Rev. Donald Van Dyken, minister

Almighty and gracious God, you have brought us into your presence as this new year begins to confirm to us again that you are truly the eternal God, from everlasting to everlasting. Before you brought forth the world, before all time, you were God. Although the passage of time brings us into decay and weakness, you are enthroned on high, your throne rides above the storms, your sovereignty is untouched by the ravages of time, by the rage of man, or by the plots of Satan. Your glorious plan to create a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness alone dwells, continues unchecked. Your beautiful counsel, your blueprints to build a house for your name, your construction schedule has never received a setback or delay during the past year of 2004, nor will it be diverted one second during this coming year of 2005.

Your exciting quest to form a bride for your only begotten Son, with each passing year takes clearer shape. The beautiful feet of those who bring good tidings of good things continue to reach the farthest reaches of this planet, and from the east and the west, from the north and the south, you continue to form a people for yourself.

Give to us this morning, blessed God, eyes to see both you and the sovereign success of your plan. We are surrounded by doubts and fears, by uncertainties and hopelessness, by enemies, and the dust of man’s monstrous flow of words, of talk, talk, and more talk. It fills our atmosphere with a dust storm, obscuring our vision of your glorious kingdom. In this hour of worship you have taken us out of the whirlwind dust devils of this world and into the clear light of your presence. Revive and brighten our vision once again. Fill us with hope in believing. Restore our parched souls with the water of life.

Remember your covenant with our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised that you would be a God to them and to their seed after them. You promised them the world for their inheritance. You promised you would make their seed, their children, more numerous than the sand by the sea and the stars of heaven. You promised that you would make their seed a nation of kings and priests unto you. You promised that their seed would possess the gate of their enemies.

As our fathers entered the land of Canaan you promised that as they followed Joshua there would not be an enemy who would stand before them all the days of the life of Joshua. But alas, that Joshua finally went to the grave. You have sent a new Joshua, a new Jehovah Savior, even Jesus Christ your Son. He has crossed the Jordan for us, opening up a path upon dry ground. He has crossed the shivering waters of death for us and risen victorious from the grave. He has the dew of his youth. This is his day of power. Make us your people, willing volunteers, following him in glorious martial array, confident that no enemy shall stand before this captain of our salvation.

We stand in awe before the works of our captain and King. While he was here he commanded the wind and the waves to be quiet and they obeyed him. We see that his power upon the throne of David is not less but more. For we confess with trembling that it was his hand that brought about that awesome tsunami battering the shores of Thailand and Indonesia. Truly O Lord our God, he wields the rod of iron you have placed in his hand, truly he has dashed in pieces like a potter’s vessel the shores of Buddha and Islam. Truly he has avenged the blood of his saints. Truly he calls his church to sound the alarm, saying, "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him."

Amid all the efforts of nations then, who bear the name of Christian, to relieve the suffering and devastation, be pleased to give your church the courage to speak those words, for the time is at hand, the day draws near. Through all this horror of destruction and judgment, speak to the wicked in this land too, our Father, that they may know themselves to be but men, and unless they repent, they shall likewise perish.

Now, great and holy God, if the goldfinch is not so small that you don’t take care of him, and if the sparrow is not so insignificant that you are aware of his fall, surely, although we are small, although we are few in number, yet are we not greater than many finches and sparrows? Will you not see us, will you not hear us? Will you not give us a token of your gracious presence among us? Will you not descend upon us with your Spirit, reviving the hearts of the faint, comforting the hearts of the distressed, fulfilling the desires of the righteous?

We lift up our hands and voices to the throne of your holy Son. We submit our petitions to the gracious power of your Holy Spirit. We pray for those who are sick and afflicted among us. We pray for Mrs. TerWisscha. We pray for your healing, for your mercy and grace. We give you our grateful thanks for your mercies upon her. We ask that the ministry of rehabilitation and the therapy receives your blessing. We pray for your mercies upon her mother, blessing her for her faithful attendance during the many days of uncertainty and fear. As she returns to her home in Pennsylvania, guard her and bless her.

We thank you for your compassion for Mrs. Schryvers. We thank you that you have brought her back from death and into peace of mind and heart. Continue to shine the warmth of your love upon her.

Remember all others who suffer among us, whether young like Isaac, or older like Mr. & Mrs. Bogert and Mrs. Byma. We particularly bring to your attention the sorrow that attends the death of Mr. Bogert’s brother Maurice. Comfort the hearts of all those that mourn with the blessed words of Christ, that those who believe in him, though they die, yet they shall live.

Focus your mind and heart, we pray, upon all those of us who are weighed down with cares, sorrows, discouragement, and sometimes even despair, either about ourselves, our work, or our children or our parents. There are times, dear God, when the sheer weight of our many anxieties, our responsibilities, our cares is simply too much for us. We simply have no strength to go on. We know that you tell us to cast our cares on you for you care for us. But we find ourselves helpless, without even the strength to carry our burdens to you. We call upon you to carry us to yourself, and to lift our burdens from our shoulders.

Bless those who are absent from us. Remember Michael, Erin, Lindsey, Ashley, Sarah, Emily, and Nathan. Mr. & Mrs. Roosendaal are away from us for a time in Arizona. Refresh them, and continue to bless them that their presence may continue to bless and encourage us. And should there be those who are not with us for unlawful reasons, who are indifferent to the call of grace, who resist your Holy Spirit, whose hearts they have hardened, we plead for your mercies. Do not leave them alone, but use your people to call them to repentance.

We have had snow and we have had rain, and we thank you. With that in mind, eternal God, we present your own word to you, that word you yourself have sworn to uphold. You have said, and you do say these words, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

So be it, blessed God. So prosper it. Make us, as you have said, "Go out with joy, and be led out with peace" from this place. Make the feet of him who brings the glad tidings of your word, beautiful upon the
mountains. Open the soil of our hearts. Implant the good seed of your word. Make us fruitful for every good work.

All this we present, not because of our righteousness, but only because of the righteousness of Christ our Lord, who, with you and the Holy Spirit, one blessed Triune God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.