28A*
A Call to Worship
Lent 6A, Maundy Thursday, Year A 2017
Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19

Faithful God, “...What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me...”?
“...I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on...” God’s name.

Welcoming God, “...What can we offer the LORD for all he has done for...” us?
We will offer to God our prayers and praises, and reach out in love to others.

Nurturing God, “...What can we offer the LORD for all he has done for ...” this
our faith community? We have been so blessed by God’s loving guidance.
We will offer to God our thankful worship and revere the Holy Name of God—
in our living, loving, and forgiving; and serving God’s needy people all our days. Amen.

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Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19

1 I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

12 What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfil my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people—
19 in the house of the LORD in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

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Prayers of Trust and Thankfulness
Lent 6A, Maundy Thursday, Year A 2017
Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19

The psalmist asked: “...What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me...” or
for us? What can we each offer the LORD for all he has done; for what he has been
for us? The hymn writer answered: “...Truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness
these are the offerings to bring...”¹ to our God. Faithful God, we come to worship
you this day, with hearts and minds filled with gratitude and a sense of ultimate trust
in the dependability of our God. We have received so many blessings from our God—
gifts large and small; gifts acknowledged with thanks, and gifts that are often unnoticed
because of the rush of our daily living; and blessings that have turned our lives and
spirits around in positive and creative ways. We give thanks that in our God we have:
“...trust for our trembling, and hope for our fears...”¹ and so we bring our praises to God.

Welcoming God, we come to worship you in confident trust, because we know from our
own experiences that God, in the words of another hymn writer promises: “He does not
break the crushed reed, or quench the wavering flame...”² when we come to God in our
weaknesses and human frailty; and in humility we offer as our gifts, our confessions and
our worship. We also offer to God our promises to be more deeply committed to God in
our prayers and praises, and in reaching out in love to others. We give thanks that our
God responds and does indeed: “...comfort our sorrows, and answers our prayerfulness…”¹

Nurturing God, we come to worship you today, because we are very conscious of the
many blessings you have poured over us as we have sought to worship and serve you.
We give thanks that we can trust our God for our present and our future times, just as our
forebears have trusted you in the past; and our faith community offers their thanks to you
for: “…guiding our steps in the way best for you...”¹ We give thanks that you have trusted
us with your mission and ministry in this place and time; and that in a genuine response—
Nurturing God, we give thanks that we have grown in our faith, our hope and our love for
you and all your creation. We pray that you will continue to strengthen us in newness of life. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Lent 6A, Maundy Thursday, Year A 2017
Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19

The Psalms are the Worship, Prayer and Hymn Book of the people of Israel; and
the 150 psalms expressed the faith and life experiences not only of the authors,
but the story and historical context of that faith and their varied life experiences.
The psalms are also a teaching or training tool, noting especially the role of the
acrostic psalms, especially Psalm 119 as a shining example, when each section
starting with a sequential list of their Hebrew alphabet, and gave the reader/listener
instructions on following and living one’s life according to the Torah or Laws of God
as recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament. Psalm 116 is a celebration
of thankfulness to God after the author had survived a “near death” experience, and
in a hymn of praise and thankfulness, the author made some quite specific promises.



The psalmist’s pledge: “...I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s
name for saving me...” usually refers to the four cups of wine drunk at the Passover
Meal, based on God’s four promises made in Exodus 6: 6-7, “...I will free you from
your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you
with a powerful arm and great acts of judgement. I will claim you as my own people,
and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has
freed you from your oppression in Egypt.’” The “Kiddush” is recited over the first cup.
a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat or Sabbath as a
day of rest. The “Haggadah” is read over the second cup – the story of the Passover
as a fulfilment of God’s command for each Jew to “tell your son” about the Jewish
liberation from slavery under pharaoh in Egypt ; the “Grace after Meals” “...When you
have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the LORD your God for the good land he has
given you...” (Deuteronomy 8: 10) is recited over the third cup; and the ‘Big Hallel”—
Psalms 113-118 in praise of God is a celebration of jubilation sung over the fourth cup.



I love the word ‘nurture’ which expresses the care and protection given to vulnerable
people to adulthood; or plants to enable them to be productive; by providing for their
needs in nourishing and supportive ways that encourages and promotes strength
through appropriate development and sustained attention. The need or desire for the
nurturing of our faith, our hopes, and dreams is fundamental, and enriches us as people.
Nurturing people, life and plants is so much more fulfilling that destroying or damaging
anything, and it also answers the question asked by the psalmist: “...What can I offer
the LORD for all he has done for me...?” The psalmist’s response was: “...I will lift up
the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s name.... I will keep my promises to the
LORD.... I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving.... I will fulfil my vows to the LORD...”
All those promises nurtured and developed further the psalmist’s faith in God and life.



1 From “Together in Song” #454
“Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness”
© Words by John Samuel Bewley Monsell (Alt)
Words are in the Public Domain.

2 From “Holy Ground” CD Track #16
Words and music by Sister Monica Brown
© 1997 Monica Brown & Emmaus Productions
Used by Personal Permission

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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 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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