Psalm 84—Artwork

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

Person

Katie Riehl

Piece

Acrylic painting.

PROCESS

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does He withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in You!
(vv. 11–12)

The message that I get from this passage is the constant reminder of the light of God. It’s no secret that this world is full of darkness, it’s something we are reminded of daily on the news and in our personal lives. Sometimes the darkness can be all- consuming. Psalm 84 tells us to lean on God to find our strength, to find our shield. From the start, I fought the simplicity of this piece. I kept feeling like I needed to add more but nothing felt right. The yellow circle represents the light of the Lord with its size being all-consuming, while the blue represents the gloom that sometimes devours us. This quote from F.B. Meyer sums Psalm 84 up in a wonderful way, “How God suits Himself to our need! In darkness, He is a Sun; in the sultry noon, a Shield; in our earthly pilgrimage He gives grace; when the morning of heaven breaks, He will give glory. He suits Himself to every varying circumstance in life. He becomes what the exigency of the moment requires.”

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set in pilgrimage.” In Psalm 84:5–7 we read of those traveling through the Valley of Baca on their journey of pilgrimage to Zion. It is implied that although this might not be the easiest migration, the traveler gains the strength, by leaning on God, needed to reach their final destination—the House of the Lord. This is something we can apply to all of the journeys we take—big and small, whether it’s a 30 minute trip or something that lasts our entire lifetime!

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

July 8, 2018

We’re in Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. It’s our seventh week and we’re in Psalm 84.

One of the ways we enjoy and study the psalms each year is by having different artists do a piece each week for the respective psalm we’re in. Our Psalm 84 artwork is by Katie Riehl. Learn more about her artwork and all the preceding weekly artworks right here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this week’s service:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 84.

Reflecting on the temple of God, the psalmist longs to be counted in the assembly of the blessed, those who dwell in the house of God ever singing His praise! He expresses the deepest longing of his heart: to find a home in the house of the Lord. The writer, like the Christian, can endure all, walking even through the valley of the shadow of death, if they know they’ll arrive at the all-surpassing destination—the courts of the Lord. We, then, equipped with strength that comes only from the Lord, must live our lives with the compass of our hearts set towards the dwelling place of God, for in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 84:1–4, 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!

Holy Spirit (Bryan Torwalt, Katie Torwalt arr. Jesus Culture)
House Of God Forever (Jon Foreman)

CONFESSION OF SIN: Psalm 51:1–2; 9–12

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Hebrews 10:19–22

Jesus We Love You (Kalley Heiligenthal, Hannah McClure, Paul McClure)
Build My Life (Barrett, Kable, Martin, Redman, Younker)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Be Thou My Vision (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, arr. Ascend The Hill)
Oh! Great Is Our God (Brian Eichelberger)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Chuck McElroy

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Our guest is Chuck McElroy. He’s the Director of Campus Outreach Denver!

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Show Notes

1:55 – Who Chuck McElroy Is 4:00 – Why He Became A Christian 7:05 – How They Got The Call To Denver 8:25 – Why Burnout Happens In Ministry (And How To Overcome It) 10:25 – How They Pulled A Team Together For Denver 13:00 – The Campus Outreach Model (They’re Not A Parachurch Ministry) 16:15 – What The First Two Years In Denver Have Been Like 19:50 – How We Can Support And Pray For Them 21:45 – Rapid Fire Questions 22:55 – Where He’d Put A Billboard And What It’d Say
in James Lepine • Park Church Podcast

July 1, 2018

It’s week six of Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. We’re in Psalm 83.

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. One of the ways we enjoy and study the psalms each year is by having different artists do a piece each week for the respective psalm we’re in. Our Psalm 83 artwork is an acrylic and charcoal piece by Jennie Pitts. Learn more about her artwork and all the preceding weekly artworks right here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this week’s service:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 83.

Psalm 83 addresses a truth we don’t much like: we have may have enemies in the form of other people. But, in light of the work of Jesus, how should we read psalms like this one that request judgement on people? Didn’t Jesus call us to love our enemies?

While Psalm 83 may seem full of fire and brimstone, in Christ it is full of the glory of Gospel of God. People who make themselves our enemies are not primarily our enemies. However it looks, if they are in sin against God they are primarily God’s enemies. What do we know of God’s enemies? He is merciful to them in Christ. And since He has been merciful to us in Christ, making sons and daughters out of we who were His enemies, we can now love our enemies and plead with them to be reconciled to God.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 99:6–8a, 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!

Praise To The Lord The Almighty (Joachim Neander, arr. Citizens)
10,000 Reasons (Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Lord, You come to us, but we do not recognize You;
You call, but we do not follow;
You command, but we do not obey,
You bless us, but we do not thank You.
Please forgive and help us.
Lord, You accept us, but we do not accept others;
You forgive us, but we do not forgive those who wrong us;
You love us, but we do not love our neighbors.
Please forgive and help us.
Lord, You showed us how to carry out Your mission,
but we still insist on our own;
You identified yourself with outcasts, the needy, and the poor,
but we do not bother to find out what is happening to them;
You suffered and died for the sake of all,
but we do not give up our comfortable lives.
Please forgive and help us,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery (Michael Bleecker, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15, 17

No Longer Slaves (Joel Case, Jonathan David Hesler, Brian Johnson)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) (Matt Crocker, Joel Houston, Salomon Ligthelm)
Jesus Is Better (Aaron Ivey, Brett Land)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Psalm 83—Artwork

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

Person: Jennie Pitts

Originally from Austin, Texas, Jennie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Baylor University in 2012. She started her own art business in 2014—“Jennie Lou Art”—and now works as a full-time artist in Denver. She specializes in “live wedding/event painting” and custom pieces. Her studio is in the RiNo Arts District at the Globeville Riverfront Arts Center (G.R.A.Ce.). Learn more about Jennie’s work at jennielouart.com.

Piece

Charcoal and Acrylic.

PROCESS

O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! (v.1)

Growing up, I found solitude and peace with my horses. They are majestic and immensely powerful creatures, yet their quiet strength and soft gentleness instills such comfort. Meditating on Psalm 83, I kept seeing a vision of this gentle horse in the darkness, with his kind eyes upon me. While darkness can feel all-consuming and frightening, the horse’s eyes remain steady and unassuming. It is as though he sees you in the darkness and even though he is silent, he is with you. How often do we feel the same way about our Heavenly Father, majestic and immensely powerful, but who sees us, and comforts us, even in the darkness and the silence?

How our hearts long for God’s presence, especially when we feel like He has withdrawn. When infertility or infidelity seeks to steal our joy, when our loved ones are called home without our understanding, when sickness slowly seeps life from our bones, when life just feels draining and overwhelming… how often have we each come to this place where we cry out and long for God to speak to us? “Oh Lord, give me something to hold on to, PLEASE do not be silent!!”

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

June 24, 2018

It’s week five of Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. We’re in Psalm 82.

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. One of the ways we enjoy and study the psalms each year is by having different artists do a piece each week for the respective psalm we’re in. Our Psalm 82 artwork is by Alexander Ramsey. Learn more about his piece and all the preceding weekly artworks right here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this week’s service:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 82.

Justice matters. But who gets to decide what is right and what is wrong? How does that judgment get worked out in the context of relationships, work, family, and the local Church? If we believe that justice flows from God Himself to His image-bearing people, we must also believe that justice matters. Psalm 82 helps us see that justice is helping those who cannot help themselves. It is tested at the bounds of hospitality and sacrifice.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 99:1–5, 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!

Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Rejoice The Lord Is King (Joel Limpic, Charles Wesley)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

You asked for my hands,
that You might use them for Your purpose.
I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them,
for the work was hard.
You asked for my mouth,
to speak out against injustice.
I gave You a whisper that I might not be accused.
You asked for my eyes,
to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them, for I did not want to see.
You asked for my life,
that You might work through me.
I gave a small part, that I might not get too involved.
Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve You—
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.
Father, forgive me,
renew me, send me out as a usable instrument,
that I might take seriously the meaning of Your cross. Amen.

Jesus What A Savior (Kirby Kaple)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Isaiah 53:4–7

Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

A Mighty Refuge (Martin Luther, Aaron Strumpel)
All The Poor And Powerless (David Leonard, Leslie Jordan)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday

Psalm 82—Artwork

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

Person: Alexander Ramsey

I am Alexander Ramsey—a husband, designer, entrepreneur, adventurer, and lover of God’s beauty.

Piece

Reclaimed canvas, glued and stitched.

PROCESS

This artwork is my interpretation and expression of Psalm 82. After reading and studying this psalm, the word “justice” stuck with me. The psalter calls us to defend, uphold and rescue those who are weak, fatherless, poor, and oppressed. These words made me think of the homeless, immigrants and neighbors who deserve to be loved and treated justly. The word “justice” in Hebrew is צֶדֶק.

The process of creating this piece started on a mountain bike ride in Nederland, Colorado after choosing Psalm 82 for my artwork. While riding past a campground I noticed an abandoned canvas tent and really like the faded colors, stitching and textures.

I took some photos of the campsite, went home and came back a week later to see that it was still there, so I took the tent home. I washed the canvas in my bathtub, cut it into squares, painted my art board, and glued the layers of canvas layers on top. Next I cut the Hebrew symbols into the canvas layers. During this process I realized that I was taking something that was thrown away and bringing new life to it; reminding me that God, through justice, will make all things new.

in Blog • Christ in the Psalms Artwork

June 17, 2018

We’re in Psalm 81 this week at Park Church for week four of Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. 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.

One of the ways we enjoy and study the psalms each year is by having different artists do a piece each week for the respective psalm we’re in. Our Psalm 81 artwork is an acrylic painting by Whitney Ballinger. Learn more about Whitney’s piece and all the preceding weekly artworks (back through Psalm 41) right here.

Here’s how you can prepare for this week:

1. Read through our text, Psalm 81.

Even though God has rescued His people from slavery and provided for us time and time again, we often forget to celebrate our freedom and fail to trust in God’s power to satisfy our deepest longings. In Psalm 81, God calls His people to rejoice in their salvation and listen to His voice as He guides them to joy.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 81:1–4, 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!

All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi)
Jesus What A Savior (Kirby Kaple)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Awesome and compassionate God,
You have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy,
but we have not loved You.
You constantly call us, but we do not listen.
You ask us to love, but we walk away from neighbors in need, wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.
God of grace, as You come to us in mercy,
we repent in spirit and in truth,
admit our sin, and gratefully receive Your forgiveness
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Stuart Townend)

King Of My Heart (John Mark McMillan, Sarah McMillan)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 John 1:5–7

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer

O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, and Joye)
We Will Feast In The House Of Zion (Sandra McCracken)

BENEDICTION

in Preparing for Sunday