Vintage21 Church Worship

Wood and String
Words and Music by Taylor Roberts, 2006

As a worship pastor, a good bit of the week is spent preparing for Sunday. By the time the first service rolls around, my heart and mind are excited and ready to respond. It’s easy to forget that for the average churchgoer, this is not the case. There are many aspects of life on their mind, as well as everything that goes on Sunday morning- greeting friends, checking the kids in, grabbing coffee, finding a seat, reading the announcements, etc. The first song has always been a mystery to me, and deserves a post of it’s own (coming tomorrow), but Taylor’s song “Wood and String” is a great opener. Based on Psalm 149, we sing of the gathered body praising God, and reminds us of why we’re there.

“We are gathered in the presence of the Great One
To show love for the lover of creation.”

Praise To The Lord, The Almighty
Words by Joachim Neander, 1680
Music by Erneuerten Gesangbuch, 1665

Another great reminder of why we gather- to praise God! The melody and music to this hymn is timeless, and I’m always in awe of how much depth and width old hymn authors are able to pack in each line. One issue with songs today is that they often focus on one aspect of God, when there is so much to sing about! I’ll include one stanza below, in which we’re able to sing of God’s lordship, kingship, mercy, grace, forgiveness and provision.

Praise to the Lord,
Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
How all your longings have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Sermon: Acts 4:23-31
Will Plitt, our Large Community Director, preached from this passage. It’s a convicting passage, and one of the most amazing prayers in scripture- in the face of great adversity and potential death, the believers pray that God would give them boldness to continue to speak His word. No other prayer in scripture illuminates our true hearts so efficiently, burning our pride and smugness away.

Sing Praise To God Who Reigns Above
Words by Johann Schultz, 1675
Arrangement/Additional Lyrics by Matt Stevens, 2008

Time and time and time again, I’m reminded that the church belongs to God. My thoughts of ownership are quickly dispelled as He guides the service each week. This song yesterday was an example of this. In the first and second verses we sing of God’s sovereignty over all things, and the chorus is about His sole claim on glory. On the tail end of a sermon where followers of Christ are encouraged to step out in faith, it was an assurance of who God is.
In light of the believers prayer in Acts: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” it was the closing line of the song that really jumped out:

“That men may hear the grateful song, my voice unwearied raises”

You Know My Way
Words and Music by John Pelphrey and Matt Stevens, 2006

There is a temptation to hear a sermon and think “Oh good, now we get it.”  For some, this may be the case, as God uses His word to solidify an idea or refine us. There are others who do not really get the sermon, or whose hard hearts cause them to blow off any conviction by the Holy Spirit. Then there are those who are in a place of hardship, and the scripture and/or sermon is a starting place or road sign along a difficult journey. The believers’ prayer in Acts 4:23-31 is no small thing to grasp, and how do we pray for boldness when we can barely handle the present situation? This song is meant to remind all of God’s sovereignty, and the fact that the great God knows our way should blow our minds and give peace to our hearts.

By Thy Mercy (Jesus, Lord of Life and Glory)
Words by James Cummins, 1839
Music by Greg Thompson, 2004
Addtl. Music and Lyrics by Vintage21 Church, 2008

Man, James Cummins, you wrote a great song! Yesterday this was rockin’, and I look forward to months of appealing to God for His mercy and deliverance with humility and passion. The recording turned out decent, and hopefully will be up soon.

Glory To God
Words and Music by Matt Stevens, 2008
Seeing as we just had a “Behind the Music” on this song, there’s not too much to say. Although yesterday, the lyric that really jumped out and tied into the previous songs was “Glory to God, who knows my name”.  Will we ever grasp the implications of this fact, apart from standing before God through Jesus Christ?

Today’s Sunday Review is posted in collaboration with other church music ministries at Sunday Setlists.

This entry was posted Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 8:17 am and is filed under Sunday Review. Both comments and pings are currently closed.