Daily Prayer from the Anglican Prayer Book for Australia
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Thursday Evening – 7th December 2023
Thursday Evening Prayer – 7th December 2023 Readings: Psalm 119.89–104; Isaiah 3. 13 – 4.6; Mark 5. 21-43. With 2 minute Gospel reflection.
Led by Felicity Scott, Liturgical Assistant at St John the Baptist Anglican Church Bulimba, QLD, Australia. Accompanied with guest reader Olivia Scott.
The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website.
https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com
Welcome to Thursday Evening prayer from the Anglican ‘A prayer book for Australia’.
We proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ:
GOD in his infinite mercy, forgives all sins, and through our baptism in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we are given a rebirth into new life, free from the burden of all sin. ALLELUIA
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God forever.
Let us Pray.
1
The Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give God the glory.
Revelation 19.6–7
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen
2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of Joy
Be joyful in the Lord, all the earth:
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God:
it is he who has made us, and we are his;
for we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise:
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good;
his loving-kindness is everlasting:
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Psalm 100
3 The Opening Prayer
The day is now past and the night is at hand.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept.
Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our evening sacrifice; make us a light for all the world,
delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each.
Psalm 119.89–104
89 Lord, your word is for ever:
it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness abides from one generation to another:
firm as the earth which you have made.
91 As for your judgements, they stand fast this day:
for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my delight:
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts:
for by them you have given me life.
94 I am yours, O save me:
for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked have lain in wait for me to destroy me:
but I think on your commands.
96 I have seen that all perfection comes to an end:
only your commandment has no bounds.
97 Lord, how I love your law:
it is my meditation all the day long.
98 Your commandments have made me
wiser than my enemies:
for they remain with me for ever.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers:
for I study your commands.
100 I am wiser than the aged:
because I have kept your precepts.
101 I have held back my feet from every evil path:
that I might keep your word;
102 I have not turned aside from your judgements:
for you yourself are my teacher.
103 How sweet are your words to my tongue:
sweeter than honey to my mouth.
104 Through your precepts I get understanding:
therefore I hate all lying ways.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
God our saviour, you sent Jesus into the world of sin, and delivered him up to death for us: kindle in our hearts the same love with which he loved his own to the end; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed.
1st Reading
Isaiah 3.13–4.6
13 The Lord rises to argue his case;
he stands to judge the peoples.
14 The Lord enters into judgement
with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.
16 The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
tinkling with their feet;
17 the Lord will afflict with scabs
the heads of the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.
18 On that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents;
19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves;
20 the head-dresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets;
21 the signet rings and nose-rings;
22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags;
23 the garments of gauze, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24 Instead of perfume there will be a stench;
and instead of a sash, a rope;
and instead of well-arranged hair, baldness;
and instead of a rich robe, a binding of sackcloth;
instead of beauty, shame.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword
and your warriors in battle.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn;
ravaged, she shall sit upon the ground.
1 Seven women shall take hold of one man on that day, saying,
‘We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes;
just let us be called by your name;
take away our disgrace.’
2 On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel.
3 Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem,
4 once the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of burning.
5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Indeed, over all the glory there will be a canopy.
6 It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
2nd Reading
Mark 5.21–43
21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ 24 So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ 29 Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ 31 And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ 32 He looked all round to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’ 35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The readings may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
A 2-minute Gospel reflection by Felicity Scott.
Well how great was Jesus’ presence, so great that his witnesses recorded that just by touching his clothes, people were healed. Although there were many people surrounding and touching Jesus on this occasion, this woman’s touch was different. Everyone else was attempting to get Jesus’ attention, this woman, used faith in Jesus’ abilities to heal herself and through that faith, her intention was merely to touch his clothes, this was a testament of her faith in a man only heard of and had not yet met. Jesus’ reputation preceded him, the knowledge of his ability to heal the sick and perform miracles was so well known that this woman had moved her faith to absolution, absolution that merely touching the clothes worn by Jesus’ was enough to be healed; and the woman was right her absolution in Jesus’ abilities paid off. She was healed.
Absolution of faith, what is this, absolution can interpret to many things, freedom, pardon, forgiveness, liberty. In this circumstance, whatever the cause of the woman’s disease, she was absolved of the cause by touching Jesus’ clothes. Such was her faith, the cause was absolved, and she was healed, her absolution was that she was freed from all sin and any disease that had developed from it.
Absolution of faith, to have absolute belief in a certain outcome. Absolute belief that our sins are forgiven in the name of Jesus’ Christ and that forgiveness heals all disease. Amen
7 The Canticle,
Christ Jesus was in the form of God:
But he did not cling to equality with God.
He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant:
And was born in our human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself:
And became obedient unto death,
Even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him:
And bestowed on him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow:
In heaven and on earth and under the earth;
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord:
to the glory of God the father.
Philippians 2.5b–11
8 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
9 The Lord’s Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Ambrose of Milan, bishop and teacher (d. 397) W
[A Theologian]
Almighty God,
who gave to your servant N special gifts of grace
to understand and teach the truth in Christ Jesus:
grant that, enlightened by this teaching,
we may know you, the one true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Week
Almighty God,
give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son
Jesus Christ came among us in great humility,
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
Loving God, We Pray thanks to you for all your blessings to us, for the earth which provides our needs, the natural resources, and its beauty. In our prosperity help us to be generous and compassionate to those who are in need.
God of grace; Hear our prayer.
Living God, we pray thanks for our mothers; for those who loved and cared for us and who taught us our faith and how to live a faithful life. We thank you for our mother church which teaches us and surrounds us with the examples of other faithful people to follow.
God of grace; Hear our prayer.
Merciful God, we ask for your mercy to be given to the country of Ukraine. We ask for your intervention, to impart peace as an initiative in the minds of all those at war across the world. We ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God of grace; Hear our prayer.
God, we ask your blessing for the people listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer:
God of Grace; Hear our prayer
11 The Evening Collect
Be present merciful God, protect us through the hours of this night: that we, who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may rest on your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
12
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2.16–17
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