44B*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 4B [Ordinary 12B] or [Proper 7B] 2015
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32

We gather as your people, Generous God, to give you our sincere thanks.
“Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks…”¹

We gather as your people, Faithful God, to give you our warmest thanks.
“Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks…”¹

We gather as your people, Rescuing God, to give you our heartfelt gratitude
for the way, through your faithful love, you strengthen us in times of danger.
“In the presence of your people I will praise your name… Let us celebrate your
goodness, and your steadfast love; may your name be exalted...”² Give thanks! Amen.

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Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbour!
31 Let them praise the LORD for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.

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Prayers of Thankfulness
Pentecost 4B [Ordinary 12B] or [Proper 7B] 2015
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32

Transforming God, we gather today to offer you our personal thanks for the way
you have blessed and guided us, especially in difficult or dangerous situations. We
called on you in our distress, and in your great mercy, we received your guidance
and blessing to enable us to travel through our time of crisis. Generous God, you
transformed a situation of dire distress into a glorious example of your powers. We
confidently called on you, and you heard our prayers, and answered them in the
way that only you knew was best for us. Now we gather together to share with other
people that “good news” story; and to give God our warmest and most sincere thanks.
We pray that our own experiences of God’s gracious help will inspire other people
to trust in God’s everlasting compassion and merciful concern for troubled humanity.

God of intimacy and tender love, we gather together to praise you and thank you for
your care of people, especially when they are vulnerable and frightened. In your
mercy and gracious goodness, you intervened in situations fraught with danger and
difficulty; and as a result, the psalmist encouraged his people by singing: “...Let
them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for
them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of
the nation...” May we always openly and joyfully sing of God’s gracious goodness—
giving praise and glory to the Holy One, who alone initiates and completes these gifts.

Rescuing, Renewing and Restoring God, we gather as your people, to give you our
thanks for not only rescuing us from trouble, but you also empowered us through your
grace, to strengthen us so that we are not so severely blindsided by any future worries.
Help us to better trust in you, and to not be so independent; thinking that we can always
manage better than anyone else in similar situations. So, in humble thanks we sing to
your praise and glory: “...In the presence of your people I will praise your name…
Let us celebrate your goodness, and your steadfast love; may your name be exalted
here on earth and in heaven above...”² All glory, power and honour is yours, Holy God! Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 4B [Ordinary 12B] or [Proper 7B] 2015
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32

Psalm 107 is a fascinating example of God’s gracious mercy and blessing
towards God’s faithful people. The opening three verses are a song of praise
that introduced four “case-studies” of God’s goodness. It is assumed by the
“experts” that this psalm related personal stories of some of the Jerusalem
exiles who fled their country when the Babylonians invaded their homeland;
for God “...gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from
north and south...” The first group of people fled into the nearby desert where,
through thirst and hunger, they nearly died. They cried out to the Lord for help,
and were guided by God to a secure place to live out their exile. Group two
were caught and imprisoned, and suffered greatly under their violent captors.
Initially, they cursed God and their harsh conditions; but then called on God,
who rescued them. God then “...led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains... [and] broke down their prison gates of bronze; he
cut apart their bars of iron...” How very generous was their Liberating God!



As the psalmist saw their situation, group three were different: “...Some were
fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. They couldn’t stand the thought
of food, and they were knocking on death’s door...” I assume by that that they
refused to eat anything but their traditional meals, and suffered as a result. God
“...sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death...”
Did God heal their bodies or their minds? The fourth group tried something very
different: “...Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.
They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, his impressive works on the
deepest seas...” They experienced gales and were almost “lost at sea”, but they
too, called on God and were rescued, “...What a blessing was that stillness as
he brought them safely into harbour...!” Almost like a refrain after each adventure,
the psalmist encouraged other observers to: “...Let them praise the LORD for his
great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them...” It almost had the
feel of a debriefing to help those often traumatised people to get back their balance.



“...Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my
God shall still my heart and tongue employ. Of his deliverance I will boast, till all
that are distressed, when learning this, will comfort take and calm their griefs to
rest...”³ When I reflect on my many years of intensive international travel on behalf
of the church, and some of the very scary situations with which I was confronted, all
I can say is that the God of Psalm 139 travelled with me, and this strengthened me.



1 From “Together in Song” #717
“Give thanks with a grateful heart”
Words by Henry Smith
© 2001 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music
Used By Permission
CCL Licence #221735

2 From “Together in Song” #727
“In the presence of your people”
Words by Brent Chambers
©1977 Scripture in Song
Used By Permission
CCL Licence #221735

3 From “Together in Song” #112
“Through all the changing scenes”
Words by Nahum Tate/Nicholas Brady
Words are 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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