(image via The Resurgence)

There are some great resources out in the ethernet for studying and using Creeds and Confessions in both your own study and in corporate worship.  Creeds are a wonderful way to make both corporate confessions of faith as well as visible, audible, physical expressions of our unity with Christ – both in our own church and with the church worldwide.

The Resurgence posted a great resources recently with some brief articles on the most important creeds and confessions by Justin Holcomb (former RTS Grad).

LINK

Phillip Schaff produced the most famous work in regard to church creeds “The Creeds of Christendom: The history of creeds”

LINK

Here is a helpful resource with the major creeds in a form you can use them in bulletins/PPT.

The Book of Confessions (PDF)

Songs for the Apostles Creed – A Collection of Hymns on each article of the Apostles Creed

LINK

Here are a few resources for you as you think of your prayers for this Sunday, the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Sorry these are coming so late.

- Prayer of Lament from City Church, San Francisco (pdf)

- Christ the King – Resources on learning to lament

- Prayer on 9/11 from Sojourn Church (via Mike Cosper)

- Prayer at Ground Zero - from Justin Taylor/Between Two World

- John Witvliet – A Time to Weep: Liturgical Lament in times of crises.

(Condensed outline from the above Witvliet article)
A Basic structure of a prayer of lament, mirroring the structure of the Psalms.

• Our lament begins with invocation, a startling confession that even in times of crisis, we approach a personal and accessible God.
• Then, our lament freely addresses this personal God through the picturesque gallery of images used in direct address in the psalms.
• Our prayer continues with bold lament. We bring our most intense theological questions right into the sanctuary.
• Then our prayer continues with specific petition: heal us, free us, save us.
• Finally, our prayer ends with expressions of hope, confidence, and trust, however muted they might be by the present situation.

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Psalms of Lament to incorporate into your Prayers.

Community – 12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89*, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129

Individual – 3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27*, 28, 31, 36*, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42-43, 52*, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89*, 120, 139, 141, 142

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Songs of Lament

Psalm 51 – God, Be Merciful to Me – by Indelible Grace
listen | chords | leadsheet 

Psalm 129 -  Up From My Youth, May Israel Say – by Cardiphonia
mp3 | leadsheet

Psalm 130 – Out of the Depths - by Karl Digerness
listen | leadsheet
Adapted from “Out of the Deep I Call” by Henry W. Baker, 1868 

Psalm 130 – From the Depths of Woe – by Chris Miner
listen | chords | leadsheet

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Prayers from the BCP

4. For Peace


Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.

5. For Peace Among the Nations

Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the
world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among
them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they
may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

6. For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Dr. Reggie Kidd - Worship Leader/ Pastor

Worship Leaders – here are a few practices that most preachers make a part of their weekly preparation that we can learn from.

1. Think both Series and Sundays.

Most preachers are constantly working on a series of sermons as well as the content for a single sermon.  This accomplishes a couple of goals.  One, scripture communicates ideas both in a longer narrative form (think OT historical books like Judges and Ruth) and in precepts and doctrine (think Paul – epistles).  You need both of these working in concert to truly reflect sola scriptura. (Actually scripture uses a large number of different genre’s of literature to communicate God’s story…does your music reflect this diversity?)

You can pursue this in a couple of different ways:

1. Thematic Series: If your preacher is preaching a thematic series then get his list of sermons topics and any scriptures that he plans to use.  Spend some time studying this list and making thematic and scriptural connections with songs that are in your reportoire.  Good places to search themes and topics are CCLI , Worship Together and Hymnary. If you are missing songs that support his main theme then find or write songs to support that. Also, try to pick a few songs that reflect doctrine’s in tension or in contrast with his sermon series.  Our worship must always hold the tensions of scripture before God’s people.  Jesus being both man and God, etc.

Here is an example – Advent

2. Expository Series: If your preacher goes through books at a time then spend some time reading and working through that book.  Make your own list of themes and phrases that stand out to you.  Put together a list of songs that reflect those themes.  You can use tools such as the hymnary to research songs that were inspired by the sermon texts.

Here is an example – Ephesians

2. Learn from history and learn from your contemporaries

Most preachers are constantly reading and listening to sermons. This is how they improve their preaching, learn from the greats, and hopefully get a larger sense of how the Spirit is speaking to the church in the present. As worship leaders we need to explore the same strategies for our growth both spiritually and as leaders.

You can pursue this in a couple of different ways:

1. Study the history of worship in the Christian Church.  We do not worship in a historical void.  God works in and through our sense of time and space. He sent his Son at the appointed time and place and now we wait for the completion of all things.  When we worship we should strive to use all of the ways that the Holy Spirit has spoken through the church to communicate the Gospel. When we do this we learn how various era’s have built their work on scripture, for better and for worse.

Check out these resources:
Andrew Wilson-Dickson – The Story of Christian Music
Paul Westermeyer – Te Deum: The Church and Music
Bard Thompson – Liturgies of the Western Church
Reggie Kidd – With One Voice
Lester Ruth – Walking Where Jesus Walked
Tim Keller – Evangelistic Worship

2. Study and interact with the worship services of Worship Leaders you respect and admire.  I regularly read and study the liturgies of other worship leaders.  It’s helps get me out of ruts, I learn, I admire their craft, I worship in a different setting and context, I find resources I can use to bless my own church.

Check out some of these resources:  and email them if you have questions!
City Church, San Francisco (Karl Digerness)
Sojourn Church (Mike Cosper, et al)
Redeemer Pres Indy (Nathan Partain)
Covenant Pres Chicago ( Paul van der Bijl)
Trinity Pres CVille (Isaac Wardell – BiFrost)

Engage with Set Lists at ‘the worship community’

3. Listen and study a lot of different kinds of music.  We like to listen to what we like to listen to.  Especially when it comes to worship music. It’s important that we listen to the best of what we use on Sunday’s, and then devote additional time to listening to music, worship and otherwise, that stretches our boundaries and our comforts.  I love to download mixes that others have crafted, pick up themed collections from Amazon, and get suggestions from other worship leaders on what they are listening to.

Reggie Kidd – Bach, Bubba, and the Blues Brothers
Zach Hicks – The Similarities Between Baroque and Rock Music

3. Learn to craft worship and song like preachers craft sermons

It doesn’t take to long working in the office with a preacher until you realize what an immense task it is to craft a new sermon each week.  As musicians we are really lucky.  Usually we are using songs written by other people, and we only have a limited number that we use in every season.  Preachers could preach sermons written by other men…who wouldn’t be blest to hear the sermons of John Calvin, or Spurgeon, or Keller each week?  Yet a preacher is called to bring the Word of God to a specific people, in a specific context, with a unique spiritual makeup that makes it inappropriate for them to preach others sermons.  As Worship Leaders we need to play our part in this task of crafting worship and song to speak to a specific context.  All to often we fall back on songs and arrangements crafted for other contexts that don’t fit our own.  We don’t do the hard work of parsing our own community — what are their needs, their deficiencies, their strengths?

Here are a few resources to help you with this weighty work:

Zac Hicks – How I Choose Songs for Corporate Worship
Bruce Benedict – Five Things I Learned about Songwriting from Sufjan Stevens
Keith Getty – 10 Ideas for Good Songwriting
Bob Kauflin – Songwriting resources at Worship Matter blog
John Newton – Songwriting 101
David Taylor – Questions of the Preacher (Worship Leader)

'The Scapegoat', William Holman Hunt

(Go here to read about this fascinating work and the significance of the frame etchings. HT – Sarah Parkerson Day)

Geoff Bradford, our new pastor, is beginning his residency with us in a series looking at the various aspects of the atonement.  There is a lot to read on this right now and always a bit of theological controversy to boot.  But when it comes to the atonement it goes with church history. For a short introduction the chapter on the atonement in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is thorough. Although a bit of an intimidating series to plan for the sermon’s have been rich and beautiful as we’ve examined the various aspects of the jewel of atonement. (Ransom, Propitiation, Expiation, Redemption, and Christus Victor). Go here to listen.

Here is our guide with scriptures, notes, and some questions for community groups. {PDF}

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Trinity Church, Boston

RANSOM

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (c.f. Mark 10:45)
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Songs – It is Finished (BiFrost Arts)  *  Here is Love (Brian Johnson) *  How Deep the Father’s Love (Townend)

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Zurbaran-'Agnus Dei'

PROPITIATION

1 John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Songs – For Every Soul in Every Need (Michael Van Patter) *  In Christ Alone (Getty and Townend)

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'Scapegoat' - Hunt

EXPIATION

1 John 1:5-10 (cf. Leviticus 16:15-21; Hebrews 9:13-14)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Songs – God Be Merciful to Me (Indelible Grace) * Just As I Am (JG Hymns) * Nothing But the Blood (Trad)

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'The Descending of New Jerusalem' (c) by Scott Erickson

REDEMPTION

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Songs – How Vast the Benefits Divine (Holly Dutton) Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed (Irish Arr.) * Lamb of God, Our Souls Adore Thee (Rick Jensen)

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'The Return of the Prodigal Son' - Rembrandt

RECONCILIATION

2 Cor 5: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Songs - To the Cross I Cling (Matt Boswell) * Arise, My Soul, Arise (igrace)

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'Christus Victor' - Ravenna Chapel

CHRISTUS VICTOR

Col 2:13-15- 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Songs -  Crown Him with Many Crowns (Enfield) * Praise the Savior (Trad – Benedict arr.)

Kyrie Eleison – Lord Have Mercy (Keith and Kristyn Getty)
mp3 | leadsheet | video (a nice discussion of using ‘Kyrie’ by Keith)

Kyrie (BiFrost Arts featuring Shara Worden)
mp3 | leadsheet | full score

Kyrie (Matt Monticchio – Pageant Music)
Kyrie-chords | Kyrie-instruments

Kyrie, Lord have Mercy (Phil Majorins)
mp3 | leadsheet

Kyrie Eleison (Leigh Nash – City on a Hill)
mp3 | chords

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Kyrie 2004 (Benedict arr.)
mp3 | leadsheet

Kyrie 2006 (Benedict arr.)
mp3 | leadsheet

Kyrie 2007 (Benedict arr.)
mp3 | leadsheet

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Kyrie Eleison (Taize Community)
try #1

Kyrie (Vivaldi)
mp3 | sheetmusic

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Kyrie Eleison (by Mister Mister)
sorry, had too.

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Last week at church we sang a small piece of music after our corporate confession of sin.  It was too short to be a hymn and to ‘liturgical’ to be a contemporary praise song, even though we did repeat the short chorus several times.  After we sang it on Sunday I was reflecting that this little piece of music feels like neither a typical song nor a prayer but something in between…something that most churches never experience.  It was truly ‘sung’ prayer if that is at all meaningfully in an evangelical context.

What I’m describing somewhat obtusely is singing a traditional “kyrie” – an ancient church prayer based in the OT prayers of Psalm 51:1, 123:3, et al and present throughout the NT as a well known exhortation (Matthew 9:27, 20:30, 15:22; Mark 10:47; Luke 16:24, 17:13)  A cry to the Lord –  “Lord, have mercy.”  No one is entirely sure when the practice of singing it came into being in the NT church.  St. John Chrysostom, an early church father records its use in the 4^th century and its popularity spreads from there into all corners of the church.

Kyrie Eleison is Greek for “Lord, have mercy” and like “Amen” and “Hallelujah” have survived in the church’s use in their original expression.

The Kyrie Eleison along with the Gloria Patri and other pieces are what are traditionally called “service music.”  They are usually short pieces of music that have been written to serve a specific context in a worship service and they express important and universal forms of prayer, i.e. confession and praise.  Sometimes they correspond to specific passages of scripture (Magnificat – Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46-55 ; Nunc Dimittis – Simeon’s Song in Luke 2:29-32; The Venite – O Come Let us sing – Psalm 95) but not always.

Do you have any pieces of music in your service that might not fit the definition of a hymn or praise song?  What are they and why do you sing them?

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BOOKS

Thomas Allen Seel – A Theology of Music for Worship Derived from the Book of Revelation. 1995 Scarecrow press

Description: Church musicians and worship leaders have been frustrated for two thousand years because the New Testament has so few specific guidelines regarding the use of music for worship. The purpose of this study is to show that the New Testament does have both practical and specific things to say regarding the use of music in the life of the contemporary Church.

This study analyzes the forms of music, performing groups, and performance practice found within the Book of Revelation. Each of these aspects is traced historically through the early pagan, Jewish, Greek, Roman, and early church periods. This historical perspective provides the groundwork from which points for a theology of music for worship are developed and supported and made relevant to the contemporary church musician and worship leader.

David Peterson – Engaging with God, a biblical theology of worship. 2002 IVP Academic.

One of the best overviews for a biblical theology of worship David spends an entire chapter looking at how the book of Revelation shapes our understanding of both heavenly and earthly worship.

.

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Eugene Peterson – Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination. 1991 Harper

An Amazon Reviewer: Have you become immersed in interpretations of the varied and even gross symbolisms in the Book of Revelation? Have you missed the introductory statement that it is “the revelation of Jesus Christ”? He gave His revelation, His last words, through the listening ears and the seeing eyes of His devoted friend, St. John, theologian, poet and pastor. The author of Reversed Thunder has caught the sweep and practicalities of Revelation through his insights into Jesus’ last words, His ultimate words, on such subjects as the church, prayer, evil, politics, heaven. Jesus’ call for us in the here and now is to worship God and to this theme we can respond, “Amen.” This book invited repeated reading, always with an open Bible, time for meditation, prayerful worship. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Christina Rossetti - The Face of the Deep – a devotional commentary on the Apocalypse. 1892

The idea of this book is really intriguing.  It is a commentary written from the perspective of a poet.   It is interspersed with commentary, personal reflections, devotional writings, and poetry.  A few poems in this work have made it out into the larger body of church hymnody. “None Other Lamb, None Other Name“ (mp3) being the most well known.

Robert Coleman - “Songs of Heaven,” 1981; republished “Singing with the Angels” 1998.

A devotional Bible study on the praise and worship songs of the Book of Revelation.

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MUSIC

Michael Card – Unveiled Hope
An album of songs based in the text of Revelation. Also check out his book co-authored with Scotty Smith on Revelation of the same title.

John Newton – Songs for the Seven Churches of Revelation. Book 1, Olney Hymns (PDF)
A collection of hymns written from the letters to the city churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3.

Charles Wesley – Collection of hymn stanza’s working through Revelation. (PDF)

Jamie Barnes – Let The Seventh Angel Sound On High.  A Sojourn Church musician. Song inspired by Revelation 11.

Gary Sadler - Ancient of Days (Blessing and Honor). Oldy but goody based in Revelation 5 and Daniel 7.

David Ruis – We Will Dance (country/western version!) Meditation on the joy of beholding the Bridegroom! (John 3 and Rev 19).  chords

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ART

Sojourn Church in St. Louis recently published a “Revelation-themed devotional, with super-fly comic-book art.”  You can download the devotional from their website HERE. There’s also links to music, sermons and other resources they’ve produced related to their series in book of Revelation.

Art Inspired by the book of Revelation: A tremendous collection of images related to the book of Revelation. Durer, Dore, etc. Much of this is pretty bad but there are some gems!

MISCELLANEOUS

Hughes Oliphant Old has a collection of articles on “Great Texts of Worship” for Worship Leader Mag. Here is his article on Revelation 4-5.

ESV Study Notes for the Book of Revelation are fantastic as always!

Commentaries?

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If you’ve got anything else I should add to the list post a comment. Later in the week I’m also going to post a collection of hymn texts inspired by Revelation.

We hosted our (Christ the King) yearly Lessons and Carols last week. Here is our worship guide and audio from some of the songs.  It was a beautiful service held at Burning Coal Theatre in downtown Raleigh, NC.

Worship Guide – Lesson and Carols 2010 (PDF)

Mp3 of Entire Service (100 MB)

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Prelude – The Son Forsook the Father’s Throne

Carol – Once in Royal David’s City (mp3)

Carol – Let All Mortal Flesh w/ God Rest Ye intro (mp3)

Carol – Savior, of the Nations Come (mp3)

Carol – Lo! How a Rose E’er Blooming (mp3)

Carol – O Little Town of Bethlehem (mp3)

Carol – In the Bleak Midwinter (mp3)

Carol – Away in a Manger (mp3)

Carol – What Child is This? (mp3)

CTK Ensemble – “Sherburne” – While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (mp3)

Carol – Angels We Have Heard on High (mp3)

Carol – Sing We Now of Christmas (mp3)

Homily – James Sutton

Carol – O Come All Ye Faithful (mp3)

Postlude – Go! Tell it On the Mountain (mp3)

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|Music

Post with original and traditional advent/xmas music – mp3/charts

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|Resources – Liturgy and Advent Devotionals

Advent Devotionals (pdf)
The 2009 devotional has probably been the most popular resource we’ve developed.

Christ the King (2009)  – “Born a Child, Yet a King”

Christ the King (2008) – “For Yonder Breaks..”

Redeemer Presbyterian (2005) – Luke Birth Narrative and Carols

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Advent Sunday Liturgy CTK ’09 – pdf

Lessons and Carols Service – CTK ’09

Christmas Eve Service – Narrated from Luke’s Gospel

List of Advent Readings-pdf | List of Advent Sermon Series-pdf

Why Recognize Advent? - article by Rev. Elliot Grudem – [to Resurgence.com]

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Explanation an Services based in “O Antiphons” (verses of O Come, O Come, Emannuel)

Original -King’s College- Lessons and Carols

Christmas in Art & Song (1879) – a collection of songs, carols, and descriptive poems  (google books link)

Advent Season resources from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

A couple books on the history of advent and the whole ‘liturgical year’ thing. [webber] [hickman]

Sufjan Steven’s excellent Christmas Collection – akrecords | amazon | bandcamp (email me for charts)

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|Albums

By All Adored – Cardiphonia Music
(charts)

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Salvation is Created – BiFrost Arts
(charts)

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Silent Night - Red Mountain Music
(charts)

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In the Town of David – Ordinary Time
(charts)

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On the Incarnation – Daniel Renstrom

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Advent Songs – Sojourn Music

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Savior - Sovereign Grace Music

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Good Reads:

Proclaiming the Christmas Gospel – Ed. by John D. Witvliet

Psalm 124 for Stained Glass at Assy 1956-1957, Marc Chagall

Evidently this was John Calvin’s favorite verse in scripture.  He thought it was so fundamental to understanding our relationship with God that he used it to begin all of his services at Geneva.

Last year when our congregation was worshiping through the Psalms of Ascents (supported by a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship) we commissioned Mark Chambers (Worship and arts director at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church in Suffolk, Va and a fine composer) to write a musical setting of Psalm 124.8 that would be appropriate for our congregation.   This is one of the verses that John Calvin strategically chose to begin his worship service every Sunday.  Often it is referred to as a ‘call to worship’ or sometimes just as ‘opening sentences.’  Either way it directs us in our approach to God in worship, which is always difficult and full of God’s pursuing grace.   If you typically use a responsive Call to Worship from the Psalms try singing one of these arrangements as a prelude or as a musical response.

HERE is John Calvin’s commentary on this verse from CCEL.

HERE is a nice description of John Calvin’s liturgy featuring Psalm 124.8.

Dr. Hughes Oliphant Old in “The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship” has this to say,

“The liturgy of the Genevan Psalter of 1542 begins with the Invocation, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.’ Historically, this short epiclesis of the divine name is a heritage of the Roman Mass of the Middle Ages.  Theologically, it recalls the oldest forms of the Biblical tradition.  How often in the psalms we find prayer beginning with the an invocation of the divine name. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1)  The Great Hallel of the Passover liturgy also begins with the three-fold invocation of the holy name (Psalm 113:1-3).

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Our Help is in the name of the Lord – Psalm 124.8 (Mark Chambers)
demo | leadsheet

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Here are some other versions we have written at Christ the King

Psalm 124.8
Leadsheet for all three

demo – meditative version
demo - folk 6/8 version
demo - arr. from traditional spiritual version

Our congregation celebrates the Lord’s Supper every Sunday and we always have non-Christians present.  We print these prayers in our bulletin to give those who are investigating faith a place to direct both their anxieties and their searching hearts.

*borrowed and adapted from City Church, San Francisco.

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PRAYERS FOR THOSE NOT TAKING THE LORD’S SUPPER

Prayer for Those Searching for the Truth
Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth, and the life. Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing, and that leads to the life that you promise. Amen.

Prayer of Belief
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through you I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment on the cross, and offering forgiveness and new life. Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as Savior and Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Commitment
Lord Jesus, you have called us to follow you in baptism and in a life of committed discipleship in your church. Grant that I may take the necessary steps to be one with your people, and live in the fullness of your Spirit. Amen.