Proper 19 – Year B
15 September All day
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.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections 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.
Proverbs 1: 20-33
Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets.
Wherever people gather, her call rings out.
On the station steps at rush hour she sets up her soap box;
over the roar of the traffic she raises her voice, crying:
âAre you thick-headed people determined to stay brainless forever?
Is taking the mickey out of others the only thing you enjoy?
How long will you mindless morons turn your backs
on every opportunity to learn anything?
Listen up, and let me set you straight;
Iâm ready to let you in on my thinking;
Iâll happily teach you everything I know.
But Iâm at my wits end with you.
You donât answer my calls;
you look away when I hold out my hand.
Whether I offer advice gently or scream blue murder,
it makes no difference. You still take no notice.
So how do you expect me to be there for you?
Why shouldnât I turn my back when trouble come your way?
Why shouldnât I just laugh when it hits the fan?
Your turn will come.
Youâll be looking up at rock bottom,
with the broken pieces of your life
falling through your fingers.
Why is it only then that anyone ever calls for me?
They reach out for me in desperation, but itâs too late.
Theyâd already told me where to go, and Iâd gone.
They spat in the face of knowledge
and thumbed their noses at the LORD.
They wouldnât have a bar of any suggestions from me
and they laughed in my face when I tried to set them straight.
So theyâve made their own beds,
now theyâll have to lie in them.
They bit off what they wanted,
and now it will stick in their throats.
Those who are stupid enough to wander off the path
get run over in the street.
Those who never think ahead
still have their feet up when the fire comes through.
But if you listen to me,
youâll be in safe hands.
You can relax
without a care in the world.â
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Psalm 19
Your glory is written in the sky, God;
your artistry is carved on the face of the earth.
From one day to another, the message passes on,
and each night puts the next one in the know.
Not a word is spoken,
not a sound do they make;
yet their silence reverberates around the earth
and their unspoken message echoes from pole to pole.
You made the sun at home flying across the sky.
It takes to its task with the eagerness of a bridegroom;
as exultant as an athlete breasting the tape.
As your messenger, God, it does its rounds,
from one end of the sky to the other,
warming everything in its path.
Your revealed will is right on the mark, LORD;
it gives our souls their second wind.
What you says goes,
and any fool can wise up by taking note.
Your instructions are spot on, LORD;
anyone who follows them will be glad they did.
What you direct us to do is easy to see,
and once seen, everything become clear.
Respect for you keeps us true, LORD,
nothing can corrupt it, now or ever.
What you decide is always accurate;
a fair ruling, beyond dispute.
Your Word is worth far more
than even diamond encrusted gold!
It is sweeter by far
than any mouth watering delicacy,
even chocolate dipped strawberries with cream!
But thatâs not all!
Your Word, O LORD, keeps me out of danger,
and following it pays off richly.
Can anyone put their finger on all their own faults?
LORD, eradicate the bugs I havenât even identified yet.
Remind me not to entertain sour contemptuous thoughts,
and donât let them start pulling my strings.
Without them, I can stay on course,
and keep my record clean.
Thatâs what I want, O LORD.
I want all the things I say,
and all the things I mull over in my heart,
to be things Iâd be proud to offer to you,
for you are the bedrock of my life;
the one who puts me back where I belong.
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
OR Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 - 8:1
The Spirit of Wisdom is like a polished mirror,
reflecting bright light onto everything God is and does.
In her we see a crystal clear image of Godâs goodness.
Although there is only one of her,
there is no limit to what she can do.
Without needing to change, she is always fresh,
and she renews and refreshes everything she touches.
Agelessly passing from one generation to the next,
she embraces those who dedicate themselves to God.
Making a home in their hearts,
she nurtures their friendship with God.
She enables them to pass on Godâs word to others,
for Godâs greatest delight is in those
who are at home with wisdom.
The beauty of Wisdom outshines the sun,
and the stars in the sky look pale by comparison.
She is more illuminating than light itself,
because light is regularly subdued by the dark of night,
but there is no evil that can ever get the better of Wisdom.
She stretches out her arms and embraces the whole earth.
She uses her strength to set everything right for the benefit of all.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
James 3: 1-12
Sisters and brothers, donât all go rushing off to set yourselves up as teachers. In the final evaluation, the required performance indicators will be much tougher for those of us who are teachers. None of us measure up perfectly. We all make mistakes, both in what we say and what we do. If you never got anything you said wrong, youâd be perfect, youâd have your whole life completely under control. It only takes a leash to keep a dog under control. A captain can control a huge ocean liner by turning one little rudder. In the same way, the tongue has an impact out of all proportion to its size. One little word can make a world of difference â for good or for bad!
One careless spark can start a bushfire that will rage out of control from here to the border. One careless word can be just as explosive. The tip of your tongue carries a destructive payload. One word dropped in the wrong place and all hell breaks loose â inflaming hostilities, blackening reputations, incinerating trust. Before you know it, your whole life is a smouldering ruin. People manage to tame all kinds of animals â wild horses, eagles, even crocodiles â but the tongue can never be broken in. It is like a coiled snake, unpredictable and deadly.
Blessings and curses can come out of the same mouth. One minute we are pouring out praise to the God who conceived us, and the next minute we are spitting out venom at someone made in Godâs own image. Brothers and sisters, itâs not right. If we couldnât turn on a tap without knowing whether we were going to get fresh water or sewerage, weâd never put up with it. You donât go to an apple tree and find lemons, do you? And you donât go to lemon tree looking for strawberries. If youâre an infested swamp, itâs no use anyone coming to you looking for fresh clean water.
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Mark 8: 27-38
Jesus and his followers made a trip out to the villages in the district of Caesarea Philippi. As they talked on the way, Jesus asked them, âWhat do people make of me?â
âSome say you are John the baptiser,â they reported. âOthers reckon you are Elijah or some other prophet from the past.â
âWell, what about you?â he asked them. âWho do you think I am?â
It was Peter who spoke up. âYou are the messiah â Godâs anointed one.â
Jesus warned them to keep that opinion to themselves and not to breathe a word of it to anyone.
Then he began to fill them in on what was going to happen to him. âThe New Human is going to be put through the wringer. Heâll be done over by the politicians, the priests and the religious lawyers. Theyâll have him executed, but after three days heâll rise to life.â
He didnât beat about the bush on this â he spelt it out as clear as you like. But Peter would have none of it. He pulled Jesus aside and gave him a piece of his mind. Recognising that his followers were losing the plot, Jesus made an example of Peter, saying, âGet out of my face, you satan! Youâve got no idea what God is on about. Youâre just pursuing the same things as everyone else.â
Then he called everyone to gather round â his followers and the whole crowd â and he said to them, âAnyone who intends to come with me has to hand over the keys, sign their own death warrant, and then do as I do. If you try to hold on to control of your life youâll end up losing the lot. But if you let go, even if you pay the ultimate price for your commitment to me and to our message, youâll gain real life. Whatâs the point of getting control of the whole world if getting it kills you. Thereâs no trade-in on a burned out soul. There are some who find it embarrassing to be associated with me and with what Iâm on about, when theyâre hanging around with their deceitful and easily distracted peers. If they donât sort themselves out, theyâll find that when the New Human arrives, full of the glory of God and surrounded by the angels, heâll be too embarrassed to associate with them.â
©2000 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection
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.
The 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.
Isaiah 50: 4-9a
The LORD God has given me the gift of the gab
so that my words can teach others
and put a spring in the step of the weary.
As I wake up each new day,
God makes me hungry for learning.
The LORD cleaned out my ears
so that I could hear every word.
I learned eagerly;
I never rebelled or quit.
I was opposed by others,
but I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.
I looked them in the eye
when they insulted me and spat in my face.
I took it on the chin and did not fight back,
when they gave me a belting and tore out my hair.
The Lord GOD is always there for me,
so no disgrace ever gets to me.
I have steeled my jaw and dug in my heels,
and Iâm sure Iâll never be ashamed of my stand
because I can trust God to back me up.
So, who thinks they can take me on?
Let them stand up and face me!
Who are my opponents?
Letâs see what theyâre made of!
The Lord GOD is backing me;
so who is going to accuse me of doing wrong?
©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Psalm 116: 1-9
I love you, LORD!
How could I not love you
when you always respond to my cries?
You are always ready to listen to me,
so I will bring my needs to you as long as I live.
Once death was closing in on me;
the graveâs icy fingers had me in their grasp;
Tormented and desperate, I cried out to you,
âPlease, LORD. Help me! Save my life!â
You are so generous, LORD;
you do the right thing by us
whether we deserve it or not.
You side with the nobodies,
and you bailed me out,
when I hit rock-bottom.
I can let go of my fears and calm my mind;
your goodness and love keep me safe.
You saved my life, LORD;
you dried my tears;
you supported me when I stumbled.
I can stand before you with my head held high;
Iâm back on my feet in the land of the living.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Prayers
Eucharistic Preface
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 yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom
who renews everything and gives life to all.
The heavens and earth are your handiwork,
and you have made all people in your own likeness.
Through the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom,
and all who listen are safe in your care.
When we refused your counsel
and failed to offer you our respect,
you came to us in your anointed one, Jesus,
to be our rock and our redeemer.
Taking up the cross
and suffering rejection as one of us,
he was killed and cast into the pit of hell.
But after three days, you raised him to life,
lighting a fire of renewal that will never go out,
and he now calls us to take up the cross
and follow him on the road to resurrection.
Therefore with .....
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)
We give thanks for your anointed one, Jesus,
who suffered rejection as one of us,
and who now lights a fire of renewal that will never go out,
as he calls us to take up the cross
and follow him on the road to resurrection.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
General Prayer of Thanksgiving
(Preface reformatted for use apart from communion)
We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for yours is the eternal Spirit of Wisdom
who renews everything and gives life to all.
The heavens and earth are your handiwork,
and you have made all people in your own likeness.
Through the law and prophets you revealed your wisdom,
and all who listen are safe in your care.
When we refused your counsel
and failed to offer you our respect,
you came to us in your anointed one, Jesus,
to be our rock and our redeemer.
Taking up the cross
and suffering rejection as one of us,
he was killed and cast into the pit of hell.
But after three days, you raised him to life,
lighting a fire of renewal that will never go out,
and he now calls us to take up the cross
and follow him on the road to resurrection.
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
Declaration of Grace / Absolution
No one knows all their faults
and none of us have brought sin under complete control.
But Christ is not ashamed to identify with us.
In his own suffering love, he offers us his life.
Sisters and Brothers,
  your sins are forgiven;
   be at peace.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Commission & Benediction
Go out with your minds set on the things of God.
Take up your cross and follow Jesus.
See to it that the words of your mouths
and the thoughts of your hearts
are acceptable to God and enlightening to all.
And may God make the holy Word known to you;
May Christ Jesus lead you in the ways of sacrificial love;
and may the Holy Spirit set you ablaze with divine wisdom.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
  In the name of Christ. Amen.
©2003 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Sermons
Sermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website.
- Being Part of the Solution
A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton - That’s not a cross!
A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Nathan Nettleton - Wisdom for a time of madness
A sermon on Proverbs 1.20-33; Psalm 19; James 3.1-12; Mark 8.27-38 by Garry Deverell - Holy Gossip
A sermon on James 3:1-12 by Alison Sampson - A Matter of Integrity
A sermon on Mark 8: 27-38 & James 3: 1-12 by Nathan Nettleton - Who do you say that I am?
A sermon on Mark 8:27-38 by Adam Couchman