 |
The Timeless Psalmsby Joan Stott |
A Call to Worship
Maundy Thursday, Year A, Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
Welcoming God, we gather heretoday to worship and praise you.
We gather in this sacred place
where, over many generations, our
forebears have gathered to worship God.
Responsive God, you hear our prayers,
our sighs, our doubts and all our fears.
We give you our thanks for your
loving awareness and care of us all.
We gather to again fulfil our commitments
to our God in the presence of your people.
We offer our sacrifice, our homage, our
gifts of praise and thankfulness to our God. Amen.
If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows:
© 2011 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A, used with permission.
Prayers of Thanksgiving
Maundy Thursday, Year A, Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
God of freedom and love, we gather to givethanks to you for your mercy and love so
openly shown to us, and we respond with
thankfulness. You have been our Help and
Rescuer in these recent times of trouble and
distress, and you have come near to us to
hear our fears, our pleas and our cries to you.
Even though there are times when we turn away
from God and we lose contact with God through
our wilfulness - which is like the separation of
death to our heart and soul - God never turns away
from us. We give thanks that no matter how many
times we call upon our God, whether it is in praise,
intercession, thankfulness, fear or distress, our God
is always gracious, generous and caring towards us.
Guiding God, long ago we made promises to you
about how we would live, love and serve you, and
today, we renew those vows before your people in
the sacredness of our gathered community of faith,
asking that you will bless us as we seek to love
and serve you all our days - into the unknown future.
Worship, honour, majesty, power, glory and praise
are yours, Holy God, now and forever. Amen.
If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows:
© 2011 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year A, used with permission.
A Personal Meditation
Maundy Thursday, Year A, Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19
Every day brings me new examples of God’scare and mercy towards me. As I travel the hills
and valleys of life, help me to trust in God’s
continuing care, and in the way God is always
nearby to hear my prayers, and to answer them.
| Creative pause: | God always listens attentively to my prayers. |
What can I offer the Lord my God, that expresses
my thanks and gratitude for all God’s goodness
to me throughout my life? What gifts can I offer
to the Lord my God who created and creates all
things; whose loving tenderness is immeasurable;
whose wisdom is beyond comprehension; whose
mercy is unquestionable; and whose awareness of
me as a needy human being is so deeply profound?
| Creative pause: | What gifts can I offer to the Lord my God? |
The gift I can offer to God is to endeavour to keep
the promises I have previously made to God; and
being very careful in making any new promises by
ensuring that I am willing to keep them, and that
they are not just ‘window dressing’ promises – promises
for effect or appearance - rather than a real commitment.
| Creative pause: | Making promises to God I genuinely intend to keep. |