56B*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 17B [Ordinary 24B] or [Proper 19B] 2018
Psalm 19

We gather together to celebrate the miracles and wonders of God’s creation.
May our words express our thanks, and give praise and glory to our Creator.

We gather together to celebrate the miracles and wonders of God’s love for us.
May the meditations of our hearts and minds bring joy and pleasure to our God.

We gather together to celebrate the miracle and wonder of God’s Holy Presence
with us, and may our worship, witness and service be a sacrificial offering to God.
May all that we are and all that we could become, bring praise to God; and may
our thoughts, words and deeds be offered to God in sincere prayers and praises. Amen.

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Psalm 19
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

7 The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.

9 Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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Prayers of Thankfulness and Praise
After Pentecost 17B [Ordinary 24B] or [Proper 19B] 2018
Psalm 19

Creating God: we gather together to celebrate the miracles and wonders of God’s
creation as we experience it every moment of our life; as we are so blessed and
enriched by the glories of God’s continuing creative powers. Whether large or
small; loud or quiet; hard or soft; visible or invisible; we are surrounding by the
evidence of God’s glory and majesty. May our lives and words express our thanks—
and give reverent and sincere praise and glory to the LORD, our God and Creator.

Loving God: we gather together to celebrate the miracles and wonders of God’s
love for us; a love described as being steadfast and unfailing; a love that is loyal,
faithful, merciful and gracious – and that is utterly undeserved by any of us! We
know and understand that we are not worthy of that love; but God’s great mercy
has always been generous; and God has always forgiven us our confessed sin.
So, as we respond to that love, may the meditations of our hearts and minds bring
joy and pleasure to our God; and may God Holy Name be honoured and revered.

Ever-present God: we gather together to celebrate the miracle and wonder of God’s
Holy Presence with us; and we recognise that God is with us, all around and above
us, encircling and inspiring us. May all that we are and all that we could become
bring praise to God; and may our thoughts, words and deeds be offered to God in
sincere prayers and praises. As we celebrate God in creation; God in relationships;
and God at home within our very inner beings, acting and healing us of our failings,
faults and sin; we pray that our worship, witness and service will be a offering that
God accepts as our best efforts in and through the gifts with which God has given us. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 17B [Ordinary 24B] or [Proper 19B] 2018
Psalm 19

This is the twelfth time I have written about Psalm 19 and this time, I want to reflect
on the last verse and its prayer: “…May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” I have also
linked this with the Old Testament reading set for today, whose purpose according
to first verses of Proverbs: “…is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them
understand the insights of the wise….”¹ Verses 20-32 spells out the fate of people
who reject or ignore God; then comes verse 33: “…But all who listen to me will live
in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” Those are the people whose meditations and
words are pleasing to God; because their lives reflect their intimate relationship with
God, who’s Holy Presence with them is as their Rock and their Liberator. Whilst the
word ‘Liberator’ does not have the same full spiritual implications as does “Redeemer”;
I’ve found that many people do not understand or know who or what is a “redeemer”!



In his book “From whom no secrets are hid” Professor Walter Brueggemann writes thus
in his chapter entitled “The counter-world of the Psalms”: “…The poet offers six parallel
statements, six outcomes of Torah, six transformative verbs, six great new possibilities:
‘The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; The decrees of the LORD are sure,
making wise the simple; The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The
commandments of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever, The ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether…’”²
Later on in the same book, there is a reflection on Psalms 23. Brueggemann writes: “… It
is the shepherd-king, who restores the life of the sheep, who has been in jeopardy. The
very same phrase is used in Psalm 19:7, only there it is YHWH’s Torah that leads to
the recovery of self. The “Torah” refers to the guidance and instruction that God provides
for Israel arising out of the teaching of Mt Sinai. Thus in Psalm 19 and Psalm 23, it is the
guidance of God that gives life, one time as shepherd, one time as teaching…”² Those
life-giving, life-transforming qualities have the potential to re-create the life of a person
who follows God’s Law; thus bringing to them new vitality, wisdom, joy and fresh insights
into their reality; helping to ensure that our words and meditations are pleasing to God!



Despite the theory of the above quotes and comments, the psalms are supposed to
be ‘lived’ experiences; and an invitation to grow nearer and closer to God in a two-way
intimate and trusting relationship; with us staying at the forefront of life and inviting
God to be part of those experiences with us. When we fail to overcome the very human
tendency to unwisely open our mouth to slander or diminish another person; that is not
“pleasing” to God! If we allow our heart’s meditations to be guided by God’s wisdom
and justice, through God’s grace and mercy, our speech could bring many blessings.
The term: “pleasing to you” or “acceptable to you” usually refers to someone making a
sacrificial offering; therefore, “…the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart...”
are a sacrificial offering that is made to God – with the emphasis often on “sacrificial”—
as if we are sincere in our desire to worship and please God, it may still “cost” us dearly!



1 Proverbs 1: 2-3 (NLT)

2 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
from “From whom no secrets are hid”
Chapter 2, pages 25/6 & Ch 10, p 104
© 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 19.
Used with permission.

joanstott16@gmail.com
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost17[24]b_2018.pdf