Dear Friends,

Over this past year, we’ve been so grateful for those of you who have continued to worship faithfully with us using the online liturgy. Some of you are members of 14th Street, others are relationally connected to 14th Street in some way, and others have dipped your toes in as guests. We hope this weekly service has been a means of grace for you, and a source of God’s provision for you in this strangest of years.

If you haven’t received our recent communication, we wanted to let you know that beginning July 4 we will no longer be providing an online worship service. You can find the full update about our worship plans moving forward here. If you live locally, we’d love for you to come join us in person. If you’re not ready to worship inside yet, the service will be projected on a screen outside under our canopy as well (14 W. 14th Street). If you live farther away, we do hope you’re connected to and invested in a local church. If you’re not, please reach out to us (616.396.8182; info@14thstreetcrc.org). We’d love to help you connect with a church where you are.

Thanks again for your faithfulness in worshiping with us. Even though we never heard each other’s voices, our Father who sees in secret (Matthew 6:6) was glorified, and received our praise.

The Lord be with you,

14th Street CRC

Gathering

Call to Worship

Psalm 124:8;
2 Corinthians 13:14

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Our help is in the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen!

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Prayer of Adoration

Psalm 30:1-5

Song

Confession and Assurance

Call to Confession Psalm 130:1-4

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

Let us confess our sins before almighty God.

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you
with our whole heart and mind and strength.
We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be,
so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon Romans 8:34; Psalm 130:5-7

Hear the good news!

Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us,
Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.
In Christ, you are forgiven.

Therefore, I wait for the LORD,
my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
Hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.

The Peace

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.

Song

Prayer for Illumination

Gracious God, as we turn to your Word for us,
may the Spirit of God rest upon us.
Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking,
in our believing, and in our living. Amen. 

Scripture Reading

Mark 1:35-39

1 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. 

Sermon

Rev. Reggie Smith, Christian Reformed Church Director of Diversity

Song

For God alone, I wait in silence;
My soul is still before the Lord.
He is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress strong; I trust in Him.

Chorus
I’ll not be shaken! I’ll not be shaken,
For all my hope is in His love.
From God alone comes my salvation;
I wait and trust His steadfast love!

Put not your hope in gain of riches;
Seek not your rest in empty wealth.
The rich are weak; the poor are mighty,
Who turn to God alone for help. Chorus

Pour out your heart to God our refuge
And trust in Him to hear you cry.
No other hope will never fail you;
No other love will not run dry. Chorus

Text: Wendell Kimbrough, ©2015. Used by permission, CCLI# 220360

Our Prayers of the People this morning were written by 14th Street Member, Phil DeVries.

Our Father in heaven:

Lord God, we come to you this morning with thanks that you care for us and your world as a father; full of truth, and full of grace.  We are grateful that this morning is another step in returning to normal after the long season of the Covid pandemic.  We have felt your care in the last year, and we ask for you to continue to be our father, from year to year, and generation to generation.

Our family has suffered the death and declining health of some members this past year, but this week we also thank you for the healthy birth of Charles Wolter.  We call ourselves a church family - use us to comfort the sick, befriend the lonely, care for those in need, and to demonstrate your love with everyone we encounter.

Hallowed be your Name:

Lord, we call you holy -- for you are different than the gods of this world and the gods of our own making.  Your holiness may cause us to tremble, but rather show us the wonder of your person, that you are the true God, who created and sustains the universe, yet also comes to earth, Father, Son, and Spirit, to demonstrate your love to all.  Show us and empower us to live our lives as a testimony to your holiness, that when people look at us, they see you.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

The world is not at peace.  We often enjoy our corner of the world and forget that in many parts of the world, even in our own country, state, and town, your kingdom seems very far away indeed.  We are inclined to exchange the humility, grace, and love you call us to to arrogance, judgment, and hatred.  We cannot make your kingdom come, but continue to show us through your word and the witness of your people, what your kingdom looks like.  Help us to live as citizens, first and foremost, of your kingdom, with our allegiance to you before all others.  And Lord, we ask that you exert yourself, that you bring your kingdom to the world, and to those who so desperately need your love and the love of your children.  May we be witnesses to its coming, and witnesses to the world.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Lord, we are not in control of our own destiny.  Our plans are flawed and come to naught; our great accomplishments are forgotten by the next generation; and our attempts to build your kingdom by our strength fail.  We prepare for the future with our children and our retirement plans and investments, forgetting that all of the good we have comes from you.

Lord, we believe but do not live as though we depend fully on you for our well-being.  So we ask that you give us what we stand in need of.  Most of our brothers and sisters across the world have not the material wealth that we do -- make us humble in knowing that our wealth is a gift from you that we must use also to care for others.  May we trust in your provision.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

For people who preach a gospel of grace, we so easily call forth judgment on our neighbors.  Christians around the world, even in our own community, cannot communicate civilly because we would rather judge their political or theological errors.  We are quick to judge the evil so obvious in others, but loathe to even notice the evil within ourselves

Lord, you have forgiven us much.  Teach us grace, and how to forgive others, in order to be like you and to be people of your grace.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

We easily fall into evil ways, and we easily are intimidated by the evil we encounter in our world.  By your death and resurrection you have overcome evil, and canceled the sin in our own lives.  We ask that you make the power of your resurrection evident in the world, in our church, and in our lives.  Evil is defeated, but not yet gone.  Protect us from the power of evil, but also make us agents of the power of your resurrection in the world we live in.

The world is yours.  The kingdom is yours.  All power and glory are yours.  May we live as citizens of your kingdom, to your glory.

By the love of the Father
the work of the Son,
and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Offering

In addition to our various funds (General, Building, Mission, Benevolence, Christian Education), online giving is also now available for today’s special offerings (Brother’s House III and Ladder Homes) through the Give button below.

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God’s Parting Words

Numbers 6:24-25

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.

Amen.

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