Benediction
Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son
Glory be to the Spirit, God is Three-in-One
As it was in the beginning, it will be at the end
Glory be, glory be
Amen
SONG OF BENEDICTION: Glory Be (lyrics here)
Friday, August 21, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Commission
In this final movement, we are encouraged and equipped for the work God would have us do.
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
—1 Corinthians 1:18 (NRSV)
When we would have seminary pastoral interns at our church in Michigan, we would often spend a lot of time talking about the role of the sermon in a worship service. That moment corresponds to this fourth movement of worship we call “commission”—the time in worship where we are equipped and encouraged for our walk as followers of Jesus.
In those conversations there was one word that sprung up a lot: “cruciform.” In its literal sense, “cruciform” means something that is shaped like a cross. In the context of worship, though, “cruciform” reflects our desire that the word we offer might point us to the cross of Jesus in some way, shape, or form. In this time of commission we are invited to reflect on the cross of Christ and consider its call and claim on our lives.
Paul calls the message of the cross “the power of God” for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus. That’s what we seek to receive in this movement of commissioning—the very power of God which will shape us, transform us, and equip us for his work in the world.
Take some time today to reflect on the cross. What does it mean for you that it is “the power of God?” How does meditating on the death of Jesus bring us to a place of equipping? What movement of our soul does it inspire which will impact the way we live our lives for him?
SONG OF COMMISSION: When I Survey The Wondrous Cross (lyrics here)
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Assurance
In this third movement, we receive the good news of the gospel: we are forgiven.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
—Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
Peace with God. That is the gift of the cross and the empty tomb. It means the distance between humanity and God has been bridged by the most amazing love in the universe.
And it is not a temporary peace. It’s not like our human truces, which are broken all the time, or our human cease-fires, which rarely live up to their name. The peace we have with God is eternal. That’s why Paul could write just a couple of chapters later:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
That is the peace in which we now live, the grace in which we now stand. Child of God, know this truth and allow it to penetrate to the depths of your soul. Your sins are forgiven, your life has been made new, your peace is real and everlasting.
Today’s song sings of that peace. It is a simple, repetitious song declaring “There is peace where Christ is King.” Don’t let the simplicity of the song fool you, though—what it declares is remarkably profound.
SONG OF ASSURANCE: There Is Peace (lyrics here)
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Confession
In this second movement, we simply see ourselves for who we are: people who need God.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
To borrow words from Richard Foster, confession shows us both the greatness and the goodness of God. It shows his greatness because he is the only one with the power to forgive, a power rooted in the sacrificial death of Christ. God demonstrated his power in the cross and the empty tomb, disarming the dark powers and authorities that seek to defeat us, as Paul tells us in Colossians. Confession brings us face to face with the greatness of God.
But confession also shows God’s infinite goodness to us. The Bible shows us a God who always stands ready to forgive, and the reason for this is powerful yet simple: he loves us. It was his love that led to the cross, and it is his love that draws us near to that cross in humility and repentance.
Spend some time today meditating on these two aspects of confession. In bringing your sin and brokenness to God, how has that made you aware of his greatness? How has it revealed his goodness? As the Spirit leads, lay your sin and your need before the greatness and goodness of God, who demonstrated his love for us in such an unbelievable and incredible way.
SONG OF CONFESSION: Lead Me To The Cross (lyrics here)
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Encounter With God
In this first movement, we simply seek to see God for who He is: the One worthy of worship.
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
—Luke 1:46 (NRSV)
Some texts live in certain seasons, and that makes perfect sense. The Passion narratives need retelling as Good Friday and Easter approach, and we would be surprised to hear Luke’s account of the shepherds in their fields abiding during the month of September (although that may actually be closer to Jesus’ actual birth date).
But some of our seasonal texts deserve revisiting outside of their respective dates on the church calendar. The song of Mary, recorded in Luke 1, is certainly one of those. It is a magnificent declaration of the Kingdom that finds its advent in Christ’s birth but continues to be our heart’s desire as we await its final consummation. The language of God’s greatness, God’s mercy, God’s justice, and God’s promises is worth sitting with any time of year.
Today you are invited to read Mary’s song slowly as a meditation on who God is: the Mighty One who does great things, the One who shows mercy and strength, the God who exalts the humble and remembers his promises. This is language of deep praise and reverence, and it worthy of our time. Following a time of reflecting on this text, you’re invited to listen to a hymn it inspired more than 60 years ago:
Read this text slowly and prayerfully. As you read, take note of the words and phrases that stand out most to you. Let those words and phrases stir your heart to worship of the One who inspired them.
Mary’s Song of Praise
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
—Luke 1:46-55 (NRSV)
SONG OF ENCOUNTER: Tell Out My Soul (lyrics here)
Monday, August 17, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
A Call To Worship
On Mondays we focus in on the invitation to approach God in worship.
The tradition in which I was trained as a pastor often begins each Call to Worship by quoting the same verse of Scripture:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.”
—Psalm 124:8 (NRSV)
It’s the perfect verse to re-orient ourselves at the beginning of a time of worship, because it places that time of worship in context—we are standing before the God of all creation, who alone is our help. And often, as we enter of time of worship, we are in great need of that help. Distractions assail us, worries consume us, and our hearts can feel unfocused as we enter God’s presence. By declaring he is our help, we are placing all of that before him and asking him to realign our hearts and lives to the reason for our gathering, in fact the reason for our very life.
As we begin a new week, take time today to ask for God’s help to keep your eyes on him. We do not yet know what this week will hold, but there will no doubt be distractions and concerns that come our way and cause us to lose focus. Don’t fret—the sovereign Lord of the universe is your help, and he delights in bringing us reminders of his great love.
CALL TO WORSHIP: Help Us Love You Lord (lyrics here)
Friday, August 15, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Commission
In this final movement, we are encouraged and equipped for the work God would have us do.
“I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.”
—Psalm 143:5 (NIV)
One of the most important tasks we are given as the church is one that is (ironically) easy to forget: we are called to remember.
All through both the Old and New Testament the people of God are instructed to remember, especially at crucial points in their history. They’re told to remember God and his saving acts, to remember his deliverance and his goodness. In the book of Deuteronomy alone the command to “remember” occurs 16 times as God’s people are prepared for their journey into the Promised Land. The teaching is clear—as you make your way into God’s future, you must take time to remember his faithfulness in the past. And of course, the parallel story to this is the disciples receiving the Last Supper as they are prepared for a future they could not possibly predict. How did those words of Jesus, “Do this to remember me” strengthen them in the days, months, and years beyond?
As we come to the end of this week, take time to remember the faithfulness of God to you over the course of your life. What faces, names, events, and memories come to mind as you do? Spend some time offering prayers of gratitude as you “consider what his hands have done.” And let those memories strengthen you for the journey ahead.
Meditate on all his works and how they have equipped you for yours.
SONG OF COMMISSION: Remember (lyrics here)
Thursday, August 14, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Assurance
In this third movement, we receive the good news of the gospel: we are forgiven.
“No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”
—Jeremiah 31:34 (NRSV)
It is one of the hardest truths for us to grasp: that when God forgives our sins, he no longer remembers them. Our minds struggle to wrap around that thought. After all, God is omniscient, so it makes no sense that there is something we wouldn’t know or remember, right?
Unless…he chooses to forget. That’s within his power, and aligns with our understanding of his grace and love. If he removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west,” that is an unmeasurable distance. Our sins are not simply taken far away, they are gone from us to an infinite degree, even as far as God choosing to no longer remember them.
Sit with this truth awhile as you ponder these lyrics from a popular Taizé worship song:
The Lord is gracious full of compassion
Slow to anger and of great kindness
SONG OF ASSURANCE: The Lord is Gracious
Wednesday, August 13, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Confession
In this second movement, we simply see ourselves for who we are: people who need God.
“Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…”
—Acts 3:19-20a (NRSV)
As we desire to be cleansed and refreshed by the forgiving grace of God, sit with this ancient prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian, composed in the 4th century AD (adapted to modern language):
Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of laziness, despair, the desire to dominate, and idle talk. Instead, give me a spirit of wholeness, humility, patience, and love. Yes, Lord and King, let me see my own faults and not judge my brother or sister. For you are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Speak through the prayer slowly and intentionally, allowing the Spirit to search your heart and mind for anything which needs to be handed over to God.
SONG OF CONFESSION: Lord Have Mercy (lyrics here)
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Encounter With God
In this first movement, we simply seek to see God for who He is: the One worthy of worship.
“Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.”
—Psalm 99:5 (NIV)
In artwork from the throne rooms of Ancient Near Eastern kings, footstools appear again and again—a place for the king to rest his feet while he ruled from his throne. It would have been undignified for a king's feet to touch the bare ground, so lifting them onto a footstool was itself a mark of honor. The king's feet resting on his footstool pictured his elevated status and his reign.
This is where you and I are invited to worship the Lord our God: at his footstool. At the most basic and central level, this is a reminder that we live under the reign of God—he is our heavenly King, worthy of all exaltation. But there's a second truth the footstool holds for us: it is the piece of furniture closest to the throne itself. So even as our worship celebrates the exalted majesty of God, the footstool reminds us that this One who is so far above and beyond us has invited us to draw near.
Exalt the Lord. Worship at his footstool.
SONG OF ENCOUNTER: Only A Holy God (lyrics here)