05C*
A Call to Worship
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2015
Psalm 97

We come to worship God in response to God’s call:
“Let the earth rejoice!” because “the Lord is King!”

We come to praise God in response to God’s decree:
“For you, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth.”

We come to join in songs with all those in the heavens
and beyond into eternity: “because of your justice, O LORD!”
All the most distant places of the earth and “the heavens
proclaim the Lord’s righteousness...; may all who are
godly rejoice in the LORD and praise his holy name!” 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
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2015
Psalm 97

Welcoming God, we come to worship God in response to God’s call to offer our
praises and thankfulness for all God’s gifts to creation; but especially for the gift
of God’s-Own-Self coming amongst us as Lord and King! Humanity from the most
distant places are encouraged to share their gladness and joy at God’s coming to
reign here in God’s Kingdom of justice, compassion and peace; where the “godly”
will recognise and know that they worship the One True God, who is supreme over
all things and all of creation. “For you, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth.”

Wonderful and Miraculous God, we come to worship you because you have made
yourself known to us in a multitude of ways, with amazing displays of your power
and majesty through fire, wind and storms; in the gentle power of compassion and
love to vulnerable people and for your creatures great and small; and in offering
wayward humanity glimpses of the light and warmth of God’s love and joy offered
so generously to us, which can so enrich our worship, our praise and our prayers.

God of all time and space, God of all creation that is earth-bound, and of all creation
that mysteriously dwells in the eternal presence and majesty of God in the heavens,
that are unknown to us and are beyond our imagination. We have the words and songs
of the various psalmists and prophets who attest to their vision of God in the heavenly
realms, where those beings that inhabit that realm “proclaim God’s righteousness”
and eternally praise God. We, the earth-bound inhabitants of God’s world join with
the heavenly choirs as we sing of God’s glory, and the wonder of God’s Holy Name.
“The Lord is King, lift up your voice, O earth, and, all you heavens rejoice;… The Lord
is King… through earth and heaven one song shall ring, ‘the Lord omnipotent is King!’”² Amen.

---

A Personal Meditation
Christmas Day (ii) Year C 2015
Psalm 97

This psalm opens with the Psalmist’s unequivocal statement: “The LORD is king!
Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad…” The outer limits of all
creation recognises and acknowledges this fundamental truth: “The LORD is king!”
As if to prove this statement, the next verses describe a series of theophanies with
each one demonstrating the undeniable power and majesty of God! A ‘theophany’
is an action by God whereby God becomes known to a human being through an
expression or action of God, with the intention of revealing a little of God’s-Own-Self
and presence - in ways that can be seen, heard or understood by that person. In
poetic language the author understood that God was present through: “the dark
clouds”; God showed that “righteousness and justice” were/are the foundations of
God’s rule; that “fire spreads ahead of him... the earth shakes and lightning flashes”
and before the mighty power and presence of God: “the mountains melt like wax...”
However often we believe that God has spoken to us or revealed God’s-Own-Self to
us, the initiative has and always will be from God – it is not something we organise!



The second major element of this psalm are in the next few verses of a doxology or
hymn of praise to God. Professor Walter Brueggemann writes about these verses:
“...The juxtaposition of ‘heavens’ and ‘all peoples’ indicates that all creation praises
YHWH; YHWH’s righteousness, which bodes well for the earth; and YHWH’s glory,
which trumps all other gods (v.6) Because of YHWH”s glory the gods are defeated
and no idol can make any claims to legitimacy (v.7). Because of YHWH’s righteous-
ness, all of Israel – Zion and Judah – rejoices in confidence that the world is rightly
ordered (v.8). Verse 9 draws a doxological conclusion...”¹ that matches verse 6.
This psalm has a balance that joined the hymns of praise between heaven and earth;
with implications for human values in the life of the world and its people that have
the power to transform relationships between the strong and the weak; between
the worship of God the King, and the false reverence of values inferior to God’s own.



The psalm’s closing section extolled the strength of God’s covenant relationship
between God and the people of Israel! “...You who love the LORD, hate evil! He
protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are
godly rejoice in the LORD and praise his holy name!” The concept that God’s ‘light’
and ‘joy’ shines on God’s faithful people is like a benediction to that psalm! As Isaac
Watts wrote in his mighty hymn: “...He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes
the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders
of his love, and wonders of his love.”³ That miracle of that event where the: “The LORD
is king! Let the earth rejoice...!” is truly the wonder of God’s reign of love, truth and grace!



1 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
& William H Bellinger Junior from “Psalms”
Psalm 97, page 418
© 2014 Cambridge University Press

2 From “The Australian Hymn Book” #64
“The Lord is King, lift up your voice”
Words by Josiah Conder (alt)
Words in the Public Domain

3 From “Together in Song” #268
“Joy to the world”
Words by Isaac Watts 1674-1748 (alt)
Words in the Public Domain

---

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:
© 2015 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: christmasdayiic_2015.pdf