56A*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 13A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2011
Psalm 114

Almighty God, we gather to celebrate your faithfulness!
Our God has always heard the cries of God’s people.

Unchanging God, we gather to rejoice in your mercy!
Holy God, even though we fail you, you never fail us!

Nurturing God, we gather to honour and praise your Name!
Our Generous God meets our needs with grace and blessing!
All praise be to God, our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer. Amen.

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Prayers of Praise
Pentecost 13A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2011
Psalm 114

Great God of time and powers beyond our dreaming—
Great God of holiness and grace beyond our imagination—
we gather to worship you this day, in this small segment
of time and eternity; and in a sacred space that is special
to us. We come before you in reverent awe and amazement—
that you care for us as individual people amongst millions
of other people; that we are nurtured as your beloved
children amongst countless numbers of people whom you
have loved in times past, and into the unknown future.

Throughout history as we know and understand it, you have
offered and led your people towards and into new beginnings—
despite many times they have gone astray; despite the many
times they have rebelled against you and your ways of peace
and justice; and despite the many times they have rejected you
and your guiding hand. Compassionate God, you continue
to reach out to people in their wilfulness and their human pride,
aware that, despite your incredible love for them, they think
that they know what is best for themselves and for the world.

Generous and Patient God, today we offer you our praise,
our thanks and our worship. We remember with thanks our
heritage as your people of faith, and we ask that we may be
blessed as we seek to be your faithful people every day of
our life, and that we may honour and serve you with our songs
and prayers; with awe and reverence; and with joy and delight. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 13A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2011
Psalm 114

God beyond time and eternity, it is hard for me to get
my head around the idea that for unknown numbers
of years, you have continued to patiently rescue
your people from their own foolishness; from situations
that they have created; from circumstances that
occurred when things went pear-shaped and out
of control through humanity’s neglect and arrogance.
The Bible is full of stories and events where people
have strayed from God, and yet through the abundant
mercy and loving grace of God, they have been saved.



The details of all the ‘saints’ and ‘martyrs’ that have
ever been compiled into lists will demonstrate how
fallible they all were, despite their virtues and graces.
I take heart from these failings of theirs, because I
know that I fail regularly too, and need to be ‘saved’
by God’s grace from yet another sticky situation.



I rejoice in the partnership I have with God and with
God’s creation! But I don’t think I’ve seen mountains
skipping with joy, or any hills trembling with delight;
but maybe - just maybe - my eyes have not been
fine-tuned enough to see these miracles of God’s joy
and delight that the Psalmist wrote about so long ago.



The partnership I enjoy with God and creation is a bit
less spectacular, such as watching roses grow from a bud
and watching birds feeding their young; such as celebrating
the seasonal changes in the weather; such as the splash
of the waves on the seashore, and the fragile shells that
are left to be marvelled at. These are my experiences
of the miracles of God’s delight and joy, God’s celebrations.

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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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost13[24]a_2011.pdf

© 2011 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A