14A*
A Call to Worship
After Epiphany 6A [Ordinary 6A] or [Proper 1A] 2017
Psalm 119: 1-8

How blessed are those who welcome God’s presence in all of their living.
Because they will know the joy of God’s presence, to guide and bless them.

How blessed are those who commit themselves to following in God’s way.
Because they will know the joy of God’s loving favour shining upon them.

How blessed are those whose words and actions consistently reflect the truth
of God’s way of life; and who seek to obey all God’s decrees and commands.
Because they will know the joy of God’s encouragement as they receive God’s
merciful forgiveness; and the reassurance of God’s steadfast love and grace. Amen.

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Psalm 119:1-8

1 Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the LORD.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.

4 You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
5 Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
6 Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands.
7 As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
8 I will obey your decrees.
Please don’t give up on me!

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Prayers of Thankfulness and Trust
After Epiphany 6A [Ordinary 6A] or [Proper 1A] 2017
Psalm 119: 1-8

God of grace and God of mercy, we give thanks for the example of people who
welcome God into every element of their life and living, because they know and
celebrate the joy of God’s presence with them in everything they do and say; in
all of their relationships and in all their commitments. We give thanks that as we
travel on our pilgrimage of faith, that they can inspire and bless us through their
love of God and of their brothers and sisters. Help us and guide us, so that we,
too, may be an example to others of godly living, and forgive us when we fail you.

Trustworthy God, we give thanks for the blessing of being part of a faith community
where people of like minds and hearts support and encourage each other; where
they pray for each other; and who accept and bless each other – even with all their
individual differences and their quirky habits. We give thanks for the vulnerability
and honesty of our fellow pilgrims, as together we celebrate the joy of God’s loving
favour shining upon all God’s faithful people. All praise be to God for enabling us
to be part of a community dedicated to following in God’s way of prayer and praise.

God of joy and God of fulfilment, we give thanks that in and through the worship of
God, we can discover and know the blessedness of fulfilment in our mind and soul.
We praise you, Guiding God, that arising out of the worship of God, we gain inner
strength to resist the powers of evil that seeks to surround and overwhelm us; and
which try to redirect our thoughts and actions into the ways of this world. We give
thanks that this enables us to defy the urge to compromise the truth and integrity of
our faith in God; and to balance the pressures of life with a trust in God that is not
misplaced. Forgiving God, because we will know the joy of God’s encouragement as
we receive God’s merciful forgiveness and the reassurance of God’s steadfast love
and grace; we can continue, in faith, hope and joy, to our home in God’s Holy Presence. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Epiphany 6A [Ordinary 6A] or [Proper 1A] 2017
Psalm 119: 1-8

In this season of Epiphany, where we reflect at length on the new insights and
understandings of life that are revealed to us; I have been thinking a lot about
the resources we have available to us in this current generation. I admit to being
very disturbed by the dependency by so many young people on the information
made available to them through social media. I also question the accuracy of all
those so-called facts highlighted there, and whether they are only other’s opinions
that are being fed as facts into young people’s minds; and how they are acted on in
their choices and their decision making, as to what is most important in their lives.



By contrast, the lengthy acrostic Psalm 119 paints a picture of a very different world—
a God-centred world, where growing closer to God is seen as life-giving and life-
preserving. This psalm makes no apologies for being the “A, B, C” of living a godly
life of obedience to “Torah living”. The first three verses set the tone of the psalm
and gives us guidance to our decision making. “Joyful are people of integrity, who
follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search
for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in
his paths...” Today’s psalm also follows the theme of the last few weeks of the choices
we make in our life-style and our priorities – choosing God’s way or our own way!



Professor Walter Brueggemann writes of those who are “joyful people of integrity”:
“...It is the work of the Psalter to populate our world with the character of this God.
Where this God governs, the world is transformed and transformable. It becomes
a place of joy and duty – of joyous duty – a place of buoyancy and risk. Even so,
we itch to be left in a joyless, duty-free world that is noticeably short on buoyancy
and empty of serious risk.... The people of this counter-world may decide differently.
The people of this counter-world of covenantal duty and joy, of buoyancy and risk,
will now and in the time to come be characteristically lost in wonder, love and praise...”¹



1 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
from “From whom no secrets are hidden”
Chapter 2, page 35
© 2014 Westminster/John Knox Press
Louisville Kentucky USA

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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 inspiration available from the scholarship and 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:
© 2017 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

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

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