Welcome to the Sunday Gathering recap (songs, hymns, liturgy and sermon). This blog gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you heard in the gathering or catch up if you weren’t able to be with us.
*The indented sections are responses read aloud by the congregation during the Gathering
THE CHURCH - The Essentials
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather today not as individuals, but as a church – a single body made up of many members. And Sunday for us isn’t an odd thing we pile on to the rest of “real life”. It’s a place where we focus on the practices that should fill our days – worshiping the Lord, confessing our sins, remembering the Gospel, listening to God’s Word. We practice these things together here and we ask God that he would write these practices on to our hearts, so that as we scatter, we would continue them throughout our days. Hear this call to worship as we begin our gathering about the identity we now have in Jesus.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Once we were not a people, but now we are God's people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:9-10)
Song: O God of Our Salvation
Song: Jesus is the Lord of All
CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
Let's pray this prayer of confession together now:
Heavenly father, every time we are reminded of your greatness, we see how far we are from you. We remember how quick we are to turn away from you and forget the grace that brought us into relationship with you.
Remind us of what it means to be part of your family and help us by your Spirit, to know and experience the joy of being your people. Amen.
Hear these words of assurance from Ephesians 2:
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
(Ephesians 2: 19-22)
Song: Made Alive
PASSING OF THE PEACE
PREACHING OF THE WORD
This week marked the start of our new sermon series on the Church. Gary Aston gave us an overview of the essentials of the church from Acts 2:42-47 and showed us what we can look forward to in the coming weeks. Click here to listen to that sermon.
COMMUNION
Every week we want to respond to what God has done for us in Jesus. One of the great ways he has provided for us to remember the truth of the gospel is giving us communion. As we take the bread and wine we remember what Jesus has done for us.
POST COMMUNION READING
Jesus’ death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
We rejoice that You have died, rose again, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.
With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.
Song: Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Song: Saviour of the World
COMMITMENT READING
God’s word reminds us that God has made us a family, and that our unity is an expression of the gospel for the watching eyes of the world. The apostle Paul encouraged the church with these words:
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
(Ephesians 4:1-6)
Song: This I Believe
BENEDICTION
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
Amen.