47B*
A Call to Worship
Pentecost 7B [Ordinary 15B] or [Proper 10B] 2012
Psalm 24

We gather to celebrate and worship God, the Creating Spirit,
who moved over the earth and everything in it, and its peoples.
We come to celebrate the defeat of all that keeps us from God.

We come together as the forgiven people of God, who gather to
worship and give thanks the Lord, our great and wonderful God.
We come with clean hands and heart, with thanks to our God.

We gather to join in the chorus of praise to the King of Glory—
the Lord our God, who is strong and mighty in love and mercy.
Hospitable God, we give thanks that God is always present to those
who seek the Lord, and a welcome is always open to them. Amen.

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Prayers of Thankfulness and Trust
Pentecost 7B [Ordinary 15B] or [Proper 10B] 2012
Psalm 24

We, as a community of faith people, gather to worship our God,
but sometimes, we are deeply disturbed by an age-old question—
“Who or what is the God we worship? Who or what is this Known,
yet Unknown God?” In trust and thankfulness, we draw on and
take encouragement from the experiences of countless people
through the centuries, and on our own life experiences of God, to
help answer these questions. So then, “Who is the King of glory?”

Majestic God, we gather before you in praise, thankfulness and
trust, because you all-loving, all-powerful and all-knowing, the
Fullness of all things, and the Lord of all light and truth. All of creation
is a definition of our God; everything that is good and beautiful is an
expression of our God; everything that inspires the soul and mind
is another description of God; everything that is pure, awe-inspiring
and holy are further explanations of God, and all the knowledge and
the wisdom of the ages, prophets, priests and kings, along with the
humble thinkers and dreamers are expressions of our Great God.

Ever-present God, any list that is compiled to attempt to answer the
question “Who is the King of Glory”, will be incomplete and inadequate.
In you, O God, we find meaning and purpose in life, and also the hope
and trust that we do not need to fully understand our God, who is the
very Breath of all Life; and that all we have to do is to “Glorify and enjoy
God forever.” O God, may these words be our sole goal and aim in life. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Pentecost 7B [Ordinary 15B] or [Proper 10B] 2012
Psalm 24

The eternal questions about our faith and trust in God just pours
from this Psalm. “Who is God, the King of all glory? Who is holy
and worthy enough to dare approach God, and the Being of God?
How do we know the earth, and all that dwells therein belongs to
the Lord, our Glorious God?” This is a question and answer Psalm,
and its format that is believed to be part of the liturgy asked by priests
to faithful pilgrims as they approached the Temple and beautiful
Zion’s mountain. The peoples’ answers puts their attitudes and faith
in God into perspective, so that in faith and trust people could
approach God for worship and praise. What answer would you and
I give, when you or I reach the doors of our own worship sanctuary?



The call to examine our living and lives, our hearts and minds before
approaching God in worship and prayer is very challenging, and one
I know I fail to do. Normally, my minister calls for a period of reflection
before we enter into Prayers of Confession, but sometimes, I think that’s
a bit late in the liturgy, and that I do not reverently or humbly come before
God before I reach my place of worship! On reflection, I find it a very
attractive concept to purify myself before approaching God in worship.



I confess that sometimes, I feel so comfortable with God, that I forget
the proper approach formula to worshipping God! I often feel that God
is so comforting and near I need to ask myself the question: “Do I think
of God as something like a comfortable pair of slippers that I can put on
whenever I need a rest or to be reinvigorated?” What a temptation that is!



The Psalmist gives me the formula! Only those people who lives, hands,
minds and hearts are pure and undefiled, dare to come before the Lord
our God. Thankfully, God has blessed us with a message of hope and
trust that means that no one is excluded from God’s presence if they call
on the name of the Lord for purity and blessing.

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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: pentecost7[15]b_2012.pdf

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