18 January 2016
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Monday 18
January 2016
Morning
Prayer
Psalms 41 and 44: 1 - 9
The psalmist is sick.
Illness was seen in the past as punishment for sin. Enemies hope the psalmist
will die but come and visit being pleasant, then make plots when they leave.
Even the psalmist’s best friend has turned his back. The psalmist prays for
healing, restoration and vindication. God is blessed.
This portion of the second
psalm reminds us of God’s actions in nation building and protecting the people
in wars. They do not go into battle trusting in their own abilities but in God.
And yet, now they have suffered a defeat.
Jeremiah
5: 1 – 17
God
tells Jeremiah to run quickly through the city to search for anyone who acts
justly and seeks truth so that God can pardon Jerusalem. Jeremiah fails.
Jeremiah reports that the people are not taking correction – their faces are
harder than rock, they refuse to repent. Jeremiah argues that these were the
poor with little education so he would investigate the rich. But they too had
broken away.
God
converses with Jeremiah asking, “how can the people be pardoned?” The
proclamation of the invasion is given – a nation, ancient and enduring from far
away will come. Destruction will be total in Israel and Judah including the
prophets who are nothing but wind.
John 7: 37 – 52
Jesus
says that out of the believer’s heart flows streams of living water and proclaims
that people should come to him for spiritual refreshment. Some in the crowd
recognise him as a prophet or Messiah and others ridicule.
The
temple police are accountable to the Pharisees who ask why they have not
arrested Jesus. They reply that they have never heard anyone speak like that.
Nicodemus defends Jesus and says any one has a right to a trial first. The
Pharisees reply that the scriptures say nothing about a prophet coming from
Galilee.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
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| Stream in the Karri Forest WA L Osburn |
Monday 18
January 2016
Evening
Prayer
Psalm 44: 10 – 27
In this psalm there has
been a great defeat. The people are scattered, enslaved, had everything taken
and destroyed. They are humiliated, derided, taunted, reviled and disgraced.
But they do not forget God’s promise or turn their hearts away. If they had, would
not God discover it? God knows our heart’s secrets. The psalmist ends with a
call to God to rise, to come to our aid and redeem us through steadfast love.
Genesis
6
Told
here is the origin of the Nephilim – people of great stature and strength –
sons of the interactions between divine beings and humans. Instead of humans
becoming more divine wickedness and violence reign. God decides to start again
and finds Noah, a righteous person, and instructs Noah to construct a vessel
for his own family, creatures, and the key food plants. God announces the
coming destructive flood.
Colossians 3: 1 – 11
Since we have been raised with
Christ we need to seek things that are above the material world. We are to put
aside self-gratification and wrath, anger, abuse and slander. We are to become
our new self and know that for all Christians, no matter our country or customs
Christ is our all and is in all of us.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
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| The Southern Ocean - carving out the Australian mainland The Great Australian Bight SA L Osburn |
Gracious and compassionate God you want us to come to
you and repent and put aside our old selves. No matter how great we think we
are or who our parents and ancestors were, help us bring our self-gratification,
wrath, anger, abuse and slander to you and have them washed away in a mighty
flood so that we become new selves and the spirit of Christ can dwell in our
hearts where ever we are. We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son our
Lord. Amen.
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