26 October 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Monday 26 October
2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalms
137: 1 – 6 (7 – 9) and 138
The
song of the exiles... “By the river of Babylon”. The psalmist feels the pain
and anguish of the destruction of Jerusalem and worries about forgetting yet
finding it impossible to sing.
The
second psalm is a song of praise and deliverance and ends with the psalmist
faithfully claiming, “the Lord will fulfil his purpose for me” (v.8).
2 Kings 9: 1 – 16
Elisha instructs one member
of the company of prophets to go to Ramoth-gilead and anoint Jehu King of
Israel, and then flee. The prophet does as instructed. The officers who are
with Jehu question him. He gives them a superficial answer: they press him. He
tells them he has been anointed. They take off their cloaks, spread them out
and proclaim him king.
King Joram of Israel had
been at Ramoth-gilead but returned to Jezreel to recover from wounds inflicted
by the Arameans. Jehu, having been accepted as King orders that Ramoth-gilead
be closed so that no news can get to Jezreel. Jehu goes by chariot himself to
Jezreel where King Joram is. King Ahaziah of Judah is also there visiting him.
Matthew
18: 1 – 14
“Who is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus says that unless we change and
become like children we will not even enter heaven. When we humble ourselves
like children we become great and when we welcome a child of God we welcome
Christ. So if we cause someone who believes in Christ to stumble, woe to the
person who causes the stumble. Jesus takes this further, since we are
believers, and says if some part of us causes us as children of God to stumble
we would be better off without it – even if it is a body part.
He goes
on to say we are not to despise those who believe in Christ since their angels
continually look at the face of God. And God, knowing like a shepherd that one
sheep from the flock is missing will search for that missing one and bring it
home rejoicing. It is not God’s will that one child of God will be lost.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
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| Tiny lizard int he desert Head of the Bight SA L Osburn |
Monday 26 October
2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalm 139
The
psalmist loves, reveres and understands the majesty and ever-presence of God.
He wants to distance himself from anyone and anything that is opposed to God –
to actively step away. He appeals to God to examine him, test him and lead him
in the right way.
Job 42
Job acknowledges that God
can do anything and God’s purpose will be fulfilled. Job accepts that he did
not understand and God’s characteristics are too wonderful for him to grasp.
Job then says all his knowledge of God came by being told but now he has seen
God, he despises himself and deeply repents.
The Lord says to Eliphaz
that he and his two friends have not said the right thing about God and need to
take seven bulls and seven rams and sacrifice them as a burnt offering and Job
will pray for them. God says he will accept Job’s prayers for his friends. They
do so.
God restores everything to
Job – health, wealth, property, family, friends. His life is long. He sees his
great grand children and his three daughters are given property equal with
their brothers.
2 Peter 1: 1 – 11
The letter begins with a blessing
that grace and peace be ours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus
our Lord. God has given us everything we need so that we can escape the
corruption of our own ambitions and desires, and may be participants in divine
nature.
Simeon Peter provides a scaffold
for our lives. Our faith is supported by goodness, knowledge, self-control,
endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. It builds from love up.
If these things are present in our
lives and building in our communities we will be effective and fruitful in the
knowledge of Christ. If they are absent we are near sighted and blind and
forgetful of the cleansing of our sins. We are therefore encouraged to confirm
our call and our election so that we will not stumble and we can enter Christ’s
kingdom.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
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| Desert flowers Head of the Bight SA L Osburn |
Holy Lord we love you are revere you knowing that your
greatness is far beyond our comprehension. Forgive us for our self-seeking
ambitions and guide us to love you, love each other, be disciplined, seek to
know you better, and always act for good so that we constantly give you thanks
and praise for the cleansing of our sin through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.
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