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SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 32: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses was on the mountain with the LORD for such a long time that the people gave up on him. They turned to Aaron and said\, “It’s up to you now. Give us a god who we can follow on our journey from here on. Moses led us out of the land where we had been slaves\, but now he is missing\, presumed dead.” \nAaron said to the people\, “Collect up all the gold jewellery that you and your families possess\, and bring it all to me.” \nSo the people took up a collection of all the gold jewellery that they had been wearing\, and brought it all to Aaron. He took all the gold\, melted it down\, and recast it in the shape of a calf. When the gold calf was put on display for the people\, they began to shout\, “Here is our god\, the god who brought our nation out of the land of slavery!” \nWhen Aaron saw how popular it was\, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced\, “Tomorrow we will hold a festival in honour of the LORD.” \nThe festivities started early the next morning. The people sacrificed the traditional burnt offerings on the altar and offered the customary gifts to celebrate good times. Then they ate and drank and partied hard\, really letting their hair down. \nThe LORD said to Moses: \n“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours\, who you brought out of the land of slavery\, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye\, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf\, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.” \nBut Moses pleaded with the LORD his God\, saying: \n“LORD\, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this\, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants\, Abraham\, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word\, your personal guarantee. You said\, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky\, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’” \nAnd so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 106: 1-6\, 19-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing your praises\, LORD!\nWe overwhelmed with gratitude for all your goodness;\nyour love and loyalty go on forever. \nWords cannot describe all the amazing things you have done;\nwe can’t praise you highly enough\, LORD. \nThose who stick to the ways of justice are on a winner;\nthose who always do the right thing will have plenty to smile about. \nCount me in\, LORD\, when you hand out the perks to your people;\ndon’t overlook me when you come to bail them out.\nI want to be there to see your chosen people come into their own;\nI want to join in their celebrations\nand bask in the glory of the future you have set up. \nWe have done the wrong thing by you\,\njust as our ancestors did before us;\nwe have acted corruptly;\nwe have done what is evil. \nOur forebears made an idol in the shape of a calf;\nthey worshipped the work of their own hands. \nThey switched from basking in your glory\nto making fools of themselves over a toy cow! \nThey forgot that you were the God who saved them\,\nwho took powerful action to free them from slavery;\nwho did amazing things in the land where they were oppressed\nand awesome acts of power to get them through the Red Sea. \nYou were justifiably angry\, LORD;\nyou were planning to wipe them out\,\nand you would have gone through with the plan\nif it had not been for Moses\, your chosen leader.\nHe stood up to you and held you back;\nhe calmed your anger and talked you out of destroying them. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 4:1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My brothers and sisters in Philippi\, I love you dearly and long to see you. You are my pride and joy. I urge you to keep your feet planted firmly in the Lord’s way. \nI have a special message for two of you\, Euodia and Syntyche. You both belong to the Lord\, so for God’s sake get your heads together and iron out your differences. \nAnd a message to you\, my loyal colleague (you know who you are!). Please do what you can to help these two women sort things out between them while you’re there. In the past they have put in some solid sweat and tears with me getting the Word out\, and with Clement and the rest of the team. God has got all their names in the book of life. \nCelebrate 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. \nDon’t go getting anxious about anything\, but pray about everything. Worrying never fixed anything\, so take action: repackage your concerns as prayers. Spell out what it is you want to God\, 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. \nOne final thing\, my dear friends\, give your hearts and minds some healthy stuff to chew on. Authentic stuff\, principled stuff\, uncontaminated stuff. Things that are worthwhile\, fulfilling\, and straight as a die. Things of integrity that make for a fair go for all. These are the kind of things you should fill your minds with - quality stuff instead of shoddiness. Meditate on these things and you can’t go wrong. Keep yourselves on track\, putting into practice what you picked up from me\, from my teaching and from the example I set. Rest assured\, the God of peace will be right there with you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking with the chief priests and the political leaders in the Jerusalem Temple\, Jesus used another story to illustrate his point\, saying\, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. The son of a powerful king was getting married\, and the king had invited many guests to the wedding feast. When the day came\, he sent his chauffeurs to collect the guests\, but they wouldn’t come. The king sent a second lot of chauffeurs with instructions to tell those who had been invited\, ‘Come. The dinner is ready to serve. No expense has been spared and the table is laden with good things. The finest meats have been cooked to perfection. Come and feast with us!’ \nBut the invited guests thumbed their noses at the invitation and went on their way. Some headed off to their farms\, others opened their offices for business\, while others attacked the chauffeurs\, roughing them up and killing them. The king blew his stack. He sent the army after those murdering thugs to wipe them off the face of the earth and reduce their city to scorched earth. Then he said to his chauffeurs\, ‘The wedding feast is ready\, but those who I first invited did not deserve to be on the guest list. So go out onto the streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ \nThe chauffeurs went out onto the streets and gathered up everyone they could find\, good and bad alike\, and brought them in until every seat in the reception hall was filled. \nBut when the king arrived on the scene to greet the guests\, he discovered one man among them who had failed to put on the required wedding attire. The king said to him\, ‘Mister\, how did you get in here without getting dressed appropriately?’ \nThere was nothing but a terrifying silence until the king called the security guards and said\, ‘Chain him up\, hand and foot\, and throw him into the deepest\, darkest dungeon where everyone will be cursing themselves and tearing their hair out.’ \n“And so\,” Jesus concluded\, “many are invited to stand up and be counted\, but few make the grade.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 25: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you are my God;\nI will put your name up in lights and sing your praises\,\nbecause you have followed through on the fantastic things\nthat you planned and promised so long ago. \nYou have reduced the evil city to rubble;\nthe stronghold of corruption lies in ruins;\nthe foreign oppressors are now homeless\,\nand their city will never be rebuilt. \nNow even the most powerful nation will honour you;\nruthless tyrants will fall to their knees in your presence. \nYou have proved yourself to be a safe refuge for those in need;\na welcome haven for the poor and suffering;\na shelter from the cold rain\, and a shade from the heat. \nWhen the attacks of ruthless thugs\nwere as cold and vicious as icy rain;\nwhen the arrogance of the occupying troops\nsucked the life out of us like the desert heat;\nyou were a protection from the elements\,\nand you put an end to their arrogant slogans. \nEvery people on earth will be invited to the sacred mountain\nfor the huge party thrown by the LORD who rules over everything.\nIt will be the feast to end all feasts\,\nwith the very finest of foods and wines:\nchoice meats\, wines aged to perfection\,\ngourmet delicacies to make every mouth water! \nAnd right here on this sacred mountain\nthe LORD will tear off the pall of death\nand release the nations from the coffin that held them.\nThe LORD will swallow up death once and for all. \nWith that\, the Lord GOD will wipe the tears from every eye\,\nand God’s people will no longer be humiliated and despised;\nThe LORD says so and that settles it. \nWhen that happens people will say\,\nWow! This is our God!\nWe hoped\, we waited\, we trusted God to save us.\nAnd our waiting has not been in vain.\nThe LORD has not let us down.\nCelebrate! Sing and dance\,\nfor God has come to our rescue and set us free. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You\, LORD\, are my guide in the wilderness;\nthere is nothing more I could need. \nYou set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;\nyou lead the way on secluded tracks\nbeside creeks of cool clean water.\nI feel my spirit breathing freely again;\nyour reputation puts me at ease;\nI leave the navigating to you\, and follow. \nEven if we hike through a perilous valley\,\nwhere crows keep a menacing watch\,\nfear will still not get the better of me.\nAs long as I stick with you\nI know I’ll make the distance;\nwith a knife and a bit of rope\nyou seem able to tackle any challenge. \nYou cook up a feast for me\,\nas those who wanted to feed on me watch\, frustrated.\nYou pamper me like an honoured guest\nand constantly top up my glass. \nMy life feels charmed\, each and every day.\nLove\, mercy and all good things\nkeep falling into my lap. \nI’m with you for life\, LORD\,\nwhere you go\, I’ll go;\nwhere you live\, I’ll live. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks that even when we have been faithless\nand offered to other things the worship due to you alone\,\nyou have listened to the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nand turned away your anger\,\noffering us instead the peace that passes all understanding. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus Christ has stood alone before God\,\npleading for our salvation.\nIn the mercy of Christ\, you are robed in righteousness\nand welcomed into the banqueting room of heaven. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, rejoicing always in the Lord.\nStand firm in Jesus Christ and be of one mind in him.\nAlways act with justice;\nlet your gentleness be known to everyone\,\nand yield up your worries on the altar of prayer. \nAnd may God give you peace that passes all understanding;\nMay Christ Jesus guard your hearts and minds;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit plant within you\nall that is honourable\, just and pure. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nReady to PartyA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo Jacket – No EntryA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Impulse for ImagesA sermon on Exodus 32. 1-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nCan anything good come out of Bethel?A sermon on Exodus 32 and Matthew 22:1-14 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nMind What Your Mind’s OnA sermon on Philippians 4:1-9 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nConfronting Terrorist TextsA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Temptation of CertaintyA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap23/2026-10-11/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291014T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20291014T235959
DTSTAMP:20260408T081643
CREATED:20200820T062421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231120T114903Z
UID:10002082-1886630400-1886716799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 23 - Year A
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections 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. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 32: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Moses was on the mountain with the LORD for such a long time that the people gave up on him. They turned to Aaron and said\, “It’s up to you now. Give us a god who we can follow on our journey from here on. Moses led us out of the land where we had been slaves\, but now he is missing\, presumed dead.” \nAaron said to the people\, “Collect up all the gold jewellery that you and your families possess\, and bring it all to me.” \nSo the people took up a collection of all the gold jewellery that they had been wearing\, and brought it all to Aaron. He took all the gold\, melted it down\, and recast it in the shape of a calf. When the gold calf was put on display for the people\, they began to shout\, “Here is our god\, the god who brought our nation out of the land of slavery!” \nWhen Aaron saw how popular it was\, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced\, “Tomorrow we will hold a festival in honour of the LORD.” \nThe festivities started early the next morning. The people sacrificed the traditional burnt offerings on the altar and offered the customary gifts to celebrate good times. Then they ate and drank and partied hard\, really letting their hair down. \nThe LORD said to Moses: \n“Get back down there on the double! That mob of yours\, who you brought out of the land of slavery\, have gone completely off the rails. In the blink of an eye\, they have turned their backs on the path I set them on. They have cast an idol in the shape of a calf\, and they are worshipping it and giving offerings to it as expressions of their devotion. They are saying that it is the god who brought the nation out of the land of slavery. I have had a gutful of this people. They are always kicking against the traces. Now stand aside and let me give full vent to my blazing anger and blast them off the face of the earth. I’ll start again with you and build a great nation from your offspring.” \nBut Moses pleaded with the LORD his God\, saying: \n“LORD\, why are you letting your anger at your people burn out of control? You proved yourself to be the strongest and the greatest when you brought these people out of the land of slavery. Are you now going to turn around and give our enemies grounds to accuse you of planning genocide from the start? They will allege that you only took the people into the outback to slaughter them. Swallow your anger! Rethink this\, and don’t stamp out your people. Follow through on the promises you made to your trusty servants\, Abraham\, Isaac and Jacob. You gave them your word\, your personal guarantee. You said\, ‘I will multiply your descendants until they outnumber the stars in the sky\, and they will inherit the land I promised to give to your family forever.’” \nAnd so the LORD was persuaded to rethink the situation and to abandon the plan to wipe out the people with a disaster. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 106: 1-6\, 19-23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We sing your praises\, LORD!\nWe overwhelmed with gratitude for all your goodness;\nyour love and loyalty go on forever. \nWords cannot describe all the amazing things you have done;\nwe can’t praise you highly enough\, LORD. \nThose who stick to the ways of justice are on a winner;\nthose who always do the right thing will have plenty to smile about. \nCount me in\, LORD\, when you hand out the perks to your people;\ndon’t overlook me when you come to bail them out.\nI want to be there to see your chosen people come into their own;\nI want to join in their celebrations\nand bask in the glory of the future you have set up. \nWe have done the wrong thing by you\,\njust as our ancestors did before us;\nwe have acted corruptly;\nwe have done what is evil. \nOur forebears made an idol in the shape of a calf;\nthey worshipped the work of their own hands. \nThey switched from basking in your glory\nto making fools of themselves over a toy cow! \nThey forgot that you were the God who saved them\,\nwho took powerful action to free them from slavery;\nwho did amazing things in the land where they were oppressed\nand awesome acts of power to get them through the Red Sea. \nYou were justifiably angry\, LORD;\nyou were planning to wipe them out\,\nand you would have gone through with the plan\nif it had not been for Moses\, your chosen leader.\nHe stood up to you and held you back;\nhe calmed your anger and talked you out of destroying them. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Philippians 4:1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	My brothers and sisters in Philippi\, I love you dearly and long to see you. You are my pride and joy. I urge you to keep your feet planted firmly in the Lord’s way. \nI have a special message for two of you\, Euodia and Syntyche. You both belong to the Lord\, so for God’s sake get your heads together and iron out your differences. \nAnd a message to you\, my loyal colleague (you know who you are!). Please do what you can to help these two women sort things out between them while you’re there. In the past they have put in some solid sweat and tears with me getting the Word out\, and with Clement and the rest of the team. God has got all their names in the book of life. \nCelebrate 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. \nDon’t go getting anxious about anything\, but pray about everything. Worrying never fixed anything\, so take action: repackage your concerns as prayers. Spell out what it is you want to God\, 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. \nOne final thing\, my dear friends\, give your hearts and minds some healthy stuff to chew on. Authentic stuff\, principled stuff\, uncontaminated stuff. Things that are worthwhile\, fulfilling\, and straight as a die. Things of integrity that make for a fair go for all. These are the kind of things you should fill your minds with - quality stuff instead of shoddiness. Meditate on these things and you can’t go wrong. Keep yourselves on track\, putting into practice what you picked up from me\, from my teaching and from the example I set. Rest assured\, the God of peace will be right there with you. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Matthew 22: 1-14			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	While speaking with the chief priests and the political leaders in the Jerusalem Temple\, Jesus used another story to illustrate his point\, saying\, “Here is a good illustration of the culture of heaven. The son of a powerful king was getting married\, and the king had invited many guests to the wedding feast. When the day came\, he sent his chauffeurs to collect the guests\, but they wouldn’t come. The king sent a second lot of chauffeurs with instructions to tell those who had been invited\, ‘Come. The dinner is ready to serve. No expense has been spared and the table is laden with good things. The finest meats have been cooked to perfection. Come and feast with us!’ \nBut the invited guests thumbed their noses at the invitation and went on their way. Some headed off to their farms\, others opened their offices for business\, while others attacked the chauffeurs\, roughing them up and killing them. The king blew his stack. He sent the army after those murdering thugs to wipe them off the face of the earth and reduce their city to scorched earth. Then he said to his chauffeurs\, ‘The wedding feast is ready\, but those who I first invited did not deserve to be on the guest list. So go out onto the streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ \nThe chauffeurs went out onto the streets and gathered up everyone they could find\, good and bad alike\, and brought them in until every seat in the reception hall was filled. \nBut when the king arrived on the scene to greet the guests\, he discovered one man among them who had failed to put on the required wedding attire. The king said to him\, ‘Mister\, how did you get in here without getting dressed appropriately?’ \nThere was nothing but a terrifying silence until the king called the security guards and said\, ‘Chain him up\, hand and foot\, and throw him into the deepest\, darkest dungeon where everyone will be cursing themselves and tearing their hair out.’ \n“And so\,” Jesus concluded\, “many are invited to stand up and be counted\, but few make the grade.” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	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. \nThe 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. \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Isaiah 25: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, you are my God;\nI will put your name up in lights and sing your praises\,\nbecause you have followed through on the fantastic things\nthat you planned and promised so long ago. \nYou have reduced the evil city to rubble;\nthe stronghold of corruption lies in ruins;\nthe foreign oppressors are now homeless\,\nand their city will never be rebuilt. \nNow even the most powerful nation will honour you;\nruthless tyrants will fall to their knees in your presence. \nYou have proved yourself to be a safe refuge for those in need;\na welcome haven for the poor and suffering;\na shelter from the cold rain\, and a shade from the heat. \nWhen the attacks of ruthless thugs\nwere as cold and vicious as icy rain;\nwhen the arrogance of the occupying troops\nsucked the life out of us like the desert heat;\nyou were a protection from the elements\,\nand you put an end to their arrogant slogans. \nEvery people on earth will be invited to the sacred mountain\nfor the huge party thrown by the LORD who rules over everything.\nIt will be the feast to end all feasts\,\nwith the very finest of foods and wines:\nchoice meats\, wines aged to perfection\,\ngourmet delicacies to make every mouth water! \nAnd right here on this sacred mountain\nthe LORD will tear off the pall of death\nand release the nations from the coffin that held them.\nThe LORD will swallow up death once and for all. \nWith that\, the Lord GOD will wipe the tears from every eye\,\nand God’s people will no longer be humiliated and despised;\nThe LORD says so and that settles it. \nWhen that happens people will say\,\nWow! This is our God!\nWe hoped\, we waited\, we trusted God to save us.\nAnd our waiting has not been in vain.\nThe LORD has not let us down.\nCelebrate! Sing and dance\,\nfor God has come to our rescue and set us free. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 23			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You\, LORD\, are my guide in the wilderness;\nthere is nothing more I could need. \nYou set up camp in places of beauty and shelter;\nyou lead the way on secluded tracks\nbeside creeks of cool clean water.\nI feel my spirit breathing freely again;\nyour reputation puts me at ease;\nI leave the navigating to you\, and follow. \nEven if we hike through a perilous valley\,\nwhere crows keep a menacing watch\,\nfear will still not get the better of me.\nAs long as I stick with you\nI know I’ll make the distance;\nwith a knife and a bit of rope\nyou seem able to tackle any challenge. \nYou cook up a feast for me\,\nas those who wanted to feed on me watch\, frustrated.\nYou pamper me like an honoured guest\nand constantly top up my glass. \nMy life feels charmed\, each and every day.\nLove\, mercy and all good things\nkeep falling into my lap. \nI’m with you for life\, LORD\,\nwhere you go\, I’ll go;\nwhere you live\, I’ll live. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We give thanks that even when we have been faithless\nand offered to other things the worship due to you alone\,\nyou have listened to the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nand turned away your anger\,\noffering us instead the peace that passes all understanding. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are the Lord of lasting love\,\nand you invite good and bad alike to feast with you. \nWith great power and a mighty hand\nyou created the universe and filled it with life.\nYou freed your people from slavery\,\nand even when they offered to a statue of gold\nthe worship due to you alone\,\nyou listened to the fervent prayer of your servant Moses\nand turned from your fierce anger. \nEven now\, when you anger is inflamed\nby those who say “Yes” to your call\nbut refuse to robe themselves in righteousness\,\nyou accept the prayers of your anointed child\, Jesus\,\nwho\, though shunned and killed by his own wedding guests\,\nwas raised to life by you\nand now intercedes for the world without ceasing\,\nwinning for us your peace that passes all understanding. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus Christ has stood alone before God\,\npleading for our salvation.\nIn the mercy of Christ\, you are robed in righteousness\nand welcomed into the banqueting room of heaven. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, rejoicing always in the Lord.\nStand firm in Jesus Christ and be of one mind in him.\nAlways act with justice;\nlet your gentleness be known to everyone\,\nand yield up your worries on the altar of prayer. \nAnd may God give you peace that passes all understanding;\nMay Christ Jesus guard your hearts and minds;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit plant within you\nall that is honourable\, just and pure. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nReady to PartyA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nNo Jacket – No EntryA sermon on Matthew 22: 1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Impulse for ImagesA sermon on Exodus 32. 1-14 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nCan anything good come out of Bethel?A sermon on Exodus 32 and Matthew 22:1-14 by Mark Brett\n\n\n\nMind What Your Mind’s OnA sermon on Philippians 4:1-9 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nConfronting Terrorist TextsA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Temptation of CertaintyA sermon on Exodus 32:1-14 & Matthew 22:1-14 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap23/2029-10-14/
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