Published on
June 1, 2005
An order of worship planned around Isaiah 43, originally held at the Calvin Symposium on Worship.
Worship Service

Theme of the Service

God Calls Us

Organ Prelude: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," arr. Larry Visser

In Organo pleno
Trio Chorale
In Organo pleno

Greeting

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

*Call to Worship, from Zephaniah 3:17

*"Lord Most High" (Sing! A New Creation 47)

*"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" (Psalter Hymnal 253)

St. 1-2, harmony
St. 3, unison
St. 4, harmony with descant

*Prayer of Adoration

Jesus, Son of the living God, splendor of the Father, eternal light.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, King of glory, sun of justice, son of the virgin Mary.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, Wonderful Counselor, everlasting Lord, Prince of Peace.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, our help and our refuge.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, God of peace, friend of all, source of life and holiness.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, brother of the poor, goodness without measure, unending wisdom.
Lord, we praise you!
Jesus, good shepherd, true light, our way and our life.
Lord, we praise you!

*"Yesu azali awa / Jesus Christ Is with Us"

st. 1 in Ngala, then Dutch, then English
st. 3 and 5 in English

We Confess and Are Renewed

Call to Confession, from 1 John 1:5-7

This is the message we have heard
from him and declare to you:
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him
yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Prayer of Confession

*The Assurance of Salvation

All sing: "Surely, Surely" (in English)

Psalm 91:9-10, 14-16

All sing: "Surely, Surely" (in English, then in French)

The Word of God

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture: Psalm 121 and Isaiah 43:1-3a

Sermon: "I Will Be with You" Listen

Our Response

*"I Lift My Eyes Up" (Sing! A New Creation 208)

Prayer of Intercession

[a time of silence]

"Don'na Tokidemo" / "Anytime and Anywhere" (Sing! A New Creation 188)

Stanza 1 - Japanese (solo)
Stanza 2 - English (sung by all)

*"Surely It is God Who Saves Me" (Sing! A New Creation 74)

Sending

*Prayer, from Psalm 90:1-2, 17

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us-yes, establish the work of our hands.

*Blessing, from Isaiah 41:9-10

*"O God, Our Help in Ages Past" (Psalter Hymnal 170)

*Passing of the Peace

Credits and permissions

Call to worship: TWS 1.3.9

Prayer of adoration: TWS E.1.4.1

Call to confession: TWS 2.1.11

TWS, The Worship Sourcebook
Reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, © 2004, CRC Publications.

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