The Way We Worship Together: May 22, 2011
Thank you to the wonderful Hope Spicer for this week's photos! This is also posted at unioncenter.org.
Welcome to a weekly overview of Union Center Christian Church's Sunday morning service. You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led following the Call To Worship, but also the readings and prayers from our pattern of worship (aka, the liturgy). |
You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. You can learn about some of the songs we sing at Union Center each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading the “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday.
Call To Worship
Pastor Sal welcomed us as those gathered by God and encouraged us to greet each other. He then invited us meditate on the truth that in worship we do not conjure up God's presence. That Emmanuel, God-with-us, is present in worship and our hope is to be aware and present to Him in worship.
Song: Sing to the King, written by Billy James Foote. A familiar favorite at Union Center and appropriate for a day we worship the returning King.
Song: Holy, Holy, Holy, written by Reginald Heber (1826) and John B. Dykes (1861) with an updated arrangement by Steven Curtis Chapman. Listen to the song on YouTube.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
which wert and art and evermore shall be.
Words of Confession
Beau led us in a silent prayer of confession that the Holy Spirit would examine our hearts and reveal all the places we'd fallen short of God's holiness in this past week.
Words of Assurance
(from Psalm 46)
(from Psalm 46)
Neil: A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
Congregation: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel
Neil: Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
Congregation: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel
Song: I See the Lord, written by Chris Falson. Isaiah's words in its Revelation fulfillment:
I see the Lord, seated on the throne, exalted; And the train of His robe fills the temple with glory; And the whole earth is filled...with His glory.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Giving
The appropriate response to our Creator and Redeemer is to give from all we have - heart, soul, mind, strength, gifts and resources.
Life at the Center (ministry updates)
Pastor Sal gave us a Transition Journey update. Then we celebrated the good work and giving the Elevate students recently undertook raising over $5,000 to give toward the work of one of our missionaries as well as to a week of service at Arrowhead Camp serving the developmentally disabled. Way to go, Elevate!
Message
Pastor John tackled the book of Revelation in this thirty-first week of the series through The Story. Who would have known that this message would fall the day after the day the world was supposed to end!
Words of Sending and Benediction
Come Lord Jesus, quickly come!