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Revelation 4-5: The Songs in the Heavenly Throne Room

A worship service held at Worship Symposium 2017

The Songs in the Heavenly Throne Room

GATHERING

Prelude: O Lord, You Are My Light                                                                 Jess Alldredge

God's Greeting and Call to Worship                                           inspired by Revelation 1:4–8

Before the Throne of God Above                         Charitie Lees DeCheney Bancroft, Vikki Cook

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty                                          Reginald Heber, John B. Dykes

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Confession

Sanctus                                                                                                       Bethany Brooks

Assurance

All Things New                                                                                    Green Carpet Players

Prayer: “Thou Who Wast Center“                                Christina Rossetti, based on Revelation 5

Lord Jesus, holy and majestic are you in your high places.
You are the Center of all life, and from you all life flows.
Beautiful and majestic were you also while you dwelled with us,
even when you were the Center where humiliations and sorrows met.

You who were the Center of a stable,
with two saints and harmless cattle and some shepherds for your court.
Grant us lowliness.
You who were the Center of Bethlehem when Magi worshiped you.
Grant us wisdom.
You who were the Center of the temple.
Grant us purity.
You who were the Center of Egypt which harbored your people in exile.
Be our refuge.
You who were the Center of all waters at your baptism in the river Jordan,
still sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin.
Help us to remember our baptism.
You who were Center of all desolate places during the forty days and forty nights.
Comfort the desolate.
You who were Center of the marriage feast at Cana.
Bless our rejoicing.
You who were the Center of a funeral procession at Nain.
Bless our mourning.
You who were Center of Samaria as you sat on the well.
Bring back strayed souls.
You who were Center of all heights on the Mount of Beatitudes.
Grant us to sit with you in the heavenly places.
You who were Center of sufferers by the Pool of Bethesda.
Heal us.
You who were Center of all harvest ground when you went through the cornfields with your disciples.
Make us bring forth the harvest thirty, sixty, a hundredfold.
You who were Center of humankind when you called unto yourself whom you would.
Grant us grace to obey your call.
You who were Center of love in the Upper Room.
Forevermore give us that Bread.
You who were the Center of sorrows in Gethsemane.
Console the sorrowful.
You who were the Center of the whole earth on Calvary.
Reign over north and south, east and west.
You who were the Center of Life even while in the tomb.
Forget not our dust.
Remember us, remember all, O our All in all.
Lord, remember us when you come into your kingdom. Amen.

Jesus at the Center                                                                                 Israel Houghton

WORD

Prayer for Illumination

Revelation 4 and 5

Message: "The Mountains Are Out"

Revelation Song/Diagno y Santo                                                            Jennie Lee Riddle

Prayers of the People

The Lamb Has Overcome                                                                             Luke Morton

SENDING OUT

Valediction                                                                                              from Revelation 22

Behold, Jesus is coming soon.
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of this book.

Behold! Jesus is coming soon to judge the earth
with righteousness and truth,
He is the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come,”
and let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Jesus is coming soon.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Benediction

Passing of the Peace

As God has given us peace through Christ, so let us pass the peace of Christ to each
other saying, “The peace of Christ be with you.” “And also with you.”

Postlude: Hear the Sound                                                               All Sons and Daughters

Leaders: Trygve Johnson, preaching; Hope College Campus Ministries Team, led by Bruce Benedict, James Ellis, and Lauren Taylor


Song Notes

O Lord You Are My Light: Written and orchestrated by Jess Alldredge, worship director and composer-inresidence
at Grace Church in Seattle, WA. Jess also leads the Emerald Hymn project. Jess will be in attendance at
Worship Symposium 2017.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty: Orchestrated by Minna Choi, composer-in-residence at City Church in San
Francisco, CA.
Sanctus: Written and orchestrated by Bethany Brooks, Worship Director and accompanist at City Church in
Philadelphia, PA. Bethany also leads the Quarry Street Hymnal project.
All Things New: Text by Horatius Bonar, “retuned” by Clint Wells (Red Mountain Music). Orchestration by Minna
Choi.
The Lamb has Overcome: Words and Music by Luke Morton, a worship pastor in Seattle, WA. Orchestration by
Sarah Majorins, co-worship director and composer-in-residence at Christ Church in Davis, CA.


“Thou Who Wast Center” by Christina Rossetti: This prayer comes from “The Face of the Deep” a devotional
commentary on the book of Revelation published in 1893. You can download the whole book in various formats here:
https://archive.org/details/thefaceofthedeep00rossuoft

View the handout