January 8, 2017

This is a weekly blog post with one purpose: to help those coming to Park’s Sunday gathering engage with the teaching and liturgy in a more meaningful way. We use this space to share in advance our Sunday’s liturgy: the scripture we’ll be studying, the songs we’ll be singing, and the prayers we’ll be praying together. We also share a handful of thoughts each week to help you use these things to prepare for the service.

This Sunday at Park, we return to The Book of Acts: You Will Be My Witnesses. This will be our 16th week in the series. If you’d like to listen through a previous Book of Acts sermon to refresh yourself, you can do so at parkchurchdenver.org/sermons, where every past Park Church sermon is always available for streaming. Additionally, here are a couple things you can do to prepare for this week’s service:

1. Read through our text, Acts 9:1–19.

Paul’s mission—or so he thought—was to end Christianity. His goal was to bring down the the Church and yet, as we see in this passage, God redirected his heart. His new mission is to see the gospel further saturate the entire world as the water covers the sea. Paul goes from inflicting persecution to receiving the persecution because of his desire to lift up the name of Jesus.

As you prepare for Sunday, reflect on what Paul’s conversion can tell us about our own. What does it mean that we, too, have met Jesus and been converted?

2. Read, pray and sing through the service.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Isaiah 60:1–3 NIV

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (Charles Wesley)
Holy Spirit (Bryan and Katie Torwalt, arr. Jesus Culture)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook

Almighty and merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned
against you and one another
in both our actions and our inactions.
We recognize that in Jesus Christ our light has come,
yet often we choose to walk in shadows and ignore the light.

Gracious God, forgive our sins and remove from us
the veil of darkness that shrouds our lives.
Illumined by your Word and sacrament,
may we rise to the radiance of Christ’s glory.
Amen.

His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 1:9–12

No Longer Slaves (Jonathan & Melissa Helser)

GREETING

SERMON & COMMUNION

How Majestic (Citizens & Saints)
All The Poor And Powerless (All Sons & Daughters)

BENEDICTION & SENDING

in Preparing for Sunday

January 1, 2017

This is a weekly blog post with one purpose: to help those coming to Park’s Sunday gathering engage with the teaching and liturgy in a more meaningful way. We use this space to share in advance our Sunday’s liturgy: the scripture we’ll be studying, the songs we’ll be singing, and the prayers we’ll be praying together. We also share a handful of thoughts each week to help you use these things to prepare for the service.

This Sunday at Park Church, it’s the second week of Christmastide and we continue in The Coming of the King, our series for the season of Advent and Christmas.

1. Read through our text, Luke 2:22–40.

In this passage, we see the Messianic longing of men and women like Simeon and Anna fulfilled in the incarnation of Christ. The Holy Spirit comes upon them and they speak of the wondrous mystery! As you prepare this week, consider starting with this prayer from The Worship Sourcebook.

O Christ, the prophets foretold your coming,
the poor longed to see you.
The heavens celebrated your birth;
the apostles, the martyrs, and the faithful down though the ages repeated the song of the angels.
Your church praises you in every human language,
for she has seen your salvation.
Son of God, you humbled yourself and became a servant,
raising us up to share in your glory.
We were in darkness and you have given us
light and strength, peace and joy.
Lead us according to your loving will;
make us a people who follow you in holiness.
Give us generous hearts to hear your Word,
and produce in us abundant fruit,
through the power of your Spirit.
Amen.

2. Read, pray and sing through the service.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Isaiah 52:7–10

Always (Kristian Stanfill, Jason Ingram)
How Firm A Foundation (Bob Kauflin, Robert Keene)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook

Almighty God who inhabits eternity
but dwells with those who are of a humble and contrite spirit:
before you and our Lord Jesus Christ
we confess our sins.
We have ignored the presence of your Spirit.
We have failed to look for the return
of our Savior and Judge.
We have been blind to your coming
in the suffering of the hungry, the exiled,
the destitute, the sick, and the imprisoned.
In your great goodness
put away our offenses
and cleanse us from our sin,
for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.

On Christ the Solid Rock (William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote, arr. Austin Stone)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 2 Corinthians 6:2

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Ludwig van Beethoven, Edward Hodges, Henry Van Dyke)

The Word Made Flesh by Ligonier:

We confess the mystery and wonder
of God made flesh
and rejoice in our great salvation
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit,
the Son created all things,
sustains all things,
and makes all things new.
Truly God,
He became truly man,
two natures in one person.

He was born of the Virgin Mary
and lived among us.
Crucified, dead, and buried,
He rose on the third day,
ascended to heaven,
and will come again
in glory and judgment.

For us,
He kept the Law,
atoned for sin,
and satisfied God’s wrath.
He took our filthy rags
and gave us
His righteous robe.

He is our Prophet, Priest, and King,
building His church,
interceding for us,
and reigning over all things.

Jesus Christ is Lord;
we praise His holy Name forever.
Amen.

GREETING

SERMON & COMMUNION

Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery (Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, Michael Bleecker)
God I Look To You (Jenn Johnson)

BENEDICTION & SENDING

in Preparing for Sunday

Why We Observe Lent

You might have noticed us talking about Lent as well as the “Christian Calendar”. Many did not grow up in a Christian church, and if you did, your particular church may have never talked about Lent or some of the other seasons within the Christian calendar.

So what is Lent and why do we observe it? “The Worship Sourcebook” describes the season this way:

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Christian gospel, and Good Friday and Easter are two of the most significant celebrations of the Christian year. Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.

The practice of a forty-day preparation period began in the Christian church during the third and fourth centuries. The number forty carries biblical significance based on the forty years Israel spent in the wilderness and Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness. The forty days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday and continue through holy week, not counting Sundays (which are reserved for celebratory worship). In practice, many congregations choose to focus Sunday worship on the themes of repentance and renewal. As a period of preparation, Lent has historically included the instruction of persons for baptism and profession of faith on Easter Sunday; the calling back of those who have become estranged from the church; and efforts by all Christians to deepen their piety, devotion, and readiness to mark the death and resurrection of their Savior. As such, the primary focus of the season is to explore and deepen a “baptismal spirituality” that centers on our union with Christ rather than to function only as an extended meditation on Christ’s suffering and death.

The traditional color for the season is purple. Some congregations choose to highlight the contrast between Lent and Eastertide (the period from Easter to Ascension Day or Pentecost or Trinity Sunday) by omitting the singing of “Alleluia” during the Lenten season, and yet other congregations stress that all the Sundays of Lent are “little Easters” and thus may appropriately feature Easter-like praise.

Here are a few other resources you might find helpful:

Why Bother With Lent

What Is The Christian Calendar?

Why Do We Follow The Christian Calendar?

What is Ash Wednesday and Why Do We Observe It?

We hope this helps you understand and engage a bit more with the season. For those wanting to explore this season in more depth, we’re encouraging everyone to read “A Hunger For God” by John Piper.

We have it available at our bookstore, but you can get a free PDF of the book here.

May this season of Lent that often is marked by fasting be one of feasting on God and all He is for us in Christ. May this season prepare our hearts for Good Friday & Easter, both increasing our awareness of our sinfulness but also our gratitude for the One who gave His life for us.

in Ash Wednesday • Blog • Joel Limpic • Lent