The congregation of  Hope Reformed Church in South Haven, MI worshiped with a hymn festival featuring the new hymnal Lift Up Your Hearts. The festival encouraged singing the whole story of God and God’s people through vibrant congregational song.  The theme for this hymn festival was Singing the Whole Story: It's All About Grace.

The Hymn Festival was held on Sunday, October 6at 6:00 PM at Hope Reformed Church in South Haven, MI.

Program

Singing the Whole Story: “It's All About Grace”

Welcome

Prayer

*Hymn     “O Worship the King”       Lift Up Your Hearts 2 (1-4)

The Grace of Creation

Litany of Praise          Psalm 104:1-4

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent  and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.

He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Praise the Lord, my soul.

*Hymn          “God of Wonders”        Lift Up Your Hearts 4

Scripture       Gen. 3:8-9, 20-21

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Hymn  “In a Deep, Unbounded Darkness”  Lift Up Your Hearts 38 (1-3)

The Promise of the Grace

Scripture           Malachi 4:1-6

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.  

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.  Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”      Lift Up Your Hearts 61 (1,2,6)

The Arrival of Grace

Scripture        John 1:10-14

 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hymn       “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”     Lift Up Your Hearts 80    

A Ministry of Grace

Scripture        Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Hymn  “Jesus Heard With Deep Compassion”   Lift Up Your Hearts 127

The Passion and Exaltation of Grace

Scripture          John 13:1-21 & 19:28-30                                           

Hymn          “Meekness and Majesty”      Lift Up Your Hearts 157

Prayer                                                     Lift Up Your Hearts 157

*Hymn     “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”   Lift Up Your Hearts 182 (1,2,4)

*Affirmation   “Jesus Our Hope”                     Lift Up Your Hearts 201

*Hymn      “Crown Him with Many Crowns”  Lift Up Your Hearts 223 (1,2,3)

Life in the Spirit – Living with Grace

Affirmation  “Joining the Mission of God”        Lift Up Your Hearts 263

Hymn         “The Servant Song”                      Lift Up Your Hearts 309

(Women – vs. 3; Men – vs. 4)

Prayer

Hymn         “Ten Thousand Reasons”            Lift Up Your Hearts 559

Living with Trust in Grace

Affirmation   “God as Creator and Provider”   Lift Up Your Hearts 24

Hymn           “God of Our Life”                        Lift Up Your Hearts 404

The Hope of Grace

Scripture        Rev. 21:1-4                             Lift Up Your Hearts 486

Hymn          “Sing to the King”                      Lift Up Your Hearts 474

Prayer                                                Lift Up Your Hearts 884 & 886

*Hymn          “In Christ Alone”                     Lift Up Your Hearts 770

*Benediction  Ephesians 4:1b-6                 Lift Up Your Hearts 937

*Response  “My Friends, May You Grow in Grace” Lift Up Your Hearts 938

You may also view a PDF of the service or view the leader's script for the service which includes in-between-words.