Daily Anglican Prayer - Sunday Evening 28th April 2024

Daily Prayer from the Anglican Prayer Book for Australia

Sunday Evening

Daily Anglican Prayer - Sunday Evening 28th April 2024

Readings:

Psalm 98;

1 John 4. 1-8;

Led by Felicity Scott, a Liturgical Assistant at St John the Baptist Anglican Church Bulimba, QLD, Australia.

The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website.

https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com

Welcome to Sunday 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

With faithfulness we respond to the good news:

We acknowledge Christ as our saviour and accept with gratitude, that we are forgiven for all wrong doings, past and present. To honour the gift of forgiveness, we release our burden of guilt and rise up to live in the glory of God forever more.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed be God forever.

Let us Pray.

1

Grace, mercy and peace,

from God the Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Timothy 1.2

Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.

2 The Opening Canticle, The Praise of God’s Servants

Come now, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord:
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and praise the Lord:
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 134

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

5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow

Lord of life, by the power of your resurrection, deliver us from all selfishness and bring us to the fullness of your joy; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

Amen.

6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed.

1st Reading – No reading

2nd Reading

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

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 short homily

Our Lord so often uses images that are so directly understood by his listeners this time he uses that of the vine and the vinedresser. Again most of the people in his time would have either had a vine or two in the backyard or perhaps worked for someone who had a lot more. I don't have a green thumb but those who do tell me that when you're pruning you've got to be careful as you prune to make sure that it's a clean cut and that in fact the growth that happens after a pruning in fact is a direct survival attempt on behalf of the plant to just live, it feels like it's an attack on it and then all the extra nutrients are sent into that part of the plant to make it grow.

The Lord uses this image and the people listening to him would have understood this very well, that if for instance the pruning doesn't get done properly, disease can set in and the plant can develop a fungus and then possibly die or at least part of it but when Jesus talks about the pruning that goes on for those who bear fruit well the image itself hurts.

When we think about ourselves being pruned by God, being pruned by the heavenly father by his word by the manifold ways in which he prunes our thoughts, the way we think, maybe we enjoy the idea of pruning but the thought that I'm going to be hurt in order to bear more fruit doesn't particularly appeal to me and I don't know about you that's in fact what's necessary in order for us to keep on growing in our discipleship in Christ.

That's what Jesus Christ in fact says about his teaching on the cross that we must carry the cross every day and in particularly during these 50 days of Easter season we are looking at the mystery of the cross that has led to the resurrection but we see it repeated in our lives, time and time again how our Lord also talks about the possibility of not bearing fruit.

What happens to such a branch, the one who does not remain in him? They dry up and then they are cut off and thrown into the fire not something any of us really wants to consider but we should ask ourselves the question what does it mean therefore to remain in Jesus Christ?

Well it's the things we already know, to engage in prayer, to reflect on his word, to allow his word to speak to us, not just to wash over our minds but to in fact percolate into our hearts so that it can convict us of truth and falsehood that is there within us. When the word finds truth inside of us then, it brings peace and consolation when it finds falsehood it makes us uncomfortable, we live in a culture that is very much about wearing fake masks, very much about keeping up a good appearance, but in fact with God this means nothing because he sees right through it all. So as we listen to these familiar words of Christ we remember that we in order to be great disciples, we must be close to him and remain united with him through Christ.

Amen

7 The Canticle, The Song of Mary (Magnificat)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord:
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
Who has looked with favour on his lowly servant:
from this day all generations will call me blessed;
The Almighty has done great things for me:
and holy is his name.
God has mercy on those who fear him:
from generation to generation.
The Lord has shown strength with his arm:
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones:
and lifting up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things:
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel:
to remember the promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears:
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Luke 1.47–55

8 The Apostles’ Creed may be said.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
from there he will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

9 The Prayers

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.

10 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.

10 The Collect of the Day

Fifth Sunday of Easter

O God,

form the minds of your faithful people,

that we may love what you command

and desire what you promise,

so that, amid the many changes of this world,

our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer of the Week

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Saving God,

who called your Church to witness

that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:

help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,

that all who hear it may be reconciled to you;

through him who died for us and rose again

and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.

Almighty God, by your Son Jesus Christ you gave many excellent gifts to your apostles and commanded them to feed your flock. Bless all Archbishops and bishops in The Anglican Church. So fill them with your truth, and clothe them with holiness, that as pastors of your Church they may diligently preach your word, and rightly teach your people, to the glory of your name, and the benefit of your Church.

God of grace: hear our prayer.

God of wisdom, grant we pray that the words we have heard today make in us a desire to serve the people in bringing the good news of Christ to all who have yet to hear it, so that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good works to honour and praise your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God of grace: hear our prayer.

Saviour God, we give you thanks for restoring health to your servants who are experiencing ill health this day. We bless and praise you for the mercy which you show to us when we call upon you. Teach us to trust you in all circumstances of life and to know your loving care and protection.

God of grace: hear our prayer.

God of all truth, teach us to love you with Heart and mind. Bless St Francis Theological college, that it may be a lively centre for sound learning, new discovery and the pursuit of wisdom. May all who teach and all who learn, seek and love the truth and in humility look to you, the source of all wisdom and understanding. Bless the 2024 Seekers and the 2024 formation students.

God of grace: hear our prayer.

Loving God, we ask your blessing for those listed on the Anglican cycle of prayer:

• The Church of Bangladesh
• The Parish of Roma:
• The Anglicare SQ Remote and Rural Community Services
• All Parishes seeking clergy.
• All Anglican schools seeking chaplains.
• All Prison ministry chaplaincy teams
• All people joining in this prayer offering.

God of Grace; Hear our prayer

12 The Evening Collect

Be present, merciful God,

and 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.

13

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us praise the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

May the God of peace, who brought again

from the dead our Lord Jesus,

equip us with everything good

that we may do his will,

to whom be glory for ever.

Amen.

see Hebrews 13.20, 21