4 November 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Friday 4 November 2016

Morning Prayer

Psalms 11 and 12

The psalmist disputes the claim one should run from enemies. The psalmist will stand firm. He says that if the foundation collapses, then all are powerless. The psalmist trusts in the Lord – the firm foundation.

The psalmist laments the lack of faithful people. People make promises and are unreliable. The poor and the needy suffer as a result but, the Lord is faithful forever and pure. The Lord guards and protects us.

Nehemiah 13: 1 – 14

Nehemiah visits Ataxerxes and in his absence Eliahib converts a storeroom in the court of the temple, the house of God, into a room for Tobiah – one of the people who opposed Nehemiah’s reconstruction of the wall and the city. When Nehemiah returns and finds this he is angry, gives orders for the room to be cleared and the vessels of the temple restored. He also discovers that the Levites had not received their portions and so had gone back to their fields so they could feed their families.

Nehemiah gathers the officials and investigates why the house of the Lord had been forsaken. He sets up new supervisors for the tithing. Nehemiah in his prayers asks God to remember his service to God and God’s house.

Matthew 22: 1 – 14

Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet. The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who arranges a wedding banquet for his son and invites the honoured guests. They will not come. He sends slaves with the menu to invite them again but they treat it like a joke, go about their lives or mistreat and/or kill the slaves. The king enraged sends troops and destroys the cities of the murderers.

The king tells the slaves to go into the streets and invite anyone – the wedding feast is ready. The slaves gather anyone good or bad so the hall is full. But he notices one person without wedding clothes (these are provided by the host). He asks how did that person get in without proper attire, has him bound and thrown into outer darkness. Jesus ends with “For many are called but few are chosen”.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Pink Dogwood in full bloom
Harrietville Vic  L Osburn

Everlasting God of faithfulness and purity. You have given us your commandments and your Son so that all of us are called to you and all of us can know your precious laws. Help us to take stock today, to examine our lives and our hearts. Help us identify and clear out the idols we have in your holy spaces: the parts of your word we treat lightly. Help us reflect and sort out our personal administration, to repent and come to you clothed in your merciful forgiveness so that we may be fed by you, nurtured, enlivened and live our days to your praise and glory through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Friday 4 November 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalms 13 and 14

These psalms are laments for personal deliverance from enemies, from harm and from a cynical age. The psalmist remains faithful proclaiming God’s deliverance of Israel and care for the poor.

Daniel 11: 29 – 45

The angel’s telling of what is to come continues including the profaning of the temple and Jerusalem. There is a prediction of the faithful fighting back and ultimately the wise falling. But the invading king will eventually fail and pass even if he takes more territory than in fact he did. He will honour the god of fortresses and will march to his doom.

Revelation 2: 12 – 17

John’s third letter is to the church in Pergamum. They live in a place of hostility but are faithful and did not deny their faith even when one of them was killed. But there are some in the community who eat food previously sacrificed to other gods and who are sexually immoral in the name of religion. They are told to repent, or suffer the consequences of the law – a two-edged sword. Those who conquer sin will be fed and have victory and joy.

Collect for Evening Prayer

New Norcia Benedictine Community
WA  L Osburn

Holy Lord you see your faithful people in hostile zones: conflict zones where the fortresses and power are worshipped and party zones where lures and festivals to other gods complete for attention. You see people dying for their faith and you have compassion. Help us to keep your laws, continue to teach your ways and do what we can by prayer and support to help your faithful people stand firm knowing that there will be and end to this ordeal and the faithful will be fed and experience your victory and your joy through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.