67A*
A Call to Worship
Reign of Christ the King (Pentecost 24A) [Ordinary 34A] or [Proper 29A] 2014
Psalm 100

Creating God, “all the work of your fingers”1 join in praising your Holy Name
Let us sing together: “All the earth proclaim the Lord, sing your praise to God.”2

Shepherding God, all the members of your flock join in praising your mercy.
Let us pray together: “All the earth proclaim the Lord, sing your praise to God.”2

Welcoming God, we rejoice and give thanks for our Holy God, whose “unfailing
love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation...”.
Let us worship God together: “All the earth proclaim the Lord, sing your praise
to God.”2 “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness.” Amen.

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Prayers of Praise and Thankfulness
Reign of Christ the King (Pentecost 24A) [Ordinary 34A] or [Proper 29A] 2014
Psalm 100

“In the presence of your people I will praise your name; for alone you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel. Let us celebrate your goodness, and your
steadfast love; may your name be exalted here on earth and in heaven above.”3
Holy God, it is only when we come together to praise your name that we can
fully and appropriately articulate our praises to the God of the universe, and all
that it contains. This is our public declaration that we worship the God of all things
and of all peoples, and that as we gather together, our combined experiences all
give definition and context to our praises. We gather as a vibrant people who are
focused on our God and all that God was and is, and who will be into the future.

God of unfailing and steadfast love, we gather together in submission before the
One who is above all things; beyond all knowledge; and who is outside any and
all calculations or explanations. You are God – the “All Mysterious Unknown”, yet
you are also the “Known” whom we joyfully and honestly worship now on this day—
and whom we love with an overflowing of all our being and experiences. We have
entered the gates that give us humble access to God, and we sing our glad praises.

God of all goodness and mercy, help us to leave behind all self-imposed restraints
and to joyfully and exuberantly celebrate the worship of the Lord, who is our God!
Just as God continues to create our world with brilliant colours and joy-filled sounds—
so may our acts of worship share all the extravagance of God’s love and creative
powers! May our singing and praying be filled with conviction about who God is, and
what God is for each of us – individually and collectively – and may our joy in the
Lord strengthen us as we go out into God’s world to actively be God’s own people. Amen.

A Personal Meditation
Reign of Christ the King (Pentecost 24A) [Ordinary 34A] or [Proper 29A] 2014
Psalm 100

When defining the “praise of God” Professor Walter Brueggemann writes:
“Praise is the duty and delight, the ultimate vocation of the human community;
indeed of all creation. Yes, all of life is aimed toward God and finally exists
for the sake of God. Praise articulates and embodies our capacity to yield,
submit, and abandon ourselves in trust and gratitude to the One whose we are..”4
True abandonment and freedom of spirit can be learned by watching some
birds and animals as they celebrate life in exuberant, enthusiastic, wild - and
at times - scary antics and actions! If only there were ways which we humans
could be less restrained, less “proper” and dignified; and instead – celebrate
the joy of life - and especially celebrate God in our worship, singing and praying!

Creative pause: Can you or I be less “proper” and dignified as we worship God?


It has been my privilege to have been part of many experiences of cross-cultural
acts of worship of God, where music, dancing, singing and praying has been
exhilarating and thought provoking! In their enthusiasm for God, and their love
for God, these people have allowed their inhibitions to be eased; and instead,
have like King David “danced before the Lord”. King David had excellent reasons
for dancing before the Lord, as the “Ark of the Covenant” had finally entered into
Jerusalem! Psalm 100 instructs us to “Shout with joy to the Lord... Worship the
Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy... Give thanks to him...”

Creative pause: How enthusiastic are you about God’s goodness?


Psalm 100 calls us to enter God’s presence: “Come before him...acknowledge that
the Lord is God!” The presence of God can be experienced in many different ways.
My most profound experience of God’s holy presence was actually not in a Christian
place of worship, but in the “Temple of the Reclining Buddha” in Bangkok! I have
never understood that experience, and I have not even tried to rationalise it – I just
knew and experienced God’s presence in a most extraordinary and reverent way!
Another very special experience of God’s holy presence was in the burial crypt in
Lund Cathedral in Sweden where the early morning light shone on that sanctuary.
Another special experience of God was in the Chapel on Holy Island at Lindisfarne
in England. These experiences came to me at a time of special decision-making—
and how blessed I was to have known God’s presence at those critical times of life.

Creative pause: What examples of God’s holy presence have you experienced?


1 Psalm 8:3 (NLT)

2 From “Together in Song” #60
“Serve you the Lord,
heart filled with gladness”
© 1965, Words by Lucien Deiss, 1921- alt.
Used with Permission, Word of Life International Licence #2425

3 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

4 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann
from “Israel’s Praise” Chapter 1, page 1
© 1988 Fortress Publishing House Minneapolis MN 55440, USA

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:
© 2014 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

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

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