02B*
A Call to Worship
Advent 2B 2011
Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13

Peace-loving and peace-giving God, you bless
us with your unfailing and unconditional love:
We come to worship and praise our loving God,
and rejoice in God’s tender mercy towards us.

Generous God, you pour blessings and grace
upon us, forgiving us for our sin and shame:
We come to worship and honour our merciful God,
and rejoice in the wonder of forgiven and forgotten sin.

Holy God, in the beauty of your shalom, and in
the glory of your presence, all barriers are lowered:
We come to worship and revere our glorious God,
who enriches the lives of God’s own people and
speaks peace into the hearts of all faithful people. Amen.

---

Prayers of Praise and Trust
Advent 2B 2011
Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13

Gracious God, we are overwhelmed by the wonder
of your mercy and love! You have so liberally poured out
your unfailing and unconditional love upon us, and restored
us to yourself through your forgiveness of our sin.
Your words of peace - your shalom - has warmed our
hearts, enlivened our minds, and encouraged our spirits—
and for this, we praise and honour you with songs of joy.

Renewing God, your righteousness has smiled upon us
with love and compassion, and you seek to guide us on
our pilgrimage, so that we do not return to our foolish ways.
We listen for your words of truth and peace, your guiding
and blessed words of salvation, so that right living and right
relationships can come together in the joy of your shalom.

Trustworthy God, we praise you for your many blessings in
the past, and the way you have renewed and redeemed us.
You have not only poured out you love, but your mercy has
flowed over us in such a way that it encompasses us with its
richness and glory. Because this has been our own personal
experience of God’s goodness, we look with anticipation to
future experiences of God’s gracious generosity and bounty.

Inspirational God, you prepare the way ahead for us, so that
in peace and joy we may journey onwards to our home in you. Amen.

---

A Personal Meditation
Advent 2B 2011
Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13

Generous God, I live in a land that is so very blessed by you,
with its vast distances and its intimate yet free-for-all places.
From the ancient cultures of its original inhabitants through to
the traditional customs of its newest arrivals – this surely is a
land that has been blessed by God! In your wisdom, you offer
me and my fellow citizens the opportunity for a fresh start in our
history that has many dark pages. In your mercy, I seek to play
my part in reconciling each of us to other hurting people, as we
listen for your guiding voice speaking peace and love to all people.



Beckoning God, you invite me to join with others when your truth
and unfailing love meet at the intersection of righteousness and
peace – when we will all welcome and greet each other with a
warm embrace and the holy kiss of shared fellowship - and God
will smile with joy at such a meeting! Where does truth come from?
It arises out of the God all creation, and righteousness beams its
radiant light down from the heavenly places onto all faithful people.



I will accept as my prototype for my renewed life the commands
of the King’s herald, who has proclaimed that right relationships
with God, and with humanity will be the new guidelines for all God‘s
people. If I faithfully follow these guidelines I will be blessed, and
a bountiful harvest will come to God’s honour, praise and glory.

---

Acknowledgements:
Unless stated otherwise, all Bible readings and extracts used in these weekly Prayers and Meditations are from
‘The New Revised Standard Version’ Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

*The additional weekly numbering is from the Revised COCU Indexing Scheme
COCU = ('Consultation on Church Union'); as it offers an easy sequential numbering
for the Revised Common Lectionary for the Church Calendar.

If any part of these Prayers and/or Meditations is used in shared worship, please provide
the following acknowledgement:
© 2011 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: advent2b_2011.pdf

© 2011 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year B