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Monday, May 12, 2025

CRC SOW | Refugee Songs, Immigrants Creeds, Lord's Prayer


Exodus painting by Shin Maeng


Still In Awe
of Proskuneo's Multicultural Worship
and the Immigrants Apostles' Creed
by Rev. Jose Luis Casal
at the CRC's Symposium on Worship
Years Later 

Going to the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship's Symposium on Worship, hosted by Emmaus City's denomination in Grand Rapids  January 25-27, 2018 was a seminal moment for me as a minister.

It was an absolute privilege
and joy to worship with
and learn from 1,500+ people
from 30+ countries and 40+ denominations,
and the ripple effects
from this refreshing drop of time
with God's people across culture,
ethnicity, and tradition
continues to impact me today.

While my expectations were high in light of Urban DoxologySandra McCracken
The Porter's Gate 
Worship Project 
and more participating,
 
the symposium far exceeded my hopes. 

Not even half way through my two days participating in the three-day symposium, I was floored spiritually and emotionally by the wonders of worship displayed through services of the Word; liturgies; seminars on worship in light of suffering, redemption, injustice, vocation, persecuted people groups, indigenous people groups, Church history, sacramental life, mental and physical handicaps, etc.; vespers; and more.




Crying before God
with Proskuneo and
sisters and brothers from
Syria, Sudan, Korea, Myanmar,
China, and more

While there is much more I could write, for now I'm providing this post based on a vesper with Proskuneo, a multicultural worship team I had not heard of until that night. Jaewoo Kim from Korea led us alongside Fadi Alsayar from Syria, Abraham Deng from Sudan, and others from Myanmar, the U.S., and China. Check out Proskuneo's YouTube Channel for examples of their team leading worship-in-song together.

The vesper focused on Psalm 137:4: "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?" as Proskuneo's dynamic team led us through a liturgy involving Scripture, stories, and songs focused on conflict, loss, displacement, and the song of the LORD in a foreign land.

I'm getting emotional again just thinking about it again years later. The 45 minutes with these beautiful people was so raw and so full of awe. I still can't give them or the time with them justice on multiple levels. But I can share the order of worship, a few key links to Scriptures and songs, and The Immigrants Apostles' Creed by Rev. Jose Luis Casal we recited together to close the service. 

Songs of the Refugees Vesper:
How shall we sing the LORD's song
in a foreign land? 
+ Psalm 137:4


 | 1 | 
CONFLICT

Scripture: 
Psalm 137:1-4 in Arabic, Burmese, and English  
Narration: 
Story of persecution for faith  
Song: 
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"

 | 2 | 
LOSS

Narration: 
Story of a refugee 
Song:  
"Elahi Yesua," 
Arabic song by Manal Samir  
Prayer: 
For those suffering loss 
and grieving our own loss

 | 3 | 
DISPLACEMENT
 
Narration:  
Story of a refugee 
Song: "Hold on Strong," 
South Sudanese song by Abraham Deng 
Scripture:  
Philippians 3:20 
in Korean, Arabic, and English 

 

 | 4 | 
SONG OF THE LORD
IN A FOREIGN LAND

Narration:  
Story of a refugee 
Scripture:  
Jeremiah 29:7 
Song:  
"Always Thankful," 
Arabic song by Fawaz Amaish   
Song:  
"Blessed Assurance" 
by Fanny Crosby 


King of all nations painting by Shin Maeng

The Immigrants Apostles’ Creed

Adapted from Rev. Jose Luis Casal’s
update of The Apostles’ Creed,
2nd Century A.D. 

I believe in God the Father almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, 
who guided His people
in exile and in exodus, 
the God of Joseph in Egypt,
Daniel in Babylon, Esther in Persia. 

I believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord, 
conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary, 
immigrant of heaven
and displaced Galilean on earth, 
who was raised under occupation
and fled as a refugee 
with His parents
when His life was in danger.
When He returned to His own people, 
He suffered under the imperial power 
and oppression of Pontius Pilate, 
and was unjustly crucified
by the empire, dead, and buried. 
He descended to hell. 
On the third day He rose again,
not as a scorned foreigner, 
but as the King victorious,
ascended to heaven and 
empowered to offer us citizenship
in God’s eternal Kingdom. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 
the eternal immigrant
from God's Kingdom among us, 
who speaks all languages,
lives in all countries, 
and reunites all races. 
I believe in the holy catholic Church
that is the secure home
for the 
foreigner among believers
across time and in every nationality. 
I believe in the communion of the saints
that is revealed 
when we embrace all of God’s people
in our diversity in unity. 
I believe in the forgiveness of sins, 
which makes us all equal
before God at the cross, 
and in His reconciliation,
which heals our brokenness and 
identifies us together more
than race, language, or tribe. 
I believe in the resurrection of the body
when 
God will unite us
as one people
in which all 
are distinct
and alike at the same time. 
I believe in life everlasting
in which no one will be a foreigner 
but all of God’s people
will be citizens of the Kingdom of heaven 
when Jesus Christ reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

The Latin American Lord's Prayer

Credit to Numerous Sources

God who is in us here on earth,
holy is Your name
in the hungry who share
their bread and their song.
Your Kingdom come, 
which is a land flowing
with milk and honey.
Let us do Your will,
raising our voice when all are silent.
You are giving us our daily bread
in the song of the bird
and the miracle of the corn.
Forgive us for keeping silent
in the face of injustice.
Don't let us fall into the temptation of 
taking up the same arms as the enemy.
But deliver us from evil.
Give us the perseverance
to look for love, even if we fail;
so shall we have known Your Kingdom 
which is being built forever and ever.
Amen.

The Immigrants Nicene Creed

Adapted from St Albans Diocese’s 
update of The Nicene Creed, 325 A.D.
and Rev. Jose Luis Casal’s update of 
The Apostles’ Creed, 390 A.D.

We believe in God,
the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of a heaven and earth
without borders or nations,
who led His people from slavery to freedom
through exile and exodus,
the God of homelands lost and found,
the God of temple and desert,
of manna and sacrifice.

We believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
incarnate from the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary,
immigrant of heaven
and displaced Galilean on earth,
who was born under occupation
and fled as a refugee 
with His parents 
when His life was in danger.
When He returned to His own people,
He suffered under the imperial power
and oppression of Pontius Pilate, 
and was unjustly crucified
by the empire, dead, and buried.
On the third day He rose again,
not as a scorned foreigner, 
but as the King,
opening for us the door to new life and
destroying the power of death 
that denied us our birthright
as citizens of God’s Kingdom.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of life, and
the eternal immigrant
from God's Kingdom among us, 
who speaks all languages,
lives in all countries, and reunites all races,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son, 
unity in diversity, three-in-one.
We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic Church,
the communion of saints
across countries and centuries,
made equal by our need for repentance 
and our assurance of God’s mercy,
united by our citizenship identity by baptism 
in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit,
We look for the coming of the Kingdom of God,
where our passport is Christ’s love,
our bodies are resurrected and healed,
the image of God in all of us is honored,
and all nations and tribes and people
will be reconciled in the place
where there is no mourning or sadness,
no exile or despair, and
we will be no longer strangers or guests,
but family gathered safely together
in the arms of our Father and
united at the table of Christ our King.
Amen.

For more examples for how to bring to light, lament, and worship in light of our immigrant and refugee sisters and brothers' plight, check out Emmaus City's denomination's additional helpful sites:

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