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END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20801005T160000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20430531 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20430601 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20201103T042452Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201103T042832Z UID:10001709-2316643200-2316729599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 4 - Year C 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. \nBible Readings (paraphrased)\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 1 Kings 18: 20-21 (22-29) 30-39 \n \n\n \n \n \n At Elijah’s suggestion\, King Ahab called all the prophets of the god Baal to an assembly on Mount Carmel\, and advertised it throughout Israel. When the crowd had gathered\, Elijah stepped forward and addressed them saying\, “How long are you going to keep trying to play for both sides? Make up your minds and follow the real God. Is it going to be the LORD or Baal?” \nBut there was silence. No one moved one way or the other. \nSo Elijah threw down the gauntlet\, saying\, “I’m here as the last remaining prophet on the LORD’s side\, but there are four hundred and fifty prophets here on Baal’s side. Bring us two bulls for a sacrifice. Baal’s mob can choose the bull they want. They are to butcher it and lay it out on the firewood on their altar\, but they are not allowed to light the fire. I will prepare the other bull the same way\, laying it out on the wood but not lighting the fire. Then they can call out to their god and I will call out to the LORD\, and we’ll see which god can prove himself by sending down fire.” \nThe gathered crowd thought this was a great idea. \nElijah turned to the prophets of Baal and said\, “There are lots of you\, so you can go first. Choose your bull\, prepare it for the sacrifice\, and start praying to your god. But you are not allowed to light the fire yourselves.” \nSo they took one of the bulls and butchered it for the sacrifice. From morning till midday they prayed to Baal\, crying out\, “O Baal\, god of fire\, answer us.” But nothing happened. There was no answer\, not so much as a whisper. They prayed harder and harder as they marched around the altar which they had made. \nCome midday\, Elijah started making fun of them. “Come on\,” he said. “Shout louder! What kind of god is he? Maybe he’s dreaming. Perhaps he’s nicked out to the dunny. Could he have wandered off somewhere? Maybe he’s fallen asleep\, and needs to be woken up.” \nSo they prayed louder and louder and more and more desperately. They slashed themselves with swords to offer up their own blood\, as was their custom\, and soon there was blood all over the place. They continued this well into the afternoon\, trying everything they could to get an answer out of their god\, but still there was nothing. Not a whisper\, not a spark\, no answer of any kind. \nThen Elijah called the people to gather around him\, and they crowded in close. The altar of the LORD that had once stood on the mountain was in ruins\, so Elijah rebuilt it in honour of the LORD using twelve large stones. Each stone represented one of the twelve tribes descended from the sons of Jacob to whom the LORD had given the name Israel. When Elijah finished building the altar\, he dug a trench around it\, deep enough to hold several buckets of water. He arranged the firewood on the altar\, cut the bull into pieces\, and laid it on the wood. Then he said\, “Fill four buckets of water and pour it all over the offering and the wood. When they had done it\, he said\, “Do it again”\, so another four buckets were poured over it. Then he said\, “Do it a third time\,” so four more buckets full were poured over it so that everything was completely soaked. The whole altar was dripping wet and the trench was flooded. \nAt the usual time of the evening sacrifice\, the prophet Elijah stood with the people and prayed\, “O LORD\, God of Abraham\, Isaac\, and Israel\, prove to everyone now that you are the real God in Israel\, and that I am serving you and acting on your authority. Answer me\, LORD. Show these people what you are made of\, so that they will know that you are the real God and that you are winning their hearts back to you.” \nWith a flash\, the LORD’s fire fell and incinerated the lot: the meat\, the wood\, the stones\, and even the water in the trench. There was nothing left but scorched dirt. When the people saw it happen\, they fell on their faces in awe\, saying “The LORD is the true God! The LORD is the true God!” \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 96 \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 \n Galatians 1:1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, Paul\, am one of God’s special ambassadors. I wasn’t given this job by a popular vote\, or by some ordinary human boss. I was entrusted with the job by none other than Jesus the Messiah and God the Father\, who raised Jesus from the dead. This letter comes to you\, the churches in Galatia\, from me\, and from the rest of God’s crew who are with me. \nI wish you a full helping of generous love and peace from the God who conceived us and from our number one man\, Jesus the Messiah. Faced with the record of our corruption\, he gave himself completely to breaking us free from the grip of the evil culture that is so entrenched in the present day. God made our freedom a priority\, and all the credit should go to God\, now and always. And so say all of us! \nI can hardly believe what I’m hearing about you. I’m disgusted. The Messiah was extravagantly generous in calling you\, but already you are turning your backs on him and getting sucked into some other message that claims to be good news. There is no other message that’s worth a pinch of spit\, but I hear that there are some snake oil merchants there who are twisting the Messiah’s message and leading you all astray. This is not about me. If anybody\, including me\, or for that matter even an angel from heaven\, starts pushing a message that goes against what we taught you\, they can go to hell! I’ve said it once\, and I’ll say it again: if anybody comes pushing a message that goes against the one you have already received\, they can go to hell! \nDoes it sound like I’m pandering to the crowd and telling people what they want to hear? Does it like like I care what people think of me\, or rather what God thinks of me? If I was still trying to impress the crowd\, I wouldn’t be serving the Messiah at all. \nLet me set you straight on this\, brothers and sisters. The message that you heard me announcing is not something that somebody just cooked up one day. I can assure you that I didn’t get it second hand from any human source\, and nor did anybody word me up about it. Instead\, the message was the result of Jesus the Messiah revealing himself directly. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 7: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n After spending some time teaching the people\, Jesus went into the town of Capernaum. There was a Roman military commander there who had a slave who was very special to him\, but the slave had fallen ill and was dying. The commander was desperate to save the life of his slave\, so when he heard that Jesus was in town\, he sent some of the local Jewish officials to ask for his help. The officials spoke to Jesus with great enthusiasm on behalf of the commander. “This man is certainly worthy of your help\,” they said. “He is a great friend of our people. He even bankrolled the building of our local synagogue.” \nJesus headed off with them\, but before he reached the house\, the commander sent another delegation of friends out to him with a message saying\, “Lord\, don’t put yourself out for me. There is no need for you to come all the way to my house. I’m not worthy to have you under my roof\, and I wouldn’t presume to approach you in person. Please\, just give the word\, and my servant will be healed. I know how it works because I too am a man who obeys orders and who gives orders\, knowing that they will be obeyed. I tell one soldier ‘Go\,’ and he goes. I tell another ‘Jump\,’ and he says ‘How high?’ I tell my servant to do something\, and he does it.” \nWhen Jesus heard the commander’s message\, he was gob-smacked. Turning to address the crowd that was following him\, he exclaimed\, “Did you hear that? You might think you could find an Israelite with faith like that\, but no\, I have never before\, anywhere\, come across such deep trust.” \nAnd sure enough\, when the commander’s messengers got back to the house\, they found the slave back on his feet\, a picture of health. \n©2013 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 1 Kings 8: 22-23\, 41-43 \n \n\n \n \n \n Solomon stood in front of the altar of the LORD and\, with his hands raised high\, he led the gathered people in prayer. He prayed: \n“O LORD\, God of Israel\, you are one of a kind! No other god in the universe is like you. Your love is rock-solid and you never forget the alliance you have made with those who follow you whole-heartedly. \nAnd don’t stop with just us – foreigners will no doubt hear about you too. Attracted by your reputation and by news of the awesome things you do\, they will come from all sorts of far flung places to live among your people and offer their prayers within sight of this Temple. When they do\, listen to them from your heavenly home and answer their prayers. That way everyone on earth will hear of you and give you the same respect that your people Israel do. They will know that this Temple which I have built carries your authority. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 96: 1-9 \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. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nPrayers\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\,\nand to tell of your salvation from day to day\nand declare your glory and your marvelous works to all. \nYou made the heavens and established the earth\,\nand revealed yourself through your law and prophets\nto be a God of glory and strength\nwho answers the cries of your people. \nThough we were not worthy to receive you\,\nfor we turned our backs on your grace\nand limped off after worthless other gods\,\nyou came to us in your child\, Jesus\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness.\nWhen we turned against him\,\nhe gave himself into our hands\nas a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nand when we crucified him\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand sent down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2013 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 as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness\nand sending down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \n©2013 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\,\nand to tell of your salvation from day to day\nand declare your glory and your marvelous works to all. \nYou made the heavens and established the earth\,\nand revealed yourself through your law and prophets\nto be a God of glory and strength\nwho answers the cries of your people. \nThough we were not worthy to receive you\,\nfor we turned our backs on your grace\nand limped off after worthless other gods\,\nyou came to us in your child\, Jesus\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness.\nWhen we turned against him\,\nhe gave himself into our hands\nas a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nand when we crucified him\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand sent down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \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©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus gave himself freely for our sins\nto set us free from the present evil age\,\naccording to the will of our God and Father\,\nand to turn our hearts back to righteousness and truth. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n If the Lord is God\, go now\, and follow him\,\nand do not be tempted to share your loyalty with other gods.\nStay true to the gospel that has been revealed to you in Jesus.\nCall on the name of the Lord\,\ntell of God’s salvation from day to day\,\nand live in righteousness and truth. \nAnd may God bring you grace and peace;\nMay Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up\,\nand may the Holy Spirit’s fiery glory strengthen your hearts. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nSermons\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\nFollowers or Fans?\nA sermon on Luke 6:39 – 7:10 by Nathan Nettleton\nA Different Gospel?\nA sermon on Galatians 1:1-12; 1 Kings 18:20-39 & Luke 7:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp04b/2043-05-31/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P04b.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20460527 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20460528 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20201103T012614Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201103T012904Z UID:10001707-2410992000-2411078399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 3 - Year C 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. \nBible Readings (paraphrased)\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 Sirach 27: 4-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n When grain is put through a sieve\,\nyou find out how much rubbish was in it.\nIt’s the same when a person starts talking.\nWhatever rubbish they are full of is soon out in the open. \nThe heat of the kiln tests a potter’s work for hidden faults.\nWhat a person is made of is tested in the heat of conversation. \nThe quality of the fruit tells you if a tree has been looked after.\nThe things people have to say\nreveal how they have taken care of their minds. \nDon’t pump anyone up before you hear how they talk.\nThat’s the way the truth about people comes out. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Isaiah 55: 10-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is what the LORD says: \nEverything I say has a powerful purpose;\nno empty words ever pass my lips.\nMy words are like drops of rain in the cycle of nature:\nwherever they fall they give life;\nthey replenish\, renew and nourish life\,\nand then the earth gives them back and they start again.\nMy words always achieve their purpose;\nthey flourish where I plant them\,\nthey nourish all who feed on them. \nMy Word will bring peace\nand you will come home with great celebration.\nThe trees will line the road\, clapping and singing;\nthe mountains will rain down ticker tape as you pass. \nWhere the saltbush struggled\,\na redgum will take root and grow;\nwhere noxious weeds ruled\,\nnative orchids and daisies will bloom again.\nThe wilderness in all its glory will stand like a monument\,\nlike a permanent sign of the LORD’s rich goodness. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 92: 1-4\, 12-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n It is a privilege to be able to publicly thank you\, LORD\,\nto sing your praises and put your name up in lights.\nIt is great to start the day singing about your rock-solid love\,\nwith a full band ringing out the tune\,\nand to end it thanking you for being so loyal and trustworthy\,\naccompanying our praise with guitars. \nFor you\, O LORD\, have given us so much to be happy about;\nwhat you have done with your own hands\nsets us singing and dancing for joy. \nPeople who always do the right thing by others\nwill thrive like a tropical rainforest\nand grow strong like a river redgum.\nThey have put down their roots in your soil\, LORD\,\nand they will brighten up your temple like flowers.\nEven when they grow old they will still be fruitful\,\nhealthy and vibrant and pulsing with life.\nThey are a credit to you\, LORD\,\nproving for all to see that you are straight and true.\nYou are our rock\,\nand there is nothing rotten or crooked in you. \n©2009 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58 \n \n\n \n \n \n Listen up! I will let you in on a mystery! We are not all going to die after all. But we will all be radically changed. When the final siren blows\, it will happen in the blink of an eye. Just like that. The siren will sound\, and those who were dead and buried will be raised up new\, never to decay again\, and any of us who hadn’t yet died will be changed just like them. The biggest make-over of all time! Our bodies will be stripped of their old steady decline\, and clothed instead in never-ending health. These short-term bodies will lose their use-by dates\, and be refitted\, completely immortal. When that happens – when our old falling-apart bodies put on never-ending health and immortality – then the old saying from the prophets will have come true: \n“Life wins! Death has been eaten alive!”\n“You were so sure of yourself\, Death\,\nbut you turned out to be toothless.\nYour bark was worse than your bite.” \nDeath depended on sin for its bite\, and sin was powered by the law. But they have been blown away by our Lord Jesus\, the Messiah. When he enters the fray\, we win! Thanks be to God! \nThat being the case\, my beloved friends\, hang in there\, rock solid\, come what may. Whatever role the Lord has asked you to play\, give it your absolute best\, because you can be sure that when you are on his side\, your work will never be in vain. \n©2015 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 6: 39-49 \n \n\n \n \n \n While teaching the people\, Jesus quoted the proverb: “If the blind are leading the blind\, both fall into the same hole\,” and then he went on to say\, “Trainees can’t hold a candle to their teacher\, but if they continue their training\, they will eventually catch up with the teacher and be able to show others the way. \n“Why is it that you are always the first to point out a loose thread or a speck of dust on someone else’s clothing\, but you are the last to notice the dirty big vomit stain down your own front. There you are\, making a big display of offering to help the other person get their appearance in order\, without realising what a disgusting mess you are yourself. You pretentious fraud! Clean up your own act first\, and then you might gain enough perspective to be able to help others. \n“A healthy tree doesn’t produce sick fruit\, and neither does a sick tree produce healthy fruit. The health of each tree is judged by the quality of the fruit it produces. You don’t find mangoes growing on a lemon tree. You can’t pick grapes from a blackberry vine. Good people have hearts and minds full of good things\, and it shows in the generous and healthy ways they respond to others. Toxic people spew forth poison from the toxic filth churning inside them. Whatever your heart and mind are full of will colour what comes out when you open your mouth. \n“What’s the use of dropping my name all the time and prattling on about what a high view of my authority you hold\, when you ignore everything I ask you to do? The people who come to me and listen to what I say and put it into practice are like a builder who puts down solid foundations before building a house. When the flood waters rise and the river breaks its banks\, it can’t budge that house because it has been built to last. But those who hear what I say and don’t bother doing anything about it are more like someone who knocks up a house without laying any foundation at all. The first time the river bursts\, it is all over in a minute. The whole house comes crashing down and is swept away in little pieces!” \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nPrayers\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. \nWe do indeed give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your victory has swallowed up the power of death\nand given our living an unshakable foundation. \nYour Word went forth to create the earth\,\nand to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.\nYour Word went forth through the law and prophets\nto form a people who hear and act on all you say. \nYour Word went forth in your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nand brought forth the full fruits\nthat grow from the goodness of your heart.\nHis words unmasked hypocrisy\,\ndisarmed the powers of death\,\nand laid the foundation for your Church.\nThough he was killed by those\nwho lead others to destruction\,\nyou raised him to life\nand clothed him in immortality.\nIn his victory\, death has lost its sting\,\nand we can offer you our labour\nknowing that all your purposes will be accomplished. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 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 Word which went forth to create the earth\,\nand to form us as a people who hear and act on all you say.\nIn your Son\, Jesus Christ\, your Word unmasked hypocrisy\,\ndisarmed the sting of death\,\nand laid an unshakeable foundation for your Church. \n©2001 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 thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your victory has swallowed up the power of death\nand given our living an unshakable foundation. \nYour Word went forth to create the earth\,\nand to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.\nYour Word went forth through the law and prophets\nto form a people who hear and act on all you say. \nYour Word went forth in your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nand brought forth the full fruits\nthat grow from the goodness of your heart.\nHis words unmasked hypocrisy\,\ndisarmed the powers of death\,\nand laid the foundation for your Church.\nThough he was killed by those\nwho lead others to destruction\,\nyou raised him to life\nand clothed him in immortality.\nIn his victory\, death has lost its sting\,\nand we can offer you our labour\nknowing that all your purposes will be accomplished. \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©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Thought the words of our mouths betray the sin in our hearts\,\nthe words of God’s mouth will accomplish their purpose\,\novercoming the sting of death\nand giving us victory over sin\nthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and act on the words of Christ which you have heard.\nProclaim that the Lord is just.\nBe steadfast and unshakeable.\nGive your best to the work of the Lord\,\nfor in Christ\, your labour is not in vain. \nAnd may God lead you out in joy and back in peace;\nMay Christ Jesus give you victory over the powers of death;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit cultivate your heart and mind\nto produce in you abundant fruits all your life. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nSermons\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\nWhy you probably don’t need to learn more\nA sermon on Luke 6:39-49 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp03b/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P03b.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20510604T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20510604T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20200831T102338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240701T020017Z UID:10002135-2569449600-2569535999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 4 - 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 1 Samuel 3: 1-10\, (11-20) \n \n\n \n \n \n Samuel grew up in the Temple at Shiloh\, working as an apprentice to Eli the priest\, in the service of the LORD. In those days\, the people had completely lost touch with God\, and messages or visions from the LORD were rare. The light of God had not gone out\, but Eli’s failing eyesight had left him unable to see.\nOne night\, Eli had gone to bed in his room\, and Samuel was lying down in the Temple of the LORD near the sacred Ark of God. The LORD called out\, “Samuel! Samuel!”\n“At your service\,” said Samuel\, jumping up and running into Eli’s room. “You called me and here I am\, at your service.”\nBut Eli said\, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”\nSo Samuel went and lay down again\, and the LORD called out again\, “Samuel!”\nSamuel got up and went to Eli\, saying “You called me and here I am\, at your service.”\nBut Eli said\, “I didn’t call you\, my son. Go back to bed.”\nNow it was no surprise that Samuel didn’t understand what was going on\, because he did not yet know the LORD\, and his mind had not yet been opened to what the LORD had to say. The LORD called Samuel a third time\, and again he got up and went to Eli\, saying “You called me and here I am\, at your service.”\nFinally the lights went on for Eli and he realised that it was the LORD who was calling the boy\, so he said to Samuel\, “Go and lie down\, and if you hear the call again\, say\, ‘Speak to me\, LORD. I’m at your service\, and I’m all ears.’ ”\nSo Samuel went and lay down again in the same place. The LORD came and stood alongside him\, calling out as before\, “Samuel! Samuel!”\nAnd Samuel replied\, “Speak to me. I’m at your service\, and I’m all ears.”\n    The LORD said to Samuel\, “Look\, I am about to do something that  will make the hair stand up on the back of everyone’s necks when they hear about it. On that day I will follow through on everything I have ever said I would do to Eli and his offspring. I have told him that I am about to bring down a permanent punishment on his family\, because his sons have been dragging my name through the mud and even though he knew about their corruption\, he didn’t crack down on them. So now I swear to Eli’s family that the charge of corruption will stand against them forever\, no matter how many apologies\, sacrifices or gifts they offer.”\nSamuel had a restless night after that! When he got up in the morning to open the doors of the house of the LORD\, he was afraid to say anything about the vision to Eli. But Eli wanted to know\, and called him\, saying\, “Samuel\, my son.”\n“At your service\,” Samuel answered.\n“What did the LORD have to say to you?” Eli asked. “Don’t keep me in the dark. May God punish you big time\, if you don’t tell me every detail of what was said to you.”\nSo Samuel told him the whole lot\, every last detail\, and when he had finished\, Eli said\, “The LORD has spoken. I will have to cop whatever the LORD sees fit to do.”\nAs Samuel grew to be a man\, the LORD kept a guiding hand on his shoulder\, and saw to it that when he spoke\, not a word was wasted. Before long\, the whole land\, from one end to the other\, knew that Samuel was the real deal – a messenger of the LORD who could be trusted. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 139: 1-6\, 13-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n You have taken a good hard look at me\, LORD\,\nand you know exactly what makes me tick. \nYou know when I’ve got my feet up and when I’m on the job;\nyou can read my mind like an open book. \nYou see where I am going and where I stop\,\nand you know all about what I do and why. \nYou know exactly what I am going to say\, LORD\,\neven before I open my mouth. \nYou are in front of me\, behind me\, beside me;\nyour hand on my shoulder at every turn. \nAll this is more than I can get my head around;\nI pinch myself\, and struggle to take it in. \nIt was you who put me together\, every part of me;\nyou knit me together in my mother’s womb. \nI sing your praises\, LORD\,\nfor the the way you have made me fills me with awe.\nYour creative works blow my mind;\ntoo wonderful for words. \nYou could see me clearly before I was born;\nyou watched me taking shape in the secret depths\nand laid out the intricacies of nerve and muscle. \nYou kept your eye on me\nfrom conception to birth.\nMy life lay before you like an open book\nbefore I had even lived a day. \nYour thoughts are way beyond my grasp\, God\,\nand they add up to more than I can count.\nDeeper than the oceans\,\noutnumbering the grains of sand;\nI give up trying\nbut you are with me just the same. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Corinthians 4: 5-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n We are not preaching about ourselves. The message we preach is that Jesus the messiah is Lord of all. We ourselves are slaves\, at your service\, for Jesus’s sake. The very God who kicked off creation by calling for light to shine from darkness has now filled our hearts with the light that comes from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus the messiah and knowing it for what it is. \nYou might not notice how beautiful that light is if you just look at us though. It is in us\, for sure\, but like a diamond necklace in a plain paper bag. That way nobody can make the mistake of thinking too highly of us. It is clear that the power is all God’s. \nWe cop the worst of everything\, but it hasn’t finished us off. It drives us nuts at times\, but it hasn’t driven us over the edge. We are picked on unfairly\, but we know we are not alone. We keep getting knocked down\, but we get right back up again. When you look for Jesus in us\, what you are most likely to see is his battered corpse\, but that now means that it is also possible to see his risen life taking shape in our bodies. Our lives are on the line all the time. We are always being thrown into the jaws of death because of Jesus\, but again that just means that the risen life of Jesus can be seen taking shape in our fragile flesh. No doubt death will finish us off soon\, but in you\, life is getting a good strong hold! \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Mark 2: 23 - 3:6 \n \n\n \n \n \n It was a Sabbath\, the day of rest\, and Jesus was leading the way through some wheat fields. As they walked\, his followers were casually plucking off a few heads of grain. The next thing you know\, some members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party popped up and challenged Jesus\, saying\, “Look at that! What do they think they are doing? Haven’t you taught them that it is against the law to harvest grain on the Sabbath?” \nBut Jesus replied\, “Haven’t you read in your Bibles what our national hero David did when he and his followers were hungry and had nothing to eat? He went into the house of God and took the sacred bread off the altar and ate that\, right under the nose of Abiathar the high priest. The law clearly says that only the priests are allowed to eat that\, but not only did he eat it himself\, he gave it to his followers to eat too. Don’t you lot get that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of the people\, not the other way around. The New Human is in charge now\, and even the Sabbath falls into line.” \nArriving back at the synagogue\, Jesus went on in. There was a man there who had one hand that was wasted away and useless. Some people there were keeping a close eye on Jesus to see if they could catch him doing a work of healing on the Sabbath and then dob him in to the authorities. Jesus saw the man with the crippled hand\, and said to him\, “Come out here\, up the front.” \nThen he looked around at the people and asked\, “What do you all think the law would want from us on the Sabbath\, to do good or to let things go bad\, to save a life or to destroy one?” \nBut they bit their tongues and said nothing. Jesus was outraged; gutted by their lack of compassion. Turning back to the man\, he said\, “Stretch out your hand.” \nThe man stretched out his hand\, and that was all it took: it was back to full strength. That was too much for the Pharisees. They went straight out and began conspiring with Herod’s mob to destroy Jesus. \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 Deuteronomy 5: 12-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n Keep up the practice of making Saturday a dedicated rest day\, as the LORD your God has told you to do. You are to work on your business\, your projects\, and your chores on the other six days\, and keep the seventh day as a rest day\, dedicated to the LORD your God. You are not to do any work that day\, and you are not to ask anyone else to work either — not your family\, not your employees\, not the migrant workers who live down the street\, and not even your bullocks\, horses\, dogs\, or any other animal you own. All who work for you need rest\, just as you do. Always keep in mind that you were forced to work as slaves in a foreign land\, and the LORD your God bared his arm and reached out and rescued you from there. That is why the LORD your God told you to keep the dedicated rest day. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 81: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing our lungs out to you\, God\,\nfor you make us strong;\nwe shout for joy\, celebrating you\,\nthe God of our ancestors. \nOur songs ring out in your honour\,\nand on our instruments we make the sweetest music we can. \nA trumpet blast opens the festival;\nevery month we celebrate your new creation. \nWe are your people\, God\, and this is our tradition;\na sacred law for every generation to follow.\nYou gave it to us through Joseph\nwhen our ancestors took refuge in Egypt. \nYou have spoken to us in an unfamiliar voice\,\nreminding us that it was you who freed us from slavery\nand you who lifted the burden from our backs. \nWhen we cried out in panic\, you rescued us;\nfrom the thunder clouds you answered our plea\,\nand at a desert spring you called us to account. \nYou begged us to pay attention\,\nto let you set us straight;\nyou longed for your people to listen to you. \nYou warned us to steer clear of alternative gods;\nto avoid offering our devotion to every new fad. \nYou are the LORD our God;\nthe God who rescued us from the land of slavery.\nWhen we come to you with our hungers\,\nyou fill us with all that we need. \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 it was you who knit together the newborn earth\nand said\, “Let light shine out of darkness.”\nWonderful are all your works. \nIn ancient times\,\nyou spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel\,\nrevealing to us your Word and your thoughts.\nHow weighty they are\, O God!\nHow vast is the sum of them. \nNow you have revealed yourself in your child\, Jesus.\nHe made known your grief at our brokenness\nand your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nWhen the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him\,\npersecuting him and striking him down\,\nyou raised him to new life.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted in every way\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2016 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 made known your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \n©2016 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 it was you who knit together the newborn earth\nand said\, “Let light shine out of darkness.”\nWonderful are all your works. \nIn ancient times\,\nyou spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel\,\nrevealing to us your Word and your thoughts.\nHow weighty they are\, O God!\nHow vast is the sum of them. \nNow you have revealed yourself in your child\, Jesus.\nHe made known your grief at our brokenness\nand your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nWhen the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him\,\npersecuting him and striking him down\,\nyou raised him to new life.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted in every way\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \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©2016 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 has searched us and known us\nand grieved over our hardness of heart.\nBut the Lord’s mercies are as uncountable as the sand\nand we are forgiven\, not through sacrifices or offerings\,\nbut through the love and grace made known in Jesus. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, and listen always for the Word of the Lord.\nAt all times\, do good and not harm\,\nsave life and do not destroy it.\nCarry always in your bodies\nthe life and death of Jesus. \nAnd may God be with you to the end.\nMay Christ Jesus make his life visible in you.\nand may the Holy Spirit give you the light of the knowledge\nof the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2016 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\nReligion v’s LifeA sermon on Mark 2:23 – 3:6 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n #Sabbath OutrageA sermon on Mark 2:23 – 3:6 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n Crackpots or Cracked Pots?A sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp04b/2051-06-04/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P04b.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20570304 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20570305 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20200831T103530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220909T034555Z UID:10001628-2750889600-2750975999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year B DESCRIPTION:This occasion next occurs in 2057 and only for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday. \n\n\n\nBelow 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 5: 12-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n Keep up the practice of making Saturday a dedicated rest day\, as the LORD your God has told you to do. You are to work on your business\, your projects\, and your chores on the other six days\, and keep the seventh day as a rest day\, dedicated to the LORD your God. You are not to do any work that day\, and you are not to ask anyone else to work either — not your family\, not your employees\, not the migrant workers who live down the street\, and not even your bullocks\, horses\, dogs\, or any other animal you own. All who work for you need rest\, just as you do. Always keep in mind that you were forced to work as slaves in a foreign land\, and the LORD your God bared his arm and reached out and rescued you from there. That is why the LORD your God told you to keep the dedicated rest day. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 81: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing our lungs out to you\, God\,\nfor you make us strong;\nwe shout for joy\, celebrating you\,\nthe God of our ancestors. \nOur songs ring out in your honour\,\nand on our instruments we make the sweetest music we can. \nA trumpet blast opens the festival;\nevery month we celebrate your new creation. \nWe are your people\, God\, and this is our tradition;\na sacred law for every generation to follow.\nYou gave it to us through Joseph\nwhen our ancestors took refuge in Egypt. \nYou have spoken to us in an unfamiliar voice\,\nreminding us that it was you who freed us from slavery\nand you who lifted the burden from our backs. \nWhen we cried out in panic\, you rescued us;\nfrom the thunder clouds you answered our plea\,\nand at a desert spring you called us to account. \nYou begged us to pay attention\,\nto let you set us straight;\nyou longed for your people to listen to you. \nYou warned us to steer clear of alternative gods;\nto avoid offering our devotion to every new fad. \nYou are the LORD our God;\nthe God who rescued us from the land of slavery.\nWhen we come to you with our hungers\,\nyou fill us with all that we need. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Corinthians 4: 5-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n We are not preaching about ourselves. The message we preach is that Jesus the messiah is Lord of all. We ourselves are slaves\, at your service\, for Jesus’s sake. The very God who kicked off creation by calling for light to shine from darkness has now filled our hearts with the light that comes from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus the messiah and knowing it for what it is. \nYou might not notice how beautiful that light is if you just look at us though. It is in us\, for sure\, but like a diamond necklace in a plain paper bag. That way nobody can make the mistake of thinking too highly of us. It is clear that the power is all God’s. \nWe cop the worst of everything\, but it hasn’t finished us off. It drives us nuts at times\, but it hasn’t driven us over the edge. We are picked on unfairly\, but we know we are not alone. We keep getting knocked down\, but we get right back up again. When you look for Jesus in us\, what you are most likely to see is his battered corpse\, but that now means that it is also possible to see his risen life taking shape in our bodies. Our lives are on the line all the time. We are always being thrown into the jaws of death because of Jesus\, but again that just means that the risen life of Jesus can be seen taking shape in our fragile flesh. No doubt death will finish us off soon\, but in you\, life is getting a good strong hold! \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Mark 2: 23 - 3:6 \n \n\n \n \n \n It was a Sabbath\, the day of rest\, and Jesus was leading the way through some wheat fields. As they walked\, his followers were casually plucking off a few heads of grain. The next thing you know\, some members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party popped up and challenged Jesus\, saying\, “Look at that! What do they think they are doing? Haven’t you taught them that it is against the law to harvest grain on the Sabbath?” \nBut Jesus replied\, “Haven’t you read in your Bibles what our national hero David did when he and his followers were hungry and had nothing to eat? He went into the house of God and took the sacred bread off the altar and ate that\, right under the nose of Abiathar the high priest. The law clearly says that only the priests are allowed to eat that\, but not only did he eat it himself\, he gave it to his followers to eat too. Don’t you lot get that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of the people\, not the other way around. The New Human is in charge now\, and even the Sabbath falls into line.” \nArriving back at the synagogue\, Jesus went on in. There was a man there who had one hand that was wasted away and useless. Some people there were keeping a close eye on Jesus to see if they could catch him doing a work of healing on the Sabbath and then dob him in to the authorities. Jesus saw the man with the crippled hand\, and said to him\, “Come out here\, up the front.” \nThen he looked around at the people and asked\, “What do you all think the law would want from us on the Sabbath\, to do good or to let things go bad\, to save a life or to destroy one?” \nBut they bit their tongues and said nothing. Jesus was outraged; gutted by their lack of compassion. Turning back to the man\, he said\, “Stretch out your hand.” \nThe man stretched out his hand\, and that was all it took: it was back to full strength. That was too much for the Pharisees. They went straight out and began conspiring with Herod’s mob to destroy Jesus. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n\nThese prayers are based on a set of readings that use a different 1st reading and psalm\, and will be replaced at some point. \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 it was you who knit together the newborn earth\nand said\, “Let light shine out of darkness.”\nWonderful are all your works. \nIn ancient times\,\nyou spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel\,\nrevealing to us your Word and your thoughts.\nHow weighty they are\, O God!\nHow vast is the sum of them. \nNow you have revealed yourself in your child\, Jesus.\nHe made known your grief at our brokenness\nand your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nWhen the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him\,\npersecuting him and striking him down\,\nyou raised him to new life.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted in every way\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2016 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 made known your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \n©2016 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 it was you who knit together the newborn earth\nand said\, “Let light shine out of darkness.”\nWonderful are all your works. \nIn ancient times\,\nyou spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel\,\nrevealing to us your Word and your thoughts.\nHow weighty they are\, O God!\nHow vast is the sum of them. \nNow you have revealed yourself in your child\, Jesus.\nHe made known your grief at our brokenness\nand your desire to feed us\nwith the bread of compassion and mercy.\nWhen the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him\,\npersecuting him and striking him down\,\nyou raised him to new life.\nNow\, even when we are afflicted in every way\,\nyou shine in our hearts\nto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God\nin the face of Jesus Christ. \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©2016 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 has searched us and known us\nand grieved over our hardness of heart.\nBut the Lord’s mercies are as uncountable as the sand\nand we are forgiven\, not through sacrifices or offerings\,\nbut through the love and grace made known in Jesus. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, and listen always for the Word of the Lord.\nAt all times\, do good and not harm\,\nsave life and do not destroy it.\nCarry always in your bodies\nthe life and death of Jesus. \nAnd may God be with you to the end.\nMay Christ Jesus make his life visible in you.\nand may the Holy Spirit give you the light of the knowledge\nof the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2016 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\nReligion v’s LifeA sermon on Mark 2:23 – 3:6 by Nathan Nettleton #Sabbath OutrageA sermon on Mark 2:23 – 3:6 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp04/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P04.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20620528 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20620529 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20210610T043757Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210610T044727Z UID:10001826-2916000000-2916086399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 3 - 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. \nBible Readings (paraphrased)\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 Isaiah 49: 8-16a \n \n\n \n \n \n This is what the LORD is saying: \nWhat a day! I have answered your call.\nIt’s the day of rescue\, and here I am.\nI have kept you safe\,\nand I have given you to the people\nas the sign that I will always be with them. \nI have given you the job of putting the land in order\,\nof resettling the people\non the properties that were left abandoned. \nTell the prisoners they can now go free.\nTell those cowering in the darkness\nthat it is now safe to come out of hiding. \nThey will find all the food they want along the way.\nEven the rocky mountain tops will produce food for them.\nThey will never go hungry or thirsty;\nnever again be burnt by the sun or cut by the wind. \nI care deeply for them and I will lead them.\nI will guide them along the perfect track\nfrom one fresh waterhole to the next. \nI will level out the track\nso that there are no tough climbs\nand no treacherous descents. \nTake a look and see!\nHere come my people from far away\,\nfrom all points of the compass\,\nfrom this land and that. \nSing your lungs out\, sky above!\nExplode with joy\, O planet earth!\nBurst into song\, O mighty mountains!\nFor the LORD’S people were suffering\,\nbut the LORD has felt their pain and given them comfort. \nBut Zion said\, “The LORD’S back is turned to me.\nMy Lord has given up on me\, written me off.” \nGet a grip! Does a woman give up on the child at her breast?\nCan she turn her back when her own child is hurting?\nAnd yet a woman forgetting her child\nis a lot more likely than me forgetting you.\nLook here and see\,\nI have written your name on the palm of my hand. \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 131 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD\, I am not too full of myself.\nI don’t set my sights too high.\nI don’t try to get involved in things\nthat are out of my league\nor beyond my capabilities. \nWhat I have done\, LORD\, is look after my soul. \nLike a mother tenderly calming a young child\,\nI have calmed my soul to a quiet peace. \nMay all your people put their hope in you\, LORD\,\nfrom now on\, and forevermore. \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 \n \n\n \n \n \n How should you think of us? Think of us only as servants of the Messiah\, and as those whose job it is to handle the mysteries of God’s business. Now the basic expectation of anyone who is given such a job is that they can be trusted with it. For myself\, I couldn’t care less whether you or any other mob think I measure up. I don’t even try to judge myself. I am not aware of any black marks against my name\, but that doesn’t prove anything. It is only what the Lord thinks of me that matters. Therefore\, don’t go jumping the gun and trying to tally the score before time’s up\, before the Lord arrives. He will shine a spotlight on things that are now hidden under the cover of darkness\, and what really makes us tick will be out in the open for all to see. Then\, and only then\, will each person receive the thumbs-up from God for the things they’ve done well. \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 6:24-34 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus said: \n“No one can play on two teams.\nYou’ll either give your best to one\nand under-perform for the other\,\nor short-change one\nand give your heart and soul for the other.\nYou can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success. \n“So I’m telling you\, don’t go worrying about your life\, about where your next meal is coming from or what you will find to drink. Don’t stress about what you look like or whether you’ve got the right clothes to wear. Life is more than food\, isn’t it? And the body is not just a clothes rack\, is it? Look at the birds flying around. They don’t do any farming. They don’t stock up the pantry with extra supplies. And yet the one who conceived you in heaven feeds them. You are worth more than they are\, aren’t you? So what good does worrying do you? It won’t make you live any longer - not even an hour - will it? \n“And why do you worry about what to wear? Think about the wild flowers. They grow without ever shopping or sewing a stitch. But you can take it from me that they are clothed more perfectly than even a princess at a royal wedding. If God takes such care over dressing the wildflowers\, which bloom today and are mown down and composted tomorrow\, how much more care will God take to make sure that you have the clothes you need? Yet you find it hard to trust! \n“So don’t get all anxious and go asking\, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘Where will we find a drink?’ or ‘What on earth will we wear?’ It is the people who don’t put their trust in God who put all their energy into these things. You can rest assured that the one who conceived you in heaven knows perfectly well that you need these things. So you can make your first priority the new culture of God and doing the right thing\, God’s way\, and all these other things will be taken care of for you. \n“So don’t stress out about tomorrow. Just deal with the troubles of today\, and leave tomorrow’s worries until they come.” \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nPrayers\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 show compassion to your suffering ones\nand have written our names on the palm of your hands. \nYou created the earth and all its creatures\,\nclothing even the grass of the fields in splendour\nand bringing forth abundant food\,\neven for the birds of the air.\nYou found your people imprisoned in darkness\nand through Moses and the prophets\,\nyou called them to freedom\nand led them by springs of water. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us again\,\nteaching us to entrust our souls to you\nand to seek first your kingdom\nand its righteousness and justice for all.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho serve wealth and power\,\nyou raised him to life again\nso that his light might shine in the darkness\nand bring all the earth to freedom. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2008 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\,\nin whom you have taught us to entrust our souls to you\nand to seek first your kingdom\nand its righteousness and justice for all.\nYou raised him to life\nso that his light might shine in the darkness\nand bring all the earth to freedom. \n©2008 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 show compassion to your suffering ones\nand have written our names on the palm of your hands. \nYou created the earth and all its creatures\,\nclothing even the grass of the fields in splendour\nand bringing forth abundant food\,\neven for the birds of the air.\nYou found your people imprisoned in darkness\nand through Moses and the prophets\,\nyou called them to freedom\nand led them by springs of water. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, you have come to us again\,\nteaching us to entrust our souls to you\nand to seek first your kingdom\nand its righteousness and justice for all.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwho serve wealth and power\,\nyou raised him to life again\nso that his light might shine in the darkness\nand bring all the earth to freedom. \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©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n It is the Lord’s judgement alone that matters\,\nand God will no more write us off\nthan will a mother write off her nursing child.\nGod has sent comfort and a word of compassion\,\n”Come out of darkness and be free.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, as servants of Christ\nand stewards of God’s mysteries.\nStrive firstly for the kingdom of God\nand its righteousness and justice.\nDo not be anxious\, but calm your soul within you\nand do not condemn\, even yourselves. \nAnd may God generously provide all you need;\nMay Christ Jesus guide you in the ways of light;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with comfort and hope. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nSermons\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\nFeasting and Fasting\nA sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Alison Sampson\nWhen Buildings Fall: Do Not Worry?\nA sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Nathan Nettleton\nThe Church Facing Judgement\nA sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 & Matthew 6: 24-34 by Nathan Nettleton\nGod and Possessions\nA sermon on Matthew 6: 24-34 by Jennifer Smith URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap03b/2062-05-28/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P03b.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20680304 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20680305 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20210610T041514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210610T044732Z UID:10001824-3098044800-3098131199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A DESCRIPTION:This occasion only occurs in 2038 for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday. \nBelow 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. \nBible Readings (paraphrased)\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 Deuteronomy 11: 18-21\, 26-28 \n \n\n \n \n \n Moses said to the people: \n“Take to heart these teachings I have passed on to you from the LORD your God. Do whatever you need to do to keep them fixed in your minds: write them on the back of your hands; wear them as a badge stuck on your forehead. Teach them to your children and talk about them morning\, noon and night\, at home or wherever you go. Hang them over your front doors\, put them up on a billboard at the entrance to your town so that you will be reminded of them as you come and go. That way you will be assured of a long and happy life in the land that the LORD promised to your ancestors. Your children will enjoy the same\, and their children too\, as long as the earth keeps turning. \n“Take note. Today I have taught you how the LORD your God wants you to live\, and now it is in your hands. Your life can be blessed or cursed; the choice is yours. Everything will work out well for you if you live the way the LORD your God has told you to live. But everything will fall apart for you if you turn your back on the way that the LORD your God has told you to live and take off after other ways and other objects of devotion.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 31: 1-5\, 19-24 \n \n\n \n \n \n I look to you for refuge\, LORD;\ndon’t let me be dragged through the mud.\nYou promised justice – save me! \nGive me your ear – I’m crying for help;\nrescue me before it’s too late.\nBe a secure refuge for me\,\na bomb shelter where I can hide. \nYour solid walls protect me from danger;\nlead me and guide me so I’ll be a credit to you;\nkeep me clear of pitfalls and traps. \nYou are the only refuge I trust\, LORD;\nI put my life in your hands.\nYou are a faithful God\,\nand you have saved me. \nYour goodness is rich and free;\navailable to all who respect you and trust you.\nOut in the open\, for all to see\,\nyou stockpile blessings for those in your care. \nYou shelter them yourself\, LORD\,\nkeeping them safe from vindictive plots.\nYou give them a safe hiding place\,\nsheltered from malicious talk. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD;\nand you proved yourself when I needed you.\nWhen I was surrounded by a violent mob\,\nyour love protected me like a solid wall. \nAt first I panicked;\nI thought you had given up on me.\nBut you were there in a flash\nwhen I cried out for help. \nI call on all your people to give you their love\, LORD.\nYou keep the faithful safe\nand repay the arrogant as they deserve. \nI say to myself\, “Be strong\, tough it out\,”\nas I wait with my trust in you\, LORD. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28\, (29-31) \n \n\n \n \n \n Being identified with God’s message does not make me cringe at all. I am honoured to be associated with something that God is working through so powerfully in order to bring everyone who believes home to the safety and wholeness for which they were created. It began among the Jewish people\, but now everyone is in on it. It reveals God’s unshakable commitment to doing the right thing by all who put their trust in God’s trustworthiness. The scriptures put it this way: “Anyone who gets things right with God through a relationship of trust\, will live.” \nThis is not applied differently to different groups of people. Everyone is in the same boat because we have all done wrong and fallen well short of the shining integrity God created us for. But God treats everybody with a generosity that is out of all proportion to anything we could deserve and\, as a gift\, puts us back in the good books. This happens as part of the work done by Jesus the Messiah in putting everything back the way it should be. He was sent by God to clean up the mess we had gotten ourselves into and bring us back into a relationship based on trust\, and he made the ultimate sacrifice and paid the price in his own blood to get the job done. This demonstrated God’s unshakable commitment to doing the right thing by everyone\, both in the past and in the present. In the past God’s commitment was expressed by putting up with people’s wrongdoing and not dishing out the punishments they deserved. In the present\, God is again proving that commitment by putting those who put their trust in Jesus into the good books. \nSo what is left of our boast that we Jews are the only ones in the good books with God? Clearly it is not backed up by the facts. Why? Did others do something to earn an equal place before God? Not at all\, but God put the relationship on a trust basis\, and that put everyone on an equal footing. What we are saying is that people get into the good books by trusting God\, regardless of whether or not they observe the customs prescribed by the traditional Jewish law. God is not only the God of the Jews\, but of everyone else as well. After all\, there is only one God! Those who have been brought up to be religious are put in to God’s good books on the basis of a relationship of trust\, and everyone else is put in through exactly the same relationship of trust. However\, if you think we are saying that this relationship of trust means that there is no value in the traditional law\, you have missed the point. What we are saying is quite the opposite. It is only within this relationship of trust that the customs set out in the law can prove their worth. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 7: 21-29 \n \n\n \n \n \n Drawing to the end of his sermon on the mountain\, Jesus said\, “You can’t bluff your way into the culture of heaven by dropping my name and prattling on about what a high view of my authority you hold. It is those who walk the walk who will get in – those who actually live the way God wants them to live. When the day comes\, many people will appeal to me saying\, ‘Lord\, Lord\, look at all the great things we did in your name. We preached. We took on the forces of evil and won. We were real movers and shakers. We did all sorts of impressive things and we gave you the credit for it all. Doesn’t that count for anything?’ But I will tell them straight\, ‘I’ll have nothing to do with you. You are a bunch of frauds\, rotten to the core. Get out of my sight!’ \n“The people who take notice of what I teach and put it into practice are like experienced builders who always put down solid foundations before building a house. When violent storms come\, or even if cyclones and floods hit\, that house stands firm\, rock-solid on its foundations. But those who hear my teachings and don’t bother doing anything about them are like brainless do-it-yourselfers who knock up a house with nothing but sand for foundations. The first time it is hit by a decent storm\, the wind and rain rip into it and in no time at all there is a spectacular crash and down it comes!” \nWhen Jesus had finished speaking\, the crowd was stunned. His teaching was like nothing they had ever heard before. His words carried great weight and it was clear that he stood behind everything he said\, which was quite a contrast to the religious teachers they were used to! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \nPrayers\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 by grace you have justified and redeemed us\nand become our refuge and strength. \nIn the first of your works you created the universe\nand everything that moves on the earth.\nWhen you sent a flood to purge the earth of corruption\,\nyou made a covenant with your servant Noah\nand saved every family of living creatures. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, among us\,\nto teach us with authority how to live by your words\nand be welcomed into your kingdom.\nWhen he was killed by those who were filled with violence\,\nyou raised him with power from the dead\nand called everyone to put their faith in him.\nTo all who hear your invitation and act on it\nyou give the gift of righteousness in your presence\nand redemption in and through Christ Jesus. \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 grace\nin which you have justified and redeemed us\nand become our refuge and strength\,\neven though we had becoe corrupt and fallen short of your glory. \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 by grace you have justified and redeemed us\nand become our refuge and strength. \nIn the first of your works you created the universe\nand everything that moves on the earth.\nWhen you sent a flood to purge the earth of corruption\,\nyou made a covenant with your servant Noah\nand saved every family of living creatures. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, among us\,\nto teach us with authority how to live by your words\nand be welcomed into your kingdom.\nWhen he was killed by those who were filled with violence\,\nyou raised him with power from the dead\nand called everyone to put their faith in him.\nTo all who hear your invitation and act on it\nyou give the gift of righteousness in your presence\nand redemption in and through Christ Jesus. \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 We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God\,\nbut through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus\,\nwe are forgiven and justified\nas a gift of his grace. \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 build your lives on the solid rock\nof Christ’s words\, heard and put into action.\nDo not be ashamed of the gospel\,\nbut live by faith\nand find your refuge and strength in God. \nAnd may God be known to you in the stillness;\nMay Christ Jesus be the solid foundation of your lives;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you courage\,\neven when the earth is shaken around 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 \nSermons\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\nThe Blessing of Homeland\nA sermon on Deuteronomy 11:8-12\, 18-21\, 27-28 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap04a/2068-03-04/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P04.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20790305 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20790306 DTSTAMP:20260404T092354 CREATED:20201103T042459Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220919T010156Z UID:10001710-3445200000-3445286399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C DESCRIPTION:This occasion next occurs in 2079 and only for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday. \n\n\n\nBelow 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 1 Kings 8: 22-23\, 41-43 \n \n\n \n \n \n Solomon stood in front of the altar of the LORD and\, with his hands raised high\, he led the gathered people in prayer. He prayed: \n“O LORD\, God of Israel\, you are one of a kind! No other god in the universe is like you. Your love is rock-solid and you never forget the alliance you have made with those who follow you whole-heartedly. \nAnd don’t stop with just us – foreigners will no doubt hear about you too. Attracted by your reputation and by news of the awesome things you do\, they will come from all sorts of far flung places to live among your people and offer their prayers within sight of this Temple. When they do\, listen to them from your heavenly home and answer their prayers. That way everyone on earth will hear of you and give you the same respect that your people Israel do. They will know that this Temple which I have built carries your authority. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 96: 1-9 \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. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Galatians 1:1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, Paul\, am one of God’s special ambassadors. I wasn’t given this job by a popular vote\, or by some ordinary human boss. I was entrusted with the job by none other than Jesus the Messiah and God the Father\, who raised Jesus from the dead. This letter comes to you\, the churches in Galatia\, from me\, and from the rest of God’s crew who are with me. \nI wish you a full helping of generous love and peace from the God who conceived us and from our number one man\, Jesus the Messiah. Faced with the record of our corruption\, he gave himself completely to breaking us free from the grip of the evil culture that is so entrenched in the present day. God made our freedom a priority\, and all the credit should go to God\, now and always. And so say all of us! \nI can hardly believe what I’m hearing about you. I’m disgusted. The Messiah was extravagantly generous in calling you\, but already you are turning your backs on him and getting sucked into some other message that claims to be good news. There is no other message that’s worth a pinch of spit\, but I hear that there are some snake oil merchants there who are twisting the Messiah’s message and leading you all astray. This is not about me. If anybody\, including me\, or for that matter even an angel from heaven\, starts pushing a message that goes against what we taught you\, they can go to hell! I’ve said it once\, and I’ll say it again: if anybody comes pushing a message that goes against the one you have already received\, they can go to hell! \nDoes it sound like I’m pandering to the crowd and telling people what they want to hear? Does it like like I care what people think of me\, or rather what God thinks of me? If I was still trying to impress the crowd\, I wouldn’t be serving the Messiah at all. \nLet me set you straight on this\, brothers and sisters. The message that you heard me announcing is not something that somebody just cooked up one day. I can assure you that I didn’t get it second hand from any human source\, and nor did anybody word me up about it. Instead\, the message was the result of Jesus the Messiah revealing himself directly. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 7: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n After spending some time teaching the people\, Jesus went into the town of Capernaum. There was a Roman military commander there who had a slave who was very special to him\, but the slave had fallen ill and was dying. The commander was desperate to save the life of his slave\, so when he heard that Jesus was in town\, he sent some of the local Jewish officials to ask for his help. The officials spoke to Jesus with great enthusiasm on behalf of the commander. “This man is certainly worthy of your help\,” they said. “He is a great friend of our people. He even bankrolled the building of our local synagogue.” \nJesus headed off with them\, but before he reached the house\, the commander sent another delegation of friends out to him with a message saying\, “Lord\, don’t put yourself out for me. There is no need for you to come all the way to my house. I’m not worthy to have you under my roof\, and I wouldn’t presume to approach you in person. Please\, just give the word\, and my servant will be healed. I know how it works because I too am a man who obeys orders and who gives orders\, knowing that they will be obeyed. I tell one soldier ‘Go\,’ and he goes. I tell another ‘Jump\,’ and he says ‘How high?’ I tell my servant to do something\, and he does it.” \nWhen Jesus heard the commander’s message\, he was gob-smacked. Turning to address the crowd that was following him\, he exclaimed\, “Did you hear that? You might think you could find an Israelite with faith like that\, but no\, I have never before\, anywhere\, come across such deep trust.” \nAnd sure enough\, when the commander’s messengers got back to the house\, they found the slave back on his feet\, a picture of health. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n\nThese prayers are based on a set of readings that use a different 1st reading and psalm\, and will be replaced at some point. \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\,\nand to tell of your salvation from day to day\nand declare your glory and your marvelous works to all. \nYou made the heavens and established the earth\,\nand revealed yourself through your law and prophets\nto be a God of glory and strength\nwho answers the cries of your people. \nThough we were not worthy to receive you\,\nfor we turned our backs on your grace\nand limped off after worthless other gods\,\nyou came to us in your child\, Jesus\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness.\nWhen we turned against him\,\nhe gave himself into our hands\nas a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nand when we crucified him\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand sent down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2013 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 as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness\nand sending down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \n©2013 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\,\nand to tell of your salvation from day to day\nand declare your glory and your marvelous works to all. \nYou made the heavens and established the earth\,\nand revealed yourself through your law and prophets\nto be a God of glory and strength\nwho answers the cries of your people. \nThough we were not worthy to receive you\,\nfor we turned our backs on your grace\nand limped off after worthless other gods\,\nyou came to us in your child\, Jesus\,\nspeaking the word of healing and forgiveness.\nWhen we turned against him\,\nhe gave himself into our hands\nas a revelation of your self-sacrificing love\,\nand when we crucified him\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand sent down your Spirit in fire\nto heal us and set us free from this evil age. \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©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus gave himself freely for our sins\nto set us free from the present evil age\,\naccording to the will of our God and Father\,\nand to turn our hearts back to righteousness and truth. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n If the Lord is God\, go now\, and follow him\,\nand do not be tempted to share your loyalty with other gods.\nStay true to the gospel that has been revealed to you in Jesus.\nCall on the name of the Lord\,\ntell of God’s salvation from day to day\,\nand live in righteousness and truth. \nAnd may God bring you grace and peace;\nMay Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up\,\nand may the Holy Spirit’s fiery glory strengthen your hearts. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2013 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\nFollowers or Fans?A sermon on Luke 6:39 – 7:10 by Nathan NettletonA Different Gospel?A sermon on Galatians 1:1-12; 1 Kings 18:20-39 & Luke 7:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp04/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P04.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR