Central Reformed Church Third Sunday after Pentecost June 21, 2020
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Central Reformed Church
Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 21, 2020REFLECTION
“We share one bundle of life with Christ in what He has done. All that He has accomplished
for us in our human nature is, through union with Him, true for us and, in a sense, of us.
He ‘died to sin, once for all’; ‘He lives to God’ (Romans 6:10). He came under the dominion
of sin in death, but death could not master Him.
He rose and broke the power of both sin and death. Now He lives forever in resurrection
life to God. The same is as true of us as if we had been with Him on the cross, in the tomb,
and on the resurrection morning!
We miss the radical nature of Paul’s teaching here to our great loss.
So startling is it that we need to find a startling manner of expressing it. For what Paul is
saying is that sanctification means this: in relationship to sin and to God, the deter-
mining factor of my existence is no longer my past. It is Christ’s past.
The basic framework for my new existence in Christ is that I have become a ‘dead man
brought to life’ and must think of myself in those terms: dead to sin and alive to God in un-
ion with Jesus Christ our Lord.”
–Sinclair Ferguson, “Christian Spirituality: The Reformed View of Sanctification,”
in Some Pastors and Teachers (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2017), 533.ORDER OF WORSHIP
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JUNE 21, 2020
9:30 am
(We invite you to quiet your homes as you prepare for worship.)
____________________________________________________________
GATHERING IN LOVE
Prelude “Meditation on ‘It Is Well with My Soul’” (Charles Callahan)
“It Is Well” (Jason W. Krug)
“Partita on ‘All Creatures of Our God and King’” (Charles Callahan)
Welcome
Votum, Call to Worship (from Psalm 124 and Romans 6)
Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
People: Amen.
Leader : All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.
We know that the old self was crucified with him so that we might no longer be
enslaved to sin. Consider yourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus.
People: Thanks be to God!
Hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King”
(You are invited to sing.)
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And everyone of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part.
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and cast on God your care!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!All creatures, your Creator bless,
And worship God in humbleness.
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Salutation
Leader: May grace, mercy, and God’s peace be ours, through God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
Invitation to Confession
Psalm 86 is an expression of deep trust and fervent prayer in times of trouble. In verses 1-5 we
read, “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I
am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; be gracious to me, O
Lord, for to you do I cry all day long. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift
up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call
on you.” In confidence in God’s compassion, graciousness, covenant faithfulness, and truthful-
ness, let us confess our sins.
Prayer of Confession (unison)
Merciful God,
whose very name is Love,
you never turn away from anyone who seeks you.
Like the tax collector who cried for mercy,
keep us honest and humble in our prayer,
receiving your forgiveness in our broken lives and proclaiming your salvation,
available to all the world through Jesus Christ. Amen.
(silent meditation)
Assurance of Pardon
The psalmist continues, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an
undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me…” (Psalm 86:11-
13a). How blessed are we to have such a merciful God who is always ready to help us and com-
fort us.
Musical Reflection “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven;
There is no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgment given.For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind;
And the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind.
Make our love, O God, more faithful, let us take you at your word,
And our lives will be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.
Peace
Leader: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
LISTENING IN EXPECTATION
First Lesson Genesis 21:8-21
The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, play-
ing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the
son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” The matter was very dis-
tressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed be-
cause of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells
you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave
woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early
in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her
shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the
wilderness of Beer-sheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went
and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do
not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice
and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heav-
en, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of
the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a
great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and
filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with
the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of
Egypt.
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Children’s Moment
Second Lesson Romans 6:1b-11
Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died
to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death,so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk
in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin
might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed
from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know
that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over
him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you
also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Leader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Sermon “God Provides for Us”
Rev. Steven D. Pierce
Prayer for a Blessing on the Word
Anthem “Lord, I Stretch My Hands to You” (Jay Althouse)
Lord, I stretch my hands to you; no other help I know.
If you should leave me all alone, where, then, shall I go? Oh, Lord.
I give my soul to you; I seek your care and love.
No other blessings do I need but those from you above.
Lord, I ask you: give me faith and help me understand.
And, Lord, when I this life shall leave, just hold me in your hand.
Lord, I stretch my hands to you; no other help I know.
If you should leave me all alone, where, then, shall I go?
Oh, Lord, I stretch my hands to you. Amen.
RESPONDING IN FAITH
Affirmation of Faith (Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 60)
Leader: How are you righteous before God?
People: Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.
Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned
against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them,
and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any
merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the
perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had
never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obe-
dient as Christ was obedient for me.
All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.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 Grace Episcopal 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 “God, the Father of Your People” (hymn on next page)
(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 “Festive Trumpet Tune” (David German)“God, the Father of Your People”
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: Last week, the Reformed Church in America marked the 10th anniversary of the adop-
tion of the Belhar Confession as a doctrinal standard of our denomination. (The other three are the Hei-
delberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and the Belgic Confession.) The Belhar, written during apartheid
rule in South Africa, speaks boldly of God's justice, Christ's reconciliation, and our call to participate in
the visible unity of the Church. This Sunday for Second Hour, it is an honor to welcome as our guest
speaker the eminent South African theologian Dirk Smit, one of the Belhar Confession's principal au-
thors. Dr. Smit, who now holds the Rimmer and Ruth deVries chair in Reformed Theology and Public
Life at Princeton Seminary, served as a pastor in South Africa before becoming a professor of systematic
theology at the University of the Western Cape and then Stellenbosch University. Join us at 11 a.m. (or
earlier, if you'd like to participate in the virtual coffee hour) for a conversation with Dr. Smit about the
call to unity amidst polarization and the relevance of the Belhar in our times. You can join the virtual
coffee hour and/or the second hour discussion 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: the fathers or father-like figures in our lives who are with us in body or in spirit (we
thank God for you!); all those battling cancer; all those ministering to and caring for the sick and griev-
ing; all who are unemployed; our nation during this time of unrest; all law enforcement personnel; all
peaceful protesters; all those discouraged and anxious, especially during the coronavirus crisis.
Next Sunday, June 28: Join us for our live stream worship service at 9:30 am. Preservice music will
begin at 9:15 am. Jeff Chu, teacher in residence, will be preaching with a sermon titled “Living as Ones
Set Free,” based on Romans 6:12-23. We will also be ordaining and installing newly elected elders and
deacons. Please invite others to join you online.
Media Connections: Please visit Central’s YouTube channel, where morning devotions are available,
along with other resources. You can access it with the following link: https://www.youtube.com/
channel/UC3FOD-Tc5g5v8kZV35rqGGQ. Today’s service is available via live stream through our web-
site at centralreformedchurch.org. Audio of past sermons is also available. Follow us on Facebook or In-
stagram: @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: Detail of Folio 21v: "King David Tuning His Harp," The Hunterian Psalter, Glasgow University Library.
“All Creatures of Our God and King” words: Francis of Assisi; music: Geistliche Kirchengesang
“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” words: Frederick Faber, adapt. Gregg DeMey; music: Gregg DeMey
“Lord, I Stretch My Hands to You” words and music: Jay Althouse, Hope Publishing Co.
“God, the Father of Your People” words: Faith Alive Christian Resources; music: Covenant Publications
Permission via One License #729524A.WORSHIP LEADERS
Preacher and Liturgist: Rev. Steven D. Pierce
Director of Music Ministries: Taemin Han
Principal Organist: Norma de Waal Malefyt
First Lesson Reader: Jennifer Andrew
Vocalist: Sofia Vazquez Maccio
Video Tech: Alex Grigoriev
Sound Tech: Nick Loubert
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.You can also read
