Home Worship Liturgy | March 15, 2020
Posted on Saturday, March 14, 2020
WELCOME
To care for our church family and neighborhood, we have cancelled our Sunday Gatherings until further notice, but we are not cancelling church. Because we’ve always said that church is not a building, it is no surprise that when a major event like this affects our neighborhood and city, we can live out our Christian identity as saints, family, and sojourners.
This Sunday, we are providing you a Home Worship Liturgy (see below) so that you can take some time to pause your week and worship our Sovereign God. He reigns and is in control and we need a constant reminder of that in this time.
We recognize that nothing can replace the "meeting together" to worship our God and the "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart" (Ephesians 5:19). No podcast, online service, or emailed liturgy can replace that. This is only an exception due to what we are experiencing right now.
So, take 30 minutes of your Sunday, individually or with your family, and go through this written liturgy. Read the prayers from Scripture, sing along with the linked videos (the playlist is on Youtube) to reflect and respond to God's grace in your life. If you have small children, feel free to include them in your family worship. This is a great way to lead yourself and/or your family. We look forward to worshiping together next time we meet. For now, know that the Lord is with you and knows our anxieties and fears, as well as our courage to continue to serve Him in whatever situation we find ourselves in. Be encouraged.
Tony Villatoro
Pastor
CALL TO WORSHIP
PSALM 46:1-11
LEADER: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
ALL: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
LEADER: Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
ALL: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
SONG 1: "OUR GOD SAVES!"
In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son
In the name of the Spirit, Lord, we come
We're gathered together to lift up Your Name
To call on our Savior to fall on Your grace
To call on our Savior, to fall on Your grace
Hear the joyful sound of our offering
As Your saints bow down, as Your people sing
We will rise with You, lifted on Your wings
And the world will see that…
Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name
Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name
Mourning turns to songs of praise
Our God saves, our God saves
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
PSALM 51:1-4, 10-12
ALL: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
1 PETER 1:3-9
LEADER: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
ALL: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
LEADER: Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
ALL: Thanks be to God!
SONG 2: "IN CHRIST ALONE"
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
SONG 3: "TURN YOUR EYES"
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Turn your eyes to the hillside
Where justice and mercy embraced
There the Son of God gave His life for us
And our measureless debt was erased
Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You
Turn your eyes to the morning
And see Christ the Lion awake
What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone
For we carry His life in our veins
Turn your eyes to the heavens
Our King will return for His own
Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout,
‘All glory to Jesus alone!’
INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY PRAYER
First, spend a few moments praying together for our city, nation, and world as we continue to respond to and experience the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Pray for healing, mercy, and wisdom. Pray that God would mobilize us, His people, to serve our community in love.
Then, spend some time praying individually in regards to the Lenten season. Ask God to reveal your sin to you that you might repent and experience sanctification. Ask God to make you feel your need for Him. Ask for forgiveness, strength, perseverance, and humility.
ZEPHANIAH 3:1-8 READING
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city!
2 She listens to no voice;
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
her priests profane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but the unjust knows no shame.
6 “I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
you will accept correction.
Then your dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’
But all the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
all the earth shall be consumed.
BENEDICTION
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7
LEADER: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
May we live in peace. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY GATHERINGS
We are cancelling our in-person Sunday Gatherings until further notice. There will be a Home Worship Liturgy for our church to spend some time worshipping in their home.
PARISH GATHERINGS
Our parish host homes will decide where the parish will meet during the week, meaning (provided you’re not feeling sick and are continually washing your hands) we will lean into meeting together in a safe place whether that’s in a home, a park, etc.
PARISH LIFE
Communicate with those in your parish, neighbors in your street, co-workers, friends in the city, who need help or encouragement and serve them well in this season. Meet together (provided you’re not feeling sick and are continually washing your hands) in smaller groups, being cautious, and encourage and serve one another.
Scripture calls every follower of Jesus to give of their finances to support the ministry of the Gospel. Thank you for giving!
If you're new to Sojourn, we're eager to get you connected with a gospel family within the church that aims to love one another and serve the people in their neighborhood. This is what we call a Neighborhood Parish. As of now, we have 3 Neighborhood Parishes. This is the best way to become a part of what’s going on at Sojourn.
On Sundays at 10am, our church comes together to worship Jesus and proclaim the gospel through song, scripture, and sacrament. Corporate worship is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that awaits us in eternity and is a powerful display of God’s glory to our city.