25 August 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Tuesday 25 August 2015 

Morning Prayer   

Psalm 135

This psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God. Calls upon the priestly tribes of Israel to praise the Lord.

There is a warning too, those who follow the idols of silver and gold will be like them: have eyes yet not see, have ears yet not hear have mouths yet not breath.

2 Samuel 24: 15 – 25

The Lord sends a pestilence on Israel. Seventy thousand people die. God stops it in Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David can see the angel of the Lord and repents saying the sin is his alone. He asks that his people be spared.

Gad the prophet comes to David and tells him to erect an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David goes to Araunah, asks to buy the threshing floor and tells him purpose for which he will use it. Araunah offers the property and the livestock. The King insists on paying saying that he will not make a sacrifice to God that costs him nothing. David builds the altar, offers prayers and supplication and the pestilence stops.

Acts 21: 15 – 26

Paul and the Christian Greeks come to Jerusalem. Paul sees James and the elders and tells them all that has occurred. They tell him the distortions of his work that have reached Jerusalem. Together they agree that Paul and the Greeks will undertake a temporary rite of purification – shaving their heads – so that the Jews know they obey the Law. James and the elders say that the Gentiles who are believers are no to eat anything that has been sacrificed to an idol, that is strangled nor are they to engage in fornication.  Paul and the men shave, purify themselves and go to the temple thus making public the completion of their purification and preparation for a sacrifice for them.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Burning off the stubble - preparation for planting
Coleambally NSW L Osburn

Holy Lord, you alone are our God. You want us to discard idols, repent our sins and ensure the messages we proclaim are your truth. When we see people suffering help us look to what we can fix in ourselves. Help us genuinely ask how we have contributed to this, and to repent. Be our strength as we make real and costly changes to our behaviours and ourselves so that we come to you in thanks and praise confident in your love for us all through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalm 136

This psalm proclaims God’s greatness and enduring love in creation and all God’s involvement with the people. Here we praise the overwhelming, overflowing, generosity of God.

Job 2

Again, the story says, the heavenly beings present themselves before God. The Accuser is there and God again asks about Job. The Accuser says it is one thing to destroy possessions and another to afflict people’s bodies. God allows Job to be afflicted but not to die.

As Job becomes ill has sores and is unrecognisable his wife rails against his loyalty to God. Job asks, shall we not accept the good with the bad? Saying this, Job does not sin.

Jobs friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar arrive. They barely recognise him. They weep, tear their robes, cover themselves in dust and sit on the ground with Job in silence for seven days and seven nights for they can see how much Job is suffering.

Romans 15: 1 – 13

Paul charges Christians to put up with the failings of the weak. Christ came and not only put up with us but suffered all insults. What was written in scripture is there to instruct Jews and all nations, to encourage us and make us steadfast. Paul prays that God will encourage us to live in harmony with each other. We are to welcome each other so that, as the scriptures say, all nations will confess God and sing God’s praise. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (v. 13).

Collect for Evening Prayer

RAAF C-17 Globemaster refuelling to take aid to Nepal.
Albury NSW L Osburn

Loving and generous creator God, you love us in all circumstances. Help us to stand firm knowing that we will fail, our bodies will fail, our friends and neighbours may be difficult but you will never fail, so that we may not only accept the good with the bad but do what it takes to live in harmony with each other and sing your praise through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

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