1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
This worship service centers on the story of the friend at midnight in Luke 11:5-13. Sandra McCracken, in collaboration with the Calvin University Worship Apprentices and their mentor, Paul Ryan, lead congregational worship. Janette Ok delivers the sermon, and Becca Tellinghuisen leads the scripture reading.
This service was originally recorded at the 2025 Calvin Symposium on Worship.
Song: “Not a Stranger”
Text and Music: Sandra McCracken, Paul Zach, Kate Bluett, Kayla Craig © Porter’s Gate.
Used by permission
Opening Prayer
Call to Worship: Psalm 89:1-2, 5, 14
Song: “I Will Sing” (Psalm 89)
Text and Music: Sandra McCracken and Leslie Jordan © Integrity’s Worship Music.
Used by permission. CCLI #400063
Song: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Text: Joachim Neander, 1680; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Music: LOBE DEN HERREN; Ernewerten Gesangbuch, Stralsund, 1665; arr. Tony Alonso © 2017 GIA Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. OneLicense.net A-703303.
Call to Confession: Psalm 103:8, 13-14, 17-18
Prayer of Confession
Song: “Christ Is Mine Forevermore”
Text and Music: Jonny Robinson and Rich Thompson © 2016 CityAlight Music.
Used by permission. CCLI #400063
Prayer for Illumination based on John 6:68
Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-13
Sermon
Prayers of the People with Refrain, “Seek First”
Text and Music: Taizé Community; Jacques Berthier © 1978 Les Presses de Taizé, admin. GIA Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. OneLicense.net A-703303.
Song: “We Rejoice” (Psalm 65)
Text and Music: based on Psalm 65; Wendell Kimbrough © 2022 Wendell Kimbrough.
Used by permission. CCLI#400063
Benediction
Closing Prayer: “The Lord’s Prayer”
Text: The Message, the Lord’s Prayer © 2002 Eugene Peterson
Music: Sandra McCracken © 2014 Drink Your Tea, admin. Simpleville, Inc.
Used by permission. CCLI #400063.
This panel will explore the intersectionality between culture and disability. What can we learn from the experiences of people across varying cultures and contexts? What do experiences of racism and ableism in the church have in common? How do they overlap? How does belonging for people with disabilities look different in a variety of cultural contexts?
Teenagers’ desire to encounter God has been realized throughout history as youth ministry has grown and evolved. Indeed, teenagers have expressed needs and desires to practice and grow their faith at church, school, and home as well as at camps and conferences or on short- and long-term mission trips. On the one hand, these worship efforts have been deeply formative. On the other hand, these worship efforts have focused on attracting and keeping teenagers as much as, if not more than, on spiritual formation. This session will identify key historical patterns in adolescent worship and examine how we might engage their wisdom for faithful worship practices with teenagers today.
Songs from the people of Korea can deeply enrich your liturgy whether you have Korean-speaking members in your congregation or not. This workshop will introduce a variety of bilingual Korean-English songs that have been newly translated in the past few years as well as strategies to lead them effectively in your own worshiping context.
This panel will explore the intersectionality between culture and disability. What can we learn from the experiences of people across varying cultures and contexts? What do experiences of racism and ableism in the church have in common? How do they overlap? How does belonging for people with disabilities look different in a variety of cultural contexts?
Teenagers’ desire to encounter God has been realized throughout history as youth ministry has grown and evolved. Indeed, teenagers have expressed needs and desires to practice and grow their faith at church, school, and home as well as at camps and conferences or on short- and long-term mission trips. On the one hand, these worship efforts have been deeply formative. On the other hand, these worship efforts have focused on attracting and keeping teenagers as much as, if not more than, on spiritual formation. This session will identify key historical patterns in adolescent worship and examine how we might engage their wisdom for faithful worship practices with teenagers today.
Songs from the people of Korea can deeply enrich your liturgy whether you have Korean-speaking members in your congregation or not. This workshop will introduce a variety of bilingual Korean-English songs that have been newly translated in the past few years as well as strategies to lead them effectively in your own worshiping context.
In this panel, Hispanic pastors share the learnings and experiences lived by their congregations after completing projects related to the development of their understanding and practices about worship. Together, they represent a variety of Hispanic denominations as well as of "dreams" they were able to realize (learning about the Creeds, bilingual worship, multigenerational worship, worship in non-traditional settings). Their congregations were part of the first cohort of Hispanic congregations receiving "worship grants" under a new initiative CICW launched in July of 2022.
