67C*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 27C, Reign of Christ the King, Year C
Psalm 46

We come to hear God’s invitation: “...Be still, and know that I am God...!”
We come to praise and honour God, because: God is our mighty fortress.

We come together to hear God’s call: “...Be still, and know that I am God...!”
We come to worship God, since: “...The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here...”

We come to hear God’s challenge: “...Be still, and know that I am God...!”
We come without fear, to celebrate and revere the God whom we know to be:
“...our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble...” and to
give thanks, because we, too, know about “... the glorious works of the LORD...” Amen.

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Psalm 46
For the choir director:
A song of the descendants of Korah,
to be sung by soprano voices.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Interlude

4 A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!
7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
Interlude

8 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honoured by every nation.
I will be honoured throughout the world.”

11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
Interlude

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Prayers of Trust and Thankfulness
After Pentecost 27C, Reign of Christ the King, Year C
Psalm 46

Holy God, Lord and Creator of all things, in trust, hope and joyful certainty, we
gather to worship our God. We come because God has invited us to be ‘still’
in God’s presence, and to ‘know’ the God whom we worship, praise and revere.
In remorse and yet trust, we acknowledge that we do not really ‘know’ God as
we would hope to, because of our sin-filled natures; but we still come before the
Holy One, the God who through all our life has welcomed us and blessed us
as we turn to God in our prayers of praises and thanks. We give thanks that
God has always been our Refuge and Strength, especially when life is tough—
and when we have felt threatened by the powers that seemed to surround us,
yet we always ‘know’ that “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help
in times of trouble...” For this reassurance, we give to God our sincere thanks.

We gather to worship and praise our God has called us to: “...Come, see the
glorious works of the LORD...” that surround us every moment of your living.
Those “glorious works” include the wonders of the natural world; but also the
glories of God at work in the world amongst people and amongst the world’s
nations. Yet, we also confess that there are times when we almost despair over
the pain and suffering some people endure, due entirely to the selfishness and
greed of their leaders; and we pray that God’s steadfast and unfailing love, mercy,
faithfulness and grace will be very real to frightened and bewildered humanity.
May they also 'know' that “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help...”

We come to hear again God’s challenge to us: “...Be still, and know that I am God...!”
We come together, seeking to share in the knowledge of God’s Holy Presence
that surrounds and upholds us every moment of our life – and we pray that we may
also have a trusting awareness of how God moves amongst and within us to guide
and bless us. We give thanks for the comforting strength and encouragement we
receive when we join together in prayers and praises of our God; and the way this
inspires us to new understandings of what it means to be God’s beloved children—
living in God’s world. Trustworthy God, we gather to celebrate the wonders of God’s
faithful love and mercy that acts to overcome our fears, and builds up our faith and
hope in God, and so we pray for a time when God is honoured throughout the world. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 27C, Reign of Christ the King, Year C
Psalm 46

What does it mean to be 'still'? According to dictionary definitions it means to
cease moving, to cease making any sounds, being at quiet rest; and to appear
to be rooted to the spot or turned to stone. Synonyms of 'stillness' include hush,
tranquil, subdued, calm and peaceful. In the text: “...Be still, and know that I am
God...!” the word 'still' is a translation of the Hebrew word ‘rapa’, which means
“to slacken, let down, or cease.” In some instances, the word also carries the
idea “to drop, be weak, or faint.” ‘Rapa’ implies that two people are fighting until
they are separated and made to drop their weapons; and only after the fighting
has stopped that those warriors can pause and acknowledge their trust in God—
or to be quiet and at peace in God’s presence. It also implies that people should
stop their frantic activities, and always to look to God as the Source of their help.



The opening faith statement of this psalm is in direct contrast to the fears that the
verses go on to describe. Professor Walter Brueggemann describes this perceived
imminent threat which arose from the ancient understanding of the world’s structures,
where the pillars of mountains in the oceans prop up the sky in its place. The author
described them as being about to crumble, with storm surges across the world’s
oceans; and chaos and disaster looming. The psalmist sang: “...earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the
mountains tremble as the waters surge!” Then following an interlude, the water-
based language changes to a positive trust in God’s creative activities with the words:
“...A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God
dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed...” This describes a place of peaceful
holiness that inspires the worship of a liberating and renewing God, who has always
responded to peoples’ fears bringing joyous hope and security to God’s people.



Associated with creation’s natural and humanity-based chaotic activities, comes
the call to: “...Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honoured by every nation...”
As the definitions of being 'still' notes, we are each called to pause and reflect on
the God who creates, controls and renews all creation; and we are challenged to
‘know’ that despite all creation’s past and potential of chaos, wars and disaster—
God WILL be honoured by the nations throughout the world. We are reminded yet
again that God’s holiness, judgement and justice always goes hand-in-hand with
God’s steadfast and unfailing love, faithfulness, mercy and grace towards all of
creation – including all of humanity. We are invited, called and challenged to ‘know’
God through our worship; and through our relationship with God, that enriches and
blesses us; even as we bow in awed wonder before the God who will always and
forever be “…our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble....”

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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 inspiration available from the scholarship and 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:
© 2016 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

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

Download/view a pdf file of this document here: rnchristkingc_2016.pdf