48A*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 5A [Ordinary 16A] or [Proper 11A] 2011
Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24

Great God of shalom, as we gather together
to worship you, we are comforted by the
knowledge that we have no surprises for you.
We gather to offer you our joyful praise

Nurturing God, even though you know us so well,
you choose to lead us along the path to everlasting life.
We gather to offer you our heartfelt thanks.

Understanding God, you gather us to yourself
so that we may worship you in love and joy.
You accept us as we are, and you love us.
Loving God, your nature is eternal love, and we
gather together to share that love with others. Amen.

---

Prayers of Thankfulness and Trust
Pentecost 5A [Ordinary 16A] or [Proper 11A] 2011
Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24

Mysterious God, we come in humility before you to
offer you our thankful praise, especially for the trust
in you the Holy One, that you have nurtured within us.
You know us completely, and it is wonderful to be so
loved and accepted, even if sometimes that knowledge
of us is too much for our own comfort and peace of mind.

Trustworthy God, even though you know us so well,
we trust you with that knowledge. You are our Maker,
Sustainer and our Father, and you will never abuse
our trust in you. We give thanks for all the people who
have knowingly trusted you with their inner thoughts,
feelings, and with their very beings; and their trust in
you encourages us in our own trusting and letting go.

All-Loving God, we give thanks you have created
within us something of the spark of God and that you
have also placed within us a restlessness of the spirit
that only God’s nearer presence can satisfy. We give
thanks that over the years of our life, we have known
and experienced your guidance, help and blessings,
and because you know all our needs and how best
to meet those needs, help us to ‘let go and let God.’*

All-Knowing God, we give thanks that no matter how
far we roam away from your side, that you never give
up on us, and that always, you are yearning for us to
return to a deeper and more intimate relationship with you.

Ever-present God, as you have been with us in the past,
we pray that you will continue to guide and bless us. Amen.

* Source of saying unknown.

---

A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 5A [Ordinary 16A] or [Proper 11A] 2011
Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24

All-Seeing God, I feel like I am a clear sheet of glass when
I come to you in worship and prayer - you can see straight
through me - you know my motives, my thoughts, my fears,
my feelings, my weaknesses and my strengths. You know
my faults, my imaginings, my needs and my secret wishes—
and yet you welcome me warmly as your belovèd child!.



All-Knowing God, whilst I can try to hide much of my inner
being from other people, either because I am ashamed—
or because I want to hold something of me back to retain
some private distance from people; I know I cannot hide
from you. Do I hide from others because they may not like
me if they really knew me? Do I fear not being loved, liked
or even accepted by others? Why should this matter to me?
I can only say and pray ‘Thank you, God’ that God still loves
and accepts me. How very blest I am with this knowledge.



All-Loving God, you live in the depths of my being, deeper
than any technology can reach, and deeper than any probing
by learned people, and when I open myself to your presence—
you permeate my whole being with your tenderness and love.
Why would I want to escape from such love and understanding?

---

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: pentecost5[16]a_2011.pdf

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