Friday 26 December 2014

27 December 2014

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 27 December 2014 
Morning Prayer

Psalm 140

This psalm is an appeal to be delivered from personal enemies – from violent people and those who stir things up, those who speak ill, are arrogant and make evil plots. The psalmist is confident in God’s care.

Isaiah 29: 13 - 24

The Lord says to Isaiah that the people honour God with their lips but their hearts are not attached. They are performing the rituals, obeying the laws constructed by men but their hearts are far from God.

Some think God cannot see their hidden plans. It is as if the clay says to the potter, “What does the potter know about me?”

In a time to come Lebanon will be a fertile field, the mockers and ruthless will disappear and those who do evil will be cut down. Therefore God says to the house of Jacob, there will be a time when they are glad to see God’s work in their children, they will acknowledge God, those who are wayward will gain understanding and the complainers will accept instruction.

John 1: 1 – 18

John begins by placing The Word as the beginning of creation and God. Through The Word everything seen and unseen (like hope or authority) was created. In The Word and God is life, and life itself is the light that shines through darkness.

John the Baptist is introduced as preparing people for the light to come into the world. John the Baptist was not the light.

The light was already in the world and not being recognised. Those who believed in the light were given the right to be children of God: born of God (not like regular birth).

Thus the Word became human, lived with us and John testifies to seeing his glory calling him the One and Only. John says, we have received grace and truth through Christ just as we received the Law through Moses. No one has every seen God but the One and Only is at God’s side and has made God known.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Just before dawn
Lake Mulwala NSW 2014 L Osburn
 Holy Lord of all creation we thank you and praise you for life, the capacity to think and feel and the capacity to know what isn’t right and be able to call to you. We thank you that we have been made your children through Christ our Lord. We thank you that we can acknowledge you, accept instruction and gain understanding so that we too may see your glory and testify to your light now and forever through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 27 December 2014
Evening Prayer

Psalms 141 and 142

Both psalms are pleas to be delivered from personal enemies. The first includes a willingness to be justly corrected by the righteous. The psalmist asks to be assisted to not engage in retaliation of the evil so that the enemies realise the psalmist is not only correct but also gentle.

In the second psalm things are not going well for the psalmist and the pleas for deliverance demonstrate faithfulness.

Isaiah 60: 12 – 22

In the New Jerusalem, the nations and kingdoms of the world will join together to be part of the rebuilding. Jerusalem will be an everlasting pride. Peace will govern and righteousness will rule. There will be no violence or destruction and the gates of the city will be called Salvation and Praise. God will provide perpetual light and glory. Sorrow will end and each person will become a thousand to form a mighty nation. The Lord will do this in its time, swiftly.

Titus 2

Paul gives Titus instruction about teaching sound doctrine and behaviour. Older men are to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound in faith, love and endurance.

Older women are not to slander or be too fond of wine but to teach what is good and so assist younger women to love their families, have self-control, have busy lives, be kind and work with their husbands so that God’s word is not brought to disrepute.

Assist young men to be self-controlled so those who say bad things about Christians have no case.

Teach slaves to be fully trustworthy for their employer so that Christ’s teaching is attractive to others

For the grace of God brings us to have self-control while we wait for Christ. Titus is to lead in a way that is firm and does not cause him to be despised.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Sunset
Armadale WA 2014 L Osburn
Holy God you have given us the scripture for guidance and encouragement. Help us to call on you and use the power of your grace to keep ourselves temperate even when things are wrong in our relationships, our plans, our world, our hopes and our dreams so that peace and righteousness rule us. Help us to use praise and the knowledge of your salvation to come to you in that place of everlasting pride and love through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.


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