27 December 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Sunday 27 December 2015 

Morning Prayer 

Psalm 138

This is a song of praise and deliverance and ends with the psalmist faithfully claiming, “the Lord will fulfil his purpose for me”.

John 1: 1 – 14

John begins by placing The Word as the beginning of creation and God. Through The Word everything seen and unseen (like hope or authority) was created. In The Word and God is life, and life itself is the light that shines through darkness.

John the Baptist is introduced as preparing people for the light to come into the world. John the Baptist was not the light.

The light was already in the world and not being recognised. Those who believed in the light were given the right to be children of God: born of God (not like regular birth).

Thus the Word became human, lived with us.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Black Swans
Mandurah Estuary WA   L Osburn

Loving God your purpose was fulfilled in the creation of the world and the incarnation of Jesus. We thank you that you have given us the right to be your children. Help us this and every day to love you more and more and to be obedient to your will and your call to us through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

Sunday 27 December 2015

Evening Prayer

Exodus 1: 8 – 10 and 15 - 21

Four centuries elapse and the Israelites have multiplied in Egypt and there are more Israelites than indigenous Egyptians. The new Pharaoh has no appreciation of the God of the Hebrews. He increases the burden on the people, orders midwives to kill any newborn sons of the Hebrews – they disobey. God blesses the midwives with their own children.

Psalm 110

This psalm is by David, who talks of his Lord being one who sits beside God, who defeats the enemies of God, whose rule extends beyond Zion and who, on coronation has priest privileges in the most ancient order of priests.

Galatians 4: 22 – 28

Paul uses the scripture story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar as an allegory to clarify the position of the Christians from other nations. Hagar, a slave had a son born to slavery – although he was Abraham’s son the Law would always bind him. Sarah, the free woman, the childless one, has a child by the spirit of God. That child is the one on which the future is built.

Hagar’s son persecuted Sarah’s son. Just like the church of the Law at the time persecuted Christians. So, Paul argues the Christians are the new inheritors of the promise with the child of the free woman.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Playing together
Busselton WA   L Osburn

Holy and loving God you bless us with children and you want us to be your children – free to choose you, of the spirit with you. Put us in contact with other faithful children so that we may learn and grow and play together in your world, in your love and in your care knowing that we have as our Lord your Son guiding and leading us, Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

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