God Gives Us Life Everlasting

A worship service for the Vital Worship Grants Event 2021.

Opening Song: "Hope in God"

Text and Music: Psalms 42–43; Travis Ham, © 2016 Travis Ham.
Used by permission.

Led by Travis Ham, as featured in the Worship Symposium 2021 Psalm Gallery

Call to Worship:

The Spirit of God bids us, “Come.”
Let everyone who hears within their hearts “Come.”
Hear the whole earth rejoice and
the coastlands sing of our God’s steadfast love.

We come to rejoice in the Holy One, our God.
We give thanks for God sets us free!

[break bread]

Let everyone who is thirsty for the Spirit “Come.”
Let anyone who wishes “Come,”
and receive the water of life as a gift.

[pour juice]

We come to rejoice in the Holy One, our God.
We give thanks for God’s steadfast love
that brings joy to our hearts in the night,
lights our lives like the dawn,
and sets us free. Amen.

Led by Calvin Institute of Christian Worship staff and family: Betsy Steele Halstead, Noel, Jude, Hazel, and Nona Snyder, Paul and Sean Ryan, and Will Groenendyk

Song: "We Will Feast"

Text and Music: Sandra McCracken © 2015 Sandra McCracken and Joshua Moore
Used by permission. CCLI #400063.

Led by Sandra McCracken and band

Testimony: Pamela Green, Trinity UMC, Lake City, FL

Song: “Soon and Very Soon”

Text and Music: Andraé Crouch © 1971 Bud John Songs, Inc., admin. Capitol CMG Publishing
Used by permission. CCLI #400063.

Led by Vital Grants Board Member, James Abbington and the Sanctuary Vocal Ensemble at Friend Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA

Prayer for Illumination

Led by Calvin Institute of Christian Worship staff member, Kathy Smith

Scripture reading: Revelation 22:1-6

Led by friend of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Joy Elizabeth Lawrence

Meditation: "The River of Life"

Led by Vital Grants Board Member, Duane Kelderman

Song: "Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory"

Text and Music: Jeffrey A. LaValley; arr. Mark Hayes © 1985 and this arr. © 2019 by Peermusic III, Ltd., Savgos Music, Inc., and Candied Jamm Music; tr. Rosa Ramirez and January Lim
Used by permission. CCLI #400063.

Led by Vital Grants Board Member Julie Tai and the Fuller Theological Seminary Community, a recipient of a 2019 Teacher-Scholar Grant

Prayer for the concluding grantees

Led by Vital Grants Board Member, Kimberly Belcher

Prayer for the beginning grantees

Led by Vital Grants Board Member, Bill Johnston

Prayer for the communities represented at the event

Led by Calvin Institute of Christian Worship collaborating partner, David Bailey

Commissioning:

Go now from this service of worship
to the service of God’s people near and far,
refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers to you.
Listen for the parched voices of the least of these;
search out the dry places and the arid souls,
and become for them a spring of living water.
And as you go, may the blessings of the God of life,
the Christ of love, and the Spirit of grace
be upon you this day and forevermore. Amen.

Led by Calvin Institute of Christian Worship staff member, Kristen Verhulst

Blessing: Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Led by Calvin Institute of Christian Worship staff member, John Witvliet

Sung Blessing: "’Till We Meet Again”

Text and Music: Kirk Franklin © 1993 Lilly Mack Music, admin. Capitol CMG Publishing
Used by permission. CCLI #400063.

Led by the Calvin University Gospel Choir: Nate Glasper, Jr., director; Lisa Sung, piano; Joe Wilkins, keyboard; Denny Tawas, bass; Eron Lauchié, drums; Sam Fynewever, cello; Alia Johnson, dance

Videography at Calvin University was done by Matchframe Creative.

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