I can not reveal the way in which I acquired this outline of service, dated 10-18-2020. However, in my travels I have distressingly found it to be the norm with a few tweaks. I hope that it entertains more than distresses. Or perhaps it will serve as a corrective and will prod a few into a course correction.
Opening Song
Reckless Oceans (Bethel Remix) Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah… Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made… When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah…(Repeat indefinitely)
Pastoral Prayer
O God we praise you for your great love for us. The wild abandon with which you threw yourself into for your people. We confess all the ways that we fail. Our mess, our stuff. There are too many to mention, all of our errors. We specifically repent of the sin of racism. O God show us how white we are. Though none of us have overtly sinned in this way we repent of the privileges we have benefitted from. God you are Sovereign and command all things and have placed us here at this time to be a shining light in a hate filled world, give us the means to fight this evil. As pastor I thank you for my family my wife Shailene and our children Elysian, Breckenridge, and my daughter Sweetwater. And I thank you for the congregation assembled here virtually at The Experience Community Church. I thank you for their passion for justice, their love of the minority stranger, I pray that you will help them protest injustice with a burning passion. And we pray for our leaders Our Rulers And Not Good Evil Men Against National Boarder Access Democrats. Please turn his heart to justice. Amen
Songs
A Mighty Fortress A mighty fortress is our God, a safe space never failing Our helper is He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing For still our hate filled foe he wants to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, My Fortress, My Safe Space, my helper My God is for me My God is for me He wins for me Our strength is not enough, our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of my own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? O God please fight through me; My Fortress, My Safe Space, my helper My God is for me My God is for me He wins for me My Fortress, My Safe Space, my helper My God is for me My God is for me He wins for me For me… for me… for me
Confession
Give us self love O God. Like you have for yourself. Make us bold for your justice, tear out the injustice deeply rooted in ourselves as we hate the people perfectly made in your image with darker skin. Tear from us the privilege we grasp at which the world used to oppress and keep from others. Sovereign God make bless us abundantly as you do your Son… And daughters.
I Reach Out to You (Hillsong) Sometimes I feel so alone, I just want you near me. I feel like I am drowning, I want to float in your love for me I reach out for you, in the dark, to be close to you. I reach out to you, Ohh I reach out to you in the night Fill me with your love, Ohh I want you inside me I love being with you, don’t leave me alone You are so beautiful to me, Let me see your face I reach out for you, in the dark, to be close to you. I reach out to you, Ohh I reach out to you in the night Fill me with your love, Ohh I want you inside me Ohhh I want you inside me Inside me… Inside me…
Praise team leader improvised interlude/sermonette
You know guys, I was just thinking, this week, and it was really hard, but about how you can have the, “right” theology” and the “right” ideas” about who God is. But, man, I think you can just be so far from him when you don’t have the right feelings. Like you need to feel the spirit, like down deep in your soul. Your feeling of him is never wrong. But facts can be disproven. If you are just so sinfully driven by your facts and logic that you can’t raise your hands to these songs, then man with, like, Nadab and Abihu you need to bring that fire into the temple of your heart. Pant for him like that deer. So will you just, like, close your eyes and sing along this last song with us. The words are up on the screen…
Jesus Lover of My Soul (Fanny Crosby, traditional) Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high: Hide me, O my Savior, hide, Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.
Sermon
Scripture Text:
Introduction
Things have never been worse in our country than right now. And so many of you are sad, depressed, or suffering. Between the hatred coming from the White House, the racial animosity endemic in us all, or our inability to meet together eight months into this pandemic. The world could not be in a worse place. And to continue to give us hope we are going to continue through our study of the book of Deuteronomy which reminds us that all laws come from God and we should obey them. Now this is going to get technical so today I want to walk through the history of Gods laws and along the way I am going to highlight some that are still applicable or we should consider.
- Old Testament Laws. These were fulfilled in Christ and we can not keep them only he could (insert gospel and call to race repentance).
- Roman Catholic Laws. Some really beautiful things here, like Mary, rosaries, icons. We should consider these more carefully because of the beauty. (note to self instance is cheaper than fog machine fluid)
- Health Department Laws. I know this is controversial but Romans 13 reminds us flatly to obey our governing authorities. And in a time like this we have no choice but to obey and love our neighbor. Now notice that these laws are not overbearing in any way because the government has allowed us to gather for essential activities like protest against racism. They are there because God loves us and sets up kings and appoints them to rule over us.
Conclusion/Poem or reading from The Message
If you have seen Christopher Nolan’s, the greatest living film director, film Inception. Then you know that at the end when Cobb spins the top that wobbles, that is not his totem. It is misdirection. For us Christians the laws are misdirection, they show us not how good to be but that we need Christ. We shelter in place, we protest injustice because we know where the totem is. It is in Christ’s hand It is the one ring as Tim Keller would say. The laws point us to Christ. They are important to the plot of the meta narrative we are in, they are the top. But the One Ring is Christ.
Notes: Make sure to name drop Tim Keller, Shai Lynn, IPA’s, my smokin hot wife, and Gandalf.
Communion: Elder
And now we turn to the table. Which reminds us how we are supposed to be open to all. This table is for everyone because we have no creed but Christ. There is no qualification to be like the prostitute at the feet of Jesus weeping over how she had been abused. Jesus welcomed her and died so that her suffering could be overcome. She was hated by men, and Jesus laid aside his masculinity to serve her. He saw her poverty and yet welcomed her into the house of a Pharisee to show him how he needed to repent of his male privilege. Before you come to this fenced table what are your sins? Do you hate the poor, do you fight against Cesar as God has set him up to redistribute your wealth that you have not earned? Are you men disdainful of women wallowing in toxic masculinity. Repent therefore and be converted to love.
Announcements
Social Justice Workshop
All Covenant Members are required to attend and be broken over their inherit sins of racism and oppression (Whites Only)
Paris Missions Trip*
Does your heart break for the lost in France? Then join us on this intensive missions trip where we will tour the Louvre and art galleries of Paris and prayer walk through the city in-between destinations.
Young Mothers Class
We are trying to gauge interest in a young mothers class. All women wishing to become young mothers please drop by Pastor Will’s office after the service.
*While this article has been a satirical exaggeration. This part it perfectly real. A local Church took this trip… It was too funny not to include.
Southern Reformed Smoker 