Part 4 of 4 in the
Sabbath Renewal Day 2012 Packet:
Worship
Resources
Rev.
Dale Rood, Dodge Center, MN
Calls
to Worship
The
call to worship is meant to invite people to come together in
worship. It is meant to make
people
aware of the presence of God in their midst as they have gathered to
worship. These call to
worship
sentences are chosen with that aspect of invitation in mind, and they
would be appropriate for any
gathering for worship. They are especially appropriate for Sabbath
worship, however, because worship
is especially appropriate on Sabbath.
Psalm
29:1-2; Psalm 95:6-7; Psalm 96:1-3; Psalm 100:4-5; Psalm 103:20-22;
Psalm 118:24; Psalm 122:1; Isaiah 40:4-5; Isaiah 40:28-31; Matthew
11:28-30; John 4:24; John 7:37b-38; Hebrews 2:9-11; Revelation 4:11;
Revelation 12:10-11
Responsive
Calls to Worship
Psalm
95:7-10a (NIV)
Leader:
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations.
People:
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
L:
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
P:
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
L:
Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness;
P:
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
ALL:
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
Psalm
100:4-5 (NIV)
Leader:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
People:
and into His courts with praise;
L:
Give thanks to Him,
P:
and bless His name.
L:
For the Lord is good,
P:
His love endures forever,
ALL:
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Matthew
11:28-30 (NKJV)
Leader:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
People:
and I will give you rest.
L:
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
P:
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
ALL:
and you will find rest for your souls.
L:
For My yoke is easy,
P:
and My burden is light.
Responsive
Scripture Reading
Exodus
20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12; Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Mark
2:27-28
Leader:
Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.
People:
Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
L:
But the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God.
P:
In it you shall do not work:
L:
you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
P:
nor your male servant, nor your female servant,
L:
nor your cattle,
P:
nor your stranger who is within your gates. (Ex. 20:8-10)
L:
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,…
P:
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt,…
L:
In six days the Lord made the sea, and all that is in them.
P:
The Lord your God brought out from Egypt by a mighty hand and by an
outstretched
arm;
L:
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
P:
Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
(Ex.
20:11, Dt. 5:12)
L:
Six days shall work be done,
P:
but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest,
L:
a holy convocation.
P:
You shall do no work on it;
L:
It is the Sabbath of the Lord
P:
in all your dwellings. (Lev. 23:3)
L:
If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
P:
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
L:
And call the Sabbath a delight,
P:
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
L:
And shall honor Him not doing your own ways,
P:
Nor finding your own pleasure,
L:
Nor speaking your own words,
P:
Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord. (Is 58:13-14a)
L:
Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil,
P:
to save life or to kill?
L:
The Sabbath was made for man,
P:
and not man for the Sabbath.
ALL:
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.
Isaiah
55:1-2, 6-11
Leader:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters;
People:
And you who have no money, Come buy and eat.
L:
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
P:
Without money and without price.
L:
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
P:
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
L:
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good.
P:
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.”
L:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
P:
Call upon Him while He is near.
L:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
P:
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
L:
Let him return to the Lord,
P:
And He will have mercy on him;
L:
And to our God,
P:
For He will abundantly pardon.
L:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
P:
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
L:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
P:
So are My ways higher than your ways,
ALL:
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
L:
For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven,
P:
And do not return there,
L:
But water the earth,
P:
And make it bring forth and bud,
L:
That it may give seed to the sower
P:
And bread to the eater.
L:
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
P:
It shall not return to Me void.
L:
But it shall accomplish what I please,
P:
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
For
The Beauty Of The Earth: A Responsive Reading with Hymn
Leader:
The heavens declare the glory of God
People:
And the firmament shows His handiwork. (Ps. 19:1)
L:
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
P:
The world and those who dwell therein.
L:
For He has founded it upon the seas,
P:
And established it upon the waters. (Ps. 24:1-2)
ALL:
Sing first stanza, “For the Beauty of the Earth”
L:
Day unto day utters speech,
P:
And night unto night reveals knowledge. (Ps. 19:2)
L:
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:
P:
They neither toil nor spin,
L:
And yet I say to you
P:
that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(Matt. 6:28b-29)
ALL:
Sing second stanza, “For the Beauty of the Earth”
L:
Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the
Lord speak, saying,
P:
“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people.”
L:
Nor let the eunuch say,
P:
“Here I am, a dry tree.”
L:
For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
P:
And choose what pleases Me
ALL:
And hold fast My covenant.
L:
Even to them I will give in My house
P:
And within My walls a place and a name. (Isaiah 56:3-5a)
ALL:
Sing third stanza, “For the Beauty of the Earth”
L:
Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord to
serve Him,
P:
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants —
L:
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
P:
And holds fast My covenant —
L:
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
P:
And make them joyful in My house of prayer. (Isaiah 56:6-7a)
ALL:
Sing fourth stanza, “For the Beauty of the Earth”
The
following can be used as a responsive reading in worship in which the
pastor or leader plays the
role
of “Teacher,” and the congregation the role of “School.” It
can also be done as a Sabbath School lesson,
or it can be printed out and made available to people as a reference.
A
Sabbath Catechism
From
the Sabbath Recorder, April 19, 1920 (adapted)
Teacher:
Why are we Christians?
School:
We are Christians because we have repented of our sin and transferred
our trust for
salvation
to Jesus Christ alone, and are following Him day by day as our Lord.
We
believe
it is through Jesus Christ alone that God gives us his gift of
eternal life.
Teacher:
Why are we Baptists?
School:
We are Baptists because immersion in water, as practiced and enjoined
by Jesus and His
disciples,
is a symbol and a pledge of our new and risen life in Christ.
Teacher:
Why are we Seventh Day Baptists?
School:
We are Seventh Day Baptists because we desire and purpose to do our
best in keeping
the
commandments of God.
Teacher:
Who is our example and guide in Sabbathkeeping?
School:
Our example and guide in the matter of the Sabbath is Jesus Christ.
Teacher:
When was the Sabbath established?
School:
The Sabbath is a constituent part of the Bible story of Creation.
Teacher:
How is the Sabbath treated in the law of Moses?
School:
The Sabbath is given a central and important place in the Decalogue.
Teacher:
What did the Hebrew prophets teach about the Sabbath?
School:
The Hebrew prophets put great emphasis on the spiritual and moral
value of the
Sabbath.
Teacher:
Does the New Testament change the Sabbath principle?
School:
There is no evidence in the New Testament that the Sabbath principle
was changed.
Teacher:
Does the New Testament substitute another day for the seventh day for
Sabbath observance?
School:
There is no evidence in the New Testament that another day was
substituted for the
Seventh
Day for Sabbath observance.
Teacher:
Did Jesus abolish the Sabbath or change the day?
School:
Jesus did not abolish or annul the Sabbath, neither did He change the
day.
Teacher:
What did Jesus do for the Sabbath?
School:
Jesus explained the true meaning of the Sabbath. He spiritualized and
glorified its use,
making
it no longer a burden, but a blessing to mankind.
Teacher:
What did Jesus say about the Sabbath?
School:
Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the
Sabbath.”
Teacher:
Is the Sabbath a burden or a hardship?
School:
The Sabbath should be our joy and delight, our pleasure to do God’s
will and keep His
commandments.
Teacher:
How can we promote the observance of the Sabbath?
School:
By believing it, by loving it, by teaching it, by being loyal to it,
by keeping it faithfully,
and
by making it a vital part of our lives.
Teacher:
To this end let us pray —
ALL:
We thank you, Father, for the Sabbath Day. May it be a blessing to us
week by week,
and
all the time. Help us to be true and loyal and keep the Sabbath right
in Your sight.
In
Jesus’ name, Amen.
Suggested
Musical Selections
Sabbath
songs for Sabbath welcoming and/or Sabbath meals:
“Bless
Now Thy Children” by Elmo Fitz Randolph (tune: “Oh God, Our Help
In Ages Past”)
Bless
now Thy children as we bring
Our
thanks for daily food.
And
hear us as in joy we sing
Our
Sabbath gratitude. Amen.
“God,
Grant Us Grateful Hearts” by Elmo Fitz Randolph (tune: “Now Thank
We All Our God”)
God
grant us grateful hearts
On
this our Sabbath Day.
As
to the feast we come,
Let
gladness reign, we pray.
For
life and faith and hope
Our
fathers sang Thy praise —
In
Spirit with them joined
To
Thee our thanks we raise.
“Now
We Light Our Sabbath Candles” by Elmo Fitz Randolph (tune: “Vesper
Hymn”)
Now
we light our Sabbath candles,
Bless
Thy children with their light.
Thankful
we surround this table,
Sabbath
peace bring us tonight.
God
be praised — Thy name we honor,
Christ
be Thou our beacon bright.
Sabbath
choruses for worship:
“Lord
of Love” author unknown (tune: “Day Is Dying In the West”)
Lord
of love, Thou Spirit bright,
Grant
us fellowship in Light.
Use
our lives to Thine increase,
Bring
to us Thy Sabbath peace,
Thou
ever nigh.
Holy,
holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.
Heaven
and earth are full of Thee.
Heaven
and earth are praising Thee,
Oh,
Lord, most high!
“Oh
Blessed Day!” by Edward Holston (tune: “The Doxology”)
Oh
blessed day, Thou dost ordain
Our
Father God, we hallow now.
May
Sabbath thoughts be free from stain,
May
reverent hearts before Thee bow.
“On
the Sabbath” by Kecia Thompson Gordon (sometimes called “The SDB
Jungle”) © 1997 Kecia
Thompson
Gordon (tune: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”)
On
the Sabbath, the holy Sabbath we worship Christ, the Lord. (repeat)
Wee,
weee, We worship Christ the Lord, Wee, weee, We worship Christ the
Lord.
In
the church, the mighty church, the people sing their praise. (repeat)
Wee,
weee, The people sing their praise, Wee weee, The people sing their
praise.
The
seventh day, this is the day that the Lord hath made. (repeat)
Wee,
weee, the day the Lord hath made. Wee, weee, the day the Lord hath
made.
(There
are additional stanzas, but they don’t contribute to Sabbath
worship.)
“Sabbath
Celebration” attributed to Elmo Fitz Randolph and Larry Graffius
Thanks
we bring and adoration to Thee, O Lord.
Sabbath
hours of inspiration now we afford.
Rest
and worship, joyous friendship, shared today in Christ’s great
love.
Crown
Thy day and send us forward blessed from above. (Repeat last two
lines.)
“Sabbath,
Sabbath” by Jeanne Yurke © 1980 by Jeanne Yurke (tune:
“Love Round”)
Sabbath,
Sabbath. Here’s the day that we love best.
Day
of worship, day of rest, The day our God blest.
“The
Sabbath’s Here” by Barbara Saunders (tune: “Tallis Canon”)
The
Sabbath’s here, let’s celebrate.
Work
of the week just let it wait.
Together
we will share and see
How
special we can help it be.
“This
is the Day” stanza 1 by Les Garrett, stanzas 2 and 3 author unknown
©1967, 1980 Scripture in
Song/Admin
by Maranatha! Music in USA and Canada, ARR, ICS, UBP
Ps.
118:24 This is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made,
that the Lord hath made.
I
will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This
is the day that the Lord hath made.
I
will rejoice and be glad in it.
This
is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made.
Ps.
122:1 I was so glad, I was so glad when they said to me, when
they said to me,
Let
us go in, let us go in to the house of God, to the house of God.
I
was so glad when they said to me,
Let
us go in to the house of God.
Let
us go in, let us go in to the house of God.
Jn.
14:6 Jesus is the Way, Jesus is the Way and the Truth and Life,
and the Truth and Life.
No
one can come, no one can come, except through Him, except through
Him.
Jesus
is the Way and the Truth and Life.
No
one can come, except through Him.
Let
us rejoice, let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
There
are no copyright issues for the above songs except for “This Is The
Day,” in which case a CCLI#
will be necessary. Copyright attributions should be identified on
music copy where a copyright is noted.
This is done to protect their music from misuse. As long as no music
score is published, there should
be no copyright infringement with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” for
the chorus “On the Sabbath.”
Other
worship songs and choruses:
(CCLI
copyright licensing should be used in making copies of the following
choruses)
Agnus
Dei, by Michael W. Smith
As
the Deer, by Martin Nystrom
Be
the Centre, by Michael Frye
Beautiful
One, by Tim Hughes
Better
Is One Day, by Matt Redman
Come,
Now Is the Time To Worship, by Brian Doerksen
Draw
Me Close To You, by Kelly Carpenter
Everlasting
God, by Brenton Brown, Ken Riley
Forever,
by Chris Tomlin
Happiness
Is To Know the Savior, by Ira F. Stanphill
He
Has Made Me Glad, by Leona Von Brethorst
Here
I Am To Worship, by Tim Hughes
I
Could Sing Of Your Love Forever, by Martin Smith
I
Will Call Upon the Lord, by Michael O’Shields
I
Will Celebrate, by Rita Baloche
I
Will Celebrate, Sing Unto the Lord, by Linda Duval
I
Will Offer Up My Life, by Matt Redman
In
the Secret, by Andy Park
Jesus,
We Celebrate Your Victory, by John Gibson
Let’s
Forget About Ourselves, by Bruce Ballinger (also known as “We Have
Come Into His House”)
Lord,
I Lift Your Name On High, by Rick Founds
Love
You So Much, by James Taylor
Majesty,
by Jack Hayford
Majesty,
by Delirious
O
Lord, You’re Beautiful, by Keith Green
Psalm
9, by Sally Beck
Quiet
of This Moment, by Terry Butler
Shout
to The Lord, by Darlene Zschech
Such
Joy, by Don Harris
Take
Me In, by Dave Browning
Take
My Life, by Scott Underwood
There
Is Joy in the Lord, by Sheri Keaggy
There’s
a Sweet, Sweet Spirit in This Place
Think
About His Love, by Walt Harrah
We
Bow Down, by Twila Paris
We
Want to See Jesus Lifted High
We
Will Glorify, by Twila Paris
Sabbath
hymns:
There
should be no issues with copyrights for the following, with the
possible exception of “There Is
Rejoicing
in the Land” by Herb Saunders.
“God’s
Holy Sabbath Day” by A. W. Coon (tune: “Amazing Grace”)
This
is the holy Sabbath Day, The day that God has blessed,
A
sacred monumental day And type of heavenly rest.
This
joyful day to us was given, Nor has it been made void;
The
sweetest day of all the seven, To serve and praise the Lord.
Then
let us keep it with delight, And raise our heart to heaven;
And
hail with joy its sacred light, The light that God hath given.
O
let us spend each Sabbath Day In love and sweet accord;
So
when our days are passed away We’ll rest with Christ our Lord.
“Queen
of the Week” by Madeleine Fitz Randolph (tune: “Crown Him With
Many Crowns”)
Queen
of the week she comes, The blessed Sabbath Day
Our
thankful hearts rejoice and sing, Our cares are cast away.
Dependent
on God’s care We find this promise true
“From
even unto evensong This day I give to you.”
Great
gift of God to us, The Holy Sabbath Day
His
wisdom saw the need of man To rest and praise and pray.
May
we our best gifts bring Our lives rededicate
To
serving Christ our heavenly king whose day we celebrate.
“There
Is Rejoicing in the Land” by Herb Saunders (tune: “All Creatures
of Our God and King”)
There
is rejoicing in the land. Everything is in God’s hand. Alleluia,
Alleluia.
Another
Sabbath has begun! Rejoice all you who know God’s Son!
Alleluia,
Alleluia. Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia!
This
day brings each of us the best. And from the daily toil our rest.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
To
each of us belongs God’s love, Through God’s own Spirit, Heavenly
Dove,
Alleluia,
Alleluia. Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia!
May
we in one accord give praise. Voices and hearts of thanks we raise.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
To
God, Creator, Three in One, His Sabbath Day has now begun.
Alleluia,
Alleluia. Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia!
It
is suggested that for the above songs, it might be appropriate to
follow or precede the singing of
these
hymns with the singing of the original hymns to whose tune these
Sabbath hymns are sung.
“Another
Six Days’ Work Is Done” by Joseph Stennett (tune: “Where Cross
the Crowded Ways of
Life”)
Another
six days work is done. Another Sabbath is begun.
Return,
my soul; enjoy thy rest in this, the day that God hath blest.
O
that our thoughts and thanks may rise as grateful incense to the
skies.
And
draw from heaven new joy and light, the promise of eternal life.
This
heav’nly calm within the breast is the dear pledge of glorious
rest,
Which
for the church of God remains the end of cares, the end of pains.
In
holy duties let this day, in holy pleasures pass away.
How
blest a Sabbath thus to spend in hope of one that ne’er shall end!
“God
of the Sabbath” by William C. Daland
“O
Day of Rest and Gladness” by Christopher Wordworth Note: The
version of the hymn suggested
here
is taken from a Seventh-day Adventist hymnal, and the words here are
truly reflective of Sabbath,
rather
than the First Day.
“Remember
the Sabbath” by Fanny Crosby
Other
hymns appropriate for Sabbath Renewal Day:
(There
are many more hymns that could be chosen. These are only a few to
whet the appetite.)
Faith
of Our Fathers
For
the Beauty of the Earth
Give
of Your Best to the Master
Have
Thine Own Way, Lord!
Help
Me to Be Holy
Immortal,
Invisible, God Only Wise
In
My Heart There Rings a Melody
Just
a Closer Walk with Thee
More
Like the Master
O
For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
O
My Soul, Bless God the Father music by Christopher F. Witt
Praise
to the Lord, the Almighty
Rejoice,
Ye Pure in Heart
Teach
Me Thy Way, O Lord by B. Mansell Ramsey
Please
also take a look in the May 2012 Sabbath Recorder
(www.sabbathrecorder.org)
for new Sabbath songs to share during your worship experience.
and my experience from reading what folks have to say about our President and those who desire that office teach me that most Christians believe in the sovereignty of God with the exception of election season. Enjoy some wisdom from 
contends that life’s
greatest burdens can come upon us through our pride and pretense.
Tozer wrote, “The heart’s fierce effort to protect itself
from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of
friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest.
Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become
intolerable. Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden
continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing
under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing
sleepless if another is preferred before them.”