One of the joyous difficulties of this season is finding a way to include in the service all the wonderful hymns and carols that we only get to sing during this time of year. Of course, this is an impossible task—in just four weeks, we can only scratch the surface of the rich tradition of Advent and Christmas hymnody. This…
In last Sunday’s sermon text, Zechariah proclaimed how God is always working redemption for His people. This Sunday we see the fulfillment of that prophecy through yet another angel proclamation. A whole host of angels appear to the shepherds calling them to come and worship the Shepherd of their souls who will satisfy them with every good thing. God has…
Just as we saw in Mary’s song last week, Zechariah’s song from Luke 1:67-80 draws heavily from the language of the Old Testament. Zechariah remarks that the “horn of salvation” (a reference to Psalm 18:2) was promised “by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old,” a sentiment echoed in many Christmas hymns. See, Amid The Winter’s Snow refers…
This Sunday, we begin a short sermon series on the “songs” in the New Testament that surround the birth of Christ: Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67-79), the angels’ song (Luke 2:14), Simeon’s song (Luke 2:29-32), and today, Mary’s song (Luke 1:46-55). Several of the hymns we sing this morning allude to Mary’s actions in the story of Jesus’ birth. Come All…
Over the last eight weeks, we’ve had a great opportunity to dive deeply into the Scripture by reading and singing the psalms. We’ll conclude the series this Sunday with Psalm 8 preached and sung, along with four other complete psalm settings (100, 29, 21, and 110), excerpts from 3 others (118, 95, 51), and a reading of another (111). If…
Most of the psalms, hymns, and readings in this morning’s service could be summed up in a single word: “Help!” We ask the Lord to rescue us from a foreign throng (Blest Be The Lord, My Rock, My Might—Psalm 144), and we cry out “Save your servant! preserve my life!” (Turn Your Ear And Answer—Psalm 86). We are warned to…
This morning’s sermon text from Psalm 6 is a cry of desperation, an escalation of the prayers for relief and salvation David has prayed in Psalms 3-5. The psalmist is brought to the end of himself, terrified of God’s anger (vs. 1) and weeping over his own weakness (vs. 2, 6-7)—though he concludes with the assurance that the Lord accepts…
Isn’t it fascinating to see the connections between these first few psalms in the psalter? After David declares that he will “lay down and sleep” in the midst of his enemies in Psalm 3, the image of “sleep” comes again in Psalm 4. Here we see David giving thanks for relief amid distress, then sleeping “in peace” (vs. 8). Many…
Since we were first planted, Parish has been a church that has prioritized singing the psalms. The section of our worship service called “God speaks to His people through His Word” always includes at least one psalm (this week it’s a setting of Psalm 149, which is also our Call to Worship), and often we’ll sing several more psalms throughout…