6 February 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 6 February 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 86

The psalmist approaches God in humility and reverent recognition asking for assistance. Praise and honour are awarded to God and the psalmist asks to walk in truth and to have a heart for God alone. Thanks are given to God for steadfast love.

Jeremiah 15: 10 – 21

Jeremiah laments his personal situation. Here he is well behaved in the community yet a man of strife and contention. Jeremiah asks for retribution on his persecutors. Jeremiah appeals to God that he has shown  he loves God’s word and feels God’s hand on him as a heavy weight. Jeremiah utters that his pain is unceasing and his wounds incurable. God replies that if Jeremiah goes back to work and serves as God’s mouth people will begin to listen and Jeremiah will be strengthened “a fortified wall of bronze” (v.20). Jeremiah will be safe.

Luke 3: 23 – 38

Jesus is about 30 years old when he begins his work. Luke traces his lineage back via Joseph to King David and Abraham and finally to “son of Adam, son of God” (v.38).

Collect for Morning Prayer

An ancient land
The Australian mainland at the Great Australian
Bight SA  L Osburn

 Holy Lord, some of us can trace our inheritance back to the beginnings and to you. Others of us cannot claim those links but through your grace you have adopted us to be your children and to be connected to you through the Holy Spirit. Help us to be more than satisfied with your many gifts and rejoice in you everyday through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 6 February 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 88

This is a prayer of a faithful person who has been seriously ill since childhood and now believes they are close to death. The prayer asks God to listen. The psalmist is bold with God. “Is your steadfast love declared in the grave…?” (v.11). The only sense of hope in this psalm is in God’s response.

Genesis 23

Sarah lives 127 years and dies at Kiriatharba (Hebron). After a time of mourning Abraham seeks land and a cave to bury her. He asks the Hittites, whose land this is for a parcel. They say he is free to use any of the burial sites. He bows and asks them to negotiate for him a particular cave owned by Ephron at Machpelah and he will buy it at full price. Abraham pays the full price for a field, all the trees in it and the cave for burial.

Philippians 2: 19 – 30  

Paul hopes to send Timothy soon because he will care for the Philippians and genuinely seeks the interests of Jesus Christ. Timothy’s movements are dependent on what is about tot happen to Paul. Meanwhile Paul sends Epaphroditus who was very ill and recovered and is anxious that the Philippians know he is well. His arrival will give the Philippians cause to rejoice. They are to welcome him with joy and honour for he came close to death in his work for Christ.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Ruins of the old telegraph station
Eucla WA  L Osburn

God of rejoicing and grace you welcome and honour faithful people of every age who love and serve Christ. When we experience losses and grief, when the grave seems final and frightening, help us to continue to seek Christ’s interests and not our own, to support others and allow them to support us to their level of willingness and not haggle, so that our presence is cause for rejoicing both for ourselves and for others in your name through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

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