19 May 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Tuesday 19 May 2015 

Morning Prayer   

Psalm 45

This is an ode to a king’s wedding full of praise and descriptions of beauty, strength and wealth. The song calls to the princess bride to leave her people, bow to the king and receive the gifts of the kingdom.

Deuteronomy 2: 24 – 3: 5

Moses continues to recount parts of the journey – the victory over Heshbon and Bashan. God is with the people in these battles over territory.

John 16: 25 – 17: 5

Jesus tells the disciples that he uses figures of speech to help them understand what he means. Jesus will teach them more clearly in days to come not through speech. Then they will ask God for things in Jesus’s name because God loves them and they believe in Jesus. Jesus is going to the Father.

The disciples say they understand that Jesus knows all things and that Jesus is from God. Jesus gently challenges them and says that soon they will be scattered, will go home and leave Jesus. But Jesus will not be alone – God is with Him. He warns them that they will be persecuted and to have courage.

Jesus prays: the hour has come for Jesus and God to be glorified, for Christ to have the authority to give eternal life and for the people to know God, the only God and Jesus who is from God. Jesus says he has glorified God by doing the work he was sent to do and asks now to re-experience God’s glory as he did before earth was created.

Collect for Morning Prayer

From Mt Buffalo
Vic. 2015 E Byford

Holy God, you are our great king and commander, carer and friend. Let us come to you, remember that you are with us in all the trials ahead and always ask for your help through Christ so that your name may be glorified and we do the work you sent us to do with courage, through Jesus your Son our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

Tuesday 19 May April 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.

Judges 11: 29 – 40 (12: 1 – 7)

The Spirit of the Lord comes on Jephthah in his mission. Jephthah makes a vow to God that he will offer as a burnt sacrifice whatever comes to greet him first when he arrives home*. The battle is won. His young daughter runs to greet him and so Jephthah tells her of the vow. She asks to go into the hills for 2 weeks to mourn that she will die childless. The sacrifice occurs.

The Ephraimites confront Jephthah for not including them in the force that won the battle. They engage in war. When Ephraimites try to come over to the Gileadites their accent in pronouncing “Sibboleth” indicates their identity and they are killed.

Jephthah judges Israel for 6 years.

1 Corinthians 12: 1 - 13

Paul explains the spiritual gifts. The Spirit of God within would never curse Jesus but will proclaim Jesus Lord. There is only one Spirit and many gifts and many out-workings of that Spirit but it is God alone who activates the Spirit in people for the good of all. Some will speak wisely and others will share knowledge. Some will have great faith, do miracles, prophecy, some speak in tongues and others interpret that speech. Whatever the gifts and their out-workings we are united as one body in Christ through baptism and all have the same spirit within.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Lyre-bird
Has a tail shaped like a lyre
 is a great mimic - can copy sounds.
The Abbey Jamberoo NSW 2012 L Osburn

Almighty, generous and loving God, you have given us your Holy Spirit. As a result have different gifts and tasks. Help us be confident in your presence when your Spirit acts. Help us to celebrate the gifts and tasks of others and unite with them as your people joyful in our lives with you and exalting you through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

·      Some commentaries saythat a vow was unnecessary if God’s spirit is with Jephthah and secondly, the expectation would be an animal would be the first thing encountered.

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