The Bible is full of greetings, and our worship leader greets us in God’s name.
Jude 1-2
To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance!
We begin our worship with a silent meditation on our Psalm of the Day during the Prelude. Use this time to focus your hearts and minds on God as he speaks to us through his Word.
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Prelude in C Major (BWV 545)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ruth Pfister, organ
Our Call to Worship draws us into conversation with our God, and is usually taken from our Psalm of the Day. We address one another and enter God’s presence together.
From Psalm 127
Leader: People of God, enter the house of the Lord!
People: We will enter the house he has built with his own hands.
Leader: Citizens of Zion, assemble together as the city of the Lord.
People: We are his city, and he guards us and watches over us night and day.
Leader: Children of God, enter into the rest that your Lord has won for you!
People: We leave behind our toil, our vain early mornings, and our sleepless late nights, and we rest in him!
Leader: Let us worship God!
Having called one another to God’s praise, we turn to God and ask for his presence and power.
From Psalm 127
Father, we are gathered as your people to be formed into a community for your mission, as children in whom you delight. Watch over us now. Build us up. Place us, living stone upon living stone, upon the chief cornerstone that is our dear Lord Jesus Christ. None of your work is in vain, so please– do your good work among us as we gather in your presence. Teach us about your work and your rest. Give us delight and refreshment, by your Spirit, in one another, and in you. Claim us as your own heritage, and equip us to enter more fully into the family business: bringing honor to your name, and blessing the nations of the earth as we bear your name with joy and holy fear. We worship in Jesus’ name, and pray also in his name. Amen.
With our Song of Praise, we begin our worship by exalting God for who he is and what he has done.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Text: Reginald Heber
Tune: John Dykes
Recording: Gordon Schultz (Piano) and Ellie Stager.
(Musical Notation [PDF])
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!
Holy, holy, holy!
All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim
falling down before Thee,
Who wert and art and
ever more shall be.
Holy, holy, holy!
Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy;
there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power,
in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy;
merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons,
blessed Trinity!