6th Sunday of Pascha - Year B
2027-05-02 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.

Acts 10:44-48

Peter was preaching in the home of Cornelius, an officer from the Italian regiment. The gathered people were taking his words to heart, and even before he had finished his speech, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. The other believers who had come with Peter were all good Jews, and they were absolutely gob-smacked when they saw that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on people who weren’t even Jewish. There was no disputing it though, because they could hear these outsiders speaking in unknown languages and singing the praises of God. Then Peter turned to his companions and said, “Can there be any justification for refusing to baptise these people into the community of Christ’s followers, when it is clear that God has treated them exactly the same as us, and given them the Holy Spirit in the same way?”
So, on Peter’s say-so, they were baptised in water into a declared allegiance to Jesus the Messiah. At their invitation, Peter stayed on in Cornelius’s home for the next few days.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98

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

1 John 5: 1-6

All those who put their trust in Jesus as the Messiah are the offspring of God. Everyone who loves the parent will also love the parent’s offspring. Loving God and loving God’s offspring are bound up together, and when we are living by the instructions God has given us, we can be sure that we are doing both. You see, the essential way to express our love for God is to follow God’s instructions for living right. There is no great difficulty in this; God’s instructions do not weigh us down. Anything that God has given birth to will win, hands down, in the struggle against the corrupt ways of the world. Our faith, expressed in love and obedience, is the sure-fire winner, and there is nothing the world can put up against it to stop its march to certain victory. Who can defeat the powers that would drag us down into the world’s mire? The one who trusts in the human Jesus as the Son of God, that’s who! When Jesus Christ came into the world, he was not just united with us in our struggle through a baptism of water, but through a baptism of blood. The Spirit is the one who has testified to all this, and the Spirit is truth itself.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 15: 9-17

Jesus said:
“I have loved you in the same way that I have been loved by the Father. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you live by the instructions I have given you, you will be living in my love. I do the same, following the instructions and living in the love of my Father. I have let you in on these things so that you can share my joy and be completely fulfilled.
“My number one instruction for you – in fact take it as an order – is this: love one another in the same way that I have loved you. No one can outdo the love that is shown by people who lay down their lives for those they love. You are my loved ones if you do what I have instructed you to do. I am not going to call you my labourers any more, because labourers just do as they’re told without knowing what the boss is on about. I now call you personal friends, because I have let you in on everything my Father has told me. But it was not you that chose to forge this friendship; it was me. I gave you the tap on the shoulder and sent you out to bear fruit, fruit that will last. And when you’re working on my behalf, you can ask for whatever you need and the Father will give it to you. I am giving you these instructions so that you can truly love one another.”
©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 you are the Lord of wonderful deeds
who fills the earth with mercy, justice and love.
You created the world and all that live there;
and the seas, rivers and hills roar their praise.
Through your people you revealed your commandments
and your merciful love to all the world.
You came among us in your beloved Son, Jesus.
who makes us your friends
by planting your word within us
and leading us to abide in your love forever.
He was crucified and buried,
but through your victorious power
he was born again from the deep waters of death,
and his resurrection power will conquer the world.
Now he is pouring out your Holy Spirit on all who believe,
without distinction,
and bringing everyone who loves you and follows your ways
to new birth as your children.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your beloved Son, Jesus,
who pours out your Holy Spirit without distinction
and makes us your friends
by planting your word within us
and leading us to abide in your love forever.
©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 are the Lord of wonderful deeds
who fills the earth with mercy, justice and love.
You created the world and all that live there;
and the seas, rivers and hills roar their praise.
Through your people you revealed your commandments
and your merciful love to all the world.
You came among us in your beloved Son, Jesus.
who makes us your friends
by planting your word within us
and leading us to abide in your love forever.
He was crucified and buried,
but through your victorious power
he was born again from the deep waters of death,
and his resurrection power will conquer the world.
Now he is pouring out your Holy Spirit on all who believe,
without distinction,
and bringing everyone who loves you and follows your ways
to new birth as your children.
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’s justice and merciful love have been revealed
through the Son, who laid down his life for all.
All who trust in Jesus as God’s Son
are given mercy for their sins
and power to overcome the ways of the world.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and bear fruit for God, fruit that will last.
As Christ has loved you, so love one another,
and abide always in God’s love,
that your joy may be complete.
And may God give you all you ask for in Christ’s name;
May Christ Jesus reveal to you God’s ways and call you his friends;
And may the Holy Spirit confirm the truth within you and make your joy complete.
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.

Do they let anyone in here?!!A sermon on Acts 10:44-48 & 1 John 5:1-6 by Nathan Nettleton

Resurrection EthicsA sermon on Acts 10: 44-48; 1 John 5: 1-6 & John 15: 9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Love: make yourself at home in itA sermon on John 15:9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Love that Overcomes the PowersA sermon on 1 John 5: 1-6 and John 15: 9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

I Call You My FriendsA sermon on John 15:9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

It doesn’t get better than this!A sermon on Acts 10: 44-48 and John 15: 9-17 by Alison Sampson

What is to Exclude Them?A sermon on Acts 8:26-40; Acts 10:44-48 & John 15:9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

‘Love as you have been loved’ and toxic masculinityA sermon about domestic violence drawing on John 15:9-17 by Nathan Nettleton

The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord
2027-05-06 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.

Acts 1: 1-11

Dear Theophilus,
In my first book, The Gospel according to Luke, I wrote an account of all that Jesus did and taught from the time he started until the day he said goodbye and was taken up to heaven. Before he left, he gathered the apostles, who he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and spelled out his final instructions.
For forty days after his suffering and death, he repeatedly showed up and proved in many ways that he really was alive again. Face to face with the apostles, he spoke with them about the culture of God. While he was still meeting and sharing meals with them, he put them on notice that they were not to leave Jerusalem yet. “Instead,” he said, “you must wait here for the gift I told you about - the gift my Father promised. You remember how John baptised with water. Well, you will be baptised with Holy Spirit in just a few days time.”
When they were all together for the last time, the apostles had one burning question: “Lord, is this the time? Will you regain our freedom now and give us our own king to reign over Israel?”
Jesus replied, “Only the Father can decide such things and the timing is none of your business. Just focus on this: the Holy Spirit will flood over you and drench you with power, giving you the passion and courage to be my witnesses. Then you will be able to tell everyone about me, in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
That was it - his last words. Right before their eyes, he was carried up into the air where he soon disappeared into the clouds. They just stood there stunned, staring into the sky. Suddenly two men appeared next to them, dressed in white robes! They said, “You Galileans! What are you standing here for, staring into the sky? Jesus has been taken into heaven, but don’t worry. He’ll be back, just as surely - and just as mysteriously - as he left.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 47

We applaud you, LORD, as everyone should;
we roar your name and sing for joy.
You are an awesome God;
number one in the universe;
the great ruler of all the earth.
You have subdued those who attacked us;
put hostile nations at our mercy.
You picked out the best land for us;
you favoured us with a prized inheritance.
Take your place at the top of the dais, LORD God,
as we sound trumpets and cheer in your honour.
You are our God, and we’ll sing your praises;
you are our ruler, and we’ll sing your praises.
You are the God who rules over all the earth;
we’ll sing your praises in all our songs.
You are the God who rules over the nations;
the throne where you sit is one of a kind.
Leaders gather from every people on earth
and, like Abraham’s descendants,
give their allegiance to you, God.
They lay down their weapons
and honour you as their ultimate superior.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 93 (alternative psalm)

LORD, you are the great ruler.
Majesty enfolds you like a royal robe
and strength radiates from you.
You have fixed the world firmly in its place.
Your throne is immovable, LORD;
ever was and ever shall be.
Surging floods have risen, O LORD,
surging up with a mighty roar;
engulfing everything in thunderous sound.
You are more impressive than the surging waters,
more powerful than the crashing waves;
you are number one in all the universe, LORD!
Whatever you say is set in stone.
The place you live, O LORD, is clearly sacred;
its holiness will outlast time.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 1: 15-23

Having heard of your deep trust in the Lord Jesus and your active love for his people, I could hardly stop thanking God for you. And I’m praying for you too. I ask the glorious God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will fill you with wisdom and insight as you get to know God. That way you’ll get a clear picture of all that God wants you to see:

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

This dynamic power is the same energy that God put to work in the Messiah when he raised him from death and enthroned him in heaven. Now the Messiah sits at God’s right hand, reigning over the entire universe, and there is not a single authority that can overrule him, now or ever. Every religious hierarchy and military regime; every legal jurisdiction and people-power movement; every economic imperative and moral principle; God has put them all under the feet of the Messiah. God has decreed that all things will answer to him. The church, then, is central to what the Messiah is doing, for it is his body, already filled with the presence of the one who is filling each and every part of the entire universe.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 24: 44-53

On the last day that Jesus was on earth after his resurrection, he said to his disciples, “The things I have said while I was with you amount to this: everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms is to be fulfilled.”
As he spoke they began to see how to read the scriptures with open minds so as to understand what God was saying in them. Jesus said to them:
“What was written will now be clear to you: that the Messiah is to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that the people of every nation must be told of the Messiah’s call to turn their lives around and receive forgiveness for their toxic ways. You can get started here in Jerusalem. You have witnessed these things first hand, so you can tell everyone what you have seen and heard. And don’t miss this: I myself am sending you the gift that my Father promised, so wait here in the city until you have been fitted out with God’s power.”
Jesus then led his disciples out as far as Bethany, where he lifted up his hands and spoke a blessing over them. Even as he was blessing them, he parted from them and was carried into heaven. Falling to their knees, they worshipped him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy and, after that, they were always in the temple praising God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have called us to a rich hope
and a glorious inheritance among the saints.
You fixed the world in place
and rule over all from your sacred throne.
You formed a people for yourself
and through Moses and the prophets you spoke to them
of the Christ who fills all in all.
As it was written, he suffered and was killed,
but you raised him from the dead
and he walked again with his chosen ones,
speaking to them of your glorious kingdom.
You carried him into heaven on the clouds
and made him head over all things for the church,
seating him at your right hand
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus,
who you carried up into heaven
and seated at your right hand
so that he might be everywhere present,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise with shouts of joy, O God,
for you have called us to a rich hope
and a glorious inheritance among the saints.
You fixed the world in place
and rule over all from your sacred throne.
You formed a people for yourself
and through Moses and the prophets you spoke to them
of the Christ who fills all in all.
As it was written, he suffered and was killed,
but you raised him from the dead
and he walked again with his chosen ones,
speaking to them of your glorious kingdom.
You carried him into heaven on the clouds
and made him head over all things for the church,
seating him at your right hand
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
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

As Jesus Christ instructed his followers,
the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name
from the holy city to the ends of the earth.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world.
and in your words and in your lives
bear witness to the Christ who has ascended
to be everywhere present.
And as you come to know him,
may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
may Christ Jesus lift up his hands and bless you,
and may the Spirit open to you all the riches of Christ’s inheritance.
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 Ascension: Christ’s superabundant presenceA sermon on Acts 1. 6-14 & John 17:1-11 by Garry Deverell

Stretching those WingsA sermon for the Feast of the Ascension by Nathan Nettleton

Not Knowing Where to LookA sermon on Acts 1: 1-11 & Luke 24: 44-53 by Nathan Nettleton

Look around you!A sermon on Acts 1: 1-11 & Luke 24: 44-53 by Alison Sampson

The Ascension of the High PriestA sermon on Acts 1: 1-11 & Luke 24: 44-53 by Nathan Nettleton

7th Sunday of Pascha - Year B
2027-05-09 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.

Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26

One day, after Jesus had been taken into heaven, there was a gathering of about one hundred twenty of his followers. Peter stood up and addressed them, saying:
“Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled. What the Holy Spirit said through David about Judas has now happened. He was one of us, taking his place alongside us in this ministry, but in the end he was the one who showed the lynch mob where to arrest Jesus.
“So we need a replacement for Judas — someone to stand with us as a primary witness to the resurrection life of Jesus. It should be someone who was in our company for the whole time Jesus was among us, right through from the day he was baptised by John to the day when he was taken into heaven.
There were two nominations: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. The group prayed saying, “Lord, you know us all, through and through. Make it clear to us which of these two you are choosing to take on the task of ministry and leadership that Judas turned his back on.” And then, trusting God, they tossed a coin. On the fall of the coin, Matthias was declared to be the twelfth apostle.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 1

LORD, how good it will be for those
who turn a deaf ear to the advocates of greed;
who steer clear of corrupt short-cuts;
and avoid those who sneer at goodness.
Instead they relish your word, LORD.
Calming their minds,
they savour the scriptures day and night.
You make them strong and healthy,
like a Redgum tree with its roots deep in a river bank,
flowering abundantly every season,
and always laden with healthy leaves.
All that they do is vibrant with life.
But what a different story it is for the wicked;
they are about as secure as dry leaves in a cyclone.
They will have no defence
when they are brought to justice,
and no friends among people of integrity.
LORD, you keep a protective eye
on all who walk a straight path of peace and justice,
but nothing will save those who leave that road.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 John 5: 9-13

If we are willing to believe what people tell us, surely we will be even more willing to put our trust in what God tells us, and we now have God’s own statement concerning his Son. Those who put their trust in the Son of God have taken to heart what God has said. Those who do not believe what God has said about his Son are in effect calling God a liar. In a nutshell, this is the message that God is asking us to believe: God gives us infinite life, and this life is received and lived in his Son. Those who accept the Son receive life, but anyone who rejects the Son of God is rejecting life itself.
My reason for writing all this to you is simple: I want to ensure that you who trust in God’s Son will know beyond any doubt that you now have life without limit.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 17: 6-19

After the supper, and after giving his final teaching to his followers, Jesus prayed to God, saying:
“Father, you have given me some followers from this world,
and I have given them the full picture of what you are like.
They were yours to begin with,
but you gave them to me,
and they have done what you asked of them.
Now they know for sure that everything I have
was given to me directly by you.
I gave my followers the same message you gave to me.
They took it on board and were convinced that I came from you. They believe that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them.
My prayer is not for this hell-bent world
but for the followers you gave me,
for they are rightfully yours.
Everything that is mine is yours,
and everything that is yours is mine,
and my image lights up in them.
I will no longer be seen in the world,
but they will continue on in the world
while I come back to you.
Holy Father, protect them
by writing your name on them,
giving them the same identity you gave me,
so that they will be one with each other,
just as you and I are one in heart and mind.
While I was with them, I kept them safe
by assigning to them the name you gave me.
I stood guard over them, and didn’t lose a single one,
except the one who was lost from the beginning,
the one whose demise showed the Scriptures to be true.
Now I am on my way to you.
I say these things while the world is still in earshot,
so that those who listen may, like me,
experience a joy that goes right off the scale.
I have given them your message,
and now this godless world can’t stand them,
because they won’t play by the world’s rules,
just as I never played by the world’s rules.
I am not asking you to take them out of the world,
but I do ask that you keep them safe from the evil one.
They don't take their cues from this world,
because my dance has a different tune.
Immerse them in truth to make them a sacred people,
for your word is the truth which makes things holy.
Just as you sent me into the world on your mission,
so now I am sending them into the world.
I have dedicated myself one hundred percent, for their sake,
so that they in turn may commit themselves totally to the truth.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have put your testimony in our hearts
so that we might know that our life is in you.
You created the earth and the heavens
and marked out the way of the upright.
Through the prophets you called us to accept life,
and none are lost to your love and protection
except those who turn to their own ways and reject life.
You sent your Son into the world
and entrusted to him those who accepted your Word.
He made you known to us
and prayed that we might share the identity you gave him
and so be one with each other in your love.
Though he was killed by this hell-bent world,
you raised him from the dead
and through your sanctifying Word of truth
you call us to share eternal life in him.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your beloved Son
to whom entrusted to him those who accepted your Word.
He made you known to us
and prayed that we might share the identity you gave him
and so be one with each other in your love.
©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 put your testimony in our hearts
so that we might know that our life is in you.
You created the earth and the heavens
and marked out the way of the upright.
Through the prophets you called us to accept life,
and none are lost to your love and protection
except those who turn to their own ways and reject life.
You sent your Son into the world
and entrusted to him those who accepted your Word.
He made you known to us
and prayed that we might share the identity you gave him
and so be one with each other in your love.
Though he was killed by this hell-bent world,
you raised him from the dead
and through your sanctifying Word of truth
you call us to share eternal life in 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.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God, who knows everyone’s heart,
gives us mercy and life in his Son.
Whoever accepts the Son of God receives life
in the name of Jesus Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now. Christ sends you into the world
just as he himself was sent into the world.
Delight in the Lord’s teaching,
testify to his resurrection life,
and share in the ministry of his people.
And may God protect you from the evil one;
May Christ Jesus give you God’s word and make you his own;
And may the Holy Spirit sanctify you in the truth,
and fill you with the joy of God.
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.

Facing the TruthA sermon on 1 John 5: 9-13 & John 17:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Church and WorldA sermon on John 17:6-19 & Acts 1:15-17,21-26 by Nathan Nettleton

The Leadership LotteryA sermon on Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 by Nathan Nettleton

Living up to an inherited nameA sermon on John 17:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

The Character and Condition of the RighteousA sermon on Psalm 1 by Deonie Duncan

The Day of Pentecost - Year B
2027-05-16 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.

1st Reading: Acts 2: 1-21

On the Feast Day of Pentecost all the believers were together in one place. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, there was a sound like a raging cyclone - and nothing could be heard above it anywhere in the house. And then the Holy Spirit burst in among them like a bushfire, with sparks and fireballs leaping out to engulf every one there. With fire in their guts and the Holy Spirit unleashing their tongues, they began to speak of God in languages they had never learned.
Now in Jerusalem at that time, there were faithful Jewish pilgrims from all over the world. The wild noise among the believers quickly drew a crowd. What they heard bewildered them because everyone, no matter where they were from, heard their native language being spoken by the believers. Almost unable to believe their ears, they asked:
“Don’t all these people come from Galilee? How come we can all hear them speaking our own native languages? Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, others Elamites. There are people visiting here from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the Cyrenene occupied parts of Libya. There are immigrants from Rome, both ethnic Jews and converts. Some here are even Cretans and Arabs! But these Galileans are speaking all our languages and telling us about the extraordinary things God has done.”
They were all in a spin, unable to make head nor tail of what was happening. They kept asking one another what was going on and what it could all mean. Others though, just sneered and said, “They’ve been on the turps. They’re just a bunch of drunks.”
Peter stood up with the other eleven and addressed the crowd as loudly and clearly as he could:
“Men and women of Jerusalem, locals and visitors, listen up and I’ll let you in on what this is all about. If you think that these people are drunk, you are wrong. Think about it - the pubs aren’t even open this early in the morning. No, what is happening here was explained long ago in the words of the prophet Joel:
“This is what I will do
when time reaches its climax, God declares:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and your daughters
shall speak as prophets.
The young among you will see visions,
and the old will dream dreams.
I even have men and women among those
whose rights no one cares about,
and in those days
I will pour out my Spirit upon them too;
and they shall proclaim my justice.
I will perform miraculous signs in the sky above
and awesome wonders on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and clouds of smoke.
The sun will go black and the moon blood-red
before the dawning
of the awesome and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who cries out to the Lord
shall be saved.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Ezekiel 37: 1-14 (alternative 1st reading)

The LORD took hold of me and the LORD’s Spirit carried me away and dropped me off in the middle of Death Valley. I took a look around but there was nothing to be seen but bones – old human bones, baked dry in the sun – thousands and thousands of them. The LORD questioned me saying, “Ezekiel, mortal man, can these bones come back to life?”
I replied, “Lord GOD, only you can answer such a question.”
Then the LORD told me to preach boldly to the bones, saying:
“All you dry bones, listen to what the LORD is saying to you. Though you are long dead, I, the Lord, will put breath into you again, and you will live. Muscles, ligaments, organs, veins; all these I will give you, wrapped in healthy new skin. You will have whole new bodies and I will breathe life into you. Then you will know for sure that I am the LORD.”
So I did what the LORD told me and I preached to the bones. Even while I was in full flight, the noise of rattling bones began to echo through the valley. They were coming together, linking up, one bone to another. As I watched, muscles appeared and grew. Bodies filled out with new flesh, and fresh skin was wrapped around them. But they were still lifeless.
Then the LORD told me to call to the winds, saying:
“North Wind, South Wind, East Wind, West Wind, listen to what the LORD is telling you to do. Come from everywhere and blow the breath of life into these corpses, so that they can live again.”
Again I spoke as the LORD had said, and even as I did, gusts of wind swirled among the bodies, resuscitating them before my very eyes. Rising to their feet like a finals’ crowd, they could have easily filled the biggest stadium.
Then the LORD explained to me what it all meant:
“Ezekiel, mortal man, my people are just like old dry bones. They are always whingeing that life has become one long drought and they’ve been left for dead with no reason to hope that the future might be any better. So preach boldly, Ezekiel, and tell them this:
“All you people, listen to what the LORD is promising: I am going to dig up your graves, and open your coffins. I will bring you back as my people to the promised land. When I do this for you, my people, when I restore life to your bodies, then you will know for sure that I am the LORD. My Spirit will be within you like the breath in your lungs, and so you shall live. I will once again plant your feet on your own patch of dirt. Then there will no longer be any doubt that I, the LORD, have spoken and that what I say goes.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 104: 24-34, 35b

O LORD, what a wildly fabulous world!
Working hand in hand with wisdom
you have made
an earthful of wonderful creatures.
Just look at the deep wide sea,
swarming with life beyond our imagining,
from coral to crayfish, from mussels to marlin.
Ships plough the waves,
while mythical monsters cavort in the depths.
Like seagulls at a picnic,
every creature looks to you for food.
They gather around in eager expectation,
and gorge themselves when you open your hand.
If you turned your back, they’d be panic stricken;
if you withdrew your Spirit
they would have nothing to breathe,
their bodies would quickly crumble.
But when you breathe your spirit into them,
life sprouts up fresh and fragrant again
and the earth itself is revived.
Glorious is all you do, LORD,
may you be honoured forever.
May everything created be a joy to the LORD.
One look from the LORD makes even the earth quiver;
one touch and even the mountains erupt.
With every breath I will sing to the LORD;
as long as there is life in me,
I will give honour to my God in song.
Even my unspoken thoughts I offer to the LORD,
for the LORD is a delight to me.
May wickedness be wiped from the earth,
may enemies of life no longer be found.
O bless the LORD, everything within me.
Praise the LORD!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2nd Reading: Romans 8: 22-27

The time of deliverance is near. After a long pregnancy, the whole creation is now groaning and shuddering in the final stages of labour. And we are not just witnesses to this birth. We ourselves, having been impregnated by the Spirit, are labouring to bring the new life within us to fruition. For then, with our bodies set free, our longing to be God’s children will be fulfilled. This joyous expectancy ensures that our deliverance will come. If there was never to be anything more than our present reality, these longings within us would be in vain. But we are eager to see a promised new reality, and this hope sustains us.
There will be times when our strength fails us and we will feel like just accommodating ourselves to the way things presently are, but the Spirit will always be there for us. Even when our prayer dries up and words fail us, the Spirit is there within us, keeping the communication lines open by turning our deepest achings and yearnings into prayers that pass wordlessly from heart to heart. And God, being of one mind with the Spirit, is able to hear the cries of our hearts because the Spirit offers them, along with the prayers of all God’s people, in a language that connects with the cries of God’s heart.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Acts 2: 1-21 (alternative 2nd reading)

On the Feast Day of Pentecost all the believers were together in one place. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, there was a sound like a raging cyclone - and nothing could be heard above it anywhere in the house. And then the Holy Spirit burst in among them like a bushfire, with sparks and fireballs leaping out to engulf every one there. With fire in their guts and the Holy Spirit unleashing their tongues, they began to speak of God in languages they had never learned.
Now in Jerusalem at that time, there were faithful Jewish pilgrims from all over the world. The wild noise among the believers quickly drew a crowd. What they heard bewildered them because everyone, no matter where they were from, heard their native language being spoken by the believers. Almost unable to believe their ears, they asked:
“Don’t all these people come from Galilee? How come we can all hear them speaking our own native languages? Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, others Elamites. There are people visiting here from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the Cyrenene occupied parts of Libya. There are immigrants from Rome, both ethnic Jews and converts. Some here are even Cretans and Arabs! But these Galileans are speaking all our languages and telling us about the extraordinary things God has done.”
They were all in a spin, unable to make head nor tail of what was happening. They kept asking one another what was going on and what it could all mean. Others though, just sneered and said, “They’ve been on the turps. They’re just a bunch of drunks.”
Peter stood up with the other eleven and addressed the crowd as loudly and clearly as he could:
“Men and women of Jerusalem, locals and visitors, listen up and I’ll let you in on what this is all about. If you think that these people are drunk, you are wrong. Think about it - the pubs aren’t even open this early in the morning. No, what is happening here was explained long ago in the words of the prophet Joel:
“This is what I will do
when time reaches its climax, God declares:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and your daughters
shall speak as prophets.
The young among you will see visions,
and the old will dream dreams.
I even have men and women among those
whose rights no one cares about,
and in those days
I will pour out my Spirit upon them too;
and they shall proclaim my justice.
I will perform miraculous signs in the sky above
and awesome wonders on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and clouds of smoke.
The sun will go black and the moon blood-red
before the dawning
of the awesome and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who cries out to the Lord
shall be saved.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 15: 26-27; 16: 4b-15

On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus said to his disciples, “I am going to send the Spirit to you from the Father. The Spirit will be your companion, your advocate and supporter, and will confirm for you the whole truth about me. You too are to speak up for the truth, because you have been with me ever since we started.
“Up until now I have always been with you, so there was no need to explain these things, but now I am going back to the One who sent me. None of you have even asked me where I am going. Instead you are just sitting there getting more and more down in the dumps with each thing I say. All the same, I’ll say it again: the truth is that you will be better off after I’ve gone. You see, the Spirit can’t come to be with you until I leave. Once I’m gone though, I will send the Spirit to you.
“The Spirit will come and show everyone just how wrong the world has been in its opinions about sin and righteousness and judgment. As the Spirit will show, people have the wrong idea about sin because they don’t trust my ways. They have the wrong idea about righteousness because they don’t know that it only comes from the Father. It won’t be any easier to see now that I’m going back to its source. They have the wrong idea about judgment because they think it’s all in the future, when in reality, sentence has already been passed on the one who steered this world into its godless ways.
“There is a whole lot more I would love to say to you, but it would all be too much for you at the moment. The Spirit will come, full of truth, and will lead you by the hand into the pathways of truth. The Spirit does not speak independently, but on my behalf. Through the Spirit, I will let you know what is going to happen and what it all means. I will be honoured by everything the Spirit says, because they are my words delivered to you. All that the Father has is mine. So now you understand why I have been saying that the message the Spirit will deliver to you is actually coming from me.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you pour out your Spirit on all flesh
and amaze us with your deeds of power.
In your infinite wisdom, you created the earth
and made it pregnant with new life.
You raised living creatures from the dust,
by the power of your Word
and breathed into them the breath of your Spirit.
Your Son, Jesus, taught us your truth
and, before being given up to death,
he promised to send us the Holy Spirit
to support us in both strength and weakness
as we labour with you
to bring to birth the promised fulfilment
of our deepest hopes and yearnings.
In these last days you have poured out
the new wine of the Spirit,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
awakening within us your marvellous gifts
and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for pouring out the new wine of the Spirit
in these last days,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
awakening within us your marvellous gifts
and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy.
©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 pour out your Spirit on all flesh
and amaze us with your deeds of power.
In your infinite wisdom, you created the earth
and made it pregnant with new life.
You raised living creatures from the dust,
by the power of your Word
and breathed into them the breath of your Spirit.
Your Son, Jesus, taught us your truth
and, before being given up to death,
he promised to send us the Holy Spirit
to support us in both strength and weakness
as we labour with you
to bring to birth the promised fulfilment
of our deepest hopes and yearnings.
In these last days you have poured out
the new wine of the Spirit,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
awakening within us your marvellous gifts
and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy.
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

The one who has corrupted this world
has already been condemned,
but everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world,
and labour to bring forth new life.
Dream dreams, pursue visions
and speak of God’s goodness
in the words of those who would hear.
And may the God who breathed life into creation be your delight.
May Christ Jesus give hope to your dreaming,
and may the Holy Spirit, your advocate and supporter,
set your hearts ablaze with a passion for peace.
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.

Setting the Church AblazeA sermon on Ezekiel 37: 1-14 & Acts 2: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

When the New Wine ArrivesA sermon on Acts 2.1-21; Ezekiel 37.1-14 & Psalm 104.24-35b by Garry Deverell

Loosing TonguesA sermon on Acts 2:1-21 & John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 by Nathan Nettleton

Divinely IntoxicatedA sermon on Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:22-27 & John 15:26-27; 16:4-15 by Nathan Nettleton

Pentecost: Gifted and SentA sermon on Acts 2: 1-21 by Gilbert Joyce

Languages of ReconciliationA sermon on Acts 2:1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Much Needed Miracles of CommunicationA sermon on Acts 2: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Trinity Sunday - Year B
2027-05-23 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.

Isaiah 6: 1-8

I had a vision of the Lord during the year that King Uzziah died. The Lord was high above, sitting on an imposing throne. The Lord’s presence dwarfed everything else so totally that just the cuffs of his robe filled the temple. Awesome fiery creatures, known as Seraphim, were there, serving the Lord. Each Seraph had three pairs of wings. They used one pair to shield their faces, one to shield their bodies, and the third for flying. They cried out to one another saying:
“Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy is the LORD who rules over everything.
The whole earth is full of God’s glory.”
The sound of their voices shook the place to its foundations, and clouds of smoke billowed through the temple. And I said:
“This is the end of me.
I’ll never get out of here alive.
If I so much as open my mouth
the ugliness inside is exposed for all to see,
and the same could be said of everyone I know;
yet I’ve stumbled into the presence of the Ruler of Heaven.
Here I am, naked before the all-consuming
holiness of the LORD!”
Then one of the seraphim flew right up to me carrying a pair of tongs in which it held a red hot coal – straight from the fire on the altar. The seraph touched my mouth with the glowing coal and said:
“Look! This holy fire has touched your lips.
Your sinfulness is forgiven.
Your slate is wiped clean.”
After this I heard the voice of the Lord saying
“Is there someone I can send?
Is there anyone who will go on our behalf?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me if you will!”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 29

LORD God, like your angels in heaven
we speak of you in glowing terms,
for your glory and strength deserve rave reviews.
We give you a huge rap, LORD;
we put up you name in lights
and hold a huge ticker tape parade
but it still falls short of the worship you deserve.
Your voice, LORD, rings out like thunder;
resounding over the waters,
drowning out even the waves of the sea.
Your voice echoes with power;
it would bring anyone to their knees.
Your voice, LORD, shatters the Ironbark tree,
and splinters the Mountain Ash like match sticks.
Your presence makes Mount Bogong jump like a calf;
Uluru like a rock wallaby.
Your voice, LORD, strikes fire from stone.
The sound of your voice convulses the wilderness;
the Simpson Desert shudders in labour.
Your voice, LORD, is like a cyclone,
howling through a rainforest,
stripping the leaves from the trees.
We all gather to worship and cheer with all our might;
for you rule forever, LORD,
and neither surging flood
nor tidal wave can undermine you.
Give strength to your people, LORD!
Bless your people with peace!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 8: 12-17

The truth is, brothers and sisters, that we owe nothing to the preoccupations of our former life. We need no longer have our lives dictated by the mindless pursuit of fashionable dreams and selfish desires. After all, the attraction was fatal. But thanks to God’s Spirit, we can now be rid of all that — give it a decent burial and get on with our new lives. All those who dance to the Spirit’s tune are God’s beloved children. We were not sold into slavery where we would grovel timidly in the dust, afraid to put a foot wrong. Rather we were adopted into a family full of love and joy. Like eager children crying, “Daddy! Mummy!” we come running to God, and with loving arms, God’s Spirit gathers us up, demonstrating clearly to whom we belong. And since we are children of God, we are actually on the same footing as Christ. With him we will inherit all that has been kept in trust for God’s children. But we have to take the good with the bad, and we know the price he paid. We need to be willing to cop it on the chin with him now if we want to share the glory with him later.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 3: 1-17

There was a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Pharisee party and a leader in the Jewish nation. Late one night he came to speak with Jesus. He said, “Rabbi, we recognise that God has sent you as a teacher and that God is with you. How else could you do these things which are so clearly the work of God?”
Jesus answered him, “Right you are. And let me tell you this: no one will see the full life of God without being born into it from above.”
Nicodemus was taken aback. “How can this be?” he asked, “A person can only be born once. None of us can go back to the womb and be born again.”
Jesus replied saying:
“Listen again, for it is important that you get this. There is only one way into the full life of God, and it is through a birth of water and Spirit. A baby that emerges from a womb got its body from the bodies of its parents. But a growing person is not just a body, and the life-force within them emerges from the womb of the Spirit. So don’t be surprised that I said you have to be born from above. You can’t control or predict these things. They are like the wind. You can hear it coming and see what it does, but what’s driving it or where it is going next is anyone’s guess. God’s Spirit is like the wind, and so are all those who are born of the Spirit.”
But Nicodemus said, “I’m not with you. How can these things be?”
Jesus replied:
“How can you set yourself up as one of the teachers of Israel when you are struggling to get your head around the basics?
“Listen carefully because I’m speaking the truth. We know these things from our own experience, we’ve seen them with our own eyes, and yet you fob us off as though we were reporting a rumour we’d heard in the street. If I told you the sky was blue, you’d blink and take another look, so what chance is there of you believing anything I have to say about the ways of God? How are you going to check out what I say? None of you have ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit.
“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead.
“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you loved the world so greatly that you gave your Son,
so that all who trust him may have eternal life.
Your powerful voice, thundering over the waters,
spoke into being the new-born creation.
From your holy throne, surrounded by seraphim,
you called your prophets to carry the message of life
to those who were enslaved to selfish desires.
You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world
and when the enemies of life lifted him up to die,
you raised him from the grave
and made him the source of life
for all who look to him in trust and hope.
And now your Holy Spirit bears witness within us
that we are indeed your children,
born from above of water and spirit,
and destined to share with Christ
in his sufferings and his glory.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son
who you gave in your great love for the world,
so that all who trust him
may be born from above of water and spirit,
and have eternal life,
sharing with him in his sufferings and his glory.
©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 loved the world so greatly that you gave your Son,
so that all who trust him may have eternal life.
Your powerful voice, thundering over the waters,
spoke into being the new-born creation.
From your holy throne, surrounded by seraphim,
you called your prophets to carry the message of life
to those who were enslaved to selfish desires.
You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world
and when the enemies of life lifted him up to die,
you raised him from the grave
and made him the source of life
for all who look to him in trust and hope.
And now your Holy Spirit bears witness within us
that we are indeed your children,
born from above of water and spirit,
and destined to share with Christ
in his sufferings and his glory.
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 did not send the Son into the world to condemn us,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
The refining fire of God has touched you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out and in all of life, worship the Lord.
Entrust yourself to the winds of God’s Spirit;
put to death selfish desires,
and offer yourself for God’s mission in the world.
And may God give strength to you and to all;
May Christ Jesus bless you with peace;
And may the Holy Spirit, whispering within your hearts,
give you assurance that you are God’s children.
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.

Trinity and CommunityA sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Stumbling into the Love Dance of the TrinityA sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Trying to Pin Down the Experience of GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8 & Romans 8:12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Questioning the Integrity of GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17 & John 3:1-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Contemplating the TrinityA sermon on the Icon of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Does the Trinity add up?A sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Children of the Triune GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17 & John 3:1-17 by Nathan Nettleton

The Bible, the Trinity, and the WarA sermon by Nathan Nettleton

It matters, but you don’t have to explain it!A sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Trinity Sunday - Year B
2027-05-23 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.

Isaiah 6: 1-8

I had a vision of the Lord during the year that King Uzziah died. The Lord was high above, sitting on an imposing throne. The Lord’s presence dwarfed everything else so totally that just the cuffs of his robe filled the temple. Awesome fiery creatures, known as Seraphim, were there, serving the Lord. Each Seraph had three pairs of wings. They used one pair to shield their faces, one to shield their bodies, and the third for flying. They cried out to one another saying:
“Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy is the LORD who rules over everything.
The whole earth is full of God’s glory.”
The sound of their voices shook the place to its foundations, and clouds of smoke billowed through the temple. And I said:
“This is the end of me.
I’ll never get out of here alive.
If I so much as open my mouth
the ugliness inside is exposed for all to see,
and the same could be said of everyone I know;
yet I’ve stumbled into the presence of the Ruler of Heaven.
Here I am, naked before the all-consuming
holiness of the LORD!”
Then one of the seraphim flew right up to me carrying a pair of tongs in which it held a red hot coal – straight from the fire on the altar. The seraph touched my mouth with the glowing coal and said:
“Look! This holy fire has touched your lips.
Your sinfulness is forgiven.
Your slate is wiped clean.”
After this I heard the voice of the Lord saying
“Is there someone I can send?
Is there anyone who will go on our behalf?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me if you will!”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 29

LORD God, like your angels in heaven
we speak of you in glowing terms,
for your glory and strength deserve rave reviews.
We give you a huge rap, LORD;
we put up you name in lights
and hold a huge ticker tape parade
but it still falls short of the worship you deserve.
Your voice, LORD, rings out like thunder;
resounding over the waters,
drowning out even the waves of the sea.
Your voice echoes with power;
it would bring anyone to their knees.
Your voice, LORD, shatters the Ironbark tree,
and splinters the Mountain Ash like match sticks.
Your presence makes Mount Bogong jump like a calf;
Uluru like a rock wallaby.
Your voice, LORD, strikes fire from stone.
The sound of your voice convulses the wilderness;
the Simpson Desert shudders in labour.
Your voice, LORD, is like a cyclone,
howling through a rainforest,
stripping the leaves from the trees.
We all gather to worship and cheer with all our might;
for you rule forever, LORD,
and neither surging flood
nor tidal wave can undermine you.
Give strength to your people, LORD!
Bless your people with peace!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 8: 12-17

The truth is, brothers and sisters, that we owe nothing to the preoccupations of our former life. We need no longer have our lives dictated by the mindless pursuit of fashionable dreams and selfish desires. After all, the attraction was fatal. But thanks to God’s Spirit, we can now be rid of all that — give it a decent burial and get on with our new lives. All those who dance to the Spirit’s tune are God’s beloved children. We were not sold into slavery where we would grovel timidly in the dust, afraid to put a foot wrong. Rather we were adopted into a family full of love and joy. Like eager children crying, “Daddy! Mummy!” we come running to God, and with loving arms, God’s Spirit gathers us up, demonstrating clearly to whom we belong. And since we are children of God, we are actually on the same footing as Christ. With him we will inherit all that has been kept in trust for God’s children. But we have to take the good with the bad, and we know the price he paid. We need to be willing to cop it on the chin with him now if we want to share the glory with him later.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 3: 1-17

There was a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Pharisee party and a leader in the Jewish nation. Late one night he came to speak with Jesus. He said, “Rabbi, we recognise that God has sent you as a teacher and that God is with you. How else could you do these things which are so clearly the work of God?”
Jesus answered him, “Right you are. And let me tell you this: no one will see the full life of God without being born into it from above.”
Nicodemus was taken aback. “How can this be?” he asked, “A person can only be born once. None of us can go back to the womb and be born again.”
Jesus replied saying:
“Listen again, for it is important that you get this. There is only one way into the full life of God, and it is through a birth of water and Spirit. A baby that emerges from a womb got its body from the bodies of its parents. But a growing person is not just a body, and the life-force within them emerges from the womb of the Spirit. So don’t be surprised that I said you have to be born from above. You can’t control or predict these things. They are like the wind. You can hear it coming and see what it does, but what’s driving it or where it is going next is anyone’s guess. God’s Spirit is like the wind, and so are all those who are born of the Spirit.”
But Nicodemus said, “I’m not with you. How can these things be?”
Jesus replied:
“How can you set yourself up as one of the teachers of Israel when you are struggling to get your head around the basics?
“Listen carefully because I’m speaking the truth. We know these things from our own experience, we’ve seen them with our own eyes, and yet you fob us off as though we were reporting a rumour we’d heard in the street. If I told you the sky was blue, you’d blink and take another look, so what chance is there of you believing anything I have to say about the ways of God? How are you going to check out what I say? None of you have ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit.
“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead.
“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you loved the world so greatly that you gave your Son,
so that all who trust him may have eternal life.
Your powerful voice, thundering over the waters,
spoke into being the new-born creation.
From your holy throne, surrounded by seraphim,
you called your prophets to carry the message of life
to those who were enslaved to selfish desires.
You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world
and when the enemies of life lifted him up to die,
you raised him from the grave
and made him the source of life
for all who look to him in trust and hope.
And now your Holy Spirit bears witness within us
that we are indeed your children,
born from above of water and spirit,
and destined to share with Christ
in his sufferings and his glory.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son
who you gave in your great love for the world,
so that all who trust him
may be born from above of water and spirit,
and have eternal life,
sharing with him in his sufferings and his glory.
©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 loved the world so greatly that you gave your Son,
so that all who trust him may have eternal life.
Your powerful voice, thundering over the waters,
spoke into being the new-born creation.
From your holy throne, surrounded by seraphim,
you called your prophets to carry the message of life
to those who were enslaved to selfish desires.
You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world
and when the enemies of life lifted him up to die,
you raised him from the grave
and made him the source of life
for all who look to him in trust and hope.
And now your Holy Spirit bears witness within us
that we are indeed your children,
born from above of water and spirit,
and destined to share with Christ
in his sufferings and his glory.
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 did not send the Son into the world to condemn us,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
The refining fire of God has touched you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out and in all of life, worship the Lord.
Entrust yourself to the winds of God’s Spirit;
put to death selfish desires,
and offer yourself for God’s mission in the world.
And may God give strength to you and to all;
May Christ Jesus bless you with peace;
And may the Holy Spirit, whispering within your hearts,
give you assurance that you are God’s children.
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.

You don’t have to explain it!A sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Trinity and CommunityA sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Stumbling into the Love Dance of the TrinityA sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Trying to Pin Down the Experience of GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8 & Romans 8:12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Questioning the Integrity of GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17 & John 3:1-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Contemplating the TrinityA sermon on the Icon of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Does the Trinity add up?A sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Children of the Triune GodA sermon on Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17 & John 3:1-17 by Nathan Nettleton

The Bible, the Trinity, and the WarA sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 4 - Year B
2027-05-30 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

The Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
2027-05-31 00:00
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of 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 2: 1-10

After the birth of her son, Samuel, Hannah prayed the following prayer:
“Thanks to you, LORD, I am full of joy;
thanks to you, I can stand strong and proud.
I can return the insults that were hurled at me,
and kick up my heels, because you have set me free.
There is no other god like you, LORD,
no one who can hold a candle to you;
not even the ancient rock is as dependable as you.
I can tell the proud to stop their boasting;
tell the arrogant to put a sock in it.
You, LORD, know us inside and out;
you see whether or not we live up to our words.
You, LORD, disarm the powerful,
and redistribute their strength to the helpless.
Those who consumed to excess are now queuing at soup kitchens,
but those who were deprived now feast in splendour.
Infertile couples are having children, one after the other,
while those who flaunted their children
find their families falling apart.
Life is yours to give or to take, LORD;
you can send someone to the land of the dead,
and you can bring them back again.
You, LORD, can make us or break us;
you can put us on a pedestal or knock us off.
You lift up those who have been trodden into the dirt;
you put the poor and outcast back on their feet.
You give them a place among the guests of honour,
a seat with the dignitaries and celebrities.
You can do all this because the earth is yours;
you set it up and you wrote the rules.
To those who are faithful, you guarantee safe passage;
those who are corrupt soon lose sight of any light to steer by,
for no matter how strong people are,
they can’t make it alone.
You are the LORD!
Those who try to obstruct you
find that it is like standing in the path of a train
as you thunder towards your destination.
You, LORD, have the final word on all that is done on earth.
You will give strength and power to your chosen ruler.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 113

You are the greatest, LORD!
We, your servants, can’t stop singing your praises;
the mere mention of your name sets us singing!
From now on and forever,
your name will be held sacred, LORD.
From east to west, from dawn to dusk,
your name will inspire songs of praise.
You are ranked number one, LORD,
way above even the greatest nations,
outshining even the sun and the stars.
Can anyone compare with you, LORD?
Is there anyone else even close to your league?
Not likely! You are seated so high
that you look down even to see the sky!
You lift up those who have been trodden into the dirt;
you put the poor and outcast back on their feet.
You give them a place among the guests of honour,
a seat with the dignitaries and celebrities.
You give the infertile couple a family
filling their lives with the laughter of children.
You are the greatest, LORD!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 12: 9-16b

See to it that your love is for real and without pretence. Avoid corruption like the plague. Dig your heels in and don’t be budged from the side of good. Love one another, and not just in theory but with warmth and friendly affection. If you need something to compete over, see who can score the most points for treating everyone else like royalty. Don’t let your enthusiasm get slack, but keep yourselves on the boil and work hard for the Lord. Celebrate in anticipation of all that is to come. When you are being put through the wringer, tough it out, and pray all the harder. Do what you can to help out other Christians who are in need, and work at making strangers feel welcome and at home among you.
When others persecute you, wish them all the best and pray that God will look after them. Seek the best for them; don’t wish disaster on them. When others are celebrating, celebrate with them. When others are hurting, share the pain with them. Stay in tune with one another, living a shared life based on common commitments. Don’t be full of yourselves, but hang out with those who the world writes off as nobodies.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 1:39-57

When the angel told Mary that both she and her relative Elizabeth were going to have babies, Mary took the first opportunity to make the trip to visit Elizabeth. Elizabeth lived with her husband Zechariah in a Judean town in the hills. Mary sang out as soon as she arrived at their house, and when she heard the greeting, Elizabeth felt the baby jump in her womb. The Holy Spirit welled up in Elizabeth and she cried out with joy, saying:
“You have been blessed like no other woman!
And doubly blessed is the child in your womb!
And what about me? Why am I so blessed,
that my Lord’s own mother should knock at my door?
The moment your greeting reach my ears,
the baby in my womb began bouncing with glee!
Clearly you are God’s favoured one,
because you believed what God said to you;
trusting God to follow through on every promise.
Mary too was bursting with joy. She said:
“Let me turn the spotlight on God’s greatness!
With all that I am I dance with joy over God, my saviour!
God has smiled upon me, though I was no one special.
Now I’ll be remembered forever as the favoured one.
The supreme God has done wonderful things for me.
No other name is in the same league as God’s.
In every generation, those who treat God with respect
are rewarded with showers of mercy.
With sleeves rolled up, God has made a show of strength,
and sent packing those who were so full of themselves.
God has kicked the power mongers out of office,
and lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.
God has put on a feast for those who were hungry,
and slammed the door on the rich without giving them a bite.
The Lord’s servant Israel receives a helping hand.
God always remembers them with tender care.
This is exactly what God promised long ago,
a vow made to Abraham and Sarah for every generation.”
Mary didn’t return home for about three months, but stayed until Elizabeth’s baby was born. Elizabeth gave birth to a boy who was given the name John.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Proper 5 - Year B
2027-06-06 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 6 - Year B
2027-06-13 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

Proper 7 - Year B
2027-06-20 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 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49

The Philistines were ready for war and their troops took up positions for an attack on the Judean town of Socoh.
The Philistine army had a champion named Goliath who came from Gath. He was a mountain of a man, towering over everyone around him. He was kitted out in the latest military gear with heavy bronze armour on his chest and legs and a gleaming helmet on his head. His chest armour alone was heavier than most men could lift. He carried a bronze sword strapped to his back. His spear was too thick for the average man to get his hand around and it had a head like a sharpened shot put. Another soldier walked in front of him carrying a huge shield.
Goliath strutted out from among the ranks and shouted at the Israelite army:
“Why should we waste time with a full battle? Let’s put up two men to have it out for us – winner takes all. I’m ready to represent the Philistines. Why don’t you lot in Saul’s army choose yourselves a champion to come down and take me on? If your man can kill me, then our army will surrender and our people will be your slaves. But if I win, then you’ll be our slaves. So come on, let’s see what you Israelites are made of. Send down your best man and we’ll see if he has what it takes to match me!”
Goliath’s defiant taunting threw Saul and his army into a panic. Scared witless, they couldn’t do a thing.
While all this was happening in the Elah Valley, David was back home, working on his father’s sheep station. Early one morning, at his father’s request, he left the sheep in someone else’s care and headed off to deliver some extra rations to his brothers in the army. He reached the army camp just as they were taking up their positions and sounding the battle cry. There was a stand off as the Israelite army and the Philistine army faced each other. David left the rations with the supply officer, and then ran up to the ranks to find his brothers and see how they were getting on. While he was talking with them, Goliath stepped forward from among the Philistine army, and began taunting the Israelites again. When David heard Goliath’s scoffing and saw the fear among the Israelite soldiers, he went and addressed King Saul, saying, “Your majesty, why are we letting this Philistine make our army look like a bunch of wimps. I’ll go out and deal with him for you!”
Saul replied, “You’ve got to be kidding. You’d have Buckley’s. You’re only a kid and he’s a top-gun, an elite soldier with more scalps to his name than you’ll ever have.”
But David held his line:
“Your majesty, I work sheep for my father; and whenever a lion or a bear drags off one of those sheep, I go after it and beat the living daylights out of it until it gives up the sheep. And if it makes the mistake of turning on me, I grab it by the throat and kill it. I have killed both lions and bears; and this godless Philistine will be a piece of cake. No one defies the army of the living God and gets away with it! The LORD didn’t let the lions or bears get their claws into me. The same LORD is more than a match for this Philistine.”
“All right,” said Saul, “Go and fight him, and God help you! You’ll need it.”
Saul offered David his own uniform and armour, and even his bronze helmet. But when David put on the armour and strapped on Saul’s sword, he could hardly walk. So he said to Saul, “I can barely stand up in this stuff because I haven’t trained in it,” and he took it all off. Instead he headed out carrying nothing but a hiking stick, a sling shot, and five smooth stones from the creek bed which he popped into his pockets. Out he marched, ready to face Goliath!
Goliath strutted arrogantly towards David, with the soldier carrying the shield still in front of him. When he got close enough to get a good look at David, he laughed out loud because David looked just like any other fresh-faced kid. “What do you think I am? A dog? Do you think I might heel and roll over for you if you wave your little stick around?!”
And he called down curses from his gods on David and threw every insult in the book at him. “Come on then,” he sneered, “Let’s have you. I’ll make dog meat out of you. I’ll hang you out for the crows to pick your bones.”
But David was undaunted and spoke back:
“You are so sure of yourself, trusting as you do in your fancy weapons of war. But I don’t need them, because my trust is in the LORD who commands the armies of heaven. This is the God you have insulted – the God of the armies of Israel. You’ve seen your last sunrise, Mister. With the help of the the LORD, I’ll knock you down for the count. I’ll cut off your head, and the only dog meat here will be you. The crows can feast on the carcasses of your Philistine mates. Then the whole world will know that the real God is Israel’s God. Everyone here will see that the LORD doesn’t need weapons to save his people. This battle is all over, bar the shouting, because the LORD has got your measure.”
At that, Goliath started towards David. David ran forward to meet him and reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stone for his sling shot and let fly. He only needed one shot. It hit Goliath square on the head and cracked his skull. One small stone, and the giant fell on his face, as dead as a doornail.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

AND Psalm 9: 9-20

You, O LORD, are a safe haven for the oppressed,
a refuge when times are tough.
Your name inspires trust,
for you have never let down
those who turned to you.
We look to Zion, your home, and sing our praises,
announcing to everyone what you have done.
For you, O LORD, track down those
who spill innocent blood
and keep a record of every victim’s cry.
Give me a break, LORD.
You’ve seen how much I’ve been kicked around;
you’ve even stepped in yourself
to pull me out of danger.
I’ll never stop talking about what a hero you are.
I’ll shout it on the streets
and broadcast it on the air
until everyone knows how you saved us.
The nations that backed away from you
have fallen into their own traps:
the steel jaws they so carefully hid
have slammed shut on their own legs.
You hid nothing from them, LORD.
Your requirements were well publicised.
Judgment has come, just as you said;
the schemes of the wicked backfire on them.
This time they are their own victims!
Callous and ruthless nations
have spurned your ways, LORD,
and written their own ticket to hell.
But the deprived will not always be disregarded,
and those who dream of a day of plenty
will live to see it.
Up and at it, LORD! It’s time for action!
Don’t let these people have their way.
Call them to account for what they’ve done;
them and the nations they lead.
Put the fear of God into them, LORD;
strip them of their pretensions
so that everyone can see them
for what they really are.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR 1 Samuel 17:57 - 18:5, 10-16

After killing Goliath the Philistine, David was granted an audience with King Saul. He was still carrying the severed head of the Philistine when he was introduced to the King by Abner, the commander of the army. Saul asked him, “Whose people do you come from, young man?”
David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse, from Bethlehem.”
After David had finished speaking to Saul, he met Saul’s son Jonathan. The two were soul mates from the word go, and Jonathan loved David as much as his own life. From that day on, Saul gave David a position in the royal household and would not let him return to his family home. Jonathan bound himself to David in a formal alliance, because he loved him so much. He took off his own royal robe and put it on David, and handed over to him his own military uniform and weapons.
Saul sent David out on numerous military campaigns, and wherever he went, he was successful. As a result, Saul gave him command of the whole army. David was becoming so popular with all the people that even Saul’s closest officials approved of his promotion.
However, David’s popularity started to get under Saul’s skin. One day an evil spirit from God seized him and he lost the plot completely, raving like a madman in his house. David was there playing some soothing music for the king on his lyre, as he did each day. Saul had a spear in his hand, and in his madness he twice threw it, trying to pin David to the wall, but David managed to duck clear each time.
Saul was increasingly afraid of David, because it was clear that the LORD had given up on Saul and was now backing David. So Saul kicked him out of the house and put him in command of a thousand soldiers on the front line. David led the unit out, and before long he was back with another great victory under his belt. He had success in everything he took on, because the LORD was backing him. When Saul saw how successful he had become, he was quaking in his boots. But all the people of Israel and Judah worshipped the ground David walked on, because it was him who led them into battle and brought them safe home again.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

AND Psalm 133

What a great thing it is, LORD,
when people can get along with one another,
and live together in unity and mutual respect.
It is even more satisfying than holding the cup aloft
and dancing in the rain of champagne
on Grand Final day.
It is even more desirable than sitting by an open fire
sharing chocolates and fine wine with a loved one.
It is even more beautiful than the monsoon rains
turning the desert into a sea of wildflowers.
For you LORD created us to be one people,
committed to one another, honouring one another,
sharing the land and its blessings forever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 6: 1-13

We are working together, shoulder to shoulder with God, and we urge you not to take God’s extravagant generosity for granted.
In the scriptures God says,
“At exactly the right moment,
I heard your call.
The day you needed help,
I was there to bail you out.”
Well, this is it — the exact right moment. This is the day to throw off the shackles and walk free! It won’t be our fault if you don’t take this chance — we’re doing everything in our power not to get in anyone’s way. There’s no point in nit-picking over the details of our work. We have endeavoured to be faithful servants of God and we’re confident that we’ve got the runs on the board. It’s not as though we’ve had it easy either. We have hung in there through hard times, tough times and horrendous disasters. We’ve been bashed, lynched and locked up. We’ve worked ourselves into the ground when things needed to be done, sometimes even going without sleep and food. And through all this we have maintained our integrity — our intentions have been pure and our heads have been clear. We have managed to hold on to our patience, generosity, and holiness of spirit. Our love has been genuine, our speech truthful, and God has continued to work powerfully through us. We have armed ourselves with nothing but an iron commitment to doing what’s right, and we’ve grasped the work of justice with both hands. Sometimes we’ve been honoured and sometimes slandered. We have been true to our word and yet denounced as charlatans. We’ve been treated as nobodies even though everyone knows who we are. We’ve been written of as dead, but here we are, brimming with life. We’ve been flogged to within an inch of our lives but never quite killed. We’ve almost drowned in tears and yet we are still bubbling with joy. They say we are poor, and yet many are enriched by us. They say we have nothing to offer, and yet everything is ours to share.
My dear friends in Corinth, what we say is the honest truth — our hearts are wide open to you. We are not holding back on our affection for you; we are laying ourselves open to you. But you are being so stunted in your response. Your hearts are full, but you live like misers. I’m speaking to you as I would to my own children, with all the love and clarity I can muster. Open up your hearts. Live generously and expansively!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 4: 35-41

One evening, after Jesus had spent the day teaching the crowds on the shore of Lake Galilee, he said to his followers, “Let’s go. Let’s sail across to the other side.”
So they piled into the boat, just as they were, and left the crowds behind. They weren’t completely alone though, because a few other boats came with them. Suddenly a huge storm whipped up, and the waves were smashing against the boat. It was a desperate situation – they were taking on water fast, but Jesus was sound asleep with his head on a cushion at the back of the boat. His terrified followers shook him awake, yelling, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are all about to die here?” Jesus got up and began barking orders at the wind and the waves: “Calm down! Let’s have some peace here!”
Right on cue, the wind dropped to a whisper and the sea was as smooth as glass. Jesus turned to his astonished followers and said, “Why are you so gutless? Where’s your faith?”
Now they were really quaking in their boots! “Who is this man?” they asked one another, “Even the wind and the sea fall into line at his command!”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Job 38: 1-11

From the midst of a cyclone, the voice of the LORD answered Job, saying:
“Who are you to mouth off against me
when you’ve got no idea what you’re talking about?
Stand up straight like a man
and see if you can give answers when I ask the questions.
“Were you there when I laid the foundations of the earth?
If you’re so smart, tell me all about it.
Who drew up the plans and decided how big it would be?
Who held the tape measure and marked it out?
Speak up – surely you know!
What do the foundations sit on, and how far down do they go?
Who turned the first sod? Who laid the cornerstone?
Do you remember what the morning stars sang at the celebration?
It brought everyone in heaven to their feet cheering.
“Perhaps you remember who closed the floodgates
to contain the ocean
when it gushed up from the womb of the earth?
I was there. I clothed it in mist
and tucked it up in a thick blanket of fog.
I decided where it should start and finish.
I closed the gates and built the levy banks.
I said to the sea, ‘I’ve drawn a line in the sand that you must not cross.
Your powerful waves can pound to here, but no further.’”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32

Thank you, LORD! Thank you for being so good.
Your rock-solid love will never end.
LORD, we freely and openly acknowledge
that it was you who got us out of trouble;
you who put us back on the right track.
You gathered us from the four corners of the globe,
from wherever we had been lost or exiled.
Some of us went to sea;
made our living sailing the ocean
Your awesome power was clear to see, LORD,
in the restless energy of the deep.
One word from you and storms whipped up;
furious waves crashed and tore at us.
Hurled to the sky and slammed back down,
our courage failed and we feared the worst.
Tossed like a cork; staggering like drunks;
nothing to do but cling on and pray.
In sheer despair, we cried out to you, LORD,
and in a flash, you came to our rescue.
You calmed the storm
and the waves fell quiet.
Overwhelming relief left us speechless
as you piloted us safely into a sheltered bay.
So let us tell you how grateful we are, LORD.
Thank you for your rock-solid love
and for the great things you do for everyone.
Let us talk you up whenever your people gather,
and sing your praises when the leaders meet.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are a safe haven to those in trouble
and we rejoice in your deliverance.
On the day of creation, you calmed the chaos
and with a word, brought forth the earth and its riches.
You never forget the cries of the victims of oppression
or let the hope of the poor perish forever.
You have delivered those who trust in you,
defeating their powerful enemies,
not with the sword, but with the weapons of righteousness.
You sent to us your Son, Jesus the Christ,
and in him we have encountered a peacemaker
who is undaunted even in the wildest storms.
Though the waves of death crashed over him,
you raised him up and gave him the power
to subdue even the tempest of death,
and to release from its terrors all who trust in him.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus the Christ,
for though the waves of death crashed over him,
you raised him up and gave him the power
to subdue even the tempest of death,
and to release from its terrors all who trust in him.
©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 are a safe haven to those in trouble
and we rejoice in your deliverance.
On the day of creation, you calmed the chaos
and with a word, brought forth the earth and its riches.
You never forget the cries of the victims of oppression
or let the hope of the poor perish forever.
You have delivered those who trust in you,
defeating their powerful enemies,
not with the sword, but with the weapons of righteousness.
You sent to us your Son, Jesus the Christ,
and in him we have encountered a peacemaker
who is undaunted even in the wildest storms.
Though the waves of death crashed over him,
you raised him up and gave him the power
to subdue even the tempest of death,
and to release from its terrors all who trust in 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.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Now is God’s chosen time.
Now is the day of salvation.
The Lord meets you in grace and mercy,
lifting you from the gates of death.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out, trusting in God, even in the midst of the storms.
Arm yourselves only with the weapons of righteousness
and stand firm before the enemies of life.
Put no obstacle in anyone’s way,
but in every way commend yourselves as servants of God.
And may God deliver you from all that would destroy you;
May Christ Jesus calm all that would terrorise you;
and may the Holy Spirit sustain you in patience, kindness, truthfulness and genuine love.
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.

Giving yourself away and looking after yourselfA sermon on 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 & Mark 4:35-41 by Nathan Nettleton

Against Overwhelming OddsA sermon on 1 Samuel 17 & Mark 4:35-41 by Nathan Nettleton

When the Ship is Going DownA sermon on 1 Samuel 17 & Mark 4:35-41 by Nathan Nettleton

Beyond the Limits!A sermon on Mark 4:35-41 & 1 Samuel 17 by Nathan Nettleton

Peace, be still.A sermon on 1 Samuel 17: 1a , 4-11, 19-23, 32-49 and Mark 4:35-41 by John Fowler

Proper 8 - Year B
2027-06-27 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.

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

David returned from a successful campaign against the Amalekite army, and during a two day break in Ziklag he received news that King Saul had been killed in battle. David composed a song of lament in memory of Saul and his son Jonathan. He called it “The Song of the Bow” and it was written down in the Book of Jashar. David gave orders to his army musicians to teach the song to everyone in Judah. The words went like this:
Israel, your most decorated soldiers
lie dead on the hills!
Your glorious heroes have been cut down!
Don’t let news of this reach the streets of Gath;
don’t breathe a word of it in Ashkelon,
or the godless Philistine women
will mock us in our misery,
gloating and dancing with joy.
A curse on Mount Gilboa
where our heroes’ blood was spilt:
may the sun never shine there,
and the rain never fall;
may it never see a flower bloom again.
Cursed be the place where Saul bit the dust,
where his polished armour
was smeared with blood.
Our great heroes never flinched under fire:
with bow in hand,
Jonathan’s aim was deadly;
with sword in hand,
Saul cut the enemy to pieces.
Saul and Jonathan, how easy it was to love them!
Like father, like son, in life and in death;
they made eagles look slow,
and lions look weak.
Women of Israel, cry your eyes out for Saul!
It was him you had to thank
for your stunning wardrobes,
your designer gowns
and your elegant jewellery.
Our finest men have fallen,
cut down in the heat of the battle!
Jonathan lies dead on Mount Gilboa.
My heart is broken for you, my brother Jonathan;
I loved you more than words can say.
Your love was my greatest delight,
more precious than the love of women.
The heroes who filled us with pride have fallen.
Their weapons, once feared,
are tossed on the scrap heap!
©2000 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

2 Corinthians 8: 7-15

Everything you people put your hand to turns to gold. You seem to be the best at everything. You have outstanding faith. You’re articulate. You have great knowledge and insight. Your energy and enthusiasm seem boundless. Even in love you seem to outshine everyone else. So then, we are hoping that you will also come out tops in generosity, as you contribute to the relief fund for the church in Judea.
I’m not trying to force you into anything. I’m simply telling you about the generosity of others so that you’ll know where the benchmark is. I will be watching to see how your love measures up. Of course, if you really want a standard to aspire to, think about the extravagant offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich in everything, but he gave it all up for you. He accepted poverty in order to make you rich.
So if you want my advice on this matter, here it is: it is time to put your money where your mouth is. You talked big last year about how willing you were to help when you first heard about the need. Now it’s time to show that you’re not all hot air. It is time to dig deep and show everyone that you are as generous with your actions as you are with your promises. I’m not concerned about how much actually ends up in the hat when you pass it around. It’s more a question of how what you give compares with what you have. No matter how eager you are, no one expects you to give what you don’t have.
Please don’t think that I am trying to make life a bed of roses for others by putting the squeeze on you. You have got plenty at the moment, and they’re doing it tough. Next time it might be the other way around. It’s like swings and roundabouts — it all balances out after a while. As the scriptures say,
“Those with the most let nothing go to waste,
and those with the least will not go without.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 5: 21-43

Jesus arrived by boat back on the Jewish side of Lake Galilee. A huge crowd gathered to meet him on the beach, and a man named Jairus – a respected leader of the synagogue – was among them. Jairus fell on his knees at Jesus’s feet and begged him repeatedly, “My precious little girl is on the verge of death. Come and lay your hands on her and make her well, so that she will live.” Jesus agreed and went with him. Much of the crowd tagged along, all jostling and pushing, trying to be near him.
Hiding in the crowd was a woman suffering from prolonged bleeding. For the previous twelve years her condition had meant that everyone treated her as defiled and contagious. She had spent all her money on doctors and healers who had prescribed everything under the sun. Despite all their remedies and promises, her problem just kept getting worse. She had heard about Jesus and was sure that he was her last chance. Unnoticed, she pushed her way through the crowd and managed to touch the edge of his coat. She was thinking to herself, “Surely even touching this man’s clothes will be enough to make me well.”
Sure enough, the moment she did it, she felt the bleeding stop. She could feel a real change in herself and she knew that she was finally free of the illness. Jesus felt something too, a sudden release of energy from within. He spun around, looking at the crowd, and asked, “Who touched me?”
“Who hasn’t?!” his followers asked incredulously. “If this crowd get any closer they’ll have to hoist you onto their shoulders, so there’s not much point in asking who touched you.”
But Jesus knew that it was something more than that and kept looking around to see who it was. The woman knew he meant her, and she knew that she was going to be found out. Shaking with fear, because she had defiled everyone she had touched, she fell at his feet and spilled out the whole story. But Jesus lifted her by the hand and said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith and it has paid off for you. Welcome back to the world of the healthy! May peace, health and happiness be yours, and may your illness be gone for good.”
As he was saying this, some people arrived from Jairus’ home and said, “It’s too late. Your daughter is dead. It’s no use bothering the teacher now.”
But Jesus heard what they were saying, and said to Jairus, “Don’t give up. Trust me.”
He sent the crowd on their way and wouldn’t let anyone come with them except Peter and the brothers, James and John. When they arrived at the home of the synagogue leader, it was in a state of chaos. Everywhere there were people crying, and you could hardly move for funeral directors, neighbours, and people bearing condolences and casseroles. Jesus didn’t mince his words: “That’s enough. The child is not dead. She’s only asleep.”
But they rubbished him. They knew she was dead. Unperturbed, Jesus took charge of the situation and kicked them all outside. Taking only the child’s parents and his three companions, he went into the room where the child was laid out. He clasped her hand tenderly and said to her, “Talitha koum!” which is Aramaic for “Little girl, get up.” That was all it took – she was up and walking around, as healthy as she had been for the previous twelve years! Of course everyone there was blown away – overcome with joy and amazement. Jesus gave them strict instructions not to breathe a word of this to anybody. Then he said, “The girl’s probably hungry. Find her something to eat.”
©2000 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.

Wisdom of Solomon 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24

God is not the author of death.
God created all things so that they might live.
Death never brings a smile to God’s face.
The natural way of the earth is to generate life.
The forces of nature are not destructive or poisonous.
The kingdom of death does not govern the planet.
A life lived in truth and integrity is immune to death,
because God created us for life without limit;
permanent and incorruptible, just like God.
But the devil got jealous and screwed it all up.
His greed and envy infected the world with death,
and for those who side with him, it will prove fatal.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Lamentations 3: 23-33 (canticle)

Your love and loyalty never die, LORD.
Your generous mercy never runs dry.
They are created new every morning
and you are as trustworthy as the solid rock.
So I keep telling myself that you are all I need
and that I can still trust you to come through for me.
You are good to those who hang in there for you, LORD;
to those whose hearts continue to search for you.
The life for which you save us, LORD,
is worth patiently waiting for.
It is a good thing to shoulder unfair burdens
while we are still young;
to put up with solitary confinement
if that is what the LORD has imposed;
to eat dust
without giving up hope;
to turn the other cheek with courage
and cop the insults that are dished out.
I can’t believe
that the Lord will write us off forever.
The Lord might be dishing out grief to us now
but not willingly.
The Lord’s rock-solid love
will pour forth compassion for us
for the Lord does not take pleasure
in causing trouble or pain.
©2014 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR 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 no matter how deep we sink in sin and despair,
you hear our cry for mercy and lift us to life.
From the depths of chaos you pulled the newborn earth
and filled it with love and beauty.
When we tore apart the glory of your creation
and left innocence slain upon our battlefields,
you continued to reach out to the grieving world
with a love more wonderful than any other.
Your surpassing generosity took flesh in Jesus Christ,
who, though he was rich,
gave up everything
so that we might lack nothing.
When he was killed, you raised him,
and hope dawned over the dark night of grief.
From him radiates the energy that heals us,
and at the touch of his hand
the outcasts are reconciled
and the dead awake to fullness of life.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus,
for no matter how deep we sink in sin and despair,
he comes to us and at the touch of his hand
the outcasts are healed and reconciled
and the dead awake to fullness of life.
©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 no matter how deep we sink in sin and despair,
you hear our cry for mercy and lift us to life.
From the depths of chaos you pulled the newborn earth
and filled it with love and beauty.
When we tore apart the glory of your creation
and left innocence slain upon our battlefields,
you continued to reach out to the grieving world
with a love more wonderful than any other.
Your surpassing generosity took flesh in Jesus Christ,
who, though he was rich,
gave up everything
so that we might lack nothing.
When he was killed, you raised him,
and hope dawned over the dark night of grief.
From him radiates the energy that heals us,
and at the touch of his hand
the outcasts are reconciled
and the dead awake to fullness of life.
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

If the Lord recorded our sins, no one could survive,
but God’s capacity for forgiveness is awesome.
The Lord will bring mercy and grant full pardon.
In Jesus Christ we are lifted to life.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out, among the outcast and the grieving,
and speak the word of life and hope.
Do not fear, but trust in God’s word.
Watch for the Lord with eager expectation,
and be generous with all God has given you.
And may God respond to your every cry with mercy;
May Christ Jesus take you by the hand and lift you to life;
and may the Holy Spirit build you up in faith, in speech,
in knowledge, in passion and in love.
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.

The Table of GriefA sermon on 2 Samuel 1:1,17-27 & Psalm 130 by Nathan Nettleton

Are You Worth More Than a Touch?A sermon on Mark 5: 21-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Revulsion and Contagious LoveA sermon on Mark 5: 21-43 by Nathan Nettleton

The God of WinterA Winter Solstice sermon on Mark 5:21-43; 2 Samuel 1:17-27 & Psalm 130 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 9 - Year B
2027-07-04 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.

2 Samuel 5: 1-5, 9-10

After David had been king of Judah for some time, the leaders of the tribes of Israel came to meet with him at Hebron. They addressed him, saying:
“Look, we are family – your own flesh and blood. For a long time, even though Saul was officially our king, it has been you that we all looked up to, and you that we took our marching orders from. The LORD promised that it was only a matter of time before you would rule Israel and be the caretaker of all God’s people.”
During this meeting at Hebron, the tribal elders of Israel negotiated a deal with David and signed it in a sacred ceremony, with the LORD as their witness. As part of the deal they crowned David king of Israel, pouring sacred olive oil on his head to show that he was the chosen one.
David was thirty years old when he became king, and his reign lasted forty years. For the first seven and a half years, while based in Hebron, he only ruled over Judah. Then for a further thirty-three years he ruled over both Israel and Judah from his new capital in Jerusalem. The fortified centre of Jerusalem had held out against David, but he eventually captured it and moved in, declaring it to be the city of David. He had the city rebuilt around it starting from the landfill area on the east side.
David’s position was becoming stronger all the time, because the LORD, the ruler of everything, was on his side.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 48

Great is the LORD – worthy of our highest praise —
and great is the city where God lives.
The mountain of God’s presence
is a spectacular sacred site,
a source of joy for all the earth.
On Mount Zion stands the city of the great Ruler.
There in God’s sheltering presence
we have been given a place of safety.
Rulers of nations, despots and tyrants,
united to overthrow God’s dominion,
but one look at God’s sure defence
and their arrogant plans were blown.
In sheer panic, they took off in all directions.
They were as shaken as a woman in labour,
or a storm-tossed ship smashed on the reef.
We had heard of God’s great city,
and now we have seen it with our own eyes
The LORD who rules over everything
will see that this city stands firm forever.
O God, here in your holy Temple,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
Your reputation, O God, spreads throughout the earth,
and wherever you are named,
people shout for joy.
Your rule of justice has the last word everywhere.
Let Mount Zion celebrate,
and every city and town throw a party
because God’s decisions
bring justice and righteousness.
Come, let us walk around the holy mountain.
Let us examine our God from every angle.
Count up the towers of safety.
Inspect the sheltering places
within the presence of God.
Pass all this on to your children
and your children’s children
so that they too will know that this is our God.
This God is our God forever and ever,
the God who will lead us in peace
for all time to come.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 12: 2-10

There was a certain person — a Christian person who I know well — who fourteen years ago was swept up into the heights of heaven. I’m not sure whether this was a physical experience or an ecstatic vision. Only God really knows.
As I say, God only knows whether or not it was a whole-body thing, but this certain person was snatched up into Paradise, and there he heard things that are too wonderful for words, things that he dare not repeat to a living soul. Now if you want to hear about such amazing things, then I’m willing to talk freely about this certain person, but I don’t want to go blowing my own trumpet. Of course if you want me to talk about weaknesses I could talk about myself all night!
Mind you, there is no reason to think I’d end up with egg on my face if I did talk big about my own experiences. It would be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but don’t get me started! I’d rather let my actions do the talking for me. Let me be judged simply by the value of what I teach and what I do. Any spectacular revelations I may have experienced in the past should not inflate your opinion of me.
And believe me, God has seen to it that they haven’t given me an over inflated opinion of myself. To balance them out and keep my feet firmly on the ground, I have been given a special gift — a real thorn in the flesh, a condition that torments me and causes great anguish in my body. Satan used it to try to derail me, but it is probably what has kept me on track. Of course I couldn’t see that at first. Three times I put everything else aside and gave all my time and energy to seeking the Lord for healing and deliverance. But the Lord said to me, “My generous love is enough for you. Your weakness clears the deck and opens you to my strength.”
So then, if it means that Christ’s strength will be all the more active in me, I will gladly wear my weaknesses like a badge of honour. Indeed, given the opportunity to talk about them, you can’t shut me up! So nowadays, what ever comes my way — failure, bad-mouthing, tough times, harassment, tragedy —I take it all in my stride and just allow Christ to come to the fore. You see, it is when I am at my weakest that I find the greatest strength.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 6: 1-13

Jesus returned to his Nazareth, his hometown, and his closest followers went with him. On the Sabbath he gave a public lecture in the local synagogue. Many of those who attended were surprised and impressed by what he had to say. “Who would have guessed that a local lad would have done so well?” they said. “Where did he pick up such wisdom? And look at the miraculous things he does with just a touch of his hands!”
But the next minute they were getting their noses out of joint. “Who does he think he is? Mr Big-shot! He’s just a carpenter – Mary’s boy – no better than any of us. We know his brothers – James, Justin, Jude and Simon. His sisters all live here, and they’re no different from us.” So they ended up resenting him.
Jesus responded to all this, saying, “It’s always the way. Prophets are appreciated everywhere except at home among the friends and relations they grew up with.”
There was very little he could do there. He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them, but that was about it. He couldn’t get over how stubborn and skeptical they were, so he moved on and did a teaching tour through the neighbouring towns.
Jesus called his chosen twelve together and sent them out in pairs. He commissioned them to deal with any spirit of evil they might encounter. He gave them orders to travel lightly and live simply – no carting luggage around or buying things along the way. He told them, “If anyone invites you to stay in their home, do so until it’s time to move on. No shopping around for a better place! And if you arrive somewhere and they refuse to welcome you in or hear what you have to say, just move on. Turn your backs and walk away. Scratch their names off your map and forget them.”
So they hit the road. Everywhere they went they preached with enthusiasm, calling people to turn their lives around and get back on track. They flushed out numerous demons, and healed a lot of people of various illnesses, anointing them with oil and praying that God would make them whole.
©2000 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 2: 1-5

A voice spoke to me and said, “Ezekiel, young man, stand up on your feet and listen to what I have to say to you.”
When I heard this, a spirit moved inside me and stood me up on my feet, and I heard the voice speaking to me. The voice said to me:
“Young man, I am sending you to my people. They are a nation of scabs who turned against me. Just like their ancestors, they have repeatedly done the wrong thing by me and they are continuing to do so. This latest generation is the most callous and pigheaded yet. I am sending you to them, and it is your job to announce whatever the Lord GOD has to say to them. Maybe they will listen, maybe they won’t, because they are such a defiant mob. Either way, they will be left in no doubt that there has been a prophet among them.”
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 123

It is to you that we look for help, LORD;
to you who rules from the throne of heaven!
When people are injured,
they look to the doctors for help;
when they lie in hospital,
they look to the nurses for compassion;
and in the same way
we look to you, the LORD our God:
we depend on your kindness and care.
Treat us with compassion, LORD, treat us with compassion.
We’ve endured more than our fair share of contempt.
We have had an absolute gutful
of being put down by the arrogant
and treated like dirt by those who’ve got it easy.
©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,
— joy of all the earth —
for your grace is sufficient for us,
and your strength is always there in our weakness.
You created the heavens and the earth and all that live in them
and gave yourself to us to be our guide forever.
You gave your people great leaders, like David,
to shepherd them in peace and righteousness.
Your son, Jesus, came teaching with astounding wisdom
and bringing freedom and healing at the touch of his hands.
Like the prophets he was not honoured in his own town,
and was crucified by his own nation,
but you raised him from the dead,
displaying your perfect power in his weakness.
Now he has entrusted us with his mission
of casting out evil and proclaiming your steadfast love
from the holy mountain to the ends of the earth.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your son, Jesus,
whose trusted your perfect power in his weakness on the cross,
and who has entrusted us with his mission
of casting out evil and proclaiming your steadfast love
from the holy mountain to the ends of the earth.
©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,
— joy of all the earth —
for your grace is sufficient for us,
and your strength is always there in our weakness.
You created the heavens and the earth and all that live in them
and gave yourself to us to be our guide forever.
You gave your people great leaders, like David,
to shepherd them in peace and righteousness.
Your son, Jesus, came teaching with astounding wisdom
and bringing freedom and healing at the touch of his hands.
Like the prophets he was not honoured in his own town,
and was crucified by his own nation,
but you raised him from the dead,
displaying your perfect power in his weakness.
Now he has entrusted us with his mission
of casting out evil and proclaiming your steadfast love
from the holy mountain to the ends of the earth.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ sent out his apostles to call us all to repentance.
God has promised that all who turn to Christ for mercy
will receive forgiveness for sin,
for in our weakness, God’s strength is sufficient.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and wherever people will hear you,
proclaim the life-changing love of God.
Do not fear your weakness,
for when you are weakest, Christ’s strength is known.
Travel lightly, live simply,
and honour those who welcome the gospel.
And may God be your protection and safe haven;
May the power of Christ Jesus dwell in you;
and may the Holy Spirit be your guide forever.
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.

Don’t Count on ApplauseA sermon on Mark 6:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Shoot the MessengerA sermon on Mark 6:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

“Trusting God” for People who Have EverythingA sermon on Mark 6: 1-13, 14-15, 21-23 & 2 Corinthians 12: 2-10 by Andrew Woff

Making the Covenant – Making the ChurchA sermon on 2 Samuel 5: 1-5, 9-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Stumbling Stone SermonA sermon on Mark 6:1-13 by Samara Pitt

Thorns, Warts and AllA sermon on 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 & Mark 6:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

When Churches Picket Each OtherA sermon on 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13 & 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 10 - Year B
2027-07-11 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.

2 Samuel 6: 1-5, 12b-19

David called up thirty thousand top soldiers, the cream of Israel’s army, and led them up to Baalah in Judah to collect the sacred Ark of God. The Ark bore the name of the LORD who rules over everything, and the gold cherubim on its top were recognised as God’s throne on earth. They removed the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab, secured it on a new cart, and set off down the hill with it. Abinadab’s two sons, Ahio and Uzzah, were at each end, steering the cart which carried the Ark of God. A crowd of Israelite people accompanied them, forming a joyful procession, all singing and dancing in honour of the LORD. David led them with great enthusiasm, and they were accompanied by all sorts of musical instruments.
They parked the Ark of God in the house of Obed-edom for a while after an accident, but eventually they were ready to set out again and bring it to the city of David. It was a huge celebration. This time the Ark of God was carried on the shoulders of some chosen men. Each time they had taken six paces, they would stop and David would sacrifice a bullock and a prime-beef yearling. Bare chested and with only a linen cloth round his waist, David danced with uninhibited joy and great energy to honour the LORD. To the sounds of trumpets and loud cheering, David and all the people of Israel brought the Ark of the LORD up into Jerusalem.
As they came through the city gates, David’s wife Michelle was watching from a window. She was the daughter of Saul, and when she saw King David making such a display of himself, leaping around in his dance, she was disgusted.
David had set up a special marquee for the sacred Ark of the LORD, and they carried it in and set it in its place. David led the people in worship, offering animal sacrifices to the LORD by burning them on an altar. When the offerings were over, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD who rules over everything. He sent them all on their way with gifts of food. Every man and woman in Israel was given a platter laden with bread, roast beef, and fruit cake. So, with the celebrations over, everyone headed home.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 24

The whole planet belongs to you, LORD —
the earth and everything that lies in it,
grows from it, or walks on it.
You raised the land above the seas,
and secured its foundations in the depths.
Who will be granted a permit
to climb your sacred mountain, O God?
Who may scale the summit to your holy presence?
Those who have played a straight bat,
acting with integrity,
not selling themselves out to delusions,
or playing fast and loose with the truth.
Your rich goodness will come their way, LORD,
and you will declare them innocent
and set them free.
These are the people who take no shortcuts
in their search for you.
Their greatest hunger is to know you,
the God of their ancestors.
We hear the call:
“Wake up! On your feet!
Open the gates and form a guard of honour!
Roll out the red carpet
before the glorious sovereign.”
Who is this majestic ruler?
It is you, LORD, supreme and dynamic,
the conqueror of conflict.
We hear it again:
“Wake up! On your feet!
Open the gates and form a guard of honour!
Roll out the red carpet
before the glorious sovereign.”
Who is this majestic ruler?
It is you, the LORD who rules over everything.
This majestic ruler is you, our God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 1: 3-14

Blessed be God! All praise and honour be to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has gathered up all the spiritual blessings of heaven and given them to us in our union with Christ. This followed on from decisions that God had made even before laying the foundations of the world. Way back then, God was anticipating our arrival and laying down plans for us. God was getting ready to immerse us in divine love so that we would emerge ready, willing and able to dedicate our lives totally to God.
God set the wheels in motion for us to be adopted as his own children. This was to be done through Jesus Christ, because God takes great delight in doing such things through him. God wanted his beloved Son to get all the credit for the boundless love that was being lavished on us. Christ paid the ultimate price, shedding his own blood in his endeavour to reclaim us for God’s family. Given how often we’d turned our backs on God, he could easily have given up on us, but he was so extravagant in his love and reckless in his generosity that he just forgave us for everything and put his life on the line to save us.
God, who can see and understand perfectly what we could never comprehend, has let us in on the mystery of the divine plan. God took great delight in opening this up and giving us a preview in Christ. This is how it will unfold when the time is right: God will unify all things into one perfect communion in Christ, reconciling everything, from the depths of the earth to the farthest reaches of heaven.
In Christ we are identified as God’s beneficiaries and our future is secured. God’s plans always find a way, and right from the word go we have been a part of those plans. This was to ensure that we, being the first people to throw in our lot with Christ, would be able to live lives that clearly reflected the wonderful goodness of God. It didn’t stop with us though — you’re in on this too! The message of God’s rescue mission reached you, and once you realized it was fair dinkum and put your trust in Christ, you became part of him, just like us. At that moment your future was signed and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Now you know it will be delivered! Everything planned for God’s people will be yours — a life overflowing with the glory and splendour of God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 6: 14-29

The word was getting around about Jesus, and soon even King Herod had heard what was being said. Everyone had an opinion. Some people thought he was a reincarnation of John the baptiser and that that explained his miraculous powers. Others were of the view that he was Elijah or one of the other great prophets of the past. Herod was backing the John the baptiser theory. “It’s John for sure,” he said. “I had his head cut off, but he’s come back anyway, and more trouble than ever.”
It had been on Herod’s orders that John had been arrested, chained and put in prison in the first place. He had done this at the insistence of Herodias. She had been the wife of Herod’s brother Philip, but she had left him and married Herod. She had it in for John because he had been publicly denouncing their relationship as adultery. Although Herodias simmered with murderous rage against John, she couldn’t touch him because Herod held him in an almost superstitious awe. He was convinced that John was a unique holy man, and he was afraid of what might happen if he didn’t protect him. Herod took a perverse pleasure in listening to John speak. Everything John said aggravated him, and yet he kept coming back for more.
But it was only a matter of time before Herodias got her chance. On his birthday, Herod threw a huge birthday party and all the silver-tails and top brass were there – everybody who was anybody in Galilee. Herodias had a very attractive and alluring daughter who came in to the party and danced for the men. Herod and his guests were so mesmerised by her charms that the king said to her, “Anything you want, I will give you. Just ask!” He was so entranced by her that he shot his mouth off without thinking. “I swear I will give you whatever you ask, even half my kingdom.”
The girl went out and consulted her mother. “What should I ask for?”
Herodias had no hesitation. “The head of John the baptiser,” she said.
Intoxicated by this thought, the girl raced back to the king and placed her order. “I want the head of John the baptiser. I want it served up on a platter, right here, right now.”
That took the wind out of his sails quick smart, but he could hardly go back on his word in front of all his guests. It was lose face or lose John, so he caved in and gave the order. The executioner was sent for and John was dragged out of his cell and beheaded. His head was then carried in on a serving platter, and presented to the girl. She in turn gave it to her mother.
When the gruesome news reached John’s followers, they came and collected his body so that they could give him a decent burial.
©2000 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.

Amos 7: 7-15

God gave me a vision. I saw the Lord holding a plumb line against a wall to see whether it was straight. As I looked, the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
I answered, “A plumb line.”
Then the LORD said:
“I am using this plumb line
to show how crooked my people Israel have become.
I will not turn a blind eye again.
The private shrines of Isaac’s descendant will be flattened.
Israel’s so-called sacred sites will be scorched earth.
I will declare war on the royal family of Jeroboam.”
Amos was getting into hot water over his preaching. Amaziah, the priest at the shrine in Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, the King of Israel, saying, “Amos is sowing the seeds of rebellion right in the heart of Israel. All his talk of doom and gloom will paralyse the nation. Have you heard what he is saying about you?
‘Jereboam will be killed,
and the people of Israel
will be marched off into exile in a far off land.’”
Amaziah also tried to send Amos away himself, saying, “Hey preacher-man, get out of town! Buzz off back to Judah where you came from and ply your trade there. Harangue them with your prophesies, but don’t open your mouth here in Bethel again. This is the royal chapel – the King’s worship place – and we don’t need your kind around here.”
But Amos answered back, “I am no professional preacher; nor was I raised to be a preacher. I was happy making my living droving cattle and cutting timber. But the LORD called me in from the bush and said, ‘Go and preach to my people Israel.’
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 85: 8-13

We are eager to hear all you have to say, LORD God,
for your words bring peace and wellbeing
to those who stick with you
and leave behind their foolish ways.
Surely for all who respect you,
the life you saved us for is within reach.
Our land will be ablaze with your presence.
What a life it will be!
Love and loyalty will link arms;
justice and peace will become lovers.
Faithfulness will sprout and reach for the sky;
integrity will beam down on the earth.
You will give us every good thing, LORD,
and the land will give bumper crops.
Justice and integrity will spring up as you approach,
lining the road to welcome you among us.
©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 in Christ you are gathering all things into one communion
and adopting us as your own beloved children.
Every created thing is yours,
for you founded the earth
and gave life to all who live on it.
Even before that, you chose us
and planned for our inclusion into your life
of wholeness, holiness and glorious splendour.
With all wisdom and insight
you made known to your people the mystery of your will.
Though tyrants have opposed your truth,
cutting down your prophets,
and crucifying your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have not left us to death's powers.
When you raised Christ from the dead,
you opened the ancient gates to us
and sealed us with your promised Holy Spirit,
so that we might enter your resurrection life,
leaping and dancing,
and receive every blessing of heaven.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for Christ,
your crucified and risen Son,
in whom and through whom
you are gathering all things into one communion
and adopting us as your own beloved children,
just as you planned before the foundation of the world.
©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 in Christ you are gathering all things into one communion
and adopting us as your own beloved children.
Every created thing is yours,
for you founded the earth
and gave life to all who live on it.
Even before that, you chose us
and planned for our inclusion into your life
of wholeness, holiness and glorious splendour.
With all wisdom and insight
you made known to your people the mystery of your will.
Though tyrants have opposed your truth,
cutting down your prophets,
and crucifying your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have not left us to death's powers.
When you raised Christ from the dead,
you opened the ancient gates to us
and sealed us with your promised Holy Spirit,
so that we might enter your resurrection life,
leaping and dancing,
and receive every blessing of heaven.
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

In Jesus Christ we have redemption
and the forgiveness of our sins,
for in the richness of his grace
Christ determined to save us
even at the cost of his own life-blood.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out, and live lives that glorify God.
Act with integrity.
Do not sell yourself out to delusions
or give your word deceitfully.
Stand up for the truth and rejoice in the Lord.
And may God give you all the blessings of heaven;
May Christ Jesus gather you into his family;
and may the Holy Spirit deliver you safely
into the rich destiny prepared for God’s people.
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.

Giving GloryA sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Isn’t that a bit extreme?A sermon on 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 14-22 & Mark 6:14-2 by Nathan Nettleton

Wow!A sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14 by Nathan Nettleton

The Liturgy of The DanceA sermon on 2 Samuel 6:15; 12b-19 and Mark 6:14-29 by Garry Deverell

Origin and DestinyA sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14; 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12-19 & Mark 6:14-29 by Nathan Nettleton

Nothing to be embarrassed aboutA sermon on 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 14-22 and Ephesians 1:3-14 by Alison Sampson

The Children of the KingA sermon on Mark 6:14-29 and Ephesians 1:3-14 by Alison Sampson

A Caveful of CompassionA sermon on 2 Samuel 6:1-19; Ephesians 1:3-14 & Mark 6:14-29 by Nathan Nettleton

The Things UnsaidA sermon on 2 Samuel 6:15; 12b-19 and Mark 6:14-29 by Craig Bartlett

Baying for BloodA sermon on Mark 6:14-29 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 11 - Year B
2027-07-18 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.

2 Samuel 7: 1-14a

King David made himself at home in his new palace and, thanks to the LORD, there was no trouble from Israel’s enemies for some time. One day the King consulted Nathan the prophet, and said to him, “It doesn’t seem right for me to be living it up in a palace built of the finest materials while the sacred Ark of God is still in a tent. It’s as though God was sleeping rough!”
Nathan replied, “The LORD is with you, so go ahead and do whatever you think should be done.”
But Nathan had spoken too soon. That same night, the LORD gave him a different message to pass on to King David. This is what it said:
David, I am the LORD and you are my servant, so listen to what I have to say to you. What makes you think that you are the one to build my house? I’ve been on the road with nothing more than a tent ever since I led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. I didn’t need a house then and I don’t need one now. You’re not the first caretaker I’ve appointed for the tribes of Israel, and you won’t be the last, so think about it – have I ever gone whingeing to any of them and demanded a fancy house?
Now listen to me, and listen good. I am the LORD who rules over everything. I made you what you are today – the leader of my people. If it wasn’t for me you’d still be cleaning up after the sheep. I’ve never let you down, wherever you’ve gone. Whenever enemies have attacked you, I’ve dealt with them, right before your eyes. Thanks to me, you will be known as one of the most famous people who ever lived.
I have chosen a place for my people Israel, a place where they can put down roots, a place to call their own. They won’t need to be looking over their shoulders all the time, because there won’t be any more trouble from the barbarians who have plagued them for so long. For the first time since the days when I sent the legendary heroes to bring justice to my people, Israel will be at peace.
What’s more, I the LORD give you my word that I will make you the foundation stone of a great house. I will see to it that by the time your number’s up and you’re buried alongside your ancestors, you will have fathered your own successor. Yes, a son of yours will be king. I will back him all the way, anchoring his kingdom and establishing his dynasty forever. He is the one to whom I shall give the privilege of building my sacred temple. I will be a father to him, and he shall be my son.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 89: 20-37

Long ago, in a vision, you spoke to your faithful people, saying:
“I have crowned a great hero.
Among you, my people,
I found one fit for the throne.
My search ended with my servant David.
Pouring holy oil on his head,
I have set him apart as the chosen one.
He’ll always be able to look to me for strength;
when he needs some muscle,
I’ll be there to back him up.
The enemy will not get under his guard,
the wicked will never drag him down.
I’ll knock flat those who oppose him;
despise him and you answer to me!
My love for him is unshakable;
I’ll be faithful to him for ever.
On my say so, he’ll rule supreme and unchallenged.
I will put everything in his hands,
from coast to coast with all that lies between them.
He will cry out to me, ‘Oh, my Father, my God,
you are the rock I cling to for safety!’
I will make him number one in all the world,
he’ll outrank even the superpowers.
Forever and always, I will be true in my love,
and the covenant we’ve made
will never be broken.
I will see that his family name always has an heir,
and guarantee his throne to his descendants
as long as night follows day.
If his children turn their backs on my ways
and step off the paths I’ve marked out;
if they tear up the instructions I’ve given them
and go against my clear directives,
they’ll pay for it.
They’ll cop the maximum sentence for their crime.
I’ll make them lie in the bed they’ve made.
But even then I won’t take back my love,
and the vows I made to David will still ring true.
There is no way I would break my promise
or try to take back what I’d already said.
I have given my word, once and for all,
and staked my whole reputation on it.
I will never lie to David.
His family tree will be an unbroken line
and his dynasty as sure as the sun.
It shall be as fixed as the orbit of the moon,
as dependable as the lights in the night sky.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 2: 11-22

Always remember where you came from, or you’ll begin to take what God has done for granted. Don’t ever forget that you were once outsiders, and were treated as such by those who had always been insiders. Back then you had no contact with Christ and you were foreigners to his people, Israel. You knew nothing of the rich heritage of promises and mutual responsibility that shaped Israel’s relationship with God. You knew nothing of them and you had no access to their benefits. In the world, but alienated from God — your situation was hopeless. But Christ Jesus has changed all that. No matter how far away you were, through his own blood, sweat and tears, Christ has brought you right into the centre of things.
Christ placed his own body in the gap so that now, through our common link to him, our two separate groups may unite as one. With his own hands he has torn down the barricades of ignorance, suspicion and hostility that divided us. We used to relate to God on the basis of the law, with its detailed regulations and prescriptions, but Christ has done away with all that. He saw that the law had divided humanity in two, since not everybody had access to it, and he wanted to create one united world. This unity would not be in the law, but in Christ himself, in his own body. Christ set out to make peace — offering himself to us both equally, suffering on the cross for us both equally — so that in him we might find one shared basis for reconciliation with God. If that’s not enough to eradicate the hostility between us, nothing will!
So with that agenda in mind, Christ came preaching peace to both of us — to you foreign outsiders and to us Jewish insiders. Now we are all equal, because we all have access to God in exactly the same way — through Christ, in one Spirit. It’s a whole new ball game. You will never be homeless exiles again. You have been granted citizenship in the province of God and you have the same rights of access as any of the saints.
Perhaps you could think of it this way. God is constructing a wonderful temple using every kind of material that comes to hand, regardless of its origins. The foundations are the apostles and prophets and all they did and said. Now all of us are being added, one at a time, with Christ Jesus himself as the central pillar that holds he whole structure together. With every part inseparably linked to him, the whole structure grows day by day into a holy temple dedicated to the Lord. So there you are. United in Christ we become a place where God’s Spirit is proud to live.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56

After travelling through the villages preaching, Jesus’s chosen ambassadors returned and met up with him again. They filled him in on everything they had been doing and teaching on the road. Jesus said to them, “It’s time to put your feet up for a bit. Let’s head off to a deserted beach somewhere and get some well earned rest.”
They certainly needed it. With all the coming and going of people wanting this and that, they hardly even had time to take proper meal breaks. So off they went. They piled into the boat and headed off by themselves for a secluded beach. It was no use though. Several people saw them leaving and managed to figure out where they were headed. Word travelled faster than the boat, and by the time they pulled ashore a crowd was already gathering from the nearby towns. Walking up the beach among the growing crowd, Jesus could feel his heart going out to them. They were like a ship without a rudder, so despite himself, he went straight back to teaching.
Much the same thing happened the next day. They had crossed back over in the boat and pulled ashore at Gennesaret. They had barely secured the boat and climbed onto the jetty when someone recognised Jesus and a buzz went through the town. All over the region people were rushing off to their sick friends or relatives and bringing them to wherever they heard Jesus had gone. There were stretcher crews coming from all directions. The story was beginning to repeat itself everywhere he went. City, town or outback road station – if the grapevine said that Jesus was there, there would be people queuing up in no time, bringing the sick for his attention. Day and night they came, all reaching out to him for help, begging for the chance to even just touch the sleeve of his coat. And all who did so were healed.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

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

Psalm 23

You, LORD, are my guide in the wilderness;
there is nothing more I could need.
You set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;
you lead the way on secluded tracks
beside creeks of cool clean water.
I feel my spirit breathing freely again;
your reputation puts me at ease;
I leave the navigating to you, and follow.
Even if we hike through a perilous valley,
where crows keep a menacing watch,
fear will still not get the better of me.
As long as I stick with you
I know I’ll make the distance;
with a knife and a bit of rope
you seem able to tackle any challenge.
You cook up a feast for me,
as those who wanted to feed on me watch, frustrated.
You pamper me like an honoured guest
and constantly top up my glass.
My life feels charmed, each and every day.
Love, mercy and all good things
keep falling into my lap.
I’m with you for life, LORD,
where you go, I’ll go;
where you live, I’ll live.
©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 draw all things together in Christ
and build us up as a holy temple to your glory.
You created the world and made it your dwelling place.
When you led your people out of oppression
you travelled with them like a homeless refugee.
You made a covenant with your servant, David,
anointing him to shepherd your people
and promising peace to those who followed your ways.
Your Son, Jesus, came,
filled with compassion for all who were without hope.
Though he preached peace and healed the sick and broken,
he was ensnared and killed by your enemies.
You raised him from the dead,
and, in him, you prepared a new covenant
— open to all people, near and far —
a covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility,
and reconciles us to you as one people.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus, who came to us
showing compassion and healing our brokenness.
In him you break down every wall of hostility,
drawing all things together
and building us up as a holy temple to your glory.
©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 draw all things together in Christ
and build us up as a holy temple to your glory.
You created the world and made it your dwelling place.
When you led your people out of oppression
you travelled with them like a homeless refugee.
You made a covenant with your servant, David,
anointing him to shepherd your people
and promising peace to those who followed your ways.
Your Son, Jesus, came,
filled with compassion for all who were without hope.
Though he preached peace and healed the sick and broken,
he was ensnared and killed by your enemies.
You raised him from the dead,
and, in him, you prepared a new covenant
— open to all people, near and far —
a covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility,
and reconciles us to you as one people.
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

Though we have abandoned God’s ways,
God’s love and faithfulness will not be withdrawn.
In Christ Jesus there is forgiveness and healing.
At the cost of his own blood, he has reconciled us to God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out, remembering all God has done for you.
Break down the walls of hostility,
proclaim peace,
have compassion for all,
and don’t forget to take time for yourself also.
And may God be with you wherever you go;
May Christ Jesus heal you and replenish you;
and may the Holy Spirit encircle you and strengthen you.
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.

Our Future Belongs to GodA sermon on 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a; Ephesians 2: 11-22 & Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton

Seeking HealingA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton

Exiles and asylum seekersA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Ian Cook

Demolishing Sacred BuildingsA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton

Jesus – Sledge Hammer ChampionA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton

Silence and RelationshipsA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56 & Ephesians 2: 11-22 by Jeff Wild

Salvation in an Age of TribalismA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 12 - Year B
2027-07-25 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.

2 Samuel 11: 1-15

The onset of spring seems to arouse powerful men, and military campaigns were usually undertaken after the winter ended. One year, King David sent out the Israelite army under the command of Joab and his officers. They decimated the Ammonite army and marched on their capital city, Rabbah.
David himself had his feet up in Jerusalem while his troops laid siege to Rabbah. Late one day, after an afternoon siesta, David wandered out onto his rooftop balcony. Looking down into the homes of his neighbours, he spied a woman undressing to take a bath. He couldn’t take his eyes of her beautiful body. His lust got the better of him, and he sent a servant to check out who she was. The servant reported back, saying, “Your Majesty, her name is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam. She is married to Uriah the Hittite who is presently serving in your army.”
David was unperturbed and hastily arranged for his guards to grab her and bring her to him. She was escorted into the palace and left alone with the King. He had sex with her and then sent her home again. If he wanted to get away with it, he had picked the wrong time of the month. A few weeks later he received a message from Bathsheba saying, “I am pregnant with your baby.”
David hatched a scheme to cover his tracks. He contacted Joab and arranged for Uriah the Hittite to be sent as a courier with military reports for the palace. When Uriah arrived, David made a great show of asking him all about the war and how Joab and the troops were getting on. Then he said to Uriah, “You’ve earned some leave. Go home, enjoy a night with your wife, and I’ll send you back in a day or two.”
Uriah left and David even had the palace kitchen send food and wine around to his house. But Uriah didn’t go home to his wife. He spent the night in the barracks of the palace guard. When David heard about it in the morning he sent for Uriah and said, “I gave you some leave, Soldier. You’ve been on a tough assignment. Why didn’t you go home?”
Uriah replied, “It wouldn’t be fair to my mates. They’re all out there in tents – the whole army, Joab and the other commanders, and even the sacred Ark. How could I go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife when they’re still roughing it? On a stack of bibles I swear to you, I couldn’t do it.”
David was getting desperate. He said to Uriah, “I need you to stay here another day and then tomorrow you can take a delivery back to Joab.”
So Uriah hung around in Jerusalem as instructed. David invited him to dinner and made sure that his glass was never empty. By the time Uriah left that evening, he was quite drunk, but he still didn’t go home to his wife. He slept on a stretcher in the barracks again.
David had only one card left. In the morning he sent Uriah back to the front with a dispatch for Joab. It included a royal order saying, “Send Uriah to attack the enemy’s strongest defence post. Then, pull back the rest of the troops so he’ll be stranded and killed.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 14

Heartless, mindless scum kid themselves
that there is no God.
They are corrupt and callous.
The things they do would make you sick.
There is not an ounce of good among them.
The LORD scans the human race, one at a time,
looking for any who are still wise;
for even one who still has a heart for God.
But it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack!
They’ve all lost the plot.
Everyone is caught up
in their own perverse ways.
Every last one of them.
Don’t they know where all this will get them?
They never look to the LORD for anything;
they chew up God’s people and spit them out.
But it will soon be their turn to cringe in fear,
because God sides with those who play straight.
If you think you can trample
the dreams of the battlers,
Watch out! The LORD will be there for them.
We can hardly wait to hear the songs of freedom
as justice marches down from God’s mountain!
What a day it will be
when the LORD redistributes the wealth
and God’s people are compensated
for their suffering!
Our ancestors will rise up with joy!
The streets will fill with singing and dancing!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 3: 14-21

Because of the overwhelming goodness of all God has done for us in Christ, I fall on my knees in gratitude. I pour out prayers of thanks and praise to the God who conceived us, to this God in whom every people of every place find their life and their true identity.
I offer up prayers for you too. God overflows with rich and vibrant life, and I’m praying that through God’s Spirit this overflow will be channelled into you, to put new steel into every fibre of your being. I pray that through your trust in Christ, he may put down roots in your heart, and that you may put down roots in his love. You can’t have your feet on any firmer ground than that!
I’m also praying that you and all God’s beloved people might somehow be able to fathom the astonishing extent of the mysteries God has opened to us, even though they stretch from the depths of the earth to the outer reaches of the galaxy, from horizon to horizon, and from here to eternity! And finally I’m praying that you will be intimately acquainted with the love of Christ — a love that goes far beyond anything we can get our heads around. For it is that love that will pump you full of life, the rich and vibrant life of God.
So now, credit where credit’s due — all glory to God. It is God whose Spirit, working powerfully within us and through us, is capable of things beyond our wildest dreaming — things so extraordinary we’d have never even thought to ask for them. So all the accolades belong to God.
In the church, glory to God!
In the messiah, Jesus, glory to God!
In every generation, glory to God!
In every age, from now to forever, glory to God!
And so say all of us!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 6: 1-21

Shortly before the annual Passover, a sacred Jewish festival, Jesus took a trip over to the other side of Lake Galilee. As usual, a sizable crowd followed him. Indeed, every time he helped a sick person, people said it was a sign, and growing numbers began to follow his every move. After beaching the boat, Jesus headed up the hill with his closest followers. As they sat down, they looked back and sure enough, there was the crowd coming up to join them. Jesus put a question to Philip: “Where can we buy bread to feed all these extra guests?”
He actually knew what he was going to do, but he wanted to see how far he could stretch Philip’s thinking. Philip replied, “Even if there was a bakery out here, you’d need to take out a mortgage to pay for a slice each!”
Another of the disciples, Simon Peter’s brother Andrew, spoke up: “There is a lad over here with five bread rolls and a couple of fish. It’s a drop in the ocean for this mob though.”
Jesus said, “Get everyone to sit down,” and they did. The grassy clearing where they sat was quite spacious, and it needed to be — there were close to five thousand people there. Jesus took the bread rolls, and after giving thanks to God, he began handing them out among the people sitting on the grass. He did the same with the fish, and somehow there was enough to go around. More than enough in fact. When everyone had eaten their fill, he sent his disciples to gather up the leftovers, saying, “Don’t let anything go to waste!”
Having started with only five bread rolls, they gathered up twelve shopping bags full of bits that people couldn’t eat! When it began to dawn on people what he had done, they started saying, “It’s a sign! He’s got to be the great prophet who God promised to send into the world.”
Jesus realised that they were getting carried away and that if he wasn’t careful they’d be starting a revolution and proclaiming him king, whether he liked it or not. Discretion seemed the better plan, so he slipped off and went bush by himself.
That evening his disciples went back down to the lake. Jesus hadn’t come back but darkness had fallen, so they loaded the boat and pushed off toward Capernaum. A squall blew up and they’d been pushing through rough waters for about an hour when they saw Jesus walking across the waves, not far from the boat. It scared them half to death, but Jesus called out to them, “Look who I am. There’s no need to be afraid!” They pulled themselves together and were keen to bring him on board, but suddenly the boat ran aground — in the exact place they had been heading for!
©2000 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.

2 Kings 4: 42-44

During the famine, a man arrived from Baal-shalishah, bringing a sack of food as the required offering to God from the first fruits of his harvest. He gave the offering to Elisha, as God’s representative. The sack contained twenty loaves of barley bread and some fresh ears of grain. Elisha told his servant to give it to the hungry people outside so that they could eat. But his servant said, “There’s a hundred people outside. How am I supposed to give this to them without it seeming like a cruel joke?”
But Elisha stood his ground, saying, “Give it to the people and let them eat. It will be enough for them all and they’ll have some left over. We have the LORD’s word for it.”
So the servant handed it out to the people. They all ate and there was some left over, just as the LORD had promised.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 145: 10-18

LORD, everyone and everything will thank you, their creator,
and all who are loyal to you will sing your praises.
As your people, we will promote the glory of your reign,
and broadcast the news of your power for good.
We will tell everyone about the great things you have done
and about the magnificent splendour of your reign.
You will reign forever and ever, LORD,
your rule is in place for all generations to come.
Everything you say can be relied on, LORD,
and everything you do is generous and loving.
When people fall, you put them back on their feet;
when people are crushed, you stand them tall again.
Everyone looks to you for what they need,
and you meet their needs when the time is right.
You open your hands
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Justice marks everything you do, LORD,
and generous love colours your every deed.
When honest hearts cry out to you, LORD,
you are right there alongside them.
You satisfy the desires of those who respect you;
you hear their cries and rescue them from death.
You watch out for those who love you, LORD,
and wipe out corruption when it threatens.
Your praises will be always on our lips, LORD,
and with all who live,
we will single out your name for the highest honour
forever and ever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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 we are overwhelmed
by the length and breadth, height and depth
of your mysteries, your glory, and your love for us in Christ.
You brought forth the earth and the heavens,
and from tiny fragments you created a rich abundance
to nurture and strengthen all who look to your hand.
You have given yourself generously to your people,
despite their eagerness to crown every new hero
and corrupt themselves before idols
of wealth, sex and power.
In your Son, Jesus,
you have given us the saviour we longed for.
Though he was crucified by the corrupt,
you raised him to life and he comes to us again,
striding over chaos and death,
dispelling our fears with a love beyond comprehension,
strengthening us in our inner beings,
and bringing us safely to the land of our destiny.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus,
who comes to us, striding over chaos and death,
feeding us with your abundance
and making known to us
the length and breadth, height and depth
of your mysteries, your glory, and your love for us in Christ.
©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 we are overwhelmed
by the length and breadth, height and depth
of your mysteries, your glory, and your love for us in Christ.
You brought forth the earth and the heavens,
and from tiny fragments you created a rich abundance
to nurture and strengthen all who look to your hand.
You have given yourself generously to your people,
despite their eagerness to crown every new hero
and corrupt themselves before idols
of wealth, sex and power.
In your Son, Jesus,
you have given us the saviour we longed for.
Though he was crucified by the corrupt,
you raised him to life and he comes to us again,
striding over chaos and death,
dispelling our fears with a love beyond comprehension,
strengthening us in our inner beings,
and bringing us safely to the land of our destiny.
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

With a love that surpasses knowledge,
Christ comes to us saying, “Trust in me. Do not be afraid.”
Though we have nothing to offer but our broken selves,
he brings forth an abundance of mercy beyond our imagining.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world.
Seek God, and the wisdom of God.
Hide yourself from the corruptions of power and adulation.
Entrust whatever you have to Christ
for with him, there will always be more than enough.
And may God strengthen you in your inner beings.
May Christ Jesus dwell in your hearts through faith.
and may the Holy Spirit plant your roots deeply
in the abundant richness of God’s love.
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.

Is Gratitude a Performance Enhancing Drug?A sermon on Ephesians 3:14-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Paul’s PrayerA sermon on on Ephesians 3:14-21 by Alan Marr

Abundance & CorruptionA sermon on 2 Samuel 11: 1-15 & John 6: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Taking By ForceA sermon on 2 Samuel 11: 1-15 & John 6: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Confronting a RapistA sermon on 2 Samuel 11: 1-15 & John 6: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Bread That Breaks RulesA sermon on John 6: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Toxic ChosennessA sermon on 2 Samuel 11: 1-15 & John 6: 1-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 13 - Year B
2027-08-01 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.

2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a

The news that Uriah had been killed in battle reached his wife, Bathsheba, and she went into mourning. When the customary time of mourning was over, King David arranged for her to move into the palace. She became his wife, and a son was born to them. But David’s actions had put him off side with the LORD.
The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to speak to David. Nathan addressed the King saying:
Consider this case, your Majesty. Two men lived on neighbouring properties. One of them was filthy rich. He owned huge mobs of sheep and cattle, and plenty of land to graze them on. The other man was dirt poor. He rented his land and owned only one small lamb. The lamb was like a pet to him and his children. It even used to eat at their table and sleep on the end of their bed. People used to joke that he treated the lamb like one of his daughters. One day the rich man had a guest from out of town. He was too stingy to butcher any of his own animals to prepare a meal for his guest, so he sent a servant over the fence to steal the poor man’s lamb. He had the lamb roasted and carved up for the evening meal.”
David was so outraged he nearly exploded! He thumped the table and said, “I swear by God, such a cruel and callous crime will not go unpunished. Hanging’s too good for a man like that! I order that he be made to pay compensation at four times the value of what he stole.”
Nathan looked David straight in the eye and said, “You are the man! You stand condemned by your own words! Now listen to what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you:
I chose you to be king of Israel. When Saul was trying to kill you, I rescued you. I gave you his throne and his wives and made you king over both Israel and Judah. If that wasn’t enough, you should have said so. I would have gladly given you whatever you asked for. So why do you spit in my face now? Why have you rejected what I taught you and committed such a horrible crime? You murdered Uriah the Hittite so you could get your hands on his wife. He was fighting for you against the Ammonites – he shouldn’t have had to guard his back against you! And now the cat’s out of the bag. Your despicable behaviour will sow seeds of violence and betrayal that will tear apart your family generation after generation. Watch your back. Rebellion will come from within your own family and I’ll hand over your wives to the rebel before your very eyes. He’ll have sex with them right out in the open. Your crime was hidden away where no one could see, but your humiliation will happen in public where everyone can see.”
David cried out to Nathan, saying, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 51: 1-12

O God, your love never gives up.
Have mercy on me now!
I’m relying on your record of generous mercy:
please wipe my slate clean!
Scrub away the filth I’ve been living in;
Scour away the stain of my sin.
I know only too well what I’ve done;
my sins stare me in the face.
It is you I’ve double-crossed, you I’ve betrayed;
I’ve done things which I knew you despised.
You have all the facts and you know what I deserve;
what ever you decide is fair enough.
I’ve been on the wrong side of you forever.
I turned my back on you before I was born.
You want honesty that comes from deep within,
so teach me your wisdom,
let it take root in my heart.
Get the bleach out and give me the treatment!
Soak me and wash me
until I’m as white as snow.
Open my ears to laughter and music.
Though you ground me into the dirt,
let me now rise to the sounds of joy.
Turn a blind eye to my record;
disregard my prior convictions.
Renovate me from the inside, O God;
rebuild my heart and rewire my brain;
install in me a new fault-free operating system.
Don’t cut me off from you now,
or withdraw your Holy Spirit from me.
Rekindle in me the joy of being safe in your care,
and fill me with an insatiable desire to follow you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 4: 1-16

I am still in this detention centre, locked up for the Lord, but you are free to live out the life God has called you to. It’s a high calling, but on bended knee I beg of you — live up to it. Give it everything you’ve got! Don’t let your zeal make you aggressive though. In all your dealings, stay humble, gentle, patient. Even when things get rocky among you, hang in there with each other. Don’t let your love give up. In the Spirit you are one people, held together in peace. Put every effort in to making sure that that vision is a lived reality and not just a pious ideal.
This unity is evident in everything. The Spirit is one; the body into which we have been incorporated is one; and the quest we are called to is one. We have only one Lord; we share one faith; and we all came into it through the one baptism. We are all children of the one God, who surrounds everything, permeates everything, and embraces everything.
That doesn’t mean we’re a bunch of clones though. In his extraordinary generosity, Christ takes care to give us each the gifts that are just right for us. As the scriptures say,
“When he rose to the heights
he took confinement itself a prisoner,
and handed out gifts to the people.”
Now, when you think about it, it becomes clear that if he ‘rose to the heights’ he must first have come down to the earth — right down into the depths of the earth. He who plumbed the depths and he who rose to the heights are one and the same, and he fills everything in the universe with his presence.
It was he who ‘handed out gifts to the people’. He gifted some to be apostles and some to be prophets; others to be missionaries; and still others to be pastors and teachers. All these gifts are given for the task of equipping everyone in the church for the work of ministry. In this way the church, as the body of Christ, can grow strong and healthy. The work continues until we are all truly one — united by the shared experience of knowing and trusting the Son of God. That’s our destiny — full maturity — the realisation of our quest to live up to our role-model, Jesus Christ.
So it’s time immaturity became a thing of the past. We’ve been as gullible as little children, easy prey to those who offer sugar-coated deceptions. Racketeers and snake-oil merchants are always offering yet another new gimmicky life-change plan for those who fall for one scam after another. It’s time we grew up! It’s time we had the guts to face the truth, and to speak it with love. That’s what it will take for us to grow to be like Christ, to be part of Christ. We’ve got to let him call the shots. He is like the brain, which communicates through the nervous system to keep every organ and muscle functioning harmoniously. Only with every part answering to him will the conditions be right for the body to grow strong and robust, bulked up in love.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 6: 24-35

When the crowd who Jesus had fed realised that he and his disciples were gone, they piled into the boats and headed across to Capernaum to look for him.
When they tracked him down on the far side of the lake, they questioned him, “Rabbi, when did you arrive here?”
Jesus took them to task, saying, “If the truth be known, you’re not looking for me because you saw signs of God in what I did, but simply because you got a free meal out of me. You’ll never satisfy your real hunger with a belly full of food, no matter how much effort you put into it. Put your energy instead into finding the life-giving food that will never stop nourishing you. The New Human will give it to you, and he has been guaranteed by God the Father.”
Hearing that, they asked, “What do we have to do to get in on what God’s doing?”
Jesus replied, saying, “This is all God asks: that you stake everything on the One he has sent.”
But they began beating around the bush, saying, “Show us a sign. What proof can you give us so that we’ll know it is right to commit ourselves to what you say? Show us what you can do. Moses brought down bread from heaven for our ancestors to eat in the desert. It says so in the scriptures.”
Then Jesus set them straight: “If the truth be known, Moses wasn’t the one who gave you the bread from heaven. It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread that God is offering you is the real stuff — bread direct from heaven that gives life to the world.”
“We’ll take it, Sir!” they said. “Give us this bread from now on.”
Jesus said to them, “It’s me. I am the bread of life. Anyone who comes on board with me will never hunger or thirst again. Put your trust in me and you will always be satisfied.”
©2000 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.

Exodus 16: 2-4, 9-15

Once they were on their own in the outback, the Israelite people began to lose their nerve and worry about how they were going to survive, and the whole crowd started whingeing and criticising Moses and Aaron. The people were saying, “We would have been better off waiting for the LORD to kill us back in Egypt. At least there was always a pot of stew on the boil there, and as much bread as we could eat. But you two have dragged us out into the scrub so that you can starve us all to death out here.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to make bread fall from the sky like rain for you. Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day only. I am going to test out the people to see whether or not they will do what I tell them. They are not to stockpile it.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Give this message to the whole Israelite congregation: ‘Draw close to the LORD, for the LORD has listened to your complaints.’”
And even as Aaron was addressing the gathered people, they looked out across the desert and witnessed an awesome display of the LORD’s glory in the clouds.
The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “Because I have listened to the people’s problems, I want you to give them this message: ‘At sundown you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have plenty of bread. Then you will know for sure that I am the LORD your God.”
That evening, an enormous flock of game birds came in and settled all over the camp where the people could pick them off with ease. Then in the morning, the ground was covered in dew, and as the dew dried, it left a layer of fine flaky stuff on the ground. It looked like a light sprinkling of snow on the desert floor. When the people saw it, they had no idea what it was and began to ask one another, “What on earth is this stuff?”
Moses told them, “This is the bread that the LORD has provided for you to gather up and eat.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 78: 23-29

LORD, when our ancestors were wandering in the outback
you gave orders to the sky,
and opened the storerooms of heaven;
you rained down manna for them to eat,
the grain of heaven as a gift to them.
Mere human beings ate the bread of angels,
for you sent them all the food they could eat.
You set the wind blowing in the sky,
gusting from south and east with your power;
and on the wind you sent more food still;
game birds coming in like wind-blown sand,
falling thick on the ground around the camp,
meals-on-wings landing on their doorstep.
The people stuffed themselves happily, LORD,
because you had given them just what they were craving.
©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 have sent us bread from heaven
to give life to the whole world.
You are above all and through all and in all,
and by your word all things were created.
You fed your people with manna from heaven,
and even when they defied you,
if they turned from their callous ways,
you fed them again with your wisdom and truth.
In your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have offered yourself to us as the bread of life
that we might be nourished and built up
as one body in the bond of peace.
Though he was murdered by those he fought to save,
you raised him from the depths of the earth
to fill the whole universe with his gifts
and baptise all things into one body,
held together by one spirit, under one Lord.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
in whom you offer yourself to us as the bread of life
that we might be nourished in truth
and baptised into one body,
held together by one spirit, under one Lord.
©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 called us to the one hope;
one Lord, one faith and one baptism.
You are above all and through all and in all,
and by your word all things were created.
You fed your people with manna from heaven,
and even when they defied you,
if they turned from their callous ways,
you fed them again with your wisdom and truth.
Your Son, Jesus Christ, came among us
doing your works
and speaking your truth in love
that we might be bound together
as one body in the bond of peace.
Though he was murdered by those he fought to save,
you raised him from the depths of the earth
to fill the whole universe with his gifts
and baptise all things into one body,
held together by one spirit, under one Lord.
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, in tender mercy, does not cast us aside,
or withdraw the Holy Spirit from us,
but saves us, washing away our sin
and cleansing us from our guilt.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out from here and live lives worthy
of the one calling which we all share.
In humility, gentleness and patience,
speak only what is true and loving
and so grow into the unity that is ours in Christ.
And may God the creator reshape your hearts;
May Christ Jesus, the bread of life, sustain you always;
and may the Holy Spirit unite you in the bond of peace.
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.

Love that Body!A sermon on Ephesians 4:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Bread and CircusesA sermon on John 6:24-35 & 2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a by Nathan Nettleton

Grow UpA sermon on Ephesians 4:1-16 & John 6:24-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Confronting the AlmightyA sermon on 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Ephesians 4:1-16 & John 6:24-35 by Nathan Nettleton

A Question of RepentanceA sermon on 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a by Nathan Nettleton

Thank God for Painful People!A sermon on Ephesians 4:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton

The Spirit of Oneness and OneingA sermon on Ephesians 4:1-16 by Karen Quah

Proper 14 - Year B
2027-08-08 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.

2 Samuel 18: 5-9, 15, 31-33

King David’s army, led by Joab and his officers, was preparing for battle against the Israelites who had rebelled with Absalom. David briefed them before they marched out, saying, “Absalom is still my son, so for my sake, capture him unharmed.” He gave these orders to the commanders, and all the troops heard what he said about Absalom.
With that, they headed out against the Israelite army. The battle was fought in the Ephraim forest and it spread out on several fronts. David’s men defeated the Israelite army that day, but it was a horrible bloodbath. Twenty thousand men died in the carnage and the dangerous forest terrain claimed as many victims again.
Absalom ran into a patrol of David’s men, led by Joab. He was pushing through a narrow track on his mule alone. As he passed under a great oak tree, Absalom’s thick hair got caught in the low branches and dragged him off the back of the mule which continued on its way. Absalom was left hanging in mid air, unable to get up or down. The patrol found him hanging there and they killed him. Joab thrust the first spear in and then ten of his men surrounded him and finished Absalom off.
An Ethiopian runner was sent to David to report on the outcome of the battle. He said to David, “Your Majesty, I bring you good news! The LORD has set things right for you today, making you safe from those who rebelled against you.”
The king said to the messenger, “What about Absalom? Is he okay?”
The Ethiopian answered, “May all your enemies and anyone who wishes you harm, my king, meet the same fate that Absalom has met today.”
The king was distraught. He disappeared into the nearest room, overcome with grief. Through his tears he cried out over and over, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son, Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
©2000 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

Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2

Recognising that we are all parts of the one body, let’s give up all pretence. It’s time to come out from behind our masks and get fair dinkum with one another. No doubt there are times when it’s right to get angry, but make sure your response is right too. Justifiable anger doesn’t justify vengefulness, bitterness or any other sin. And when you’re angry, deal with the issues as soon as you can. Dragging it out just gives the devil a chance to get his foot in the door.
Those who’ve been stealing to make ends meet need to change their ways. It’s time they applied their skills to some honest trade and hopefully before long they will have enough to give something to others in need.
And all of you, watch your mouths. Don’t allow any venom or malice to pass your lips. Instead let every word be constructive and generous. Talk up what is good. That way what you have to say will be welcomed as a gift.
You are now identified as God’s people — the signs of the Holy Spirit mark you out as those destined for life when the day of freedom finally comes. So don’t go causing any grief to the Holy Spirit or making God ashamed to be associated with you. There are some things you should quit completely — resentment, vindictiveness, mudslinging, and any underhanded or malicious behaviour. Try living up to these labels instead — big-hearted, compassionate, tolerant. Try to be as generous in forgiving each other as God was with you. Children learn by imitating the parents they love. Take a tip from them and model yourself on what you’ve seen of God in Christ. Or in other words, live a life of love — love that doesn’t stop at anything. Christ’s love for us cost him everything, and there is no more pleasing gift anyone can give to God than a love that is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of others.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 6: 35, 41-51

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Anyone who comes on board with me will never hunger or thirst again. Put your trust in me and you will always be satisfied.”
Because of this, people began to grumble about him. They objected to him claiming to be the bread that came from heaven. They muttered to one another saying, “What does he take us for? We know who he is - Jesus, Joe’s lad. Is he forgetting that we know his mum and dad? How does he expect us to take him seriously when he says, ‘I have come from heaven’?”
Jesus answered them:
“Don’t go getting all worked up over me. The One who sent me is responsible for drawing people to me — otherwise no one would come. I’ll always be there for those who do come - each and every one of them. Even on the last day, I’ll be there, raising them to new life. One of the prophets put it this way, ‘Every last one of them will learn directly from God.’ So everyone who really tunes in to God and takes in what they hear will recognise who I am, and come to learn from me. Everyone wants to learn from an eyewitness and the only person who has seen God is the one who came from God. No one else has. Let me set you straight on this: whoever has faith has life — life without limit.
I am the bread of life. Sure, your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they still died. Now it’s different. Now the real bread has come from heaven and you can eat it and be protected from death forever. I am the bread — living bread — straight from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live life without end and without limit. The bread that I’m offering is my own flesh, and I give it for the life of the world.”
©2000 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 19: 4-8

Fearing for his life, Elijah went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts, saying, “I can’t take any more, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.”
Exhausted, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder, saying, “Get up and eat.”
Elijah looked around and there, just near his head, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again, tapping him on the shoulder and saying, “Get up and eat, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.”
So Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 34: 1-8

I will speak up in your favour, every chance I get, LORD.
Every time I open my mouth, I’ll sing your praises.
Everything I’m proud of is your doing, LORD;
the news of your goodness puts a smile on the face of the helpless.
I’ll put the spotlight on you, LORD;
and gather a crowd to spread the word.
When I pounded on your door, LORD, you opened up;
you calmed my fears and put my mind at rest.
Those who look to you light up with joy;
their faces never grow dark with shame.
When I had nothing, I cried out, LORD, and you answered;
you got me out of some serious trouble.
You station your angels to watch over those who trust you;
they watch us, guard us, and get us safely through.
May everyone taste for themselves how good you are, LORD;
may everyone find shelter in you and be happy.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have sent us the bread of heaven.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and all your creatures draw their life from you.
Even when we have rebelled against you,
you have never left us hanging in fear
or crying from the depths.
In love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers
and mark us out for the day of redemption.
You sent to us your Son, Jesus Christ,
the bread of life for our deepest hunger,
and you drew us to him that we might learn from him.
When the world turned against him,
he gave himself up, in the fullness of love,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to you
for the life of the whole world,
so that we and all who trust him
might feed on him and have life without limit.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself up as a fragrant offering
for the life of the whole world,
so that we and all who trust him
might feed on him, the bread of life,
and have life without limit.
©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 yu have drawn us to yourself in Christ,
and will raise us to life on teh last day.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and all your creatures draw their life from you.
Even when we have rebelled against you,
you have never left us hanging in fear
or crying from the depths.
In love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers
and mark us out for the day of redemption.
You sent to us your Son, Jesus Christ,
the bread of life for our deepest hunger,
and you drew us to him that we might learn from him.
When the world turned against him,
he gave himself up, in the fullness of love,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to you
for the life of the whole world,
so that we and all who trust him
might have life without limit.
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

If the Lord recorded our sins, no one could survive,
but God’s capacity for forgiveness is extraordinary.
The Lord will bring mercy and grant full pardon.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out and imitate God, living in love.
Put your hope in God’s Word
and let your own words be truthful and constructive.
May sin rouse your anger,
but never let anger cause you to sin.
Don’t allow any room for evil.
And may God always hear your voice.
May Christ Jesus raise you to new life;
and may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love.
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.

Taking off our MasksA sermon on Ephesians 4:25-52 by Sylvia Sandeman

The Bread You Feed OnA sermon on John 6:35, 41-51 & Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton

The Way of the CrossA sermon on 2 Samuel 18: 5-9, 15, 31-33 and John 6: 35, 41-51 by Alison Sampson

Covid, Canceling, and a Culture of KindnessA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton

Putting our lives where our mouths areA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton
