12 July 2014

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 12 July 2014 

Morning Prayer

Psalm 33

This psalm is a great hymn of praise to God citing evidence including creation, oversight of nations, strength beyond that of people or war-horses, the steadfast love that delivers our souls from death. The psalm ends saying our souls waits for the Lord, our hearts are glad because we trust and an appeal for God’s steadfast love to be with us.

2 Chronicles 25: 5 – 26: 1

King Amaziah organises the people and sets up an army. He also pays for a mercenary force from Israel. A prophet says not to use the mercenaries, to trust in God. Amaziah complies but the mercenaries are angry about missing a battle and its spoils. The King wins his battle. In the meantime the mercenary force attacks other cities in Judah and takes booty.

Amaziah, brings back from the war zone the gods of the defeated people and begins to worship them. A prophet warns him; he does not listen. Full of victory Amaziah provokes the King of Israel to fight.

They fight, Amaziah loses, Jerusalem is pillaged again, Amaziah flees to Lachish, is chased, killed and is brought back to Jerusalem.

John 4: 43 – 54

Jesus leaves Samaria and goes to Galilee where this time he is welcomed since the people had been to Jerusalem for the festival and seen his works.

He comes to Cana and there a royal official, not a Jew, asks Jesus to heal his critically ill son. Jesus challenges the man on belief, that his belief is based on seeing signs and wonders not on faith. The man asks again, Jesus tells him that his son will live. The man believes Jesus’s word, returns home and is met with the message that the child is well. The official and his entire household become believers.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Head of the Bight SA
The Southern Coast of Australia 2014  L Osburn

Holy and Almighty Lord you are able to do all things and will support and heal us if we trust in you. Keep our hearts, souls and minds open to you so that we may see your love manifest in this world healing and restoring people and nations through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Evening Prayer

Psalm 31

This powerful psalm is on the theme of taking refuge in God and has the words “Into your hand I commit my spirit”. The second part asks for God’s grace and the final part praises God and encourages us to love the Lord, “be strong and let your heart take courage” (v. 24).

Ezekiel 19

This chapter laments the upbringing and demise of the Kings of Judah who were not faithful and were exiled either to Egypt or to Babylon.

Galatians 4: 21 – 31

Paul uses the scripture story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar to clarify the position of the Christians from other nations. Hagar, a slave had a son born to slavery – although he was Abraham’s son the Law would always bind him. Sarah, the free woman, the childless one, has a child by the spirit of God. That child is the one on which the future is built.

Hagar’s son persecuted Sarah’s son. Just like the church of the Law at the time persecuted Christians. So, Paul argues the Christians are the new inheritors of the promise with the child of the free woman.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Surfing Duck
Esperance WA 2014 L Osburn

Holy Lord, you understand us through and through. You know that when we are under pressure from illness or persecution we seek certainty – that means some of us seek magic, the power we see through wealth or fame or influence or rigid adherence to religious laws. You ask us to have faith, to trust in your Spirit. Forgive us for the times we stepped away from you and relied on something else to get us through. Open our hearts to you so that we may always be faithful as you are faithful and receive your steadfast love and care through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.