Welcome
Thank you so much for joining us! The following page will take you through the order of worship for this Sunday.
If you are new, welcome! We also want to invite you to learn more about us. You can do so by selecting the button below.
If you are new, welcome! We also want to invite you to learn more about us. You can do so by selecting the button below.
A few tips for parents:
- Plan for your time – read through the guide and prepare the room where you are gathering
- Make your time joyful – have fun!!!
- Remember, it’s primarily about a relationship, not a task to scratch off
- Have your kids participate in age and maturity appropriate ways – reading, singing, etc.
Time of Reflection
“The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. ‘One word of truth outweighs the world.’”
~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), novelist and Soviet dissident
“I freed thousands of slaves, but I would have freed hundreds more had they known they were slaves.”
~Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), key leader of the Underground Railroad
“God cannot be Word-less, for the Word is God. Here then is a God who could never be anything but communicative, expansive, outgoing. Since God cannot be without this Word, he simply could not ever be reclusive.”
~Michael Reeves, president of Union School of Theology (Oxford)
“Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”
~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and thinker
“We should challenge the relativism that tells us there is no right or wrong, when every instinct of our mind knows it is not so, and is a mere excuse to allow us to indulge in what we believe we can get away with. A world without values quickly becomes a world without value.”
“The idols of today are unmistakable – self-esteem without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle and experience without commitment.”
“Freedom is a moral achievement, and without a constant effort of education it atrophies and must be fought for again.”
~Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), British Orthodox rabbi and writer
“Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat-out denial of the gospel of grace.”
~Brennan Manning (1934-2013), Franciscan priest and author
~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), novelist and Soviet dissident
“I freed thousands of slaves, but I would have freed hundreds more had they known they were slaves.”
~Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), key leader of the Underground Railroad
“God cannot be Word-less, for the Word is God. Here then is a God who could never be anything but communicative, expansive, outgoing. Since God cannot be without this Word, he simply could not ever be reclusive.”
~Michael Reeves, president of Union School of Theology (Oxford)
“Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”
~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and thinker
“We should challenge the relativism that tells us there is no right or wrong, when every instinct of our mind knows it is not so, and is a mere excuse to allow us to indulge in what we believe we can get away with. A world without values quickly becomes a world without value.”
“The idols of today are unmistakable – self-esteem without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle and experience without commitment.”
“Freedom is a moral achievement, and without a constant effort of education it atrophies and must be fought for again.”
~Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), British Orthodox rabbi and writer
“Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat-out denial of the gospel of grace.”
~Brennan Manning (1934-2013), Franciscan priest and author
Opening Prayer
(select someone from your group to open your service in prayer)
Call to Worship
Psalm 33:1-5 (ESV)
LEADER: Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
PEOPLE: Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
LEADER: Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
PEOPLE: For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
LEADER: He loves righteousness and justice;
PEOPLE: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
LEADER: Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
PEOPLE: Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
LEADER: Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
PEOPLE: For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
LEADER: He loves righteousness and justice;
PEOPLE: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Songs & Liturgy
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
BEHOLD OUR GOD
(Jonathan Baird, Meghan Baird, Ryan Baird, Stephen Altrogge)
(Jonathan Baird, Meghan Baird, Ryan Baird, Stephen Altrogge)
Who has held the oceans in His hands?
Who has numbered every grain of sand?
Kings and nations tremble at His voice.
All creation rises to rejoice.
CHORUS:
Behold our God, seated on His throne.
Come, let us adore Him.
Behold our King, nothing can compare,
Come, let us adore Him!
Who has given counsel to the Lord?
Who can question any of His words?
Who can teach the one who knows all things?
Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds?
(CHORUS)
Who has felt the nails upon His hands.
Bearing all the guilt of sinful man?
God eternal, humbled to the grave,
Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign!
(CHORUS)
BRIDGE:
You will reign forever! (Let Your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill)
(CHORUS)
©2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). CCLI #1791178
Who has numbered every grain of sand?
Kings and nations tremble at His voice.
All creation rises to rejoice.
CHORUS:
Behold our God, seated on His throne.
Come, let us adore Him.
Behold our King, nothing can compare,
Come, let us adore Him!
Who has given counsel to the Lord?
Who can question any of His words?
Who can teach the one who knows all things?
Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds?
(CHORUS)
Who has felt the nails upon His hands.
Bearing all the guilt of sinful man?
God eternal, humbled to the grave,
Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign!
(CHORUS)
BRIDGE:
You will reign forever! (Let Your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill the earth)
You will reign forever! (Let your glory fill)
(CHORUS)
©2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI). CCLI #1791178
PSALM MEDITATION: Psalm 33:6-17 (ESV)
LEADER: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
PEOPLE: He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
LEADER: Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
PEOPLE: For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
LEADER: The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
PEOPLE: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
LEADER: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
PEOPLE: The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
LEADER: From where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
PEOPLE: He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
LEADER: The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
PEOPLE: The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
LEADER: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
PEOPLE: He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
LEADER: Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
PEOPLE: For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
LEADER: The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
PEOPLE: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
LEADER: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
PEOPLE: The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
LEADER: From where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
PEOPLE: He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
LEADER: The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
PEOPLE: The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
Sharing
(as a lead into the Prayer Time, as a group share how you are feeling and what you are learning; below are suggested questions)
Prayer Time
(You may have an open time of prayer or select someone to pray)
- Pray for our church’s short and long-term meeting place needs, that God would give us favor in the eyes of those in authority and that He would give us provision that would go far beyond all that we could ask or imagine.
- Pray for our world – that the good news of Jesus Christ would flourish and that many would come to know God genuinely and personally.
- Pray for those experiencing injustices; specifically, that God would bring hope, reconciliation, and restoration through the good news of His Son, and that we would be agents of this reconciliation.
- Pray for those in authority at every level in our country, that they would govern wisely and justly.
Listen to Sermon
“How to Seek God in Troubled Times”
preached by Pastor Don Willeman
preached by Pastor Don Willeman
Song of Response
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE
(Charitie Bancroft, 1841, Vikki Cook)
(Charitie Bancroft, 1841, Vikki Cook)
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav’n he stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there,
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied,
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
©1997 PDI Worship CCLI #1791178
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav’n he stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there,
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied,
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
©1997 PDI Worship CCLI #1791178
Confession of Faith
Nicene Creed (AD 381)
LEADER: Christians, what do you believe?
CONGREGATION: We believe in one GOD THE FATHER Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one LORD JESUS CHRIST, the only-begotten* Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the HOLY SPIRIT, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one Holy Catholic** and Apostolic*** Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* a technical term concerning the shared being of God the Father and God the Son
** universal
*** based on the teaching of Jesus’s apostles
LEADER: Christians, what do you believe?
CONGREGATION: We believe in one GOD THE FATHER Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one LORD JESUS CHRIST, the only-begotten* Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the HOLY SPIRIT, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one Holy Catholic** and Apostolic*** Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* a technical term concerning the shared being of God the Father and God the Son
** universal
*** based on the teaching of Jesus’s apostles
Sharing Time
(have everyone share one thing that struck them from the sermon)
Closing Meditation
Psalm 33:18-22 (ESV)
LEADER: Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
PEOPLE: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
LEADER: For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
ALL: Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
LEADER: Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
PEOPLE: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
LEADER: For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
ALL: Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Benediction
(The leader or individual should read this aloud relishing in the confident assertion that Christ has conquered.)
Luke 12:29-32
LEADER: Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
PEOPLE: Amen!
Luke 12:29-32
LEADER: Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
PEOPLE: Amen!
Worshipping God through Giving
God has called us to be generous. He has entrusted this earth and all that is in it to us, but it is, ultimately, His! The Father gave what was most precious to Him, His own Son, in order to die for our sins. He has given to us abundantly beyond all that we could possibly ask or imagine! He is a benevolent and generous Giver! So, we give.
First, we want to remind you to continue your regular giving to CRC. This supports the ongoing work and ministry here in the Upper Valley and around the world through our missions support. Second, please consider giving to our Benevolence Fund, which supports local community care, both inside and outside the church. This is vitally important right now! As we see needs sprouting up around the community, we want to be positioned to extend a loving hand of support to those in need.
Giving Numbers
Budgeted Giving YTD: $617,100
Actual Giving to Date: $530,196
Difference: (-$86,904)
Missions Giving YTD: $112,266
updated as of 11/30
First, we want to remind you to continue your regular giving to CRC. This supports the ongoing work and ministry here in the Upper Valley and around the world through our missions support. Second, please consider giving to our Benevolence Fund, which supports local community care, both inside and outside the church. This is vitally important right now! As we see needs sprouting up around the community, we want to be positioned to extend a loving hand of support to those in need.
Giving Numbers
Budgeted Giving YTD: $617,100
Actual Giving to Date: $530,196
Difference: (-$86,904)
Missions Giving YTD: $112,266
updated as of 11/30