WORSHIP NOTES Volume 13, No. 5 (May 2018) THE GOD OF OUR ETERNAL PRAISE(Revelation 1) In a sermon given by Sinclair Ferguson, the great Scottish theologian and preacher, he said: A friend of mine led a tour last year to the seven churches of the book of Revelation. I said, “Did you go to the island of Patmos?” “No,” he said, “I asked the people about going to Patmos, and they […]
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 13, No. 2 (February 2018) (presentation to the Memphis chapter of theAmerican Guild of Organists, March 5, 2018) I. PLANNING A. Revelation & Response ↓↑ (see Worship Notes 1.5)B. Thematic Worship (see Worship Notes 3.4) C. Priorities D. “Preparing for Worship” (weekly email sent from the church; describes that week’s theme, and includes links to listen to songs that may be unfamiliar) E. Holiday Services II. RESOURCES A. In-house resources B.
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 12, No. 7 (July 2017) (original cover artwork by Emily Ozier for our 2010 Festival of Lessons & Carols) THE ELEMENTS OF A LESSONS & CAROLS SERVICE (continued) 2. THE THEME Obviously the theme is the birth of Christ! But often we have looked at the Christmas story from varying angles, with an overarching sub-theme giving direction and focus to the individual lessons and to the
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 11, No. 9 (September 2016) Last month we looked at the importance of theology for worship (that is, a biblical understanding of worship). This month we want to look at it the other way around and consider the importance of worship for theology. In any of our biblical study as believers, whether it be in Bible school, in seminary, in Sunday School, or in our own private study, it
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 11, No. 8 (August 2016) The Bible is a collection of writings by authors inspired by God over the course of many centuries. These writings are of different genres: historical books, books of poetry and prophecy, letters, etc. And the Bible is not arranged thematically like a textbook would be. The work of a theologian is to draw, from the different parts of the Bible, its teachings
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 7 (July 2014) 18. WORSHIP IN THE GENERAL EPISTLES a. 1 Peter 2:5 Spiritual Sacrifices You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The Church arose within the context of 1st-century Judaism; but as the book of Acts relates, the rejection of the gospel by most
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 4 (April 2014) 14. Turning from False to True Worship (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10) Too often we talk about the gospel only in negative terms: that is, how it saves us (and gloriously so!) from sin, death and hell. But it is important to realize and to emphasize that we are not just saved from something, but also to something: to a personal relationship with our
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 2 (February 2014) 8. YES AND AMEN: God’s Program in Two Words (2 Corinthians 1:20) The Gospel in Miniature Nestled in the opening strains of Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians is a statement which plumbs the depths of God’s redemptive work through Christ and the relationship with Him which we enjoy because of it. The Context The context finds Paul addressing the charge of
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 1 (January 2014) 7. PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP IN 1 CORINTHIANS a. The Principle of Grace For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 8, No. 10 (October 2013) 5. PAUL AS THEOLOGIAN AND WORSHIPER (Romans 11:33-36) Paul’s explanation of the ramifications of the fall (1:18-32; see last month’s Worship Notes) and the ensuing blackness of sin that has engulfed the human race (3:9-18,23) makes the gospel shine all the more brightly as he expounds on it in the ensuing chapters. He shows how the gospel is indeed “the power of
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