Bulletin and Worship Notes for Sunday, July 20, 2014

We continue our discussion of the sacraments this week with baptism. As such, we will trace a theme of cleansing, renewal, death to life, and the sign of God’s covenantal mark on His people.Our first hymn, Glory Be to God the Father, speaks of Christ who has “washed us from each spot and stain.” Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder continues with this idea for “He has washed us with His blood” and has made peace with God.

This need for cleansing is poignantly expressed by David in Psalm 51 as our Prayer of Confession. “Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and cleanse us of our sin,” he writes and we echo. Jeremiah reminds us in the Assurance of Pardon that God will indeed cleanse us from our sins as His people.

We continue in this theme with Rock of Ages and the fountain to which we come that cleans and restores. The Hymns of Communion—There is a Fountain and Jesus Paid it All—both speak God’s people and the cleansing and washing away of sin that we that is marked in baptism but fulfilled in Christ. Indeed, it is God’s Marvelous Grace and not our own merit that we sing about at the conclusion of the service. His grace is indeed greater than all our sin.

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