Published on
February 10, 2020
Calvin Symposium of Worship 2020 | Vesper

REJOICING AND REMEMBERING

Prelude: "Alleluia #7" (France)

Call to Worship: Psalm 68:4–6, 24–26

Leader: Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—
his name is the Lord—
be exultant before him.


Father of orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to live in;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious live in a parched land.

Your solemn processions are seen, O God,
the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them girls playing tambourines:
“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”

People: Praise him, all his creatures, everywhere in all the earth!

Song: "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"

Prayer of Adoration: "Way Maker" (Nigeria)

You are here moving in our midst;
we worship you! We worship you!
You are here working in this place;
we worship you! We worship you!
Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper,
Light in the darkness.
My God, that is who you are.
Repeats

CONFESSING AND REPENTING

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!

Prayer

Leader: Let those who love the Lord say "Amen"

People: Amen

Let us pray.
O Lord, you are Shalom, the God of peace.
You have made peace with those of us were were far from you, and with those of us who were near,
through the blood of Jesus, and you have commanded us also to be peacemakers.
But we confess that we have not been peacemakers. In the face of injustice, we have averted our eyes.

O Lord, you are Jireh, the God who provides.
Everything that we have comes from you. While we were still in our mothers’ wombs, you knit us
together; every day of our lives, you have provided for us the air we breathe and the food that we eat.
But we confess that we have been ungrateful. In our accomplishments, we have not given you
thanks.

O Lord, you are Shammah, the God who is near. Where can we go from your Spirit, and where can we
flee from your love? You have promised us that you are near to us when we call, and that you will listen
to the cry of the broken-hearted.
But we confess that we have been rebellious. In the secret places of our hearts, we have hidden from
you.

O Lord, you are Rapha, the God who heals. We pray that you would heal us in the places where we are
broken, sanctify us in the places where we unholy, and cleanse us in the places where our hearts are full
of secret sins. We open our hearts to you now in silence . . .

Prayer Song (Nadleh Whut'en First Nation)

Words of Comfort

Leader: What can was away our sins?

People: Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

We are brothers and sisters through his blood.
We have died together, we will rise together, we will live together.
Do you renounce the sinful desires that separate you from God and from his people?
We do.
Do you renounce the evil powers of this world that corrupt and destroy his good creation?
We do.
Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
We do.

Revelation 22:1-5, 10-13

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life
with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing
of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their
foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be
their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the
evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

"Alpha and Omega" (Zimbabwe)

GIVING THANKS

"Is He Worthy?" (United States)

Do you feel the world is broken? (We do.)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do.)
But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? (We do.)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do.)

Is all creation groaning? (It is.)
Is a new creation coming? (It is.)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is.)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is.)

Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah, who conquered the grave,
he is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave.
Is he worthy, is he worthy,
of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is he worthy of this? (He is.)

Does the Father truly love us? (He does.)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does.)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those he loves? (He does.)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does.)

All sing:

Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah, who conquered the grave,
he is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave.
From every people and tribe, every nation and tongue,
he has made us a kingdom and priests to God to reign with the son.
Is he worthy, is he worthy,
of all blessing and honor and glory?
Is he worthy, is he worthy? Is he worthy of this?
He is.

Testimony of Thanksgiving

Leader: This is what the Lord has done in me.

People: Thanks be to God.

"Jesus, Remember Me" (France)

SENDING AND CELEBRATING

"Let Us Be Known" (United States)

"The Greatest Commandment" (United States)

"Teach Us Your Ways" (United States)

"All the Earth Shall Know" (United States)

SENDING AND BLESSING