Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Key Verse: Psalm 63:1 “A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for
you. You know how the stories behind a song make it so much more meaningful. Remember Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven”, written after his son, Conor, fell out of a 53rd-story window and died in 1991? Or how about the praise song, “The Heart of Worship”, which Matt Redman wrote after a season in which his pastor, Mike Pilavachi at Soul Survivor Church in Watford, England, did away with the sound system and the church sang praises to God with only their voices? Horatio Spafford wrote the hymn “It is Well with My Soul” after losing his business in the Chicago Fire of 1871 and then his four daughters in a storm at sea. The Book of Psalms — the songbook of the Bible — lets us in on many of the stories behind the inspiration of the songs it contains. We don’t know the original melodies, of course, though God has inspired countless composers throughout history to set these timeless poems to music. You may be interested to know that the editorial note at the beginning of most of the psalms is original to the Bible—as important as the words to the psalm. How much more can we appreciate Psalm 51 when we know it was written when David confessed raping Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah? The Psalm we gather around this Sunday to close our worship series on grace was composed during a time of wilderness wondering for David—when he was a fugitive , running for his life from King Saul. You can read more about it in 1 Samuel 20-24. King Saul raged with jealousy toward David, the singer of soothing songs and slayer of giants. In 1 Samuel 20:1, David asks Jonathon, his best friend and the son of the King, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?” As he flees with a band of outcasts, a priests asks David, “Why are you alone?” (1 Samuel 21:1). One would think that David’s song in this ordeal would be a sad or angry lament of his troubles and apparent abandonment by God. But scholars don’t know how to classify it. At various places, it is a song of praise, thanksgiving, worship, complaint, prayer, and vigil. Scholars suggest that the editorial line at the beginning of the Psalm is only a conjecture on the part of later editors—who guessed its origin might have been David’s wilderness sojourn. Of course, with any work of art or creativity, the origin merely begins a story that unfolds anew with every hearing. Sing this psalm, like so many songs, and you will weave your own story into the telling. Today we sing of grace, harmonizing our lives with a song of a man who sings for joy on the run—who discovered God’s presence and protection in the depths of despair and abandonment. Sound a bit like your story? In a land where there is no water, God’s grace alone quenches your thirsty soul and turns your song of sadness into praise, your cell of loneliness into the sanctuary of God. Join in this song of praise to our awesome God! Questions for Reflection 1. So many of the psalms sing of sadness turned to joy. What time in your life did God’s grace turn great sadness to unimaginable joy? 2. Here’s a thought. As you look back on your life, how are the epiphanies or leaps in understanding and spiritual growth connected to difficulty or times of trial (think of your relationship with family, a life partner or friend, or God)? What do you make of this connection and what does it reveal to you about the nature of God? 3. This week, the Amish community near us suffered a tragic loss in the shooting and death of several children. News reports have marveled at the way this grieving community has forgiven and ministered to the family of the man who killed their children. Please read 1 Samuel 24 and Psalm 63:7-11. How do you see God’s presence in each of these songs?
For Next Week:
We begin a new worship series on “Irresistable Evangelism—Shine Our Light” the
sharing of the story of our love for God in Jesus Christ. Please read John
8:12-20 (key verse is 12). The teaching statement is “Jesus is the source of
our light which leads to life”. How do you define evangelism? How do you share
your faith with others in daily life? |
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