Proper 7 - Year C
2028-06-18 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.

1 Kings 19: 1-4, (5-7), 8-15a

King Ahab told his wife Jezebel how Elijah had made a mockery of the prophets of Baal and then killed them all. Jezebel was outraged and sent a message to Elijah, saying, “I’ll see that by this time tomorrow you suffer the same fate as the prophets you killed. May the gods strike me down if I don’t.”
Elijah was terrified and hit the road – running for his life. He made it to the Judean town of Beersheba where he parted company with his servant. He then went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts, saying, “I can’t take any more, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.”
Exhausted, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder, saying, “Get up and eat.”
Elijah looked around and there, just near his head, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again, tapping him on the shoulder and saying, “Get up and eat, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.”
So Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain. When he got there, he 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.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 42 & 43

Like a wallaby searching for a waterhole,
I crave you, God, with every fibre of my being.
Everything inside me thirsts for you, God,
for you, the Living God.
When will the drought break
so I can be with you, face to face.
I’ve had nothing but tears to sustain me;
day and night it’s been the same;
I can’t shut out the jeers and taunts,
“Where is this God of yours?”
Cherished memories flood my mind,
rubbing salt in the wound;
memories of past celebrations
when I led the worship in your house.
I can still hear the laughter and joyous singing;
the crowds celebrating your goodness.
Why do I feel so defeated?
Why am I so anxious and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up hope,
for you are my God and my help
and I’ll be glad of that again.
I feel so defeated inside;
I try to remind myself of your goodness
as I walk along the beach to the river mouth
and look towards the mountains.
But all I hear is the roar of waves
and churning waters;
I feel like chaos is breaking over me
and sucking me down, deeper and deeper.
Every day I read of your rock-solid love, LORD;
and every night I sing your songs
and pray to you as the God of my life.
But still I find myself asking the question:
“Why has your rock-solid love let me down?
Why are so many out to get me,
making my life such a misery?”
My wounds are deep and painful
but the torture goes on;
over and over I hear the taunts,
“Where is this God of yours?”
Why do I feel so defeated?
Why am I so anxious and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up hope,
for you are my God and my help
and I’ll be glad of that again.
Clear my name, God;
side with me against these godless tormentors.
Rescue me from their lies and abuse.
I trusted you to look after me, God;
why have you pushed me aside?
Why are so many out to get me,
making my life such a misery?
Let your truth blaze like a beacon
so I can see the way to go;
let it light up the path and lead me
to your home on the sacred mountain.
Then I will offer myself to you in worship, God;
offer myself with uninhibited joy.
I will praise you with music and song,
O God, my God!
Why do I feel so defeated?
Why am I so anxious and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up hope,
for you are my God and my help
and I’ll be glad of that again.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 3: 23-29

Before we had put our faith in Christ and allowed that faith to begin reshaping our lives, we needed a rigid legal code to keep us in line. The law was like a zealous parole officer, keeping us on the straight and narrow, under duress. When Christ came, the law was no longer necessary, because we can be put on track with God by entrusting ourselves to Christ. Now that this opportunity is available to us, we no longer need the parole officer watching over our shoulders. Having entrusted ourselves to Christ, we have been transferred with him into the direct care of God, and God treats us as beloved children, not as prisoners. When we were baptised, we handed in our prison clothes and were given a make-over in the image of Christ. All of you who have been baptised, therefore, are on an equal footing — your new Christ-like clothing covers any previous distinction. There is no longer any preferential treatment on the basis of your ethnic or religious background, your education or employment status, or even your sex. All of you are related to Christ Jesus in exactly the same way and are regarded by him as equals. If you belong to Christ, then through him you are descendants of Abraham, and you therefore stand to inherit all that God promised to Abraham’s children.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 8: 26-39

Jesus and his followers sailed across Lake Galilee and landed near the town of Gerasa. As they stepped ashore, they were confronted by one of the locals – a dangerous madman who was tormented by demons. For years he had wandered around naked and dirty, and made his home in the graveyard and the rubbish dump outside the town. He had a long history of violent outbursts. On many occasions he had been locked up and straight-jacketed, but each time the demonic torment would drive him into a crazed frenzy and he would smash his way out and flee back into the bush.
When the man saw that Jesus was ordering the vile spirit out of him, he threw himself down on the ground, screaming. “What gives you the right to interfere with my life? You’re Jesus, the Son of the Supreme God. You don’t belong here. Leave me alone. I’ve been tortured enough already.”
“What’s your name,” Jesus asked him.
“They call me ‘the Mob’,” he replied.
He had been given that name because there were so many demons raging within him. The demons began pleading with Jesus not to wipe them off the face of the earth. They begged him to send them only as far as the herd of pigs foraging in a nearby paddock. Jesus agreed, and ordered them out of the man. No sooner was the man free of the torment, than the pigs went berserk, stampeding off the edge of the cliff and drowning in the lake below.
When the farm hands who were in charge of the pigs saw what had happened, they dropped their bundles and bolted. They reported the incident in town, and word of it was soon all over the district. A delegation came out to investigate, and they found the man who had for so long been out of his mind sitting with Jesus and hanging on his every word. It was the first time they’d ever seen him clothed and clear-headed, and the change was so dramatic that it unnerved them. The eye-witnesses filled them in on how the demon-crazed man had come to be healed.
All this was too freaky for the people of the Gerasa district. They were completely spooked by it and asked Jesus to clear off. So he and his followers piled back into the boat and headed for home. The man who had been freed from the demonic torment pleaded with Jesus to let him go with them, but Jesus sent him home, saying, “Move back into town and tell everyone what God has done for you.”
So the man went on his way and never let the townsfolk forget the wonderful things Jesus had done for him.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 65: 1-9

I, the LORD, have made myself available
even to those who didn’t bother to ask.
I put myself on call, ready and waiting,
even for those who were too lazy to look for me.
I kept waving and shouting, “Here I am!”
to a nation who kept ignoring me.
I kept offering the hand of friendship, round the clock,
to a people who kept spitting in my face.
Their behaviour has gone completely off the rails,
and they don’t care about anything but themselves.
They are constantly in my face,
needling me, stirring me up.
They play mix-and-match religion to spite me:
an idol from here, a ritual from there;
a sacrifice to this, some incense for that;
a seance in the cemetery to summon the dead.
If I say don’t eat something, they eat it.
They’d cook and serve sewerage if they thought I’d react.
They promote themselves as the spiritual elite;
too holy by far to mix with those they see as beneath them.
These people are a noxious stench.
They get right up my nose.
Look, I’ve kept a record of what they’ve done.
I’ll publish the lot and make them pay.
They’ll get all they deserve with interest,
and an added bonus for the sins of their parents.
I, the LORD, guarantee all this,
because they worship only what gives them a high
and they spurn me to pursue their next hit.
I will see that they cop the full consequences
of each and every despicable act.
But hear this from me, the LORD:
there is still some good wine in the cellar.
And just as people say,
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”,
so for the sake of those who still serve me,
I will not just wipe out the entire nation.
From among Jacob’s descendants
I will raise my true children;
from the tribe of Judah
I will raise people worthy of receiving my land.
Those I have chosen will inherit it;
those who truly serve me will make their home there.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 22: 19-28

What are you doing, LORD? Don’t quit on me now!
Get your act together and come to my rescue!
Save me before I get my throat cut,
before my body is dog meat!
Pull me out before they get their teeth into me!
At last! Just before the bulls ran me down, you have rescued me.
I won’t forget this – I’ll let everyone know.
Whenever people gather, I’ll be singing your praise.
I’ll call on all who honour you, LORD, to stand up and say so!
All who trace their roots to Jacob will give you the glory!
All who share the heritage of Israel will stand in awe of you!
LORD, you did not rubbish anyone
or blame the victims for their suffering.
You did not turn away or slip off quietly;
when I cried for help, you responded.
Whenever people gather to worship,
my heart overflows and I sing your praises.
Out in the open for all to see
I’ll do all that I promised.
At your table, God, the needy will feast;
those who hunger for you will be fed till they burst with praise!
They will be able to live it up, now and forever!
In every corner of the earth people will wake up to themselves
and turn back to you, LORD.
Every race, nation, tribe and family
will offer themselves to you in worship,
for you have the last word on everything;
what you say goes.
©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,
and declare to all how much you have done for us.
Since the day you brought the earth to birth,
you have been present in the sounds of sheer silence,
where deep roars to deep;
and through your law and prophets
you guarded us and kept us from destruction.
When we were imprisoned in condemnation,
chained and shackled by demons too many to name,
you sent your light and truth
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He drove our tormentors into the abyss
and reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.
When he was crucified,
you raised him to new life
and plunged us into his death, burial and resurrection.
Now you feed us with bread and wine
so that we might have strength for the journey
to the holy mountain where you make your home.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who drives our tormentors into the abyss,
reconciles us to ourselves and to one another,
and feeds us with bread and wine
so that we might have strength for the journey.
©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 openly declare how much you have done for us.
Since the day you brought the earth to birth,
you have been present in the sounds of sheer silence,
where deep roars to deep;
and through your law and prophets
you guarded us and kept us from destruction.
When we were imprisoned in condemnation,
chained and shackled by demons too many to name,
you sent your light and truth
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He drove our tormentors into the abyss
and reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.
When he was crucified,
you raised him to new life
and plunged us into his death, burial and resurrection.
Now you feed us with bread and wine
so that we might have strength for the journey
to the holy mountain where you make your home.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

You are no longer judged and condemned by the law,
for in Christ Jesus, you are children of God through faith.
You are clothed with Christ.
You are heirs of the promises of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, proclaiming to all how much Jesus has done for you.
Be as one with each other in Christ.
Wait for the Lord, and be ready to hear God’s voice,
even in the sounds of sheer silence.
And may God be your fortress;
May Christ Jesus release you from all that torments you;
And may the Holy Spirit give you light and truth
to sustain you day and night.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Sounds of SilenceA sermon on 1 Kings 19: 1-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting a Make-Over for JesusA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton

Anniversaries, Covenants and Driving Off DemonsA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 & Galatians 3:23-29 by Nathan Nettleton

Don’t Try This AloneA sermon on 1 Kings 19:1-15a & Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton

Growing Up and Becoming LawlessA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton

When the Black Sheep is Set FreeA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 8 - Year C
2028-07-02 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

2 Kings 2: 1-2, 6-14

Shortly before the LORD sent a whirlwind to take Elijah into heaven, Elijah and Elisha headed off on a journey from Gilgal. Elijah had tried to talk Elisha out of coming, saying, “The LORD wants me to go to Bethel, but there is no need for you to come. You can stay here.”
But Elisha said, “I’m sticking with you, come hell or high water!”
So they travelled together down to Bethel. Elijah said, “Elisha, you stay put. The LORD wants me to go across the Jordan River, but there is no need for you to come.”
But Elisha said, “I’m sticking with you, come hell or high water!”
So the two of them continued on together. A group of fifty prophets followed them, keeping their distance but not letting them out of their sight. When they arrived at the Jordan River, Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and slapped the water with it. The water immediately parted to form a dry path through the middle of the river and the two of them crossed over. When they reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, our time together is almost up. What would you most like me to do for you before I am taken away?”
Elisha replied, “Please make me your successor by leaving to me the largest share of the spirit that empowers you.”
Elijah responded, “That’s a tough ask! But if you actually see me being taken away from you, then you’ll get your wish. If you don’t, you’ll miss out.”
The two of them continued to walk along, deep in conversation, when suddenly a chariot of fire drawn by two blazing horses charged between them and Elijah was sucked up in a whirlwind and taken into heaven. Elisha saw the whole thing and kept crying out, “Father! Father! You are gone with the defenders of Israel, God’s mounted warriors!”
When Elijah disappeared from sight, Elisha was torn apart with grief. When he had pulled himself back together, he picked up the prophet’s coat which Elijah had dropped, and headed back to the river bank. He rolled up Elijah’s coat and, slapping the water with it as Elijah had, called out, “Are you with me now LORD, God of Elijah?”
Sure enough, when he struck the water, a dry path opened up through the Jordan River again, and Elisha crossed over to the Jericho side again.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 77: 1-2, 11-20

Please God, hear me!
I’m crying out as loud as I can.
I search for you in desperation, Lord.
Day and night I never stop reaching out for you;
I refuse to be comforted by anyone else.
I think back on what you’ve done in the past, LORD;
I remember the amazing things you did.
I will keep these things in my mind,
and meditate on all your works.
You are in a class of your own, God;
No other god even comes close.
You are the God who does awesome things;
you have come out in the open
and shown everyone what you’re made of.
You rolled your sleeves up and pulled your people out of trouble,
coming to our rescue like you did for our forebears,
Jacob and Joseph.
When the waters stood between us and freedom,
they took one look at you, God, and panicked;
the depths shuddered with fear.
Everything went berserk;
the clouds burst their seams,
thunder shook the skies
and lightning bolts flashed in all directions.
Your whirlwind came with a crash of thunder;
your lightning lit up the sky;
the earth shuddered and shook.
You cut a path through the raging waters;
blazed a trail through the roaring waves;
not a footprint was left to show where you’d been.
Like sheep through a gate you led your people,
with Moses and Aaron showing the way.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 5: 1, 13-25

Christ has set us free – really free. So stand your ground on that freedom, and don’t let anyone or anything else start dictating the limits of your life. The life of freedom into which Christ has liberated us is a wonderful thing, but don’t make the mistake of using it as an excuse to give in to every selfish impulse. That would only lure you into an even worse slavery. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in uninhibited love. If you live by just one law – “love others as fully as you love yourself” – you won’t need to slavishly study the rest in order to comply with its requirements. The rest is just commentary. If, on the other hand, you use your freedom to pursue selfish ends, you’ll become increasingly nasty and competitive with one another and end up just destroying each other. And a fat lot of good your freedom will do you then!
How then should you live? Dance to the Spirit’s tune, and don’t go feeding every selfish impulse that surfaces within you, or they’ll grow into monsters and take over your life. You see, the problem is that a wedge has been driven between our bodily appetites and the Spirit’s desires. They now strive for quite different things and have become opponents in a struggle for your allegiance. The conflict means that you can no longer simply assume that your body will reliably tell you what’s best for you. But that doesn’t mean that you have to live your lives in slavish compliance with the law, because there is another alternative – following the leadings of the Spirit.
It is quite obvious what sort of things characterise those whose lives are dictated by their bodily impulses:

loveless, trivialised sex;
polluted minds and hearts;
desperate pleasure seeking;
the worship of possessions and power;
personality cults;
vindictiveness;
muck-raking;
resenting the success of others;
seething bitterness;
vicious bickering;
venomous feuding;
paranoid sectarianism;
toxic rivalry;
chronic substance abuse;
desperate and deluded partying;

I could go on, but you get the picture! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: those who squander their freedom on such things can kiss the realm of God goodbye.
What a contrast is the life danced to the Spirit’s tune! Like a lush tropical orchard its fruits are constantly ripening:

active, unconditional love;
delight at the wonder of life;
a deep inner peace that shapes all our relating;
the ability to persevere when results are slow;
open-handed compassion;
unfeigned generosity;
unshakable loyalty;
unassuming consideration of others;
the strength to direct our energies wisely.

There is no law against such things, and no law that could ever produce them. Everyone who belongs to Christ Jesus has handed over their selfish impulses and corrupted bodily appetites to be executed on the cross. Since we now live a new life – drawn from the Spirit – let’s see to it that we live it to the full, by allowing the Spirit to set the agenda in every area of our lives. Let’s not go getting all up ourselves, resentfully obsessing over the success of others and trying to get the better of one another.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 9: 51-62

When Jesus’s time on earth was running out, he gritted his teeth and set out for Jerusalem. He sent some messengers on ahead to book accommodation in the towns where he would be stopping on the way. In one Samaritan town, the locals were so hostile towards Jerusalem that when they heard that Jesus was heading there, no one was willing to offer him a room or even a meal. Two of his followers, James and John, were so incensed by this that they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down a thunderbolt from heaven to wipe them off the map?”
But Jesus put the two of them back in their place in no uncertain terms and then continued on down the track to another town.
As they travelled, someone approached Jesus and said, “I will follow you, wherever you go.”
But Jesus replied, “Do you know what you’d be letting yourself in for? Dogs have their kennels and chooks have sheds, but the New Human can’t even find a room for the night.”
To someone else, Jesus made the call: “Follow me.”
But the man said, “Give me time. I can’t come until my father has been buried.”
But Jesus dismissed his excuses, saying, “Get your priorities straight. You can leave the lifeless to sort out the affairs of the dead. Your business is life. Hit the road and get the message out about the culture of God.”
Someone else came saying, “I’m definitely with you, Lord, but I just need to say my goodbyes and sort things out at home before I can join you on the road.”
Jesus replied, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too! Either you’re with us or you’re not. You’ll be of no use to God’s bandwagon if you’re going to keep jumping off to check on things at home.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

1 Kings 19: 15-16, 19-21

On Mount Sinai, the LORD spoke to Elijah, saying, “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.”
So Elijah set out as he had been told, and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat. Elisha was working a paddock with a plow pulled by a pair of bullocks. He was the twelfth in a line of men, each plowing with a pair of bullocks. Elijah picked him out and as he walked past he threw his own prophet’s coat over him. Elisha dropped what he was doing and ran after Elijah, saying, “Let me just go and kiss my parents goodbye, and then I’ll come with you.”
Elijah replied, “Off you go. Have I done anything to stop you?”
Elisha went home and severed all his ties. Burning his plow and slaughtering his bullocks, he gave a farewell barbecue for the people he had lived and worked with. Then, putting his old life behind him, he hit the road with Elijah and became his apprentice.
©2001 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

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 holy,
and there are no other gods that compare with you.
With thanksgiving we recall your awesome deeds,
your wonders of old,
when you brought forth the earth from the churning chaos;
when you parted the waters and led your people to freedom;
when your chariot of fire carried your prophet to glory.
And especially we recall
how you sent your child, Jesus Christ,
who proclaimed your reign among us.
When he was crucified by those who refused to accept him,
you raised him to life,
and through him,
gave us a double portion of your Spirit.
He has rescued us from slavery,
called us to follow in his ways,
and set us free to bear the fruit of your Holy Spirit,
in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for your awesome deeds of old,
and for all you are doing now through your son, Jesus Christ:
rescuing us from slavery;
guiding us in his ways by your Holy Spirit;
and bearing within us fruits of love, joy and peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you alone are holy,
and there are no other gods that compare with you.
With thanksgiving we recall your awesome deeds,
your wonders of old,
when you brought forth the earth from the churning chaos;
when you parted the waters and led your people to freedom;
when your chariot of fire carried your prophet to glory.
And especially we recall
how you sent your child, Jesus Christ,
who proclaimed your reign among us.
When he was crucified by those who refused to accept him,
you raised him to life,
and through him,
gave us a double portion of your Spirit.
He has rescued us from slavery,
called us to follow in his ways,
and set us free to bear the fruit of your Holy Spirit,
in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Christ Jesus has set you free.
Stand then as free people,
and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.
You are set free to live by the Spirit.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and proclaim the reign of God.
Do not let bodily desires enslave you,
but live by the Spirit.
Use your freedom to grow in love for one another.
And may God reach out to you and save you;
May Christ Jesus give you a double portion of his Spirit;
And may the Holy Spirit bear fruit within you
and guide you in all your ways.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Losing your grip or loosing your gripA sermon on Luke 9: 51-62 by Nathan Nettleton

What does Christ think of your body?A sermon on Galatians 5: 1, 13-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Making the Most of FreedomA sermon on Galatians 5: 1, 13-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Plowing Ahead in an Age of ViolenceA sermon on Luke 9:51-62 & Galatians 5:1, 13-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Calling Down FireA sermon on Luke 9:51-62 & Galatians 5:1, 13-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 9 - Year C
2028-07-09 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.

2 Kings 5: 1-14

The commander of the Syrian army was a man named Naaman. Naaman was very popular with his king, because under his command, the LORD had given Syria a string of military victories. Although he was a great soldier and a highly decorated commander, Naaman suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl among her servants who had come to Syria as a prisoner of war after a military raid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “If only your husband could meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. I’m sure he would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman spoke to the king about what the girl had said, and the king gladly gave him leave to go. He also provided him with a letter of referral, addressed to the king of Israel.
Naaman headed off, loaded up with money and expensive gifts of jewellery and fine clothing. Arriving in Israel, he delivered the letter to the king. It read, “The bearer of this letter is my trusted servant, Naaman. I have sent him to you to have his leprosy cured.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he was beside himself with fear; tearing his hair out over what to do. “What does the king of Syria think he’s doing?” he shouted. “Does he think I’m God or something, that I can cure lepers at his request? It looks like he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
News of this got to Elisha, the prophet of God in Samaria. He sent a message to the king saying, “Why are you tearing your hair out? Get a grip on yourself and send the man to me so that he can find out for himself that there is a real prophet in Israel.”
So Naaman and his whole entourage pulled up in the street outside Elisha’s house. Elisha sent an errand boy out to Naaman with a message, saying, “Go down to the Jordan River and wash yourself in it seven times. That will cure you and your skin will be as clean and clear as a child’s.”
Naaman felt deeply insulted and drove off in a huff, saying, “You’d think that for a man of my standing he could have come out and talked to me himself. I thought that he would at least stand and call on the LORD his God, and wave his hand over my skin to bring about the cure! What’s so special about their scummy Israelite river? Aren’t the two great rivers of Damascus much bigger and better? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?”
So he stormed off, seething with rage. But his servants spoke up and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something really difficult, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? So surely you have got nothing to lose but your disease if you do what he said and wash yourself in the river.”
So Naaman relented and, wading out into the Jordan River, he immersed himself seven times in the water, just as the prophet of God had instructed him. Sure enough, he was cured instantly, and his skin became as clear and healthy as a child’s.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 30

I’ll be singing your praises, every chance I get, LORD,
because you got me out of deep trouble
and spared me the gloating of my enemies.
I pleaded for help, LORD God,
and you stepped in and healed me.
They were nearly ready to pronounce me dead
but your brought me back, LORD;
you put me back on my feet
when I was about to be carried to the morgue.
So I’m singing your praises,
and I’m encouraging everyone to do the same;
to name you with joyful thanks.
We manage to get you angry at times,
but it blows over in a moment
because your mercy keeps on keeping on.
We may have an evening of bitter tears,
but by morning your mercy has us smiling again.
I was guilty of taking your goodness for granted;
I thought I had it made.
You had put me on top of the world
but I got all too full of myself.
You stepped aside – made me stand alone —
and I turned to jelly!
I realised how much I needed you, LORD,
and in my panic I begged you for mercy.
“What good is my blood to you?” I cried.
“How will it help if I’m in the grave?
Can a corpse sing your praises?
Will a gravestone publicise your goodness?
Give me another chance, LORD.
Please, LORD, bail me out one more time.”
And sure enough, you did, LORD.
You turned my tears to laughter;
you set my dragging feet dancing;
you dusted me off and dressed me up for a party.
So now I’m singing your praises
from the bottom of my heart,
and no one can shut me up!
You are my God, LORD,
and I’m eternally grateful.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 6: (1-6), 7-16

My friends, by God’s gift you are spiritual people, so if there are any among you who have fallen into some sin, the rest of you should gently help them to get back on the right track. Guard yourselves against being sucked into the same mistakes, because no one is immune to sin. If others are struggling, don’t be slow to get your hands dirty and help out. Pitching in to help is the only thing that measures up to the instructions and example that Christ left us. If you think it’s beneath you, you’ve fallen for your own publicity. Make a proper assessment of the value of your own contribution by taking a good hard look at yourself and asking how your work compares to your actual potential. Don’t go getting full of yourself simply because your efforts look more impressive than someone else’s. Everyone is responsible for pulling their weight according to their own ability, not according to someone else’s ability. Those of you who have been well trained in God’s ways are therefore expected to contribute generously to the common life of the community that has taught you, sharing all the good things that have been formed within you.
Don’t be conned into thinking you can play God for a sucker. What you put into life determines what you’ll get back. If your investments are all in your own selfish impulses, they’ll pay out a dividend of degradation and misery. But if you invest yourself in the ways of the Spirit, your investment will yield rich dividends of life without limit, guaranteed forever by the Spirit. So let’s see that we never get tired of doing the right thing. If we don’t lose patience, but stay in for the long term, we will be richly rewarded. Let’s take every opportunity, then, to contribute our energies to making the world a better place for everybody. And as a starting point, let’s especially care for our co-workers in the community of faith.
Take note: I am writing here in large letters with my own hand. Those who are trying to force you into adopting their customs of circumcision and the like are only after an easy way to impress everyone with their own importance. They haven’t got the guts to risk the consequences of standing firm and saying that the cross of Christ is the be all and end all. They talk big about the circumcision law, but they don’t obey the whole law any more than we do. They are concerned only about those laws that they will be noticed for. They want you to accept circumcision so that they can boast of you as proof of their superior convert rate. God help me if I ever boast of anything other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the cross, the world is a dead thing to me, and I’ve died to it and become completely unresponsive to its attempts to lure me into going along with its self-serving ways. The fact is that it doesn’t make the least bit of difference whether you are circumcised or not. The one thing that is of ultimate importance is the new creation that God is making of us! For all of you who accept this and live by it, you are the the true chosen people of God, and I pray that the riches of God’s peace and mercy will be yours.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

Taking charge, Jesus selected a large group of his followers – as many of them as there were nations in the world – and sent them off in pairs as advance parties into all the towns and districts he was planning to pass through.
He gave them the following instructions: “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. Now, on your bikes! And keep your eyes open, because on this job you will be like children swimming among the sharks. Travel light and live simply – no carting luggage around and no wasting time swapping travel stories with everyone you bump into on the road. If anyone invites you to stay in their home, pray openly for God to bless their household with peace. If they are peace-loving people, they will benefit from your prayer. If they are not, you haven’t lost anything. Stay in the same house until it’s time to move on. As workers, you’ve earned your keep, so eat and drink whatever your hosts provide, and don’t go fussing about dietary customs. No shopping around for a better place!
“If you arrive in a town and the locals welcome you, be gracious guests and accept their hospitality, whether their food appeals to you or not. Heal anyone in the town who is sick, and announce that the culture of God is close at hand among them. If you arrive in a town and the locals refuse to welcome you, then stand in the main street and say, ‘We are scratching your name off our map because of what you have done. The culture of God has come within reach right here, but you’ve shut it out.’
“Whoever listens to what you have to say is listening to me. Those who give you the cold shoulder are giving me the cold shoulder, and if they’re giving me the cold shoulder they are doing the same to the One who sent me.”
So off they went in pairs, the whole group of them, and when they returned they were ecstatic. “Lord,” they said, “when we called the shots on your authority, even the demons fell into line!”
Jesus replied, “Yes, I was watching, and I saw the satan knocked off his perch and fall out of the sky like a bolt of lightning. You see, the world is full of snakes and sharks, but I have given you the ability to stand against them, and against all the power of the enemy, and they can do you no real harm. All the same, the most exciting news for you is not that evil will give way to you, but that your names are on the books in the pay office of heaven.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 66: 10-14

Celebrate! Shout with joy
all you who love Jerusalem.
All you who have shed tears over her,
it is time to share her joy.
Now you can snuggle in close to her,
and be nourished at her comforting bosom.
You can drink deeply
from her wonderful breasts.
This is what the LORD says:
I will make Jerusalem prosper like river in flood.
The world’s riches will overflow their banks
and pour into her.
Jerusalem shall nurse you like a newborn;
hold you in her arms and bounce you on her knee.
I will comfort you there
like a mother comforting her own child.
When you see all this, your hearts will burst with joy.
Even your bodies will feel rejuvenated,
like grass springing up in the Autumn rains.
It will be clear to all that I, the LORD, am taking sides;
favouring those who serve me
over those who oppose me.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 66: 1-9

All the earth should shout joyfully to you, God;
singing your praises;
giving you the glory you deserve.
The things you have done are awesome, God!
When you take action,
your enemies cringe in fear.
You are worshipped all over the earth;
everywhere people sing your praises
and speak your name with honour.
We want to publicise everything you have done, God,
for what you have done among us is awesome.
You made a dry path through the middle of the sea;
you took us safely through the river on foot.
There on the other side, we celebrated your goodness
and declared you to be our mighty ruler forever.
Your eyes are always open, watching the nations;
let pretentious rebels be warned!
If only everyone would honour you, God,
and fill the world with the sound of your praises.
You are the one who sustains our life
and keeps our feet on the right track.
©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 raised us up as a new creation
and written our names in the book of life.
You created the earth in your goodness
and its plentiful harvest feeds your creatures.
Through the law and prophets you revealed yourself
as the God who heals us and makes us whole.
When we had sown the seeds of destruction,
you sent your child, Jesus, among us
to sow seeds of peace,
bearing our burdens
and immersing us in your healing waters.
When he was rejected and nailed to the cross,
the world was crucified to us,
and us to the world.
You pulled him back from the place of the dead
and robed him in glory.
Now you send us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that you have raised us up as a new creation,
written our names in the book of life,
and sent us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
to immerse people into your healing waters,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have raised us up as a new creation
and written our names in the book of life.
You created the earth in your goodness
and its plentiful harvest feeds your creatures.
Through the law and prophets you revealed yourself
as the God who heals us and makes us whole.
When we had sown the seeds of destruction,
you sent your child, Jesus, among us
to sow seeds of peace,
bearing our burdens
and immersing us in your healing waters.
When he was rejected and nailed to the cross,
the world was crucified to us,
and us to the world.
You pulled him back from the place of the dead
and robed him in glory.
Now you send us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Our God is an awesome God,
whose anger passes quickly
and whose mercy lasts a lifetime.
Rejoice then, for your names are written in heaven.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and proclaim that the reign of God is near.
Travel lightly, but bear one another’s burdens,
and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Work for the good of all,
avoid temptation,
and pray that God will send more labourers into the harvest.
And may God give you mercy and peace;
May Christ Jesus give you power over all that would harm you;
And may the Holy Spirit produce within you
a rich harvest of joy and life.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Mission Insignificant?A sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Nathan Nettleton

Keep it simple, StupidA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Too Simple to BotherA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Crucifying the Domesticated GospelA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Nathan Nettleton

God’s DreamA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Paul Dekar

Go in PeaceA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 & Galatians 6: 1-16 by Ian Cook

Taking Pride in the Cross of Jesus ChristA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Garry Deverell

Bringing Satan Crashing DownA sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Nathan Nettleton

Questions on MissionA sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Michael Wood

Proper 9 - Year C
2028-07-09 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.

2 Kings 5: 1-14

The commander of the Syrian army was a man named Naaman. Naaman was very popular with his king, because under his command, the LORD had given Syria a string of military victories. Although he was a great soldier and a highly decorated commander, Naaman suffered from leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl among her servants who had come to Syria as a prisoner of war after a military raid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “If only your husband could meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. I’m sure he would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman spoke to the king about what the girl had said, and the king gladly gave him leave to go. He also provided him with a letter of referral, addressed to the king of Israel.
Naaman headed off, loaded up with money and expensive gifts of jewellery and fine clothing. Arriving in Israel, he delivered the letter to the king. It read, “The bearer of this letter is my trusted servant, Naaman. I have sent him to you to have his leprosy cured.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he was beside himself with fear; tearing his hair out over what to do. “What does the king of Syria think he’s doing?” he shouted. “Does he think I’m God or something, that I can cure lepers at his request? It looks like he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
News of this got to Elisha, the prophet of God in Samaria. He sent a message to the king saying, “Why are you tearing your hair out? Get a grip on yourself and send the man to me so that he can find out for himself that there is a real prophet in Israel.”
So Naaman and his whole entourage pulled up in the street outside Elisha’s house. Elisha sent an errand boy out to Naaman with a message, saying, “Go down to the Jordan River and wash yourself in it seven times. That will cure you and your skin will be as clean and clear as a child’s.”
Naaman felt deeply insulted and drove off in a huff, saying, “You’d think that for a man of my standing he could have come out and talked to me himself. I thought that he would at least stand and call on the LORD his God, and wave his hand over my skin to bring about the cure! What’s so special about their scummy Israelite river? Aren’t the two great rivers of Damascus much bigger and better? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?”
So he stormed off, seething with rage. But his servants spoke up and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something really difficult, you would have done it, wouldn’t you? So surely you have got nothing to lose but your disease if you do what he said and wash yourself in the river.”
So Naaman relented and, wading out into the Jordan River, he immersed himself seven times in the water, just as the prophet of God had instructed him. Sure enough, he was cured instantly, and his skin became as clear and healthy as a child’s.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 30

I’ll be singing your praises, every chance I get, LORD,
because you got me out of deep trouble
and spared me the gloating of my enemies.
I pleaded for help, LORD God,
and you stepped in and healed me.
They were nearly ready to pronounce me dead
but your brought me back, LORD;
you put me back on my feet
when I was about to be carried to the morgue.
So I’m singing your praises,
and I’m encouraging everyone to do the same;
to name you with joyful thanks.
We manage to get you angry at times,
but it blows over in a moment
because your mercy keeps on keeping on.
We may have an evening of bitter tears,
but by morning your mercy has us smiling again.
I was guilty of taking your goodness for granted;
I thought I had it made.
You had put me on top of the world
but I got all too full of myself.
You stepped aside – made me stand alone —
and I turned to jelly!
I realised how much I needed you, LORD,
and in my panic I begged you for mercy.
“What good is my blood to you?” I cried.
“How will it help if I’m in the grave?
Can a corpse sing your praises?
Will a gravestone publicise your goodness?
Give me another chance, LORD.
Please, LORD, bail me out one more time.”
And sure enough, you did, LORD.
You turned my tears to laughter;
you set my dragging feet dancing;
you dusted me off and dressed me up for a party.
So now I’m singing your praises
from the bottom of my heart,
and no one can shut me up!
You are my God, LORD,
and I’m eternally grateful.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Galatians 6: (1-6), 7-16

My friends, by God’s gift you are spiritual people, so if there are any among you who have fallen into some sin, the rest of you should gently help them to get back on the right track. Guard yourselves against being sucked into the same mistakes, because no one is immune to sin. If others are struggling, don’t be slow to get your hands dirty and help out. Pitching in to help is the only thing that measures up to the instructions and example that Christ left us. If you think it’s beneath you, you’ve fallen for your own publicity. Make a proper assessment of the value of your own contribution by taking a good hard look at yourself and asking how your work compares to your actual potential. Don’t go getting full of yourself simply because your efforts look more impressive than someone else’s. Everyone is responsible for pulling their weight according to their own ability, not according to someone else’s ability. Those of you who have been well trained in God’s ways are therefore expected to contribute generously to the common life of the community that has taught you, sharing all the good things that have been formed within you.
Don’t be conned into thinking you can play God for a sucker. What you put into life determines what you’ll get back. If your investments are all in your own selfish impulses, they’ll pay out a dividend of degradation and misery. But if you invest yourself in the ways of the Spirit, your investment will yield rich dividends of life without limit, guaranteed forever by the Spirit. So let’s see that we never get tired of doing the right thing. If we don’t lose patience, but stay in for the long term, we will be richly rewarded. Let’s take every opportunity, then, to contribute our energies to making the world a better place for everybody. And as a starting point, let’s especially care for our co-workers in the community of faith.
Take note: I am writing here in large letters with my own hand. Those who are trying to force you into adopting their customs of circumcision and the like are only after an easy way to impress everyone with their own importance. They haven’t got the guts to risk the consequences of standing firm and saying that the cross of Christ is the be all and end all. They talk big about the circumcision law, but they don’t obey the whole law any more than we do. They are concerned only about those laws that they will be noticed for. They want you to accept circumcision so that they can boast of you as proof of their superior convert rate. God help me if I ever boast of anything other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the cross, the world is a dead thing to me, and I’ve died to it and become completely unresponsive to its attempts to lure me into going along with its self-serving ways. The fact is that it doesn’t make the least bit of difference whether you are circumcised or not. The one thing that is of ultimate importance is the new creation that God is making of us! For all of you who accept this and live by it, you are the the true chosen people of God, and I pray that the riches of God’s peace and mercy will be yours.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

Taking charge, Jesus selected a large group of his followers – as many of them as there were nations in the world – and sent them off in pairs as advance parties into all the towns and districts he was planning to pass through.
He gave them the following instructions: “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. Now, on your bikes! And keep your eyes open, because on this job you will be like children swimming among the sharks. Travel light and live simply – no carting luggage around and no wasting time swapping travel stories with everyone you bump into on the road. If anyone invites you to stay in their home, pray openly for God to bless their household with peace. If they are peace-loving people, they will benefit from your prayer. If they are not, you haven’t lost anything. Stay in the same house until it’s time to move on. As workers, you’ve earned your keep, so eat and drink whatever your hosts provide, and don’t go fussing about dietary customs. No shopping around for a better place!
“If you arrive in a town and the locals welcome you, be gracious guests and accept their hospitality, whether their food appeals to you or not. Heal anyone in the town who is sick, and announce that the culture of God is close at hand among them. If you arrive in a town and the locals refuse to welcome you, then stand in the main street and say, ‘We are scratching your name off our map because of what you have done. The culture of God has come within reach right here, but you’ve shut it out.’
“Whoever listens to what you have to say is listening to me. Those who give you the cold shoulder are giving me the cold shoulder, and if they’re giving me the cold shoulder they are doing the same to the One who sent me.”
So off they went in pairs, the whole group of them, and when they returned they were ecstatic. “Lord,” they said, “when we called the shots on your authority, even the demons fell into line!”
Jesus replied, “Yes, I was watching, and I saw the satan knocked off his perch and fall out of the sky like a bolt of lightning. You see, the world is full of snakes and sharks, but I have given you the ability to stand against them, and against all the power of the enemy, and they can do you no real harm. All the same, the most exciting news for you is not that evil will give way to you, but that your names are on the books in the pay office of heaven.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Isaiah 66: 10-14

Celebrate! Shout with joy
all you who love Jerusalem.
All you who have shed tears over her,
it is time to share her joy.
Now you can snuggle in close to her,
and be nourished at her comforting bosom.
You can drink deeply
from her wonderful breasts.
This is what the LORD says:
I will make Jerusalem prosper like river in flood.
The world’s riches will overflow their banks
and pour into her.
Jerusalem shall nurse you like a newborn;
hold you in her arms and bounce you on her knee.
I will comfort you there
like a mother comforting her own child.
When you see all this, your hearts will burst with joy.
Even your bodies will feel rejuvenated,
like grass springing up in the Autumn rains.
It will be clear to all that I, the LORD, am taking sides;
favouring those who serve me
over those who oppose me.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 66: 1-9

All the earth should shout joyfully to you, God;
singing your praises;
giving you the glory you deserve.
The things you have done are awesome, God!
When you take action,
your enemies cringe in fear.
You are worshipped all over the earth;
everywhere people sing your praises
and speak your name with honour.
We want to publicise everything you have done, God,
for what you have done among us is awesome.
You made a dry path through the middle of the sea;
you took us safely through the river on foot.
There on the other side, we celebrated your goodness
and declared you to be our mighty ruler forever.
Your eyes are always open, watching the nations;
let pretentious rebels be warned!
If only everyone would honour you, God,
and fill the world with the sound of your praises.
You are the one who sustains our life
and keeps our feet on the right track.
©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 raised us up as a new creation
and written our names in the book of life.
You created the earth in your goodness
and its plentiful harvest feeds your creatures.
Through the law and prophets you revealed yourself
as the God who heals us and makes us whole.
When we had sown the seeds of destruction,
you sent your child, Jesus, among us
to sow seeds of peace,
bearing our burdens
and immersing us in your healing waters.
When he was rejected and nailed to the cross,
the world was crucified to us,
and us to the world.
You pulled him back from the place of the dead
and robed him in glory.
Now you send us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that you have raised us up as a new creation,
written our names in the book of life,
and sent us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
to immerse people into your healing waters,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have raised us up as a new creation
and written our names in the book of life.
You created the earth in your goodness
and its plentiful harvest feeds your creatures.
Through the law and prophets you revealed yourself
as the God who heals us and makes us whole.
When we had sown the seeds of destruction,
you sent your child, Jesus, among us
to sow seeds of peace,
bearing our burdens
and immersing us in your healing waters.
When he was rejected and nailed to the cross,
the world was crucified to us,
and us to the world.
You pulled him back from the place of the dead
and robed him in glory.
Now you send us as labourers into the harvest,
to proclaim your nearness,
and to reap eternal life in your Spirit.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Our God is an awesome God,
whose anger passes quickly
and whose mercy lasts a lifetime.
Rejoice then, for your names are written in heaven.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and proclaim that the reign of God is near.
Travel lightly, but bear one another’s burdens,
and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Work for the good of all,
avoid temptation,
and pray that God will send more labourers into the harvest.
And may God give you mercy and peace;
May Christ Jesus give you power over all that would harm you;
And may the Holy Spirit produce within you
a rich harvest of joy and life.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Mission Insignificant?A sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Nathan NettletonKeep it simple, StupidA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 by Nathan NettletonToo Simple to BotherA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 by Nathan NettletonCrucifying the Domesticated GospelA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Nathan NettletonGod’s DreamA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Paul DekarGo in PeaceA sermon on 2 Kings 5: 1-14 & Galatians 6: 1-16 by Ian CookTaking Pride in the Cross of Jesus ChristA sermon on Galatians 6:1-16 by Garry DeverellBringing Satan Crashing DownA sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Nathan NettletonQuestions on MissionA sermon on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 by Michael Wood

Proper 10 - Year C
2028-07-16 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.

Amos 7: 7-17

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

Psalm 82

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

Colossians 1: 1-14

Dear Christians in Colossae — you who are united in faithfully following Christ. This letter comes to you from me, Paul, and from Timothy. I was chosen by God to be a special ambassador of Christ Jesus, and Timothy is one of my partners in this work. We greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace.
We pray for you often, and whenever we do we find ourselves expressing our deep gratitude to God, the loving Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, we are so thrilled about all the good things we have been hearing about you. We have heard reports of your trust in Christ Jesus. We have heard of your active love for all God’s people. We recognise these things as evidence that you really have cottoned on to the nature of the wonderful future God has promised you. You first caught wind of this promised future when the great news about God’s love reached you and you recognised it as the truth. The moment you heard it, it dawned on you just how outrageously generous God is, and ever since then the truth has been taking root within you and growing out through every area of your life, bearing a rich harvest of good fruits, just as it has been all over the world. It was our good mate Epaphras who first taught you these things. We love him greatly and are proud to work for Christ alongside him. He has represented us faithfully in his work for Christ among you, and it was him who brought us such enthusiastic reports about the love being generated from your life in the Spirit.
From the moment we heard them, these reports have been inspiring us to pray for you all the time. We are praying that you will be given a full picture of what God wants, and that you will grow wise and perceptive — aware of what the Spirit is doing. Then you will get to know God better and better, and it will be reflected in you lives — giving credit to Christ — as you bear fruit in compassionate action for the benefit of others. We are also praying that your strength will be built up as you draw on God’s awesome resources, and that you will have the mental and emotional toughness to survive anything; not just to survive, in fact, but to keep on celebrating the good things you have received from God. You have much to be thankful for because, like a proud father, God has left a generous inheritance to the children of the light, and you’ve been written in for a share of it. We became children of the light when God broke the grip of the darkness that had overwhelmed us and placed us instead in the loving hands of Christ. All that we have ever done wrong has been forgiven and we have been put back where we belong, in the realm of God’s beloved Son.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 25-37

One of the legal experts asked Jesus a question to test his knowledge of the religious law. “Teacher,” he asked, “what do I need to do to inherit life without limit from God?”
Jesus replied with a question of his own: “What answer does the religious law give? What do you see written there?”
The legal expert answered, “You must love the Lord your God with everything you are, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength; and love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.”
“Spot on!” said Jesus. “Do as it says and you will live.”
But the legal expert needed to push the issue in order to justify his question, so he asked, “But who would you define as a neighbour?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A man was travelling alone down the mountain road between Jerusalem and Jericho. He was mugged by a gang of thugs. They tore off all his clothes and possessions, bashed him senseless, and left him for dead. Some time later, a priest came down the road, but when he saw the man lying unconscious in the gutter, he crossed the road, pretended not to notice, and hurried on past. Another person from a religious order did exactly the same thing; took one look at him, crossed the road, and hurried past. The next traveller to come down the road was a man from a despised and distrusted minority group – the Samaritans. When he saw the half dead man lying in the gutter, he was deeply concerned and immediately stopped to help. He cleaned and disinfected his wounds, and bandaged him up to stop the bleeding. Then he gave him a lift to the next town. He checked him into the little bush hospital there and made sure he was okay. Before leaving he paid for the man’s bed and instructed them to care for him there until he was back up and about. He promised that on his return he would pick up the bill for any additional costs that might be incurred. Now, which of these three, in your estimation, was a neighbour to the man who was bashed on the road?
The legal expert, of course, replied, “The one who treated him with compassion.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and follow his example.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Deuteronomy 30: 9-14

If you turn your lives around and commit yourselves completely — heart and soul — to the LORD your God, and live by all the instructions written in The Book of God’s Law, then the LORD your God will make sure that everything you do prospers. Everything you touch will turn to gold: your children will be many; your livestock will be healthy and multiplying; and your crop-lands will be fertile and productive. The LORD enjoyed blessing the endeavours of your ancestors and will take just as much pleasure in blessing everything you do.
Surely what the LORD is telling you today is not beyond you or too tough for you. It is not as though it is a bunch of secrets kept in heaven and you can excuse yourselves on the grounds that it is out of reach and no one can explain to you how to live by it. Neither is it bound up in some foreign language and culture; so you can’t excuse yourselves on the grounds that it can only be understood and practised by those who can travel overseas to study it. No, God’s Word is right here in your midst. You know it by heart and can speak it fluently. All you have to do is live by it!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 25:1-10

I gladly offer you everything I am, LORD .
I have put my trust in you, God;
please don’t let me down;
don’t give my enemies grounds to gloat.
Be there for those who hang in there for you, no matter what:
don’t leave them with egg on their faces.
Save that for the two-faced scabs who deserve it.
Let me in on your way of doing things, LORD;
teach me how to follow your tracks.
Steer me along your ways of truth, and teach me all about them.
Only you can save me from disaster, God,
so I’ll wait for you before setting out.
Your love and mercy have been as timeless and dependable as the rock;
please don’t change your mind about them now!
Don’t keep a record of everything I’ve done wrong in the past.
Let your unshakable love colour your view of me,
and keep your reputation for generosity intact!
You always do what is good and right, LORD,
and so you patiently retrain those who do wrong.
You pilot a safe course for those who are not too full of themselves;
you give lessons on your ways to the humble folk.
Every path you tread, LORD, is marked by solid love and loyalty
for the benefit of all who keep our end of the bargain with you.
©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 come to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety.
In the beginning, you created light from darkness
and the earth from chaos.
You sent prophets among your people
to hold up a plumbline
that we might see the error of our ways,
repent, and bring justice and freedom
for the dispossessed and the vulnerable.
You have sent us the Word of truth,
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He was crucified, but you raised him to life
with the strength of your glorious power.
Now his words are bearing fruit among us,
filling us with all wisdom and understanding
and enabling us to love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and to love our neighbour with the same love
that that you have shown us in Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for coming to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety,
so that we might love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and love our neighbour as ourselves.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have come to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety.
In the beginning, you created light from darkness
and the earth from chaos.
You sent prophets among your people
to hold up a plumbline
that we might see the error of our ways,
repent, and bring justice and freedom
for the dispossessed and the vulnerable.
You have sent us the Word of truth,
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He was crucified, but you raised him to life
with the strength of your glorious power.
Now his words are bearing fruit among us,
filling us with all wisdom and understanding
and enabling us to love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and to love our neighbour with the same love
that that you have shown 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.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us safe into the Kingdom of Christ Jesus.
In him, and through him we have redemption
and the forgiveness of sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live lives worthy of the Lord.
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
and bear fruit in every good work,
putting love and mercy into action for others
just as you would for yourselves.
And may God’s glorious power make you strong;
May Christ Jesus fill you with wisdom and understanding;
And may the Holy Spirit prepare you for the hope
that is laid up for you in heaven.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Who is my neighbour?A sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan Nettleton

What do Jesus and a Plumbline have in Common?A sermon on Amos 7:10-15 & Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Mysticism and Prophesy: the intimate connectionA sermon on Amos 7.7-17 & Luke 10. 25-37 by Garry Deverell

A New CitizenshipA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan Nettleton

A Measure to Live ByA sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan Nettleton

It all depends how you look at itA sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Sylvia Sandeman

Making and Unmaking NobodiesA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Schooled in Love and LimitsA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Not in my neighbourhood and other ways to avoid being a good SamaritanA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 by Sandra McLean

Proper 10 - Year C
2028-07-16 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.

Amos 7: 7-17

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

Psalm 82

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

Colossians 1: 1-14

Dear Christians in Colossae — you who are united in faithfully following Christ. This letter comes to you from me, Paul, and from Timothy. I was chosen by God to be a special ambassador of Christ Jesus, and Timothy is one of my partners in this work. We greet you as God’s own children and wish you all the best — God’s love and peace.
We pray for you often, and whenever we do we find ourselves expressing our deep gratitude to God, the loving Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, we are so thrilled about all the good things we have been hearing about you. We have heard reports of your trust in Christ Jesus. We have heard of your active love for all God’s people. We recognise these things as evidence that you really have cottoned on to the nature of the wonderful future God has promised you. You first caught wind of this promised future when the great news about God’s love reached you and you recognised it as the truth. The moment you heard it, it dawned on you just how outrageously generous God is, and ever since then the truth has been taking root within you and growing out through every area of your life, bearing a rich harvest of good fruits, just as it has been all over the world. It was our good mate Epaphras who first taught you these things. We love him greatly and are proud to work for Christ alongside him. He has represented us faithfully in his work for Christ among you, and it was him who brought us such enthusiastic reports about the love being generated from your life in the Spirit.
From the moment we heard them, these reports have been inspiring us to pray for you all the time. We are praying that you will be given a full picture of what God wants, and that you will grow wise and perceptive — aware of what the Spirit is doing. Then you will get to know God better and better, and it will be reflected in you lives — giving credit to Christ — as you bear fruit in compassionate action for the benefit of others. We are also praying that your strength will be built up as you draw on God’s awesome resources, and that you will have the mental and emotional toughness to survive anything; not just to survive, in fact, but to keep on celebrating the good things you have received from God. You have much to be thankful for because, like a proud father, God has left a generous inheritance to the children of the light, and you’ve been written in for a share of it. We became children of the light when God broke the grip of the darkness that had overwhelmed us and placed us instead in the loving hands of Christ. All that we have ever done wrong has been forgiven and we have been put back where we belong, in the realm of God’s beloved Son.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 25-37

One of the legal experts asked Jesus a question to test his knowledge of the religious law. “Teacher,” he asked, “what do I need to do to inherit life without limit from God?”
Jesus replied with a question of his own: “What answer does the religious law give? What do you see written there?”
The legal expert answered, “You must love the Lord your God with everything you are, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength; and love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.”
“Spot on!” said Jesus. “Do as it says and you will live.”
But the legal expert needed to push the issue in order to justify his question, so he asked, “But who would you define as a neighbour?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A man was travelling alone down the mountain road between Jerusalem and Jericho. He was mugged by a gang of thugs. They tore off all his clothes and possessions, bashed him senseless, and left him for dead. Some time later, a priest came down the road, but when he saw the man lying unconscious in the gutter, he crossed the road, pretended not to notice, and hurried on past. Another person from a religious order did exactly the same thing; took one look at him, crossed the road, and hurried past. The next traveller to come down the road was a man from a despised and distrusted minority group – the Samaritans. When he saw the half dead man lying in the gutter, he was deeply concerned and immediately stopped to help. He cleaned and disinfected his wounds, and bandaged him up to stop the bleeding. Then he gave him a lift to the next town. He checked him into the little bush hospital there and made sure he was okay. Before leaving he paid for the man’s bed and instructed them to care for him there until he was back up and about. He promised that on his return he would pick up the bill for any additional costs that might be incurred. Now, which of these three, in your estimation, was a neighbour to the man who was bashed on the road?
The legal expert, of course, replied, “The one who treated him with compassion.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and follow his example.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Deuteronomy 30: 9-14

If you turn your lives around and commit yourselves completely — heart and soul — to the LORD your God, and live by all the instructions written in The Book of God’s Law, then the LORD your God will make sure that everything you do prospers. Everything you touch will turn to gold: your children will be many; your livestock will be healthy and multiplying; and your crop-lands will be fertile and productive. The LORD enjoyed blessing the endeavours of your ancestors and will take just as much pleasure in blessing everything you do.
Surely what the LORD is telling you today is not beyond you or too tough for you. It is not as though it is a bunch of secrets kept in heaven and you can excuse yourselves on the grounds that it is out of reach and no one can explain to you how to live by it. Neither is it bound up in some foreign language and culture; so you can’t excuse yourselves on the grounds that it can only be understood and practised by those who can travel overseas to study it. No, God’s Word is right here in your midst. You know it by heart and can speak it fluently. All you have to do is live by it!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 25:1-10

I gladly offer you everything I am, LORD .
I have put my trust in you, God;
please don’t let me down;
don’t give my enemies grounds to gloat.
Be there for those who hang in there for you, no matter what:
don’t leave them with egg on their faces.
Save that for the two-faced scabs who deserve it.
Let me in on your way of doing things, LORD;
teach me how to follow your tracks.
Steer me along your ways of truth, and teach me all about them.
Only you can save me from disaster, God,
so I’ll wait for you before setting out.
Your love and mercy have been as timeless and dependable as the rock;
please don’t change your mind about them now!
Don’t keep a record of everything I’ve done wrong in the past.
Let your unshakable love colour your view of me,
and keep your reputation for generosity intact!
You always do what is good and right, LORD,
and so you patiently retrain those who do wrong.
You pilot a safe course for those who are not too full of themselves;
you give lessons on your ways to the humble folk.
Every path you tread, LORD, is marked by solid love and loyalty
for the benefit of all who keep our end of the bargain with you.
©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 come to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety.
In the beginning, you created light from darkness
and the earth from chaos.
You sent prophets among your people
to hold up a plumbline
that we might see the error of our ways,
repent, and bring justice and freedom
for the dispossessed and the vulnerable.
You have sent us the Word of truth,
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He was crucified, but you raised him to life
with the strength of your glorious power.
Now his words are bearing fruit among us,
filling us with all wisdom and understanding
and enabling us to love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and to love our neighbour with the same love
that that you have shown us in Christ.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for coming to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety,
so that we might love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and love our neighbour as ourselves.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have come to us as a neighbour,
binding our wounds and carrying us to safety.
In the beginning, you created light from darkness
and the earth from chaos.
You sent prophets among your people
to hold up a plumbline
that we might see the error of our ways,
repent, and bring justice and freedom
for the dispossessed and the vulnerable.
You have sent us the Word of truth,
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He was crucified, but you raised him to life
with the strength of your glorious power.
Now his words are bearing fruit among us,
filling us with all wisdom and understanding
and enabling us to love you with all our heart, soul and mind,
and to love our neighbour with the same love
that that you have shown 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.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us safe into the Kingdom of Christ Jesus.
In him, and through him we have redemption
and the forgiveness of sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live lives worthy of the Lord.
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
and bear fruit in every good work,
putting love and mercy into action for others
just as you would for yourselves.
And may God’s glorious power make you strong;
May Christ Jesus fill you with wisdom and understanding;
And may the Holy Spirit prepare you for the hope
that is laid up for you in heaven.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Who is my neighbour?A sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan NettletonWhat do Jesus and a Plumbline have in Common?A sermon on Amos 7:10-15 & Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan NettletonMysticism and Prophesy: the intimate connectionA sermon on Amos 7.7-17 & Luke 10. 25-37 by Garry DeverellA New CitizenshipA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan NettletonA Measure to Live ByA sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Nathan NettletonIt all depends how you look at itA sermon on Amos 7:10-15; Luke 10:25-37 & Colossians 1:13-14 by Sylvia SandemanMaking and Unmaking NobodiesA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan NettletonSchooled in Love and LimitsA sermon on Luke 10:25-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 11 - Year C
2028-07-23 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.

Amos 8: 1-12

The Lord GOD showed me a basket of freshly picked quince and asked, “Amos, what do you see?”
I answered, “A basket of quince.”
Then the LORD said:
“I am calling it quits with my people Israel.
I will not turn a blind eye again.
I, the Lord GOD, say that on that day,
instead of singing in the temple
they will be sobbing and howling.
The city will be littered with bodies;
too many to bury.
So shut up and listen to me!
“Listen to me, you who wipe your feet on those in need;
you who destroy the poor for your own gain.
You resent religious holidays
because they interrupt your wheeling and dealing.
You demand twenty-four hour, seven-day trading,
so that you can rip people off without ceasing.
Your advertising is all deceit and delusion.
You rig the odds and the interest rates.
You lure the poor into crippling debt
until you own them – body and soul –
and then charge them again for owing you money.
“I, the LORD, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave,
that I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.
Think about it and mourn,
for it will pull the bottom out of your world.
It will devastate you like a flood,
sweeping everything away and leaving nothing but mud.
“I, the Lord GOD, say that on that day,
I will black out the sun in the middle of the day
and turn broad daylight into deepest darkness.
“I will make that day as bitter for you
as if your son and his bride had died at the altar.
Your parties will become wakes.
Your dance music will become a dirge.
Your suits and frocks will all be sombre grey
and you will tear your hair out.
“I, the Lord GOD, can assure you of this,
that the time is coming when everyone will be starving;
hungering and thirsting, not for bread and water,
but for a word from me, the LORD.
“They will wander in confusion across the land,
from coast to coast, from mountain to desert,
desperately seeking a place where I can be heard,
but they will find nothing but my silence.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 52

Why, God, do powerful people boast of evil
when your love can be trusted day after day?
They fill their time planning acts of destruction.
They wield words like weapons,
back-stabbing anyone who gets in their way.
They prize evil, and discredit good;
they reward cunning lies, and despise the truth.
They lust after dirt – fact or fiction —
that will give them the power to destroy someone.
Cut them down to size, God!
Tear them from their pedestals!
Uproot them and toss them out to die!
Those who trust your love and walk the straight and narrow
will watch in awe as you deal with them.
They will laugh and say:
“See what happens to those who back the wrong horse;
trusting their money and power
instead of finding their strength in God.”
We put our trust in your rock-solid love, God,
knowing it will last forever.
We sink our roots deeply into the soil of your presence
and flourish like a well tended tree.
We will never stop thanking you
for all you have done.
We will enjoy the company of those who are loyal to you,
and give due honour to your good name.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 1: 15-28

Jesus Christ is the spitting image
of the God we cannot see.
Christ is the genuine original;
the blueprint for all creation.
Everything else that exists had its origin in Christ:
physical things and spiritual things;
visible things and invisible things;
things that govern the universe;
things that regulate our lives;
forces, powers and energies.
Absolutely everything that exists
was founded in Christ
and has its purpose in Christ.
Christ preceded everything else,
and Christ is the glue that holds everything else together.
Christ is to the church
as the head is to the body.
Life itself began with Christ
and new life – born from the dead – began with Christ too.
Christ was, is, and will be Number One in everything.
God was fully present in Christ, and gladly so;
reconciling everything in creation with its creator;
bearing the cost personally in the blood shed on the cross,
to restore the peace between heaven and earth.
You yourselves are a good example of what this is all about. You used to be at odds with God. Your attitude to God was hostile and your conduct was corrupt. But Christ took action to reconcile you to God, even putting his own body on the line to see the job through. It cost him his life, but Christ succeeded in getting you back on side with God. Now you can stand before God with your heads held high as though you had never set a foot wrong in your lives and your every thought, word and deed had been above reproach. This is, of course, assuming that you stay firmly on track and rock-solid in the faith now, and that you don’t give up hope and turn your backs on all that you have been promised. These promises were contained in the message you heard; a message which has been announced to every creature in the universe; a message which I am dedicated to serving.
I wear my present suffering gladly, as a badge of honour, because I know that it is the price of getting the message out to you. For the sake of Christ’s body – the church – I’m happy to suffer in my own body anything that will contribute to the completion of the business left unfinished in Christ’s copping of abuse. For your benefit, God commissioned me to serve the church by making God’s message fully known for the first time. Throughout history, the world has been in the dark about this mystery, but now it has been made as clear as day to God’s people. God decided to let them in on the whole fabulous picture – the wondrous mystery of the means by which God’s love embraces everyone, regardless of race or religion. And what is revealed is simply that Christ is in you. And because Christ is in you, you can confidently expect to share in the glory of Christ’s future. It is Christ, and Christ alone, that we are on about all the time. We preach Christ to everyone, warning them and teaching them with all the wisdom we can muster, so as to help them grow to the fullness of their potential as people of maturity and integrity – the spitting image of Christ!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 38-42

On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his followers passed through a certain village and accepted the invitation of a woman named Martha to share a meal in her home. Martha had a sister named Mary, who sat down on the floor the moment Jesus arrived and hung on every word he said. Martha, on the other hand, was trying to do everything and was getting more and more flustered about it. She came in and said to Jesus, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left all the work to me? Tell her to get off her butt and give me a hand.”
But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are letting so many things stress you out. There is really only one thing that everyone needs. Mary has made the right choice and it is not going to be taken away from her.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 18: 1-10a

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.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 15

LORD, who is welcome at your table?
Who can stay in the place you call your own?
You have given us the answer, LORD.
It is those who walk with integrity
and do the right thing;
those who speak the honest truth
and do not use their words to wound;
those who do not exploit their friends
or put down their neighbours.
It is those who hate corruption
and look up to those who honour you, LORD;
those who give their word
and stand by it even if it costs them;
those who lend freely, without seeking a profit,
and cannot be bribed into shafting the innocent.
You honour such people, LORD,
and anchor them on unshakable ground.
©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 revealed to us the mystery,
hidden throughout the ages,
which is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
In him, you created heaven and earth,
and in him, all things are held together.
Through your law and prophets you called us to your ways,
and when you saw the needy trampled and the poor ruined,
you punished us with a famine of hearing your word.
But in Christ — your image made visible —
you have reached out even to those who did evil,
calling us to sit at your feet
and listen to your words of peace.
When his blood was poured out in death on the cross,
you raised him as firstborn from the dead,
reconciling all things to yourself in him
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for revealing to us
the mystery, hidden throughout the ages:
Christ in us, the hope of glory,
reconciling all things to you
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have revealed to us the mystery,
hidden throughout the ages,
which is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
In him, you created heaven and earth,
and in him, all things are held together.
Through your law and prophets you called us to your ways,
and when you saw the needy trampled and the poor ruined,
you punished us with a famine of hearing your word.
But in Christ — your image made visible —
you have reached out even to those who did evil,
calling us to sit at your feet
and listen to your words of peace.
When his blood was poured out in death on the cross,
you raised him as firstborn from the dead,
reconciling all things to yourself in him
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Though we were once estranged from God,
Christ has now reconciled us in his own body,
so as to present us holy, blameless and irreproachable
into the presence God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, trusting in God’s love forever
and always giving thanks.
Do not be worried or distracted,
nor shift from the hope promised in the gospel,
but choose the better way,
uprooting injustice
and proclaiming Christ with all wisdom.
And may God establish you securely in the faith;
May Christ Jesus make you holy and blameless before God;
And may the Holy Spirit raise you to maturity in Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When image-consciousness is okayA sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan Nettleton

Reconciliation – Are the Bible and the News talking about the same thing?A sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan Nettleton

The Body of Christ as PainbearerA sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan Nettleton

Seething Silence and Furious LoveA sermon on Amos 8: 1-12 & Luke 10:38-42 by Nathan Nettleton

One Thing Is NeededA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Daniel Bullock

It’s all about WomenA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Sylvia Sandeman

Making Martha WholeA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Alison Sampson

Turned AroundA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Chris Anderson

Proper 11 - Year C
2028-07-23 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.

Amos 8: 1-12

The Lord GOD showed me a basket of freshly picked quince and asked, “Amos, what do you see?”
I answered, “A basket of quince.”
Then the LORD said:
“I am calling it quits with my people Israel.
I will not turn a blind eye again.
I, the Lord GOD, say that on that day,
instead of singing in the temple
they will be sobbing and howling.
The city will be littered with bodies;
too many to bury.
So shut up and listen to me!
“Listen to me, you who wipe your feet on those in need;
you who destroy the poor for your own gain.
You resent religious holidays
because they interrupt your wheeling and dealing.
You demand twenty-four hour, seven-day trading,
so that you can rip people off without ceasing.
Your advertising is all deceit and delusion.
You rig the odds and the interest rates.
You lure the poor into crippling debt
until you own them – body and soul –
and then charge them again for owing you money.
“I, the LORD, swear on the Bible you so proudly wave,
that I will not forget a single one of your mongrel actions.
Think about it and mourn,
for it will pull the bottom out of your world.
It will devastate you like a flood,
sweeping everything away and leaving nothing but mud.
“I, the Lord GOD, say that on that day,
I will black out the sun in the middle of the day
and turn broad daylight into deepest darkness.
“I will make that day as bitter for you
as if your son and his bride had died at the altar.
Your parties will become wakes.
Your dance music will become a dirge.
Your suits and frocks will all be sombre grey
and you will tear your hair out.
“I, the Lord GOD, can assure you of this,
that the time is coming when everyone will be starving;
hungering and thirsting, not for bread and water,
but for a word from me, the LORD.
“They will wander in confusion across the land,
from coast to coast, from mountain to desert,
desperately seeking a place where I can be heard,
but they will find nothing but my silence.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 52

Why, God, do powerful people boast of evil
when your love can be trusted day after day?
They fill their time planning acts of destruction.
They wield words like weapons,
back-stabbing anyone who gets in their way.
They prize evil, and discredit good;
they reward cunning lies, and despise the truth.
They lust after dirt – fact or fiction —
that will give them the power to destroy someone.
Cut them down to size, God!
Tear them from their pedestals!
Uproot them and toss them out to die!
Those who trust your love and walk the straight and narrow
will watch in awe as you deal with them.
They will laugh and say:
“See what happens to those who back the wrong horse;
trusting their money and power
instead of finding their strength in God.”
We put our trust in your rock-solid love, God,
knowing it will last forever.
We sink our roots deeply into the soil of your presence
and flourish like a well tended tree.
We will never stop thanking you
for all you have done.
We will enjoy the company of those who are loyal to you,
and give due honour to your good name.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 1: 15-28

Jesus Christ is the spitting image
of the God we cannot see.
Christ is the genuine original;
the blueprint for all creation.
Everything else that exists had its origin in Christ:
physical things and spiritual things;
visible things and invisible things;
things that govern the universe;
things that regulate our lives;
forces, powers and energies.
Absolutely everything that exists
was founded in Christ
and has its purpose in Christ.
Christ preceded everything else,
and Christ is the glue that holds everything else together.
Christ is to the church
as the head is to the body.
Life itself began with Christ
and new life – born from the dead – began with Christ too.
Christ was, is, and will be Number One in everything.
God was fully present in Christ, and gladly so;
reconciling everything in creation with its creator;
bearing the cost personally in the blood shed on the cross,
to restore the peace between heaven and earth.
You yourselves are a good example of what this is all about. You used to be at odds with God. Your attitude to God was hostile and your conduct was corrupt. But Christ took action to reconcile you to God, even putting his own body on the line to see the job through. It cost him his life, but Christ succeeded in getting you back on side with God. Now you can stand before God with your heads held high as though you had never set a foot wrong in your lives and your every thought, word and deed had been above reproach. This is, of course, assuming that you stay firmly on track and rock-solid in the faith now, and that you don’t give up hope and turn your backs on all that you have been promised. These promises were contained in the message you heard; a message which has been announced to every creature in the universe; a message which I am dedicated to serving.
I wear my present suffering gladly, as a badge of honour, because I know that it is the price of getting the message out to you. For the sake of Christ’s body – the church – I’m happy to suffer in my own body anything that will contribute to the completion of the business left unfinished in Christ’s copping of abuse. For your benefit, God commissioned me to serve the church by making God’s message fully known for the first time. Throughout history, the world has been in the dark about this mystery, but now it has been made as clear as day to God’s people. God decided to let them in on the whole fabulous picture – the wondrous mystery of the means by which God’s love embraces everyone, regardless of race or religion. And what is revealed is simply that Christ is in you. And because Christ is in you, you can confidently expect to share in the glory of Christ’s future. It is Christ, and Christ alone, that we are on about all the time. We preach Christ to everyone, warning them and teaching them with all the wisdom we can muster, so as to help them grow to the fullness of their potential as people of maturity and integrity – the spitting image of Christ!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 10: 38-42

On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his followers passed through a certain village and accepted the invitation of a woman named Martha to share a meal in her home. Martha had a sister named Mary, who sat down on the floor the moment Jesus arrived and hung on every word he said. Martha, on the other hand, was trying to do everything and was getting more and more flustered about it. She came in and said to Jesus, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left all the work to me? Tell her to get off her butt and give me a hand.”
But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are letting so many things stress you out. There is really only one thing that everyone needs. Mary has made the right choice and it is not going to be taken away from her.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 18: 1-10a

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.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 15

LORD, who is welcome at your table?
Who can stay in the place you call your own?
You have given us the answer, LORD.
It is those who walk with integrity
and do the right thing;
those who speak the honest truth
and do not use their words to wound;
those who do not exploit their friends
or put down their neighbours.
It is those who hate corruption
and look up to those who honour you, LORD;
those who give their word
and stand by it even if it costs them;
those who lend freely, without seeking a profit,
and cannot be bribed into shafting the innocent.
You honour such people, LORD,
and anchor them on unshakable ground.
©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 revealed to us the mystery,
hidden throughout the ages,
which is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
In him, you created heaven and earth,
and in him, all things are held together.
Through your law and prophets you called us to your ways,
and when you saw the needy trampled and the poor ruined,
you punished us with a famine of hearing your word.
But in Christ — your image made visible —
you have reached out even to those who did evil,
calling us to sit at your feet
and listen to your words of peace.
When his blood was poured out in death on the cross,
you raised him as firstborn from the dead,
reconciling all things to yourself in him
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for revealing to us
the mystery, hidden throughout the ages:
Christ in us, the hope of glory,
reconciling all things to you
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have revealed to us the mystery,
hidden throughout the ages,
which is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
In him, you created heaven and earth,
and in him, all things are held together.
Through your law and prophets you called us to your ways,
and when you saw the needy trampled and the poor ruined,
you punished us with a famine of hearing your word.
But in Christ — your image made visible —
you have reached out even to those who did evil,
calling us to sit at your feet
and listen to your words of peace.
When his blood was poured out in death on the cross,
you raised him as firstborn from the dead,
reconciling all things to yourself in him
and establishing us securely
in the faith and hope of the gospel.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Though we were once estranged from God,
Christ has now reconciled us in his own body,
so as to present us holy, blameless and irreproachable
into the presence God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, trusting in God’s love forever
and always giving thanks.
Do not be worried or distracted,
nor shift from the hope promised in the gospel,
but choose the better way,
uprooting injustice
and proclaiming Christ with all wisdom.
And may God establish you securely in the faith;
May Christ Jesus make you holy and blameless before God;
And may the Holy Spirit raise you to maturity in Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When image-consciousness is okayA sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan NettletonReconciliation – Are the Bible and the News talking about the same thing?A sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan NettletonThe Body of Christ as PainbearerA sermon on Colossians 1:15-28 by Nathan NettletonSeething Silence and Furious LoveA sermon on Amos 8: 1-12 & Luke 10:38-42 by Nathan NettletonOne Thing Is NeededA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Daniel BullockIt’s all about WomenA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Sylvia SandemanMaking Martha WholeA sermon on Luke 10:38-42 by Alison Sampson

Proper 12 - Year C
2028-07-30 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.

Hosea 1: 2-10

When Hosea was first called to be the LORD'S mouthpiece, the LORD said to him, “Hosea, Israel has been as unfaithful to me as a wife who has sex with anyone willing to pay. Since you are to represent me, go and take a prostitute as your wife, and have children with her, even though you’ll always wonder if they are really yours.”
So Hosea went and married a prostitute named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. Gomer fell pregnant and soon they had a baby boy.
The LORD said to Hosea, “You are to name your son Jezreel, after the site of the infamous massacre. It won’t be long now before I will punish the royal family of King Jehu for that massacre. The kingdom of Israel will be destroyed. When that day comes, I will smash their weapons to pieces right there in the Jezreel valley.”
Gomer fell pregnant again and gave birth to a baby girl. This time the LORD said to Hosea, “You are to name your daughter ‘No-mercy’. I’ve had a gutful of the people of Israel. I will no longer have mercy on them. I am not forgiving them any more. The people of Judah still belong to me and I will be merciful to them. Their defence systems, armies and weapons won’t save them, but I, the LORD their God, will save them myself.”
After she had weaned No-mercy, Gomer fell pregnant again and gave birth to another baby boy. The LORD said to Hosea, “You are to name this one ‘Not-mine’, because these people are not mine any more, and I am no longer their God. Nevertheless, it will not always be that way. One day Israel will flourish in such numbers that trying to count them would be like trying to count the grains of sand on the beach. And, in the very same place where they were known as ‘Not-mine’, they will once again be known as ‘Children of the living God.’”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 85

LORD, you smiled on your land
and brought back the good times for your people.
You struck out the record of our guilt
and pardoned all we had done wrong.
You swallowed your rage,
unclenched your fists, and cooled down.
Yes God, you have saved us before,
and now we need your help again.
Put aside the anger we caused you, LORD,
and help us get back on track.
You won’t maintain your rage forever, will you?
Surely you won’t burn with anger, year after year?
Wouldn’t it be better to put us back on our feet
and have us trumpeting your goodness?
Let us in on your rock-solid love, LORD.
Save us and give us a fresh start.
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

Colossians 2: 6-15, (16-19)

Stay on track! You received Christ Jesus the Lord; now follow through on your good start. Put down deep roots and draw on Christ in everything you do. Make Christ the foundation on which you build your lives. See that your faith grows strong and stable, just as you were taught, and you will always be thankful.
Don’t let anyone entangle you with highfalutin theories and intellectual clap-trap. There are plenty of exotic sounding spiritualities on offer; all claiming to enable you to achieve harmony with the psychic forces or spirit-powers that control the destiny of the cosmos. They contain enough truth to be very persuasive, but they skirt around the truth of Christ. It is in Christ that God is fully present as a human being, and accessible to you. It is in Christ that your progress into the fullness of human potential is made. And it is in Christ that you will find the real nerve centre of the cosmos.
It is also in Christ that you were marked out as people who belong to God, not by going under the knife in a physical circumcision, but by going under Christ’s knife to have your selfish compulsions cut away. This, of course, was still a physical action, because it was in baptism that your old lives were lowered into the grave with Christ, and it was from the waters of baptism that you were raised, with Christ, to new life; having entrusted yourself to the same life-giving power by which God raised Christ from the dead. Prior to that, you were as good as dead, because your actions and your hearts made it clear that you did not belong to God, but God set about making you fully alive again, together with Christ. God forgave all that you had done wrong, and cancelled out all record of your offences and the punishments pending, by adding it all to the conviction sheet of someone who had already been executed — namely Jesus Christ! Dying and rising, Christ publicly exposed as a sham the claims of the various psychic forces and spirit-powers to be controlling the destiny of the cosmos. Christ’s resurrection triumph made a mockery of them.
So then, do not let anybody put you down as spiritually inferior for not conforming to their prescriptions about abstaining from certain foods or drinks, or not observing their particular sacred days or festivals. These sorts of things are a bit like travel brochures: they may whet your appetite for what’s ahead, but they are nothing like actually arriving there. Christ is the reality we are looking forward to — the be all and end all — so you can take or leave the various traditions or disciplines that, at best, just point you in the right direction. Do not tolerate anyone advocating that you should be excluded unless you do everything their way and join them in their punishing self-disciplines and their obsession with pandering to angels. They go on and on about how all these things were communicated to them in supernatural visions, but they are a lot of hot air. Their minds are actually stuck in an all-too-human rut because they have lost touch with the nerve-centre of true spirituality, namely Christ. It is only the impulses that come from Christ the head that enable us, the body, to function and grow as a healthy whole in the way God intended for us.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 11: 1-13

One day, Jesus had set aside some time and space to pray. When he had finished, one of his followers said to him, “Lord, John taught his followers how to pray. Please do the same for us.”
So Jesus said to them, “Here is a model prayer for you to use when you pray:
Father, may your name be kept sacred.
May everything be brought under your rule.
Give us enough food for each day.
Forgive us the things we have done wrong,
just as we forgive those who owe us anything.
And don’t push us beyond our limits.”
Jesus went on to say, “Imagine if friends from out of town dropped in without warning late one night, and you didn’t even have enough in the cupboard to offer them a sandwich. So you knock on your next-door-neighbour’s door and call out, ‘Please be a mate and lend me a few things from your kitchen to feed my unexpected guests.’ But your neighbour yells back from inside saying, ‘Don’t hassle me with your problems. Its after midnight. We’ve already gone to bed and the kids are asleep. There’s no way I’m getting up for you or anyone.’ But let me tell you this; he might not get up and help just because he thinks that’s what mates do, but if you stick to your guns and make a scene for long enough, he will eventually get up and give you whatever you need just to shut you up!
“So, what I am telling you is this:
If you want to be given something, keep on asking for it.
If you want to find something, keep on searching for it.
If you want a door to open for you, keep on knocking at it.
“That’s the way it is. All who keep on asking will receive. All who keep on searching will find. And all who keep on knocking will have the door opened for them. Think about it. None of you parents would ever put a live snake in your child’s lunch box, would you? If your child asked for a piece of chocolate, you wouldn’t pop a funnel-web in her mouth, would you? You lot might score a lot more points for selfishness than you do for generous love, but you still care enough to want to provide the best for your own children. So surely you can see that God, the ultimate parent, will be all the more eager to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 18: 20-32

The LORD said to Abraham, “The reports I am hearing about the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are full of allegations of callous depravity and corruption. I have decided to go down and see for myself whether the situation is really as horrendous as the reports make out. Perhaps the people are really not so bad, but I need to know.”
So the visitors set off in the direction of Sodom, leaving Abraham in the presence of the LORD. Abraham turned to the LORD and said, “Surely you wouldn’t just wipe out everybody; the good along with the bad? What if there are fifty decent, honest people in the city? Will you still go ahead and wipe out the city instead of sparing it for the sake of the fifty good people who live there? Far be it from you to be so indiscriminate, to lump the good people in with the evil, and punish them all the same. How could you? You are the one who sits in judgment over all the earth; surely you must be seen to be fair in your own actions.”
The LORD replied, “If I find fifty decent, honest people in Sodom, I will pardon the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again, saying, “I know I am way out of line challenging you, Lord — mere mortal that I am — but what if the count falls five short? Would five people make such a difference that you would go ahead and destroy the whole city?”
The LORD replied, “I will hold fire if I find forty-five decent people.”
Abraham pressed on: “What if you could only find forty there?”
The LORD replied, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”
Then Abraham said, “Forgive me for pushing the issue, Lord, but what if you can only rustle up thirty?”
The LORD replied, “I will hold fire if I find thirty of them.”
“Maybe I’m pushing my luck, speaking to you like this, Lord,” said Abraham, “but let’s say you found only twenty. What then?”
The LORD replied, “For the sake of twenty I will spare the city.”
Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time; but what if you can find only ten good people in Sodom?”
“Then for the sake of those ten,” the LORD answered, “I will not destroy the city.”
©2001 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,
and hallow your name throughout the earth,
for in you love and fidelity embrace,
peace and justice kiss.
When you created the earth and poured out your riches
the land sprang to life with good gifts for all.
When we prostituted ourselves
to the ruling spirits of the world,
you loved us still, and sent your prophets to call us back.
In your child, Jesus,
your divine nature has indwelt humanity.
Nailed to the cross, he cancelled the record of our sin,
and when we were buried with him in baptism,
you raised us with him
through faith in your active power.
Now to all who seek and ask,
you give the gift of life,
holding us together in Christ’s body,
nourishing us daily with the bread of life
and calling us “Children of the living God.”
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that to all who seek and ask,
you give the gift of full life,
holding us together in Christ’s body,
nourishing us daily with the bread of life
and calling us “Children of the living God.”
©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 hallow your name throughout the earth,
for in you love and fidelity embrace,
peace and justice kiss.
When you created the earth and poured out your riches
the land sprang to life with good gifts for all.
When we prostituted ourselves
to the ruling spirits of the world,
you loved us still, and sent your prophets to call us back.
In your child, Jesus,
your divine nature has indwelt humanity.
Nailed to the cross, he cancelled the record of our sin,
and when we were buried with him in baptism,
you raised us with him
through faith in your active power.
Now to all who seek and ask,
you give the gift of life,
holding us together in Christ’s body,
nourishing us daily with the bread of life
and calling us “Children of the living 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.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

To all who turn their hearts to God, the word of peace comes:
God has erased the record that stood against us,
nailing it to the cross of Christ.
God has shown mercy,
coming to revive us and save us.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as people in whom love and fidelity embrace;
peace and justice kiss.
Live your lives in Christ,
rooted and built up in him,
full of thanksgiving
and praying as he taught us.
And may God give good gifts in answer to your prayers;
May Christ Jesus establish you in the faith;
And may the Holy Spirit pour out heaven’s riches upon you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

How shall we pray?A sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Praying by the BookA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Don’t let them put you downA sermon on Colossians 2: 6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

Earth-Shattering PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 & Colossians 2:6-19 by Nathan Nettleton

The Prayer of the ChurchA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Your Will Be Done In A World Of ChaosA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting Off the Outrage GravitronA sermon on Luke 11:4 & Colossians 2:13-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Persistence in PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Chris Barnden

On Praying the Lord’s PrayerA sermon on Luke 11: 1-13 by Geoff Leslie

Proper 13 - Year C
2028-08-06 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.

Hosea 11: 11-11

I, the LORD, once loved a little tacker called Israel.
I called, “Come to me, my child. Leave the land of slavery.”
But I was wasting my breath.
The more I called, the further they ran.
They kept offering themselves to other gods
and giving their devotion to things they owned.
They did this even though I had raised them;
even though I hugged them and guided their first steps.
They were blind to all I’d done for them.
They forgot how often I had nursed them back to health.
I had secured them with kindness, not ropes.
I had led them in love, not chains.
I doted on them like a parent cuddling a baby.
I got down to play with them and feed them.
They will end up in slavery again.
They will be under the thumb of foreign powers.
I begged them to come back to me for safety,
but they thumbed their nose at my offer.
Now their cities are torn apart by violence
and those who think they have the answers
are destroyed along with their plans.
My people are hell-bent on replacing me.
They go flocking to the latest trendy messiah,
but he is powerless to help them.
Israel, O Israel; I can’t give up hope.
I can’t walk away and abandon you to your fate.
I can’t bring myself to treat you as you deserve;
to wipe you out like Sodom and Gomorrah.
My gut knots up just thinking about it.
My heart melts and warm tears flow.
So I will not let my anger explode.
I will not destroy you, Israel.
If I were just a human being, I would have snapped,
but I am God, the one and only.
I am among you, but not in fury.
My people will return to me, the LORD.
I will roar like a lion, and when they hear me roar
they will come trembling out of their hiding places.
They will come fearfully – unsure of what awaits them —
trembling like birds lifted from their cage.
But they will come en masse, like migratory birds
returning from their lands of exile,
and I will welcome them back into their own homes.
I, the LORD, have given my word.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 107: 1-9, 43

Thank you, LORD! Thank you for being so good.
Your rock-solid love will never end.
LORD, we freely and openly acknowledge
that it was you who got us out of trouble;
you who put us back on the right track.
You gathered us from the four corners of the globe,
from wherever we had been lost or exiled.
Some of us were lost in pitiless deserts,
desperate to find shelter and company.
Without food or water,
our courage dried up and our steps grew weak.
In sheer despair, we cried out to you, LORD,
and in a flash, you came to our rescue.
You guided us back to the main road
and got us safely to the nearest town.
So let us tell you how grateful we are, LORD.
Thank you for your rock-solid love
and for the great things you do for everyone;
for you quench our thirst
and feed us generously when we hunger.
Desiring wisdom, we take note of all you do, LORD,
and focus our thoughts on your rock-solid love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 3: 1-11

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.
So, since your old life has been extinguished, make sure you stamp out any remnants of it that might spark up within you and set it off again. Don’t char your sexuality with trivialised, loveless flings. Expel the fumes of moral contamination. Douse smouldering compulsions. Remove anything that might fuel greed, because after all, greed is just another form of idolatry. God is getting ready to deal with those who have been defiantly allowing these sorts of things to burn out of control. You were once implicated in all this, because those things were all part of the kind of life you used to live. But now you must purge yourselves of all such things — bitterness, vengefulness, spite, slander, and any tendency to mouth off in ways that insult and humiliate others. And don’t lie to one another. Dishonesty may have been a natural part of the old persona you all once wore, but you’ve stripped all that off, along with all its accessories, and decked yourselves out in a whole new persona. The new you is becoming more and more like your creator as your minds are reconstructed and your understanding grows. In this renewed life, we are no longer divided up into factions based on our backgrounds. It no longer makes any difference at all whether you were from this ethnic group or that, one religious tradition or another; whether you were educated or illiterate, refined or rough-nut, welfare dependent or money-to-burn. Every possible distinction among you is rendered irrelevant, because now Christ is in all of you and all of you are in Christ.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 12: 13-21

Someone called out to Jesus from the crowd, saying, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my fair share of the family inheritance.”
But Jesus replied, “Come on, mate. What makes you think I’m in the business of family mediation?”
And turning to the crowd, he said, “Keep a close eye on your values! Greed has all sorts of ways of getting under your guard if you don’t take care. Don’t get sucked into thinking that life is all about how much stuff you own. Let me illustrate. A certain rich man had an absolutely bumper year. His business interests and investments all went through the roof, and at the end of the year he had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it all. So he said to himself, ‘I’m going to put it all away for myself and live off the interest. I’ll never need to work again. I’ll surround myself with the best of everything and just put my feet up, pat myself on the back, and eat and drink to my heart’s content.’
“But God said to him, ‘You mindless twit! Your number’s up. Tonight you’ll kick the bucket, and what will you be remembered for? Nothing but a stockpile of goodies heading for the tax office!’
“That is the way it goes for all those who accumulate wealth for their own selfish pleasure and have nothing invested in anything that God values.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 12-14; 2: 18-23

(If anyone can suggest an Aussie phrase that better conveys the meaning of ‘vanity of vanities’, please email me and let me know. I realise that this one may offend some people, but I haven’t thought of anything that captures it as thoroughly.)

What a wank!
I reckon it’s all a big wank, the lot of it!
When I was the king of Israel, living in Jerusalem, I was known as a teacher of wisdom. I put a lot of work into study and reflection, trying to get my head around the way things work out, here on earth. God has given people a hunger to understand such things, but what a frustrating quest it is! It is like chasing the wind. I have carefully observed all that goes on in the world, and so far as I can see, it is all a big wank.
One thing I did get my head around is why people hate their work so much. The harder we work, the less we are able to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Instead, it is the next generation who really benefit from our efforts, and there is no guarantee that they won’t be a bunch of no-hopers who squander the lot. They could be a pack of complete drongos, but they are still going to inherit control of everything we created with all our careful planning and hard yakka. What a wank!
The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. All my hard work felt like a complete waste of effort. Some people apply themselves to their work with extraordinary vision, knowledge and expertise, but everything they create must be passed on to someone who hasn’t lifted a finger to earn it. This is all a big wank, not to mention a crime! So what do people gain from their own efforts, from all the hard yakka they put in through the long hot days? Nothing but tired bones, headaches, and enough anxieties to keep them awake at night. It is all a horrible big wank!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 49: 1-12

Listen up, folks.
All of you, everywhere, tune in to this.
Whether you be kings or commoners,
battlers or silvertails,
I have wisdom to share with you.
I have thought deeply and made sense of things;
I have listened to the deep truths
and will uncover mysteries in my song.
There is no need to be afraid in tough times,
even when enemies are out to get us;
even though they are rich and arrogant,
and confident in wielding power.
The fact is, money does not sure up your life;
no one can stave off death by bribing God.
No one has the means to save themselves;
to buy immunity from death.
It is not possible to live forever
and avoid the grave.
Brilliant, high-achievers die,
and bludging morons die,
and neither can take anything with them;
whatever they had is left to others.
The cemetery will be their final resting place
and it is a permanent address for both,
whether their legacy is remembered or not.
Death cuts everyone down to size;
in the grave, a man and his dog are equals.
©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 gather us up in your arms
and hold us like a child to your cheek,
healing us, even before we know it.
You created the earth and chose yourself a people,
snatching them from danger
and leading them to a land where they could settle.
When disobedience and idolatrous greed
were our only response to your loving call,
your heart was still warm and compassionate towards us
and you recoiled from punishing your children.
You came to us in love and mercy
in Christ — the Holy One in our midst —
showing us the path to renewal in your image.
When he was put to death,
you raised him in glory,
and now our lives are hidden in his,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for gathering us up in your arms
snatching us from danger and hiding our lives in Christ,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you gather us up in your arms
and hold us like a child to your cheek,
healing us, even before we know it.
You created the earth and chose yourself a people,
snatching them from danger
and leading them to a land where they could settle.
When disobedience and idolatrous greed
were our only response to your loving call,
your heart was still warm and compassionate towards us
and you recoiled from punishing your children.
You came to us in love and mercy
in Christ — the Holy One in our midst —
showing us the path to renewal in your image.
When he was put to death,
you raised him in glory,
and now our lives are hidden in his,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has heard you cry out
and has snatched you from danger.
God’s compassion for you is warm and tender.
Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as those raised with Christ,
wondering at God’s great love
and telling the story of your salvation.
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed
and set your minds on the ways of heaven.
And may God reach out to you and nourish you;
May Christ Jesus renew you in the image of your creator;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you with cords of kindness and love.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Profit Tables and the Prophet’s TableA sermon on Luke 12: 13-21 by Nathan NettletonSet your minds on things aboveA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry DeverellHidden With Christ in GodA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry DeverellCommitting to things associated with new life in ChristA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 by John FowlerIntimate Partner Violence and the Image of GodA sermon on Hosea 11:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 13 - Year C
2028-08-06 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.

Hosea 11: 11-11

I, the LORD, once loved a little tacker called Israel.
I called, “Come to me, my child. Leave the land of slavery.”
But I was wasting my breath.
The more I called, the further they ran.
They kept offering themselves to other gods
and giving their devotion to things they owned.
They did this even though I had raised them;
even though I hugged them and guided their first steps.
They were blind to all I’d done for them.
They forgot how often I had nursed them back to health.
I had secured them with kindness, not ropes.
I had led them in love, not chains.
I doted on them like a parent cuddling a baby.
I got down to play with them and feed them.
They will end up in slavery again.
They will be under the thumb of foreign powers.
I begged them to come back to me for safety,
but they thumbed their nose at my offer.
Now their cities are torn apart by violence
and those who think they have the answers
are destroyed along with their plans.
My people are hell-bent on replacing me.
They go flocking to the latest trendy messiah,
but he is powerless to help them.
Israel, O Israel; I can’t give up hope.
I can’t walk away and abandon you to your fate.
I can’t bring myself to treat you as you deserve;
to wipe you out like Sodom and Gomorrah.
My gut knots up just thinking about it.
My heart melts and warm tears flow.
So I will not let my anger explode.
I will not destroy you, Israel.
If I were just a human being, I would have snapped,
but I am God, the one and only.
I am among you, but not in fury.
My people will return to me, the LORD.
I will roar like a lion, and when they hear me roar
they will come trembling out of their hiding places.
They will come fearfully – unsure of what awaits them —
trembling like birds lifted from their cage.
But they will come en masse, like migratory birds
returning from their lands of exile,
and I will welcome them back into their own homes.
I, the LORD, have given my word.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 107: 1-9, 43

Thank you, LORD! Thank you for being so good.
Your rock-solid love will never end.
LORD, we freely and openly acknowledge
that it was you who got us out of trouble;
you who put us back on the right track.
You gathered us from the four corners of the globe,
from wherever we had been lost or exiled.
Some of us were lost in pitiless deserts,
desperate to find shelter and company.
Without food or water,
our courage dried up and our steps grew weak.
In sheer despair, we cried out to you, LORD,
and in a flash, you came to our rescue.
You guided us back to the main road
and got us safely to the nearest town.
So let us tell you how grateful we are, LORD.
Thank you for your rock-solid love
and for the great things you do for everyone;
for you quench our thirst
and feed us generously when we hunger.
Desiring wisdom, we take note of all you do, LORD,
and focus our thoughts on your rock-solid love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 3: 1-11

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.
So, since your old life has been extinguished, make sure you stamp out any remnants of it that might spark up within you and set it off again. Don’t char your sexuality with trivialised, loveless flings. Expel the fumes of moral contamination. Douse smouldering compulsions. Remove anything that might fuel greed, because after all, greed is just another form of idolatry. God is getting ready to deal with those who have been defiantly allowing these sorts of things to burn out of control. You were once implicated in all this, because those things were all part of the kind of life you used to live. But now you must purge yourselves of all such things — bitterness, vengefulness, spite, slander, and any tendency to mouth off in ways that insult and humiliate others. And don’t lie to one another. Dishonesty may have been a natural part of the old persona you all once wore, but you’ve stripped all that off, along with all its accessories, and decked yourselves out in a whole new persona. The new you is becoming more and more like your creator as your minds are reconstructed and your understanding grows. In this renewed life, we are no longer divided up into factions based on our backgrounds. It no longer makes any difference at all whether you were from this ethnic group or that, one religious tradition or another; whether you were educated or illiterate, refined or rough-nut, welfare dependent or money-to-burn. Every possible distinction among you is rendered irrelevant, because now Christ is in all of you and all of you are in Christ.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 12: 13-21

Someone called out to Jesus from the crowd, saying, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my fair share of the family inheritance.”
But Jesus replied, “Come on, mate. What makes you think I’m in the business of family mediation?”
And turning to the crowd, he said, “Keep a close eye on your values! Greed has all sorts of ways of getting under your guard if you don’t take care. Don’t get sucked into thinking that life is all about how much stuff you own. Let me illustrate. A certain rich man had an absolutely bumper year. His business interests and investments all went through the roof, and at the end of the year he had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it all. So he said to himself, ‘I’m going to put it all away for myself and live off the interest. I’ll never need to work again. I’ll surround myself with the best of everything and just put my feet up, pat myself on the back, and eat and drink to my heart’s content.’
“But God said to him, ‘You mindless twit! Your number’s up. Tonight you’ll kick the bucket, and what will you be remembered for? Nothing but a stockpile of goodies heading for the tax office!’
“That is the way it goes for all those who accumulate wealth for their own selfish pleasure and have nothing invested in anything that God values.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 12-14; 2: 18-23

(If anyone can suggest an Aussie phrase that better conveys the meaning of ‘vanity of vanities’, please email me and let me know. I realise that this one may offend some people, but I haven’t thought of anything that captures it as thoroughly.)

What a wank!
I reckon it’s all a big wank, the lot of it!
When I was the king of Israel, living in Jerusalem, I was known as a teacher of wisdom. I put a lot of work into study and reflection, trying to get my head around the way things work out, here on earth. God has given people a hunger to understand such things, but what a frustrating quest it is! It is like chasing the wind. I have carefully observed all that goes on in the world, and so far as I can see, it is all a big wank.
One thing I did get my head around is why people hate their work so much. The harder we work, the less we are able to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Instead, it is the next generation who really benefit from our efforts, and there is no guarantee that they won’t be a bunch of no-hopers who squander the lot. They could be a pack of complete drongos, but they are still going to inherit control of everything we created with all our careful planning and hard yakka. What a wank!
The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. All my hard work felt like a complete waste of effort. Some people apply themselves to their work with extraordinary vision, knowledge and expertise, but everything they create must be passed on to someone who hasn’t lifted a finger to earn it. This is all a big wank, not to mention a crime! So what do people gain from their own efforts, from all the hard yakka they put in through the long hot days? Nothing but tired bones, headaches, and enough anxieties to keep them awake at night. It is all a horrible big wank!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 49: 1-12

Listen up, folks.
All of you, everywhere, tune in to this.
Whether you be kings or commoners,
battlers or silvertails,
I have wisdom to share with you.
I have thought deeply and made sense of things;
I have listened to the deep truths
and will uncover mysteries in my song.
There is no need to be afraid in tough times,
even when enemies are out to get us;
even though they are rich and arrogant,
and confident in wielding power.
The fact is, money does not sure up your life;
no one can stave off death by bribing God.
No one has the means to save themselves;
to buy immunity from death.
It is not possible to live forever
and avoid the grave.
Brilliant, high-achievers die,
and bludging morons die,
and neither can take anything with them;
whatever they had is left to others.
The cemetery will be their final resting place
and it is a permanent address for both,
whether their legacy is remembered or not.
Death cuts everyone down to size;
in the grave, a man and his dog are equals.
©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 gather us up in your arms
and hold us like a child to your cheek,
healing us, even before we know it.
You created the earth and chose yourself a people,
snatching them from danger
and leading them to a land where they could settle.
When disobedience and idolatrous greed
were our only response to your loving call,
your heart was still warm and compassionate towards us
and you recoiled from punishing your children.
You came to us in love and mercy
in Christ — the Holy One in our midst —
showing us the path to renewal in your image.
When he was put to death,
you raised him in glory,
and now our lives are hidden in his,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for gathering us up in your arms
snatching us from danger and hiding our lives in Christ,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you gather us up in your arms
and hold us like a child to your cheek,
healing us, even before we know it.
You created the earth and chose yourself a people,
snatching them from danger
and leading them to a land where they could settle.
When disobedience and idolatrous greed
were our only response to your loving call,
your heart was still warm and compassionate towards us
and you recoiled from punishing your children.
You came to us in love and mercy
in Christ — the Holy One in our midst —
showing us the path to renewal in your image.
When he was put to death,
you raised him in glory,
and now our lives are hidden in his,
ready to be revealed in glory
when all is fulfilled and Christ is all and in all!
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has heard you cry out
and has snatched you from danger.
God’s compassion for you is warm and tender.
Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as those raised with Christ,
wondering at God’s great love
and telling the story of your salvation.
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed
and set your minds on the ways of heaven.
And may God reach out to you and nourish you;
May Christ Jesus renew you in the image of your creator;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you with cords of kindness and love.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Profit Tables and the Prophet’s TableA sermon on Luke 12: 13-21 by Nathan Nettleton

Set your minds on things aboveA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry Deverell

Hidden With Christ in GodA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 and Luke 12.13-21 by Garry Deverell

Committing to things associated with new life in ChristA sermon on Colossians 3.1-11 by John Fowler

Intimate Partner Violence and the Image of GodA sermon on Hosea 11:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 14 - Year C
2028-08-13 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 1: 1, 10-20

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

Psalm 50: 1-8, 22-23

You, LORD, are the mighty God.
Wherever the sun shines, from horizon to horizon,
you call the earth to attention.
From the spectacular beauty of your holy mountain,
you approach us in a blaze of glory.
You come with the full fanfare;
flashes of fire in front of you;
thunder storming all around you.
You call the earth and sky to sit as a jury,
and set out the charges against your people.
You call the accused:
those who swore their faithfulness to you,
and signed themselves to a binding alliance.
The whole universe honours you as the judge,
and affirms the honesty of your court.
We belong to you 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 you set us straight in no uncertain terms;
we have ignored you,
offering gifts instead of ourselves.
You warn us that when you pass sentence,
there is nowhere to make further appeal.
You are honoured when we express our gratitude,
not when we fob you off with gifts.
It is those who get back on the right track
who you lead into the land of freedom.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16

Faith is the capacity to put all your eggs in the one basket, when even the existence of the basket must be taken on trust and hope. It was the ability to take decisive action based on faith alone that made our forebears such memorable heroes. Even our belief that the universe came into existence on God’s say-so is based solely on faith. The existence of material things might be provable, but the belief that their origins lie in something that is not accessible to scientific observation can only be grounded in faith.
It was the exercise of faith that enabled Abraham to cooperate when God called him to uproot himself and emigrate. He was to be given a new and permanent home, but when he set out, he had no idea where he was headed. It was faith that kept him going, even when, on arrival in the land that had been promised to him, he had to camp like a refugee and see his son Isaac and grandson Jacob doing the same. What he inherited and passed on to them was a promise that was yet to be made good. He was sustained by a vision of the city that would be founded, designed and built by God.
It was the exercise of faith that enabled Sarah and Abraham to go ahead and have a child, even though they had grown old without ever before being able to have one. They believed that God could be trusted to keep promises. As a result, this one shrivelled old couple became the parents of a line of descendants that is now as uncountable as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach.
All those we remember as the early heroes of faith went to their graves without having seen the promises fulfilled, but still trusting in God. They were glad to have just caught a glimpse of what was coming, and that vision was enough to sustain them. They freely admitted that they were on the earth as outsiders and guests. This attitude made it clear that they were still expecting to eventually find their true home. If they had regarded themselves as truly belonging to the places they had come from, there was nothing to stop them from going back. It is clear that the reason they didn’t was that their hearts were set on a better country — a piece of heaven itself. It is no wonder that God is proud to be known as their God. And their faith will be vindicated, for God has made ready a city for them.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 12: 32-40

Jesus said to his followers, “You lot may seem small and helpless, but don’t be afraid. God conceived you in love and is only too happy to give you the kingdom. Simplify your lives. Off-load your possessions and share generously with people in need. Commit yourselves to a new investment strategy, putting all your eggs in God’s basket. Such investments are not subject to the vagaries of the market. If the treasures that your heart is set on are all in God, they are totally fire-proof. Nothing can ever devalue them. The fact is that wherever you make your greatest investment, your passion and energy will inevitably follow.
“Keep your boots on! Keep the lights on! Be ready for action at any moment. Be like diligent workers who are not sure when their boss will be back from his honeymoon, but are determined to be hard at work whenever he shows up. They will be glad they didn’t slack off but kept themselves industrious, because you can bet that when he comes he will throw a party for them – all on the house – and give them a generous end-of-year bonus. It won’t make any difference whether he arrives early or late in the shift. If he finds them on the job, they will have every reason to be thankful.
“Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 15: 1-6

The LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, saying, “Abram, don’t you worry about a thing. I am your armour-plated protection and you will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty to me.”
But Abram said, “Thank you, Lord GOD, but the only thing I really want is the one thing you’ve never given me: children. I have longed for children of my own but you have not given me any. When I die, there will be no one to carry on my family name, and since the only person born in my house is Eliezer, my Turkish servant; he will inherit everything I own.
But the LORD spoke to Abram again, saying, “Eliezer will not be your heir. You will be able to pass on your property to a child of your own.”
The LORD took Abram outside and said, “Look at the night sky, Abram. See if you can count how many stars there are. You can’t, can you? Well, your descendants will be as uncountable as the stars in the night sky.”
Abram took the LORD’s word on trust, and for that the LORD regarded him as a good man.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 33: 12-22

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.
You keep your eye on the whole earth;
you see each and every one of us.
Though you are seated in power, LORD,
you concern yourself with all who live on earth.
You shaped us, inside and out,
and you watch everything we do with interest.
No army can guarantee our safety;
the toughest fighter is not invincible.
Pinning our hopes on military might is futile;
brute force cannot make life worth living.
It is you, LORD, who watches over all who respect you;
you, whose love and loyalty give us confidence.
You are our only hope when death closes in;
our only security when times are tough.
We put our trust in you, LORD;
you alone can help and protect us.
Because of you, our hearts are bursting with joy;
your name stands out and fills us with confidence.
Surround us with your love, LORD.
We’ve pinned all our hopes on you
and on your rock-solid love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us.
The worlds were created by your word
and the heavens testify that you are just.
Through your law and prophets
you called your people from their hypocrisy,
refusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers
until we showed a willingness to obey you.
Through Jesus Christ, your child and our saviour,
you called us to travel lightly
as strangers and foreigners on the earth,
putting our hopes in you alone
and always ready to welcome your future.
When he was killed by those
whose hands were full of blood,
you raised him to new life
so that he might prepare a new world
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you are preparing a heavenly city
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us.
The worlds were created by your word
and the heavens testify that you are just.
Through your law and prophets
you called your people from their hypocrisy,
refusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers
until we showed a willingness to obey you.
Through Jesus Christ, your child and our saviour,
you called us to travel lightly
as strangers and foreigners on the earth,
putting our hopes in you alone
and always ready to welcome your future.
When he was killed by those
whose hands were full of blood,
you raised him to new life
so that he might prepare a new world
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God is not ashamed to be called your God.
Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be like snow;
though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now like those prepared for the Lord to return.
Cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed.
Give freely to those in need
and let your treasure be in the things of heaven
And may God not be ashamed to be called your God;
May Christ Jesus find you attentive and well prepared;
And may the Holy Spirit give you the assurance
of all that has been promised to you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

What Keeps Us Going?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 by Nathan NettletonOverriding the Operating SystemA sermon on Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan NettletonNo More Bull!A sermon on Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20 by Nathan NettletonWhat is Faith?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 by Nathan NettletonFaithful FaithA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 & Luke 12: 32-40 by Nathan NettletonFaith as Medicine for Sick WorldA sermon on Isaiah 1:10-20; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 & Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan NettletonImaginationA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 & Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20 by Jody Kilpatrick

Proper 14 - Year C
2028-08-13 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 1: 1, 10-20

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

Psalm 50: 1-8, 22-23

You, LORD, are the mighty God.
Wherever the sun shines, from horizon to horizon,
you call the earth to attention.
From the spectacular beauty of your holy mountain,
you approach us in a blaze of glory.
You come with the full fanfare;
flashes of fire in front of you;
thunder storming all around you.
You call the earth and sky to sit as a jury,
and set out the charges against your people.
You call the accused:
those who swore their faithfulness to you,
and signed themselves to a binding alliance.
The whole universe honours you as the judge,
and affirms the honesty of your court.
We belong to you 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 you set us straight in no uncertain terms;
we have ignored you,
offering gifts instead of ourselves.
You warn us that when you pass sentence,
there is nowhere to make further appeal.
You are honoured when we express our gratitude,
not when we fob you off with gifts.
It is those who get back on the right track
who you lead into the land of freedom.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16

Faith is the capacity to put all your eggs in the one basket, when even the existence of the basket must be taken on trust and hope. It was the ability to take decisive action based on faith alone that made our forebears such memorable heroes. Even our belief that the universe came into existence on God’s say-so is based solely on faith. The existence of material things might be provable, but the belief that their origins lie in something that is not accessible to scientific observation can only be grounded in faith.
It was the exercise of faith that enabled Abraham to cooperate when God called him to uproot himself and emigrate. He was to be given a new and permanent home, but when he set out, he had no idea where he was headed. It was faith that kept him going, even when, on arrival in the land that had been promised to him, he had to camp like a refugee and see his son Isaac and grandson Jacob doing the same. What he inherited and passed on to them was a promise that was yet to be made good. He was sustained by a vision of the city that would be founded, designed and built by God.
It was the exercise of faith that enabled Sarah and Abraham to go ahead and have a child, even though they had grown old without ever before being able to have one. They believed that God could be trusted to keep promises. As a result, this one shrivelled old couple became the parents of a line of descendants that is now as uncountable as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach.
All those we remember as the early heroes of faith went to their graves without having seen the promises fulfilled, but still trusting in God. They were glad to have just caught a glimpse of what was coming, and that vision was enough to sustain them. They freely admitted that they were on the earth as outsiders and guests. This attitude made it clear that they were still expecting to eventually find their true home. If they had regarded themselves as truly belonging to the places they had come from, there was nothing to stop them from going back. It is clear that the reason they didn’t was that their hearts were set on a better country — a piece of heaven itself. It is no wonder that God is proud to be known as their God. And their faith will be vindicated, for God has made ready a city for them.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 12: 32-40

Jesus said to his followers, “You lot may seem small and helpless, but don’t be afraid. God conceived you in love and is only too happy to give you the kingdom. Simplify your lives. Off-load your possessions and share generously with people in need. Commit yourselves to a new investment strategy, putting all your eggs in God’s basket. Such investments are not subject to the vagaries of the market. If the treasures that your heart is set on are all in God, they are totally fire-proof. Nothing can ever devalue them. The fact is that wherever you make your greatest investment, your passion and energy will inevitably follow.
“Keep your boots on! Keep the lights on! Be ready for action at any moment. Be like diligent workers who are not sure when their boss will be back from his honeymoon, but are determined to be hard at work whenever he shows up. They will be glad they didn’t slack off but kept themselves industrious, because you can bet that when he comes he will throw a party for them – all on the house – and give them a generous end-of-year bonus. It won’t make any difference whether he arrives early or late in the shift. If he finds them on the job, they will have every reason to be thankful.
“Think about it. No one would ever let their houses get burgled if the house-breakers worked set hours and made appointments. You have got to be on the ready all the time, because you have no way of knowing when the New Human is going to show up.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Genesis 15: 1-6

The LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, saying, “Abram, don’t you worry about a thing. I am your armour-plated protection and you will be greatly rewarded for your loyalty to me.”
But Abram said, “Thank you, Lord GOD, but the only thing I really want is the one thing you’ve never given me: children. I have longed for children of my own but you have not given me any. When I die, there will be no one to carry on my family name, and since the only person born in my house is Eliezer, my Turkish servant; he will inherit everything I own.
But the LORD spoke to Abram again, saying, “Eliezer will not be your heir. You will be able to pass on your property to a child of your own.”
The LORD took Abram outside and said, “Look at the night sky, Abram. See if you can count how many stars there are. You can’t, can you? Well, your descendants will be as uncountable as the stars in the night sky.”
Abram took the LORD’s word on trust, and for that the LORD regarded him as a good man.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 33: 12-22

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.
You keep your eye on the whole earth;
you see each and every one of us.
Though you are seated in power, LORD,
you concern yourself with all who live on earth.
You shaped us, inside and out,
and you watch everything we do with interest.
No army can guarantee our safety;
the toughest fighter is not invincible.
Pinning our hopes on military might is futile;
brute force cannot make life worth living.
It is you, LORD, who watches over all who respect you;
you, whose love and loyalty give us confidence.
You are our only hope when death closes in;
our only security when times are tough.
We put our trust in you, LORD;
you alone can help and protect us.
Because of you, our hearts are bursting with joy;
your name stands out and fills us with confidence.
Surround us with your love, LORD.
We’ve pinned all our hopes on you
and on your rock-solid love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us.
The worlds were created by your word
and the heavens testify that you are just.
Through your law and prophets
you called your people from their hypocrisy,
refusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers
until we showed a willingness to obey you.
Through Jesus Christ, your child and our saviour,
you called us to travel lightly
as strangers and foreigners on the earth,
putting our hopes in you alone
and always ready to welcome your future.
When he was killed by those
whose hands were full of blood,
you raised him to new life
so that he might prepare a new world
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you are preparing a heavenly city
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for it is your good pleasure to open the Kingdom to us.
The worlds were created by your word
and the heavens testify that you are just.
Through your law and prophets
you called your people from their hypocrisy,
refusing to accept our offerings or hear our prayers
until we showed a willingness to obey you.
Through Jesus Christ, your child and our saviour,
you called us to travel lightly
as strangers and foreigners on the earth,
putting our hopes in you alone
and always ready to welcome your future.
When he was killed by those
whose hands were full of blood,
you raised him to new life
so that he might prepare a new world
for those who put their faith in your promises,
giving away their riches on earth
and treasuring heaven in their hearts.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God is not ashamed to be called your God.
Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be like snow;
though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now like those prepared for the Lord to return.
Cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed.
Give freely to those in need
and let your treasure be in the things of heaven
And may God not be ashamed to be called your God;
May Christ Jesus find you attentive and well prepared;
And may the Holy Spirit give you the assurance
of all that has been promised to you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

What Keeps Us Going?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Overriding the Operating SystemA sermon on Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan Nettleton

No More Bull!A sermon on Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20 by Nathan Nettleton

What is Faith?A sermon on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Faithful FaithA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 & Luke 12: 32-40 by Nathan Nettleton

Faith as Medicine for Sick WorldA sermon on Isaiah 1:10-20; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 & Luke 12:32-40 by Nathan Nettleton

ImaginationA sermon on Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 & Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20 by Jody Kilpatrick

God the Waiter, God the ThiefA sermon on Luke 12:32-40 by Karen Quah

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 5: 1-7

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

Psalm 80: 1-2, 8-19

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

Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2

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

Luke 12: 49-56

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

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

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

Jeremiah 23: 23-29

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

Psalm 82

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 1: 4-10

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

Psalm 71: 1-6

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

Hebrews 12: 18-29

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

Luke 13: 10-17

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

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

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

Isaiah 58: 9b-14

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

Psalm 103: 1-8

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 2: 4-13

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

Psalm 81: 1, 10-16

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

Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16

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

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

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

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

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

Sirach 10: 12-18

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

OR Proverbs 25: 6-7

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

Psalm 112

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 2: 4-13

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

Psalm 81: 1, 10-16

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

Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16

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

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

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

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

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

Sirach 10: 12-18

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

OR Proverbs 25: 6-7

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

Psalm 112

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 18: 1-11

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

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

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

Philemon 1-21

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

Luke 14: 25-33

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20

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

Psalm 1

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Feast of the Holy Cross
2028-09-14 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Numbers 21: 4b-9

As they travelled, the people began losing the plot and mouthing off against God and Moses. They were whinging, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt if we are just going to die out here in the desert? There is no food. There is no water. And we can’t stand this lousy stuff we’ve got to eat.”
At that, the LORD let loose some dangerous snakes among the people. The snakes had a fiery venom and many people were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him, saying, “We were wrong to mouth off against the LORD and against you. Please ask the LORD to get rid of the poisonous snakes that are plaguing us.”
So Moses prayed for the the people, and the LORD spoke to him, saying, “Make a statue of a poisonous snake, and set it up on a pole where the people can see it. Whenever anyone is bitten, they are to look at the statue of the snake, and they will survive.”
So Moses made a snake out of bronze, and set it up on a pole. Whenever anyone was bitten by one of the snakes with the fiery venom, they would fix their gaze on the bronze snake, and they would live.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98: 1-5

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 1: 18-24

The message about the cross sounds like a lot of mindless cock-and-bull to those who have thrown their lot in with this present world order and are going down with the ship. But to those of us who are being saved from that, it is nothing less than the power of God! God spoke about this in the Scriptures:
“I will expose the brilliant insights of your experts
and the wise counsel of your gurus;
I will expose them for what they really are,
a load of codswallop!”
So where are the intellectuals now? Where are the religious experts? Where are those who have an answer for everything? What have they got to show for all their cleverness now that God has turned all the conventional wisdom on its head and made it look foolish? Seeing that no amount of human cleverness had ever woken anybody up to God’s ways, God made the wise decision to use something that seemed utterly foolish to everyone — our preaching! — to rescue those who would trust the message. Most people want something more than this. Those with a religious world view demand to see miraculous signs to prove that it is from God. Those with a modern rational world view insist that it should have to prove its intellectual credibility. But what we are preaching is a Messiah who was strung up and killed. The religious people find this unthinkable, and the intellectuals regard it as primitive nonsense; but to those who have heard the call of God, whatever their background, it is the ultimate good news of God’s chosen one — as miraculous and profound as one could ever wish for!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 3: 13-17

Jesus said:
“No one has ever gone up and stood face to face with God. The only one who has done that is the New Human, the one who came from God in the first place. You know the old story from the desert: the one about Moses lifting up the hand-made snake so that the people could look at something that would help them to focus their trust in God. Well, the New Human is going to be lifted up for much the same reason. Everyone who looks up to him in trust and hope will receive life without limit.
“God’s love for the world is so overwhelming that even giving up his own son was not too great a cost to ensure that no one need succumb to death. All those who put their trust in him can have boundless life instead.
“God didn’t put his son’s life on the line merely to bring down the hammer and pass sentence on us. Rather, God saw the world in desperate trouble and sent the Son on a cosmic rescue mission.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Sermons

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28

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

Psalm 14

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

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

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

Luke 15: 1-10

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

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

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

Exodus 32: 7-14

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

Psalm 51: 1-10

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

HomecomingA sermon on Luke 15.1–10 by Jason Goroncy

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

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28

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

Psalm 14

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

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

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

Luke 15: 1-10

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

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

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

Exodus 32: 7-14

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

Psalm 51: 1-10

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1

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

Psalm 79: 1-9

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

1 Timothy 2: 1-7

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

Luke 16: 1-13

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

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

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

Amos 8: 4-7

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

Psalm 113

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1

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

Psalm 79: 1-9

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

1 Timothy 2: 1-7

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

Luke 16: 1-13

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

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

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

Amos 8: 4-7

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

Psalm 113

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15

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

Psalm 91: 1-6, 14-16

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

1 Timothy 6: 6-19

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

Luke 16: 19-31

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

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

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

Amos 6: 1a, 4-7

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

Psalm 146

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

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

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

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

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

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

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

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

Commission & Benediction

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

Sermons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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