With You Always - John 14:1-7
An order of worship planned around John 14:1-7, originally held at the Calvin Symposium on Worship.
Theme of the Service
Gathering
Organ Prelude
Pastorale from Organ Sonata 1, by Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
Prelude on Picardy, by Albert L. Travis
Choral Prayer: God Be In My Head, H. Walford Davies
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
*Greeting
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
*Psalm 116: "What Shall I Render to the Lord," Psalter Hymnal 178
St. 1 all, st. 2 men, st. 3 women, st. all in harmony, st. 5 all in unison
Confession and Assurance
Prayer of Confession, ending with Lamb of God, arr. F. Melius Christiansen
Lamb of God most holy, who on the cross didst suffer,
patient still and lowly, thyself to scorn didst offer;
our sins by thee were taken, or hope had us forsaken:
Have mercy on us, O Jesu!
*Assurance of Pardon
*Response: "For the Glories of God's Grace," Psalter Hymnal 223, st. 1-4
*The Law of God
*Response: "For the Glories of God's Grace," st. 5
Proclamation
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 31:1-16
Canticle: Magnificat, John Ferguson
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants forevermore.
Gospel Reading: John 14:1-7
Sermon: "Troubled?" Listen
*Proclamation in Song: "You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd," Sing! A New Creation 182
Response
Prayers of the People,
ending with "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life"
*Charge, Benediction, and Passing of the Peace
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
-Matthew 28:19-20"Surely, Surely"
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Alleluia! Amen.
Organ Postlude: Fanfare, by C.S. Lang
Credits and permissions
Projected art: paintings by Anneke Kaai (In a Word: See What You Believe, © 2003 Anneke Kaai and Eugene H. Peterson): Grace, Happiness, Power (of God), Peace. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission from Piquant. (If you would like to project or print Anneke's work for your worship service, contact Pieter Kwant at Piquant, pieter@piquant.net.)
God Be In My Head
Text: Sarum Primer, 1538
Music: H. Walford Davies (1869-1941)
Lamb of God
Text: Nicolaus Decius, 1531, tr. Arthur T. Russell (1806-1874)
Music: O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, German chorale, 1540, arr. F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955)
Magnificat
Text: Luke 1:46b-55, NRSV, alt.
Music: John Ferguson (b. 1941)
This anthem is part of the CICW Music Series published by GIA Publications Inc.
"Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life"
Text: John 14:6; George Herbert (1593-1633), 1633
Tune: The Call; Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), 1911, from Five Mystical Songs, No. 4; adapt. by E. Harold Geer (1886-1957)
Music © 1911 by Stainer and Bell, Ltd., London. All rights reserved.