THE FIRST LESSON Luke 8:26-39
THE SECOND LESSON Psalm 42 Hymn 190
SERMON "Deep Calls To Deep"
Worship Notes
Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. During these summer weeks, and throughout the Pentecost season, we sustain a purposeful focus on God's gift of the Holy Spirit and on its presence at work within and through us. The red cloth, which first adorned the sanctuary on Pentecost Sunday, remains in place as a visible symbol of the Holy Spirit.
During worship in June, the scriptural basis for our proclamation of God's Word will be the Psalms. In worship, we strive always to balance praise, proclamation, and prayer. The Psalms are among the oldest prayers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Psalms are also among the first hymns of the early church. Therefore, in worship today we incorporate Psalm texts throughout our liturgy and song.
The Psalm of the Day is Psalm 42, which is perhaps best characterized as a Psalm of sorrow that is tempered by the hope that grows from faith in God. In worship today, we wrestle with what sorrow means for us as individuals and as a community of faith. Our opening hymn, "When Morning Guilds the Skies" suggests that even when sadness fills our minds, our response includes praise of God. As we respond to God's word proclaimed, we pray using the text of Psalm 42 and experience a purposeful movement from sorrow to hope as we sing the beautiful and prayerful hymn, "Lord of All Hopefulness." The offertory duet is a setting of the text of Psalm 42 and the sending hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," articulates our belief that God's word provides us with the foundation for the hope and assurance we seek no matter our circumstance, mood, or emotional state, or experience.
