Welcome

Gathering & Call to Worship

Ruth 2:4
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.

Song

Put not your hope in the nation;
Put not your hope in a king.
Trust in the only one who opens eyes
and sets the prisoner free.

He is the maker of heaven;
He formed the earth and the sea.
Our help will come from the Lord our God,
our gracious king of peace.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

He is the hope of the hungry;
He is the Lord of the feast.
Our Father’s house always opens wide
to welcome refugees.

The fatherless find a Father;
The widow rests in His strength.
The heart of God is forever home
to all the poor and weak.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Words & Music by Wendell Kimbrough & Paul Zach. © 2017 Wendell Kimbrough (BMI) & Paul Zach Publishing (SESAC). Used by permission, CCLI #220360

Service of Confession & Assurance

Call to Confession

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.”
—Isaiah 1:18

Knowing and trusting in God’s forgiveness, let us confess our sin 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 neighbors 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

Hear the good news of the gospel:
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, there is no condemnation.
—Romans 8:34

The Peace

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

Call to Holy Living

Hear what Jesus says, the beautifully simple call that God has placed on our lives:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.
—John 13:34-35

Song

Welcome of New Members: Tim & Linda Dykstra

This morning we have the privilege of welcoming Tim & Linda Dykstra as members of 14th Street at our in-person service. You can read more about Tim & Linda and see a picture below. Next time you see them, please greet them and warmly welcome them into the life of our church family.

We both have a long history in the CRC. Linda went to South Olive Christian School (with Ann VanZalen) and then on to Holland Christian. Tim went to Westside Christian (Dan Day was Tim’s 6th grade teacher) before attending Calvin Christian, and we met while our families were camping at the CR Conference Grounds. We’ve been married for 36 years and have been blessed with three children, raising our family while at South Olive CRC. Now they are all thriving adults. Our oldest son, Tyler, lives at home and is a founding member of St. Willibrord Eastern Orthodox Church. He works at Legacy Icons with Andrew Fisher, who invited us to 14th Street. Our son Josh and his wife Brit live in Caledonia and have three children. (3 ½-week-old Eldyn is doing well at home and bonding with his family. Thank you for your care and prayers on their behalf.) Our daughter Kayla, her husband Paul, and their two sons live in Holland Heights. Linda is a part-time RN with Spectrum Health Medical Group inside of Holland Hospital for cardiology physicians. Tim is a semi-retired real estate broker with Ally Real Estate. We purchased a condo at Thornapple Ridge last year, and with the remodeling completed, we are really enjoying our new home and our many wonderful neighbors, including Ruth and Jackie Yeomans! Due to COVID-19 isolation we also got a puppy this summer. Daisy is a "friend magnet" to everyone she meets.We truly believe God brought us to our new church home! We have been blessed to be a part of 14th Street as visitors, and now we look forward to meeting more of you in the months ahead!

Time with Children

Prayer of Illumination

Gracious God, as we turn to your Word for us,
our community is scattered,
and it is easy for our hearts to be scattered.
May the Spirit of God rest upon us,
drawing your scattered people together,
and focusing our scattered hearts.
Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking,
in our believing, and in our living.
Amen.

Scripture Reading

Genesis 11:1-9; 12:1-4a

11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. 

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

Sermon

The Lord Scattered Them

Prayers of the People

Opening

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

Petitions

From disease and pestilence,
O Lord, protect us.
From fear and despair,
O Lord, protect us.
From cynicism and division,
O Lord, protect us.
For our students and our teachers,
O Lord, protect them.
For our doctors and our healthcare workers,
O Lord, protect them.
For our elderly and our high-risk,
O Lord, protect them.
For all of us, in your tender care,
O Lord, protect us.

Prayer for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 (Holland Deacons Conference & Brothers House Paper Goods Drive) through the Give button below.

Doxology

We invite you to sing the Doxology with just the voices in your home. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100:1).

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Text: Thomas Ken, 1709, P.D.
Tune: (OLD HUNDREDTH): Louis Bourgeois, 1551, P.D. 

God’s Parting Words

Jude 24-25

God may scatter us,
but his judgment is always a mercy.
He does not leave us scattered,
but gathers us home,
and will one day draw us to himself.
He is faithful; he will do it.

To him who is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy,
to the only God our Savior,
be glory, majesty, power, and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore.
Amen.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.