11 February 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Morning Prayer

Psalms 95 and 96

Sing to God songs of praise for all things God has done for us. Be joyful. Make a noise. Do not harden your heart like the Israelites did when they were wandering in the wilderness.

Sing praise to the Lord! Ascribe to God the glory of creation. Let everything, the heavens, the trees, everything sing and praise God.

Genesis 24: 50 – 67

Bethuel and Laban answer the servant that since this has come from God, they can only agree to let Rebekah go and marry the servant’s master. The servant brings out more gifts. The next morning the servant asks to leave but the family ask for 10 more days. The servant insists he not be delayed since God had granted success. The family ask Rebekah. She consents to leave immediately. The family bless her. She, her maids and nurse go with the servant.

Isaac, who has been living in the Negev is back home, in a field meditating. He looks up and sees camels approaching. Rebekah sees Isaac, gets off her camel and asks the servant who the man is coming to meet them. He tells her and she covers herself with her veil.

The servant tells Isaac all that has happened. Isaac take Rebekah to his mother’s tent, marries her and loves her.

Luke 4: 31 – 44

Jesus is teaching on the Sabbath in Capernaum. His teaching has a quality of authority. In the temple, a man, possessed yells, “Have you come to destroy us?” and calls him The Holy One of God. Jesus tells him to be quiet and commands the evil spirit to come out. It does and the man is uninjured. The people are more amazed about Jesus’s authority.

Jesus goes to Simon Peter’s house. Simon Peter’s mother has a fever. Jesus tells the fever to leave. It does. She becomes well. Later that night, more ill people come to be healed and more evil spirits coming out from people proclaim Jesus “the Son of God”. They know he is the Christ.

Early the next morning Jesus goes to a solitary place. The people find him and try to keep him from leaving but he replies that he is to go to other towns: this is why he was sent.

Collect for Morning Prayer

On the border
SA and WA 2014 L Osburn

 Holy Lord, your work and your will is done by those whose tender hearts respond to your call and go where you send them without delay or excuse. Make our hearts tender for you. Help us through prayer and communion with you know your will for our lives, go where we are sent and make our lives more reason for the world to rejoice, sing, make a loud noise and praise you through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalms 97 and 98

The first psalm celebrates God using the theme of God as sovereign. God guards the lives of those who are faithful and delivers them from the wicked. Let everyone who is faithful rejoice and praise God.

The psalm is a summons to all nations and people to praise the Lord and rejoice in God. God’s is the victory, God’s is the strength and we are God’s people. God comes to judge the earth with righteousness and equity.

Jeremiah 17: 19 – 18: 12

Jeremiah is told to stand in every gate of the city and announce that no one is to carry loads through the gates on the Sabbath. If they comply, kings will come and the people will come and the city will be inhabited forever. If they do not, the city will be destroyed.

Jeremiah is also told to go to the potter’s house and watch the potter working clay into pots. He sees the potter form and then reject a pot on his wheel,   crush it and start again. God tells Jeremiah that like a potter, there is a plan and God can and will reconsider depending on how the plan is working out. God is preparing a disaster. The people need to change their ways and reform, but they will say, “It is no use. We will continue with our own plans” (v.18: 12).

Philippians 4: 8 – 23

Paul encourages the Philippians to think about things that are pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. They are to put into practice what Paul taught them.

Paul thanks them for their gifts. He says he needs nothing since he has learned how to live in times of plenty and scarcity knowing that he can “do everything through him who gives me strength” (v. 13). He puts on record how generous the Philippians are and again thanks them for recent gifts sending back his blessing. He finishes his letter giving glory to God.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Plaster work on a mantlepiece
NMAC Club Adelaide SA
2014 L Osburn

Holy God you are sovereign, protector, strong warrior, potter, encourager and nurturer. Encourage us to think on you and to focus on and celebrate the pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy in others so that more of our lives can be spent giving thanks and that we can be strengthened to “do everything” too through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.