Sounds for June

It is well known among the staff that while I truly appreciate the beauty of great church music, I am lost when it comes to most things music related. I am grateful for the expertise, deep passion, and joyful expression found in our music leadership. Hymns and anthems draw me into worship. I can get lost in a single lyric or swept up in a memory of singing along side family long ago. I have had a creative itch over the years to dive deeper into the hymnal as part of a sermon series. This summer, I am taking the dive. My favorite part of sermon preparation is discovering something new in a familiar text. Maybe it is translation variations, historical interpretations, or a way that the text speaks on a new day in my life. Hymns are the expression of creative expression colliding with the very best of sermon preparation. The lectionary takes us through the epistle of Romans this summer. Romans is Paul’s only writing that is not addressed to a community or person that he has an existing relationship with. It is an introduction to his theology and ministry. Romans is not addressing one particular problem in the community like leadership, community conflict, or personal growth. It is a broad vision of God’s love loose in the world. It is said that Martin Luther came to find joy reading Romans, hearing and believing in a God who loves us. A few weeks ago, I sat down with Larry, Kyle, David, and Ty to see if we could find themes of each Romans’ selection and choose a hymn of the day to learn more about. We had a wonderful time pulling together this creative series. I hope you will join us this summer as we sing, learn, and worship together. Blessings, Tom Scripture and Hymn of Day for Summer June 11, 2023 Service led by traveling group from Roswell Presbyterian Church in Georgia June 18, 2023 Romans 5:1-11: No. 829 – “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” June 25, 2023 Romans 6:1-11: No. 250 – “In the Bulb There is a Flower” July 2, 2023 Romans 6:12-23: No. 438 – “Rock of Ages” July 9, 2023 Romans 7:15-25: No. 442 – “Just As I Am” July 16, 2023 Romans 8:1-11: No. 11 – “On Christmas Night All Christians Sing” July 30, 2023 Romans 8:26-39: Anthem – “It Is Well With My Soul” August 6, 2023 Romans 9:1-5: No. 372 – O for a World” August 13, 2023 Romans 10:5-15: No. 264 – “At the Name of Jesus”