13B*A Call to Worship
After Epiphany 5B [Ordinary 5B] 2018
Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c

We gather to praise our God! We come to sing our responses to God.
We gather in awed wonder at God’s unfailing love, which gives us hope.

We gather to praise our God and to give thanks for God’s compassion.
We gather in awed amazement of God’s tender mercy and healing grace.

We gather to praise our God! We come to pray and thank our God for the
miracles of creation - all of which are loving expressions of God's-Own-Self.
We gather together to marvel in awed delight, and to give our thanks to our
Creating and Sustaining God whose unfailing love gives us eternal hope. Amen.

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PSALM 147: 1-11, 20c

1 Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!
2 The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
3 He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.

4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our LORD! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
6 The LORD supports the humble,
but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

7 Sing out your thanks to the LORD; sing praises to our God with a harp.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth,
and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
9 He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.
11 No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope
in his unfailing love.

20c Praise the LORD!

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Prayers of Praise and Thankfulness
After Epiphany 5B [Ordinary 5B] 2018
Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c

We gather together today to praise and thank our God! We come to sing our responses
to God with a sense of awed wonder at God’s unfailing love, which gives us hope for a
forgiven life. God of unfailing love: the utterly amazing miracle of the love that God has
for all that God has created and for all that God will create in the future, makes us pause
to reflect, as we struggle to comprehend the height and depth of that holy love; that love
that invites and draws humankind into an intimate and trusted relationship with the God,
whose love for us will be the greatest love we will ever experience. So, we sing the hymn
that calls us to express in a unique way our joy and hope in that love: “Praise and thanks-
giving let everyone bring, unto our Father for every good thing. All together, joyfully sing!”¹

We gather to praise our God and to give thanks for God’s great loving compassion and
merciful and healing grace offered to wayward humanity. We gather in awed amazement
at the tenderness of God’s love for humanity, especially for all who are vulnerable or with
special needs. We praise our God and give our heartfelt thanks that God has created
within us all a yearning for a deeper and personal relationship with our Creator, that can
only be realised and fulfilled through our acceptance of that generous and unfailing love.
We praise our God for offering us the healing balm of gentle love and warm compassion—
as so many people are very fragile in their mental, spiritual or physical needs. So, we offer
our prayers of praise and thanks for our joy and hope in that holy love: “Praise and thanks-
giving let everyone bring, unto our Father for every good thing. All together, joyfully sing!”¹

We gather to praise our God and to offer our thanks to God for the miracles of creation—
all of which are loving expressions of God-Own-Self; and which are offered to us for our
delight and joy in our Creator, and in all of creation. We marvel at the diversity of creation
with its many expressions of strength and fragility; its unique beauty, colour and form;
and its ability to create within each of us a response to these qualities of awe and wonder;
and sometimes the instinctive fear that causes us to be cautious. “…How great is our
LORD! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!... Sing out your
thanks to the LORD...” We respond in awed delight, and to give our thanks to our Creating
and Sustaining God whose unfailing love gives us all an eternal hope. “Praise and thanks-
giving let everyone bring, unto our Father for every good thing. All together, joyfully sing!”¹ Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Epiphany 5B [Ordinary 5B] 2018
Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c

There are three themes in the selected verses of this Psalm, and I have taken the
liberty of mixing and matching those verses as God’s praises are sung! My first
theme is verses 1, 10,11 and 20c: “Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to
our God! How delightful and how fitting!...He takes no pleasure in the strength of
a horse or in human might. No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those
who put their hope in his unfailing love….Praise the LORD!” Praising God for the
awe that God inspires within us is an instinctive, relevant and appropriate response
of trust and hope in God’s unfailing love. God delights in our worship and praises.



The second theme is about God’s compassion and tender mercies in verses 2, 3
and 6: “…The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds….he LORD supports the
humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust….” The transforming possibilities
and capabilities of God are evident in these verses. Firstly, there was the promised
renewal and reinstatement of Jerusalem as the centre of worship of God, so vital for
their spiritual health and well-being; then came the healing of their broken hearts; the
recognition that the evil powers of the wicked are as nothing to God; as one’s quiet
humility enables the personal spiritual renewal so necessary in broken relationships.



The third theme meditates on the physical reality of creation in verses 4-5, and 7-9:
“…He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our LORD! His power
is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!...Sing out your thanks to
the LORD; sing praises to our God with a harp. He covers the heavens with clouds,
provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. He gives
food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry…” This theme
contrasts God’s mysterious relationship with the stars and God’s tender care of birds
who at maturity will soar through those clouds; but as chicks, they are very vulnerable.



1 From “Together in Song” #743
“Praise and thanksgiving let everyone bring”
© Words and music by Edith Lovell Thomas
Used with Permission,
ONE LICENSE, License #A-604543

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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 help and inspiration so frequently available from the writings of Professor Walter Brueggemann and Professorial brothers Rolf and Karl Jacobson; and the resources from "The Text this Week" (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditation are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2018 Joan Stott –‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Based on verses from Psalm 147.
Used with permission.

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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: epiphany5[5]b_2018.pdf