16 July 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 16 July 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 38

The psalmist is dreadfully ill, so much so that friends stand a bit further away and people who seek harm spread rumours. The psalmist stays quiet, trusting God, praying and asking for God’s salvation.

Amos 5: 1 – 17

Amos prophesies 90% destruction. He says that there may yet be time for those who seek the Lord and seek justice for all. If not, the only sounds will be those of people wailing and mourning in the cities and in the farms.

John 6: 35 – 51

Jesus states that he is the bread of life and those who believe in him will be raised up and have eternal life. He makes it clear to those who challenge him that God decides who will believe. It is through grace we are led to Jesus. So Jesus is not concerned that some people do not accept him. But those who believe have eternal life. And as the ancient people had manna in the wilderness so Christ will feed us so that we gain eternal life.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Layers of the paperbark tree
Mandurah Estuary WA  L Osburn

All-powerful God who sent Christ in his entirety to save us and give us eternal life, you know we sometimes confuse places of worship with truly seeking you with all our hearts and minds. We sometimes forget that it is through grace alone, not by anyone's efforts that we are brought to seek and understand Jesus. Keep us from fear, destruction doubt, grumbling and imposing our ideas on others. Help us to stay quiet, seek the good, establish justice and fairness, so that all have the opportunity to approach Jesus in grace and hope and love, and gain eternal life. Amen

Saturday 16 July 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 39

The psalmist is mortally ill and perceives his illness to be punishment from God. He decides to be calm and quiet in the presence of people who would bring him more grief. He asks to know how much time he has left. Humans are like passing guests, aliens. The psalmist asks for a little relief so that he can smile before he dies.

Ezekiel 24: 1 – 2 and 15 – 27

Ezekiel hears God. He records the exact date – the date the Babylonians being the siege of Jerusalem.

God tells him that his wife will die and he is not to mourn but put his turban on and his sandals and be silent as an example to the people of how they will lose the city, the temple, their families and they will not weep but pine away with silent grief. And on that day when the news comes to Ezekiel, then he will be able to speak again. Ezekiel’s wife dies that evening.

Romans 1: 16 – 25

Paul describes his confidence in the gospel and in its truth. He lives by faith and God’s righteousness is revealed through our faith to build our faith.

Paul explains that God’s power and presence is obvious to everyone just by looking at creation – eternal power and divine nature invisible to us yet present. Yet people did not worship God but set up all sorts of idols to worship – thinking they were clever but really they were being silly. God allowed that choice and all that follows from it including dreadful behaviour. The people serve creatures and other notions rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Flowering bush
Mandurah Estuary WA  L Osburn

Amazing, magnificent, wonderful God, there are never enough or the right words to describe how great you are. You are our all and everything, our calm and quiet and our true freedom. Give us grace so that we only worship you. Give us ears to hear your voice in creation and in your gospel so that our faith will grow and so that we live the eternal life you planned for us through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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