12 August 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Friday 12 August 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalms 99 and 100

Songs of praise to God who rules, is awesome, loves justice and fairness and will stand by us. We are to come, be joyful, sing, be thankful, know we are loved and will be loved forever.

2 Chronicles 26: 16 – 27: 9

As King Uzziah ages he becomes proud and enters the temple to a place where only the consecrated priests go. Azariah the priest goes in after him with 80 other priests. Azariah explains. Uzziah becomes angry with the priests and a leprous disease breaks out on his forehead. The priests hurry him out. He has to live away from the palace and can never again come to the temple.

His son, Jotham manages the royal household and on Uzziah’s death becomes king. Jotham is loyal to God and the kingdom prospers.

Acts 17: 15 – 21

Paul waits in Athens. He is disturbed by the amount of idol worship and thus argues his position in the synagogue and in the marketplace. Some philosophers debate with him. Some think he has cobbled together slivers of knowledge but they are inquisitive to know what he has to say. They invite him to speak at the Areopagus (a council that keeps and administers law).

Collect for Morning Prayer

Lemon Magnolia
Harrietville  Vic  L Osburn

Holy Lord, you rule in justice, fairness, compassion and love. We are right to seek you and to be inquisitive about you. Help us to always have an open mind and heart to you and never to be so proud that we think we can summon you. May we always approach you humbly and with reverence so that our actions encourage others to inquire and approach you with respect, joy, thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Friday 12 August 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 103

A beautiful psalm of praise blessing God with every part of our being and for every benefit we have been given especially God's eternal love. This is a luscious reverent, adoring psalm.

Song of Songs 2

The woman is enraptured by love. She warns other women not to awaken love until it is ready. She describes a spring visit using playful and luscious language to convey the meeting of the lovers.

Romans 10: 14 – 21

Paul, having just said that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, now questions how that can occur unless the good news of Jesus is proclaimed. He talks about the world needing people to be sent for this task.

He returns to his focus on the Jews who have been sent messengers of the good news including Moses and Isaiah and yet are not calling on Jesus as Lord. Paul says that Israel continues to be a contrary people.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Cherry blossoms in Spring
Harrietville Vic  L  Osburn

Loving, tender God, your sacrifice shows your love for us greater than any lover, more luscious than spring. Open our hearts and voices to tell others about you so that they may awaken to your love and call upon your name through your Son Jesus our Lord.

Please leave a comment or feedback.