Once a year at Resurrection Lutheran, Justin Knabach, the Music Director, leads the congregation in a hymn sing in which he gives commentary on a hymn and then we sing it.  It’s a good time to do that since Pastor Schoech, the Interim pastor, is in Kenya with a mission team from the congregation.  We will sing “Holy, Holy, Holy,” followed by Psalm 98, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song.”  Then it is on to “Rock of Ages” and “Just as I am.”

Between those hymns we will hear the Old Testament lesson, from Malachi 4:1-6.  The day is the Lord is coming hot as an oven burning the arrogant and evildoers to stubble.  But for those who trust in the Lord the sun of rightness will rise and they shall go out leaping like calves.  The epistle lesson from 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 encourages us “do not grow weary in doing good” as we await the return of Christ.

Before we hear the Gospel from Luke 21:5-28, we sing “Amazing Grace.”  Then Jesus tells us that in the end times “Nation will rise against nation,” “there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars and on the earth distress.”  But don’t duck, rather “raise your heads…your redemption is drawing near.”

The next is hymn, “Oh, God our Help in Ages Past.”  God who has been with us in the past is with us still and always will be.  And 1n confidence of His faithfulness we declare our faith singing, “We All Believe in One True God.”

Finally, after the prayers and blessing, we conclude the service with “Joyful, Joyful we Adore Thee” an echo of our opening hymn.  Then we go on our way to offer our lives to the Lord as our spiritual worship over the next 6 days.