18 September 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Friday 18 September 2015 

Morning Prayer

Psalms 41 and 44: 1 - 9

The psalmist is sick. Illness was seen in the past as punishment for sin. Enemies hope the psalmist will die but come and visit being pleasant, then make plots when they leave. Even the psalmist’s best friend has turned his back. The psalmist prays for healing, restoration and vindication. God is blessed.

This portion of the second psalm reminds us of God’s actions in nation building and protecting the people in wars. They do not go into battle trusting in their own abilities but in God.

1 Kings 12: 1 – 17

Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) goes to Shechem to be made king. Jeroboam returns from Egypt and with the support of the tribes asks whether Rehoboam will lift the burden of forced labour from the people. They are sent away for three days. Rehoboam consults with elders and with young people. The elders counsel being a servant to the people and lifting the burden. The young counsel adding to the labour requirements. He takes the advice of the young men and proclaims that where they were disciplined with whips in the past, they will be disciplined with scorpions henceforth. As a result the tribes split from the house of David leaving Rehoboam’s kingdom only the portion of Judah.

Matthew 5: 43 – 6: 4

Jesus teaches that we should love our neighbour and love our enemy. Greet them. Pattern our behaviours and attitudes on God since we are God’s children.

And be humble about practicing our faith and giving alms. Do it quietly not for praise and acknowledgement from our communities.

Collect for Morning Prayer

The freedom of the beach
Busselton WA L Osburn

Blessed are you our God. You bring us freedom from oppression and call us your children. Help us in this world where harsh treatment remains and opinions on strategy differ, to pattern our behaviours on you. Strengthen us to love our enemies and be humble so that we may faithfully follow the instructions of your son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this and every day. Amen.

Friday 18 September 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalm 44: 10 – 27

In this psalm there has been a great defeat. The people are scattered, enslaved, had everything taken and destroyed. They are humiliated, derided, taunted, reviled and disgraced. But they do not forget God’s promise or turn their hearts away. If they had, would not God discover it? God knows our heart’s secrets. The psalmist ends with a call to God to rise, to come to our aid and redeem us through steadfast love.

Job 19: 23 – 20: 11

Job wants his words written down – recorded – even in rock that he knows his redeemer lives and that when his flesh is no more he will see God: just God.

He warns the friends if they now say the fault is in Job that God’s is the judgement and God’s punishment is a swift sword.

Zophar, another of Job’s friends replies that he’s feeling quite offended. Does Job not know from the ancients that the prosperity and exalting of the wicked is short? No matter how exalted they think they are, they will become dung. They won’t be seen, the memory of them will flee, their children will give their wealth to the poor and their bodies will fail.

Ephesians 3: 14 – 21

Paul prays that the Holy Spirit through God’s abundance may strengthen the Ephesians. He prays that through faith Christ dwells in their hearts and that they have their foundations and nourishment from love. He prays they have the capacity to grasp the depth and breadth and height of Christ’s love and be filled with God’s fullness. Finally he praises God who does far more than we can ask or imagine. To God be the glory. Amen.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Flight of the pelican
Denmark WA L Osburn

Loving and merciful God you provide stead fast love, redeeming grace and your holy sprit to us from your great abundance. Be with us in times of struggle, loss and illness. Strengthen us and keep our hearts focused on you, nourished from your love so that we may grasp the depth and breadth of Christ’s love, be filled with your fullness and sing your praise through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

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