Service of the Word: A Living Hope
A worship service from Symposium 2020 based on 1 Peter 1:3-9, "A Living Hope."
View the playlist on YouTube for this service.
GATHERING
Prelude: “The Voice from the Cloud” from the Ephanies suite (Daniel Pinkham)
Ephanies was commissioned for the inauguration of the four-manual C.B. Fisk organ in The House of Hope Presbyterian Church,
Saint Paul, Minnesota. The music was composed during June, July, and August 1978. The term epiphany is used in its original
Greek sense: i.e. an appearance or a becoming manifest, especially of a deity. Each of the five movements thus is preceded by a New
Testament quotation, which, although certainly not “programmatic,” reflects the affect or emotional state of the Biblical passage. —
Daniel Pinkham
“The Voice from the Cloud” is the fourth piece in the Epiphanies suite. It is based upon the story of the transfiguration as told in
Matthew 17:1–8 and thus ties in strongly to the themes of Epiphanytide (early Ordinary Time) in the church year. “The Voice from
the Cloud” is written in a bi-tonal style, but is nonetheless thoroughly melodic. Near the end, a cluster of notes in the upper registers
of the organ adds a sudden shimmer of sound that is punctuated by loud chords in the player’s left hand, perhaps suggesting the
voice of God in the Bible story which proclaims “this is my Son... listen to him.” In the piece’s final measures, both the note clusters
and loud chords stop suddenly, evoking the way that both God’s voice and the vision of the prophets suddenly disappear before the
disciples in the story. —Jonathan Hehn, OSL
“Trinity Song” (Sandra McCracken)
Welcome and Call to Worship: Psalm 107:1–9
PRAISE
“Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above” (Johann Jakob Schütz)
“To God All Praise and Glory” (arr. Brian Eichelberger)
CONFESSION
Call to Confession: Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:16
Prayer of Confession
“Ven, Espíritu, ven / Come, O Holy Spirit, Come” (Marco Barrientos)
Words of Assurance: Psalm 130:3–4, 7–8
“The Goodness of the Lord” (Wendell Kimbrough and Paul Zach)
Passing the Peace
SERMON
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:3–9
Sermon: A Living Hope
RESPONSE
Prayer of Intercession: “Pues si vivimos / When We Are Living” traditional Mexican
“Even unto Death” (Audrey Assad and Matt Maher)
Sending
Blessing
“To God All Praise and Glory” (arr. Brian Eichelberger)
Announcements
We are grateful for the planning and leading of this service by Calvin University Worship Apprentices and student musicians, Julia Start
Fletcher, and Paul Ryan; Betsy DeVries, preaching.