12 December 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 12 December 2015 

Morning Prayer

Psalms 99 and 100

This psalm uses the theme God is king. God is a just ruler and steadfastly supports those who follow the commandments. God responds to wrongdoing. It is right to tremble at great greatness and awesomeness of God.

Sing praise and thanks to God. We are God’s people. God made us. The Lord’s love and mercy endures forever. The Lord is good.

Isaiah 48: 1 – 13

Isaiah reveals God’s perception of the stubbornness of people. God has revealed what will occur and then those things happened. The revelations make it clear it was God’s doing and not caused by idols of wood or metal. New things are going to be revealed that humans cannot guess. Human have been tried and refined and there is more to come. This is the everlasting one, the creator of the universe. When God summons, the universe responds.

Mark 8: 27 – 9: 1

On the way to Philippi Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is then asks them who the disciples think he is. Peter answers that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus begins to tell them what is about to happen: the elders and priests will reject him, he will be put to death, and he will rise again after three days. Peter takes him aside and tells him not to say these things. Jesus identifies temptation coming through Peter and rebukes Satan. He tells Peter that his perception is not God’s but from a human point of view. Jesus calls the disciples and the crowd closer and says we need to put aside our human points of view: to deny our selves. We are to take up Christ’s cross and follow Him. Those who want to save their lives will lose it. Those who jettison their life for Christ and for the gospel will save it. Gaining the whole world is nothing if we lose our souls. If we are ashamed of Christ and Christ’s words in our communities then we are like adulterers – loving other things than God – then Jesus will be ashamed of us at the final judgement.

Jesus says that some of the disciples will see the kingdom of God come with power before they die.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Towards the olive grove
New Norcia Benedictine Community
WA  L Osburn

 Holy and almighty God when you summon the universe responds. You stand by your faithful people. We are right to tremble in your presence and to give you thanks and praise. Help us all especially when we are stubborn and wrong-headed to look to you and to turn aside from our human point of view. Help us to seek you first and be mindful of our souls so that we may walk with you on your journey to the salvation of the world and sing your praises full of love and humbled and blessed to know you through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday 5 12 19 26 December 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalm 103

“Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is in me bless his holy name” (v.1).  The psalm recounts the gifts of God to us as individuals: forgiveness, healing, and redemption, crowning us with steadfast love and satisfying us with good things. God’s history of justice and mercy and compassion are listed. Humans are temporary and frail. God is eternal and mighty. “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (V.22).

Isaiah 10: 12 - 32

Isaiah reveals that once the Lord’s purpose for Jerusalem is complete the Assyrian king will be humbled – as any implement cannot independently act on the person who wielded it, so the King has no power against God. Assyrian domination will fade. A remnant of the faithful will return to Jerusalem and oppression will cease. 

In the meantime, Isaiah indicates the route the Assyrian invasion will take.

Revelation 14: 13 - 20

Those who die in the Lord are blessed and will rest peacefully.

John sees a human form on a cloud with a gold crown and sickle.  On the command of an angel from the temple the one with the sickle harvests the earth. A second angel comes with another sickle and a third angel of fire instructs the harvesting of grapes. The grapes are thrown into a winepress, called the winepress of God’s wrath, where they are crushed and blood flows.

Collect for Evening Prayer

The old telegraph station
Eucla WA   LOsburn

Holy Lord full of wonders you forgive, end oppression and bring those who die in you to peace. In this world of struggle and cares, wars and troubles help each of us die to ourselves and our own desires humbly acknowledging that we all are your instruments and so return to you in faithfulness, praising you and sharing your compassion and love through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

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