4 February 2016
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Thursday 4
February 2016
Morning
Prayer
Psalm 80
This psalm is a prayer for
deliverance from national enemies. It compares Israel to a vine. It asks for
God’s hand to be on the one at God’s right hand, to give us life, to restore us
and to save us.
Jeremiah 14: 7 – 16
Jeremiah prays for the people for
the sake of God’s name since God is the Hope of Israel. God replies saying that
the people love to wander. Their wickedness is being remembered and they are
going to be punished. God tells Jeremiah again to not pray for these people.
God is not going to listen to their fasting or their offerings. Jeremiah says
that God’s other prophets are saying that the people will not die from famine
or the sword. God says these prophets are not true, not directed by God and
their prophecies are false. Indeed they too will die of famine and violence.
The people they prophesy to will be dead in the streets with no one to bury
them.
Luke 3: 1 – 14
In the 15th year of the reign of
Tiberius Caesar when Pontius Pilate is governor of Judea and Annas and Caiaphas
are high priests, John the son of Zechariah receives God’s word and begins
preaching a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins. This fulfils the
words of the prophet Isaiah. John fiercely tells those who come that they are
vipers and trying to escape God’s wrath. If they claim being children of
Abraham as their “free pass” John reminds then that God can turn the stones
into more chosen people. They cannot come and pretend to repent. Their lives
must show the fruits of repentance: share belongings, only collect the tax you
are supposed to collect and soldiers are to be content with their pay and not
extort more from the people.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
Morning waves Indian Ocean off Mandurah WA L Osburn |
Almighty God you made us,
and you can restore us when we come in full, honest and deep repentance to you.
In our warring world, when we are lost and without hope of redemption, when we
are oppressed, wandering and self-destructive and when our appeals are just a
lot of snake hisses; bring us up short. Help us hear the voice of your prophets
and take responsibility by admitting, repenting and coming clean so that we can
be your faithful people, generously share, honestly work and be satisfied with
what we have through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday 4
February 2016 Evening Prayer
Psalm
81
The
psalm begins with praise and thanksgiving. It moves on to remembering the gifts
of God and how God saved and delivered the people. Finally there is a lament
that the people’s hearts are hard, that they are not listening and until they
do they will be besieged. God wants to feed us with fine things. The choice is
left open.
Genesis
21: 1 – 21 (22 – 34)
Sarah has a child in her old age who is called Isaac. The baby is
circumcised at 8 days old. When Isaac is weaned there is a celebration but
Sarah sees Ishmael mocking. She tells Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away so
that Ishmael cannot inherit anything from Abraham. Abraham is distressed but
God reaffirms the promise to make Ishmael a nation.
Abraham gives Hagar and Ishmael food and water. When the water
runs out Hagar despairs and sits a distance from Ishmael. The Lord hears the
crying. The angel of the Lord says to Hagar to not worry, get up and take the
boy’s hand for God has promised to make him a nation. She does so and finds a
well. Ishmael grows, becomes and archer and marries an Egyptian woman.
Meanwhile, Abimelech and his commander confirm with Abraham that
he will be loyal in Abimelech’s kingdom. Abraham agrees but complains about a
well he dug which Abimelech’s people had seized. Abimelech and Abraham make a
treaty. Abraham brings 7 ewe lambs from his flock as part of the deal. The well
is called Beersheba (meaning well of the 7 or well of the oath). Abraham plants
a tamarisk tree at Beersheba.
Philippians 2: 1 – 11
Paul
says that if the Philippians have received encouragement from being united with
Christ, comfort from the love of Jesus, fellowship with the Holy Spirit,
tenderness and compassion then be like that – live that out. Do nothing out of
selfish ambition but for the service of others.
We
should have the same attitude as Christ who did not seek to be equal with God
but became a servant, became human, humbled himself and became obedient even to
death on a cross. Therefore Christ is exulted by God so that at Jesus’s name
every knee shall bow and everyone confess that Christ is Lord to the glory of
God.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
Under the surface Mandurah Estuary WA L Osburn |
Holy and generous God you want to give
all humans fine things, to enable us to survive, to protect us and to know that
Jesus is Lord to your glory. When our hearts are softened, when we are humble you
have intervened with angels and provided water and life. Help us to remember
your great gifts to us and let our hearts kneel, our voices praise and our
lives show that we are of one heart and mind with Jesus your son, our Lord
saviour and name above all names. Amen.
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