Opening prayer
Lord, you are amazing and wonderful.
You are dressed in the beauty of the world you created.
You control the skies and the waters.
We praise you for your countless creations,
for the stunning beauty you have made.
You made them in your wisdom.
We praise you, Lord. Amen.
Hymn: STF 88 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation
Prayers
Almighty God, we come to you today with awe and wonder, as we hear your voice from the whirlwind, and witness your power and majesty in creation. You are Lord and know all things. Teach us, humble us and reveal yourself to us. Help us to approach you with reverence and faith, and to worship you in spirit and in truth.
Glorious God, we praise you and we adore you for your amazing deeds, wonderful works and marvellous wisdom. You created the heavens and the earth and sustain all life. You are the ruler of the storm and the sea, and the provider of all our needs. You are the high priest of the new covenant, and the mediator of all grace. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and the friend of sinners. You are worthy of all praise and deserving of all adoration.
Forgiving God, we confess that we have sinned against you and against our neighbours. We have failed to recognise your presence and your authority in our lives. We have doubted your goodness and your justice in our world. We have resisted your guidance and your correction in our hearts. We have been selfish and ambitious, rather than humble and servant-like.
Forgive us, O God.
Gracious God, thank you for your forgiveness and mercy. Thank you that you do not condemn us, but that you love us. Thank you that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and to rise again for our salvation. Thank you that you have given us your Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, and to assure us of your pardon. Thank you that you have called us by name and claimed us as your own.
Amen.
Reading Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
24 How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
35 c Praise the Lord, my soul.
Praise the Lord.
Hymn: STF 449 Lod of Creation, to you be all praise
Reflection:
I love the Psalms for many reasons – one of them being that they provide words and phrases when I have none, they point us to God and our lives can be echoed in the words of the Psalmist. The Psalms encourage us to express worship no matter our circumstances and encourages us to praise God for who He is and what He has done. It is here where we can see how amazing God is, be assured of God’s faithfulness through the difficult times and where we learn about the importance of prayer. Psalm 104 celebrates the works of God in creation.
Charles Spurgeon writes, “The Psalm gives an interpretation to the many voices of nature, and sings sweetly both of creation and providence. The poem contains a complete cosmos: sea and land, cloud and sunlight, plant and animal, light and darkness, life and death, are all proved to be expressive of the presence of the Lord.”
This psalm begins with a call to worship ‘Bless the Lord, o my soul” which instantly takes me to the song I have chosen at the end of this service. We are being called to worship from our inmost being. To worship God as The God, full of honour and majesty. The God who makes us go WOW! WOW! WOW! To worship to the point of being speechless because we are filled with awe and wonder. This Psalm echoes the creation account in Genesis. It connects us to what we read in the gospels of the Tranfiguration of Jesus. The imagery in this psalm is full of the activity of God and excitement and we are invited to see the world as something that God delights in.
As we move to verse 24 we see how the Psalmist continues in amazement as he looks at nature and creation. He sees it all not as the result of random and purposeless events, but as the wise works of a great God who has right of ownership over all of it. The Psalm today captures us to see our Creator God and be filled with awe and wonder and excitement. When have you felt like this? Have you recently been stopped in your tracks to go ‘wow God you are amazing!’
Last week I was on Holy Island and I was stopped in my tracks and made to go wow and then a few hours later my mind was blown…..I doubt I will ever everstop talking about this. On Thursday 10th October – we were invited to go outside and look up…..this I duly did. I thought we were looking at a clear night where the stars were visable. However, we were then encourage to use our cameras on our phones and change the settings and look through the camera. And there before my very eyes, you know where I am going I am sure, I saw through the camera settings a sky of green and red – the Northern Lights. Something I have dreamed of seeing and was sure on my bucket list. A few hours later after our evening devotions we were told to go back outside again. It was just before 10pm and there visable to the naked eye was the aura of a bright red line through the night sky with a green edge and a whole array of colours through my camera.
Yes I took lots of photographs, yes I shared them across my social media accounts and yes I have shown lots of people – all with the same message – God has blown my mind……sometimes when we cant see, we need to remind ourselves that God is there and is the awesome and amazing creator God just waiting for us to go WOW! WOW! WOW!! The Psalms are one place that helps us to do this too.
This week may God surprise you to awe and wonder and nudge you to worship. And don’t forget to look up – because we may miss a whole host of wonderful things by staring at our feet. Bless the Lord O my soul! Praise the Lord. Amen!!
Song: STILL
Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
Within your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God
Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust
Prayers of intercession:
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
Lord, you have made us and all people across the world. So now we pray for the people of the Middle East, faced with the terror of war, attack, injury or death. We pray for all those who are fleeing their homes to find safety, and those working for peace, striving to bring comfort, and praying for hope. We pray also for all those intent on causing harm across the region, .
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
Lord, you have made the trees and plants grow, the animals roar and squeak, and the birds fly and sing. So now we pray for the wonderful creation we have around us. We pray for all those whose work is to protect and care for your creation, and those who campaign to protect what we have and challenge progress that causes damage. We pray that we would value and appreciate all the variety and greatness of your creative work.
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
Lord, you give us light each day as the seasons change. You give us people to support us and a plan for our lives. So now we pray for all those who, as Job did, feel lost and alone at this time. We pray for those who fear the darkness of autumn and winter, those who do not feel the warmth of your love and those who have lost all hope. We pray that those who are lost and in despair may look for you and find you, and you would show us how we can share your hope.
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
Lord, you give people skills and talents, responsibilities and purpose. So now we pray for our leaders as they work to grow our nations, seek fairness and justice, and work with businesses to bring hope. We pray for you to pour out your wisdom on all those who make decisions that change nations and lives. We pray that all leaders would work for the best for everyone and look to you for help and guidance.
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
Lord, you give people trust and hope in true justice, balanced with mercy and forgiveness. So now we pray for all those caught up in the justice system: for prisoners and the accused, for judges and magistrates, and for all who work to bring change in a system that is struggling. We pray for those who are working for change, that they would have strength and determination. We pray that you would bring hope and that your justice and compassion would be seen in practice.
We know you are God, and you have created and love your creation:
How many are your works, Lord.
So, forgive us for the times when we forget who you are and all that you have created for us. Forgive us when we fail to see your plan in our lives and in the lives of others. We know you are God.
Amen
Song: Bless the Lord O my soul
Sending out prayer:
Go with God and search for his wonders.
Go with God and look for his glory.
Go with God to proclaim his greatness.
Go with God as your Lord and your friend.
Amen.
© Roots for Churches Ltd (www.rootsforchurches.com) 2002-2024. Reproduced with permission.
Image from holy Island taken by Sharon Read