Here’s a demo of a psalm setting written for Parish Presbyterian Church. Psalm 20 (STAR POINTER) Text: Psalm 20:1-9, Edward Collier, Lyrics from the Psalter, 1907, alt. Henry C. Haffner, 2021. Music: STAR POINTER, Henry C. Haffner, 2021. The Lord ever hear you when troubles are near; The name of our God keep you safe from all fear. The Lord…
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! —Psalm 84:4 The prophecy of Haggai is addressed to the generation tasked with rebuilding the temple, following the Israelites’ return from exile in Babylon. This duty of God’s people to cultivate the place He has given them is seen throughout the Scriptures—and in this morning’s service. Psalm 84,…
Many of the hymns we sing this morning focus on God’s providence. The service is bookended by verses from O Worship The King, a paraphrase of Psalm 104, which speaks of God’s kingly majesty and His “bountiful care.” In Jesus, Shepherd Of Thy People, we declare that we “trust [His] mighty hand,” while in The Lord I Will At All…
The theme of this morning’s service is a familiar one, but one that we always need to be reminded of: love. We will hear of God’s love for us, Jesus’ loving sacrifice on our behalf, our duty to love God and our neighbors, and how this love affects our lives and actions. We are invited into worship with an imperative…
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. —2 Corinthians 1:2 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. —2 Corinthians 13:14 Paul ends his letter where he began—with God’s grace. A persistent theme throughout has been that the…
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, one and all to be forgiven. —Latin hymn, 5th century As Paul brings his letter to a close, he leaves his readers with a sobering call to repentance. He urges them, “examine yourselves” and “test yourselves” (vs. 5), promising that if they persist in their sin he “will not spare them” (vs. 2). …
In this morning’s sermon text from 2 Corinthians, Paul explains that he has written his second letter to build them up (“all for your upbuilding,” vs. 19). Similarly, the hymns we sing in worship this morning use the language of “building,” “flourishing,” and “making sure.” The Call to Worship from Psalm 68 and the two sung psalms that follow, O…
My grace is sufficient for you… —2 Corinthians 12:9 In the moments of our greatest weakness, God (through Christ) provides the strength to sustain us. Even when things seem impossible, His grace is enough. We are invited into the service this morning with an acknowledgement that God will “graciously give us all things.” We respond by singing that our “desires…
The elements in this morning’s service point us to the extravagance of God’s grace in our lives—both the abundance and the totality of the undeserved blessings He gives. Jesus Shall Reign and All People That On Earth Do Dwell—Psalm 100 speak of Christ’s kingdom reaching from “shore to shore,” compelling the praise of “all people.” The Call to Worship from…
Last week Pastor Jamie reminded us that we as Christians have a glory that is weightier than any of the sufferings we face now on this earth. C.S. Lewis once said, “The suffering in this world is not the failure of God’s love for us; it is that love in action for believe me, this world that seems to us…
