1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Call to Worship: Psalm 126:1-3:
(Leader) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
(All) Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
"Jesus, At the Mention of Your Name"
(Leader) O Lord our God, we are overwhelmed
by your love and saving goodness.
(All) You have done great things for us!
Like Miriam and Moses at the Red Sea,
we sing of your deliverance.
You have done great things for us!
Like Nehemiah at the rebuilding of the temple,
we declare your covenant faithfulness.
You have done great things for us!
Like Peter at Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
we claim your promises.
You have done great things for us!
But God of grace, we confess that in our prosperity
we have been unfaithful to our covenant with you and one another.
Restore our hearts, O God.
Like makers of golden calves, we idolize money,
power, greed, and convenience.
Restore our hearts, O God.
Like those who have forgotten the law,
we have served our own self-interests.
Restore our hearts, O God.
Like cynics denying your power,
we have trusted in our own strength.
Restore our hearts, O God.
O God our Savior, to whom we belong:
Turn our mourning into dancing.
As Jacob was reconciled to Esau,
bridge the gap between peoples and nations.
Turn our mourning into dancing.
As Esther saved her people from destruction,
put an end to warfare and violence.
Turn our mourning into dancing.
As Jesus rose from the grave,
lift us from doubt and despair and fill us with life.
Turn our mourning into dancing.
Psalm 126:4-6
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
"We Will Feast In the House of Zion"
Heidelberg Catechism, Q & A 1
(Leader) What is your only comfort in life and in death?
(All) That I am not my own,
but belong—body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins
with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing
and ready from now on to live for him.
"You Are Mine"
"In this Dry Land"
Join us after the University worship service (chapel) for a conversation with worship leader Kimberly Williams. We will explore topics related to worship leading and planning for diverse congregations, leading teams, songwriting and recording, and mentoring women in ministry.
In this session Terry Wildman will share the vision, process, and outcomes of the First Nations Version (FNV) New Testament. Why was this translation needed? Who was involved in the translation? What were some of the cultural challenges faced by the translation council? What does it say about the translations done in Native languages in the past? How did the translation council decide on more than 185 key words and terms? What are some of the unique qualities of the FNV versus other English versions? How has the FNV affected the worship expressions of some Native believers? What is the future of the FNV?
How does one think about diversity as a Christian or as the church? How might working with and among—or even just thinking about—migrant neighbors contribute to our ecclesial identity? The language of catholicity allows us to imagine the unity of the church not in a monocultural way, but rather as a community inclusive of people of all languages and ethnicities. Migration and migrants today especially remind the church of its own catholic identity. How does the church's identity as a migrant church foster a healthy catholicity in the church's worship? This session will include the use of salsa music to invite participation in a more catholic way of life, asking what multicultural, cross cultural, and intercultural ways of being a church on the move might look like in worship.
Join us after the University worship service (chapel) for a conversation with worship leader Kimberly Williams. We will explore topics related to worship leading and planning for diverse congregations, leading teams, songwriting and recording, and mentoring women in ministry.
In this session Terry Wildman will share the vision, process, and outcomes of the First Nations Version (FNV) New Testament. Why was this translation needed? Who was involved in the translation? What were some of the cultural challenges faced by the translation council? What does it say about the translations done in Native languages in the past? How did the translation council decide on more than 185 key words and terms? What are some of the unique qualities of the FNV versus other English versions? How has the FNV affected the worship expressions of some Native believers? What is the future of the FNV?
How does one think about diversity as a Christian or as the church? How might working with and among—or even just thinking about—migrant neighbors contribute to our ecclesial identity? The language of catholicity allows us to imagine the unity of the church not in a monocultural way, but rather as a community inclusive of people of all languages and ethnicities. Migration and migrants today especially remind the church of its own catholic identity. How does the church's identity as a migrant church foster a healthy catholicity in the church's worship? This session will include the use of salsa music to invite participation in a more catholic way of life, asking what multicultural, cross cultural, and intercultural ways of being a church on the move might look like in worship.
As inhabitants of the modern age, we are deeply marked by skewed ways of thinking that thwart our humanness, our involvement with the world, and our spirituality. This is a philosophical tune-up that directly challenges and dispels modernity’s implicit philosophy. My philosophical proposals in my 2023 book Doorway to Artistry target the creative process, but they positively affect and bring healing to all arenas of life and work and worship. I pose that we as human persons are meant to live out a joyous “yes” to the real, and our involvement with the real takes the form of intimate encounter and communion. My approach reflects especially on God’s creative act and God’s created things. It taps epiphany, the redemptive encounter, and the Eucharist as paradigms for our knowing, our artistry, and all our everyday involvement with the world, so it should make us better at our stewardly dominion and voicing creation’s praise in worship.
