Proper 15 - Year C
2028-08-20 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 5: 1-7

I’ll sing a story in song,
a gift of love for my vine-growing friend.
My best friend began a vineyard;
ideally situated on a sunny, fertile hillside.
He cleared the rocks, cultivated the soil,
and planted top-grade vines.
He built a fully equipped winery,
dug a cellar and installed a wine-press.
He had every reason to expect top-quality grapes,
but the entire harvest was bitter and useless.
Come now, you who live in Jerusalem,
and all you people of Judah;
who do you think is in the right:
me or my vineyard?
Did I fall down on the job somewhere;
what more could I have done for my vineyard?
Was I wrong to expect good quality grapes?
Why did I get nothing but rubbish?
Well, I’m sick of that lousy vineyard.
I’ll tell you what I’ll do to it:
I will rip down the fences
and let the animals chew it up;
I will smash down the gates
and let the passers-by stomp all over it.
I will leave it in ruins;
trashed and abandoned;
the weeds and blackberries will take over.
I will disconnect the water
and pray that the rains steer clear.
Are you people getting the message?
The LORD who rules over everything
is the vine-grower,
and you, the people of Israel and Judah
are the carefully tended vineyard.
The LORD expected a harvest of justice,
but violence broke out instead.
Where honesty and integrity should have flourished,
there was nothing but the cries of the victims!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 80: 1-2, 8-19

God, you are the one who watches over your people
like a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach,
watching from a high seat, like a king enthroned.
Listen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries,
so that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth.
Up and at it, God!
Come equipped to rescue us.
Remember how you brought us out of Egypt like a young grapevine,
so that you could plant your own vineyard.
You cleared the land and prepared the soil;
you planted our roots deep and we grew strongly.
We grew wide and high, bigger than the tallest trees,
even shading the mountains.
Your vineyard grew and grew till it filled the land
from the western ocean to the eastern river.
So why have you torn down the security fence,
so that anyone can tramp through and pinch the fruit?
Wild pigs rampage through doing untold damage;
feral goats and rabbits eat whatever’s left.
Come on, God! You rule over everything. Do something!
Turn around and look at what’s going on.
This vine came from root stock you planted yourself;
take charge of its welfare again.
Others have hacked and burned it
to within an inch of its life.
Wipe them out
with a single withering stare!
Take our side again, your wayward favourite child,
the one you raised by hand to be your own.
We will never go off the rails again;
save us now and your name will be on our lips forever.
LORD God, you rule over everything;
Come and smile on us again;
save us and revive us with your kiss of life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2

It was by exercising faith that the people of Israel were able to walk through the Red Sea as though it were dry land. The slave-drivers from whom they had escaped drowned when they tried to do the same thing.
It was the exercise of faith that brought down the fortified walls of Jericho. The people of Israel encircled the city for seven days, trusting God, and the walls collapsed. Rahab the prostitute was exercising faith when she harboured the Israelite spies in her Jericho home. Because of her faith, her life was saved when those around her who had resisted God were killed.
Need I go on? There is not enough time to tell the stories of all the great heroes of faith. The stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets — all of them well worth telling. Exercising faith, they did extraordinary things: they defeated world powers; put justice into practice; and won promises of loyalty. They closed the jaws of lions; put out raging fires; and escaped unscathed from savage violence. Although their positions seemed weak and vulnerable, they were given strength and became formidable warriors who successfully repelled invading armies. The things faith has achieved! Faith-filled women saw their dead loved ones raised back to life. Some faith-filled people even endured torture — refusing to cave in and go free — sustained by their confident expectation of the ultimate freedom that comes with resurrection. We have stories of others who were publicly humiliated and flogged, or locked up in chains. Others were battered to death with rocks, or sawn in half, or hacked to pieces. We know of others who lived as refugees; forced out into harsh isolated environments, deprived of their basic human rights, and constantly subjected to persecution and harassment. Dressed in rags, homeless, powerless, and shunned; they had to survive as best they could on the edges of a hostile and callous world — a world that did not deserve them!
All these heroes received top marks for their faith, and yet even they did not see the completion of all God had promised. Why? Because God had even better ideas! God wanted us to be included in the story too, and so put everything on hold until we could all be made perfect at once.
So, we are by no means running the race alone! The air around us is thick with encouragement — all these heroes who bore witness to the truth before us, cheering us on. So let’s strip down for the run that lies ahead, tossing aside everything that would hold us back, especially the sin that clings on so tenaciously. And then let’s get on with it — run and run and never quit until we’ve crossed the line. We can do it if we just keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, because he has led the way and become the first to complete this faith marathon. He was so focussed on the goal that he was able to push on through the pain barriers, enduring the agony and humiliation of the cross. He knew that the celebrations would make it all worth while, and sure enough, he now enjoys the number one seat of honour alongside God’s throne.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 12: 49-56

Jesus said, “Fire! I have come to torch the earth, and if I had my way it would be well and truly ablaze by now! And I am facing a baptism of fire myself – I will be immersed in the conflict and torment of a world going to hell and back. You can’t imagine the stress I’m bearing until it’s over! Do you think I am here to make everything peaceful and nice on earth? Wrong! I am not here to paper over the cracks, but to drive a wedge into them, opening them up for all to see. The hostility can no longer be concealed by family solidarity. The cracks will open up, dividing households:
three against two,
and two against three;
father against son,
and son against father;
mother against daughter,
and daughter against mother;
mother-in-law against daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Speaking to the crowds, Jesus also said, “When you see dark clouds gathering in the western sky, you are quick to forecast rain, and you are spot on. And when you feel the wind blowing in from the desert in the morning, you say, ‘It’ll be stinking hot today,’ and of course, you are right. So don’t play dumb with me! You are perfectly capable of reading the signs to recognise when the weather is about to change, so what’s so difficult about reading the signs to make sense of what’s happening in the world right now?”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 23: 23-29

“What kind of God do you think I am?” says the LORD.
“A pocket God who lives where you put me,
or a God far beyond your grasp?”
“Can anyone find a secret hiding place
where I won’t be able to see them?”
says the LORD.
“Do I not fill the entire universe,
heaven and earth alike?”
“I know perfectly well what those so-called prophets are saying. They preach lies, naming me as their authority, and claiming that I gave them messages in dreams and visions. How long will I have to put up with it? Will they never wake up to themselves, these snake-oil evangelists whose preaching is all a con-job motivated by their own twisted agendas? They trade their best lines and slimiest techniques with one another as they collude to persuade people to substitute other things for me, just as their ancestors substituted trendy fertility gods for me.”
“You prophets with your dreams:
go ahead and rabbit on about them.
But let the prophet who truly has my word
be bold and resolute in announcing my message.
The two are like chalk and cheese,”
says the LORD.
“Don’t you know that my word is like a raging fire?
says the LORD,
“and like a sledgehammer that smashes rocks to pieces?”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 82

Take action, God!
Pass sentence on all those who judge and rule the earth.
Call them to account for their unjust decisions;
expose their links to corruption and crime.
Order them to hand down justice to the deprived and abused,
and to protect the rights of those seeking refuge.
Command them to represent the needy and the vulnerable,
and to side with them against those who exploit them.
These judges and rulers don’t understand or care, God;
they’ve got their heads in the sand
while the world falls apart around them.
You, God, elevated them to office,
and delegated your authority to them;
but they have betrayed your trust
and will die disgraced.
Take action, God!
Come and judge the earth!
Reassert your control over all your nations!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for though our lives were a wasteland
you cherished us and gave us life again.
With a love-song, you sang the earth into existence,
and led your people from slavery through the Red Sea.
You planted them in a fertile land
and looked for a harvest of justice and righteousness.
When we returned only bloodshed and torment,
you sent your child, Jesus,
to be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
His preaching kindled a fire
and divided the living from the dead.
He endured the cross, disregarding its shame
and was baptised in suffering and death.
You raised him to life and seated him at your right hand,
and are now strengthening us for the race before us,
so that with the faithful witnesses of all generations
we may receive your promises and be made perfect.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though our lives were a wasteland
you cherished us and gave us life again,
sending your child, Jesus Christ,
to be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for though our lives were a wasteland
you cherished us and gave us life again.
With a love-song, you sang the earth into existence,
and led your people from slavery through the Red Sea.
Your planted them in a fertile land
and looked for a harvest of justice and righteousness.
When we returned only bloodshed and torment,
you sent your child, Jesus,
to be the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
His preaching kindled a fire
and divided the living from the dead.
He endured the cross, disregarding its shame
and was baptised in suffering and death.
You raised him to life and seated him at your right hand,
and are now strengthening us for the race before us,
so that with the faithful witnesses of all generations
we may receive your promises and be made perfect.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,
has endured the cross so that our sins will be forgiven
and we will be made perfect with the faithful of all ages.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with your eyes on Jesus,
the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Lay aside the ways of sin,
bring forth a harvest of justice and righteousness,
and run with perseverance
the race that is set before us.
And may God turn to you and cherish you;
May Christ Jesus surround you with the light of his presence;
And may the Holy Spirit give you life and strength.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Faith That Starts FiresA sermon on Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 and Luke 12:49-56 by Nathan Nettleton

Surfing the Edge of ChaosA sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Anne Wilkinson-Hayes

The Price of VictoryA sermon on Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 & Luke 12: 49-56 by Nathan Nettleton

What If Jesus Is To Blame?A sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Nathan Nettleton

Hard DisciplineA sermon on Isaiah 5:1-7; Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2 & Luke 12: 49-56 by Nathan Nettleton

RuptureA sermon on Luke 12:49-56 by Christine Redwood

Proper 16 - Year C
2028-08-27 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 1: 4-10

The LORD spoke to me saying:
“Jeremiah, I am the God who created you;
I knew you before your parents thought of you.
Before you were born I chose you for myself,
I picked you out to speak to the nations on my behalf.”
I replied, “LORD God, you’re making a big mistake! I am a lousy public speaker and I’m too young for anybody to take me seriously.”
But the LORD said to me,
“Don’t put yourself down because of your age.
Just go to whoever I send you to,
and say whatever I tell you to say.
Don’t let yourself feel intimidated by anyone,
because I’ll be there to back you up.
You’ll be okay; take my word for it.”
Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth, saying to me,
“With my own hand I am putting my words into your mouth.
Here and now I am appointing you to the job.
I give you the authority to speak to the nations for me;
to speak words that will wreak havoc,
words that will crush and demolish and devastate,
and words that will heal and rebuild and give life.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 71: 1-6

I run to you for protection, LORD,
please don’t ever let me down.
You always do the right thing,
so please be there for me when I need you.
Hear me when I call for help
and step in quickly to bail me out.
Keep me safe when I need somewhere to hide.
You are like a mountain hideaway to me;
like a bunker than nothing can blast open.
If I fall into hostile hands,
be my God and rescue me;
Don’t let the callous and cruel
get their claws into me.
You are my only hope,
the only one I can depend on, LORD;
I’ve trusted you since I was a kid.
I’ve leaned on you for support
since the day I was born.
You were the midwife who delivered me from my mother’s womb,
the safe hands who pulled me gasping into life.
I’ll never stop thanking you for that!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 12: 18-29

The place where you have arrived is not like Mount Sinai was when your ancestors arrived there — rumbling like thunder and spewing fire and thick darkness. On arrival they heard a trumpet blast from the mountain and then the sound of a voice so terrifying that they begged for it to stop. The little they did hear was bad enough — that if even an animal was to touch the mountain it must die. What they witnessed was so terrifying that even Moses admitted that he was reduced to jelly.
You have arrived at Mount Zion, heaven’s own Jerusalem, and it is completely different. This is the city where God lives, and it is populated by angels — too many to count — and by the whole assembly of God’s beloved children who are signed-up in heaven. All of them, angels and people, are gathered there to celebrate God, and you have arrived to join them, for it is here that all those who committed themselves to doing right are finally made complete in love and integrity. God is here and, here, what God says goes. Jesus is here too, putting in place the new alliance between us and God. The memory of how Jesus was killed is strong here, but it is remembered most for what he achieved in the process rather than just as tragedy like Abel’s death.
So, now that you’re here, make sure you don’t reject what God is saying to you. If our ancestors couldn’t get away with rejecting what God told them to do at Mount Sinai, then what chance would we have if we turn a deaf ear to God on arrival in heaven? Back then, God’s voice shook the earth to its foundations, but what’s coming will be even more awesome. God’s promise is clear: “One final time I will shake up both earth and heaven.” When God says, “One final time”, it is clear that this final shaking will get rid of everything that has no lasting value and leave behind only those things that will last forever.
So we are being given a homeland where God reigns — a homeland that will stand rock-solid when everything else is shaken. No wonder we are so grateful. We simply overflow with thanks and fall to our knees before God, overcome with awe. This is our worship, for we offer ourselves into the consuming fire of love that is God.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 13: 10-17

One Sabbath day, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. There was a woman in the congregation there who had been afflicted for eighteen years by a crippling and untreatable condition. It twisted her body and kept her bent over all the time. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are now set free from what has crippled you.”
He placed his hands on her and, right then and there, she straightened up to her full height and burst into a song of praise to God. The president of the synagogue, though, was spitting chips, because the day on which Jesus had carried out this work of healing was the Sabbath rest day. Desperate to get the crowd back on side, he kept saying, “God has given us six days a week for work to be done, so you have plenty of opportunity to come and be healed. There is no need to break the Sabbath for it.”
But the Lord took him on over this, saying, “You two-faced frauds! Don’t tell me that each of you doesn’t unchain your dog on the Sabbath just as you do every other day, so that it can stretch it’s legs and get a drink. This woman is a daughter of Abraham who the satan has kept chained up for eighteen years. So doesn’t it seem all the more fitting that it be on the Sabbath day that she be freed from her chains?”
His words left his critics with egg all over their faces. To the rest of the congregation though, his actions were cause for wonder and celebration.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 58: 9b-14

The LORD says:
“If you abandon all forms of exploitation,
and avoid bad-mouthing others to gain an edge;
if you share what you have with those in need,
and respond to the real needs of suffering communities;
then you’ll find that the world will light up for you
and life will be one beautiful day after another.
“I, the LORD, will always be there to guide you;
even in the grip of drought,
I’ll keep you healthy and well fed.
You’ll be like an irrigated vineyard with its own deep bore,
green and lush and full of life!
“Your ruined houses will be renovated and new;
you’ll be able to restore the homes
that have been in your families for generations.
You’ll get a reputation for making dreams possible,
for enabling everyone to find a good place to live.
“If you stop making a mockery of the sabbath
by using the holy day to push your own agendas;
if you bring your words and your actions
into line with one another
by bringing the life you live during the week
into line with the worship you offer on that day;
then I will be close to you and be your delight,
and you will be highly regarded all over the earth.
The land I gave to your ancestors
will continue to bring forth life
for you and your children.
“I, the LORD, have spoken.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 103: 1-8

With all our hearts, we praise you, LORD,
from the depths of our being
we name you as our one and only.
With all that we are we sings your praises, LORD;
how could we ever forget all you have done for us?
When we do wrong, you forgive us;
when we are sick, you make us well;
when our lives fall apart, you put us back together.
With love and mercy, you treat us like royalty;
you shower us with good things all our lives;
you makes us feel as young and free as an eagle.
You are there for those who are victimised, LORD;
you clear their names and bring them justice.
Through Moses, you let us know what you are on about;
through Israel, you let us see what you can do.
Your mercy and generosity are extravagant, LORD;
your patience and love are as solid as rock.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are our rock and haven;
the tower of strength to whom we can always turn.
You created the heavens and earth,
and the sound of your voice shakes all things.
You put your words in the mouths of the prophets
to destroy wickedness and overthrow the ruthless,
and to build justice and plant righteousness.
Your child, Jesus Christ, came among us
with words of freedom, hope and healing
which so scandalised the powerful that they crucified him,
but you raised him to new life
and appointed him as the mediator of a new covenant.
Before we were formed in the womb, you knew us
and now you are bringing us into your holy city
with the angels and saints and the faithful of every age
to rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank your for your words of freedom, hope and healing
by which you are bringing us into your holy city
with the angels and saints and the faithful of every age
to rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you are our rock and haven;
the tower of strength to whom we can always turn.
You created the heavens and earth,
and the sound of your voice shakes all things.
You put your words in the mouths of the prophets
to destroy wickedness and overthrow the ruthless,
and to build justice and plant righteousness.
Your child, Jesus Christ, came among us
with words of freedom, hope and healing
which so scandalised the powerful that they crucified him,
but you raised him to new life
and appointed him as the mediator of a new covenant.
Before we were formed in the womb, you knew us
and now you are bringing us into your holy city
with the angels and saints and the faithful of every age
to rejoice together at the wonderful things you are doing.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord is our hope from the moment of birth.
Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant,
is pleased to free us from all that has bound us.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now to speak the words God gives you
to all those to whom God sends you.
Offer your worship to God
with thanksgiving
and with works of freedom and mercy.
And may God be your shelter to keep you safe;
May Christ Jesus set you free from all that cripples you;
And may the Holy Spirit be with you to deliver you
and to make you perfect with all God’s faithful ones.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Embracing the SacredA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 & Jeremiah 1: 4-10 by Nathan Nettleton

To Free or Not to FreeA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Put To ShameA sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by Nathan Nettleton

“Love is more demanding than the Law”A sermon on Luke 13:10-17 by John Fowler

A True Call in Dark TimesA sermon on Jeremiah 1: 4-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 17 - Year C
2028-09-03 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 2: 4-13

Listen up, you people of Israel;
all you who count Jacob as your ancestor;
Listen to what the LORD has to say:
What was wrong with me that so turned off your ancestors
that they kept as far away from me as they could?
What was it that sent them off
on a merry-go-round of worthless distractions
that bled them of substance and character?
Not once did they look for my help again,
or remember how I had rescued them from slavery.
They forgot how I guided them through the wilderness,
through hostile deserts and treacherous valleys;
how I got them safely across impassable land;
blackened, fearful terrain with no water;
uninhabited places where nobody survives.
I brought you safely into a rich and fruitful land;
a land laden with good things, yours for the picking.
But you barged in and destroyed all I had given you;
turned a precious heritage into a polluted wasteland.
Even your religious leaders showed no interest in me!
They taught the law without getting to know me.
They defied me as they governed the people.
They preached a message of other gods
and set their hearts on shallow and futile things.
So now I, the LORD, am taking you to court.
I’m laying charges against you
and against your children and grandchildren.
Whoever heard of such a thing?
Search the earth from one end to the other.
Scour the history books and see.
What other nation has ever changed its gods?
They are loyal even to false gods!
But my people have squandered their crowning glory
by trading me in for shallow and futile things.
I, the LORD, call the heavens to sit as jury,
to be appalled by this case;
to weigh evidence that will shock and disgust.
For my my people have added crime upon crime.
They have turned their backs on me,
their only source of fresh, flowing, life-giving water;
and they have taken to digging their own water-holes;
stagnant puddles that stink and leak.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 81: 1, 10-16

We sing our lungs out to you, God,
for you make us strong;
we shout for joy, celebrating you,
the God of our ancestors.
You are the LORD our God;
the God who rescued us from the land of slavery.
When we come to you with our hungers,
you fill us with all that we need.
But we have repeatedly failed to listen to you;
though we were your people,
we dug our heels in against you.
You stood aside and let us have our way;
we made our own bed and you left us to lie in it.
You longed for us to listen to you;
for your people to get back on track.
If we had only been willing to cooperate,
you’d have been ready to sort out our enemies.
Those whose hostility to you was taken out on us
would have been sent cowering away,
never to be seen again.
If only we had responded to your call, LORD,
you would have spread a banquet before us
feeding us with the sweetest and best of everything.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16

See to it that love continues to run both ways in all your dealings with one another. Don’t limit your hospitality to your friends. Some people who have welcomed strangers into their homes were actually opening their doors to God’s messengers without realising it. Keep standing up for those who are in detention, just as you would if you were locked up with them. Imagine yourselves in the shoes of those who are being harshly mistreated and work for them accordingly. Don’t let out of sight mean out of mind!
See to it that the vowed life of marriage is treated with the respect it deserves. Protect the sacredness of the sexual intimacy within vowed relationships. God will sort out those who drag sex into the mire of selfishness, dishonesty and betrayal.
Keep the lust for money right out of your lives. Be satisfied with what you have, trusting in God’s promise to never let you down or abandon you. We can say with confidence:
“The Lord looks after me;
I’ve got nothing to fear.
What harm can anyone do me?”
Remember your leaders through whom you heard God’s message. Watch the way they live and note what comes of it. Model yourselves on their example of faith. Such examples don’t go out of date, because Jesus Christ is the same now as he always was and always will be. Let us continue to offer the gift of praise to God through Christ. Keeping God’s name on our lips is a real gift, but it is not the only gift that matters. Don’t overlook the importance of sharing what you have and working for the good of others, because these too are gifts that delight God.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

Once on the Sabbath day, Jesus was invited to a dinner at the home of one of the leading members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party. Throughout the evening, he was being closely watched by everyone there.
Noticing how most of the guests were angling for the best seats at the top of the table, Jesus turned the scene into an illustration, saying, “When you are invited as a guest to a formal dinner – a wedding banquet or the like – don’t rush to park yourself in the number one seat. There may be some more prominent celebrities on the guest list, and when one of them turns up, your host will come and ask you to vacate your seat for them. You’ll have egg all over your face in front of everyone, and there may be nothing but the scummy seats left for you. If looking good in public is so important to you, it would be a much better strategy to park yourself down in the back corner somewhere. Then when you are seen down there, your host will come and say, ‘Come on, my friend, we can find you a better seat than this.’ You’ll get a much better write-up in the social pages for that! The fact is that those who big-note themselves will be knocked off their perches, but those who avoid the limelight will end up as everyone’s hero.”
Then Jesus turned to the one who had invited him and said, “When you are throwing a party, don’t just invite your friends, family and well-heeled neighbours. They will all return the favour sometime and so, rather than being a gift, your party will become something you are repaid for. Instead, invite people who are always being left out – the down-and-outs, the misfits, the refugees, the disabled. You’ll find that far more richly rewarding, and although they can never repay you, when God’s people are all raised from the dead, you’ll be more than repaid.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Sirach 10: 12-18

Arrogant pride is born when people turn their backs on the Lord.
It is conceived in hearts that are cut off from their Maker.
Arrogant pride has its roots in sin,
and those who are addicted to it spew forth corruption.
That’s why the Lord brings terrible disasters on them
and wipes them out completely.
The Lord topples arrogant rulers,
and hands their authority to humble people.
The Lord tears out arrogant nations by the roots,
and replaces them with unpretentious peoples.
The Lord rids the planet of arrogant empires,
leaving nothing but scorched earth where they stood.
Some of them were destroyed so completely
that even the memory of them was erased.
Human beings were never intended to become arrogant.
Violence and hostility were not part of their creator’s design.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Proverbs 25: 6-7

Don’t go big noting yourself
or nominating yourself for the honours lists.
It is far better to have others calling for your promotion
than to be dismissed as completely up yourself.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 112

We are singing your praises, LORD!
How good life is for those who respect you, LORD,
for those who gladly do what you want them to do.
Their children will follow in their footsteps,
doing what’s right and going from strength to strength.
You fill their homes with good things,
and guarantee their good reputation.
Their generosity, tolerance, and integrity shine forth in a dark world,
lighting up the way for others to follow.
LORD, you see that things go well
for those who conduct their business fairly
and lend generously to those in need.
You guarantee a firm footing for people of integrity;
their reputation will long outlast them.
Bad news will not break them,
for they have an inner strength grounded in you, LORD.
With their trust in you, they are calm in a crisis;
fearless in the fight,
and they always end up on top.
You will honour their strength
and make their integrity a lasting legacy,
for they have been open-handed, especially to the poor.
All this throws corrupt people into a snarling rage.
Bitterness consumes them
as their dreams crumble to nothing.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to offer you our sacrifice of praise, O God,
for despite our poverty, brokenness and blindness,
you invite us to feast with you forever.
You created all the earth
and led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land
to feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey.
When we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —
going instead after things which were worthless and defiled,
your love for us remained constant,
and in mercy, you never abandoned us.
Instead you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
His witness to your all-embracing love
so offended the values of the world
that he was tortured to death,
but you raised him to new life,
and now, through him,
you are teaching us to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that even when we abandoned you
— our fountain of living water —
still in your love and mercy you never abandoned us,
but raised us with Christ to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, O God,
for despite our poverty, brokenness and blindness,
you honour us with your righteous ones.
You created all the earth
and led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land
to feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey.
When we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —
going instead after things which were worthless and defiled,
your love for us remained constant,
and in mercy, you never abandoned us.
Instead you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
His witness to your all-embracing love
so offended the values of the world
that he was tortured to death,
but you raised him to new life,
and now, through him,
you are teaching us to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ
has given himself for us, saying:
”I will never leave you or forsake you.
Those who humble themselves will be lifted up.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and walk in all God’s ways.
Keep your lives free from the love of money
but let love between people continue and be honoured.
Show hospitality to strangers.
Pray for those who suffer torture and imprisonment
and do not neglect to do good.
And may God be your strength;
May Christ Jesus be for you a fountain of living water;
And may the Holy Spirit raise you to life
with all God’s righteous ones.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Prosecutor’s CaseA drama/sermon on Jeremiah 2: 4-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Economy of CompassionA on Luke 14. 7-14 by Garry Deverell

You Are Invited …A sermon on Luke 14: 1, 7-14 & Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 by Samara Pitt

Sacrifices That Please GodA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Yesterday and Today and ForeverA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 & Luke 14:1, 7-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Heading for Rock Bottom with JesusA sermon on Luke 14:1, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Why Drink From that Pool?A sermon on Luke 14:1, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Awkwardness of Being a GuestA on Luke 14. 1-24 by Cas Wepener

Creating Beauty Amidst ChaosA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Jeremiah 2: 4-13 & Luke 14:1, 7-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 17 - Year C
2028-09-03 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 2: 4-13

Listen up, you people of Israel;
all you who count Jacob as your ancestor;
Listen to what the LORD has to say:
What was wrong with me that so turned off your ancestors
that they kept as far away from me as they could?
What was it that sent them off
on a merry-go-round of worthless distractions
that bled them of substance and character?
Not once did they look for my help again,
or remember how I had rescued them from slavery.
They forgot how I guided them through the wilderness,
through hostile deserts and treacherous valleys;
how I got them safely across impassable land;
blackened, fearful terrain with no water;
uninhabited places where nobody survives.
I brought you safely into a rich and fruitful land;
a land laden with good things, yours for the picking.
But you barged in and destroyed all I had given you;
turned a precious heritage into a polluted wasteland.
Even your religious leaders showed no interest in me!
They taught the law without getting to know me.
They defied me as they governed the people.
They preached a message of other gods
and set their hearts on shallow and futile things.
So now I, the LORD, am taking you to court.
I’m laying charges against you
and against your children and grandchildren.
Whoever heard of such a thing?
Search the earth from one end to the other.
Scour the history books and see.
What other nation has ever changed its gods?
They are loyal even to false gods!
But my people have squandered their crowning glory
by trading me in for shallow and futile things.
I, the LORD, call the heavens to sit as jury,
to be appalled by this case;
to weigh evidence that will shock and disgust.
For my my people have added crime upon crime.
They have turned their backs on me,
their only source of fresh, flowing, life-giving water;
and they have taken to digging their own water-holes;
stagnant puddles that stink and leak.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 81: 1, 10-16

We sing our lungs out to you, God,
for you make us strong;
we shout for joy, celebrating you,
the God of our ancestors.
You are the LORD our God;
the God who rescued us from the land of slavery.
When we come to you with our hungers,
you fill us with all that we need.
But we have repeatedly failed to listen to you;
though we were your people,
we dug our heels in against you.
You stood aside and let us have our way;
we made our own bed and you left us to lie in it.
You longed for us to listen to you;
for your people to get back on track.
If we had only been willing to cooperate,
you’d have been ready to sort out our enemies.
Those whose hostility to you was taken out on us
would have been sent cowering away,
never to be seen again.
If only we had responded to your call, LORD,
you would have spread a banquet before us
feeding us with the sweetest and best of everything.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16

See to it that love continues to run both ways in all your dealings with one another. Don’t limit your hospitality to your friends. Some people who have welcomed strangers into their homes were actually opening their doors to God’s messengers without realising it. Keep standing up for those who are in detention, just as you would if you were locked up with them. Imagine yourselves in the shoes of those who are being harshly mistreated and work for them accordingly. Don’t let out of sight mean out of mind!
See to it that the vowed life of marriage is treated with the respect it deserves. Protect the sacredness of the sexual intimacy within vowed relationships. God will sort out those who drag sex into the mire of selfishness, dishonesty and betrayal.
Keep the lust for money right out of your lives. Be satisfied with what you have, trusting in God’s promise to never let you down or abandon you. We can say with confidence:
“The Lord looks after me;
I’ve got nothing to fear.
What harm can anyone do me?”
Remember your leaders through whom you heard God’s message. Watch the way they live and note what comes of it. Model yourselves on their example of faith. Such examples don’t go out of date, because Jesus Christ is the same now as he always was and always will be. Let us continue to offer the gift of praise to God through Christ. Keeping God’s name on our lips is a real gift, but it is not the only gift that matters. Don’t overlook the importance of sharing what you have and working for the good of others, because these too are gifts that delight God.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

Once on the Sabbath day, Jesus was invited to a dinner at the home of one of the leading members of the devoutly religious Pharisee party. Throughout the evening, he was being closely watched by everyone there.
Noticing how most of the guests were angling for the best seats at the top of the table, Jesus turned the scene into an illustration, saying, “When you are invited as a guest to a formal dinner – a wedding banquet or the like – don’t rush to park yourself in the number one seat. There may be some more prominent celebrities on the guest list, and when one of them turns up, your host will come and ask you to vacate your seat for them. You’ll have egg all over your face in front of everyone, and there may be nothing but the scummy seats left for you. If looking good in public is so important to you, it would be a much better strategy to park yourself down in the back corner somewhere. Then when you are seen down there, your host will come and say, ‘Come on, my friend, we can find you a better seat than this.’ You’ll get a much better write-up in the social pages for that! The fact is that those who big-note themselves will be knocked off their perches, but those who avoid the limelight will end up as everyone’s hero.”
Then Jesus turned to the one who had invited him and said, “When you are throwing a party, don’t just invite your friends, family and well-heeled neighbours. They will all return the favour sometime and so, rather than being a gift, your party will become something you are repaid for. Instead, invite people who are always being left out – the down-and-outs, the misfits, the refugees, the disabled. You’ll find that far more richly rewarding, and although they can never repay you, when God’s people are all raised from the dead, you’ll be more than repaid.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Sirach 10: 12-18

Arrogant pride is born when people turn their backs on the Lord.
It is conceived in hearts that are cut off from their Maker.
Arrogant pride has its roots in sin,
and those who are addicted to it spew forth corruption.
That’s why the Lord brings terrible disasters on them
and wipes them out completely.
The Lord topples arrogant rulers,
and hands their authority to humble people.
The Lord tears out arrogant nations by the roots,
and replaces them with unpretentious peoples.
The Lord rids the planet of arrogant empires,
leaving nothing but scorched earth where they stood.
Some of them were destroyed so completely
that even the memory of them was erased.
Human beings were never intended to become arrogant.
Violence and hostility were not part of their creator’s design.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Proverbs 25: 6-7

Don’t go big noting yourself
or nominating yourself for the honours lists.
It is far better to have others calling for your promotion
than to be dismissed as completely up yourself.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 112

We are singing your praises, LORD!
How good life is for those who respect you, LORD,
for those who gladly do what you want them to do.
Their children will follow in their footsteps,
doing what’s right and going from strength to strength.
You fill their homes with good things,
and guarantee their good reputation.
Their generosity, tolerance, and integrity shine forth in a dark world,
lighting up the way for others to follow.
LORD, you see that things go well
for those who conduct their business fairly
and lend generously to those in need.
You guarantee a firm footing for people of integrity;
their reputation will long outlast them.
Bad news will not break them,
for they have an inner strength grounded in you, LORD.
With their trust in you, they are calm in a crisis;
fearless in the fight,
and they always end up on top.
You will honour their strength
and make their integrity a lasting legacy,
for they have been open-handed, especially to the poor.
All this throws corrupt people into a snarling rage.
Bitterness consumes them
as their dreams crumble to nothing.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to offer you our sacrifice of praise, O God,
for despite our poverty, brokenness and blindness,
you invite us to feast with you forever.
You created all the earth
and led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land
to feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey.
When we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —
going instead after things which were worthless and defiled,
your love for us remained constant,
and in mercy, you never abandoned us.
Instead you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
His witness to your all-embracing love
so offended the values of the world
that he was tortured to death,
but you raised him to new life,
and now, through him,
you are teaching us to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that even when we abandoned you
— our fountain of living water —
still in your love and mercy you never abandoned us,
but raised us with Christ to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, O God,
for despite our poverty, brokenness and blindness,
you honour us with your righteous ones.
You created all the earth
and led your people out of slavery into a plentiful land
to feast on finest wheat and pure wild honey.
When we abandoned you — our fountain of living water —
going instead after things which were worthless and defiled,
your love for us remained constant,
and in mercy, you never abandoned us.
Instead you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
His witness to your all-embracing love
so offended the values of the world
that he was tortured to death,
but you raised him to new life,
and now, through him,
you are teaching us to share and do good
so that our lives may be a pleasing sacrifice to you.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ
has given himself for us, saying:
”I will never leave you or forsake you.
Those who humble themselves will be lifted up.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and walk in all God’s ways.
Keep your lives free from the love of money
but let love between people continue and be honoured.
Show hospitality to strangers.
Pray for those who suffer torture and imprisonment
and do not neglect to do good.
And may God be your strength;
May Christ Jesus be for you a fountain of living water;
And may the Holy Spirit raise you to life
with all God’s righteous ones.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Prosecutor’s CaseA drama/sermon on Jeremiah 2: 4-13 by Nathan NettletonThe Economy of CompassionA on Luke 14. 7-14 by Garry DeverellYou Are Invited …A sermon on Luke 14: 1, 7-14 & Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 by Samara PittSacrifices That Please GodA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 by Nathan NettletonYesterday and Today and ForeverA sermon on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 & Luke 14:1, 7-14 by Nathan NettletonHeading for Rock Bottom with JesusA sermon on Luke 14:1, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan NettletonWhy Drink From that Pool?A sermon on Luke 14:1, 7-14 & Jeremiah 2:4-13 by Nathan NettletonThe Awkwardness of Being a GuestA on Luke 14. 1-24 by Cas Wepener

Proper 18 - Year C
2028-09-10 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 18: 1-11

The LORD spoke to me and said, “Jeremiah, get yourself down to the potter’s workshop, because there you will hear and understand what I’ve got to say.”
So I went down to the workshop and saw the potter there working at his wheel. As I watched, the clay he was working wouldn’t take the shape he intended, so he simply changed his plan and reworked it into a pot of a different shape. Then the LORD spoke to me, saying:
“People of Israel, don’t you realise that I can do with you just what the potter has done with this pot. Watch the way the potter works, people of Israel, and remember that you are like clay in my hands. If I speak to a corrupt nation and threaten to tear it out by the roots and crush and demolish it, and it takes note of what I have said and mends its ways, I will change my mind and give them a fresh start. If, on the other hand, I tell a nation that I am planning to build them up with strength and life, and they turn around and become callous and cruel and take no further notice of anything I say, then I will abandon my plans to do anything good for them.
So then, Jeremiah, go now and give the people who live in Judah and Jerusalem this message from me: I, the LORD, am taking you in hand like a potter taking clay, and I am planning to flatten you; to crush you completely. The only way to persuade me to change my mind is to turn around right now; to mend your ways and clean up your act.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

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

Philemon 1-21

I, Paul, am in detention here for the sake of Christ Jesus. Our brother, Timothy, is here with me. We write this letter to you, Philemon, our good friend and work-mate. Please share it with our sister Apphia, with our brother-in-arms Archippus, and with the rest of the church that meets at your house.
We send our best wishes for peace and blessings from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
You have been in my prayers. I have been thanking God for all the good reports I keep hearing about how much trust you put in the Lord Jesus and how much love you show to all God’s people. I am praying that you and those who share your faith will see more and more clearly how much good we can accomplish on Christ’s behalf. My friend, your love is already accomplishing much. You’ve given many of God’s faithful people a new lease of life, and so indeed you have been a source of joy and encouragement to me.
In light of all this, I want to ask you a favour. I suppose I could pull rank as an elder statesman or as one who has proved his commitment to Christ in jail, and order you to do what I want; but I would much rather ask you as a mate. The favour I want to ask is for my own son. You didn’t know I was a father, did you?! Well foster-father perhaps, and only since I’ve been locked up, but you know him well — Onesimus! I know you said he was completely useless in the past — quite the opposite of what his name means — but now he is enormously useful to both you and me. I feel like I’m tearing my own heart out, sending him back to you. I badly wanted to keep him here so that he could continue to look after me, as I know you would have done, while I remain in detention for preaching God’s message. However, I didn’t want to go behind your back on this. I wanted to give you the opportunity to make your own decision rather than be manoeuvred into something against your will. Perhaps there was a good reason why you lost him for a while. Now you can be reunited with him, but no longer as your slave, but something much more: a beloved brother. I already count him as a brother — in Christ and in what we’ve been through together — but he will be even more so to you.
So, if you still count me as a mate, please welcome Onesimus as warmly as you would welcome me. If he owes you anything for any wrong he’s done in the past, put it on my tab and I’ll fix you up for it when I can. You have my promise here under my own signature: I will pay whatever is owed to you. I won’t even bring up the issue of how you owe me your very life!
So that’s it. Please do me this big favour as a brother in Christ! You’ve got no idea how much good it would do for my tired old heart. I have every confidence that you would obey if I ordered you to do this, but I’m writing to ask you to do it for me as a favour, and knowing you, you’ll find some way of doing even more than I’ve asked.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 14: 25-33

As Jesus continued his journey, the crowds of people following him kept growing. One day he turned to them and said, “Are you sure that you have got what it takes to follow me all the way? Unless you are being accused of hating your parents, your spouse, your children, your brothers and sisters, and even your own life, you are probably not fully on board yet.
“You can’t follow me unless you are ready to accept that you will be targeted by the death squads.
“If you were planning to build an office tower, you would know to sit down and calculate the costs carefully before giving the go-ahead for construction. You wouldn’t take the risk of pouring the foundations without securing the finance needed to finish the project. If you ran out of money half way, you’d be the laughing stock of the industry and you’d be forever saddled with a reputation for failing to finish what you started.
“If you were responsible for deciding whether or not the nation went to war, you would know to sit down first and calculate whether your military resources could match those of your enemy. If you decided that the enemy could blow you away twice over, you’d send out the negotiators to work out a peace deal long before the hostilities commenced.
“Following me, then, is the same. You have to decide whether you have got what it takes, because you can’t follow me unless you quit clinging to what you’ve got.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20

“Take note that today I, the LORD your God, have laid out the choices clearly before you. You can choose life and good times or death and hard times. If you live by the rules that I have given you today — if you love me, do things my way, and follow my rules, guidance and instructions — then you will live and flourish. I, the LORD your God, will look after you and make you strong and prosperous in the land I am about to give you.
On the other hand, if you reject me and refuse to listen to me, it will be a very different story. I am warning you in no uncertain terms that if you pursue other objects of devotion and serve them instead of me, your lives will be ruined. You will not last long in the land I am about to give you on the other side of the Jordan River.
Here and now I call on the earth and sky to witness that I have laid out the choices clearly before you; choices between life and death, between being blessed and being cursed. Choose life! Choose life so that you and your children and grandchildren can flourish. Commit yourself to me, the LORD your God, in love and loyalty. Obey what I say and stick with me, because that is the sure-fire recipe for a long and satisfying life in the land that I promised to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 1

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for we are awe struck by your handiwork
and overwhelmed by the depths of your wisdom and love.
Like a potter at the wheel, you created the universe
and shaped our bodies in secret in the hidden depths.
You have kept your hand on your people,
reshaping us as seemed good to you
whenever we become misshapen
by allowing other allegiances
to compromise our faithfulness to you.
Though many times we laid the foundations
for a life worthy of your love and justice
we could never bring the work to completion
until you sent your child, Jesus, to us
to lead us in the way of the cross.
When he was killed you raised him to life
and gave him back to us forever,
to save us from destruction
and refresh the hearts of all your saints.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that keep your hand on your people
with the skill and love of a potter at the wheel,
reshaping us whenever we become misshapen
by allowing other allegiances
to compromise our faithfulness to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for we are awe struck by your handiwork
and overwhelmed by the depths of your wisdom and love.
Like a potter at the wheel, you created the universe
and shaped our bodies in secret in the hidden depths.
You have kept your hand on your people,
reshaping us as seemed good to you
whenever we become misshapen
by allowing other allegiances
to compromise our faithfulness to you.
Though many times we laid the foundations
for a life worthy of your love and justice
we could never bring the work to completion
until you sent your child, Jesus, to us
to lead us in the way of the cross.
When he was killed you raised him to life
and gave him back to us forever,
to save us from destruction
and refresh the hearts of all your saints.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

When we turn from evil,
God does not bring disaster on us,
but forgives our sins
and refreshes our hearts in Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now to live and share your faith with all.
Love Christ more than even family or friends,
and, in Christ, love all God’s people.
Do not cling to possessions,
but take up your cross and follow Jesus.
And may God shape you in the ways of love and justice;
May Christ Jesus refresh your heart;
And may the Holy Spirit surround you with grace and peace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

They’ll know we are Christians by our hate?A sermon on Philemon 1-21 and Luke 14: 25-33 by Nathan Nettleton

Surrender to the Potter’s HandsA sermon on Jeremiah 18:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

The Potter and the ClayA sermon on Jeremiah 18:1-6 by George Whitfield (1714-1770) abridged and preached by Nathan Nettleton

Discipleship as TreacheryA sermon on Luke 14:25-33 & Philemon by Nathan Nettleton

It Really Could Cost EverythingA sermon on Luke 14: 25-33 by Nathan Nettleton

The Feast of the Holy Cross
2028-09-14 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
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.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Numbers 21: 4b-9

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.”
At 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.”
So 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.”
So 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.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98: 1-5

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
because you have done fantastic things.
With your sleeves rolled up you got stuck in
and came out on top.
Your victory has made the headlines, LORD,
now the whole world can see that you were right all along.
You have never defaulted on your rock-solid love,
or your loyalty to your chosen people.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone has seen your victory.
With all the world, LORD, we raise a noisy celebration,
singing our lungs out and shouting your praise.
The bands strike up in your honour, LORD,
filling the air with festive music.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 78: 1-2, 34-38 (Alternative Psalm)

We are keen to learn of you, LORD;
your people are eager to hear what you have to say.
We listen to those who pass on the old stories;
the dark mysteries of ancient wisdom.
When your anger cut down our ancestors, they sought your mercy;
they pleaded with you and promised to mend their ways.
They remembered that you are as solid as rock;
that you are the greatest; the one who puts things right.
But they were all words and no action,
trying to pull the wool over your eyes with sweet talk.
They were fickle and two-faced;
they did not stick to the terms of their alliance with you.
And yet you remained compassionate;
you continued to let them off the hook
and refrained from wiping them out.
Over and over you swallowed your anger
and chose not to let your fury have its day.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 1: 18-24

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:
“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts
and the wise counsel of your gurus;
I will expose them for what they really are,
a load of codswallop!”
So 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!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 3: 13-17

Jesus said:
“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.
“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead.
“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Sermons

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

Eating from the Tree of LifeA sermon for the Feast of Holy Cross by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 19 - Year C
2028-09-17 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28

The LORD gave me a message for Jerusalem, saying:
“When disaster comes, you will know about it, Jerusalem;
this is the warning your people will hear:
“The invading army is bearing down on you
like a tornado from the desert.
It is the hot breath of my judgment;
an angry wind sweeping away all in its path.
“You will pay for your madness, my people,
for you have totally ignored me.
You are a pack of half-wits
with nothing between your ears.
You are experts only at corruption.
You haven’t got a clue about doing good.”
The LORD gave me a vision:
I saw the earth – it was an empty wasteland.
I saw the skies – the lights had gone out.
I saw the mountains – shuddering and shaking.
I saw the hills – trembling like jelly.
I looked and looked, but there was no one to be seen.
Not even the scavenging birds had hung around.
Croplands and orchards alike were scorched earth.
Cities and towns were nothing but rubble.
Everything had fallen before the LORD;
before the blazing anger of the LORD.
The LORD gave me this message:
“The whole land will be destroyed,
and yet not beyond repair.
The earth will be wracked with grief
and the skies will dress in black.
But I have made up my mind and I will not change it.
I have given my word and will not take it back.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 14

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

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

I am so thankful to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is him who gives me the strength to do what I do. He reckoned he could trust me, so he gave me this work to do for him. This was despite the fact that I had a history of violence and all I had ever done was drag his name through the mud and victimise his people. I was shown mercy because I had acted without understanding what I was doing. I hadn’t known who Jesus was. Now though, our Lord has been extravagantly generous and flooded me with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Here is a line you can write down and stake your life on: Jesus Christ came into the world to rescue sinners. I should know, I was the number one sinner. By putting his mercy to work in me — the number one sinner — Jesus Christ clearly demonstrated just how much he was willing to endure to get through to us. He has made me an example to show others how to put their trust in him and so gain life without limit.
And now I give all the glory
and every honour
to the One who rules forever;
beyond life and death;
out of sight;
the one and only God.
And so say all of us!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 15: 1-10

For much of the time, a crowd of people hung around Jesus, listening to everything he had to say. The crowd was full of disreputable characters whose lifestyles were offensive to the more respectable members of society. The devoutly religious Pharisees and the experts in religious law got their noses out of joint over this, and began denouncing Jesus. “He keeps company with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale,” they said, “and he doesn’t even draw the line at eating with them.”
Jesus responded to their objections by telling a story. He said, “If you had care of a hundred sheep and one of them got lost, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would leave the other ninety-nine grazing in the paddock and go off looking for the lost one until you found it. And when you found it, you would be so relieved that you would hoist it up on your shoulders and dance home with a spring in your step. Not only that, you would then call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’”
Jesus said, “Let me assure you that it is just like that in heaven. One screwed-up person getting back on the right track causes far more celebration than ninety-nine respectable people who never left it.”
He continued with another story, saying, “If you had ten coins – all collector’s items – and you lost one of them, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would turn on all the lights and go over the house with a fine-toothed comb until you found it. And when you found it, you would call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found the coin that I lost.’”
Jesus said, “Let me assure you that the angels party like that over each wayward person who turns their life back towards God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Exodus 32: 7-14

The LORD said to Moses:
“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours, who you brought out of the land of slavery, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.”
But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, saying:
“LORD, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word, your personal guarantee. You said, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’”
And so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 51: 1-10

O God, your love never gives up.
Have mercy on me now!
I’m relying on your record of generous mercy:
please wipe my slate clean!
Scrub away the filth I’ve been living in;
Scour away the stain of my sin.
I know only too well what I’ve done;
my sins stare me in the face.
It is you I’ve double-crossed, you I’ve betrayed;
I’ve done things which I knew you despised.
You have all the facts and you know what I deserve;
what ever you decide is fair enough.
I’ve been on the wrong side of you forever.
I turned my back on you before I was born.
You want honesty that comes from deep within,
so teach me your wisdom,
let it take root in my heart.
Get the bleach out and give me the treatment!
Soak me and wash me
until I’m as white as snow.
Open my ears to laughter and music.
Though you ground me into the dirt,
let me now rise to the sounds of joy.
Turn a blind eye to my record;
disregard my prior convictions.
Renovate me from the inside, O God;
rebuild my heart and rewire my brain;
install in me a new fault-free operating system.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the immortal invisible King of the ages,
and your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus.
You created the earth from a formless void
and filled it with living things.
In every age you have looked for faithfulness
and found instead depravity, corruption and evil.
The hot winds of anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert
but always your merciful love has continued searching
for those who would be saved.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us to save sinners.
His hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious
that he was killed,
but you raised him to new life.
In him you are turning us from our pasts,
lifting us joyously onto your shoulders
and appointing us to your service
as an example for all who would trust you for eternal life.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though the hot winds of your anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert,
your son, Jesus Christ, came into the world to save sinners
and all heaven rejoices over every lost one who repents.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the immortal invisible King of the ages,
and your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus.
You created the earth from a formless void
and filled it with living things.
In every age you have looked for faithfulness
and found instead depravity, corruption and evil.
The hot winds of anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert
but always your merciful love has continued searching
for those who would be saved.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us to save sinners.
His hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious
that he was killed,
but you raised him to new life.
In him you are turning us from our pasts,
lifting us joyously onto your shoulders
and appointing us to your service
as an example for all who would trust you for eternal life.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
We have received mercy,
for the grace of our Lord has overflowed for us
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, overflowing with faith and love
and seek out those who are lost.
Side with the poor and sit with the just;
mourn for the earth
and rejoice with heaven over any who turn to God.
And may God judge you faithful;
May Christ Jesus strengthen you;
And may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom and grace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Practical AtheismA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Search and RescueA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Stumbling through Waste and VoidA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

On losing, seeking and finding . . . sometimesA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Marita Munro

The God who SearchesA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Stacey Aslangul

HomecomingA sermon on Luke 15.1–10 by Jason Goroncy

Climate Change and Spiritual TransformationA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Forgive us, Lord. We know not what we do.A sermon on Psalm 14:4 & 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Am I Preaching Doom and Gloom?A sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 19 - Year C
2028-09-17 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28

The LORD gave me a message for Jerusalem, saying:
“When disaster comes, you will know about it, Jerusalem;
this is the warning your people will hear:
“The invading army is bearing down on you
like a tornado from the desert.
It is the hot breath of my judgment;
an angry wind sweeping away all in its path.
“You will pay for your madness, my people,
for you have totally ignored me.
You are a pack of half-wits
with nothing between your ears.
You are experts only at corruption.
You haven’t got a clue about doing good.”
The LORD gave me a vision:
I saw the earth – it was an empty wasteland.
I saw the skies – the lights had gone out.
I saw the mountains – shuddering and shaking.
I saw the hills – trembling like jelly.
I looked and looked, but there was no one to be seen.
Not even the scavenging birds had hung around.
Croplands and orchards alike were scorched earth.
Cities and towns were nothing but rubble.
Everything had fallen before the LORD;
before the blazing anger of the LORD.
The LORD gave me this message:
“The whole land will be destroyed,
and yet not beyond repair.
The earth will be wracked with grief
and the skies will dress in black.
But I have made up my mind and I will not change it.
I have given my word and will not take it back.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 14

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

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

I am so thankful to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is him who gives me the strength to do what I do. He reckoned he could trust me, so he gave me this work to do for him. This was despite the fact that I had a history of violence and all I had ever done was drag his name through the mud and victimise his people. I was shown mercy because I had acted without understanding what I was doing. I hadn’t known who Jesus was. Now though, our Lord has been extravagantly generous and flooded me with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Here is a line you can write down and stake your life on: Jesus Christ came into the world to rescue sinners. I should know, I was the number one sinner. By putting his mercy to work in me — the number one sinner — Jesus Christ clearly demonstrated just how much he was willing to endure to get through to us. He has made me an example to show others how to put their trust in him and so gain life without limit.
And now I give all the glory
and every honour
to the One who rules forever;
beyond life and death;
out of sight;
the one and only God.
And so say all of us!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 15: 1-10

For much of the time, a crowd of people hung around Jesus, listening to everything he had to say. The crowd was full of disreputable characters whose lifestyles were offensive to the more respectable members of society. The devoutly religious Pharisees and the experts in religious law got their noses out of joint over this, and began denouncing Jesus. “He keeps company with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale,” they said, “and he doesn’t even draw the line at eating with them.”
Jesus responded to their objections by telling a story. He said, “If you had care of a hundred sheep and one of them got lost, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would leave the other ninety-nine grazing in the paddock and go off looking for the lost one until you found it. And when you found it, you would be so relieved that you would hoist it up on your shoulders and dance home with a spring in your step. Not only that, you would then call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’”
Jesus said, “Let me assure you that it is just like that in heaven. One screwed-up person getting back on the right track causes far more celebration than ninety-nine respectable people who never left it.”
He continued with another story, saying, “If you had ten coins – all collector’s items – and you lost one of them, what would you do? Like anyone else, you would turn on all the lights and go over the house with a fine-toothed comb until you found it. And when you found it, you would call all your friends and neighbours around for party, saying, ‘The shout’s on me, for I have found the coin that I lost.’”
Jesus said, “Let me assure you that the angels party like that over each wayward person who turns their life back towards God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Exodus 32: 7-14

The LORD said to Moses:
“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours, who you brought out of the land of slavery, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.”
But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, saying:
“LORD, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word, your personal guarantee. You said, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’”
And so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 51: 1-10

O God, your love never gives up.
Have mercy on me now!
I’m relying on your record of generous mercy:
please wipe my slate clean!
Scrub away the filth I’ve been living in;
Scour away the stain of my sin.
I know only too well what I’ve done;
my sins stare me in the face.
It is you I’ve double-crossed, you I’ve betrayed;
I’ve done things which I knew you despised.
You have all the facts and you know what I deserve;
what ever you decide is fair enough.
I’ve been on the wrong side of you forever.
I turned my back on you before I was born.
You want honesty that comes from deep within,
so teach me your wisdom,
let it take root in my heart.
Get the bleach out and give me the treatment!
Soak me and wash me
until I’m as white as snow.
Open my ears to laughter and music.
Though you ground me into the dirt,
let me now rise to the sounds of joy.
Turn a blind eye to my record;
disregard my prior convictions.
Renovate me from the inside, O God;
rebuild my heart and rewire my brain;
install in me a new fault-free operating system.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the immortal invisible King of the ages,
and your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus.
You created the earth from a formless void
and filled it with living things.
In every age you have looked for faithfulness
and found instead depravity, corruption and evil.
The hot winds of anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert
but always your merciful love has continued searching
for those who would be saved.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us to save sinners.
His hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious
that he was killed,
but you raised him to new life.
In him you are turning us from our pasts,
lifting us joyously onto your shoulders
and appointing us to your service
as an example for all who would trust you for eternal life.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though the hot winds of your anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert,
your son, Jesus Christ, came into the world to save sinners
and all heaven rejoices over every lost one who repents.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the immortal invisible King of the ages,
and your grace has overflowed for us in Christ Jesus.
You created the earth from a formless void
and filled it with living things.
In every age you have looked for faithfulness
and found instead depravity, corruption and evil.
The hot winds of anger
have turned fruitful lands to desert
but always your merciful love has continued searching
for those who would be saved.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us to save sinners.
His hospitality and compassion so scandalised the religious
that he was killed,
but you raised him to new life.
In him you are turning us from our pasts,
lifting us joyously onto your shoulders
and appointing us to your service
as an example for all who would trust you for eternal life.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
We have received mercy,
for the grace of our Lord has overflowed for us
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, overflowing with faith and love
and seek out those who are lost.
Side with the poor and sit with the just;
mourn for the earth
and rejoice with heaven over any who turn to God.
And may God judge you faithful;
May Christ Jesus strengthen you;
And may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom and grace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Practical AtheismA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan NettletonSearch and RescueA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Nathan NettletonStumbling through Waste and VoidA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan NettletonOn losing, seeking and finding . . . sometimesA sermon on Luke 15: 1-10 by Marita MunroThe God who SearchesA sermon on Psalm 14 and Luke 15: 1-10 by Stacey AslangulHomecomingA sermon on Luke 15.1–10 by Jason GoroncyClimate Change and Spiritual TransformationA sermon on Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 & Luke 15:1-10 by Nathan NettletonForgive us, Lord. We know not what we do.A sermon on Psalm 14:4 & 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 20 - Year C
2028-09-24 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1

I’m heart-broken, sick with grief.
Smiles are a thing of the past.
Tune in and listen.
From one end of the country to the other
you can hear the cry of my suffering people.
“Has the LORD cleared off and left us?” they groan.
“Has our king fled the country?”
They gave God every reason to be angry,
flaunting their latest trendy objects of devotion.
But still they cry:
“Months pass, seasons come and go,
but still there is no sign of help.”
I am hurting with my people, torn by their pain.
I am grief-stricken, filled with horror.
Surely there is some treatment available.
Surely there is something the doctors can do.
So why are my people still sick and broken?
Why are they not yet back on their feet?
I need a head like a fire hydrant
to do all the crying I am going to do,
gushing tears by the bucket full day and night
over all my people who have been killed!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 79: 1-9

O God, the land you gave us has been invaded;
places erected in your honour have been desecrated;
the city you love has been reduced to rubble.
People who faithfully served you have been slaughtered;
their bodies have been tossed out like garbage,
feral animals tear them to shreds and crows pick their bones.
The city is awash with their blood,
overflowing the gutters;
their bodies lie where they fell,
there is no one left to bury them.
Those outside our borders make a joke of our fate;
they laugh as they stick the boots in.
Why, LORD?
How long will we cop this abuse?
Are you going to be angry forever?
Will your fiery rage never die down?
Take it out on those who really deserve it;
on nations that shut you out and write you off.
They are the ones who chewed up your people
and left nothing but scorched earth where we lived.
Please, God, don’t hold against us the wrongs of our ancestors.
Come quickly with a tender heart and loving arms,
we are at rock-bottom.
You are the only one who can get us out of this mess, God.
Come to our rescue! Bail us out! Forgive and heal us!
Show everyone that your reputation is fully deserved!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Timothy 2: 1-7

The number one thing I would urge you to do is to pray. Pray for everyone, thanking God for them and requesting the best for them. Don’t forget to pray for those who exercise power and influence, for we depend on them to allow us the space to get on with our lives in simplicity, peace, dignity and God-given integrity. There is no doubt that such prayers are exactly what God would wish us to be offering. Indeed, what God really wants is for absolutely everyone to be brought into the life God intends for us, and to know it; to know the full and wonderful truth of it. The bottom line is this:
there is one God, and only one,
and there is one person standing between God and humanity
to bring us together:
Christ Jesus, who was as human as us
and who put his own life on the line
so that everyone else could be set free.
All this was made clear once and for all.
The work to which I have been appointed is the work of broadcasting this news. You can take my word for this; I wouldn’t lie to you. God has made me an ambassador-at-large, so that I might teach those outside the Jewish family to believe and trust in this truth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 16: 1-13

Speaking to his followers, Jesus said, “Have you heard the story about the rich tycoon and his shifty business manager? One day the tycoon was presented with evidence that his business was seriously under-performing due to reckless management. So he called in his business manager and sacked him on the spot, saying, ‘Go and clear out your office and hand over the books for a full audit.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do now. I’m out of work and my reputation is shot. I’m not fit enough for manual labour, and I couldn’t bear to be seen receiving welfare. I know what I’ll do. I’ve got a sure-fire way to ensure that there will be plenty of people only too happy to help me out.’
“So, before clearing out his office, he went to work and called up all the business’s debtors, one at a time. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my boss?’
“The debtor replied, ‘I owe him for a hundred barrels of oil.’
“The manager said, ‘Sit down and sign here, and you will only owe for fifty.’
“To another he said, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘I owe your boss for a hundred tonnes of wheat,’ the debtor replied.
“The manager said, “‘Sit down and sign here, and it will be written down to eighty.’
“After the transactions had all been signed and sealed, the tycoon discovered what had happened. All he could do was shake his head in admiration over the cunning ingenuity of the shifty business manager.”
Jesus went on to say, “You see, that’s how it is. The people who belong to this present world are far better equipped to dodge and weave their way through their dealings with one another than you lot are, and you belong to the light. So take it from me, if you’ve got a fistful of filthy lucre, use it to help other people out. That way, when it runs out, you’ll have friends for life.
“Those who can be trusted with a little
can be trusted with a lot.
Those who are dishonest over little things
are also dishonest over big things.
If you can’t even be trusted with a fistful of filthy lucre,
who is going to trust you with things of real value?
If you can’t be trusted to look after other people’s things,
who is going give you anything to keep as your own?
“No one can play on two teams.
You’ll either give your best to one
and under-perform for the other,
or short-change one
and give your heart and soul for the other.
You can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Amos 8: 4-7

“Listen to me, you who wipe your feet on those in need;
you who destroy the poor for your own gain.
You resent religious holidays
because they interrupt your wheeling and dealing.
You demand twenty-four hour, seven-day trading,
so that you can rip people off without ceasing.
Your advertising is all deceit and delusion.
You rig the odds and the interest rates.
You lure the poor into crippling debt
until you own them – body and soul –
and then charge them again for owing you money.
“I, the LORD, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave,
that I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 113

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you desire everyone to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The earth is your handiwork, but it has brought you tears;
you created the nations, but they have brought you grief.
You sent your law and prophets,
but your people served idols and wealth before you,
and were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them.
When we despaired of ever being restored to health,
you lived up to the name of “Saviour”,
sending us your child, Jesus the Christ
— himself human —
who gave himself as a ransom for all.
Although his blood was shed in Jerusalem,
you raised him to life
and now and forever, he is our mediator in your presence,
welcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though we have brought you grief,
your son, Jesus Christ, gave himself as a ransom for all,
and is, now and forever, our mediator in your presence,
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you desire everyone to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The earth is your handiwork, but it has brought you tears;
you created the nations, but they have brought you grief.
You sent your law and prophets,
but your people served idols and wealth before you,
and were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them.
When we despaired of ever being restored to health,
you lived up to the name of “Saviour”,
sending us your child, Jesus the Christ
— himself human —
who gave himself as a ransom for all.
Although his blood was shed in Jerusalem,
you raised him to life
and now and forever, he is our mediator in your presence,
welcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ, has lived up to the name of “Saviour”
for he gave himself as a ransom for all
to rescue us and forgive our sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now
and continue to offer prayers and thanksgiving for everyone.
Be shrewd in dealing with the world around you
but do not be seduced into serving wealth.
Weep for those who suffer
and share faith and truth with all.
And may God welcome you with love;
May Christ Jesus give you knowledge of the truth;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you into all godliness and dignity.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Is moral integrity for weaklings?A sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan NettletonLearning from Low-life ScumA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan NettletonPray for Them?!!!A sermon on 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan NettletonDefrauding for JesusA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan NettletonAssessing Claims and Detaining GodA sermon on Luke 16:1-13; Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan NettletonFeeling Depressed and Following JesusA sermon on Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1 by Nathan NettletonA Clever Rogue and Outrageous GraciousnessA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Gilbert Joyce

Proper 20 - Year C
2028-09-24 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1

I’m heart-broken, sick with grief.
Smiles are a thing of the past.
Tune in and listen.
From one end of the country to the other
you can hear the cry of my suffering people.
“Has the LORD cleared off and left us?” they groan.
“Has our king fled the country?”
They gave God every reason to be angry,
flaunting their latest trendy objects of devotion.
But still they cry:
“Months pass, seasons come and go,
but still there is no sign of help.”
I am hurting with my people, torn by their pain.
I am grief-stricken, filled with horror.
Surely there is some treatment available.
Surely there is something the doctors can do.
So why are my people still sick and broken?
Why are they not yet back on their feet?
I need a head like a fire hydrant
to do all the crying I am going to do,
gushing tears by the bucket full day and night
over all my people who have been killed!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 79: 1-9

O God, the land you gave us has been invaded;
places erected in your honour have been desecrated;
the city you love has been reduced to rubble.
People who faithfully served you have been slaughtered;
their bodies have been tossed out like garbage,
feral animals tear them to shreds and crows pick their bones.
The city is awash with their blood,
overflowing the gutters;
their bodies lie where they fell,
there is no one left to bury them.
Those outside our borders make a joke of our fate;
they laugh as they stick the boots in.
Why, LORD?
How long will we cop this abuse?
Are you going to be angry forever?
Will your fiery rage never die down?
Take it out on those who really deserve it;
on nations that shut you out and write you off.
They are the ones who chewed up your people
and left nothing but scorched earth where we lived.
Please, God, don’t hold against us the wrongs of our ancestors.
Come quickly with a tender heart and loving arms,
we are at rock-bottom.
You are the only one who can get us out of this mess, God.
Come to our rescue! Bail us out! Forgive and heal us!
Show everyone that your reputation is fully deserved!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Timothy 2: 1-7

The number one thing I would urge you to do is to pray. Pray for everyone, thanking God for them and requesting the best for them. Don’t forget to pray for those who exercise power and influence, for we depend on them to allow us the space to get on with our lives in simplicity, peace, dignity and God-given integrity. There is no doubt that such prayers are exactly what God would wish us to be offering. Indeed, what God really wants is for absolutely everyone to be brought into the life God intends for us, and to know it; to know the full and wonderful truth of it. The bottom line is this:
there is one God, and only one,
and there is one person standing between God and humanity
to bring us together:
Christ Jesus, who was as human as us
and who put his own life on the line
so that everyone else could be set free.
All this was made clear once and for all.
The work to which I have been appointed is the work of broadcasting this news. You can take my word for this; I wouldn’t lie to you. God has made me an ambassador-at-large, so that I might teach those outside the Jewish family to believe and trust in this truth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 16: 1-13

Speaking to his followers, Jesus said, “Have you heard the story about the rich tycoon and his shifty business manager? One day the tycoon was presented with evidence that his business was seriously under-performing due to reckless management. So he called in his business manager and sacked him on the spot, saying, ‘Go and clear out your office and hand over the books for a full audit.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do now. I’m out of work and my reputation is shot. I’m not fit enough for manual labour, and I couldn’t bear to be seen receiving welfare. I know what I’ll do. I’ve got a sure-fire way to ensure that there will be plenty of people only too happy to help me out.’
“So, before clearing out his office, he went to work and called up all the business’s debtors, one at a time. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my boss?’
“The debtor replied, ‘I owe him for a hundred barrels of oil.’
“The manager said, ‘Sit down and sign here, and you will only owe for fifty.’
“To another he said, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘I owe your boss for a hundred tonnes of wheat,’ the debtor replied.
“The manager said, “‘Sit down and sign here, and it will be written down to eighty.’
“After the transactions had all been signed and sealed, the tycoon discovered what had happened. All he could do was shake his head in admiration over the cunning ingenuity of the shifty business manager.”
Jesus went on to say, “You see, that’s how it is. The people who belong to this present world are far better equipped to dodge and weave their way through their dealings with one another than you lot are, and you belong to the light. So take it from me, if you’ve got a fistful of filthy lucre, use it to help other people out. That way, when it runs out, you’ll have friends for life.
“Those who can be trusted with a little
can be trusted with a lot.
Those who are dishonest over little things
are also dishonest over big things.
If you can’t even be trusted with a fistful of filthy lucre,
who is going to trust you with things of real value?
If you can’t be trusted to look after other people’s things,
who is going give you anything to keep as your own?
“No one can play on two teams.
You’ll either give your best to one
and under-perform for the other,
or short-change one
and give your heart and soul for the other.
You can’t dedicate yourself to both God and financial success.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Amos 8: 4-7

“Listen to me, you who wipe your feet on those in need;
you who destroy the poor for your own gain.
You resent religious holidays
because they interrupt your wheeling and dealing.
You demand twenty-four hour, seven-day trading,
so that you can rip people off without ceasing.
Your advertising is all deceit and delusion.
You rig the odds and the interest rates.
You lure the poor into crippling debt
until you own them – body and soul –
and then charge them again for owing you money.
“I, the LORD, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave,
that I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 113

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you desire everyone to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The earth is your handiwork, but it has brought you tears;
you created the nations, but they have brought you grief.
You sent your law and prophets,
but your people served idols and wealth before you,
and were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them.
When we despaired of ever being restored to health,
you lived up to the name of “Saviour”,
sending us your child, Jesus the Christ
— himself human —
who gave himself as a ransom for all.
Although his blood was shed in Jerusalem,
you raised him to life
and now and forever, he is our mediator in your presence,
welcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though we have brought you grief,
your son, Jesus Christ, gave himself as a ransom for all,
and is, now and forever, our mediator in your presence,
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you desire everyone to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The earth is your handiwork, but it has brought you tears;
you created the nations, but they have brought you grief.
You sent your law and prophets,
but your people served idols and wealth before you,
and were unfaithful with all you entrusted to them.
When we despaired of ever being restored to health,
you lived up to the name of “Saviour”,
sending us your child, Jesus the Christ
— himself human —
who gave himself as a ransom for all.
Although his blood was shed in Jerusalem,
you raised him to life
and now and forever, he is our mediator in your presence,
welcoming us with love and renewing us through prayer
that we might live faithfully in all godliness and dignity.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ, has lived up to the name of “Saviour”
for he gave himself as a ransom for all
to rescue us and forgive our sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now
and continue to offer prayers and thanksgiving for everyone.
Be shrewd in dealing with the world around you
but do not be seduced into serving wealth.
Weep for those who suffer
and share faith and truth with all.
And may God welcome you with love;
May Christ Jesus give you knowledge of the truth;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you into all godliness and dignity.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Is moral integrity for weaklings?A sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Learning from Low-life ScumA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Pray for Them?!!!A sermon on 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan Nettleton

Defrauding for JesusA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Assessing Claims and Detaining GodA sermon on Luke 16:1-13; Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Nathan Nettleton

Feeling Depressed and Following JesusA sermon on Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1 by Nathan Nettleton

A Clever Rogue and Outrageous GraciousnessA sermon on Luke 16: 1-13 by Gilbert Joyce

Tears, Prayers and ForgivenessA sermon on Luke 16:1-13; Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; & 1 Timothy 2:1-7 by Geoff Leslie

Proper 21 - Year C
2028-10-01 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15

I, Jeremiah, received a message from the LORD. At the time, the Babylonian army was laying siege to Jerusalem. They were under the command of Nebuchadrezzar, who had been king of Babylon for eighteen years. I was locked up in the guardhouse of the Jerusalem palace on the orders of Zedekiah, who had been king of Judah for ten years. The message from the LORD said:
“Jeremiah! Your cousin, Hanamel, son of Shallum, is on his way to see you. He will ask you to buy his ancestral property at Anathoth because he can no longer afford to keep it. As his nearest relative, you have the right to buy it in order to keep it in the family.”
Just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to visit me in the guardhouse and said to me, “I want to sell you my ancestral property at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. The only way it can stay in our family is for you to exercise your right to buy it for yourself.”
When this happened, I knew that the message I had heard was from the LORD, so I went ahead and bought the Anathoth property from Hanamel for the agreed price of seventeen pieces of silver. We had the legal document drawn up, confirming the terms and conditions of the sale and transferring the title to me. When the document had been formally signed and witnessed, I counted out the money and handed it to Hanamel. Then I took both the official copy of the document and a duplicate and handed them to Baruch. Baruch was the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah, and worked for me as my secretary. While Hanamel and the witness were still there, and in the clear hearing of all the other Judeans who were at the guardhouse, I said to Baruch:
This is an order from the LORD who rules over everything, the God of Israel: Take these property documents, both the official signed copy and its duplicate, and store them in a sealed time capsule so that they will last for a long time. Because the LORD who rules over everything, the God of Israel, is making this promise: “Although you are being overrun by invading armies, the time will come when you will once again own houses, farms and vineyards in this land.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 91: 1-6, 14-16

Your greatness and strength are our shelter, LORD;
we can live secure in your shade.
We call you our refuge, our place of safety;
you are the God in whom we trust.
You steer us clear of the traps that have been laid for us,
and keep us safe when disease threatens to wipe us out.
You gather us safely under your wings
like a mother bird shielding her chicks.
We are secure behind your armour-plated loyalty.
Night or day, we have nothing to fear;
not bullets, nor bombs;
not illness, nor injury;
not the withering heat of the sun,
nor the crippling power of fear itself.
Those who know you and love you can depend on you,
you are always there to pull them out of trouble.
The moment they call, you answer;
you’re on their side when all hell breaks loose;
you save their lives and throw a party in their honour.
You give them long and fulfilling lives, LORD;
they will see the realisation of all you have promised.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Timothy 6: 6-19

The keys to a truly rich life are to model yourself on God and to find contentment in simple things. When it comes to the things money can buy, we all have to leave this world as empty-handed as we entered it, so if we’ve got food on our tables and clothes on our backs, we are as rich as we’ll ever need to be. People who set their hearts on becoming very wealthy are their own worst enemies. They charge headlong into a mine field of inflated expectations and mind-numbing promises and they are easily seduced onto slippery slopes that end only in corruption and ruin. There are so many forms of evil that can be traced back to a passion for money, and there have been so many people whose craving for wealth has eroded their commitment to Christ and brought them nothing but pain and misery.
But you, Timothy, are a man who belongs to God; so steer well clear of such things. Instead, work hard at modelling yourself on God and developing your abilities to do the right thing, to trust God no matter what, to tough out the hard times, and to be consistently loving and compassionate. The life to which you have been called – the life without limit – is not gained without struggle. You went public in declaring your commitment to this cause, so fight hard and fair for it, trusting always in God, and the prize will be yours.
Standing now in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who spoke up for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I am reminding you of your mandate: follow through to the max on all you have been told to do. See that none of your work gives anyone cause to point an accusing finger. And keep at it until our Lord Jesus Christ steps back onto centre stage, as he will when God decides the time is right.
God alone deserves all praise!
God alone rules over all!
God far outranks every monarch and lord;
every chief, commander, and regime!
God alone lives beyond the reach of death,
hidden from every human eye
by blazing light that holds us at bay!
To God, honour and glory!
To God, power over all, forever!
And so say all of us!
Pass on some advice from me to those who are wealthy in the here and now. Tell them not to go getting full of themselves, or to fall for the idea that their money guarantees their quality of life – it could all be worthless tomorrow. Tell them, instead, to stake their future on God, for everything we need to enjoy a truly rich life is given to us by God. Teach them that if they really want to set themselves up for the future, they should invest heavily in doing good for others and build up a portfolio based on blue-chip sharing and generosity. That is the only way to achieve the goal of gaining shares in the life that is really worth living.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 16: 19-31

While speaking to some devoutly religious Pharisees who loved money, Jesus told this story:
There was a rich man who was always dressed to the nines in the most expensive fashions and who enjoyed chef-prepared, gourmet delicacies for breakfast, lunch and tea. In the street outside his security gates, lived a desperately poor man named Lazarus. He was malnourished and sleeping rough, and his skin was scabby and infected. All he ever ate was the scraps thrown out in the rich man’s garbage. Often he was too weak even to stop the dogs from licking his sores.
One day this poor man died and was carried away by the angels and seated alongside Abraham at the best table. The rich man also died and was given a rich man’s burial. However, in the land of the dead he found himself suffering horribly. He looked up, and far in the distance he could see Abraham with Lazarus seated alongside him. In desperation he called out, “Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus to bring me even a drop of water to cool my tongue. I am in agony here in these flames.”
But Abraham said, “Son, remember how life was a bed of roses for you, but Lazarus always copped the worst that life could dish up. Well here the tables have been turned. Besides, there is nothing we can do anyway. Can’t you see how we are cut off from you by this massive chasm. No one can get across from here to you, and you can’t get across from there to us.”
The rich man said, “In that case, Father, please send him to my family home to warn my five brothers so that they won’t go down the same track as me and end up here in this nightmare too.”
Abraham replied, “They have heard the teachings of Moses and the prophets. That should be all the warning they need.”
He replied, “It hasn’t sunk in though, Father Abraham. But if someone was to come back from the dead to warn them, then they’d turn their lives around for sure.”
But Abraham said to him, “If they won’t take any notice of Moses and the prophets, then even someone rising from the dead wouldn’t be enough to get through to them.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Amos 6: 1a, 4-7

The writing is on the wall for those who are living it up in the city;
for those who think that no harm can reach them in this town.
The writing is on the wall for those who spend their days
lounging around in pampered luxury;
dining on the finest delicacies
like there was no tomorrow;
singing and dancing while others suffer,
partying on while others starve.
The writing is on the wall for those
who care more about the temperature of their chardonnay
and the matching of clothes and cosmetics
than they do about the desperate plight
of the poor who live in their land!
They’ve got it coming to them.
They will be the first to be driven into refugee camps.
Their cushy comforts will be nothing but a memory.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you alone are the blessed immortal sovereign
who dwells in unapproachable light.
In the shadow of your wing,
you created the earth and gave life to all things.
Through Moses and the prophets you called us
to take hold of the life that really is life.
When our own harmful desires plunged us into destruction,
and we gazed across a great chasm
hungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table,
you sealed a promise that our homelands
would once again feed and clothe us.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ.
to show us your power to save.
After testifying to the truth before Pontius Pilate,
he was killed, but you raised him from the dead,
and now he seats us at your banquet table,
and richly provides us with everything for fullness of life.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that when we were gazing across a great chasm
hungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table,
you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to seat us at your banquet table
and richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you alone are the blessed immortal sovereign
who dwells in unapproachable light.
In the shadow of your wing,
you created the earth and gave life to all things.
Through Moses and the prophets you called us
to take hold of the life that really is life.
When our own harmful desires plunged us into destruction,
and we gazed across a great chasm
hungering for even the crumbs that fell from your table,
you sealed a promise that our homelands
would once again feed and clothe us.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ.
to show us your power to save.
After testifying to the truth before Pontius Pilate,
he was killed, but you raised him from the dead,
and now he seats us at your banquet table,
and richly provides us with everything for fullness of life.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Hear the words of Christ who is merciful:
“I deliver all who cling to me,
answer those who call me,
stand with those in trouble.
These I rescue and honour and show my power to save.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and take hold of the life that really is life.
Shun the eagerness for money
but be rich in good works.
Pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
And may God be your refuge and fortress;
May Christ Jesus free you from all that ensnares you;
And may the Holy Spirit provide you with everything
for godliness and contentment.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Pursuing the life that really is lifeA sermon on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Conflicting Visions of the FutureA sermon on 1 Timothy 6: 6-19; Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15; & Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

A Message from HadesA sermon on Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Defying DespairA sermon on Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15 & 1 Timothy 6: 6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

The Chasm and the CrossA sermon on Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Locking or Opening GatesA sermon on Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15 & Luke 16: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 22 - Year C
2028-10-08 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Lamentations 1: 1-6

What a sad and lonely sight the city has become,
where once it was teeming with people.
Once she was the toast of all the world.
Now she is a has-been.
She was the queen of the nations.
Now she sweeps up after them.
She sobs her heart out every night.
Bitter tears fall like rain.
She who could pick and choose her lovers
now can’t find a shoulder to cry on.
Former friends don’t want to know her.
They join her enemies to stick the boots in.
Judah has been marched off into exile.
Nothing but grief and hard labour ahead.
She wanders like a refugee
with no place to call her home.
If she runs, they hunt her down,
and make her fate even worse than before.
Along the Jerusalem Road everyone is ruined,
for the festival crowds no longer pass that way.
The city gates are derelict.
The priests are in despair.
The young women live in fear.
The city lies raped and ransacked.
Her enemies now rule the roost,
living it up at her expense.
The LORD has abandoned her to her fate
because her offences just went on and on.
Her children have been carried off
as prisoners in enemy hands.
Daughter Zion is a wrung out rag,
all her life and beauty gone.
Her brightest and best are like lost cattle
starving in the desert.
They fled for their lives
and are now fainting from hunger and thirst.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Lamentations 3: 19-26

The reality I’m facing is like a bitter taste in my mouth.
Grief and deprivation poison my mind.
I can’t stop thinking about it over and over,
but every thought makes me want to die.
The one thing that gives me hope,
the one thing I keep reminding myself of is this:
Your love and loyalty never die, LORD.
Your generous mercy never runs dry.
They are created new every morning
and you are as trustworthy as the solid rock.
So I keep telling myself that you are all I need
and that I can still trust you to come through for me.
You are good to those who hang in there for you, LORD;
to those whose hearts continue to search for you.
The life for which you save us, LORD,
is worth patiently waiting for.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 137

In Babylon, sitting on the banks of the river,
we swapped stories of home
and cried and cried and cried.
Unable to sing,
we packed away our instruments unplayed.
The guards made a joke of our misery,
tormenting us with insults,
and demanding that we entertain them
with songs from our homeland.
But how could we sing your songs
in that godless place, LORD?
If I ever forget your holy city, LORD,
may my arms be turned into twigs and burned.
LORD, if I do not remember Jerusalem
and stand up for her no matter what,
may I be strung up by my toes
over a mosquito infested swamp.
LORD, do not forgive that rampaging army
for the way they destroyed your holy city;
for the way they shouted and cheered
as it crumbled and fell.
Damn those murdering mongrels to hell, LORD.
Reward anyone who pays them back
for what they did to us!
Reward anyone who rounds up their children
and kicks them to death!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Timothy 1: 1-14

Dear Timothy. This letter comes to you from me, Paul, a special ambassador of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to make it known that in Christ Jesus, life has been promised to everyone. I greet you as my beloved son, and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace and extravagant generosity.
I am so grateful for being able to worship God the way my ancestors did, and I am sure I am doing the right thing. I also feel incredibly grateful when I think of you, as I do in my prayers, both day and night. I remember our last tearful farewell, and I am desperately looking forward to catching up with you again. It will make me so happy! I have fond memories of your very real and down-to-earth faith. That quality seems to run in your family: I first saw it in your grandmother Lois, and then in your mother Eunice, and now, sure enough, it is alive in you too. That is why I want to remind you to keep fuelling the fire of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on your head and prayed for you. After all, God did not intend that we should be timid about our gifts. Instead, God gave them to us to be used with courage, love and self-discipline.
So then, don’t be embarrassed about the stories of our Lord, or about me being locked up for him. Trust God’s power to be there for you, and join me in putting your life on the line for the message of God’s all-embracing love.
God rescued us from a living death
and called us to live for God alone
We had not earned this;
it was simply God’s plan,
carried out with great generosity.
Even before time began,
God’s extravagant generosity was ready for us;
a gift prepared for us in Christ Jesus.
Now it is out in the open,
lit up for all to see:
Christ Jesus has appeared as our lifesaver,
wiping out death
and announcing the fabulous message
of a life that death cannot touch.
I have been given the job of broadcasting this message; of being an ambassador for it, and a teacher of it. The trouble I have been suffering comes as a consequence of the job, but I have no regrets. I’d do it all again, because I have entrusted myself to Christ and come to know him, and I have every confidence in his ability to see me through to the day when everything will be completed.
So remember all I have taught you – it is solid and trustworthy, and will guide you in living out the faith and love which are grounded in Christ Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, take good care of the wonderful gift that God has entrusted to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 17: 5-10

Those who Jesus had chosen as his ambassadors approached him and said, “Make our faith grow bigger!”
But the Lord replied, “Faith is not something that is bigger or smaller. You only need faith the size of a poppy seed to be able to say to a huge tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would obey you.
“Think about this: If you employ someone to be you servant, full-time, you expect him to do what you pay him for, don’t you? If he comes in from a day working your land or shearing your sheep, you are not going to tell him to put his feet up while you run his bath and fix his dinner are you? Instead you will tell him to take his boots off, fix your supper, and wait on your table until your meal is over. After that, you’ll let him knock off and fix his own meal. You don’t pin a medal on him for just doing what he’s paid for, do you?
“So remember that it is the same with you. When you have done what is required of you, don’t go expecting anyone to put your name up in lights. Instead say, ‘We are nothing special. We were just doing our job,’ and leave it at that.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4

My name is Habakkuk and I am a prophet. I went to God seeking an explanation for the way things are.
For crying out loud, LORD!
How long will it be before you listen?
How long do I have to scream blue murder
before you come to the rescue?
Why do you make me witness so much evil?
Why am I forced to see such things?
Everywhere I look: violence and carnage,
fighting and madness on every side.
Law and order are out the window.
Justice is a joke.
The corrupt ride roughshod over decent people,
and twisted laws protect them as they do.
So what have you got to say, LORD?
I’m not budging from this spot until you answer.
I’m going to stand right here, all eyes and ears,
until you respond to my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me, saying:
Get the vision down in writing
in words that everyone can understand,
and get it to the publishers on the double.
The vision I have made known is still true.
When the time is right, what it speaks of will happen.
It may seem to be taking its time in coming,
but hang in there. It will happen.
You can count on it.
Some people won’t have a bar of it
because they are all spineless fluff;
but those who are fair dinkum live by it
with enduring courage and integrity.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 37: 1-9

Because of you, LORD, we don’t stress over corruption;
we don’t get jealous when crime seems to pay.
Those who live off ill-gotten gains will have their day;
they’ll wither like cut flowers in a hot north wind.
We put our trust in you, LORD, and do what’s right.
You give us our own land, and keep us safe and content.
Our greatest delight comes from knowing you, LORD,
and you delight in giving us what our hearts desire.
We have set our minds on following your ways, LORD;
our trust is in you, and we know you’ll back us up.
It will be as clear as day that we made the right choice;
you’ll make it perfectly obvious that our cause was justified.
We wait in your presence, LORD,
in stillness, quietness, patience.
We don’t waver when others profit from corruption;
we don’t regret our choice when others get away with murder.
Trusting in you, LORD, we can let go of vengeful anger.
We can relax and not get sucked into taking the law
into our own hands.
We can trust you to kick out the crooks, LORD,
and to hand the land over to those who staked their lives on you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We do indeed give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you saved us with a holy calling
for the sake of the life that is in Christ Jesus.
Before the ages began, your grace was at work,
bringing all things into being according to your purpose.
You pledged your steadfast love to your people,
and even when they were in exile and suffering
your mercy was there new every morning.
In Christ Jesus you revealed the fullness of your grace,
and came among us sowing seeds of faith and love.
When he was betrayed by his friends
and killed by his enemies,
you abolished death and raised him to life.
Though we have done no more than we ought,
you have honoured every seed of faith,
and with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us,
you rekindle our gifts and empower us with love.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though we have done no more than we ought,
you have honoured every seed of faith,
and with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us,
you rekindle our gifts and empower us with love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for you saved us with a holy calling
for the sake of the life that is in Christ Jesus.
Before the ages began, your grace was at work,
bringing all things into being according to your purpose.
You pledged your steadfast love to your people,
and even when they were in exile and suffering
your mercy was there new every morning.
In Christ Jesus you revealed the fullness of your grace,
and came among us sowing seeds of faith and love.
When he was betrayed by his friends
and killed by his enemies,
you abolished death and raised him to life.
Though we have done no more than we ought,
you have honoured every seed of faith,
and with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us,
you rekindle our gifts and empower us with love.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Through Christ Jesus we are saved,
not according to our works but by God’s purpose and grace,
for the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
and the mercies of God never come to an end.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, relying on the power of God.
Guard the good treasure God has entrusted to you
and hold firm to the teaching of the apostles.
Remember one another in your prayers
and continue to offer yourselves for the gospel.
And may God give you grace, mercy and peace;
May Christ Jesus lead you into life and faith;
And may the Holy Spirit live within you
and rekindle good gifts within you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Faith you can take for grantedA sermon on Luke 17:5-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Power of the BrokenA sermon on Lamentations 1.1-6, 3.1-33; Psalm 137 & Luke 17.5-10 by Garry Deverell

For crying out loud, Lord!A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton

You can’t earn itA sermon on Luke 17:5-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Spirits of Love and FearA sermon on 2 Timothy 1:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Head Smashing RageA sermon on Psalm 137 by Nathan Nettleton

The Beauty of LamentA sermon on Lamentations 1.1-6, 3.1-33 & Psalm 137 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 23 - Year C
2028-10-15 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7

Nebuchadnezzar had taken most of the people from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles. It was addressed to what was left of their leaders, priests and prophets, and through them to all the people. This is what it said:
The LORD who rules over everything, the God of Israel, has sent you from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon and now gives you these instructions:
Settle in for the long haul. Build houses and make yourselves at home. Plant gardens to provide you with food all year round. Continue normal family life – marry and have children, and encourage your children to do the same. Don’t put off raising children in expectation of going home any time soon. Pray that the LORD will be good to Babylon and work hard for the wellbeing of the society you have been sent to live in. Your own interests are now bound up with the interests of this country.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 66: 1-12

All the earth should shout joyfully to you, God;
singing your praises;
giving you the glory you deserve.
The things you have done are awesome, God!
When you take action,
your enemies cringe in fear.
You are worshipped all over the earth;
everywhere people sing your praises
and speak your name with honour.
We want to publicise everything you have done, God,
for what you have done among us is awesome.
You made a dry path through the middle of the sea;
you took us safely through the river on foot.
There on the other side, we celebrated your goodness
and declared you to be our mighty ruler forever.
Your eyes are always open, watching the nations;
let pretentious rebels be warned!
If only everyone would honour you, God,
and fill the world with the sound of your praises.
You are the one who sustains our life
and keeps our feet on the right track.
You, God, have examined us carefully;
tested us to see what we were made of.
You drove us to our limits
and weighed us down with burdens;
you let us be run into the ground;
you took us through the fires of hell
and the depths of despair
but then finally into a wide and generous land.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Timothy 2: 8-15

Keep this line fixed in your mind:
Jesus Christ, a human being descended from David,
has been raised from the dead.
That, in a nutshell, is the message I’ve been preaching all along. That is the message which has got me into so much trouble and even seen me locked up like a dangerous criminal. Fortunately though, God’s message itself can never be locked up. I’m willing to put up with all this because I know it helps get the message through to the people God is calling, so that they can get in on the life for which we are saved – the glorious life without limit grounded in Christ Jesus. Another saying to hang on to is this one:
If we have died with him,
we will live with him;
If we tough it out to the end,
we will reign with him;
if we turn our backs on him,
he will turn his back on us;
but no matter how unfaithful we are,
he remains a hundred percent faithful,
because he can never stop being who he is.
Don’t let anybody forget these things. With God as your witness, warn them not to get hung up on arguments over mere words. Such arguments achieve nothing and just drag everyone down. Instead put your energies into the work God has given you – teaching the truth with integrity – and prove yourself to be a worker who can hold his head high in God’s presence.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 17: 11-19

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus was travelling through the region along the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he was entering a village there, he was approached by ten people who were suffering from leprosy. They stood at a safe distance and called out to him as one, saying, “Jesus! Sir! Show compassion for us!”
When he saw what they were suffering from, Jesus said to them, “Go and ask the priests to certify that you are ready to resume normal social contact.”
The ten headed off, as instructed, and while they were on their way, their skin became clean and healthy. Realising that he was healed, one of them turned around and went back to Jesus, singing the praises of God at the top of his voice. He threw himself down at Jesus’s feet and couldn’t stop thanking him. And he was a Samaritan – a member of a despised minority group.
Then Jesus spoke up, saying, “Weren’t there ten people who were cured? Where have the other nine got to? How come this outsider is the only one who has come back to express thanks to God?”
Then he said to the man, “It’s time to stand up and get on with your life. Putting your faith into practice has made you whole.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

2 Kings 5: 1-3, 9-15c

The commander of the Syrian army was a man named Naaman. Naaman was very popular with his king, because under his command, the LORD had given Syria a string of military victories. Although he was a great soldier and a highly decorated commander, Naaman suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl among her servants who had come to Syria as a prisoner of war after a military raid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “If only your husband could meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. I’m sure he would cure him of his leprosy.”
So Naaman and his whole entourage travelled to Israel and pulled up in the street outside Elisha’s house. Elisha sent an errand boy out to Naaman with a message, saying, “Go down to the Jordan River and wash yourself in it seven times. That will cure you and your skin will be as clean and clear as a child’s.”
Naaman felt deeply insulted and drove off in a huff, saying, “You’d think that for a man of my standing he could have come out and talked to me himself. I thought that he would at least stand and call on the LORD his God, and wave his hand over my skin to bring about the cure! What’s so special about their scummy Israelite river? Aren’t the two great rivers of Damascus much bigger and better? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?”
So he stormed off, seething with rage. But his servants spoke up and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something really difficult, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? So surely you have got nothing to lose but your disease if you do what he said and wash yourself in the river.”
So Naaman relented and, wading out into the Jordan River, he immersed himself seven times in the water, just as the prophet of God had instructed him. Sure enough, he was cured instantly, and his skin became as clear and healthy as a child’s.
He and his entourage immediately returned to Elisha. Standing before the prophet of God, he declared, “Now I know that there is no other God in all the world except the God of Israel.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 111

Wow! More power to you, LORD!
We can’t thank you enough.
With all who stand for justice
our hearts burst with gratitude.
The things you do are fantastic, LORD,
and those who see and understand
never tire of exploring them.
Your works are magnificent, majestic,
and their integrity will never be eroded.
You have a reputation for doing amazing things,
and all of them generous and merciful.
You nourish those who honour you
and you are always true to your word.
You have left your people in no doubt
about your power;
you have given them the whole world on a plate.
Everything you put your hands to
is faithful, fair and trustworthy,
as is everything you say.
What you say goes, now and forever,
and no one can afford to ignore it.
You rescue your people and bring them home safe,
for you have committed yourself to them
for all time.
The mere mention of your holy name
makes us go weak all over!
Wisdom is born when your awesome presence
knocks us to our knees
and those who never lose sight of that
have got their heads on straight.
Awestruck, we give you honour and respect for ever.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you rule forever in faithfulness
and in you is salvation with eternal glory.
With awesome power you created the heavens and the earth
and through water and fire you saved for yourself a people.
Even when we were exiled throughout the earth,
your Word, which is never chained,
called us to settle wherever you placed us
and to prayerfully seek the welfare of every land.
In Jesus the Christ, your Word settled among us,
meeting us in our brokenness and suffering
and, in mercy, bringing healing and a way to wholeness.
He was chained like a criminal and crucified,
and when he died, we died with him,
but you raised him from the dead
so that we might also live with him,
forever shouting the wonder of your deeds
and singing the glory of your name.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that in Jesus Christ
your Word has settled among us,
meeting us in our brokenness and suffering
and in mercy, bringing healing and a way to wholeness.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you rule forever in faithfulness
and in you is salvation with eternal glory.
With awesome power you created the heavens and the earth
and through water and fire you saved for yourself a people.
Even when we were exiled throughout the earth,
your Word, which is never chained,
called us to settle wherever you placed us
and to prayerfully seek the welfare of every land.
In Jesus the Christ, your Word settled among us,
meeting us in our brokenness and suffering
and, in mercy, bringing healing and a way to wholeness.
He was chained like a criminal and crucified,
and when he died, we died with him,
but you raised him from the dead
so that we might also live with him,
forever shouting the wonder of your deeds
and singing the glory of your name.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ remains faithful even if we are faithless.
He hears our cries for mercy and replies:
“Get up and live,
your faith has made you well.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and live fruitfully where God has placed you.
Pray and strive for the welfare of those you live among,
and do your best to present yourselves to God
as faithful workers with no need to be ashamed.
And may God open the pathways before you;
May Christ Jesus cleanse you and make you whole;
And may the Holy Spirit keep your spirits alive
and your feet from stumbling.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

How Healed is Healed?A sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Becoming AbnormalA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton

To Be SureA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 & 2 Timothy 2:8-15 by Frank C Senn

Living the Life You’ve Been GivenA sermon on Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7 by Nathan Nettleton

The Quest for a Place to Live WellA sermon on Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 by Nathan Nettleton

The kingdom of God is among youA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Belinda Groves

Jesus vs our TribalismA sermon on Luke 17: 11-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 24 - Year C
2028-10-22 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 31: 27-34

You can count on this, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will replant the land of Israel and Judah and raise a new crop of people and animals. In the past I dedicated myself to wreaking havoc among them, and crushing, demolishing and devastating them. But soon I will dedicate myself to healing them, and to rebuilding and giving life, says the LORD. No longer will people repeat the old saying:
“When the parents eat junk,
it is the children whose teeth rot.”
It will be clear that everyone will pay for their own sins. If it is you who eats the junk, it will be your teeth that rot.
You can count on this, says the LORD. The time is coming when I will once again take Israel and Judah as my marriage partner. Our marriage will not be like the marriage I entered with their ancestors. Back then I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of slavery and carried them across the threshold into a home of their own. But even though I was loving and faithful, says the LORD, they broke our marriage vows.
But listen to the new marriage vows I will soon make with the people of Israel, says the LORD:
“I will write my values into your hearts and minds.
I will be your God, and you will be my people.”
No longer will they need lessons to learn how I want them to live. They won’t need to spur each other on, saying, “Get to know the LORD,” because all of them, from all walks of life, will know me well, says the LORD. I will erase all record of their past wrongs and let them start over with a clean slate.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 97-104

LORD, how I love your teachings!
I keep them in my thoughts all day long.
I’m able to stay a jump ahead of my enemies
because your guidance is always with me.
Studying your instructions has taught me far more
than I could ever learn from the best teachers.
Following your rules to the letter
has given me more wisdom than old age brings.
I steer clear of the paths of corruption
so that I can stick to the track you have set.
You have taught me well
and I won’t dodge any of your directions.
Your words taste so sweet on my tongue,
they are like strawberries and cream!
Your commands have given me great understanding
and made me allergic to lies and corruption!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5

Timothy, stick to the trusted tracks you have been taught to follow and have found to be true. You know your teachers and you know you can trust them. Ever since you were a little fella, you have had a good grasp of the sacred scriptures. From them you can learn what is needed to gain the life for which we are saved through trusting in Christ Jesus. All scripture is alive with the life-force of God and can be usefully employed in many ways: teaching people; exposing lies and bullshit; getting people back on track; and training people in how to live right. In these ways, the scriptures help prepare and equip God’s people for their life-giving work.
Don’t underestimate the importance of your work. God is watching everything you do. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge its value, as he will for everyone, past and present. He will appear and bring everything under his rule. In light of all this, I am spelling out your job description once again and urging you to give it everything you’ve got:
• preach God’s message;
• stick at it, when it seems to be going well and when it doesn’t;
• teach clearly and persuasively;
• set people straight when they need it;
• be encouraging.
You will need tonnes of patience as you do all this, because there will be times when people will not be able to stomach solid truths. Instead they will start collecting gurus who will pander to their weaknesses and sell them whatever they are itching to hear. They will block their ears to the truth and swallow fantasies. But as for you, keep your wits about you at all times. When hostility comes, take it on the chin. Work hard at spreading the message. God has given you this work – carry it out to the max.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 18: 1-8

Jesus told a story to encourage people to be persistent in prayer and never lose heart. He said, “Once upon a time there was a town magistrate who took no notice of God and had no respect for anyone. There was a widowed woman in the town who had very little in the way of resources or influence, but who kept contacting the magistrate and demanding that he take action to protect her rights in a dispute with a powerful opponent. For a while he just kept brushing her off, but eventually he said to himself, ‘I couldn’t care less what happens to this woman, and all her talk of God’s justice means nothing to me; but I’m going to give her what she wants because I’m sick to death of her nagging and I just want to get her off my back.’”
And the Lord commented on his story, saying, “Do you get the point of what the callous magistrate is saying? If he can be pressured into acting for justice, can’t you see how much more certain it is that God will bring about justice for those who have dedicated themselves to God and cry out for help night and day. Will God brush them off and ignore their pleas? You can take it from me: God will waste no time in bringing about justice for them. And yet, will the New Human find much of that sort of persistent faith on earth when he makes his entrance?”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 32: 22-31

As he returned from his self-imposed exile, Jacob set up camp for a night at the place where the road crossed the Jabbok Creek. During the night, he got up and decided that it would be safer to shift everyone across to the other side of the creek. So he sent his two wives, his two maids, his eleven children, and all their belongings across the creek while he stayed on alone at the original campsite. There in the darkness, he suddenly found himself wrestling with a stranger. The fight continued until the first light of dawn. Unable to subdue Jacob, the stranger swung a low blow that caught Jacob off-guard and dislocated his hip. Still Jacob would not give up, and the stranger said, “Call it quits! The sun is coming up and you’ve got a big day ahead of you, so let me go.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not release my grip until you give me a blessing.”
So the stranger said, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he replied.
“Not any more,” the stranger said. “From now on you will be known as Israel, because you have struggled against God and against people and you have held your own.”
Then Jacob said to the stranger, “Please tell me your name.”
“Do you really need to ask who I am?” the stranger replied, and then gave Jacob a blessing.
As the stranger departed, Jacob said to himself, “I have come face to face with God and survived to tell the tale!” So he named that place ‘Peniel’ which means ‘face of God’. The sun was fully risen as he left Peniel, walking with a painful limp because of his dislocated hip.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 121

If we look to the mountains,
will we find security there?
No, our security comes from you alone,
the LORD, the maker of earth and sky.
You are on the alert, twenty four hours a day,
making sure that we don’t lose our footing.
You never slack off or take a nap,
but constantly guard your people.
You keep us safe, LORD,
you are always at our side to shield us.
While the sun shines, nothing can harm us;
the moon comes up, but still we are safe.
You stand between us and all evil, LORD;
you keep our lives clear of danger.
Whether we are coming or going,
you look after us, LORD;
you always have and always will.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your promises are sweeter than honey
and you bring justice to your people.
You created the earth,
and raised humans and animals upon it.
You led your people by the hand out of slavery
and yet still they broke your covenant
and turned away from listening to the truth.
In Jesus the Christ, you came to us again,
offering a new covenant, written on our hearts,
so that you might be our God,
and we might know you,
from the least to the greatest.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life,
and through him, you inspired sacred writings
to bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work,
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for your sacred writings
that lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your promises are sweeter than honey
and you bring justice to your people.
You created the earth,
and raised humans and animals upon it.
You led your people by the hand out of slavery
and yet still they broke your covenant
and turned away from listening to the truth.
In Jesus the Christ, you came to us again,
offering a new covenant, written on our hearts,
so that you might be our God,
and we might know you,
from the least to the greatest.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life,
and through him, you inspired sacred writings
to bring us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and to equip us for every good work,
as with persistent prayer
we seek to build your justice
and plant your faithfulness on the earth.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord comes to us with a new covenant, saying:
“I will write my law on your hearts;
I will forgive your wrongdoing
and remember your sins no more.”
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and continue in what you have learned and believed.
Pray always, and do not lose heart.
Proclaim God’s message;
endure hostility;
carry out your ministry fully.
And may God be quick to answer your prayers;
May Christ Jesus inspire faith within you;
And may the Holy Spirit tutor your hearts and
equip you for every good work.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When God tries againA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

The Puzzle of GraceA sermon on Luke 18:1-8 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

The Work of an EvangelistA sermon on 2 Timothy 4: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton

Sacred Writings and Itchy EarsA sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

What use is the Bible?A sermon on 2 Timothy 3:14-17 & Jeremiah 31: 31-34 by Nathan Nettleton

In the MeantimeA sermon on Jeremiah 31: 27-34; 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 & Luke 18: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 25 - Year C
2028-10-29 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Joel 2: 23-32

Shout for joy, you who call the holy city home.
Celebrate the goodness of the LORD your God.
The LORD has done the right thing by you,
sending you good rains, just like in the old days;
autumn and spring rains right on cue.
Your silos will bulge with grain.
Your vats will overflow with wine and olive oil.
I, the LORD your God, will make up for the bad years;
for the seasons when locusts destroyed everything in sight.
I sent them like an invading army,
swarming over your land,
stripping your crops bare.
But now you will have more than you can eat,
and will gladly give credit to me, the LORD your God.
I have done amazing things for you.
You will never be humiliated again.
You, my people, will know that I am among you,
and that I, the LORD, am your one and only God.
You are my people,
and you will never be humiliated again.
Then, after that, I will do even more:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and your daughters will speak as prophets.
The elderly among you will dream dreams,
and the young will see visions.
In those days, I will even pour out my Spirit
upon men and women whose rights no one cares about.
I will perform miraculous signs in the sky and on the earth,
blood, and fire, and clouds of smoke.
The sun will go black and the moon blood-red
before the dawning
of my awesome and glorious day.
And everyone who cries out to me will be rescued,
for there will be survivors on my holy mountain
and in my holy city.
I, the LORD, have promised this,
and among the survivors will be the people I have called.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 65

You deserve all the credit we can give you, O God.
We will gather on your holy mountain
and make good on all we have promised you.
You are the one who answers prayers
and everyone on earth will turn to you.
When we are weighed down by our guilt,
you wipe away the record of our wrongs.
What a privilege it is to be among your chosen ones;
to be invited to live in your presence.
Everything we could want is provided
here in your sacred temple.
You take action in awesome ways, O God;
you step in and rescue us when we call.
You are the answer to the hopes of people everywhere,
in every land and across the seas.
You rolled up your sleeves
and lifted the mountains into place.
You tamed the angry seas,
silencing both roaring waves
and frenzied crowds.
From one end of the earth to the other,
everyone is mind-boggled by what you do.
Dawn and sunset join their voices
as all the earth shouts for joy.
You tend the earth like a garden,
enriching the soil and keeping it watered.
Your rivers never run dry, God,
and the fields you have plowed
yield a bumper harvest to feed your people.
You level the uneven ground
and nourish the soil;
you water it with softening showers
and set the seeds growing and flourishing.
The year is crowned with a bumper harvest
and everything you touch is bursting with life.
Wilderness fields erupt in flower,
mountains and hills pour forth joy;
paddocks are clothed with healthy flocks,
barren land is ablaze with golden grain.
All of them shout for joy;
all the earth breaks into song.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18

Timothy, I am passing the baton on to you now. My time is up. The last few drops of my life are being poured out as a final offering to God. I have given my best in the struggle. I have run the full course that was set before me. I have kept the faith, no matter how tough the going got. The event has been judged by the Lord, who always gets it right, and all that lies ahead of me now is the medal ceremony. On that day, the Lord will hang the medal around my neck to show that I have made the grade. And there on the podium, receiving their medals alongside me, will be everyone else who has eagerly awaited the Lord’s arrival.
At my first committal hearing, there was no one taking my side. Everyone bolted and left me in the lurch. God forgive them! The Lord was there for me though, standing along side me and giving me strength. That made it possible for me to get the message out; to broadcast it in full for those who had never heard it before. Then, and countless times since, the Lord rescued me from the midst of the circling sharks so that I might safely enter the kingdom of heaven.
All the glory belongs to the Lord!
Always has, always will!
And so say all of us!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 18: 9-14

Jesus told a story to some people who held a very high opinion of their own moral character and a very low opinion of everybody else. He said, “Two men went into the place of worship to pray. One of them was a member of the devoutly religious Pharisee party, while the other was working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces and so was despised as a traitor. The religious man struck a pose in full view of everybody and prayed out loud, saying, ‘God, I give you thanks that I am not dishonest, corrupt or perverted like other people. I especially thank you that I am not like that traitor over there. I fast religiously twice a week, and donate ten percent of all my income to you.’
“Meanwhile the traitor fell to his knees in a quiet corner and, with his face buried in his hands, prayed, ‘God, I know that I have failed you. Please have mercy on me!’”
“You can take it from me,” said Jesus, “that it was this second man rather than the other who was in the good books with God when he headed for home. The fact is that those who big-note themselves will end up with egg all over their faces, while those who remain down to earth and presume nothing will be promoted by God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Sirach 35: 12-17

The Lord God has shown enormous generosity to you,
so be as generous as you can in your offerings to God.
Invest in the Lord and the returns are guaranteed.
Whatever you give, you’ll get back many times over.
But don’t ever try to buy God’s favour.
The Lord will never accept a bribe or a kick-back.
The Lord hands down justice with a perfectly even hand,
judging each case fairly and never playing favourites.
God is no bleeding heart who always believes the poor,
but anyone who has been wronged will have their case heard.
The Lord will never dismiss anyone without a fair hearing.
Even the most down and out
– those with no rights, no family, and no influence –
will have their grievances heard by God.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Jeremiah 14: 7-10, 19-22

Take on our case, LORD,
even though we are as guilty as hell.
Defend us for the sake of your own reputation,
even though we have a long record of treachery
and we have done the wrong thing by you.
You are known as the hope of our nation,
as the one who always saves us.
Don’t let yourself be seen as a mere blow-in in your own land;
as an outside observer, watching on, but uninvolved.
Why should you be seen as a toothless tiger,
as an armed soldier who doesn’t know which side he’s on?
Come on, LORD, you have made your base here.
Everyone associates your name with us.
Don’t give up on us now!
What you have said about us is all true, LORD;
that we are unfaithful;
that we have itchy feet and are always going astray.
You have said that you are sick of the sight of us,
and that you will not overlook our offences
or hold back on punishing us as we deserve.
Have you written us off completely, LORD?
Do you now hate and despise us?
Surely you would never knock us down
and leave us with no chance to get back on our feet?
We look for peace, but we look in vain.
We wait for healing and rebuilding,
but all we hear are threats of terror.
We have confessed our crimes, LORD.
We did do the wrong thing by you,
and we continued the atrocities of our ancestors.
Don’t give up on us, LORD.
Your reputation is at stake here.
Don’t give yourself and your authority a bad name
by breaking the alliance you made with us.
How useless are the things other nations put their trust in!
Can their idols bring even a drop of rain?
Aren’t you the one in charge, O LORD our God?
You are our only hope!
You are the one who makes things happen!
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 84: 1-7

The place where you live is just exquisite,
O LORD, ruler of all!
With everything inside me, I long to be there;
I go all weak at the very thought of it.
I want to be there, body and soul,
singing my heart out for you, O God of life.
Even the birds find a home in your house;
there are nests in every nook and cranny
where pigeons and sparrows raise their young.
Bird song and incense rise together
to honour you, Sovereign God, ruler of all.
How privileged are those who live in your house;
joyous songs of praise are forever on their lips.
Those who have tapped into your strength
have got it made.
The highway to heaven begins within them;
a direct route to your holy presence.
They are like people who can find water in the desert;
they drink from life giving springs
that no drought can ever dry up.
They go from strength to strength,
and will see you face to face on your holy mountain.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have dealt wondrously with us
and saved us for your heavenly kingdom.
With awesome power you created the earth
and everything you touch comes alive;
grain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.
You called a people to be your own
and you filled them with the plenty of your house.
In Jesus the Christ, your son and our brother,
you proclaimed the vindication
of those who humbled themselves,
casting themselves on your mercy
and looking to you for strength to run the race.
When he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves,
you raised him from the dead,
and gave him the crown of righteousness.
Through him, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
and your people bring forth a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that you vindicate those who humble themselves,
and that you now pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
bringing forth in your people a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have dealt wondrously with us
and saved us for your heavenly kingdom.
With awesome power you created the earth
and everything you touch comes alive;
grain abounds and vats overflow with wine and oil.
You called a people to be your own
and you filled them with the plenty of your house.
In Jesus the Christ, your son and our brother,
you proclaimed the vindication
of those who humbled themselves,
casting themselves on your mercy
and looking to you for strength to run the race.
When he was crucified by those who would exalt themselves,
you raised him from the dead,
and gave him the crown of righteousness.
Through him, you pour out your spirit like rain on all flesh
and your people bring forth a wonderful harvest
of visions, prophesies, and songs of praise.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,
for Christ has promised
that those who humble themselves
and cry out to the Lord for mercy
will be justified.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, rejoicing in the Lord your God.
Fight the good fight;
finish the race;
keep the faith.
And may God rescue you from every evil attack;
May Christ Jesus reserve for you the crown of righteousness;
And may the Holy Spirit flood you with grace
and overflow in you with visions and dreams of glory.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Self-Esteem for SinnersA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Wounded by GodA sermon on Joel 2. 23-32 by Garry Deverell

The Pharisee, the Tax Collector and JoelA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 & Joel 2: 23-32 by Ian Cook

Stand Out RighteousnessA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Competitive Entry ScoreA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Thank God I am not like other peopleA sermon on Luke 18: 9-14 by Nathan Nettleton

All Saints Day - Year C
2028-11-01 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Daniel 7: 1-3, 15-18

I, Daniel, had some alarming dreams and visions as I lay in bed one night. I got up and wrote them down. This was during the first year of Belshazzar’s reign as king of Babylon. In my first vision that night, the four winds blew in from the sky and whipped up a great storm at sea. Up out of the stormy sea came four monstrous beasts, each one different from the others.
This vision was deeply disturbing and left me badly shaken, so I went straight to the nearest aide and asked him to help me to make sense of what it meant. He interpreted the dream for me saying:
“The four monstrous beasts indicate the rise of four powerful nations that will reign on earth. But nevertheless, the ones who will reign over God’s earth forever and ever will be the people who have been dedicated solely to the Most High God.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 149

You are the greatest, LORD!
We sing your praises like we’ve never sung before, LORD,
along with all your faithful people everywhere.
Our greatest joy is knowing
that you made us as your people.
With all the children of your holy city,
we celebrate you as our King!
Every mention of your name sets us singing and dancing;
we strike up the band in your honour.
For you, LORD, delight in your people;
you share the spoils of victory with ordinary folk.
Your faithful ones revel in your glory,
and bask in the sheer joy of praising you.
Put your words in their mouths
and your sword in their hands, God,
so that they can bring the nations to justice
and execute your sentence on every population.
Deliver every despot and dictator into their hands
to be tried and sentenced
and put behind bars where they belong.
May all your faithful ones share in this glory, LORD,
for you are the greatest!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 1: 11-23

Now that we are united to Christ, we have been promised a share of all that belongs to Christ. This is our destiny, because God chose us and made plans for us from the start, and when God’s mind is set on something, you can be sure it will happen. It was always God’s intention that those who put their hope in Christ — and we were among the first — would live lives that were a shining testimony to the glory of Christ. You have been in on this too, since the moment you heard the truth about Christ, recognised it to be the message that would save you, and put your trust him. Then and there, the Holy Spirit wrote God’s name on you, marking you out as one of those who have been given a guaranteed place among God’s people when God finally puts everything right. You’ll certainly be a shining testimony to God’s glory then!
Having heard of your deep trust in the Lord Jesus and your active love for his people, I could hardly stop thanking God for you. And I’m praying for you too. I ask the glorious God of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will fill you with wisdom and insight as you get to know God. That way you’ll get a clear picture of all that God wants you to see:

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

This dynamic power is the same energy that God put to work in the Messiah when he raised him from death and enthroned him in heaven. Now the Messiah sits at God’s right hand, reigning over the entire universe, and there is not a single authority that can overrule him, now or ever. Every religious hierarchy and military regime; every legal jurisdiction and people-power movement; every economic imperative and moral principle; God has put them all under the feet of the Messiah. God has decreed that all things will answer to him. The church, then, is central to what the Messiah is doing, for it is his body, already filled with the presence of the one who is filling each and every part of the entire universe.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 6:20-31

Jesus taught his followers, saying:
“You who own next to nothing have got it made,
because you are already at home in the culture of God.
“You who don’t have enough to eat now have got it made,
because you will be filled with good things.
“You who are grief stricken now have got it made,
because you will be all smiles and laughter.
“And if people hate you and shut you out, treat you like dirt and drag your name through the mud because of your association with me, then you really have got it made! You’re in great company because in every generation they’ve done the same thing to all God’s faithful messengers. So sing! Dance! Celebrate! Heaven is coming and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!
“But the writing is on the wall for you who have got it all now.
That’s it for you. You’ve got nothing more to look forward to.
“And the writing is on the wall for you who consume to excess.
You’ve had your share. You’re going to go hungry.
“The writing is on the wall for you who think it’s all a big joke now.
The smile is going to be wiped right off your face.
“And if everybody is fawning over you and saying how wonderful you are, then the writing is well and truly on the wall. They come from a long line of people who fawned over every religious charlatan that ever tickled their ears.”
“If you are ready to hear the truth then I have this to say: Love! Love even your enemies. Treat even those who hate you with love. If anyone mouths off at you or treats you like dirt, wish them all the best and pray for them. If someone gives you a smack around the ear to humiliate you, stand tall and stick your chin out, and invite them to have another crack. Absorb the hostility – don’t escalate it. If someone nicks your coat, just say, ‘Hey, if you’re needing that, you’ll be needing these,’ and hand over your hat and scarf as well. Give to everyone who asks something of you, and don’t go hassling people to give back what they’ve got from you. Live generously, and don’t go keeping score and looking to balance the ledger.
“If you want to know how to treat someone, just ask yourself what you’d be hoping for if you were in their shoes. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated, not just the way you aretreated.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We do indeed give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for by your great power you have called us to a rich hope
and pledged us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
In time before dreaming you sent the wind
to stir up the sea of chaos and bring forth the earth.
Through your law and prophets
you promised us that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embraced your holiness.
Through your son, Jesus Christ,
you proclaimed a day when the hungry will feast
and the mourners laugh.
When he was killed on the cross
you raised him from the dead
and seated him at your right hand.
In him you give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that we might know that hope to which you have called us
and embody the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for calling us with great power to a rich hope,
for promising that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embrace your holiness,
and for pledging us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for by your great power you have called us to a rich hope
and pledged us a glorious inheritance among the saints.
In time before dreaming you sent the wind
to stir up the sea of chaos and bring forth the earth.
Through your law and prophets
you promised us that your Kingdom would belong forever
to those who embraced your holiness.
Through your son, Jesus Christ,
you proclaimed a day when the hungry will feast
and the mourners laugh.
When he was killed on the cross
you raised him from the dead
and seated him at your right hand.
In him you give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
so that we might know that hope to which you have called us
and embody the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord delights in saving those who need help.
Having heard and believed the word of truth
– the gospel of salvation –
we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit
as the pledge of our redemption.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love open to all God’s people.
Bless those who curse you,
love those who hate you,
and treat others as you would wish them to treat you.
And may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation;
May Christ Jesus count you among his saints for eternity;
And may the Holy Spirit mark you out
for fullness of redemption.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Living with the SaintsA sermon on Luke 6:20-31 & Ephesians 1:11-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Only for Saints?A sermon on Luke 6:20-31 & Ephesians 1:11-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Saints of God – Living, Dead, and …?A sermon on Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

But the Saints Shall Receive the KingdomA sermon on Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Saints of Blessed MemoryA sermon on Ephesians 1:11-23 & Luke 6:20-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 26 - Year C
2028-11-05 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4

My name is Habakkuk and I am a prophet. I went to God seeking an explanation for the way things are.
For crying out loud, LORD!
How long will it be before you listen?
How long do I have to scream blue murder
before you come to the rescue?
Why do you make me witness so much evil?
Why am I forced to see such things?
Everywhere I look: violence and carnage,
fighting and madness on every side.
Law and order are out the window.
Justice is a joke.
The corrupt ride roughshod over decent people,
and twisted laws protect them as they do.
So what have you got to say, LORD?
I’m not budging from this spot until you answer.
I’m going to stand right here, all eyes and ears,
until you respond to my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me, saying:
Get the vision down in writing
in words that everyone can understand,
and get it to the publishers on the double.
The vision I have made known is still true.
When the time is right, what it speaks of will happen.
It may seem to be taking its time in coming,
but hang in there. It will happen.
You can count on it.
Some people won’t have a bar of it
because they are all spineless fluff;
but those who are fair dinkum live by it
with enduring courage and integrity.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 137-144

You always do the right thing, LORD,
and your judgments are spot on.
You have set out your instructions for us,
marking the way of honesty and integrity.
When I see opponents ignoring your teachings,
I get so angry I could explode.
Your promises have tested true over and over
and I will cherish your every word as I serve you.
I might be a nothing, a no one,
but I know how to stick to your ways.
Your commitment to what’s right never ends
and your law is the essence of truth.
Tough times have come to torment me,
but your teachings still put a smile on my face.
Your directions are the ultimate in justice;
they show me the way to fullness of life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12

To the church in Thessalonica; a people who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
This letter comes to you from the three of us: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
We greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best – God’s love and peace given through the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
Sisters and brothers, we are constantly expressing our thanks to God for you. How could we not?! Your faith is growing in leaps and bounds, and your love for each other continues to expand and deepen. We have even found ourselves boasting about you when we’ve been visiting God’s people in other churches. We go on and on about how your commitment and faith have remained rock-solid, despite the campaign of vilification and abuse you have had to endure.
Through these tough times we continue to pray that God will enable you to live up to your calling. We pray too that God will be at work among you, to make sure that every goal you set yourselves in faith and integrity is achieved. In that way, your lives will be putting the name of our Lord Jesus up in lights. In your union with him, you will also be sharing the glory because in extravagant generosity, our God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah always share the glory.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 19: 1-10

The road Jesus was on took him through the town of Jericho. There was a man named Zacchaeus there who was despised as a traitor, because he had made his fortune working as a debt collector for the Roman occupation forces. He was eager to lay eyes on Jesus, but so was everyone else and he couldn’t see past the crowd because he was too short. So he nicked up the street a bit and climbed a tree in order to get a good view when Jesus came past. When Jesus got to that point on the road, he looked up and called out to him, “Zacchaeus, come on down. I need you to put me up at your place for the night.”  Zacchaeus nearly fell out of his tree in his eagerness to welcome Jesus into his home. The onlookers, though, were outraged, and they began to grumble. “This Jesus has lost the plot. He’s gone home with the scum of the earth.”
Zacchaeus stood up and said to Jesus, “I’m turning over a new leaf, Lord. I am giving half of everything I own to the poor, and anybody I have ripped off, I am repaying four times over.”
In reply, Jesus announced, “God’s new life has broken out in this house today. Just like his ancestor Abraham, this man is one of God’s chosen ones. You see, the New Human has come to search for the lost and rescue them.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 1: 10-18

During the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah as kings of Judah, the LORD spoke through Isaiah, the son of Amoz. This is a message Isaiah was given about Judah and Jerusalem.
Listen to what I say, for I am the LORD.
You rulers are no better than the rulers of Sodom!
You people are no better than the people of Gomorrah!
So take note of what I have to say.
What do I care for all your sacrifices?
I have had a gutful of them.
If I see one more burnt offering
– be it a ram or a grain-fed calf –
I think I’m going to puke.
I can’t stand all this blood you keep offering
from slaughtered bulls, lambs and goats.
What on earth makes you think
that this is the way to please me?
Get out of my temple and stay out.
Your gifts are wasted.
Your incense is nothing but a smokescreen.
I can’t stand all your sacred days and special gatherings;
your pomp and ceremony doesn’t hide your evil ways.
You can fill your calendar with special events
to celebrate this, that and the other thing,
but I despise them deep in my guts.
They have drained my patience;
I can’t put up with even one more.
You can raise your hands to me in prayer,
but I’ll look away;
You can pray till you’re blue in the face
but I’ll block my ears.
All I see on your hands is blood;
all I hear in your prayers is excuses.
Clean up your act;
scrub yourselves clean, inside and out;
don’t let me see any more corruption from you.
Quit your evil,
learn to do the right thing;
make justice your goal,
prevent the use and abuse of people;
stand up for the vulnerable,
take sides with the forgotten.
Come on, let’s sort this out.
I am the LORD. Listen to me.
Your sins are as red as scarlet,
but they will be white as snow;
they are crimson like blood,
but they will be like fresh-cut wool.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 32: 1-7

What a blessing it is to be among those you have forgiven, LORD,
those whose record of wrongdoing you have wiped clean.
People who are honest about their lives
have everything going for them;
they never have to cover their tracks
or worry that they’ll be in your bad books.
I used to keep my sins to myself, LORD,
but they poisoned me from within;
wasting my body,
tormenting my mind.
Day and night I felt your eyes following me;
I lived in fear that you’d see right through me.
The joy of living evaporated
in the burning heat of my guilt.
Then I decided to come clean with you, LORD,
to own up to all I’d done and stop living a lie.
I made a full confession to you, LORD,
and you gave me a full pardon, forgiving all my sin.
Now, like all your faithful people, LORD,
I am always ready to open myself to you in prayer.
When trouble breaks its banks,
your faithful ones are on safe ground.
You are like a bomb shelter for us, LORD;
you protect us from danger.
Thanks to you, LORD, we can still laugh;
we can dance around singing songs of freedom.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for through you, our faith is growing abundantly
and our love for one another is increasing.
All that exists was established by your decree,
and even when wickedness has surrounded your people
your vision held firm for the appointed time
and your righteous people lived by their faith.
In Jesus the Christ,
you have come to seek out and save the lost.
When those stunted by sin were drawn to him
he offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.
Through your power
he is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.
When he was killed in a perversion of justice,
you raised him from the dead,
and now you are glorifying him in us,
and us in him,
and through your grace
you are establishing your eternal justice
in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for coming in Jesus Christ
at the appointed time,
to seek out and save the lost
and to fulfil every good resolve and work of faith.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for through you, our faith is growing abundantly
and our love for one another is increasing.
All that exists was established by your decree,
and even when wickedness has surrounded your people
your vision held firm for the appointed time
and your righteous people lived by their faith.
In Jesus the Christ,
you have come to seek out and save the lost.
When those stunted by sin were drawn to him
he offered your gracious welcome and inspired repentance.
Through your power
he is fulfilling every good resolve and work of faith.
When he was killed in a perversion of justice,
you raised him from the dead,
and now you are glorifying him in us,
and us in him,
and through your grace
you are establishing your eternal justice
in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ came to seek out and to save the lost
and by grace he makes us worthy of his call.
Made righteous in him by faith, we will live.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live by faith.
Patiently trust in God’s promised future;
live by God’s teachings,
and let your love for one another increase.
And may God give you grace and peace;
May Christ Jesus make you worthy of his call;
And may the Holy Spirit fulfil in you
every good resolve and work of faith.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

For crying out loud, Lord!A sermon on Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton

Good News for the RichA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Growing in Faith and LoveA sermon on 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Salvation Comes CallingA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Problem of Being LittleA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Ian Cook

The Scandal of the Scared Little Rich GuyA sermon on Luke 19:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Just Shall Live By FaithA sermon on Habakkuk 2:4 by Geoff Leslie

Proper 27 - Year C
2028-11-12 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Haggai 1:15b - 2:9

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, during the second year of the reign of Darius as king of Persia, the LORD sent the prophet Haggai with a message for the remaining people in Judah, and especially for their governor, Zerubbabel, and their high priest, Joshua. This is what the message said:
How many of you can remember what this temple was like when it stood here in all its glory? How does what you see here now compare? Pathetic, isn’t it? It needn’t stay that way though.
Fire up, Zerubbabel, and get to work.
Fire up, Joshua. You are the high priest. Get to work.
Fire up, all you people of the land, and get to work.
Get to work, because I, the LORD who rules over everything, will be with you, just as I promised I would be when you escaped from the land of slavery. My life-breath is among you and within you, so you have nothing to fear.
I, the LORD who rules over everything, promise you this. Very soon I will again shake up the earth and sky, the oceans and the dry land. I will turn the nations upside down and shake out their treasures so that this temple will be full of splendour. All the world’s silver and all the world’s gold belong to me, the LORD who rules over everything. This temple is going to end up more spectacular than it ever was. From this place I will enrich all people. I, the LORD who rules over everything, have given my word.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 145: 1-5, 17-21

We will declare you to be the greatest, God our king,
and put your name up in lights forever.
Every day, without fail, we will sing your praises,
we will honour your name now and forever.
You are wonderful, LORD; you deserve the highest praise,
and your greatness is more than we can comprehend.
Each generation tells the next what you have done,
and speaks with awe about your accomplishments.
We will fill our minds with your splendour and glory,
and with the stories of your amazing exploits.
Justice marks everything you do, LORD,
and generous love colours your every deed.
When honest hearts cry out to you, LORD,
you are right there alongside them.
You satisfy the desires of those who respect you;
you hear their cries and rescue them from death.
You watch out for those who love you, LORD,
and wipe out corruption when it threatens.
Your praises will be always on our lips, LORD,
and with all who live,
we will single out your name for the highest honour
forever and ever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 98

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

2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5, 13-17

Sisters and brothers, on the subject of the day our Lord Jesus Christ finally comes and we are gathered together to be with him, let me speak as plainly as I can. Whatever you do, don’t go getting all jumpy about this. Don’t start flipping out because someone says that the day of the Lord has already been and gone; even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision or heard it from some authority, or even read it in a letter from us. There are plenty of hoaxes and con-jobs about these things. Don’t fall for them.
There are some things that have to happen before that day comes. There will be a great turning against God, and the appearance of the one who is a law unto himself. He personifies all that is destined for hell. Arrogant and charismatic, he will set himself up in opposition to all other religions and faiths, and demand that everyone give their ultimate allegiance and devotion to him alone. He will claim the place of God and promote himself as the supreme being. You remember these things, don’t you? I explained them all to you when I was still there with you.
You are greatly loved by God, sisters and brothers, and we can’t stop thanking God for you. From the very beginning, God chose you and set out to save you. Through our preaching of the message, God called you and you accepted the truth. Your trust enabled God’s Spirit to begin the reconstruction of your lives that will prepare you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, sisters and brothers, anchor yourselves firmly to the truth. Hang on tight to the traditions we taught you, both in person and in our letter.
Now may Jesus Christ and God who conceived us in love and in extravagant generosity gave us gifts of encouragement and hope which never end, give you real guts and strength in all you do and say for the cause of good.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 20: 27-38

The Saducees were a religious group whose teachings denied the belief that God will raise the dead to life. Some of their members approached Jesus with a question:
“Teacher, Moses left instructions about the family responsibilities of a man whose brother dies leaving a wife but no children. The man is to marry his brother’s widow and their first child will be counted as the offspring of his brother. Now give us your opinion about this case. The first of seven brothers married a woman, but he died childless. The second brother fulfilled his responsibility to marry her, but he also died childless. The same thing kept happening until all seven brothers were dead and still there was no child. Finally, the woman also died. Now you say that the dead will be raised to life. If so, whose wife will she be then since all seven had been married to her?”
Jesus answered their question, saying:
“Here and now, people make a big deal about pairing up and starting families. But for those who are accepted into the life that lies beyond death, such things will be superfluous. They will no more start families again than die again, because they will be gathered into the great family of God and have no need of anything more. And if you really want to know whether the dead are raised to life, you can take the word of Moses for it. In his account of the burning bush, he addressed the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Obviously he does not mean that God is the God of corpses. Moses knew that to God, all of them were alive, for God is the God of the living.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Job 19: 23-27a

If only my words of protest could outlive me!
If only they could be published somewhere;
engraved on a plaque in a public place,
or chiselled in giant letters on the rock!
I know that I have a guardian somewhere
who will stand up for me in the end and prove my innocence;
albeit when I’m rotting in my grave.
But I would see God now, before I die.
I would look God in the eye myself,
rather than have another stand on my behalf.
I knot up inside just thinking about it!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 17: 1-9

Give me a fair hearing, LORD;
pay attention to my plea.
Listen to what I have to say,
for I speak without a word of a lie.
I want you to be the one who declares me innocent,
for you always see things as they really are.
Put me under the microscope and see what I’m made of;
make a snap inspection anytime, day or night.
Cross examine me as thoroughly as you wish;
there are no skeletons in my closet;
I’ve got nothing to hide
and no tracks to cover.
I don’t just conform to what others do, LORD;
I take my cues from what you’ve said.
I have avoided straying down the path of violence,
and kept my feet firmly on the tracks you’ve shown.
I am calling to you, God,
because I know you will help.
Tune in to what I have to say
and hear me out.
Put your rock-solid love on display for all to see.
You are the one who rescues and shelters
those who seek asylum from violent persecution.
Treasure me and keep me safe;
tuck me safely under your wings;
hide me from those who are out to get me,
from the predators who hunt me down.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you chose us as the first fruits for salvation
to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first of your wonderful deeds
you created the heavens and earth, sea and land,
and every age proclaims your love and justice.
When your people faced ruin and discouragement,
your prophets spoke your word of promise
and the splendour of your worship was revived.
Through your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ,
your good news was proclaimed
and we were called from death to life.
When he was killed by those who oppose you,
you raised him to new life and through him,
you are making us children of the resurrection
and sanctifying us by your Spirit
so that when he comes again
we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for choosing us in Jesus Christ
as the first fruits for salvation,
making us children of the resurrection
so that we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you chose us as the first fruits for salvation
to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the first of your wonderful deeds
you created the heavens and earth, sea and land,
and every age proclaims your love and justice.
When your people faced ruin and discouragement,
your prophets spoke your word of promise
and the splendour of your worship was revived.
Through your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ,
your good news was proclaimed
and we were called from death to life.
When he was killed by those who oppose you,
you raised him to new life and through him,
you are making us children of the resurrection
and sanctifying us by your Spirit
so that when he comes again
we might all be gathered together to him,
never to die again.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord is near to all who call,
all who cry out from their hearts.
God hears their cry and saves them.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with courage, for God is with you.
Do not let anyone deceive you
but hold fast to the traditions of the Apostles
and put your trust in the God of the living.
And may our Lord Jesus Christ
and God our Father, who loved us
and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
comfort your hearts through the Holy Spirit
and strengthen them in every good work and word.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Reclaiming DoubtA sermon on Luke 20:27-38, 45-47 by Nathan Nettleton

Courage for the discouragedA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9 & 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 by Andrew Woff

Not of the DeadA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Compost, First Fruits, and the Whole HarvestA sermon on Haggai 1:15b – 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 & Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Off the Scale AlivenessA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Ancient Marriage and Modern QuestionsA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

‘Being like angels’: Glimpsing the life of the resurrectionA sermon on Luke 20:27-38 by Lina Toth

Proper 28 - Year C
2028-11-19 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 65: 17-25

I, the LORD, am on the verge of making
the heavens and the earth brand new again.
The traumas of the past will be long forgotten,
fading from memory.
Kick up your heels and start the party!
Celebrate what I’m bringing into existence.
I’m creating Jerusalem as a place of joy,
a place full of happy peaceful people.
Jerusalem will be my pride and joy.
Its people will be my greatest delight.
Cries of fear will no longer be heard there.
The sounds of grieving will be gone for good.
Never again will there be babies who die young,
or adults who don’t live to a ripe old age.
If anyone dies at a hundred,
people will say they were cut down in their prime.
If they fall short of a hundred,
it will seem like some horrible curse.
They will live secure in the houses they have worked for.
They will enjoy the fruits of their own labours.
Never again will anyone build a house,
only to have the bank confiscate it.
Never again will anyone sweat and toil
only to see the profit go to someone else.
My people will live long and sturdy like the great trees.
My chosen people will love their work and enjoy its fruits.
Their work will not be wasted.
Their children will not be doomed.
I, the LORD, will see that their children flourish,
and that all will be well for their children’s children.
Before their prayers pass their lips, I will answer.
I’ll tune in before they’ve opened their mouths.
The dingo and the lamb will feed side by side.
The crocodile will go vegetarian.
Snakes will bite nothing but the dust!
There will be no killing or maiming on my holy mountain;
I, the LORD, have given my word!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Canticle: Isaiah 12

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, LORD!
Your anger was roused against us,
but you set it aside and comforted us instead.
You alone, LORD, are able to set us free,
so we put our trust in you, and have nothing to fear.
All our strength and power come from you, LORD GOD,
you have become our hero, our saviour!
You will put your saving love on tap,
deep draughts to be enjoyed by everyone.
On that day we will all say to one another,
“Thank the LORD! Let God’s name be on everyone’s lips!”
We will tell the world what you have done,
we will shout your name and declare you to be number one.
We will sing your praises because of all you have accomplished,
and give you the glory all over the earth.
With all the citizens of Zion, we lift our voices to you
with shouts and laughter and songs of celebration,
for you are the ultimate, the greatest, the Holy One,
and you live among us, your people!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13

My dear friends, let me stand on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and spell out what you should do: sever ties with any members of the church who are bludging off the rest of you, and not pulling their weight the way we taught you. We set the pace when we were with you, as you well know, so keep it up. We did not slack off and we didn’t sponge off anyone’s hospitality. We worked our guts out and paid our own way so that we would not be a drain on you at all. This was not because we he had no fair claim on your support; we clearly did. But it was more important to us to set an example for you to follow. You remember the rule we all operated by when we were with you: If you don’t work you don’t eat. But now we are hearing reports that some of you have become bludgers who don’t lift a finger unless it’s to pry into someone else’s business. Well, since we all share in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, let me lay down the law to these people — and you know who you are. Pull your finger out and put your shoulder to the wheel. Take your fair share of the workload without making a big deal of it and you’ll have earned your keep. Brothers and sisters, don’t ever run out of steam for doing what is right.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 21: 5-19

Some people were talking about the temple and waxing lyrical about what a spectacular building it was with its ornate stonework and all the beautiful fixtures which had been donated and dedicated to God. Jesus spoke up, saying, “The days are coming when everything you see here will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.”
“Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked, “and what warning sign we should watch for? What will tip us off that it is about to happen?”
Jesus replied, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for all the doomsday madness. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ or ‘The world is about to end!’ Don’t even begin to take them seriously. Every time there’s a new war or a flare-up in some trouble-spot, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen, but they are not an indication that the end is close. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. In many places people will face starvation and there will be terrible outbreaks of disease. There will be terrifying signs, as though the sky itself was going to fall in.
“But before all this happens, the world will turn against you. You will be harassed, arrested and locked up in detention centres because of your association with me. You will be dragged before the religious authorities, the civil magistrates, and even the political leaders. These hearings will give you an opportunity to speak out for the truth. Make up your minds now not to worry about it in advance. Don’t bother trying to plan what you will say in the witness box. When the time comes, I will give you the words. I will give you such wisdom that all the lawyers seeking to undo you will be left floundering, lost for words.
“Even those closest to you may end up betraying you. Some of you will be dobbed in by members of your own family or close relatives and friends. People everywhere will despise you because of your association with me, and some of you will be killed. Nevertheless there is not even a hair on your head that is not safe in my care. By toughing it out you will gain your souls.”
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Malachi 4: 1-2a

Hear what the LORD who rules over everything has to say:
Take note, the day is coming,
raging towards you like a bushfire.
Those who are arrogant and corrupt
will go up like tinder-dry grass.
The day that comes will incinerate them
without leaving a trace.
But for you who love me and bring honour to my name,
the day of peace and integrity will dawn.
The sun will shine on you warmly
with gentle healing rays.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation.
You created heaven and earth as the first of your works
and chose a people to be your delight.
Though we marred your creation
with war and insurrection,
you have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:
a day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight,
when all creation will live in peace
and people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things.
When he was betrayed by friends,
arrested, persecuted,
and put to death,
you raised him to new life
and through him, you strengthen us
so that we might not grow weary in doing what is right
but through endurance, gain our souls.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that in your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things,
and that through him you strengthen us
so that we might not weary in doing what is right
but through endurance gain our souls.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you invite us to draw deeply from your well of salvation.
You created heaven and earth as the first of your works
and chose a people to be your delight.
Though we marred your creation
with war and insurrection,
you have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:
a day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight,
when all creation will live in peace
and people will long enjoy the fruits of their labours.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have begun the re-creation of all things.
When he was betrayed by friends,
arrested, persecuted,
and put to death,
you raised him to new life
and through him, you strengthen us
so that we might not grow weary in doing what is right
but through endurance, gain our souls.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Before we call, the Lord answers,
while we are still speaking, our saviour hears.
God has promised that our sins will not be remembered
nor come to mind again.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and tell the world what God does.
Do not chase after self-proclaimed messiahs,
but draw deeply from God’s saving well
and speak the words the Spirit gives you.
Do not be weary in doing what is right.
And may God delight in you and give you strength;
May Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of new life;
And may the Holy Spirit give you the words and wisdom
to withstand all that would tear you down.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Temples Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

When You Hear of WarsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Don’t Panic! But Don’t Be Complacent!A sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

When You Hear of Wars and InsurrectionsA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 & Isaiah 65: 17-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Everything Will FallA sermon on Luke 21:5-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year C
2028-11-26 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

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

Canticle: Luke 1: 68-79

We sing your praises, Lord God of Israel,
because you have smiled upon us and put things right for us.
From the family of your servant David
you have called forth a hero with the power to save us.
You promised this years ago, in the preaching of your prophets.
You said you would break us loose from the grip of our enemies
and from the traps of those who had it in for us.
You have been true to your word
and honoured the agreement you made with our ancestors.
Way way back, you swore to Abraham and Sarah
that you would snatch us clear of enemy hands
and give us the opportunity to serve you openly,
without having to watch our backs;
to dedicate ourselves totally to you
and to doing what is right for the rest of our lives.
And now you have given us this child.
He will be known as a prophet of the great God.
He will go ahead of the coming Lord,
getting everything prepared.
He will let your people know that you offer salvation
and make it clear that their sins are forgiven.
Our God, your tender and patient love
will dawn on us and light up the world for us.
Even in the darkest hours, in the blackest hell-holes of our world,
your love will break through and illuminate the way of peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 1: 11-20

We are praying that your strength will be built up as you draw on God’s awesome resources, and that you will have the mental and emotional toughness to survive anything; not just to survive, in fact, but to keep on celebrating the good things you have received from God. You have much to be thankful for because, like a proud father, God has left a generous inheritance to the children of the light, and you’ve been written in for a share of it. We became children of the light when God broke the grip of the darkness that had overwhelmed us and placed us instead in the loving hands of Christ. All that we have ever done wrong has been forgiven and we have been put back where we belong, in the realm of God’s beloved Son.
Jesus Christ is the spitting image
of the God we cannot see.
Christ is the genuine original;
the blueprint for all creation.
Everything else that exists had its origin in Christ:
physical things and spiritual things;
visible things and invisible things;
things that govern the universe;
things that regulate our lives;
forces, powers and energies.
Absolutely everything that exists
was founded in Christ
and has its purpose in Christ.
Christ preceded everything else,
and Christ is the glue that holds everything else together.
Christ is to the church
as the head is to the body.
Life itself began with Christ
and new life – born from the dead – began with Christ too.
Christ was, is, and will be Number One in everything.
God was fully present in Christ, and gladly so;
reconciling everything in creation with its creator;
bearing the cost personally in the blood shed on the cross,
to restore the peace between heaven and earth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 23: 33-43

They took Jesus out to the place called Skull Hill where the executions were carried out, and strung him up on a cross by driving nails through his flesh. They executed a couple of convicted criminals in the same way on crosses on each side of him. As he hung there, Jesus prayed out loud, saying, “Father, forgive these people. They’ve got no idea what they are doing.”
The executioners divided up his clothes among themselves, tossing a coin to see who should get what. The people stood around staring, but the community leaders were hurling insults and ridicule at him and making a huge joke of it, saying, “He reckoned he could save everyone else. Let’s see him get himself out of this if he’s really the Messiah, God’s chosen one!”
The soldiers were sticking the boots in too, offering him drinks of wine that had turned to vinegar, and saying, “Come on. If you’re the king of the Jews, pull rank and get yourself out of this trouble!”
They also hung a sign above his head saying, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who was strung up alongside him joined in the insults, shouting, “What sort of Messiah are you?! Get your act together and save yourself, and save us while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal pulled his mate up short, saying, “Put a sock in it! Don’t you care what God could do to us? We are about to meet our maker, the same as he is, but you and I have done the crime and we are copping what we had coming. There was no miscarriage of justice over us. But what has this bloke ever done wrong? Nothing!” And then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come to take charge of everything.”
Jesus replied, “You have my word for it; today you will join me in Paradise.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

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

Psalm 46

Our refuge, our shelter, our fortress, our security;
you are all these things to us, God.
You are always there for us when we need you.
Because of you, we will not panic
even if our world comes crashing down around our ears;
even if the earth splits open beneath us;
even if chaos pours in like a raging flood;
even if life as we know it goes up in smoke.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
A river flowing with life-giving water runs through your holy city
bringing joy and peace to your sacred home.
You are the most high God, and the city where you live
will rest secure and greet the new day with confidence.
The world may be in chaos, nations tearing apart at the seams,
but when you speak, the earth sinks to its knees.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
What you have done is a sight for sore eyes, LORD;
you have left a trail of destruction across the earth:
weapons of war crushed and burned;
implements of fear smashed to pieces;
conflicts and wars closed down for good.
You call us to a peaceful calm
and invite us to know you as God.
You stand supreme above the nations,
unmatched in all the earth.
You are the LORD of cosmic power — the God of our ancestors —
our safety, our refuge.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the King of the Universe
and you reign with justice and righteousness.
You created all things in heaven and on earth,
and through your holy prophets in ages past
you promised to save us from enemy hands
and free us from corrupt and negligent rulers.
Out of your deepest mercy
you have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ,
your anointed One who rules wisely,
shepherding your people and setting them free.
Though he is your visible image,
he was crucified as a criminal.
You raised him as the firstborn from the dead,
and through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.
Now you are reaching out to all who honour you
and recognise your chosen one in the agony of death,
and welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks, King of the Universe,
for you have come to us in fullness in Jesus Christ,
your anointed One who shepherds your people,
setting them free and reigning with justice and righteousness.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the King of the Universe
and you reign with justice and righteousness.
You created all things in heaven and on earth,
and through your holy prophets in ages past
you promised to save us from enemy hands
and free us from corrupt and negligent rulers.
Out of your deepest mercy
you have come to us in fullness in Jesus the Christ,
your anointed One who rules wisely,
shepherding your people and setting them free.
Though he is your visible image,
he was crucified as a criminal.
You raised him as the firstborn from the dead,
and through him you are reconciling all things to yourself.
Now you are reaching out to all who honour you
and recognise your chosen one in the agony of death,
and welcoming them into the Paradise of your presence.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

In deepest mercy,
God has rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, joyfully giving thanks to the one true King.
Prepare a pathway for the Lord;
endure everything with patience,
and teach people of salvation
through the forgiveness of sins.
And may God gather you into safety;
May Christ Jesus strengthen you with glorious power;
And may the Holy Spirit guide your feet on the way of peace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Can Christ be King if we become a Republic?A sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Cultural ImperialismA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Shepherds, Kings, and a Divided ChurchA sermon on Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

Failed KingsA sermon on Colossians 1:11-20 & Luke 23:33-43 by Nathan Nettleton

1st Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-03 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 2: 1-5

This is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was given to me, Isaiah:
The days are coming
when the mountain on which the LORD’s temple stands
will be the greatest mountain of all,
It will tower above every other peak and hill,
and all the world’s nations
will come rushing to it like a flood.
People everywhere will say:
“Come, let’s go and climb the LORD’s mountain;
let us worship in the temple of the God of Jacob.
There the LORD will teach us how to live right
so that we can get our lives on track.”
The holy mountain will be the place of enlightenment.
In the holy city, the LORD’s truth will be made known.
The LORD will settle all disputes between nations,
and sort out their competing claims.
They will turn weapons into welcome signs
and bombs into tools and toys.
Never again will nations take up arms against one another;
never again will young people be trained for war.
Come now, all you people of God,
let us stick to the tracks where the LORD’s light shines!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 122

When they invited us to your house, LORD,
our hearts leapt for joy!
And now, here we are,
standing inside the gates of your holy city.
Jerusalem, your sacred home;
the place where city and temple are one.
All your tribes gather here, LORD;
all your people come up here to celebrate.
They name you as the one to whom all thanks is due,
just as your people have always done.
The seats of law and justice are here,
safeguarded by David’s throne.
We pray for peace for Jerusalem;
may all go well for those who love your city.
Fill the city with peace and joy, LORD,
and stand guard to keep it secure.
For the love of sisters and brothers in Jerusalem,
we pray for the welfare of the city.
For the love of your house, LORD God,
we will work for peace in the holy land.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 13: 11-14

You, of course, understand the significance of the times we are living in. It is time to wipe the sleep out of your eyes; to be on your feet, fully alert. Salvation is at hand. It has been approaching ever since we first put our trust in God, and it is now drawing near. The night is almost gone; the new day is about to dawn. So let’s make sure that we get rid of any old ways of living that belong to the darkness of our past. Let us live our lives in such a way that we’ll be able to hold our heads high when the broad light of day shows up everything for what it really is. Avoid the desperate pursuit of pleasure with its common pitfalls of substance abuse, sexual sleaze, hostile belligerence, and crippling jealousy. Instead, take on the persona of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and don’t give any encouragement to the selfish desires that clamour for your attention and seek to hijack your life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 24: 36-44

Speaking in private with his followers, Jesus said:
“Time has almost reached its goal, but exactly when that day and hour will come, nobody knows. The angels of heaven don’t know and not even the Son knows. The Conceiver of everything is the only one who knows. What I can tell you is this: things will be much the same when the New Human arrives as they were in Noah’s day. Before the flood burst upon them, people were going about their business as though everything was normal, right up until the day that Noah went aboard his boat. They didn’t suspect a thing until the flood hit and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the New Human hits the scene. Two mates will be working shoulder to shoulder; one will be taken and one will be left behind. Two women will be working on the one bench; one will be taken and one will be left behind. So keep your eyes open and your ears pricked, because you have no way of knowing which day will see your Lord arrive. Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for the night is nearly gone,
and your light is dawning in the darkness.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and when the flood came in the days of Noah,
you saved a people and called them to walk in your light.
Though the day and hour cannot be known,
through your prophets, you have given us
visions of our approaching salvation.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have called all peoples to yourself
and taught us your ways.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and promised a day when he will come
at an unexpected hour
to gather up your faithful ones
and bring them home to your house,
so that the weapons and works of darkness
might be discarded
and all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that though the day and hour cannot be known,
you have given us visions of our approaching salvation,
when Christ will gather your faithful ones
and bring them home to your holy mountain.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for the night is nearly gone,
and your light is dawning in the darkness.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and when the flood came in the days of Noah,
you saved a people and called them to walk in your light.
Though the day and hour cannot be known,
through your prophets, you have given us
visions of our approaching salvation.
In your child, Jesus the Christ,
you have called all peoples to yourself
and taught us your ways.
When he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and promised a day when he will come
at an unexpected hour
to gather up your faithful ones
and bring them home to your house,
so that the weapons and works of darkness
might be discarded
and all might be securely clothed in Christ Jesus himself.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
The night is far gone, the day is near.
God comes to us in mercy and love.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and walk in the light of the Lord.
Stay alert for the Lord is near.
Put on the armour of light
and live openly and honourably.
Pray for peace for all God’s people.
And may God clothe you in the light of Christ;
May Christ Jesus teach you his ways;
And may the Holy Spirit keep you alert and prepared
for the coming day of the Lord.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Prepare! How?A sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Wake Up To Yourselves!A sermon on Romans 13: 11-14 and Isaiah 2: 1-5 by Nathan Nettleton

Where is it all Heading?A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Aim To Be Left Behind A sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 & Romans 13:11-14 by Nathan Nettleton

The Future – what should we know? An Advent sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Jesus Comes to Disrupt and to LiberateA sermon on Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44 by Scott Cowdell

The Burglar ComesA sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Nathan Nettleton

2nd Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-10 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 11: 1-10

Like a green shoot sprouting from the stump of a tree,
the family of David will again produce a king.
The Spirit of the LORD will be with him,
giving him wisdom and insight,
making him strong and perceptive,
filling him with knowledge and respect for God.
Showing due respect for the LORD
will be the new king’s greatest delight.
He will not judge by appearances,
nor act on the basis of rumour.
He will do the right thing by the poor
and be fair to those who can’t fight for themselves.
His words will strike like lightning,
and wipe out evil and corruption.
His reputation will be built
on honesty, loyalty and a passion for doing right.
In his day, the dingo and the lamb will play together;
the hawk and the pigeon will share a nest;
the crocodile and the wallaby will eat together,
and a little child will lead them around like pets.
Foxes and chooks will forage together;
their cubs and chickens will snuggle up to sleep;
and sharks will go vegetarian.
A gurgling baby will play with a Tiger snake;
toddlers will stick their hands into bee hives unharmed.
There will be no killing or maiming on the LORD’s holy mountain.
Just as water fills the oceans,
so will the earth be full of people
who know and love the LORD.
When that day comes, the revival of David’s line will be like a flag and all the world’s people’s will gather around it. All nations will look to the one king for guidance and he will live and reign in splendour and glory.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19

Send us a wise ruler, O God,
one who takes after you in justice and honesty;
one who does the right thing by everybody,
and is vigilant in ensuring justice for the poor;
one who will stand up for the disadvantaged,
provide a way out of the poverty trap,
and stomp on those who exploit the vulnerable.
Then the whole land will know prosperity and integrity;
the mountains, the valleys, the hills, the plains.
Send us a wise ruler, O God,
who will outlive the sun and moon,
who will rule forever, generation after generation.
May your chosen one give life to the land
like the spring rains in the wheat country.
May the people yield a bumper crop of honesty,
and may peace be as dependable
as the southern cross in the night sky.
More power to you, LORD, God of our land;
only you can do such incredible things.
May the mere mention of your name
inspire praise from everyone, forever.
May the whole earth be full of your glory.
Too right!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 15: 4-13

The writings that we have received from times past were written to teach us what we need to know. The unchanging and inspiring message of the scriptures fills us with courage and hope. I pray that God — rock-solid and inspirational — will unite you and enable you to get along with one another, showing each other the same sort of trust and respect that Christ Jesus shows to everyone. That sort of peaceful shared life will ring out a message, as clear as a bell, giving all the glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So welcome and accept one another as openly as Christ has welcomed and accepted you, and may all the credit go to God!
You can be sure of this: Christ accepted both insiders and outsiders. It is true that he came to serve the people of Israel, who had always had inside access to the truth of God, so as to make good on the promises made to their ancestors. But it is also true that he came so that the outsiders might encounter the mercy of God and get into the swing of giving credit and thanks to God too. The scriptures spoke of it in these words:
“I will speak the truth about you among the outsiders,
I will sing your praises and honour your name.”
In another place it is written:
“You outsiders, come and celebrate with God’s people.”
Similarly, another piece of scripture says:
“All you outsiders, sing the praises of God;
let all peoples everywhere honour the Lord.”
And the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“The root of David’s family will sprout again,
producing the one who will give the outsiders hope;
the one who will rule over all people everywhere.”
I pray that God, the hope-giver, will see to it that your faith produces a flood of joy and peace that fills your lives and spills over into an unshakeable confidence energised by the Holy Spirit.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 3: 1-12

While Jesus was living at home in Galilee, John the baptiser showed up in the Judean desert preaching to the people. This was the guts of his message: “Turn your lives around, for the culture of heaven is close at hand.”
The prophet Isaiah had spoken about John when he said,
“In the desert a voice is shouting:
‘The Lord is coming!
Get the road ready.
Clear the track, straighten it out for him.’”
John was dressed in rough clothes made of camel hair and animal skins. He lived on bush tucker – grasshoppers and wild honey. People came flocking to John from Jerusalem, from all the rural districts of Judea, and from up and down the Jordan valley. They owned up to their toxic ways and were baptised by John in the Jordan River.
But when John saw that members of the religious groups known as the Pharisees and the Sadducees were coming to him for baptism, he bellowed, “You slippery bunch of snakes! What makes you think that running down here for a quick bath will get you off scot free when the judgment comes? You’ve got to walk the walk. Show by your actions that you’ve turned your lives around as you say you have. And don’t presume you’ve got the inside running just because you can trace your family tree back to Abraham. I’m telling you straight, descendants of Abraham are thick on the ground and, at the snap of a finger, God could turn these rocks into a few more. Family trees count for nothing. It is what sort of fruit the tree bears that matters. If the fruit is rubbish, an axe is ready to cut the tree off at the ground and toss it on the fire.”
“I’m only baptising you with water. After me comes the One who is way out of my league – I’d be honoured just to carry his boots. It won’t be just water that he’ll be immersing you in. He’ll baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He’s ready to start with his flame thrower in hand. He’ll release an uncontrollable fire into the dry bushland of your lives, completely incinerating the rubbish and germinating the good seeds that lie in wait for that day.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your reign draws near
with the promise of justice, peace and security for all.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert,
you called us to prepare the way for your coming.
Through the scriptures,
you spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement,
filling us with hope in your visions of peace.
You came to us in your child, Jesus
— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —
and baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life,
and clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness
so that as his reign dawns,
justice may sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your words of steadfastness and encouragement,
that fill us with hope for the day
when justice will sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your reign draws near
with the promise of justice, peace and security for all.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert,
you called us to prepare the way for your coming.
Through the scriptures,
you spoke words of steadfastness and encouragement,
filling us with hope in your visions of peace.
You came to us in your child, Jesus
— the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line —
and baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life,
and clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness
so that as his reign dawns,
justice may sprout on the earth,
peace outlast the moon,
and the knowledge of your wonderful grace
wash over the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus has become a servant of all
so that we might glorify God for his mercy.
All who repent, confessing their sins,
are baptised in the love and mercy of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and prepare the way of the Lord.
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you,
and bear fruits worthy of repentance.
And may God grant you harmony with one another;
May Christ Jesus fill you with joy and peace in believing;
And may the Holy Spirit empower you and fill you with hope.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Is it for Real?A sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

What wine do you serve with locusts?A sermon on Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

A Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 by Nathan Nettleton

That you may Abound in HopeA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

The Axe and the StumpA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Hope: defiant and celebratoryA sermon on Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting a Handle on HopeA sermon on Romans 15:4-13 & Matthew 3:1-12 by Nathan Nettleton

3rd Sunday of Advent - Year A
2028-12-17 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 35: 1-10

The parched and dusty land will celebrate;
the thirsty desert will be festive with flowers;
blazing colours – orchid and desert pea –
songs of joy as new life bursts forth.
The desert will be as rich as the Barrier Reef,
as majestic as Kakadu, as lush as the Daintree.
The glory of the LORD will be on display;
the splendour and magnificence of our God.
Are your hands trembling? Be strong!
Are your knees knocking? Stand firm!
Encourage those who are fearing the worst;
tell them not to give in to their fears but to hang in there.
Assure them that God is at hand;
coming to pay back oppressors what they deserve;
coming to rescue you, to set you free!
What a day that will be!
Eyes long blind will open to colour and light!
Ears long deaf will hear music and laughter!
Legs long paralysed will dance like brolgas!
Tongues long tied will sing like lyrebirds!
For reviving rains will fall on dry dusty land,
and rivers will flow in the desert.
Hard-baked salt pans will become inland lakes,
and cool water will gush up between scorching rocks.
Water birds will flock where only dingoes roamed,
and soft fruits will grow where only mulga survived.
There will be a new highway
known as ‘The One and Only True Way”.
The corrupt will not be allowed access,
for only God’s people may travel it;
and on this road, no one – not even a complete moron –
could ever lose their way.
There will be no hidden dangers along the road;
no snakes lying in wait at the side.
Nothing threatening will be found there,
so those God has put right may walk in safety.
Those who the LORD has bailed out will come home;
they will sing as they travel to God’s sacred mountain.
The smiles will never leave their faces again;
laughter and contentment will be theirs to keep,
and misery and despair will be made redundant.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146: 5-10

We hit the jackpot when we look to you for help, LORD;
when we put all our hopes in you – the God of our ancestors.
You are the one who made earth and sky,
who poured out the seas and filled them with life.
You are true to your word no matter what;
when people are ground into the dirt, you bring about justice;
when people are left to starve, you come with food.
You, LORD, set the prisoners free.
You, LORD, open the eyes of those who can’t see.
You, LORD, put the downtrodden back on their feet.
You, LORD, love those who do the right thing.
You, LORD, keep a caring eye on the asylum seekers.
You stick up for those who have no one else to stick up for them,
but you make the schemes of the corrupt backfire on them.
Take charge forever, LORD,
rule from your sacred Mountain for all time.
You’re the best, LORD. We’re with you all the way!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Luke 1: 47-55

We turn the spotlight on your greatness, God!
We dance with wholehearted joy over you, our saviour!
You smiled upon us, though we were nothing special,
and the memory of your generosity will last forever.
You have done wonderful and powerful things for us.
There is no other name in the same league as yours.
In every generation, Lord, you shower mercy
to those who treat you with respect.
You have rolled up your sleeves in a show of strength,
and sent packing those who were so full of themselves.
You kicked the power mongers out of office,
and lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.
You put on a feast for those who are hungry,
and slam the door on the rich without giving them a bite.
You give a helping hand to your servant Israel,
and always remember them with tender care.
This is exactly what you promised long ago, Lord,
when you made a vow to Abraham and Sarah
for every generation.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

James 5: 7-10

My friends, be patient as you wait for the Lord to return. Be as patient as the farmers. Farmers sow their crops and then have to wait patiently, hoping for good seasonal rains, because the harvest that pays their bills ripens in its own good time. There is nothing they can do to hurry it up. You can’t hurry the Lord up either, so be patient. Stay focussed though, and condition yourselves, because the arrival of the Lord is not far off.
My friends, don’t go whinging and putting each other down. If you do, you’ll find yourselves having to answer for it. The judge could reopen the case against you at any moment.
Take as your role models the prophets who brought us God’s message in the past. They really suffered for their stand, but they hung in there, never giving up, and their patience paid off.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 11: 2-11

John the baptiser was being held in a detention centre when news reached him about what the Messiah was doing. When some of his followers visited him, he sent them to Jesus with a question: “Are you the One everybody has been waiting for, or are we still waiting for someone else?”
Jesus answered:
“Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed. The blind are given their sight. The paralysed are up and walking. People with hideous diseases are cured. The deaf can hear. The dead are raised. And the poor are hearing news worth celebrating. How good it will be for those who realise what I’m up to and don’t get their noses out of joint over it.”
When the messengers were on their way back to John with their report, Jesus started to talk to the crowd about John:
“When you went out to the desert to see John, what were you expecting? A populist swayed by the winds of public opinion? No way! What then? A silvertail dressed up to the nines? No, you’d hang out in the lobby of some exclusive resort if you wanted to see them. So what were you looking for? A prophet? Now we’re talking! And not just any prophet, either. This is the one of whom scripture said:
“Take note: I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to blaze the trail for your arrival.
I kid you not: there has never been a person born who could hold a candle to John the baptiser, and yet the most insignificant nobody in the culture of heaven is greater than John.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
You are the creator of heaven, earth and the teeming seas.
You promised mercy to our ancestors
and sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience
to prepare the Holy Way before you.
In Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh
as the blind saw the light,
the deaf heard the music,
and the lame danced with joy.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and through him your good news still comes to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
And so with thankful hearts we patiently wait,
knowing that the day is near
when all the earth will see the fullness of your glory.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you that the promises made to our ancestors
have taken flesh in Jesus Christ
who brings your good news to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for your mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
You are the creator of heaven, earth and the teeming seas.
You promised mercy to our ancestors
and sent prophets as an example of suffering and patience
to prepare the Holy Way before you.
In Jesus the Christ we saw your promises take flesh
as the blind saw the light,
the deaf heard the music,
and the lame danced with joy.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and through him your good news still comes to the poor
like springs of water to thirsty ground,
uplifting the downtrodden
and filling the hungry from the richness of your table.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Hear the good news for those who are fearful of heart:
"Be strong, do not fear!
your God is here, coming to save you.”
God’s promise of mercy is for you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, with good news for the poor
and prepare the way for the Lord.
Wait patiently.
Do not grumble against one another,
but encourage one another.
Be strong and do not fear.
And may God come quickly to save you;
May Christ Jesus give you everlasting joy and gladness;
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen your hearts
and lead you on God’s holy way.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Still Waiting, LordA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10, James 5:7-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Faith, Hope and StumblingA sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Are You the One?A sermon on Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

What Are We Waiting For?A sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 & Luke 1:47-55 by Nathan Nettleton

Go Tell JohnA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 & Matthew 11: 2-11 by Nathan Nettleton

JoyA sermon on Isaiah 35:1-10 by Jennie Clarke
