Prelude Timothy Renner, baritone

Antiphon from Five Mystical Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams

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

Almighty God, you created us in your image to reflect your glory and care for your creation. Yet in Adam we fell, and our very nature is corrupted by sin. We desire that which you do not allow, and we do things which harm ourselves and one another. The world itself even bears the curse of our sin. O Lord, in your mercy destroy what is sinful in us and remake us into the image of Christ. Direct our lives by your Holy Spirit that we might serve and please you in newness of life. Amen.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: 1 Corinthians 15:48–49

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Invocation

Hymn 290: Hail the Day That Sees him Rise Llanfair

Hail the day that sees him rise; Alleluia!
to his throne beyond the skies; Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners giv’n, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heav’n. Alleluia!

There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!
lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
he has conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
take the King of glory in! Alleluia!

See, he lifts his hands above! Alleluia!
See, he shows the prints of love! Alleluia!
Hark! his gracious lips bestow Alleluia!
blessings on his church below. Alleluia!

Lord, beyond our mortal sight, Alleluia!
raise our hearts to reach thy height; Alleluia!
there thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
find our heav’n of heav’ns in thee! Alleluia!

Responsive Reading: Psalm 47

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

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 298: The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns St. Magnus

The head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now;
a royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow.

The highest place that heav’n affords is his, is his by right,
the King of kings and Lord of lords, and heav’n’s eternal Light:

The joy of all who dwell above, the joy of all below;
to whom he manifests his love, and grants his name to know.

To them the cross, with all its shame, with all its grace, is giv’n;
their name an everlasting name, their joy the joy of heav’n.

They suffer with their Lord below, they reign with him above;
their profit and their joy to know the myst’ry of his love.

The cross he bore is life and health, though shame and death to him;
his people’s hope, his people’s wealth, their everlasting theme.

Offering Prayer

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

Offertory: The Love of God arr. Mary McDonald Timothy Renner, baritone

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: A Shield and Buckler Dr. Liam Goligher

Hymn 305: Arise, My Soul, Arise Lenox

Arise, my soul, arise, shake off your guilty fears:
the bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears:
before the throne my Surety stands, before the throne my Surety stands,
my name is written on his hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede,
his all-redeeming love, his precious blood to plead;
his blood atoned for ev’ry race, his blood atoned for ev’ry race,
and sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary;
they pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me.
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry, “Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

My God is reconciled; his pard’ning voice I hear;
he owns me for his child, I can no longer fear;
with confidence I now draw nigh, with confidence I now draw nigh,
and “Father, Abba, Father!” cry.

Benediction

Postlude: Come, God Creator, Holy Ghost BWV 667 Johann Sebastian Bach

Aaron Patterson, organ