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LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T032006Z
UID:10001748-1844899200-1844985599@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 7 - Year C
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				  1 Kings 19: 1-4\, (5-7)\, 8-15a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King Ahab told his wife Jezebel how Elijah had made a mockery of the prophets of Baal and then killed them all. Jezebel was outraged and sent a message to Elijah\, saying\, “I’ll see that by this time tomorrow you suffer the same fate as the prophets you killed. May the gods strike me down if I don’t.” \nElijah was terrified and hit the road – running for his life. He made it to the Judean town of Beersheba where he parted company with his servant. He then went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that\, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts\, saying\, “I can’t take any more\, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.” \nExhausted\, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder\, saying\, “Get up and eat.” \nElijah looked around and there\, just near his head\, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again\, tapping him on the shoulder and saying\, “Get up and eat\, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.” \nSo Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain. When he got there\, he spent the night in a cave. \nThe next morning\, the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Elijah\, what are you doing here?” \nElijah answered\, “I’ve given my all for you\, LORD God\, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.” \nThe LORD said\, “Go outside and stand to attention on the mountain\, because I am about to pass in front of you.” \nAs Elijah stood there\, a cyclone hit the mountain\, shattering the rocks and splintering the trees; but the LORD was not in the cyclone. After the cyclone\, the mountain was shaken by an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake\, there was a raging bushfire; but the LORD was not in the bushfire. Then\, after all that\, there came a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it\, he pulled his coat over his face and stood stock still outside the entrance of the cave. Then\, from the silence\, came a voice\, saying\, “Elijah\, what are you doing here?” \nElijah answered\, “I’ve given my all for you\, LORD God\, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.” \nThen the LORD said to him\, “Off you go. Head back down to the desert near Damascus.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 42 & 43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Like a wallaby searching for a waterhole\,\nI crave you\, God\, with every fibre of my being. \nEverything inside me thirsts for you\, God\,\nfor you\, the Living God.\nWhen will the drought break\nso I can be with you\, face to face. \nI’ve had nothing but tears to sustain me;\nday and night it’s been the same;\nI can’t shut out the jeers and taunts\,\n“Where is this God of yours?” \nCherished memories flood my mind\,\nrubbing salt in the wound;\nmemories of past celebrations\nwhen I led the worship in your house.\nI can still hear the laughter and joyous singing;\nthe crowds celebrating your goodness. \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \nI feel so defeated inside;\nI try to remind myself of your goodness\nas I walk along the beach to the river mouth\nand look towards the mountains. \nBut all I hear is the roar of waves\nand churning waters;\nI feel like chaos is breaking over me\nand sucking me down\, deeper and deeper. \nEvery day I read of your rock-solid love\, LORD;\nand every night I sing your songs\nand pray to you as the God of my life. \nBut still I find myself asking the question:\n“Why has your rock-solid love let me down?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery?” \nMy wounds are deep and painful\nbut the torture goes on;\nover and over I hear the taunts\,\n“Where is this God of yours?” \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \nClear my name\, God;\nside with me against these godless tormentors.\nRescue me from their lies and abuse. \nI trusted you to look after me\, God;\nwhy have you pushed me aside?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery? \nLet your truth blaze like a beacon\nso I can see the way to go;\nlet it light up the path and lead me\nto your home on the sacred mountain. \nThen I will offer myself to you in worship\, God;\noffer myself with uninhibited joy.\nI will praise you with music and song\,\nO God\, my God! \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Galatians 3: 23-29			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Before we had put our faith in Christ and allowed that faith to begin reshaping our lives\, we needed a rigid legal code to keep us in line. The law was like a zealous parole officer\, keeping us on the straight and narrow\, under duress. When Christ came\, the law was no longer necessary\, because we can be put on track with God by entrusting ourselves to Christ. Now that this opportunity is available to us\, we no longer need the parole officer watching over our shoulders. Having entrusted ourselves to Christ\, we have been transferred with him into the direct care of God\, and God treats us as beloved children\, not as prisoners. When we were baptised\, we handed in our prison clothes and were given a make-over in the image of Christ. All of you who have been baptised\, therefore\, are on an equal footing — your new Christ-like clothing covers any previous distinction. There is no longer any preferential treatment on the basis of your ethnic or religious background\, your education or employment status\, or even your sex. All of you are related to Christ Jesus in exactly the same way and are regarded by him as equals. If you belong to Christ\, then through him you are descendants of Abraham\, and you therefore stand to inherit all that God promised to Abraham’s children. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 8: 26-39			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his followers sailed across Lake Galilee and landed near the town of Gerasa. As they stepped ashore\, they were confronted by one of the locals – a dangerous madman who was tormented by demons. For years he had wandered around naked and dirty\, and made his home in the graveyard and the rubbish dump outside the town. He had a long history of violent outbursts. On many occasions he had been locked up and straight-jacketed\, but each time the demonic torment would drive him into a crazed frenzy and he would smash his way out and flee back into the bush. \nWhen the man saw that Jesus was ordering the vile spirit out of him\, he threw himself down on the ground\, screaming. “What gives you the right to interfere with my life? You’re Jesus\, the Son of the Supreme God. You don’t belong here. Leave me alone. I’ve been tortured enough already.” \n“What’s your name\,” Jesus asked him. \n“They call me ‘the Mob’\,” he replied. \nHe had been given that name because there were so many demons raging within him. The demons began pleading with Jesus not to wipe them off the face of the earth. They begged him to send them only as far as the herd of pigs foraging in a nearby paddock. Jesus agreed\, and ordered them out of the man. No sooner was the man free of the torment\, than the pigs went berserk\, stampeding off the edge of the cliff and drowning in the lake below. \nWhen the farm hands who were in charge of the pigs saw what had happened\, they dropped their bundles and bolted. They reported the incident in town\, and word of it was soon all over the district. A delegation came out to investigate\, and they found the man who had for so long been out of his mind sitting with Jesus and hanging on his every word. It was the first time they’d ever seen him clothed and clear-headed\, and the change was so dramatic that it unnerved them. The eye-witnesses filled them in on how the demon-crazed man had come to be healed. \nAll this was too freaky for the people of the Gerasa district. They were completely spooked by it and asked Jesus to clear off. So he and his followers piled back into the boat and headed for home. The man who had been freed from the demonic torment pleaded with Jesus to let him go with them\, but Jesus sent him home\, saying\, “Move back into town and tell everyone what God has done for you.” \nSo the man went on his way and never let the townsfolk forget the wonderful things Jesus had done for him. \n©2001 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 65: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the LORD\, have made myself available\neven to those who didn’t bother to ask.\nI put myself on call\, ready and waiting\,\neven for those who were too lazy to look for me.\nI kept waving and shouting\, “Here I am!”\nto a nation who kept ignoring me.\nI kept offering the hand of friendship\, round the clock\,\nto a people who kept spitting in my face. \nTheir behaviour has gone completely off the rails\,\nand they don’t care about anything but themselves.\nThey are constantly in my face\,\nneedling me\, stirring me up.\nThey play mix-and-match religion to spite me:\nan idol from here\, a ritual from there;\na sacrifice to this\, some incense for that;\na seance in the cemetery to summon the dead. \nIf I say don’t eat something\, they eat it.\nThey’d cook and serve sewerage if they thought I’d react.\nThey promote themselves as the spiritual elite;\ntoo holy by far to mix with those they see as beneath them.\nThese people are a noxious stench.\nThey get right up my nose. \nLook\, I’ve kept a record of what they’ve done.\nI’ll publish the lot and make them pay.\nThey’ll get all they deserve with interest\,\nand an added bonus for the sins of their parents.\nI\, the LORD\, guarantee all this\,\nbecause they worship only what gives them a high\nand they spurn me to pursue their next hit.\nI will see that they cop the full consequences\nof each and every despicable act. \nBut hear this from me\, the LORD:\nthere is still some good wine in the cellar.\nAnd just as people say\,\n“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”\,\nso for the sake of those who still serve me\,\nI will not just wipe out the entire nation. \nFrom among Jacob’s descendants\nI will raise my true children;\nfrom the tribe of Judah\nI will raise people worthy of receiving my land.\nThose I have chosen will inherit it;\nthose who truly serve me will make their home there. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 22: 19-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	What are you doing\, LORD? Don’t quit on me now!\nGet your act together and come to my rescue!\nSave me before I get my throat cut\,\nbefore my body is dog meat!\nPull me out before they get their teeth into me! \nAt last! Just before the bulls ran me down\, you have rescued me.\nI won’t forget this – I’ll let everyone know.\nWhenever people gather\, I’ll be singing your praise. \nI’ll call on all who honour you\, LORD\, to stand up and say so!\nAll who trace their roots to Jacob will give you the glory!\nAll who share the heritage of Israel will stand in awe of you! \nLORD\, you did not rubbish anyone\nor blame the victims for their suffering.\nYou did not turn away or slip off quietly;\nwhen I cried for help\, you responded. \nWhenever people gather to worship\,\nmy heart overflows and I sing your praises.\nOut in the open for all to see\nI’ll do all that I promised. \nAt your table\, God\, the needy will feast;\nthose who hunger for you will be fed till they burst with praise!\nThey will be able to live it up\, now and forever! \nIn every corner of the earth people will wake up to themselves\nand turn back to you\, LORD.\nEvery race\, nation\, tribe and family\nwill offer themselves to you in worship\,\nfor you have the last word on everything;\nwhat you say goes. \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\,\nand declare to all how much you have done for us. \nSince the day you brought the earth to birth\,\nyou have been present in the sounds of sheer silence\,\nwhere deep roars to deep;\nand through your law and prophets\nyou guarded us and kept us from destruction. \nWhen we were imprisoned in condemnation\,\nchained and shackled by demons too many to name\,\nyou sent your light and truth\nin your child\, Jesus the Christ.\nHe drove our tormentors into the abyss\nand reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.\nWhen he was crucified\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand plunged us into his death\, burial and resurrection.\nNow you feed us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey\nto the holy mountain where you make your home. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 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 thank you for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho drives our tormentors into the abyss\,\nreconciles us to ourselves and to one another\,\nand feeds us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey. \n©2001 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\,\nand openly declare how much you have done for us. \nSince the day you brought the earth to birth\,\nyou have been present in the sounds of sheer silence\,\nwhere deep roars to deep;\nand through your law and prophets\nyou guarded us and kept us from destruction. \nWhen we were imprisoned in condemnation\,\nchained and shackled by demons too many to name\,\nyou sent your light and truth\nin your child\, Jesus the Christ.\nHe drove our tormentors into the abyss\nand reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.\nWhen he was crucified\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand plunged us into his death\, burial and resurrection.\nNow you feed us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey\nto the holy mountain where you make your home. \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©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You are no longer judged and condemned by the law\,\nfor in Christ Jesus\, you are children of God through faith.\nYou are clothed with Christ.\nYou are heirs of the promises of God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, proclaiming to all how much Jesus has done for you.\nBe as one with each other in Christ.\nWait for the Lord\, and be ready to hear God’s voice\,\neven in the sounds of sheer silence. \nAnd may God be your fortress;\nMay Christ Jesus release you from all that torments you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you light and truth\nto sustain you day and night. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 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\nThe Sounds of SilenceA sermon on 1 Kings 19: 1-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting a Make-Over for JesusA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAnniversaries\, Covenants and Driving Off DemonsA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 & Galatians 3:23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDon’t Try This AloneA sermon on 1 Kings 19:1-15a & Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrowing Up and Becoming LawlessA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen the Black Sheep is Set FreeA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp07/2028-06-18/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310622T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20310622T235959
DTSTAMP:20260406T022649
CREATED:20201112T010545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T032006Z
UID:10002966-1939852800-1939939199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:Proper 7 - Year C
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				  1 Kings 19: 1-4\, (5-7)\, 8-15a			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	King Ahab told his wife Jezebel how Elijah had made a mockery of the prophets of Baal and then killed them all. Jezebel was outraged and sent a message to Elijah\, saying\, “I’ll see that by this time tomorrow you suffer the same fate as the prophets you killed. May the gods strike me down if I don’t.” \nElijah was terrified and hit the road – running for his life. He made it to the Judean town of Beersheba where he parted company with his servant. He then went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub. After a day of that\, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts\, saying\, “I can’t take any more\, LORD. Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead anyway.” \nExhausted\, he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder\, saying\, “Get up and eat.” \nElijah looked around and there\, just near his head\, was a cake of damper bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The messenger of the LORD came to him again\, tapping him on the shoulder and saying\, “Get up and eat\, or you’ll never survive the journey ahead.” \nSo Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount Sinai – God’s own mountain. When he got there\, he spent the night in a cave. \nThe next morning\, the LORD spoke to him\, saying\, “Elijah\, what are you doing here?” \nElijah answered\, “I’ve given my all for you\, LORD God\, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.” \nThe LORD said\, “Go outside and stand to attention on the mountain\, because I am about to pass in front of you.” \nAs Elijah stood there\, a cyclone hit the mountain\, shattering the rocks and splintering the trees; but the LORD was not in the cyclone. After the cyclone\, the mountain was shaken by an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake\, there was a raging bushfire; but the LORD was not in the bushfire. Then\, after all that\, there came a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it\, he pulled his coat over his face and stood stock still outside the entrance of the cave. Then\, from the silence\, came a voice\, saying\, “Elijah\, what are you doing here?” \nElijah answered\, “I’ve given my all for you\, LORD God\, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now they are hunting me down to kill me too.” \nThen the LORD said to him\, “Off you go. Head back down to the desert near Damascus.” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 42 & 43			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Like a wallaby searching for a waterhole\,\nI crave you\, God\, with every fibre of my being. \nEverything inside me thirsts for you\, God\,\nfor you\, the Living God.\nWhen will the drought break\nso I can be with you\, face to face. \nI’ve had nothing but tears to sustain me;\nday and night it’s been the same;\nI can’t shut out the jeers and taunts\,\n“Where is this God of yours?” \nCherished memories flood my mind\,\nrubbing salt in the wound;\nmemories of past celebrations\nwhen I led the worship in your house.\nI can still hear the laughter and joyous singing;\nthe crowds celebrating your goodness. \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \nI feel so defeated inside;\nI try to remind myself of your goodness\nas I walk along the beach to the river mouth\nand look towards the mountains. \nBut all I hear is the roar of waves\nand churning waters;\nI feel like chaos is breaking over me\nand sucking me down\, deeper and deeper. \nEvery day I read of your rock-solid love\, LORD;\nand every night I sing your songs\nand pray to you as the God of my life. \nBut still I find myself asking the question:\n“Why has your rock-solid love let me down?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery?” \nMy wounds are deep and painful\nbut the torture goes on;\nover and over I hear the taunts\,\n“Where is this God of yours?” \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \nClear my name\, God;\nside with me against these godless tormentors.\nRescue me from their lies and abuse. \nI trusted you to look after me\, God;\nwhy have you pushed me aside?\nWhy are so many out to get me\,\nmaking my life such a misery? \nLet your truth blaze like a beacon\nso I can see the way to go;\nlet it light up the path and lead me\nto your home on the sacred mountain. \nThen I will offer myself to you in worship\, God;\noffer myself with uninhibited joy.\nI will praise you with music and song\,\nO God\, my God! \nWhy do I feel so defeated?\nWhy am I so anxious and agitated?\nI tell myself not to give up hope\,\nfor you are my God and my help\nand I’ll be glad of that again. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Galatians 3: 23-29			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Before we had put our faith in Christ and allowed that faith to begin reshaping our lives\, we needed a rigid legal code to keep us in line. The law was like a zealous parole officer\, keeping us on the straight and narrow\, under duress. When Christ came\, the law was no longer necessary\, because we can be put on track with God by entrusting ourselves to Christ. Now that this opportunity is available to us\, we no longer need the parole officer watching over our shoulders. Having entrusted ourselves to Christ\, we have been transferred with him into the direct care of God\, and God treats us as beloved children\, not as prisoners. When we were baptised\, we handed in our prison clothes and were given a make-over in the image of Christ. All of you who have been baptised\, therefore\, are on an equal footing — your new Christ-like clothing covers any previous distinction. There is no longer any preferential treatment on the basis of your ethnic or religious background\, your education or employment status\, or even your sex. All of you are related to Christ Jesus in exactly the same way and are regarded by him as equals. If you belong to Christ\, then through him you are descendants of Abraham\, and you therefore stand to inherit all that God promised to Abraham’s children. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Luke 8: 26-39			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Jesus and his followers sailed across Lake Galilee and landed near the town of Gerasa. As they stepped ashore\, they were confronted by one of the locals – a dangerous madman who was tormented by demons. For years he had wandered around naked and dirty\, and made his home in the graveyard and the rubbish dump outside the town. He had a long history of violent outbursts. On many occasions he had been locked up and straight-jacketed\, but each time the demonic torment would drive him into a crazed frenzy and he would smash his way out and flee back into the bush. \nWhen the man saw that Jesus was ordering the vile spirit out of him\, he threw himself down on the ground\, screaming. “What gives you the right to interfere with my life? You’re Jesus\, the Son of the Supreme God. You don’t belong here. Leave me alone. I’ve been tortured enough already.” \n“What’s your name\,” Jesus asked him. \n“They call me ‘the Mob’\,” he replied. \nHe had been given that name because there were so many demons raging within him. The demons began pleading with Jesus not to wipe them off the face of the earth. They begged him to send them only as far as the herd of pigs foraging in a nearby paddock. Jesus agreed\, and ordered them out of the man. No sooner was the man free of the torment\, than the pigs went berserk\, stampeding off the edge of the cliff and drowning in the lake below. \nWhen the farm hands who were in charge of the pigs saw what had happened\, they dropped their bundles and bolted. They reported the incident in town\, and word of it was soon all over the district. A delegation came out to investigate\, and they found the man who had for so long been out of his mind sitting with Jesus and hanging on his every word. It was the first time they’d ever seen him clothed and clear-headed\, and the change was so dramatic that it unnerved them. The eye-witnesses filled them in on how the demon-crazed man had come to be healed. \nAll this was too freaky for the people of the Gerasa district. They were completely spooked by it and asked Jesus to clear off. So he and his followers piled back into the boat and headed for home. The man who had been freed from the demonic torment pleaded with Jesus to let him go with them\, but Jesus sent him home\, saying\, “Move back into town and tell everyone what God has done for you.” \nSo the man went on his way and never let the townsfolk forget the wonderful things Jesus had done for him. \n©2001 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 65: 1-9			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	I\, the LORD\, have made myself available\neven to those who didn’t bother to ask.\nI put myself on call\, ready and waiting\,\neven for those who were too lazy to look for me.\nI kept waving and shouting\, “Here I am!”\nto a nation who kept ignoring me.\nI kept offering the hand of friendship\, round the clock\,\nto a people who kept spitting in my face. \nTheir behaviour has gone completely off the rails\,\nand they don’t care about anything but themselves.\nThey are constantly in my face\,\nneedling me\, stirring me up.\nThey play mix-and-match religion to spite me:\nan idol from here\, a ritual from there;\na sacrifice to this\, some incense for that;\na seance in the cemetery to summon the dead. \nIf I say don’t eat something\, they eat it.\nThey’d cook and serve sewerage if they thought I’d react.\nThey promote themselves as the spiritual elite;\ntoo holy by far to mix with those they see as beneath them.\nThese people are a noxious stench.\nThey get right up my nose. \nLook\, I’ve kept a record of what they’ve done.\nI’ll publish the lot and make them pay.\nThey’ll get all they deserve with interest\,\nand an added bonus for the sins of their parents.\nI\, the LORD\, guarantee all this\,\nbecause they worship only what gives them a high\nand they spurn me to pursue their next hit.\nI will see that they cop the full consequences\nof each and every despicable act. \nBut hear this from me\, the LORD:\nthere is still some good wine in the cellar.\nAnd just as people say\,\n“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”\,\nso for the sake of those who still serve me\,\nI will not just wipe out the entire nation. \nFrom among Jacob’s descendants\nI will raise my true children;\nfrom the tribe of Judah\nI will raise people worthy of receiving my land.\nThose I have chosen will inherit it;\nthose who truly serve me will make their home there. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 22: 19-28			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	What are you doing\, LORD? Don’t quit on me now!\nGet your act together and come to my rescue!\nSave me before I get my throat cut\,\nbefore my body is dog meat!\nPull me out before they get their teeth into me! \nAt last! Just before the bulls ran me down\, you have rescued me.\nI won’t forget this – I’ll let everyone know.\nWhenever people gather\, I’ll be singing your praise. \nI’ll call on all who honour you\, LORD\, to stand up and say so!\nAll who trace their roots to Jacob will give you the glory!\nAll who share the heritage of Israel will stand in awe of you! \nLORD\, you did not rubbish anyone\nor blame the victims for their suffering.\nYou did not turn away or slip off quietly;\nwhen I cried for help\, you responded. \nWhenever people gather to worship\,\nmy heart overflows and I sing your praises.\nOut in the open for all to see\nI’ll do all that I promised. \nAt your table\, God\, the needy will feast;\nthose who hunger for you will be fed till they burst with praise!\nThey will be able to live it up\, now and forever! \nIn every corner of the earth people will wake up to themselves\nand turn back to you\, LORD.\nEvery race\, nation\, tribe and family\nwill offer themselves to you in worship\,\nfor you have the last word on everything;\nwhat you say goes. \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\,\nand declare to all how much you have done for us. \nSince the day you brought the earth to birth\,\nyou have been present in the sounds of sheer silence\,\nwhere deep roars to deep;\nand through your law and prophets\nyou guarded us and kept us from destruction. \nWhen we were imprisoned in condemnation\,\nchained and shackled by demons too many to name\,\nyou sent your light and truth\nin your child\, Jesus the Christ.\nHe drove our tormentors into the abyss\nand reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.\nWhen he was crucified\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand plunged us into his death\, burial and resurrection.\nNow you feed us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey\nto the holy mountain where you make your home. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2001 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 thank you for your Son\, Jesus Christ\,\nwho drives our tormentors into the abyss\,\nreconciles us to ourselves and to one another\,\nand feeds us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey. \n©2001 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\,\nand openly declare how much you have done for us. \nSince the day you brought the earth to birth\,\nyou have been present in the sounds of sheer silence\,\nwhere deep roars to deep;\nand through your law and prophets\nyou guarded us and kept us from destruction. \nWhen we were imprisoned in condemnation\,\nchained and shackled by demons too many to name\,\nyou sent your light and truth\nin your child\, Jesus the Christ.\nHe drove our tormentors into the abyss\nand reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.\nWhen he was crucified\,\nyou raised him to new life\nand plunged us into his death\, burial and resurrection.\nNow you feed us with bread and wine\nso that we might have strength for the journey\nto the holy mountain where you make your home. \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©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	You are no longer judged and condemned by the law\,\nfor in Christ Jesus\, you are children of God through faith.\nYou are clothed with Christ.\nYou are heirs of the promises of God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go now\, proclaiming to all how much Jesus has done for you.\nBe as one with each other in Christ.\nWait for the Lord\, and be ready to hear God’s voice\,\neven in the sounds of sheer silence. \nAnd may God be your fortress;\nMay Christ Jesus release you from all that torments you;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit give you light and truth\nto sustain you day and night. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2001 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\nThe Sounds of SilenceA sermon on 1 Kings 19: 1-18 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGetting a Make-Over for JesusA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nAnniversaries\, Covenants and Driving Off DemonsA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 & Galatians 3:23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nDon’t Try This AloneA sermon on 1 Kings 19:1-15a & Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nGrowing Up and Becoming LawlessA sermon on Galatians 3: 23-29 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nWhen the Black Sheep is Set FreeA sermon on Luke 8: 26-39 by Nathan Nettleton
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/cp07/2031-06-22/
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