2 October 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Friday 2 October
2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalm
77
The psalmist is deeply distressed, not sleeping at night, feels
alienated from God and wonders whether God has gone. He decides to remember all
the blessings of the past and the evidence of God’s enduring protection. He
ceases moaning and instead gives thanks.
1 Kings 18: 41 – 19: 8
Elijah tells King Ahab to
go and eat for soon the rain will come. Elijah kneels on Mt Carmel and prays.
He instructs his servant to look towards the sea. On the seventh occasion the
servant reports seeing clouds. Elijah tells Ahab to go home for the rain is
about to come. Elijah runs to Jezreel before Ahab.
Ahab tells Jezebel his wife
what has happened. Jezebel sends a message to Elijah swearing that she will do
to him what he did to the prophets before tomorrow. Elijah flees to Beersheba,
leaves his servant there and goes into the wilderness. He prays that he may die
– he has done enough. He sleeps under a broom tree. An angel wakes him and
tells him to eat. There are cakes baked on hot stones and a jug of water. He
eats and drinks, lies down again and sleeps. The angel comes again and this
time with the food says he needs it for the journey ahead.
Matthew
10: 16 – 27
Jesus
warns the disciples of the dangers of going out to heal the sick and cast out
demons. When the disciples are accused they are not to worry about what to say
but the Spirit will give them the right words. There will be dissent and the
tearing apart of families and people.
The disciples will be hated in places. They are to flee when they can.
The disciples will be like Jesus but not above Jesus. If they already call
Jesus a demon in charge of demons we can expect they will call the disciples
something similar.
Then
Jesus tells them not to fear anything that happens will be revealed and that
they are to proclaim Jesus’ words even to his whispers.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
New growth Harrietville L Osburn |
Friday 2 October
2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalm
78: 1 – 15
The psalmist encourages people to tell the stories of God and his
relationship with the people to their children, in parables, the old sayings,
the history, decrees and miracles so that they will not be stubborn or rebellious.
Job 29: 21 – 30: 15
Job continues to describe
how well he was respected and honoured and contrasts that with his current
situation. People whose fathers he would not trust to care for his dogs now
mock and taunt him. These same people who are outcasts, whose firewood is broom
bushes and shelter is a hole in the ground spit on him and do things that seek
to provoke him.
Colossians 2: 8 – 15
Paul warns not to allow us to be
captured by philosophy or empty deceit or elemental spirits but only according
to Christ. In Christ all deity dwells. We have new forms of circumcision,
baptism, burial and rebirth. We have been made alive through forgiveness. We do
not have to go through the legalistic rules – those were all nailed to the
cross. Christ disarmed rules and authorities and triumphed.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
Sue's Bridge Blackwood River WA L Osburn |
Holy Lord you show us how to keep the faith and to
celebrate Christ’s magnificent gifts to us. Be with us as we reflect on our day.
Help us to recognise the opportunities we have had to tell the stories of your
great relationship with us; the challenges to stay calm and not be provoked or
swayed by those who do not know your loving and saving grace and; the moments
where we celebrated our new lives fully forgiven and won by Christ on the
cross. So that we can feel your calm and your triumph through Jesus Christ your
Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.
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