Our God Reigns

Your Pastor’s Sermon Title

This last Sunday, we celebrated “Christ the King” Sunday.  We sang some incredible hymns including one of my favorites – “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” As a worship leader responsible for choosing music (in my case – Contemporary music), I often reflect on the hymns, the readings, the introductions to the readings, the children’s message, the prayers and the sermon to get some ideas for future “Christ the King” Sundays. Oftentimes, the answer is right there, staring me in the face; the Pastor’s sermon title. The title of Pastor Ehlers’s sermon this last Sunday was “Our God Reigns”.

So next year I will consider:
“Our God Reigns” by Bebo Norman
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by Brandon Heath
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by Tim Light
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by Martin Smith (band Delirious?)
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by Joe Pace
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by John Waller
-or-
“Our God Reigns” by Leonard E. Smith

Next, type this title into the search engine of your favorite place to buy music. I like http://www.lifewayworship.com. Just type in “Our God Reigns” and a dozen or so songs will come up, including variations like “He Reigns” and “Our Messiah Reigns.” Of course, you need to review the lyrics and search for the sheet music.  But this technique will get you in the right ballpark.

How easy is that?

Pastors, what was your sermon titled this past Sunday?

Steve

We Bow Down

There are some really great song lyrics coming out these days, but some of our churches don’t have the capabilities to play the newer musical styles.   Here’s a way to still use these finely crafted lyrics in a spoken format.

The following is a responsive reading that uses scripture, together with the lyrics from a contemporary song.  It is meant to be read responsively.  For an added bonus, and if you do have the capabilities, your praise band might want to play the song “We Bow Down” as either pre-service, during the Offering or as a postlude.

M:  Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound—May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place! – Ezk 3:12
C: I bow at your glory, I bow at your love; that purchased and bought me through your precious blood.

M: Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; – Ps 95:6
C: I bow to the Savior, my Lord and King; I worship and praise you, and to you I sing.

M: But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. – Ps 5:7
C: I bow at your mercy that reigns over all, I bow at the greatness of the Lord our God.

M: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. – Ps 19:1
C: I bow as your glory the heaven’s proclaim and fall down to worship, and bow to your name.

M: It is written: ” ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me;     every tongue will confess to God.’ ”
C:  We bow down to our Lord and King.  We bow down to Your holy Name.  Let all the nations sing praises to the King as we bow down.

M: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. – Mt 1:21
C: I bow at your glory, and fall to my knees.  I bow to the savior that came to save me.

M:  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. – Isa 40:28
C: I bow in Your presence, the lord over all; I bow to our great, everlasting God.

M: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, – Phil 2:10
C: We bow down to our Lord and King.  We bow down to Your holy Name.  Let all the nations sing praises to the King as we bow down.

M: Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. – Isa 29:19
C:  I’m humbled before you, my Lord and King.  I worship and praise you, and to you I sing.

M: All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. – Ps 86:9
C: We bow down to our Lord and King.  We bow down to Your holy Name.  Let all the nations sing praises to the King as we bow down.

—

“We Bow Down” was written by Michael Schroeder – thanks for sharing your lyrics and allowing others to use them in this format!

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

Lyrics – ©2010, Michael Schroeder, http://www.michaelschroeder.com