bluegrass sunday: confession and assurance

On May 5, my congregation joined two other Presbyterian congregations nearby for "Bluegrass Sunday" - a regular service in terms of liturgy (and the Lord's Supper), but with all the musical portions (and then some) rendered with bluegrass music.  One such element of the service was the typical "Confession of Sin" and "Assurance of God's Grace."  I took two well-known songs - "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons and "Home" by Phillip Phillips - and created a "mash-up," joining them together into one song.  The verses of "I Will Wait" fit well as a confession of struggle and needing help; the verses of "Home" offered a wonderful theological counter-point of assurance of God's presence and help.  To make this clearer, we had a spoken confession and assurance before the music, using words and phrases from the songs that matched scripture. Then, when we did the song, we had two different song-leaders to help mark the back and forth of confession and assurance.  

The spoken liturgy comes first below, then a link to a YouTube video of the live song, then the lyrics of the mash-up, as presented.  The combined song was long (approx. 7 min.), but would make a good alternative to some other special music like an anthem. On a serious note, it proved to be very meaningful; on a lighter note, I finally got to try playing, singing, and stomping on a kick drum.  :)  If you would like to try this, please let me know (robert@gspc.net) and I can send a chart!

Leader: Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)
People: We will wait for the Lord!
Leader: You are not alone; God is with you and will lead you home through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Deut. 31:8; John 14)
People: We are not alone; the Lord will bring us home!


I have yet to figure out how to default to this, but definitely click the settings and watch in HD; it's better!

“I Will Wait” and “Home” - Mumford & Sons and Phillip Phillips

Confession: And I came home like a stone And fell heavy into your arms. These days of dust which we’ve known will blow away with this new sun. And I’ll kneel down, wait for now, and I’ll kneel down, know my ground, And I will wait, I will wait for you.

Assurance: Hold on to me as we go. As we roll down this unfamiliar road, and although this wave is stringing us along, just know you’re not alone cause I’m gonna make this place your home.

Confession: So break my step and relent, you forgave and I won’t forget. Know what we’ve seen and him with less now in some way shake the excess. And I will wait, I will wait for you.

Assurance: Settle down, it’ll all be clear.  Don’t pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear. The trouble it might drag you down. If you get lost, you can always be found. Just know you’re not alone, cause I’m gonna make this place your home.

Confession: So I’ll be bold, as well as strong, and use my head along side my heart. So tame my flesh and fix my eyes that tethered mind free from the lies. And I’ll kneel down, wait for now. And I’ll kneel down, know my ground. Raise my hands, paint my spirit gold, and bow my head, keep my heart slow, cause I will wait, I will wait for you.

Assurance: Settle down, it’ll all be clear.  Don’t pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear. The trouble it might drag you down. If you get lost, you can always be found. Just know you’re not alone, cause I’m gonna make this place your home.

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Technical Note for the curious

If you start playing around with these two songs you will notice several things: "Home" is in C major, "I Will Wait" is in C# major (first chord A#m), and "I Will Wait" is faster than "Home."  This made creating and learning the mash-up a challenge.  Thanks to some cool technology, I was able to pitch-shift "I Will Wait" down to C major (first chord Am) and split the difference in tempo (speed), slightly slowing down "I Will Wait" and slightly speeding up "Home." Then it was easier to splice the two together and experiment. That also gave us a finished sounding practice track.

jury duty, accountability, and the light

At the age of 45, I've only been called for jury duty three times. The first time (age 26) I was excused for exams in seminary. The second time was in 1999 and though I reported for service, I was not needed and went home after an hour. Then I was called last week. We were told there were only three trials, two shorter civil cases and one criminal case projected to last the week. I was called right off the bat to a pool of 40 for the week-long case. We spent the whole first day in jury selection and as we were closing in on 5pm, with the jury of 12 finally selected, I was called up for consideration as the first alternate juror. After about 10 minutes of questions, the defense passed on me and I went home. Sound boring? Far from it...

Mind you, I only heard the most basic description of the case. But the 5-6 hours of jury selection were one of the more fascinating and revealing things I've witnessed.

The Process

We were randomly selected from voting registrations and driver's license registrations in our large county. If you aren't familiar with how jury selection works, an initial 12 people are put into the box, but then the judge, prosecutor, and defense have opportunities to ask questions and dismiss jurors for a range of reasons (from "cause" - like a mother whose infant had just gone to the hospital - to either the prosecution or defense not thinking a particular juror would be fair to the case). It was not made clear how many people or times the attorneys could pass... but each juror was questioned thoroughly, either as a result of group questions or individual questions.

Humanity on Display

I have what I think is a pretty realistic view of the human condition (i.e., our ability and propensity to sin and otherwise misbehave), but I was surprised that among the original 12 jurors there were at least half with drug charges (including two who had court dates later that week), 2-3 who had been charged or convicted of domestic violence, several others who were victims of domestic violence (in one case a victim of domestic violence had to sit next to a convicted perpetrator of domestic violence). A bit later in selection, one juror asked to be dismissed because he had been convicted of a murder charge, served his time, and been released (which is why he could be called, I think), but strongly believed he had not had a fair trial and could thus not offer an open mind as a juror.  There were others as well - a nurse that was dismissed for (presumably) bringing too much compassion to bear as a juror.  It was an interesting question that elicited most of this: "Have you ever been inside a courthouse? For what reason?" In several cases, the prosecutor (district attorney) asked if his office had not prosecuted several when they mentioned drug charges. Prospective jurors were (of course) expected to answer truthfully, and the early indication I got was that they would be caught if they tried to avoid answering the courthouse question, especially for those with former appearances in this county.

In the Light

However, my point isn't the background or record of the potential jurors, as surprising or abundant as those details were. What more profoundly occurred to me was how much was brought into the light for all those present. I don't think juror ___ woke up that morning anticipating that he would have to announce loudly to a room full of people (including the defendant) that he had been arrested of domestic violence (or, in other cases, drug possession, brawling, or murder). I would have guessed that the defendant would be "on trial" for actions, motives, and more; I did not anticipate how much the potential jurors would have to reveal about themselves, their actions, and their motives. Each juror had to answer the "Have you been inside a courthouse" question and the District Attorney was not satisfied until every occurrence had been noted. Many would quickly admit to a speeding ticket or watching a friend's trial, but then the attorney would always ask, "Were there any other times?" He would continue until the answer was clearly, "No, that's it." In many cases, these admissions were whispered with heads ducked and voices low. But the attorneys and court reporter had to hear it, so the potential juror would be asked to repeat the answer louder. Again, the answer would not be loud enough, so then a microphone would be passed to them and finally this or that 'sin' would boom through the sound system, "I was arrested on a domestic charge.... she pushed my buttons."

Again, my thought was not, "What a bad person," BUT how much was being drug into the light (and amplified through a sound system). And it's not like one could easily side-step this; when summoned, you have to appear. When asked, you have to answer. Refusing in either case would just put you afoul of the law.

Spiritual Realities

My preacher-brain was firing on multiple pistons. The whole experience was a powerful (if stark) demonstration of the unyielding nature of the law. The judge was the sole interpreter of law - both attorneys made that clear on numerous occasions. All movement, speech, activity, attention, and more inside the courtroom was diligently overseen and directed, with the bailiff at hand to enforce it. And when asked a question, truth was expected.


The jurors were not "on trial" - but our pasts, presents, and hidden secrets were brought into the light. And that did have bearing on our perceived (or real) effectiveness as jurors.

I think analogies between this earthly courtroom scene and spiritual realities are imprecise at best, but there was much about the scene that struck this pastor's mind as real and true. All will be brought to light; all will be known and held accountable. The jurors were not on trial, but they were accountable to the judge and to the truth.

I believe all humanity and each of us is and will be accountable to Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. Serving on jury duty was a sobering reminder of that, even as I was reminded of the great mercy shown to me through Jesus Christ.

what is the church? - pt. 5, what to be?

Jesus prayed in John 17 for his followers and those who would come after them. In his prayer, Jesus reveals several things about the relationship of the Church to the world. In doing so, he also reveals a significant part of the purpose of the Church.

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:13-21, NASB)

Pt. 5 -- What is the Church to be?

These reflections on Jesus’ prayer in John 17 have several practical implications for us as we envision what it means to be the Church today. You may have heard it said by now, but it becomes clear that “Church” cannot refer to our buildings and property; it must refer to the communities of people following after Jesus Christ. If such communities have a building or property, those can be tools in the hands of the Church; but those things are not the Church.

So what are the communities of people following Christ as the Church to be?

Here are some beginning implications of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:

If we are not to be of the world, then our lives must not be indistinguishable from the culture around us. Whether that’s our personal witness through language, lifestyle, and actions or the way we worship (re-wording the latest pop song as worship music or selling “Holy Grounds” coffee at church come to mind; but there are many more examples).

If we are not to be out of the world, then we must also not retreat completely into a “Christian sub-culture bubble.” Examples of this retreat are more “gray”: some examples may represent retreat; others may actually be intentional engagement with the world! Christian sports leagues, Christian schooling, Christian retail stores, and more can be positive engagements with the world or retreats from it (or both at the same time!). Christians are well-advised to give prayerful thought to the purpose and functions of such endeavors in their own lives. [I realize each of these examples may be controversial; my main point in mentioning them is to invite thoughtful reflection in relation to the subject of these scriptures and posts rather than assert a pro/con position on them.] We must guard against complete withdrawal, whether that withdrawal is geographical and physical (moving to a remote compound somewhere; relatively rare) or psychological and in-place, where a Christian is so “in the bubble” that he or she would be hard-pressed to identify any “non-Christian” to interact with in daily life.

If we are to be in the world, we should be interacting regularly with people not like us! These are people of other faiths or no faith. These are people disconnected from the Gospel or unfamiliar with the Gospel. If a Christian does not know anyone like this, then the scope of being the Church has shrunk too small! This also means that life, witness, actions, and more will not be as clean and tidy as some have come to envision Christianity. Our “hands will get dirty” and our hearts will be broken as we live among the ones Jesus would identify as “our neighbor.” (Re-read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30ff!)

If we are to be for the world, then this is not just a church committee assignment or periodic outreach; this is a way of life for every Christian and it is a defining characteristic of being the Church! This way of living life in the world and for Christ is to be not just our mission, but our worship and our joy! It is a way of living that the Father intends for us; it is something for which the Son prayed for us; and it is a direction the Holy Spirit is pleased to lead us.

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Posts in this series:

pt. 1 The Church is not OF the world
pt. 2 The Church is not OUT OF the world
pt. 3 The Church is sent INTO the world
pt. 4 The Church FOR the world
pt. 5 What is the Church to be?

what is the church? - pt. 4, FOR the world

Jesus prayed in John 17 for his followers and those who would come after them. In his prayer, Jesus reveals several things about the relationship of the Church to the world. In doing so, he also reveals a significant part of the purpose of the Church.

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:13-21, NASB)

Pt. 4 -- The Church FOR the world

I would add one final observation that doesn’t appear explicitly in Jesus’ prayer in John 17, though it certainly underscores Jesus’ understanding of what it means for his followers to be the faithful people of God.

For many in the Church today, it will be a challenge and stretch to turn back from retreat and engage the world in the manner modeled by Jesus and entreated in his prayers. But it is an insufficient understanding of this purpose and calling if we only do so fearfully and reluctantly. Church-in-the-world is not God’s backup plan or merely obligation for Christ-followers. It is God’s revealed purpose from the beginning.

I frequently remind my congregation (and give thanks!) that when humanity turned from God in the Garden, God did not turn from us, but has continued to pursue us in mercy, grace, and love. This is not to say there were not dire consequences for sin, but to say that God did not abandon us to ourselves. When God cut the covenant with Abraham in Genesis, it was not to set aside a special people to withdraw out of the world into a new Eden, but to mark a distinct people in blessing for the purpose of blessing the world (see previous comments on “sanctify”). So also the Church, grafted in as God’s people, have not been set aside to withdraw out of the world, but to mark a distinct people in blessing for the purpose of blessing the world and witnessing to God’s glory as manifested in Jesus Christ.

The Church, then, is purposed for more than simply co-existing IN the world; we are purposed FOR the world, to live out love, mercy, and grace in witness to God’s great love, mercy, and grace in Christ. This act of witness is, in fact, an act of worship – at least obedience, but hopefully an act of JOYFUL obedience.

We have often been reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son….” Jesus prays that God will send us as God sent him. This does not mean that God gave the Church to save the world (that’s Jesus’ role!), but it does mean that God purposed the Church FOR the world in love. May we view the world and the people around us as our neighbors, for the sake of Christ and in joyful, worshipful obedience to the One we follow.

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Posts in this series:

pt. 1 The Church is not OF the world
pt. 2 The Church is not OUT OF the world
pt. 3 The Church is sent INTO the world
pt. 4 The Church FOR the world
pt. 5 What is the Church to be?

what is the church? - pt. 3, INTO the world

Jesus prayed in John 17 for his followers and those who would come after them. In his prayer, Jesus reveals several things about the relationship of the Church to the world. In doing so, he also reveals a significant part of the purpose of the Church.

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:13-21, NASB)

Pt. 3 -- The Church is sent INTO the world (v. 18)

Jesus continues in prayer, asking the Father to send his followers (that’s us!) INTO the world. And we are not just sent without direction or any-old-way-we-please; we are sent as the Father sent the Son into the world. (v. 18a) And how is that?

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw God’s glory… (John 1:14)

One of Eugene Peterson’s most memorable translations is of the phrase “dwelt among us”: Jesus “moved into the neighborhood…” THAT is how Jesus prays for the Father to send us into the world… to move into communities and neighborhoods, to flesh out Jesus’ teaching about “Who is my neighbor?”

And lest my personalization of the teaching miss the greater point, let me re-state this: Jesus desire is for His Church to make a home in this world and enflesh the Gospel in witness to God’s glory in Jesus Christ.

It is true that this world is not our home in the eternal sense. But like the Exiles in Jeremiah 29, God has asked us to make a home here for His glory. We are to build and live and plant and eat and marry and multiply (Jeremiah 29:5-6) in this world, because God sends us as living witnesses to His glory even as God sent the Son to dwell among us.

Jesus then returns again to the SANCTIFY language (v. 19). We now see that in the context of neither losing our identity to the world nor separating from the world, that sanctifying is to happen in the world… in the neighborhood. Somehow we are to be “set apart as holy” in the midst of this world that is both our calling and other.

There is another way to understand being “set apart” and that is as DISTINCT. To be distinct is to be in-the-midst-of yet retaining a particular identity. That is, perhaps, a more helpful way to understand Jesus’ prayer for the Church in the world… that it be made distinct in the truth of God’s Word while continuing to bear witness effectively as good neighbor witness to God’s glory.

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Posts in this series:

pt. 1 The Church is not OF the world
pt. 2 The Church is not OUT OF the world
pt. 3 The Church is sent INTO the world
pt. 4 The Church FOR the world
pt. 5 What is the Church to be?