Scripture: John 8:12-20
"Shine, Jesus Shine" RW 39:26; SFL 239
"Christ, the Life of All the Living" PsH 371
Because this song was new to our congregation, we printed a brief history of the hymn in the liturgy and asked the choir to sing the first two verses. "This Little Light of Mine"
We invited the children to come forward and sing this to the congregation.
In 1995, Natalie Lombard created the liturgical art for COLAM 95, the Conference on Liturgy and Music cosponsored by Reformed Worship and Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Throughout the week of the conference, she added elements to the worship space in the Calvin chapel. The final day, when all the elements were in place, everyone came to morning worship and sat beneath the stunningly beautiful mobile and canopy.
Scripture: John 10:11-21
Call to Worship: Psalm 95
Children' Choir: "The Good Shepherd" Delmonte
Children's Sermon
Our director of children's ministry led the children through the Children and Worship lesson on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Using an oversized flannel-board and figures, she spoke of the Good Shepherd who seeks out his sheep.
Songs
Anne and I arrived at church twenty minutes early and slipped into our accustomed pew. I bowed my head and prayed for an outpouring of God's grace on the congregation, on our pastor as he led in worship, on our family, and on myself.
Scripture: John 11:17-44
Songs
Our praise team led this service and used the following songs: "Celebrate Jesus," "Hosanna," "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High," "He Is Lord", "There Is a Redeemer," and "I Looked Up." All of them can be found in Songs for Praise and Worship (Word, 1992).
Confession
"And Can It Be That I Should Gain" PsH 267, RL 450, TH 455
This service was prepared by Kenneth D. Powell and David Tiedman, pastor and music director respectively of Pilgrim Church (United Church of Christ), Sherborn, Massachusetts. Powell composed the prayers and Tiedman the musical arrangements, some of which are included here. Since the songs come from different sources, the printed program for the service includes photocopies of all hymns, text, and music.
Scripture: John 14:1-14
Prelude: "We Come, O Christ, to You"PsH 238, TH 181
Hymns
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" PsH 470, 471, PH 142, 143, RL 593, 594, TH 296,297
"I Will Sing of My Redeemer" PsH 479, TH 650
"O Jesus, We Adore You" PsH 472, TH 255
"To God Be the Glory" PsH" 632
Lent, Easter, Ascension Day—what a marvelous time in the Church Year to think about the greatest events in the salvation story! What a time to bring our full adoration to our Savior— in song as well as in word!
To help us give voice to our adoration, more diverse styles of music are being used in worship today than ever before. "Musical eclecticism is the call of the day" (from of the preface of Gather, p. 6).
Scripture: Isaiah 5:1-7 and John 15:1-17
Songs
A few years ago when entering the Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Ottawa, Ontario (for a Psalter Hymnal workshop), I was immediately struck by the artwork on the walls. It reminded me of the Roman Catholic tradition of depicting up to fourteen visual meditations on the suffering of Christ (see p. 16). After a few inquiries, I discovered that artist Johannes Veenstra, a member of that congregation, had picked up on that tradition and created the fourteen panels that are placed along the side walls of the sanctuary.
