BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//LaughingBird - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:LaughingBird
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://laughingbird.net
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for LaughingBird
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Australia/Melbourne
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20280401T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20280930T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20290331T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20291006T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20300406T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20301005T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20310405T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20311004T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20320403T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20321002T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+1100
TZOFFSETTO:+1000
TZNAME:AEST
DTSTART:20330402T160000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+1000
TZOFFSETTO:+1100
TZNAME:AEDT
DTSTART:20331001T160000
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290304T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290304T235959
DTSTAMP:20260406T082632
CREATED:20230402T123207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T140553Z
UID:10002020-1867276800-1867363199@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:3rd Sunday in Lent - Year A
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 17: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The whole gathered people of Israel pushed on from the Sen Desert\, making the journey in manageable stages as the LORD directed them. At the end of one stage\, they set up camp at a place called Rephidim\, only to find that there was no drinking water in the area. The people started getting stuck into Moses again and demanding that he provide them with water to drink. But Moses said to them\, “What are you taking it out on me for? Are you trying to provoke the LORD into losing patience with you?” \nBut the people’s thirst was becoming severe\, and the more desperate they became\, the more they blamed Moses. “Now look at the mess you’ve got us into\,” they said. “Is this what you dragged us all out of Egypt for: to watch us die in a parched desert\, and our children and livestock with us? \nSo Moses cried out to the LORD\, saying\, “What am I supposed to do with these people? They are nearly ready to tear me limb from limb.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Take some of the Israelite tribal leaders with you\, and go on ahead of the people. Take your hiking stick with you — the same one you used to strike the waters of the Nile. I will be waiting for you at the rock at Mount Sinai. Give the rock a good thump with your stick\, and water will come pouring out of it for everyone to drink.” \nIn full view of the tribal leaders\, Moses did as the LORD had told him\, and sure enough\, there was water for everyone. From then on\, Moses referred to that place by either of two names: Massah\, which means ‘testing’\, because the people had tested the LORD’s patience; and Meribah\, which means ‘dispute’\, because the people had questioned the LORD’s loyalty. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 95			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We gather and sing to you\, LORD.\nWe raise the roof with shouts of joy\nfor you are the rock on which we are safe! \nWe come into your presence bursting with gratitude;\nwe set the house rocking as we sing your praises! \nFor you\, LORD\, are the greatest God of all;\nyou rank way above every other claim on our loyalty. \nYou hold the depths of the earth in your hands\,\nand the highest mountains are at your disposal. \nThe oceans and the dry lands alike belong to you\,\nfor you made them with your own hands. \nYou made us too\, LORD\, and we worship you\,\nfalling to our knees and bowing down to the ground! \nYou are our God and we are your people;\nyou tenderly care for us like a sheep rearing her young. \nIf only all your people would pay attention to you! \nIf only they wouldn’t turn their backs on you\nlike their ancestors did that day at Meribah.\nThere in the Massah Desert they slandered you;\nthey forgot all you had done\nand demanded that you prove yourself. \nFor forty years you turned your back on them\, LORD\,\nfor you couldn’t stand to see how twisted they became\nas they deserted your ways. \nYou angrily wrote off the whole generation\nand denied them the satisfaction of finding a place to call home. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 5: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	It was our faith that put us back in the good books with God. We put our trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and we can rest assured that he has cleared up everything with God for us. Christ got us in on the extravagant generosity of God\, and that generosity has given us a safe place to plant our feet. We don’t just stand there\, though. We hold our heads up high and announce\, with pride\, that we confidently expect to be sharing the glory that is coming to God. Actually\, it’s not just what’s coming in the future that makes us feel so good. Even now\, when life seems to be giving us a raw deal\, we can stand proud. We know that going through suffering can make us tough enough to survive the worst of times. This ability to tough things through will in turn generate new depths of integrity and maturity within us. And that brings us full-circle because it is this integrity and maturity that gives us our confidence about the future. Our confidence is not in vain either. We are sure about that because of what we have already experienced: a flood of love surging into our hearts from the Holy Spirit who God has given to us. \nChrist got us on track at the cost of his own life. He did it right when we most needed it; when we were way off course and too weak to ever get ourselves back. It’s hard to believe\, but true. You rarely hear of people putting their lives on the line for others\, even for innocent children. Perhaps we might be able to imagine finding the courage to die for someone who we deeply admired and loved. But if you need proof of how much God loves us\, just look at what Christ did. While we were still showing no signs of ever offering God anything but contempt\, Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us. \nSo if Christ was willing to spill his own blood to get us back on side with God\, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will get us through safely when it all hits the fan. When we were still his enemies\, Christ died to reconcile us to God\, so imagine how much he would be prepared to do for us now that we are his friends. In his dying he ended the hostility: now in his living he is building us a rich life of love and peace. So you can see why we get so carried away about it all. Christ has taken us from being enemies to being friends of God\, and we can never find adequate words to express the praise we want to heap on God through our Lord Jesus Christ. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 4: 5-42			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	On his way back to Galilee\, Jesus stopped in a Samaritan town called Sychar; a town known for its historic links to Jacob. There was a piece of land which Jacob had given to his son Joseph there; and a well he had dug was still providing the town with water. Feeling bushed after hiking all morning\, Jesus plonked himself down near the well while his disciples went into town to buy some lunch. \nOne of the local women came out to draw water from the well. Jesus said to her\, “Could you give me a drink\, please?” \nThe woman replied\, “What are you doing talking to me? I didn’t think you Jews ever had anything to do with us Samaritans\, let alone with Samaritan women!” \nJesus answered her\, “You don’t realise what God is willing to give you\, or who it is who is asking you for a drink. If you did\, you’d be asking me to give you a drink\, and I would have offered you pure living water.” \nThe woman replied\, “Mister\, this is a deep well and you don’t even have a bucket. Where do you suppose you’re going to get this living water? This well was given to us by our ancestor Jacob. He drank from it himself\, and so did his family and his livestock. You’re not making yourself out to be a better man than Jacob are you?” \nJesus said to her\, “You can drink this water all you like\, but it won’t quench your thirst for long. But everyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty again. For them\, the water I will give will become a permanent spring within\, an overflowing source of life without limit.” \n“O please Mister\,” said the woman\, “give me some of this water so that I won’t keep getting thirsty and having to trudge out here to draw water.” \nJesus said to her\, “Go and get your husband first\, and come back with him.” \n“But I don’t have a husband\,” the woman protested. \n“You’ve hit the nail on the head there\,” said Jesus. “You’ve lost five husbands\, and the man you’re living with now hasn’t taken you as his wife. You’re not wrong saying you don’t have a husband!” \n“Obviously you are a prophet\, Mister\,” said the woman\, “so clear up a question for me. Who’s right: our ancestors who worshipped God on this mountain\, or you Jews who claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship?” \nJesus replied\, “Woman\, you can take from me that the time is coming when it won’t make the slightest bit of difference where you worship. You people worship as best you can\, but you don’t have the full picture. We Jews have got a much better idea what we are doing when we worship\, because God is working through us to save the world. But the time is coming – it’s here now now – when the measure of true worship will be the integrity and spirit of those who offer it\, not their location. The God who conceived us seeks people whose worship is for real. Since God is spirit\, our worship of God must flow out of the integrity of who we are in the core of our being\, and of how we live.” \nThe woman said to him\, “Well\, I know that the anointed one is coming\, the one who is called the Christ. When he arrives\, he’ll spell out the truth about everything for us.” \nJesus said to her\, “You are looking at him. I am the one.” \nAt that moment\, his disciples came back with the lunch. Their shock at finding Jesus interacting with the woman was written all over their faces\, even though none of them came right out and challenged him. The woman cleared off in such a hurry that she forgot her bucket. She went back into town and began telling everyone about Jesus. “You have all got to come and see this bloke\,” she said. “He read me like a book and told me all about my past! You don’t think he could perhaps be the Messiah do you? Come and see.” \nSo everybody began coming out from the town to see him. Meanwhile\, the disciples were trying get him ready to move on again\, saying\, “Come on\, Rabbi. Get some food into you.” \nBut he said to them\, “I’m getting by fine on food that you lot know nothing about.” \nThey looked at one another and said\, “Surely no one else has been bringing food to him out here?” \nJesus said to them\, “The food that keeps me going is to do what is asked of me by the One who sent me\, and to finish the job I was sent to complete. Now you lot might look around you and think that it will be at least four months until the crops are ready for picking\, but I’m telling you to look again. What has been growing around here is ripe for picking now. The gun picker is already on the pay roll and the fruit he is picking is destined for life without limit. You can be sure that the One who planted and the One who harvested will be celebrating together. You can see here the truth of the old saying\, ‘One sows\, and another reaps.’ The job I’m setting for you is to pick fruits that you haven’t had to do a moment’s work for. Others have put in the hard yakka\, and you get to share in the rewards.” \nMany of the Samaritan people from the town were ready to put their trust in Jesus because of what the woman had told them about how he had read her like a book. They came out and pleaded with him to stay on in the town\, so he stayed there for a couple of days. Many more of them put their trust in him once they had heard his message for themselves. They told the woman\, “We believed what you said about him\, but now we have heard him for ourselves and we are quite convinced that he is the One who will save the world!” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our saviour\, our rock\,\nthe shepherd who leads us with care. \nYou formed the earth by hand\nand brought forth all things from nothing.\nYou led your people to freedom\nand provided them with living water\,\nand with the law and prophets to guide them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, to reconcile us to yourself.\nWhile we were still sinners\,\nhe proved your love for us in dying for us.\nYou raised him to life that we might be saved through him\,\nand drink from the spring of living water\nthat gushes up for eternal life.\nThrough your Holy Spirit poured into our hearts\,\nyou have given us access to grace\nand formed in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for pouring your Holy Spirit into our hearts\,\ngiving us access to grace\nand forming in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our saviour\, our rock\,\nthe shepherd who leads us with care. \nYou formed the earth by hand\nand brought forth all things from nothing.\nYou led your people to freedom\nand provided them with living water\,\nand with the law and prophets to guide them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, to reconcile us to yourself.\nWhile we were still sinners\,\nhe proved your love for us in dying for us.\nYou raised him to life that we might be saved through him\,\nand drink from the spring of living water\nthat gushes up for eternal life.\nThrough your Holy Spirit poured into our hearts\,\nyou have given us access to grace\nand formed in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God proves his love for us in that\nwhile we were still sinners Christ died for us\,\nand was raised that we might be saved and reconciled to God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out into the world\nand in your words and your living\nmake it known that Christ is the saviour of the world.\nMake it your food to do the work of God who sends you\,\nand drink deeply of the water of life. \nAnd may God shepherd you and lead you with care.\nMay Christ who justifies you\, give you peace with God\,\nand may the Spirit fill you with truth\nthat your lives may be worship\, and your worship may live. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhen Jesus sees through youA sermon on John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStruggles and SecurityA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nKnowing your PlaceA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Living Water of Love and FreedomA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nQuenching Our ThirstA sermon on John 4:5-42; Exodus 17:1-7 & Romans 5:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThirsting at the WellA sermon on John 4:5-42 by Vincent Hodge
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a20/2029-03-04/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320229T000000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20320229T235959
DTSTAMP:20260406T082632
CREATED:20230402T123207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T140553Z
UID:10003013-1961625600-1961711999@laughingbird.net
SUMMARY:3rd Sunday in Lent - Year A
DESCRIPTION:Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary\, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them\, plus prayers and sermons based on them. \n\n\n\nBible Readings (paraphrased)\n\n\n\nLections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003\, Room 381\, Nashville\, TN 37203-0003\, USA. Used with Permission. \n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Exodus 17: 1-7			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	The whole gathered people of Israel pushed on from the Sen Desert\, making the journey in manageable stages as the LORD directed them. At the end of one stage\, they set up camp at a place called Rephidim\, only to find that there was no drinking water in the area. The people started getting stuck into Moses again and demanding that he provide them with water to drink. But Moses said to them\, “What are you taking it out on me for? Are you trying to provoke the LORD into losing patience with you?” \nBut the people’s thirst was becoming severe\, and the more desperate they became\, the more they blamed Moses. “Now look at the mess you’ve got us into\,” they said. “Is this what you dragged us all out of Egypt for: to watch us die in a parched desert\, and our children and livestock with us? \nSo Moses cried out to the LORD\, saying\, “What am I supposed to do with these people? They are nearly ready to tear me limb from limb.” \nThe LORD replied\, “Take some of the Israelite tribal leaders with you\, and go on ahead of the people. Take your hiking stick with you — the same one you used to strike the waters of the Nile. I will be waiting for you at the rock at Mount Sinai. Give the rock a good thump with your stick\, and water will come pouring out of it for everyone to drink.” \nIn full view of the tribal leaders\, Moses did as the LORD had told him\, and sure enough\, there was water for everyone. From then on\, Moses referred to that place by either of two names: Massah\, which means ‘testing’\, because the people had tested the LORD’s patience; and Meribah\, which means ‘dispute’\, because the people had questioned the LORD’s loyalty. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Psalm 95			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We gather and sing to you\, LORD.\nWe raise the roof with shouts of joy\nfor you are the rock on which we are safe! \nWe come into your presence bursting with gratitude;\nwe set the house rocking as we sing your praises! \nFor you\, LORD\, are the greatest God of all;\nyou rank way above every other claim on our loyalty. \nYou hold the depths of the earth in your hands\,\nand the highest mountains are at your disposal. \nThe oceans and the dry lands alike belong to you\,\nfor you made them with your own hands. \nYou made us too\, LORD\, and we worship you\,\nfalling to our knees and bowing down to the ground! \nYou are our God and we are your people;\nyou tenderly care for us like a sheep rearing her young. \nIf only all your people would pay attention to you! \nIf only they wouldn’t turn their backs on you\nlike their ancestors did that day at Meribah.\nThere in the Massah Desert they slandered you;\nthey forgot all you had done\nand demanded that you prove yourself. \nFor forty years you turned your back on them\, LORD\,\nfor you couldn’t stand to see how twisted they became\nas they deserted your ways. \nYou angrily wrote off the whole generation\nand denied them the satisfaction of finding a place to call home. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Romans 5: 1-11			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	It was our faith that put us back in the good books with God. We put our trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and we can rest assured that he has cleared up everything with God for us. Christ got us in on the extravagant generosity of God\, and that generosity has given us a safe place to plant our feet. We don’t just stand there\, though. We hold our heads up high and announce\, with pride\, that we confidently expect to be sharing the glory that is coming to God. Actually\, it’s not just what’s coming in the future that makes us feel so good. Even now\, when life seems to be giving us a raw deal\, we can stand proud. We know that going through suffering can make us tough enough to survive the worst of times. This ability to tough things through will in turn generate new depths of integrity and maturity within us. And that brings us full-circle because it is this integrity and maturity that gives us our confidence about the future. Our confidence is not in vain either. We are sure about that because of what we have already experienced: a flood of love surging into our hearts from the Holy Spirit who God has given to us. \nChrist got us on track at the cost of his own life. He did it right when we most needed it; when we were way off course and too weak to ever get ourselves back. It’s hard to believe\, but true. You rarely hear of people putting their lives on the line for others\, even for innocent children. Perhaps we might be able to imagine finding the courage to die for someone who we deeply admired and loved. But if you need proof of how much God loves us\, just look at what Christ did. While we were still showing no signs of ever offering God anything but contempt\, Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us. \nSo if Christ was willing to spill his own blood to get us back on side with God\, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will get us through safely when it all hits the fan. When we were still his enemies\, Christ died to reconcile us to God\, so imagine how much he would be prepared to do for us now that we are his friends. In his dying he ended the hostility: now in his living he is building us a rich life of love and peace. So you can see why we get so carried away about it all. Christ has taken us from being enemies to being friends of God\, and we can never find adequate words to express the praise we want to heap on God through our Lord Jesus Christ. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  John 4: 5-42			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	On his way back to Galilee\, Jesus stopped in a Samaritan town called Sychar; a town known for its historic links to Jacob. There was a piece of land which Jacob had given to his son Joseph there; and a well he had dug was still providing the town with water. Feeling bushed after hiking all morning\, Jesus plonked himself down near the well while his disciples went into town to buy some lunch. \nOne of the local women came out to draw water from the well. Jesus said to her\, “Could you give me a drink\, please?” \nThe woman replied\, “What are you doing talking to me? I didn’t think you Jews ever had anything to do with us Samaritans\, let alone with Samaritan women!” \nJesus answered her\, “You don’t realise what God is willing to give you\, or who it is who is asking you for a drink. If you did\, you’d be asking me to give you a drink\, and I would have offered you pure living water.” \nThe woman replied\, “Mister\, this is a deep well and you don’t even have a bucket. Where do you suppose you’re going to get this living water? This well was given to us by our ancestor Jacob. He drank from it himself\, and so did his family and his livestock. You’re not making yourself out to be a better man than Jacob are you?” \nJesus said to her\, “You can drink this water all you like\, but it won’t quench your thirst for long. But everyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty again. For them\, the water I will give will become a permanent spring within\, an overflowing source of life without limit.” \n“O please Mister\,” said the woman\, “give me some of this water so that I won’t keep getting thirsty and having to trudge out here to draw water.” \nJesus said to her\, “Go and get your husband first\, and come back with him.” \n“But I don’t have a husband\,” the woman protested. \n“You’ve hit the nail on the head there\,” said Jesus. “You’ve lost five husbands\, and the man you’re living with now hasn’t taken you as his wife. You’re not wrong saying you don’t have a husband!” \n“Obviously you are a prophet\, Mister\,” said the woman\, “so clear up a question for me. Who’s right: our ancestors who worshipped God on this mountain\, or you Jews who claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship?” \nJesus replied\, “Woman\, you can take from me that the time is coming when it won’t make the slightest bit of difference where you worship. You people worship as best you can\, but you don’t have the full picture. We Jews have got a much better idea what we are doing when we worship\, because God is working through us to save the world. But the time is coming – it’s here now now – when the measure of true worship will be the integrity and spirit of those who offer it\, not their location. The God who conceived us seeks people whose worship is for real. Since God is spirit\, our worship of God must flow out of the integrity of who we are in the core of our being\, and of how we live.” \nThe woman said to him\, “Well\, I know that the anointed one is coming\, the one who is called the Christ. When he arrives\, he’ll spell out the truth about everything for us.” \nJesus said to her\, “You are looking at him. I am the one.” \nAt that moment\, his disciples came back with the lunch. Their shock at finding Jesus interacting with the woman was written all over their faces\, even though none of them came right out and challenged him. The woman cleared off in such a hurry that she forgot her bucket. She went back into town and began telling everyone about Jesus. “You have all got to come and see this bloke\,” she said. “He read me like a book and told me all about my past! You don’t think he could perhaps be the Messiah do you? Come and see.” \nSo everybody began coming out from the town to see him. Meanwhile\, the disciples were trying get him ready to move on again\, saying\, “Come on\, Rabbi. Get some food into you.” \nBut he said to them\, “I’m getting by fine on food that you lot know nothing about.” \nThey looked at one another and said\, “Surely no one else has been bringing food to him out here?” \nJesus said to them\, “The food that keeps me going is to do what is asked of me by the One who sent me\, and to finish the job I was sent to complete. Now you lot might look around you and think that it will be at least four months until the crops are ready for picking\, but I’m telling you to look again. What has been growing around here is ripe for picking now. The gun picker is already on the pay roll and the fruit he is picking is destined for life without limit. You can be sure that the One who planted and the One who harvested will be celebrating together. You can see here the truth of the old saying\, ‘One sows\, and another reaps.’ The job I’m setting for you is to pick fruits that you haven’t had to do a moment’s work for. Others have put in the hard yakka\, and you get to share in the rewards.” \nMany of the Samaritan people from the town were ready to put their trust in Jesus because of what the woman had told them about how he had read her like a book. They came out and pleaded with him to stay on in the town\, so he stayed there for a couple of days. Many more of them put their trust in him once they had heard his message for themselves. They told the woman\, “We believed what you said about him\, but now we have heard him for ourselves and we are quite convinced that he is the One who will save the world!” \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton Laughingbird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n	\n\n		\n			\n				  Eucharistic Preface			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our saviour\, our rock\,\nthe shepherd who leads us with care. \nYou formed the earth by hand\nand brought forth all things from nothing.\nYou led your people to freedom\nand provided them with living water\,\nand with the law and prophets to guide them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, to reconcile us to yourself.\nWhile we were still sinners\,\nhe proved your love for us in dying for us.\nYou raised him to life that we might be saved through him\,\nand drink from the spring of living water\nthat gushes up for eternal life.\nThrough your Holy Spirit poured into our hearts\,\nyou have given us access to grace\nand formed in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	We thank you for pouring your Holy Spirit into our hearts\,\ngiving us access to grace\nand forming in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  General Prayer of Thanksgiving			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)\n\nWe give you all thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you are our saviour\, our rock\,\nthe shepherd who leads us with care. \nYou formed the earth by hand\nand brought forth all things from nothing.\nYou led your people to freedom\nand provided them with living water\,\nand with the law and prophets to guide them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\, to reconcile us to yourself.\nWhile we were still sinners\,\nhe proved your love for us in dying for us.\nYou raised him to life that we might be saved through him\,\nand drink from the spring of living water\nthat gushes up for eternal life.\nThrough your Holy Spirit poured into our hearts\,\nyou have given us access to grace\nand formed in us endurance\, character and hope\nthat we might worship you in spirit and truth\nand share in your eternal glory. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Declaration of Grace / Absolution			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	God proves his love for us in that\nwhile we were still sinners Christ died for us\,\nand was raised that we might be saved and reconciled to God. \nSisters and Brothers\,\n  your sins are forgiven;\n    be at peace. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n		\n\n		\n			\n				  Commission & Benediction			\n		\n\n		\n		 \n \n	Go out into the world\nand in your words and your living\nmake it known that Christ is the saviour of the world.\nMake it your food to do the work of God who sends you\,\nand drink deeply of the water of life. \nAnd may God shepherd you and lead you with care.\nMay Christ who justifies you\, give you peace with God\,\nand may the Spirit fill you with truth\nthat your lives may be worship\, and your worship may live. \nWe go in peace to love and serve the Lord\,\n   In the name of Christ. Amen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n			\n	\n	\n\n\n\nSermons\n\n\n\nSermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website. \n\n\n\n\nWhen Jesus sees through youA sermon on John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nStruggles and SecurityA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nKnowing your PlaceA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Living Water of Love and FreedomA sermon on Romans 5:1-11 & John 4:5-42 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nQuenching Our ThirstA sermon on John 4:5-42; Exodus 17:1-7 & Romans 5:1-11 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThirsting at the WellA sermon on John 4:5-42 by Vincent Hodge
URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/a20/2032-02-29/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR