Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review.  You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. This set list recap begins with the first song following the Call To Worship (our sets often begin with a pre-Call To Worship song that is “band leader’s choice,” and so is different in each campus). Some additional variations in the music sets may have taken place in each service/campus.

We began with this Call To Worship (underlined phrases represent the portions that our congregation read aloud from Power Point screens):

We gather together even in the midst of a lot uncertainties. This world and our life circumstances consistently change. Perhaps we live in fear of losing our jobs, our social status or even our loved ones. For some, those fears have become reality. Our earthly existence comes with no guarantees. But the God that has reached out to us is one who never changes and makes promises that can be trusted. Through Jesus Christ, He has given us a guarantee that is more valuable than anything this world can offer. Stand with me as we respond to His Word:

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

For I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

- Psalm 34:3-5,8-9

God gives us every perfect and good gift, so we give back our lives to Him as an act of worship. Let us raise our voices in song to Our Good and Perfect Father.

1. Refuge, written by Neil Robins.  We recorded this on Over The Grave. You can download the “Refuge” chord sheet from our Over The Grave page, here at sojournmusic.com.

The worship leaders followed with this time of Confession:

When life doesn’t go our way and we are tempted to lose hope and doubt God’s goodness, He invites us to cry out to Him. Let us confess to Him now our pain and our need for deliverance:

Lord God,

Our lives our troubled and fear wells up within us, but we often fail to voice this to you. Sometimes we think our pain is too petty to bother you with. Other times we believe our troubles are too big to be fixed. Lord give us humility to seek you and to admit we need your healing work in our hearts.

I invite you now to silently continue this prayer confessing specific sins or weaknesses to God and put before Him the burdens you feel. (Silence)

2. You Have Redeemed My Soul by Don and Lori Chaffer, recorded on Enter The Worship Circle.

In the middle of this song, the band played softly while the worship leader said:

The writer of the 73^rd Psalm examines his own heart in the middle of suffering with these words:

²¹ When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

²² I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Let us sing through this song again with the understanding that though we are broken, embittered and often feel beyond all hope, no pain is too impossible for our Redeeming Lord to heal.

We then finished singing “You Have Redeemed My Soul.”

Then the worship leader led us in these words of assurance:

: James 1 says this:

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. – James 1: 17-18

This means: When we had no song to sing, God tuned our hearts to sing His praise. When we were lost in sorrow and wandering away from Him, He gave us shelter and gathered us back to His side. When the price of our sin was more than we can pay, he released us from our debt and payed it himself. And when were covered in filth and rags, he clothed us with the righteousness of Christ. Let us be reminded of God’s gift – The Gospel – as we sing together:

3. Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing written by Robert Robinson.  This classic hymn led us into the Passing Of The Peace, prefaced with these instructions:

As those who are gifted so much in Christ, let us greet each other with generous hearts and words of affection. Take time now to welcome those around you.

Following the Passing Of The Peace, our pastor taught from 1 Timothy 6.  You can hear Sojourn sermons each week on our iTunes Sojourn Church podcast.

After the sermon we moved into Communion and the Offering, singing this song:

4. All I Have Is Yours, written by me - Bobby Gilles - and Rebecca Elliott.  This contemporary hymn is on our Before The Throne album.  You can view the chord sheet from that page, and you can hear the full version of “All I Have Is Yours” at Myspace.com/sojournrecords.

5. My Maker And My King, original hymn text by Anne Steel, music and arrangement by Worship & Arts Pastor Mike Cosper.  You can hear the full version and download the chord sheet for “My Maker And My King” from our Before The Throne page here at sojournmusic.com.

The worship band then led us in this scripture reading:

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:8-11

Brothers and sisters, no matter what disappointments we suffer, no matter what goals or achievements we attain or fail at - the hope we share in Jesus Christ is a hope that surpasses everything else. Let us continue to respond to the grace of our Savior!

6. In Christ Alone written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.  This popular modern hymn is such a good, wide-scope retelling of the gospel that it fits into nearly any part of the worship service.  This week, we sang it as a song for the Sending, prior to our Benediction, led by the Campus Pastor at each Sojourn location:

May the abounding grace of Jesus Christ compel you to give your life to his service for the sake of His Gospel. Go now in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

Singer-songwriter and Sojourn worship leader Brooks Ritter debuted a brand new song, “Coat Of Eyes” live in the “Inside Sojourn” podcast studio. He also talked about:

• What it was like to share the stage with hip hop artist Shai Linne

• Opening at the Kentucky Center For The Arts with bluegrass musicians Sara and Sean Watkins, formerly of Nickel Creek.

• His upcoming FREE show at The 930 Art Center,with Mike Mangione (along with art exhibit by Michael & Mickie Winters)

• His album The Horse Fell Lame

• Radio airplay

Listen directly through the Audio Acrobat media player here

Download the interview from the Inside Sojourn podcast, free at iTunes

Last night, Shai Linne attended Sojourn Gathered at the Midtown Campus and led a special sung-Benediction.  He and the Sojourn band did “Jesus Is Alive” from his fantastic album The Atonement. Check out this video footage from photographer Chuck Heeke, recorded on his digital camera:

And here’s more:

You can also view these on YouTube, and either pass around the URL or embed them into your own blog:

Shai Linne and Sojourn, part one
Shai Linne and Sojourn, part two

Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review.  You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. This set list recap begins with the first song following the Call To Worship (our sets often begin with a pre-Call To Worship song that is “band leader’s choice,” and so is different in each campus).

Some additional variations in the music sets may have taken place in each service/campus.  This commentary is based on the Midtown Campus evening services, which featured an appearance by Shai Linne.

Check out Shai Linne’s blog, “Lyrical Theology,” here.

Check out Shai Linne’s music here.

Photos by Chuck Heeke, from our Midtown Campus.

I’m going to play with the format of this post.  Along with the list of songs, I’m including the text of all the readings for our various service elements.  You can always find readings from Sojourn worship services at theopensourcebook.org, categorized in the name of the various elements (Call to Worship, Benediction, etc.) Here is what it looked like for this one service (the underlined portions you’ll see represent the portions of our readings that the entire congregation reads aloud):

Call To Worship — we always begin with a Call To Worship (although the band plays a song while members are arriving.  This week it was Psalm 3 by Rebecca Dennison).  This week’s Call To Worship:

Sometimes when we think of God, the picture we envision is a god who resembles a stoic old man with a long beard, and who wears a scowl on his face as he looks down from the clouds, impatiently watching his children.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  The scriptures give us a true picture of a God who is passionate for His people, and who will go to the most extreme length to bring us back to Himself. Let’s be reminded of this by hearing his word:

This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  For there is only one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and people.  He is the man Christ Jesus.  He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.

1 Tim. 2:3-6

We come to serve the God that desires that all come to know Him.  Let us sing out in light of such a gracious invitation

1. Come Ye Sinners written by Joseph Hart, arranged by Sojourn’s Brooks Ritter.

Prayer Of Confession —

The gospel call goes forth to everyone.  And though we are quick to give up on people, the gospel reminds us that there are no hopeless cases.  We are called to pray, to be hopeful, and to proclaim the truth while we still have breath. Let’s hear the following Scriptures and take some time of silence to confess the ways we don’t believe them and ask God to help us believe.  If you would like, you can take a posture of prayer by sitting or kneeling.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”

- Romans 1:16

Confess to the Lord how you are not believing this truth. (pause for 45 to 60 seconds)

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

- Psalm 34:18

Confess to the Lord how you are not believing this truth. (pause for 45 to 60 seconds)

And Jesus said,

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

- John 10:9-10

(pause for 45 to 60 seconds)

Jesus said,

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

And the Apostle Peter later writes,

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…

- Luke 19:10, 1 Peter 3:14-15

(pause for 45 to 60 seconds)

Let’s pray this together.

Father, we cry out as many before us, “We do believe; help us overcome our unbelief!”

Let’s continue this time of reflection and prayer and let the words of the next song shape our prayer.

2. O Help My Unbelief original text by Isaac Watts. New melody and arrangement by Justin Smith.

Celebration Of Assurance —

We need help. So are we hopeless? Can we be rescued from our sin and unbelief? Read with me:

If any of us sins, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 2:1-2

In our weakness, Christ is our strength. Let’s lift our voices and praise God for the advocating blood of Jesus!

3. Only Your Blood written by Sojourn’s Neil Robins.  You can hear this song at Facebook.com/sojournmusic.  Download the chord sheet from our Over The Grave page here at sojournmusic.com.

Passing Of The Peace —

Christ blood is enough to make us right with God and it’s enough to unite us as a family. The bond it seals is stronger than anything else we could have in common. This bond is given to us in love, so let us reach out and welcome each other now with the love of a close family.

Following the Passing Of The Peace, Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached on 1 Timothy 4.  Then, while engaging in communion and the offering, we sang:

4. Nothing But The Blood written by Robert Lowry and Page CXVI.

Reading —

Let’s be reminded that nothing in this world can satisfy us but Jesus alone.  As Jesus said…

“Everyone who drinks this [earthly] water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

-John 4:13-14

Let’s continue to lift our voices in celebration to our God who has made a way for us to know Him and proclaim this amazing truth to all people, everywhere!

5. Jesus Paid It All written by Elvina M. Hall and John T. Grape.

6. Solid Rock written by Edward Mote, William Bradbury, arranged by Brian Eichelberger.

Benediction —

Beautiful are the feet that bring the good news of the Gospel. Go out and share what Christ Jesus has done. Go in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

7. Jesus Is Alive written by Shai Linne.

If you follow the official Sojourn Church blog (TravelBlog), then you’ve probably read the announcement that Sojourn is now participating in the FREE Acts 29 Network iPhone app.

Not only can you listen to all of our sermons and read the church blog posts on this app, but you can listen to twenty songs, from each of our albums:  songs like

• Warrior and Only Your Blood Is Enough from Over The Grave
• In The Shadow Of The Glorious Cross and Lead Us Back from Before The Throne
• Faithful and Mourning Into Dancing from These Things I Remember

and more.  If you own an iPhone, download the free Acts 29 Network app today!

To see screen shots of all the Sojourn pages on this app, visit our sister site, TravelBlog.

Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review.  You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. This set list recap begins with the first song following the Call To Worship (our sets often begin with a pre-Call To Worship song that is “band leader’s choice,” and so is different in each campus).  Some additional variations in the music sets may have taken place in each service/campus. Photos by Chuck Heeke, from our Midtown Campus.

1. Come And Sing written by Sojourn’s Jeremy Quillo.  You can download the chord sheet from our Before The Throne page, and hear the song in its entirety at Facebook.com/sojournmusic.  We used this as the “Call To Worship” song on the liturgically-themed Before The Throne album, and that’s how we used it today as well.

Read the “Come And Sing” story behind the song by Jeremy Quillo here at sojournmusic.com.

2. Merciful God written by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend.  We used this as a song of confession, singing about our utter dependence on God.

Merciful God, O abounding in love,

Faithful through times we have failed You;

Selfish in thought and uncaring in deed,

Foolish in word and ungrateful.

Spirit of God, conquer our hearts

With love that flows from forgiveness;

Cause us to yield and return to the mercy of God.

3. Cling To The Crucified anonymous text adapted from Bonar’s “Lyra Consolationis.”  Music by Kevin Twit, RUF pastor and also the founder of Indelible Grace.  You can get this on the Indelible Grace album Wake Thy Slumbering Children.

• Hear Part One of Kevin Twit’s Worship Leader Training session conducted here at Sojourn.

• Hear Part Two of Kevin Twit’s Worship Leader Training session conducted here at Sojourn.

Following “Cling To The Crucified,” we greeted each other in the Passing Of The Peace.  Then Pastor Daniel Montgomery preached the first sermon from our new “What Is The Church?” series, which will sweep through the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus).  This week’s sermon provided an overview of 1 Timothy.

4. Holy, Holy, Holy by Reginald Heber.  We use an arrangement similar to Sufjan Stevens’.  Here, we sang it as our Communion hymn for the week, singing as we came forward to receive the bread and cup, and to visit the offering baskets.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

5. Praise To The Lord Almighty text by Joachim Neander.  Music by Lobe den Herren, with an additional chorus by Page CXVI.

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;

Health has vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, has stayed thee.

What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?

Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

6. Warrior written by Sojourn’s Dave Moisan, Neil Robins and moi - Bobby Gilles.  We recorded this on Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One.  Get the chord sheet from our Over The Grave page, and listen to “Warrior” in its entirety at Facebook.com/sojournrecords.

Read the story behind the song, and watch short videos from the “Warrior” recording session here at sojournmusic.com.

Following “Warrior,” and announcements for our weekend Membership Class and potluck lunch meetings for those who want to join a Community Group, we blessed each other through the Benediction.

“There is no secular life for devout worshippers, not for those who in genuine humility (Phil. 2:5-11) make pleasing God their goal (2 Cor. 5:9).  They are filled with joy in their worship and ready to meet the needs of others (Heb. 13:15-16).  For the devout, every moment is an opportunity for the spiritual life.

“But when pride takes over and selfish ambition is the rule of the day so that the needs of the community are ignored, then the words of the prophetic rebukes and warnings that first came to Israel resound in our sanctuaries as well: God still rejects such worship and warns that if it does not change he will remove the witness (Rev. 2-3).”

— Recalling The Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship From The Garden To The New Creation, by Allen P. Ross

Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review.  You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. This set list recap begins with the first song following the Call To Worship (our sets often begin with a pre-Call To Worship song that is “band leader’s choice,” and so is different in each campus).  Some additional variations in the music sets may have taken place in each service/campus.

Photos by Chuck Heeke, from our Midtown Campus.  East Campus photos by Troy Harvey coming later this week at TravelBlog.

1. I Sing The Mighty Power Of God written by Isaac Watts. At Sojourn Gathered we do a version based on the arrangement that Mars Hill Church (Seattle) came up with.  We sang this as a response to the Call To Worship:

Kings of earth and everything that lives, now with us sing

And let Your glory ring

O’er every mountain crest, Creation has confessed

That You have given breath

From heaven to the depths

2. May Your Power Rest On Me written by Joel Gerdis and Neil Robins, based on “Hymn 15” by Isaac Watts.  We recorded this on Over The Grave: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume One.  You can download the chord sheet from our Over The Grave page, and you can hear the song in its entirety at either:

• facebook.com/sojournmusic
• myspace.com/sojournrecords

You can also read some thoughts on “May Your Power Rest On Me” by songwriter Joel Gerdis right here on sojournmusic.com.

3. You Never Let Go written by Matt and Beth Redman.  This is one the strongest modern songs of assurance in Christ that you’ll find:

Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go, every high, every low,

Oh no, You never let go — Lord, You never let go of me

Following “You Never Let Go” we greeted each other during the Passing Of The Peace.  Then Worship & Arts Pastor Mike Cosper preached from 1 Thessalonians 4.

4. At The Foot Of The Cross written by Kathryn Scott.  We’ve sang this one for a long time at Sojourn Gathered.  Today we used it as our communion hymn of the week, singing and reflecting on the lyrics while coming forward to receive the bread and cup:

At the foot of the cross

Where grace and suffering meet

You have shown me Your love

Through the judgment You received

And You’ve won my heart.  Yes, You’ve won my heart.

5. Invitacion Fountain written by Michael J. Pritzl of the Violet Burning.  This is another song we’ve sang many times together.  Most often we use it as a Call To Worship but today we sang it together as a song of dedication, following communion:

If You lead me Lord, I will follow,

Where You lead me Lord, I will go

Come and heal me Lord, I will follow

Where You lead me Lord, I will go.  I will go.

6. Where Your Praise Never Ends written by Sojourn’s Charlie Richardson.  This is a Sojourn original that we’ve sang for years but have not yet recorded.  It’s a great way to end a worship service, fixing our minds on what lies ahead:

Ones that have gone before us

Saints that have joined Your chorus

Know of Your glory now.

My voice prepares the notes

That I’ll sing before Your throne

Rehearsing the day I’ll see You face to face

Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s weekly worship music set list review.  You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. This set list recap begins with the first song following the Call To Worship (our sets often begin with a pre-Call To Worship song that is “band leader’s choice,” and so is different in each campus).  Some additional variations in the music sets may have taken place in each service/campus.

Photos this week from the 7pm Midtown Campus service, by Chuck Heeke.

1. How Great Thou Art written by Stuart K. Hine.  This song, made famous in the United States by George Beverly Shea and the Billy Graham Crusades, is a good response to God’s call to worship:

Then sings my soul, “My savior, God,” to thee,

“How great thou art!  How great thou art!”

2. Nothing Without You written by Bebo Norman.  We sang this as a confession of our helplessness and need for Christ:

All my soul needs

Is all Your love to cover me

So all the world will see

That I have nothing without You.

3. Majesty (Here I Am) written by Martin Smith and Stuart Garrard.  This Vineyard worship song has been a Sojourn Gathered staple for years.  Here, we sang it as a further confession, and a celebration of the grace extended to us through the cross of Christ:

Now I’ve found

The greatest love of all is mine

Since You laid down your life — the greatest sacrifice …

Majesty, majesty

Your grace has found me just as I am,

Empty handed but alive in Your hands

4. Be Thou My Vision traditionally thought to be written by Dallan Forgaill in the 6th century.  We used this Irish ancient Irish petition as our communion hymn of the week, following Pastor Daniel Montgomery’s sermon from Colossians 3.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,

naught be all else to me, save that thou art;

Thou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

5. You written by Tim Hughes.  This song of adoration is another one we’ve enjoyed here in the Sojourn community for most of our 10-year existence (we celebrate our 10th Anniversary this September 19):

Your love can melt the hardest heart

Your words can bring the dead to life

Nothing is impossible for You.

Awesome God, Humble King,

You terrify yet welcome in

Your glory echoes all around the world

6. Before The Throne Of God Above hymn text by Charitie Lees Bancroft, modern melody by Vickie Cook.  We recorded this on our liturgically-themed Before The Throne record.  You can view the “Before The Throne Of God Above” chord sheet here at sojournmusic.com, on the Before The Throne music page.

We sang it today as the final song for the sending, before the Benediction.

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea

A great High Priest whose name is Love,

Who ever lives and pleads for me

This is … wow.  Just, oh my.  “It’s Prophesied (End Times Anthem).” Oh my goodness.

Everything you need to know about how NOT to write a song — or interpret your Bible —  is here:

Thanks to challies.com and Take Your Vitamin Z for this.