14 April 2016
Collects
Prayers developed from the daily readings
Thursday 14 April 2016
Morning Prayer
Psalms
108 and 109: 20 - 30
The first
psalm begins with praising God, giving thanks and acknowledging God’s
faithfulness. It moves on to ask for a victory and recognises that if God does
not go with us there are no victories.
The
portion of the second psalm is a prayer for deliverance “Let them curse, but
you will bless”.
Leviticus
25: 1 – 24
When
the Israelites enter the land they are promised they are to care for it and
make sure that every 7th year is a rest year for the land. And every
49th year there shall be a jubilee when no crops are sown. The
people live on what has been stored and what the land naturally produces. They
are to return. When they buy and sell land, they are not buying the land. The
land is God’s. They are only buying the right to the land for 49 years.
John
10: 1 – 18
Jesus
compares himself to a shepherd. There is only one shepherd for the sheep.
Anyone else is a thief. The sheep know the shepherd they follow and the
shepherd goes ahead first.
To
get to good pasture, to get to safety the sheep can only go through and with
the shepherd – so he is the gate, or the way.
Jesus
isn’t just any hired hand shepherd, he is the Good Shepherd and will lay his
life down for his sheep… moreover he lays his life down to bring all sheep into
safety. He ends saying that his laying down of his life is a free choice and he
has the power to take it up again.
Collect for Morning Prayer
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| Sustenance Harrietville Vic L Osburn |
Thursday 14 April 2016
Evening Prayer
Psalm 119:
105 – 128
This
psalm is full of powerful one-liners. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a
light to my path”; “You are my hiding place and my shield”; “Deal with your
servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes”; “Truly I
love your commandments more than gold, more than fine gold”.
Exodus
22: 20 – 23: 3
“Whoever
sacrifices to any god, other than The Lord alone, shall be devoted to
destruction” (v.20). Then follows a series of commands to treat aliens well,
care for the poor, widows and orphans. Compassion is required. God and the
people’s leader should not be cursed. Make an offering from all production
quickly. Dedicate your heirs to God. Be just and honest: no false reports, no
malicious witness, no joining in with the crowd to do something you know is
wrong, no siding with the majority to pervert the course of justice and no
partiality in judgements – even for the poor.
1
Corinthians 2: 1 – 11
Paul
explains that when he came to Corinth he was afraid because he is not an eloquent
speaker and all he has is the demonstration of the Spirit and power. Paul is
not to be revered, God is. Leaders and the wise in broader society do not
understand what God’s wisdom is revealing. The key is the human spirit; it is
the thing that makes humans human. Only the Spirit of God is able to know what
is truly God.
Collect for Evening Prayer
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| Sun breaking through Mackay Qld L Osburn |
Holy God you light my path, hide me,
shield me, love me and command me. You give us the ancient texts that show us
the right spirit in human hearts. Only your Spirit and its work in our lives,
helps us hear and respond to you, to your way and to your wisdom. As we examine
our day help us see the choices we made, aid us to listen to your Spirit and
bring those choices to you, so that tomorrow we can rise refreshed, restored
and step out again to do your will and bring glory to you through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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