May 3, 2020
/Thanks for joining us for this week’s Home Worship! As you gather, we invite you to take a moment to set up your space differently. Sit at your dining room table or arrange chairs in your living room. Set out a candle, a bowl, and a small pitcher of water before you. If you’ve gathered with a group, you can take turns reading and praying so that everyone has a chance to help lead us in worship. The sections in bold can be read aloud together.
“For Christians who live in a world that constantly raises the question, ‘Where is your God?’ these psalms are indispensable liturgy and Scripture. They disclose the real nature of our souls’ disquiet as thirst for God. They turn us toward the worship of praise, sacraments, and preaching in and through which our Lord wills to be present for the congregation.”
“And yet—and this is something marvelous—amidst all these assaults faith sustains the hearts of the godly and truly in its effect resembles a palm tree: for it strives against every burden and raises itself upward. So David, even when he might have seemed overwhelmed, in rebuking himself did not cease to rise up to God. He who, struggling with his own weakness, presses toward faith in his moments of anxiety is already in large part victorious.”
GATHERED BY GOD
WELCOME
Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth, Amen.
-Psalm 124:8
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
LIGHTING THE CANDLE
Action: Light a candle
One: Jesus Christ
All: is the Light of the World.
One: The Light shines in the darkness
All: and the darkness did not overcome it.
INVITATION TO WORSHIP
“O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.”
-Psalm 63:1-4
SONG OF PRAISE
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
First verse, based on Psalm 42, written this week by Pastor Andy
As the deer longs for the water, so my soul longs after you
Why, O Lord, have you forgotten? Will I see your face again?
O my soul why are you downcast? Why disquieted within?
Hope in God, my help and savior, for I shall praise Him again
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount— I’m fixed upon it—mount of God’s unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
SONG OF PRAISE
Scripture reading is in the video to the right, along with the song.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
-1 Peter 1:3-7
“When Peace Like a River”
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Refrain:
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin— oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
PRAYER FOR RENEWAL
As a deer longs for streams of water, our souls long for you, O God. As weary, aching souls coming to the start of another week, we long to say, “It is well with my soul.” We thirst for relief and comfort, for stability and assurance in ten thousand places, but you are the only living God, the only one who satisfies. In your mercy, forgive us. Holy Spirit, shape our desires to be simple, our minds focused, and our actions purposeful in these disorientating days. Come in our weakness, that we might behold your face and rejoice forever.
PROMISE OF GRACE
Action: Pour water into the bowl and remember your baptism!
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.”
-Revelation 22:17
OFFERING
We respond to the love and grace of Jesus by giving back our whole lives to God in worship. In this offering, we give our financial gifts as a symbol that all we have comes from God and is to be used for God’s glory. Even though we aren’t worshiping together, our ministry still continues! Please continue to support us!
DOXOLOGY
May be spoken or sung
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him, above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
LISTENING TO GOD
Scripture: Psalm 42
Sermon: Psalms for the Journey
Pastor Andy Kadzban
DISCUSSION
Take a few minutes to reflect on what you just heard. What did you find challenging, helpful or troubling this week? Where do you need to remember your hope? Where are you aching for God’s presence?
RESPONDING TO GOD
SONG OF PRAISE
“Satisfied in You”
I have lost my appetite
And a flood is welling up behind my eyes
So I eat the tears I cry
And if that were not enough
They know just the words to cut and tear and prod
When they ask me "Where's your God?"
Refrain:
Why are you downcast, oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
I can remember when you showed your face to me
As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for you
And when I survey Your splendor, You so faithfully renew
Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh
I am satisfied in You
When I'm looking at the ground
It's an inbred feedback loop that drags me down
So it's time to lift my brow
And remember better days
When I loved to worship you and all your ways
Singing sweetest songs of praise
Refrain
Let my sighs give way to songs that sing about your faithfulness
Let my pain reveal your glory as my only real rest
Let my losses show me all I truly have is you,
Cause all I truly have is you
So when I'm drowning out at sea
And all your breakers and your waves crash down on me
I'll recall your safety scheme
You're the one who made the waves
And your Son went out to suffer in my place
And to show me that I'm safe
Why am I down?
Why so disturbed?
I am satisfied in you
APOSTLES’ CREED
We join our voices together with Christians throughout the ages and across the world to proclaim these words:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
O Lord of all creation and fountain of Living Water, as the deer longs for flowing streams, so our souls long for you. Satisfy us, O Lord, for you are our help and our God.
We lift up to you all those who are hungry and thirsty. We pray for those who are physically hungry, especially those whose food security has been affected by this pandemic. We pray, too, for those who are spiritually thirsty, who feel distant from you and cut off, who are grieved to tears both day and night.
You are our hope, and we shall again praise you, our help and our God.
We lift up to you all those who are cut off from community. We pray for those who remember the joy of worshiping together as a body and ache to join together again. We pray for those who shouts of thanksgiving are only a memory.
You are our hope, and we shall again praise you, our help and our God.
We lift up to you all those who are in exile. We pray for all who are isolated. We pray for those who feel as though they are being overwhelmed, who feel abandoned, who feel forgotten.
You are our hope, and we shall again praise you, our help and our God.
We lift up to you all those who need to hear of your steadfast love. We pray for those who do not yet know you. We pray for those who have walked away. We pray for those who know their own sin and brokenness and cannot imagine you love them anyway.
You are our hope, and we shall again praise you, our help and our God.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus, the Living Water, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
SENDING SONG
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
Lamentations 3:21-23 - “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never fails. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness!”
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided--
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Refrain
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Refrain
SENT WITH GOD’S BLESSING
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his presence to you and give you his peace,
Now and always, Amen.
-Numbers 6:24-26
To stay connected with what’s going on at WRC, check out the following video of announcements
Our congregation is able to do what it does because of your contributions! Even though we aren’t meeting in person during this season, you can continue to give your gifts to God. Visit www.wyckoffreformed.org/give to set up your one-time or recurring gift online. You’re also welcome to mail a check or set us up as an automatic payment through your bank!
Check out these playlists to guide your prayer and worship this week:
Music to guide your prayer and reflection for this week
A YouTube playlist of kid’s music for this week!
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Words: Vs 1 by Andrew Kadzban, 2020, Vs 2-4 by Robert Robinson, 1758. Music: J. Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part II, 1813, Public Domain.
“When Peace Like a River” Words: Horatio G. Spafford, 1873. Music: Philip P. Bliss, 1876. Public Domain.
“Satisfied in You” Words and music: Brian Eichelberger. © 2012, 2014 It's All About Jesus Music. Used by Permission, CCLI #2588005
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Words: Thomas Chisholm. Music: William Runyan. © 1923, Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company. Used by Permission, CCLI #2588005