65A*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 21A [Ordinary 32A] or [Proper 27A] 2011
Psalm 78: 1-7
Come, let us gather to worship our Timeless God.We gather together to share with your children
the past blessings we have received from our God.
Come, let us gather to worship our Awesome God.
We gather together to listen for God’s word for us today.
Come, let us gather to worship our Glorious God,
who delights in our worship, witness and service.
We gather together to share our hope and trust in our
merciful God, who has never failed or forgotten us. Amen.
Prayers of Confession and Petition
Pentecost 21A [Ordinary 32A] or [Proper 27A] 2011
Psalm 78: 1-7
O Lord our God, we gather today before you, consciousof our many failings, including our failure to be faithful
to your word. We are very conscious too, of our failure to
share the good news of your merciful love and your gracious
commitment to your creation, and to all humanity, whom
you created with a divine spark to enrich and enliven them.
We gather to confess our failure to learn from past lessons—
both individually and collectively as a people before God.
Merciful God, forgive our deliberate acts of turning away
from you and your ways; our apathy towards the truth of
your involvement with humanity over countless generations;
and our thoughtless acts of stubbornness in seeking to live
to please our own selfish yet fleeting desires and ambitions.
Holy God, we seek your merciful forgiveness for our failure to
share with our children, and our children’s children, the truths
about you, your love, and your compassion that we are blessed
to receive. We ask that you inspire us with a zeal for sharing
the ‘good news’ of God; to encourage us in our stuttering
attempts to tell others what God has done for us throughout
our life; and to empower us with a clear understanding of our
own faith and trust in you, and your ways of justice and peace.
Unchanging God, help us to listen for the many tones and
accents of God’s voice as it continues to sound softly and
gently, or strongly and vibrantly through all time and eternity.
Open our ears and our eyes to your presence with us each
and every day so that we may recognise you at work in the
lives of people within your gathered community; and in the
way you, in your wisdom, use people to fulfil your purposes. Amen.
A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 21A [Ordinary 32A] or [Proper 27A] 2011
Psalm 78: 1-7
Patient God, you are again calling out to all your people - but arewe listening? You are calling to me, even naming me, urging
me to listen to your words – in whatever way they come to me.
Sometimes, I hear your words in the gathered community of faith
during readings from scripture, sermons and prayers; sometimes
I hear your voice calling to me in conversations; other times, I hear
your voice and see you in the glories of nature; and sometimes,
I turn my deaf ears; my and wilful stubborn mind; and my blinded
eyes away from your messages – however clearly they come to me.
| Creative pause: | You are calling to me, you even name me! |
When you speak to me in parables - I only want a concise report!
When you tell me stories - I only want a summary of the last pages.
When you show me examples of your love – I only want to receive
it, and not be challenged to share it with others who are more needy.
When you call loudly to me – I turn down the volume so as not to be
interrupted or disturbed in my self-centred occupations and leisure times.
When you call gently to me – I ignore the ripples of sounds that stir me.
When my ears are totally deaf to you words; when my mind blocks out
God’s words and teachings; and I am wilfully oblivious of the challenges
of the day; God does not give up, but goes to another person who will listen.
| Creative pause: | Our patient God never gives up. |
“O my people, listen to my teaching. Open your ears to what I am saying…
so the next generation might know them, even the children not yet born—
that they in turn might teach their children. So that each generation can
set its hope anew on God, remembering God’s glorious miracles and
obeying his commands.” O God, help me to set my hope in God – always.
| Creative pause: | O God, help me to always set my hope in you. |
Acknowledgements:
Unless stated otherwise, all Bible readings and extracts used in these weekly Prayers and
Meditations are from
‘The New Revised Standard Version’ Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*The additional weekly numbering is from the Revised COCU Indexing Scheme
COCU = ('Consultation on Church Union');
as it offers an easy sequential numbering
for the Revised Common Lectionary for the Church Calendar.
If any part of these Prayers and/or Meditations is used in shared worship, please provide
the following acknowledgement:
© 2011 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.
jstott@netspace.net.au
Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost21[32]a_2011.pdf