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The Timeless Psalmsby Joan Stott |
A Call to Worship
Christmas 2, Year C, Psalm 147: 12-20
L: People of God - God’s chosen ones,sing your praises to God,
P: Mount Zion, you tower over the holy city,
sing your praises to God.
L: Our ancestors heard the word of the Lord,
they received your decrees and laws.
P: The Lord has blessed all God’s peoples,
we will sing our praise and thanks to God.
L: Praise is a worthy response to our God!
P: Let us with one voice praise the Lord.
Come, let us worship the Lord our God. Amen.
If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows:
© 2010 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year C, used with permission.
Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving
Christmas 2, Year C, Psalm 147: 12-20
God of all times and places, we gather to praise you,and to give thanks for our spiritual history and heritage.
Today, we remember Jerusalem, the holy city of God.
Jerusalem, that symbol of the heritage of our faith,
that symbol of God’s revelations to God’s own people,
that symbol of the prophetic witness through the ages,
that symbol of trust and security found only in God:
holy is the word of the Lord, it is greatly to be praised.
Today, we bring our prayers of praise to the living God,
who shared and continues to share the words of life with us;
we give thanks for the blessings found in these words:
holy is the word of the Lord, it is greatly to be praised.
We praise God, and offer our reverent thanks to God
for the many ways the powers of God are revealed
in the generous provisions to meet our needs,
through the dazzling displays of non-essential beauty,
through the seasonal contrasts that highlight life’s changes,
all of which speaks to us of the graciousness of God:
holy is the word of the Lord, it is greatly to be praised.
We, the people of God, raise our voices in prayer
to exalt the name of the Lord our God, whose word
is expressed simply or profoundly; gently or in the roaring
voices of nature; through challenges or circumstances:
holy is the word of the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
Give praise to the Lord, all God’s people, because praise
is a worthy and honourable response to the Lord our God,
and holy is the word of the Lord, it is greatly to be praised. Amen.
If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows:
© 2010 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year C, used with permission.
A Personal Meditation
Christmas 2, Year C, Psalm 147: 12-20
O Lord my God, what a wonderful blessing and privilegeit is to be able to have access to the holy word of God!
These words from God, given to my long ago ancestors,
are living words that have blessed countless people.
Holy is my God, and holy is the living word of God!
| Creative pause: | God’s holy word is always relevant. |
How blest I am in the heritage of my faith in God,
and each day, God’s holy and living words of faith
and comfort; of rebuke and forgiveness; of challenge
and renewal enrich my faith journey home to God.
Holy is my God, and holy is the living word of God!
| Creative pause: | Counting my blessings. |
In ancient times, Jerusalem - the holy city of David,
was the symbol of Jewish religious beliefs and history;
its cultural traditions; and their eternal hope for the future.
Jerusalem continues to be significant, because of the
memory of its prophetic voices, and as the centre of worship
of my last-past fathers and mothers in the faith.
Holy is my God, and holy is the living word of God!
| Creative pause: | The blessings of a spiritual heritage. |
I also see expressions of God’s living words in creation;
in people through their varied experiences of life;
and in the challenging events of my own daily life.
I want to join my voice to the peoples beyond numbering
who offer their praise and thanks to God each day!
Holy is God’s living word and greatly to be praised!
| Creative pause: | Join with the voices in praise of God. |