WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH
WESLEYAN COVENANT RENEWAL
WATCHNIGHT SERVICE
31 December 2024 | Wesley Sanctuary | 10.30pm
About Covenant Renewal Service
The present service follows the United Methodist Basic Pattern of Worship, with the liturgy beginning with the Invitation taken directly from John Wesley’s service of 1780.
The heart of the service, focused on the Covenant Prayer, requires persons to commit themselves to God. This covenant is serious and assumes adequate preparation for and continual response to the covenant. Leaders of worship must take seriously the need to prepare the congregation for this service, possibly through study sessions and prayer.
The leaders must also assume responsibility to assist persons to be faithful to the covenant, possibly through meetings for spiritual discipline.
The Covenant Service is most commonly held on New Year's Eve or Day and therefore is sometimes called a Watch Night Service. Historically, a Watch Night Service would be three hours or longer, including readings from Scripture and hymn singing. Red is an appropriate color for paraments and vestments.
Source: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/book-of-worship/covenant-renewal-service
I. GATHERING
We gather in the Lord’s name weekly to be renewed in our hearts and minds. Our worship of God is a response to his revelation as he reveals his truth to us through Scripture, sermon, prayers and songs.
MEDITATION VERSE
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
PRELUDE
GREETINGRev Adrian Ng
| L: | May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. |
| P: | And also with you. |
OPENING HYMN *
Come, Let Us Use the Grace DivineUMH 606
Charles Wesley wrote this hymn specifically for this services
OPENING PRAYER * David Tripp, England, 20th century
O God, Searcher of all our hearts, you have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own.
As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, and to enter anew into covenant with you, reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us.
Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, and receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
LITANY OF THANKSGIVINGRev Ian Lee
Let us give thanks for all of God's mercies.
O God, our Covenant Friend, you have been gracious to us through all the years of our lives.
We thank you for your loving care, which has filled our days and brought us to this time and place.
We praise your holy name, O God.
You have given us life and reason, and set us in a world filled with your glory.
You have comforted us with family and friends, and ministered to us through the hands of our sisters and brothers.
We praise your holy name, O God.
You have filled our hearts with a hunger after you, and have given us your peace.
You have redeemed us, and called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus.
You have given us a place in the fellowship of your Spirit and the witness of your Church.
We praise your holy name, O God.
You have been our light in darkness and a rock of strength in adversity and temptation.
You have been the very Spirit of joy in our joys and the all–sufficient reward in all our labors.
We praise your holy name, O God.
You remembered us when we forgot you.
You followed us even when we tried to flee from you.
You met us with forgiveness when we returned to you.
For all your patience and overflowing grace.
We praise your holy name, O God.
PROCLAMATION
Prayer for Illumination
Teach us your way, O Lord, and lead us on a level path.
Teach us, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then we will keep them to the end.
Give us understanding, and we will keep your law and obey it with all our hearts.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Lesson
2 Chronicles 34:29–33Rev Benjamin Lau
Renewal of Covenant
29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.
31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD—to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
HYMN
O Word of God IncarnateUMH 598, St. 1 and 2
II. SERMON
| Speaker | Rev Raymond Fong |
| Sermon Title | What Is Your Boast? |
| Scripture Text |
Ephesians 2:8–10 |
III. OUR RESPONSE
SONG OF RESPONSE
And Can It Be that I Should GainUMH 363
SHARING OF GOD’S PEACERev Lim Jen Huat
ORDER OF FAREWELLRev Raymond Fong
TO REV CLEMENT ONG
OFFERTORY PRAYERRev Lim Jen Huat
TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Step by Step with O God, Our Help in Ages PastWesley Chorale
Words and Music: David Strasser, Arranged by Bruce Greer
© 1991 BMG Songs, Inc. and Kid Brothers of St. Frank Publishing
DOXOLOGY *
Now Thank We All Our God UMH 102, St. 3
COVENANT RENEWAL
Rev Lilian Ang
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Christian life is redeemed from sin and consecrated to God.
Through baptism, we have entered this life and have been admitted into the new covenant of which Jesus Christ is the Mediator.
He sealed it with his own blood, that it might last for ever.
On the one side, God promises to give us new life in Christ, the Source and Perfecter of our faith.
On the other side, we are pledged to live no more for ourselves but only for Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us.
From time to time we renew our covenant with God, especially when we reaffirm the Baptismal Covenant and gather at the Lord's table.
Today, however, we meet, as the generations before us have met, to renew the covenant that binds us to God.
Let us make this covenant of God our own.
WESLEY’S COVENANT SERVICE
INVITATIONRev Chia Chin Nam
Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants.
Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him.
Christ has many services to be done.
Some are more easy and honorable, others are more difficult and disgraceful.
Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, others are contrary to both.
In some we may please Christ and please ourselves.
But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves.
It is necessary, therefore, that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ.
Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray:
Let me be your servant, under your command.
I will no longer be my own.
I will give up myself to your will in all things.
Be satisfied that Christ shall give you your place and work.
Lord, make me what you will.
I put myself fully into your hands:
put me to doing, put me to suffering,
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and with a willing heart
give it all to your pleasure and disposal.
Christ will be the Savior of none but his servants.
He is the source of all salvation to those who obey.
Christ will have no servants except by consent;
Christ will not accept anything except full consent to all that he requires.
Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing.
Confirm this by a holy covenant.
To make this covenant a reality in your life, listen to these admonitions:
First, set apart some time, more than once, to be spent alone before the Lord; in seeking earnestly God's special assistance and gracious acceptance of you; in carefully thinking through all the conditions of the covenant; in searching your hearts whether you have already freely given your life to Christ.
Consider what your sins are.
Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are, and whether you, after having carefully considered them, are willing to choose them all.
Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God.
Second, be serious and in a spirit of holy awe and reverence.
Third, claim God's covenant, rely upon God's promise of giving grace and strength, so you can keep your promise.
Trust not your own strength and power.
Fourth, resolve to be faithful.
You have given to the Lord your hearts, you have opened your mouths to the Lord, and you have dedicated yourself to God.
With God's power, never go back.
Rev Gladwin Lee
And last, be then prepared to renew your covenant with the Lord.
Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, open your hearts to the Lord, as we pray:
COVENANT PRAYER
The people may kneel or bow where possible.
O righteous God, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, see me as I fall down before you.
Forgive my unfaithfulness in not having done your will, for you have promised mercy to me if I turn to you with my whole heart.
God requires that you shall put away all your idols.
I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all, covenanting with you that no known sin shall be allowed in my life.
Against your will, I have turned my love toward the world.
In your power I will watch all temptations that will lead me away from you.
For my own righteousness is riddled with sin, unable to stand before you.
Through Christ, God has offered to be your God again if you would let him.
Before all heaven and earth,
I here acknowledge you as my Lord and God.
I take you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for my portion, and vow to give up myself, body and soul, as your servant, to serve you in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.
God has given the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way and means of coming to God.
Jesus, I do here on bended knees accept Christ as the only new and living Way, and sincerely join myself in a covenant with you.
O blessed Jesus, I come to you, hungry, sinful, miserable, blind, and naked, unworthy even to wash the feet of your servants.
I do here, with all my power, accept you as my Lord and Head.
I renounce my own worthiness, and vow that you are the Lord, my righteousness.
I renounce my own wisdom, and take you for my only guide.
I renounce my own will, and take your will as my law.
Christ has told you that you must suffer with him.
I do here covenant with you, O Christ, to take my lot with you as it may fall.
Through your grace I promise that neither life nor death shall part me from you.
God has given holy laws as the rule of your life.
I do here willingly put my neck under your yoke, to carry your burden.
All your laws are holy, just, and good.
I therefore take them as the rule for my words, thoughts, and actions, promising that I will strive to order my whole life according to your direction, and not allow myself to neglect anything
I know to be my duty.
The almighty God searches and knows your heart.
O God, you know that I make this covenant with you today without guile or reservation.
If any falsehood should be in it, guide me and help me to set it aright.
And now, glory be to you, O God the Father, whom I from this day forward shall look upon as my God and Father.
Glory be to you, O God the Son, who have loved me and washed me from my sins in your own blood, and now is my Savior and Redeemer.
Glory be to you, O God the Holy Spirit, who by your almighty power have turned my heart from sin to God.
O mighty God, the Lord Omnipotent, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you have now become my Covenant Friend.
And I, through your infinite grace, have become your covenant servant.
So be it.
And let the covenant I have made on earth be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
With all reverence, remember the holy agreement between God and you that you may remember it during doubts and temptations.
HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATIONRev Clement Ong, UMH 12
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
CONFESSION AND PARDONUMH 12
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All pray in silence.
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;
that proves God’s love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Glory to God. Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR NEW YEAR AND COVENANT REAFFIRMATION
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting, you alone are God.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
The pastor may lower hands.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
The pastor may raise hands.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation.
You sent a star to guide wise men to where the Christ was born; and in your signs and witnesses, in every age and through all the world, you have led your people from far places to his light.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.";
The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup.
When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.";
The pastor may raise hands.
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
The pastor may raise hands.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.
Amen.
And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:
The LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
GIVING THE BREAD AND CUP
Congregation will go up to receive the bread and cup table by table.
COME, SINNERS, TO THE GOSPEL FEASTUMH 339
1 Come, sinners, to the gospel feast; let every soul be Jesus’ guest.
Ye need not one be left behind, for God hath bid all humankind.
2 Sent by my Lord, on you I call; the invitation is to all.
Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou! All things in Christ are ready now.
DEPTH OF MERCYUMH 355
1 Depth of mercy! Can there be mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear, me, the chief of sinners, spare?
2 I have long withstood his grace, long provoked him to his face,
would not hearken to his calls, grieved him by a thousand falls.
4 There for me the Savior stands, shows his wounds and spreads his hands.
God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still.
GRACE GREATER THAN OUR SINUMH 365
Marvellous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOULUMH 377
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well (It is well) with my soul, (with my soul,)
It is well, it is well with my soul.
SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GODUMH 393
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
LEAD ME, LORDUMH 473
Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness;
make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord only,
that makest me dwell in safety.
MOVE MEUMH 471
Move me, move me; move me to do thy will.
Move me, move me; move me to do thy will.
I SURRENDER ALLUMH 354
All to Jesus I surrender; all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him, in His presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
TAKE TIME TO BE HOLYUMH 395
2 Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.
I WANT A PRINCIPLE WITHINUMH 410
I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear,
a sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
to catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire.
O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISEDUMH 396
1 O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end;
be thou forever near me, my Master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.
4 O Jesus, thou hast promised to all who follow thee
that where thou art in glory there shall thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.
PARTAKING THE BREAD AND CUP
THANKSGIVING PRAYERRev Raymond Fong
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world
in the strength of your Spirit,
to give ourselves for others,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
IV. ENTERING THE NEW YEAR 2025 AND SENDING FORTH *
Having been renewed in our hearts and minds, we are to go forth into the world as Christ’s ambassadors in the ministry of reconciliation.
COUNTDOWN
Meditation/PrayerRev Raymond Fong
CLOSING HYMN *
O God, Our Help in Ages PastUMH 117 St. 1, 2, 4 and 6
BENEDICTION *
POSTLUDE
* Congregation may stand.
“Covenant Renewal Service” Copyright © 1992 UMPH. Wesley Covenant Service abridged by Ole E. Borgen.
AN ORDER OF FAREWELL TO REV CLEMENT ONG
Pastor:
I thank you, the members and friends of Wesley Methodist Church, for the love and support you have shown me and my family while I have ministered among you.
I am grateful for the ways my leadership have been accepted. I ask for forgiveness for the mistakes I have made. As I leave, I carry with me all that I have learned here.
Congregation:
We receive your thankfulness, offer forgiveness, and accept that you are leaving.
We express our gratitude for your time among us.
We ask your forgiveness for our mistakes. Your influence on our faith and faithfulness will not leave us with your departure.
Pastor:
I accept your gratitude and forgiveness, and I forgive you, trusting that our time together and our parting, are pleasing to God.
I release you from turning to me and depending on me.
I encourage your continuing ministry here and will pray for you.
Let us pray.
All:
Eternal God, whose steadfast love for us is from everlasting to everlasting, we give you thanks for cherished memories and commend one another into your care.
Keep us in your love and grace as we seek and serve you together.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
WESLEYAN WATCHNIGHT CONVENANT RENEWAL SERVICE WORSHIP TEAM
Worship Leaders
Rev Adrian Ng, Rev Benjamin Lau, Rev Chia Chin Nam,
Rev Clement Ong, Rev Gladwin Lee, Rev Ian Lee, Rev Lilian Ang
PREACHER
Rev Raymond Fong
CONGREGATIONAL PASTOR
Rev Lim Jen Huat
CHOIR
Wesley Chorale
ORGANIST
Tan Wei Sein
CONDUCTOR
Yuko Kamimoto
Pianist
Betty Khoo
AV TEAM
Sound: Lim Siew Hong
Slides: Cheah Lulu
Camera: Cheng Kang Lim
Livestream: Vanessa Wee, Goh Kheng Guan
HEAD USHER
Leong Wing Kong
SERVICE MANAGERS
Ivonne Lo, Serene Teo, Dorcas Kwok