Worship Notes for Sunday, January 29, 2012
As we move into Luke’s narrative of the ministry of Christ, we encounter the now grown son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptizer and his proclamation of a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” We will sing and read of the righteousness of God and the fruits of repentance. We begin with the Call to Worship from Psalm 5 and the desire for the Lord to lead us in righteousness. We continue by singing Come Thou Fount recognizing our wandering hearts but the great grace of God that seals our hearts for his glory.The Prayer of Confession from 2 Timothy 2 focuses on our propensity to focus on petty quarrels that lead us away from godliness and the truth instead of pursuing “righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” These are the things that the Assurance from Colossians 1 calls “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Our next hymn, Blest is the Man (Psalm 32), sings of the blessing of knowing that our sins and their guilt is covered by the blood of our Savior. This leads to the “bright evidence of grace” which is the fruit of repentance.
Our Communion Hymns include a Robert Murray M’Cheyne text that emphasizes the beautiful robe of righteousness that is ours in Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The second hymn from Psalm 130 reiterates the call of repentance and the great mercy of God.
We conclude by singing Breathe on Me, Breath of God as a sending out prayer for the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts not only repentance but a new heart that loves what God loves that we may be overflowing with the fruit of righteousness.
