Benjamin P. Snoek

The end of August brings a significant time of transition for many of our younger congregants as they go to school for the first time or return after some time away. This is a great opportunity for churches to live out their promises to their covenant children and show them that they too are part of the church, that God loves and cares for them, and that their church does too. The prayers below are for a variety of student age groups; you may choose one or more of them and adapt them to fit your context. See the sidebar for some additional creative ideas. Invitation to Prayer Let us pray, responding to the phrase “Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield” with the words “Hear our prayer; bless our students.” For Elementary School Students We name before you, God, the elementary schoolers in our congregation and community. In this time of silence, call to mind the elementary school students you know. Surround them with protection so that they might learn in safety. May they experience your joy in their crafts, sports, and songs. Give us, too, a childlike wonder as we explore your good and fascinating world. Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield, hear our prayer; bless our students. For Middle School Students We name before you, God, the middle schoolers in our congregation and community. In this time of silence, call to mind the middle school students you know. Grant them courage to speak boldly of your works, wisdom to navigate new friendships and challenges, and peace to seek their identity hidden in you. May this community be a safe home for all teenagers as they discover how you have fearfully and wonderfully made them. Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield, hear our prayer; bless our students. For High School Students We name before you, God, the high schoolers in our congregation and community.  In this time of silence, call to mind the high school students you know. As they make decisions about colleges or careers, as they struggle with research papers and math homework, as they juggle commitments to classes, jobs, friends, family, and church, remind them of your grace that never runs out and your love that you stand ready to lavish regardless of their grades or their accomplishments. Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield, hear our prayer; bless our students. For College and University Students We name before you, God, the college and university students in our congregation and community. In this time of silence, call to mind the college and university students you know. Journey with them and hold them near in love during this joyous and exciting season of transition. When they doubt their faith and its relevance to their discipline, meet their curiosity and welcome their questions. When they experience dark nights struggling with loneliness and mental health, give them enough faith to grasp your hope. When they enter into budding romances and into roommate conflicts, help them honor your name in all of their relationships. Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield, hear our prayer; bless our students. For Adult Students and Lifelong Learners We name before you, God, the adult and lifelong learners in our congregation. In this time of silence, call to mind the adult and lifelong learners you know. We thank you for using their life experiences as gifts that enrich our learning communities. We recognize, though, that many are fearful and nervous to return to a classroom, sit among twenty-somethings, and learn new software. Meet these students as they manage their many commitments. Meet them during their late-night study sessions, scrambling to finish discussion posts long after the dishes are put away and the children are tucked in bed. May they find every moment of their learning to be filled with deep purpose that comes from you alone. Jesus Christ, our strength and our shield, hear our prayer; bless our students. Closing Prayer Regardless of the stage of life in which we find ourselves, Lord, we humble ourselves as students in your kingdom. When we presume that we have understood everything about you, surprise us with new ways to behold your glory. Through the many ways that you have given us to learn— in classrooms, in conversations, in congregations— shape within us a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world we live in and the people we meet so that we may better know the God who created them. Amen. “Blessing of the Backpacks” and Other Tangible Ideas If you have teachers in your congregation who teach different ages, invite them to lead the prayer corresponding to their class level or to pray their own prayer. Alternatively, have a parent of a student pray for that age group. Give students stickers with words or phrases appropriate for each age group (e.g., “Wonder” for elementary students, “I Belong to God” for middle schoolers, “Breathe” for high schoolers, “Hope” for college students, and “Balance” for adult learners.  A few weeks ahead of time, start putting notes in the bulletin or on social media inviting all students to bring their backpack or some other school supply (textbook, notebook, laptop, picture book, crayons) to a “Blessing of the Backpacks” service. At the service, have students hold their items as they are prayed over. Alternatively, place the items somewhere visible to the congregation and then place a Bible on top of them to symbolize the Word of God as the most important, all-encompassing text for our lives. (You may also choose to put the Bible down first to symbolize God’s Word being the foundation of all learning.)  Have each student write their name, grade or course of study, and school on a paper, and pin the list to a bulletin board or other display. Invite congregational members to pick the name of a student for whom they promise to pray, and encourage them to check in with that student throughout the year (though you should get caregivers’ permission before giving out contact information). Consider including students who have a connection to the church but may not be regular worship attenders.   Give students pencils with a Bible verse or something else that sets the pencil apart as a gift from the church. Ask them to put it in their backpacks and pray this blessing: May your minds, like your pencils, be ever sharp,  may your mistakes be forgiven and erased,  may your conduct, like this pencil, be straight,  and may the words you write and the pictures you draw bring God glory. —Bethany Besteman, 2023 © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike   Don’t forget to pray for the educators in your congregation, including parents who homeschool. 

Why don’t we sing about Jesus’ ascension? I might suggest that the scarcity of songs is not necessarily to blame for our neglect. Perhaps our reluctance to singing the ascension comes in part from a liturgical cost-benefit analysis. If we’re being honest, it’s challenging to dust off, teach, and lead an obscure ascension hymn for just one Sunday. Yet the themes of Christ’s ascension richly permeate the existing canons and repertoires of worshiping communities in songs that can be sung throughout the church year. Indeed, not all ascension songs need to be hymns. A discerning eye and careful ear can identify ascension-related themes throughout the songs of the church, not just those few with the word “ascension” in their lyrics. While certainly not exhaustive, this list provides a launchpad for worship planners and leaders and encouragement to more consciously integrate songs about the ascension into their musical diets. These “hidden” gems focus on the session of the ascended Christ. “Session” refers to the ascended Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us as “our great high priest” (Hebrews 4:14). Intercession is a decidedly trinitarian act; we offer prayers to God the Father, which are mediated through Jesus Christ and perfected by the power of the Holy Spirit. These songs call us, in Paul’s words, to “set [our] minds on things above,” where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1–2). In our current world situation—one in which we all too often find ourselves calling on God to hear our prayers—it brings immense comfort and hope to know that we serve a resurrected and ascended Lord, incarnate in heaven, who “is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).   “See Our King Ascend to Heaven” I wrote this hymn text after one of my professors pointed out that there was a lack of modern worship texts on Christ’s ascension. It attempts to capture the imaginations of those who experienced this remarkable event, from the disciples who witnessed Jesus ascend “past the planets / toward the stars” to the angels who greeted him “with triumphant, joyous burst.” Each stanza moves through a different theme of the ascension: Christ’s entry to heaven (st. 1), Christ’s accomplished atonement and continued ministry (st. 2), Christ’s priestly intercession (st. 3), and Christ’s return (st. 4). It is a more comprehensive ascension text, to be sure, but the third stanza is especially fitting for this collection of songs as it celebrates “our high priest [who] has no limit; / his intention is to serve.” This hymn recognizes that Jesus’ work on our behalf does not end with the resurrection; he continues his ministry to humanity by interceding for the world. Liturgical and Musical Suggestions This text’s common meter (8.7.8.7.D) has many familiar matching tunes: BEACH SPRING, HYFRYDOL, HYMN TO JOY, NETTLETON, and EBENEZER, to name a few. Because of the contemplative nature of the text, I recommend BEACH SPRING or NETTLETON as tunes that musically complement the themes of the text. The final stanza is the song’s climax, celebrating Christ’s ultimate return and reign. Build dynamically and establish a strong rhythmic groove. It may even be appropriate to modulate up into this stanza. This song may be an appropriate prelude to establish the context of Ascension Sunday. Instrumentals between stanzas can be interspersed with Scripture readings that follow the narrative logic of the hymn text (perhaps Acts 1 and/or passages from Hebrews). “See Our King Ascend to Heaven” See our King ascend to heaven, past the planets, toward the stars. Radiant the air around him, honor his and glory ours. Clouds surround him, angels greet him with triumphant, joyous burst. Into heaven we can enter, for our Jesus walked there first. Jesus’ mission, it is finished! Satan’s grip Christ has released. But his work beyond continues, called upward to be our priest. First he rose up from the darkness; now he rises past the sun from the world which he created. See him enter realms above. Welcomed into his old dwelling, seated at the throne’s right side, there he sits and waits and listens, interceding as our guide. Our high priest, he has no limit; his intention is to serve. So we pray, O Son exalted, may you now our souls preserve. Up we gaze to his traject’ry waiting for his next descent, but we hear the voice of many sent from heaven to proclaim: “Jesus, taken into heaven, will come back this very way.” Now embrace his promised power ’til that wond’rous coming day. Things above we set our vision, looking past the everyday. Christ in glory, high and mighty over all the cosmos reigns. As he passes o’er the bound’ry earth and heav’n blur their lines. Body absent, Spirit present, humble us, our lives entwine. —Benjamin P. Snoek © 2019. Used by permission. All rights reserved. CCLI # pending.   “How Lovely Your Grace” This lesser-known contemporary song by Micah Kersh was written for a songwriting competition hosted by worship publisher PraiseCharts. Its lyrics are rooted in the biblical witness to Christ’s ascension and session, and touch on themes from Hebrews 4:16 that invite us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.” With a singable, lilting melody, the musical conventions of this ballad should be familiar to most worship leaders. This song is a fitting invitation to prayer, calling worshipers to draw near to the ascended Christ with confidence that he hears our cries. Although at times it seems as if this song blurs the lines between Christ’s crucifixion and Christ’s session, it does offer an important connection between the priestly work of atonement and the priestly work of intercession. Borrowing the words of a familiar hymn, the chorus declares that Christ’s priestly work is nothing short of an act of “grace that is greater”—a necessary reminder for a world that can too easily take prayer for granted. Liturgical and Musical Suggestions After singing verse 1 (“I come, Lord, and speak to you with confidence now”), invite someone to lead a prayer of confession with the musicians vamping on the chord progression. The chorus (“Grace, / grace that is greater”) would provide a strong moment for a sung assurance. Use the chorus as a sung refrain between prompts in a pastoral prayer. Consider adjusting the chord progression in the verses into the relative minor (Em – D – Am7 – Bm7) to contrast with the brilliance of the major key chorus. This song lends itself best to a stripped-back acoustic instrumentation. It could be performed using only an acoustic guitar, piano, and cajon/djembe.   “Our Great High Priest Is Sitting” This text by Lord Adelbert Percy Cecil, a British evangelist, author, and missionary to Canada, is published in only three hymnals. It is a beautiful hymn celebrating Christ’s session and ongoing ministry of intercession. Drawing heavily from biblical imagery, this hymn is a song of comfort, declaring that “Christ’s mighty intercession / alone is my resource.” Its warm tone reminds me of the Heidelberg Catechism, which declares that Jesus’ ascension benefits us because “he is our advocate in heaven in the presence of his father” (Q&A 49). The third stanza assumes a comprehensive view of Christ’s atoning work: “Our God’s most gracious favor / did give his Son to die, / to live our Intercessor, / to plead for us on high.” It is far too easy to deride evangelical worship of overemphasizing the cross of Christ in its lyrics; at the same time, we can become just as liturgically myopic on high days such as Ascension Sunday, viewing the ascension as a “pop-up” moment without context. Liturgical and Musical Suggestions There is no need to introduce a new melody just because the text is unfamiliar. Although it is likely that a congregation has not engaged with this text, there are many familiar tunes that match its meter (7.6.7.6.D.), such as ST. THEODULPH, AURELIA , and HANKEY. It was previously published with the tune MEIRONYDD with a suggested alternate tune MUNICH. Because the meters match, you can adapt the Norton Hall Band’s existing arrangement of “The Church’s One Foundation” (using the AURELIA tune) or use Indelible Grace’s retuned arrangement. This hymn would be appropriate as either a preparation song or a response song; perhaps it could even be woven throughout the service (for instance, singing the first stanza after a Scripture reading and prayer of illumination and singing the second and third stanzas after a sermon and pastoral prayer). “Our Great High Priest is Sitting” Our great High Priest is sitting at God’s right hand above, for us his hands uplifting in sympathy and love, while here below in weakness we onward speed our way; in sorrow and in sickness, we sigh and groan and pray. Through manifold temptation my soul holds on its course; Christ’s mighty intercession alone is my resource. My gracious High Priest’s pleadings, who on the cross did bleed, bring down God’s grace and blessings, help in our hour of need. Our God’s most gracious favor did give his Son to die, to live our Intercessor, to plead for us on high. O Jesus, blessed Savior, who soon for us will come, redemption’s work completed, our battle fought, and won. —A. P. Cecil, 1841–1889 P.D.; alt.   “Come Holy Spirit (Uthando) / We Will Worship” This song was released by We Will Worship, a South African music collective, and is dear to our chapel community at Trinity Christian College. The simple verse calls on the Holy Spirit to be present among a gathered community. I am particularly drawn to the chorus, which repeats the words of the pre-chorus in Zulu, the language of the largest Indigenous group in South Africa: Uthando, uthando; lwakho lwakho (Your love) Luyaphila, luyaphila (Is alive) Umbuso, umbuso; wakho, wakho (Your kingdom) Uyaphila, uyaphila (Is alive) At first glance it might seem that this song is only distantly related to the themes of this article. Among our prayers to the ascended Christ, however, are prayers of invocation, those that call on God to send the Spirit in our times of need. Because God’s “love is alive” and his “kingdom is alive,” Christ is still actively working in the world by the power of the Spirit—the power that helps us “seek the things above” (Colossians 3:1). Moreover, this song reminds us that Christ’s ascension in Acts 1 sets the stage for the Spirit’s descent on Pentecost in Acts 2, fulfilling Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit (Acts 1:5–8). Liturgical and Musical Suggestions It can be challenging to introduce worship songs with foreign lyrics. I recommend first teaching the pronunciation of the Zulu words in the chorus and then including English translations (in smaller text and/or parentheses) in the printed or projected lyrics. This song would fit in the opening of a worship service as a sung invocation or a call to worship. This performance works well with a strong yet stable drive from the percussion—a low tom groove is sufficient. The bass line should have limited ornamentation to support the rhythm section. Because it is simple and repetitive, this song is relatively easy to learn, teach, and sing, and is accessible even for intergenerational worship. Consider incorporating this song into the canon of your children’s ministry and youth ministry. Since Ascension Sunday often falls during the early summer months, commit to teaching this song during Vacation Bible School at the same time as it is introduced in a main worship service. It would be appropriate to introduce this song on Ascension Sunday and then to reintegrate it on Pentecost Sunday (particularly the Zulu chorus, which could be used with the idea of “tongues of fire”).

Too often, church leaders bifurcate worship and mission. But worship—the enactment of the gospel story in community—is inherently missional, for the gospel of Jesus Christ is missional. Hearing the gospel compels us to live in light of this good news (Christian Reformed pastor Kevin Adams has recently written a delightful book on this very topic: The Gospel in a Handshake: Framing Worship for Mission (see RW article, "Living Epiphany")). The season of Epiphany (or if you prefer, the season of Ordinary Time that follows Epiphany Sunday) recognizes that God’s power became visible and touchable in the incarnation of the Son. Moreover, Jesus brings salvation not only to the Jews but to the whole world, making his work visible across the nations. Evangelism, then, is a fitting emphasis during Epiphany. If Jesus has been revealed as Lord, then we must respond as those who have seen his glory. By the power of the Spirit who enabled Jesus’ ministry, we are sent to proclaim the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. This service of Scripture and song borrows its structure from Isaiah 60:1–3. It moves from the revelation of God’s light to the recognition of our darkness to the hope that God’s light will spread through all the world. This service is driven by a missional impulse, a vivid awareness that worship itself embodies the redemptive work of the triune God and catalyzes worshipers to participate in this ongoing mission.Your Light Has ComeGreetingThe Lord be with you.And also with you!Our help is in the name of the Lord,the Maker of heaven and earth!—Psalm 124:8 NIVCall to Worship“Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.See, darkness covers the earthand thick darkness is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon youand his glory appears over you.Nations will come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”Arise, shine, for your light has come!—Isaiah 60:1–3 NIVLighting of the Christ Candle[The liturgist lights the Christ Candle.]We light the Christ Candle as a reminder that, although the risen and ascended Jesus is physically absent, he is somehow present with us by the power of the Spirit. And it is Jesus, our great high priest, who intercedes for us, both receiving and mediating our worship to God.Passing of the PeaceAs God has greeted us, let us now greet one another in God’s peace.Sung Response“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” Heber, LUYH 538, GtG 1, SSS 450 (st. 1)[The English and Spanish stanzas can be sung independently, in alternation, or together (perhaps by singing one English verse and one Spanish verse from each stanza). This hymn can easily transition musically into the version of “Arise, Shine, For Your Light Has Come” suggested below.]Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity!¡Santo! ¡Santo! ¡Santo! Señor omnipotente,siempre el labio mio loores te dará.¡Santo! ¡Santo! ¡Santo! te adoro reverente,Dios en tres personas, bendita Trinidad.—Reginald Heber, 1826, alt., tr. Juan Bautista Cabrera, 1916, P.D.Song“Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come” McKennaAlternative songs:“El Señor es mi luz/The Lord Is My Light” Spanish“Way Maker” Egbu“As with Gladness Men of Old” Dix“Light of the World” Tomlin“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” Traditional“Unstoppable God” Elevation Worship“God of Wonders” Byrd and Hindalong“Indescribable” StoryDarkness Covers the EarthReadingMark 9:2–9[The reader extinguishes the Christ Candle or obstructs it from view. Although this is powerful imagery, it may be practically difficult to relight the candle later in the service. A variety of solutions exist, such as hiding a lit candle behind the altar, from which one can easily get another flame.]Sung Response“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” HeberHoly, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,though the eye made blind by sinthy glory may not see,only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,perfect in power, in love, and purity.¡Santo! ¡Santo! ¡Santo! por más que estés velado,e imposible sea tu gloria contemplar;Santo tú eres soló, y nada hay a tu ladoen poder perfecto, pureza y caridad.—Reginald Heber, 1826, alt., tr. Juan Bautista Cabrera, 1916, P.D.In-Between WordsThe irony of the transfiguration story is that the disciples were blinded to seeing one of the greatest spectacles of light to shine on the earth. Even though the light shines, how easy it is for us to shield ourselves from it! Like the shepherds guarding their flocks, we become afraid of the dazzling angels. Like Peter, we get confused and see only what we want to see. We see the light . . . and close our eyes. We see the light . . . and attempt to extinguish it. It takes new eyes to see the world as God sees it: a place where the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1). Arise, shine, even when it seems that the darkness is overtaking the light.Prayer of ConfessionLet us confess the times when we’ve closed our eyes or looked away from the light, choosing instead to look at our own delights:Awesome and compassionate God,you have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy,but we have not loved you.You constantly call us, but we do not listen.You ask us to love, but we walk away from neighbors in need,wrapped in our own concerns.We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.God of grace, as you come to us in mercy,we repent in spirit and in truth,admit our sin, and gratefully receive your forgivenessthrough Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.—Adapted from Book of Common Worship, 2018 edition. © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Song“Wait for the Lord” TaizéAlternative songs“Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading” Niwagila (Tanzania)“Give Me Faith” Elevation Worship“Open the Eyes of My Heart” Baloche“Be Thou My Vision” Irish“Lord, I Need You” Maher“I Need Thee Every Hour” Hawks, LowrySilenceAssurance of PardonTo all who turn from sin in sorrow,to all who turn to God in hope,this is God’s Word of grace:we are accepted, we are forgiven, we are loved.This gift we have from God.Thanks be to God.—Paul Fayter in Worship for All Seasons: Selections from Gathering for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Thomas Harding, ed. United Church Publishing House, 1993. Used by permission.But the Lord Rises Upon YouReadingMark 10:46–52[The reader relights the Christ Candle and moves it to the communion table if it is not already there.]Sung Response“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” HeberHoly, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!All thy works shall praise thy name in earthand sky and sea;holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity!¡Santo! ¡Santo! ¡Santo! la gloria de tu nombrevemos en tus obras en cielo, tierra y mar;¡Santo! ¡Santo! ¡Santo! te adorará todo hombre,Dios en tres personas, bendita Trinidad.—Reginald Heber, 1826, alt., tr. Juan Bautista Cabrera, 1916, P.D.In-Between WordsIsaiah offers the hopeful promise that, although darkness seems to cover the earth, God’s “glory appears over you” (60:2). The Greek word for epiphany means “manifestation,” a reminder that we are commemorating the appearance of God in human form. Jesus—the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, the image of the invisible God (Hebrews 1, Colossians 1)—has come to be with us. When we encounter God in all God’s glory, it changes how we live, just as Bartimaeus chose to follow Jesus along the Jericho road. Arise, shine, for God is with us.Song“God With Us” All Sons & DaughtersAlternative songs“Great Are You, Lord” All Sons & Daughters“Tú has venido a la orilla/You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore” Gabarain“More Like Jesus” Passion, Stanfill“Tama ngakau marie/Son of God, Whose Heart Is Peace” Traditional New Zealand“Here I Am to Worship” Hughes“His Mercy Is More” PapaReading[This contemporary testimony from Our World Belongs to God could be omitted or replaced with another, such as the Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 32, Our Song of Hope VII.20–21, or an ecumenical creed such as the Apostles’ Creed.]Our world, fallen into sin,has lost its first goodness,but God has not abandoned the work of his hands:our Maker preserves this world,sending seasons, sun, and rain,upholding all creatures,renewing the earth,promising a Savior,guiding all things to their purpose.God holds this worldwith fierce love.Keeping his promise,he sends Jesus into the world,pours out the Holy Spirit,and announces the good news:sinners who repent and believe in Jesuslive anew as members of the family of God—the firstfruits of a new creation.—Our World Belongs to God, para. 4–5, © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America, Grand Rapids MI. www.crcna.org. Used by permission.Nations Will Come to Your LightIn-Between WordsWe are fooling ourselves if we believe that the gospel is only for one culture, one race, one nation, or one group of churches. Indeed, the good news goes through all the world, and as God’s light spreads, it transforms everything it illuminates. No corner or shadow will remain untouched by the light. This is the hope that drives how we spread the gospel. Evangelism is about more than winning individual souls to Jesus; it is a cosmic upturning, a redemption of the entire created order. And somehow, by his grace, God chooses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish this extraordinary work of bringing light to the world! We who once wandered in darkness have seen the light, and now we are invited to serve as beacons of God’s love and grace, illuminating the pockets of the world wherein he places us (Isaiah 9, Ephesians 5). Arise, shine, for we are children of light.Testimonies from Mission Partners[Here is an appropriate place to share stories of God’s work from both local and global partners. This could be done through any combination of in-person interviews, videos, or other means. It could include a call for congregants to become involved in these ministries.]Pastoral PrayerReaders’ Theater: Philippians 2:1–11Reader 1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, Reader 2if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, Reader 1: then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Reader 3: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Reader 2:In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; Reader 3: rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Reader 1: And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— All:even death on a cross! [pause] Reader 1: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, Reader 2: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, Reader 1: in heaven Reader 3: and on earth Reader 2: and under the earth, Reader 1:and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Reader 3:¡Jesucristo es el Señor! Reader 2: Kyrios Iesous! All: Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Invitation to God’s TableIsaiah envisions a reality in which the gates of God’s community will always stand open (60:11), a place where people from every tribe and nation will gather to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. This is where forgotten people like Ruth and Naomi are embraced with hospitality. This is where wanderers like the prodigal son are shown extravagant generosity. This is life in God’s kingdom. God calls us to notice others and to open our gates, accepting people with love. As we come to God’s table, we celebrate our unity, which is enriched by our diversity. Though we are as many as the grains in a field, we eat from one loaf. Though we are as many as the grapes in a vineyard, we drink from one cup. Those who earnestly seek to follow Jesus and who are ready to make room for more guests at the table are invited to participate in communion.Service of Communion[The reader lights a candle (from the Christ Candle) next to a world map or globe.]Communion Songs“Enseñame a amar” Leeland“God of This City” Kernaghan and BoydAlternative songs“Give Thanks” Smith“Heal Our Land” Jobe“Somos pueblo que camina / We Are People on a Journey” Nicaragua“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” Farrell,“As We Gather at Your Table” DawClosing SentencesWhen Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,“I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV).God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5 NIV).If we walk in the light, as he is in the light,we have fellowship with one another,and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7 NIV).The light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5 NIV).For you were once darkness,but now you are light in the Lord.We will live as children of light! (Ephesians 5:8 NIV).Benediction and ChargeGod’s light is here, and we have seen God’s glory! Sisters and brothers, God has gathered us together, and now God sends us into the world to be witnesses of God’s light—from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. May our God bless you in all that you do, giving you the strength to keep your eyes open and the peace to believe in God’s works, both seen and unseen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.Closing Song“Amen siakudu misa/Amen, We Praise Your Name, O God” MolefeAlternative songs“キリストの平和が / May the Peace of Christ Be with You” Japanese“My Friends, May You Grow in Grace” Meaney“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” Ken“Only King Forever” Elevation Worship“O Church, Arise (Arise, Shine)” Getty and Townend“Now Thank We All Our God” Rinkart“Amen” People & SongsIdeas to consider:Use pushpins to represent the different locations of each of the ministry partners mentioned earlier in the service, or whatever global connections your congregation has.Use differently colored candles to represent the national colors of your ministry partners’ countries.Arrange tea lights to represent the number of countries or ministry partners, perhaps stretching horizontally across the front steps, sitting on windowsills, or trailing toward the communion stations or exit doors. These tea lights could flow from the Christ Candle to represent the gradual spreading of light. This would be an excellent way to involve multiple volunteers.It would be especially fitting to have communion stations representing the different cultures of the congregation. Stations can be decorated using traditional elements and the words of distribution spoken in the native languages.Worshipers could pick up a candle after partaking in communion and light it from the Christ Candle torepresent how “nations will come to (God’s) light.”