4 August 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Thursday 4 August 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 80

This psalm is a prayer for deliverance from national enemies. It compares Israel to a vine. It asks for God’s hand to be on the one who is at God’s right hand, to give us life, to restore us and to save us.

Hosea 9: 1 – 12 (13 – 17)

Hosea tells of the consequences of Israel’s rejection of God and particularly those parts of Israel where the people are worshipping a fertility God. There will be destruction, invasion, people taken to Egypt, crop failures, death of children and failed pregnancies. Everything in life will fail. The people will wander the nations.

John 11: 55 – 12: 11

Passover is coming and everyone is wondering whether Jesus will come to the festival.

Six days before the festival Jesus arrives at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’s home. They dine together. Mary anoints Jesus’s feet with a costly perfume. Judas Iscariot complains about the waste of resources that could be used for welfare. At this point the writer of the gospels tells us the complaint is not genuine since Judas steals from the common funds. Jesus honours Mary’s gift. Ministry to the poor is part of what we will continue to do: gifts don’t remove our duty of care for others.

A crowd gathers both to see Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests plan to kill Jesus and Lazarus since the people believe in Jesus on account of both of them.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Grape vines
Euston NSW  L  Osburn

God of grace, you planted us; you restore us and you enable us to pass on your love and care to others. We sometimes experience the rejection of you, the false logic we hear and the complaints and destruction we see as being in a type of war zone. When we feel embattled and depleted, when we see others putting energy into short-term goals and out of step with you, help us settle and bring our concerns to you, to ask for your deliverance for everyone and strengthen us to keep on caring open to Christ's love and care flowing through us in the Name of Jesus Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen

Thursday 4 August 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 81

The psalm begins with praise and thanksgiving. It moves on to remembering the gifts of God and how God saved and delivered the people. Finally there is a lament that the people’s hearts are hard, that they are not listening and until they do they will be besieged. God wants to feed us with fine things. The choice is left open.

Lamentations 2: 11 – 22

The city is in ruin, children starve, people are dead or dying and enemies rejoice and ridicule. It is clear that the prophets were false and misleading. Even though God warned long ago. No one is spared, neither new baby nor priest in the temple.

Romans 8: 9 – 17

Paul says that when the Spirit of God dwells in us we are no longer led by selfish passions. The spirit energises us. We have a great debt. Through no action of our own God has adopted us. When we cry Abba (Daddy) it is our spirit recognising this gift, that we are with Christ, God’s children.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Broader wheat farm on the edge of the desert
Wentworth NSW  L Osburn

Nurturing loving energising God, you relieve us of all the things that lead us to destruction. You guide us to life and life in its fullness. You guide us too to read your word and learn from the experiences of your people of faith across the centuries. We praise you for the gift of adoption through the death and passion of Christ. Keep our hearts and minds open and reminded that we are your precious children, all of us, so that we too can assist others to come into your care and love through Jesus Christ, Amen.

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