Preparing for Sunday, 3-6-11

I'm really excited to be blogging again about Sunday morning. I feel like this helps me a ton, as I think through our song list, etc. Hopefully it's helpful to you too!

Pastor John is still on his sabbatical through the end of March, so Jordan will be preaching all the Sundays through then. This Sunday the sermon text will be Colossians 2:1-5, about Paul longing for the believers at Colossae, that they would be encouraged and united in love, that they would "reach all the riches of understanding" of God in Christ. Jordan has a special knack for explaining passages like this, that deal with the life of believers in a church. Should be a really good morning!

In Colossians we find theology about Christ's deity and majesty as God in human form, but also about his death and resurrection to triumph over sin and ransom his people from the grave. So our songs will probably continue to hit these aspects of our Savior as we study this book. Our song list will go as follows.

1. God of Wonders
2. Indescribable
3. Glorious
4. Jesus Paid it All

And I just want to include a note on the song Glorious, which we introduced in church about a month ago. This song was originally written by Chris Tomlin, but a pastor friend of ours over at Grace Community Church rewrote the lyrics to the verses, in order to express more specific biblical truth. As someone told me in relation to the re-written lyrics, they're "another testament to why we need pastors and theologians writing good lyrics." I love this version, and I love that someone I know wrote the verses to serve the church. The lyrics to the song are below.

No earthly mind would dare invent
A substitute from heaven sent
The Lamb
To pay for sin and take the guilt
Through innocent, divine blood spilt
The Lamb, Lamb of God

Glorious over us
You shall reign, glorious!

No greater thought can be conceived
Than what You did to purchase me
O Lord
From sin, despair and Satan's spell
From righteous wrath, eternal hell
O Lord, O Lord

Majesty and power are Yours alone, forever!