The Story and the Song: A Hymn Festival in Detroit, Michigan

The congregation of  First CRC in Detroit, 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: On Freedom's Shore.

The Hymn Festival was held on Sunday, October 27 at 5:00 PM at First CRC in Detroit, MI.

Program

The Story and the Song

Gathering Songs:
     - Total Praise                                                 LUYH 420
     - Here on Jesus Christ I Will Stand                     LUYH 708

Introduction: “The Story and the Song”, from The Jesus Storybook Bible

In the Beginning

Bible Reading: “You’re Good!” refrain – story from Jesus Storybook Bible

Song: O Worship the King                                      LUYH 2
     – start playing refrain as reading is wrapping up.
     - piano, guitar, bass, trumpet on verses 1,3,5
          (interlude one time in between)

Confessional Reading: Belgic Confession Article 2

How do we know God?

     First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the
     universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful
     book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to
     make us ponder the invisible things of God: his eternal power
     and his divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20.

     All these things are enough to convict us and to leave
     us without excuse.

     Second, he makes himself known to us more openly by his holy
     and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for his glory
     and for the salvation of his own.

Song: He’s Got the Whole World                          LUYH 26
     - piano, guitar, bass

Into Darkness

Confessional Reading: Our World Belongs to God, Par. 13

     In the beginning of human history,
     our first parents walked with God.

     But rather than living by the Creator’s word
     of life, they listened to the serpent’s lie and
     fell into sin. In their rebellion they tried to be
     like God. As sinners, Adam and Eve feared the
     nearness of God and hid.

Song: What Adam’s Disobedience Cost                     LUYH 34
     - st. 1 –soloist; st. 2-5 – all
     - organ (start soft)

Confessional Reading: Our World Belongs to God, Par. 18

     While justly angry, God did not turn away from a world bent on
     destruction but turned to face it in love. With patience and tender
     care the Lord set out on the long road of redemption to reclaim the
     lost as his people and the world as his kingdom.

Song: It is Good to Give Thanks to You, Lord       LUYH 48:1,2,5
     - piano, guitar, bass

God’s plan of redemption unfolded in the covenant promise he made to a special people:

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 7:7-9

      ⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on
     you and choose you because you were
     more numerous than other peoples, for
     you were the fewest of all peoples. 
     ⁸ But it was because the Lord loved you
     and kept the oath he swore to your
     ancestors that he brought you out with
     a mighty hand and redeemed you from
     the land of slavery, from the power of
     Pharaoh king of Egypt. 
     ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is
     God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant
     of love to a thousand generations of those who
     love him and keep his commandments. 

Song: It is Good to Give Thanks to You, Lord            LUYH 48:6
     - piano, guitar, bass

Light Dawns

Through the prophets God repeated the promise to redeem his fallen world.  Isaiah proclaims the advent of the coming Savior:

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
      ²The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on
     those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
     ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
     they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
     as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
     ⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
     you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,
     the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
     ⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled
     in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
     ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
     and the government will be on his shoulders.
     And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
     ⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be
     no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
     establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
     from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty
     will accomplish this.

Song: Hark! the Glad Sound                                  LUYH 60
     – organ, trumpet on 1,2,4

The Apostle John tells the world that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of Immanuel – “God with us”!

Scripture reading: John 1:1-5, 14

           ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the
          Word was with God, and the Word was God.
           ² He was with God in the beginning.
           ³ Through him all things were made; without
          him nothing was made that has been made.
           ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of
          all mankind.
           ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the
          darkness has not overcome it.

             ¹⁴ 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.

Song: O Come All Ye Faithful                                  LUYH 76
     – organ and trumpet

The Light and the Life

Confessional Reading: Apostles’ Creed with music/visuals

Song: I Stand Amazed                                        LUYH 174
     – piano, guitar, bass (REAPEAT CHORUS AT END)

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-13

         ¹As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to
          live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
           ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
          bearing with one another in love.
           ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
          through the bond of peace.
           ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
          were called to one hope when you were called;
           ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
           ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and
          through all and in all.
           ⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as
          Christ apportioned it.
           ⁸ This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he
          took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
           ⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he
          also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
           ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended
          higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole
          universe.)
           ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, 
          the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
           ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the
          body of Christ may be built up
           ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge
          of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
          whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Song: They’ll Know We Are Christians                       LUYH 256
     - piano, bass, guitar, banjo

All Things New

Jesus Christ brought heaven to earth.  In him the broken parts of Creation are brought back together.  Jesus’ work of redemption and restoration begins with us:

(Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

      ¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly 
     point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this
     way, we do so no longer.
     ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation 
     has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
      ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself
     through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
      ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
     not counting people’s sins against them. And he has
     committed to us the message of reconciliation.
     ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God
     were making his appeal through us. We implore you on
     Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 
      ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that
     in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Song: You are Mine                                                 LUYH 430

But Jesus doesn’t stop with us.  Through him, God the Creator and Redeemer will one day make all things new:

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-5a

     ¹Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the
     first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and
     there was no longer any sea. 
     ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down
     out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully
     dressed for her husband. 
     ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
     “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people,
     and he will dwell with them. They will be his people,
     and God himself will be with them and be their God. 
     ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be
     no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, 
     for the old order of things has passed away.”
     ⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making
     everything new!” 

Song: View the Present Through the Promise                  LUYH 470
– organ

God’s Blessing

Closing Praise: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow      LUYH 964
– organ AND piano