At Psalms School
Worship leaders are frequently asked to lead worship services in a retirement or nursing home setting. It can be difficult to adapt a service for sanctuary worship to a congregant living setting. At Psalms School, from GIA Publications (2019), can help. It has ample illustrations to help people revisit key psalms or engage the Bible’s prayer book for the first time. While this service is designed for World Communion Sunday, it could be adapted for any Sunday in the Christian year with different hymns and Scripture passages. The bilingual book is ideal for Spanish-speaking congregations.This service could be an excellent way to introduce a series on Psalms, particularly during Ordinary Time, the weeks after Pentecost that mark the season of growing as a disciple of Jesus. “Psalms is a prayer book that we find in the middle of the Bible,” At Psalms School’s introduction says. “There are 150 of these prayers, and all of them are different. Reading Psalms is kind of like going to school. They teach us how to listen and talk with God in worship, at church, and every day. What do we learn at Psalm School? Let’s [worship] and find out!”Worship leaders might encourage children and adults in their congregation to paint illustrations for each worship element. The illustrations could be projected along with the service order during the worship service.Worship Planning ResourcesThe bilingual book At Psalms School / En la escuela de los Salmos can be purchased from GIA Publications (www.giamusic.com).For an adult guide to At Psalms School, see tinyurl.com/PsalmsGuide (a free download).For more resources related to this book, see tinyurl.com/AtPsalmsSchool. Psalms teach us to . . .GET READY TO LISTEN TO AND TALK WITH GODGathering in Silence and Reflection Psalm 46:10Song “Be Still and Know (Psalm 46:10)” Bell, LUYH 892, GtG 414, PfAS 46D Psalms teach us to . . .HEAR GOD’S INVITATION TO LISTEN TO AND TALK WITH GODCall to Worship God says, “Listen, my people, and I will speak.”My people, listen to my teaching. Pay attention to what I say.We are the sheep belonging to God’s flock. . . . If only you would listen to God’s voice today. —adapted from Psalm 50:7; 78:1; 95:7 Psalms teach us to . . .SING PRAISE TO GODPsalm Reading Psalm 100:1Hymn of Praise “Song Praise to God, Who Reigns Above” Schütz, LUYH 570, GtG 645, TH 4 Psalms teach us to . . .REMEMBER GOOD THINGS GOD HAS DONEResponsive Reading O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones. —Psalm 105:1–6 (NRSV) Psalms teach us to . . .SAY, “FORGIVE ME, LORD”Loving God, I come to you in the name of Jesus.Sensing that you loved me before I could ever love you,I come to you as a sinnerwho needs your forgiveness.Trusting in your power,I long to turn away from all that keeps me from you.With your family in all times and places,I believe that salvation—for me, for others, for the creation itself—comes through Christ.Thank you for this indescribable gift. Amen. — Lift Up Your Hearts, 627 Psalms teach us to . . .CRY, “WHY, LORD, DO THESE BAD THINGS HAPPEN?”Psalm Reading Psalm 22:1Song“Just as I Am, Without One Plea” Elliott, LUYH 627, GtG 442, SSS 500 Psalms teach us to . . .HEAR GOD’S PROMISE: “I LOVE YOU”Scripture Reading Psalm 103:3; John 3:16 Psalms teach us to . . .SAY, “THANK YOU, LORD”Scripture Reading Psalm 116:12–19; Matthew 22:37–40 Psalms teach us to . . .LISTEN TO GOD’S WORDScripture Reading Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5–9 (Scripture texts for World Communion Sunday; choose other texts as appropriate for the service)Message “Jesus Is Lord: A Meditation for World Communion Sunday”Sermon notes: Psalm 8 asks, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” The writer of Hebrews quotes this psalm to communicate that Jesus is its fulfillment, the Lord over all the earth. On World Communion Sunday, we are thankful amid the world’s chaos and the anxiety of our age that Christians around the world can look to Jesus as Lord, not only of the church but of the entire world. As the church from around the world gathers at the table, we are thankful that Jesus will one day reign, not only in the church, but over the entire creation. Psalms teach us to . . .SAY, “GOD, WE LOVE YOU. WE TRUST YOU.”Scripture Reading God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.. . . “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.—Psalm 46:1–3, 10–11 Psalms teach us to . . .ASK FOR GOD’S HELPPsalm Reading Psalm 124:8Prayers of Intercession for the World Church and for the World Psalms teach us to . . .OFFER GIFTS TO GODPsalm Reading Psalm 96:8Offertory Music “We Are an Offering” Liles, LUYH 874, GtG 710, SNC 230If an offering is not taken, we can reflect on how our worship is an offering to God.Is it a worship service or a service of worship? One of the Hebrew words that has been translated as worship (ahab, Exodus 3:12) also means to serve. How will we offer our lives to God this coming week? Psalms teach us to . . .TASTE AND SEE THAT GOD IS GOODPsalm Reading Psalm 34:8Introduction to Communion The feast that we are about to celebrate is a feast of remembrance, of communion, and of hope.Great Prayer of Thanksgiving Choose an appropriate prayer from one’s denominational tradition or The Worship Sourcebook.Consecrating the Elements Following the consecration of the elements, the celebrant can say, “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”Partaking TogetherThanksgiving Following the Communion Praise the LORD, my soul;and all my inmost being,praise his holy name.Praise the LORD, my soul,and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sinsand heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pitand crowns you with love and compassion,who satisfies your desires with good thingsso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. —Psalm 103:1–5 The Psalms teach us to . . .CHOOSE GOD’S PATHPsalm Reading Psalm 119:105 The Psalms teach us to . . .RECEIVE GOD’S BLESSINGHymn of Dedication “Jesus Shall Reign (Psalm 72)” Watts, LUYH 219, GtG 265, PfAS 72B, SSS 209or “The Church’s One Foundation” Stone, LUYH 251, GtG 321, SSS 233Benediction God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still.—Psalm 67:6–7 Resources for planning psalm-based worship servicesBorger, Joyce, Martin Tel, and John D. Witvliet, eds. Psalms for All Seasons: A Complete Psalter for Worship. Grand Rapids, MI: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive Christian Resources, Brazos Press, 2012.Gleddiesmith, Stacey. “‘My God, My God, Why?’: Understanding the Lament Psalms.” Reformed Worship 96 (2010):3.Scheer, Greg. “Singing the Psalms in Modern Worship.” Reformed Worship 84 (2007):46.The Psalm Project. thepsalmsproject.com.Verhulst, Kristen. “Praying the Psalms with Kids.” Reformed Worship 101 (2011):46.Witvliet, John D. The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007.Witvliet, John D., María Eugenia Cornou, and Joel Schoon-Tanis (illustrator), En la escuela de los Salmos / At Psalms School. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2019.
