Worship Preparation Guide

CBC Family,

You can listen to Sunday’s songs here, and song lyrics are on our blog and in the digital hymnal on our app.

A Puritan pastor names Richard Sibbes, in a book called “The Bruised Reed” based on Isaiah 42, describes the Christian life as “grace mixed with corruption”. He means that, while we have received the grace of God in the gospel and by grace walk in sanctification and holiness, we are still burdened by human weakness and sin. I don’t know about you, but most of the time I feel the weight of the “corruption”. I’m keenly aware of my weakness and failings, and quite honestly feel like a terrible Christian a lot of the time. But what Sibbes unpacks is that this experience is a normal one for Christians. Isaiah 42 speaks of a “bruised reed” and a “smoldering wick” - metaphors for people who feel feeble or wounded as they follow Jesus. But we’re told that Christ will not break the bruised reed or extinguish the smoldering wick - and that’s a little bit shocking! Perhaps the most difficult part of feeling so weak in our faith is the little voice that tells us God is upset with us, that he resents us or will turn his back on us. But the opposite is true! Christ invites the weak and lowly; instead of leaving us in disgust, he gently heals us and fans the faintly burning spark into flame, until one day, as Jesus puts it in Matthew 13, we shine like the sun in God’s kingdom, unhindered by sin, weakness, or pain.

So, take heart, brothers and sisters. Christ doesn’t turn away from our weakness; he moves towards us, and he invites us to come to him with all of our weakness, failures, and struggles. Let’s lift our eyes to him and run to him for grace, finding perfect rest for our restless souls.

To prepare for Sunday, read Isaiah 42:1-3.

Grace,

Pastor Joseph