24A*
A Call to Worship
Lent 6A, Palm Sunday, Year A 2017
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29

We come together on this day to rejoice in the universal love of our God!
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever..”

We come together on this day to celebrate the faithful love of our God!
All glory to God! “...You are my God, and I will praise you...I will exalt you...”

We come together on this day to give thanks and praises because the love
of our God is timeless, and yet it is new every morning, merciful and gracious.
All praise and honour be to our God! “...This is the day the LORD has made.
We will rejoice and be glad...
because God’s “...faithful love endures forever. Amen.



Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”

19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the LORD.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.

24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.


Prayers of Praise and Thankfulness
Lent 6A, Palm Sunday, Year A 2017
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29

We come together on this day to rejoice in the universal love of our God; and to join
in the never-ending cycle of thanks and praise to our God: “Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good! His faithful love endures forever...”
We join together to sing our songs
of praise and thankfulness that whilst God’s love is universal, it is also personal and
creates a deep sense of intimacy between God and each beloved individual! We also
give thanks because that love of God extends to all of creation and we celebrate that
“...The LORD is God, shining upon us...” warming, enlivening and blessing us with that
infinitely amazing love! This day, we pray for people who do not recognise or accept
that warming and empowering love; and instead, prefer to be in the shady cold of their
rejection. Life-giving God, continue to shine your love on all those struggling people.

We come together on this day to celebrate the faithful love of our God! All glory be to
God because “...You are my God, and I will praise you... You are my God, and I will
exalt you...”
We give thanks that we have the privilege of being able to worship and
praise our God, and to enter into our own sacred sanctuary; to join in singing God’s
praises and offering our prayers of thankfulness. We pray for people whose songs of
praise and quiet prayers can only be whispered in their secret sacred space, because
of restrictions on worship; and who are denied the blessing of openly sharing their faith
in their Loving God. Shine the light of your truth into their hearts, minds and lives, so
that in their fears, they may be comforted by the warmth of your special love for them.

We come together on this day to give thanks and praises because the love of our God
is timeless, and yet it is new every morning, merciful and gracious. All praise and honour
be to our Creating, Nurturing and Holy God! We give thanks for the gift of this day, with
all its joys and challenges; its uncertainties and unexpected surprises. Help each of us
to use this day to your eternal praise and glory; so that our words, actions and thoughts
may bring glory to God, the Eternal One. We pray for people who this day will suffer loss
or illness; shock or dismay; and sudden crises that frighten and challenge them. Be very
near to these vulnerable people, and we pray for them in their distress, asking that you
shine the light of your enduring love upon them, to bless and guide them in their troubles.
Faithful God, through our prayers, unite us all together in the glory and wonder of your love. Amen.


A Personal Meditation
Lent 6A, Palm Sunday, Year A 2017
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29

I have selected individual words in this psalm that to me, have significant meanings.
To anyone who has experienced a broken relationship, and that probably includes
us all, there are some words that are particularly important to us, and they are ‘fidelity’
and ‘faithfulness’ which are probably interchangeable! The synonyms offered to us in
explaining these words include: loyalty, allegiance, constancy, dependability, integrity,
reliability, consistency, endurance, steadfastness, faithfulness and trustworthy. When
any of these qualities fail in a relationship, loss of trust and loyalty seem almost inevitable.
The psalmist uses a frequent response about God: “...His faithful love endures forever...”

Creative pause: God’s “...faithful love endures forever...”


Another word I would like to explore is ‘open’ as in “…Open for me…” Is this a request,
a demand, a negotiated entry, an expectation, or a prayer? Do you anticipate a welcome
when you arrive at the door of your worship centre; and is there a vetting process as
some psalms suggest; or are only the “righteous” and the “godly” admitted? Was
that particular person received into the sacred worship space with that prayer/plea,
as a welcome and anticipated entrant; and was their acceptance clear to that person?
The psalmist sang: “...Open for me the gates where the righteous enter...” To be welcomed
into an open entrance suggests that it is accessible; freely clear and visible; that is navigable;
and wide enough for easy access to the faithful; with no barriers or physical hindrance to
anyone’s entry into the sacred sanctuary; and with no pre-existing formula or code to stop
his entrance, so that he can “... go in and thank the LORD... Give thanks... for he is good!”

Creative pause: “...You are my God, and I will praise you...for he is good...”


The psalmist implies that only “the righteous” can enter the Temple, and that the “godly”
may enter God’s Holy Presence. What does it mean to be ‘righteous’ and/or ‘godly’?
One definition states that a righteous person is one who lives in accordance with divine
or moral law and being free from sin; and synonyms suggest that a righteous person is
ethical, upright, spiritual, pure and virtuous. Being ‘godly’ is described as being devout,
pious, prayerful, God-fearing and faithful. To me, being able to approach God in worship,
praise and thankfulness; and to enter the Holy Presence of God is God’s gift to us; not
something that we earn or deserve. Through God’s grace and mercy, we may indeed
come to God seeking liberation from our sin-filled life, and being gifted with God’s blessing.

Creative pause: Does the psalmist’s perspective suggest that God is always welcoming?



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 help and inspiration so frequently available from the writings of Professor Walter Brueggemann and Professorial brothers Rolf and Karl Jacobson; and the resources from "The Text this Week" (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditations are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2017 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Used with permission.

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

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