7 July 2014
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Monday 7
July 2014
Morning
Prayer
Psalm
19
The
sky in silence, every day and every night shows us that God is magnificent.
God’s commandments are magnificent. They are right, they delight the heart,
they are simple, they are more precious than gold. And the commandments warn us
– but can we ever truly detect all our own faults? David asks for help so that
he does not commit presumptuous sins*. He finishes with:
“May
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O
Lord my rock and my redeemer.”
2 Chronicles 21
Jehosophat dies and his son
Jehoram age 32, becomes king. He kills all his siblings, sets up high places to
worship other gods and attacks the Edomites causing animosity that lasts still.
Elijah comes and
prophesies that Jehoram and his household will not be spared and that he will
have a fatal bowel disease. The Philistines and Arabs near Ethiopia invade,
take all the king’s possessions and kill everyone in his household except his
youngest son. Jehoram has a severe bowel disease and dies at age 40. No one
regrets his death and he is not buried in the tomb of the kings.
John 3: 1 – 21
Nicodemus, a senior
Pharisee comes to see Jesus. Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus comes from God
since no one can do what Jesus does without God. Jesus teaches about new life:
new birth in the spirit. Jesus uses examples from the physical world to help
Nicodemus understand – he doesn’t.
Jesus uses scripture to
help Nicodemus understand. Then Jesus says that he has come to give people
eternal life: to save the world, not condemn it – as prophets did. Those who don’t believe are already
condemned; they do evil, love darkness and do not want to come into the light. They
do not want their deeds known or to repent. Those who believe, who do what is
true come to Jesus and are willing to be exposed and be saved.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
Light on the Southern Ocean Nullabor Plain SA 2014 L Osburn |
Saving God, you know us through and through. There is
no place where your light fails to penetrate and you want us to live positive
lives with you. Help us to open our hearts and minds to you, to repent and be
made acceptable to you so that we, freed and saved may enable others to take
that step, to come to you and open themselves before you and gain your great promise
of eternal life through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Monday 7 2014
Evening
Prayer
Psalm
119: 1 – 16
This
portion of the psalm celebrates those who know and follow the laws of God. The
psalmist asks to be taught and to be assisted to follow these laws.
Ezekiel 12: 21 – 13: 16
(17 – 23)
Ezekiel receives from God
clear messages about prophesy. God finds unacceptable the view that prophesies
can be ignored because they either don’t happen or happen so far in the future
we need not be concerned. God warns Ezekiel that God’s word is true and will be
done.
Then there is a section
about false, flattering prophets and diviners and those involved in witchcraft.
God promises to save the people from these false prophets and others.
Galatians 2: 11 – 21
Paul reports how he
strongly criticised Cephas (Peter). Peter lives by the spirit and not by the
law but has begun to draw back from the Christians who are not Jewish and has
stopped eating with them. Paul argues that if the people from these other
nations need to become Jews then Peter too has to live according to the law and
demonstrate that life. He also argues that Peter is building up what he once pulled
down and if he does so he shows himself to have been wrong. Paul says we are not wrong. We have died to
the law, we have been crucified with Christ, and it is Christ who lives in us.
Our earthly physical lives are lived by faith with Jesus who loves us.
If, however our
justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
Indigenous art New Norcia Benedictine Community WA 2014 L Osburn |
Holy Lord, your word is true and you sent your Son our saviour and Lord to
bring us back to you and to justify us in your sight. Keep our hearts open to
you and your people from every nation. Help us focus on your Spirit that lives
and dwells in the hearts of others and not their country of origin so that we
are part of building your kingdom and bringing forth your peace through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Amen.
*Presumptious sins are:
- 1 When we do know better
- 2 When we deliberately plan to do it or keep nurturing the thought about doing it, or have built up a habit of a particular sin
- 3 Sinning to show total disregard for God
- 4 Thinking that we are immune from a particular type of sin because we are strong or “able to manage it”. This is risky.
And, “I’ll
repent tomorrow…” presumes a tomorrow.
From
: REV. C. H.
Spurgeon 1857
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