50A*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 9A [Ordinary 18A] or [Proper 13A] 2017
Psalm 17: 1-7, 15

Listening God: hear our cries for help and justice; and answer us, we pray.
Come near to us now, O God, and “...hide us in the shadow of your wings...”¹

Guiding God: recognise and respond to us as we follow on your path of life.
Come near to us now, O God, and bless us with the glory of your presence.

Faithful God: come near to us now and listen to our prayers; and show us
“...your unfailing love in wonderful ways...” that always cherishes and blesses.
Come near to us now, O God, for we need you now to be our Guide and
Counsellor, so we are not led away from being in a right relationship with you. Amen.

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Psalm 17: 1-7, 15
A prayer of David.

1 O LORD, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right.
3 You have tested my thoughts
and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinised me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands, which keep me
from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies.

15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

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Prayers of Petition
After Pentecost 9A [Ordinary 18A] or [Proper 13A] 2017
Psalm 17: 1-7, 15

Listening God, be for us this day the Nearer One who hears our prayers and answers
them, as only God knows best. We cry out for help in the daily struggles of life lived
in a world that denies your presence; and a world where your justice seems to be a
lost cause! Be for us this day the power and presence of your unfailing love for each
one of us in ways that are truly wonderful and inspirational! Gather us and “...hide us
in the shadow of your wings...”¹ so that we know and understand the protection and
security that God alone can give to each one of us; and we give thanks for that care.

Guiding God, be for us this day the Shepherd who takes us along the safe paths that
are blessed with God’s glorious presence; and give us the grace and insights to know
that it is indeed you who takes us by the hand to lead us to our home in you. Please help
us always to be aware of and to recognise your presence with us, which blesses us as
we seek to be your faithful people, and to grow into a right relationship with our God.

Faithful God, be for us this day the Holy One who draws near to us in an intimate and
true relationship, which gives us the trust and confidence to accept that God hears our
prayers and continues to show us “...your unfailing love in wonderful ways...”, which
always cherishes and blesses us. Because there are so many temptations and issues
that distract us; be for us this day our Guide and Counsellor, so that we are not led away
from being a right relationship with you. May we always be faithful to our God; and to
grow in our expectations and anticipations of the daily blessings God showers upon us. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 9A [Ordinary 18A] or [Proper 13A] 2017
Psalm 17: 1-7, 15

A sense of security is a wonderful thing, as it enables people to experience a feeling
of protection from any harm. In addition, there are various elements associated with
that sense of confident safety that are either physical, emotional or spiritual security.
Today’s psalm is similar in its message to the recently read Psalm 13, with their similar
message that sometimes God needs a reminder! So the psalmist reminded God’s-Own-
Self that he anticipated and expected God to act on his behalf. Those lively expectations
confirmed that God would always be recognised as GOD - the Holy One who acts out
of faithfulness and loyalty! It was with that three-pronged sense of security that David
dared to call on God thus: “...Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you
are merciful, O LORD...”² As a man of Israel who was in a covenant relationship with
God, he believed and trusted that it was appropriate to feel entitled to God’s protection.



David’s greatest sense of security was found in the sanctuary where the worship of God
took place, and the psalmist’s petition grew out of his committed relationship with God.
Whilst the psalmist seemed to express his innocence in all things, he did so in the context
of having been tested and tried by life; and by those very people who sought to destroy him!
His claim of faithfulness to God came from “honest lips”; and from an examination by God
of his life and lifestyle; and his commitment to staying on God’s path of Torah faithfulness.
Have you ever been brave enough to make demands on God because of your lifelong
commitment to following God’s way; and thus you are entitled to make demands of God?



David then demanded: “...Pay attention to my prayer...I am praying to you because I know
you will answer. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful
ways...” How are we to judge whether we are in a right relationship with God? David believed
he was in that blessed state of relationship with God; so much so, that he rejoiced in the idea
of being in God’s Holy Presence in the sanctuary; and even being granted a visible expression
of the sacred presence of God. The psalm concludes: “...When I awake, I will see you face
to face and be satisfied.” In the middle of David’s nightmare experiences, he was convinced
that his hope and trust in God was always vindicated; as were all his attempts to faithfulness!
David expected and anticipated that God’s response would always be “...in wonderful ways...”



1 Psalm 17: 8b (NLT)

2 Psalm 25: 7b (NLT)

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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 help and inspiration so frequently available from the writings of Professor Walter Brueggemann and Professorial brothers Rolf and Karl Jacobson; and the resources from "The Text this Week" (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditation are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2017 Joan Stott –‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Based on verses from Psalm 17.
Used with permission.

jstott@netspace.net.au
www.thetimelesspsalms.net

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: pentecost9[18]a_2017.pdf