Central Reformed Church

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost July 26, 2020

REFLECTION

When I think how great heaven’s happiness is, sometimes it is ready to seem almost incredible. But the death and sufferings of Christ make everything credible that be-longs to this blessedness. For if God would so contrive to show His love in the manner and means of procur-ing our happiness, nothing can be incredible in the degree of the happiness itself. If all that God doth about it be of a piece, He will also set infinite wisdom on work to make our happiness and glory great in the degree of it. If God “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Nothing could have been such a confirmation of our blessedness as this. If nothing be too much to be given to man, and to be done for man in the means of procuring his happiness, nothing will be too much to be given to him as the end, no degree of happiness too great for him to enjoy.”

—Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 576: Heaven’s Happiness” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. 501-832, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 18, ed. Ava Chamberlain (New Haven: Yale University Press,

2000), 114.

ORDER OF WORSHIP EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

JULY 26, 2020 9:30 am

(We invite you to quiet your homes as you prepare for worship.)

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GATHERING IN LOVE

Prelude “Piano Sonata No. 16, K. 545, 2nd Movement” (W. A. Mozart) “Two Settings on ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty’” (J. S. Bach [BWV 650], Johann Walther) Welcome Votum, Call to Worship (from Psalm 124:8 and Psalm 105:1-5)

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. People: Amen.

Leader: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; People: make known among the nations what he has done. Leader: Sing to him, sing praise to him; People: tell of all his wonderful acts. Leader: Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. People: Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judg- ments he pronounced.

Recalling God’s Faithfulness: A Litany

Leader: On this day, we remember with gratitude and joy God’s faithfulness: in the life of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, in the lives of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron, in the lives of Ruth and David, Isaiah and Jeremiah, in the lives of Mary and Martha, Peter and John, in the lives of Paul, Barnabas, and Lydia, in the lives of an Ethiopian eunuch and Roman centurion, in our own congregational life. Truly, God is faithful.

For God remembered God’s holy promise: People: God brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy, that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord!

Hymn “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (You are invited to sing.)

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation! O my soul praise him for he is thy health and salvation! Come, all who hear; brothers and sisters, draw near, Join me in glad adoration! Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning, Sheltering you under his wings, oh, so gently sustaining. Have you not seen all that is needful has been Sent by his gracious ordaining? Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you; Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do As with his love he befriends you.

The Salutation

Leader: May grace, mercy, and God’s peace be ours, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

People: Amen.

Invitation to Confession (from Romans 8:27, 31)

If God is for us, who can be against us? Let us confess our sins to the one who searches us and knows us. Prayer of Confession (unison; from I Kings 3:6 and Psalm 119:132-133)

We confess that we have turned away from you and have not lived with upright hearts. Forgive us for failing to follow you. Guide our feet to walk in your ways and serve your world to the glory of your name. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (from Romans 8:28)

Your sins are forgiven: be at peace, for all things work together for good for those who love God.

Hymn “Before the Throne of God Above” (verses 1 & 2) (You are invited to sing.)

Peace

Leader: The peace of the Lord be always with you. People: And also with you.

LISTENING IN EXPECTATION

First Lesson Psalm 105:1-11, 45b

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. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,

which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.” ...that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Children’s Moment Song “Nothing in Height or in Depth” (John Bell) (You are invited to sing.)

Second Lesson Romans 8:26-39

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according

to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he pre-destined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not

withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or per-secution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am con-

vinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon “For Those Who Suffer” Rev. Steven D. Pierce Prayer for a Blessing on the Word Musical Reflection “Neither Death nor Life” (Marty Haugen)

Refrain: Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor trials in the present, nor any trial to come, neither height, nor depth, nor all of creation can ever separate us from the love of God poured out in Christ Jesus, in Jesus our Lord. Dwell in the One who raised Christ from the dead; Though your body shall die, in Christ you shall rise Through the Spirit who brings you to life. All who are led by the Spirit shall live As children of God, and heirs with Christ Jesus, God’s adopted and chosen and loved. All of the suff’ring we now must endure Is nothing to the glory so soon to be revealed When creation itself is set free. All of creation awaits the new birth, The fullness of redemption, through labor pains of love, And so we wait in patience and hope. All things work for good for the ones who love God, And if God is for us, then who can be against us? God’s justified cannot be condemned. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship or distress, persecution or famine, Or nakedness or peril or sword?

RESPONDING IN FAITH Affirmation of Faith (unison; adapted from the Belgic Confession, Article 26)

We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor, “Jesus Christ the righteous,” who therefore was made human, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But the Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” Christ nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking “human form” and “the form of a slave” for us; and he made himself “like his brothers and sisters in every respect.”

Song “Nothing in Height or in Depth” (John Bell) (You are invited to sing.)

Prayers of the People During the prayers each week, we remember our neighboring faith communities and their leaders. Today we are praying for the staff and congregation of New Hope Baptist Church.

Leader: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.

During the prayer: Leader: Lord, in your mercy, People: Hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer (unison)

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.

DEPARTING IN JOY Hymn “In Christ Alone” (verses 1 & 4; hymn on following pages)

(You are invited to sing.)

Benediction and Blessing

Leader: Whoever you are, wherever you go in God’s wide world, Whatever happens to you of good or ill, always remember that . . . People: Jesus is Lord! Leader: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of

the Holy Spirit be with you always. People: Amen.

Postlude “Trumpet Voluntary” (John Stanley, arr. Henry Coleman)

“In Christ Alone” (verses 1 & 4)

WORSHIP NOTES New to Central? Thank you for joining us online today. Central Reformed Church is located on the corner of College and Fulton in the Heritage Hill neighborhood of downtown Grand Rapids. Our mission is to connect all people to God and to one another through scripture, sacrament, song, and service. We have been in ministry for almost 180 years and are a part of the Reformed Church in America, a Chris-tian denomination that began in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1628. We look forward to be-ing able to worship with you in person once the COVID-19 crisis is over. Until then, please stay safe. Second Hour: This morning, Pastor Steve will facilitate a discussion on race, equality, and hope with guest Ted Gregory of Columbia University. Why is racism still a problem in the United States? What does a more equitable society look like? How can we be more committed to unbiased choices and pro-mote antiracism in all the vicissitudes of life? Through sharing his personal story and experiences, Ted will carefully unpack the zeitgeist of America in the year 2020 and offer us hope for the future. Pastor Steve and Ted have been friends since 2008, and they warmly welcome you to this important conversa-tion. Join us at 11:00 am (or earlier, if you'd like to participate in the virtual coffee hour) by clicking on this link—https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87396021982?pwd=TklvVFlBTGxrUjU1SEpVbDRneEtLQT09—or by going to www.zoom.us/join and entering the meeting ID (873 9602 1982) and password (050841). In Our Prayers: our visitors (we thank God for you!); all those battling cancer; all those ministering to and caring for the sick and grieving; all who are unemployed; all those discouraged and anxious; those recovering from medical procedures. Next Sunday, August 2: Join us for our live stream worship service at 9:30 am. Pre-service music will begin at 9:20 am. We continue our summer sermon series on the Book of Romans. Pastor Steve will be preaching with a sermon titled “A Rare Depth of Love,” based on Romans 9:1-5. We will also be celebrat-ing the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Please invite others to join you online. Media Connections: Today’s service is available via live stream through our website at centralre-formedchurch.org. Audio of past sermons is also available. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram: @centralreformed. Giving: Thank you for your continued financial generosity to Central. As always, you are welcome to mail your gifts to the church office. (Staff check the mailbox a couple of times a week.) Online donations are also gratefully received. To make a one-time or recurring gift either via credit card or via your bank account, please visit www.centralreformedchurch.org/give and click on the purple “Give Now” button, which will take you to Tithely, Central's online giving platform.

Cover Art: Psalm 85 © John August Swanson | Eyekons “In Christ Alone” and “Before the Throne of God Above” reprinted with permission (CCLI license #2931504)

“Nothing in Height or in Depth” words and music: John Bell, Iona Community Permission via One License #729524A

Central Reformed Church

10 College Avenue NE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

616.456.1773 centralreformedchurch.org

Connecting all people to God and to one another through scripture, sacrament, song, and service.

WORSHIP LEADERS Preacher: Rev. Steven D. Pierce

Liturgist: Brian Andrew Director of Music Ministries: Taemin Han

Principal Organist: Norma de Waal Malefyt First Lesson Reader: Britta Bailey

Vocalists: Carlos Lemagne, Jodi MacLean Video Tech: Alex Grigoriev

Sound Tech: Tom Smith