Thursday, November 5, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Assurance

In this third movement, we receive the good news of the gospel: we are forgiven.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
—1 John 3:16 (NIV)

Today’s song reminding us of God’s love and mercy is one that was writing spontaneously during a time of worship. That’s what grace does—it moves us to unexpected expressions of awe and gratitude.

As someone who is a fan of liturgy, I have no issues with prepared statements of assurance. I use them all the time in worship. But sometimes we need to just sit back and let the reality of grace wash over us, and see where it takes us.

Where is it taking you today?

SONG OF ASSURANCE: Your Love is Extravagant (lyrics here)

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Confession

In this second movement, we simply see ourselves for who we are: people who need God.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”
—Psalm 130:1-2 (NIV)

You asked for my hands,
that you might use them for your purpose.
I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them,
for the work was hard.

You asked for my mouth
to speak out against injustice.
I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.

You asked for my eyes
to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them, for I did not want to see.

You asked for my life,
that you might work through me.
I gave a small part, that I might not get too involved.

Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve you—
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.

Father, forgive me,
renew me, send me out
as a usable instrument,
that I might take seriously
the meaning of your cross. Amen.

adapted from The Worship Sourcebook, ©2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources

SONG OF CONFESSION: We Fall Down (lyrics here)

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Encounter With God

In this first movement, we simply seek to see God for who He is: the One worthy of worship.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
—1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

As a young university student in the 1600s, Joachim Neander lived a bit on the wild side. Although he studied theology, he showed little interest in it. Instead, he was known for a fairly scandalous lifestyle, marked by, as one contemporary account put it, “vanity of the mind, forgetfulness of God, and the eager pursuit of youthful pleasures.”

But in 1670, Neander visited a nearby church in Bremen with some of his university friends. They weren’t there for spiritual edification—they specifically wanted to mock the church’s new Pietist pastor. But Neander found himself stirred by the sermon, and that journey to mock actually launched a journey of faith. He went on to become a respected preacher and hymnwriter.

Interestingly, the name “Neander” literally means “new man,” a concept Joachim could truly understand. His encounter with grace shaped the remainder of his life, and added a poetic touch to his hymnwriting as well. A good example of this is the line:

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

As you enter God’s presence today, spend some time contemplating the power that makes us new. Ponder anew what the Almighty God is able to do in us by his loving friendship. As you do, sit with this hymn inspired by that transforming intimacy with our Creator.

SONG OF ENCOUNTER: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (lyrics here)

Monday, November 2, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

A Call To Worship

On Mondays we use the Hebrew Psalter to focus in on the invitation to approach God in worship.

Read through the Psalm slowly and prayerfully, either silently or out loud. Pay attention to the movement of your soul and the longings of your heart as you read. How does it stir you to worship? What focus might you find from this Psalm for this coming week?

Psalm 107:1-9

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
    until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
    and the hungry he fills with good things.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Let the Redeemed (lyrics here)

Saturday & Sunday, October 31/November 1, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Benediction

“For in him every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes.’ For this reason it is through him
that we say the ‘Amen,’ to the glory of God.”
—2 Corinthians 1:20 (NRSVUE)

When it's over
When it's all done
We say
Amen

Overwhelmed by love
And all is well
We say
Amen

When we feel a peace
We can't understand
We say
Amen

Natalie Taylor

SONG OF BENEDICTION: Amen

Friday, October 30, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Commission

In this final movement, we are encouraged and equipped for the work God would have us do.

 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
—3 John 1:4 (NIV)

Over the past year Sharon and I have been exploring the ancient practice of pilgrimage, specifically the walking pilgrimages of medieval times. This came upon the discover that one of the most famous pilgrimage paths, the Fife Pilgrim Way, is basically in our backyard. What Sharon has learned about this path and the discipline of pilgrimage will form the basis of her next novel.

Walking is such a simple yet powerful spiritual metaphor. The Christian experience is often described as a journey, and becoming a disciple of Jesus carries with it the very real and historical image of walking alongside him. The ancient benediction, “may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi” speaks of the closeness of this journey, one in which we follow closely behind the one who is teaching us and showing us the way.

But the truly striking thing about the Christian life is not just that we walk with Jesus, but that Jesus also walks with us. He enjoys our company. He wants to be part of our day-to-day life. When we accept the invitation to walk with him, he is not blazing a path ahead and only occasionally looking back to see if we’re keeping up. He is walking beside us. He’s there when we stay on the path, he’s there when we stumble. He’s by our side even when the way is difficult. He doesn’t leave our side. Yes, we may wander…but he never does.

“Walk with me” are beautiful words to hear. They are also beautiful words to offer.

SONG OF COMMISSION: Jesus I Will Walk With You (lyrics here)

Thursday, October 29, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Assurance

In this third movement, we receive the good news of the gospel: we are forgiven.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.”
—Lamentations 3:22 (NIV)

Our words of assurance come to us today as a prayer from poet Joan Stott:

O Lord our God, we come to you, seeking to
rise up from the depths and agony of despair.
Please listen, our Saving God—
we need your help and blessing.

Lord, through the tenderness
of your mercy towards us
we have learned to worship you—
and to revere your Holy Name;
therefore, we place our entire trust
and hope in you, our Trustworthy God.

We gather to offer you our thanks,
for we know that you offer us
your unfailing love and mercy
that is beyond our understanding.

You know our longing for forgiveness,
and you offer us your presence -
which blesses us from God’s overflowing store
of mercy, hope, freedom and joy. Amen.

SONG OF ASSURANCE: Ever Faithful God (lyrics here)

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Confession

In this second movement, we simply see ourselves for who we are: people who need God.

“On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”—Mark 2:17 (NIV)

How amazing is it that God’s astounding grace calls to us in the midst of our brokenness?

God does not expect us to “clean up our act” before coming to him. He is already aware of what we need. He knows what burdens us, what binds us, what imprisons us. And yet even in the midst of all that he says to us: “Come.”

A few years ago a church where I worked put a sign in the lobby that said “No Perfect People Allowed.” Some of the leadership team of that church complained that it sent the wrong message. The Senior Pastor was clear, though—it sent exactly the right message. Too many people are burdened by a false belief that they cannot enter the presence of God without a massive amount of self-improvement, and that message betrays the heart of the gospel. The sign stayed. The truth continued to be told—that the freedom we so desperately seek is available to us just as we are. All we need to do is acknowledge the truths about ourselves he already knows completely.

SONG OF CONFESSION: Come Ye Sinners (lyrics here)

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

Encounter With God

In this first movement, we simply seek to see God for who He is: the One worthy of worship.

“Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.”
—Psalm 24:8 (NRSVUE)

Some of the most powerful songs of worship are built around a question.

That’s surprising when you think about it. Worship is usually the language of declaration: God is holy, God is faithful, God has saved us. We sing what we know. And yet again and again the Church has found itself singing what it asks.

The pattern is ancient. Psalm 24 stops mid-song to ask, “Who is this King of glory?” and then answers its own question with a shout: “The Lord, strong and mighty!” It is as if all creation leans in to ask, and those who have met God are given the privilege of answering.

The Church has never stopped singing that way. Think of songs like…

What Wondrous Love Is This?
What Child Is This?
Who Is There Like You?
Who Am I?
Is He Worthy?
Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

Each one draws us in with a question we can’t help asking, and leaves us standing on an answer we didn’t invent, but instead has revealed itself to us personally.

We live in a world full of questions. Many of them are honest, some are anxious, and some keep us up at night. Worship doesn’t ask us to pretend they aren’t there. Instead it brings our questions into the presence of the One who not only knows the answers but, in the end, is the Answer.

SONG OF ENCOUNTER: Who is This King? (lyrics here)

Monday, October 26, 2026

If you are new to our Mid-Week Worship devotional, learn more about it here.

Songs used in the Mid-Week Worship devotional are added each week to a Spotify playlist.
You can follow it here.

Time of Preparation

Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?

When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.

A Call To Worship

On Mondays we use the Hebrew Psalter to focus in on the invitation to approach God in worship.

Read through the Psalm slowly and prayerfully, either silently or out loud. Pay attention to the movement of your soul and the longings of your heart as you read. How does it stir you to worship? What focus might you find from this Psalm for this coming week?

Psalm 19:7-10

A psalm of David

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 19 (lyrics in video)