June 10 - September 26, 2007

The Christian life is depicted as a faith-journey; early in the book of Acts the followers of Jesus were called those who “belonged to The Way.” (Acts 9:2) The book of Psalms is all about “the way.” However, it also contains a very special section of material that was written as “tunes for the road”. Psalms 120 through 134 are known as the Songs of Ascent. This ancient collection contains fifteen songs that, according to Eugene Peterson, “were likely sung, possibly in sequence, by Hebrew pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem to the great worship festivals.”[1]
Of course, in the New Covenant, we do not have the temple in Jerusalem as our locus of worship. God has established the local church to be the people gathered to worship him. So, while we don’t have to make a literal pilgrimage to the temple, we are called to be refreshed in our covenant with God as his people. We need to remember God’s acts; we need to renew our commitment to him; we need to respond to his blessing with joy and offerings. These Songs of Ascent show us how.
In an age of instant gratification, we must learn to re-dig these ancient wells of slow and dedicated discipleship. These songs contain many of the essential elements for spiritual formation. Again, as Eugene Peterson says, “If we learn to sing them well, they can be a kind of vade mecum (Latin for ‘a book of ready reference’) for a Christian’s daily walk”.[2] Learn to listen afresh to those who show us the way to “ascend” to meet with God and be stirred up in anticipation of what joy awaits!
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[1] Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, IVP, 1980, page 14.
[2] Ibid, pg. 16.

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - "Providence"

Part 3 - "Worship"

Outdoor Service

Part 4 - "Service"

Part 5 - "Joy"

- July 15, 2007
Bible Reading - Psalm 126: NIV | NLT | The Message | English-Asian Language Translations

MP3 Audio Sermon: Deborah Lapointe

Resources: Questions | Study Notes

Part 6 - "Work"

Part 7 - "Hope"

Outdoor Service

Part 8 - "Obedience"

Part 9 - "Blessing"

Part 10 - "Community"

Part 11 - "5 Alarm Praise"