Worship Notes for Sunday, September 25, 2011
Last week we talked about the character of our creator God; this week we’ll continue with what it means to be created in the image of God. Our Introit for this season tells of God as the King of creation who is worthy of praise and who sustains us in life and health. The Call to Worship from Psalm 86 echoes this language of the Lord’s wondrous works and the desire to walk united in His truth. The opening hymn, Crown Him with Many Crowns, continues the idea of the Creator God who rules over all of His creation.The Old Testament Reading from Psalm 8 reiterates the dignity with which God created man and refers to the language of Genesis 1 with dominion over the beasts, birds and fish who fill up the earth, sky and sea. The Prayer of Confession from Romans 1 confronts us with our sinful nature that darkens our hearts to the wondrous attributes of God that surround us and foolishly results in our exchanging God’s glory for earthly things. II Corinthians 5 reminds us that is we are in Christ, we are a new creation—a recreation. We respond by singing from Psalm 22 of the homage and worship due to God and the desire to teach all generations His wondrous works.
The first communion hymn, Unto Christ Who Loved Us, uses the words from Revelation 5 to reiterate the dignity of mankind in that Christ has washed us in His own blood and has made us kings and priests unto God. The second communion hymn, O Give the Lord Wholehearted Praise (Psalm 111) speaks again of the praise due to God and the desire to explore and search His mighty works and wondrous ways. With our desire to be recreated in the likeness of Christ, we conclude the service by singing May the Mind of Christ My Savior and Verse 4 of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. “Finish then Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be.
