Sunday Set List: March 10 (daylight savings!)
Sunday Setlist:
| Not to Us
| He Reigns
| Holy, Holy, Holy
| Your Name
| The Way – [New Song]
| Glory to God, Forever (monthly audible)
…Anticipatory Reflections of Sunday…
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Psalm 115:1
The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! – Psalm 115:17, 18
The song Not to Us comes from this Psalm 115. Everything we are living for is not ourselves. What a joyful song to join together and sing!
Holy, Holy, Holy is a fitting song to open a time of praise putting God first. From top to bottom, it’s a song of the glory of God. As I reflected on this song, and our church family, I thought about Allison Moline. This week marks two years after she left earth to be forever with Jesus (and with us soon!). One of Allison favorite songs was this very song, and as I both grieve her loss, this week, and wonder at God’s faithfulness in bringing Meghann into Brandon’s life, and their new married life with 8 kids, I am blown away by how God is just what the hymn says “merciful and mighty” in our lives. Wow.
In He Reigns, we follow the glory of God, with His soon-coming glorious reign over all! He will one day completely make all things right, but even now—he reigns! There is much to rejoice about in this song, not least of which is the unshakable truth that “all the powers of darkness can’t drown out a single word / when all God’s children sing out glory, glory / hallelujah He reigns” I’m sitting down in my office as I type, but I might as well be floating. I am overwhelmed with anticipation for what God is going to do, in you, in us, into eternity!
“As morning dawns and evening fades, you inspire songs of praise” is the opening line in the song Your Name. As we sing it, you may praise God for the daylight that will be increasing with daylight savings, and you might think about how “This is the day the Lord has made” and rejoice and be glad in it. Good! A verse comes to mind of another truth that you can mean in your heart to Jesus in this moment as we sing this verse: “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” – Romans 13:12 “Casting off” means that you and I admit to things we’ve done. Calling them our “deeds of darkness” … who wants to own up to that? Sinners like you and me who see God’s holiness, His glory, His goodness! Sin comes to the light of conviction as we sing. We are called to confess sin, so be sure to obey the Spirit’s prompting when He lovingly brings something to your attention.
The Way – Pat Barrett writes a song based in Scripture and John 14:6. Lyrics in verse. This is a new song, so I will be reflecting a bit on this song multiple times in the coming weeks.
Through every battle
Through every heartbreak
Through every circumstance
I believe that You are my fortress
You are my portion
And You are my hiding place
I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
Jesus is there through every battle. We believe He is God. Jesus is there through every pain in our heart, and every situation—whether joyous, horrific, melancholy, or tricky.
We believe Jesus is our fortress – we run to Him. “The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” – Psalms 18:10
He is our portion – we are content with His love, and what He has given us. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. – Psalm 73:26
He is our hiding place – we are protected in Him. “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7
We were made to do this – worship isn’t entertainment. It’s you and me lifting the Name of Jesus up in our hearts, in our church, and together in our world.
PS: All month long, we celebrate our mission statement and seek to live it out. One of the songs in the wing is Glory to God, Forever – a joyful declaration of praise and glory, as well as an invitation for God to take us and make us a part of how He is glorified. “take my life and let it be / all for You and for Your glory.” How cool is it that our God (who doesn’t need us) wants us!? He is amazing! We may sing it any of these weeks.