As part of the worship resources for this series, we have put together a playlist for inspiration, meditation, and reflection through Lent. Click here to see the full playlist. At the end of the worship planning notes for each week, you will find a social media devotional and YouTube video link that link the themes of that service with the related song from the playlist.

To what do you cling? That might be the question before the worship planning team this week. Perhaps your first reaction is, “No, I don’t cling. Clingy is not a good adjective for people. Let’s move on to something else.” Hold on. Maybe you’ve sung this: “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.” Or “I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown.” There are even more contemporary songs with the idea of clinging to Jesus, including one by Sovereign Grace titled “Cling to Christ.” And that song has a verse that says:

It’s more than I can do / To keep my hold on You
But all my hope and peace / Is that You cling to me

Songwriters: Bob Kauflin, Jason Hansen, David Lachance Jr
“Cling to Christ” lyrics © Sovereign Grace Praise

So, let’s ask again, “To what do you cling?” The opportunity for worship this week is to offer a strong support for the living of these days, to provide foundational faith that grounds the community in the real world, and yet lifts vision to a larger truth. It would be a good week for a creed or affirmation of faith—maybe something familiar like the Apostles Creed (881 United Methodist Hymnal) or something more contemporary like “A Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada” (883, United Methodist Hymnal). We need reminders of the ground upon which we stand (or the one to whom we cling).

The psalm invites us to thirst for God, to hunger for God’s presence in our daily lives—the low moments as well as the high ones, and especially throughout daily life. We need to cultivate an awareness of God as we worship so that when we are apart from the community, we still have that sense of not being alone.

Our singing can express that reaching, that hungering for a glimpse of God’s presence. We can sing of the desire to have something to cling to and the promise to do so as much as we are able and then rely on the community that surrounds us to help us with our grip. So, let our prayers be an invitation to see the resource that fills the pews around us. We can give thanks for one another and for the witness and the willingness to be that body that encourages and mentors and challenges and holds us accountable. We can celebrate and petition at the same time. The Christ we cling to often can be found in the people around us. The faith we cling to can be seen in the relationships of faith. We don’t cling to abstract ideas, but to real incarnations lived before us.

PLAYLIST SOcial Media Post

“Light of Home” by U2

To what do you cling? Psalm 63 invites us to reflect on where we find security and sustenance when we are desperate, disillusioned, or in danger. Yes, we need food, water, and shelter. Yes, we need community that protects us when we feel threatened and alone. Yet underneath these basic needs is something even more necessary: God. As you listen to U2’s “Light of Home,” consider: “When you are surrounded by chaos and turmoil, how do you find security, confidence, and home in God?”

Rev. Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries, served churches in Indiana and Arkansas and the British Methodist Church. His PhD is from University of Edinburgh in preaching and media. He has taught preaching in seminary and conference settings for more than 20 years.