Prelude Carolynne Waddington, soprano

Prepare the Way of the Lord Mark Hayes

Call to Worship

Doxology Old Hundredth

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heav’nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God and Father, we cast ourselves before your throne of grace. The burden of our sins is more than we can bear. We admit it is easier to hide from you than confess our guilt. But you know us better than we know ourselves. We confess before you what you see in us: every wrong act, every defiled thought, every sinful motive, each attempt to justify ourselves before you. Where our sin abounds, O God, let your grace much more abound! May we find in Christ our resting place, for the sake of your glory. Amen.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Invocation

Hymn 2: O Worship the King Lyons

O worship the King all-glorious above, O gratefully sing his pow’r and his love;
our shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of his might, O sing of his grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold, Almighty, your pow’r has founded of old;
has ‘stablished it fast by a changeless decree, and round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Your bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air; it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills; it descends to the plain; and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in you do we trust, nor find you to fail;
your mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless Might! Ineffable Love! While angels delight to hymn you above,
the humbler creation, though feeble their lays, with true adoration shall lisp to your praise.

Responsive Reading: Psalm 103:13–22

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Gloria Patri Meineke

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Nicene Creed

I 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 and 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 death and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I 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 spake by the prophets. And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of Intercession (concluding with The Lord’s Prayer)

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.

Announcements

Hymn: Before the Throne of God Above 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.

Offering Prayer

(Give online at tenth.org/about/giving or mail checks to: 1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: Be Still, My Soul arr. Irvin Nelson Carolynne Waddington, soprano

Scripture Reading: Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Sermon: The Shadow of Almighty Dr. Liam Goligher

Hymn 128: God Moves in a Mysterious Way Dundee

God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform;
he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill
he treasures up his bright designs, and works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding ev’ry hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain.

Benediction

Postlude: Partita on St. Anne: Fugue–Finale Paul Manz

Colin Howland, organ