41B*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 2B [Ordinary 9B] or [Proper 4B] 2018
Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

Holy and Mysterious God, we gather to reflect on this miracle of God’s grace.
Amazing God, it is wonderful “…to feel so at home with you, safe and content…”1

Majestic and Mighty God, we gather to celebrate the awesome love of God.
Astounding God, it is incredible “…to know the joy of being so dearly loved…”1

Ever-Present and Constant God, we gather to worship and praise our Creating
God of all things and peoples - giving thanks for the blessedness of God’s love.
Faithful God, we gather in reverent awe as we remember God’s all-embracing
love for each of us - “Isn’t it beautiful, to be loved? Isn’t it beautiful, to be known…?”1 Amen.

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Prayers of Trust and Thankfulness
After Pentecost 2B [Ordinary 9B] or [Proper 4B] 2018
Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

Holy and Mysterious God, we gather to reflect on this miracle of God’s grace
so amazingly gifted to us in ways that God initiates and completes. Today we
gather to sing our praises of God, and to give thanks for the security of God’s
love and mercy. It is so wonderful and encouraging “…to feel so at home with you,
safe and content…”,1 aware that the welcome-mat is always out for us and that
God’s welcoming invitation is always current. We are in awe of the trust we can
have in God; and that because of God’s love for us, this means God desires only
the very best for each one of us; and that God understands our needs and fears.

Majestic and Astounding God, we gather to celebrate the awesome love of God.
that is freely offered to us; and it is incredible “…to know the joy of being so dearly
loved…”1 We give thanks that we can trust God’s love because it is pure, and
honest; and that we will never be manipulated by God’s love or gracious mercy.
Even though God knows all there is to know about us, we need not fear that love
or knowledge, because despite our many failings, God’s also knows the ‘best’ of us;
and encourages that ‘best’ part of us to be the central focus in all our relationships.

Ever-Present and Constant God, you are the God of all things and peoples, and so
we gather to worship and praise our Creating God - giving thanks for the blessedness
of God’s love. Faithful God, we gather today in reverent awe as we remember God’s
all-embracing love for each of us; that love which accepts and forgives our regretted
mistakes; but which also shares “…our dreams, our fears, the longing of our hearts…”;1
and which knows “…our brokenness, how fragile we are…”1 in the face of life’s many
challenges and temptations. We give thank that God frees us to be just who we really
were intended to be; and that God looks and loves God’s-Own image there within us.
“Isn’t it beautiful, to be loved? Isn’t it beautiful, to be known?... It’s all simply a gift…!”1
Amen.

A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 2B [Ordinary 9B] or [Proper 4B] 2018
Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

Over the years I have often turned to the songs of Monica Brown for inspiration—
especially for those Psalms like 139 that appears so often in the Revised Common
Lectionary. This time Monica’s song of praise and thanks is: “Isn’t it beautiful, to be
loved…?”1 Yet the word “loved” is not actually mentioned in Psalm 139, but it is one
of the overwhelming messages of that psalm. The songs first verse is: “…To feel so
at home with you, safe and content; to be free to be just who I am. To reach out to
you, beyond distance and time, and to know the joy of being so dearly loved…”1
The psalm speaks of an intimate relationship of trust between God and the beloved—
and that can be anyone who reads or hears this psalm – God’s beloved. The psalmist
even acknowledged God’s all-embracing presence to bless and guide: “…You go
before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head…” The grace
of God is almost too amazing to be true and is utterly beyond the psalmist’s understanding!

Creative pause: “Isn’t it beautiful, to be loved…?”1


Monica continued: “…Isn’t it beautiful, to be known…?”1 That word “known” is also not
included in Psalm 139, but again it is another of the incredible messages of that psalm.
Monica’s song continues in verse 2: “…To share our dreams, our fears, the longing of
our hearts; to know our brokenness, how fragile we are! To find strength in the truth of
our love and to know that love is not just our own.”1 God’s knowledge and acceptance
of us grows out of the intimacy of our being God’s beloved, and from our being God’s
child from conception. “…You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me
together in my mother’s womb… You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.…” The psalmist’s meditation is in the
first person, whilst Monica’s words are in the plural – but that does not affect the message.

Creative pause: “…Isn’t it beautiful, to be known…?”1


The song’s chorus continues: “… it’s all simply a gift, when you know yourself, to be loved.
Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it beautiful to be loved?”1 The title of the song is
“Isn’t it beautiful”1 and when we consider the generosity of God, we could interchange the
words from “beautiful” to “astounding”, “wonderful”, “amazing” or “inspiring”; and really enjoy
singing of the miracle and mystery of God’s gracious love for humanity! The lyrical psalmist
seemed almost in a trance as he extolled the wonder of his own creation; the miracle of God’s
gracious love and deeply personal knowledge of his persona; but then he abruptly came out
of his trance and discovered that “…when I wake up, you are still with me…”! How awesome!

Creative pause: “… it’s all simply a gift, when you know yourself, to be loved...”1


1 From CD “A Special Collection” Track 17
“Isn’t it beautiful to be loved?”
Words and music by Monica Brown
© 2000 Monica Brown & Emmaus Productions
Used with personal permission.

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 139.
Used with permission.

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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost2[9]b_2018.pdf