05B*
A Call to Worship
Christmas Day (ii) Year B 2014
Psalm 97

Fire of God, that burns deeply within us to cleanse and purify us, we worship you.
“The Lord is King, the Most High over all the earth... all peoples see his glory...”1

Light of God, that flashes into the lives of people and all creation, to give us life.
“The Lord is King.... For you indeed are the Lord most high above the earth…1

God of Holy Mystery, your Sovereign Presence creates a reverent awe and a deep
sense of wonder within us, as we contemplate and worship the reality of God’s presence.
“The Lord is King...” Your Holy Darkness creates a holy mystery for us, so that we
are not overwhelmed by your sacred wonder and the blessed glory of your presence. Amen.

Psalm 97

1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice!
Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

2 Dark clouds surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes.
4 His lightning flashes out across the world.
The earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
every nation sees his glory.
7 Those who worship idols are disgraced—
all who brag about their worthless gods—
for every god must bow to him.

8 Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the towns of Judah
are glad because of your justice, O Lord!
9 For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his godly people
and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.
12 May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
and praise his holy name!

Prayers of Praise and Thankfulness
A Call to Worship
Christmas Day (ii) Year B 2014
Psalm 97

“The Lord is King, the Most High over all the earth... all peoples see his glory...”1
We come in awed worship of God to offer our thankful praise that the Lord, who
is God the King; who graciously becomes present to each of us as we celebrate
and sing of God’s holiness. The fire of God, that is both righteousness and justice,
burns deeply before and within all creation; and this inspires within us a desire to
be cleansed and purified as we come to worship God. The people of God rejoice
and are glad because of God’s eternal reign of truth, justice and righteousness—
and we join in that chorus of praise and thankfulness to honour our Lord and King.

The light of God’s presence that flashes into the lives of people and of all creation,
causes the earth to tremble in awe; the highest peaks crumble before the majesty
of God; and the coastlands rejoice in the glory of the light of God. All of creation is
astonished by the splendour of God’s royal reign, for God is “...supreme over all the
earth...”; the Lord God is the great and only Creator of all of the heavens and all that
inhabits the vast spaces of the universe; and God rules over all with power and love.
We, the humble children of this Almighty God, worship and bow down before the Lord.

God of Holy Mystery, your Sovereign Presence creates a reverent awe and a deep
sense of wonder within us, and we are astounded by that holy mystery which is so
openly accessible to faltering and failing humanity! We are even protected by God’s
generous care, so that we are not overwhelmed by the sacred wonder and blessed
glory of God’s holy presence! We give thanks that God’s light of love shines on those
who seek to worship their Lord, and on all who rejoice and praise God’s Holy Name. Amen.

A Personal Meditation
A Call to Worship
Christmas Day (ii) Year B 2014
Psalm 97

Professor Walter Brueggemann in his new book simply entitled “Psalms”, wrote that
the wonder and majesty of God as experienced on Mount Sinai was transferred in
imagination or reality from Sinai to the Temple where the glory of God was again
revealed to human senses. Moses’ experience of God’s theophany was recorded thus;
“…On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense
cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn,
and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God,
and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke
because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the
sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast
of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply.
The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the
mountain…”2 A “theophany” as per this reading, was a visible revelation or display of
the Being of God, experienced in ways that the human senses can receive and accept.

Creative pause: How revealing and awe-inspiring is your gathered community worship?


It is interesting that the rams horn or “shofar” sounded on Mount Sinai to announce the
imminent presence of God! The shofar was the universal warrior’s call that announced
and proclaimed that God was superior to all other gods. The ram’s horn/shofar was a
ritual instrument that had been hollowed out, smoothed and highly polished; and its only
real importance was that it literally was empty; and it was only “useful” when a man’s
breath filled it. The shofar was used to prayerfully announce in the New Year people’s
earnest desire for a time of peace; and it introduced religious assemblies or processions.
In Psalm 97 the author joyfully sang: “...Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the
towns of Judah are glad because of your justice, O Lord! For you, O Lord, are supreme
over all the earth…” Although not mentioned, I believe that the ram’s horn would have
made that announcement of God’s supremacy over earthly and humanly created gods!

Creative pause: Does the “Call to Worship” have the same effect as the ram’s horn?


The psalm opened thus: “The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! ... Righteousness and
justice are the foundation of his throne…”; and the psalm closed with the “reality check”
of humanity’s role in God’s royal reign, and on God’s relationship with them: “...You who
love the Lord, hate evil…!” God’s obedient children will always love “good”, and seek to
live a “good” life of loving worship, witness and service to and for God. They will also have
the assurance that God’s light of love and warmth will always shine on them, and that they
will always “…rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!” All praise be to our Holy King!

Creative pause: How tolerant are we of “evil”, and do we denounce or ignore it?


1 From “Together in Song” #55
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice
Approval for use of Psalm verses A P Watt, London
Used By Permission
Word of Life International Licence #2425

2 Exodus 19: 16-20 (NLT)

Acknowledgements:
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

*Revised Indexing Scheme from 'Consultation on Church Union' (COCU).

I acknowledge and give heartfelt thanks for the theological inspiration available from the writings of
Professor Walter Brueggemann; and through the resources from the internet and “The Text this Week” (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditations are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2014 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

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