Worship Notes for Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wherefore, although we look far and wide and search on every hand, we shall not find better songs nor songs better suited to that end than the Psalms of David which the Holy Spirit made and uttered through him. And for this reason, when we sing them we may be certain that God puts the words, in our mouths as if Himself sang in us to exalt His glory. —John CalvinWe sing of joy and restoration in praise of God’s glory in Psalm 126. We start with the words of the Lord from Isaiah 65 as our Call to Worship—“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” We sing of this recreating power in Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven Psalm 103) for we are “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven” and we sing great praise to the God of grace. We continue with a new song for us, Come Ye that Love the Savior’s Name that is a setting of an old Anne Steele text that encourages us to behold the Lord crowned with glory and seated on His throne. O how we long to sing and praise Him!
Ezekiel 39 reminds us of God’s promise to have mercy and restore His people as He pours out His Spirit upon them. Our Prayer of Confession from Jeremiah 30 cause us to remember our great our need for restoration really is because of the grievous and incurable wound of sin. However, as the passage continues as our Assurance of Pardon, God declares that He will restore fortunes and have compassion, and His people will respond in thanksgiving and celebration.
We continue by singing He Will Rejoice Over You and Glory Be to God the Father. For Communion we will sing How Can I Keep from Singing and My God, My Portion, and My Love—songs of new creation. We will close the service with Amazing Grace as a beautiful expression of the recreating work and grace that the Spirit applies to our hearts and lives because of the finished work of Christ.
