The River Church Community

Sunday Synopsis:

This Sunday we launch an exciting new series called Worship: The ancient and true reality series. Our hope is that this series will lift people's eyes to a Biblically grounded vision of what it means to worship a Holy God and to explain why we do what we do on Sunday mornings. This week Brad will be giving the message titled "American Idols vs. Real Authority". He will share how our consumer culture often places us (with our opinions/preferences) at the center... but how worship is supposed to be radically God-centered. Throughout the series, Krista-Dawn will also be sharing personal stories from her trips around the world and how they have shaped her as a worshipper and worship leader. Please join me in praying that God would use this series to expand our hearts, surface our assumptions about worship, and help us grow as church community that worships the one true King.

Worship Response: Submitting our crowns at the foot of the throne

This week I invite you to spend some time on the red carpet enacting the Rev. 4 passage that we will be studying together. The throne symbolizes Jesus' ministry in heaven, and the basin of water symbolizes Jesus' ministry on earth. We will ask you to consider what your own personal crowns are in worship and life in the church. Moments that cause you to take the posture of sitting on the throne and pronouncing judgement by asking the question of "did I like it? Am I getting my needs met?" As we submerge our crowns in the water, we enact a prayer of faith, believing that our needs and preferences can be submitted to serve the community and that God who knows our every need will provide for us. In Rev. 5, there are bowls of tears that represent our prayers. Submitting our needs and preferences is not a trite experience and is often a painful act full of grief and loss. The bowls of water can also symbolize hope for those of us in grief as we let go of our needs, believing that our tears are never lost in His sight. 

New song this week: 

Hosanna - Hillsong United

Opening Song for reflection: 

Revelation Song - Gateway worship

See you sunday!

krista-dawn