Opening Song:

Psalm 65 (Hope Has an Answer) by Kip Fox and Michael Middendorf

Lyrics:

God in Zion You have heard our prayer
Blessed are your people far and near
All you wounded weary and alone
Look now our salvation is made known

All of the questions that come in the night

All of the hours we pray for the light
Ev'ry longing that wakes with the morn
Hope has an answer the Savior is born

Through Him ev'ry mountain finds its peak

Raging seas fall silent when He speaks
All things come together by His hand
Rivers flow and blessings fill these lands

And on the farthest seas

Tales of His awesome deeds
Will bring the greatest powers to their knees

Passage:

Praise is due to you,[a] O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and water it;[b]

you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

Musical Reflection:

Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545: II. Andante by W. A. Mozart

Reflection Notes:

In true fashion for Mozart’s middle movements, this Andante blooms slowly with gentle and delicate notes; the melody ascends in joyful fashion at the most climactic points before settling back down with the satisfying left hand harmonies.

Prayer:

Lord, because your grace is undeserved I should be humble; because it is costly I should be holy and loving; because it is unconditional I should be at peace. O let your tender, loving grace cleanse me of all these sinful, wrongful frames of heart, and give me joy. Amen.
-Tim Keller