Songs For Worship With the Lord's Supper

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Christ-followers from the time of Jesus throughout history to the present day report that singing greatly enhances worship. Men and women, boys and girls who love Jesus love to sing songs of praise and worship. In every culture, in every place, among every tribe and in every nation, singing enhances worship.

After Jesus had served his disciples the bread and the wine in the upper room and had told them about the new covenant in his blood, he and his disciples sang a hymn before going out to the Mount of Olives where Jesus interceded in prayer for them and for all of us who would believe because of their testimony.

What are the songs you sing before the Lord’s Supper is served in your church?  What are the names of those songs that tell about the deep, deep love of Jesus?  What songs do you sing that tell about the new covenant that he made by shedding his blood for us? What songs do you sing that musically express the theme of sacrifice?

Worship leaders can greatly enhance the fellowship that church members experience with Christ during the Lord’s Supper. One way they can strengthen our remembrance of Christ’s death and life-giving sacrifice is by singing songs that are full of meaning and full of feeling.  The words to the song carry the meaning, the melody and harmony of the song carry feeling.  When true words and well-composed music are combined, songs powerfully touch our mind and our emotions.

What are the songs you sing in association with the serving of the Lord’s Supper?  When do you sing those songs?  You can sing before the bread and the red juice are served.  You can sing while the elements are being received.  You can sing after Christ-followers obey Jesus’ command to “do this in remembrance of me.”

So it’s important for those who lead worship when the Lord’s Supper is served to have a strong list of songs that they can choose from when they are planning worship.  After you listen to this podcast episode, let me encourage you to write down a list of 10 to 15 songs that you know that relate to the sacrifice of Christ, the body and blood of Christ, the cross of Christ, the resurrection of Christ and the Lord’s Supper itself. As you learn new songs about this theme, you can add them to your list. Use this list as you plan worship when the Lord’s Supper is served.

 Like other worship services, planning should take place at least one day before worship takes place.  Planning a worship service should not be rushed.  Those who plan worship need to think clearly and hear from the Lord.  They need to calmly imagine the time, the place, the occasion and the people who will worship.  And perhaps most importantly they need to think about the theme of their worship.  

God will meet you as you plan worship. He will be honored that you devoted time to think and pray about how to best honor him in song. Planning worship for a service in which the Lord’s Supper is served can be almost as meaningful for the worship leader as leading the congregation itself.

So take time, be calm, think well, pray well, and plan great services to worship the Lord as you remember in the Lord’s Supper Christ’s loving, victorious sacrifice. You can do it! God will empower you.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today? E3-34

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