53B*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 14B [Ordinary 21B] or [Proper 16B] 2018
Psalm 84

Holy God: “May the glory of the LORD fill the temple as we gather in this place…”¹
In faith, hope and love, we gather to worship our God, the LORD of all ages.

“…may the glory of the LORD touch his people as we meet here by his grace…”¹
In trust, joy and anticipation, we gather to sing our praises to God our LORD.

“…Weak though we are, you lift us from sin, where our hearts wait you long
to come in, so LORD we pray let your healing begin— send us your Spirit today..!”¹
In remorse, regret and with sorrow, we confess our sin before the LORD our
God, who so generously offers us forgiveness and renewal in our relationship. Amen.

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Psalm 84
For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah,
to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
2 I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD.
With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest
and raises her young at a place near your altar,
O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!
4 What joy for those who can live in your house,
always singing your praises.
Interlude

5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD,
who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,
it will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
7 They will continue to grow stronger,
and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.
8 O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob.
Interlude

9 O God, look with favour upon the king, our shield!
Show favour to the one you have anointed.
10 A single day in your courts
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
12 O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

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Prayers of Praise
After Pentecost 14B [Ordinary 21B] or [Proper 16B] 2018
Psalm 84

Holy God: as we gather to worship our LORD and God, we join with your people
through the ages as we sing: “May the glory of the LORD fill the temple as we
gather in this place…”¹ In faith, hope and love, we gather to worship our God,
the LORD of all ages; of all times; and of all circumstances; to sing our praises
and to pray and reflect on God’s holy word. We gather together as a fellowship
of God’s people in this time and place; praying for God’s blessings on all people
who are in need; for all people in distress; and for forgiveness for all people
who have fallen short in their commitment to God; and to the care of this planet.

Eternal God: as we gather to worship our LORD and God, we join with your people
through the ages as we sing: “…may the glory of the LORD touch his people as we
meet here by his grace…”¹ In trust, joy and anticipation, we gather to pray our
prayers of praises, thankfulness and confession to God our LORD. All praise be
to our Gracious God, for the blessings and mercies that have been showered on
all that God has created through the centuries; for the revelations of God’s glory
as is demonstrated in the natural world; and for the way that glory has touched
our sin-filled lives; with forgiveness offered to all who confess their sin to God.

Compassionate God, as we gather to worship our LORD and God, we join with
your people through the ages as we sing: “…Weak though we are, you lift us
from sin, where our hearts wait you long to come in, so LORD we pray let your
healing begin - send us your Spirit today..!”¹ In remorse, regret and with sorrow,
we confess our sin before the LORD our God, who so generously offers us mercy,
forgiveness and renewal in our relationships. All praise to God, whose tender love
offers relief from the burden of sin and remorse; and who grants us freedom in and
through the power of the Holy Spirit, active in our lives and in all our relationships.
“May the glory of the LORD fill the temple as we gather in this place…”¹ Amen and Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 14B [Ordinary 21B] or [Proper 16B] 2018
Psalm 84

The “Songs of Zion” are and were a celebration of God’s holy presence in Zion and
they are Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84 and 87. The name “Zion” has an interesting and very
confusing history. Zion was the name of the citadel or fortress for the Jebusite city of
Jerusalem before it was conquered by King David. According to the Genesis record,
the Jebusites were descendants of one of Noah’s 16 grandchildren named “Canaan”.
That nation was ruled by various marauding nations, and eventually named Palestine.
After Zion’s capture, it became known as the “City of David”. Originally, Zion was only
one section of the fortress where the temple was first built, but King David extended the
original area of Zion to include the whole of that was known as Temple Mount; which was
the highest point in the ancient city of Jerusalem. Many of the subsequent prophets failed
to even mention “Zion” in their prophecies; yet the Psalms and other prophets made
regular mention of Zion; and it is named only once each in Hebrews and Revelations in
the New Testament. To add to all the confusion, Zion was also referred to in the Old
Testament as “Sion” – as an abstract symbol of that city and of their “Promised Land”.



When I was travelling the world in my various roles in the World Federation of Methodist
and Uniting Church Women, I was frequently the only white woman amongst many other
races; and also many other beliefs and cultures. My roles required that I witness to my
faith in God and in Jesus Christ as my LORD and Liberator, often to a very sceptical media—
and this was always a very testing time. Active hostility and cynicism are difficult feelings
to respond to – yet it was my duty and privilege to be true to my calling. Sharing one’s faith
with people with preconceived ideas can be hard work! Our psalm for today meets that
hostility and cynicism head-on: “...I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the
LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God… What
joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. What joy for those
whose strength comes from the LORD … O LORD...what joy for those who trust in you…”



Professor Walter Brueggemann wrote of the grief and humiliation the Jewish people felt
after their capture and deportation to Babylon. Brueggemann continued: “…In the midst
of that [Babylonian] empire, the Jews were scorned for the specificity of their faith and
their liturgy as they sang the songs of Zion… Even in their displacement, they enacted their
passion for Jerusalem and its temple, perhaps singing such ‘Songs of Zion’ as Psalms 46
and 84. Along with their resolve not to abandon their faith or compromise their identity, they
bore witness in a foreign land, in an empire that was alien to and in contradiction to their
faith…”² Whether this psalm was sung together as they yearned for the blessedness of being
able to once again worship in their temple in Jerusalem; or whether it was pilgrims singing
as they gathered for a festival of worshipping God; the message Psalm 84 is anticipation—
an eagerness and anticipation to once again be together in God’s Holy presence in worship!



1 From “Singing the Faith” #31
Words by Jonathan Nowell
© 2011 Used with permission
CCLI License #221735

2 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
from “From whom no secrets are hid”
Chapter 9, page 93
© 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 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 Meditation are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2018 Joan Stott –‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Based on verses from Psalm 84.
Used with permission.

joanstott16@gmail.com
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost14[21]b_2018.pdf