46B*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 6B [Ordinary 14B] or [Proper 9B] 2012
Psalm 48

Holy God, we gather in worship and to meditate
on the unfailing love and justice of our God.
We come as living witnesses to the steadfast
and enduring compassion and mercy of our God.

We come together, to reverently celebrate
the wonders and powers of our Glorious God.
Together, we can marvel, and share with others
the blessings of being in God’s Holy Presence.

Our God has always been a Guiding God, and
we rejoice and give thanks for this great gift.
Awesome God, may your name be praised
through all the earth, by all peoples - forever. Amen.

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Prayers of Exultation and Thankfulness
Pentecost 6B [Ordinary 14B] or [Proper 9B] 2012
Psalm 48

Great and Glorious God, we gather together today in praise,
Thankfulness - and even in exultation - for the wonders of your
Holy Name, and for the marvels of your Awesome Presence.
How great is the Lord our God! You call us to meditate day and
night on your unfailing love and mercy, and to worship you in
the beauty of holiness, awed reverence, and with great joy.
How great and worthy of praise is the saving power of our God.

God our Maker and Keeper, we gather to meditate on the miracles
of your grace and mercy, and for the way you reassure us when,
in our vulnerability, we are fear-filled and helpless. We rejoice that the
foundations of God’s Rule are based on justice, wisdom and security,
which enable us to totally trust in God’s goodness and generosity.
The Lord our God is our God, who guides us all the days of our life.

How can we describe God? Are there words enough? Are there
sentences long enough to adequately describe our God to future
generations, so that they will believe our witness and our stories?
God is indeed our Refuge, our Fortress and our Strength in times
of trouble, but also in times of joy, celebration and reverent worship.
Holy God, as your Holy Name deserves, we will praise you forever. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 6B [Ordinary 14B] or [Proper 9B] 2012
Psalm 48

This is a Psalm of praise filled with symbolic and mysterious
language about the visible presence of God on Mount Zion;
as seen through the devoted eyes of worshippers on God’s
holy mountain. The Psalmist’s symbolic language described
God’s presence as being like “Zion”, with its impregnable and
mighty walls of the City of God – with its durable strength and
the security it offered to God’s worshipping people. I, too, have
my own symbols and signs that speak to me of God’s enduring
presence, and the comforting security of God’s everlasting arms.



Just as the writer saw beauty and strength in Zion’s mountains,
so I see strength and beauty in the created world. I see God in
the permanence of the mighty mountains; in the fluid nature of
God’s Spirit in the powers and strength of the sea and its vast
oceans; and I see the mystery of God on foggy mornings, when
only dim shapes suggest a living and real presence. As those
ancient worshippers experienced God, so I have experienced
the holiness of God - sometimes in most unexpected places—
and in the silence of the night; in the whispers of the gentle breezes;
and the strong light and warmth of the sun that reaches into the
deepest parts of my very being, bringing me strength and courage.
Every day. I experience God’s blessings and the generosity and
forgiveness of God, seen and experienced in the love of people.



The Eternal One is our Timeless God, who was present with my
forebears; who was and is with me and my generation; and will be
present into all eternity, forever and ever. Just as my forbears told
their children about the wonders and majesty of our God, so I too
have shared this news; and my expectation is that future generations
will also describe and share their faith in God, who is the Guide and
Eternal Mentor every generation. I rejoice in the securely solid and
durable nature of my God, who has always been the sure haven and
home for all God’s faithful people, all through their earthly days and life.

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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: pentecost6[14]b_2012.pdf

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