St. Andrew's United Methodist Church - Musical Musings

Greetings St. Andrew's Family This service leads us on a journey into the heart of what peace truly is—and how it takes root in our lives. We begin with O Day of Peace that Dimly Shines , a hymn that tells the truth about the world we live in. Peace often feels distant, incomplete, or fragile. We see division, conflict, and brokenness all around us. And yet, this hymn does not leave us in despair. It reminds us that peace is not simply something we hope for—it is something God has already begun. In Christ, God has set reconciliation in motion. Even when we cannot fully see it, we trust that God is at work, drawing all things toward wholeness. As we move into Take My Life and Let It Be , the focus shifts from the world around us to the life within us. Peace is not something we can manufacture through effort alone; it is something that grows as we offer ourselves to God. The words of this hymn invite us into surrender—not as loss, but as transformation. When we place our lives in God...

 Greetings St. Andrew's Family This Sunday’s worship traces a powerful journey—one that reflects the heart of Christian life. We begin with a simple but profound truth: we are called. In “We Are Called,” we are reminded that faith is not passive. God calls us into lives of justice, mercy, and love—not someday, but now. That call becomes tangible in “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service.” Here, we see what following Jesus looks like: not in grand gestures alone, but in everyday acts of compassion and humility. The Christian life is not about status—it’s about service. In the Gospel (Mark 6:7–13), Jesus sends the disciples out with very little. No extra provisions. No guarantees. Just a mission and a promise of God’s presence. It’s a challenging image in a world that values security and self-sufficiency. Yet Jesus invites us into something deeper: reliance on God and openness to others. The sermon, “Calling, Sending and Trusting,” explores this tension. What does it mean to step in...

Worship is never just a collection of songs—it is a movement of the heart shaped by the story of God. In this service, the music and message together form a spiritual arc that leads us from invitation into God’s presence, through surrender and dependence, into the hope of resurrection, and finally to the proclamation of Christ’s eternal reign. We begin with Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing , which serves as our invitation into worship. This hymn reminds us that we do not come to God because we have it all together, but because God draws us by grace. The opening lines acknowledge both our human tendency to wander and God’s faithful pursuit of us. As we sing, we are being gathered—not just physically into a space, but spiritually into attentiveness, awareness, and readiness to encounter God. From there, our worship centers on Lord I Need You , which becomes the heartbeat of our response. This is where worship moves from invitation to surrender. In light of Daniel 12, where God’s peop...

 Greetings St. Andrew's Family This week in worship, our music is intentionally shaped to reflect the movement of discipleship found in Gospel of John 21, where the risen Christ meets Peter in a moment of grace, restoration, and calling. The arc of the service follows a deeply theological pattern: we are called into God’s work, grounded in God’s grace, and sent out in faithful response. We begin with “Build Your Kingdom Here” by Rend Collective , an energetic and joyful song that functions as a call to worship and a call to mission. Theologically, this opening reminds us that the Kingdom of God is not merely something we await, it is something in which we are invited to participate. God’s work in the world continues through His people, and worship becomes the place where we both celebrate and recommit to that calling. The energy of this song reflects the urgency and joy of being invited into God’s mission. From there, we move into “Blessed Assurance,” the beloved hymn by Fanny J...

This Sunday’s worship invites us into a journey of recognition, reflection, and renewal—one that mirrors the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13–35. Their story is one of movement: from confusion to clarity, from discouragement to hope, from unrecognized presence to a living encounter with the risen Christ. We begin our worship with a simple but powerful prayer for the Prelude: “Open Our Eyes Lord.” This is where all true worship starts—with a willingness to see. Like the disciples walking the road, we often move through life unaware that Christ is already present with us. This opening moment reminds us that before anything else, we need God to help us recognize what we cannot see on our own. As worship continues with “When the Poor Ones,” our vision expands. Christ is not only present in our personal experiences but is revealed in the lives of others—especially among the vulnerable, the overlooked, and the broken. This song calls us outward, reminding u...

Greetings St. Andrew's Family Holy Week is a sacred journey that invites the entire congregation to move intentionally through the central events of the Christian faith. It is not merely a sequence of services but a spiritual pilgrimage that draws us into deeper understanding, reflection, and transformation. From the table of fellowship to the cross of sacrifice and finally to the empty tomb, each moment reveals something essential about God’s love and our response to it. On Maundy Thursday , we gather around the table where Jesus shared His final meal with His disciples. In this setting, Christ models humility, service, and intimate relationship. The presence of Judas at the table reminds us that even in moments of closeness to God, the human heart can struggle with doubt, temptation, and brokenness. Yet Jesus does not withdraw His love; instead, He remains present, offering bread and cup even in the shadow of betrayal. This moment invites us to reflect on our own relationship wi...

St. Andrew's Family As we gather for worship this Palm Sunday, we do so with a sense of continuity. Last week, the gentle strains of “ Go to Dark Gethsemane ” from the bells pointed us forward, preparing our hearts for what lies ahead. That moment now finds its fulfillment as we begin this service, not just remembering, but actively stepping into the story of Holy Week. Worship becomes a journey—one that unfolds step by step, song by song. We begin with “ Hosanna, Loud Hosanna ,” lifting our voices in joy and celebration just as the crowds did when Jesus entered Jerusalem. It is a moment of energy and praise, but it is only the beginning. As we move into “ Jesus, Name Above All Names ,” the tone shifts. We are invited to center ourselves, to focus on who Jesus is beyond the noise of the crowd. This movement from celebration to stillness prepares us to hear the scripture from John 16:29–17:26 with open hearts. In this passage, we are given a sacred glimpse into Jesus’ prayer—a ...

Worship is a journey—an invitation to encounter God, respond in faith, and leave transformed. This week, our worship flows through a beautiful arc that reminds us how God meets us at every step. We begin with Rain Down (Jamie Cortez) , lifting our voices in prayerful song to invite the Spirit into our midst. The music sets the tone, creating space for hearts to be open to God’s presence and guidance. From there, we celebrate the sacred moment of baptism, a visible reminder of new life in Christ and the Spirit’s ongoing work in our lives. Baptism grounds us in God’s promises, showing that worship is not only about what happens in the sanctuary but about how God continues to transform us day by day. The song Holy Spirit (CCS) follows, drawing us deeper into awareness of God’s presence. Its words and melody remind us that the Spirit is our guide, our comforter, and our advocate, helping us live faithfully in our daily lives. We then turn to Scripture, hearing John 16:5-15, where Jesu...

Greetings St. Andrew's  This week, our scripture comes from John 15:18–16:3 , where Jesus reminds His followers that the world may reject and oppose them for living in faith. In the sermon “If the World Hates You,” we are called to remember that following Christ is not always easy, but God’s presence and love never abandon us. Our hymnody this Sunday encourages courage, guidance, and witness. “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” calls us to boldness, reminding us that proclaiming God’s love often requires courage and steadfast faith. As we sing these words together, we are strengthened to live boldly in our own lives, sharing Christ’s love with the world around us. “Holy Spirit” mixed with the first verse of “He Leadeth Me” invites us to listen for God’s guidance. Even when the world seems hostile or confusing, the Spirit leads us along the paths of righteousness. Singing this combination helps us remember that God’s guidance is always present, and our worship is a way of opening o...

This Sunday in Lent, our worship traces a beautiful arc — from promise, to invitation, to assurance, to response. We begin with “O Jesus I Have Promised.” Before Scripture is read or the sermon is preached, we place ourselves in the posture of discipleship. Lent is a season of intentional following, and this hymn gives us the language of commitment. We promise to follow Christ — not perfectly, but faithfully — trusting that the One who calls us walks beside us. From there, our hearts soften with “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling,” joined with verse four of “Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus).” If the first hymn is our promise to Christ, this moment reminds us of Christ’s promise to us. Even in our wandering, even in our sin, Jesus calls — gently, persistently, mercifully. The music becomes an invitation to lay down burdens and return home. Our Scripture, John 14:1–14, anchors the morning with Jesus’ words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In the sermon, “The Great Promise,” ...

Grace and Peace St. Andrew's Family  This Sunday, March 1, our worship unfolds with intention, and each song helps carry us along the journey. We begin with I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin , blended with verse three of Here I Am, Lord . Right from the start, we are singing our yes to God. “Where You go, I’ll go” becomes more than a lyric. It becomes our shared declaration that we are willing to follow wherever Christ leads. From there, we move into Make Me a Channel of Your Peace . The energy gently shifts as we ask God to shape our hearts. This is a prayerful centering moment. Instead of declaring what we will do, we ask God to make us instruments of peace, love, and pardon. It prepares us beautifully for the Scripture from Gospel of John 13:1–17 and the sermon on Humility and Servanthood, where Jesus kneels to wash the disciples’ feet. The One we follow shows us that true greatness looks like service. Our choir then offers Teach Me Your Ways by David Catherwood . After hearing...

 Greetings St. Andrew's Family This Sunday, we enter the holy season of Lent. On the First Sunday in Lent, we step with Jesus into the wilderness as told in Gospel of Matthew 4:1–11. Christ is led by the Spirit into a place of hunger, silence, and testing. Temptation does not arrive in chaos, but in quiet. It comes when He is physically weak and spiritually focused. The enemy offers comfort, spectacle, and power. Yet Jesus answers not with argument, but with Scripture. His strength is not loud. It is rooted. It is obedient. It is steadfast. This Sunday, our music becomes the congregation’s prayer in the wilderness. When we sing Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah , we give voice to our pilgrim hearts. We are travelers in barren lands, asking for daily bread and steady footing. The hymn reminds us that faith is not self-sufficiency; it is daily dependence. In Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley , we remember that no temptation we face is foreign to Christ. He has walked it. He has felt it...

This Joy Sunday, our youth lead us in every part of worship, and their leadership reminds us of something simple and beautiful. Prayer belongs to everyone. It does not require perfect words or polished faith. It begins with an open heart. As our students share their stories and testimonies about what prayer means to them, we are invited to rediscover prayer with fresh honesty and childlike trust. Our music traces that journey together. We begin with the familiar comfort of “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” remembering the quiet gift of time spent with God. As it weaves into “Build My Life,” our prayer grows into commitment. We are not only seeking comfort. We are asking God to shape who we are and how we live. Prayer becomes the foundation beneath our feet, steady and strong. “Be Thou My Vision (Will You Guide Me)” centers us and turns our hearts toward God’s guidance. In a world full of noise and distraction, we ask God to be our wisdom and our focus. As we listen to the voices of our youth...

Grace and Peace St. Andrew's Family This Sunday’s worship invites us into a journey shaped by grace. Worship is more than a sequence of songs and prayers. It is a movement that carries us from God’s invitation, through transformation, and into a renewed calling for the week ahead. Our scripture from Ephesians 3:1 to 14 reminds us that grace is not only a gift we receive, but a gift entrusted to us, meant to be shared for the life of the world. We begin worship grounded in gratitude and assurance. The opening music weaves together Your Grace Is Enough and Great Is Thy Faithfulness , setting the tone by naming what is already true. God’s grace is steady, sufficient, and faithful in every season. Before we speak, pray, or act, we are reminded that grace has gone before us and surrounds us still. As worship continues, Spirit of the Living God leads us from proclamation into prayer. Sung in both English and Spanish, this moment reflects the breadth of God’s grace and the diversity of...

GRACE and Peace to you St. Andrews Family  As we prepare for worship next week, our music traces a clear and hopeful journey—one shaped entirely by grace. We begin with “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” lifting our hearts toward the God whose love initiates all transformation. Renewal does not begin with our striving or effort, but with God’s grace entering our lives—healing, shaping, and calling us into deeper life. This opening hymn sets the foundation, reminding us that divine love always moves first and will carry us through every step of the journey ahead. From there, “Living Hope” draws us inward, centering our hearts on the risen Christ. Grace meets us in the present moment—right where we are, even amid doubt, weariness, or struggle. Hope begins to take root as we proclaim again that God’s power is stronger than anything that seeks to separate us from life, love, and joy. This song serves as a bridge from old ways of living into the new life God offers. Paul’s words i...

Grace and Peace St. Andrew's Family  This Sunday, our worship tells a single, grace-filled story—from beginning to end. We open with “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” a hymn of praise that lifts our focus immediately to Christ. Before we speak of ourselves, our struggles, or our faith, we name who Jesus is: Savior and King. Grace begins not with what we do, but with who God is. As worship continues with “Open Our Eyes, Lord,” the tone gently shifts from proclamation to prayer. Having praised God, we now ask for open hearts and clear vision. This simple song invites us to become attentive—to the Spirit, to the Word, and to the grace already at work in our lives. The Gloria Patri , sung through the first verse of “Amazing Grace” set to a new tune, reminds us that God’s grace is both familiar and ever new. These beloved words point us to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, praising the God whose saving love has been at work long before we ever noticed it. Our scripture reading...

Greetings St. Andrew's Family This week we begin a five-week worship journey centered on Grace, and our first step into that journey echoes the promise at the heart of Norma’s sermon: “And the Lord is With Me.” Our Scripture from Genesis 39:1–6 leads us into the story of Joseph in a season of displacement and uncertainty. Though far from home and living in circumstances he did not choose, Scripture repeats a grounding truth — the Lord was with him . God’s presence does not remove challenge from Joseph’s life, but it shapes his spirit, directs his work, and allows grace to flourish even in unfamiliar places. As a worshiping community, we hear in Joseph’s story a reminder that God’s nearness is not dependent on setting, status, or comfort — God accompanies us wherever we stand. Our worship begins with the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” a prayer that God would tune our hearts to grace the way Joseph’s life was tuned toward trust and faithfulness. It invites us to look ba...

 As we gather on Sunday, we begin where worship always begins: with God’s call. Our service opens with Here I Am to Worship , a song that invites us to step into the light of Christ with humility and wonder. We do not come as people trying to earn God’s attention — we come as people already seen, already known, already called by name. Paul reminds the church in 1 Corinthians that we are “called to belong to Jesus Christ” and sustained by grace from the very beginning. Our opening song shapes our posture for worship, not as performers on a platform, but as a community choosing to stand in God’s light and offer ourselves fully to the One who calls us into communion and purpose. At the heart of our worship, the journey deepens. We Three Kings places us within the Epiphany story, following the light that leads us to Christ — sometimes slowly, sometimes with questions, but always with trust. The choir anthem, Walk in the Light by André Thomas, gives voice to this calling in a way tha...

Hello Friends  This week, our worship unfolds like a story—one we do not just hear, but enter. We begin by stepping away from the noise of everyday life and quietly approaching the manger through “Away in a Manger.” Picture yourself pausing at the stable door, breathing in the stillness, and letting your heart rest in the gentle simplicity of that holy night. Hope is small here. Love is wrapped in swaddling clothes. And in that tenderness, God meets us exactly where we are. As the story deepens, “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” draws us further into the mystery. We are no longer observers; we are present. Each phrase reminds us that God chose humility, choosing to come not with power and spectacle, but with vulnerability and grace. Matthew 1:18–23 becomes the voiceover of this sacred scene, declaring that this child is Emmanuel—God who refuses to stay distant, God who comes near. The sermon, “God With Us,” invites us to carry this truth beyond the sanctuary, learning to recognize Go...

Friends As we step deeper into the Advent season, I’ve been sitting with this week’s Scripture from Luke 2:8–18. It’s easy to forget that the first people to hear the good news of Christ’s birth were not priests or scholars or well-prepared worship leaders. They were shepherds—ordinary workers just trying to stay awake in the cold night air. Nothing about their evening suggested divine interruption. And yet God chose them . God broke into their routine with glory, with song, and with a call: Go. Move. See for yourselves. And the shepherds went. They didn’t analyze it, overthink it, or look for a better time. They simply responded. Something about that has been speaking to me this week. Music itself is movement. Breath becomes motion. Sound becomes journey. Harmony becomes invitation. And every time we gather—choir, congregation, musicians, pastors—we step once again into that holy movement toward the presence of God. Our music on Sunday reflects that journey. We begin with Angels We ...