24 February 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Morning Prayer

Psalms 130, 131 and 133

The first psalm is a lament and recognition of God’s forgiveness and steadfast love. The second describes deep humility: a calmed and quieted soul that waits in trust for the Lord. The third psalm rejoices in family peace and harmony.

Genesis 40

Joseph is in prison. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. He asks the cupbearer to mention him to Pharaoh when he is restored to his position. Joseph’s interpretations of the dreams are correct. The cupbearer is restored and forgets to mention Joseph. He is in prison another 2 years.

Luke 11: 29 – 44

Jesus’s life and signs are greater than Jonah’s words to Nineveh or Solomon’s wisdom to the Queen of Sheba, but the people still want proof. Jesus asks them to compare their eyes to a lamp that lights the darkness. If their eyes are working and they see the light they will be full of light, “consider whether the light in you is not darkness”.

Jesus has dinner with a Pharisee they have a discussion about outer and inner cleanliness and giving alms of what we have within like justice and the love of God.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Flowering gum
Broken Hill NSW 2015
L Osburn

God of true enlightenment, you love us and want us to have calm, quiet souls, be restored, and live lives of truth, peace, harmony and justice for all. Take away our fears. Calm our noisy souls and open our eyes to you so that we, humbly waiting, are filled with your light, we overflow with your love and justice and we pour that into our world through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalms 132 and 134

The first psalm is a reminder to God that David promised to bring the Ark of the Covenant to a permanent dwelling in Jerusalem. God indicates that if David’s offspring keep the commandments then the dynasty will last.

The second psalm is a blessing. Come bless the Lord. Lift up your hands and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless the earth.

Jeremiah 25: 27 – 38

Jeremiah is more explicit in the description of the disasters to come for the nations and uses “the cup of wrath” as a metaphor. He tells them that it is all too late.

Hebrews 3: 16 – 4: 10

God’s rest was not just on the last day of creation or when the Israelites arrived in Canaan. God’s rest remains open to us all, today. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harder your hearts.” God’s rest is salvation.

 

Collect for Evening Prayer

Unshakable tree
Stephen's Creek NSW 2015
L Osburn

O God of salvation, help us to place your commandments in our hearts in an unshakable, persisting and enduring way so that your presence is always with us, we praise you continually and we experience your exquisite rest and freedom every day of our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.