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UID:10002841-1883001600-1883087999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 17 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 3: 1-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses married the daughter of a Midianite priest named Jethro\, and worked for him droving his sheep. One day he drove the sheep out back of beyond\, and he ended up grazing them on the slopes of Mount Sinai\, the mountain of God. While he was there\, he saw a bush burst into flames and the messenger of the LORD appeared in the fire. As Moses watched the fire\, he was amazed to see that although the fire was intense\, the bush was not being burned up and reduced to ash\, so he decided to go closer to see if he could work out what was going on. Having got Moses’ attention\, God called to him out of the bush\, “Moses! Moses!” \n“At your service\,” Moses replied. \n“Don’t come any closer!” God said. “And take your boots off\, because you are standing on a sacred site. I am the God of your ancestors; the God of Abraham\, the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob.” \nAt that\, Moses pulled his coat over his face because he was afraid to stand face to face with God. Then the LORD said: \n“I have seen how my people have been chewed up and spat out in Egypt. I have heard their desperate cries for help as the slave-drivers work them into the ground. The truth is\, I know what their suffering is like\, and I have come down to break them free\, and to bring them up out of the land of slavery. I will bring them into good land of wide open spaces\, a land rich with milk and honey. It is presently occupied by the Canaanites\, the Hittites\, the Amorites\, the Perizzites\, the Hivites\, and the Jebusites\, but I will give it to my people. The cries of the Israelites have gotten through to me\, and I have seen how the tyrants are grinding them into the dirt. So come on Moses\, up and at it. I will send you to the king of Egypt to bring my people\, the Israelites\, out of slavery in his country.” \nBut Moses said to God\, “Hang on a minute! Why me? I must be about the least qualified person on the face of the earth for the job of negotiating with the king of Egypt for the release of his Israelite slaves!” \nBut God replied\, “I will be with you! And this is how you will know that I have been with you: when you have got the people out of Egypt\, you will worship me right here on this mountain.” \nBut Moses continued to protest\, saying\, “If I go to the Israelites and try to tell them that the God of their ancestors has sent me to them\, they’ll never believe me. They will say\, ‘And what name does this God go by?’ What am I to tell them then?” \nGod replied\, “I AM who I AM. So you go and tell the Israelites that the one named I AM the LORD has sent you to them. And you can further tell them that the LORD\, the God of their ancestors; the God of Abraham\, the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob\, has sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be addressed from now on.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 105: 1-6\, 23-26\, 45c			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We shout your name and give you thanks\, LORD;\nwe will tell everyone what you have done for us.\nWe sing your praises in your presence\,\nand publicise your wonderful achievements. \nWe put your name up in lights\, your name alone;\nour hearts burst with joy when we approach you.\nIt is you we want most of all\, you and your strength;\nwe try to keep near to you all the time. \nLike all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob\,\nand all your chosen children\,\nwe remember all the astonishing things you have done\nand the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions. \nYour people turned up in Egypt;\nyes\, Jacob migrated to Africa.\nYou let them breed there like rabbits\, LORD\,\nand they grew stronger than the native population.\nThe Egyptians grew fearful and bitter\nand plotted to force your people into slavery. \nYou sent your trusty worker\, Moses\,\nand his chosen right hand man\, Aaron. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 12: 9-21			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	See to it that your love is for real and without pretence. Avoid corruption like the plague. Dig your heels in and don’t be budged from the side of good. Love one another\, and not just in theory but with warmth and friendly affection. If you need something to compete over\, see who can score the most points for treating everyone else like royalty. Don’t let your enthusiasm get slack\, but keep yourselves on the boil and work hard for the Lord. Celebrate in anticipation of all that is to come. When you are being put through the wringer\, tough it out\, and pray all the harder. Do what you can to help out other Christians who are in need\, and work at making strangers feel welcome and at home among you. \nWhen others persecute you\, wish them all the best and pray that God will look after them. Seek the best for them; don’t wish disaster on them. When others are celebrating\, celebrate with them. When others are hurting\, share the pain with them. Stay in tune with one another\, living a shared life based on common commitments. Don’t be full of yourselves\, but hang out with those who the world writes off as nobodies. Don’t go getting over-inflated opinions about how smart you all are. \nIf anyone does the wrong thing by you\, don’t go trying to pay them back in kind. Instead\, take a deep breath and find a way to respond that anyone else would think of as going above and beyond the call of common decency. Do all that can be done at your end to live at peace with everyone else in the society around you. My dear friends\, never take the law into your own hands to get revenge. Leave it up to God to sort the offenders out. As the scripture says\, “Vengeance is my job\, says the Lord\, and I will give them what is coming to them.” So\, follow the proverb instead: “If those who hate you are hungry\, give them a feed; if they are thirsty\, pour them a beer; because that’s the way to spark a meltdown in their heads.” Do not let what is evil get the upper hand over you\, but get the upper hand over what is evil by doing what is good. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 16: 21-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Once his followers had identified him as the Messiah\, Jesus began to make it clear to them that he would have to go to Jerusalem where he would be put through the wringer by the politicians\, the priests and the religious lawyers. He told them that he would be executed there\, but that three days later he would be raised to life. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind\, saying\, “God forbid! Lord\, this can’t be allowed to happen to you!” \nBut Jesus turned on Peter\, saying\, “Get out of my face\, you satan! You’re like a roadblock in my path because you have got no idea what God is on about. You’re just pursuing the same things as everyone else.” \nThen he spelt it out to his followers\, saying: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys\, sign their own death warrant\, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life\, you’ll end up losing the lot. But if you let go\, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me\, you’ll discover real life. What’s the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. There’s no trade-in on a burned out soul. The New Human is going to arrive on the scene\, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels\, and he will see that everyone is paid what they deserve for what they have done. I kid you not\, there are some people around now who will live to see the New Human arrive and take charge.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Jeremiah 15: 15-21			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jeremiah poured out his complaint to the LORD\, saying: \nCome on\, LORD. You know what is going on here.\nDon’t forget it is for you that I am copping this abuse.\nDon’t keep giving my enemies second chances.\nDish out a harsh dose of justice before they finish me off. \nWhen I first came across your words\,\nI consumed them with great gusto.\nThey were the best thing I had ever tasted.\nThey were a feast for my whole being!\nBeing named as one who belongs to you\nfilled me with pride\, O LORD\, ruler of everything. \nBut now I don’t get invited to parties any more\,\nand I’ve got nothing to smile about.\nDoing what you asked of me cost me all my friends\nbecause you made me so serious and angry. \nWhy must I live with this constant pain?\nWhy does my wound fester and refuse to heal?\nThe fact is\, you are like a mirage in the desert\, God\,\nall promise but no action. \nThis is what the LORD said in response to Jeremiah’s complaint: \nIf you wake up to yourself and get back on track\,\nI will accept you and put you back on your feet.\nIf you choose your words well and quit your whingeing\,\nthen you can continue to speak on my behalf.\nThen the people will come seeking you\,\ninstead of you always crawling to them. \nI will give you a thick skin\, like a steel plated wall\,\nto protect you from these people.\nThey can attack you all they like\,\nbut they won’t be able to bring you down\nbecause I am on your side\nto keep you safe and see you through.\nI am the LORD\, and I give you my word. \nI will break the grip of these evil people and set you free;\nI will rescue you from their ruthless hands\nand bring you back to where you belong. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 26: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Clear my name\, LORD.\nI’ve been true to my word;\nI’ve staked everything on you and stood my ground. \nCheck me out thoroughly\, LORD;\nweigh up my every thought and desire. \nI keep myself focussed on your rock-solid love\,\nand I stay in step with you all the time. \nI don’t hang around with worthless scum;\nand I keep clear of those who talk the talk\nbut never walk the walk.\nI can’t stand corrupt company\,\nand I keep my distance from liars and cheats. \nThere’s no blood to wash off my hands;\nI can dance round your altar with a clear conscience\nsinging a song of thanks to you\, O LORD\,\nand telling the stories of the great things you’ve done. \nO LORD\, I love the temple you call your own\,\nthe place where we can bask in your presence. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you meet us in our suffering\nand the fire of your love and compassion burns forever. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\nyou created the earth and made it holy.\nYou heard the cries of your oppressed people\nand from the blazing power of your presence\nyou sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom. \nOnce again\, in your child\, Jesus\,\nyou have come down to deliver us.\nHe suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem\,\nand was killed\,\nbut you overcome evil with good\nand raised him to new life on the third day.\nAnd now you have called us to follow him\,\ntaking up the cross and relinquishing our lives\,\nso that united with him we may enter your life -\nthe life which is worth more than the world itself. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for the fire of your love which burns forever\,\nmaking all places holy with the power of your presence\nand leading us into your life\nwhich is worth more than the world itself. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you meet us in our suffering\nand the fire of your love and compassion burns forever. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\nyou created the earth and made it holy.\nYou heard the cries of your oppressed people\nand from the blazing power of your presence\nyou sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom. \nOnce again\, in your child\, Jesus\,\nyou have come down to deliver us.\nHe suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem\,\nand was killed\,\nbut you overcome evil with good\nand raised him to new life on the third day.\nAnd now you have called us to follow him\,\ntaking up the cross and relinquishing our lives\,\nso that united with him we may enter your life -\nthe life which is worth more than the world itself. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The blazing fire of God’s presence refines us\,\nbut in mercy it does not destroy us.\nGod does not repay evil for evil\,\nbut comes to deliver us and restore us to life. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now and follow Jesus in the way of the cross.\nRejoice in hope\,\nhold fast to what is good\,\npersevere in prayer.\nDo not be overcome by evil\,\nbut overcome evil with good.\nAs far as is possible\, live peaceably with all. \nAnd may God hear your cries and deliver you;\nMay Christ Jesus repay you with fullness of life;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit be with you always\nnourishing you in love and hope. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHow to pass yourself off as a ChristianA sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPeter – from rooster to feather duster!A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 by Alan Marr\n\n\n\n“Called” or “uncalled” that is the question?A sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 by Sylvia Sandeman\n\n\n\nFight or flight or … ?A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 & Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton \n\n\n\nAudrey’s First Letter to the Apostle PaulA sermon on Romans 12: 9-21 by Audrey Kateena\n\n\n\nBurning Identity QuestionsA sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 & Matthew 16:21-28 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRecognisably Christian?A sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap17/2029-09-02/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290902T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290902T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200825T112415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231009T004538Z
UID:10002076-1883001600-1883087999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 17 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 3: 1-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses married the daughter of a Midianite priest named Jethro\, and worked for him droving his sheep. One day he drove the sheep out back of beyond\, and he ended up grazing them on the slopes of Mount Sinai\, the mountain of God. While he was there\, he saw a bush burst into flames and the messenger of the LORD appeared in the fire. As Moses watched the fire\, he was amazed to see that although the fire was intense\, the bush was not being burned up and reduced to ash\, so he decided to go closer to see if he could work out what was going on. Having got Moses’ attention\, God called to him out of the bush\, “Moses! Moses!” \n“At your service\,” Moses replied. \n“Don’t come any closer!” God said. “And take your boots off\, because you are standing on a sacred site. I am the God of your ancestors; the God of Abraham\, the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob.” \nAt that\, Moses pulled his coat over his face because he was afraid to stand face to face with God. Then the LORD said: \n“I have seen how my people have been chewed up and spat out in Egypt. I have heard their desperate cries for help as the slave-drivers work them into the ground. The truth is\, I know what their suffering is like\, and I have come down to break them free\, and to bring them up out of the land of slavery. I will bring them into good land of wide open spaces\, a land rich with milk and honey. It is presently occupied by the Canaanites\, the Hittites\, the Amorites\, the Perizzites\, the Hivites\, and the Jebusites\, but I will give it to my people. The cries of the Israelites have gotten through to me\, and I have seen how the tyrants are grinding them into the dirt. So come on Moses\, up and at it. I will send you to the king of Egypt to bring my people\, the Israelites\, out of slavery in his country.” \nBut Moses said to God\, “Hang on a minute! Why me? I must be about the least qualified person on the face of the earth for the job of negotiating with the king of Egypt for the release of his Israelite slaves!” \nBut God replied\, “I will be with you! And this is how you will know that I have been with you: when you have got the people out of Egypt\, you will worship me right here on this mountain.” \nBut Moses continued to protest\, saying\, “If I go to the Israelites and try to tell them that the God of their ancestors has sent me to them\, they’ll never believe me. They will say\, ‘And what name does this God go by?’ What am I to tell them then?” \nGod replied\, “I AM who I AM. So you go and tell the Israelites that the one named I AM the LORD has sent you to them. And you can further tell them that the LORD\, the God of their ancestors; the God of Abraham\, the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob\, has sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be addressed from now on.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 105: 1-6\, 23-26\, 45c			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We shout your name and give you thanks\, LORD;\nwe will tell everyone what you have done for us.\nWe sing your praises in your presence\,\nand publicise your wonderful achievements. \nWe put your name up in lights\, your name alone;\nour hearts burst with joy when we approach you.\nIt is you we want most of all\, you and your strength;\nwe try to keep near to you all the time. \nLike all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob\,\nand all your chosen children\,\nwe remember all the astonishing things you have done\nand the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions. \nYour people turned up in Egypt;\nyes\, Jacob migrated to Africa.\nYou let them breed there like rabbits\, LORD\,\nand they grew stronger than the native population.\nThe Egyptians grew fearful and bitter\nand plotted to force your people into slavery. \nYou sent your trusty worker\, Moses\,\nand his chosen right hand man\, Aaron. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 12: 9-21			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	See to it that your love is for real and without pretence. Avoid corruption like the plague. Dig your heels in and don’t be budged from the side of good. Love one another\, and not just in theory but with warmth and friendly affection. If you need something to compete over\, see who can score the most points for treating everyone else like royalty. Don’t let your enthusiasm get slack\, but keep yourselves on the boil and work hard for the Lord. Celebrate in anticipation of all that is to come. When you are being put through the wringer\, tough it out\, and pray all the harder. Do what you can to help out other Christians who are in need\, and work at making strangers feel welcome and at home among you. \nWhen others persecute you\, wish them all the best and pray that God will look after them. Seek the best for them; don’t wish disaster on them. When others are celebrating\, celebrate with them. When others are hurting\, share the pain with them. Stay in tune with one another\, living a shared life based on common commitments. Don’t be full of yourselves\, but hang out with those who the world writes off as nobodies. Don’t go getting over-inflated opinions about how smart you all are. \nIf anyone does the wrong thing by you\, don’t go trying to pay them back in kind. Instead\, take a deep breath and find a way to respond that anyone else would think of as going above and beyond the call of common decency. Do all that can be done at your end to live at peace with everyone else in the society around you. My dear friends\, never take the law into your own hands to get revenge. Leave it up to God to sort the offenders out. As the scripture says\, “Vengeance is my job\, says the Lord\, and I will give them what is coming to them.” So\, follow the proverb instead: “If those who hate you are hungry\, give them a feed; if they are thirsty\, pour them a beer; because that’s the way to spark a meltdown in their heads.” Do not let what is evil get the upper hand over you\, but get the upper hand over what is evil by doing what is good. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 16: 21-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Once his followers had identified him as the Messiah\, Jesus began to make it clear to them that he would have to go to Jerusalem where he would be put through the wringer by the politicians\, the priests and the religious lawyers. He told them that he would be executed there\, but that three days later he would be raised to life. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind\, saying\, “God forbid! Lord\, this can’t be allowed to happen to you!” \nBut Jesus turned on Peter\, saying\, “Get out of my face\, you satan! You’re like a roadblock in my path because you have got no idea what God is on about. You’re just pursuing the same things as everyone else.” \nThen he spelt it out to his followers\, saying: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys\, sign their own death warrant\, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life\, you’ll end up losing the lot. But if you let go\, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me\, you’ll discover real life. What’s the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. There’s no trade-in on a burned out soul. The New Human is going to arrive on the scene\, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels\, and he will see that everyone is paid what they deserve for what they have done. I kid you not\, there are some people around now who will live to see the New Human arrive and take charge.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Jeremiah 15: 15-21			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jeremiah poured out his complaint to the LORD\, saying: \nCome on\, LORD. You know what is going on here.\nDon’t forget it is for you that I am copping this abuse.\nDon’t keep giving my enemies second chances.\nDish out a harsh dose of justice before they finish me off. \nWhen I first came across your words\,\nI consumed them with great gusto.\nThey were the best thing I had ever tasted.\nThey were a feast for my whole being!\nBeing named as one who belongs to you\nfilled me with pride\, O LORD\, ruler of everything. \nBut now I don’t get invited to parties any more\,\nand I’ve got nothing to smile about.\nDoing what you asked of me cost me all my friends\nbecause you made me so serious and angry. \nWhy must I live with this constant pain?\nWhy does my wound fester and refuse to heal?\nThe fact is\, you are like a mirage in the desert\, God\,\nall promise but no action. \nThis is what the LORD said in response to Jeremiah’s complaint: \nIf you wake up to yourself and get back on track\,\nI will accept you and put you back on your feet.\nIf you choose your words well and quit your whingeing\,\nthen you can continue to speak on my behalf.\nThen the people will come seeking you\,\ninstead of you always crawling to them. \nI will give you a thick skin\, like a steel plated wall\,\nto protect you from these people.\nThey can attack you all they like\,\nbut they won’t be able to bring you down\nbecause I am on your side\nto keep you safe and see you through.\nI am the LORD\, and I give you my word. \nI will break the grip of these evil people and set you free;\nI will rescue you from their ruthless hands\nand bring you back to where you belong. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 26: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Clear my name\, LORD.\nI’ve been true to my word;\nI’ve staked everything on you and stood my ground. \nCheck me out thoroughly\, LORD;\nweigh up my every thought and desire. \nI keep myself focussed on your rock-solid love\,\nand I stay in step with you all the time. \nI don’t hang around with worthless scum;\nand I keep clear of those who talk the talk\nbut never walk the walk.\nI can’t stand corrupt company\,\nand I keep my distance from liars and cheats. \nThere’s no blood to wash off my hands;\nI can dance round your altar with a clear conscience\nsinging a song of thanks to you\, O LORD\,\nand telling the stories of the great things you’ve done. \nO LORD\, I love the temple you call your own\,\nthe place where we can bask in your presence. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you meet us in our suffering\nand the fire of your love and compassion burns forever. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\nyou created the earth and made it holy.\nYou heard the cries of your oppressed people\nand from the blazing power of your presence\nyou sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom. \nOnce again\, in your child\, Jesus\,\nyou have come down to deliver us.\nHe suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem\,\nand was killed\,\nbut you overcome evil with good\nand raised him to new life on the third day.\nAnd now you have called us to follow him\,\ntaking up the cross and relinquishing our lives\,\nso that united with him we may enter your life -\nthe life which is worth more than the world itself. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for the fire of your love which burns forever\,\nmaking all places holy with the power of your presence\nand leading us into your life\nwhich is worth more than the world itself. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you meet us in our suffering\nand the fire of your love and compassion burns forever. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\nyou created the earth and made it holy.\nYou heard the cries of your oppressed people\nand from the blazing power of your presence\nyou sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom. \nOnce again\, in your child\, Jesus\,\nyou have come down to deliver us.\nHe suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem\,\nand was killed\,\nbut you overcome evil with good\nand raised him to new life on the third day.\nAnd now you have called us to follow him\,\ntaking up the cross and relinquishing our lives\,\nso that united with him we may enter your life -\nthe life which is worth more than the world itself. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The blazing fire of God’s presence refines us\,\nbut in mercy it does not destroy us.\nGod does not repay evil for evil\,\nbut comes to deliver us and restore us to life. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now and follow Jesus in the way of the cross.\nRejoice in hope\,\nhold fast to what is good\,\npersevere in prayer.\nDo not be overcome by evil\,\nbut overcome evil with good.\nAs far as is possible\, live peaceably with all. \nAnd may God hear your cries and deliver you;\nMay Christ Jesus repay you with fullness of life;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit be with you always\nnourishing you in love and hope. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHow to pass yourself off as a ChristianA sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPeter – from rooster to feather duster!A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 by Alan Marr\n\n\n\n“Called” or “uncalled” that is the question?A sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 by Sylvia Sandeman\n\n\n\nFight or flight or … ?A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 & Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton \n\n\n\nAudrey’s First Letter to the Apostle PaulA sermon on Romans 12: 9-21 by Audrey Kateena\n\n\n\nBurning Identity QuestionsA sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 & Matthew 16:21-28 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRecognisably Christian?A sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap17/2029-09-02/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290909T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290909T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200824T045634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231016T005056Z
UID:10002077-1883606400-1883692799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 18 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 12: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After the King of Egypt had refused to listen to all the warnings\, the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron again\, saying: \n“Rewrite your calendars — from now on\, this month is to be the beginning of the new year. Put the word out among all the Israelite people that on the tenth day of the month\, each household is to obtain a lamb or a young goat to be eaten. Small households can combine with their neighbours to share one\, dividing it up so that there is enough for everyone to have some. The lamb must be a healthy male yearling with no deformities — not a runt. Having obtained the lamb\, the household is to keep it at home for four days. Just after sunset on the fourteenth\, all the Israelites are to slaughter the lambs ready for cooking. Take some of the blood and paint it on the frame of the front door of the house where you are eating the lamb. Cook and eat it that night. Don’t serve it raw or boiled. Don’t even cut it up or gut it. Spit-roast it whole over the fire and serve it with unleavened flat-breads and bitter herbs. Eat it all that night. If there is any left over in the morning you are to burn it. When you eat it\, you are to eat as though you were in a hurry and about to leave on a journey. You should be dressed and packed\, with your walking boots on and your stick at hand. In this way you are to keep the feast of Passover in honour of me\, the LORD. \nThat night\, I will pass through Egypt\, killing the firstborn sons of every family and the firstborn male animals. I am the LORD\, and I will carry out the sentence I have passed on the gods of Egypt this night. The lamb’s blood painted on your door frames will be the sign that your households are to be exempted. I will pass over every house that I see marked with the blood\, and you will not be touched by the plague that will strike down the Egyptians. \nRemember this day and\, in every generation to come\, celebrate it as an annual festival to honour me\, the LORD.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 149			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You are the greatest\, LORD! \nWe sing your praises like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nalong with all your faithful people everywhere. \nOur greatest joy is knowing\nthat you made us as your people.\nWith all the children of your holy city\,\nwe celebrate you as our King! \nEvery mention of your name sets us singing and dancing;\nwe strike up the band in your honour. \nFor you\, LORD\, delight in your people;\nyou share the spoils of victory with ordinary folk. \nYour faithful ones revel in your glory\,\nand bask in the sheer joy of praising you. \nPut your words in their mouths\nand your sword in their hands\, God\,\nso that they can bring the nations to justice\nand execute your sentence on every population.\nDeliver every despot and dictator into their hands\nto be tried and sentenced\nand put behind bars where they belong. \nMay all your faithful ones share in this glory\, LORD\,\nfor you are the greatest! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 13: 8-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Keep yourselves out of debt. Let the only thing you owe anyone be love. If you are loving others you are measuring up to the standard that God’s law has always been seeking. The law contains lots of detailed commandments such as don’t betray your marriage partner\, don’t kill anybody\, don’t pinch other people’s stuff\, and don’t get preoccupied with the desire to possess things you don’t have. All such commandments can be summarised into the one simple instruction: “Love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.” Love never does the wrong thing by anybody\, so if you really love\, you will measure up to the whole law without even thinking about it. \nYou will realise how important these things are\, because you 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. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 18: 15-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching his followers\, Jesus said\, “If another one of the brothers or sisters in the congregation does the wrong thing by you in some serious way\, go and try to sort it out between the two of you. If the offender takes on board what you have to say\, then you have rebuilt the relationship. If your approach is rejected\, have another try\, but this time take one or two others with you\, so that there will be witnesses to all that is said and done between you. If the offending brother or sister still refuses to accept responsibility for the problem\, then bring the issue to the congregation. If even the congregation’s decision is rejected\, then it is time for them to sever ties and to relate to the offender as they would to anyone else whose behaviour is beyond the pale and who is yet to respond to the call to turn around and become part of the people of God. I kid you not\, when you make decisions together about what may and may not be done as you live your life in the congregation\, heaven will back you up. And again I’m not kidding when I say that if two of you make a joint commitment to something in prayer\, then my Father in heaven will support you in it. For whenever two or three people gather together\, identifying themselves with me\, I will be right there with them in the gathering.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ezekiel 33: 7-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God said to me: \n“Ezekiel\, I have given you the job of standing guard over my people. You are to pass on to them\, word for word\, every warning you hear from me. If I give you a message for those who have gone off the rails\, saying\, ‘You people are corrupt and it is going to destroy your lives and kill you\,’ you are to give it to them in no uncertain terms. If you fail to warn them of the need to turn their lives around\, then they will continue on their fast track to an early grave\, and I will hold you culpable for their deaths. But if you give them fair warning to mend their ways\, and they take no notice\, then they will still end up dead\, but you won’t have their blood on your hands. \n“Now\, young man; can you hear what my people are saying? They are saying that their past has caught up with them\, and that the mistakes that they once made will go on ruining their lives from now on. They think they are stuck with no way out\, and no life to look forward to. This is what I want you to tell them\, Ezekiel: ‘I am the LORD your God who lives forever\, and I can assure you that I take no pleasure in seeing those who have done wrong pay for it with their lives. I would so much rather see them mend their ways and rebuild their lives. So you people who think your past is killing you\, turn around and get your lives back on track. Come\, my people\, why should you let these things kill you when there is a way out?” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 119: 33-40			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, teach me the way of life you have set for us\nand I will stick to it for keeps. \nHelp me to get my head around what you want\nand I will throw myself wholeheartedly into doing it. \nGuide me down the track you’ve mapped out for us\,\nfor nothing pleases me more than being where you want me. \nKeep me focussed on the values you’ve spelt out;\ndon’t let me get sucked into grabbing everything for myself. \nPut the blinkers on me so I see only your life-giving ways\nand am not distracted by fashionable froth and bubble. \nReassure me that I am in on what you promised to all\nwho respect you and work for you. \nProtect me with your good teachings\nso that I won’t disgrace myself as I fear I could. \nSee how much I long to do things your way;\nplease do the right thing by me and give me real life. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your delight is in your people\,\nand the day of our salvation is near. \nYou are our King and our maker\,\nfor all things came into being at your command.\nYou came to save your people from slavery\,\nstriking the land of their oppressors\,\nand setting free all who identified themselves\nwith the blood of your lamb. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again come to save us.\nIn his love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand the revelation of your desire to reconcile all people –\nto yourself and to one another.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\,\nand marked us for salvation with his blood.\nNow wherever two or three gather\,\nclothed in his love\,\nyou are present in the midst of us\nand we rejoice in you forever. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for your child\, Jesus\,\nin whose love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand whose presence in our midst\nwe know and celebrate whenever we gather in your name. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your delight is in your people\,\nand the day of our salvation is near. \nYou are our King and our maker\,\nfor all things came into being at your command.\nYou came to save your people from slavery\,\nstriking the land of their oppressors\,\nand setting free all who identified themselves\nwith the blood of your lamb. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again come to save us.\nIn his love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand the revelation of your desire to reconcile all people –\nto yourself and to one another.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\,\nand marked us for salvation with his blood.\nNow wherever two or three gather\,\nclothed in his love\,\nyou are present in the midst of us\nand we rejoice in you forever. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus Christ has called us to lay aside the works of darkness\nand to confess our sins and be reconciled to God.\nYou have confessed your sin in the company of God’s people.\nYour forgiveness\, declared on earth\, is sealed in heaven. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in love\, reconciled to one another in Christ.\nLay aside the works of darkness\nand put on the armour of light.\nLive honourably\,\nfulfilling the law through love for all. \nAnd may God mark you out for salvation;\nMay Christ Jesus be present among you always\,\nAnd may the Holy Spirit reconcile you to one another\nand fulfil the law of love among you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Rituals of FaithA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14 & Exodus 12:1-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nOur Egyptian Identity?A sermon on Exodus 12:1-14 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nLove – reaching for the impossibleA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20 & Romans 13:8-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove\, Desire and LawA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14 & Exodus 12:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOwe Only LoveA sermon on Romans 13:8-14 by Will Small
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap18/2029-09-09/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P18.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290909T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290909T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200824T045634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003405Z
UID:10002845-1883606400-1883692799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 18 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 12: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After the King of Egypt had refused to listen to all the warnings\, the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron again\, saying: \n“Rewrite your calendars — from now on\, this month is to be the beginning of the new year. Put the word out among all the Israelite people that on the tenth day of the month\, each household is to obtain a lamb or a young goat to be eaten. Small households can combine with their neighbours to share one\, dividing it up so that there is enough for everyone to have some. The lamb must be a healthy male yearling with no deformities — not a runt. Having obtained the lamb\, the household is to keep it at home for four days. Just after sunset on the fourteenth\, all the Israelites are to slaughter the lambs ready for cooking. Take some of the blood and paint it on the frame of the front door of the house where you are eating the lamb. Cook and eat it that night. Don’t serve it raw or boiled. Don’t even cut it up or gut it. Spit-roast it whole over the fire and serve it with unleavened flat-breads and bitter herbs. Eat it all that night. If there is any left over in the morning you are to burn it. When you eat it\, you are to eat as though you were in a hurry and about to leave on a journey. You should be dressed and packed\, with your walking boots on and your stick at hand. In this way you are to keep the feast of Passover in honour of me\, the LORD. \nThat night\, I will pass through Egypt\, killing the firstborn sons of every family and the firstborn male animals. I am the LORD\, and I will carry out the sentence I have passed on the gods of Egypt this night. The lamb’s blood painted on your door frames will be the sign that your households are to be exempted. I will pass over every house that I see marked with the blood\, and you will not be touched by the plague that will strike down the Egyptians. \nRemember this day and\, in every generation to come\, celebrate it as an annual festival to honour me\, the LORD.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 149			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You are the greatest\, LORD! \nWe sing your praises like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nalong with all your faithful people everywhere. \nOur greatest joy is knowing\nthat you made us as your people.\nWith all the children of your holy city\,\nwe celebrate you as our King! \nEvery mention of your name sets us singing and dancing;\nwe strike up the band in your honour. \nFor you\, LORD\, delight in your people;\nyou share the spoils of victory with ordinary folk. \nYour faithful ones revel in your glory\,\nand bask in the sheer joy of praising you. \nPut your words in their mouths\nand your sword in their hands\, God\,\nso that they can bring the nations to justice\nand execute your sentence on every population.\nDeliver every despot and dictator into their hands\nto be tried and sentenced\nand put behind bars where they belong. \nMay all your faithful ones share in this glory\, LORD\,\nfor you are the greatest! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 13: 8-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Keep yourselves out of debt. Let the only thing you owe anyone be love. If you are loving others you are measuring up to the standard that God’s law has always been seeking. The law contains lots of detailed commandments such as don’t betray your marriage partner\, don’t kill anybody\, don’t pinch other people’s stuff\, and don’t get preoccupied with the desire to possess things you don’t have. All such commandments can be summarised into the one simple instruction: “Love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.” Love never does the wrong thing by anybody\, so if you really love\, you will measure up to the whole law without even thinking about it. \nYou will realise how important these things are\, because you 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. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 18: 15-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching his followers\, Jesus said\, “If another one of the brothers or sisters in the congregation does the wrong thing by you in some serious way\, go and try to sort it out between the two of you. If the offender takes on board what you have to say\, then you have rebuilt the relationship. If your approach is rejected\, have another try\, but this time take one or two others with you\, so that there will be witnesses to all that is said and done between you. If the offending brother or sister still refuses to accept responsibility for the problem\, then bring the issue to the congregation. If even the congregation’s decision is rejected\, then it is time for them to sever ties and to relate to the offender as they would to anyone else whose behaviour is beyond the pale and who is yet to respond to the call to turn around and become part of the people of God. I kid you not\, when you make decisions together about what may and may not be done as you live your life in the congregation\, heaven will back you up. And again I’m not kidding when I say that if two of you make a joint commitment to something in prayer\, then my Father in heaven will support you in it. For whenever two or three people gather together\, identifying themselves with me\, I will be right there with them in the gathering.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ezekiel 33: 7-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God said to me: \n“Ezekiel\, I have given you the job of standing guard over my people. You are to pass on to them\, word for word\, every warning you hear from me. If I give you a message for those who have gone off the rails\, saying\, ‘You people are corrupt and it is going to destroy your lives and kill you\,’ you are to give it to them in no uncertain terms. If you fail to warn them of the need to turn their lives around\, then they will continue on their fast track to an early grave\, and I will hold you culpable for their deaths. But if you give them fair warning to mend their ways\, and they take no notice\, then they will still end up dead\, but you won’t have their blood on your hands. \n“Now\, young man; can you hear what my people are saying? They are saying that their past has caught up with them\, and that the mistakes that they once made will go on ruining their lives from now on. They think they are stuck with no way out\, and no life to look forward to. This is what I want you to tell them\, Ezekiel: ‘I am the LORD your God who lives forever\, and I can assure you that I take no pleasure in seeing those who have done wrong pay for it with their lives. I would so much rather see them mend their ways and rebuild their lives. So you people who think your past is killing you\, turn around and get your lives back on track. Come\, my people\, why should you let these things kill you when there is a way out?” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 119: 33-40			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, teach me the way of life you have set for us\nand I will stick to it for keeps. \nHelp me to get my head around what you want\nand I will throw myself wholeheartedly into doing it. \nGuide me down the track you’ve mapped out for us\,\nfor nothing pleases me more than being where you want me. \nKeep me focussed on the values you’ve spelt out;\ndon’t let me get sucked into grabbing everything for myself. \nPut the blinkers on me so I see only your life-giving ways\nand am not distracted by fashionable froth and bubble. \nReassure me that I am in on what you promised to all\nwho respect you and work for you. \nProtect me with your good teachings\nso that I won’t disgrace myself as I fear I could. \nSee how much I long to do things your way;\nplease do the right thing by me and give me real life. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your delight is in your people\,\nand the day of our salvation is near. \nYou are our King and our maker\,\nfor all things came into being at your command.\nYou came to save your people from slavery\,\nstriking the land of their oppressors\,\nand setting free all who identified themselves\nwith the blood of your lamb. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again come to save us.\nIn his love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand the revelation of your desire to reconcile all people –\nto yourself and to one another.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\,\nand marked us for salvation with his blood.\nNow wherever two or three gather\,\nclothed in his love\,\nyou are present in the midst of us\nand we rejoice in you forever. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for your child\, Jesus\,\nin whose love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand whose presence in our midst\nwe know and celebrate whenever we gather in your name. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your delight is in your people\,\nand the day of our salvation is near. \nYou are our King and our maker\,\nfor all things came into being at your command.\nYou came to save your people from slavery\,\nstriking the land of their oppressors\,\nand setting free all who identified themselves\nwith the blood of your lamb. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again come to save us.\nIn his love we have seen the fulfilment of your law\nand the revelation of your desire to reconcile all people –\nto yourself and to one another.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\,\nand marked us for salvation with his blood.\nNow wherever two or three gather\,\nclothed in his love\,\nyou are present in the midst of us\nand we rejoice in you forever. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus Christ has called us to lay aside the works of darkness\nand to confess our sins and be reconciled to God.\nYou have confessed your sin in the company of God’s people.\nYour forgiveness\, declared on earth\, is sealed in heaven. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in love\, reconciled to one another in Christ.\nLay aside the works of darkness\nand put on the armour of light.\nLive honourably\,\nfulfilling the law through love for all. \nAnd may God mark you out for salvation;\nMay Christ Jesus be present among you always\,\nAnd may the Holy Spirit reconcile you to one another\nand fulfil the law of love among you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Rituals of FaithA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14 & Exodus 12:1-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nOur Egyptian Identity?A sermon on Exodus 12:1-14 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nLove – reaching for the impossibleA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20 & Romans 13:8-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove\, Desire and LawA sermon on Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14 & Exodus 12:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOwe Only LoveA sermon on Romans 13:8-14 by Will Small
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap18/2029-09-09/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P18.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235900
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T044939Z
UID:10002150-1884038400-1884124740@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000526Z
UID:10002712-1884038400-1884124799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000526Z
UID:10002717-1884038400-1884124799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000526Z
UID:10002721-1884038400-1884124799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000526Z
UID:10002724-1884038400-1884124799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20290914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20290914T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220829T022014Z
UID:10002706-1884038400-1884124799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2029-09-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/46.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290916T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290916T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200824T045603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231023T070422Z
UID:10002078-1884211200-1884297599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 19 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 14: 19-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the Israelite people were caught between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army\, the angel of God who had been in front of the Israelites moved around and took up a new position\, covering them from the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of them and settled in a position behind them\, making it impossible for the Egyptians and the Israelites to see each other. The cloud shrouded the Egyptian camp in darkness and lit up the night over the Israelite camp\, and the night passed without any contact between the two camps. \nThen Moses stretched out his hand towards the sea\, and\, with a violent wind that blew all night\, the LORD forced back the sea\, carving out a track of dry ground right through the middle of the water. The Israelites trooped into the sea on the dry track with the angry waters towering over them on either side. The Egyptian soldiers gave chase\, charging into the middle of the sea aboard their horses and armoured vehicles. Just before dawn\, the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud\, and began to wreak havoc among them\, bogging their vehicles and leaving them stuck in the middle. In panic\, the soldiers began shouting\, “Run for your lives! Get away from these Israelites because the LORD is on their side fighting against us!” \nThen the LORD said to Moses\, “Stretch out your hand towards the sea again so that the water will surge back over the Egyptian army and all their soldiers and armoured vehicles.” \nSo Moses stretched out his hand towards the sea\, and as the dawn broke\, the sea came crashing back down on top of the fleeing army. The LORD trapped the soldiers in the middle of the sea\, and when the waters had closed over and returned to normal\, there wasn’t a soldier or a vehicle left. The Israelites had walked through the sea on a dry track with the angry waters towering over them on either side\, but the entire army of the King of Egypt had been swallowed up by the sea while pursuing them. \nSo that day the LORD rescued the people of Israel from their oppressors\, and the people saw all the dead soldiers washed up on the shore. When they saw the power of the LORD’s action against their oppressors\, the people were in awe of the LORD and put their trust in the LORD and in Moses who was working for the LORD. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 114			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When we were led out of the land of slavery\n- the people of Israel\, coming out from under the foreign thumb -\nthe land of Judah became a sacred place\,\nthe land of Israel came under sovereign rule. \nThe wild sea took one look\, and turned tail and ran\,\nthe Jordan river backed off and headed the other way.\nThe mountains skipped like a rock wallaby;\nthe hills were as jumpy as a kelpie pup. \nWhat was it that made the wild sea turn tail?\nWhat was it that made the Jordan back off?\nWhat made the mountains quiver and jump?\nWhat made the hills shudder and shake? \nIt was awe of you\, LORD\, God of our ancestors.\nThe whole earth trembles in your presence.\nFor you are the one who melts rocks into pools of water;\nthe one who brings springs bubbling up from hard baked ground. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR Exodus 15: 1b-11\, 20-21 (alternative canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The prophet Miriam\, who was Aaron’s sister\, led the women in a dance of celebration\, playing tambourines and singing: \nOur song is for you\, LORD\,\nfor you have won a glorious victory!\nYou have tossed the soldiers and warhorses into the sea! \nWe would be nothing without you\, LORD\,\nbut with you\, we are strong.\nYou are our God\, and we sing your praises;\nthe God of our ancestors\,\nand we applaud you long and loud. \nYou are the greatest hero\, LORD;\nLORD by name\, LORD by reputation. \nYou swept the tyrant’s armoured vehicles and soldiers into the sea;\nall his top brass disappeared beneath the waves. \nThe surging waters closed over them\,\nand they sank like a stone into the murky depths. \nWith your bare hands\, LORD\,\nyou put on an awesome display of power;\nyou rolled up your sleeves and decimated the enemy. \nWith the full force of your majestic power\,\nyou defeated your opponents;\nthey ignited your anger\nand were gone like dry grass in a bushfire. \nThe fearsome blast of your fury cut a swathe through the waters;\nthe surging depths were heaped up on each side;\nthe wild ocean set like jelly\, all the way down. \nThe tyrants said\, “We’ll give chase\, we can catch them.\nAll that they have will be ours\, all we could ever want.\nWe will turn our weapons on them and wipe them out.” \nYou sent your wind howling after them and closed the sea over them;\nthey sank like a stone and were never seen again. \nYou are in a league of your own\, LORD;\nNothing else is worthy of our devotion.\nNothing can compete with you for awesome grandeur;\nNothing else can match your record\nfor getting the job done against the odds. \nOur song is for you\, LORD\,\nfor you have won a glorious victory!\nYou have tossed the soldiers and warhorses into the sea! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 14: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Don’t put anyone down for being timid in their faith. Welcome them into the congregation\, and don’t give them a hard time for being hung up about things that cause you no concern. Some people believe that it is okay to eat anything\, while those who are more timid would rather eat only vegetables than risk eating meat that might not be kosher. Those who eat with confidence must not make fun of those who play it safe; and those who play it safe must not pass judgment on those who eat. The fact is that God has extended a welcome to both. What gives you the right to criticise the workers in someone else’s employ? They don’t rise or fall on your say so. It will be sorted out between them and their Lord directly\, not through you; and they will get the thumbs up\, because the Lord is quite capable of getting them to stand where they should without your help. \nSome people are of the opinion that certain days should be treated as special and sacred\, while others reckon that no day is any more important than any other. There are good arguments either way\, so let everyone faithfully practice what they believe to be right. Those who observe a particular day as special are celebrating it in honour of the Lord. Those who eat meat without asking questions are eating in honour of the Lord\, and you can see this in the way they thank God for the food. Likewise\, those who abstain from eating certain things are doing so in honour of the Lord\, for they too give thanks to God. \nYou see\, we are not our own bosses; we do not have the final say on how we are to live or die. We dance to the Lord’s tune in our lives\, and we will dance to the Lord’s tune when we die. We belong to the Lord for the entire journey. The Messiah made this possible by dying and returning to life again. Having been through it all\, he is now able to call the shots among everyone in life and in death. \nSo\, you there! Why would you write off another brother or sister as too lax? Or you: why would you look down your nose at another sister or brother for their lack of confidence? Everyone of us will have our day in court\, and it will be God who brings down the verdict on what we have done. As the scriptures say: \n“Every knee will bow to the Lord who lives\,\nand every tongue will sing the praises of God.” \nSo\, at the end of the day\, each and every one of us is accountable to God for the way we live our lives and the way we treat one another. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 18: 21-35			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While Jesus was teaching his followers\, Peter raised a question: “Lord\, how many times should I forgive someone in the congregation who does the wrong thing by me? Is seven times enough second chances\, or should I draw the line before that?” \nJesus replied\, “Try seventy times seven and then some! Take it from me; you should still be forgiving when you can’t count any more!” \nHe went on to say: \n“That’s why this story is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. A corporate boss wanted to end his investment in a small single-operator subsidiary. He called up the operator and demanded repayment of almost one billion dollars. The operator was unable to pay\, and unable to adequately account for the money\, so the corporate boss ordered the repossession of the operator’s house and all his belongings\, casting him and his family into the street\, and began proceedings to have him arrested for fraud. But the operator fell to his knees and begged for mercy\, saying\, ‘Just give me a little more time and I will pay you the full billion.’ \nAnd in a sudden fit of compassion\, the corporate boss let him go and wrote off the entire debt. But later the same day\, the operator called in one of his own contractors who owed him just five grand. He grabbed him by the lapels\, pinned him to the wall\, and said\, ‘Cough up\, now!’ \nThe contractor fell to his knees and pleaded with him\, saying\, ‘Just give me a little more time and I will pay you every cent.’ \nBut the operator would have none of it\, and repossessed his house and all his belongings and had him and his family thrown out into the street. When some of his fellow contractors saw what had happened\, they were absolutely gutted\, and went to the big boss and blew the whistle on the operator. The boss called the operator back in and tore strips off him. ‘You scumbag! I wrote off your entire debt out of the goodness of my heart. Don’t you think you could have gone easy on your contractor the same as I went easy on you? At the very least you could have given him more time.’ \nAnd in anger the boss called in some of the boys and had the operator beaten to a pulp\, and then had the claim for the billion dollars served on him again. \nAnd you can take it from me\, that if you are not generous in your forgiveness of one another\, you can expect the same kind of response from the One we answer to in heaven.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Genesis 50: 15-21			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After Jacob’s funeral\, Joseph’s brothers began to worry that Joseph might still be carrying a grudge against them for selling him into slavery and faking his death all those years before. They were afraid that he might have just been waiting until their father was dead before taking his revenge. So they sent a message to Joseph\, saying\, “Shortly before he died\, your father put a message in his will for you\, saying\, ‘To my son\, Joseph\, I beg you to forgive your brothers for their horrendous crime against you and for all the hurt they caused you.’ So please forgive us for our crime against you. We too are in the service of the God of your father.” \nJoseph broke down in tears when he got the message. His brothers came and fell to their knees before him\, saying\, “We are here at your mercy to do whatever you demand of us.” \nBut Joseph spoke to them kindly and bent over backwards to reassure them\, saying\, “Relax! You’ve got nothing to fear from me. I’m not setting myself up as God\, so get up off your knees! I know you meant the worst for me then\, but God was at work to make the most of what you did. To this day\,  God is working through what you did to keep the growing multitude of God’s people safe. So don’t worry. I will personally set you up for life\, you and your families.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 103: (1-7)\, 8-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	With all our hearts\, we praise you\, LORD\,\nfrom the depths of our being\nwe name you as our one and only. \nWith all that we are we sings your praises\, LORD;\nhow could we ever forget all you have done for us? \nWhen we do wrong\, you forgive us;\nwhen we are sick\, you make us well;\nwhen our lives fall apart\, you put us back together. \nWith love and mercy\, you treat us like royalty;\nyou shower us with good things all our lives;\nyou makes us feel as young and free as an eagle. \nYou are there for those who are victimised\, LORD;\nyou clear their names and bring them justice. \nThrough Moses\, you let us know what you are on about;\nthrough Israel\, you let us see what you can do. \nYour mercy and generosity are extravagant\, LORD;\nyour patience and love are as solid as rock. \nWhen we do things that anger you\,\nyou don’t keep dredging them up forever. \nYou never deal with us as harshly as we deserve;\ndespite the wrong we have done\, you let us off lightly. \nWe could no more climb to the moon on a step ladder\nthan measure the limits of the love and loyalty\nyou show to those who respect you.\nWe could no more swim the ocean from pole to pole\nthan cover the distance you put between us and our sins. \nYour care and concern for those who honour you\nis as tender as that of parents for their children. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nwith every knee bowed\nand every tongue giving you praise\,\nfor in you is extravagant mercy\nand salvation from all that would destroy us. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\, you created the earth\,\ndividing the watery chaos and bringing forth dry land.\nIn the days of Moses you divided the sea again\nand delivered your people from their oppressors\,\nleading them by fire and cloud to the land of freedom. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyour reign of love and mercy has embraced all who live\nand even in our weaknesses you uphold us.\nHe was killed but lived again\nso that he might be Lord of both the living and the dead.\nNow whether we live or die we belong to you\nand in gratitude we share your love and mercy with all. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for your child\, Jesus\,\nwho died but lived again\,\nopening a way of escape for us through the waters of death.\nNow whether we live or die we belong to you\nand in gratitude we share your love and mercy with all. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nwith every knee bowed\nand every tongue giving you praise\,\nfor in you is extravagant mercy\nand salvation from all that would destroy us. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\, you created the earth\,\ndividing the watery chaos and bringing forth dry land.\nIn the days of Moses you divided the sea again\nand delivered your people from their oppressors\,\nleading them by fire and cloud to the land of freedom. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyour reign of love and mercy has embraced all who live\nand even in our weaknesses you uphold us.\nHe was killed but lived again\nso that he might be Lord of both the living and the dead.\nNow whether we live or die we belong to you\nand in gratitude we share your love and mercy with all. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The God who calls us to be a merciful people\nis overwhelmingly merciful to us.\nGod knows our weaknesses\nand lifts us when we fall. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now into the world and live for Christ.\nWhatever you do\, do it in honour of the Lord\ngiving thanks to God.\nShow forgiveness to one another\nas in Christ you have received forgiveness. \nAnd may God provide an escape from all that threatens you;\nMay Christ Jesus shower mercy on you and through you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit uphold you as you stand in Christ. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nConservatives v’s Progressives – the never ending struggleA sermon on Romans 14:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWaiting for a Way OutA sermon on Exodus 14:19-31 & Matthew 18:21-35 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Way Out when there is No Way OutA sermon on Exodus 14:19-31 & Matthew 18:21-35 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRadical Forgiveness in a World at WarA sermon on Exodus 14:19-31; Romans 14:1-12 & Matthew 18:21-35 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWho causes suffering when we fail to forgive?A sermon on Exodus 14:19-31 & Matthew 18:21-35 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nYou did what in honour of the Lord?!A sermon on Romans 14:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap19/2029-09-16/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290923T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290923T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200824T045716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003405Z
UID:10002843-1884816000-1884902399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 16: 2-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Once they were on their own in the outback\, the Israelite people began to lose their nerve and worry about how they were going to survive\, and the whole crowd started whingeing and criticising Moses and Aaron. The people were saying\, “We would have been better off waiting for the LORD to kill us back in Egypt. At least there was always a pot of stew on the boil there\, and as much bread as we could eat. But you two have dragged us out into the scrub so that you can starve us all to death out here.” \nThen the LORD said to Moses\, “I am going to make bread fall from the sky like rain for you. Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day only. I am going to test out the people to see whether or not they will do what I tell them. They are not to stockpile it\, except on the day before the Sabbath day off\, when there will be twice as much as usual for them to collect and prepare.” \nSo Moses and Aaron spoke to the people saying\, “You have been whingeing about the LORD\, and the LORD has heard you and is going to do something about your complaint. This evening you will be convinced that it was the LORD who got you out of the land of slavery\, and in the morning you will witness the glory of the LORD. So stop giving us such a hard time.” \nAnd Moses added\, “You will know that it is the LORD's doing when you have meat for dinner in the evening and all the bread you can eat in the morning\, because the LORD has listened to your complaints and responded. Then you will realise that we had nothing to do with it\, and that your whingeing has not been about us but about the LORD.” \nThen Moses said to Aaron\, “Give this message to the whole Israelite congregation: ‘Draw close to the LORD\, for the LORD has listened to your complaints.’” \nAnd even as Aaron was addressing the gathered people\, they looked out across the desert and witnessed an awesome display of the LORD’s glory in the clouds. \nThe LORD spoke to Moses and said\, “Because I have listened to the people’s problems\, I want you to give them this message: ‘At sundown you will have meat to eat\, and in the morning you will have plenty of bread. Then you will know for sure that I am the LORD your God.” \nThat evening\, an enormous flock of game birds came in and settled all over the camp where the people could pick them off with ease. Then in the morning\, the ground was covered in dew\, and as the dew dried\, it left a layer of fine flaky stuff on the ground. It looked like a light sprinkling of snow on the desert floor. When the people saw it\, they had no idea what it was and began to ask one another\, “What on earth is this stuff?” \nMoses told them\, “This is the bread that the LORD has provided for you to gather up and eat.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 105: 1-6\, 37-45			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We shout your name and give you thanks\, LORD;\nwe will tell everyone what you have done for us.\nWe sing your praises in your presence\,\nand publicise your wonderful achievements. \nWe put your name up in lights\, your name alone;\nour hearts burst with joy when we approach you.\nIt is you we want most of all\, you and your strength;\nwe try to keep near to you all the time. \nLike all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob\,\nand all your chosen children\,\nwe remember all the astonishing things you have done\nand the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions. \nYou led Israel out of slavery\,\ncarrying off money and goods\,\nand every one of them made it out safely.\nThe local people were glad to see the last of them\,\nbecause they were terrified of them. \nYou rolled out a cloud like a blanket for them\,\nand lit up the night with a fire.\nThey asked for meat and you gave them quail;\nall they could eat\, you dropped from the sky.\nYou opened a rock and water poured out\,\nflowing like a river in the desert. \nYou were true to your word\, LORD\,\njust as you promised your trusty worker\, Abraham.\nYour led your chosen people to freedom\,\nlaughing and singing with joy. \nYou gave them lands as a gift\nand made them rich at the expense of others.\nIn return you asked that they follow what you said\,\nand stick to doing things your way. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 1: 21-30			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I am on a winner whether I live or die\, because for me living is positively full of the Messiah and dying is full of positives! If I was to go on living in the here and now\, that would allow me to keep working and score a few more goals. I don’t know which to wish for! If I was given a say in it\, I’d be hard pressed to choose between them. On the one hand\, I can hardly wait for the day when I shuffle off this mortal coil to be with the Messiah. That will be the ultimate! But on the other hand I know it would be better for you if I were to stick with you. Because I know that that is the case\, I’m pretty sure that I will be sticking around and continuing to get stuck into it with all of you\, helping you to grow in the faith and enjoy it to the full. My arriving among you again will give you even more cause to trumpet on about being on the winning side with Jesus the Messiah\, and I’ll get to share in the celebrations with you. \nOne thing though! See to it that as a community\, your common life measures up to the message we proclaim about the Messiah. If it does\, I won’t have to worry about whether I make it back to be with you or whether I only ever get to hear occasional news of you. Either way I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit and working together shoulder to shoulder with your minds set on the one goal of fully living out the faith we talk about. And I will know that you are not backing down in the least before the threats that are being made against you. Such a life will stand as a warning to those who are out to get you\, pointing to the terrifying fate which awaits them and to the life of salvation which awaits you. This\, of course\, is all God’s doing. God has been generous enough to not only allow you to live with your trust in Christ\, but to give you the privilege of suffering for the Messiah as well. That is why you are now up against it so severely. I was up against the same things last time you saw me — I still am — and now it’s your turn to share in it for the sake of the Messiah. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 20: 1-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching his followers\, Jesus said\, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. A building contractor turned up at his job site first thing in the morning and found a queue of casual labourers at the gate looking for work. He offered to pay them the award wage for a day’s labour\, and on that understanding\, they signed on for the day and got stuck into it. At morning smoko\, the boss wandered out the front gate and found another group of labourers standing around with nothing to do\, so he said to them\, ‘Come and work the rest of the day on my site\, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’ \nThey signed on and got stuck into it. At lunchtime and again at afternoon smoko\, the boss went down to the gate and signed on still more labourers. About an hour before they were due to down tools\, the boss went down to the gate again and found still more unemployed labourers. He said to them\, ‘What are you doing standing around here with your hands in your pockets?’ \nThey replied\, ‘We’re out of work and nothing has come up for us today.’ \nThe boss said to them\, ‘The day’s not done. Sign on here and you can work on my site for the rest of the shift.’ \nAt knock-off time\, the building contractor said to his leading hand\, ‘Call the labourers into the site office and give them their wages\, starting with those who signed on last and working through to those who signed on first thing.’ \nWhen those who had only been on the job for an hour reported in\, they were each paid the award wage for a full day’s labour. So when those who had been hired first came in\, they figured that they would get a substantial bonus\, but each of them was also paid the award wage for a day. When they saw what they had been paid\, they were ropeable\, and sent one of their number in to take it up with the boss\, saying\, ‘Some of these blokes barely worked an hour\, and you’re treating them as though they were worth the same as us who worked our guts out in the blazing sun for the whole day.’ \nBut the boss replied\, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong by you\, Mister. You signed on for the usual daily wage didn’t you? Well\, that’s what I’ve paid you\, so put it in your wallet and get off home. I can pay the latecomers as much as you if I want. It’s my site and my money\, so I can do what I like with them\, can’t I? Or are you offended by my generosity?’” \n“And so things will be completely different\,” Jesus concluded. “The last will be first\, and the first will be last.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Jonah 3:10 - 4:11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the people of Nineveh called a day of repentance\, God saw that they really were turning away from evil and getting their lives back on track. So God had a change of heart\, and cancelled the disaster that had been planned for the people of Nineveh. \nBut this outcome was the last thing that Jonah wanted to see\, and his anger raged like a bushfire. He exploded in prayer\, saying\, “Stuff it all\, LORD! Right from the start I said that you couldn’t be trusted to destroy Nineveh! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by running away in the first place. I knew that you were a God who is compassionate and generous\, as eager to forgive as a doting mother. Your love and loyalty always hold back your anger\, and given half a reason you withhold sentence and let everyone off the hook. Well LORD\, I’ve had a gutful of it. Just kill me now and get it over with. I’d rather die than live\, if this is how it is going to be.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Do you think this burning anger is justified?” \nBut Jonah just stormed out of the city\, heading east\, and made a camp for himself in the bush. He plonked himself down on the ground and waited to see what would become of the city. \nThe LORD commissioned a small tree to shoot up and provide Jonah with shade in an effort to cool his head\, so Jonah was pretty happy about the tree. But before the sun came up the next morning\, God commissioned a grub to bore into the tree so that it shrivelled up. When the sun rose in the sky\, God commissioned a hot muggy wind to blow on Jonah. With the heat of the sun boring into his head\, Jonah was almost passing out from heatstroke and wishing he could just die and get it over with. He said to himself\, “I would be better off dead anyway.” \nThe LORD said to Jonah\, “Do you think this burning anger is justified over losing the tree?” \nJonah snarled back\, “It is perfectly justified\, even if it kills me!” \nThen the LORD said: \n“You felt a wave of compassion for the tree\,\nwhose greatness was no thanks to anything you did\,\nand who sprouted one night and perished the next. \nSo what makes you think that I should not have compassion\nfor the great city of Nineveh\,\nwhose streets are home to a hundred and twenty thousand people\nwho left to their own devices\nwouldn’t know which way to turn\,\nand whose animals live there too?” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 145: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We will declare you to be the greatest\, God our king\,\nand put your name up in lights forever. \nEvery day\, without fail\, we will sing your praises\,\nwe will honour your name now and forever. \nYou are wonderful\, LORD; you deserve the highest praise\,\nand your greatness is more than we can comprehend. \nEach generation tells the next what you have done\,\nand speaks with awe about your accomplishments. \nWe will fill our minds with your splendour and glory\,\nand with the stories of your amazing exploits. \nWe will publicise the news of your mighty deeds\nand let everyone know how great you are. \nThen everyone will celebrate your generous love;\nand applaud your justice with singing and dancing. \nYou are generous and compassionate\, LORD;\nslow to anger\, and rich in love and loyalty. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you provide for the needs of your people\nwith a generosity beyond our comprehension. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders you created the earth\nand filled it with good things.\nWhen you led your people out of slavery\,\nyou heard their cries in the desert\nand gave them food from heaven\nso that they might eat and give thanks to you. \nSo too\, you feed us through your child\, Jesus\,\nthe bread of heaven\,\nwho came to nourish us and strengthen us in the faith.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand now he gives himself with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to his call\,\nthe early comers and late comers alike.\nSo now for us\, through your gracious gift of faith\,\nto live is Christ and to die is gain. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for the bread of heaven\nwhich you give with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to your call\,\nso that for us\, to live is Christ and to die is gain. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you provide for the needs of your people\nwith a generosity beyond our comprehension. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders you created the earth\nand filled it with good things.\nWhen you led your people out of slavery\,\nyou heard their cries in the desert\nand gave them food from heaven\nand water from the rock. \nSo too\, you came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nto nourish us and strengthen us in the faith.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand now he gives himself with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to his call\,\nthe early comers and late comers alike.\nSo now for us\, through your gracious gift of faith\,\nto live is Christ and to die is gain. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	All who respond to God’s call to repentance\nare embraced in the generous mercy of God.\nWhether you responded to God’s call at the first opportunity\,\nor whether you are responding for the first time now\,\nGod’s gracious forgiveness is yours\, in Jesus Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in the strength of God’s gracious gifts.\nLive lives worthy of the gospel of Christ.\nStand firm in one spirit.\nStrive with one mind for the faith of the gospel. \nAnd may the power and the presence of God go with you.\nMay the Call of Christ lead you into fruitful labour.\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with the joy of grace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Gracious InjusticeA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBread in the WildernessA sermon on Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSometimes Grace StinksA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 & Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nShortchanged?A sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 & Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nResenting EqualityA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAffirmative Action and the GospelA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap20/2029-09-23/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290923T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290923T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200824T045716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231101T130550Z
UID:10002079-1884816000-1884902399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 16: 2-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Once they were on their own in the outback\, the Israelite people began to lose their nerve and worry about how they were going to survive\, and the whole crowd started whingeing and criticising Moses and Aaron. The people were saying\, “We would have been better off waiting for the LORD to kill us back in Egypt. At least there was always a pot of stew on the boil there\, and as much bread as we could eat. But you two have dragged us out into the scrub so that you can starve us all to death out here.” \nThen the LORD said to Moses\, “I am going to make bread fall from the sky like rain for you. Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day only. I am going to test out the people to see whether or not they will do what I tell them. They are not to stockpile it\, except on the day before the Sabbath day off\, when there will be twice as much as usual for them to collect and prepare.” \nSo Moses and Aaron spoke to the people saying\, “You have been whingeing about the LORD\, and the LORD has heard you and is going to do something about your complaint. This evening you will be convinced that it was the LORD who got you out of the land of slavery\, and in the morning you will witness the glory of the LORD. So stop giving us such a hard time.” \nAnd Moses added\, “You will know that it is the LORD's doing when you have meat for dinner in the evening and all the bread you can eat in the morning\, because the LORD has listened to your complaints and responded. Then you will realise that we had nothing to do with it\, and that your whingeing has not been about us but about the LORD.” \nThen Moses said to Aaron\, “Give this message to the whole Israelite congregation: ‘Draw close to the LORD\, for the LORD has listened to your complaints.’” \nAnd even as Aaron was addressing the gathered people\, they looked out across the desert and witnessed an awesome display of the LORD’s glory in the clouds. \nThe LORD spoke to Moses and said\, “Because I have listened to the people’s problems\, I want you to give them this message: ‘At sundown you will have meat to eat\, and in the morning you will have plenty of bread. Then you will know for sure that I am the LORD your God.” \nThat evening\, an enormous flock of game birds came in and settled all over the camp where the people could pick them off with ease. Then in the morning\, the ground was covered in dew\, and as the dew dried\, it left a layer of fine flaky stuff on the ground. It looked like a light sprinkling of snow on the desert floor. When the people saw it\, they had no idea what it was and began to ask one another\, “What on earth is this stuff?” \nMoses told them\, “This is the bread that the LORD has provided for you to gather up and eat.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 105: 1-6\, 37-45			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We shout your name and give you thanks\, LORD;\nwe will tell everyone what you have done for us.\nWe sing your praises in your presence\,\nand publicise your wonderful achievements. \nWe put your name up in lights\, your name alone;\nour hearts burst with joy when we approach you.\nIt is you we want most of all\, you and your strength;\nwe try to keep near to you all the time. \nLike all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob\,\nand all your chosen children\,\nwe remember all the astonishing things you have done\nand the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions. \nYou led Israel out of slavery\,\ncarrying off money and goods\,\nand every one of them made it out safely.\nThe local people were glad to see the last of them\,\nbecause they were terrified of them. \nYou rolled out a cloud like a blanket for them\,\nand lit up the night with a fire.\nThey asked for meat and you gave them quail;\nall they could eat\, you dropped from the sky.\nYou opened a rock and water poured out\,\nflowing like a river in the desert. \nYou were true to your word\, LORD\,\njust as you promised your trusty worker\, Abraham.\nYour led your chosen people to freedom\,\nlaughing and singing with joy. \nYou gave them lands as a gift\nand made them rich at the expense of others.\nIn return you asked that they follow what you said\,\nand stick to doing things your way. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 1: 21-30			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I am on a winner whether I live or die\, because for me living is positively full of the Messiah and dying is full of positives! If I was to go on living in the here and now\, that would allow me to keep working and score a few more goals. I don’t know which to wish for! If I was given a say in it\, I’d be hard pressed to choose between them. On the one hand\, I can hardly wait for the day when I shuffle off this mortal coil to be with the Messiah. That will be the ultimate! But on the other hand I know it would be better for you if I were to stick with you. Because I know that that is the case\, I’m pretty sure that I will be sticking around and continuing to get stuck into it with all of you\, helping you to grow in the faith and enjoy it to the full. My arriving among you again will give you even more cause to trumpet on about being on the winning side with Jesus the Messiah\, and I’ll get to share in the celebrations with you. \nOne thing though! See to it that as a community\, your common life measures up to the message we proclaim about the Messiah. If it does\, I won’t have to worry about whether I make it back to be with you or whether I only ever get to hear occasional news of you. Either way I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit and working together shoulder to shoulder with your minds set on the one goal of fully living out the faith we talk about. And I will know that you are not backing down in the least before the threats that are being made against you. Such a life will stand as a warning to those who are out to get you\, pointing to the terrifying fate which awaits them and to the life of salvation which awaits you. This\, of course\, is all God’s doing. God has been generous enough to not only allow you to live with your trust in Christ\, but to give you the privilege of suffering for the Messiah as well. That is why you are now up against it so severely. I was up against the same things last time you saw me — I still am — and now it’s your turn to share in it for the sake of the Messiah. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 20: 1-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching his followers\, Jesus said\, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. A building contractor turned up at his job site first thing in the morning and found a queue of casual labourers at the gate looking for work. He offered to pay them the award wage for a day’s labour\, and on that understanding\, they signed on for the day and got stuck into it. At morning smoko\, the boss wandered out the front gate and found another group of labourers standing around with nothing to do\, so he said to them\, ‘Come and work the rest of the day on my site\, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’ \nThey signed on and got stuck into it. At lunchtime and again at afternoon smoko\, the boss went down to the gate and signed on still more labourers. About an hour before they were due to down tools\, the boss went down to the gate again and found still more unemployed labourers. He said to them\, ‘What are you doing standing around here with your hands in your pockets?’ \nThey replied\, ‘We’re out of work and nothing has come up for us today.’ \nThe boss said to them\, ‘The day’s not done. Sign on here and you can work on my site for the rest of the shift.’ \nAt knock-off time\, the building contractor said to his leading hand\, ‘Call the labourers into the site office and give them their wages\, starting with those who signed on last and working through to those who signed on first thing.’ \nWhen those who had only been on the job for an hour reported in\, they were each paid the award wage for a full day’s labour. So when those who had been hired first came in\, they figured that they would get a substantial bonus\, but each of them was also paid the award wage for a day. When they saw what they had been paid\, they were ropeable\, and sent one of their number in to take it up with the boss\, saying\, ‘Some of these blokes barely worked an hour\, and you’re treating them as though they were worth the same as us who worked our guts out in the blazing sun for the whole day.’ \nBut the boss replied\, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong by you\, Mister. You signed on for the usual daily wage didn’t you? Well\, that’s what I’ve paid you\, so put it in your wallet and get off home. I can pay the latecomers as much as you if I want. It’s my site and my money\, so I can do what I like with them\, can’t I? Or are you offended by my generosity?’” \n“And so things will be completely different\,” Jesus concluded. “The last will be first\, and the first will be last.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Jonah 3:10 - 4:11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the people of Nineveh called a day of repentance\, God saw that they really were turning away from evil and getting their lives back on track. So God had a change of heart\, and cancelled the disaster that had been planned for the people of Nineveh. \nBut this outcome was the last thing that Jonah wanted to see\, and his anger raged like a bushfire. He exploded in prayer\, saying\, “Stuff it all\, LORD! Right from the start I said that you couldn’t be trusted to destroy Nineveh! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by running away in the first place. I knew that you were a God who is compassionate and generous\, as eager to forgive as a doting mother. Your love and loyalty always hold back your anger\, and given half a reason you withhold sentence and let everyone off the hook. Well LORD\, I’ve had a gutful of it. Just kill me now and get it over with. I’d rather die than live\, if this is how it is going to be.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Do you think this burning anger is justified?” \nBut Jonah just stormed out of the city\, heading east\, and made a camp for himself in the bush. He plonked himself down on the ground and waited to see what would become of the city. \nThe LORD commissioned a small tree to shoot up and provide Jonah with shade in an effort to cool his head\, so Jonah was pretty happy about the tree. But before the sun came up the next morning\, God commissioned a grub to bore into the tree so that it shrivelled up. When the sun rose in the sky\, God commissioned a hot muggy wind to blow on Jonah. With the heat of the sun boring into his head\, Jonah was almost passing out from heatstroke and wishing he could just die and get it over with. He said to himself\, “I would be better off dead anyway.” \nThe LORD said to Jonah\, “Do you think this burning anger is justified over losing the tree?” \nJonah snarled back\, “It is perfectly justified\, even if it kills me!” \nThen the LORD said: \n“You felt a wave of compassion for the tree\,\nwhose greatness was no thanks to anything you did\,\nand who sprouted one night and perished the next. \nSo what makes you think that I should not have compassion\nfor the great city of Nineveh\,\nwhose streets are home to a hundred and twenty thousand people\nwho left to their own devices\nwouldn’t know which way to turn\,\nand whose animals live there too?” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 145: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We will declare you to be the greatest\, God our king\,\nand put your name up in lights forever. \nEvery day\, without fail\, we will sing your praises\,\nwe will honour your name now and forever. \nYou are wonderful\, LORD; you deserve the highest praise\,\nand your greatness is more than we can comprehend. \nEach generation tells the next what you have done\,\nand speaks with awe about your accomplishments. \nWe will fill our minds with your splendour and glory\,\nand with the stories of your amazing exploits. \nWe will publicise the news of your mighty deeds\nand let everyone know how great you are. \nThen everyone will celebrate your generous love;\nand applaud your justice with singing and dancing. \nYou are generous and compassionate\, LORD;\nslow to anger\, and rich in love and loyalty. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you provide for the needs of your people\nwith a generosity beyond our comprehension. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders you created the earth\nand filled it with good things.\nWhen you led your people out of slavery\,\nyou heard their cries in the desert\nand gave them food from heaven\nso that they might eat and give thanks to you. \nSo too\, you feed us through your child\, Jesus\,\nthe bread of heaven\,\nwho came to nourish us and strengthen us in the faith.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand now he gives himself with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to his call\,\nthe early comers and late comers alike.\nSo now for us\, through your gracious gift of faith\,\nto live is Christ and to die is gain. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for the bread of heaven\nwhich you give with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to your call\,\nso that for us\, to live is Christ and to die is gain. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you provide for the needs of your people\nwith a generosity beyond our comprehension. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders you created the earth\nand filled it with good things.\nWhen you led your people out of slavery\,\nyou heard their cries in the desert\nand gave them food from heaven\nand water from the rock. \nSo too\, you came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nto nourish us and strengthen us in the faith.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand now he gives himself with scandalous extravagance\nto all who respond to his call\,\nthe early comers and late comers alike.\nSo now for us\, through your gracious gift of faith\,\nto live is Christ and to die is gain. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	All who respond to God’s call to repentance\nare embraced in the generous mercy of God.\nWhether you responded to God’s call at the first opportunity\,\nor whether you are responding for the first time now\,\nGod’s gracious forgiveness is yours\, in Jesus Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in the strength of God’s gracious gifts.\nLive lives worthy of the gospel of Christ.\nStand firm in one spirit.\nStrive with one mind for the faith of the gospel. \nAnd may the power and the presence of God go with you.\nMay the Call of Christ lead you into fruitful labour.\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with the joy of grace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Gracious InjusticeA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBread in the WildernessA sermon on Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSometimes Grace StinksA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 & Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nShortchanged?A sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 & Exodus 16: 2-15 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nResenting EqualityA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAffirmative Action and the GospelA sermon on Matthew 20:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap20/2029-09-23/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290930T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290930T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20231113T124900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231113T125011Z
UID:10002081-1885420800-1885507199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 21 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 17: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The whole gathered people of Israel pushed on from the Sen Desert\, making the journey in manageable stages as the LORD directed them. At the end of one stage\, they set up camp at a place called Rephidim\, only to find that there was no drinking water in the area. The people started getting stuck into Moses again and demanding that he provide them with water to drink. But Moses said to them\, “What are you taking it out on me for? Are you trying to provoke the LORD into losing patience with you?” \nBut the people’s thirst was becoming severe\, and the more desperate they became\, the more they blamed Moses. “Now look at the mess you’ve got us into\,” they said. “Is this what you dragged us all out of Egypt for: to watch us die in a parched desert\, and our children and livestock with us? \nSo Moses cried out to the LORD\, saying\, “What am I supposed to do with these people? They are nearly ready to tear me limb from limb.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Take some of the Israelite tribal leaders with you\, and go on ahead of the people. Take your hiking stick with you — the same one you used to strike the waters of the Nile. I will be waiting for you at the rock at Mount Sinai. Give the rock a good thump with your stick\, and water will come pouring out of it for everyone to drink.” \nIn full view of the tribal leaders\, Moses did as the LORD had told him\, and sure enough\, there was water for everyone. From then on\, Moses referred to that place by either of two names: Massah\, which means ‘testing’\, because the people had tested the LORD’s patience; and Meribah\, which means ‘dispute’\, because the people had questioned the LORD’s loyalty. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 78: 1-4\, 12-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom.\nThese are things we must hear and know\,\nfor the wisdom of our ancestors must not be lost. \nWe will not deprive our children of these things.\nWe will pass on the stories to the next generation\, LORD\,\nstories of the wonderful things you have done\,\nso that they know how great and amazing you are. \nOur ancestors saw the miraculous things you did\nwhen they were still doing hard labour in the land of slavery. \nYou cut a track through the sea and let them escape;\nyou made the angry waters stand aside to let them through. \nYou sent a cloud to guide them in the daytime\,\nand a fire to light the way for them at night. \nIn the parched outback\, you broke open rocks\,\nbringing drinking water flooding up from deep below.\nYou made fresh water pour from the rock;\na river of life flowing in the desert. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 2: 1-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If you have indeed experienced the encouragement of being united to Christ\, and the support that genuine love offers\, and the deep bonds of a shared life formed in the Spirit; if indeed you have any compassion and concern for me\, then make my dreams come true: get your heads tuned to the one wavelength so that you will share a common love\, a common dedication to the one cause\, and a common mindset. Don’t let yourself be driven by self-centred ambitions or empty egotism\, but keep your feet firmly on the ground and promote others ahead of yourself. To each one of you\, I would say\, don’t focus on doing what is in your own best interests\, but on what is in the best interests of others. Model your attitude on the attitude of the Messiah\, Jesus. \nAlthough Jesus was the same as God in every way\,\nhe did not think of his God-like privileges\nas something to be milked for all they were worth. \nInstead\, he laid it all aside\nand\, with no more privileges than a slave\,\nwas born as a human being. \nHaving become a human being\,\nhe was the model of humility.\nHe didn’t demand his own way\nbut let God set the agenda;\neven when it included his own death\,\nand a gruesome public death at that. \nBecause of all this\,\nGod has raised him to the status of number one\nand honoured him more highly\nthan anyone else in the universe. \nSo now\, just the mention of the name ‘Jesus’\nshould bring everyone to their knees;\neveryone who has ever lived or ever will. \nEveryone\, everywhere will honour God\nby openly acknowledging\nthat Jesus the Messiah is Lord of all! \nTherefore\, my dear friends\, there is work to do. You have always stuck to the agenda that was set for you\, so keep it up\, not only when I am around but even more when I am gone. Continue to work at living the life for which you are being saved\, and do so with such an awareness of how high the stakes are\, that it fills you with awe and makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. For this is awesome stuff: it is God who is at work within you\, making it possible for you to set your mind on what God wants and to work for those things which are ultimately pleasing to God. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 21: 23-32			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While Jesus was teaching the people in the Jerusalem Temple\, the chief priests and the political leaders came up and challenged him\, saying\, “What authority do you have for what you are doing\, and who authorised you to do these things?” \nJesus replied\, “I’ve got a question for you too\, and if you tell me the answer to mine\, I’ll answer yours and tell you what authority I have for what I am doing. Where did John’s authority to baptise people come from? Was it from God\, or did he just dream it up himself?” \nThey thought for a moment\, weighing up their options and saying to themselves\, “If we tell him we think God was behind it\, then he’ll want to know why we failed to get on board. But if we say that John just dreamed it up himself\, we will be in trouble with the people\, because the popular opinion says that John was a messenger from God.” \nSo they answered Jesus\, “We do not know.” \nAnd so Jesus said to them\, “Well then\, neither am I going to answer your question about what authority I have for what I am doing. Listen to this story though\, and tell me what you think. \nA man had two teenage sons. One day he said to one of them\, ‘Son\, the garden needs a bit of work. Would you give us a hand?’ The boy said\, ‘No way!’ but later he had second thoughts and went and got stuck into it. Meanwhile\, the father went to his other son with the same request. The boy answered\, ‘Sure\, Dad\, I’ll get into it in a few minutes\,’ but he never got around to it. Which of the two did what the father would have hoped for?” \nThey replied\, “The first one.” \nJesus looked at them and said\, “I kid you not; when it comes to becoming part of the culture of God\, the prostitutes and the collaborators who sell out to the occupation forces are miles ahead of you lot. Why? Because John was on the right track when he came to you\, and you didn’t believe him. But the people you had written off as moral garbage did. They took what he said seriously\, and even though you saw the difference it made to them\, your minds were set like concrete and you wouldn’t take any notice of him.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ezekiel 18: 1-4\, 25-32			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I received another message from the LORD: \nWhy are you repeating the old saying\, “The parents eat junk\, and their kids’ teeth rot”? I am the Lord GOD and I swear I do not want to hear this saying from any of my people ever again. Get this into your heads: I have the power of life and death over everyone\, both the parents and the children\, and it is only the person responsible for the sin who will die for it. \nYet I hear you whingeing\, “The way the Lord treats us is not fair.” Well listen up\, my people: is it my ways that are not fair? Isn’t the reality that it is your ways that are not fair? When people who have previously done the right thing turn their backs on what is right and start doing things that are corrupt\, they are making a fatal mistake. They will die because of the corrupt things they have done. On the other hand\, if corrupt people mend their ways and begin living by what I have taught and doing the right thing by others\, they will save their lives. They have woken up to themselves\, turning their backs on corruption and getting their lives back on track\, and so they will no longer be under sentence of death. And yet I hear my people whingeing\, “The way the Lord treats us is not fair.” Give me an answer\, my people: is it my ways that are not fair? Isn’t the reality that it is your ways that are not fair? \nSo\, my people\, I am telling you that I\, the Lord GOD\, will judge each of you on the basis of how you\, yourself\, live. Give up corrupt ways and get your lives back on track; otherwise corruption will be your downfall. Put behind you all the corrupt things you have done against my express instructions\, and make a fresh start. Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why go on trudging towards death\, my people? I am the Lord GOD\, and I am never happy to see anyone die\, no matter who they are. So do an about face and live! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 25: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I gladly offer you everything I am\, LORD . \nI have put my trust in you\, God;\nplease don’t let me down;\ndon’t give my enemies grounds to gloat. \nBe there for those who hang in there for you\, no matter what:\ndon’t leave them with egg on their faces.\nSave that for the two-faced scabs who deserve it. \nLet me in on your way of doing things\, LORD;\nteach me how to follow your tracks. \nSteer me along your ways of truth\, and teach me all about them.\nOnly you can save me from disaster\, God\,\nso I’ll wait for you before setting out. \nYour love and mercy have been as timeless and dependable as the rock;\nplease don’t change your mind about them now! \nDon’t keep a record of everything I’ve done wrong in the past.\nLet your unshakable love colour your view of me\,\nand keep your reputation for generosity intact! \nYou always do what is good and right\, LORD\,\nand so you patiently retrain those who do wrong. \nYou pilot a safe course for those who are not too full of themselves;\nyou give lessons on your ways to the humble folk. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are at work among us\,\nconforming our will and our work to your sacred purposes. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\,\nyou divided the waters\nand brought forth a newborn earth.\nYou rescued your people from slavery\,\nand though their faith dried up in the desert\,\nyou split the rocks and quenched their thirst\nwith waters welling up from ancient depths. \nYour child Jesus\, though one with you\,\nwas born as one of us and humbled himself\,\npassing through the ancient waters of baptism\nand following the ways of righteousness\neven to the point of death on a cross.\nTherefore you raised him to life\nand exalted him above every other power.\nNow you embrace all who in action confess him as Lord\,\nbaptising them in his name into the life of your Kingdom. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you thanks for your child Jesus who\,\nhaving humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross\,\nwas raised by you and exalted above every other power\,\nand now lives to bring life to your thirsty people\nfrom the ancient wellspring of love and consolation. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are at work among us\,\nconforming our will and our work to your sacred purposes. \nIn the first of your mighty wonders\,\nyou divided the waters\nand brought forth a newborn earth.\nYou rescued your people from slavery\,\nand though their faith dried up in the desert\,\nyou split the rocks and quenched their thirst\nwith waters welling up from ancient depths. \nYour child Jesus\, though one with you\,\nwas born as one of us and humbled himself\,\npassing through the ancient waters of baptism\nand following the ways of righteousness\neven to the point of death on a cross.\nTherefore you raised him to life\nand exalted him above every other power.\nNow you embrace all who in action confess him as Lord\,\nbaptising them in his name into the life of your Kingdom. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Though Christ was one with God\,\nhe humbled himself and become obedient\neven to the point of death on a cross\,\nso that we might drink deeply from the well of grace\nand know the mercy of God at work within us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now to will and to work for God’s purposes.\nLet the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.\nBe filled with the same love\nand look to the interests of others.\nWith reverence for God\, work out your salvation. \nAnd may God quench your thirst with love and consolation;\nMay Christ Jesus strengthen you and encourage you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you on and make your joy complete. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Power of GodA sermon on Exodus 17:1-7; Philippians 2:1-13 & Matthew 21:23-32 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nWellspring from the RockA sermon on Exodus 17:1-7 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrabbing at GloryA sermon on Philippians 2:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHey Kids! Come Work in the Garden!A sermon on Philippians 2:1-13 & Matthew 21:23-32 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nBy What Authority?A sermon on Matthew 21:23-32 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap21/2029-09-30/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291014T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291014T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200820T062421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231120T114903Z
UID:10002082-1886630400-1886716799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 32: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses was on the mountain with the LORD for such a long time that the people gave up on him. They turned to Aaron and said\, “It’s up to you now. Give us a god who we can follow on our journey from here on. Moses led us out of the land where we had been slaves\, but now he is missing\, presumed dead.” \nAaron said to the people\, “Collect up all the gold jewellery that you and your families possess\, and bring it all to me.” \nSo the people took up a collection of all the gold jewellery that they had been wearing\, and brought it all to Aaron. He took all the gold\, melted it down\, and recast it in the shape of a calf. When the gold calf was put on display for the people\, they began to shout\, “Here is our god\, the god who brought our nation out of the land of slavery!” \nWhen Aaron saw how popular it was\, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced\, “Tomorrow we will hold a festival in honour of the LORD.” \nThe festivities started early the next morning. The people sacrificed the traditional burnt offerings on the altar and offered the customary gifts to celebrate good times. Then they ate and drank and partied hard\, really letting their hair down. \nThe LORD said to Moses: \n“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours\, who you brought out of the land of slavery\, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye\, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf\, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.” \nBut Moses pleaded with the LORD his God\, saying: \n“LORD\, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this\, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants\, Abraham\, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word\, your personal guarantee. You said\, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky\, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’” \nAnd so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 106: 1-6\, 19-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing your praises\, LORD!\nWe overwhelmed with gratitude for all your goodness;\nyour love and loyalty go on forever. \nWords cannot describe all the amazing things you have done;\nwe can’t praise you highly enough\, LORD. \nThose who stick to the ways of justice are on a winner;\nthose who always do the right thing will have plenty to smile about. \nCount me in\, LORD\, when you hand out the perks to your people;\ndon’t overlook me when you come to bail them out.\nI want to be there to see your chosen people come into their own;\nI want to join in their celebrations\nand bask in the glory of the future you have set up. \nWe have done the wrong thing by you\,\njust as our ancestors did before us;\nwe have acted corruptly;\nwe have done what is evil. \nOur forebears made an idol in the shape of a calf;\nthey worshipped the work of their own hands. \nThey switched from basking in your glory\nto making fools of themselves over a toy cow! \nThey forgot that you were the God who saved them\,\nwho took powerful action to free them from slavery;\nwho did amazing things in the land where they were oppressed\nand awesome acts of power to get them through the Red Sea. \nYou were justifiably angry\, LORD;\nyou were planning to wipe them out\,\nand you would have gone through with the plan\nif it had not been for Moses\, your chosen leader.\nHe stood up to you and held you back;\nhe calmed your anger and talked you out of destroying them. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 4:1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My brothers and sisters in Philippi\, I love you dearly and long to see you. You are my pride and joy. I urge you to keep your feet planted firmly in the Lord’s way. \nI have a special message for two of you\, Euodia and Syntyche. You both belong to the Lord\, so for God’s sake get your heads together and iron out your differences. \nAnd a message to you\, my loyal colleague (you know who you are!). Please do what you can to help these two women sort things out between them while you’re there. In the past they have put in some solid sweat and tears with me getting the Word out\, and with Clement and the rest of the team. God has got all their names in the book of life. \nCelebrate the Lord non-stop. I repeat - celebrate! Let your hair down! See that you get a reputation for gentleness - pushiness only gets up everyone’s nose and we can’t afford that when the Lord is so close. \nDon’t go getting anxious about anything\, but pray about everything. Worrying never fixed anything\, so take action: repackage your concerns as prayers. Spell out what it is you want to God\, giving thanks in advance\, and get it off your chest. You’ll find it is such a relief! The peace of God\, which no one can ever make sense of\, will move in and take over. The fears and anxieties will be pushed aside and your troubled hearts and minds will take refuge in Christ Jesus to relax and recover. \nOne final thing\, my dear friends\, give your hearts and minds some healthy stuff to chew on. Authentic stuff\, principled stuff\, uncontaminated stuff. Things that are worthwhile\, fulfilling\, and straight as a die. Things of integrity that make for a fair go for all. These are the kind of things you should fill your minds with - quality stuff instead of shoddiness. Meditate on these things and you can’t go wrong. Keep yourselves on track\, putting into practice what you picked up from me\, from my teaching and from the example I set. Rest assured\, the God of peace will be right there with you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking with the chief priests and the political leaders in the Jerusalem Temple\, Jesus used another story to illustrate his point\, saying\, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. The son of a powerful king was getting married\, and the king had invited many guests to the wedding feast. When the day came\, he sent his chauffeurs to collect the guests\, but they wouldn’t come. The king sent a second lot of chauffeurs with instructions to tell those who had been invited\, ‘Come. The dinner is ready to serve. No expense has been spared and the table is laden with good things. The finest meats have been cooked to perfection. Come and feast with us!’ \nBut the invited guests thumbed their noses at the invitation and went on their way. Some headed off to their farms\, others opened their offices for business\, while others attacked the chauffeurs\, roughing them up and killing them. The king blew his stack. He sent the army after those murdering thugs to wipe them off the face of the earth and reduce their city to scorched earth. Then he said to his chauffeurs\, ‘The wedding feast is ready\, but those who I first invited did not deserve to be on the guest list. So go out onto the streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ \nThe chauffeurs went out onto the streets and gathered up everyone they could find\, good and bad alike\, and brought them in until every seat in the reception hall was filled. \nBut when the king arrived on the scene to greet the guests\, he discovered one man among them who had failed to put on the required wedding attire. The king said to him\, ‘Mister\, how did you get in here without getting dressed appropriately?’ \nThere was nothing but a terrifying silence until the king called the security guards and said\, ‘Chain him up\, hand and foot\, and throw him into the deepest\, darkest dungeon where everyone will be cursing themselves and tearing their hair out.’ \n“And so\,” Jesus concluded\, “many are invited to stand up and be counted\, but few make the grade.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 25: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you are my God;\nI will put your name up in lights and sing your praises\,\nbecause you have followed through on the fantastic things\nthat you planned and promised so long ago. \nYou have reduced the evil city to rubble;\nthe stronghold of corruption lies in ruins;\nthe foreign oppressors are now homeless\,\nand their city will never be rebuilt. \nNow even the most powerful nation will honour you;\nruthless tyrants will fall to their knees in your presence. \nYou have proved yourself to be a safe refuge for those in need;\na welcome haven for the poor and suffering;\na shelter from the cold rain\, and a shade from the heat. \nWhen the attacks of ruthless thugs\nwere as cold and vicious as icy rain;\nwhen the arrogance of the occupying troops\nsucked the life out of us like the desert heat;\nyou were a protection from the elements\,\nand you put an end to their arrogant slogans. \nEvery people on earth will be invited to the sacred mountain\nfor the huge party thrown by the LORD who rules over everything.\nIt will be the feast to end all feasts\,\nwith the very finest of foods and wines:\nchoice meats\, wines aged to perfection\,\ngourmet delicacies to make every mouth water! \nAnd right here on this sacred mountain\nthe LORD will tear off the pall of death\nand release the nations from the coffin that held them.\nThe LORD will swallow up death once and for all. \nWith that\, the Lord GOD will wipe the tears from every eye\,\nand God’s people will no longer be humiliated and despised;\nThe LORD says so and that settles it. \nWhen that happens people will say\,\nWow! This is our God!\nWe hoped\, we waited\, we trusted God to save us.\nAnd our waiting has not been in vain.\nThe LORD has not let us down.\nCelebrate! Sing and dance\,\nfor God has come to our rescue and set us free. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You\, LORD\, are my guide in the wilderness;\nthere is nothing more I could need. \nYou set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;\nyou lead the way on secluded tracks\nbeside creeks of cool clean water.\nI feel my spirit breathing freely again;\nyour reputation puts me at ease;\nI leave the navigating to you\, and follow. \nEven if we hike through a perilous valley\,\nwhere crows keep a menacing watch\,\nfear will still not get the better of me.\nAs long as I stick with you\nI know I’ll make the distance;\nwith a knife and a bit of rope\nyou seem able to tackle any challenge. \nYou cook up a feast for me\,\nas those who wanted to feed on me watch\, frustrated.\nYou pamper me like an honoured guest\nand constantly top up my glass. \nMy life feels charmed\, each and every day.\nLove\, mercy and all good things\nkeep falling into my lap. \nI’m with you for life\, LORD\,\nwhere you go\, I’ll go;\nwhere you live\, I’ll live. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks that even when we have been faithless\nand offered to other things the worship due to you alone\,\nyou have listened to the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nand turned away your anger\,\noffering us instead the peace that passes all understanding. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus Christ has stood alone before God\,\npleading for our salvation.\nIn the mercy of Christ\, you are robed in righteousness\nand welcomed into the banqueting room of heaven. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, rejoicing always in the Lord.\nStand firm in Jesus Christ and be of one mind in him.\nAlways act with justice;\nlet your gentleness be known to everyone\,\nand yield up your worries on the altar of prayer. \nAnd may God give you peace that passes all understanding;\nMay Christ Jesus guard your hearts and minds;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit plant within you\nall that is honourable\, just and pure. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nReady to PartyA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo Jacket – No EntryA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Impulse for ImagesA sermon on Exodus 32. 1-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nCan anything good come out of Bethel?A sermon on Exodus 32 and Matthew 22:1-14 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nMind What Your Mind’s OnA sermon on Philippians 4:1-9 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nConfronting Terrorist TextsA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Temptation of CertaintyA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap23/2029-10-14/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291021T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291021T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200820T052146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231126T120208Z
UID:10002083-1887235200-1887321599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 24 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 33: 12-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses said to the LORD\, “Look here. You have given me the job of getting this people from one place to another\, but you have not given me any idea who you are going to send with me to back me up. You have told me that you know me inside out and that I am in your good-books. So if you are so on-side with me\, let me know you. Let me see what makes you tick\, so that I can really know you and do the right thing by you. And this is not just about me; keep it in mind that these people belong to you.” \nThe LORD replied\, “I will go with you myself\, and I will give you a place of rest.” \nBut Moses continued\, saying\, “If you are not going to stick with us for the long haul\, then don’t even move us from here. After all\, how will anyone be able to tell that I and your people are in your good-books unless you go with us all the way? It is your presence with us that will distinguish us from all the other peoples on the face of the earth as the one who belongs to you.” \nThe LORD said to Moses\, “Okay\, I will do for you exactly what you have asked for\, because you are in my good-books and I know who you really are.” \nMoses said\, “Let me see you in all your glory. Please!” \nThe LORD replied; \n“With your own eyes\, you are about to see the full extent of my goodwill to all life. With your own ears\, you will hear me\, the LORD\, and you will know who I really am. I will put in my good-books the one I choose to put in my good-books. I will let off the hook the one I choose to let off the hook. But you can not see me face to face in all my glory\, because no one could survive such an encounter. Look here\, though. There is a place just over here where you can stand on the rock. I am going to pass by in all my glory\, and while I do\, I will put you in a hole in the rock and shield you with my hand until the danger has passed. Then I will take away my hand and you will see my rear end; but you will not see me face to face.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 99			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You\, LORD\, rule over everything!\nEnthroned in glory\, surrounded by awesome creatures\,\nyour presence sends shivers down our spines\nand makes even the earth tremble and quake! \nLORD\, your greatness is celebrated in Zion\,\nand in every nation you are number one.\nAt the mere mention of your name\,\npeople everywhere burst into praise\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nRuling in strength; loving justice with a passion;\nyou have seen to it that everyone gets a fair go.\nYou have laid down the law\nso that your people will do what is right. \nWe fall at your feet and sing your praises\, O LORD our God\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nMoses and Aaron served you as priests\,\nSamuel was another who reached out to you.\nThey cried out to you on the world’s behalf\,\nand from the awesome cloud you answered them. \nThey stuck to what you had told them\, LORD\,\nand did whatever you asked of them.\nWhen they did wrong you set them straight\,\nin no uncertain terms;\nbut you forgave them\, LORD\,\nand never failed to answer them. \nWe sing your praises\, O LORD our God.\nWe climb your holy mountain to worship you\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	To the church in Thessalonica; a people who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah. \nThis letter comes to you from the three of us: Paul\, Silvanus\, and Timothy. \nWe greet you and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace. \nWe are always thanking God for you all and including you in our prayers. The memories of your work\, so full of faith and love\, and your rock-solid hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah\, are constantly in our minds\, fuelling the prayers we bring to the God who conceived us all. You are our brothers and sisters\, and it is clear to us that God loves you greatly and has chosen you for something special. We are sure of this because when our message — the great news about God’s love — came to you\, your response was not just a matter of words\, but was full of the power and passion and confidence that are clear signs of the Holy Spirit at work. The proof of the pudding is in the eating\, and we could tell that you were made of the right stuff\, just as you could tell what kind of people we were from what you experienced of us at that time. \nWhen you first received the Word of God\, you responded to it with whole-hearted enthusiasm inspired by the Holy Spirit\, and you were not deterred by the flak you copped as a result. You set about modelling your lives on us and on the Lord\, and you did such a good job of it that now all the believers in the regions of Macedonia and Achaia look up to you as their model for how to live the Christian life. You have served to amplify the word of the Lord all over the place. People are talking about your faithful trust in God well beyond Macedonia and Achaia. Wherever we go it seems that we don’t have to tell people about you. Instead we hear from them the stories about how you welcomed us and what we had to say\, and how you turned your lives around\, giving your whole-hearted service to the living and true God and giving up your devotion to other things. We hear too of how you are now living in faithful expectation of the arrival of God’s Son from heaven\, the one whom God raised from the dead — Jesus\, who rescues us from the vengeful fury that is threatening to explode everywhere. \n©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 15-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Some members of the devoutly religious Pharisee Party were out to get Jesus. They put their heads together and came up with a plan to get him to trip himself up with what he said in public. They sent a delegation to him consisting of some of their own followers and some members of Herod’s party. The group approached him in the Temple and said\, “Teacher\, we know that you are a man of integrity. You are honest and straight down the line in your teaching about the way of God. It is clear that you do not think anyone is above the law\, because you call a spade a spade\, without fear or favour\, no matter who is listening. So give us your opinion on this: is it okay by our law to pay taxes to the Roman emperor\, or not?” \nBut sensing the venom that lay behind their attempts to butter him up\, Jesus replied\, “Why are you trying to force me into a catch twenty-two\, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that is required for paying the tax.” \nSo they handed him one of the Roman coins that was the only legal tender for the tax. He held it up and said to them\, “Who is shown in this graven image? Who is named with a divine title on this coin?” \nThey answered\, “The emperor.” \n"Well then\,” said Jesus\, “if it belongs to the emperor\, then give it to the emperor. But don’t go short-changing God. Give to God everything that rightly belongs to God.” \nHis reply left them in shock\, and they turned tail and left. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 45: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the LORD\, have chosen you\, King Cyrus of Persia\,\nas a messiah to do my work.\nI am leading you by the hand to subdue world powers\nand to strip despots of the trappings of office.\nBecause I am with you\, every door will open to you\nand you will come and go wherever you please. \nI will go before you\nto smooth the way.\nI will smash down every obstacle\nand blast through the strongest defences. \nI will hand their ill-gotten gains over to you;\nthe fortunes they have stashed away in secret.\nThen you will know that it is I\n– the LORD God whom the Israelites worship –\nwho has singled you out for this job. \nI am calling you by name and giving you your title\,\neven though you do not know who I am.\nI am doing this for the benefit of my own people\,\nmy chosen ones\, Israel\, who serve me. \nI am the LORD\, the one and only.\nThere is no other god\, just me.\nI am the one who arms you\,\neven though you do not know who I am.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\nin every place under the sun\,\neveryone will know that there is no god but me;\nthat I am the LORD\, the one and only. \nI create all things and commission them.\nLight and dark\, good times and bad\,\nI\, the LORD\, am at work in them all. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 96: 1-9\, (10-13)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD;\nsinging to you with all the earth.\nEvery mention of your name sets us singing your praises. \nWe never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;\nall over the world\, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;\neveryone we meet hears us giving the credit to you. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!\nWhen it comes to gods\, you are in a league of your own;\nall other objects of devotion are powerless. \nBut you\, LORD\, created the whole cosmos;\nyou are surrounded by majesty and celebration;\nstrength and beauty are signs of your presence. \nPeople of every race and creed recognise you\, LORD;\nthey recognise you behind all that is strong and true;\nthey name you as the one who deserves all the glory. \nWe offer ourselves to you\, LORD;\nwe fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;\nwith all the earth\, we celebrate you alone. \nYou are our king\, LORD; we’ll tell everyone everywhere!\nYou have set the world on firm foundations\,\nand with you in charge\, everyone will get a fair go. \nLet the heavens and the earth celebrate;\nlet the roar of the sea join in;\nlet everything that walks\, flies or swims join the party! \nYou are on your way\, LORD\,\nand even the roadside trees cheer as you approach\,\nfor you are coming to set things right on the earth. \nYou will sort things out and put things right\,\nand reveal the truth about everything and everyone. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you love justice and strengthen the upright\,\nand you have shown us your goodness. \nYou are the living and true God who created all things\nand whose voice sets the earth shaking.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand promised your presence to go with them.\nTo Moses you revealed your glory\nand through your prophets you made known your justice. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us in person\,\nteaching us your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope.\nThough his enemies put him to death\,\nyou raised him from the dead\nand through the power of his gospel in the Holy Spirit\nyou have given us mercy and rest. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your child\, Jesus\,\nwho came to us teaching your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope —\nand in him you have given us mercy and rest. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you love justice and strengthen the upright\,\nand you have shown us your goodness. \nYou are the living and true God who created all things\nand whose voice sets the earth shaking.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand promised your presence to go with them.\nTo Moses you revealed your glory\nand through your prophets you made known your justice. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us in person\,\nteaching us your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope.\nThough his enemies put him to death\,\nyou raised him from the dead\nand through the power of his gospel in the Holy Spirit\nyou have given us mercy and rest. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ\,\nwe have seen God’s goodness and generous mercy.\nIt is God’s pleasure to forgive all who cry out for help.\nJesus has rescued us from the fury that is coming. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now as those who have found favour in the sight of God.\nBe imitators of Jesus Christ\nand an example to all of the life of faith.\nTo the world in which you live\, give your love and service\,\nand to God\, give all that you are and all that you shall be. \nAnd may the glory of God’s goodness be revealed to you;\nMay the grace and peace of Jesus Christ take root in you;\nAnd may the inspiration of the Holy Spirit fill you with joy. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nCaesar and GodA sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23\, Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Rowland Croucher\n\n\n\nThe Authority of the EmpireA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 by Ross Langmead\n\n\n\nAllegiance to JesusA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Andrew Woff\n\n\n\nWhose Image is This?A sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23 & Matthew 22:15-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nImage Conscious DiscipleshipA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nImage ManagementA sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23\, Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap24/2029-10-21/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291021T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291021T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200820T052146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003405Z
UID:10002847-1887235200-1887321599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 24 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 33: 12-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses said to the LORD\, “Look here. You have given me the job of getting this people from one place to another\, but you have not given me any idea who you are going to send with me to back me up. You have told me that you know me inside out and that I am in your good-books. So if you are so on-side with me\, let me know you. Let me see what makes you tick\, so that I can really know you and do the right thing by you. And this is not just about me; keep it in mind that these people belong to you.” \nThe LORD replied\, “I will go with you myself\, and I will give you a place of rest.” \nBut Moses continued\, saying\, “If you are not going to stick with us for the long haul\, then don’t even move us from here. After all\, how will anyone be able to tell that I and your people are in your good-books unless you go with us all the way? It is your presence with us that will distinguish us from all the other peoples on the face of the earth as the one who belongs to you.” \nThe LORD said to Moses\, “Okay\, I will do for you exactly what you have asked for\, because you are in my good-books and I know who you really are.” \nMoses said\, “Let me see you in all your glory. Please!” \nThe LORD replied; \n“With your own eyes\, you are about to see the full extent of my goodwill to all life. With your own ears\, you will hear me\, the LORD\, and you will know who I really am. I will put in my good-books the one I choose to put in my good-books. I will let off the hook the one I choose to let off the hook. But you can not see me face to face in all my glory\, because no one could survive such an encounter. Look here\, though. There is a place just over here where you can stand on the rock. I am going to pass by in all my glory\, and while I do\, I will put you in a hole in the rock and shield you with my hand until the danger has passed. Then I will take away my hand and you will see my rear end; but you will not see me face to face.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 99			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You\, LORD\, rule over everything!\nEnthroned in glory\, surrounded by awesome creatures\,\nyour presence sends shivers down our spines\nand makes even the earth tremble and quake! \nLORD\, your greatness is celebrated in Zion\,\nand in every nation you are number one.\nAt the mere mention of your name\,\npeople everywhere burst into praise\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nRuling in strength; loving justice with a passion;\nyou have seen to it that everyone gets a fair go.\nYou have laid down the law\nso that your people will do what is right. \nWe fall at your feet and sing your praises\, O LORD our God\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nMoses and Aaron served you as priests\,\nSamuel was another who reached out to you.\nThey cried out to you on the world’s behalf\,\nand from the awesome cloud you answered them. \nThey stuck to what you had told them\, LORD\,\nand did whatever you asked of them.\nWhen they did wrong you set them straight\,\nin no uncertain terms;\nbut you forgave them\, LORD\,\nand never failed to answer them. \nWe sing your praises\, O LORD our God.\nWe climb your holy mountain to worship you\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	To the church in Thessalonica; a people who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah. \nThis letter comes to you from the three of us: Paul\, Silvanus\, and Timothy. \nWe greet you and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace. \nWe are always thanking God for you all and including you in our prayers. The memories of your work\, so full of faith and love\, and your rock-solid hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah\, are constantly in our minds\, fuelling the prayers we bring to the God who conceived us all. You are our brothers and sisters\, and it is clear to us that God loves you greatly and has chosen you for something special. We are sure of this because when our message — the great news about God’s love — came to you\, your response was not just a matter of words\, but was full of the power and passion and confidence that are clear signs of the Holy Spirit at work. The proof of the pudding is in the eating\, and we could tell that you were made of the right stuff\, just as you could tell what kind of people we were from what you experienced of us at that time. \nWhen you first received the Word of God\, you responded to it with whole-hearted enthusiasm inspired by the Holy Spirit\, and you were not deterred by the flak you copped as a result. You set about modelling your lives on us and on the Lord\, and you did such a good job of it that now all the believers in the regions of Macedonia and Achaia look up to you as their model for how to live the Christian life. You have served to amplify the word of the Lord all over the place. People are talking about your faithful trust in God well beyond Macedonia and Achaia. Wherever we go it seems that we don’t have to tell people about you. Instead we hear from them the stories about how you welcomed us and what we had to say\, and how you turned your lives around\, giving your whole-hearted service to the living and true God and giving up your devotion to other things. We hear too of how you are now living in faithful expectation of the arrival of God’s Son from heaven\, the one whom God raised from the dead — Jesus\, who rescues us from the vengeful fury that is threatening to explode everywhere. \n©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 15-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Some members of the devoutly religious Pharisee Party were out to get Jesus. They put their heads together and came up with a plan to get him to trip himself up with what he said in public. They sent a delegation to him consisting of some of their own followers and some members of Herod’s party. The group approached him in the Temple and said\, “Teacher\, we know that you are a man of integrity. You are honest and straight down the line in your teaching about the way of God. It is clear that you do not think anyone is above the law\, because you call a spade a spade\, without fear or favour\, no matter who is listening. So give us your opinion on this: is it okay by our law to pay taxes to the Roman emperor\, or not?” \nBut sensing the venom that lay behind their attempts to butter him up\, Jesus replied\, “Why are you trying to force me into a catch twenty-two\, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that is required for paying the tax.” \nSo they handed him one of the Roman coins that was the only legal tender for the tax. He held it up and said to them\, “Who is shown in this graven image? Who is named with a divine title on this coin?” \nThey answered\, “The emperor.” \n"Well then\,” said Jesus\, “if it belongs to the emperor\, then give it to the emperor. But don’t go short-changing God. Give to God everything that rightly belongs to God.” \nHis reply left them in shock\, and they turned tail and left. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 45: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the LORD\, have chosen you\, King Cyrus of Persia\,\nas a messiah to do my work.\nI am leading you by the hand to subdue world powers\nand to strip despots of the trappings of office.\nBecause I am with you\, every door will open to you\nand you will come and go wherever you please. \nI will go before you\nto smooth the way.\nI will smash down every obstacle\nand blast through the strongest defences. \nI will hand their ill-gotten gains over to you;\nthe fortunes they have stashed away in secret.\nThen you will know that it is I\n– the LORD God whom the Israelites worship –\nwho has singled you out for this job. \nI am calling you by name and giving you your title\,\neven though you do not know who I am.\nI am doing this for the benefit of my own people\,\nmy chosen ones\, Israel\, who serve me. \nI am the LORD\, the one and only.\nThere is no other god\, just me.\nI am the one who arms you\,\neven though you do not know who I am.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\nin every place under the sun\,\neveryone will know that there is no god but me;\nthat I am the LORD\, the one and only. \nI create all things and commission them.\nLight and dark\, good times and bad\,\nI\, the LORD\, am at work in them all. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 96: 1-9\, (10-13)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD;\nsinging to you with all the earth.\nEvery mention of your name sets us singing your praises. \nWe never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;\nall over the world\, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;\neveryone we meet hears us giving the credit to you. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!\nWhen it comes to gods\, you are in a league of your own;\nall other objects of devotion are powerless. \nBut you\, LORD\, created the whole cosmos;\nyou are surrounded by majesty and celebration;\nstrength and beauty are signs of your presence. \nPeople of every race and creed recognise you\, LORD;\nthey recognise you behind all that is strong and true;\nthey name you as the one who deserves all the glory. \nWe offer ourselves to you\, LORD;\nwe fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;\nwith all the earth\, we celebrate you alone. \nYou are our king\, LORD; we’ll tell everyone everywhere!\nYou have set the world on firm foundations\,\nand with you in charge\, everyone will get a fair go. \nLet the heavens and the earth celebrate;\nlet the roar of the sea join in;\nlet everything that walks\, flies or swims join the party! \nYou are on your way\, LORD\,\nand even the roadside trees cheer as you approach\,\nfor you are coming to set things right on the earth. \nYou will sort things out and put things right\,\nand reveal the truth about everything and everyone. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you love justice and strengthen the upright\,\nand you have shown us your goodness. \nYou are the living and true God who created all things\nand whose voice sets the earth shaking.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand promised your presence to go with them.\nTo Moses you revealed your glory\nand through your prophets you made known your justice. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us in person\,\nteaching us your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope.\nThough his enemies put him to death\,\nyou raised him from the dead\nand through the power of his gospel in the Holy Spirit\nyou have given us mercy and rest. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your child\, Jesus\,\nwho came to us teaching your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope —\nand in him you have given us mercy and rest. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you love justice and strengthen the upright\,\nand you have shown us your goodness. \nYou are the living and true God who created all things\nand whose voice sets the earth shaking.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand promised your presence to go with them.\nTo Moses you revealed your glory\nand through your prophets you made known your justice. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us in person\,\nteaching us your ways in sincerity and truth.\nIn him we have learned to give to you all that is yours —\nthe work of faith\, the labour of love\, and a steadfast hope.\nThough his enemies put him to death\,\nyou raised him from the dead\nand through the power of his gospel in the Holy Spirit\nyou have given us mercy and rest. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ\,\nwe have seen God’s goodness and generous mercy.\nIt is God’s pleasure to forgive all who cry out for help.\nJesus has rescued us from the fury that is coming. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now as those who have found favour in the sight of God.\nBe imitators of Jesus Christ\nand an example to all of the life of faith.\nTo the world in which you live\, give your love and service\,\nand to God\, give all that you are and all that you shall be. \nAnd may the glory of God’s goodness be revealed to you;\nMay the grace and peace of Jesus Christ take root in you;\nAnd may the inspiration of the Holy Spirit fill you with joy. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nCaesar and GodA sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23\, Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Rowland Croucher\n\n\n\nThe Authority of the EmpireA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 by Ross Langmead\n\n\n\nAllegiance to JesusA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Andrew Woff\n\n\n\nWhose Image is This?A sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23 & Matthew 22:15-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nImage Conscious DiscipleshipA sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nImage ManagementA sermon on Exodus 33: 12-23\, Matthew 22:15-22 and 1 Thesallonians 1: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap24/2029-10-21/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291028T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291028T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200819T063523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231203T111405Z
UID:10002084-1887840000-1887926399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 25 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Deuteronomy 34: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The people of Israel were camped on the Plains of Moab outside the promised land\, with Jericho opposite them on the other side of the river. Moses went off by himself and climbed to the top of Mount Nebo in the Pizgah Ranges. From there the LORD showed him the whole of the land: as far across Gilead to the west as Dan\, Ephraim\, and the Mediterranean sea; as far south as the Negev Desert; and as far north as Manasseh and Naphtali. He could see the land of Judah all the way south to Zoar\, including the valley of Jericho with its city of palm trees. The LORD said to Moses\, “What you are looking at is the land which I promised Abraham\, Isaac\, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have allowed you to see it with your own eyes\, even though you will not set foot in it.” \nThen\, after a lifetime of working for the LORD\, Moses died there in the land of Moab\, as the LORD had decided. His body lies buried there in a valley\, somewhere beyond Beth-peor\, but to this day\, no one knows the exact location of his grave. Moses had lived for one hundred and twenty years\, and right up till the end his eyesight was sharp and he was as fit as a fiddle; as full of life and energy as ever. The Israelites stayed put on the plains of Moab while they grieved the death of Moses and observed the customary thirty day period of mourning. \nMoses had laid his hands on Joshua\, the son of Nun\, appointing him as his successor. As a result\, the spirit of wisdom filled Joshua\, and the Israelite people readily took their orders from him\, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. \nThe world has never seen another prophet in the same league as  Moses\, for the LORD dealt with him in person\, face to face. No one else has ever done anything to equal the miraculous things he did when the LORD sent him to bring the people out of the land of slavery. Never again has anyone seen anything like the terrifying acts of power that God’s people saw Moses execute against the tyrant king and against his officers and his land. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 90: 1-6\, 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Lord\, in every generation\nyou have been house and home to us. \nYou are God\, and have been from time before time;\neven before you brought the mountains to birth;\neven before you created the planet or anything on it. \nYou tell us when our time is up\,\nand return us to the earth from which we came. \nFrom where you look\,\na thousand years is like the blink of an eye\,\nand the ancient past like yesterday. \nOur lives pass as if you had erased them completely;\nthey are gone like a dream.\nLike cut flowers they are fresh and new one day\,\nand faded memories the next. \nIt’s time for a change\, LORD.\nHasn’t this gone on long enough?\nFor pity’s sake\, it’s time to give us a break. \nLet a new day dawn\nand give us our fill of your love and loyalty\,\nso that our lives may be full of smiles and laughter\ntill the end of our days. \nGive us more days of happiness\nthan the days of suffering you sent.\nMay the years where evil reigned\nbe cancelled out by years of joy. \nMake your actions clear to those of us in your service;\nlet your children see your strength in all its glory. \nPut us in your good books\, O Lord our God\,\nand give us a rich return for all our labour —\nmay the work of our hands turn to gold! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, you know first hand that our coming to you was not a lost cause. The appalling abuse we had suffered at Philippi could easily have made us give up\, as you know. But when we came to you\, our confidence in God gave us the courage to take to the field\, despite the strength of the opposition\, and to clearly announce to you the wonderful news of God’s love. Our desire to make this known is not motivated by anything shonky or deceitful\, or by vested interests. It was God who gave us the thumbs-up and entrusted us with this wonderful message\, and so as we seek to broadcast it\, we are not out to win any popularity prizes\, but to please God who can see what makes us tick. As you know and as God is our witness\, we never tried to sweet talk you or take advantage of you to make a buck. We weren’t after applause\, either from you or from anyone else. Although we could have justifiably pulled rank as the Messiah’s senior ambassadors and expected you to support us\, we didn’t. Instead we treated you with all the gentleness of a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. You have become so important to us\, and we care about you so much\, that we have set our hearts not only on sharing the message about God’s love with you\, but sharing our own lives with you. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 34-46			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus had clearly floored the members of the ruling Sadducee Party when they had tried to take him on in a public debate\, and it wasn’t long before the devoutly religious Pharisee Party heard about it. They gathered together a delegation to challenge Jesus\, and one of their members who was a religious lawyer began to test him out with a question. “Teacher\, which commandment in the law is the most important?” \nJesus replied: \n“You will love the Lord your God with everything you are\, with all your heart and soul and mind.\nThis is the most important and number one commandment. And this next one comes second only to it:\nYou will love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.\nEverything else in the law and the prophets hangs on these two commandments.” \nNow while the Pharisee delegation were planning their next move\, Jesus took the initiative and put a question to them: “What is your thinking about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” \nThey replied\, “The son of King David.” \nJesus responded\, “Can you explain then why David\, inspired by the Holy Spirit\, calls the Messiah his Lord? For in the Psalm he says: \n‘God said to my Lord\,\n“Sit here as my right hand man\,\nwhile I put your enemies under your heel.”’ \n“Clearly King David is calling him Lord. Why would he address his own son in such terms?” \nThey were completely stumped\, and from that day on\, nobody dared to try taking him on with questions. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Leviticus 19: 1-2\, 15-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD spoke to Moses\, saying: \nGather the whole congregation of my people and tell them this: You are to be utterly dedicated to doing what is right\, because I am the LORD your God\, and I am utterly dedicated to doing what is right. \nYou are not to pervert the course of justice in the courts. Your decisions must be fair and transparent\, not showing bias either to the poor or to the powerful. You are to be absolutely fair in your judgments\, without fear or favour. You are not to go spreading malicious stories about anybody; and you are not to seek to profit from the misfortune of another. Why? Because I am the LORD. \nYou are not to harbour hatred in your heart towards anyone in your community. If someone you know does the wrong thing\, speak up and sort it out\, or you will end up being held responsible yourself. If anyone among your people has wronged you\, you are neither to bear a grudge\, nor try to get even. Instead you are to love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself. Why? Because I am the LORD. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 1			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, how good it will be for those\nwho turn a deaf ear to the advocates of greed;\nwho steer clear of corrupt short-cuts;\nand avoid those who sneer at goodness. \nInstead they relish your word\, LORD.\nCalming their minds\,\nthey savour the scriptures day and night. \nYou make them strong and healthy\,\nlike a Redgum tree with its roots deep in a river bank\,\nflowering abundantly every season\,\nand always laden with healthy leaves.\nAll that they do is vibrant with life. \nBut what a different story it is for the wicked;\nthey are about as secure as dry leaves in a cyclone. \nThey will have no defence\nwhen they are brought to justice\,\nand no friends among people of integrity. \nLORD\, you keep a protective eye\non all who walk a straight path of peace and justice\,\nbut nothing will save those who leave that road. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have been our haven from generation to generation.\nFrom age to age\, you are God. \nYou created the mountains\,\nand brought the earth to birth.\nThrough your servant Moses you led your people to freedom\,\nand after seeing from afar the land of promise\,\nhe died\, returning to dust like all the children of earth. \nIn your child\, Jesus Christ\none even greater than Moses has come to us.\nOn him rests the Spirit of wisdom and truth\,\nand on his words hang all the law and the prophets.\nThough he was killed by love’s enemies\,\nyou raised him to life and seated him at your right hand.\nIn him we have seen the splendour of your work\nand through him you have entrusted us\nwith the wonderful news of your love for the world. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your child\, Jesus Christ\,\non whose words hang all the law and the prophets.\nThough he was killed by love’s enemies\,\nyou raised him to life and seated him at your right hand\,\nand through him you have entrusted us with the gospel. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have been our haven from generation to generation.\nFrom age to age\, you are God. \nYou created the mountains\,\nand brought the earth to birth.\nThrough your servant Moses you led your people to freedom\,\nand after seeing from afar the land of promise\,\nhe died\, returning to dust like all the children of earth. \nIn your child\, Jesus Christ\none even greater than Moses has come to us.\nOn him rests the Spirit of wisdom and truth\,\nand on his words hang all the law and the prophets.\nThough he was killed by love’s enemies\,\nyou raised him to life and seated him at your right hand.\nIn him we have seen the splendour of your work\nand through him you have entrusted us\nwith the wonderful news of your love for the world. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Though God tests our hearts\,\nour sins are not held against us\,\nbut God entrusts to us the message of the gospel\,\nthe promise of God’s forgiveness and love. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, with courage in our God.\nDeclare the message of the gospel\nwhich God has entrusted to us\,\nand in wholehearted love for God and for others\,\nshare not only the message\, but your very selves. \nAnd may God be your haven;\nMay Christ Jesus lead you into love - heart\, soul and mind;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit bless the work of your hands\nand gladden all your days. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nLove? How?A sermon on Matthew 22:34-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove\, love and loveA sermon on Matthew 22:34-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nReading the Bible with JesusA sermon on Matthew 22:34-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nIf a thing’s worth doing\, we won’t see the resultA sermon on Deuteronomy 34: 1-12 and Matthew 22: 34-40 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nWhat Matters Most: Love or Holiness?A sermon on Matthew 22:34-46 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap25/2029-10-28/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291101T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291101T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20220829T022511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000525Z
UID:10002704-1888185600-1888271999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:All Saints Day - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Revelation 7: 9-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I had a vision of an enormous crowd\, bigger than anyone could ever count. It was made up of people from every nation; from all the different ethnic groups\, cultural groups and language groups. They were all standing together before the throne and before the Lamb of God. They were dressed in white robes and were waving banners and throwing flowers in the air. Their voices rose as one – an enormous roar – saying: \n“The life into which we have been saved\nbelongs to our God who is seated on the throne\,\nand to the Lamb of our God.” \nAround the throne stood the four awesome creatures\, and around them stood the twenty four elders\, and around them stood all the angels. All together they fell to their knees before the throne\, with their faces to the ground\, and worshipped God\, singing: \n“So say all of us!\nMay glory and wisdom\nand gratitude and honour\nand authority and strength\nand every good thing\nbe given to our God\,\nfrom now to forever!\nAnd so say all of us! \nThen one of the elders came and spoke to me\, saying\, “What can you tell me about these people in white robes? Who are they\, and where have they come from?” \nI replied\, “I’m not sure\, Sir\, but you have the answers.” \nThen he said to me\, “These are the people who have come through the ultimate atrocity. They have washed their robes as white as snow in the blood of the lamb. \nFor this reason they now have the privilege\nof gathering before the throne of God\,\nand there in the Temple they serve God\, day and night\,\nand the one who is seated on the throne\nprovides them refuge and safe shelter. \nNever again will they go hungry;\nnever again will they go thirsty;\nnever again will they be burned by the sun\,\nor left exposed to any searing heat. \nThe Lamb who is at the centre of the throne\nhas guided them through the wilderness\nand will now care for them forever.\nHe will wipe every tear from their eyes\nand guide them to crystal clear springs\nwhere the water of life bubbles up freely.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 1-10\, 22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I will speak up in your favour\, every chance I get\, LORD.\nEvery time I open my mouth\, I’ll sing your praises. \nEverything I’m proud of is your doing\, LORD;\nthe news of your goodness puts a smile on the face of the helpless. \nI’ll put the spotlight on you\, LORD;\nand gather a crowd to spread the word. \nWhen I pounded on your door\, LORD\, you opened up;\nyou calmed my fears and put my mind at rest. \nThose who look to you light up with joy;\ntheir faces never grow dark with shame. \nWhen I had nothing\, I cried out\, LORD\, and you answered;\nyou got me out of some serious trouble. \nYou station your angels to watch over those who trust you;\nthey watch us\, guard us\, and get us safely through. \nMay everyone taste for themselves how good you are\, LORD;\nmay everyone find shelter in you and be happy. \nMay the people you have chosen treat you with respect\, LORD;\nfor those who do never want for anything. \nEven fearsome sharks go hungry sometimes\,\nbut people who entrust themselves to you never miss out. \nYou\, LORD\, are always ready to bail out those who serve your cause;\nno one who runs to you for safety will be handed over to death. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 John 3: 1-3			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Think about the extraordinary gift of love the Father has given us in allowing us to be known as God’s own children. Indeed that is what we now are. Of course\, the world around us has never recognised God\, and so it doesn’t recognise us as being God’s children either. My dear friends\, we are God’s beloved children already. What we are destined to become goes beyond even that\, but the details have not yet been made known to us. This much we know already: Christ will return to centre stage in clear view of everyone\, and when that happens\, we who will recognise him for who he really is will be just like him. Everyone who is living in eager anticipation of this will work at making themselves as pure as Christ. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 5: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus found himself increasingly surrounded by crowds of people\, so one day he headed off up the mountain. He sat down up there and his committed followers gathered around to hear what he had to say. This is what he taught them: \n“Those who depend entirely on God for their welfare\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they are already at home in the culture of heaven. \n“Those who are stricken with grief\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will receive the ultimate comfort. \n“Those who allow others to have first claim on everything\nhave got it made\,\nbecause the whole world will be given to them. \n“Those who hunger and thirst to see the world put right\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be richly satisfied. \n“Those who readily treat others better than they deserve\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be treated with extravagant mercy. \n“Those whose hearts are unpolluted\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will see God. \n“Those who forge peace and reconciliation in places of hostility\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be known as God’s own children. \n“Those who are attacked and abused for sticking to what is right\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they are already at home in the culture of heaven. \n“When people turn on you\nand do all they can to make your life a misery;\nwhen they make false allegations about you\nand drag your name through the mud\,\nall because of your association with me\,\nyou have really got it made!\nKick up your heels and party\,\nbecause heaven is coming\nand you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!\nYou are in great company\,\nbecause they were just as vicious\nto God’s faithful messengers in the past. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you bring all who trust in you out of the great ordeal\ninto the glorious reward of heaven\nand number them among the multitude of your saints. \nYou created the earth as an inheritance\nand destined all life for a glory that is yet to be revealed.\nThrough the law and your prophets and apostles\nyou called a people from every nation\, tribe and language. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you revealed your desire\nto bless the poor in spirit and the pure of heart;\nto wipe away the tears of those who mourn;\nand to satisfy all hunger for righteousness and peace.\nThough he was persecuted and killed\,\nyou raised him to life\,\nand with him you are saving all who keep faith\nso that they may be like him\nwhen his final glory is revealed. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give our thanks to you\, O God\,\nfor from every nation\, tribe and language\nyou bring all who trust in you out of the great ordeal\ninto the glorious reward of heaven\nand number them among the multitude of your saints. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you bring all who trust in you out of the great ordeal\ninto the glorious reward of heaven\nand number them among the multitude of your saints. \nYou created the earth as an inheritance\nand destined all life for a glory that is yet to be revealed.\nThrough the law and your prophets and apostles\nyou called a people from every nation\, tribe and language. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you revealed your desire\nto bless the poor in spirit and the pure of heart;\nto wipe away the tears of those who mourn;\nand to satisfy all hunger for righteousness and peace.\nThough he was persecuted and killed\,\nyou raised him to life\,\nand with him you are saving all who keep faith\nso that they may be like him\nwhen his final glory is revealed. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Salvation belongs to our God\nwho is seated on the throne\,\nand to the Lamb of God\nthrough whom we have received mercy. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now and live in awe of God.\nPurify yourselves in heart and in deed.\nHunger and thirst for righteousness;\nshow mercy\, and make peace. \nAnd may God take your burdens and free you from fear;\nMay Christ Jesus be your shepherd and your shelter;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit guide you to springs of the water of life. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nLiving and Dying with the SaintsA sermon on Revelation 7:9-17 & Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton \n\n\n\nSaints and Odd-bods and a Very Big RockA sermon on Revelation 7:9-17 & Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton \n\n\n\nThe Be-Jesus-like AttitudesA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRe-imagining the Kingdom in the time of Global TraumaA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Francesca Nuzzolese
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a42/2029-11-01/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291104T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291104T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200818T133835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231210T111002Z
UID:10002085-1888444800-1888531199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 26 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Joshua 3: 7-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD said to Joshua: \n“Today I am going to begin making a hero of you in the eyes of the people\, so that they will recognise that I am with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You are the one who will give the order to the priests who carry the sacred Ark of the Covenant\, telling them to step into the waters of the Jordan with the Ark and then stand still in the river.” \nSo Joshua called an assembly of the people\, and said to them: \n“Gather round and hear what the LORD your God wants to say. The living God is in your midst and is ready to clear the way for you by driving out the seven nations that are occupying the land. This is how you will know it is true. Today\, the Ark of the Covenant — the sacred possession of the Lord of all the earth — will be carried into the Jordan River before your very eyes. And the minute the priests who carry the Ark of the LORD step into the water\, the flow of the river will be cut off upstream and the water will pile up in a heap. You are to select one person from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to participate in marking this occasion.” \nSo the people packed up their camp and got ready to cross the Jordan River into the land\, with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant at the front. Now it was the wet season and the Jordan was in full flood\, breaking its banks in all directions. But when the people reached the river’s edge\, and the priests carrying the sacred Ark took their first steps into the water\, the swollen waters rushing down from upstream stood still\, and piled up in a heap up near Adaam\, a city near Zarethan. The waters flowing towards the Dead Sea were turned off like a tap\, leaving the riverbed dry\, and so the people were able to cross the river opposite Jericho. The entire Israelite population crossed through the river on a dry track while the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD stood on the dry riverbed in the middle of the Jordan. They stayed there\, with the Ark\, until the whole nation had passed through the Jordan to the other side. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 107: 1-7\, 33-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Thank you\, LORD! Thank you for being so good.\nYour rock-solid love will never end. \nLORD\, we freely and openly acknowledge\nthat it was you who got us out of trouble;\nyou who put us back on the right track.\nYou gathered us from the four corners of the globe\,\nfrom wherever we had been lost or exiled. \nSome of us were lost in pitiless deserts\,\ndesperate to find shelter and company.\nWithout food or water\,\nour courage dried up and our steps grew weak. \nIn sheer despair\, we cried out to you\, LORD\,\nand in a flash\, you came to our rescue.\nYou guided us back to the main road\nand got us safely to the nearest town. \nWhen people become corrupt\, LORD\,\nyou dry up their water supplies;\nlakes become deserts\nand fruitful land\, a salt-scarred waste. \nBut you love to bring new life\, LORD;\nto pour water down dry creek beds\nand make the deserts burst into flower.\nYou love to open up arid land\nand make new places of plenty\nwhere the homeless and hungry\ncan build and plant and prosper. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Brothers and sisters\, when we were with you\, we all found ourselves jobs around the town\, as I’m sure you remember. We took night shifts and day shifts and whatever we could get\, so that we could pay our own way. We wanted to make sure we wouldn’t have to sponge off you while we were bringing you up to speed with the great news about God’s love. You believers experienced first-hand the way we conducted ourselves in our dealings with you\, and God too will witness that our behaviour was squeaky clean\, straight-down-the-line\, and beyond reproach. As you know\, we related to each of you personally in the way a concerned father might relate to each of his children. We encouraged you\, and spurred you on\, and spelt out to you the importance of living a life that God would be proud to be associated with\, for you are being called to live in the realm of God and to share the glory. \nWe are always thanking God that you recognised the word of God for what it was and took it on board when you heard from us. You didn’t dismiss it as just someone’s speculations\, but accepted it as God’s word and allowed it to start working within and among you who believe. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 23: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the religious leaders had given up arguing with him\, Jesus turned to his followers and the gathered crowd\, and said: \n“The religious experts and the devout Pharisee party hold the authority to teach in the tradition of Moses. For that reason you should pay attention to what they teach and put it into practice. But do not do the things you see them doing\, because they do not practice what they preach. They weigh everyone else down with heavy demands for rigorous religious discipline\, but when people stagger under the load\, they themselves won’t get off their bums to help. Everything they do is done for show. They wear eye-catching ornaments displaying scripture quotes\, and they are always waving their bibles around for everyone to see. They love to be seated among the distinguished guests at formal occasions. They get a kick out of always being invited to appear at openings and premieres. They love to bask in the adulation of a gullible public\, and to have everyone calling them Reverend. But among you\, no one is to be called Reverend\, because there is only one you are to revere. To one another you are all brothers and sisters\, so don’t call anyone on earth Father. Your only Father is the one you have in heaven. Nor should any of you allow yourselves to be described as anointed teachers\, because you have only one anointed teacher – the Messiah. The one who will be regarded as the greatest among you will be the one who is always bending over backwards for others. Those who big-note themselves will be knocked off their perches\, but those who avoid the limelight will end up as everyone’s hero.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Micah 3: 5-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD has had a gutful of you prophets\nwhose lies cause God’s people to go off the rails.\nYou always have good news\nfor those who put money in your pocket\,\nbut you call down fear and misery\non those can’t afford to grease your palm. \nTherefore the LORD says:\n“Night after night you will be without dreams or visions.\nEverything will go dark and you will see nothing.\nYou so called prophets have had your day in the sun.\nNow your whole world is going black.\nYou visionaries will be exposed as frauds.\nYou expert forecasters will hang your heads in shame.\nYou will shut your mouths and hide your faces\,\nbecause I will leave you with nothing to say.” \nThat’s what the LORD says to you prophets\,\nbut it is different for me\, Micah.\nThe power of the LORD is with me\nand the spirit of the LORD fills me\,\nkeeping me honest\, impartial and strong\,\nso that I can do my job of confronting God’s people\nwith the extent of their immorality and corruption. \nSo hear this\,\nyou leaders who wield power and influence\nover the whole nation of God’s people;\nyou who despise and pervert justice\nand make a mockery of hopes for a fair-go;\nyou who built your power-base on the blood of others\nand Jerusalem on a foundation of corruption! \nHear this:\nThe city’s magistrates are taking bribes.\nIts religious leaders are taking cash for comment.\nIts preachers have sold out to the highest bidder.\nYet they make a big show of their trust in God\, saying\,\n“The LORD is on our side for sure!\nThe LORD will not let disaster come our way.” \nThe fact is\, that because of you lot\,\nJerusalem will be reduced to rubble and cleared like a field.\nThe Temple hill will be nothing but a tangled mass of weeds. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Clear my name\, God;\nside with me against these godless tormentors.\nRescue me from their lies and abuse. \nI trusted you to look after me\, God;\nwhy have you pushed me aside?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery? \nLet your truth blaze like a beacon\nso I can see the way to go;\nlet it light up the path and lead me\nto your home on the sacred mountain. \nThen I will offer myself to you in worship\, God;\noffer myself with uninhibited joy.\nI will praise you with music and song\,\nO God\, my God! \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\,\nO God of lasting love and Lord of goodness\,\nfor you have lifted the burden of oppression from us\nand called us into your own kingdom and glory. \nYou created the earth\, both dry lands and fertile valleys\,\nand entrusted it to us to tend and harvest.\nUnder your servants Moses and Joshua\nyou saved your people from the oppressors might\nand led them safely through the waters\ninto the land of promise. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nyour Word has come to us as good news\,\nworking within us that we might live lives worthy of you.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho mouth the truth but live a lie\,\nyou raised him to life\nand sent your Spirit as our true teacher\,\nleading us in the way of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for your Word which has come to us as good news\nin your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nand works within us that we might live lives worthy of you\nand walk in the ways of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nO God of lasting love and Lord of goodness\,\nfor you have lifted the burden of oppression from us\nand called us into your own kingdom and glory. \nYou created the earth\, both dry lands and fertile valleys\,\nand entrusted it to us to tend and harvest.\nUnder your servants Moses and Joshua\nyou saved your people from the oppressors might\nand led them safely through the waters\ninto the land of promise. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nyour Word has come to us as good news\,\nworking within us that we might live lives worthy of you.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho mouth the truth but live a lie\,\nyou raised him to life\nand sent your Spirit as our true teacher\,\nleading us in the way of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Through Christ\,\nGod snatches us from the oppression of sin\nand calls us into his own kingdom and glory\,\nfulfilling the promise\nto exalt all who humble themselves. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, in the freedom of the gospel of Christ.\nEncourage one another to lead lives worthy of God\nand walk together in service and humility.\nLet your words and your lives be one in Christ. \nAnd may the God of lasting love open the way before you;\nMay Jesus the Messiah be your one instructor;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you on\ninto the promised land of God’s kingdom and glory. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\n Authority in the Community of FaithA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nDelusions of GrandeurA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 and 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Word of FreedomA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 and 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBurdens Hard to BearA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHow Wide is your Rainbow Flag?A sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap26/2029-11-04/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291104T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291104T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200818T133835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003406Z
UID:10002849-1888444800-1888531199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 26 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Joshua 3: 7-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD said to Joshua: \n“Today I am going to begin making a hero of you in the eyes of the people\, so that they will recognise that I am with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You are the one who will give the order to the priests who carry the sacred Ark of the Covenant\, telling them to step into the waters of the Jordan with the Ark and then stand still in the river.” \nSo Joshua called an assembly of the people\, and said to them: \n“Gather round and hear what the LORD your God wants to say. The living God is in your midst and is ready to clear the way for you by driving out the seven nations that are occupying the land. This is how you will know it is true. Today\, the Ark of the Covenant — the sacred possession of the Lord of all the earth — will be carried into the Jordan River before your very eyes. And the minute the priests who carry the Ark of the LORD step into the water\, the flow of the river will be cut off upstream and the water will pile up in a heap. You are to select one person from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to participate in marking this occasion.” \nSo the people packed up their camp and got ready to cross the Jordan River into the land\, with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant at the front. Now it was the wet season and the Jordan was in full flood\, breaking its banks in all directions. But when the people reached the river’s edge\, and the priests carrying the sacred Ark took their first steps into the water\, the swollen waters rushing down from upstream stood still\, and piled up in a heap up near Adaam\, a city near Zarethan. The waters flowing towards the Dead Sea were turned off like a tap\, leaving the riverbed dry\, and so the people were able to cross the river opposite Jericho. The entire Israelite population crossed through the river on a dry track while the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD stood on the dry riverbed in the middle of the Jordan. They stayed there\, with the Ark\, until the whole nation had passed through the Jordan to the other side. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 107: 1-7\, 33-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Thank you\, LORD! Thank you for being so good.\nYour rock-solid love will never end. \nLORD\, we freely and openly acknowledge\nthat it was you who got us out of trouble;\nyou who put us back on the right track.\nYou gathered us from the four corners of the globe\,\nfrom wherever we had been lost or exiled. \nSome of us were lost in pitiless deserts\,\ndesperate to find shelter and company.\nWithout food or water\,\nour courage dried up and our steps grew weak. \nIn sheer despair\, we cried out to you\, LORD\,\nand in a flash\, you came to our rescue.\nYou guided us back to the main road\nand got us safely to the nearest town. \nWhen people become corrupt\, LORD\,\nyou dry up their water supplies;\nlakes become deserts\nand fruitful land\, a salt-scarred waste. \nBut you love to bring new life\, LORD;\nto pour water down dry creek beds\nand make the deserts burst into flower.\nYou love to open up arid land\nand make new places of plenty\nwhere the homeless and hungry\ncan build and plant and prosper. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Brothers and sisters\, when we were with you\, we all found ourselves jobs around the town\, as I’m sure you remember. We took night shifts and day shifts and whatever we could get\, so that we could pay our own way. We wanted to make sure we wouldn’t have to sponge off you while we were bringing you up to speed with the great news about God’s love. You believers experienced first-hand the way we conducted ourselves in our dealings with you\, and God too will witness that our behaviour was squeaky clean\, straight-down-the-line\, and beyond reproach. As you know\, we related to each of you personally in the way a concerned father might relate to each of his children. We encouraged you\, and spurred you on\, and spelt out to you the importance of living a life that God would be proud to be associated with\, for you are being called to live in the realm of God and to share the glory. \nWe are always thanking God that you recognised the word of God for what it was and took it on board when you heard from us. You didn’t dismiss it as just someone’s speculations\, but accepted it as God’s word and allowed it to start working within and among you who believe. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 23: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the religious leaders had given up arguing with him\, Jesus turned to his followers and the gathered crowd\, and said: \n“The religious experts and the devout Pharisee party hold the authority to teach in the tradition of Moses. For that reason you should pay attention to what they teach and put it into practice. But do not do the things you see them doing\, because they do not practice what they preach. They weigh everyone else down with heavy demands for rigorous religious discipline\, but when people stagger under the load\, they themselves won’t get off their bums to help. Everything they do is done for show. They wear eye-catching ornaments displaying scripture quotes\, and they are always waving their bibles around for everyone to see. They love to be seated among the distinguished guests at formal occasions. They get a kick out of always being invited to appear at openings and premieres. They love to bask in the adulation of a gullible public\, and to have everyone calling them Reverend. But among you\, no one is to be called Reverend\, because there is only one you are to revere. To one another you are all brothers and sisters\, so don’t call anyone on earth Father. Your only Father is the one you have in heaven. Nor should any of you allow yourselves to be described as anointed teachers\, because you have only one anointed teacher – the Messiah. The one who will be regarded as the greatest among you will be the one who is always bending over backwards for others. Those who big-note themselves will be knocked off their perches\, but those who avoid the limelight will end up as everyone’s hero.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Micah 3: 5-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD has had a gutful of you prophets\nwhose lies cause God’s people to go off the rails.\nYou always have good news\nfor those who put money in your pocket\,\nbut you call down fear and misery\non those can’t afford to grease your palm. \nTherefore the LORD says:\n“Night after night you will be without dreams or visions.\nEverything will go dark and you will see nothing.\nYou so called prophets have had your day in the sun.\nNow your whole world is going black.\nYou visionaries will be exposed as frauds.\nYou expert forecasters will hang your heads in shame.\nYou will shut your mouths and hide your faces\,\nbecause I will leave you with nothing to say.” \nThat’s what the LORD says to you prophets\,\nbut it is different for me\, Micah.\nThe power of the LORD is with me\nand the spirit of the LORD fills me\,\nkeeping me honest\, impartial and strong\,\nso that I can do my job of confronting God’s people\nwith the extent of their immorality and corruption. \nSo hear this\,\nyou leaders who wield power and influence\nover the whole nation of God’s people;\nyou who despise and pervert justice\nand make a mockery of hopes for a fair-go;\nyou who built your power-base on the blood of others\nand Jerusalem on a foundation of corruption! \nHear this:\nThe city’s magistrates are taking bribes.\nIts religious leaders are taking cash for comment.\nIts preachers have sold out to the highest bidder.\nYet they make a big show of their trust in God\, saying\,\n“The LORD is on our side for sure!\nThe LORD will not let disaster come our way.” \nThe fact is\, that because of you lot\,\nJerusalem will be reduced to rubble and cleared like a field.\nThe Temple hill will be nothing but a tangled mass of weeds. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Clear my name\, God;\nside with me against these godless tormentors.\nRescue me from their lies and abuse. \nI trusted you to look after me\, God;\nwhy have you pushed me aside?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery? \nLet your truth blaze like a beacon\nso I can see the way to go;\nlet it light up the path and lead me\nto your home on the sacred mountain. \nThen I will offer myself to you in worship\, God;\noffer myself with uninhibited joy.\nI will praise you with music and song\,\nO God\, my God! \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\,\nO God of lasting love and Lord of goodness\,\nfor you have lifted the burden of oppression from us\nand called us into your own kingdom and glory. \nYou created the earth\, both dry lands and fertile valleys\,\nand entrusted it to us to tend and harvest.\nUnder your servants Moses and Joshua\nyou saved your people from the oppressors might\nand led them safely through the waters\ninto the land of promise. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nyour Word has come to us as good news\,\nworking within us that we might live lives worthy of you.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho mouth the truth but live a lie\,\nyou raised him to life\nand sent your Spirit as our true teacher\,\nleading us in the way of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for your Word which has come to us as good news\nin your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nand works within us that we might live lives worthy of you\nand walk in the ways of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nO God of lasting love and Lord of goodness\,\nfor you have lifted the burden of oppression from us\nand called us into your own kingdom and glory. \nYou created the earth\, both dry lands and fertile valleys\,\nand entrusted it to us to tend and harvest.\nUnder your servants Moses and Joshua\nyou saved your people from the oppressors might\nand led them safely through the waters\ninto the land of promise. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nyour Word has come to us as good news\,\nworking within us that we might live lives worthy of you.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho mouth the truth but live a lie\,\nyou raised him to life\nand sent your Spirit as our true teacher\,\nleading us in the way of humility\nto the exaltation of your Kingdom. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Through Christ\,\nGod snatches us from the oppression of sin\nand calls us into his own kingdom and glory\,\nfulfilling the promise\nto exalt all who humble themselves. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, in the freedom of the gospel of Christ.\nEncourage one another to lead lives worthy of God\nand walk together in service and humility.\nLet your words and your lives be one in Christ. \nAnd may the God of lasting love open the way before you;\nMay Jesus the Messiah be your one instructor;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you on\ninto the promised land of God’s kingdom and glory. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\n Authority in the Community of FaithA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nDelusions of GrandeurA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 and 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Word of FreedomA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 and 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBurdens Hard to BearA sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHow Wide is your Rainbow Flag?A sermon on Matthew 23:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap26/2029-11-04/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291111T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291111T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083203
CREATED:20200818T110524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231217T232511Z
UID:10002086-1889049600-1889135999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 27 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Joshua 24: 1-3a\, 14-25			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called a meeting of their leaders — the tribal elders\, the clan chiefs\, the judges\, and the civil officials — and they gathered under the authority of God. Joshua addressed them\, saying: \n“The LORD\, the God of Israel\, wants you to hear this. Back in the dark ages\, your ancestors — Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor — lived in the land beyond the Euphrates river and served other gods. Then the LORD led your father Abraham out of that land and into the land of Canaan\, and gave him a huge mob of descendants. So now\, treat the LORD with due respect\, and be absolutely fair dinkum and rock-solid in your commitment to doing all that the LORD asks of you. Have nothing more to do with any of the other objects of devotion that your ancestors worked for back in those days\, or when they were in Egypt. Put yourselves wholly at the service of the LORD. But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD\, then you can make up your own minds what you are going to devote yourselves to: the ignorant ways of your ancestors back there in the dark ages; or the trivialities of the culture around you here. But I have made up my mind for myself and for my family; we will devote ourselves to the LORD.” \nWhen Joshua finished his speech\, the leaders replied\, saying: \n“There is no way we would turn our backs on the LORD and devote ourselves to other gods. It was the LORD who broke us free from slavery and did such spectacular things before our very eyes in the land where we had been oppressed. As we travelled\, the LORD looked after us every step of the way and kept us safe from hostile nations. It was the LORD who made room for us by driving out the nations who were occupying this land. Therefore we will serve the LORD\, for the LORD is our God.” \nBut Joshua challenged them saying\, “You lot haven’t got what it takes to serve the LORD\, for the LORD has the most uncompromising standards. The LORD demands your undivided devotion\, and will not tolerate or forgive any unfaithfulness or breach of trust. If you do the wrong thing by the LORD and go running around after some other object of devotion\, the LORD will turn on you and do you some serious harm. The LORD will quit looking after you and destroy you instead.” \nBut the leaders of the people all insisted\, “No\, we will serve the LORD!” \nSo Joshua said\, “You people are all witnesses that you made this choice with clear heads and sound minds. You all understand that you are choosing to serve the LORD alone.” \n“We know what we are saying\,” they replied. \nThen Joshua said\, “Well then\, get rid of any other objects of devotion that you have in your lives\, and give your hearts wholly and solely to the LORD our God.” \nAnd the people answered Joshua\, saying\, “The LORD our God is the only one we will serve and the only one we will obey.” \nSo Joshua ratified the alliance between God and the people that day\, and there at Shechem he spelt out the terms and conditions of the alliance. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 78: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom.\nThese are things we must hear and know\,\nfor the wisdom of our ancestors must not be lost. \nWe will not deprive our children of these things.\nWe will pass on the stories to the next generation\, LORD\,\nstories of the wonderful things you have done\,\nso that they know how great and amazing you are. \nYou laid down the law for your people\, LORD\,\nand set out what you expected of your chosen ones.\nYou spelt it out to our ancestors\,\nand told them to teach it to their children\,\nso that the next generation would know your ways;\nso that those who had not yet even been born\nwould be able to grow up and pass it on to their children;\nso that they will trust their future to you\, God\,\nliving their lives by your instructions\nand never forgetting what you have done. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, as you grieve over the recent death of some members of your congregation\, we do not want you to be left in the dark about what this means for their future. The pain of separation is real\, but your grief is different from the grief of others who have no hope beyond this. Why? Because we believe that Jesus died and rose back to life\, and that in the same way\, all those who have died will be gathered up by God with Jesus to share his life. We declare this to you with the utmost confidence\, for we have the Lord’s word for it. We who are still alive\, and who may still be here when the Lord arrives to take charge\, are certainly no better placed than those who have died. On that day\, when the order is given\, and the archangel roars\, and God sounds the siren\, the Lord will emerge from heaven in person\, and the first to their feet will be those who have died in union with the Messiah. Then the rest of us\, those of us who are still alive at the time\, will be snatched up too\, and there will be a great reunion in the clouds as we all meet the Lord in the air together. From then on\, there will be no more painful separations; we will all be with the Lord forever. So keep reminding one another about what I’ve said\, so that you may all take courage in this time of sadness. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 25: 1-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking to his followers\, Jesus said\, “When the time comes\, the arrival of the culture of heaven will be like this: \nAt a wedding celebration\, ten young women were given the job of holding up oil lamps and forming a guard of honour to greet the bridegroom when he arrived at the reception hall. Five of them had their wits about them\, but the other five were not the full bottle. These five dim-wits had their lamps alight\, but they didn’t bring any spare oil. The five bright-sparks had some extra with them\, just in case. The bridegroom was delayed by several hours\, and the ten girls all fell asleep in the foyer while they were waiting for him. Finally\, on the stroke of midnight\, there was a shout\, ‘Quick! The bridegroom has just come around the corner. On your feet and get those lamps waving!’ \nThe ten young women all jumped up and trimmed their lamps\, but by that time the five dim-wits were almost out of oil. They turned to the well-prepared women and said\, ‘Our lamps are going out. Can you spare us some oil?’ \nBut the well-prepared women replied\, ‘Sorry! If we try to make it go around all ten of us\, then all the lamps will run out and there’ll be no lights at all. You’ll have to go down to the shops and get some more for yourselves.’ \nBut while the five who had not kept their stocks up ran down to the shops\, the bridegroom pulled up\, and those who had been ready for him waved their lamps and followed him into the wedding feast. The door was locked behind them\, and when the other five returned\, they couldn’t get in. They banged on the door and called out\, ‘Sir\, Sir\, open the door for us.’ \nBut the bridegroom replied\, ‘I’m telling you straight\, I don’t recognise you.’” \n“And so\,” Jesus concluded\, “Keep yourselves ready\, because you have no way of knowing when the time will come.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Wisdom of Solomon 6: 12-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Wisdom is a radiant beauty\nand her beauty never fades.\nThose who love her always recognise her\nand those who seek her have no trouble finding her. \nShe is open and generous\nwith all who desire her.\nGet up early to track her down\nand you’ll have no trouble.\nYou’ll find her right outside\,\nready and waiting for you. \nAnyone who gets their mind fixed on her\nis on the way to understanding everything clearly.\nAnyone who stays awake to her\nwill soon be without a care in the world.\nShe is always on the lookout for those who are worthy of her.\nShe bowls up and generously introduces herself.\nShe is there in their minds whenever they need her. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Amos 5: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the LORD\, am heartbroken over you people\nwho seem so eager to see the day\nwhen I will step in to put everything right.\nWhat have you got to look forward to on that day? \nWhat you see as a light at the end of the tunnel\nis a train coming the other way!\nFor you\, it will be like escaping from a crocodile\nonly to swim into the jaws of a shark;\nor flopping down in your favourite chair\nonly to sit on a deadly snake. \nCan’t you see that for you\nthe day of justice will be a dark and gloomy day\nand not any kind of bright new tomorrow? \nI can’t stand your religious festivals.\nWhen you gather for worship\, it makes me sick. \nI will not accept anything you offer me in worship\,\nno matter what it costs or how beautifully it is presented.\nYou can offer me all your sacrifices and gifts\,\nbut I will turn away in disgust. \nGo and sing your noisy songs somewhere else.\nI don’t want to hear another note you play. \nYour worship will remain like a foul stench to me\nuntil you flood your lives with justice;\nuntil your passion for doing what’s right\nis as unstoppable as a rolling river. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Wisdom of Solomon 6: 17-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The first sign of wisdom in a person\nis a genuine hunger to learn from others.\nThose who seek guidance from others\nare clearly proving their love of wisdom\,\nand the love of wisdom\nis shown in living by her laws.\nLiving by her laws\nguarantees unending life\,\nand unending life is lived\nin close relationship with God. \nSo the desire for wisdom\nleads directly to the Kingdom of God. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 70			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Please God\, deliver me!\nHelp me\, LORD\, quickly! \nThese people are out to get me\, LORD;\nleave them confused\nwith egg all over their faces.\nThey are trying to do me harm;\nknock them off their perches\nand send them packing. \nWhen they smirk and make a joke of me\,\nrun them out of town in disgrace. \nPut a smile on the face\nof everyone who seeks you\, LORD.\nGive everyone who loves your ways\nreason to celebrate your greatness forever. \nBut right now\, God\, I need your help in a hurry;\nI can’t make ends meet.\nYou are the one who helps me;\nthe one who rescues me from danger.\nQuickly\, LORD\, help me without delay! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mysteries well up from ancient depths\,\nassuring us that we will be with you forever. \nIn the first of your mighty works\,\nyou created the earth and filled it with life.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand called them to choose between wisdom and foolishness\, between serving you and making their own gods. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again called us to choose -\nto live in readiness\nfor the promised return\nof the one who died and rose again\,\nor to waste our opportunities\nand squander what you have given us.\nWe choose to serve you\,\nand with hearts full of gratitude\nwe trust in your protection and look for the day\nwhen at the trumpet’s sound the dead will arise\nand all will be embraced in the marriage of earth and heaven. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As those who have chosen to serve you\,\nwe give thanks for your protection along the way\nand your promise of a day\nwhen at the trumpet’s sound the dead will arise\nand all will be embraced in the marriage of earth and heaven. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mysteries well up from ancient depths\,\nassuring us that we will be with you forever. \nIn the first of your mighty works\,\nyou created the earth and filled it with life.\nYou rescued a people from slavery\nand called them to choose between wisdom and foolishness\, between serving you and making their own gods. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have again called us to choose -\nto live in readiness\nfor the promised return\nof the one who died and rose again\,\nor to waste our opportunities\nand squander what you have given us.\nWe choose to serve you\,\nand with hearts full of gratitude\nwe trust in your protection and look for the day\nwhen at the trumpet’s sound the dead will arise\nand all will be embraced in the marriage of earth and heaven. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus died and rose again\, and through Jesus\,\nthose who live or die in him\nwill be embraced in the mercy of God forever. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and follow in the footsteps\nof those who have gone before us in Christ.\nRevere the Lord.\nServe God in sincerity and faithfulness.\nTeach those who come after you to trust in God. \nAnd may God protect you along the way;\nMay Christ Jesus keep you alert and prepared;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fuel the lamp that guides your path. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nSo\, how are you going to live?A sermon on Matthew 23:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n Things you can’t shareA sermon on Matthew 23:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrief\, Fear\, and Rapturous WelcomesA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Matthew 25:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nReady\, Coming or NotA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Matthew 25:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nToo Good For HeavenA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Matthew 25:1-13 by Suzanne Ross\n\n\n\nIsrael\, Gaza\, and the Book of JoshuaA sermon on the book of Joshua by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap27/2029-11-11/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291118T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291118T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200818T100253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231224T231619Z
UID:10002087-1889654400-1889740799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 28 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Judges 4: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The death of Ehud left the Israelite people leaderless\, and before long corruption and immorality had got the better of them again. The LORD couldn’t stand the sight of their evil ways\, and abandoned them to the advancing army of King Jabin of Canaan\, who ruled from the city of Hazor. King Jabin’s troops\, under the command of General Sisera\, were a hardened fighting unit equipped with the latest in military hardware. Their harsh and oppressive rule was like a boot on Israel’s throat for the next twenty years\, and the people cried out to the LORD for help. \nDuring that era\, a prophet named Deborah emerged as a leader in Israel. She was a fiery woman\, and the Israelite people looked to her to arbitrate whenever disputes and conflicts flared up among them. She based herself in the hill country of Ephraim and held her hearings under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel. The people came to her there\, and the place became known as the Palm of Deborah. \nOne day\, Deborah sent a message to a man named Barak telling him to report to her. Barak was the son of Abinoam\, and came from the town of Kadesh in Naphtali. When he arrived\, Deborah said to him: \n“I have a command for you from the LORD\, the God of Israel. You are to mobilise ten thousand soldiers from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun\, and take position at Mount Tabor. The LORD will incite Sisera\, the general of Jabin’s army\, to come out and tackle you. He will come with all his troops and his fancy military equipment\, and there will be a battle near the Kishon River. The LORD will hand you a complete victory over Sisera.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 123			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	It is to you that we look for help\, LORD;\nto you who rules from the throne of heaven! \nWhen people are injured\,\nthey look to the doctors for help;\nwhen they lie in hospital\,\nthey look to the nurses for compassion;\nand in the same way\nwe look to you\, the LORD our God:\nwe depend on your kindness and care. \nTreat us with compassion\, LORD\, treat us with compassion.\nWe’ve endured more than our fair share of contempt. \nWe have had an absolute gutful\nof being put down by the arrogant\nand treated like dirt by those who’ve got it easy. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, there is really nothing much I can say about God’s ultimate timetable that you do not already know. You yourselves are up to speed with the fact that the day of the Lord will hit without warning like redback in a dark dunny. The propaganda machines will still be pumping out reports of secure borders and boom times ahead\, when suddenly the whole world will be turned on its head. It will be like the sudden rapid onset of labour for a pregnant woman: unpredictable\, intense\, and inescapable! \nBut\, my dear friends\, you are not in the dark about these things\, so that day won’t catch you off-guard like the red-back. Instead\, for all of you\, the lights have been turned on and bright light is now your natural habitat. We no longer live our lives stumbling around in the darkness\, so let us not laze around\, oblivious to what’s going on\, the way other people do. Instead\, let’s keep on our toes\, and be clear-headed. Those who drink themselves into a stupor and pass out\, dead to the world\, do so at night\, under the cover of darkness. But we are creatures of the light of the new day\, so let us keep our heads clear and our wits about us. Put on all the protection God has provided\, for our faith and love will protect our hearts better than a bullet-proof vest\, and our confident anticipation of being rescued into new life will protect our heads better than a crash helmet. God has not set us up for failure and punishment\, but to be rescued from all that into the life opened up for us by our Lord\, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure that life for us\, so that whether we live until that day or die first\, we will be raised up to live with him. In light of all this\, keep on doing what I know you are doing: cheering one another on\, and helping one another to grow stronger. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 25: 14-30			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking to his followers\, Jesus said\, “Here is another illustration of what the culture of heaven will be like when the time comes: \n“A big-time entrepreneur decided to take an extended overseas holiday\, and to leave substantial investment funds in the hands of his three employees to do with as they saw fit. Taking account of the relative abilities of the three\, he gave one of them five million dollars\, one of them two million\, and the other\, one million. Then he cruised off and left them to it. The one who had received the five million got straight to work\, buying and selling\, and managed to generate a profit of another five million dollars. The one who had received the two million also managed to generate a hundred percent return. But the one who had received the one million went and locked the money in a safe and left it there. \nA long time later\, the boss returned without warning\, and called in the three to present their performance reports. The one who had received the five million reported first\, saying\, ‘Boss\, you gave me five million bucks to work with\, and I have doubled your money.’ \nThe boss replied\, ‘Well done. What I gave you was peanuts\, but you have earned my trust and admiration in your handling of it. Now I am going to put you in charge of much bigger things. Come and celebrate with me!’ \nThe one who had received the two million reported next\, saying\, ‘Boss\, you gave me two million bucks to work with\, and I have doubled your money.’ \nThe boss replied\, ‘Well done. What I gave you was peanuts\, but you have earned my trust and admiration in your handling of it. Now I am going to put you in charge of much bigger things. Come and celebrate with me!’ \nFinally\, the one who had received the one million made his report\, saying\, ‘Boss\, I knew how you were only too happy to reap the profits from other people’s work without contributing yourself\, and how harsh you are on those who fail; so I was afraid to take any risks. I kept your money locked away safely. Here\, have it back.’ \nAt that\, the boss went off his tree\, saying\, ‘You lousy gutless bludger! So you knew that I am only too happy to reap the profits from other people’s work\, did you? Well then you ought to have at least deposited my money in the bank where it would have earned me a bit of interest. So now I am taking your million and giving it to your mate with the ten million. Everyone with something to show for what they are given will be given even more and they will be rolling in it. But those with nothing to show will be stripped of even the little they have. As for you\, you worthless piece of garbage\, you’re out on your ear\, and I’ll put the word around so that you’ll never get another job. You can spend your days cursing and kicking yourself on the dole queue.’” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Zephaniah 1: 7\, 12-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God comes! Let us all be silent!\nThe day of the LORD is dawning.\nThe LORD is ready to make the sacrifice\,\nand others have been invited to feed on it. \nListen to what the LORD has to say: \n“At that time\, I will march into the city\, searchlights blazing\,\nand hunt down those who will be punished;\nthose who pickle themselves in their hot tubs\nand smugly suggest\nthat I\, the LORD\, will never do anything\,\neither for good or for bad. \nTheir number is up.\nTheir wealth will be carried off.\nTheir fancy houses will be smashed to the ground.\nAll they have built up will come to nothing.\nI will not let them live in the mansions they built\nor enjoy the wine they carefully cellared.” \nThe great day of the LORD is almost upon us\,\napproaching at the speed of sound;\napproaching with a horrifying noise;\nbloodcurdling shouts and screams of fear. \nThat day will be a day of fury\,\na day of grief and tearing hair out\,\na day doom and disaster\,\na day of filthy darkness and gloom\,\na day of choking smoke and clouds of dust\,\na day of sirens and screams and the sounds of battle\,\na day when the defences will crumble\nand cities and strongholds will fall. \nThe LORD will decimate the people.\nThey will stagger around\, dazed and confused\,\nbecause they have offended the LORD with their evil ways.\nTheir blood will be poured out on the dirt;\ntheir dismembered bodies spread out like dung. \nDespite their millions and all their finery\,\nthey won’t be able to buy their way out of trouble\non the day of the LORD'S fury.\nThe LORD'S passion will set fire to the earth\nand incinerate it entirely.\nWith a terrifying completeness\,\nthe LORD will terminate life on earth. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 90: 1-8\, (9-11)\, 12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Lord\, in every generation\nyou have been house and home to us. \nYou are God\, and have been from time before time;\neven before you brought the mountains to birth;\neven before you created the planet or anything on it. \nYou tell us when our time is up\,\nand return us to the earth from which we came. \nFrom where you look\,\na thousand years is like the blink of an eye\,\nand the ancient past like yesterday. \nOur lives pass as if you had erased them completely;\nthey are gone like a dream.\nLike cut flowers they are fresh and new one day\,\nand faded memories the next. \nThe burning heat of your anger wipes us out;\nyour indignation cuts us down. \nYou have spelt out the charges against us\,\nand brought our hidden offences out into the open. \nDay by day\, the weight of you anger drains the life out of us\,\nand our years come to a close with a whimper. \nHow many years have we got?\nSeventy\, perhaps eighty if our health holds.\nBut even a long life is a grind\, all hard work and heartache\,\nand in no time it’s over and we’re gone for good. \nDoes anyone treat your anger with the respect it deserves?\nSurely the extent of your indignation over sin\nis matched only by the honour that is your due.\n\nSo teach us to value each and every day\nso that we will be wise enough to make the most of them. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have destined us for salvation\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYou created the earth\nand entrusted it into our hands.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nand when they were cruelly oppressed\nyou raised up your prophet\, Deborah\,\nand spoke through her of the day of deliverance. \nYou have spoken to us through your child\, Jesus\,\nteaching us to look to you and trust in your kindness\,\nand to be faithful stewards of your gifts.\nHe was scorned and mocked\nand died for us\, but was raised by you.\nYou have promised a day of judgment and deliverance\,\nwhen Christ will come\nas unexpectedly as a thief in the night\,\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your promise\nof a day when Christ will come\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have destined us for salvation\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYou created the earth\nand entrusted it into our hands.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nand when they were cruelly oppressed\nyou raised up your prophet\, Deborah\,\nand spoke through her of the day of deliverance. \nYou have spoken to us through your child\, Jesus\,\nteaching us to look to you and trust in your kindness\,\nand to be faithful stewards of your gifts.\nHe was scorned and mocked\nand died for us\, but was raised by you.\nYou have promised a day of judgment and deliverance\,\nwhen Christ will come\nas unexpectedly as a thief in the night\,\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the fullness of mercy\,\nGod has destined us not for wrath\nbut for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ\,\nwho died for us so that we may live with him. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and live as children of the light.\nPut on the breastplate of faith and love\,\nand for a helmet\, the hope of salvation.\nMake the most of all God has given you\nand encourage one another in Christ. \nAnd may God’s hand be open to you in kindness;\nMay Christ Jesus welcome you into his joy;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with courage\, vigilance and faithfulness. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat have you done with it all?A sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n ‘Ave a go\, ya mug!A sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe parable of the unjust economic systemA sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nImagining GraceA sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap28/2029-11-18/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P28.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291118T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291118T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200818T100253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003406Z
UID:10002851-1889654400-1889740799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 28 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Judges 4: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The death of Ehud left the Israelite people leaderless\, and before long corruption and immorality had got the better of them again. The LORD couldn’t stand the sight of their evil ways\, and abandoned them to the advancing army of King Jabin of Canaan\, who ruled from the city of Hazor. King Jabin’s troops\, under the command of General Sisera\, were a hardened fighting unit equipped with the latest in military hardware. Their harsh and oppressive rule was like a boot on Israel’s throat for the next twenty years\, and the people cried out to the LORD for help. \nDuring that era\, a prophet named Deborah emerged as a leader in Israel. She was a fiery woman\, and the Israelite people looked to her to arbitrate whenever disputes and conflicts flared up among them. She based herself in the hill country of Ephraim and held her hearings under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel. The people came to her there\, and the place became known as the Palm of Deborah. \nOne day\, Deborah sent a message to a man named Barak telling him to report to her. Barak was the son of Abinoam\, and came from the town of Kadesh in Naphtali. When he arrived\, Deborah said to him: \n“I have a command for you from the LORD\, the God of Israel. You are to mobilise ten thousand soldiers from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun\, and take position at Mount Tabor. The LORD will incite Sisera\, the general of Jabin’s army\, to come out and tackle you. He will come with all his troops and his fancy military equipment\, and there will be a battle near the Kishon River. The LORD will hand you a complete victory over Sisera.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 123			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	It is to you that we look for help\, LORD;\nto you who rules from the throne of heaven! \nWhen people are injured\,\nthey look to the doctors for help;\nwhen they lie in hospital\,\nthey look to the nurses for compassion;\nand in the same way\nwe look to you\, the LORD our God:\nwe depend on your kindness and care. \nTreat us with compassion\, LORD\, treat us with compassion.\nWe’ve endured more than our fair share of contempt. \nWe have had an absolute gutful\nof being put down by the arrogant\nand treated like dirt by those who’ve got it easy. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, there is really nothing much I can say about God’s ultimate timetable that you do not already know. You yourselves are up to speed with the fact that the day of the Lord will hit without warning like redback in a dark dunny. The propaganda machines will still be pumping out reports of secure borders and boom times ahead\, when suddenly the whole world will be turned on its head. It will be like the sudden rapid onset of labour for a pregnant woman: unpredictable\, intense\, and inescapable! \nBut\, my dear friends\, you are not in the dark about these things\, so that day won’t catch you off-guard like the red-back. Instead\, for all of you\, the lights have been turned on and bright light is now your natural habitat. We no longer live our lives stumbling around in the darkness\, so let us not laze around\, oblivious to what’s going on\, the way other people do. Instead\, let’s keep on our toes\, and be clear-headed. Those who drink themselves into a stupor and pass out\, dead to the world\, do so at night\, under the cover of darkness. But we are creatures of the light of the new day\, so let us keep our heads clear and our wits about us. Put on all the protection God has provided\, for our faith and love will protect our hearts better than a bullet-proof vest\, and our confident anticipation of being rescued into new life will protect our heads better than a crash helmet. God has not set us up for failure and punishment\, but to be rescued from all that into the life opened up for us by our Lord\, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus paid the ultimate price to secure that life for us\, so that whether we live until that day or die first\, we will be raised up to live with him. In light of all this\, keep on doing what I know you are doing: cheering one another on\, and helping one another to grow stronger. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 25: 14-30			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking to his followers\, Jesus said\, “Here is another illustration of what the culture of heaven will be like when the time comes: \n“A big-time entrepreneur decided to take an extended overseas holiday\, and to leave substantial investment funds in the hands of his three employees to do with as they saw fit. Taking account of the relative abilities of the three\, he gave one of them five million dollars\, one of them two million\, and the other\, one million. Then he cruised off and left them to it. The one who had received the five million got straight to work\, buying and selling\, and managed to generate a profit of another five million dollars. The one who had received the two million also managed to generate a hundred percent return. But the one who had received the one million went and locked the money in a safe and left it there. \nA long time later\, the boss returned without warning\, and called in the three to present their performance reports. The one who had received the five million reported first\, saying\, ‘Boss\, you gave me five million bucks to work with\, and I have doubled your money.’ \nThe boss replied\, ‘Well done. What I gave you was peanuts\, but you have earned my trust and admiration in your handling of it. Now I am going to put you in charge of much bigger things. Come and celebrate with me!’ \nThe one who had received the two million reported next\, saying\, ‘Boss\, you gave me two million bucks to work with\, and I have doubled your money.’ \nThe boss replied\, ‘Well done. What I gave you was peanuts\, but you have earned my trust and admiration in your handling of it. Now I am going to put you in charge of much bigger things. Come and celebrate with me!’ \nFinally\, the one who had received the one million made his report\, saying\, ‘Boss\, I knew how you were only too happy to reap the profits from other people’s work without contributing yourself\, and how harsh you are on those who fail; so I was afraid to take any risks. I kept your money locked away safely. Here\, have it back.’ \nAt that\, the boss went off his tree\, saying\, ‘You lousy gutless bludger! So you knew that I am only too happy to reap the profits from other people’s work\, did you? Well then you ought to have at least deposited my money in the bank where it would have earned me a bit of interest. So now I am taking your million and giving it to your mate with the ten million. Everyone with something to show for what they are given will be given even more and they will be rolling in it. But those with nothing to show will be stripped of even the little they have. As for you\, you worthless piece of garbage\, you’re out on your ear\, and I’ll put the word around so that you’ll never get another job. You can spend your days cursing and kicking yourself on the dole queue.’” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Zephaniah 1: 7\, 12-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God comes! Let us all be silent!\nThe day of the LORD is dawning.\nThe LORD is ready to make the sacrifice\,\nand others have been invited to feed on it. \nListen to what the LORD has to say: \n“At that time\, I will march into the city\, searchlights blazing\,\nand hunt down those who will be punished;\nthose who pickle themselves in their hot tubs\nand smugly suggest\nthat I\, the LORD\, will never do anything\,\neither for good or for bad. \nTheir number is up.\nTheir wealth will be carried off.\nTheir fancy houses will be smashed to the ground.\nAll they have built up will come to nothing.\nI will not let them live in the mansions they built\nor enjoy the wine they carefully cellared.” \nThe great day of the LORD is almost upon us\,\napproaching at the speed of sound;\napproaching with a horrifying noise;\nbloodcurdling shouts and screams of fear. \nThat day will be a day of fury\,\na day of grief and tearing hair out\,\na day doom and disaster\,\na day of filthy darkness and gloom\,\na day of choking smoke and clouds of dust\,\na day of sirens and screams and the sounds of battle\,\na day when the defences will crumble\nand cities and strongholds will fall. \nThe LORD will decimate the people.\nThey will stagger around\, dazed and confused\,\nbecause they have offended the LORD with their evil ways.\nTheir blood will be poured out on the dirt;\ntheir dismembered bodies spread out like dung. \nDespite their millions and all their finery\,\nthey won’t be able to buy their way out of trouble\non the day of the LORD'S fury.\nThe LORD'S passion will set fire to the earth\nand incinerate it entirely.\nWith a terrifying completeness\,\nthe LORD will terminate life on earth. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 90: 1-8\, (9-11)\, 12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Lord\, in every generation\nyou have been house and home to us. \nYou are God\, and have been from time before time;\neven before you brought the mountains to birth;\neven before you created the planet or anything on it. \nYou tell us when our time is up\,\nand return us to the earth from which we came. \nFrom where you look\,\na thousand years is like the blink of an eye\,\nand the ancient past like yesterday. \nOur lives pass as if you had erased them completely;\nthey are gone like a dream.\nLike cut flowers they are fresh and new one day\,\nand faded memories the next. \nThe burning heat of your anger wipes us out;\nyour indignation cuts us down. \nYou have spelt out the charges against us\,\nand brought our hidden offences out into the open. \nDay by day\, the weight of you anger drains the life out of us\,\nand our years come to a close with a whimper. \nHow many years have we got?\nSeventy\, perhaps eighty if our health holds.\nBut even a long life is a grind\, all hard work and heartache\,\nand in no time it’s over and we’re gone for good. \nDoes anyone treat your anger with the respect it deserves?\nSurely the extent of your indignation over sin\nis matched only by the honour that is your due.\n\nSo teach us to value each and every day\nso that we will be wise enough to make the most of them. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have destined us for salvation\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYou created the earth\nand entrusted it into our hands.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nand when they were cruelly oppressed\nyou raised up your prophet\, Deborah\,\nand spoke through her of the day of deliverance. \nYou have spoken to us through your child\, Jesus\,\nteaching us to look to you and trust in your kindness\,\nand to be faithful stewards of your gifts.\nHe was scorned and mocked\nand died for us\, but was raised by you.\nYou have promised a day of judgment and deliverance\,\nwhen Christ will come\nas unexpectedly as a thief in the night\,\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your promise\nof a day when Christ will come\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have destined us for salvation\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYou created the earth\nand entrusted it into our hands.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nand when they were cruelly oppressed\nyou raised up your prophet\, Deborah\,\nand spoke through her of the day of deliverance. \nYou have spoken to us through your child\, Jesus\,\nteaching us to look to you and trust in your kindness\,\nand to be faithful stewards of your gifts.\nHe was scorned and mocked\nand died for us\, but was raised by you.\nYou have promised a day of judgment and deliverance\,\nwhen Christ will come\nas unexpectedly as a thief in the night\,\nto reveal the children of light\nand gather all who have been trustworthy\nwith what you have given\ninto his kingdom of joy. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the fullness of mercy\,\nGod has destined us not for wrath\nbut for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ\,\nwho died for us so that we may live with him. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and live as children of the light.\nPut on the breastplate of faith and love\,\nand for a helmet\, the hope of salvation.\nMake the most of all God has given you\nand encourage one another in Christ. \nAnd may God’s hand be open to you in kindness;\nMay Christ Jesus welcome you into his joy;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with courage\, vigilance and faithfulness. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat have you done with it all?A sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n ‘Ave a go\, ya mug!A sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe parable of the unjust economic systemA sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nImagining GraceA sermon on Matthew 25:14-30 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap28/2029-11-18/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P28.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291125T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291125T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200817T123742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240101T002641Z
UID:10002088-1890259200-1890345599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Christ the King Sunday (Proper 29) - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Ezekiel 34: 11-16\, 20-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the Lord GOD\, will personally undertake the search and rescue mission for my missing people. When a mob of sheep has been attacked and scattered\, a good farmer will mount a search and not rest until they are all safely back together. I am just like that farmer. I will seek out my sheep. On a day of violent storms and clouds of black smoke\, they were scattered in all directions\, but I will rescue them from wherever they ended up. Even if my exiled people have disappeared among other peoples in other countries\, I will gather them up\, one at a time\, and bring the whole mob back home to their own land. I will let them graze contentedly on the rolling hills of this promised land. They will be free to stroll beside rivers and creeks\, and to make their home among their friends and family. I will give them the best pasture to feed on\, and the rich and fertile high country will be their home. They will have it easy\, and want for nothing. The rich high country pastures will provide them with everything they desire. I\, the Lord GOD\, will personally take care of my sheep and see to it that they can lie down with nothing to fear. \nThose who are lost\, I will seek.\nThose who have wandered off track\, I will bring back.\nThose who are wounded\, I will bandage up.\nThose who are weak\, I will nurse back to full strength.\nBut I will come down hard on the powerful fat-cats.\nJustice will be their staple diet. \nI\, the Lord GOD\, have this to say to those who have grown fat off the misery of others. You will have me to answer to when it is time to judge between you and those who have been trampled down and deprived. Like a bullying ram\, you stood over them and butted them with your horns\, exploiting their weakness and throwing your weight around until they were scattered\, helpless and half starved. So I am going to step in and save this mob of mine. They will no longer have to put up with your violent stand-over tactics. I will sort out the sheep and cull out the rogues. \nI will find a shepherd who I can trust to put him in charge of them\, one from the family of King David who works for me. He will provide for them and take care of them. I\, the LORD\, will be their God\, and David\, who answers to me\, will be their king. I the LORD\, have given my word. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 100			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	With all the earth we join in thunderous celebration\, LORD;\nraising the roof as we come into your presence singing;\ncoming gladly to offer you our devotion. \nLORD\, we know that you are God.\nYou made us\, and we belong to you.\nWe are your people\, fed and cared for by you alone. \nYour gates are open to us; thank you!\nIn your presence\, we sing your praises!\nWe name you as deserving all the credit and thanks! \nYou are the best\, LORD!\nYour love is rock-solid\, and always will be.\nDown through the ages\, you keep your word and stick by us. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 1: 15-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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: \n\n\n\nthe promised goal of the mission to which you are called;\nthe extravagant generosity of God’s provision for us;\nand the immense capacity of the dynamic power which is put to work in us when we trust God.\n\n\n\nThis 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. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 25: 31-46			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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: \n‘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\nI was hungry and you lot fed me\,\nI was thirsty and you gave me a drink\,\nI came seeking asylum and you made me welcome\,\nI didn’t have a stitch to wear\nand you lot gave me clothes\,\nI was diseased and you took care of me\,\nI was in detention and you visited me.’ \nThen 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?’ \nAnd 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.’ \nThen he will say to the nations on the other side: \n‘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\nI was hungry and you lot didn’t give me a bite\,\nI was thirsty and you gave me nothing\,\nI came seeking asylum and you wouldn’t let me in\,\nI didn’t have a stitch to wear\nand you lot left me to freeze\,\nI was diseased and in detention\nand you turned your backs and wouldn’t come near me.’ \nThey 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.’ \nBut 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.’ \nAnd 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.” \n©2023 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ezekiel 34: 11-16\, 20-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the Lord GOD\, will personally undertake the search and rescue mission for my missing people. When a mob of sheep has been attacked and scattered\, a good farmer will mount a search and not rest until they are all safely back together. I am just like that farmer. I will seek out my sheep. On a day of violent storms and clouds of black smoke\, they were scattered in all directions\, but I will rescue them from wherever they ended up. Even if my exiled people have disappeared among other peoples in other countries\, I will gather them up\, one at a time\, and bring the whole mob back home to their own land. I will let them graze contentedly on the rolling hills of this promised land. They will be free to stroll beside rivers and creeks\, and to make their home among their friends and family. I will give them the best pasture to feed on\, and the rich and fertile high country will be their home. They will have it easy\, and want for nothing. The rich high country pastures will provide them with everything they desire. I\, the Lord GOD\, will personally take care of my sheep and see to it that they can lie down with nothing to fear. \nThose who are lost\, I will seek.\nThose who have wandered off track\, I will bring back.\nThose who are wounded\, I will bandage up.\nThose who are weak\, I will nurse back to full strength.\nBut I will come down hard on the powerful fat-cats.\nJustice will be their staple diet. \nI\, the Lord GOD\, have this to say to those who have grown fat off the misery of others. You will have me to answer to when it is time to judge between you and those who have been trampled down and deprived. Like a bullying ram\, you stood over them and butted them with your horns\, exploiting their weakness and throwing your weight around until they were scattered\, helpless and half starved. So I am going to step in and save this mob of mine. They will no longer have to put up with your violent stand-over tactics. I will sort out the sheep and cull out the rogues. \nI will find a shepherd who I can trust to put him in charge of them\, one from the family of King David who works for me. He will provide for them and take care of them. I\, the LORD\, will be their God\, and David\, who answers to me\, will be their king. I the LORD\, have given my word. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 95: 1-7a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We gather and sing to you\, LORD.\nWe raise the roof with shouts of joy\nfor you are the rock on which we are safe! \nWe come into your presence bursting with gratitude;\nwe set the house rocking as we sing your praises! \nFor you\, LORD\, are the greatest God of all;\nyou rank way above every other claim on our loyalty. \nYou hold the depths of the earth in your hands\,\nand the highest mountains are at your disposal. \nThe oceans and the dry lands alike belong to you\,\nfor you made them with your own hands. \nYou made us too\, LORD\, and we worship you\,\nfalling to our knees and bowing down to the ground! \nYou are our God and we are your people;\nyou tenderly care for us like a sheep rearing her young. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your love is forever\, faithful from age to age. \nYou are our maker\, to who we belong\,\nfor you created the earth\nand you shepherd all who live in it.\nWhen your people were scattered and oppressed\,\nyou promised through your prophets to gather them home\nand feed them on the rich pasture of their own land. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, the promises have been fulfilled:\na shepherd king who seeks the lost\nand binds up the wounded.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him from the dead\nand seated him at your side in the heavenly places.\nNow your immeasurable power is at work in us who believe\nto clothe us in compassion and righteousness\nso that we might be fit for the kingdom\nwhich you prepared for us from the foundation of the world. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your immeasurable power at work in us\nto clothe us in compassion and righteousness\nso that we might be fit for the kingdom\nwhich you prepared for us from the foundation of the world. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your love is forever\, faithful from age to age. \nYou are our maker\, to who we belong\,\nfor you created the earth\nand you shepherd all who live in it.\nWhen your people were scattered and oppressed\,\nyou promised through your prophets to gather them home\nand feed them on the rich pasture of their own land. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, the promises have been fulfilled:\na shepherd king who seeks the lost\nand binds up the wounded.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him from the dead\nand seated him at your side in the heavenly places.\nNow your immeasurable power is at work in us who believe\nto clothe us in compassion and righteousness\nso that we might be fit for the kingdom\nwhich you prepared for us from the foundation of the world. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Lord our God says:\n”I will seek the lost. I will bring back the strayed.\nI will bind up the injured and I will strengthen the weak.”\nIndeed the Lord is good.\nGod’s love and mercy are forever. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and embrace the hope to which God has called us.\nRecognise Christ in friend and stranger\,\nand as Christ has been gracious to you\,\nso be gracious to those in need. \nAnd may God give you a place of rest on rich pasture;\nMay Christ Jesus be the shepherd king who binds your wounds;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you wisdom\nand reveal to you the fullness of the one who fills all in all. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhen I was hungry\, what did you do?A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n When I joined your church\, you burned me out!A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nIcons on Street CornersA sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Hope to Live ByA sermon on Ephesians 1: 15-23 & Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJustice as ‘Staple Diet’A sermon on Ezekiel 34:11-16\, 20-24\, Ps 100\, Ephesians 1:15-23\, Matt 25:31-46 by Rowland Croucher\n\n\n\n“I will lead my people”A sermon on Ezekiel 34:11-16\, 20-24 & Ephesians 1:15-23 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDivided Up?A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 & Ezekiel 34:11-16\, 20-24 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWill the Sheep Plead for the Goats?A sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJudging NationsA sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNations that Flourish and Nations that CollapseA sermon on Matthew 25: 31-46 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap29/2029-11-25/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P29.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291202T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291202T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200722T020700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T230906Z
UID:10002089-1890864000-1890950399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:1st Sunday of Advent - Year B
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 64:1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If only\, LORD!\nIf only you would rip the sky open and come on down! \nThe mountains would tremble in your presence\,\nlike water boiling when the fire is stoked beneath it.\nThen the nations too would be shaking in their boots\nand your opponents would realise who they were up against! \nYou have done it before\, LORD.\nYou have surprised us by turning up among us\nand doing amazing things that set the earth quaking. \nNever\, in the history of the world\nhas anyone seen or heard of any God but you.\nNo matter how hard people looked\, or how hard they listened\,\nthey never found a shred of evidence\nof any other god doing anything for anyone. \nYou are the one who responds to those who love doing what is right;\nto those who keep you and your ways in mind. \nBut now\, LORD\, you are angry over the wrong we have done.\nWe thought you were out of sight and we became corrupt. \nIt was all downhill and now we are horribly polluted.\nEven our best efforts to do the right thing\nmust seem like a gift of used toilet paper to you.\nOur lives become drab and brittle like a dried leaf.\nOur immoral behaviour sweeps us away like the wind. \nThere is no one left who prays to you\, LORD\,\nor even attempts to stick with you.\nYou have turned your back on us\nand left us in the mess we made for ourselves. \nAnd yet\, LORD\, you are the one who conceived us.\nYou are the potter who moulds us like clay.\nEvery one of us has been hand-crafted by you. \nPlease don’t be too hard on us\, LORD.\nDon’t dwell on our sins and stay angry forever.\nThink of us\, instead\, as your own people. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 80: 1-7\, 17-19			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God\, you are the one who watches over your people\nlike a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach\,\nwatching from a high seat\, like a king enthroned.\nListen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries\,\nso that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth. \nUp and at it\, God!\nCome equipped to rescue us.\nCome and smile on us again\, God;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \nLORD God\, you rule over everything;\nhow much longer will you keep us in the sin bin\,\nturning away in anger when we pray? \nYou reduced our rations to tears alone;\ntears by the plate full\, tears by the cup full.\nYou made us the laughing stock of our enemies\nand even our neighbours turn up their noses. \nCome and smile on us again\, God;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \nTake our side again\, your wayward favourite child\,\nthe one you raised by hand to be your own.\nWe will never go off the rails again;\nsave us now and your name will be on our lips forever. \nLORD God\, you rule over everything;\nCome and smile on us again;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 3-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nI am forever thanking my God for you\, especially when I think about what God’s extravagant generosity has brought about in you since you entered into the life of Jesus the Messiah. Since you linked up with him your lives have become so much richer in every way; but most notable is the richness of your knowledge and of the things you have to say. Indeed\, the truth about the Messiah has become more and more strongly a part of who you are\, and of all you have to offer. Now\, it seems\, you are not short of anything. All the spiritual gifts are in action among you as you live in eager expectation of the grand finale when our Lord Jesus the Messiah takes centre stage. God is with you and will make you tough enough to hold the line until the end\, so that you can stand with your heads held high on the great day when our Lord Jesus brings everything to completion. Jesus is the Messiah\, our Lord\, and God’s Son; and it was into his shared life that you were called by God\, who is worthy of all our trust\, and who will never let you down. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 13: 24-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	 While looking at the temple\, Jesus spoke to four of his closest followers\, saying\, “As the end approaches\, there will be a time of great chaos and trauma on the earth. Then\, in the days after that\, it will seem as though the whole cosmos is going berserk. The sun will go black\, the moon will not shine\, the stars will come crashing to earth\, and the elemental powers of the universe will be shaken. Then\, and only then\, everyone will see the breathtaking arrival of the New Human\, riding on the clouds in power and glory. He will send out the angels\, and will gather everyone who has made the side from all points of the compass\, from the most far flung corners of the earth to the furthest reaches of heaven.” \nThen Jesus used an illustration to make his point\, saying\, “Take a lesson from the trees. Many of them give clear signs when the seasons are changing. When the wattles start putting out tender new leaves and unfurling their blooms you know that summer is just around the corner. This is much the same. When you see all these things happening you can be sure that the New Human is into the home straight\, and just about to make his arrival. The fact of the matter is that some of you will see these things in your own lifetime. The earth and the sky will only last for so long\, but there is no expiry date on my words. \n“But just 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. So watch out. Keep yourselves on the alert\, because you have no way of knowing when the time will come. It is like an employer going off on leave. He gives all his staff tasks to work at in his absence\, and leaves them to get on with it. He tells the leading hand to keep an eye out for his return. So keep your wits about you and don’t slack off\, because you have no way of knowing when the boss will be back. It could be any time of the day or night\, early or late\, and you don’t want to be caught asleep in his chair with your boots on his desk. So what I am telling you is exactly the same as what I am telling everybody else: keep yourselves on the ready at all times.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor even when heaven and earth pass away\,\nyour words will never pass away. \nLike a potter you created the earth\,\nand we are all the work of your hands.\nAt your presence even the mountains quake\,\nand yet to your people who wait for you\,\nyou are the light\, revealing our salvation. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come among us\,\nteaching us to live in readiness for your reign.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nrestoring to us the light of your presence\,\nand enriching us in every way\nso that we are not lacking in your gifts\nas we await the day\nwhen he comes on the clouds in glory\nand gathers his faithful ones from the ends of the earth;\nall who do right and remember you in their ways. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for restoring to us the light of your presence\nand enriching us in every way\nas we await the day\nwhen Christ comes on the clouds in glory\nand gathers his faithful ones from the ends of the earth. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor even when heaven and earth pass away\,\nyour words will never pass away. \nLike a potter you created the earth\,\nand we are all the work of your hands.\nAt your presence even the mountains quake\,\nand yet to your people who wait for you\,\nyou are the light\, revealing our salvation. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come among us\,\nteaching us to live in readiness for your reign.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nrestoring to us the light of your presence\,\nand enriching us in every way\nso that we are not lacking in your gifts\nas we await the day\nwhen he comes on the clouds in glory\nand gathers his faithful ones from the ends of the earth;\nall who do right and remember you in their ways. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God is faithful and has called us into the communion of Christ.\nThough your sins be like filthy rags\,\nGod will not remember them\,\nbut gives you grace and strength\nso that you may be blameless on the day of the Lord. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, strengthened by the testimony of Christ.\nKeep alert and wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.\nContinue to do right and remember God in your ways. \nAnd may God enrich you in speech and knowledge of every kind;\nMay Christ Jesus strengthen you to the end;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit guide you in faithful living until he comes. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Future – what should we know? A sermon on Matthew 24:27-35\, 45-51 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhy don’t you tear the sky open? A sermon on Isaiah 64:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFearing your Greatest Hope A sermon on Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Gift of Advent A sermon on Isaiah 64:1-9;  1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Season of “Not Yet”: Waiting and Wondering in Advent A sermon on Isaiah 64:1 and Mark 13:24-37 by Carolyn Francis\n\n\n\nWatch Out!A sermon on Mark 13:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAs The World Is Shaken A sermon on Mark 13:24-37 & Isaiah 64:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/b01/2029-12-02/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291209T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291209T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200722T092444Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T003410Z
UID:10002953-1891468800-1891555199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:2nd Sunday of Advent - Year B
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 40: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Your God gives the order: \n“Comfort my people.\nComfort them.\nSpeak tenderly to Jerusalem\,\ncry out and tell her that she has served her time;\ntell her that she has paid her penalty;\nthat she has given the pound of flesh\, and then some\,\ndue for the crimes she committed.” \nA voice cries out: \n“Get the road through the wilderness ready.\nThe LORD is coming! Clear the track!\nStraighten out the road through the desert\,\nso that it is ready for our God. \nFill the potholes\, bridge the valleys\,\ncut through the mountains to level the grade.\nWhere the going is rough\, smooth it out;\nlay a new surface over the old corrugations. \nThen the LORD will come\,\nradiant in glory.\nEveryone on earth will see it together\,\nwe have the LORD’s word on it.” \nA voice says\, “Make the announcement!”\nAnd I replied\, “What announcement?” \n“Announce that people are as fickle as the weather;\nall of them\, about as constant as a cut flower. \nThe weather does one thing one day\, and another the next;\none breath from the LORD and flowers fade and wilt.\nNo kidding\, all people are as fickle as that. \nThe weather sweeps through and is gone;\nthe flower fades and is tossed out;\nbut every word our God says\nstands rock solid for all time. \nTake a stand where the whole of God’s city will hear you\,\nand broadcast the message everyone has been waiting for.\nYou are the bearer of good news for God’s people\,\nso open your mouth and don’t hold back;\nthere’s nothing to be scared of; just go for it!\nBroadcast it through all the cities in the land\,\nsaying\, ‘Here is your God!’ \nLook\, the Lord GOD comes with a show of strength\,\narms punching the air in triumph.\nThe Lord carries the spoils of victory\,\nthe rewards of a job well done. \nLike a farmer hand-rearing the lambs\,\nthe LORD will gather us in loving arms\,\ncuddle us close\,\nand gently lead us where we need to go. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 85: 1-2\, 8-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you smiled on your land\nand brought back the good times for your people. \nYou struck out the record of our guilt\nand pardoned all we had done wrong. \nWe are eager to hear all you have to say\, LORD God\,\nfor your words bring peace and wellbeing\nto those who stick with you\nand leave behind their foolish ways. \nSurely for all who respect you\,\nthe life you saved us for is within reach.\nOur land will be ablaze with your presence. \nWhat a life it will be!\nLove and loyalty will link arms;\njustice and peace will become lovers. \nFaithfulness will sprout and reach for the sky;\nintegrity will beam down on the earth. \nYou will give us every good thing\, LORD\,\nand the land will give bumper crops. \nJustice and integrity will spring up as you approach\,\nlining the road to welcome you among us. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Peter 3: 8-15a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My dear friends\, keep in mind the fact that the Lord is not bound by the same sort of time lines as we are. The Lord can do more in a day than we could do in a thousand years\, and yet to the Lord\, a thousand years pass like a mere day. Some people think that if the Lord was going to come in glory as he promised\, he would have done it by now\, but really\, we should be thankful that he is not in a rush. The Lord wants everyone to turn their lives around and survive\, and he is willing to hold back a bit to give them the chance. But he won’t hold back forever. The day of the Lord will hit without warning like a redback in a dark dunny. Then\, with a deafening roar\, the sky will be destroyed and there will be a fiery meltdown of the galaxies. The earth and everything that goes on here will be totally exposed for all to see. \nSo\, if everything is headed for this total meltdown\, how should we be living here and now? We should be living lives that are utterly dedicated to God and which are patterned on the way God does things. We should be in a state of patient readiness\, constantly working to turn around anything that might be causing God to hold back the coming of that ultimate day. Even though that day will see the universe will go up in flames\, vaporising the sky and melting down the cosmic elements\, we know that God has promised us a renewed earth – a place worth waiting for – a place where justice and integrity will be at home. \nSo then\, my dear friends\, while you are waiting for all this to happen\, do your utmost to make sure that when it does\, the Lord will find you living in peace\, and without even a hint of corruption. As for how much longer the Lord will hold back; how ever long it is\, you can think of it as a sign of patience and an opportunity for even more to be saved. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 1: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	This is the great news about Jesus the Messiah\, the Son of God. The prophet Isaiah had already written about the opening scene: \n“Take note: I am sending my messenger ahead of you\nto blaze the trail for your arrival.\nIn the desert a voice is shouting: \n‘The Lord is coming!\nGet the road ready.\nClear the track. Straighten it out for him.’” \nJohn the baptiser showed up in the desert preaching to the people. He called them to be baptised\, to completely turn their lives around and receive God’s forgiveness for their toxic ways. Everyone came flocking to John from Jerusalem and from all the rural districts of Judea. They owned up to their wrongdoing and were baptised by John in the Jordan River\, promising to mend their ways. \nJohn was dressed in rough clothes made of camel hair and animal skins. He lived on bush tucker – grasshoppers and wild honey. This was the guts of his message: “After me comes the One who is way out of my league – I wouldn’t even qualify to get down on my knees and lick his boots. I’m only baptising you with water\, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you\, salvation is drawing near\,\nthe day when love and fidelity will embrace\,\nand peace and justice kiss. \nThe heavens\, the earth and all that is in them\ncame into being\, and will pass away\, at your say so.\nYou spoke to your people through the prophets\,\ncalling them to prepare the way for your justice\,\nand promising to hold them tenderly\nlike lambs to your breast. \nThrough the preaching of John the Baptiser\,\nyou prepared the way for your coming Messiah\,\n— your child\, Jesus —\nwho was baptised into death\nbut who you raised to new life.\nThrough him you baptise your people\nwith your Holy Spirit\,\nand so now\, in hope and gratitude\,\nwe wait for the day when you will establish\nnew heavens and a new earth\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for your promise to come to us like a shepherd\nand to bring about the day\nwhen love and fidelity embrace\, peace and justice kiss\,\nand new heavens and a new earth are established\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you\, salvation is drawing near\,\nthe day when love and fidelity will embrace\,\nand peace and justice kiss. \nThe heavens\, the earth and all that is in them\ncame into being\, and will pass away\, at your say so.\nYou spoke to your people through the prophets\,\ncalling them to prepare the way for your justice\,\nand promising to hold them tenderly\nlike lambs to your breast. \nThrough the preaching of John the Baptiser\,\nyou prepared the way for your coming Messiah\,\n— your child\, Jesus —\nwho was baptised into death\nbut who you raised to new life.\nThrough him you baptise your people\nwith your Holy Spirit\,\nand so now\, in hope and gratitude\,\nwe wait for the day when you will establish\nnew heavens and a new earth\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Lord is patient with us\,\nnot wanting any to perish\, but all to come to repentance.\nIf we will turn back to God\,\nGod has promised to bring us to the promised land\,\nforgetting our guilt\, and forgiving our sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now: wait and work for the coming of the day of God.\nIn the wild places prepare a straight path for the Lord.\nLead lives of holiness and godliness\,\nstrive to be found at peace\,\nand speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise. \nAnd may God our shepherd gather you in loving arms;\nMay Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit baptise you into the life of God. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat Hope is There?A sermon on Isaiah 40: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStriving for the UnattainableReflections on Mark 1:1-8; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Isaiah 40:1-11 & Psalm 85 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Voice Cries OutA sermon on Mark 1.1-8 & Isaiah 40.1-11 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nPeace and Justice KissA sermon on Psalm 85:10-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPatience as SalvationA sermon on 2 Peter 3: 8-15 & Mark 1: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat are we preparing for?A sermon on Isaiah 25: 6-9; Isaiah 40: 1-11; Psalm 85: 1-2\, 8-13; 2 Peter 3: 8-15a & Mark 1:1-8 by Alison Sampson
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/b02/2029-12-09/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291209T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291209T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200722T092444Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240114T111248Z
UID:10002090-1891468800-1891555199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:2nd Sunday of Advent - Year B
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 40: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Your God gives the order: \n“Comfort my people.\nComfort them.\nSpeak tenderly to Jerusalem\,\ncry out and tell her that she has served her time;\ntell her that she has paid her penalty;\nthat she has given the pound of flesh\, and then some\,\ndue for the crimes she committed.” \nA voice cries out: \n“Get the road through the wilderness ready.\nThe LORD is coming! Clear the track!\nStraighten out the road through the desert\,\nso that it is ready for our God. \nFill the potholes\, bridge the valleys\,\ncut through the mountains to level the grade.\nWhere the going is rough\, smooth it out;\nlay a new surface over the old corrugations. \nThen the LORD will come\,\nradiant in glory.\nEveryone on earth will see it together\,\nwe have the LORD’s word on it.” \nA voice says\, “Make the announcement!”\nAnd I replied\, “What announcement?” \n“Announce that people are as fickle as the weather;\nall of them\, about as constant as a cut flower. \nThe weather does one thing one day\, and another the next;\none breath from the LORD and flowers fade and wilt.\nNo kidding\, all people are as fickle as that. \nThe weather sweeps through and is gone;\nthe flower fades and is tossed out;\nbut every word our God says\nstands rock solid for all time. \nTake a stand where the whole of God’s city will hear you\,\nand broadcast the message everyone has been waiting for.\nYou are the bearer of good news for God’s people\,\nso open your mouth and don’t hold back;\nthere’s nothing to be scared of; just go for it!\nBroadcast it through all the cities in the land\,\nsaying\, ‘Here is your God!’ \nLook\, the Lord GOD comes with a show of strength\,\narms punching the air in triumph.\nThe Lord carries the spoils of victory\,\nthe rewards of a job well done. \nLike a farmer hand-rearing the lambs\,\nthe LORD will gather us in loving arms\,\ncuddle us close\,\nand gently lead us where we need to go. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 85: 1-2\, 8-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you smiled on your land\nand brought back the good times for your people. \nYou struck out the record of our guilt\nand pardoned all we had done wrong. \nWe are eager to hear all you have to say\, LORD God\,\nfor your words bring peace and wellbeing\nto those who stick with you\nand leave behind their foolish ways. \nSurely for all who respect you\,\nthe life you saved us for is within reach.\nOur land will be ablaze with your presence. \nWhat a life it will be!\nLove and loyalty will link arms;\njustice and peace will become lovers. \nFaithfulness will sprout and reach for the sky;\nintegrity will beam down on the earth. \nYou will give us every good thing\, LORD\,\nand the land will give bumper crops. \nJustice and integrity will spring up as you approach\,\nlining the road to welcome you among us. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Peter 3: 8-15a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My dear friends\, keep in mind the fact that the Lord is not bound by the same sort of time lines as we are. The Lord can do more in a day than we could do in a thousand years\, and yet to the Lord\, a thousand years pass like a mere day. Some people think that if the Lord was going to come in glory as he promised\, he would have done it by now\, but really\, we should be thankful that he is not in a rush. The Lord wants everyone to turn their lives around and survive\, and he is willing to hold back a bit to give them the chance. But he won’t hold back forever. The day of the Lord will hit without warning like a redback in a dark dunny. Then\, with a deafening roar\, the sky will be destroyed and there will be a fiery meltdown of the galaxies. The earth and everything that goes on here will be totally exposed for all to see. \nSo\, if everything is headed for this total meltdown\, how should we be living here and now? We should be living lives that are utterly dedicated to God and which are patterned on the way God does things. We should be in a state of patient readiness\, constantly working to turn around anything that might be causing God to hold back the coming of that ultimate day. Even though that day will see the universe will go up in flames\, vaporising the sky and melting down the cosmic elements\, we know that God has promised us a renewed earth – a place worth waiting for – a place where justice and integrity will be at home. \nSo then\, my dear friends\, while you are waiting for all this to happen\, do your utmost to make sure that when it does\, the Lord will find you living in peace\, and without even a hint of corruption. As for how much longer the Lord will hold back; how ever long it is\, you can think of it as a sign of patience and an opportunity for even more to be saved. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 1: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	This is the great news about Jesus the Messiah\, the Son of God. The prophet Isaiah had already written about the opening scene: \n“Take note: I am sending my messenger ahead of you\nto blaze the trail for your arrival.\nIn the desert a voice is shouting: \n‘The Lord is coming!\nGet the road ready.\nClear the track. Straighten it out for him.’” \nJohn the baptiser showed up in the desert preaching to the people. He called them to be baptised\, to completely turn their lives around and receive God’s forgiveness for their toxic ways. Everyone came flocking to John from Jerusalem and from all the rural districts of Judea. They owned up to their wrongdoing and were baptised by John in the Jordan River\, promising to mend their ways. \nJohn was dressed in rough clothes made of camel hair and animal skins. He lived on bush tucker – grasshoppers and wild honey. This was the guts of his message: “After me comes the One who is way out of my league – I wouldn’t even qualify to get down on my knees and lick his boots. I’m only baptising you with water\, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you\, salvation is drawing near\,\nthe day when love and fidelity will embrace\,\nand peace and justice kiss. \nThe heavens\, the earth and all that is in them\ncame into being\, and will pass away\, at your say so.\nYou spoke to your people through the prophets\,\ncalling them to prepare the way for your justice\,\nand promising to hold them tenderly\nlike lambs to your breast. \nThrough the preaching of John the Baptiser\,\nyou prepared the way for your coming Messiah\,\n— your child\, Jesus —\nwho was baptised into death\nbut who you raised to new life.\nThrough him you baptise your people\nwith your Holy Spirit\,\nand so now\, in hope and gratitude\,\nwe wait for the day when you will establish\nnew heavens and a new earth\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for your promise to come to us like a shepherd\nand to bring about the day\nwhen love and fidelity embrace\, peace and justice kiss\,\nand new heavens and a new earth are established\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you\, salvation is drawing near\,\nthe day when love and fidelity will embrace\,\nand peace and justice kiss. \nThe heavens\, the earth and all that is in them\ncame into being\, and will pass away\, at your say so.\nYou spoke to your people through the prophets\,\ncalling them to prepare the way for your justice\,\nand promising to hold them tenderly\nlike lambs to your breast. \nThrough the preaching of John the Baptiser\,\nyou prepared the way for your coming Messiah\,\n— your child\, Jesus —\nwho was baptised into death\nbut who you raised to new life.\nThrough him you baptise your people\nwith your Holy Spirit\,\nand so now\, in hope and gratitude\,\nwe wait for the day when you will establish\nnew heavens and a new earth\nwhere righteousness will be at home. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Lord is patient with us\,\nnot wanting any to perish\, but all to come to repentance.\nIf we will turn back to God\,\nGod has promised to bring us to the promised land\,\nforgetting our guilt\, and forgiving our sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now: wait and work for the coming of the day of God.\nIn the wild places prepare a straight path for the Lord.\nLead lives of holiness and godliness\,\nstrive to be found at peace\,\nand speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise. \nAnd may God our shepherd gather you in loving arms;\nMay Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit baptise you into the life of God. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat Hope is There?A sermon on Isaiah 40: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStriving for the UnattainableReflections on Mark 1:1-8; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Isaiah 40:1-11 & Psalm 85 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Voice Cries OutA sermon on Mark 1.1-8 & Isaiah 40.1-11 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nPeace and Justice KissA sermon on Psalm 85:10-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPatience as SalvationA sermon on 2 Peter 3: 8-15 & Mark 1: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat are we preparing for?A sermon on Isaiah 25: 6-9; Isaiah 40: 1-11; Psalm 85: 1-2\, 8-13; 2 Peter 3: 8-15a & Mark 1:1-8 by Alison Sampson
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/b02/2029-12-09/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291216T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291216T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200722T093734Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240121T122728Z
UID:10002091-1892073600-1892159999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:3rd Sunday of Advent - Year B
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 61: 1-4\, 8-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Spirit of the Lord GOD is working through me\,\nbecause the Lord picked me out\nand commissioned me for the job. \nI have been sent to deliver good news\nto all who have been used and abused\,\nto tend the wounds\nof those who are brokenhearted.\nI have been sent to preach a message;\na message that means freedom for the detainees\,\na message that will break the shackles and release the people. \nI have been sent to announce\nthat now is the LORD’s chosen time;\nthat the date has been set\nfor our God to give the enemies of life their just desserts. \nI have been sent to bring comfort\nto everyone who is grieving.\nI am to provide for those who mourn in the holy city;\nto deck them out in bright flowers\ninstead of sombre funeral clothes;\nto hand them a glass of bubbly\ninstead of their bitter cup of tears;\nto set them singing and dancing in celebration\ninstead of collapsing in despair. \nThey will be called the pillars of integrity\,\nerected by the LORD\,\na magnificent display of what God can do. \nThey will rebuild what has long laid in ruins\,\nthey will construct something grand from what is now rubble.\nThey will restore cities that have been destroyed;\nplaces that have known generations of devastation. \nThis is what the LORD has to say: \n“I love the way you do the right thing\nand give everyone a fair go.\nI hate it when people do the wrong thing\nand rip each other off.\nI will be true to my word and reward you well;\nI will make an alliance with you\nthat will stand the test of time. \nYour descendants will be famous all over the world;\nyour offspring will be talked about by people everywhere.\nEveryone who sees them will know without doubt\nthat I\, the LORD\, have set them up for life.” \nBecause of the LORD\, I will sing and dance in celebration;\neverything inside me is bursting with joy over my God.\nThe LORD has decked me out in the splendour\nof faithfulness and integrity\,\nclothes fit to celebrate a dream come true.\nI am like a bride and groom dressed for a wedding;\nwith flowers and jewels and everything done just right. \nIndeed\, just as the earth brings forth its vegetation\,\nand just as rich soil causes seeds to sprout and grow\,\nso too the Lord GOD will produce a bumper crop\nof honesty and integrity\,\nand all the world will see it\nand give due credit to God. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 126			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When you brought us home to Zion from exile\, LORD\,\n    we had to pinch ourselves to be sure it wasn’t a dream. \nLaughter and singing kept bubbling up in us;\n    we were just over the moon! \nEven the nations around us had to admit\n    that you must have taken our side\, LORD.\nIndeed\, we could only celebrate and thank you\n.    for the wonderful things you had done for us. \nLORD\, we need your help again;\n    we are like dry creek-beds in need of rain. \nWe have worked with sweat and tears;\n    let us reap the rewards with celebration. \nLet those who laboured with heavy hearts\,\n    expecting nothing but despair\,\ncome home with pride renewed\,\n    celebrating unimaginable success. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 1: 47-55 (alternative canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We turn the spotlight on your greatness\, God!\nWe dance with wholehearted joy over you\, our saviour!\nYou smiled upon us\, though we were nothing special\,\nand the memory of your generosity will last forever.\nYou have done wonderful and powerful things for us.\nThere is no other name in the same league as yours. \nIn every generation\, Lord\, you shower mercy\nto those who treat you with respect.\nYou have rolled up your sleeves in a show of strength\,\nand sent packing those who were so full of themselves. \nYou kicked the power mongers out of office\,\nand lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.\nYou put on a feast for those who are hungry\,\nand slam the door on the rich without giving them a bite. \nYou give a helping hand to your servant Israel\,\nand always remember them with tender care.\nThis is exactly what you promised long ago\, Lord\,\nwhen you made a vow to Abraham and Sarah\nfor every generation.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Whatever is going on\, celebrate.\n    Always and everywhere\, pray.\n        Come what may\, express your thanks. \nIndeed\, as people in union with the Messiah Jesus\,\n    this is how God wants you to live. \nThe Spirit is working among you\, don’t pour cold water on it.\n    When you hear a message from God\, don’t despise it.\nWhatever is presented to you\, check up on it:\n    - if it proves to be good\, hang onto it.\n    - if it is corrupt in any way\, don’t touch it. \nI pray that the God of peace will personally clean you up and form you into people of thoroughgoing integrity. I pray that your whole beings — spirit\, soul and body — may remain healthy and uncompromised when our Lord Jesus the Messiah comes. The One who is calling you is unswervingly faithful\, and will personally get the job done. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 1: 6-8\, 19-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	    Once there was a man on a mission from God\, and his name was John. He 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.\n    John spelt out his position when he was questioned by a delegation of priests and temple officials who had been sent by the religious authorities in Jerusalem. They asked him who he thought he was\, and he made no bones about it\, but came right out and said\, “I am not the Messiah.”\n    So they asked\, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”\n    “No\, I am not\,” he replied.\n    “Are you the prophet like Moses?”\n    “No.”\n    So they said\, “Who are you then? We need an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”\n    John answered them with a quote from the prophet Isaiah: “I am the voice in the wilderness shouting\, ‘Clear the track for the Lord.’”\n    Now this delegation was from the devoutly religious Pharisee party\, and they wanted more information. They asked him\, “If you are neither the Messiah\, nor Elijah\, nor the prophet\, why are you baptising people?”\n    John gave them his answer\, “I am only baptising with water\, but rubbing shoulders with you\, unrecognised\, is the One who is coming to take over where I leave off. I wouldn’t even qualify to lick his boots.”\n    This incident took place at Bethany — the one on the other side of the Jordan — where John was baptising. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have turned our grief into songs of joy\,\nand clothed us in salvation and victory. \nYou planted the earth and all life\,\nand called a people to be your light in the world.\nWhen they were taken weeping into exile\,\nyou promised through your prophets\nto bring them home to Zion\, singing and laughing. \nSalvation has come in your Messiah\, Jesus\,\n— the one whose coming light\nyour servant\, John\, bore witness to.\nFilled with your Spirit\,\nJesus came proclaiming good news for the poor\,\nhealing for the broken hearted\,\nand the day of freedom to all who are bound.\nHe was killed by the proud and powerful\,\nbut with your wonderful power you raised him to life.\nIn his presence we are filled with expectant hope and joy\,\nand eager to embrace your eternal covenant. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for Jesus Christ - the one who embodied your Spirit\nand came proclaiming good news for the poor\,\nhealing for the broken hearted\,\nand the day of freedom to all who are bound. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you joyful thanks at all times\, O God\,\nfor you have turned our grief into songs of joy\,\nand clothed us in salvation and victory. \nYou planted the earth and all life\,\nand called a people to be your light in the world.\nWhen they were taken weeping into exile\,\nyou promised through your prophets\nto bring them home to Zion\, singing and laughing. \nSalvation has come in your Messiah\, Jesus\,\n— the one whose coming light\nyour servant\, John\, bore witness to.\nFilled with your Spirit\,\nJesus came proclaiming good news for the poor\,\nhealing for the broken hearted\,\nand the day of freedom to all who are bound.\nHe was killed by the proud and powerful\,\nbut with your wonderful power you raised him to life.\nIn his presence we are filled with expectant hope and joy\,\nand eager to embrace your eternal covenant. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God has made an eternal covenant with us\,\npromising to make us holy in every way.\nIn grace and mercy God will keep us free\nfrom every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, for you are chosen and sent in the Spirit.\nPray at all times\, be thankful in all circumstances.\nKeep what is good\, avoid every kind of evil.\nTo all in need bear witness that the time has come\nwhen the Sovereign Lord will save his people. \nAnd may God who gives peace make you holy in every way;\nMay Christ Jesus clothe you with salvation and victory;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit speak through you with the good news of hope. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nPerhaps! Maybe! What if?!A sermon on Isaiah 61: 1-4\, 8-11 & Luke 1: 47-55 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Spirit of the Lord is upon usA sermon on Isaiah 61:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCelebrating Hope in the Face of DespairA sermon on Isaiah 61:1-4\,8-11\, 1Thessalonians 5:16-24 & John 1:6-8\,19-28 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting Ahead of OurselvesA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8\,19-28; Isaiah 61: 1-4\, 8-11 & Psalm 126 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen life Tumbles In What Then?A sermon on Isaiah 61:1-4\, 8-11\, Psalm 126\, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24\, John 1:6-8\, 19-28 by Rowland Croucher\n\n\n\nThe Witness of Joy and CourageA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8\, 19-28 & Isaiah 61:1-4\,8-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPreparing by the RulesA sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 & John 1:6-8\, 19-28 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNot the Messiah\, People!A sermon on John 1:6-8\, 19-28 &  Isaiah 61:1-4\, 8-11 by Garry Deverell
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/b03/2029-12-16/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291223T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291223T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T083204
CREATED:20200722T093951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240128T115605Z
UID:10002092-1892678400-1892764799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:4th Sunday of Advent - Year B
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Samuel 7: 1-11\, 16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David made himself at home in his new palace and\, thanks to the LORD\, there was no trouble from Israel’s enemies for some time.  One day the King consulted Nathan the prophet\, and said to him\, “It doesn’t seem right for me to be living it up in a palace built of the finest materials while the sacred Ark of God is still in a tent. It’s as though God was sleeping rough!”\nNathan replied\, “The LORD is with you\, so go ahead and do whatever you think should be done.”\nBut Nathan had spoken too soon. That same night\, the LORD gave him a different message to pass on to King David. This is what it said: \nDavid\, I am the LORD and you are my servant\, so listen to what I have to say to you. What makes you think that you are the one to build my house? I’ve been on the road with nothing more than a tent ever since I led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. I didn’t need a house then and I don’t need one now. You’re not the first caretaker I’ve appointed for the tribes of Israel\, and you won’t be the last\, so think about it – have I ever gone whingeing to any of them and demanded a fancy house?\nNow listen to me\, and listen good. I am the LORD who rules over everything. I made you what you are today – the leader of my people. If it wasn’t for me you’d still be cleaning up after the sheep. I’ve never let you down\, wherever you’ve gone. Whenever enemies have attacked you\, I’ve dealt with them\, right before your eyes. Thanks to me\, you will be known as one of the most famous people who ever lived.\nI have chosen a place for my people Israel\, a place where they can put down roots\, a place to call their own. They won’t need to be looking over their shoulders all the time\, because there won’t be any more trouble from the barbarians who have plagued them for so long. For the first time since the days when I sent the legendary heroes to bring justice to my people\, Israel will be at peace.\nWhat’s more\, I the LORD give you my word that I will make you the foundation stone of a great house. I will keep my eye on your family and your kingdom and keep them safe. I will see to it that there will always be one of your descendants on your throne. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 1: 47-55 (canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We turn the spotlight on your greatness\, God!\nWe dance with wholehearted joy over you\, our saviour!\nYou smiled upon us\, though we were nothing special\,\nand the memory of your generosity will last forever.\nYou have done wonderful and powerful things for us.\nThere is no other name in the same league as yours. \nIn every generation\, Lord\, you shower mercy\nto those who treat you with respect.\nYou have rolled up your sleeves in a show of strength\,\nand sent packing those who were so full of themselves. \nYou kicked the power mongers out of office\,\nand lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.\nYou put on a feast for those who are hungry\,\nand slam the door on the rich without giving them a bite. \nYou give a helping hand to your servant Israel\,\nand always remember them with tender care.\nThis is exactly what you promised long ago\, Lord\,\nwhen you made a vow to Abraham and Sarah\nfor every generation.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 89: 1-4\, 19-26 (alternative canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, we will never stop singing about your rock-solid love;\n    we will transmit the story of your faithfulness\n        on down to every generation to come. \nYour love and loyalty were built to last for eternity;\n    we’ll go public with that message.\nYour faithfulness is beyond measure;\n    as infinite as the sky above us. \nYou said\,\n    “I have formed an alliance with my chosen leader;\n        I have given my word to David\, my servant.\n    I have guaranteed a firm foundation for his family forever;\n        there will always be one of his descendants on the throne.” \nLong ago\, in a vision\, you spoke to your faithful people\, saying: \n“I have crowned a great hero.\n    Among you\, my people\,\n        I found one fit for the throne.\nMy search ended with my servant David.\n    Pouring holy oil on his head\,\n        I have set him apart as the chosen one.\nHe’ll always be able to look to me for strength;\n    when he needs some muscle\,\n        I’ll be there to back him up. \nThe enemy will not get under his guard\,\n    the wicked will never drag him down.\nI’ll knock flat those who oppose him;\n    despise him and you answer to me!\nMy love for him is unshakable;\n    I’ll be faithful to him for ever.\nOn my say so\, he’ll rule supreme and unchallenged.\nI will put everything in his hands\,\n    from coast to coast with all that lies between them.\nHe will cry out to me\, ‘Oh\, my Father\, my God\,\n    you are the rock I cling to for safety!’” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 16: 25-27			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	To God be the glory forever! It is God who enables you to stand strong\, and who does so through the message about Jesus the Messiah which I was given the job of broadcasting. My message uncovers the great truth which had remained shrouded in mystery for centuries\, but which is now out in the open for every one to see. Through the writings of God’s inspired messengers\, it is even being made clear to those who have had no prior contact with our religious traditions. God\, who knows no limits\, gave the order for this to be done\, so as to gain the cooperation that arises from genuine trust. So here’s to the one and only wise God\, through Jesus the Messiah\, to whom belongs all the glory forever! And so say all of us! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 1: 26-38			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God sent the angel Gabriel to a town called Nazareth in the region of Galilee\, to speak to a young woman named Mary. Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph\, whose family line went back to King David. The angel approached Mary and said\, “Hello there! You’ve got it made! The Lord is with you and has chosen you.”\nBut Mary was freaking out over this and didn’t know what to make of the angel’s words\, so he spoke to her again\, saying\, “There is no need to be frightened\, Mary. God is smiling on you. Look what God is about to do: a child will be conceived in your womb. You will give birth to a baby boy\, and you will name him Jesus. He will have a great future\, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will put him on the throne established by his ancestor David. He will lead God’s people forever\, establishing a culture that will never die out.”\nMary replied\, “How can this possibly happen? I am still a virgin.”\nThe angel said to her\, “The Holy Spirit will take hold of you\, and the life-force of the Most High will enfold you. Therefore the child that is born will belong to God\, and will be called God’s Son. Check it out: your wrinkly old relative Elizabeth is also carrying a baby boy in her womb. Even when she was young she was infertile\, but now she is six months pregnant. It just goes to show that when God gets involved\, nothing will ever be impossible.”\nSo Mary said\, “Okay. Count me in. I’m at the service of the Lord. Let these things happen to me just as you have said.”\nAnd with that\, the angel was gone. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy embraces the faithful\,\none generation to the next\,\nand your fidelity\, for all ages. \nYou created the heavens and earth\,\nand chose for yourself a covenant people\,\nbringing them from slavery to a land of their own.\nIn your servant\, David\, you established your rule\nand promised his throne to the one\nwho would save your people and reign forever. \nAnd now\, the mystery kept secret for long ages\nhas been revealed to all the earth:\nyour own Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nis conceived by the Holy Spirit\nin the womb of Mary\nand emerges to claim the throne of his ancestor David.\nThough he was killed by the proud and powerful\,\nyou have raised him up\,\nand with him\, the humble of all the earth\,\nand of his reign there will be no end. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nconceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary\,\nwho emerges to claim the throne of his ancestor David.\nHis fidelity will outlast the heavens\nand of his reign there will be no end. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy embraces the faithful\,\none generation to the next\,\nand your fidelity\, for all ages. \nYou created the heavens and earth\,\nand chose for yourself a covenant people\,\nbringing them from slavery to a land of their own.\nIn your servant\, David\, you established your rule\nand promised his throne to the one\nwho would save your people and reign forever. \nAnd now\, the mystery kept secret for long ages\nhas been revealed to all the earth:\nyour own Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nis conceived by the Holy Spirit\nin the womb of Mary\nand emerges to claim the throne of his ancestor David.\nThough he was killed by the proud and powerful\,\nyou have raised him up\,\nand with him\, the humble of all the earth\,\nand of his reign there will be no end. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Though we have been ensnared by sin\,\nGod is able to strengthen us through the gospel of Christ\,\nfor nothing is impossible with God.\nGod’s mercy embraces us\, one generation to the next. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and celebrate God’s love all your days.\nGive to Christ Jesus the obedience of faith\,\noffering yourself as the servant of the Lord\nand allowing God’s Word to be fulfilled in you. \nAnd may the only wise God establish you forever.\nMay the mysteries of Christ be conceived within you.\nAnd may the Holy Spirit strengthen you and encircle you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nAnnunciationA sermon on Luke 1: 26-55\, 2 Samuel 7: 1-16 & Romans 16:25-27 by Marita Munro\n\n\n\nVirginA sermon on Luke 1:26-35\, 38 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nThe Conception of GodA sermon on Luke 1:26-38 & 2 Samuel 7: 1-11\, 16 by  Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/b04/2029-12-23/
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