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In between Advent/Christmastide/Epiphany and beginning our series in Matthew, we’re taking a few weeks to engage with the new year by considering what’s called a “Rule of Life.” This will be week two of three in our mini-series, Engaging The New Year: Steps Toward a Rule of Life.
If you haven’t already seen it, here’s last week’s liturgical audit as a great way t get started. Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday:
1. Read our text, Psalm 27:4.
King David’s prayer from Psalm 27:4 aids us as we seek to build an intentional foundation and trajectory for the coming year, calling us back to communion with God as the basis for all else we do.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 108:1–4
Great Is The Lord (Joseph Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)
Build My Life (Barrett, Kable, Martin, Redman, Younker)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:
Our lives are cluttered, Lord Jesus, by too many things
and too much to do.
We are driven by the need to succeed and distracted from our service.
We have often lost our way. Forgive us.
Let us, like Mary,
find the one thing that is needed and sit at your feet. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 15:15–16
God I Look To You (Ian McIntosh, Jenn Johnson) / I Love You Lord (Laurie Klien)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION
Rock of Ages (Augustus Montague Toplady arr. Page CXVI)
Jesus Is Better (Aaron Ivey, Brett Land)
BENEDICTION
A liturgical audit (or habit inventory) is simply an honest account of how you are spending your time during the week. The goal is not to foster comparison or shame, but to help you see the habits and rhythms that are shaping you, and to consider what they reveal about your values and desires.
WRITE: Make a list of your time spent during the week.
- Write down what you do in the morning, during the day, and in the evening. Include the first and last things you do every day.
- Write down how much time you spend on each activity, including the small things (time spent sleeping, getting ready for the day, on your phone, watching TV, getting kids ready, preparing & eating meals, exercising, time with Jesus, commuting, podcasts, time with friends, etc.)
- Consider how frequently or infrequently you incorporate various activities. Consider how your weekend habits are different than weekdays.
CONSIDER: Consider your daily and weekly habits and write down some observations.
- What is encouraging or discouraging about your habits?
- What do they reveal about your values and desires?
- How might these things be forming you, your family, or your community?
- Are these things cultivating a deeper love for Jesus and for His calling in your life?
PRAY: Talk to Jesus about what you are seeing and feeling about these things.
- Remember that Jesus loves you and is inviting you into deeper communion with him and a more meaningful life.
- Ask Him if there are habits that should change in some way?
- Tell Him about what feels challenging.
- Ask Him for help as you continue to try to orient your life around His presence with you.
DISCUSS: Take time to talk about your observations and thoughts with a friend, spouse, or people in your Gospel Community.
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This Sunday at Park Church we’ll celebrate Epiphany, a day that focuses on the appearance of Christ, the Light of the World.
Learn about Epiphany and explore our artistic accompaniment to the season over at The Christian Year. Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday:
1. Read through our text, John 4:1–30.
Those who observe Christmas as a standalone event may find it difficult to get past the sentimentality of seeing a mild-natured baby in the manger. But the incarnation involves much more than the drama of Christmas itself; it brings a vision of God’s glory to the nations of the world.
Epiphany is a day to focus on Jesus’ ministry so that, from Christmas onward, worshipers grow in awareness of the significance of Jesus’ entire life.
(Adapted from “The Worship Sourcebook.”)
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 36:7–9
Here For You (Maher, Redman, Reeves, Wanstall)
Walk Among Us (Joel Limpic)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:
God of grace,
we confess that we have elevated 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: Ezekiel 36:25–26
Who You Say I Am (Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan)
Amazing Grace (John Newton)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE, & COMMUNION
Christ Whose Glory Fills The Skies (John Petterson, Charles Wesley)
All Glory Be To Christ (Dustin Kensrue arr. Kings (MHM))
BENEDICTION
This Sunday at Park Church we’ll celebrate the season of Christmastide together.
Learn about Christmastide and explore our artistic accompaniment to the season over at The Christian Year. Here’s how you can prepare for Sunday:
1. Read through our text, Isaiah 9:1–7.
What is Christmastide? Here’s what The Worship Sourcebook says:
“Whereas during Advent we anticipate the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, at Christmas we identify with the angels who proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest”; with the shepherds, who were afraid but nevertheless offered worship; and with Mary, who pondered the meaning of these events in her heart (Luke 2:13–20). Celebrating Christmas as a season helps us both to enter into the meaning of the incarnation more fully than celebrating a single day and to focus on additional Scripture texts that explore the meaning of Christmas beyond the familiar words of Luke 2.”
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Isaiah 9:2–3
Go Tell It On The Mountain (John W. Work Jr. arr. The Christian Year)
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery (Michael Bleecker, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From Every Season Prayers by Scotty Smith:
Dear heavenly Father, with the angels, we shout loud praises over the birth of Jesus;
with the shepherds, we respond with joy for the gift of a Savior;
with Mary, we treasure and ponder this good news in our hearts.
You have been faithful to fulfill ancient prophecies and Your covenant promises.
Because of Jesus’ finished work, we now live in Your perpetual favor;
and because of the Spirit’s ongoing work, we now humble ourselves before You.
We confess our sins to You: Forgive us for attitudes and actions that misrepresent You,
contradict Your grace, and sabotage love.
Forgive us for speaking words that brought harm and shame,
and for withholding words that bring healing and hope.
Forgive us for spending so much time and energy on ourselves and our trifles,
and so little time with You and on the things that matter the most.
We offer our prayer, humbly, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 John 1:5–9
Grace Alone (Dustin Kensrue) / You Keep On Getting Better (Dante Bowe, Jonathan Jay, Majesty Rose)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE, & COMMUNION
Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) (Joel Houston, Jonas Myrin)
We Will Feast In The House Of Zion (Sandra McCracken, Joshua Moore)
BENEDICTION
The purpose of this blog is to give you as a family and/or community of friends some ideas to read, pray, and sing as you celebrate Christmas together. Use and arrange the different elements as they are helpful for your context.
The four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are the season of Advent. The aim of Advent is to create longing for the coming of Christ. Christmas Day and the season of Christmastide (the twelve days following Christmas) are intended to celebrate the glorious reality that Jesus has come to us in the incarnation and to teach our hearts to long for him to return! In short, Christmas is the celebration that Advent builds up to—and here we are!
Feasting on good food, gathering with loved ones, and exchanging gifts are all appropriate ways to celebrate this beautiful truth; they are each a small and imperfect reminder of the God who has perfectly come to save His people—and who will one day come again.
READ
Here are three possibilities:
- Before you open gifts, consider reading through Luke 2:1–20 together and talking about what stood out. For those with kids, ask them questions about what they heard and what stood out.
- Pick and read one of the Christmas stories in the Jesus Storybook Bible. There are three accounts: “He’s Here!” (pg 176) tells the nativity account from Luke 1-2. “The Light of the Whole World” (pg 184) tells the story of the shepherds from Luke 2. “The King of All Kings” (pg 192) provides an account of the story of the Three Wise Men from Matthew 2.
- Read a fun Christmas morning liturgy. Common Rule created two superb Christmas morning liturgies, an adult version and one designed to be read with kids (it involves hot chocolate and marshmallows!). Click here for the adult version and here for the one that includes kids.
PRAY
Here are three different ways to pray:
Pray prayers of gratitude.
- Thank God for anything that stood out in the story from Luke as you read it.
- Think about the last year. What are one or two things that you are thankful for?
- Thank God for particular friends or family members
Pray prayers of petition.
- Pray for those experiencing their first Christmas without a particular loved one.
- Pray for those who are homeless, hungry, and/or physically suffering.
- Pray for restoration in relationships that are challenging.
- Pray that the Church in Denver and in other communities around the world will thrive.
- Pray that people who do not know the love of Christ trust in Him this season.
Pray from “The Valley of Vision.”
O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father,
place me with ox, donkey, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face,
and in Him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born Child to my heart,
embrace Him with undying faith,
exulting that He is mine and I am His.
In Him Thou hast given me so much that heaven can give no more.
(From “Gift of Gifts” in The Valley of Vision)
SING
We’ve provided you with a playlist of some classic Christmas hymns and songs. You are welcome to either sing along to these songs or just have this playing in the background as you open gifts!
Joy To The World (Joyful Joyful) by Phil Wickham
Hark The Herald Angels Sing by Sandra McCracken
The First Noel by Shane & Shane
O Little Town of Bethlehem by Bifrost Arts Music
O Holy Night by Heck Ya The Halls
Silent Night by Hillsong Worship
What Child Is This? by Sleeping At Last
RESOURCES
10 Questions To Ask At Your Christmas Gathering by Donald Whitney
Need a few questions to get some conversational juices flowing? Try this for a few aids!
9 Things You Should Know About Christmas by Joe Carter
Read 9 interesting facts about Christmas that you may not have known!
The Christian Year: Christmastide
Click here for some music, visual art, and prayers tied to the Christmas season. Listen to the song about the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Look at the artwork and consider what it teaches you about Christmas. Pray the prayers made available.
Merry Christmas!
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