19 November 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 19 November 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalm 45

This is an ode to a king’s wedding full of praise and descriptions of beauty, strength and wealth. The song calls to the princess bride to leave her people, bow to the king and receive the gifts of the kingdom.

Zechariah 13

In Zechariah’s oracle on the day the people look on the one who they have pierced and mourn, a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the people of Jerusalem to cleanse themselves from sin and impurity. Idols will be removed and parents will recognise false prophets among their children and cut them off. The other prophets, recognising they are wrong, will till soil and when asked about their wounds they will say, my friends did this for me.  The Lord will divide the people: two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, one third will be refined in fire, tested, and God will say, “They are my people” and they will answer, “The Lord is our God”.

Mark 1: 14 – 28

After John the Baptist is arrested Jesus begins his public ministry saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news” (v.15). He engages fishermen to come and fish for people: Simon, Andrew, James and John. In Capernaum he teaches in the synagogue as one with authority. He rebukes an unclean spirit in a man and it obeys him. The people are astounded. His fame spreads.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Come to the water
Armadale WA  L Osburn

Holy Lord, you are merciful and gracious. Be with us now as we come to you, repent our sins – the ones we know about and the ones to which we are still blind, commit ourselves to you and go forth with you into a new life just as a king does with a new bride in praise and celebration through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 19 November 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalms 46 and 47

God is our strength and refuge and we are to be in awe of him: to be still and know that God is God. There is a kingdom and a holy city. God will end all wars and fighting.

The second psalm is a joyous song of praise beginning with clapping our hands. Our God is awesome ruler of everything, shielding us. God is to be exalted.

Wisdom 7: 21 – 8: 4

The characteristics of wisdom are listed. “In every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God” (v.27). Against wisdom evil does not prevail. Wisdom is an initiate in the knowledge of God and an associate in God’s works.

Revelation 10

The seventh angel is wrapped in a cloud with a rainbow over the head. The angel has a face like the sun and legs that are like pillars of fire. One foot is set on land and one on the sea. The angel shouts and John is not permitted to write the words. There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel’s trumpet sounds, the mystery of God will be revealed. John is instructed to take the little scroll held by the angel and eat it. It is sweet as honey but has a bitter after effect. Then John is told to prophesy again about many peoples, languages and kings.

Collect for Evening Prayer

At the end of the day
Armadale WA  L Osburn

Holy God you are indeed mysterious and awesome. Be with us now as we reflect on our day and recognise the times we trusted you and your steadfast love, and those times when your wisdom was manifest in us. Let us praise you and thank you so that in the days to come our capacity to trust grows and our capacity to listen to your wisdom can flourish in us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.