43B*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 3B [Ordinary 11B] or [Proper 6B] 2012
Psalm 20

Righteous and Powerful God, in you we can truly boast—
because of your great love and justice towards humanity!
We gather to worship and honour the God of all creation.

You, O God, are our powerful and great Sovereign Lord,
and we trust in your reign of mercy and compassion.
We gather to praise and thank our peace-loving God.

Into your keeping, O Lord our God, we commit our leaders,
so that justice, integrity and peace may be their guiding beacons.
We gather to also commit ourselves to praying and helping
people who have been caught up in conflict and violence. Amen.

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Prayers of Petition
Pentecost 3B [Ordinary 11B] or [Proper 6B] 2012
Psalm 20

Generous and Faithful God, this day we come before you
with prayers for other people, and in particular, we pray for
all people who are leaders in their local communities; their
churches; their own regions; and within their own country.
We come to you today in prayer, O God, asking that you will
support and enable them to fulfil their heavy responsibilities.
Help them to understand that so many people’s daily lives
depend on them being just and accountable people, with a
genuine care and compassion for the welfare of all people.

We particularly pray for those people in power, who’s only
interest and desire is for an ever-increasing personal supply
of wealth, power and influence, which always comes before the
real needs of their people. In contrast, we pray too for people
in leadership roles who consciously offer their gifts to God to be
used for the benefit of all their people; for leaders who pray
before they act; for leaders who promote and celebrate the glory
of God - the Ruler and Sovereign of all things and all peoples.

Community- conscious God, we pray for all the worshipping
communities who support in prayer their elected and appointed
leaders; and who have offered their gifts and encouragement in
support of their leaders. Help us to confidently believe that God
is actively in charge of this world; and that God way of justice,
peace, love and compassion will in God’s own time be realised. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 3B [Ordinary 11B] or [Proper 6B] 2012
Psalm 20

I come today, O God, to share my concerns with you about the
state of this my nation, and of this my world. There seems to be
so many people willing to tear people’s reputations and actions
to shreds; regardless of however right or wrong are their opinions,
and their understanding of their leader’s roles and responsibilities!
My God and King, we are going through a particularly “sticky” situation
just now, and people seem to be delighting in other people’s potential
mistakes and/or problems, and ridiculing their deliberately made
decisions, made according to advice and their own consciences.



The concept of going to pray to God before making any decisions,
especially those decisions which affect many people, seems to have
been rejected as unimportant, and even as being irrelevant. I am so
grateful for wise and considered decisions that in the past, have been
made following earnest prayer, and hours of listening to their people’s
viewpoints and needs. I give thanks to God that not every leader thinks
or acts on the assumption that brute force is the only answer to make
people agreeable to whatever policies and programs are proposed.



The Psalmist stated: “Some nations boast of their armies and weapons,
but we boast in the LORD our God.... we will rise up and stand firm.”
It seems strange to be “boasting” about God and God’s powers and
majesty, and yet if I cannot boast about God and God’s mercy and justice,
who else is worthy of that level of praise? The writer of this Psalm knew
from personal experience the value and necessity of worshipping God in
all of life’s circumstances; that to call on God when in need was to place
our lives, our thinking and planning within God’s overview; and to trust
always in God’s leading and guidance. This has also been my experience,
and the experience of many other leaders, however large or small were
their responsibilities, and the tasks that had been assigned to them to fulfil.

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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:
© 2012 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year B. Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost3[11]b_2012.pdf

© 2012 Joan Stott - " The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year B