19 January 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Monday 19 January 2015

Morning Prayer

Psalm 45

This is an ode to a king’s wedding full of praise and descriptions of beauty, strength and wealth.

Genesis 6

Told here is the origin of the Nephilim – people of great stature and strength – sons of the interactions between divine beings and humans. Instead of humans becoming more divine wickedness and violence reigned. God decides to start again and find Noah, a righteous person, and instructs Noah to construct a vessel for his own family, creatures, and the key food plants. God announces the coming destructive flood.

John 7: 37 – 52

Jesus says that out of the believer’s heart flows streams of living water and proclaims that people should come to him for spiritual refreshment. Some in the crowd recognise him as a prophet or Messiah and others ridicule.

The temple police are accountable to the Pharisees who ask why they have not arrested Jesus. They reply that they have never heard anyone speak like that. Nicodemus defends Jesus and says any one has a right to a trial first. The Pharisees reply that the scriptures say nothing about a prophet coming from Galilee.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Stream through the Karri Forest
WA 2014 L Osburn

Holy God ruler of everything and worthy to be praised, you have given us the lesson of the flood and your Son Jesus our saviour. May we your people be so filled with your Holy Spirit that it flows through us like and flood covering the world, to bring hope, life, love, joy and peace to all the nations through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Monday 19 January 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalms 46 and 47

God is our strength and refuge and we are to be in awe of him: to be still and know that God is God.

The second psalm is a joyous song of praise beginning with clapping our hands. Our God is awesome ruler of everything, shielding us. God is to be exalted.

Jeremiah 5: 1 – 17

God tells Jeremiah to run quickly through the city to search for anyone who acts justly and seeks truth so that God can pardon Jerusalem. Jeremiah fails. Jeremiah reports that the people are not taking correction – their faces are harder than rock, they refuse to repent. Jeremiah argues that these were the poor with little education so he would investigate the rich. But they too had broken away.

God converses with Jeremiah saying how can the people be pardoned? The proclamation of the invasion is given – a nation, ancient and enduring from far away will come. Destruction will be total in Israel and Judah including the prophets who are nothing but wind.

Colossians 3: 1 – 11

Since we have been raised with Christ we need to seek things that are above the material world. We are to put aside self-gratification and wrath, anger, abuse and slander. We are to become our new self and know that for all Christians, no matter our country or customs Christ is our all and is in all of us.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Pelican
Denmark WA 2014 L Osburn

Holy God our strength, refuge and solace you have through Christ made us new and fresh – rewarded and given us a new beginning. We praise you and thank you. Keep us in this state of awe and wonder so that we continually refresh ourselves in you and are able to consistently act in ways that bring you praise, glory and honour forever through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.