A crowd flocked around Peter and John after they had healed a crippled man at the Temple Gate. Peter addressed them, saying:

“People of Israel, why does this come as such a surprise to you? And why are you staring at us? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that we have any special magical powers or spiritual secrets that enabled us to make him walk. The God of our ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has done this and given all the glory to Jesus. This Jesus was God’s servant, but you lot turned him in to the Romans and shafted him in Pilate’s court. He was the Holy and Righteous One, and even Pilate could see that he was innocent, but you shafted him and asked for the release of some murdering scumbag instead. You killed the Author of Life, but God has raised him from the dead. We know this first hand. The healing of this man today is all to do with Jesus – the authority of his name, and our trust in his authority. You know this man well, and you can see with your own eyes what has happened to him. It is the faith inspired by Jesus that has given this man a perfectly healthy body right here before your very eyes.

“Friends, I know that you didn’t understand what you were doing, and neither did your leaders. Through your ignorant actions, God’s Messiah copped the full bucket of human suffering, just as God had foreshadowed through the prophets. So wake up to yourselves and turn your lives around. Get yourselves back on track with God, and God will scrub out the black marks against your name.”

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

O God who always does what is right,
answer me when I cry for help.
You gave me breathing space last time I was in a tight spot;
be generous to me again, and hear my prayer.

How long will these people get away with it,
dragging my name through the mud?
How long will they go on spinning their propaganda
and manufacturing lies and deceit?

When will they wake up to the fact that you, LORD,
have singled out those who are faithful for your special care.
Your hear, LORD, when we cry out to you.

No matter how much pressure anyone is under,
there is still no excuse for doing the wrong thing by others.

Help us instead to quieten our minds down,
to meditate on the truth
and get a good night’s sleep.
We put our trust in you alone, LORD,
and offer you all we have in gratitude.

Cynics whinge that they never see any goodies from you, LORD,
and that you never seem to smile on them.

But as for me, you have filled my heart with joy,
and I’d take that any day,
over all the goodies their money can buy.

I can go to bed with a clear conscience
and sleep in peace,
for you, and you alone, LORD,
are my security, day and night.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Think about the extraordinary gift of love the Father has given us in allowing us to be known as God’s own children. Indeed that is what we now are. Of course, the world around us has never recognised God, and so it doesn’t recognise us as being God’s children either. My dear friends, we are God’s beloved children already. What we are destined to become goes beyond even that, but the details have not yet been made known to us. This much we know already: Christ will return to centre stage in clear view of everyone, and when that happens, we who will recognise him for who he really is will be just like him. Everyone who is living in eager anticipation of this will work at making themselves as pure as Christ.

Everyone who does what is wrong is rightly charged with opposing what God wants. ‘Doing wrong’ and ‘opposing what God wants’ are one and the same thing. You know that Christ was brought onto the scene to wipe out our wrongdoing. There is nothing corrupt in him at all. Those who live their lives in him do not do what is wrong; and anyone who does do what is wrong has obviously not recognised him and does not understand him. You are God’s little children, so do not let anyone pull the wool over your eyes about these things. Everyone who is doing the right thing is on the right track in just the same way as Christ himself is on the right track.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Suddenly Jesus himself appeared, standing among his gathered followers. “Greetings!” he said, “Peace be with you.”

Taken by surprise, they thought he was a ghost, and were scared spitless. Jesus said to them, “What have you got to be afraid of? Why are you letting your doubts get the better of you? Here, take a look at my hands and feet. See for yourselves that it really is me. Reach out and touch me and you will know that I am made of flesh and bone. No ghost can claim that!”

As he spoke, he showed them his hands and feet. It all seemed too good to be true; so wonderful that they couldn’t believe their eyes. Their heads were bursting with joy and disbelief! Jesus asked them, “Have you got anything here I can eat?”

They gave him a piece of grilled fish and he took it and ate it in front of them. Then he said to them, “The things I have said while I was with you amount to this: everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms is to be fulfilled.”

As he spoke they began to see how to read the scriptures with open minds so as to understand what God was saying in them. Jesus said to them:

“What was written will now be clear to you: that the Messiah is to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that the people of every nation must be told of the Messiah’s call to turn their lives around and receive forgiveness for their toxic ways. You can get started here in Jerusalem. You have witnessed these things first hand, so you can tell everyone what you have seen and heard. And don’t miss this: I myself am sending you the gift that my Father promised, so wait here in the city until you have been fitted out with God’s power.”

©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

Let us lift up our hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right to give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for in great love you have made us your children
and destined us for life in union with your Son, Jesus Christ.

You are the creator of heaven and earth
and the author of life.
You revealed your purposes
through the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms,
and declared your intention to suffer as a servant among us
so that you might bring forgiveness to the nations.

Your Word came to fulfilment in your servant, Jesus,
the Holy and Righteous One,
who was rejected and handed over to death.
He was killed through our ignorance,
but after three days in the tomb
you raised him from the dead.
Now he embraces us with hands still holed,
and disturbs our fears and doubts
with words of peace
and the promise of life yet to be revealed.

Therefore with .....

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

We give thanks for your risen Son, Jesus,
the Holy and Righteous One,
who embraces us with hands still holed,
and disturbs our fears and doubts
with words of peace
and the promise of life yet to be revealed.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)

We give all thanks and praise to you, O God,
for in great love you have made us your children
and destined us for life in union with your Son, Jesus Christ.

You are the creator of heaven and earth
and the author of life.
You revealed your purposes
through the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms,
and declared your intention to suffer as a servant among us
so that you might bring forgiveness to the nations.

Your Word came to fulfilment in your servant, Jesus,
the Holy and Righteous One,
who was rejected and handed over to death.
He was killed through our ignorance,
but after three days in the tomb
you raised him from the dead.
Now he embraces us with hands still holed,
and disturbs our fears and doubts
with words of peace
and the promise of life yet to be revealed.

Therefore, with our hearts lifted high,
we offer you thanks and praise at all times
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

In Jesus Christ there is no sin,
and he has been revealed to the world to take away sin.
All who repent and turn to God
have their sins wiped out
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sisters and Brothers,
  your sins are forgiven;
    be at peace.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

We have eaten together with the risen Christ.
Go out then, as witnesses of these things.
Attend to your heart,
worship with integrity,
trust in the Lord.
Proclaim forgiveness and healing in his name to all.

And may God raise you from death to life,
from brokenness to perfect health;
May Christ Jesus cast out your fear and doubt;
And may the Holy Spirit give your heart joy,
even as the bread and wine give your body life.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
   In the name of Christ. Amen.

©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net