56A*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 15A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2017
Psalm 114

In the presence of our God, we offer to God our worship, our thanks and praises.
We come: “God of sea and sky, God of wind and stillness... we sing your praise...”¹

In the presence of our God, we sing: “...All creation is the work of your hands”...¹
We come to sing: “...God of fire and rain, O God creator, we sing your praise....”¹

In the presence of our God, we proclaim: “...From the rising of the sun to its setting,
we sing your praise. Day unto day and night unto night, we sing your praise...”¹
We come with prayers and praises: “...You give life to all you touch, yours is the
life that no death overcomes, you alone can turn dark into light; we sing your praise...”¹ Amen.

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Psalm 114

1 When the Israelites escaped from Egypt—
when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—
2 the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary,
and Israel became his kingdom.

3 The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way!
The water of the Jordan River turned away.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs!

5 What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?
What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?
6 Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
8 He turned the rock into a pool of water;
yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.

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Prayers of Praise
After Pentecost 15A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2017
Psalm 114

In the presence of our God, we offer to God our worship, our thanks and praises.
We come to God acknowledging the almighty power and majesty of our God, whose
presence with us is expressed through the glory of creation: “God of sea and sky,
God of wind and stillness... we sing your praise...”¹ We rejoice in and praise our
God for allowing us as weak and fallible humanity to be part of God’s creativity, and
for allowing us to be partners in the care of creation; even though in the past we have
failed in our responsibilities. We praise our God for the other expressions of God’s
presence with us, through our daily experiences of love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.

In the presence of our God, we join in singing and praying: “...All creation is the work
of your hands... God of fire and rain, O God creator, we sing your praise....”¹ We
come to celebrate the wonders of creation that inspire us to a deeper understanding
of God’s will for humanity; and for our role in proclaiming God sovereign rule of love,
justice, peace and joy for all people; especially for people who are vulnerable and in
urgent need of support, compassionate care and liberation from all that imprisons them.
May your holy presence with us inspire us to help open up the way of God’s kingdom.

In the presence of our God, we proclaim: “...From the rising of the sun to its setting,
we sing your praise. Day unto day and night unto night, we sing your praise...”¹ We
come to God with prayers and praises because God gives “...life to all you touch, yours
is the life that no death overcomes, you alone can turn dark into light; we sing your
praise...”¹ In humility and a sense of deep awareness, we approach God’s throne
of grace and mercy, asking that our prayers, thanks and praises are pleasing to God. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 15A [Ordinary 24A] or [Proper 19A] 2017
Psalm 114

Psalm 114 is a most unusual psalm, yet it acknowledges the reality of God’s actions
in a variety of ways that are filled with mystery and power; and some cheeky taunting!
To the people of Israel, the reality of the Exodus experience and God’s deliverance
of them from slavery was a continuing celebration of their identity as God’s chosen
people – even if they were insignificant in the wider scheme of the world’s population—
God delivered them – and they could not stop celebrating! God’s power over creation
was also an ongoing song! “...From the rising of the sun to its setting, we sing your
praise. Day unto day and night unto night, we sing your praise. God of sea and sky,
God of wind and stillness, God of fire and rain, O God creator, we sing your praise…”¹



The sea and river waters and the mountains and hills are lauded for their responses
to God’s power and dominion over them, so that in awed responses, they contradict
their normal behaviour of consistency and predictability. “...All creation is the work of
your hands, we sing your praise. You give life to all you touch, we sing your praise…
You alone can turn dark into light, we sing your praise...”¹ The whimsical notions of
the psalmist that had the waters playing dodgy to God’s delight; and the mountains
and hills playfully skipping for God’s pleasure and enjoyment, add a different note to
a theme that continues throughout the Bible – that is - God’s great liberating powers!



The term ‘death’ and the concept of it as being the end of all hopes and dreams, the end
of all longings and expectations, are turned on their heads by God’s pre-emptive actions
in that ancient Exodus experience. Professor Walter Brueggemann writes that: “…The
tellers of this tale enjoy mightily the disruptive power of Yahweh. They are so sure that
they tease and taunt. They wonder why the sea is such a coward and why the river is
unable to stay in its place. Thus the contrast is between Yahweh... and the elements of
creation, which seem so sturdy… the humble God is exalted, and the exalted elements
are humiliated.... The exodus is now sung as a cosmic inversion. What happened with
the slave band is no mere tribal event, but an event that concerns all creation…”² The
people of Israel’s escape from slavery was seen as a victory, but all those years in the
wilderness were seen as a defeat; yet those same experiences were moulding the people
of Israel - under Gods guidance - into a unit that became a blessing to all of creation.



1 From “A Special Collection” sheet music - page 21
“We sing your praise”
Words and music by Monica Brown
© 1994 Monica Brown & Emmaus Productions
Used with personal permission.

2 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
from “The Message of the Psalms”
Chapter 4, page 141
©1984 Augsburg Publishing House
Minneapolis MN 55440, 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:
© 2017 Joan Stott –‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Based on verses from Psalm 114.
Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost15[24]a_2017.pdf