29 January 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Thursday 29 January 2015

Morning Prayer

Psalm 69: 1 – 16

This psalmist is a lowly servant of the Lord and through zeal has done something that causes him to be the butt of jokes and ridicule. The psalmist is fasting and in sackcloth. He pleads for deliverance and praises God.

Genesis 16

Sarai, Abram’s wife understands that offspring are needed and so offers Abram her Egyptian maidservant Hagar. Hagar becomes a wife to Abram and conceives. Competition begins between the two women. Sarai mistreats Hagar who runs away. The angel of the Lord finds her, tells her to return and submit to Sarai and that Hagar’s descendants will be too numerous to count. The child she will have is to be named Ishmael and his life will be full of strife. Hagar names the Lord “You are the God who sees me” and then says, “I have now seen the God who sees me”.

Hagar delivers the child who is named Ishmael.

Luke 1: 39 – 56

Mary hurries to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the hill country. When Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting the baby in her womb leaps and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth blesses Mary and her child and asks why she is so favoured that the mother of her Lord should visit her. Elizabeth blesses Mary for believing what the Lord says will be accomplished.

Mary then utters the Magnificat glorifying and rejoicing in God who raises a humble servant to a state of blessedness. God does great things and is Holy. God’s mercy extends across generations of those who honour God. God does mighty deeds. God scatters the proud and lifts up the humble, fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty. God helps and is merciful to Israel.

Mary stays for about three months or until Elizabeth’s baby is born.

Collect for Morning Prayer

In the shade
Harrietville Vic 2015 L Osburn

 Great and merciful God, you take us from humble places, ridicule and challenge to blessedness and living in your Holy Spirit. It is through your grace these things are achieved not our own actions. You seek us out. Help us today to go patiently and faithfully about our tasks. Help us become open to your plan, your way and your will so that we can see you when you come to find us and, that we like these three women, have our own encounter with you and your Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Thursday 29 January 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalm 69: 17 – 23 (24 – 30) 31 – 38

The psalmist praises the Lord and is suffering from insults and dishonour. When he goes for counsel and support the response is bitter, and heart-breaking – no real compassion. The psalmist is very angry, he wants God’s wrath to destroy and punish, but he leaves that anger with and for God. The psalmist praises God, who unlike a God in the form of a bull, will listen. The psalmist ends in praise and a plea to God to come quickly.

Jeremiah 10: 1 – 16

Jeremiah tells Israel that the Lord wants them to not follow the ways of other nations or be caught worrying about the movement of stars and planets etc. The other nations’ customs are worthless since they are based on idol worship – idols made from wood or stone or metal. Only God created the heavens and the earth. All the other gods will perish.

The people involved in making idols are senseless and shamed by their construction.

God, the Lord Almighty, makes all things, including Israel.

James 3: 13 – 4: 10

If we are wise, that wisdom will be obvious in our deeds done in humility. But if we harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition we must not boast about it.

The wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial and sincere. When we sow in peace we harvest in righteousness.

James outlines the challenges of being godly and living in the world. Conflict and harm come because we want something and cannot have it. We have either not asked for it or we ask wrongly because we are going to use it for ourselves – our own wants and not God’s purposes.

James likens this to adultery – we are cheating on God. God yearns jealously for the spirit he made that dwells in us and he gives us grace when we are humble, not arrogant and not seeking our own cravings. So seek God, be humble, repent and evil will flee. Don’t judge others.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Path the the rocks
Albany WA 2014 L Osburn

Holy Lord creator of everything seen and unseen, be with us at the end of this day. Sit with us quietly now and help us calmly review our day. Help us see the times we brought our concerns and worries to you – our anger and disappointments. Help us see the times we chose wisely with peace, impartiality and sincerity putting the needs of others first so that, all the steps we took today that sought you will be reinforced and we will be strengthened through your grace and mercy to continue on your path tomorrow through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.