Year
C
Proper 7
Sunday
23 June 2013
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,
and declare to all how much you
have done for us.
Since the day you brought the earth to
birth,
you have been present in the sounds of sheer silence,
where
deep roars to deep;
and through your law and prophets
you
guarded us and kept us from destruction.
When we were
imprisoned in condemnation,
chained and shackled by demons too
many to name,
you sent your light and truth
in your child,
Jesus the Christ.
He drove our tormentors into the abyss
and
reconciled us to ourselves and to one another.
When he was
crucified,
you raised him to new life
and plunged us into his
death, burial and resurrection.
Now you feed us with bread and
wine
so that we might have strength for the journey
to the
holy mountain where you make your home.
Therefore with
.....
©2001 Nathan
Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Short
Preface
(for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with
fixed prefaces)
We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ,
who
drives our tormentors into the abyss,
reconciles us to ourselves
and to one another,
and feeds us with bread and wine
so that
we might have strength for the journey.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
General
Prayer of Thanksgiving
(Preface reformatted for use
apart from communion)
We give you all
thanks and praise, O God,
and openly declare how much you have
done for us.
Since the day you brought the earth to birth,
you
have been present in the sounds of sheer silence,
where deep roars
to deep;
and through your law and prophets
you guarded us and
kept us from destruction.
When we were imprisoned in
condemnation,
chained and shackled by demons too many to name,
you
sent your light and truth
in your child, Jesus the Christ.
He
drove our tormentors into the abyss
and reconciled us to ourselves
and to one another.
When he was crucified,
you raised him to
new life
and plunged us into his death, burial and
resurrection.
Now you feed us with bread and wine
so that we
might have strength for the journey
to the holy mountain where you
make your home.
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.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Declaration
of Grace / Absolution
You are no longer judged and
condemned by the law,
for in Christ Jesus, you are children of God
through faith.
You are clothed with Christ.
You are heirs of
the promises of God.
Sisters and Brothers,
........your
sins are forgiven;
................be
at peace.
©2001 Nathan
Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Commission
& Benediction
Go now, proclaiming to all
how much Jesus has done for you.
Be as one with each other in
Christ.
Wait for the Lord, and be ready to hear God’s
voice,
even in the sounds of sheer silence.
And may God be
your fortress;
May Christ Jesus release you from all that torments
you;
And may the Holy Spirit give you light and truth
........to
sustain you day and night.
We go in peace to love and serve
the Lord,
........In the name
of Christ. Amen.
©2001 Nathan
Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Paraphrases
of the Scripture
Lections
for Proper 7 - Year C
- Sunday 23 June 2013
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.
* 1 Kings 19: 1-4, (5-7),
8-15a
........King
Ahab told his wife Jezebel how Elijah had made a mockery of the
prophets of Baal and then killed them all. Jezebel was outraged and
sent a message to Elijah, saying, “I’ll see that by this
time tomorrow you suffer the same fate as the prophets you killed.
May the gods strike me down if I don’t.”
........Elijah
was terrified and hit the road — running for his life. He made
it to the Judean town of Beersheba where he parted company with his
servant. He then went off-road and pushed on alone into the scrub.
After a day of that, he was in utter despair. He collapsed under the
only tree for miles that offered any shade and spilled his guts,
saying, “I can’t take any more, LORD.
Just kill me now! I’m as good as dead
anyway.”
........Exhausted,
he fell asleep where he lay. Suddenly someone tapped him on the
shoulder, saying, “Get up and eat.”
........Elijah
looked around and there, just near his head, was a cake of damper
bread and a full water bottle. He ate and drank and then went back to
sleep. The messenger of the LORD
came to him again, tapping him on the shoulder and saying, “Get
up and eat, or you’ll never survive the journey
ahead.”
........So
Elijah got up and ate and drank his fill. That meal gave him the
strength to push on for forty days and nights until he reached Mount
Sinai — God’s own mountain. When he got there, he spent
the night in a cave.
........The next
morning, the LORD spoke to him, saying, “Elijah,
what are doing here?”
........Elijah
answered, “I’ve given my all for you, LORD
God, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their
backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of
worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now
they are hunting me down to kill me too.”
........The
LORD said, “Go outside and stand to
attention on the mountain, because I am about to pass in front of
you.”
........As Elijah stood
there, a cyclone hit the mountain, shattering the rocks and
splintering the trees; but the LORD was not in
the cyclone. After the cyclone, the mountain was shaken by an
earthquake; but the LORD was not in the
earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a raging bushfire; but
the LORD was not in the bushfire. Then, after all
that, there came a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he
pulled his coat over his face and stood stock still outside the
entrance of the cave. Then, from the silence, came a voice, saying,
“Elijah, what are doing here?”
........Elijah
answered, “I’ve given my all for you, LORD
God, ruler of everything. The people of Israel have turned their
backs on their alliance with you. They have demolished the places of
worship and massacred your prophets. I am the only one left and now
they are hunting me down to kill me too.”
........Then
the LORD said to him, “Off you go. Head
back down to the desert near Damascus.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
*
Psalm 42 & 43
Like a wallaby searching for a
waterhole,
........I crave you, God,
with every fibre of my being.
Everything inside me thirsts for
you, God,
........for you, the Living
God.
When will the drought break
........so
I can be with you, face to face.
I’ve had nothing but
tears to sustain me;
........day and
night it’s been the same;
I can’t shut out the jeers
and taunts,
........“Where is
this God of yours?”
Cherished memories flood my
mind,
........rubbing salt in the
wound;
memories of past celebrations
........when
I led the worship in your house.
I can still hear the laughter and
joyous singing;
........the crowds
celebrating your goodness.
Why do I feel so
defeated?
........Why am I so anxious
and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up hope,
........for
you are my God and my help
................and
I’ll be glad of that again.
I feel so defeated
inside;
........I try to remind
myself of your goodness
as I walk along the beach to the river
mouth
........and look towards the
mountains.
But all I hear is the roar of waves
........and
churning waters;
I feel like chaos is breaking over me
........and
sucking me down, deeper and deeper.
Every day I read of your
rock-solid love, LORD;
........and
every night I sing your songs
................and
pray to you as the God of my life.
But still I find myself
asking the question:
........“Why
has your rock-solid love let me down?
................Why
are so many out to get me,
........................making
my life such a misery?”
My wounds are deep and
painful
........but the torture goes
on;
over and over I hear the taunts,
........“Where
is this God of yours?”
Why do I feel so
defeated?
........Why am I so anxious
and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up hope,
........for
you are my God and my help
................and
I’ll be glad of that again.
Clear my name,
God;
........side with me against
these godless tormentors.
Rescue me from their lies and abuse.
I
trusted you to look after me, God;
........why
have you pushed me aside?
Why are so many out to get
me,
........making my life such a
misery?
Let your truth blaze like a beacon
........so
I can see the way to go;
let it light up the path and lead
me
........to your home on the sacred
mountain.
Then I will offer myself to you in worship,
God;
........offer myself with
uninhibited joy.
I will praise you with music and song,
........O
God, my God!
Why do I feel so defeated?
........Why
am I so anxious and agitated?
I tell myself not to give up
hope,
........for you are my God and
my help
................and I’ll
be glad of that again.
©2001 Nathan
Nettleton LaughingBird.net
*
Galatians 3: 23-29
........Before
we had put our faith in Christ and allowed that faith to begin
reshaping our lives, we needed a rigid legal code to keep us in line.
The law was like a zealous parole officer, keeping us on the straight
and narrow, under duress. When Christ came, the law was no longer
necessary, because we can be put on track with God by entrusting
ourselves to Christ. Now that this opportunity is available to us, we
no longer need the parole officer watching over our shoulders. Having
entrusted ourselves to Christ, we have been transferred with him into
the direct care of God, and God treats us as beloved children, not as
prisoners. When we were baptised, we handed in our prison clothes and
were given a make-over in the image of Christ. All of you who have
been baptised, therefore, are on an equal footing — your new
Christ-like clothing covers any previous distinction. There is no
longer any preferential treatment on the basis of your ethnic or
religious background, your education or employment status, or even
your sex. All of you are related to Christ Jesus in exactly the same
way and are regarded by him as equals. If you belong to Christ, then
through him you are descendants of Abraham, and you therefore stand
to inherit all that God promised to Abraham’s children.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
*
Luke 8: 26-39
........Jesus
and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and landed near the town
of Gerasa. As they stepped ashore, they were confronted by one of the
locals — a dangerous and deranged man who was tormented by
demons. For years he had wandered around naked and dirty, and made
his home in the graveyard and the rubbish dump outside of town. He
had a long history of violent outbursts. On many occasions he had
been locked up and straight-jacketed, but each time the demonic
torment would drive him into a crazed frenzy and he would smash his
way out and flee back into the bush.
........When
the man saw that Jesus was ordering the vile spirit out of him, he
threw himself down on the ground, screaming. “What gives you
the right to interfere with my life? You’re Jesus, the Son of
the Supreme God. You don’t belong here. Leave me alone. I’ve
been tortured enough already.”
........“What’s
your name,” Jesus asked him.
........“They
call me ‘the Mob’,” he replied.
........He
had been given that name because there were so many demons raging
within him. The demons began pleading with Jesus not to wipe them off
the face of the earth. They begged him to send them only as far as
the herd of pigs foraging in a nearby paddock. Jesus agreed, and
ordered them out of the man. No sooner was the man free of the
torment, than the pigs went berserk, stampeding off the edge of the
cliff and drowning in the lake below.
........When
the farm hands who were in charge of the pigs saw what had happened,
they dropped their bundles and bolted. They reported the incident in
town, and word of it was soon all over the district. A delegation
came out to investigate, and they found the man — who had for
so long been out of his mind — sitting with Jesus and hanging
on his every word. It was the first time they’d ever seen him
clothed and clear-headed, and the change was so dramatic that it
unnerved them. The eye-witnesses filled them in on how the
demon-crazed man had come to be healed.
........All
this was too freaky for the people of the Gerasa district. They were
completely spooked by it and asked Jesus to clear off. So he and his
disciples piled back into the boat and headed for home. The man who
had been freed from the demonic torment pleaded with Jesus to let him
go with them, but Jesus sent him home, saying, “Move back into
town and tell everyone what God has done for you.”
........So
the man went on his way and never let the townsfolk forget the
wonderful things Jesus had done for him.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
Alternative
Hebrew Bible Lections themed to the Gospel Lection
*
Isaiah 65: 1-9
I, the LORD,
made myself available
........even
to those who didn’t bother to ask.
I put myself on call,
ready and waiting,
........even for
those who were too lazy to look for me.
I kept waving and
shouting, “Here I am!”
........to
a nation who kept ignoring me.
I kept offering the hand of
friendship, round the clock,
........to
a people who kept spitting in my face.
Their behaviour has gone
completely off the rails,
........and
they care for no agenda but their own.
They are constantly in my
face,
........needling me, stirring
me up.
They play mix-and-match religion to spite me:
........an
idol from here, a ritual from there;
a sacrifice to this, some
incense for that;
........a seance in
the cemetery to summon the dead.
If I say don’t eat
something, they eat it;
........they’d
cook and serve sewerage if they thought I’d react.
They
promote themselves as the spiritual elite;
........too
holy by far to mix with those they deem beneath them.
These people
are a noxious stench;
........they
get right up my nose.
Look, I’ve kept a record of what
they’ve done;
........I’ll
publish the lot and make them pay.
They’ll get all they
deserve with interest,
........and an
added bonus for the sins of their parents.
I, the LORD,
guarantee all this,
........because
they worship only what gives them a high
................and
spurn me to pursue their next taste of euphoria.
I will see that
they cop the full consequences
........of
each and every despicable act.
But hear this from me, the
LORD:
........there
is still some good wine in the cellar.
And just as people
say,
........“Don’t throw
the baby out with the bath water”,
so for the sake of those
who still serve me,
........I will
not just wipe out the entire nation.
From among Jacob’s
descendants
........I will raise my
true children;
from the tribe of Judah
........I
will raise people worthy of receiving my land.
Those I have chosen
will inherit it;
........those who
truly serve me will make their home there.
©2001
Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net
*
Psalm 22: 19-28
What are you doing, LORD?
Don’t quit on me now!
........Get
your act together and come to my rescue!
Save me before I get my
throat cut,
........before my body is
dog meat!
................Pull me out
before they get their teeth into me!
At last! Just before the
bulls ran me down, you have rescued me.
........I
won’t forget this — I’ll let everyone
know.
................Whenever people
gather, I’ll be singing your praise.
I’ll call on
all who honour you, LORD, to stand up and say
so!
........All who trace their roots
to Jacob will give you the glory!
........All
who share the heritage of Israel will stand in awe of you!
LORD,
you did not rubbish anyone
........or
blame the victims for their suffering.
You did not turn away or
slip off quietly;
........when I
cried for help, you responded.
Whenever people gather to
worship,
........my heart overflows
and I sing your praises.
Out in the open for all to
see
........I’ll do all that I
promised.
At your table, God, the needy will
feast;
........those who hunger for
you will be fed till they burst with praise!
........They
will be able to live it up, now and forever!
In every corner
of the earth people will wake up to themselves
........and
turn back to you, LORD.
Every race, nation,
tribe and family
........will offer
themselves to you in worship,
for you have the last word on
everything;
........what you say
goes.
©2001 Nathan
Nettleton LaughingBird.net