Blessed by the God of Time: A service of worship and reflection

We Gather, Watching Time

Prelude and Personal Meditation

Welcome and Announcements

Our Hymn of Trust: "Like a River Glorious"
[PsH 560,TH 699]

Our Gathering Prayer
Father, we turn to you in the quiet of this hour, listening for your word of truth and grace.

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great
matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul like a child with its mother; like a child with its mother is my soul within me.

[From Psalm 131]

As we let our minds dwell on your goodness and love, so let our hearts respond with confidence and joy and praise.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

[Psalm 130:5]

Our Hymn of Confidence: "Children of the Heavenly Fatlier"
[PsH 440, RL 585, TH 131]

God's Greeting and Our Spoken 'Amen!"

We Grapple, Reflecting on Time

A Psalm of Reflection: Psalm 90

Our Cry for God's Presence: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand"
[PsH 493, PH 404]

Reflections on 199_: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and the Times of Our Lives

Our Hymn of Confidence: "Abide with Me"
[PsH 442, PH 543, RL 440, TH 402]

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Message: Finishing Well

We Give, At Peace with Time

Prayers of Repentance, Devotion, and Commitment

Our Hymn of Well-Being: "When Peace Like a River"
[PsH 489, TH 691]

Our Offerings

Our Testimony of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism
Q&A 26-28

Our Year's End Prayer: "Tlie Year You Gave Us"
(females on st. 3, males on st 4)
[Johannes DeViet; to be song to the tune ST. CLEMENT (PsH 318, PH 546, RL 516,TH 407)]

The year you gave us, Lord is ending;
it was another year of grace.
Your loving care our ways attending
marked all its months and weeks and
days.

Tonight while on your word reflecting,
we thank you for your steadfast love
which, in confirming and correcting,
gave us your guidance from above.

We must confess that sometimes erring, your guiding hand we did not heed;

that boastful pride and stubborn daring
caused us to sin in word and deed.

We thank you, Father, for forgiving
our sin for things undone or wrong;
we praise you that we may be living
in trust that we to Christ belong.

The years that pass away remind us
this earth is no abiding place;
that soon this life will be behind us,
and that we'll meet you face to face.

But you, our God, are ever living.
How blest are we if we depend
on Christ; the life which he is giving
will never fade and never end.

We Are Graced, Blessed By the God of Time

Gods Blessing and Our Spoken "Amen!"

Our Hymn of Confident Trust: "Hours and Days and Years and Ages"
[PsH 443]

Postlude and Christian Fellowship

This service was held at First Christian Reformed Church, London, Ontario, where it was led by pastors Wayne Brouwer and Peter Hogeterp. Tlie hymn text "Tlie Year You Gave Us" was written by elder folwnnes DeViet. The hymns in this service were selected from the most recent editions of the following hymnals:

The Psalter Hymnal (PsH) The Presbyterian Hymnal (PH), Rejoice in the Lord (RL), and the Trinity Hymnal (TH).

Wayne Brouwer is a professor at Hope College, Holland, Michigan, and the atuhor of several books and articles on worship, preaching, and congregational development.

 

Peter Hogeterp is pastor of First Christian Reformed Church, Chatham, Ontario, and was a member of the editorial council of Reformed Worship.

 

Reformed Worship 29 © September 1993 Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church. Used by permission.