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SUMMARY:Proper 14 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Samuel 18: 5-9\, 15\, 31-33			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David’s army\, led by Joab and his officers\, was preparing for battle against the Israelites who had rebelled with Absalom. David briefed them before they marched out\, saying\, “Absalom is still my son\, so for my sake\, capture him unharmed.” He gave these orders to the commanders\, and all the troops heard what he said about Absalom. \nWith that\, they headed out against the Israelite army. The battle was fought in the Ephraim forest and it spread out on several fronts. David’s men defeated the Israelite army that day\, but it was a horrible bloodbath. Twenty thousand men died in the carnage and the dangerous forest terrain claimed as many victims again. \nAbsalom ran into a patrol of David’s men\, led by Joab. He was pushing through a narrow track on his mule alone. As he passed under a great oak tree\, Absalom’s thick hair got caught in the low branches and dragged him off the back of the mule which continued on its way. Absalom was left hanging in mid air\, unable to get up or down. The patrol found him hanging there and they killed him. Joab thrust the first spear in and then ten of his men surrounded him and finished Absalom off. \nAn Ethiopian runner was sent to David to report on the outcome of the battle. He said to David\, “Your Majesty\, I bring you good news! The LORD has set things right for you today\, making you safe from those who rebelled against you.” \nThe king said to the messenger\, “What about Absalom? Is he okay?” \nThe Ethiopian answered\, “May all your enemies and anyone who wishes you harm\, my king\, meet the same fate that Absalom has met today.” \nThe king was distraught. He disappeared into the nearest room\, overcome with grief. Through his tears he cried out over and over\, “O my son Absalom! My son\, my son\, Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom\, my son\, my son!” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 130			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	From the depths of despair\, from rock bottom\,\nI cry to you\, O LORD.\nI beg you to listen!\nPlease tune in and hear what I’m asking! \nIf you put black marks against our names\nfor every failing\,\nLord\, wouldn’t you have to write off everyone? \nBut forgiveness is much more your style\,\nand for this we adore you. \nI wait in eager anticipation for your presence\, LORD.\nEverything inside me yearns for you\nand your promises fill me with hope. \nDeep in my guts there is a hunger for you\, LORD\,\nmore pressing than a woman\nwaiting for the birth of her baby\,\nmore impatient than a child\nwaiting for a birthday;\ncrossing off the days\, one by one. \nO People of Israel\, put your trust in the LORD!\nThe LORD’s love never lets us down\,\nand is always ready to rescue us from danger. \nIt is the Lord who will bail us out\nwhen we are caught in the consequences\nof our own sin. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Recognising that we are all parts of the one body\, let’s give up all pretence. It’s time to come out from behind our masks and get fair dinkum with one another. No doubt there are times when it’s right to get angry\, but make sure your response is right too. Justifiable anger doesn’t justify vengefulness\, bitterness or any other sin. And when you’re angry\, deal with the issues as soon as you can. Dragging it out just gives the devil a chance to get his foot in the door. \nThose who’ve been stealing to make ends meet need to change their ways. It’s time they applied their skills to some honest trade and hopefully before long they will have enough to give something to others in need. \nAnd all of you\, watch your mouths. Don’t allow any venom or malice to pass your lips. Instead let every word be constructive and generous. Talk up what is good. That way what you have to say will be welcomed as a gift. \nYou are now identified as God’s people — the signs of the Holy Spirit mark you out as those destined for life when the day of freedom finally comes. So don’t go causing any grief to the Holy Spirit or making God ashamed to be associated with you. There are some things you should quit completely — resentment\, vindictiveness\, mudslinging\, and any underhanded or malicious behaviour. Try living up to these labels instead — big-hearted\, compassionate\, tolerant. Try to be as generous in forgiving each other as God was with you. Children learn by imitating the parents they love. Take a tip from them and model yourself on what you’ve seen of God in Christ. Or in other words\, live a life of love — love that doesn’t stop at anything. Christ’s love for us cost him everything\, and there is no more pleasing gift anyone can give to God than a love that is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of others. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 35\, 41-51			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said to them\, “I am the bread of life. Anyone who comes on board with me will never hunger or thirst again. Put your trust in me and you will always be satisfied.” \nBecause of this\, people began to grumble about him. They objected to him claiming to be the bread that came from heaven. They muttered to one another saying\, “What does he take us for? We know who he is - Jesus\, Joe’s lad. Is he forgetting that we know his mum and dad? How does he expect us to take him seriously when he says\, ‘I have come from heaven’?” \nJesus answered them: \n“Don’t go getting all worked up over me. The One who sent me is responsible for drawing people to me — otherwise no one would come. I’ll always be there for those who do come - each and every one of them. Even on the last day\, I’ll be there\, raising them to new life. One of the prophets put it this way\, ‘Every last one of them will learn directly from God.’ So everyone who really tunes in to God and takes in what they hear will recognise who I am\, and come to learn from me. Everyone wants to learn from an eyewitness and the only person who has seen God is the one who came from God. No one else has. Let me set you straight on this: whoever has faith has life — life without limit. \nI am the bread of life. Sure\, your ancestors ate manna in the desert\, but they still died. Now it’s different. Now the real bread has come from heaven and you can eat it and be protected from death forever. I am the bread — living bread — straight from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live life without end and without limit. The bread that I’m offering is my own flesh\, and I give it for the life of the world.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 19: 4-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Fearing for his life\, Elijah went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that\, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts\, saying\, “I can’t take any more\, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.” \nExhausted\, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder\, saying\, “Get up and eat.” \nElijah looked around and there\, just near his head\, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again\, tapping him on the shoulder and saying\, “Get up and eat\, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.” \nSo Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I will speak up in your favour\, every chance I get\, LORD.\nEvery time I open my mouth\, I’ll sing your praises. \nEverything I’m proud of is your doing\, LORD;\nthe news of your goodness puts a smile on the face of the helpless. \nI’ll put the spotlight on you\, LORD;\nand gather a crowd to spread the word. \nWhen I pounded on your door\, LORD\, you opened up;\nyou calmed my fears and put my mind at rest. \nThose who look to you light up with joy;\ntheir faces never grow dark with shame. \nWhen I had nothing\, I cried out\, LORD\, and you answered;\nyou got me out of some serious trouble. \nYou station your angels to watch over those who trust you;\nthey watch us\, guard us\, and get us safely through. \nMay everyone taste for themselves how good you are\, LORD;\nmay everyone find shelter in you and be happy. \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 sent us the bread of heaven. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand all your creatures draw their life from you.\nEven when we have rebelled against you\,\nyou have never left us hanging in fear\nor crying from the depths.\nIn love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers\nand mark us out for the day of redemption. \nYou sent to us your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nthe bread of life for our deepest hunger\,\nand you drew us to him that we might learn from him.\nWhen the world turned against him\,\nhe gave himself up\, in the fullness of love\,\na fragrant offering and sacrifice to you\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight feed on him and have life without limit. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho gave himself up as a fragrant offering\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight feed on him\, the bread of life\,\nand have life without limit. \n©2003 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 yu have drawn us to yourself in Christ\,\nand will raise us to life on teh last day. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand all your creatures draw their life from you.\nEven when we have rebelled against you\,\nyou have never left us hanging in fear\nor crying from the depths.\nIn love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers\nand mark us out for the day of redemption. \nYou sent to us your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nthe bread of life for our deepest hunger\,\nand you drew us to him that we might learn from him.\nWhen the world turned against him\,\nhe gave himself up\, in the fullness of love\,\na fragrant offering and sacrifice to you\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight have life without limit. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If the Lord recorded our sins\, no one could survive\,\nbut God’s capacity for forgiveness is extraordinary.\nThe Lord will bring mercy and grant full pardon. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out and imitate God\, living in love.\nPut your hope in God’s Word\nand let your own words be truthful and constructive.\nMay sin rouse your anger\,\nbut never let anger cause you to sin.\nDon’t allow any room for evil. \nAnd may God always hear your voice.\nMay Christ Jesus raise you to new life;\nand may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nTaking off our MasksA sermon on Ephesians 4:25-52 by Sylvia Sandeman\n\n\n\nThe Bread You Feed OnA sermon on John 6:35\, 41-51 & Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Way of the CrossA sermon on 2 Samuel 18: 5-9\, 15\, 31-33 and John 6: 35\, 41-51 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nCovid\, Canceling\, and a Culture of KindnessA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPutting our lives where our mouths areA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp14/2030-08-11/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300811T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300811T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200908T024151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000535Z
UID:10002792-1912636800-1912723199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 14 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Samuel 18: 5-9\, 15\, 31-33			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David’s army\, led by Joab and his officers\, was preparing for battle against the Israelites who had rebelled with Absalom. David briefed them before they marched out\, saying\, “Absalom is still my son\, so for my sake\, capture him unharmed.” He gave these orders to the commanders\, and all the troops heard what he said about Absalom. \nWith that\, they headed out against the Israelite army. The battle was fought in the Ephraim forest and it spread out on several fronts. David’s men defeated the Israelite army that day\, but it was a horrible bloodbath. Twenty thousand men died in the carnage and the dangerous forest terrain claimed as many victims again. \nAbsalom ran into a patrol of David’s men\, led by Joab. He was pushing through a narrow track on his mule alone. As he passed under a great oak tree\, Absalom’s thick hair got caught in the low branches and dragged him off the back of the mule which continued on its way. Absalom was left hanging in mid air\, unable to get up or down. The patrol found him hanging there and they killed him. Joab thrust the first spear in and then ten of his men surrounded him and finished Absalom off. \nAn Ethiopian runner was sent to David to report on the outcome of the battle. He said to David\, “Your Majesty\, I bring you good news! The LORD has set things right for you today\, making you safe from those who rebelled against you.” \nThe king said to the messenger\, “What about Absalom? Is he okay?” \nThe Ethiopian answered\, “May all your enemies and anyone who wishes you harm\, my king\, meet the same fate that Absalom has met today.” \nThe king was distraught. He disappeared into the nearest room\, overcome with grief. Through his tears he cried out over and over\, “O my son Absalom! My son\, my son\, Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom\, my son\, my son!” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 130			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	From the depths of despair\, from rock bottom\,\nI cry to you\, O LORD.\nI beg you to listen!\nPlease tune in and hear what I’m asking! \nIf you put black marks against our names\nfor every failing\,\nLord\, wouldn’t you have to write off everyone? \nBut forgiveness is much more your style\,\nand for this we adore you. \nI wait in eager anticipation for your presence\, LORD.\nEverything inside me yearns for you\nand your promises fill me with hope. \nDeep in my guts there is a hunger for you\, LORD\,\nmore pressing than a woman\nwaiting for the birth of her baby\,\nmore impatient than a child\nwaiting for a birthday;\ncrossing off the days\, one by one. \nO People of Israel\, put your trust in the LORD!\nThe LORD’s love never lets us down\,\nand is always ready to rescue us from danger. \nIt is the Lord who will bail us out\nwhen we are caught in the consequences\nof our own sin. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Recognising that we are all parts of the one body\, let’s give up all pretence. It’s time to come out from behind our masks and get fair dinkum with one another. No doubt there are times when it’s right to get angry\, but make sure your response is right too. Justifiable anger doesn’t justify vengefulness\, bitterness or any other sin. And when you’re angry\, deal with the issues as soon as you can. Dragging it out just gives the devil a chance to get his foot in the door. \nThose who’ve been stealing to make ends meet need to change their ways. It’s time they applied their skills to some honest trade and hopefully before long they will have enough to give something to others in need. \nAnd all of you\, watch your mouths. Don’t allow any venom or malice to pass your lips. Instead let every word be constructive and generous. Talk up what is good. That way what you have to say will be welcomed as a gift. \nYou are now identified as God’s people — the signs of the Holy Spirit mark you out as those destined for life when the day of freedom finally comes. So don’t go causing any grief to the Holy Spirit or making God ashamed to be associated with you. There are some things you should quit completely — resentment\, vindictiveness\, mudslinging\, and any underhanded or malicious behaviour. Try living up to these labels instead — big-hearted\, compassionate\, tolerant. Try to be as generous in forgiving each other as God was with you. Children learn by imitating the parents they love. Take a tip from them and model yourself on what you’ve seen of God in Christ. Or in other words\, live a life of love — love that doesn’t stop at anything. Christ’s love for us cost him everything\, and there is no more pleasing gift anyone can give to God than a love that is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of others. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 35\, 41-51			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said to them\, “I am the bread of life. Anyone who comes on board with me will never hunger or thirst again. Put your trust in me and you will always be satisfied.” \nBecause of this\, people began to grumble about him. They objected to him claiming to be the bread that came from heaven. They muttered to one another saying\, “What does he take us for? We know who he is - Jesus\, Joe’s lad. Is he forgetting that we know his mum and dad? How does he expect us to take him seriously when he says\, ‘I have come from heaven’?” \nJesus answered them: \n“Don’t go getting all worked up over me. The One who sent me is responsible for drawing people to me — otherwise no one would come. I’ll always be there for those who do come - each and every one of them. Even on the last day\, I’ll be there\, raising them to new life. One of the prophets put it this way\, ‘Every last one of them will learn directly from God.’ So everyone who really tunes in to God and takes in what they hear will recognise who I am\, and come to learn from me. Everyone wants to learn from an eyewitness and the only person who has seen God is the one who came from God. No one else has. Let me set you straight on this: whoever has faith has life — life without limit. \nI am the bread of life. Sure\, your ancestors ate manna in the desert\, but they still died. Now it’s different. Now the real bread has come from heaven and you can eat it and be protected from death forever. I am the bread — living bread — straight from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live life without end and without limit. The bread that I’m offering is my own flesh\, and I give it for the life of the world.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 19: 4-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Fearing for his life\, Elijah went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that\, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts\, saying\, “I can’t take any more\, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.” \nExhausted\, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder\, saying\, “Get up and eat.” \nElijah looked around and there\, just near his head\, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again\, tapping him on the shoulder and saying\, “Get up and eat\, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.” \nSo Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I will speak up in your favour\, every chance I get\, LORD.\nEvery time I open my mouth\, I’ll sing your praises. \nEverything I’m proud of is your doing\, LORD;\nthe news of your goodness puts a smile on the face of the helpless. \nI’ll put the spotlight on you\, LORD;\nand gather a crowd to spread the word. \nWhen I pounded on your door\, LORD\, you opened up;\nyou calmed my fears and put my mind at rest. \nThose who look to you light up with joy;\ntheir faces never grow dark with shame. \nWhen I had nothing\, I cried out\, LORD\, and you answered;\nyou got me out of some serious trouble. \nYou station your angels to watch over those who trust you;\nthey watch us\, guard us\, and get us safely through. \nMay everyone taste for themselves how good you are\, LORD;\nmay everyone find shelter in you and be happy. \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 sent us the bread of heaven. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand all your creatures draw their life from you.\nEven when we have rebelled against you\,\nyou have never left us hanging in fear\nor crying from the depths.\nIn love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers\nand mark us out for the day of redemption. \nYou sent to us your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nthe bread of life for our deepest hunger\,\nand you drew us to him that we might learn from him.\nWhen the world turned against him\,\nhe gave himself up\, in the fullness of love\,\na fragrant offering and sacrifice to you\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight feed on him and have life without limit. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho gave himself up as a fragrant offering\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight feed on him\, the bread of life\,\nand have life without limit. \n©2003 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 yu have drawn us to yourself in Christ\,\nand will raise us to life on teh last day. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand all your creatures draw their life from you.\nEven when we have rebelled against you\,\nyou have never left us hanging in fear\nor crying from the depths.\nIn love and mercy you hear our yearning prayers\nand mark us out for the day of redemption. \nYou sent to us your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nthe bread of life for our deepest hunger\,\nand you drew us to him that we might learn from him.\nWhen the world turned against him\,\nhe gave himself up\, in the fullness of love\,\na fragrant offering and sacrifice to you\nfor the life of the whole world\,\nso that we and all who trust him\nmight have life without limit. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If the Lord recorded our sins\, no one could survive\,\nbut God’s capacity for forgiveness is extraordinary.\nThe Lord will bring mercy and grant full pardon. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out and imitate God\, living in love.\nPut your hope in God’s Word\nand let your own words be truthful and constructive.\nMay sin rouse your anger\,\nbut never let anger cause you to sin.\nDon’t allow any room for evil. \nAnd may God always hear your voice.\nMay Christ Jesus raise you to new life;\nand may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nTaking off our MasksA sermon on Ephesians 4:25-52 by Sylvia Sandeman\n\n\n\nThe Bread You Feed OnA sermon on John 6:35\, 41-51 & Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Way of the CrossA sermon on 2 Samuel 18: 5-9\, 15\, 31-33 and John 6: 35\, 41-51 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nCovid\, Canceling\, and a Culture of KindnessA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPutting our lives where our mouths areA sermon on Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp14/2030-08-11/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P14.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300818T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300818T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200908T030341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240915T100843Z
UID:10002146-1913241600-1913327999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 15 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David died and was buried in Jerusalem. He had ruled over Israel for forty years; seven years from Hebron\, and then thirty-three from Jerusalem. David’s son Solomon inherited the throne\, and he had a firm grip on the kingdom. \nSolomon honoured the LORD and lived as his father David had taught him. In addition he offered sacrifices and burned incense at some of the sacred sites in the hills. The most important of these sacred sites was at Gibeon and Solomon offered more than a thousand sacrifices on the altar there. \nOne night\, while he was staying over in Gibeon\, the LORD God appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said to him\, “Solomon\, what would you most like me to give you?” \nSolomon answered God\, saying: \nYou always loved my father\, your servant David. Your love was solid and unshakable\, because he was good and honest and did what was right by you. As a sign of your love and loyalty to him\, you gave him a son to inherit his kingdom. So here I am\, LORD God. I am your servant\, and you have made me king in place of my father\, even though I’m little more than a boy and have no idea how to conduct myself properly. I am your servant and you have given me the job of ruling your chosen people\, even though they are a great nation and there are more of them than anyone can count. So then\, what I would most like you to give me is a sharp mind to rule justly and to be able to pick the difference between right and wrong every time. Without such a gift\, no one could ever hope to rule your people. \nThe Lord was most impressed with Solomon’s request\, and said to him: \nYou could have selfishly asked me to give you a long life\, or to make you the richest man on earth\, or to wipe out your enemies. But instead you have asked me for the wisdom to make the right decisions for my people. You have chosen well and I will give you exactly what you have asked for. You will have more wisdom and insight than anyone else who has ever lived or ever will. And to top it all off\, I will also give you what you could have asked for\, but didn’t. All your life you will be extraordinarily rich\, and you will be greatly honoured by everyone. No other king will be able to hold a candle to you. And if you do things my way and play by the rules I have given you\, much as your father did\, then I will give you a long and healthy life. \n©2000 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			\n				  Ephesians 5: 15-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When it comes to the way you live\, watch your step! Don’t go acting without thinking. Use your heads and live wisely. Make the most of your time\, because these days\, evil never stops trying to seduce us. So don’t be naive and stupid. See to it that you get the will of the Lord clear in your heads. And if you’re going to go getting yourselves “under the influence”\, make sure its the influence of the Spirit and not of the wine! It will still get you singing! Sing together often — psalms\, hymns and spiritual songs — offer them as a toe-tapping gift to the Lord\, and when you’re not together\, do the same thing in your hearts. As children filled with gratitude and wonder\, give thanks to God — all the time and for everything. Mention the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you do\, as a reminder of where our gratitude comes from. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 51-58			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said\, “I am the living bread — straight from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live life without end and without limit. The bread that I’m offering is my own flesh\, and I give it for the life of the world.” \nThis got the people all worked up and they began arguing among themselves\, saying\, “What is this bloke talking about? He can’t serve a meal of his own flesh\, can he?” \nHearing this\, Jesus said to them: \nLet me set you straight on this. Unless you swallow the New Human — consume him flesh and blood — you’ll be lifeless. Those who do consume me are nourished by my flesh and blood and have life without limit. I’ll be there for them on the last day\, raising them to new life. You see\, my flesh and blood are the real stuff — true food and drink. What you eat and drink becomes a part of you\, but when you consume my flesh and blood\, not only will I become a part of you\, but you’ll find yourself in me\, becoming a part of me. The God who conceived me is the source of my life and has sent me\, serving me up to you. In much the same way\, I will be the source of life for whoever digests me. Do you see then? This is the real bread which has come from heaven. It’s not like what your ancestors ate in the desert. They still died. This is different. Those who eat this bread will live life without end and without limit. \n©2000 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				  Proverbs 9: 1-6			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Wisdom has established herself in the neighbourhood;\nher house has seven rooms\, a place for everyone. \nShe has laid her table for a great house-warming feast;\nthe meat is roasted\, the wine is poured\,\nher servant-girls are ready to wait on the guests. \nOn the busiest corner in town she makes her invitation\,\n“Is life a riddle to you? Then come with me!\nDo the concerns of each day\nleave you scratching your head?\nCome over to my place and we’ll chew the fat.\nShare my bread and wine and things will fall into place.\nThe time has come to turn the corner\,\nto grow up\, to embrace life.\nThink before you act\nand walk with understanding.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 9-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	May the people you have chosen treat you with respect\, LORD;\nfor those who do never want for anything. \nEven fearsome sharks go hungry sometimes\,\nbut people who entrust themselves to you never miss out. \nWhen the children gather\, I’ll teach them to trust you\, LORD;\nthis is the message I’ll pass on to them: \n“Do you hunger for life;\ndo you want to know the secret of a long and happy life?\nDon’t vilify anyone with what you say\,\nand let every word that passes your lips be the honest truth.\nGive evil a wide berth\, and embrace goodness instead.\nSeek peace\, and work hard to maintain it.” \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\,\nin the company of those who live with integrity\,\nfor you have given yourself to us as flesh and blood\nand become the bread that nourishes us for eternal life. \nYour righteousness was established before time began\nand all you have created reflects your honour and majesty.\nYou made a covenant with your people\nand gave yourself generously to all\nwho seek your wisdom and walk in your ways. \nIn your great and steadfast love\,\nyou have come to redeem your people\,\noffering us life in your Son\, Jesus.\nThough his blood was poured out\nand his flesh sent to the grave\,\nyou raised him up to new life\,\nand now he offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho you raised to new life\,\nand who now offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \n©2003 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\,\nin the company of those who live with integrity\,\nat all times and for everything\nin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYour righteousness was established before time began\nand all you have created reflects your honour and majesty.\nYou made a covenant with your people\nand gave yourself generously to all\nwho seek your wisdom and walk in your ways. \nIn your great and steadfast love\,\nyou have come to redeem your people\,\noffering us life in your Son\, Jesus.\nThough his blood was poured out\nand his flesh sent to the grave\,\nyou raised him up to new life\,\nand now he offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \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©2003 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 gracious and merciful\nand comes to us to redeem us.\nChrist Jesus offers himself to us\, forgiving our sins\nand promising to raise us to life on the last day. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, nourished by the bread of heaven\,\nand take care to walk in the ways of wisdom.\nDiscern carefully between right and wrong.\nUnderstand what the will of the Lord is.\nFeed on Christ and be filled with the Spirit. \nAnd may God give you a wise and discerning mind;\nMay Christ Jesus fill you with life in all its fullness;\nand may the Holy Spirit overflow in you\nin songs of joy and praise forever. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nOn Political WisdomA sermon on 1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14 & Psalm 111 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nThe Violence of CommunionA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBreadA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nCannibalism and CommunionA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Wounded BodyA sermon on John 6: 51-58 and Matthew 5: 3-10 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nDrunk and Disorderly for JesusA sermon on Ephesians 5:15-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFilled with the SpiritA sermon on Ephesians 5:18 by Joel Sierra\n\n\n\nSinging our Way into LifeA sermon on Ephesians 5:15-20 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp15/2030-08-18/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P15.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300818T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300818T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200908T030341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000534Z
UID:10002790-1913241600-1913327999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 15 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David died and was buried in Jerusalem. He had ruled over Israel for forty years; seven years from Hebron\, and then thirty-three from Jerusalem. David’s son Solomon inherited the throne\, and he had a firm grip on the kingdom. \nSolomon honoured the LORD and lived as his father David had taught him. In addition he offered sacrifices and burned incense at some of the sacred sites in the hills. The most important of these sacred sites was at Gibeon and Solomon offered more than a thousand sacrifices on the altar there. \nOne night\, while he was staying over in Gibeon\, the LORD God appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said to him\, “Solomon\, what would you most like me to give you?” \nSolomon answered God\, saying: \nYou always loved my father\, your servant David. Your love was solid and unshakable\, because he was good and honest and did what was right by you. As a sign of your love and loyalty to him\, you gave him a son to inherit his kingdom. So here I am\, LORD God. I am your servant\, and you have made me king in place of my father\, even though I’m little more than a boy and have no idea how to conduct myself properly. I am your servant and you have given me the job of ruling your chosen people\, even though they are a great nation and there are more of them than anyone can count. So then\, what I would most like you to give me is a sharp mind to rule justly and to be able to pick the difference between right and wrong every time. Without such a gift\, no one could ever hope to rule your people. \nThe Lord was most impressed with Solomon’s request\, and said to him: \nYou could have selfishly asked me to give you a long life\, or to make you the richest man on earth\, or to wipe out your enemies. But instead you have asked me for the wisdom to make the right decisions for my people. You have chosen well and I will give you exactly what you have asked for. You will have more wisdom and insight than anyone else who has ever lived or ever will. And to top it all off\, I will also give you what you could have asked for\, but didn’t. All your life you will be extraordinarily rich\, and you will be greatly honoured by everyone. No other king will be able to hold a candle to you. And if you do things my way and play by the rules I have given you\, much as your father did\, then I will give you a long and healthy life. \n©2000 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			\n				  Ephesians 5: 15-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When it comes to the way you live\, watch your step! Don’t go acting without thinking. Use your heads and live wisely. Make the most of your time\, because these days\, evil never stops trying to seduce us. So don’t be naive and stupid. See to it that you get the will of the Lord clear in your heads. And if you’re going to go getting yourselves “under the influence”\, make sure its the influence of the Spirit and not of the wine! It will still get you singing! Sing together often — psalms\, hymns and spiritual songs — offer them as a toe-tapping gift to the Lord\, and when you’re not together\, do the same thing in your hearts. As children filled with gratitude and wonder\, give thanks to God — all the time and for everything. Mention the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you do\, as a reminder of where our gratitude comes from. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 51-58			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said\, “I am the living bread — straight from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live life without end and without limit. The bread that I’m offering is my own flesh\, and I give it for the life of the world.” \nThis got the people all worked up and they began arguing among themselves\, saying\, “What is this bloke talking about? He can’t serve a meal of his own flesh\, can he?” \nHearing this\, Jesus said to them: \nLet me set you straight on this. Unless you swallow the New Human — consume him flesh and blood — you’ll be lifeless. Those who do consume me are nourished by my flesh and blood and have life without limit. I’ll be there for them on the last day\, raising them to new life. You see\, my flesh and blood are the real stuff — true food and drink. What you eat and drink becomes a part of you\, but when you consume my flesh and blood\, not only will I become a part of you\, but you’ll find yourself in me\, becoming a part of me. The God who conceived me is the source of my life and has sent me\, serving me up to you. In much the same way\, I will be the source of life for whoever digests me. Do you see then? This is the real bread which has come from heaven. It’s not like what your ancestors ate in the desert. They still died. This is different. Those who eat this bread will live life without end and without limit. \n©2000 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				  Proverbs 9: 1-6			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Wisdom has established herself in the neighbourhood;\nher house has seven rooms\, a place for everyone. \nShe has laid her table for a great house-warming feast;\nthe meat is roasted\, the wine is poured\,\nher servant-girls are ready to wait on the guests. \nOn the busiest corner in town she makes her invitation\,\n“Is life a riddle to you? Then come with me!\nDo the concerns of each day\nleave you scratching your head?\nCome over to my place and we’ll chew the fat.\nShare my bread and wine and things will fall into place.\nThe time has come to turn the corner\,\nto grow up\, to embrace life.\nThink before you act\nand walk with understanding.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 9-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	May the people you have chosen treat you with respect\, LORD;\nfor those who do never want for anything. \nEven fearsome sharks go hungry sometimes\,\nbut people who entrust themselves to you never miss out. \nWhen the children gather\, I’ll teach them to trust you\, LORD;\nthis is the message I’ll pass on to them: \n“Do you hunger for life;\ndo you want to know the secret of a long and happy life?\nDon’t vilify anyone with what you say\,\nand let every word that passes your lips be the honest truth.\nGive evil a wide berth\, and embrace goodness instead.\nSeek peace\, and work hard to maintain it.” \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\,\nin the company of those who live with integrity\,\nfor you have given yourself to us as flesh and blood\nand become the bread that nourishes us for eternal life. \nYour righteousness was established before time began\nand all you have created reflects your honour and majesty.\nYou made a covenant with your people\nand gave yourself generously to all\nwho seek your wisdom and walk in your ways. \nIn your great and steadfast love\,\nyou have come to redeem your people\,\noffering us life in your Son\, Jesus.\nThough his blood was poured out\nand his flesh sent to the grave\,\nyou raised him up to new life\,\nand now he offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho you raised to new life\,\nand who now offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \n©2003 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\,\nin the company of those who live with integrity\,\nat all times and for everything\nin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nYour righteousness was established before time began\nand all you have created reflects your honour and majesty.\nYou made a covenant with your people\nand gave yourself generously to all\nwho seek your wisdom and walk in your ways. \nIn your great and steadfast love\,\nyou have come to redeem your people\,\noffering us life in your Son\, Jesus.\nThough his blood was poured out\nand his flesh sent to the grave\,\nyou raised him up to new life\,\nand now he offers himself to us\nas the bread of heaven\,\nso that all who eat and drink of him\nmight live forever as one with him. \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©2003 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 gracious and merciful\nand comes to us to redeem us.\nChrist Jesus offers himself to us\, forgiving our sins\nand promising to raise us to life on the last day. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, nourished by the bread of heaven\,\nand take care to walk in the ways of wisdom.\nDiscern carefully between right and wrong.\nUnderstand what the will of the Lord is.\nFeed on Christ and be filled with the Spirit. \nAnd may God give you a wise and discerning mind;\nMay Christ Jesus fill you with life in all its fullness;\nand may the Holy Spirit overflow in you\nin songs of joy and praise forever. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nOn Political WisdomA sermon on 1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14 & Psalm 111 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nThe Violence of CommunionA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBreadA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nCannibalism and CommunionA sermon on John 6:51-58 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Wounded BodyA sermon on John 6: 51-58 and Matthew 5: 3-10 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nDrunk and Disorderly for JesusA sermon on Ephesians 5:15-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFilled with the SpiritA sermon on Ephesians 5:18 by Joel Sierra\n\n\n\nSinging our Way into LifeA sermon on Ephesians 5:15-20 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp15/2030-08-18/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P15.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300825T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300825T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200908T033145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000534Z
UID:10002788-1913846400-1913932799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 16 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 8: (1\,6\,10-11)\, 22-30\, 41-43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The sacred Ark of the Covenant had been kept on Mount Zion in the City of David. When King Solomon was ready to move it into the newly completed Temple\, he called all the elders and tribal leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem for the occasion. The priests carried the sacred Ark into the Temple and placed it in the most holy place\, beneath the wings of the cherubim in the inner sanctuary. No sooner had they placed it there than a dazzling cloud filled the Temple. The awesome presence of God was so overpowering that no one could bear to stay inside. Even the priests had to make a hasty exit. \nOutside\, Solomon stood in front of the altar of the LORD and\, with his hands raised high\, he led the gathered people in prayer. He prayed: \n“O LORD\, God of Israel\, you are one of a kind! No other god in the universe is like you. Your love is rock-solid and you never forget the alliance you have made with those who follow you whole-heartedly. You made an alliance with my father David\, and today you have proven true to your word. Everything you promised him you have now put in place. \nO LORD\, God of Israel\, you promised my father that his descendants would occupy the throne of Israel forever\, so long as they stuck to your ways and kept nothing hidden from you. May this be true\, O God\, for my father David was your servant. May you always back up your promise to him. \nBut\, how could you possibly live on earth\, O LORD my God? You could hold the entire universe in your hand\, so how can we expect this little temple I’ve built to have enough room for you! But today I ask you to listen to my prayer\, for I am your servant. Hear me and answer me\, O God. This place bears your name because you have chosen it as the place for people to worship you. So keep your eye on it\, O LORD\, twenty four hours a day. Whenever I turn towards this place to pray\, lend me your ear. I am your servant\, and these people belong to you\, so any time one of us faces this Temple and prays\, hear us from your heavenly home and forgive any offence we have caused. \nAnd don’t stop with just us – foreigners will no doubt hear about you too. Attracted by your reputation and by news of the awesome things you do\, they will come from all sorts of far flung places to live among your people and offer their prayers within sight of this Temple. When they do\, listen to them from your heavenly home and answer their prayers. That way everyone on earth will hear of you and give you the same respect that your people Israel do. They will know that this Temple which I have built carries your authority. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 84			\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. \nO LORD\, ruler of everything\, hear my cry.\nTune in to my prayer\, O God of our ancestors. \nYour presence is our protection\, O God;\nsmile upon us\, your chosen ones. \nA day spent in your presence\nbeats a thousand nights in a five star resort.\nI’d rather scrub floors in your house\, O God\,\nthan rub shoulders with the rich and famous\nbeneath the flashing lights of greed and corruption. \nO LORD our God\, you are the sun that shines on us\nand the shield that keeps us safe.\nYou shower us with generosity and honour\,\nand deny nothing to people of integrity. \nO LORD\, ruler of all\,\neveryone who trusts in you has got it made! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 6: 10-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If I could say one last thing to you\, it would be this: toughen yourselves up by drawing strength from God. Equip yourself with everything God offers\, because you’ll need it to detect and survive the guerrilla tactics the Devil will use against you. What we’re up against here is not simply human opposition. This is a life-and-death struggle against the corrupt spiritual forces and cosmic powers of evil that are responsible for the destructive chaos which is presently threatening to engulf the world. So arm yourselves with everything God gives you so that you’ll be ready and able to hold your ground when all hell breaks loose. \nIt’s time to stand up and be counted. Kit yourselves out in truth\, righteousness\, peace\, faith and salvation\, and you’ll be ready for anything. Truth is like a belt on which everything else hangs. Justice and righteousness protect your heart like a bullet-proof vest. Your passion for spreading peace will get you through the hard miles like a sturdy pair of boots. Faith is like a riot shield that protects you from the fire bombs and anything else the evil one throws at you. God’s salvation is like a good helmet — even if you do get knocked down\, it will keep your head in one piece! And finally\, when it is time to go on the attack\, there is one indispensable weapon — the word of God — the same weapon the Spirit used to bring us to our knees. \nAnd speaking of being on your knees\, none of this armoury will be any use at all unless you are putting some serious time into prayer. Pray long and hard with the Spirit as your partner and mentor. Keep your eyes and ears open and keep plugging away in prayer for all your comrades in this holy quest. Remember me in your prayers too. I might be an ambassador bearing God’s message\, but my opportunities are rather limited here in the detention centre! So for the opportunities I do get to speak\, pray that I’ll know exactly what to say and that I’ll have the guts to come out with the whole thing\, the whole wondrous mystery of the good news in Christ. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 56-69			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum\, Jesus said: \n“Whatever you eat and drink becomes a part of you\, but when you consume my flesh and blood\, not only will I become a part of you\, but you’ll find yourself in me\, becoming a part of me. The God who conceived me is the source of my life and has sent me\, serving me up to you. In much the same way\, I will be the source of life for whoever digests me. Do you see then? This is the real bread which has come from heaven. It’s not like what your ancestors ate in the desert. They still died. This is different. Those who eat this bread will live life without end and without limit.” \nWhen the people who had been following Jesus heard him say these things\, many of them began to say\, “Who can stomach what this man teaches? It is too tough by far.” \nJesus got wind of their complaints and said to them: \n“Are you ready to throw in the towel over this? How would you react if you saw the New Human entering heaven? After all\, that’s where he came from. Real life comes only from the Spirit. Without it you’re nothing. Everything I’ve said to you is life-giving and backed up by the Spirit. But for some of you\, that will make no difference — you’ve already put the shutters up.” \nJesus could tell\, right from the start\, that some wouldn’t have a bar of him once they knew what he was on about. He also knew who would betray him. He spelt it out to them\, saying\, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: like a Father taking his children where they could not go alone\, God is drawing people to me. Otherwise\, no one would come.” \nThis was the last straw for many of those who had followed him. They cleared off and wouldn’t have anything further to do with him. That prompted Jesus to put the question to the twelve: “What about you? You’re free to join them if you want to give up on me too.” \nSimon Peter answered for them: “Lord\, who else could we turn to? Your words have opened our eyes to life without limit. You have won our trust and we are convinced that you are God’s Holy One.” \n©2000 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				  Joshua 24: 1-2a\, 14-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called a meeting of their leaders — the tribal elders\, the clan chiefs\, the judges\, and the civil officials — and they gathered under the authority of God. Joshua addressed them\, saying: \n“The LORD\, the God of Israel\, wants you to hear this. Treat the LORD with due respect\, and be absolutely fair dinkum and rock-solid in your commitment to doing all that the LORD asks of you. Have nothing more to do with any of the other objects of devotion that your ancestors worked for back in those days\, or when they were in Egypt. Put yourselves wholly at the service of the LORD. But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD\, then you can make up your own minds what you are going to devote yourselves to: the ignorant ways of your ancestors back there in the dark ages; or the trivialities of the culture around you here. But I have made up my mind for myself and for my family; we will devote ourselves to the LORD.” \nWhen Joshua finished his speech\, the leaders replied\, saying: \n“There is no way we would turn our backs on the LORD and devote ourselves to other gods. It was the LORD who broke us free from slavery and did such spectacular things before our very eyes in the land where we had been oppressed. As we travelled\, the LORD looked after us every step of the way and kept us safe from hostile nations. It was the LORD who made room for us by driving out the nations who were occupying this land. Therefore we will serve the LORD\, for the LORD is our God.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 15-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	O LORD\, you keep a protective eye on those who play a straight bat;\nyou’re never out of earshot if they need you. \nYou grit your teeth and stand against evil though\,\nand you erase from history those who spread it. \nWhen good honest people need help\, you’re there for them\, LORD;\nyou get them out of whatever trouble they’re in. \nYou are especially close to the broken-hearted;\nwhen hope is crushed\, you come to the rescue. \nYour people endure as much suffering as anyone else\, LORD\,\nbut you ensure that they make it through. \nLike a vigilant bodyguard\,\nyou see that not a bone is broken. \nEvil is lethal to those who drink their fill of it;\nthose who despise the straight and narrow will stumble to destruction. \nBut you\, LORD\, are always ready to bail out those who serve your cause;\nno one who runs to you for safety will be handed over to death. \n©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 giver of honour and grace\nand we are eager for your presence with us. \nThe heavens and the earth cannot contain you\nfor you have created them and hold them in your hand.\nAnd yet you dwell among your people\nand allow even the birds of the air\nto nest in your courts and honour you with their song. \nYou have sent your Holy One\, Jesus Christ\,\nto speak to us your word of Spirit and life.\nThough the forces of evil and death consumed him\,\nhe rose from the grave\nproclaiming your gospel of peace.\nNow he nourishes us with his body and blood\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 Holy One\, Jesus\,\nwho nourishes us with his body and blood\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \n©2003 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 giver of honour and grace\nand we are eager for your presence with us. \nThe heavens and the earth cannot contain you\nfor you have created them and hold them in your hand.\nAnd yet you dwell among your people\nand allow even the birds of the air\nto nest in your courts and honour you with their song. \nYou have sent your Holy One\, Jesus Christ\,\nto speak to us your word of Spirit and life.\nThough the forces of evil and death consumed him\,\nhe rose from the grave\nproclaiming your gospel of peace.\nNow he nourishes us for eternal life\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \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©2003 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 steadfast in love\nand hears the prayers of all who come seeking mercy.\nGod reaches out to us in Jesus Christ\nforgiving our sins\nand nourishing us for life without limit. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, and make known the mystery of the gospel.\nKeep alert and pray at all times.\nDraw strength from God’s power\nand so stand firm against all that would corrupt you. \nAnd may God arm you with truth and righteousness;\nMay Christ Jesus give you words of Spirit and life;\nand may the Holy Spirit draw you near to God’s presence\nand bless you with honour and grace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nToo Much to StomachA sermon on John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen all hell breaks looseA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNot Against Enemies of Blood and FleshA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo tenemos lucha contra sangre y carneA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n‘The words I have spoken are spirit and life’A sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nBiting off more than you can chewA sermon on John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWith or Without a TempleA sermon on 1 Kings 8:1\,6\,10-11\, 22-30\,41-43 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp16/2030-08-25/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P16.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300825T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300825T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200908T033145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240922T095505Z
UID:10002147-1913846400-1913932799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 16 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 8: (1\,6\,10-11)\, 22-30\, 41-43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The sacred Ark of the Covenant had been kept on Mount Zion in the City of David. When King Solomon was ready to move it into the newly completed Temple\, he called all the elders and tribal leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem for the occasion. The priests carried the sacred Ark into the Temple and placed it in the most holy place\, beneath the wings of the cherubim in the inner sanctuary. No sooner had they placed it there than a dazzling cloud filled the Temple. The awesome presence of God was so overpowering that no one could bear to stay inside. Even the priests had to make a hasty exit. \nOutside\, Solomon stood in front of the altar of the LORD and\, with his hands raised high\, he led the gathered people in prayer. He prayed: \n“O LORD\, God of Israel\, you are one of a kind! No other god in the universe is like you. Your love is rock-solid and you never forget the alliance you have made with those who follow you whole-heartedly. You made an alliance with my father David\, and today you have proven true to your word. Everything you promised him you have now put in place. \nO LORD\, God of Israel\, you promised my father that his descendants would occupy the throne of Israel forever\, so long as they stuck to your ways and kept nothing hidden from you. May this be true\, O God\, for my father David was your servant. May you always back up your promise to him. \nBut\, how could you possibly live on earth\, O LORD my God? You could hold the entire universe in your hand\, so how can we expect this little temple I’ve built to have enough room for you! But today I ask you to listen to my prayer\, for I am your servant. Hear me and answer me\, O God. This place bears your name because you have chosen it as the place for people to worship you. So keep your eye on it\, O LORD\, twenty four hours a day. Whenever I turn towards this place to pray\, lend me your ear. I am your servant\, and these people belong to you\, so any time one of us faces this Temple and prays\, hear us from your heavenly home and forgive any offence we have caused. \nAnd don’t stop with just us – foreigners will no doubt hear about you too. Attracted by your reputation and by news of the awesome things you do\, they will come from all sorts of far flung places to live among your people and offer their prayers within sight of this Temple. When they do\, listen to them from your heavenly home and answer their prayers. That way everyone on earth will hear of you and give you the same respect that your people Israel do. They will know that this Temple which I have built carries your authority. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 84			\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. \nO LORD\, ruler of everything\, hear my cry.\nTune in to my prayer\, O God of our ancestors. \nYour presence is our protection\, O God;\nsmile upon us\, your chosen ones. \nA day spent in your presence\nbeats a thousand nights in a five star resort.\nI’d rather scrub floors in your house\, O God\,\nthan rub shoulders with the rich and famous\nbeneath the flashing lights of greed and corruption. \nO LORD our God\, you are the sun that shines on us\nand the shield that keeps us safe.\nYou shower us with generosity and honour\,\nand deny nothing to people of integrity. \nO LORD\, ruler of all\,\neveryone who trusts in you has got it made! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 6: 10-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If I could say one last thing to you\, it would be this: toughen yourselves up by drawing strength from God. Equip yourself with everything God offers\, because you’ll need it to detect and survive the guerrilla tactics the Devil will use against you. What we’re up against here is not simply human opposition. This is a life-and-death struggle against the corrupt spiritual forces and cosmic powers of evil that are responsible for the destructive chaos which is presently threatening to engulf the world. So arm yourselves with everything God gives you so that you’ll be ready and able to hold your ground when all hell breaks loose. \nIt’s time to stand up and be counted. Kit yourselves out in truth\, righteousness\, peace\, faith and salvation\, and you’ll be ready for anything. Truth is like a belt on which everything else hangs. Justice and righteousness protect your heart like a bullet-proof vest. Your passion for spreading peace will get you through the hard miles like a sturdy pair of boots. Faith is like a riot shield that protects you from the fire bombs and anything else the evil one throws at you. God’s salvation is like a good helmet — even if you do get knocked down\, it will keep your head in one piece! And finally\, when it is time to go on the attack\, there is one indispensable weapon — the word of God — the same weapon the Spirit used to bring us to our knees. \nAnd speaking of being on your knees\, none of this armoury will be any use at all unless you are putting some serious time into prayer. Pray long and hard with the Spirit as your partner and mentor. Keep your eyes and ears open and keep plugging away in prayer for all your comrades in this holy quest. Remember me in your prayers too. I might be an ambassador bearing God’s message\, but my opportunities are rather limited here in the detention centre! So for the opportunities I do get to speak\, pray that I’ll know exactly what to say and that I’ll have the guts to come out with the whole thing\, the whole wondrous mystery of the good news in Christ. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 6: 56-69			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum\, Jesus said: \n“Whatever you eat and drink becomes a part of you\, but when you consume my flesh and blood\, not only will I become a part of you\, but you’ll find yourself in me\, becoming a part of me. The God who conceived me is the source of my life and has sent me\, serving me up to you. In much the same way\, I will be the source of life for whoever digests me. Do you see then? This is the real bread which has come from heaven. It’s not like what your ancestors ate in the desert. They still died. This is different. Those who eat this bread will live life without end and without limit.” \nWhen the people who had been following Jesus heard him say these things\, many of them began to say\, “Who can stomach what this man teaches? It is too tough by far.” \nJesus got wind of their complaints and said to them: \n“Are you ready to throw in the towel over this? How would you react if you saw the New Human entering heaven? After all\, that’s where he came from. Real life comes only from the Spirit. Without it you’re nothing. Everything I’ve said to you is life-giving and backed up by the Spirit. But for some of you\, that will make no difference — you’ve already put the shutters up.” \nJesus could tell\, right from the start\, that some wouldn’t have a bar of him once they knew what he was on about. He also knew who would betray him. He spelt it out to them\, saying\, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: like a Father taking his children where they could not go alone\, God is drawing people to me. Otherwise\, no one would come.” \nThis was the last straw for many of those who had followed him. They cleared off and wouldn’t have anything further to do with him. That prompted Jesus to put the question to the twelve: “What about you? You’re free to join them if you want to give up on me too.” \nSimon Peter answered for them: “Lord\, who else could we turn to? Your words have opened our eyes to life without limit. You have won our trust and we are convinced that you are God’s Holy One.” \n©2000 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				  Joshua 24: 1-2a\, 14-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem. He called a meeting of their leaders — the tribal elders\, the clan chiefs\, the judges\, and the civil officials — and they gathered under the authority of God. Joshua addressed them\, saying: \n“The LORD\, the God of Israel\, wants you to hear this. Treat the LORD with due respect\, and be absolutely fair dinkum and rock-solid in your commitment to doing all that the LORD asks of you. Have nothing more to do with any of the other objects of devotion that your ancestors worked for back in those days\, or when they were in Egypt. Put yourselves wholly at the service of the LORD. But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD\, then you can make up your own minds what you are going to devote yourselves to: the ignorant ways of your ancestors back there in the dark ages; or the trivialities of the culture around you here. But I have made up my mind for myself and for my family; we will devote ourselves to the LORD.” \nWhen Joshua finished his speech\, the leaders replied\, saying: \n“There is no way we would turn our backs on the LORD and devote ourselves to other gods. It was the LORD who broke us free from slavery and did such spectacular things before our very eyes in the land where we had been oppressed. As we travelled\, the LORD looked after us every step of the way and kept us safe from hostile nations. It was the LORD who made room for us by driving out the nations who were occupying this land. Therefore we will serve the LORD\, for the LORD is our God.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 15-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	O LORD\, you keep a protective eye on those who play a straight bat;\nyou’re never out of earshot if they need you. \nYou grit your teeth and stand against evil though\,\nand you erase from history those who spread it. \nWhen good honest people need help\, you’re there for them\, LORD;\nyou get them out of whatever trouble they’re in. \nYou are especially close to the broken-hearted;\nwhen hope is crushed\, you come to the rescue. \nYour people endure as much suffering as anyone else\, LORD\,\nbut you ensure that they make it through. \nLike a vigilant bodyguard\,\nyou see that not a bone is broken. \nEvil is lethal to those who drink their fill of it;\nthose who despise the straight and narrow will stumble to destruction. \nBut you\, LORD\, are always ready to bail out those who serve your cause;\nno one who runs to you for safety will be handed over to death. \n©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 giver of honour and grace\nand we are eager for your presence with us. \nThe heavens and the earth cannot contain you\nfor you have created them and hold them in your hand.\nAnd yet you dwell among your people\nand allow even the birds of the air\nto nest in your courts and honour you with their song. \nYou have sent your Holy One\, Jesus Christ\,\nto speak to us your word of Spirit and life.\nThough the forces of evil and death consumed him\,\nhe rose from the grave\nproclaiming your gospel of peace.\nNow he nourishes us with his body and blood\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 Holy One\, Jesus\,\nwho nourishes us with his body and blood\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \n©2003 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 giver of honour and grace\nand we are eager for your presence with us. \nThe heavens and the earth cannot contain you\nfor you have created them and hold them in your hand.\nAnd yet you dwell among your people\nand allow even the birds of the air\nto nest in your courts and honour you with their song. \nYou have sent your Holy One\, Jesus Christ\,\nto speak to us your word of Spirit and life.\nThough the forces of evil and death consumed him\,\nhe rose from the grave\nproclaiming your gospel of peace.\nNow he nourishes us for eternal life\nand arms us with truth\, righteousness and salvation\nthat we might stand firm against the corrupt spiritual powers\nthat would tear down all who seek you with integrity. \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©2003 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 steadfast in love\nand hears the prayers of all who come seeking mercy.\nGod reaches out to us in Jesus Christ\nforgiving our sins\nand nourishing us for life without limit. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, and make known the mystery of the gospel.\nKeep alert and pray at all times.\nDraw strength from God’s power\nand so stand firm against all that would corrupt you. \nAnd may God arm you with truth and righteousness;\nMay Christ Jesus give you words of Spirit and life;\nand may the Holy Spirit draw you near to God’s presence\nand bless you with honour and grace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nToo Much to StomachA sermon on John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen all hell breaks looseA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNot Against Enemies of Blood and FleshA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo tenemos lucha contra sangre y carneA sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\n‘The words I have spoken are spirit and life’A sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nBiting off more than you can chewA sermon on John 6:56-69 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWith or Without a TempleA sermon on 1 Kings 8:1\,6\,10-11\, 22-30\,41-43 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp16/2030-08-25/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300901T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300901T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200909T035235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000534Z
UID:10002786-1914451200-1914537599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 17 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Song of Solomon 2: 8-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I await the voice of my lover!\nI see him coming\, running through the alpine bush\,\nleaping rocks and logs\,\nas surefooted as a wallaby\,\nmuscles rippling like a mountain thoroughbred. \nLook\, now he arrives\, there by the garden wall\,\nhis eyes scanning the windows\,\nsearching the balcony\,\neager to catch a sight of me. \nMy lover calls out for me alone\, saying: \n“Come now\, my darling\, my lovely one\,\ncome away with me. \nThe outdoors will welcome us\,\nfor the cold wet winter has released its grip.\nWildflowers explode with colour\nand the air is filled with song;\nBellbird calls ring through the bush\nlike the summons to a wedding.\nBerries and grapes ripen with promise\nand every flower adds it fragrance\nto the wafting breeze. \nSo come\, my darling\, my lovely one\,\ncome away with me.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 45: 1-2\, 6-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My heart overflows with words of delight;\n    a song of love bursts forth for the king;\n    my voice as charmed as the poet’s pen. \nYou\, my king\, are a man of unsurpassed beauty.\n    Every word that passes your lips is generous and inspiring.\n    God’s richest blessings are yours forever. \nYour throne is God-given\, and will never be shaken.\n    Your royal power is wielded for justice.\nYou have a passion for integrity\n    and a loathing for corruption.\nTherefore God has chosen you above all others\,\n    crowned you with joy like no other has known. \nRich and exotic fragrances cascade from your royal robes\,\n    and your palace is alive with music and dancing.\nThe daughters of kings wait on you\, hand and foot;\n    and on your arm is your chosen bride in a gown of liquid gold. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 1: 17-27			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Genuine no-strings-attached generosity is found only in God\, and everything that is really worth having comes as a gift from the God who lights up our darkness. There is nothing two-faced about God — nothing fickle or shifty\, nothing hidden in the shadows. We were conceived by God’s own love and desire and\, with the Word of Truth as midwife\, God gave birth to us and held us up for all to see\, just as besotted parents always show off their precious newborn children. \nMy beloved friends\, let me spell out some crucial wisdom: listening is your number one priority when you interact with others. Listen long and hard before you do anything else. There will be time to speak later\, and if there is to be anger\, see that it comes last of all when you’re sure you’ve got everything perfectly clear. Anger\, by itself\, never gives birth to the sort of active integrity God desires. \nThink of yourselves as a garden in need of attention. Clear away the putrid garbage and all those noxious weeds that choke off any desirable thing that tries to get established. Pull them out roots and all. Then\, like well prepared soil\, welcome what God plants in you. Let the seed of God’s Word send down roots deep inside you\, saving you from ruin and restoring you to rich fruitfulness. \nWhen the Word is sown in you\, don’t let anything stop it bearing fruit in your actions. Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other while kidding yourself that you’ve heard it. Hearing the word and then failing to act on it is about as ridiculous as taking a good look at yourself in the mirror and then still walking out the front door with gravy on your chin! If\, on the other hand\, you carefully look into the ways of God — the laws of freedom — and consistently put them into practice instead of just filing them away for later reference\, then you will find God backing you up at every turn\, making everything you do fruitful and satisfying. \nThere are those who think of themselves as being the epitome of true religion\, and yet they can’t even control their own tongues. They are deluding themselves and their religion is not worth a zack. The religion that really shows us to be God’s children — the religion that is free of any fault or hypocrisy — is this: care for those who no one else cares for\, and don’t allow yourself to be corrupted by the callous ways of the world. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	A group of religious lawyers and members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party had come from Jerusalem and were keeping a close eye on Jesus and his followers. They noticed that some of them were eating their meals without first washing their hands in the customary way. The Pharisees\, like most Jewish people\, observed strict purification rituals before eating. There were numerous rules spelling out the required ways of washing\, not only for people’s hands\, but for the food and the cooking utensils as well. Careful observance of these traditions was believed to protect people from defilement\, and the religious types wouldn’t have dreamed of taking any shortcuts. So\, when they saw what was going on\, they spoke to Jesus and demanded an explanation. “Why do your followers spit in the face of our ancestors by flouting the rules they passed down to us? Look they are eating with defiled hands!” \nJesus said to them\, “Isaiah hit the nail on the head when he spoke about you. He saw right through your hypocrisy when he wrote this: \n‘These people mouth all the right words\,\nbut their hearts aren’t in it.\nTheir worship is just one big sham.\nThey invent rules to suit themselves\nand then teach them as the word of God.’ \n“At the end of the day\, you lot are more concerned about your own rules and traditions than you are about what God really wants of people.” \nHaving said that\, Jesus turned and spoke to the crowd again\, saying\, “Listen up\, and try to get this clear in your own minds. The things that really pollute people are not the things that they put into their mouths\, but the muck that spews out from within them. \n“If you are looking for the cause of evil\, look inside yourselves. Evil intentions are conceived in the human heart\, every one of them: lechery\, disregard for people’s rights\, murder\, sexual betrayal\, unbridled greed\, callousness\, deceit\, promiscuity\, jealousy\, vilification\, conceit\, senselessness. All these things bubble up from inside people. They don’t get in from the outside. And these are the things that really pollute your lives.” \n©2003 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 4: 1-2\, 6-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses addressed the people\, saying: \n"Listen up\, people of Israel. I am laying down the law on how you are to live. Get these things clear in your heads and put them into practice. That way you will have life and be able to make yourselves at home in the land that is being given to you by the LORD\, the God of your ancestors. The directions I am spelling out to you are from God\, and you must not go adding new rules of your own\, or cutting out bits that don’t suit you. Follow everything the LORD your God is asking of you\, just as I have told you. Follow these instructions consistently and you will become known for your wisdom and good judgement. Other nations will hear of the standards you live by and say\, “What a great nation: you can back their judgement every time.” Our God is always there for us when we cry out for help. Can any other nation boast of that? And these directions that God has given us today cover everything we could possibly need to know. Does any other nation have anything as good as that? \n"But take care and keep a close eye on yourselves. Don’t forget the things you have seen God do. Don’t forget them as long as you live. Pass on the stories to your children and to your children’s children." \n©2012 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\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 there is nothing deceitful or shadowy in you\nand every good and perfect gift comes from your hand. \nYour throne endures forever and ever\,\nand in your passion and desire\nyou conceived the entire universe.\nYou gave birth to us through the word of truth\,\nand gave us first place among your creatures. \nThrough your servant Moses your holy law was given\,\nand through your Son\, Jesus\,\nit was cleansed of all that obscured its truth.\nThough he was opposed and killed\nby those who honoured you in word but denied you in deed\,\nyou raised him from the grave\,\nbringing all the world back to life.\nNow he seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 every good and perfect gift\nthat comes from your hand\,\nand especially for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \n©2003 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 there is nothing deceitful or shadowy in you\nand every good and perfect gift comes from your hand. \nYour throne endures forever and ever\,\nand in your passion and desire\nyou conceived the entire universe.\nYou gave birth to us through the word of truth\,\nand gave us first place among your creatures. \nThrough your servant Moses your holy law was given\,\nand through your Son\, Jesus\,\nit was cleansed of all that obscured its truth.\nThough he was opposed and killed\nby those who honoured you in word but denied you in deed\,\nyou raised him from the grave\,\nbringing all the world back to life.\nNow he seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \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©2003 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 delivered us by the Word of Truth\,\nsetting us free from the judgment of the law\nand planting his word within us\,\nto save us from all that would pollute us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, and be doers of the Word.\nCleanse your hearts of all pollution\,\nbe quick to listen and learn\,\nwelcome the Word that God implants in you\,\nand bring it to birth in acts of righteousness and compassion. \nAnd may God pour grace upon you and bless you forever;\nMay Christ Jesus reveal to you the truth of God’s ways;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill your life with passion and love. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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 The Bible Makes You BlushA sermon on the Song of Songs by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nModern Sex and Ancient Purity LawsA sermon on Mark 7:1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 & Song of Solomon 2:8-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDisgusting!?!A sermon on Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nYou Are Not DefiledA sermon on Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nHot Sex & HypocrisyA sermon on Song of Songs; Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23; & James 1:17-27 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove and GrubbinessA sermon on Mark 7:1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 & Song of Songs 2:8-13 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp17/2030-09-01/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300901T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300901T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200909T035235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240929T105136Z
UID:10002148-1914451200-1914537599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 17 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Song of Solomon 2: 8-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I await the voice of my lover!\nI see him coming\, running through the alpine bush\,\nleaping rocks and logs\,\nas surefooted as a wallaby\,\nmuscles rippling like a mountain thoroughbred. \nLook\, now he arrives\, there by the garden wall\,\nhis eyes scanning the windows\,\nsearching the balcony\,\neager to catch a sight of me. \nMy lover calls out for me alone\, saying: \n“Come now\, my darling\, my lovely one\,\ncome away with me. \nThe outdoors will welcome us\,\nfor the cold wet winter has released its grip.\nWildflowers explode with colour\nand the air is filled with song;\nBellbird calls ring through the bush\nlike the summons to a wedding.\nBerries and grapes ripen with promise\nand every flower adds it fragrance\nto the wafting breeze. \nSo come\, my darling\, my lovely one\,\ncome away with me.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 45: 1-2\, 6-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My heart overflows with words of delight;\n    a song of love bursts forth for the king;\n    my voice as charmed as the poet’s pen. \nYou\, my king\, are a man of unsurpassed beauty.\n    Every word that passes your lips is generous and inspiring.\n    God’s richest blessings are yours forever. \nYour throne is God-given\, and will never be shaken.\n    Your royal power is wielded for justice.\nYou have a passion for integrity\n    and a loathing for corruption.\nTherefore God has chosen you above all others\,\n    crowned you with joy like no other has known. \nRich and exotic fragrances cascade from your royal robes\,\n    and your palace is alive with music and dancing.\nThe daughters of kings wait on you\, hand and foot;\n    and on your arm is your chosen bride in a gown of liquid gold. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 1: 17-27			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Genuine no-strings-attached generosity is found only in God\, and everything that is really worth having comes as a gift from the God who lights up our darkness. There is nothing two-faced about God — nothing fickle or shifty\, nothing hidden in the shadows. We were conceived by God’s own love and desire and\, with the Word of Truth as midwife\, God gave birth to us and held us up for all to see\, just as besotted parents always show off their precious newborn children. \nMy beloved friends\, let me spell out some crucial wisdom: listening is your number one priority when you interact with others. Listen long and hard before you do anything else. There will be time to speak later\, and if there is to be anger\, see that it comes last of all when you’re sure you’ve got everything perfectly clear. Anger\, by itself\, never gives birth to the sort of active integrity God desires. \nThink of yourselves as a garden in need of attention. Clear away the putrid garbage and all those noxious weeds that choke off any desirable thing that tries to get established. Pull them out roots and all. Then\, like well prepared soil\, welcome what God plants in you. Let the seed of God’s Word send down roots deep inside you\, saving you from ruin and restoring you to rich fruitfulness. \nWhen the Word is sown in you\, don’t let anything stop it bearing fruit in your actions. Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other while kidding yourself that you’ve heard it. Hearing the word and then failing to act on it is about as ridiculous as taking a good look at yourself in the mirror and then still walking out the front door with gravy on your chin! If\, on the other hand\, you carefully look into the ways of God — the laws of freedom — and consistently put them into practice instead of just filing them away for later reference\, then you will find God backing you up at every turn\, making everything you do fruitful and satisfying. \nThere are those who think of themselves as being the epitome of true religion\, and yet they can’t even control their own tongues. They are deluding themselves and their religion is not worth a zack. The religion that really shows us to be God’s children — the religion that is free of any fault or hypocrisy — is this: care for those who no one else cares for\, and don’t allow yourself to be corrupted by the callous ways of the world. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	A group of religious lawyers and members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party had come from Jerusalem and were keeping a close eye on Jesus and his followers. They noticed that some of them were eating their meals without first washing their hands in the customary way. The Pharisees\, like most Jewish people\, observed strict purification rituals before eating. There were numerous rules spelling out the required ways of washing\, not only for people’s hands\, but for the food and the cooking utensils as well. Careful observance of these traditions was believed to protect people from defilement\, and the religious types wouldn’t have dreamed of taking any shortcuts. So\, when they saw what was going on\, they spoke to Jesus and demanded an explanation. “Why do your followers spit in the face of our ancestors by flouting the rules they passed down to us? Look they are eating with defiled hands!” \nJesus said to them\, “Isaiah hit the nail on the head when he spoke about you. He saw right through your hypocrisy when he wrote this: \n‘These people mouth all the right words\,\nbut their hearts aren’t in it.\nTheir worship is just one big sham.\nThey invent rules to suit themselves\nand then teach them as the word of God.’ \n“At the end of the day\, you lot are more concerned about your own rules and traditions than you are about what God really wants of people.” \nHaving said that\, Jesus turned and spoke to the crowd again\, saying\, “Listen up\, and try to get this clear in your own minds. The things that really pollute people are not the things that they put into their mouths\, but the muck that spews out from within them. \n“If you are looking for the cause of evil\, look inside yourselves. Evil intentions are conceived in the human heart\, every one of them: lechery\, disregard for people’s rights\, murder\, sexual betrayal\, unbridled greed\, callousness\, deceit\, promiscuity\, jealousy\, vilification\, conceit\, senselessness. All these things bubble up from inside people. They don’t get in from the outside. And these are the things that really pollute your lives.” \n©2003 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 4: 1-2\, 6-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses addressed the people\, saying: \n"Listen up\, people of Israel. I am laying down the law on how you are to live. Get these things clear in your heads and put them into practice. That way you will have life and be able to make yourselves at home in the land that is being given to you by the LORD\, the God of your ancestors. The directions I am spelling out to you are from God\, and you must not go adding new rules of your own\, or cutting out bits that don’t suit you. Follow everything the LORD your God is asking of you\, just as I have told you. Follow these instructions consistently and you will become known for your wisdom and good judgement. Other nations will hear of the standards you live by and say\, “What a great nation: you can back their judgement every time.” Our God is always there for us when we cry out for help. Can any other nation boast of that? And these directions that God has given us today cover everything we could possibly need to know. Does any other nation have anything as good as that? \n"But take care and keep a close eye on yourselves. Don’t forget the things you have seen God do. Don’t forget them as long as you live. Pass on the stories to your children and to your children’s children." \n©2012 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\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 there is nothing deceitful or shadowy in you\nand every good and perfect gift comes from your hand. \nYour throne endures forever and ever\,\nand in your passion and desire\nyou conceived the entire universe.\nYou gave birth to us through the word of truth\,\nand gave us first place among your creatures. \nThrough your servant Moses your holy law was given\,\nand through your Son\, Jesus\,\nit was cleansed of all that obscured its truth.\nThough he was opposed and killed\nby those who honoured you in word but denied you in deed\,\nyou raised him from the grave\,\nbringing all the world back to life.\nNow he seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 every good and perfect gift\nthat comes from your hand\,\nand especially for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \n©2003 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 there is nothing deceitful or shadowy in you\nand every good and perfect gift comes from your hand. \nYour throne endures forever and ever\,\nand in your passion and desire\nyou conceived the entire universe.\nYou gave birth to us through the word of truth\,\nand gave us first place among your creatures. \nThrough your servant Moses your holy law was given\,\nand through your Son\, Jesus\,\nit was cleansed of all that obscured its truth.\nThough he was opposed and killed\nby those who honoured you in word but denied you in deed\,\nyou raised him from the grave\,\nbringing all the world back to life.\nNow he seeks us out like an ardent lover\nto restore in us a passion for righteousness\nthat brings forth purity and truth\nin both word and in action. \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©2003 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 delivered us by the Word of Truth\,\nsetting us free from the judgment of the law\nand planting his word within us\,\nto save us from all that would pollute us. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, and be doers of the Word.\nCleanse your hearts of all pollution\,\nbe quick to listen and learn\,\nwelcome the Word that God implants in you\,\nand bring it to birth in acts of righteousness and compassion. \nAnd may God pour grace upon you and bless you forever;\nMay Christ Jesus reveal to you the truth of God’s ways;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill your life with passion and love. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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 The Bible Makes You BlushA sermon on the Song of Songs by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nModern Sex and Ancient Purity LawsA sermon on Mark 7:1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 & Song of Solomon 2:8-13 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDisgusting!?!A sermon on Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nYou Are Not DefiledA sermon on Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nHot Sex & HypocrisyA sermon on Song of Songs; Mark 7: 1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23; & James 1:17-27 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove and GrubbinessA sermon on Mark 7:1-8\, 14-15\, 21-23 & Song of Songs 2:8-13 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp17/2030-09-01/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300908T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300908T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063501
CREATED:20200909T041706Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241007T003547Z
UID:10002149-1915056000-1915142399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 18 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Proverbs 22: 1-2\, 8-9\, 22-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Given the choice between a good reputation\nand triple-A credit rating\,\ntake the good reputation.\nRespect will earn you what money can’t buy. \nGod created everybody equal;\nand at the end of the day\,\nthe rich and the poor both answer to the same God. \nAnyone who invests in injustice\nwill reap dividends of disaster\,\nand angrily throwing their weight around\nwon’t get them out of trouble. \nIf you really want to maximise your returns\,\nopen your hands\, open your table\,\nshare what you have with those in need. \nDon’t rip off the poor just because they’re easy targets\,\nand don’t use the law to take advantage of them\njust because you can afford better lawyers.\nIf you do\, you’ll find God rising to their defence\,\nand if you’ve stomped them into the mud\,\nthe LORD will stomp you into the mud. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 125			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Those who put their trust in you\, O LORD\,\nare like Mount Dandenong:\nsolid\, calm and dependable. \nLike the mountain watching over the city\,\nso you\, LORD\, watch over you people\,\noffering protection\, now and forever. \nWhere people are committed to playing straight\,\nyou will not let injustice dominate.\nIf it did\, even trustworthy people\nmight let evil through their guard. \nO LORD\, may good things come\nto those who have stayed true\,\nto those who have integrity\nand goodness in their hearts. \nBut as for those who have embraced the ways of corruption\,\nbe it on their own heads if they are swept away\nwhen you bring evil to its final end. \nMay all your people enjoy peace\, O LORD. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 2: 1-10\, (11-13)\, 14-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, if you really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ\, how come you still play favourites? If people walk into one of your meetings and you make a fuss of the ones dressed up to the nines and looking a million dollars\, ushering them to the best seats in the house\, while at the same time turning up your nose at those dressed like battlers\, down on their luck\, telling them to stand out in the foyer\, aren’t you practising apartheid\, segregating God’s children? You’re as crooked as a judge who bases your sentence on the length of your skirt! \nGet this straight in your minds\, dear friends. God has turned the world’s opinion polls upside down. Those who have been deprived of what the world values have a huge head-start in the faith stakes. Their names are at the top of the list of those who God has chosen to inherit the riches of the kingdom. All who love God have an equal share in God’s promises\, but you’re insulting some of them by means-testing your welcome. And just think about it — it’s the fat-cats who cut your wages and increase your hours\, isn’t it? It’s the silvertails who use their fancy lawyers to bleed you dry. Aren’t they the ones who even make a mockery of Christ by invoking his name to baptise their positions of privilege? \nIt is quite simple to do the right thing — just fulfil the basic law of God’s realm\, as spelt out in the scriptures: “Love everyone else as you love yourself.” But if you show favouritism to the young and beautiful or the wealthy and powerful\, then you are violating that law and you stand convicted by it. It will show you for what you are — a sinner. You see\, you can’t pick and choose when it comes to the law of God. You can’t claim exemption from one law on the grounds that you’ve kept the rest. You can’t pretend that because you’ve never had an affair you should be regarded as a model of virtue and excused one little murder. God ruled out both sexual betrayal and murder\, and either one puts you outside the law of love. See to it that everything you say and do is consistent with the law of love which sets us free\, for your living of it sets the tone for how you’ll be judged by it. If you’ve been harsh and intolerant in your judgment of others\, you can be sure of copping the same yourself. Mercy and generosity however will outbid judgment every time. \nBrothers and sisters\, what’s the good of claiming to be a person of faith if you never put love into action? Do you think a head full of theoretical faith is enough to save you? You’ve got to be kidding. Think about this: if someone you know has barely got a stitch to wear or a scrap to eat\, and you walk past saying\, “Praise the Lord\, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and fail to offer even a coat or a sandwich\, what good is that? You’ve been worse than useless. Faith that doesn’t express itself in compassionate action is obviously dead — rotting\, putrid and no use to anyone. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 7: 24-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus moved on to the district around the city of Tyre\, and stayed in a house where he didn’t think anyone would be able to find him. He stuck out like a sore thumb though\, and the word got around in no time. He’d barely had time to take the weight off his feet when there was a woman bowing and scraping before him\, begging for help. She wasn’t even Jewish\, but came from the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. She had a daughter who was deeply disturbed by some demonic force\, and she begged Jesus to set her free from it. But Jesus said to her\, “First things first. You can’t snatch food out of the children’s mouths and throw it to the dogs.” \nBut she didn’t give up. “Sir\, even dogs know to sit under the table when the children are eating because there is always plenty of scraps for them.” \nJesus was won over. “You’re absolutely right! Your words have carried the day. Go home. The demons are gone. Your daughter is free.” \nSo she hurried home and sure enough\, her daughter was relaxing on the bed and the demonic torment was completely gone. \nJesus moved on again\, leaving the district of Tyre and heading back towards Lake Galilee via Sidon. As he passed through the district of the Ten Towns\, some people begged him to stop and lay a healing hand on a man who was stone deaf and had such a severe speech impediment that he could hardly make himself understood. Jesus took the man aside\, away from the eyes of the crowd. In the customary way\, Jesus put his fingers in the man’s ears and then spat on his finger and touched the man’s tongue as he prayed for him. Looking heavenward\, Jesus gave a deep groan and said\, “Effatha!” which is the Aramaic word for “Open up.” \nAnd it happened\, just like that. The man’s ears began to hear perfectly and his speech became steady and clear. \nJesus gave them strict instructions to keep this to themselves\, but he was wasting his breath. The more he tried to hush it up\, the more energetic the grapevine got! Everyone was just so blown away by the things he did\, that they told anyone who would listen. “You should see the things he can do – wonderful things. He even restores hearing to the deaf and the power of speech to the dumb!” \n©2000 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 35: 4-7a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Encourage 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. \n©2003 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 embrace your people now and forever\nand promise the Kingdom to all who love you. \nThe universe came into existence at your command\nand rich and poor alike have you as their maker.\nThrough Moses you taught your people\nto provide for the welfare of those in need\,\nand through the prophets you thundered against our injustice\nand called for repentance in word and deed. \nIn your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nyour love and healing mercy\nreached beyond the bounds of our prejudice\nand demonstrated your compassion\nfor all who are needy\, afflicted or vulnerable.\nThough he was killed by those who sow injustice\,\nyou raised him to new life\nthat he might sow in us the seeds of faith\,\nfilling our communities with love and justice\nand bringing forth a rich harvest of good works. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nthrough whom your love and healing mercy\nreached beyond the bounds of our prejudice\,\nand who is now sowing in us the seeds of faith\,\nthat we might bring forth a rich harvest of good works. \n©2003 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 embrace your people now and forever\nand promise the Kingdom to all who love you. \nThe universe came into existence at your command\nand rich and poor alike have you as their maker.\nThrough Moses you taught your people\nto provide for the welfare of those in need\,\nand through the prophets you thundered against our injustice\nand called for repentance in word and deed. \nIn your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nyour love and healing mercy\nreached beyond the bounds of our prejudice\nand demonstrated your compassion\nfor all who are needy\, afflicted or vulnerable.\nThough he was killed by those who sow injustice\,\nyou raised him to new life\nthat he might sow in us the seeds of faith\,\nfilling our communities with love and justice\nand bringing forth a rich harvest of good works. \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©2003 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 fail to keep even one point of God’s law\,\nwe become accountable for all of it\,\nbut God’s mercy triumphs over judgment\,\nsetting us free and giving us a faith that is active for good. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, and invest your lives in the works of faith.\nMake a name for yourselves for generosity and compassion.\nFulfil God’s holy law\nby putting love into action as eagerly for others\nas you would for yourselves. \nAnd may God be your defender and provider;\nMay Christ Jesus dispel all that disturbs or disables you;\nand may the Holy Spirit make you rich in faith\nand loving and merciful in action. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nWas Jesus a racist?A sermon on Mark 7:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Prayer-shaped Investment StrategyA sermon on Proverbs 22 & James 2 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBe OpenA sermon on Mark 7:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPoverty\, borders\, and the Meaning of FaithA sermon on James 2:1-17 & Mark 7:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nComing Out From Under the TableA sermon on Mark 7:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Contagion To Open Up ToA sermon on Mark 7:24-37 by Doug Morrison-Cleary\n\n\n\nPlaying FavouritesA sermon on James 2:1-17 & Mark 7:24-37 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp18/2030-09-08/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20300914T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20300914T235900
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20220829T022014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T044939Z
UID:10002978-1915574400-1915660740@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:The Feast of the Holy Cross
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Numbers 21: 4b-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As they travelled\, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging\, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.” \nAt that\, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him\, saying\, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.” \nSo Moses prayed for the the people\, and the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake\, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten\, they are to look at the statue of the snake\, and they will survive.” \nSo Moses made a snake out of bronze\, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom\, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake\, and they would live. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 98: 1-5			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing like we’ve never sung before\, LORD\,\nbecause you have done fantastic things.\nWith your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in\nand came out on top. \nYour victory has made the headlines\, LORD\,\nnow the whole world can see that you were right all along. \nYou have never defaulted on your rock-solid love\,\nor your loyalty to your chosen people.\nFrom one end of the earth to the other\,\neveryone has seen your victory. \nWith all the world\, LORD\, we raise a noisy celebration\,\nsinging our lungs out and shouting your praise. \nThe bands strike up in your honour\, LORD\,\nfilling the air with festive music. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Psalm 78: 1-2\, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We are keen to learn of you\, LORD;\nyour people are eager to hear what you have to say. \nWe listen to those who pass on the old stories;\nthe dark mysteries of ancient wisdom. \nWhen your anger cut down our ancestors\, they sought your mercy;\nthey pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways. \nThey remembered that you are as solid as rock;\nthat you are the greatest; the one who puts things right. \nBut they were all words and no action\,\ntrying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk. \nThey were fickle and two-faced;\nthey did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you. \nAnd yet you remained compassionate;\nyou continued to let them off the hook\nand refrained from wiping them out.\nOver and over you swallowed your anger\nand chose not to let your fury have its day. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Corinthians 1: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that\, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures: \n“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts\nand the wise counsel of your gurus;\nI will expose them for what they really are\,\na load of codswallop!” \nSo where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways\, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable\, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God\, whatever their background\, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 3: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus said: \n“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human\, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well\, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit. \n“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead. \n“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather\, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nEating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/abc46/2030-09-14/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300915T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300915T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200910T025607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T034206Z
UID:10002151-1915660800-1915747199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 19 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Proverbs 1: 20-33			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets.\nWherever people gather\, her call rings out.\nOn the station steps at rush hour she sets up her soap box;\nover the roar of the traffic she raises her voice\, crying: \n“Are you thick-headed people determined to stay brainless forever?\nIs taking the mickey out of others the only thing you enjoy?\nHow long will you mindless morons turn your backs\non every opportunity to learn anything? \nListen up\, and let me set you straight;\nI’m ready to let you in on my thinking;\nI’ll happily teach you everything I know. \nBut I’m at my wits end with you.\nYou don’t answer my calls;\nyou look away when I hold out my hand.\nWhether I offer advice gently or scream blue murder\,\nit makes no difference. You still take no notice. \nSo how do you expect me to be there for you?\nWhy shouldn’t I turn my back when trouble come your way?\nWhy shouldn’t I just laugh when it hits the fan?\nYour turn will come.\nYou’ll be looking up at rock bottom\,\nwith the broken pieces of your life\nfalling through your fingers. \nWhy is it only then that anyone ever calls for me?\nThey reach out for me in desperation\, but it’s too late.\nThey’d already told me where to go\, and I’d gone. \nThey spat in the face of knowledge\nand thumbed their noses at the LORD.\nThey wouldn’t have a bar of any suggestions from me\nand they laughed in my face when I tried to set them straight. \nSo they’ve made their own beds\,\nnow they’ll have to lie in them.\nThey bit off what they wanted\,\nand now it will stick in their throats. \nThose who are stupid enough to wander off the path\nget run over in the street.\nThose who never think ahead\nstill have their feet up when the fire comes through. \nBut if you listen to me\,\nyou’ll be in safe hands.\nYou can relax\nwithout a care in the world.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 19			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Your glory is written in the sky\, God;\nyour artistry is carved on the face of the earth.\nFrom one day to another\, the message passes on\,\nand each night puts the next one in the know. \nNot a word is spoken\,\nnot a sound do they make;\nyet their silence reverberates around the earth\nand their unspoken message echoes from pole to pole. \nYou made the sun at home flying across the sky.\nIt takes to its task with the eagerness of a bridegroom;\nas exultant as an athlete breasting the tape.\nAs your messenger\, God\, it does its rounds\,\nfrom one end of the sky to the other\,\nwarming everything in its path. \nYour revealed will is right on the mark\, LORD;\nit gives our souls their second wind.\nWhat you says goes\,\nand any fool can wise up by taking note. \nYour instructions are spot on\, LORD;\nanyone who follows them will be glad they did.\nWhat you direct us to do is easy to see\,\nand once seen\, everything become clear. \nRespect for you keeps us true\, LORD\,\nnothing can corrupt it\, now or ever.\nWhat you decide is always accurate;\na fair ruling\, beyond dispute. \nYour Word is worth far more\nthan even diamond encrusted gold!\nIt is sweeter by far\nthan any mouth watering delicacy\,\neven chocolate dipped strawberries with cream! \nBut that’s not all!\nYour Word\, O LORD\, keeps me out of danger\,\nand following it pays off richly. \nCan anyone put their finger on all their own faults?\nLORD\, eradicate the bugs I haven’t even identified yet. \nRemind me not to entertain sour contemptuous thoughts\,\nand don’t let them start pulling my strings.\nWithout them\, I can stay on course\,\nand keep my record clean. \nThat’s what I want\, O LORD.\nI want all the things I say\,\nand all the things I mull over in my heart\,\nto be things I’d be proud to offer to you\,\nfor you are the bedrock of my life;\nthe one who puts me back where I belong. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 - 8:1			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Spirit of Wisdom is like a polished mirror\,\nreflecting bright light onto everything God is and does.\nIn her we see a crystal clear image of God’s goodness. \nAlthough there is only one of her\,\nthere is no limit to what she can do.\nWithout needing to change\, she is always fresh\,\nand she renews and refreshes everything she touches. \nAgelessly passing from one generation to the next\,\nshe embraces those who dedicate themselves to God.\nMaking a home in their hearts\,\nshe nurtures their friendship with God. \nShe enables them to pass on God’s word to others\,\nfor God’s greatest delight is in those\nwho are at home with wisdom. \nThe beauty of Wisdom outshines the sun\,\nand the stars in the sky look pale by comparison. \nShe is more illuminating than light itself\,\nbecause light is regularly subdued by the dark of night\,\nbut there is no evil that can ever get the better of Wisdom. \nShe stretches out her arms and embraces the whole earth.\nShe uses her strength to set everything right for the benefit of all. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 3: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, don’t all go rushing off to set yourselves up as teachers. In the final evaluation\, the required performance indicators will be much tougher for those of us who are teachers. None of us measure up perfectly. We all make mistakes\, both in what we say and what we do. If you never got anything you said wrong\, you’d be perfect\, you’d have your whole life completely under control. It only takes a leash to keep a dog under control. A captain can control a huge ocean liner by turning one little rudder. In the same way\, the tongue has an impact out of all proportion to its size. One little word can make a world of difference — for good or for bad! \nOne careless spark can start a bushfire that will rage out of control from here to the border. One careless word can be just as explosive. The tip of your tongue carries a destructive payload. One word dropped in the wrong place and all hell breaks loose — inflaming hostilities\, blackening reputations\, incinerating trust. Before you know it\, your whole life is a smouldering ruin. People manage to tame all kinds of animals — wild horses\, eagles\, even crocodiles — but the tongue can never be broken in. It is like a coiled snake\, unpredictable and deadly. \nBlessings and curses can come out of the same mouth. One minute we are pouring out praise to the God who conceived us\, and the next minute we are spitting out venom at someone made in God’s own image. Brothers and sisters\, it’s not right. If we couldn’t turn on a tap without knowing whether we were going to get fresh water or sewerage\, we’d never put up with it. You don’t go to an apple tree and find lemons\, do you? And you don’t go to lemon tree looking for strawberries. If you’re an infested swamp\, it’s no use anyone coming to you looking for fresh clean water. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 8: 27-38			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his followers made a trip out to the villages in the district of Caesarea Philippi. As they talked on the way\, Jesus asked them\, “What do people make of me?” \n“Some say you are John the baptiser\,” they reported. “Others reckon you are Elijah or some other prophet from the past.” \n“Well\, what about you?” he asked them. “Who do you think I am?” \nIt was Peter who spoke up. “You are the messiah – God’s anointed one.” \nJesus warned them to keep that opinion to themselves and not to breathe a word of it to anyone. \nThen he began to fill them in on what was going to happen to him. “The New Human is going to be put through the wringer. He’ll be done over by the politicians\, the priests and the religious lawyers. They’ll have him executed\, but after three days he’ll rise to life.” \nHe didn’t beat about the bush on this – he spelt it out as clear as you like. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind. Recognising that his followers were losing the plot\, Jesus made an example of Peter\, saying\, “Get out of my face\, you satan! You’ve got no idea what God is on about. You’re just pursuing the same things as everyone else.” \nThen he called everyone to gather round – his followers and the whole crowd – and he said to them\, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys\, sign their own death warrant\, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life you’ll end up losing the lot. But if you let go\, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me and to our message\, you’ll gain real life. What’s the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. There’s no trade-in on a burned out soul. There are some who find it embarrassing to be associated with me and with what I’m on about\, when they’re hanging around with their deceitful and easily distracted peers. If they don’t sort themselves out\, they’ll find that when the New Human arrives\, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels\, he’ll be too embarrassed to associate with them.” \n©2000 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 50: 4-9a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God has given me the gift of the gab\nso that my words can teach others\nand put a spring in the step of the weary. \nAs I wake up each new day\,\nGod makes me hungry for learning.\nThe LORD cleaned out my ears\nso that I could hear every word.\nI learned eagerly;\nI never rebelled or quit. \nI was opposed by others\,\nbut I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.\nI looked them in the eye\nwhen they insulted me and spat in my face.\nI took it on the chin and did not fight back\,\nwhen they gave me a belting and tore out my hair. \nThe Lord GOD is always there for me\,\nso no disgrace ever gets to me.\nI have steeled my jaw and dug in my heels\,\nand I’m sure I’ll never be ashamed of my stand\nbecause I can trust God to back me up. \nSo\, who thinks they can take me on?\nLet them stand up and face me!\nWho are my opponents?\nLet’s see what they’re made of! \nThe Lord GOD is backing me;\nso who is going to accuse me of doing wrong? \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 116: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I love you\, LORD!\nHow could I not love you\nwhen you always respond to my cries? \nYou are always ready to listen to me\,\nso I will bring my needs to you as long as I live. \nOnce death was closing in on me;\nthe grave’s icy fingers had me in their grasp;\nTormented and desperate\, I cried out to you\,\n“Please\, LORD. Help me! Save my life!” \nYou are so generous\, LORD;\nyou do the right thing by us\nwhether we deserve it or not. \nYou side with the nobodies\,\nand you bailed me out\,\nwhen I hit rock-bottom. \nI can let go of my fears and calm my mind;\nyour goodness and love keep me safe. \nYou saved my life\, LORD;\nyou dried my tears;\nyou supported me when I stumbled. \nI can stand before you with my head held high;\nI’m back on my feet in the land of the living. \n©2003 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 yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom\nwho renews everything and gives life to all. \nThe heavens and earth are your handiwork\,\nand you have made all people in your own likeness.\nThrough the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom\,\nand all who listen are safe in your care. \nWhen we refused your counsel\nand failed to offer you our respect\,\nyou came to us in your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nto be our rock and our redeemer.\nTaking up the cross\nand suffering rejection as one of us\,\nhe was killed and cast into the pit of hell.\nBut after three days\, you raised him to life\,\nlighting a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nand he now calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 anointed one\, Jesus\,\nwho suffered rejection as one of us\,\nand who now lights a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nas he calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \n©2003 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 yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom\nwho renews everything and gives life to all. \nThe heavens and earth are your handiwork\,\nand you have made all people in your own likeness.\nThrough the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom\,\nand all who listen are safe in your care. \nWhen we refused your counsel\nand failed to offer you our respect\,\nyou came to us in your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nto be our rock and our redeemer.\nTaking up the cross\nand suffering rejection as one of us\,\nhe was killed and cast into the pit of hell.\nBut after three days\, you raised him to life\,\nlighting a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nand he now calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	No one knows all their faults\nand none of us have brought sin under complete control.\nBut Christ is not ashamed to identify with us.\nIn his own suffering love\, he offers us his life. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out with your minds set on the things of God.\nTake up your cross and follow Jesus.\nSee to it that the words of your mouths\nand the thoughts of your hearts\nare acceptable to God and enlightening to all. \nAnd may God make the holy Word known to you;\nMay Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of sacrificial love;\nand may the Holy Spirit set you ablaze with divine wisdom. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nBeing Part of the SolutionA sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThat’s not a cross!A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWisdom for a time of madnessA sermon on Proverbs 1.20-33; Psalm 19; James 3.1-12; Mark 8.27-38 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nHoly GossipA sermon on James 3:1-12 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nA Matter of IntegrityA sermon on Mark 8: 27-38 & James 3: 1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWho do you say that I am?A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Adam Couchman\n\n\n\nWisdom CallsA sermon on Proverbs 1.20-33 & Mark 8: 27-38 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp19/2030-09-15/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P19.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300915T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300915T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200910T025607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000534Z
UID:10002784-1915660800-1915747199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 19 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Proverbs 1: 20-33			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets.\nWherever people gather\, her call rings out.\nOn the station steps at rush hour she sets up her soap box;\nover the roar of the traffic she raises her voice\, crying: \n“Are you thick-headed people determined to stay brainless forever?\nIs taking the mickey out of others the only thing you enjoy?\nHow long will you mindless morons turn your backs\non every opportunity to learn anything? \nListen up\, and let me set you straight;\nI’m ready to let you in on my thinking;\nI’ll happily teach you everything I know. \nBut I’m at my wits end with you.\nYou don’t answer my calls;\nyou look away when I hold out my hand.\nWhether I offer advice gently or scream blue murder\,\nit makes no difference. You still take no notice. \nSo how do you expect me to be there for you?\nWhy shouldn’t I turn my back when trouble come your way?\nWhy shouldn’t I just laugh when it hits the fan?\nYour turn will come.\nYou’ll be looking up at rock bottom\,\nwith the broken pieces of your life\nfalling through your fingers. \nWhy is it only then that anyone ever calls for me?\nThey reach out for me in desperation\, but it’s too late.\nThey’d already told me where to go\, and I’d gone. \nThey spat in the face of knowledge\nand thumbed their noses at the LORD.\nThey wouldn’t have a bar of any suggestions from me\nand they laughed in my face when I tried to set them straight. \nSo they’ve made their own beds\,\nnow they’ll have to lie in them.\nThey bit off what they wanted\,\nand now it will stick in their throats. \nThose who are stupid enough to wander off the path\nget run over in the street.\nThose who never think ahead\nstill have their feet up when the fire comes through. \nBut if you listen to me\,\nyou’ll be in safe hands.\nYou can relax\nwithout a care in the world.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 19			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Your glory is written in the sky\, God;\nyour artistry is carved on the face of the earth.\nFrom one day to another\, the message passes on\,\nand each night puts the next one in the know. \nNot a word is spoken\,\nnot a sound do they make;\nyet their silence reverberates around the earth\nand their unspoken message echoes from pole to pole. \nYou made the sun at home flying across the sky.\nIt takes to its task with the eagerness of a bridegroom;\nas exultant as an athlete breasting the tape.\nAs your messenger\, God\, it does its rounds\,\nfrom one end of the sky to the other\,\nwarming everything in its path. \nYour revealed will is right on the mark\, LORD;\nit gives our souls their second wind.\nWhat you says goes\,\nand any fool can wise up by taking note. \nYour instructions are spot on\, LORD;\nanyone who follows them will be glad they did.\nWhat you direct us to do is easy to see\,\nand once seen\, everything become clear. \nRespect for you keeps us true\, LORD\,\nnothing can corrupt it\, now or ever.\nWhat you decide is always accurate;\na fair ruling\, beyond dispute. \nYour Word is worth far more\nthan even diamond encrusted gold!\nIt is sweeter by far\nthan any mouth watering delicacy\,\neven chocolate dipped strawberries with cream! \nBut that’s not all!\nYour Word\, O LORD\, keeps me out of danger\,\nand following it pays off richly. \nCan anyone put their finger on all their own faults?\nLORD\, eradicate the bugs I haven’t even identified yet. \nRemind me not to entertain sour contemptuous thoughts\,\nand don’t let them start pulling my strings.\nWithout them\, I can stay on course\,\nand keep my record clean. \nThat’s what I want\, O LORD.\nI want all the things I say\,\nand all the things I mull over in my heart\,\nto be things I’d be proud to offer to you\,\nfor you are the bedrock of my life;\nthe one who puts me back where I belong. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 - 8:1			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Spirit of Wisdom is like a polished mirror\,\nreflecting bright light onto everything God is and does.\nIn her we see a crystal clear image of God’s goodness. \nAlthough there is only one of her\,\nthere is no limit to what she can do.\nWithout needing to change\, she is always fresh\,\nand she renews and refreshes everything she touches. \nAgelessly passing from one generation to the next\,\nshe embraces those who dedicate themselves to God.\nMaking a home in their hearts\,\nshe nurtures their friendship with God. \nShe enables them to pass on God’s word to others\,\nfor God’s greatest delight is in those\nwho are at home with wisdom. \nThe beauty of Wisdom outshines the sun\,\nand the stars in the sky look pale by comparison. \nShe is more illuminating than light itself\,\nbecause light is regularly subdued by the dark of night\,\nbut there is no evil that can ever get the better of Wisdom. \nShe stretches out her arms and embraces the whole earth.\nShe uses her strength to set everything right for the benefit of all. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 3: 1-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Sisters and brothers\, don’t all go rushing off to set yourselves up as teachers. In the final evaluation\, the required performance indicators will be much tougher for those of us who are teachers. None of us measure up perfectly. We all make mistakes\, both in what we say and what we do. If you never got anything you said wrong\, you’d be perfect\, you’d have your whole life completely under control. It only takes a leash to keep a dog under control. A captain can control a huge ocean liner by turning one little rudder. In the same way\, the tongue has an impact out of all proportion to its size. One little word can make a world of difference — for good or for bad! \nOne careless spark can start a bushfire that will rage out of control from here to the border. One careless word can be just as explosive. The tip of your tongue carries a destructive payload. One word dropped in the wrong place and all hell breaks loose — inflaming hostilities\, blackening reputations\, incinerating trust. Before you know it\, your whole life is a smouldering ruin. People manage to tame all kinds of animals — wild horses\, eagles\, even crocodiles — but the tongue can never be broken in. It is like a coiled snake\, unpredictable and deadly. \nBlessings and curses can come out of the same mouth. One minute we are pouring out praise to the God who conceived us\, and the next minute we are spitting out venom at someone made in God’s own image. Brothers and sisters\, it’s not right. If we couldn’t turn on a tap without knowing whether we were going to get fresh water or sewerage\, we’d never put up with it. You don’t go to an apple tree and find lemons\, do you? And you don’t go to lemon tree looking for strawberries. If you’re an infested swamp\, it’s no use anyone coming to you looking for fresh clean water. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 8: 27-38			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his followers made a trip out to the villages in the district of Caesarea Philippi. As they talked on the way\, Jesus asked them\, “What do people make of me?” \n“Some say you are John the baptiser\,” they reported. “Others reckon you are Elijah or some other prophet from the past.” \n“Well\, what about you?” he asked them. “Who do you think I am?” \nIt was Peter who spoke up. “You are the messiah – God’s anointed one.” \nJesus warned them to keep that opinion to themselves and not to breathe a word of it to anyone. \nThen he began to fill them in on what was going to happen to him. “The New Human is going to be put through the wringer. He’ll be done over by the politicians\, the priests and the religious lawyers. They’ll have him executed\, but after three days he’ll rise to life.” \nHe didn’t beat about the bush on this – he spelt it out as clear as you like. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind. Recognising that his followers were losing the plot\, Jesus made an example of Peter\, saying\, “Get out of my face\, you satan! You’ve got no idea what God is on about. You’re just pursuing the same things as everyone else.” \nThen he called everyone to gather round – his followers and the whole crowd – and he said to them\, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys\, sign their own death warrant\, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life you’ll end up losing the lot. But if you let go\, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me and to our message\, you’ll gain real life. What’s the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. There’s no trade-in on a burned out soul. There are some who find it embarrassing to be associated with me and with what I’m on about\, when they’re hanging around with their deceitful and easily distracted peers. If they don’t sort themselves out\, they’ll find that when the New Human arrives\, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels\, he’ll be too embarrassed to associate with them.” \n©2000 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 50: 4-9a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD God has given me the gift of the gab\nso that my words can teach others\nand put a spring in the step of the weary. \nAs I wake up each new day\,\nGod makes me hungry for learning.\nThe LORD cleaned out my ears\nso that I could hear every word.\nI learned eagerly;\nI never rebelled or quit. \nI was opposed by others\,\nbut I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.\nI looked them in the eye\nwhen they insulted me and spat in my face.\nI took it on the chin and did not fight back\,\nwhen they gave me a belting and tore out my hair. \nThe Lord GOD is always there for me\,\nso no disgrace ever gets to me.\nI have steeled my jaw and dug in my heels\,\nand I’m sure I’ll never be ashamed of my stand\nbecause I can trust God to back me up. \nSo\, who thinks they can take me on?\nLet them stand up and face me!\nWho are my opponents?\nLet’s see what they’re made of! \nThe Lord GOD is backing me;\nso who is going to accuse me of doing wrong? \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 116: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I love you\, LORD!\nHow could I not love you\nwhen you always respond to my cries? \nYou are always ready to listen to me\,\nso I will bring my needs to you as long as I live. \nOnce death was closing in on me;\nthe grave’s icy fingers had me in their grasp;\nTormented and desperate\, I cried out to you\,\n“Please\, LORD. Help me! Save my life!” \nYou are so generous\, LORD;\nyou do the right thing by us\nwhether we deserve it or not. \nYou side with the nobodies\,\nand you bailed me out\,\nwhen I hit rock-bottom. \nI can let go of my fears and calm my mind;\nyour goodness and love keep me safe. \nYou saved my life\, LORD;\nyou dried my tears;\nyou supported me when I stumbled. \nI can stand before you with my head held high;\nI’m back on my feet in the land of the living. \n©2003 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 yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom\nwho renews everything and gives life to all. \nThe heavens and earth are your handiwork\,\nand you have made all people in your own likeness.\nThrough the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom\,\nand all who listen are safe in your care. \nWhen we refused your counsel\nand failed to offer you our respect\,\nyou came to us in your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nto be our rock and our redeemer.\nTaking up the cross\nand suffering rejection as one of us\,\nhe was killed and cast into the pit of hell.\nBut after three days\, you raised him to life\,\nlighting a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nand he now calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 anointed one\, Jesus\,\nwho suffered rejection as one of us\,\nand who now lights a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nas he calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \n©2003 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 yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom\nwho renews everything and gives life to all. \nThe heavens and earth are your handiwork\,\nand you have made all people in your own likeness.\nThrough the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom\,\nand all who listen are safe in your care. \nWhen we refused your counsel\nand failed to offer you our respect\,\nyou came to us in your anointed one\, Jesus\,\nto be our rock and our redeemer.\nTaking up the cross\nand suffering rejection as one of us\,\nhe was killed and cast into the pit of hell.\nBut after three days\, you raised him to life\,\nlighting a fire of renewal that will never go out\,\nand he now calls us to take up the cross\nand follow him on the road to resurrection. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	No one knows all their faults\nand none of us have brought sin under complete control.\nBut Christ is not ashamed to identify with us.\nIn his own suffering love\, he offers us his life. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out with your minds set on the things of God.\nTake up your cross and follow Jesus.\nSee to it that the words of your mouths\nand the thoughts of your hearts\nare acceptable to God and enlightening to all. \nAnd may God make the holy Word known to you;\nMay Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of sacrificial love;\nand may the Holy Spirit set you ablaze with divine wisdom. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nBeing Part of the SolutionA sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThat’s not a cross!A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWisdom for a time of madnessA sermon on Proverbs 1.20-33; Psalm 19; James 3.1-12; Mark 8.27-38 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nHoly GossipA sermon on James 3:1-12 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nA Matter of IntegrityA sermon on Mark 8: 27-38 & James 3: 1-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWho do you say that I am?A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Adam Couchman\n\n\n\nWisdom CallsA sermon on Proverbs 1.20-33 & Mark 8: 27-38 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp19/2030-09-15/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P19.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200910T034115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000534Z
UID:10002782-1916265600-1916351999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Proverbs 31: 10-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	How fortunate is the man who marries a gifted woman;\nHer love is as precious as life itself. \nHe entrusts himself to her\nand she doesn’t let him down. \nGenerous of spirit and never vindictive\,\nshe will be good to him all her life. \nShe is creative and diligent;\nnot afraid to get her hands dirty. \nWith the taste of a seasoned traveller\,\nshe shares her love of varied cuisine. \nShe is up early each morning\,\nseeing that everyone in her household\ngets their day off to a good start. \nShe conducts her business with confidence;\nbuying and selling\, and overseeing production. \nShe dresses appropriately for her work\,\nready to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in. \nShe knows what her labour is worth\,\nand will work late to get the job done. \nShe puts her shoulder to the wheel\nand makes the most of her many skills. \nThe goods she produces are widely sought;\nthey fetch top dollar in the shops. \nShe’s quick to help anyone facing hard times;\na generous friend to those in need. \nShe doesn’t panic when storms hit;\nall her household are well prepared. \nShe doesn’t waste money on appearances\,\nbut presents herself with colour and flair. \nHer strength and dignity are what people notice first\,\nand she approaches the future with joy and enthusiasm. \nShe and her husband are respected about town\,\nand admired for their leadership in the community. \nPeople seek out her opinions and value her wisdom;\nher advice is caring and considerate. \nShe keeps an eye on the interests of all her household\,\nand doesn’t indulge in laziness. \nHer children have nothing but good to say about her\,\nand her husband is always singing her praise:\n“There are some wonderful women in the world\,” he says\,\n“but you are the cream of the crop!” \nCharm can mask the truth\,\nand beauty may be only skin deep.\nThe woman who is worthy of admiration and acclaim\nis the one who knows who she is before God. \nShe deserves full credit for all she has achieved;\nher accomplishments speak for themselves. \n©2000 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			\n				  James 3:13 - 4:3\, 7-8a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Do any of you rate yourselves highly for wisdom and understanding? Well\, let’s see you live it then. It is the quality of your life that will prove that your actions are the offspring of a wise and gentle spirit. If the things you do reveal that inside you’re always comparing yourself to others and scheming to get one up on them\, then the more you boast about your wisdom\, the more apparent it will be that you are deluded. Any wisdom you might have would clearly not be from God. It would be nothing more than rat-cunning\, deviousness. The devil himself specialises in that sort of wisdom. Whenever people are set on being number one without regard for anyone else\, mayhem and inhuman behaviour follow\, as sure as night follows day. The wisdom that God gives is a very different matter. For starters it is not contaminated by any ulterior motives. It cultivates peace among people\, being gentle and willing to let others get their way. It is so full of the fruits of generosity\, forgiveness and love that it could never find room for even a shred of prejudice or hypocrisy. Those who invest in peace — not just hoping for it but really working for it — will reap rich dividends in a life of wholehearted integrity. \nWhy do you think these vicious conflicts keep erupting among you? Can’t you see that they are detonated by the greedy desires simmering within your hearts. You want something you don’t have and you fuel the hunger until you’re ready to kill for it. You covet something that you know can never be yours\, but you let your craving blaze out of control\, igniting spot fires all over the place. If you really want something\, ask God for it. But you could never do that could you\, because there’d be no way to word the request without exposing the naked selfishness that’s driving you. \nWhat can you do? Let God’s desires have their way with you. Dig in against the devil\, and he’ll be sent packing. Get alongside God\, and God will get alongside you. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 9: 30-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his group moved on and travelled through Galilee. He was keeping their location secret because the things he was teaching his closest followers were for their ears only. “Soon the New Human will be betrayed\,” he told them\, “and handed over to a hostile mob. They will kill him\, but three days after his murder\, he will rise up\, alive again.” \nHis followers\, however\, could not get their heads around any of this\, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask him to go over it again. \nThey arrived home in Capernaum and after settling back into the house\, Jesus hit them with a question: “You blokes sounded like you were having a bit of a barney back there on the road. What was it all about?” \nThe silence was deafening! None of them were willing to own up\, because they had been arguing over status – which of them was number one. Jesus sat down and called the twelve to gather round. He said to them\, “Whoever wants to be number one must take a place at the bottom as the servant of everyone else.” \nHe called over a small child\, and right there in the midst of them\, gathered the little one up into his arms and said\, “Anyone who welcomes little tackers like this as though they were gold-medalists is welcoming me. And those who welcome me are not just welcoming me – they are welcoming the One who sent me.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Wisdom of Solomom 1:16 - 2:1\, 12-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Those who shun God are getting in to bed with death.\nYou can see it in everything they say and do.\nThey yearn for death like an absent lover.\nThey have signed up to a partnership with death\nbecause they seemed to be made for one another. \nListen to their thinking\, and see how screwed up it is.\nThey say\,\n“Life’s a bitch and then you die.\nHere today and gone tomorrow\, and there is no cure for death.\nDown you go\, and no one ever comes back. \nAnd then they say\,\n“These holier-than-thou do-gooders are such a pain.\nLet’s knock off the next one we see.\nThey are always in our way\,\nstopping us from getting what we want\,\ncalling us sinners and law-breakers\,\nand lecturing us about being a disgrace to our upbringing. \n“They claim to know God\nand they make themselves out to be the Lord’s children. \n“They make everything we think look bad.\nWe’re sick to death of the sight of them\nbecause they are so different from everyone else\nand their way of life gets up our nose. \n“They look down on us\nand avoid our ways like the plague.\nThey reckon that do-gooders will die happy\nand that God will call them his children. \n“Let’s grab the next one we see\nand make an example of him.\nLet’s see if his puffed up words about dying happy\nhold up when put to the test. \n“If this do-gooder is such a child of God\,\nhe can expect God to help him\, can’t he?\nLet’s see if God can rescue him\nwhen we get our hands on him. \n“Let’s see what happens to his patience and gentleness\nwhen we humiliate him\, torture him\,\nand make him fear for his life. \n“Let’s kill him slowly and humiliate him as he dies.\nThen we’ll see whether his ‘divine protection’\nis half as good as he says it is. \nSo that’s how corrupt people think.\nYou can see how how screwed up it is.\nThe lures of evil have sucked them in\,\nand blinded them to everything else. \nThey have never know what God is on about.\nThey have never tasted the fruits of living right.\nThey have never glimpsed the prize in store\nfor those with a clean record. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Jeremiah 11: 18-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The first I knew of the plot against me\nwas when the LORD tipped me off about it. \nUntil then I was like a lamb trotting to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer.\nIn my blissful ignorance I never guessed\nthat they were plotting my downfall\, saying\, \n“Let’s cut him down in his prime\nand make sure he never breeds.\nLet’s rid the world of him\nand erase all memory that he ever lived!” \nBut you are the LORD who rules over everything.\nYour investigations uncover our motives\nand your judgements get it right every time.\nI have put my case in your hands.\nHit them with everything they deserve! \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 54			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Pull rank to save me\, God;\nuse your influence to clear my name.\nHear my prayer\, God;\nlend an ear to what I have to say. \nArrogant mongrels have got me in their sights;\nthey spit in the face of everything decent\nand now they are plotting to kill me. \nLook at them! They couldn’t care less about you\, God! \nBut you are there for me\, God; for sure you are.\nYou\, Lord\, are my bodyguard.\nWhen enemies come\, you’ll turn their evil back on them.\nI know you can be relied on. Finish them off! \nI will offer you my worship and bring my gifts to say thank you.\nI will put your name up in lights\, LORD\, for you are the best.\nYou have bailed me out of every crisis\nand with my own eyes I’ve seen my enemies fail. \n©2012 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 wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nthrough whom you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \n©2003 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 wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Resist the devil\, and he will flee from you.\nDraw near to God\nand submit yourselves to God’s ways\nand God will draw near to you in mercy. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, clothed in strength and dignity.\nSubmit yourselves to God and resist the devil.\nDelight in the Lord’s teaching\,\nopen your hands to the poor\,\nand let your actions arise from the wisdom of God. \nAnd may God draw near to you and strengthen you;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you the ways of simplicity;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom\n    and make your fruitful in peace and righteousness. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nGetting Put in your PlaceA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWinning\, Losing and Child’s PlayA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Kingdom as Kids’ StuffA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSnapshots of WisdomA sermon on Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37; James 3:13 – 4:3\, 4:7-8a; & Proverbs 31:10-31 by Léon van Ommen\n\n\n\nMissing the PointA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp20/2030-09-22/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200910T034115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241020T095534Z
UID:10002152-1916265600-1916351999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Proverbs 31: 10-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	How fortunate is the man who marries a gifted woman;\nHer love is as precious as life itself. \nHe entrusts himself to her\nand she doesn’t let him down. \nGenerous of spirit and never vindictive\,\nshe will be good to him all her life. \nShe is creative and diligent;\nnot afraid to get her hands dirty. \nWith the taste of a seasoned traveller\,\nshe shares her love of varied cuisine. \nShe is up early each morning\,\nseeing that everyone in her household\ngets their day off to a good start. \nShe conducts her business with confidence;\nbuying and selling\, and overseeing production. \nShe dresses appropriately for her work\,\nready to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in. \nShe knows what her labour is worth\,\nand will work late to get the job done. \nShe puts her shoulder to the wheel\nand makes the most of her many skills. \nThe goods she produces are widely sought;\nthey fetch top dollar in the shops. \nShe’s quick to help anyone facing hard times;\na generous friend to those in need. \nShe doesn’t panic when storms hit;\nall her household are well prepared. \nShe doesn’t waste money on appearances\,\nbut presents herself with colour and flair. \nHer strength and dignity are what people notice first\,\nand she approaches the future with joy and enthusiasm. \nShe and her husband are respected about town\,\nand admired for their leadership in the community. \nPeople seek out her opinions and value her wisdom;\nher advice is caring and considerate. \nShe keeps an eye on the interests of all her household\,\nand doesn’t indulge in laziness. \nHer children have nothing but good to say about her\,\nand her husband is always singing her praise:\n“There are some wonderful women in the world\,” he says\,\n“but you are the cream of the crop!” \nCharm can mask the truth\,\nand beauty may be only skin deep.\nThe woman who is worthy of admiration and acclaim\nis the one who knows who she is before God. \nShe deserves full credit for all she has achieved;\nher accomplishments speak for themselves. \n©2000 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			\n				  James 3:13 - 4:3\, 7-8a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Do any of you rate yourselves highly for wisdom and understanding? Well\, let’s see you live it then. It is the quality of your life that will prove that your actions are the offspring of a wise and gentle spirit. If the things you do reveal that inside you’re always comparing yourself to others and scheming to get one up on them\, then the more you boast about your wisdom\, the more apparent it will be that you are deluded. Any wisdom you might have would clearly not be from God. It would be nothing more than rat-cunning\, deviousness. The devil himself specialises in that sort of wisdom. Whenever people are set on being number one without regard for anyone else\, mayhem and inhuman behaviour follow\, as sure as night follows day. The wisdom that God gives is a very different matter. For starters it is not contaminated by any ulterior motives. It cultivates peace among people\, being gentle and willing to let others get their way. It is so full of the fruits of generosity\, forgiveness and love that it could never find room for even a shred of prejudice or hypocrisy. Those who invest in peace — not just hoping for it but really working for it — will reap rich dividends in a life of wholehearted integrity. \nWhy do you think these vicious conflicts keep erupting among you? Can’t you see that they are detonated by the greedy desires simmering within your hearts. You want something you don’t have and you fuel the hunger until you’re ready to kill for it. You covet something that you know can never be yours\, but you let your craving blaze out of control\, igniting spot fires all over the place. If you really want something\, ask God for it. But you could never do that could you\, because there’d be no way to word the request without exposing the naked selfishness that’s driving you. \nWhat can you do? Let God’s desires have their way with you. Dig in against the devil\, and he’ll be sent packing. Get alongside God\, and God will get alongside you. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 9: 30-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his group moved on and travelled through Galilee. He was keeping their location secret because the things he was teaching his closest followers were for their ears only. “Soon the New Human will be betrayed\,” he told them\, “and handed over to a hostile mob. They will kill him\, but three days after his murder\, he will rise up\, alive again.” \nHis followers\, however\, could not get their heads around any of this\, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask him to go over it again. \nThey arrived home in Capernaum and after settling back into the house\, Jesus hit them with a question: “You blokes sounded like you were having a bit of a barney back there on the road. What was it all about?” \nThe silence was deafening! None of them were willing to own up\, because they had been arguing over status – which of them was number one. Jesus sat down and called the twelve to gather round. He said to them\, “Whoever wants to be number one must take a place at the bottom as the servant of everyone else.” \nHe called over a small child\, and right there in the midst of them\, gathered the little one up into his arms and said\, “Anyone who welcomes little tackers like this as though they were gold-medalists is welcoming me. And those who welcome me are not just welcoming me – they are welcoming the One who sent me.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Wisdom of Solomom 1:16 - 2:1\, 12-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Those who shun God are getting in to bed with death.\nYou can see it in everything they say and do.\nThey yearn for death like an absent lover.\nThey have signed up to a partnership with death\nbecause they seemed to be made for one another. \nListen to their thinking\, and see how screwed up it is.\nThey say\,\n“Life’s a bitch and then you die.\nHere today and gone tomorrow\, and there is no cure for death.\nDown you go\, and no one ever comes back. \nAnd then they say\,\n“These holier-than-thou do-gooders are such a pain.\nLet’s knock off the next one we see.\nThey are always in our way\,\nstopping us from getting what we want\,\ncalling us sinners and law-breakers\,\nand lecturing us about being a disgrace to our upbringing. \n“They claim to know God\nand they make themselves out to be the Lord’s children. \n“They make everything we think look bad.\nWe’re sick to death of the sight of them\nbecause they are so different from everyone else\nand their way of life gets up our nose. \n“They look down on us\nand avoid our ways like the plague.\nThey reckon that do-gooders will die happy\nand that God will call them his children. \n“Let’s grab the next one we see\nand make an example of him.\nLet’s see if his puffed up words about dying happy\nhold up when put to the test. \n“If this do-gooder is such a child of God\,\nhe can expect God to help him\, can’t he?\nLet’s see if God can rescue him\nwhen we get our hands on him. \n“Let’s see what happens to his patience and gentleness\nwhen we humiliate him\, torture him\,\nand make him fear for his life. \n“Let’s kill him slowly and humiliate him as he dies.\nThen we’ll see whether his ‘divine protection’\nis half as good as he says it is. \nSo that’s how corrupt people think.\nYou can see how how screwed up it is.\nThe lures of evil have sucked them in\,\nand blinded them to everything else. \nThey have never know what God is on about.\nThey have never tasted the fruits of living right.\nThey have never glimpsed the prize in store\nfor those with a clean record. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Jeremiah 11: 18-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The first I knew of the plot against me\nwas when the LORD tipped me off about it. \nUntil then I was like a lamb trotting to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer.\nIn my blissful ignorance I never guessed\nthat they were plotting my downfall\, saying\, \n“Let’s cut him down in his prime\nand make sure he never breeds.\nLet’s rid the world of him\nand erase all memory that he ever lived!” \nBut you are the LORD who rules over everything.\nYour investigations uncover our motives\nand your judgements get it right every time.\nI have put my case in your hands.\nHit them with everything they deserve! \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 54			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Pull rank to save me\, God;\nuse your influence to clear my name.\nHear my prayer\, God;\nlend an ear to what I have to say. \nArrogant mongrels have got me in their sights;\nthey spit in the face of everything decent\nand now they are plotting to kill me. \nLook at them! They couldn’t care less about you\, God! \nBut you are there for me\, God; for sure you are.\nYou\, Lord\, are my bodyguard.\nWhen enemies come\, you’ll turn their evil back on them.\nI know you can be relied on. Finish them off! \nI will offer you my worship and bring my gifts to say thank you.\nI will put your name up in lights\, LORD\, for you are the best.\nYou have bailed me out of every crisis\nand with my own eyes I’ve seen my enemies fail. \n©2012 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 wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nthrough whom you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \n©2003 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 wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Resist the devil\, and he will flee from you.\nDraw near to God\nand submit yourselves to God’s ways\nand God will draw near to you in mercy. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, clothed in strength and dignity.\nSubmit yourselves to God and resist the devil.\nDelight in the Lord’s teaching\,\nopen your hands to the poor\,\nand let your actions arise from the wisdom of God. \nAnd may God draw near to you and strengthen you;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you the ways of simplicity;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom\n    and make your fruitful in peace and righteousness. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nGetting Put in your PlaceA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWinning\, Losing and Child’s PlayA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Kingdom as Kids’ StuffA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSnapshots of WisdomA sermon on Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37; James 3:13 – 4:3\, 4:7-8a; & Proverbs 31:10-31 by Léon van Ommen\n\n\n\nMissing the PointA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp20/2030-09-22/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300929T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300929T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200928T112724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241027T094424Z
UID:10002153-1916870400-1916956799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 21 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Esther 7: 1-6\, 9-10; 9: 20-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(When Xerxes was King of Persia\, his prime minister\, Haman\, conspired to exterminate the entire Jewish population in a single day. The King’s wife\, Esther\, was Jewish\, and she and her cousin Mordecai set out to thwart Haman’s genocidal plan.) \nQueen Esther put on a special dinner and invited the King and Haman to join her. As they were enjoying the fine wine at the end of the meal\, the King said to Esther\, “You had something you wanted to ask me\, Esther my queen. What is it? I’d be happy to give you whatever you want\, even half my Kingdom if it would make you happy.” \nQueen Esther answered\, “Your Majesty\, if you really love me and you want to do something for me\, you can save my life and the lives of my people. That’s all I ask. A price has been put on our heads\, mine and all my people. The order has been given to wipe us out\, to eradicate us like vermin. We are to be marched off to our deaths\, exterminated. I would have kept my protest to myself if we were only to be sold as slaves – I couldn’t expect a king to be concerned over so small a matter\, but we are about to be massacred!” \nThe King nearly exploded. “Who is responsible for this outrage?” he demanded. “Name names.” \nEsther replied\, “The treacherous enemy is right here\, your Majesty. This murdering mongrel\, Haman!” \nHaman didn’t know where to look. He just froze on the spot between the king and queen\, like a scared rabbit. Then one of the King’s personal servants\, a eunuch named Harbona\, spoke up. “Your Majesty\, if you look out your window you will spot the biggest gallows you have ever seen right outside Haman’s house. He built them to hang Mordecai the Jew – the very same Mordecai who warned you of the plot to assassinate you.” \n“Right\,” said the King. “String Haman up on his own gallows!” \nSo the guards dragged Haman out and hanged him on the gallows he had built to get rid of Mordecai. That satisfied the King’s anger. \nMordecai kept written records of all that had occurred. He sent letters to all the Jewish communities in the empire with the following instructions: \nIn the sixth month of each year\, declare a long weekend on the 14th and 15th. Hold celebrations to remember that these were the days on which we Jews were saved from our persecutors. This month began in fear and grief but it has become a time of joy and celebration. So make these days a festival – throw parties\, eat and drink\, sing and dance\, give presents to one another\, and see that you include the poor in your giving. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 124			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	If you had not sided with us\, LORD\,\nwe all know where we’d have ended up. \nIf we had not had you on our side\nwhen people turned against us\,\nattacking with the fury of a wounded shark\,\nthey would have made mince meat out of us. \nTheir frenzied rage would have dragged us under\,\ntheir lust for blood would have torn us apart.\nThe thrashing waters would have closed over us\,\nhiding the violence\,\nconcealing our fate. \nAll the credit and all the honours go to you\, LORD;\nit was you who saved our flesh\nfrom the teeth of our enemies. \nThanks to you\, we have shaken off their grip\,\nand soared to safety\, as free as a bird.\nTheir savage attack was repelled\,\nand we have escaped unharmed. \nIt is you\, LORD\, the creator of heaven and earth\,\nwho guarantees our safety. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 5: 13-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Are some of you doing it tough? — well then\, pray. Are some of you on top of the world? — then sing! Sing songs of praise. Are some of you sick? Well\, call up the church leaders and ask them to come and anoint you with oil and pray for you. Take your medication\, but put your trust in the Lord. Faith-filled prayer can make all the difference. The Lord will put you back on your feet\, healed and whole. \nThose who are sick with guilt can do the same and their sins will be forgiven. Get into the practice of confessing your sins honestly to one another and praying for one another. This sort of prayerful openness and honesty will enable you to receive God’s healing. \nWhen people have got their lives in order\, their prayer is a potent force. Take Elijah for example. He was just as human as the next bloke\, but when he prayed hard\, asking God to send a drought\, there was not a drop of rain anywhere for the next three and a half years. Then he prayed again\, asking for rain\, and sure enough\, the clouds opened and the crops began to grow again. \nSisters and brothers\, if one of your number wanders off track and falls away from the truth\, don’t give up on them. No one is beyond hope\, so do your best to bring them back. No matter what sins they might have fallen into\, if you get someone back on track you will have rescued a precious life from disaster. Any number of sins will be forgiven as a result of your loving persistence. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 9: 38-50			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	John\, one of the twelve\, reported to Jesus\, saying\, “Teacher\, we came across a man who was exposing and expelling demonic forces and claiming to be doing it on your behalf. We tried to stop him because he was not a member of our group.” \nJesus wasn’t impressed. “Don’t stop him\,” he said. “If someone acts powerfully for good and gives me the credit\, they’re not going to then turn around and stab me in the back\, are they? Those who are not opposing us are our allies. I’m not kidding when I say that even if all a person does to support us is offer you a drink of water because you are associated with me\, they’ll get the thumbs up from God just like you. \n“On the other hand\, if someone – however insignificant they might seem – is believing in me\, and you put up a road block and turn them back\, you’ll be made to pay for it. You’d have been better off being dumped in the middle of the bay wearing concrete boots. \n“Don’t be hard on others and soft on yourselves. Take the axe to the roots of division within yourselves. If it was just your hand that kept causing trouble\, you could just hack it off! Disabled but embracing life is a whole lot better than having your perfect body sent to hell. If it was just your foot that kept tripping you up\, you could amputate it! Better hobbling into heaven than prancing into the fires of hell! And if hostility was caused by your eye playing tricks on you\, you could just gouge it out. Living the life of God with an eye patch is a whole lot better than having two eyes to feed to the worms in your grave. Eyes aren’t much use when they’re filled with smoke\, and in hell the fires never go out! \n“Don’t flee the refining fire though. It comes to everyone and\, as painful as it is\, it can burn away whatever is contaminating your heart. If you had a cup of salt that was so contaminated that it didn’t even taste salty any more\, what could you do with it? It would be useless. Keep your saltiness at full strength and the peace among you fully flavoured.” \n©2000 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				  Numbers 11: 4-6\, 10-16\, 24-29			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As the people travelled through the wilderness\, a group of rabble rousers among them began to stir up trouble over the lack of meat to eat. Before long all the Israelites were craving meat and whingeing about it endlessly: \n“What wouldn’t we give for some decent food?! Remember how good the food was back in Egypt: mouth-watering fish\, and a wonderful selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. We ate like kings! But now we are wasting away out here with nothing to eat but manna for breakfast\, lunch and tea.” \nEverywhere he went in the camp\, Moses heard the people standing around their tents whingeing and moaning about it. He was angry and embarrassed that the people under his leadership were causing such offence to God\, so he went and spoke to the LORD saying: \n“Why have you got it in for me? What did I do to deserve being made responsible for these people? They weren’t conceived or born because of anything I did\, so how come you have made it my job to nurse them like babies and carry them on my shoulders like toddlers. It was you\, not me\, who sealed the deal with their ancestors\, promising to give them this land\, so why is it my job to get them there? Where am I supposed to get meat to feed them all and stop them from whingeing to me all day about how hungry they are? The responsibility for these people is more than I can handle. I’m not up to the job. If you can’t treat me any better than this\, just kill me now! Do me a favour and put me out of my misery.” \nSo the LORD said to Moses\, “Gather together seventy of Israel’s most respected and influential tribal elders\, and get them to assemble with you at my Sacred Tent.” \nSo Moses went out and told to the people what the LORD had said. He sent for seventy key tribal elders and had them assemble in a circle around the Sacred Tent while he went inside. The LORD came down\, hidden in cloud\, and spoke with Moses. As they talked\, the LORD touched the seventy elders with the same spirit that was at work in Moses. During the short period of time that the spirit rested on them\, they were all shouting words of prophesy. \nTwo of the seventy elders who Moses had sent for were named Eldad and Medad. They had not made it to the Sacred Tent\, but the spirit touched them just like the others and they began shouting words of prophesy right where they were in the camp. A young man ran and reported this to Moses\, saying “Eldad and Medad are shouting like prophets in the camp!” \nJoshua son of Nun\, who served as right hand man to Moses\, said\, “You can’t let them do that\, Boss. Have them stopped.” \nBut Moses replied\, “Why? Are you worried about protecting my position? I only wish that the LORD would give the same spirit to all the people so that the whole lot of them would become prophets!” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 19: 7-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Your revealed will is right on the mark\, LORD;\nit gives our souls their second wind.\nWhat you says goes\,\nand any fool can wise up by taking note. \nYour instructions are spot on\, LORD;\nanyone who follows them will be glad they did.\nWhat you direct us to do is easy to see\,\nand once seen\, everything become clear. \nRespect for you keeps us true\, LORD\,\nnothing can corrupt it\, now or ever.\nWhat you decide is always accurate;\na fair ruling\, beyond dispute. \nYour Word is worth far more\nthan even diamond encrusted gold!\nIt is sweeter by far\nthan any mouth watering delicacy\,\neven chocolate dipped strawberries with cream! \nBut that’s not all!\nYour Word\, O LORD\, keeps me out of danger\,\nand following it pays off richly. \nCan anyone put their finger on all their own faults?\nLORD\, eradicate the bugs I haven’t even identified yet. \nRemind me not to entertain sour contemptuous thoughts\,\nand don’t let them start pulling my strings.\nWithout them\, I can stay on course\,\nand keep my record clean. \nThat’s what I want\, O LORD.\nI want all the things I say\,\nand all the things I mull over in my heart\,\nto be things I’d be proud to offer to you\,\nfor you are the bedrock of my life;\nthe one who puts me back where I belong. \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 love and mercy you have rescued us\nfrom all that would harm us or lead us to destruction. \nThe earth and sky were created by your hand\,\nand the land brings forth its harvest when you say.\nYou committed yourself in love to your people\,\nand saved them from the teeth of their enemies. \nWhen we wandered into the pathways of death\,\nyou heard our plea for life\nand came to save us in your son\, Jesus Christ.\nConfronting demonic forces\nand offering your healing and forgiveness to all\,\nhe honoured as allies all who took the side of life.\nHe was killed by those who block the paths of the humble\,\nbut you raised him back to life\nand sent your Spirit to fill us with love\, mercy\nand an uncompromising passion for righteousness. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your son\, Jesus Christ.\nwho offered your healing and forgiveness to all\nand honoured as allies all who took the side of life.\nThough him you sent your Spirit to fill us with love\, mercy\nand an uncompromising passion for righteousness. \n©2003 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 love and mercy you have rescued us\nfrom all that would harm us or lead us to destruction. \nThe earth and sky were created by your hand\,\nand the land brings forth its harvest when you say.\nYou committed yourself in love to your people\,\nand saved them from the teeth of their enemies. \nWhen we wandered into the pathways of death\,\nyou heard our plea for life\nand came to save us in your son\, Jesus Christ.\nConfronting demonic forces\nand offering your healing and forgiveness to all\,\nhe honoured as allies all who took the side of life.\nHe was killed by those who block the paths of the humble\,\nbut you raised him back to life\nand sent your Spirit to fill us with love\, mercy\nand an uncompromising passion for righteousness. \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©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Our confession of sins before one another\nopens us to receive the healing that God offers.\nGod has promised that those who pray in faith\nwill be raised up to new life\nand forgiven for all their sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 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 wherever God’s name is honoured.\nWhen suffering comes\, pray in faith.\nIn times of joy\, sing songs of praise.\nPersevere in prayer and action\nto bring the fallen back to the truth. \nAnd may God save you from all that would harm you;\nMay Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up;\nand may the Holy Spirit anoint you\nand give you peace with one another. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nChopping It OffA sermon on Mark 9:38-50 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSolidarity in Sickness and SufferingA sermon on James 5: 13-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHealing and SinA sermon on James 5: 13-20 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting it Hellishly WrongA sermon on Mark 9:38-50 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHellfire\, Border Protection\, and Self-MutilationA sermon on Mark 9:38-50 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFrom Deadly Deliverance to Making PeaceA sermon on Esther 7.1-6\,9\,10; 9.20-22; Psalm 124; James 5.13-20 & Mark 9.38-50 by Harvey Howlett\n\n\n\nDid you hear the one about the Sex-goddess who fought Anti-Semitism?A sermon on the book of Esther & Mark 9:38-50 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp21/2030-09-29/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P21.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301006T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301006T195900
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200929T033835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241103T043127Z
UID:10002154-1917475200-1917547140@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 22 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 1:1; 2: 1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Once long ago\, in the land of Uz\, there was a man named Job who had a deep respect for God. He had a clean record\, always doing the right thing by everybody and having nothing to do with evil. \nOne day in Heaven\, all the beings who watch over the earth gathered to report to the LORD. The Accuser came with them to make his report. The LORD asked the Accuser\, “Where have you been?” \nThe Accuser replied\, “I have been wandering around on the earth\, going wherever I please.” \nThe LORD said to the Accuser\, “Have you checked out the form of my servant Job? No one else can hold a candle to him. His record is spotless. He honours me\, he does the right thing by everyone\, and he stays out of anything corrupt. Even after he was wiped out – his property trashed and his family killed – for no other reason than that you slandered him and persuaded me to allow him to be put to the test\, even then he didn’t miss a beat. He proved himself to be a man of integrity and he continues to trust me.” \nBut the Accuser spoke back to the LORD\, saying\, “Ha! Everyone has their price. You can get anyone to sell out if their life is on the line. Just try it – a direct hit. When his own body is wracked with pain\, he’ll curse you to your face.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Okay\, we’ll see. You can make him suffer as much as you want\, but you’re not allowed to kill him.” \nSo the Accuser headed off immediately and got stuck into Job. Horrific sores and lesions appeared all over Job’s body\, from the top of his head to the tip of his toes\, and the pain was excruciating. Sitting outside on the scrap heap\, he scratched\, and tried every lotion he could get his hands on\, but nothing helped. He was in agony. His wife said to him\, “Are you just going to cop this and let God get away with it? You’re a goner anyway – just curse God and die and get it over with.” \nBut Job said to her\, “You’re talking through your hat\, woman. If we are going to welcome all the good things that God gives us\, we’ve got to take the bad with the good. We can’t spit the dummy the moment trouble arrives.” \nDespite everything that had happened to him\, Job didn’t speak a word against God. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 26			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Clear my name\, LORD.\nI’ve been true to my word;\nI’ve staked everything on you and stood my ground. \nCheck me out thoroughly\, LORD;\nweigh up my every thought and desire. \nI keep myself focussed on your rock-solid love\,\nand I stay in step with you all the time. \nI don’t hang around with worthless scum;\nand I keep clear of those who talk the talk\nbut never walk the walk.\nI can’t stand corrupt company\,\nand I keep my distance from liars and cheats. \nThere’s no blood to wash off my hands;\nI can dance round your altar with a clear conscience\nsinging a song of thanks to you\, O LORD\,\nand telling the stories of the great things you’ve done. \nO LORD\, I love the temple you call your own\,\nthe place where we can bask in your presence. \nDon’t wipe out the good with the bad;\n........make sure I’m not on the list to be chopped\nwith those who ruthlessly trample over others\,\nwith the callous\, the corrupt\, the con-merchants\,\nthose who think their money puts them above the law. \nI’m not like that — I play a straight bat.\nBe good to me\, LORD. Put me back where I belong. \nYou know I’m on the level;\nI align myself with your people\,\nand sing your praises in their company. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 1: 1-4; 2: 5-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Down through the years\, God has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets in all sorts of different ways. Lately though\, at long last\, God has sent a Son to speak to us directly. It was through this Son that God created the world in the first place\, and it will all belong to him in the end. You can see all the glory of God mirrored in this Son. God’s essential nature is imprinted on him perfectly. Everything in the universe holds together at his say so. The Son took action to bring about the forgiveness of sins\, and having done that he was given the most honoured seat in heaven as God’s right hand man. He had proven himself to be in a league above the angels\, and the title he was granted made this clear. \nNow on the subject of the coming new age\, God has not put the angels in charge of it. Somewhere in the scriptures someone said: \n“What are human beings that you take any notice of them?\nHere today and gone tomorrow —\nwhy would you give them a second thought?\nYet you have put them on a pedestal;\nstarting them off just a step below the angels.\nYou have honoured them highly — hung medals round their necks —\nand handed them control of the earth.” \nNothing is exempt from this — God has given human beings authority over absolutely everything. It may not look that way yet\, but take a look at Jesus. He too was\, for a while\, a step down from the angels\, but now\, having made it through the suffering of death\, we see him promoted to number one and receiving all the honour and glory that come with that position. In the extraordinary generosity of God\, everyone else can claim exemption from death on the grounds that Jesus has gone through it for them. \nEverything 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.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 2-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Some members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party approached Jesus intending to give him a hard time. They asked\, “Is it legal for a man to kick out his wife?” \nJesus turned the question back: “What instructions did Moses give about it in the law?” \nThey replied\, “Moses said a man is allowed to fill out the divorce paperwork and send his wife on her way.” \nJesus wasn’t finished though. “Moses only said that because it was about the best he could hope for from a callous and cruel mob like you. But God created things to be different. You know the scriptures. First it says\, ‘God created them male and female.’ Then it says\, ‘Because of this\, a man leaves his parents and joins up with his wife\, and they will be a single union.’ In marriage\, then\, they are no longer just two individuals. They become one – something new and whole and greater than the two of them. Don’t anyone go tearing apart this union that God has created.” \nBack home\, later on\, his followers picked up the subject again. Jesus spelt it out to them: “Anyone who abandons his wife in order to take up with someone else has betrayed her. It’s still adultery – whether you’ve filled out the paperwork or not. The same goes for any woman who walks out on her husband for someone else.” \nAt another time\, some people approached Jesus with their children hoping that he might take the little ones in his arms and give them a blessing. His followers told them to clear off\, but when Jesus saw this\, he tore strips off them. “Little children can come to me any time they like\, and don’t you dare try to stop them. The culture of God can be found in the hands of children such as these. The fact of the matter is that little children and the culture of God welcome one another naturally. Anyone who won’t join in on that welcoming will miss the lot.” \nAnd with that\, he gathered up the children into his arms\, laid his hands on each one in turn\, and blessed them all. \n©2000 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 2: 18-24			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After creating the man\, the LORD God said\, “It is a bit tough for the man to be all alone. I will make a partner for him\, to share the load.” \nSo getting to work\, the LORD God formed from the ground all the land animals and the birds of the air. The LORD brought them to the man to see what he would make of them. The man gave each living creature its first name\, and the names stuck. He named them all: the wild animals\, the farm animals\, and the birds of the air. But none of them made the grade as a suitable partner for the man. So the LORD God put the man into a deep sleep\, out for the count. While the man was under\, the LORD removed one of his ribs and sealed up the flesh where it had come from. And then\, using the rib from the man’s side\, the LORD God fashioned a woman\, and brought her to the man. This time the man said\, \n“Yes! At last! One of my own kind!\nMy own flesh and blood!\nThis one will be called Woman\,\nbecause there is a part of me in her from the start.”\nThat is why men and women leave their parents and tie the knot with one another. They become an item — one flesh. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Our LORD and ruler\,\nall over the world\nthe mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding! \nYour glory fills the universe! \nThe gurgling of babies makes more sense\nthan the clever arguments of your enemies.\nThe innocent chatter of children\nsilences the venomous talk of your opponents. \nWhen I gaze at your handiwork in the night skies\n— the moon\, the stars\, the milky way —\nthe whole cosmos under your control;\nI can’t help but wonder why you bother with us.\nWhy do you care so much for mere human beings\nwhen we count for so little in the scheme of things? \nAnd yet\, for reasons known to you alone\,\nyou created us almost on a par with yourself\nand decorated us with the highest honours and glory. \nYou have even entrusted us with power over your precious creation;\nyou placed the future of all life in our hands:\nsheep and cattle;\nemu and kangaroo\ninsects\, reptiles\, birds\, and sea creatures;\nair\, land and water and the planet itself. \nOur LORD and ruler\,\nall over the world\nthe mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding! \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 love is always before us\nand you honour all who turn from evil and honour you. \nThrough your Son\, you formed the earth\nand created men and women in your image\nto be one\, as you are one.\nThrough your prophets you spoke to our forebears\,\nbut now you have spoken to us through your Son\, Jesus. \nThough he is the perfect imprint of your being\,\nhe was made for a little while lower than the angels\,\nand walked with us the road of our suffering.\nTasting death in his own body\,\nhe has pioneered the path to resurrection life\,\nand is now at your side\, crowned with glory and honour.\nHe has become our perfect priest\,\nmaking purification for sins\nand bringing us into your kingdom as joyous children —\nhis beloved sisters and brothers. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nthe perfect imprint of your being\,\nwho tasted death in his own body\,\nand pioneered the path to resurrection life\,\nbecoming our perfect priest\nand bringing us into your kingdom as joyous children —\nhis beloved sisters and brothers. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your love is always before us\nand you honour all who turn from evil and honour you. \nThrough your Son\, you formed the earth\nand created men and women in your image\nto be one\, as you are one.\nThrough your prophets you spoke to our forebears\,\nbut now you have spoken to us through your Son\, Jesus. \nThough he is the perfect imprint of your being\,\nhe was made for a little while lower than the angels\,\nand walked with us the road of our suffering.\nTasting death in his own body\,\nhe has pioneered the path to resurrection life\,\nand is now at your side\, crowned with glory and honour.\nHe has become our perfect priest\,\nmaking purification for sins\nand bringing us into your kingdom as joyous children —\nhis beloved sisters and brothers. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	By the grace of God\, Jesus Christ has tasted death for all.\nWalking the path of suffering before us\,\nhe leads the way to salvation\nand brings about the forgiveness of sins. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now and welcome the signs of God’s kingdom\nwith the joyous simplicity of children.\nWalk boldly in God’s strength\,\nand do not sit with liars and hypocrites. \nAnd may God rescue you and be gracious to you.\nMay Christ Jesus welcome you as his brothers and sisters.\nand may the Holy Spirit give you courage in time of suffering\nand strengthen you in integrity. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nMarriage\, Divorce & AdulteryA sermon on Mark 10: 2-16 by Craig Thompson\n\n\n\nBecoming as ChildrenA sermon on Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 & Mark 10: 2-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting a Good Look at GodA sermon on Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nA Hug or a Contract NegotiationA sermon on Mark 10: 2-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDivorce\, War\, and Hugging ChildrenA sermon on Mark 10: 2-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp22/2030-10-06/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301013T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301013T235959
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CREATED:20200930T042053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241110T091030Z
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SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 23: 1-9\, 16-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After hearing the attempts of his friends to explain his suffering\, Job said: \n“I continue to complain bitterly;\nGod is still kicking me while I’m down. \nIf only I knew where I could find God\,\nI’d pound on the door and demand a hearing.\nGod would have to listen to me state my case\nand argue my innocence.\nLet’s see what God would have to say to that!\nThen I could get God’s answer clear in my head. \nWould God simply pull rank and rule me out of order?\nI don’t think so. Surely God would listen.\nSurely if an honest bloke like me gets a fair hearing\,\nGod would judge in my favour\nand clear my name once and for all. \nBut I can’t find God anywhere.\nI look up\, down\, forwards\, backwards – nothing.\nI think I catch a glimpse to the left\, but no;\nI rush to the right\, but God vanishes like a mirage. \nMy hope and courage are almost gone;\nGod has left me a frightened wreck.\nGod has let a dark cloud close around me\,\nbut my protest will not be silenced!" \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 22: 1-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God\, my God\, why the hell have you turned your back on me?\nHow come in my most desperate hour\,\nyou are nowhere to be found? \nI called you all day\, God\, over and over;\nI tossed and turned all night\,\nbut I still didn’t hear back from you. \nAren’t you supposed to be our one and only?\nAren’t you the one we’ve always voted for?\nOur ancestors put their trust in you\nand you never let them down.\nThey cried out for help and you stepped in;\nyou saved them from disaster and shame. \nSo what about me?\nShouldn’t I still be treated as a human being\,\neven if I feel like a worm –\nlooked down on\, loathed\, stomped on? \nEveryone who sees me sticks the boots in;\nthey turn up their noses and dismiss me with a sneering joke;\n“Why don’t you see if God’s on your side?\nSurely if you’re a mate of God’s then God will help you out!” \nWhat’s the story God?\nYour hands eased me from my mother’s womb;\nYou kept me from harm as I suckled at her breast.\nAs a baby\, I rested trustingly in your arms;\nYou’ve been my God since the day I was born. \nDon’t quit on me now.\nAll hell is about to break loose\nand there is no one else I can turn to. \nI’m surrounded by enemies\nlike a mob of wild bulls.\nAngry\, snorting\, stampeding beasts;\nthey charge at me\, all horns and pounding hoofs. \nI’m chucked out like a bucket of dirty water\,\nand I’m so smashed up I can barely move a muscle.\nMy heart has gone to jelly\,\na quivering useless blob.\nMy throat is as dry as a salt pan\,\nand my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.\nAnd you? You have left me for dead\ncovered in dust and flies. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 4: 12-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The word of God is no dead letter — it is full of life and constantly at work. It is as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel\, and anyone who pushes against it will be cut to the bone. With great precision it opens us up\, layer by layer\, uncovering what really makes us tick and diagnosing the state of our hearts. You can’t hide your true self from God’s word any more than you hide your body from a surgeon while lying naked and unconscious on the table. No matter who you are\, your life is an open book to God. \nAs exposed as this makes us feel\, it is all the more reason to stand firm in the faith we’ve already put our hands up to. After all\, the one who will present us to God and speak on our behalf — our great high priest — is Jesus\, and as God’s own Son we can be sure he has God’s ear. We can also be sure that he can relate to the realities we have to live with\, because he has already been through everything we have to go through — weakness\, doubts and torments — and all without selling out to sin. What more could we want in a high priest?! So let’s not be timid. Whenever we’re in need of help\, let’s walk right up to the throne of God and ask\, for our God is extravagantly welcoming and generous — only too happy to wipe our debts and help us out. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 17-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus was just about to hit the road when a man ran up with his hat in his hand and asked\, “Good Teacher\, what do I have to do to receive the limitless life that God gives?” \nJesus said to him\, “What are you calling me good for? Only God is really good\, not any of us. What must you do? You know the commandments: ‘Don’t murder. Be faithful in marriage. Don’t steal. Don’t tell lies about anyone. Don’t cheat anyone. Treat your parents with respect.’” \nThe man replied\, “Teacher\, I’ve kept all these rules ever since I was a youngster.” \nJesus looked him straight in the eye and\, filled with love for him\, said\, “You still haven’t found what you’re looking for though\, have you? Come and follow me and you’ll find it. First though\, go and flog off everything you own\, give the proceeds to charity\, and then\, with all your investments in heaven\, you’ll be free to find what you are looking for.” \nYou could have knocked the bloke over with a feather. The colour drained out of his face and he turned and walked off feeling sick at the very thought of giving up all the trappings of his success. \nJesus looked around at his followers and said\, “Some people seem to have everything\, but for them it is nearly impossible to get into the culture of God.” \nHis followers thought they must have been hearing wrong\, but Jesus pressed the point: “Embracing the culture of God is not the easiest thing in the world anyway\, but for the rich\, it is about the most difficult thing you can imagine. You’d have more chance of getting a container ship through the eye of a needle than getting a person who’s loaded into the culture of God.” \nHis followers were totally flabbergasted. “Can anyone at all be saved then?” they asked. \nJesus looked them in the eye and said\, “If people had to do it themselves\, then no\, it would be beyond us. But it’s not beyond God. God can do anything.” \nPeter was trying to sort this out in his head. “Look\,” he said. “We turned our backs on everything we had and followed you.” \nJesus cut in and said\, “Look\, I wouldn’t kid you about this. Everyone who has had to give up house or land\, brothers\, sisters\, mother\, father or children in order to cast their lot in with me and with my message will be more than compensated. Hundreds of homes will be open to them\, and they’ll have more brothers and sisters and mothers and children than they can poke a stick at! Of course they’ll need them\, because they’ll be persecuted a hundred times more too! Then in the coming new age they’ll get the biggest bonus of all – life without limit! Once again you can see that God is turning the world on its head – many of those on top now will be at the bottom\, and those at the bottom now will then come out on top.” \n©2000 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 5: 6-7\, 10-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Find your way back to the LORD if you want to save your lives.\nOtherwise all hell will break loose like a raging bushfire.\nEverything you hold sacred will go up in smoke.\nThere will be nothing anyone can do to control it. \nWhy? Because you have poisoned justice\,\nand trampled goodness and integrity into the dirt.\nYour hatred burns out of control against honest judges.\nYou can’t stand those who speak the whole truth. \nYou have made yourselves rich by riding roughshod over the poor\,\nripping them off blind with stacked odds and crooked charges.\nYou have built yourselves grandiose mansions with the proceeds\,\nbut you’ll never get to live in them.\nYou have established exclusive vineyards for yourselves\,\nbut you’ll be history before the first glass is poured. \nI have kept count of your many crimes.\nI know the full extent of your atrocities.\nYou are a nightmare to anyone who tries to do what is right.\nYou bulldoze your interests through the courts\nwith bribes and threats\,\ncrushing the needy in your path. \nBut those who’ve made a killing will be silenced\,\nfor such evil times sow the seeds of disaster. \nSet your sights on doing right\, and not evil.\nIt is your only chance to save your lives.\nYou have always made out that God is on your side.\nSee if you can turn things around and make it come true. \nReject evil and embrace what is good and right.\nClean up the courts so that justice can prevail.\nMaybe even now the LORD\, the God who rules over everything\,\nwill be generous enough to spare a few of you. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 90: 12-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Teach us to value each and every day\, LORD\,\nso that we will be wise enough to make the most of them. \nIt’s time for a change\, LORD.\nHasn’t this gone on long enough?\nFor pity’s sake\, it’s time to give us a break. \nLet a new day dawn\nand give us our fill of your love and loyalty\,\nso that our lives may be full of smiles and laughter\ntill the end of our days. \nGive us more days of happiness\nthan the days of suffering you sent.\nMay the years where evil reigned\nbe cancelled out by years of joy. \nMake your actions clear to those of us in your service;\nlet your children see your strength in all its glory. \nPut us in your good books\, O Lord our God\,\nand give us a rich return for all our labour —\nmay the work of our hands turn to gold! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\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 suffered with us\nand tasted despair that we might taste mercy and grace. \nYour living and active word created all things;\nand everything lies exposed before your eyes.\nWhen our forebears put their trust in you\nyou rescued them\, for all things are possible for you. \nYou sent your Son\, Jesus\, into the world\,\npreaching your message and calling everyone to follow.\nHis word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing the addictions that bind us and blind us\nand hold us back from investing all we have in serving you.\nWhen Jesus was brought down to the dust of death\,\ndying in the horror of abandonment\,\nyou raised him to life again\,\nand through him we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\nand look to your grace for our life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwhose word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing all that holds us back from serving you\,\nand through whom we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\,\nlooking to your grace for our life. \n©2003 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 suffered with us\nand tasted despair that we might taste mercy and grace. \nYour living and active word created all things;\nand everything lies exposed before your eyes.\nWhen our forebears put their trust in you\nyou rescued them\, for all things are possible for you. \nYou sent your Son\, Jesus\, into the world\,\npreaching your message and calling everyone to follow.\nHis word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing the addictions that bind us and blind us\nand hold us back from investing all we have in serving you.\nWhen Jesus was brought down to the dust of death\,\ndying in the horror of abandonment\,\nyou raised him to life again\,\nand through him we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\nand look to your grace for our 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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus\, the Son of God\, was tempted in every way that we are\,\nand is now at the throne of grace\npresenting to God our case for mercy.\nTherefore\, we can approach God's throne in confidence. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now in the confidence of people who have found mercy.\nFollow Jesus\,\nkeeping the commandments\,\nletting go of all that binds you to the ways of this world\,\nand investing everything in God’s realm. \nAnd may God come close to you and keep you safe;\nMay Christ Jesus reward your faithfulness a hundredfold;\nand may the Holy Spirit be your help in time of need. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat Do Grace\, Love and Mercy Cost?A sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCourage and VulnerabilityA sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrace\, or the Power of PossibilityA sermon on Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15 & Mark 10.17-31 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nImpossible?A sermon on Job 23:1-9\,16-17 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen Courage Fails\, Seek CompassionA sermon on Job 23:1-9\,16-17 by Neville Callum\n\n\n\n#FirstWorldProblems?A sermon on Mark 10:17-31 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nThe Word that Lays us BareA sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat the hell\, God?A sermon on Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15; Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nClinging to Competitive GriefA sermon on Mark 10:17-31; Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15; & Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp23/2030-10-13/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301013T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301013T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20200930T042053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000533Z
UID:10002780-1918080000-1918166399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 23: 1-9\, 16-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After hearing the attempts of his friends to explain his suffering\, Job said: \n“I continue to complain bitterly;\nGod is still kicking me while I’m down. \nIf only I knew where I could find God\,\nI’d pound on the door and demand a hearing.\nGod would have to listen to me state my case\nand argue my innocence.\nLet’s see what God would have to say to that!\nThen I could get God’s answer clear in my head. \nWould God simply pull rank and rule me out of order?\nI don’t think so. Surely God would listen.\nSurely if an honest bloke like me gets a fair hearing\,\nGod would judge in my favour\nand clear my name once and for all. \nBut I can’t find God anywhere.\nI look up\, down\, forwards\, backwards – nothing.\nI think I catch a glimpse to the left\, but no;\nI rush to the right\, but God vanishes like a mirage. \nMy hope and courage are almost gone;\nGod has left me a frightened wreck.\nGod has let a dark cloud close around me\,\nbut my protest will not be silenced!" \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 22: 1-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God\, my God\, why the hell have you turned your back on me?\nHow come in my most desperate hour\,\nyou are nowhere to be found? \nI called you all day\, God\, over and over;\nI tossed and turned all night\,\nbut I still didn’t hear back from you. \nAren’t you supposed to be our one and only?\nAren’t you the one we’ve always voted for?\nOur ancestors put their trust in you\nand you never let them down.\nThey cried out for help and you stepped in;\nyou saved them from disaster and shame. \nSo what about me?\nShouldn’t I still be treated as a human being\,\neven if I feel like a worm –\nlooked down on\, loathed\, stomped on? \nEveryone who sees me sticks the boots in;\nthey turn up their noses and dismiss me with a sneering joke;\n“Why don’t you see if God’s on your side?\nSurely if you’re a mate of God’s then God will help you out!” \nWhat’s the story God?\nYour hands eased me from my mother’s womb;\nYou kept me from harm as I suckled at her breast.\nAs a baby\, I rested trustingly in your arms;\nYou’ve been my God since the day I was born. \nDon’t quit on me now.\nAll hell is about to break loose\nand there is no one else I can turn to. \nI’m surrounded by enemies\nlike a mob of wild bulls.\nAngry\, snorting\, stampeding beasts;\nthey charge at me\, all horns and pounding hoofs. \nI’m chucked out like a bucket of dirty water\,\nand I’m so smashed up I can barely move a muscle.\nMy heart has gone to jelly\,\na quivering useless blob.\nMy throat is as dry as a salt pan\,\nand my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.\nAnd you? You have left me for dead\ncovered in dust and flies. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 4: 12-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The word of God is no dead letter — it is full of life and constantly at work. It is as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel\, and anyone who pushes against it will be cut to the bone. With great precision it opens us up\, layer by layer\, uncovering what really makes us tick and diagnosing the state of our hearts. You can’t hide your true self from God’s word any more than you hide your body from a surgeon while lying naked and unconscious on the table. No matter who you are\, your life is an open book to God. \nAs exposed as this makes us feel\, it is all the more reason to stand firm in the faith we’ve already put our hands up to. After all\, the one who will present us to God and speak on our behalf — our great high priest — is Jesus\, and as God’s own Son we can be sure he has God’s ear. We can also be sure that he can relate to the realities we have to live with\, because he has already been through everything we have to go through — weakness\, doubts and torments — and all without selling out to sin. What more could we want in a high priest?! So let’s not be timid. Whenever we’re in need of help\, let’s walk right up to the throne of God and ask\, for our God is extravagantly welcoming and generous — only too happy to wipe our debts and help us out. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 17-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus was just about to hit the road when a man ran up with his hat in his hand and asked\, “Good Teacher\, what do I have to do to receive the limitless life that God gives?” \nJesus said to him\, “What are you calling me good for? Only God is really good\, not any of us. What must you do? You know the commandments: ‘Don’t murder. Be faithful in marriage. Don’t steal. Don’t tell lies about anyone. Don’t cheat anyone. Treat your parents with respect.’” \nThe man replied\, “Teacher\, I’ve kept all these rules ever since I was a youngster.” \nJesus looked him straight in the eye and\, filled with love for him\, said\, “You still haven’t found what you’re looking for though\, have you? Come and follow me and you’ll find it. First though\, go and flog off everything you own\, give the proceeds to charity\, and then\, with all your investments in heaven\, you’ll be free to find what you are looking for.” \nYou could have knocked the bloke over with a feather. The colour drained out of his face and he turned and walked off feeling sick at the very thought of giving up all the trappings of his success. \nJesus looked around at his followers and said\, “Some people seem to have everything\, but for them it is nearly impossible to get into the culture of God.” \nHis followers thought they must have been hearing wrong\, but Jesus pressed the point: “Embracing the culture of God is not the easiest thing in the world anyway\, but for the rich\, it is about the most difficult thing you can imagine. You’d have more chance of getting a container ship through the eye of a needle than getting a person who’s loaded into the culture of God.” \nHis followers were totally flabbergasted. “Can anyone at all be saved then?” they asked. \nJesus looked them in the eye and said\, “If people had to do it themselves\, then no\, it would be beyond us. But it’s not beyond God. God can do anything.” \nPeter was trying to sort this out in his head. “Look\,” he said. “We turned our backs on everything we had and followed you.” \nJesus cut in and said\, “Look\, I wouldn’t kid you about this. Everyone who has had to give up house or land\, brothers\, sisters\, mother\, father or children in order to cast their lot in with me and with my message will be more than compensated. Hundreds of homes will be open to them\, and they’ll have more brothers and sisters and mothers and children than they can poke a stick at! Of course they’ll need them\, because they’ll be persecuted a hundred times more too! Then in the coming new age they’ll get the biggest bonus of all – life without limit! Once again you can see that God is turning the world on its head – many of those on top now will be at the bottom\, and those at the bottom now will then come out on top.” \n©2000 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 5: 6-7\, 10-15			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Find your way back to the LORD if you want to save your lives.\nOtherwise all hell will break loose like a raging bushfire.\nEverything you hold sacred will go up in smoke.\nThere will be nothing anyone can do to control it. \nWhy? Because you have poisoned justice\,\nand trampled goodness and integrity into the dirt.\nYour hatred burns out of control against honest judges.\nYou can’t stand those who speak the whole truth. \nYou have made yourselves rich by riding roughshod over the poor\,\nripping them off blind with stacked odds and crooked charges.\nYou have built yourselves grandiose mansions with the proceeds\,\nbut you’ll never get to live in them.\nYou have established exclusive vineyards for yourselves\,\nbut you’ll be history before the first glass is poured. \nI have kept count of your many crimes.\nI know the full extent of your atrocities.\nYou are a nightmare to anyone who tries to do what is right.\nYou bulldoze your interests through the courts\nwith bribes and threats\,\ncrushing the needy in your path. \nBut those who’ve made a killing will be silenced\,\nfor such evil times sow the seeds of disaster. \nSet your sights on doing right\, and not evil.\nIt is your only chance to save your lives.\nYou have always made out that God is on your side.\nSee if you can turn things around and make it come true. \nReject evil and embrace what is good and right.\nClean up the courts so that justice can prevail.\nMaybe even now the LORD\, the God who rules over everything\,\nwill be generous enough to spare a few of you. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 90: 12-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Teach us to value each and every day\, LORD\,\nso that we will be wise enough to make the most of them. \nIt’s time for a change\, LORD.\nHasn’t this gone on long enough?\nFor pity’s sake\, it’s time to give us a break. \nLet a new day dawn\nand give us our fill of your love and loyalty\,\nso that our lives may be full of smiles and laughter\ntill the end of our days. \nGive us more days of happiness\nthan the days of suffering you sent.\nMay the years where evil reigned\nbe cancelled out by years of joy. \nMake your actions clear to those of us in your service;\nlet your children see your strength in all its glory. \nPut us in your good books\, O Lord our God\,\nand give us a rich return for all our labour —\nmay the work of our hands turn to gold! \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\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 suffered with us\nand tasted despair that we might taste mercy and grace. \nYour living and active word created all things;\nand everything lies exposed before your eyes.\nWhen our forebears put their trust in you\nyou rescued them\, for all things are possible for you. \nYou sent your Son\, Jesus\, into the world\,\npreaching your message and calling everyone to follow.\nHis word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing the addictions that bind us and blind us\nand hold us back from investing all we have in serving you.\nWhen Jesus was brought down to the dust of death\,\ndying in the horror of abandonment\,\nyou raised him to life again\,\nand through him we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\nand look to your grace for our life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwhose word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing all that holds us back from serving you\,\nand through whom we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\,\nlooking to your grace for our life. \n©2003 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 suffered with us\nand tasted despair that we might taste mercy and grace. \nYour living and active word created all things;\nand everything lies exposed before your eyes.\nWhen our forebears put their trust in you\nyou rescued them\, for all things are possible for you. \nYou sent your Son\, Jesus\, into the world\,\npreaching your message and calling everyone to follow.\nHis word cuts to the core of all things\,\nexposing the addictions that bind us and blind us\nand hold us back from investing all we have in serving you.\nWhen Jesus was brought down to the dust of death\,\ndying in the horror of abandonment\,\nyou raised him to life again\,\nand through him we have the confidence\nto come into your presence\nand look to your grace for our 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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus\, the Son of God\, was tempted in every way that we are\,\nand is now at the throne of grace\npresenting to God our case for mercy.\nTherefore\, we can approach God's throne in confidence. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now in the confidence of people who have found mercy.\nFollow Jesus\,\nkeeping the commandments\,\nletting go of all that binds you to the ways of this world\,\nand investing everything in God’s realm. \nAnd may God come close to you and keep you safe;\nMay Christ Jesus reward your faithfulness a hundredfold;\nand may the Holy Spirit be your help in time of need. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhat Do Grace\, Love and Mercy Cost?A sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCourage and VulnerabilityA sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrace\, or the Power of PossibilityA sermon on Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15 & Mark 10.17-31 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nImpossible?A sermon on Job 23:1-9\,16-17 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen Courage Fails\, Seek CompassionA sermon on Job 23:1-9\,16-17 by Neville Callum\n\n\n\n#FirstWorldProblems?A sermon on Mark 10:17-31 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nThe Word that Lays us BareA sermon on Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat the hell\, God?A sermon on Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15; Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nClinging to Competitive GriefA sermon on Mark 10:17-31; Job 23.1-9\, 16-17; Psalm 22.1-15; & Hebrews 4:12-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp23/2030-10-13/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301020T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301020T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201001T054127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241201T091049Z
UID:10002156-1918684800-1918771199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 24 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 38: 1-7\, (34-41)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	From the midst of a cyclone\, the voice of the LORD answered Job\, saying: \n“Who are you to mouth off against me\nwhen you’ve got no idea what you’re talking about?\nStand up straight like a man\nand see if you can give answers when I ask the questions. \n“Were you there when I laid the foundations of the earth?\nIf you’re so smart\, tell me all about it.\nWho drew up the plans and decided how big it would be?\nWho held the tape measure and marked it out?\nSpeak up – surely you know!\nWhat do the foundations sit on\, and how far down do they go?\nWho turned the first sod? Who laid the cornerstone?\nDo you remember what the morning stars sang at the celebration?\nIt brought everyone in heaven to their feet cheering. \n“Can you order the clouds around\nand tell them when and where to rain?\nWhen you give the word for the lightening to flash\,\ndoes it ask you first\, ‘How far?’ \n“Who tips off the water birds when the floods are coming?\nHow do ants know when it’s going to rain?\nWho has the wisdom to regulate the clouds\,\nor be put in charge of distributing the rain\nthat waters down the dust so it won’t blow away? \n“Can you help a hungry lion to hunt\,\nor hand feed lion cubs all they need?\nDo you lie around with them in their den\nand teach them how to pounce on their prey? \nWho do you think provides for the Currawong\nwhen it’s chicks wander about hungry\nand cry out to God for a feed? \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 104: 1-9\, 24\, 35c			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	With all that I am\, O LORD\, I declare you to be the best.\nO LORD my God\, you are the greatest. \nYou are decked out in glory and distinction\,\nand the brilliant rays of the sun are your robe.\nYou make the milky way the ceiling\nand the ocean bed the foundation for your house.\nYou fly first class on the clouds\,\ntaking off and landing with the wind.\nYou have appointed the winds to deliver your message\,\nand flames of fire to administer your will. \nYou built the earth on firm foundations\,\nso that nothing can shake it loose.\nYou wrapped the planet up in an ocean\nthat submerged even the mountains. \nOnly when you gave the word did the waters back off;\nwith a voice of thunder you sent them running.\nCascading from the mountain tops they poured down valleys\nand came to rest in the place you had marked out for them.\nYou marked out the shore and declared the land off-limits\nso that the oceans would not drown the earth again. \nO LORD\, what a wildly fabulous world!  \nWorking hand in hand with wisdom\nyou have made an earthful of wonderful creatures.  \nI give you all the credit\, LORD!  \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 5: 1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The person who is chosen to be a high priest is given the task of representing the people to God and offering to God the costly gifts that people bring as a sign that they are sorry when they have messed up. The high priest\, being just as prone to thoughtless and crooked behaviour as anyone else\, is able to be supportive and understanding of people instead of dealing harshly with them. After all\, priests have to offer gifts to God to say sorry for their own wrongdoing along with everybody else’s. No one can nominate themselves for this honour. A person only becomes a high priest if God hand picks them for the job. That’s how it was for Aaron and it has been ever since. \nIt was no different with Christ. He became a high priest\, but not because he campaigned for the position. It was God who tapped him on the shoulder and said\, in the words of scripture: \n“You’re it — my Son;\ntoday I have named you.” \nIn the same way\, in another place\, God says: \n“You are a priest forever;\nyour task is the priestly work begun by Melchizedek.” \nWhen Jesus was among us and the threat of death was closing in on him\, it was with agonized cries and tears that he did his priestly work of offering up prayers and appeals to the God who has the power to save us from death. His pleas were heard because of his prayerful acceptance of God’s will. He was given no special privileges as a Son — he got his lessons in obedience in the same school of suffering as the rest of us. Once he had made the grade\, perfecting all that he had to learn\, God marked him out as a high priest — the last of the line that began with Melchizedek. Thus\, Jesus became the one who sets free all who trust and follow him. For them he is the source of life without limit. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 35-45			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Among the twelve closest followers of Jesus were two brothers\, James and John\, the sons of Zebedee. One day they approached Jesus on the quiet and asked\, “Teacher\, how about doing us a big favour?” \n“Tell me what it is and we’ll see\,” Jesus replied. \n“Well\,” they said\, “would you please reserve for us the top seats of honour on either side of yours\, when your day of glory comes?” \nBut Jesus shook his head and said\, “You’ve got no idea what you’re asking for. Can you drink the cup I have to drink? Have you got what it takes to be baptised with the baptism I am about to be put through? \n“No worries\,” they replied. “We’re up to it.” \nThen Jesus said to them\, “I’m afraid that you are going to drink the cup I have to drink\, and you will be plunged into the baptism I am about to go through\, but I don’t have the authority to give out the honours you’re asking for. God has already chosen who the seats on my right and left will be allocated to.” \nWhen the other ten got wind of what James and John had been asking for\, they were absolutely ropeable. Jesus stepped in and gave them all a good talking to. He said\, “I know you’ve seen how power is exercised outside of the people of God. A taste of power goes straight to the head. Leaders strut around\, flaunting their authority\, and before you know it they’ve set themselves up as dictators\, above the law. Don’t go making that your model. The measure of greatness among you is to be the measure of service. The person who will be honoured as number one among you will be the person who has slaved the hardest for everyone else. The New Human came serving everyone\, not looking to be served by them. He came offering his own life in exchange for the release of many who are held hostage. \n©2000 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 53: 4-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Look at what the one who serves on the LORD’s behalf has suffered. \nThe sickness and brokenness he endured turned out to be ours;\nif it wasn’t for him\, it would have wiped us out.\nBut back then we thought it was his own fault\nand that God was punishing him for what he had done. \nIn reality\, it was what we had done that was to blame.\nIt was us who deserved to be punished\,\nbut him who copped the flak.\nWhen he was left battered\, broken and bleeding\,\nwe were off the hook;\nfree to enjoy the fruits of health and wholeness. \nWe were all doing our own thing in our own way;\nas far off-track as a penguin in the desert;\nas far off-key as a mob of galahs.\nAnd yet the LORD accepted his offer to take the rap\nfor the actions of each and every one of us. \nHe was ripped off and kicked around\,\nbut he took it on the chin.\nNot once did he ever whinge or protest;\nhe was as silent as a lamb that trots to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer. \nHis arrest and trial made a mockery of justice.\nNo one knew or cared what he was up against.\nHe was dragged off in the midst of life;\nput to death for crimes committed by our people. \nAlthough he had never breathed a lie\nor done anything to hurt anyone\,\nthey buried him alongside the callous and corrupt\n– thoughtless profiteers who died rich.” \nThe LORD says\,\n“It was me who decided to allow this tragedy\nto befall the one who serves on my behalf.\nHe made the ultimate sacrifice at your hands\,\nand won forgiveness for you in the process.\nSo now he will be rewarded with life;\nhe will live to see his children and their children.\nThrough his actions\,\nmy plans are able to succeed. \nIn the depths of agony and despair he discovered the truth\,\nand with the truth he found true peace.\nThe one who serves on my behalf was beyond reproach\,\nbut he took the rap for what others did\,\nand left their record as spotless as his own. \nBecause of all that he has done\,\nI\, the LORD\, elevate him to the hall of fame\nand give him the rewards of true greatness.\nHe deserves the best\, for he made the ultimate sacrifice\,\naccepting the death of common criminal\nso that through his suffering and prayers\nothers might be cut free from their sin.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 91: 9-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We have nothing to fear because we have found safety in you;\nwe have settled down within your care.\nThanks to you\, LORD of the universe\, no evil can touch us;\ndisaster can not get a foot in the door. \nYou have instructed your angels to look after us;\nmade it their job to protect us wherever we go.\nYou’ve told them to catch us when we fall;\nto keep us from coming to grief on hidden snags. \nWith your help we can face any danger;\nwe can stare down crocodiles and Tiger snakes. \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\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 know the secrets of the universe\nand you alone know who is to be honoured in glory. \nYou set the earth on its foundations\nand filled it with wonderful creatures.\nYour creative power is beyond our comprehension\nand your purposes in the world can only be glimpsed. \nYet you have come among us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nHe came as a servant of all\nand laboured and prayed with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death.\nWhen tyrants rose against him\,\nhe drank the cup of suffering\nand was plunged into the baptism of death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand designated him a high priest forever\,\nmaking him the source of eternal salvation\nfor us and all who respond to your gracious call. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho came as a servant of all\,\ndrinking the cup of suffering\,\nand labouring and praying with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death. \n©2003 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 know the secrets of the universe\nand you alone know who is to be honoured in glory. \nYou set the earth on its foundations\nand filled it with wonderful creatures.\nYour creative power is beyond our comprehension\nand your purposes in the world can only be glimpsed. \nYet you have come among us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nHe came as a servant of all\nand laboured and prayed with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death.\nWhen tyrants rose against him\,\nhe drank the cup of suffering\nand was plunged into the baptism of death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand designated him a high priest forever\,\nmaking him the source of eternal salvation\nfor us and all who respond to your gracious call. \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©2000 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 came not to be served but to serve\,\nand to give his life in exchange for those held hostage by sin.\nHaving been designated by God a high priest\,\nhe makes sacrifice for our sins\nand thus becomes the source of eternal salvation. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now with the words of your high priest in your ears:\n“You are a forgiven people.”\nThough Christ has welcomed you to his table\,\ndo not lord it over others.\nStrive not to be served\, but to serve\,\nand pray\, with cries and tears\, for the salvation of all. \nAnd may God be present to you in times of trial;\nMay Christ Jesus pray for you and secure your forgiveness;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with hope and humility. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWho is the Priest?A sermon on Hebrews 5:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nKnowing Our PlaceA sermon on Psalm 104:24 by Keith Clements\n\n\n\nWishing to be GreatA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStatus\, Sacraments and ServiceA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRandom Acts of SufferingA sermon on the book of Job by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPrima-donnas and Exuberant ChildrenA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFollowing JesusA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Elie Haddad
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp24/2030-10-20/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301020T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301020T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201001T054127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000533Z
UID:10002778-1918684800-1918771199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 24 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 38: 1-7\, (34-41)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	From the midst of a cyclone\, the voice of the LORD answered Job\, saying: \n“Who are you to mouth off against me\nwhen you’ve got no idea what you’re talking about?\nStand up straight like a man\nand see if you can give answers when I ask the questions. \n“Were you there when I laid the foundations of the earth?\nIf you’re so smart\, tell me all about it.\nWho drew up the plans and decided how big it would be?\nWho held the tape measure and marked it out?\nSpeak up – surely you know!\nWhat do the foundations sit on\, and how far down do they go?\nWho turned the first sod? Who laid the cornerstone?\nDo you remember what the morning stars sang at the celebration?\nIt brought everyone in heaven to their feet cheering. \n“Can you order the clouds around\nand tell them when and where to rain?\nWhen you give the word for the lightening to flash\,\ndoes it ask you first\, ‘How far?’ \n“Who tips off the water birds when the floods are coming?\nHow do ants know when it’s going to rain?\nWho has the wisdom to regulate the clouds\,\nor be put in charge of distributing the rain\nthat waters down the dust so it won’t blow away? \n“Can you help a hungry lion to hunt\,\nor hand feed lion cubs all they need?\nDo you lie around with them in their den\nand teach them how to pounce on their prey? \nWho do you think provides for the Currawong\nwhen it’s chicks wander about hungry\nand cry out to God for a feed? \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 104: 1-9\, 24\, 35c			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	With all that I am\, O LORD\, I declare you to be the best.\nO LORD my God\, you are the greatest. \nYou are decked out in glory and distinction\,\nand the brilliant rays of the sun are your robe.\nYou make the milky way the ceiling\nand the ocean bed the foundation for your house.\nYou fly first class on the clouds\,\ntaking off and landing with the wind.\nYou have appointed the winds to deliver your message\,\nand flames of fire to administer your will. \nYou built the earth on firm foundations\,\nso that nothing can shake it loose.\nYou wrapped the planet up in an ocean\nthat submerged even the mountains. \nOnly when you gave the word did the waters back off;\nwith a voice of thunder you sent them running.\nCascading from the mountain tops they poured down valleys\nand came to rest in the place you had marked out for them.\nYou marked out the shore and declared the land off-limits\nso that the oceans would not drown the earth again. \nO LORD\, what a wildly fabulous world!  \nWorking hand in hand with wisdom\nyou have made an earthful of wonderful creatures.  \nI give you all the credit\, LORD!  \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 5: 1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The person who is chosen to be a high priest is given the task of representing the people to God and offering to God the costly gifts that people bring as a sign that they are sorry when they have messed up. The high priest\, being just as prone to thoughtless and crooked behaviour as anyone else\, is able to be supportive and understanding of people instead of dealing harshly with them. After all\, priests have to offer gifts to God to say sorry for their own wrongdoing along with everybody else’s. No one can nominate themselves for this honour. A person only becomes a high priest if God hand picks them for the job. That’s how it was for Aaron and it has been ever since. \nIt was no different with Christ. He became a high priest\, but not because he campaigned for the position. It was God who tapped him on the shoulder and said\, in the words of scripture: \n“You’re it — my Son;\ntoday I have named you.” \nIn the same way\, in another place\, God says: \n“You are a priest forever;\nyour task is the priestly work begun by Melchizedek.” \nWhen Jesus was among us and the threat of death was closing in on him\, it was with agonized cries and tears that he did his priestly work of offering up prayers and appeals to the God who has the power to save us from death. His pleas were heard because of his prayerful acceptance of God’s will. He was given no special privileges as a Son — he got his lessons in obedience in the same school of suffering as the rest of us. Once he had made the grade\, perfecting all that he had to learn\, God marked him out as a high priest — the last of the line that began with Melchizedek. Thus\, Jesus became the one who sets free all who trust and follow him. For them he is the source of life without limit. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 35-45			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Among the twelve closest followers of Jesus were two brothers\, James and John\, the sons of Zebedee. One day they approached Jesus on the quiet and asked\, “Teacher\, how about doing us a big favour?” \n“Tell me what it is and we’ll see\,” Jesus replied. \n“Well\,” they said\, “would you please reserve for us the top seats of honour on either side of yours\, when your day of glory comes?” \nBut Jesus shook his head and said\, “You’ve got no idea what you’re asking for. Can you drink the cup I have to drink? Have you got what it takes to be baptised with the baptism I am about to be put through? \n“No worries\,” they replied. “We’re up to it.” \nThen Jesus said to them\, “I’m afraid that you are going to drink the cup I have to drink\, and you will be plunged into the baptism I am about to go through\, but I don’t have the authority to give out the honours you’re asking for. God has already chosen who the seats on my right and left will be allocated to.” \nWhen the other ten got wind of what James and John had been asking for\, they were absolutely ropeable. Jesus stepped in and gave them all a good talking to. He said\, “I know you’ve seen how power is exercised outside of the people of God. A taste of power goes straight to the head. Leaders strut around\, flaunting their authority\, and before you know it they’ve set themselves up as dictators\, above the law. Don’t go making that your model. The measure of greatness among you is to be the measure of service. The person who will be honoured as number one among you will be the person who has slaved the hardest for everyone else. The New Human came serving everyone\, not looking to be served by them. He came offering his own life in exchange for the release of many who are held hostage. \n©2000 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 53: 4-12			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Look at what the one who serves on the LORD’s behalf has suffered. \nThe sickness and brokenness he endured turned out to be ours;\nif it wasn’t for him\, it would have wiped us out.\nBut back then we thought it was his own fault\nand that God was punishing him for what he had done. \nIn reality\, it was what we had done that was to blame.\nIt was us who deserved to be punished\,\nbut him who copped the flak.\nWhen he was left battered\, broken and bleeding\,\nwe were off the hook;\nfree to enjoy the fruits of health and wholeness. \nWe were all doing our own thing in our own way;\nas far off-track as a penguin in the desert;\nas far off-key as a mob of galahs.\nAnd yet the LORD accepted his offer to take the rap\nfor the actions of each and every one of us. \nHe was ripped off and kicked around\,\nbut he took it on the chin.\nNot once did he ever whinge or protest;\nhe was as silent as a lamb that trots to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer. \nHis arrest and trial made a mockery of justice.\nNo one knew or cared what he was up against.\nHe was dragged off in the midst of life;\nput to death for crimes committed by our people. \nAlthough he had never breathed a lie\nor done anything to hurt anyone\,\nthey buried him alongside the callous and corrupt\n– thoughtless profiteers who died rich.” \nThe LORD says\,\n“It was me who decided to allow this tragedy\nto befall the one who serves on my behalf.\nHe made the ultimate sacrifice at your hands\,\nand won forgiveness for you in the process.\nSo now he will be rewarded with life;\nhe will live to see his children and their children.\nThrough his actions\,\nmy plans are able to succeed. \nIn the depths of agony and despair he discovered the truth\,\nand with the truth he found true peace.\nThe one who serves on my behalf was beyond reproach\,\nbut he took the rap for what others did\,\nand left their record as spotless as his own. \nBecause of all that he has done\,\nI\, the LORD\, elevate him to the hall of fame\nand give him the rewards of true greatness.\nHe deserves the best\, for he made the ultimate sacrifice\,\naccepting the death of common criminal\nso that through his suffering and prayers\nothers might be cut free from their sin.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 91: 9-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We have nothing to fear because we have found safety in you;\nwe have settled down within your care.\nThanks to you\, LORD of the universe\, no evil can touch us;\ndisaster can not get a foot in the door. \nYou have instructed your angels to look after us;\nmade it their job to protect us wherever we go.\nYou’ve told them to catch us when we fall;\nto keep us from coming to grief on hidden snags. \nWith your help we can face any danger;\nwe can stare down crocodiles and Tiger snakes. \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\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 know the secrets of the universe\nand you alone know who is to be honoured in glory. \nYou set the earth on its foundations\nand filled it with wonderful creatures.\nYour creative power is beyond our comprehension\nand your purposes in the world can only be glimpsed. \nYet you have come among us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nHe came as a servant of all\nand laboured and prayed with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death.\nWhen tyrants rose against him\,\nhe drank the cup of suffering\nand was plunged into the baptism of death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand designated him a high priest forever\,\nmaking him the source of eternal salvation\nfor us and all who respond to your gracious call. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho came as a servant of all\,\ndrinking the cup of suffering\,\nand labouring and praying with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death. \n©2003 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 know the secrets of the universe\nand you alone know who is to be honoured in glory. \nYou set the earth on its foundations\nand filled it with wonderful creatures.\nYour creative power is beyond our comprehension\nand your purposes in the world can only be glimpsed. \nYet you have come among us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nHe came as a servant of all\nand laboured and prayed with us for the release\nof all who are held hostage to sin and death.\nWhen tyrants rose against him\,\nhe drank the cup of suffering\nand was plunged into the baptism of death\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand designated him a high priest forever\,\nmaking him the source of eternal salvation\nfor us and all who respond to your gracious call. \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©2000 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 came not to be served but to serve\,\nand to give his life in exchange for those held hostage by sin.\nHaving been designated by God a high priest\,\nhe makes sacrifice for our sins\nand thus becomes the source of eternal salvation. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now with the words of your high priest in your ears:\n“You are a forgiven people.”\nThough Christ has welcomed you to his table\,\ndo not lord it over others.\nStrive not to be served\, but to serve\,\nand pray\, with cries and tears\, for the salvation of all. \nAnd may God be present to you in times of trial;\nMay Christ Jesus pray for you and secure your forgiveness;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with hope and humility. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWho is the Priest?A sermon on Hebrews 5:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nKnowing Our PlaceA sermon on Psalm 104:24 by Keith Clements\n\n\n\nWishing to be GreatA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStatus\, Sacraments and ServiceA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRandom Acts of SufferingA sermon on the book of Job by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nPrima-donnas and Exuberant ChildrenA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFollowing JesusA sermon on Mark 10:35-45 by Elie Haddad
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp24/2030-10-20/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301027T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301027T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201002T054848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241201T091406Z
UID:10002157-1919289600-1919375999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 25 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Job 42: 1-6\, 10-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After the LORD had spoken\, Job replied: \n“LORD\, I know that you can do anything\,\nand that once you set your mind to something\,\nnothing can stop you. \nYou asked why I talk so much when I don’t have clue.\nYou’re right. I was talking through my hat!\nI couldn’t begin to understand such deep matters. \nYou put me in my place and told me to listen;\nYou hit me with a raft of questions\nto show me how little I knew. \nIn the past I only knew of you second hand;\nbut now I have met you face to face.\nSo now I am ashamed of myself. I’m eating dirt!\nI won’t go down that track again.” \nAfter this\, the LORD turned Job’s luck around again and gave him everything. If he was well off before\, he was twice as well off now! All his relatives and old friends came and shared a great feast with him at his place. They offered their condolences and comforted him for all he had suffered through the acts of God. Everyone gave him presents – money and gold jewellery and the like. From that time on the LORD blessed Job more than ever. His stock runs held massive herds and flocks and were highly productive. He became the father of seven sons and three daughters. He named the girls Jemimah\, Keziah\, and Keren Happuch\, and they grew up to be the most beautiful women in the land. Job gave them an equal inheritance in his will\, along with their brothers. He lived for another hundred and forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren having children of their own. By the time he died\, he’d had the kind of innings most people only dream of. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 34: 1-8\, (19-22)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I will speak up in your favour\, every chance I get\, LORD.\nEvery time I open my mouth\, I’ll sing your praises. \nEverything I’m proud of is your doing\, LORD;\nthe news of your goodness puts a smile on the face of the helpless. \nI’ll put the spotlight on you\, LORD;\nand gather a crowd to spread the word. \nWhen I pounded on your door\, LORD\, you opened up;\nyou calmed my fears and put my mind at rest. \nThose who look to you light up with joy;\ntheir faces never grow dark with shame. \nWhen I had nothing\, I cried out\, LORD\, and you answered;\nyou got me out of some serious trouble. \nYou station your angels to watch over those who trust you;\nthey watch us\, guard us\, and get us safely through. \nMay everyone taste for themselves how good you are\, LORD;\nmay everyone find shelter in you and be happy. \nYour people endure as much suffering as anyone else\, LORD\,\nbut you ensure that they make it through. \nLike a vigilant bodyguard\,\nyou see that not a bone is broken. \nEvil is lethal to those who drink their fill of it;\nthose who despise the straight and narrow will stumble to destruction. \nBut you\, LORD\, are always ready to bail out those who serve your cause;\nno one who runs to you for safety will be handed over to death. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 7: 23-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We have had lots of priests in the past\, but none of them ever lasted. They kept dying and having to be replaced. Now though\, Jesus is our priest\, and the job is his for keeps because his life is forever. This means that now and always\, Jesus is ready\, willing and able to save the lives of everyone who reaches out to God through him. Appealing to God on their behalf is what Jesus lives for\, and he’s always on the job. \nIf you listed everything anyone could possibly want in a high priest\, Jesus would fit the bill perfectly. He is completely dedicated to God. There is no blood on his hands and no skeletons in his closet. When it comes to resisting sin\, he’s in a league of his own. Even in heaven he has the highest honour because no one else can compare with him. Unlike any other high priest\, he doesn’t need to keep offering the same old sacrifices\, day after day. And unlike them\, he doesn’t have to concentrate on himself and his own sins before he can get around to offering sacrifices for anyone else. Jesus offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice\, and so dealt with all the sacrifices required for sin once and for all. The legislation that covered the appointment of the high priests was never able to do anything about the human weaknesses that limited their ability to do the job. It is different now though\, because God has made a promise that has superseded that old legislation. This promise sees a Son appointed as permanent high priest\, and he is perfectly suited to the job. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 10: 46-52			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his followers travelled through Jericho with a large crowd in tow. As they were leaving town\, there was a destitute blind man sitting at the side of the road begging for money from the passers-by. He was known only as Bartimaeus – a reference to his father. Bartimaeus picked up that it was Jesus of Nazareth going past\, and he began to shout at the top of his lungs\, saying\, “Jesus\, Son of David\, have mercy. Help me!” \nPeople tried to stand over him and shut him up\, but he just upped the volume even more: “Jesus\, Son of David\, have mercy. Help me!” \nJesus pulled up in his tracks and said\, “Call him over.” \nSo the people called him\, saying\, “Come on! It’s your lucky day. Jesus is calling you.” \nBartimaeus was on his feet in a flash. He didn’t even bother picking up his things. He just hurried over to Jesus. Jesus asked him\, “What can I do for you?” \nThe blind man answered\, “Teacher\, I want to see again.” \nJesus said to him\, “Done! Your faith has paid off\, making you whole.” \nAnd sure enough – just like that – Bartimaeus regained his vision and began to follow Jesus on the way. \n©2000 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 31: 7-9			\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. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 126			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When you brought us home to Zion from exile\, LORD\,\n    we had to pinch ourselves to be sure it wasn’t a dream. \nLaughter and singing kept bubbling up in us;\n    we were just over the moon! \nEven the nations around us had to admit\n    that you must have taken our side\, LORD.\nIndeed\, we could only celebrate and thank you\n.    for the wonderful things you had done for us. \nLORD\, we need your help again;\n    we are like dry creek-beds in need of rain. \nWe have worked with sweat and tears;\n    let us reap the rewards with celebration. \nLet those who laboured with heavy hearts\,\n    expecting nothing but despair\,\ncome home with pride renewed\,\n    celebrating unimaginable success. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\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 save all those who keep faith\,\nand bring healing and wholeness to all who seek your help. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\nand no purpose of yours can be thwarted.\nYour mysteries are more than we can comprehend\,\nand though even the good endure great trials\,\nyou come in person to rescue and restore them. \nYou have come to us in your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho embodied your compassion\nfor all who suffer the darkness of a broken world.\nIn the face of the forces of evil and death\,\nhe offered himself\, once and for all.\nYou raised him to life again\,\nmaking him our perfect high priest\,\nand exalted him above the heavens\nwhere he now prays for us\, day and night\,\nthat he might save all who approach you through him. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho offered himself\, once and for all.\nYou raised him to life again\,\nmaking him our perfect high priest\,\nand exalted him above the heavens\nwhere he now prays\, day and night\,\nfor the salvation of all. \n©2003 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 save all those who keep faith\,\nand bring healing and wholeness to all who seek your help. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\nand no purpose of yours can be thwarted.\nYour mysteries are more than we can comprehend\,\nand though even the good endure great trials\,\nyou come in person to rescue and restore them. \nYou have come to us in your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho embodied your compassion\nfor all who suffer the darkness of a broken world.\nIn the face of the forces of evil and death\,\nhe offered himself\, once and for all.\nYou raised him to life again\,\nmaking him our perfect high priest\,\nand exalted him above the heavens\nwhere he now prays for us\, day and night\,\nthat he might save all who approach you through him. \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©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus is able to save all who approach God through him.\nHe has offered himself for the forgiveness of sin\,\nonce and for all\,\nand now he lives to pray for us\,\nand present us\, forgiven\, to God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out with your eyes opened to the presence of God\nand follow Jesus on the way.\nDrink in the richness of God\nand enjoy the strength of the Lord. \nAnd may God give you a long and full life;\nMay Christ Jesus open your eyes to the wonder of life;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with the faith that makes you whole. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nSaved? From What?A sermon on Hebrews 7: 23-28 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhat if you could see clearly?A sermon on Mark 10:46-52 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSeeing ClearlyA sermon on Mark 10:46-52 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStanding Up to the SilencersA sermon on Mark 10:46-52 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHappy Ever After\, or notA sermon on Job 42:1-6\, 10-17 & Mark 10:46-52 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nBeauty\, Freedom\, Healing\, and WisdomA sermon on Job 42:1-6\, 10-17 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen It All Becomes ClearA sermon on Mark 10:46-52 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp25/2030-10-27/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P25.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301103T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301103T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201005T081515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241208T045455Z
UID:10002158-1919894400-1919980799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 26 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Ruth 1: 1-18			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Long ago in the days before the Jewish people had a king\, a severe drought caused a famine in the land of Judah. There was a man named Elimelech\, from the tribe of Ephrath\, living in Bethlehem with his wife\, Naomi\, and their two sons\, Mahlon and Chilion. When their crops failed\, they fled the famine and settled in the land of Moab. While they were there\, Elimelech died\, leaving Naomi to raise their sons alone. In time\, the young men both married Moabite women\, one named Orpah\, and the other named Ruth. Within ten years\, both Mahlon and Chilion also died\, and Naomi was left destitute with no husband and no sons. \nNaomi got word that the LORD had blessed her homeland with good rains and good crops again\, so she decided to pack up and move back home. Her two daughters-in-law\, now widows too\, prepared to go with her. They left their home in Moab and set out for Judah\, but before they had gone very far\, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law\, “This is crazy. It makes no sense for you to come with me. Why not go home to your own mothers and live among your own people? You have been very kind to me\, just as you were always kind to my husband and my sons. May the LORD be just as kind to you and enable you to marry again and have homes and families of your own.” \nWith that she kissed them both\, and they were all in tears. But the two young women refused to go\, saying\, “We want to go with you and live among your people.” \nBut Naomi leaned on them to change their minds saying\, “Don’t be stupid\, my daughters. What good will it do you to come with me? It’s not as though I’m going to have any more sons for you to marry. You’ve got your whole lives ahead of you. Go back and get a life. I’m over the hill\, and even if I could promise to get a new husband tonight and get pregnant straight away with twin boys\, you could hardly put off marrying while you waited for them to grow up\, could you? Of course not. My daughters\, your lives are a bed of roses compared to mine\, because the LORD has written me off.” \nThe tears flowed freely again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye\, but Ruth dug her heels in. Naomi tried one more time: “See\, your sister-in-law has seen sense. She has gone back to her own people with their own ways and their own religion. Follow her lead — go back home.” \nBut Ruth said\, \n“Don’t try to change my mind about this\,\nor pressure me into giving up.\nI’m coming with you\, wherever you go.\nWherever you live\, I’m going to live too. \nYour people will be my people\,\nand your God will be my God.\nI’m with you for life\,\nand in death I’ll be buried right alongside you. \nI’m giving you my word on this\, cross my heart.\nMay the LORD punish me from now to kingdom come\nif I let even death get between us!” \nWhen Naomi saw that Ruth’s mind was made up\, she backed off and let her have her way. \n©2000 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			\n				  Hebrews 9: 11-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The priests of old served in a great tent which people had made as the place to approach God here on earth\, but when Christ came he bypassed the old tent. He came as the new high priest\, bringing a new improved way of approaching God. Once and for all he went in to the real Holy Place of God’s presence\, in the middle of the ultimate tent — heaven itself. He also bypassed the old sacrifices of goat and calf blood. Instead\, he shed his own blood in the process of winning permanent freedom for everyone. \nUnder the old arrangements\, people were not permitted to come and worship God if they had done something that made them officially unclean. They had to be purified first in a ritual that required them to be sprinkled with blood from goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf. Now if such a ritual was enough to clear up these problems\, imagine how much more thoroughly our lives can be cleaned up — inside and out — by the blood of Christ! Christ’s self-sacrifice — which because of his spotless record was the greatest possible sacrifice — was made in the power of God’s Spirit to wipe the slate clean for us. No longer are we weighed down by the emotional debris left over from previous futile efforts to sort things out with God. Now we are free to join the joyous dance of life that honours God! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 12: 28-34			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	One of the religious lawyers came across Jesus engaged in a vigorous debate with some members of the Sadducee party. He was impressed by the depth of insight Jesus displayed in the answers he was giving\, so he approached him with a question of his own. “Which would you say is the number one commandment of them all?” he asked. \nJesus answered\, “The number one commandment is this: \nListen carefully\, O people of Israel: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord. Therefore you will love the Lord your God with everything you are\, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.\n\nAnd while we’re on the topic\, the number two commandment is this: \nYou will love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.\n\nThere are no other commandments that can top these two.” \nOn hearing this\, the religious lawyer applauded him\, saying\, “Teacher\, what a first rate answer! You are right on the mark when you say that ‘God is the one and only\, and there is no other.’ And as you have added\, ‘to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength\,’ and ‘to love your neighbour the way you love yourself\,’ – these things are way more important than all the religious offerings and sacrifices put together.” \nJesus was impressed by the wisdom revealed in the man’s answer\, so he said to him\, “It won’t take much to get you into the culture of God. You’re all but there already!” \nNo one was game to put any more questions to him after that. \n©2000 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 6: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses said to the people\, “I’m laying down the law to you here with a set of principles and a code of ethics. The LORD your God has given me the job of teaching you to live by these things in the land that you are about to move into and live in. Learning to live this way will be for the best for you\, and for your kids and grandkids after you. Learn to honour and respect the LORD your God as long as you live\, and stick to the principles and ethics that I have spelt out to you on God’s behalf\, and you will live long and happy lives. So listen up\, people of Israel. Put these things into practice without cutting corners\, and you will reap rich rewards. You will flourish and prosper in a land of peaches and cream\, just as the LORD promised your parents you would. \nListen carefully\, O people of Israel: the LORD is our God\, the LORD and no other. Therefore you will love the LORD your God with everything you are\, with all your heart and soul and strength. Do whatever it takes to keep these things I am teaching you now fixed in your minds. Repeat them over and over to your kids. Talk about them everywhere and all the time\, at home\, at work\, on the road\, morning\, noon and night. Write them on the back of your hands; wear them as a badge stuck on your forehead\, hang them over your front doors\, put them up on a billboard at the entrance to your town so that you will be reminded of them as you come and go. Do whatever you have to do to keep them fixed in your minds. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 119: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, how good it will be for those who no one can point a finger at\,\nwho play by your rules and stick to the straight and narrow. \nHow good it will be for those who do what you say\,\nand put their whole heart into knowing you better;\nwho never do the wrong thing by any one\,\nbut stick to your tracks all the way. \nYou have laid down the law for us\nand told us to follow it to the letter. \nThere is nothing I want more than to be rock solid\,\nfollowing your script in everything I do. \nIf I keep my eyes fixed on your instructions\,\nI will never have to hang my head. \nThe more I discover the justice and integrity of your teaching\,\nthe more I sing your praises with my heart beating proud. \nI intend to do everything you say;\nplease don’t ever give up on me. \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\,\nwith all our heart and soul and mind and strength\,\nfor you keep faith forever with all peoples\nand reach out to save the burdened and the bereft. \nYou are the creator of heaven and earth\,\nand the maker of the teeming seas.\nFrom generation to generation\,\nyou have shown your generous love to those who\, like Ruth\,\nhave united with your people and walked in your ways. \nThrough your law you provided a way of forgiveness\,\nand when we lost our way\,\nyou came to us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nEmbodying the law of love\,\nhe shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption\,\nand\, raised by you to new life\,\nhe has entered your holy presence\, once for all\,\nfreeing us from works of futility\nto worship you by living the ways of love. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho embodied the law of love\nand shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption\,\nentering your holy presence\, once for all\,\nand freeing us from works of futility\nto worship you by living the ways of love. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nwith all our heart and soul and mind and strength\,\nfor you keep faith forever with all peoples\nand reach out to save the burdened and the bereft. \nYou are the creator of heaven and earth\,\nand the maker of the teeming seas.\nFrom generation to generation\,\nyou have shown your generous love to those who\, like Ruth\,\nhave united with your people and walked in your ways. \nThrough your law you provided a way of forgiveness\,\nand when we lost our way\,\nyou came to us in your Son\, Jesus Christ.\nEmbodying the law of love\,\nhe shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption\,\nand\, raised by you to new life\,\nhe has entered your holy presence\, once for all\,\nfreeing us from works of futility\nto worship you by living the ways of 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©2000 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 shed his own blood in winning freedom for us.\nAs our high priest\, he has gone into the presence of God\nand obtained for us eternal redemption\,\npurifying us from all guilt\,\nand freeing us to worship the living God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Hear this: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord.\nTherefore go out into the world\nand love the Lord your God\nwith all your heart\, soul\, mind and strength\,\nand love others as you love yourself. \nAnd may God give you justice and freedom;\nMay Christ Jesus set you free for love;\nand may the Holy Spirit go where you go\nand protect you on your way. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nLove and Religious RitualA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDoing Right or Doing RitesA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLove and SacrificeA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nRuthless Loyalty\, Ruthless CourageA sermon on Ruth 1: 1-18 by Jude Waldron\n\n\n\nLove and What the Gospel Isn’tA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp26/2030-11-03/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301110T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301110T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201007T001513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000533Z
UID:10002776-1920499200-1920585599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 27 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Ruth 3: 1-5; 4: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi had settled back in Judah and were eking out a living there. One day Naomi said to her: \n“My daughter\, it’s time I found you a husband so that you can have a home of your own and a secure future. You can’t just look after me forever. I think Boaz is the man for you. You have been working alongside the young women he employs and you know he has treated you well. He is a relative of mine too\, so he has some responsibilities toward you. I’ve got a plan. Boaz is threshing grain at the moment\, so he’ll be sleeping out at the threshing shed tonight. Go and have a bath\, get your hair done and put on perfume and make-up. Dress up in something flattering. Then tonight\, get yourself down to the threshing shed. Keep your eyes open but stay out of sight until he has finished eating and had a few drinks. Watch carefully and see whereabouts he lies down to sleep for the night. Then when the lights are out\, it’s time to make your move. Tiptoe up\, open up his swag from the foot and sleep with him. When he wakes again\, it’s his call. See what he decides you should do.” \nRuth replied\, “If you think it’s for the best\, I’ll do just as you say.” \nWell\, the upshot of it all was that not long afterwards\, Ruth and Boaz were married. The LORD blessed their love-making so that Ruth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When he was born\, the local women celebrated with Naomi\, saying: \n“The LORD be blessed! Today God has blessed you with a grandson to take care of you in your old age. May he grow up to be a man of renown\, looked up to everywhere in Israel! He’ll sure put the smile back on your face and the spring back in your step. He’ll be there for you when you need him in your twilight years. He’s bound to be — it’s in his genes — he’s Ruth’s son and her love has been of more value to you than the love of seven sons.” \nNaomi loved the boy to pieces\, and from day one he was Grandma’s little boy. The local women all gathered for the naming ceremony and he was given the name Obed. The women still just called him “Naomi’s Boy” though. When Obed grew up he had a son of his own\, named Jesse\, and Jesse in turn had a son named David\, who went on to become the King of Israel. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 127			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Unless you’ve commissioned the building project\, LORD\,\nattempting construction would be futile. \nUnless you’re in charge of security\, LORD\,\nour gates and guards are a waste of effort. \nWe could work ourselves to the bone for nothing;\nfirst on the job in the morning\, last home at night\,\nand what would we have to show for it?\nNothing but heartaches and ulcers. \nYou\, LORD\, long for us to slow down.\nWe can relax and trust in your loving care. \nYou have given us children\, a gift to remind us to play;\ntime with them is worth more than overtime on double pay. \nGood relationships with our children are the best insurance\nwhen trouble comes and threatens to wipe us out. \nThe respect of our children will give us more joy\nthan any pat on the back from the boss. \nWhen we give time and love to our children\,\nwe will always be able to hold our heads high\,\nno matter who denounces our lack of “productivity”! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 9: 24-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Christ didn’t mess around with replicas and enactments. He was for real. He went into the real Holy Place — not our home made model\, but heaven itself — and there he is now\, in the presence of God\, appearing on our behalf. It is not that Jesus has to offer himself to God over and over again. The old high priest had to go into the Holy Place in the temple again every year to offer a sacrifice of blood — not his own\, but that of an animal. If Jesus had been required to follow the same system\, he would have needed to come back and suffer on earth over and over again\, from the day of creation to the end of time. It is not like that though. Jesus waited until time was almost up and then appeared once and for all. He came to remove sin\, permanently\, and he made the ultimate sacrifice to see the job through. Everyone has to die once — that’s just part of being human — and after that we face the music. Christ died once too — he absorbed into himself all the guilt and grief of the whole dysfunctional human race and sacrificed his own life to save them from it. Having done that once\, he will appear again\, but not to do the same thing all over again. This time he will appear for the grand finale — the great liberation of all those who have been eagerly anticipating his promised arrival. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 12: 38-44			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	A large crowd was gathered around Jesus in the temple to hear what he had to teach. He said to them\, “Don’t get sucked in by high-flying religious experts. They love cultivating an image of profound sophistication\, and basking in the adulation of a gullible public. They get a kick out of always being invited to appear at openings and premieres. At formal occasions they proudly take their place among the distinguished guests. But behind the scenes they are taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable\, exploiting them for all they’re worth. Their long and polished public prayers are a mask. They’ll get what’s coming to them eventually.” \nAfter this\, Jesus sat down near the temple offering box and watched as people made their financial contributions. Many rich people clearly put in large sums of money. One poor old woman came up and put in a couple of small coins\, less than a dollar in total. Jesus called his followers over and pointed this out to them\, saying\, “The fact of the matter is that this woman was the most generous giver of them all. The rest of them just gave a percentage of their surplus – money they’ll never miss. She\, on the other hand\, despite never having enough to make ends meet\, has given her all – every last cent.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 17: 8-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	During the terrible drought\, Elijah got word from the LORD saying\, “Go and live in the Sidonian town of Zarephath. There is a destitute widow there who I have told to feed you.” \nSo Elijah hit the road and headed for Zarephath. When he arrived on the outskirts of the town\, he saw a destitute widow gathering firewood. He called out to her\, saying\, “Could you please bring me a cup of water; I need a drink.” As she went to get the water\, he called out again\, saying\, “And grab me a chunk of bread too\, please.” \nBut she stopped and said\, “I swear by God\, the LORD your God\, that I haven’t got any bread to give you. I am down to the last handful of flour in my jar and the last dribble of oil in my jug. With them and the firewood I am collecting here\, I will prepare one last meal for myself and my son\, and when we’ve eaten that\, we will starve to death. \nElijah said to her\, “Don’t worry; it will be okay. Go and make the bread as you planned\, but make two loaves. Bring one to me\, and then share the second one with your son. For this is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, is promising you: “The flour jar will never be empty and the oil jug will never run dry until the day that the LORD sends down rain on the land.” \nShe went and made the bread as Elijah had said\, and they all had enough to eat for many days. The flour in the jar never ran out and the oil in the jug never ran dry. It was just as Elijah had said: the LORD had given his word. \n©2012 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 your love embraces all people\nand you are coming to save all who eagerly await you.  \nIn the beginning you founded the world\,\nand nourished all life upon it.\nYou drew people to one another\,\nfilling them with your creative love\nand blessing the earth with children.  \nWhenever our work has been at odds with your plans\nyou have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.\nYou came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nexposing the hypocrisy of the proud\nand honouring the generosity of the humble.\nThe powers of evil had him killed\,\nbut in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.\nYou raised him to new life\nand made him high priest\,\nappearing on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nas he prepares to return in glory\nbringing your salvation to all the world.  \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho sacrificed himself to remove our sins\,\nand who you raised to new life\,\nmaking him the high priest\nwho appears on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nto save all who eagerly await you. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your love has embraced all people\nand you are coming to save all who eagerly await you. \nIn the beginning you founded the world\,\nand nourished all life upon it.\nYou filled men and women with your creative love\nand blessed the earth with children. \nWhenever our work has been at odds with your plans\nyou have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.\nYou came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nexposing the hypocrisy of the proud\nand honouring the generosity of the humble.\nThe powers of evil had him killed\,\nbut in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.\nYou raised him to new life\nand made him the high priest\nwho appears on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nas he prepares to return in glory\nbringing your salvation to all the world. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2003 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 appeared once for all\nbearing the sins of many\nand offering himself to remove sin.\nHe will appear again to save all those\nwho eagerly wait for him. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out and share God’s love with all.\nDo not slave for things that are not life-giving\,\nbut trust in God’s provision\,\nand give generously of all you have. \nAnd may God watch over you and provide for you;\nMay Christ Jesus be to you a restorer of life;\nand may the Holy Spirit lead you in the ways of humble generosity. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHand Over the ToolsA sermon on Psalm 127 & Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGod’s RevolutionA sermon on Hebrews 9. 24-28 & Mark 12. 38-44 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nWith Open HandsA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nLeaving a LegacyA sermon on Psalm 127; Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 & Mark 12:38-44 by Roslyn Wright\n\n\n\nFiery Politics and the Romance NovelA sermon on the book of Ruth by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGiving\, Taking and Religious ScandalA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp27/2030-11-10/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P27.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301110T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301110T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201007T001513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241215T113744Z
UID:10002159-1920499200-1920585599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 27 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Ruth 3: 1-5; 4: 13-17			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi had settled back in Judah and were eking out a living there. One day Naomi said to her: \n“My daughter\, it’s time I found you a husband so that you can have a home of your own and a secure future. You can’t just look after me forever. I think Boaz is the man for you. You have been working alongside the young women he employs and you know he has treated you well. He is a relative of mine too\, so he has some responsibilities toward you. I’ve got a plan. Boaz is threshing grain at the moment\, so he’ll be sleeping out at the threshing shed tonight. Go and have a bath\, get your hair done and put on perfume and make-up. Dress up in something flattering. Then tonight\, get yourself down to the threshing shed. Keep your eyes open but stay out of sight until he has finished eating and had a few drinks. Watch carefully and see whereabouts he lies down to sleep for the night. Then when the lights are out\, it’s time to make your move. Tiptoe up\, open up his swag from the foot and sleep with him. When he wakes again\, it’s his call. See what he decides you should do.” \nRuth replied\, “If you think it’s for the best\, I’ll do just as you say.” \nWell\, the upshot of it all was that not long afterwards\, Ruth and Boaz were married. The LORD blessed their love-making so that Ruth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When he was born\, the local women celebrated with Naomi\, saying: \n“The LORD be blessed! Today God has blessed you with a grandson to take care of you in your old age. May he grow up to be a man of renown\, looked up to everywhere in Israel! He’ll sure put the smile back on your face and the spring back in your step. He’ll be there for you when you need him in your twilight years. He’s bound to be — it’s in his genes — he’s Ruth’s son and her love has been of more value to you than the love of seven sons.” \nNaomi loved the boy to pieces\, and from day one he was Grandma’s little boy. The local women all gathered for the naming ceremony and he was given the name Obed. The women still just called him “Naomi’s Boy” though. When Obed grew up he had a son of his own\, named Jesse\, and Jesse in turn had a son named David\, who went on to become the King of Israel. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 127			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Unless you’ve commissioned the building project\, LORD\,\nattempting construction would be futile. \nUnless you’re in charge of security\, LORD\,\nour gates and guards are a waste of effort. \nWe could work ourselves to the bone for nothing;\nfirst on the job in the morning\, last home at night\,\nand what would we have to show for it?\nNothing but heartaches and ulcers. \nYou\, LORD\, long for us to slow down.\nWe can relax and trust in your loving care. \nYou have given us children\, a gift to remind us to play;\ntime with them is worth more than overtime on double pay. \nGood relationships with our children are the best insurance\nwhen trouble comes and threatens to wipe us out. \nThe respect of our children will give us more joy\nthan any pat on the back from the boss. \nWhen we give time and love to our children\,\nwe will always be able to hold our heads high\,\nno matter who denounces our lack of “productivity”! \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 9: 24-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Christ didn’t mess around with replicas and enactments. He was for real. He went into the real Holy Place — not our home made model\, but heaven itself — and there he is now\, in the presence of God\, appearing on our behalf. It is not that Jesus has to offer himself to God over and over again. The old high priest had to go into the Holy Place in the temple again every year to offer a sacrifice of blood — not his own\, but that of an animal. If Jesus had been required to follow the same system\, he would have needed to come back and suffer on earth over and over again\, from the day of creation to the end of time. It is not like that though. Jesus waited until time was almost up and then appeared once and for all. He came to remove sin\, permanently\, and he made the ultimate sacrifice to see the job through. Everyone has to die once — that’s just part of being human — and after that we face the music. Christ died once too — he absorbed into himself all the guilt and grief of the whole dysfunctional human race and sacrificed his own life to save them from it. Having done that once\, he will appear again\, but not to do the same thing all over again. This time he will appear for the grand finale — the great liberation of all those who have been eagerly anticipating his promised arrival. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 12: 38-44			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	A large crowd was gathered around Jesus in the temple to hear what he had to teach. He said to them\, “Don’t get sucked in by high-flying religious experts. They love cultivating an image of profound sophistication\, and basking in the adulation of a gullible public. They get a kick out of always being invited to appear at openings and premieres. At formal occasions they proudly take their place among the distinguished guests. But behind the scenes they are taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable\, exploiting them for all they’re worth. Their long and polished public prayers are a mask. They’ll get what’s coming to them eventually.” \nAfter this\, Jesus sat down near the temple offering box and watched as people made their financial contributions. Many rich people clearly put in large sums of money. One poor old woman came up and put in a couple of small coins\, less than a dollar in total. Jesus called his followers over and pointed this out to them\, saying\, “The fact of the matter is that this woman was the most generous giver of them all. The rest of them just gave a percentage of their surplus – money they’ll never miss. She\, on the other hand\, despite never having enough to make ends meet\, has given her all – every last cent.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Kings 17: 8-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	During the terrible drought\, Elijah got word from the LORD saying\, “Go and live in the Sidonian town of Zarephath. There is a destitute widow there who I have told to feed you.” \nSo Elijah hit the road and headed for Zarephath. When he arrived on the outskirts of the town\, he saw a destitute widow gathering firewood. He called out to her\, saying\, “Could you please bring me a cup of water; I need a drink.” As she went to get the water\, he called out again\, saying\, “And grab me a chunk of bread too\, please.” \nBut she stopped and said\, “I swear by God\, the LORD your God\, that I haven’t got any bread to give you. I am down to the last handful of flour in my jar and the last dribble of oil in my jug. With them and the firewood I am collecting here\, I will prepare one last meal for myself and my son\, and when we’ve eaten that\, we will starve to death. \nElijah said to her\, “Don’t worry; it will be okay. Go and make the bread as you planned\, but make two loaves. Bring one to me\, and then share the second one with your son. For this is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, is promising you: “The flour jar will never be empty and the oil jug will never run dry until the day that the LORD sends down rain on the land.” \nShe went and made the bread as Elijah had said\, and they all had enough to eat for many days. The flour in the jar never ran out and the oil in the jug never ran dry. It was just as Elijah had said: the LORD had given his word. \n©2012 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 your love embraces all people\nand you are coming to save all who eagerly await you.  \nIn the beginning you founded the world\,\nand nourished all life upon it.\nYou drew people to one another\,\nfilling them with your creative love\nand blessing the earth with children.  \nWhenever our work has been at odds with your plans\nyou have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.\nYou came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nexposing the hypocrisy of the proud\nand honouring the generosity of the humble.\nThe powers of evil had him killed\,\nbut in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.\nYou raised him to new life\nand made him high priest\,\nappearing on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nas he prepares to return in glory\nbringing your salvation to all the world.  \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho sacrificed himself to remove our sins\,\nand who you raised to new life\,\nmaking him the high priest\nwho appears on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nto save all who eagerly await you. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor your love has embraced all people\nand you are coming to save all who eagerly await you. \nIn the beginning you founded the world\,\nand nourished all life upon it.\nYou filled men and women with your creative love\nand blessed the earth with children. \nWhenever our work has been at odds with your plans\nyou have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.\nYou came among us in your child\, Jesus\,\nexposing the hypocrisy of the proud\nand honouring the generosity of the humble.\nThe powers of evil had him killed\,\nbut in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.\nYou raised him to new life\nand made him the high priest\nwho appears on our behalf in your Holy Place\,\nas he prepares to return in glory\nbringing your salvation to all the world. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2003 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 appeared once for all\nbearing the sins of many\nand offering himself to remove sin.\nHe will appear again to save all those\nwho eagerly wait for him. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out and share God’s love with all.\nDo not slave for things that are not life-giving\,\nbut trust in God’s provision\,\nand give generously of all you have. \nAnd may God watch over you and provide for you;\nMay Christ Jesus be to you a restorer of life;\nand may the Holy Spirit lead you in the ways of humble generosity. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nHand Over the ToolsA sermon on Psalm 127 & Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGod’s RevolutionA sermon on Hebrews 9. 24-28 & Mark 12. 38-44 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nWith Open HandsA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nLeaving a LegacyA sermon on Psalm 127; Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 & Mark 12:38-44 by Roslyn Wright\n\n\n\nFiery Politics and the Romance NovelA sermon on the book of Ruth by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGiving\, Taking and Religious ScandalA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp27/2030-11-10/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P27.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301117T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301117T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201012T073214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000532Z
UID:10002774-1921104000-1921190399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 28 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Samuel 1: 4-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the days before Israel had a king\, there was a woman named Hannah who was married to a man named Elkanah. Hannah had never been able to have children even though Elkanah tended to favour her over his other wife\, Peninnah\, who had several children. Elkanah provided well for both his wives and all his children\, but he really doted on Hannah. \nPeninnah used to deliberately torment Hannah about her infertility\, taunting her with suggestions that the LORD had dried out her womb. The nastiness was at its worst when they went up to Shiloh each year to offer sacrifices to the LORD\, perhaps because that was when Elkanah’s favouritism was most obvious. So the annual visit to Shiloh was always a miserable time for Hannah. She would go off her food and be in tears all the time. Her husband Elkanah tried to comfort her\, saying\, “Hannah\, cheer up? Why won’t you eat something? Look on the bright side. Aren’t I worth more to you than a big mob of sons?” \nOne year in Shiloh\, after they had offered the sacrifices and eaten a meal together\, Hannah got up and went back to pray to the LORD by herself. The only other person in the place of worship was Eli the priest who was sitting near the door. Hannah was at her wit’s end and wept bitter tears as she prayed to the LORD. She tried to bargain with God\, praying\, “O LORD\, you rule over everything! Have pity on me\, your servant. Don’t write me off in my misery. If you will give me the gift of a baby boy\, then I will see to it that he joins the religious order of the Nazarites and never touches drink or drugs or has his hair cut.” \nAs she was praying silently\, Eli could see her lips moving and her tears\, but since he couldn’t hear her saying anything\, he jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He got up and said to her\, “Time to go home and sober up\, woman. You can’t keep making a drunken spectacle of yourself in here. On your way\, and get yourself on the wagon!” \nBut Hannah defended herself\, saying\, “No\, Reverend Sir\, please don’t write me off as a hopeless case. I’m heartbroken\, but I haven’t sought solace in the bottle. I’ve been pouring my heart out to the LORD – all my agony and fears – trying to get everything off my chest.” \nThen Eli answered\, “Go in peace. May the LORD\, the God of Israel\, go with you and take care of whatever it is that is bothering you.” \n“Thank you for being so kind to me\, Reverend Sir\,” said Hannah. She went back to where she was staying and cheered up no end. She even had a good meal with her husband. \nThe next morning the whole family got up early and worshipped the LORD. Then they packed up and went back home to Ramah. The LORD remembered Hannah’s prayer and the next time she and Elkanah made love\, she fell pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy and named him Samuel. She often spoke of him as an answer to her prayer. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Samuel 2: 1-10 (Canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After the birth of her son\, Samuel\, Hannah prayed the following prayer: \n“Thanks to you\, LORD\, I am full of joy;\nthanks to you\, I can stand strong and proud.\nI can return the insults that were hurled at me\,\nand kick up my heels\, because you have set me free. \nThere is no other god like you\, LORD\,\nno one who can hold a candle to you;\nnot even the ancient rock is as dependable as you. \nI can tell the proud to stop their boasting;\ntell the arrogant to put a sock in it.\nYou\, LORD\, know us inside and out;\nyou see whether or not we live up to our words. \nYou\, LORD\, disarm the powerful\,\nand redistribute their strength to the helpless.\nThose who consumed to excess are now queuing at soup kitchens\,\nbut those who were deprived now feast in splendour.\nInfertile couples are having children\, one after the other\,\nwhile those who flaunted their children\nfind their families falling apart. \nLife is yours to give or to take\, LORD;\nyou can send someone to the land of the dead\,\nand you can bring them back again. \nYou\, LORD\, can make us or break us;\nyou can put us on a pedestal or knock us off.\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 can do all this because the earth is yours;\nyou set it up and you wrote the rules. \nTo those who are faithful\, you guarantee safe passage;\nthose who are corrupt soon lose sight of any light to steer by\,\nfor no matter how strong people are\,\nthey can’t make it alone. \nYou are the LORD!\nThose who try to obstruct you\nfind that it is like standing in the path of a train\nas you thunder towards your destination.\nYou\, LORD\, have the final word on all that is done on earth.\nYou will give strength and power to your chosen ruler.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 10: 11-14\, (15-18)\, 19-25			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Day after day the priests do their job\, offering the same old sacrifices over and over again\, without so much as budging the problem of sin. What Christ did as priest was quite different. He offered just one sacrifice for sins\, a sacrifice with no use-by date! Then he sat down in the seat of honour alongside God and there he waits. It is only a matter of time before those who oppose him run out of options and concede defeat. As a priest he was so perfect\, that it only took him one single offering to deal with all the imperfections of all the imperfect people who come to him wanting to be made perfect for God! The Holy Spirit can back us up on this. First she said in the scriptures: \n“The new alliance I will make with the people\nwill be different\, says the Lord:\nNo more writing down the rules for people to read;\nthis time I’ll write them into their hearts and minds.” \nThen\, for good measure\, she added: \n“I’ll wipe the record of their failings and their perverse behaviour;\nnone of it will ever again even enter my mind.” \nSo if that’s done — if the slate has been wiped clean — then there is no longer any need to come offering sacrifices to try to make up for what we’ve done wrong. \nSo\, my friends\, now it’s a whole new ball game. Now we can confidently walk straight into the sacred place because Jesus won us that right\, spilling his own blood in the process. We walk in via a new route. The old way had a big curtain between us and the sacred place — on the new route the only thing between us and the sacred place is Jesus\, and he invites us to become part of his own body and go in that way. Add all that to the fact that Jesus himself is now our great priest who says what goes in the house of God\, and you’ll understand what is now open to us. So let’s go! Let’s approach God with integrity and with deep trust. Let us stand before God knowing for sure that not only have our bodies been washed clean in pure water\, but so to have our hearts\, our minds\, our conscience. \nIn light of all this\, let’s hold on tight to the hope that we’ve put our hands up to. None of this on-again off-again stuff! You can’t get more dependable than the one who has made these promises. So let’s put on our thinking caps and come up with some good strategies for stirring one another up to greater and greater love and more and more ways to put it into action. Some people have got out of the habit of gathering together as a congregation — let’s not go down that path. Gather often\, support and encourage one another. The closer we get to that final day the more we’ll need one another. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 13: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As Jesus and his followers were coming out of the temple\, one of them said to him\, “Teacher\, isn’t this building spectacular? Look at the stonework and the scale of the whole place – it’s one of a kind!” \nJesus replied\, “Do you think this is the greatest? This whole place will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.” \nLater on they went out to the Mount of Olives and were sitting there with a full view of the Temple. Peter\, James\, John\, and Andrew took Jesus aside for a few quiet questions. “Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked\, “and what warning sign should we watch for? What will tip us off that these things are almost upon us.” \nJesus began to launch into an answer\, saying\, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for the doomsday enthusiasts. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying\, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ Far too many people will be sucked into their madness. Every time there’s a new war or a tense stand off between world powers\, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen\, but they don’t mean that time’s up. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. Countless people will be faced with starvation. This will not be the end. It’s just the beginning\, the first labour pangs of what is to come. \n©2000 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				  Daniel 12: 1-3			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the time comes\, Michael\, the great angel prince who stands guard over your people\, will step forward. There will be a time of awful suffering\, worse than anything any nation has ever seen in all of history. But that will be the time when your people are rescued. Their names are all written on a list and they will all be rescued. Many people who have long been dead and buried will awake as though they had only been sleeping. Some will rise to life and never face death again. Others will be facing shame and disgrace that can never be shaken off. Those who’ve got their heads on straight will light up the sky like the most brilliant fireworks. Those who have led others to get their lives on the right track will outshine the stars of the night with a glory that never ends. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Protect me\, God\,\nyou are my place of refuge. \nI’m acknowledging you as the one in charge\, LORD;\nyou are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. \nI delight in the company of those\nwho dedicate themselves to you;\nthey are the salt of the earth. \nThose who worship other things\nwill have nothing but grief.\nI will not buy into their futile devotions;\nI will not utter the names they revere. \nYou are all I want\, LORD\, and all I need;\nyou hold my future in your hands. \nYou mark out the best of everything for me;\nyou’ve set me up with a bright future. \nI heap accolades on you\, LORD\,\nfor you always give me wise advice;\neven in the dead of night\nyou fill my heart with your teachings. \nI’ll always stick close behind you\, LORD;\nwith you near by\,\nI’ll never be pushed off track. \nYou fill me with delight\, LORD;\njoy erupts from deep in my bones;\nmy body relaxes\, safe in your care. \nYou’ll never let the grave drag me down;\nyour faithful servants are never left for dead. \nYou set my feet on a life-giving track\, LORD.\nTo be in your presence is absolute bliss.\nAll I could dream of comes from your hand. \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 raise up the broken and humiliated\nand seat them in honour at your banqueting table. \nThe whole universe is yours\, for you made it;\nyou set the earth in place and filled it with life.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou promised a day of justice\nwhen the hungry will have their fill. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, among us\nto establish a new covenant\,\nleading us in the way of faithfulness\nand writing your laws on our hearts.\nAs a great priest\, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nand was thrown in to the land of the dead\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nopening for us a new and living way into your presence\nand convulsing the earth with the birth pangs\nof the new age of your glorious justice. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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\, O God\, for your son\, Jesus\,\nour great priest\, who offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nwho opened for us a new and living way into your presence\,\nand who writes your laws on our hearts. \n©2000 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 raise up the broken and humiliated\nand seat them in honour in your presence. \nThe whole universe is yours\, for you made it;\nyou set the earth in place and filled it with life.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou promised a day of justice\nwhen the hungry will have their fill. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, among us\nto establish a new covenant\,\nleading us in the way of faithfulness\nand writing your laws on our hearts.\nAs a great priest\, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nand was thrown in to the land of the dead\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nopening for us a new and living way into your presence\nand convulsing the earth with the birth pangs\nof the new age of your glorious justice. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As our high priest\, Christ offered\, for all time\,\none perfect sacrifice for sin.\nTherefore let us have confidence to approach God\nwith our hearts washed clean of all guilt\nand a confident hope in God’s mercy. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in peace\, for the Lord has heard your prayers.\nDo not allow anyone to lead you astray\nbut hold fast to the hope you have claimed.\nContinue to meet together\,\nencouraging and provoking one another\nto put love into action. \nAnd may God be your rock of strength;\nMay Christ Jesus usher you into the presence of God;\nand may the Holy Spirit write the laws of life on your hearts. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nGet a Life!A sermon on Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nEarth-Shattering TimesA sermon on Mark 13:1-8; Hebrews 10:11-25; 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nApocalypse and ForgivenessA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAs It All Comes Crashing DownA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAwkward ConversationsA sermon on 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10; Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Roslyn Wright
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp28/2030-11-17/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P28.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301117T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301117T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201012T073214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241222T045427Z
UID:10002160-1921104000-1921190399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 28 - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Samuel 1: 4-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In the days before Israel had a king\, there was a woman named Hannah who was married to a man named Elkanah. Hannah had never been able to have children even though Elkanah tended to favour her over his other wife\, Peninnah\, who had several children. Elkanah provided well for both his wives and all his children\, but he really doted on Hannah. \nPeninnah used to deliberately torment Hannah about her infertility\, taunting her with suggestions that the LORD had dried out her womb. The nastiness was at its worst when they went up to Shiloh each year to offer sacrifices to the LORD\, perhaps because that was when Elkanah’s favouritism was most obvious. So the annual visit to Shiloh was always a miserable time for Hannah. She would go off her food and be in tears all the time. Her husband Elkanah tried to comfort her\, saying\, “Hannah\, cheer up? Why won’t you eat something? Look on the bright side. Aren’t I worth more to you than a big mob of sons?” \nOne year in Shiloh\, after they had offered the sacrifices and eaten a meal together\, Hannah got up and went back to pray to the LORD by herself. The only other person in the place of worship was Eli the priest who was sitting near the door. Hannah was at her wit’s end and wept bitter tears as she prayed to the LORD. She tried to bargain with God\, praying\, “O LORD\, you rule over everything! Have pity on me\, your servant. Don’t write me off in my misery. If you will give me the gift of a baby boy\, then I will see to it that he joins the religious order of the Nazarites and never touches drink or drugs or has his hair cut.” \nAs she was praying silently\, Eli could see her lips moving and her tears\, but since he couldn’t hear her saying anything\, he jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He got up and said to her\, “Time to go home and sober up\, woman. You can’t keep making a drunken spectacle of yourself in here. On your way\, and get yourself on the wagon!” \nBut Hannah defended herself\, saying\, “No\, Reverend Sir\, please don’t write me off as a hopeless case. I’m heartbroken\, but I haven’t sought solace in the bottle. I’ve been pouring my heart out to the LORD – all my agony and fears – trying to get everything off my chest.” \nThen Eli answered\, “Go in peace. May the LORD\, the God of Israel\, go with you and take care of whatever it is that is bothering you.” \n“Thank you for being so kind to me\, Reverend Sir\,” said Hannah. She went back to where she was staying and cheered up no end. She even had a good meal with her husband. \nThe next morning the whole family got up early and worshipped the LORD. Then they packed up and went back home to Ramah. The LORD remembered Hannah’s prayer and the next time she and Elkanah made love\, she fell pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy and named him Samuel. She often spoke of him as an answer to her prayer. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Samuel 2: 1-10 (Canticle)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After the birth of her son\, Samuel\, Hannah prayed the following prayer: \n“Thanks to you\, LORD\, I am full of joy;\nthanks to you\, I can stand strong and proud.\nI can return the insults that were hurled at me\,\nand kick up my heels\, because you have set me free. \nThere is no other god like you\, LORD\,\nno one who can hold a candle to you;\nnot even the ancient rock is as dependable as you. \nI can tell the proud to stop their boasting;\ntell the arrogant to put a sock in it.\nYou\, LORD\, know us inside and out;\nyou see whether or not we live up to our words. \nYou\, LORD\, disarm the powerful\,\nand redistribute their strength to the helpless.\nThose who consumed to excess are now queuing at soup kitchens\,\nbut those who were deprived now feast in splendour.\nInfertile couples are having children\, one after the other\,\nwhile those who flaunted their children\nfind their families falling apart. \nLife is yours to give or to take\, LORD;\nyou can send someone to the land of the dead\,\nand you can bring them back again. \nYou\, LORD\, can make us or break us;\nyou can put us on a pedestal or knock us off.\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 can do all this because the earth is yours;\nyou set it up and you wrote the rules. \nTo those who are faithful\, you guarantee safe passage;\nthose who are corrupt soon lose sight of any light to steer by\,\nfor no matter how strong people are\,\nthey can’t make it alone. \nYou are the LORD!\nThose who try to obstruct you\nfind that it is like standing in the path of a train\nas you thunder towards your destination.\nYou\, LORD\, have the final word on all that is done on earth.\nYou will give strength and power to your chosen ruler.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Hebrews 10: 11-14\, (15-18)\, 19-25			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Day after day the priests do their job\, offering the same old sacrifices over and over again\, without so much as budging the problem of sin. What Christ did as priest was quite different. He offered just one sacrifice for sins\, a sacrifice with no use-by date! Then he sat down in the seat of honour alongside God and there he waits. It is only a matter of time before those who oppose him run out of options and concede defeat. As a priest he was so perfect\, that it only took him one single offering to deal with all the imperfections of all the imperfect people who come to him wanting to be made perfect for God! The Holy Spirit can back us up on this. First she said in the scriptures: \n“The new alliance I will make with the people\nwill be different\, says the Lord:\nNo more writing down the rules for people to read;\nthis time I’ll write them into their hearts and minds.” \nThen\, for good measure\, she added: \n“I’ll wipe the record of their failings and their perverse behaviour;\nnone of it will ever again even enter my mind.” \nSo if that’s done — if the slate has been wiped clean — then there is no longer any need to come offering sacrifices to try to make up for what we’ve done wrong. \nSo\, my friends\, now it’s a whole new ball game. Now we can confidently walk straight into the sacred place because Jesus won us that right\, spilling his own blood in the process. We walk in via a new route. The old way had a big curtain between us and the sacred place — on the new route the only thing between us and the sacred place is Jesus\, and he invites us to become part of his own body and go in that way. Add all that to the fact that Jesus himself is now our great priest who says what goes in the house of God\, and you’ll understand what is now open to us. So let’s go! Let’s approach God with integrity and with deep trust. Let us stand before God knowing for sure that not only have our bodies been washed clean in pure water\, but so to have our hearts\, our minds\, our conscience. \nIn light of all this\, let’s hold on tight to the hope that we’ve put our hands up to. None of this on-again off-again stuff! You can’t get more dependable than the one who has made these promises. So let’s put on our thinking caps and come up with some good strategies for stirring one another up to greater and greater love and more and more ways to put it into action. Some people have got out of the habit of gathering together as a congregation — let’s not go down that path. Gather often\, support and encourage one another. The closer we get to that final day the more we’ll need one another. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 13: 1-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As Jesus and his followers were coming out of the temple\, one of them said to him\, “Teacher\, isn’t this building spectacular? Look at the stonework and the scale of the whole place – it’s one of a kind!” \nJesus replied\, “Do you think this is the greatest? This whole place will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.” \nLater on they went out to the Mount of Olives and were sitting there with a full view of the Temple. Peter\, James\, John\, and Andrew took Jesus aside for a few quiet questions. “Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked\, “and what warning sign should we watch for? What will tip us off that these things are almost upon us.” \nJesus began to launch into an answer\, saying\, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for the doomsday enthusiasts. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying\, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ Far too many people will be sucked into their madness. Every time there’s a new war or a tense stand off between world powers\, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen\, but they don’t mean that time’s up. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. Countless people will be faced with starvation. This will not be the end. It’s just the beginning\, the first labour pangs of what is to come. \n©2000 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				  Daniel 12: 1-3			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	When the time comes\, Michael\, the great angel prince who stands guard over your people\, will step forward. There will be a time of awful suffering\, worse than anything any nation has ever seen in all of history. But that will be the time when your people are rescued. Their names are all written on a list and they will all be rescued. Many people who have long been dead and buried will awake as though they had only been sleeping. Some will rise to life and never face death again. Others will be facing shame and disgrace that can never be shaken off. Those who’ve got their heads on straight will light up the sky like the most brilliant fireworks. Those who have led others to get their lives on the right track will outshine the stars of the night with a glory that never ends. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Protect me\, God\,\nyou are my place of refuge. \nI’m acknowledging you as the one in charge\, LORD;\nyou are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. \nI delight in the company of those\nwho dedicate themselves to you;\nthey are the salt of the earth. \nThose who worship other things\nwill have nothing but grief.\nI will not buy into their futile devotions;\nI will not utter the names they revere. \nYou are all I want\, LORD\, and all I need;\nyou hold my future in your hands. \nYou mark out the best of everything for me;\nyou’ve set me up with a bright future. \nI heap accolades on you\, LORD\,\nfor you always give me wise advice;\neven in the dead of night\nyou fill my heart with your teachings. \nI’ll always stick close behind you\, LORD;\nwith you near by\,\nI’ll never be pushed off track. \nYou fill me with delight\, LORD;\njoy erupts from deep in my bones;\nmy body relaxes\, safe in your care. \nYou’ll never let the grave drag me down;\nyour faithful servants are never left for dead. \nYou set my feet on a life-giving track\, LORD.\nTo be in your presence is absolute bliss.\nAll I could dream of comes from your hand. \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 raise up the broken and humiliated\nand seat them in honour at your banqueting table. \nThe whole universe is yours\, for you made it;\nyou set the earth in place and filled it with life.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou promised a day of justice\nwhen the hungry will have their fill. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, among us\nto establish a new covenant\,\nleading us in the way of faithfulness\nand writing your laws on our hearts.\nAs a great priest\, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nand was thrown in to the land of the dead\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nopening for us a new and living way into your presence\nand convulsing the earth with the birth pangs\nof the new age of your glorious justice. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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\, O God\, for your son\, Jesus\,\nour great priest\, who offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nwho opened for us a new and living way into your presence\,\nand who writes your laws on our hearts. \n©2000 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 raise up the broken and humiliated\nand seat them in honour in your presence. \nThe whole universe is yours\, for you made it;\nyou set the earth in place and filled it with life.\nThrough your law and prophets\nyou promised a day of justice\nwhen the hungry will have their fill. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, among us\nto establish a new covenant\,\nleading us in the way of faithfulness\nand writing your laws on our hearts.\nAs a great priest\, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins\,\nand was thrown in to the land of the dead\,\nbut you raised him to new life\,\nopening for us a new and living way into your presence\nand convulsing the earth with the birth pangs\nof the new age of your glorious justice. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	As our high priest\, Christ offered\, for all time\,\none perfect sacrifice for sin.\nTherefore let us have confidence to approach God\nwith our hearts washed clean of all guilt\nand a confident hope in God’s mercy. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out in peace\, for the Lord has heard your prayers.\nDo not allow anyone to lead you astray\nbut hold fast to the hope you have claimed.\nContinue to meet together\,\nencouraging and provoking one another\nto put love into action. \nAnd may God be your rock of strength;\nMay Christ Jesus usher you into the presence of God;\nand may the Holy Spirit write the laws of life on your hearts. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nGet a Life!A sermon on Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nEarth-Shattering TimesA sermon on Mark 13:1-8; Hebrews 10:11-25; 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nApocalypse and ForgivenessA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAs It All Comes Crashing DownA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAwkward ConversationsA sermon on 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10; Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Roslyn Wright
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp28/2030-11-17/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P28.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301124T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301124T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201013T022132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241228T230305Z
UID:10002161-1921708800-1921795199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Samuel 23:1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The God of Jacob\, the mighty One of Israel\,\nchose David\, the son of Jesse\,\nloved him\, and raised him up to be a great King.\nAt the end of his reign\,\nDavid spoke these final words from his death bed: \nThe Spirit of the LORD speaks through me.\nThe words that roll from my tongue come from God.\nA message comes from the ancient solid Rock\,\nfrom the God of Israel\, saying to me: \n“A true leader has a heart for justice\nand exercises power with the constant awareness\nof being under the eye of God.\nSuch a leader is as welcome as the dawn\,\nas popular as sunshine on the weekend\,\nas valuable as spring rains on the wheat fields.” \nI\, David\, have established my dynasty on this principle\,\nand God has made a permanent alliance with me\,\nsigned\, sealed and delivered.\nSurely then I can depend on God to stand by me\nand make my hopes and dreams come true. \nLeaders who shun God are a very different story.\nYou wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.\nThey are a plague on the land\, like feral blackberry vines\,\nwhich can only be dealt with by bulldozing them into a pile\nand burning them on the spot. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 132: 1-12\, (13-18)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	O LORD\, keep David in mind\nand give him credit for the tough times he endured. \nRemember the promise he made to you\, LORD.\nHe named you as the Mighty God of Jacob\nand swore a sacred vow\, saying: \n“I will not go home or lay my head on the pillow;\nI will not get a wink of sleep or a moment’s rest\,\nuntil I find a home for the LORD\,\na place for the Mighty God of Jacob to live.” \nWe have heard the call to worship you\, LORD.\nWe will make our pilgrimage to your home\nlike David did when he brought your sacred Ark\nfrom the Field of Yaarim\nto the place where we now kneel in worship. \nCome\, LORD\, and settle into your new home\,\nmove into the Temple with your mighty Ark.\nMay your priests be instantly recognizable by their passion for justice;\nmay your faithful people erupt with shouts of joy. \nBe true to the word you gave to your servant\, David\,\ndon’t turn your back on your chosen leader.\nYou\, LORD\, gave a guarantee to David\, saying\,\n“I will see to it that one of your own sons inherits your throne.\nAnd after that\, if your sons are faithful to our alliance\nand stick to the ways I teach them\,\nthen their sons too will inherit your throne\,\none after the other for ever and ever.” \nYou\, LORD\, have chosen Zion\,\nidentified it as the place you wish to live.\nYou said of it: \n“This is where I will settle permanently\,\nI’ll put down roots because I love it here.\nI’ll see that there is always plenty of food here\,\nand even the poor will have more than enough to eat.\nSalvation will be like a badge of office for Zion’s priests\,\nand faithful crowds will roar their appreciation.\nHere I will consolidate David’s power;\nI have chosen him and put his name up in lights.\nI will have his enemies run out of town\,\nwhile his reputation will shine brighter and brighter.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Revelation 1:4 b-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Greetings and best wishes. May the One who is and who was and who is yet to come be generous to you and give you peace. May the seven spirits who gather around heaven’s throne do likewise for you. And so too may Jesus Christ. He is the key witness whose testimony will not be silenced\, no matter what. He is the first one to have been reborn from the grave. He is the one to whom everyone who holds power on earth must answer. \nAll glory and power to Jesus Christ\,\nfor he loves us.\nHe cut us loose from our sins\,\neven spilling his own blood to get it done. \nHe made us citizens of a new global domain\nand priests in the service of his God and Father.\nAll glory and power to Jesus Christ\,\nfrom now to forever. So say all of us! \nBe on the watch - he’s on his way!\nRolling in on the clouds - no one will fail to see him.\nEven those who cut him down will have to look\,\nand the sight of him will cause weeping and wailing\nfrom every race and nation on earth. \nThat’s the long and the short of it\, and so say all of us! \n“I’m the first and the last; the be all and end all\,” says the Lord God\, the invincible one\, who is and who was and who is yet to come. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 18:33-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Faced with the request to have Jesus executed\, Pilate went back into his headquarters and interviewed Jesus again. “Do you see yourself as the King of the Jews?” he asked. \nJesus replied\, saying\, “Is that your own question or has someone else been wording you up?” \n“Give me a break\,” Pilate retorted\, “I’m obviously not one of the Jews\, am I? It wasn’t my people who had you dragged in here. It was your mob\, your own race\, your own religious leaders. What in the world have you done?” \nJesus answered\, “My reign is not tied to this world. If my power base depended on this world\, those who have given their allegiance to me would be fighting tooth and nail to keep me out of the hands of that mob. But it’s not like that. My reign is not tied to this world.” \nPilate latched on to that: “So you are claiming to be a king then?” \n“You’re the one who’s putting the ‘king’ label on me\,” Jesus replied. “If you want to know what I’m on about\, what I was born into the world for\, it’s this: I’m the key witness whose job it is to speak the truth\, the whole truth\, and nothing but the truth. Everyone who has given their allegiance to the truth responds to my voice.” \n©2000 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				  Daniel 7: 9-10\, 13-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Before my very eyes\,\nthrones were set up\,\nand down sat One who has ruled since the dawn of time.\nHe was dressed in white robes\, bright as snow\,\nand had a head of hair like clean wool. \nHis throne was an explosion of fire\nand its wheels were raging flames.\nA torrent of fire poured forth where ever he went\nand spread in all directions.\nAn army of servants answered his every call\,\nand a squillion more stood to attention\, awaiting his word.\nThe royal commission began\,\nand the books were laid open. \nThe vision continued as I watched into the night.\nI saw the arrival of one who appeared to be human\nsurrounded by clouds from the sky.\nHe approached the One who has ruled since the dawn of time\nand his entrance was formally announced. \nHe was installed as king\nand given great glory and authority\,\nso that the people of every race and nation and language\nwould gladly serve him.\nHis term of office is forever\,\nit will never come to an end.\nHis reign as king\nwill never be overthrown. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 93			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you are the great ruler.\nMajesty enfolds you like a royal robe\nand strength radiates from you. \nYou have fixed the world firmly in its place.\nYour throne is immovable\, LORD;\never was and ever shall be. \nSurging floods have risen\, O LORD\,\nsurging up with a mighty roar;\nengulfing everything in thunderous sound. \nYou are more impressive than the surging waters\,\nmore powerful than the crashing waves;\nyou are number one in all the universe\, LORD! \nWhatever you say is set in stone.\nThe place you live\, O LORD\, is clearly sacred;\nits holiness will outlast time. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the One who was\, and is\, and is to come\,\nand you reign over all from beginning to end. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand chose gifted men and women to lead your people\,\nexalting those who rule with justice and humility. \nIn faithfulness to your servant\, David\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nThough he was accused of treason before Pilate\nand executed by his own nation\,\nhe was the first born from the dead\,\nraised by your power\nto free us from sin and make us your holy people.\nYou gave him glory and dominion forever\,\nand he rules over all\nwith an authority that comes\, not from this world\,\nbut from you\, our God and our Rock. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho you sent into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nRaising him from the dead\,\nyou gave him glory and dominion\,\nand set him to rule over all forever. \n©2003 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 One who was\, and is\, and is to come\,\nand you reign over all from beginning to end. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand chose gifted men and women to lead your people\,\nexalting those who rule with justice and humility. \nIn faithfulness to your servant\, David\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nThough he was accused of treason before Pilate\nand executed by his own nation\,\nhe was the first born from the dead\,\nraised by your power\nto free us from sin and make us your holy people.\nYou gave him glory and dominion forever\,\nand he rules over all\nwith an authority that comes\, not from this world\,\nbut from you\, our God and our Rock. \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©2003 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 ruler of all the earth\,\nloves us and\, at the cost of his own blood\,\nfreed us from our sins\,\nmaking us citizens of his realm\nand priests forever in the service of God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out as faithful witnesses to the one who reigns forever.\nLook to Christ as your shepherd and your ruler\,\nand listen for his voice.\nClothe yourselves in righteousness\nand make every place a place to worship God. \nAnd may God strengthen you and fulfil your dreams;\nMay Christ Jesus be the rising sun that lightens your days;\nand may the Holy Spirit speak to you and through you\n    with words of grace and peace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nMaking a Joke of the KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Clash of KingdomsA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nClashing Kingdoms and the Grey ZonesA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFake News and a Kingdom of TruthA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nTo King or Not to KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCome: Consider Your KingA sermon on Christ the King by Vivian Grice
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp29/2030-11-24/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P29.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301124T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301124T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201013T022132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000532Z
UID:10002772-1921708800-1921795199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year B
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  2 Samuel 23:1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The God of Jacob\, the mighty One of Israel\,\nchose David\, the son of Jesse\,\nloved him\, and raised him up to be a great King.\nAt the end of his reign\,\nDavid spoke these final words from his death bed: \nThe Spirit of the LORD speaks through me.\nThe words that roll from my tongue come from God.\nA message comes from the ancient solid Rock\,\nfrom the God of Israel\, saying to me: \n“A true leader has a heart for justice\nand exercises power with the constant awareness\nof being under the eye of God.\nSuch a leader is as welcome as the dawn\,\nas popular as sunshine on the weekend\,\nas valuable as spring rains on the wheat fields.” \nI\, David\, have established my dynasty on this principle\,\nand God has made a permanent alliance with me\,\nsigned\, sealed and delivered.\nSurely then I can depend on God to stand by me\nand make my hopes and dreams come true. \nLeaders who shun God are a very different story.\nYou wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.\nThey are a plague on the land\, like feral blackberry vines\,\nwhich can only be dealt with by bulldozing them into a pile\nand burning them on the spot. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 132: 1-12\, (13-18)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	O LORD\, keep David in mind\nand give him credit for the tough times he endured. \nRemember the promise he made to you\, LORD.\nHe named you as the Mighty God of Jacob\nand swore a sacred vow\, saying: \n“I will not go home or lay my head on the pillow;\nI will not get a wink of sleep or a moment’s rest\,\nuntil I find a home for the LORD\,\na place for the Mighty God of Jacob to live.” \nWe have heard the call to worship you\, LORD.\nWe will make our pilgrimage to your home\nlike David did when he brought your sacred Ark\nfrom the Field of Yaarim\nto the place where we now kneel in worship. \nCome\, LORD\, and settle into your new home\,\nmove into the Temple with your mighty Ark.\nMay your priests be instantly recognizable by their passion for justice;\nmay your faithful people erupt with shouts of joy. \nBe true to the word you gave to your servant\, David\,\ndon’t turn your back on your chosen leader.\nYou\, LORD\, gave a guarantee to David\, saying\,\n“I will see to it that one of your own sons inherits your throne.\nAnd after that\, if your sons are faithful to our alliance\nand stick to the ways I teach them\,\nthen their sons too will inherit your throne\,\none after the other for ever and ever.” \nYou\, LORD\, have chosen Zion\,\nidentified it as the place you wish to live.\nYou said of it: \n“This is where I will settle permanently\,\nI’ll put down roots because I love it here.\nI’ll see that there is always plenty of food here\,\nand even the poor will have more than enough to eat.\nSalvation will be like a badge of office for Zion’s priests\,\nand faithful crowds will roar their appreciation.\nHere I will consolidate David’s power;\nI have chosen him and put his name up in lights.\nI will have his enemies run out of town\,\nwhile his reputation will shine brighter and brighter.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Revelation 1:4 b-8			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Greetings and best wishes. May the One who is and who was and who is yet to come be generous to you and give you peace. May the seven spirits who gather around heaven’s throne do likewise for you. And so too may Jesus Christ. He is the key witness whose testimony will not be silenced\, no matter what. He is the first one to have been reborn from the grave. He is the one to whom everyone who holds power on earth must answer. \nAll glory and power to Jesus Christ\,\nfor he loves us.\nHe cut us loose from our sins\,\neven spilling his own blood to get it done. \nHe made us citizens of a new global domain\nand priests in the service of his God and Father.\nAll glory and power to Jesus Christ\,\nfrom now to forever. So say all of us! \nBe on the watch - he’s on his way!\nRolling in on the clouds - no one will fail to see him.\nEven those who cut him down will have to look\,\nand the sight of him will cause weeping and wailing\nfrom every race and nation on earth. \nThat’s the long and the short of it\, and so say all of us! \n“I’m the first and the last; the be all and end all\,” says the Lord God\, the invincible one\, who is and who was and who is yet to come. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 18:33-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Faced with the request to have Jesus executed\, Pilate went back into his headquarters and interviewed Jesus again. “Do you see yourself as the King of the Jews?” he asked. \nJesus replied\, saying\, “Is that your own question or has someone else been wording you up?” \n“Give me a break\,” Pilate retorted\, “I’m obviously not one of the Jews\, am I? It wasn’t my people who had you dragged in here. It was your mob\, your own race\, your own religious leaders. What in the world have you done?” \nJesus answered\, “My reign is not tied to this world. If my power base depended on this world\, those who have given their allegiance to me would be fighting tooth and nail to keep me out of the hands of that mob. But it’s not like that. My reign is not tied to this world.” \nPilate latched on to that: “So you are claiming to be a king then?” \n“You’re the one who’s putting the ‘king’ label on me\,” Jesus replied. “If you want to know what I’m on about\, what I was born into the world for\, it’s this: I’m the key witness whose job it is to speak the truth\, the whole truth\, and nothing but the truth. Everyone who has given their allegiance to the truth responds to my voice.” \n©2000 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				  Daniel 7: 9-10\, 13-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Before my very eyes\,\nthrones were set up\,\nand down sat One who has ruled since the dawn of time.\nHe was dressed in white robes\, bright as snow\,\nand had a head of hair like clean wool. \nHis throne was an explosion of fire\nand its wheels were raging flames.\nA torrent of fire poured forth where ever he went\nand spread in all directions.\nAn army of servants answered his every call\,\nand a squillion more stood to attention\, awaiting his word.\nThe royal commission began\,\nand the books were laid open. \nThe vision continued as I watched into the night.\nI saw the arrival of one who appeared to be human\nsurrounded by clouds from the sky.\nHe approached the One who has ruled since the dawn of time\nand his entrance was formally announced. \nHe was installed as king\nand given great glory and authority\,\nso that the people of every race and nation and language\nwould gladly serve him.\nHis term of office is forever\,\nit will never come to an end.\nHis reign as king\nwill never be overthrown. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 93			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you are the great ruler.\nMajesty enfolds you like a royal robe\nand strength radiates from you. \nYou have fixed the world firmly in its place.\nYour throne is immovable\, LORD;\never was and ever shall be. \nSurging floods have risen\, O LORD\,\nsurging up with a mighty roar;\nengulfing everything in thunderous sound. \nYou are more impressive than the surging waters\,\nmore powerful than the crashing waves;\nyou are number one in all the universe\, LORD! \nWhatever you say is set in stone.\nThe place you live\, O LORD\, is clearly sacred;\nits holiness will outlast time. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the One who was\, and is\, and is to come\,\nand you reign over all from beginning to end. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand chose gifted men and women to lead your people\,\nexalting those who rule with justice and humility. \nIn faithfulness to your servant\, David\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nThough he was accused of treason before Pilate\nand executed by his own nation\,\nhe was the first born from the dead\,\nraised by your power\nto free us from sin and make us your holy people.\nYou gave him glory and dominion forever\,\nand he rules over all\nwith an authority that comes\, not from this world\,\nbut from you\, our God and our Rock. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho you sent into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nRaising him from the dead\,\nyou gave him glory and dominion\,\nand set him to rule over all forever. \n©2003 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 One who was\, and is\, and is to come\,\nand you reign over all from beginning to end. \nYou created the earth and its inhabitants\,\nand chose gifted men and women to lead your people\,\nexalting those who rule with justice and humility. \nIn faithfulness to your servant\, David\,\nyou sent your child\, Jesus Christ\, into the world\nto testify to the truth and shepherd your people.\nThough he was accused of treason before Pilate\nand executed by his own nation\,\nhe was the first born from the dead\,\nraised by your power\nto free us from sin and make us your holy people.\nYou gave him glory and dominion forever\,\nand he rules over all\nwith an authority that comes\, not from this world\,\nbut from you\, our God and our Rock. \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©2003 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 ruler of all the earth\,\nloves us and\, at the cost of his own blood\,\nfreed us from our sins\,\nmaking us citizens of his realm\nand priests forever in the service of God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out as faithful witnesses to the one who reigns forever.\nLook to Christ as your shepherd and your ruler\,\nand listen for his voice.\nClothe yourselves in righteousness\nand make every place a place to worship God. \nAnd may God strengthen you and fulfil your dreams;\nMay Christ Jesus be the rising sun that lightens your days;\nand may the Holy Spirit speak to you and through you\n    with words of grace and peace. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nMaking a Joke of the KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Clash of KingdomsA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nClashing Kingdoms and the Grey ZonesA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nFake News and a Kingdom of TruthA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nTo King or Not to KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nCome: Consider Your KingA sermon on Christ the King by Vivian Grice
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp29/2030-11-24/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P29.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301201T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301201T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20250105T034751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250105T034844Z
UID:10002163-1922313600-1922399999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:1st Sunday of Advent - 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 33:14-16			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD says: \nI have made a promise to the people of Israel and Judah\, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the days are not far off when I will make good on that promise. When those days come\, when the time is good and right\, I will appoint a new king who will rule with integrity and bring about justice. He will appear from the family of David\, like a new branch on an old tree. At that time peace and safety will be restored to Judah\, and Jerusalem will have nothing to fear. The city will come to be known as “The City of the LORD’s Justice.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 25:1-10			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I gladly offer you everything I am\, LORD . \nI have put my trust in you\, God;\nplease don’t let me down;\ndon’t give my enemies grounds to gloat. \nBe there for those who hang in there for you\, no matter what:\ndon’t leave them with egg on their faces.\nSave that for the two-faced scabs who deserve it. \nLet me in on your way of doing things\, LORD;\nteach me how to follow your tracks. \nSteer me along your ways of truth\, and teach me all about them.\nOnly you can save me from disaster\, God\,\nso I’ll wait for you before setting out. \nYour love and mercy have been as timeless and dependable as the rock;\nplease don’t change your mind about them now! \nDon’t keep a record of everything I’ve done wrong in the past.\nLet your unshakable love colour your view of me\,\nand keep your reputation for generosity intact! \nYou always do what is good and right\, LORD\,\nand so you patiently retrain those who do wrong. \nYou pilot a safe course for those who are not too full of themselves;\nyou give lessons on your ways to the humble folk. \nEvery path you tread\, LORD\, is marked by solid love and loyalty\nfor the benefit of all who keep our end of the bargain with you. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  1 Thessalonians 3:9-13			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	There is no way we could ever thank God enough for all the joy that you Christians in Thessalonica have given us. We pray hard for you all the time\, day and night\, and ask God to let us catch up with you face to face so that we can do whatever we can to strengthen your faith even more. \nIt’s all up to God the provider\, and to our Lord Jesus. If they put us on track\, we’ll be over to you like a shot. In the mean time\, may the Lord see to it that your love keeps growing in leaps and bounds\, just like our love for you has. May the God who conceived us all\, continue to intensify the strength and purity of your hearts so that when the Lord Jesus comes with all his followers\, you may be in perfect condition to take your place among them. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 21:25-36			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus spoke to those gathered around him in the temple\, saying: \n“At that time the whole cosmos will seem to be going berserk. The sun\, the moon\, the stars\, the earth and the seas will be out of control\, and waves of blind panic will sweep across every nation. The terrifying sense of doom will be more than some people can bear - they’ll drop in their tracks in a dead faint as the elemental powers of the universe tremor and crash around them. Then\, and only then\, those who are still standing will see the breathtaking arrival of the New Human\, riding on the clouds in power and glory. When these things start happening\, get up on your feet and stand tall\, because the moment is approaching when everything will finally be put right for you.” \nThen Jesus used an illustration to make his point\, saying: \n“Most trees give clear signs when the seasons are changing. When the wattles start unfurling their blooms you know that summer is just around the corner. This is much the same. When you see all these things happening you can be sure that the reign of God is almost upon you. The fact of the matter is that some of you will see these things in your own lifetime. The earth and the sky will only last for so long\, but there is no expiry date on my words. \n“Keep on your toes and don’t let yourself get entangled in wasteful trivialities like partying and keeping up with the Jones’. If you get sucked into all that you’ll lose all sense of perspective and you’ll flap blindly into the coming day like a moth into a windshield. It’s not as though there is any way of avoiding it. That day will come to everyone on earth at once\, ready or not. So stay on your watch constantly. Pray for strength\, pray for guts\, pray for the ability to keep your wits about you; you’ll need the lot when these things happen if you’re going to dodge and weave your way clear so that you can stand tall before the New Human.” \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 even when the the whole earth is thrown into chaos\nyour tenderness and lasting love are our sure hope. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand though even they will pass away\,\nthe words you have spoken to us\nare an everlasting covenant of promise. \nThe words of your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nshook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign.\nHe led us in the paths of your truth\nand taught us your ways of faithful love.\nHe was crucified by the enemies of justice\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand sent his Spirit to restore and strengthen our faith\nas the day of redemption draws near.\nYour promise will be fulfilled in coming days\nwhen Christ comes on the clouds\nto establish your reign of justice and righteousness forever. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2000 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 the words of your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwhich shook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign\,\nassuring us that even when the world is thrown into chaos\nyour tenderness and lasting love remain as our sure hope. \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 our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor even when the the whole earth is thrown into chaos\nyour tenderness and lasting love are our sure hope. \nYou created the heavens and the earth\,\nand though even they will pass away\,\nthe words you have spoken to us\nare an everlasting covenant of promise. \nThe words of your son\, Jesus Christ\,\nshook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign.\nHe led us in the paths of your truth\nand taught us your ways of faithful love.\nHe was crucified by the enemies of justice\,\nbut you raised him to new life\nand sent his Spirit to restore and strengthen our faith\nas the day of redemption draws near.\nYour promise will be fulfilled in coming days\nwhen Christ comes on the clouds\nto establish your reign of justice and righteousness forever. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The Lord does not remember your faults\,\nnor the sins of your past\,\nbut will strengthen your hearts in holiness\nso that you may be blameless before God\nat the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth.\nBe on your guard so that you will not be caught up\nin the trivialities and anxieties of the world.\nBe alert at all times and pray for strength\nto escape the traps that would keep you from God. \nAnd may God make you increase in love for one another;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you how to live in God’s ways;\nand may the Holy Spirit strengthen your hearts in holiness\,\nas you ready yourselves for the coming of the Lord. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nThe Future – what should we know? An Advent sermon by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Hope and the FearA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nHolding your Heads HighA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Andrew Woff\n\n\n\nThe New BranchA sermon on Jeremiah 33:14-16 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nApocalypse Now?A sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Alison Sampson\n\n\n\nEarth-Shattering ExpectationsA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nExpecto Patronum!A sermon on Luke 21:25-36 & Jeremiah 33:14-16 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/c01/2030-12-01/
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301208T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20301208T235959
DTSTAMP:20260404T063502
CREATED:20201020T021249Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T000532Z
UID:10002770-1922918400-1923004799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:2nd Sunday of Advent - 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				  Baruch 5:1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jerusalem\, take off your funeral suit. The time of grief is over!\nDress to the nines in the beauty of God’s glory. \nGod has given you righteousness as a gift.\nWear it like a full length coat.\nGod has given you a share of divine glory.\nWear it as a crown.\nGod will see that every nation on earth\ngets an eyeful of your splendour! \nThanks to God\, you will gain a name for justice\, for peace\,\nand for reflecting the glory of God. \nOn your feet\, Jerusalem. Climb the lookout.\nScan the horizon. Look who’s coming!\nGod has given the go ahead to bring home your children.\nFrom every direction they come\,\nsinging with joy because God remembered them. \nThey were marched away from you on foot\nwith enemy soldiers driving them ruthlessly.\nBut when God brings them home\,\nthey will be driven by chauffeurs\nwith bands playing and ticker tape raining down. \nGod has even ordered special road works for their coming:\nno more dangerous mountain passes or river fords.\nA spectacular new freeway\nwill make travelling a breeze for God’s people.\nThey’ll be able to come home safely\,\nenjoying all that God has done. \nEven the hot sun won’t bother them\,\nbecause God has ordered shady trees to line the way. \nGod will lead the homecoming procession.\nEveryone will return\,\nsinging the praises of God’s mercy and justice.\nGod’s glorious presence\nwill light up the road before them. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR   Malachi 3:1-4			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The LORD who rules over everything has this to say: \n“Look\, I am sending my own messenger to get things ready for my arrival. Then\, all of a sudden\, the Lord you have been looking for will turn up in the temple. You have been longing to see the messenger who will come to put my promises on the table. Well\, he’s coming alright. But will anyone be able to cope with him when he does? Will anyone be able to stand firm in his presence? \nYou see\, he’ll be like a bush fire that clears all the debris from the forest floor\, or like paint stripper that takes a surface back to bare metal. He will tear through the whole family of priests and burn away the rubbish once and for all\, until they shine like pure polished gold. Then they’ll do what they are supposed to do and bring the right kind of offerings to the LORD. That way the offerings of the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to God again\, just like they were in the past.” \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 1:68-79 (canticle)			\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				  Philippians 1:3-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Every time you Christians at Philippi pop up in my thoughts\, I can’t help but thank God for you. It is a real joy to pray for you people and I do so often. Of course I do - you’ve shared so much with us in this new life we’re announcing\, and you have ever since day one. It was God who commenced this great work in you\, turning the first sod\, and one thing I’d bet my life on is that God will stick to the job\, without cutting a single corner\, so that the completed project is ready for a grand unveiling on the day when Jesus Christ appears. \nIt is no surprise that I get so carried away about you and hold such a special place for you in my heart. You’ve always been so committed to me\, sticking by me through thick and thin. I’ve experienced the generous love of God through you; I did when we worked side by side to present and defend God’s message\, and I still do now\, locked up here in prison. As God is my witness\, I can assure you that I long to be able to show you how much I care for you. Sometimes I feel as though even Jesus couldn’t love you more than I do! \nSo I’m praying for you\, that you may be so full of love that it just pours out in all directions! And I don’t mean sentimental mushy stuff. I’m praying that your love will be the kind that sharpens your senses and puts steel in your backbone so that you can discern what is right and see it through no matter what. With that kind of love you can be sure that when Christ turns up there’ll be no mud sticking to you. Between now and then you’ll have been working together with Jesus like a well oiled machine producing one good thing after another\, all bearing the marks of justice and integrity which draw attention to the glory of God’s goodness. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 3:1-6			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	John\, the son of Zechariah\, received a message from God in the desert. This happened when Tiberius had been Roman Emperor for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea at the time\, and Herod the Second held the reins up in Galilee. Herod’s brother Philip had the job in the region of Iturea and Trachonitis\, and in Abilene\, Lysanias was in charge. In Jerusalem\, Annas and Ciaphas were jointly holding the office of High Priest. \nWhen he received the message from God\, John went up and down the Jordan valley preaching to the people. He called them to be baptised\, to completely turn their lives around and receive God’s forgiveness for their toxic ways. The prophet Isaiah had foreshadowed this when he wrote: \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. \nFill the potholes. Bridge the valleys.\nCut through the obstructions to level the grade.\nReplace meandering tracks with a new direct route.\nLay a new surface over the old corrugations. \nThe Lord is coming to save the world\nand everyone on earth will see it happen.’ ” \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 from your deepest mercy comes our hope of salvation. \nIn the beginning you began creating the world\nand you will bring it to completion at your final appearing.\nThrough your prophets you promised to save us\nfrom all that would drive us into slavery. \nYou sent your servant\, John\,\nto prepare the way for your anointed one\nby proclaiming a baptism of repentance\,\na refining fire to purify your people.\nIn your child\, Jesus\, we have seen the dawn of justice\,\nand the glory of your mercy and righteousness.\nWhen he was crucified\nyou raised him to new life with the power to save.\nNow we eagerly await the glorious day of his appearing\,\nwhen all your children will be gathered home\,\noverflowing with love\, joy and the fruits of righteousness\nto your glory and praise. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 our hope of salvation\nwhich springs from your deepest mercy.\nLike a refining fire\, you sent your servant John\,\nto prepare the way for your anointed one\nby proclaiming a baptism of repentance\,\nto make us pure and blameless before him. \n©2000 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 from your deepest mercy comes our hope of salvation. \nIn the beginning you began creating the world\nand you will bring it to completion at your final appearing.\nThrough your prophets you promised to save us\nfrom all that would drive us into slavery. \nYou sent your servant\, John\,\nto prepare the way for your anointed one\nby proclaiming a baptism of repentance\,\na refining fire to purify your people.\nIn your child\, Jesus\, we have seen the dawn of justice\,\nand the glory of your mercy and righteousness.\nWhen he was crucified\nyou raised him to new life with the power to save.\nNow we eagerly await the glorious day of his appearing\,\nwhen all your children will be gathered home\,\noverflowing with love\, joy and the fruits of righteousness\nto your glory and 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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	In God’s deepest mercy\,\nwe were called to a baptism of repentance\,\nso that our sins might be forgiven\nand we might be pure and blameless\nbefore the coming Christ. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2000 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 for the Lord.\nShare in the gospel of God’s grace;\nProclaim salvation and the forgiveness of sins;\nMake straight paths for justice and mercy. \nAnd may God complete the good work begun in you;\nMay Christ Jesus rejoice in your faith and compassion;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill your love with wisdom\,\nand produce in you a harvest of righteousness. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nInviting TroubleA sermon on Malachi 3:1-4 & Luke 1:68-79 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nShaping up for the Coming FutureA sermon on Luke 3:1-6; Malachi 3:1-4 & Philippians 1:3-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWho can endure Christmas?A sermon on Malachi 3: 1-4 & Luke 3:1-6 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nOpen Up The WayA sermon on Luke 3:1-6 & Malachi 3:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWelcoming FireA sermon on Luke 3:1-6; Malachi 3:1-4 & Philippians 1:3-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Wilderness WayA sermon on Luke 3:1-6 & Malachi 3:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSilence and a SongA sermon on Luke 1:68-79 by Carolyn Francis
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/c02/2030-12-08/
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