It’s Christ in the Psalms week five at Park Church. We study the Psalms for about ten weeks each summer, because they give us a vocabulary and a “hymnal” for relating to God through the full range of human experience and emotion, ultimately pointing us to Jesus. This week, we’re in Psalm 94.
As an additional means to engage with the Psalms, we have a different artist in our community make a piece each week to be displayed in the foyer. Last week, our piece for Psalm 94 was done by Lou Ann Summers. Read more about that here. You can also see and read about all past Christ in the Psalms artwork pieces here (they go back as far as Psalm 41). Lastly, be sure to visit the side gallery each week (where you get coffee) to see the originals of all this year’s artwork pieces displayed together.
Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday this week:
1. Read through our text, Psalm 94.
In Psalm 94, the people of God are oppressed by ruthless enemies—the kind of people who attack the vulnerable and weak (the widow, the sojourner, the fatherless). In the midst of this oppression, they are reminded of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love, even as they long for a day when the oppression will cease.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 94:16–19, Welcome (From Immanuel Nashville):
To all who are weary and need rest,
To all who mourn and long for comfort,
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares,
To all who fail and desire strength,
To all who sin and need a Savior,
This church opens wide her doors
with a welcome from Jesus Christ,
the Ally of His enemies, the Defender of the guilty,
the Justifier of the inexcusable, the Friend of sinners,
Welcome!
Rejoice The Lord Is King (Joel Limpic, Charles Wesley)
Joy (Pat Barrett, Tony Brown arr. VaShawn Mitchell)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on The Worship Sourcebook:
Loving Father and King,
together we grieve the brokenness and darkness
we find in the world around us.
We lift our voices and say, “How long?”
We also acknowledge the deep brokenness
found in each of our hearts.
We confess that often we have failed to be an obedient church:
we have not done Your will;
we have broken Your law;
we have rebelled against your love;
we have not loved our neighbors;
we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Based on Revelation 5:5, 9–10:
Do not weep!
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.
With His blood He has purchased people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
He has made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
Is He Worthy? (Andrew Peterson, Ben Shive arr. Shane & Shane)
One Thing Remains (Christa Black Gifford, Brian Johnson, Jeremy Riddle)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION:
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas Obediah Chisholm, William Marion Runyan)
YOUNG LIFE NORTH HIGH
Establish The Work Of Our Hands (Cunningham, Keyes, McCracken, Palmer, Vice, Wardell, Zach)
