The worship theme we've been following since late August is "The Most Excellent Way", a focus on the way of love. Sunday's text was Cor 13:5 - Love "keeps no record of wrongs." (NIV)
The service began with "Rock of Ages", then after welcome and announcements, the chorus of the song "Think about His Love":
Think about His love, Think about His goodness
Think about His grace that's brought us through
For as high as the heaven's above
So great is the measure of our Father's love,
Great is the measure of our Father's love.
Walt Harrah © 1987 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
Then we needed scripture that would move us forward in the theme of forgiveness and would also drop a hint preparing for the introduction of the new song "Better than Life":
Your love is everlasting, It's an everlasting love
Your mercy is as new as ev'ry rising of the sun
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Your grace is all sufficient, it's an all-sufficient grace
Your power and Your glor are forever on display
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Oh it's better, Oh better than life
Oh so much better
Jesus Your lovingkindness is better than life
Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff & Israel Houghton
c 2001 Integrity's Praise! Music My Other Publishing Company (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) Lakewood Ministries Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
So after once through "Think about His love", we went into a unison reading:
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Now here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Psalm 63 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions - arranged by RJL
We sang "Think about His Love" again before the following reading:
It wasn't so long ago that we were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. We let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell us how to live. We all did what we felt like doing, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.
O God, Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Eph 2:1-5 and Psalm 63:3 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions
Then we sang "Better than Life" - with full rhythm section and brass.
Finally this unison reading led into "For the Lord is Good", also with an original brass arrangement:
The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.
Nahum 1:7 NLT
(Cho)
For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever
He's a faithful God to all generations
For the Lord is good and His mercies will not fail us
They are new each day, O lift your voice and say The Lord is good!
Great is Your faithfulness O Lord (ECHO)
Your lovingkindness fills our hearts to overflowing
Songs of rejoicing and sweet praise
They fill our hearts (ECHO)
They fill our days
(Cho)
Gary Sadler & Lynn DeShazo
c 1997 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
We have a second verse text which was written by our Senior Pastor, Al Doering:
Your love and mercy give us life
Jesus, your cross has opened up the way to Heaven
Daily we live under Your grace
You bring us hope
through all our days.
It was a very strong opening for worship.
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