47C*
A Call to Worship
After Pentecost 8C [Ordinary 15C] or [Proper 10C] 2016
Psalm 82

God of compassion, we worship you, even as we pray for vulnerable people.
Challenge us to always be God’s generous people now in this time and place.

God of gentleness, we praise you, even as we pray for disadvantaged people.
Confront us with the pain of your people in need, so we can help to bring healing.

God of justice, we come seeking your guidance in how we can best serve you
and people in need, to enable these deserving children of God to find help.
Inspire us with God’s own compassion, tenderness, patient care and hope:
“...Rise up, people of God, have done with lesser things, give heart, soul, and
mind and strength... to bring in the day of fellowship, and end the night of wrong...”¹ Amen.

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Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.

1 God presides over heaven’s court;
he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
2 “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favouring the wicked?

Interlude

3 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights
of the oppressed and the destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

5 But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant!
They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core.
6 I say, ‘You are gods; you are all children of the Most High.
7 But you will die like mere mortals and fall like every other ruler.’”

8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.

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Prayers of Confession
After Pentecost 8C [Ordinary 15C] or [Proper 10C] 2016
Psalm 82

God of compassion, we gather to worship you and to pray for all vulnerable
people; for the causes behind their susceptibility, and the way in which they
affects their lives. We come too, to confess that often we have not even tried
to become involved in changing people’s environment, or easing their distress.
We confess that we make excuses to cover our blindness or deafness
to people’s needs; and instead, wait for someone else to offer their help and to
do the things we should at least be attempting to do. Generous God, challenge
us afresh to be your people now in this time and place; so that justice is not
just a slogan, but an action carried out in love and sensitivity for God’s people.

God of all gentleness and grace, we praise you, even as we gather to pray for
disadvantaged people. We come too, to confess that we have not even tried to
understand what are the needs of so many under-privileged people; or why they
are in that situation. We confess we have not seen the world through their eyes,
or experienced the pain that they know all too well caused by bullying, racism
or unemployment; or how a lack of language skills makes life so difficult for many
people. Healing God, confront us with the pain of these your people in need so
we can help to bring them healing, wholeness, dignity and a sense of self-worth.

God of justice and equity, today as we come to join with our fellow worshippers
and to share in their concerns and joys, we also come seeking your guidance in
how we can best serve you and people in need. We confess that we become so
involved with our own little concerns and trivial anxieties, that we do not see what
is often right in front of us – God’s beloved children desperately in need of help.
We confess that we have no idea what it means to be oppressed by powers that
are beyond our reach; and to be the victim of people with greedy or evil intentions.
God of tenderness and warm acceptance, inspire and enable us to be filled with
God’s own compassion, tenderness, gentle care and hope - so that we can be
God’s people, who are caring for our brothers and sisters within God’s great family. Amen.

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A Personal Meditation
After Pentecost 8C [Ordinary 15C] or [Proper 10C] 2016
Psalm 82

The people of Israel, chosen by God to be an especially blessed people, took a very
long time to accept and understand the concept of there being only One-True-God—
and Psalm 82 makes that clear; as its words belongs almost in the realms of mythology!
The psalmist envisaged a court room in heaven with the One-True-God as the Judge;
and all the multiple groups of gods or angels were there ‘on trial in the dock’. In verse 2,
the Judge ‘The Most High God’ asked questions of their conduct and how they had
fulfilled their duties – not waiting for their excuses or their answers. In verses 3 and 4
the jury was instructed about how the ‘accused’ fulfilled their responsibilities with the
verdict given in verse 5: “...these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They
wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core...” Even in this
form of a ‘trial’, God’s special preferences for vulnerable people was made very clear!



Those gods and angels ‘on trial’ had failed to carry out their role as described in the
books of the Law of Exodus and Deuteronomy by failing to care for “... poor and the
orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and
helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people...” The sentence the Judge ‘The
Most High God’ pronounced on those gods and angels was: “...you will die like mere
mortals and fall like every other ruler...’” Then the psalmist cried out: “...Rise up, O God,
and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.” So even in this imaginary setting,
God’s message was of justice for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and people.



Did the long ago psalmist exercise his creative prerogative by generating a message in
a unique format to challenge and confront the current rulers and leaders of the nation of
Israel with this message? Did he hope to stimulate their consciences and their lapsed
or even dead faith in God, to a renewal of their religious and spiritual heritage as God’s
people of justice, equity, righteousness and peace? Did the psalmist hope to reinvigorate
their faith and trust in the Omnipotent God – ‘The Most High God’ of Israel and the world?
How would any of us fare if we were ‘in the dock’ and were asked those questions by God?



1 From “The Methodist Hymn Book” (1933 version)
“Rise up, O men/people of God”
Words by William Pierson Merrill (alt)
Words in the Public Domain

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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 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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