Ordinary Time // Week 17 // September 24-30
SO THE LAST WILL BE FIRST
So the last will be first,
and the first will be last.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Matthew 20:16
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Seth Crissman
Ordinary Time // Week 16 // September 17-23
SUN OF MY SOUL
Sun of my soul, O Savior dear,
it is not night if you are near;
O, may no earthborn cloud arise,
to hide you from my eyes.
Be near to bless me when I wake,
‘ere through the world your way I take;
abide with me, till in your love
I lose myself in heav'n above
Abide with me from morn till eve,
for without you I cannot live;
abide with me when night is nigh,
when night is nigh
Be near to bless me when I wake
‘ere through the world your way I take;
abide with me, till in your love
I lose myself in heav'n above
Lyrics: John Keble, 1820, alt.
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Nichole Barrows, and Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 15 // September 10-16
TEACH ME, O LORD
Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Psalm 119:33-37
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Greg Yoder, Lauren Yoder, Kristina Yoder, Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 14 // September 3-9
LOVE MUST BE SINCERE
Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal,
but keep your spiritual fervor,
serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people
who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Romans 12:9-21
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Mitchell Yoder, Lauren Yoder
DO NOT BE OVERCOME
Do not be overcome by evil
But overcome evil with good.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Romans 12:21 and Matthew 5:44
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Mitchell Yoder, Greg Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 13 // August 27 - September 2
EACH MORNING BRINGS
Each morning brings us fresh outpoured
The loving kindness of the LORD
It ends not as the day goes past
But gives us strength while life shall last
It gives us strength for God’s own will
That we may love and follow still
‘Til evening’s sun is sinking low
And we have further yet to go
To go and show God’s love we’re called,
For we are the hands and feet that walk;
So walk, whether night or brightest day,
That we might always—come what may—
Be Jesus’ feet and Jesus’ hands,
Through waters high, over sun-parched lands,
Carrying the peace of God’s kingdom
And the love we see when the morning comes
Lyrics: verse 1 - Johannes Zwick, 1536; verses 2-4 - Greg Yoder, 2015
Music: Greg Yoder, 2015
Vocals: Jackson Maust, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 12 // August 20-26
NOW THE DAY IS OVER
Now the day is over,
night is drawing nigh;
shadows of the evening
steal across the sky.
Jesus, give the weary
calm and sweet repose;
with your tend'rest blessing
may our eyelids close.
Comfort ev'ry suff'rer
watching late in pain;
Give courage to your laborers
That we may rise again
When the morning wakens,
then may we arise
Sure and strong and ready
in your holy eyes.
Lyrics: S. Baring-Gould, 1865, alt.
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ebony Nicole
Ordinary Time // Week 11 // August 13-19
COME, YE SINNERS
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of mercy, love and pow’r
Come ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me and call me His own
In the arms of my dear Savior
My restless soul will find a home
Come, ye weary, heavy laden
Come, ye burdened, and alone
Look, a river, living water
Flowing out of rock and stone
I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me and call me His own
In the arms of my dear Savior
My restless soul will find a home
Lyrics: verses - J. Hart, 1759, alt.; chorus - Anonymous/traditional
Music: The Walking Roots Band, 2023
Vocals: Ebony Nicole, chorus: Nichole Barrows, Perry Blosser, Seth Crissman, Jackson Maust, Greg Yoder, Kristina Yoder, Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, Melody Zimmerman
Ordinary Time // Week 10 // August 6-12
YOU FIRST LOVED US
It’s just a start
A fluttering of the heart
The tiniest bud on a tree
that becomes a leaf
The first sign of spring
The moment when everything
that was holding its breath can breathe again
With a sigh of relief
In the winter’s doubt
In our empty and desolate place
our souls cry out
to see Your face
You are in the spring’s first rain
Laughing wind and growing grain
Mighty waves and solid stone
You are hope, You are home
You are in each rising day
Every morning Your grace remains
We sing Your love because
You first loved us
The mountainside
Painted on canvas high above
Where oranges and reds collide
With the blue of the morn
We lift our eyes
And follow the sun, who rises
To curtsy and twirl and glide
Like she has every day since the world was born
In the coming dawn
In our hopes and our dreams and all our days
our souls cry on
and sing Your praise
You are in the spring’s first rain
Laughing wind and growing grain
Mighty waves and solid stone
You are hope, You are home
You are in each rising day
Every morning Your grace remains
We sing Your love because
You first loved us
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Mitchell Yoder, Jackson Maust, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 9 // July 30 - August 5
MORE THAN CONQUERORS
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Lyrics: direct quotation from Romans 8:37-39
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Ben Luna, Kristina Yoder, Mitchell Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 8 // July 23-29
EACH MORNING BRINGS
Each morning brings us fresh outpoured
The loving kindness of the LORD
It ends not as the day goes past
But gives us strength while life shall last
It gives us strength for God’s own will
That we may love and follow still
‘Til evening’s sun is sinking low
And we have further yet to go
To go and show God’s love we’re called,
For we are the hands and feet that walk;
So walk, whether night or brightest day,
That we might always—come what may—
Be Jesus’ feet and Jesus’ hands,
Through waters high, over sun-parched lands,
Carrying the peace of God’s kingdom
And the love we see when the morning comes
Lyrics: verse 1 - Johannes Zwick, 1536; verses 2-4 - Greg Yoder, 2015
Music: Greg Yoder, 2015
Vocals: Jackson Maust, Mitchell Yoder, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 7 // July 16-22
YOU WILL GO OUT IN JOY
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
You will go out in joy
You will go out in joy
You will go out in joy
Lyrics: direct quotation of Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Jackson Maust, Kristina Yoder, Greg Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 6 // July 9-15
I WILL GIVE YOU REST
Come to me, all you that are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Matthew 11:28, 30
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Nichole Barrows
Ordinary Time // Week 5 // July 2-8
BECAUSE OF JESUS
When we listen for God at the start of the day
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
We’re following Jesus, who taught us to pray
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we take good care of our bodies and minds
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
We can make good use of God’s gifts and God’s time
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we make a mistake or get hurt by a friend
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
The forgiveness of Jesus knows no end
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
When we see friends and strangers who are in need
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
Jesus shows us the way, let us follow His lead
Let us do what we do because of Jesus
Lyrics: Mitchell Yoder, Seth Thomas Crissman, and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Mitchell Yoder and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Nichole Barrows, Ben Luna, Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder, chorus: Perry Blosser, Jackson Maust, Ebony Nicole, Carol Tobin, Greg Yoder, Melody Zimmerman
Ordinary Time // Week 4 // June 25 - July 1
JESUS, KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv'ry's mountain.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.
In the cross, in the cross may my glory be!
May my soul be revived by the healing stream
Fruitful trees whose leaves are for healing
Grow on the bank of the stream
that flows from Calvary.
Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.
Lyrics: Fanny Crosby, 1869 with chorus by Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: William Howard Doane (1800s), with chorus by Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Rachel Mast, Jackson Maust, Kristina Yoder
Ordinary Time // Week 3 // June 18-24
SHOUT FOR JOY
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Psalm 100:1-3
Music: Jonathan Crissman and Seth Thomas Crissman, 2021
Vocals: Jackson Maust, students of Redeemer Classical School
WITH THANKSGIVING
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Lyrics: direct quotation of Psalm 100:4-5
Music: Jonathan Crissman and Seth Thomas Crissman, 2021
Vocals: Ebony Nicole, Nichole Barrows, Melody Zimmerman
Ordinary Time // Week 2 // June 11-17
God, I’m way down again,
tryin’ to pull myself up, pull myself up,
These bootstraps are wearin’ thin,
and I think they might bust, think they might bust
People say you help those who help themselves, but I
Am tearin’ at the seams, fixing stitches in my dreams each night
God, I’m spread way too thin,
in pretty deep, in pretty deep,
Muscles worn, bone-tired again,
but can’t seem to sleep, can’t seem to sleep
Walking on a line weighs heavy on a mind made tough
God, I am afraid, I don’t know if I have faith enough
I can’t make it on my own. Help me
God, I feel overwhelmed,
just tryin’ to keep up, tryin’ to keep up,
Wish that I could rest my eyes,
but I can’t seem to, I can’t seem to
No room for a mistake, can’t figure out a way to stop
God, I am afraid, I know I don’t have faith enough
I can’t make it on my own. Help me
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Taylor Bess, 2023
Vocals: Taylor Bess, Valerie Bess
Ordinary Time // Week 1 // June 4-10
LET THERE BE LIGHT
In the beginning
In the beginning, God created
In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth, the heavens and the earth
Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said,
“Let there be light,”
and there was light.
God said, “Let there be light,” separated the day from the night,
And the water from the sky, and the water from the dry land,
I can’t understand, but I definitely agree it was good
Writing this verse while I walk through the wood
And the leaves are good, and the trees are good,
And I step into the meadow, where the bees are good
Collectors of nectar, buzzing ‘bout the hive
Take a breath, take it in, you’re alive
And the birds go on by, and my words wanna fly, and search the sky
‘Cause I can’t sing your praises enough
Before there was anything, God was
I can’t sing your praises enough
Before there was anything, God was
Lyrics: direct quotation of Genesis 1:1-3, with verse by Greg Yoder, 2023
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman, 2023
Vocals: Greg Yoder, Ebony Nicole, Kristina Yoder, Mitchell Yoder
Pentecost // Week 14 // May 28 - June 3
I don’t know about you, but I’m a do-er
I’m a roll up my sleeves, buckle down, and hop to-er
I’m a skewer, kebab, yah, I’m a push through-er
Man through a man-hole, down into the sewer
When the job gets tough, I’m tough enough
Hit me with the spotlight, I’m a strut my stuff
I got a plan, man, I got a detailed plan
I’m reckless with my checklists, got it in hand
I got a down-to-the-minute plan,
Everything-is-in-it plan,
Begin-it-and-fin’-it-and-spin-it-’til-you-win-it-plan
I’m talking nano-seconds, I don’t mess with the minute hand,
“Have you thought of this?”-”yeah, got nine ways to skin it, man,” plan
And I got goals
I got soul goals
I got soul goals trying to make the world whole
Trying take control and follow the recipe like baking those rolls
I made a long list of injustices
I got road map to where justice lives
But the truth is I’m petrified
To give up the wheel, fear immobilizes
That’s why I got the plan, ‘cuz I’m scared for my life
Ain’t taking no risks, got three kids and a wife
And a mortgage, man, I can’t afford to die
But I gotta let someone else drive
Holy Spirit, come pouring in
Breathe on me, Breath of God, like a roaring wind
Spirit, break me out, shake me up, and make me yours again
Holy Spirit, come pouring in
It’s takes a whole lifetime to learn
But from dust we are formed, and to dust we return
Then let’s adjourn this meeting, I mean, life’s so fleeting
And there’s no beating death
Yeah, see, that’s where you’re wrong
Your life’s not the start, but it’s part of a song
And the song goes on
The song started long ago, still going strong
See, Jesus conquered the tomb
But the disciples didn’t get it, they were locked in the upper room
Hiding out, afraid,
Feeling doom and gloom, consumed with fear and the death they assumed
When BOOM!
Jesus stepped into the room
With a breath blew death back into its tomb
And the rocks of the tomb and the stars and the moon,
And everybody, hear him say,
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”
So we gotta get out, open these doors
Open these windows, get our dust off these floors
Trust that the Spirit’s more than mine or yours
And open up for whatever God pours
Holy Spirit, come pouring in
Breathe on us, Breath of God, like a roaring wind
Spirit, break us out, shake us up, and make us yours again
Holy Spirit, come pouring in
Lyrics: Greg Yoder, 2023, with direct quotation of John 20:21b (NIV)
Music: Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Greg Yoder, Ebony Nicole, Lauren Yoder, Mitchell Yoder
Eastertide // Week 13 // May 21-27
O love, how deep, how broad, how high!
It fills the heart with ecstasy,
that God, the Son of God, should take
our mortal form for mortals’ sake.
For us he was baptized and bore
his holy fast, and hungered sore.
For us temptation sharp he knew,
for us the tempter overthrow.
For us he prayed, for us he taught,
for us his daily works he wrought
by words and signs and actions thus
still seeking not himself, but us.
For us to wicked hands betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed,
he bore the shameful cross and death,
for us a length gave up his breath.
Eternal glory to our God
for love so deep, so high, so broad;
the Trinity whom we adore
forever and forevermore.
Lyrics: Thomas a Kempis, 15th century (Latin), trans. Benjamin Webb, 1854
Music: Greg Yoder, 2013
Vocals: Mara Carlson, Monica Carlson, Matt Carlson
Eastertide // Week 12 // May 14-20
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
Even though I walk through the valley,
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
You will lead me beside still waters
You will give me rest
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
Even though I thirst in the desert,
Even though I thirst in the desert and the wilderness
You have promised the greenest pastures
You have promised rest
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
and I shall dwell in your house, O God,
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
and I shall dwell in your house,
And you will give me light
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
And I will fear no evil, for you, my God, are with me
Lyrics: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023, based on Psalm 23
Music: Seth Thomas Crissman and Greg Yoder, 2023
Vocals: Valerie Bess, Lauren Yoder, Kristina Yoder
