6th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year B
2033-02-13 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

2 Kings 5: 1-14

The commander of the Syrian army was a man named Naaman. Naaman was very popular with his king, because under his command, the LORD had given Syria a string of military victories. Although he was a great soldier and a highly decorated commander, Naaman suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl among her servants who had come to Syria as a prisoner of war after a military raid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “If only your husband could meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. I’m sure he would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman spoke to the king about what the girl had said, and the king gladly gave him leave to go. He also provided him with a letter of referral, addressed to the king of Israel.
Naaman headed off, loaded up with money and expensive gifts of jewellery and fine clothing. Arriving in Israel, he delivered the letter to the king. It read, “The bearer of this letter is my trusted servant, Naaman. I have sent him to you to have his leprosy cured.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he was beside himself with fear; tearing his hair out over what to do. “What does the king of Syria think he’s doing?” he shouted. “Does he think I’m God or something, that I can cure lepers at his request? It looks like he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
News of this got to Elisha, the prophet of God in Samaria. He sent a message to the king saying, “Why are you tearing your hair out? Get a grip on yourself and send the man to me so that he can find out for himself that there is a real prophet in Israel.”
So Naaman and his whole entourage pulled up in the street outside Elisha’s house. Elisha sent an errand boy out to Naaman with a message, saying, “Go down to the Jordan River and wash yourself in it seven times. That will cure you and your skin will be as clean and clear as a child’s.”
Naaman felt deeply insulted and drove off in a huff, saying, “You’d think that for a man of my standing he could have come out and talked to me himself. I thought that he would at least stand and call on the LORD his God, and wave his hand over my skin to bring about the cure! What’s so special about their scummy Israelite river? Aren’t the two great rivers of Damascus much bigger and better? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?”
So he stormed off, seething with rage. But his servants spoke up and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something really difficult, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? So surely you have got nothing to lose but your disease if you do what he said and wash yourself in the river.”
So Naaman relented and, wading out into the Jordan River, he immersed himself seven times in the water, just as the prophet of God had instructed him. Sure enough, he was cured instantly, and his skin became as clear and healthy as a child’s.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 30

I’ll be singing your praises, every chance I get, LORD,
because you got me out of deep trouble
and spared me the gloating of my enemies.
I pleaded for help, LORD God,
and you stepped in and healed me.
They were nearly ready to pronounce me dead
but your brought me back, LORD;
you put me back on my feet
when I was about to be carried to the morgue.
So I’m singing your praises,
and I’m encouraging everyone to do the same;
to name you with joyful thanks.
We manage to get you angry at times,
but it blows over in a moment
because your mercy keeps on keeping on.
We may have an evening of bitter tears,
but by morning your mercy has us smiling again.
I was guilty of taking your goodness for granted;
I thought I had it made.
You had put me on top of the world
but I got all too full of myself.
You stepped aside – made me stand alone —
and I turned to jelly!
I realised how much I needed you, LORD,
and in my panic I begged you for mercy.
“What good is my blood to you?” I cried.
“How will it help if I’m in the grave?
Can a corpse sing your praises?
Will a gravestone publicise your goodness?
Give me another chance, LORD.
Please, LORD, bail me out one more time.”
And sure enough, you did, LORD.
You turned my tears to laughter;
you set my dragging feet dancing;
you dusted me off and dressed me up for a party.
So now I’m singing your praises
from the bottom of my heart,
and no one can shut me up!
You are my God, LORD,
and I’m eternally grateful.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27

You do understand, don’t you, that no matter how many runners there are in a race, there will only be one winner at the end. So if you are aiming to become the best, you are going to have to train long and hard. Elite athletes discipline themselves strictly in every area of their lives, and they do so in pursuit of nothing more than a medal hung around their necks or a record that could fall the next week. The prize we are working towards will be in place forever, so such single-minded discipline is even more essential for us. I can’t afford to be like a runner who doesn’t know where the finish line is, or a footballer who doesn’t know where the goals are. Instead I subject my body to a punishing regime of training and work it like a slave, so that I don’t end up, after coaching everyone else in the right way, being disqualified myself.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 1: 40-45

Jesus was approached by a man who was suffering from a hideous skin disease that made him a social outcast. The man got down on his knees and pleaded for help, saying, “You could make me clean if you wanted to.”
Jesus was deeply moved by the man’s sorry state. He reached out his hand and touched the man, saying, “I do want to. Be made clean!”
At that moment, the symptoms vanished and he was made healthy and clean. Then Jesus gave him his marching orders and a tough talking-to, saying, “Keep your mouth shut about this. Go straight to the priest and have yourself examined so that you can be certified fit to return to normal social contact. As a sign that you are well, give the offering that Moses said was to be given in thanks for your cleansing.”
But despite his instructions, the man went straight out and began to tell everyone what Jesus had done for him. The word spread like wildfire, and before long Jesus couldn’t even show his face in the towns without being mobbed. He had to stick to the outback tracks, and people from everywhere came out to find him.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your anger passes quickly,
but your mercy lasts a lifetime.
From the depths of chaos you raised up the newborn earth,
and sent your prophets among your people.
Your servant Elisha spoke your word to Naaman,
and he emerged from the healing waters singing your glory.
To us you have sent your Son, Jesus the Christ,
and in compassion he has reached out and touched us,
cleansing us from all that defiled us.
Though he was killed by gloating enemies,
you changed our anguish into a joyful dance,
raising him up
and crowning him with a glory that will never fade.
Now he washes us in your everlasting mercy
and pulls us from the depths, cleansed and healed,
that we might run the race
and receive the victor’s wreath;
our lives forever singing your praise.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for the compassion of your Son, Jesus,
who reaches out to us
and pulls us from the depths, cleansed and healed,
that we might run the race
and receive the victor’s wreath;
our lives forever singing your praise.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your anger passes quickly,
but your mercy lasts a lifetime.
From the depths of chaos you raised up the newborn earth,
and sent your prophets among your people.
Your servant Elisha spoke your word to Naaman,
and he emerged from the healing waters singing your glory.
To us you have sent your Son, Jesus the Christ,
and in compassion he has reached out and touched us,
cleansing us from all that defiled us.
Though he was killed by gloating enemies,
you changed our anguish into a joyful dance,
raising him up
and crowning him with a glory that will never fade.
Now he washes us in your everlasting mercy
and pulls us from the depths, cleansed and healed,
that we might run the race
and receive the victor’s wreath;
our lives forever singing your praise.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God, whose anger passes quickly,
but whose mercy lasts a lifetime,
has compassion on all who cry for forgiveness and healing.
Through Jesus Christ, God reaches out to us,
raises us up and says, “Be Clean!”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and live out our song of praise to God.
Discipline yourself in all things, however small,
so that you may attain the prize of salvation
that is yours in Christ Jesus.
And may God’s powerful blessing uphold you like a mountain.
May Christ Jesus touch you and make you whole.
And may the Holy Spirit dance with you in the joy of life.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Too Simple to BotherA sermon on 2 Kings 5:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Keep it simple, StupidA sermon on 2 Kings 5:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Touched by the hand of GodA sermon on Mark 1: 40 -45 by Ron Ham

Back from SheolA sermon on Psalm 30 by Nathan Nettleton

Athletic SpiritualityA sermon on 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 by Nathan Nettleton

Healing CultureA sermon on Mark 1:40-45 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 5 - Year C
2034-06-11, 2037-06-07
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)

During the terrible drought, Elijah got word from the LORD saying, “Go and live in the Sidonian town of Zarephath. There is a destitute widow there who I have told to feed you.”
So Elijah hit the road and headed for Zarephath. When he arrived on the outskirts of the town, he saw a destitute widow gathering firewood. He called out to her, saying, “Could you please bring me a cup of water; I need a drink.” As she went to get the water, he called out again, saying, “And grab me a chunk of bread too, please.”
But she stopped and said, “I swear by God, the LORD your God, that I haven’t got any bread to give you. I am down to the last handful of flour in my jar and the last dribble of oil in my jug. With them and the firewood I am collecting here, I will prepare one last meal for myself and my son, and when we’ve eaten that, we will starve to death.
Elijah said to her, “Don’t worry; it will be okay. Go and make the bread as you planned, but make two loaves. Bring one to me, and then share the second one with your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, is promising you: “The flour jar will never be empty and the oil jug will never run dry until the day that the LORD sends down rain on the land.”
She went and made the bread as Elijah had said, and they all had enough to eat for many days. The flour in the jar never ran out and the oil in the jug never ran dry. It was just as Elijah had said: the LORD had given his word.
Some time later, while Elijah was still staying in the woman’s house, the woman’s son fell sick. He got sicker and sicker and eventually he breathed his last. The woman turned on Elijah, saying, “What did I do to deserve this, you man of God? Have you come to drag up my sin from the past and make my son die for it?”
But he said to her, “Here, give me your son.”
He took the child from her arms, carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying and laid his body on the bed. He cried out to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, my God, what are you doing? Are you even bringing disaster on the widow who is putting a roof over my head by striking down her son?”
Then he pressed himself against the child three times, crying out to the LORD, “O LORD, my God, give this child back his life again.”
The LORD listened to Elijah’s prayer: the child came back to life and began breathing again. Elijah took the child back downstairs to the main room of the house and gave him back to his mother, saying, “Look, your son is alive.”
At that, the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you really are a man of God, and that when you say you are speaking the word of the LORD, it is for real.”
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146

You are the best, LORD!
With all my heart I sing your praises.
I will never stop talking you up;
I won’t stop spruiking your goodness till the day I die.
There is no one but you that we can depend on, LORD;
not experts, not leaders, no one.
No human being can give what we most need;
no matter what their plans and schemes promise,
the minute they’re gone, their promises die with them.
But we hit the jackpot when we look to you for help, LORD;
when we put all our hopes in you – the God of our ancestors.
You are the one who made earth and sky,
who poured out the seas and filled them with life.
You are true to your word no matter what;
when people are ground into the dirt, you bring about justice;
when people are left to starve, you come with food.
You, LORD, set the prisoners free.
You, LORD, open the eyes of those who can’t see.
You, LORD, put the downtrodden back on their feet.
You, LORD, love those who do the right thing.
You, LORD, keep a caring eye on the asylum seekers.
You stick up for those who have no one else to stick up for them,
but you make the schemes of the corrupt backfire on them.
Take charge forever, LORD,
rule from your sacred Mountain for all time.
You’re the best, LORD. We’re with you all the way!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 1:11-24

Let 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.
No doubt you have heard about my past in militant Judaism. I was out to destroy God’s church, and my attacks were violent and targeted. When it came to proving my passion for the Jewish values and ways passed down by our ancestors, I was way out in front of most people my age. But God had had other plans for me even before I was born. In an act of over-the-top generosity, God called me — like the prophets of old — and made his Son known in me so that I might talk him up among those who aren’t even Jews. And when God called me, that was it. I didn’t get any flesh-and-blood input on it, and I didn’t run off to Jerusalem to be worded up by those who had been God’s ambassadors for longer than me. Instead I disappeared off into Arabia, and later returned to Damascus.
I have since been to Jerusalem and met Peter, but that was three years later and I stayed with him for only fifteen days. I didn’t even meet any of the other church leaders there except for James, the Lord’s brother. I swear to you before God, that what I am writing to you is without a word of a lie! After that I headed way off into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. The churches of Judea — those who are in Christ there — had still never laid eyes on me. All they knew was what people were saying: “The bloke who was victimising us before is now broadcasting the faith he was previously trying to destroy.” And they rightly gave God all the credit for what they heard about me.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 7:11-17

Jesus went to a town called Nain. His closest followers and a large crowd tagged along. When he arrived on the outskirts of the town, he ran into a funeral procession. The only son of a widow had died and was being carried out to the graveyard, followed by his mother and a large crowd of the townsfolk. When the Lord saw the widow, he felt very sorry for her, and said to her, “Dry your eyes.”
Then he stepped forward and touched the coffin, and the bearers came to a halt. Jesus said, “Young man, listen to me. Rise up!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Everybody was quaking in their boots and they were quick to give God the credit for what was going on. They were saying things like, “A great prophet has risen up among us!” and “God must be pleased with his people!”
The news about Jesus spread like wildfire throughout the Jewish territory and all the surrounding areas.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.
The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

1 Kings 17:17-24

While Elijah was still staying in the widow’s house at Zarephath, the woman’s son fell sick. He got sicker and sicker and eventually he breathed his last. The woman turned on Elijah, saying, “What did I do to deserve this, you man of God? Have you come to drag up my sin from the past and make my son die for it?”
But he said to her, “Here, give me your son.”
He took the child from her arms, carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying and laid his body on the bed. He cried out to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, my God, what are you doing? Are you even bringing disaster on the widow who is putting a roof over my head by striking down her son?”
Then he pressed himself against the child three times, crying out to the LORD, “O LORD, my God, give this child back his life again.”
The LORD listened to Elijah’s prayer: the child came back to life and began breathing again. Elijah took the child back downstairs to the main room of the house and gave him back to his mother, saying, “Look, your son is alive.”
At that, the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you really are a man of God, and that when you say you are speaking the word of the LORD, it is for real.”
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 30

I’ll be singing your praises, every chance I get, LORD,
because you got me out of deep trouble
and spared me the gloating of my enemies.
I pleaded for help, LORD God,
and you stepped in and healed me.
They were nearly ready to pronounce me dead
but your brought me back, LORD;
you put me back on my feet
when I was about to be carried to the morgue.
So I’m singing your praises,
and I’m encouraging everyone to do the same;
to name you with joyful thanks.
We manage to get you angry at times,
but it blows over in a moment
because your mercy keeps on keeping on.
We may have an evening of bitter tears,
but by morning your mercy has us smiling again.
I was guilty of taking your goodness for granted;
I thought I had it made.
You had put me on top of the world
but I got all too full of myself.
You stepped aside – made me stand alone —
and I turned to jelly!
I realised how much I needed you, LORD,
and in my panic I begged you for mercy.
“What good is my blood to you?” I cried.
“How will it help if I’m in the grave?
Can a corpse sing your praises?
Will a gravestone publicise your goodness?
Give me another chance, LORD.
Please, LORD, bail me out one more time.”
And sure enough, you did, LORD.
You turned my tears to laughter;
you set my dragging feet dancing;
you dusted me off and dressed me up for a party.
So now I’m singing your praises
from the bottom of my heart,
and no one can shut me up!
You are my God, LORD,
and I’m eternally grateful.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you watch over the strangers and the needy
and raise us from death to new life.
You made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
You raised up prophets among your people
and through them spoke your word of life and truth.
When we went the way of wickedness and ruin
and our resources came to an end,
you had compassion
and sent your only Son, Jesus, among us.
He opened the eyes of the blind,
lifted up those who were bowed down,
gave food to the hungry,
and set free the prisoners of death.
When the powers of death rose against him
and destroyed him,
you spoke your word of life again,
raising him to new life,
as the revelation of your grace
who will reign forever in justice and truth.
Therefore with .....
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your only Son, Jesus,
who was killed but raised to life by your word
and now reveals you grace to us,
opening the eyes of the blind,
lifting up those who are bowed down,
giving food to the hungry,
and setting free the prisoners of death.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you watch over the strangers and the needy
and raise us from death to new life.
You made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
You raised up prophets among your people
and through them spoke your word of life and truth.
When we went the way of wickedness and ruin
and our resources came to an end,
you had compassion
and sent your only Son, Jesus, among us.
He opened the eyes of the blind,
lifted up those who were bowed down,
gave food to the hungry,
and set free the prisoners of death.
When the powers of death rose against him
and destroyed him,
you spoke your word of life again,
raising him to new life,
as the revelation of your grace
who will reign forever in justice and truth.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus has not come to punish sin with death,
but to call us through God’s grace
and, in compassion, to raise us from death to life
through the word of truth, the gospel.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and do not be afraid.
Put your hope in the Lord your God
who called you before you were born
that you might sing praises to God all your life long
and proclaim the gospel of grace through faith.
And may God watch over you with favour;
May Christ Jesus have compassion for you and give you life;
And may the Holy Spirit put a song of praise in your heart
and sustain your faith forever.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2007 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

The Dark Side of “Zeal for the Lord”
A sermon on Galatians 1:11-24 by Nathan Nettleton
One Who Gives Life
A sermon on 1 Kings 17:8-24; & Luke 7:11-17 by Nathan Nettleton
In the Face of Death
A sermon on 1 Kings 17:8-24; & Luke 7:11-17 by Nathan Nettleton
When God Destroys Our Faith
A sermon on Galatians 1:11-24; 1 Kings 17:8-24; & Luke 7:11-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 3 - Year B
2035-05-27
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Hosea 2: 14-20

Beloved Israel, I, the LORD, will win you back.
I will take you out to that wilderness place
where our love was first awakened,
and whisper tender words in your ear.
I will give you back your wedding presents,
and transform the Valley of Heartbreak
into the Pathway of Hope.
There you will again respond to me
with the delight you had as a young bride
when you first came to me from the land of Egypt.
From that day on, you will call me, “My loving husband.”
Never again will you call me, “Owner” and “Master.”
I will wash you clean of the memories of those would-be gods.
You will never again have cause to utter their names.
I will make a deal with the wild animals,
with the birds of prey and dangerous creepy-crawlies,
to ensure that they never threaten you again.
I will eliminate war and get rid of all the weapons,
so that you can sleep soundly, with nothing to fear.
Then you will be mine and I will be yours;
partners in marriage forever.
Our marriage will be good and right,
rock-solid in love and rich in mercy.
We will give ourselves to one another
and be faithful to one another.
You will know me, the LORD, intimately and fully.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 103: 1-13, 22

With all our hearts, we praise you, LORD,
from the depths of our being
we name you as our one and only.
With all that we are we sings your praises, LORD;
how could we ever forget all you have done for us?
When we do wrong, you forgive us;
when we are sick, you make us well;
when our lives fall apart, you put us back together.
With love and mercy, you treat us like royalty;
you shower us with good things all our lives;
you makes us feel as young and free as an eagle.
You are there for those who are victimised, LORD;
you clear their names and bring them justice.
Through Moses, you let us know what you are on about;
through Israel, you let us see what you can do.
Your mercy and generosity are extravagant, LORD;
your patience and love are as solid as rock.
When we do things that anger you,
you don’t keep dredging them up forever.
You never deal with us as harshly as we deserve;
despite the wrong we have done, you let us off lightly.
We could no more climb to the moon on a step ladder
than measure the limits of the love and loyalty
you show to those who respect you.
We could no more swim the ocean from pole to pole
than cover the distance you put between us and our sins.
Your care and concern for those who honour you
is as tender as that of parents for their children.
We honour you, LORD,
joining our voices with all you have made
and all you rule over.
With all our hearts, we praise you, LORD.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 3: 1-6

So you think we are starting to blow our own trumpet and write our own references, do you? Of course, some people need official references before anyone will trust them, but not us. We don’t need to present references to you, or to ask you for references to show anyone else. Why not? Because your life is all the recommendation we need. We carry your story in our hearts where anybody can read it and know the truth. It is clear at a glance that you are the real thing, a genuine letter from the Messiah, prepared by us and signed by him. No need for pen and ink or legal parchment! Your life has been written straight onto our beating hearts by the Spirit of the living God.
So we have every reason for our confidence. Because of the Messiah, we can hold our heads high before God. We are not claiming that we had the qualifications or abilities to do anything on our own. Everything we have managed is God’s doing. The only reason we have what it takes to begin putting in place God’s new alliance with humanity is that God has given it to us. Neither the alliance itself, nor our qualifications to introduce it, are written legal documents. They are much more real than that – things of spirit! The letter of the law crushes people to death, but the Spirit fills them with life.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 2: 13-22

Jesus went down to the beach. A huge crowd of people gathered around him, and he taught them there. As he was walking along, he saw a man named Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office where he worked collecting taxes for the Roman occupation forces. Jesus said to him, “Come and join me,” and Levi got up and began following him.
That evening at Levi’s house, Jesus and his followers had dinner with a group that included many disreputable characters whose lifestyles were considered offensive by the more respectable members of society. There were many such people among his followers. Some religious experts from the Pharisee party saw that he was eating in such bad company and confronted his closest followers over it, saying, “What does he think he’s doing, sharing meals with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale?”
When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Who needs the help of a doctor: the fit and healthy, or the sick? I didn’t come to spend my time preaching to the converted, but to call back those who are off the track.”
During a time when John’s followers and the members of the Pharisee party were going without food for religious reasons, some people came and asked Jesus, “How come the followers of John and the followers of the Pharisees give up food at this time, but your followers are still eating?”
Jesus replied, “If you are the guests at a wedding feast, you don’t refuse to eat and drink while the bridal couple are still with you, do you? As long as the reason for the celebration is still in your midst, you celebrate! All good things come to an end, and when the reason to celebrate is taken away, then they will go without.”
“The thing is, sometimes the old ways don’t fit the new situation. If you patch an old coat with a brand new piece of fabric, the patch will shrink and tear an even bigger hole. If you try to recycle some brittle old bottles for a fresh batch of sparkling wine, you’ll end up with nothing but smashed glass and an expensive puddle. Fresh content gets fresh packaging.”
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have spoken, not in carved letters on cold stone,
but in songs of love, warm with desire,
sung into our hearts.
When time began you created the world
and filled it with a rich abundance of birds and animals.
You gave yourself to your people in a holy covenant of love,
and through Moses and the prophets you led them
in ways of justice and tenderness, of faithfulness and mercy.
You sent your Son to us as the divine bridegroom.
His love was betrayed, and yet remained undiminished,
and when he was killed you raised him to life.
Alive forever, he is among us again,
mercifully seeking out all who have strayed,
and calling us to follow him to the wedding feast,
there to celebrate a new covenant
with the new wine of your passion.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for the divine bridegroom, Jesus,
who comes among us
mercifully seeking out all who have strayed,
and calling us to follow him to the wedding feast,
there to celebrate a new covenant
with the new wine of your passion.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have spoken, not in carved letters on cold stone,
but in songs of love, warm with desire,
sung into our hearts.
When time began you created the world
and filled it with a rich abundance of birds and animals.
You gave yourself to your people in a holy covenant of love,
and through Moses and the prophets you led them
in ways of justice and tenderness, of faithfulness and mercy.
You sent your Son to us as the divine bridegroom.
His love was betrayed, and yet remained undiminished,
and when he was killed you raised him to life.
Alive forever, he is among us again,
mercifully seeking out all who have strayed,
and calling us to follow him to the wedding feast,
there to celebrate a new covenant
with the new wine of your passion.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Blessed be God who is tender and caring,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve,
but forgives us, and as far as east is from west,
so God removes our sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and follow the Christ wherever he calls.
Bless the Lord and hold dear all God’s gifts.
Find your competence in God
that you might be ministers of a new covenant.
And may God embrace you in tenderness and lay you down in safety.
May Christ write his words of love on your heart.
And may the Spirit fill your life with richness
and give you the strength of an eagle.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Religion v’s LifeA sermon on Mark 2:1- 3:6 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 3 - Year A
2035-05-27, 2062-05-28
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

Isaiah 49: 8-16a

This is what the LORD is saying:
What a day! I have answered your call.
It’s the day of rescue, and here I am.
I have kept you safe,
and I have given you to the people
as the sign that I will always be with them.
I have given you the job of putting the land in order,
of resettling the people
on the properties that were left abandoned.
Tell the prisoners they can now go free.
Tell those cowering in the darkness
that it is now safe to come out of hiding.
They will find all the food they want along the way.
Even the rocky mountain tops will produce food for them.
They will never go hungry or thirsty;
never again be burnt by the sun or cut by the wind.
I care deeply for them and I will lead them.
I will guide them along the perfect track
from one fresh waterhole to the next.
I will level out the track
so that there are no tough climbs
and no treacherous descents.
Take a look and see!
Here come my people from far away,
from all points of the compass,
from this land and that.
Sing your lungs out, sky above!
Explode with joy, O planet earth!
Burst into song, O mighty mountains!
For the LORD’S people were suffering,
but the LORD has felt their pain and given them comfort.
But Zion said, “The LORD’S back is turned to me.
My Lord has given up on me, written me off.”
Get a grip! Does a woman give up on the child at her breast?
Can she turn her back when her own child is hurting?
And yet a woman forgetting her child
is a lot more likely than me forgetting you.
Look here and see,
I have written your name on the palm of my hand.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 131

LORD, I am not too full of myself.
I don’t set my sights too high.
I don’t try to get involved in things
that are out of my league
or beyond my capabilities.
What I have done, LORD, is look after my soul.
Like a mother tenderly calming a young child,
I have calmed my soul to a quiet peace.
May all your people put their hope in you, LORD,
from now on, and forevermore.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

How should you think of us? Think of us only as servants of the Messiah, and as those whose job it is to handle the mysteries of God’s business. Now the basic expectation of anyone who is given such a job is that they can be trusted with it. For myself, I couldn’t care less whether you or any other mob think I measure up. I don’t even try to judge myself. I am not aware of any black marks against my name, but that doesn’t prove anything. It is only what the Lord thinks of me that matters. Therefore, don’t go jumping the gun and trying to tally the score before time’s up, before the Lord arrives. He will shine a spotlight on things that are now hidden under the cover of darkness, and what really makes us tick will be out in the open for all to see. Then, and only then, will each person receive the thumbs-up from God for the things they’ve done well.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said:
“No one can play on two teams.
You’ll either give your best to one
and under-perform for the other,
or short-change one
and give your heart and soul for the other.
You can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success.
“So I’m telling you, don’t go worrying about your life, about where your next meal is coming from or what you will find to drink. Don’t stress about what you look like or whether you’ve got the right clothes to wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it? And the body is not just a clothes rack, is it? Look at the birds flying around. They don’t do any farming. They don’t stock up the pantry with extra supplies. And yet the one who conceived you in heaven feeds them. You are worth more than they are, aren’t you? So what good does worrying do you? It won’t make you live any longer - not even an hour - will it?
“And why do you worry about what to wear? Think about the wild flowers. They grow without ever shopping or sewing a stitch. But you can take it from me that they are clothed more perfectly than even a princess at a royal wedding. If God takes such care over dressing the wildflowers, which bloom today and are mown down and composted tomorrow, how much more care will God take to make sure that you have the clothes you need? Yet you find it hard to trust!
“So don’t get all anxious and go asking, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘Where will we find a drink?’ or ‘What on earth will we wear?’ It is the people who don’t put their trust in God who put all their energy into these things. You can rest assured that the one who conceived you in heaven knows perfectly well that you need these things. So you can make your first priority the new culture of God and doing the right thing, God’s way, and all these other things will be taken care of for you.
“So don’t stress out about tomorrow. Just deal with the troubles of today, and leave tomorrow’s worries until they come.”
©2008 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you show compassion to your suffering ones
and have written our names on the palm of your hands.
You created the earth and all its creatures,
clothing even the grass of the fields in splendour
and bringing forth abundant food,
even for the birds of the air.
You found your people imprisoned in darkness
and through Moses and the prophets,
you called them to freedom
and led them by springs of water.
In your child, Jesus, you have come to us again,
teaching us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
When he was killed by those
who serve wealth and power,
you raised him to life again
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.
Therefore with .....
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
in whom you have taught us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
You raised him to life
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you show compassion to your suffering ones
and have written our names on the palm of your hands.
You created the earth and all its creatures,
clothing even the grass of the fields in splendour
and bringing forth abundant food,
even for the birds of the air.
You found your people imprisoned in darkness
and through Moses and the prophets,
you called them to freedom
and led them by springs of water.
In your child, Jesus, you have come to us again,
teaching us to entrust our souls to you
and to seek first your kingdom
and its righteousness and justice for all.
When he was killed by those
who serve wealth and power,
you raised him to life again
so that his light might shine in the darkness
and bring all the earth to freedom.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

It is the Lord’s judgement alone that matters,
and God will no more write us off
than will a mother write off her nursing child.
God has sent comfort and a word of compassion,
”Come out of darkness and be free.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, as servants of Christ
and stewards of God’s mysteries.
Strive firstly for the kingdom of God
and its righteousness and justice.
Do not be anxious, but calm your soul within you
and do not condemn, even yourselves.
And may God generously provide all you need;
May Christ Jesus guide you in the ways of light;
And may the Holy Spirit fill you with comfort and hope.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2008 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Proper 6 - Year B
2036-06-15 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13

After King Saul had broken the command of the LORD, he went home to Gibeah, and Samuel the prophet went to Ramah, and they never again set eyes on each other. Samuel was filled with grief over what Saul had become, and the LORD regretted having ever made Saul king over Israel.
One day the LORD said to Samuel, “It is time for you to get over your misery about Saul. I have had a gutful of him and I am going to end his reign. Fill up your flask with olive oil ready to anoint a new king. Go to Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse there, for I have chosen one of his sons to be my king.”
Samuel protested, “How can I do that? If Saul gets wind of it he will kill me.”
But the LORD replied, “Take a calf with you and tell everyone that you have come to a hold a feast offered in honour of me, the LORD. Invite Jesse and his family to join you for the feast, and then I will let you know what to do next. I will pick out one of Jesse’s sons, and you are to pour the oil on his head to mark him out as the next king.”
Samuel followed the LORD’s instructions and went to Bethlehem. The town officials were unnerved by his arrival, and went out to meet him asking, “What brings you to town? Have we done something wrong, or are you just passing through in peace?”
Samuel replied, “Nothing’s wrong. I am here to offer a feast to the LORD. Go and prepare yourselves properly and then come and join me for the occasion.”
Samuel also invited Jesse and his family to the feast and instructed them to prepare themselves properly. When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, and thought to himself, “He has got to be the one the LORD has chosen.”
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t be fooled by how big and impressive he looks. He is not the man for me, because I, the LORD, am not impressed by the same things that impress you people. People judge others by their outward appearance, but I look beneath that and see what makes them tick.”
Then Jesse introduced Samuel to his next son, Abinadab, but Samuel said, “No, this is not the one the LORD sent me to find.”
Jesse introduced his next son, Shammah, but Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD sent me to find either.”
Jesse introduced seven sons to Samuel, but Samuel was convinced that none of them was the one the LORD had chosen. So he asked Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”
Jesse replied, “My youngest boy is not here. He is out on the farm taking care of some sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send someone to get him as quickly as possible, for we will not sit down to this meal until he arrives.”
So Jesse sent someone to get his youngest son, David, and bring him to the feast. David was a good-looking, fresh-faced kid, and his eyes were full of life. As soon as he walked in, the LORD said, “Samuel, get up and anoint him, because this is the one I have chosen.”
So Samuel took out his flask of oil and poured it on David’s head in full view of his brothers. The Spirit of the LORD took hold of David and was powerfully at work in him from that moment on. With his mission accomplished, Samuel got up and headed back home to Ramah.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 20

Be there for your chosen ones when trouble hits, LORD.
Use the influence of your name to protect them!
Send help from your sacred home,
and give them support from Mount Zion.
Remember all they have given you in the past,
and treasure the gifts they have offered up to you.
Give them their heart’s desire, LORD,
and make all their plans come out right.
Prove yourself a winner and set them cheering;
inspire them to fly your flag and chant your name.
Give them all they ask for, LORD.
We know you will help your chosen ones, LORD;
you will reach out your hand from heaven
and answer their prayers with a great victory.
Some people get arrogant about their military might,
or the resources at their disposal,
but the only thing we put our pride in, O LORD our God,
is belonging to you and bearing your name.
That mob are heading for disaster,
but we will come out on top and stand proud.
Give victory to your chosen ones, LORD;
be there for us when we call.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 5: 6-17

As long as we remain living out our daily lives here in our bodies, we are not able to go and be with the Lord. All the same, we remain full of confidence, because it is what we put our trust in that keeps us on track, not what our eyes tell us. So we are confident all right — you bet we are — and if we could have our way we would rather pull up stumps, leave our bodies behind us, and go home to be with the Lord. But in truth, nothing really hangs on whether we are here or there. The only thing that really matters is that we set our sights on pleasing the Lord. At the end of the day, every one of us will have to front up before Christ when he sits down at the pay desk to judge our work. We will be paid what we deserve for the way we have lived our daily lives here in our bodies, whether we have done right, or done wrong.
Therefore, knowing our place before the Lord, we do our best to get the message through to others. But of course, God already knows us inside out, and I hope that in your heart of hearts you have got the full picture on us too. We are not trying to blow our own trumpet here. Instead we want to give you the chance to boast about us so that you can set the record straight with those who are always gloating about how good they are, when all they are doing is putting on a good face and hiding what is really going on inside. When we seem to be off our heads, we are just letting it all hang out for God. When we seem to have our heads on straight, we are taking care for your sakes. Indeed, it is the love of Christ that drives us on; because we are inspired by his example of one laying down his life for everybody else. When he died, we all died. He died for everybody, so that those who live might be set free from living as slaves to their own selfish desires, and might instead live for him who died for them and was raised to life for them.
Because of all this, nowadays we are careful not to assume that people are nothing more than what our eyes and ears tell us about them. In the past we made that mistake with Christ, but we now know a lot more of him than our eyes or ears alone could detect. Whenever anyone unites themselves to Christ, something new is created. What that person was becomes a thing of the past; they get a whole new start in life!
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 4: 26-34

Jesus used some stories to teach his followers, saying, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of God. A bloke empties a few packets of veggie seeds all over his back yard, and then just goes about his business, night and day, without giving them a second thought. The seeds sprout and grow, but the bloke has got no idea how it happens. Nature does the job, all by itself. First the shoots pop up, then before long the plants take shape, and then one day there is a bumper crop of veggies in the back yard. And once they are ripe, it doesn’t matter that the bloke doesn’t know how it happened. It’s not going to stop him going out into the yard with his knife and picking himself a feast at harvest time.”
Jesus also said, “What else can we compare the culture of God with? How can we picture it? It is a bit like a mustard seed. When it gets planted in the garden, it is so small, you wouldn’t even know it was there. But once planted, it grows into a huge weed. It goes berserk and starts throwing out branches big enough that a flock of galahs could build nests in its shade!”
Jesus used lots of these sort of illustrations to get the message through to the people. Everything he had to say to them was said in stories, but when he was alone with his closest followers, he explained things in more detail.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.
The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

Ezekiel 17:22-24

This is what the Lord GOD says:
I will personally choose a sprig
from the crown of a towering tree
and cut it loose.
I will get one with tender leaves
from among the new growth at the very top.
I will plant it myself
on top of the highest mountain.
I will plant it
on the great mountain of Israel
so that it may grow to be a mighty tree
with massive branches and loads of fruit.
Birds of every kind will find shelter in it,
building nests in its shady branches.
Everything that flies will be up there!
Then every tree in every field will know for sure
that I am the LORD.
I cut down the big trees
and raise up the little ones.
I wither the lush green trees,
and make the dry ones flourish again.
I the LORD give you my word on this,
and I do what I say.
©2009 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15

It is a privilege to be able to publicly thank you, LORD,
to sing your praises and put your name up in lights.
It is great to start the day singing about your rock-solid love,
with a full band ringing out the tune,
and to end it thanking you for being so loyal and trustworthy,
accompanying our praise with guitars.
For you, O LORD, have given us so much to be happy about;
what you have done with your own hands
sets us singing and dancing for joy.
People who always do the right thing by others
will thrive like a tropical rainforest
and grow strong like a river redgum.
They have put down their roots in your soil, LORD,
and they will brighten up your temple like flowers.
Even when they grow old they will still be fruitful,
healthy and vibrant and pulsing with life.
They are a credit to you, LORD,
proving for all to see that you are straight and true.
You are our rock,
and there is nothing rotten or crooked in you.
©2009 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your kingdom grows from the smallest beginnings,
and you have given us all a home in the shelter of your love.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and from the tiniest seeds, you filled the earth with life.
You called your people to walk by faith, not by sight,
and you anointed faithful rulers to lead them in your ways.
Your child, Jesus, came among us
sharing stories of your love and grace
and teaching us the mysteries of your kingdom.
He died at the hands of those who take pride in brute force,
and in his death, all have died.
But you raised him to life for us,
and in him everything has become new.
Now we are confident that you will grant
our heart’s true desire:
to be at home with you forever.
Therefore with .....
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who shared stories of your kingdom
and who died so that we might no longer live for ourselves,
but live as new creations in him
who you raised to life for us
and made all things new.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your kingdom grows from the smallest beginnings,
and you have given us all a home in the shelter of your love.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and from the tiniest seeds, you filled the earth with life.
You called your people to walk by faith, not by sight,
and you anointed faithful rulers to lead them in your ways.
Your child, Jesus, came among us
sharing stories of your love and grace
and teaching us the mysteries of your kingdom.
He died at the hands of those who take pride in brute force,
and in his death, all have died.
But you raised him to life for us,
and in him everything has become new.
Now we are confident that you will grant
our heart’s true desire:
to be at home with you forever.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord does not see as we see, but looks on the heart.
If anyone is in Christ,
there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
everything has become new.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out, and live no longer for yourselves,
but for him who died and was raised for you.
Walk by faith, not by sight,
and judge others only by the integrity of their hearts.
Make it your aim to please the Lord,
and to persuade others of the love of Christ.
And may God answer you in times of trouble and protect you;
May Christ Jesus grant you your heart’s desire;
and may the Holy Spirit take hold of you mightily from this day forward.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Feeling like a Weed?A sermon on Mark 4:26-34 & Ezekiel 17: 22-24 by Nathan Nettleton

Faithfully UnderwhelmingA sermon on Mark 4: 26-34, 1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13 & 2 Corinthians 5: 6-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Weeds Overgrowing a Crumbling EmpireA sermon on Mark 4:26-34 & Ezekiel 17: 22-24 by Nathan Nettleton

7th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A
2038-02-21 00:00 - 23:59, 2041-02-24 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Leviticus 19: 1-2, 9-18

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Gather 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.
When you harvest the crops on your land, you are not to be too thorough. Whether it is your grain fields, your vineyards, or your orchards, just go over them once and don’t go back for anything you dropped or missed. You are to leave it so that the poor and the refugees can come and gather what they need. Why? Because I am the LORD your God.
You are not to steal; you are not to swindle anybody; and you are not to deceive one another. And you are not to drag my name through the mud by quoting it to convince someone that you are being honest when you are not. Why? Because I am the LORD.
You are not to commit fraud or theft to get your hands on what rightly belongs to someone else. You are not to hold back the wages of your workers beyond their regular pay day. You are not to take advantage of the disabilities of others, or to make them the butt of cruel jokes. Why? Because if you do, you’ll have me to answer to, and I am the LORD.
You 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.
You 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.
©2006 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 33-40

LORD, teach me the way of life you have set for us
and I will stick to it for keeps.
Help me to get my head around what you want
and I will throw myself wholeheartedly into doing it.
Guide me down the track you’ve mapped out for us,
for nothing pleases me more than being where you want me.
Keep me focussed on the values you’ve spelt out;
don’t let me get sucked into grabbing everything for myself.
Put the blinkers on me so I see only your life-giving ways
and am not distracted by fashionable froth and bubble.
Reassure me that I am in on what you promised to all
who respect you and work for you.
Protect me with your good teachings
so that I won’t disgrace myself as I fear I could.
See how much I long to do things your way;
please do the right thing by me and give me real life.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 3: 10-11, 16-23

You lot are God’s building, and God equipped me and entrusted me with the task of laying the foundations like an expert master builder. The next job – building on the foundations – was given to someone else. But each builder has to work off the same plan. They can’t just build any old which way. They can’t start again because the foundation is already down and the building must fit the foundation. And in this case, the foundation is none other than Jesus the Messiah.
Don’t you realise what kind of building you lot are? You are God’s sacred temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. Anyone who ruins God’s temple can expect to be ruined by God. For God’s temple is to be kept sacred and undefiled, and you lot are that temple.
So don’t kid yourselves. If you pride yourselves on a reputation for wisdom and knowledge, you would be better off losing it and being written off as fools. That would be the first step to becoming truly wise, because the kind of wisdom that is all the rage these days is dismissed by God as complete rot. As the scriptures say:
“The Lord watches the clever get tangled up
in their own cleverness,”
and in another place:
“The Lord knows what the think tanks are thinking,
and it is all a lot of hot air!”
So don’t waste your time trying to big-note yourselves by dropping the names of your favourite leaders. You have already been given everything you could possibly want or need, whether it be me or Apollos or Simon Peter, or even the world, life, death, the present, or the future. Everything already belongs to you, and you belong to the Messiah, and the Messiah belongs to God.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 5: 38-48

Continuing his teaching on new standards of integrity for his followers, Jesus said, “You know that the law put a limit on retaliation: ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ Well, I am telling you to expect a bit more of yourselves than just that. When others are doing the wrong thing, don’t come down to their level. Don’t take the law into your own hands at all. If someone gives you a smack around the ear to humiliate you, stand tall and stick your chin out, and invite them to have another crack. Absorb the hostility – don’t escalate it. Or if someone takes you to court and demands the shirt off your back, drop your pants and hand over those as well. And if someone pulls rank and orders you to carry his pack for the next mile, show him up by going the second mile as well.
“If people are begging for your help, give it generously, and don’t be stingy with anyone who asks you for a loan.
“You know that the law said ‘Charity begins at home; love your neighbour’, and it has always been accepted that ‘hate our enemies’ follows from that. Well, it doesn’t, so I am telling you to lift your standards. I want you to love our enemies. I want you to pray for the welfare of those who try to make your life a misery. That way you will clearly be the offspring of the God who conceived you in heaven; the God who lets the sun shine on the scum of the earth and the salt of the earth alike, and the rain fall equally on those who always do the right thing and on those who are always crooked and corrupt. Loving the people who love you and treat you well is no big deal, is it? Why would you expect a medal for that? Even the low-life pimps and pushers can do that much. Being friendly to your friends and neighbours does not show that you are any better than anyone else. The most godless foreigner can do that much just as well.
“Keep aiming to do better. Model yourselves on your Father in heaven who loves without limits or boundaries. Aim to love like that and settle for nothing less.”
©2011 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your love and wisdom are perfect,
but the wisdom of this world is foolishness to you.
You laid the foundations of the earth
and built a people to be your holy temple.
Through the law you taught us to walk in your ways,
to love one another and provide for all equally,
just as you graciously make the sun to shine
and rain to fall on good and bad a like.
When we became caught in the futility
of selfishness and vengefulness,
you sent your child, Jesus,
as the new foundation
on which to rebuild a holy temple
of perfect love that goes beyond the demands of the law.
When he was put to death,
you raised hm to new life
and placed all things in his hands
to share with all who belong to him.
Therefore with .....
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who came as the new foundation
on which you are rebuilding a holy temple
of perfect love that goes far beyond
the wisdom of this world which is foolishness to you.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your love and wisdom are perfect,
but the wisdom of this world is foolishness to you.
You laid the foundations of the earth
and built a people to be your holy temple.
Through the law you taught us to walk in your ways,
to love one another and provide for all equally,
just as you graciously make the sun to shine
and rain to fall on good and bad a like.
When we became caught in the futility
of selfishness and vengefulness,
you sent your child, Jesus,
as the new foundation
on which to rebuild a holy temple
of perfect love that goes beyond the demands of the law.
When he was put to death,
you raised hm to new life
and placed all things in his hands
to share with all who belong to him.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The God who makes the sun shine and the rain fall
on the righteous and the unrighteous alike,
does not withold mercy from any who ask.
Complete forgiveness is yours
for you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, knowing that your are God’s holy temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you.
Therefore, love your enemies,
pray for those who persecute you
give generously to all who need your help,
and be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,
And may God give you all things in Christ;
May Christ Jesus be the foundation of all you are and do;
And may the Spirit fill you with delight in all God’s ways.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Salvation and RetaliationA sermon on Matthew 5: 38-48 by Nathan Nettleton

Utopian Nonsense (or the way of Jesus)?A sermon on Matthew 5: 38-48 by Nathan Nettleton

Not Letting the Bastards Define YouA sermon on Matthew 5: 38-48 by James Alison

8th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A
2038-02-28, 2041-03-03

9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A
2038-03-07, 2068-03-04
This occasion only occurs in 2038 for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday.
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

Deuteronomy 11: 18-21, 26-28

Moses said to the people:
“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.
“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.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 31: 1-5, 19-24

I look to you for refuge, LORD;
don’t let me be dragged through the mud.
You promised justice – save me!
Give me your ear – I’m crying for help;
rescue me before it’s too late.
Be a secure refuge for me,
a bomb shelter where I can hide.
Your solid walls protect me from danger;
lead me and guide me so I’ll be a credit to you;
keep me clear of pitfalls and traps.
You are the only refuge I trust, LORD;
I put my life in your hands.
You are a faithful God,
and you have saved me.
Your goodness is rich and free;
available to all who respect you and trust you.
Out in the open, for all to see,
you stockpile blessings for those in your care.
You shelter them yourself, LORD,
keeping them safe from vindictive plots.
You give them a safe hiding place,
sheltered from malicious talk.
You are the greatest, LORD;
and you proved yourself when I needed you.
When I was surrounded by a violent mob,
your love protected me like a solid wall.
At first I panicked;
I thought you had given up on me.
But you were there in a flash
when I cried out for help.
I call on all your people to give you their love, LORD.
You keep the faithful safe
and repay the arrogant as they deserve.
I say to myself, “Be strong, tough it out,”
as I wait with my trust in you, LORD.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28, (29-31)

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.”
This 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.
So 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 7: 21-29

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!’
“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!”
When 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!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for by grace you have justified and redeemed us
and become our refuge and strength.
In the first of your works you created the universe
and everything that moves on the earth.
When you sent a flood to purge the earth of corruption,
you made a covenant with your servant Noah
and saved every family of living creatures.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us,
to teach us with authority how to live by your words
and be welcomed into your kingdom.
When he was killed by those who were filled with violence,
you raised him with power from the dead
and called everyone to put their faith in him.
To all who hear your invitation and act on it
you give the gift of righteousness in your presence
and redemption in and through Christ Jesus.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your grace
in which you have justified and redeemed us
and become our refuge and strength,
even though we had becoe corrupt and fallen short of your glory.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for by grace you have justified and redeemed us
and become our refuge and strength.
In the first of your works you created the universe
and everything that moves on the earth.
When you sent a flood to purge the earth of corruption,
you made a covenant with your servant Noah
and saved every family of living creatures.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us,
to teach us with authority how to live by your words
and be welcomed into your kingdom.
When he was killed by those who were filled with violence,
you raised him with power from the dead
and called everyone to put their faith in him.
To all who hear your invitation and act on it
you give the gift of righteousness in your presence
and redemption in and through Christ Jesus.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,
but through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
we are forgiven and justified
as a gift of his grace.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and build your lives on the solid rock
of Christ’s words, heard and put into action.
Do not be ashamed of the gospel,
but live by faith
and find your refuge and strength in God.
And may God be known to you in the stillness;
May Christ Jesus be the solid foundation of your lives;
And may the Holy Spirit give you courage,
even when the earth is shaken around you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

The Blessing of Homeland
A sermon on Deuteronomy 11:8-12, 18-21, 27-28 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 4 - Year C
2040-06-03, 2043-05-31
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

1 Kings 18: 20-21 (22-29) 30-39

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?”
But there was silence. No one moved one way or the other.
So 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.”
The gathered crowd thought this was a great idea.
Elijah 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.”
So 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.
Come 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.”
So 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.
Then 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.
At 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.”
With 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!”
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 96

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

Galatians 1:1-12

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.
I 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!
I 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!
Does 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.
Let 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.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 7: 1-10

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.”
Jesus 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.”
When 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.”
And sure enough, when the commander’s messengers got back to the house, they found the slave back on his feet, a picture of health.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.
The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

1 Kings 8: 22-23, 41-43

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:
“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.
And 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.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 96: 1-9

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD;
singing to you with all the earth.
Every mention of your name sets us singing your praises.
We never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;
all over the world, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;
everyone we meet hears us giving the credit to you.
You are the greatest, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!
When it comes to gods, you are in a league of your own;
all other objects of devotion are powerless.
But you, LORD, created the whole cosmos;
you are surrounded by majesty and celebration;
strength and beauty are signs of your presence.
People of every race and creed recognise you, LORD;
they recognise you behind all that is strong and true;
they name you as the one who deserves all the glory.
We offer ourselves to you, LORD;
we fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;
with all the earth, we celebrate you alone.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
and to tell of your salvation from day to day
and declare your glory and your marvelous works to all.
You made the heavens and established the earth,
and revealed yourself through your law and prophets
to be a God of glory and strength
who answers the cries of your people.
Though we were not worthy to receive you,
for we turned our backs on your grace
and limped off after worthless other gods,
you came to us in your child, Jesus,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness.
When we turned against him,
he gave himself into our hands
as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
and when we crucified him,
you raised him from the dead,
and sent down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
Therefore with .....
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who came to us as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness
and sending down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and to tell of your salvation from day to day
and declare your glory and your marvelous works to all.
You made the heavens and established the earth,
and revealed yourself through your law and prophets
to be a God of glory and strength
who answers the cries of your people.
Though we were not worthy to receive you,
for we turned our backs on your grace
and limped off after worthless other gods,
you came to us in your child, Jesus,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness.
When we turned against him,
he gave himself into our hands
as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
and when we crucified him,
you raised him from the dead,
and sent down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus gave himself freely for our sins
to set us free from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father,
and to turn our hearts back to righteousness and truth.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

If the Lord is God, go now, and follow him,
and do not be tempted to share your loyalty with other gods.
Stay true to the gospel that has been revealed to you in Jesus.
Call on the name of the Lord,
tell of God’s salvation from day to day,
and live in righteousness and truth.
And may God bring you grace and peace;
May Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up,
and may the Holy Spirit’s fiery glory strengthen your hearts.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Followers or Fans?
A sermon on Luke 6:39 – 7:10 by Nathan Nettleton
A Different Gospel?
A sermon on Galatians 1:1-12; 1 Kings 18:20-39 & Luke 7:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 5 - Year B
2042-06-08 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15)

A gathering of the most influential people of Israel made arrangements to meet with the prophet Samuel at Ramah and present their demands. They said to him, “You are getting too old to lead the nation, and the way your sons are going, they’ll never be up to it. It is time for a change of system. We want you to appoint a king to deal out justice for us. Every other nation has a king, and we want one too.”
Samuel was horrified by their demand for a king and he went straight to the LORD in prayer about it. But the LORD answered him saying, “Go ahead and give them what they want. It is not only you they are turning their backs on; it’s me. They don’t want me as their ruler. This has been going on ever since I rescued them from their slave-drivers in Egypt. Over and over again they have turned their backs on me and run off after other gods. Now they are doing the same thing to you. So go ahead and give them what they want, but before you do, spell out to them in no uncertain terms what kings are really like once they are in power.”
So Samuel went back to the people who were demanding a king and passed on the LORD’s message. He said, “Let me warn you what sort of ‘justice’ your king will deal out once he takes power. He will conscript your sons into his army, some as foot soldiers, some as drivers, some on horseback. He will appoint officers of various ranks to give them orders and lead them off to war. Of those who do not go off to war, he will press some into service on his farms to produce food for the troops, and others he will put to work manufacturing weapons and equipment. He will take your daughters too and set them to work cooking and baking and powdering the noses of the noblewomen.
“He will seize the best of your land, your best fields, vineyards and olive orchards, and hand them over to his cronies. He will tax you heavily, taking a big cut of everything you produce and giving it to the freeloaders who serve him as officers and officials. He will help himself to the best of everything you have, your workers, your livestock, your equipment, everything. He will be constantly looking to squeeze a bit more out of you. It will be like being slaves all over again. Then you’ll be sorry and you’ll be begging to be rescued from your king, but it was your idea to have a king, so there will be no point expecting the LORD to do anything about it.”
But everything Samuel said fell on deaf ears and the people continued to say, “No! Our mind is made up. We want a king and we will have a king. We want to be just like the other nations with a king to rule over us and rally the troops and lead us into war.”
So Samuel said to the people, “Come on then. Let’s go to Gilgal and set a king on a throne for you.”
So all the people gathered at Gilgal and there at the sacred site they crowned Saul as their first king. They offered up sacrifices to the LORD, asking for success and prosperity. When it was done, King Saul and all the Israelite people celebrated long and hard.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 138

Thank you, LORD, thank you!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
I will stand and sing your praises
in the face of every would-be god!
Wherever I am, I turn towards your holy Temple
and fall to my knees in gratitude,
thanking you for your rock-solid love and loyalty;
With everything you say and everything you do
your reputation continues to go through the roof.
The minute I called, you were there for me,
you put steel in my spine,
gave me the guts to go on.
When the things you have been saying sink in, LORD,
all the earth’s powerful rulers will give credit to you.
They’ll join the party, singing and dancing in your honour,
celebrating the wonderful things you do.
As great as you are,
you never think of ordinary people as beneath you,
but you don’t waste your time
on those who are pretentious and stuck-up.
Although I must often walk into dangerous situations,
you protect me from hatred and hostility;
your invisible hand is always there, keeping me safe.
You, LORD, have made plans for me
and you will see them through to completion.
Your love is as timeless and dependable as the rock;
you have made us what we are
and you never give up on us.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Why do we speak as we do? We have the same kind of faith as the psalm-writer who said, “What I say is what I believe.” We are no different. We say these things because that’s what we believe. We are quite sure that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead is not going to stop there. God is also going to raise us and you and reunite us all, together with Jesus. So, yes, everything that God is doing is ultimately for your benefit. God’s extravagant generosity just keeps reaching out further and further to more and more people, and so the flood-tide of gratitude just keeps swelling and all the glory goes to God. And rightly so.
That’s why we never feel like chucking in the towel. We might look like we are going downhill fast, and it’s true that our bodies are falling apart on us, but on the inside we’ve never been better and God seems to be making us stronger and stronger every day. This run of trouble that we’re copping at the moment is really no big deal in the scheme of things, and it will make the final, infinitely jackpotted prize of glory all the sweeter.
We don’t worry about how things look on the surface because the things that really matter aren’t visible. The things you can see won’t last long anyway, but these things you can’t see are rock solid forever. We know that the bodies we live in now are like flimsy tents and soon enough, they’ll be blown away. But no problem. Then we will get to move into the houses that God is giving us. They haven’t been knocked up by amateurs; they’ve been built by God to last forever in paradise.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 3: 20-35

Jesus was at home with his followers when once again such a big crowd gathered around the house that they couldn’t even get out to buy food. There was a rumour going round that Jesus was losing the plot, and when his family heard what was going on, they set out to take him in hand. The religious experts from Jerusalem had arrived too, and they were ready to give their opinion: “He has gone over to Beelzebul,” they said. “It’s all black magic. His power over the demons comes straight from the supreme commander of the demons.”
But Jesus gathered the people around him and responded with a riddle. “If there is an attempt to expel the satan from our midst, could his own evil finger-pointing be driving the purge? Think about it. When an empire breaks into factions that undermine one another, it collapses. When a team is split and at war with itself, it all comes crashing down. So if the satan’s mob are divided because they have turned on their own, then he has shot himself in the foot and his game is over.
“The fact is, no one can raid the house of a violent thug and carry off his belongings without first dealing with the thug himself. But if you can disarm him and tie him up, then you can help yourself to everything in his house.
“I kid you not, people will be forgiven for all their toxic ways, even the most despicable things they have said or done. But those who spit in the face of the Holy Spirit when they see the good things that God is doing have gone too far. There is no turning around once you go down that slippery slope.” Jesus said this in response to allegations that he had teamed up with the forces of evil.
When his mother and his brothers arrived, they sent a message in to let him know they had come for him. The crowd sitting around him inside passed on the message, saying, “Your mother and your brothers are outside and they want to see you.”
But Jesus replied, saying, “Who are they?” And looking around at those who were with him, he said, “Here are my true family! My brothers and sisters and mothers are those who are doing what God wants.”
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.
The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

Genesis 3: 8-15

In the cool of the evening breeze, Adam and Eve heard the LORD God walking towards them in the garden. They panicked and hid behind the some trees, trying to avoid coming face to face with the LORD God. But the LORD God was looking for them, and called out to them, saying, “Where are you?”
The man said, “I heard you coming through the garden and I panicked because I was stark naked, so I dived for cover.”
The LORD God asked, “Who pointed out that you were naked? It never bothered you before. Have you eaten fruit from the tree that I clearly told you not to eat from?”
The man said, “It wasn’t my fault. You put this woman here with me. She gave me the fruit and I ate it.”
So the LORD God turned to the woman and said, “What’s the story? What have you done?”
The woman replied, “I was tricked into eating it by the snake.”
So the LORD God passed sentence on each of them, beginning with the snake, saying,
“A curse upon you for what you have done.
You of all the animals, cursed!
You of all the wild creatures, cursed!
Down on your belly you go!
Face down: you can eat dust
for the rest of your life!
You and the woman will be sworn enemies.
There will always be war
between your offspring and hers.
Her offspring will go for your head
and you will go for his heel.
©2014 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 130

From the depths of despair, from rock bottom,
I cry to you, O LORD.
I beg you to listen!
Please tune in and hear what I’m asking!
If you put black marks against our names
for every failing,
Lord, wouldn’t you have to write off everyone?
But forgiveness is much more your style,
and for this we adore you.
I wait in eager anticipation for your presence, LORD.
Everything inside me yearns for you
and your promises fill me with hope.
Deep in my guts there is a hunger for you, LORD,
more pressing than a woman
waiting for the birth of her baby,
more impatient than a child
waiting for a birthday;
crossing off the days, one by one.
O People of Israel, put your trust in the LORD!
The LORD’s love never lets us down,
and is always ready to rescue us from danger.
It is the Lord who will bail us out
when we are caught in the consequences
of our own sin.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever
and your Word is exalted above everything.
The Earth is the work of your hands,
and you redeemed for yourself a people out of slavery.
Though you sent prophets to warn them,
they rejected you and clamoured for a king,
When kings had done their worst
and we were mired in unspeakable blasphemies,
you sent your child, Jesus,
to walk with us in the midst of trouble
and extend your grace to all.
When Jesus was condemned as unclean, and crucified
it seemed that the ruler of demons had won,
but you raised Jesus from the dead,
binding death’s strong man
and plundering his divided house.
So now we do not lose heart
for you are preparing us for glory beyond measure
as the family of our Lord forever.
Therefore with .....
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
for you raised him from the dead,
binding death’s strong man
and plundering his divided house.
So now we do not lose heart
for you are preparing us for glory beyond measure
as the family of our Lord forever.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever
and your Word is exalted above everything.
The Earth is the work of your hands,
and you redeemed for yourself a people out of slavery.
Though you sent prophets to warn them,
they rejected you and clamoured for a king,
When kings had done their worst
and we were mired in unspeakable blasphemies,
you sent your child, Jesus,
to walk with us in the midst of trouble
and extend your grace to all.
When Jesus was condemned as unclean, and crucified
it seemed that the ruler of demons had won,
but you raised Jesus from the dead,
binding death’s strong man
and plundering his divided house.
So now we do not lose heart
for you are preparing us for glory beyond measure
as the family of our Lord forever.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Truly I tell you, your sins will be forgiven
for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever,
and the work of God’s hands will not be forsaken.
Christ Jesus has bound the ruler of demons
and broken us free from the house of sin.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, praising God’s name with your whole heart.
Rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit,
even when others call it evil and denounce you as mad.
Be the true brothers and sisters of Jesus
by doing the will of God always.
And may God extend grace to you and through you;
May Christ Jesus walk with you in the midst of trouble;
and may the Holy Spirit prepare you for glory beyond all measure.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Ties that BindA sermon on Mark 3: 20-35 by Nathan Nettleton

How Satan Casts Out SatanA sermon on Mark 3: 20-35 by Nathan Nettleton

To Reign Over Us?A sermon on 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15 & Mark 3:20-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Family: Painfully Difficult Good NewsA sermon on Mark 3: 20-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 3 - Year C
2046-05-27
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.

Sirach 27: 4-7

When grain is put through a sieve,
you find out how much rubbish was in it.
It’s the same when a person starts talking.
Whatever rubbish they are full of is soon out in the open.
The heat of the kiln tests a potter’s work for hidden faults.
What a person is made of is tested in the heat of conversation.
The quality of the fruit tells you if a tree has been looked after.
The things people have to say
reveal how they have taken care of their minds.
Don’t pump anyone up before you hear how they talk.
That’s the way the truth about people comes out.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Isaiah 55: 10-13

This is what the LORD says:
Everything I say has a powerful purpose;
no empty words ever pass my lips.
My words are like drops of rain in the cycle of nature:
wherever they fall they give life;
they replenish, renew and nourish life,
and then the earth gives them back and they start again.
My words always achieve their purpose;
they flourish where I plant them,
they nourish all who feed on them.
My Word will bring peace
and you will come home with great celebration.
The trees will line the road, clapping and singing;
the mountains will rain down ticker tape as you pass.
Where the saltbush struggled,
a redgum will take root and grow;
where noxious weeds ruled,
native orchids and daisies will bloom again.
The wilderness in all its glory will stand like a monument,
like a permanent sign of the LORD’s rich goodness.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 92: 1-4, 12-15

It is a privilege to be able to publicly thank you, LORD,
to sing your praises and put your name up in lights.
It is great to start the day singing about your rock-solid love,
with a full band ringing out the tune,
and to end it thanking you for being so loyal and trustworthy,
accompanying our praise with guitars.
For you, O LORD, have given us so much to be happy about;
what you have done with your own hands
sets us singing and dancing for joy.
People who always do the right thing by others
will thrive like a tropical rainforest
and grow strong like a river redgum.
They have put down their roots in your soil, LORD,
and they will brighten up your temple like flowers.
Even when they grow old they will still be fruitful,
healthy and vibrant and pulsing with life.
They are a credit to you, LORD,
proving for all to see that you are straight and true.
You are our rock,
and there is nothing rotten or crooked in you.
©2009 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 15: 51-58

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:
“Life wins! Death has been eaten alive!”
“You were so sure of yourself, Death,
but you turned out to be toothless.
Your bark was worse than your bite.”
Death 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!
That 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.
©2015 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 6: 39-49

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.
“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.
“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.
“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!”
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We do indeed give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your victory has swallowed up the power of death
and given our living an unshakable foundation.
Your Word went forth to create the earth,
and to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
Your Word went forth through the law and prophets
to form a people who hear and act on all you say.
Your Word went forth in your Son, Jesus Christ,
and brought forth the full fruits
that grow from the goodness of your heart.
His words unmasked hypocrisy,
disarmed the powers of death,
and laid the foundation for your Church.
Though he was killed by those
who lead others to destruction,
you raised him to life
and clothed him in immortality.
In his victory, death has lost its sting,
and we can offer you our labour
knowing that all your purposes will be accomplished.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Word which went forth to create the earth,
and to form us as a people who hear and act on all you say.
In your Son, Jesus Christ, your Word unmasked hypocrisy,
disarmed the sting of death,
and laid an unshakeable foundation for your Church.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for your victory has swallowed up the power of death
and given our living an unshakable foundation.
Your Word went forth to create the earth,
and to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
Your Word went forth through the law and prophets
to form a people who hear and act on all you say.
Your Word went forth in your Son, Jesus Christ,
and brought forth the full fruits
that grow from the goodness of your heart.
His words unmasked hypocrisy,
disarmed the powers of death,
and laid the foundation for your Church.
Though he was killed by those
who lead others to destruction,
you raised him to life
and clothed him in immortality.
In his victory, death has lost its sting,
and we can offer you our labour
knowing that all your purposes will be accomplished.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Thought the words of our mouths betray the sin in our hearts,
the words of God’s mouth will accomplish their purpose,
overcoming the sting of death
and giving us victory over sin
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and act on the words of Christ which you have heard.
Proclaim that the Lord is just.
Be steadfast and unshakeable.
Give your best to the work of the Lord,
for in Christ, your labour is not in vain.
And may God lead you out in joy and back in peace;
May Christ Jesus give you victory over the powers of death;
And may the Holy Spirit cultivate your heart and mind
to produce in you abundant fruits all your life.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Why you probably don’t need to learn more
A sermon on Luke 6:39-49 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 4 - Year B
2051-06-04 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 3: 1-10, (11-20)

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.
One 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!”
“At your service,” said Samuel, jumping up and running into Eli’s room. “You called me and here I am, at your service.”
But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”
So Samuel went and lay down again, and the LORD called out again, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up and went to Eli, saying “You called me and here I am, at your service.”
But Eli said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back to bed.”
Now 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.”
Finally 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.’ ”
So Samuel went and lay down again in the same place. The LORD came and stood alongside him, calling out as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak to me. I’m at your service, and I’m all ears.”
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.”
Samuel 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.”
“At your service,” Samuel answered.
“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.”
So 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.”
As 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

You have taken a good hard look at me, LORD,
and you know exactly what makes me tick.
You know when I’ve got my feet up and when I’m on the job;
you can read my mind like an open book.
You see where I am going and where I stop,
and you know all about what I do and why.
You know exactly what I am going to say, LORD,
even before I open my mouth.
You are in front of me, behind me, beside me;
your hand on my shoulder at every turn.
All this is more than I can get my head around;
I pinch myself, and struggle to take it in.
It was you who put me together, every part of me;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I sing your praises, LORD,
for the the way you have made me fills me with awe.
Your creative works blow my mind;
too wonderful for words.
You could see me clearly before I was born;
you watched me taking shape in the secret depths
and laid out the intricacies of nerve and muscle.
You kept your eye on me
from conception to birth.
My life lay before you like an open book
before I had even lived a day.
Your thoughts are way beyond my grasp, God,
and they add up to more than I can count.
Deeper than the oceans,
outnumbering the grains of sand;
I give up trying
but you are with me just the same.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 4: 5-12

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.
You 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.
We 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!
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 2: 23 - 3:6

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?”
But 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.”
Arriving 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.”
Then 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?”
But 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.”
The 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures, from which the first reading is usually chosen, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative.
The weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm.

Deuteronomy 5: 12-15

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.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 81: 1-10

We sing our lungs out to you, God,
for you make us strong;
we shout for joy, celebrating you,
the God of our ancestors.
Our songs ring out in your honour,
and on our instruments we make the sweetest music we can.
A trumpet blast opens the festival;
every month we celebrate your new creation.
We are your people, God, and this is our tradition;
a sacred law for every generation to follow.
You gave it to us through Joseph
when our ancestors took refuge in Egypt.
You have spoken to us in an unfamiliar voice,
reminding us that it was you who freed us from slavery
and you who lifted the burden from our backs.
When we cried out in panic, you rescued us;
from the thunder clouds you answered our plea,
and at a desert spring you called us to account.
You begged us to pay attention,
to let you set us straight;
you longed for your people to listen to you.
You warned us to steer clear of alternative gods;
to avoid offering our devotion to every new fad.
You are the LORD our God;
the God who rescued us from the land of slavery.
When we come to you with our hungers,
you fill us with all that we need.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for it was you who knit together the newborn earth
and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”
Wonderful are all your works.
In ancient times,
you spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel,
revealing to us your Word and your thoughts.
How weighty they are, O God!
How vast is the sum of them.
Now you have revealed yourself in your child, Jesus.
He made known your grief at our brokenness
and your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
When the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him,
persecuting him and striking him down,
you raised him to new life.
Now, even when we are afflicted in every way,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who made known your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
Now, even when we are afflicted,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for it was you who knit together the newborn earth
and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”
Wonderful are all your works.
In ancient times,
you spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel,
revealing to us your Word and your thoughts.
How weighty they are, O God!
How vast is the sum of them.
Now you have revealed yourself in your child, Jesus.
He made known your grief at our brokenness
and your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
When the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him,
persecuting him and striking him down,
you raised him to new life.
Now, even when we are afflicted in every way,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord has searched us and known us
and grieved over our hardness of heart.
But the Lord’s mercies are as uncountable as the sand
and we are forgiven, not through sacrifices or offerings,
but through the love and grace made known in Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and listen always for the Word of the Lord.
At all times, do good and not harm,
save life and do not destroy it.
Carry always in your bodies
the life and death of Jesus.
And may God be with you to the end.
May Christ Jesus make his life visible in you.
and may the Holy Spirit give you the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Religion 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

Crackpots or Cracked Pots?A sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 by Nathan Nettleton

9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year B
2057-03-04
This occasion next occurs in 2057 and only for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday.

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Deuteronomy 5: 12-15

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.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 81: 1-10

We sing our lungs out to you, God,
for you make us strong;
we shout for joy, celebrating you,
the God of our ancestors.
Our songs ring out in your honour,
and on our instruments we make the sweetest music we can.
A trumpet blast opens the festival;
every month we celebrate your new creation.
We are your people, God, and this is our tradition;
a sacred law for every generation to follow.
You gave it to us through Joseph
when our ancestors took refuge in Egypt.
You have spoken to us in an unfamiliar voice,
reminding us that it was you who freed us from slavery
and you who lifted the burden from our backs.
When we cried out in panic, you rescued us;
from the thunder clouds you answered our plea,
and at a desert spring you called us to account.
You begged us to pay attention,
to let you set us straight;
you longed for your people to listen to you.
You warned us to steer clear of alternative gods;
to avoid offering our devotion to every new fad.
You are the LORD our God;
the God who rescued us from the land of slavery.
When we come to you with our hungers,
you fill us with all that we need.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 4: 5-12

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.
You 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.
We 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!
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 2: 23 - 3:6

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?”
But 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.”
Arriving 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.”
Then 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?”
But 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.”
The 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

These prayers are based on a set of readings that use a different 1st reading and psalm, and will be replaced at some point.

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for it was you who knit together the newborn earth
and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”
Wonderful are all your works.
In ancient times,
you spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel,
revealing to us your Word and your thoughts.
How weighty they are, O God!
How vast is the sum of them.
Now you have revealed yourself in your child, Jesus.
He made known your grief at our brokenness
and your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
When the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him,
persecuting him and striking him down,
you raised him to new life.
Now, even when we are afflicted in every way,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who made known your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
Now, even when we are afflicted,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for it was you who knit together the newborn earth
and said, “Let light shine out of darkness.”
Wonderful are all your works.
In ancient times,
you spoke through trustworthy prophets like Samuel,
revealing to us your Word and your thoughts.
How weighty they are, O God!
How vast is the sum of them.
Now you have revealed yourself in your child, Jesus.
He made known your grief at our brokenness
and your desire to feed us
with the bread of compassion and mercy.
When the powerful and hard-hearted conspired against him,
persecuting him and striking him down,
you raised him to new life.
Now, even when we are afflicted in every way,
you shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord has searched us and known us
and grieved over our hardness of heart.
But the Lord’s mercies are as uncountable as the sand
and we are forgiven, not through sacrifices or offerings,
but through the love and grace made known in Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and listen always for the Word of the Lord.
At all times, do good and not harm,
save life and do not destroy it.
Carry always in your bodies
the life and death of Jesus.
And may God be with you to the end.
May Christ Jesus make his life visible in you.
and may the Holy Spirit give you the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2016 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Religion 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

9th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2079-03-05
This occasion next occurs in 2079 and only for churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday.

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Kings 8: 22-23, 41-43

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:
“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.
And 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.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 96: 1-9

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD;
singing to you with all the earth.
Every mention of your name sets us singing your praises.
We never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;
all over the world, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;
everyone we meet hears us giving the credit to you.
You are the greatest, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!
When it comes to gods, you are in a league of your own;
all other objects of devotion are powerless.
But you, LORD, created the whole cosmos;
you are surrounded by majesty and celebration;
strength and beauty are signs of your presence.
People of every race and creed recognise you, LORD;
they recognise you behind all that is strong and true;
they name you as the one who deserves all the glory.
We offer ourselves to you, LORD;
we fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;
with all the earth, we celebrate you alone.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 1:1-12

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.
I 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!
I 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!
Does 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.
Let 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.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 7: 1-10

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.”
Jesus 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.”
When 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.”
And sure enough, when the commander’s messengers got back to the house, they found the slave back on his feet, a picture of health.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

These prayers are based on a set of readings that use a different 1st reading and psalm, and will be replaced at some point.

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
and to tell of your salvation from day to day
and declare your glory and your marvelous works to all.
You made the heavens and established the earth,
and revealed yourself through your law and prophets
to be a God of glory and strength
who answers the cries of your people.
Though we were not worthy to receive you,
for we turned our backs on your grace
and limped off after worthless other gods,
you came to us in your child, Jesus,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness.
When we turned against him,
he gave himself into our hands
as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
and when we crucified him,
you raised him from the dead,
and sent down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
Therefore with .....
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who came to us as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness
and sending down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and to tell of your salvation from day to day
and declare your glory and your marvelous works to all.
You made the heavens and established the earth,
and revealed yourself through your law and prophets
to be a God of glory and strength
who answers the cries of your people.
Though we were not worthy to receive you,
for we turned our backs on your grace
and limped off after worthless other gods,
you came to us in your child, Jesus,
speaking the word of healing and forgiveness.
When we turned against him,
he gave himself into our hands
as a revelation of your self-sacrificing love,
and when we crucified him,
you raised him from the dead,
and sent down your Spirit in fire
to heal us and set us free from this evil age.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus gave himself freely for our sins
to set us free from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father,
and to turn our hearts back to righteousness and truth.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

If the Lord is God, go now, and follow him,
and do not be tempted to share your loyalty with other gods.
Stay true to the gospel that has been revealed to you in Jesus.
Call on the name of the Lord,
tell of God’s salvation from day to day,
and live in righteousness and truth.
And may God bring you grace and peace;
May Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up,
and may the Holy Spirit’s fiery glory strengthen your hearts.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2013 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Followers 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
