LaughingBird

New Years Day
2029-01-01 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

Things happen in their due season; there is a right time for everything that happens on earth:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to sow the seed,
and a time to harvest the crop;
a time to end a life,
and a time to rehabilitate;
a time to demolish,
and a time to create;
a time to cry,
and a time to laugh;
a time to grieve,
and a time to party;
a time to throw caution to the wind,
and a time to play it safe;
a time to make love,
and a time to keep your pants on;
a time to keep searching,
and a time to write off the loss;
a time to hold on to what you’ve got,
and a time to let it go;
a time to share another’s pain,
and a time to urge them to move on;
a time to keep your mouth shut,
and a time to speak your mind;
a time to love,
and a time to hate;
a time to fight;
and a time to make peace.
But in the end, what difference does it make what we do? I have observed everyone working hard at the jobs that God has given them. God sets things up so that there is a proper time and place for everything, but we forget too quickly and fail to learn the lessons of history. We see what has happened and what is happening, but we can’t make sense of the connections or see what God is doing in it all. So I figure that there is no point in losing too much sleep over it. The most important thing is for people to be happy and to enjoy their lives for as long as they live. What’s more, there is nothing wrong with eating and drinking and finding satisfaction in our work. They are God’s gifts to us.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 8

Our LORD and ruler,
all over the world
the mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding!
Your glory fills the universe!
The gurgling of babies makes more sense
than the clever arguments of your enemies.
The innocent chatter of children
silences the venomous talk of your opponents.
When I gaze at your handiwork in the night skies
— the moon, the stars, the milky way —
the whole cosmos under your control;
I can’t help but wonder why you bother with us.
Why do you care so much for mere human beings
when we count for so little in the scheme of things?
And yet, for reasons known to you alone,
you created us almost on a par with yourself
and decorated us with the highest honours and glory.
You have even entrusted us with power over your precious creation;
you placed the future of all life in our hands:
sheep and cattle;
emu and kangaroo
insects, reptiles, birds, and sea creatures;
air, land and water and the planet itself.
Our LORD and ruler,
all over the world
the mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Revelaton 21: 1-6a

I, John, had another extraordinary vision. I saw a completely revamped heaven and a radically reconstructed earth. The first heaven, the first earth and the sea were all but a memory. Then I saw Jerusalem, the city dedicated to God, now made completely new. She was coming down the aisle from heaven itself, from God, and she looked sensational, like a bride on her wedding day. I heard a loud voice coming from heaven’s throne. It said:
“See, God has moved in and set up home among ordinary people.
God will live with them and be their God,
and the people will gladly belong
to the God who lives right in their midst.
God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be abolished forever;
pain and grief and tears will be things of the past.
All these things have been made obsolete.”
Then the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new – absolutely everything!”
“Write all this down,” he said, “because these words can be depended on. They are the truth.”
This is what he said: “The job is done! I am the whole story, from A to Z. I am the beginning and I am the end.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 25: 31-46

While speaking to his followers, Jesus said, “The day is coming when the New Human will turn up in all his glory, accompanied by all his angels, and he will be crowned as king. He will sit down on the judgment seat, and all the nations of the world will be summoned to appear before him. Like a quality controller sorting out the good fruit from the rejects, he will carefully sort the nations into two groups, one on his right side and one on his left. Then the King will say to the group on his right side:
‘Welcome, you who have been given the thumbs up by my Father. Ever since the foundation of the world, there has been a kingdom ready with your name on it. Come now, and inherit it; because
I was hungry and you lot fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I came seeking asylum and you made me welcome,
I didn’t have a stitch to wear
and you lot gave me clothes,
I was diseased and you took care of me,
I was in detention and you visited me.’
Then those compassionate nations will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When were you a refugee and we welcomed you, or in detention and we visited you? When did we find you without clothes or sick and do something about it?’
And the King will reply, ‘The fact is, you did these things for people who were regarded as the dregs of society, but who I love as my nearest and dearest; and each time you helped one of them, you were helping me.’
Then he will say to the nations on the other side:
‘You lot have been written off. Get out of my sight! A time of fire has been ignited by the devil and his agents, and you will be swallowed up in it with them; because
I was hungry and you lot didn’t give me a bite,
I was thirsty and you gave me nothing,
I came seeking asylum and you wouldn’t let me in,
I didn’t have a stitch to wear
and you lot left me to freeze,
I was diseased and in detention
and you turned your backs and wouldn’t come near me.’
They too will ask, ‘Lord, when was it that we failed to take care of you? We don’t recall seeing you hungry or thirsty or seeking asylum or naked or sick or in detention.’
But he will answer, ‘The fact is, you failed to do these things for those who were regarded as the dregs of society, and each time you turned your backs on them, you were turning your backs on me.’
And with that, those nations will be gone, swallowed up in the time of punishment. But the nations who did the right thing by others will enjoy life without limit.”
©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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,
and with the whole earth we tell of the greatness of your name,
for you are the God who makes all things new.
The moon and the stars are your handiwork,
and the earth and its inhabitants reflect your glory.
You have created us, dressing us in glory undeserved,
and entrusted the charge of the earth to our hands.
You have created a time for everything under heaven:
a time for remembering,
and a time to set plans for the future;
a time for prayer
and a time to act with courage and compassion;
a time for sacrifice
and a time to enjoy the fruits of our toil.
In Jesus Christ, you have made your home among us,
and gathered our times into your time,
so that we might live the life of the kingdom
which you prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you for gathering all our times into your time,
so that we might live the life of the kingdom
which you prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and with the whole earth tell of the greatness of your name,
for you are the God who makes all things new.
The moon and the stars are your handiwork,
and the earth and its inhabitants reflect your glory.
You have created us, dressing us in glory undeserved,
and entrusted the charge of the earth to our hands.
You have created a time for everything under heaven:
a time for remembering,
and a time to set plans for the future;
a time for prayer
and a time to act with courage and compassion;
a time for sacrifice
and a time to enjoy the fruits of our toil.
In Jesus Christ, you have made your home among us,
and gathered our times into your time,
so that we might live the life of the kingdom
which you prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

In Jesus Christ, God makes all things new.
The former things have disappeared.
God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and embrace the new time which God has given us.
Recognize Christ in friend and stranger,
and as Christ has been gracious to you,
so be gracious to those in need.
And may God dwell with you as your God.
May Christ be your food and drink
and give you pleasure in your work.
And may the Spirit be your beginning and end
and hold all your times in her loving embrace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When I was hungry, what did you do?A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton

When I joined your church, you burned me out!A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton

Icons on Street CornersA sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton

Will the Sheep Plead for the Goats?A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton

Judging NationsA sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton

1st Sunday of Christmas - Year A
2028-12-31 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 63: 7-9

I will set out the evidence of the LORD’s extravagant generosity;
the things that the LORD has done, all deserving applause.
The LORD has done so much for us,
smiled upon us and been good to us.
Overflowing with love and loyalty,
our God has treated us far better than we deserve.
Every time we were in trouble,
the LORD felt our pain and rescued us.
The LORD said of us:
“These are my people for sure, my own children,
who would never do me wrong.”
The task of helping us out was not given to someone else;
the LORD was with us in person to rescue us.
Motivated solely by love and compassion,
God put our lives back together.
Gathering us up in loving arms,
our God carried us down through the years.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 148

We sing your praises, LORD!
From every corner of the universe,
from high and low, near and far,
we join the chorus of praise!
With the angels and all who serve you in heaven,
we sing your praises!
With the sun and moon, stars and planets,
we sing your praises!
With far flung galaxies and the milky way,
we sing your praises!
All of them speak of you in glowing terms, LORD,
for they owe their very existence to you.
You ordered their creation
and fixed them in place for all time.
We sing your praises, LORD!
Every creature on earth joins the choir,
singing your praises for all they’re worth:
dolphins and whales
and the ocean itself;
bushfire and hail storm,
snow and ice,
cyclones dancing to your tune;
mountain ranges and rolling hills,
orchards and rainforests,
animals from both bush and farm,
reptiles and birds;
people of every race and class,
people of power and influence;
men and women, old and young,
every voice on earth joins as one!
One and all, we sing your praises, LORD,
yours is the only name on our lips!
You alone outshine the glory of the universe!
You have given strength to your people,
and honour to your faithful ones,
to those you have chosen
and hold close to your heart.
You, LORD, are the greatest!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 2: 10-18

Everything exists for God and because of God, and God set out to gather everyone into one family on the road to glory. It was only right that the one who God chose as the trail blazer to lead people out of danger should first earn a perfect 10 in the same arena of suffering as them. You see, the one who sets the pattern for holy living and the ones who are patterned by it are all children of the one God, born through the same labour pains. That explains why Jesus has no hesitation in calling them his sisters and brothers. He says to God:
“I will tell these, my sisters and brothers, all I know of you.
Whenever they gather, I’ll be there, trumpeting your virtues.”
Again he puts himself in the same boat as us when he says:
“I too live by putting my trust in God.”
And yet again:
“I take my stand here with the children God has given me.”
So it makes sense that for Jesus to share so fully in the life experience of the children, he had to be of the same flesh and blood as them. It was only in the same flesh and blood that he could go through the same death; and it was in going through death that he destroyed the devil who wields death as his ultimate weapon. That is how he broke open an escape route for those whose fear of death robbed them of their freedom to live. Now it is quite clear that he wasn’t doing this for the benefit of the angels. Rather it was for us human beings, who follow in the footsteps of Abraham, and so he had to become one of us in every respect. Only by being totally identified with us could he have the necessary compassion and loyalty to be the high priest who offers the costly gift to God to cancel out all we have done wrong. Because he himself has survived the worst that life can dish out without giving up, he is now ideally placed to help out those whose limits are being being put to the test.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 2: 13-23

The visit of the mystics from the east had tipped off King Herod about the birth of a potential rival. Before it was too late, a messenger from the Lord made contact with Joseph in a dream and said, “Get out of bed, pack up the family, and get out of town, because Herod is about to send out a death squad to hunt down the child. Seek asylum in Egypt and stay there until I say otherwise.”
So Joseph hurriedly prepared the child and his mother for the journey. They made their getaway under the cover of night and hit the road for Egypt. They lived there until the death of Herod. It was just as the prophet Hosea had written:
“I, the Lord, have called my son out of Egypt.”
When Herod realised that the visiting mystics had pulled a swifty on him, he went right off his head. Based on what they had said, he calculated that the child could not yet be two years old, so he sent out his death squads with orders to kill every child under the age of two in the district of Bethlehem. It was just as the prophet Jeremiah had said:
“Hear the noise in the land of Ramah;
grief-stricken cries and screams;
Rachel weeping inconsolably,
wailing for her children,
for they have been wiped out.”
Some time later, when Herod died, a messenger of the Lord once again appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “The coast is clear. Those who were out to get the child are dead. You can pack up and take him and his mother home to Israel.”
So Joseph did just that. He packed up the family and set out for Israel. However, he was unnerved when the news reached him that Archelaus was now king of Judea, taking over where his father Herod had left off. His fears were confirmed in a dream, so they pushed on further north to the region of Galilee, where they made their home in a town called Nazareth. This too was consistent with the words of the prophets:
“They will call him the man from Nazareth.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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,
because of all the good things you have done for us
in your abundant mercy and steadfast love.
All things exist for you and through you,
for you called them forth and fixed them in place.
You taught your people through the law and prophets
and became their saviour in all their distress.
In your love and concern for us,
you became present among us in your child, Jesus.
Though he was hunted at birth
and forced to flee as a refugee,
he was made perfect through his sufferings
so that he might be a merciful high priest,
faithfully reconciling your people to you.
When enemies overtook him,
in death he destroyed the power of death,
and you raised him to new life,
freeing all those whose lives were held in slavery
by the fear of death.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you that in your love and concern for us,
you became present among us in your Son, Jesus.
Though he was hunted at birth
and forced to flee as a refugee,
he was made perfect through his sufferings
so that he might be a merciful high priest,
faithfully reconciling your people to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
because of all the good things you have done for us
in your abundant mercy and steadfast love.
All things exist for you and through you,
for you called them forth and fixed them in place.
You taught your people through the law and prophets
and became their saviour in all their distress.
In your love and concern for us,
you became present among us in your child, Jesus.
Though he was hunted at birth
and forced to flee as a refugee,
he was made perfect through his sufferings
so that he might be a merciful high priest,
faithfully reconciling your people to you.
When enemies overtook him,
in death he destroyed the power of death,
and you raised him to new life,
freeing all those whose lives were held in slavery
by the fear of death.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Through his suffering, Christ has become our high priest,
offering sacrifices to God to atone for our sins.
It is his presence that saves us,
for in his love and mercy he redeems us
and lifts us up.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and give praise for all the Lord has done.
Put your trust in Christ;
weep over the world’s grief and suffering,
and with Christ, offer yourselves to God
for the healing of the world.
And may God give you strength and glory;
May Christ Jesus be proud to call you his brothers and sisters;
And may the Holy Spirit lift you up and carry you onward.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Refugee LiberatorA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Christmas and Murdered ChildrenA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23, Hebrews 2:10-18 & Isaiah 63:7-9 by Nathan Nettleton

Is Christmas For Children?A sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23& Hebrews 2:10-18 by Nathan Nettleton

A Paschal Nativity StoryA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23 & Hebrews 2: 10-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Lamentation at ChristmasA sermon on Matthew 2: 16-18 by Nathan Nettleton

The Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Eve/Day)
2028-12-25 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
The Revised Common Lectionary provides three sets of readings for the Feast of the Nativity, and calls them Proper I, Proper II, and Proper III. Some church will use different ones for different services. Some will use one set each year. Others might use readings from all three sets in an extended service of lessons and carols.

Below you will find the three sets, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases and prayers. Below the third set you will find a list of sermons for the day.

Proper I

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.

Isaiah 9: 2-7

The people who lived in a dark cloud of gloom
have seen a great light break through;
those in the blackest hell-holes
have seen their whole world light up.
LORD, you have built up the nation,
and given them every reason to celebrate.
The people revel in it all,
like farmers when a drought breaks;
like children opening presents.
Finally they are out from under the thumb
of those who oppressed them.
You have broken their chains
and run the slave drivers out of town,
just as you did in days long ago.
There will be a huge bonfire
to burn everything left by the occupation forces,
their blood-stained uniforms and cruel boots
will go up in flames.
For see! A child has been born for us;
the gift of a son who will take charge of everything.
He will be given all these titles:
Most Excellent Advisor;
Supreme God;
Father Forever,
Prince of Peace.
The reach of his arm will just keep growing,
and his realm will know peace without limit.
He will inherit all that David ruled,
and bring stability and security.
Doing what is just and right
will be the hallmarks of his reign
from now on and for all time.
The LORD’s heart is set on this;
The LORD who rules over everything will see that it happens.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 96

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD;
singing to you with all the earth.
Every mention of your name sets us singing your praises.
We never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;
all over the world, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;
everyone we meet hears us giving the credit to you.
You are the greatest, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!
When it comes to gods, you are in a league of your own;
all other objects of devotion are powerless.
But you, LORD, created the whole cosmos;
you are surrounded by majesty and celebration;
strength and beauty are signs of your presence.
People of every race and creed recognise you, LORD;
they recognise you behind all that is strong and true;
they name you as the one who deserves all the glory.
We offer ourselves to you, LORD;
we fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;
with all the earth, we celebrate you alone.
You are our king, LORD; we’ll tell everyone everywhere!
You have set the world on firm foundations,
and with you in charge, everyone will get a fair go.
Let the heavens and the earth celebrate;
let the roar of the sea join in;
let everything that walks, flies or swims join the party!
You are on your way, LORD,
and even the roadside trees cheer as you approach,
for you are coming to set things right on the earth.
You will sort things out and put things right,
and reveal the truth about everything and everyone.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Titus 2: 11-14

God’s extravagant generosity is now out in the open for everyone to see. No one is left out - God has come to save everyone and everything! There are some solid lessons in this for all of us - we are being trained in how to turn our backs on crass and indulgent lifestyles, and how to get our lives back under control and on track, to realign ourselves with God and rebuild our integrity. All this is for the here and now. As much as we are eagerly waiting for the day when all God’s promises are fulfilled, when the full glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is writ large for all to see, there’s no reason not to get on with living it right now! After all, it was him who paid the ultimate price to bail us out of the degradation we’d sunk into. He didn’t stop at getting us out either, he personally went to work, decontaminating us and transforming us into a people he’s proud to be identified with, a people who enthusiastically throw themselves into doing good.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: 1-14, (15-20)

Many years ago, the Roman Emperor Augustus gave orders for a census to be conducted throughout the whole empire. This was the first time it had been done while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Every man was required to go and register himself and his family in the town where he had been born. For Joseph, this meant travelling all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Bethlehem had been the home town of King David, and Joseph, being a descendent of David, had been born there too, so that was where he had to report. Joseph’s fiancée, Mary, travelled with him to Bethlehem for the census. She was pregnant and the baby was due any day. There was no accommodation left anywhere in the town, so they ended up sleeping rough in the stables behind a pub. Sure enough, she went into labour while they were there and gave birth to her first child – a baby boy. Mary wrapped the baby in a bunny rug and made up a bed for him in a feed trough.
The region around Bethlehem was sheep country, and that night there was a bunch of shearers spinning yarns around their campfire. Suddenly the whole sky lit up with the glory of God, and the Lord’s messenger stood among them. They were packing death, but the messenger said to them, “It’s okay! There’s no need to panic. I’m here with good news, news that will give everyone everywhere good reason to celebrate. A saviour has just been born in David’s town. He is God’s chosen one, the Lord of all. Go and see for yourselves. You’ll know you’ve found him when you see a baby wrapped in a bunny rug and lying in a feed trough!”
The moment he’d finished speaking, the messenger was joined by a whole crowd from heaven, all praising God and shouting at the tops of their voices, saying:
“All the glory belongs to God in heaven,
and let there be peace on earth for all God’s people!”
Then it was all over – the crowd went back to heaven and the shearers were left sitting there looking at one another, gob-smacked. “We’d better go and check this out,” they said. “Let’s go into town and see if we can see what’s happened, what the Lord has let us in on.”
So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again – a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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,
and to offer a new song of praise,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God who made the heavens,
the Lord, whose majestic light now shines
on those who walked in darkness.
Your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death,
he will rise to break the rod of oppression.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will burn the blood stained clothes of war.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your Son is given to us, the firstborn of Mary.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and offer to you a new song of praise,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God who made the heavens,
the Lord, whose majestic light now shines
on those who walked in darkness.
Your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death,
he will rise to break the rod of oppression.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will burn the blood stained clothes of war.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people.
Jesus Christ is given to us
to redeem us from all wickedness
and to make us a pure people who belong to him
and are eager to do good.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
Renounce ungodly living and unworthy desires,
and take control of your life with godliness and honour.
And may the God of grace increase your joy.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit, the Wonderful Counsellor,
make the good news known to you and through you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Proper II

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.

Isaiah 62:6-12

Jerusalem, I have sent the town criers up onto the wall.
I have told them to shout day and night,
and never let anyone shut them up.
Their job is to shout and chant without a break,
to keep up the pressure
until the LORD puts Jerusalem back on her feet
and makes her the toast of all the earth.
“I have given my word,” says the LORD,
“and you can count on it.”
“Never again will I let your enemies in
to plunder the food and wine
that you have put so much work into.
From now on everyone will enjoy the fruits of their own labour;
those who bake the bread
will eat with thankful hearts;
those who pick the grapes
will enjoy the wine in my temple.”
People of Jerusalem, throw open your gates.
Get everything ready for the home comers.
Resurface the road,
fill the potholes, clear the stones,
put up signs to show everyone the way.
The LORD has an announcement to make,
and all the earth will hear it;
“I am coming soon to save you, Jerusalem,
and I will bring a reward
to make up for all you have suffered.
You will be known as a people dedicated to me,
as the people I have reclaimed and brought home.
You will be called “the place to be,
the city no one wants to leave.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 97

You, LORD, are the ruler of everything!
The whole earth celebrates!
Up and down the coast, everyone is shouting for joy!
Deep, dark clouds of mystery hide you from us;
justice and integrity are the bedrock of your rule.
You are a consuming fire, leaping in all directions,
purging the earth of its enemies.
Your touch splits the darkness with bolts of light;
the earth is lit up and shakes like a leaf.
You are Lord of all the earth, and in your presence
even the mountains go weak and melt like wax.
The heavens herald you as the one who puts things right;
all people everywhere witness your day of glory.
Those who worshipped hollow facades
will hang their heads in shame.
Those who take pride in the power of possessions
will be horrified when it all proves worthless.
All these false gods and short-lived saviours
crumble and fall before you, the real thing.
From the Temple Mountain to the farthest flung town,
your people are celebrating with great joy, O God,
because you have seen the truth and brought about justice.
You, LORD, are number one in all the universe;
in a league of your own,
far above anything else that seeks our allegiance.
You love those who detest evil, LORD;
You stand guard over those who are loyal to you;
You come to their rescue if they fall prey to violence.
When people have integrity and do what is right,
you light up their lives and fill them with joy.
All who build their lives on the bedrock of your truth and justice
are celebrating all you do, LORD.
Just the mention of your holy name
and they burst forth with a flood of gratitude!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Titus 3: 4-7

When God our Saviour showed up,
overflowing with goodness, love and kindness,
we were rescued from the horrors of our past.
God saved us,
for no other reason than because God wanted to.
We had never done anything to deserve it.
It only happened because God’s mercy is so extravagant.
The Holy Spirit stepped in
and took us down into the healing waters.
We came out thoroughly rejuvenated,
like newborn babies with a fresh start before us.
Through our contact with Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
God has poured out the Holy Spirit on us,
like a rich oil that soaks into every pore.
So now, having been given a clean slate
through God’s extravagant generosity,
we are marked out to receive the full inheritance,
the life without limit that everyone has been longing for.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Many years ago, the Roman Emperor Augustus gave orders for a census to be conducted throughout the whole empire. This was the first time it had been done while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Every man was required to go and register himself and his family in the town where he had been born. For Joseph, this meant travelling all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Bethlehem had been the home town of King David, and Joseph, being a descendent of David, had been born there too, so that was where he had to report. Joseph’s fiancée, Mary, travelled with him to Bethlehem for the census. She was pregnant and the baby was due any day. There was no accommodation left anywhere in the town, so they ended up sleeping rough in the stables behind a pub. Sure enough, she went into labour while they were there and gave birth to her first child – a baby boy. Mary wrapped the baby in a bunny rug and made up a bed for him in a feed trough.
The region around Bethlehem was sheep country, and that night there was a bunch of shearers spinning yarns around their campfire. Suddenly the whole sky lit up with the glory of God, and the Lord’s messenger stood among them. They were packing death, but the messenger said to them, “It’s okay! There’s no need to panic. I’m here with good news, news that will give everyone everywhere good reason to celebrate. A saviour has just been born in David’s town. He is God’s chosen one, the Lord of all. Go and see for yourselves. You’ll know you’ve found him when you see a baby wrapped in a bunny rug and lying in a feed trough!”
The moment he’d finished speaking, the messenger was joined by a whole crowd from heaven, all praising God and shouting at the tops of their voices, saying:
“All the glory belongs to God in heaven,
and let there be peace on earth for all God’s people!”
Then it was all over – the crowd went back to heaven and the shearers were left sitting there looking at one another, gob-smacked. “We’d better go and check this out,” they said. “Let’s go into town and see if we can see what’s happened, what the Lord has let us in on.”
So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again – a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God whose Word raised the earth from the seas,
whose presence melts mountains like wax,
and whose light rains down joy on loyal hearts.
Your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death
he will rise to bring back your people
and name them “Redeemed”.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will be wrapped in thunder and crowned with glory.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a Son is given to us, the firstborn of Mary.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God whose Word raised the earth from the seas,
whose presence melts mountains like wax,
and whose light rains down joy on loyal hearts.
Your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death
he will rise to bring back your people
and name them “Redeemed”.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will be wrapped in thunder and crowned with glory.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The kindness and love of God our Saviour has been revealed
and he has saved us according to his mercy.
Having been justified by his grace,
we are now made heirs with Christ
in the hope of eternal life.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
Love the Lord, reject evil,
Be joyous in Christ and live faithful lives.
And may God shield you and call you his redeemed.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit be poured out upon you,
making you heirs of hope with Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Proper III

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.

Isaiah 52: 7-10

Talk about a sight for sore eyes!
Here comes the messenger, galloping down the mountain,
bringing the news that God’s people have been hanging out for:
“You are saved!
God is in control!
Finally there will be peace!”
So now its time to celebrate like crazy!
Those of you who were standing, tense and silent, on the lookout
can let your hair down and sing and dance.
Fearing the worst, you saw the best:
the LORD returning home to reclaim the city!
You whose streets and homes were reduced to rubble
can raise your glasses and sing together,
for the LORD has put an arm around your shoulders,
reclaimed your streets, and begun rebuilding.
In full view of every nation
the LORD has brandished a hard fist,
ready to deal with would-be oppressors.
Now is the time for the whole earth to see
the freedom God promised,
the peace we longed for!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
because you have done fantastic things.
With your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in
and came out on top.
Your victory has made the headlines, LORD,
now the whole world can see that you were right all along.
You have never defaulted on your rock-solid love,
or your loyalty to your chosen people.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone has seen your victory.
With all the world, LORD, we raise a noisy celebration,
singing our lungs out and shouting your praise.
The bands strike up in your honour, LORD,
filling the air with festive music.
With a brass fanfare and a dancing beat
we loudly celebrate your reign over us.
The whole creation joins in the celebration:
the ocean and its creatures roar their approval;
the land and its animals, cheer and stomp;
rivers and lakes give a standing ovation,
mountains and hills erupt in applause.
We put on the whole show in your presence, LORD,
celebrating your arrival as you finally bring justice.
With you in charge we know things will be put right;
now every one on earth will get a fair go.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 1: 1-4, (5-12)

Down through the years, God has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets in all sorts of different ways. Lately though, at long last, God has sent a Son to speak to us directly. It was through this Son that God created the world in the first place, and it will all belong to him in the end. You can see all the glory of God mirrored in this Son. God’s essential nature is imprinted on him perfectly. Everything in the universe holds together at his say so. The Son took action to bring about the forgiveness of sins, and having done that he was given the most honoured seat in heaven as God’s right hand man. He had proven himself to be in a league above the angels, and the title he was granted made this clear.
Think about it; God never said to any of the angels:
“You are my Son;
for I have conceived you and brought you to birth.”
Nor did God ever say of of angel:
“I am the Parent,
and this one is my Child.”
When God’s firstborn is brought forth into the world, God says:
“All my angels are to worship him.”
Referring to the angels, God says:
“I make my angels but a puff of wind,
and my servants but flames of fire.”
But speaking to the Son, God says:
“Your throne, O God, will never be shaken.
Your royal power is wielded for justice.
You have a passion for integrity and a loathing for corruption.
Therefore God has chosen you above all others,
and crowned you with joy like no other has known.”
And again speaking to the Son, God says:
“On day one, Lord, you laid the earth’s foundations,
and made the stars in the sky by hand.
Earth and sky will one day be gone,
but you are here for keeps.
They will wear out like favourite work clothes
or be tossed out like last year’s fashions.
But you are untouched by time or wear,
and you will be with us forever.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 1: 1-14

At the very start, there was one who is called the Word.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
From day one, God and the Word were inseparable.
It was through the Word that everything was created.
There is absolutely nothing that doesn’t owe its existence to him.
In the Word was life.
He is the source of the life
that turns on the lights for everyone.
The light of his life breaks open the darkness,
and the darkness could not snuff it out.
Once there was a man on a mission from God;
his name was John.
John gave a first-hand report about the light,
spelling it out so that everyone could believe.
He wasn’t the light, himself,
but he made it his job to draw everyone’s attention to the light.
The real light was on his way into the world;
the light that lights up inside of everyone.
He was in the world
but the world didn’t even notice him
even though it owed its existence to him.
He turned up on his own planet, among those he created,
but his own people turned their backs on him.
Some people accepted him, though,
and put their trust in who he said he was
and what he said he was on about.
He gave to those people all they needed
to become children of God.
Becoming God’s children had nothing to do
with sperm and egg,
or three-stage labour;
they became God’s children
when they were born of God.
The Word, though, was born flesh and blood like everyone else.
He cast in his lot with us
and rolled out his swag in our midst.
We have seen him in all his glory,
like father, like son;
warm and generous to a fault,
solid and true to the core.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 have revealed your justice to the nations
and recalled your merciful love for your people.
In the beginning your Word created the world.
Through your Word, life was brought into being,
and the life was the light that overcomes the darkness.
Your messenger came bringing the good news of peace
so that all might know the Word and believe.
And tonight the good news is fulfilled:
the Word has become flesh.
Though comforted at the breast, he is your exact likeness.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people gave him no welcome,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
He will come to rule the world in justice
and in him all the earth shall see your salvation.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your Word has become flesh among us.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people turned him away,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have revealed your justice to the nations
and recalled your merciful love for your people.
In the beginning your Word created the world.
Through your Word, life was brought into being,
and the life was the light that overcomes the darkness.
Your messenger came bringing the good news of peace
so that all might know the Word and believe.
And tonight the good news is fulfilled:
the Word has become flesh.
Though comforted at the breast, he is your exact likeness.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people gave him no welcome,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
He will come to rule the world in justice
and in him all the earth shall see your salvation.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ, the exact likeness of God’s own being,
has come into the world full of grace and truth.
He has made purification for sins,
and to all who believe in him,
he gives the power to become children of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and join your voices
with the song of joy in all creation.
Announce peace.
Herald salvation.
Let the earth know that God reigns.
And may God sustain you with his powerful Word.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit reveal to you the glory
of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

“From little things, big things grow.” A sermon on Luke 2: 1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

A Homily from St Gregory Nazianzus for the Feast of the NativityA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

A Homily from St Leo the Great for the Feast of the NativityA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

The Nativity Sermon of St John ChrysostomA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

A Nativity Sermon from St Ephraim the SyrianA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

The Light ShinesA sermon on John 1:1-14 & Isaiah 9:2-7 by Nathan Nettleton

Today!A thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Peace on EarthA sermon on Luke 2: 1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

The Emmanuel ScandalA sermon on John 1: 1-14; Luke 2: 1-20 & Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Christmas LightsA Christmas sermon by Alison Sampson

Human BecomingA sermon on John 1:1-18; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20 & Isaiah 9:2-7 by Nathan Nettleton

The Gospel in a Feed TroughA sermon on Luke 2:1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

For Christmas hope and healing, look to the shadowsA sermon on Luke 2:1-20 by Alison Sampson

May the Word be With YouA sermon on John 1:1-14 by Roslyn Wright

Light in the DarknessA sermon on Isaiah 9:2, Luke 2:9 & John 1:3-9 by Nathan Nettleton

4th Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-24 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 7: 10-16

The LORD sent word to King Ahaz of Judah, saying:
I, the LORD your God, will give you a sign so that you can be sure that it is really me who is sending you this promise of safety. What sign do you want? Something dramatic, deep the earth or high in the sky? You name it, and I’ll do it.
But Ahaz refused, saying, “I will ask no such thing. Far be it from me to demand guarantees from the LORD.” So Isaiah the prophet spoke on behalf of the LORD, saying:
Then get this into your head, you who rule from David’s throne. Haven’t you made enough people sick and tired of your weak-as-water religious posturing? Do you have to try it on with God as well?! Well, the Lord is going to go ahead and give you a sign anyway. Check this out: there is a girl who is pregnant. She will give birth to a baby boy and he will be given the name Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ Before he is old enough to choose between right and wrong, he will be eating foods that you can’t even get hold of in the present crisis. Yes, even before he is old enough to take responsibility for his own behaviour, the threat of war will have passed. The two countries whose armies are terrorising you will have disappeared without a trace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19

God, you are the one who watches over your people
like a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach,
watching from a high seat, like a king enthroned.
Listen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries,
so that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth.
Up and at it, God!
Come equipped to rescue us.
Come and smile on us again, God;
save us and revive us with your kiss of life.
LORD God, you rule over everything;
how much longer will you keep us in the sin bin,
turning away in anger when we pray?
You reduced our rations to tears alone;
tears by the plate full, tears by the cup full.
You made us the laughing stock of our enemies
and even our neighbours turn up their noses.
Come and smile on us again, God;
save us and revive us with your kiss of life.
Take our side again, your wayward favourite child,
the one you raised by hand to be your own.
We will never go off the rails again;
save us now and your name will be on our lips forever.
LORD God, you rule over everything;
Come and smile on us again;
save us and revive us with your kiss of life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 1: 1-7

This letter comes to you from me, Paul, a labourer in the service of Jesus Christ. I was called to be one of his special ambassadors and assigned to the task of broadcasting the wonderful message of God’s love in Christ. This message did not come out of the blue; you only have to read the writings of the prophets in the sacred scriptures to know that God had been promising it for some time. The message centres on God’s Son who was born into a family of King David’s descendants — a weak human like us — and who was declared to be the Son of God by being raised from the dead to new life — a powerful Spirit like the Holy One. I speak of course, of Jesus, the Messiah and our Lord. It is through him that we have come to be on the receiving end of God’s extravagant generosity. It is also through him that we have been made ambassadors with the special assignment of bringing the outsiders into a new relationship with God based on trust and obedience. Jesus the Christ gets all the credit for this, and you, of course, were among those who have responded to the call to hand yourselves over to him in this way.
So this letter comes to you — God’s much loved people in the city of Rome — who have been called to dedicate yourselves wholly and solely to God.
I greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace given through the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 1: 18-25

This is the story surrounding the birth of Jesus the Messiah. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph who was a descendant of King David. But before they had lived together, Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant. It was the Holy Spirit who had made her pregnant, but Joseph didn’t know that. Joseph was a staunch ‘respectability and law-and-order’ man, but he still didn’t want to see Mary publicly disgraced, so he made plans to break off the engagement on the quiet. But just when he had sorted this out in his head, a messenger from the Lord spoke to him in a dream saying:
“Joseph, hold your nerve and go ahead and get married to Mary, because the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a baby boy and you are to treat him as your own. Give him the name Jesus, because he will live up to its meaning by saving his people from their toxic ways.”
As these events took place, they shed new light on the words that the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
“Check this out:
a virgin will fall pregnant and give birth to a son,
and people will speak of him as Emmanuel.”
‘Emmanuel’ is a Hebrew name meaning ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph woke up after his dream, he followed the instructions from the Lord’s messenger to the letter. He went ahead and married Mary, but they remained celibate until after the baby was born. As instructed, Joseph named the boy Jesus.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 rest your hand upon us,
calling us to be your holy saints and giving us life again.
Before time began, your Holy Spirit brooded over the chaos
and brought the earth and its inhabitants to birth.
Through your prophets speaking in the holy scriptures
you promised us a child
born as a sign of your saving presence with us.
Your promise has taken flesh in your child, Jesus the Christ,
who was born of the line of David.
When he was killed by your enemies,
your Spirit brought him forth again
by resurrection from the dead.
Through him the light of your presence has been restored
and we have been called into the obedience of faith
that we might belong to Jesus Christ forever,
living by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We give you thanks that through Christ
the light of your presence has been restored
and we have been called into the obedience of faith
that we might live by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you rest your hand upon us,
calling us to be your holy saints and giving us life again.
Before time began, your Holy Spirit brooded over the chaos
and brought the earth and its inhabitants to birth.
Through your prophets speaking in the holy scriptures
you promised us a child
born as a sign of your saving presence with us.
Your promise has taken flesh in your child, Jesus the Christ,
who was born of the line of David.
When he was killed by your enemies,
your Spirit brought him forth again
by resurrection from the dead.
Through him the light of your presence has been restored
and we have been called into the obedience of faith
that we might belong to Jesus Christ forever,
living by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Through Jesus Christ we have received grace:
the light of God’s presence is restored to us
and we are saved.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live by the hope conceived within you.
Refuse evil and choose good.
Call on the name of the Lord.
Walk with God in faithful obedience,
and do not fear public disgrace.
And may God be with you;
May Christ Jesus save you from your sins;
And may the Holy Spirit restore to you the light of God’s presence.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Speaking of pregnant virgins, did you hear the one…A drama/sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

What are you really made of?A sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Expect the UnexpectedA sermon on Romans 1:1-7 & Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Tarnished GoodsA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

God’s Suspect Sexual HistoryA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

What if it was God?A sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Why the Virgin Birth is not the Biggest ShockA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Blood on the sand and God with usA sermon on by Nathan Nettleton

3rd Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-17 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 35: 1-10

The parched and dusty land will celebrate;
the thirsty desert will be festive with flowers;
blazing colours – orchid and desert pea –
songs of joy as new life bursts forth.
The desert will be as rich as the Barrier Reef,
as majestic as Kakadu, as lush as the Daintree.
The glory of the LORD will be on display;
the splendour and magnificence of our God.
Are your hands trembling? Be strong!
Are your knees knocking? Stand firm!
Encourage those who are fearing the worst;
tell them not to give in to their fears but to hang in there.
Assure them that God is at hand;
coming to pay back oppressors what they deserve;
coming to rescue you, to set you free!
What a day that will be!
Eyes long blind will open to colour and light!
Ears long deaf will hear music and laughter!
Legs long paralysed will dance like brolgas!
Tongues long tied will sing like lyrebirds!
For reviving rains will fall on dry dusty land,
and rivers will flow in the desert.
Hard-baked salt pans will become inland lakes,
and cool water will gush up between scorching rocks.
Water birds will flock where only dingoes roamed,
and soft fruits will grow where only mulga survived.
There will be a new highway
known as ‘The One and Only True Way”.
The corrupt will not be allowed access,
for only God’s people may travel it;
and on this road, no one – not even a complete moron –
could ever lose their way.
There will be no hidden dangers along the road;
no snakes lying in wait at the side.
Nothing threatening will be found there,
so those God has put right may walk in safety.
Those who the LORD has bailed out will come home;
they will sing as they travel to God’s sacred mountain.
The smiles will never leave their faces again;
laughter and contentment will be theirs to keep,
and misery and despair will be made redundant.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146: 5-10

We hit the jackpot when we look to you for help, LORD;
when we put all our hopes in you – the God of our ancestors.
You are the one who made earth and sky,
who poured out the seas and filled them with life.
You are true to your word no matter what;
when people are ground into the dirt, you bring about justice;
when people are left to starve, you come with food.
You, LORD, set the prisoners free.
You, LORD, open the eyes of those who can’t see.
You, LORD, put the downtrodden back on their feet.
You, LORD, love those who do the right thing.
You, LORD, keep a caring eye on the asylum seekers.
You stick up for those who have no one else to stick up for them,
but you make the schemes of the corrupt backfire on them.
Take charge forever, LORD,
rule from your sacred Mountain for all time.
You’re the best, LORD. We’re with you all the way!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Luke 1: 47-55

We turn the spotlight on your greatness, God!
We dance with wholehearted joy over you, our saviour!
You smiled upon us, though we were nothing special,
and the memory of your generosity will last forever.
You have done wonderful and powerful things for us.
There is no other name in the same league as yours.
In every generation, Lord, you shower mercy
to those who treat you with respect.
You have rolled up your sleeves in a show of strength,
and sent packing those who were so full of themselves.
You kicked the power mongers out of office,
and lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.
You put on a feast for those who are hungry,
and slam the door on the rich without giving them a bite.
You give a helping hand to your servant Israel,
and always remember them with tender care.
This is exactly what you promised long ago, Lord,
when you made a vow to Abraham and Sarah
for every generation.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

James 5: 7-10

My friends, be patient as you wait for the Lord to return. Be as patient as the farmers. Farmers sow their crops and then have to wait patiently, hoping for good seasonal rains, because the harvest that pays their bills ripens in its own good time. There is nothing they can do to hurry it up. You can’t hurry the Lord up either, so be patient. Stay focussed though, and condition yourselves, because the arrival of the Lord is not far off.
My friends, don’t go whinging and putting each other down. If you do, you’ll find yourselves having to answer for it. The judge could reopen the case against you at any moment.
Take as your role models the prophets who brought us God’s message in the past. They really suffered for their stand, but they hung in there, never giving up, and their patience paid off.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 11: 2-11

John the baptiser was being held in a detention centre when news reached him about what the Messiah was doing. When some of his followers visited him, he sent them to Jesus with a question: “Are you the One everybody has been waiting for, or are we still waiting for someone else?”
Jesus answered:
“Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed. The blind are given their sight. The paralysed are up and walking. People with hideous diseases are cured. The deaf can hear. The dead are raised. And the poor are hearing news worth celebrating. How good it will be for those who realise what I’m up to and don’t get their noses out of joint over it.”
When the messengers were on their way back to John with their report, Jesus started to talk to the crowd about John:
“When you went out to the desert to see John, what were you expecting? A populist swayed by the winds of public opinion? No way! What then? A silvertail dressed up to the nines? No, you’d hang out in the lobby of some exclusive resort if you wanted to see them. So what were you looking for? A prophet? Now we’re talking! And not just any prophet, either. This is the one of whom scripture said:
“Take note: I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to blaze the trail for your arrival.
I kid you not: there has never been a person born who could hold a candle to John the baptiser, and yet the most insignificant nobody in the culture of heaven is greater than John.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
You are the creator of heaven, earth and the teeming seas.
You promised mercy to our ancestors
and sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience
to prepare the Holy Way before you.
In Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh
as the blind saw the light,
the deaf heard the music,
and the lame danced with joy.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and through him your good news still comes to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
And so with thankful hearts we patiently wait,
knowing that the day is near
when all the earth will see the fullness of your glory.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We give you that the promises made to our ancestors
have taken flesh in Jesus Christ
who brings your good news to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for your mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
You are the creator of heaven, earth and the teeming seas.
You promised mercy to our ancestors
and sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience
to prepare the Holy Way before you.
In Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh
as the blind saw the light,
the deaf heard the music,
and the lame danced with joy.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and through him your good news still comes to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Hear the good news for those who are fearful of heart:
"Be strong, do not fear!
your God is here, coming to save you.”
God’s promise of mercy is for you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, with good news for the poor
and prepare the way for the Lord.
Wait patiently.
Do not grumble against one another,
but encourage one another.
Be strong and do not fear.
And may God come quickly to save you;
May Christ Jesus give you everlasting joy and gladness;
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen your hearts
and lead you on God’s holy way.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Still Waiting, LordA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Faith, Hope and StumblingA sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Are You the One?A sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

What Are We Waiting For?A sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 & Luke 1:47-55 by Nathan Nettleton

Go Tell JohnA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

JoyA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 by Jennie Clarke

2nd Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-10 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 11: 1-10

Like a green shoot sprouting from the stump of a tree,
the family of David will again produce a king.
The Spirit of the LORD will be with him,
giving him wisdom and insight,
making him strong and perceptive,
filling him with knowledge and respect for God.
Showing due respect for the LORD
will be the new king’s greatest delight.
He will not judge by appearances,
nor act on the basis of rumour.
He will do the right thing by the poor
and be fair to those who can’t fight for themselves.
His words will strike like lightning,
and wipe out evil and corruption.
His reputation will be built
on honesty, loyalty and a passion for doing right.
In his day, the dingo and the lamb will play together;
the hawk and the pigeon will share a nest;
the crocodile and the wallaby will eat together,
and a little child will lead them around like pets.
Foxes and chooks will forage together;
their cubs and chickens will snuggle up to sleep;
and sharks will go vegetarian.
A gurgling baby will play with a Tiger snake;
toddlers will stick their hands into bee hives unharmed.
There will be no killing or maiming on the LORD’s holy mountain.
Just as water fills the oceans,
so will the earth be full of people
who know and love the LORD.
When that day comes, the revival of David’s line will be like a flag and all the world’s people’s will gather around it. All nations will look to the one king for guidance and he will live and reign in splendour and glory.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19

Send us a wise ruler, O God,
one who takes after you in justice and honesty;
one who does the right thing by everybody,
and is vigilant in ensuring justice for the poor;
one who will stand up for the disadvantaged,
provide a way out of the poverty trap,
and stomp on those who exploit the vulnerable.
Then the whole land will know prosperity and integrity;
the mountains, the valleys, the hills, the plains.
Send us a wise ruler, O God,
who will outlive the sun and moon,
who will rule forever, generation after generation.
May your chosen one give life to the land
like the spring rains in the wheat country.
May the people yield a bumper crop of honesty,
and may peace be as dependable
as the southern cross in the night sky.
More power to you, LORD, God of our land;
only you can do such incredible things.
May the mere mention of your name
inspire praise from everyone, forever.
May the whole earth be full of your glory.
Too right!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 15: 4-13

The writings that we have received from times past were written to teach us what we need to know. The unchanging and inspiring message of the scriptures fills us with courage and hope. I pray that God — rock-solid and inspirational — will unite you and enable you to get along with one another, showing each other the same sort of trust and respect that Christ Jesus shows to everyone. That sort of peaceful shared life will ring out a message, as clear as a bell, giving all the glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So welcome and accept one another as openly as Christ has welcomed and accepted you, and may all the credit go to God!
You can be sure of this: Christ accepted both insiders and outsiders. It is true that he came to serve the people of Israel, who had always had inside access to the truth of God, so as to make good on the promises made to their ancestors. But it is also true that he came so that the outsiders might encounter the mercy of God and get into the swing of giving credit and thanks to God too. The scriptures spoke of it in these words:
“I will speak the truth about you among the outsiders,
I will sing your praises and honour your name.”
In another place it is written:
“You outsiders, come and celebrate with God’s people.”
Similarly, another piece of scripture says:
“All you outsiders, sing the praises of God;
let all peoples everywhere honour the Lord.”
And the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“The root of David’s family will sprout again,
producing the one who will give the outsiders hope;
the one who will rule over all people everywhere.”
I pray that God, the hope-giver, will see to it that your faith produces a flood of joy and peace that fills your lives and spills over into an unshakeable confidence energised by the Holy Spirit.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 3: 1-12

While Jesus was living at home in Galilee, John the baptiser showed up in the Judean desert preaching to the people. This was the guts of his message: “Turn your lives around, for the culture of heaven is close at hand.”
The prophet Isaiah had spoken about John when he said,
“In the desert a voice is shouting:
‘The Lord is coming!
Get the road ready.
Clear the track, straighten it out for him.’”
John was dressed in rough clothes made of camel hair and animal skins. He lived on bush tucker – grasshoppers and wild honey. People came flocking to John from Jerusalem, from all the rural districts of Judea, and from up and down the Jordan valley. They owned up to their toxic ways and were baptised by John in the Jordan River.
But when John saw that members of the religious groups known as the Pharisees and the Sadducees were coming to him for baptism, he bellowed, “You slippery bunch of snakes! What makes you think that running down here for a quick bath will get you off scot free when the judgment comes? You’ve got to walk the walk. Show by your actions that you’ve turned your lives around as you say you have. And don’t presume you’ve got the inside running just because you can trace your family tree back to Abraham. I’m telling you straight, descendants of Abraham are thick on the ground and, at the snap of a finger, God could turn these rocks into a few more. Family trees count for nothing. It is what sort of fruit the tree bears that matters. If the fruit is rubbish, an axe is ready to cut the tree off at the ground and toss it on the fire.”
“I’m only baptising you with water. After me comes the One who is way out of my league – I’d be honoured just to carry his boots. It won’t be just water that he’ll be immersing you in. He’ll baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He’s ready to start with his flame thrower in hand. He’ll release an uncontrollable fire into the dry bushland of your lives, completely incinerating the rubbish and germinating the good seeds that lie in wait for that day.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 reign draws near
with the promise of justice, peace and security for all.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert,
you called us to prepare the way for your coming.
Through the scriptures,
you spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement,
filling us with hope in your visions of peace.
You came to us in your child, Jesus
— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —
and baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life,
and clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness
so that as his reign dawns,
justice may sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We give you thanks for your words of steadfastness and encouragement,
that fill us with hope for the day
when justice will sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your reign draws near
with the promise of justice, peace and security for all.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert,
you called us to prepare the way for your coming.
Through the scriptures,
you spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement,
filling us with hope in your visions of peace.
You came to us in your child, Jesus
— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —
and baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life,
and clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness
so that as his reign dawns,
justice may sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus has become a servant of all
so that we might glorify God for his mercy.
All who repent, confessing their sins,
are baptised in the love and mercy of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and prepare the way of the Lord.
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you,
and bear fruits worthy of repentance.
And may God grant you harmony with one another;
May Christ Jesus fill you with joy and peace in believing;
And may the Holy Spirit empower you and fill you with hope.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Is it for Real?A sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

What wine do you serve with locusts?A sermon on Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

A Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton

That you may Abound in HopeA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

The Axe and the StumpA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Hope: defiant and celebratoryA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting a Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

1st Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-03 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 2: 1-5

This is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was given to me, Isaiah:
The days are coming
when the mountain on which the LORD’s temple stands
will be the greatest mountain of all,
It will tower above every other peak and hill,
and all the world’s nations
will come rushing to it like a flood.
People everywhere will say:
“Come, let’s go and climb the LORD’s mountain;
let us worship in the temple of the God of Jacob.
There the LORD will teach us how to live right
so that we can get our lives on track.”
The holy mountain will be the place of enlightenment.
In the holy city, the LORD’s truth will be made known.
The LORD will settle all disputes between nations,
and sort out their competing claims.
They will turn weapons into welcome signs
and bombs into tools and toys.
Never again will nations take up arms against one another;
never again will young people be trained for war.
Come now, all you people of God,
let us stick to the tracks where the LORD’s light shines!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 122

When they invited us to your house, LORD,
our hearts leapt for joy!
And now, here we are,
standing inside the gates of your holy city.
Jerusalem, your sacred home;
the place where city and temple are one.
All your tribes gather here, LORD;
all your people come up here to celebrate.
They name you as the one to whom all thanks is due,
just as your people have always done.
The seats of law and justice are here,
safeguarded by David’s throne.
We pray for peace for Jerusalem;
may all go well for those who love your city.
Fill the city with peace and joy, LORD,
and stand guard to keep it secure.
For the love of sisters and brothers in Jerusalem,
we pray for the welfare of the city.
For the love of your house, LORD God,
we will work for peace in the holy land.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 13: 11-14

You, of course, understand the significance of the times we are living in. It is time to wipe the sleep out of your eyes; to be on your feet, fully alert. Salvation is at hand. It has been approaching ever since we first put our trust in God, and it is now drawing near. The night is almost gone; the new day is about to dawn. So let’s make sure that we get rid of any old ways of living that belong to the darkness of our past. Let us live our lives in such a way that we’ll be able to hold our heads high when the broad light of day shows up everything for what it really is. Avoid the desperate pursuit of pleasure with its common pitfalls of substance abuse, sexual sleaze, hostile belligerence, and crippling jealousy. Instead, take on the persona of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and don’t give any encouragement to the selfish desires that clamour for your attention and seek to hijack your life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 24: 36-44

Speaking in private with his followers, Jesus said:
“Time has almost reached its goal, but exactly when that day and hour will come, nobody knows. The angels of heaven don’t know and not even the Son knows. The Conceiver of everything is the only one who knows. What I can tell you is this: things will be much the same when the New Human arrives as they were in Noah’s day. Before the flood burst upon them, people were going about their business as though everything was normal, right up until the day that Noah went aboard his boat. They didn’t suspect a thing until the flood hit and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the New Human hits the scene. Two mates will be working shoulder to shoulder; one will be taken and one will be left behind. Two women will be working on the one bench; one will be taken and one will be left behind. So keep your eyes open and your ears pricked, because you have no way of knowing which day will see your Lord arrive. Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 the night is nearly gone,
and your light is dawning in the darkness.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and when the flood came in the days of Noah,
you saved a people and called them to walk in your light.
Though the day and hour cannot be known,
through your prophets, you have given us
visions of our approaching salvation.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have called all peoples to yourself
and taught us your ways.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and promised a day when he will come
at an unexpected hour
to gather up your faithful ones
and bring them home to your house,
so that the weapons and works of darkness
might be discarded
and all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you that though the day and hour cannot be known,
you have given us visions of our approaching salvation,
when Christ will gather your faithful ones
and bring them home to your holy mountain.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for the night is nearly gone,
and your light is dawning in the darkness.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and when the flood came in the days of Noah,
you saved a people and called them to walk in your light.
Though the day and hour cannot be known,
through your prophets, you have given us
visions of our approaching salvation.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have called all peoples to yourself
and taught us your ways.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and promised a day when he will come
at an unexpected hour
to gather up your faithful ones
and bring them home to your house,
so that the weapons and works of darkness
might be discarded
and all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
The night is far gone, the day is near.
God comes to us in mercy and love.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and walk in the light of the Lord.
Stay alert for the Lord is near.
Put on the armour of light
and live openly and honourably.
Pray for peace for all God’s people.
And may God clothe you in the light of Christ;
May Christ Jesus teach you his ways;
And may the Holy Spirit keep you alert and prepared
for the coming day of the Lord.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Prepare! How?A sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Wake Up To Yourselves!A sermon on Romans 13: 11-14 and Isaiah 2: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton

Where is it all Heading?A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Aim To Be Left Behind A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 & Romans 13:11-14 by Nathan Nettleton

The Future – what should we know? An Advent sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Jesus Comes to Disrupt and to LiberateA sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Scott Cowdell

The Burglar ComesA sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year C
2028-11-26 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
The writing is on the wall for you leaders of my people. You are supposed to be like shepherds, keeping an eye on my flock and seeing that they are kept united and safe. But you have butchered them and scattered them. You have driven them off and left them defenceless. But I can assure you that I, the LORD, have been keeping my eye on you! I will see that you get what you deserve for your crimes against my people.
I will bring back what’s left of my people; bring them home from the lands where I sent them when they fled as refugees. Back home where they belong, they will regain their strength and flourish once again. I, the LORD, will raise up new leaders for them who can be trusted to care for them like real shepherds. My people will no longer have any reason to fear or despair, and none of them will be lost.
You can be sure that the time is coming when I, the LORD,
will raise up a true king from the family of David;
one who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;
who will bring justice to the land and set things right.
As long as he reigns the land will be secure
and my people will enjoy peace.
Whenever his name is mentioned, people will say,
“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Canticle: Luke 1: 68-79

We sing your praises, Lord God of Israel,
because you have smiled upon us and put things right for us.
From the family of your servant David
you have called forth a hero with the power to save us.
You promised this years ago, in the preaching of your prophets.
You said you would break us loose from the grip of our enemies
and from the traps of those who had it in for us.
You have been true to your word
and honoured the agreement you made with our ancestors.
Way way back, you swore to Abraham and Sarah
that you would snatch us clear of enemy hands
and give us the opportunity to serve you openly,
without having to watch our backs;
to dedicate ourselves totally to you
and to doing what is right for the rest of our lives.
And now you have given us this child.
He will be known as a prophet of the great God.
He will go ahead of the coming Lord,
getting everything prepared.
He will let your people know that you offer salvation
and make it clear that their sins are forgiven.
Our God, your tender and patient love
will dawn on us and light up the world for us.
Even in the darkest hours, in the blackest hell-holes of our world,
your love will break through and illuminate the way of peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 1: 11-20

We are praying that your strength will be built up as you draw on God’s awesome resources, and that you will have the mental and emotional toughness to survive anything; not just to survive, in fact, but to keep on celebrating the good things you have received from God. You have much to be thankful for because, like a proud father, God has left a generous inheritance to the children of the light, and you’ve been written in for a share of it. We became children of the light when God broke the grip of the darkness that had overwhelmed us and placed us instead in the loving hands of Christ. All that we have ever done wrong has been forgiven and we have been put back where we belong, in the realm of God’s beloved Son.
Jesus Christ is the spitting image
of the God we cannot see.
Christ is the genuine original;
the blueprint for all creation.
Everything else that exists had its origin in Christ:
physical things and spiritual things;
visible things and invisible things;
things that govern the universe;
things that regulate our lives;
forces, powers and energies.
Absolutely everything that exists
was founded in Christ
and has its purpose in Christ.
Christ preceded everything else,
and Christ is the glue that holds everything else together.
Christ is to the church
as the head is to the body.
Life itself began with Christ
and new life – born from the dead – began with Christ too.
Christ was, is, and will be Number One in everything.
God was fully present in Christ, and gladly so;
reconciling everything in creation with its creator;
bearing the cost personally in the blood shed on the cross,
to restore the peace between heaven and earth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 23: 33-43

They took Jesus out to the place called Skull Hill where the executions were carried out, and strung him up on a cross by driving nails through his flesh. They executed a couple of convicted criminals in the same way on crosses on each side of him. As he hung there, Jesus prayed out loud, saying, “Father, forgive these people. They’ve got no idea what they are doing.”
The executioners divided up his clothes among themselves, tossing a coin to see who should get what. The people stood around staring, but the community leaders were hurling insults and ridicule at him and making a huge joke of it, saying, “He reckoned he could save everyone else. Let’s see him get himself out of this if he’s really the Messiah, God’s chosen one!”
The soldiers were sticking the boots in too, offering him drinks of wine that had turned to vinegar, and saying, “Come on. If you’re the king of the Jews, pull rank and get yourself out of this trouble!”
They also hung a sign above his head saying, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who was strung up alongside him joined in the insults, shouting, “What sort of Messiah are you?! Get your act together and save yourself, and save us while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal pulled his mate up short, saying, “Put a sock in it! Don’t you care what God could do to us? We are about to meet our maker, the same as he is, but you and I have done the crime and we are copping what we had coming. There was no miscarriage of justice over us. But what has this bloke ever done wrong? Nothing!” And then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come to take charge of everything.”
Jesus replied, “You have my word for it; today you will join me in Paradise.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
The writing is on the wall for you leaders of my people. You are supposed to be like shepherds, keeping an eye on my flock and seeing that they are kept united and safe. But you have butchered them and scattered them. You have driven them off and left them defenceless. But I can assure you that I, the LORD, have been keeping my eye on you! I will see that you get what you deserve for your crimes against my people.
I will bring back what’s left of my people; bring them home from the lands where I sent them when they fled as refugees. Back home where they belong, they will regain their strength and flourish once again. I, the LORD, will raise up new leaders for them who can be trusted to care for them like real shepherds. My people will no longer have any reason to fear or despair, and none of them will be lost.
You can be sure that the time is coming when I, the LORD,
will raise up a true king from the family of David;
one who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;
who will bring justice to the land and set things right.
As long as he reigns the land will be secure
and my people will enjoy peace.
Whenever his name is mentioned, people will say,
“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 46

Our refuge, our shelter, our fortress, our security;
you are all these things to us, God.
You are always there for us when we need you.
Because of you, we will not panic
even if our world comes crashing down around our ears;
even if the earth splits open beneath us;
even if chaos pours in like a raging flood;
even if life as we know it goes up in smoke.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
A river flowing with life-giving water runs through your holy city
bringing joy and peace to your sacred home.
You are the most high God, and the city where you live
will rest secure and greet the new day with confidence.
The world may be in chaos, nations tearing apart at the seams,
but when you speak, the earth sinks to its knees.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
What you have done is a sight for sore eyes, LORD;
you have left a trail of destruction across the earth:
weapons of war crushed and burned;
implements of fear smashed to pieces;
conflicts and wars closed down for good.
You call us to a peaceful calm
and invite us to know you as God.
You stand supreme above the nations,
unmatched in all the earth.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 are the King of the Universe
and you reign with justice and righteousness.
You created all things in heaven and on earth,
and through your holy prophets in ages past
you promised to save us from enemy hands
and free us from corrupt and negligent rulers.
Out of your deepest mercy
you have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ,
your anointed One who rules wisely,
shepherding your people and setting them free.
Though he is your visible image,
he was crucified as a criminal.
You raised him as the firstborn from the dead,
and through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.
Now you are reaching out to all who honour you
and recognise your chosen one in the agony of death,
and welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We give you thanks, King of the Universe,
for you have come to us in fullness in Jesus Christ,
your anointed One who shepherds your people,
setting them free and reigning with justice and righteousness.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the King of the Universe
and you reign with justice and righteousness.
You created all things in heaven and on earth,
and through your holy prophets in ages past
you promised to save us from enemy hands
and free us from corrupt and negligent rulers.
Out of your deepest mercy
you have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ,
your anointed One who rules wisely,
shepherding your people and setting them free.
Though he is your visible image,
he was crucified as a criminal.
You raised him as the firstborn from the dead,
and through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.
Now you are reaching out to all who honour you
and recognise your chosen one in the agony of death,
and welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

In deepest mercy,
God has rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, joyfully giving thanks to the one true King.
Prepare a pathway for the Lord;
endure everything with patience,
and teach people of salvation
through the forgiveness of sins.
And may God gather you into safety;
May Christ Jesus strengthen you with glorious power;
And may the Holy Spirit guide your feet on the way of peace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Can Christ be King if we become a Republic?A sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Cultural ImperialismA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Shepherds, Kings, and a Divided ChurchA sermon on Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Failed KingsA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 28 - Year C
2028-11-19 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Isaiah 65: 17-25

I, the LORD, am on the verge of making
the heavens and the earth brand new again.
The traumas of the past will be long forgotten,
fading from memory.
Kick up your heels and start the party!
Celebrate what I’m bringing into existence.
I’m creating Jerusalem as a place of joy,
a place full of happy peaceful people.
Jerusalem will be my pride and joy.
Its people will be my greatest delight.
Cries of fear will no longer be heard there.
The sounds of grieving will be gone for good.
Never again will there be babies who die young,
or adults who don’t live to a ripe old age.
If anyone dies at a hundred,
people will say they were cut down in their prime.
If they fall short of a hundred,
it will seem like some horrible curse.
They will live secure in the houses they have worked for.
They will enjoy the fruits of their own labours.
Never again will anyone build a house,
only to have the bank confiscate it.
Never again will anyone sweat and toil
only to see the profit go to someone else.
My people will live long and sturdy like the great trees.
My chosen people will love their work and enjoy its fruits.
Their work will not be wasted.
Their children will not be doomed.
I, the LORD, will see that their children flourish,
and that all will be well for their children’s children.
Before their prayers pass their lips, I will answer.
I’ll tune in before they’ve opened their mouths.
The dingo and the lamb will feed side by side.
The crocodile will go vegetarian.
Snakes will bite nothing but the dust!
There will be no killing or maiming on my holy mountain;
I, the LORD, have given my word!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Canticle: Isaiah 12

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, LORD!
Your anger was roused against us,
but you set it aside and comforted us instead.
You alone, LORD, are able to set us free,
so we put our trust in you, and have nothing to fear.
All our strength and power come from you, LORD GOD,
you have become our hero, our saviour!
You will put your saving love on tap,
deep draughts to be enjoyed by everyone.
On that day we will all say to one another,
“Thank the LORD! Let God’s name be on everyone’s lips!”
We will tell the world what you have done,
we will shout your name and declare you to be number one.
We will sing your praises because of all you have accomplished,
and give you the glory all over the earth.
With all the citizens of Zion, we lift our voices to you
with shouts and laughter and songs of celebration,
for you are the ultimate, the greatest, the Holy One,
and you live among us, your people!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13

My dear friends, let me stand on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and spell out what you should do: sever ties with any members of the church who are bludging off the rest of you, and not pulling their weight the way we taught you. We set the pace when we were with you, as you well know, so keep it up. We did not slack off and we didn’t sponge off anyone’s hospitality. We worked our guts out and paid our own way so that we would not be a drain on you at all. This was not because we he had no fair claim on your support; we clearly did. But it was more important to us to set an example for you to follow. You remember the rule we all operated by when we were with you: If you don’t work you don’t eat. But now we are hearing reports that some of you have become bludgers who don’t lift a finger unless it’s to pry into someone else’s business. Well, since we all share in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, let me lay down the law to these people — and you know who you are. Pull your finger out and put your shoulder to the wheel. Take your fair share of the workload without making a big deal of it and you’ll have earned your keep. Brothers and sisters, don’t ever run out of steam for doing what is right.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 21: 5-19

Some people were talking about the temple and waxing lyrical about what a spectacular building it was with its ornate stonework and all the beautiful fixtures which had been donated and dedicated to God. Jesus spoke up, saying, “The days are coming when everything you see here will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.”
“Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked, “and what warning sign we should watch for? What will tip us off that it is about to happen?”
Jesus replied, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for all the doomsday madness. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ or ‘The world is about to end!’ Don’t even begin to take them seriously. Every time there’s a new war or a flare-up in some trouble-spot, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen, but they are not an indication that the end is close. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. In many places people will face starvation and there will be terrible outbreaks of disease. There will be terrifying signs, as though the sky itself was going to fall in.
“But before all this happens, the world will turn against you. You will be harassed, arrested and locked up in detention centres because of your association with me. You will be dragged before the religious authorities, the civil magistrates, and even the political leaders. These hearings will give you an opportunity to speak out for the truth. Make up your minds now not to worry about it in advance. Don’t bother trying to plan what you will say in the witness box. When the time comes, I will give you the words. I will give you such wisdom that all the lawyers seeking to undo you will be left floundering, lost for words.
“Even those closest to you may end up betraying you. Some of you will be dobbed in by members of your own family or close relatives and friends. People everywhere will despise you because of your association with me, and some of you will be killed. Nevertheless there is not even a hair on your head that is not safe in my care. By toughing it out you will gain your souls.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Malachi 4: 1-2a

Hear what the LORD who rules over everything has to say:
Take note, the day is coming,
raging towards you like a bushfire.
Those who are arrogant and corrupt
will go up like tinder-dry grass.
The day that comes will incinerate them
without leaving a trace.
But for you who love me and bring honour to my name,
the day of peace and integrity will dawn.
The sun will shine on you warmly
with gentle healing rays.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
because you have done fantastic things.
With your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in
and came out on top.
Your victory has made the headlines, LORD,
now the whole world can see that you were right all along.
You have never defaulted on your rock-solid love,
or your loyalty to your chosen people.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone has seen your victory.
With all the world, LORD, we raise a noisy celebration,
singing our lungs out and shouting your praise.
The bands strike up in your honour, LORD,
filling the air with festive music.
With a brass fanfare and a dancing beat
we loudly celebrate your reign over us.
The whole creation joins in the celebration:
the ocean and its creatures roar their approval;
the land and its animals, cheer and stomp;
rivers and lakes give a standing ovation,
mountains and hills erupt in applause.
We put on the whole show in your presence, LORD,
celebrating your arrival as you finally bring justice.
With you in charge we know things will be put right;
now every one on earth will get a fair go.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation.
You created heaven and earth as the first of your works
and chose a people to be your delight.
Though we marred your creation
with war and insurrection,
you have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:
a day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight,
when all creation will live in peace
and people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things.
When he was betrayed by friends,
arrested, persecuted,
and put to death,
you raised him to new life
and through him, you strengthen us
so that we might not grow weary in doing what is right
but through endurance, gain our souls.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you that in your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things,
and that through him you strengthen us
so that we might not weary in doing what is right
but through endurance gain our souls.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation.
You created heaven and earth as the first of your works
and chose a people to be your delight.
Though we marred your creation
with war and insurrection,
you have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:
a day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight,
when all creation will live in peace
and people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things.
When he was betrayed by friends,
arrested, persecuted,
and put to death,
you raised him to new life
and through him, you strengthen us
so that we might not grow weary in doing what is right
but through endurance, gain our souls.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Before we call, the Lord answers,
while we are still speaking, our saviour hears.
God has promised that our sins will not be remembered
nor come to mind again.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and tell the world what God does.
Do not chase after self-proclaimed messiahs,
but draw deeply from God’s saving well
and speak the words the Spirit gives you.
Do not be weary in doing what is right.
And may God delight in you and give you strength;
May Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of new life;
And may the Holy Spirit give you the words and wisdom
to withstand all that would tear you down.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Temples Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

When You Hear of WarsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Don’t Panic! But Don’t Be Complacent!A sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

When You Hear of Wars and InsurrectionsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Everything Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 27 - Year C
2028-11-12 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Haggai 1:15b - 2:9

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, during the second year of the reign of Darius as king of Persia, the LORD sent the prophet Haggai with a message for the remaining people in Judah, and especially for their governor, Zerubbabel, and their high priest, Joshua. This is what the message said:
How many of you can remember what this temple was like when it stood here in all its glory? How does what you see here now compare? Pathetic, isn’t it? It needn’t stay that way though.
Fire up, Zerubbabel, and get to work.
Fire up, Joshua. You are the high priest. Get to work.
Fire up, all you people of the land, and get to work.
Get to work, because I, the LORD who rules over everything, will be with you, just as I promised I would be when you escaped from the land of slavery. My life-breath is among you and within you, so you have nothing to fear.
I, the LORD who rules over everything, promise you this. Very soon I will again shake up the earth and sky, the oceans and the dry land. I will turn the nations upside down and shake out their treasures so that this temple will be full of splendour. All the world’s silver and all the world’s gold belong to me, the LORD who rules over everything. This temple is going to end up more spectacular than it ever was. From this place I will enrich all people. I, the LORD who rules over everything, have given my word.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 145: 1-5, 17-21

We will declare you to be the greatest, God our king,
and put your name up in lights forever.
Every day, without fail, we will sing your praises,
we will honour your name now and forever.
You are wonderful, LORD; you deserve the highest praise,
and your greatness is more than we can comprehend.
Each generation tells the next what you have done,
and speaks with awe about your accomplishments.
We will fill our minds with your splendour and glory,
and with the stories of your amazing exploits.
Justice marks everything you do, LORD,
and generous love colours your every deed.
When honest hearts cry out to you, LORD,
you are right there alongside them.
You satisfy the desires of those who respect you;
you hear their cries and rescue them from death.
You watch out for those who love you, LORD,
and wipe out corruption when it threatens.
Your praises will be always on our lips, LORD,
and with all who live,
we will single out your name for the highest honour
forever and ever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 98

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
because you have done fantastic things.
With your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in
and came out on top.
Your victory has made the headlines, LORD,
now the whole world can see that you were right all along.
You have never defaulted on your rock-solid love,
or your loyalty to your chosen people.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone has seen your victory.
With all the world, LORD, we raise a noisy celebration,
singing our lungs out and shouting your praise.
The bands strike up in your honour, LORD,
filling the air with festive music.
With a brass fanfare and a dancing beat
we loudly celebrate your reign over us.
The whole creation joins in the celebration:
the ocean and its creatures roar their approval;
the land and its animals, cheer and stomp;
rivers and lakes give a standing ovation,
mountains and hills erupt in applause.
We put on the whole show in your presence, LORD,
celebrating your arrival as you finally bring justice.
With you in charge we know things will be put right;
now every one on earth will get a fair go.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5, 13-17

Sisters and brothers, on the subject of the day our Lord Jesus Christ finally comes and we are gathered together to be with him, let me speak as plainly as I can. Whatever you do, don’t go getting all jumpy about this. Don’t start flipping out because someone says that the day of the Lord has already been and gone; even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision or heard it from some authority, or even read it in a letter from us. There are plenty of hoaxes and con-jobs about these things. Don’t fall for them.
There are some things that have to happen before that day comes. There will be a great turning against God, and the appearance of the one who is a law unto himself. He personifies all that is destined for hell. Arrogant and charismatic, he will set himself up in opposition to all other religions and faiths, and demand that everyone give their ultimate allegiance and devotion to him alone. He will claim the place of God and promote himself as the supreme being. You remember these things, don’t you? I explained them all to you when I was still there with you.
You are greatly loved by God, sisters and brothers, and we can’t stop thanking God for you. From the very beginning, God chose you and set out to save you. Through our preaching of the message, God called you and you accepted the truth. Your trust enabled God’s Spirit to begin the reconstruction of your lives that will prepare you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, sisters and brothers, anchor yourselves firmly to the truth. Hang on tight to the traditions we taught you, both in person and in our letter.
Now may Jesus Christ and God who conceived us in love and in extravagant generosity gave us gifts of encouragement and hope which never end, give you real guts and strength in all you do and say for the cause of good.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 20: 27-38

The Saducees were a religious group whose teachings denied the belief that God will raise the dead to life. Some of their members approached Jesus with a question:
“Teacher, Moses left instructions about the family responsibilities of a man whose brother dies leaving a wife but no children. The man is to marry his brother’s widow and their first child will be counted as the offspring of his brother. Now give us your opinion about this case. The first of seven brothers married a woman, but he died childless. The second brother fulfilled his responsibility to marry her, but he also died childless. The same thing kept happening until all seven brothers were dead and still there was no child. Finally, the woman also died. Now you say that the dead will be raised to life. If so, whose wife will she be then since all seven had been married to her?”
Jesus answered their question, saying:
“Here and now, people make a big deal about pairing up and starting families. But for those who are accepted into the life that lies beyond death, such things will be superfluous. They will no more start families again than die again, because they will be gathered into the great family of God and have no need of anything more. And if you really want to know whether the dead are raised to life, you can take the word of Moses for it. In his account of the burning bush, he addressed the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Obviously he does not mean that God is the God of corpses. Moses knew that to God, all of them were alive, for God is the God of the living.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Job 19: 23-27a

If only my words of protest could outlive me!
If only they could be published somewhere;
engraved on a plaque in a public place,
or chiselled in giant letters on the rock!
I know that I have a guardian somewhere
who will stand up for me in the end and prove my innocence;
albeit when I’m rotting in my grave.
But I would see God now, before I die.
I would look God in the eye myself,
rather than have another stand on my behalf.
I knot up inside just thinking about it!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 17: 1-9

Give me a fair hearing, LORD;
pay attention to my plea.
Listen to what I have to say,
for I speak without a word of a lie.
I want you to be the one who declares me innocent,
for you always see things as they really are.
Put me under the microscope and see what I’m made of;
make a snap inspection anytime, day or night.
Cross examine me as thoroughly as you wish;
there are no skeletons in my closet;
I’ve got nothing to hide
and no tracks to cover.
I don’t just conform to what others do, LORD;
I take my cues from what you’ve said.
I have avoided straying down the path of violence,
and kept my feet firmly on the tracks you’ve shown.
I am calling to you, God,
because I know you will help.
Tune in to what I have to say
and hear me out.
Put your rock-solid love on display for all to see.
You are the one who rescues and shelters
those who seek asylum from violent persecution.
Treasure me and keep me safe;
tuck me safely under your wings;
hide me from those who are out to get me,
from the predators who hunt me down.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 chose us as the first fruits for salvation
to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first of your wonderful deeds
you created the heavens and earth, sea and land,
and every age proclaims your love and justice.
When your people faced ruin and discouragement,
your prophets spoke your word of promise
and the splendour of your worship was revived.
Through your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ,
your good news was proclaimed
and we were called from death to life.
When he was killed by those who oppose you,
you raised him to new life and through him,
you are making us children of the resurrection
and sanctifying us by your Spirit
so that when he comes again
we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you for choosing us in Jesus Christ
as the first fruits for salvation,
making us children of the resurrection
so that we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you chose us as the first fruits for salvation
to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first of your wonderful deeds
you created the heavens and earth, sea and land,
and every age proclaims your love and justice.
When your people faced ruin and discouragement,
your prophets spoke your word of promise
and the splendour of your worship was revived.
Through your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ,
your good news was proclaimed
and we were called from death to life.
When he was killed by those who oppose you,
you raised him to new life and through him,
you are making us children of the resurrection
and sanctifying us by your Spirit
so that when he comes again
we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord is near to all who call,
all who cry out from their hearts.
God hears their cry and saves them.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with courage, for God is with you.
Do not let anyone deceive you
but hold fast to the traditions of the Apostles
and put your trust in the God of the living.
And may our Lord Jesus Christ
and God our Father, who loved us
and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
comfort your hearts through the Holy Spirit
and strengthen them in every good work and word.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Reclaiming DoubtA sermon on Luke 20:27-38, 45-47 by Nathan Nettleton

Courage for the discouragedA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9 & 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 by Andrew Woff

Not of the DeadA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Compost, First Fruits, and the Whole HarvestA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 & Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Off the Scale AlivenessA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Ancient Marriage and Modern QuestionsA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

‘Being like angels’: Glimpsing the life of the resurrectionA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Lina Toth

Proper 26 - Year C
2028-11-05 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4

My name is Habakkuk and I am a prophet. I went to God seeking an explanation for the way things are.
For crying out loud, LORD!
How long will it be before you listen?
How long do I have to scream blue murder
before you come to the rescue?
Why do you make me witness so much evil?
Why am I forced to see such things?
Everywhere I look: violence and carnage,
fighting and madness on every side.
Law and order are out the window.
Justice is a joke.
The corrupt ride roughshod over decent people,
and twisted laws protect them as they do.
So what have you got to say, LORD?
I’m not budging from this spot until you answer.
I’m going to stand right here, all eyes and ears,
until you respond to my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me, saying:
Get the vision down in writing
in words that everyone can understand,
and get it to the publishers on the double.
The vision I have made known is still true.
When the time is right, what it speaks of will happen.
It may seem to be taking its time in coming,
but hang in there. It will happen.
You can count on it.
Some people won’t have a bar of it
because they are all spineless fluff;
but those who are fair dinkum live by it
with enduring courage and integrity.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 137-144

You always do the right thing, LORD,
and your judgments are spot on.
You have set out your instructions for us,
marking the way of honesty and integrity.
When I see opponents ignoring your teachings,
I get so angry I could explode.
Your promises have tested true over and over
and I will cherish your every word as I serve you.
I might be a nothing, a no one,
but I know how to stick to your ways.
Your commitment to what’s right never ends
and your law is the essence of truth.
Tough times have come to torment me,
but your teachings still put a smile on my face.
Your directions are the ultimate in justice;
they show me the way to fullness of life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12

To the church in Thessalonica; a people who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
This letter comes to you from the three of us: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
We greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace given through the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
Sisters and brothers, we are constantly expressing our thanks to God for you. How could we not?! Your faith is growing in leaps and bounds, and your love for each other continues to expand and deepen. We have even found ourselves boasting about you when we’ve been visiting God’s people in other churches. We go on and on about how your commitment and faith have remained rock-solid, despite the campaign of vilification and abuse you have had to endure.
Through these tough times we continue to pray that God will enable you to live up to your calling. We pray too that God will be at work among you, to make sure that every goal you set yourselves in faith and integrity is achieved. In that way, your lives will be putting the name of our Lord Jesus up in lights. In your union with him, you will also be sharing the glory because in extravagant generosity, our God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah always share the glory.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 19: 1-10

The road Jesus was on took him through the town of Jericho. There was a man named Zacchaeus there who was despised as a traitor, because he had made his fortune working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces. He was eager to lay eyes on Jesus, but so was everyone else and he couldn’t see past the crowd because he was too short. So he nicked up the street a bit and climbed a tree in order to get a good view when Jesus came past. When Jesus got to that point on the road, he looked up and called out to him, “Zacchaeus, come on down. I need you to put me up at your place for the night.”  Zacchaeus nearly fell out of his tree in his eagerness to welcome Jesus into his home. The onlookers, though, were outraged, and they began to grumble. “This Jesus has lost the plot. He’s gone home with the scum of the earth.”
Zacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus, “I’m turning over a new leaf, Lord. I am giving half of everything I own to the poor, and anybody I have ripped off, I am repaying four times over.”
In reply, Jesus announced, “God’s new life has broken out in this house today. Just like his ancestor Abraham, this man is one of God’s chosen ones. You see, the New Human has come to search for the lost and rescue them.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Isaiah 1: 10-18

During the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah as kings of Judah, the LORD spoke through Isaiah, the son of Amoz. This is a message Isaiah was given about Judah and Jerusalem.
Listen to what I say, for I am the LORD.
You rulers are no better than the rulers of Sodom!
You people are no better than the people of Gomorrah!
So take note of what I have to say.
What do I care for all your sacrifices?
I have had a gutful of them.
If I see one more burnt offering
– be it a ram or a grain-fed calf –
I think I’m going to puke.
I can’t stand all this blood you keep offering
from slaughtered bulls, lambs and goats.
What on earth makes you think
that this is the way to please me?
Get out of my temple and stay out.
Your gifts are wasted.
Your incense is nothing but a smokescreen.
I can’t stand all your sacred days and special gatherings;
your pomp and ceremony doesn’t hide your evil ways.
You can fill your calendar with special events
to celebrate this, that and the other thing,
but I despise them deep in my guts.
They have drained my patience;
I can’t put up with even one more.
You can raise your hands to me in prayer,
but I’ll look away;
You can pray till you’re blue in the face
but I’ll block my ears.
All I see on your hands is blood;
all I hear in your prayers is excuses.
Clean up your act;
scrub yourselves clean, inside and out;
don’t let me see any more corruption from you.
Quit your evil,
learn to do the right thing;
make justice your goal,
prevent the use and abuse of people;
stand up for the vulnerable,
take sides with the forgotten.
Come on, let’s sort this out.
I am the LORD. Listen to me.
Your sins are as red as scarlet,
but they will be white as snow;
they are crimson like blood,
but they will be like fresh-cut wool.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 32: 1-7

What a blessing it is to be among those you have forgiven, LORD,
those whose record of wrongdoing you have wiped clean.
People who are honest about their lives
have everything going for them;
they never have to cover their tracks
or worry that they’ll be in your bad books.
I used to keep my sins to myself, LORD,
but they poisoned me from within;
wasting my body,
tormenting my mind.
Day and night I felt your eyes following me;
I lived in fear that you’d see right through me.
The joy of living evaporated
in the burning heat of my guilt.
Then I decided to come clean with you, LORD,
to own up to all I’d done and stop living a lie.
I made a full confession to you, LORD,
and you gave me a full pardon, forgiving all my sin.
Now, like all your faithful people, LORD,
I am always ready to open myself to you in prayer.
When trouble breaks its banks,
your faithful ones are on safe ground.
You are like a bomb shelter for us, LORD;
you protect us from danger.
Thanks to you, LORD, we can still laugh;
we can dance around singing songs of freedom.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 through you, our faith is growing abundantly
and our love for one another is increasing.
All that exists was established by your decree,
and even when wickedness has surrounded your people
your vision held firm for the appointed time
and your righteous people lived by their faith.
In Jesus the Christ,
you have come to seek out and save the lost.
When those stunted by sin were drawn to him
he offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.
Through your power
he is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.
When he was killed in a perversion of justice,
you raised him from the dead,
and now you are glorifying him in us,
and us in him,
and through your grace
you are establishing your eternal justice
in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you for coming in Jesus Christ
at the appointed time,
to seek out and save the lost
and to fulfil every good resolve and work of faith.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for through you, our faith is growing abundantly
and our love for one another is increasing.
All that exists was established by your decree,
and even when wickedness has surrounded your people
your vision held firm for the appointed time
and your righteous people lived by their faith.
In Jesus the Christ,
you have come to seek out and save the lost.
When those stunted by sin were drawn to him
he offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.
Through your power
he is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.
When he was killed in a perversion of justice,
you raised him from the dead,
and now you are glorifying him in us,
and us in him,
and through your grace
you are establishing your eternal justice
in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ came to seek out and to save the lost
and by grace he makes us worthy of his call.
Made righteous in him by faith, we will live.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live by faith.
Patiently trust in God’s promised future;
live by God’s teachings,
and let your love for one another increase.
And may God give you grace and peace;
May Christ Jesus make you worthy of his call;
And may the Holy Spirit fulfil in you
every good resolve and work of faith.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

For crying out loud, Lord!A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton

Good News for the RichA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Growing in Faith and LoveA sermon on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Salvation Comes CallingA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Problem of Being LittleA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Ian Cook

The Scandal of the Scared Little Rich GuyA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Just Shall Live By FaithA sermon on Habakkuk 2:4 by Geoff Leslie

All Saints Day - Year C
2028-11-01 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Daniel 7: 1-3, 15-18

I, Daniel, had some alarming dreams and visions as I lay in bed one night. I got up and wrote them down. This was during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign as king of Babylon. In my first vision that night, the four winds blew in from the sky and whipped up a great storm at sea. Up out of the stormy sea came four monstrous beasts, each one different from the others.
This vision was deeply disturbing and left me badly shaken, so I went straight to the nearest aide and asked him to help me to make sense of what it meant. He interpreted the dream for me saying:
“The four monstrous beasts indicate the rise of four powerful nations that will reign on earth. But nevertheless, the ones who will reign over God’s earth forever and ever will be the people who have been dedicated solely to the Most High God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 149

You are the greatest, LORD!
We sing your praises like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
along with all your faithful people everywhere.
Our greatest joy is knowing
that you made us as your people.
With all the children of your holy city,
we celebrate you as our King!
Every mention of your name sets us singing and dancing;
we strike up the band in your honour.
For you, LORD, delight in your people;
you share the spoils of victory with ordinary folk.
Your faithful ones revel in your glory,
and bask in the sheer joy of praising you.
Put your words in their mouths
and your sword in their hands, God,
so that they can bring the nations to justice
and execute your sentence on every population.
Deliver every despot and dictator into their hands
to be tried and sentenced
and put behind bars where they belong.
May all your faithful ones share in this glory, LORD,
for you are the greatest!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 1: 11-23

Now that we are united to Christ, we have been promised a share of all that belongs to Christ. This is our destiny, because God chose us and made plans for us from the start, and when God’s mind is set on something, you can be sure it will happen. It was always God’s intention that those who put their hope in Christ — and we were among the first — would live lives that were a shining testimony to the glory of Christ. You have been in on this too, since the moment you heard the truth about Christ, recognised it to be the message that would save you, and put your trust him. Then and there, the Holy Spirit wrote God’s name on you, marking you out as one of those who have been given a guaranteed place among God’s people when God finally puts everything right. You’ll certainly be a shining testimony to God’s glory then!
Having heard of your deep trust in the Lord Jesus and your active love for his people, I could hardly stop thanking God for you. And I’m praying for you too. I ask the glorious God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will fill you with wisdom and insight as you get to know God. That way you’ll get a clear picture of all that God wants you to see:

the promised goal of the mission to which you are called;
the extravagant generosity of God’s provision for us;
and the immense capacity of the dynamic power which is put to work in us when we trust God.

This dynamic power is the same energy that God put to work in the Messiah when he raised him from death and enthroned him in heaven. Now the Messiah sits at God’s right hand, reigning over the entire universe, and there is not a single authority that can overrule him, now or ever. Every religious hierarchy and military regime; every legal jurisdiction and people-power movement; every economic imperative and moral principle; God has put them all under the feet of the Messiah. God has decreed that all things will answer to him. The church, then, is central to what the Messiah is doing, for it is his body, already filled with the presence of the one who is filling each and every part of the entire universe.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 6:20-31

Jesus taught his followers, saying:
“You who own next to nothing have got it made,
because you are already at home in the culture of God.
“You who don’t have enough to eat now have got it made,
because you will be filled with good things.
“You who are grief stricken now have got it made,
because you will be all smiles and laughter.
“And if people hate you and shut you out, treat you like dirt and drag your name through the mud because of your association with me, then you really have got it made! You’re in great company because in every generation they’ve done the same thing to all God’s faithful messengers. So sing! Dance! Celebrate! Heaven is coming and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!
“But the writing is on the wall for you who have got it all now.
That’s it for you. You’ve got nothing more to look forward to.
“And the writing is on the wall for you who consume to excess.
You’ve had your share. You’re going to go hungry.
“The writing is on the wall for you who think it’s all a big joke now.
The smile is going to be wiped right off your face.
“And if everybody is fawning over you and saying how wonderful you are, then the writing is well and truly on the wall. They come from a long line of people who fawned over every religious charlatan that ever tickled their ears.”
“If you are ready to hear the truth then I have this to say: Love! Love even your enemies. Treat even those who hate you with love. If anyone mouths off at you or treats you like dirt, wish them all the best and pray for them. If someone gives you a smack around the ear to humiliate you, stand tall and stick your chin out, and invite them to have another crack. Absorb the hostility – don’t escalate it. If someone nicks your coat, just say, ‘Hey, if you’re needing that, you’ll be needing these,’ and hand over your hat and scarf as well. Give to everyone who asks something of you, and don’t go hassling people to give back what they’ve got from you. Live generously, and don’t go keeping score and looking to balance the ledger.
“If you want to know how to treat someone, just ask yourself what you’d be hoping for if you were in their shoes. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated, not just the way you aretreated.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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.
We do indeed give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for by your great power you have called us to a rich hope
and pledged us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
In time before dreaming you sent the wind
to stir up the sea of chaos and bring forth the earth.
Through your law and prophets
you promised us that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embraced your holiness.
Through your son, Jesus Christ,
you proclaimed a day when the hungry will feast
and the mourners laugh.
When he was killed on the cross
you raised him from the dead
and seated him at your right hand.
In him you give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that we might know that hope to which you have called us
and embody the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you for calling us with great power to a rich hope,
for promising that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embrace your holiness,
and for pledging us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for by your great power you have called us to a rich hope
and pledged us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
In time before dreaming you sent the wind
to stir up the sea of chaos and bring forth the earth.
Through your law and prophets
you promised us that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embraced your holiness.
Through your son, Jesus Christ,
you proclaimed a day when the hungry will feast
and the mourners laugh.
When he was killed on the cross
you raised him from the dead
and seated him at your right hand.
In him you give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that we might know that hope to which you have called us
and embody the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord delights in saving those who need help.
Having heard and believed the word of truth
– the gospel of salvation –
we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit
as the pledge of our redemption.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love open to all God’s people.
Bless those who curse you,
love those who hate you,
and treat others as you would wish them to treat you.
And may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation;
May Christ Jesus count you among his saints for eternity;
And may the Holy Spirit mark you out
for fullness of redemption.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Living with the SaintsA sermon on Luke 6:20-31 & Ephesians 1:11-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Only for Saints?A sermon on Luke 6:20-31 & Ephesians 1:11-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Saints of God – Living, Dead, and …?A sermon on Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

But the Saints Shall Receive the KingdomA sermon on Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Saints of Blessed MemoryA sermon on Ephesians 1:11-23 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 25 - Year C
2028-10-29 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Joel 2: 23-32

Shout for joy, you who call the holy city home.
Celebrate the goodness of the LORD your God.
The LORD has done the right thing by you,
sending you good rains, just like in the old days;
autumn and spring rains right on cue.
Your silos will bulge with grain.
Your vats will overflow with wine and olive oil.
I, the LORD your God, will make up for the bad years;
for the seasons when locusts destroyed everything in sight.
I sent them like an invading army,
swarming over your land,
stripping your crops bare.
But now you will have more than you can eat,
and will gladly give credit to me, the LORD your God.
I have done amazing things for you.
You will never be humiliated again.
You, my people, will know that I am among you,
and that I, the LORD, am your one and only God.
You are my people,
and you will never be humiliated again.
Then, after that, I will do even more:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and your daughters will speak as prophets.
The elderly among you will dream dreams,
and the young will see visions.
In those days, I will even pour out my Spirit
upon men and women whose rights no one cares about.
I will perform miraculous signs in the sky and on the earth,
blood, and fire, and clouds of smoke.
The sun will go black and the moon blood-red
before the dawning
of my awesome and glorious day.
And everyone who cries out to me will be rescued,
for there will be survivors on my holy mountain
and in my holy city.
I, the LORD, have promised this,
and among the survivors will be the people I have called.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 65

You deserve all the credit we can give you, O God.
We will gather on your holy mountain
and make good on all we have promised you.
You are the one who answers prayers
and everyone on earth will turn to you.
When we are weighed down by our guilt,
you wipe away the record of our wrongs.
What a privilege it is to be among your chosen ones;
to be invited to live in your presence.
Everything we could want is provided
here in your sacred temple.
You take action in awesome ways, O God;
you step in and rescue us when we call.
You are the answer to the hopes of people everywhere,
in every land and across the seas.
You rolled up your sleeves
and lifted the mountains into place.
You tamed the angry seas,
silencing both roaring waves
and frenzied crowds.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone is mind-boggled by what you do.
Dawn and sunset join their voices
as all the earth shouts for joy.
You tend the earth like a garden,
enriching the soil and keeping it watered.
Your rivers never run dry, God,
and the fields you have plowed
yield a bumper harvest to feed your people.
You level the uneven ground
and nourish the soil;
you water it with softening showers
and set the seeds growing and flourishing.
The year is crowned with a bumper harvest
and everything you touch is bursting with life.
Wilderness fields erupt in flower,
mountains and hills pour forth joy;
paddocks are clothed with healthy flocks,
barren land is ablaze with golden grain.
All of them shout for joy;
all the earth breaks into song.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18

Timothy, I am passing the baton on to you now. My time is up. The last few drops of my life are being poured out as a final offering to God. I have given my best in the struggle. I have run the full course that was set before me. I have kept the faith, no matter how tough the going got. The event has been judged by the Lord, who always gets it right, and all that lies ahead of me now is the medal ceremony. On that day, the Lord will hang the medal around my neck to show that I have made the grade. And there on the podium, receiving their medals alongside me, will be everyone else who has eagerly awaited the Lord’s arrival.
At my first committal hearing, there was no one taking my side. Everyone bolted and left me in the lurch. God forgive them! The Lord was there for me though, standing along side me and giving me strength. That made it possible for me to get the message out; to broadcast it in full for those who had never heard it before. Then, and countless times since, the Lord rescued me from the midst of the circling sharks so that I might safely enter the kingdom of heaven.
All the glory belongs to the Lord!
Always has, always will!
And so say all of us!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 18: 9-14

Jesus told a story to some people who held a very high opinion of their own moral character and a very low opinion of everybody else. He said, “Two men went into the place of worship to pray. One of them was a member of the devoutly religious Pharisee party, while the other was working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces and so was despised as a traitor. The religious man struck a pose in full view of everybody and prayed out loud, saying, ‘God, I give you thanks that I am not dishonest, corrupt or perverted like other people. I especially thank you that I am not like that traitor over there. I fast religiously twice a week, and donate ten percent of all my income to you.’
“Meanwhile the traitor fell to his knees in a quiet corner and, with his face buried in his hands, prayed, ‘God, I know that I have failed you. Please have mercy on me!’”
“You can take it from me,” said Jesus, “that it was this second man rather than the other who was in the good books with God when he headed for home. The fact is that those who big-note themselves will end up with egg all over their faces, while those who remain down to earth and presume nothing will be promoted by God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Sirach 35: 12-17

The Lord God has shown enormous generosity to you,
so be as generous as you can in your offerings to God.
Invest in the Lord and the returns are guaranteed.
Whatever you give, you’ll get back many times over.
But don’t ever try to buy God’s favour.
The Lord will never accept a bribe or a kick-back.
The Lord hands down justice with a perfectly even hand,
judging each case fairly and never playing favourites.
God is no bleeding heart who always believes the poor,
but anyone who has been wronged will have their case heard.
The Lord will never dismiss anyone without a fair hearing.
Even the most down and out
– those with no rights, no family, and no influence –
will have their grievances heard by God.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Jeremiah 14: 7-10, 19-22

Take on our case, LORD,
even though we are as guilty as hell.
Defend us for the sake of your own reputation,
even though we have a long record of treachery
and we have done the wrong thing by you.
You are known as the hope of our nation,
as the one who always saves us.
Don’t let yourself be seen as a mere blow-in in your own land;
as an outside observer, watching on, but uninvolved.
Why should you be seen as a toothless tiger,
as an armed soldier who doesn’t know which side he’s on?
Come on, LORD, you have made your base here.
Everyone associates your name with us.
Don’t give up on us now!
What you have said about us is all true, LORD;
that we are unfaithful;
that we have itchy feet and are always going astray.
You have said that you are sick of the sight of us,
and that you will not overlook our offences
or hold back on punishing us as we deserve.
Have you written us off completely, LORD?
Do you now hate and despise us?
Surely you would never knock us down
and leave us with no chance to get back on our feet?
We look for peace, but we look in vain.
We wait for healing and rebuilding,
but all we hear are threats of terror.
We have confessed our crimes, LORD.
We did do the wrong thing by you,
and we continued the atrocities of our ancestors.
Don’t give up on us, LORD.
Your reputation is at stake here.
Don’t give yourself and your authority a bad name
by breaking the alliance you made with us.
How useless are the things other nations put their trust in!
Can their idols bring even a drop of rain?
Aren’t you the one in charge, O LORD our God?
You are our only hope!
You are the one who makes things happen!
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 84: 1-7

The place where you live is just exquisite,
O LORD, ruler of all!
With everything inside me, I long to be there;
I go all weak at the very thought of it.
I want to be there, body and soul,
singing my heart out for you, O God of life.
Even the birds find a home in your house;
there are nests in every nook and cranny
where pigeons and sparrows raise their young.
Bird song and incense rise together
to honour you, Sovereign God, ruler of all.
How privileged are those who live in your house;
joyous songs of praise are forever on their lips.
Those who have tapped into your strength
have got it made.
The highway to heaven begins within them;
a direct route to your holy presence.
They are like people who can find water in the desert;
they drink from life giving springs
that no drought can ever dry up.
They go from strength to strength,
and will see you face to face on your holy mountain.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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 have dealt wondrously with us
and saved us for your heavenly kingdom.
With awesome power you created the earth
and everything you touch comes alive;
grain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.
You called a people to be your own
and you filled them with the plenty of your house.
In Jesus the Christ, your son and our brother,
you proclaimed the vindication
of those who humbled themselves,
casting themselves on your mercy
and looking to you for strength to run the race.
When he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves,
you raised him from the dead,
and gave him the crown of righteousness.
Through him, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
and your people bring forth a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you that you vindicate those who humble themselves,
and that you now pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
bringing forth in your people a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have dealt wondrously with us
and saved us for your heavenly kingdom.
With awesome power you created the earth
and everything you touch comes alive;
grain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.
You called a people to be your own
and you filled them with the plenty of your house.
In Jesus the Christ, your son and our brother,
you proclaimed the vindication
of those who humbled themselves,
casting themselves on your mercy
and looking to you for strength to run the race.
When he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves,
you raised him from the dead,
and gave him the crown of righteousness.
Through him, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
and your people bring forth a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,
for Christ has promised
that those who humble themselves
and cry out to the Lord for mercy
will be justified.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, rejoicing in the Lord your God.
Fight the good fight;
finish the race;
keep the faith.
And may God rescue you from every evil attack;
May Christ Jesus reserve for you the crown of righteousness;
And may the Holy Spirit flood you with grace
and overflow in you with visions and dreams of glory.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Self-Esteem for SinnersA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Wounded by GodA sermon on Joel 2. 23-32 by Garry Deverell

The Pharisee, the Tax Collector and JoelA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 & Joel 2: 23-32 by Ian Cook

Stand Out RighteousnessA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Competitive Entry ScoreA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Thank God I am not like other peopleA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 24 - Year C
2028-10-22 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
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.

Jeremiah 31: 27-34

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

Psalm 119: 97-104

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

2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5

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

Luke 18: 1-8

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

Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection

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.

Genesis 32: 22-31

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

Psalm 121

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

When God tries againA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

The Puzzle of GraceA sermon on Luke 18:1-8 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

The Work of an EvangelistA sermon on 2 Timothy 4: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton

Sacred Writings and Itchy EarsA sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

What use is the Bible?A sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14-17 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

In the MeantimeA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 27-34; 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Luke 18: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton
