14A*
A Call to Worship
Epiphany 6A 2011
Psalm 119: 1-8

Blessèd and Righteous God, your truths and grace
are revealed to us as we search your Holy Word
We come today, to listen to the Word of the Lord.

Gracious God, you help us to know you through
your Holy Word, which guides and blesses us.
We come today, to worship the Lord our God.

Holy God, we gather to worship and praise you,
to learn from your Word in fellowship with others.
We come today, to praise the Lord our God. Amen.

Prayers of Thankfulness and Trust
Epiphany 6A 2011
Psalm 119: 1-8

Holy God, you have gifted us with your Law which tells us
about God’s relationship with us and our relationship with God;
with other people and the created world; and our responsibilities
to each other. Happiness is promised to us if we follow these
instructions from God, and yet that word ‘happiness’ has lost
some of its meaning in today’s world. Nevertheless, we give
thanks for the joy that is ours when we live as obedient children
of our Creator and Lord, God most holy, God Almighty forever.

O Lord our God, each day we are faced with the complexities of life.
We give thanks that we can read in your Holy Word the guidance
that we need and can trust. Even though these are ancient words,
it is in and through the lives and experiences of generations of
people, that we recognise the wisdom in these words; that they
still ring true today, and they show us the wise path in life to follow.

Gracious God, we are bombarded each day with headlines that
claim to give us the whole truth; the television flashes instant
‘news’ to us about what is of the utmost importance to the world;
the latest technology dazzles us with endless information, most
of which is irrelevant to our lives; and yet they too claim to ‘know
everything’ worth knowing, and we are engulfed in their gossip.

Supporting God, is all this information really true and vital to our
faith journey? Help us to discern the truths about our world, its
peoples and its nations; so we can apply these ancient certainties
to current situations, and then know how to act with integrity and
compassion. We are often misunderstood and judged by people
who live and work within different principles and guidelines, and
sometimes it is hard to defend our words, attitudes and actions to
our sceptical family, our friends and neighbours, or our community.

God of justice and peace, we seek to be a faithful follower of your
plan for humanity and your world. Travel with us, we pray, so that
we are strengthened to obey your laws, and live in trust and hope,
and thereby overcome any temptation to compromise God’s truth. Amen.

A Personal Meditation
Epiphany 6A 2011
Psalm 119: 1-8

How blessed I am, together with all humanity and the
created world, that there are clear instructions about
God’s expectations of me - and for all of us - as we commit
to a close relationship with to God and to each other.

Creative pause: I am blessed with clear instructions.


I give thanks to God that in your Holy Word there are
laws and rules for me to follow, especially when tough
decision have to be made! These laws invite me to be
part of God’s plan for harmonious relationships and
peaceful community living. What a privilege it is to be
in partnership with God on such an important issue.

Creative pause: I am invited to be part of God’s plan.


These laws are based on the being and nature of God,
who invites me to a shared co-operation in proclaiming
to humanity the way of life of honesty, justice, integrity
and peace that God calls us all to follow. I hope that I am
worthy of this responsibility, and that I can fulfil these
tasks, so that others will know about our glorious God.

Creative pause: I hope I am worthy of these responsibilities.


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

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