[Propertalk] Fwd: Draft of Sunday's Sermon and Updated African-American Wisdom Statements

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:
Note #33191 from JUDY BOLI to PROPERTALK:

ear Friends,
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Choose Life” or “Are You a Thermometer or a 
hermostat?” (Pentecost 15, Proper 18C: 9-5-10) and deals with all the lessons.  
ere it is:
If you knew today was the last day you would ever see your loved ones again, and 
f they were all gathered around you, listening for your advice, you can imagine 
hat the ideas you shared would be your most important thoughts, from the bottom 
f your heart.  Well this was the situation with Moses and the children of 
srael in our Old Testament Bible reading this morning.  We heard Moses’ last 
ords to the children of Israel, those beloved (and frustrating) people he had 
ed from Egypt through the desert for forty years.  He remembered some of their 
errible, self-destructive choices- worshipping the golden calf when they got 
ired of waiting for him to come down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, 
omplaining about God, etc.  The worst was- they never seemed to learn from 
heir mistakes.  They sinned, suffered the consequences, and turned right around 
nd committed the same sin again.  It was like they weren’t even finished with 
he consequences of their first disastro!
us sin when they were already doing the same thing again.  This is probably why 
od implores his beloved people to “Choose life,” and this is the message that 
omes down to us through the ages from the Bible readings- CHOOSE LIFE!
Choose life- get your priorities right- God first.  Remember, Jesus said, “I am 
he Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14: 6).  In today’s gospel he spells out 
ow to live life to its fullest- by getting our priorities right.  Jesus reminds 
s to put God first- not family, not possessions, not even self.  If you think 
bout it, his advice makes sense.  If we put ourselves or anything that we 
onsider “ours” first, it’s so easy to be possessed by those things- protecting 
hem, focusing too narrowly on them, making them better than anyone else’s 
stuff,” that they will own us.  You have seen the results when parents put 
heir children above God, so they don’t allow others in authority to discipline 
hem- after all, they are “mine.”  All too often the world disciplines their 
eloved children when they are grown much more harshly than neighbors, teachers, 
rincipals, etc. ever would have.  Popularity, possessions, honor, family, even 
ur own selves are wonderful gif!
ts from God, when thankfully accepted in that way, but they make terrible 
dols- terrible masters.
Choose life- think for yourself.  Remember the Psalm.  Don’t follow the evil 
dvice of other people- that’s the contribution of today’s Psalm.  Dr. Martin 
uther King, Jr. wisely reminds us that, “Most Christians are thermometers that 
ecord or register the temperature of majority opinion, rather than thermostats 
hat transform and regulate the temperature of society.”  It doesn’t make any 
ifference what anyone else thinks or does.  You know what’s right.  Is it 
oving God and putting God first?  Is it loving your neighbor and doing what 
eeds to be done to help him or her?  Don’t be a thermometer and follow peer 
ressure.  Be a thermostat, live Jesus’ values, and affect peer values.
Choose life- don’t be paralyzed by your present circumstances.  How many people 
et sickness, poverty, misuse by other people, the death of a loved one, age, 
tc. give them a depressed or angry attitude, thus making them powerless for the 
ingdom.  St. Paul was in prison when he had to figure out how to help the 
unaway slave, Onesimus.  It sounded like a hopeless situation- but God doesn’t 
ven know the meaning of “hopeless” and neither should we.  You know the poem 
bout the donut and the hole: 
s you go through life you will have no cares
f you watch the lines and not the squares.
s you go through life, make this your goal
atch the donut, and not the hole.
o, don’t look at the hole- look at the donut.  Don’t look at what you can’t do- 
igure a way to do what you can do.  I’m telling you this story with permission.  
ome years ago, our dear sister, Ms. Ellen Williams, had to tell her beloved 
dult son Thomas that he probably wasn’t going to get better from his cancer.  
homas’ answer- “That’s all right, mother.  I intend to live until I die,” and 
e did!  His friends would come by for him in their car, and he and his medical 
quipment would get in.  His advice is good for all of us- don’t focus at what 
ou can’t do, do what you can, and live until you die.
Choose life- don’t be paralyzed by your past.  In the epistle, Onesimus started 
ut as a slave.  When he escaped, it seems very probable that he also stole from 
is master.  Now he had to face that same master, but this time with a letter 
rom Paul commending him as a brother in Christ.  How easy it would have been to 
eep running.  But Onesimus did not let this difficult past diminish his future, 
nd there is a good chance this runaway slave ended up as a first century 
ishop.  Remember- to Jesus- it’s not where you’ve been that’s important, it’s 
here you’re going.  How many people do you know who let an embarrassing, 
inful, frustrating, or unjust past interfere with their future?  They’re still 
laming their mother for their problems while they’re in their thirties or 
orties or beyond.  Use your past as a launching pad, not a sinkhole.  Here’s an 
xample of a little boy who learned the hard way about the potential slavery of 
he past.  His name was Johnny; and !
he and his sister were visiting their grandparents for the summer.  While he 
as there, he received his first slingshot.  Johnny  practiced in the woods, but 
e could never hit his target.  As he came back to Grandma's back yard, he spied 
er pet duck.  On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the 
uck fell dead.  The boy panicked.  Desperately he hid the dead duck in the 
oodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching.  Sally had seen it all, 
ut she said nothing.  After lunch that day, Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash 
he dishes."  But Sally said, "Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen 
oday.  Didn't you, Johnny?"  And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!”  So 
ohnny did the dishes.  Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go 
ishing,  Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper."  
ally smiled and said, "That's all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it."  Again 
he whispered, "Remember the duck."  Johnny sta!
yed while Sally went fishing.  After several days of Johnny do!
ing both
his chores and Sally's, finally he couldn't stand it.  He confessed to Grandma 
hat he'd killed the duck.  "I know, Johnny," she said, giving him a hug.  "I 
as standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I 
orgave you.  I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.  
Richard Hoefler, “Will Daylight Come?”)  Don’t let your past enslave your 
uture.
So- CHOOSE LIFE- put God first, and everything else will fall into place.
HOOSE LIFE- think for yourself.  
HOOSE LIFE- don’t be paralyzed by your present circumstances.  
HOOSE LIFE- don’t be paralyzed by your past.  
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom 
tatements are posted on our NEW PARISH WEB SITE. The address is: 
ttp://www.stpaulsepisag.com .
Blessed preaching.
udy Boli 
t. Paul's Episcopal Church
aginaw, Michigan
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