59A*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 17A [Ordinary 27A] or [Proper 22A] 2014
Psalm 19

God of many forms of communication: we gather to hear your message to us.
We are blessed by God’s creative powers - and we sing our praise and thanks.

Our God never needs words, yet creation still sings God’s glorious narrative.
Day and night time skies silently display God’s message of grace and glory!

God, our Rock and Redeemer, whose awesome glory is constantly displayed
for creation to see and celebrate; with joy we gather to praise and worship you.
May the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts be pleasing to you
as we sing and praise your Holy Name, the Amazing Creator and Glorious God. Amen.

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

1 The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvellous craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or a word;
their voice is silent in the skies;
4 yet their message has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to all the world.

The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it.
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 law of the LORD is 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 to life.
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 those who hear them;
there is 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 me 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 thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

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Prayers of Praise
Pentecost 17A [Ordinary 27A] or [Proper 22A] 2014
Psalm 19

God of grace and glory: “All things praise you, Lord most high, heaven and earth,
and sea and sky; all were for your glory made, that your greatness thus displayed.”¹
Creating God of many forms of communication: we gather to hear your message
to us through the many methods of communication that God uses. God’s creative
and holy words are communicated to us through our eyes and ears; our senses
of touch, smell and taste; through our inner being as that divine spark within us
responds to God’s presence; and through our relationships God’s Word is heard.
In our shared and private worship, prayer and praise, God’s Word also comes to us
in ways we can understand and accept – and we thank and praise our God for this.

“All things praise you – night to night sings in silent hymns of light; all things praise
you day by day, carols your power in burning ray; time and space are praising you.”¹
Creation is the story-teller of God’s great powers of strength, wisdom and beauty,
and its message is seen, heard and experienced throughout every day and night.
The day and night time skies silently display God’s message of grace and glory;
whilst the waters and the land have their own message of God’s powers to shelter
and sustain; and the winds in their varying strength carry God’s songs to and for the
birds, as they join in an eternal chorus to praise the God, who is their Great Creator.

“All things praise you, glorious Lord, great Creator, powerful Word...we humbly bow,
should all worship bring to you …ever praising: so may we praise you, Lord, anew.”¹
God, our Rock and Redeemer, whose awesome glory is constantly displayed for all
creation to see and to celebrate; with joy we gather to pray, praise and worship you.
We give God our praises for the revelations of the creation that God gives to humanity;
and then for the completeness of God’s instructions to humanity, so that they may live!
“The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of
the Lord are clear, giving insight to life. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.”
May the words of our mouths and the varied thoughts of our hearts, be pleasing to you—
our Glorious Creator and Almighty God, the only real and glorious power in all our lives. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 17A [Ordinary 27A] or [Proper 22A] 2014
Psalm 19

I do not need to look in a dictionary, a thesaurus or a web-browser; nor do
I even need to look to the skies for inspiration and words to describe the
glory and majesty of God – all I need to do is look at the beauty and colour
of my garden in the Spring-time with all the camellias and azaleas; forsythia
and magnolias; and jonquils, daffodils, bluebells and freesias in full bloom—
and the sight and perfumes are “heavenly”! The days are becoming longer,
as we move towards the warmth of Summer “down-under”, and the days are
brighter and we move more briskly as we throw off the windy chills of winter.



Just as the sun and its light and warmth are absolutely vital to the life of all
creation; so too, is the light of revelation vital from learning to know God and
to make God known. The psalm lists for us the benefits of our “knowing God”
through the instructions that God give us that are vital for us to lead a wise
wholesome and fruitful life, lived to its fullest maturity within God’s guidance.
The Psalmist uses lyrical language to describe the importance of God’s Law:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are
trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life.”
The great news that God’s teachings “revive the soul” is most encouraging, as
we easily slip into the dullness of drifting along in life, and in our worship of God.



It is behind the mystery and wonder of creation that we recognise the Great Creator;
and so it is also behind the mystery and wonder of the teachings of God, that we
recognise the Holy One – God. In his God-given wisdom, the Psalmist assures
us that just as we need the daily physical light and warmth of the sun to thrive—
so we need the daily light of God’s own revelation of the “mind” of God, to thrive
in a well-balanced spiritual and physical life. The world of nature and God’s Word
balance and fulfil each other, and together they both lead to a life that is richer
and a more constant witness to the Being of God. As these twin expressions of God
bless the heart and soul of the worshipper; so also, is the third balancing aspect of
confession that he prays: “....May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my
heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer...” Forgiveness is given
and strength provided for the supplicant to start over again with his God-balanced life.



1 From “Together in Song” #148
“All things praise you, Lord most high”
Words by George William Conder (1821-74) alt.
Words are in Public Domain.

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Acknowledgements:
Unless stated otherwise, all Bible readings and extracts used in these weekly Prayers and
Meditations are from the ‘New Living Translation’, © 1996. Copyright. All rights reserved.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189 USA.

*Revised Indexing Scheme from 'Consultation on Church Union' (COCU).

I acknowledge and give heartfelt thanks for the theological inspiration available from the writings of Professor
Walter Brueggemann; and through the resources from the internet and “The Text this Week” (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditations are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2014 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost17[27]a_2014.pdf