2nd Sunday of Christmas
2031-01-05 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 31: 7-14

This is what the LORD has to say:
Sing and celebrate with God’s people.
Raise the shout for the number one nation.
Broadcast the news and give due credit,
for I, the LORD, have come to save my people,
the few who have remained faithful.
See, I am going to bring them home from across the border.
I will gather them from the ends of the earth.
I won’t only bring the strong and agile ones,
but the blind and the crippled,
the one’s who are heavily pregnant
and those with small children clinging to their ankles.
I will bring them all back here,
the whole mob of them.
There will be floods of tears as they return,
but I will reassure them and lead them home.
I will make sure there are refreshments available along the route,
and that the road is clear and easy to follow,
for I have made these people my own children,
and I love them as my one and only.
Listen to what I, the LORD, have to say, you nations of the world,
and pass it on across the land and over the seas.
Let everyone know that the one who scattered Israel
is gathering them back together
like a farmer bringing his flocks in to safety.
You see; I, the LORD, have bailed out my people.
I freed them when the odds were stacked against them.
They will come and gather here at the city heights
to sing out loud.
When they see what I have prepared for them,
they won’t be able to wipe the smiles off their faces.
What a feast I will spread before them:
breads and wines and every delicacy,
the finest meats, cooked to perfection.
And it will go on forever!
Like a well watered garden,
their lives will go on and on flourishing.
They will break out into joyous dancing,
men and women, young and old, celebrating together.
I will replace their grief with a thousand reasons to smile.
I will comfort them, and turn their tears to laughter.
All of them, priests and people, will eat their fill
and be more than satisfied with what I provide.
I, the LORD, have given my word on this.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sirach 24: 1-12 (alternative 1st reading)

Wisdom outlines her own credentials,
and tells her people of her glorious deeds.
In front of those assembled by the Most High God, she speaks freely,
telling God’s gathered crowd of her accomplishments.
“I was breathed into existence by God Most High,
and I covered the earth like a rolling mist.
I lived at large in the skies,
and my throne was in the pillar of cloud.
I covered the entire universe in my travels,
from the outer reaches of space to the bowels of the earth.
I held sway over everything on the planet,
from the waves of the sea to the peoples and nations.
Everywhere, I searched for a place where I would be at home.
Whose land should should I settle down in?
“Then the One who created everything gave me an order.
My Creator told me where to roll out my swag.
God said, ‘Go and settle in the land of Israel.
There you will receive what I have prepared for you.’
God created me at the beginning, before time began,
and I will go on forever, from age to age.
I served the Creator in the sacred tent of worship,
and took my place in the Temple on Mount Zion.
God gave me a place to settle in the beloved city.
Yes, Jerusalem became my home town.
I put down roots among an honoured people,
among the chosen ones who belong to the Lord.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 147: 12-20

Your chosen city gives you all the glory, LORD;
the people sing your praises from your sacred mountain!
You a like a wall of safety around the city,
and you see that our children grow up healthy and happy.
You give us peace in our own land,
and good crops to keep us well fed.
You give orders to the earth itself,
and your word is quickly acted upon.
When you say “Blazing Sun”, the shadows shrink to nothing;
when you say “Dry”, the trees wither to brown.
When you say “Heat”, everything begins to melt;
when you say “Fire”, it all goes up in smoke.
When you give the word, everything greens up again;
your breath comes like a cool change;
the rains return and the creeks flow once more.
You broadcast your message to your people,
and spell out the standards of justice you want us to live by.
It is a privilege to know your ways,
for not everyone has been given such inside information.
LORD, we sing your praises!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Wisdom of Solomon 10: 15-21 (alternative canticle)

Lord, your Holy Spirit of Wisdom
rescued your dedicated and innocent people
from the nation who had oppressed them.
She got inside the heart and mind of your servant, Moses,
and enabled him to stand up to a dangerous king
with an awesome display of your power.
She rewarded the labour of your dedicated people.
She guided them along the best route through the wilderness.
She sheltered them from the heat of the sun,
and lit up the night sky above them.
She got them across the Red Sea,
leading them safely through the deep waters.
But she drowned their enemies,
and the sea spewed up their bodies on the shore.
And so, the people who were in the right
carried off the belongings of those in the wrong.
They sang songs in your honour, Lord,
singing your praises as one,
naming you as their defender.
Indeed, Wisdom gave voice to the mute
and the gift of speech to newborn infants,
so that all could join in singing your praises.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Ephesians 1: 3-14

Blessed be God! All praise and honour be to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has gathered up all the spiritual blessings of heaven and given them to us in our union with Christ. This followed on from decisions that God had made even before laying the foundations of the world. Way back then, God was anticipating our arrival and laying down plans for us. God was getting ready to immerse us in divine love so that we would emerge ready, willing and able to dedicate our lives totally to God.
God set the wheels in motion for us to be adopted as his own children. This was to be done through Jesus Christ, because God takes great delight in doing such things through him. God wanted his beloved Son to get all the credit for the boundless love that was being lavished on us. Christ paid the ultimate price, shedding his own blood in his endeavour to reclaim us for God’s family. Given how often we’d turned our backs on God, he could easily have given up on us, but he was so extravagant in his love and reckless in his generosity that he just forgave us for everything and put his life on the line to save us.
God, who can see and understand perfectly what we could never comprehend, has let us in on the mystery of the divine plan. God took great delight in opening this up and giving us a preview in Christ. This is how it will unfold when the time is right: God will unify all things into one perfect communion in Christ, reconciling everything, from the depths of the earth to the farthest reaches of heaven.
In Christ we are identified as God’s beneficiaries and our future is secured. God’s plans always find a way, and right from the word go we have been a part of those plans. This was to ensure that we, being the first people to throw in our lot with Christ, would be able to live lives that clearly reflected the wonderful goodness of God. It didn’t stop with us though — you’re in on this too! The message of God’s rescue mission reached you, and once you realized it was fair dinkum and put your trust in Christ, you became part of him, just like us. At that moment your future was signed and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Now you know it will be delivered! Everything planned for God’s people will be yours — a life overflowing with the glory and splendour of God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 1: (1-9), 10-18

At the very start, there was one who is called the Word.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
From day one, God and the Word were inseparable.
It was through the Word that everything was created.
There is absolutely nothing that doesn’t owe its existence to him.
In the Word was life.
He is the source of the life
that turns on the lights for everyone.
The light of his life breaks open the darkness,
and the darkness could not snuff it out.
Once there was a man on a mission from God;
his name was John.
John gave a first-hand report about the light,
spelling it out so that everyone could believe.
He wasn’t the light, himself,
but he made it his job to draw everyone’s attention to the light.
The real light was on his way into the world;
the light that lights up inside of everyone.
He was in the world
but the world didn’t even notice him
even though it owed its existence to him.
He turned up on his own planet, among those he created,
but his own people turned their backs on him.
Some people accepted him, though,
and put their trust in who he said he was
and what he said he was on about.
He gave to those people all they needed
to become children of God.
Becoming God’s children had nothing to do
with sperm and egg,
or three-stage labour;
they became God’s children
when they were born of God.
The Word, though, was born flesh and blood like everyone else.
He cast in his lot with us
and rolled out his swag in our midst.
We have seen him in all his glory,
like father, like son;
warm and generous to a fault,
solid and true to the core.
John was blowing his trumpet the minute he turned up:
“This is the one I was telling you about,” he said.
“Second to me only by the clock:
he’s way out of my league – always was, always will be.”
We are the beneficiaries of his open-handed love;
from the depths of his being
the gifts tumble forth in wild profusion.
Moses gave us some basic operating instructions,
but it was through Jesus Christ that life broke through
in all its richness, passion and integrity.
No one has ever found out what God looks like,
but that’s no obstacle to getting to know God.
The one who is closest to God’s heart,
the one and only Son,
has put God within reach of us all.
©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 freely bestowed your glorious grace on us.
In the beginning you brought all things into being
through the Word who was with you,
and destined us for adoption as your children,
making known the mysteries of your will,
through the law and prophets.
In Jesus, your Word became flesh among us,
that the fullness of your grace and truth
might enlighten the world.
Though he came to what was his own,
his own people did not accept him,
but crucified him.
You redeemed him from the strong hands of death,
and turned our grieving into joy.
So now, as those you have marked with your Holy Spirit,
we live for the praise of your glory,
our lives like a well nourished garden
and our hearts radiant over your good gifts of bread and wine.
Therefore with .....
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your glorious grace, O God,
for through your beloved Son,
you have given us power to become your children,
and marked us with the seal of your Holy Spirit,
so that we might live for the praise of your glory.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have freely bestowed your glorious grace on us.
In the beginning you brought all things into being
through the Word who was with you,
and destined us for adoption as your children,
making known the mysteries of your will,
through the law and prophets.
In Jesus, your Word became flesh among us,
that the fullness of your grace and truth
might enlighten the world.
Though he came to what was his own,
his own people did not accept him,
but crucified him.
You redeemed him from the strong hands of death,
and turned our grieving into joy.
So now, as those you have marked with your Holy Spirit,
we live for the praise of your glory,
our lives like a well nourished garden
and our hearts radiant over your good gifts.
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

From the fullness of Christ
we have received redemption through his blood.
Our sins are forgiven
according to the riches of his grace lavished upon us.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and bear witness to the light so others might believe.
Since you are chosen in Christ,
live before him in love, holy and blameless.
Live with hope in Christ, for the praise of his glory.
And may God fill the earth with peace;
May Christ give you grace upon grace from his fullness;
And may the Holy Spirit, the pledge of your inheritance,
lead you on straight paths where you will not stumble.
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.

Becoming FleshA sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1:1-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Where did he come from?A sermon on John 1: 1-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Becoming Flesh, Becoming GodA sermon on John 1:1-18 & Ephesians 1: 3-14 by Nathan Nettleton

A Christmas TsunamiA sermon preached in response to the South Asia Tsunami disaster by Nathan Nettleton

The Baby Who Brings Us HomeA sermon on Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1: 1-18 by Nathan Nettleton

God gives us a futureA sermon on John 1:1-18 and Jeremiah 31:7-14 by Alison Sampson

God’s economy of salvationA sermon on Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14 & John 1: 1-18 by Jeff Wild

2nd Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-01-19 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 62:1-5

Jerusalem, I will speak out on you behalf;
I will stick to my guns and not shut up
until your name has been cleared in public
and you shine like the blazing sun at dawn,
safe and secure and radiant.
Jerusalem, the nations and governments around you
will all see that the LORD is on your side.
You will stand tall before them,
and take pride in the new name that God will give you.
You will be like a badge of honour to your God,
a gold medal hung around the LORD’s neck.
Never again will you be called “the reject”;
no more will your land be called “God-forsaken”.
Instead you will be called “the love of my life”;
and your land will be called “God’s own country”,
because the LORD sees the good in you,
and is committed to living with you for better or for worse.
Just like an eager young couple
giving themselves to one another in marriage,
so will you and your creator be united.
In the same way that they fall madly in love,
so will you and your God fill each other with joy.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 36:5-10

You unwavering love fills the universe, LORD;
your loyalty is as timeless as the milky way.
Your passion for doing right
is as solid as the mountain ranges;
your understanding of us
is as deep as the oceans.
You set out to save the lives of every creature, LORD,
and no one – not man nor woman,
not bird nor beast – is left out of your care.
Your love, O God, is our greatest treasure!
You keep a place for everyone
under the shelter of your wings.
You invite all who come to feast at your table;
the wine of your love flows like a river
and no one’s glass is allowed to run dry.
Life bursts forth from you like a fountain;
light shines from you and lights up our world.
Don’t ever give up on us, LORD;
keep loving all who trust you,
keep rescuing all whose hearts are in the right place.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sisters and brothers, let me talk to you about spiritual gifts. There is a lot of confusion about these things, so I want to make sure that you know what needs to be known. You’ll remember how confusing it was before you began following Christ - you were easy prey to those who make all kinds of claims and promises in order to seduce people into making gods out of material things. I want to make sure you’re not easily sucked in again, so I’ll try to make these things clear. A good rule of thumb is this: if someone says, “Bugger Jesus!” then you can bet your bottom dollar that they’re not getting their ideas from the Spirit of God. By the same token, if you hear people say, “For better or for worse, we’ll do what Jesus wants,” you can take it as read that they couldn’t have said that if the Holy Spirit was not a force in their lives.
When it comes to spiritual abilities, there is a huge variety, but you can trace them all to the same Spirit. There are all sorts of different ways of doing the Lord’s work, but it’s the same Lord who is served in all of them. Some people get enthused and energised about one thing, some about another, but it is the same God who fires the passions in both.
The Spirit is at work in everyone, and that work takes shape in each person in a way that will be of benefit to all. In one person you see it expressed in the ability to give wise advise; that ability has been given through the Spirit. In another person you see the ability to draw on a wealth of knowledge for the benefit of others; that too comes from the Spirit. Another person is able to keep trusting God when everyone else starts doubting, and of course faith like that comes from the Spirit. Someone else has a gift that enables them to heal the sick, and you guessed it, the same Spirit again! Someone else can work miracles, someone else can tell you what God wants you to hear. Another has the uncanny ability to discern what sort of spirit is behind whatever’s going on. Another is gifted with the ability to speak strange languages and still another with the ability to translate them. All these gifts, and more still, are triggered off in people by one and the same Spirit. The Spirit takes account of each person’s unique potential and decides accordingly how best to equip them.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 2:1-11

There was a wedding in the town of Cana, in Galilee and Jesus, his mother, and his disciples were all among the invited guests. During the celebrations, disaster struck - the hosts ran out of wine! Mary thought Jesus might be able to do something about it, so she told him, “They’re out of wine.”
Jesus replied, “Mum, the catering is not our job, not yours and not mine. And this is hardly the time for me to be drawing attention to myself!”
But Mary took no notice of him and went and told the drinks waiters to go and ask him for instructions. Now the Jewish people have a special ritual way of washing their hands before eating and so, at the wedding, there were six big stone water tubs provided for that purpose. Each one held about a hundred litres. Jesus pointed them out to the drinks waiters and said, “Top up those tubs with water.”
When they had filled them to the brim, he said to them, “Now, ladle some out into a carafe and take it to the Master of Ceremonies.”
They did as he said. When the MC tasted the water that had become wine, he was impressed. The waiters knew where it had come from, but the MC had no idea. He called the bridegroom and said to him, “You’ve got it all back to front. You’re supposed to serve your best wines first up. Once everyone’s had a skinful you can bring out the cheap stuff and they’ll never know the difference. But you’ve waited until everyone’s legless, and now you’re pulling the cork on the pick of the cellar!”
This action by Jesus took place in Cana of Galilee. It was the first indicator Jesus gave that he wasn’t just anybody. It gave people a glimpse of his glory, and it convinced his disciples that he was for real.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you give yourself to us in marriage
and intoxicate us with the wine of your love.
You created everything: skies, mountains and seas,
and filled the universe with your justice and faithful love.
You chose for yourself a beloved people
and in them the light of your salvation dawned for all nations.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us
to gather all people under the warmth of your wings.
Sharing with us our joys and sorrows,
he brought forth new gifts in us
when we thought we had run dry.
When his hour had come,
he was cursed and killed,
but you raised him to life again
and through him, filled us with the wine of your Spirit,
equipping each one of us with gifts
to be used in your service for the common good.
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 gathers us under the warmth of your wings,
fills us with the wine of your love,
and sends to us your Spirit to equip us with gifts
to be used in your service for the common good.
©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 give yourself to us in marriage
and intoxicate us with the wine of your love.
You created everything: skies, mountains and seas,
and filled the universe with your justice and faithful love.
You chose for yourself a beloved people
and in them the light of your salvation dawned for all nations.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ, among us
to gather all people under the warmth of your wings.
Sharing with us our joys and sorrows,
he brought forth new gifts in us
when we thought we had run dry.
When his hour had come,
he was cursed and killed,
but you raised him to life again
and through him, filled us with the wine of your Spirit,
equipping each one of us with gifts
to be used in your service for the common good.
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’s mercy spans the sky
and our salvation lights up like the dawn.
Seek shelter under the warmth of God’s wings,
for the Lord embraces all life in tender mercy.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, with your trust in Christ
who has quenched your thirst with the wine of God’s love.
Do not be silent about God’s faithful love,
but shelter in the warmth of God’s wings
and keep your hearts honest.
And may God rejoice over you and call you “My Delight”;
May Christ Jesus bring out the best in you, to his glory;
And may the Spirit equip you all with gifts for the common good.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

Transformed by LoveA sermon on Isaiah 62.1-5; Psalm 36.5-10 & John 2.1-11 by Garry Deverell

Getting It All Back To FrontA sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 & John 2:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

The WeddingA sermon on John 2:1-11 by Ian Cook

Gifts for the Common GoodA sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 by Alison Sampson

Looking for a signA sermon on Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 John 2:1-11 & 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 by Samara Pitt

The Wedding SignerA sermon on John 2:1-11 by Margie Dahl

Enough and So Much MoreA sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 & John 2:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

3rd Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-01-26 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Nehemiah 8: 1-3,5-6,8-10

(The people of Jerusalem had returned home from exile and rebuilt the walls of the city.) On the first day of the seventh month they all gathered in the park near the Water Gate. Ezra, the Bible teacher, was there. At the people’s request, Ezra brought out a copy of the book of the law of Moses. The people wanted him to read out the teachings that the LORD had given to Israel. They set up a stage for Ezra to stand on and all the people gathered around – men, women and all the children who were old enough to make sense of it. Early in the morning Ezra took his place on the stage, opened the book of the law and began reading it to the crowd. When he opened the book, everybody stood up in honour of what they were about to hear. Ezra read non-stop until lunch time, and all the people paid close attention to everything they heard from the law. When Ezra had finished reading, he stood up and led the people in a prayer, giving thanks to the LORD, the great God. The people raised their hands in prayer and responded saying, “Yes, LORD! Amen!” Then they all dropped to their knees and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
So in this way the people were brought up to speed with all that was contained in the book of God’s law. A number of other Bible teachers were on hand to move among the crowd and explain things to people so that everyone could understand what was being read. As the teachings began to sink in, many people began sobbing as they realised how far Israel had strayed from the law of the LORD. Seeing their distress, Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest, and the other Bible teachers addressed the crowd, saying:
“This is a special day, dedicated to the LORD your God. This is not a day for mourning and crying but for celebration. Go home and party! Indulge yourselves with good food and fine wine, and share some with those who don’t have enough. This is how we should celebrate a day dedicated to the LORD. So cheer up! Celebrate the LORD who makes us strong!”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 19

Your glory is written in the sky, God;
your artistry is carved on the face of the earth.
From one day to another, the message passes on,
and each night puts the next one in the know.
Not a word is spoken,
not a sound do they make;
yet their silence reverberates around the earth
and their unspoken message echoes from pole to pole.
You made the sun at home flying across the sky.
It takes to its task with the eagerness of a bridegroom;
as exultant as an athlete breasting the tape.
As your messenger, God, it does its rounds,
from one end of the sky to the other,
warming everything in its path.
Your revealed will is right on the mark, LORD;
it gives our souls their second wind.
What you says goes,
and any fool can wise up by taking note.
Your instructions are spot on, LORD;
anyone who follows them will be glad they did.
What you direct us to do is easy to see,
and once seen, everything become clear.
Respect for you keeps us true, LORD,
nothing can corrupt it, now or ever.
What you decide is always accurate;
a fair ruling, beyond dispute.
Your Word is worth far more
than even diamond encrusted gold!
It is sweeter by far
than any mouth watering delicacy,
even chocolate dipped strawberries with cream!
But that’s not all!
Your Word, O LORD, keeps me out of danger,
and following it pays off richly.
Can anyone put their finger on all their own faults?
LORD, eradicate the bugs I haven’t even identified yet.
Remind me not to entertain sour contemptuous thoughts,
and don’t let them start pulling my strings.
Without them, I can stay on course,
and keep my record clean.
That’s what I want, O LORD.
I want all the things I say,
and all the things I mull over in my heart,
to be things I’d be proud to offer to you,
for you are the bedrock of my life;
the one who puts me back where I belong.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a

The Church is a single body - the body of Christ. In some ways it is just like your own body; it is made up of many different parts, each with their own jobs to do, but it is still one body. When we were baptised, we became part of Christ’s body. The Holy Spirit integrated us all into this one body and so now we are first and foremost identified with the body, rather than with our individual characteristics. Whatever your nationality, and whatever your occupation or background, you all tap into the one Spirit for your life, just as all the cells in the body are nourished in the same way through their relationship to the whole.
When you think about this you can see how it means that all of you are important. In a body, every member matters. A foot doesn’t say, “I can’t grip like a hand, so this body doesn’t really need me.” The body still doesn’t want to be without its foot. An ear doesn’t say, “I can’t see like an eye, so I don’t really matter to this body.” The ear is still valued for its own contribution. A body made up only of eyes or of ears wouldn’t be able to do anything. God has carefully designed the body so that every member has its place. Each one has its own job which God has given it for the sake of the whole body and without it the body would be disabled.
This guarantees that each of you have a valued place, but it should also remind you not to get too full of yourselves. No one member can go it alone and if one group tried to limit membership of the body to their own kind, the body would fall apart in no time. It takes all different kinds to make a healthy and whole body. The eye is not going to say to the hand, “Drop off, we can do without you!” Nor is the head going to say to the feet, “I can get around perfectly well without you!” The more you think about it, the more you realise that the opposite is true. The parts of the body that we hardly ever notice often turn out to be the ones we can least do without. How often do you think about your liver? Not often, unless it’s packing up. You can lose both legs and survive, but not your liver.
Just because different parts of the body have a different public profile doesn’t mean they matter more or less. When you get dressed you are careful to cover some parts of your body, while other parts are left uncovered for anyone to see. Just because you are more modest about some parts of your body doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t care if you lost them, does it?! Some parts of the body need to be treated with more care than others; that’s just the way it is. When it’s your own body you hardly have to think about it. You just naturally give a bit more attention to the body parts that need it but it doesn’t mean that don’t care about the rest.
The way God has arranged the human body, then, is a good model for how the Church is to function. Those members who might never do anything that catches anyone’s attention should be valued and honoured, for they are as much a part of the body as anyone else and you’d probably only notice how important their contribution was if they quit. In your body the parts don’t turn on each other. So too in Christ’s body all the members are to work cooperatively and to look after each other’s interests. If you break your leg, your whole body suffers. So too, if one member is hurting the whole body needs healing. If one member is honoured, the whole body basks in the glory.
Together then, you are the body of Christ, and individually you are members of it. God has given you each your own job and the whole body depends on you to do it. It might look like some parts matter more than others - you know how it is, apostles get the most attention, and then coming down a rung at a time you find the preachers, the teachers, the wonder workers, the healers, the helpers, the administrators, and those who can pray in strange languages - but the popularity ladder actually tells you no more about the reality of the body than looking at someone’s make-up and clothing can tell you about the functioning of their internal organs. What sort of body would we be if everyone was an apostle? Or a preacher? Or a teacher? If everyone had exactly the same gifts and abilities, the body couldn’t function at all. So, by all means seek to develop your gifts and acquire new ones, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re a nobody if you don’t have the big ticket ones.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 4: 14-21

Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee. He was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and the news about him spread from town to town like wildfire. Wherever he went, he began by teaching in the local synagogue. Soon everyone was talking about him, and in glowing terms.
Before long he came to Nazareth, the town where he had grown up. He turned up at the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was his wont. He was invited to read from the scriptures, and when he stood up, the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He flicked through the pages until he found the relevant section, and then began to read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is working through me,
having picked me out
to deliver good news to the poor.
I have been sent to preach a message;
a message that means freedom for the locked-away,
a message that will open the eyes of those who can’t see.
I have been sent to set free the used and abused,
and to announce that now is God’s chosen time!”
With that he closed the book, handed it back to the attendant, and took his seat. You could have heard a pin drop. Every eye was on him. Then he began to speak again: “All that the prophet meant in this scripture has just been fulfilled, right here, as you heard it read.”
©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 baptised us into one body,
and anointed us to proclaim your reign in all the earth.
The earth and sky, which you created,
proclaim your genius from one day to the next.
The Law you gave through Moses
stands forever to revive the soul and guide the simple.
You sent your Word among us
in the human body of your child, Jesus Christ.
Anointed with your Holy Spirit,
he came with good news for the poor,
and a message of release for the captives,
sight for the blinded,
and freedom for the oppressed.
He was killed by the proud and powerful,
but you raised him to new life
and made us all members of his body
so that with all our gifts working as one,
we might fulfil your mission in all the world.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks , O God,
for you have baptised us into one body in Christ,
so that with all our gifts working as one,
we might announce your good news of freedom and healing
and proclaim your reign in all the earth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have baptised us into one body,
and anointed us to proclaim your reign in all the earth.
The earth and sky, which you created,
proclaim your genius from one day to the next.
The Law you gave through Moses
stands forever to revive the soul and guide the simple.
You sent your Word among us
in the human body of your child, Jesus Christ.
Anointed with your Holy Spirit,
he came with good news for the poor,
and a message of release for the captives,
sight for the blinded,
and freedom for the oppressed.
He was killed by the proud and powerful,
but you raised him to new life
and made us all members of his body
so that with all our gifts working as one,
we might fulfil your mission in all the world.
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 faults hide within us, God is merciful.
Through Jesus Christ, our saviour, the grip of pride is broken
and we are forgiven and freed from the guilt of sin.
God’s good grace will save you and keep you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and live as one body in Christ.
Be at peace, and care for one another;
Suffer with one another and rejoice with one another.
Give your attention to the Word of God
and proclaim the good news of freedom to all.
And may God delight your heart and sharpen your vision;
May Christ Jesus keep you, thought and word, in his grace;
And may the Holy Spirit be the fountain that sustains you all
and binds you together as one.
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 Voice that Speaks through the BookA sermon on Luke 4:14-21 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 by Nathan Nettleton

Bodies, Churches and CountriesA sermon on Luke 4:14-21 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 by Nathan Nettleton

(Up)setting the AgendaA sermon on Luke 4:14-21 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 by Nathan Nettleton

From little things big things growA sermon on Luke 4:14-21 & 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 by Roslyn Wright

The Apostle Paul’s Pandemic EconomicsA sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 by Nathan Nettleton

The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord
2031-02-02 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Malachi 3: 1-4

The LORD who rules over everything has this to say:
“Look, I am sending my own messenger to get things ready for my arrival. Then, all of a sudden, the Lord you have been looking for will turn up in the temple. You have been longing to see the messenger who will come to put my promises on the table. Well, he’s coming alright. But will anyone be able to cope with him when he does? Will anyone be able to stand firm in his presence?
You see, he’ll be like a bush fire that clears all the debris from the forest floor, or like paint stripper that takes a surface back to bare metal. He will tear through the whole family of priests and burn away the rubbish once and for all, until they shine like pure polished gold. Then they’ll do what they are supposed to do and bring the right kind of offerings to the LORD. That way the offerings of the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to God again, just like they were in the past.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 84 (alternative canticle)

The place where you live is just exquisite,
O LORD, ruler of all!
With everything inside me, I long to be there;
I go all weak at the very thought of it.
I want to be there, body and soul,
singing my heart out for you, O God of life.
Even the birds find a home in your house;
there are nests in every nook and cranny
where pigeons and sparrows raise their young.
Bird song and incense rise together
to honour you, Sovereign God, ruler of all.
How privileged are those who live in your house;
joyous songs of praise are forever on their lips.
Those who have tapped into your strength
have got it made.
The highway to heaven begins within them;
a direct route to your holy presence.
They are like people who can find water in the desert;
they drink from life giving springs
that no drought can ever dry up.
They go from strength to strength,
and will see you face to face on your holy mountain.
O LORD, ruler of everything, hear my cry.
Tune in to my prayer, O God of our ancestors.
Your presence is our protection, O God;
smile upon us, your chosen ones.
A day spent in your presence
beats a thousand nights in a five star resort.
I’d rather scrub floors in your house, O God,
than rub shoulders with the rich and famous
beneath the flashing lights of greed and corruption.
O LORD our God, you are the sun that shines on us
and the shield that keeps us safe.
You shower us with generosity and honour,
and deny nothing to people of integrity.
O LORD, ruler of all,
everyone who trusts in you has got it made!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 24: 7-10 (alternative canticle)

We hear the call:
“Wake up! On your feet!
Open the gates and form a guard of honour!
Roll out the red carpet
before the glorious sovereign.”
Who is this majestic ruler?
It is you, LORD, supreme and dynamic,
the conqueror of conflict.
We hear it again:
“Wake up! On your feet!
Open the gates and form a guard of honour!
Roll out the red carpet
before the glorious sovereign.”
Who is this majestic ruler?
It is you, the LORD who rules over everything.
This majestic ruler is you, our God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 2: 14-18

For Jesus to share so fully in the life experience of the children, he had to be of the same flesh and blood as them. It was only in the same flesh and blood that he could go through the same death; and it was in going through death that he destroyed the devil who wields death as his ultimate weapon. That is how he broke open an escape route for those whose fear of death robbed them of their freedom to live. Now it is quite clear that he wasn’t doing this for the benefit of the angels. Rather it was for us human beings, who follow in the footsteps of Abraham, and so he had to become one of us in every respect. Only by being totally identified with us could he have the necessary compassion and loyalty to be the high priest who offers the costly gift to God to cancel out all we have done wrong. Because he himself has survived the worst that life can dish out without giving up, he is now ideally placed to help out those whose limits are being being put to the test.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: 22-40

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary went up to the Jerusalem temple to undergo the purification ritual required by the religious law. They took Jesus with them, and offered the sacrifice which the religious law required of new parents. In their case, because they could not afford much, the required sacrifice was “a pair of young pigeons or doves.” While they were at the Temple, they took the opportunity to make the ritual presentation of the baby to the Lord. This too was in line with God’s law, for it specified that “every firstborn son will be marked out as being dedicated to the Lord.”
A man named Simeon came into the temple that day at the prompting of the Spirit. Simeon was a man of deep integrity and prayer; a man clearly under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He was living in eager anticipation of the day when the sorrows of God’s people would be brought to an end, and the Holy Spirit had let him know that he would see the Lord’s chosen Messiah in person before he died. So when Joseph and Mary brought the child into the temple to do all the customary things that the law required, Simeon was there. He took Jesus in his arms, and began to praise God in prayer, saying:
“At last you are letting your servant go in peace, Lord,
just as you promised you would.
For now, with my own eyes,
I have seen your rescue operation underway.
I have seen the launch of the life you have been preparing
in the midst of the world and its peoples.
I have seen the light which will make you known to the nations,
the light which will have your people basking in glory.”
The parents couldn’t believe their ears when they heard what was being said about their child. Simeon gave them both a blessing, and spoke to the child’s mother, Mary, saying, “This child is destined to be the making or breaking of many people in Israel. He will be a sign of what God is now up to, and many people will turn against him, and thus expose what they are really made of. And as for you, his mother, it will tear your heart out.”
There was also an elderly prophet in the temple that day. Her name was Anna, and she was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was eighty four years old, and had lived as a widow ever since her husband had died after only seven years of marriage. She spent all her time in the temple, worshipping God there, day and night, with prayer and great discipline. As Mary and Joseph presented the child in the temple, Anna came up and began to speak of how wonderful God is. She spoke about the child to all those who were looking forward to the day when everything would be put right again for Jerusalem.
When the family had completed everything that the law of the Lord required of them, they headed back north to Galilee, to their home town of Nazareth. The child grew up strong and healthy, with a wise head on his shoulders, and showing every indication that God was pleased with him.
©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 have allowed us to see the salvation
you have prepared for all peoples.
You are the Lord of heaven’s might
who conquered the chaos
and brought forth the newborn earth.
You taught your people through your law and prophets
to present themselves and their offspring to you
to be purified and made holy for your service.
In your child, Jesus, you shared our flesh and blood
and became like us in every way.
As a newborn, he was presented in the temple
and designated as holy to you.
He was recognised by faithful prophets
as the one who would,
through his own suffering and death,
destroy the power of death,
and rise to be a merciful and faithful high priest
who atones for the sins of the people
and frees us from the fear of death.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your child, Jesus,
who was presented to you in your temple
and designated as the holy one
who would serve as a merciful and faithful high priest
and, through his own suffering and death,
destroy the power of death forever.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for have allowed us to see the salvation
you have prepared for all peoples.
You are the Lord of heaven’s might
who conquered the chaos
and brought forth the newborn earth.
You taught your people through your law and prophets
to present themselves and their offspring to you
to be purified and made holy for your service.
In your child, Jesus, you shared our flesh and blood
and became like us in every way.
As a newborn, he was presented in the temple
and designated as holy to you.
He was recognised by faithful prophets
as the one who would,
through his own suffering and death,
destroy the power of death,
and rise to be a merciful and faithful high priest
who atones for the sins of the people
and frees us from the fear of death.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus became like us in every way,
so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest
making a sacrifice of atonement
for the sins of the people.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, for the Lord is dismissing you in peace.
Present yourselves to God
to be purified and made holy to the Lord.
Rejoice in the presence of God
who never fails to bless those who walk with integrity.
And may God be pleased with all you offer;
May Christ Jesus help you whenever you are tested;
And may the Holy Spirit purify you with refining fire
and give you honour and grace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

What Now?A sermon on Luke 2: 22-40 by Nathan Nettleton

The Gift of BelongingA sermon on Luke 2: 22-40 by Alison Sampson

4th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-02-02 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

Our spiritual gifts are not the most important thing.
I could have the gift of the gab;
I could speak like a news reader
or pray in the language of angels;
but if I don’t love
it would be a waste of breath;
as meaningless as a blast of static.
I could have the gift of prophesy,
the ability to speak God’s word into any situation;
I could have the gift of knowledge and insight;
the ability to get my head around God’s mysteries
and make them clear to everyone else;
I could have the gift of earth-shattering faith,
faith that reduces mountains to molehills;
I could have all this and more,
but if I was devoid of love,
I’d still be a waste of space.
I could give away everything I owned
and burn myself out in the fight for justice;
I could throw my body in front of an oncoming tank
to prove my passion for peace;
but if I do it all without love,
I’ll have achieved precisely nothing.
Love is willing to hang in there for the long haul;
Love is always ready to do something for someone else;
Love does not begrudge others their success;
nor flaunt its own.
Love is not arrogant or rude,
it doesn’t force its own agendas
and trample others down in the process.
Love does not spit the dummy over every little thing
or hold grudges and dream of revenge.
Love takes no pleasure in dishonesty, however daring;
but it is the first to celebrate truth and integrity.
Love holds firm under pressure,
keeps believing the best of others,
maintains its hope when all seems lost,
and toughs it out, no matter what.
Love is forever!
The gift of prophecy will reach its use-by date,
speaking in strange tongues will have had its day;
all our knowledge will be useless and forgotten.
What we know now is a mere drop in the ocean,
and even prophets can tell us only a little of God.
But the time is coming when everything will be made whole,
and these things that are less than whole
will all be over and done with.
When we were children, it was okay to speak like children,
to think and behave in immature ways;
but sooner or later we’ve got to grow up,
we’ve got to grow beyond those childish limits.
All our present attempts to make out God’s truth
are like trying to see under water with the naked eye.
But the time is coming when it will snap into focus,
when we’ll stand face to face with the fullness of truth.
Now we know only a fraction – then we’ll know it all;
God will be known to us as well as we’re known to God.
There are only three things we have now that will last forever —
faith, hope, and love —
and the one that matters most is love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 4:21-30

After reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth, Jesus addressed the people, saying, “All that the prophet meant in this scripture has just been fulfilled, right here, as you heard it read.”
Everybody was most surprised and impressed by how well Jesus spoke and by the generous spirit of all that he had to say. They began to talk favourably of him among themselves, saying, “Who’d have thought that he was Joseph and Mary’s boy!”
Jesus wasn’t finished though. He spoke up again, saying, “No doubt you’ll soon be using the old saying of me: ‘Let the doctor heal himself first.’ And you’ll start demanding that I do here in my own hometown the things that you’ve heard I have done elsewhere. I’ll tell you this, without a word of a lie: the things prophets have to say never make them popular in their hometowns. That’s the way it has always been. Remember the story of Elijah during the crippling drought that lasted three and a half years. There would have been many widows in Israel at the time, but was Elijah sent to help any of them? No. He was sent instead to a widow at Zarephath, across the border in Sidon. It was the same with his successor. There was no shortage of lepers among the Israelites, but the only leper who was cleansed by Elisha was Naaman, and he was Syrian.”
When the crowd in the synagogue heard this, they went berserk! There was nearly a riot. Jesus was run out of town and he was pretty lucky not to get himself killed. A mob set on him and was going to throw him off the edge of a cliff just outside the town, but he managed to give them the slip and take to the road unharmed.
©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 a safe haven and a tower of strength
and your love will never end.
From the womb of creation you brought forth the earth
and before any of us were born,
you chose us and loved us into life.
You put words in the mouths of your prophets
that we might glimpse your truth, if only in part.
Fulfilling the words of the prophets,
your child Jesus came,
and in him we have seen you face to face.
When his passion would not be tamed,
his own people were filled with rage
and handed him over to be killed,
but you raised him back to life.
Now and forever, his love bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,
and in his love the wholeness of all things is coming.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you our thanks, O God, for your Son Jesus
in whom we have seen you face to face
Now and forever, his love bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,
and in his love the wholeness of all things is coming.
©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 a safe haven and a tower of strength
and your love will never end.
From the womb of creation you brought forth the earth
and before any of us were born,
you chose us and loved us into life.
You put words in the mouths of your prophets
that we might glimpse your truth, if only in part.
Fulfilling the words of the prophets,
your child Jesus came,
and in him we have seen you face to face.
When his passion would not be tamed,
his own people were filled with rage
and handed him over to be killed,
but you raised him back to life.
Now and forever, his love bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,
and in his love the wholeness of all things is coming.
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’s love is patient and kind, and will not fail you.
The Lord is with you to deliver you.
Through the mercy of Jesus Christ
the Lord has heard you
and is reaching out to save you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now to all to whom God sends you,
and speak whatever words God gives you.
Rejoice in the truth and do not be afraid.
Let all that you do and all that you say
be filled with love, for love never ends.
And may God be with you always to deliver you;
May Christ Jesus put his gracious words in your mouth;
And may the Holy Spirit bring you to completeness in faith, hope 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.

Taking a Risk on LoveA sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 & Luke 4: 21-30 by Nathan Nettleton

Love is AllA sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Marks of the ProphetA sermon on Jeremiah 1: 4-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 & Luke 4: 21-30 by Nathan Nettleton

Love, Because Nothing Else MattersA sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 & Luke 4: 21-30 by Nathan Nettleton

When Familiarity Breeds ContemptA sermon on Luke 4: 21-30 & 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 by Paul Matheson

5th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-02-09 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 6: 1-8, (9-13)

I had a vision of the Lord during the year that King Uzziah died. The Lord was high above, sitting on an imposing throne. The Lord’s presence dwarfed everything else so totally that just the cuffs of his robe filled the temple. Awesome fiery creatures, known as Seraphim, were there, serving the Lord. Each Seraph had three pairs of wings. They used one pair to shield their faces, one to shield their bodies, and the third for flying. They cried out to one another saying:
“Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy is the LORD who rules over everything.
The whole earth is full of God’s glory.”
The sound of their voices shook the place to its foundations, and clouds of smoke billowed through the temple. And I said:
“This is the end of me.
I’ll never get out of here alive.
If I so much as open my mouth
the ugliness inside is exposed for all to see,
and the same could be said of everyone I know;
yet I’ve stumbled into the presence of the Ruler of Heaven.
Here I am, naked before the all-consuming
holiness of the LORD!”
Then one of the seraphim flew right up to me carrying a pair of tongs in which it held a red hot coal – straight from the fire on the altar. The seraph touched my mouth with the glowing coal and said:
“Look! This holy fire has touched your lips.
Your sinfulness is forgiven.
Your slate is wiped clean.”
After this I heard the voice of the Lord saying
“Is there someone I can send?
Is there anyone who will go on our behalf?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me if you will!”
So the Lord told me to announce this message to the people:
“You can listen all you like, but it will never make sense to you.
You can look and look, but it will still be as clear as mud.”
The Lord gave me further instructions, saying:
“Make these people stubborn and thick-headed!
Make them plug their ears and cover their eyes,
so that they can’t see or hear or understand,
so they won’t wake up to themselves
and turn to me and be healed.”
“How long will it be like this, Lord?” I asked, and the Lord replied:
“Until everything has been destroyed.
Until the cities are uninhabitable,
the houses deserted,
and the land laid waste;
Until I have sent everyone off as refugees,
and there is nothing left but scorched earth.
Even if ten percent survive,
the land will be burned again.
But just as there are seeds that only germinate
after the bushfire has destroyed everything else,
so too will the few who are dedicated to me
bear the seed of new life.”
©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

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11

My friends, let me spell out the guts of the message I’ve been preaching one more time. This is the message which you welcomed so eagerly and gladly put your names to. It is the message through which your lives are being saved, assuming of course, that your faith has got sticking power and wasn’t just a flash in the pan. What a waste that would have been!
In my preaching I passed on to you the really crucial stuff, exactly as it had been told to me. Let me recite it again:
The Messiah died to deal with our sins,
backing up what the scriptures say.
After three days in the grave, he was raised to life,
backing up what the scriptures say.
He appeared alive to Peter,
and then to his closest followers.
He also appeared to a gathering
of more than five hundred of his followers.
Of those who saw him, only a few have since died;
most are still alive to tell the story.
He spent some time with James
and the others he had picked out
to be the leaders of his church.
At the end of the line – like the perpetual late-comer I am – I too was privileged to have him appear to me. If anyone deserved to be left out, it was me and I have certainly never deserved my place among the leaders of his church because I spent my early years trying to wipe God’s church out of existence. But God is extremely generous and has made me what I am. I’ve driven myself hard to make sure that God’s investment in me was not wasted. I reckon I’ve been the hardest worker on the team, although I can’t really take the credit when it is actually God who is so generously working through me. It makes no difference which of us God was using at the time. Whether you heard it from me or from them, what matters is that you heard the message we were preaching and that you put your trust in what we had to say.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 5: 1-11

One day Jesus was on the beach at Lake Galilee. There was a crowd hanging on his every word, eager to hear God’s message, and he was getting a bit cramped for space as they pressed in around him. He spotted a couple of fishing boats pulled up on the beach, so he went and spoke with the crew who were scrubbing down their fishing tackle at the end of their shift. The skipper of one of the boats, a man named Simon, agreed to put his boat out a few metres off the beach and let Jesus continue teaching the people from the bow of the boat. When he had finished speaking to the crowd, Jesus said to Simon, “How about some fishing? Head off shore and we’ll put the nets down for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Look here, Boss. We’ve been busting a gut out there all night and what have we caught? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! But hey, if you say put the nets down, you’re the boss. I’ll put the nets down.”
Well, you wouldn’t read about it! They had the most unbelievable catch – more fish than their nets could handle. They called for help from their mates in the other boat, but the size of the catch weighed down both boats so low that they were beginning to take on water over the sides. Simon Peter just looked at Jesus and sank to his knees. “Don’t come near me, Lord,” he said. “Leave me alone. I’m a godless sort of a mongrel, and I can’t handle the company of the likes of you.”
He and all his mates were completely unnerved by what had happened, because they knew that this was no natural catch of fish. James and John, Simon’s partners who ran the other boat for their father Zebedee, were feeling exactly the same way. But Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t worry, there’s no need to panic. If you think that was really something, just wait. From now on you’ll be bringing in people, not fish.”
They pulled their boats back up onto the beach and left them where they lay. They turned their backs on everything and followed Jesus.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your love and fidelity last forever
and you entrust to us the news of your grace and salvation.
From the deep waters of chaos
you brought forth the earth, bursting with life,
and through your prophets and apostles
you have made known the glory of your name
and your promise.
In your child, Jesus Christ,
you have touched us with your mercy,
and in the fire of your holiness
you have consumed our impurity.
Although Jesus was killed
by those whose eyes and ears are closed,
you did not abandon him to the grave,
but raised him to life on the third day.
Appearing to more than five hundred of his followers,
he called us to follow him
and to cast wide the net of your love,
gathering in all those in need of your grace.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for the news of salvation in which we stand
for in your Son, Jesus Christ, you have touched us with your mercy,
consuming our impurity in the fire of your holiness,
and sending us to cast wide the net of your love.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your love and fidelity last forever
and you entrust to us the news of your grace and salvation.
From the deep waters of chaos
you brought forth the earth, bursting with life,
and through your prophets and apostles
you have made known the glory of your name
and your promise.
In your child, Jesus Christ,
you have touched us with your mercy,
and in the fire of your holiness
you have consumed our impurity.
Although Jesus was killed
by those whose eyes and ears are closed,
you did not abandon him to the grave,
but raised him to life on the third day.
Appearing to more than five hundred of his followers,
he called us to follow him
and to cast wide the net of your love,
gathering in all those in need of your grace.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord has created you and will not abandon you.
Christ, who died for our sins and was raised again,
has reached out his hand in mercy to save us,
consuming our impurity
in the searing heat of his own holiness.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and forsaking everything else, follow Christ.
By the grace of God, be all you have been called to be,
and cast wide the net of God’s love.
Remind one another of the good news,
and hold firmly to faith that is saving you.
And may God give you a vision of glory;
May Christ Jesus touch you with the fire of mercy;
And may the Holy Spirit hear your prayers and renew your 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.

Are we any use to God?A sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13 & Luke 5: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

What happens if I let God get close to me?A sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13 & Luke 5: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Holy! Holy! Holy!A sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Grace and FearA sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13 & Luke 5: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Love Raised from the DeadA sermon on 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

A Future Alive with HopeA sermon on Luke 5: 1-11 by Alison Sampson

Are We Of Any Use?A sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 & Luke 5: 1-11 by Keith Clements

Falling Down and Rising UpA sermon on Isaiah 6: 1-13; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 & Luke 5: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

6th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-02-16 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 17: 5-10

This is what the LORD says:
“The writing is on the wall for those
who turn their backs on me,
thinking they can live off their own bat
with only human muscle to back them up.
They will be in more trouble
than a fruit tree growing on a salt pan.
Stunted and lonely, they will cry out for relief
but even the rains will bring no life.
What a contrast to those who trust in me.
I, the LORD, will rain down blessings on them.
They will flourish like trees growing on a river bank
with not a worry in the world.
When the dry season comes and the river dries up
their roots draw cool water from deep below.
Even years of drought pose no danger.
They continue to flower and fruit regardless.
Who can understand the human heart?
It’s as shifty as a sand dune;
as devious as a hungry dingo.
I, the LORD, can see right through you.
I know what makes you tick.
I treat everyone as they deserve,
assessing the fruit of their actions.”
©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

1 Corinthians 15: 12-20

The message that we preached was that the Messiah is alive — risen from the dead — and you became Christians when you heard that message. So how come some of you are now saying that the dead won’t be raised to life? If the dead are not raised to life, then the Messiah has not been raised. And if the Messiah has not been raised, then he is still dead in his grave. And if that were the case, then our preaching is a waste of breathe and your faith is not worth a zack. Actually, it would be worse than that. We’d be guilty of misleading people about God — of telling outright lies — because we have been pushing the story that God raised the Messiah from the dead, and if it’s not true that the dead are raised then that story is a total fabrication.
Let’s face it: if God does not raise the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised. There is no question that he was dead, so if the Messiah has not been raised then he’s not alive now. And if he’s not alive now then your faith is an exercise in futility and every black mark that’s ever gone against your name still stands. What’s more, all those who died trusting in the Messiah, were just clutching at straws and they’ve had the gong. If we’ve put all our eggs in the Messiah’s basket and it has made no difference to how much life we’ve got — we will still just die and that will be the end of it — then we must be the sorriest bunch of losers who ever drew breath.
But the fact of the matter is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead and is more alive than ever. And he’s just the first. Now that he’s set the precedent you can rest assured that there are plenty more to come!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 6: 17-26

Jesus and his twelve closest followers came down from the mountain and ran into a huge crowd of people on the flat grasslands below. Many of them were already followers of Jesus and many more were just people who had heard of him and had travelled there to hear him speak or to see if he could heal them of various chronic illnesses. They had come from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and even from the coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon. There were people there who were plagued by toxic spirits, and Jesus cleaned up the problems for them. Everyone was crowding in, trying to touch him, because there was a powerful healing energy surging from him and everybody wanted a piece of it. Jesus obliged and healed them all.
While they were there he taught his followers, saying:
“You who own next to nothing have got it made,
because you are already at home in the culture of God.
“You who don’t have enough to eat now have got it made,
because you will be filled with good things.
“You who are grief stricken now have got it made,
because you will be all smiles and laughter.
“And if people hate you and shut you out, treat you like dirt and drag your name through the mud because of your association with me, then you really have got it made! You’re in great company because in every generation they’ve done the same thing to all God’s faithful messengers. So sing! Dance! Celebrate! Heaven is coming and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!
“But the writing is on the wall for you who have got it all now.
That’s it for you. You’ve got nothing more to look forward to.
“And the writing is on the wall for you who consume to excess.
You’ve had your share. You’re going to go hungry.
“The writing is on the wall for you who think it’s all a big joke now.
The smile is going to be wiped right off your face.
“And if everybody is fawning over you and saying how wonderful you are, then the writing is well and truly on the wall. They come from a long line of people who fawned over every religious charlatan that ever tickled their ears.”
©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 in you all hunger is filled,
all grief is turned to laughter
and the Kingdom is handed to those who had nothing.
You created the world and all that live in it.
You called us to trust you,
and to put down our roots
alongside the life-giving stream of your Word.
Your child, Jesus Christ, came among us
and demonstrated your solidarity with all
who live in poverty, hunger, grief and hostility.
Though crowds sought him for wisdom and healing,
those who were rich, satisfied, and powerful
preferred false prophets to true,
so they hated him, defamed him, and had him killed.
But our hope did not die with him,
for you raised him from the dead,
as the first fruits of those who have died,
opening the way of resurrection life to us all.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for raising Christ from the dead,
and opening the way of resurrection life to us all,
In you, O God, all hunger is filled,
all grief is turned to laughter
and the Kingdom is handed to those who had nothing.
©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 in you all hunger is filled,
all grief is turned to laughter
and the Kingdom is handed to those who had nothing.
You created of the world and all that live in it.
You called us to trust you,
and to put down our roots
alongside the life-giving stream of your Word.
Your child, Jesus Christ, came among us
and demonstrated your solidarity with all
who live in poverty, hunger, grief and hostility.
Though crowds sought him for wisdom and healing,
those who were rich, satisfied, and powerful
preferred false prophets to true,
so they hated him, defamed him, and had him killed.
But our hope did not die with him,
for you raised him from the dead,
as the first fruits of those who have died,
opening the way of resurrection life to us 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

It is true that Christ has been raised from death,
and because he has been raised
we are no longer lost in our sins.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for Christ will raise you to life and laughter.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, with your trust in the Lord.
Do not be influenced by the ways of sinners and cynics,
but delight in the Lord’s teaching
and study it night and day.
Rejoice in your union with Christ
even when people reject you for it.
And may God raise you to new life with Christ.
May Christ Jesus heal you of all that troubles you.
And may the Holy Spirit nourish you from the deep
and keep you fruitful in all you do.
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.

Getting the sermon off the MountA sermon on Luke 6:17-26 by Nathan Nettleton

A Tough Blessing to TakeA discussion starter on Luke 6:17-26 by Nathan Nettleton

Blessings We Didn’t WantA sermon on Luke 6:17-26 & Jeremiah 17:5-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Jesus and other zombiesA sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 & Luke 6:17-26 by Nathan Nettleton

A Clash of CulturesA sermon on Luke 6:17-26, Jeremiah 17:5-10 & Psalm 1 by Nathan Nettleton

7th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent - Year C
2031-02-23 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 45: 3-11, 15

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph, your brother. Is my father still alive?”
His brothers, though, were in such a state of shock and panic that they couldn’t even answer him. Joseph called them to gather close around him and, when they did, he said:
“I am your brother, Joseph: the one you sold to the Egyptian slave traders. But don’t panic! Despite what you did, it has worked out for the best. Your actions played into God’s hands, because God was bringing me here so that I could save many lives. The land has been in the grip of drought and famine for two years already, and it’s only going to get worse. It will be another five years before crops can be sown and harvested again. You and your families would have all perished if God hadn’t brought me here ahead of you, but now you will be among the survivors. So, don’t kick yourselves: it was not you, but God, who brought me here. Because of what God has done, even Pharaoh looks up to me now. I run all his business for him, both in the palace and in the whole land of Egypt.”
Joseph then told his brothers that he wanted them to get home as quickly as possible and deliver a message to his father. This is what it said:
“Dear Dad, I am your son, Joseph, and I am alive! God has put me in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Move down here at once. I will set aside land for you in the region of Goshen so that you can live near me. There will be plenty of room for you, and for your children, your grandchildren, all your livestock, and all your possessions. The drought will last for another five years, but I will provide for you and all your family and livestock so that you will be protected from starvation.”
With tears flowing freely, Joseph hugged and kissed all his brothers, and they finally loosened up and were able to talk with him.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 37: 1-11, 39-40

Because of you, LORD, we don’t stress over corruption;
we don’t get jealous when crime seems to pay.
Those who live off ill-gotten gains will have their day;
they’ll wither like cut flowers in a hot north wind.
We put our trust in you, LORD, and do what’s right.
You give us our own land, and keep us safe and content.
Our greatest delight comes from knowing you, LORD,
and you delight in giving us what our hearts desire.
We have set our minds on following your ways, LORD;
our trust is in you, and we know you’ll back us up.
It will be as clear as day that we made the right choice;
you’ll make it perfectly obvious that our cause was justified.
We wait in your presence, LORD,
in stillness, quietness, patience.
We don’t waver when others profit from corruption;
we don’t regret our choice when others get away with murder.
Trusting in you, LORD, we can let go of vengeful anger.
We can relax and not get sucked into taking the law
into our own hands.
We can trust you to kick out the crooks, LORD,
and to hand the land over to those who staked their lives on you.
It’s only a matter of time before you wipe out corruption,
and those who lived by it will be nowhere to be seen.
But you have promised the land to the salt-of-the-earth types —
those who are not always demanding their “rights”
and elbowing past others —
you will see that their lives are rich and full of joy.
You, LORD, are the one who guarantees the safety
of those who do what is right;
We can always run to you
when all hell breaks loose.
You, LORD, are always there for us;
you save us from those who would harm us;
you offer us refuge when we turn to you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 15: 35-38, 42-50

Some people want to ask biological questions about how the dead are raised to life: questions like, “What kind of bodies will they have?” They’re stupid questions really because it’s not about biology. The nearest biological comparison would be the way seeds grow. A seed doesn’t come to life until it is buried in the ground, and then when it does it is no longer anything like the original seed. You could never guess what a banksia tree, or any other plant, would look like just from looking at a single seed. God creates all the different kinds of plants, and the design of each one is already set within the seed, but you’d never know it by looking at it. In the same way the physical attributes of a human corpse don’t tell us anything about the body that will be raised from the dead.
When a person dies, we bury the body like a seed, and God raises something quite new and different from that seed. The bodies we have now, before we are buried, wear out and die. The bodies we will have when God raises us, will last forever. The body we bury is something many people can’t even bear to look at, but the body raised will be a thing of glorious beauty. The body buried is limp and lifeless, but the body raised will be strong and vibrant. The questions about biology end with the body that is buried, because while it is a physical body, the body that will be raised is a spiritual body. Physical bodies and spiritual bodies are equally real, but they are not the same thing.
According to the scriptures, the first human being, Adam, was given life in his body. The ultimate Adam, Jesus Christ, is a spirit who gives life to the body. No one starts off spiritual and then gets a physical body: the physical comes first and then the spiritual. Human beings were first made from the earth as physical creatures, but the new model, which we have seen in Jesus Christ, is from heaven. Those who are born on earth have the same kind of bodies as the first human being. Those who are born into heaven have the same kind of bodies as the ultimate human being. Just as we have been indistinguishable from the one born of earth, so too we will be the spitting image of the one born of heaven.
So to cut to the chase, brothers and sisters; when we inherit the realm of God we won’t be taking our present flesh and blood in with us. Perishable bodies cannot receive life without limit — God will raise us with new bodies for that life.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 6: 27-38

While teaching his followers, Jesus said:
“If you are ready to hear the truth then I have this to say: Love! Love even your enemies. Treat even those who hate you with love. If anyone mouths off at you or treats you like dirt, wish them all the best and pray for them. If someone gives you a smack around the ear to humiliate you, stand tall and stick your chin out, and invite them to have another crack. Absorb the hostility – don’t escalate it. If someone nicks your coat, just say, ‘Hey, if you’re needing that, you’ll be needing these,’ and hand over your hat and scarf as well. Give to everyone who asks something of you, and don’t go hassling people to give back what they’ve got from you. Live generously, and don’t go keeping score and looking to balance the ledger.
“If you want to know how to treat someone, just ask yourself what you’d be hoping for if you were in their shoes. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated, not just the way you are treated. It’s not as though you’d deserve a medal for loving someone who loves you. Anyone can do that! You won’t find your name in the honours lists for a good turn done to those who are always going out of their way to help you. Any crook can do that! And if you only ever give when it looks like there’ll be something in it for you, what’s the big deal? Every business shark knows how to make an investment, but it’s not exactly evidence of a generous spirit.
“Be different! Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend freely, and don’t go looking for returns. God will see that it’s worth it for you. You will be God’s very own children. God is generous to those who don’t deserve it, even if they’re totally ungrateful. God forgives whatever anyone owes. Do likewise: treat people the way God treats people.
“Don’t go checking on how people measure up, and God won’t go checking on how you measure up. Don’t be demanding and picky with others, and God won’t be demanding and picky with you. If you act with tolerance, you’ll be treated with tolerance. If you act generously, you’ll be treated generously. Very generously! Life will be absolutely chock full and bursting at the seams with good things for you. If you’ve lived open-handedly, you’ll find that what goes around comes around.”
©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 show love and kindness even to the ungrateful,
and you raise us all to new life in glory and strength.
You created all that is,
shaping the earth with your own hands
and raising creatures from the dust to fill it.
Whenever famine or wickedness threatened your people,
you have sent a saviour to preserve their lives.
You sent your child, Jesus,
to reveal your nature to us all.
He embodied your desire to go on loving
even in the face of hostility and hatred.
When he was killed by the enemies of life,
you raised him in power
with a glorified body which will never die.
Now he is a life-giving spirit,
saving all who seek refuge in you,
and preparing all your faithful children
for rebirth into the life of your Kingdom.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for the love we have seen in Jesus,
a love that continues even in the face of hostility and hatred.
Raising Christ from the dead, you made him a life-giving spirit,
that he might prepare us all for rebirth into the life of your Kingdom.
©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 show love and kindness even to the ungrateful,
and you raise us all to new life in glory and strength.
You created all that is,
shaping the earth with your own hands
and raising creatures from the dust to fill it.
Whenever famine or wickedness threatened your people,
you have sent a saviour to preserve their lives.
You sent your child, Jesus Christ,
to reveal your nature to us all.
He embodied your desire to go on loving
even in the face of hostility and hatred.
When he was killed by the enemies of life,
you raised him in power
with a glorified body which will never die.
Now he is a life-giving spirit,
saving all who seek refuge in you,
and preparing all your faithful children
for rebirth into the life of your Kingdom.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The God who is kind even to the ungrateful and wicked
will be merciful to all who call for help.
God will not judge you or condemn you,
but will pour out forgiveness
in generous measure.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and give your life to the Lord.
Trust in God and do good.
Love and bless everyone, even your enemies.
Do not judge others, but be merciful and generous to all.
Treat others and you would have them treat you.
And may God be quick to act on your behalf;
May Christ Jesus raise you to new and everlasting life;
And may the Holy Spirit go before you
to prepare a place for you and provide for 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 do we love those who have hurt us badly?A sermon on Luke 6:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

When Love Gets Off The LeashA sermon on Luke 6:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Becoming Children of the Most HighA sermon on Luke 6:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton

Transfiguration Sunday (Last Sunday before Lent) - Year C
2031-02-23 00:00 - 23:59
Churches that do not observe the last Sunday before Lent as Transfiguration Sunday may prefer to use the resources for the 8th Sunday between Epiphany and Lent.

Below you will find the Bible readings set for Transfiguration Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Exodus 34: 29-35

Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two slabs of stone on which he had written the terms of the Alliance with God. Although he didn’t know it, his face was lit up like a lantern because God had been speaking to him directly. When Aaron and all the Israelite people saw how his face was aglow, they were too scared to even go near him. However, Moses called together Aaron and the leaders of the people and spoke with them. After that, he called together an assembly of all the Israelite people, and spelled out for them the laws that came from what the LORD had told him on Mount Sinai. Once Moses had finished addressing the people, he hid his face with a scarf. Whenever he entered the sacred place to speak with the LORD, he would take off the scarf. When he came out again and told the Israelites whatever God had told him to tell them, they could see that his face was aglow. Moses would then put the scarf back over his face and wear it until the next time he went in to speak with the LORD.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 99

You, LORD, rule over everything!
Enthroned in glory, surrounded by awesome creatures,
your presence sends shivers down our spines
and makes even the earth tremble and quake!
LORD, your greatness is celebrated in Zion,
and in every nation you are number one.
At the mere mention of your name,
people everywhere burst into praise,
for your greatness and holiness are awesome!
Ruling in strength; loving justice with a passion;
you have seen to it that everyone gets a fair go.
You have laid down the law
so that your people will do what is right.
We fall at your feet and sing your praises, O LORD our God,
for your greatness and holiness are awesome!
Moses and Aaron served you as priests,
Samuel was another who reached out to you.
They cried out to you on the world’s behalf,
and from the awesome cloud you answered them.
They stuck to what you had told them, LORD,
and did whatever you asked of them.
When they did wrong you set them straight,
in no uncertain terms;
but you forgave them, LORD,
and never failed to answer them.
We sing your praises, O LORD our God.
We climb your holy mountain to worship you,
for your greatness and holiness are awesome!
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:2

The hope we have in the new life-giving ways of the Spirit fills us with confidence to live our faith openly — more openly even than Moses. His face was aglow with the glory of God after he received the written law, but he put a scarf over his face so that the people wouldn’t see how quickly it faded. The people back then were as thick-headed as the people of our own day — they could hear the words of God’s law read out, but it never seemed to penetrate their hearts and minds. It’s as though the scarf has stayed in place ever since to prevent anyone from catching sight of the glory revealed by the words. Only Christ can uncover what is hidden. It’s the same for anyone who reads the scriptures without opening themselves to the Lord for insight: it is as though the wool has been pulled over their eyes and nothing gets through but the bare words. It all changes when we turn to the Lord, though, because the Lord is a real eye-opener. The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the freedom to see clearly. The wool is pulled away from our eyes and we come face to face with the glory of God. This experience is truly transfiguring! We are set ablaze by the Spirit — lit up like the Lord — so that more and more we become like mirrors reflecting the glory of God.
We have nothing to hide then, and no reason to lose our nerve, for God has been incredibly generous in trusting us with a share of this work. We have sworn off any methods that we’d be ashamed to have brought to light. We don’t hide behind masks; we don’t do anything shifty or manipulative; and we don’t twist God’s word to promote our own agendas. Instead, we simply lay all our cards on the table and let our integrity speak for itself. By stating it plainly and living it openly in the sight of God, we give everyone the opportunity to make up their own minds about the truth.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 9: 28-36 (37-43)

Jesus had spoken to his followers for the first time about his impending death in Jerusalem and the fact that following him meant putting their lives on the line. About a week later, he took Peter, John and James and went up to the top of a mountain to pray. As he was praying, a visible change came over his face and his clothing became so white it was dazzling. Suddenly two more men could be seen in deep conversation with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah, and the glory of heaven could be seen in them. They spoke with Jesus about how he was about to escape to freedom through the waters of death in Jerusalem.
Peter and his mates nearly missed all this because, although they had come to pray too, they were falling asleep. However, they roused themselves in time to see Jesus in all his glory standing with the two men. As the two were finishing up with Jesus, Peter – shooting his mouth off without thinking – said, “Boss, this is fantastic! What a moment! How about we knock up three huts, so that you, Moses and Elijah can all stay here longer.”
Even before he finished getting the words out, an awesome cloud engulfed them all and they were quaking in their boots. Deep within the cloud, a voice boomed forth: “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
When the voice finished, everything suddenly looked normal again, and Peter, James and John saw no one there but Jesus. They were dumbfounded by what they had seen and in the coming days they didn’t breathe a word about it to anyone.
The next day, as they came back down the mountain, they ran into a large crowd who had gathered to meet them. The minute they arrived, one of the men in the crowd shouted out to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, please, I beg you. Take a look at my son, my one and only child. He gets these sudden fits all the time. Some horrible spirit seizes him and throws him screaming to the ground. It makes him foam at the mouth and thrash around until he’s black and blue. I pleaded with your followers to deal with it, but nothing they could do made any difference.”
Jesus shook his head and said, “Sometimes they are as godless and twisted as the rest of their generation. I don’t know why I put up with any of them. Bring your son here.”
Even as they brought him over, another demonic fit seized the boy, crashing him to the ground, convulsing wildly. This time, though, Jesus took charge and bawled out the toxic spirit. He healed the boy and returned him to the care of his father. Everyone was completely bowled over by this sign of God’s power and generosity.
©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 remove the veil from our minds
and transfigure us in the wondrous light of your glory.
At creation your word lit up the sun and stars
and dispelled the chaos to form the earth.
You revealed your glory to your servant, Moses,
and, from the cloud, made a covenant with your people.
In the timeless presence of Moses and Elijah
you transfigured your Son, Jesus,
allowing his terrified followers to witness his glory
and hear your voice from the awesome cloud.
He was killed by those whose minds were hardened,
but, by your mercy, his exodus through the waters of death
led to resurrection life and freedom.
Now, you have called us to listen to him
and through your Holy Spirit,
you are transforming us into his image
and clothing us with honour and majesty.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for your transfiguring love
which shone from your servant Moses,
was seen by terrified disciples in your Son, Jesus Christ,
and is now removing the veil from our minds
and clothing us with his honour and glory.
©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 remove the veil from our minds
and transfigure us in the wondrous light of your glory.
At creation your word lit up the sun and stars
and dispelled the chaos to form the earth.
You revealed your glory to your servant, Moses,
and, from the cloud, made a covenant with your people.
In the timeless presence of Moses and Elijah
you transfigured your Son, Jesus,
allowing his terrified followers to witness his glory
and hear your voice from the awesome cloud.
He was killed by those whose minds were hardened,
but, by your mercy, his exodus through the waters of death
led to resurrection life and freedom.
Now, you have called us to listen to him
and through your Holy Spirit,
you are transforming us into his image
and clothing us with honour and majesty.
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

We have renounced the shameful things that were kept hidden.
It is God’s freedom to punish, but God’s delight to forgive sin.
So do not lose heart, the Spirit of the Lord is here,
and where the Spirit is, there is freedom and mercy.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and live your faith boldly
as an open statement of God’s truth.
Keep nothing hidden,
and refuse anything deceitful or manipulative.
By God’s mercy, engage in the ministry
to which you have been called,
and let the light of God’s word shine brightly in you.
And may God strengthen you and keep you safe;
May Christ Jesus unveil your minds;
And may the Holy Spirit transform you from glory to glory.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

The Pilgrimage of Prayer – Luke’s Transfiguration StoryA sermon on Luke 9.28-36 & 2 Corinthians 3.12–4.2 by Garry Deverell

Glorious PotentialA sermon on Luke 9.28-36 & 2 Corinthians 3.12–4.2 by Nathan Nettleton

Weighty MattersA sermon on Luke 9.28-36 & 2 Corinthians 3.12–4.2 by Nathan Nettleton

Glimpses of RealityA sermon on Luke 9.28-36 & 2 Corinthians 3.12–4.2 by Nathan Nettleton

What do we do with Shiny Shiny Jesus?A sermon on Luke 9.28-36 by Katecia Taylor

Ash Wednesday
2031-02-26 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17

Ring the alarm bells on the holy mountain.
Sound the sirens for the whole city to hear!
Put the fear of God into everybody,
for the day when the LORD will step in is near –
a dark and menacing day,
a day of fierce heat and dark choking clouds!
Like a raging bushfire sweeping down the mountain,
a terrifying army comes.
Wave upon wave,
it leaves nothing but scorched earth in its path.
It is more terrifying than anything ever seen before,
or anything ever likely to be seen again.
But even now, at the eleventh hour,
the LORD calls to us saying:
“It is not too late!
Get back on track with me.
Show me you mean it with your whole hearts.
Go off your food and get on your knees.
Weep and mourn from the depths of your hearts,
and don’t try to con me
with crocodile tears and cheap black arm bands.
“Come back to me, the LORD your God,
for I am compassionate and generous,
as eager to forgive as any mother.
My love and loyalty always hold back my anger.
Given half a reason I’ll withhold sentence
and give everybody a second chance.
“What have you got to lose by trying?
Perhaps you can convince me to change my mind.
Perhaps I’ll even send good times instead of disaster
and you’ll be eating and drinking in my honour.
“Ring the alarm bells on my holy mountain.
Declare a day of national repentance.
Rally the people, every one of them.
Get them together to pray and fast.
Make sure everyone has prepared themselves properly,
and make sure no one is missing.
Bring the aged and infirm,
the toddlers and the newborn.
Call back the newlyweds from honeymoons
and cancel all leave.
“In the heart of the place of worship
let those who lead you in prayer do so with tears.
Let them cry out to me, the LORD your God,
and beg me to have mercy on you.
Let them plead with me not to make you a laughingstock,
a classic example of a failed nation.
“For why should the rest of the world scoff
and conclude that your downfall is my failure?”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Isaiah 58: 1-12 (alternative 1st reading)

God has told me to shout until you people hear;
to hammer home the message until it gets through.
You are God’s people, but God feels betrayed by you.
Listen to what God has to say about your sins:
“Day after day, you look good:
you turn up to worship and pay attention to my teachings.
You act like a people who want to do what is right;
like a people who want to obey to the letter.
You ask me for directions before you do anything,
and you seem enthusiastic about getting closer to me.
“Do you want to know why your religious behaviour turns me off?
Do you want to know why I ignore your fasting and bowing?
I’ll tell you why. You put on a great performance of it all,
but then you go straight back to feathering your own nest
and ripping off your workers in the process.
“When you fast, it just makes you irritable and violent;
and when you behave like that, I’ll just hang up on you.
“Do you really think this is what I like to see:
a day of pious misery?
black clothes, long faces and crocodile tears?
giving up chocolate and ice-cream?
Do you think that’s worship?
Do you think that pleases me?
Give me a break!
“Do you want to know what I’d really like to see?
Dismantle the structures of injustice;
take your feet off the throats of the poor;
stop jailing the victims of unfair laws;
and quit plundering nature’s resources.
“Do you want to know what else I’d like to see?
Open your tables to the hungry;
open your hearts and your homes to the refugees;
open your wardrobes to those without clothes;
and don’t go hiding every time you see someone in need.
“Do that, and I’ll put your name up in lights!
Do that and our relationship will be healed in an instant!
I’ll put you under my personal protection;
anyone who attacks you will have to deal with me, the LORD!
I’ll be on hand to respond whenever you need me;
just say the word, and I’ll be there for you.
“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.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 51: 1-17

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.
Don’t cut me off from you now,
or withdraw your Holy Spirit from me.
Rekindle in me the joy of being safe in your care,
and fill me with an insatiable desire to follow you.
Then I’ll show others how to get back on track;
they’ll quit their corrupt ways and come back to you.
Get me out of this mess before I get blood on my hands, God.
Only you can get me out alive,
and I’ll tell everyone that you did.
Lord, as soon as you’ve got me out
and it’s safe to open my mouth,
I’ll be singing your praises with all my might.
I know I can’t fool you with hollow religion, God.
I could perform all the rituals perfectly, by the book,
but it wouldn’t mean a cracker to you.
What you want to see is a genuine heart-felt apology
and a commitment to a total life-change.
You will never turn away anyone who comes to you heartbroken
and promising to turn over a new leaf.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10

On Christ’s behalf we beg you to accept the generous peace deal that God is offering. The way of reconciliation is on the table before you: you’d be mad to turn your backs on it! Even though Christ had never been sucked into sin like us, God lumped him in with us, so as to make it possible to lump us in with him. United with him, we can become examples of all that God considers to be right and true.
We are working together, shoulder to shoulder with God, and we urge you not to take God’s extravagant generosity for granted.
In the scriptures God says,
“At exactly the right moment,
I heard your call.
The day you needed help,
I was there to bail you out.”
Well, this is it — the exact right moment. This is the day to throw off the shackles and walk free! It won’t be our fault if you don’t take this chance — we’re doing everything in our power not to get in anyone’s way. There’s no point in nit-picking over the details of our work. We have endeavoured to be faithful servants of God and we’re confident that we’ve got the runs on the board. It’s not as though we’ve had it easy either. We have hung in there through hard times, tough times and horrendous disasters. We’ve been bashed, lynched and locked up. We’ve worked ourselves into the ground when things needed to be done, sometimes even going without sleep and food. And through all this we have maintained our integrity — our intentions have been pure and our heads have been clear. We have managed to hold on to our patience, generosity, and holiness of spirit. Our love has been genuine, our speech truthful, and God has continued to work powerfully through us. We have armed ourselves with nothing but an iron commitment to doing what’s right, and we’ve grasped the work of justice with both hands. Sometimes we’ve been honoured and sometimes slandered. We have been true to our word and yet denounced as charlatans. We’ve been treated as nobodies even though everyone knows who we are. We’ve been written of as dead, but here we are, brimming with life. We’ve been flogged to within an inch of our lives but never quite killed. We’ve almost drowned in tears and yet we are still bubbling with joy. They say we are poor, and yet many are enriched by us. They say we have nothing to offer, and yet everything is ours to share.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21

While Jesus was teaching his followers on the mountain, he said:
“It is good to put the disciplines of godly living into practice, but be on your guard against the temptation to start doing it for show. The God who conceived you knows what’s going on, and if the good things you do are done only to impress people, you’ll get no credit for them in heaven.
“Don’t go blowing your own trumpet every time you do something charitable. If you give money for the relief of poverty, don’t go asking for public acknowledgement. The world is full of sponsorship schemes and naming rights deals, but it is all hypocrisy. It’s got more to do with image management than with concern for the poor. Of course it works as a business strategy, but I can assure you that there will be no rewards beyond that. God brought you to birth and understands everything you do, even what you do in secret. So if you want credit from God for giving money to charity, give it anonymously. Go out of your way to keep it quiet – don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. It is that sort of unpretentious generosity that God will reward.
“The same principle holds true when it comes to the inward disciplines such as prayer and fasting. When you pray, don’t turn it into a exhibition. In the media and even in worship services you’ll see people leading so-called ‘prayers’ that look and sound more like campaign speeches, carefully crafted for public consumption. It’s nothing more than hot air; sheer hypocrisy! No doubt they’ll succeed in impressing lots of people, but I can assure you: that’s the only reward they’ll ever get. Take my advice: do your praying behind closed doors so that you won’t be tempted to start grandstanding. Find a place where you can take off your masks and just open yourselves to God in quietness. By getting yourself out of the spotlight, you’ll have a chance of becoming aware of God’s presence – a reward in itself!
“When you are fasting, don’t go drawing attention to the fact. Some hypocrites make a big display of sitting at the table with long faces while everyone else eats. They might gain a reputation for being very religious and self-controlled, but they won’t get anything else out of it. It’s a waste of time training yourself to control one appetite while simultaneously indulging your appetite for adulation. Instead, when you are fasting, maintain your usual outward appearance and demeanour as best you can, so that no one will twig. God always has a loving eye on you and will see to it that your secret fasting reaps rich benefits.
“Don’t go piling up investments here on earth, where they can be wiped out in an instant by fire or flood, or a market crash. There is only one investment strategy that can never fail or be eroded. Invest everything you are and everything you have in the ways of heaven. It is a simple fact that whatever you invest yourself in will monopolise your concerns and therefore shape the person you will become.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Prayers

Great Prayer 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.
All glory and honour are yours
everywhere and always, O God,
for in your kindness and mercy,
your patience and faithfulness,
you are always ready to forgive and not punish.
We give you thanks and praise for your Son,
our saviour and brother, Jesus Christ,
by whose example and strength
we resist all evil,
and turn our backs on its lures
of comfort and honour, of power and success,
seeking instead to store up treasure in heaven,
knowing that though we may seem to have nothing,
in purity, knowledge, patience and kindness,
we really possess everything.
Therefore with .....
©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Short Preface (for insertion into prayers with fixed prefaces)

We thank you for the example our saviour and brother, Jesus Christ,
by whose strength we resist all evil,
seeking instead to store up treasure in heaven,
knowing that though we may seem to have nothing,
in purity, knowledge, patience and kindness,
we really possess everything.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted)

We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for in your kindness and mercy,
your patience and faithfulness,
you are always ready to forgive and not punish.
We thank you for your Son,
our saviour and brother, Jesus Christ,
by whose example and strength
we resist all evil,
and turn our backs on its lures
of comfort and honour, of power and success,
seeking instead to store up treasure in heaven,
knowing that though we may seem to have nothing,
in purity, knowledge, patience and kindness,
we really possess everything.
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 your God is kind and full of mercy,
always ready to forgive and not punish.
Christ, by uniting with us and sharing in our sin,
has enabled us to share in the righteousness of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Doing the right thing: a modest entry to the kingdomA sermon on Matthew 6:1-6 by Paul Sheppy

Riches in Heaven and Light in the BodyA sermon on Matthew 6: 19-23 by Peter Mugabi

1st Sunday in Lent - Year C
2031-03-02 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Deuteronomy 26: 1-11

The LORD your God is giving you the land, and soon you will take ownership of it, settle down there, and plant your crops. When you begin harvesting each crop, you are to take a basketful of the first pickings and take it to the place chosen by the LORD as the place of worship. You are to present yourself to whoever is the priest at the time, saying, “I am here to give thanks to the LORD our God, for I have put down roots in the land that the LORD promised to our ancestors.”
Then the priest will accept the basket of produce from you and place it in front of the sacred altar of the LORD. As he does, you are to pray to the LORD in the words of the prayer which tells the story of your people:
“I am descended from a refugee,
an Aramean who settled in Egypt.
His family was small when we arrived,
but we expanded quickly in numbers and power.
We were forced into slavery to keep us in check;
the labour was hard and the treatment was harsh.
We cried out to you, LORD, God of our ancestors,
and you heard our prayers;
you saw how we were oppressed,
and felt the weight of our suffering.
You rescued us from the land of slavery, LORD.
You broke us free and got us out
with miraculous signs and a terrifying display of strength.
You brought us here to this wonderful land,
a land of peaches and cream.
So now, LORD, I am here to say thank you;
I give you the first of my crops,
the pick of all you have given me.”
After your basket has been placed in front of the altar, and you have prayed this prayer, you are to bow down and worship the LORD your God. Then, with your whole community, throw a big party to celebrate and enjoy the good harvest which the LORD God has given you. Don’t forget to send an open invitation to share in the celebration to the attendants from the place of worship and to any refugees who have settled in the neighbourhood.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 91: 1-2, 9-16

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.
We have nothing to fear because we have found safety in you;
we have settled down within your care.
Thanks to you, LORD of the universe, no evil can touch us;
disaster can not get a foot in the door.
You have instructed your angels to look after us;
made it their job to protect us wherever we go.
You’ve told them to catch us when we fall;
to keep us from coming to grief on hidden snags.
With your help we can face any danger;
we can stare down crocodiles and Tiger snakes.
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

Romans 10: 8b-13

“The Word that saves is with you;
it is on the tip of your tongue;
it is beating in your heart.”
This is the message we’ve been preaching and it’s all about trust. If you put that trust into words, declaring that Jesus is the one you answer to; and embrace that trust in your heart, believing that Jesus lives because God raised him from the dead, then you will be put back on the right track with God. That’s what salvation is! When anyone allows that trust in God to rewrite the basic beliefs they live by, their heart is put right with God; and when those rewritten beliefs are expressed openly in what they say and do, then you know they are safely in God’s care. The scriptures back this up, saying, “No one who trusts God will ever be let down.” Your ethnic or religious background makes no difference in this: there is only one God, and that one God has the last word on everyone. God is equally generous to all those who call out in trust for help. As the saying goes, “Anyone who wants help from God only has to ask.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 4: 1-13

When Jesus left the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit was pulsing through him and active in everything he did. At the prompting of the Spirit, Jesus went bush by himself in a remote area. He spent forty days out there without eating at all, and by the end of that time he was weak from hunger. During the forty days, the devil tried every trick in the book to throw him off-track. Playing on his hunger, the devil said, “If you are really the Son of God, prove it! Say the word and turn this rock into a loaf of bread.”
Jesus answered him, “As the scriptures say, ‘It takes a lot more than bread to make life worth living.’”
After that, the devil took Jesus up to a lookout with a panoramic view of every nation and state in the whole world. The devil said to him, “I can make the world your oyster. I can give you the power to accomplish everything you want, everywhere on earth. I’ve been given power over the whole lot, and I can delegate it to whoever I like. All you have to do is worship me – just acknowledge me as number one – and it’s all yours.”
But Jesus was not taken in. He said, “The scriptures leave no doubt about who we are to call number one: ‘Worship the Lord your God and no other. Give your whole-hearted service to the Lord your God and no other.’”
With that the devil decided to try quoting scripture too. Taking Jesus to Jerusalem and standing him on top of the Temple’s highest tower, the devil said, “If you are really the Son of God, prove it to everyone. Throw yourself off the top of this tower so that God can fulfil the scriptures that say:
‘God will instruct the angels to protect you from danger.’
‘They will catch you as you fall
and you won’t so much as stub your toe
on the rocks below.’”
But Jesus couldn’t be budged. He replied, “The scriptures also say, ‘Don’t go trying to test out the Lord your God.’”
After trying everything to get through Jesus’s defences, the devil backed off and laid low, waiting for a weak moment to have another go.
©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 put your saving word on our lips and in our hearts
and strengthen us to endure in times of trial.
You created the world in all its glory
and called forth crops from the ground.
When your people were oppressed and enslaved,
you reached out your hand to save them,
and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.
You sent your son, Jesus Christ,
as the first fruits of a harvest of righteousness.
He stood firm against the devil’s temptations,
trusting instead in your saving word,
and offering his worship and service to you alone.
When the forces of evil cast him into the grave,
you raised him from the dead
and made him Lord of all.
Now you save all who trust him,
and confess him as Lord in word and deed.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you, O God, for your son, Jesus Christ,
who strengthens us to stand firm against the devil’s temptations,
trusting instead in your ever-present saving word,
and offering our worship and service to you alone.
©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 put your saving word on our lips and in our hearts
and strengthen us to endure in times of trial.
You created the world in all its glory
and called forth crops from the ground.
When your people were oppressed and enslaved,
you reached out your hand to save them,
and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.
You sent your son, Jesus Christ,
as the first fruits of a harvest of righteousness.
He stood firm against the devil’s temptations,
trusting instead in your saving word,
and offering his worship and service to you alone.
When the forces of evil cast him into the grave,
you raised him from the dead
and made him Lord of all.
Now you save all who trust him,
and confess him as Lord in word and deed.
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

No one who believes in Christ will be put to shame.
Trust in the power of God that raised Christ from the dead,
and you will be set right with God;
confess Jesus Christ as Lord,
and you will be saved.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, confessing Christ as Lord, in word and deed.
Worship and serve the Lord your God and no other.
Stand firm in the time of trial;
tell the story of God’s goodness,
and trust in the Lord whose saving word is always with you.
And may God instruct angels to guard you wherever you go;
May Christ Jesus be your refuge and stronghold;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you
and put God’s Word on your lips and in your hearts.
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 Does Discipleship Cost?A sermon on Luke 4: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Does the Devil make us do it?A sermon on Luke 4: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Word is NearA sermon on Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4: 1-13 & Deuteronomy 26: 1-11 by Nathan Nettleton

If Only . .A sermon on Luke 4: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Systematised Salvation TemptationA sermon on Romans 10:8b-13 & Luke 4:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

Confronting post-modern devilsA sermon on Luke 4: 1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

The Baptismal DecisionA sermon on Luke 4:1-13 & Psalm 91:1-2,9-16 by Sylvia Sandeman

2nd Sunday in Lent - Year C
2031-03-09 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18

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.
The LORD spoke to Abram further, saying, “It was me who brought you safely here when you emigrated from the Chaldean land of Ur. It was me who gave you this land.”
But Abram said, “Lord GOD, how can I know for sure that this land is mine to keep?”
The LORD replied, “Okay, I’ll go through the ritual of a binding promise. On pain of death, you will have my word. You go and set up what is customary for the ceremony.”
So the next morning, Abram slaughtered three animals: a heifer, a ram, and a female goat — each three years old. He cut them in half and laid the halves opposite each other in two lines. He also killed a turtledove and a pigeon and laid one in each line. For the rest of the day, while he waited for the ceremony to commence, he was kept busy protecting the carcasses from the birds of prey.
When the sun went down, Abram was surrounded by a dense and awesome darkness, and he fell into a deep sleep. When the last glow was gone from the sky and everything was pitch black, the presence of the LORD appeared as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, and passed between the pieces of animal carcass. That completed the ritual, and in that way, the LORD made a binding promise to Abram, saying, “You have my word that I will give this land to your descendants, all the way from the Egyptian border to the great Euphrates river.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 27

Your light leads me to safety, LORD;
I’ve got nothing to fear.
You shelter me like a fortress, LORD;
I’m afraid of no one!
Vicious thugs can close in like sharks,
ready to eat me alive;
but savage violence is no match for you;
they’ll fall flat on their faces.
They could give my name to a death squad
and I’d still be at peace;
their armies could lay siege to my house,
but I’d still feel safe with you.
Only one thing I ask of you, LORD,
the one thing that really matters:
let me live out the whole of my life
right here in your presence;
let me lose myself in your beauty,
and abandon myself to prayer.
Let me hide here in safety with you,
when trouble gets too much;
You are as secure as a bomb shelter,
a protected place to rest and recover.
You have lifted me beyond the reach
of those who wanted to tear me down,
so I am here to express my thanks,
to offer you whatever I can give;
to sing your praises till I raise the roof,
to put on a concert in your honour.
Don’t ever stop being generous, LORD;
hear me and answer me when I call for help!
My heart tells me to search for you.
Please don’t stay hidden from me.
My desire is to know you, face to face.
Don’t slam the door on me in anger;
Help me again and I’ll go on serving you.
Don’t give up on me now,
don’t turn your back on me;
You alone can save me, God!
Even if my own parents kicked me out,
you’d still be there for me, LORD.
Give me clear directions, LORD;
keep me on the right track
so I don’t stumble into the path of my enemies.
Don’t let them get their claws into me.
With every breath they fill the air
with false allegations and violent threats.
I know I can rely on you, LORD,
I’ll see your goodness win out
and live to tell about it.
I wait patiently for you, LORD;
I’ll hang in there and keep my chin up;
I’ll sit tight, and trust in you!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Philippians 3:17 - 4:1

My friends, follow my lead. Keep your eyes on those who are on the same track as us and are living out what we’ve taught you. There are plenty of people who push a different line. I know you’ve often heard me going on about this, but you can tell by the way they live that they are dead-set against Christ — against the idea that the way of the cross might be God’s way. It brings tears to my eyes every time I bring this up, but it has to be said. These people are living on borrowed time — racing headlong towards their own destruction. They boast about the depths of degradation they have wallowed in. If their stomach rumbles they drop everything to do its bidding, as though it were a god. They never give a thought to anything beyond the mundane concerns their own little world. Our allegiance is to a quite different world — heaven itself — a world that will come to rescue and rule this world in the person of Jesus Christ. We are eagerly looking forward to his arrival, because he has the power to bring absolutely everything back under control. We can hardly wait for him to use that power on us because when he does, our human desires, which have so often let us down, will be brought up to the standard of his own. So hang in there, friends. I love you greatly. You always make me so happy and proud, and I can’t wait to see you again. Whatever you do, dig your heels in and don’t let anyone pull you off God’s track.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 13: 31-35

Some members of the Pharisee party came to Jesus and said, “Clear off. Don’t show your face around here again or you’ll be killed. Herod wants your blood.”
Jesus replied, “You can go and give that vicious dog this message from me: ‘Whether you like it or not, I’m going to keep on booting out the demonic forces and healing the sick – today, tomorrow and the third day, until I’m finished.’
“I’ve got nothing to fear from Herod around here. Since when did prophets ever get killed any place other than Jerusalem? And that’s where I’m headed over the next three days.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you shoot the messenger every time.
Your streets are awash with blood,
the blood of the prophets sent to warn you!
So often I have been filled with longing for you;
yearning to gather your children into safety.
Like a mother swan gathering her brood under her wing,
I have offered to protect you,
but you refused my care!
So now the nest will be deserted.
There will be nothing left for you.
You won’t be seeing me again until the day when you shout,
‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 9:28-36 (alternative gospel if the last Sunday before Lent was not observed as Transfiguration)

Jesus had spoken to his followers for the first time about his impending death in Jerusalem and the fact that following him meant putting their lives on the line. About a week later, he took Peter, John and James and went up to the top of a mountain to pray. As he was praying, a visible change came over his face and his clothing became so white it was dazzling. Suddenly two more men could be seen in deep conversation with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah, and the glory of heaven could be seen in them. They spoke with Jesus about how he was about to escape to freedom through the waters of death in Jerusalem.
Peter and his mates nearly missed all this because, although they had come to pray too, they were falling asleep. However, they roused themselves in time to see Jesus in all his glory standing with the two men. As the two were finishing up with Jesus, Peter – shooting his mouth off without thinking – said, “Boss, this is fantastic! What a moment! How about we knock up three huts, so that you, Moses and Elijah can all stay here longer.”
Even before he finished getting the words out, an awesome cloud engulfed them all and they were quaking in their boots. Deep within the cloud, a voice boomed forth: “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
When the voice finished, everything suddenly looked normal again, and Peter, James and John saw no one there but Jesus. They were dumbfounded by what they had seen and in the coming days they didn’t breathe a word about it to anyone.
©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 safely under your wings
and we have nothing to fear.
You created the earth and sky
as a home where we can worship you and enjoy your beauty.
You made a lasting covenant with Abraham
and with all who trust your promises.
Your child, Jesus Christ, wept over the sins of your people
and their failure to put their trust in you,
and even when his enemies were breathing violence.
he continued to cast out demons and heal the sick.
Like many faithful prophets before him,
he was killed in Jerusalem,
but you raised him to resurrection life.
Now he makes us citizens of heaven,
and we eagerly await his coming as Saviour and Lord,
for then he will conform our bodies to his own glory
and fulfil all things under his rule.
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 weeps over the sins of your peoples
and will come as Saviour and Lord,
to gathers us in safety under your mothering wings
and make us citizens of heaven.
©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 safely under your wings
and we have nothing to fear.
You created the earth and sky
as a home where we can worship you and enjoy your beauty.
You made a lasting covenant with Abraham
and with all who trust your promises.
Your child, Jesus Christ, wept over the sins of your people
and their failure to put their trust in you,
and even when his enemies were breathing violence.
he continued to cast out demons and heal the sick.
Like many faithful prophets before him,
he was killed in Jerusalem,
but you raised him to resurrection life.
Now he makes us citizens of heaven,
and we eagerly await his coming as Saviour and Lord,
for then he will conform our bodies to his own glory
and fulfil all things under his rule.

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

Even if all others reject you,
God will not shut you out in anger or abandon you.
Trust in the Lord, and it will be credited as righteousness.
God will save you - body, mind and spirit,
and enfold you in the wings of mercy.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, trusting in God’s promises.
Seek the presence of the Lord
and abandon yourself to prayer.
Follow those who are faithful to God,
stand firm against evil and seek healing for all.
And may God be your saving light and fortress;
May Christ Jesus gather you into the safe wings of mercy;
And may the Holy Spirit make you citizens of 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.

‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem’A sermon on Luke 13:31-35 by Colin Hunter

An Oath of AllegianceA sermon on Luke 13:31-35 & Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 by Nathan Nettleton

Of Foxes and Fowls and Tae KwondoA sermon on Luke 13:31-35 by Nathan Nettleton

Foxes, Chooks and the Path of TearsA sermon on Luke 13:31-35 & Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 by Nathan Nettleton

When Terror StalksA sermon on Luke 13:31-35 & Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 by Nathan Nettleton

What do we do with Shiny Shiny Jesus?A sermon on Luke 9.28-36 by Katecia Taylor

3rd Sunday in Lent - Year C
2031-03-16 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 55: 1-9

This is what the LORD says:
Hey you! Are you thirsty?
Come, then. Drink from these fresh waters!
Are you too penniless even to eat?
Never mind! Come! Help yourselves; eat your fill!
Come and stock up with food, wine and milk.
What will it cost you? Not a red cent!
Why sink all your money into things that leave you hungry?
Why bust a gut working for things that can never satisfy?
Listen carefully to what I have to say
and you will feast at a rich banquet of fine foods.
Stick with me and tune in to what I’m saying,
for without my words, life is bland and tasteless.
I will surround your lives with love and loyalty,
making a permanent alliance, just as I did with David.
I gave him influence and authority over the nations,
and he was my witness among them.
You will be the same – a light to which others flock;
even those who don’t know you will come running;
they’ll be drawn to my glory, seen in you,
the glory of the LORD, the one and only God of Israel.
The LORD says,
Track me down before it is too late,
make contact while I’m in your neck of the woods.
Clean up your act and get your head straight;
give up your corrupt practices and plans.
Get yourself back on my wavelength
and I’ll pour out mercy and generous forgiveness.
I don’t think the way you think, says the LORD,
and I don’t do things the way you do.
Your ways and mine are like cheese and chalk,
your thoughts and mine are lightyears apart.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 63: 1-8

You are my God and I crave you;
all that I am thirsts for you;
every fibre of my being aches for you,
like a parched and weary land longing for rain.
Let me stay here in this sacred place
and drink in the vision of your strength and glory.
With every breath I sing your praises,
because your rock-solid love
is worth more to me than life itself.
I will worship you till my dying day,
with my hands reaching out to you
and my voice calling your name.
You are like a rich banquet to my soul;
like a meal I can’t praise enough!
Even in the dead of night
I lie awake thinking of you,
and savouring each treasured thought.
I snuggle under your wings and sing for joy,
for you have been my help and support.
With all that I am I cling to you,
and your strong loving arms hold me safe.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Corinthians 10: 1-13

My friends, take a lesson from the history of our people. Our ancestors all started out on the same footing. They all shared a common baptism as they passed through the sea from their old life of slavery to new life as followers of Moses. They were all led in the desert by the same cloud and they all ate the same food — the food that God provided them each day. They all drank from the same fountain to quench their spiritual thirsts: the fountain that gushed from the rock that is Christ, for he went with them as they travelled. But despite all that God did to nourish and strengthen them, most of them rebelled and got God off-side. As a result they perished in the desert.
Their mistakes and the price they paid for them are clearly warnings to us not to fall into the same sort of traitorous behaviour ourselves. So don’t get sucked into celebrations that honour something else in place of God. The scriptures condemn the way our ancestors ate and drank and cavorted in celebrations dedicated to other so-called gods. Similarly we must not get drawn into a culture of sexual depravity as some of them were. Look at the price they paid: twenty-three thousand of them were wiped out in a single day. We also need to beware of trying to test Christ out by seeing how far his tolerance can be stretched. Some of our ancestors tried pushing their luck like that, and the next thing they knew they were being killed by a plague of deadly snakes. And don’t go stirring up discontent the way they did either. Their whingeing unleashed a destructive spirit that decimated them.
The accounts of what happened to them are like flashing lights warning us of danger. We might be living at the other end of the world’s history, but if we don’t learn from their mistakes, we’ll be doomed to repeat them. So don’t go getting too sure of yourselves or you’ll let your guard down and be on the canvas in no time. No matter how tough the going gets, you are not up against anything worse than what everyone else has to face. God never lets us down and will ensure that you don’t cop any pressure that you’re not capable of withstanding. There may be situations that will seem to be testing your limits — temptations that feel unbearable — but God will always make sure that there is a way out for you. It’s up to you to take it, but God will make sure it is there for you.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 13: 1-9

Some people came to Jesus bringing news of a massacre that had occurred in a place of worship. They said that a death squad, sent by Pilate, had butchered a group of Galileans while they were offering sacrifices. Jesus questioned the people about what they thought this meant: “Do you think there’s some kind of justice in this? Do you think that because these particular Galileans copped it, they must therefore have been the worst sinners in Galilee? No, they didn’t deserve it any more than anyone else. But all the same, unless you turn your lives around, you’ll end up just as dead as them.
“What about the eighteen people who were crushed to death when the Tower of Siloam collapsed? Do you think that such a disaster proved that they had offended God more than the rest of the population of Jerusalem? If you do, I can tell you that you’re wrong. But I can also tell you that unless you get your lives back on the right track, your number will soon be up too.”
Then he told a story to illustrate the point: “A bloke had a fruit tree planted on his property. One day, after finding that the tree had still not produced any fruit, he ran out of patience with it. He called his gardener and said, ‘I’ve given up on this tree. It’s been here for three years and has produced nothing but leaves. Chop it down! It’s a waste of good soil.’ But the gardener replied, ‘Boss, let’s give it one more year. I’ll loosen up the soil and keep the fertiliser up to it and we’ll see if it gives us a crop next summer. If it does, great. But if there’s still nothing, we’ll take the axe to it then.’”
©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 as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are your ways and thoughts above ours.
You spread out creation like a rich banquet
and poured forth blessings like an ever-flowing stream.
In the days of Moses, you rescued your people from slavery, and nourished them in the wilderness.
In your child, Jesus,
you have met us in our suffering again.
When he was killed,
he opened the way through the deep waters of death
to the promised land of resurrection life.
Remembering this, we cling to you,
sheltered beneath your wings,
thankful that though disaster may beset us
and push us to the limits of our endurance,
you will replenish our strength, without cost,
from your overflowing table,
and so enable us to stand firm
and rest trustingly in your abundant mercy.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that even in the face of trial and disaster
you replenish our strength, without cost,
from your overflowing table,
and so enable us to stand firm
and rest trustingly in your abundant mercy.
©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 as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are your ways and thoughts above ours.
You spread out creation like a rich banquet
and poured forth blessings like an ever-flowing stream.
In the days of Moses, you rescued your people from slavery, and nourished them in the wilderness.
In your child, Jesus Christ,
you have met us in our suffering again.
When he was killed,
he opened the way through the deep waters of death
to the promised land of resurrection life.
Remembering this, we cling to you,
sheltered beneath your wings,
thankful that though disaster may beset us
and push us to the limits of our endurance,
you will replenish our strength, without cost,
from your overflowing table,
and so enable us to stand firm
and rest trustingly in your abundant mercy.
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 faithful and will have mercy on all
who give up doing and planning evil
and return to the Lord.
God will abundantly pardon their sins.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now; turn to the Lord, and let his thoughts fill your minds.
Do not expend your resources on that which cannot satisfy,
and do not become overly sure of yourselves,
lest you fall into temptation.
Instead seek the Lord while he may be found,
and take the path to freedom that opens before you.
And may God’s love be better to you even than life;
May Christ Jesus be to you a rock and a life-giving spring;
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen you
and guide you in the ways of 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.

Shit HappensA sermon on Luke 13:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton

Is Repentance Good Insurance?A sermon on Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton

No such thing as a free lunch?A sermon on Isaiah 55:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton

Satisfying the Hunger WithinA sermon on Isaiah 55:1-9 by Alison Sampson

Interpreting TragedyA sermon on Luke 13:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton

Craving GodA sermon on Psalm 63:1-8 & Isaiah 55:1-9 by Nathan Nettleton

4th Sunday in Lent - Year C
2031-03-23 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Joshua 5:9-12

When the people of Israel had set up their first camp after crossing the river into the promised land, the LORD said to Joshua, “You all lived with the disgrace of being slaves in Egypt, but today I am wiping away your disgrace.”
The place where they were camped has been known as Gilgal ever since, because it sounds like the Hebrew word meaning “wiped away”.
They were still camping there at Gilgal in the flat country near Jericho on the fourteenth day of the month — the time set for the celebration of the sacred feast of Passover. That evening, they kept the feast for the first time in their new homeland. The very next day, the manna, which God had been giving them to eat, stopped appearing from heaven each morning. From then on they ate food produced on the land, there in Canaan. They began roasting grain and making flat-breads from the grain-crops growing in the land, and the manna was never seen again.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 32

What a blessing it is to be among those you have forgiven, LORD,
those whose record of wrongdoing you have wiped clean.
People who are honest about their lives
have everything going for them;
they never have to cover their tracks
or worry that they’ll be in your bad books.
I used to keep my sins to myself, LORD,
but they poisoned me from within;
wasting my body,
tormenting my mind.
Day and night I felt your eyes following me;
I lived in fear that you’d see right through me.
The joy of living evaporated
in the burning heat of my guilt.
Then I decided to come clean with you, LORD,
to own up to all I’d done and stop living a lie.
I made a full confession to you, LORD,
and you gave me a full pardon, forgiving all my sin.
Now, like all your faithful people, LORD,
I am always ready to open myself to you in prayer.
When trouble breaks its banks,
your faithful ones are on safe ground.
You are like a bomb shelter for us, LORD;
you protect us from danger.
Thanks to you, LORD, we can still laugh;
we can dance around singing songs of freedom.
You have given us clear directions;
you have pointed out the path we should follow.
You have kept a watchful eye on us
and made sure we understood.
You have encouraged us to follow willingly,
to understand and embrace your ways;
not to buck and snort like wild horses,
fighting the reins until our strength is broken.
Those who refuse the straight and narrow
will suffer for it, over and over;
but those who put their trust in you, LORD,
will find love and loyalty wherever they go.
You are celebrated by all right-minded people, LORD;
with open hearts we shout for joy;
with clear minds we sing your praises.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Because of what Christ has done for everyone, we are careful not to assume that people are nothing more than what our eyes and ears tell us about them. In the past we made that mistake with Christ, but we now know a lot more of him than our eyes or ears alone could detect. Whenever anyone unites themselves to Christ, something new is created. What that person was becomes a thing of the past; they get a whole new start in life! This is all God’s doing! God wants to be at peace with us, and so sent Christ to bring about reconciliation. Now God is sending us to continue this same work of reconciliation. To put it another way, what God was doing in and through Christ, was rebuilding the trust and love that are supposed to flow in both directions between the world and God. To achieve that, God agreed not to hold against us anything we had done in the past. This, then, is the extraordinary message of reconciliation which we are now given the job of sharing. We are a bit like a negotiation team who is authorised to issue the appeal on God’s behalf. We represent Christ in the world, and so on his behalf we beg you to hear this message and accept the generous peace deal that God is offering. The way of reconciliation is on the table before you: you’d be mad to turn your backs on it! Even though Christ had never been sucked into sin like us, God lumped him in with us, so as to make it possible to lump us in with him. United with him, we can become examples of all that God considers to be right and true.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32

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, “Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons. One day, the younger of the two said to his father, ‘Dad, I don’t want to have to wait for you to die before I get my hands on your property. Divide it up and give me my share now.’
“So the man had all his assets divided up and transferred to his two sons. The younger son immediately sold his share and shot through with the money. The lifestyle of a cashed-up backpacker offered him a smorgasbord of parties and pleasures beyond his wildest dreams, but they all came at a price. Before he knew it, he’d blown the lot. He didn’t have a penny left to his name, and the country where he was living was in the grip of a severe recession. Times were tough and work was hard to find. He managed to get some casual shifts cleaning out septic tanks, but at times he was reduced to picking food out of rubbish bins just to survive. One day, he woke up to himself: ‘My old man has three square meals a day served up for his farm labourers, and here I am eating stuff his dogs wouldn’t touch! I’ll go home and apologise for turning my back on him and God. I’ll ask him to take me on as a hired hand, since I’ve obviously blown any right to be treated as his son.’
“So he got up and thumbed his way home to his father’s property. Even as he was trudging down the road, rehearsing his speech, his father saw him coming. With emotion choking in his throat, he leapt to his feet, ran headlong down the road, and threw his arms around his son. The son began his prepared speech, saying, “Dad, my behaviour has been offensive to God and brought disgrace to you. It would not be right for you to ever treat me as your son again.’
“But before he could get all the words out, his father began to say, ‘My son, welcome home! Come inside and we’ll pop a bottle of bubbly. I’ll run you a bath and get you a clean set of clothes.’ Then he began giving orders to one of his workers: ‘Go and round up all the hands. Tell them to take the rest of the day off and come and celebrate with us. Fire up the spit-roast and pick out a prime calf. The drinks are on me, for this boy of mine was as good as dead, but now he’s alive and well. He was lost forever, but now he’s home again, safe and sound.’ And the celebrations began.
“Now the man’s elder son had been out at the time, and when he pulled up out the front, he heard the sounds of music, dancing and laughter. He asked the first person he saw what was going on and was told, ‘Your brother has turned up, out of the blue, and your dad’s so over the moon about it that he’s given everyone the day off and thrown a huge party. He’s even put one of the prime calves on the spit.’
“With that, the older brother spat the dummy and locked himself in his room. His father came and pleaded with him to come and join the party, but he yelled, ‘All these years I’ve worked my guts out for you. I’ve never given you a moment of grief, but not once have you ever given me so much as a pack of steaks to have a barbecue with my mates. But this scumbag son of yours has dragged your name through the mud and blown all your money on sex and drugs, and yet the minute he turns up, you put the prime calf on the spit for him!’
“But his father replied, ‘Son, you’ve got to be kidding! You’re always with me and I’ve signed everything I own over to you. Anytime you want a barbecue, it’s all yours! But this is a day to celebrate. We had to have a party! Your brother was as good as dead, but now he’s alive and well. He was lost forever, but now he’s home again, safe and sound.’”
©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 always seeking the lost
and rescuing the enslaved.
You created the earth and called forth its crops.
In the days of your servant Joshua,
you led your people into a rich new land,
and celebrated with them as they tasted its first fruits.
In Jesus Christ, the old has gone and the new has come.
In him you have sought us out,
and welcomed us to your table.
When those who resented your grace crucified him,
you raised him to new life
and through him you are reconciling the world to yourself.
At the first sign of repentance, you run to us
with your arms open
and your heart full of compassion.
Though we squander our birthright,
you lay the table with the richest food and wine
to celebrate our restoration to your life.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you that in Jesus Christ, the old has gone and the new has come.
In him you have sought us out and,
though we had squandered our birthright,
you have laden the table with the richest food and wine
to celebrate our restoration to your life.
©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 always seeking the lost
and rescuing the enslaved.
You created the earth and called forth its crops.
In the days of your servant Joshua,
you led your people into a rich new land,
and celebrated with them as they tasted its first fruits.
In Jesus Christ, the old has gone and the new has come.
In him you have sought us out,
and welcomed us to your table.
When those who resented your grace crucified him,
you raised him to new life
and through him you are reconciling the world to yourself.
At the first sign of repentance, you run to us
with your arms open
and your heart full of compassion.
Though we squander our birthright,
you lay the table with the richest food and wine
to celebrate our restoration to your 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

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.
You who confess your wrong to God are pardoned.
There is rejoicing in heaven over you,
for you were lost but now are found,
dead, but now you are alive in Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now as ambassadors for Christ
and proclaim God’s message of reconciliation.
Trust in God, rejoice in the Lord,
and celebrate God’s grace as it enfolds even the unworthy.
And may God be your shelter and save you from ruin;
May Christ Jesus teach you and show you the path to walk;
And may the Holy Spirit watch out for you
and encircle you with songs of freedom.
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.

Look after your own, God!A sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Nathan Nettleton

Who’s Jesus talking to?A sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Nathan Nettleton

Is God’s Grace Fair?A sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Nathan Nettleton

What About Me? The Tale of the Two ProdigalsA sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Garry Deverell

Family BrokenA sermon on Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting in on the DealA sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 & Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 by Nathan Nettleton

5th Sunday in Lent - Year C
2031-03-30 00:00 - 2031-03-31 00:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 43: 16-21

This is what the LORD has to say:
I am the one who cut a path through the ocean for you,
an escape route through the raging waters.
I am the one who dealt with the army that pursued you:
the soldiers and all their weapons of war.
Where are they now? Lying dead, never to rise again;
snuffed out like a drenched candle.
Now I say to you: Don’t dwell on the things of the past;
don’t get bogged down in nostalgia.
I am about to do something completely new;
can’t you see it taking shape before your eyes?
I will make a safe path through the hostile wilderness.
I will make the desert rivers flow again.
Untamed animals will applaud what I do
– dingoes, emus, goannas –
because the desert bursts into life
as I send rains, filling the inland lakes.
Now the people I have chosen can drink their fill;
I created them to be my people,
to enjoy and celebrate the things I do.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 126

When you brought us home to Zion from exile, LORD,
we had to pinch ourselves to be sure it wasn’t a dream.
Laughter and singing kept bubbling up in us;
we were just over the moon!
Even the nations around us had to admit
that you must have taken our side, LORD.
Indeed, we could only celebrate and thank you
. for the wonderful things you had done for us.
LORD, we need your help again;
we are like dry creek-beds in need of rain.
We have worked with sweat and tears;
let us reap the rewards with celebration.
Let those who laboured with heavy hearts,
expecting nothing but despair,
come home with pride renewed,
celebrating unimaginable success.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Philippians 3: 4b-14

If anyone starts bragging about their breeding and background to win an audience, I could trump them every time. I’ve got a pedigree to die for! I’m a pure blooded Israelite, born into the noble tribe of Benjamin. I was circumcised when I was eight days old, exactly as the law prescribes. I was educated by the Pharisees at the best school, so I know the scriptures inside out, and discipline and obedience are second nature to me. I was so pumped up with passion for the purity of religion that I led violent campaigns against declared heretics, including the church. You could measure me against the strictest interpretations of the law and I’d come out with a perfect record every time.
Most people would count all this as the perfect start in life, but I have come to see it as more of a disadvantage. Why? Because of the Messiah. You see, the one and only thing that is of real and lasting value is knowing the Messiah Jesus, my Lord, and I now realise that just about everything else gets in the way of that. This is why I’ve stopped counting my so-called blessings. I used to think that such things gave me the inside running with God, but I now regard such thinking as a lot of crap. I have given up clinging to such crappy ideas, so that I can give myself totally to the Messiah and be embraced fully by him. I’m no longer interested in how I measure up to any checklist of religious laws, however worthy it may be. God’s checklist is the only one that matters to me now and it only has one item on it. All those who trust Christ get the big tick from God. What I really want now is to know Christ intimately and to experience in my own life the power that raised him from the dead. I’ll do whatever it takes — I’ll take my share of his sufferings, I’ll follow him on the road to death if need be — because the only thing that matters to me is to be united with him in his resurrection life.
I’m not claiming for a moment that I’ve made it, or that I’ve now got it all together. There’s a long way to go, but at least I’m now on the right track and I’m not giving up. I know I’ll make it because the Messiah is backing me all the way. My friends, I don’t see myself as the expert in these things, but I know enough to be sure of which way to go. I’m taking no further interest in the successes or failures of the past. I’ve got my eyes firmly fixed on what God has called me to become, and I won’t let anything stop me until I cross the line and fall into the waiting arms of Christ.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 12: 1-8

Six days before the celebration of Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. He stayed overnight in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus; the man he had previously raised from the dead. Martha prepared a dinner party in honour of Jesus, and everyone was there, including Lazarus. During the evening, Mary broke open a very expensive bottle of blended fragrant oils. She poured out the oil and used it to massage Jesus’ feet. She then wiped them dry with her own hair. The intoxicating fragrance of the oils filled the whole house.
Judas Iscariot, however, took exception to her behaviour. Although he was one of Jesus’ closest followers, the seeds of betrayal were taking root in his mind. When he saw what Mary was doing, he growled, “What do you think you’re doing? That stuff is worth a fortune. Why was it not sold and the money put to work to do something for the poor?”
He wasn’t really the least bit concerned about the plight of the poor, but he was their treasurer and liked to keep their shared account topped up so he could help himself to it without anyone noticing.
Jesus said, “Get off her case, Judas! She brought that oil and kept it to use in preparing me for a decent burial. There will never be any shortage of opportunities to do something worthwhile for the poor, but you won’t always have the opportunity to do anything worthwhile for me.”
©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 there is nothing else in life that can compare
with the surpassing value of knowing you.
The newborn earth sprang forth at your touch
and life burst free as you lavished your love upon it.
You formed a people to declare your glory
and led them to freedom on a road through the sea.
Your child, Jesus Christ, honoured our outpoured devotion,
but was betrayed and killed by those
who profit from corruption.
You raised him to life
and called us leave the past
and look to the new wonders you are doing:
opening pathways through inhospitable places
and pouring forth springs where all was dry and lifeless,
so that we, and all who have laboured in sorrow,
might joyously bring forth a harvest of righteousness
and join Christ in the glory of his resurrection life.
Therefore with .....
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for your love in Christ
which opens pathways through inhospitable places,
so that we might press on through suffering and death
to the prize of resurrection life in Christ.
©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 there is nothing else in life that can compare
with the surpassing value of knowing you.
The newborn earth sprang forth at your touch
and life burst free as you lavished your love upon it.
You formed a people to declare your glory
and led them to freedom on a road through the sea.
Your child, Jesus Christ, honoured our outpoured devotion,
but was betrayed and killed by those
who profit from corruption.
You raised him to life
and called us leave the past
and look to the new wonders you are doing:
opening pathways through inhospitable places
and pouring forth springs where all was dry and lifeless,
so that we, and all who have laboured in sorrow,
might joyously bring forth a harvest of righteousness
and join Christ in the glory of his resurrection 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

The righteousness that comes from God
is given to all who turn from their past
and put their faith in Christ.
Sisters and brothers, God has heard your confession;
Christ Jesus has made you his own.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and press on in the path to which God has called you.
Do not get caught up in the things of the past,
or in the things that the world prizes,
but welcome the new things God is doing,
and take the new paths that open through the places of death.
And may God pour life-giving waters into your wilderness;
May Christ Jesus make you his own;
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen you
for the race that lies before 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 are we striving for?A sermon on Philippians 3:4b-14 and John 12:1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Building FortressesA sermon on Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14 and John 12:1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Renouncing Gifts and Wasting ResourcesA sermon on Philippians 3:4b-14 and John 12:1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Getting Jesus RightA sermon on John 12:1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

Dealing with the PastA sermon on Isaiah 43:16-21 & Philippians 3:4b-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Scandalous ExtravaganceA sermon on John 12:1-8 by Nathan Nettleton

A Gift Far Too SmallA sermon on John 12:1-8 & Philippians 3:4b-14 by Alison Sampson

Scandal, Personal Space, and Passing the PeaceA sermon on John 12:1-8 & Luke 7:36-50 by Nathan Nettleton

Where To From Here?A sermon on Isaiah 43:16-21 & Philippians 3:4b-14 by Nathan Nettleton

6th Sunday in Lent (Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday) - Year C
2031-04-06 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Luke 19: 28-40 (Gospel for the Liturgy of the Palms)

Jesus and his followers pushed on, heading up towards Jerusalem. Their last stop was just outside the twin townships of Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of his followers into the township, saying, “Just as you get into the main street you’ll see a young donkey tied up to a fence. It is an awkward looking thing and has not yet even been ridden. Collect it and bring it to me, and if anyone asks you what you think you’re doing with it, just tell them the boss needs it.”  So the two of them headed into the township, and sure enough, there was the donkey tied to the fence, just as Jesus had said. As they began to lead it off, its owner appeared and said, “Hey, what do you think you’re doing with my donkey?”
They replied, “The boss needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus and made an improvised saddle from items of spare clothing. Jesus got on and began riding slowly up the road to Jerusalem. As he approached, people began giving him the red-carpet treatment, spreading their coats on the road before him and cheering as he passed. As he rode the final stretch from the Mount of Olives, the swelling crowd of his followers were shouting and singing at the top of their voices, praising God for all the remarkable actions they had witnessed in Jesus’s company. A loud chant began:
God’s blessing is on the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
God is on the throne
and all is well in heaven!
Some religious teachers from the Pharisee party witnessed this from the crowd and confronted Jesus, saying, “Teacher, get your followers back under control!”
But Jesus answered, “The fact is, if I shut them up, the stones on the roadside would take up the chant!”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 (Psalm for the Liturgy of the Palms)

Thank you, LORD, thank you!
Thank you for your goodness!
Thank you for your love —
rock solid and timeless!
May all your people recognise
that your love and loyalty last forever.
The minute they open the city gates
— the gates of justice —
we’ll be the first through, LORD;
eager to tell you how thankful we are.
These gates belong to you, LORD,
those you have put right can come on through.
Thank you for answering our prayers, LORD;
for coming to our rescue and putting us right.
From a rejected stone found in a rubbish pile
you cut and polished a priceless jewel.
This is obviously your work, LORD,
and we can hardly believe our eyes!
Today is your day, LORD, a day to honour you;
we will celebrate with joy and laughter.
Get us through safely, LORD!
In the tasks ahead, give us success!
The one who comes in your name, LORD,
is the one who is truly blessed.
Gathered here in your house,
we praise you for sending him.
You, LORD, are our only God,
and you light up our lives.
In a great procession,
we march to the sacred place,
waving branches and banners;
tossing flowers in the air.
You are our God
and we give you thanks.
You are our God
and we give you our highest acclaim.
Thank you, LORD, thank you!
Thank you for your goodness!
Thank you for your love —
rock solid and timeless!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Isaiah 50: 4-9a

The LORD God has given me the gift of the gab
so that my words can teach others
and put a spring in the step of the weary.
As I wake up each new day,
God makes me hungry for learning.
The LORD cleaned out my ears
so that I could hear every word.
I learned eagerly;
I never rebelled or quit.
I was opposed by others,
but I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.
I looked them in the eye
when they insulted me and spat in my face.
I took it on the chin and did not fight back,
when they gave me a belting and tore out my hair.
The Lord GOD is always there for me,
so no disgrace ever gets to me.
I have steeled my jaw and dug in my heels,
and I’m sure I’ll never be ashamed of my stand
because I can trust God to back me up.
So, who thinks they can take me on?
Let them stand up and face me!
Who are my opponents?
Let’s see what they’re made of!
The Lord GOD is backing me;
so who is going to accuse me of doing wrong?
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 31: 9-16

Be kind to me, LORD,
I’m a mess.
My eyes are bloodshot from crying;
My heart is breaking
and my whole body aches.
Grief gnaws away at my life,
sorrows piles up, year after year.
Misery is draining my strength
and destroying my health.
I get no respect from my opponents;
nothing but ridicule.
Those who know me can’t bear to look at me;
even strangers cross the street to avoid me.
Everyone wants to purge me from their thoughts;
they’ve given me up for dead;
abandoned me like a burned out car.
Everyone is out to get me;
they’re whispering behind my back.
They’ve portrayed me as a monster
and put a price on my head.
But I still put my trust in you, LORD;
you are my God and you’re all I’ve got left.
My future is in your hands;
snatch me from the grasp
of those who are hunting me down.
I’m working for you; look on me with love.
Stand by me and save me.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net

Philippians 2: 5-11

Model your attitude on the attitude of the Messiah, Jesus.
Although Jesus was the same as God in every way,
he did not think of his God-like privileges
as something to be milked for all they were worth.
Instead, he laid it all aside
and, with no more privileges than a slave,
was born as a human being.
Having become a human being,
he was the model of humility.
He didn’t demand his own way
but let God set the agenda;
even when it included his own death,
and a gruesome public death at that.
Because of all this,
God has raised him to the status of number one
and honoured him more highly
than anyone else in the universe.
So now, just the mention of the name ‘Jesus’
should bring everyone to their knees;
everyone who has ever lived or ever will.
Everyone, everywhere will honour God
by openly acknowledging
that Jesus the Messiah is Lord of all!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 22:14 - 23:56

When the hour came, Jesus took his seat at the dining table, along with his closest followers. He said to them, “I’ve been hanging-out to eat this sacred Passover meal with you before I am put through the wringer. You can take it from me; I will not get to eat it until it is done to perfection in the culture of God.”
Then he picked up a cup of wine, and after giving thanks to God he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves. I kid you not; from now on, not another drop of wine will pass my lips until the culture of God has broken through.”
He took a loaf of bread in his hands, and when he had given thanks to God, he broke the loaf and gave it to them, saying: “This is my body. It is given for you. Do this so that I will be remembered.”
He did the same thing with the cup at the end of the meal, saying: “This cup, which is poured out for you, is God’s new alliance with you – an alliance sealed with my blood. But get this; the one who will betray me is here passing food around the table with us. And while the New Human will go to his fate according to the script, the writing is on the wall for the one who stabs him in the back.”
That set them questioning one another, trying to work out which one of them could possibly be going to do such a thing.
Before long an argument had broken out among them over which of them would be seen as the greatest. But Jesus broke it up, saying, “Outside of the people of God, those in power love to strut around, flaunting their authority. They describe themselves as the benefactors of the nation, but before you know it they’ve set themselves up as dictators, above the law. Don’t go taking that as your model. Instead, the greatest among you must become as unassuming as a junior recruit, and the one who is your leader must be like one who is at everyone else’s service. Who do people think of as most important – the one seated at the table, or the one waiting on the table? The one seated at the table of course. But I am at your service when I am among you.
“You are the ones who have hung in there with me when I’ve been under the pump. Now I am doing for you what my Father has done for me – promoting you to the status of royalty, so that you can eat and drink at my royal table when my culture is established. You will share my authority, sitting on thrones and ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus turned to Simon Peter and said, “Listen here, Simon. The satan has demanded the opportunity to take you lot apart and see what you are really made of. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will have what it takes. Once you are back on track yourself, you are to help these others get back to full strength.”
Simon Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to be locked up with you; to face death with you. Whatever it takes, I’ve got it.”
Jesus said to him, “You can take it from me, Peter; The rooster won’t get a chance to crow tonight before you have sworn three times that you don’t even know me.”
Speaking to all of them again, Jesus said, “Remember when I sent you out and told you to travel light – no luggage and not even your wallets. Did you find yourselves having to do without?”
“Not at all,” they replied.
“Well, this is a whole new ball game,” Jesus said. “You will be on your own and you will need all the resources you’ve got. If there is anything in your wallet, you will need it. There will be no one to defend you, so those who can’t defend themselves might as well flog off their coats and buy swords instead. You can take my word for it; what the scriptures said is about to take on a whole new meaning here: ‘He was lumped in with the crooks and low-life.’ Indeed, everything that was written about me is proving itself true.”
They said, “Look, Lord, we’ve got a couple of swords already.”
Jesus replied, “You won’t need any more than that!”
Jesus went outside and as usual headed off to the Mount of Olives with his followers. When they reached their usual spot, he said to them, “Pray that you will not have to face anything that’s too tough for you to handle.”
Then he moved off by himself, about a stone’s throw away from them, and fell to his knees in prayer, saying, “Father, if it’s okay with you, get me out of this without having to drink this bitter cup! But still, the bottom line is that I’ll go along with whatever you have decided.”
At that point a messenger from heaven appeared and gave him the strength to go on. Barely able to hold himself together, he prayed all the more desperately until the sweat was pouring off him like blood. When he got up and returned to his followers, he found that the grief had got the better of them and they had fallen asleep. He said to them, “What are you doing sleeping? Pray that you will not have to face anything that’s too tough for you to handle.”
Even before Jesus finished getting the words out, a mob arrived on the scene, led by Judas, who was one of the twelve. Judas walked straight up to Jesus and was about to kiss him, but Jesus said, “Judas, are you going to double-cross the New Human with a kiss?”
When those who were with Jesus realised what was going on, they called out, “Lord, do you want us to put up a fight?” and without waiting for an answer one of them began lashing out with a knife, slashing a personal attendant of the High Priest and cutting off his ear. But Jesus yelled, “Stop! Put that down.”
And he touched the injured man’s ear and healed him. Then he turned to the chief priests, the temple security guards, and political heavies who had come for him, and said, “Do you think I am some sort of dangerous thug, that you need your weapons drawn and your batons ready when you come for me? I have been sitting in the temple with you nearly every day, and you never laid a finger on me. But this is your way, isn’t it? Deeds of darkness in the darkest hour!”
The mob arrested Jesus and dragged him off to the High Priest’s house. Peter followed at a safe distance. Some of the security guards lit themselves a fire in the middle of the High Priest’s central courtyard, and when they sat down to warm themselves around it, Peter slipped in among them. A girl from the High Priest’s domestic staff saw him there in the light of the fire. She took a good hard look at him and said, “This bloke was with him too.”
But he denied it, saying, “Sorry, lady. You’ve got the wrong man. I don’t know him.”
A little bit later, someone else recognised him and said, “You are one of them.”
But Peter said, “Not me, mate. No way!”
About an hour later, someone else became more insistent, saying, “This bloke was with him, for sure. He’s a Galilean – it’s a dead give away.”
But Peter held his line: “Mister, I’ve got no idea what you are talking about.”
But the words were hardly out of his mouth when a rooster began to crow, and the Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter. Peter heard the words the Lord had spoken come flooding back – “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will have sworn three times that you don’t even know me” – and he ran out into the street, bawling his eyes out; a broken man.
The men who were holding Jesus in custody began to taunt him and rough him up. They blindfolded him and kept saying, “Come on, prophesy for us! Tell us who bashed you that time!”
The insults and abuse were flowing thick and fast.
First thing the next morning, Jesus was brought before a meeting of the whole Ruling Council, including the chief priests and the religious lawyers. They said to him, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.”
But Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me anyway, and if I question you, you won’t give me an answer. But from now on the New Human will take his seat as God’s right hand man.”
They all jumped at that and asked, “So then, are you saying that you are the Son of God?”
He said to them, “You yourselves are saying that I am.”
At that, they all said, “What further evidence do we need? We have all heard him condemn himself with his own words.”
The Ruling Council rose as one, marched Jesus off, and brought him before Pilate, the Roman governor. They began reeling off all sorts of charges against him, saying, “This bloke has been stirring up trouble on a national scale. He tells people to stop paying their taxes, and he is setting himself up as the Messiah in opposition to the Emperor.”
So Pilate began his interrogation by asking Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
“They are your words,” answered Jesus.
Pilate turned back to the chief priests and the mob, and said, “I can’t see that he has broken any laws. You have got nothing on him that will stick.”
But they dug their heels in and kept insisting, “He is trouble. He stirs up the people with his teaching, and not just around here. He started up in Galilee. He has worked his way all around Judea, and now he is at it here.”
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether Jesus was a Galilean, and when this was confirmed, he figured he could pass the buck to Herod, since Galileans came under Herod’s jurisdiction. Herod was in Jerusalem at the time anyway, so it was easy to palm Jesus off onto him. Herod was only too happy to see Jesus. He had been wanting to see him for some time, because he had heard plenty of stories about him and was hoping that he might get to see Jesus perform some miraculous sign. So Herod interrogated him at length, but Jesus remained silent and answered nothing. The chief priests and religious lawyers stood there, making all sorts of vicious allegations against him. The silent treatment got up Herod’s nose and he and his soldiers began to treat Jesus like dirt, and bad-mouth him. They made a joke of him, dressing him up like royalty, and then sending him back to Governor Pilate. Herod and Pilate had never had any time for each other before, but from that day on, they got on like a house on fire.
Governor Pilate then called together the chief priests, the political leaders, and the representatives of the people, and said to them, “You dragged this man in here and alleged that he was stirring up trouble among the people. But I have interrogated him here in your presence and I can’t find any basis to your allegations. None of your charges seem to stick. Herod obviously hasn’t found anything to pin on him either, because he has sent him back without recording any convictions. Quite clearly the man has done nothing to warrant the death penalty. So I will get my men to give him a flogging as a warning, and then release him.”
But the crowd went berserk, shouting together, “Rid the earth of this man! Free Barabbas for us!”
Barabbas had taken part in a violent uprising in the city, and was being held in prison on charges of terrorism and murder. Pilate wanted to release Jesus, and spoke to the crowd again, but they just kept up a loud chant of, “String him up! String him up!”
Pilate tried a third time, asking, “Why? What evil has he done? I can’t find any evidence of anything that would warrant a death sentence. I will have him flogged as a warning, and then release him.”
But the mob was in a frenzy, shouting louder and louder, and demanding that Jesus be executed. In the end they got their way. Pilate caved in and signed the order granting the people their demand. He set free the prisoner they asked for – the one who had been locked up for terrorism and murder – and handed Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
As they marched Jesus off to be executed, they grabbed a man called Simon of Cyrene, who was just arriving in town from the bush. They made him lift the large wooden cross on which Jesus was to be strung up, and carry it behind him. A huge crowd of people followed him out, and among them were many women who were weeping and wailing and carrying on loudly. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, it is no use crying for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. You can bet the days are coming when people will say that the fortunate women are the ones who couldn’t have children. They’ll say ‘How lucky are the women who never conceived! How lucky are those who never held babies to their breasts!’ People will cry out to the mountains saying ‘Fall on us now!’ They will wish the hills would collapse and bury them. For if this is what is done to a healthy green tree, imagine what will happen to all the old dead wood.”
Two convicted criminals were dragged off with him to be executed at the same time. The place where the executions were carried out was called Skull Hill. When they got there, they strung Jesus up on the cross by driving nails through his flesh. They executed the two convicted criminals in the same way on crosses on each side of him. As he hung there, Jesus prayed out loud, saying, “Father, forgive these people. They’ve got no idea what they are doing.”
The executioners divided up his clothes among themselves, tossing a coin to see who should get what. The people stood around staring, but the community leaders were hurling insults and ridicule at him and making a huge joke of it, saying, “He reckoned he could save everyone else. Let’s see him get himself out of this if he’s really the Messiah, God’s chosen one!”
The soldiers were sticking the boots in too, offering him drinks of wine that had turned to vinegar, and saying, “Come on. If you’re the king of the Jews, pull rank and get yourself out of this trouble!”
They also hung a sign above his head saying, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who was strung up alongside him joined in the insults, shouting, “What sort of Messiah are you?! Get your act together and save yourself, and save us while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal pulled his mate up short, saying, “Put a sock in it! Don’t you care what God could do to us? We are about to meet our maker, the same as he is, but you and I have done the crime and we are copping what we had coming. There was no miscarriage of justice over us. But what has this bloke ever done wrong? Nothing!” And then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come to take charge of everything.”
Jesus replied, “You have my word for it; today you will join me in Paradise.”
It was now about midday, but darkness fell over the whole land for three hours. The sun was blacked out, and the curtain that closed off the most holy place in the Temple tore in two. Then, with a loud cry, Jesus said, “Father, I lay down my life, and place it in your hands.”
That said, he breathed his last. When the commanding officer saw what had happened, he spoke highly of God and said, “This bloke was innocent. I’d bet my life on it!”
Crowds of spectators had gathered to witness the gruesome show, but when they saw what really took place, they were completely gutted and headed back to their homes sobbing.
Those who knew Jesus, including the women who had been among his followers since the days in Galilee, stood at a safe distance and kept watch over all that happened.
There was a man named Joseph who came from the Jewish town of Arimethea. He was a man of integrity who always did what was right, and who was genuinely looking forward to the culture of God. So although he was a respected member of the Ruling Council, he had opposed their plot and the action they had taken.
Joseph went to Pilate and got permission to take the body of Jesus for burial. He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in a linen shroud, and buried it in a tomb which had been cut into a rock wall, but had never been used. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was about to begin at sundown. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed along and saw where the tomb was and how his body was laid out. Then they left, and prepared the spices and lotions required to anoint the body of Jesus in the customary way. On the Sabbath, they took the day off, as the law required.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 23: 1-49 (Alternative shorter gospel reading)

The Ruling Council rose as one, marched Jesus off, and brought him before Pilate, the Roman governor. They began reeling off all sorts of charges against him, saying, “This bloke has been stirring up trouble on a national scale. He tells people to stop paying their taxes, and he is setting himself up as the Messiah in opposition to the Emperor.”
So Pilate began his interrogation by asking Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
“They are your words,” answered Jesus.
Pilate turned back to the chief priests and the mob, and said, “I can’t see that he has broken any laws. You have got nothing on him that will stick.”
But they dug their heels in and kept insisting, “He is trouble. He stirs up the people with his teaching, and not just around here. He started up in Galilee. He has worked his way all around Judea, and now he is at it here.”
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether Jesus was a Galilean, and when this was confirmed, he figured he could pass the buck to Herod, since Galileans came under Herod’s jurisdiction. Herod was in Jerusalem at the time anyway, so it was easy to palm Jesus off onto him. Herod was only too happy to see Jesus. He had been wanting to see him for some time, because he had heard plenty of stories about him and was hoping that he might get to see Jesus perform some miraculous sign. So Herod interrogated him at length, but Jesus remained silent and answered nothing. The chief priests and religious lawyers stood there, making all sorts of vicious allegations against him. The silent treatment got up Herod’s nose and he and his soldiers began to treat Jesus like dirt, and bad-mouth him. They made a joke of him, dressing him up like royalty, and then sending him back to Governor Pilate. Herod and Pilate had never had any time for each other before, but from that day on, they got on like a house on fire.
Governor Pilate then called together the chief priests, the political leaders, and the representatives of the people, and said to them, “You dragged this man in here and alleged that he was stirring up trouble among the people. But I have interrogated him here in your presence and I can’t find any basis to your allegations. None of your charges seem to stick. Herod obviously hasn’t found anything to pin on him either, because he has sent him back without recording any convictions. Quite clearly the man has done nothing to warrant the death penalty. So I will get my men to give him a flogging as a warning, and then release him.”
But the crowd went berserk, shouting together, “Rid the earth of this man! Free Barabbas for us!”
Barabbas had taken part in a violent uprising in the city, and was being held in prison on charges of terrorism and murder. Pilate wanted to release Jesus, and spoke to the crowd again, but they just kept up a loud chant of, “String him up! String him up!”
Pilate tried a third time, asking, “Why? What evil has he done? I can’t find any evidence of anything that would warrant a death sentence. I will have him flogged as a warning, and then release him.”
But the mob was in a frenzy, shouting louder and louder, and demanding that Jesus be executed. In the end they got their way. Pilate caved in and signed the order granting the people their demand. He set free the prisoner they asked for – the one who had been locked up for terrorism and murder – and handed Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
As they marched Jesus off to be executed, they grabbed a man called Simon of Cyrene, who was just arriving in town from the bush. They made him lift the large wooden cross on which Jesus was to be strung up, and carry it behind him. A huge crowd of people followed him out, and among them were many women who were weeping and wailing and carrying on loudly. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, it is no use crying for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. You can bet the days are coming when people will say that the fortunate women are the ones who couldn’t have children. They’ll say ‘How lucky are the women who never conceived! How lucky are those who never held babies to their breasts!’ People will cry out to the mountains saying ‘Fall on us now!’ They will wish the hills would collapse and bury them. For if this is what is done to a healthy green tree, imagine what will happen to all the old dead wood.”
Two convicted criminals were dragged off with him to be executed at the same time. The place where the executions were carried out was called Skull Hill. When they got there, they strung Jesus up on the cross by driving nails through his flesh. They executed the two convicted criminals in the same way on crosses on each side of him. As he hung there, Jesus prayed out loud, saying, “Father, forgive these people. They’ve got no idea what they are doing.”
The executioners divided up his clothes among themselves, tossing a coin to see who should get what. The people stood around staring, but the community leaders were hurling insults and ridicule at him and making a huge joke of it, saying, “He reckoned he could save everyone else. Let’s see him get himself out of this if he’s really the Messiah, God’s chosen one!”
The soldiers were sticking the boots in too, offering him drinks of wine that had turned to vinegar, and saying, “Come on. If you’re the king of the Jews, pull rank and get yourself out of this trouble!”
They also hung a sign above his head saying, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who was strung up alongside him joined in the insults, shouting, “What sort of Messiah are you?! Get your act together and save yourself, and save us while you’re at it!”
But the other criminal pulled his mate up short, saying, “Put a sock in it! Don’t you care what God could do to us? We are about to meet our maker, the same as he is, but you and I have done the crime and we are copping what we had coming. There was no miscarriage of justice over us. But what has this bloke ever done wrong? Nothing!” And then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come to take charge of everything.”
Jesus replied, “You have my word for it; today you will join me in Paradise.”
It was now about midday, but darkness fell over the whole land for three hours. The sun was blacked out, and the curtain that closed off the most holy place in the Temple tore in two. Then, with a loud cry, Jesus said, “Father, I lay down my life, and place it in your hands.”
That said, he breathed his last. When the commanding officer saw what had happened, he spoke highly of God and said, “This bloke was innocent. I’d bet my life on it!”
Crowds of spectators had gathered to witness the gruesome show, but when they saw what really took place, they were completely gutted and headed back to their homes sobbing.
Those who knew Jesus, including the women who had been among his followers since the days in Galilee, stood at a safe distance and kept watch over all that happened.
©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 good and your steadfast love is forever.
The creation of the world was your doing
and is marvellous to our eyes.
Your prophets told us of the coming one
who would teach your ways
and sustain us with your word.
Your child, Jesus Christ, though one with you
gave up all he had,
taking on human flesh
and walking the path of obedience
all the way to insult, betrayal and death,
trusting only in your vindication.
Though he was rejected by those who had cheered him,
you made him the cornerstone of new life
and raised him to the highest place of honour.
He has opened the gates of justice
and become our salvation,
so with shouts of joy we greet his appearing,
and proclaim that Christ is Lord
to your glory forever.
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, giving up all he had
and walking the path of obedience
all the way to insult, betrayal and death,
opened the gates of justice
and become our salvation.
©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 good and your steadfast love is forever.
The creation of the world was your doing
and is marvellous to our eyes.
Your prophets told us of the coming one
who would teach your ways
and sustain us with your word.
Your child, Jesus Christ, though one with you
gave up all he had,
taking on human flesh
and walking the path of obedience
all the way to insult, betrayal and death,
trusting only in your vindication.
Though he was rejected by those who had cheered him,
you made him the cornerstone of new life
and raised him to the highest place of honour.
He has opened the gates of justice
and become our salvation,
so with shouts of joy we greet his appearing,
and proclaim that Christ is Lord
to your glory forever.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord who vindicates you is near.
God has heard your confession
and you will not be put to shame.
With the Lord God as your help
no one can declare you guilty.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and follow Christ in obedience.
Have the same mind as was in Christ Jesus;
Keep your ears open to God’s teaching;
Be humble, even in the face of hostility
and do not turn back.
And may God help you and keep you from disgrace;
May Christ Jesus lead you through the gates of justice;
And may the Holy Spirit keep you in God’s steadfast love
and fill your mouths with praise to the glory of God.
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.

Jesus and the Opinion PollsA sermon for Palm Sunday by Nathan Nettleton

Monday of Holy Week
2031-04-07 00:00 - 23:59
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them.

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 42:1-9

The Lord says:
Let me introduce to you the one who serves me,
the one I am backing all the way.
I have chosen him,
and I am bursting with pride over him.
I have given him my spirit in full measure,
and he will bring about justice everywhere on earth.
He won’t go thrusting himself into the public eye,
or grandstanding in the street with pompous speeches.
He won’t exploit the vulnerability of damaged people,
or squeeze the last drops out of those who are running on empty.
He will be completely fair dinkum
about making justice a reality.
He will not run out of steam or throw in the towel
until his mission is accomplished;
until justice holds sway everywhere on earth
and the world’s peoples are eager to learn from him.
I am the one who created the universe
and stretched out the skies;
the one who constructed the earth
and produced everything that grows from it;
the one who breathes life into the world’s people
and kindles the spark of life within them;
I am the LORD your God;
so listen to what I have to say:
I, the LORD, have called you to stand for what is right.
I have put my arm around you and kept you safe.
I have made you a shining light for all the earth to see,
to draw all people everywhere
into a permanent alliance with me.
I have given you a privileged role
as the one who enables the blind to see the light;
the one who opens the gates of the stifling detention centres
and welcomes the prisoners into the fresh air of freedom.
I am the LORD, that is my name;
I don’t allow pretenders to cash in on my glory
or rip off my image to promote their frauds.
Take note: everything I warned you about has happened on cue.
Now I am announcing my new projects;
I’m letting you in on them even before they get started.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 36: 5-11

You unwavering love fills the universe, LORD;
your loyalty is as timeless as the milky way.
Your passion for doing right
is as solid as the mountain ranges;
your understanding of us
is as deep as the oceans.
You set out to save the lives of every creature, LORD,
and no one – not man nor woman,
not bird nor beast – is left out of your care.
Your love, O God, is our greatest treasure!
You keep a place for everyone
under the shelter of your wings.
You invite all who come to feast at your table;
the wine of your love flows like a river
and no one’s glass is allowed to run dry.
Life bursts forth from you like a fountain;
light shines from you and lights up our world.
Don’t ever give up on us, LORD;
keep loving all who trust you,
keep rescuing all whose hearts are in the right place.
Protect us from those who would trample us underfoot.
Stand in the way of those who would drive us from the land.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 9: 11-15

The priests of old served in a great tent which people had made as the place to approach God here on earth, but when Christ came he bypassed the old tent. He came as the new high priest, bringing a new improved way of approaching God. Once and for all he went in to the real Holy Place of God’s presence, in the middle of the ultimate tent — heaven itself. He also bypassed the old sacrifices of goat and calf blood. Instead, he shed his own blood in the process of winning permanent freedom for everyone.
Under the old arrangements, people were not permitted to come and worship God if they had done something that made them officially unclean. They had to be purified first in a ritual that required them to be sprinkled with blood from goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf. Now if such a ritual was enough to clear up these problems, imagine how much more thoroughly our lives can be cleaned up — inside and out — by the blood of Christ! Christ’s self-sacrifice — which because of his spotless record was the greatest possible sacrifice — was made in the power of God’s Spirit to wipe the slate clean for us. No longer are we weighed down by the emotional debris left over from previous futile efforts to sort things out with God. Now we are free to join the joyous dance of life that honours God!
This is why we say that Jesus is the mediator. He brought the two sides together — us and God — to establish a new alliance. It took his own death to bring the job to completion, but he succeeded in having written off the debts we had accumulated by breaking the rules of the old agreement, and having us written back into the list of those who God has called — those who will inherit for all time all that God has promised to give.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 12: 1-11

Six days before the celebration of Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. He stayed overnight in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus; the man he had previously raised from the dead. Martha prepared a dinner party in honour of Jesus, and everyone was there, including Lazarus. During the evening, Mary broke open a very expensive bottle of blended fragrant oils. She poured out the oil and used it to massage Jesus’ feet. She then wiped them dry with her own hair. The intoxicating fragrance of the oils filled the whole house.
Judas Iscariot, however, took exception to her behaviour. Although he was one of Jesus’ closest followers, the seeds of betrayal were taking root in his mind. When he saw what Mary was doing, he growled, “What do you think you’re doing? That stuff is worth a fortune. Why was it not sold and the money put to work to do something for the poor?”
He wasn’t really the least bit concerned about the plight of the poor, but he was their treasurer and liked to keep their shared account topped up so he could help himself to it without anyone noticing.
Jesus said, “Get off her case, Judas! She brought that oil and kept it to use in preparing me for a decent burial. There will never be any shortage of opportunities to do something worthwhile for the poor, but you won’t always have the opportunity to do anything worthwhile for me.”
The news that Jesus was back in Bethany spread quickly and the crowds gathered to see him. Many were also keen to see Lazarus, because they had heard about Jesus raising him from the dead. When news of this reached the senior religious authorities, they began plotting to have Lazarus killed as well. They wanted to get rid of him because he had inspired so many of their followers to give up on them and switch their allegiance to Jesus.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
