Worship Notes for Sunday, October 9, 2011
The eternal relationship and communion of the Father, Son and Spirit provides the model for human relationships as we live out what it means to be made in His image. We will trace this theme through our Scripture readings and hymns this morning. The Call to Worship from Psalm 29 invites God’s people to ascribe to Him glory and to worship the Lord in “the splendor of holiness” and He blesses His people with strength and peace. Our song of praise is Holy God We Praise Your Name which not only offers worship to God but also reiterates the relationship in the Trinity—three, “in essence only One,” and “undivided.”The New Testament Reading is from Ephesians 5:22-33 which echoes the language of Genesis 2 and the establishment of the human relationship and covenant of marriage. However, Paul’s point is the more profound relationship of Christ with His Bride, the Church. We are confronted with the very real fact that we are an unfaithful bride who does not love Christ (or each other) as we ought. Our Confession comes from Romans 12 as we confront the lack of genuineness in love, brotherly affection, and living in harmony with one another. But God reminds us in II Corinthians 5:17-19 that in Christ we are new creations and the old has passed away. Our relationship with God is reconciled through Christ even as we go forth to reconcile others.
To this great truth we respond with Speak, O Lord—not only to feed on His Word but that His truth would “shape and fashion us” in His likeness that others may see Christ in our “acts of love and our deeds of faith.” During Communion we will sing How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds and Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life. We sing of Jesus as our “Shepherd, Brother, Friend, Prophet, Priest and King” and our “Way, Truth, Life, Light, Feast, Strength, Joy, Love and Heart.” Our final hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 133. O Lord, How Joyful Tis to See resounds with the prayer for unity centered in the House of God and founded in the grace of Christ alone.
