16 November 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Monday 16
November 2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalm 38
The psalmist is
dreadfully ill, so much so that friends stand a bit further away and people who
seek harm spread rumours. The psalmist stays quiet, trusting God, praying and
asking for God’s salvation.
2 Kings 19: 1 – 16
King Hezekiah also tears
his clothes, covers himself in sackcloth and goes to the temple. He sends
priests and senior officials also in sackcloth to the prophet Isaiah. He says
it may be that God has heard the mocking words of the Assyrian and will rebuke
him. Isaiah answers saying there is no need to fear. The Lord has already put a
spirit in him, sent a rumour and he will return to his own land and die there.
The Assyrian official
returns to find the Assyrian King in a battle since he heard the Ethiopian King
is sending a force to fight him. Messengers are sent with a letter to King
Hezekiah again threatening that Jerusalem cannot escape and listing all the
other kingdoms the Assyrians have conquered. Hezekiah takes the letter to the
temple, spreads it before God and prays. He addresses God as the creator of all.
Matthew
24: 32 – 51
Jesus
reminds us that we can tell summer is coming because we see sprouts on the
trees. We need to also see the signs around us that indicate Jesus’ return.
Just like before the flood, people were living life and getting married right
up to the day Noah entered the ark. The same will be for us: it will come
suddenly and we need to be prepared.
We
instead need to be like the good manager and be reliable and consistent in our
tasks even when the owner is away. We are not to be lazy or partying and only
clean up our lives when we know the owner is returning – the return will be
unexpected and like a bad manager we will be seen to be hypocrites.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
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| Juvenile rabbit Harrietville Vic L Osburn |
Monday 16
November 2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalm 39
The psalmist is mortally
ill and perceives his illness to be punishment from God. He decides to be calm
and quiet in the presence of people who would bring him more grief. He asks to
know how much time he has left. Humans are like passing guests, aliens. The
psalmist asks for a little relief so that he can smile before he dies.
Ecclesiastes 3: 10 – 22
God has given everyone
things to do at the right time. God gives humans a sense of both past and
future even though we can never know the whole truth of either. God wants us to
happy – to enjoy ourselves and take pleasure in the work we do. What God does
endures forever.
Also when we look around
there is wickedness where justice and righteousness should be. God will judge
in God’s time. Are humans able to be better than animals? We both end up dead –
we both breathe. So, humans should enjoy their work and not worry about what
will come after them.
Revelation 6: 12 – 7: 8
After the opening of the sixth
seal the sun goes black, the moon turns red, the stars fall and the heavens are
pealed back like a curtain. Kings and rulers and people hide in caves knowing
that this is the end and fearing the wrath to come. The angels hold back the
winds and the waves until the elect of the tribes of Israel and others are
gathered and marked with a seal.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
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| Add a little fun Adamhurst Albury NSW Fr Peter giving my mum a rickshaw ride L Osburn |
Wonderful God, too great for words, you have given us
lives to live, actively doing things and enjoying what we do. Keep us loving
you and so caring for each other that we can appreciate how our labours add to
the richness of your world, its justice and its righteousness, so that we
relinquish all cares and worries about the future, the end or the judgement to
come since we already praise you and glorify your name through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power
of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.
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