You can count on this, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will replant the land of Israel and Judah and raise a new crop of people and animals. In the past I dedicated myself to wreaking havoc among them, and crushing, demolishing and devastating them. But soon I will dedicate myself to healing them, and to rebuilding and giving life, says the LORD. No longer will people repeat the old saying:

“When the parents eat junk,
it is the children whose teeth rot.”

It will be clear that everyone will pay for their own sins. If it is you who eats the junk, it will be your teeth that rot.

You can count on this, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will once again take Israel and Judah as my marriage partner. Our marriage will not be like the marriage I entered with their ancestors. Back then I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of slavery and carried them across the threshold into a home of their own. But even though I was loving and faithful, says the LORD, they broke our marriage vows.

But listen to the new marriage vows I will soon make with the people of Israel, says the LORD:

“I will write my values into your hearts and minds.
I will be your God, and you will be my people.”

No longer will they need lessons to learn how I want them to live. They won’t need to spur each other on, saying, “Get to know the LORD,” because all of them, from all walks of life, will know me well, says the LORD. I will erase all record of their past wrongs and let them start over with a clean slate.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

LORD, how I love your teachings!
I keep them in my thoughts all day long.

I’m able to stay a jump ahead of my enemies
because your guidance is always with me.

Studying your instructions has taught me far more
than I could ever learn from the best teachers.

Following your rules to the letter
has given me more wisdom than old age brings.

I steer clear of the paths of corruption
so that I can stick to the track you have set.

You have taught me well
and I won’t dodge any of your directions.

Your words taste so sweet on my tongue,
they are like strawberries and cream!

Your commands have given me great understanding
and made me allergic to lies and corruption!

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Timothy, stick to the trusted tracks you have been taught to follow and have found to be true. You know your teachers and you know you can trust them. Ever since you were a little fella, you have had a good grasp of the sacred scriptures. From them you can learn what is needed to gain the life for which we are saved through trusting in Christ Jesus. All scripture is alive with the life-force of God and can be usefully employed in many ways: teaching people; exposing lies and bullshit; getting people back on track; and training people in how to live right. In these ways, the scriptures help prepare and equip God’s people for their life-giving work.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your work. God is watching everything you do. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge its value, as he will for everyone, past and present. He will appear and bring everything under his rule. In light of all this, I am spelling out your job description once again and urging you to give it everything you’ve got:

• preach God’s message;
• stick at it, when it seems to be going well and when it doesn’t;
• teach clearly and persuasively;
• set people straight when they need it;
• be encouraging.

You will need tonnes of patience as you do all this, because there will be times when people will not be able to stomach solid truths. Instead they will start collecting gurus who will pander to their weaknesses and sell them whatever they are itching to hear. They will block their ears to the truth and swallow fantasies. But as for you, keep your wits about you at all times. When hostility comes, take it on the chin. Work hard at spreading the message. God has given you this work – carry it out to the max.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Jesus told a story to encourage people to be persistent in prayer and never lose heart. He said, “Once upon a time there was a town magistrate who took no notice of God and had no respect for anyone. There was a widowed woman in the town who had very little in the way of resources or influence, but who kept contacting the magistrate and demanding that he take action to protect her rights in a dispute with a powerful opponent. For a while he just kept brushing her off, but eventually he said to himself, ‘I couldn’t care less what happens to this woman, and all her talk of God’s justice means nothing to me; but I’m going to give her what she wants because I’m sick to death of her nagging and I just want to get her off my back.’”

And the Lord commented on his story, saying, “Do you get the point of what the callous magistrate is saying? If he can be pressured into acting for justice, can’t you see how much more certain it is that God will bring about justice for those who have dedicated themselves to God and cry out for help night and day. Will God brush them off and ignore their pleas? You can take it from me: God will waste no time in bringing about justice for them. And yet, will the New Human find much of that sort of persistent faith on earth when he makes his entrance?”

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.

The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

As he returned from his self-imposed exile, Jacob set up camp for a night at the place where the road crossed the Jabbok Creek. During the night, he got up and decided that it would be safer to shift everyone across to the other side of the creek. So he sent his two wives, his two maids, his eleven children, and all their belongings across the creek while he stayed on alone at the original campsite. There in the darkness, he suddenly found himself wrestling with a stranger. The fight continued until the first light of dawn. Unable to subdue Jacob, the stranger swung a low blow that caught Jacob off-guard and dislocated his hip. Still Jacob would not give up, and the stranger said, “Call it quits! The sun is coming up and you’ve got a big day ahead of you, so let me go.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not release my grip until you give me a blessing.”

So the stranger said, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he replied.

“Not any more,” the stranger said. “From now on you will be known as Israel, because you have struggled against God and against people and you have held your own.”

Then Jacob said to the stranger, “Please tell me your name.”

“Do you really need to ask who I am?” the stranger replied, and then gave Jacob a blessing.

As the stranger departed, Jacob said to himself, “I have come face to face with God and survived to tell the tale!” So he named that place ‘Peniel’ which means ‘face of God’. The sun was fully risen as he left Peniel, walking with a painful limp because of his dislocated hip.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

If we look to the mountains,
will we find security there?

No, our security comes from you alone,
the LORD, the maker of earth and sky.

You are on the alert, twenty four hours a day,
making sure that we don’t lose our footing.

You never slack off or take a nap,
but constantly guard your people.

You keep us safe, LORD,
you are always at our side to shield us.

While the sun shines, nothing can harm us;
the moon comes up, but still we are safe.

You stand between us and all evil, LORD;
you keep our lives clear of danger.

Whether we are coming or going,
you look after us, LORD;
you always have and always will.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your promises are sweeter than honey
and you bring justice to your people.

You created the earth,
and raised humans and animals upon it.
You led your people by the hand out of slavery
and yet still they broke your covenant
and turned away from listening to the truth.

In Jesus the Christ, you came to us again,
offering a new covenant, written on our hearts,
so that you might be our God,
and we might know you,
from the least to the greatest.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life,
and through him, you inspired sacred writings
to bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work,
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.

Therefore with .....

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

We thank you for your sacred writings
that lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your promises are sweeter than honey
and you bring justice to your people.

You created the earth,
and raised humans and animals upon it.
You led your people by the hand out of slavery
and yet still they broke your covenant
and turned away from listening to the truth.

In Jesus the Christ, you came to us again,
offering a new covenant, written on our hearts,
so that you might be our God,
and we might know you,
from the least to the greatest.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life,
and through him, you inspired sacred writings
to bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work,
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.

Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

The Lord comes to us with a new covenant, saying:
“I will write my law on your hearts;
I will forgive your wrongdoing
and remember your sins no more.”

Sisters and Brothers,
  your sins are forgiven;
    be at peace.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Go now and continue in what you have learned and believed.
Pray always, and do not lose heart.
Proclaim God’s message;
endure hostility;
carry out your ministry fully.

And may God be quick to answer your prayers;
May Christ Jesus inspire faith within you;
And may the Holy Spirit tutor your hearts and
equip you for every good work.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
   In the name of Christ. Amen.

©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net