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

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Mike Farley

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.

Continue reading →

Terms of Use for Songs

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Mike Farley

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

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Mike Farley

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!

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Mike Farley

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.