24 January 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Sunday 24 January 2016 

Morning Prayer 

Psalm 130

This psalm is a lament “my soul waits and in his word is hope” and recognition of God’s forgiveness and steadfast love: with God there is great power to redeem.

Luke 4: 38 – 44

Jesus goes to Simon Peter’s house. Simon Peter’s mother has a fever. Jesus tells the fever to leave. She becomes well. Later that night, more ill people come to be healed and more evil spirits coming out from people proclaim Jesus “the Son of God”. They know he is the Christ.

Early the next morning Jesus goes to a solitary place. The people find him and try to keep him from leaving but he replies that he is to go to other towns: this is why he was sent.

Collect for Morning Prayer

The desert creek
Steven's Creek NSW  L Osburn

 Loving God through your great compassion you sent your Son to heal the world by teaching your word, doing miraculous deeds and dying for us. Help us this day to recognise and accept the purpose you have for our lives so that we too may do your will and not follow the clamour of the crowds through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

Sunday 24 January 2016 

Evening Prayer

Genesis 9: 7 – 19

God establishes a covenant using the rainbow as a sign that never more will there be total destruction like the flood. From Noah’s sons come all the people of the earth.

Psalm 119: 165 – 176

This portion of the psalm talks of the peace that comes to those who love God and fulfil the law and the commandments. It is also a plea for understanding, for our mouths to say the right things and God’s hand to be ready to seek us out and help us since all of us go astray.

Galatians 2: 11 – 21

Paul reports how he strongly criticised Cephas (Peter). Peter lives by the spirit and not by the law but has begun to draw back from the Christians who are not Jewish and has stopped eating with them. Paul argues that if the people from these other nations need to become Jews then Peter too has to live according to the law and demonstrate that life. He also argues that Peter is building up what he once pulled down and if he does so he shows himself to have been wrong.  Paul says we are not wrong. We have died to the law, we have been crucified with Christ, and it is Christ who lives in us. Our earthly physical lives are lived by faith with Jesus who loves us.

If, however our justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Flowers among the desert rocks
The Pinnacles Broken Hill NSW
L Osburn

Wonderful God you have given us a new covenant and a new beginning. You want us all to experience your peace and for us all to live our lives by faith with Jesus who loves us. Help us to see that any conflict is a message telling us we have gone astray, that we need to repent, come to you and seek understanding and your help so that we can extract ourselves from all the laws, the shoulds, the oughts and the musts and instead actively participate in bringing your love and your salvation to every living person through Jesus Christ our redeemer. Amen.

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