A worship from the series “Fear Not.” In the novel Charlotte’s Web, a pig named Wilbur enjoys an unusual friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When a little farm girl discovers Charlotte can write words in her web, the girl’s mother takes her to the doctor, concerned that something is wrong with her. The doctor agrees he can’t understand how a spider can write words in a web, but he points out, it’s just as impossible to understand how a spider can make a web in the first place. We have to leave room for the mysterious. The angels show up at the birth of Christ to keep us from writing off the wonder of God learning how to walk and talk and just staring at things like little babies do. Don’t say, “Impossible.” Just say, “Mysterious.” And let the angel tell you what he told Joseph: “Do not be afraid.” We’ve gathered to revel in the mystery and worship God for it. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

A worship from the series “Fear Not.” Immaculate
adjective: free from fault or flaw; free from errors
Can we ever apply this term to any human effort? Luke 1 describes two different encounters between an angel and a human. We can see something immaculate, or very close to it, in the account about Mary. Let’s learn together from one of the greatest announcements of all time.

A worship from the series “Fear Not.” Welcome to Advent, the first season of the church year, the four weeks before Christmas. Advent means “coming.” In Advent we celebrate three things: Christ came in the past as a baby in Bethlehem, Christ is coming now as we, his church, gather around his Word and sacrament, and Christ is coming again to make all things new and judge the world in righteousness. Advent is about our lives. When God’s angels appeared to tell the Good News, they began with, “Do not be afraid.” This Advent season, let their words sink deeply into your heart. Take time to ponder what their message means to you, and in worship give your attention to and give thanksgiving for the gift of our gracious God, in his Son, the Savior of the world. Fear not.

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

A worship from the series “Saints Triumphant.” A tradition in Christian worship that goes back to the 400s AD includes a service to celebrate the dates believers of the previous year died, which they called their “birthdays” into eternity. Their names were read at services or sometimes at cemeteries or catacombs. Since then, it’s been called Saints Triumphant or commemoration of the departed saints. Whatever you call it, it’s a way to allow departed saints, by the grace of God in their lives, to continue to encourage us. Gather with your brothers and sisters to worship the Lord for the rich variety of the young and old, learned and ignorant, people of action and contemplatives, whose common denominator is simply that the grace of God worked mightily in them.

A worship from the series “Thanksgiving.” The easy question to answer is, “Why be thankful?” Even in bad times we can usually provide plenty of answers to that question.
But the purpose of thanksgiving in the Bible is less to focus on the gifts as it is to honor the Giver. Ingratitude is a root of all sin. Gratitude to the Giver and acknowledging our dependence on him is the core of worship.
Welcome to the gathering of worshipers, to meditate on God’s nature, receive his grace, and thank the Giver of all good things: past, present, and future.

A worship from the series “Poetry in the Bible.” Who doesn’t want to encounter God? Ah, yes, with head bowed while soft light streams through stained glass. Ah, yes, like a picture-perfect Facebook or Instagram post, with a cup of coffee steaming next to an open Bible . . . bonus points for a journal next to it. Sure, those are ways to experience God. But Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Job, and a host of other Bible heroes would have gladly traded their experiences of meeting God with such idyllic scenes. They met God in suffering. And so might you. Welcome to the end of our series on the Poetical Books of the Bible. Today we’ll ask the Spirit to bless us through the conclusion of the book of Job. It’s not just the end of Job’s suffering. May we see in it, the end of our suffering, and maybe some purpose to it.

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

A worship from the series “Poetry in the Bible.” They say God gave you two ears and one mouth so would listen twice as much as you speak. This proverb is not in the Bible, but it makes sense, as long as we’re listening to the right sources. Today, we’ll hear some of God’s words of wisdom from Job 38. Wisdom from above can be unexpected and counterintuitive.

A worship from the series “Poetry in the Bible.” God invites us to call him Father. He calls us his children. That makes Jesus our brother and makes us the family of God. In addition, the Bible tells us he places us in families. That’s a lot of family. Yet no word likely conjures up more good or bad feelings than the word family. Today, we head back into the book of Proverbs and ask the Spirit to give us God’s wisdom for families. Whatever our family situations, this is wisdom for all of us.

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

A worship from the series “Poetry in the Bible.” “Adversity assails us with hurricane force,” has been attributed to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. That was true for him, and it was true for an earlier Dr. Martin Luther who wrote, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” A fortress will outlast a hurricane. So where do you turn when adversity assails you? For millennia, God’s people have turned to the inspired words of Psalm 121. We’re glad you’re with us today to find in it our mighty fortress.

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder. Video used by permission from Sermonspice.

A worship from the series “Poetry in the Bible.” What’s the difference between a medication and a placebo? A placebo has no real power; it’s only effective because it’s believed in. Medicine, on the other hand, has real power and can help you whether you believe in it or not. “Ah,” some might say. “I see where you’re going: some religions are real, and some are placebo.” Not at all. Some religions are real medicine and will heal you, some are poisonous and will kill you, but no religion works because it’s believed in. Believe in the revelation God has given us in his Word because it’s true, but don’t imagine it’s only true because you believe in it. One purpose of the book of Ecclesiastes is to show us that it’s foolish to imagine this life is all there is—that your belief in God only works because you think it does. Then life is meaningless. But another purpose of the book of Ecclesiastes is to point us to a heavenly solution: wisdom from above. May the Spirit who inspired it bless you through it today.