09A*
A Call to Worship
Epiphany 1A Baptism of Jesus Year A 2011
Psalm 29

The voice of our God and King is heard in blessing,
as it echoes in its majestic powers over all creation.
We come to worship our God, and to celebrate the
Mystery and Reality that is God’s everlasting glory.

The voice of God is heard in all creation – and it responds
with joy to the voice of its Creator, Sustainer and Renewer.
We come to worship our God, and to celebrate God’s
power and generosity towards all creation and all peoples.

We come to worship our God, and to celebrate the
way we are welcomed into God’s glorious presence.
The voice of our Holy God is heard in the sacred
spaces, and God’s grace is received as we worship. Amen.

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Prayers of Praise
Epiphany 1A Baptism of Jesus Year A 2011
Psalm 29

Glorious God, we come to worship and praise you in
response to your voice that calls us to our home in you.
We join with all the voices of the earth, together with all
the voices of the heavens, to praise the glorious name
of our God; and to bow down in awe before the mighty
energies of our God, as we experience them in nature.

Almighty and Unshakeable God, we hear your voice in
its many tones and accents, and experience something
of your powers and your strength in the surging waves
of the seas; and in the swirling forces of the waves as
they crash against the rocky outcrops along the shore.
We sing our praises to the power of our Unshakeable God!

Powerful and ever-present God, we praise your holy name,
and listen for your voice as it continues to echo through
the mighty canyons, and amongst the huge forest giants
that wilt before your power and majesty. Your holy voice
speaks to all creation in the thunder and lightning of storms;
and in the noise of trees crashing to the earth like tiny twigs
before the relentless forces of the forest fires and winds.

Majestic God, your voice is heard in the wind and rain as
they roar across the open plains; and in the rush of flood
waters that sweep all before it. Even in that devastation,
the voice of God is heard and nothing can compare to it.

Mighty God, King all powerful, we are overwhelmed before
such awesome majesty, and our response to the voice of
God can only be to come in reverent worship with songs of
praise that glorify and honour our holy and invincible God,
as we bow in worship, and as we praise and celebrate our God. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Epiphany 1A Baptism of Jesus Year A 2011
Psalm 29

The gentle voice of God sounds through the morning breezes
welcoming the world to a new day, and if I listen carefully, I can
hear God’s voice as it bids farewell to the moon and stars from
this part of the night skies. I sometimes hear God’s voice says
‘Goodnight’ to the nocturnal creatures as they go to their rest.



Sometimes the voice of God greets the morning with a blast
of wind, rain and storm, and the power and majesty of God
is heard and experienced in storms and violent weather, with
its upheavals that leaves me feeling overwhelmed. Childhood
fears of heavenly stampings and angels clapping never seem
to quite go away in the middle of noisy, violent thunder storms.
In spite of these apprehensions, God’s voice still calls to me.



I hear God’s voice in the glowing moon as it sails across the
night skies; and the shimmering stars echo the song of the
moon as they respond to God’s voice of love and blessing.
Sometimes the night is quite dark and very mysterious, but
God’s voice continues to sound across the vastness of space—
and there beyond the clouds the Milky Way is still present,
beaming its multitude of myriad lights towards their great Creator.



Daytime or night-time, storm or sunshine, hot or cold, wet or dry,
in turmoil or in peace - God’s voice echoes across all creation.
All the universe, and all heaven’s inhabitants join with people
from the earth’s nations, together with all earth’s creatures to
celebrate and worship their God, their Creator and Sustainer.

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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:
© 2011 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: epiphany1a_2011.pdf

© 2011 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A