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
“I simply argue that the cross be raised again,
at the centre of the marketplace, as well as on the steeple of the church.
I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified
in a cathedral between two candles but on a cross between two thieves;
on a town garbage heap; at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan
that they had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek…
and at the kind of place where cynics talk smut,
and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died, and that is what He died about.
~George MacLeod (1895-1991), Scottish clergyman
“The idols of today are unmistakable – self-esteem without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle…”
~Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), British Orthodox rabbi and writer
“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair…the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing.”
~Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957), writer and poet
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate…adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), slain civil rights leader
“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), novelist and famed Soviet dissident
“Today’s…violence was a tragic illustration of what happens to a nation when it abandons God’s person, principles, and policies…. The result is chaos, conflict, and lawlessness. Only a radical return to God by His people will change this.”
~Dr. Tony Evans, pastor and author regarding the Capitol Building riot
“I really do not know what will remain of civilization and history if the accumulated influence of Christ…is eradicated from literature, art, practical dealings, moral standards and creativeness in the different activities of mind and spirit.”
~Dr. Charles Habib Malik (1906-1987), Lebanese President of the United Nations
at the centre of the marketplace, as well as on the steeple of the church.
I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified
in a cathedral between two candles but on a cross between two thieves;
on a town garbage heap; at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan
that they had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek…
and at the kind of place where cynics talk smut,
and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died, and that is what He died about.
~George MacLeod (1895-1991), Scottish clergyman
“The idols of today are unmistakable – self-esteem without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle…”
~Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020), British Orthodox rabbi and writer
“In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair…the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing.”
~Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957), writer and poet
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate…adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), slain civil rights leader
“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), novelist and famed Soviet dissident
“Today’s…violence was a tragic illustration of what happens to a nation when it abandons God’s person, principles, and policies…. The result is chaos, conflict, and lawlessness. Only a radical return to God by His people will change this.”
~Dr. Tony Evans, pastor and author regarding the Capitol Building riot
“I really do not know what will remain of civilization and history if the accumulated influence of Christ…is eradicated from literature, art, practical dealings, moral standards and creativeness in the different activities of mind and spirit.”
~Dr. Charles Habib Malik (1906-1987), Lebanese President of the United Nations
Opening Prayer
(select someone from your group to open your service in prayer)
Call to Worship
Psalm 37:1-11 (ESV)
LEADER: Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
PEOPLE: Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
LEADER: Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
PEOPLE: Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
LEADER: Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
PEOPLE: In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
LEADER: Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
PEOPLE: Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
LEADER: Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
PEOPLE: Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
LEADER: Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
PEOPLE: In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Songs & Liturgy
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
BLESSED BE YOUR NAME
(Matt Redman, Beth Redman)
(Matt Redman, Beth Redman)
Blessed be Your name,
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name,
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness,
Blessed be Your name.
CHORUS:
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name.
Blessed be Your name,
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all as it should be,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name,
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name.
(CHORUS)
You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
(CHORUS)
©2002 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI#1791178
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name,
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness,
Blessed be Your name.
CHORUS:
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name.
Blessed be Your name,
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all as it should be,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name,
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name.
(CHORUS)
You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
(CHORUS)
©2002 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI#1791178
PSALM MEDITATION: Psalm 37:12-36 (ESV)
LEADER: The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
PEOPLE: but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
LEADER: The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
PEOPLE: Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
LEADER: Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
PEOPLE: For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
LEADER: The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
PEOPLE: They are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
LEADER: But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
PEOPLE: The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
LEADER: For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
PEOPLE: The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
LEADER: Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
PEOPLE: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
LEADER: He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
PEOPLE: Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
LEADER: For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
PEOPLE: The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
LEADER: The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
PEOPLE: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
LEADER: The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
PEOPLE: The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
LEADER: Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
PEOPLE: I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
LEADER: But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
LEADER: The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
PEOPLE: but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
LEADER: The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
PEOPLE: Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
LEADER: Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
PEOPLE: For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
LEADER: The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
PEOPLE: They are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
LEADER: But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
PEOPLE: The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
LEADER: For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
PEOPLE: The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
LEADER: Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
PEOPLE: I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
LEADER: He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
PEOPLE: Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
LEADER: For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
PEOPLE: The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
LEADER: The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
PEOPLE: The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
LEADER: The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
PEOPLE: The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
LEADER: Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
PEOPLE: I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
LEADER: But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
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
“Seeking 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)
ALL I HAVE IS CHRIST
(Jordan Kauflin)
(Jordan Kauflin)
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place.
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ.
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ.
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.
©2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) CCLI License #1791178
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place.
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ.
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ.
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.
©2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) CCLI License #1791178
Confession of Faith
1 Timothy 3:16
LEADER: And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:
CONGREGATION: God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Nations,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
LEADER: And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:
CONGREGATION: God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Nations,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
Sharing Time
(have everyone share one thing that struck them from the sermon)
Closing Meditation
Psalm 37:37-40 (ESV)
LEADER: Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
PEOPLE: But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
LEADER: The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
ALL: The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
LEADER: Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
PEOPLE: But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
LEADER: The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
ALL: The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
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