A 21st Century Africana Resource for the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost, Year A

Choral Reading

(Based on Psalm 124, NRSV)
All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

One voice: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side . . .

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Two voices: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Three voices: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, then they would have swallowed us up alive when their anger was kindled against us;

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Four voices: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, then the flood would have swept us away; the torrent would have gone over us;

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Three voices: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, then over us would have gone the raging waters.
All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Two voices: Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

One voice: We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

All: Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

An Affirmation
Leader: Who do people say that I am? (Matthew 16:13)

Second Voice:
Some say you are a figment of imagination.
Some say you are irrelevant.
Some say you never existed.
Some say your existence doesn't matter.
Some say you belong to another race.
Some say you belong to another party.
Some say you belong to the status quo.
Some say you are weak.
Some say you look after the rich, the powerful, and the famous.

Leader: Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15)
(Invite responses; then end with the following)

You are our Lord
You are our Teacher
our example
our Savior
our friend
our comforter
our advocate
our companion.
You are mother and father when none can be found.
You are love!

You are the firstborn of all creation.
You are for all races and peoples.
You belong to no political party.
You are on the side of the poor and weak.
Your arm is long and bends toward justice.

You are our source and our destination,
Our Alpha and Omega,
Our beginning and end.
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

From the Africana Worship Book for Year A. Copyright Discipleship Resources. Used with permission. )

Tony Peterson is an Associate Acquisitions Editor for Thomas Nelson publishers in Nashville and a former staff member of the Discipleship Ministries.