The Aliens sermon series was developed to explore how we relate to the world, its governments, its societies and its people. As a companion to this series, I highly recommend the book linked below, which covers many similar ideas.

Links to all the sermons are provided at the bottom of the document.

Interlude: Heaven Medley

[As part of the "Aliens" series, Laura and I developed a "Heaven Medley" as a sort of celebration of the ways that Christians throughout history have incorporated the hope of heaven into their music. The intent is for the medley to be sung with alternating singers, with each hymn "interrupting" the previous ones. In most cases, the hymns are musically similar at the point of interruption, so they flow from one to the other -- in some cases, the ending word of one song becomes the first word of the next, so both singers can come together on one word, before the new singer takes the song on an entirely differerent track.]

Throughout the New Testament, the apostles refer to believers as: strangers, exiles, foreigners, pilgrims, sojourners and aliens in this world. It’s interesting that there are so many different words used to describe this simple and very important concept: we don’t belong here.

This sense of not-belonging, this hunger for a place of belonging, this hope for something better than this world, has been a central part of Christian art, literature, and music throughout the centuries. This medley provides a smattering of music that expresses the believers’ hope for a home and a country beyond this world.

Heaven Medley

I'm gonna sing, sing sing, I'm gonna shout, shout, shout,
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna shout, praise the Lord
When the gates are open wide, I'm gonna sit by Jesus' side, I'm gonna...

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed, he'll prepare for us a place.
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout...

Oh victory in Jesus, my savior forever!
He sought me and bought me, with his redeeming blood.
He loved me e'er I knew him, and all my love is due him.
He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold, beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
and...

Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, hallelujah bye and bye,
I'll fly away...

To a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar,
For the Father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.
In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore...

When the saints, go marching in,
Oh when the saints go marching in,
I want to be in that number...

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
When the roll, is called up yonder,
When the roll, is called up yonder,
When the roll, is called up yonder...
When the roll is called up yonder I'll be...

Swingin' low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home.
If you get to heaven before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Tell all my friends I'm coming there too,
Comin' for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan, and what did I see...

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan's fair and happy land, where my possessions lie.
I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land.
Oh who will come and go with me...

To my mansion just over the hilltop,
In that bright land where we'll never grow old.
And some day yonder, we will never more wander,
But walk on streets that are purest gold...

And when we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

With Chords

D
I'm gonna sing, sing sing, I'm gonna shout, shout, shout,
A
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna shout, praise the Lord.
D G D
When the gates are open wide, I'm gonna sit by Jesus' side, I'm gonna
G D7 G
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace;
G C G D7 G C G
In the mansions bright and blessed, He'll prepare for us a place.
G G A7 D7
When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
G G7 C G D7 G C G
When we all see Jesus, We'll sing and shout Oh victory in Jesus, my savior forever!
Em G A D
He sought me and bought me, with his redeeming blood
G C G
he loved me e'er I knew him, and all my love is due him
Em G A D G
he plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
G C G
I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory,
Em G A D
and I heard about the streets of gold, beyond the crystal sea
G C G
about the angels singing and the old redemption story,
G G7 C G
and Some glad morning when this life is over I'll fly away
D7 G
To a home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away
G7 C G
I'll fly away O Glory I'll fly away
D7 G
When I die Hallelujah bye and bye I'll fly away
G C G D
To a land that is fairer than day and by faith we can see it afar
G C G D G
For the father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.
G D D7 G
In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore
G D7
When the saints go marching in When the saints go marching in
G C G C G
I want to be in that number When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
G A7 D
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
G G7 C G A7 G
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
G D7 G G7 C
When the roll, is called up yonder, When the roll, is called up yonder, When the roll, is called up yonder,
G D7 Em A E
When the roll is called up yonder I'll be Swingin' Low, sweet chariot,
B7 E A E B7 E
Comin' for to carry me home;Swing low, sweet chariot, Comin' for to carry me home.
A E B7
If you get to heaven before I do, Comin' for to carry me home;
E A E B7 E
Tell all my friends I'm coming there too, Comin' for to carry me home.
E A E B7 E B
I looked over Jordan, And what did I see, On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye
E B7 E
To Canaan's fair and happy land, Where my possessions lie.
B7 E B
I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land;
E E B
O who will come and go with me? To my mansion just over the hilltop,
F# B
In that bright land where we'll never grow old.
E B F# B E B
And some day yonder, We will never more wander, But walk on streets that are purest gold.
E A E B B7
And when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
E A E B7 A E
We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first be gun