We’re in Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. This is week nine and we’ll be in Psalm 86.
One of the ways we study and enjoy the psalms each year is by having different artists do a piece each week for the respective psalm we’re in. Our artwork for Psalm 86 is an acrylic and oil painting by Benjamin Rogers. Learn more about this piece and all the preceding Christ In The Psalms artworks right here.
Here’s how you can prepare for this week’s service:
1. Read through our text, Psalm 86.
David cries out for the protection of the Lord from a “band of ruthless men.” Among the interesting things to note is that, while praising his God as the only one who can save, he also asks God, “teach me Your way… unite my heart to fear Your name” (v. 11). David identifies that at least part of his deliverance will be a deliverance from his own rebellion against God.
2. Read, pray and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 86:8–10, 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!
Oh! Great Is Our God (Brian Eichelberger)
How Great Thou Art (Stuart K. Hine)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Psalm 86:11
Your Name Is Good (Psalm 54) (Joel Limpic, Scott Mills)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Psalm 86:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:55–56
Seas of Crimson (Johnson, Bashta, Taylor, Strand)
GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer
Rock Of Ages (Augustus Toplady, arr. Sojourn)
Lord I Need You (Carson, Maher, Nockels, Reeves, Stanfill)
BENEDICTION
Learn more about Christ in the Psalms artwork and download artwork guides here.
Person: Benjamin Rogers
Benjamin Rogers is a full-time instructor of art at Red Rocks Community College. He has an MFA in painting from Arizona State University and his work has been exhibited across the country.
Piece
Acrylic and oil painting.
PROCESS
This painting exhibits the goodness of God in his protection from the surrounding chaos. In this piece I have used a hippopotamus as a symbol for David, painting him in a manner that demonstrates how he is outside of the danger of the attacking lion. In this way, it shows that God is faithful and merciful to David. The scene in the background is difficult to discern at first, but when viewed at a distance, it becomes more obvious that it is a lion attacking a water buffalo in an African savanna. It is further obscured by the arcing lines throughout the painting which create a more chaotic scene and make the imagery more confusing. I used this device to communicate the natural world of the flesh, which is juxtaposed with the clearer and calmer hippo which peacefully grazes away from danger.
To create this piece I made a quick monochromatic acrylic painting of the lion attacking the buffalo. Next, I covered the entire surface of the painting with masking tape and drew out the designs of the arcing lines. Once I had the shapes drawn out, I cut out the shapes with a razor blade and removed the negative shapes, leaving a masking tape stencil on the surface. Then I painted the lion attack in a very gestural manner so that it would only be visible from a distance. Finally, I painted the hippo on top as the final layer in oil paint.
Learn more about Christ in the Psalms artwork and download artwork guides here.
Person: Hannah Wood
I am a student at Colorado Christian University, a team leader for Intermountain Young Life, and a backpacking guide for RMR Backcountry.
Piece
Painting, Poured art.
PROCESS
This piece describes the crux of Psalm 85— the harmony and restoration that manifests in God’s peace and righteousness colliding.
When I read through Psalm 85, I knew instantly what I was going to paint. I usually paint portraits or abstract poured art, so I decided to combine those for the first time in this piece. I am honing in my painting style and that combination just worked so well with the message of Psalm 85. As I made this painting, I became increasingly more aware of what a small, manageable reflection of God’s character this painting represents, and that His mystery is far more beautiful than I could attempt to capture.
This is week eight of Christ in the Psalms, our annual summer series. This week we’ll be in Psalm 85.
Our Psalm 85 artwork is by Hannah Wood. 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. Learn more about Hannah’s artwork and all the preceding Christ In The Psalms artworks right here.
Here’s how you can prepare for this week’s service:
1. Read through our text, Psalm 85.
Have you ever had a time in your life where God’s grace seemed clear and abundant? What was that time like? How do you emotionally respond to that time even right now? As you think about those times where God was experienced in unique ways, what does it do to your heart for your current situation? In Psalm 85, the psalmist is begging God for a restoration of “the good old days”—in part, at least, to reshape their desires for more of God.
2. Read, pray and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 103:1–5, 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!
10,000 Reasons (Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman)
Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Psalm 16:11
All I Have Is Christ (Jordan Kauflin)
Yes And Amen (Anthony Brown, Chris McClarney, Nate Moore)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Colossians 2:13–15
GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas Obediah Chisholm, William Marion Runyan)
Revive Us Again (Charlie Hall, John J. Husband, William P. Mackay, Dustin Ragland)
BENEDICTION
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!
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
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Our guest is Chuck McElroy. He’s the Director of Campus Outreach Denver!Listen
Listen to the show Subscribe in iTunesShow 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