04C*
A Call to Worship
Advent 4C 2009
Psalm 80: 1-7

O Lord, listen to us when we call.
You are our National Shepherd—
you have always led your people.
Come and lead us again, Good Shepherd.

O Lord our God, almighty in power,
how long will you stay angry with us?
O God, glorious in your majesty,
are all our prayers worthless?


Shine the radiant light of your presence
upon us, and we will know you are there.
Then we will know that the Good Shepherd,
the Lord God Almighty, will surely save us.
We come to worship in God’s presence. Amen.



Prayers of Petition
Advent 4C 2009
Psalm 80: 1-7

O Lord our God, almighty in your power,
we come before you in our prayers, asking
again for your blessing, your help, and your
guidance. Good Shepherd, we beg you to listen
to our pleas for help. Turn your face towards
us, so that we will know and understand that we
are still your people, even if we have been foolish.
Hear us - and shine your radiance upon us, O Lord.

Almighty God, you have been the God of our
ancestors, and time after time, you delivered
them when they were in trouble. Come to us
now we pray. Have you even been listening
our prayers? Turn aside your anger with us,
and forgive us. Come again to be our guide
and leader - only then that we can be saved.
Hear us – and come to our rescue, O Lord.

O Lord our God, Good Shepherd of your people,
we have wept tears of remorse until all our tears
are dried up. We are now the laughing stock
of our neighbours. They jeer at us, thinking that
our trust in you is useless, a total waste of time
and energy. We desperately need the light of your
presence with us, to bless us, to guide us on our way.
Hear us - our hope rests in you, O Lord. Amen.


A Personal Meditation
Advent 4C 2009
Psalm 80: 1-7

Good Shepherd, listen to me as I call to you.
You Lord, are our National Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd of what was once
a respected nation, a nation dedicated to you.
Even now, come to me and hear me.
Come to save me, for you alone
are my hope, my salvation.

Creative pause: Good Shepherd, you are my only hope!


O Lord our God, are you still angry with me?
How long will you reject my prayers to you?
Are all my prayers of no value to you any longer?
Because of your rejection of me I’ve wept with
grief and remorse, until there are no tears left.

Creative pause: Lord, are you even listening to me?


Because you seem to have turned your face away from me,
my neighbours jeer at me with scorn when they see me
going to worship you – and offering my prayers to you.
I am the target of their raucous laughter as I go
to worship you, and they mock my helplessness.

Creative pause: I am helpless before their mockery.


O Lord my God, let me see your face again.
Shine the radiant light of your presence upon me
and bless me again, because only that can save me.
Almighty God, Shepherd of your people,
you alone are my hope, my guide, my salvation.

Creative pause: Shine radiance of your presence upon me, O Lord.



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:
© 2009 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

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