LUKE: Ready to Serve

Worship Notes

By: Chris Coleman

It is great to get to share some of my notes on the song selections again for this Sunday. I hope that we will be able to listen to the songs and meditate on the texts as we prepare ourselves for worship each week. We have a couple of hymns in the mix this week. Don’t forget that there will be hymnals near the door if you would like to use them.

It is such a joy to be able to share each week something that I love to do, and that is sing praises to God with my friends and family. However, this year has put a bit of a strain on our Worship and Tech teams. I know that many of you have talents to share, and we are always looking for people to enhance our Sunday gatherings. If you have a heart for worship, the church needs you. Please feel free to reach out to me if you are interested. If you just want a no-pressure way to see what we do, you can always join us Sundays at 8:00 a.m. for our rehearsal.

Excited to worship with you this Sunday! – Chris

Great Is Thy Faithfulness – Hymnal #78 

Have you ever read or looked at something that you have known for years, only to discover some new detail that you had missed, but that had been there all along? Many of us have sung this hymn since we were children. It gives incredible comfort reminding us of God’s eternal and steadfast nature. He is always there to guide and provide. This week when reviewing the text of this hymn, I realized how amazing the line “morning by morning, new mercies I see” is. Sure, we can regularly see new mercies and mysteries in creation when we look around, but what better way to describe the experience we have as we grow in closer relationship to God. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. However, He is so amazing that every time we look, we see some new mercy that He had waiting there for us all along.

Listen to this hymn with full text here: 

https://youtu.be/0k1WhFtVp0o

Forever 

Psalm 89:1-2 

¹ I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. ² For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness." 

Is it possible for a human to have a true sense of forever? We perceive everything through our scope of time, but God is outside of time. When we sing “His love endures forever,” do we understand the full extent of that statement? How awesome is it to think that with all we know and have experienced of God’s love, that there is even more beyond our understanding? When we sing “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm", we sing of two sides of God’s nature. He is I Am, the source of everything with a mighty arm that shows His truth. Still, He is merciful with an outstretched arm to welcome all of us with love, even though we have sinned. His love will always be there for us. Forever.

Listen to this song with full text here: 

https://youtu.be/ks86XlVKaB8 

Before the Throne of God Above 

“My name is graven on His hands. My name is written on his heart.” 
 

“Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free” 
 

These words get me every time I sing this song. When I compare my life to the standard that God has set, or even to the weak standard that I have set, I could easily despair at my failings. Still, to realize that I am worth enough to my God that He sent His son to take my punishment is more humbling than a person can bear. Thank God that we don’t have to earn His love. He gave it freely to us through His sacrifice, and all that is required is to look to Him and accept it.

Listen to this song with full text here: 

https://youtu.be/4MUNywhsZPU 

Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment – Hymnal #435 

Caroline Sandell wrote this hymn after witnessing her father drown. Anyone who has experienced grief will understand the depth of the first line. Each new day and every moment is a struggle as we are forced to face a world that is now missing a loved one. We have the hope of what is yet to come, but we are still stuck here in the now. What do we do when we no longer have strength and want to give up? We don’t have to rely on our own strength. God gives us His strength for every challenge we face here. There is more to do, and He has given us a purpose. We must trust Him and continue the work that He has given us to do.

“One by one, the days, the moments fleeting, 'til I reach the promised land.”

Listen to this song with full text here: 

https://youtu.be/lNVCcph6cnI