40B*
A Call to Worship
Trinity Sunday (Pentecost 1B), 2015
Psalm 29

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways - giving us strength.
We come, to worship our God and to listen to God’s messages of hope.

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways - giving us your peace.
We come, to worship our God and to learn of God’s messages of grace.

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways – and we respond in
worship, as we reverently honour the Lord for the glory of his name; and
all the splendour of God’s holiness, God’s power, and of God’s majesty.
We come, to worship our God and to be challenged by God’s messages
that call us to respond in reverent awe as we sing our praises to God’s glory! Amen.

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Psalm 29
A psalm of David.

1 Honour the LORD, you heavenly beings;
honour the LORD for his glory and strength.
2 Honour the LORD for the glory of his name.
Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders. The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.

The God of glory thunders. The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars;
the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;
he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes with bolts of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10 The LORD rules over the floodwaters.
The LORD reigns as king forever.
11 The LORD gives his people strength.
The LORD blesses them with peace.

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Prayers of Thankfulness
Trinity Sunday (Pentecost 1B), 2015
Psalm 29

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways, through creation, through
relationships, through quiet meditation and prayers, and through those times
when we gather as a community of faith to share together in our listening for
your words of hope and blessing. We give thanks for the blessings we receive
as a community, as together, we are strengthened in our faith and hope as we
hear God’s words of truth to us that challenges and inspires us in our faithfulness.
We give thanks for the strength that God gives us that encourages us to reach
out to others with words of hope to people for whom life has been difficult and
stressful. May we listen for God speaking to us through these people; so that
together, we may grow in God’s grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and God.

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways which opens our eyes, hearts
and minds to new understandings of our place in God’s world; amongst God’s
creation; and amongst God’s people, especially amongst those who have lost
their way in their living and loving. We give thanks for new understanding of what
God’s own peace is all about; and what that gift of peace could mean to us as
individuals, but also as a community – that is, our community of faith and our own
local community where we seek to live out our faith and trust in God. Today we
come to worship, praise and thank you, and to learn of God’s messages of grace.

Voice of God, you speak to us in so many ways, and today we come to worship
our God and to be challenged by God’s messages that call us to respond to that
Voice in worshipful wonder at the splendour of God’s great and glorious holiness.
We reverently honour the glory of God’s name, God’s power and God’s majesty;
and we sing with joy and thankfulness “Glory!” and “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of
power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest.”¹ Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Trinity Sunday (Pentecost 1B), 2015
Psalm 29

The dynamic powers of the human voice are often overlooked, as it is often easier for
people to simply believe what they are told is the truth – regardless of whether it is
true or not. Yet, history shows an incredible list of such people elected to a position
or who have seized power through violent force, and who have then compelled their
subjects to believe in them solely through the power of their voices. Dictators through
the ages have preyed on and targeted vulnerable people to suppress and subdue
them into acting differently to what was their norm. The very different and holy powers
of our God’s voice in the waters is usually associated with the primordial chaos of the
original creation; whilst the powers of God’s voice are those of our continually Creating
God through the natural actions of atmosphere and weather, that causes earthquakes,
storms and volcanoes as the tectonic plates of the earth’s “crust” subtly move; or the
natural phenomenon of wild fires that “purify” the earth of its accumulated rubbish.
In addition to these associations, there is another even more powerful link to that of
the Theophanies of God’s holy presence, as God dealt directly with selected people—
in actions and voiced messages that imparted God’s will and plan for God’s people.



Another powerful “voice” is that which seduces and convinces people to yield to their
powers, but for very different reasons; and is usually associated with tempting people
to act in ways they normally would reject. The power of seduction is often subtle, quiet
and even insidious as people are persuaded, encouraged or convinced by that “voice”.
However, the powers of God’s voice have encouraged people to believe in a loving and
compassionate God who cares for and protects people even from themselves; and to
accept the message of God’s deep and unswerving love for them; so that their only
response is the shout of “Glory!” as they worship, praise and personally obey God’s voice.



But the most powerful voice of all is God’s, who gifts humanity with God’s own peace
and gives them the strength to be faithful as they honour and obey the Lord and worship
the holiness of God’s presence amongst them. As we are gifted by God’s peace and
strength, we also receive and learn to understand something of God’s holiness, which
also becomes a gift to us as we draw nearer to God’s holy presence in prayer and worship.



1 From “Together in Song” #761
“Holy, holy, holy Lord”
Words in the Public Domain

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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 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:
© 2015 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Used with permission.

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

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