Order of Worship for 10/5/08
So I just came back from a retreat that brought out some emotions and desires inside of me that I’ve tried to push far down for most of my life. This is a long time coming and am thankful that I was able to go to those places, but those emotions are so raw and new that I have a very thin layer between non-emotional Greg and uber-emotional Greg. While it may be socially awkward at times, it’s a very good thing and I welcome it. It will be a while before I will be able to handle this stuff in a healthy way.
But the title of this post says “Order of Worship,” doesn’t it? Well I think this is an area I’ve been learning much lately- the intersection of the worship leader’s personal life and the structure of the main Sunday worship service. On one hand, you don’t want the Sunday to be a 1:1 representation of everything a worship leader has experienced that week. But the truth of the matter is that God has ordained people to lead His people, and people go through stuff. If God has ordained a pastor of any sort, there’s going to be some carry-over, and if we don’t affirm what God is doing with us, we could miss out on what God has been doing through us. And being a leader, we have some sort of responsibility of making this known. So it can be tricky, and I’m still learning, but there’s some kind of intersection here.
And that’s where the title of this post comes in to play. When setting up this worship service, I am still working through all that God has taught me, and here’s how I’m trying to keep my feet in both arenas. In the scriptures read and the songs sung, I’m trying to bring home the idea that we must experience God’s love- and this love reaches deeper than what we give credit for. When we realize and experience His love, we are now able to take this to others. This is my attempt to navigate those waters this Sunday:
Call to Worship: Psalm 8 and its focus on God’s glory shining brightest when we have our glory.
Song: Famous One
Reading: Psalm 139:1-5, In our darkest moments, God is able to spend an infinite amount of time to bring restoration to our most broken parts.
Confession: from the 1689 London Baptist Confession, on prayer.
Song: Come, Ye Sinners
Song: The Power of the Cross
Reading: Matthew 11:28-30, Come stand before Jesus who is our rest that penetrates to all parts of our being.
Songs: Here I Am to Worship / Famous One reprise
Offertory: There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood (I didn’t pick this, but it worked out great!)
Sermon Text: John 4:1-15 (The Woman at the Well)
Sermon Theme: Because Jesus Christ came into the world on a saving mission for nothing less than the whole world, we should come to know His Messiah by faith and to make him known with winsome zeal.
Response in Song: Let My Words Be Few, standing in the presence of an awesome God.
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:30 pm:
noooooooooooo…. I’m out of town this Sunday. Oh well. Just tell me it wasn’t the hymn.
October 1st, 2008 at 2:59 pm:
Ahaha…no, it’s the normal version we do. And I don’t think the hymn version is the version you like. I think you like Robbie Seay’s version:
http://www.last.fm/music/Robbie+Seay+Band/_/Come+Ye+Sinners
I’m not sure if this is someone else’s version, but I think it’s the one you like.
October 1st, 2008 at 4:06 pm:
Yes, you’re right. I thought that was the hymn, but maybe it’s just the same lyrics. I think Jami Smith and Todd Agnew both do a better job with it, but I believe it’s essentially Robbie Seay’s composition.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:49 pm:
That’s the version we do too. I never heard the original before.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:26 pm:
@Tim: Here’s the version we do at OGC (mp3), I still don’t know how I feel about it. I’ve always thought it to be more of a contemplative song, but the alt.country flavor is always appealing to me.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:21 am:
Greg,
I love your thoughts! The hard thing is when you don’t feel like leading at all. I don’t even really know how to think about it yet. But like you said above he has ordained it. We are broken people and not perfect but we must pay attention to the reality of our ordination. The hard thing is we’re shallow and don’t want people to know that we’re going through crap. We must never for get the important thing, It’s not just for us! That is when I look to God for forgiveness and reconciliation because I don’t want my sin coming between the people and the throne. I must never forget that He is my portion and even the junk that happens during the week isn’t what represents me or what I (should) find my security in, especially while leading. I’m not saying that we should conceal those feelings or their not real, it is a reality and is something that we do go through and experience, but, this is precisely where I think the emotional side can get in the way. It is interesting though your thoughts, “… there’s going to be some carry-over, and if we don’t affirm what God is doing with us, we could miss out on what God has been doing through us. And being a leader, we have some sort of responsibility of making this known.” I don’t even know how to tackle this, what are your thoughts? Being transparent people while still leading in a ordered way. It’s hard for me to explain because I think I’m too unemotional. I stifle those emotions a lot of the time. We know there must be a balance and that is what this portion life is about I guess, figuring that balance out. We must rely on His sustenance and have the faith to obey (lead) because we have been ordained to do it. What is really encouraging is being broken and humble, repenting of the sin and then being restored. How cool is it to see this happen and then the sweetness of being able to praise Him that next Sunday morning. I’m rambling on and on, sorry about that Sol…. anyway thanks for the thoughts and we should chat about more worship ideas. I still am dying to hear some Gregorious Originals. I also see that your keeping the Seay in the mix, I likely, likely! Come thou sinners is a great song, we used to play it at West Boca and it was very hymnish if you will. Alright player, I’m off to NYC for Kari Ann’s wedding so I’ll think about you when I spit off the Empire State Building! ……. hopefully I don’t hit someone square on the head… Wouldn’t that go right through them? because of the height? Yeah, I probably won’t do that or maybe I’ll just throw a handful of quarters! Later, Steveo
October 8th, 2008 at 10:29 pm:
@Steve: I always love your comments, they’re a mixture of email/comment and freaking hilarious.
But you’re right- the hardest is when you don’t feel like leading, yet God has called you to lead. How do we figure out how much of our life to give? I don’t have any idea, but I’m trying to be faithful.
Asking Pastor Curt, he stressed transparency. And left it up to this: how is the Spirit leading you? This is kinda scary because there’s not a step by step process of exactly what to do or not to do. And even more scary because it requires to really have healthy conversation with the Spirit and ourselves. I think our emotional life is one part of this, what we think is another, what we do, these are all parts of our human (and God-given) experience.
But being in step with the Spirit, as much as it might evade hard and fast definitions is how we do it.
Man, Steve, good stuff wrapped up in there.