang this song as an assurance of the forgiveness we have in Jesus, the one who was crucified to save his daughters and sons from the penalty of sin (You can listen to and purchase this album here).
For the mornings message, we heard from Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll, who preached from Ruth chapter 3. We learned that Jesus is the greater Boaz, and that like Boaz love for ruth, Christ’s love for us is not due to obligation or law, but because of his gracious and merciful disposition towards us.
In response to this grace and mercy, we gave our tithes back to the Lord, and remembered his death, life and future coming in communion.
Song: You Have Redeemed My Soul. By Don Chaffer, from Waterdeep and 100 Portraits now classic acoustic album Enter the Worship Circle.
Song: Man of Sorrows. Words by Phillip Bliss 1875, music by David Potter. We closed out the morning worshiping the crucified and risen Savior Jesus (You can download this song here).
The Journey West County Service Recap: 6.26.11
by David Potter on June 27, 2011
We began the gathered worship time with a call to worship from Psalm 98:1-3, emphasizing the truth that of the many reasons we worship God, one of the greatest is because He has made his salvation known to his people:
Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth
have seen the salvation of our God.
SONG: Crown Him with Many Crowns. Written by Matthew Bridges and George Elvey (1800′s), arr. Jason Magers. We used this great hymn as our call to worship, but it could be utilized in a number of different ways in a liturgy (assurance, adoration, even sending). I especially love the words of the fourth verse we sang, which are lesser known than those typically sung:
Crown Him the Lord of Heaven, enthroned in worlds above
Crown Him the King to Whom is given the wondrous name of Love
Crown Him with many crowns as thrones before Him fall
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns, for He is King of all
SONG: Everlasting God. Written by Benton Brown, arr. as recorded by Chris Tomlin on his album See the Morning. We continued on in adoration and praise for who God is with this song.
After recognizing and proclaiming God’s unchanging, never-ending goodness and faithfulness, we took time to privately confess our sin to God, followed a corporate confession of our need for a Savior, based on Psalm 79:9:
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;
Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.
Out of this confession came an assurance of the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ, followed by a new song.
SONG: You Alone Can Rescue: Written by Matt Redman, from his album We Shall Not Be Shaken. Redman consistently writes gospel-rich songs that are easy to learn and sing, and this song is no exception. It states our need for a Savior (Who, O Lord could save themselves?), followed by the confident declaration that God is the only one who can save us from our sin, and therefore deserves “the highest praise”. You can download this song here.
SONG: Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Written by Thomas Chisholm. This hymn introduced one of the themes of the morning’s message, that God is a good provider who blesses his children.
Pastor Bob Bickford preached from the second half of the second book of Ruth. Following the message we continued to worship through giving tithes and partaking in communion.
SONG: Man of Sorrows. Words by Phillip Bliss, music by David Potter. This served as our communion hymn. This is the title track of David’s album Man of Sorrows Glorious King.
SONG: Blessed Be Your Name: Another Matt (and Beth) Redman song, we left our gathered time choosing to bless the name of the One who “gives and takes away”, followed by this benediction from 1 Cor 13:14:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Go in peace.
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: 6.19.11
by David Potter on June 20, 2011
(David is worship director for The Journey Church’s West County campus in St Louis, MO. Each week he’ll post the order (liturgy) of hymns, songs and other liturgical elements from the past Sunday’s services)
We began this Sunday by reading a call to worship from Psalm 108:1-4. We talked about the reality that we may not be feeling quite like the Psalmist was when he wrote it, and so we asked God to help our hearts and minds to catch up with the words we read:
My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing. I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O LORD< among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
SONG: Holy, Holy, Holy. Words by Reginald Heber 1826. A great call to worship, as it clearly and succinctly states who God is and how we should respond (in the first two lines no less!).
There is a line in this hymn that states that God is indeed Holy even “though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see”. We recognized corporately that apart from the work of Jesus, our sin stained vision will not see the good and perfect God. We did this by reading this corporate confession (based on Psalm 108, from the Worship Sourcebook) together:
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to my cry!
If you, O LORD, should mark sins, Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be worshiped.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
My soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning.
O people of God, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem his people from all their sins.
SONG: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. Words by Charles Wesley, music and chorus words by David Potter. This song handles nicely both our need for a savior (confession) and the good news that a savior has come (assurance). You can find this arrangement on David’s newest record, Man of Sorrows Glorious King.
The following assurance of forgiveness was then read:
Know that Jesus has come, and that in his coming there is forgiveness of sin, new life, and hope. Let’s declare together that we are a people who find their hope in God.
SONG: I Cry Out (For You are Good). Written by Craig Musseau. This song highlighted the themes surrounding the first chapter of Ruth which we had studied the week before, mainly the idea that God is both sovereign and good.
We continued on by greeting each other, listening to a message on the second chapter of Ruth, and then responded with an offering and by taking communion.
SONG: Before the Throne. Words by Charitie Bancroft, as recorded by Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY. This great hymn works well in so many places, and this Sunday we used it as our communion song. You can find the arrangement on Sojourn’s excellent album of the same name.
SONG: What Love Is. Written by the Journey’s Joel Lindsey, based on 1 John 3:16. This is one of the best songs you’ve never heard of. Born out of the early years of the Journey, it serves as a wonderful sending song, as it helps us look outward to love and serve those God has called us to. You can download a free mp3 of this song here.