16A*
A Call to Worship
Epiphany 8A 2011
Psalm 131

Trustworthy God, in the stillness of your constant
presence, we offer our prayers and our thanks to you.
In humility and sincerity, we gather to worship our God.

You are our Still Centre when all around us is noisy conflict.
Holy God, our hope is in you, as you meet all our needs.

In the quietness and peace of this sacred space,
we gather to pray and meditate on God’s Holy Word.
O God, draw near to us, as we draw near to you. Amen.

Prayers of Trust
Epiphany 8A 2011
Psalm 131

Holy God, in humble gratitude, we come to worship you.
You are our heart’s desire and delight, and in quiet joy we
come before your awesome presence, as we offer our
acts of praise; the confession of our sinfulness; and our
acceptance of your merciful forgiveness. We will leave
to go to our homes with sincere gratitude to God, assured
that we are once again in a right relationship with our God.

Inspirational God, each time we approach you, we are
aware of the wonder and glory of our God, and we feel
inadequate before such splendour and majesty; and yet
God welcomes us as if we were little children there to
receive a parent’s warm embrace. How reassuring that
is, and we give our thanks to God, trusting God’s generous
and dependable love and care. How blessèd we are.

Nurturing God, with a serene spirit and a quiet mind, we can
leave the support and encouragement of our fellow pilgrims,
and take their blessings with us as we go out into the world;
trusting in the strength and liberty that God gives us; and
in the life-giving and eternal hope that is God’s gift to us all. Amen.

A Personal Meditation
Epiphany 8A 2011
Psalm 131

Here I am again God, like a little child in need of a parent’s
love; my mother’s milk, or my father’s tender care and
acceptance. I keep returning to my God for support and
encouragement, as I attempt to live a wholesome and
humble life within the framework of my current situation.

Creative pause: I seek to lead a humble and wholesome life.


There have been memorable times when I have felt the
heavy weight of the world on my shoulders; when I have
been the recipient of harrowing tales of degradation, disaster,
and the abuse of power. I know these sad situations continue,
and may even be worse now than when I heard about or
experienced them first hand. However, I will never forget their
faces, their broken voices, their stories, their needs; and my
ineffective responses before the magnitude of their need, and
the many different ways they were impoverished and suffered.

Creative pause: I will never forget them.


My God, I come to you seeking your help and encouragement.
I need to lead a quieter and more measured life that is stilled
by God’s presence and God’s healing calm. However, may I
never fail to pray for and care about the pains of this world;
its suffering people and their desperate needs! But my life has
changed, and it is time now to be still before God as I reflect
on the purpose of life; the meaning of faith and love; and the
significance of hope; as I humbly learn more about my God.

Creative pause: It is now time to be still before God.


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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