July 28, 2019
This will be week eight of ten for Christ in the Psalms 2019 at Park Church. Each year we spend about ten weeks in the Psalms. We tackle one Psalm at a time, taking them in order. Why do we do this? The Psalms 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.
As an additional way 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 96 was done by Alyssa Beck. Read more about that here. 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 (where you get coffee) each week to see all the originals for this year’s Christ in the Psalms series displayed together.
Here’s how you can prepare for this week at Park Church:
1. Read through our text, Psalm 97.
Psalm 97 is a celebration of God’s reign over the earth. The reign of God is the source of joy, security, and hope for those who love the Lord, as well as the basis for judgment for those who oppose His reign and vainly attempt to forge alternate paths to joy and life. In the midst of the complexities of our world, this Psalm calls all “lovers of God” to “hate evil” and to hold fast to the hope that the darkness in our world will soon give way to the dawn of God’s New Creation.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 97:1–6, 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!
Great Is The Lord (Joseph Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)
This Is My Father’s World (Maltbie Davenport Babcock arr. Gungor)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on The Worship Sourcebook:
God of grace,
we confess that we have elevated
the things of this world above You.
We have made idols of possessions and people
and used Your name for causes
that are not consistent with You and Your purposes.
We have permitted our schedules to come first
and have not taken the time to worship You.
We have not always honored those who guided us in life.
We have participated in systems
that take life instead of give it.
We have been unfaithful in our covenant relationships.
We have yearned for, and sometimes taken, that which is not ours,
and we have misrepresented others’ intentions.
Forgive us, O God,
for the many ways we fall short of Your glory.
Help us to learn to live together according to Your ways
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 Peter 1:3–5
Living Hope (Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION:
Psalm 32:10–11 (Sean Brage)
VOCATIONAL COMMISSIONING: Law
Let Justice Roll Like A River (Rebecca Elliot, Bobby Gilles)