22 August 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Saturday 22 August 2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalm 118: 1 – 18
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast
love endures forever! The remainder of the psalm tells of God’s assistance and
reminds us to put our trust not in people or rulers, but God alone.
2 Samuel 23: 1 – 7 (8 – 12) 13 – 23
In this section are the lasts words of King David. He
says that God’s words to him are that the one who rules justly in the fear of
God is like the sun rising on a cloudless morning or gleaming from rain on
grassy land. He uses his household as evidence of this and contrasts it to the
godless who he likens to thorns: one only goes near with sticks and spears to
remove them.
The next section talks of all David’s chief warriors
naming them and putting them in order of their honour in battle.
Acts 20: 17 – 38
Paul stops his journey in Miletus and calls the elders
of the church in Ephesus to meet him there. He summarises his ministry and
indicates that he will not return, that death awaits him though he does not
know where. He warns them of persecution and betrayal to come. He commissions
them to be overseers, to shepherd the church. He asks them to be diligent and
remember his own modelling – he worked day and night commending God to the
people, to bring the message of God’s grace and to build people up. He paid his
own way by working so that he too supported the weak and is blessed to do so.
Together they kneel, pray grieve and go with Paul back
to his ship.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
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| Dawn in the desert Broken Hill NSW L Osburn |
Saturday 22 August 2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalms 118: 19 – 29 and 120
The psalm section brims with sweet praise to God. God
takes the weak and rejected and makes them the cornerstone. “This is the Lord’s
doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made:
let us rejoice and be glad in it” (vv. 23-24).
The second psalm is a cry of distress from a person in
exile far from Israel surrounded by warrior people, “I am for peace; but when I
speak, they are for war” (v.7).
Proverbs 21: 9– 31
The theme in this set of proverbs is around discipline compassion,
wisdom based and thoughtful responsiveness.
The writer accepts that it is tough to live with a contentious
and fretful wife; that there are wicked people in the world and there are poor
people. We are to respond compassionately to the poor, give gifts secretly,
love our wives deeply, take strong just action against the wicked, not run after
pleasure or be lazy. We are to seek wisdom and watch what comes out of our
mouths. Remember the wicked covet but the righteous give and are generous. The
wicked put on a bold face but the wise give thought to their ways.
Remember nothing can prevail against God’s wisdom and you
might be made for battle – like a horse – but God’s is the victory.
Romans 14: 1 – 12
Paul says we are to welcome those
who are weak in spirit and not to judge them. If they believe they should
abstain certain foods or practices we need to respect them especially of they
are focused on God. We must not judge them or despise them. If we live, we live
to God and if we die, we die to God so there is no need to be worried about the
differences in diet or dogma. Judgement is the Lord’s and before God we will
all bow and give praise.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
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| Desert plants on the cliff The Head of the Bight SA L Osburn |
Loving God
again you have poured out your grace on us. Though we may be weak and living in
a tough environment surrounded by distressed people you are with us. You have
made the rejected your corner stone and those who are not for war, the builders
of relationship and community. Help us this night to give thanks and praise to
you for all our days through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
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