Call To Worship

January 10, 2024

Leadership Notes

     This first missive of the new year is going to be short and sweet {as opposed to my sometime nature – tall and spicy}. Anything is preferable to average and bland, I suppose.

     Here’s the call to worship from Sunday morning, January 7, 2024:

Bless the Lord, O my soul!    O Lord my God, you are very great!

You are clothed with splendor and majesty,     

covering yourself with light as with a garment,    

stretching out the heavens like a tent.

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;

he makes the clouds his chariot;    

he rides on the wings of the wind;

he makes his messengers winds,    

his ministers a flaming fire.

He set the earth on its foundations,    

so that it should never be moved.

-      Psalm 104:1-5

     Worship, led by Souls Harbor, was splendiferous. It was everything we’ve come to expect of worship here at Covenant Church. In one of the songs we were all signing, when all accompaniment dropped out so we were singing acapella, it was such a lovely sound. It was pure glory and praise to God.

     Secondly, here’s a wonderful quote shared in worship:

“Brethren and sisters, since Christ finds many loath to honour

him, my exhortation is to you who love him, honour him the more

since the world will not.”

-      Charles Spurgeon

That is a charge driven by the deep truth from Jude.

     Thirdly, from Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck {1854-1921}:

“Now that election operates according to grace, there is hope

even for the most wretched. If work and reward were the

standard of admission into the kingdom of heaven, it’s gates

would be opened for no one.”

That is a truth driven by the depths of God’s Word.

     Finally {if you’re keeping track at home, this is #4}, this from Jonathan

Edwards {1703-1758}:

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that

made it necessary.”

     These are all beautiful expressions of faith forming a foundation upon which to begin a new year.

With Much Love and Affection,

Richard