17B*
A Call to Worship
Transfiguration of Jesus Year B 2012
Psalm 50: 1-6
The Lord, the Mighty God has spoken to us—calling God’s people to gather for worship.
God’s people are called to gather together from
the four corners of the earth - to worship God.
God does not want token or half-hearted worship,
with little meaning or understanding of our actions.
No, God calls people to offer genuine sacrifices
of reverent praise, that is worthy of the Holy One.
Our Great God is not remote and isolated from us.
God communicates to us through people and nature.
God’s Holy Presence is like a radiant light and fire,
and God speaks with the disturbing power of a storm.
We come, gathered to worship and praise our God. Amen.
Prayers of Thankfulness and Penitence
Transfiguration of Jesus Year B 2012
Psalm 50: 1-6
Holy God, we gather together to worship, praise and thankyou for the way you reveal something of your glory to your
people; and we acknowledge that there is so much about
your Holy Presence that is beyond our understanding; yet
you encourage us to revere and honour you, even if it is
with a limited knowledge. Through our daily life, your glory
is seen and expressed in so many physical ways – within the
wide expanses of this universe; but you also offer us the intimacy
of a personal relationship with you, our Holy and Revered God.
Forgiving God, we regret and repent of our lack of conviction in
our worship of you; our inconsistent approach to sharing with
others in worshipping you; our critical attitudes to other people’s
worship styles; and the use of unfamiliar symbols that are
significant to people of different backgrounds and experiences.
O Lord our God, together we celebrate with thankful hearts
and minds the universality of your holy word; the universality
of Jesus’ teaching and mission; and the universality of Jesus’
commission to all his followers. We give thanks that we worship
a God where no one is excluded from within the circle of God’s
arms of love, mercy and forgiveness; and that people of all
ages and conditions are welcome into God’s Kingdom of peace,
righteousness and justice, and of good-will towards all peoples.
Welcoming God, we regret and repent of our selfish, exclusive
attitudes towards our neighbours, when we so often shut them
out of our acceptance and friendships. We regret and repent
of our conservative and narrow approaches to relationships,
especially when we expect people to accept our own opinion
on “life” as if it is the only one that is real, proper or appropriate.
Heal and forgive us we pray, Generous and Forgiving God. Amen.
A Personal Meditation
Transfiguration of Jesus Year B 2012
Psalm 50: 1-6
“The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken; he has summonedall humanity... Bring my faithful people to me - those who
made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.” What a great
invitation from God! Imagine all the people from the four corners
of the world called to gather in worship God! Then came the next
invitation to the “faithful” people - those who have promised to
offer sacrifices to God. It is my hope and prayer that my “sacrifices”
of active involvement amongst the ‘least, the lost and the lonely people’
of the world is an acceptable sacrifice to make my Glorious God.
| Creative pause: | Do I offer acceptable “sacrifices” to God? |
Another different “sacrifice” I can offer to God is one of thanksgiving,
praise and adoration to the God of the Universe and of all peoples.
However, I admit that I find it difficult to use the word ‘adoration’ when
speaking or thinking about God; because it is another word like ‘love’
that is diminished by its everyday use for trivial events and things!
| Creative pause: | Do I really “adore” God? |
I am so grateful that God glory comes to us in so many different ways—
because I am sure there are many of those glories of God that pass
me by - unnoticed or unacknowledged. That is because of my focussed
preoccupation with my own trivial affairs, and my inattention to God’s
presence. I am grateful too, that God patiently continues to share God’s
glory to each succeeding generation. The created heavens and the
earth each offer their praises to God - it is only humanity that is blind
and insensitive to the glories of our great and glorious Creator God.
The heavens and the earth rejoice in God’s justice and judgements,
it is only humanity that turns a blind eye and mind to God’s justice.
| Creative pause: | Thankfully, God’s glory comes in many forms. |
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
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