LaughingBird

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Isaiah 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

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

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

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Numbers 6: 22-27

The LORD told to Moses to pass on the following instructions to Aaron and his sons for their work as priests:
“These are the words of blessing you are to use when you bless the Israelite people:
May the LORD set you up for life and look after you;
May the LORD smile upon you and be generous to you;
May the LORD keep an eye on you
and give you a life in which all is well.
With these words you will remind my people who they belong to, and I will bless them.”
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 8

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

Galatians 4:4-7 (alternative)

When the clock had run down and the time was right,
God sent a rescuer,
God’s own Son;
born to a woman in the usual way,
growing up under the thumb of the law,
just like the rest of God’s people.
God sent him into such circumstances
so that he could get everyone else out of them;
paying the price of our freedom
and giving us the opportunity
to be adopted into God’s family.
Because you are now God’s children,
the Spirit of God’s child, Jesus,
has been sent into your hearts;
the Spirit who makes us as eager for God
as children running into their parents’ arms
crying, “Daddy! Mummy!”
So you are no longer at the beck and call
of those things which once dictated your every move;
now you are God’s own children,
and as God’s children, you will receive from God
all that has been kept in trust for God’s children.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Philippians 2: 5-11 (alternative)

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 2: 15-21

When the angels went back to heaven, the shearers were left sitting there looking at one another, gob-smacked. “We’d better go and check this out,” they said. “Let’s go into town and see if we can see what’s happened, what the Lord has let us in on.”
So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again – a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be.
Mary and Joseph followed the law and custom of their people and held a ceremony for the baby boy when he was eight days old to circumcise him and name him. They named him Jesus – the name which God’s messenger had given him before he was conceived in the womb.
©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,
joining with the whole world
in telling of the greatness of your name.
From the moment you created and named every living thing
your handiwork has been a source of awe and wonder.
Like the moon and stars you set in place,
your face has shone upon us and blessed us with peace.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son,
born of woman and named by angels,
so that we too might be adopted by you,
and through your Spirit, the treasure of our hearts,
live worthily of the name you have given us.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We thank you for sending your Son,
born of woman and named by angels,
so that we too might be adopted by you,
and live worthily of the name you have given us.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We join with the whole world to give you thanks and praise, O God,
and telling of the greatness of your name.
From the moment you created and named every living thing
your handiwork has been a source of awe and wonder.
Like the moon and stars you set in place,
your face has shone upon us and blessed us with peace.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son,
born of woman and named by angels,
so that we too might be adopted by you,
and through your Spirit, the treasure of our hearts,
live worthily of the name you have given us.
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.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

When the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as God’s children.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
You have been named as God’s adopted children:
Live worthily of the glory with which God has dressed you.
And may God bless you and keep you.
May Christ Jesus make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
And may the Spirit smile upon you and give you peace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Exchanging GiftsA sermon on Galatians 4: 4-7 by Nathan Nettleton

1st Sunday of Christmas - Year C
2030-12-29 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 2: 18-20, 26

While he was still a young boy, Samuel served the LORD on the staff of the place of worship in the town of Shiloh. When he was working he wore a special religious cape over the robes his mother made for him. Hannah used to make small copies of the robes the priests wore, and bring them to him each year when she and her husband came up to Shiloh for the annual sacrifice. When they came, Eli the priest would give Elkanah and Hannah a blessing, saying, “You have given your son as a gift to the LORD. May the LORD reward the two of you with more children to take his place.”
After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home to their own town. Year by year Samuel continued to grow into an impressive young man. Everybody liked him and the LORD was pleased with him.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 148

We sing your praises, LORD!
From every corner of the universe,
from high and low, near and far,
we join the chorus of praise!
With the angels and all who serve you in heaven,
we sing your praises!
With the sun and moon, stars and planets,
we sing your praises!
With far flung galaxies and the milky way,
we sing your praises!
All of them speak of you in glowing terms, LORD,
for they owe their very existence to you.
You ordered their creation
and fixed them in place for all time.
We sing your praises, LORD!
Every creature on earth joins the choir,
singing your praises for all they’re worth:
dolphins and whales
and the ocean itself;
bushfire and hail storm,
snow and ice,
cyclones dancing to your tune;
mountain ranges and rolling hills,
orchards and rainforests,
animals from both bush and farm,
reptiles and birds;
people of every race and class,
people of power and influence;
men and women, old and young,
every voice on earth joins as one!
One and all, we sing your praises, LORD,
yours is the only name on our lips!
You alone outshine the glory of the universe!
You have given strength to your people,
and honour to your faithful ones,
to those you have chosen
and hold close to your heart.
You, LORD, are the greatest!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Colossians 3: 12-17

You are a special and much loved people, hand picked by God. To mark you out as God’s people, you have a uniform to wear. It consists of generosity, humility, tolerance and a passionate concern for others, all of which must be worn without any pretentiousness. The thing you do have to wear it with is love. Without love, you won’t even be able to keep the rest of it on - it would all look totally out of place.
Christ has called you to be united as one body, with his peace surging through your veins and keeping the whole body strong. I’ll give you some instructions here for life in the body, but if you let the peace of Christ shape the way you live, you’ll find it comes naturally. Hang in there with each other. No doubt there will be times when you will rub each other up the wrong way, but be forgiving. The Lord had no hesitation forgiving you, so follow his lead and forgive each other. Cultivate a mindset of gratitude. Provide rich soil in your hearts into which the word of Christ can sink deep strong roots. Don’t keep good advice to yourself. Share what you have learned and guide one another in the ways of wisdom. Then you’ll all have plenty to be grateful about. Let your gratitude overflow in the songs you sing together - whatever the style, offer them as spirited gifts to God. At all times, whatever you are up to, see to it that the things you say and do are all things that Christ would be proud to be associated with. Let everything you do for Christ be a way of communicating your thanks to God, for it is God who has given you life.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: 41-52

Every year, Mary and Joseph and most of their friends and family travelled to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they all went up for the festival as usual. At the end of the celebration, they all hit the road as one and began heading home. No one noticed that Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem. Everyone just assumed he was with someone else in the crowd, and they’d done a day’s travel before his parents began to look for him. When they couldn’t find him anywhere among their friends and relatives, they turned around and went back to Jerusalem to mount a search. It took three days to find him and they were nearly at their wits’ end. Jesus was fine though. They found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, hanging on every word they said and probing them with questions of his own. Those who had been listening in were staggered by his grasp of the issues and his ability to participate in such learned discussion. His parents were not nearly so impressed! “Young man, what do you think you’re doing running off on us like this?” Mary demanded. “Your father and I have been worried sick and we’ve hunted everywhere.”
Jesus replied, “Why were you looking everywhere? Surely you know me well enough to know that this was where I’d be, in the house of my Father.”
They didn’t really cotton on to what he meant, but the whole incident became another of Mary’s treasured memories. Jesus went home to Nazareth with his parents and was careful to cooperate with their wishes. With each passing year, he grew in wisdom and maturity. God was pleased with him and everybody liked having him around.
©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,
joining with the joyous cries of all creation,
for you oversee and nourish our growth to fullness of life.
Your word called forth the sun, moon and stars,
and your breath gave life to every creature.
You chose a people to be close to you,
and you spoke through them by your law and prophets.
You sent your Son, Jesus, among us,
and even as a child his zeal for your ways
and his wisdom impressed all who heard him.
His passion for the integrity of your house
and for the holiness of your people
turned the powerful against him.
They crucified him
but you raised him to new life.
Now his peace rules in our hearts,
his word dwells in us richly,
and we are clothed in his love,
to the glory of your holy name.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks for the peace of Christ which rules in our hearts,
for his word which dwells in us richly, clothing us in his love,
and nourishing our growth to maturity
in wisdom, in compassion and in love,
to the glory of your holy name.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
joining with the joyous cries of all creation,
for you oversee and nourish our growth to fullness of life.
Your word called forth the sun, moon and stars,
and your breath gave life to every creature.
You chose a people to be close to you,
and you spoke through them by your law and prophets.
You sent your Son, Jesus, among us,
and even as a child his zeal for your ways
and his wisdom impressed all who heard him.
His passion for the integrity of your house
and for the holiness of your people
turned the powerful against him.
They crucified him
but you raised him to new life.
Now his peace rules in our hearts,
his word dwells in us richly,
and we are clothed in his love,
to the glory of your holy name.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God’s word called you into existence,
and fixed you forever in God’s love.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
and sing with gratitude,
for the Lord has forgiven you.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
clothe yourselves with love;
forgive one another,
and do everything you do in the name of Christ,
giving thanks to God.
And may God bless you and repay you for all you give;
May Christ Jesus send his peace to rule in your hearts;
and may the Holy Spirit raise you to maturity
in wisdom, in compassion and in love.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

What’s that precocious kid got to do with us?A sermon on Luke 2:41-52 by Nathan Nettleton

Finding Jesus – Finding OurselvesA sermon on Luke 2:41-52 & Colossians 3:12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Day by Day Like Him We GrowA sermon on Luke 2:41-52 & Colossians 3:12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

Listening, learning, growingA sermon on Luke 2:41-52 & Colossians 3:12-17 by Nathan Nettleton

When you lose JesusA sermon on Luke 2:41-52 by Nathan Nettleton

The Feast of the Nativity (Christmas Eve/Day)
2030-12-25 00:00 - 23:59 UTC
The Revised Common Lectionary provides three sets of readings for the Feast of the Nativity, and calls them Proper I, Proper II, and Proper III. Some church will use different ones for different services. Some will use one set each year. Others might use readings from all three sets in an extended service of lessons and carols.

Below you will find the three sets, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases and prayers. Below the third set you will find a list of sermons for the day.

Proper I

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 9: 2-7

The people who lived in a dark cloud of gloom
have seen a great light break through;
those in the blackest hell-holes
have seen their whole world light up.
LORD, you have built up the nation,
and given them every reason to celebrate.
The people revel in it all,
like farmers when a drought breaks;
like children opening presents.
Finally they are out from under the thumb
of those who oppressed them.
You have broken their chains
and run the slave drivers out of town,
just as you did in days long ago.
There will be a huge bonfire
to burn everything left by the occupation forces,
their blood-stained uniforms and cruel boots
will go up in flames.
For see! A child has been born for us;
the gift of a son who will take charge of everything.
He will be given all these titles:
Most Excellent Advisor;
Supreme God;
Father Forever,
Prince of Peace.
The reach of his arm will just keep growing,
and his realm will know peace without limit.
He will inherit all that David ruled,
and bring stability and security.
Doing what is just and right
will be the hallmarks of his reign
from now on and for all time.
The LORD’s heart is set on this;
The LORD who rules over everything will see that it happens.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 96

We sing like we’ve never sung before, LORD;
singing to you with all the earth.
Every mention of your name sets us singing your praises.
We never tire of telling the story of how you bailed us out;
all over the world, we speak of your incredible accomplishments;
everyone we meet hears us giving the credit to you.
You are the greatest, LORD; we can’t praise you enough!
When it comes to gods, you are in a league of your own;
all other objects of devotion are powerless.
But you, LORD, created the whole cosmos;
you are surrounded by majesty and celebration;
strength and beauty are signs of your presence.
People of every race and creed recognise you, LORD;
they recognise you behind all that is strong and true;
they name you as the one who deserves all the glory.
We offer ourselves to you, LORD;
we fall to our knees in this beautiful place of worship;
with all the earth, we celebrate you alone.
You are our king, LORD; we’ll tell everyone everywhere!
You have set the world on firm foundations,
and with you in charge, everyone will get a fair go.
Let the heavens and the earth celebrate;
let the roar of the sea join in;
let everything that walks, flies or swims join the party!
You are on your way, LORD,
and even the roadside trees cheer as you approach,
for you are coming to set things right on the earth.
You will sort things out and put things right,
and reveal the truth about everything and everyone.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Titus 2: 11-14

God’s extravagant generosity is now out in the open for everyone to see. No one is left out - God has come to save everyone and everything! There are some solid lessons in this for all of us - we are being trained in how to turn our backs on crass and indulgent lifestyles, and how to get our lives back under control and on track, to realign ourselves with God and rebuild our integrity. All this is for the here and now. As much as we are eagerly waiting for the day when all God’s promises are fulfilled, when the full glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is writ large for all to see, there’s no reason not to get on with living it right now! After all, it was him who paid the ultimate price to bail us out of the degradation we’d sunk into. He didn’t stop at getting us out either, he personally went to work, decontaminating us and transforming us into a people he’s proud to be identified with, a people who enthusiastically throw themselves into doing good.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: 1-14, (15-20)

Many years ago, the Roman Emperor Augustus gave orders for a census to be conducted throughout the whole empire. This was the first time it had been done while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Every man was required to go and register himself and his family in the town where he had been born. For Joseph, this meant travelling all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Bethlehem had been the home town of King David, and Joseph, being a descendent of David, had been born there too, so that was where he had to report. Joseph’s fiancée, Mary, travelled with him to Bethlehem for the census. She was pregnant and the baby was due any day. There was no accommodation left anywhere in the town, so they ended up sleeping rough in the stables behind a pub. Sure enough, she went into labour while they were there and gave birth to her first child – a baby boy. Mary wrapped the baby in a bunny rug and made up a bed for him in a feed trough.
The region around Bethlehem was sheep country, and that night there was a bunch of shearers spinning yarns around their campfire. Suddenly the whole sky lit up with the glory of God, and the Lord’s messenger stood among them. They were packing death, but the messenger said to them, “It’s okay! There’s no need to panic. I’m here with good news, news that will give everyone everywhere good reason to celebrate. A saviour has just been born in David’s town. He is God’s chosen one, the Lord of all. Go and see for yourselves. You’ll know you’ve found him when you see a baby wrapped in a bunny rug and lying in a feed trough!”
The moment he’d finished speaking, the messenger was joined by a whole crowd from heaven, all praising God and shouting at the tops of their voices, saying:
“All the glory belongs to God in heaven,
and let there be peace on earth for all God’s people!”
Then it was all over – the crowd went back to heaven and the shearers were left sitting there looking at one another, gob-smacked. “We’d better go and check this out,” they said. “Let’s go into town and see if we can see what’s happened, what the Lord has let us in on.”
So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again – a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be.
©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,
and to offer a new song of praise,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God who made the heavens,
the Lord, whose majestic light now shines
on those who walked in darkness.
Your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death,
he will rise to break the rod of oppression.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will burn the blood stained clothes of war.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your Son is given to us, the firstborn of Mary.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
©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,
and offer to you a new song of praise,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God who made the heavens,
the Lord, whose majestic light now shines
on those who walked in darkness.
Your grace appears bringing salvation to all;
your child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death,
he will rise to break the rod of oppression.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will burn the blood stained clothes of war.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be seated on the throne of endless peace
to rule with justice and righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people.
Jesus Christ is given to us
to redeem us from all wickedness
and to make us a pure people who belong to him
and are eager to do good.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
Renounce ungodly living and unworthy desires,
and take control of your life with godliness and honour.
And may the God of grace increase your joy.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit, the Wonderful Counsellor,
make the good news known to you and through you.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Proper II

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 62:6-12

Jerusalem, I have sent the town criers up onto the wall.
I have told them to shout day and night,
and never let anyone shut them up.
Their job is to shout and chant without a break,
to keep up the pressure
until the LORD puts Jerusalem back on her feet
and makes her the toast of all the earth.
“I have given my word,” says the LORD,
“and you can count on it.”
“Never again will I let your enemies in
to plunder the food and wine
that you have put so much work into.
From now on everyone will enjoy the fruits of their own labour;
those who bake the bread
will eat with thankful hearts;
those who pick the grapes
will enjoy the wine in my temple.”
People of Jerusalem, throw open your gates.
Get everything ready for the home comers.
Resurface the road,
fill the potholes, clear the stones,
put up signs to show everyone the way.
The LORD has an announcement to make,
and all the earth will hear it;
“I am coming soon to save you, Jerusalem,
and I will bring a reward
to make up for all you have suffered.
You will be known as a people dedicated to me,
as the people I have reclaimed and brought home.
You will be called “the place to be,
the city no one wants to leave.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 97

You, LORD, are the ruler of everything!
The whole earth celebrates!
Up and down the coast, everyone is shouting for joy!
Deep, dark clouds of mystery hide you from us;
justice and integrity are the bedrock of your rule.
You are a consuming fire, leaping in all directions,
purging the earth of its enemies.
Your touch splits the darkness with bolts of light;
the earth is lit up and shakes like a leaf.
You are Lord of all the earth, and in your presence
even the mountains go weak and melt like wax.
The heavens herald you as the one who puts things right;
all people everywhere witness your day of glory.
Those who worshipped hollow facades
will hang their heads in shame.
Those who take pride in the power of possessions
will be horrified when it all proves worthless.
All these false gods and short-lived saviours
crumble and fall before you, the real thing.
From the Temple Mountain to the farthest flung town,
your people are celebrating with great joy, O God,
because you have seen the truth and brought about justice.
You, LORD, are number one in all the universe;
in a league of your own,
far above anything else that seeks our allegiance.
You love those who detest evil, LORD;
You stand guard over those who are loyal to you;
You come to their rescue if they fall prey to violence.
When people have integrity and do what is right,
you light up their lives and fill them with joy.
All who build their lives on the bedrock of your truth and justice
are celebrating all you do, LORD.
Just the mention of your holy name
and they burst forth with a flood of gratitude!
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Titus 3: 4-7

When God our Saviour showed up,
overflowing with goodness, love and kindness,
we were rescued from the horrors of our past.
God saved us,
for no other reason than because God wanted to.
We had never done anything to deserve it.
It only happened because God’s mercy is so extravagant.
The Holy Spirit stepped in
and took us down into the healing waters.
We came out thoroughly rejuvenated,
like newborn babies with a fresh start before us.
Through our contact with Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
God has poured out the Holy Spirit on us,
like a rich oil that soaks into every pore.
So now, having been given a clean slate
through God’s extravagant generosity,
we are marked out to receive the full inheritance,
the life without limit that everyone has been longing for.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Many years ago, the Roman Emperor Augustus gave orders for a census to be conducted throughout the whole empire. This was the first time it had been done while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Every man was required to go and register himself and his family in the town where he had been born. For Joseph, this meant travelling all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Bethlehem had been the home town of King David, and Joseph, being a descendent of David, had been born there too, so that was where he had to report. Joseph’s fiancée, Mary, travelled with him to Bethlehem for the census. She was pregnant and the baby was due any day. There was no accommodation left anywhere in the town, so they ended up sleeping rough in the stables behind a pub. Sure enough, she went into labour while they were there and gave birth to her first child – a baby boy. Mary wrapped the baby in a bunny rug and made up a bed for him in a feed trough.
The region around Bethlehem was sheep country, and that night there was a bunch of shearers spinning yarns around their campfire. Suddenly the whole sky lit up with the glory of God, and the Lord’s messenger stood among them. They were packing death, but the messenger said to them, “It’s okay! There’s no need to panic. I’m here with good news, news that will give everyone everywhere good reason to celebrate. A saviour has just been born in David’s town. He is God’s chosen one, the Lord of all. Go and see for yourselves. You’ll know you’ve found him when you see a baby wrapped in a bunny rug and lying in a feed trough!”
The moment he’d finished speaking, the messenger was joined by a whole crowd from heaven, all praising God and shouting at the tops of their voices, saying:
“All the glory belongs to God in heaven,
and let there be peace on earth for all God’s people!”
Then it was all over – the crowd went back to heaven and the shearers were left sitting there looking at one another, gob-smacked. “We’d better go and check this out,” they said. “Let’s go into town and see if we can see what’s happened, what the Lord has let us in on.”
So without messing around they headed straight into Bethlehem, and sure enough, they tracked down Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the feed trough. When they saw all this, they began telling everyone what they had heard about this child. People could hardly believe their ears when they heard what the shearers were saying. But their words were precious to Mary and she repeated them over and over in her mind, wondering what would become of it all. The shearers headed off towards their camp again – a rowdy mob, singing and shouting in the streets about how fabulous God was because of everything they had seen and heard. Everything had been just the way they had been told it would be.
©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,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God whose Word raised the earth from the seas,
whose presence melts mountains like wax,
and whose light rains down joy on loyal hearts.
Your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death
he will rise to bring back your people
and name them “Redeemed”.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will be wrapped in thunder and crowned with glory.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a Son is given to us, the firstborn of Mary.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
singing: “Glory to you in the highest heaven
and on earth peace among all you favour.”
You are the God whose Word raised the earth from the seas,
whose presence melts mountains like wax,
and whose light rains down joy on loyal hearts.
Your loving kindness has appeared - salvation by grace -
a child is given to us, the firstborn of Mary,
and the heavenly host sings his praise.
Though born in exile at the Emperor’s command
and delivered over to death
he will rise to bring back your people
and name them “Redeemed”.
Though clothed this night in bands of cloth,
he will be wrapped in thunder and crowned with glory.
Though laid this night in a manger,
he will be throned on justice and righteousness,
and will restore to all the joyous fruits of their labours.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The kindness and love of God our Saviour has been revealed
and he has saved us according to his mercy.
Having been justified by his grace,
we are now made heirs with Christ
in the hope of eternal life.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©1999 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, glorifying and praising God
for all you have heard and seen.
Love the Lord, reject evil,
Be joyous in Christ and live faithful lives.
And may God shield you and call you his redeemed.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit be poured out upon you,
making you heirs of hope with Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Proper III

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 52: 7-10

Talk about a sight for sore eyes!
Here comes the messenger, galloping down the mountain,
bringing the news that God’s people have been hanging out for:
“You are saved!
God is in control!
Finally there will be peace!”
So now its time to celebrate like crazy!
Those of you who were standing, tense and silent, on the lookout
can let your hair down and sing and dance.
Fearing the worst, you saw the best:
the LORD returning home to reclaim the city!
You whose streets and homes were reduced to rubble
can raise your glasses and sing together,
for the LORD has put an arm around your shoulders,
reclaimed your streets, and begun rebuilding.
In full view of every nation
the LORD has brandished a hard fist,
ready to deal with would-be oppressors.
Now is the time for the whole earth to see
the freedom God promised,
the peace we longed for!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 98

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

Hebrews 1: 1-4, (5-12)

Down through the years, God has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets in all sorts of different ways. Lately though, at long last, God has sent a Son to speak to us directly. It was through this Son that God created the world in the first place, and it will all belong to him in the end. You can see all the glory of God mirrored in this Son. God’s essential nature is imprinted on him perfectly. Everything in the universe holds together at his say so. The Son took action to bring about the forgiveness of sins, and having done that he was given the most honoured seat in heaven as God’s right hand man. He had proven himself to be in a league above the angels, and the title he was granted made this clear.
Think about it; God never said to any of the angels:
“You are my Son;
for I have conceived you and brought you to birth.”
Nor did God ever say of of angel:
“I am the Parent,
and this one is my Child.”
When God’s firstborn is brought forth into the world, God says:
“All my angels are to worship him.”
Referring to the angels, God says:
“I make my angels but a puff of wind,
and my servants but flames of fire.”
But speaking to the Son, God says:
“Your throne, O God, will never be shaken.
Your royal power is wielded for justice.
You have a passion for integrity and a loathing for corruption.
Therefore God has chosen you above all others,
and crowned you with joy like no other has known.”
And again speaking to the Son, God says:
“On day one, Lord, you laid the earth’s foundations,
and made the stars in the sky by hand.
Earth and sky will one day be gone,
but you are here for keeps.
They will wear out like favourite work clothes
or be tossed out like last year’s fashions.
But you are untouched by time or wear,
and you will be with us forever.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 1: 1-14

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.
©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 revealed your justice to the nations
and recalled your merciful love for your people.
In the beginning your Word created the world.
Through your Word, life was brought into being,
and the life was the light that overcomes the darkness.
Your messenger came bringing the good news of peace
so that all might know the Word and believe.
And tonight the good news is fulfilled:
the Word has become flesh.
Though comforted at the breast, he is your exact likeness.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people gave him no welcome,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
He will come to rule the world in justice
and in him all the earth shall see your salvation.
Therefore with .....
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your Word has become flesh among us.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people turned him away,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for you have revealed your justice to the nations
and recalled your merciful love for your people.
In the beginning your Word created the world.
Through your Word, life was brought into being,
and the life was the light that overcomes the darkness.
Your messenger came bringing the good news of peace
so that all might know the Word and believe.
And tonight the good news is fulfilled:
the Word has become flesh.
Though comforted at the breast, he is your exact likeness.
Though the world did not know him,
he bears the imprint of your very being.
Though his own people gave him no welcome,
in him we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth.
He will come to rule the world in justice
and in him all the earth shall see your salvation.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2004 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ, the exact likeness of God’s own being,
has come into the world full of grace and truth.
He has made purification for sins,
and to all who believe in him,
he gives the power to become children of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, and join your voices
with the song of joy in all creation.
Announce peace.
Herald salvation.
Let the earth know that God reigns.
And may God sustain you with his powerful Word.
May Christ Jesus be born as Saviour within you.
And may the Spirit reveal to you the glory
of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

“From little things, big things grow.” A sermon on Luke 2: 1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

A Homily from St Gregory Nazianzus for the Feast of the NativityA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

A Homily from St Leo the Great for the Feast of the NativityA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

The Nativity Sermon of St John ChrysostomA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

A Nativity Sermon from St Ephraim the SyrianA thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

The Light ShinesA sermon on John 1:1-14 & Isaiah 9:2-7 by Nathan Nettleton

Today!A thematic sermon by Nathan Nettleton

Peace on EarthA sermon on Luke 2: 1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

The Emmanuel ScandalA sermon on John 1: 1-14; Luke 2: 1-20 & Matthew 1: 18-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Christmas LightsA Christmas sermon by Alison Sampson

Human BecomingA sermon on John 1:1-18; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20 & Isaiah 9:2-7 by Nathan Nettleton

The Gospel in a Feed TroughA sermon on Luke 2:1-20 by Nathan Nettleton

For Christmas hope and healing, look to the shadowsA sermon on Luke 2:1-20 by Alison Sampson

May the Word be With YouA sermon on John 1:1-14 by Roslyn Wright

Light in the DarknessA sermon on Isaiah 9:2, Luke 2:9 & John 1:3-9 by Nathan Nettleton

4th Sunday of Advent - Year C
2030-12-22 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Michah 5:2-5a

The LORD says to Bethlehem of Ephrathah:
“You might only be a one-horse town, Bethlehem,
but I will put you on the map.
You will be the home town of the new ruler,
the one who will lead Israel for me.
His origins will go way back.
His claim will be as old as the hills.”
The LORD'S people will be lost – God is giving up on them –
but only until the labour is over
and the mother holds God’s newborn ruler in her arms.
God’s chosen ruler will bring his people home to Israel,
reuniting the refugees as a family again.”
Made strong by the LORD he will take his stand.
He will rule his people on the authority of his glorious God.
He will care for them and provide all they need,
and they will live in freedom and safety.
All over the earth his greatness will be acknowledged,
and he will be the one who establishes peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 80:1-7

God, you are the one who watches over your people
like a lifeguard supervising a dangerous beach,
watching from a high seat, like a king enthroned.
Listen to our prayer and clearly flag the boundaries,
so that your tribes will no longer get out of their depth.
Up and at it, God!
Come equipped to rescue us.
Come and smile on us again, God;
breathe life back into us and save us.
LORD God, you rule over everything;
how much longer will you keep us in the sin bin,
turning away in anger when we pray?
You reduced our rations to tears alone;
tears by the plate full, tears by the cup full.
You made us the laughing stock of our enemies
and even our neighbours turn up their noses.
Come and smile on us again, God;
breathe life back into us and save us.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR Luke 1:47-55 (canticle)

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

Hebrews 10:5-10

Christ came into the world saying,
“God, you don’t want more sacrifices and offerings.
I know you get no pleasure from all that stuff,
even when it’s done sincerely and by the book.
But you have prepared a body for me, God,
and I come now to do what you really want,
for it is what I do that is really ‘by the book’.
Do you see what he’s saying there? He’s saying that God gets neither satisfaction nor pleasure from all the different kinds of offerings that the law prescribed for sin and for various other things. And he’s going further than that because he’s saying that he’s here to do what God really wants. This is a total change over. He is abolishing the previous system and putting a new one in place. So now, according to what God really wanted, Jesus has dealt with sin once and for all, at the cost of his own body, and brought us all up to scratch for God.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

When the angel told Mary that both she and her relative Elizabeth were going to have babies, Mary took the first opportunity to make the trip to visit Elizabeth. Elizabeth lived with her husband Zechariah in a Judean town in the hills. Mary sang out as soon as she arrived at their house, and when she heard the greeting, Elizabeth felt the baby jump in her womb. The Holy Spirit welled up in Elizabeth and she cried out with joy, saying:
“You have been blessed like no other woman!
And doubly blessed is the child in your womb!
And what about me? Why am I so blessed,
that my Lord’s own mother should knock at my door?
The moment your greeting reach my ears,
the baby in my womb began bouncing with glee!
Clearly you are God’s favoured one,
because you believed what God said to you;
trusting God to follow through on every promise.
Mary too was bursting with joy. She said:
“Let me turn the spotlight on God’s greatness!
With all that I am I dance with joy over God, my saviour!
God has smiled upon me, though I was no one special.
Now I’ll be remembered forever as the favoured one.
The supreme God has done wonderful things for me.
No other name is in the same league as God’s.
In every generation, those who treat God with respect
are rewarded with showers of mercy.
With sleeves rolled up, God has made a show of strength,
and sent packing those who were so full of themselves.
God has kicked the power mongers out of office,
and lifted the downtrodden back to their feet.
God has put on a feast for those who were hungry,
and slammed the door on the rich without giving them a bite.
The Lord’s servant Israel receives a helping hand.
God always remembers them with tender care.
This is exactly what God promised long ago,
a vow made to Abraham and Sarah for every generation.”
©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 are coming to restore us and save us,
and your mercy embraces the faithful in each generation.
In ancient days you founded the earth
and promised mercy to Abraham and his offspring forever.
Through the law you provided a way of repentance
and through your prophets you called for justice and peace.
Now you come to us in your child, Jesus Christ,
at whose name even unborn babies rejoice.
In him we have seen your promised ruler
who will establish the reign of peace,
pulling tyrants from thrones
and lifting up the downtrodden,
filling the hungry with good things
and sending the greedy away empty.
Though enemies mocked him, scorned him and killed him,
by your strength you restored him to life,
and through his bodily offering
you sanctified your people once and for all.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks that your mercy embraces each generation
and we rejoice that you are coming to restore us and save us.
With eager longing we await your promised ruler
who will establish your reign of peace
and sanctify your people once and for all.
©2000 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 coming to restore us and save us,
and your mercy embraces the faithful in each generation.
In ancient days you founded the earth
and promised mercy to Abraham and his offspring forever.
Through the law you provided a way of repentance
and through your prophets you called for justice and peace.
Now you come to us in your child, Jesus Christ,
at whose name even unborn babies rejoice.
In him we have seen your promised ruler
who will establish the reign of peace,
pulling tyrants from thrones
and lifting up the downtrodden,
filling the hungry with good things
and sending the greedy away empty.
Though enemies mocked him, scorned him and killed him,
by your strength you restored him to life,
and through his bodily offering
you sanctified your people once and for 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.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God’s mercy embraces the faithful, one generation to the next.
The light of God’s presence restores us and saves us.
Through what Jesus Christ did in his own body,
once and for all,
you are purified and made fit for God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now, with your hope in God’s mercy
for all God has promised you will be fulfilled.
Trust God’s strength for your safety,
walk in the ways of peace,
and be ready to greet the coming Lord.
And may God our Saviour look with favour upon you;
May Christ Jesus use his wonderful power for you;
and may the Holy Spirit leap joyously with you
and pour forth from you in songs of praise.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

God-bearers in Insignificant PlacesA sermon on Micah 5:2-5a & Luke 1: 39-55 by Nathan Nettleton

Magnifitastic!A sermon on Luke 1: 39-55 by Nathan Nettleton

Not domestic, not a goddess: Mary the prophetA sermon on Luke 1: 38-55 by Alison Sampson

Upending the World as We Know ItA sermon on Luke 1: 39-55 by Nathan Nettleton

The Blessed Virgin Mary meets Indiana JonesA sermon on Luke 1: 38-55 by Margie Dahl

Let it BeA sermon on Luke 1: 46-55 by Liza B. Lamis

3rd Sunday of Advent - Year C
2030-12-15 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Zephaniah 3: 14-20

Lift your voices, all you children of Israel.
Sing and shout for joy!
Let your hair down, Jerusalem.
Celebrate with all your heart!
The LORD has let you out of jail
and forced your enemies to turn tail and run.
The one who rules over Israel – the LORD –
is right alongside you, so you have nothing to fear.
No disaster can touch you now.
The great day is coming, Jerusalem,
when you will hear this message:
“Relax! Don’t be afraid, people of Zion.
Your hands can stop trembling now!
The LORD, your God, is right alongside you;
a champion who always comes out on top.
God will be bursting with joy over you,
celebrating as though it was always your birthday!
God will nourish you with love
until the spring is back in your step.”
The LORD, your God, says to you:
“I will bring your misfortune to an end;
and set you free from its humiliation.
Those who have kicked you around
will have me to deal with!
I will rescue and reunite
the crippled and the refugees.
No longer will they be treated with contempt.
I’ll see that they are honoured all over the world.
When that time comes,
I will gather you together and bring you all home.
With your own eyes
you’ll see me restore all that is rightly yours.
Then you will be honoured everywhere.
Everyone on earth will sing your praises.
I, the LORD, have spoken.”
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Isaiah 12:2-6 (canticle)

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

Philippians 4:4-7

Celebrate the Lord non-stop. I repeat - celebrate! Let your hair down! See that you get a reputation for gentleness - pushiness only gets up everyone’s nose and we can’t afford that when the Lord is so close.
Don’t go getting anxious about anything, but pray about everything. Worrying never fixed anything, so take action: repackage your concerns as prayers. Spell out to God what it is you want, giving thanks in advance, and get it off your chest. You’ll find it is such a relief! The peace of God, which no one can ever make sense of, will move in and take over. The fears and anxieties will be pushed aside and your troubled hearts and minds will take refuge in Christ Jesus to relax and recover.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 3:7-18

John’s baptism became the ‘in thing’ and people flocked out to be baptised by him. John was not convinced by them though, and bellowed, “You slippery bunch of snakes! What makes you think that running down here for a quick wash will get you off scot free when the judgment comes? You’ve got to walk the walk. Show by your actions that you’ve turned your lives around as you say you have. And don’t go thinking that you’ve got the inside running just because you can trace your family tree back to Abraham. I’m telling you straight: descendants of Abraham are thick on the ground and, at the snap of a finger, God could turn these rocks into a few more. Family trees count for nothing. It is what sort of fruit the tree bears that matters. If the fruit is rubbish, God will have no hesitation in wielding the axe, cutting the tree off at the ground and tossing it on the fire.”
That got their attention! “What should we do then?” they asked him.
John replied, “Live differently. If you have two coats and someone else has none, then share. If you have food, do the same again – share. That’s the sort of thing you should do.”
Even some of the people who collected taxes for the Roman occupation forces came out to be baptised. “Teacher, what should we do?” they asked.
John replied, “Don’t rip anybody off. Collect only what the law prescribes and no more.”
Some members of the security forces came too and asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
“No stand-over tactics and no protection rackets,” John replied. “No intimidation or throwing your weight around to extort money out of people. You get paid your wages – be satisfied with that.”
John’s activities struck a chord with the deep yearning for a national saviour, and people began to speculate that perhaps John might be the one who God had chosen. John was quick to hose down such ideas, saying, “I’m only baptising you with water. The One who is coming is way out of my league – the chance to polish his boots would be more than I could aspire to. When he gets started, it won’t be just water that he’ll be plunging you into. He’ll baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He’s ready to start with his flame thrower in hand. He’ll release an uncontrollable fire into the dry bushland of your lives, completely incinerating the rubbish and germinating the good seeds that lie in wait for that day.”
John made a lot of speeches like that. He was constantly on the job, getting the word out, bringing the people up to speed with the good news about what God was doing.
©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 are coming in the fire of love
to baptise your people and gather them home.
In love, you created the earth and its inhabitants
and sent faithful prophets like your servant John,
to call us, and all Abraham’s children,
to turn to you and bear fruits of justice and mercy.
In your child, Jesus, you made your home in our midst.
Liberating the lame and gathering the outcast,
he confronted our oppressors
and lifted us from shame to honour.
When he was cut down and killed
you raised him to resurrection life.
Now, as the day of his coming draws near,
he plunges us into his Spirit and fire
to renew us in love, and banish our fear,
so that we might praise your name forever
and draw freely from the well of your salvation.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks that you come
to baptise us in your Spirit and fire,
renewing us in love and banishing our fear,
so that we might praise your name forever
and draw freely from the well of your salvation.
©2000 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 coming in the fire of love
to baptise your people and gather them home.
In love, you created the earth and its inhabitants
and sent faithful prophets like your servant John,
to call us, and all Abraham’s children,
to turn to you and bear fruits of justice and mercy.
In your child, Jesus, you made your home in our midst.
Liberating the lame and gathering the outcast,
he confronted our oppressors
and lifted us from shame to honour.
When he was cut down and killed
you raised him to resurrection life.
Now, as the day of his coming draws near,
he plunges us into his Spirit and fire
to renew us in love, and banish our fear,
so that we might praise your name forever
and draw freely from the well of your salvation.
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.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

God is your saviour; you have nothing to fear.
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you
and invited you to draw freely
from the well of salvation.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and rejoice in the Lord always.
Do not be afraid or worried about anything,
but in everything trust God and pray.
Bear fruits worthy of repentance,
sharing what you have and being gentle with all.
And may God rejoice over you with gladness;
May Christ Jesus renew you in his love;
and may the Holy Spirit give you peace beyond understanding
to guard your hearts and minds in Christ.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

When you don’t feel like rejoicingA sermon on Philippians 4.4-7 by Nathan Nettleton

Rejoice! A Study in Faith’s AbsurdityA sermon on Zephaniah 3.14-20; Philippians 4.4-7 & Luke 3.7-18 by Garry Deverell

Wrath or GenerosityA sermon on Luke 3.7-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Lighting FiresA sermon on Zephaniah 3.14-20; Philippians 4.4-7 & Luke 3.7-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Could Hannah Gadsby be the Messiah?!A sermon on Luke 3.7-18 by Nathan Nettleton

Christmas Joys and Fair-weather SupportersA sermon on Zephaniah 3.14-20 & Luke 3.7-18 by Nathan Nettleton

2nd Sunday of Advent - Year C
2030-12-08 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Baruch 5:1-9

Jerusalem, take off your funeral suit. The time of grief is over!
Dress to the nines in the beauty of God’s glory.
God has given you righteousness as a gift.
Wear it like a full length coat.
God has given you a share of divine glory.
Wear it as a crown.
God will see that every nation on earth
gets an eyeful of your splendour!
Thanks to God, you will gain a name for justice, for peace,
and for reflecting the glory of God.
On your feet, Jerusalem. Climb the lookout.
Scan the horizon. Look who’s coming!
God has given the go ahead to bring home your children.
From every direction they come,
singing with joy because God remembered them.
They were marched away from you on foot
with enemy soldiers driving them ruthlessly.
But when God brings them home,
they will be driven by chauffeurs
with bands playing and ticker tape raining down.
God has even ordered special road works for their coming:
no more dangerous mountain passes or river fords.
A spectacular new freeway
will make travelling a breeze for God’s people.
They’ll be able to come home safely,
enjoying all that God has done.
Even the hot sun won’t bother them,
because God has ordered shady trees to line the way.
God will lead the homecoming procession.
Everyone will return,
singing the praises of God’s mercy and justice.
God’s glorious presence
will light up the road before them.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

OR 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

Luke 1:68-79 (canticle)

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

Philippians 1:3-11

Every time you Christians at Philippi pop up in my thoughts, I can’t help but thank God for you. It is a real joy to pray for you people and I do so often. Of course I do - you’ve shared so much with us in this new life we’re announcing, and you have ever since day one. It was God who commenced this great work in you, turning the first sod, and one thing I’d bet my life on is that God will stick to the job, without cutting a single corner, so that the completed project is ready for a grand unveiling on the day when Jesus Christ appears.
It is no surprise that I get so carried away about you and hold such a special place for you in my heart. You’ve always been so committed to me, sticking by me through thick and thin. I’ve experienced the generous love of God through you; I did when we worked side by side to present and defend God’s message, and I still do now, locked up here in prison. As God is my witness, I can assure you that I long to be able to show you how much I care for you. Sometimes I feel as though even Jesus couldn’t love you more than I do!
So I’m praying for you, that you may be so full of love that it just pours out in all directions! And I don’t mean sentimental mushy stuff. I’m praying that your love will be the kind that sharpens your senses and puts steel in your backbone so that you can discern what is right and see it through no matter what. With that kind of love you can be sure that when Christ turns up there’ll be no mud sticking to you. Between now and then you’ll have been working together with Jesus like a well oiled machine producing one good thing after another, all bearing the marks of justice and integrity which draw attention to the glory of God’s goodness.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 3:1-6

John, the son of Zechariah, received a message from God in the desert. This happened when Tiberius had been Roman Emperor for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea at the time, and Herod the Second held the reins up in Galilee. Herod’s brother Philip had the job in the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and in Abilene, Lysanias was in charge. In Jerusalem, Annas and Ciaphas were jointly holding the office of High Priest.
When he received the message from God, John went up and down the Jordan valley preaching to the people. He called them to be baptised, to completely turn their lives around and receive God’s forgiveness for their toxic ways. The prophet Isaiah had foreshadowed this when he wrote:
“In the desert a voice is shouting:
‘The Lord is coming!
Get the road ready.
Clear the track. Straighten it out for him.
Fill the potholes. Bridge the valleys.
Cut through the obstructions to level the grade.
Replace meandering tracks with a new direct route.
Lay a new surface over the old corrugations.
The Lord is coming to save the world
and everyone on earth will see it happen.’ ”
©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 from your deepest mercy comes our hope of salvation.
In the beginning you began creating the world
and you will bring it to completion at your final appearing.
Through your prophets you promised to save us
from all that would drive us into slavery.
You sent your servant, John,
to prepare the way for your anointed one
by proclaiming a baptism of repentance,
a refining fire to purify your people.
In your child, Jesus, we have seen the dawn of justice,
and the glory of your mercy and righteousness.
When he was crucified
you raised him to new life with the power to save.
Now we eagerly await the glorious day of his appearing,
when all your children will be gathered home,
overflowing with love, joy and the fruits of righteousness
to your glory and praise.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for our hope of salvation
which springs from your deepest mercy.
Like a refining fire, you sent your servant John,
to prepare the way for your anointed one
by proclaiming a baptism of repentance,
to make us pure and blameless before him.
©2000 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 from your deepest mercy comes our hope of salvation.
In the beginning you began creating the world
and you will bring it to completion at your final appearing.
Through your prophets you promised to save us
from all that would drive us into slavery.
You sent your servant, John,
to prepare the way for your anointed one
by proclaiming a baptism of repentance,
a refining fire to purify your people.
In your child, Jesus, we have seen the dawn of justice,
and the glory of your mercy and righteousness.
When he was crucified
you raised him to new life with the power to save.
Now we eagerly await the glorious day of his appearing,
when all your children will be gathered home,
overflowing with love, joy and the fruits of righteousness
to your glory and praise.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

In God’s deepest mercy,
we were called to a baptism of repentance,
so that our sins might be forgiven
and we might be pure and blameless
before the coming Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and prepare the way for the Lord.
Share in the gospel of God’s grace;
Proclaim salvation and the forgiveness of sins;
Make straight paths for justice and mercy.
And may God complete the good work begun in you;
May Christ Jesus rejoice in your faith and compassion;
and may the Holy Spirit fill your love with wisdom,
and produce in you a harvest of righteousness.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Inviting TroubleA sermon on Malachi 3:1-4 & Luke 1:68-79 by Nathan Nettleton

Shaping up for the Coming FutureA sermon on Luke 3:1-6; Malachi 3:1-4 & Philippians 1:3-11 by Nathan Nettleton

Who can endure Christmas?A sermon on Malachi 3: 1-4 & Luke 3:1-6 by Nathan Nettleton

Open Up The WayA sermon on Luke 3:1-6 & Malachi 3:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton

Welcoming FireA sermon on Luke 3:1-6; Malachi 3:1-4 & Philippians 1:3-11 by Nathan Nettleton

The Wilderness WayA sermon on Luke 3:1-6 & Malachi 3:1-4 by Nathan Nettleton

Silence and a SongA sermon on Luke 1:68-79 by Carolyn Francis

1st Sunday of Advent - Year C
2030-12-01 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The LORD says:
I have made a promise to the people of Israel and Judah, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the days are not far off when I will make good on that promise. When those days come, when the time is good and right, I will appoint a new king who will rule with integrity and bring about justice. He will appear from the family of David, like a new branch on an old tree. At that time peace and safety will be restored to Judah, and Jerusalem will have nothing to fear. The city will come to be known as “The City of the LORD’s Justice.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 25:1-10

I gladly offer you everything I am, LORD .
I have put my trust in you, God;
please don’t let me down;
don’t give my enemies grounds to gloat.
Be there for those who hang in there for you, no matter what:
don’t leave them with egg on their faces.
Save that for the two-faced scabs who deserve it.
Let me in on your way of doing things, LORD;
teach me how to follow your tracks.
Steer me along your ways of truth, and teach me all about them.
Only you can save me from disaster, God,
so I’ll wait for you before setting out.
Your love and mercy have been as timeless and dependable as the rock;
please don’t change your mind about them now!
Don’t keep a record of everything I’ve done wrong in the past.
Let your unshakable love colour your view of me,
and keep your reputation for generosity intact!
You always do what is good and right, LORD,
and so you patiently retrain those who do wrong.
You pilot a safe course for those who are not too full of themselves;
you give lessons on your ways to the humble folk.
Every path you tread, LORD, is marked by solid love and loyalty
for the benefit of all who keep our end of the bargain with you.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

There is no way we could ever thank God enough for all the joy that you Christians in Thessalonica have given us. We pray hard for you all the time, day and night, and ask God to let us catch up with you face to face so that we can do whatever we can to strengthen your faith even more.
It’s all up to God the provider, and to our Lord Jesus. If they put us on track, we’ll be over to you like a shot. In the mean time, may the Lord see to it that your love keeps growing in leaps and bounds, just like our love for you has. May the God who conceived us all, continue to intensify the strength and purity of your hearts so that when the Lord Jesus comes with all his followers, you may be in perfect condition to take your place among them.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Luke 21:25-36

Jesus spoke to those gathered around him in the temple, saying:
“At that time the whole cosmos will seem to be going berserk. The sun, the moon, the stars, the earth and the seas will be out of control, and waves of blind panic will sweep across every nation. The terrifying sense of doom will be more than some people can bear - they’ll drop in their tracks in a dead faint as the elemental powers of the universe tremor and crash around them. Then, and only then, those who are still standing will see the breathtaking arrival of the New Human, riding on the clouds in power and glory. When these things start happening, get up on your feet and stand tall, because the moment is approaching when everything will finally be put right for you.”
Then Jesus used an illustration to make his point, saying:
“Most trees give clear signs when the seasons are changing. When the wattles start unfurling their blooms you know that summer is just around the corner. This is much the same. When you see all these things happening you can be sure that the reign of God is almost upon you. The fact of the matter is that some of you will see these things in your own lifetime. The earth and the sky will only last for so long, but there is no expiry date on my words.
“Keep on your toes and don’t let yourself get entangled in wasteful trivialities like partying and keeping up with the Jones’. If you get sucked into all that you’ll lose all sense of perspective and you’ll flap blindly into the coming day like a moth into a windshield. It’s not as though there is any way of avoiding it. That day will come to everyone on earth at once, ready or not. So stay on your watch constantly. Pray for strength, pray for guts, pray for the ability to keep your wits about you; you’ll need the lot when these things happen if you’re going to dodge and weave your way clear so that you can stand tall before the New Human.”
©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 even when the the whole earth is thrown into chaos
your tenderness and lasting love are our sure hope.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and though even they will pass away,
the words you have spoken to us
are an everlasting covenant of promise.
The words of your son, Jesus Christ,
shook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign.
He led us in the paths of your truth
and taught us your ways of faithful love.
He was crucified by the enemies of justice,
but you raised him to new life
and sent his Spirit to restore and strengthen our faith
as the day of redemption draws near.
Your promise will be fulfilled in coming days
when Christ comes on the clouds
to establish your reign of justice and righteousness forever.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for the words of your son, Jesus Christ,
which shook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign,
assuring us that even when the world is thrown into chaos
your tenderness and lasting love remain as our sure hope.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for even when the the whole earth is thrown into chaos
your tenderness and lasting love are our sure hope.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and though even they will pass away,
the words you have spoken to us
are an everlasting covenant of promise.
The words of your son, Jesus Christ,
shook the earth and opened our eyes to your coming reign.
He led us in the paths of your truth
and taught us your ways of faithful love.
He was crucified by the enemies of justice,
but you raised him to new life
and sent his Spirit to restore and strengthen our faith
as the day of redemption draws near.
Your promise will be fulfilled in coming days
when Christ comes on the clouds
to establish your reign of justice and righteousness forever.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

The Lord does not remember your faults,
nor the sins of your past,
but will strengthen your hearts in holiness
so that you may be blameless before God
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go now and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth.
Be on your guard so that you will not be caught up
in the trivialities and anxieties of the world.
Be alert at all times and pray for strength
to escape the traps that would keep you from God.
And may God make you increase in love for one another;
May Christ Jesus teach you how to live in God’s ways;
and may the Holy Spirit strengthen your hearts in holiness,
as you ready yourselves for the coming of the Lord.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

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

The Hope and the FearA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Nathan Nettleton

Holding your Heads HighA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Andrew Woff

The New BranchA sermon on Jeremiah 33:14-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Apocalypse Now?A sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Alison Sampson

Earth-Shattering ExpectationsA sermon on Luke 21:25-36 by Nathan Nettleton

Expecto Patronum!A sermon on Luke 21:25-36 & Jeremiah 33:14-16 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 29 - Christ the King - Year B
2030-11-24 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

2 Samuel 23:1-7

The God of Jacob, the mighty One of Israel,
chose David, the son of Jesse,
loved him, and raised him up to be a great King.
At the end of his reign,
David spoke these final words from his death bed:
The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me.
The words that roll from my tongue come from God.
A message comes from the ancient solid Rock,
from the God of Israel, saying to me:
“A true leader has a heart for justice
and exercises power with the constant awareness
of being under the eye of God.
Such a leader is as welcome as the dawn,
as popular as sunshine on the weekend,
as valuable as spring rains on the wheat fields.”
I, David, have established my dynasty on this principle,
and God has made a permanent alliance with me,
signed, sealed and delivered.
Surely then I can depend on God to stand by me
and make my hopes and dreams come true.
Leaders who shun God are a very different story.
You wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.
They are a plague on the land, like feral blackberry vines,
which can only be dealt with by bulldozing them into a pile
and burning them on the spot.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 132: 1-12, (13-18)

O LORD, keep David in mind
and give him credit for the tough times he endured.
Remember the promise he made to you, LORD.
He named you as the Mighty God of Jacob
and swore a sacred vow, saying:
“I will not go home or lay my head on the pillow;
I will not get a wink of sleep or a moment’s rest,
until I find a home for the LORD,
a place for the Mighty God of Jacob to live.”
We have heard the call to worship you, LORD.
We will make our pilgrimage to your home
like David did when he brought your sacred Ark
from the Field of Yaarim
to the place where we now kneel in worship.
Come, LORD, and settle into your new home,
move into the Temple with your mighty Ark.
May your priests be instantly recognizable by their passion for justice;
may your faithful people erupt with shouts of joy.
Be true to the word you gave to your servant, David,
don’t turn your back on your chosen leader.
You, LORD, gave a guarantee to David, saying,
“I will see to it that one of your own sons inherits your throne.
And after that, if your sons are faithful to our alliance
and stick to the ways I teach them,
then their sons too will inherit your throne,
one after the other for ever and ever.”
You, LORD, have chosen Zion,
identified it as the place you wish to live.
You said of it:
“This is where I will settle permanently,
I’ll put down roots because I love it here.
I’ll see that there is always plenty of food here,
and even the poor will have more than enough to eat.
Salvation will be like a badge of office for Zion’s priests,
and faithful crowds will roar their appreciation.
Here I will consolidate David’s power;
I have chosen him and put his name up in lights.
I will have his enemies run out of town,
while his reputation will shine brighter and brighter.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Revelation 1:4 b-8

Greetings and best wishes. May the One who is and who was and who is yet to come be generous to you and give you peace. May the seven spirits who gather around heaven’s throne do likewise for you. And so too may Jesus Christ. He is the key witness whose testimony will not be silenced, no matter what. He is the first one to have been reborn from the grave. He is the one to whom everyone who holds power on earth must answer.
All glory and power to Jesus Christ,
for he loves us.
He cut us loose from our sins,
even spilling his own blood to get it done.
He made us citizens of a new global domain
and priests in the service of his God and Father.
All glory and power to Jesus Christ,
from now to forever. So say all of us!
Be on the watch - he’s on his way!
Rolling in on the clouds - no one will fail to see him.
Even those who cut him down will have to look,
and the sight of him will cause weeping and wailing
from every race and nation on earth.
That’s the long and the short of it, and so say all of us!
“I’m the first and the last; the be all and end all,” says the Lord God, the invincible one, who is and who was and who is yet to come.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

John 18:33-37

Faced with the request to have Jesus executed, Pilate went back into his headquarters and interviewed Jesus again. “Do you see yourself as the King of the Jews?” he asked.
Jesus replied, saying, “Is that your own question or has someone else been wording you up?”
“Give me a break,” Pilate retorted, “I’m obviously not one of the Jews, am I? It wasn’t my people who had you dragged in here. It was your mob, your own race, your own religious leaders. What in the world have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My reign is not tied to this world. If my power base depended on this world, those who have given their allegiance to me would be fighting tooth and nail to keep me out of the hands of that mob. But it’s not like that. My reign is not tied to this world.”
Pilate latched on to that: “So you are claiming to be a king then?”
“You’re the one who’s putting the ‘king’ label on me,” Jesus replied. “If you want to know what I’m on about, what I was born into the world for, it’s this: I’m the key witness whose job it is to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Everyone who has given their allegiance to the truth responds to my voice.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14

Before my very eyes,
thrones were set up,
and down sat One who has ruled since the dawn of time.
He was dressed in white robes, bright as snow,
and had a head of hair like clean wool.
His throne was an explosion of fire
and its wheels were raging flames.
A torrent of fire poured forth where ever he went
and spread in all directions.
An army of servants answered his every call,
and a squillion more stood to attention, awaiting his word.
The royal commission began,
and the books were laid open.
The vision continued as I watched into the night.
I saw the arrival of one who appeared to be human
surrounded by clouds from the sky.
He approached the One who has ruled since the dawn of time
and his entrance was formally announced.
He was installed as king
and given great glory and authority,
so that the people of every race and nation and language
would gladly serve him.
His term of office is forever,
it will never come to an end.
His reign as king
will never be overthrown.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 93

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you are the One who was, and is, and is to come,
and you reign over all from beginning to end.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and chose gifted men and women to lead your people,
exalting those who rule with justice and humility.
In faithfulness to your servant, David,
you sent your child, Jesus Christ, into the world
to testify to the truth and shepherd your people.
Though he was accused of treason before Pilate
and executed by his own nation,
he was the first born from the dead,
raised by your power
to free us from sin and make us your holy people.
You gave him glory and dominion forever,
and he rules over all
with an authority that comes, not from this world,
but from you, our God and our Rock.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who you sent into the world
to testify to the truth and shepherd your people.
Raising him from the dead,
you gave him glory and dominion,
and set him to rule over all 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 you are the One who was, and is, and is to come,
and you reign over all from beginning to end.
You created the earth and its inhabitants,
and chose gifted men and women to lead your people,
exalting those who rule with justice and humility.
In faithfulness to your servant, David,
you sent your child, Jesus Christ, into the world
to testify to the truth and shepherd your people.
Though he was accused of treason before Pilate
and executed by his own nation,
he was the first born from the dead,
raised by your power
to free us from sin and make us your holy people.
You gave him glory and dominion forever,
and he rules over all
with an authority that comes, not from this world,
but from you, our God and our Rock.
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 Christ, the ruler of all the earth,
loves us and, at the cost of his own blood,
freed us from our sins,
making us citizens of his realm
and priests forever in the service of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out as faithful witnesses to the one who reigns forever.
Look to Christ as your shepherd and your ruler,
and listen for his voice.
Clothe yourselves in righteousness
and make every place a place to worship God.
And may God strengthen you and fulfil your dreams;
May Christ Jesus be the rising sun that lightens your days;
and may the Holy Spirit speak to you and through you
with words of grace and peace.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Making a Joke of the KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton

The Clash of KingdomsA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Clashing Kingdoms and the Grey ZonesA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Fake News and a Kingdom of TruthA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton

To King or Not to KingA sermon on John 18:33-37 by Nathan Nettleton

Come: Consider Your KingA sermon on Christ the King by Vivian Grice

Proper 28 - Year B
2030-11-17 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

1 Samuel 1: 4-20

In the days before Israel had a king, there was a woman named Hannah who was married to a man named Elkanah. Hannah had never been able to have children even though Elkanah tended to favour her over his other wife, Peninnah, who had several children. Elkanah provided well for both his wives and all his children, but he really doted on Hannah.
Peninnah used to deliberately torment Hannah about her infertility, taunting her with suggestions that the LORD had dried out her womb. The nastiness was at its worst when they went up to Shiloh each year to offer sacrifices to the LORD, perhaps because that was when Elkanah’s favouritism was most obvious. So the annual visit to Shiloh was always a miserable time for Hannah. She would go off her food and be in tears all the time. Her husband Elkanah tried to comfort her, saying, “Hannah, cheer up? Why won’t you eat something? Look on the bright side. Aren’t I worth more to you than a big mob of sons?”
One year in Shiloh, after they had offered the sacrifices and eaten a meal together, Hannah got up and went back to pray to the LORD by herself. The only other person in the place of worship was Eli the priest who was sitting near the door. Hannah was at her wit’s end and wept bitter tears as she prayed to the LORD. She tried to bargain with God, praying, “O LORD, you rule over everything! Have pity on me, your servant. Don’t write me off in my misery. If you will give me the gift of a baby boy, then I will see to it that he joins the religious order of the Nazarites and never touches drink or drugs or has his hair cut.”
As she was praying silently, Eli could see her lips moving and her tears, but since he couldn’t hear her saying anything, he jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He got up and said to her, “Time to go home and sober up, woman. You can’t keep making a drunken spectacle of yourself in here. On your way, and get yourself on the wagon!”
But Hannah defended herself, saying, “No, Reverend Sir, please don’t write me off as a hopeless case. I’m heartbroken, but I haven’t sought solace in the bottle. I’ve been pouring my heart out to the LORD – all my agony and fears – trying to get everything off my chest.”
Then Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the LORD, the God of Israel, go with you and take care of whatever it is that is bothering you.”
“Thank you for being so kind to me, Reverend Sir,” said Hannah. She went back to where she was staying and cheered up no end. She even had a good meal with her husband.
The next morning the whole family got up early and worshipped the LORD. Then they packed up and went back home to Ramah. The LORD remembered Hannah’s prayer and the next time she and Elkanah made love, she fell pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy and named him Samuel. She often spoke of him as an answer to her prayer.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

1 Samuel 2: 1-10 (Canticle)

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

Hebrews 10: 11-14, (15-18), 19-25

Day after day the priests do their job, offering the same old sacrifices over and over again, without so much as budging the problem of sin. What Christ did as priest was quite different. He offered just one sacrifice for sins, a sacrifice with no use-by date! Then he sat down in the seat of honour alongside God and there he waits. It is only a matter of time before those who oppose him run out of options and concede defeat. As a priest he was so perfect, that it only took him one single offering to deal with all the imperfections of all the imperfect people who come to him wanting to be made perfect for God! The Holy Spirit can back us up on this. First she said in the scriptures:
“The new alliance I will make with the people
will be different, says the Lord:
No more writing down the rules for people to read;
this time I’ll write them into their hearts and minds.”
Then, for good measure, she added:
“I’ll wipe the record of their failings and their perverse behaviour;
none of it will ever again even enter my mind.”
So if that’s done — if the slate has been wiped clean — then there is no longer any need to come offering sacrifices to try to make up for what we’ve done wrong.
So, my friends, now it’s a whole new ball game. Now we can confidently walk straight into the sacred place because Jesus won us that right, spilling his own blood in the process. We walk in via a new route. The old way had a big curtain between us and the sacred place — on the new route the only thing between us and the sacred place is Jesus, and he invites us to become part of his own body and go in that way. Add all that to the fact that Jesus himself is now our great priest who says what goes in the house of God, and you’ll understand what is now open to us. So let’s go! Let’s approach God with integrity and with deep trust. Let us stand before God knowing for sure that not only have our bodies been washed clean in pure water, but so to have our hearts, our minds, our conscience.
In light of all this, let’s hold on tight to the hope that we’ve put our hands up to. None of this on-again off-again stuff! You can’t get more dependable than the one who has made these promises. So let’s put on our thinking caps and come up with some good strategies for stirring one another up to greater and greater love and more and more ways to put it into action. Some people have got out of the habit of gathering together as a congregation — let’s not go down that path. Gather often, support and encourage one another. The closer we get to that final day the more we’ll need one another.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 13: 1-8

As Jesus and his followers were coming out of the temple, one of them said to him, “Teacher, isn’t this building spectacular? Look at the stonework and the scale of the whole place – it’s one of a kind!”
Jesus replied, “Do you think this is the greatest? This whole place will be flattened. There will be nothing left of these great stones but a heap of rubble.”
Later on they went out to the Mount of Olives and were sitting there with a full view of the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew took Jesus aside for a few quiet questions. “Can you tell us when these things are going to happen?” they asked, “and what warning sign should we watch for? What will tip us off that these things are almost upon us.”
Jesus began to launch into an answer, saying, “Be on your guard. Don’t fall for the doomsday enthusiasts. There will be no shortage of people bobbing up and saying, ‘Follow me! I’m the One!’ Far too many people will be sucked into their madness. Every time there’s a new war or a tense stand off between world powers, the fanatics will crank up the speculation again. Keep your cool. These things will happen, but they don’t mean that time’s up. Nations will set out to destroy each other. There will be ethnic conflicts and civil wars. There will be horrendous natural disasters. Countless people will be faced with starvation. This will not be the end. It’s just the beginning, the first labour pangs of what is to come.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Daniel 12: 1-3

When the time comes, Michael, the great angel prince who stands guard over your people, will step forward. There will be a time of awful suffering, worse than anything any nation has ever seen in all of history. But that will be the time when your people are rescued. Their names are all written on a list and they will all be rescued. Many people who have long been dead and buried will awake as though they had only been sleeping. Some will rise to life and never face death again. Others will be facing shame and disgrace that can never be shaken off. Those who’ve got their heads on straight will light up the sky like the most brilliant fireworks. Those who have led others to get their lives on the right track will outshine the stars of the night with a glory that never ends.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 16

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for you raise up the broken and humiliated
and seat them in honour at your banqueting table.
The whole universe is yours, for you made it;
you set the earth in place and filled it with life.
Through your law and prophets
you promised a day of justice
when the hungry will have their fill.
You sent your child, Jesus, among us
to establish a new covenant,
leading us in the way of faithfulness
and writing your laws on our hearts.
As a great priest, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins,
and was thrown in to the land of the dead,
but you raised him to new life,
opening for us a new and living way into your presence
and convulsing the earth with the birth pangs
of the new age of your glorious justice.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give you thanks, O God, for your son, Jesus,
our great priest, who offered a single sacrifice for all sins,
who opened for us a new and living way into your presence,
and who writes your laws on our hearts.
©2000 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 raise up the broken and humiliated
and seat them in honour in your presence.
The whole universe is yours, for you made it;
you set the earth in place and filled it with life.
Through your law and prophets
you promised a day of justice
when the hungry will have their fill.
You sent your child, Jesus, among us
to establish a new covenant,
leading us in the way of faithfulness
and writing your laws on our hearts.
As a great priest, he offered a single sacrifice for all sins,
and was thrown in to the land of the dead,
but you raised him to new life,
opening for us a new and living way into your presence
and convulsing the earth with the birth pangs
of the new age of your glorious justice.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

As our high priest, Christ offered, for all time,
one perfect sacrifice for sin.
Therefore let us have confidence to approach God
with our hearts washed clean of all guilt
and a confident hope in God’s mercy.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out in peace, for the Lord has heard your prayers.
Do not allow anyone to lead you astray
but hold fast to the hope you have claimed.
Continue to meet together,
encouraging and provoking one another
to put love into action.
And may God be your rock of strength;
May Christ Jesus usher you into the presence of God;
and may the Holy Spirit write the laws of life on your hearts.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Get a Life!A sermon on Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Earth-Shattering TimesA sermon on Mark 13:1-8; Hebrews 10:11-25; 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10 by Nathan Nettleton

Apocalypse and ForgivenessA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton

As It All Comes Crashing DownA sermon on Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Nathan Nettleton

Awkward ConversationsA sermon on 1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 2:1-10; Mark 13:1-8 & Hebrews 10:11-25 by Roslyn Wright

Proper 27 - Year B
2030-11-10 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Ruth 3: 1-5; 4: 13-17

Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi had settled back in Judah and were eking out a living there. One day Naomi said to her:
“My daughter, it’s time I found you a husband so that you can have a home of your own and a secure future. You can’t just look after me forever. I think Boaz is the man for you. You have been working alongside the young women he employs and you know he has treated you well. He is a relative of mine too, so he has some responsibilities toward you. I’ve got a plan. Boaz is threshing grain at the moment, so he’ll be sleeping out at the threshing shed tonight. Go and have a bath, get your hair done and put on perfume and make-up. Dress up in something flattering. Then tonight, get yourself down to the threshing shed. Keep your eyes open but stay out of sight until he has finished eating and had a few drinks. Watch carefully and see whereabouts he lies down to sleep for the night. Then when the lights are out, it’s time to make your move. Tiptoe up, open up his swag from the foot and sleep with him. When he wakes again, it’s his call. See what he decides you should do.”
Ruth replied, “If you think it’s for the best, I’ll do just as you say.”
Well, the upshot of it all was that not long afterwards, Ruth and Boaz were married. The LORD blessed their love-making so that Ruth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When he was born, the local women celebrated with Naomi, saying:
“The LORD be blessed! Today God has blessed you with a grandson to take care of you in your old age. May he grow up to be a man of renown, looked up to everywhere in Israel! He’ll sure put the smile back on your face and the spring back in your step. He’ll be there for you when you need him in your twilight years. He’s bound to be — it’s in his genes — he’s Ruth’s son and her love has been of more value to you than the love of seven sons.”
Naomi loved the boy to pieces, and from day one he was Grandma’s little boy. The local women all gathered for the naming ceremony and he was given the name Obed. The women still just called him “Naomi’s Boy” though. When Obed grew up he had a son of his own, named Jesse, and Jesse in turn had a son named David, who went on to become the King of Israel.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 127

Unless you’ve commissioned the building project, LORD,
attempting construction would be futile.
Unless you’re in charge of security, LORD,
our gates and guards are a waste of effort.
We could work ourselves to the bone for nothing;
first on the job in the morning, last home at night,
and what would we have to show for it?
Nothing but heartaches and ulcers.
You, LORD, long for us to slow down.
We can relax and trust in your loving care.
You have given us children, a gift to remind us to play;
time with them is worth more than overtime on double pay.
Good relationships with our children are the best insurance
when trouble comes and threatens to wipe us out.
The respect of our children will give us more joy
than any pat on the back from the boss.
When we give time and love to our children,
we will always be able to hold our heads high,
no matter who denounces our lack of “productivity”!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Hebrews 9: 24-28

Christ didn’t mess around with replicas and enactments. He was for real. He went into the real Holy Place — not our home made model, but heaven itself — and there he is now, in the presence of God, appearing on our behalf. It is not that Jesus has to offer himself to God over and over again. The old high priest had to go into the Holy Place in the temple again every year to offer a sacrifice of blood — not his own, but that of an animal. If Jesus had been required to follow the same system, he would have needed to come back and suffer on earth over and over again, from the day of creation to the end of time. It is not like that though. Jesus waited until time was almost up and then appeared once and for all. He came to remove sin, permanently, and he made the ultimate sacrifice to see the job through. Everyone has to die once — that’s just part of being human — and after that we face the music. Christ died once too — he absorbed into himself all the guilt and grief of the whole dysfunctional human race and sacrificed his own life to save them from it. Having done that once, he will appear again, but not to do the same thing all over again. This time he will appear for the grand finale — the great liberation of all those who have been eagerly anticipating his promised arrival.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 12: 38-44

A large crowd was gathered around Jesus in the temple to hear what he had to teach. He said to them, “Don’t get sucked in by high-flying religious experts. They love cultivating an image of profound sophistication, and basking in the adulation of a gullible public. They get a kick out of always being invited to appear at openings and premieres. At formal occasions they proudly take their place among the distinguished guests. But behind the scenes they are taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable, exploiting them for all they’re worth. Their long and polished public prayers are a mask. They’ll get what’s coming to them eventually.”
After this, Jesus sat down near the temple offering box and watched as people made their financial contributions. Many rich people clearly put in large sums of money. One poor old woman came up and put in a couple of small coins, less than a dollar in total. Jesus called his followers over and pointed this out to them, saying, “The fact of the matter is that this woman was the most generous giver of them all. The rest of them just gave a percentage of their surplus – money they’ll never miss. She, on the other hand, despite never having enough to make ends meet, has given her all – every last cent.”
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

1 Kings 17: 8-16

During the terrible drought, Elijah got word from the LORD saying, “Go and live in the Sidonian town of Zarephath. There is a destitute widow there who I have told to feed you.”
So Elijah hit the road and headed for Zarephath. When he arrived on the outskirts of the town, he saw a destitute widow gathering firewood. He called out to her, saying, “Could you please bring me a cup of water; I need a drink.” As she went to get the water, he called out again, saying, “And grab me a chunk of bread too, please.”
But she stopped and said, “I swear by God, the LORD your God, that I haven’t got any bread to give you. I am down to the last handful of flour in my jar and the last dribble of oil in my jug. With them and the firewood I am collecting here, I will prepare one last meal for myself and my son, and when we’ve eaten that, we will starve to death.
Elijah said to her, “Don’t worry; it will be okay. Go and make the bread as you planned, but make two loaves. Bring one to me, and then share the second one with your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, is promising you: “The flour jar will never be empty and the oil jug will never run dry until the day that the LORD sends down rain on the land.”
She went and made the bread as Elijah had said, and they all had enough to eat for many days. The flour in the jar never ran out and the oil in the jug never ran dry. It was just as Elijah had said: the LORD had given his word.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146

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

Prayers

Eucharistic Preface

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for your love embraces all people
and you are coming to save all who eagerly await you.
In the beginning you founded the world,
and nourished all life upon it.
You drew people to one another,
filling them with your creative love
and blessing the earth with children.
Whenever our work has been at odds with your plans
you have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.
You came among us in your child, Jesus,
exposing the hypocrisy of the proud
and honouring the generosity of the humble.
The powers of evil had him killed,
but in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.
You raised him to new life
and made him high priest,
appearing on our behalf in your Holy Place,
as he prepares to return in glory
bringing your salvation to all the world.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who sacrificed himself to remove our sins,
and who you raised to new life,
making him the high priest
who appears on our behalf in your Holy Place,
to save all who eagerly await you.
©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 your love has embraced all people
and you are coming to save all who eagerly await you.
In the beginning you founded the world,
and nourished all life upon it.
You filled men and women with your creative love
and blessed the earth with children.
Whenever our work has been at odds with your plans
you have provided a path to forgiveness and reconciliation.
You came among us in your child, Jesus,
exposing the hypocrisy of the proud
and honouring the generosity of the humble.
The powers of evil had him killed,
but in his sacrificial death he removed our sins.
You raised him to new life
and made him the high priest
who appears on our behalf in your Holy Place,
as he prepares to return in glory
bringing your salvation to 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.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ appeared once for all
bearing the sins of many
and offering himself to remove sin.
He will appear again to save all those
who eagerly wait for him.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Go out and share God’s love with all.
Do not slave for things that are not life-giving,
but trust in God’s provision,
and give generously of all you have.
And may God watch over you and provide for you;
May Christ Jesus be to you a restorer of life;
and may the Holy Spirit lead you in the ways of humble generosity.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Hand Over the ToolsA sermon on Psalm 127 & Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton

God’s RevolutionA sermon on Hebrews 9. 24-28 & Mark 12. 38-44 by Garry Deverell

With Open HandsA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Alison Sampson

Leaving a LegacyA sermon on Psalm 127; Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 & Mark 12:38-44 by Roslyn Wright

Fiery Politics and the Romance NovelA sermon on the book of Ruth by Nathan Nettleton

Giving, Taking and Religious ScandalA sermon on Mark 12:38-44 by Nathan Nettleton

Proper 26 - Year B
2030-11-03 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Melbourne)
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.

Bible Readings (paraphrased)

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

Ruth 1: 1-18

Long ago in the days before the Jewish people had a king, a severe drought caused a famine in the land of Judah. There was a man named Elimelech, from the tribe of Ephrath, living in Bethlehem with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. When their crops failed, they fled the famine and settled in the land of Moab. While they were there, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi to raise their sons alone. In time, the young men both married Moabite women, one named Orpah, and the other named Ruth. Within ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left destitute with no husband and no sons.
Naomi got word that the LORD had blessed her homeland with good rains and good crops again, so she decided to pack up and move back home. Her two daughters-in-law, now widows too, prepared to go with her. They left their home in Moab and set out for Judah, but before they had gone very far, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “This is crazy. It makes no sense for you to come with me. Why not go home to your own mothers and live among your own people? You have been very kind to me, just as you were always kind to my husband and my sons. May the LORD be just as kind to you and enable you to marry again and have homes and families of your own.”
With that she kissed them both, and they were all in tears. But the two young women refused to go, saying, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”
But Naomi leaned on them to change their minds saying, “Don’t be stupid, my daughters. What good will it do you to come with me? It’s not as though I’m going to have any more sons for you to marry. You’ve got your whole lives ahead of you. Go back and get a life. I’m over the hill, and even if I could promise to get a new husband tonight and get pregnant straight away with twin boys, you could hardly put off marrying while you waited for them to grow up, could you? Of course not. My daughters, your lives are a bed of roses compared to mine, because the LORD has written me off.”
The tears flowed freely again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth dug her heels in. Naomi tried one more time: “See, your sister-in-law has seen sense. She has gone back to her own people with their own ways and their own religion. Follow her lead — go back home.”
But Ruth said,
“Don’t try to change my mind about this,
or pressure me into giving up.
I’m coming with you, wherever you go.
Wherever you live, I’m going to live too.
Your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
I’m with you for life,
and in death I’ll be buried right alongside you.
I’m giving you my word on this, cross my heart.
May the LORD punish me from now to kingdom come
if I let even death get between us!”
When Naomi saw that Ruth’s mind was made up, she backed off and let her have her way.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 146

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

Hebrews 9: 11-14

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!
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Mark 12: 28-34

One of the religious lawyers came across Jesus engaged in a vigorous debate with some members of the Sadducee party. He was impressed by the depth of insight Jesus displayed in the answers he was giving, so he approached him with a question of his own. “Which would you say is the number one commandment of them all?” he asked.
Jesus answered, “The number one commandment is this:
Listen carefully, O people of Israel: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord. Therefore you will love the Lord your God with everything you are, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.

And while we’re on the topic, the number two commandment is this:
You will love your neighbour as attentively as you love yourself.

There are no other commandments that can top these two.”
On hearing this, the religious lawyer applauded him, saying, “Teacher, what a first rate answer! You are right on the mark when you say that ‘God is the one and only, and there is no other.’ And as you have added, ‘to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength,’ and ‘to love your neighbour the way you love yourself,’ – these things are way more important than all the religious offerings and sacrifices put together.”
Jesus was impressed by the wisdom revealed in the man’s answer, so he said to him, “It won’t take much to get you into the culture of God. You’re all but there already!”
No one was game to put any more questions to him after that.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

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

Deuteronomy 6: 1-9

Moses said to the people, “I’m laying down the law to you here with a set of principles and a code of ethics. The LORD your God has given me the job of teaching you to live by these things in the land that you are about to move into and live in. Learning to live this way will be for the best for you, and for your kids and grandkids after you. Learn to honour and respect the LORD your God as long as you live, and stick to the principles and ethics that I have spelt out to you on God’s behalf, and you will live long and happy lives. So listen up, people of Israel. Put these things into practice without cutting corners, and you will reap rich rewards. You will flourish and prosper in a land of peaches and cream, just as the LORD promised your parents you would.
Listen carefully, O people of Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD and no other. Therefore you will love the LORD your God with everything you are, with all your heart and soul and strength. Do whatever it takes to keep these things I am teaching you now fixed in your minds. Repeat them over and over to your kids. Talk about them everywhere and all the time, at home, at work, on the road, morning, noon and night. Write them on the back of your hands; wear them as a badge stuck on your forehead, hang them over your front doors, put them up on a billboard at the entrance to your town so that you will be reminded of them as you come and go. Do whatever you have to do to keep them fixed in your minds.
©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Psalm 119: 1-8

LORD, how good it will be for those who no one can point a finger at,
who play by your rules and stick to the straight and narrow.
How good it will be for those who do what you say,
and put their whole heart into knowing you better;
who never do the wrong thing by any one,
but stick to your tracks all the way.
You have laid down the law for us
and told us to follow it to the letter.
There is nothing I want more than to be rock solid,
following your script in everything I do.
If I keep my eyes fixed on your instructions,
I will never have to hang my head.
The more I discover the justice and integrity of your teaching,
the more I sing your praises with my heart beating proud.
I intend to do everything you say;
please don’t ever give up on me.
©2011 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,
with all our heart and soul and mind and strength,
for you keep faith forever with all peoples
and reach out to save the burdened and the bereft.
You are the creator of heaven and earth,
and the maker of the teeming seas.
From generation to generation,
you have shown your generous love to those who, like Ruth,
have united with your people and walked in your ways.
Through your law you provided a way of forgiveness,
and when we lost our way,
you came to us in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Embodying the law of love,
he shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption,
and, raised by you to new life,
he has entered your holy presence, once for all,
freeing us from works of futility
to worship you by living the ways of love.
Therefore with .....
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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

We give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who embodied the law of love
and shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption,
entering your holy presence, once for all,
and freeing us from works of futility
to worship you by living the ways of love.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

General Prayer of Thanksgiving

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
with all our heart and soul and mind and strength,
for you keep faith forever with all peoples
and reach out to save the burdened and the bereft.
You are the creator of heaven and earth,
and the maker of the teeming seas.
From generation to generation,
you have shown your generous love to those who, like Ruth,
have united with your people and walked in your ways.
Through your law you provided a way of forgiveness,
and when we lost our way,
you came to us in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Embodying the law of love,
he shed his own blood in obtaining our redemption,
and, raised by you to new life,
he has entered your holy presence, once for all,
freeing us from works of futility
to worship you by living the ways of love.
Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Declaration of Grace / Absolution

Jesus Christ shed his own blood in winning freedom for us.
As our high priest, he has gone into the presence of God
and obtained for us eternal redemption,
purifying us from all guilt,
and freeing us to worship the living God.
Sisters and Brothers,
your sins are forgiven;
be at peace.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Commission & Benediction

Hear this: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
Therefore go out into the world
and love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love others as you love yourself.
And may God give you justice and freedom;
May Christ Jesus set you free for love;
and may the Holy Spirit go where you go
and protect you on your way.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Sermons

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

Love and Religious RitualA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 by Nathan Nettleton

Doing Right or Doing RitesA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Love and SacrificeA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton

Ruthless Loyalty, Ruthless CourageA sermon on Ruth 1: 1-18 by Jude Waldron

Love and What the Gospel Isn’tA sermon on Mark 12: 28-34 & Hebrews 9: 11-14 by Nathan Nettleton
