Preparing For Worship: December 7th, 2008

The restfulness of the Thanksgiving holiday last week overcame me as I didn't get a chance to post a "Preparing for worship" for last week; please accept my humble apology!

So, to make up for it, here is this week's "Preparing for worship" a whole day early! Please, save your applause for when I can hear it :)

Here's what's going on this Sunday (can you believe it's the first Sunday in December???)

We'll start with that great, upbeat, triumphant song "Let God Arise" which should help get the blood flowing, and wake us up to the glory of the God we serve!

Pastor Todd will come and lead in prayer and welcome visitors. Then we'll get to see another short video on the ministry of the Union Rescue Mission, as we prepare to go and minister there on Dec. 19th. Be sure to sign up at the special table in the lobby (you can't miss it; it's surrounded by lots of shoes!).

We'll continue singing and we'll start to look ahead to celebrating communion together by singing songs that talk about that precious blood of Jesus, and the saving work it accomplished for us on the cross: "Nothing But The Blood of Jesus" and "Mighty to Save."

(I like that the video for Mighty to Save is for a similar purpose as my blog! I may have to start making videos myself...)

Pastor Todd will share the second of his four part series called "Unwrapping the Gift;" this week focusing on John 1:1-5 (click and read!!).

As we consider what it meant for "the Light" to come and shine among the darkness, we'll celebrate the Lord's supper together, and remind ourselves of his blood shed, and his body broken for us, that we might enter into a new covenant with him for our salvation.

We'll sing "Marvelous Light" as we pass the communion elements together, and savor that moment when God's kindness brought us out of death through his Son.

We'll close with the new song "I Have a Hope" we learned last week. It'll still be new for many of you, so be sure to take a look and a listen as you prepare. Put it on in the background while you do other stuff around the house, or at the office. You'll notice the difference!

That's what's going on; happy preparation!