45A*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 2A [Ordinary 13A] or [Proper 8A] 2011
Psalm 13

In faith, hope and in trust, we gather to worship our God.
Yet we also come in fear and anguish, for God seems
to be absent from us, and lost to us in our deep anxiety.

In expectation and faith, we gather to worship our God.
But, how long will you be far away from us, O God?
How long will you ignore us in our anguish and pain?

Even now, in quiet confidence we gather to worship our God,
even in the darkness of our souls, we will still praise God!
Hear and help us, our God, even when we do not understand—
we still come to you, trusting in your generous mercy. Amen.

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Prayers of Petition and Trust
Pentecost 2A [Ordinary 13A] or [Proper 8A] 2011
Psalm 13

Faithful God, we come before you with our needs,
with all our fears, our anxieties, all our uncertainties
and our doubts. As we wallow in the midst of our
deep inner anguish of the soul, we can’t seem to
find you in that dark and empty space inside each of us.
But dear God, where are you, we can’t find you?

We have a deep sense of alienation from our God!
Has this been brought on by our spiritual disobedience?
Have we allowed the pressures of life to undermine
our faith and trust in our Faithful and Forgiving God?
Have we separated ourselves from God by our lack
of commitment to God’s ways, to God’s guidance?

Ever-present God, deep in our souls there is even still
that comforting reassurance that comes from a lifetime
of trusting in God, that, even though we feel alienated
from God, we know that God is never far from us—
never further than our breath, and closer than touch.
We rejoice in God’s unfailing mercies; we celebrate
the constancy of our God; and even though there may
still be a darkness in our soul, there is also joy and light—
because God’s face is turned towards us, and God’s
ear is always attentive to our needs and hears our fears.
Let us sing for joy for the renewing powers of our God. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 2A [Ordinary 13A] or [Proper 8A] 2011
Psalm 13

Dear God! Loving God! Trustworthy God! Faithful God!
God my Fortress and my Security! Ever-present God!
I say these words over and over, as I struggle with the
anguish that fills my soul; with the fears that imprison my
thoughts; and with the questions and doubts that flood
my mind – so that my whole being is paralysed with fears.



Where are you, God - where are you? I can’t find you!
My whole body and mind is a seething mass of questions—
and I feel so out of touch with God - and with God’s people
that I do not know where to go, or who to talk to about all this!
People who know me well think that it is a great joke for me
to be uncertain about God, to be out of touch with God’s
presence and guidance. How they snigger behind their hands!



Why do I feel alienated from God – it’s like a death sentence
hanging over me – with no real life ahead of me. But wait!
Who is alienated from whom? Who has acted to separate
themself from their source of light and life? Me, of course!
God, my faithful and trustworthy Friend has not moved at all!
I am the one who has turned away, so that I cannot see the
light of God’s face, or the ear that is always turned towards me!



Yes, I am about to burst out into song! Listen to my words!
God has always been good to me! God has always been
‘there’ for me! God has always been faithful to the promises
made to my ancestors, and also to me, the heir of those
promises. God has always come to my rescue - to flush out
the dark doubts from my soul and mind, and to fill in those
deep dark holes with the light and joy of God eternal presence.
Yes, I am about to burst out into song! Thanks be to my God!

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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: pentecost2[13]a_2011.pdf

© 2011 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A