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8th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent – Year A

28 February 2038

Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

This is what the LORD is saying:

What a day! I have answered your call.
It’s the day of rescue, and here I am.
I have kept you safe,
and I have given you to the people
as the sign that I will always be with them.

I have given you the job of putting the land in order,
of resettling the people
on the properties that were left abandoned.

Tell the prisoners they can now go free.
Tell those cowering in the darkness
that it is now safe to come out of hiding.

They will find all the food they want along the way.
Even the rocky mountain tops will produce food for them.
They will never go hungry or thirsty;
never again be burnt by the sun or cut by the wind.

I care deeply for them and I will lead them.
I will guide them along the perfect track
from one fresh waterhole to the next.

I will level out the track
so that there are no tough climbs
and no treacherous descents.

Take a look and see!
Here come my people from far away,
from all points of the compass,
from this land and that.

Sing your lungs out, sky above!
Explode with joy, O planet earth!
Burst into song, O mighty mountains!
For the LORD’S people were suffering,
but the LORD has felt their pain and given them comfort.

But Zion said, “The LORD’S back is turned to me.
My Lord has given up on me, written me off.”

Get a grip! Does a woman give up on the child at her breast?
Can she turn her back when her own child is hurting?
And yet a woman forgetting her child
is a lot more likely than me forgetting you.
Look here and see,
I have written your name on the palm of my hand.

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

LORD, I am not too full of myself.
I don’t set my sights too high.
I don’t try to get involved in things
that are out of my league
or beyond my capabilities.

What I have done, LORD, is look after my soul.

Like a mother tenderly calming a young child,
I have calmed my soul to a quiet peace.

May all your people put their hope in you, LORD,
from now on, and forevermore.

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

How should you think of us? Think of us only as servants of the Messiah, and as those whose job it is to handle the mysteries of God’s business. Now the basic expectation of anyone who is given such a job is that they can be trusted with it. For myself, I couldn’t care less whether you or any other mob think I measure up. I don’t even try to judge myself. I am not aware of any black marks against my name, but that doesn’t prove anything. It is only what the Lord thinks of me that matters. Therefore, don’t go jumping the gun and trying to tally the score before time’s up, before the Lord arrives. He will shine a spotlight on things that are now hidden under the cover of darkness, and what really makes us tick will be out in the open for all to see. Then, and only then, will each person receive the thumbs-up from God for the things they’ve done well.

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Jesus said:

“No one can play on two teams.
You’ll either give your best to one
and under-perform for the other,
or short-change one
and give your heart and soul for the other.
You can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success.

“So I’m telling you, don’t go worrying about your life, about where your next meal is coming from or what you will find to drink. Don’t stress about what you look like or whether you’ve got the right clothes to wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it? And the body is not just a clothes rack, is it? Look at the birds flying around. They don’t do any farming. They don’t stock up the pantry with extra supplies. And yet the one who conceived you in heaven feeds them. You are worth more than they are, aren’t you? So what good does worrying do you? It won’t make you live any longer - not even an hour - will it?

“And why do you worry about what to wear? Think about the wild flowers. They grow without ever shopping or sewing a stitch. But you can take it from me that they are clothed more perfectly than even a princess at a royal wedding. If God takes such care over dressing the wildflowers, which bloom today and are mown down and composted tomorrow, how much more care will God take to make sure that you have the clothes you need? Yet you find it hard to trust!

“So don’t get all anxious and go asking, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘Where will we find a drink?’ or ‘What on earth will we wear?’ It is the people who don’t put their trust in God who put all their energy into these things. You can rest assured that the one who conceived you in heaven knows perfectly well that you need these things. So you can make your first priority the new culture of God and doing the right thing, God’s way, and all these other things will be taken care of for you.

“So don’t stress out about tomorrow. Just deal with the troubles of today, and leave tomorrow’s worries until they come.”

©2008 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Prayers

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 you show compassion to your suffering ones
and have written our names on the palm of your hands.

You created the earth and all its creatures,
clothing even the grass of the fields in splendour
and bringing forth abundant food,
even for the birds of the air.
You found your people imprisoned in darkness
and through Moses and the prophets,
you called them to freedom
and led them by springs of water.

In your child, Jesus, you have come to us again,
teaching us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
When he was killed by those
who serve wealth and power,
you raised him to life again
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.

Therefore with .....

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
in whom you have taught us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
You raised him to life
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you show compassion to your suffering ones
and have written our names on the palm of your hands.

You created the earth and all its creatures,
clothing even the grass of the fields in splendour
and bringing forth abundant food,
even for the birds of the air.
You found your people imprisoned in darkness
and through Moses and the prophets,
you called them to freedom
and led them by springs of water.

In your child, Jesus, you have come to us again,
teaching us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
When he was killed by those
who serve wealth and power,
you raised him to life again
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.

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.

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

It is the Lord’s judgement alone that matters,
and God will no more write us off
than will a mother write off her nursing child.
God has sent comfort and a word of compassion,
”Come out of darkness and be free.”

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

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Go now, as servants of Christ
and stewards of God’s mysteries.
Strive firstly for the kingdom of God
and its righteousness and justice.
Do not be anxious, but calm your soul within you
and do not condemn, even yourselves.

And may God generously provide all you need;
May Christ Jesus guide you in the ways of light;
And may the Holy Spirit fill you with comfort and hope.

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

©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

Sermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website.

  1. Feasting and Fasting
    A sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Alison Sampson
  2. When Buildings Fall: Do Not Worry?
    A sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Nathan Nettleton
  3. The Church Facing Judgement
    A sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 & Matthew 6: 24-34 by Nathan Nettleton
  4. God and Possessions
    A sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Jennifer Smith

Details

Date:
28 February 2038
Series: