38C*
A Call to Worship
Easter 7C 2016
Psalm 97

We come, people from near and far away, to join in worshipping God our King.
We come to praise the glorious majesty of our God, as we rejoice in God’s reign.

We come to celebrate that the Lord our God is Monarch of all light, beauty and truth!
We come to acclaim our God, by whose grace light is sown within people of justice.

We come to honour and revere the royal majesty of our Eternal God and King,
whose throne is based on justice for all; and all the nations proclaim God’s glory.
We come together to express our delight in the Lord our God, who is the Eternal
King, and whose radiant glory is experienced when we praise God’s holy name. Amen.



Psalm 97

1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice!
Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

2 Dark clouds surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes.
4 His lightning flashes out across the world.
The earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
every nation sees his glory.
7 Those who worship idols are disgraced—
all who brag about their worthless gods—
for every god must bow to him.

8 Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the towns of Judah
are glad because of your justice, O Lord!
9 For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his godly people
and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.
12 May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
and praise his holy name!


Prayers of Praise
Easter 7C 2016
Psalm 97

We come, people who live within this our local community, to join with people
from far, far away in worshipping and praising our God and King, whose glory
and majestic reign is beyond any known earthly splendour, renown, distinction
or honour. As people of God, we come in humility as we rejoice in the privilege
of being ruled by God, because we know that our God is righteous and just;
and that all creation - both the heavens and the earth – proclaims the reign of
God as one of justice, equity and openness, that it is based on peaceable living.
“The Eternal reigns powerful over all; let the earth sing with joy... the Master of the
whole earth.... Celebrate... all you who are faithful; offer thanks to his holy name.”
1

We come, people who live within this our local community, to join with people
from far, far away to celebrate and proclaim that the Lord our God is King and
God of all light and truth! We come to join with our sisters and brothers of all
ages and circumstances to share the good news that our God’s grace has sown
within the hearts and minds of God’s people the importance of God’s justice;
and we ask that for that same sense of justice and mercy to grow to become
a harvest of peace and joy for all peoples, so that God’s great name is praised.
“The Eternal reigns powerful over all; let the earth sing with joy... the Master of the
whole earth.... Celebrate... all you who are faithful; offer thanks to his holy name.”
1

We come, people who live within this our local community, to join with people
from far, far away to honour and revere the royal majesty of our Eternal God and
King, whose throne is based on justice, peace and joy for all peoples; so that all
the nations proclaim God’s eternal glory. We come together today, with one heart,
mind and spirit to express our delight in the Lord our God, who is the Eternal King;
and whose radiant glory is personally experienced when we praise God’s holy name.
All of creation, from the largest to the smallest of God’s creatures; from the strongest
to the weakest in God’s creation; and from the noisiest to the quietest creature that
God made - all join in praising and giving thanks, celebrating the holy reign of God.
“The Eternal reigns powerful over all; let the earth sing with joy... the Master of the
whole earth.... Celebrate... all you who are faithful; offer thanks to his holy name.”
1 Amen.


A Personal Meditation
Easter 7C 2016
Psalm 97

It’s amazing the way our memory plays tricks on us! Recently I was watching the
dark, stormy clouds gathering and rolling across the sky, and every now and then—
shafts of light pierced through gaps in the clouds. My immediate reaction was that
God’s ‘judgement of the world’ was about to take place! As a child, my family had
a collection of Bible story books produced by a religious organisation which sold
those books door to door; and one book had a picture of just such cloud formations!
There were bodies drifting up from open graves as God judged the “living and the
dead”.
Psalm 97 could be describing just such as occasion: “The Lord is king! ...Dark
clouds surround him…. Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes. His
lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles….”
Note that I
left out some important verses: “…Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands
be glad… Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne…”
Psalm 97
is not about doom and gloom, but it is a celebration with people rejoicing because:
“The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! … Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and
all the towns of Judah are glad because of your justice, O Lord… praise his holy name!”


Creative pause: “The Lord is king! … praise his holy name!”


My usual translation states in verse 4: “...His lightning flashes out across the world.
The earth sees and trembles…”
; whilst ‘The Voice’ version reads: “...With His lightning
flashing about, He illuminates the world; the earth watches and trembles... Light is
sown in the just; as it grows, it brings joy to the pure of heart.”
1 I think that the concept
of the powerful forces generated by lightning illuminating the world is very challenging,
especially if that light is “sown” within the life, living and loving of people who are “just”!
We all know how bright lightning can be as its flashes ‘light’ up the sky and surrounding
countryside – but that light is there for a moment and then is gone. The “light” that was/is
sown in the lives of people who are “just” has a lingering and an immeasurable value; and
the “pure of heart” rejoice in it – as its Creator also finds joy in the truth of justice growing
and being lived out in the day-to-day living of God’s faithful people as they live their faith.

Creative pause: “Light is sown in the just; as it grows, it brings joy to the pure of heart.”1


‘The Voice’ version of verse 5 offers other new insights into the powers of our Creating
God: “...Like wax before the flame, mountains melt when the Eternal appears....” It is only
when witnessed in person or seen on film that we realise the incredible heat generated by
volcanoes from their internal fires causing that eruption, as it flings its molten lava into the
skies, and as it runs down the side of the volcano. The author calls on his experiences of
the physical world as he explored the reality of the spiritual world and how it influences the
life of the faithful believer. He also explored the concept of the radiant heat of God’s creative
love, justice and wisdom on the lives of God’s people as they lived in God’s own world.

Creative pause: “The reality of the spiritual world influences the life of the faithful believer.


1 The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society
All rights reserved.



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 inspiration available from the scholarship and writings of
Professor Walter Brueggemann; and through the resources from the internet and “The Text this Week” (Textweek).

If the Prayers and/or Meditations are used in shared worship, please provide this acknowledgement:
© 2016 Joan Stott – ‘The Timeless Psalms’ RCL Psalms Year C. Used with permission.

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

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