August 4, 2019

It’s week nine of ten for Christ in the Psalms 2019. Each year at Park Church, we spend about ten weeks in the Psalms, tackling one Psalm at a time and 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 throughout the whole Psalter.

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 97 was done by Beth Dryer. 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 this week:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 98.

Psalm 98—like Psalm 96—invites the earth and everyone on it to praise the one true King. God’s rule and reign are celebrated as He goes about setting things right!

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 98:4–6, 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!

Before The Throne Of God (Charitie Lees Bancroft arr. The Modern Post)
Great Are You Lord (Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Every Season Prayers by Scotty Smith:

Dear heavenly Father,
we come boldly to Your throne of grace,
praising You for Your steadfast love and everlasting kindness.
We were dead in our sin, and You raised us to life in Christ.
We were alienated and alone, and You reconciled us to Yourself.
We were broken, in need of healing,
and You showered us with mercy and compassion.
Because of Your great love for us in Christ,
we acknowledge our great need of Your grace.

In the relationships in which we struggle, hear our cry.
In the battle between choosing your will, or ours, hear our plea.
For the sins of which we stand convicted, hear our confession.
Gracious Father, forgive us, cleanse us, free us, and change us.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Isaiah 53:4–6

In Tenderness (Garvey, Gordon, Walton arr. Brian Eichelberger)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION:

All The Poor And Powerless (David Leonard, Leslie Jordan)
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Benjamin Hastings, Marty Sampson, Dean Ussher)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Psalm 97—Artwork

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms artwork and download artwork guides here.

Person: Beth Dryer

I am a Chicago-raised transplant that has been living in Denver for six years. I graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska with a B.F.A. in Studio Art with an art education endorsement and have been teaching elementary art in the public school system for eight years. I have been married to my husband, Adam Dreyer, for five years, and am the mom of a busy (almost) two-year old, Ramona. These two roles have given me immense joy and changed me for the better. I am a lover of nature and am most myself when I meet God in the midst of His beautiful creation.

Piece: Acrylic

Psalm 97 speaks of God’s rule and reign over the earth as the Creator. As Creator, God has ultimate power and authority over His creation and is ultimately victorious over the enemy. The words from this passage that resonated deeply with me and served as inspiration for this painting, are “proclaim” (v.6), “preserves” (v.10), and “light” (v.11). As a sinner, I am easily impatient with God and distracted by the creation. It is easy to see the creation as ultimate and turn the beautiful things God has created into gods. But, in His infinite goodness and desire to preserve His people, God calls us to remain steadfast and see His power. Over and over again, He demonstrates His might through great works, and even His creation proclaims His righteousness (v.6). This passage has become for me a call to see God’s glory, reject evil, and proclaim His righteousness, because this is where “light is sown”.

This painting is inspired by God’s claim over His people and His creation from Psalm 97. The white and black garden in the background represents the creation by which we are so distracted by—beautiful, but dark and incomplete. The single, colorful rose is representative of God’s power over His creation and the creation’s proclamation of the Lord’s reign. Through His power, we are able to see the light and the true beauty of the Creator.

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

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)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Psalm 96—Artwork

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms artwork and download artwork guides here.

Person: Alyssa Beck

Wife to Justin, mom to Calgary and Wilkie, in the graphic arena by trade.

Piece: Oil

Week after week I would walk into my church in Hong Kong where the nations physically joined in praising God. People from all over, of every color, were singing the same worship song in their own languages. I remember this emotional, staggering feeling being there. It was an awakening for me to the broadness of God’s reign and joy in seeing the evidence of His pursuit of creation.

I chose to paint a trumpet weaving in all the skin tones because I wanted to depict that booming sum that Psalm 96 stirs in me: the nations coming together singing one song to their King.

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

July 21, 2019

This is week seven of Christ in the Psalms 2019 at Park Church. This annual summer series dates back to 2012. 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 another 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 95 was done by Taylor Powers. 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 this week:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 96.

This Psalm calls us to praise God, not as dictated by the circumstances of life, but for His great acts in creation and redemption. It also points us forward to the future coming of Christ Jesus who will judge all with righteousness and truth, making all things new for good.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 96:1–4, 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!

10,000 Reasons (Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman)
Great Are You Lord (Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan, David Leonard)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on The Worship Sourcebook:

We confess that we have sinned against You
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You
with our whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In Your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be,
so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways,
to the glory of Your holy name.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 5:8–9

His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
Kids: Joshua 1:9 (John Petterson)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION:

O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Benjamin Hastings, Marty Sampson, Dean Ussher)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Psalm 95—Artwork

Learn more about Christ in the Psalms artwork and download artwork guides here.

Person: Taylor Powers

Taylor is a photographer. She grew up in the mountains a few hours away from Denver in Woodland Park, CO. She got her start working in the non-profit industry, photographing and storytelling for a few non-profits in the anti-trafficking arena. She’s passionate about telling stories honestly and beautifully through the visual medium of photography. Taylor now works with couples and families sharing adventure photo sessions, and spending time in the mountains with her clients. She also does branding and lifestyle photography for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Denver area. Taylor lives in Arvada with her husband Alex and their puppy Luna. They are expecting their first baby in September this year!

Piece: Digital Artwork

This piece was something completely different than the work I normally do, which usually includes a person as the subject. Spending time reading Psalm 95, I was always brought back to the description of the way God’s hand is in all of creation in verses 3-7:

For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to Him.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for He is our God…
(From Psalm 95:3–7 NIV)

I had a clear vision of a few specific places all blending together to make a collage of color and form, both celebrating His creation and responding to the call to sit in worship, in awe of the beauty of the natural world around us. These included the small details of pines trees in Colorado, the large red rock formations in Utah, and the teal waters of Lake Michigan. Creating this piece felt like such a personal form of worship, as I reflected on the natural and secluded places that have brought me closer to God. I felt called to sit in awe of His creation, and to make the choice to try and not “harden my heart” as this passage says in verse 8.

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

July 14, 2019

This week we’ll be in our sixth week of Christ in the Psalms at Park Church. This is an annual summer series dating back to 2012 when we started with Psalm 1. Why do we do this each year? 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 another 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 94 was done by Nikki Rasmussen. 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 this week:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 95.

Psalm 95 comes to us in two main parts, a call to consider our God and worship Him (v.1–5), and a call not to harden our hearts when we hear His voice (v.6–11). In regards to the second part, the example given is the rebellion by God’s people at Meribah and Massah, where the people were given water from the rock Moses struck: “And [Moses] called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?'”(Exodus 17:7; Massah means “testing” and Meribah means “quarreling.”).

As Christians, we’re called to remember the Rock that was struck for us in the wilderness, our Lord Jesus, who was given to us in our testing of and quarreling against God. Hear again the charge of the Psalmist, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 95:1–5, 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!

Psalm 92 (It Is Good) (Joel Limpic)
Come Thou Fount (Above All Else) (Shane Barnard, Robert Robinson, John Wyeth)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Based on The Worship Sourcebook:

Lord, we are like sheep, and we get lost.
We forget the needs of our neighbors and do not love you above all else.
We need a Savior, so we long for Jesus. Come, fill our lives, Jesus. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Isaiah 53:4–6

Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE & COMMUNION:

Twenty Three (Aaron Strumpel)
Jesus Paid It All (Elvina Hall, Kristen Stanfill)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday