Covenant Church
an ecumenical liberal baptist congregation
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A Service of Worship for
May 17, 2020


I, the fiery life of divine wisdom,
I ignite the beauty of the plains,
I sparkle the waters,
I burn in the sun,
and the moon,
and the stars.
With wisdom I order ALL rightly.
Above ALL I determine truth.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
Worship Order
Worship notes are also included at the bottom of this page.
​

With this link you can make a donation to Covenant through PayPal or a credit card. 

Prelude
“Prelude in C major” by Johann Pachelbel. Patrick Parker, organ.

​Call to Worship

Opening Sentences
You speak in silence
and all languages interpret you.
You are the truth of all words,
their permanence and their comfort
and every person who listens with an open mind
can hear you in his language
and in her own life.
Put words into our mouths, then,
that comfort and shed light,
make us alive to justice and to right,
groan in us for a new creation,
guide our hearts and our faith,
let our thoughts and our labors be fruitful
and give us the bread of peace. 



​Scripture Lesson: John 14:15-21

​Time for Children
childrens_page_5-17.pdf
File Size: 289 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


​Call to Confession
Unison Confession
Move over the face of 
my deep, 
my darkness, 
my endless restless chaos, 
and create, 
O God; 
trouble me, 
comfort me, 
stir me up, 
and calm me, 
but do not cease 
to breathe your Spirit into 
my wakening soul.

​​
Music

"Rainbow Falls" by Melody Bober. Owen Stepp, piano.
​​
Music

"Ode to Joy" by Ludwig van Beethoven. Sterling Alexander, clarinet.                       
​​​​Proclamation

​Hymn

“O Christ We Trust Your Promise” is by Carolyn Winfrey Gillete, led by The Covenant Singers. 
​

(You are invited to sing along, the words are within and below the video.)
O Christ, we trust your promise that we are not alone,
for God still dwells among us to make in us a home.
God gives the Holy Spirit to teach us how to be
a loving, faithful people, a new community.
 
We find a real assurance within the peace you give;
the Advocate God sends us now shows us how to live.
When we're afraid or anxious, when sin is all we see,
the Spirit builds among us a new community.
 
Your love is your commandment both old and also new.
In this world's pain, it's urgent that we live love for you.
We're called to love and welcome the poor, the refugee
to serve with them, creating a new community.
 
So when we seek direction, remind us what is true:
the Advocate is with us to help us follow you.
Christ, guided by the Spirit, may we your people be
A loving, faithful witness in this community.

Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

-Peace Prayer of Saint Francis 
​
​Invitation

​Prayer of Dedication
To love is good, too: love being difficult. 
For one human being to love another: 
that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, 
the ultimate, the last test and proof, 
the work for which all other work is but preparation.



​Affirmation of Faith
When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never occurred to me that it might be so small. 

But here it is, not much bigger than a mustard seed—everything I need to remember how much my set ideas get in my way. 

While I am looking for something large, bright, and unmistakably holy, God slips something small, dark, and apparently negligible in my pocket. 

How many other treasures have I walked right by 
because they did not meet my standards? 
​
At least one of the day’s lessons is about learning to let go of my bright ideas about God so that my eyes are open to the God who is. 

​Benediction
And so, be at peace. Be at peace and love. And love. And love. And love.

Postlude
“Toccata” from 24 Pieces de fantaisie by Louis Vierne.
Patrick Parker, organ.

Worship Notes
​

The worship leader is Sabrina Neff.

The prelude is played by Patrick Parker, organ. 

The Call to Worship is “Poem” by Mary Oliver. 

The Opening Sentences are from Your Word is Near by Huub Oosterhuis.

The Unison Confession is from Night Visions by Jan L. Richardson.

“Rainbow Falls” is played by Owen Stepp, piano.

“Ode to Joy” is played by Sterling Alexander, clarinet.

The Prayer of Dedication is from Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. 

The Affirmation of Faith is from Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. 

“O Christ We Trust Your Promise” is by Carolyn Winfrey Gillete, led by The Covenant Singers. 
​
The postlude is played by Patrick Parker, organ.


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Covenant Church
4949 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004
office@covenanthouston.org
713-668-8830
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