1 June 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 74

This psalm is one of community lament.  Enemies have come and destroyed the city, the temple and everything that gives identity to the people. An appeal is made to God using stories of creation and provision for the people. The enemy ridicules and the soul of the people is at risk of being destroyed. The psalmist asks to Lord to rise up for the people’s sake.

Ezekiel 27: 1 – 9 and 25b – 36

The Lord instructs Ezekiel to lament over Tyre and so he begins by saying how beautiful and prosperous the city is. Then he talks about the demise of the city and all the people who will mourn: mariners and pilots of the sea. The people are appalled the kings are afraid at the loss of so great a port.

Acts 7: 23 – 34

Stephen the first deacon falsely accused and before the council continues his rendering of the journey of the people of God from when Moses struck down an Egyptian who had wronged a Hebrew and found himself making matters worse for everyone, including himself to the encounter with God in the burning bush and commissioning of Moses to rescue God’s people from oppression in Egypt.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Rainy dawn
Lake Mulwala Vic E Byford

Holy and wonderful God when we know you and understand how much you love us we can hear your warnings and trust in your provenance. Be with us this day as we live and work with people whose souls are at risk, whose identity, way of life and way of worship have been destroyed and who are mourning. Hold us back from retaliating against those who do harm so that we acknowledge that you are the one who sets the strategy, you are the one who commissions and we need to approach you in humility and sacred trust to hear the role you need us to play. Help us pray and listen through Jesus Christ our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalms 75 and 76

The first psalm begins with praise and moves to God as judge, putting down the boastful wicked and lifting up the righteous.

In second psalm God is portrayed as a mighty warrior who protects the poor and oppressed against foes, even armies of nations. Kneeling in thanks and praise to God is the only thing to do when God protects against human wrath.

Deuteronomy 15: 1 – 18

This is the law of the sabbatical year. Every seventh year we are to grant remission of debts and at all other times be generous with needy neighbours. Give sufficient to meet the need and don’t be mean as you approach the seventh year knowing that the debts will be forgiven then or the person might appeal to God. Know there will always be people in need. Open your hand. If someone is sold to you (for outstanding debts) in the seventh year that person must be set free and not empty handed for we are to remember the people were all slaves in Egypt once. Don’t consider it a hardship to set someone free they served 6 years and you benefitted. If they choose to stay they may and the same rules apply to women.

2 Corinthians 4: 13 – 5: 10

Paul talks about how belief leads to a confession of faith and that the spread of the gospel and expansion of the faith is worth whatever physical strain it put on us. Our bodies are temporary like a tent. We are being prepared for an eternal weight of glory beyond measure.

We have an eternal and heavenly dwelling. While we are in our earthy tent-like bodies we groan and when we take it off we won’t be naked but fully clothed. God has given us His Spirit as a guarantee. So we are confident even though in this tent we are away from God we walk in faith and have confidence. And no matter where we are here or with God we try to please God knowing that there is a time of judgement before Christ and we will be compensated for any harm we have in the pursuit of pleasing God.

Collect for Evening Prayer

After the harvest
Eyre Peninsula SA  L Osburn

God of compassion, blessings and grace you have given us your Holy Spirit and command us to be generous, and open our hands to the poor. Help us remember that we are all temporarily in this life and those wronged will cry out to you for justice. Help us cease all boasting, wickedness, meanness, grudging giving and considering our hardships instead of our blessings so that we may operate in ways that please you and in faith confess our belief not only in words but in actions and thus spread the good news of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Hymn: God of freedom, God of Justice  http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g203.html