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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20270919T000000
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CREATED:20200910T034115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241020T095534Z
UID:10001660-1821312000-1821398399@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - 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				  Proverbs 31: 10-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	How fortunate is the man who marries a gifted woman;\nHer love is as precious as life itself. \nHe entrusts himself to her\nand she doesn’t let him down. \nGenerous of spirit and never vindictive\,\nshe will be good to him all her life. \nShe is creative and diligent;\nnot afraid to get her hands dirty. \nWith the taste of a seasoned traveller\,\nshe shares her love of varied cuisine. \nShe is up early each morning\,\nseeing that everyone in her household\ngets their day off to a good start. \nShe conducts her business with confidence;\nbuying and selling\, and overseeing production. \nShe dresses appropriately for her work\,\nready to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in. \nShe knows what her labour is worth\,\nand will work late to get the job done. \nShe puts her shoulder to the wheel\nand makes the most of her many skills. \nThe goods she produces are widely sought;\nthey fetch top dollar in the shops. \nShe’s quick to help anyone facing hard times;\na generous friend to those in need. \nShe doesn’t panic when storms hit;\nall her household are well prepared. \nShe doesn’t waste money on appearances\,\nbut presents herself with colour and flair. \nHer strength and dignity are what people notice first\,\nand she approaches the future with joy and enthusiasm. \nShe and her husband are respected about town\,\nand admired for their leadership in the community. \nPeople seek out her opinions and value her wisdom;\nher advice is caring and considerate. \nShe keeps an eye on the interests of all her household\,\nand doesn’t indulge in laziness. \nHer children have nothing but good to say about her\,\nand her husband is always singing her praise:\n“There are some wonderful women in the world\,” he says\,\n“but you are the cream of the crop!” \nCharm can mask the truth\,\nand beauty may be only skin deep.\nThe woman who is worthy of admiration and acclaim\nis the one who knows who she is before God. \nShe deserves full credit for all she has achieved;\nher accomplishments speak for themselves. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 1			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, how good it will be for those\nwho turn a deaf ear to the advocates of greed;\nwho steer clear of corrupt short-cuts;\nand avoid those who sneer at goodness. \nInstead they relish your word\, LORD.\nCalming their minds\,\nthey savour the scriptures day and night. \nYou make them strong and healthy\,\nlike a Redgum tree with its roots deep in a river bank\,\nflowering abundantly every season\,\nand always laden with healthy leaves.\nAll that they do is vibrant with life. \nBut what a different story it is for the wicked;\nthey are about as secure as dry leaves in a cyclone. \nThey will have no defence\nwhen they are brought to justice\,\nand no friends among people of integrity. \nLORD\, you keep a protective eye\non all who walk a straight path of peace and justice\,\nbut nothing will save those who leave that road. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 3:13 - 4:3\, 7-8a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Do any of you rate yourselves highly for wisdom and understanding? Well\, let’s see you live it then. It is the quality of your life that will prove that your actions are the offspring of a wise and gentle spirit. If the things you do reveal that inside you’re always comparing yourself to others and scheming to get one up on them\, then the more you boast about your wisdom\, the more apparent it will be that you are deluded. Any wisdom you might have would clearly not be from God. It would be nothing more than rat-cunning\, deviousness. The devil himself specialises in that sort of wisdom. Whenever people are set on being number one without regard for anyone else\, mayhem and inhuman behaviour follow\, as sure as night follows day. The wisdom that God gives is a very different matter. For starters it is not contaminated by any ulterior motives. It cultivates peace among people\, being gentle and willing to let others get their way. It is so full of the fruits of generosity\, forgiveness and love that it could never find room for even a shred of prejudice or hypocrisy. Those who invest in peace — not just hoping for it but really working for it — will reap rich dividends in a life of wholehearted integrity. \nWhy do you think these vicious conflicts keep erupting among you? Can’t you see that they are detonated by the greedy desires simmering within your hearts. You want something you don’t have and you fuel the hunger until you’re ready to kill for it. You covet something that you know can never be yours\, but you let your craving blaze out of control\, igniting spot fires all over the place. If you really want something\, ask God for it. But you could never do that could you\, because there’d be no way to word the request without exposing the naked selfishness that’s driving you. \nWhat can you do? Let God’s desires have their way with you. Dig in against the devil\, and he’ll be sent packing. Get alongside God\, and God will get alongside you. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 9: 30-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his group moved on and travelled through Galilee. He was keeping their location secret because the things he was teaching his closest followers were for their ears only. “Soon the New Human will be betrayed\,” he told them\, “and handed over to a hostile mob. They will kill him\, but three days after his murder\, he will rise up\, alive again.” \nHis followers\, however\, could not get their heads around any of this\, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask him to go over it again. \nThey arrived home in Capernaum and after settling back into the house\, Jesus hit them with a question: “You blokes sounded like you were having a bit of a barney back there on the road. What was it all about?” \nThe silence was deafening! None of them were willing to own up\, because they had been arguing over status – which of them was number one. Jesus sat down and called the twelve to gather round. He said to them\, “Whoever wants to be number one must take a place at the bottom as the servant of everyone else.” \nHe called over a small child\, and right there in the midst of them\, gathered the little one up into his arms and said\, “Anyone who welcomes little tackers like this as though they were gold-medalists is welcoming me. And those who welcome me are not just welcoming me – they are welcoming the One who sent me.” \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				  Wisdom of Solomom 1:16 - 2:1\, 12-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Those who shun God are getting in to bed with death.\nYou can see it in everything they say and do.\nThey yearn for death like an absent lover.\nThey have signed up to a partnership with death\nbecause they seemed to be made for one another. \nListen to their thinking\, and see how screwed up it is.\nThey say\,\n“Life’s a bitch and then you die.\nHere today and gone tomorrow\, and there is no cure for death.\nDown you go\, and no one ever comes back. \nAnd then they say\,\n“These holier-than-thou do-gooders are such a pain.\nLet’s knock off the next one we see.\nThey are always in our way\,\nstopping us from getting what we want\,\ncalling us sinners and law-breakers\,\nand lecturing us about being a disgrace to our upbringing. \n“They claim to know God\nand they make themselves out to be the Lord’s children. \n“They make everything we think look bad.\nWe’re sick to death of the sight of them\nbecause they are so different from everyone else\nand their way of life gets up our nose. \n“They look down on us\nand avoid our ways like the plague.\nThey reckon that do-gooders will die happy\nand that God will call them his children. \n“Let’s grab the next one we see\nand make an example of him.\nLet’s see if his puffed up words about dying happy\nhold up when put to the test. \n“If this do-gooder is such a child of God\,\nhe can expect God to help him\, can’t he?\nLet’s see if God can rescue him\nwhen we get our hands on him. \n“Let’s see what happens to his patience and gentleness\nwhen we humiliate him\, torture him\,\nand make him fear for his life. \n“Let’s kill him slowly and humiliate him as he dies.\nThen we’ll see whether his ‘divine protection’\nis half as good as he says it is. \nSo that’s how corrupt people think.\nYou can see how how screwed up it is.\nThe lures of evil have sucked them in\,\nand blinded them to everything else. \nThey have never know what God is on about.\nThey have never tasted the fruits of living right.\nThey have never glimpsed the prize in store\nfor those with a clean record. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Jeremiah 11: 18-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The first I knew of the plot against me\nwas when the LORD tipped me off about it. \nUntil then I was like a lamb trotting to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer.\nIn my blissful ignorance I never guessed\nthat they were plotting my downfall\, saying\, \n“Let’s cut him down in his prime\nand make sure he never breeds.\nLet’s rid the world of him\nand erase all memory that he ever lived!” \nBut you are the LORD who rules over everything.\nYour investigations uncover our motives\nand your judgements get it right every time.\nI have put my case in your hands.\nHit them with everything they deserve! \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 54			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Pull rank to save me\, God;\nuse your influence to clear my name.\nHear my prayer\, God;\nlend an ear to what I have to say. \nArrogant mongrels have got me in their sights;\nthey spit in the face of everything decent\nand now they are plotting to kill me. \nLook at them! They couldn’t care less about you\, God! \nBut you are there for me\, God; for sure you are.\nYou\, Lord\, are my bodyguard.\nWhen enemies come\, you’ll turn their evil back on them.\nI know you can be relied on. Finish them off! \nI will offer you my worship and bring my gifts to say thank you.\nI will put your name up in lights\, LORD\, for you are the best.\nYou have bailed me out of every crisis\nand with my own eyes I’ve seen my enemies fail. \n©2012 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 your wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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\,\nthrough whom you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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 your wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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	Resist the devil\, and he will flee from you.\nDraw near to God\nand submit yourselves to God’s ways\nand God will draw near to you in mercy. \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\, clothed in strength and dignity.\nSubmit yourselves to God and resist the devil.\nDelight in the Lord’s teaching\,\nopen your hands to the poor\,\nand let your actions arise from the wisdom of God. \nAnd may God draw near to you and strengthen you;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you the ways of simplicity;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom\n    and make your fruitful in peace and righteousness. \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\nGetting Put in your PlaceA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWinning\, Losing and Child’s PlayA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Kingdom as Kids’ StuffA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSnapshots of WisdomA sermon on Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37; James 3:13 – 4:3\, 4:7-8a; & Proverbs 31:10-31 by Léon van Ommen\n\n\n\nMissing the PointA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp20/2027-09-19/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20300922T235959
DTSTAMP:20260406T054630
CREATED:20200910T034115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241020T095534Z
UID:10002152-1916265600-1916351999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 20 - 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				  Proverbs 31: 10-31			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	How fortunate is the man who marries a gifted woman;\nHer love is as precious as life itself. \nHe entrusts himself to her\nand she doesn’t let him down. \nGenerous of spirit and never vindictive\,\nshe will be good to him all her life. \nShe is creative and diligent;\nnot afraid to get her hands dirty. \nWith the taste of a seasoned traveller\,\nshe shares her love of varied cuisine. \nShe is up early each morning\,\nseeing that everyone in her household\ngets their day off to a good start. \nShe conducts her business with confidence;\nbuying and selling\, and overseeing production. \nShe dresses appropriately for her work\,\nready to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in. \nShe knows what her labour is worth\,\nand will work late to get the job done. \nShe puts her shoulder to the wheel\nand makes the most of her many skills. \nThe goods she produces are widely sought;\nthey fetch top dollar in the shops. \nShe’s quick to help anyone facing hard times;\na generous friend to those in need. \nShe doesn’t panic when storms hit;\nall her household are well prepared. \nShe doesn’t waste money on appearances\,\nbut presents herself with colour and flair. \nHer strength and dignity are what people notice first\,\nand she approaches the future with joy and enthusiasm. \nShe and her husband are respected about town\,\nand admired for their leadership in the community. \nPeople seek out her opinions and value her wisdom;\nher advice is caring and considerate. \nShe keeps an eye on the interests of all her household\,\nand doesn’t indulge in laziness. \nHer children have nothing but good to say about her\,\nand her husband is always singing her praise:\n“There are some wonderful women in the world\,” he says\,\n“but you are the cream of the crop!” \nCharm can mask the truth\,\nand beauty may be only skin deep.\nThe woman who is worthy of admiration and acclaim\nis the one who knows who she is before God. \nShe deserves full credit for all she has achieved;\nher accomplishments speak for themselves. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 1			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	LORD\, how good it will be for those\nwho turn a deaf ear to the advocates of greed;\nwho steer clear of corrupt short-cuts;\nand avoid those who sneer at goodness. \nInstead they relish your word\, LORD.\nCalming their minds\,\nthey savour the scriptures day and night. \nYou make them strong and healthy\,\nlike a Redgum tree with its roots deep in a river bank\,\nflowering abundantly every season\,\nand always laden with healthy leaves.\nAll that they do is vibrant with life. \nBut what a different story it is for the wicked;\nthey are about as secure as dry leaves in a cyclone. \nThey will have no defence\nwhen they are brought to justice\,\nand no friends among people of integrity. \nLORD\, you keep a protective eye\non all who walk a straight path of peace and justice\,\nbut nothing will save those who leave that road. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  James 3:13 - 4:3\, 7-8a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Do any of you rate yourselves highly for wisdom and understanding? Well\, let’s see you live it then. It is the quality of your life that will prove that your actions are the offspring of a wise and gentle spirit. If the things you do reveal that inside you’re always comparing yourself to others and scheming to get one up on them\, then the more you boast about your wisdom\, the more apparent it will be that you are deluded. Any wisdom you might have would clearly not be from God. It would be nothing more than rat-cunning\, deviousness. The devil himself specialises in that sort of wisdom. Whenever people are set on being number one without regard for anyone else\, mayhem and inhuman behaviour follow\, as sure as night follows day. The wisdom that God gives is a very different matter. For starters it is not contaminated by any ulterior motives. It cultivates peace among people\, being gentle and willing to let others get their way. It is so full of the fruits of generosity\, forgiveness and love that it could never find room for even a shred of prejudice or hypocrisy. Those who invest in peace — not just hoping for it but really working for it — will reap rich dividends in a life of wholehearted integrity. \nWhy do you think these vicious conflicts keep erupting among you? Can’t you see that they are detonated by the greedy desires simmering within your hearts. You want something you don’t have and you fuel the hunger until you’re ready to kill for it. You covet something that you know can never be yours\, but you let your craving blaze out of control\, igniting spot fires all over the place. If you really want something\, ask God for it. But you could never do that could you\, because there’d be no way to word the request without exposing the naked selfishness that’s driving you. \nWhat can you do? Let God’s desires have their way with you. Dig in against the devil\, and he’ll be sent packing. Get alongside God\, and God will get alongside you. \n©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Mark 9: 30-37			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his group moved on and travelled through Galilee. He was keeping their location secret because the things he was teaching his closest followers were for their ears only. “Soon the New Human will be betrayed\,” he told them\, “and handed over to a hostile mob. They will kill him\, but three days after his murder\, he will rise up\, alive again.” \nHis followers\, however\, could not get their heads around any of this\, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask him to go over it again. \nThey arrived home in Capernaum and after settling back into the house\, Jesus hit them with a question: “You blokes sounded like you were having a bit of a barney back there on the road. What was it all about?” \nThe silence was deafening! None of them were willing to own up\, because they had been arguing over status – which of them was number one. Jesus sat down and called the twelve to gather round. He said to them\, “Whoever wants to be number one must take a place at the bottom as the servant of everyone else.” \nHe called over a small child\, and right there in the midst of them\, gathered the little one up into his arms and said\, “Anyone who welcomes little tackers like this as though they were gold-medalists is welcoming me. And those who welcome me are not just welcoming me – they are welcoming the One who sent me.” \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				  Wisdom of Solomom 1:16 - 2:1\, 12-22			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Those who shun God are getting in to bed with death.\nYou can see it in everything they say and do.\nThey yearn for death like an absent lover.\nThey have signed up to a partnership with death\nbecause they seemed to be made for one another. \nListen to their thinking\, and see how screwed up it is.\nThey say\,\n“Life’s a bitch and then you die.\nHere today and gone tomorrow\, and there is no cure for death.\nDown you go\, and no one ever comes back. \nAnd then they say\,\n“These holier-than-thou do-gooders are such a pain.\nLet’s knock off the next one we see.\nThey are always in our way\,\nstopping us from getting what we want\,\ncalling us sinners and law-breakers\,\nand lecturing us about being a disgrace to our upbringing. \n“They claim to know God\nand they make themselves out to be the Lord’s children. \n“They make everything we think look bad.\nWe’re sick to death of the sight of them\nbecause they are so different from everyone else\nand their way of life gets up our nose. \n“They look down on us\nand avoid our ways like the plague.\nThey reckon that do-gooders will die happy\nand that God will call them his children. \n“Let’s grab the next one we see\nand make an example of him.\nLet’s see if his puffed up words about dying happy\nhold up when put to the test. \n“If this do-gooder is such a child of God\,\nhe can expect God to help him\, can’t he?\nLet’s see if God can rescue him\nwhen we get our hands on him. \n“Let’s see what happens to his patience and gentleness\nwhen we humiliate him\, torture him\,\nand make him fear for his life. \n“Let’s kill him slowly and humiliate him as he dies.\nThen we’ll see whether his ‘divine protection’\nis half as good as he says it is. \nSo that’s how corrupt people think.\nYou can see how how screwed up it is.\nThe lures of evil have sucked them in\,\nand blinded them to everything else. \nThey have never know what God is on about.\nThey have never tasted the fruits of living right.\nThey have never glimpsed the prize in store\nfor those with a clean record. \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  OR  Jeremiah 11: 18-20			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The first I knew of the plot against me\nwas when the LORD tipped me off about it. \nUntil then I was like a lamb trotting to its fate\,\nknowing neither shearer nor slaughterer.\nIn my blissful ignorance I never guessed\nthat they were plotting my downfall\, saying\, \n“Let’s cut him down in his prime\nand make sure he never breeds.\nLet’s rid the world of him\nand erase all memory that he ever lived!” \nBut you are the LORD who rules over everything.\nYour investigations uncover our motives\nand your judgements get it right every time.\nI have put my case in your hands.\nHit them with everything they deserve! \n©2012 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 54			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Pull rank to save me\, God;\nuse your influence to clear my name.\nHear my prayer\, God;\nlend an ear to what I have to say. \nArrogant mongrels have got me in their sights;\nthey spit in the face of everything decent\nand now they are plotting to kill me. \nLook at them! They couldn’t care less about you\, God! \nBut you are there for me\, God; for sure you are.\nYou\, Lord\, are my bodyguard.\nWhen enemies come\, you’ll turn their evil back on them.\nI know you can be relied on. Finish them off! \nI will offer you my worship and bring my gifts to say thank you.\nI will put your name up in lights\, LORD\, for you are the best.\nYou have bailed me out of every crisis\nand with my own eyes I’ve seen my enemies fail. \n©2012 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 your wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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\,\nthrough whom you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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 your wisdom and humility\nare the source of true greatness\nand you draw near to all who draw near to you. \nLike a woman planting a garden\,\nyou set out and tended the newborn earth\,\nand like one who sets food before her family\,\nyou nourished us with the fruits of the earth\nand the wise teachings of your Word. \nIn every age you have revealed your wisdom\nto the humble and insignificant ones\nand hidden it from the arrogant and violent.\nIn your Son\, Jesus\, you showed us\nthat true greatness is known in servanthood\,\nand that the way of wisdom is found in childlike simplicity.\nBetrayed into hostile hands and killed\,\nhe rose again and called us to follow him\,\nputting aside selfish ambitions\nand walking in the ways of peace\, mercy and humility. \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	Resist the devil\, and he will flee from you.\nDraw near to God\nand submit yourselves to God’s ways\nand God will draw near to you in mercy. \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\, clothed in strength and dignity.\nSubmit yourselves to God and resist the devil.\nDelight in the Lord’s teaching\,\nopen your hands to the poor\,\nand let your actions arise from the wisdom of God. \nAnd may God draw near to you and strengthen you;\nMay Christ Jesus teach you the ways of simplicity;\nand may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom\n    and make your fruitful in peace and righteousness. \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\nGetting Put in your PlaceA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWinning\, Losing and Child’s PlayA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Kingdom as Kids’ StuffA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nSnapshots of WisdomA sermon on Psalm 1; Mark 9:30-37; James 3:13 – 4:3\, 4:7-8a; & Proverbs 31:10-31 by Léon van Ommen\n\n\n\nMissing the PointA sermon on Mark 9:30-37 & James 3:13-4:8 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/bp20/2030-09-22/
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