What should a pastoral prayer include? What should a pastoral prayer avoid? How should we transition from element to element in the worship service? Terry Johnson’s Leading in Worship is a wonderfully short and practical treatment on both the philosophy and the “nuts and bolts” of conducting worship.
Johnson helps us think about regular services (Lord’s Day) and occasional services (Baptisms, Funerals, Weddings) as well as seasonal services (Easter, Christmas).
He’s a man thoroughly committed …
Outside of Scripture, no other resource has grown and blessed my prayer life like Matthew Henry’s Method for Prayer. And, if you could only own one resource to help you compose corporate prayers, buy this one. Yes, I realize Ligon Duncan has a “prettier” edition, but the editors have placed all the Scriptural references as endnotes (major fail). The edition I am recommending prints the references inline with the text, and this is helpful precisely …
Begin here. Don’t read any other books on liturgy until you’ve read this one. While many seminarians are familiar with “Christ Centered Preaching”, I firmly believe that “Christ Centered Worship” is Bryan Chapell’s greatest contribution to the church. I first read this book in 2017 and it cemented all of the swirling ideas I had concerning liturgical matters.
Chapell gives us a helpful historic summary of different ancient, Roman Catholic, Reformation, as well as modern …
THE TEXT
The text this morning is from the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38. These are the Words of God:
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to …
Some of you have noticed that in the last year we’ve moved from reciting the Apostles Creed monthly to every week, and I figured I would tell you why.
Our endeavor as a congregation isn’t simply to form individual Christians. We are out to form a distinct Christian community. A community that embraces and cherishes the truths of the faith. A community which is bound by those truths. A community that will live and die …
EXHORTATION
If you’ve ever grown a vegetable garden, you know that certain plants make great companions. Native Americans famously planted the Three Sisters together: corn, pole beans, and squash. The tall stalks of corn made great support for the climbing beans and the low growing squash shades the ground to retain moisture and suppress weed growth.
In the same way, certain sins make great companions. One sin runs defense for another. One sin provides shade …
CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 33:1-9
33 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness …
EXHORTATION
Deuteronomy 5:12–14 (ESV): 12 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
What would it be like for you to completely cease all of your work for 24 hours? No spreadsheets or Zoom meetings. No mopping or laundry. A full stop. A dead halt.
Of course, there …
CALL TO WORSHIP – Isaiah 25:1, 3-4
1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from …
CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of …
