Resurrection Sunday Evening
2026-04-05 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.

Isaiah 25: 6-9

Every people on earth will be invited to the sacred mountain
for the huge party thrown by the LORD who rules over everything.
It will be the feast to end all feasts,
with the very finest of foods and wines:
choice meats, wines aged to perfection,
gourmet delicacies to make every mouth water!
And right here on this sacred mountain
the LORD will tear off the pall of death
and release the nations from the coffin that held them.
The LORD will swallow up death once and for all.
With that, the Lord GOD will wipe the tears from every eye,
and God’s people will no longer be humiliated and despised;
The LORD says so and that settles it.
When that happens people will say,
Wow! This is our God!
We hoped, we waited, we trusted God to save us.
And our waiting has not been in vain.
The LORD has not let us down.
Celebrate! Sing and dance,
for God has come to our rescue and set us free.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 114

When we were led out of the land of slavery
- the people of Israel, coming out from under the foreign thumb -
the land of Judah became a sacred place,
the land of Israel came under sovereign rule.
The wild sea took one look, and turned tail and ran,
the Jordan river backed off and headed the other way.
The mountains skipped like a rock wallaby;
the hills were as jumpy as a kelpie pup.
What was it that made the wild sea turn tail?
What was it that made the Jordan back off?
What made the mountains quiver and jump?
What made the hills shudder and shake?
It was awe of you, LORD, God of our ancestors.
The whole earth trembles in your presence.
For you are the one who melts rocks into pools of water;
the one who brings springs bubbling up from hard baked ground.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 5: 6b-8

You do realise, don’t you, that it only takes a little bit of yeast to leaven a whole batch of bread dough? A little bit of corruption can similarly affect a whole congregation, so get rid of it. Just as we have traditionally cleaned out every trace of yeast from our homes in preparation for the Passover festival when we use only unleavened bread, so you should clean the corruption from your midst. You are to be the new batch of unleavened bread. In Christ, our Paschal lamb has been sacrificed. Now is the time for us to celebrate the festival, and just as we can’t celebrate it with yeast-leavened bread, neither can we celebrate it with the old yeast of inhumanity and evil. We celebrate this festival with the unleavened bread of truth and integrity.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 24: 13-49

In the afternoon of the day that the tomb had been found empty, a couple who had been followers of Jesus were heading back home to the small town called Emmaus. As they walked the ten kilometres or so from Jerusalem, they were talking over everything that had happened in the past few days. Along the way, Jesus himself joined them, but to their eyes he was just another stranger on the road. He asked them, “What’s all this you are discussing so intently as you travel?”
They pulled up in their tracks and looked at him with long faces. One of them, a man named Cleopas, said to him, “You must be the only stranger in and around Jerusalem who has not caught up with what’s been going on in the last few days.”
“What has been going on?” Jesus asked.
They replied, “It is all to do with Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet whose words and actions electrified the people in the presence of God. The religious and civil authorities had him arrested and then pushed for the death penalty. They got their way and he was executed. We’d had our hopes pinned on him being the one who would set Israel back in its rightful place. It’s all been over for three days now. A strange twist has rocked us all today, though. Some women from our group apparently went to the tomb first thing this morning and couldn’t find his body. They came back and told the rest of us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive. We sent a group down to check out their story, and they found things just the way the women had said, but there was no sign of Jesus anywhere.”
When they had finished filling him in, Jesus said to them, “What a thick-headed pair you are! Why are you so slow to get your heads and your hearts around everything that the prophets spelled out?! Hasn’t it always been the case that the Messiah would have to cop all this suffering before getting in on the glory that was in store for him?”
Jesus spent the rest of their journey explaining the scriptures to them. Passage by passage, he showed them what Moses and the prophets had said about him.
When they reached the turn-off to the town they were heading for, Jesus appeared set to push on up the highway, but they put the hard word on him to stop at their place overnight since the sun was going down and the day was almost over. So he accepted their offer of hospitality and went home with them. When he sat down to the evening meal with them, he picked up a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly their eyes were opened and they realised who he was; and just as suddenly he disappeared from sight. They looked at one another and said, “No wonder there was such a fire burning in our guts when he was explaining the scriptures to us on the road!”
So, without a moment’s delay, they were on their feet and hurrying back to Jerusalem to tell the news to the eleven and the rest of the crew. When they found them, they were all together and abuzz with news: “The Lord really has risen! He has appeared to Simon Peter!”
The couple from Emmaus filled them all in on what had happened on the road, and how it had dawned on them who he was when the bread had been broken.
While they were talking about all this, Jesus himself suddenly appeared, standing among them. “Greetings!” he said, “Peace be with you.”
Taken by surprise, they thought he was a ghost, and were scared spitless. Jesus said to them, “What have you got to be afraid of? Why are you letting your doubts get the better of you? Here, take a look at my hands and feet. See for yourselves that it really is me. Reach out and touch me and you will know that I am made of flesh and bone. No ghost can claim that!”
As he spoke, he showed them his hands and feet. It all seemed too good to be true; so wonderful that they couldn’t believe their eyes. Their heads were bursting with joy and disbelief! Jesus asked them, “Have you got anything here I can eat?”
They gave him a piece of grilled fish and he took it and ate it in front of them. Then he said to them, “The things I have said while I was with you amount to this: everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms is to be fulfilled.”
As he spoke they began to see how to read the scriptures with open minds so as to understand what God was saying in them. Jesus said to them:
“What was written will now be clear to you: that the Messiah is to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that the people of every nation must be told of the Messiah’s call to turn their lives around and receive forgiveness for their toxic ways. You can get started here in Jerusalem. You have witnessed these things first hand, so you can tell everyone what you have seen and heard. And don’t miss this: I myself am sending you the gift that my Father promised, so wait here in the city until you have been fitted out with God’s power.”
©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 you have raised Jesus Christ to life
and destroyed the shroud of death that covered all people.
You made the earth, and it trembles in your presence;
you rescued your people from slavery,
leading them through the deep waters
from death to life.
You sent your Son, Jesus, to us,
a prophet mighty in word and deed
who taught us to celebrate your salvation
in sincerity and truth.
Though he was condemned to death
and crucified by the religious,
you raised him from the dead
and wiped the tears from our faces.
Risen indeed, he is with us always,
breathing his peace over our fears
and spreading a rich banquet before us
so that in the breaking of bread
and your word proclaimed,
our eyes might be opened
and our hearts set on fire with love.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Risen Son, Jesus Christ,
who breathes his peace over our fears
and spreads a rich banquet before us
so that in the breaking of bread
and your word proclaimed,
our eyes might be opened
and our hearts set on fire with love.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have raised Jesus Christ to life
and destroyed the shroud of death that covered all people.
You made the earth, and it trembles in your presence;
you rescued your people from slavery,
leading them through the deep waters
from death to life.
You sent your Son, Jesus, to us,
a prophet mighty in word and deed
who taught us to celebrate your salvation
in sincerity and truth.
Though he was condemned to death
and crucified by the religious,
you raised him from the dead
and wiped the tears from our faces.
Risen indeed, he is with us always,
breathing his peace over our fears
and spreading a rich banquet before us
so that in the breaking of bread
and your word proclaimed,
our eyes might be opened
and our hearts set on fire 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.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

As the scriptures said,
the Messiah suffered and rose from the dead on the third day,
so that repentance and forgiveness of sins
might be proclaimed in his name to all nations.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as witnesses of God’s victory over evil and death.
The risen Christ has made himself known to you
in the breaking of bread,
so clean out the old yeast of malice and evil
and live as the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
And may God wipe every tear from your faces;
May Christ Jesus make himself known to you in all things;
And may the Holy Spirit open your eyes
and set your hearts on fire with love.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Can’t see the wood for the treesA sermon on Luke 24: 13-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Open Minds and Narrow ThinkingA sermon on Luke 24:36b-48 by Nathan Nettleton

Easter in OrdinaryA sermon on Luke 24.13-35 by Garry Deverell

The Stranger on the Road of DespairA sermon on Luke 24: 13-35 & 1 Peter 1: 17-23 by Nathan Nettleton

There and Back AgainA sermon on Luke 24:13-35 by Roslyn Wright

Resurrection Sunday Morning - Year A
2026-04-05 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1st Reading: Acts 10: 34-43

Peter addressed the gathered people saying:
“Now it is all perfectly clear to me — God does not play favourites! Whoever you are and wherever you are from, if you take God seriously and do the right thing, God will welcome you with open arms! Jesus the Messiah preached God’s message about a peace deal to the people of Israel, but clearly it did not stop with them — he is Lord of all! No doubt you have heard the news about Jesus of Nazareth, because since it sparked off in Galilee, it has spread like wildfire all over Judea. The story began after John started calling everyone to turn their lives around through baptism. God singled Jesus out then and there, charging him with the Holy Spirit’s power. From then on, Jesus travelled around working for good and helping people out from under the devil’s thumb and back onto their feet. God was with him in all this. We saw it all ourselves; everything he did in the Judean backblocks and in the city of Jerusalem. They strung him up on a post and killed him, but three days later God raised him to life and let us see him. Not everybody got to see him, but God had picked us out to be the ones who would know first hand what had happened. We got to spend time sharing meals and a few drinks with him after he was brought back from the dead. He gave us the job of getting his message out to the people and going public with the fact that he is the one who God has appointed to make the final assessment of everybody on earth, past and present. You don’t have to take our word alone on this; all the prophets back us up. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus receives pardon for their sins on his say so.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Alternative 1st Reading: Jeremiah 31: 1-6

“When the time comes,” says the LORD, “it will be as clear as day that I am the God of all Israel, of every family without exception. All their people will be my people.”
This is what the LORD has to say:
“You people fled into the desert to escape a massacre,
and there in the desert, you found my generous love.
You were only looking for a safe place to hide,
but I met you out there and took care of you.
I have always loved you, and I always will,
and so I have been faithful to you, no matter what.
I will put you back on your feet again,
O Israel my beautiful bride.
Once again you shall take out your tambourines
and join the singing and dancing in the streets.
Just like in the good old days
you will grow grapes and make wine
on the hillsides of Samaria.
Those who put in the work
will get to enjoy its fruits.
You can bet on this: there is a day coming
when the watchtowers in the Ephraim hills
will report nothing but safety and freedom.
“Up you get, Israel,” they will say,
“it is time we went up to Mount Zion
to meet with the LORD our God!
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24

Thank you, LORD, thank you!
Thank you for your goodness!
Thank you for your love —
rock solid and timeless!
May all your people recognise
that your love and loyalty last forever.
Our energy and strength come from you, LORD;
our peace and safety were won by you.
The sound of singing rings out
from the homes of all who are honest and true.
They sing of what you have done, LORD,
for you raised your hand and saved the day.
Now we know that our lives are safe;
we will live to tell of what you have done.
You gave us the tough medicine we deserved, LORD,
but you didn’t let death get its claws into us.
The minute they open the city gates
— the gates of justice —
we’ll be the first through, LORD;
eager to tell you how thankful we are.
These gates belong to you, LORD,
those you have put right can come on through.
Thank you for answering our prayers, LORD;
for coming to our rescue and putting us right.
From a rejected stone found in a rubbish pile
you cut and polished a priceless jewel.
This is obviously your work, LORD,
and we can hardly believe our eyes!
Today is your day, LORD, a day to honour you;
we will celebrate with joy and laughter.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

2nd Reading: Colossians 3: 1-4

If you are fair dinkum when you say you have been raised to new life with Christ, then commit yourself to the things that belong to such a life. Look to Christ — God’s right hand man — and take your cues from him. Concentrate on the things that matter to Christ, and don’t let yourselves get hooked into the agendas that preoccupy the world around you. Your old life is behind you — dead and buried — and your new life is intimately bound up with Christ, and lived in God. The full reality of this new life is not visible to the general public yet, but it will be. Because your life is now bound to Christ, when Christ makes his triumphant return to the public stage, you will be there with him, in all your glory, for all to see.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Alternative 2nd Reading: Acts 10: 34-43

Peter addressed the gathered people saying:
“Now it is all perfectly clear to me — God does not play favourites! Whoever you are and wherever you are from, if you take God seriously and do the right thing, God will welcome you with open arms! Jesus the Messiah preached God’s message about a peace deal to the people of Israel, but clearly it did not stop with them — he is Lord of all! No doubt you have heard the news about Jesus of Nazareth, because since it sparked off in Galilee, it has spread like wildfire all over Judea. The story began after John started calling everyone to turn their lives around through baptism. God singled Jesus out then and there, charging him with the Holy Spirit’s power. From then on, Jesus travelled around working for good and helping people out from under the devil’s thumb and back onto their feet. God was with him in all this. We saw it all ourselves; everything he did in the Judean backblocks and in the city of Jerusalem. They strung him up on a post and killed him, but three days later God raised him to life and let us see him. Not everybody got to see him, but God had picked us out to be the ones who would know first hand what had happened. We got to spend time sharing meals and a few drinks with him after he was brought back from the dead. He gave us the job of getting his message out to the people and going public with the fact that he is the one who God has appointed to make the final assessment of everybody on earth, past and present. You don’t have to take our word alone on this; all the prophets back us up. Everyone who puts their trust in Jesus receives pardon for their sins on his say so.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Gospel Reading: John 20: 1-18

Early on Sunday, the first day of the week, even before it began to get light, Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb where Jesus had been buried. When she got there, she discovered that the stone had been removed and the tomb was open. She fled as fast as she could, and found Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus had been closest to. Mary blurted out, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have taken him.”
So Peter and the other disciple set off on the double. They were both running at full tilt, but the other disciple was faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He didn’t go in, but he bent down to peer inside and saw that the linen burial shroud had been unwrapped and left behind. Moments later, Simon Peter arrived, and barged straight into the tomb. He too, saw the unwrapped shroud lying there, and noticed that the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head was not with the rest of the shroud, but had been rolled up and left in a different spot. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, followed Peter in. They had not yet got their minds around the scriptures that said that Jesus must rise from the dead, but what he saw was enough to convince him that this was no grave robbery, but something far more extraordinary.
The two men left, and headed off to their homes, but Mary stayed behind and stood weeping outside the tomb. A little later she bent down to look into the tomb, and through her tears she saw two angels dressed in white. They were sitting where the body of Jesus had previously been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
She replied, “Someone has taken away my Lord, and I have got no idea where they might have put him.”
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing behind her, but she didn’t realise it was him. Jesus asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Mary assumed that he was the cemetery gardener, so she said to him, “Mister, if you have removed his body from the tomb, please tell me where you have put him, and I will take him off your hands.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She spun around and said, “Rabbouni!”, which is a Hebrew word meaning ‘Dear Teacher’.
Jesus said to her, “Don’t try to hold on to me, because I have not yet fully risen to the Father. But go now, and tell my whole family of disciples that I am rising up to the one who conceived me and conceived you, to my God and your God.”
So Mary Magdalene went straight to the disciples, and was the first to make the announcement, “I have seen the Lord!”
She went on to fill them in on all that he had said to her.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Alternative Gospel Reading: Matthew 28: 1-10

The morning after the Sabbath, just as the first day of the new week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb. Suddenly the earth shuddered and shook beneath them and an angel from the Lord appeared from heaven right in front of them, rolled back the boulder that had sealed the mouth of the tomb, and sat on it. The angel was as radiant as lightening, and wore clothes as white as freshly fallen snow. The angel’s appearance had the security guards quaking in their boots and falling like flies, scared stiff. But to the women, the angel said, “Do not be afraid of me! I know you have come here looking for Jesus, the one they executed, but you won’t find him here. He has been raised to life, just as he said he would be. Come and I will show you the place where his body was laid to rest. Then run and tell the rest of his followers that he has been raised from the dead. Tell them that he is heading back to Galilee and you are all to follow. There you will see him for yourselves. This is what I have been sent to tell you.”
So they left the tomb on the double, awestruck and overjoyed, and ran to tell the rest of his followers the news. On the way, they suddenly ran straight into Jesus himself. “Good morning!” he said.
They threw themselves at him and fell down kissing his feet and worshipping him. Jesus said to them. “There is nothing to be afraid of. Go and tell the rest of my brothers and sisters to go on up to Galilee and I will meet them there.”
©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 your love is forever
and you have raised the crucified Christ from the dead.
You created all things and placed Christ as the cornerstone.
You made your grace known to Israel in the wilderness,
and through your prophets you pledged
your everlasting love and constant faithfulness.
You anointed your child, Jesus,
with the Holy Spirit and power,
and he went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
He was put to death, hung on a tree,
but you raised him on the third day,
and allowed him to appear, first to Mary Magdalene
and then to your other chosen witnesses.
So now we praise you within the gates of justice
and raise our glad songs of victory
for you have become our saviour
and hidden our lives in Christ in glory.
Therefore with .....
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that when your child Jesus was put to death,
you raised him on the third day,
and allowed him to appear, first to Mary Magdalene
and then to your other chosen witnesses.
In him you have become our saviour
and hidden our lives in Christ in glory.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your love is forever
and you have raised the crucified Christ from the dead.
You created all things and placed Christ as the cornerstone.
You made your grace known to Israel in the wilderness,
and through your prophets you pledged
your everlasting love and constant faithfulness.
You anointed your child, Jesus,
with the Holy Spirit and power,
and he went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
He was put to death, hung on a tree,
but you raised him on the third day,
and allowed him to appear, first to Mary Magdalene
and then to your other chosen witnesses.
So now we praise you within the gates of justice
and raise our glad songs of victory
for you have become our saviour
and hidden our lives in Christ in glory.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

All the prophets testify that God’s love is forever
and that everyone who puts their trust in Jesus
receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glad and rejoicing,
for Christ is risen and has become your saviour.
Set your minds on the things of God
for your lives are hidden in Christ.
Preach and testify that he is the one ordained by God
to judge the living and the dead.
And may God surround you with everlasting love.
May Christ Jesus raise you with him to life in glory.
And may the Holy Spirit anoint you with power to do good.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2011 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Easter Homily of St John ChrysostomA sermon by Nathan Nettleton

God Came BackA sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Do Not Be AfraidA sermon by Andrew Woff

The Great Reversal Moves ForwardA sermon on Matthew 28:1-10 by David Devine

Life and love in the face of deathA sermon by Roslyn Wright

The Failure of FailureA sermon on Matthew 28:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Showing UpA sermon by Joel Sierra

A Question For Your TearsA sermon on John 20:11-18 by Edward L Taylor

A Backwards GlanceA sermon by Nathan Nettleton

2nd Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-04-12 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 2: 14a, 22-32

Peter stood up with the other eleven and addressed the crowd as loudly and clearly as he could:
“My fellow Israelites, tune in and I’ll set you straight. You already know about Jesus of Nazareth, and you know how God publicly endorsed him by enabling him to do powerful and amazing things which clearly had God’s fingerprints all over them. This man’s life was put in your hands, just as God had decided it would be – a decision made with eyes open to the consequences. You strung him up and killed him, and the fact that you got some outsiders to do your dirty work doesn’t change that. But that wasn’t the end of the story: God raised him up, breaking him free from the grip of death, and death was powerless to do anything about it. Clearly David was anticipating the experience of Jesus when he wrote:
I can see that you are always with me, Lord;
you stick by me so I’ll never be pushed off track.
No wonder I’m on top of the world
and songs of joy burst from my lips;
there is even hope for my mortal body
because of you.
You will never give me up to the grave,
or leave your dedicated servant to rot.
You set my feet on a life-giving track,
and you will give me the ultimate pleasure
of being in your presence for keeps.
“My fellow Israelites, I’m not giving away any secrets when I say that our ancestor, King David, did himself die, and was buried. Even to this day, any of us can go and visit his grave and know that he’s gone. But he was a prophet who heard from God. He knew that God had promised to raise the ultimate King from his own family line. Seeing what this would mean, David pointed to the resurrection of the Messiah when he said:
He was not given up to the grave;
nor was his body left to rot.
“So the fact is, Jesus is the Messiah and God has raised him up. And we all stand before you as witnesses to this fact.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 16

Protect me, God,
you are my place of refuge.
I’m acknowledging you as the one in charge, LORD;
you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I delight in the company of those
who dedicate themselves to you;
they are the salt of the earth.
Those who worship other things
will have nothing but grief.
I will not buy into their futile devotions;
I will not utter the names they revere.
You are all I want, LORD, and all I need;
you hold my future in your hands.
You mark out the best of everything for me;
you’ve set me up with a bright future.
I heap accolades on you, LORD,
for you always give me wise advice;
even in the dead of night
you fill my heart with your teachings.
I’ll always stick close behind you, LORD;
with you near by,
I’ll never be pushed off track.
You fill me with delight, LORD;
joy erupts from deep in my bones;
my body relaxes, safe in your care.
You’ll never let the grave drag me down;
your faithful servants are never left for dead.
You set my feet on a life-giving track, LORD.
To be in your presence is absolute bliss.
All I could dream of comes from your hand.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 1: 3-9

A standing ovation for God!! Applause! Honours! The richest rewards! All this and more for the God and Conceiver of our Lord Jesus the Messiah! Just look at the astonishing mercy evident in what God has done for us by raising Jesus the Messiah from the dead. Through this resurrection, God has given us all a fresh start, as people newly born into a life full of hope. And this newborn life can only get better, because God has put aside a nest-egg for us in heaven where its value cannot be eroded, degraded or rendered obsolete. It is all there waiting for you, and in the meantime, your faith will get you through, because God’s power is at work in it, protecting you from destruction and seeing you safely across the line into the life for which you are being saved — a life that will only be seen in all its glory when the curtain comes down on time as we’ve known it. All of this gives you every reason to celebrate with great joy, even though in recent times you have been repeatedly put under the heat of hostility and viciousness. You’ll come out the better for it. Solid gold — although here today and gone tomorrow — is only seen in all its beauty after it is refined by fire. Your faith, which is so much more precious than gold, will likewise be proved to be the genuine article when it emerges from the fire, and will thus attract even more credit and glory and honour when Jesus the Messiah takes centre stage. You have never seen him, but that doesn’t stop you loving him. You still don’t see him, and yet you are trusting him. And even now you are filled with a joy which words cannot describe; a joy which radiates the glories of heaven. And why not? Indeed, you are already tasting the life that is the ultimate reward for all who put faith into practice; the life for which you are being saved.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 20: 19-31

It was a Sunday – the first day of the week – when the tomb was found empty. That same evening, the disciples met together. They locked all the doors of the house where they were meeting because they were afraid of being tracked down by the religious authorities. Suddenly, Jesus appeared and stood among them saying, “Good evening to you all!”
He proceeded to show them the deep scars in his hands and side. The disciples, of course, were over the moon at seeing the Lord again. Jesus spoke again, saying, “All the best to you. God sent me into the world, and in the same way, I’m sending you.”
Having said that, he breathed a big breathe onto them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit; all of you. If you forgive anyone who has sinned, then their sins are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness for any sins, they remain unforgiven.”
When this happened, Thomas – known as “the Twin” and one of the twelve – was missing. The other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, but they couldn’t convince him. “I’m not falling for that one!” Thomas replied. “I’d have to see the nail holes in his hands before I’d believe it. In fact I’d have to feel the holes myself, and touch the spear wound in his side.”
A week later, the disciples again gathered behind locked doors in the same house, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, Jesus came and stood among them again and said, “Good evening to you all!”
Then he turned to Thomas and said, “Here are my hands, Thomas. Put your finger here in the wound.” And pulling up his shirt, he said, “And here is my side. You can put your hand in the hole. Let go of your doubts and trust me.”
Thomas, of course, was blown away, and said, “You are my Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Believing is not that hard when you’ve seen me, is it? Imagine how much God will smile on those who put their trust in me without ever having seen me!”
The disciples saw Jesus do many other things that demonstrated to them the reality of who he was, but they have not all been written down in this book. But what has been written here has been written for you, dear readers, so that you will know enough to see that Jesus is the anointed One – the Son of God – and so that by putting your trust in him you can come to have real life: the life that he lived and shares.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you have given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
In the first of your mighty deeds of power
you created the heavens and earth.
You formed for yourself a people,
and through the law and prophets
you led them on the road to life.
Your child and our brother, Jesus Christ,
came to us speaking words of peace and forgiveness.
He was put to death by the enemies of life,
but you kept your promise
not to abandon your faithful one to death.
You raised him up, and freed him from death’s power.
Greeting us with hands still scarred,
he stands with us in our fears, doubts and trials
and protects us through faith
for salvation into our glorious inheritance -
boundless joy at your side forever.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who greets us with hands still scarred
and stands with us in our fears, doubts and trials,
protecting us through faith
for salvation into our glorious inheritance -
boundless joy at your side forever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
In the first of your mighty deeds of power
you created the heavens and earth.
You formed for yourself a people,
and through the law and prophets
you led them on the road to life.
Your child and our brother, Jesus Christ,
came to us speaking words of peace and forgiveness.
He was put to death by the enemies of life,
but you kept your promise
not to abandon your faithful one to death.
You raised him up, and freed him from death’s power.
Greeting us with hands still scarred,
he stands with us in our fears, doubts and trials
and protects us through faith
for salvation into our glorious inheritance -
boundless joy at your side forever.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus has commissioned us
to announce the forgiveness of sins.
You who have put your faith in Jesus the Messiah
will receive the outcome of your faith,
mercy for your sins and resurrection life in Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

As the father sent Christ Jesus,
so now you are sent.
Go then, with your hearts rejoicing,
as those who have touched the marks of truth.
Endure suffering,
forgive sins,
and love the Lord.
And may God’s power be your protection;
May Christ Jesus reach out to you with words of peace;
And may the Holy Spirit fill you with indescribable and glorious joy.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Christ is Risen, so what’s next?A sermon on John 20:19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Beyond Doubt?A sermon on John 20:19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Redeeming ThomasA sermon on John 20:19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Crossing the ThresholdA sermon on 1 Peter 1: 3-9 & John 20: 19-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Peace Be With YouA sermon on John 20:19-31 & 1 John 1:1 – 2.2 by Nathan Nettleton

Behind Locked DoorsA sermon on John 20:19-31 by Paul Sheppy

Merely-Reserving-Judgement ThomasA sermon on John 20:19-31 & 1 John 1:1 – 2.2 by Nathan Nettleton

3rd Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-04-19 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 2: 14a, 36-41

Peter stood up with the other eleven and addressed the crowd as loudly and clearly as he could, saying, “Let the whole people of Israel know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this Jesus who you killed on a cross, is the one who God has made both Lord and Messiah.”
Peter’s words hit home deep in the guts of his hearers. They turned to him and the other apostles saying, “Brothers and sisters, what can we do about this?”
Peter replied, “Turn around and get your lives back on track with God. Be baptised, each and every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah, so that all your failings can be forgiven. Do that and you will be given the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, for your children, and for everyone on down the line – everyone who receives the invitation of the Lord our God.”
Peter continued pressing the case, seeking to convince everyone. He urged them to respond, saying, “Break free from the corrupt culture that surrounds you, before it is too late.”
Those who welcomed what he had to say and took it on board were baptised, and on that one day, about three thousand people were added to the ranks of those following the way of Jesus.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19

I love you, LORD!
How could I not love you
when you always respond to my cries?
You are always ready to listen to me,
so I will bring my needs to you as long as I live.
Once death was closing in on me;
the grave’s icy fingers had me in their grasp;
Tormented and desperate, I cried out to you,
“Please, LORD. Help me! Save my life!”
How can I ever repay you, LORD?
What gift could ever express my gratitude?
I will raise my glass in your honour,
I will name you as the one who saved me.
I will make good on all I promised you, LORD,
and I’ll let everyone know its for you.
Whenever one of your faithful people dies
it affects you deeply.
LORD, you have released me from my chains.
I will serve you forever,
just as my forebears have done.
I will bring a gift to say thanks;
I will pray to you, and you alone.
I will be true to the vows I’ve made;
and I won’t keep it hidden.
In full view of all your people,
in the public place of worship,
I’ll do all I promised you, LORD.
All the praise and all the credit are your, LORD!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 1: 17-23

You are now strangers to the culture around you, and the way you live is important. The fact that you look to God as your Father does not mean that God is going to show you any favouritism. God is not swayed by mere words, but treats everybody fairly on the basis of what they do. So make sure you treat God with due respect and submission in the way you live your lives. You know that when you were slaves to the futile preoccupations of the culture you grew up in, God had to pay dearly to get you free. The price was not paid in money, which is here today and gone tomorrow, but in blood — the life-blood of the Messiah — like the noble sacrifice of a cherished one who can do no wrong. This had been on the cards for the Messiah before time began, because God always planned to get you free, whatever it cost. It is only now though, as time draws to a close, that it is all out in the open for your benefit. You have come to put your trust in God because of this Messiah, who God then raised from the dead and heaped glories upon. It is because of him that all your hopes and plans for the future are pinned on God.
Now that you have purged the muck from your hearts by doing what the truth required of you, you will find that you have the capacity for love that is authentic and mutual. So use it! Love one another with all your hearts. You have been given a fresh start, a new birth into a new life; not conceived from sperm and egg this time, but from something far more dependable and permanent — the living word of God.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 24: 13-35

In the afternoon of the day that the tomb had been found empty, a couple who had been followers of Jesus were heading back home to the small town called Emmaus. As they walked the ten kilometres or so from Jerusalem, they were talking over everything that had happened in the past few days. Along the way, Jesus himself joined them, but to their eyes he was just another stranger on the road. He asked them, “What’s all this you are discussing so intently as you travel?”
They pulled up in their tracks and looked at him with long faces. One of them, a man named Cleopas, said to him, “You must be the only stranger in and around Jerusalem who has not caught up with what’s been going on in the last few days.”
“What has been going on?” Jesus asked.
They replied, “It is all to do with Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet whose words and actions electrified the people in the presence of God. The religious and civil authorities had him arrested and then pushed for the death penalty. They got their way and he was executed. We’d had our hopes pinned on him being the one who would set Israel back in its rightful place. It’s all been over for three days now. A strange twist has rocked us all today, though. Some women from our group apparently went to the tomb first thing this morning and couldn’t find his body. They came back and told the rest of us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive. We sent a group down to check out their story, and they found things just the way the women had said, but there was no sign of Jesus anywhere.”
When they had finished filling him in, Jesus said to them, “What a thick-headed pair you are! Why are you so slow to get your heads and your hearts around everything that the prophets spelled out?! Hasn’t it always been the case that the Messiah would have to cop all this suffering before getting in on the glory that was in store for him?”
Jesus spent the rest of their journey explaining the scriptures to them. Passage by passage, he showed them what Moses and the prophets had said about him.
When they reached the turn-off to the town they were heading for, Jesus appeared set to push on up the highway, but they put the hard word on him to stop at their place overnight since the sun was going down and the day was almost over. So he accepted their offer of hospitality and went home with them. When he sat down to the evening meal with them, he picked up a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly their eyes were opened and they realised who he was; and just as suddenly he disappeared from sight. They looked at one another and said, “No wonder there was such a fire burning in our guts when he was explaining the scriptures to us on the road!”
So, without a moment’s delay, they were on their feet and hurrying back to Jerusalem to tell the news to the eleven and the rest of the crew. When they found them, they were all together and abuzz with news: “The Lord really has risen! He has appeared to Simon Peter!”
The couple from Emmaus filled them all in on what had happened on the road, and how it had dawned on them who he was when the bread had been broken.
©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 through Christ we have come to trust in you,
setting our faith and hope on you
as the one who frees us from death’s grip.
You laid the foundations of the world
and destined your child, Jesus,
to reveal your eternal presence.
Through Moses and the prophets,
you made your ways known
and called your people to follow you.
You sent Jesus to us, a prophet mighty in word and deed,
to free our corrupt generation from its futile ways.
Though he was condemned to death
and crucified by the religious,
you raised him from the dead
and made him both Lord and Messiah.
Risen indeed, he is with us always;
and now in the breaking of bread
and your living and enduring word,
our eyes are opened
and are hearts set on fire with love.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your son, Jesus,
who you have made both Lord and Messiah.
Risen indeed, he is with us always;
and in the breaking of bread
and your living and enduring word,
our eyes are opened
and are hearts set on fire with love.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for through Christ we have come to trust in you,
setting our faith and hope on you
as the one who frees us from death’s grip.
You laid the foundations of the world
and destined your child, Jesus,
to reveal your eternal presence.
Through Moses and the prophets,
you made your ways known
and called your people to follow you.
You sent Jesus to us, a prophet mighty in word and deed,
to free our corrupt generation from its futile ways.
Though he was condemned to death
and crucified by the religious,
you raised him from the dead
and made him both Lord and Messiah.
Risen indeed, he is with us always;
and now in the breaking of bread
and your living and enduring word,
our eyes are opened
and are hearts set on fire 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

This promise is for you and for all who come after you,
all who are called by the Lord our God:
through repentance and baptism into Christ,
your sins will be forgiven
and the gift of the Holy Spirit will be yours.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as witnesses of God’s eternal presence.
The risen Christ has made himself known to you
in the breaking of bread,
so set your faith and hope on God,
fulfilling your vows and living in genuine mutual love.
And may God hear and respond whenever you call;
May Christ Jesus make himself known to you in all things;
And may the Holy Spirit open your eyes and set your hearts on fire with love.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Can’t see the wood for the treesA sermon on Luke 24: 13-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Open Minds and Narrow ThinkingA sermon on Luke 24:36b-48 by Nathan Nettleton

Easter in OrdinaryA sermon on Luke 24.13-35 by Garry Deverell

The Stranger on the Road of DespairA sermon on Luke 24: 13-35 & 1 Peter 1: 17-23 by Nathan Nettleton

There and Back AgainA sermon on Luke 24:13-35 by Roslyn Wright

Repentance and Embracing the StrangerA sermon on Acts 2:36-41 & Luke 24:13-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Through the Eyes of a Dead ManA sermon on Acts 2:36-41 & Luke 24:13-35 by Nathan Nettleton

4th Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-04-26 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 2: 42-47

The newly baptised believers threw themselves wholeheartedly into studying the teachings of the apostles, and into sharing their lives with one another, breaking bread together, and gathering for prayer.
Everyone was mind-boggled by what was going on, and especially by the miraculous things the apostles were doing – things that clearly bore the signs of God’s involvement.
All those who had put their trust in Christ lived a common life and shared everything with one another. They sold off their personal assets and possessions, and pooled their resources so that there was plenty to provide for everybody’s needs. Their daily pattern of life revolved around praising God, both at gatherings for worship in the Temple and while breaking bread in their homes at meals which were eaten in a generous and festive spirit. Everyone thought they were alright, and every day their numbers grew as the Lord added more and more people whose lives were being put on track.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 23

You, LORD, are my guide in the wilderness;
there is nothing more I could need.
You set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;
you lead the way on secluded tracks
beside creeks of cool clean water.
I feel my spirit breathing freely again;
your reputation puts me at ease;
I leave the navigating to you, and follow.
Even if we hike through a perilous valley,
where crows keep a menacing watch,
fear will still not get the better of me.
As long as I stick with you
I know I’ll make the distance;
with a knife and a bit of rope
you seem able to tackle any challenge.
You cook up a feast for me,
as those who wanted to feed on me watch, frustrated.
You pamper me like an honoured guest
and constantly top up my glass.
My life feels charmed, each and every day.
Love, mercy and all good things
keep falling into my lap.
I’m with you for life, LORD,
where you go, I’ll go;
where you live, I’ll live.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 2: 19-25

It is greatly to your credit if you can cop it sweet and keep looking to God when you are being treated cruelly and unfairly by others. Of course, there is no great credit in copping it sweet if you deserve the punishment, is there? But if you are being made to suffer for doing the right thing, then God will applaud you for taking it on the chin and holding your line. After all, it comes with the territory in the life to which you have been called. Christ set the example on this when he suffered for your benefit, and we should all be following in his footsteps.
“He never did anything wrong,
and not a word of a lie ever passed his lips.”
When he was abused,
he never retaliated;
when they inflicted pain on him,
he made no threats of revenge.
He trusted God to get him through,
and to judge the right and wrong of it all.
He copped the consequences of our corruption
in his own body on the cross,
so that we could walk free with a clean slate
and dedicate our lives to doing what is right.
When he was wounded,
we were healed.
Before that we were as far off track
as a penguin in the desert,
but now we are back where we belong,
in the care of the one who protects and guides us.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 10: 1-10

Jesus said:
“What I am telling you is the dead-set truth: anyone who gets into the dairy yard by climbing over the back fence instead of walking in through the front gate is obviously up to no good. Call the cops! The farmer who looks after the herd uses the gate. The security guard will always open the gate and let him through, and the cows will recognise his voice as he approaches. His own cows will come to him when he calls their names. He can lead them out just by calling them and walking ahead, and they will follow him, because his voice is familiar to them. They will not follow a stranger. They will back off and not let him near, because they do not recognise the unfamiliar voice.”
Jesus used this image to illustrate his point, but the people listening still could not make head nor tail of it. So Jesus tried another angle:
“I kid you not when I say, I am the gate for the herd. Those who were here before are a pack of crooks, but the herd didn’t trust them for a minute. I am the gate, and all will be well for whoever enters through this gate. They will be able to come and go as required to graze the wide open paddocks. The crook only comes to steal and kill and destroy. I came so that everyone can have life – life that exceeds all their expectations.”
©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 you spread a banquet of abundant life before us
and invite us to eat and drink in celebration.
In the first of your wonders and signs you created the earth,
tending it with goodness and love.
You created a people for yourself
and gave them your law
that they might know your voice and follow in your ways.
When we wandered away like lost sheep,
stumbling through death’s dark valley,
you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who endured unjust abuse and suffering
and returned only mercy and life.
Calling us to attend to his voice and return to you,
he bore our sins in his body on the cross,
and when you raised him he freed us to follow him,
— our shepherd and the guardian of our souls —
along sure paths to life in abundance.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that in Christ,
you have spread a banquet of abundant life before us
and invited us to eat and drink with him
— our shepherd and the guardian of our souls.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you found us, lost and astray
and guided us along sure paths to life in abundance.
In the first of your wonders and signs you created the earth,
spreading it out like a banquet before us.
You created a people for yourself
and gave them your law
that they might know your voice and follow in your ways.
When we wandered away like lost sheep,
stumbling through death’s dark valley,
you sent us your child, Jesus Christ,
who endured abuse and suffering unjustly
and returned only mercy and life.
Calling us to attend to his voice and return to you,
he bore our sins in his body on the cross,
and when you raised him he freed us to follow him,
our shepherd and the guardian of 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.
so that free from sin and the fear of sin,
we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds we have been healed.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, listening for the voice of Christ,
and follow the example he left us.
Devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching,
to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread
and to the prayers of God’s people.
And may God lead you to places of rest and renewal;
May Christ Jesus give you life in abundance;
And may the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with gladness and generosity.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The advertiser is my shepherd??A sermon on Psalm 23 by Nathan Nettleton

The Right MasterA sermon on Psalm 23 by Wai Kwong Sun

A personal response to Psalm 23A sermon on Psalm 23 by Alison Sampson

Fullness of LifeA sermon on John 10:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

The Price of Abundant LifeA sermon on 1 Peter 2:19-25 & John 10:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Generosity, Freedom and AbundanceA sermon on John 10:1-10; Acts 2: 42-47 & Psalm 23 by Nathan Nettleton

I am the Door/GateA sermon on John 10:1-10 by Chris Barnden

Of shepherds, thieves and reiversA sermon on John 10:-1-10 and Psalm 23 by Jim Barr

5th Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-05-03 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 7: 55-60

Stephen was completely under the influence of the Holy Spirit as he spoke to the Council. As he finished his speech, he looked up to the sky and caught sight of Jesus basking in the glory of God as God’s right hand man. “Look at that!” he said. “I can see right into heaven, and Jesus, the New Human, is there as God’s right hand man. He is rising to his feet even now!”
But his words turned the assembly into a frenzied mob. They rushed at him violently, screaming abuse to drown out his words, and dragged him off to the place where the executions were carried out. Stripping to the waist and handing their coats to a young man named Saul for safe-keeping, the leaders of the mob began to stone Stephen to death. As they pelted him with rocks, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, welcome my spirit home.”
Falling to his knees, he raised his voice for everyone to hear and prayed, “Lord, don’t hold this crime against them.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when the hail of rocks finished him off and he slumped to the ground, dead.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16

I look to you for refuge, LORD;
don’t let me be dragged through the mud.
You promised justice – save me!
Give me your ear – I’m crying for help;
rescue me before it’s too late.
Be a secure refuge for me,
a bomb shelter where I can hide.
Your solid walls protect me from danger;
lead me and guide me so I’ll be a credit to you;
keep me clear of pitfalls and traps.
You are the only refuge I trust, LORD;
I put my life in your hands.
You are a faithful God,
and you have saved me.
My future is in your hands;
snatch me from the grasp
of those who are hunting me down.
I’m working for you; look on me with love.
Stand by me and save me.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 2: 2-10

If you have already had a taste of God’s goodness, you will be like babies at the breast, hungry for more of the pure, spiritual milk that you need to grow up strong and healthy in the life you have now been born into. Drink deep!
God is building a house and Christ is the living foundation stone. The human race didn’t want him included in the building, but God saw him as the most precious stone of all and chose him to be the one on which everything else depends. So now as you come to him, allow yourselves to be used as further living stones in the construction of this sacred building. Within this house you will serve as the dedicated priests whose job is to work with Jesus the Messiah in offering the spiritual sacrifices that are a welcome gift to God. The scriptures put it this way:
“Look, I am setting a stone in place in Zion;
a precious, hand-picked stone;
foundation and centrepiece;
holding the weight of all.
Those who entrust themselves to him
will never be dragged through the mud.”
He has proven himself invaluable to you who trust him, but to those who refuse to trust him, other sayings spring to mind:
“The stone the builders tossed out as useless
is now seen in all its glory holding everything together.”
and also:
“There is a stone that trips them up;
they stumble over it and fall flat on their faces.”
Such people defy the message, so their fate is a foregone conclusion; they keep on being tripped up by it.
But it is a very different story for you. You are God’s own special people, chosen to be a noble priesthood and a nation wholly dedicated to God. That is why God, who turned on the lights for you when you were lost in the dark, has given you the job of broadcasting the news about all the great things God does.
Once you were nothing but a rabble,
but now you are God’s own people.
Once mercy was nothing but a word to you,
but now you are showered with mercy.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 14: 1-14

Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t go losing your nerve. Stick with God, and stick with me too. My Father’s house has plenty of room for everyone. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have been telling you that I’m off to book you in, would I? And you can be sure that if I go and book you in, then I’ll be back to pick you up so that we can be together. Anyway, you know which track will get you to where I am going.”
Thomas disputed this, saying, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are headed, so how are we supposed to pick the right track to get there?”
Jesus said, “I am the right track, and the whole truth, and the real life. No one gets near the Father without my help. If you really knew me, then you would also know my Father. And now you do! You know my Father and you have even seen him.”
“If only!” said Philip. “Lord, if you’d just show us the Father, we’d more than happy.”
Jesus replied, “All this time I’ve been with you, and you still haven’t worked me out, have you Philip? To see me is to see the Father. So what’s the point of asking me to show you the Father? Haven’t you got it sorted out in your head that I am one with the Father, and the Father is one with me? When I tell you something, I’m not speaking off my own bat. The Father who lives in me is at work in everything I say. Take my word for it that I am one with the Father, and the Father is one with me; or if my saying it is not enough for you, then surely the things you’ve seen me do prove the point. I kid you not when I tell you that anyone who trusts in me will do the very same things. In fact, you’ll do even greater things than I’ve done, because I’m going back to the Father and handing over the reins to you. I’ll back you up and do whatever you ask when you’re doing my work. That’s how the Son will give the glory to the Father. If you’re working on my behalf you can ask me for anything and I’ll do it.”
©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 have tasted your goodness,
and our lives are secure in your hands.
You laid the cornerstone of creation
and built earth and heaven by hand.
Through your prophets you promised to lay a stone in Zion
as a place of refuge for your faithful ones,
and a stumbling block for those who reject your ways.
In Jesus the Christ, your promise has been fulfilled.
He came among us as the way, the truth and the life,
and in him we have seen you.
He was rejected and crucified,
committing his spirit into your hands,
but you raised him to new life
and seated him at your right hand.
Now he is preparing a place for us
and drawing us to you,
that we might be a holy priesthood
and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to you.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your son, Jesus Christ,
who comes among us as the way, the truth and the life,
and in whom we a holy priesthood
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to you.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for we have tasted your goodness,
and our lives are secure in your hands.
You laid the cornerstone of creation
and built earth and heaven by hand.
Through your prophets you promised to lay a stone in Zion
as a place of refuge for your faithful ones,
and a stumbling block for those who reject your ways.
In Jesus the Christ, your promise has been fulfilled.
He came among us as the way, the truth and the life,
and in him we have seen you.
He was rejected and crucified,
committing his spirit into your hands,
but you raised him to new life
and seated him at your right hand.
Now he is preparing a place for us
and drawing us to you,
that we might be a holy priesthood
and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God. Trust also in Christ whom God has sent,
for whoever trusts in him will not be put to shame.
Our cry for help has been heard.
Now we are God’s people and have received mercy.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation.
Therefore go out as God’s own people
to proclaim the mighty acts of God in Christ.
And may God be your rock and your refuge;
May Christ Jesus take you to himself and be with you always;
And may the Holy Spirit open heaven wide before you,
........that you might see the glory of God in all the things of earth.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Following Christ at Port ArthurA sermon on John 14: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Craving the Breast of GodA sermon on 1 Peter 2:2-10 by Margaret Welsford

Finding the WayA sermon on 1 Peter 2: 2-10 and John 14: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

A Chosen PeopleA sermon on 1 Peter 2: 2-10 by Nathan Nettleton

From rabble to royal priesthoodA sermon on 1 Peter 2: 2-10 by Alison Sampson

True Martyrdom in an Age of TerrorA sermon on Acts 7: 55-60 by Nathan Nettleton

Martyrdom: Seeing as well as SufferingA sermon on Acts 7: 55-60 by Keith Clements

Cultural Cringe and Jesus the WayA sermon on John 14:6 by Nathan Nettleton

6th Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-05-10 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 17: 22-31

Paul was invited to present his views to the most respected assembly of civil and religious leaders in the city of Athens. He stood before them and said:
“Good people of Athens, it is clear to me that you are a people who take religion seriously. Everywhere I look in your city, I see places and objects intended for worship. I even came across an altar with a sign that said it was dedicated to ‘an unknown god.’ This God who you already worship but do not know is, in fact, the God I am here to make known to you. This is the God who made the world and everything in it. This is the one who is Lord of heaven and earth. No house built by human hands could ever hold this God. No act of service offered by human beings could ever provide anything which God would otherwise be left in need of. No, it is we mortal creatures who depend on what God provides, for our life, our breathe, and all we need are given by God. This God made the whole human race from scratch – every people and nation on the face of the earth – and set the basic limits on what is possible and impossible for them. All of this inspires us to search for God, which is exactly what God intended. At times we may feel like we are groping blindly in the dark, but God wants to be found by us and is never beyond the reach of anyone. One of your local poets summed it up well:
‘Our lives are lived in God,
everything we do and everything we are;
for we are the fruit of God’s womb.’
So if we have been brought to birth by God, then we should never fall for the idea that we humans can shape God in some image that appeals to us. Even the most exquisite creations of gold, silver and precious stone, crafted with great skill and imagination by the best artists, are nothing but meaningless lumps of rock in comparison to God. Fortunately, God has not taken offence over such unworthy representations when their creators didn’t know any better. But such excuses are a thing of the past. We now know who God is. We are now aware that God wants everyone everywhere to turn their lives around. And we now know that God has appointed the judge and set the date for the world to be put right. You can stake your life on this, because God has given a spectacular guarantee, by raising the appointed judge from the dead.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 66: 8-20

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.
So now we come to the place of worship
to fulfil our promises and offer our gifts.
All that we vowed to do if you got us out of trouble
we will now make good on with grateful hearts.
We will offer you whatever you ask;
the best of all we have and all we are;
all you have given us, we offer back to you.
We will tell everyone who honours and respects you
what you have done for us, God.
We cried out loud to you
and acknowledged your goodness.
If we had hung onto evil ideas,
you would have turned you back on us,
but you really have listened to us, God,
and taken note of all we have asked.
We honour you and praise you, God,
because you did not turn a deaf ear
or withhold your rock-solid love from us.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 3: 13-22

It is unlikely that anyone will be out to get you because of your enthusiasm for doing what is good. But even if some do set out to make you suffer for doing the right thing, you are still on a winner. Don’t be afraid of them, and don’t let them get you down. Stand your ground, and give your allegiance and obedience to Christ before all others. Be ready to explain yourself to everybody who questions why you live with such confidence. Don’t be pushy or aggressive, but never hesitate to give them a quiet and respectful answer. Keep your nose clean so that if things turn nasty, and somebody starts misrepresenting your commitment to doing what is right as followers of Christ, your record will speak for itself. If you have made sure that the mud won’t stick to you, those who throw it will end up wearing it themselves. There is no shame in suffering if it is a consequence of doing the good that God asks of you, but if you suffer because you are involved in corruption, you have got only yourselves to blame. After all:
The Messiah copped the consequences of human corruption
and suffered them all in one hit.
He who had done only what is right
suffered for those who had done wrong
in order to bring you home to God.
He was killed by human hands
but made alive by the Spirit.
In the spirit, he went and preached freedom to those who refused God’s way in past generations and whose spirits have remained in prison ever since. In their own day, God had given them every chance. While Noah was building his boat, for example, there was plenty of time for people to realise why and change their ways, but in the end a mere eight people were saved from the waters by getting into that lifeboat. Their experience was a bit of a preview of the way baptism saves you. It is not just a bath to clean up your appearance. Rather, you are pulled from the water to a new life so that you can stand before God with a clear conscience. You are raised from death to life with Jesus the Messiah, who has since taken his place in heaven as God’s right hand man, and he has the last word on everything and everyone. There is no authority or power, human or angel, that can overrule him.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 14: 15-21

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, it will show in the way you live out what I’ve told you to do. I will have a word with the Father and arrange for another defence counsel to be permanently assigned to you. Your new defence counsel will be the Spirit of Truth. The rest of the world will not accept the Spirit because they never accept what they can’t see or comprehend. You already know the Spirit though, because the Spirit is with you and will be at work inside you.
"I’m not going to leave you to fend for yourselves like abandoned children; I’ll be there for you. Soon the rest of the world will think I’m gone — out of sight, out of mind — but you’ll still be seeing me. I am really living, and because of that you’ll be really living too. When that day comes you’ll be left in no doubt that I am one with my Father, and that you are one with me and I am one with you. Those who take seriously what I’ve said and live it out are the ones who truly love me. My Father will love all those who truly love me. I’ll love them too, and bare my soul to them.”
©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,
and to bring our gifts into your house
in gratitude for the constant love you have pledged to us.
The world and everything in it was made by you.
Life and breath are your gifts to all mortal things,
and in you we live and move and have our being.
Everywhere and always you have been within our reach
and have inspired us to search for you.
In Jesus the Christ you have shown yourself to us,
the unknowable revealed in the known.
He was rejected and put to death in the flesh,
but you raised him from the dead
and gave him life in the Spirit.
Through his resurrection,
you have raised us from the saving waters,
and now your blessing abides with us
even in suffering
and your Spirit assures us of your coming justice.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your resurrection power
which raised Christ from the dead, giving him life in the Spirit,
and which raises us from the saving waters of baptism
assuring us that even in suffering your blessing abides with us.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
and bring our gifts into your house
in gratitude for the constant love you have pledged to us.
The world and everything in it was made by you.
Life and breath are your gifts to all mortal things,
and in you we live and move and have our being.
Everywhere and always you have been within our reach
and have inspired us to search for you.
In Jesus the Christ you have shown yourself to us,
the unknowable revealed in the known.
He was rejected and put to death in the flesh,
but you raised him from the dead
and gave him life in the Spirit.
Through his resurrection,
you have raised us from the saving waters,
and now your blessing abides with us
even in suffering
and your Spirit assures us of your coming justice.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ suffered for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
in order to bring you to God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now into the world.
Search for the God who is not far from each one of us.
Offer to all who ask an account of the hope that is in you.
Keep your conscience clear
as you live the commandments in love.
And may God greet your prayers with constant love;
May Christ Jesus give you life through his own life;
And may the Spirit of truth abide with you and within you, always.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Harrowing of HellA sermon on 1 Peter 3: 13-22 by Nathan Nettleton

Christ, the unknown GodA sermon on 1 Peter 3: 13-22 & Acts 17: 22-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Gentleness, Reverence, and ProselytisingA sermon on 1 Peter 3: 13-22; Acts 17: 22-31 & John 14: 15-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Giving up goodness for JesusA sermon on 1 Peter 3: 13-22 & John 14: 15-21 by Nathan Nettleton

On a threshold, but not aloneA sermon on on John 14:15-21 by Cas Wepener

Offspring not OrphansA sermon on on John 14:15-21 by Cheryl Williams

The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord
2026-05-14 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 1: 1-11

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

Psalm 47

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

OR Psalm 93 (alternative psalm)

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

Ephesians 1: 15-23

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

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

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

Luke 24: 44-53

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world.
and in your words and in your lives
bear witness to the Christ who has ascended
to be everywhere present.
And as you come to know him,
may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,
may Christ Jesus lift up his hands and bless you,
and may the Spirit open to you all the riches of Christ’s inheritance.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Ascension: Christ’s superabundant presenceA sermon on Acts 1. 6-14 & John 17:1-11 by Garry Deverell

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

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

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

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

7th Sunday of Pascha - Year A
2026-05-17 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Acts 1: 6-14

When they were all together for the last time, the apostles had one burning question for Jesus: “Lord, is this the time? Will you regain our freedom now and give us our own king to reign over Israel?”
Jesus replied, “Only the Father can decide such things and the timing is none of your business. Just focus on this: the Holy Spirit will flood over you and drench you with power, giving you the passion and courage to be my witnesses. Then you will be able to tell everyone about me, in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
That was it - his last words. Right before their eyes, he was carried up into the air where he soon disappeared into the clouds. They just stood there stunned, staring into the sky. Suddenly two men appeared next to them, dressed in white robes! They said, “You Galileans! What are you standing here for, staring into the sky? Jesus has been taken into heaven, but don’t worry. He’ll be back, just as surely - and just as mysteriously - as he left.”
This happened at the Mount of Olives, about a half an hour’s walk outside of Jerusalem. When they returned to the city, they gathered again in the upstairs room that had become their regular meeting place. The remaining eleven apostles were all there: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. Along with a wider group, which included many of the women who had followed Jesus, they committed themselves to a shared life of fervent prayer. This group included Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 68: 1-10, 32-35

Up and at it, God;
scatter your enemies,
send those who hate you packing.
Blow them away like smoke in the wind;
melt them like wax under a blowtorch.
Wipe out all corruption, God.
But for those who do the right thing, God,
give them every reason to celebrate.
Set them singing and dancing with joy!
Every mention of your name sets us singing your praises, God.
We lift our song as you ride the clouds.
We name you as LORD
and celebrate in your presence.
To the orphans, you are a loving parent;
to the needy and vulnerable, you are a caring protector;
from your sacred home you provide care to all.
You give a home to those with nowhere to go, God;
you set the prisoners free and turn everything they touch to gold;
but the good times dry up for those who turn against you.
O God, you took the lead and showed the way
when your people set out across the harsh desert.
The earth shuddered at your approach;
one look from you and the clouds let go of their rain.
You were with us, God of the mountain;
you were with us, God of Israel.
You showered us with life-giving rain
restoring fertility to your weary land.
You settled your people in good pasture, God,
and provided generously to all in need.
With every nation on earth, we sing to you, God;
you are our Lord, and we sing your praises.
You have been riding the heavens since ancient times,
and your voice booms out with the sound of thunder.
All power belongs to you, God;
you reign over your people in splendour,
and your power is written in the skies.
Stepping into your presence, we are struck with awe.
You are our God;
our strength and energy are gifts from you.
May you be number one forever, God!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Peter 4: 12-14; 5: 6-11

My dear friends, I know that you are under the heat at the moment, but there is nothing unusual about it, so don’t let it throw you. It comes with the territory and it gives you the chance to prove yourselves. You can even count it an honour that in such suffering you are following in the footsteps of the Messiah. Once you have got through this, you will enjoy it all the more when his true glory is out in the open for everyone to see. Nothing will ever wipe the smiles off your faces! If people treat you like scum because you are associated with Christ, you are still on a winner, because the Spirit of God will be with you and will cover you with glory.
Keep yourselves down to earth. Hand the reins over to God and don’t think such dependence is beneath you. God will put your name up in lights when the time is right. God loves you and is always ready to take care of anything that is stressing you out, so hand it over and let go of it.
Discipline yourselves, and be ready for anything. The devil has set himself against you, and he is always cruising around like a hungry croc, ready to make a meal of anyone who is not on their guard. Hold him at bay and don’t concede an inch. Stand your ground and trust God to back you up. Remember that your brothers and sisters all around the world are feeling the heat just as much as you. None of you will have to suffer it for too long though. The God who, in extravagant generosity, has called you to be one with Christ and share in his glory forever, will personally put you back on your feet and give you all the support, strength and confidence you could ever need. To God be all power, forever and ever. And so say all of us!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 17: 1-11

After the supper, and after giving his final teaching to his followers, Jesus gazed up towards the skies and began to pray:
“Father, the time has come;
cover your Son in glory now
so that he may give all the glory to you.
You have put the destiny of every person on earth
in the hands of your Son,
so that he can give life without limit
to all those you have entrusted to him.
And what this boundless life is all about is this:
intimacy with you, the one and only true God,
and with Jesus the Messiah,
the chosen one who you sent.
I brought great credit to you
by finishing the job you gave me.
So now, Father, let me bask in your glory again,
in the glory I enjoyed when I was with you,
back before the world began.
Father, you have given me some followers from this world,
and I have given them the full picture of what you are like.
They were yours to begin with,
but you gave them to me,
and they have done what you asked of them.
Now they know for sure that everything I have
was given to me directly by you.
I gave my followers the same message you gave to me.
They took it on board and were convinced that I came from you. They believe that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them.
My prayer is not for this hell-bent world
but for the followers you gave me,
for they are rightfully yours.
Everything that is mine is yours,
and everything that is yours is mine,
and my image lights up in them.
I will no longer be seen in the world,
but they will continue on in the world
while I come back to you.
Holy Father, protect them
by writing your name on them,
giving them the same identity you gave me,
so that they will be one with each other,
just as you and I are one in heart and mind.”
©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 you give strength to the weak,
freedom to the prisoners,
and an eternal home to the homeless,
With the Son and the Spirit you lived before the world existed,
and all things were created from your love.
You led your people through the desert
from slavery to the promised land
and nourished them through your law and prophets.
Your Son, Jesus Christ,
glorified you on earth by finishing your work,
and making you known to us
as the only true God in whom we find eternal life.
When he was crucified, you raised him to new life,
and when he ascended into heaven
he promised to send the Holy Spirit,
who fills us with your truth and power,
and protects us in the name of Christ,
so that we may be one, as you are one.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who glorified you on earth by finishing your work,
and making you known to us
as the only true God in whom we find eternal life.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you give strength to the weak,
freedom to the prisoners,
and an eternal home to the homeless,
With the Son and the Spirit you lived before the world existed,
and all things were created from your love.
You led your people through the desert
from slavery to the promised land
and nourished them through your law and prophets.
Your Son, Jesus Christ,
glorified you on earth by finishing your work,
and making you known to us
as the only true God in whom we find eternal life.
When he was crucified, you raised him to new life,
and when he ascended into heaven
he promised to send the Holy Spirit,
who fills us with your truth and power,
and protects us in the name of Christ,
so that we may be one, as you are one.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

You have humbled yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
and cast your anxieties on Christ who cares for you.
Know then that the God of all grace
who has called you to eternal glory in Christ,
will restore, support, strengthen and establish you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, steadfast in your faith.
Resist the evil one,
devote yourselves to prayer,
and bear witness to Christ as he makes us one.
And may the God of all grace restore and strengthen you;
May Christ Jesus make the divine love known to you;
And may the Holy Spirit rest upon you
and give you power until all is fulfilled.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

While you’re waiting…A sermon on Acts 1:6-14 & John 17:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

The Ascension: Christ’s superabundant presenceA sermon on Acts 1:6-14 & John 17:1-11 by Garry Deverell

Resurrecting CreationA sermon on John 17:1-5 by Nathan Nettleton

Our witness to the Risen ChristA sermon on Acts 1:6-14 by Alison Sampson

What were you thinking?A sermon on Acts 1: 6-14; 1 Peter 4: 12-14; 5: 6-11 & John 17: 1-11 by Phil Gale

The Liminal Zone of Spiritual UnknowingA sermon on Acts 1:6-14 by Anna Killigrew

The Day of Pentecost - Year A
2026-05-24 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1st Reading: Acts 2: 1-21

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

OR Numbers 11: 24-30 (alternative 1st reading)

Acting on the LORD’s instructions, Moses sent for seventy of Israel’s most respected and influential tribal elders and had them assemble in a circle around the Sacred Tent while he went inside. The LORD came down, hidden in cloud, and spoke with Moses. As they talked, the LORD touched the seventy elders with the same spirit that was at work in Moses. During the short period of time that the spirit rested on them, they were all shouting words of prophesy.
Two of the seventy elders who Moses had sent for were named Eldad and Medad. They had not made it to the Sacred Tent, but the spirit touched them just like the others and they began shouting words of prophesy right where they were in the camp. A young man ran and reported this to Moses, saying “Eldad and Medad are shouting like prophets in the camp!”
Joshua son of Nun, who served as right hand man to Moses, said, “You can’t let them do that, Boss. Have them stopped.”
But Moses replied, “Why? Are you worried about protecting my position? I only wish that the LORD would give the same spirit to all the people so that the whole lot of them would become prophets!”
After that, Moses and the tribal elders all returned to the camp.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 104: 24-34, 35b

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

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13

If you hear people say, “For better or for worse, we’ll do what Jesus wants,” you can take it as read that they couldn’t have said that if the Holy Spirit was not a force in their lives.
When it comes to spiritual abilities, there is a huge variety, but you can trace them all to the same Spirit. There are all sorts of different ways of doing the Lord’s work, but it’s the same Lord who is served in all of them. Some people get enthused and energised about one thing, some about another, but it is the same God who fires the passions in both.
The Spirit is at work in everyone, and that work takes shape in each person in a way that will be of benefit to all. In one person you see it expressed in the ability to give wise advise; that ability has been given through the Spirit. In another person you see the ability to draw on a wealth of knowledge for the benefit of others; that too comes from the Spirit. Another person is able to keep trusting God when everyone else starts doubting, and of course faith like that comes from the Spirit. Someone else has a gift that enables them to heal the sick, and you guessed it, the same Spirit again! Someone else can work miracles, someone else can tell you what God wants you to hear. Another has the uncanny ability to discern what sort of spirit is behind whatever’s going on. Another is gifted with the ability to speak strange languages and still another with the ability to translate them. All these gifts, and more still, are triggered off in people by one and the same Spirit. The Spirit takes account of each person’s unique potential and decides accordingly how best to equip them.
The Church is a single body — the body of Christ. In some ways it is just like your own body; it is made up of many different parts, each with their own jobs to do, but it is still one body. When we were baptised, we became part of Christ’s body. The Holy Spirit integrated us all into this one body and so now we are first and foremost identified with the body, rather than with our individual characteristics. Whatever your nationality, and whatever your occupation or background, you all tap into the one Spirit for your life, just as all the cells in the body are nourished in the same way through their relationship to the whole.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

John 20: 19-23

It was a Sunday – the first day of the week – when the tomb was found empty. That same evening, the disciples met together. They locked all the doors of the house where they were meeting because they were afraid of being tracked down by the religious authorities. Suddenly, Jesus appeared and stood among them saying, “Good evening to you all!”
He proceeded to show them the deep scars in his hands and side. The disciples, of course, were over the moon at seeing the Lord again. Jesus spoke again, saying, “All the best to you. God sent me into the world, and in the same way, I’m sending you.”
Having said that, he breathed a big breathe onto them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit; all of you. If you forgive anyone who has sinned, then their sins are forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness for any sins, they remain unforgiven.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR John 7: 37-39 (alternative gospel reading)

Jesus was speaking to the crowds in the Temple on the big final day of the sacred festival. Rising to his feet, he cried out, “If any of you have a raging thirst that will not go away, come to me. Any of you who will trust me, come and drink deep. The scriptures promised this, saying, ‘Rivers of life-giving water will well up from deep within you.’”
Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit who was soon to be given to those who put their trust in him; but at this time no one had yet received the Spirit, because the moment of glory for Jesus had not yet come.
©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 you have amazed us with your deeds of power.
With your own hands you shaped the creation
and filled the earth with your wonders.
You breathed into us and we rose from the dust;
the face of the earth came alive.
From the cloud you spoke to Moses
and through your prophets you promised
to pour out your Spirit on all flesh.
In these last days you sent your child, Jesus the Christ,
to speak your words of mercy and peace.
Though he was killed, you raised him to new life,
and now he comes to all who are thirsty,
pouring out the new wine of the Spirit,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
awakening within us your marvellous gifts
of wisdom, faith, healing, prophesy and discernment,
and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your son, Jesus Christ,
who pours out the new wine of your Spirit,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
and awakening within us your marvellous gifts
of wisdom, faith, healing, prophesy and discernment.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have amazed us with your deeds of power.
With your own hands you shaped the creation
and filled the earth with your wonders.
You breathed into us and we rose from the dust;
the face of the earth came alive.
From the cloud you spoke to Moses
and through your prophets you promised
to pour out your Spirit on all flesh.
In these last days you sent your child, Jesus the Christ,
to speak your words of mercy and peace.
Though he was killed, you raised him to new life,
and now he comes to all who are thirsty,
pouring out the new wine of the Spirit,
intoxicating us with visions and dreams,
awakening within us your marvellous gifts
of wisdom, faith, healing, prophesy and discernment,
and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Hear the words of Christ:
“If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them.”
Therefore know for sure
that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world,
sent as Christ Jesus was sent,
gifted and empowered for the common good.
Dream dreams, pursue visions
and speak of God’s goodness
in the words of those who would hear.
And may God give hope to your dreaming;
May Christ Jesus set rivers of life flowing within you,
and may the Holy Spirit unite you as one body and set you ablaze with joy.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Breaking through old divisionsA sermon on Acts 2: 1-21, John 14: 8-17,25-27 & Genesis 11: 1-9 by Nathan Nettleton

The Invitation of the Pentecost MiraclesA sermon on Acts 2:1-21 by Andrew Woff

Spirit DrinkersA sermon on John 7: 37-39 by Nathan Nettleton

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

PentecostA sermon on Acts 2: 1-21; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13 & John 20: 19-23 by Gilbert Joyce

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

Understanding the Language of PentecostA Sermon for the Feast of Pentecost by Lina Toth (Andronoviene)

Filled with the SpiritA sermon on Ephesians 5:18 by Joel Sierra

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

The Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
2026-05-31 00:00
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 2: 1-10

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

Psalm 113

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

Romans 12: 9-16b

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

Luke 1:39-57

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

Trinity Sunday - Year A
2026-05-31 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a

At the outset, when God created the universe,
the earth was lifeless and shapeless;
a deep ocean of chaos, shrouded in darkness;
brooded over by the Spirit of God.
Then God called for light,
and light appeared.
God saw that light was a good thing,
and separated it from the darkness.
God named the light Day,
and the darkness Night.
Evening passed and morning came;
the first day was done.
Then God called for a clear space
to keep out the water on either side.
God made the clear space
and the water was split in two, above and below.
That is what happened,
and God named the space Sky.
Evening passed and morning came;
the second day was done.
Then God called for the waters under the sky
to be pooled into one place
and for dry land to appear elsewhere.
That is what happened,
and God named the dry land Earth
and the pooled waters Sea.
God saw that this was a good thing.
Then God called for the earth to produce vegetation:
plants and trees, rich with fertile fruits and seed,
and that is what happened.
The earth burst forth with vegetation of every kind;
grasses and vines, shrubs and trees,
fertile with seeds and fruits of every kind.
God saw that this was a good thing.
Evening passed and morning came;
the third day was done.
Then God called for lights in the space called sky;
lights to shine from above and light up the earth,
to separate day from night,
and to mark out the months, seasons and years.
That is what happened;
God made stars to fill the sky
and two big lights:
a bright one to dominate the day,
and a soft one to take over at night.
God set them all in the sky
to light up the earth and determine day and night;
to separate out the light from the darkness.
God saw that this was a good thing.
Evening passed and morning came;
the fourth day was done.
Then God called for the waters to fill with living creatures,
and for the skies to fill with birds flying over the earth.
God created all the creatures that live and move in the water,
the enormous monsters of the sea and the teeming fish,
and every kind of bird that wings its way through the air.
God saw that this was a good thing
and set them up for life,
encouraging the fish to multiply and fill the seas
and the birds to multiply all over the earth.
Evening passed and morning came;
the fifth day was done.
Then God called for the earth to bring forth all sorts of living creatures:
insects, reptiles, mammals;
animals of every kind, tame and wild.
That is what happened;
God made wild animals of every kind to fill the earth,
every kind of herd and flock,
and every creature that runs or jumps or crawls on land.
God saw that this was a good thing.
Then God said:
“We will make people in our own image,
modelling them on ourselves.
We will entrust to them the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, the flocks and herds,
and all the wild animals and creepy-crawlies.”
So God created people as a reflection of God,
created them to be like God,
created them male and female.
God set them up for life,
and encouraged them to multiply and fill the earth.
God told them to exercise control over the earth
and to manage the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air and every living thing on earth.
God said to the people:
“Look, I have given you the grain crops
that grow and reproduce themselves all over the earth,
and all the trees that grow from seed and bear fruit;
they are all yours for food.
I have also provided vegetation galore
as food for the animals, birds and creepy-crawlies,
for everything that lives and breathes.
So it all happened, just as God said.
Everything God had made was there to be seen
and God was delighted with it all.
Evening passed and morning came;
the sixth day was done.
With that, the universe was complete,
along with everything that fills it.
With the work finished,
God took the seventh day off.
After all the work God had done,
the seventh day was a well earned rest.
So God made the seventh day special,
a sacred day,
because that day was God’s day off
after all the work of creating everything.
So that’s the family lineage of the universe;
the story of how everything came to be.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 8

Our LORD and ruler,
all over the world
the mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding!
Your glory fills the universe!
The gurgling of babies makes more sense
than the clever arguments of your enemies.
The innocent chatter of children
silences the venomous talk of your opponents.
When I gaze at your handiwork in the night skies
— the moon, the stars, the milky way —
the whole cosmos under your control;
I can’t help but wonder why you bother with us.
Why do you care so much for mere human beings
when we count for so little in the scheme of things?
And yet, for reasons known to you alone,
you created us almost on a par with yourself
and decorated us with the highest honours and glory.
You have even entrusted us with power over your precious creation;
you placed the future of all life in our hands:
sheep and cattle;
emu and kangaroo
insects, reptiles, birds, and sea creatures;
air, land and water and the planet itself.
Our LORD and ruler,
all over the world
the mere mention of your name sets hearts pounding!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 13: 11-13

Sisters and brothers, I finish my letter by wishing you every joy and offering these last words:
- get everything on track;
- take courage from what I’ve said;
- seek consensus;
- live in peace.
If you do these things, the presence of the God of love and peace will be known right there among you. Show warmth and tenderness when you greet one another as those dedicated to the Lord. All of God’s people send you their greetings.
May the extravagant generosity of the Lord and Messiah Jesus,
and the love of God,
and the tender solidarity of the Holy Spirit
be within and around you all.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 28: 16-20

The eleven who were left of Jesus’s closest followers headed north to Galilee and made their way to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they found him there, they fell to their knees worshipping him, even though some of them were still in two minds about whether they could completely trust this experience of him. Jesus came to them and said, “God has given me the job of bringing everything in heaven and earth into line. Your job then is to go to all people everywhere, recruiting and training them to follow me. Baptise them, identifying them as people of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Train them to live the life I have instructed you in. And hold on to the knowledge that I am with you every moment, from now to the completion of the age.”
©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,
and to join with the whole world
in declaring the greatness of your name.
In the beginning your Spirit brooded over the chaos
and brought to birth all the beauty and abundance of creation.
You created humankind in the image
of your own faithful love and desire,
dressing us in glorious splendour
and entrusting the care of the earth into our hands.
From our midst you brought forth your own child,
Jesus the Christ
— one with you, and the embodiment of your Spirit —
and through him you invited all people
to be baptised into your triune dance of love.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and gave him all authority in heaven and on earth,
and in him, through the Holy Spirit,
you are with us always, even to the end of the age.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for revealing to us in Jesus Christ,
the faithful love and desire
which unite you with him and the Holy Spirit,
and into which you invite all people to be baptised.
©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,
and to join with the whole world
in declaring the greatness of your name.
In the beginning your Spirit brooded over the chaos
and brought to birth all the beauty and abundance of creation.
You created humankind in the image
of your own faithful love and desire,
dressing us in glorious splendour
and entrusting the care of the earth into our hands.
From our midst you brought forth your own child,
Jesus the Christ
— one with you, and the embodiment of your Spirit —
and through him you invited all people
to be baptised into your triune dance of love.
When he was killed, you raised him to life
and gave him all authority in heaven and on earth,
and in him, through the Holy Spirit,
you are with us always, even to the end of the age.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to Jesus Christ,
and it is on the authority of Jesus Christ
that the forgiveness of sins is declared to you and to all.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out into the world and live in peace.
Bear witness to the God of love and peace,
and make disciples of all nations,
teaching them to obey all that Christ has taught us.
And may God look upon you and take delight in you;
May Christ Jesus be with you always, to the end of the age;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you into the dance of love
that is the life of the Trinity.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Trinity: A Christian DreamingA sermon on Proverbs 8. 1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8 & John 16. 12-15 by Garry Deverell

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

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

Trinity, Creation and PrayerA sermon on Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5 & John 16:12-15 by Nathan Nettleton

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

Baptism into the Life of GodA sermon on Matthew 28:16-20 by Nathan Nettleton

A Love Triangle that WorksA sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

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

Three makes sense, but one?A sermon on the doctrine of the Trinity by Nathan Nettleton

Decolonising Genesis 1A sermon on Genesis 1:1-2:4a by Samara Pitt

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

Proper 5 - Year A
2026-06-07 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 12: 1-9

The LORD spoke to Abram, and said:
“Get up and leave your country, your relatives and the family of your parents, and move to the land that I will show you. I will make things go well for you and see that your descendants become a great nation. I will see to it that you are remembered as one of the greats; as one whose life was a blessing to others. I will do good to those who do good to you, and I will pull the rug out from under anyone who pulls the rug out from under you. Life will be better for everyone on earth because of you.”
So, at the age of seventy five, Abram got up and left Haran, just as the LORD had told him to. He took with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their labourers. They packed up all the possessions they had accumulated over the years in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan.
When they arrived in the land of Canaan, Abram pushed on as far as Shechem, to the sacred site known as the tree of Moreh. The Canaanite people were living in the land at the time, but the LORD turned up and made a promise to Abram, saying, “I will give this land to your descendants.”
Abram built a monument to the LORD there, so that the place where the LORD had appeared to him might be a place for offering worship. After that, he set out again and headed into the hill country to the east of Bethel. He set up camp between Bethel and Ai, and there he built another monument to the LORD and called on the LORD in prayer. From there, Abram pushed south towards the Negeb Desert, making the journey one stage at a time.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 33: 1-12

We celebrate all you are to us, LORD.
We are your people,
and it feels right to sing your praises.
We make music in your honour,
with guitars and fiddles and drums.
We write new songs dedicated to you, LORD,
singing and playing with all our skill and energy.
Every word you speak is honest and true,
and everything you do shows you to be trustworthy.
You have a passion for justice and integrity;
your love and loyalty flood the earth.
The universe was created on your say-so, LORD;
everything in it, you breathed into life.
Filling the oceans was like running a bath for you;
fathomless depths poured out like a bottle.
All the earth is in awe of you, LORD;
all of us fall to our knees in your presence.
When you spoke, LORD, the world appeared;
one word from you and it was fixed in place.
All our big ideas collapse when you speak, LORD;
our national strategies are reduced to rubbish.
But what you have to say, LORD, is rock-solid;
your thoughts and feelings are consistent through the centuries.
What more could a country want than to have you as their God?
To be your cherished people, LORD, is the best thing in life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 4: 13-25

When God promised Abraham that he and his descendants would inherit the earth, it was not because Abraham had earned it by following God’s instructions to the letter. Instead it was a gift given when God put things right for Abraham in response to the trust he had shown. If it were possible to earn the rights to the earth by rigid compliance with the law, then basic values like trust and promise would be irrelevant. It would all become just another legal contract to be negotiated. Tie it all up in fine print and it will only end up serving as evidence against you; but where the relationship is conducted on the basis of trust, no one goes on the lookout for very possible breach.
So instead of being a legal matter, the fulfilment of the promise is conditional only on people’s willingness to put their trust in God. It is simply an expression of God’s generosity, and that’s why it is guaranteed to always be available to everyone. Whether you were raised in a culture where observing the religious law was the norm, or whether you have simply stepped out and put your trust in God like Abraham did, the promise is open to you. After all, both groups can rightly trace their line back to Abraham, and the scriptures say that God promised to make him the father of many nations.
When it looked like Abraham wouldn’t ever become the father of anyone, he trusted his future into the hands of God, believing that the God who can bring life out of death could create something out of nothing. He hung onto his hope even when it seemed utterly hopeless. He kept on believing that he would have many descendants because he was sure that God had promised him that. Even the cold hard biological facts didn’t cause him to throw in the towel. He knew that his hundred year old body was past it, and that Sarah was an old woman who hadn’t even been fertile when she was young. Yet he didn’t allow even such obvious obstacles to break down his trust and make him cynical about God’s promise. Instead his faith actually grew stronger as he went right on crowing about the greatness of God. He remained dead-set certain that God was more than capable of making good on the promise. That is why God counted his trust as the equivalent of a perfect life. Now when the scriptures say “it was counted as the equivalent of a perfect life”, it is not speaking of a special arrangement for Abraham alone. No, it refers to all of us. We will all be accepted on that same basis if we too put our trust in the One who raised Jesus our Lord to new life from the dead. Jesus was put to death even though it was us who had done the wrong thing; but he was raised to new life so that we could be put right with God.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26

Jesus was heading down the street when he saw a man named Matthew sitting in his office, where he worked collecting taxes for the Roman occupation forces. Jesus said to him, “Come and join me,” and Matthew got up and began following him.
That evening, Jesus and his followers were out to dinner with a group that included many disreputable characters whose lifestyles were considered offensive by the more respectable members of society. Some members of the Pharisee party saw who he was with and confronted his closest followers over it, saying, “What does he think he’s doing, sharing meals with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale?”
When Jesus heard this, he replied, “Who needs the help of a doctor: the fit and healthy, or the sick? Go and work out what the scripture means when it says, ‘What I want is mercy, not a blood-spilling quest for purity.’ I didn’t come to spend my time preaching to the converted, but to call back those who are off the track.”
A respected community leader came in and fell on his knees at Jesus’s feet, saying, “My precious daughter has just died, but come and lay your hands on her and she will live.”
So Jesus and his followers got up and went with him. As he went, a woman came up behind him and touched the edge of his coat. She had been suffering from prolonged bleeding, and for the previous twelve years her condition had meant that everyone treated her as defiled and contagious. She was thinking to herself, “Surely even touching this man’s clothes will be enough to make me well.”
Jesus looked around and saw her and said, “Good on you, daughter. You took a risk of faith and it has paid off for you. Welcome back to the world of the healthy!”
Sure enough, at that moment she became completely healthy.
When Jesus arrived at the home of the community leader and saw all the chaos of mourners and funeral directors and people bearing condolences and casseroles, he said, “Everybody out! The girl is not dead. She’s only asleep.”
But they rubbished him. They knew she was dead. Unperturbed, Jesus took charge of the situation and kicked them all outside. He went in and clasped the girl’s hand tenderly and up she got. The news of this spread through the district like wildfire.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6

I, the LORD, am going to pack up and go home.
I will have nothing more to do with my people
until they wake up to themselves and come clean,
until they are ready to turn to me again.
As soon as things fall apart for them,
they will come running to me in tears, saying:
“Please take us back, LORD.
You were right to knock us flat, and tear us apart;
but come now and bind our wounds.
Teach us a lesson by grounding us for a couple of days,
but then give us a fresh start.
On the third day, put us back on our feet
so we can live in your presence.
We want to stick with you and learn your ways, LORD.
We know we can rely on you, as sure as day follows night.
You are like welcome rain to our parched spirits;
soaking in and bringing new life to flower.”
What am I to do with you, my people?
What am I to do with you, my chosen ones?
Your love is as fickle as the morning mist;
as lasting as a puddle in the blazing sun.
That is why I have unleashed my prophets against you
and cut you down to size with my fierce words.
That is why I have turned the spotlight on you
to make it clear what I think of you.
It is not gifts and offering that I want from you,
but a love that lasts.
It is not dutiful religious behaviour that I’m looking for,
but people who know and care what I am on about.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 50: 7-15

We belong to you, LORD, and you call us to listen.
You set out the case against us, your chosen people.
You are God; our God.
It is not our sacrifices you condemn;
the gifts we are constantly offering.
But when they mean nothing to us, they mean nothing to you.
You don’t want any more thoughtless gifts.
You don’t depend on us for supplies.
From farm to forest, every creature is yours.
The birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
every beast in every paddock belongs to you.
You have no need of our help if you get hungry;
the best fruits of all the earth are yours for the picking.
Only a fool would think you eat our burnt beef!
Or that you literally drink the blood of sheep!
You welcome our gifts if they are really offered in gratitude;
if we back them up by keeping our promises.
When trouble breaks out, we only have to call you;
You’ll be there to bail us out,
and we’ll put you name up in lights!”
©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 give life to the dead
and fill the world with love.
The heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;
all things appeared at your command.
You called a people to be your own,
making them strong in faith as they gave glory to you,
and blessing the whole earth through them.
You sent your child, Jesus,
to teach us the ways of mercy
and to call sinners to leave their past behind
and follow you.
When he was handed over to death,
you raised him to new life and,
taking us by the hand, raised us with him.
When we put our faith in you,
you were true to your promise of grace
and declared us to be in the right with you,
healing us of all that would drain us of life.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Son, Jesus,
who calls us to leave our past behind and follow you,
taking us by the hand to raise us up
and heal us of all that would drain us of life.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you give life to the dead
and fill the world with love.
The heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;
all things appeared at your command.
You called a people to be your own,
making them strong in faith as they gave glory to you,
and blessing the whole earth through them.
You sent your child, Jesus,
to teach us the ways of mercy
and to call sinners to leave their past behind
and follow you.
When he was handed over to death,
you raised him to new life and,
taking us by the hand, raised us with him.
When we put our faith in you,
you were true to your promise of grace
and declared us to be in the right with you,
healing us of all that would drain us 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus came to restore sinners to God.
When he was handed over to death he took our sins
and was raised so that we might be put right with God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, at the call of God
and follow wherever the Lord leads you.
Love truth and justice,
and share the healing mercy of God with all.
And may God bless you and make you a blessing to others;
May Christ Jesus take you by the hand and lift you to life;
And may the Holy Spirit nourish you in hope
so that you will grow strong in faith.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Feeling Useless?A sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 by Nathan Nettleton

The Blessing of FaithA sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Romans 4:13-25 by Garry Deverell

You’re Not That Dead!A sermon on Matthew 9, Romans 4 & Genesis 12 by Nathan Nettleton

Leaving Quarantine with JesusA sermon on Matthew 9:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 6 - Year A
2026-06-14 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 18: 1-15, (21: 1-7)

One blazing hot summer afternoon, Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, when the LORD appeared to him. Looking up, Abraham saw three strangers approaching him. He immediately jumped up and hurried to welcome them as honoured guests. He said, “Please allow me the honour of sharing the hospitality of my home with you. Come in. Take a bath. Put your feet up for a bit. Let me serve you up a meal so that you can leave refreshed and strengthened. I would count it a favour to have the opportunity to serve you in this way.”
So they said, “Thank you, we accept.”
Abraham hurried into the tent and said, “Sarah. Quick! Knock up a batch of scones while I organise the barbecue.”
Then he ran out to his grazing herd and butchered a prime calf. He instructed one of his workers to prepare the best cuts for the barbecue. When it was all ready, he served it up for his guests with a yoghurt dip and plenty to drink, and waited on them while they ate.
During the meal, they said to him, “Where is your wife, Sarah?”
Abraham replied, “She’s inside; in the tent.”
Then one of the three said, “Mark my words! I’ll be back this way in about a year’s time, and by then your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was in the tent behind them as they talked, and she overheard this. Knowing well that she and Abraham were both elderly, and that she had long since passed menopause, she laughed to herself, saying, “Fat chance! Am I going to have such pleasure at my age; and with my husband past it too?”
The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and question whether she can have a child at her age? Is there any good thing that the LORD is incapable of doing? I will be back this way in about a year’s time, just as I said, and Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was shocked that she had been caught, and blurted out, “I didn’t mean to laugh.”“Yes, but you did laugh,” replied the LORD.
The LORD was good to Sarah and followed through on the promise made to her. Sarah fell pregnant to Abraham and gave birth to a baby son. This happened when they were both old and grey — Abraham was already one hundred years old when the child was born. Sarah gave birth to their son right at the time that God had spoken about. Abraham named his son Isaac, and circumcised him when he was eight days old, because that is what God had told him to do. Sarah said, “Now God has given me something to laugh about! And everyone who hears the news will laugh with me! Once no one would have dared raise the topic of me having a baby with Abraham, but now I have given birth to the old man’s son!”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19

I love you, LORD!
How could I not love you
when you always respond to my cries?
You are always ready to listen to me,
so I will bring my needs to you as long as I live.
How can I ever repay you, LORD?
What gift could ever express my gratitude?
I will raise my glass in your honour,
I will name you as the one who saved me.
I will make good on all I promised you, LORD,
and I’ll let everyone know its for you.
Whenever one of your faithful people dies
it affects you deeply.
LORD, you have released me from my chains.
I will serve you forever,
just as my forebears have done.
I will bring a gift to say thanks;
I will pray to you, and you alone.
I will be true to the vows I’ve made;
and I won’t keep it hidden.
In full view of all your people,
in the public place of worship,
I’ll do all I promised you, LORD.
All the praise and all the credit are your, LORD!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 5: 1-8

It was our faith that put us back in the good books with God. We put our trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and we can rest assured that he has cleared up everything with God for us. Christ got us in on the extravagant generosity of God, and that generosity has given us a safe place to plant our feet. We don’t just stand there, though. We hold our heads up high and announce, with pride, that we confidently expect to be sharing the glory that is coming to God. Actually, it’s not just what’s coming in the future that makes us feel so good. Even now, when life seems to be giving us a raw deal, we can stand proud. We know that going through suffering can make us tough enough to survive the worst of times. This ability to tough things through will in turn generate new depths of integrity and maturity within us. And that brings us full-circle because it is this integrity and maturity that gives us our confidence about the future. Our confidence is not in vain either. We are sure about that because of what we have already experienced: a flood of love surging into our hearts from the Holy Spirit who God has given to us.
Christ got us on track at the cost of his own life. He did it right when we most needed it; when we were way off course and too weak to ever get ourselves back. It’s hard to believe, but true. You rarely hear of people putting their lives on the line for others, even for innocent children. Perhaps we might be able to imagine finding the courage to die for someone who we deeply admired and loved. But if you need proof of how much God loves us, just look at what Christ did. While we were still showing no signs of ever offering God anything but contempt, Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 9:35 - 10:8, (9-23)

Jesus hit the road and began teaching in the meeting halls of every city and town he came to. He broadcast the great news about the new culture, and healed people of every kind of disease and sickness. He was meeting crowds of people everywhere he went, and their predicament always left him feeling gutted. They were under so much stress and were so powerless to do anything about it. They were like children caught in a rip with not a lifesaver in sight. He said to his followers, “The world is an orchard, groaning under a bumper crop, ripe and ready for picking; but there are hardly any workers ready to bring it in. So get in touch with the Lord of the crop, and put in an urgent request for more workers to be sent out to do the picking.”
Jesus called his twelve closest followers together and commissioned them to deal with every toxic spirit they would encounter, and to heal people of every kind of disease and sickness. These are the names of his twelve chosen ambassadors: first there was Simon, who was also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; there were the brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee; there was Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew who had collaborated with the Roman occupation forces; James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the freedom fighter; and Judas Iscariot, the one who later double-crossed Jesus. Jesus gave these twelve their marching orders as follows:
“I am not giving you the job of going to foreign places or to groups that are hostile to our people. Instead I want you to go to the people of Israel who have gone off the rails. Everywhere you go, broadcast the message that the culture of heaven is close at hand. Restore the sick to heath, raise the dead to life, integrate the outcasts back into society, flush out the demons. You haven’t been asked for payment for what you have been given, so you too are to do all this free of charge for others. Don’t take a wallet full of money just in case, and don’t go carting luggage around. Live simply and depend on others. Those who work hard have earned their keep.
“Whenever you arrive in a new town, accept the hospitality of someone who is trustworthy and on-side. Stay put until it’s time to move on. No shopping around for a better place! When you arrive in someone’s home, honour everyone as a friend. If they are good people they will benefit from your generous spirit; but if they prove unworthy of it, you have lost nothing by offering it. If you arrive somewhere and they refuse to welcome you in or to listen to what you have to say, just turn your backs and walk away. Scratch their name off your map and forget them. I kid you not; on judgment day the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah will get it easy compared to that town.
“Keep your wits about you, because on this job you will be like children swimming among the sharks. You will need to be as street-wise as a feral cat and as harmless as a budgie. Be on your guard against those who make wild allegations against you and turn you over to the authorities or incite mobs to beat you up in public. You will be dragged before the magistrates and political leaders because of your association with me. It will be your chance to speak out for the truth before an international audience. When they arrest you and put you on trial, don’t worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say in the witness box. You will be given the right words to say when the time comes. It won’t really be you doing the talking, but the Spirit of God speaking through you. People will end up betraying even those closest to them, their own brothers and sisters, and having them killed. Parents will dob in their own children, and children will turn on their parents and send them to the gallows. People everywhere will despise you because of your association with me, but those who tough it out to the end will be brought home safe and sound. When people begin to kick you around in one town, clear out and make a fresh start in the next. You can take my word for it; you will not run out of options before the New Human arrives on the scene.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Exodus 19: 2-8a

The Israelites left their camp near the Red Sea and travelled into the Sinai desert, where they camped at the foot of the mountain. Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. The LORD spoke to him there and said:
“Give this message to the people of Israel.
‘You have all seen what I did to the people who kept you in slavery. And you have all seen how I swooped down like an eagle to rescue you from them and make you mine. So now this is the deal: if you live the way I tell you to live, and continue to be true to the alliance I have made with you, then you will belong to me and be my most cherished possession. Of course the whole earth belongs to me, but you will be a nation set apart and dedicated to me, serving as my priest in the world.’
Go now, Moses, and tell the Israelites what I have said.”
So Moses went back down the mountain and called together the Israelite tribal elders. He told them everything that the LORD had told him to say. The people of Israel were unanimous in their reply: “We will do everything that the LORD is asking of us.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 100

With all the earth we join in thunderous celebration, LORD;
raising the roof as we come into your presence singing;
coming gladly to offer you our devotion.
LORD, we know that you are God.
You made us, and we belong to you.
We are your people, fed and cared for by you alone.
Your gates are open to us; thank you!
In your presence, we sing your praises!
We name you as deserving all the credit and thanks!
You are the best, LORD!
Your love is rock-solid, and always will be.
Down through the ages, you keep your word and stick by us.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your love has been poured into our hearts
through your Holy Spirit given to us.
Nothing is too wonderful for you,
and with a word you brought all creation to birth.
You revealed yourself to our forebears, Abraham and Sarah,
sharing round the table with them
and promising them the fruit of their withered dreams.
The fulfilment of all your promises came in your child, Jesus,
who revealed your compassion for the people,
proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom
and healing the sick and the broken of all that afflicted them.
In the fullness of love he gave his life for us,
while we were yet lost in our sin,
but you raised him from the dead
and now through our faith in him, you justify us
and welcomed us to the table of grace.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Son, Jesus,
who revealed the depths of your love,
giving his life for us while we were yet lost in our sin,
and who now welcomes us to the table of grace
and pours your love into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your love has been poured into our hearts
through your Holy Spirit given to us.
Nothing is too wonderful for you,
and with a word you brought all creation to birth.
You revealed yourself to our forebears, Abraham and Sarah,
and promised them the fruit of their withered dreams.
The fulfilment of all your promises came in your child, Jesus,
who revealed your compassion for the people,
proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom
and healing the sick and the broken of all that afflicted them.
In the fullness of love he gave his life for us,
while we were yet lost in our sin,
but you raised him from the dead
and now through our faith in him, you justify us
and give us access to grace.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God’s love for us is proved in this:
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,
freeing us from death’s grip,
and giving us access to grace
and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

The Lord seeks willing labourers for the harvest.
Therefore go out into the world,
proclaim the good news of the nearness of God;
and call all who will hear to wholeness,
to life,
to holiness.
And may God pour love into your hearts;
May Christ Jesus open the way of grace to you;
And may the Holy Spirit work through all things
to build you up in endurance, character and hope.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

God’s HospitalityA sermon on Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7; Matthew 9:35-10:23 & Romans 5: 1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Gratitude and VowsA sermon on Psalm 116 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 7 - Year A
2026-06-21 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 21: 8-21

Sarah nursed her son Isaac until he was about three years old, and on the day he was weaned, his father Abraham threw a big party to celebrate. But Sarah saw Ishmael — the son of Abraham and his Egyptian servant, Hagar — laughing with Isaac. She said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. I don’t want my son Isaac having to share his inheritance with the son of a slave woman. Kick them out of here.”
Abraham felt really cut up over this, because both of the boys were his sons. But God said to him, “Don’t stress over your servant and her son. Go along with whatever Sarah demands of you, because it is Isaac’s descendants who will be known as your offspring. But I know that Ishmael is also your son, so I will make sure his descendants become a great nation too.”
So, early the next morning, Abraham got up and packed some food and water into a backpack and put it on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her and the child away. She left and wandered aimlessly in the desert wilderness known as Beer-sheba. The water Abraham had packed for them soon ran out and, in despair, Hagar abandoned the child under a bush. She herself went and sat down about a hundred metres away because she couldn’t bear to watch the child die there in the desert. As she sat there, she cried loudly and bitterly. God heard the sounds of distress from the child and sent a messenger from heaven to speak to Hagar. The messenger said, “What is the matter, Hagar? You have got nothing to fear, because God has heard the boy crying where you left him. Come on. Pick the child up and don’t let go of him again, because I will make him the father of a great nation.”
Then God opened her eyes and she spotted a small water hole. She refilled her water containers with clean water and gave the boy some to drink.
God was on-side with Ishmael, and he grew up living in the wilderness where he became an expert bushman and hunter. He lived in the desert at Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from her homeland, Egypt.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 86: 1-10, 16-17

Tune in and answer my cries, LORD,
because I have been left with nothing and no one.
Protect me and save my life,
for I am your devoted servant and I trust you.
You are my God.
All day long I cry out to you, Lord,
begging you to give me a break.
Give me something to smile about, Lord,
for I am your servant and I being up front with you.
After all, Lord, you are good and forgiving;
full of unfailing love for those who look to you for help.
Tune in to my prayer, LORD,
and give your attention to my plea for help.
This is the worst day of my life,
but I’m confident you will answer my cry.
None of the things people worship compare to you, Lord;
your actions are in a league of their own.
You made every nation, Lord,
and they will all come and honour you,
bowing down and naming you as the greatest.
So they should, given all the great and amazing things you do,
for you are the one and only God.
I am your servant, Lord,
and my mother was your servant too.
Take note of me, and treat me with compassion;
save me and give me strength.
Give me a sign that you are on my side;
something that will be seen by those who hate me
and send them off with their tails between their legs.
You, LORD, have come to my help;
you have given me comfort.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 6: 1b-11

Do you think we should continue to sin in order to provide opportunities to showcase God’s generous forgiveness? No way! We have put to death our relationship with sin, so how could we possibly share another living moment with it? Surely you know that all of us who have been baptised into union with Christ were, in that baptism, dying with Christ. You will understand then, that having died in baptism, we have been buried with him; and so now, in the same way that Christ was raised from the dead by the awesome power of God, we too can re-enter life in a whole new way.
You see, if we have been united with him in sharing the same kind of death, you can rest assured we will be united with him further in sharing the same kind of resurrection. We are no longer the people we used to be. Our former selves were put to death with him on the cross in order to eradicate the sin that had taken over our lives, and to thus allow us to live free of it. Everyone knows that death is the only escape from a sin-infested life — once you are dead, you are free of it. For us, though, that’s no dead-end solution. If we have died with Christ, we are convinced that we will live with him too. This much we know for sure: Christ has been raised from the dead and will never have to die again. Death has lost any further power over him. When he died, he took sin out with him, once and for all. The life he now lives, then, is lived in union with God. So you should now think of yourselves in the same way — your former lives, ended; your new lives, begun. Your old relationship with sin, dead; your new relationship with God, alive and flourishing in Christ Jesus.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 10: 24-39

While briefing his followers about their mission, Jesus said:
“New recruits do not get more credit than their coach, and the workers do not get more credit than their boss. But when everyone is doing their job – recruits and coach, workers and boss – they are all lumped in together and judged as a team. So if people have been accusing the team leader of being the Prince of Evil, you can imagine what they are going to be saying about the rest of the team!
“So don’t be intimidated by them. The time is coming when the truth will be exposed and all that has been done behind closed doors will be on the public record. So don’t bother keeping the lid on things in the meantime. Broadcast to the world anything I tell you in private. Release to the daily news anything I whisper in your ear. Don’t be silenced by fear of those whose ability to hurt you is only physical. The one to be afraid of is the one who would destroy your humanity entirely and suck you, body and soul, into the fires of hell.
“Think about it. What does a pet budgie cost? A couple of bucks? And yet if a budgie falls off its perch, God is there like a concerned parent. God’s care extends to every last hair on your head, so don’t let anyone put the wind up you. You are worth far more than a tree-full of budgies to God.
“If you stick up for me in the face of public opinion, then I will have no hesitation sticking up for you when my Father in heaven asks the hard questions. But if you pull your head in and go all quiet when people mouth off against me, why should I speak up in your defence?
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m here to make everything peaceful and nice on earth. I am not here to paper over the cracks, but to drive a wedge into them, opening them up for all to see.
I am here to drive a wedge into the cracks
between father and son;
between mother and daughter;
and between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.
When it is flushed out into the open,
the most dangerous hostility often turns up within families.
“If you are more committed to your parents than you are to me, you don’t deserve my commitment to you. If you are more committed to your children than you are to me, you don’t deserve my commitment to you. Unless you are ready to risk defying the death squads to follow me, then you don’t deserve my loyalty to you. Those who are focussed on getting a life for themselves will lose whatever life they had; while those who give up their life, for me, will find that they have really got it made!”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 20: 7-13

You played me for a sucker, LORD,
and I fell for it, hook, line and sinker.
You took advantage of your superior strength
to force me into doing what you wanted.
Thanks to you, I am the laughingstock of the city;
the butt of everyone’s jokes.
You give me the job of broadcasting your messages,
but they are all bad news – chaos, carnage and doom.
No wonder everyone hates the sight of me.
Speaking your word has ruined my life, LORD.
But what else can I do?
I try to quit, and keep silent about you,
but your word begins to burn its way out.
I feel like I am going to explode.
I use up all my strength trying to hold it in
but it defeats me every time.
Everyone is out to get me.
I hear them talking behind my back.
They say I am causing a public panic
and that they should dob me in
and have me dealt with.
Even my closest friends are giving up on me.
If I put a foot wrong, they’ll turn me in.
Some of them are already trying to set me up;
baiting the trap and lying in wait;
thinking to themselves, “Revenge is sweet!”
But you are like an armed bodyguard at my side, LORD.
Those who are out to get me haven’t got a hope.
They will end up with egg all over their faces;
humiliated by their own failure.
They will never be able to hold their heads up in public again.
The smell of disgrace will follow them round forever.
O LORD who rules over everything,
you have got everyone worked out.
You read our innermost thoughts and desires.
Let me have a front row seat
when you give my enemies their just deserts.
I have put my case in your hands.
I’ll sing your praises, LORD!
I’m giving you all the credit!
You are the one who rescues the downtrodden
when the corrupt would grind them into the dirt.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 69: 7-10, (11-15), 16-18

Because of my association with you, I am the target of slander;
I am ashamed to show my face in public.
My own relatives don’t want anything to do with me;
by brothers and sisters pretend they don’t know me.
My passion for your cause has become all-consuming and costly;
those with a beef against you stick the boots into me.
When I abstained from food to discipline my soul,
I was rewarded with insults and contempt.
When I gave up my comforts and slept out in the cold,
I became the butt of everyone’s jokes.
At the top end of town they swap rumours about me;
in back alleys, they send me up in drunken songs.
But come what may,
I will go on praying to you, LORD.
In your own good time, God, answer me,
for I know you are full of love, rock-solid love.
You can be depended on to send help;
I’m up to my neck in the stinking mire, rescue me!
Rescue me from those who hate me;
don’t give them the chance to watch me drown.
Don’t let the raging waters flood over me;
don’t let the murky depths swallow me up;
don’t let the jaws of death close around me.
Answer me, LORD;
there is nothing better than your rock-solid love;
you are full of compassion,
so turn to me and help.
I am your servant;
don’t turn your back on me.
I am in deep trouble;
answer me now before it’s too late.
Come close and put me back where I belong;
break me free from the grip of my enemies.
©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 you alone are God,
and great is your loyalty to all who call on you.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and your care for your creatures is so complete
that even the hairs on our heads are counted.
You made a covenant with your servant Abraham,
and when his family tore itself apart,
your compassion for the outcast was shown
as you led the thirsty to springs of living water.
Your child, Jesus, came among us
calling us to turn our backs on all other allegiances
and to take up the cross and follow him.
When he was killed, he gathered us to himself,
putting to death our enslavement to sin
in the waters of baptism,
so that we might find our lives
united to his in resurrection
and walk in newness of life.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for uniting us with Christ in the waters of baptism
and putting to death our enslavement to sin,
so that we might find our lives
united to his in resurrection
and walk in newness of life.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you alone are God,
and great is your loyalty to all who call on you.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and your care for your creatures is so complete
that even the hairs on our heads are counted.
You made a covenant with your servant Abraham,
and when his family tore itself apart,
your compassion for the outcast was shown
as you led the thirsty to springs of living water.
Your child, Jesus, came among us
calling us to turn our backs on all other allegiances
and to take up the cross and follow him.
When he was killed, he gathered us to himself,
putting to death our enslavement to sin
in the waters of baptism,
so that we might find our lives
united to his in resurrection
and walk in newness 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God is good and forgiving,
loyal to all who cry out for mercy.
Through our union with Christ
we are now dead to sin,
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and walk in newness of life
for Christ was raised from the dead.
Therefore do not be afraid.
What God speaks to you in the dark, proclaim boldly in the light.
Take up your cross and follow the Christ.
And may God watch over you and provide for you;
May Christ Jesus openly declare you to be his own;
And may the Holy Spirit bring you help and comfort always.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Stories that DivideA sermon on Genesis 21.8-21 & Matthew 10.24-39 by Keith Dyer

Continue in Sin?A sermon on Romans 6:1b-11 & Matthew 10:24-39 by Nathan Nettleton

Sharing the InheritanceA sermon on Genesis 21.8-21 & Matthew 10.24-39 by Alison Sampson

To Fear or Not to FearA sermon on Matthew 10.24-39 & Genesis 21.8-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Prince of Peace, or Enemy of the Peace?A sermon on Matthew 10.24-39 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 8 - Year A
2026-06-28 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 22: 1-14

This is the story of how God put Abraham to the test to find out whether he really had what it takes.
God called to him, saying, “Abraham!”
“At your service,” Abraham replied.
God said, “Go and get Isaac, your son, your only son whom you love. Take him to the mountain that I will point out to you in the land of Moriah. There you are to sacrifice him to me on an altar as a burnt offering.”
So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire on the altar. He saddled his donkey and set out for the place that God had told him to go with Isaac and two of his hired hands. After three day’s journey, Abraham could finally see their destination in the distance. He said to the two hired hands, “Wait here with the donkey while the boy and I go on up there to worship. We will then return and meet you back here.”
Abraham got Isaac to carry the wood for the burnt offering, and he himself carried the knife and the coals for starting the fire. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac spoke to Abraham saying, “Father!”
“At your service, son,” Abraham replied.
“Haven’t we forgotten something?” Isaac asked. “We’ve got everything we need to get the fire going, but we haven’t brought a lamb to sacrifice as a burnt offering.”
Abraham said, “God will personally provide the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.”
So the two of them walked on together. When they arrived at the spot that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar and stacked the wood on it ready for the fire. Then he tied up his son Isaac, and laid him on top of the wood on the altar. He took the knife in hand and was about to kill his son, when the messenger of the LORD called to him from heaven, saying, “Abraham, Abraham!”
“At your service,” he replied.
The messenger said, “Put down your knife and don’t hurt the boy in any way, for now I know what I needed to know. Since you have not even drawn the line at giving up your only son for me, I know that you trust God, no matter what.”
As he looked up, Abraham saw a ram with its horns entangled in the scrub. So he went and got it, and offered up the ram on the altar as a burnt offering in place of his son.
From then on, Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide,” and a saying was coined that you still hear today: “On the LORD’s mountain all will be provided.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Psalm 13

How long will this go on, LORD?
Have you written me off permanently?
How long are you going to keep turning your back on me?
How long do I have to put up with feeling sick in the guts,
and with my heart breaking from the pain of it all?
How long will my enemies get to kick me around?
Come on, LORD. You are my God. Give me an answer!
Let me see some light at the end of the tunnel;
something to keep me from losing the will to live.
Don’t let my enemies think they’ve won;
don’t give them the pleasure of my downfall.
I have put my trust in your rock-solid love;
my heart will burst with joy when you save your people.
I will sing your praises, LORD,
because you have treated me with great generosity.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 6: 12-23

Do not let sin get hold of your reins and force you to respond to every selfish desire that pops up within you. Don’t give it access to any part of your body, or you will find that part of yourself being put to work in spreading corruption. Instead, as people whose lives have been saved from death, hand yourselves over wholly and solely to God, and give God unlimited rights to put every part of your body to work in promoting what is right. Sin won’t hold the reins if you don’t let it, because your agenda is no longer set by a complicated list of rules, but by the generous love and mercy of God.
So what does that mean? Should we consider ourselves free to indulge our selfish desires because our agenda is no longer set by rules, but by God’s love and mercy? Of course not! Surely you realise that the lifestyle you hand yourself over to will become an addiction, and that addiction will then determine the course of your life. You can get yourselves hooked on sin, which will destroy your life; or you can get yourselves hooked on doing what God wants you to do, which will put your life on the right track. Fortunately, though you were once addicted to sin, thanks to God you have cleaned out your system and allowed your desires and actions to come under the influence of the teaching of Christ instead. Thanks to God you have been set free from the deadly grip of sin, and are now hooked on doing what is right. I am speaking about it in these down-to-earth terms, because I want to make sure that it is not only the highly educated among you who get the picture. I hope it is clear then, that in the same way that you used to deliberately expose parts of yourself to the addictive power of corruption and deepening dishonesty, you should now do all that you can to get yourselves hooked on honesty and integrity so that you will grow into the wholeness that God intended for you.
What sort of freedom did you have when you were addicts of sin? You were free to opt out of relating rightly to anyone or anything, but what good did that do you? Looking back on it now, you feel nothing but shame. The things you were doing were draining you of life. But now that sin’s grip on you has been broken, and you are hooked on doing what God wants, the benefits are enormous: the scars are healing and you are growing into whole people. There will be no end to the richness of the life that will result from that. The kicks that people get out of sin are kicking them to death, but God will give you the ultimate high, free of charge: life without limit in union with the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 10: 40-42

While briefing his followers about their mission, Jesus said:
“You are my representatives in this, so anyone who gets on side with you is getting on side with me. And anyone who gets on side with me is getting on side with the one who sent me. Those who make God’s message known and those who welcome and support them will be rewarded by God as equal partners in the work. Those who stand firm for what is right and those who support them in their stand will be rewarded by God as equal partners in the work. No matter how insignificant someone’s contribution may seem – even if they just provide a cold drink to the most ordinary of my workers because they are doing my work – I kid you not, God will give them full credit for it.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 28: 5-9

In front of the priests and all the people who were gathered in the LORD’s Temple, the prophet Jeremiah stood up and responded to the preaching of the prophet Hananiah, saying:
“Amen! May what you say prove to be true! I hope and pray that the LORD will indeed do what you have said, and bring back home all our people who were marched off into exile and everything that the Babylonian invaders took from this Temple. But take note of what I have got to say, and let everyone here witness that I said it to your face. There have been many prophets before you and me, and ever since ancient times they have preached against the evil done by many countries and nations, and warned of disastrous wars, famines and plagues. So any prophet who stands up and says that things are fine and peace is on the way, is not on the same wavelength as the prophets we have heard before. Therefore we must be cautious about such a prophet. Only if what the prophet preaches comes true will we be able to conclude that such a prophet was really sent by the LORD.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 89: 1-4, 15-18

LORD, we will never stop singing about your rock-solid love;
we will transmit the story of your faithfulness
on down to every generation to come.
Your love and loyalty were built to last for eternity;
we’ll go public with that message.
Your faithfulness is beyond measure;
as infinite as the sky above us.
You said,
“I have formed an alliance with my chosen leader;
I have given my word to David, my servant.
I have guaranteed a firm foundation for his family forever;
there will always be one of his descendants on the throne.”
We are on cloud nine
when we are celebrating in your presence, LORD.
We all know what to do and say,
and we bask in the light of your favour.
Every mention of your name has us bursting with enthusiasm
from dawn till dusk,
and we tell the stories over and over
of how you have done the right thing by everyone.
Whatever glory and strength we have comes from you.
Because you have been good to us, our power has grown great.
Our safety and security are in your hands, LORD;
you are our one and only, the ruler of Israel.
©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,
— trusting and rejoicing in your love —
for you save us with a free gift of eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
You created all things
and everything we have belongs to you.
You commended your servant Abraham
for his willingness to offer you his beloved son,
and from his family you called a people to follow your ways.
In Jesus the Christ, you have offered to us your own beloved Son.
Whoever welcomes him welcomes you,
and whoever welcomes the teaching he entrusted to us
finds the way that leads to righteousness and life.
When he was killed
you brought him back from death to life,
and through his grace,
you have freed us from slavery to sin
and bound us to Christ,
so that we might be sanctified
and follow him in pathways of life.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your free gift of eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord,
given to all who welcome him
and are set free from slavery to sin,
being bound to Christ and brought from death to life.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
trusting and rejoicing in your love,
for you save us with a free gift of eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
You created all things
and everything we have belongs to you.
You commended your servant Abraham
for his willingness to offer you his beloved son,
and from his family you called a people to follow your ways.
In Jesus the Christ, you have offered to us your own beloved Son.
Whoever welcomes him welcomes you,
and whoever welcomes the teaching he entrusted to us
finds the way that leads to righteousness and life.
When he was killed
you brought him back from death to life,
and through his grace,
you have freed us from slavery to sin
and bound us to Christ,
so that we might be sanctified
and follow him in pathways 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Trust in the love of God, for God saves us.
Though once you were slaves of sin,
you have been set free and now live in God’s grace
where sin can have no dominion over you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as those who have been brought from death to life,
and welcome the Christ in all whom you meet.
Present yourselves to God
to be put to work in the service of righteousness.
And may God provide for you in mercy;
May Christ Jesus greet you as you welcome the stranger;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you in the ways
of sanctification and eternal life.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

What kind of God is this?A sermon on Genesis 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Sacrificing EverythingA sermon on Genesis 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Sacrificing Children to the godsA sermon on Genesis 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Exchanging God for a Lawless LifeA sermon on Romans 6:12-23 & Genesis 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Alt*red state: A text of terror brings good newsA sermon on Genesis 22:1-14 by Alison Sampson

Proper 9 - Year A
2026-07-05 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 24: 34-38, 42-49, 58-67

Abraham’s trusted servant addressed Rebekah’s family, saying:
“I work for Abraham and he has sent me here. The LORD has set my boss up very nicely. He has become a very wealthy man, with huge holdings of livestock, investments in silver and gold, a large workforce, and convoys of transport animals. My boss and his wife Sarah became the parents of a son in their old age, and they have signed over their entire fortune to him. My boss has given me the job of finding a suitable wife for his son, but he made me promise that I would not let him marry one of the local Canaanite girls. Instead he has sent me to find a wife for his son from here among his own relatives.
“So, when I pulled up at the waterhole here today, I prayed that the God of my boss would put me on the right track. I said, ‘O LORD, I have arrived here at this waterhole where the young women come to collect water. I will ask the first one who comes for a drink, and she will offer me a drink and offer to draw water for my camels as well. LORD, let her be the one you have chosen to be the bride of my boss’s son.’
“Even before I finished my prayer, Rebekah came out to fill her water container. After she had gone down to the waterhole and collected her water, I asked her for a drink. Without hesitation she offered me a drink from her water container and then offered to draw more water for my camels. So I accepted the drink and she watered my camels. Then I asked her whose daughter she was, and she told me that her father was Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. I knew then that she came from among my boss’s relatives, so I put on her the ring and the jewellery he had sent. Then I bowed my head and gave thanks to the LORD, the God who my boss Abraham worships. The LORD had put me on the right track so that I could find a suitable wife for my boss’s son from among his own people.
Now then, let me know whether you will do the right thing by my boss. Or if not, tell me straight, so that I will know which way to turn.”
So the family called Rebekah and asked her, “Are you willing to go with this man?”
“I am,” she said.
So they farewelled their sister Rebekah, and sent her off with Abraham’s servant and his drivers. They also sent with her the family servant who had been her childhood nanny. They gave Rebekah their blessing, saying to her,
“Sister, may you become the mother of millions;
may your descendants triumph in everything they do.”
With that, Rebekah and the servant girls who were going with her got up and were seated on the camels. They set off, following Abraham’s servant as he headed for home; mission accomplished.
Now Isaac was living in the southern part of Canaan, near a waterhole called ‘the Eye of God’. One evening as he was out walking to unwind at the end of the day, he looked up and saw the convoy of camels approaching. Rebekah saw him in the distance, and quickly slipped off her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man coming towards us?”
The servant replied, “That’s him, Master Isaac.”
So she made herself ready, with her veil over her face. The servant told Isaac all about the success of his mission. Then Isaac met Rebekah and took her home and she became his wife. As the new leading woman of the tribe, she was given the home that had belonged to Isaac’s late mother, Sarah. Isaac loved Rebekah greatly, and she was a comfort to him as he grieved the death of his mother.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Psalm 45: 10-17 (alt)

O chosen daughter, bride of the king, listen to my advice:
leave your father’s home and don’t look back
for the king is wild with desire for you.
What more could you want? Abandon yourself to him!
Wedding gifts will arrive from every nation,
the wealthy outdo each other with their presents.
The inner beauty of your bride, O king,
outshines even her wedding gown,
woven with gold and sparkling with jewels.
In dazzling beauty she is brought to you
with her chosen bridesmaids at hand.
Joy and laughter process in with her,
and the whole palace erupts with elation.
Soon you will have children, continuing your family line,
and the thrones of the earth will be theirs.
No one will ever forget you,
your fame will inspire generation after generation,
and songs will be sung in praise of you forever and ever.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Song of Solomon 2: 8-13 (alt)

I await the voice of my lover!
I see him coming, running through the alpine bush,
leaping rocks and logs,
as surefooted as a wallaby,
muscles rippling like a mountain thoroughbred.
Look, now he arrives, there by the garden wall,
his eyes scanning the windows,
searching the balcony,
eager to catch a sight of me.
My lover calls out for me alone, saying:
“Come now, my darling, my lovely one,
come away with me.
The outdoors will welcome us,
for the cold wet winter has released its grip.
Wildflowers explode with colour
and the air is filled with song;
Bellbird calls ring through the bush
like the summons to a wedding.
Berries and grapes ripen with promise
and every flower adds it fragrance
to the wafting breeze.
So come, my darling, my lovely one,
come away with me.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 7: 15-25a

Sometimes I can’t make head nor tail of my own behaviour. I want to do what is right, but instead I find myself doing things I absolutely despise. Even as I do them, I am telling myself I don’t want to. Clearly then I know they are wrong, so I am not trying to excuse myself by arguing that the law is stupid. The fact is that I don’t have what it takes to control everything I do. Somewhere inside me, sin has corrupted the system. When I look inside myself and see the selfish desires that live there, I know they are all rotten to the core. While I have no trouble making up my mind to do what is right, I still can’t do it. I fail to follow through on my good intentions, and instead find myself doing something crooked — the exact thing I wanted so much to avoid. Now if what I actually do is not what I am intending to do, then clearly I have lost control of what I am doing. Something inside me — namely sin — is sabotaging the system and wreaking havoc.
So, in my experience it seems to be an inescapable fact of life that when I intend to do what is good, corruption is lying in wait, ready to sneak under my guard. God’s instructions on how we should live appeal to me greatly. I love them with all my heart and mind. So the various parts of me are receiving the right instructions from my mind, but I experience another set of instructions trying to override them. I can see that my body is being controlled by a crippling addiction to sin. How completely and utterly screwed up I am! Is there anybody who can set me free from the addiction that has such a deadly grip on my body? Thank God there is! Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, can set us free!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30

Jesus said to the crowd, “What is it with people these days? They are like a bunch of kids pointing the finger at each other in the school yard, chanting:
‘We were ready to laugh and play with you,
but you told us to get serious.
We asked you over to do homework together,
but you told us to lighten up.’
“When John the Baptiser was around, he was a teetotaller, and would often go without food; and people accused him of being a fanatic and a wowser. Then the New Human came, always ready to share a meal and a drink, and what do they say about him? They say he’s a pisspot, a slave to his stomach, and that he’s too close to people whose lifestyles are beyond the pale! But at the end of the day, wisdom will have proved herself in practice.”
Then and there, Jesus broke into prayer, saying, “Father, Lord of earth and sky, thank you for keeping the religious experts and the sophisticated intellectuals in the dark about these matters, while at the same time making them as plain as day to the average toddler. But of course, Father, such reckless generosity is typical of the way you like to do things!”
Then, turning to the crowd again, Jesus said,“My Father has put the whole show in my hands, and it all hangs on the strength of our relationship. No one really knows what makes the Son tick except the Father, and no one really knows what makes the Father tick except the Son. Anyone else can only know if the Son chooses to let them in on it.
“If you are worn out and overloaded, come to me, and I will let you put your feet up. Come and work for me, and take a leaf out of my book. I am gentle on people, and down-to-earth. With me your whole being will be able to relax. The job I will give you is piece of cake. The load I will ask you to bear is a feather-weight.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Zechariah 9: 9-12

It is time to celebrate, people of Jerusalem.
Sing and dance and party, O Holy City!
Look, here comes your king;
the one who has won the great victory!
He doesn’t big-note himself,
but comes riding on a simple donkey,
and a baby one at that!
He will rid the land of heavy armaments,
and clear Jerusalem of military vehicles.
He will confiscate weapons and destroy them,
and forge a lasting peace between nations.
He will rule from one end of the earth to the other,
and the whole world will take orders from him.
Hear what I, the LORD, have to say to you:
my alliance with you has been sealed in blood,
so I will rescue those who have been detained
and set them free from the dry and dusty hell-holes.
Take heart, you prisoners. Your prayers are answered.
You are free to find refuge and shelter within our walls.
I, the LORD, promise you today
that I will compensate you double for all that you lost.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 145: 8-14

LORD, you are generous and compassionate,
slow to anger, and rich in love and loyalty.
You are good to everyone, LORD,
and you care deeply about all you have created.
Everyone and everything will thank you, their creator,
and all who are loyal to you will sing your praises.
As your people, we will promote the glory of your reign,
and broadcast the news of your power for good.
We will tell everyone about the great things you have done
and about the magnificent splendour of your reign.
You will reign forever and ever, LORD,
your rule is in place for all generations to come.
Everything you say can be relied on, LORD,
and everything you do is generous and loving.
When people fall, you put them back on their feet;
when people are crushed, you stand them tall again.
©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 with the passion of a lover
you have delivered us from slavery to sin and death.
You are the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth,
and it is your Word that brings life into bloom.
You called your servant Rebekah to leave family and country,
and, from the offspring of her loving union with Isaac,
you brought forth a people to delight in your ways.
You sent among us your child, Jesus the Christ,
and in him you revealed yourself to us.
Though we were burdened and wearied by sin
and unable to dance to your song,
in gentleness and humility
he lifted our burdens
and showed us the way of wisdom.
When he was killed,
you raised him to life,
rescuing us from our bodies of death
and giving us rest for our souls.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks that though we were burdened and wearied by sin,
and unable to dance to your song,
in gentleness and humility
your Son Jesus has lifted our burdens
and showed us the way of wisdom.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for with the passion of a lover
you have delivered us from slavery to sin and death.
You are the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth,
and it is your Word that brings life into bloom.
You called your servant Rebekah to leave family and country,
and, from the offspring of her loving union with Isaac,
you brought forth a people to delight in your ways.
You sent among us your child, Jesus the Christ,
and in him you revealed yourself to us.
Though we were burdened and wearied by sin
and unable to dance to your song,
in gentleness and humility
he lifted our burdens
and showed us the way of wisdom.
When he was killed,
you raised him to life,
rescuing us from our bodies of death
and giving us rest for 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Who will deliver us from this body of death,
and from the law of sin at work within us?
Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lifts the heavy burden of sin we are carrying
and gives rest to our souls.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now at the call of Christ.
Take his yoke upon you and learn from him;
Dance when he sings and mourn when he cries.
Be generous in your hospitality to all.
And may God greatly bless you;
May Christ Jesus reveal the fullness of God to you;
And may the Holy Spirit lift your burdens and give you rest.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Unmasking SinA sermon on Romans 7:15-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Paul speaks to the Consumer CultureA sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 & Romans 7:15-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Stressed Out? Come To MeA sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 & Romans 7:15-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Come To Me, All You Who Are Beating Yourselves UpA sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 & Romans 7:15-25 by Nathan Nettleton

From Heavy Heart to a Sense of HopeA sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 & Romans 7:15-25 by Alison Sampson

They Started It!A sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 by Nathan Nettleton

How did I end up at South Yarra Baptist? OR How knitting became my hobby?A sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 by Liesl Filippi

Rest for Restless SoulsA sermon on Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 & Romans 7:15-25 by Curtis W. Freeman

Proper 10 - Year A
2026-07-12 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 25: 19-34

This is the story of the children of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham, and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel and the sister of Laban – Arameans from northern Syria. Despite many years of trying, Isaac and Rebekah were unable to get pregnant, so Isaac prayed to the LORD for help. The LORD granted his request, and Rebekah fell pregnant. Her pregnancy was so difficult that it seemed as though there was a war going on in her womb and she felt like she would be better off dead. In desperation she went to ask the LORD what was going on, and the LORD said to her:
“You are going to have twins who will grow into two nations;
two peoples who will always be at each other’s throats.
The firstborn will have brute strength on his side,
but he will end up serving the younger one.”
Sure enough, when the time came for her to give birth, she delivered twins. The first one was such a hairy baby that he looked like he was wrapped in a red rug. They named him Esau. His brother followed him out of the womb with his hand holding tightly on to Esau’s heel. They named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when his sons were born.
As the boys grew up, Esau proved to be the rugged outdoors type; a skilled bushman and hunter. Wild game-meat was Isaac’s favourite food, so Esau’s hunting skills made him the favourite with his father. Jacob, on the other hand, was the quiet type who spent most of his time around the home, and he became his mother’s favourite.
One time when Esau came in from the bush, he was famished, and he found Jacob cooking up a pot of lentil stew. “Give me a plate of that red stuff,” Esau said to Jacob. “I’m starving to death!” (That’s how he got his nickname, “Edom” or “Red”.)
Jacob said, “You are not getting any of this until you sign over to me your privileges and inheritance as the firstborn.”
Esau said, “What good is my inheritance to me when I’m about to starve to death?”
Jacob said, “Sign on the line first.”
So Esau put pen to paper and signed over to Jacob the privileges and inheritance that were his as the firstborn. Then Jacob served him up a meal of bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank, and then got up and went about his business as though his birthright had meant absolutely nothing to him.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Psalm 119: 105-112

What you say, LORD, lights up the track in front of me
so I can see where to put my feet.
I am committed to doing what you say is right;
I’ve given my word and signed on the line.
I have been put through the wringer here, LORD;
put me back on my feet, just as you promised.
I am giving you the credit for everything, LORD;
accept my gift and teach me how to do things your way.
Even though my grip on life is shaky,
I never forget what you have taught me.
Ruthless thugs are always trying to derail me,
but you have shown me the right track and I’m sticking to it.
Your guidance is a rich heritage for my future;
it has put a smile on my face forever.
My mind is fixed on following your directions,
come what may, forever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 8:1-11

For those who are now united to Jesus the Messiah, all records of wrongdoing and any outstanding punishments have been cancelled. When life is lived in union with Jesus the Messiah, a new power is unleashed within us - the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s power replaces and sets us free from the old system of rules and regulations that kept us locked into a deadly cycle of guilt and punishment. The old system, which was handed down from Moses, was incapable of freeing us from the cycle of guilt, because it could not compete with the drive of our selfish impulses. But God has done what the old system could never do. God’s own Son was sent to sort out the whole tragic mess. Becoming just like us, with the same body and so prone to the same desires and impulses, he quashed the power that sin held over us. That means that it is now possible for us to live the kind of lives that the old legal code was wanting to produce, because instead of being driven by our own selfish impulses, our actions are now inspired by the Spirit. Those whose lives are driven by their own selfish impulses are so preoccupied with their own gratification that they can’t appreciate anything beyond themselves. But those who allow the Spirit to shape their lives are opened up to a whole new world of the Spirit’s concerns and activity. Preoccupation with gratifying your own selfish impulses is a downward spiral into living death. But a mind open to the Spirit is an open door to the fullness of life and peace. Clearly then, a mind that is fixated on self-gratification is hostile to God. Such a mind will not, and can not, respond positively to anything God asks of it, and so those who are locked into their own selfish impulses are incapable of getting the thumbs-up from God.
But you are not locked into such impulses. You are now living in union with God’s Spirit, and the Spirit has moved in and become the life-force within you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of the Messiah at work within them does not, in fact, belong to him at all. But if the Messiah has taken up residence within you, then, even though your bodies will die from the after-effects of sin, the Spirit has put you on the right track and you will have life. If the Spirit who lives in you is the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead, then you can rest assured that this same Spirit will raise your bodies out of death and into a life that is lived to the full in union with the Spirit of the Messiah.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23

After telling everybody that he regarded only those who do things God’s way as his true family, Jesus left the house and went and sat on the beach. He was soon crowded out by people wanting to hear more of what he had to say, so using a boat as his platform, he taught the crowd gathered on the beach. One of the many stories he used to illustrate his points went like this:
“Listen up! When it was time to plant the crops, a farmer spread the seeds widely across the farm. Some of the seeds fell on the tracks, and the birds made a meal of them in no time. Other seeds fell on ground where the topsoil was shallow and there was nothing but rock underneath. They sprouted quickly enough, but because they were unable to put down roots, they didn’t survive when the heat of the sun hit them. Other seeds fell where the weeds were out of control, and being unable to compete with the weeds, they were soon strangled to death. But there were other seeds that fell on good soil and went on to produce an bumper harvest: some reproducing themselves a hundred times over, and others at least sixty or thirty times over. Don’t miss what I’m saying. If you’ve got ears, use them!”
Speaking to his closest followers later, Jesus said:
“Don’t miss the point of my story about the farmer sowing seed. When people hear the message of the new culture and it means nothing to them, the evil one swallows up what was sown in their hearts before they can give it a second thought. It is just like the seeds sown on the tracks. What about the seeds sown in the shallow topsoil with rock below? This is like the people who hear the message and latch on to it with great enthusiasm. But they are too shallow to put down any decent roots, so they don’t last long. As soon as the message they have accepted attracts any heat, their enthusiasm wilts and they are gone. And what about the seeds which were sown among the weeds? This is just like the people who get the message but it can’t compete with all the other agendas that have taken over their lives. Their real priorities – being noticed and getting ahead – quickly strangle the message and nothing comes from it. But what about the seeds which were sown on good soil? Now we are talking about the people who hear the message and really take it to heart. It bears fruit in their lives and the harvest of good is multiplied, a hundred times over in some people; and at least sixty or thirty times over in others.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 55: 10-13

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

Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-13

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

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 Word is our heritage
and your ways are the joy of our hearts forever.
You created the earth and planted it freely,
bringing forth an abundant harvest of life.
Through Moses and the prophets,
you gave us our Word
to be the birthright of all your children.
You sent your child, Jesus the Christ, among us
in the likeness of sinful flesh,
to teach us to walk according to your Spirit
and to deal with the sin
that constantly struggles to come to birth and rule over us,
dividing us and robbing us of the joy of living.
When he was killed by those who are hostile to you,
you raised him from the dead
and sent your Spirit to us,
giving us life and sowing within us
an abundant harvest of peace and righteousness.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who came among us in the likeness of sinful flesh,
to deal with the sin that divides us,
and to sow within us
an abundant harvest of peace and righteousness.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your Word is our heritage
and your ways are the joy of our hearts forever.
You created the earth and planted it freely,
bringing forth an abundant harvest of life.
Through Moses and the prophets,
you gave us our Word
to be the birthright of all your children.
You sent your child, Jesus the Christ, among us
in the likeness of sinful flesh,
to teach us to walk according to your Spirit
and to deal with the sin
that constantly struggles to come to birth and rule over us,
dividing us and robbing us of the joy of living.
When he was killed by those who are hostile to you,
you raised him from the dead
and sent your Spirit to us,
giving us life and sowing within us
an abundant harvest of peace and righteousness.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus
has set us free from the law of sin and death.
Therefore there is now no condemnation
for you who are in Christ Jesus.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now into the world in the light of Christ.
Do not let the fear of troubles
or the lures of comfort and honour
prevent God’s word taking root deep in your heart and mind.
Walk according to the ways of the Spirit
for the ways of the Spirit are life and peace.
And may God sow in you the seeds of an abundant harvest;
May Christ the Word be a lamp for your steps;
And may the Holy Spirit give life to you - body and soul.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Flesh on the MindA sermon on Romans 8: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

The Mysteries of the KingdomA sermon on Matthew 13.1-23 by Garry Deverell

The Parable of the SeedsA sermon on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by Roslyn Wright

Seasons and SeedsA very short reflection on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by Alison Sampson

Coming back for a second servingA testimony and reflection on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by Steven Wong

Jesus Fails Business SchoolA sermon on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Concentrate on the sowing – regardless!A sermon on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by John Fowler

A Sower went out to SowA sermon on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 by John Sampson

Proper 11 - Year A
2026-07-19 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 28: 10-19a

Jacob was travelling from Beer-sheba to Haran, and was camping out each night on the way. One night he set up camp in a suitable place, and bedded himself down using a rock that he found there for a headrest. In a dream he saw a ramp spanning the gap between earth and heaven, and God’s messengers were using the ramp to go up and down between the two. As he looked at it, the LORD came and stood beside him and said:
“I am the LORD, the God of your fathers, Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your descendants the land on which you are now camped. Your descendants will multiply like a cloud of dust, spreading out in all directions and settling all over the world. Life will be better for all the peoples of the world because of you and your descendants. And you can know for sure that I am with you. I will look after you wherever you go and I will get you safely back to this land. I will stick with you and make good on all my promises to you.”
Jacob woke up suddenly and said, “No bull, the LORD is right here in this place, and I didn’t realise it!” And he was shaking in his boots at the thought of it. “This place makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck,” he said. “This must fair dinkum be the house of God – the front gate of heaven itself!”
So when Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the stone he had used for a headrest and set it up as a monument. He poured oil on top of it to dedicate it to the LORD. He named the place ‘Bethel’, which means ‘House of God’.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Psalm 139: 1-12, 23-24

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.
Could I hide from your spirit if I wanted to?
Is there anywhere I could go to escape you?
If I sped into outer space, you’d be there;
if I curled up in the bowels of the earth, you’d be there.
If I took to the skies and pursued the dawn;
crossed the globe and never came back;
I’d be no further from your reach;
you’d hold me tight and guide me just as easily.
If I hide in the shadows
and plead with the darkness to cover me,
you can still see me as clear as day,
for light and dark are all the same to you.
Take a good hard look at me, God;
check me out and read my thoughts.
Dig out anything corrupt in me,
and set my feet on the tracks that have proven true.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 8: 12-25

The truth is, brothers and sisters, that we owe nothing to the preoccupations of our former life. We need no longer have our lives dictated by the mindless pursuit of fashionable dreams and selfish desires. After all, the attraction was fatal. But thanks to God’s Spirit, we can now be rid of all that — give it a decent burial and get on with our new lives. All those who dance to the Spirit’s tune are God’s beloved children. We were not sold into slavery where we would grovel timidly in the dust, afraid to put a foot wrong. Rather we were adopted into a family full of love and joy. Like eager children crying, “Daddy! Mummy!” we come running to God, and with loving arms, God’s Spirit gathers us up, demonstrating clearly to whom we belong. And since we are children of God, we are actually on the same footing as Christ. With him we will inherit all that has been kept in trust for God’s children. But we have to take the good with the bad, and we know the price he paid. We need to be willing to cop it on the chin with him now if we want to share the glory with him later.
In my opinion, the worst that our current situation can dish up pales into insignificance next to the glory that is about to be brought out from under wraps. The whole creation is hanging out for this, for the day when the names are read out and the children of God come into their own. Until then, the whole creation is stuck in a rut, unable to make any progress. The creation didn’t bring this on itself, but rather it is being held in check so that, rather than hurtling headlong to destruction, the entire creation can be set free from its devastating addictions and be delivered into the glorious freedom that belongs to the children of God.
The time of deliverance is near. After a long pregnancy, the whole creation is now groaning and shuddering in the final stages of labour. And we are not just witnesses to this birth. We ourselves, having been impregnated by the Spirit, are labouring to bring the new life within us to fruition. For then, with our bodies set free, our longing to be God’s children will be fulfilled. This joyous expectancy ensures that our deliverance will come. If there was never to be anything more than our present reality, these longings within us would be in vain. But we are eager to see a promised new reality, and this hope sustains us.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

Jesus used another story to teach the crowd, saying, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. A farmer planted his fields with good quality seed. But that night, while all the workers were asleep, some mongrel came and dumped a load of weed seeds on the field, and then cleared off before anybody saw what had happened. So when the crop came up and the grain began to form, there were weeds coming up everywhere among it. The farmer’s workers came to him and said, ‘That was clean seed you sowed, wasn’t it, Boss? How come we’ve now got weeds all through the crop?’
The farmer replied, ‘Some mongrel has tried to sabotage it!’
The workers asked, ‘Do you want us to get stuck in and pull the weeds out?’
But the farmer replied, ‘No, it’s not worth the risk. You’ll uproot half the wheat crop trying to get them out. Just let them both grow together until harvest time, and then I’ll tell the harvesters to pull the weeds out first and bundle them up for burning. The good wheat can then be harvested and stored in my silo.’”
When Jesus had finished teaching the crowd, he went into the house with his closest followers. They asked him to explain the story about the weeds to them. He said, “The farmer who planted the good seeds in the story represents the New Human. The field is the world, and the good quality seeds are the people who are part of the new culture. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one, and the mongrel who sowed them is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age – the grand finale – and the harvesters are God’s angels. The scene where the weeds are gathered up and thrown on the fire is just like what will happen at the end of the age. The New Human will send his angels to weed out of his culture all that cause corruption and participate in evil, and throw them into the incinerator. They’ll be cursing and kicking themselves then! After that, those who stayed on the right track will be seen in all their glory, shining like the sun in the new culture of their Father. Don’t miss what I’m saying: if you’ve got ears, use them!”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Wisdom of Solomon 12: 13, 16-19 (alt)

Lord, everything and everybody is under your care.
There is no other god to whom you have to answer
or prove that you have been fair to everyone.
It is your strength that results in things being put right.
It is because you are in charge of everything
that you are free to show mercy to all.
When people question whether you are up to the job,
you blow away their doubts with a show of strength.
If anyone has the gall to challenge your power,
you put them back in their place quick smart.
Although your power and authority are supreme,
you are gentle and compassionate in judging us.
You are more than capable of wiping us out if you wished,
but you show great tolerance in your rule over us.
In these things you have set an example for us,
showing us that those who are passionate for what is right
must also be gentle on others.
You have given your children every reason for hope,
because you give us the chance to turn our backs on corruption
and get our lives back on track with you.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Isaiah 44: 6-8 (alt)

I am the LORD, the commander of everything;
your ruler who puts things right for you.
I am the whole story, from beginning to end;
the one and only God.
Can anyone match me? Let’s hear from them!
Let them take the stand and set out their case.
In all the years since I set up the nation,
did they ever predict what was about to happen?
What’s going to happen next then?
Let’s hear from them.
My people, don’t worry. You’ve got nothing to fear.
Haven’t I always kept you informed?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any other god besides me?
Is there any other rock you can depend on?
No way! Not even one.
And I ought to know!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 86: 11-17

Teach me how to stick to your track, LORD,
so I won’t stray from your path of truth.
Keep my heart focussed on adoring you alone.
O Lord my God, I thank you with all my heart;
I will always name you as the to whom all the glory is due.
Your love for me is the best, and absolutely rock-solid;
you saved me when my whole being was plunging into the abyss.
A crass and arrogant mob are out to get me, God;
a bunch of thugs are trying to bump me off,
and they couldn’t care less about you.
But I know that you, Lord,
are a compassionate and generous God,
slow to anger, and rich in love and loyalty.
I am your servant, Lord,
and my mother was your servant too.
Take note of me, and treat me with compassion;
save me and give me strength.
Give me a sign that you are on my side;
something that will be seen by those who hate me
and send them off with their tails between their legs.
You, LORD, have come to my help;
you have given me comfort.
©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 you have formed in us the first fruits of your Spirit,
a harvest that will prevail when evil is uprooted.
It was your labour that brought forth creation,
and your love that formed the families of the earth.
You revealed yourself to Jacob,
promising that for all who are led by your Spirit,
every place would be filled with your presence.
In Jesus Christ you have thrown open the gate of heaven
and adopted us as your beloved children.
Though all creation yet groans in pain,
Christ suffers with us,
enduring death on the cross,
so that we might be glorified with him.
His Spirit groans within us as we await the end of the age
when your children will be revealed and,
with our bodies redeemed,
we will shine like the sun in your Kingdom.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for adopting us as your beloved children
who at the end of the age when evil is uprooted,
will be revealed with our bodies redeemed,
shining like the sun in your Kingdom.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have formed in us the first fruits of your Spirit,
a harvest that will prevail when evil is uprooted.
It was your labour that brought forth creation,
and your love that formed the families of the earth.
You revealed yourself to Jacob,
promising that for all who are led by your Spirit,
every place would be filled with your presence.
In Jesus Christ you have thrown open the gate of heaven
and adopted us as your beloved children.
Though all creation yet groans in pain,
Christ suffers with us,
enduring death on the cross,
so that we might be glorified with him.
His Spirit groans within us as we await the end of the age
when your children will be revealed and,
with our bodies redeemed,
we will shine like the sun in your Kingdom.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has searched our hearts, testing and judging our thoughts,
but through our hope in Christ we are saved.
We have been adopted as children of God
and given freedom and glory.
Our redemption has begun.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now with your hope set on Christ.
As children of God, let the Spirit of God lead you
and let your righteousness shine like the sun
until darkness and light are one.
And wherever you go,
whether you scale the heavens or plunge to the depths,
may God’s presence be inescapably with you;
May Christ Jesus welcome you into his inheritance;
And may the Holy Spirit assure you that you are God’s children.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The labour pains of adoption!?A sermon on Romans 8:12-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Even the darkness in not dark to youA sermon on Genesis 28: 10-19a; Psalm 139:1-12; 23-4; Romans 8: 12-25 & Matthew 13: 24-30; 36-43 by Jill Manton

The Temptation to WeedA sermon on Matthew 13: 24-30; 36-43 by Nathan Nettleton

A Certain PlaceA sermon on Genesis 28:10-22 by Nathan Nettleton

Jacob the Trickster vs the nice ChristiansA sermon on Genesis 28:1-19a and Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 by Alison Sampson

Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell?A sermon on Genesis 28:10-22 by Orestes Roca

Proper 12 - Year A
2026-07-26 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 29: 15-28

To fulfil a promise to his father, Jacob travelled to his grandfather’s homeland to find a wife from among his own tribal group. He boarded there with his uncle, Laban, and when he had been there for a month, Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t have to work for me for nothing, just because you are related to me. Tell me what you think would be a fair wage.”
Now Laban had two grown daughters named Leah and Rachel. Leah was the older of the two and had a nice personality, but Rachel had a gorgeous face and a shapely body, and Jacob fell head-over-heels in love with her. So when Laban asked him about wages, he said, “I want to marry your younger daughter, Rachel, and I will work for you for seven years as the dowry payment.”
Laban replied, “You’ve got a deal. I’d much rather give her to you than have her marry some stranger.”
So Jacob put in seven years’ hard work in order to gain Rachel as his wife, but it seemed a small price to pay for one he loved so much, and the time flew. Then one day, Jacob said to Laban, “I’ve fulfilled my side of the deal. It is time for you to give me my wife in marriage so that I can make love with her.”
So Laban gathered together all the locals for a huge wedding feast, and they ate and drank long into the night. But the veiled woman who Laban gave away and who Jacob took to his bed and made love with, was Leah. When the morning sun came through the window, he discovered he was lying next to the wrong woman! He stormed off to Laban to demand an explanation. “What’s going on here? We made a deal that I was working for you in return for Rachel, so why have you conned me?”
Laban calmly replied, “It is not the done thing in this neck of the woods to marry off a younger daughter while her older sister is still unmarried. Do the right thing by Leah, and take her on her honeymoon, and as soon as you get back, I’ll let you marry Rachel as well. Then you can work for me for another seven years to pay off the second dowry. So Jacob copped it sweet and fulfilled his obligations to Leah. When their honeymoon was over, there was another wedding and Laban gave his daughter Rachel to Jacob to be his wife.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Psalm 105: 1-11, 45c (alt)

We shout your name and give you thanks, LORD;
we will tell everyone what you have done for us.
We sing your praises in your presence,
and publicise your wonderful achievements.
We put your name up in lights, your name alone;
our hearts burst with joy when we approach you.
It is you we want most of all, you and your strength;
we try to keep near to you all the time.
Like all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob,
and all your chosen children,
we remember all the astonishing things you have done
and the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions.
You are the LORD our God;
what you say, goes, everywhere on earth.
You never forget the alliance you have made with us;
you’ve been true to your word for a thousand generations.
You made the alliance with Abraham;
you promised Isaac you would stick to it;
you confirmed it in writing to Jacob,
promising Israel that the alliance was in place forever.
You gave them the land of Canaan as a family property,
to be passed on down from one generation to the next.
You are the greatest, LORD!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Psalm 128 (alt)

LORD, how good life is for all who respect you,
for all who stick to your tracks.
They work hard and enjoy the benefits;
smiles and laughter are never far away,
and things always seem to work out for them.
They enjoy a rich and satisfying love-life;
they look forward to going home each day.
Their children spring up like wildflowers,
and there is always laughter around the table.
Such health, fertility and prosperity are your gifts, LORD;
given to those who honour and respect you.
You rain down blessings from your holy mountain.
May we see only good times in our city, LORD,
for as long as we live.
May we live long enough to enjoy our grandchildren,
and may there always be peace in our land!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 8: 26-39

There will be times when our strength fails us and we will feel like just accommodating ourselves to the way things presently are, but the Spirit will always be there for us. Even when our prayer dries up and words fail us, the Spirit is there within us, keeping the communication lines open by turning our deepest achings and yearnings into prayers that pass wordlessly from heart to heart. And God, being of one mind with the Spirit, is able to hear the cries of our hearts because the Spirit offers them – along with the prayers of all God’s people – in language that connects with the cries of God’s heart. Because the Spirit is always on the job, we know that everything that happens will contribute something to bringing about the best for those who love God and have responded to the call to cooperate with what God is on about.
You see, being able to tell who they would be, God booked them all in ahead for a full reconstructive make-over. They will come out being just like God’s Son, all related to him and to one another, but he’ll still be the stand-out original. Having set this up for people, God contacted them individually and challenged them to get in on it. Those who were contacted were put in the good books with God, and once in the good books, they were lifted up and covered in glory.
So what are we to make of all this? If God is personally backing us, who can stand against us? Having spared nothing for us so far, and having continued to give freely to us all, even when it meant losing his own Son, God is clearly set on going the whole way and giving us the lot. So who would dare mouth off against one of God’s chosen ones? It is God who says who is in the good books. Who would dare condemn us when the one who is going to plead our case to God is the Messiah, Jesus, who died and was raised and is now God’s right hand man. Is there anyone or anything that can put us beyond the reach of the Messiah’s love? Can tough times do it? Or Grief? Can victimising us, or denying us food and shelter, or subjecting us to torture and violence do it? The scriptures suggest not:
“The violence we cop for God never seems to stop;
we are marched off like animals to be butchered.”
No, even when we are copping all these things, the One who already went through them and continued to love us sets us up as the ultimate winners. So I am dead-set sure that there is absolutely nothing – nothing living or dead, nothing wielding power in heaven or on earth, nothing in the past or in the future, nothing of authority or influence, nothing above or below or any place else in the entire universe – that will ever be able to come between us and the love of God that we have found in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52

Jesus used some more stories to teach those around him, saying, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. Someone takes a blackberry seed and plants it in the garden. One little seed; you wouldn’t even know it was there. But it grows into a huge bush, and then just keeps on going and no one can stop it. Eventually it is so big that a whole colony of rabbits can build a home under its branches!
“The culture of heaven is like some vodka that a woman secretly added to a huge vat of fruit punch at a party. No one realised it was there until it had the whole crowd under its influence!
“Here is another good illustration of the culture of heaven. A person took a shortcut through someone else’s property and stumbled across a reef of gold. Jumping for joy, he covered it over and ran off to sell everything he had so that he could buy the property.
“Here’s another illustration. A diamond trader is out to buy some fine diamonds. He comes across one of a quality far beyond anything he has ever seen before, so he goes and cashes in everything else he owns in order to buy it.
“Here is one more illustration of the culture of heaven for you. A couple of fishing boats pull a drag net through the sea, catching everything in its path. When it is full, they pull it ashore, and the crews sit down to sort out the catch. The good fish are put on ice ready for the market, and the rubbish is thrown away. The same sort of thing will happen at the end of the age. The angels will come and pick out those who are corrupt from among those who stick to the right track, and throw them into the incinerator. They’ll be cursing and kicking themselves then!”
Jesus asked his followers, “Are you beginning to cotton on to what I’m saying here?”
“Yes,” they answered.
So he went on to say to them, “You see then, when those who really know the scriptures are trained in the ways of the culture of heaven, they become like a good wine merchant who can, at a moment’s notice, bring out from the cellar just the right bottle; something new or something old as the occasion demands.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

1 Kings 3: 5-12

One night, while Solomon was staying in Gibeon, the LORD God appeared to him in a dream. God said to him, “Solomon, what would you most like me to give you?”
Solomon answered God, saying:
You always loved my father, your servant David. Your love was solid and unshakable, because he was good and honest and did what was right by you. As a sign of your love and loyalty to him, you gave him a son to inherit his kingdom. So here I am, LORD God. I am your servant, and you have made me king in place of my father, even though I’m little more than a boy and have no idea how to conduct myself properly. I am your servant and you have given me the job of ruling your chosen people, even though they are a great nation and there are more of them than anyone can count. So then, what I would most like you to give me is a sharp mind to rule justly and to be able to pick the difference between right and wrong every time. Without such a gift, no one could ever hope to rule your people.
The Lord was most impressed with Solomon’s request, and said to him:
You could have selfishly asked me to give you a long life, or to make you the richest man on earth, or to wipe out your enemies. But instead you have asked me for the wisdom to make the right decisions for my people. You have chosen well and I will give you exactly what you have asked for. You will have more wisdom and insight than anyone else who has ever lived or ever will.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 129-136

The instructions you have given, LORD, are the best;
they find a ready welcome within me.
As your words become clear, they light up the world,
and even the simplest minds begin to understand.
In my thirst for more of your teachings,
I’m like a dog panting for water.
Look my way and give me the inside running,
as is your usual practice to those who love you.
Keep me safely on track as you promised you would,
and don’t let corruption get the better of me.
Rescue me from those who would stand over me;
keep me free to do what you want me to do.
I am your trusty worker;
smile on me and teach me your ways.
It tears my heart out
to see how so many defy you.
©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 you are faithful to the covenant you have made
with a thousand generations.
You are the creator and judge of all the earth
and in all things you work for good for your chosen ones.
Your servant Jacob laboured seven years
for the love of Rachel;
and for love of us,
your child Jesus has laboured all the way to death.
He came among us, sowing your Word,
and from that tiny seed your kingdom has grown,
a pearl of great price,
a treasure for which we would give everything,
a home of welcome and grace for all people.
Though rulers and powers turned against him
and he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and now there is nothing in all creation
that can separate us from the love given us in Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your child Jesus
who came among us, sowing your Word,
a tiny seed from which your kingdom has grown,
and now there is nothing in all creation
that can separate us from the love given us in Christ.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you are faithful to the covenant you have made
with a thousand generations.
You are the creator and judge of all the earth
and in all things you work for good for your chosen ones.
Your servant Jacob laboured seven years
for the love of Rachel;
and for love of us,
your child Jesus has laboured all the way to death.
He came among us, sowing your Word,
and from that tiny seed your kingdom has grown,
a pearl of great price,
a treasure for which we would give everything,
a home of welcome and grace for all people.
Though rulers and powers turned against him
and he was killed,
you raised him to new life
and now there is nothing in all creation
that can separate us from the love given us in 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Spirit helps us in our weakness,
and Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us.
We have been chosen, called and put in the right
and nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now secure in the love of God
from which nothing can separate you.
Delight in seeking the Lord -
look always for the power and the presence of God,
and let love, like yeast in dough, permeate all you do.
And may God work for good in all things for you;
May Christ Jesus conform you in the image of his love;
And may the Holy Spirit help you in your weakness,
interceding for you, and in you, according to the will of God.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When God Backs a ScamA sermon on Genesis 29:15-28 & Matthew 13:31-33 by Nathan Nettleton

The Kingdom and the Way Things Have Always BeenA sermon on Genesis 29:15-28 & Matthew 13:31-33 by Nathan Nettleton

Disreputable Parables in Violent WorldA sermon on Matthew 13:31-33 by Nathan Nettleton

The Gifts of DarknessA sermon on Matthew 13:31-33 by Francesca Nuzzolese

Proper 13 - Year A
2026-08-02 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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 17: 1-7, 15

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.
I know I will be proved innocent;
I will be able to hold my head up and look you in the eye.
I will rise to a new day, filled with your presence.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 9: 1-5

I feel all torn up inside and it won’t go away — it is like a constant stabbing pain, deep in my guts. I’m fair dinkum about this, without a word of a lie. My conscience is clear, and the Messiah and the Holy Spirit can back me up. What’s eating at me is where the Israelites are at. They are my own people, my own flesh and blood, and I would do anything — even have myself put under a curse and cut off from Christ forever — if it would bring them into the fullness of life God intended for them. The Israelites have had everything going for them. They have been God’s special adopted children. They have witnessed God’s glory again and again. They have enjoyed the privileges of special alliances with God, of receiving God’s teaching directly, of the wonderful traditions of worship, and of all the promises God has made to them. The great founders of the faith are their own ancestors, and from among them, sharing their own flesh and blood, came the Messiah, who is number one in all the universe, the God who deserves our worship forever. And so say all of us!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 14: 13-21

When Jesus heard that John the baptiser had been killed, he cleared off in a boat by himself, intending to lie low for a while. But the people from all the surrounding towns got wind of which direction he was heading, and followed him around the lake on foot. When he pulled ashore, there was already a large crowd waiting for him. Jesus felt for them deeply, and cured the sick among them.
When evening came, Jesus’s closest followers came to him and said, “We’re in the middle of nowhere out here. It is time to send the crowds on their way so that they can make it to the shops in the nearby towns to get something to eat before it’s too late.”
Jesus said to them, “There’s no need for the people to leave. You lot give them something to eat.”
They replied, “But we’ve got almost nothing ourselves; just five bread rolls and a couple of fish.”
Jesus said, “Bring them here.”
As the food was brought, he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Taking the five bread rolls and the two fish, he lifted his eyes and gave thanks and praise to God. Then he broke the bread and gave the pieces to his followers to pass around among the people. Everybody ate their fill, and when the leftovers were gathered up, there was enough to fill twelve bags. This was no small crowd that had been fed; there were about five thousand men and goodness knows how many women and children.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 55: 1-5

This is what the LORD says:
Hey you! Are you thirsty?
Come, then. Drink from these fresh waters!
Are you too penniless even to eat?
Never mind! Come! Help yourselves; eat your fill!
Come and stock up with food, wine and milk.
What will it cost you? Not a red cent!
Why sink all your money into things that leave you hungry?
Why bust a gut working for things that can never satisfy?
Listen carefully to what I have to say
and you will feast at a rich banquet of fine foods.
Stick with me and tune in to what I’m saying,
for without my words, life is bland and tasteless.
I will surround your lives with love and loyalty,
making a permanent alliance, just as I did with David.
I gave him influence and authority over the nations,
and he was my witness among them.
You will be the same – a light to which others flock;
even those who don’t know you will come running;
they’ll be drawn to my glory, seen in you,
the glory of the LORD, the one and only God of Israel.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 145: 8-9, 14-21

You are generous and compassionate, LORD;
slow to anger, and rich in love and loyalty.
You are good to everyone, LORD,
and you care deeply about all you have created.
When people fall, you put them back on their feet;
when people are crushed, you stand them tall again.
Everyone looks to you for what they need,
and you meet their needs when the time is right.
You open your hands
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Justice marks everything you do, LORD,
and generous love colours your every deed.
When honest hearts cry out to you, LORD,
you are right there alongside them.
You satisfy the desires of those who respect you;
you hear their cries and rescue them from death.
You watch out for those who love you, LORD,
and wipe out corruption when it threatens.
Your praises will be always on our lips, LORD,
and with all who live,
we will single out your name for the highest honour
forever and ever.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you offer us the banquet that feeds us abundantly
and fills us with your presence.
You strove against the darkness and chaos,
and you prevailed,
bringing forth creation in all its miraculous abundance.
You challenged your servant, Jacob, face to face,
and gave him your blessing and promise.
From his family you formed your covenant people,
in whom your glory, your law, and your worship
were revealed to the world.
But now, in these last days,
your Messiah, Jesus, has emerged from among them,
bringing your compassion and healing to all.
Though he was cursed and cut off for the sake of his people,
you raised him from death.
Now in him you offer food for our deepest hunger,
and it is in holding tight to him
that we see your face and receive your blessing.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your Messiah, Jesus,
who was cursed and cut off for the sake of his people,
but has been raised to bring your compassion and healing to all
and to offer us the banquet that feeds us abundantly
and fills us with your presence.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you offer us the banquet that feeds us abundantly
and fills us with your presence.
You strove against the darkness and chaos,
and you prevailed,
bringing forth creation in all its miraculous abundance.
You challenged your servant, Jacob, face to face,
and gave him your blessing and promise.
From his family you formed your covenant people,
in whom your glory, your law, and your worship
were revealed to the world.
But now, in these last days,
your Messiah, Jesus, has emerged from among them,
bringing your compassion and healing to all.
Though he was cursed and cut off for the sake of his people,
you raised him from death.
Now in him you offer food for our deepest hunger,
and it is in holding tight to him
that we see your face and receive your blessing.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has probed our hearts and tried us by fire,
but Christ has compassion for us and has justified us.
Therefore, God now finds nothing wrong in us.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now into the world, strengthened by the gifts
with which Christ has fed you.
Be generous to others, for Christ has given extravagantly.
Live by God’s word, avoiding lies and violence.
Walk in God’s paths and never stray.
And may God’s wonderful love be with you everywhere;
May Christ Jesus feed you with his body and word;
And may the Holy Spirit confirm the truth in you
and fill you with God’s presence always.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Wounded and BlessedA sermon on Genesis 32: 22- 31 & Matthew 14: 13-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Reconciliation and WrestlingA sermon on Genesis 32:24-33:4 by Colin Hunter

AbundanceA sermon on Matthew 14: 13-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Wrestling with FaithA sermon on Genesis 32: 22-31 by Alison Sampson

Follow the TigerA sermon on Matthew 14: 13-21 by Richard Fabian

Proper 14 - Year A
2026-08-09 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 37: 1-4, 12-28

This is the story of the family of Jacob, who made his home in the land of Canaan where his father had settled as a migrant.
Jacob and his four wives had many children, but his favourite was Joseph who had been born to him when he was already an old man. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was working with four of his brothers herding sheep, and he dobbed them in to their father over some things they did wrong. Joseph was already offside with his brothers because of the favouritism their father showed him. They were especially galled that Jacob had singled out Joseph with a gift of a very classy coat. Things got to the stage where his brothers hated him and couldn’t say a civil word to him.
On one occasion, Joseph had stayed at home while the rest of his brothers went droving towards Shechem in search of good pasture for the sheep. Jacob called Joseph and said, “I’ve got a job for you.”
“No worries. I’m free,” said Joseph.
“Your brothers are droving the sheep out near Shechem,” said Jacob. “Go and track them down and see if all is well with them and the sheep, and then come back and let me know.”
So Joseph headed off from the Hebron Valley and began his search. While he was hunting high and low around Shechem, a man asked him what he was looking for, and he replied, “I am looking for my brothers who are droving sheep out this way. Can you tell me where they might be?”
The man replied, “They were here, but they are gone. They said they were going out Dothan way.”
So Joseph headed off on the trail of his brothers and found them out at Dothan. They saw him coming from a distance, and before he arrived, they put their heads together and plotted murder. They said to one another, “Here he comes; the one who dreams of lording it over us. Let’s knock him off and dump his body down a mine shaft. We can report that a wild animal dragged him off. Let’s see what comes of his dreams then!”
But when Reuben heard what they were up to, he stepped in to spare Joseph, saying, “Let’s not kill him. We don’t want his blood on our conscience. Why don’t we just put him down a mine shaft out here in the desert and leave him there?”
Reuben was actually thinking that he could make a hero of himself by coming back later and taking Joseph home to his father, but the suggestion seemed good to his brothers. So when Joseph pulled up alongside them, they tore off his coat – the classy coat that he like to strut around in – and dropped him down an empty mine shaft. There was no water in the mine shaft, but there was no way out either.
A short time later, as they were sitting down eating lunch, they saw a convoy of Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded up with raw materials bound for processing in Egypt. Seeing them, Judah said to his brothers, “Hey, we could do better for ourselves than killing our brother and having to dispose of his body. We could make a nice profit on him if we sold him to the Ishmaelite traders. Then we wouldn’t have to live with the thought of having killed one of our own flesh and blood.”
The rest of the brothers were all in favour of this idea, so they flagged down the traders and struck a deal with them. They pulled Joseph out of the mine shaft and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelite traders took Joseph to Egypt where they sold him in the slave markets.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45c

We shout your name and give you thanks, LORD;
we will tell everyone what you have done for us.
We sing your praises in your presence,
and publicise your wonderful achievements.
We put your name up in lights, your name alone;
our hearts burst with joy when we approach you.
It is you we want most of all, you and your strength;
we try to keep near to you all the time.
Like all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob,
and all your chosen children,
we remember all the astonishing things you have done
and the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions.
When you sent a famine on the land,
destroying the crops and breaking the food cycle,
you had already sent a man ahead to provide help:
Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
He had been dragged off in leg irons,
and chained by the neck.
You spoke to him, challenging him to tough it out,
until eventually his own words came true.
Sure enough, the Pharaoh ordered his release;
the most powerful man on earth set him free.
Pharaoh put him in charge of the palace,
and made him the manager of all his possessions.
He gave him authority over all other officials,
to tell them what to do and how to do it.
You are the greatest, LORD!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 10: 5-15

Moses said that to put yourself in the right by obeying the law, you would have to resolutely obey every bit of it. But if you are put right by trusting God, it is quite a different matter. Those who trust God don’t need to devise arduous schemes to save themselves by scaling the heights of heaven to collect Christ, or storming the gates of hell to bring him up to us from the dead. Rather they experience what the scriptures promised:
“The Word that saves is with you;
it is on the tip of your tongue;
it is beating in your heart.”
This is the message we’ve been preaching and it’s all about trust. If you put that trust into words, declaring that Jesus is the one you answer to; and embrace that trust in your heart, believing that Jesus lives because God raised him from the dead, then you will be put back on the right track with God. That’s what salvation is! When anyone allows that trust in God to rewrite the basic beliefs they live by, their heart is put right with God; and when those rewritten beliefs are expressed openly in what they say and do, then you know they are safely in God’s care. The scriptures back this up, saying, “No one who trusts God will ever be let down.” Your ethnic or religious background makes no difference in this: there is only one God, and that one God has the last word on everyone. God is equally generous to all those who call out in trust for help. As the saying goes, “Anyone who wants help from God only has to ask.”
But think about it for a moment. How is anyone going to ask for help if they don’t know who to ask? And how are they going to know who to ask if they haven’t even heard of the One who can be trusted? And how are they going to hear unless someone comes to tell them? And how is anyone going to come and tell them if no one is sent to tell them? As the scriptures say:
“What a sight for sore eyes is the arrival of those
who come to tell us the good news about God!”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 14: 22-33

Jesus loaded all his closest followers into the same boat and pushed them off, telling them to go on across the sea while he dismissed the crowds of people he had just fed. After sending the crowds on their way, he climbed up the mountain by himself so that he could be alone to pray. As the night closed in, he was still there by himself, but the boat was now a long way out from land, battling a head wind and getting badly bashed up by the waves. Just a few hours before sunrise, Jesus came striding towards them, trampling over the raging sea. But when his followers saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost, and panicked, screaming in terror. Jesus spoke up straight away, and said, “Get a grip on yourselves. Can’t you see who I am?! You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Peter called back, “Lord, if it is you, give the order for me to come out to you on the water.”
Jesus said, “Come on then.”
So Peter jumped ship, and began walking on the raging water by himself. He managed a few steps, but faced with the violent wind and the angry waves, he lost his nerve. As he began to go under, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and grabbed hold of him, saying, “Your faith is gutless! Why did you get cold feet?!”
As soon as they were all back in the same boat, the storm dropped. Those in the boat fell to their knees before Jesus, saying, “You are fair dinkum the Son of God.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

1 Kings 19: 9-18

After walking forty days to reach Mount Sinai, Elijah spent the night in a cave. The next morning, the LORD spoke to him, saying, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
Elijah answered, “I’ve given my all for you, LORD God, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.”
The LORD said, “Go outside and stand to attention on the mountain, because I am about to pass in front of you.”
As Elijah stood there, a cyclone hit the mountain, shattering the rocks and splintering the trees; but the LORD was not in the cyclone. After the cyclone, the mountain was shaken by an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a raging bushfire; but the LORD was not in the bushfire. Then, after all that, there came a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face and stood stock still outside the entrance of the cave. Then, from the silence, came a voice, saying, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
Elijah answered, “I’ve given my all for you, LORD God, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.”
Then the LORD said to him, “Off you go. Head back down to the desert near Damascus. When you get there, you are to crown Hazael as the new king of Syria. Then you are to crown Jehu, the son of Nimshi, as the new king of Israel. Finally, you are to appoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, to be your successor as my prophet. Hazael will begin wiping out all those who worship Baal. Any who escape him will fall to Jehu, and Elisha will finish off any who escape Jehu. But there are seven thousand people in Israel who have not bent their knees to Baal or kissed his statues, and they will survive the purge.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 85: 8-13

We are eager to hear all you have to say, LORD God,
for your words bring peace and wellbeing
to those who stick with you
and leave behind their foolish ways.
Surely for all who respect you,
the life you saved us for is within reach.
Our land will be ablaze with your presence.
What a life it will be!
Love and loyalty will link arms;
justice and peace will become lovers.
Faithfulness will sprout and reach for the sky;
integrity will beam down on the earth.
You will give us every good thing, LORD,
and the land will give bumper crops.
Justice and integrity will spring up as you approach,
lining the road to welcome you among us.
©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 Lord of all, without distinction
and you are generous to all who call on you.
In the first of your mighty wonders
you calmed the chaos and created a planet full of life.
You chose a people to carry your good news to the world,
and worked even through their acts of hatred and betrayal
to bring about your salvation.
So too when your child, Jesus,
was rejected and cast into the pit of death,
you raised him from the dead
and now save all who call on his name in faith.
Coming to us amidst the storms of destruction,
he pulls us up from the despair that would swallow us
and with a word, brings his terrifying peace,
bringing us to our knees in worship, saying,
“Truly you are the Son of God!”
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your child, Jesus,
who comes to us amidst the storms of destruction,
pulling us up from the despair that would swallow us
and with a word, brings his terrifying peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you are Lord of all, without distinction
and you are generous to all who call on you.
In the first of your mighty wonders
you calmed the chaos and created a planet full of life.
You chose a people to carry your good news to the world,
and worked even through their acts of hatred and betrayal
to bring about your salvation.
So too when your child, Jesus,
was rejected and cast into the pit of death,
you raised him from the dead
and now save all who call on his name in faith.
Coming to us amidst the storms of destruction,
he pulls us up from the despair that would swallow us
and with a word, brings his terrifying peace,
bringing us to our knees in worship, saying,
“Truly you are the Son of God!”
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has promised that all who call on the name of Christ,
confessing him to be Lord and trusting in his resurrection,
will be saved.
Through your faith, God has declared you to be righteous.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live in the righteousness that comes from faith.
Delight in seeking the Lord.
Recount what God has done
and proclaim the good news of Christ
so that all may hear and believe and be saved.
And may the power of the presence of God be with you.
May Christ’s word be near you,
on your lips and in your heart.
And may the Holy Spirit give you courage
and calm all your fears.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Don’t Be AfraidA sermon on Matthew 14.22-23 & Genesis 37: 1-4, 12-28 by Garry Deverell

All in the Same BoatA sermon on Matthew 14.22-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Walking Through StormsA sermon on Matthew 14.22-23 by Nathan Nettleton

Out On The WaterA sermon on Matthew 14.22-23 by Debie Thomas

Proper 15 - Year A
2026-08-16 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 45: 1-15

As his brothers spoke, Joseph was getting very emotional, and he didn’t want his servants to see him crying so he ordered them all out of the room. Once he was alone with his brothers, he blurted out the truth about his identity. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, and promptly burst into tears. His sobbing was so loud that his Egyptian servants heard it from outside and sent a message about it to the Pharaoh’s palace.
Amidst his tears, Joseph asked his brothers whether his father was still alive, but they were in such a state of shock and panic that they couldn’t even answer him. Joseph called them to gather close around him and, when they did, he said:
“I am your brother, Joseph: the one you sold to the Egyptian slave traders. But don’t panic! Despite what you did, it has worked out for the best. Your actions played into God’s hands, because God was bringing me here so that I could save many lives. The land has been in the grip of drought and famine for two years already, and it’s only going to get worse. It will be another five years before crops can be sown and harvested again. You and your families would have all perished if God hadn’t brought me here ahead of you, but now you will be among the survivors. So, don’t kick yourselves: it was not you, but God, who brought me here. Because of what God has done, even Pharaoh looks up to me now. I run all his business for him, both in the palace and in the whole land of Egypt.”
Joseph then told his brothers that he wanted them to get home as quickly as possible and deliver a message to his father. This is what it said:
“Dear Dad, I am your son, Joseph, and I am alive! God has put me in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Move down here at once. I will set aside land for you in the region of Goshen so that you can live near me. There will be plenty of room for you, and for your children, your grandchildren, all your livestock, and all your possessions. The drought will last for another five years, but I will provide for you and all your family and livestock so that you will be protected from starvation.”
Joseph said to his brothers, “Now all of you, and especially my brother Benjamin, can see from what I’ve said that I really am Joseph. So don’t waste any time. Get back to my father and tell him what a big man I’ve become here in Egypt and bring him down here as soon as possible.”
Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept openly. Benjamin, too, was crying as he hugged his brother. With tears flowing freely, Joseph hugged and kissed all his brothers, and they finally loosened up and were able to talk with him.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 133

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

Romans 11: 1-2a, 29-32

God’s chosen people, the people of Israel, have refused to let God put them on the right track through Christ. So the obvious question is, has God given up on them and written them off? The answer is No. No way! Look at me: I’m one of them; a descendant of Abraham, an Israelite born of the tribe of Benjamin. God went into this with eyes wide open and is not about to give up on these people now. When God has chosen a course of action, and commissioned and equipped the people involved, there is no going back. It is guaranteed and God will follow through on it, no matter what. In the past, it was you who were at odds with God, but when the people of Israel went off the rails, God reached out even wider in mercy, and so you were gathered in. But the widened reach of God’s mercy which gathered you in now ensures that there is a way for them to be gathered back in. It was God’s desire to show mercy to those who had gone off the rails, but the only way to do that without creating two classes of people was to ensure that everybody was implicated in the human race’s rebellion. Now we are all in the same boat and God can show mercy to us all.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

Speaking to the crowd who had heard him arguing with the investigators from the devoutly religious Pharisee party, Jesus said, “Listen up and get this into your heads: it is not the foods that people put into their mouths that defile them. What really turns God’s stomach is the muck that comes out of their mouths.”
Some of his closest followers tapped him on the shoulder at this point and said, “Do you realise that the Pharisees have got their noses out of joint over what they are hearing you say?”
Jesus replied, “Don’t worry about them. All sorts of plants spring up in the garden, but anything that wasn’t planted by the One who planted me, is going to be ripped out by the roots. Leave them to stew. They are blind guides; as blind as the people they are trying to lead. And the blind leading the blind is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Peter said to him, “Explain what you were getting at with your illustration of what defiles people.”
“Haven’t even you got this sorted out in your head yet?” Jesus replied. “Can’t you see that even if a person eats something really disgusting, it just goes through their gut and ends up down the toilet? It doesn’t affect who they are. But the things that come out of people’s mouths reveal what they are really made of, and so it is these things that can defile them. It is in the depths of the human heart that you will find the roots of things like crooked dealings, murder, sexual conduct that betrays or trivialises others, theft, perjury and vilification. These are the things that God finds repulsive, not every little failure to religiously observe the social norms about personal hygiene and table etiquette.
After that, Jesus hit the road and headed across the border into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Soon after arriving, a local Canaanite woman began following him around, calling out, “Lord, you are the new King David! Have pity and help me out! My daughter is in the grip of some demon.”
But Jesus just ignored her and kept walking. After a while, his followers who were with him started urging him to get rid of her, because her shouting was driving them nuts. Jesus spoke up and said, “I have only been sent to work with those who have gone off the rails among the Israelite people.”
But the woman fell to her knees at his feet and said, “Lord, please help me.”
He answered, “It is just not right to take food out of the mouths of the children and throw it to little dogs.”
“Fair enough, Lord,” she replied, “but even dogs are not denied the scraps that fall off the family’s table.”
“Point taken,” Jesus replied. “Woman, your faith has got real guts! What you have asked for is now done.”
And sure enough, at that very moment, her daughter was healed completely.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8

This is what the LORD has to say:
“I am about to put things right.
Any day now, I will be there to save the world.
So do the right thing.
See that justice is done.
What will happen to the foreigners, you might ask.
What of those who were not among the chosen few,
but who nevertheless looked to me, the LORD, for refuge?
Look, they have devoted themselves to me.
They love me and honour my name.
They are happy to do whatever I ask of them.
They observe the Sabbath faithfully.
They don’t make a mockery of it.
They keep all the terms of the alliance with me.
And so I will give them free access to my sacred places.
I will see that they enjoy the celebrations in my house of prayer.
They can worship me just like anyone else.
I will welcome their gifts every bit as much as yours.
My house of worship will become known
as the house of prayer for all the peoples of the world.
I, the Lord GOD, give you my word on this.
Just as I welcomed home those who had been lost from Israel,
so too I will welcome others from outside,
and gather them together as one with you.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 67

Lord God, bless us generously;
smile on us kindly;
show yourself to everyone, everywhere
as the one who saves us with power.
Everyone has reasons to praise you, O God,
absolutely everyone should be singing your praises.
The whole world should celebrate you with joyful song,
for you are even-handed with all people
and your guidance is there for every nation.
Everyone has reasons to praise you, O God,
absolutely everyone should be singing your praises.
The land has produced a bumper harvest;
a clear sign of your goodness to us, God.
Keep it up, God, keep it coming;
the whole planet will honour you for it.
©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 gifts and calling are irrevocable
and you bless us with life forever.
You created the earth and everything in it,
and formed it’s peoples to live as one.
In ancient times you worked through your servant, Joseph,
sending him ahead of your people to preserve life
and open up a way of salvation.
And now, though never rejecting those you first chose,
you have thrown open the gates of mercy to all.
You sent your own child, Jesus, among us,
and when his eyes were opened
by the pleas of a gentile woman,
you made it known that no one
would have to scrape for crumbs of mercy
beneath your table.
When he was killed, you raised him to life,
and with him raised us all
and seated us in honour at your banqueting table.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks that you do not make us scrape
for crumbs of mercy beneath your table,
but that you sent your servant, Jesus,
before us to preserve life
and open up a way of salvation.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your gifts and calling are irrevocable
and you bless us with life forever.
You created the earth and everything in it,
and formed it’s peoples to live as one.
In ancient times you worked through your servant, Joseph,
sending him ahead of your people to preserve life
and open up a way of salvation.
And now, though never rejecting those you first chose,
you have thrown open the gates of mercy to all.
You sent your own child, Jesus, among us,
and when his eyes were opened
by the pleas of a gentile woman,
you made it known that no one
would have to scrape for crumbs of mercy
beneath your table.
When he was killed, you raised him to life,
and with him raised us all
and seated us in honour at your banqueting 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves,
for though we have sinned,
Christ has gone before us to create new life,
showing God’s mercy to all
and bringing us out of the prison of disobedience.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as creators and preservers of life,
and live together as one.
Do not follow blind guides,
but always be prepared to hear the Word of God anew,
even challenging you from unexpected sources.
And may God bless you with life forever;
May Christ Jesus heal you of all that would harm you;
And may the Holy Spirit cleanse your hearts of all that would defile you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Be open – welcoming the ‘other’A sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 & Genesis 45: 1-15 by Meewon Yang

Did Jesus mean to call her that, or was he just having a bad day?A sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Nathan Nettleton

What Comes Out Of His MouthA sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Samara Pitt

Recognising Patterns of ChangeA sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Josh Dowton

Proper 16 - Year A
2026-08-23 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10

A new king came to power in Egypt, and he knew nothing of Joseph’s place in the history of his nation or why the Israelite people had been welcomed to live there. In his speeches to his people, he appealed to nationalist sentiments and stirred up racial hostility, saying:
“Look at what is going on. There are too many of these Jews in our country and they are getting to powerful. We need to exercise sound management to ensure that the situation does not get out of hand. Otherwise these people will overrun us, and in the event of war they will side with our enemies, fight against us, and escape, leaving our economy in ruins.”
So the Egyptian authorities brought in a policy of oppression, forcing the Israelites into slave labour gangs with harsh taskmasters cracking the whip. These labour gangs were used in the king’s huge infrastructure program, and among other things, they built the massive royal storage facilities in the cities of Pithom and Rameses. However, the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more land they occupied, and that in turn fuelled the fear and hostility towards them. The taskmasters became increasingly ruthless in the way they worked the labour gangs, and life for the workers became a bitter misery as they were worked to the bone on the building sites and in every kind of heavy outdoors work. The productivity targets were outrageous and the treatment of the workers was utterly inhumane.
The policies of oppression became increasingly genocidal. The two Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, were given orders from the king that when they assisted Hebrew women giving birth, they were to kill all the male babies born and allow only the female babies to live. But the midwives cared more about about what God thought than what the king said, so they did not obey the order and continued to let the all the babies live. When he realised that his order had not been carried out, the king called in the midwives and demanded an explanation: “Why have you allowed these baby boys to live?”
The midwives answered, “The Hebrew women seem to have more oomph than the Egyptian women. They pop their babies out so quickly that by the time we arrive, it’s all over.”
And so because the midwives had done the right thing by God, God did the right thing by them and enabled them to have families of their own. The Hebrew people continued to multiply and become a more powerful presence within the country. Eventually the king issued a new order to everyone in his nation: “You are to throw every Hebrew boy that is born into the Nile River. Only the girls are allowed to live.”
A man and a woman from the tribe of Levi got married and fell pregnant. When the child was born, it was a strong and healthy baby boy, and his mother kept him hidden for three months. When he became too boisterous to keep him hidden, she made a little lifeboat for him by plastering a cane basket with tar. She placed him in the little lifeboat and floated it among the reeds near the bank of the river. The baby’s older sister kept watch from a distance to see what would happen to him.
Before long, the daughter of the king came down and took a dip in the river while her bodyguards walked along the bank. She spotted the little lifeboat among the reeds and sent one of her servant girls to get it. When the king’s daughter opened the lid and saw the baby crying inside, she began to feel all clucky. “This must be one of the slave children,” she said.
Then the baby’s sister spoke up and asked the king’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find a slave woman to nurse the baby for you?”
“Yes,” said the king’s daughter. “Go and get one right away.”
So the girl went off and came back with the baby’s mother. The king’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse it for me. I will pay you to be his nanny.”
So the mother took the baby home and raised him. When he had grown up enough, she delivered him back to the king’s daughter, who adopted him as her own. She named him Moses, because it sounded a bit like the word meaning to pull someone out of the water.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 124

If you had not sided with us, LORD,
we all know where we’d have ended up.
If we had not had you on our side
when people turned against us,
attacking with the fury of a wounded shark,
they would have made mince meat out of us.
Their frenzied rage would have dragged us under,
their lust for blood would have torn us apart.
The thrashing waters would have closed over us,
hiding the violence,
concealing our fate.
All the credit and all the honours go to you, LORD;
it was you who saved our flesh
from the teeth of our enemies.
Thanks to you, we have shaken off their grip,
and soared to safety, as free as a bird.
Their savage attack was repelled,
and we have escaped unharmed.
It is you, LORD, the creator of heaven and earth,
who guarantees our safety.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 12: 1-8

Sisters and brothers, in light of all the generous breaks God has given you, I urge you to offer in return the only thing you have that comes within cooee being enough: your whole selves, bodies and all. Hand them over to God as the ultimate offering; the living gift of all you are and all you do. Dedicate your lives wholly and solely to God, for this is the nature of true worship and is the only sacrifice God is looking for.
Do not model your life on the usual aspirations of the world around you. Instead, allow God to completely remodel your life. This will start with changing the way you think, so that you will be able to tune in to what God wants, which of course is always what is good and worthwhile and for the best.
As one who knows what it means to be treated far better than I deserve, I would warn you not to go getting over-inflated opinions of yourselves. Take a good hard look at yourselves, and be realistic about what you can and can’t do with the gifts and faith God has given you. You are all different, and there is no point in measuring yourselves against each other. It would be like expecting all the different parts of your body to be able to do each other’s jobs. How ever many of us there are, together we are all one body in Christ. As different parts of the body, we belong to one another and need one another, but we are not the same as one another. In the generosity of God, we have been given to one another, each with our own job to do and the unique gift needed to do it. And so just as a human body works best when each part is doing what it was designed to do, so too the body we all belong to works best when everybody faithfully exercises the gift they have been given: the prophets proclaim the message they trust; the ministers perform their ministries; the teachers do the teaching; the encouragers spur others on; the resource people share what they have with uncomplicated generosity; the advocates are spirited in their defence of the community; and the aid-workers carry out their acts of mercy with warmth and good cheer.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 16: 13-20

Jesus and his followers were in the Roman district of Caesarea Philippi when he asked them, “What’s the word on the streets about the New Human? Who do they reckon I am?”
His followers replied, “Most of the betting is on one or another of the prophets. Some have you picked as John the Baptiser. Others say Elijah, and still others are going for Jeremiah.”
“So what about you lot?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah who everyone has been waiting for; the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Good on you, Simon son of Jonah! You could never have worked that out for yourself – no mere mortal could. Only my Father in heaven could have let you in on this. And let me tell you who you are. You are the Rock, and on this rock I will build my church – the new people of God – and not even the deadly powers of the grave will ever drag it down. I will give you the keys that will unlock the truth of the culture of heaven here on earth. You will be the one who teaches people how to live this truth – what may and may not be done – and heaven will back you up.”
Then he gave his followers strict instructions not to breathe a word to anyone about him being the Messiah.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 51: 1-6

If you want to sort out your relationship with me,
and to start living out what is right,
then listen to what I, the LORD, have to say.
Look at your own family history.
You are a chip off the old block.
Look back to your ancestor Abraham,
and to Sarah who gave birth to your family line.
They were just one couple when I called them,
but I set them up for life and from them came a huge family.
Although the city is in ruins now and only a few of you are left,
I will put the smile back on your faces, my people.
The land lies waste, but I will make it like Eden once more.
The scorched earth will again be like my own garden.
The land will ring to the sounds of laughter and singing.
Happiness and thankfulness will overflow.
Listen to me, my people.
Let the whole nation tune in to what I have to say.
I am going to teach you what you need to know.
I will teach you justice that will light up the world.
I am coming on the double to set you free.
My rescue mission has been launched,
and I will personally take charge.
From coast to coast they are hanging out for my arrival;
eager to see me take charge and put things right.
Take a good look at the skies.
Take a good look at the earth beneath your feet.
They are both on their way out.
The sky will disappear like a puff of smoke.
The earth will wear out like an old shirt.
Those who live on it will drop like flies.
But the life I am saving you for will last forever.
When I put things right, they will stay right for good.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 138

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

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,
offering ourselves as a living sacrifice,
for you have never allowed the gates of Hell
to prevail against us.
You are the creator of the earth and sky;
the author of all that is good, acceptable and perfect.
When your people were bitterly oppressed,
you acted to save them, raising Moses from the waters
to grow and lead your people to freedom.
In your child, Jesus, you have again been with us
to save us from the snares of the enemy.
In him people saw the courage of John the Baptiser,
the fiery passion of Elijah, the faithfulness of Jeremiah.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life
and revealed him to us as your chosen Messiah,
the one in whom we are reconciled as one body,
gifted and called to unlock your Kingdom on earth.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your child, Jesus,
who you revealed to us as your chosen Messiah,
the one in whom we are reconciled as one body,
gifted and called to unlock your Kingdom on earth.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
offering ourselves as a living sacrifice,
for you have never allowed the gates of Hell
to prevail against us.
You are the creator of the earth and sky;
the author of all that is good, acceptable and perfect.
When your people were bitterly oppressed,
you acted to save them, raising Moses from the waters
to grow and lead your people to freedom.
In your child, Jesus, you have again been with us
to save us from the snares of the enemy.
In him people saw the courage of John the Baptiser,
the fiery passion of Elijah, the faithfulness of Jeremiah.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life
and revealed him to us as your chosen Messiah,
the one in whom we are reconciled as one body,
gifted and called to unlock your Kingdom on 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.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

If the Lord was not for us
we would be forever ensnared in our sins.
But in Christ we have been cut free from our sins on earth,
and all who are freed on earth will be freed in heaven.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, strong in the mercies of God.
Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
so that knowing the will of God
your whole lives may become a sacrifice of praise,
holy and acceptable to God.
And may God, the Creator of earth and sky, be your help;
May the Son of the Living God ground you on solid rock;
And may the Holy Spirit equip you with all the gifts and graces of Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Offering Sacrifice in Christian WorshipA sermon on Romans 12: 1-8 & Matthew 16:13-20 by Nathan Nettleton

Squeezed into the mould or re-mould from within?A reflection on Romans 12:2 by Sylvia Sandeman

Salvation takes the work of manyA sermon on Exodus 1:8 – 2:10 by Alison Sampson

Sorting Out The SacrificesA sermon on Romans 12: 1-8 & Matthew 16:13-20 by Nathan Nettleton

Who do YOU say I am?A sermon on Matthew 16:13-20 by Karen Quah

Proper 17 - Year A
2026-08-30 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Exodus 3: 1-15

Moses married the daughter of a Midianite priest named Jethro, and worked for him droving his sheep. One day he drove the sheep out back of beyond, and he ended up grazing them on the slopes of Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. While he was there, he saw a bush burst into flames and the messenger of the LORD appeared in the fire. As Moses watched the fire, he was amazed to see that although the fire was intense, the bush was not being burned up and reduced to ash, so he decided to go closer to see if he could work out what was going on. Having got Moses’ attention, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“At your service,” Moses replied.
“Don’t come any closer!” God said. “And take your boots off, because you are standing on a sacred site. I am the God of your ancestors; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
At that, Moses pulled his coat over his face because he was afraid to stand face to face with God. Then the LORD said:
“I have seen how my people have been chewed up and spat out in Egypt. I have heard their desperate cries for help as the slave-drivers work them into the ground. The truth is, I know what their suffering is like, and I have come down to break them free, and to bring them up out of the land of slavery. I will bring them into good land of wide open spaces, a land rich with milk and honey. It is presently occupied by the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, but I will give it to my people. The cries of the Israelites have gotten through to me, and I have seen how the tyrants are grinding them into the dirt. So come on Moses, up and at it. I will send you to the king of Egypt to bring my people, the Israelites, out of slavery in his country.”
But Moses said to God, “Hang on a minute! Why me? I must be about the least qualified person on the face of the earth for the job of negotiating with the king of Egypt for the release of his Israelite slaves!”
But God replied, “I will be with you! And this is how you will know that I have been with you: when you have got the people out of Egypt, you will worship me right here on this mountain.”
But Moses continued to protest, saying, “If I go to the Israelites and try to tell them that the God of their ancestors has sent me to them, they’ll never believe me. They will say, ‘And what name does this God go by?’ What am I to tell them then?”
God replied, “I AM who I AM. So you go and tell the Israelites that the one named I AM the LORD has sent you to them. And you can further tell them that the LORD, the God of their ancestors; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent you to them. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be addressed from now on.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 105: 1-6, 23-26, 45c

We shout your name and give you thanks, LORD;
we will tell everyone what you have done for us.
We sing your praises in your presence,
and publicise your wonderful achievements.
We put your name up in lights, your name alone;
our hearts burst with joy when we approach you.
It is you we want most of all, you and your strength;
we try to keep near to you all the time.
Like all the descendants of Abraham and Jacob,
and all your chosen children,
we remember all the astonishing things you have done
and the breath-taking wisdom of your decisions.
Your people turned up in Egypt;
yes, Jacob migrated to Africa.
You let them breed there like rabbits, LORD,
and they grew stronger than the native population.
The Egyptians grew fearful and bitter
and plotted to force your people into slavery.
You sent your trusty worker, Moses,
and his chosen right hand man, Aaron.
You are the greatest, LORD!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Romans 12: 9-21

See to it that your love is for real and without pretence. Avoid corruption like the plague. Dig your heels in and don’t be budged from the side of good. Love one another, and not just in theory but with warmth and friendly affection. If you need something to compete over, see who can score the most points for treating everyone else like royalty. Don’t let your enthusiasm get slack, but keep yourselves on the boil and work hard for the Lord. Celebrate in anticipation of all that is to come. When you are being put through the wringer, tough it out, and pray all the harder. Do what you can to help out other Christians who are in need, and work at making strangers feel welcome and at home among you.
When others persecute you, wish them all the best and pray that God will look after them. Seek the best for them; don’t wish disaster on them. When others are celebrating, celebrate with them. When others are hurting, share the pain with them. Stay in tune with one another, living a shared life based on common commitments. Don’t be full of yourselves, but hang out with those who the world writes off as nobodies. Don’t go getting over-inflated opinions about how smart you all are.
If anyone does the wrong thing by you, don’t go trying to pay them back in kind. Instead, take a deep breath and find a way to respond that anyone else would think of as going above and beyond the call of common decency. Do all that can be done at your end to live at peace with everyone else in the society around you. My dear friends, never take the law into your own hands to get revenge. Leave it up to God to sort the offenders out. As the scripture says, “Vengeance is my job, says the Lord, and I will give them what is coming to them.” So, follow the proverb instead: “If those who hate you are hungry, give them a feed; if they are thirsty, pour them a beer; because that’s the way to spark a meltdown in their heads.” Do not let what is evil get the upper hand over you, but get the upper hand over what is evil by doing what is good.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 16: 21-28

Once his followers had identified him as the Messiah, Jesus began to make it clear to them that he would have to go to Jerusalem where he would be put through the wringer by the politicians, the priests and the religious lawyers. He told them that he would be executed there, but that three days later he would be raised to life. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind, saying, “God forbid! Lord, this can’t be allowed to happen to you!”
But Jesus turned on Peter, saying, “Get out of my face, you satan! You’re like a roadblock in my path because you have got no idea what God is on about. You’re just pursuing the same things as everyone else.”
Then he spelt it out to his followers, saying: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys, sign their own death warrant, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life, you’ll end up losing the lot. But if you let go, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me, you’ll discover real life. What’s the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. There’s no trade-in on a burned out soul. The New Human is going to arrive on the scene, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels, and he will see that everyone is paid what they deserve for what they have done. I kid you not, there are some people around now who will live to see the New Human arrive and take charge.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Jeremiah 15: 15-21

Jeremiah poured out his complaint to the LORD, saying:
Come on, LORD. You know what is going on here.
Don’t forget it is for you that I am copping this abuse.
Don’t keep giving my enemies second chances.
Dish out a harsh dose of justice before they finish me off.
When I first came across your words,
I consumed them with great gusto.
They were the best thing I had ever tasted.
They were a feast for my whole being!
Being named as one who belongs to you
filled me with pride, O LORD, ruler of everything.
But now I don’t get invited to parties any more,
and I’ve got nothing to smile about.
Doing what you asked of me cost me all my friends
because you made me so serious and angry.
Why must I live with this constant pain?
Why does my wound fester and refuse to heal?
The fact is, you are like a mirage in the desert, God,
all promise but no action.
This is what the LORD said in response to Jeremiah’s complaint:
If you wake up to yourself and get back on track,
I will accept you and put you back on your feet.
If you choose your words well and quit your whingeing,
then you can continue to speak on my behalf.
Then the people will come seeking you,
instead of you always crawling to them.
I will give you a thick skin, like a steel plated wall,
to protect you from these people.
They can attack you all they like,
but they won’t be able to bring you down
because I am on your side
to keep you safe and see you through.
I am the LORD, and I give you my word.
I will break the grip of these evil people and set you free;
I will rescue you from their ruthless hands
and bring you back to where you belong.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 26: 1-8

Clear my name, LORD.
I’ve been true to my word;
I’ve staked everything on you and stood my ground.
Check me out thoroughly, LORD;
weigh up my every thought and desire.
I keep myself focussed on your rock-solid love,
and I stay in step with you all the time.
I don’t hang around with worthless scum;
and I keep clear of those who talk the talk
but never walk the walk.
I can’t stand corrupt company,
and I keep my distance from liars and cheats.
There’s no blood to wash off my hands;
I can dance round your altar with a clear conscience
singing a song of thanks to you, O LORD,
and telling the stories of the great things you’ve done.
O LORD, I love the temple you call your own,
the place where we can bask in your presence.
©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 you meet us in our suffering
and the fire of your love and compassion burns forever.
In the first of your mighty wonders
you created the earth and made it holy.
You heard the cries of your oppressed people
and from the blazing power of your presence
you sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom.
Once again, in your child, Jesus,
you have come down to deliver us.
He suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem,
and was killed,
but you overcome evil with good
and raised him to new life on the third day.
And now you have called us to follow him,
taking up the cross and relinquishing our lives,
so that united with him we may enter your life -
the life which is worth more than the world itself.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for the fire of your love which burns forever,
making all places holy with the power of your presence
and leading us into your life
which is worth more than the world itself.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you meet us in our suffering
and the fire of your love and compassion burns forever.
In the first of your mighty wonders
you created the earth and made it holy.
You heard the cries of your oppressed people
and from the blazing power of your presence
you sent Moses and Aaron to lead them to freedom.
Once again, in your child, Jesus,
you have come down to deliver us.
He suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem,
and was killed,
but you overcome evil with good
and raised him to new life on the third day.
And now you have called us to follow him,
taking up the cross and relinquishing our lives,
so that united with him we may enter your life -
the life which is worth more than the world itself.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The blazing fire of God’s presence refines us,
but in mercy it does not destroy us.
God does not repay evil for evil,
but comes to deliver us and restore us to life.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and follow Jesus in the way of the cross.
Rejoice in hope,
hold fast to what is good,
persevere in prayer.
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
As far as is possible, live peaceably with all.
And may God hear your cries and deliver you;
May Christ Jesus repay you with fullness of life;
And may the Holy Spirit be with you always
nourishing you in love and hope.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

How to pass yourself off as a ChristianA sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Peter – from rooster to feather duster!A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 by Alan Marr

“Called” or “uncalled” that is the question?A sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 by Sylvia Sandeman

Fight or flight or … ?A sermon on Matthew 16:21-28 & Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Audrey’s First Letter to the Apostle PaulA sermon on Romans 12: 9-21 by Audrey Kateena

Burning Identity QuestionsA sermon on Exodus 3: 1-15 & Matthew 16:21-28 by Nathan Nettleton

Recognisably Christian?A sermon on Romans 12:9-21 by Nathan Nettleton
