17 March 2016
Collects
Prayers developed from the daily readings
Thursday 17 March 2016
Morning Prayer
Psalm 40
The psalmist tells the
whole congregation of how God delivered him from desolation and being stuck. He
sings a new song of praise telling of God’s innumerable deeds.
God listens even when no
sacrifice is offered. God wants us to fulfil the Law and do God’s will.
The psalmist asks for
more aid: past sins assail him and people want to take his life, to hurt and
ridicule him. He prays for those who do God’s will and repeats the request for
deliverance.
Jeremiah
42: 7 – 22
It
takes Jeremiah 10 days to have a clear message to tell the people. His prophecy
is that if they stay the Babylonians will treat them mercifully. Their
communities will be established and grow. If however, they go to Egypt they
will be overtaken by the Babylonians, killed, encounter famine and illness and
die. Jeremiah is very clear about the prophecy and knows the people do not obey
what God says. He is aware that they have decided to go to Egypt.
Matthew
23: 13 – 26
Jesus
delivers his indictment on the scribes and Pharisees who are operating on the
form and display and the superficial in worship and their daily lives but not
on the core of God. They tie people up in rules and forms of worship, of tithes
for produce but not tithing justice, mercy or faith. As a result they have
their priorities wrong. He charges them to get their internal house in order:
to clean up their internal lives and step away from valuing and revering the
appearance of belief.
Collect for Morning Prayer
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| Kookaburra in the morning Blackwood River WA L Osburn |
Thursday 17 March 2016
Evening Prayer
Psalms 42 and 43
The psalmist longs for
God. In deep distress his soul thirsts for God. He recalls the times in the
past he has been part of the celebrations. He is in the depths of despair,
oppressed by an enemy. The psalmist tells his soul to hope in God for a time of
praise will come – God is our help.
Again ungodly people
oppress the psalmist. God’s light and truth are requested. They will lead us
back to worship, to joy and praise. The psalmist tells his soul to hope in God.
A time of praise will come – God is our help.
Exodus
9: 13 – 35
The
next plague on Egypt is hail. The hail is the heaviest ever experienced. All
creatures and people left outside die, the flax and the barley crops are
ruined. Some Egyptians who heed the warning get their people and livestock to
shelter. The others die. The Israelite land of Goshen has no hail. Pharaoh
admits he is wrong and allows the Israelites to go and worship. Moses is wise
and gets himself out of the city before he stops the hail. As soon as the hail stops,
Pharaoh changes his mind again. His heart is hardened.
Ephesians
2: 11 – 22
This
communication is to all who are not of the Jewish nation – all people from the
other nations of the world. In and through Christ we have been made one group
of people who have direct access to God and to God’s mercy and saving grace.
Through Christ’s death on the cross all separation and hostility are gone. We
are citizens with the saints and “built together spiritually into a dwelling
place for God” (v.22).
Collect for Evening Prayer
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| Beside still waters Beedelup National Park WA L Osburn |
Loving and compassionate God, we
thank you that you care for us all and for those who take you seriously. We
praise you for coming to us, living with us and suffering death on the cross to
make it clear that we are all yours, all part of your kingdom and all members
of your great eternal company. Help us this evening to come quietly to your
dwelling place in our hearts, to take a precious moment to be with you and to
be refreshed and consoled through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
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