12 September 2014

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Friday 12 September 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 wait for the Lord, our hearts are glad because we trust and with an appeal for God’s steadfast love to be with us.

2 Chronicles 36: 15 – 23

This passage tells how the people mocked and scoffed at God’s messengers and continued to be unfaithful. As there was no hope for them they were invaded, most were killed and those not killed were taken into captivity. During the time of exile it was as if Jerusalem caught up on all the Sabbaths it had missed. Eventually Cyrus the King of Persia was moved by God to allow the people to return and rebuild the temple.

Acts 28: 1 – 16

The shipwreck survivors find they are on Malta. The people are welcoming and generous. While building a fire Paul is bitten by a snake. The Maltese people expect him to die and decide he must have been a murderer. They wait and watch for him to die. When nothing happens they decide he must be a god. The leader of the area  accommodates the survivors in his home. His father is sick and Paul heals him. Many people come to be healed. The people are grateful and after 3 months the group set sail for Rome. They stop on the way and meet communities of believers. When Paul arrives in Rome he is permitted to live by himself with the soldier who guards him.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Safe Harbour with a church on the hill.
Fremantle WA 2014 L Osburn

 Great and mighty God, even when our lives and communities are a shipwreck you bring us through to safety. Be with us today and help us to be healers for others by calmness, gladness, trust in you and our prayers through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and your Holy Spirit alive in our hearts. Amen.

Friday 12 September 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).

Judith 16: 1 – 12

This is the song of Judith praising God and recounting her story. “O Lord, you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible” (v.13).

2 John

This is a brief letter encouraging the readers to continue in loving God and loving each other and to be wary of false teachers who deny Jesus’s life as a human. The writer calls the denial of Jesus’s humanity the work of the devil. We are not to welcome these people into our homes as teachers because we would be participating in spreading the evil. The writer ends saying he hope to visit soon and sends greeting from another group of believers.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Ferris Wheel at Fremantle Harbour WA
2014 L Osburn

 Awesome God, you are invincible. Our hearts can take courage and be strong knowing your wonderful deeds and great love that brought Jesus to live as one of us and to die for us all. Be with us this night and open our hearts so that we may recall all the victories won by you today in our lives and in joy and gladness give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.