John D. Witvliet

This prayer of lament originally appeared in "A Closer Look at Worship—Week 2: Honesty in Our Covenant Relationship."A Prayer of Lament and FearO God, your people have always had their fears.And so we come to you in humility and with honesty, naming our own.Lord, we fear the future. What is coming next?“Will there be a place for me when I’m done with high school or college?” we young people ask.“Will there be safe places for our children?” we parents ask.“Will I die in peace and with dignity?” we seniors ask.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell O God, your people have always had their fears.And so we come to you in humility and with honesty, naming our own.Lord, we fear the future. What is coming next?“Will there be a place for me when I’m done with high school or college?” we young people ask.“Will there be safe places for our children?” we parents ask.“Will I die in peace and with dignity?” we seniors ask.Lord, we fear the pain that comes with illness and broken bones and aging.Some of us wonder how we’re going to make it through more treatment and medication.Some of us wonder how we can possibly face chronic illness.Some of us wonder if prayers for healing even reach your throne.Physical pain frightens us.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, as a church, we wonder about our ministries and programs.What if they don’t “work”?What if outreach and faith nurture don’t happen?We fear the dependence we have to have on your Spiritto be One to breathe life into Christians and non-Christians.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, we are afraid of people who are different than ourselves.Those more powerful than us, those poorer than us, those of a different color or creed,those smarter than us, those with different personalities.How do we talk to these people, O God? How do we make peace with them?Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, we have acquaintances, friends, family members whom we deeply love,but who do not know you.We are afraid for their salvation.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell We admit, O God, that we’re fearful of stillness and quiet.It seems as if the last thing we want to dois slow down and be attentive to you.Help us not to shy away from quiet times,from the simplicity of prayer, scripture, and your presence.It seems, O God, that, in the busyness of countless invitations to parties and activities we are afraid to say no.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell And for all those fears for which we cannot name, we come to you, O God.Those we cannot name because they’re either unknown or unspeakable,receive them in our silence.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" BellWe are fearful so often, O Lord,because, in encounters with sin and evil,we find ourselves weak and poor.We thank you so much then, Jesus,for your actions and for your words—for love and the promise of nearness,which are our strength and our riches. Amen.Song of Gratitude: “Give Thanks” Smith

This prayer of confession originally appeared in a series on covenant renewal: "A Closer Look at Worship."A Prayer of Confession Lord, you have called us to worship you. We gladly gather! As we praise you, though, our own inadequacy reminds us of how we have broken our relationship with you. Because we have sinned against you, even our worship fails to be what it could. We often treat it as a show. We simply go through the motions, failing to recognize that you want to engage us on a very deep level. Renew us, we pray, according to your steadfast love. Remind us of your covenant faithfulness and have mercy on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These call to worship variations originally appeared in a series on covenant renewal: "A Closer Look at Worship."Call to WorshipThis article contains four variations on Psalm 8:1–4 as a call to worship. Using several of these approaches over the space of a few weeks is an excellent way to introduce some variety and yet remain closely linked with the overall theme of a series. Variation 1: Worship leader reads Psalm 89:1–4Leader: I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;   with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;   I have sworn to my servant David:‘I will establish your descendants forever   and build your throne for all generations.’ ”—Psalm 89:1–4 NRSVUEVariation 2: Congregation reads Psalm 89:1–4 responsively, perhaps led by a child:Sing of the Lord’s great love forever!With our mouths we will make known his faithfulness to all.His love is firm forever!He established his faithfulness in heaven itself.God made a promise to David.A covenant which lasts till today.All: Praise the Lord!—Adapted from Psalm 89:1–4Variation 3: Two parts of the congregation read Psalm 89:1–4 responsively.Part 1I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!   Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Part 2Your unfailing love will last forever.   Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. Part 1The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.   I have sworn this oath to him: Part 2‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;   they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” —Psalm 89:1–4 NLTVariation 4: Use Psalm 89:1–4 as the basis for an opening prayer.O Lord, we will sing of your great love forever!With our mouths we will make your faithfulness known through all generations.We will declare that your love stands firm forever.In fact, you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.Then already you made a covenant with your chosen one, David.You promised to continue it forever, for all generations, including our own.With heaven, we praise your wonders, O God!O Lord, we will sing of your great love forever!—Psalm 89:1–4, adapted.Follow by singing “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” Fillmore Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 8 (13)Year B: Advent—Fourth Sunday of AdventYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)

This is part of the worship series"A Closer Look at Worship"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4Week 4Sealing the Covenant RelationshipFrom the earliest days of the Old Testament until now, God’s people have sealed their relationship with God with a tangible, physical, material sign. Most deep relationships are marked by a sign. Marriages are marked by a ring. So too our covenant relationship with God is begun with a sign (baptism), and renewed time and time again with a tangible sign (Lord’s Supper). These actions teach us something about both the relationship itself and the signs.These signs teach us that our relationship with God is tangible, down-to-earth, material, embodied. It’s not a pie-in-the-sky idea or spiritual concept. Just as wearing a marriage ring changes how people relate to us, so too participating in the sacraments is a tangible witness to the world of our love for God.Central Idea: Our relationship with God is confirmed or sealed through specific, physical, material actions called sacraments. Sacraments gain significance only as an embodiment of this deeper relationship.Scripture TextsExodus 24Consider reading this dramatically, using one reader for the voice of Moses, one for the voice of the Lord, and the third for the part of the narrator.The meal described in Exodus 24:9–11 has been interpreted as a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper by many Christian scholars throughout the history of the church. It is similar to meals eaten after other covenant agreements between people (Genesis 26:30; 31:54).This meal is a sign of divine-human table fellowship.1 Corinthians 11:17–33In 1 Corinthians 11, notice that the cup is specifically called “the new covenant in my blood,” referring to the new and unconditional covenant described in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and in Hebrews 8–9.In 1 Corinthians 11, notice all of the ethical warnings given along with instructions about the Lord’s Supper. Just as faithless living can betray the promises made in a wedding, so too faithless living essentially denies the seal of the covenant relationship between God and us.In 1 Corinthians 11, notice how many dimensions of the Lord’s Supper are packed into a few verses. The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance, a proclamation, an anticipation, a thanksgiving. It is a single, physical, material action that conveys several overlapping meanings, or several angles or dimensions of the single gospel of Christ.Key Related ThemesSacraments are a big deal. They are nothing less than an embodiment of this covenantal relationship. When we dismiss the sacraments as unimportant, we may be communicating our inability to seethe significance of expressing our love for God and for hearing God’s promises to us—like a stereotypical uncouth groom who thinks that the wedding service itself is no big deal and barely shows up in time, who is oblivious to the profundity of the vows he is about to make.The sacraments are not ends in themselves. They gain significance as part of our covenantal relationship with God. When we celebrate the sacraments without placing them in their larger relational context, we risk a kind of hypocrisy; we risk failing to “discern the body.” Think of a bride and groom who spend enormous energy on their clothing, the flowers, the reception food, and all the other wedding details, while barely thinking about the profundity of the vows they will make.Sacraments are an unapologetically material activity. We use tangible water, wine, and bread. Sacraments speak not despite these material things but because of them. The Holy Spirit uses these material actions to seal the covenantal relationship we have with God in Christ. When we minimize the materiality of these signs, we may be signaling that our relationship with God is merely a spiritual reality that doesn’t enter into tangible, everyday affairs. The very materiality of these actions is a crucial part of their message.The Meaning of Worship and the Logic of the LiturgyIn the classic shape of Christian worship, the Lord’s Supper follows acts of praise, confession, and proclamation. It comes near the end of the service, just as an exchange of rings follows the marriage vows in a wedding. This is not an arbitrary placement. It is meant to ensure that we see the sacrament not as an end in itself but as a seal of something deeper, something prior. It confirms and seals the gospel that has been proclaimed, the relationship that has been enacted.Also, in the classic shape of Christian worship, the Lord’s Supper includes an extensive and exuberant prayer of thanksgiving that traces the whole history of salvation (such as the example included below).This way of praying (which essentially tells God what he already knows!) may seem strange to us. Yet it is an ancient, covenantal form of prayer (see Psalm 105 or 1 Chronicles 16). Most thanksgiving psalms in scripture are like recitals of salvation history; they are prayers that contain a story. They give thanks for God’s steadfast, covenantal love at every step of the way. This covenantal mode of praying is not unlike what happens on a wedding anniversary when a couple recites the highlights of their life together.Worship ElementsCall to WorshipThis series uses four variations on Psalm 8:1–4 as a call to worship. Each week uses a different variation. Using several of these approaches during the series is an excellent way to introduce some variety and yet remain closely linked with the overall theme of covenant renewal. Variation 4: Use Psalm 89:1–4 as the basis for an opening prayer.O Lord, we will sing of your great love forever!With our mouths we will make your faithfulness known through all generations.We will declare that your love stands firm forever.In fact, you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.Then already you made a covenant with your chosen one, David.You promised to continue it forever, for all generations, including our own.With heaven, we praise your wonders, O God!O Lord, we will sing of your great love forever!—Psalm 89:1–4, adapted.Follow by singing “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” Fillmore A Prayer of Confession This prayer can be used all four weeks.Lord, you have called us to worship you. We gladly gather! As we praise you, though, our own inadequacy reminds us of how we have broken our relationship with you. Because we have sinned against you, even our worship fails to be what it could. We often treat it as a show. We simply go through the motions, failing to recognize that you want to engage us on a very deep level. Renew us, we pray, according to your steadfast love. Remind us of your covenant faithfulness and have mercy on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Confession and Assurance of PardonThis confession and Assurance of Pardon could be used for all four weeks.Child:Lord, you are a God who keeps promises. In our prayers and songs we say that we want to be Christians, but then we forget our promises.Our actions do not match up with our words. We say mean things to other people, we hurt their feelings, we think of ourselves first, and, worst of all, we ignore you. Lord, forgive us and hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child: As a deer pants for water, so our souls long for you, Lord God.We know that we need you. Our lives are like dry streams without you.Please fill our lives with your love, like rain on dry land. Lord, hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child:Alleluia! Christ has died.Alleluia! Christ has risen.Alleluia! Christ will come again.Alleluia! Amen! Hymn of Joy: “¡Oh, qué bueno es Jesús/Oh, How Good Is Christ the Lord” Puerto Rican folk hymn —Adapted from A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship, Choristers Guild, 1999, p. 85.Other similar resources with language appropriate to young children are available in this sourcebook. Two Prayers For IlluminationThese prayers could be used for all four weeks.Prayer 1God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us.Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promiseswith faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.—Prayer of Illumination, #6, Book of Common Worship, p. 91.Prayer 2“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go” John 6:68Eucharistic PrayerIf the Lord's Supper is not celebrated weekly in your congregation, the fourth Sunday would be a wonderful occasion to celebrate it! For this celebration, consider using the following Lord's Supper prayer:The Lord be with you.And also with you.Lift up your hearts.We lift them up to the Lord.Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right to give our thanks and praise.It is right and fitting, our joy and salvation,that we should at all times and in all placesgive thanks to you, almighty, everlasting God,through Christ our Lord.You laid the foundation of the earth,and the heavens are the work of your hands.They shall perish, but you shall endure.You are always the same and your years will never end.You made us in your imageand called us to be your covenant people,but we turned from you,leaving sin and death to reign.Still you loved us and sought us.In Christ your grace defeated deathand opened the way to eternal life.Therefore we praise you,joining our voices with the heavenly choirsand with all the faithful of every time and place,who forever sing to the glory of your name:Sing: "Santo, Santo, Santo" CuéllarAll holy God,how wonderful is the work of your hands!When sin had scarred the world,you entered into covenant to renew the whole creation.As a mother tenderly gathers her children,as a father joyfully welcomes his own,you embraced a people as your ownand filled them with longingfor a peace that would lastand for a justice that would never fail.Countless generations have hungered for the bread of freedom.From them you raised up Jesus, your Son, the living bread.We give you thanks that our Lord Jesus,on the night before he died, took bread,and after giving thanks to you,he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:"Take, eat. This is my body, given for you.Do this in remembrance of me."In the same way he took the cup, saying:"This cup is the New Covenant sealed in my blood,shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me."Your death, O Christ, we proclaim.Your resurrection we declare.Your coming we await.Glory be to you, O Lord.God of all power, send your Holy Spirit upon us,that in sharing the bread we may share in the body of Christ,and that in sharing the cup we may participate in the New Covenant.Grant that being joined together in Christ Jesus,we may become united in faith.And now, with the confidence of the children of God, we pray:Our Father in heaven...BlessingThis blessing could be used for all four weeks.May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenantbrought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.—Hebrews 13:20–21 NIVPsalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs“Taste and See” MooreA communion song relating our approach to the table with God’s covenant pledges.“What Feast of Love” Dufner  A communion song celebrating the free gift of God’s salvation sealed in the Supper.“According to Thy Gracious Word” MontgomeryA reflective communion hymn that evokes a covenantal theme in its “two-way remembering.”“Eat This Bread” Batastini, TaizéUsing the stanzas (not found in most hymnals) enables God’s promises about and from Jesus to be heard. For use during communion.“Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord of Hosts” PrinceA meditation song that leads well into the traditional “Holy, Holy, Holy,” to be sung during the Lord’s Supper.“Now the Solemn Feast Is Done” SeerveldA celebrative post-communion hymn that links our feasting at the table with our service in the world.“Take, O Take Me as I Am” BellThe salvation sealed to us in the sacraments goes into shaping our lives and service. A fitting response to a commissioning at the close of worship.“Go, My Children, with My Blessing” VajdaEven as we leave worship, this closing benediction reminds us that we are God’s own.“Hallelujah, We Sing Your Praises” South African TraditionalA Joyful South African “sending out” song at the end of the Lord’s Supper service.Small Group Discussion Starters: Week 4“From the earliest days of the Old Testament until now, God’s people have sealed their relationship with God with a tangible, physical, material sign.” Name some of these Old Testament signs. Today, the covenant relationship is sealed with the signs of baptism and Lord’s Supper, and “these actions teach us something about both the relationship itself and the signs.” What do the sacraments say about God’s entrance into tangible, everyday life? What does this then say about the worship event? “Sacraments are an unapologetically material activity. We use tangible water, wine, and bread. Sacraments speak not despite these material things, but because of them.” Does your church emphasize or minimize this materiality? “In the classic shape of Christian worship, the Lord’s Supper follows acts of praise, confession, and proclamation.” Consider the Supper’s purpose in order to explain this sequence. How much do you look forward to the concluding blessing or benediction? Read together Hebrews 13:20–21, not only as a prayer but as God’s promise and gift of blessing to you as individuals and as a congregation. Encourage your group to memorize this blessing. Conclude this series by reflecting on these comments from Witvliet’s observations (see series introduction): “Notice how this (covenant) approach does not suggest that we, by ourselves, can make worship happen. This relationship with God is a gift! It is Christ’s work through the Spirit in our hearts and in the life of the congregation. No liturgical technique will make this relationship happen. The ultimate success of a worship service depends on something that worship leaders can’t engineer or produce, our (collective) personal relation with God in Christ.”Revised Common LectionaryYears A, B, C: Holy Week—Maundy Thursday

This is part of the worship series"A Closer Look at Worship"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4Week 3Hearing God's Promises with AnticipationWorship must never be construed as a one-way conversation, a monologue where we sing and pray and praise and testify but never stop to listen. A healthy covenant relationship, especially when it is a relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the earth, will feature lots of listening.Preaching is at the heart of worship in many traditions, including the Reformed tradition. However, it is easy for us sophisticated modern people to forget that a sermon is no ordinary speech. We need to listen to a sermon in very different ways than we do a political speech. We need to listen to this kind of speech attuned to the voice of the author and finisher of our faith.Central Idea: Our covenantal relationship with God depends entirely on God’s word to us. A central act in our relating to God is the act of active, expectant listening. And when the message is so good, so wise, so true, why would we want it any other way?Scripture TextsJoshua 24This passage can be read dramatically using one reader for the narrator’s part, one for Joshua, and inviting the whole congregation to read the words of the people. Consider printing out the whole passage on a bulletin insert, with the people’s words in boldface type. This draws the congregation into the narrative and may help them sense the drama and gravity of the covenant promises made by the people of Israel.Joshua 24 records one of the early liturgies of the people of Israel. In contrast to the more frequently practiced “liturgy of sacrifice” (described in Leviticus 1, for example), this is a “liturgy of covenant renewal” (for another example, see Joshua 8:30–35). The purpose of this gathering was to reaffirm the covenant—like a ceremony for the renewal of marriage vows.At the center of this covenant renewal service is Joshua’s extended speech, a sermon really. In it, Joshua recounts the history of God’s faithfulness to the people. Like many famous sermons (see Peter’s sermon in Acts 2), this sermon is a history lesson. In it God’s past faithfulness becomes the basis for Joshua’s call for renewal.As the sermon progresses, you begin to wonder who is actually speaking, Joshua or God. Joshua starts by referring to God in the third person. But soon God is the first person singular: “Then I took your father Abraham.” This text portrays Joshua as a divine emissary or ambassador, a prophet sent to speak on God’s behalf.1 Thessalonians 2:13This same image or concept from Joshua 24 is at work in 1 Thessalonians. The Thessalonian believers had heard Paul’s human voice, but they heard God’s message. Paul is grateful that they “accepted it not as [merely] a human word, but as what it really is, God’s word.”1 John 4:1–6But is every preacher really God’s messenger? Certainly not. John challenges us to discern the spirits, to distinguish true from false teaching. The standard for measuring is this: the preacher must confess and teach that Jesus Christ is from God. The preacher must preach the gospel of the New Covenant, and no other.Key Related ThemesWe come to church to submit ourselves to an authority greater than ourselves. We come to church precisely because we don’t have it all figured out.This form of covenantal speech called a sermon is far more than teaching. We gain more than biblical literacy. In this kind of relational speaking, we are comforted, challenged, provoked, warned, and blessed. When we talk with a friend or spouse, we don’t want them to tell us merely how we could be a better friend or spouse; we want to hear the words of intimacy and promise that are at the core of that relationship.We hear God’s word in multiple forms in a worship service, through the words of greeting and scripture readings, through scripture-based preaching and blessings. Anytime God’s word is read, we hear those words not simply as a conversation among people. We hear them as God’s word to us.When it is not tethered to scripture, our worship can quickly portray an understanding of God and God’s actions that is incomplete. Or worse, we show up for a worship service and sing and pray to a god who barely resembles the God of Jesus Christ. Perhaps this god we are speaking to is more a figment of our imagination than the God who is described in scripture. In this case, we slip into a form of idolatry. And that should terrify us.The Meaning of Worship and the Logic of the LiturgyAt the heart of the classic shape of Christian worship is the reading and preaching of scripture. It is important that significant passages of scripture be read. We want to convey the impression that the reading of scripture is a significant act of covenantal listening in its own right, not simply a prelude to the sermon.In many traditions, including the Reformed tradition, scripture reading is preceded by a prayer that asks for God to send the Holy Spirit to work powerfully through the reading and preaching that day. This prayer is an overt acknowledgment that the power in preaching does not come from the creativity or rhetoric of the preacher but from God.Worship ElementsCall to WorshipThis series uses four variations on Psalm 8:1–4 as a call to worship. Each week uses a different variation. Using several of these approaches during the series is an excellent way to introduce some variety and yet remain closely linked with the overall theme of covenant renewal. Variation 3: Two parts of the congregation read Psalm 89:1–4 responsively.Part 1I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!   Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Part 2Your unfailing love will last forever.   Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. Part 1The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.   I have sworn this oath to him: Part 2‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;   they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” —Psalm 89:1–4 NLTA Prayer of Confession This prayer can be used all four weeks.Lord, you have called us to worship you. We gladly gather! As we praise you, though, our own inadequacy reminds us of how we have broken our relationship with you. Because we have sinned against you, even our worship fails to be what it could. We often treat it as a show. We simply go through the motions, failing to recognize that you want to engage us on a very deep level. Renew us, we pray, according to your steadfast love. Remind us of your covenant faithfulness and have mercy on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Confession and Assurance of PardonThis confession and Assurance of Pardon could be used for all four weeks.Child:Lord, you are a God who keeps promises. In our prayers and songs we say that we want to be Christians, but then we forget our promises.Our actions do not match up with our words. We say mean things to other people, we hurt their feelings, we think of ourselves first, and, worst of all, we ignore you. Lord, forgive us and hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child: As a deer pants for water, so our souls long for you, Lord God.We know that we need you. Our lives are like dry streams without you.Please fill our lives with your love, like rain on dry land. Lord, hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child:Alleluia! Christ has died.Alleluia! Christ has risen.Alleluia! Christ will come again.Alleluia! Amen! Hymn of Joy: “¡Oh, qué bueno es Jesús/Oh, How Good Is Christ the Lord” Puerto Rican folk hymn —Adapted from A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship, Choristers Guild, 1999, p. 85.Other similar resources with language appropriate to young children are available in this sourcebook. Two Prayers For IlluminationThese prayers could be used for all four weeks.Prayer 1God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us.Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promiseswith faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.—Prayer of Illumination, #6, Book of Common Worship, p. 91.Prayer 2“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go” John 6:68BlessingThis blessing could be used for all four weeks.May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenantbrought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.—Hebrews 13:20–21 NIVPsalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs“Gladly to God’s Holy Temple” RoutleyOne can almost hear the people of Israel singing this hymn! This text, well-suited to the opening of worship, remembers God’s deeds and indicates our eagerness to hear more.“Speak Forth Your Word, O Father” JeffriesThis sparkling, contemporary text can be used to confess dependence upon God and his word as well as our own meager efforts at proclamation.“Holy Spirit, Mighty God” SeerveldA prayer for illumination acknowledging our deep dependence upon the God the Spirit.“Thy Word Is a Lamp” Grant, SmithCentering on Psalm 119:105, this song functions well as a prayer for illumination.“Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak” HavergalA response to the word, this is a prayer of submission to God’s direction. It illustrates our role in the covenant relationship—one in which we have responsibility and yet are not left without help.“Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil” HansonA prayer before or after hearing the word, or near the end of the service.“The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation” ICELA refrain for the responsorial reading or singing of Psalm 27.Small Group Discussion Starters: Week 3Worship must never be construed as a one-way conversation, a monologue, where we sing and pray and praise and testify, but never stop to listen. A healthy covenant relationship, especially when it is a relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the earth, will feature lots of listening." How often are you conscious of God speaking to us in the worship service? When does God speak? List the ways. How can we be especially attuned to God's voice in these worship elements? "We come to church to submit ourselves to an authority greater than ourselves." Our Western culture has been described as "anti-authoritarian." How does this hinder our listening in worship? "This form of covenantal speech called a sermon is far more than teaching." What is the difference between teaching and preaching? "But is every preacher really God's messenger? Certainly not." How would we discern if a preacher is truly God's mouthpiece? See 1 John 4:1–6. "It is important that significant passages of scripture be read." Why? Unfortunately, reading long passages from scripture has become tedious for many. What are some ways to help worshipers come alive to long texts? In Week 1, we described worship as "participational." How might we reshape our understanding and enactment of some worship elements—such as the sermon—that seem especially passive?Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 26 (31)Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 27 (32)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 16 (21)

This is part of the worship series"A Closer Look at Worship"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4Week 2Honesty in Our Covenant RelationshipRelationships depend on honest communication. The key to any relationship, and especially a deep covenantal relationship like marriage, is honesty. Mistakes need to be admitted. Problem areas must be identified. Sin must be named and rooted out. The good news of our relationship with God is that there is room for that honesty in our worship. The psalms are a beautiful model of this.Confession, lament, and intercession are all in different ways an acknowledgment that the kingdom of God has not fully come. We still long and hope for a world that isn’t here yet.Intercession and lament, by themselves, aren’t sufficiently honest. They do acknowledge that the world isn’t all right, but they can be a way to avoid taking responsibility for it. That’s why we also need to confess our sins. There is something soberingly honest about confessing our sin before God. Without confession, we are kidding ourselves.Worship does not, of course, exhaust our acts of confession. A lot of the work of confession is very personal, the kind of thing that is hard to deal with in the middle of a worship service. Still, our worship services set the pattern. They remind us of the importance of confession; they give us words and phrases and songs to help us.Central Idea: A covenantal relationship demands honesty. Honesty demands that we confess our sin and acknowledge with pain the world’s brokenness. Without this, we quickly fall into hypocrisy, the sin where inward attitudes don’t match our outward actions. When we express our honest prayers before God, we do so in the context of our covenant relationship.Scripture TextsPsalm 89Consider having one reader for each of the sections of the psalm (vv. 1–2, 3–4, 5–18, 19–37, 38–45, 46–48, 49–52). If you read less than the whole psalm, consider reading the first verses of each section of the psalm, so that the movement from praise to oracle (God’s voice) to lament to covenant prayer is clear (use vv. 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 15–16, 19–21, 30–33, 38–40, 46–48, 49–52). Perhaps a group of nine readers can be used, each reading one section of the psalm.Psalm 89 is known as a covenant psalm. Like Psalm 81, it alternates between the human-Godward movement (vv. 1–2, 5–18), and God-humanward movement (vv. 3–4, 19–37). Remarkably, it begins in praise and ends in lament. The trust and faithfulness of God established in the covenant relationship creates the space for the psalmist to express bold lament (for another example, see Psalm 44). In moments of utter despair, the psalmist still clings to God’s covenant love as a source of hope.Nehemiah 9Consider using two readers for this passage, the first for the voice of the narrator (vv. 1–5), the second for the voice of Ezra (vv. 6 and following). The reading could include the entire chapter or verses 1–15 and 26–37.In Nehemiah 9, notice how verses 5–31 are like a long history lesson contained right in the middle of a prayer. This recital of covenant history was a common way to express praise to God (see the many historical psalms for other examples). The logic here is straightforward: the people are praying that God will act toward them in mercy in the same way as in the past. (For other examples of prayers of confession, see Ezra 9; Daniel 9; Nehemiah 1:5–11; each of these prayers begins by reclaiming the covenant relationship with God).Hebrews 4:14–16Hebrews 4 teaches us about the logic of prayer in the New Covenant. We can pray with confidence “in our time of need” because of what Jesus has done for us. Whether we suffer from a cause outside of ourselves or are crushed by guilt because of something we have done, we can approach God on the power of Jesus’ priesthood.Key Related ThemesWe must not gloss over the barriers that keep us from complete transparency before God.We have boldness to express our honest prayers because of Christ’s mediation of our prayers.We offer our confession, lament, and intercession in the context of our thanksgiving for God’s past faithfulness.The Meaning of Worship and the Logic of the LiturgyThe classic shape or order for Christian worship features a prayer of confession as an essential element in the divine-human dialogue. Usually, the conversation is set up this way: words of scripture (God’s word to us) are used to invite, challenge, and call us to covenantal honesty. A prayer of confession for both personal and corporate sin follows (our words to God). Then we hear God’s covenantal promises to us again, words of scripture that assure us of pardon.Worship ElementsCall to WorshipThis series uses four variations on Psalm 8:1–4 as a call to worship. Each week uses a different variation. Using several of these approaches during the series is an excellent way to introduce some variety and yet remain closely linked with the overall theme of covenant renewal. Variation 2: Congregation reads Psalm 89:1–4 responsively, perhaps led by a child:Sing of the Lord’s great love forever!With our mouths we will make known his faithfulness to all.His love is firm forever!He established his faithfulness in heaven itself.God made a promise to David.A covenant which lasts till today.All: Praise the Lord!—Adapted from Psalm 89:1–4A Prayer of Confession This prayer can be used all four weeks.Lord, you have called us to worship you. We gladly gather! As we praise you, though, our own inadequacy reminds us of how we have broken our relationship with you. Because we have sinned against you, even our worship fails to be what it could. We often treat it as a show. We simply go through the motions, failing to recognize that you want to engage us on a very deep level. Renew us, we pray, according to your steadfast love. Remind us of your covenant faithfulness and have mercy on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.A Prayer of Lament and FearO God, your people have always had their fears.And so we come to you in humility and with honesty, naming our own.Lord, we fear the future. What is coming next?“Will there be a place for me when I’m done with high school or college?” we young people ask.“Will there be safe places for our children?” we parents ask.“Will I die in peace and with dignity?” we seniors ask.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell O God, your people have always had their fears.And so we come to you in humility and with honesty, naming our own.Lord, we fear the future. What is coming next?“Will there be a place for me when I’m done with high school or college?” we young people ask.“Will there be safe places for our children?” we parents ask.“Will I die in peace and with dignity?” we seniors ask.Lord, we fear the pain that comes with illness and broken bones and aging.Some of us wonder how we’re going to make it through more treatment and medication.Some of us wonder how we can possibly face chronic illness.Some of us wonder if prayers for healing even reach your throne.Physical pain frightens us.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, as a church, we wonder about our ministries and programs.What if they don’t “work”?What if outreach and faith nurture don’t happen?We fear the dependence we have to have on your Spiritto be One to breathe life into Christians and non-Christians.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, we are afraid of people who are different than ourselves.Those more powerful than us, those poorer than us, those of a different color or creed,those smarter than us, those with different personalities.How do we talk to these people, O God? How do we make peace with them?Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell Lord, we have acquaintances, friends, family members whom we deeply love,but who do not know you.We are afraid for their salvation.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell We admit, O God, that we’re fearful of stillness and quiet.It seems as if the last thing we want to dois slow down and be attentive to you.Help us not to shy away from quiet times,from the simplicity of prayer, scripture, and your presence.It seems, O God, that, in the busyness of countless invitations to parties and activities we are afraid to say no.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" Bell And for all those fears for which we cannot name, we come to you, O God.Those we cannot name because they’re either unknown or unspeakable,receive them in our silence.Refrain: "Don't Be Afraid" BellWe are fearful so often, O Lord,because, in encounters with sin and evil,we find ourselves weak and poor.We thank you so much then, Jesus,for your actions and for your words—for love and the promise of nearness,which are our strength and our riches. Amen.Song of Gratitude: “Give Thanks” SmithTwo Prayers For IlluminationThese prayers could be used for all four weeks.Prayer 1God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us.Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promiseswith faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.—Prayer of Illumination, #6, Book of Common Worship, p. 91.Prayer 2“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go” John 6:68BlessingThis blessing could be used for all four weeks.May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenantbrought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.—Hebrews 13:20–21 NIVPsalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs“Stand Up and Bless the Lord” MontgomeryBased on Nehemiah 9:5, this song would work well as an opening encouragement to praise.“Let Heaven Your Wonders Proclaim” BellA setting of Psalm 89 proclaiming God’s covenant faithfulness. Suitable for the opening of worship.“Give Me a Clean Heart” DourouxA prayer of confession in African-American gospel style.“Change My Heart, O God” EspinosaA sung prayer of confession.“To You, O Lord, I Lift My Soul” HaugenA responsorial setting of Psalm 25 for confession rooted in remembering God’s covenantal mercy and love of old.“I Will Bless the Lord” HernandezAnother setting of Nehemiah 9:5. A beautiful response (“acclamation”) to the reading of scripture or to words of forgiveness.“In All Our Grief” DunstanHaving a high priest who sympathizes with us, we may approach God’s throne with these bold words. Use as sung intercessory prayer, just prior to spoken intercessions.“My Song Forever Shall Record” Psalter 1912A hymn of praise based on Psalm 89, for use before the dismissal.Small Group Discussion Starters: Week 2Discuss the following statement from Witvliet’s final observations: “Praise is one (essential) form of covenant communication. But praise isn’t the main point of worship. The point is the relationship. In a full-orbed covenant relationship, praise is joined by confession, lament, intercession, and listening. In a marriage relationship, conversations marked by exclusive praise would feel like false flattery. They might start out fine, but soon they ring hollow.” “Relationships depend on honest communication.” In our covenant relationship, do we speak honestly with God? What things are hardest to say? To hear? “Confession, lament, and intercession are all in different ways an acknowledgement that the kingdom of God has not come yet.” What does confession do that lament and intercession do not? Are all three part of your church’s present worship practices? How so? Why confess when we know the outcome? In fact, why speak common words of confession when we know that not everyone present means what they say? How might our honest communication with God change in heaven? (This assumes honesty will still characterize the relationship!)Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 8 (13)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 11 (16)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 23 (28)

This is part of the worship series"A Closer Look at Worship"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4Week 1Enacting and Expressing Our Covenant RelationshipWe gather in worship to communicate with God together. We listen together to God’s words to us. We speak together our response to God. The service is like interpersonal conversation, an exchange of promises. The amazing thing about this conversation is that it is not something we do by ourselves. It is something we do with other believers.Central Idea: We are privileged to have an interpersonal, covenantal relationship with God because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Worship enacts or expresses that relationship.Scripture TextsPsalm 81Consider using two readers, one for verses 1–5 (the call to worship), and one for verses 6–16 (the voice of the Lord).Psalm 81 consists of two distinct sections: an imperative call to worship and a prophetic oracle. In the first part, the people are called to worship by divine imperative (“he established it as a statute,” v. 5). In the second, the people hear a sermon, with words attributed to God, that contains several distinct themes: remembrance of past deliverance (vv. 6–7), a present command that reiterates the first of the Ten Commandments (vv. 8–9), a remarkable promise (v. 10), a divine lament (vv. 11–12), and a further promise (vv. 13–16). One feature of this text, then, is its dialogic character. It conveys human-Godward movement (vv. 1–5), and God-human ward movement (vv. 6–16)—movements that only make sense in a religion that conceptualizes the divine-human relationship in personal terms. From the perspective of other religions, how odd and remarkable this is! Imagine this: a religion in which words volley back and forth freely between God and the gathered community! (For other texts with the same feature, see Psalms 12; 60; 89; 108; Isaiah 6; 45, and several other passages.)Hebrews 8–10 (Especially 10:19–25 along with Jeremiah 31:31–34)These chapters could all figure in the development of the sermon. For a manageable reading for worship, consider using two readers: one to read about worship in the Old Covenant (Hebrews 9:1–10), and one to read about worship in the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:11–14; 10:19–25).Hebrews 8–10 describes and contrasts the Old and New Covenants and pays particular attention to the worship practices that are fitting to each. Hebrews 9:1–10 describes worship in the Old Covenant. Hebrews 10:19–25, the culmination of this section of the book, describes worship in the New Covenant. In the New Covenant, worshipers are called to draw near to God, conscious that their worship is possible because of what Christ has done for us. Our praise, our confession, our petitions, our experience of God’s presence—the fact that any of these things actually “work” is a sheer gift made possible by the work of Christ. A main theme in the book of Hebrews is that Christ mediates both the God-humanward and the human-Godward movements of worship.Key Related ThemesOur relationship with God is understood in personal terms.Our relationship with God is not something we have on the strength of our own merits.This relationship is possible because Christ bridges the gap, and the Spirit is at work in our hearts.This relationship is lived out, enacted, “scripted,” expressed, and focused in worship.If worship is like a promise-exchange, then one of the biggest liturgical sins is that of superstition—thinking that we can manipulate God by how we worship. We don’t come to church to make God love us more. We come to enjoy and express the beauty of a relationship made possible by Christ.The Meaning of Worship and the Logic of the LiturgyThe big question is whether most of us experience worship as a promise-exchange between ourselves and God, or whether we really experience it as a meeting of a religious social club, or an educational forum, or a form of entertainment. Because these other kinds of events are common in our culture, we are bound to take our expectations for them into worship with us. We need to be challenged to refrain from this. We need to be challenged to see worship as a deeply participational, relational activity, in which we are listeners, speakers, promise-receivers, and promise-givers.Since the nature of an event is most often established by how it starts, the opening of worship must provide this challenge. Entertainment events begin with a presentational opening. A social event starts with a mixer. An educational forum or lecture starts with a spoken introduction or welcome. But a worship service helpfully starts by setting up the divine-human conversation.The classic shape or order of Christian worship—which can be used in many styles and cultural contexts—begins with a scriptural call to worship and continues with a response by all God’s people. This sets the pattern for all that will follow. God speaks. We respond. There are other ways to start a service. But given the power and beauty of this covenantal image, why wouldn’t we want to make it clear that worship is a divine-human conversation right from the start?Worship ElementsCall to WorshipThis series uses four variations on Psalm 8:1–4 as a call to worship. Each week uses a different variation. Using several of these approaches during the series is an excellent way to introduce some variety and yet remain closely linked with the overall theme of covenant renewal. Variation 1: Worship leader reads Psalm 89:1–4Leader: I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;   with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;   I have sworn to my servant David:‘I will establish your descendants forever   and build your throne for all generations.’ ”—Psalm 89:1–4 NRSVUEA Prayer of Confession This prayer can be used all four weeks.Lord, you have called us to worship you. We gladly gather! As we praise you, though, our own inadequacy reminds us of how we have broken our relationship with you. Because we have sinned against you, even our worship fails to be what it could. We often treat it as a show. We simply go through the motions, failing to recognize that you want to engage us on a very deep level. Renew us, we pray, according to your steadfast love. Remind us of your covenant faithfulness and have mercy on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.Confession and Assurance of PardonThis confession and Assurance of Pardon could be used for all four weeks.Child:Lord, you are a God who keeps promises. In our prayers and songs we say that we want to be Christians, but then we forget our promises.Our actions do not match up with our words. We say mean things to other people, we hurt their feelings, we think of ourselves first, and, worst of all, we ignore you. Lord, forgive us and hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child: As a deer pants for water, so our souls long for you, Lord God.We know that we need you. Our lives are like dry streams without you.Please fill our lives with your love, like rain on dry land. Lord, hear our prayer. Children’s Choir: “Lord, Have Mercy upon Us” Kyrie eleison  Child:Alleluia! Christ has died.Alleluia! Christ has risen.Alleluia! Christ will come again.Alleluia! Amen! Hymn of Joy: “¡Oh, qué bueno es Jesús/Oh, How Good Is Christ the Lord” Puerto Rican folk hymn —Adapted from A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship, Choristers Guild, 1999, p. 85.Other similar resources with language appropriate to young children are available in this sourcebook. Two Prayers For IlluminationThese prayers could be used for all four weeks.Prayer 1God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us.Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promiseswith faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.—Prayer of Illumination, #6, Book of Common Worship, p. 91.Prayer 2“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go” John 6:68BlessingThis blessing could be used for all four weeks.May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenantbrought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.—Hebrews 13:20–21 NIVPsalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs for Week 1“God Is Here!” Pratt Green Vivid language celebrating the nature and purpose of the worshiping church. For use at the opening of worship.“Let the Giving of Thanks” IonaA setting of Psalm 50 that easily invites congregational participation through the refrain. An excellent gathering song.“All the Earth, Proclaim the Lord” Deiss A setting of Psalm 100 that recognizes that God’s covenant relationship with us is grounded in creation. For use at the beginning of worship.“In the Presence of Your People” Chambers In the context of the covenant, this is a fitting vow to praise.“Gather Us In” HaugenThe covenant relation is celebrated: “Call to us now and we shall awaken.”“Blest Be the God of Israel” PerryBased on the Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79), this song shows how Jesus fulfills God’s covenant promises to Israel. For use in morning worship, particularly as a response to words of forgiveness.“You Are Our God; We Are Your People” HoekemaA text and tune that together marvelously roll through covenantal history. Can be used following words of forgiveness. By omitting stanza 4, it is suitable on many occasions!“I Am the Lord Your God” Otte A setting of Jeremiah 31 that would be a fitting response to the sermon. In order to emphasize the dialogue inherent in the text, have a soloist or ensemble sing stanza 1, with the congregation joining on stanzas 2 and 3.“Come into the Holy of Holies” Sellers Drawing on the language of Hebrews 10:19 as well as of the Old Testament, use this song during the distribution of the communion elements.“Forever I Will Sing of Your Great Love, O Lord” Psalter Hymnal, 1987A versification of a strong covenant psalm. Stanzas 1 and 8 form an excellent doxology.Also, see any covenant psalm of praise, such as 1 Chronicles 16:8–36 or Psalm 105. Consider writing a litany or responsive reading based on one of these texts or finding musical settings of them.Small Group Discussion Starters: Week 1 How would you define worship? Have your group come up with as many and varied definitions as possible. Having done that, compare your responses with the three meanings explained in the article,  "On Three Meanings of the Term Worship". Which of the three was easiest to emphasize? Which meaning is most easily neglected in your worshiping community? Having thought about what worship is, let’s think about what it’s for (its purpose). Witvliet argues that worship “is not an end in itself.” Rather, it “expresses and deepens something more important, the relationship we have with God in Christ.” Focus your discussion on the words "express" and "deepen". Also, compare this understanding with the relationship between a marriage and the wedding ceremony (see Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 3:1; Revelation 19:7; 21:2, 9). “One central biblical image or metaphor for describing the relationship that God has established with us is the image of covenant.” Explore this theme by looking at some of the Bible’s “covenant” passages: Genesis 9:8–17; 15; 17; Exodus 24; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Psalm 50; 105; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8–10. Next, discuss how Christian worship is like a “covenant renewal service” by examining Joshua 24; Nehemiah 8–10; Hebrews 10:19–25. “We don’t have a liturgical manual anywhere. . . . But we do have lots of passages that relate to our practice of worship.” Can you as a group identify some in both the Old and New Testaments? “The amazing thing about this [worship] conversation is that it is not something we do by ourselves on our own. It is something we do with other believers.” Do you agree? That is, could you possibly have a worship service with just you and God? Describe the difference between corporate worship and private devotion. Discuss how worship is different from other cultural events (e.g., club meetings, pep rallies, debates, concerts, sporting events). Even if worship is different from these other events, do you think some people experience them the same way? Or want to experience them the same way? If worship is “a deeply participational, relational event, in which we are active listeners, speakers, promise-receivers, and promise-givers,” how might we be challenged to rethink, reexperience, and redo worship?Revised Common LectionaryYear B: Epiphany—Ninth Sunday after the EpiphanyYear B: Lent—Fifth Sunday in LentYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 4 (9)Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 28 (33)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 24 (29) 

I am writing to express gratitude to God for 1,215 remarkable people: the 1,174 writers who have contributed to this print journal since 1986 and the (estimated) 41 people who have commissioned, reviewed, edited, and prepared those contributions for print. Both in its historic form as a subscription print journal and in its new form as a comprehensive collection of practice-oriented articles and tools, Reformed Worship is primarily a resource ministry—a place to find resources to prompt learning and help with preparation for upcoming worship services.  Growing LeadersWhile fulfilling that calling, Reformed Worship also has been a remarkable leadership development ministry. Hundreds of people have had their very first published article appear here—sometimes because an editor reached out to them, sometimes because one of their fellow parishioners recommended their work, and sometimes because they had an idea they couldn’t keep to themselves. These authors grew through the publishing process. Editors coached them into greater clarity. Their own ministry teams back home reviewed their work and encouraged them to look at their ideas through the lens of other potential readers—an exercise in empathy. In many cases, sprawling 2,709-word musings had to be pruned and pruned again. In others, a 300-word kernel of an insight needed tending to grow into a full flower. The worship service outlines and other practical suggestions published in Reformed Worship needed field testing. Essays on complex or abstract theological themes needed to be explained in ways that a wide audience could grasp and learn to cherish. Anyone who has published a set of ideas for a worship service in a journal learns new skills and sensitivities along the way that then deepen their other work in their congregations. Anyone who crafts even a brief article on a biblical text or theological theme and receives constructive feedback from an editor or reader brings that insight into their engagement with other texts and themes. One of the founding insights in our work at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship was that what the church needs most is not another hymnal, a new sound system, a revised prayer book, or another set of published scripts. What the church needs most are discerning, prayerful, joyous people who treat their work as worship planners and leaders as a holy, pastoral calling. This insight came directly out of learning from the discerning, prayerful people who had already been contributing to Reformed Worship. It continues to be altogether true today.  Sharing KnowledgeReformed Worship has been a space in which these discerning, prayerful, and joyful people have been able to benefit the church. When they edit a hymnal, install a new sound system, revise a liturgy, or prepare scripts or artworks and then write about it, Reformed Worship has been there to pass along their wisdom. The benefit for readers is immense, and the learning multiplies. Let us never fail to notice and thank God for the astonishing grace of communication. Think of it: A congregation in Nova Scotia or New Mexico or Nigeria experiences the outpouring of Spirit through a four-week Advent series that pierces the sentimentality and consumerism of the culture. Their leaders write about the series with coaching from a dedicated editorial team, and the liturgies are published. Ten years later, a rookie worship coordinator pulls an old issue of Reformed Worship off the shelves and contextualizes and adapts the series for a congregation that also senses the Holy Spirit’s prompting in new ways. It reminds me of one of my favorite Lord’s Supper prayers from the early church. It expresses thanks to God for the miracle of “transmission of the sound of the voice by means of the tongue striking the air, and for hearing, which cooperates with the air . . . to perceive the speech lighting upon it” (Apostolic Constitutions, Book VII, fourth century).What an abundance of gifts each of us has received! As a reader of Reformed Worship, I have learned from author-teachers who are pastors, musicians, artists, designers, elders, deacons, teachers, writers, administrators, and deeply engaged worshipers. I have experienced a robust community that transcends the U.S.-Canada border, gaining additional insights from writers from Pakistan, Korea, Indonesia, Argentina, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and more. I have learned from authors in congregations both large and small, both rural and urban, both contemporary and traditional. Through Reformed Worship, I continue to learn from writers who have joined the great cloud of witnesses, noticing how their articles published years ago still help me remember their unique voice. While there are other sources I can consult for higher-profile authors, I can’t think of a better place to go than Reformed Worship to meet faithful writers from such a variety of contexts doing such thoughtful work. I look forward with great anticipation to see how this very same DNA unfolds in Reformed Worship’s continuing ministry online. Receiving GraceAll this goodness is dependent on a remarkable number of gifted people behind the scenes who have fact-checked articles, cross-checked references, confirmed copyright compliance, edited first, second, and third drafts, organized planning spreadsheets, audited internal finances, coordinated mailing logistics, maintained subscription records, answered phone inquiries, and designed beautiful page layouts. In that way, Reformed Worship is very much like the local church, which often is filled with unsung heroes, too. How beautiful this is! All of it is, in its own way, a symphony of praise in which “[b]elievers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts,” considering “it a duty to use these gifts readily and joyfully for the service and enrichment of the other members” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 55).To close, let me dwell on this catechism answer just a bit longer, attempting to name the graces we’ve received in slightly different terms. First, Reformed Worship is a ministry of mutual recognition. Here, organists and guitar players learn to notice gifts in each other. Leaders at large and small churches gain not only practical ideas, but also self-awareness about their own unique opportunities and limitations.Second, Reformed Worship is a ministry of covenantal pluralism. We come here grafted by God’s Holy Spirit into God’s covenant people, bringing into the writing and reading tremendous differences we learn to engage constructively. Third, Reformed Worship is a ministry of traditioned innovation. We wouldn’t need Reformed Worship if the church didn’t need to respond to changing ministry contexts, or if the church limited its musical repertoire to songs written centuries ago. And if all we cared about was innovation, we wouldn’t need a vehicle to help us think and pray so carefully about the kinds of innovations we affirm. Fourth, Reformed Worship is a ministry of receptive ecumenism. Here we have learned to notice the charisms in Reformed Christianity that others have affirmed as helpful to their own life as apprentices of Jesus. Here we have explored gifts from other Christian traditions that can be embraced in ways that are entirely consistent with a Reformed theological vision. Each of these four terms happens to be a key phrase in large and growing bodies of literature in print and online. Each is an attempt to respond to the hyperpolarization in today’s cultural moment. While this is not the place for a nuanced analysis of each, it is worth noting that the way Reformed Worship has embodied a vision of the church over these many years seems perfectly attuned to the urgent need of Christians today. It makes me eagerly anticipate the next 1,215 people who will join the chorus of writing, creating, and editing and the thousands of readers who will be graced by the gifts the Spirit is giving the church through them.

Q I think I am a pretty good preacher, but not a really good preacher. Still, my church council is urging me to strengthen this aspect of my ministry. Any advice? A Over the past decade in our work at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, we have had the opportunity to listen to and learn from preachers and congregations in several Christian traditions who have been working to strengthen Christian preaching.  One big lesson is simply this: with God’s help, preachers can improve. For some preachers, taking on the discipline of developing a sermon manuscript can be a transforming discipline. For others, transformation comes when they learn to preach without one. For some preachers, the discipline of spending ninety minutes in contemplative prayer early in the week is transformative. For others, engaging more substantive biblical commentaries can add spiritual protein that may have been missing. For some, learning to preach sermons that are five minutes shorter makes a transformative difference through concentrating and focusing the content of the message. For others, adding five minutes of content creates space for sermons to breathe. For just about every preacher, learning the art of telling a story well makes a difference—learning not to overexplain, not to add details that may cause listeners’ minds to wander. For some, simply ending an annoying habit they may not know they have removes roadblocks. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit wonderfully takes our imperfect sermonic offerings and does amazing things with them. The Holy Spirit also works through any number of learning processes to help us love the message and our hearers more. Discerning which to prioritize depends a lot on the cultural context of the congregation and the personality and strengths of the preacher.  Everything I have said so far focuses on the preacher. But perhaps an even richer area of potential for preachers and congregations is to work together to focus on both preaching and listening to Christian preaching. Ultimately, it is the hearing and living out of sermons that matter.  We notice thoughtful preachers doing things such as: Hosting discussions of sermon texts with different groups within the congregation—including seekers who may be newly exploring Christian faith—a few weeks before a sermon is preached. The preacher learns to listen to the questions people bring to a text and to speak directly to them. Participants come to sermons primed to listen more intently. Hosting post-sermon meal discussions to reflect not primarily on the sermon itself, but rather on how to live out the sermon’s message. Thoughtful preachers who listen to these discussions may well learn how to preach even more effectively about living out the gospel message. Crowdsourcing insights for a sermon. If a preacher is prepping a sermon on a psalm of lament, asking worshipers to send examples of lament songs from secular culture would likely generate a thought-provoking Spotify list and memorable sermon illustrations. It is also effective pedagogy to help people not just hear about the ways that the psalms speak to pervasive human needs, but experience that connection for themselves.  Involving select groups in helping to choose sermon themes and texts. One thoughtful pastor I know asks council members every summer to identify five essential texts or sermon themes for autumn sermons. Another lectionary-using pastor invites high school students to select which of the assigned readings for a given week would be most fitting for their congregational context.  Giving the congregation something to explore before a sermon. One pastor posts the week’s Scripture on social media about three days before a sermon along with a question or comment that invites people to begin to engage the text. Another posts a link to a thought-provoking article or podcast early in the week (the Zeteo search engine is useful for this). Another offers those links after a sermon to extend engagement.  Helping the congregation embrace the gospel-centered takeaway. Imagine ending every sermon (at least for a season) with the line “We leave this place today with good news to share: ___________” and then asking the congregation to repeat the line out loud, perhaps both as the sermon ends and then later as the service ends. One week a congregation may declare: “We leave this place today with good news to share: God’s Spirit heals deep inner hurts.” The next week they may say: “We leave this place today with good news to share: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” And the next: “We leave this place today with good news to share: Jesus Christ conquers evil and invites us to rest in him.”  Each of these ideas is inexpensive, requiring no new budget lines. But they do require thoughtfulness over time. It’s not realistic to sustain every one of these, but over time, ideas like these can reinforce the sense that a church’s ministry of proclamation depends on both preachers of the Word and hearers and doers of the Word.    

Q Our worship team was discussing Psalm 63, especially verse 2: “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.” We were struck by how challenging it is to invite people to behold God’s power and glory. What advice do you have? A You have beautifully summarized the vocational call of all preachers, church musicians, artists, and other worship leaders: to invite people to behold God’s power and glory. Our work is invitational, not coercive, and we point away from ourselves to the living God. Here is John Calvin’s summary of this call: “[God’s] benefits towards ourselves we extol as eloquently as we can, while we call upon others to reverence His Majesty, render due homage to His greatness, feel due gratitude for His mercies, and unite in showing forth His praise. In this way there is infused into their hearts that solid confidence which afterwards gives birth to prayer; and in this way, too, each one is trained to genuine self-denial, so that his will being brought into obedience to God, he bids farewell to his own desires” (John Calvin, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, trans. Henry Beveridge (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publications, 1843), 43–44). Worship as a Window Think of worship as a window. In gathering prayerfully around Word and sacrament, we are invited to see “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). As Calvin said of the Lord’s Supper: “the believer, when he sees the sacraments with his own eyes, does not halt at the physical sight of them, but by those steps . . . rises up in devout contemplation to those lofty mysteries which lie hidden in the sacraments” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, tr. Ford Lewis Battles (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, n.d.), 4.14.5). Just as the Eastern Orthodox tradition instructs worshipers to look through and not at icons, so Calvin instructs us not merely to look at the elements of the Lord’s Supper, but to look through them to perceive the beauty, goodness, and glory of the ascended Jesus Christ and all his benefits. If our public worship services are like a window or icon in this way, the temptation we face as worship leaders is that we will spend so much energy dressing, repairing, or cleaning this window that we will have no time to look through it ourselves—to perceive, contemplate, and be grasped by the power and glory of the triune God. Similarly, the temptations we face as worshipers are that we will admire or criticize the window rather than looking through it or that we will be altogether distracted, with little interest or energy for perceiving the astonishing vistas of divine glory that Jesus offers us through the Holy Spirit. Three Disciplines Some very simple disciplines can help us here: Prayer: In preparing and shaping a worship service, pause first to pray “Holy Spirit, help us to perceive God’s power and glory” and to ask “What aspect of God’s beauty and glory is revealed in this week’s sermon text?” When answering the question, take time to contemplate unique dimensions of God’s beauty revealed there. In other words, be sure that your creative process is grounded in awe, wonder, and gratitude. Preparing worship for God’s people is itself worshipful. Awareness: In worship, be aware of how you and others are guiding people’s attention through words, gestures, projected images. Are you calling attention to yourselves? To a certain style or form? In addition to ways we invite worshipers to become aware of and hospitable to each other, are we also explicitly inviting people to attend to a particular dimension of God’s glory? And are the melodies, metaphors, rhythms, and gestures we are using well-suited to actually “beholding” that dimension of glory in a deep and transformative way? Not every tune or turn of phrase is well suited to the deep engagement demonstrated in this psalm. Reflection: After worship, don’t settle for talking merely about how the logistics or tempos worked out. Push deeper by asking which aspects of God’s beauty and glory inspired or convicted you as you worshiped together and then turning those answers into prayers of thanks and praise for how God’s Spirit helped you worship. Three Challenges These God-centered practices are a starting point. As we engage in them, we also need to pay attention to some perennial challenges: Culture: Our understanding of divine power and glory is in constant need of refinement. It is altogether too easy to bring to the Bible and to our worship planning a distorted, culturally-shaped definition of power and glory rather than letting the Bible redefine our understanding of divine power and glory. Without the Bible’s corrective lens, we can too easily see Jesus’ life as an exception to the pattern of God’s glory rather than the very best example of it. In the world of politics and pop culture, humility, gentleness, and sacrificial love are very often the opposite of power and glory. In Jesus Christ, we see a different way. As we study God’s Word, we are all on a lifelong journey of learning and growth. Cliché: Our language for divine power and glory can become cliché. We sing the word “glory” so often that we become immune to all it means. It joins words like “amen” and “hallelujah” as part of the jargon of the church’s worship life. This is not a reason to set aside this language, but it is a reason to look for both ancient and recently written lyrics that convey God’s glory in fresh and faithful ways. Coercion: When we are inspired and grasped by God’s power and glory and experience a certain emotional register, we can be tempted to engineer or coerce that same kind of experience for others. The inner landscape and outer gestures of “beholding” may well look and feel quite different given the vast range of personalities, dispositions, and cultures across our common humanity. It may look and feel like Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” or like the chorus “Be Still and Know.” It may be expressed by raised hands or by closed eyes. It may be loud or quiet. One practice I have learned from several wise colleagues is that of noticing the many different ways that “beholding God’s glory” can look and sound across cultures globally. Learning to notice and celebrate differences frees us from the burden of thinking that we even could engineer or coerce that kind of depth. In all of this, we are pursuing an approach to worship that is “self-forgetful” in the deepest, healthiest sense. But rather than simply challenging worshipers to decenter their own concerns (which often leads us to think even more about them) this God-centered approach invites us into lifelong practices of paying deep attention to the goodness of the Lord.