Life Together - The online bulletin that keeps you connected
Many thanks to today’s musicians: Vocals - Sarah Solie and Jamie Turnage; Instruments - Matt Bridges, Scott Laird, and Kate Wilkin (viola).
Worship from Home
August 9, 2020
Prelude | “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed” (violin-viola duet)
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away
’Tis all that I can do.
Words by Isaac Watts, 1707. Celtic tune, arranged by Dave Stuntz.
Invocation
Come, Lord.
By Your Holy Spirit, meet us as we worship from home.
Move us to love You and to love one another.
We ask because of all that you have already given in Jesus’ Christ.
In His name we pray, Amen.
Song | “Come, O Redeemer Come”
Father enthroned on high, holy, holy,
Ancient, eternal Light, hear our prayer.
Come, O Redeemer come, grant us mercy.
Come, O Redeemer come, grant us peace.
Lord, save us from the dark of our striving;
Faithless and troubled hearts, weighed down.
Refrain
Look now upon our need; Lord be with us.
Heal us and make us free from our sin.
Refrain (twice)
Words and Music by Fernando Ortega © 1996, Metro One, Inc. CCLI# 43066
Scripture Reading | Psalm 66
Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”
Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you—
vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Song | “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit, ‘til released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit, here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer; here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, ‘til death shall loose me I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.
Words by Robert Robinson, 1758.
Call to Confession
“Let Thy goodness...bind my wandering heart to Thee.”
The death and resurrection of Jesus assure us of God’s kindness--even to wandering ones like us.
Therefore, let us come before the Lord with confidence as we confess our sins.
Prayer of Confession
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to your promises given to us In Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Friends, it is true: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Passing the Peace
May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you
Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed
We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Children’s Blessing
Psalm 40:1-3
Children’s Worship
If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie.
Proclamation of the Word | Pastor Allan Poole
The Lord’s Prayer: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Song of Response | “My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone”
My soul finds rest in God alone,
My Rock and my salvation;
A fortress strong against my foes,
And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness,
I’ll look to Him who hears me.
O praise Him, hallelujah, my delight and my reward!
Everlasting, never failing, my Redeemer, my God.
My soul finds rest in God alone,
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold,
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.
I’ll set my gaze on God alone
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death,
And I am His forever.
Words and Music by Aaron Keyes and Stuart Townend.
© 2007 Thankyou Music. CCLI #43066.
Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving
You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall. Your financial giving includes support of Blacknall missionaries Erin and David Pervis are now relocated in Athens to reach out to the many Muslim refugees who have settled into Greece.
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession | Prayer Requests
Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping. (Ps. 66:9-10)
We praise you together, Lord.
We remember that the death and resurrection of Jesus was an awesome deed done for us. As we endure trials of many kinds, make His life precious to us.
We pray for our congregation:
While we are scattered, strengthen us. In your power, renew our bonds to You and to one another.
We pray especially for those who endure illness, grief, isolation, and sorrow. Holy Spirit, show us how to walk with them.
We pray for the church:
We thank you for our brothers and sisters throughout the world and across the city. As we reckon with racism, cleanse and defend us. Make us holy and may your gospel go forth.
We pray together:
For our civic leaders, that they would use their authority to safeguard the well-being and dignity of all. Lord, have mercy.
For those who are sick and alone (especially ________), may they know your healing, comfort and care. Lord, have mercy.
For those who provide care (especially ________), give them strength, courage, and rest. Lord, have mercy.
For those who are grieving (especially ________), may they lament and receive hope because of you. Lord, have mercy.
For the church, that our willingness to love others as neighbors would witness to your love and power in us. Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray as Jesus taught us: Our Father...
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Benediction
Song | “He Who Watches Over You”
He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep;
He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep.
O My child, lay your burdens down,
Lay them at My feet.
He who watches over you
Will never slumber nor sleep.