The Bible is full of greetings, and our worship leader greets us in God’s name.
From Philemon 1-3
Fellow prisoners–captive and free in Jesus Christ; fellow laborers; fellow soldiers; all dear ones in the Lord, who gather for church in your houses: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
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 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Plein jeu. Premier Couplet du Gloria from “Messe pour les Convents”(Mass for the Monasteries)
Fran̤ois Couperin (1668 Р1733)
Ruth Pfister, organ
Kommt, Seelen, dieser Tag (BWV 479)
(“Come, Let us all this Day”)
Bach-Schemelli
Deborah Fogal, Soprano
Bettina Schneebeli, Alto
Zachary Fogal, Tenor
Kai Bischoff, Bass
Come, souls, this day must be sung of in holiness,
speak out God’s words with newly awakened tongues,
this day the good spirit has outfitted many heroes.
Pray that he may greet the hearts here, too.
Whom God’s spirit inspires, whom God’s word stirs,
and whoever carries the firstfruits by his grace,
join with us and praise God’s faithfulness,
that is present at this feast and all mornings new
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 51
Leader: Gather into the Lord’s house, for he loves to build up the walls of Jerusalem, and to prosper Zion, his people!
People: How he delights in our sacrifices of praise!
Leader: Come—not with burnt offerings, but with broken hearts and contrite spirits!
People: He has never despised us when we have come in genuine humility with repentant hearts!
Leader: Draw near to the Lord, and he will restore to you the joy of his salvation!
People: May he teach us his ways of truth and grace, that we might teach one another, and the nations, everything our Lord Jesus has commanded us!
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 51
Great God and Father, we draw near to you in Jesus Christ, by whom we were made and for whom we have been redeemed. As we sing your praises, hear your word, and call upon your name in humility, reverence, awe, and fresh commitment, fill us with the joy of our salvation! Open up our lips, and our mouths will declare your praise! We bring you not bulls or goats or burnt offerings, but ourselves—living sacrifices redeemed by your perfect final sacrifice, our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, whom you have generously poured out upon us—One God, now and forever. Amen!
With our Song of Praise, we begin our worship by exalting God for who he is and what he has done.
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Text: Walter C. Smith
Tune: Welsh Melody
Ruth Pfister, organ
(Musical Notation [PDF])
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render; O help us to see
’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!