09C*
A Call to Worship
Baptism of Jesus
Epiphany 1C [Ordinary 1C] 2013
Psalm 29

With confidence, we come together to all sing God’s praises.
The heavenly armies join with us as we sing: “Holy is the Lord!”

God’s voice echoes through all creation - and we sing “Glory!”
We rejoice in God’s holy glory, even though it is utterly beyond us.

In response to God’s welcoming voice, today we come together—
joining with the heavenly armies, as we all sing: “Praise the Lord!”
Honour and praises are offered to our Holy God, who reigns forever!
God’s sovereign reign brings strength and peace to all God’s people. Amen.

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Prayers of Praise
Baptism of Jesus
Epiphany 1C [Ordinary 1C] 2013
Psalm 29

Great Creator, still creating through the powers of God’s hands;
Great Creator, still creating through the wonders of God’s majesty;
Great Creator, still creating through the miracles of God’s holiness;
Great Creator, still creating through the glories of God’s eternal being.
In reverent awe and praise, we gather to worship God in all the
multifaceted aspects of the being and holiness of our Glorious God.

God – the Initiator of all life and love; God – the Sustainer of all life
and love; God – the Restorer of all life and love; and God – the Renewer
life and love; we gather to worship, honour and praise our God, the
Almighty and Redeeming Creator. Through the loving generosity of
our God’s love, grace and mercy, we continue to be given opportunities
to honour and revere all that is God’s very own being - the Holy One—
who speaks to each of us with a voice that thunders, and with a voice
that gently whispers words of welcome, love and joy to God’s people.

God, the Voice of all that is pure and holy; the Voice the brings life and
love into being, enabling it to grow and multiply; and the Voice that calls
forth a response from all creation as it worships and bows down before
the Lord of all things and all peoples. We come, as the people whom God
calls to gather together with one mind and heart, to praise and honour
the God who calls us to life in all its fullness, and strengthened with God’s
peace. God, to whom the inhabitants of the heavens cry “Glory!”, and who
calls the people of the earth to echo that chorus: so we sing: “Glory to God!” Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Baptism of Jesus
Epiphany 1C [Ordinary 1C] 2013
Psalm 29

The thundering voice of God has been very loud and insistent
the last few days as it message of God’s powers and majesty
has been very clearly transmitted through regular thunder storms!
This types of storms can be very scary. As a child, living in a rural
area surrounded by hills, the frequent electrical storms seemed
to last forever, as those nearby hills seemed to guide the storm's
violent powers. When the power and majesty of God’s voice is so
clearly seen and heard in those storms, or in any type of storm, we
often feel vulnerable; but do they also inspire you in the awe of God?



The serenity of God’s voice can also be experienced in nature!
As I daily tend my large garden, which abounds with a large variety
of colours and styles of plants, God’s voice whispers so softly to me—
calling me to a personal awareness of God’s gentle powers that
can be experienced through perfumes, colours and textures. God’s
quiet voice also echoes throughout large and small sized flowers,
leaves, shrubs and trees; and with the ever-changing seasons of
growth and decline, God’s purposes and consistency are whispered
to me, with messages of hope, patience and of our shared partnership.



God’s voice, in its many variations, are also heard in shared worship!
As a passive or active participant, worshipping God together should
always be a shared experience, with a leader taking some responsibility,
but you and I each have our part to play. When you are leading worship,
do you have people in your group to whom you like to look at to receive
support and encouragement? These people offer such a great gift to the
leaders during worship! But it is the heavenly echoes of “Glory!” that are
the most inspiring part of worshipping God, because you know you are
joining with countless “saints in light” as they praise God, and invite us to
join with them in their everlasting song of praise to God! God longs for a
response from each of us, and people with ears to hear God’s voice have
only one response! “Glory to God - forever!” and God’s response to that
praise is the gracious gift of strength and peace to bless and inspire us.

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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:
© 2013 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: epiphany1[1]c_2013.pdf

© 2013 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year C