Following on from last week’s theme of trust in God’s providence in the midst of storms and trials, the scriptures we read and the hymns we sing in this morning’s service give thanks for God’s saving hand. We are invited into worship with the familiar pronouncement that God sent Jesus into the world “in order…
Passing through stormy seas or tempestuous waters is a common motif in the Scriptures. Pharaoh’s horses and riders are drowned in the Red Sea, while Moses and the Israelites cross over on dry land. Jonah attempts to avoid God’s calling by sailing across the sea, only to be thrown overboard in a terrible storm and…
Throughout Acts 26, we find Paul showing incredible confidence as he makes his defense to Festus and Agrippa. Standing before a mighty king, descended from rulers who killed apostles and persecuted the Savior, Paul can say boldly, “I am not out of my mind… I am speaking true and rational words” (vs. 25). Paul knows…
Throughout the Lenten season we will be singing a new setting of Psalm 114. The rather short psalm includes some striking and unusual language, describing the mountains in the wilderness as “skipping rams” (vss. 4, 6) and directly questioning the sea and the Jordan river, “What ails you, that you flee?” (vs. 5). The musical…
This Sunday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which is traditionally a time of prayer, fasting, and repentance leading up to Easter, observed by Christians since the days of the early church. Several elements of the service have been adjusted to fit the character of this season. We will begin each Sunday by singing…
At the beginning of Acts 25, we find Paul once again defending himself in court. In addition to steadfastly maintaining his innocence, he appeals to a higher authority, setting up his final journey to argue his case before Ceasar in Rome. Many of the hymns and scripture passages in this morning’s service reflect God’s role…
Much as last week’s service centered around the contrast between truth and falsehood, much of the material in this morning’s service contrasts the two senses of the word fear: we will read and sing about fear, both as a “negative emotion stirred up by the expectation of danger or trouble”, and as “intense reverence or…
As you glance through this morning’s bulletin, you may notice a theme woven throughout: the contrast between truth and lies. We are invited into worship with a declaration that Jesus is “way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). We echo this sentiment at the end of the service when we sing to Him,…
This morning’s sermon text from Acts tells the story of the Jews’ plot to assassinate Paul in prison and God’s providential deliverance of his servant into the hands of Felix the governor. God saving His people from the clutches of their enemies is a theme that comes up again and again in the Scriptures. This…
Acts 22-23 tells the story of Paul defending himself to the Jewish authorities after his arrest, one of several legal trials he will endure before the end of his earthly Apostolic career. Courtroom imagery and language can be found throughout this morning’s service: see how often you find terms like “judge,” “justice,” “acquitted,” “condemned,” and…