The Lord’s Day/Sunday as Sabbath (Part 5): Sabbath and Mercy

This is a series of blog posts by pastor Andrew Vander Maas from Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship in St. Louis.  These posts were first written a few years ago on a blog that no longer exists, and we are resurrecting them at Worship Is Central.

To see the whole series, click on the Lord’s Day category link on the sidebar on this page, which is found here.  For more resources on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), see the Lord’s Day page at Worship Is Central.

Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, …

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The Lord’s Day/Sunday as Sabbath (Part 4): Sabbath and Community

This is a series of blog posts by pastor Andrew Vander Maas from Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship in St. Louis.  These posts were first written a few years ago on a blog that no longer exists, and we are resurrecting them at Worship Is Central.

To see the whole series, click on the Lord’s Day category link on the sidebar on this page, which is found here.  For more resources on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), see the Lord’s Day page at Worship Is Central.

Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.  46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

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The Lord’s Day/Sunday as Sabbath (Part 3): A Day of Rest

This is a series of blog posts by pastor Andrew Vander Maas from Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship in St. Louis.  These posts were first written a few years ago on a blog that no longer exists, and we are resurrecting them at Worship Is Central.

To see the whole series, click on the Lord’s Day category link on the sidebar on this page, which is found here.  For more resources on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), see the Lord’s Day page at Worship Is Central.

Genesis 2:1  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

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The Lord’s Day/Sunday as Sabbath (Part 2): Sabbath as Rhythm

This is a series of blog posts by pastor Andrew Vander Maas from Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship in St. Louis.  These posts were first written a few years ago on a blog that no longer exists, and we are resurrecting them at Worship Is Central.

To see the whole series, click on the Lord’s Day category link on the sidebar on this page, which is found here.  For more resources on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), see the Lord’s Day page at Worship Is Central.

“Come on and get a rhythm  …” sings Johnny Cash.  In many ways rhythm is one of the first things that we are to notice about the Sabbath and the way that it operates in our lives … it provides structure to our week, our months, our years.  In the opening salvo’s of Genesis we see the idea of rhythm emerging rather clearly.  God worked six days and he rested one day – a rhythm established.   There was morning and evening, a day, another Rhythm.  And on it goes (night/day, lunar cycles, seasons, etc…)

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The Lord’s Day/Sunday as Sabbath (Part 1)

This is a series of blog posts by pastor Andrew Vander Maas from Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship in St. Louis.  These posts were first written a few years ago on a blog that no longer exists, and we are resurrecting them at Worship Is Central.

To see the whole series, click on the Lord’s Day category link on the sidebar on this page, which is found here.  For more resources on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), see the Lord’s Day page at Worship Is Central.

I have been thinking a lot lately about The Sabbath, the idea of sabbath, limits, rest, etc.  I feel like I am beginning to piece some things together for my own life (though I still have a ways to go), and I am realizing that I/we have to do some work piecing things together for the church as a whole.  So I offer these reflections as a means of conversation, or at the very least a precursor to conversation.

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Terms of Use for Songs

The ownership of music music at Worship Is Central remains with the copyright owners (e.g. the songwriter, record company etc).  Worship Is Central presents material for nonprofit educational purposes only, and therefore you may only use the resources available on Worship Is Central for noncommercial personal uses.

If you are going to use music materials from this site for ministries of corporate worship within a church community (e.g., worship services, small group meetings, Sunday school classes, etc.), your church must own a copyright license and report these uses of the material with an appropriate copyright licensing agency (e.g., CCLI, LicenSing or OneLicense.net).  If you are a member or regular attender of Central Presbyterian Church, please notify the church’s worship director, Mike Farley (mfarley [at] centralpres [dot] com), in order to report these sorts of ministry uses to comply with our copyright license.

Preparing for Sunday Introduction

One important function of the Worship Is Central blog and website is furnishing resources to help worshipers at Central Presbyterian Church prepare to worship together each week on the Lord’s Day.  Each week (usually by Wednesday or Thursday) the bulletin for the following Sunday will be posted to assist your preparation for corporate worship.

Check back each week to begin preparing to meet with God together.  If we all make our hearts ready to respond to our Lord’s service to us in worship, our experience of the Lord can only grow deeper and richer, more authentic and more joyful.

O gracious God and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you.  Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

(Benedict of Nursia, c. 480-547)

Welcome!

Welcome to Worship Is Central!  This is the online home of resources for explaining and nourishing the worship of Central Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.  It is our church’s hope and prayer that the resources provided here will enrich your understanding of worship and also equip you to worship more actively and more joyfully with all of your heart, soul, mind, and body.  Check back often to find information and reflections about the weekly worship services at Central Presbyterian Church as well as regular posts about biblical, historical, and practical aspects of Christian worship.