With Every Good Thing Series - The Wonder of the Nature of Faith: David, Jesus and Hebrews 11

A communion worship service originally held at the Calvin Symposium on Worship, planned around Hebrews 13. The last of a six-part series on the book of Hebrews from the 2008 Symposium on Worship. These services are designed to rejuvenate the vigor of the faithful by returning us to our first love: our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ.

Theme of the Service

Gathering

Prelude: Talk about a child that do love Jesus, from Spiritual Suite, Calvin Taylor

* Call to Worship: Psalm 105:1-6

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

* “Come, All You People, Praise Our God”

Text: Psalm 66:8-20; vers. Psalter, 1912
Music: Adowa; Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)

* Greeting: Jude 1-2

To those who are called,
who are beloved in God the Father
and kept safe for Jesus Christ:
May mercy, peace, and love
be yours in abundance. Amen.

Psalms of Remembrance and Gratitude

Psalm 136: “We Give Thanks unto You”

Text: Psalm 136; vers. Marty Haugen (b. 1950)
Music: Marty Haugen
Text and music copyright © 1987, GIA Publications, Inc.

Scripture: Psalm 105:23-27

Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
And the Lord made his people very fruitful,
and made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
They performed his signs among them,
and miracles in the land of Ham.

“When Israel Was in Egypt’s Land”

Text and music: African American spiritual, Go Down, Moses; harm. John W. Work (1871-1925)

Confession and Assurance

Prayer of Confession

Words of Assurance: Isaiah 44:21-22

Listen to the good news!
Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
Remember that you are forgiven and be at peace.
Thanks be to God!

Proclamation

Prayer for Illumination: “Listen, God Is Calling”

Text and music: Tanzanian traditional, Neno Lake Mungu; tr. Howard S. Olson (b. 1922); arr. C. Michael Hawn (b. 1948)
Tr. copyright © 1979, Lutheran Theological College, Makumira, Tanzania, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

New Testament Reading: from Hebrews 11, by Soul Purpose

Gospel Reading: Luke 18

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “The Wonder of the Nature of Faith: David, Jesus and Hebrews 11”
• Listen (10 MB)

Response

* Profession of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 21, 22, 23

Q. What is true faith?
A. True faith is
not only a knowledge and conviction
that everything God reveals in his Word is true;
it is also a deep-rooted assurance,
created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel,
that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ,
not only others, but I too,
have had my sins forgiven,
have been made forever right with God,
and have been granted salvation.

Q. What then must a Christian believe?
A. Everything God promises us in the gospel.
That gospel is summarized for us
in the articles of our Christian faith—
a creed beyond doubt,
and confessed throughout the world.

Q. What are these articles?
A. I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

* Song of Response: “We’ve Come This Far by Faith”

Text: Albert A. Goodson (b. 1933), 1956
Music: We've Come This Far; arr. Richard Smallwood (b. 1948), 1981
Text and music copyright © 1963, Manna Music, Inc.

* Prayer of Intercession

* Song of Dedication: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

Text: James W. Johnson (1871-1938), 1899
Music: Anthem; John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), 1900
Text and music copyright © 1921 (renewed), Edward B. Marks Music Co.

Sending

* Acclamation: Jude 24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to make you stand without blemish
in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,
to the only God our Savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
be glory, majesty, power, and authority,
before all time and now and forever.
Amen.

Bless the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.

Postlude: Toccata on “Great Day,” Adolphus Hailstork

Credits

Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 21-23 from Psalter Hymnal (Grand Rapids: CRC Publications, 1987)