1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
"O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
Words of Welcome
Good News from Isaiah
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.
Sung Refrain: "O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Thanksgiving for Deliverance: Psalm 18
Visual Lament for Pakistan
Sung Lament: Psalm 119:81-88
The Story of Asia Bibi
Sung Refrain "O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
Prayers of Intercession
from Hong Kong
from Nigeria
from Brazil
from Ukraine
Sung Refrain in between prayers: "O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
Saranam, Saranam / Jesus, Savior, Lord
Spoken Prayer of Confession
Sung Prayer of Confession: Psalm 51
The Continuing Discrimination in Pakistan
Sung Prayer: Psalm 91
Psalm Prayer
God of endless love, you have promised to protect your people
in times of danger
and to hear us when we pray.
May your promises overcome any doubt or fear
so that we may live confidently and praise you joyfully
no matter what each day may bring.
We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Sung Refrain: "O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
Spoken Testimony of Faith and Hope
All: From the beginning, through all the crises of our times,
until God’s kingdom fully comes,
our God keeps covenant forever.
Our world belongs to God.
God is King! Let the earth be glad!
Christ is Victor! His rule has begun. Hallelujah!
The Spirit is at work, renewing the creation. Praise the Lord!
Sung Testimony: Psalm 24
Isaiah 43:2–3
"O Lord, May Your Kingdom Come"
We are grateful for the planning and leading of this service by Eric Sarwar with Majid Abel, Bernard Ayoola, Emily Brink, David Campbell, Gerard DeVuyst, Yvette Lau, Farhana Nazir, Marcell Steuernagel, and Calvin College student musicians.
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.
