Friday, February 08, 2008

The Pain of it All

This Sunday morning at Memorial Drive:



Victory Chant

Welcome, Announcements & Prayer

Come, Worship Christ the King
Comment
Highly Exalted
You Are My King (Amazing Love)

Lord's Supper
During Bread & Cup: Ten Thousand Angels

During Offering: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Dismiss Children to Bible Hour

You Are My All In All

Teaching by Terry Rush

I Will Change Your Name

Shepherd's Prayer

Still
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For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 1 Peter 2:19

Those who choose to follow in the steps of the Master shouldn't be surprised when they are treated as the Master was treated. He was sinless, loving, compassionate and truthful, and for it He was mocked, scorned, ridiculed and abused. There are places where you and I would get that same response today.

This Sunday, Terry plans to share a little bit about how he is treated at baseball camp by some who scoff at Christianity. I can recall being treated in a similar way on construction projects in the past. Some of you face that kind of treatment every day. In our time together this week we want to encourage our church family to endure through such difficult times.

We'll begin with 2 songs that proclaim Christ as our King (Victory Chant and Come, Worship Christ the King). That's nothing out of the ordinary for us to begin with such songs of praise. However, in my comment after those 2 songs I want to remind us that the very same words we use to worship were also used to insult and mock: "Hail, King of the Jews!" Yet Jesus endured such without retaliation.

The song Highly Exalted reminds us of Christ's submissive spirit. Readers not from Memorial Drive probably aren't familiar with that song, so I'll post the lyrics here:

You were despised, You were rejected, Lord
Those who passed by even averted their gaze from the sight
Such was the suffering You bore for us
Led like a lamb, a lamb to the slaughter
You spoke not a word, but chose to be silent
though You did no wrong, nor was deceitfulness found in You

Yet by Your wounds our salvation has come
Yet by Your suffering our freedom is won

For God has highly exalted Your name
He has enthroned You on high
Jesus the name above all names

God has highly exalted Your name
He has enthroned You on high
Jesus the name above all names

by Robin Mark and Paul Baloche
Copyright 2007 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

I was listening to Robin Mark's new cd East of the River a few months ago and that song jumped out at me as one we needed to be singing. It's taken straight from Isaiah 53 and Philippians 2, and really encourages us to remember how Jesus endured such pain and shame for the glory set before Him.

The next song, You Are My King, really ties it all together with lyrics such as, "I'm forgiven because You were forsaken, I'm accepted, You were condemned," and ends back where we began, except with a fresh appreciation for the words, "You are my King."

I love it when I can find the perfect hymn to include...one which we haven't sung in a while (ok, not at all since I've been here), yet will come back to life in the right context. I think that will be the case with Ten Thousand Angels during communion.

During the offering we'll sing verses 1,2, and 4 of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Strange place for that song, you say? Not at all. Go back and read those lyrics - it's all about us offering ourselves as a response to the cross. Perhaps in a different context than usual those words will have a fresh meaning.

I love the end of the first verse of You are My All in All which says, "Seeking You as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool." I also love the way that the author, Dennis Jernigan, always comes back to those words as the ending when he leads the song. No matter the pain we may endure because of our faith, it would still be foolish to ever give up.

I Will Change Your Name is the perfect response song this week. To the world, we appear wounded, outcast, lonely and afraid. To God, we are confident, joyful, overcomers, truthful, and His friends.

I want to end with a song of hope and confidence. Thus the song Still with the text, "When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm." No one should leave discouraged or depressed!

May you all be encouraged and blessed wherever you assemble with fellow believers this weekend!

4 comments:

Lindsay said...

Once again, incredible job! Thank you for the way you pour your heart into these services. We are all so blessed by the work you do in the Kingdom.

Brenda said...

Amazing! It's one thing to be a part of this, but to read how you put your heart into this is inspiring. It really gives a new meaning to the worship time to dwell in this beforehand. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for being you!

Vanessa said...

I can't wait to read one of these before a Sunday that I'll be there for! Very nice work, Shane. Thank you for doing what you do.

preacherman said...

Sounds like a wonderful worship experience. Praise God! Thank you for sharing this Sundays experience with us all.
Kinney Mabry
P.S.
Thank you for all the prayers.
I can feel the strength of the Lord working in my life to heal.
God is so good!