Worship Notes for Sunday, September 2, 2012
In our service this morning, we encounter a short parable of Christ designed to cause us to consider our own sin in all humility before speaking to our brother in love. The Call to Worship from Psalm 148 begins the service with a jubilant cry to “Praise the Lord!” and we respond in singing Rejoice, the Lord is King. Our next hymn, Come Ye that Love the Savior’s Name, continues the theme of praise to God and desire to tell of His wondrous glory.The New Testament Reading from Colossians 3 commands us to bear with one another in meekness and patience and to forgive and the Lord has forgiven you. The following verses instruct us to admonish and teach one another through the means of singing with thanksgiving. The Apostle Paul writes these instructions after reminding the people of Colossae about who they were before Christ—it is these earlier verses in Colossians 3 that we turn to for our Prayer of Confession. Our earthly minds were set on immorality, impurity, evil desires and covetousness that are all idols in our hearts. While Christ unites, our sinful nature wants to divide based on ethnicity, theology, education, or socio-economic status. But thanks be to God who does not allow us to remain with a deceitful heart but forgives our sins (Psalm 32).
For our Communion Hymns we sing Colossians 3 and the beautiful George Herbert text, Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life. We conclude the service by singing May the Mind of Christ Our Savior as a prayer and benediction for our lives and hearts to reflect the beauty of the Savior in what we say and do as the Word dwells in us richly in peace and joy.
