Worship Planning: Prepare the Way of the Lord

[I've decided to start posting the orders of worship for the times I am leading in an effort to share my thoughts and perhaps provide ideas for others or for myself at a later date. I have all the details saved in Google Docs, but I want to capture any reasoning behind why I chose certain songs. We'll see how this goes. Song #'s are from Songs of Faith and Praise. The letters after the title are the song key and starting note (if different from the key note). This is a great help to me when I remember to figure it out ahead of time rather than on the fly.]

January 13, 2013
The theme for this sermon series is King of Kings. The theme for this day was "Prepare the Way of the Lord" with discussions of repentance and baptism and the River Jordan figuring prominently.

We started out with a video showing pictures of people being baptized backed by Allison Kraus's rendition of "Down to the River to Pray".

I always like to start with a bunch of praise songs and these were all centered around the idea of kingship. The song "There's a Stirring" has the concept of laying my crown at Jesus wounded feet. When we were singing this phrase, I could barely keep myself from choking up. Something about that idea was just so powerful and emotional. Not only laying the crown, but at his feet that were wounded because of all the things I've done.

"Days of Elijah" and "On Jordan's Stormy Banks" were requests from Jim and I never pass up a chance to lead "DoE".

I don't always finish with a closing song and it varies from before the prayer to after the prayer. I'm starting to lean more towards a song as I think it sends people off on a high note. And I think after the prayer works better as if there are responses then the prayer for those usually serves as a closing prayer as well.

167 Hosanna G
Prayer & Announcements
Please Stand
Today we are granted an audience before the great King of the Universe. I stand here before the throne as a performer for an audience of one. All Glory and Praise to our God in whom we have the Victory.
278 Victory Chant Bb
166 He's My King Ab
There's a Stirring Bb
484 You Are My All in All F
Communion
I Stand Amazed (1 bread, 4 cup) Ab/Eb
Offering
781 Thank You Lord Eb/Bb
Days of Elijah Ab/Eb
Scripture Matthew 3:13-17
Sermon
886 On Jordan's Stormy Banks (1, 3) F
Prayer
Shout to the Lord A/C#

After the service a lady came up and said that most of the songs we sang were her favorites. I later apologized for the ones that she didn't like.