This Reformation hymn festival is structured around the five "solas"—Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solo Christo, and Sola Deo Gloria.
Prelude
"Our Father, Who Art in Heaven / Vater Unser in Himmelreich" J.S. Bach
Processional Hymn
"Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven" Lyte
st. 1-3 all
st. 4 choirs
st. 5 all
Invocation
Sola Scriptura
Scripture: Matthew 4:1–4
Confession of Faith: The Geneva Confession
First, we affirm that we desire to follow Scripture alone as the rule of faith and religion, without mixing with it any other thing which might be devised by the opinion of men apart from the Word of God, and without wishing to accept for our spiritual government any other doctrine than what is conveyed to us by the same Word without addition or diminution, according to the command of our Lord.
—The Geneva Confession of 1536, #1
Hymns
"O Word of God Incarnate" How
"Thanks to God Whose Word Was Spoken" Brooks
Choral Anthem
"The Omnipotence" Franz Shubert
Sola Gratia
Scripture: Ephesians 2:4–10
Confession of Faith: Canons of Dort
Election is God’s unchangeable purpose by which he did the following: Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, God chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin. Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery. God did this in Christ, whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation.
—Canons of Dort 1.7, Translation © 2011, Faith Alive Christian Resources. Used by permission.
Hymns
"Give Thanks to God, the Father" Quinn
"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" Robinson
Sola Fide
Scripture: Romans 1:16–17
Confession of Faith : Heidelberg Catechism
Q. What is true faith?
A. True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation.
—Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 21, Translation © 2011, Faith Alive Christian Resources. Used by permission.
Hymns
"I Greet Thee" Calvin, trans. Smith
st. 1 all
st. 2 men
st. 3 women
st. 4-5 all
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Chisholm
Choral Anthem
"Above All Praise and All Majesty" Felix Mendelssohn
Solo Christo
Scripture: Philippians 2:5–11
Confession of Faith: Our World Belongs to God and Our Song of Hope
Being both divine and human,
Jesus is the only mediator.
He alone paid the debt of our sin;
there is no other Savior.
—Our World Belongs to God, para 26, © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America, Grand Rapids MI. www.crcna.org. Used by permission.
Our only hope is Jesus Christ.
After we refused to live in the image of God,
He was born of the virgin Mary,
sharing our genes and our instincts,
entering our culture, speaking our language,
fulfilling the law of our God.
Being united to Christ's humanity,
we know ourselves when we rest in Him.
—Our Song of Hope, III.3, © 1978, Reformed Church in America. Used by permission.
Hymns
"At the Name of Jesus" Noel
st. 1 all
st. 2 choirs
st. 3-5 all
"What Wondrous Love" Anon.
"Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem" Campbell, Fulbert of Chartres
Soli Deo Gloria
Scripture: Revelation 15:3–4
Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end isto glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
—Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A1, Public Domain.
Hymn
"Thou Hast Made Us" Sywulka
Doxology
"To God Be the Glory" Crouch
Benediction
Recessional Hymn
"Lift High the Cross" Newbolt
Postlude
"Now Thank We All Our God" J. S. Bach
