35A*
A Call to Worship
Easter 5A 2017
Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16

We come to you, O God, our “Rock” in this time of uncertainty and fear.
Covenanting God, be for us now, the God who always keeps promises.

We come to you, O God, the “Rock” that holds our faith firm and steady.
Faithful God, be for us now, the God who always remains trustworthy.

We come to you, O God, the “Rock” who is our hiding place, our secure
and abiding sanctuary, where we can rest in the safety of God’s care.
Sheltering God, be for us now, the God who is always present with us
to guide and bless us through times of crisis, and times of peace and joy. Amen.

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Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16
For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right.
2 Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.
3 You are my rock and my fortress.
For the honour of your name, lead me out of this danger.
4 Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
for I find protection in you alone.
5 I entrust my spirit into your hand.
Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God.

15 My future is in your hands.
Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16 Let your favour shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, rescue me.

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Prayers of Trust
Easter 5A 2017
Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16

We come to you, O God, our “Rock” in this time of uncertainty and fear, when
we are surrounded by challenges to our faith and trust in you. We come to you
in sincere and trusting prayer, asking for your blessing and guidance, and that
you listen to our prayers, for we have no one else in whom we can find security
and rest. In the storms of life you are our Quiet Centre, the Holy One, whose
strength and reliability is our refuge; and who gives us the courage and the inner
peace to trust in your abiding presence with us. Shine the light of your favour
upon us all, as together we seek to be faithful to your calling to be your people.
Covenanting God, be for us now, the God who always keeps your promises.

We come to you, O God, the “Rock” that holds our faith firm and steady in the
struggles of being your people at this time and in this place. As your people of
faith, we know of the many secular influences abroad in our world that seek to
distract us from the shared worship of God; and we ask that you shine the light
of our radiant presence upon us, so that we may resist the temptation to dilute
our commitment to you and to our life of worship, faith and service for your reign
of Kingdom of unfailing love and justice. Ever-Faithful God, be for us now, the
God who always remains trustworthy, as we entrust our spirits into your care.

We come to you, O God, the “Rock” who is our hiding place, our secure and
abiding sanctuary, where we can rest in the shelter of our God. Be for us now,
the God who is always present with us to guide and bless us through times of
crisis, and times of peace and joy. In the strength and dignity of your unfailing
love for us, we entrust our future as a community of faith into your hands, as
we seek a new way forward. We give thanks for the commitment of our current
leaders, and pray that they may be strengthened and encouraged in their special
ministry; and may they have the wisdom to guide us all into faithful ministry and
bring honour to your Holy Name. Sheltering God, be for all of us now, the God
who is present to guide and bless us through times of crisis, and in peace and joy. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
Easter 5A 2017
Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16

One of our previous ministers used to close almost every type of prayer with
the words “my Rock and Redeemer” so that it became a reassuring theme and
promise. In the Psalms, there are approximately 25 references to God being a
“Rock”, for example: “For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a
solid rock?” (Ps 18: 31); and “The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of
my salvation be exalted!” (Ps 18: 46). The psalmist was in big trouble and prayed:
“…Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and
my fortress...” He prayed that God would always be the God of the Covenant
promises; and then there seems almost to be a pause and a rethink, as he once
again prayed and rephrased his prayer: “…You are my rock and my fortress...”



The brothers, Professors Rolf and Karl Jacobson in their book “Invitation to the
Psalms”, explore what is meant by describing God as a “Rock”, listing many
examples such as this: “But the godly will flourish….They will declare, ‘The LORD
is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!’” (Ps 92: 12a, 15) Together they
write: “…Imagining God as a “rock” brings to mind stability, protection, surety and
reliability....imagination is required to understand a metaphor... all images are
embedded in particular cultures, thus when one communicates via metaphor...
from one culture to another misunderstanding can occur... Would the image have
a primarily positive, meaning that God is reliable, trustworthy, or a refuge in times
of trouble? Or would the image have been primarily negative, meaning that God
is deaf to our cries (like a rock) or a stumbling block (something we trip over)...”
The irony of these psalms is that God is the rock of refuge and protection, which
the psalmist needs, but can the rock hear and be what the psalmist needs...?”¹



The introduction to this selection is positive in its prayer of approach, asking that
God be the Covenant God – the One who risked everything by choosing the Hebrews
to be God’s own people - the ones called to bring the world back to commitment
to their God. The Psalm also opens with a prayer asking that God: “...don’t let me
be disgraced...” or in other translations “shamed”. Today, we would interpret that
as personal embarrassment; but to the people of that time, it meant dishonour and
a life that was shattered or destroyed beyond any hope of healing! The very last
thing the psalmist wanted to do was to bring any dishonour on God’s-Own-Self!



1 Text by Professors Rolf A & Karl N Jacobson
From “Invitation to the Psalms –
a readers guide for discovery & enlightenment”
© 2013 Chapter 4, Page/s 123/4
Baker Academic, a Division of Baker Publishing Group
Grand Rapids MI 49516-6287, USA

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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 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 Meditation are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2017 Joan Stott –‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year A. Based on verses from Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16.
Used with permission.

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

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