BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//LaughingBird - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:LaughingBird X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://laughingbird.net X-WR-CALDESC:Events for LaughingBird REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Melbourne BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20300406T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20301005T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20310405T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20311004T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20320403T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20321002T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20330402T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20331001T160000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310727T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310727T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210504T020424Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250824T120743Z UID:10002971-1942876800-1942963199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 12 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Hosea 1: 2-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n When Hosea was first called to be the LORD'S mouthpiece\, the LORD said to him\, “Hosea\, Israel has been as unfaithful to me as a wife who has sex with anyone willing to pay. Since you are to represent me\, go and take a prostitute as your wife\, and have children with her\, even though you’ll always wonder if they are really yours.” \nSo Hosea went and married a prostitute named Gomer\, the daughter of Diblaim. Gomer fell pregnant and soon they had a baby boy. \nThe LORD said to Hosea\, “You are to name your son Jezreel\, after the site of the infamous massacre. It won’t be long now before I will punish the royal family of King Jehu for that massacre. The kingdom of Israel will be destroyed. When that day comes\, I will smash their weapons to pieces right there in the Jezreel valley.” \nGomer fell pregnant again and gave birth to a baby girl. This time the LORD said to Hosea\, “You are to name your daughter ‘No-mercy’. I’ve had a gutful of the people of Israel. I will no longer have mercy on them. I am not forgiving them any more. The people of Judah still belong to me and I will be merciful to them. Their defence systems\, armies and weapons won’t save them\, but I\, the LORD their God\, will save them myself.” \nAfter she had weaned No-mercy\, Gomer fell pregnant again and gave birth to another baby boy. The LORD said to Hosea\, “You are to name this one ‘Not-mine’\, because these people are not mine any more\, and I am no longer their God. Nevertheless\, it will not always be that way. One day Israel will flourish in such numbers that trying to count them would be like trying to count the grains of sand on the beach. And\, in the very same place where they were known as ‘Not-mine’\, they will once again be known as ‘Children of the living God.’” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 85 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD\, you smiled on your land\nand brought back the good times for your people. \nYou struck out the record of our guilt\nand pardoned all we had done wrong. \nYou swallowed your rage\,\nunclenched your fists\, and cooled down. \nYes God\, you have saved us before\,\nand now we need your help again.\nPut aside the anger we caused you\, LORD\,\nand help us get back on track. \nYou won’t maintain your rage forever\, will you?\nSurely you won’t burn with anger\, year after year? \nWouldn’t it be better to put us back on our feet\nand have us trumpeting your goodness? \nLet us in on your rock-solid love\, LORD.\nSave us and give us a fresh start. \nWe are eager to hear all you have to say\, LORD God\,\nfor your words bring peace and wellbeing\nto those who stick with you\nand leave behind their foolish ways. \nSurely for all who respect you\,\nthe life you saved us for is within reach.\nOur land will be ablaze with your presence. \nWhat a life it will be!\nLove and loyalty will link arms;\njustice and peace will become lovers. \nFaithfulness will sprout and reach for the sky;\nintegrity will beam down on the earth. \nYou will give us every good thing\, LORD\,\nand the land will give bumper crops. \nJustice and integrity will spring up as you approach\,\nlining the road to welcome you among us. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Colossians 2: 6-15\, (16-19) \n \n\n \n \n \n Stay on track! You received Christ Jesus the Lord; now follow through on your good start. Put down deep roots and draw on Christ in everything you do. Make Christ the foundation on which you build your lives. See that your faith grows strong and stable\, just as you were taught\, and you will always be thankful. \nDon’t let anyone entangle you with highfalutin theories and intellectual clap-trap. There are plenty of exotic sounding spiritualities on offer; all claiming to enable you to achieve harmony with the psychic forces or spirit-powers that control the destiny of the cosmos. They contain enough truth to be very persuasive\, but they skirt around the truth of Christ. It is in Christ that God is fully present as a human being\, and accessible to you. It is in Christ that your progress into the fullness of human potential is made. And it is in Christ that you will find the real nerve centre of the cosmos. \nIt is also in Christ that you were marked out as people who belong to God\, not by going under the knife in a physical circumcision\, but by going under Christ’s knife to have your selfish compulsions cut away. This\, of course\, was still a physical action\, because it was in baptism that your old lives were lowered into the grave with Christ\, and it was from the waters of baptism that you were raised\, with Christ\, to new life; having entrusted yourself to the same life-giving power by which God raised Christ from the dead. Prior to that\, you were as good as dead\, because your actions and your hearts made it clear that you did not belong to God\, but God set about making you fully alive again\, together with Christ. God forgave all that you had done wrong\, and cancelled out all record of your offences and the punishments pending\, by adding it all to the conviction sheet of someone who had already been executed — namely Jesus Christ! Dying and rising\, Christ publicly exposed as a sham the claims of the various psychic forces and spirit-powers to be controlling the destiny of the cosmos. Christ’s resurrection triumph made a mockery of them. \nSo then\, do not let anybody put you down as spiritually inferior for not conforming to their prescriptions about abstaining from certain foods or drinks\, or not observing their particular sacred days or festivals. These sorts of things are a bit like travel brochures: they may whet your appetite for what’s ahead\, but they are nothing like actually arriving there. Christ is the reality we are looking forward to — the be all and end all — so you can take or leave the various traditions or disciplines that\, at best\, just point you in the right direction. Do not tolerate anyone advocating that you should be excluded unless you do everything their way and join them in their punishing self-disciplines and their obsession with pandering to angels. They go on and on about how all these things were communicated to them in supernatural visions\, but they are a lot of hot air. Their minds are actually stuck in an all-too-human rut because they have lost touch with the nerve-centre of true spirituality\, namely Christ. It is only the impulses that come from Christ the head that enable us\, the body\, to function and grow as a healthy whole in the way God intended for us. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 11: 1-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n One day\, Jesus had set aside some time and space to pray. When he had finished\, one of his followers said to him\, “Lord\, John taught his followers how to pray. Please do the same for us.” \nSo Jesus said to them\, “Here is a model prayer for you to use when you pray: \nFather\, may your name be kept sacred.\nMay everything be brought under your rule.\nGive us enough food for each day.\nForgive us the things we have done wrong\,\njust as we forgive those who owe us anything.\nAnd don’t push us beyond our limits.” \nJesus went on to say\, “Imagine if friends from out of town dropped in without warning late one night\, and you didn’t even have enough in the cupboard to offer them a sandwich. So you knock on your next-door-neighbour’s door and call out\, ‘Please be a mate and lend me a few things from your kitchen to feed my unexpected guests.’ But your neighbour yells back from inside saying\, ‘Don’t hassle me with your problems. Its after midnight. We’ve already gone to bed and the kids are asleep. There’s no way I’m getting up for you or anyone.’ But let me tell you this; he might not get up and help just because he thinks that’s what mates do\, but if you stick to your guns and make a scene for long enough\, he will eventually get up and give you whatever you need just to shut you up! \n“So\, what I am telling you is this: \nIf you want to be given something\, keep on asking for it.\nIf you want to find something\, keep on searching for it.\nIf you want a door to open for you\, keep on knocking at it. \n“That’s the way it is. All who keep on asking will receive. All who keep on searching will find. And all who keep on knocking will have the door opened for them. Think about it. None of you parents would ever put a live snake in your child’s lunch box\, would you? If your child asked for a piece of chocolate\, you wouldn’t pop a funnel-web in her mouth\, would you? You lot might score a lot more points for selfishness than you do for generous love\, but you still care enough to want to provide the best for your own children. So surely you can see that God\, the ultimate parent\, will be all the more eager to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Genesis 18: 20-32 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD said to Abraham\, “The reports I am hearing about the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are full of allegations of callous depravity and corruption. I have decided to go down and see for myself whether the situation is really as horrendous as the reports make out. Perhaps the people are really not so bad\, but I need to know.” \nSo the visitors set off in the direction of Sodom\, leaving Abraham in the presence of the LORD. Abraham turned to the LORD and said\, “Surely you wouldn’t just wipe out everybody; the good along with the bad? What if there are fifty decent\, honest people in the city? Will you still go ahead and wipe out the city instead of sparing it for the sake of the fifty good people who live there? Far be it from you to be so indiscriminate\, to lump the good people in with the evil\, and punish them all the same. How could you? You are the one who sits in judgment over all the earth; surely you must be seen to be fair in your own actions.” \nThe LORD replied\, “If I find fifty decent\, honest people in Sodom\, I will pardon the whole city for their sake.” \nAbraham spoke up again\, saying\, “I know I am way out of line challenging you\, Lord — mere mortal that I am — but what if the count falls five short? Would five people make such a difference that you would go ahead and destroy the whole city?” \nThe LORD replied\, “I will hold fire if I find forty-five decent people.” \nAbraham pressed on: “What if you could only find forty there?” \nThe LORD replied\, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” \nThen Abraham said\, “Forgive me for pushing the issue\, Lord\, but what if you can only rustle up thirty?” \nThe LORD replied\, “I will hold fire if I find thirty of them.” \n“Maybe I’m pushing my luck\, speaking to you like this\, Lord\,” said Abraham\, “but let’s say you found only twenty. What then?” \nThe LORD replied\, “For the sake of twenty I will spare the city.” \nAbraham said\, “Lord\, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time; but what if you can find only ten good people in Sodom?” \n“Then for the sake of those ten\,” the LORD answered\, “I will not destroy the city.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 138 \n \n\n \n \n \n Thank you\, LORD\, thank you!\nThank you\, from the bottom of my heart!\nI will stand and sing your praises\nin the face of every would-be god! \nWherever I am\, I turn towards your holy Temple\nand fall to my knees in gratitude\,\nthanking you for your rock-solid love and loyalty;\nWith everything you say and everything you do\nyour reputation continues to go through the roof.\nThe minute I called\, you were there for me\,\nyou put steel in my spine\,\ngave me the guts to go on. \nWhen the things you have been saying sink in\, LORD\,\nall the earth’s powerful rulers will give credit to you.\nThey’ll join the party\, singing and dancing in your honour\,\ncelebrating the wonderful things you do. \nAs great as you are\,\nyou never think of ordinary people as beneath you\,\nbut you don’t waste your time\non those who are pretentious and stuck-up. \nAlthough I must often walk into dangerous situations\,\nyou protect me from hatred and hostility;\nyour invisible hand is always there\, keeping me safe. \nYou\, LORD\, have made plans for me\nand you will see them through to completion.\nYour love is as timeless and dependable as the rock;\nyou have made us what we are\nand you never give up on us. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nand hallow your name throughout the earth\,\nfor in you love and fidelity embrace\,\npeace and justice kiss. \nWhen you created the earth and poured out your riches\nthe land sprang to life with good gifts for all.\nWhen we prostituted ourselves\nto the ruling spirits of the world\,\nyou loved us still\, and sent your prophets to call us back. \nIn your child\, Jesus\,\nyour divine nature has indwelt humanity.\nNailed to the cross\, he cancelled the record of our sin\,\nand when we were buried with him in baptism\,\nyou raised us with him\nthrough faith in your active power.\nNow to all who seek and ask\,\nyou give the gift of life\,\nholding us together in Christ’s body\,\nnourishing us daily with the bread of life\nand calling us “Children of the living God.” \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that to all who seek and ask\,\nyou give the gift of full life\,\nholding us together in Christ’s body\,\nnourishing us daily with the bread of life\nand calling us “Children of the living God.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nand hallow your name throughout the earth\,\nfor in you love and fidelity embrace\,\npeace and justice kiss. \nWhen you created the earth and poured out your riches\nthe land sprang to life with good gifts for all.\nWhen we prostituted ourselves\nto the ruling spirits of the world\,\nyou loved us still\, and sent your prophets to call us back. \nIn your child\, Jesus\,\nyour divine nature has indwelt humanity.\nNailed to the cross\, he cancelled the record of our sin\,\nand when we were buried with him in baptism\,\nyou raised us with him\nthrough faith in your active power.\nNow to all who seek and ask\,\nyou give the gift of life\,\nholding us together in Christ’s body\,\nnourishing us daily with the bread of life\nand calling us “Children of the living God.” \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n To all who turn their hearts to God\, the word of peace comes:\nGod has erased the record that stood against us\,\nnailing it to the cross of Christ.\nGod has shown mercy\,\ncoming to revive us and save us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now as people in whom love and fidelity embrace;\npeace and justice kiss.\nLive your lives in Christ\,\nrooted and built up in him\,\nfull of thanksgiving\nand praying as he taught us. \nAnd may God give good gifts in answer to your prayers;\nMay Christ Jesus establish you in the faith;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit pour out heaven’s riches upon you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHow shall we pray?A sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPraying by the BookA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDon’t let them put you downA sermon on Colossians 2: 6-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nEarth-Shattering PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 & Colossians 2:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Prayer of the ChurchA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nYour Will Be Done In A World Of ChaosA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting Off the Outrage GravitronA sermon on Luke 11:4 & Colossians 2:13-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPersistence in PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Chris Barnden\n\n\n\nOn Praying the Lord’s PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Geoff Leslie URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp12/2031-07-27/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P12.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310803T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310803T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210505T052924Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T102139Z UID:10002972-1943481600-1943567999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 13 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Hosea 11: 11-11 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, the LORD\, once loved a little tacker called Israel.\nI called\, “Come to me\, my child. Leave the land of slavery.” \nBut I was wasting my breath.\nThe more I called\, the further they ran.\nThey kept offering themselves to other gods\nand giving their devotion to things they owned. \nThey did this even though I had raised them;\neven though I hugged them and guided their first steps.\nThey were blind to all I’d done for them.\nThey forgot how often I had nursed them back to health. \nI had secured them with kindness\, not ropes.\nI had led them in love\, not chains.\nI doted on them like a parent cuddling a baby.\nI got down to play with them and feed them. \nThey will end up in slavery again.\nThey will be under the thumb of foreign powers.\nI begged them to come back to me for safety\,\nbut they thumbed their nose at my offer. \nNow their cities are torn apart by violence\nand those who think they have the answers\nare destroyed along with their plans. \nMy people are hell-bent on replacing me.\nThey go flocking to the latest trendy messiah\,\nbut he is powerless to help them. \nIsrael\, O Israel; I can’t give up hope.\nI can’t walk away and abandon you to your fate.\nI can’t bring myself to treat you as you deserve;\nto wipe you out like Sodom and Gomorrah.\nMy gut knots up just thinking about it.\nMy heart melts and warm tears flow. \nSo I will not let my anger explode.\nI will not destroy you\, Israel.\nIf I were just a human being\, I would have snapped\,\nbut I am God\, the one and only.\nI am among you\, but not in fury. \nMy people will return to me\, the LORD.\nI will roar like a lion\, and when they hear me roar\nthey will come trembling out of their hiding places. \nThey will come fearfully – unsure of what awaits them —\ntrembling like birds lifted from their cage.\nBut they will come en masse\, like migratory birds\nreturning from their lands of exile\,\nand I will welcome them back into their own homes. \nI\, the LORD\, have given my word. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 107: 1-9\, 43 \n \n\n \n \n \n Thank you\, LORD! Thank you for being so good.\nYour rock-solid love will never end. \nLORD\, we freely and openly acknowledge\nthat it was you who got us out of trouble;\nyou who put us back on the right track.\nYou gathered us from the four corners of the globe\,\nfrom wherever we had been lost or exiled. \nSome of us were lost in pitiless deserts\,\ndesperate to find shelter and company.\nWithout food or water\,\nour courage dried up and our steps grew weak. \nIn sheer despair\, we cried out to you\, LORD\,\nand in a flash\, you came to our rescue.\nYou guided us back to the main road\nand got us safely to the nearest town. \nSo let us tell you how grateful we are\, LORD.\nThank you for your rock-solid love\nand for the great things you do for everyone;\nfor you quench our thirst\nand feed us generously when we hunger. \nDesiring wisdom\, we take note of all you do\, LORD\,\nand focus our thoughts on your rock-solid love. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Colossians 3: 1-11 \n \n\n \n \n \n If you are fair dinkum when you say you have been raised to new life with Christ\, then commit yourself to the things that belong to such a life. Look to Christ — God’s right hand man — and take your cues from him. Concentrate on the things that matter to Christ\, and don’t let yourselves get hooked into the agendas that preoccupy the world around you. Your old life is behind you — dead and buried — and your new life is intimately bound up with Christ\, and lived in God. The full reality of this new life is not visible to the general public yet\, but it will be. Because your life is now bound to Christ\, when Christ makes his triumphant return to the public stage\, you will be there with him\, in all your glory\, for all to see. \nSo\, since your old life has been extinguished\, make sure you stamp out any remnants of it that might spark up within you and set it off again. Don’t char your sexuality with trivialised\, loveless flings. Expel the fumes of moral contamination. Douse smouldering compulsions. Remove anything that might fuel greed\, because after all\, greed is just another form of idolatry. God is getting ready to deal with those who have been defiantly allowing these sorts of things to burn out of control. You were once implicated in all this\, because those things were all part of the kind of life you used to live. But now you must purge yourselves of all such things — bitterness\, vengefulness\, spite\, slander\, and any tendency to mouth off in ways that insult and humiliate others. And don’t lie to one another. Dishonesty may have been a natural part of the old persona you all once wore\, but you’ve stripped all that off\, along with all its accessories\, and decked yourselves out in a whole new persona. The new you is becoming more and more like your creator as your minds are reconstructed and your understanding grows. In this renewed life\, we are no longer divided up into factions based on our backgrounds. It no longer makes any difference at all whether you were from this ethnic group or that\, one religious tradition or another; whether you were educated or illiterate\, refined or rough-nut\, welfare dependent or money-to-burn. Every possible distinction among you is rendered irrelevant\, because now Christ is in all of you and all of you are in Christ. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 12: 13-21 \n \n\n \n \n \n Someone called out to Jesus from the crowd\, saying\, “Teacher\, tell my brother to give me my fair share of the family inheritance.” \nBut Jesus replied\, “Come on\, mate. What makes you think I’m in the business of family mediation?” \nAnd turning to the crowd\, he said\, “Keep a close eye on your values! Greed has all sorts of ways of getting under your guard if you don’t take care. Don’t get sucked into thinking that life is all about how much stuff you own. Let me illustrate. A certain rich man had an absolutely bumper year. His business interests and investments all went through the roof\, and at the end of the year he had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it all. So he said to himself\, ‘I’m going to put it all away for myself and live off the interest. I’ll never need to work again. I’ll surround myself with the best of everything and just put my feet up\, pat myself on the back\, and eat and drink to my heart’s content.’ \n“But God said to him\, ‘You mindless twit! Your number’s up. Tonight you’ll kick the bucket\, and what will you be remembered for? Nothing but a stockpile of goodies heading for the tax office!’ \n“That is the way it goes for all those who accumulate wealth for their own selfish pleasure and have nothing invested in anything that God values.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Ecclesiastes 1: 2\, 12-14; 2: 18-23 \n \n\n \n \n \n (If anyone can suggest an Aussie phrase that better conveys the meaning of ‘vanity of vanities’\, please email me and let me know. I realise that this one may offend some people\, but I haven’t thought of anything that captures it as thoroughly.)\n\nWhat a wank!\nI reckon it’s all a big wank\, the lot of it! \nWhen I was the king of Israel\, living in Jerusalem\, I was known as a teacher of wisdom. I put a lot of work into study and reflection\, trying to get my head around the way things work out\, here on earth. God has given people a hunger to understand such things\, but what a frustrating quest it is! It is like chasing the wind. I have carefully observed all that goes on in the world\, and so far as I can see\, it is all a big wank. \nOne thing I did get my head around is why people hate their work so much. The harder we work\, the less we are able to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Instead\, it is the next generation who really benefit from our efforts\, and there is no guarantee that they won’t be a bunch of no-hopers who squander the lot. They could be a pack of complete drongos\, but they are still going to inherit control of everything we created with all our careful planning and hard yakka. What a wank! \nThe more I thought about it\, the more depressed I got. All my hard work felt like a complete waste of effort. Some people apply themselves to their work with extraordinary vision\, knowledge and expertise\, but everything they create must be passed on to someone who hasn’t lifted a finger to earn it. This is all a big wank\, not to mention a crime! So what do people gain from their own efforts\, from all the hard yakka they put in through the long hot days? Nothing but tired bones\, headaches\, and enough anxieties to keep them awake at night. It is all a horrible big wank! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 49: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n Listen up\, folks.\nAll of you\, everywhere\, tune in to this. \nWhether you be kings or commoners\,\nbattlers or silvertails\,\nI have wisdom to share with you.\nI have thought deeply and made sense of things;\nI have listened to the deep truths\nand will uncover mysteries in my song. \nThere is no need to be afraid in tough times\,\neven when enemies are out to get us;\neven though they are rich and arrogant\,\nand confident in wielding power. \nThe fact is\, money does not sure up your life;\nno one can stave off death by bribing God. \nNo one has the means to save themselves;\nto buy immunity from death.\nIt is not possible to live forever\nand avoid the grave. \nBrilliant\, high-achievers die\,\nand bludging morons die\,\nand neither can take anything with them;\nwhatever they had is left to others. \nThe cemetery will be their final resting place\nand it is a permanent address for both\,\nwhether their legacy is remembered or not. \nDeath cuts everyone down to size;\nin the grave\, a man and his dog are equals. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you gather us up in your arms\nand hold us like a child to your cheek\,\nhealing us\, even before we know it. \nYou created the earth and chose yourself a people\,\nsnatching them from danger\nand leading them to a land where they could settle. \nWhen disobedience and idolatrous greed\nwere our only response to your loving call\,\nyour heart was still warm and compassionate towards us\nand you recoiled from punishing your children.\nYou came to us in love and mercy\nin Christ — the Holy One in our midst —\nshowing us the path to renewal in your image.\nWhen he was put to death\,\nyou raised him in glory\,\nand now our lives are hidden in his\,\nready to be revealed in glory\nwhen all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all! \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for gathering us up in your arms\nsnatching us from danger and hiding our lives in Christ\,\nready to be revealed in glory\nwhen all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you gather us up in your arms\nand hold us like a child to your cheek\,\nhealing us\, even before we know it. \nYou created the earth and chose yourself a people\,\nsnatching them from danger\nand leading them to a land where they could settle. \nWhen disobedience and idolatrous greed\nwere our only response to your loving call\,\nyour heart was still warm and compassionate towards us\nand you recoiled from punishing your children.\nYou came to us in love and mercy\nin Christ — the Holy One in our midst —\nshowing us the path to renewal in your image.\nWhen he was put to death\,\nyou raised him in glory\,\nand now our lives are hidden in his\,\nready to be revealed in glory\nwhen all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all! \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n God has heard you cry out\nand has snatched you from danger.\nGod’s compassion for you is warm and tender.\nYour life is hidden with Christ in God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now as those raised with Christ\,\nwondering at God’s great love\nand telling the story of your salvation.\nBe on your guard against all kinds of greed\nand set your minds on the ways of heaven. \nAnd may God reach out to you and nourish you;\nMay Christ Jesus renew you in the image of your creator;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you with cords of kindness and love. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nProfit Tables and the Prophet’s TableA sermon on Luke 12: 13-21 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSet your minds on things aboveA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nHidden With Christ in GodA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nCommitting to things associated with new life in ChristA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 by John Fowler\n\n\n\nIntimate Partner Violence and the Image of GodA sermon on Hosea 11:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp13/2031-08-03/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P13.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310810T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310810T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210505T060302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250907T045140Z UID:10002973-1944086400-1944172799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 14 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 1: 1\, 10-20 \n \n\n \n \n \n During the reigns of Uzziah\, Jotham\, Ahaz\, and Hezekiah as kings of Judah\, the LORD spoke through Isaiah\, the son of Amoz. This is a message Isaiah was given about Judah and Jerusalem. \nListen to what I say\, for I am the LORD.\nYou rulers are no better than the rulers of Sodom!\nYou people are no better than the people of Gomorrah!\nSo take note of what I have to say. \nWhat do I care for all your sacrifices?\nI have had a gutful of them.\nIf I see one more burnt offering\n– be it a ram or a grain-fed calf –\nI think I’m going to puke.\nI can’t stand all this blood you keep offering\nfrom slaughtered bulls\, lambs and goats. \nWhat on earth makes you think\nthat this is the way to please me?\nGet out of my temple and stay out.\nYour gifts are wasted.\nYour incense is nothing but a smokescreen.\nI can’t stand all your sacred days and special gatherings;\nyour pomp and ceremony doesn’t hide your evil ways. \nYou can fill your calendar with special events\nto celebrate this\, that and the other thing\,\nbut I despise them deep in my guts.\nThey have drained my patience;\nI can’t put up with even one more. \nYou can raise your hands to me in prayer\,\nbut I’ll look away;\nYou can pray till you’re blue in the face\nbut I’ll block my ears.\nAll I see on your hands is blood;\nall I hear in your prayers is excuses. \nClean up your act;\nscrub yourselves clean\, inside and out;\ndon’t let me see any more corruption from you.\nQuit your evil\,\nlearn to do the right thing;\nmake justice your goal\,\nprevent the use and abuse of people;\nstand up for the vulnerable\,\ntake sides with the forgotten. \nCome on\, let’s sort this out.\nI am the LORD. Listen to me.\nYour sins are as red as scarlet\,\nbut they will be white as snow;\nthey are crimson like blood\,\nbut they will be like fresh-cut wool. \nIf you are willing to cooperate with my ways\nyou’ll feast like kings;\nbut if you dig your heels in and defy me\nyou’ll be slaughtered like cattle.\nI am the LORD. You have been warned. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 50: 1-8\, 22-23 \n \n\n \n \n \n You\, LORD\, are the mighty God.\nWherever the sun shines\, from horizon to horizon\,\nyou call the earth to attention. \nFrom the spectacular beauty of your holy mountain\,\nyou approach us in a blaze of glory. \nYou come with the full fanfare;\nflashes of fire in front of you;\nthunder storming all around you. \nYou call the earth and sky to sit as a jury\,\nand set out the charges against your people. \nYou call the accused:\nthose who swore their faithfulness to you\,\nand signed themselves to a binding alliance. \nThe whole universe honours you as the judge\,\nand affirms the honesty of your court. \nWe belong to you and you call us to listen.\nYou set out the case against us\, your chosen people.\nYou are God; our God.  \nIt is not our sacrifices you condemn;\nthe gifts we are constantly offering. \nBut you set us straight in no uncertain terms;\nwe have ignored you\,\noffering gifts instead of ourselves.\nYou warn us that when you pass sentence\,\nthere is nowhere to make further appeal. \nYou are honoured when we express our gratitude\,\nnot when we fob you off with gifts.\nIt is those who get back on the right track\nwho you lead into the land of freedom. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hebrews 11: 1-3\, 8-16 \n \n\n \n \n \n Faith is the capacity to put all your eggs in the one basket\, when even the existence of the basket must be taken on trust and hope. It was the ability to take decisive action based on faith alone that made our forebears such memorable heroes. Even our belief that the universe came into existence on God’s say-so is based solely on faith. The existence of material things might be provable\, but the belief that their origins lie in something that is not accessible to scientific observation can only be grounded in faith. \nIt was the exercise of faith that enabled Abraham to cooperate when God called him to uproot himself and emigrate. He was to be given a new and permanent home\, but when he set out\, he had no idea where he was headed. It was faith that kept him going\, even when\, on arrival in the land that had been promised to him\, he had to camp like a refugee and see his son Isaac and grandson Jacob doing the same. What he inherited and passed on to them was a promise that was yet to be made good. He was sustained by a vision of the city that would be founded\, designed and built by God. \nIt was the exercise of faith that enabled Sarah and Abraham to go ahead and have a child\, even though they had grown old without ever before being able to have one. They believed that God could be trusted to keep promises. As a result\, this one shrivelled old couple became the parents of a line of descendants that is now as uncountable as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach. \nAll those we remember as the early heroes of faith went to their graves without having seen the promises fulfilled\, but still trusting in God. They were glad to have just caught a glimpse of what was coming\, and that vision was enough to sustain them. They freely admitted that they were on the earth as outsiders and guests. This attitude made it clear that they were still expecting to eventually find their true home. If they had regarded themselves as truly belonging to the places they had come from\, there was nothing to stop them from going back. It is clear that the reason they didn’t was that their hearts were set on a better country — a piece of heaven itself. It is no wonder that God is proud to be known as their God. And their faith will be vindicated\, for God has made ready a city for them. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 12: 32-40 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus said to his followers\, “You lot may seem small and helpless\, but don’t be afraid. God conceived you in love and is only too happy to give you the kingdom. Simplify your lives. Off-load your possessions and share generously with people in need. Commit yourselves to a new investment strategy\, putting all your eggs in God’s basket. Such investments are not subject to the vagaries of the market. If the treasures that your heart is set on are all in God\, they are totally fire-proof. Nothing can ever devalue them. The fact is that wherever you make your greatest investment\, your passion and energy will inevitably follow. \n“Keep your boots on! Keep the lights on! Be ready for action at any moment. Be like diligent workers who are not sure when their boss will be back from his honeymoon\, but are determined to be hard at work whenever he shows up. They will be glad they didn’t slack off but kept themselves industrious\, because you can bet that when he comes he will throw a party for them – all on the house – and give them a generous end-of-year bonus. It won’t make any difference whether he arrives early or late in the shift. If he finds them on the job\, they will have every reason to be thankful. \n“Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time\, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Genesis 15: 1-6 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD spoke to Abram in a vision\, saying\, “Abram\, don’t you worry about a thing. I am your armour-plated protection and you will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty to me.” \nBut Abram said\, “Thank you\, Lord GOD\, but the only thing I really want is the one thing you’ve never given me: children. I have longed for children of my own but you have not given me any. When I die\, there will be no one to carry on my family name\, and since the only person born in my house is Eliezer\, my Turkish servant; he will inherit everything I own. \nBut the LORD spoke to Abram again\, saying\, “Eliezer will not be your heir. You will be able to pass on your property to a child of your own.” \nThe LORD took Abram outside and said\, “Look at the night sky\, Abram. See if you can count how many stars there are. You can’t\, can you? Well\, your descendants will be as uncountable as the stars in the night sky.” \nAbram took the LORD’s word on trust\, and for that the LORD regarded him as a good man. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 33: 12-22 \n \n\n \n \n \n What more could a country want than to have you as their God?\nTo be your cherished people\, LORD\, is the best thing in life. \nYou keep your eye on the whole earth;\nyou see each and every one of us. \nThough you are seated in power\, LORD\,\nyou concern yourself with all who live on earth.\nYou shaped us\, inside and out\,\nand you watch everything we do with interest. \nNo army can guarantee our safety;\nthe toughest fighter is not invincible. \nPinning our hopes on military might is futile;\nbrute force cannot make life worth living. \nIt is you\, LORD\, who watches over all who respect you;\nyou\, whose love and loyalty give us confidence.\nYou are our only hope when death closes in;\nour only security when times are tough. \nWe put our trust in you\, LORD;\nyou alone can help and protect us. \nBecause of you\, our hearts are bursting with joy;\nyour name stands out and fills us with confidence. \nSurround us with your love\, LORD.\nWe’ve pinned all our hopes on you\nand on your rock-solid love. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us. \nThe worlds were created by your word\nand the heavens testify that you are just.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou called your people from their hypocrisy\,\nrefusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers\nuntil we showed a willingness to obey you. \nThrough Jesus Christ\, your child and our saviour\,\nyou called us to travel lightly\nas strangers and foreigners on the earth\,\nputting our hopes in you alone\nand always ready to welcome your future.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwhose hands were full of blood\,\nyou raised him to new life\nso that he might prepare a new world\nfor those who put their faith in your promises\,\ngiving away their riches on earth\nand treasuring heaven in their hearts. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you are preparing a heavenly city\nfor those who put their faith in your promises\,\ngiving away their riches on earth\nand treasuring heaven in their hearts. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us. \nThe worlds were created by your word\nand the heavens testify that you are just.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou called your people from their hypocrisy\,\nrefusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers\nuntil we showed a willingness to obey you. \nThrough Jesus Christ\, your child and our saviour\,\nyou called us to travel lightly\nas strangers and foreigners on the earth\,\nputting our hopes in you alone\nand always ready to welcome your future.\nWhen he was killed by those\nwhose hands were full of blood\,\nyou raised him to new life\nso that he might prepare a new world\nfor those who put their faith in your promises\,\ngiving away their riches on earth\nand treasuring heaven in their hearts. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n God is not ashamed to be called your God.\nThough your sins are like scarlet they shall be like snow;\nthough they are like crimson\, they shall be like wool. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now like those prepared for the Lord to return.\nCease to do evil\, learn to do good;\nseek justice\, rescue the oppressed.\nGive freely to those in need\nand let your treasure be in the things of heaven \nAnd may God not be ashamed to be called your God;\nMay Christ Jesus find you attentive and well prepared;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you the assurance\nof all that has been promised to you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat Keeps Us Going?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3\, 8-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOverriding the Operating SystemA sermon on Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo More Bull!A sermon on Isaiah 1: 1\, 10-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat is Faith?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3\, 8-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFaithful FaithA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3\, 8-16 & Luke 12: 32-40 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFaith as Medicine for Sick WorldA sermon on Isaiah 1:10-20; Hebrews 11:1-3\, 8-16 & Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nImaginationA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3\, 8-16 & Isaiah 1: 1\, 10-20 by Jody Kilpatrick\n\n\n\nGod the Waiter\, God the ThiefA sermon on Luke 12:32-40 by Karen Quah URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp14/2031-08-10/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P14.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310817T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310817T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210506T044743Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250914T051326Z UID:10002974-1944691200-1944777599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 15 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 5: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n I’ll sing a story in song\,\na gift of love for my vine-growing friend. \nMy best friend began a vineyard;\nideally situated on a sunny\, fertile hillside.\nHe cleared the rocks\, cultivated the soil\,\nand planted top-grade vines.\nHe built a fully equipped winery\,\ndug a cellar and installed a wine-press.\nHe had every reason to expect top-quality grapes\,\nbut the entire harvest was bitter and useless. \nCome now\, you who live in Jerusalem\,\nand all you people of Judah;\nwho do you think is in the right:\nme or my vineyard? \nDid I fall down on the job somewhere;\nwhat more could I have done for my vineyard?\nWas I wrong to expect good quality grapes?\nWhy did I get nothing but rubbish? \nWell\, I’m sick of that lousy vineyard.\nI’ll tell you what I’ll do to it:\nI will rip down the fences\nand let the animals chew it up;\nI will smash down the gates\nand let the passers-by stomp all over it. \nI will leave it in ruins;\ntrashed and abandoned;\nthe weeds and blackberries will take over.\nI will disconnect the water\nand pray that the rains steer clear. \nAre you people getting the message? \nThe LORD who rules over everything\nis the vine-grower\,\nand you\, the people of Israel and Judah\nare the carefully tended vineyard.\nThe LORD expected a harvest of justice\,\nbut violence broke out instead.\nWhere honesty and integrity should have flourished\,\nthere was nothing but the cries of the victims! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 80: 1-2\, 8-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n God\, you are the one who watches over your people\nlike a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach\,\nwatching from a high seat\, like a king enthroned.\nListen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries\,\nso that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth. \nUp and at it\, God!\nCome equipped to rescue us. \nRemember how you brought us out of Egypt like a young grapevine\,\nso that you could plant your own vineyard.\nYou cleared the land and prepared the soil;\nyou planted our roots deep and we grew strongly. \nWe grew wide and high\, bigger than the tallest trees\,\neven shading the mountains.\nYour vineyard grew and grew till it filled the land\nfrom the western ocean to the eastern river. \nSo why have you torn down the security fence\,\nso that anyone can tramp through and pinch the fruit?\nWild pigs rampage through doing untold damage;\nferal goats and rabbits eat whatever’s left. \nCome on\, God! You rule over everything. Do something!\nTurn around and look at what’s going on.\nThis vine came from root stock you planted yourself;\ntake charge of its welfare again. \nOthers have hacked and burned it\nto within an inch of its life.\nWipe them out\nwith a single withering stare! \nTake our side again\, your wayward favourite child\,\nthe one you raised by hand to be your own.\nWe will never go off the rails again;\nsave us now and your name will be on our lips forever. \nLORD God\, you rule over everything;\nCome and smile on us again;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2 \n \n\n \n \n \n It was by exercising faith that the people of Israel were able to walk through the Red Sea as though it were dry land. The slave-drivers from whom they had escaped drowned when they tried to do the same thing. \nIt was the exercise of faith that brought down the fortified walls of Jericho. The people of Israel encircled the city for seven days\, trusting God\, and the walls collapsed. Rahab the prostitute was exercising faith when she harboured the Israelite spies in her Jericho home. Because of her faith\, her life was saved when those around her who had resisted God were killed. \nNeed I go on? There is not enough time to tell the stories of all the great heroes of faith. The stories of Gideon\, Barak\, Samson\, and Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets — all of them well worth telling. Exercising faith\, they did extraordinary things: they defeated world powers; put justice into practice; and won promises of loyalty. They closed the jaws of lions; put out raging fires; and escaped unscathed from savage violence. Although their positions seemed weak and vulnerable\, they were given strength and became formidable warriors who successfully repelled invading armies. The things faith has achieved! Faith-filled women saw their dead loved ones raised back to life. Some faith-filled people even endured torture — refusing to cave in and go free — sustained by their confident expectation of the ultimate freedom that comes with resurrection. We have stories of others who were publicly humiliated and flogged\, or locked up in chains. Others were battered to death with rocks\, or sawn in half\, or hacked to pieces. We know of others who lived as refugees; forced out into harsh isolated environments\, deprived of their basic human rights\, and constantly subjected to persecution and harassment. Dressed in rags\, homeless\, powerless\, and shunned; they had to survive as best they could on the edges of a hostile and callous world — a world that did not deserve them! \nAll these heroes received top marks for their faith\, and yet even they did not see the completion of all God had promised. Why? Because God had even better ideas! God wanted us to be included in the story too\, and so put everything on hold until we could all be made perfect at once. \nSo\, we are by no means running the race alone! The air around us is thick with encouragement — all these heroes who bore witness to the truth before us\, cheering us on. So let’s strip down for the run that lies ahead\, tossing aside everything that would hold us back\, especially the sin that clings on so tenaciously. And then let’s get on with it — run and run and never quit until we’ve crossed the line. We can do it if we just keep our eyes fixed on Jesus\, because he has led the way and become the first to complete this faith marathon. He was so focussed on the goal that he was able to push on through the pain barriers\, enduring the agony and humiliation of the cross. He knew that the celebrations would make it all worth while\, and sure enough\, he now enjoys the number one seat of honour alongside God’s throne. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 12: 49-56 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus said\, “Fire! I have come to torch the earth\, and if I had my way it would be well and truly ablaze by now! And I am facing a baptism of fire myself – I will be immersed in the conflict and torment of a world going to hell and back. You can’t imagine the stress I’m bearing until it’s over! Do you think I am here to make everything peaceful and nice on earth? Wrong! I am not here to paper over the cracks\, but to drive a wedge into them\, opening them up for all to see. The hostility can no longer be concealed by family solidarity. The cracks will open up\, dividing households: \nthree against two\,\nand two against three;\nfather against son\,\nand son against father;\nmother against daughter\,\nand daughter against mother;\nmother-in-law against daughter-in-law\,\nand daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” \nSpeaking to the crowds\, Jesus also said\, “When you see dark clouds gathering in the western sky\, you are quick to forecast rain\, and you are spot on. And when you feel the wind blowing in from the desert in the morning\, you say\, ‘It’ll be stinking hot today\,’ and of course\, you are right. So don’t play dumb with me! You are perfectly capable of reading the signs to recognise when the weather is about to change\, so what’s so difficult about reading the signs to make sense of what’s happening in the world right now?” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 23: 23-29 \n \n\n \n \n \n “What kind of God do you think I am?” says the LORD.\n“A pocket God who lives where you put me\,\nor a God far beyond your grasp?”\n“Can anyone find a secret hiding place\nwhere I won’t be able to see them?”\nsays the LORD.\n“Do I not fill the entire universe\,\nheaven and earth alike?” \n“I know perfectly well what those so-called prophets are saying. They preach lies\, naming me as their authority\, and claiming that I gave them messages in dreams and visions. How long will I have to put up with it? Will they never wake up to themselves\, these snake-oil evangelists whose preaching is all a con-job motivated by their own twisted agendas? They trade their best lines and slimiest techniques with one another as they collude to persuade people to substitute other things for me\, just as their ancestors substituted trendy fertility gods for me.” \n“You prophets with your dreams:\ngo ahead and rabbit on about them.\nBut let the prophet who truly has my word\nbe bold and resolute in announcing my message.\nThe two are like chalk and cheese\,”\nsays the LORD. \n“Don’t you know that my word is like a raging fire?\nsays the LORD\,\n“and like a sledgehammer that smashes rocks to pieces?” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 82 \n \n\n \n \n \n Take action\, God!\nPass sentence on all those who judge and rule the earth. \nCall them to account for their unjust decisions;\nexpose their links to corruption and crime. \nOrder them to hand down justice to the deprived and abused\,\nand to protect the rights of those seeking refuge. \nCommand them to represent the needy and the vulnerable\,\nand to side with them against those who exploit them. \nThese judges and rulers don’t understand or care\, God;\nthey’ve got their heads in the sand\nwhile the world falls apart around them. \nYou\, God\, elevated them to office\,\nand delegated your authority to them;\nbut they have betrayed your trust\nand will die disgraced. \nTake action\, God!\nCome and judge the earth!\nReassert your control over all your nations! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor though our lives were a wasteland\nyou cherished us and gave us life again. \nWith a love-song\, you sang the earth into existence\,\nand led your people from slavery through the Red Sea.\nYou planted them in a fertile land\nand looked for a harvest of justice and righteousness. \nWhen we returned only bloodshed and torment\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.\nHis preaching kindled a fire\nand divided the living from the dead.\nHe endured the cross\, disregarding its shame\nand was baptised in suffering and death.\nYou raised him to life and seated him at your right hand\,\nand are now strengthening us for the race before us\,\nso that with the faithful witnesses of all generations\nwe may receive your promises and be made perfect. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that though our lives were a wasteland\nyou cherished us and gave us life again\,\nsending your child\, Jesus Christ\,\nto be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor though our lives were a wasteland\nyou cherished us and gave us life again. \nWith a love-song\, you sang the earth into existence\,\nand led your people from slavery through the Red Sea.\nYour planted them in a fertile land\nand looked for a harvest of justice and righteousness. \nWhen we returned only bloodshed and torment\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.\nHis preaching kindled a fire\nand divided the living from the dead.\nHe endured the cross\, disregarding its shame\nand was baptised in suffering and death.\nYou raised him to life and seated him at your right hand\,\nand are now strengthening us for the race before us\,\nso that with the faithful witnesses of all generations\nwe may receive your promises and be made perfect. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus Christ\, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith\,\nhas endured the cross so that our sins will be forgiven\nand we will be made perfect with the faithful of all ages. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now with your eyes on Jesus\,\nthe pioneer and perfecter of our faith.\nLay aside the ways of sin\,\nbring forth a harvest of justice and righteousness\,\nand run with perseverance\nthe race that is set before us. \nAnd may God turn to you and cherish you;\nMay Christ Jesus surround you with the light of his presence;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you life and strength. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nFaith That Starts FiresA sermon on Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 and Luke 12:49-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSurfing the Edge of ChaosA sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Anne Wilkinson-Hayes\n\n\n\nThe Price of VictoryA sermon on Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 & Luke 12: 49-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat If Jesus Is To Blame?A sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHard DisciplineA sermon on Isaiah 5:1-7; Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 & Luke 12: 49-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRuptureA sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Christine Redwood URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp15/2031-08-17/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P15.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310824T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310824T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210506T050449Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250921T021035Z UID:10002975-1945296000-1945382399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 16 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 1: 4-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD spoke to me saying: \n“Jeremiah\, I am the God who created you;\nI knew you before your parents thought of you.\nBefore you were born I chose you for myself\,\nI picked you out to speak to the nations on my behalf.” \nI replied\, “LORD God\, you’re making a big mistake! I am a lousy public speaker and I’m too young for anybody to take me seriously.” \nBut the LORD said to me\, \n“Don’t put yourself down because of your age.\nJust go to whoever I send you to\,\nand say whatever I tell you to say. \nDon’t let yourself feel intimidated by anyone\,\nbecause I’ll be there to back you up.\nYou’ll be okay; take my word for it.” \nThen the LORD reached out and touched my mouth\, saying to me\, \n“With my own hand I am putting my words into your mouth.\nHere and now I am appointing you to the job.\nI give you the authority to speak to the nations for me;\nto speak words that will wreak havoc\,\nwords that will crush and demolish and devastate\,\nand words that will heal and rebuild and give life.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 71: 1-6 \n \n\n \n \n \n I run to you for protection\, LORD\,\nplease don’t ever let me down. \nYou always do the right thing\,\nso please be there for me when I need you.\nHear me when I call for help\nand step in quickly to bail me out. \nKeep me safe when I need somewhere to hide.\nYou are like a mountain hideaway to me;\nlike a bunker than nothing can blast open. \nIf I fall into hostile hands\,\nbe my God and rescue me;\nDon’t let the callous and cruel\nget their claws into me. \nYou are my only hope\,\nthe only one I can depend on\, LORD;\nI’ve trusted you since I was a kid. \nI’ve leaned on you for support\nsince the day I was born.\nYou were the midwife who delivered me from my mother’s womb\,\nthe safe hands who pulled me gasping into life.\nI’ll never stop thanking you for that! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hebrews 12: 18-29 \n \n\n \n \n \n The place where you have arrived is not like Mount Sinai was when your ancestors arrived there — rumbling like thunder and spewing fire and thick darkness. On arrival they heard a trumpet blast from the mountain and then the sound of a voice so terrifying that they begged for it to stop. The little they did hear was bad enough — that if even an animal was to touch the mountain it must die. What they witnessed was so terrifying that even Moses admitted that he was reduced to jelly. \nYou have arrived at Mount Zion\, heaven’s own Jerusalem\, and it is completely different. This is the city where God lives\, and it is populated by angels — too many to count — and by the whole assembly of God’s beloved children who are signed-up in heaven. All of them\, angels and people\, are gathered there to celebrate God\, and you have arrived to join them\, for it is here that all those who committed themselves to doing right are finally made complete in love and integrity. God is here and\, here\, what God says goes. Jesus is here too\, putting in place the new alliance between us and God. The memory of how Jesus was killed is strong here\, but it is remembered most for what he achieved in the process rather than just as tragedy like Abel’s death. \nSo\, now that you’re here\, make sure you don’t reject what God is saying to you. If our ancestors couldn’t get away with rejecting what God told them to do at Mount Sinai\, then what chance would we have if we turn a deaf ear to God on arrival in heaven? Back then\, God’s voice shook the earth to its foundations\, but what’s coming will be even more awesome. God’s promise is clear: “One final time I will shake up both earth and heaven.” When God says\, “One final time”\, it is clear that this final shaking will get rid of everything that has no lasting value and leave behind only those things that will last forever. \nSo we are being given a homeland where God reigns — a homeland that will stand rock-solid when everything else is shaken. No wonder we are so grateful. We simply overflow with thanks and fall to our knees before God\, overcome with awe. This is our worship\, for we offer ourselves into the consuming fire of love that is God. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 13: 10-17 \n \n\n \n \n \n One Sabbath day\, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. There was a woman in the congregation there who had been afflicted for eighteen years by a crippling and untreatable condition. It twisted her body and kept her bent over all the time. When Jesus saw her\, he called her over and said\, “Woman\, you are now set free from what has crippled you.” \nHe placed his hands on her and\, right then and there\, she straightened up to her full height and burst into a song of praise to God. The president of the synagogue\, though\, was spitting chips\, because the day on which Jesus had carried out this work of healing was the Sabbath rest day. Desperate to get the crowd back on side\, he kept saying\, “God has given us six days a week for work to be done\, so you have plenty of opportunity to come and be healed. There is no need to break the Sabbath for it.” \nBut the Lord took him on over this\, saying\, “You two-faced frauds! Don’t tell me that each of you doesn’t unchain your dog on the Sabbath just as you do every other day\, so that it can stretch it’s legs and get a drink. This woman is a daughter of Abraham who the satan has kept chained up for eighteen years. So doesn’t it seem all the more fitting that it be on the Sabbath day that she be freed from her chains?” \nHis words left his critics with egg all over their faces. To the rest of the congregation though\, his actions were cause for wonder and celebration. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 58: 9b-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD says: \n“If you abandon all forms of exploitation\,\nand avoid bad-mouthing others to gain an edge;\nif you share what you have with those in need\,\nand respond to the real needs of suffering communities;\nthen you’ll find that the world will light up for you\nand life will be one beautiful day after another. \n“I\, the LORD\, will always be there to guide you;\neven in the grip of drought\,\nI’ll keep you healthy and well fed.\nYou’ll be like an irrigated vineyard with its own deep bore\,\ngreen and lush and full of life! \n“Your ruined houses will be renovated and new;\nyou’ll be able to restore the homes\nthat have been in your families for generations.\nYou’ll get a reputation for making dreams possible\,\nfor enabling everyone to find a good place to live. \n“If you stop making a mockery of the sabbath\nby using the holy day to push your own agendas;\nif you bring your words and your actions\ninto line with one another\nby bringing the life you live during the week\ninto line with the worship you offer on that day;\nthen I will be close to you and be your delight\,\nand you will be highly regarded all over the earth.\nThe land I gave to your ancestors\nwill continue to bring forth life\nfor you and your children. \n“I\, the LORD\, have spoken.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 103: 1-8 \n \n\n \n \n \n With all our hearts\, we praise you\, LORD\,\nfrom the depths of our being\nwe name you as our one and only. \nWith all that we are we sings your praises\, LORD;\nhow could we ever forget all you have done for us? \nWhen we do wrong\, you forgive us;\nwhen we are sick\, you make us well;\nwhen our lives fall apart\, you put us back together. \nWith love and mercy\, you treat us like royalty;\nyou shower us with good things all our lives;\nyou makes us feel as young and free as an eagle. \nYou are there for those who are victimised\, LORD;\nyou clear their names and bring them justice. \nThrough Moses\, you let us know what you are on about;\nthrough Israel\, you let us see what you can do. \nYour mercy and generosity are extravagant\, LORD;\nyour patience and love are as solid as rock. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our rock and haven;\nthe tower of strength to whom we can always turn. \nYou created the heavens and earth\,\nand the sound of your voice shakes all things.\nYou put your words in the mouths of the prophets\nto destroy wickedness and overthrow the ruthless\,\nand to build justice and plant righteousness. \nYour child\, Jesus Christ\, came among us\nwith words of freedom\, hope and healing\nwhich so scandalised the powerful that they crucified him\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand appointed him as the mediator of a new covenant.\nBefore we were formed in the womb\, you knew us\nand now you are bringing us into your holy city\nwith the angels and saints and the faithful of every age\nto rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank your for your words of freedom\, hope and healing\nby which you are bringing us into your holy city\nwith the angels and saints and the faithful of every age\nto rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our rock and haven;\nthe tower of strength to whom we can always turn. \nYou created the heavens and earth\,\nand the sound of your voice shakes all things.\nYou put your words in the mouths of the prophets\nto destroy wickedness and overthrow the ruthless\,\nand to build justice and plant righteousness. \nYour child\, Jesus Christ\, came among us\nwith words of freedom\, hope and healing\nwhich so scandalised the powerful that they crucified him\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand appointed him as the mediator of a new covenant.\nBefore we were formed in the womb\, you knew us\nand now you are bringing us into your holy city\nwith the angels and saints and the faithful of every age\nto rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n The Lord is our hope from the moment of birth.\nJesus Christ\, the mediator of the new covenant\,\nis pleased to free us from all that has bound us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now to speak the words God gives you\nto all those to whom God sends you.\nOffer your worship to God\nwith thanksgiving\nand with works of freedom and mercy. \nAnd may God be your shelter to keep you safe;\nMay Christ Jesus set you free from all that cripples you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit be with you to deliver you\nand to make you perfect with all God’s faithful ones. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEmbracing the SacredA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 & Jeremiah 1: 4-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nTo Free or Not to FreeA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPut To ShameA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n“Love is more demanding than the Law”A sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by John Fowler\n\n\n\nA True Call in Dark TimesA sermon on Jeremiah 1: 4-10 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp16/2031-08-24/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P16.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310831T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310831T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210510T030514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250928T045045Z UID:10002976-1945900800-1945987199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 17 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 2: 4-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n Listen up\, you people of Israel;\nall you who count Jacob as your ancestor;\nListen to what the LORD has to say: \nWhat was wrong with me that so turned off your ancestors\nthat they kept as far away from me as they could?\nWhat was it that sent them off\non a merry-go-round of worthless distractions\nthat bled them of substance and character? \nNot once did they look for my help again\,\nor remember how I had rescued them from slavery.\nThey forgot how I guided them through the wilderness\,\nthrough hostile deserts and treacherous valleys;\nhow I got them safely across impassable land;\nblackened\, fearful terrain with no water;\nuninhabited places where nobody survives. \nI brought you safely into a rich and fruitful land;\na land laden with good things\, yours for the picking.\nBut you barged in and destroyed all I had given you;\nturned a precious heritage into a polluted wasteland. \nEven your religious leaders showed no interest in me! \nThey taught the law without getting to know me.\nThey defied me as they governed the people.\nThey preached a message of other gods\nand set their hearts on shallow and futile things. \nSo now I\, the LORD\, am taking you to court.\nI’m laying charges against you\nand against your children and grandchildren. \nWhoever heard of such a thing?\nSearch the earth from one end to the other.\nScour the history books and see.\nWhat other nation has ever changed its gods?\nThey are loyal even to false gods!\nBut my people have squandered their crowning glory\nby trading me in for shallow and futile things. \nI\, the LORD\, call the heavens to sit as jury\,\nto be appalled by this case;\nto weigh evidence that will shock and disgust.\nFor my my people have added crime upon crime.\nThey have turned their backs on me\,\ntheir only source of fresh\, flowing\, life-giving water;\nand they have taken to digging their own water-holes;\nstagnant puddles that stink and leak. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 81: 1\, 10-16 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing our lungs out to you\, God\,\nfor you make us strong;\nwe shout for joy\, celebrating you\,\nthe God of our ancestors. \nYou are the LORD our God;\nthe God who rescued us from the land of slavery.\nWhen we come to you with our hungers\,\nyou fill us with all that we need. \nBut we have repeatedly failed to listen to you;\nthough we were your people\,\nwe dug our heels in against you. \nYou stood aside and let us have our way;\nwe made our own bed and you left us to lie in it. \nYou longed for us to listen to you;\nfor your people to get back on track. \nIf we had only been willing to cooperate\,\nyou’d have been ready to sort out our enemies.\nThose whose hostility to you was taken out on us\nwould have been sent cowering away\,\nnever to be seen again. \nIf only we had responded to your call\, LORD\,\nyou would have spread a banquet before us\nfeeding us with the sweetest and best of everything. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hebrews 13: 1-8\, 15-16 \n \n\n \n \n \n See to it that love continues to run both ways in all your dealings with one another. Don’t limit your hospitality to your friends. Some people who have welcomed strangers into their homes were actually opening their doors to God’s messengers without realising it. Keep standing up for those who are in detention\, just as you would if you were locked up with them. Imagine yourselves in the shoes of those who are being harshly mistreated and work for them accordingly. Don’t let out of sight mean out of mind! \nSee to it that the vowed life of marriage is treated with the respect it deserves. Protect the sacredness of the sexual intimacy within vowed relationships. God will sort out those who drag sex into the mire of selfishness\, dishonesty and betrayal. \nKeep the lust for money right out of your lives. Be satisfied with what you have\, trusting in God’s promise to never let you down or abandon you. We can say with confidence: \n“The Lord looks after me;\nI’ve got nothing to fear.\nWhat harm can anyone do me?” \nRemember your leaders through whom you heard God’s message. Watch the way they live and note what comes of it. Model yourselves on their example of faith. Such examples don’t go out of date\, because Jesus Christ is the same now as he always was and always will be. Let us continue to offer the gift of praise to God through Christ. Keeping God’s name on our lips is a real gift\, but it is not the only gift that matters. Don’t overlook the importance of sharing what you have and working for the good of others\, because these too are gifts that delight God. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 14: 1\, 7-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n Once on the Sabbath day\, Jesus was invited to a dinner at the home of one of the leading members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party. Throughout the evening\, he was being closely watched by everyone there. \nNoticing how most of the guests were angling for the best seats at the top of the table\, Jesus turned the scene into an illustration\, saying\, “When you are invited as a guest to a formal dinner – a wedding banquet or the like – don’t rush to park yourself in the number one seat. There may be some more prominent celebrities on the guest list\, and when one of them turns up\, your host will come and ask you to vacate your seat for them. You’ll have egg all over your face in front of everyone\, and there may be nothing but the scummy seats left for you. If looking good in public is so important to you\, it would be a much better strategy to park yourself down in the back corner somewhere. Then when you are seen down there\, your host will come and say\, ‘Come on\, my friend\, we can find you a better seat than this.’ You’ll get a much better write-up in the social pages for that! The fact is that those who big-note themselves will be knocked off their perches\, but those who avoid the limelight will end up as everyone’s hero.” \nThen Jesus turned to the one who had invited him and said\, “When you are throwing a party\, don’t just invite your friends\, family and well-heeled neighbours. They will all return the favour sometime and so\, rather than being a gift\, your party will become something you are repaid for. Instead\, invite people who are always being left out – the down-and-outs\, the misfits\, the refugees\, the disabled. You’ll find that far more richly rewarding\, and although they can never repay you\, when God’s people are all raised from the dead\, you’ll be more than repaid. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Sirach 10: 12-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n Arrogant pride is born when people turn their backs on the Lord.\nIt is conceived in hearts that are cut off from their Maker. \nArrogant pride has its roots in sin\,\nand those who are addicted to it spew forth corruption. \nThat’s why the Lord brings terrible disasters on them\nand wipes them out completely. \nThe Lord topples arrogant rulers\,\nand hands their authority to humble people. \nThe Lord tears out arrogant nations by the roots\,\nand replaces them with unpretentious peoples. \nThe Lord rids the planet of arrogant empires\,\nleaving nothing but scorched earth where they stood.\nSome of them were destroyed so completely\nthat even the memory of them was erased. \nHuman beings were never intended to become arrogant.\nViolence and hostility were not part of their creator’s design. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Proverbs 25: 6-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n Don’t go big noting yourself\nor nominating yourself for the honours lists.\nIt is far better to have others calling for your promotion\nthan to be dismissed as completely up yourself. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 112 \n \n\n \n \n \n We are singing your praises\, LORD! \nHow good life is for those who respect you\, LORD\,\nfor those who gladly do what you want them to do. \nTheir children will follow in their footsteps\,\ndoing what’s right and going from strength to strength. \nYou fill their homes with good things\,\nand guarantee their good reputation. \nTheir generosity\, tolerance\, and integrity shine forth in a dark world\,\nlighting up the way for others to follow. \nLORD\, you see that things go well\nfor those who conduct their business fairly\nand lend generously to those in need. \nYou guarantee a firm footing for people of integrity;\ntheir reputation will long outlast them. \nBad news will not break them\,\nfor they have an inner strength grounded in you\, LORD.\nWith their trust in you\, they are calm in a crisis;\nfearless in the fight\,\nand they always end up on top. \nYou will honour their strength\nand make their integrity a lasting legacy\,\nfor they have been open-handed\, especially to the poor. \nAll this throws corrupt people into a snarling rage.\nBitterness consumes them\nas their dreams crumble to nothing. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to offer you our sacrifice of praise\, O God\,\nfor despite our poverty\, brokenness and blindness\,\nyou invite us to feast with you forever. \nYou created all the earth\nand led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land\nto feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey. \nWhen we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —\ngoing instead after things which were worthless and defiled\,\nyour love for us remained constant\,\nand in mercy\, you never abandoned us.\nInstead you sent us your child\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho is the same yesterday\, today and forever.\nHis witness to your all-embracing love\nso offended the values of the world\nthat he was tortured to death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nand now\, through him\,\nyou are teaching us to share and do good\nso that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that even when we abandoned you\n— our fountain of living water —\nstill in your love and mercy you never abandoned us\,\nbut raised us with Christ to share and do good\nso that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving\, O God\,\nfor despite our poverty\, brokenness and blindness\,\nyou honour us with your righteous ones. \nYou created all the earth\nand led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land\nto feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey. \nWhen we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —\ngoing instead after things which were worthless and defiled\,\nyour love for us remained constant\,\nand in mercy\, you never abandoned us.\nInstead you sent us your child\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho is the same yesterday\, today and forever.\nHis witness to your all-embracing love\nso offended the values of the world\nthat he was tortured to death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nand now\, through him\,\nyou are teaching us to share and do good\nso that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ\nhas given himself for us\, saying:\n”I will never leave you or forsake you.\nThose who humble themselves will be lifted up.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and walk in all God’s ways.\nKeep your lives free from the love of money\nbut let love between people continue and be honoured.\nShow hospitality to strangers.\nPray for those who suffer torture and imprisonment\nand do not neglect to do good. \nAnd may God be your strength;\nMay Christ Jesus be for you a fountain of living water;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit raise you to life\nwith all God’s righteous ones. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Prosecutor’s CaseA drama/sermon on Jeremiah 2: 4-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Economy of CompassionA on Luke 14. 7-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nYou Are Invited …A sermon on Luke 14: 1\, 7-14 & Hebrews 13: 1-8\, 15-16 by Samara Pitt\n\n\n\nSacrifices That Please GodA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8\, 15-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nYesterday and Today and ForeverA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8\, 15-16 & Luke 14:1\, 7-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHeading for Rock Bottom with JesusA sermon on Luke 14:1\, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhy Drink From that Pool?A sermon on Luke 14:1\, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Awkwardness of Being a GuestA on Luke 14. 1-24 by Cas Wepener\n\n\n\nCreating Beauty Amidst ChaosA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8\, 15-16; Jeremiah 2: 4-13 & Luke 14:1\, 7-14 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp17/2031-08-31/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P17.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310907T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310907T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210510T032644Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T044905Z UID:10002977-1946505600-1946591999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 18 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 18: 1-11 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD spoke to me and said\, “Jeremiah\, get yourself down to the potter’s workshop\, because there you will hear and understand what I’ve got to say.” \nSo I went down to the workshop and saw the potter there working at his wheel. As I watched\, the clay he was working wouldn’t take the shape he intended\, so he simply changed his plan and reworked it into a pot of a different shape. Then the LORD spoke to me\, saying: \n“People of Israel\, don’t you realise that I can do with you just what the potter has done with this pot. Watch the way the potter works\, people of Israel\, and remember that you are like clay in my hands. If I speak to a corrupt nation and threaten to tear it out by the roots and crush and demolish it\, and it takes note of what I have said and mends its ways\, I will change my mind and give them a fresh start. If\, on the other hand\, I tell a nation that I am planning to build them up with strength and life\, and they turn around and become callous and cruel and take no further notice of anything I say\, then I will abandon my plans to do anything good for them. \nSo then\, Jeremiah\, go now and give the people who live in Judah and Jerusalem this message from me: I\, the LORD\, am taking you in hand like a potter taking clay\, and I am planning to flatten you; to crush you completely. The only way to persuade me to change my mind is to turn around right now; to mend your ways and clean up your act.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 139: 1-6\, 13-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n You have taken a good hard look at me\, LORD\,\nand you know exactly what makes me tick. \nYou know when I’ve got my feet up and when I’m on the job;\nyou can read my mind like an open book. \nYou see where I am going and where I stop\,\nand you know all about what I do and why. \nYou know exactly what I am going to say\, LORD\,\neven before I open my mouth. \nYou are in front of me\, behind me\, beside me;\nyour hand on my shoulder at every turn. \nAll this is more than I can get my head around;\nI pinch myself\, and struggle to take it in. \nIt was you who put me together\, every part of me;\nyou knit me together in my mother’s womb. \nI sing your praises\, LORD\,\nfor the the way you have made me fills me with awe.\nYour creative works blow my mind;\ntoo wonderful for words. \nYou could see me clearly before I was born;\nyou watched me taking shape in the secret depths\nand laid out the intricacies of nerve and muscle. \nYou kept your eye on me\nfrom conception to birth.\nMy life lay before you like an open book\nbefore I had even lived a day. \nYour thoughts are way beyond my grasp\, God\,\nand they add up to more than I can count.\nDeeper than the oceans\,\noutnumbering the grains of sand;\nI give up trying\nbut you are with me just the same. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Philemon 1-21 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, Paul\, am in detention here for the sake of Christ Jesus. Our brother\, Timothy\, is here with me. We write this letter to you\, Philemon\, our good friend and work-mate. Please share it with our sister Apphia\, with our brother-in-arms Archippus\, and with the rest of the church that meets at your house. \nWe send our best wishes for peace and blessings from God our Father\, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. \nYou have been in my prayers. I have been thanking God for all the good reports I keep hearing about how much trust you put in the Lord Jesus and how much love you show to all God’s people. I am praying that you and those who share your faith will see more and more clearly how much good we can accomplish on Christ’s behalf. My friend\, your love is already accomplishing much. You’ve given many of God’s faithful people a new lease of life\, and so indeed you have been a source of joy and encouragement to me. \nIn light of all this\, I want to ask you a favour. I suppose I could pull rank as an elder statesman or as one who has proved his commitment to Christ in jail\, and order you to do what I want; but I would much rather ask you as a mate. The favour I want to ask is for my own son. You didn’t know I was a father\, did you?! Well foster-father perhaps\, and only since I’ve been locked up\, but you know him well — Onesimus! I know you said he was completely useless in the past — quite the opposite of what his name means — but now he is enormously useful to both you and me. I feel like I’m tearing my own heart out\, sending him back to you. I badly wanted to keep him here so that he could continue to look after me\, as I know you would have done\, while I remain in detention for preaching God’s message. However\, I didn’t want to go behind your back on this. I wanted to give you the opportunity to make your own decision rather than be manoeuvred into something against your will. Perhaps there was a good reason why you lost him for a while. Now you can be reunited with him\, but no longer as your slave\, but something much more: a beloved brother. I already count him as a brother — in Christ and in what we’ve been through together — but he will be even more so to you. \nSo\, if you still count me as a mate\, please welcome Onesimus as warmly as you would welcome me. If he owes you anything for any wrong he’s done in the past\, put it on my tab and I’ll fix you up for it when I can. You have my promise here under my own signature: I will pay whatever is owed to you. I won’t even bring up the issue of how you owe me your very life! \nSo that’s it. Please do me this big favour as a brother in Christ! You’ve got no idea how much good it would do for my tired old heart. I have every confidence that you would obey if I ordered you to do this\, but I’m writing to ask you to do it for me as a favour\, and knowing you\, you’ll find some way of doing even more than I’ve asked. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 14: 25-33 \n \n\n \n \n \n As Jesus continued his journey\, the crowds of people following him kept growing. One day he turned to them and said\, “Are you sure that you have got what it takes to follow me all the way? Unless you are being accused of hating your parents\, your spouse\, your children\, your brothers and sisters\, and even your own life\, you are probably not fully on board yet. \n“You can’t follow me unless you are ready to accept that you will be targeted by the death squads. \n“If you were planning to build an office tower\, you would know to sit down and calculate the costs carefully before giving the go-ahead for construction. You wouldn’t take the risk of pouring the foundations without securing the finance needed to finish the project. If you ran out of money half way\, you’d be the laughing stock of the industry and you’d be forever saddled with a reputation for failing to finish what you started. \n“If you were responsible for deciding whether or not the nation went to war\, you would know to sit down first and calculate whether your military resources could match those of your enemy. If you decided that the enemy could blow you away twice over\, you’d send out the negotiators to work out a peace deal long before the hostilities commenced. \n“Following me\, then\, is the same. You have to decide whether you have got what it takes\, because you can’t follow me unless you quit clinging to what you’ve got.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 \n \n\n \n \n \n “Take note that today I\, the LORD your God\, have laid out the choices clearly before you. You can choose life and good times or death and hard times. If you live by the rules that I have given you today — if you love me\, do things my way\, and follow my rules\, guidance and instructions — then you will live and flourish. I\, the LORD your God\, will look after you and make you strong and prosperous in the land I am about to give you. \nOn the other hand\, if you reject me and refuse to listen to me\, it will be a very different story. I am warning you in no uncertain terms that if you pursue other objects of devotion and serve them instead of me\, your lives will be ruined. You will not last long in the land I am about to give you on the other side of the Jordan River. \nHere and now I call on the earth and sky to witness that I have laid out the choices clearly before you; choices between life and death\, between being blessed and being cursed. Choose life! Choose life so that you and your children and grandchildren can flourish. Commit yourself to me\, the LORD your God\, in love and loyalty. Obey what I say and stick with me\, because that is the sure-fire recipe for a long and satisfying life in the land that I promised to your ancestors\, Abraham\, Isaac and Jacob.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 1 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD\, how good it will be for those\nwho turn a deaf ear to the advocates of greed;\nwho steer clear of corrupt short-cuts;\nand avoid those who sneer at goodness. \nInstead they relish your word\, LORD.\nCalming their minds\,\nthey savour the scriptures day and night. \nYou make them strong and healthy\,\nlike a Redgum tree with its roots deep in a river bank\,\nflowering abundantly every season\,\nand always laden with healthy leaves.\nAll that they do is vibrant with life. \nBut what a different story it is for the wicked;\nthey are about as secure as dry leaves in a cyclone. \nThey will have no defence\nwhen they are brought to justice\,\nand no friends among people of integrity. \nLORD\, you keep a protective eye\non all who walk a straight path of peace and justice\,\nbut nothing will save those who leave that road. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor we are awe struck by your handiwork\nand overwhelmed by the depths of your wisdom and love. \nLike a potter at the wheel\, you created the universe\nand shaped our bodies in secret in the hidden depths.\nYou have kept your hand on your people\,\nreshaping us as seemed good to you\nwhenever we become misshapen\nby allowing other allegiances\nto compromise our faithfulness to you. \nThough many times we laid the foundations\nfor a life worthy of your love and justice\nwe could never bring the work to completion\nuntil you sent your child\, Jesus\, to us\nto lead us in the way of the cross.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\nand gave him back to us forever\,\nto save us from destruction\nand refresh the hearts of all your saints. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that keep your hand on your people\nwith the skill and love of a potter at the wheel\,\nreshaping us whenever we become misshapen\nby allowing other allegiances\nto compromise our faithfulness to you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor we are awe struck by your handiwork\nand overwhelmed by the depths of your wisdom and love. \nLike a potter at the wheel\, you created the universe\nand shaped our bodies in secret in the hidden depths.\nYou have kept your hand on your people\,\nreshaping us as seemed good to you\nwhenever we become misshapen\nby allowing other allegiances\nto compromise our faithfulness to you. \nThough many times we laid the foundations\nfor a life worthy of your love and justice\nwe could never bring the work to completion\nuntil you sent your child\, Jesus\, to us\nto lead us in the way of the cross.\nWhen he was killed you raised him to life\nand gave him back to us forever\,\nto save us from destruction\nand refresh the hearts of all your saints. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n When we turn from evil\,\nGod does not bring disaster on us\,\nbut forgives our sins\nand refreshes our hearts in Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now to live and share your faith with all.\nLove Christ more than even family or friends\,\nand\, in Christ\, love all God’s people.\nDo not cling to possessions\,\nbut take up your cross and follow Jesus. \nAnd may God shape you in the ways of love and justice;\nMay Christ Jesus refresh your heart;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit surround you with grace and peace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThey’ll know we are Christians by our hate?A sermon on Philemon 1-21 and Luke 14: 25-33 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSurrender to the Potter’s HandsA sermon on Jeremiah 18:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Potter and the ClayA sermon on Jeremiah 18:1-6 by George Whitfield (1714-1770) abridged and preached by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDiscipleship as TreacheryA sermon on Luke 14:25-33 & Philemon by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nIt Really Could Cost EverythingA sermon on Luke 14: 25-33 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp18/2031-09-07/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P18.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310914T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310914T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210518T122746Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T122417Z UID:10002979-1947110400-1947196799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 19 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 4: 11-12\, 22-28 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD gave me a message for Jerusalem\, saying: \n“When disaster comes\, you will know about it\, Jerusalem;\nthis is the warning your people will hear: \n“The invading army is bearing down on you\nlike a tornado from the desert.\nIt is the hot breath of my judgment;\nan angry wind sweeping away all in its path. \n“You will pay for your madness\, my people\,\nfor you have totally ignored me.\nYou are a pack of half-wits\nwith nothing between your ears.\nYou are experts only at corruption.\nYou haven’t got a clue about doing good.” \nThe LORD gave me a vision: \nI saw the earth – it was an empty wasteland.\nI saw the skies – the lights had gone out. \nI saw the mountains – shuddering and shaking.\nI saw the hills – trembling like jelly. \nI looked and looked\, but there was no one to be seen.\nNot even the scavenging birds had hung around. \nCroplands and orchards alike were scorched earth.\nCities and towns were nothing but rubble. \nEverything had fallen before the LORD;\nbefore the blazing anger of the LORD. \nThe LORD gave me this message: \n“The whole land will be destroyed\,\nand yet not beyond repair.\nThe earth will be wracked with grief\nand the skies will dress in black.\nBut I have made up my mind and I will not change it.\nI have given my word and will not take it back.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 14 \n \n\n \n \n \n Heartless\, mindless scum kid themselves\nthat there is no God. \nThey are corrupt and callous.\nThe things they do would make you sick.\nThere is not an ounce of good among them. \nThe LORD scans the human race\, one at a time\,\nlooking for any who are still wise;\nfor even one who still has a heart for God. \nBut it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack!\nThey’ve all lost the plot.\nEveryone is caught up\nin their own perverse ways.\nEvery last one of them. \nDon’t they know where all this will get them?\nThey never look to the LORD for anything;\nthey chew up God’s people and spit them out. \nBut it will soon be their turn to cringe in fear\,\nbecause God sides with those who play straight. \nIf you think you can trample\nthe dreams of the battlers\,\nWatch out! The LORD will be there for them.\nWe can hardly wait to hear the songs of freedom\nas justice marches down from God’s mountain! \nWhat a day it will be\nwhen the LORD redistributes the wealth\nand God’s people are compensated\nfor their suffering! \nOur ancestors will rise up with joy!\nThe streets will fill with singing and dancing! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 \n \n\n \n \n \n I am so thankful to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is him who gives me the strength to do what I do. He reckoned he could trust me\, so he gave me this work to do for him. This was despite the fact that I had a history of violence and all I had ever done was drag his name through the mud and victimise his people. I was shown mercy because I had acted without understanding what I was doing. I hadn’t known who Jesus was. Now though\, our Lord has been extravagantly generous and flooded me with faith and love in Christ Jesus. \nHere is a line you can write down and stake your life on: Jesus Christ came into the world to rescue sinners. I should know\, I was the number one sinner. By putting his mercy to work in me — the number one sinner — Jesus Christ clearly demonstrated just how much he was willing to endure to get through to us. He has made me an example to show others how to put their trust in him and so gain life without limit. \nAnd now I give all the glory\nand every honour\nto the One who rules forever;\nbeyond life and death;\nout of sight;\nthe one and only God.\nAnd so say all of us! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 15: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n For much of the time\, a crowd of people hung around Jesus\, listening to everything he had to say. The crowd was full of disreputable characters whose lifestyles were offensive to the more respectable members of society. The devoutly religious Pharisees and the experts in religious law got their noses out of joint over this\, and began denouncing Jesus. “He keeps company with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale\,” they said\, “and he doesn’t even draw the line at eating with them.” \nJesus responded to their objections by telling a story. He said\, “If you had care of a hundred sheep and one of them got lost\, what would you do? Like anyone else\, you would leave the other ninety-nine grazing in the paddock and go off looking for the lost one until you found it. And when you found it\, you would be so relieved that you would hoist it up on your shoulders and dance home with a spring in your step. Not only that\, you would then call all your friends and neighbours around for party\, saying\, ‘The shout’s on me\, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” \nJesus said\, “Let me assure you that it is just like that in heaven. One screwed-up person getting back on the right track causes far more celebration than ninety-nine respectable people who never left it.” \nHe continued with another story\, saying\, “If you had ten coins – all collector’s items – and you lost one of them\, what would you do? Like anyone else\, you would turn on all the lights and go over the house with a fine-toothed comb until you found it. And when you found it\, you would call all your friends and neighbours around for party\, saying\, ‘The shout’s on me\, for I have found the coin that I lost.’” \nJesus said\, “Let me assure you that the angels party like that over each wayward person who turns their life back towards God.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Exodus 32: 7-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD said to Moses: \n“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours\, who you brought out of the land of slavery\, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye\, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf\, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.” \nBut Moses pleaded with the LORD his God\, saying: \n“LORD\, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this\, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants\, Abraham\, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word\, your personal guarantee. You said\, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky\, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’” \nAnd so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 51: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n O God\, your love never gives up.\nHave mercy on me now! \nI’m relying on your record of generous mercy:\nplease wipe my slate clean! \nScrub away the filth I’ve been living in;\nScour away the stain of my sin. \nI know only too well what I’ve done;\nmy sins stare me in the face. \nIt is you I’ve double-crossed\, you I’ve betrayed;\nI’ve done things which I knew you despised. \nYou have all the facts and you know what I deserve;\nwhat ever you decide is fair enough.\nI’ve been on the wrong side of you forever.\nI turned my back on you before I was born. \nYou want honesty that comes from deep within\,\nso teach me your wisdom\,\nlet it take root in my heart. \nGet the bleach out and give me the treatment!\nSoak me and wash me\nuntil I’m as white as snow. \nOpen my ears to laughter and music.\nThough you ground me into the dirt\,\nlet me now rise to the sounds of joy. \nTurn a blind eye to my record;\ndisregard my prior convictions. \nRenovate me from the inside\, O God;\nrebuild my heart and rewire my brain;\ninstall in me a new fault-free operating system. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the immortal invisible King of the ages\,\nand your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus. \nYou created the earth from a formless void\nand filled it with living things.\nIn every age you have looked for faithfulness\nand found instead depravity\, corruption and evil.\nThe hot winds of anger\nhave turned fruitful lands to desert\nbut always your merciful love has continued searching\nfor those who would be saved. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, among us to save sinners.\nHis hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious\nthat he was killed\,\nbut you raised him to new life.\nIn him you are turning us from our pasts\,\nlifting us joyously onto your shoulders\nand appointing us to your service\nas an example for all who would trust you for eternal life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that though the hot winds of your anger\nhave turned fruitful lands to desert\,\nyour son\, Jesus Christ\, came into the world to save sinners\nand all heaven rejoices over every lost one who repents. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the immortal invisible King of the ages\,\nand your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus. \nYou created the earth from a formless void\nand filled it with living things.\nIn every age you have looked for faithfulness\nand found instead depravity\, corruption and evil.\nThe hot winds of anger\nhave turned fruitful lands to desert\nbut always your merciful love has continued searching\nfor those who would be saved. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, among us to save sinners.\nHis hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious\nthat he was killed\,\nbut you raised him to new life.\nIn him you are turning us from our pasts\,\nlifting us joyously onto your shoulders\nand appointing us to your service\nas an example for all who would trust you for eternal life. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.\nWe have received mercy\,\nfor the grace of our Lord has overflowed for us\nin the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, overflowing with faith and love\nand seek out those who are lost.\nSide with the poor and sit with the just;\nmourn for the earth\nand rejoice with heaven over any who turn to God. \nAnd may God judge you faithful;\nMay Christ Jesus strengthen you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom and grace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nPractical AtheismA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSearch and RescueA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStumbling through Waste and VoidA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12\, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOn losing\, seeking and finding . . . sometimesA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Marita Munro\n\n\n\nThe God who SearchesA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Stacey Aslangul\n\n\n\nHomecomingA sermon on Luke 15.1–10 by Jason Goroncy\n\n\n\nClimate Change and Spiritual TransformationA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12\, 22-28 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nForgive us\, Lord. We know not what we do.A sermon on Psalm 14:4 & 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAm I Preaching Doom and Gloom?A sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12\, 22-28 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp19/2031-09-14/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P19.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310921T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310921T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210519T044541Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251019T033841Z UID:10002980-1947715200-1947801599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 20 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1 \n \n\n \n \n \n I’m heart-broken\, sick with grief.\nSmiles are a thing of the past. \nTune in and listen.\nFrom one end of the country to the other\nyou can hear the cry of my suffering people.\n“Has the LORD cleared off and left us?” they groan.\n“Has our king fled the country?” \nThey gave God every reason to be angry\,\nflaunting their latest trendy objects of devotion. \nBut still they cry:\n“Months pass\, seasons come and go\,\nbut still there is no sign of help.” \nI am hurting with my people\, torn by their pain.\nI am grief-stricken\, filled with horror. \nSurely there is some treatment available.\nSurely there is something the doctors can do.\nSo why are my people still sick and broken?\nWhy are they not yet back on their feet? \nI need a head like a fire hydrant\nto do all the crying I am going to do\,\ngushing tears by the bucket full day and night\nover all my people who have been killed! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 79: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n O God\, the land you gave us has been invaded;\nplaces erected in your honour have been desecrated;\nthe city you love has been reduced to rubble. \nPeople who faithfully served you have been slaughtered;\ntheir bodies have been tossed out like garbage\,\nferal animals tear them to shreds and crows pick their bones. \nThe city is awash with their blood\,\noverflowing the gutters;\ntheir bodies lie where they fell\,\nthere is no one left to bury them. \nThose outside our borders make a joke of our fate;\nthey laugh as they stick the boots in. \nWhy\, LORD?\nHow long will we cop this abuse?\nAre you going to be angry forever?\nWill your fiery rage never die down? \nTake it out on those who really deserve it;\non nations that shut you out and write you off. \nThey are the ones who chewed up your people\nand left nothing but scorched earth where we lived. \nPlease\, God\, don’t hold against us the wrongs of our ancestors.\nCome quickly with a tender heart and loving arms\,\nwe are at rock-bottom. \nYou are the only one who can get us out of this mess\, God.\nCome to our rescue! Bail us out! Forgive and heal us!\nShow everyone that your reputation is fully deserved! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Timothy 2: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n The number one thing I would urge you to do is to pray. Pray for everyone\, thanking God for them and requesting the best for them. Don’t forget to pray for those who exercise power and influence\, for we depend on them to allow us the space to get on with our lives in simplicity\, peace\, dignity and God-given integrity. There is no doubt that such prayers are exactly what God would wish us to be offering. Indeed\, what God really wants is for absolutely everyone to be brought into the life God intends for us\, and to know it; to know the full and wonderful truth of it. The bottom line is this: \nthere is one God\, and only one\,\nand there is one person standing between God and humanity\nto bring us together:\nChrist Jesus\, who was as human as us\nand who put his own life on the line\nso that everyone else could be set free.\nAll this was made clear once and for all. \nThe work to which I have been appointed is the work of broadcasting this news. You can take my word for this; I wouldn’t lie to you. God has made me an ambassador-at-large\, so that I might teach those outside the Jewish family to believe and trust in this truth. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 16: 1-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n Speaking to his followers\, Jesus said\, “Have you heard the story about the rich tycoon and his shifty business manager? One day the tycoon was presented with evidence that his business was seriously under-performing due to reckless management. So he called in his business manager and sacked him on the spot\, saying\, ‘Go and clear out your office and hand over the books for a full audit.’ \n“The manager said to himself\, ‘What am I going to do now. I’m out of work and my reputation is shot. I’m not fit enough for manual labour\, and I couldn’t bear to be seen receiving welfare. I know what I’ll do. I’ve got a sure-fire way to ensure that there will be plenty of people only too happy to help me out.’ \n“So\, before clearing out his office\, he went to work and called up all the business’s debtors\, one at a time. He asked the first\, ‘How much do you owe my boss?’ \n“The debtor replied\, ‘I owe him for a hundred barrels of oil.’ \n“The manager said\, ‘Sit down and sign here\, and you will only owe for fifty.’ \n“To another he said\, ‘And how much do you owe?’ \n“‘I owe your boss for a hundred tonnes of wheat\,’ the debtor replied. \n“The manager said\, “‘Sit down and sign here\, and it will be written down to eighty.’ \n“After the transactions had all been signed and sealed\, the tycoon discovered what had happened. All he could do was shake his head in admiration over the cunning ingenuity of the shifty business manager.” \nJesus went on to say\, “You see\, that’s how it is. The people who belong to this present world are far better equipped to dodge and weave their way through their dealings with one another than you lot are\, and you belong to the light. So take it from me\, if you’ve got a fistful of filthy lucre\, use it to help other people out. That way\, when it runs out\, you’ll have friends for life. \n“Those who can be trusted with a little\ncan be trusted with a lot.\nThose who are dishonest over little things\nare also dishonest over big things.\nIf you can’t even be trusted with a fistful of filthy lucre\,\nwho is going to trust you with things of real value?\nIf you can’t be trusted to look after other people’s things\,\nwho is going give you anything to keep as your own? \n“No one can play on two teams.\nYou’ll either give your best to one\nand under-perform for the other\,\nor short-change one\nand give your heart and soul for the other.\nYou can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Amos 8: 4-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n “Listen to me\, you who wipe your feet on those in need;\nyou who destroy the poor for your own gain.\nYou resent religious holidays\nbecause they interrupt your wheeling and dealing.\nYou demand twenty-four hour\, seven-day trading\,\nso that you can rip people off without ceasing.\nYour advertising is all deceit and delusion.\nYou rig the odds and the interest rates.\nYou lure the poor into crippling debt\nuntil you own them – body and soul –\nand then charge them again for owing you money. \n“I\, the LORD\, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave\,\nthat I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 113 \n \n\n \n \n \n You are the greatest\, LORD! \nWe\, your servants\, can’t stop singing your praises;\nthe mere mention of your name sets us singing! \nFrom now on and forever\,\nyour name will be held sacred\, LORD. \nFrom east to west\, from dawn to dusk\,\nyour name will inspire songs of praise. \nYou are ranked number one\, LORD\,\nway above even the greatest nations\,\noutshining even the sun and the stars. \nCan anyone compare with you\, LORD?\nIs there anyone else even close to your league?\nNot likely! You are seated so high\nthat you look down even to see the sky! \nYou lift up those who have been trodden into the dirt;\nyou put the poor and outcast back on their feet.\nYou give them a place among the guests of honour\,\na seat with the dignitaries and celebrities. \nYou give the infertile couple a family\nfilling their lives with the laughter of children. \nYou are the greatest\, LORD! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you desire everyone to be saved\nand to come to the knowledge of the truth. \nThe earth is your handiwork\, but it has brought you tears;\nyou created the nations\, but they have brought you grief.\nYou sent your law and prophets\,\nbut your people served idols and wealth before you\,\nand were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them. \nWhen we despaired of ever being restored to health\,\nyou lived up to the name of “Saviour”\,\nsending us your child\, Jesus the Christ\n— himself human —\nwho gave himself as a ransom for all.\nAlthough his blood was shed in Jerusalem\,\nyou raised him to life\nand now and forever\, he is our mediator in your presence\,\nwelcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer\nthat we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that though we have brought you grief\,\nyour son\, Jesus Christ\, gave himself as a ransom for all\,\nand is\, now and forever\, our mediator in your presence\,\nthat we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you desire everyone to be saved\nand to come to the knowledge of the truth. \nThe earth is your handiwork\, but it has brought you tears;\nyou created the nations\, but they have brought you grief.\nYou sent your law and prophets\,\nbut your people served idols and wealth before you\,\nand were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them. \nWhen we despaired of ever being restored to health\,\nyou lived up to the name of “Saviour”\,\nsending us your child\, Jesus the Christ\n— himself human —\nwho gave himself as a ransom for all.\nAlthough his blood was shed in Jerusalem\,\nyou raised him to life\nand now and forever\, he is our mediator in your presence\,\nwelcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer\nthat we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus Christ\, has lived up to the name of “Saviour”\nfor he gave himself as a ransom for all\nto rescue us and forgive our sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\nand continue to offer prayers and thanksgiving for everyone.\nBe shrewd in dealing with the world around you\nbut do not be seduced into serving wealth.\nWeep for those who suffer\nand share faith and truth with all. \nAnd may God welcome you with love;\nMay Christ Jesus give you knowledge of the truth;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you into all godliness and dignity. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nIs moral integrity for weaklings?A sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLearning from Low-life ScumA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPray for Them?!!!A sermon on 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDefrauding for JesusA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAssessing Claims and Detaining GodA sermon on Luke 16:1-13; Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFeeling Depressed and Following JesusA sermon on Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Clever Rogue and Outrageous GraciousnessA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Gilbert Joyce\n\n\n\nTears\, Prayers and ForgivenessA sermon on Luke 16:1-13; Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Geoff Leslie URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp20/2031-09-21/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P20.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310928T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310928T225959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221017T002728Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251026T024942Z UID:10002981-1948320000-1948402799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 21 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 32: 1-3a\, 6-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, Jeremiah\, received a message from the LORD. At the time\, the Babylonian army was laying siege to Jerusalem. They were under the command of Nebuchadrezzar\, who had been king of Babylon for eighteen years. I was locked up in the guardhouse of the Jerusalem palace on the orders of Zedekiah\, who had been king of Judah for ten years. The message from the LORD said: \n“Jeremiah! Your cousin\, Hanamel\, son of Shallum\, is on his way to see you. He will ask you to buy his ancestral property at Anathoth because he can no longer afford to keep it. As his nearest relative\, you have the right to buy it in order to keep it in the family.” \nJust as the LORD had said\, my cousin Hanamel came to visit me in the guardhouse and said to me\, “I want to sell you my ancestral property at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. The only way it can stay in our family is for you to exercise your right to buy it for yourself.” \nWhen this happened\, I knew that the message I had heard was from the LORD\, so I went ahead and bought the Anathoth property from Hanamel for the agreed price of seventeen pieces of silver. We had the legal document drawn up\, confirming the terms and conditions of the sale and transferring the title to me. When the document had been formally signed and witnessed\, I counted out the money and handed it to Hanamel. Then I took both the official copy of the document and a duplicate and handed them to Baruch. Baruch was the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah\, and worked for me as my secretary. While Hanamel and the witness were still there\, and in the clear hearing of all the other Judeans who were at the guardhouse\, I said to Baruch: \nThis is an order from the LORD who rules over everything\, the God of Israel: Take these property documents\, both the official signed copy and its duplicate\, and store them in a sealed time capsule so that they will last for a long time. Because the LORD who rules over everything\, the God of Israel\, is making this promise: “Although you are being overrun by invading armies\, the time will come when you will once again own houses\, farms and vineyards in this land.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 91: 1-6\, 14-16 \n \n\n \n \n \n Your greatness and strength are our shelter\, LORD;\nwe can live secure in your shade.\nWe call you our refuge\, our place of safety;\nyou are the God in whom we trust. \nYou steer us clear of the traps that have been laid for us\,\nand keep us safe when disease threatens to wipe us out.\nYou gather us safely under your wings\nlike a mother bird shielding her chicks.\nWe are secure behind your armour-plated loyalty. \nNight or day\, we have nothing to fear;\nnot bullets\, nor bombs;\nnot illness\, nor injury;\nnot the withering heat of the sun\,\nnor the crippling power of fear itself. \nThose who know you and love you can depend on you\,\nyou are always there to pull them out of trouble. \nThe moment they call\, you answer;\nyou’re on their side when all hell breaks loose;\nyou save their lives and throw a party in their honour. \nYou give them long and fulfilling lives\, LORD;\nthey will see the realisation of all you have promised. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Timothy 6: 6-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n The keys to a truly rich life are to model yourself on God and to find contentment in simple things. When it comes to the things money can buy\, we all have to leave this world as empty-handed as we entered it\, so if we’ve got food on our tables and clothes on our backs\, we are as rich as we’ll ever need to be. People who set their hearts on becoming very wealthy are their own worst enemies. They charge headlong into a mine field of inflated expectations and mind-numbing promises and they are easily seduced onto slippery slopes that end only in corruption and ruin. There are so many forms of evil that can be traced back to a passion for money\, and there have been so many people whose craving for wealth has eroded their commitment to Christ and brought them nothing but pain and misery. \nBut you\, Timothy\, are a man who belongs to God; so steer well clear of such things. Instead\, work hard at modelling yourself on God and developing your abilities to do the right thing\, to trust God no matter what\, to tough out the hard times\, and to be consistently loving and compassionate. The life to which you have been called – the life without limit – is not gained without struggle. You went public in declaring your commitment to this cause\, so fight hard and fair for it\, trusting always in God\, and the prize will be yours.  \nStanding now in the presence of God\, who gives life to all things\, and of Christ Jesus\, who spoke up for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate\, I am reminding you of your mandate: follow through to the max on all you have been told to do. See that none of your work gives anyone cause to point an accusing finger. And keep at it until our Lord Jesus Christ steps back onto centre stage\, as he will when God decides the time is right. \nGod alone deserves all praise!\nGod alone rules over all!\nGod far outranks every monarch and lord;\nevery chief\, commander\, and regime!\nGod alone lives beyond the reach of death\,\nhidden from every human eye\nby blazing light that holds us at bay!\nTo God\, honour and glory!\nTo God\, power over all\, forever!\nAnd so say all of us! \nPass on some advice from me to those who are wealthy in the here and now. Tell them not to go getting full of themselves\, or to fall for the idea that their money guarantees their quality of life – it could all be worthless tomorrow. Tell them\, instead\, to stake their future on God\, for everything we need to enjoy a truly rich life is given to us by God. Teach them that if they really want to set themselves up for the future\, they should invest heavily in doing good for others and build up a portfolio based on blue-chip sharing and generosity. That is the only way to achieve the goal of gaining shares in the life that is really worth living. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 16: 19-31 \n \n\n \n \n \n While speaking to some devoutly religious Pharisees who loved money\, Jesus told this story: \nThere was a rich man who was always dressed to the nines in the most expensive fashions and who enjoyed chef-prepared\, gourmet delicacies for breakfast\, lunch and tea. In the street outside his security gates\, lived a desperately poor man named Lazarus. He was malnourished and sleeping rough\, and his skin was scabby and infected. All he ever ate was the scraps thrown out in the rich man’s garbage. Often he was too weak even to stop the dogs from licking his sores. \nOne day this poor man died and was carried away by the angels and seated alongside Abraham at the best table. The rich man also died and was given a rich man’s burial. However\, in the land of the dead he found himself suffering horribly. He looked up\, and far in the distance he could see Abraham with Lazarus seated alongside him. In desperation he called out\, “Father Abraham\, take pity on me and send Lazarus to bring me even a drop of water to cool my tongue. I am in agony here in these flames.” \nBut Abraham said\, “Son\, remember how life was a bed of roses for you\, but Lazarus always copped the worst that life could dish up. Well here the tables have been turned. Besides\, there is nothing we can do anyway. Can’t you see how we are cut off from you by this massive chasm. No one can get across from here to you\, and you can’t get across from there to us.” \nThe rich man said\, “In that case\, Father\, please send him to my family home to warn my five brothers so that they won’t go down the same track as me and end up here in this nightmare too.” \nAbraham replied\, “They have heard the teachings of Moses and the prophets. That should be all the warning they need.” \nHe replied\, “It hasn’t sunk in though\, Father Abraham. But if someone was to come back from the dead to warn them\, then they’d turn their lives around for sure.” \nBut Abraham said to him\, “If they won’t take any notice of Moses and the prophets\, then even someone rising from the dead wouldn’t be enough to get through to them.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Amos 6: 1a\, 4-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n The writing is on the wall for those who are living it up in the city;\nfor those who think that no harm can reach them in this town. \nThe writing is on the wall for those who spend their days\nlounging around in pampered luxury;\ndining on the finest delicacies\nlike there was no tomorrow;\nsinging and dancing while others suffer\,\npartying on while others starve. \nThe writing is on the wall for those\nwho care more about the temperature of their chardonnay\nand the matching of clothes and cosmetics\nthan they do about the desperate plight\nof the poor who live in their land! \nThey’ve got it coming to them.\nThey will be the first to be driven into refugee camps.\nTheir cushy comforts will be nothing but a memory. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 146 \n \n\n \n \n \n You are the best\, LORD!\nWith all my heart I sing your praises.\nI will never stop talking you up;\nI won’t stop spruiking your goodness till the day I die. \nThere is no one but you that we can depend on\, LORD;\nnot experts\, not leaders\, no one.\nNo human being can give what we most need;\nno matter what their plans and schemes promise\,\nthe minute they’re gone\, their promises die with them. \nBut we hit the jackpot when we look to you for help\, LORD;\nwhen we put all our hopes in you – the God of our ancestors.\nYou are the one who made earth and sky\,\nwho poured out the seas and filled them with life.\nYou are true to your word no matter what;\nwhen people are ground into the dirt\, you bring about justice;\nwhen people are left to starve\, you come with food. \nYou\, LORD\, set the prisoners free.\nYou\, LORD\, open the eyes of those who can’t see.\nYou\, LORD\, put the downtrodden back on their feet. \nYou\, LORD\, love those who do the right thing.\nYou\, LORD\, keep a caring eye on the asylum seekers.\nYou stick up for those who have no one else to stick up for them\,\nbut you make the schemes of the corrupt backfire on them. \nTake charge forever\, LORD\,\nrule from your sacred Mountain for all time.\nYou’re the best\, LORD. We’re with you all the way! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you alone are the blessed immortal sovereign\nwho dwells in unapproachable light. \nIn the shadow of your wing\,\nyou created the earth and gave life to all things.\nThrough Moses and the prophets you called us\nto take hold of the life that really is life. \nWhen our own harmful desires plunged us into destruction\,\nand we gazed across a great chasm\nhungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table\,\nyou sealed a promise that our homelands\nwould once again feed and clothe us.\nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ.\nto show us your power to save.\nAfter testifying to the truth before Pontius Pilate\,\nhe was killed\, but you raised him from the dead\,\nand now he seats us at your banquet table\,\nand richly provides us with everything for fullness of life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that when we were gazing across a great chasm\nhungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table\,\nyou sent your son\, Jesus Christ\, to seat us at your banquet table\nand richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you alone are the blessed immortal sovereign\nwho dwells in unapproachable light. \nIn the shadow of your wing\,\nyou created the earth and gave life to all things.\nThrough Moses and the prophets you called us\nto take hold of the life that really is life. \nWhen our own harmful desires plunged us into destruction\,\nand we gazed across a great chasm\nhungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table\,\nyou sealed a promise that our homelands\nwould once again feed and clothe us.\nYou sent your child\, Jesus Christ.\nto show us your power to save.\nAfter testifying to the truth before Pontius Pilate\,\nhe was killed\, but you raised him from the dead\,\nand now he seats us at your banquet table\,\nand richly provides us with everything for fullness of life. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Hear the words of Christ who is merciful:\n“I deliver all who cling to me\,\nanswer those who call me\,\nstand with those in trouble.\nThese I rescue and honour and show my power to save.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and take hold of the life that really is life.\nShun the eagerness for money\nbut be rich in good works.\nPursue righteousness\, godliness\,\nfaith\, love\, endurance and gentleness. \nAnd may God be your refuge and fortress;\nMay Christ Jesus free you from all that ensnares you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit provide you with everything\nfor godliness and contentment. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nPursuing the life that really is lifeA sermon on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nConflicting Visions of the FutureA sermon on 1 Timothy 6: 6-19; Jeremiah 32: 1-3a\, 6-15; & Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Message from HadesA sermon on Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDefying DespairA sermon on Jeremiah 32:1-3\, 6-15 & 1 Timothy 6: 6-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Chasm and the CrossA sermon on Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLocking or Opening GatesA sermon on Jeremiah 32: 1-3a\, 6-15 & Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp21/2031-09-28/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P21.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311005T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311005T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221024T005908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251102T000734Z UID:10002982-1948924800-1949011199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 22 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Lamentations 1: 1-6 \n \n\n \n \n \n What a sad and lonely sight the city has become\,\nwhere once it was teeming with people.\nOnce she was the toast of all the world.\nNow she is a has-been.\nShe was the queen of the nations.\nNow she sweeps up after them. \nShe sobs her heart out every night.\nBitter tears fall like rain.\nShe who could pick and choose her lovers\nnow can’t find a shoulder to cry on.\nFormer friends don’t want to know her.\nThey join her enemies to stick the boots in. \nJudah has been marched off into exile.\nNothing but grief and hard labour ahead.\nShe wanders like a refugee\nwith no place to call her home.\nIf she runs\, they hunt her down\,\nand make her fate even worse than before. \nAlong the Jerusalem Road everyone is ruined\,\nfor the festival crowds no longer pass that way.\nThe city gates are derelict.\nThe priests are in despair.\nThe young women live in fear.\nThe city lies raped and ransacked. \nHer enemies now rule the roost\,\nliving it up at her expense.\nThe LORD has abandoned her to her fate\nbecause her offences just went on and on.\nHer children have been carried off\nas prisoners in enemy hands. \nDaughter Zion is a wrung out rag\,\nall her life and beauty gone.\nHer brightest and best are like lost cattle\nstarving in the desert.\nThey fled for their lives\nand are now fainting from hunger and thirst. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Lamentations 3: 19-26 \n \n\n \n \n \n The reality I’m facing is like a bitter taste in my mouth.\nGrief and deprivation poison my mind. \nI can’t stop thinking about it over and over\,\nbut every thought makes me want to die. \nThe one thing that gives me hope\,\nthe one thing I keep reminding myself of is this: \nYour love and loyalty never die\, LORD.\nYour generous mercy never runs dry.\nThey are created new every morning\nand you are as trustworthy as the solid rock. \nSo I keep telling myself that you are all I need\nand that I can still trust you to come through for me. \nYou are good to those who hang in there for you\, LORD;\nto those whose hearts continue to search for you. \nThe life for which you save us\, LORD\,\nis worth patiently waiting for. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Psalm 137 \n \n\n \n \n \n In Babylon\, sitting on the banks of the river\,\nwe swapped stories of home\nand cried and cried and cried. \nUnable to sing\,\nwe packed away our instruments unplayed. \nThe guards made a joke of our misery\,\ntormenting us with insults\,\nand demanding that we entertain them\nwith songs from our homeland. \nBut how could we sing your songs\nin that godless place\, LORD? \nIf I ever forget your holy city\, LORD\,\nmay my arms be turned into twigs and burned. \nLORD\, if I do not remember Jerusalem\nand stand up for her no matter what\,\nmay I be strung up by my toes\nover a mosquito infested swamp. \nLORD\, do not forgive that rampaging army\nfor the way they destroyed your holy city;\nfor the way they shouted and cheered\nas it crumbled and fell. \nDamn those murdering mongrels to hell\, LORD.\nReward anyone who pays them back\nfor what they did to us! \nReward anyone who rounds up their children\nand kicks them to death! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n Dear Timothy. This letter comes to you from me\, Paul\, a special ambassador of Christ Jesus\, chosen by God to make it known that in Christ Jesus\, life has been promised to everyone. I greet you as my beloved son\, and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace and extravagant generosity. \nI am so grateful for being able to worship God the way my ancestors did\, and I am sure I am doing the right thing. I also feel incredibly grateful when I think of you\, as I do in my prayers\, both day and night. I remember our last tearful farewell\, and I am desperately looking forward to catching up with you again. It will make me so happy! I have fond memories of your very real and down-to-earth faith. That quality seems to run in your family: I first saw it in your grandmother Lois\, and then in your mother Eunice\, and now\, sure enough\, it is alive in you too. That is why I want to remind you to keep fuelling the fire of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on your head and prayed for you. After all\, God did not intend that we should be timid about our gifts. Instead\, God gave them to us to be used with courage\, love and self-discipline. \nSo then\, don’t be embarrassed about the stories of our Lord\, or about me being locked up for him. Trust God’s power to be there for you\, and join me in putting your life on the line for the message of God’s all-embracing love. \nGod rescued us from a living death\nand called us to live for God alone\nWe had not earned this;\nit was simply God’s plan\,\ncarried out with great generosity. \nEven before time began\,\nGod’s extravagant generosity was ready for us;\na gift prepared for us in Christ Jesus. \nNow it is out in the open\,\nlit up for all to see:\nChrist Jesus has appeared as our lifesaver\,\nwiping out death\nand announcing the fabulous message\nof a life that death cannot touch. \nI have been given the job of broadcasting this message; of being an ambassador for it\, and a teacher of it. The trouble I have been suffering comes as a consequence of the job\, but I have no regrets. I’d do it all again\, because I have entrusted myself to Christ and come to know him\, and I have every confidence in his ability to see me through to the day when everything will be completed. \nSo remember all I have taught you – it is solid and trustworthy\, and will guide you in living out the faith and love which are grounded in Christ Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us\, take good care of the wonderful gift that God has entrusted to you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 17: 5-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n Those who Jesus had chosen as his ambassadors approached him and said\, “Make our faith grow bigger!” \nBut the Lord replied\, “Faith is not something that is bigger or smaller. You only need faith the size of a poppy seed to be able to say to a huge tree\, ‘Go jump in the lake\,’ and it would obey you. \n“Think about this: If you employ someone to be you servant\, full-time\, you expect him to do what you pay him for\, don’t you? If he comes in from a day working your land or shearing your sheep\, you are not going to tell him to put his feet up while you run his bath and fix his dinner are you? Instead you will tell him to take his boots off\, fix your supper\, and wait on your table until your meal is over. After that\, you’ll let him knock off and fix his own meal. You don’t pin a medal on him for just doing what he’s paid for\, do you? \n“So remember that it is the same with you. When you have done what is required of you\, don’t go expecting anyone to put your name up in lights. Instead say\, ‘We are nothing special. We were just doing our job\,’ and leave it at that.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4 \n \n\n \n \n \n My name is Habakkuk and I am a prophet. I went to God seeking an explanation for the way things are. \nFor crying out loud\, LORD!\nHow long will it be before you listen?\nHow long do I have to scream blue murder\nbefore you come to the rescue? \nWhy do you make me witness so much evil?\nWhy am I forced to see such things?\nEverywhere I look: violence and carnage\,\nfighting and madness on every side. \nLaw and order are out the window.\nJustice is a joke.\nThe corrupt ride roughshod over decent people\,\nand twisted laws protect them as they do. \nSo what have you got to say\, LORD?\nI’m not budging from this spot until you answer.\nI’m going to stand right here\, all eyes and ears\,\nuntil you respond to my complaint. \nThen the LORD answered me\, saying: \nGet the vision down in writing\nin words that everyone can understand\,\nand get it to the publishers on the double. \nThe vision I have made known is still true.\nWhen the time is right\, what it speaks of will happen.\nIt may seem to be taking its time in coming\,\nbut hang in there. It will happen.\nYou can count on it. \nSome people won’t have a bar of it\nbecause they are all spineless fluff;\nbut those who are fair dinkum live by it\nwith enduring courage and integrity. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 37: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n Because of you\, LORD\, we don’t stress over corruption;\nwe don’t get jealous when crime seems to pay.\nThose who live off ill-gotten gains will have their day;\nthey’ll wither like cut flowers in a hot north wind. \nWe put our trust in you\, LORD\, and do what’s right.\nYou give us our own land\, and keep us safe and content.\nOur greatest delight comes from knowing you\, LORD\,\nand you delight in giving us what our hearts desire. \nWe have set our minds on following your ways\, LORD;\nour trust is in you\, and we know you’ll back us up.\nIt will be as clear as day that we made the right choice;\nyou’ll make it perfectly obvious that our cause was justified. \nWe wait in your presence\, LORD\,\nin stillness\, quietness\, patience.\nWe don’t waver when others profit from corruption;\nwe don’t regret our choice when others get away with murder. \nTrusting in you\, LORD\, we can let go of vengeful anger.\nWe can relax and not get sucked into taking the law\ninto our own hands.\nWe can trust you to kick out the crooks\, LORD\,\nand to hand the land over to those who staked their lives on you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nWe do indeed give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you saved us with a holy calling\nfor the sake of the life that is in Christ Jesus. \nBefore the ages began\, your grace was at work\,\nbringing all things into being according to your purpose.\nYou pledged your steadfast love to your people\,\nand even when they were in exile and suffering\nyour mercy was there new every morning. \nIn Christ Jesus you revealed the fullness of your grace\,\nand came among us sowing seeds of faith and love.\nWhen he was betrayed by his friends\nand killed by his enemies\,\nyou abolished death and raised him to life.\nThough we have done no more than we ought\,\nyou have honoured every seed of faith\,\nand with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us\,\nyou rekindle our gifts and empower us with love. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that though we have done no more than we ought\,\nyou have honoured every seed of faith\,\nand with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us\,\nyou rekindle our gifts and empower us with love. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you saved us with a holy calling\nfor the sake of the life that is in Christ Jesus. \nBefore the ages began\, your grace was at work\,\nbringing all things into being according to your purpose.\nYou pledged your steadfast love to your people\,\nand even when they were in exile and suffering\nyour mercy was there new every morning. \nIn Christ Jesus you revealed the fullness of your grace\,\nand came among us sowing seeds of faith and love.\nWhen he was betrayed by his friends\nand killed by his enemies\,\nyou abolished death and raised him to life.\nThough we have done no more than we ought\,\nyou have honoured every seed of faith\,\nand with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us\,\nyou rekindle our gifts and empower us with love. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Through Christ Jesus we are saved\,\nnot according to our works but by God’s purpose and grace\,\nfor the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.\nand the mercies of God never come to an end. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, relying on the power of God.\nGuard the good treasure God has entrusted to you\nand hold firm to the teaching of the apostles.\nRemember one another in your prayers\nand continue to offer yourselves for the gospel. \nAnd may God give you grace\, mercy and peace;\nMay Christ Jesus lead you into life and faith;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit live within you\nand rekindle good gifts within you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nFaith you can take for grantedA sermon on Luke 17:5-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Power of the BrokenA sermon on Lamentations 1.1-6\, 3.1-33; Psalm 137 & Luke 17.5-10 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nFor crying out loud\, Lord!A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nYou can’t earn itA sermon on Luke 17:5-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSpirits of Love and FearA sermon on 2 Timothy 1:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHead Smashing RageA sermon on Psalm 137 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Beauty of LamentA sermon on Lamentations 1.1-6\, 3.1-33 & Psalm 137 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp22/2031-10-05/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P22.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311012T080000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311012T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221030T234419Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251109T012030Z UID:10002984-1949558400-1949590800@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 29: 1\, 4-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n Nebuchadnezzar had taken most of the people from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles. It was addressed to what was left of their leaders\, priests and prophets\, and through them to all the people. This is what it said: \nThe LORD who rules over everything\, the God of Israel\, has sent you from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon and now gives you these instructions:\nSettle in for the long haul. Build houses and make yourselves at home. Plant gardens to provide you with food all year round. Continue normal family life – marry and have children\, and encourage your children to do the same. Don’t put off raising children in expectation of going home any time soon. Pray that the LORD will be good to Babylon and work hard for the wellbeing of the society you have been sent to live in. Your own interests are now bound up with the interests of this country. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 66: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n All the earth should shout joyfully to you\, God;\nsinging your praises;\ngiving you the glory you deserve. \nThe things you have done are awesome\, God!\nWhen you take action\,\nyour enemies cringe in fear. \nYou are worshipped all over the earth;\neverywhere people sing your praises\nand speak your name with honour. \nWe want to publicise everything you have done\, God\,\nfor what you have done among us is awesome. \nYou made a dry path through the middle of the sea;\nyou took us safely through the river on foot.\nThere on the other side\, we celebrated your goodness\nand declared you to be our mighty ruler forever.\nYour eyes are always open\, watching the nations;\nlet pretentious rebels be warned! \nIf only everyone would honour you\, God\,\nand fill the world with the sound of your praises.\nYou are the one who sustains our life\nand keeps our feet on the right track. \nYou\, God\, have examined us carefully;\ntested us to see what we were made of.\nYou drove us to our limits\nand weighed us down with burdens;\nyou let us be run into the ground;\nyou took us through the fires of hell\nand the depths of despair\nbut then finally into a wide and generous land. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n Keep this line fixed in your mind: \nJesus Christ\, a human being descended from David\,\nhas been raised from the dead. \nThat\, in a nutshell\, is the message I’ve been preaching all along. That is the message which has got me into so much trouble and even seen me locked up like a dangerous criminal. Fortunately though\, God’s message itself can never be locked up. I’m willing to put up with all this because I know it helps get the message through to the people God is calling\, so that they can get in on the life for which we are saved – the glorious life without limit grounded in Christ Jesus. Another saying to hang on to is this one: \nIf we have died with him\,\nwe will live with him;\nIf we tough it out to the end\,\nwe will reign with him;\nif we turn our backs on him\,\nhe will turn his back on us;\nbut no matter how unfaithful we are\,\nhe remains a hundred percent faithful\,\nbecause he can never stop being who he is. \nDon’t let anybody forget these things. With God as your witness\, warn them not to get hung up on arguments over mere words. Such arguments achieve nothing and just drag everyone down. Instead put your energies into the work God has given you – teaching the truth with integrity – and prove yourself to be a worker who can hold his head high in God’s presence. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 17: 11-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n On his way to Jerusalem\, Jesus was travelling through the region along the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he was entering a village there\, he was approached by ten people who were suffering from leprosy. They stood at a safe distance and called out to him as one\, saying\, “Jesus! Sir! Show compassion for us!” \nWhen he saw what they were suffering from\, Jesus said to them\, “Go and ask the priests to certify that you are ready to resume normal social contact.” \nThe ten headed off\, as instructed\, and while they were on their way\, their skin became clean and healthy. Realising that he was healed\, one of them turned around and went back to Jesus\, singing the praises of God at the top of his voice. He threw himself down at Jesus’s feet and couldn’t stop thanking him. And he was a Samaritan – a member of a despised minority group. \nThen Jesus spoke up\, saying\, “Weren’t there ten people who were cured? Where have the other nine got to? How come this outsider is the only one who has come back to express thanks to God?” \nThen he said to the man\, “It’s time to stand up and get on with your life. Putting your faith into practice has made you whole.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Kings 5: 1-3\, 9-15c \n \n\n \n \n \n The commander of the Syrian army was a man named Naaman. Naaman was very popular with his king\, because under his command\, the LORD had given Syria a string of military victories. Although he was a great soldier and a highly decorated commander\, Naaman suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl among her servants who had come to Syria as a prisoner of war after a military raid. One day the girl said to her mistress\, “If only your husband could meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. I’m sure he would cure him of his leprosy.” \nSo Naaman and his whole entourage travelled to Israel and pulled up in the street outside Elisha’s house. Elisha sent an errand boy out to Naaman with a message\, saying\, “Go down to the Jordan River and wash yourself in it seven times. That will cure you and your skin will be as clean and clear as a child’s.” \nNaaman felt deeply insulted and drove off in a huff\, saying\, “You’d think that for a man of my standing he could have come out and talked to me himself. I thought that he would at least stand and call on the LORD his God\, and wave his hand over my skin to bring about the cure! What’s so special about their scummy Israelite river? Aren’t the two great rivers of Damascus much bigger and better? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” \nSo he stormed off\, seething with rage. But his servants spoke up and said\, “Sir\, if the prophet had told you to do something really difficult\, you would have done it\, wouldn’t you? So surely you have got nothing to lose but your disease if you do what he said and wash yourself in the river.” \nSo Naaman relented and\, wading out into the Jordan River\, he immersed himself seven times in the water\, just as the prophet of God had instructed him. Sure enough\, he was cured instantly\, and his skin became as clear and healthy as a child’s. \nHe and his entourage immediately returned to Elisha. Standing before the prophet of God\, he declared\, “Now I know that there is no other God in all the world except the God of Israel.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 111 \n \n\n \n \n \n Wow! More power to you\, LORD!\nWe can’t thank you enough.\nWith all who stand for justice\nour hearts burst with gratitude. \nThe things you do are fantastic\, LORD\,\nand those who see and understand\nnever tire of exploring them. \nYour works are magnificent\, majestic\,\nand their integrity will never be eroded. \nYou have a reputation for doing amazing things\,\nand all of them generous and merciful. \nYou nourish those who honour you\nand you are always true to your word. \nYou have left your people in no doubt\nabout your power;\nyou have given them the whole world on a plate. \nEverything you put your hands to\nis faithful\, fair and trustworthy\,\nas is everything you say. \nWhat you say goes\, now and forever\,\nand no one can afford to ignore it. \nYou rescue your people and bring them home safe\,\nfor you have committed yourself to them\nfor all time. \nThe mere mention of your holy name\nmakes us go weak all over! \nWisdom is born when your awesome presence\nknocks us to our knees\nand those who never lose sight of that\nhave got their heads on straight. \nAwestruck\, we give you honour and respect for ever. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you rule forever in faithfulness\nand in you is salvation with eternal glory. \nWith awesome power you created the heavens and the earth\nand through water and fire you saved for yourself a people.\nEven when we were exiled throughout the earth\,\nyour Word\, which is never chained\,\ncalled us to settle wherever you placed us\nand to prayerfully seek the welfare of every land. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, your Word settled among us\,\nmeeting us in our brokenness and suffering\nand\, in mercy\, bringing healing and a way to wholeness.\nHe was chained like a criminal and crucified\,\nand when he died\, we died with him\,\nbut you raised him from the dead\nso that we might also live with him\,\nforever shouting the wonder of your deeds\nand singing the glory of your name. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that in Jesus Christ\nyour Word has settled among us\,\nmeeting us in our brokenness and suffering\nand in mercy\, bringing healing and a way to wholeness. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you rule forever in faithfulness\nand in you is salvation with eternal glory. \nWith awesome power you created the heavens and the earth\nand through water and fire you saved for yourself a people.\nEven when we were exiled throughout the earth\,\nyour Word\, which is never chained\,\ncalled us to settle wherever you placed us\nand to prayerfully seek the welfare of every land. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, your Word settled among us\,\nmeeting us in our brokenness and suffering\nand\, in mercy\, bringing healing and a way to wholeness.\nHe was chained like a criminal and crucified\,\nand when he died\, we died with him\,\nbut you raised him from the dead\nso that we might also live with him\,\nforever shouting the wonder of your deeds\nand singing the glory of your name. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus Christ remains faithful even if we are faithless.\nHe hears our cries for mercy and replies:\n“Get up and live\,\nyour faith has made you well.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, and live fruitfully where God has placed you.\nPray and strive for the welfare of those you live among\,\nand do your best to present yourselves to God\nas faithful workers with no need to be ashamed. \nAnd may God open the pathways before you;\nMay Christ Jesus cleanse you and make you whole;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit keep your spirits alive\nand your feet from stumbling. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHow Healed is Healed?A sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBecoming AbnormalA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nTo Be SureA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 & 2 Timothy 2:8-15 by Frank C Senn\n\n\n\nLiving the Life You’ve Been GivenA sermon on Jeremiah 29: 1\, 4-7 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Quest for a Place to Live WellA sermon on Jeremiah 29:1\, 4-7  by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe kingdom of God is among youA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Belinda Groves\n\n\n\nJesus vs our TribalismA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp23/2031-10-12/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P23.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311019T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311019T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221107T035741Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251116T043724Z UID:10002985-1950134400-1950220799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 24 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 31: 27-34 \n \n\n \n \n \n You can count on this\, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will replant the land of Israel and Judah and raise a new crop of people and animals. In the past I dedicated myself to wreaking havoc among them\, and crushing\, demolishing and devastating them. But soon I will dedicate myself to healing them\, and to rebuilding and giving life\, says the LORD. No longer will people repeat the old saying: \n“When the parents eat junk\,\nit is the children whose teeth rot.” \nIt will be clear that everyone will pay for their own sins. If it is you who eats the junk\, it will be your teeth that rot. \nYou can count on this\, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will once again take Israel and Judah as my marriage partner. Our marriage will not be like the marriage I entered with their ancestors. Back then I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of slavery and carried them across the threshold into a home of their own. But even though I was loving and faithful\, says the LORD\, they broke our marriage vows. \nBut listen to the new marriage vows I will soon make with the people of Israel\, says the LORD: \n“I will write my values into your hearts and minds.\nI will be your God\, and you will be my people.” \nNo longer will they need lessons to learn how I want them to live. They won’t need to spur each other on\, saying\, “Get to know the LORD\,” because all of them\, from all walks of life\, will know me well\, says the LORD. I will erase all record of their past wrongs and let them start over with a clean slate. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 119: 97-104 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD\, how I love your teachings!\nI keep them in my thoughts all day long. \nI’m able to stay a jump ahead of my enemies\nbecause your guidance is always with me. \nStudying your instructions has taught me far more\nthan I could ever learn from the best teachers. \nFollowing your rules to the letter\nhas given me more wisdom than old age brings. \nI steer clear of the paths of corruption\nso that I can stick to the track you have set. \nYou have taught me well\nand I won’t dodge any of your directions. \nYour words taste so sweet on my tongue\,\nthey are like strawberries and cream! \nYour commands have given me great understanding\nand made me allergic to lies and corruption! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 \n \n\n \n \n \n Timothy\, stick to the trusted tracks you have been taught to follow and have found to be true. You know your teachers and you know you can trust them. Ever since you were a little fella\, you have had a good grasp of the sacred scriptures. From them you can learn what is needed to gain the life for which we are saved through trusting in Christ Jesus. All scripture is alive with the life-force of God and can be usefully employed in many ways: teaching people; exposing lies and bullshit; getting people back on track; and training people in how to live right. In these ways\, the scriptures help prepare and equip God’s people for their life-giving work. \nDon’t underestimate the importance of your work. God is watching everything you do. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge its value\, as he will for everyone\, past and present. He will appear and bring everything under his rule. In light of all this\, I am spelling out your job description once again and urging you to give it everything you’ve got: \n• preach God’s message;\n• stick at it\, when it seems to be going well and when it doesn’t;\n• teach clearly and persuasively;\n• set people straight when they need it;\n• be encouraging. \nYou will need tonnes of patience as you do all this\, because there will be times when people will not be able to stomach solid truths. Instead they will start collecting gurus who will pander to their weaknesses and sell them whatever they are itching to hear. They will block their ears to the truth and swallow fantasies. But as for you\, keep your wits about you at all times. When hostility comes\, take it on the chin. Work hard at spreading the message. God has given you this work – carry it out to the max. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 18: 1-8 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus told a story to encourage people to be persistent in prayer and never lose heart. He said\, “Once upon a time there was a town magistrate who took no notice of God and had no respect for anyone. There was a widowed woman in the town who had very little in the way of resources or influence\, but who kept contacting the magistrate and demanding that he take action to protect her rights in a dispute with a powerful opponent. For a while he just kept brushing her off\, but eventually he said to himself\, ‘I couldn’t care less what happens to this woman\, and all her talk of God’s justice means nothing to me; but I’m going to give her what she wants because I’m sick to death of her nagging and I just want to get her off my back.’” \nAnd the Lord commented on his story\, saying\, “Do you get the point of what the callous magistrate is saying? If he can be pressured into acting for justice\, can’t you see how much more certain it is that God will bring about justice for those who have dedicated themselves to God and cry out for help night and day. Will God brush them off and ignore their pleas? You can take it from me: God will waste no time in bringing about justice for them. And yet\, will the New Human find much of that sort of persistent faith on earth when he makes his entrance?” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Genesis 32: 22-31 \n \n\n \n \n \n As he returned from his self-imposed exile\, Jacob set up camp for a night at the place where the road crossed the Jabbok Creek. During the night\, he got up and decided that it would be safer to shift everyone across to the other side of the creek. So he sent his two wives\, his two maids\, his eleven children\, and all their belongings across the creek while he stayed on alone at the original campsite. There in the darkness\, he suddenly found himself wrestling with a stranger. The fight continued until the first light of dawn. Unable to subdue Jacob\, the stranger swung a low blow that caught Jacob off-guard and dislocated his hip. Still Jacob would not give up\, and the stranger said\, “Call it quits! The sun is coming up and you’ve got a big day ahead of you\, so let me go.” \nBut Jacob replied\, “I will not release my grip until you give me a blessing.” \nSo the stranger said\, “What is your name?” \n“Jacob\,” he replied. \n“Not any more\,” the stranger said. “From now on you will be known as Israel\, because you have struggled against God and against people and you have held your own.” \nThen Jacob said to the stranger\, “Please tell me your name.” \n“Do you really need to ask who I am?” the stranger replied\, and then gave Jacob a blessing. \nAs the stranger departed\, Jacob said to himself\, “I have come face to face with God and survived to tell the tale!” So he named that place ‘Peniel’ which means ‘face of God’. The sun was fully risen as he left Peniel\, walking with a painful limp because of his dislocated hip. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 121 \n \n\n \n \n \n If we look to the mountains\,\nwill we find security there? \nNo\, our security comes from you alone\,\nthe LORD\, the maker of earth and sky. \nYou are on the alert\, twenty four hours a day\,\nmaking sure that we don’t lose our footing. \nYou never slack off or take a nap\,\nbut constantly guard your people. \nYou keep us safe\, LORD\,\nyou are always at our side to shield us. \nWhile the sun shines\, nothing can harm us;\nthe moon comes up\, but still we are safe. \nYou stand between us and all evil\, LORD;\nyou keep our lives clear of danger. \nWhether we are coming or going\,\nyou look after us\, LORD;\nyou always have and always will. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your promises are sweeter than honey\nand you bring justice to your people. \nYou created the earth\,\nand raised humans and animals upon it.\nYou led your people by the hand out of slavery\nand yet still they broke your covenant\nand turned away from listening to the truth. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, you came to us again\,\noffering a new covenant\, written on our hearts\,\nso that you might be our God\,\nand we might know you\,\nfrom the least to the greatest.\nWhen he was killed\,\nyou raised him to new life\,\nand through him\, you inspired sacred writings\nto bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ\nand to equip us for every good work\,\nas with persistent prayer\nwe seek to build your justice\nand plant your faithfulness on the earth. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for your sacred writings\nthat lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ\nand to equip us for every good work\nas with persistent prayer\nwe seek to build your justice\nand plant your faithfulness on the earth. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your promises are sweeter than honey\nand you bring justice to your people. \nYou created the earth\,\nand raised humans and animals upon it.\nYou led your people by the hand out of slavery\nand yet still they broke your covenant\nand turned away from listening to the truth. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, you came to us again\,\noffering a new covenant\, written on our hearts\,\nso that you might be our God\,\nand we might know you\,\nfrom the least to the greatest.\nWhen he was killed\,\nyou raised him to new life\,\nand through him\, you inspired sacred writings\nto bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ\nand to equip us for every good work\,\nas with persistent prayer\nwe seek to build your justice\nand plant your faithfulness on the earth. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n The Lord comes to us with a new covenant\, saying:\n“I will write my law on your hearts;\nI will forgive your wrongdoing\nand remember your sins no more.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and continue in what you have learned and believed.\nPray always\, and do not lose heart.\nProclaim God’s message;\nendure hostility;\ncarry out your ministry fully. \nAnd may God be quick to answer your prayers;\nMay Christ Jesus inspire faith within you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit tutor your hearts and\nequip you for every good work. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhen God tries againA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Puzzle of GraceA sermon on Luke 18:1-8 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Work of an EvangelistA sermon on 2 Timothy 4: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSacred Writings and Itchy EarsA sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat use is the Bible?A sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14-17 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nIn the MeantimeA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 27-34; 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Luke 18: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp24/2031-10-19/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P24.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311026T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311026T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221114T005120Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251123T041217Z UID:10002986-1950739200-1950825599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 25 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Joel 2: 23-32 \n \n\n \n \n \n Shout for joy\, you who call the holy city home.\nCelebrate the goodness of the LORD your God.\nThe LORD has done the right thing by you\,\nsending you good rains\, just like in the old days;\nautumn and spring rains right on cue. \nYour silos will bulge with grain.\nYour vats will overflow with wine and olive oil. \nI\, the LORD your God\, will make up for the bad years;\nfor the seasons when locusts destroyed everything in sight.\nI sent them like an invading army\,\nswarming over your land\,\nstripping your crops bare. \nBut now you will have more than you can eat\,\nand will gladly give credit to me\, the LORD your God.\nI have done amazing things for you.\nYou will never be humiliated again. \nYou\, my people\, will know that I am among you\,\nand that I\, the LORD\, am your one and only God.\nYou are my people\,\nand you will never be humiliated again. \nThen\, after that\, I will do even more:\nI will pour out my Spirit on everyone.\nYour sons and your daughters will speak as prophets.\nThe elderly among you will dream dreams\,\nand the young will see visions. \nIn those days\, I will even pour out my Spirit\nupon men and women whose rights no one cares about. \nI will perform miraculous signs in the sky and on the earth\,\nblood\, and fire\, and clouds of smoke. \nThe sun will go black and the moon blood-red\nbefore the dawning\nof my awesome and glorious day. \nAnd everyone who cries out to me will be rescued\,\nfor there will be survivors on my holy mountain\nand in my holy city.\nI\, the LORD\, have promised this\,\nand among the survivors will be the people I have called. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 65 \n \n\n \n \n \n You deserve all the credit we can give you\, O God.\nWe will gather on your holy mountain\nand make good on all we have promised you. \nYou are the one who answers prayers\nand everyone on earth will turn to you.\nWhen we are weighed down by our guilt\,\nyou wipe away the record of our wrongs. \nWhat a privilege it is to be among your chosen ones;\nto be invited to live in your presence.\nEverything we could want is provided\nhere in your sacred temple. \nYou take action in awesome ways\, O God;\nyou step in and rescue us when we call.\nYou are the answer to the hopes of people everywhere\,\nin every land and across the seas. \nYou rolled up your sleeves\nand lifted the mountains into place.\nYou tamed the angry seas\,\nsilencing both roaring waves\nand frenzied crowds. \nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone is mind-boggled by what you do.\nDawn and sunset join their voices\nas all the earth shouts for joy. \nYou tend the earth like a garden\,\nenriching the soil and keeping it watered.\nYour rivers never run dry\, God\,\nand the fields you have plowed\nyield a bumper harvest to feed your people. \nYou level the uneven ground\nand nourish the soil;\nyou water it with softening showers\nand set the seeds growing and flourishing. \nThe year is crowned with a bumper harvest\nand everything you touch is bursting with life. \nWilderness fields erupt in flower\,\nmountains and hills pour forth joy;\npaddocks are clothed with healthy flocks\,\nbarren land is ablaze with golden grain. \nAll of them shout for joy;\nall the earth breaks into song. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Timothy 4: 6-8\, 16-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n Timothy\, I am passing the baton on to you now. My time is up. The last few drops of my life are being poured out as a final offering to God. I have given my best in the struggle. I have run the full course that was set before me. I have kept the faith\, no matter how tough the going got. The event has been judged by the Lord\, who always gets it right\, and all that lies ahead of me now is the medal ceremony. On that day\, the Lord will hang the medal around my neck to show that I have made the grade. And there on the podium\, receiving their medals alongside me\, will be everyone else who has eagerly awaited the Lord’s arrival. \nAt my first committal hearing\, there was no one taking my side. Everyone bolted and left me in the lurch. God forgive them! The Lord was there for me though\, standing along side me and giving me strength. That made it possible for me to get the message out; to broadcast it in full for those who had never heard it before. Then\, and countless times since\, the Lord rescued me from the midst of the circling sharks so that I might safely enter the kingdom of heaven. \nAll the glory belongs to the Lord!\nAlways has\, always will!\nAnd so say all of us! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 18: 9-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus told a story to some people who held a very high opinion of their own moral character and a very low opinion of everybody else. He said\, “Two men went into the place of worship to pray. One of them was a member of the devoutly religious Pharisee party\, while the other was working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces and so was despised as a traitor. The religious man struck a pose in full view of everybody and prayed out loud\, saying\, ‘God\, I give you thanks that I am not dishonest\, corrupt or perverted like other people. I especially thank you that I am not like that traitor over there. I fast religiously twice a week\, and donate ten percent of all my income to you.’ \n“Meanwhile the traitor fell to his knees in a quiet corner and\, with his face buried in his hands\, prayed\, ‘God\, I know that I have failed you. Please have mercy on me!’” \n“You can take it from me\,” said Jesus\, “that it was this second man rather than the other who was in the good books with God when he headed for home. The fact is that those who big-note themselves will end up with egg all over their faces\, while those who remain down to earth and presume nothing will be promoted by God.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Sirach 35: 12-17 \n \n\n \n \n \n The Lord God has shown enormous generosity to you\,\nso be as generous as you can in your offerings to God. \nInvest in the Lord and the returns are guaranteed.\nWhatever you give\, you’ll get back many times over. \nBut don’t ever try to buy God’s favour.\nThe Lord will never accept a bribe or a kick-back. \nThe Lord hands down justice with a perfectly even hand\,\njudging each case fairly and never playing favourites. \nGod is no bleeding heart who always believes the poor\,\nbut anyone who has been wronged will have their case heard. \nThe Lord will never dismiss anyone without a fair hearing.\nEven the most down and out\n– those with no rights\, no family\, and no influence –\nwill have their grievances heard by God. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Jeremiah 14: 7-10\, 19-22 \n \n\n \n \n \n Take on our case\, LORD\,\neven though we are as guilty as hell.\nDefend us for the sake of your own reputation\,\neven though we have a long record of treachery\nand we have done the wrong thing by you. \nYou are known as the hope of our nation\,\nas the one who always saves us.\nDon’t let yourself be seen as a mere blow-in in your own land;\nas an outside observer\, watching on\, but uninvolved. \nWhy should you be seen as a toothless tiger\,\nas an armed soldier who doesn’t know which side he’s on?\nCome on\, LORD\, you have made your base here.\nEveryone associates your name with us.\nDon’t give up on us now! \nWhat you have said about us is all true\, LORD;\nthat we are unfaithful;\nthat we have itchy feet and are always going astray.\nYou have said that you are sick of the sight of us\,\nand that you will not overlook our offences\nor hold back on punishing us as we deserve. \nHave you written us off completely\, LORD?\nDo you now hate and despise us?\nSurely you would never knock us down\nand leave us with no chance to get back on our feet?\nWe look for peace\, but we look in vain.\nWe wait for healing and rebuilding\,\nbut all we hear are threats of terror. \nWe have confessed our crimes\, LORD.\nWe did do the wrong thing by you\,\nand we continued the atrocities of our ancestors. \nDon’t give up on us\, LORD.\nYour reputation is at stake here.\nDon’t give yourself and your authority a bad name\nby breaking the alliance you made with us. \nHow useless are the things other nations put their trust in!\nCan their idols bring even a drop of rain?\nAren’t you the one in charge\, O LORD our God?\nYou are our only hope!\nYou are the one who makes things happen! \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 84: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n The place where you live is just exquisite\,\nO LORD\, ruler of all!\nWith everything inside me\, I long to be there;\nI go all weak at the very thought of it.\nI want to be there\, body and soul\,\nsinging my heart out for you\, O God of life. \nEven the birds find a home in your house;\nthere are nests in every nook and cranny\nwhere pigeons and sparrows raise their young.\nBird song and incense rise together\nto honour you\, Sovereign God\, ruler of all.\nHow privileged are those who live in your house;\njoyous songs of praise are forever on their lips. \nThose who have tapped into your strength\nhave got it made.\nThe highway to heaven begins within them;\na direct route to your holy presence. \nThey are like people who can find water in the desert;\nthey drink from life giving springs\nthat no drought can ever dry up.\nThey go from strength to strength\,\nand will see you face to face on your holy mountain. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have dealt wondrously with us\nand saved us for your heavenly kingdom. \nWith awesome power you created the earth\nand everything you touch comes alive;\ngrain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.\nYou called a people to be your own\nand you filled them with the plenty of your house. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, your son and our brother\,\nyou proclaimed the vindication\nof those who humbled themselves\,\ncasting themselves on your mercy\nand looking to you for strength to run the race.\nWhen he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand gave him the crown of righteousness.\nThrough him\, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh\nand your people bring forth a wonderful harvest\nof visions\, prophesies\, and songs of praise. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that you vindicate those who humble themselves\,\nand that you now pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh\nbringing forth in your people a wonderful harvest\nof visions\, prophesies\, and songs of praise. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have dealt wondrously with us\nand saved us for your heavenly kingdom. \nWith awesome power you created the earth\nand everything you touch comes alive;\ngrain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.\nYou called a people to be your own\nand you filled them with the plenty of your house. \nIn Jesus the Christ\, your son and our brother\,\nyou proclaimed the vindication\nof those who humbled themselves\,\ncasting themselves on your mercy\nand looking to you for strength to run the race.\nWhen he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand gave him the crown of righteousness.\nThrough him\, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh\nand your people bring forth a wonderful harvest\nof visions\, prophesies\, and songs of praise. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved\,\nfor Christ has promised\nthat those who humble themselves\nand cry out to the Lord for mercy\nwill be justified. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, rejoicing in the Lord your God.\nFight the good fight;\nfinish the race;\nkeep the faith. \nAnd may God rescue you from every evil attack;\nMay Christ Jesus reserve for you the crown of righteousness;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit flood you with grace\nand overflow in you with visions and dreams of glory. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nSelf-Esteem for SinnersA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWounded by GodA sermon on Joel 2. 23-32 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nThe Pharisee\, the Tax Collector and JoelA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 & Joel 2: 23-32 by Ian Cook\n\n\n\nStand Out RighteousnessA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCompetitive Entry ScoreA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThank God I am not like other peopleA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp25/2031-10-26/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P25.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311102T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311102T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221121T044602Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251130T090726Z UID:10002987-1951344000-1951430399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 26 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4 \n \n\n \n \n \n My name is Habakkuk and I am a prophet. I went to God seeking an explanation for the way things are. \nFor crying out loud\, LORD!\nHow long will it be before you listen?\nHow long do I have to scream blue murder\nbefore you come to the rescue? \nWhy do you make me witness so much evil?\nWhy am I forced to see such things?\nEverywhere I look: violence and carnage\,\nfighting and madness on every side. \nLaw and order are out the window.\nJustice is a joke.\nThe corrupt ride roughshod over decent people\,\nand twisted laws protect them as they do. \nSo what have you got to say\, LORD?\nI’m not budging from this spot until you answer.\nI’m going to stand right here\, all eyes and ears\,\nuntil you respond to my complaint. \nThen the LORD answered me\, saying: \nGet the vision down in writing\nin words that everyone can understand\,\nand get it to the publishers on the double. \nThe vision I have made known is still true.\nWhen the time is right\, what it speaks of will happen.\nIt may seem to be taking its time in coming\,\nbut hang in there. It will happen.\nYou can count on it. \nSome people won’t have a bar of it\nbecause they are all spineless fluff;\nbut those who are fair dinkum live by it\nwith enduring courage and integrity. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 119: 137-144 \n \n\n \n \n \n You always do the right thing\, LORD\,\nand your judgments are spot on.  \nYou have set out your instructions for us\,\nmarking the way of honesty and integrity. \nWhen I see opponents ignoring your teachings\,\nI get so angry I could explode. \nYour promises have tested true over and over\nand I will cherish your every word as I serve you. \nI might be a nothing\, a no one\,\nbut I know how to stick to your ways. \nYour commitment to what’s right never ends\nand your law is the essence of truth. \nTough times have come to torment me\,\nbut your teachings still put a smile on my face. \nYour directions are the ultimate in justice;\nthey show me the way to fullness of life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4\, 11-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n To the church in Thessalonica; a people who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus\, the Messiah. \nThis letter comes to you from the three of us: Paul\, Silvanus\, and Timothy. \nWe greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace given through the Lord Jesus the Messiah. \nSisters and brothers\, we are constantly expressing our thanks to God for you. How could we not?! Your faith is growing in leaps and bounds\, and your love for each other continues to expand and deepen. We have even found ourselves boasting about you when we’ve been visiting God’s people in other churches. We go on and on about how your commitment and faith have remained rock-solid\, despite the campaign of vilification and abuse you have had to endure. \nThrough these tough times we continue to pray that God will enable you to live up to your calling. We pray too that God will be at work among you\, to make sure that every goal you set yourselves in faith and integrity is achieved. In that way\, your lives will be putting the name of our Lord Jesus up in lights. In your union with him\, you will also be sharing the glory because in extravagant generosity\, our God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah always share the glory. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 19: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n The road Jesus was on took him through the town of Jericho. There was a man named Zacchaeus there who was despised as a traitor\, because he had made his fortune working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces. He was eager to lay eyes on Jesus\, but so was everyone else and he couldn’t see past the crowd because he was too short. So he nicked up the street a bit and climbed a tree in order to get a good view when Jesus came past. When Jesus got to that point on the road\, he looked up and called out to him\, “Zacchaeus\, come on down. I need you to put me up at your place for the night.”
    Zacchaeus nearly fell out of his tree in his eagerness to welcome Jesus into his home. The onlookers\, though\, were outraged\, and they began to grumble. “This Jesus has lost the plot. He’s gone home with the scum of the earth.” \nZacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus\, “I’m turning over a new leaf\, Lord. I am giving half of everything I own to the poor\, and anybody I have ripped off\, I am repaying four times over.” \nIn reply\, Jesus announced\, “God’s new life has broken out in this house today. Just like his ancestor Abraham\, this man is one of God’s chosen ones. You see\, the New Human has come to search for the lost and rescue them.” \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 1: 10-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n During the reigns of Uzziah\, Jotham\, Ahaz\, and Hezekiah as kings of Judah\, the LORD spoke through Isaiah\, the son of Amoz. This is a message Isaiah was given about Judah and Jerusalem. \nListen to what I say\, for I am the LORD.\nYou rulers are no better than the rulers of Sodom!\nYou people are no better than the people of Gomorrah!\nSo take note of what I have to say. \nWhat do I care for all your sacrifices?\nI have had a gutful of them.\nIf I see one more burnt offering\n– be it a ram or a grain-fed calf –\nI think I’m going to puke.\nI can’t stand all this blood you keep offering\nfrom slaughtered bulls\, lambs and goats. \nWhat on earth makes you think\nthat this is the way to please me?\nGet out of my temple and stay out.\nYour gifts are wasted.\nYour incense is nothing but a smokescreen.\nI can’t stand all your sacred days and special gatherings;\nyour pomp and ceremony doesn’t hide your evil ways. \nYou can fill your calendar with special events\nto celebrate this\, that and the other thing\,\nbut I despise them deep in my guts.\nThey have drained my patience;\nI can’t put up with even one more. \nYou can raise your hands to me in prayer\,\nbut I’ll look away;\nYou can pray till you’re blue in the face\nbut I’ll block my ears.\nAll I see on your hands is blood;\nall I hear in your prayers is excuses. \nClean up your act;\nscrub yourselves clean\, inside and out;\ndon’t let me see any more corruption from you.\nQuit your evil\,\nlearn to do the right thing;\nmake justice your goal\,\nprevent the use and abuse of people;\nstand up for the vulnerable\,\ntake sides with the forgotten. \nCome on\, let’s sort this out.\nI am the LORD. Listen to me.\nYour sins are as red as scarlet\,\nbut they will be white as snow;\nthey are crimson like blood\,\nbut they will be like fresh-cut wool. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 32: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n What a blessing it is to be among those you have forgiven\, LORD\,\nthose whose record of wrongdoing you have wiped clean. \nPeople who are honest about their lives\nhave everything going for them;\nthey never have to cover their tracks\nor worry that they’ll be in your bad books. \nI used to keep my sins to myself\, LORD\,\nbut they poisoned me from within;\nwasting my body\,\ntormenting my mind. \nDay and night I felt your eyes following me;\nI lived in fear that you’d see right through me.\nThe joy of living evaporated\nin the burning heat of my guilt. \nThen I decided to come clean with you\, LORD\,\nto own up to all I’d done and stop living a lie.\nI made a full confession to you\, LORD\,\nand you gave me a full pardon\, forgiving all my sin. \nNow\, like all your faithful people\, LORD\,\nI am always ready to open myself to you in prayer.\nWhen trouble breaks its banks\,\nyour faithful ones are on safe ground. \nYou are like a bomb shelter for us\, LORD;\nyou protect us from danger.\nThanks to you\, LORD\, we can still laugh;\nwe can dance around singing songs of freedom. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor through you\, our faith is growing abundantly\nand our love for one another is increasing. \nAll that exists was established by your decree\,\nand even when wickedness has surrounded your people\nyour vision held firm for the appointed time\nand your righteous people lived by their faith. \nIn Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have come to seek out and save the lost.\nWhen those stunted by sin were drawn to him\nhe offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.\nThrough your power\nhe is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.\nWhen he was killed in a perversion of justice\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand now you are glorifying him in us\,\nand us in him\,\nand through your grace\nyou are establishing your eternal justice\nin the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for coming in Jesus Christ\nat the appointed time\,\nto seek out and save the lost\nand to fulfil every good resolve and work of faith. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor through you\, our faith is growing abundantly\nand our love for one another is increasing. \nAll that exists was established by your decree\,\nand even when wickedness has surrounded your people\nyour vision held firm for the appointed time\nand your righteous people lived by their faith. \nIn Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have come to seek out and save the lost.\nWhen those stunted by sin were drawn to him\nhe offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.\nThrough your power\nhe is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.\nWhen he was killed in a perversion of justice\,\nyou raised him from the dead\,\nand now you are glorifying him in us\,\nand us in him\,\nand through your grace\nyou are establishing your eternal justice\nin the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Christ came to seek out and to save the lost\nand by grace he makes us worthy of his call.\nMade righteous in him by faith\, we will live. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and live by faith.\nPatiently trust in God’s promised future;\nlive by God’s teachings\,\nand let your love for one another increase. \nAnd may God give you grace and peace;\nMay Christ Jesus make you worthy of his call;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit fulfil in you\nevery good resolve and work of faith. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nFor crying out loud\, Lord!A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGood News for the RichA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrowing in Faith and LoveA sermon on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4\, 11-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSalvation Comes CallingA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Problem of Being LittleA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Ian Cook\n\n\n\nThe Scandal of the Scared Little Rich GuyA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Just Shall Live By FaithA sermon on Habakkuk 2:4 by Geoff Leslie URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp26/2031-11-02/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P26.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311109T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311109T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221128T021744Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251207T094836Z UID:10002988-1951948800-1952035199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 27 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Haggai 1:15b - 2:9 \n \n\n \n \n \n On the twenty-first day of the seventh month\, during the second year of the reign of Darius as king of Persia\, the LORD sent the prophet Haggai with a message for the remaining people in Judah\, and especially for their governor\, Zerubbabel\, and their high priest\, Joshua. This is what the message said: \nHow many of you can remember what this temple was like when it stood here in all its glory? How does what you see here now compare? Pathetic\, isn’t it? It needn’t stay that way though. \nFire up\, Zerubbabel\, and get to work. \nFire up\, Joshua. You are the high priest. Get to work. \nFire up\, all you people of the land\, and get to work. \nGet to work\, because I\, the LORD who rules over everything\, will be with you\, just as I promised I would be when you escaped from the land of slavery. My life-breath is among you and within you\, so you have nothing to fear. \nI\, the LORD who rules over everything\, promise you this. Very soon I will again shake up the earth and sky\, the oceans and the dry land. I will turn the nations upside down and shake out their treasures so that this temple will be full of splendour. All the world’s silver and all the world’s gold belong to me\, the LORD who rules over everything. This temple is going to end up more spectacular than it ever was. From this place I will enrich all people. I\, the LORD who rules over everything\, have given my word. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 145: 1-5\, 17-21 \n \n\n \n \n \n We will declare you to be the greatest\, God our king\,\nand put your name up in lights forever. \nEvery day\, without fail\, we will sing your praises\,\nwe will honour your name now and forever. \nYou are wonderful\, LORD; you deserve the highest praise\,\nand your greatness is more than we can comprehend. \nEach generation tells the next what you have done\,\nand speaks with awe about your accomplishments. \nWe will fill our minds with your splendour and glory\,\nand with the stories of your amazing exploits. \nJustice marks everything you do\, LORD\,\nand generous love colours your every deed. \nWhen honest hearts cry out to you\, LORD\,\nyou are right there alongside them. \nYou satisfy the desires of those who respect you;\nyou hear their cries and rescue them from death. \nYou watch out for those who love you\, LORD\,\nand wipe out corruption when it threatens. \nYour praises will be always on our lips\, LORD\,\nand with all who live\,\nwe will single out your name for the highest honour\nforever and ever. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Psalm 98 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music.\nWith a brass fanfare and a dancing beat\nwe loudly celebrate your reign over us. \nThe whole creation joins in the celebration:\nthe ocean and its creatures roar their approval;\nthe land and its animals\, cheer and stomp;\nrivers and lakes give a standing ovation\,\nmountains and hills erupt in applause. \nWe put on the whole show in your presence\, LORD\,\ncelebrating your arrival as you finally bring justice.\nWith you in charge we know things will be put right;\nnow every one on earth will get a fair go. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5\, 13-17 \n \n\n \n \n \n Sisters and brothers\, on the subject of the day our Lord Jesus Christ finally comes and we are gathered together to be with him\, let me speak as plainly as I can. Whatever you do\, don’t go getting all jumpy about this. Don’t start flipping out because someone says that the day of the Lord has already been and gone; even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision or heard it from some authority\, or even read it in a letter from us. There are plenty of hoaxes and con-jobs about these things. Don’t fall for them. \nThere are some things that have to happen before that day comes. There will be a great turning against God\, and the appearance of the one who is a law unto himself. He personifies all that is destined for hell. Arrogant and charismatic\, he will set himself up in opposition to all other religions and faiths\, and demand that everyone give their ultimate allegiance and devotion to him alone. He will claim the place of God and promote himself as the supreme being. You remember these things\, don’t you? I explained them all to you when I was still there with you. \nYou are greatly loved by God\, sisters and brothers\, and we can’t stop thanking God for you. From the very beginning\, God chose you and set out to save you. Through our preaching of the message\, God called you and you accepted the truth. Your trust enabled God’s Spirit to begin the reconstruction of your lives that will prepare you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then\, sisters and brothers\, anchor yourselves firmly to the truth. Hang on tight to the traditions we taught you\, both in person and in our letter. \nNow may Jesus Christ and God who conceived us in love and in extravagant generosity gave us gifts of encouragement and hope which never end\, give you real guts and strength in all you do and say for the cause of good. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 20: 27-38 \n \n\n \n \n \n The Saducees were a religious group whose teachings denied the belief that God will raise the dead to life. Some of their members approached Jesus with a question: \n“Teacher\, Moses left instructions about the family responsibilities of a man whose brother dies leaving a wife but no children. The man is to marry his brother’s widow and their first child will be counted as the offspring of his brother. Now give us your opinion about this case. The first of seven brothers married a woman\, but he died childless. The second brother fulfilled his responsibility to marry her\, but he also died childless. The same thing kept happening until all seven brothers were dead and still there was no child. Finally\, the woman also died. Now you say that the dead will be raised to life. If so\, whose wife will she be then since all seven had been married to her?” \nJesus answered their question\, saying: \n“Here and now\, people make a big deal about pairing up and starting families. But for those who are accepted into the life that lies beyond death\, such things will be superfluous. They will no more start families again than die again\, because they will be gathered into the great family of God and have no need of anything more. And if you really want to know whether the dead are raised to life\, you can take the word of Moses for it. In his account of the burning bush\, he addressed the Lord as the God of Abraham\, the God of Isaac\, and the God of Jacob. Obviously he does not mean that God is the God of corpses. Moses knew that to God\, all of them were alive\, for God is the God of the living.” \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Job 19: 23-27a \n \n\n \n \n \n If only my words of protest could outlive me! \nIf only they could be published somewhere;\nengraved on a plaque in a public place\,\nor chiselled in giant letters on the rock! \nI know that I have a guardian somewhere\nwho will stand up for me in the end and prove my innocence;\nalbeit when I’m rotting in my grave. \nBut I would see God now\, before I die.\nI would look God in the eye myself\,\nrather than have another stand on my behalf. \nI knot up inside just thinking about it! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 17: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n Give me a fair hearing\, LORD;\npay attention to my plea.\nListen to what I have to say\,\nfor I speak without a word of a lie. \nI want you to be the one who declares me innocent\,\nfor you always see things as they really are. \nPut me under the microscope and see what I’m made of;\nmake a snap inspection anytime\, day or night.\nCross examine me as thoroughly as you wish;\nthere are no skeletons in my closet;\nI’ve got nothing to hide\nand no tracks to cover. \nI don’t just conform to what others do\, LORD;\nI take my cues from what you’ve said.\nI have avoided straying down the path of violence\,\nand kept my feet firmly on the tracks you’ve shown. \nI am calling to you\, God\,\nbecause I know you will help.\nTune in to what I have to say\nand hear me out. \nPut your rock-solid love on display for all to see.\nYou are the one who rescues and shelters\nthose who seek asylum from violent persecution. \nTreasure me and keep me safe;\ntuck me safely under your wings;\nhide me from those who are out to get me\,\nfrom the predators who hunt me down. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you chose us as the first fruits for salvation\nto share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nIn the first of your wonderful deeds\nyou created the heavens and earth\, sea and land\,\nand every age proclaims your love and justice.\nWhen your people faced ruin and discouragement\,\nyour prophets spoke your word of promise\nand the splendour of your worship was revived. \nThrough your Son and our Lord\, Jesus Christ\,\nyour good news was proclaimed\nand we were called from death to life.\nWhen he was killed by those who oppose you\,\nyou raised him to new life and through him\,\nyou are making us children of the resurrection\nand sanctifying us by your Spirit\nso that when he comes again\nwe might all be gathered together to him\,\nnever to die again. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for choosing us in Jesus Christ\nas the first fruits for salvation\,\nmaking us children of the resurrection\nso that we might all be gathered together to him\,\nnever to die again. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you chose us as the first fruits for salvation\nto share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nIn the first of your wonderful deeds\nyou created the heavens and earth\, sea and land\,\nand every age proclaims your love and justice.\nWhen your people faced ruin and discouragement\,\nyour prophets spoke your word of promise\nand the splendour of your worship was revived. \nThrough your Son and our Lord\, Jesus Christ\,\nyour good news was proclaimed\nand we were called from death to life.\nWhen he was killed by those who oppose you\,\nyou raised him to new life and through him\,\nyou are making us children of the resurrection\nand sanctifying us by your Spirit\nso that when he comes again\nwe might all be gathered together to him\,\nnever to die again. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n The Lord is near to all who call\,\nall who cry out from their hearts.\nGod hears their cry and saves them. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now with courage\, for God is with you.\nDo not let anyone deceive you\nbut hold fast to the traditions of the Apostles\nand put your trust in the God of the living. \nAnd may our Lord Jesus Christ\nand God our Father\, who loved us\nand through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope\,\ncomfort your hearts through the Holy Spirit\nand strengthen them in every good work and word. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nReclaiming DoubtA sermon on Luke 20:27-38\, 45-47 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCourage for the discouragedA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9 & 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5\, 13-17 by Andrew Woff\n\n\n\nNot of the DeadA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCompost\, First Fruits\, and the Whole HarvestA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 & Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOff the Scale AlivenessA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAncient Marriage and Modern QuestionsA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n‘Being like angels’: Glimpsing the life of the resurrectionA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Lina Toth URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp27/2031-11-09/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P27.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311116T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311116T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221204T112933Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251214T032917Z UID:10002989-1952553600-1952639999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 28 - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 65: 17-25 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, the LORD\, am on the verge of making\nthe heavens and the earth brand new again.\nThe traumas of the past will be long forgotten\,\nfading from memory. \nKick up your heels and start the party!\nCelebrate what I’m bringing into existence.\nI’m creating Jerusalem as a place of joy\,\na place full of happy peaceful people. \nJerusalem will be my pride and joy.\nIts people will be my greatest delight.\nCries of fear will no longer be heard there.\nThe sounds of grieving will be gone for good. \nNever again will there be babies who die young\,\nor adults who don’t live to a ripe old age.\nIf anyone dies at a hundred\,\npeople will say they were cut down in their prime.\nIf they fall short of a hundred\,\nit will seem like some horrible curse. \nThey will live secure in the houses they have worked for.\nThey will enjoy the fruits of their own labours. \nNever again will anyone build a house\,\nonly to have the bank confiscate it.\nNever again will anyone sweat and toil\nonly to see the profit go to someone else. \nMy people will live long and sturdy like the great trees.\nMy chosen people will love their work and enjoy its fruits. \nTheir work will not be wasted.\nTheir children will not be doomed.\nI\, the LORD\, will see that their children flourish\,\nand that all will be well for their children’s children. \nBefore their prayers pass their lips\, I will answer.\nI’ll tune in before they’ve opened their mouths. \nThe dingo and the lamb will feed side by side.\nThe crocodile will go vegetarian.\nSnakes will bite nothing but the dust!\nThere will be no killing or maiming on my holy mountain;\nI\, the LORD\, have given my word! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Canticle: Isaiah 12 \n \n\n \n \n \n Thank you! Thank you! Thank you\, LORD!\nYour anger was roused against us\,\nbut you set it aside and comforted us instead. \nYou alone\, LORD\, are able to set us free\,\nso we put our trust in you\, and have nothing to fear.\nAll our strength and power come from you\, LORD GOD\,\nyou have become our hero\, our saviour! \nYou will put your saving love on tap\,\ndeep draughts to be enjoyed by everyone.\nOn that day we will all say to one another\,\n“Thank the LORD! Let God’s name be on everyone’s lips!” \nWe will tell the world what you have done\,\nwe will shout your name and declare you to be number one.\nWe will sing your praises because of all you have accomplished\,\nand give you the glory all over the earth.\nWith all the citizens of Zion\, we lift our voices to you\nwith shouts and laughter and songs of celebration\,\nfor you are the ultimate\, the greatest\, the Holy One\,\nand you live among us\, your people! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n My dear friends\, let me stand on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and spell out what you should do: sever ties with any members of the church who are bludging off the rest of you\, and not pulling their weight the way we taught you. We set the pace when we were with you\, as you well know\, so keep it up. We did not slack off and we didn’t sponge off anyone’s hospitality. We worked our guts out and paid our own way so that we would not be a drain on you at all. This was not because we he had no fair claim on your support; we clearly did. But it was more important to us to set an example for you to follow. You remember the rule we all operated by when we were with you: If you don’t work you don’t eat. But now we are hearing reports that some of you have become bludgers who don’t lift a finger unless it’s to pry into someone else’s business. Well\, since we all share in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ\, let me lay down the law to these people — and you know who you are. Pull your finger out and put your shoulder to the wheel. Take your fair share of the workload without making a big deal of it and you’ll have earned your keep. Brothers and sisters\, don’t ever run out of steam for doing what is right. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 21: 5-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n Some people were talking about the temple and waxing lyrical about what a spectacular building it was with its ornate stonework and all the beautiful fixtures which had been donated and dedicated to God. Jesus spoke up\, saying\, “The days are coming when everything you see here will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.” \n“Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked\, “and what warning sign we should watch for? What will tip us off that it is about to happen?” \nJesus replied\, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for all the doomsday madness. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying\, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ or ‘The world is about to end!’ Don’t even begin to take them seriously. Every time there’s a new war or a flare-up in some trouble-spot\, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen\, but they are not an indication that the end is close. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. In many places people will face starvation and there will be terrible outbreaks of disease. There will be terrifying signs\, as though the sky itself was going to fall in. \n“But before all this happens\, the world will turn against you. You will be harassed\, arrested and locked up in detention centres because of your association with me. You will be dragged before the religious authorities\, the civil magistrates\, and even the political leaders. These hearings will give you an opportunity to speak out for the truth. Make up your minds now not to worry about it in advance. Don’t bother trying to plan what you will say in the witness box. When the time comes\, I will give you the words. I will give you such wisdom that all the lawyers seeking to undo you will be left floundering\, lost for words. \n“Even those closest to you may end up betraying you. Some of you will be dobbed in by members of your own family or close relatives and friends. People everywhere will despise you because of your association with me\, and some of you will be killed. Nevertheless there is not even a hair on your head that is not safe in my care. By toughing it out you will gain your souls.” \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Malachi 4: 1-2a \n \n\n \n \n \n Hear what the LORD who rules over everything has to say: \nTake note\, the day is coming\,\nraging towards you like a bushfire.\nThose who are arrogant and corrupt\nwill go up like tinder-dry grass.\nThe day that comes will incinerate them\nwithout leaving a trace. \nBut for you who love me and bring honour to my name\,\nthe day of peace and integrity will dawn.\nThe sun will shine on you warmly\nwith gentle healing rays. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 98 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music.\nWith a brass fanfare and a dancing beat\nwe loudly celebrate your reign over us. \nThe whole creation joins in the celebration:\nthe ocean and its creatures roar their approval;\nthe land and its animals\, cheer and stomp;\nrivers and lakes give a standing ovation\,\nmountains and hills erupt in applause. \nWe put on the whole show in your presence\, LORD\,\ncelebrating your arrival as you finally bring justice.\nWith you in charge we know things will be put right;\nnow every one on earth will get a fair go. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation. \nYou created heaven and earth as the first of your works\nand chose a people to be your delight.\nThough we marred your creation\nwith war and insurrection\,\nyou have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:\na day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight\,\nwhen all creation will live in peace\nand people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have begun the re-creation of all things.\nWhen he was betrayed by friends\,\narrested\, persecuted\,\nand put to death\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand through him\, you strengthen us\nso that we might not grow weary in doing what is right\nbut through endurance\, gain our souls. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that in your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nyou have begun the re-creation of all things\,\nand that through him you strengthen us\nso that we might not weary in doing what is right\nbut through endurance gain our souls. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation. \nYou created heaven and earth as the first of your works\nand chose a people to be your delight.\nThough we marred your creation\nwith war and insurrection\,\nyou have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:\na day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight\,\nwhen all creation will live in peace\nand people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have begun the re-creation of all things.\nWhen he was betrayed by friends\,\narrested\, persecuted\,\nand put to death\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand through him\, you strengthen us\nso that we might not grow weary in doing what is right\nbut through endurance\, gain our souls. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Before we call\, the Lord answers\,\nwhile we are still speaking\, our saviour hears.\nGod has promised that our sins will not be remembered\nnor come to mind again. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and tell the world what God does.\nDo not chase after self-proclaimed messiahs\,\nbut draw deeply from God’s saving well\nand speak the words the Spirit gives you.\nDo not be weary in doing what is right. \nAnd may God delight in you and give you strength;\nMay Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of new life;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you the words and wisdom\nto withstand all that would tear you down. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nTemples Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen You Hear of WarsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDon’t Panic! But Don’t Be Complacent!A sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen You Hear of Wars and InsurrectionsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nEverything Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp28/2031-11-16/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P28.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311123T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311123T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210601T015406Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251221T043532Z UID:10002990-1953158400-1953244799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year C DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 23: 1-6 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, says: \nThe 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. \nI 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. \nYou can be sure that the time is coming when I\, the LORD\,\nwill raise up a true king from the family of David;\none who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;\nwho will bring justice to the land and set things right. \nAs long as he reigns the land will be secure\nand my people will enjoy peace.\nWhenever his name is mentioned\, people will say\,\n“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Canticle: Luke 1: 68-79 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing your praises\, Lord God of Israel\,\nbecause you have smiled upon us and put things right for us. \nFrom the family of your servant David\nyou have called forth a hero with the power to save us.\nYou promised this years ago\, in the preaching of your prophets.\nYou said you would break us loose from the grip of our enemies\nand from the traps of those who had it in for us. \nYou have been true to your word\nand honoured the agreement you made with our ancestors.\nWay way back\, you swore to Abraham and Sarah\nthat you would snatch us clear of enemy hands\nand give us the opportunity to serve you openly\,\nwithout having to watch our backs;\nto dedicate ourselves totally to you\nand to doing what is right for the rest of our lives. \nAnd now you have given us this child.\nHe will be known as a prophet of the great God.\nHe will go ahead of the coming Lord\,\ngetting everything prepared.\nHe will let your people know that you offer salvation\nand make it clear that their sins are forgiven. \nOur God\, your tender and patient love\nwill dawn on us and light up the world for us.\nEven in the darkest hours\, in the blackest hell-holes of our world\,\nyour love will break through and illuminate the way of peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Colossians 1: 11-20 \n \n\n \n \n \n We are praying that your strength will be built up as you draw on God’s awesome resources\, and that you will have the mental and emotional toughness to survive anything; not just to survive\, in fact\, but to keep on celebrating the good things you have received from God. You have much to be thankful for because\, like a proud father\, God has left a generous inheritance to the children of the light\, and you’ve been written in for a share of it. We became children of the light when God broke the grip of the darkness that had overwhelmed us and placed us instead in the loving hands of Christ. All that we have ever done wrong has been forgiven and we have been put back where we belong\, in the realm of God’s beloved Son. \nJesus Christ is the spitting image\nof the God we cannot see.\nChrist is the genuine original;\nthe blueprint for all creation. \nEverything else that exists had its origin in Christ:\nphysical things and spiritual things;\nvisible things and invisible things;\nthings that govern the universe;\nthings that regulate our lives;\nforces\, powers and energies.\nAbsolutely everything that exists\nwas founded in Christ\nand has its purpose in Christ. \nChrist preceded everything else\,\nand Christ is the glue that holds everything else together. \nChrist is to the church\nas the head is to the body.\nLife itself began with Christ\nand new life – born from the dead – began with Christ too.\nChrist was\, is\, and will be Number One in everything. \nGod was fully present in Christ\, and gladly so;\nreconciling everything in creation with its creator;\nbearing the cost personally in the blood shed on the cross\,\nto restore the peace between heaven and earth. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Luke 23: 33-43 \n \n\n \n \n \n They took Jesus out to the place called Skull Hill where the executions were carried out\, and strung him up on a cross by driving nails through his flesh. They executed a couple of convicted criminals in the same way on crosses on each side of him. As he hung there\, Jesus prayed out loud\, saying\, “Father\, forgive these people. They’ve got no idea what they are doing.” \nThe executioners divided up his clothes among themselves\, tossing a coin to see who should get what. The people stood around staring\, but the community leaders were hurling insults and ridicule at him and making a huge joke of it\, saying\, “He reckoned he could save everyone else. Let’s see him get himself out of this if he’s really the Messiah\, God’s chosen one!” \nThe soldiers were sticking the boots in too\, offering him drinks of wine that had turned to vinegar\, and saying\, “Come on. If you’re the king of the Jews\, pull rank and get yourself out of this trouble!” \nThey also hung a sign above his head saying\, “This is the King of the Jews.” \nOne of the criminals who was strung up alongside him joined in the insults\, shouting\, “What sort of Messiah are you?! Get your act together and save yourself\, and save us while you’re at it!” \nBut the other criminal pulled his mate up short\, saying\, “Put a sock in it! Don’t you care what God could do to us? We are about to meet our maker\, the same as he is\, but you and I have done the crime and we are copping what we had coming. There was no miscarriage of justice over us. But what has this bloke ever done wrong? Nothing!” And then he said\, “Jesus\, remember me when you come to take charge of everything.” \nJesus replied\, “You have my word for it; today you will join me in Paradise.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 23: 1-6 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, says: \nThe 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. \nI 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. \nYou can be sure that the time is coming when I\, the LORD\,\nwill raise up a true king from the family of David;\none who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;\nwho will bring justice to the land and set things right. \nAs long as he reigns the land will be secure\nand my people will enjoy peace.\nWhenever his name is mentioned\, people will say\,\n“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 46 \n \n\n \n \n \n Our refuge\, our shelter\, our fortress\, our security;\nyou are all these things to us\, God.\nYou are always there for us when we need you. \nBecause of you\, we will not panic\neven if our world comes crashing down around our ears;\neven if the earth splits open beneath us;\neven if chaos pours in like a raging flood;\neven if life as we know it goes up in smoke. \nYou are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —\nour safety\, our refuge. \nA river flowing with life-giving water runs through your holy city\nbringing joy and peace to your sacred home.\nYou are the most high God\, and the city where you live\nwill rest secure and greet the new day with confidence. \nThe world may be in chaos\, nations tearing apart at the seams\,\nbut when you speak\, the earth sinks to its knees. \nYou are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —\nour safety\, our refuge. \nWhat you have done is a sight for sore eyes\, LORD;\nyou have left a trail of destruction across the earth:\nweapons of war crushed and burned;\nimplements of fear smashed to pieces;\nconflicts and wars closed down for good. \nYou call us to a peaceful calm\nand invite us to know you as God.\nYou stand supreme above the nations\,\nunmatched in all the earth. \nYou are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —\nour safety\, our refuge. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the King of the Universe\nand you reign with justice and righteousness. \nYou created all things in heaven and on earth\,\nand through your holy prophets in ages past\nyou promised to save us from enemy hands\nand free us from corrupt and negligent rulers. \nOut of your deepest mercy\nyou have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ\,\nyour anointed One who rules wisely\,\nshepherding your people and setting them free.\nThough he is your visible image\,\nhe was crucified as a criminal.\nYou raised him as the firstborn from the dead\,\nand through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.\nNow you are reaching out to all who honour you\nand recognise your chosen one in the agony of death\,\nand welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks\, King of the Universe\,\nfor you have come to us in fullness in Jesus Christ\,\nyour anointed One who shepherds your people\,\nsetting them free and reigning with justice and righteousness. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the King of the Universe\nand you reign with justice and righteousness. \nYou created all things in heaven and on earth\,\nand through your holy prophets in ages past\nyou promised to save us from enemy hands\nand free us from corrupt and negligent rulers. \nOut of your deepest mercy\nyou have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ\,\nyour anointed One who rules wisely\,\nshepherding your people and setting them free.\nThough he is your visible image\,\nhe was crucified as a criminal.\nYou raised him as the firstborn from the dead\,\nand through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.\nNow you are reaching out to all who honour you\nand recognise your chosen one in the agony of death\,\nand welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n In deepest mercy\,\nGod has rescued us from the power of darkness\nand transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son\,\nin whom we have redemption\, the forgiveness of sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, joyfully giving thanks to the one true King.\nPrepare a pathway for the Lord;\nendure everything with patience\,\nand teach people of salvation\nthrough the forgiveness of sins. \nAnd may God gather you into safety;\nMay Christ Jesus strengthen you with glorious power;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit guide your feet on the way of peace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nCan Christ be King if we become a Republic?A sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCultural ImperialismA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nShepherds\, Kings\, and a Divided ChurchA sermon on Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFailed KingsA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp29/2031-11-23/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P29.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311130T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311130T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221218T110815Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251228T010548Z UID:10002991-1953763200-1953849599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:1st Sunday of Advent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 2: 1-5 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was given to me\, Isaiah: \nThe days are coming\nwhen the mountain on which the LORD’s temple stands\nwill be the greatest mountain of all\,\nIt will tower above every other peak and hill\,\nand all the world’s nations\nwill come rushing to it like a flood. \nPeople everywhere will say: \n“Come\, let’s go and climb the LORD’s mountain;\nlet us worship in the temple of the God of Jacob.\nThere the LORD will teach us how to live right\nso that we can get our lives on track.” \nThe holy mountain will be the place of enlightenment.\nIn the holy city\, the LORD’s truth will be made known. \nThe LORD will settle all disputes between nations\,\nand sort out their competing claims.\nThey will turn weapons into welcome signs\nand bombs into tools and toys.\nNever again will nations take up arms against one another;\nnever again will young people be trained for war. \nCome now\, all you people of God\,\nlet us stick to the tracks where the LORD’s light shines! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 122 \n \n\n \n \n \n When they invited us to your house\, LORD\,\nour hearts leapt for joy! \nAnd now\, here we are\,\nstanding inside the gates of your holy city. \nJerusalem\, your sacred home;\nthe place where city and temple are one. \nAll your tribes gather here\, LORD;\nall your people come up here to celebrate.\nThey name you as the one to whom all thanks is due\,\njust as your people have always done. \nThe seats of law and justice are here\,\nsafeguarded by David’s throne. \nWe pray for peace for Jerusalem;\nmay all go well for those who love your city. \nFill the city with peace and joy\, LORD\,\nand stand guard to keep it secure. \nFor the love of sisters and brothers in Jerusalem\,\nwe pray for the welfare of the city. \nFor the love of your house\, LORD God\,\nwe will work for peace in the holy land. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 13: 11-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n You\, of course\, understand the significance of the times we are living in. It is time to wipe the sleep out of your eyes; to be on your feet\, fully alert. Salvation is at hand. It has been approaching ever since we first put our trust in God\, and it is now drawing near. The night is almost gone; the new day is about to dawn. So let’s make sure that we get rid of any old ways of living that belong to the darkness of our past. Let us live our lives in such a way that we’ll be able to hold our heads high when the broad light of day shows up everything for what it really is. Avoid the desperate pursuit of pleasure with its common pitfalls of substance abuse\, sexual sleaze\, hostile belligerence\, and crippling jealousy. Instead\, take on the persona of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and don’t give any encouragement to the selfish desires that clamour for your attention and seek to hijack your life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 24: 36-44 \n \n\n \n \n \n Speaking in private with his followers\, Jesus said: \n“Time has almost reached its goal\, but exactly when that day and hour will come\, nobody knows. The angels of heaven don’t know and not even the Son knows. The Conceiver of everything is the only one who knows. What I can tell you is this: things will be much the same when the New Human arrives as they were in Noah’s day. Before the flood burst upon them\, people were going about their business as though everything was normal\, right up until the day that Noah went aboard his boat. They didn’t suspect a thing until the flood hit and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the New Human hits the scene. Two mates will be working shoulder to shoulder; one will be taken and one will be left behind. Two women will be working on the one bench; one will be taken and one will be left behind. So keep your eyes open and your ears pricked\, because you have no way of knowing which day will see your Lord arrive. Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time\, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor the night is nearly gone\,\nand your light is dawning in the darkness. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand when the flood came in the days of Noah\,\nyou saved a people and called them to walk in your light.\nThough the day and hour cannot be known\,\nthrough your prophets\, you have given us\nvisions of our approaching salvation. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have called all peoples to yourself\nand taught us your ways.\nWhen he was killed\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand promised a day when he will come\nat an unexpected hour\nto gather up your faithful ones\nand bring them home to your house\,\nso that the weapons and works of darkness\nmight be discarded\nand all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that though the day and hour cannot be known\,\nyou have given us visions of our approaching salvation\,\nwhen Christ will gather your faithful ones\nand bring them home to your holy mountain. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor the night is nearly gone\,\nand your light is dawning in the darkness. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand when the flood came in the days of Noah\,\nyou saved a people and called them to walk in your light.\nThough the day and hour cannot be known\,\nthrough your prophets\, you have given us\nvisions of our approaching salvation. \nIn your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyou have called all peoples to yourself\nand taught us your ways.\nWhen he was killed\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand promised a day when he will come\nat an unexpected hour\nto gather up your faithful ones\nand bring them home to your house\,\nso that the weapons and works of darkness\nmight be discarded\nand all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.\nThe night is far gone\, the day is near.\nGod comes to us in mercy and love. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and walk in the light of the Lord.\nStay alert for the Lord is near.\nPut on the armour of light\nand live openly and honourably.\nPray for peace for all God’s people. \nAnd may God clothe you in the light of Christ;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you his ways;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit keep you alert and prepared\nfor the coming day of the Lord. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nPrepare! How?A sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5\, Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWake Up To Yourselves!A sermon on Romans 13: 11-14 and Isaiah 2: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhere is it all Heading?A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAim To Be Left Behind A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 & Romans 13:11-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Future – what should we know? An Advent sermon by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJesus Comes to Disrupt and to LiberateA sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5\, Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Scott Cowdell\n\n\n\nThe Burglar ComesA sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a01/2031-11-30/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent1a.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311207T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311207T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20221226T002316Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260104T011806Z UID:10002992-1954368000-1954454399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:2nd Sunday of Advent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 11: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n Like a green shoot sprouting from the stump of a tree\,\nthe family of David will again produce a king. \nThe Spirit of the LORD will be with him\,\ngiving him wisdom and insight\,\nmaking him strong and perceptive\,\nfilling him with knowledge and respect for God. \nShowing due respect for the LORD\nwill be the new king’s greatest delight. \nHe will not judge by appearances\,\nnor act on the basis of rumour.\nHe will do the right thing by the poor\nand be fair to those who can’t fight for themselves.\nHis words will strike like lightning\,\nand wipe out evil and corruption. \nHis reputation will be built\non honesty\, loyalty and a passion for doing right. \nIn his day\, the dingo and the lamb will play together;\nthe hawk and the pigeon will share a nest;\nthe crocodile and the wallaby will eat together\,\nand a little child will lead them around like pets. \nFoxes and chooks will forage together;\ntheir cubs and chickens will snuggle up to sleep;\nand sharks will go vegetarian. \nA gurgling baby will play with a Tiger snake;\ntoddlers will stick their hands into bee hives unharmed. \nThere will be no killing or maiming on the LORD’s holy mountain.\nJust as water fills the oceans\,\nso will the earth be full of people\nwho know and love the LORD. \nWhen that day comes\, the revival of David’s line will be like a flag and all the world’s people’s will gather around it. All nations will look to the one king for guidance and he will live and reign in splendour and glory. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 72: 1-7\, 18-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n Send us a wise ruler\, O God\,\none who takes after you in justice and honesty;\none who does the right thing by everybody\,\nand is vigilant in ensuring justice for the poor;\none who will stand up for the disadvantaged\,\nprovide a way out of the poverty trap\,\nand stomp on those who exploit the vulnerable. \nThen the whole land will know prosperity and integrity;\nthe mountains\, the valleys\, the hills\, the plains. \nSend us a wise ruler\, O God\,\nwho will outlive the sun and moon\,\nwho will rule forever\, generation after generation. \nMay your chosen one give life to the land\nlike the spring rains in the wheat country.\nMay the people yield a bumper crop of honesty\,\nand may peace be as dependable\nas the southern cross in the night sky. \nMore power to you\, LORD\, God of our land;\nonly you can do such incredible things. \nMay the mere mention of your name\ninspire praise from everyone\, forever.\nMay the whole earth be full of your glory.\nToo right! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 15: 4-13 \n \n\n \n \n \n The writings that we have received from times past were written to teach us what we need to know. The unchanging and inspiring message of the scriptures fills us with courage and hope. I pray that God — rock-solid and inspirational — will unite you and enable you to get along with one another\, showing each other the same sort of trust and respect that Christ Jesus shows to everyone. That sort of peaceful shared life will ring out a message\, as clear as a bell\, giving all the glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So welcome and accept one another as openly as Christ has welcomed and accepted you\, and may all the credit go to God! \nYou can be sure of this: Christ accepted both insiders and outsiders. It is true that he came to serve the people of Israel\, who had always had inside access to the truth of God\, so as to make good on the promises made to their ancestors. But it is also true that he came so that the outsiders might encounter the mercy of God and get into the swing of giving credit and thanks to God too. The scriptures spoke of it in these words: \n“I will speak the truth about you among the outsiders\,\nI will sing your praises and honour your name.” \nIn another place it is written: \n“You outsiders\, come and celebrate with God’s people.” \nSimilarly\, another piece of scripture says: \n“All you outsiders\, sing the praises of God;\nlet all peoples everywhere honour the Lord.” \nAnd the prophet Isaiah wrote: \n“The root of David’s family will sprout again\,\nproducing the one who will give the outsiders hope;\nthe one who will rule over all people everywhere.” \nI pray that God\, the hope-giver\, will see to it that your faith produces a flood of joy and peace that fills your lives and spills over into an unshakeable confidence energised by the Holy Spirit. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 3: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n While Jesus was living at home in Galilee\, John the baptiser showed up in the Judean desert preaching to the people. This was the guts of his message: “Turn your lives around\, for the culture of heaven is close at hand.” \nThe prophet Isaiah had spoken about John when he said\, \n“In the desert a voice is shouting: \n‘The Lord is coming!\nGet the road ready.\nClear the track\, straighten it out for him.’” \nJohn was dressed in rough clothes made of camel hair and animal skins. He lived on bush tucker – grasshoppers and wild honey. People came flocking to John from Jerusalem\, from all the rural districts of Judea\, and from up and down the Jordan valley. They owned up to their toxic ways and were baptised by John in the Jordan River. \nBut when John saw that members of the religious groups known as the Pharisees and the Sadducees were coming to him for baptism\, he bellowed\, “You slippery bunch of snakes! What makes you think that running down here for a quick bath will get you off scot free when the judgment comes? You’ve got to walk the walk. Show by your actions that you’ve turned your lives around as you say you have. And don’t presume you’ve got the inside running just because you can trace your family tree back to Abraham. I’m telling you straight\, descendants of Abraham are thick on the ground and\, at the snap of a finger\, God could turn these rocks into a few more. Family trees count for nothing. It is what sort of fruit the tree bears that matters. If the fruit is rubbish\, an axe is ready to cut the tree off at the ground and toss it on the fire.” \n“I’m only baptising you with water. After me comes the One who is way out of my league – I’d be honoured just to carry his boots. It won’t be just water that he’ll be immersing you in. He’ll baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He’s ready to start with his flame thrower in hand. He’ll release an uncontrollable fire into the dry bushland of your lives\, completely incinerating the rubbish and germinating the good seeds that lie in wait for that day.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your reign draws near\nwith the promise of justice\, peace and security for all. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert\,\nyou called us to prepare the way for your coming.\nThrough the scriptures\,\nyou spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement\,\nfilling us with hope in your visions of peace. \nYou came to us in your child\, Jesus\n— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —\nand baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness\nso that as his reign dawns\,\njustice may sprout on the earth\,\npeace outlast the moon\,\nand the knowledge of your wonderful grace\nwash over the earth as the waters cover the sea. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks for your words of steadfastness and encouragement\,\nthat fill us with hope for the day\nwhen justice will sprout on the earth\,\npeace outlast the moon\,\nand the knowledge of your wonderful grace\nwash over the earth as the waters cover the sea. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your reign draws near\nwith the promise of justice\, peace and security for all. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert\,\nyou called us to prepare the way for your coming.\nThrough the scriptures\,\nyou spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement\,\nfilling us with hope in your visions of peace. \nYou came to us in your child\, Jesus\n— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —\nand baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.\nThough he was killed\, you raised him to life\,\nand clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness\nso that as his reign dawns\,\njustice may sprout on the earth\,\npeace outlast the moon\,\nand the knowledge of your wonderful grace\nwash over the earth as the waters cover the sea. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Christ Jesus has become a servant of all\nso that we might glorify God for his mercy.\nAll who repent\, confessing their sins\,\nare baptised in the love and mercy of God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and prepare the way of the Lord.\nWelcome one another as Christ has welcomed you\,\nand bear fruits worthy of repentance. \nAnd may God grant you harmony with one another;\nMay Christ Jesus fill you with joy and peace in believing;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit empower you and fill you with hope. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nIs it for Real?A sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat wine do you serve with locusts?A sermon on Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThat you may Abound in HopeA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Axe and the StumpA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHope: defiant and celebratoryA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting a Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a02/2031-12-07/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311214T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311214T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230101T115746Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260111T034638Z UID:10002993-1954972800-1955059199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:3rd Sunday of Advent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 35: 1-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n The parched and dusty land will celebrate;\nthe thirsty desert will be festive with flowers;\nblazing colours – orchid and desert pea –\nsongs of joy as new life bursts forth. \nThe desert will be as rich as the Barrier Reef\,\nas majestic as Kakadu\, as lush as the Daintree.\nThe glory of the LORD will be on display;\nthe splendour and magnificence of our God. \nAre your hands trembling? Be strong!\nAre your knees knocking? Stand firm! \nEncourage those who are fearing the worst;\ntell them not to give in to their fears but to hang in there.\nAssure them that God is at hand;\ncoming to pay back oppressors what they deserve;\ncoming to rescue you\, to set you free! \nWhat a day that will be!\nEyes long blind will open to colour and light!\nEars long deaf will hear music and laughter!\nLegs long paralysed will dance like brolgas!\nTongues long tied will sing like lyrebirds! \nFor reviving rains will fall on dry dusty land\,\nand rivers will flow in the desert.\nHard-baked salt pans will become inland lakes\,\nand cool water will gush up between scorching rocks.\nWater birds will flock where only dingoes roamed\,\nand soft fruits will grow where only mulga survived. \nThere will be a new highway\nknown as ‘The One and Only True Way”.\nThe corrupt will not be allowed access\,\nfor only God’s people may travel it;\nand on this road\, no one – not even a complete moron –\ncould ever lose their way. \nThere will be no hidden dangers along the road;\nno snakes lying in wait at the side.\nNothing threatening will be found there\,\nso those God has put right may walk in safety. \nThose who the LORD has bailed out will come home;\nthey will sing as they travel to God’s sacred mountain.\nThe smiles will never leave their faces again;\nlaughter and contentment will be theirs to keep\,\nand misery and despair will be made redundant. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 146: 5-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n We hit the jackpot when we look to you for help\, LORD;\nwhen we put all our hopes in you – the God of our ancestors.\nYou are the one who made earth and sky\,\nwho poured out the seas and filled them with life.\nYou are true to your word no matter what;\nwhen people are ground into the dirt\, you bring about justice;\nwhen people are left to starve\, you come with food. \nYou\, LORD\, set the prisoners free.\nYou\, LORD\, open the eyes of those who can’t see.\nYou\, LORD\, put the downtrodden back on their feet. \nYou\, LORD\, love those who do the right thing.\nYou\, LORD\, keep a caring eye on the asylum seekers.\nYou stick up for those who have no one else to stick up for them\,\nbut you make the schemes of the corrupt backfire on them. \nTake charge forever\, LORD\,\nrule from your sacred Mountain for all time.\nYou’re the best\, LORD. We’re with you all the way! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Luke 1: 47-55 \n \n\n \n \n \n We turn the spotlight on your greatness\, God!\nWe dance with wholehearted joy over you\, our saviour!\nYou smiled upon us\, though we were nothing special\,\nand the memory of your generosity will last forever.\nYou have done wonderful and powerful things for us.\nThere is no other name in the same league as yours. \nIn every generation\, Lord\, you shower mercy\nto those who treat you with respect.\nYou have rolled up your sleeves in a show of strength\,\nand sent packing those who were so full of themselves. \nYou kicked the power mongers out of office\,\nand lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.\nYou put on a feast for those who are hungry\,\nand slam the door on the rich without giving them a bite. \nYou give a helping hand to your servant Israel\,\nand always remember them with tender care.\nThis is exactly what you promised long ago\, Lord\,\nwhen you made a vow to Abraham and Sarah\nfor every generation.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n James 5: 7-10 \n \n\n \n \n \n My friends\, be patient as you wait for the Lord to return. Be as patient as the farmers. Farmers sow their crops and then have to wait patiently\, hoping for good seasonal rains\, because the harvest that pays their bills ripens in its own good time. There is nothing they can do to hurry it up. You can’t hurry the Lord up either\, so be patient. Stay focussed though\, and condition yourselves\, because the arrival of the Lord is not far off. \nMy friends\, don’t go whinging and putting each other down. If you do\, you’ll find yourselves having to answer for it. The judge could reopen the case against you at any moment. \nTake as your role models the prophets who brought us God’s message in the past. They really suffered for their stand\, but they hung in there\, never giving up\, and their patience paid off. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 11: 2-11 \n \n\n \n \n \n John the baptiser was being held in a detention centre when news reached him about what the Messiah was doing. When some of his followers visited him\, he sent them to Jesus with a question: “Are you the One everybody has been waiting for\, or are we still waiting for someone else?” \nJesus answered: \n“Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed. The blind are given their sight. The paralysed are up and walking. People with hideous diseases are cured. The deaf can hear. The dead are raised. And the poor are hearing news worth celebrating. How good it will be for those who realise what I’m up to and don’t get their noses out of joint over it.” \nWhen the messengers were on their way back to John with their report\, Jesus started to talk to the crowd about John: \n“When you went out to the desert to see John\, what were you expecting? A populist swayed by the winds of public opinion? No way! What then? A silvertail dressed up to the nines? No\, you’d hang out in the lobby of some exclusive resort if you wanted to see them. So what were you looking for? A prophet? Now we’re talking! And not just any prophet\, either. This is the one of whom scripture said: \n“Take note: I am sending my messenger ahead of you\nto blaze the trail for your arrival. \nI kid you not: there has never been a person born who could hold a candle to John the baptiser\, and yet the most insignificant nobody in the culture of heaven is greater than John.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy embraces the faithful\,\none generation to the next. \nYou are the creator of heaven\, earth and the teeming seas.\nYou promised mercy to our ancestors\nand sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience\nto prepare the Holy Way before you. \nIn Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh\nas the blind saw the light\,\nthe deaf heard the music\,\nand the lame danced with joy.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him to life\nand through him your good news still comes to the poor\nlike springs of water to thirsty ground\,\nuplifting the downtrodden\nand filling the hungry from the richness of your table. \nAnd so with thankful hearts we patiently wait\,\nknowing that the day is near\nwhen all the earth will see the fullness of your glory. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you that the promises made to our ancestors\nhave taken flesh in Jesus Christ\nwho brings your good news to the poor\nlike springs of water to thirsty ground\,\nuplifting the downtrodden\nand filling the hungry from the richness of your table. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy embraces the faithful\,\none generation to the next. \nYou are the creator of heaven\, earth and the teeming seas.\nYou promised mercy to our ancestors\nand sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience\nto prepare the Holy Way before you. \nIn Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh\nas the blind saw the light\,\nthe deaf heard the music\,\nand the lame danced with joy.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him to life\nand through him your good news still comes to the poor\nlike springs of water to thirsty ground\,\nuplifting the downtrodden\nand filling the hungry from the richness of your table. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Hear the good news for those who are fearful of heart:\n"Be strong\, do not fear!\nyour God is here\, coming to save you.”\nGod’s promise of mercy is for you. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, with good news for the poor\nand prepare the way for the Lord.\nWait patiently.\nDo not grumble against one another\,\nbut encourage one another.\nBe strong and do not fear. \nAnd may God come quickly to save you;\nMay Christ Jesus give you everlasting joy and gladness;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit strengthen your hearts\nand lead you on God’s holy way. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nStill Waiting\, LordA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10\, James 5:7-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFaith\, Hope and StumblingA sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAre You the One?A sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat Are We Waiting For?A sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 & Luke 1:47-55 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGo Tell JohnA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJoyA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 by Jennie Clarke URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a03/2031-12-14/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311221T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311221T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230115T232108Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T100731Z UID:10002994-1955577600-1955663999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:4th Sunday of Advent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 7: 10-16 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD sent word to King Ahaz of Judah\, saying: \nI\, the LORD your God\, will give you a sign so that you can be sure that it is really me who is sending you this promise of safety. What sign do you want? Something dramatic\, deep the earth or high in the sky? You name it\, and I’ll do it. \nBut Ahaz refused\, saying\, “I will ask no such thing. Far be it from me to demand guarantees from the LORD.” So Isaiah the prophet spoke on behalf of the LORD\, saying: \nThen get this into your head\, you who rule from David’s throne. Haven’t you made enough people sick and tired of your weak-as-water religious posturing? Do you have to try it on with God as well?! Well\, the Lord is going to go ahead and give you a sign anyway. Check this out: there is a girl who is pregnant. She will give birth to a baby boy and he will be given the name Emmanuel\, which means ‘God is with us.’ Before he is old enough to choose between right and wrong\, he will be eating foods that you can’t even get hold of in the present crisis. Yes\, even before he is old enough to take responsibility for his own behaviour\, the threat of war will have passed. The two countries whose armies are terrorising you will have disappeared without a trace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 80: 1-7\, 17-19 \n \n\n \n \n \n God\, you are the one who watches over your people\nlike a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach\,\nwatching from a high seat\, like a king enthroned.\nListen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries\,\nso that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth. \nUp and at it\, God!\nCome equipped to rescue us.\nCome and smile on us again\, God;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \nLORD God\, you rule over everything;\nhow much longer will you keep us in the sin bin\,\nturning away in anger when we pray? \nYou reduced our rations to tears alone;\ntears by the plate full\, tears by the cup full.\nYou made us the laughing stock of our enemies\nand even our neighbours turn up their noses. \nCome and smile on us again\, God;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \nTake our side again\, your wayward favourite child\,\nthe one you raised by hand to be your own.\nWe will never go off the rails again;\nsave us now and your name will be on our lips forever. \nLORD God\, you rule over everything;\nCome and smile on us again;\nsave us and revive us with your kiss of life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 1: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n This letter comes to you from me\, Paul\, a labourer in the service of Jesus Christ. I was called to be one of his special ambassadors and assigned to the task of broadcasting the wonderful message of God’s love in Christ. This message did not come out of the blue; you only have to read the writings of the prophets in the sacred scriptures to know that God had been promising it for some time. The message centres on God’s Son who was born into a family of King David’s descendants — a weak human like us — and who was declared to be the Son of God by being raised from the dead to new life — a powerful Spirit like the Holy One. I speak of course\, of Jesus\, the Messiah and our Lord. It is through him that we have come to be on the receiving end of God’s extravagant generosity. It is also through him that we have been made ambassadors with the special assignment of bringing the outsiders into a new relationship with God based on trust and obedience. Jesus the Christ gets all the credit for this\, and you\, of course\, were among those who have responded to the call to hand yourselves over to him in this way. \nSo this letter comes to you — God’s much loved people in the city of Rome — who have been called to dedicate yourselves wholly and solely to God. \nI greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace given through the Lord Jesus the Messiah. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 1: 18-25 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is the story surrounding the birth of Jesus the Messiah. His mother\, Mary\, was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph who was a descendant of King David. But before they had lived together\, Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant. It was the Holy Spirit who had made her pregnant\, but Joseph didn’t know that. Joseph was a staunch ‘respectability and law-and-order’ man\, but he still didn’t want to see Mary publicly disgraced\, so he made plans to break off the engagement on the quiet. But just when he had sorted this out in his head\, a messenger from the Lord spoke to him in a dream saying:\n“Joseph\, hold your nerve and go ahead and get married to Mary\, because the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a baby boy and you are to treat him as your own. Give him the name Jesus\, because he will live up to its meaning by saving his people from their toxic ways.” \nAs these events took place\, they shed new light on the words that the Lord had spoken through the prophet: \n“Check this out:\na virgin will fall pregnant and give birth to a son\,\nand people will speak of him as Emmanuel.” \n‘Emmanuel’ is a Hebrew name meaning ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph woke up after his dream\, he followed the instructions from the Lord’s messenger to the letter. He went ahead and married Mary\, but they remained celibate until after the baby was born. As instructed\, Joseph named the boy Jesus. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you rest your hand upon us\,\ncalling us to be your holy saints and giving us life again. \nBefore time began\, your Holy Spirit brooded over the chaos\nand brought the earth and its inhabitants to birth.\nThrough your prophets speaking in the holy scriptures\nyou promised us a child\nborn as a sign of your saving presence with us. \nYour promise has taken flesh in your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nwho was born of the line of David.\nWhen he was killed by your enemies\,\nyour Spirit brought him forth again\nby resurrection from the dead.\nThrough him the light of your presence has been restored\nand we have been called into the obedience of faith\nthat we might belong to Jesus Christ forever\,\nliving by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks that through Christ\nthe light of your presence has been restored\nand we have been called into the obedience of faith\nthat we might live by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you rest your hand upon us\,\ncalling us to be your holy saints and giving us life again. \nBefore time began\, your Holy Spirit brooded over the chaos\nand brought the earth and its inhabitants to birth.\nThrough your prophets speaking in the holy scriptures\nyou promised us a child\nborn as a sign of your saving presence with us. \nYour promise has taken flesh in your child\, Jesus the Christ\,\nwho was born of the line of David.\nWhen he was killed by your enemies\,\nyour Spirit brought him forth again\nby resurrection from the dead.\nThrough him the light of your presence has been restored\nand we have been called into the obedience of faith\nthat we might belong to Jesus Christ forever\,\nliving by the hope conceived in us by the Holy Spirit. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Through Jesus Christ we have received grace:\nthe light of God’s presence is restored to us\nand we are saved. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and live by the hope conceived within you.\nRefuse evil and choose good.\nCall on the name of the Lord.\nWalk with God in faithful obedience\,\nand do not fear public disgrace. \nAnd may God be with you;\nMay Christ Jesus save you from your sins;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit restore to you the light of God’s presence. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nSpeaking of pregnant virgins\, did you hear the one…A drama/sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat are you really made of?A sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nExpect the UnexpectedA sermon on Romans 1:1-7 & Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nTarnished GoodsA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGod’s Suspect Sexual HistoryA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat if it was God?A sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhy the Virgin Birth is not the Biggest ShockA sermon on Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBlood on the sand and God with usA sermon on by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a04/2031-12-21/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Advent4.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311228T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20311228T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230122T100834Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260125T004515Z UID:10002996-1956182400-1956268799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:1st Sunday of Christmas - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 63: 7-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n I will set out the evidence of the LORD’s extravagant generosity;\nthe things that the LORD has done\, all deserving applause.\nThe LORD has done so much for us\,\nsmiled upon us and been good to us.\nOverflowing with love and loyalty\,\nour God has treated us far better than we deserve. \nEvery time we were in trouble\,\nthe LORD felt our pain and rescued us.\nThe LORD said of us:\n“These are my people for sure\, my own children\,\nwho would never do me wrong.” \nThe task of helping us out was not given to someone else;\nthe LORD was with us in person to rescue us.\nMotivated solely by love and compassion\,\nGod put our lives back together.\nGathering us up in loving arms\,\nour God carried us down through the years. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 148 \n \n\n \n \n \n We sing your praises\, LORD!\nFrom every corner of the universe\,\nfrom high and low\, near and far\,\nwe join the chorus of praise! \nWith the angels and all who serve you in heaven\,\nwe sing your praises!\nWith the sun and moon\, stars and planets\,\nwe sing your praises!\nWith far flung galaxies and the milky way\,\nwe sing your praises! \nAll of them speak of you in glowing terms\, LORD\,\nfor they owe their very existence to you.\nYou ordered their creation\nand fixed them in place for all time. \nWe sing your praises\, LORD!\nEvery creature on earth joins the choir\,\nsinging your praises for all they’re worth:\ndolphins and whales\nand the ocean itself;\nbushfire and hail storm\,\nsnow and ice\,\ncyclones dancing to your tune;\nmountain ranges and rolling hills\,\norchards and rainforests\,\nanimals from both bush and farm\,\nreptiles and birds;\npeople of every race and class\,\npeople of power and influence;\nmen and women\, old and young\,\nevery voice on earth joins as one! \nOne and all\, we sing your praises\, LORD\,\nyours is the only name on our lips!\nYou alone outshine the glory of the universe! \nYou have given strength to your people\,\nand honour to your faithful ones\,\nto those you have chosen\nand hold close to your heart. \nYou\, LORD\, are the greatest! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hebrews 2: 10-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n Everything exists for God and because of God\, and God set out to gather everyone into one family on the road to glory. It was only right that the one who God chose as the trail blazer to lead people out of danger should first earn a perfect 10 in the same arena of suffering as them. You see\, the one who sets the pattern for holy living and the ones who are patterned by it are all children of the one God\, born through the same labour pains. That explains why Jesus has no hesitation in calling them his sisters and brothers. He says to God: \n“I will tell these\, my sisters and brothers\, all I know of you.\nWhenever they gather\, I’ll be there\, trumpeting your virtues.” \nAgain he puts himself in the same boat as us when he says: \n“I too live by putting my trust in God.” \nAnd yet again: \n“I take my stand here with the children God has given me.” \nSo it makes sense that for Jesus to share so fully in the life experience of the children\, he had to be of the same flesh and blood as them. It was only in the same flesh and blood that he could go through the same death; and it was in going through death that he destroyed the devil who wields death as his ultimate weapon. That is how he broke open an escape route for those whose fear of death robbed them of their freedom to live. Now it is quite clear that he wasn’t doing this for the benefit of the angels. Rather it was for us human beings\, who follow in the footsteps of Abraham\, and so he had to become one of us in every respect. Only by being totally identified with us could he have the necessary compassion and loyalty to be the high priest who offers the costly gift to God to cancel out all we have done wrong. Because he himself has survived the worst that life can dish out without giving up\, he is now ideally placed to help out those whose limits are being being put to the test. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 2: 13-23 \n \n\n \n \n \n The visit of the mystics from the east had tipped off King Herod about the birth of a potential rival. Before it was too late\, a messenger from the Lord made contact with Joseph in a dream and said\, “Get out of bed\, pack up the family\, and get out of town\, because Herod is about to send out a death squad to hunt down the child. Seek asylum in Egypt and stay there until I say otherwise.” \nSo Joseph hurriedly prepared the child and his mother for the journey. They made their getaway under the cover of night and hit the road for Egypt. They lived there until the death of Herod. It was just as the prophet Hosea had written: \n“I\, the Lord\, have called my son out of Egypt.” \nWhen Herod realised that the visiting mystics had pulled a swifty on him\, he went right off his head. Based on what they had said\, he calculated that the child could not yet be two years old\, so he sent out his death squads with orders to kill every child under the age of two in the district of Bethlehem. It was just as the prophet Jeremiah had said: \n“Hear the noise in the land of Ramah;\ngrief-stricken cries and screams;\nRachel weeping inconsolably\,\nwailing for her children\,\nfor they have been wiped out.” \nSome time later\, when Herod died\, a messenger of the Lord once again appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said\, “The coast is clear. Those who were out to get the child are dead. You can pack up and take him and his mother home to Israel.” \nSo Joseph did just that. He packed up the family and set out for Israel. However\, he was unnerved when the news reached him that Archelaus was now king of Judea\, taking over where his father Herod had left off. His fears were confirmed in a dream\, so they pushed on further north to the region of Galilee\, where they made their home in a town called Nazareth. This too was consistent with the words of the prophets: \n“They will call him the man from Nazareth.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nbecause of all the good things you have done for us\nin your abundant mercy and steadfast love. \nAll things exist for you and through you\,\nfor you called them forth and fixed them in place.\nYou taught your people through the law and prophets\nand became their saviour in all their distress. \nIn your love and concern for us\,\nyou became present among us in your child\, Jesus.\nThough he was hunted at birth\nand forced to flee as a refugee\,\nhe was made perfect through his sufferings\nso that he might be a merciful high priest\,\nfaithfully reconciling your people to you.\nWhen enemies overtook him\,\nin death he destroyed the power of death\,\nand you raised him to new life\,\nfreeing all those whose lives were held in slavery\nby the fear of death. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that in your love and concern for us\,\nyou became present among us in your Son\, Jesus.\nThough he was hunted at birth\nand forced to flee as a refugee\,\nhe was made perfect through his sufferings\nso that he might be a merciful high priest\,\nfaithfully reconciling your people to you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nbecause of all the good things you have done for us\nin your abundant mercy and steadfast love. \nAll things exist for you and through you\,\nfor you called them forth and fixed them in place.\nYou taught your people through the law and prophets\nand became their saviour in all their distress. \nIn your love and concern for us\,\nyou became present among us in your child\, Jesus.\nThough he was hunted at birth\nand forced to flee as a refugee\,\nhe was made perfect through his sufferings\nso that he might be a merciful high priest\,\nfaithfully reconciling your people to you.\nWhen enemies overtook him\,\nin death he destroyed the power of death\,\nand you raised him to new life\,\nfreeing all those whose lives were held in slavery\nby the fear of death. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Through his suffering\, Christ has become our high priest\,\noffering sacrifices to God to atone for our sins.\nIt is his presence that saves us\,\nfor in his love and mercy he redeems us\nand lifts us up. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and give praise for all the Lord has done.\nPut your trust in Christ;\nweep over the world’s grief and suffering\,\nand with Christ\, offer yourselves to God\nfor the healing of the world. \nAnd may God give you strength and glory;\nMay Christ Jesus be proud to call you his brothers and sisters;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lift you up and carry you onward. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Refugee LiberatorA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nChristmas and Murdered ChildrenA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23\, Hebrews 2:10-18 & Isaiah 63:7-9 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nIs Christmas For Children?A sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23& Hebrews 2:10-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Paschal Nativity StoryA sermon on Matthew 2: 13-23 & Hebrews 2: 10-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLamentation at ChristmasA sermon on Matthew 2: 16-18 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a06/2031-12-28/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Christmas1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320104T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320104T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20200726T120716Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260201T003939Z UID:10002999-1956787200-1956873599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:2nd Sunday of Christmas DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Jeremiah 31: 7-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n This is what the LORD has to say: \nSing and celebrate with God’s people.\nRaise the shout for the number one nation.\nBroadcast the news and give due credit\,\nfor I\, the LORD\, have come to save my people\,\nthe few who have remained faithful. \nSee\, I am going to bring them home from across the border.\nI will gather them from the ends of the earth.\nI won’t only bring the strong and agile ones\,\nbut the blind and the crippled\,\nthe one’s who are heavily pregnant\nand those with small children clinging to their ankles.\nI will bring them all back here\,\nthe whole mob of them. \nThere will be floods of tears as they return\,\nbut I will reassure them and lead them home.\nI will make sure there are refreshments available along the route\,\nand that the road is clear and easy to follow\,\nfor I have made these people my own children\,\nand I love them as my one and only. \nListen to what I\, the LORD\, have to say\, you nations of the world\,\nand pass it on across the land and over the seas.\nLet everyone know that the one who scattered Israel\nis gathering them back together\nlike a farmer bringing his flocks in to safety. \nYou see; I\, the LORD\, have bailed out my people.\nI freed them when the odds were stacked against them. \nThey will come and gather here at the city heights\nto sing out loud.\nWhen they see what I have prepared for them\,\nthey won’t be able to wipe the smiles off their faces.\nWhat a feast I will spread before them:\nbreads and wines and every delicacy\,\nthe finest meats\, cooked to perfection.\nAnd it will go on forever!\nLike a well watered garden\,\ntheir lives will go on and on flourishing. \nThey will break out into joyous dancing\,\nmen and women\, young and old\, celebrating together.\nI will replace their grief with a thousand reasons to smile.\nI will comfort them\, and turn their tears to laughter. \nAll of them\, priests and people\, will eat their fill\nand be more than satisfied with what I provide.\nI\, the LORD\, have given my word on this. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Sirach 24: 1-12 (alternative 1st reading) \n \n\n \n \n \n Wisdom outlines her own credentials\,\nand tells her people of her glorious deeds. \nIn front of those assembled by the Most High God\, she speaks freely\,\ntelling God’s gathered crowd of her accomplishments. \n“I was breathed into existence by God Most High\,\nand I covered the earth like a rolling mist. \nI lived at large in the skies\,\nand my throne was in the pillar of cloud. \nI covered the entire universe in my travels\,\nfrom the outer reaches of space to the bowels of the earth. \nI held sway over everything on the planet\,\nfrom the waves of the sea to the peoples and nations. \nEverywhere\, I searched for a place where I would be at home.\nWhose land should should I settle down in? \n“Then the One who created everything gave me an order.\nMy Creator told me where to roll out my swag.\nGod said\, ‘Go and settle in the land of Israel.\nThere you will receive what I have prepared for you.’ \nGod created me at the beginning\, before time began\,\nand I will go on forever\, from age to age. \nI served the Creator in the sacred tent of worship\,\nand took my place in the Temple on Mount Zion. \nGod gave me a place to settle in the beloved city.\nYes\, Jerusalem became my home town. \nI put down roots among an honoured people\,\namong the chosen ones who belong to the Lord. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 147: 12-20 \n \n\n \n \n \n Your chosen city gives you all the glory\, LORD;\nthe people sing your praises from your sacred mountain! \nYou a like a wall of safety around the city\,\nand you see that our children grow up healthy and happy. \nYou give us peace in our own land\,\nand good crops to keep us well fed. \nYou give orders to the earth itself\,\nand your word is quickly acted upon. \nWhen you say “Blazing Sun”\, the shadows shrink to nothing;\nwhen you say “Dry”\, the trees wither to brown. \nWhen you say “Heat”\, everything begins to melt;\nwhen you say “Fire”\, it all goes up in smoke. \nWhen you give the word\, everything greens up again;\nyour breath comes like a cool change;\nthe rains return and the creeks flow once more. \nYou broadcast your message to your people\,\nand spell out the standards of justice you want us to live by. \nIt is a privilege to know your ways\,\nfor not everyone has been given such inside information.\nLORD\, we sing your praises! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Wisdom of Solomon 10: 15-21 (alternative canticle) \n \n\n \n \n \n Lord\, your Holy Spirit of Wisdom\nrescued your dedicated and innocent people\nfrom the nation who had oppressed them. \nShe got inside the heart and mind of your servant\, Moses\,\nand enabled him to stand up to a dangerous king\nwith an awesome display of your power. \nShe rewarded the labour of your dedicated people.\nShe guided them along the best route through the wilderness.\nShe sheltered them from the heat of the sun\,\nand lit up the night sky above them. \nShe got them across the Red Sea\,\nleading them safely through the deep waters. \nBut she drowned their enemies\,\nand the sea spewed up their bodies on the shore. \nAnd so\, the people who were in the right\ncarried off the belongings of those in the wrong.\nThey sang songs in your honour\, Lord\,\nsinging your praises as one\,\nnaming you as their defender. \nIndeed\, Wisdom gave voice to the mute\nand the gift of speech to newborn infants\,\nso that all could join in singing your praises. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Ephesians 1: 3-14 \n \n\n \n \n \n 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.\n   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.\n   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.\n    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. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n John 1: (1-9)\, 10-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n At the very start\, there was one who is called the Word.\nThe Word was with God\,\nand the Word was God.\nFrom day one\, God and the Word were inseparable. \nIt was through the Word that everything was created.\nThere is absolutely nothing that doesn’t owe its existence to him. \nIn the Word was life.\nHe is the source of the life\nthat turns on the lights for everyone.\nThe light of his life breaks open the darkness\,\nand the darkness could not snuff it out. \nOnce there was a man on a mission from God;\nhis name was John.\nJohn gave a first-hand report about the light\,\nspelling it out so that everyone could believe.\nHe wasn’t the light\, himself\,\nbut he made it his job to draw everyone’s attention to the light. \nThe real light was on his way into the world;\nthe light that lights up inside of everyone. \nHe was in the world\nbut the world didn’t even notice him\neven though it owed its existence to him. \nHe turned up on his own planet\, among those he created\,\nbut his own people turned their backs on him. \nSome people accepted him\, though\,\nand put their trust in who he said he was\nand what he said he was on about.\nHe gave to those people all they needed\nto become children of God.\nBecoming God’s children had nothing to do\nwith sperm and egg\,\nor three-stage labour;\nthey became God’s children\nwhen they were born of God. \nThe Word\, though\, was born flesh and blood like everyone else.\nHe cast in his lot with us\nand rolled out his swag in our midst.\nWe have seen him in all his glory\,\nlike father\, like son;\nwarm and generous to a fault\,\nsolid and true to the core. \nJohn was blowing his trumpet the minute he turned up:\n“This is the one I was telling you about\,” he said.\n“Second to me only by the clock:\nhe’s way out of my league – always was\, always will be.” \nWe are the beneficiaries of his open-handed love;\nfrom the depths of his being\nthe gifts tumble forth in wild profusion. \nMoses gave us some basic operating instructions\,\nbut it was through Jesus Christ that life broke through\nin all its richness\, passion and integrity. \nNo one has ever found out what God looks like\,\nbut that’s no obstacle to getting to know God.\nThe one who is closest to God’s heart\,\nthe one and only Son\,\nhas put God within reach of us all. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have freely bestowed your glorious grace on us. \nIn the beginning you brought all things into being\nthrough the Word who was with you\,\nand destined us for adoption as your children\,\nmaking known the mysteries of your will\,\nthrough the law and prophets. \nIn Jesus\, your Word became flesh among us\,\nthat the fullness of your grace and truth\nmight enlighten the world.\nThough he came to what was his own\,\nhis own people did not accept him\,\nbut crucified him.\nYou redeemed him from the strong hands of death\,\nand turned our grieving into joy.\nSo now\, as those you have marked with your Holy Spirit\,\nwe live for the praise of your glory\,\nour lives like a well nourished garden\nand our hearts radiant over your good gifts of bread and wine. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give thanks for your glorious grace\, O God\,\nfor through your beloved Son\,\nyou have given us power to become your children\,\nand marked us with the seal of your Holy Spirit\,\nso that we might live for the praise of your glory. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have freely bestowed your glorious grace on us. \nIn the beginning you brought all things into being\nthrough the Word who was with you\,\nand destined us for adoption as your children\,\nmaking known the mysteries of your will\,\nthrough the law and prophets. \nIn Jesus\, your Word became flesh among us\,\nthat the fullness of your grace and truth\nmight enlighten the world.\nThough he came to what was his own\,\nhis own people did not accept him\,\nbut crucified him.\nYou redeemed him from the strong hands of death\,\nand turned our grieving into joy.\nSo now\, as those you have marked with your Holy Spirit\,\nwe live for the praise of your glory\,\nour lives like a well nourished garden\nand our hearts radiant over your good gifts. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n From the fullness of Christ\nwe have received redemption through his blood.\nOur sins are forgiven\naccording to the riches of his grace lavished upon us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now\, and bear witness to the light so others might believe.\nSince you are chosen in Christ\,\n    live before him in love\, holy and blameless.\nLive with hope in Christ\, for the praise of his glory. \nAnd may God fill the earth with peace;\nMay Christ give you grace upon grace from his fullness;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit\, the pledge of your inheritance\,\nlead you on straight paths where you will not stumble. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nBecoming FleshA sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1:1-18 by  Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhere did he come from?A sermon on John 1: 1-18 by  Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBecoming Flesh\, Becoming GodA sermon on John 1:1-18 & Ephesians 1: 3-14 by  Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Christmas TsunamiA sermon preached in response to the South Asia Tsunami disaster by  Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Baby Who Brings Us HomeA sermon on Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1: 1-18 by  Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGod gives us a futureA sermon on John 1:1-18 and Jeremiah 31:7-14 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nGod’s economy of salvationA sermon on Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1: 1-18 by Jeff Wild URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc09/2032-01-04/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Christmas2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320111T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320111T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230130T024201Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260208T003640Z UID:10003000-1957392000-1957478399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 42:1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n The Lord says: \nLet me introduce to you the one who serves me\,\nthe one I am backing all the way.\nI have chosen him\,\nand I am bursting with pride over him.\nI have given him my spirit in full measure\,\nand he will bring about justice everywhere on earth. \nHe won’t go thrusting himself into the public eye\,\nor grandstanding in the street with pompous speeches.\nHe won’t exploit the vulnerability of damaged people\,\nor squeeze the last drops out of those who are running on empty.\nHe will be completely fair dinkum\nabout making justice a reality. \nHe will not run out of steam or throw in the towel\nuntil his mission is accomplished;\nuntil justice holds sway everywhere on earth\nand the world’s peoples are eager to learn from him. \nI am the one who created the universe\nand stretched out the skies;\nthe one who constructed the earth\nand produced everything that grows from it;\nthe one who breathes life into the world’s people\nand kindles the spark of life within them;\nI am the LORD your God;\nso listen to what I have to say: \nI\, the LORD\, have called you to stand for what is right.\nI have put my arm around you and kept you safe.\nI have made you a shining light for all the earth to see\,\nto draw all people everywhere\ninto a permanent alliance with me.\nI have given you a privileged role\nas the one who enables the blind to see the light;\nthe one who opens the gates of the stifling detention centres\nand welcomes the prisoners into the fresh air of freedom. \nI am the LORD\, that is my name;\nI don’t allow pretenders to cash in on my glory\nor rip off my image to promote their frauds. \nTake note: everything I warned you about has happened on cue.\nNow I am announcing my new projects;\nI’m letting you in on them even before they get started. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 29 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD God\, like your angels in heaven\nwe speak of you in glowing terms\,\nfor your glory and strength deserve rave reviews.\nWe give you a huge rap\, LORD;\nwe put up you name in lights\nand hold a huge ticker tape parade\nbut it still falls short of the worship you deserve. \nYour voice\, LORD\, rings out like thunder;\nresounding over the waters\,\ndrowning out even the waves of the sea.\nYour voice echoes with power;\nit would bring anyone to their knees. \nYour voice\, LORD\, shatters the Ironbark tree\,\nand splinters the Mountain Ash like match sticks.\nYour presence makes Mount Bogong jump like a calf;\nUluru like a rock wallaby. \nYour voice\, LORD\, strikes fire from stone.\nThe sound of your voice convulses the wilderness;\nthe Simpson Desert shudders in labour. \nYour voice\, LORD\, is like a cyclone\,\nhowling through a rainforest\,\nstripping the leaves from the trees. \nWe all gather to worship and cheer with all our might;\nfor you rule forever\, LORD\,\nand neither surging flood\nnor tidal wave can undermine you.\nGive strength to your people\, LORD!\nBless your people with peace! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Acts 10: 34-43 \n \n\n \n \n \n Peter addressed the gathered people saying: \n“Now it is all perfectly clear to me — God does not play favourites! Whoever you are and wherever you are from\, if you take God seriously and do the right thing\, God will welcome you with open arms! Jesus the Messiah preached God’s message about a peace deal to the people of Israel\, but clearly it did not stop with them — he is Lord of all! No doubt you have heard the news about Jesus of Nazareth\, because since it sparked off in Galilee\, it has spread like wildfire all over Judea. The story began after John started calling everyone to turn their lives around through baptism. God singled Jesus out then and there\, charging him with the Holy Spirit’s power. From then on\, Jesus travelled around working for good and helping people out from under the devil’s thumb and back onto their feet. God was with him in all this. We saw it all ourselves; everything he did in the Judean backblocks and in the city of Jerusalem. They strung him up on a post and killed him\, but three days later God raised him to life and let us see him. Not everybody got to see him\, but God had picked us out to be the ones who would know first hand what had happened. We got to spend time sharing meals and a few drinks with him after he was brought back from the dead. He gave us the job of getting his message out to the people and going public with the fact that he is the one who God has appointed to make the final assessment of everybody on earth\, past and present. You don’t have to take our word alone on this; all the prophets back us up. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus receives pardon for their sins on his say so.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 3: 13-17 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He presented himself to John and asked to be baptised. At first John wouldn’t have a bar of it\, saying\, “You’ve got it all back to front. It is me that needs to be baptised by you.” \nBut Jesus insisted\, saying\, “For now\, it is the right thing to do. Baptise me\, for it is good for us to do everything that God asks of anyone. \nSo John gave in and baptised Jesus. As he came up from the water\, he saw the sky suddenly opening up and the Spirit of God coming down like a diving kookaburra and taking hold of him. And a voice filled the air\, saying\, “You are my Son; the love of my life. You fill me with pride.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you and through you all righteousness is fulfilled. \nWhen your voice first thundered over the seas\nyou created the heavens and spread out the earth.\nYou breathed the Spirit of life into us\nand called your people to be a light to the nations. \nWhen the time came to declare new things among us\nyou gave us your servant\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyour chosen one in whom you are well pleased.\nYou anointed him with Holy Spirit and with power\nand sent him to open eyes long blind\nand to release those imprisoned in darkness.\nWhen he was put to death\,\nyou raised him on the third day\,\nmaking the earth shudder with the birth pains of new life\,\nand raising with him all those who have died with him\nin the waters of baptism. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for Jesus Christ\,\nyour chosen in whom you are well pleased\,\nwhom you anointed him with Holy Spirit\nand raised from the dead\,\nmaking the earth shudder with the birth pains of new life\,\nand raising with him all who have died with him\nin the waters of baptism. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor in you and through you all righteousness is fulfilled. \nWhen your voice first thundered over the seas\nyou created the heavens and spread out the earth.\nYou breathed the Spirit of life into us\nand called your people to be a light to the nations. \nWhen the time came to declare new things among us\nyou gave us your servant\, Jesus the Christ\,\nyour chosen one in whom you are well pleased.\nYou anointed him with Holy Spirit and with power\nand sent him to open eyes long blind\nand to release those imprisoned in darkness.\nWhen he was put to death\,\nyou raised him on the third day\,\nmaking the earth shudder with the birth pains of new life\,\nand raising with him all those who have died with him\nin the waters of baptism. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n All the prophets testify about Jesus Christ\nthat everyone who believes in him\nreceives forgiveness of sins through his name. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now as a light to the nations.\nHonour the Lord;\npreach what you know of the risen Christ\,\nand fulfil all righteousness. \nAnd may God strengthen you and bless you with peace;\nMay Christ Jesus bring forth justice for you and among you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit alight on you\nand affirm you as God’s beloved ones. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhy are we Baptised?A sermon on Matthew 3: 13-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRepenting Like JesusA sermon on Acts 10:34-43 & Matthew 3: 13-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDo We Really Want Baptism?A sermon on the Baptism of Jesus by Margie Dahl\n\n\n\nBaptised: for better or for worseA sermon on Matthew 3: 13-17 & Isaiah 42: 1-9 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a11/2032-01-11/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320118T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320118T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230206T002508Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260214T233542Z UID:10003001-1957996800-1958083199@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:2nd Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 49: 1-7 \n \n\n \n \n \n Everyone\, from coast to coast\, listen up!\nAll you people\, far and near\, don’t miss a word. \nBefore I was born\, the LORD had chosen me.\nWhile I was still in my mother’s womb\nI was given a name and a job. \nI was created to be a surgeon’s knife\,\nrazor sharp in the hand of the LORD;\nready and waiting to slice through any defence\nand cut to the core with a word. \nThe LORD said to me\, “Israel\, you are my servant\,\nthe one who will put my name up in lights.” \nBut I said\, “Then how come every thing I do comes to nothing?\nI’ve worked my guts out but there is nothing to show for it.\nBut I gave it my best shot for you LORD\,\nso you decide whether I’m worth my pay.” \nAnd now the LORD has more to say to me;\nthis God who chose me as a servant before I was born;\nwho gave me the job of bringing home the people of Israel\nfor a great reunion with God.\nIt is a privilege and an honour to do this for the LORD\,\nand God has given me the strength to see it through. \nBut now the LORD says to me\,\n“Getting the people of Israel back on their feet is great\,\nbut it’s a piece of cake for my number one worker.\nNow I’ve got a real challenge for you!\nI want you to help the whole world to see the light!\nI want you to give my saving love a global reach!” \nI\, the LORD\, the one and only\, who puts things right for Israel\,\nhave this to say:\n“You have been treated like dirt.\nkicked around by the nations\,\nand forced to work in chains for their rulers;\nbut let me tell you how it is going to be:\nKings will stand up when you walk in;\nGovernors will snap to attention at your approach.\nYou have my word on this and I can be trusted;\nI am the LORD\, your one and only\, and I have chosen you.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 40: 1-11 \n \n\n \n \n \n I hung in there waiting for you\, LORD\,\nand at last you bent down and heard my cry. \nI was in deep trouble\,\nbogged up to my ears and sinking fast\,\nbut you pulled me out.\nYou put me back on solid ground;\ngave me a safe place to stand. \nYou gave me something to sing about\, God;\nI’m singing your praises like I’ve never sung before. \nEveryone will be amazed at the change;\nthey’ll say\, “Only God could have done that!” \nThose who put all their eggs in your basket\nhave got it made\, LORD;\nthose who do not devote themselves to anything less\,\nno matter how popular or persuasive it is. \nYou are in a league of your own\, LORD God;\nnothing and no one comes within a bull’s roar of you!\nI can’t keep track of all the amazing things you’ve done\nor all the generous plans you’ve made for us.\nI could talk about them till the cows came home\nand still have barely scratched the surface. \nYou are not looking for gifts from us\, LORD;\nnothing we own is any use to you;\nYour generosity and mercy are not for sale;\nbut you have given us ears and asked us to listen. \nSo I am giving you my “Yes!”\nI’ll make your book my own and live by it.\nDoing what pleases you will be my greatest delight\,\nfor you are my God and I’m taking your ways to heart. \nWhen all your people gathered\,\nI spoke up about how you had bailed me out.\nI gave them the full story; I left nothing out;\nyou know this is true\, LORD. \nI have made no secret of the help you gave me;\nI have put it all out in the open.\nI have told everyone how you saved my life\nand how we can trust you completely.\nI have put it all on the public record\nand kept nothing to myself\nabout your rock-solid love or dependability. \nBe my mother forever\, LORD;\nnever running out of tenderness or compassion;\nyour loyalty fierce and your love unshakable;\nprotecting me and keeping me safe. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, Paul\, was chosen by God and called to be a special ambassador of the Messiah Jesus\, and one of my partners here in this work is Sosthenes. \nWe write to you who gather as God’s church in the city of Corinth — you who are being made whole in union with the Messiah Jesus. You have responded to the call to be God’s own people\, together with everyone everywhere who actively identifies themselves with Jesus the Messiah; our Lord; their Lord; your Lord. \nWe greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace\, given through the Lord Jesus\, the Messiah. \nI am forever thanking my God for you\, especially when I think about what God’s extravagant generosity has brought about in you since you entered into the life of Jesus the Messiah. Since you linked up with him your lives have become so much richer in every way; but most notable is the richness of your knowledge and of the things you have to say. Indeed\, the truth about the Messiah has become more and more strongly a part of who you are\, and of all you have to offer. Now\, it seems\, you are not short of anything. All the spiritual gifts are in action among you as you live in eager expectation of the grand finale when our Lord Jesus the Messiah takes centre stage. God is with you and will make you tough enough to hold the line until the end\, so that you can stand with your heads held high on the great day when our Lord Jesus brings everything to completion. Jesus is the Messiah\, our Lord\, and God’s Son; and it was into his shared life that you were called by God\, who is worthy of all our trust\, and who will never let you down. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n John 1: 29-42 \n \n\n \n \n \n One day\, while John was preaching and baptising\, he saw Jesus coming towards him. Pointing him out to the people\, he cried out: \n“Here he is; God’s own sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I was talking about when I said that after me would come one who is way out of my league because he was ‘number one’ before I was even on the scene. I didn’t know him personally; but I did know that the whole point of my job – baptising people in water – was to get the people of Israel ready for his arrival on centre stage. \n“With my own eyes I saw the Spirit swoop down from the sky like a kookaburra\, settling on him and sticking with him. I would not have known him myself\, but the One who sent me out here to baptise with water told me that when I saw the Spirit swoop down and stick with someone\, that would be the one who baptises with Holy Spirit. That’s what I heard; that’s what I saw; and so that’s what I’ve told you\, under oath: this is the One\, the Son of God.” \nThe next day\, John was back on the job with two of his followers. Seeing Jesus walk past\, he spoke up again\, saying\, “Look! There he is; God’s own sacrificial lamb!” \nHearing this\, his two followers got up and took off after Jesus. When Jesus realised that he was being followed\, he turned around and asked them\, “What are you looking for?” \nThey responded\, “Where do you live\, Rabbi?” (‘Rabbi’ is the Hebrew word for ‘Teacher’). \nJesus replied\, “Come and see for yourselves.” \nSo they went with him and saw where he was staying. Since it was already about four in the afternoon\, they spent the rest of the day with him. One of the two who had followed him after hearing what John said about him\, was a man named Andrew\, the brother of Simon Peter. The first thing he did after spending this time with Jesus was to go and find his brother. He said to Simon\, “We have found the Messiah!” (The Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ means ‘the anointed one’ – the same as the Greek word ‘Christ’). \nHe took Simon to meet Jesus. Jesus took one look at him and said\, “So you are Simon\, the Son of John. Well\, from now on you will become known as Peter\, which means ‘solid rock’.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you alone are the Holy One\,\nthe great redeemer of your people. \nFrom the womb of chaos you pulled a newborn earth.\nEven before they were born you called your people by name\nto be a light to the nations\,\nsurrounding them with your maternal love\nand hiding them from danger. \nYou have revealed to us your chosen servant\n— the one in whom you are glorified —\nyour child and our Lord\, Jesus the Messiah.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him to new life\,\nand through him you have taken away the sin of the world.\nBy your grace\, all who call on his name\nare baptised with your Holy Spirit\nand enriched with every spiritual gift\nas we await the day when his glory\nwill be revealed as the light of salvation to all nations. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for your Son\, Jesus the Messiah\,\nthrough whom you have taken away the sin of the world.\nBy your grace\, all who call on his name\nare baptised with your Holy Spirit\nand enriched with every spiritual gift\nas we await the day when his glory\nwill be revealed as the light of salvation to all nations. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you alone are the Holy One\,\nthe great redeemer of your people. \nFrom the womb of chaos you pulled a newborn earth.\nEven before they were born you called your people by name\nto be a light to the nations\,\nsurrounding them with your maternal love\nand hiding them from danger. \nYou have revealed to us your chosen servant\n— the one in whom you are glorified —\nyour child and our Lord\, Jesus the Messiah.\nWhen he was killed\, you raised him to new life\,\nand through him you have taken away the sin of the world.\nBy your grace\, all who call on his name\nare baptised with your Holy Spirit\nand enriched with every spiritual gift\nas we await the day when his glory\nwill be revealed as the light of salvation to all nations. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus Christ is the lamb of God\nwho takes away the sin of the world.\nHis grace will strengthen us to the end\nso that we may be blameless\non the day of his glory. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and celebrate God’s justice.\nTake the Lord’s teachings to heart\nand commit yourselves to pleasing God.\nBoldly declare God’s truth and care\nand let others know that you have found the Messiah. \nAnd may God’s maternal love surround you;\nMay Christ Jesus move you to trust in the Lord;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit enrich you with all spiritual gifts \n    and strengthen you to the end. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nI will give you as a light to the nationsA sermon on Isaiah 49. 1-7\, Psalm 40. 1-11 & John 1. 29-42 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nThe promotionA sermon on Isaiah 49. 1-7 by Jude Waldron\n\n\n\nLamb of GodA sermon on John 1. 29-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n“Jesus Christ the Lamb of God”A sermon on John 1. 29-42 by John Fowler\n\n\n\nCome and See Where You BelongA sermon on John 1. 29-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCome and See\, Listen and LearnA sermon on Isaiah 49. 1-7\, Psalm 40. 1-11 & John 1. 29-42 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a12/2032-01-18/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/12.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320125T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320125T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230213T010307Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260222T125622Z UID:10003002-1958601600-1958687999@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:3rd Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 9: 1-4 \n \n\n \n \n \n The day is coming when those who were in agony will be free of all suffering. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali have long been regarded with contempt\, but in the future everyone will want to be there. The land from the Mediterranean to the other side of the Jordan will be the most sought after real estate. That will even be true of Galilee where the foreigners live. \nThe people who lived in a dark cloud of gloom\nhave seen a great light break through;\nthose in the blackest hell-holes\nhave seen their whole world light up. \nLORD\, you have built up the nation\,\nand given them every reason to celebrate.\nThe people revel in it all\,\nlike farmers when a drought breaks;\nlike children opening presents. \nFinally they are out from under the thumb\nof those who oppressed them.\nYou have broken their chains\nand run the slave drivers out of town\,\njust as you did in days long ago. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 27: 1\, 4-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n Your light leads me to safety\, LORD;\nI’ve got nothing to fear.\nYou shelter me like a fortress\, LORD;\nI’m afraid of no one! \nOnly one thing I ask of you\, LORD\,\nthe one thing that really matters:\nlet me live out the whole of my life\nright here in your presence;\nlet me lose myself in your beauty\,\nand abandon myself to prayer. \nLet me hide here in safety with you\,\nwhen trouble gets too much;\nYou are as secure as a bomb shelter\,\na protected place to rest and recover. \nYou have lifted me beyond the reach\nof those who wanted to tear me down\,\nso I am here to express my thanks\,\nto offer you whatever I can give;\nto sing your praises till I raise the roof\,\nto put on a concert in your honour. \nDon’t ever stop being generous\, LORD;\nhear me and answer me when I call for help! \nMy heart tells me to search for you.\nPlease don’t stay hidden from me.\nMy desire is to know you\, face to face. \nDon’t slam the door on me in anger;\nHelp me again and I’ll go on serving you.\nDon’t give up on me now\,\ndon’t turn your back on me;\nYou alone can save me\, God! \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 1: 10-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n Sisters and brothers\, let me give this to you straight\, on the authority of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Get your act together and start working as a united team instead of breaking up into rival factions. Get your heads together and forge a common life around the shared vision and purpose. I’ve been hearing reports on the grapevine that you are all at each other’s throats! Chloe’s people have filled me in on the details about how you have been dividing up over your allegiance to various Christian leaders. Some of you make a big deal about being on side with me. Others jump up and down about belonging to Apollos. Others claim Peter. And still others try to trump you all by claiming they answer to no one but the Messiah himself. What is this?! Has the Messiah been carved up so that you can belong to just one bit or another? Was I\, Paul\, crucified for you? Were you baptised in my name? I didn’t baptise any of you except Crispus and Gaius\, and the way you are carrying on\, I thank God I didn’t. At least none of you can go claiming to have been baptised in my name! Come to think of it\, I did baptise Stephanas and his tribe\, didn’t I? But so far as I can remember I didn’t baptise anybody else. You see\, the Messiah did not send me to rack up the baptism stats\, but to broadcast his message. And he didn’t send me to turn his message into some highfalutin philosophy either. The Messiah’s cross is such a powerful statement; it certainly doesn’t need me or anybody else reducing it to a flaccid flow of fancy words. The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 4: 12-23 \n \n\n \n \n \n When Jesus heard that John the baptiser had been locked up\, he shot through\, back to Galilee. Rather than settle back in Nazareth where he had grown up\, he made his home in Capernaum\, a coastal town at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This shed new light on what the prophet Isaiah had said: \nLand of Zebulun\, land of Naphtali\,\non the other side of the Jordan\,\non the road to the sea;\nGalilee where the foreigners live. \nThe people who lived in a dark cloud of gloom\nhave seen a great light break through.\nThose in the blackest hell-hole\nhave seen their whole world light up. \nFrom then on Jesus got stuck into preaching. This was the guts of his message: \n“Turn your lives around!\nThe culture of heaven is close at hand.” \nOne day\, as he was walking along the beach at Lake Galilee\, he came across two brothers: Simon\, who is known as Peter\, and Andrew his brother. They were setting nets in the water\, because they made their living from fishing. Jesus called to them and said\, “Come with me\, and I’ll have you bringing in people\, not fish.” \nRight then and there\, they gave the fishing away and followed Jesus. \nAs he moved on\, he came across another pair of brothers: James and John\, the sons of Zebedee. They were on board their boat with their father\, repairing their fishing tackle. Jesus called them\, and straight away they left the boat and their old man and set off with Jesus. \nJesus toured all around Galilee\, making speeches in the synagogues and spreading the good news about God’s reign. He also healed people of every kind of sickness and chronic disorder. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nand to bring to you a joyful sacrifice\,\nan offering of prayer in your temple. \nAt the dawn of creation\nyou were the light that split open the darkness\nand brought all things into being.\nYou called a people to live in your presence\nand walk in the light of your law and prophets. \nIn Jesus the Christ you have proclaimed to us\nthe good news of the nearness of heaven\nand called us to repent\nand to follow him as disciples.\nHe was killed but you raised him to new life\,\nand although his cross is derided as foolishness\,\nto us who are being saved it is your power at work\,\nbreaking the grip of our oppressors\,\nteaching us your truth\,\nhealing our sicknesses\,\nincreasing our joy\nand leading us home to your house of prayer. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for the cross of your son\, Jesus\,\nfor to us who are being saved it is your power at work\,\nteaching us truth\,\nhealing our sicknesses\,\nincreasing our joy\nand leading us home to your house of prayer. \n©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nand to bring to you a joyful sacrifice\,\nan offering of prayer in your temple. \nAt the dawn of creation\nyou were the light that split open the darkness\nand brought all things into being.\nYou called a people to live in your presence\nand walk in the light of your law and prophets. \nIn Jesus the Christ you have proclaimed to us\nthe good news of the nearness of heaven\nand called us to repent\nand to follow him as disciples.\nHe was killed but you raised him to new life\,\nand although his cross is derided as foolishness\,\nto us who are being saved it is your power at work\,\nbreaking the grip of our oppressors\,\nteaching us your truth\,\nhealing our sicknesses\,\nincreasing our joy\nand leading us home to your house of prayer. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n The message of the cross is the power of God\nto us who are being saved.\nThe Lord is our saving light\,\nthere is nothing we need fear. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go out in response to the voice of God who calls you.\nGo out to proclaim the message of repentance\,\nfor the Kingdom of heaven is near.\nGo out united in purpose\nand do not be afraid when your purpose is called foolishness. \nAnd may God be a sheltering tent above you\n    and a firm rock below;\nMay the foolishness of Christ Jesus be your wisdom;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit be the light\n    that overcomes your darkness and sets you free. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nDon’t get too clever about itA sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Way Less TakenA sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nThis Foolishness is our only HopeA sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 & Matthew 4: 12-23 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAnyone for Fishing?A sermon on Matthew 4:12-23; Isaiah 9:1-4 & 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRepent! Change Everything!A sermon on Matthew 4: 12-23 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a13/2032-01-25/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/13.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320201T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320201T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230221T002604Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260301T050409Z UID:10003004-1959206400-1959292799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:4th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Micah 6: 1-8 \n \n\n \n \n \n Open your ears\, for this is what the LORD has to say: \nIf you have got a complaint\, stand up and let it be heard.\nLet the mountains and hills be your witnesses. \nFor I am calling on the mountains to hear my dispute.\nI am calling on the earth itself\nto take my complaint to heart.\nFor I\, the LORD\, have a dispute to settle with my people\,\nand I will have it out with you\, my chosen ones. \nWhen have I ever done the wrong thing by you\, my people?\nWhat have I done to make you sick of me?\nAnswer me that! \nI was the one who got you out of the land where you were slaves;\nbroke you free and put you back where you belonged.\nI was the one who provided you with good leaders:\nMoses\, Aaron\, and Miriam. \nAnd don’t forget\nhow King Balak of Moab conspired to curse you\,\nand how it backfired on him\nwhen he gave the job to Balaam.\nAnd don’t forget\, my people\,\nhow you got from one side of the great river to the other.\nKeep in mind all that I\, the LORD\, have done;\nall the actions I have taken to get you to safety. \nHaving been reminded of all this\,\nhow can we express our thanks to the LORD?\nIs there anything we could ever give\nthat would be worthy of our God? \nShould we offer our most treasured possessions\nas a sacrifice on God’s altar?\nWould the LORD like us to sacrifice a year’s wages\,\nor even hand over everything we own?\nShould we sacrifice our children to pay the price;\nour own flesh and blood for the sin deep within us? \nCome on people! God has told us what is good.\nWe know what the LORD wants from us: \nTo make sure everybody gets a fair go;\nTo be passionate about caring for others;\nAnd to stay on track with God without getting full of ourselves. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 15 \n \n\n \n \n \n LORD\, who is welcome at your table?\nWho can stay in the place you call your own? \nYou have given us the answer\, LORD.\nIt is those who walk with integrity\nand do the right thing;\nthose who speak the honest truth\nand do not use their words to wound;\nthose who do not exploit their friends\nor put down their neighbours.\nIt is those who hate corruption\nand look up to those who honour you\, LORD;\nthose who give their word\nand stand by it even if it costs them;\nthose who lend freely\, without seeking a profit\,\nand cannot be bribed into shafting the innocent. \nYou honour such people\, LORD\,\nand anchor them on unshakable ground. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31 \n \n\n \n \n \n The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! When it’s all said and done\, the sum total of the human race’s intellectual achievements don’t even begin to stack up against the foolishness of God; and the combined force of all the world’s powers is puny in comparison to the weakness of God. \nSisters and brothers\, you don’t have to look any further than your own experience of God’s call to see the truth of this. Not many of you were academic hot-shots. Not many of you were movers and shakers in the corridors of power. Not many of you were feted as celebrities. But God chose you! God chose those who were dismissed as fools to expose the bankruptcy of the world’s accepted wisdom. God chose those who were weak and vulnerable in the world to show up the corruption of those who wield power. God consistently chooses what is despised as the dregs by the world\, things which are seen as worthless\, to expose the worthlessness of things which are seen as being ‘it and a bit’. Because of this\, no one who is accepted into God’s presence has any grounds for blowing their own trumpet. God and God alone is the source of the life you share in union with the Messiah\, Jesus. It is only in Jesus that we have been able to tap into God’s wisdom. And it is only in Jesus that our lives have been put back on track\, given a clean bill of health\, and set on the path to wholeness. For this reason\, the scriptures make sense to us when they say: \n“If you are going to blow your trumpet about something\,\nblow it about the Lord!” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 5: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus found himself increasingly surrounded by crowds of people\, so one day he headed off up the mountain. He sat down up there and his committed followers gathered around to hear what he had to say. This is what he taught them: \n“Those who depend entirely on God for their welfare\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they are already at home in the culture of heaven. \n“Those who are stricken with grief\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will receive the ultimate comfort. \n“Those who allow others to have first claim on everything\nhave got it made\,\nbecause the whole world will be given to them. \n“Those who hunger and thirst to see the world put right\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be richly satisfied. \n“Those who readily treat others better than they deserve\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be treated with extravagant mercy. \n“Those whose hearts are unpolluted\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will see God. \n“Those who forge peace and reconciliation in places of hostility\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they will be known as God’s own children. \n“Those who are attacked and abused for sticking to what is right\nhave got it made\,\nbecause they are already at home in the culture of heaven. \n“When people turn on you\nand do all they can to make your life a misery;\nwhen they make false allegations about you\nand drag your name through the mud\,\nall because of your association with me\,\nyou have really got it made!\nKick up your heels and party\,\nbecause heaven is coming\nand you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!\nYou are in great company\,\nbecause they were just as vicious\nto God’s faithful messengers in the past. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have always shown us\nwhat is good and what you require of us. \nYou laid the foundations of the earth\,\nand the mountains and hills witness to your justice.\nYou redeemed your people from the house of slavery\nand called us to remember your saving acts\,\nthat we might know your ways\nand live our lives in justice\, kindness and humility. \nWhen our own wisdom and discernment\nfailed to bring us near to you\,\nyou chose what was foolish\, weak and despised in our eyes\nto break the grip of human wisdom and strength:\nChrist Jesus our Lord\,\nand him crucified.\nRaised to new life\,\nhe has made known to us what the wise never guessed\,\nthat you honour not what the world seeks\nbut those who walk with you the way of the cross. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks that through what was foolish\, weak and despised\n— Christ Jesus our Lord\, and him crucified —\nyou broke the grip of human wisdom and strength\,\nhonouring not what the world seeks\nbut those who walk with you the way of the cross. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you have always shown us\nwhat is good and what you require of us. \nYou laid the foundations of the earth\,\nand the mountains and hills witness to your justice.\nYou redeemed your people from the house of slavery\nand called us to remember your saving acts\,\nthat we might know your ways\nand live our lives in justice\, kindness and humility. \nWhen our own wisdom and discernment\nfailed to bring us near to you\,\nyou chose what was foolish\, weak and despised in our eyes\nto break the grip of human wisdom and strength:\nChrist Jesus our Lord\,\nand him crucified.\nRaised to new life\,\nhe has made known to us what the wise never guessed\,\nthat you honour not what the world seeks\nbut those who walk with you the way of the cross. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n God decided\, through a message considered foolish\,\nto save those who believe.\nThrough our life in Christ Jesus\,\nwe have been put right with God\,\nand set free to be God’s holy people. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go out into the world.\nWalk with integrity.\nDo only what is right.\nSpeak the truth with courage. \nAnd may God reward your mercy with divine mercy;\nMay Christ Jesus allow you to see God;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you into righteousness and peace\n    and fill you with all the blessings of God’s children. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nTrusting a stupid weak failureA sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGodly Living – Why Bother?A sermon on Micah 6: 1-8; Psalm 15; Matthew 5: 1-12 & 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBlessed are those with lots to learnA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 & 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Be-Jesus-like AttitudesA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBloody SacrificesA sermon on Micah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 & Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRe-imagining the Kingdom in the time of Global TraumaA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Francesca Nuzzolese\n\n\n\nBlessed and BlessingA sermon on Matthew 5:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a14/2032-02-01/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/14.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320208T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320208T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20210616T090325Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260315T042210Z UID:10003008-1959811200-1959897599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Transfiguration Sunday (Last Sunday before Lent) - Year A DESCRIPTION:Churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday may prefer to use the resources for the 6th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent. \n\n\n\nBelow you will find the Bible readings set for Transfiguration Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Exodus 24: 12-18 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD said to Moses\, “Come up onto the mountain and wait for me there; and I will give you the two slabs of stone on which I have written the instructions for how my people are to live.” \nSo Moses and his right-hand-man\, Joshua\, set out for the mountain to meet with God. Before going up the mountain\, Moses called together the tribal leaders and said\, “Stay put here until we get back. I’m leaving Aaron and Hur in charge. You can ask them to sort out any problems that occur while we are away.” \nThen Moses began his climb up Mount Sinai\, and cloud engulfed the mountain. The mountain top lit up with the glorious presence of the LORD. To the Israelite people watching from below\, it looked like a raging bushfire and the whole mountain was engulfed in thick cloud for six days. On the seventh day\, the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. Moses went into the cloud and right up onto the top of the mountain. He stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 2 \n \n\n \n \n \n Why do the nations conspire against you\, LORD?\nWhy do the peoples plot rebellion? \nWhy do the world’s power brokers thump their chests\,\nand the war lords put their heads together\,\nplotting against you and your chosen one? \nThey say:\n“Let us join forces to sever ties with God.\nLet’s throw off these chains and declare our independence.” \nYou must be laughing as you sit high above\, LORD.\nThey must look like a pathetic joke to you. \nYou will vent your terrifying anger on them\,\nand give them a piece of your mind\, saying\,\n“I\, the LORD\, have put my king on the throne\non Zion\, my sacred mountain.” \nWe know well what you promised\, LORD.\nYou said to your chosen one:\n“You are my son;\ntoday I have brought you forth.” \nYou give to your chosen one whatever he asks;\nnations\, land and sea\, the earth itself. \nThey are all his to do with as he sees fit;\nhe can smash them to pieces if he so desires. \nSo the power brokers would be well advised to serve you\, LORD;\nthe rulers would do well to heed the warning\nand kiss your feet with fear and trembling. \nIf they don’t your anger will blaze forth and incinerate them\,\nfor you easily lose your temper with corrupt leaders. \nBut those who trust you for shelter\, LORD\,\nwill always be glad they did. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n OR Psalm 99 \n \n\n \n \n \n You\, LORD\, rule over everything!\nEnthroned in glory\, surrounded by awesome creatures\,\nyour presence sends shivers down our spines\nand makes even the earth tremble and quake! \nLORD\, your greatness is celebrated in Zion\,\nand in every nation you are number one.\nAt the mere mention of your name\,\npeople everywhere burst into praise\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nRuling in strength; loving justice with a passion;\nyou have seen to it that everyone gets a fair go.\nYou have laid down the law\nso that your people will do what is right. \nWe fall at your feet and sing your praises\, O LORD our God\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \nMoses and Aaron served you as priests\,\nSamuel was another who reached out to you.\nThey cried out to you on the world’s behalf\,\nand from the awesome cloud you answered them. \nThey stuck to what you had told them\, LORD\,\nand did whatever you asked of them.\nWhen they did wrong you set them straight\,\nin no uncertain terms;\nbut you forgave them\, LORD\,\nand never failed to answer them. \nWe sing your praises\, O LORD our God.\nWe climb your holy mountain to worship you\,\nfor your greatness and holiness are awesome! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 2 Peter 1: 16-21 \n \n\n \n \n \n When we filled you in on the power of our Lord Jesus\, the Messiah\, and his approaching return\, were not simply digging up a masterful old bit of story telling. We know what we were talking about because we had been given a sneak preview of his true grandeur. God\, the conceiver of everything\, decked Jesus out in honour and glory. We witnessed this ourselves while we were with him on the sacred mountain. With our own ears we heard God’s voice\, booming out majestically to him from heaven\, saying\, ““This is my Son who I love greatly and who fills me with pride.” \nSo we have been left in no doubt about the truth of what God’s prophets have said about him. Take my advice and pay attention to what they said\, because their message is a much-needed source of light in the darkness that you must endure until the new day breaks and the morning star rises in your hearts. But what you must first get clear in your heads is that the prophetic messages in the scriptures are not just the private opinions of those who wrote them down. The prophetic messages that have been passed down to us were not born of someone’s wishful thinking. Rather\, the Holy Spirit fired up men and women to speak on God’s behalf. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 17: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus took Peter and the brothers\, James and John\, and led them off up a high mountain. Before their very eyes\, the way Jesus looked was suddenly changed from the inside out. His face shone like the sun and his clothing became so white it was dazzling. And\, lo and behold\, they saw Moses and Elijah there too\, in deep conversation with Jesus. \nPeter said\, “Lord\, this is fantastic! What a moment! If you like\, I will knock up three huts\, so that you\, Moses and Elijah can all stay here longer.” \nEven before he finished getting the words out\, a dazzling cloud engulfed them all. Deep within the cloud\, a voice boomed forth: “This is my Son\, the love of my life\, who fills me with pride. Listen to him!” \nWhen Peter\, James and John heard this\, they hit the deck\, dumbfounded. But Jesus came and tapped them on the shoulders and said\, “Up you get! There’s nothing to be afraid of!” \nAnd when they looked up\, everything looked normal again and they saw no one there but Jesus. \nAs they were coming back down the mountain\, Jesus swore them to secrecy\, saying\, “Don’t breathe a word to anyone about what you’ve seen until the New Human has been raised from the dead.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your transfiguring light has overcome us\nand is restoring within us the image of your glory. \nAt the dawn of time your glory overcame the chaos\nand gave birth to the earth and heavens.\nOn the fiery mountain you gave the law to Moses\,\nand through men and women moved by your Holy Spirit\nyou gave us your word to lighten up the dark places. \nIn the timeless presence of Moses and Elijah\nyou transfigured your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nallowing his terrified followers to witness his majesty\nand hear your voice from the awesome cloud.\nPowerful leaders plotted against him\nand killed him\,\nbut you raised him from the dead\,\ndeclaring him again to be your beloved Son.\nCalling us now to listen to him\nyou send us forth to share your transfiguring love with all. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you for the glory of your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nwhich was witnessed by his terrified followers in the awesome cloud\,\nand is now restoring within us the image of your glory\nand sending us forth to share your transfiguring love with all. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your transfiguring light has overcome us\nand is restoring within us the image of your glory. \nAt the dawn of time your glory overcame the chaos\nand gave birth to the earth and heavens.\nOn the fiery mountain you gave the law to Moses\,\nand through men and women moved by your Holy Spirit\nyou gave us your word to lighten up the dark places. \nIn the timeless presence of Moses and Elijah\nyou transfigured your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nallowing his terrified followers to witness his majesty\nand hear your voice from the awesome cloud.\nPowerful leaders plotted against him\nand killed him\,\nbut you raised him from the dead\,\ndeclaring him again to be your beloved Son.\nCalling us now to listen to him\nyou send us forth to share your transfiguring love with all. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Though the glory of the Lord is a devouring fire\,\nbefore which we tremble in awe\,\nJesus comes to us\,\ntouching us with mercy\nand saying\, “Get up\, and do not be afraid.” \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n Go now and make known the power and coming\nof our Lord Jesus Christ.\nBow at God’s feet\,\nand serve the Lord with joy. \nAnd may God be your shelter;\nMay Christ Jesus take away your fear;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit lead you in truth until the day dawns\nand the morning star rises in your hearts. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nAfter the MountainA sermon on 2 Peter 1:16-21 & Matthew 17:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n Revealing the face of utter human vulnerabilityA sermon on Matthew 17:1-9 by Roslyn Wright\n\n\n\nFrom Mountain Top to Mountain Top (full version)A sermon on 2 Peter 1:16-21; Exodus 24:12-18 & Matthew 17:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFrom Mountain Top to Mountain Top (abridged version)A sermon on 2 Peter 1:16-21; Exodus 24:12-18 & Matthew 17:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a16/2032-02-08/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/16.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320208T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320208T235959 DTSTAMP:20260404T044311 CREATED:20230227T003620Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T122459Z UID:10003005-1959811200-1959897599@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:5th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year A DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n \n\n \n \n Isaiah 58: 1-9a\, (9b-12) \n \n\n \n \n \n God has told me to shout until you people hear;\nto hammer home the message until it gets through.\nYou are God’s people\, but God feels betrayed by you.\nListen to what God has to say about your sins: \n“Day after day\, you look good:\nyou turn up to worship and pay attention to my teachings.\nYou act like a people who want to do what is right;\nlike a people who want to obey to the letter.\nYou ask me for directions before you do anything\,\nand you seem enthusiastic about getting closer to me. \n“Do you want to know why your religious behaviour turns me off?\nDo you want to know why I ignore your fasting and bowing?\nI’ll tell you why. You put on a great performance of it all\,\nbut then you go straight back to feathering your own nest\nand ripping off your workers in the process. \n“When you fast\, it just makes you irritable and violent;\nand when you behave like that\, I’ll just hang up on you. \n“Do you really think this is what I like to see:\na day of pious misery?\nblack clothes\, long faces and crocodile tears?\ngiving up chocolate and ice-cream?\nDo you think that’s worship?\nDo you think that pleases me?\nGive me a break! \n“Do you want to know what I’d really like to see?\nDismantle the structures of injustice;\ntake your feet off the throats of the poor;\nstop jailing the victims of unfair laws;\nand quit plundering nature’s resources. \n“Do you want to know what else I’d like to see?\nOpen your tables to the hungry;\nopen your hearts and your homes to the refugees;\nopen your wardrobes to those without clothes;\nand don’t go hiding every time you see someone in need. \n“Do that\, and I’ll put your name up in lights!\nDo that and our relationship will be healed in an instant!\nI’ll put you under my personal protection;\nanyone who attacks you will have to deal with me\, the LORD!\nI’ll be on hand to respond whenever you need me;\njust say the word\, and I’ll be there for you. \n“If you abandon all forms of exploitation\,\nand avoid bad-mouthing others to gain an edge;\nif you share what you have with those in need\,\nand respond to the real needs of suffering communities;\nthen you’ll find that the world will light up for you\nand life will be one beautiful day after another. \n“I\, the LORD\, will always be there to guide you;\neven in the grip of drought\,\nI’ll keep you healthy and well fed.\nYou’ll be like an irrigated vineyard with its own deep bore\,\ngreen and lush and full of life! \n“Your ruined houses will be renovated and new;\nyou’ll be able to restore the homes\nthat have been in your families for generations.\nYou’ll get a reputation for making dreams possible\,\nfor enabling everyone to find a good place to live.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 112: 1-9 (10) \n \n\n \n \n \n We are singing your praises\, LORD! \nHow good life is for those who respect you\, LORD\,\nfor those who gladly do what you want them to do. \nTheir children will follow in their footsteps\,\ndoing what’s right and going from strength to strength. \nYou fill their homes with good things\,\nand guarantee their good reputation. \nTheir generosity\, tolerance\, and integrity shine forth in a dark world\,\nlighting up the way for others to follow. \nLORD\, you see that things go well\nfor those who conduct their business fairly\nand lend generously to those in need. \nYou guarantee a firm footing for people of integrity;\ntheir reputation will long outlast them. \nBad news will not break them\,\nfor they have an inner strength grounded in you\, LORD.\nWith their trust in you\, they are calm in a crisis;\nfearless in the fight\,\nand they always end up on top. \nYou will honour their strength\nand make their integrity a lasting legacy\,\nfor they have been open-handed\, especially to the poor. \nAll this throws corrupt people into a snarling rage.\n   Bitterness consumes them\n      as their dreams crumble to nothing. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n 1 Corinthians 2: 1-12\, (13-16) \n \n\n \n \n \n Brothers and sisters in Corinth\, back when I first came your way to announce the mind-boggling truth about God\, I didn’t dress it up in fancy words or philosophical jargon. I wanted to keep it simple and avoid getting sidetracked\, so I emptied my head of everything except the news about Jesus the Messiah and\, in particular\, about him strung up to die. I didn’t cut a very impressive figure among you did I? A sickly little weed\, scared out of my wits and shaking like a leaf. There was nothing in my conversation or my preaching that would have wowed the crowds or had anyone yelling for encores. But that didn’t stop God’s Spirit and power showing themselves. Clearly then\, your trust in Jesus was never based on any human theories\, however profound\, but on your first hand experience of God’s powerful work. \nNow don’t get me wrong: we are happy to talk about deeper stuff with those who are far enough down the track to be ready for it. But even when we do\, it is not the trendy pop-wisdom that is all the rage these days. Nor is it the opinions of those who call the shots on the world stage. They’re on borrowed time anyway. But when it comes to speaking about God’s wisdom\, we are prepared to dig down and explore depths that few ever plumb. There are riches to be discovered there which God laid down for us before the dawn of time. Clearly none of the world’s movers and shakers ever had a clue about this\, because if they had\, they would have known better than to knock off the Lord of glory on that cross. But\, as the prophets noted: \n“Way beyond what anyone has ever seen or heard\,\nor even begun to imagine\,\nlie the things which are being prepared\nfor the people who love God.” \nAnd yet\, God’s Spirit has given us a preview of these very things. There is nothing that the Spirit hasn’t thoroughly explored; not even the deepest depths of God. It is usually true that “it takes one to know one”: only a human being can know what goes on in the human heart\, and only the Spirit of God can truly know what goes on in the heart of God. But that is no longer the whole story for us because instead of just being on the same wavelength as the culture around us\, we have been given the Spirit that comes from God and tunes us in to God\, and so enables us to pick up on what these gifts God is giving us are all about. The books of philosophy and science don’t even give us a language to talk about these things. We can only say anything meaningful about them if we tune into the Spirit\, for the Spirit transmits spiritual truth to those who are spiritually attuned. \nThose who are not spiritually attuned don’t receive any of the gifts that God’s Spirit is offering. They dismiss them as foolish and worthless. They don’t recognise their depth or value because these things can only be picked up on a spiritual wavelength. Those who are spiritually attuned pick up everything\, and yet no one else can get a clear picture of who they are or what they are on about. The prophets asked the question: \n“Does anyone know what God has in mind\,\n   or what God is up to?” \nNow the answer is ‘yes’\, because the Messiah has shared his mind with us. \n©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 5: 13-20 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus taught his followers\, saying\, “This is how you lot fit into the big picture: you are the salt without which the world would quickly go putrid. But if salt is left sitting around instead of being put to use\, it soon dissolves away or gets contaminated. Then what can you do with it? It is completely useless\, so it just gets chucked out. \n“Or again\, you are the light without which the world would be left in the dark. Your light should be as obvious as a city built on a hill. No one turns on a lamp and then hides it under the bed. They put it out in the open\, front and centre\, so that it can light up the whole room. That is what you should be like. Live your lives openly\, reflecting God brightly\, so that everyone can bask in the light of your integrity and generous love\, and give due credit to God who conceived you in heaven. \n“Don’t go thinking that I’ve given you licence to start ignoring what the Bible says. I’m not getting rid of it. I’m unleashing it to do what it was always intended to do. I kid you not\, until the world as we know it comes to an end and everything is put right\, the Bible will still be necessary\, and not one dot of an “i” or cross of a “t” will be struck out of it. If you start thinking that some of the Bible’s instructions are no big deal\, and start playing fast and loose with them\, and encouraging others to follow suit\, you’ll go straight to the bottom of the class in the culture of heaven. But if you take seriously what they are on about\, and teach others to do likewise\, they’ll have your name up on the honour boards in the culture of heaven. Let me give it to you straight: don’t take your cues from the experts in religious law or the devout Pharisees. Unless your integrity is way out of their league\, you’ll never get within cooee of the culture of heaven. \n©2011 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy and justice are a light in our darkness\nand your Word outlasts even heaven and earth\nwhich you have created. \nBefore the ages\, your wisdom destined us for glory\nand you have revealed your depths to us through the Spirit.\nWhen we failed in righteousness\nand turned our worship into a mask\nhiding our oppression\, contempt and disregard of others\,\nyou rejected our fasts and prayers\nand sent prophets to denounce our rebellion\nand call us back to your ways. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, and him crucified\,\nwe have seen the light of the world\,\nand found a spring of healing that never fails.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand through him\, gave us your Spirit.\nwho has begun the rebuilding of our integrity\non the ancient foundations of justice\, mercy and compassion. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We thank you that in your Son Jesus\, and him crucified\,\nwe have seen the light of the world and received your Spirit.\nwho has begun the rebuilding of our integrity\non the ancient foundations of justice\, mercy and compassion. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n General Prayer of Thanksgiving \n \n\n \n \n \n (Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your mercy and justice are a light in our darkness\nand your Word outlasts even heaven and earth\nwhich you have created. \nBefore the ages\, your wisdom destined us for glory\nand you have revealed your depths to us through the Spirit.\nWhen we failed in righteousness\nand turned our worship into a mask\nhiding our oppression\, contempt and disregard of others\,\nyou rejected our fasts and prayers\nand sent prophets to denounce our rebellion\nand call us back to your ways. \nIn your child\, Jesus\, and him crucified\,\nwe have seen the light of the world\,\nand found a spring of healing that never fails.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand through him\, gave us your Spirit.\nwho has begun the rebuilding of our integrity\non the ancient foundations of justice\, mercy and compassion. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Put an end to oppression\, to contempt and to evil talk\,\nand God’s favour will shine on you like the morning sun.\nYour wounds will be quickly healed.\nGod will be with you to save you\,\nand the Spirit’s presence will protect you on every side. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Commission & Benediction \n \n\n \n \n \n You are the salt of the earth.\nYou are the light of the world.\nLet your light shine before others\nthat seeing your justice\, mercy and compassion\nthey may give glory to God in heaven. \nAnd may God guide you continually;\nMay Christ Jesus satisfy your needs even in parched places\,\nAnd may the Holy Spirit keep you strong and well\nand make your life as rich as a garden\nwhose springs of living water never fail. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2005 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nSalt in an open woundA sermon on Matthew 5:13-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat are you good for?A sermon on Matthew 5:13-20 & 1 Corinthians 2: 1-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNot One Jot or TittleA sermon on Matthew 5:13-20 & Isaiah 58:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNot Clever EnoughA sermon on 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 & Matthew 5:13-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCovenant Salt of the EarthA sermon on Matthew 5:13-20 by Joris Geldhof\n\n\n\nThe Salt of the Earth In Our Open WoundsA sermon on Matthew 5:13-20 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a15/2032-02-08/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/15.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR