58B*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 19B [Ordinary 26B] or [Proper 21B] 2018
Psalm 124

Helping God, we come to worship you this day, trusting in your love for us.
God says to us: ‘“…Don’t be afraid, for I am with you…for I am your God…’”¹

Reliable God, we come to offer you our sincere thanks for your loving care.
God says to us: ‘“…Don’t be discouraged…I will strengthen you and help you….’”¹

Sustaining God, We come to praise our God for forgiving and healing us of
all that separates us from you; and for your renewing powers that liberate us.
God says to us: ‘“…It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he…
For I hold you by your right hand - I, the LORD your God. And I say to you:
I am here to help you…I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One...’”¹ Amen.

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Psalm 124
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
A psalm of David.

1 What if the LORD had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat:
2 What if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us?
3 They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.

4 The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us.
5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives.

6 Praise the LORD, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!
7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.
The trap is broken, and we are free!
8 Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

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Prayers of Thankfulness and Trust
After Pentecost 19B [Ordinary 26B] or [Proper 21B] 2018
Psalm 124

Helping God, we come to worship you this day, trusting in your love for us which has
been shown and made known to us throughout our own personal and our shared lives.
There have been many times when we have been challenged, stressed out with our
difficulties and problems; when we have been worried about real or imagined illnesses;
and when ‘life’ has come crashing down around us! The trust we have in God enables
us to live confidently and faithfully; but, there are many times when we falter; and we
then hear God’s gentle words: ‘“…Don’t be afraid, for I am with you…for I am your God…’”¹
We give thanks that our God cares and understands us; and who heals and forgives us.

Reliable God, we come to offer you our sincere thanks for your loving care; and for the
way God’s promises give us the courage to continue, even when the way ahead is rough
and tough. We pray that we may be forgiven of our foolish fears and our imagination that
paints images of disasters; of improbable situations; and when our dreams or nightmares
linger into the daytime, so we become confused about what is real or dreamed! It is then
that God says to us: ‘“…Don’t be discouraged…I will strengthen you and help you...’”¹
We celebrate with joy the trust God has gifted to us, so that in faith, hope and love, we
can rely on God as our Liberator; our Healer; and the Faithful One who never leaves us.

Sustaining God, we come together to praise our God for forgiving and healing us of all
that separates us from you; and for your renewing powers that liberate us. We confess
that we have questioned our faith in God; that we have wondered whether it is all true—
that we really are loved, blessed and accepted for who we are, unique beings with God’s
life within us to enrich and empower us! We have been blessed and guided by people
devoted to God; and who have absolute faith and trust in God; yet we wonder - is it really
possible? It is then that God speaks clearly to us: '“…It is I, the LORD, the First and
the Last. I alone am he… For I hold you by your right hand - I, the LORD your God. And
I say to you… I am here to help you… I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One...’”¹ Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 19B [Ordinary 26B] or [Proper 21B] 2018
Psalm 124

Psalm 124 is attributed to David, but whoever the psalmist was, he asked some pointed
questions on behalf of the people of Israel! “What if the LORD had not been on our side?”
I was surprised when I checked through the various translations of the first verses of this
psalm, how similar were their choice of words. The rhetorical question stated in a dramatic
way, underlined the accepted fact that God was indeed on “Israel’s side” – and thanks be
to God for that fact! The priests, leaders and tribal elders already very well knew what were
the result of failure; because of their own experiences when they had failed to obey God’s
commands! The psalmist understood and acknowledged the frequent lack of faith in Israel’s
delivering God; but he never doubted God’s faithfulness and love for the people of Israel.



The psalmist answered the “if” question with the “then” result, with graphic descriptions of
the disasters of war, political unrest, and the threat of neighbouring nations filled with envy
or grudges towards Israel. Professor Walter Brueggemann writes again about this psalm:
“…in psalm usage, such a statement can be reused in many crises and eventually become
a stereotypical affirmation of YHWH’s powerful fidelity. Israel is safe, even in an ominous
world that is notoriously unsafe and full of threats…..The creator of heaven and earth is
enormously powerful and exercises sovereignty over the nations…The creator God, known
by an Exodus name, is indeed ‘help’, precisely for this people that is helpless in the face
of enemy…The world cannot be rightly discerned without the hidden but completely reliable
governance of YHWH. The creator is the one who saves, and ‘adam’ [described here by
Brueggemann as any invading force] must fully come to terms with that decisive reality…”²
Verse 8 of this psalm affirms this: “Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”



So, if as the psalmist claims that: “Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
where does that leave us, who treasures our independence? We also like to think that we
are indestructible, that we will eventually prevail – no matter what ‘life’ throws at us! How
foolish and vulnerable we are at times! We may not literally be engulfed by torrents; nor
be overwhelmed by the furies of natural disasters; but, ‘life’ does not guarantee that we will not
know the traumas of tragedy; or the gut-wrenching pain of deep and personal grief and loss!
“Help” is listed as one of the many Old Testament titles or names of God, arising from the
many times that people call on God for ‘help’ in times of crisis. The prophet Isaiah spells out
this help that God offers: ‘“…It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he… Don’t
be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you
and help you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand –
I the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you… I am the
LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’ don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I
will help you…’”¹



1 Isaiah 41: 4b, 10, 12b, 13, 14b (NLT)

2 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
& William H Bellinger Junior from “Psalms”
Psalm 124, page 535/6
© 2014 Cambridge University Press

3 Psalm 123:2 (NLT)

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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 124.
Used with permission.

joanstott16@gmail.com
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

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