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.
Scripture: John 18:28-40
We did this service on Good Friday because a neighboring church had already planned a Maundy Thursday service. I believe that it could be used effectively on either evening—either with or without a celebration of the Lord's Supper.
Few would dispute that the most self-revealing painting an artist ever produces is the self-portrait. Self-portraits are statements as well as disclosures. They are dangerous because they uncover what artists really think of themselves. They reveal the soul.
Scripture: John 20:1-18
Call to Worship
What ended in darkness on Good Friday begins in light on Easter morning with the Easter shout of praise: "Christ the Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Glory and honor and dominion and power be to our God for ever and ever! Christ is risen! Alleluia!"
