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SUMMARY:Proper 11 - Year B
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				  2 Samuel 7: 1-14a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David made himself at home in his new palace and\, thanks to the LORD\, there was no trouble from Israel’s enemies for some time.  One day the King consulted Nathan the prophet\, and said to him\, “It doesn’t seem right for me to be living it up in a palace built of the finest materials while the sacred Ark of God is still in a tent. It’s as though God was sleeping rough!” \nNathan replied\, “The LORD is with you\, so go ahead and do whatever you think should be done.” \nBut Nathan had spoken too soon. That same night\, the LORD gave him a different message to pass on to King David. This is what it said: \nDavid\, I am the LORD and you are my servant\, so listen to what I have to say to you. What makes you think that you are the one to build my house? I’ve been on the road with nothing more than a tent ever since I led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. I didn’t need a house then and I don’t need one now. You’re not the first caretaker I’ve appointed for the tribes of Israel\, and you won’t be the last\, so think about it – have I ever gone whingeing to any of them and demanded a fancy house? \nNow listen to me\, and listen good. I am the LORD who rules over everything. I made you what you are today – the leader of my people. If it wasn’t for me you’d still be cleaning up after the sheep. I’ve never let you down\, wherever you’ve gone. Whenever enemies have attacked you\, I’ve dealt with them\, right before your eyes. Thanks to me\, you will be known as one of the most famous people who ever lived. \nI have chosen a place for my people Israel\, a place where they can put down roots\, a place to call their own. They won’t need to be looking over their shoulders all the time\, because there won’t be any more trouble from the barbarians who have plagued them for so long. For the first time since the days when I sent the legendary heroes to bring justice to my people\, Israel will be at peace. \nWhat’s more\, I the LORD give you my word that I will make you the foundation stone of a great house. I will see to it that by the time your number’s up and you’re buried alongside your ancestors\, you will have fathered your own successor.  Yes\, a son of yours will be king. I will back him all the way\, anchoring his kingdom and establishing his dynasty forever.  He is the one to whom I shall give the privilege of building my sacred temple. I will be a father to him\, and he shall be my son. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 89: 20-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Long ago\, in a vision\, you spoke to your faithful people\, saying: \n“I have crowned a great hero.\nAmong you\, my people\,\nI found one fit for the throne.\nMy search ended with my servant David.\nPouring holy oil on his head\,\nI have set him apart as the chosen one.\nHe’ll always be able to look to me for strength;\nwhen he needs some muscle\,\nI’ll  be there to back him up. \nThe enemy will not get under his guard\,\nthe wicked will never drag him down.\nI’ll knock flat those who oppose him;\ndespise him and you answer to me!\nMy love for him is unshakable;\nI’ll be faithful to him for ever.\nOn my say so\, he’ll rule supreme and unchallenged.\nI will put everything in his hands\,\nfrom coast to coast with all that lies between them.\nHe will cry out to me\, ‘Oh\, my Father\, my God\,\nyou are the rock I cling to for safety!’ \nI will make him number one in all the world\,\nhe’ll outrank even the superpowers.\nForever and always\, I will be true in my love\,\nand the covenant we’ve made\nwill never be broken. \nI will see that his family name always has an heir\,\nand guarantee his throne to his descendants\nas long as night follows day.\nIf his children turn their backs on my ways\nand step off the paths I’ve marked out;\nif they tear up the instructions I’ve given them\nand go against my clear directives\,\nthey’ll pay for it.\nThey’ll cop the maximum sentence for their crime.\nI’ll make them lie in the bed they’ve made.\nBut even then I won’t take back my love\,\nand the vows I made to David will still ring true. \nThere is no way I would break my promise\nor try to take back what I’d already said.\nI have given my word\, once and for all\,\nand staked my whole reputation on it.\nI will never lie to David. \nHis family tree will be an unbroken line\nand his dynasty as sure as the sun.\nIt shall be as fixed as the orbit of the moon\,\nas dependable as the lights in the night sky. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 2: 11-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Always remember where you came from\, or you’ll begin to take what God has done for granted. Don’t ever forget that you were once outsiders\, and were treated as such by those who had always been insiders. Back then you had no contact with Christ and you were foreigners to his people\, Israel. You knew nothing of the rich heritage of promises and mutual responsibility that shaped Israel’s relationship with God. You knew nothing of them and you had no access to their benefits. In the world\, but alienated from God — your situation was hopeless. But Christ Jesus has changed all that. No matter how far away you were\, through his own blood\, sweat and tears\, Christ has brought you right into the centre of things. \nChrist placed his own body in the gap so that now\, through our common link to him\, our two separate groups may unite as one. With his own hands he has torn down the barricades of ignorance\, suspicion and hostility that divided us. We used to relate to God on the basis of the law\, with its detailed regulations and prescriptions\, but Christ has done away with all that. He saw that the law had divided humanity in two\, since not everybody had access to it\, and he wanted to create one united world. This unity would not be in the law\, but in Christ himself\, in his own body. Christ set out to make peace — offering himself to us both equally\, suffering on the cross for us both equally — so that in him we might find one shared basis for reconciliation with God. If that’s not enough to eradicate the hostility between us\, nothing will! \nSo with that agenda in mind\, Christ came preaching peace to both of us — to you foreign outsiders and to us Jewish insiders. Now we are all equal\, because we all have access to God in exactly the same way — through Christ\, in one Spirit. It’s a whole new ball game. You will never be homeless exiles again. You have been granted citizenship in the province of God and you have the same rights of access as any of the saints. \nPerhaps you could think of it this way. God is constructing a wonderful temple using every kind of material that comes to hand\, regardless of its origins. The foundations are the apostles and prophets and all they did and said. Now all of us are being added\, one at a time\, with Christ Jesus himself as the central pillar that holds he whole structure together. With every part inseparably linked to him\, the whole structure grows day by day into a holy temple dedicated to the Lord. So there you are. United in Christ we become a place where God’s Spirit is proud to live. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After travelling through the villages preaching\, Jesus’s chosen ambassadors returned and met up with him again. They filled him in on everything they had been doing and teaching on the road. Jesus said to them\, “It’s time to put your feet up for a bit. Let’s head off to a deserted beach somewhere and get some well earned rest.” \nThey certainly needed it. With all the coming and going of people wanting this and that\, they hardly even had time to take proper meal breaks. So off they went. They piled into the boat and headed off by themselves for a secluded beach. It was no use though. Several people saw them leaving and managed to figure out where they were headed. Word travelled faster than the boat\, and by the time they pulled ashore a crowd was already gathering from the nearby towns. Walking up the beach among the growing crowd\, Jesus could feel his heart going out to them. They were like a ship without a rudder\, so despite himself\, he went straight back to teaching. \nMuch the same thing happened the next day. They had crossed back over in the boat and pulled ashore at Gennesaret. They had barely secured the boat and climbed onto the jetty when someone recognised Jesus and a buzz went through the town. All over the region people were rushing off to their sick friends or relatives and bringing them to wherever they heard Jesus had gone. There were stretcher crews coming from all directions. The story was beginning to repeat itself everywhere he went. City\, town or outback road station – if the grapevine said that Jesus was there\, there would be people queuing up in no time\, bringing the sick for his attention. Day and night they came\, all reaching out to him for help\, begging for the chance to even just touch the sleeve of his coat. And all who did so were healed. \n©2000 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				  Jeremiah 23: 1-6			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	This is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, says: \nThe writing is on the wall for you leaders of my people. You are supposed to be like shepherds\, keeping an eye on my flock and seeing that they are kept united and safe. But you have butchered them and scattered them. You have driven them off and left them defenceless. But I can assure you that I\, the LORD\, have been keeping my eye on you! I will see that you get what you deserve for your crimes against my people. \nI will bring back what’s left of my people; bring them home from the lands where I sent them when they fled as refugees. Back home where they belong\, they will regain their strength and flourish once again. I\, the LORD\, will raise up new leaders for them who can be trusted to care for them like real shepherds. My people will no longer have any reason to fear or despair\, and none of them will be lost. \nYou can be sure that the time is coming when I\, the LORD\,\nwill raise up a true king from the family of David;\none who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;\nwho will bring justice to the land and set things right. \nAs long as he reigns the land will be secure\nand my people will enjoy peace.\nWhenever his name is mentioned\, people will say\,\n“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!” \n©2001 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 draw all things together in Christ\nand build us up as a holy temple to your glory. \nYou created the world and made it your dwelling place.\nWhen you led your people out of oppression\nyou travelled with them like a homeless refugee.\nYou made a covenant with your servant\, David\,\nanointing him to shepherd your people\nand promising peace to those who followed your ways. \nYour Son\, Jesus\, came\,\nfilled with compassion for all who were without hope.\nThough he preached peace and healed the sick and broken\,\nhe was ensnared and killed by your enemies.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand\, in him\, you prepared a new covenant\n— open to all people\, near and far —\na covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility\,\nand reconciles us to you as one people. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 for your Son\, Jesus\, who came to us\nshowing compassion and healing our brokenness.\nIn him you break down every wall of hostility\,\ndrawing all things together\nand building us up as a holy temple to your glory. \n©2003 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 draw all things together in Christ\nand build us up as a holy temple to your glory. \nYou created the world and made it your dwelling place.\nWhen you led your people out of oppression\nyou travelled with them like a homeless refugee.\nYou made a covenant with your servant\, David\,\nanointing him to shepherd your people\nand promising peace to those who followed your ways. \nYour Son\, Jesus\, came\,\nfilled with compassion for all who were without hope.\nThough he preached peace and healed the sick and broken\,\nhe was ensnared and killed by your enemies.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand\, in him\, you prepared a new covenant\n— open to all people\, near and far —\na covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility\,\nand reconciles us to you as one people. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Though we have abandoned God’s ways\,\nGod’s love and faithfulness will not be withdrawn.\nIn Christ Jesus there is forgiveness and healing.\nAt the cost of his own blood\, he has reconciled us to God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, remembering all God has done for you.\nBreak down the walls of hostility\,\nproclaim peace\,\nhave compassion for all\,\nand don’t forget to take time for yourself also. \nAnd may God be with you wherever you go;\nMay Christ Jesus heal you and replenish you;\nand may the Holy Spirit encircle you and strengthen you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nOur Future Belongs to GodA sermon on 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a; Ephesians 2: 11-22 & Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSeeking HealingA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nExiles and asylum seekersA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Ian Cook\n\n\n\nDemolishing Sacred BuildingsA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJesus – Sledge Hammer ChampionA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSilence and RelationshipsA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 & Ephesians 2: 11-22  by Jeff Wild\n\n\n\nSalvation in an Age of TribalismA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp11/2027-07-18/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/P11.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300721T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300721T235959
DTSTAMP:20260407T052605
CREATED:20200904T022220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240818T055419Z
UID:10002142-1910822400-1910908799@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 11 - Year B
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				  2 Samuel 7: 1-14a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King David made himself at home in his new palace and\, thanks to the LORD\, there was no trouble from Israel’s enemies for some time.  One day the King consulted Nathan the prophet\, and said to him\, “It doesn’t seem right for me to be living it up in a palace built of the finest materials while the sacred Ark of God is still in a tent. It’s as though God was sleeping rough!” \nNathan replied\, “The LORD is with you\, so go ahead and do whatever you think should be done.” \nBut Nathan had spoken too soon. That same night\, the LORD gave him a different message to pass on to King David. This is what it said: \nDavid\, I am the LORD and you are my servant\, so listen to what I have to say to you. What makes you think that you are the one to build my house? I’ve been on the road with nothing more than a tent ever since I led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. I didn’t need a house then and I don’t need one now. You’re not the first caretaker I’ve appointed for the tribes of Israel\, and you won’t be the last\, so think about it – have I ever gone whingeing to any of them and demanded a fancy house? \nNow listen to me\, and listen good. I am the LORD who rules over everything. I made you what you are today – the leader of my people. If it wasn’t for me you’d still be cleaning up after the sheep. I’ve never let you down\, wherever you’ve gone. Whenever enemies have attacked you\, I’ve dealt with them\, right before your eyes. Thanks to me\, you will be known as one of the most famous people who ever lived. \nI have chosen a place for my people Israel\, a place where they can put down roots\, a place to call their own. They won’t need to be looking over their shoulders all the time\, because there won’t be any more trouble from the barbarians who have plagued them for so long. For the first time since the days when I sent the legendary heroes to bring justice to my people\, Israel will be at peace. \nWhat’s more\, I the LORD give you my word that I will make you the foundation stone of a great house. I will see to it that by the time your number’s up and you’re buried alongside your ancestors\, you will have fathered your own successor.  Yes\, a son of yours will be king. I will back him all the way\, anchoring his kingdom and establishing his dynasty forever.  He is the one to whom I shall give the privilege of building my sacred temple. I will be a father to him\, and he shall be my son. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 89: 20-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Long ago\, in a vision\, you spoke to your faithful people\, saying: \n“I have crowned a great hero.\nAmong you\, my people\,\nI found one fit for the throne.\nMy search ended with my servant David.\nPouring holy oil on his head\,\nI have set him apart as the chosen one.\nHe’ll always be able to look to me for strength;\nwhen he needs some muscle\,\nI’ll  be there to back him up. \nThe enemy will not get under his guard\,\nthe wicked will never drag him down.\nI’ll knock flat those who oppose him;\ndespise him and you answer to me!\nMy love for him is unshakable;\nI’ll be faithful to him for ever.\nOn my say so\, he’ll rule supreme and unchallenged.\nI will put everything in his hands\,\nfrom coast to coast with all that lies between them.\nHe will cry out to me\, ‘Oh\, my Father\, my God\,\nyou are the rock I cling to for safety!’ \nI will make him number one in all the world\,\nhe’ll outrank even the superpowers.\nForever and always\, I will be true in my love\,\nand the covenant we’ve made\nwill never be broken. \nI will see that his family name always has an heir\,\nand guarantee his throne to his descendants\nas long as night follows day.\nIf his children turn their backs on my ways\nand step off the paths I’ve marked out;\nif they tear up the instructions I’ve given them\nand go against my clear directives\,\nthey’ll pay for it.\nThey’ll cop the maximum sentence for their crime.\nI’ll make them lie in the bed they’ve made.\nBut even then I won’t take back my love\,\nand the vows I made to David will still ring true. \nThere is no way I would break my promise\nor try to take back what I’d already said.\nI have given my word\, once and for all\,\nand staked my whole reputation on it.\nI will never lie to David. \nHis family tree will be an unbroken line\nand his dynasty as sure as the sun.\nIt shall be as fixed as the orbit of the moon\,\nas dependable as the lights in the night sky. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Ephesians 2: 11-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Always remember where you came from\, or you’ll begin to take what God has done for granted. Don’t ever forget that you were once outsiders\, and were treated as such by those who had always been insiders. Back then you had no contact with Christ and you were foreigners to his people\, Israel. You knew nothing of the rich heritage of promises and mutual responsibility that shaped Israel’s relationship with God. You knew nothing of them and you had no access to their benefits. In the world\, but alienated from God — your situation was hopeless. But Christ Jesus has changed all that. No matter how far away you were\, through his own blood\, sweat and tears\, Christ has brought you right into the centre of things. \nChrist placed his own body in the gap so that now\, through our common link to him\, our two separate groups may unite as one. With his own hands he has torn down the barricades of ignorance\, suspicion and hostility that divided us. We used to relate to God on the basis of the law\, with its detailed regulations and prescriptions\, but Christ has done away with all that. He saw that the law had divided humanity in two\, since not everybody had access to it\, and he wanted to create one united world. This unity would not be in the law\, but in Christ himself\, in his own body. Christ set out to make peace — offering himself to us both equally\, suffering on the cross for us both equally — so that in him we might find one shared basis for reconciliation with God. If that’s not enough to eradicate the hostility between us\, nothing will! \nSo with that agenda in mind\, Christ came preaching peace to both of us — to you foreign outsiders and to us Jewish insiders. Now we are all equal\, because we all have access to God in exactly the same way — through Christ\, in one Spirit. It’s a whole new ball game. You will never be homeless exiles again. You have been granted citizenship in the province of God and you have the same rights of access as any of the saints. \nPerhaps you could think of it this way. God is constructing a wonderful temple using every kind of material that comes to hand\, regardless of its origins. The foundations are the apostles and prophets and all they did and said. Now all of us are being added\, one at a time\, with Christ Jesus himself as the central pillar that holds he whole structure together. With every part inseparably linked to him\, the whole structure grows day by day into a holy temple dedicated to the Lord. So there you are. United in Christ we become a place where God’s Spirit is proud to live. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	After travelling through the villages preaching\, Jesus’s chosen ambassadors returned and met up with him again. They filled him in on everything they had been doing and teaching on the road. Jesus said to them\, “It’s time to put your feet up for a bit. Let’s head off to a deserted beach somewhere and get some well earned rest.” \nThey certainly needed it. With all the coming and going of people wanting this and that\, they hardly even had time to take proper meal breaks. So off they went. They piled into the boat and headed off by themselves for a secluded beach. It was no use though. Several people saw them leaving and managed to figure out where they were headed. Word travelled faster than the boat\, and by the time they pulled ashore a crowd was already gathering from the nearby towns. Walking up the beach among the growing crowd\, Jesus could feel his heart going out to them. They were like a ship without a rudder\, so despite himself\, he went straight back to teaching. \nMuch the same thing happened the next day. They had crossed back over in the boat and pulled ashore at Gennesaret. They had barely secured the boat and climbed onto the jetty when someone recognised Jesus and a buzz went through the town. All over the region people were rushing off to their sick friends or relatives and bringing them to wherever they heard Jesus had gone. There were stretcher crews coming from all directions. The story was beginning to repeat itself everywhere he went. City\, town or outback road station – if the grapevine said that Jesus was there\, there would be people queuing up in no time\, bringing the sick for his attention. Day and night they came\, all reaching out to him for help\, begging for the chance to even just touch the sleeve of his coat. And all who did so were healed. \n©2000 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				  Jeremiah 23: 1-6			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	This is what the LORD\, the God of Israel\, says: \nThe writing is on the wall for you leaders of my people. You are supposed to be like shepherds\, keeping an eye on my flock and seeing that they are kept united and safe. But you have butchered them and scattered them. You have driven them off and left them defenceless. But I can assure you that I\, the LORD\, have been keeping my eye on you! I will see that you get what you deserve for your crimes against my people. \nI will bring back what’s left of my people; bring them home from the lands where I sent them when they fled as refugees. Back home where they belong\, they will regain their strength and flourish once again. I\, the LORD\, will raise up new leaders for them who can be trusted to care for them like real shepherds. My people will no longer have any reason to fear or despair\, and none of them will be lost. \nYou can be sure that the time is coming when I\, the LORD\,\nwill raise up a true king from the family of David;\none who will rule with wisdom and do the right thing;\nwho will bring justice to the land and set things right. \nAs long as he reigns the land will be secure\nand my people will enjoy peace.\nWhenever his name is mentioned\, people will say\,\n“Ah! The LORD has put everything right!” \n©2001 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 draw all things together in Christ\nand build us up as a holy temple to your glory. \nYou created the world and made it your dwelling place.\nWhen you led your people out of oppression\nyou travelled with them like a homeless refugee.\nYou made a covenant with your servant\, David\,\nanointing him to shepherd your people\nand promising peace to those who followed your ways. \nYour Son\, Jesus\, came\,\nfilled with compassion for all who were without hope.\nThough he preached peace and healed the sick and broken\,\nhe was ensnared and killed by your enemies.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand\, in him\, you prepared a new covenant\n— open to all people\, near and far —\na covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility\,\nand reconciles us to you as one people. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2003 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 for your Son\, Jesus\, who came to us\nshowing compassion and healing our brokenness.\nIn him you break down every wall of hostility\,\ndrawing all things together\nand building us up as a holy temple to your glory. \n©2003 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 draw all things together in Christ\nand build us up as a holy temple to your glory. \nYou created the world and made it your dwelling place.\nWhen you led your people out of oppression\nyou travelled with them like a homeless refugee.\nYou made a covenant with your servant\, David\,\nanointing him to shepherd your people\nand promising peace to those who followed your ways. \nYour Son\, Jesus\, came\,\nfilled with compassion for all who were without hope.\nThough he preached peace and healed the sick and broken\,\nhe was ensnared and killed by your enemies.\nYou raised him from the dead\,\nand\, in him\, you prepared a new covenant\n— open to all people\, near and far —\na covenant that breaks down every wall of hostility\,\nand reconciles us to you as one people. \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©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Though we have abandoned God’s ways\,\nGod’s love and faithfulness will not be withdrawn.\nIn Christ Jesus there is forgiveness and healing.\nAt the cost of his own blood\, he has reconciled us to God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out\, remembering all God has done for you.\nBreak down the walls of hostility\,\nproclaim peace\,\nhave compassion for all\,\nand don’t forget to take time for yourself also. \nAnd may God be with you wherever you go;\nMay Christ Jesus heal you and replenish you;\nand may the Holy Spirit encircle you and strengthen you. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2003 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\nOur Future Belongs to GodA sermon on 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a; Ephesians 2: 11-22 & Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSeeking HealingA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nExiles and asylum seekersA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Ian Cook\n\n\n\nDemolishing Sacred BuildingsA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nJesus – Sledge Hammer ChampionA sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-14a & Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSilence and RelationshipsA sermon on Mark 6: 30-34\, 53-56 & Ephesians 2: 11-22  by Jeff Wild\n\n\n\nSalvation in an Age of TribalismA sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp11/2030-07-21/
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