Published on
July 13, 2018
Video length
57 mins
A morning worship service held at the 2018 Vital Worship Grants Event.

This worship service's theme focuses on the blessing of persevering in the midst of oppression while trusting in the Lord.

GATHERING

Greeting

Call to Worship: Lamentations 3:22–23

PRAISE

“You Are God” by Jaewoo Kim, Josh Davis, Paul Neeley, and Carol Steddom

“Tu fidelidad/I Depend upon Your Faithfulness” by Miguel Cassina

PSALM

Draw Near (Psalm 69) by Wendell Kimbrough

PROCLAMATION

Prayer for Illumination

O.T. Reading: Nehemiah 4:1–15

Homily

PRAYER

Prayers of the People with sung refrain “Don’t Be Afraid” by John L. Bell

The Hope of the Poor (Psalm 9) by Wendell Kimbrough

SENDING

Benediction

“In this Dry Land” by Kim Young Beom

Passing the Peace

Leaders: Kevin Adams; María Cornou; Liturgical Movement and Scripture Arts Teams; Hannah BarkerNickolay; Jackson Nickolay; Paul Ryan; Greg Scheer; Reggie Smith; Kathleen Turner; Joyce Ann Zimmerman; with current and past members of Calvin College’s Worship Apprentice program, Brian Bolton, Joyce Chew, Luke Enders, Josiah Enos, Rachael Hoekwater, Angie Lee, Carlos Lemange, and Holly Stebbins (calvin.edu/ offices-services/campus-ministries/leadership-opportunities/lead-worship/worship-apprentice).

Recent Media Resources

Video Faith Formation Justice/Reconciliation
Practicing Resilience with the Psalms

The psalms are a rich resource for our human experience of emotions, community, and connection to God. We will practice activities based on the truth of the psalms and on psychology to strengthen our capacity for navigating suffering with grace and resilience.

May 21, 2026 | 1 min video
Video Preaching Psalms/Scripture
Preaching and Teaching the Psalms: A Conversation with Pastor-Theologians

A panel discussion in which Amanda Benckhuysen, Karen Campbell, G. Sujin Pak, and moderator Kathy Smith ponder the challenges and opportunities in preaching and teaching from the psalms. Are there incomplete or incorrect assumptions about the psalms that sermons and lectures can tackle? How do we handle the imprecatory psalms when we have a Savior who told us to love and forgive the very enemies many psalms talk about? The panel will consider these and other vital questions for preachers and teachers in today’s church.

May 14, 2026 | 89 min video
Video Faith Formation Psalms/Scripture
Being Shaped by the Psalms: Lessons in Trust, Hope, and Love

The psalms reflect our deepest emotions as people of faith. In their expressions of thanksgiving, trust, lament, anger, joy, doubt, and praise, these ancient prayers seem to peer right into our souls and put words to our thoughts and experiences. But the psalms are more than human words to God. Embedded as they are in the scriptures, they are now also God’s word to us.

May 12, 2026 | 80 min video