Jazz Vespers with Ruth Naomi Floyd
Lament shows us that it takes time to recognize the depth of the brokenness of our souls, families, communities, and world. In the midst of the darkest night, there is Light ever-present and hope in our sorrow. We will express our lament, gratitude, and prayers to God, all carried in poetry, scripture, and the moving language of jazz music shared by Ruth Naomi Floyd and her quartet.
Service of Song and Prayer
David M. Cherwien and The Choral Scholars will lead this service of song and prayer centered around the botanical images of Christ and his people found in scripture.
A Trickle of Ever-Growing Hope
In this final worship service, Jared Alcantara will preach on Ezekiel 47, “A Trickle of Ever-Growing Hope.” As we dwell with these images of hope after a hard time, we will be led by Calvin University choirs directed by Pearl Shangkuan. Organist David Cherwien will participate as well.
The Prophetic Call and First Messages
Mark Labberton will preach “The Prophetic Call and First Messages” based on Ezekiel 1–2. Other worship service participants include Alexis VanZalen, the Grand Rapids Christian High School band, Katie Ritsema Roelofs, Joel Littlepage, Kimberly Williams, Brian Hehn and Justin Fung.
God’s Glory Departs from Israel
Led in Korean and English by the Woodlawn Christian Reformed Church Choir, directed by Chan Gyu Jang; the Living Water Church 91 Team, directed by Yohan Lee; and members of the Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary Korean communities. Anne Zaki will preach on Ezekiel 10–11, “God’s Glory Departs from Israel.”
The Valley of Dry Bones
Preacher Brianna Parker will focus on the valley of dry bones described in Ezekiel 37 in this service of the word and table that is led by the Calvin University Gospel Choir and Nate Glasper with Ruth Naomi Floyd.
Celtic Psalms
As we seek a world of love and mercy, justice and peace, it's essential that we find resources of resilience to help us through the challenges we face. The psalms offer a timeless source of healing and hope. They remind us that God listens to our honest prayers, and they reconnect us with what brings us delight, solace, and joy. In this service of psalms set to soulful Celtic melodies, we will allow a healing space for expressing difficult emotions while also tapping into the hopeful future God envisions for all people. This service will be led by Kiran Young Wimberly, The McGraths, Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy, and Brian Hehn.
Sarah Travis on Unsettling 91
Sarah Travis explores how Christian worship, through its rhythm of Gathering, Word, Table, and Sending, both unsettles us and equips us to do the work of conciliation and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Lisa Allen-McLaurin on the OneWord 91 Model
Lisa Allen offers an approach to worship planning that centers on the transformative power of holistic biblical worship.
Sarah Kathleen Johnson and Andrew Wymer on 91 and Power
Sarah Kathleen Johnson and Andrew Wymer, two Free Church scholars in worship and liturgical studies, break new ground in “91 and Power”, a book edited with other scholars in this tradition, and celebrate what these insights offer for ecumenical conversation and learning around liturgical authority.
Paul Louis Metzger on Setting the Spiritual Clock
Paul Louis Metzger shares about the formative nature of the church calendar, which emphasizes that Christ in the fullness of time is what shapes us and how we inhabit time.
Ron Man on Biblical Foundations of 91
For more than 25 years, Ron Man has been teaching on the biblical foundations of worship. He gathers up that learning in his book “Let Us Draw Near”, a testimony to the power of scripture to guide pastors and worshipers in our calling to be worshipers of God.