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:20250405T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20251004T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20260404T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20261003T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20270403T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20271002T160000 END:DAYLIGHT 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 END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260607T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260607T235959 DTSTAMP:20260409T014146 CREATED:20230821T021804Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230821T021806Z UID:10002052-1780790400-1780876799@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 5 - 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 Genesis 12: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD spoke to Abram\, and said: \n“Get up and leave your country\, your relatives and the family of your parents\, and move to the land that I will show you. I will make things go well for you and see that your descendants become a great nation. I will see to it that you are remembered as one of the greats; as one whose life was a blessing to others. I will do good to those who do good to you\, and I will pull the rug out from under anyone who pulls the rug out from under you. Life will be better for everyone on earth because of you.” \nSo\, at the age of seventy five\, Abram got up and left Haran\, just as the LORD had told him to. He took with him his wife Sarai\, his nephew Lot\, and all their labourers. They packed up all the possessions they had accumulated over the years in Haran\, and set out for the land of Canaan. \nWhen they arrived in the land of Canaan\, Abram pushed on as far as Shechem\, to the sacred site known as the tree of Moreh. The Canaanite people were living in the land at the time\, but the LORD turned up and made a promise to Abram\, saying\, “I will give this land to your descendants.” \nAbram built a monument to the LORD there\, so that the place where the LORD had appeared to him might be a place for offering worship. After that\, he set out again and headed into the hill country to the east of Bethel. He set up camp between Bethel and Ai\, and there he built another monument to the LORD and called on the LORD in prayer. From there\, Abram pushed south towards the Negeb Desert\, making the journey one stage at a time. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 33: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n We celebrate all you are to us\, LORD.\nWe are your people\,\nand it feels right to sing your praises. \nWe make music in your honour\,\nwith guitars and fiddles and drums. \nWe write new songs dedicated to you\, LORD\,\nsinging and playing with all our skill and energy. \nEvery word you speak is honest and true\,\nand everything you do shows you to be trustworthy. \nYou have a passion for justice and integrity;\nyour love and loyalty flood the earth. \nThe universe was created on your say-so\, LORD;\neverything in it\, you breathed into life. \nFilling the oceans was like running a bath for you;\nfathomless depths poured out like a bottle. \nAll the earth is in awe of you\, LORD;\nall of us fall to our knees in your presence. \nWhen you spoke\, LORD\, the world appeared;\none word from you and it was fixed in place. \nAll our big ideas collapse when you speak\, LORD;\nour national strategies are reduced to rubbish. \nBut what you have to say\, LORD\, is rock-solid;\nyour thoughts and feelings are consistent through the centuries. \nWhat more could a country want than to have you as their God?\nTo be your cherished people\, LORD\, is the best thing in life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 4: 13-25 \n \n\n \n \n \n When God promised Abraham that he and his descendants would inherit the earth\, it was not because Abraham had earned it by following God’s instructions to the letter. Instead it was a gift given when God put things right for Abraham in response to the trust he had shown. If it were possible to earn the rights to the earth by rigid compliance with the law\, then basic values like trust and promise would be irrelevant. It would all become just another legal contract to be negotiated. Tie it all up in fine print and it will only end up serving as evidence against you; but where the relationship is conducted on the basis of trust\, no one goes on the lookout for very possible breach. \nSo instead of being a legal matter\, the fulfilment of the promise is conditional only on people’s willingness to put their trust in God. It is simply an expression of God’s generosity\, and that’s why it is guaranteed to always be available to everyone. Whether you were raised in a culture where observing the religious law was the norm\, or whether you have simply stepped out and put your trust in God like Abraham did\, the promise is open to you. After all\, both groups can rightly trace their line back to Abraham\, and the scriptures say that God promised to make him the father of many nations. \nWhen it looked like Abraham wouldn’t ever become the father of anyone\, he trusted his future into the hands of God\, believing that the God who can bring life out of death could create something out of nothing. He hung onto his hope even when it seemed utterly hopeless. He kept on believing that he would have many descendants because he was sure that God had promised him that. Even the cold hard biological facts didn’t cause him to throw in the towel. He knew that his hundred year old body was past it\, and that Sarah was an old woman who hadn’t even been fertile when she was young. Yet he didn’t allow even such obvious obstacles to break down his trust and make him cynical about God’s promise. Instead his faith actually grew stronger as he went right on crowing about the greatness of God. He remained dead-set certain that God was more than capable of making good on the promise. That is why God counted his trust as the equivalent of a perfect life. Now when the scriptures say “it was counted as the equivalent of a perfect life”\, it is not speaking of a special arrangement for Abraham alone. No\, it refers to all of us. We will all be accepted on that same basis if we too put our trust in the One who raised Jesus our Lord to new life from the dead. Jesus was put to death even though it was us who had done the wrong thing; but he was raised to new life so that we could be put right with God. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 9: 9-13\, 18-26 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus was heading down the street when he saw a man named Matthew sitting in his office\, where he worked collecting taxes for the Roman occupation forces. Jesus said to him\, “Come and join me\,” and Matthew got up and began following him. \nThat evening\, Jesus and his followers were out to dinner with a group that included many disreputable characters whose lifestyles were considered offensive by the more respectable members of society. Some members of the Pharisee party saw who he was with and confronted his closest followers over it\, saying\, “What does he think he’s doing\, sharing meals with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale?” \nWhen Jesus heard this\, he replied\, “Who needs the help of a doctor: the fit and healthy\, or the sick? Go and work out what the scripture means when it says\, ‘What I want is mercy\, not a blood-spilling quest for purity.’ I didn’t come to spend my time preaching to the converted\, but to call back those who are off the track.” \nA respected community leader came in and fell on his knees at Jesus’s feet\, saying\, “My precious daughter has just died\, but come and lay your hands on her and she will live.” \nSo Jesus and his followers got up and went with him. As he went\, a woman came up behind him and touched the edge of his coat. She had been suffering from prolonged bleeding\, and for the previous twelve years her condition had meant that everyone treated her as defiled and contagious. She was thinking to herself\, “Surely even touching this man’s clothes will be enough to make me well.” \nJesus looked around and saw her and said\, “Good on you\, daughter. You took a risk of faith and it has paid off for you. Welcome back to the world of the healthy!” \nSure enough\, at that moment she became completely healthy. \n  When Jesus arrived at the home of the community leader and saw all the chaos of mourners and funeral directors and people bearing condolences and casseroles\, he said\, “Everybody out! The girl is not dead. She’s only asleep.” \nBut they rubbished him. They knew she was dead. Unperturbed\, Jesus took charge of the situation and kicked them all outside. He went in and clasped the girl’s hand tenderly and up she got. The news of this spread through the district like wildfire. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, the LORD\, am going to pack up and go home.\nI will have nothing more to do with my people\nuntil they wake up to themselves and come clean\,\nuntil they are ready to turn to me again. \nAs soon as things fall apart for them\,\nthey will come running to me in tears\, saying: \n“Please take us back\, LORD.\nYou were right to knock us flat\, and tear us apart;\nbut come now and bind our wounds. \nTeach us a lesson by grounding us for a couple of days\,\nbut then give us a fresh start.\nOn the third day\, put us back on our feet\nso we can live in your presence. \nWe want to stick with you and learn your ways\, LORD.\nWe know we can rely on you\, as sure as day follows night.\nYou are like welcome rain to our parched spirits;\nsoaking in and bringing new life to flower.” \nWhat am I to do with you\, my people?\nWhat am I to do with you\, my chosen ones?\nYour love is as fickle as the morning mist;\nas lasting as a puddle in the blazing sun. \nThat is why I have unleashed my prophets against you\nand cut you down to size with my fierce words.\nThat is why I have turned the spotlight on you\nto make it clear what I think of you. \nIt is not gifts and offering that I want from you\,\nbut a love that lasts.\nIt is not dutiful religious behaviour that I’m looking for\,\nbut people who know and care what I am on about. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 50: 7-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n We belong to you\, LORD\, and you call us to listen.\nYou set out the case against us\, your chosen people.\nYou are God; our God. \nIt is not our sacrifices you condemn;\nthe gifts we are constantly offering. \nBut when they mean nothing to us\, they mean nothing to you.\nYou don’t want any more thoughtless gifts. \nYou don’t depend on us for supplies.\nFrom farm to forest\, every creature is yours. \nThe birds of the air\, the fish of the sea\,\nevery beast in every paddock belongs to you. \nYou have no need of our help if you get hungry;\nthe best fruits of all the earth are yours for the picking. \nOnly a fool would think you eat our burnt beef!\nOr that you literally drink the blood of sheep! \nYou welcome our gifts if they are really offered in gratitude;\nif we back them up by keeping our promises. \nWhen trouble breaks out\, we only have to call you;\nYou’ll be there to bail us out\,\nand we’ll put you name up in lights!” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you give life to the dead\nand fill the world with love. \nThe heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;\nall things appeared at your command.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nmaking them strong in faith as they gave glory to you\,\nand blessing the whole earth through them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto teach us the ways of mercy\nand to call sinners to leave their past behind\nand follow you.\nWhen he was handed over to death\,\nyou raised him to new life and\,\ntaking us by the hand\, raised us with him.\nWhen we put our faith in you\,\nyou were true to your promise of grace\nand declared us to be in the right with you\,\nhealing us of all that would drain us of life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho calls us to leave our past behind and follow you\,\ntaking us by the hand to raise us up\nand heal us of all that would drain us of life. \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 give life to the dead\nand fill the world with love. \nThe heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;\nall things appeared at your command.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nmaking them strong in faith as they gave glory to you\,\nand blessing the whole earth through them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto teach us the ways of mercy\nand to call sinners to leave their past behind\nand follow you.\nWhen he was handed over to death\,\nyou raised him to new life and\,\ntaking us by the hand\, raised us with him.\nWhen we put our faith in you\,\nyou were true to your promise of grace\nand declared us to be in the right with you\,\nhealing us of all that would drain us of life. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus came to restore sinners to God.\nWhen he was handed over to death he took our sins\nand was raised so that we might be put right with 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 now\, at the call of God\nand follow wherever the Lord leads you.\nLove truth and justice\,\nand share the healing mercy of God with all. \nAnd may God bless you and make you a blessing to others;\nMay Christ Jesus take you by the hand and lift you to life;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit nourish you in hope\nso that you will grow strong in faith. \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\nFeeling Useless?A sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Matthew 9:9-13\, 18-26 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Blessing of FaithA sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Romans 4:13-25 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nYou’re Not That Dead!A sermon on Matthew 9\, Romans 4 & Genesis 12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLeaving Quarantine with JesusA sermon on Matthew 9:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap05/2026-06-07/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P05.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290610T000000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20290610T235959 DTSTAMP:20260409T014146 CREATED:20230821T021804Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230821T021806Z UID:10002053-1875744000-1875830399@laughingbird.net SUMMARY:Proper 5 - 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 Genesis 12: 1-9 \n \n\n \n \n \n The LORD spoke to Abram\, and said: \n“Get up and leave your country\, your relatives and the family of your parents\, and move to the land that I will show you. I will make things go well for you and see that your descendants become a great nation. I will see to it that you are remembered as one of the greats; as one whose life was a blessing to others. I will do good to those who do good to you\, and I will pull the rug out from under anyone who pulls the rug out from under you. Life will be better for everyone on earth because of you.” \nSo\, at the age of seventy five\, Abram got up and left Haran\, just as the LORD had told him to. He took with him his wife Sarai\, his nephew Lot\, and all their labourers. They packed up all the possessions they had accumulated over the years in Haran\, and set out for the land of Canaan. \nWhen they arrived in the land of Canaan\, Abram pushed on as far as Shechem\, to the sacred site known as the tree of Moreh. The Canaanite people were living in the land at the time\, but the LORD turned up and made a promise to Abram\, saying\, “I will give this land to your descendants.” \nAbram built a monument to the LORD there\, so that the place where the LORD had appeared to him might be a place for offering worship. After that\, he set out again and headed into the hill country to the east of Bethel. He set up camp between Bethel and Ai\, and there he built another monument to the LORD and called on the LORD in prayer. From there\, Abram pushed south towards the Negeb Desert\, making the journey one stage at a time. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 33: 1-12 \n \n\n \n \n \n We celebrate all you are to us\, LORD.\nWe are your people\,\nand it feels right to sing your praises. \nWe make music in your honour\,\nwith guitars and fiddles and drums. \nWe write new songs dedicated to you\, LORD\,\nsinging and playing with all our skill and energy. \nEvery word you speak is honest and true\,\nand everything you do shows you to be trustworthy. \nYou have a passion for justice and integrity;\nyour love and loyalty flood the earth. \nThe universe was created on your say-so\, LORD;\neverything in it\, you breathed into life. \nFilling the oceans was like running a bath for you;\nfathomless depths poured out like a bottle. \nAll the earth is in awe of you\, LORD;\nall of us fall to our knees in your presence. \nWhen you spoke\, LORD\, the world appeared;\none word from you and it was fixed in place. \nAll our big ideas collapse when you speak\, LORD;\nour national strategies are reduced to rubbish. \nBut what you have to say\, LORD\, is rock-solid;\nyour thoughts and feelings are consistent through the centuries. \nWhat more could a country want than to have you as their God?\nTo be your cherished people\, LORD\, is the best thing in life. \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Romans 4: 13-25 \n \n\n \n \n \n When God promised Abraham that he and his descendants would inherit the earth\, it was not because Abraham had earned it by following God’s instructions to the letter. Instead it was a gift given when God put things right for Abraham in response to the trust he had shown. If it were possible to earn the rights to the earth by rigid compliance with the law\, then basic values like trust and promise would be irrelevant. It would all become just another legal contract to be negotiated. Tie it all up in fine print and it will only end up serving as evidence against you; but where the relationship is conducted on the basis of trust\, no one goes on the lookout for very possible breach. \nSo instead of being a legal matter\, the fulfilment of the promise is conditional only on people’s willingness to put their trust in God. It is simply an expression of God’s generosity\, and that’s why it is guaranteed to always be available to everyone. Whether you were raised in a culture where observing the religious law was the norm\, or whether you have simply stepped out and put your trust in God like Abraham did\, the promise is open to you. After all\, both groups can rightly trace their line back to Abraham\, and the scriptures say that God promised to make him the father of many nations. \nWhen it looked like Abraham wouldn’t ever become the father of anyone\, he trusted his future into the hands of God\, believing that the God who can bring life out of death could create something out of nothing. He hung onto his hope even when it seemed utterly hopeless. He kept on believing that he would have many descendants because he was sure that God had promised him that. Even the cold hard biological facts didn’t cause him to throw in the towel. He knew that his hundred year old body was past it\, and that Sarah was an old woman who hadn’t even been fertile when she was young. Yet he didn’t allow even such obvious obstacles to break down his trust and make him cynical about God’s promise. Instead his faith actually grew stronger as he went right on crowing about the greatness of God. He remained dead-set certain that God was more than capable of making good on the promise. That is why God counted his trust as the equivalent of a perfect life. Now when the scriptures say “it was counted as the equivalent of a perfect life”\, it is not speaking of a special arrangement for Abraham alone. No\, it refers to all of us. We will all be accepted on that same basis if we too put our trust in the One who raised Jesus our Lord to new life from the dead. Jesus was put to death even though it was us who had done the wrong thing; but he was raised to new life so that we could be put right with God. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matthew 9: 9-13\, 18-26 \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus was heading down the street when he saw a man named Matthew sitting in his office\, where he worked collecting taxes for the Roman occupation forces. Jesus said to him\, “Come and join me\,” and Matthew got up and began following him. \nThat evening\, Jesus and his followers were out to dinner with a group that included many disreputable characters whose lifestyles were considered offensive by the more respectable members of society. Some members of the Pharisee party saw who he was with and confronted his closest followers over it\, saying\, “What does he think he’s doing\, sharing meals with people whose behaviour is beyond the pale?” \nWhen Jesus heard this\, he replied\, “Who needs the help of a doctor: the fit and healthy\, or the sick? Go and work out what the scripture means when it says\, ‘What I want is mercy\, not a blood-spilling quest for purity.’ I didn’t come to spend my time preaching to the converted\, but to call back those who are off the track.” \nA respected community leader came in and fell on his knees at Jesus’s feet\, saying\, “My precious daughter has just died\, but come and lay your hands on her and she will live.” \nSo Jesus and his followers got up and went with him. As he went\, a woman came up behind him and touched the edge of his coat. She had been suffering from prolonged bleeding\, and for the previous twelve years her condition had meant that everyone treated her as defiled and contagious. She was thinking to herself\, “Surely even touching this man’s clothes will be enough to make me well.” \nJesus looked around and saw her and said\, “Good on you\, daughter. You took a risk of faith and it has paid off for you. Welcome back to the world of the healthy!” \nSure enough\, at that moment she became completely healthy. \n  When Jesus arrived at the home of the community leader and saw all the chaos of mourners and funeral directors and people bearing condolences and casseroles\, he said\, “Everybody out! The girl is not dead. She’s only asleep.” \nBut they rubbished him. They knew she was dead. Unperturbed\, Jesus took charge of the situation and kicked them all outside. He went in and clasped the girl’s hand tenderly and up she got. The news of this spread through the district like wildfire. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection \n \n\n \n \n \n Prior to the revision of the Lectionary in 1992\, the 1st reading and the psalm that responded to it were chosen to link thematically with the gospel reading. After hearing the critique of those who said that the Hebrew Scriptures\, from which the first reading is usually chosen\, should be allowed to speak with their own voice rather than just add support to the gospel reading\, the Lectionary was revised so that during Ordinary Time\, the 1st reading runs in its own semi-continuous series\, working through various books of the Hebrew Bible. The older themed series continues to be available as an alternative. \nThe weekly prayers offered here at LaughingBird Resources are based on the four readings above\, and do not draw on the themed 1st reading and psalm. \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 \n \n\n \n \n \n I\, the LORD\, am going to pack up and go home.\nI will have nothing more to do with my people\nuntil they wake up to themselves and come clean\,\nuntil they are ready to turn to me again. \nAs soon as things fall apart for them\,\nthey will come running to me in tears\, saying: \n“Please take us back\, LORD.\nYou were right to knock us flat\, and tear us apart;\nbut come now and bind our wounds. \nTeach us a lesson by grounding us for a couple of days\,\nbut then give us a fresh start.\nOn the third day\, put us back on our feet\nso we can live in your presence. \nWe want to stick with you and learn your ways\, LORD.\nWe know we can rely on you\, as sure as day follows night.\nYou are like welcome rain to our parched spirits;\nsoaking in and bringing new life to flower.” \nWhat am I to do with you\, my people?\nWhat am I to do with you\, my chosen ones?\nYour love is as fickle as the morning mist;\nas lasting as a puddle in the blazing sun. \nThat is why I have unleashed my prophets against you\nand cut you down to size with my fierce words.\nThat is why I have turned the spotlight on you\nto make it clear what I think of you. \nIt is not gifts and offering that I want from you\,\nbut a love that lasts.\nIt is not dutiful religious behaviour that I’m looking for\,\nbut people who know and care what I am on about. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Psalm 50: 7-15 \n \n\n \n \n \n We belong to you\, LORD\, and you call us to listen.\nYou set out the case against us\, your chosen people.\nYou are God; our God. \nIt is not our sacrifices you condemn;\nthe gifts we are constantly offering. \nBut when they mean nothing to us\, they mean nothing to you.\nYou don’t want any more thoughtless gifts. \nYou don’t depend on us for supplies.\nFrom farm to forest\, every creature is yours. \nThe birds of the air\, the fish of the sea\,\nevery beast in every paddock belongs to you. \nYou have no need of our help if you get hungry;\nthe best fruits of all the earth are yours for the picking. \nOnly a fool would think you eat our burnt beef!\nOr that you literally drink the blood of sheep! \nYou welcome our gifts if they are really offered in gratitude;\nif we back them up by keeping our promises. \nWhen trouble breaks out\, we only have to call you;\nYou’ll be there to bail us out\,\nand we’ll put you name up in lights!” \n©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\nPrayers\n\n\n \n\n \n \n Eucharistic Preface \n \n\n \n \n \n Let us lift up our hearts.\nWe lift them to the Lord.\nLet us give thanks to the Lord our God.\nIt is right to give our thanks and praise. \nIt is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise\, O God\,\nfor you give life to the dead\nand fill the world with love. \nThe heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;\nall things appeared at your command.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nmaking them strong in faith as they gave glory to you\,\nand blessing the whole earth through them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto teach us the ways of mercy\nand to call sinners to leave their past behind\nand follow you.\nWhen he was handed over to death\,\nyou raised him to new life and\,\ntaking us by the hand\, raised us with him.\nWhen we put our faith in you\,\nyou were true to your promise of grace\nand declared us to be in the right with you\,\nhealing us of all that would drain us of life. \nTherefore with ..... \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces) \n \n\n \n \n \n We give you thanks for your Son\, Jesus\,\nwho calls us to leave our past behind and follow you\,\ntaking us by the hand to raise us up\nand heal us of all that would drain us of life. \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 give life to the dead\nand fill the world with love. \nThe heavens and earth came into existence when you spoke;\nall things appeared at your command.\nYou called a people to be your own\,\nmaking them strong in faith as they gave glory to you\,\nand blessing the whole earth through them. \nYou sent your child\, Jesus\,\nto teach us the ways of mercy\nand to call sinners to leave their past behind\nand follow you.\nWhen he was handed over to death\,\nyou raised him to new life and\,\ntaking us by the hand\, raised us with him.\nWhen we put our faith in you\,\nyou were true to your promise of grace\nand declared us to be in the right with you\,\nhealing us of all that would drain us of life. \nTherefore\, with our hearts lifted high\,\nwe offer you thanks and praise at all times\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord\,\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit\,\none God\, for ever and ever.\nAmen. \n©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net \n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n Declaration of Grace / Absolution \n \n\n \n \n \n Jesus came to restore sinners to God.\nWhen he was handed over to death he took our sins\nand was raised so that we might be put right with 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 now\, at the call of God\nand follow wherever the Lord leads you.\nLove truth and justice\,\nand share the healing mercy of God with all. \nAnd may God bless you and make you a blessing to others;\nMay Christ Jesus take you by the hand and lift you to life;\nAnd may the Holy Spirit nourish you in hope\nso that you will grow strong in faith. \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\nFeeling Useless?A sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Matthew 9:9-13\, 18-26 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nThe Blessing of FaithA sermon on Genesis 12:1-9 & Romans 4:13-25 by Garry Deverell\n\n\n\nYou’re Not That Dead!A sermon on Matthew 9\, Romans 4 & Genesis 12 by Nathan Nettleton\n\n\n\nLeaving Quarantine with JesusA sermon on Matthew 9:9-13 by Nathan Nettleton URL:https://laughingbird.net/occasion/ap05/2029-06-10/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://laughingbird.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/P05.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR