Ash Wednesday inagurates the season of Lent through singing, prayer, and the symbolic imposition of ashes with a spoken, Biblical reminder: “From dust you came, to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19). We’re reminded of our mortality and our need for salvation in Christ. Here’s how you can prepare for this service:
Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: From Joel 2:1, 12–13
Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)
All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi arr. The Christian Year)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:
Lord God, it is hard to think that we will die someday.
We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future.
We don’t always think about what You want.
Instead, we make choices that we think are good for us.
But we are only here because You take care of us.
We confess that we forget we need You all the time.
We confess that sometimes we make choices that aren’t what You want.
We don’t know what is best for our lives.
Holy God, we are sorry for our sin.
Help us to remember we live because of You.
Help us to do what You want us to do
through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:35–39
His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
HOMILY, COMMUNION, & IMPOSITION OF ASHES
Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)
This year we’re inviting everyone at Park Church who is participating in Lent to engage in three kinds of spiritual practices: fasting, prayer, and generosity. We covered the basics in our “Engaging With Lent 2019” guide that we’ll be handing out on Sunday, but here we’ll take a little bit of time around each practice but also share some practical ways of exploring each. James and I also talked in depth about what Lent is, where it came from, and some ways of exploring it here.
Fasting
Fasting is one of those disciplines that most Christians know they should do, but rarely get around to it. The interesting thing is that it’s one of the disciplines we see Jesus doing (Matthew 4:1-11; 17:21), a discipline He assumes His disciples are doing (Matthew 6:16) and a discipline we see the early church continuing to do (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23). So what is it? David Mathis defines fasting as “voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose.”
Fasting ultimately is about refraining from one thing that we might engage more intentionally with another, namely God. Sam Storms comments, “The ironic thing about fasting is that it really isn’t about not eating food. It’s about feeding on the fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting tenderizes our hearts to experience the presence of God. It expands the capacity of our souls to hear his voice and be assured of his love and be filled with the fullness of his joy. Let me say it again: Fasting is not primarily about not eating food. It is primarily about feasting on God.”
Practically speaking, there are a couple great ways of exploring fasting during Lent:
One is called a whole fast, where you actually skip whole meals with the exception of water, juice, or liquids. This kind of fast can be hard for some people due to particular physical conditions so don’t just jump in without considering how it might affect you. A way of easing your way into this whole fast is simply by skipping breakfast and lunch on a day and eating dinner in the evening. Another way would be to do a 24 hour whole fast where you only drink water, juice, or liquid during that day.
Another way is called a partial fast. This might look like you giving up eating sugar or drinking alcohol. Others choose to give up things like social media, Netflix, etc. The important thing isn’t necessarily what you’re giving up, but what you do in the absence of that item and where it leads your heart. Fasting generally is never a solo discipline, but rather should always be practiced in conjunction with prayer.
Prayer
We believe that prayer is an essential part of what it means to be both a human and a Christian. It’s about communion and communication with the God we were created to know and walk with. As we fast during this season of Lent, we also feast on God through prayer! We encourage everyone to find meaningful ways to pray corporately and personally in this season.
Here are a few ways to explore praying corporately with others:
- Join us for our pre-service prayer on Sundays at 8:15am or 4:15pm in the basement!
- Come to our Sunday services
- Thursdays at 6:30am in the gallery
- Pray with your Gospel Communities
- Intentionally pray daily or weekly with a friend throughout Lent
- Pray prayers of self-examination like David in Psalm 139:23-24.
- Pray the Lord’s Prayer in the mornings and/or evenings
- Pick a different psalm each day to pray and meditate on throughout the day
- Check out the prayer app called “Pray As You Go” which has some great contemplative prayers
- Another app called “Daily Prayer” has Morning Prayers, Evening Prayers, and Night Prayers. Dependent on when you open it up, it takes you there automatically! Easily accessible.
- Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort, and escape? When you are fearful, discouraged, and upset, where do you run? Do you run to God for comfort and safety or to something else? (To food, to others, to work, to solitude?)
- What do you love? Is there something you love more than God or your neighbor?
- What do you want? What do you desire? What do you crave, long for, wish? Whose desires do you obey?
- What do you think about most often? In the morning, to what does your mind drift instinctively? When you are doing a menial task or driving alone in your car, what captures your mind? What is your mindset?
- What do you talk about? What occupies your conversations with others? What subjects do you tend to discuss over and over with your friends? The Bible says it is out of the heart that our mouths speak.
We’re in week six of Exodus. In brief, Exodus is all about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in this world. Here’s how you can prepare this week:
1. Read through our text, Exodus 4:1–31.
God had revealed Himself to Moses in power and called Moses to be His messenger to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. But Moses lacked faith that things would unfold the way that God had said. First, he questioned whether or not people would believe him or even listen to him. The Lord responded to this fear by giving Moses three powerful signs that He could use to support the veracity of His claim that he was a messenger of God. Second, Moses questioned his own ability to perform that task due to his weaknesses as a communicator. The Lord responded by declaring His sovereign power as his Creator, and His ability to strengthen Moses for the task that He was calling him to perform. Yet again, Moses resisted in fear, pleading to the Lord to send someone else. This time, the Lord grew angry with Moses’ faithless resistance, yet He still partially acquiesces to Moses request, telling Moses that his brother Aaron can act as Moses’ mouthpiece. Finally, Moses yielded to the Lord and began his journey back to Egypt.
Along the way, the Lord intervened in surprising ways reminding Moses of His covenant commitment to Israel as His “firstborn son” and of the conditions of His covenant with Israel. After Moses met with Aaron, they spoke to the people of Israel, and the people believed and worshipped God.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 90:1–2
The Lion and the Lamb (Brenton Brown, Brian Johnson, Leeland Mooring)
Praise To The Lord The Almighty (Joachim Neander, Catherine Winkworth)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Matthew 7:24–27
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Psalm 62:5–8
On Christ The Solid Rock (William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote, arr. Austin Stone)
GREETING, SERMON, RESPONSE, & COMMUNION
This Is My Father’s World (Maltbie Davenport Babcock, arr. Gungor)
Jesus Is Better (Aaron Ivey, Brett Land)
BENEDICTION
This is our fifth week of Exodus at Park Church. In brief, Exodus is all about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in this world. Here’s how you can prepare for our time together this week:
1. Read through our text, Exodus 3:1–22.
It was 40 years since Moses settled in Midian, and he was an 80-year-old man when God intervened in His life with one of the most powerful stories of the Bible. While shepherding a flock through the wilderness, the LORD appeared to him in the form of a burning bush and called Moses to speak with Him. The passage is bursting with themes that are foundational for our knowledge of God. First, He is holy, which means He is set apart as uniquely powerful and pure. His Holy presence is both captivating and terrifying. Second, He is the God who reveals Himself to His people. He reveals to Moses His covenant name, Yahweh, which indicates His mysterious and eternal existence (“I AM WHO I AM”). He is the God who was, and is, and ever shall be. Third, He is the God who speaks and acts with sovereign power, faithfulness, and compassion to redeem His covenant people and to draw them into His presence. Fourth, He is the God who calls His people to trust in His power and to participate in His mission to redeem the world for His glory.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Isaiah 6:1–3
Great Is The Lord (Joseph Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)
What A Beautiful Name (Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:
Our Father, forgive us for thinking small thoughts of You
and for ignoring Your immensity and greatness.
Lord Jesus, forgive us when we forget that You rule the nations and our small lives.
Holy Spirit, we offend You in minimizing your power
and squandering Your gifts.
We confess that our blindness to Your glory, O triune God,
has resulted in shallow confession,
tepid conviction, and only mild repentance.
Have mercy upon us.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Hebrews 10:19–23
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery (Michael Bleecker, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
GREETING, SERMON, & RESPONSE:
O Come To The Altar (Brock, Brown, Furtick, and Joye)
COMMUNION
Heart Of God (Aodhan King, Jonas Myrin)
VOCATIONAL COMMISSIONING
Your Labor Is Not In Vain (Wendell Kimbrough, Isaac Wardell, Paul Zach)
BENEDICTION
It’s week four of Exodus at Park Church. In brief, Exodus is all about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in this world. Here’s how you can prepare for our time together this week:
1. Read through our text, Exodus 2:23–25.
The previous ruler of Egypt died, and the people of Israel were suffering and desperately crying out for help and deliverance. The passage gives us unique insight into the heavenly realm where we see God paying attention to the cries of His people. God heard their groaning, indicating His care about their suffering. He remembered His covenant with Abraham, referring to His promise to make this His offspring into a great nation, to give them the land of Canaan, to bless them, and to make them a blessing to all nations. This promise is far from their current experience, and God saw the situation of His people and responded with deep concern and love. This short paragraph sets the stage for the whole story of deliverance that will follow, where God will show His power to redeem a people for His Kingdom.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 96:2–9
Great Is The Lord (Joseph Pat Barrett, Daniel Bashta, Ben Smith)
Rock Of Ages (Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Eleanor Henrietta Hull, arr. Charlie Hall)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Adapted From The Valley of Vision:
Heavenly Father, Save me entirely from sin. I know true righteousness comes only through the righteousness of another. I pant and pine for likeness to Yourself; I am Your child and should bear Your image. Enable me to recognize my death to sin; when it tempts me, may I be deaf to its voice. Deliver me from both the invasion and the dominion of sin. Grant me to walk as Christ walked, to live in the newness of His life: the life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:14–17
No Longer Slaves (Joel Case, Jonathan David Hesler, Brian Johnson)
GREETING, SERMON, & RESPONSE:
Through And Through (Will Reagan)
COMMUNION
Before The Throne Of God (Charitie Lees Bancroft, arr. Shane & Shane)
Jesus What A Savior (Kirby Kaple)
BENEDICTION