15 August 2016
Collects
Prayers developed from the daily readings
Monday 15 August 2016
Morning Prayer
Psalm
104: 1 – 25
Great
hymn to the creator: clouds, sea, mountains, water, grass, creatures, wine… the
list goes on. In wisdom God has made it
all.
2
Chronicles 28: 16 – 29: 11
King
Ahaz, after all these raids and more invasions calls upon the King of Assyria
for help. Instead Assyria also oppresses Judah. Ahaz distressed, fails to turn
back to God. He worships the gods of Damascus, closes the temple and destroys
all the utensils or worship there. He builds altars to other gods all over
Judah. When he dies the people bury him but not in the tomb of the kings.
Ahaz’s
son Hezekiah begins to rule when he is 25. He is faithful to God. In his first
year he reopens the door of the temple and repairs them. He assembles priests
and Levites, admits the unfaithfulness of the forefathers and charges them to
faithfully and diligently serve the Lord, to be his ministers and to make
offerings to him.
Acts 18:
1 – 17
Paul
travels to Corinth where he finds Aquila and Priscilla who are Jews from Rome.
Claudius Caesar has expelled all Jews from Rome. Paul works with Aquila making
tents and preaches at the synagogue. When Silas and Timothy arrive Paul is
being unsuccessful with the Jews and so turns to proclaim the good news to the
rest of the people. The church in Corinth begins. Paul has a dream where he is
told no harm will come to him. The Jews take Paul before the proconsul on
religious grounds. The proconsul rejects the case since it has nothing to do
with Roman Law. The Jews beat Sosthenes, an official of the synagogue, in front
of the tribunal and the proconsul pays no attention.
Collect for Morning Prayer
Kangaroo at dawn Armadale WA L Osburn |
Monday 15 August 2016
Evening Prayer
Psalm
104: 26 – 37
This part
of the psalm reinforces that all things natural and human-made rely on the
mercy of God for their existence and sustenance.
Song of Songs 4
The man describes the woman
like a beautiful locked garden. He compares her to the beauty and fragrance of
the place. He calls to her to come from Lebanon and be his bride.
Romans 11: 13 – 24
Paul
accepts that some Jews will not accept the gospel and that opens the
opportunity for the people from other nations to be reconciled to God. When
Jews believe it strengthens the whole. Paul uses a metaphor of an olive tree.
God is the rootstock and believers the branches. Non-believing Jews are like
pruned branches. Faithful Christian people from other nations are like grafted
on branches from a wild olive. We are not to be proud of being a branch. We
need to be proud of the rootstock and keep strong in the faith. We too can be
pruned. And any Jewish person is easier to graft back in.
Collect for Evening Prayer
From the water pump Armadale WA L Osburn |
Merciful God of miracles, you give us existence and
sustain us. Call us to you; help us throw away our pride and come to your love
so that we may feel that strong attachment to you, as strong as a mature branch
on an ancient olive tree knowing we are with you, fed and nurtured and
sustained by you through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
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