11A*
A Call to Worship
Epiphany 3A 2011
Psalm 27: 1, 4-9

We gather to praise the Lord, who is our Light:
Who shines the bright beam of love upon us all.
Come let us worship the God who lights our life.

We gather to praise the Lord, who is our Refuge:
Who is for us a safe haven in the storms of life.
Come let us worship the God who is our Security.

We gather to praise the Lord, who is our Strength
Who helps us to live in peace with our uncertainties.
Come let us worship the God who is our Foundation. Amen.

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Prayers of Praise and Petition
Epiphany 3A 2011
Psalm 27: 1, 4-9

O Lord our God, with praise filling our minds and with songs
in our hearts, we celebrate the wonders of our God! The Lord
is our Light – how true that is! The Lord is our Salvation – how
true that is too! The God whom we worship lights our path in
life with the golden light of love and mercy; and assures us that
no matter what happens in life or in death, God is there with us—
travelling beside us—so, why should we be afraid or anxious?

To God be the glory, great things are being done by God; and
even as we come in worship before our glorious God, our faith
has become stronger, and our trust in God has becomes more
sure and steadfast. We give thanks, O God, that in the simple yet
most profound actions of sharing in fellowship and in worshipping
before our God, we are at home and in our eternal spiritual residence.

Holy God, as we worship you and sing your praises, we discover
new truths about God’s faithfulness; new understandings of God’s
plan for humanity and this world; and new purposes as we seek to
worship and serve God all our lives, and be a witness to God’s glory.

And yet, O God, our foolish humanity gives us trouble as it raises
doubts and fears in our minds. We pray Lord, that as you promised,
that you will stay by our side through the difficult times that are ahead
of us. Never leave us, O God! Restore our wavering confidence in you
so that once again, our focus can be centred only on you as we worship,
and in our daily living; and not on our imaginary worries or anxieties.
Praise and thanks, honour and worship are offered to you O God. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Epiphany 3A 2011
Psalm 27: 1, 4-9

O Lord, you are my Light - my Security Light and my Safe Haven.
When life is good, you are my Security Light and my Safe Haven;
and when life is difficult, threatening and even scary, you remain
my Security Light and my Safe Haven. I have that deep knowledge
that only experience can give, that you light my path and hold me
securely in your hands, even when all else crumbles around me.



I am so grateful that I belong to a group of like-minded people who,
in worship and fellowship, seek to love and serve you all our days.
I continue to realise that worship is a time of discovery for me, when
my experiences of God are enhanced through sharing with others,
and my understanding of myself and life are increased and enriched.



Gracious God, even though I am on a journey of discovery with my
faith, fellowship, and prayer life, I still seem to run into the same old
stumbling blocks! Fears! Doubts! Questions! Conflicting answers!
Why do I need to have water-tight answers and unambiguous relies?
Why can’t I focus entirely on God, and let all the peripheral things go?



Dear and loving God, accept me as I am, warts and all, and bless me
in my struggles. I need you in my life. I need you in all my activities.
I need you in my confident times and in my times of doubt. I beg that
you never leave me or give up on me, for you are indeed my Light and
my Salvation, the Answer to all my needs, fears, doubts and questions!

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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: epiphany3a_2011.pdf

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