Worship Notes for Sunday, January 22, 2012
Our study of The Gospel of Luke leads us today to an interesting story from the childhood of Jesus in which we catch a glimpse of his family life. Our themes this morning concentrate on growing in wisdom and the Father’s House. The Call to Worship from Psalm 78 exhorts us to give ear to sound teaching and to pass that along to the coming generations that they may “not forget Your works, but keep Your Commandments.” We respond in singing Praise to the Lord who call us to draw near to His temple and join in adoration with praises before Him.Our New Testament Reading from Hebrews 5 contains the perplexing verse, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” which is interesting in light of our passage from Luke 2 in which Christ responds in submission to his earthly parents. The Prayer of Confession from Titus 3 and Romans 8 focuses on our need to be submissive and obedient so that we can be ready for every good work even as we set our minds on the things of the Spirit. We sing of what this obedience looks like in our hymn Jesus I My Cross Have Taken—even as we recognize our rich condition of Jesus as our all in all.
Our second Communion Hymn, O Lord How Joyful, reminds us of the sweetness of God holy house as we sing together of His grace. We continue this theme of submission in our final hymn, All for Jesus. “Let my hands perform His bidding, Let my feet walk in His ways; Let my eyes see Jesus only, Let my lips speak forth His praise.”
