05C*
A Call to Worship
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2012
Psalm 97

Called and gathered, we come as God’s people to celebrate our God.
We rejoice in the Lord our God and King, let all the earth sing to God.

Called and gathered, we come as God’s people rejoice and be glad.
We come, together with all creation, to join our voices in praise of God.

Called and gathered, we come as God’s people in reverent awe, to
praise God’s Holy Name, and to honour and worship our Holy God.
Unshakable God, even when God’s powers are unleashed throughout
the world, God’s light of love still shines forth on God’s beloveds. Amen.

Prayers of Praise and Thankfulness
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2012
Psalm 97

Prayers of Praise and Exultation
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2012, Psalm 97

We come with joyful confidence in our God, as we gather in worship
and praise, and to exalt the name of the Lord, who is God and King
over all creation; over all peoples; and over all that has life and breath
within them; over all things that move; and over all things that remain
fixed in their place. Great is the Lord our God, and worthy of all praise!
All creation responds to God in glad praise, exultation and thankfulness;
and we all bless and glorify our Creating God, for all that is life and living.

All creation, with their various voices, shouts aloud in their joy at being
part of God’s creation, and each one of them is an original expression
of God’s holy and creative powers. “For you, O Lord, are most high
over all the earth...” - yet God’s being is intimately involved and part of
every created cell, molecule and particle! Great is our glorious God!
All creation responds to God in glad praise, exultation and thankfulness;
and we all bless and glorify our Creating God, for all that is life and living.

The sacred spaces of worship reverberate to the rhythms of celebration
and praise; for God’s glory, honour, majesty, justice and righteousness
is being experienced in worship by people who are open to God’s glory.
The sanctuary is lit by the radiance of God’s presence, and they know
the joy of the presence of their Lord, as they worship and sing God’s praises.
All creation responds to God in glad praise, exultation and thankfulness;
and we all bless and glorify our Creating God, for all that is life and living. Amen.

A Personal Meditation
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2012, Psalm 97

The concept of being a “Ruler” of people brings many images
to my mind, as history has shown us a wide variety of “Rulers”.
They may be elected by their people; they may have seized
power through a variety of underhand or overt strategies; they
may have been appointed by a panel of local citizens; or they
may have inherited their role as “Ruler” through hereditary paths.
Our Psalm claims God as “King, demonstrating the many attributes
shown by our God and King. Mystery, majesty, power and grace
are only some of the many “marks of quality” of our God and King.
Citizens and creation alike respond in reverent awe to their King.

Creative pause: God’s hallmarks are mystery, majesty, power and grace.


The inhabitants of the “farthest islands” in their isolation from other
creatures, instinctively know about their God and King, and that
awe-inspired worship is the one and only response for such a King!
Mountains - those most powerful and stable of all earth’s creations—
are as soft, molten wax before our Great God; and all the created
elements offer their most spectacular displays for their Royal Creator.
The foundations of God’s glorious throne are righteousness and
justice; and if only those qualities were the foundations of every
ruler’s power base! And what do we human beings offer to our King?
People who turn their backs on God bring shame and humiliation
upon themselves, because of their short-sightedness; whilst the godly
rejoice and celebrate with glad praise the glories of their God and King.

Creative pause: Even in isolation, creation instinctively worships its God!


However, it is in the holist of places and times that the reality of God
is experienced; when the things of each day are laid aside, and there
is only God and you, or God and me! Worship of God may be blessed
and inspired by beauty of every and any kind; through close fellowship
with like-minded people; and the through the gift of love; but it is only
in those perfect “thin moments” of stillness - that we can in reality and
truth - come to experience God and be blessed and uplifted in them.

Creative pause: In those perfect “thin moments” of stillness - we experience God.


Acknowledgements:
Unless stated otherwise, all Bible readings and extracts used in these weekly Prayers and
Meditations are from the ‘New Living Translation’, © 1996. Copyright. All rights reserved.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189 USA.

 *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:
© 2012 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

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