142

We Are People on a Journey

Scripture References

Thematically related:

Further Reflections on Scripture References

As in #141, the original metaphor is taken from the Exodus of Israel which begins in Exodus 12:1-42 and continues throughout the Pentateuch.

Stanza 3 – the reference to the table is found in the Passover Table in Exodus 12, and also the Lord’s Table in Matthew 26:26-29 (and parallel passages) and I Corinthians 11:23-26. Both the table and the washing of the disciples feet is found in John 13:1-17, and the “last night” is found in Matthew 26 and parallel passages.

 

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Stanza 3 is a reminder of the table of the Lord; in the same way, Belgic Confession, Article 35 professes Christ as the “living bread,” “the true food and drink of our souls for eternal life” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 29, Question and Answer 79).

142

We Are People on a Journey

Call to Worship

Brothers and sisters in Christ,
every year at Easter,
during the time of the “Christian Passover,”
we celebrate our redemption
through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lent is a time to prepare for this celebration
and to practice with discipline daily repentance,
our daily dying and rising in union with Christ.
We begin this season
by acknowledging our need for repentance
and for the mercy and forgiveness
proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Holy and loving God,
as we worship you today,
we long for your Spirit to both comfort and challenge us,
to help us become more holy and more loving.
In a world that does not understand repentance,
we pray for new understanding, humility, patience, and discipline
that will help us die to sin and live for Jesus. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
God of all hope,
we gather today so deeply aware
of the world’s grief and pain—and our own.
Comfort us, we pray, with the sure knowledge
that our Lenten journey culminates in Easter joy. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Confession

Genuine repentance involves two things:
the dying-away of the old self and the coming-to-life of the new.
The dying-away of the old self is to be genuinely sorry for sin,
to hate it more and more, and to run away from it.
The coming-to-life of the new self
is wholehearted joy in God through Christ
and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to.
Together, as Christ’s body, we now confess our sin
and express our longing to live in joyful obedience to God.
—based on Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A’s 88-90
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
A prayer especially mindful of children
Lord God, it is hard to think that we will die someday.
We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future.
We don’t always think about what you want.
Instead, we make choices that we think are good for us.
But we are only here because you take care of us.
We confess that we forget we need you all the time.
We confess that sometimes we make choices that aren’t what you want.
We don’t know what is best for our lives.
Holy God, we are sorry for our sin.
Help us to remember we live because of you.
Help us to do what you want us to do
through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Word of God Incarnate,
you came to this world to accomplish salvation.
By your grace you call us to repent, to be crucified with you,
that we might be raised as new creations.
But we confess that often we do not live as renewed people.
We confess that often we “go with the flow”
instead of stemming sin’s tide.
Forgive us when we do not show evidence of renewal.
Forgive us when we let the fruit of the Spirit
be choked by the weeds of evil.
You have made us your children, members of your kingdom.
Help us to show evidence of that every day
as we work to bring your justice, peace, gentleness,
goodness, love, joy, and hope to all we meet.
For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
[Reformed Worship 34:18]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
we are your covenant people—one church, drawn from all nations.
Our citizenship is in heaven.
Yet we confess, O Lord, that we sometimes lose sight
of your kingdom and its ways.
We confess that we sometimes live more as citizens of our own land
than as citizens of your kingdom.
By your truth you call all peoples to account.
Forgive us for losing our distinctiveness.
Focus us on the cross and on the salvation
you give through him
who is the Lord and King and Judge of us all,
Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
[Reformed Worship 34:17]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Blessing/Benediction

The God of peace himself sanctify you entirely;
and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. Amen.
—from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NRSV
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
May God, who by his power
raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,
hold you in his love,
surround you with his presence,
give you grace for every need,
and present you whole and holy
in the day of Jesus Christ. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
May the Lord of all compassion
satisfy you in the morning with his steadfast love,
so that you may rejoice and be glad all your days.
May the favor of the Lord our God be upon you,
and may the work of your hands prosper. Amen.
—from Psalm 90:13-17
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

Holy God,
you revealed to the disciples
the everlasting glory of Jesus Christ.
Grant us, who have not seen and yet believe,
the gift of your Holy Spirit,
that we may boldly live the gospel
and shine with your transforming glory
as people changed and changing
through the redeeming presence of our Savior. Amen.
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Lord Jesus,
your majesty surpasses all
that your disciples could have imagined.
Your goodness exceeds all that we think or understand.
As your Word is proclaimed today,
open our minds and hearts
to perceive your majesty and goodness more fully
and to respond in joy. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
 
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
The following is a guide for extemporaneous prayers for services that remember Jesus’ transfiguration.
The pattern provides a suggested text for the opening and closing of each part of
the prayer and calls for extemporaneous prayers of thanksgiving, petition, and intercession.
Jesus Christ,
glorified and risen Lord,
though you could have stayed on the mountain,
you chose to descend, knowing the agony that lay ahead to bring our salvation.
We thank you for your redemption, that can be seen even now in
creation . . .
the nations of the world . . .
world leaders . . .
our nation . . .
our community . . .
the church universal . . .
our church . . .
the life of . . .
our own lives . . .
Yet knowing that many in this world
are not willing to acknowledge you as God and Savior,
or are unable to pray,
we offer these prayers on their behalf:
for creation and its care . . .
for the nations of the world . . .
for our nation and its leaders . . .
for our community and those who govern . . .
for the church universal, its mission, and those who minister . . .
for this local congregation and its ministry . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
our glorified and risen Lord. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Teach us, Lord, to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—based on Psalm 90, NRSV
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
3 Lord, our God, you are full of compassion.
As we enter this season of Lent,
send your Spirit so that we may
grow more and more aware of our need for a Savior,
turn away from our sinful habits regularly and genuinely,
resist temptations great and small,
and remember with confidence
that our Lord Jesus conquered sin and death. Amen.
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Maker of heaven and earth,
you are our help; we lift our eyes to you.
As we walk this Lenten journey,
you watch over our coming and our going
both now and forevermore.
You are our shade and our protection;
you keep us from all harm.
We ask that you strengthen and guide us
as we do your work in your world.
Convict us of our disobedience,
and enable us to obey your call in our lives.
Open our ears to the cry of the poor.
Teach us to seek and to do justice,
to stay in the path of understanding,
to pursue righteousness and love
in the strong name of your Son, our Savior. Amen.
—based on Psalm 121
[The Worship Sourcebook]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
142

We Are People on a Journey

Tune Information

Name
DEEPER JOURNEY
Key
E Major
Meter
8.7.8.7 D

Recordings

Musical Suggestion

Gregg DeMey has written a lovely folk/pop ballad with a Celtic feel, in the vein of Getty/Becker. Similar to songs like “Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer” (LUYH 660), the key to leading it is all in the pacing. Emphasize beats 4 and 1 slightly to keep the rhythm moving forward. Build into the third phrase (“What compels?”) and then relax again at the fourth phrase (“he who treads the road of service”). The last system on page two should be played like a musical parentheses—lighter, breaking the rhythm sections beat, and perhaps up an octave to signal a pause.

 

 
— Greg Scheer
Because the energy of singing and musical accompaniment necessarily ought to reflect the energy of the text, consider the following dynamic trajectory:
  • Stanza 3 ought to be rendered most starkly in texture, out of respect to the great deeds of sacrifice enacted by our Lord, which are recounted in the text. Stanza 4 subsequently bursts forward in celebration of the consequences of Jesus’ great acts, which are tasted in the present and ultimately realized in the life beyond.
 
The simple melody of “We Are People on a Journey” keeps the possibility of varied accompanying instruments wide open. As the song was written for a relatively intimate retreat setting, I have most often used minimal piano or guitar to facilitate it; but I have witnessed everything from an organ to a drum circle supporting the easily singable melody.
 
The song was conceived to be sung in unison in order to reflect the unity of those who make pilgrimages in Jesus’ name. Altos and tenors may instinctively harmonize at the sixth below the treble melody, especially over the first, second, and fourth lines.
(from Reformed Worship, Issue 98)
— Gregg DeMey
142

We Are People on a Journey

Author and Composer Information

Gregg DeMey (b. 1972) was born in Grand Rapids, MI, studied at Calvin College (BA Music Theory and Composition), and graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1998 (MTS) and 2006 (M.Div). He served as  worship pastor at Granite Springs in Sacramento, CA; as a church planter at Lakeside Church in Ludington, MI; and is currently the Teaching Pastor at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst, IL.
— Gregg DeMey
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